Finding a list of journalists who may be interested in your pitch is no easy task. The success of a pitch or press release often rides on the shoulders of a thoroughly developed press release. When approaching a media list, I find myself facing asking questions like: How do I find journalists who will be interested? How do I narrow my search? How do I expand my search? Am I targeting the right audience? Where can I find their contact information? Luckily, PR Daily recently shared some useful tips on how to answer many of these questions and effectively tackle this sometimes overwhelming task.
Begin your search and keep it organized
Start by using any search engine, such as CISION, to begin collecting contact information. Try finding an email address or phone number for a specific journalist, not just the outlet’s general information. If you contact someone directly, there is a much greater chance that you will receive a response.
When searching for media outlets, keep your niche in mind. Are you targeting a specific area? Are there trade magazines that your audience would be inclined to read? Try to answer questions similar to these to understand a more specific audience. By targeting a particular audience, you are more likely to find outlets and journalists that make sense for your story and will therefore be more inclined to write about your pitch.
Filter and sort
If you are using a search engine then they will have no shortage of contacts, meaning filters will be a great asset. Start with a somewhat broad term such as “technology.” If that leads you to too many options, narrow it by making your topic more specific to your pitch topic, such as “collaborative technology” or “collaboration tools.”
If this is still producing a selection that is too large, examine how much traffic the outlet generates. It is important to pursue outlets that will reach the audience size for which you are aiming.
Look past the database
In an ideal world, contact information would always be listed for each journalist and it would always be the most up to date information. However, we are usually not so lucky. If you are unable to find an email address or phone number in the database you are using, look at the outlet’s website and look for a journalist profile or contact information listed with one of their previous articles. If all else fails, send an email to the general address to inform them of who it is you want to contact and most importantly, why.
Use Google to your advantage
There is a good possibility that there are journalists who may be interested in your pitch but are not in the database you are using. By searching Google News, you may be able to find articles on related topics and that could lead you to a new contact.
Creating media lists can be a daunting task, but it is a crucial one. Targeting the correct outlets, and more specifically journalists, could be the difference between a successful, well-covered release and one that is simply pushed aside. Following these tips will assist in creating a well-developed list that will hopefully lead to the optimum coverage that your story deserves.