If you run a small business or brand, you need “earned media” to help build trust with your customer base.
Earned media includes positive news stories, articles, and mentions from reputable sources. To maximize the amount of earned media your brand has at its disposal, you need a great public relations team behind you.
Public relations (PR) outreach is vital for building strong relationships between your brand and its audience. It helps you gain visibility and trust, both of which are essential for business growth. Whether you’re a startup or an established company, PR outreach can elevate your brand and get your message to the right people.
A successful PR strategy not only generates media coverage but also creates a positive reputation. By reaching out to all of your media allies, from journalists to influencers, you can position your brand as an industry leader. PR outreach also allows you to control your narrative and stay ahead of potential PR challenges.
Now, you might wonder how to make the most of your PR outreach efforts. To succeed, you need to follow some essential PR outreach techniques. Keep reading to discover the key PR outreach strategies.
What is PR Outreach?
PR outreach is the process of building and maintaining relationships with the media – journalists and influencers – to spread your brand’s message. It involves reaching out to these key people to get your business featured in news articles and blogs, as well as social media. By doing this, companies can gain more exposure and improve their public image.
Why Do Businesses Need PR Outreach?
PR outreach is important because it helps businesses build trust and credibility. When the media shares your story, it shows that your brand is trustworthy and worth paying attention to. It can also drive more customers to your business by making your brand more visible and recognizable.
The Role of Different Media Types
Media outlets and independent journalists/influencers play a big role in improving a brand’s PR. Here’s how they help:
Journalists write stories that inform the public. Getting your business featured in their articles gives you exposure to a large audience.
Media Outlets are the platforms like newspapers and websites where the public gets information. When your brand is covered by these outlets, it boosts your credibility.
Influencers have large followings on social media and can share your brand with their audience. Influencers can influence purchasing decisions and increase brand awareness.
With strong media reach strategies, you can launch a PR campaign that puts your brand in a position to succeed. It’s not as simple as sending a single press release out to these various media entities, however. Next, we’ll tell you how to approach PR outreach and give you some crucial public relations tips.
How to Do PR Outreach
If you’re new to public relations, the concept of PR outreach can seem a bit nebulous. However, by following a carefully laid out plan and enacting specific strategies, you can enjoy far greater PR success than doing it by the seat of your pants.
Here are a few strategies and brand visibility techniques you can employ to maximize your outreach efforts and appeal to your desired media outlets.
Create a Plan
Before reaching out to any media contacts, it’s crucial to create a PR strategy. Having a plan helps you stay organized and ensures you’re targeting the right outlets. Your strategy should include clear goals, like increasing brand awareness or promoting a product launch, so your outreach is focused and effective.
Try Out Different Pitching Methods
Appealing to media contacts in different ways can make your outreach more successful. Some may respond well to email pitches, while others prefer social media DMs or phone calls. By experimenting with various methods, you can find the best way to connect with different journalists, bloggers, and influencers.
Avoid Mass Pitching
Mass pitching, or sending the same message to many people at once, can come off as impersonal. Media professionals get hundreds of pitches daily, and a generic message is likely to be ignored. Instead, take the time to tailor your pitch to each contact, making it relevant to their audience and interests.
Research the Entity You’re Pitching To
It’s essential to research the media outlet or influencer you are pitching to. Each media entity has its own style and focus, so understanding its audience and content will help you craft a better pitch. Knowing their past coverage will also allow you to pitch your story in a way that aligns with their usual topics.
Get the Timing Right
Timing plays a big role in PR outreach. Every publication and influencer has a schedule and specific times they prefer to break news to their audience. By paying attention to their editorial calendars or social media activity, you can pitch at the perfect moment when your story is most likely to be picked up.
Structure Your Pitch to Be Attention-Grabbing
Your pitch needs to stand out, so structure it in a way that catches the media’s eye right away. Start with a strong subject line, followed by a clear and concise message. Highlight what’s newsworthy about your story and why it matters to their readers or followers.
Patience Is a Virtue
Once you’ve sent your pitch, give it some time before following up. Media professionals are often busy, and it may take time for them to respond. Be patient and avoid bombarding them with multiple follow-up emails in a short period. If you don’t hear back after a reasonable time, follow up politely to check on the status of your pitch.
Outreach Campaign Ideas
Businesses and brands launch PR outreach campaigns in a variety of ways. One PR outreach tactic might pitch a story about your brand’s unique products or services. Another might share your company’s story and mission to increase overall awareness among your niche audience.
You can also host an event, like a product launch or a charity collaboration, and invite media members to attend. Offering exclusive access to your event or product can grab the media’s attention and create buzz. Don’t forget to offer them something valuable to share with their audience, like an interview or sneak peek.
Whatever you decide to do, you need to reach out cordially and enticingly using the right PR communication methods. Here are two simple email and DM templates to get you started:
Email Template:
Subject: Exciting Story Idea for [Media Outlet Name]
Hi [Journalist’s Name],
I hope you’re well! I’m [Your Name], and I represent [Brand Name]. We recently launched [Product/Service], and I believe it would be a great fit for your readers at [Media Outlet Name]. I’d love to share more details with you and provide any additional information for a feature. Let me know if you’re interested!
Best,
[Your Name]
[Contact Info]
DM Template:
Hi [Influencer’s Name],
I love your recent post about [related topic]. I’m with [Brand Name], and we’d love to collaborate with you to share our [Product/Service] with your followers. Feel free to DM me if you’re interested, and I can share more details!
Working with media members is crucial for achieving your PR goals. They help get your message out to a wider audience, giving your brand the exposure it needs. Building relationships with journalists and influencers can turn them into long-term partners for future PR success.
PR Outreach Tools
One way to find suitable journalists or bloggers is by using Google searches. Simply search for articles in your industry or related topics, and look for the names of writers who might be interested in your brand.
Another way to find media members is by visiting the websites of media outlets. Many outlets have a “Contact Us” or “Team” page where you can find the names and roles of journalists. You can also check out recent articles to see which reporters are covering topics that relate to your brand.
PR outreach services are a great tool to help you find the right media members. These tools provide databases of journalists and influencers. They allow you to filter results by industry and location, helping you connect with the best media professionals for your brand.
These tools also help you track your outreach efforts and monitor the results of your campaigns. By using PR outreach services, you can save time and make your outreach more effective. With the right contacts and tools, your PR efforts will have a better chance of success.
PR Outreach and Distribution with eReleases
Now that you understand a bit more about PR outreach, you’re ready to appeal to leading journalists and influencers. There’s no denying that it’s daunting to put your business/brand out there with so much competition.
With the help of a service like eReleases, you can create and distribute professional press releases that catch the eye of press members and will move the needle. eReleases is a renowned press release distribution service that can get you in touch with leading publications like Bloomberg and CNN.
To get help writing or distributing your press release, contact us today.