5 Questions to Ask When Creating Your Media List
A good media list is an up-to-date list of media representatives that you intend to pitch to. They may be journalists, social media influencers, bloggers, podcasters or television media representatives. There are a number of channels and outlets to look at, and there’s a very good chance that you’ll have a lengthy list. As you create your media list, answer the following questions.
- Who Should Be On Your List?
Before you begin creating your list, stop and think about who should be on it. What media representatives are you aware of right now that you’d like to connect with? What outlets or channels do you want to be represented in? For example, if you make weightlifting gloves then you might want to connect with strength training podcasters and to have a story in Muscle & Fitness magazine. You don’t have to have specific contact information yet. That’s a later step. Right now, ask yourself who should be on your list and start adding names.
- Why Are They On Your List?
As you’re adding names and outlets to your list, ask yourself why they’re on your list. In fact, consider writing a quick sentence next to each name that identifies their purpose. For example, if you have a jewelry making business then you might want to be covered by a fashion blogger or a stylist because they can connect their customers and followers to your products. You’ll increase brand awareness. It’s not enough to have names on your list; they need a purpose.
- What Do You Want To Accomplish?
What are your goals? What can this person on your list help you accomplish? It’s important to have a specific goal in mind before you pitch to them. Your goal will also help you research the representative appropriately. For example, if your goal is brand awareness and you’re pitching to a podcaster, you might want to make sure that their audience is large enough to help you attain your goals and that their audience is aligned with yours.
- What Do You Have To Offer Them? Why Do They Care?
This is key. Anyone you pitch to is going to want to know what’s in it for them. How will your news, your idea, or your proposal fit into their needs? It’s imperative that you have an answer to this question before you pitch. If you’re pitching to a journalist, for example, then you’ll want to make sure that your news is information that impacts their readers, and is news that they haven’t already covered.
- What Do They Need From Me?
Finally, consider what they need from you to take the next step with your pitch. Do they need videos, case studies, and photos? Do they need data and research? Make sure that you have everything lined up to take the next step. These materials can be part of your pitch or they can be included in your follow-up.
Pitching to the media is a strategic process. Make sure that you start with a good list and clear information. Answering these five questions will get you organized and ready to start pitching.
