Que faites-vous si vos stratégies de relations avec les médias ne fonctionnent pas ?

If your media relations strategies aren't working, it's important to rethink your approach. Look at what you're doing and see if there are better ways to reach your audience. Check if your messages are clear and if you're connecting with the right people. Also, consider trying new ways to share your content. Being flexible and open to change can help improve your media relations efforts.

The following steps will help you fix media strategy lags: 1. Analyze your goals and understanding of the target audience. What is interesting to your customers? 2.Monitoring. Check: What topics are popular in your industry? 3. Research successful competitors. What media channels do they use? 4. Stay in touch with the media: ask journalists, editors, bloggers what they are interested in? Offer them unique content: comment or interview. 5. Correct your media activities: talk about relevant topics for your target audience in relevant media channels

Strategies work when there’s alignment of thoughts and requirements for parties involved. Seeking feedback, being inclusive on the approach and focusing on the relationship rather than the strategy is mostly a win-win situation.

Successful media relations is dependent on the right message to the right audience via the right media. Sounds simple but elements often missing in media relations. If you clearly understand who your audience is and what stories appeal to them (research, research, research), then pitch the media they consume and do so in a concise, relevant, and compelling manner. As a former journalist, I tuned out PR pitches that were lazy, self-serving brochure-speak. Media relations is still about the art of storytelling.

If your media relations efforts aren't hitting the mark, it might be time for a strategy refresh. Start with a deep dive into what’s not clicking: Is it the message, the timing, or how you're connecting with your audience? Understanding your audience better can guide you to tweak your messages or explore new channels to reach them. Also, consider the power of relationships in media; a personal touch in building connections with journalists and influencers can make a big difference. Don't underestimate the impact of social media for direct engagement and feedback. Remember, effective media relations often require patience, a willingness to learn and adapt, and sometimes, a bit of creativity to capture attention in new ways.

In today's media landscape, a media directory - while essential - isn’t everything. Practise social listening so you can find who's talking about your brand, and talk back. This conversation shows that you’re not just pushing out information, you're also listening and responding. Next thing, add value to your media partners. Observe the stories they write and adjust your content to fit these interests, finding ways to integrate your brand into the narrative. This approach ensures your pitches are relevant, while helping you build stronger relationships with the media. This way, you create a symbiotic relationship where both parties benefit: your brand gets coverage, and they get engaging stories for their audience.

Understanding the media audience can help you generate the material to align it perfectly with the media outlets. Provide a comprehensive understanding of the audience through your sources and personal research endeavours.

When in doubt, always research - or that's what I always say :) It's not just about understanding which publications or platforms cover your industry but getting to the heart of how they engage with their audiences. Analyze trends in coverage, the tone of discussions, and the interests of key journalists and influencers. It's also crucial to identify emerging platforms or changes in media consumption habits that could open new avenues for your messages. By thoroughly understanding the media ecosystem, you can tailor your strategies to resonate more effectively with both the media and their audiences, ensuring your efforts align with the current dynamics and preferences.

The media landscape keeps changing. And it has changed a lot during the past 5 years. So research, research, research. And don't just depend on traditional ways of sharing your news/updates - be innovative and use all the many channels available. Also make sure that what you share is relatable and talkable, otherwise you're pretty much wasting your time!

'Compelling' is an important word! Take care in messaging to help people see the benefits of what you have to offer rather than the features to make it appetizing. It is about painting a picture in the mind of the journalist and their readership how life will be improved. If promoting a car, do not talk of the features such as a two liter, turbo assisted, fuel injected engine. Help people to see the benefits i.e. it will get you from 0 to 60 mph in 6 seconds.

Todo tiene que estar claro , muy claro. Explicado sin dobles sentidos. En un lenguaje que lo entienda todo el mundo , aunque luego tengas tu parte técnica para los técnicos y expertos. Cuidar tu web , tus redes …. Tienes que ser tú , también quien supervises esto , igual no diariamente pero siempre hay unos minutos para hacerlo. Subir es muy difícil pero bajar es súper rápido.

Based on the research you've just done, it's then time to take a critical look at your press releases, pitches, and digital content. Are they compelling, newsworthy, and tailored to the interests of both the media outlets and their audiences? Consider the language, format, and angles you're using—are they in line with what you identified your relevant media likes and expects? Updating your materials to reflect the current trends, language, and formats preferred by your target media can significantly increase your chances of capturing their attention. It's a busy world out there - it's best if you stand out for the right reasons :)

Talk to your speakers, conduct a brainstorm to understand what information opportunities you are not yet using for PR. Make an analysis of the most significant external information that can be used for news jacking

Something important is the rule of the “intermediator” between your company message and the media outlet, in the case, the PR agency. I see many PR agencies with lack of relationship in key media or relevant market media. They approaches are cold and tactic, and to stand up from many emails a media vehicle receive per minute become impossible, unless you have a good and strong stablished relationship. The lack of professionals qualified is another point to be considered. Difficulty to write solid messages and different content to attract the audience is often seeing in press releases and articles. Sometimes, changing one person or another make a huge difference in the result.

If your media relations strategy isn't working, it's likely time to re-engage your relations with the media. The assumption is that you [or your client] know your stuff and are message-and-camera-ready. With that set, you've got to have a good reputation with news producers. Do producers know who you are and what you do? Can they count on your poise and expertise to be on air in a pinch? Can they count on you to pitch them relevant and timely mutually beneficial stories?

Good comms and PR professionals understand that just because you know a reporter, it doesn’t mean they are going to cover your news. Developing strong media relationships takes time and can certainly help you get your foot in the door with publications, can give you a higher likelihood of having your email read or garnering feedback — but it’s not going to guarantee media coverage. Remember that you are a resource to a reporter. Do your research to understand their coverage area, relevant trends, and always showcase your value as a resource (ex: access to interesting data to support relevant topics, your company’s unique thought leaders/experts, your customers’ C-suite spokespeople & tangible results that showcase business outcomes, etc.).

Feel free to run your pitch(es) by some of your colleagues and contacts. Whether they are journalists you're friendly with, or someone who works alongside you in the industry, its not a bad idea to have them check to make sure that you're communicating to reporters effectively.

Trabajar como aliado de tus periodistas es fundamental, a veces cuando se trabaja el mismo tema o en el mismo sector y se tienen varios medios que quieren abordar opiniones o tendencias de un mismo tema, con el tiempo puede ser poco retador, sin embargo como vocero de una marca o como PR, me ha sido muy funcional ser empatico con los tiempos, con el tono y con la premura con la que a veces un periodista requiere la información. Darle continuidad a si la información fue útil y relevante o si el vocero expreso lo que el medio requería. Este enfoque permite que las entrevistas (sobre todo aquellas de intercambio) fluyan y logres avanzar con tu colocación de marca y/o voceros

It's great to try a new different approach, but even better if you keep checking if it works - and how well. Whether it’s feedback directly from journalists, the response of your audience on social media, or the performance analytics of your press releases, each piece of feedback is a valuable insight into what works and what doesn’t. Take the time to analyze this feedback, looking for patterns or specific critiques that can guide your adjustments. It’s not just about hearing what others have to say but actively listening and applying those insights to improve your approach. This process is not a one-time fix but a continuous loop of feedback and refinement. So yes, it will take time, but it will be 100% worth it in the long run.

One thing I've found helpful when seeking feedback is to remain open to other ideas even when you have strong opinions. Invite different points of view. I keep a list of conversation starters to use when no one is speaking up. Some of my favorites are: “Who hasn’t had a chance to speak?” “What does the silence mean? You agree?” “What questions do you have?”

It is always helpful to remember a few R’s: remain humble; reassess; recalibrate; relationship build. Accountability is key for these learning experiences.

As we know feedback is essential for improving your media relations. Set clear goals and metrics to track your progress, and listen to input from both media contacts and your audience. Use this feedback to adjust and enhance your strategies, ensuring you're creating value for everyone involved.

There is nothing better than going to the source. I would suggest developing in-person relationships in the media, and asking them what would be the best way to reach their peers on a specific topic.

The principles of PR have never changed. It is about relationship building, not the 'Spray and Pray' sending of press releases from an online library. I get a lot of things that just are not relevant to my audience because the PR individual sending it has not looked at what I do. Not unsurprisingly, a personal message always piques my interest. You also have to realise that the landscape has changed and really focus on who has the right audience for your clients to actually benefit from the PR you are creating. Talk is not cheap. Equally, you have to understand the difference between magazines and content creators. How they both earn a living is by making money. Magazines need adverts individuals also need financial support.

A critical part of the media planning process for communications professionals is having the right mix. With the lack of journalists available and willing to cover your topic, maybe you need to turn to earned, owned or shared media. Some clever UGC that you can support might go a long way to deliver your messages outside of the traditional channels.

Check in with yourself - were your objectives ever realistic? Maybe get an article/interview in a national paper and expect immediate sales? That may not be how it works. Reassess what you were trying to achieve. Set out an objective and work backwards from it to ascertain the best route there. Then (here it comes) get your PR people to look into media training so you know you’ll make the best of every engagement rather than just dancing to the journalist, blogger or podcaster’s tune.

In media relations, fostering reciprocal relationships with journalists enhances your effectiveness. Position yourself as a helpful resource and offer sources and connections even when it doesn't directly benefit your brand. This establishes you as a reliable partner. Additionally, I strongly believe in handling challenging stories transparently and with honesty. Declining interviews with no reason, or even repeatedly avoiding tough questions can lead to skepticism and complicate future interactions. Embrace the role of a trusted collaborator to advance your media relations strategy.