Elevate Earned Media, A Series: Elevating your Media Relations in 2021 and Beyond

This is the first post in a series about the evolution and elevation of earned media in a highly-digital, highly-connected, post-pandemic world. 

If there's anything that 2020 has taught us Earned Media pros it is that things change. Newsrooms are being cut at devastating rates, and journalists are choosing to leave editorial hubs like NYC and LA, opting for remote work. Consumers’ attention is frayed and people are getting their news from a variety of sources including social media. And according to the 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer, people are losing faith in traditional media at rapid rates.

On one hand, this new media landscape is scary. As Earned Media practitioners, everything we've known, everything we've practiced for the last decade+ has been up-ended. On the other hand, it's extremely exciting. It's our opportunity to elevate our thinking. Be bold. Be strategic. And be a leading force for positive change within brand storytelling.

Below, we’ll explore how PR pros can effectively adapt, elevate and ensure continued relevance for our brands and clients within the new media relations and editorial landscape.

Be More Human

PR Pros are taught that we must always be professional - but don’t forget that the people who are reporting the news are human, too. They’re experiencing everything we’re experiencing - world chaos, isolation, digital fatigue. So something you intend to be professional might come off as robotic, aloof and overly sales-y to journalists. 

ELEVATE: Communicate to journalists in the same manner that you’d like to be communicated to - friendly and direct. Craft your outreach to be authentic and to the point. Use natural language and avoid overly complex or jargon-filled pitches. Make a connection first. Go into detail later.

Zooming Ahead

In studio interviews? I’ve almost forgotten what that looks like. Zoom interviews are now the norm, making national coverage more accessible to more leaders and brands. 

ELEVATE: Consider pitching more broadcast or digital streaming. It can be just as high profile as, say, a Forbes or Wall Street Journal article and it gives your company leadership the opportunity to authentically tell the brand story in his / her own words.

Remotely Engaging

Many journalists have chosen to relocate out of major metropolitan hubs during the pandemic. So, the days of calling office lines or sending product packages to a central address may very well be behind us. 

ELEVATE: Continue to build authentic relationships with journalists and follow and interact with them and their work even when you’re not actively working together. Then, when you do have a relevant story, they will be more likely to open your email or your DM and provide you with their updated contact information.

Raise the Bar

With COVID, trade shows, media events and in-person editor meetings, of course, have been cancelled. But once the pandemic has passed, will editors be interested in these types of tactics once again? I think it is unlikely - or at the very least, will be greatly reduced.

ELEVATE: With the majority of U.S. workers now effectively working remotely, the bar for what warrants an in-person interaction will continue to rise. PR pros will need to adapt by creating engaging digital experiences like virtual media events, trade shows and product tours. Additionally, if we intend to engage a journalist in person, we’ll need to provide an experience that’s completely unique and worth the additional effort - for example, an exclusive tour of ingredient sourcing for a natural food brand.

Pitch a Story, Not a Spokesperson

I get it. Your CEO wants a “profile piece” in [insert favorite] publication. But with stiff competition for journalist attention and editorial space, reaching out to a journalist and simply offering the opportunity to speak with your spokesperson - no matter how impressive he or she is - isn’t going to get traction.

ELEVATE: Be an avid consumer of media and think outside of the box. What topics are trending in the news today, and how can your spokesperson authentically contribute to the conversation? What data, information or access can your brand offer to an editor that no one else can? When you’re sharing a compelling brand story, you’ll get more than a profile piece. You’ll have an opportunity to shape the news or be the news.

So, tell me - how is your brand elevating its media relations efforts in the new editorial landscape?