In PR, writing up a press release is actually only a small part of the campaign process. There are so many more steps that follow that are equally as important and if you don’t get them right, it could result in a great story going to waste.
One of the most important parts of a PR campaign is finding a journalist that will be interested in (and hopefully publish!) your press release. But how do you find them?
Here are my top five ways to find the best journalist for your story.
1. Media databases
Media databases are one of the easiest and quickest ways to find the best journalists to cover your story. A lot of them make it possible to search for people based on keywords relating to your press release, as well as searching by name, job title or publication. The downside to these are that they can be pretty pricey and if it’s just for a one-off press release, that expense might not be worth it.
2. Twitter
While the business owners all hang out on LinkedIn, all the journalists are hanging out on Twitter. It’s a great place to network with journalists, find out and read the stories that they’re working on and build your media relationships. This, however, can be a lengthy process, just like building connections of any kind is, and can be time-consuming if you’re also trying to do the same with your professional network on LinkedIn.
3. Reading the news
This is your sign that you need to start reading more news content! If you spot a news story that you think is along a similar theme to your own content, check out the journalist who’s written it and see what else they’re working on. If you think that they’d be interested in your story, they’re one to add to your list, which leads me onto my next point…
4. News websites
Most of the time, newspapers, magazines and online publications list all of their journalists’ contact details on their website. Some even list their job title and remit, so you can find out which journalist covers the particular topic that your story could fit into.
So now you know how to find journalists!
Still scratching your head? Drop me an email and I can help you out – hope@hopemckellarpr.co.uk.
And if you’re now feeling confident at looking for press contacts, but are stuck for finding a story, we can help with our 1-1 Content Ideation coaching sessions. Again, email me for more details.
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