PR Tip

How Do You Get a Reporter's Attention?

"I send out news releases all the time but they never get used and the reporter never returns my calls. How can I get reporters to pay attention?" 

We often hear this from prospective clients.  It's true; it's getting much more difficult to reach a reporter these days. With staff cutbacks, increased workloads and the never ending flow of information, it can be tough to get their attention. 

Here are some tips that may help:

- It's always best if you can establish a relationship with a reporter before you send them something. How? 

- Do some research first.  What kinds of publication do they work for?  Have you ever seen a copy of it to understand the kinds of stories they do?  What is their specific beat?  Look at their past stories to get a feel for their writing style and topics of interest.

- Contact the reporter when you don't need anything, just to introduce yourself.  Ask them about the kinds of stories they find interesting.  What are their deadlines? How do they like to receive information?  Keep it brief and thank them for their time.

- Send them comments about stories they've done. Suggest interesting follow up angles if appropriate.

- Keep in touch…but don't bug them.

- When you do send them something – be sure it's newsworthy.

- Use interesting and intriguing subject lines in emails and headlines in written copy. 

- Keep your copy short and to the point.

- Use a combination approach when trying to reach reporters about a potential story.  Email, social media and even fax are good combinations.  (OK, we know fax is old fashioned but, with everyone experiencing email overload, we've found that some reporters will actually respond quicker to a fax!)

The bottom line is that it does take more time and effort to reach reporters these days, so you have to be very focused and targeted in your approach. Consistency and persistence will pay off!

Want more PR tips? Learn how to be interview ready and how to gain local media attention for current national stories.

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