Approaching Journalists

How do you approach journalists? You have made a story that you want to share with the world - but how do you do that? You want to reach the media to claim a thought leadership position. But how do you make sure you don't ruin that first impression? This article explains how to approach the media.

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Quick to:

• Approaching Journalists
• An email to journalists
• Example email for journalists
• Posting Press Releases
• Media Tools
• How do you approach the press? Tips for press releases
• Overview media
• How to contact the press
• How to approach journalists via social media?
• How do you get a press list quickly and cheaply?
• What is a press list?
• Do not buy or borrow a standard press list
• How do you approach journalists with news?
• How do I approach journalists and bloggers?
• A Good Relationship with Journalists
• Approaching the media
• These are the 5 biggest annoyances of journalists
• Do you want publicity?
• The best freelance journalists

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Approaching Journalists

You have written a press release, created a press list, and now you want to approach journalists. But how do you do that? To get the best PR result, the following flow is recommended.

• You create a press list;
• You email the press release, with relevant images, to journalists;
• After emailing, you wait one week.
• Have you heard nothing after one week? Then send a short and polite email, asking if he/she has perhaps already found the time to look at this message.

The hardest thing about this (apparently) simple list? Have patience, accept that something takes longer and do not rush the journalist.

An email to journalists

Editorial teams receive hundreds of press releases daily. That's why a short introduction, summarizing the most important aspects, is important. Below you will find a template for such an email.

Dear editorial team,

I am pleased to share with you the following press release. [Here, you should include a brief summary of the news, such as the most striking news facts. Of course, you should also mention who the sender of this news is.]

[You can optionally add: I noticed that you wrote more often about the labor market/startups/this topic. So I thought: maybe you find this news interesting.]

This email contains the press release. Should you have any questions, please let me know. I am reachable via the details below. You can find royalty-free images via this link [insert a hyperlink here].

Thanks in advance, have a nice day,

[Name]

[Phone number]

Example email for journalists

Is the above explanation still too vague? Below you will find an example of a good press mailing.

Dear Margot,

I read this (nice!) piece of yours - and therefore I am sending you the press release from The Inner Circle below. The biggest dating app from Holland sees that on Sunday 5th January many more singles are active on dating apps or sign up for a dating app. To make sure that singles have even more success in the new year, The Inner Circle shares five tips.

You can find the message below, royalty-free images via this link.

Let me know if there are any more questions or if you would like to speak to the founder of The Inner Circle?

Thank you in advance, have a nice day,

Aaron Mirck

06 3438 3309

Posting Press Releases

Some media offer the possibility to submit your own posts. These "digital bulletin boards" (for lack of a better alternative) can only be found by visiting the respective website.

For example, Emerce.nl - the website about tech and e-commerce - has a "Wire" section where posts are placed. Note: only posts that have been approved by the editor. Tip: visit the sites that are relevant for your brand, so you can discover if they have such a digital bulletin board.

Media Tools

Social media is increasingly being used to generate media attention. Having a large network of journalists and building relationships with them can also lead to positive media attention for your company. If the right media is used, your company will become known to the general public through free publicity. To achieve this, it is important to create a strong media strategy that clearly summarizes the message you want to convey.

How do you approach the press? Tips for press releases

Although companies nowadays focus their content marketing strategies mainly on social media, the press release should not be forgotten. The process of sending a press release takes time, but it's worth the effort if the message is eventually picked up by the media. Make sure that journalists have to make as few adjustments as possible to your press release before it can be published as a news item to make it as easy as possible for them to use it.

Overview media

Due to the various ways and times in which articles are published, it is useful to make an overview. For example, look at which newspapers come out in the morning and which later in the day. Read up on the smaller, regional media as well. They have a larger reach than you think at first. Through Presscloud you have access to journalists writing for the big media and journalists writing regionally.

How to contact the press

Do you have news that you would like to share anonymously with an editor? This can be done via the NRC website. Via their site, you can give tips to the journalists where your news is relevant. Your identity will be protected and the information is safe with them.

How to approach journalists via social media?

Some thoughts:

• Twitter is the ideal megaphone, right?
• Direct Message only works if you follow the journalist.
• Stay away from Facebook.
• Don’t spam
• Leave colleagues out of it
• Know the medium
• Use the right email address
• Be exclusive

Instead of using social media, you can also contact journalists through Presscloud.

How do you get a press list quickly and cheaply?

The tools from Presscloud make it possible for you to work with PR. You can already send a press release for free to 10 journalists using this tool.

What is a press list?

A press list is a list of relevant contacts and their contact details, often of journalists, to whom you can send a press release. Such a list of relevant contacts offers access to free publicity and is therefore very important for companies.

Do not buy or borrow a standard press list

Relevant contacts have access to your company's target audience. Do you want this to go smoothly? The database of Presscloud consists of more than 5000 journalists. You can easily create your own press list with countless relevant journalists. Don't use standard press lists from the internet, the chance of success is minimal. Use special PR tools like Presscloud.

How do you approach journalists with news?

Do you have new music to share with the world? Make sure you send it to journalists well in advance of its release date and focus on social media.

How do I approach journalists and bloggers?

The 4 biggest differences between Journalists and Bloggers/Vague Boundaries

1. Objective vs Promotion
2. Press release versus personal
3. Ready-made content versus building blocks for an article
4. Truth-finding versus traffic boosters / Greatest common factor (https://www.adformatie.nl/commerce/hoe-benader-ik-ze-de-4-grootste-verschillen-tussen-journali)

The group of people who can make your news known to the general public is constantly increasing. Where this used to be mostly journalists, bloggers and influencers are also included. This new group of 'thought leaders' often prefers a different approach than traditional journalists. The new group of thought leaders is often approached on a personal level, where this is not always the best way of doing it with journalists. Traditional journalists usually don't have a commercial goal with their publications, while the new group of thought leaders often want to make money from a story. Journalists want to tell an objective story, but the new thought leaders often use clickbait, which is not always very objective.

A Good Relationship with Journalists

Building a good relationship is often half the battle with PR. Because journalists' inboxes are often flooded with press releases, it is all the more important that a journalist recognizes you as the sender. This way you have a better chance of your press release being read. How do you do that?

• Be curious! Show interest
• Relationship management on a personal level: make sure you are reachable and interact with the editor;
• Follow, like, and share journalists’ content

Approaching the media

How to approach the media? Choose a form for your message: make a press release that journalists will find interesting. Opt for a targeted approach to the media: make sure that the content is specific to this medium.

These are the 5 biggest annoyances of journalists

Irritation 1: being unavailable; Irritation 2: meaningless answers Irritation 3: exerting influence over the article Irritation 4: rigid and unfriendly behavior Irritation 5: poor information and answers of low quality

Do you want publicity?

Since journalists are approached a lot, there are some negative experiences associated with this. Journalists sometimes lack objectivity in the messages they strive for in their own publications. They may also take it badly if, when checking the press release for publication, content parts are improved. Another irritation is that the sender of the press release is not available for questions. Take note of this, as it may cost you a publication. Always stay friendly and personal in communication with journalists.

The best freelance journalists

At Presscloud journalists with different functions are active. From freelancers to journalists in permanent employment. Presscloud works with a selection of high quality journalists. It is a platform where experts in the field can be found. In the network of Presscloud you will find journalists who are relevant to your press releases in no time.