In our industry, we rely on relationships in a myriad of ways: professional development, client acquisition, customer service and more. And even though human connection and community are now more prevalent than they have ever been, there is still that one guy or girl at a networking event who doesn’t truly understand the benefit of building quality relationships. These folks are easy to spot, right? They are making it rain with business cards and there’s zero personal connection. He or she automatically jumps to the “sell” and leaves every person he or she comes into contact with feeling exhausted.

Last week, I was fortunate to take part in a round table discussion with young professionals about networking: the good, the bad and the ugly. How does that pertain to what we do, here at The Focus Group? A lot. We strive daily to work WITH our clients and our vendors. Our external relationships resemble partnerships, and that doesn’t come without a solid foundation of communication and trust.

When I speak about content creation and social media engagement, I often refer to the ShamWow infomercials. ShamWow had great brand ID through a very annoying spokesperson… but you don’t want to be that person. Ever. No one wants to be sold to… nor do they want to be pitched – all. the. time.

The latest statistic for journalists is that they receive an upward of 20 press releases a day – give or take a few depending on the market. Think about your own inbox and imagine an extra 20 emails with pitches that could give you more work to do (on top of your already long list). Tired yet? Yeah, me too!

What I’ve learned over the years (from both my journalist friends and seasoned mentors) is that it doesn’t always take a snazzy subject line or headline. Does that go against everything you’ve ever been told? Don’t get me wrong – there’s a place, but for the most part… journalists and media reps are identical to us – they are human. And how do you communicate with humans? You use basic human principals like being nice and grateful. To add to those, I have found three additional characteristics that go a long way in connecting with the media:

Conceptualization.

Calling on media contacts doesn’t mean you write a press release and then do research. It means you call on a specific group of people for which you’ve already developed a relationship with, and that he or she will value whatever you spend time sending him or her.

It means you had the foresight to think past the day-to-day realities of your job.

Spend time each week (or better yet – each day) to research and communicate with media contacts. Identify the type of stories he or she likes to report and look for trends with writing style. Reach out to compliment him or her on a story that you liked. Establishing contact without an initial need means more to them than cold-calling or blanket emailing. Gini Dietrich’s team dives into this process much more on SpinSucks.com and I can vouch for its success.

Commitment to the growth of the relationship.

Over time, provide him or her with resources that don’t have a thing to do with your organization. By going beyond the initial need for press release receipt, and establishing yourself as a credible resource – you’ll establish the framework for a mutually beneficial relationship. Not to mention… it’s just a nice thing to do. Know that your local lifestyle reporter enjoys writing about a specific restaurant? Reach out to him or her when that restaurant releases a new menu item. Simple. Nice. Effective.

Awareness.

When you sit down at your computer to send a press release to someone – think about how they will respond when opening it. Step outside of your current role to the role of a news recipient. Is the pitch you are sending so great that it requires a story written about it? Don’t get lost in your vision only, and be sure to canvas the environment for what is going on in the news. Pro tip! Before you send that press release, send an email and ask if he or she is interested in the idea. If the answer is yes, then follow up with the release.

These three characteristics aren’t rocket science, nor are they a complete list; but they do lend a hand to communicating beyond industry divisions and allowing for a flow of conversation. Just remember… Momma always said that you attract more bees with honey! Be nice!

What has worked for you? Do you use outside of the box processes to build better relationships with the media?

Samantha McCain
PR & Content Manager