Contacting the Media: 5 Things to Stop Doing in 2017

The public relations game changes as fast as the news cycle. If you're still contacting reporters and outlets the same way you did in 2016 (or 2006) it's time for an upgrade. 

Refresh your PR toolbox with these five free digital tactics you can try the next time you connect with the press:

 

1. Throw out your fax machine and put down the phone. 

Why: News outlets are working harder than ever with fewer resources. Reporters and editors don't have time to listen to your pitch, and a faxed release can't be copied and shared like an email.

How to do better: Focus on digital communications and be strategic about when and where they happen. Your release should arrive in the inbox of editors and reporters who cover news related to your event or organization just before their workday begins. 

Instead of pitching on the phone and leaving voicemails, tag reporters in a tweet that includes a link to your release and an engaging graphic. If a journalist has given you their cell number, follow up with a short text that mentions the press release's subject line and the time you sent it.




2. Don't send press releases from your email inbox.

Why: Most importantly, your inbox doesn't have email marketing software (EMS) tools like storing media lists and seeing who opened your your press release. Using regular email can also set you up for disaster, from BCC mishaps to being labeled a spammer.

How to do better: I use MailChimp EMS to send out press releases. It's free for up to 2,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month. People I've recommended it to found it easy to use, but if you aren't familiar with EMS tools you might need the "Getting Started" guide. 

My favorite features are: being able to see who opened your email and how many times it was opened, the statistics and reports you can see from each press release you send, and the ability to send yourself and others a preview email. The only downside of a free account is having to put a small MailChimp logo at the bottom of your email. 

3. Tweet like it matters and unlink your Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Why: Twitter is where news breaks and where reporters share articles and look for sources. Some editors spend hours a day on the platform. If you aren't aren't producing a professional feed, why should news professionals trust you or your brand?

How to do better: Step one is to disconnect automatic tweets that are sent out every time you post to Facebook. There's nothing that says "I don't care about Twitter" louder than a bunch of posts written for Facebook that are too long for the Twitter character limit. 

Buffer can help. There are lots of services that help manage your social media accounts. I prefer Buffer's free service because it's the easiest to use. You just load in your accounts (one each from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Google+) and use the box on the front of the page to write a post that fits them all. You can post right then or schedule up to ten posts to be sent in the future.

I also love the free Tweetdeck app, made by Twitter, that lets you load in multiple Twitter accounts and customize searches and list views. You can schedule tweets from multiple accounts in Tweetdeck.

You'll get more traction with the media by sending out five high-quality tweets a week with attached graphics that promote your brand than you will tweeting five bady formatted or worded tweets a day.

4. Drop everything when you get a media request and be the best source in your field.

Why: If reporters know you always answer your phone and return emails within a few minutes, they will contact you before your competition.

How to do better: Respond to calls or email from the media with urgency, even if you don't have the answers they need. Whoever reached out to you is probably trying to put a story together in the next few hours. A comment might be needed, or to set up an interview, or find a source. If you don't have that at your fingertips, you should still reply right away and say you're working on it.

If you want to be the best source in your field, always be available to the press and always follow through. That means answering all calls, emails and Twitter DMs from the media within five minutes. If a reporter or editor contacts you about a story you or your organization isn't right for, offer to help them find the perfect subject. 

Treat all news professionals with the same respect, no matter if they are from a major outlet or a college paper. Those students will be in the big leagues one day, and they'll remember you.

5. Stop sending out press releases the day of your event. 

Why: It takes a lot of planning to turn a press release into an article. There are only so many reporters to go around. If you wait till the last minute, don't expect coverage. 

How to do better: If you know your event is happening three business days ahead of time, so should the press. There are really no excuses for this one. A lot of people get hung up on writing long, detailed press releases. I hate to tell you, no one is reading those. 

It's so much better to send short a media alert that clearly lists the date, time, location and name of your event, and the phone number and email address of a contact. Add on a short paragraph about why your event is taking place and you're good to go. If you already created a Facebook event page, nine times out of ten the description you put there will work fine for your media alert. If you want to, you can still send a long press release as a reminder/update on the day of your event.

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