How To Build a Media List
So you’ve got your Virtual Press Kit,High-Res Photos and Pitch ready to go. What do you do next? Obviously, before you can contact the press you need their contact information. You need a media list.
What is a media list? It’s exactly what it sounds like: a list of the press you plan to contact to promote your product or service. A completed list should include the name of the journalist, the outlet they work for, contact information and any other important notes like preferred method of contact or best time of day to reach them. While media list are tedious they are also the most important activity. Without a solid plan of action, your efforts will be wasted.
So how do you build a solid media list?
- Microsoft Excel is one of the best tools available when building your media list. This will help you organize all the data you collect into columns like: Name, Media Outlet, Email Address, Phone Number and Notes in order of your preference. Plus Excel allows you to have separate worksheets; you can use them for each segment of media such as “Women’s Magazines” and “Mommy Bloggers.”
- First, make a list of outlets you think your pitch is appropriate for, such as Women’s Magazines or Blogs. An easy way to go about this is by doing a Google search to get the names of publications you might not be familiar with but would still be appropriate.
- Take a look around the websites you find to determine if they are a good fit for you. Read through some articles, look at their about page. If it’s a good fit, add the outlet to your list.
- While you’re poking around, look to see who wrote the articles that fit your product or service best. Is there contact information posted? If so, add their email address and phone number to your list. Add any additional comments you’re able to find, like “Susie writes about eyeliner” or “Steve prefers to be contacted via email.”
- We always recommend pitching via email, it’s less intrusive and reporters tend to prefer it to phone pitching. However, if all you can find is the main office number, give it a call and speak with the receptionist. Ask her for the email address. If they give you the journalist’s phone number or transfer you, tell the journalist that you have a story idea and you would like to email them more information on it.
- Remember to always be polite – you’re asking them for a favor, so be sure you are courteous on the phone, even if they aren’t. “Please” and “thank you” can go a long way.
Spend a little bit of time regularly to fill/update press info out your list. It doesn’t have to be done everyday but investing 30 minutes here or there can make your media list just as effective as spending hours at a time once a month. Bite sized pieces is best for processing this information and it will keep you more sane!
Photo Credit: vancouverfilmschool