How do you choose the best media request? - Heying
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August 28, 2017

How do you choose the best media request?

You have risen the profile of your brand, promoted your business and built momentum in this media-saturated market.  Now you are getting requests for interviews and invitations to radio shows, TV programs and podcasts. Journalists who didn’t use to answer your emails are following up and your pitches are not going out the door with no media requests anymore. Although those media opportunities can help you with further brand building, there are a lot of aspects you should consider. Should you accept them all? The answer is no and here are 3 critical questions you should ask when making a decision about when to say yes and when to say no:

  • What are your business priorities?

Although PR requests look real pretty, they can be enormously distracting. Any solid PR strategy should align with a specific business goal and you need to keep your short and long-term priorities in mind when your inbox starts getting noisy with requests. Explore your goals with your team and don’t forget what your focus is when considering the requests.

  • What is the journalist`s track record?

You should never believe in the statement that “any press is good press” because it is completely false. As requests roll in, you have the ability to be more selective. Since not every media outlet is the right fit for a brand, you should thoroughly research every single journalist that sends a request. There are a lot of ways to track down their history of covering, their beat, their story and their angle preferences. Look at their LinkedIn profiles, click at their social media updates or google their past coverage. After using your media database, ask yourself if their coverage is aligned to the type of reporters you trust. The answer will guide your decision.

  • What is the relationship at play?

We all know that PR is an industry built on relationship. The last critical question you should consider is the relationship you have with that journalist or media outlet. If you have a good rapport with them, go for it. However, don’t accept a request from a journalist you don’t trust or don’t see any future in your industry relationship. It is far more strategic to decline those that don’t align with your values and priorities than to drag your brand into a media storm. Accepting each and every request that comes your way can cost you a lot more than a polite “no”.

Without proper vetting and consideration, sometimes what seems like a straightforward interview from a respected trade publication can turn into a reputation-damaging story.