Healthy media relations involve building your media relations strategy and earning your media coverage.  The process begins with developing a media policy or guidelines for your organization, and evolves to the point where you create a media strategy. Below, find 16 steps to developing an effective media strategy:

1. Describe the issue: Create a document and write a paragraph outlining why you want to engage the media and the general premise for your strategy.
2. Analyze the media coverage: Summarize media coverage your organization has received to date, with a focus on the trend toward positive or negative media coverage.
3. Analyze the issues: Drop the media coverage patterns or issues into “buckets,” such as crisis, proactive, incident, or technical stories. Crisis issues are the most important and urgent; technical are least urgent and important. Proactive issues are important and less urgent, while incidents are less important and have more urgency. Segmenting these issues will help you prioritize your effort.
4. Set issue management goals: Determine what you are trying to achieve. State a few goals to developing a media outreach strategy.
5. Develop strategy: Decide which strategy is appropriate for the subject matter of each issue. Examples might include developing an “educate the media” strategy, or developing a “local media”strategy.
6. Develop target audiences: Determine who needs to know about this issue or issues, and determine how they receive their information. Decide what they should do with this information if you engage the media. Segment your audience as well for clarity.
7. Determine stakeholders: Stakeholders are often overlooked in developing a media strategy. They can be supportive and influential in your success.  Outline who you need to engage before you reach out to the media, and brief them on what you are doing.
8. Develop media targets: Build a list of media outlets that should be interested in your issue. The more specific the media contact to your issue, the better your results will be.
9. Develop a media team: Decide who will talk if the media is interested. It is good to have a point person, but also consider subject matter experts for technical topics.
10. Train spokespeople: Make sure the folks who will speak have their story straight, and that you arm them with accurate, relevant facts. They should practice with question and answer sessions.
11. Develop messages: Develop a few key messages that you and the media team should consistently use. One to two sentences for each.
12. Gather your facts: The media will want – and deserves –  facts. Anticipate what reporters will request and gather it in advance. If you don’t have an answer, know who you can go to get it after the media interview.
13. Develop media tools: Create some media tools in advance, such as a press release, backgrounder, video b-roll, or whatever will succinctly support an accurate story.
14. Create a timetable: Develop a timetable for implementing your media strategy.
15. Determine budget: Determine what you will need to implement the strategy in terms of resources, time and money.
16. Measure results:  Evaluate how your efforts have panned out once you’ve begun, and at increments afterward. Measure by polling opinions or perceptions before and after media outreach; by measuring media coverage; and evaluating whether the media outreach is influencing sales or behavior toward your organization.

For an excellent resource on developing a media strategy, read “Encountering the Media” by Barry McLoughlin. This pocket-sized book is loaded with helpful tips.

Good writers never stop learning and evolving. You read, listen, borrow and blend to develop a voice that is comfortable and informative.  News writers have evolved from writers of hard news stories – give me the facts fast and straight – to using techniques that are more creative. In fact, news reporters would often “phone in” their stories remotely, so they got to the point immediately in case the connection was broken. They also focused on the most essential first, using the inverted pyramid method of containing the who, what, why, when, where and how at the top of a story to avoid having a typesetter trim important details at the end of an article. In recent years, news writers can be less concerned about having their stories trimmed, especially in the era of online journalism, where stories can be as long as necessary.

Regardless of story structure or length, PR professionals who want a reporter to be interested in their client’s story  need to consider and offer journalists ideas that will resonate. Donald Murray, former writer and writing coach at the Boston Globe, says there are seven elements to a good news story. PR professionals should understand them before pitching stories.

1. Information: You need to have concrete details. When reporters ignore your pitches, it is often because they lack substance. Think about the facts and details before you pitch a story.
2. Significance: Your story pitch may be of utmost important to your client, but what about media outlet’s readers, listeners or viewers> If you are not thinking of the audience, it is likely you will strike out.
3. Focus: A good story is limited and focused. In PR, we often want a reporter to get all the details. If you give them too much, you will be disappointed. Remember what your core story idea is and stay focused in your pitch.
4. Context: Good news stories offer readers perspective. Again, your story idea might be of great interest to a company or organization, but you must help the reader understand the story idea in relation to a larger trend or issue.
5. Faces: Good stories include characters. Think about who will be the face of the story you pitch. Often, PR folks defer to the top brass; this is not always a great idea. Whomever you put forward – and you should offer up different sources to enhance your success – should understand and be passionate about the story.
6. Form: Good news stories take shape and give the reader a sense of completion. Again, PR pros can help reporters to generate form by offering a well-rounded set of facts and sources for a story.
7. Voice: Good stories also include good conversations. The newsperson has a job to provide a narrative of facts and details; good, concise quotes will add color and accentuate points in the story.

Mr. Murray was one of the best, and his “Writing for Readers” is a classic. PR professionals who want to better understand what reporters want should pick up a used copy.

Mark Stevens, in Your Marketing Sucks, says if you are spending money on marketing that is not growing your business, then you have, in his words, marketing that sucks. While I have just started the book, he makes some points that I completely agree with, and points that jump out at me on the heels of the Super Bowl ad frenzy. Namely, Stevens says if the ad agency you use applies for – and uses in its marketing – industry awards such as Clios, dump them. He says it is a sign they are more focused on their business than yours.

Later in the book, Stevens has a chapter titled “Nothing happens until a sale is made,” a phrase he borrows from Tom Watson of IBM. My sentiment entirely. I haven’t read the chapter, but I get it. When I picked up the Wall Street Journal the day after the Super Bowl, I loved reading the highlights of the ad wars and not whether Wesley Welker’s dropped pass cost the Pats the game. Who won? Who lost? And who is making the judgment anyway on who won or lost one day after the game?

The WSJ article lede: “Clint Eastwood has made Chrysler’s day.” Really? Did Chrysler sell thousands of cars hours after the game, which clearly would make the $14 million ad a success?

“Powerful and one of the best Super Bowl ads EVER,” according to a managing director of a Landor New York (must know what he’s talking about since his firm’s name is followed by New York), a branding firm (ad agency is so yesterday).

Not to be outdone by the hype, a chief executive officer of Digo, a digital marketing firm, said: “Car makers are now among the pantheon of Super Bowl advertisers.”

Wow. Them’s big words for ads that have not sold one thing yet.

More: “Fantastic. This is what a Super Bowl ad should look like,” said a former chairman of Lowe New York (there’s that NAME City thing again) on an ad featuring two comedians of yesteryear, Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno. What bothers me is that good ads should stand out and move people to do something, not meet some idea of what an ad guy thinks a Super Bowl ad should be.

“EPIC,” says a copywriter from another New York ad firm (must be the only city with people doing creative) when describing a GM ad.

And the praise, by ad people about ads created by competitive firms, continues to be heaped on like make-up on Madonna. Although, some ads fell short, we are sad to learn. GE’s, Teleflora’s, Century 21’s and others simply flopped, more New York and Los Angeles ad “gurus” tell us.

I say avoid the selection of winners and losers hours after the Super Bowl, and check back in at intervals of 30, 60, 180 or 360 days. We will not know who won or lost until the sales data is in. As Stevens says: “When you invest marketing dollars, making the sale is the only acceptable return on investment.” Now that’s a winner, in my book.

I enjoy flying because it is three or so hours of uninterrupted reading time. And, I get to read the airline’s publication, which gives me a glimpse beyond the Republic of Boulder’s take of the world and offers insights of what mainstream America cares about. As a marketer, it is essential to look beyond your world and see what others are writing or speaking, and what people are reading or viewing.

In J-school, a professor encouraged our class to read broadly. I took that to heart and still – 20 some years later – am a junkie for the cheap magazine subscriptions. My wife is always chiding me that there is no way I can read to so many publications – current count includes Fortune, Seattle Business, Bicycling, Money, Advertising Age, Food & Wine, Fast Company, Communication Arts, Utne Reader. She is right; I can’t. Rather than drive myself crazy trying, though, I flip through the table of contents and make sure to digest one or two of the best articles from each issue. It is a wonderful way to read different writing styles, see what is going on in a variety of industries, and gather ideas that might be applicable in my clients’ world.

My wife and business partner had an internship within a city public affairs department years ago. Her boss told her if she really wanted to know what is going on in the world, read People magazine and watch daytime television. While I am not sure I can go there, his point was valid. I would prefer to watch the PBS Newshour, but I might learn a whole lot more from taking in an episode of Jerry Springer once in a while.

Websites should contain content to attract and answer visitors’ questions efficiently and effectively. Attracting visitors to your site is only half the challenge, though. For most individuals or organizations, the goal of a website is to help generate customers, now or in the future.

To convert visitors to leads, a first step toward creating a customer, you must create compelling and appropriate calls to action. To move viewers forward, Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah, authors of “Inbound Marketing, Get Found Using Google, Social Media and Blogs,” say ask the following questions:

1. “Why should I click this button (or link) and give my information?”
2. “What’s in it for me?”
3. “Is the value of the thing I am getting worth giving up my email address for?”

To engage your visitors and get them to say yes to these questions so you can follow up with them, create a series of calls to action that appeal to them on a direct or indirect level. Direct calls to action are for visitors who need your product or service now. These might include questions like: “Call for a quote today,” or “Add to cart.” The person who clicks one of these buttons is ready to move forward; they are not looking to be convinced to move to a next level of the sales cycles.

Indirect calls to action are less intrusive, but designed for individuals not quite ready to make a transaction. These folks might be trying to research their options or gain general knowledge about a product or service. For these folks, you can offer links to items such as webinars, white papers, tip sheets, trial demos. To access information you have created – in the form of a white paper, for example – you will ask for information from visitors. If they are not interested in providing an email address, at minimum, they are probably not very serious regarding your product or service.  For these low-level prospects, provide a link to an RSS to allow them some level of information with little friction.

Good calls to action should be clear and simple, and they should tell the visitor what action to take and the result of that action. For Pivot, it might be: “Free Trial: 2 press releases in the next 20 days,” as an example. Every page on a website should include a call to action, says Steve Krug, author of “Don’t Make Me Think.” Additionally, you should track what calls to action visitors are clicking, test locations on the page for performance, and even test button colors, graphics or size in an effort to optimize results.

Getting people to your site is important. Converting these visitors to qualified leads and paying customer should be equally as important.  Carefully consider your calls to action, and monitor their success.

Design briefs are wonderful tools to ensure the creative firm and the client are on the same page.  Whether the project is a brochure, website, annual report or just a flyer, a design brief is a written summary of what the project entails, its objectives, a summary of key points that must be achieved within the finished creative project and deadlines.

Creative briefs should not be limited to just marketing collateral, though. They also can be used to guide work on a press release. To ensure you know a client’s objectives and key messages for a press release before you put fingers to the keyboard, answer the following 15 questions to first to keep yourself on target.

1. Subject of the release?
2. What is the news?
3. Headline?
4. Do you need a subhead and why?
5. What is the marketing objective of the release?
6. List the primary and secondary audiences for the release.
7. What are the key messages the release should articulate?
8. What is the impact of the release to your customers and the marketplace?
9. Are there any supporting documents the writer will need for background?
10. If the release is product or service related, when will this item be available?
11. What are the pricing details?
12. Are certain customers or third-party individuals interested in participating in the release?
13. What executives should be included in the release for quotes, why, and what are their key points?
14. Is there any chance the release could create problems for the customer, and if so, is the release a good idea?
15. How will you distribute the press release (email, wire distribution, company website or newsletter among other options)?

What other  items should be included in a press release creative brief?

People look for products and services on the Internet. If they don’t actually make the purchase online, they are certainly vetting your company and learning what others think of you online. There are three main areas of the Internet where this is being done.

Search engines:  Most searches online are conducted via Google. People find it easier to search and sift through online information to get their head around what they want and what they need. When people search for you online via search engines, make sure you have a website that you will be proud to have them visit. Good sites are specific to your target audience, easy to navigate and have good calls to action.

Blogs: People also gather information through blogs. While we used to gather information about our industry through trade magazines, more and more these are folding, going online or the trade industry experts have branched into the blogosphere as independent voices on subjects.  You can either host your own blog – but make sure you can commit to the work before you start – or monitor the online conversation so you are not being misrepresented.

Social media: Finally, people learn and shop through social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Yelp and more. With the tremendous amount of clutter and noise out there, social media is becoming the most trusted source of referrals for business products and services. If you need a dentist or a plumber, wouldn’t you ask your friends (social media) versus just going to Google or yellow pages for a random pick?

To “get found” through these channels, you need to be present.  Pivot works with a mix of clients on organizing websites, blogs, and social media strategies. Let us know if you’d like to discuss your situation.

Some additional blog posts that offer insights include 4 things to do before venturing into social media; 7 ways to enhance blog content; or 5 simple ways to boost your SEO.

No company is immune from problems. Whether you are a river-rafting company, health care provider or dry cleaner, your business is susceptible to problems, sometimes predictable and sometimes not. Issues can run the gamut, such as upset customers, employee wrongdoing, criminal investigations, regulatory reports, natural disaster, rumors, product failures and much more.

Ignoring the reality that some issue, at some point, is going to create headaches for your firm is unwise. Instead, your leadership team should carve out time to meet at periodic intervals to go into “what if” mode.

Whether you meet monthly, quarterly, twice a year, or annually, it is essential you set the time and do it. Other day-to-day tasks and responsibilities can displace this planning, but if you postpone it, you will regret it when an issue spirals out of control. The ramifications to your reputation could be far more costly in the long-term than setting aside time for planning.

When you meet, work on the following:

1. Identify realistic issues that could affect your company.
2. Outline the potential repercussions of these issues.
3. Develop a handful of key messages for each.
4. Name a working crisis team that can be assembled on short notice. Don’t forget to include subject matter experts on this team for specific issues. If you are a health care provider for example, and the potential problem involves patient care, add your clinical director as part of the scenario planning team. Do not create a team that is too large or you’ll bog down. Only include people who can help you respond to issues quickly and intelligently.
5. Review your liability coverage and adjust it if you find issues you are not covered for.
6. What would you do if a reporter from 60 Minutes jumped out of the bushes? It’s cliché, but it happens. If you don’t have a basic response in place, it could be very damaging to your company.
7. Make sure your planning group considers all audiences – employees, vendors, suppliers, local officials, media – so you don’t miss communicating with a group when it hits the fan.
8. Outline channels of communication you use – intranet, internet, email, phone, and so on – so you pick the appropriate channel, depending on the issue and audience you need to reach.
9. Discuss your working relationship with the media. Know who your friends are if trouble arises, and consider reaching out to them first if your issue requires a response to the media.

If you spend time talking through these and other “what if” questions, you will be better prepared to respond to problems. While no organization can plan for all scenarios (Really? Someone just walked into our mall’s fountain and hurt themselves because they were texting?), what you’ll find is that your response – guided by your working plan – provides a flexible starting point and the right frame of mind to analyze and respond appropriately.

And finally, a shameless plug. It may even help to have a third-party company (like us) help facilitate the planning process. A consultant will be objective to the egos in the room, can drive planning forward, and have experience developing useful plans.

Some organizations have in-house PR personnel; others outsource the work and oversee the program; and some do both. Why the varying approaches? In many cases, if the organization feels it has sufficient in-house experience, expertise and time, it will go it alone. Often, there is simply too much to do, and outsourcing some or all of the PR responsibilities to experts helps increase output and the expand capabilities of the in-house team.

If you decide you want to hire a PR team to assist your organization, management will rightly want to know the role and cost of an outside agency. Below are six reasons to share with management:
1. The agency adds an outside, objective perspective to an issue or program. Internal PR, beholden to management, may not push back as readily on a bad idea. A good PR firm will not hold back, using their experience and judgment to provide honest counsel.
2. The firm can add experience and depth. In some cases, we have been working with organizations longer than many on the internal marketing team, so we can provide historical perspective and industry knowledge.
3. Outside PR counsel can be invaluable in a crisis, where resources are stretched and quick, sound decisions must be made. You don’t want to be getting an agency up to speed when problems arise.
4. The agency can help strengthen industry connections and community relations.
5. The agency can conduct research, help coordinate resources, or manage other time-consuming activities.
6. You get more than one person with a firm. We always say an internal person will cost you salary plus benefits. Say a person makes $45,000 plus 30% in overhead and benefits. So, for $60,000, you have one internal low- or mid-level resource – a person with one set of experiences, generally learned inside your operation. That $60,000 could be applied to an agency, where you get a team of professionals who can apply practices and perspectives learned in many fields.

What other reasons are there to hire outside help? Why not?

Public relations, like all marketing investments, should justify cost with beneficial outcomes. But determining how to measure outcomes can be difficult, especially if clients are not interested in investing in the upfront research needed to objectively measure their position in the marketplace before outreach begins.

Unfortunately, many companies want to skip this research phase and jump straight to outreach, either in an attempt to save money or to push the agency to get results immediately. Small clients in particular desire immediate results without the cost of initial research  in order to gauge not just what the company thinks of itself but what its customers, the industry and other influential audiences perceive.

Most clients approach PR firms with several questions shortly after engagement, or even before a contract has been signed. Three standard questions are: how can we tell if your efforts are working; how long before we see results; and what’s our ROI?

In lieu of upfront research to measure a company’s position in a key audience’s mindset, here are seven other good methods that can be used to gauge impact:

1. Client feedback: It’s important for clients to understand what you are doing, and that they have a favorable view of your efforts. Clients should perceive that a PR firm is responsive to questions and feedback; has good industry knowledge; excels in writing and communication; and that publicity results seem in line with what was outlined in the firm’s proposal for services. In short, are they doing what they said they would?
2. Articles and mentions: This is probably the most objective measure of performance. How many clips or mentions have been generated and where? The ‘where’ question is important – articles and mentions should be in media where your prospects and customers gather their information.
3. Advertising comparison: If you generate an article in the New York Times or coverage on ABC TV, how extensive was the coverage? Compare this against the cost of an ad for comparable space to see if the placement is worth the effort. It’s likely that the press coverage was a fraction the cost of the ad space.
4. Content analysis: Similar to the point above, you also should look at the quality of a placement. Measuring your placements against how often or where your competitors get placed can help distinguish the PR firm’s work. You can develop a scale – say 1 through 5 – to rate the coverage. How many key messages were included? Who is the audience of the media outlet? Were they part of your target market? These and other factors can be used to give the coverage a rating.
5. Measuring traffic to website, other media: The beauty of the Web is that you can accurately measure traffic and activity online with tools like Google Analytics. If you had a great article on the cover of the Denver Post, did it influence traffic on your website? By analyzing spikes in activity, you can learn what coverage is prompting clients to learn more about your organization.
6. Sales results: In a perfect world, good PR work can be tied directly to sales generated. Because there are so many variables in play with a sales effort, it’s hard to pinpoint if press coverage moved a prospect to buy from your firm. The best way to narrow this gap between hunch and fact is by tracking leads. If you ask prospects where they heard about you, you’ll begin to learn if the PR effort is part of their awareness and decision-making process.
7. Market surveys: Your goal in PR is to influence awareness, attitude, opinions and action (almost mirroring the AIDA scale of marketing – -awareness, interest, desire and action). This is where research is key. If you measure key audiences before you start your PR campaign, you can see if you have moved the needle in favor of your client at various intervals.

What have I missed?