The term media goes beyond the traditional broadcast mediums of print, radio and television, to include more interactive mediums like phones, computers, CDs and DVDs, blogs, vlogs, websites, online magazines and self published books.
When I first started working in the media 15 years ago, the Internet was not a research tool and I wrote articles on a small computer monitor with green text on a black screen. Things have changed so much in that time – some publications, such as Brisbane Times, are now published online only.
When it comes to deciding which media outlets you want to target, research the media your customers consume. Do they watch morning TV, listen to talkback radio, read the travel section in the weekend papers, flick through magazines at the hairdresser, subscribe to blogs or YouTube videos?
Once you know which outlets to pitch your business to, find out how to contact them. Do they prefer email, phone calls, a pitch via Facebook or Twitter or can you find an opportunity via SourceBottle?
Find out how they want to be contacted and respect it to build a lasting relationship with this media outlet. If they know they can count on you for a good story, they will contact you when something comes up in the future.
The media outlets you approach will determine the style of your message. If you are using social media it will be short and to the point. If you are calling, have a pitch in mind explaining who you are, why you are calling and why they will be interested in your business.
Think about how you can craft your messages for each different media outlet before contacting them. When your message is prepared just do it; your business will never be promoted in the media if you don’t tell them about it.
The media is always on the look out for good news stories – so make it easy for them and provide a ready-made one.
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