Journalists and PR professionals are increasingly using all forms of media in their day-to-day reporting and now see them as legitimate channels for communication. MyPRGenie, a leading PR and marketing platform, recently conducted a research survey to see which of these channels are most popular among reporters and how they can be used effectively.

The findings of this survey, to which over 2400 journalists and PR professionals responded, clearly point out that most reporters prefer to receive releases through email. Here are some tips for making sure that your email pitch stands out among the thousands of emails reporters receive each day:

Select Your Target Audience & Distribution Networks:

Send your press release to as many journalists as you can to improve your chances of getting picked for a news story, but stay targeted by creating an email list of the journalists who cover your field of specialization. You can get referrals from the reporters you already know, do research into the media contacts at particular outlets, or use an online media database to connect with relevant writers, editors, bloggers, and more. We use our own media database, which connects us to more than 540,000 journalists worldwide, many with whom we’ve developed strong relationships.

Craft a Catchy Subject Line:

Use a catchy, provocative subject line for your email to can motivate the recipients to open your newsletter. A boring subject line will get lost in the shuffle; your contacts will probably ignore it. On the other hand, an overly flashy subject line peppered with exclamation points might be considered spam. Keep it short, catchy and professional.

Create a Weekly E-Newsletter:

Many companies send out daily or weekly newsletters to journalists with all their important press releases. This gives reporters a regular source of fresh press releases related to specific industries and companies. Another advantage of creating a good newsletter is that it can go viral on journalist networks.

Integrating Social Media

While email is the preferred method to be “pitched” a story idea, Facebook and Twitter are now being used more frequently by journalists worldwide in their writing and reporting. Here are some tips based on our research that can help you develop a mutually beneficial relationship with journalists:

• Don’t clutter a journalist’s Facebook and Twitter newsfeeds with unimportant press releases. Only post things that are newsworthy and valuable to them.
• If a journalist asks a question about one of your press releases, promptly provide an answer and make sure that they have a clear understanding of the story.
• Never argue with a reporter. Maintain a professional and polite tone in all your conversations. Misunderstandings can become opportunities to develop a conversation.
• Personalize your messages to let reporters know that they are interacting with real people.
• Consider using a managed, centralized portal distribute your releases over your social networks and get in touch with journalists and leads worldwide over multiple channels.

Track Results

Be sure to monitor and analyze the results of your press release distribution, as this can help you refine your target audience and PR campaign. This is, perhaps, the most important part of any campaign. Check to see where your traffic is coming from and how many of those contacts are viewing your content and reading your emails. It is far simpler to develop a relationship with someone who is familiar with your company and your work than it is with someone who has never expressed interest in your story.

 
MyPRGenie is a one-stop marketing platform for online marketing needs. This guest post was provided by the company, and is part of this blog’s ongoing series of articles that report on news and industry best practices that can help multi-channel marketing professionals achieve better results.  For more information about MyPRGenie, or the survey referenced in this post, visit the company’s website.  or blog.