How to respond to media inquiries — a quick guide
Maintaining a good relationship with the press is something that every company aspires to – and knowing how to respond to media inquiries is key to doing so. A lasting relationship can greatly benefit a brand's visibility, contribute to the improvement of its institutional image, and increase business opportunities.
Relationships are what increase the market share of companies and brands. An institution that exclusively seeks to make contacts and convert leads without a strong relationship plan in place runs the risk of appearing invasive. That’s why media relations strategies are so important.
You’ll need to build meaningful relationships with media contacts – a journalist, an analyst, a content writer or even an editor – to be successful and to secure great media representation and brand awareness for your company.
If you have something to share, knowing who to send an article or press release to is really important – they are viewed as a valuable news source and a great way to connect businesses and journalists.
What are press relations?
We can define as “the press” all the communication vehicles which aim to inform. This includes certain TV programs, newspapers, magazines and radio, whether printed, online or broadcast.
Maintaining relations with the press means interacting appropriately with these communication vehicles so that your brand is visible, has a good reach and is remembered by your audience as a reference in the sector in which it operates.
Why is it important to have a good relationship with the media?
The main reason to cultivate friendly relations with the media is the amount of opportunities that this interaction can lead to. News entities always share issues that are of interest to our society, and once your information begins to filter through, you will be in more demand.
In practice, this means that your press releases will begin to have a significant impact and you will need to maintain your reputation as a reliable and available resource.
In cases like these, journalists should be treated like royalty. You need to make their job easier, get them what they need to tell the story, work together to help them understand the brand’s position and offer good sources who can structure their perspectives.
Always treat journalists with respect, telling them the truth and always returning their calls. If you’re unable to talk to them for whatever reason, try to find a colleague who can.
Agility during crises and how to respond
Relationships between companies and communication vehicles are not only useful for the institution to “appear in a newspaper”. They also act as a useful strategy duringan image crisis – and when that happens, you’ll need to act quickly with your organization’s media relations, issuing a strong, honest statement.
Media relations allow you to draft and release a clarifying statement, or even schedule an interview , in the event of a crisis involving your company.
To cultivate a good relationship with the press and respond to their inquiries, you will need to:
- Understand journalists’ routines. Anything you can do better understand their schedules will help to build a bond, and making yourself available can make all the difference;
- Get to know journalists’ work, so you can be more assertive in your communication. This includes the journalists’ names and contact details;
- Take note of full details, including the date of the publication and deadline;
- Get back to the journalist promptly, and before their deadline. If that’s not possible, provide a holding statement until a full response is available;
- Try to always come across as trusting, courteous and to the point;
- Provide journalists with the right contacts, and make sure that telephone operators and others who direct these calls are aware of the correct press contacts; this will help to prevent journalists being passed from one person to another, and becoming frustrated.
Take some time to be available to the press, and don’t be afraid to start a proper conversation. Make sure to keep a channel of communication open - being proactive is key to success.
Media relations will only bring benefits to your company, including substantial content, branding, lead generation and more. By following these steps you will learn how to create and maintain press contacts, and how to respond to media inquiries.
