PR + Media = Relationships, Relationships, Relationships

Relationships, Relationships, Relationships

To play off a phrase popular in the real estate industry, it’s still all about relationships when it comes to working with editors.  Somehow, for many of us in the PR business, this seems to get a little lost when you factor in all the cool tools that are now a part of the media relations landscape.  Twitter, Cision, Gorkana, Muckrack, LinkedIn and many other services are all great.  But when it comes to getting an editor to really pay attention when the need is greatest for you and your client, nothing beats having a solid relationship built over a period of years.  The age of social media and communicating via email, IM, phone or video chat has impacted good old-fashioned lunches, dinners, coffee, or drinks to have a normal conversation about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (and a casual check to see what topics are front and center for your favorite editor as well as a quick plug for your clients, as appropriate).  Making eye contact, watching for non-verbal cues, smiling, grinning, using your hands to talk—all these are things you can’t do very well unless you are sitting down at a table together.

Make it easy for editors to meet with you and keep it simple.  Offer to go to a favorite spot that is close the office or location where an editor works and be flexible on the timing, as well when it comes to re-scheduling if an urgent deadline crops up.  Ask about days that are generally less crazy during a given week and try getting time scheduled on one of those days.  Offer to cover the bill, but know that some editors won’t allow this due to editorial policy.  And don’t forget the most important thing:  this is not a one-time effort.  You should make the time and put forth the effort to meet on a somewhat regular basis.

Finally, be a resource if you can.  Listen carefully for clues regarding pain points on a topic or topics, and be mindful that it’s a relationship you are fostering, with give and take for both parties.  When possible and appropriate, offer access to executives for background information and do what you can to provide meaningful insight that you think might help inform an opinion.  Furthermore, be creative and think of things that might be helpful otherwise—from sharing past experience to something relevant you read recently to a recent analyst report.

Be a builder of relationships.   It’s a win-win strategy.