Consider the following questions when identifying media targets for a particular pitch or announcement to ensure it’s targeted and comprehensive.
The process of building a media list allows you to think long and hard about who will be receiving your news and how you might approach each journalist, blogger, producer or editor to ensure they see value in covering it. It is important to selectively target the media of most relevance to your business.
While researching the correct media contacts to add to your list, put yourself in their shoes. Study their recent coverage and social profiles to find any information that can help inform your pitch and determine whether they’re someone who will be interested in what you’re pitching.
Here are some questions that should be used as a checklist while developing your media list:
Questions to ask before getting started with media list
- Do you have a full understanding of what you’re pitching?
- Who is your target audience?
- What does your target audience read?
- What publications matter most to the client?
- Who is covering the client’s competitors?
- Who is covering the client customers’ industries?
- Who is covering the client HQ’s region?
- Is your news local, national or international?
- What is your ideal headline?
Questions to ask while developing media list
- Who is covering macro trends in the client’s industry?
- Who is talking about the client’s industry or subject matter?
- How are they covering the client’s industry or subject matter?
- What are the dependencies for coverage?
- Do they need to know funding information?
- Do they need to speak to a customer?
- Do they need to speak to a c-suite executive?
- Do they report on hard or soft news?
- Do they cover product announcements?
- Are they interested in company news?
- Do you need to provide data or statistics for the reporter to write the story?
- Who has covered your client before?
- Who has covered other clients in relevant industries?
- Who has covered your client’s customers before?
- Have you checked their social profiles to see if they’ve shared information around what they’re covering right now?
Other questions to consider
- Are there other media verticals that are low-hanging fruit for the news?
- Are there other media types we could pursue? (Ex: podcasts, niche blogs, social media influencers)