How to Win at Media Relations

Media relations can make or break your brand. Whether you’re a startup looking to get noticed or an established cybersecurity brand aiming to maintain a positive image, the art of media relations is key to building meaningful, long-term relationships with journalists, securing high-quality press coverage, and ultimately driving forward your business goals.

Here are some of Eskenzi PR’s essential tips for enabling your business goals through media relations:

1. Know Your Audience

Before reaching out to journalists, take a step back and ask yourself: Who do I want to speak to? Media relations is not just about getting your name in the press – it’s about getting your story in front of the right audience, where your ideal customers will find you. Take time to research journalists who cover your specific cybersecurity vertical and understand their readership well before building a media relations plan.,

2. Build Genuine Relationships

While the goal of media relations is securing coverage, it’s equally about building long-lasting relationships. Journalists are inundated with pitches every day, and PR people outnumber them significantly at every level and across every industry. Therefore, being respectful, and understanding of their deadlines will set you apart from the crowd. Make the effort to engage with them in serious and meaningful ways. This can be done by sharing relevant industry insights or simply following their work on social media. Don’t just pitch to journalists when you need something. Be proactive by offering them newsworthy content or insights on things that they are writing about, and they’ll be more inclined to return the favour. Media relations is a year-round activity

3. Punchy Pitches

Your pitch needs to stand out, and that means being concise, to the point, and engaging. Avoid long-winded pitches and focus on the key message you want to get across. What’s the hook? Why is your story newsworthy? Start with a strong, attention-grabbing subject line. Make sure the first paragraph is clear and directly answers the “why should I care?” question. If journalists are intrigued right away, they’ll read on.

4. Provide Value, Not Just a Sales Pitch

Media outlets are looking for stories that provide value, insight and analysis to their audience, not just a sales pitch for your product. If you want journalists to cover your story, offer valuable insights, original research, industry trends, or expert opinions that make their job easier. By positioning yourself as a thought leader in your field, you become a go-to resource for journalists. Think about how your business is shaping or impacting your industry. Share case studies, data, or commentary that offer a fresh perspective and make the journalist’s job easier.

5. Follow Up, But Don’t Be Pushy

Persistence is important in media relations, but there’s a fine line between following up and being overly aggressive. If you haven’t heard back from a journalist after sending your pitch, it’s okay to send a gentle reminder. But remember, journalists are busy and sometimes simply don’t have the bandwidth to reply.

Mastering media relations is no small feat, but it’s an essential part of any successful PR strategy. By knowing your audience, building relationships, crafting compelling pitches you can ensure that your brand gets the media coverage it deserves.

Remember, media relations is not just about securing quick fire press mentions – it’s about building meaningful, symbiotic long-term relationships with journalists and positioning your company as a trusted voice in your industry.

This guide is a part of our ongoing ‘How to Guide’ series. To read more, please click here.