media update’s Talisa Jansen van Rensburg gives you some very useful ‘pick-up lines’ to get journalists swooning.
Building a strong relationship with journalists is
vital if you want your press releases to get published.
However, grabbing a journalist's attention is not always that simple because there is a lot of content sent out to them regularly. And if your content doesn't make an impression, it will be easily overlooked.
Here are five ways to ensure the journalist will not ghost you anymore:Disclaimer: Please note that you should not actually use these pick-up lines in emails.
There is nothing worse than receiving an email that doesn’t address you
by your name or a person assuming your gender (
rather use gender neutral terms: no sir’s or ma’ams). There are countless stats that talk about consumers requesting and expecting personalised content, so you can only imagine that journalists love to receive the same kind of treatment.
As a PR pro, it is your duty to do your research and make sure you know which journalists work at what companies. Addressing them by their name will ensure that they actually click on the email you sent them — and at least skim through the content.
Giving a journalist a compliment about their work will make them feel appreciated — and people who feel appreciated will put
a lot more effort into what they are doing. Doing research about the journalist that you are sending your press release to and talking to them about their work will also allow for an opportunity to build a beneficial relationship with them.
Journalists are always busy writing stories, so if you focus on building a strong relationship with them, they might even consider doing a Q&A with you, which will give you and your agency exposure!
Show the journalist that you value their opinion and make an effort to follow them on social media — especially on a platform such as LinkedIn. The reason why LinkedIn is your best bet is because people make use of this platform for their professional and business side. Engaging with their content on this platform will show them that you
actually care about their opinion and not just the fact that they publish your content.
Building a relationship with respected journalists online will also help you look good, because other people within the industry will associate you with that person and your clients will see that you are connected with the
right type of people. This, then, makes the trust between you, the journalist and your clients
so much stronger.
Asking a journalist what their opinion is on certain topics and industries will show that you value and care about what they have to say. Also, knowing this information will allow you to best choose which press release should be sent to which journalist.
If you also speak to the journalist about industry-related topics, they will be assured that you’re not going to spam them with press releases that aren’t relevant to the industry that they focus on. Spamming any person is the fastest way to get ghosted, so make sure that your press releases focus on relevant topics.
PR pros should highlight the relevant attributes of the press releases in their pitch and tell the journalist why this piece will be good and valuable for the publication. Why? Because it is important that journalists are aware that you don’t just spray and send your content out to every single person out there — that way, they know that you have actually put some thought into the publication you’re pitching to.
However, keeping track of all these publications can be tricky, which is why it’s essential to
make use of a service such as Target Media Directory. This service allows you to keep track of all your media contacts, meaning you are able to consciously choose who you will send your email pitch to.
What are some other ‘pick-up lines’ that you have tried on journalists before that actually worked? Let us know in the comments section below.
*Image courtesy of Vecteezy