For a not-so-big city, the industries of media and public relations in Brisbane are huge. There are hundreds of potential outlets for your story and a lot of competitors waving their own pitches around. You may have the perfectly written media release in hand, but unless you’re likable, no one’s listening. Journalists are on a whole other wavelength. You and I may laugh it off when someone spells our name wrong, but these time-poor folk live by the dictionary. Some will look for any reason to ignore you to get to the bottom of their inbox. But there are ways to get in the good books. Follow these seven tricks of the trade to make any reporter love you:
- Have photos ready Journos are perpetually on deadlines. Sure, your new refurb might be fabulous enough to make a story, but they don’t have time to check it out themselves. Show them.
- Become their first point of call Everyone trusts a friend. Build a reputation for being knowledgeable and up-to-date and you’ll be their go-to pro for public relations.
- Follow up once Just once. No one likes harassment (or a stalker).
- Don’t pitch the same idea to every outlet Giving the same special treatment to everyone in town – that’s just being a floozy. No reporter wants to do what’s already been done, so approach each with a tailored pitch.
- Personalise your email We weren’t joking – get their name right. The copy/paste approach just won’t cut it.
- Be responsive to their requests We can’t stress the rush-factor enough. If you don’t answer their questions, someone else will.
- Understand their target audience Simple: don’t waste their time by pitching something that doesn’t interest them or their audience. Throwing an ultra-loud party? Find the reporters who write for young people. So on, so forth.
If this all seems a little too daunting, Liquidity comes fully equipped with a PR consultant who already has journo-love built in. For help with public relations in Brisbane, contact us today.