The world of PR is full of possibilities, but it can also be a lot of work. That’s why so many people are looking for shortcuts and quick fixes when it comes to building relationships with journalists and influencers. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts or quick fixes that will guarantee you success in PR.
The only way to start building relationships with other people in the industry is by putting in the hard work yourself! So here are some tips on how you can search for press releases online and build relationships with them:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Utilize online platforms to discover press releases relevant to your industry. |
| Leverage social media and industry news sources to stay updated on newsworthy events. |
| Join professional networks and attend events to connect with PR professionals and journalists. |
| Cultivate authentic relationships by providing value, showing interest, and offering collaboration. |
| Prioritize personalized and tailored communication when reaching out to PR people. |
| Maintain a consistent online presence and engage in meaningful conversations to foster connections. |
| Be patient and persistent, as building strong relationships takes time and effort. |
Know What Press Releases To Look For
A press release is an official statement that informs the public about new products, services, or people. A news release is similar to a press release but typically contains information about the company and its activities rather than the product or service itself.
A news bulletin may be issued by a company when it has something important to announce but doesn’t have time for a full press release; this type of notification often includes financial information and other relevant details. Finally, a news alert serves as an informational notice from an individual or organization (such as a politician) to members of the media.
Crafting an effective press release involves careful consideration of various factors. Explore our tips in 17 Tips for Putting Together a Press Release to ensure your press release captures attention and delivers its intended message.
When Should You Use Each Type Of Document?
Ask yourself “What do I want my readers/audience members”?” Do you want them to buy something? Do you want them to vote for someone? Do you want them just to recognize your brand? In any case, consider what end goal(s) would make sense before deciding how much content should go into each document and what format they should take
Always Filter News By Topic
The search function is your friend. When you’re looking for press releases, it can be tempting to just type in a few keywords and see what comes up but if you want to make the most of the information that PR people are providing online, you need to ask yourself: What else could I be looking for?
You might not realize it, but there are so many different ways that press releases can be filtered by topic or category. You should always check these filters before deciding whether or not a release would fit into one of your coverage plans.
For example, if you write about restaurants and food news, then filtering by “Restaurants & Eateries” will help ensure that only relevant releases come up in the results; this is much more efficient than having to scan through dozens of unrelated entries every time!
Improve Your Google Search Skills
You can find press releases using advanced search operators on Google. The site: operator narrows your search to a specific domain, so you can find press releases from a specific organization.
For example, if you wanted to find all of the articles written by PR people with the name “Laura,” you could type “laura” in quotes into the main search box, then enter “-site:prdaily.com site:mashable.com” in brackets after that and hit enter.
This would return results that mention Laura but aren’t hosted on either daily or mashable websites primarily because it’s unlikely that either of those sites would host their content on another platform!
You can also use the filetype: operator to search for any word or phrase that appears within certain file types (PDFs, Word documents) without specifying which ones exactly: typing in the title: “t-shirts” filetype: “Docx” will deliver an array of files containing both keywords but only those saved as DOCX documents!
Lastly, using a different kind of wildcard character (‘?’), we can instead use this feature as an alternative way to look for titles containing certain words within them too for example if we wanted all files called “birds birds birds” regardless whether they’re PDFs or Word docs etcetera again then simply type in the title: “birds birds birds?”
Writing a compelling press release requires certain skills that not all writers possess. Learn more about the art of crafting impactful press releases in our guide on How to Write a Great Press Release and Why Most Writers Can’t.
Sign Up For Free Pr Alerts
A free alternative to the paid services is to sign up for email alerts from PR sites. You’ll get an email each time your company is mentioned by a reporter, or when someone sends them a press release about you.
The Benefits Of Signing Up For These Emails Are
You can find good news quickly and easily by looking through all of the emails sent by reporters.
You can see if any reporters are interested in writing stories about you or your product so that you can reach out and pitch yourself as an expert source (or even offer them free samples/services).3)
When there is no new information on a particular topic, it will be clear which reporters have written about similar topics in the past. This helps with finding new connections within specific industries or niches
Look Through Individual News Sites
Press releases should be easy to find on a news site, but you might need to do some digging. If you’re looking for a specific press release, try using the search function and entering the name of the company that issued it (or its CEO). For example, say I want to know more about how this company got started:
You could also look through individual news sites. You’ll often find breaking stories posted here first and if they mention your company or industry in any way whatsoever, chances are good that PR folks will pick up on it so make sure you check out both national and local outlets.
Startups often face unique challenges when it comes to press release writing. To navigate these challenges effectively, check out our 9 Tips for Writing Press Releases for Startups and discover strategies to make your startup’s press releases stand out.
Check Out The Top PR Distribution Platforms
One of the best ways to get a feel for what your distribution options are is by checking out the top PR distribution platforms.
I’ll be honest: some of these have free trials, but they’re not necessarily available in all countries; if you live in an area where one of those services doesn’t operate and want to check it out, you might have to buy the founder’s hat or whatever their business model is.
Checking out which PR networks are most popular is also helpful because it gives you an idea of how many people are using them. One platform may not work as well for your needs as another because it has fewer users, so keep this in mind when comparing platforms and making decisions about where to send your press releases.
Use The Free Trial Period (If Available) To Find Out How The Platform Works And If It Is Worth Your Time
If you are on the market for a new PR platform, it’s best to use the free trial period to test out all of its features. This will give you an idea of how well the platform works, and whether or not it is worth your time.
The free trial period is usually long enough for users to get a feel for how the service works, but it may not provide enough time to fully integrate into your current workflow. If you have any questions about what your goals are in using this software, talk with an expert before making any decisions!
Monitor Local Pr Distribution Sites
There are several great ways to find press releases and build relationships with PR professionals. The first thing you need to do is monitor local news outlets, event listings, business directories, and other resources that post them. You’ll be able to discover new email templates and outreach strategies from these sites as well.
When you’re monitoring these sites, look for content that’s similar to yours in terms of topic or format (e-newsletters compared with e-books). Analyze what works best for your company in terms of response rate. Be responsive and polite when replying to queries about your product or service and also follow up promptly!
The potential of press releases extends beyond announcements, driving traffic to your website. Find out how you can leverage press releases to boost website traffic in our article on How to Write Press Releases That Drive Huge Traffic to Your Site.
Stalk Their Social Media Accounts
Now that you know how to find people who are likely to share your content, it’s time to start building relationships with them.
You Can Do This In One Of Two Ways
Start following them on Twitter and Instagram. Then, retweet their content when it’s relevant to your brand or industry (this will show that you care about what they have to say).
You should also occasionally comment on posts with questions or suggestions for improvement but don’t overdo it! If they notice that they’re constantly being flooded with comments from you (or other users), they might block you.
In addition, try asking questions through direct messages if possible it’ll show more sincerity than a public tweet/post would and make the person feel like they’ve made an impact on your life!
Use BuzzSumo (or another tool) to check out their most popular pieces recently published online; see if there’s any overlap between what those articles were about and what interests/concerns readers might have had at the time of publication (for example.
“How To Make A Pizza Pie On Your Own” is likely much less interesting today than when people first started making pie-making machines back in 1877).
Keep Up With The Most Popular Trends In PR
Keeping up with the latest trends in PR is one of the best ways to stay informed and on top of your game. Here are some ways you can stay abreast of what’s going on:
Use news sites dedicated to PR. This includes sites like Pr Week and PR Daily. Sites like these will give you a good idea about what’s trending, but they’re also great for finding jobs and internships in PR.
Get involved in blogs or forums that discuss public relations topics, such as this one! You’ll learn from other experienced professionals, who will be happy to share their knowledge with you and answer any questions that come up for you along the way.
Use social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook to keep up with industry influencers’ thoughts on current events (and glean tips from them). They’ll often share links that lead back into articles written by their peers so follow everyone who posts things related specifically to your field!
Read About Pr Best Practices In Blogs Or Forums That You Trust
Reading about PR best practices is an essential step. Here are a few examples of PR best practices that you can read about:
Don’t spam your press release or pitch to every media outlet at once. Do your research and only target the outlets that you think will be interested in covering what you’re saying.
Don’t send pitches from fake email addresses or with names like “PR Person.” It’s better if they don’t know who sent the pitch at all this makes them more likely to pay attention and respond when they realize how much value they’re getting out of reading what you’ve written!
Organize A List Of All Your Contacts To Prioritize Them When Needed
Now that you have a list of contacts, it’s time to organize them in order of importance to your business. The most important contacts will be the ones that you need to reach out to more frequently and consistently.
This can include people who work at publications where your product is being featured or reviewed, industry leaders who are sharing their knowledge on social media, and other bloggers/blog editors who might be interested in writing about you or interviewing you for an article.
It’s also important that all contact details are easily accessible so anyone at any time can get in touch with someone quickly and easily. There are several different tools available today including Buzzstream, SalesforceIQ, and Cirrus Insight (formerly Chorus).
RingRevenue and Calendly for managing contact details across teams as well as LinkedIn Sales Navigator for salespeople looking to manage prospecting pipelines efficiently by using CRM functionality such as lead scoring within LinkedIn Sales Navigator’s app interface
Press release writing holds its own allure with its unique charms and challenges. For insights into the fascinating world of press release writing, delve into our exploration of The Charms of Press Release Writing and discover the nuances of this art.
Use Various Online Databases And Contact Management Software To Organize All Information About Your Contacts
One of the best ways to keep track of your contacts is by using online databases and contact management software. These databases allow you to input all information about a contact, including their name, email address, and phone number.
Some tools will let you store data such as what kind of content they write for their blog or how long it takes them to respond when you reach out via email.
You must add new contacts into your database as soon as possible after meeting them in person or receiving their business card so there aren’t any errors later on down the line when trying to connect with them again!
Create A Wishlist For Outreach Based On The Categories Of Possible Influencers That You May Want To Work With
The first thing to do is create a wishlist for outreach based on the categories of possible influencers that you may want to work with. You can use a database or contact management software, such as Salesforce or HubSpot, but many people find it more useful just to use Excel or Google Sheets.
The second step is finding your dream outlets and creating relationships with them. The first place to start is by searching for press releases from those outlets in their name, then sending them emails saying how great it was that they wrote about this topic and expressing your interest in working together on similar topics in the future.
Search for successful bloggers, experts contributors, journalists, and event organizers you may want to connect with on social media or through email
Another way to find press releases is by searching for bloggers, expert contributors, journalists, and event organizers.
Use Google, Linkedin, And Twitter To Find Them
Google the keywords of your target audience or topic to get started.
Use some of your top keywords as a starting point for your search terms when using Twitter or LinkedIn’s search feature.
Make sure you have at least 2-3 relevant LinkedIn groups you can join that are related to your target audience or topic niche (e.g., if you are targeting business executives who manage IT projects).
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed reading our tips on how to find press releases and build relationships with PR people. We know they can be time-consuming, but it’s worth it! It takes a lot of effort to build meaningful connections that will help your business grow in the long run.
If you’re already taking advantage of these techniques and have additional suggestions for finding news stories relevant to your brand, please let us know in the comments below. Thanks so much!
Further Reading
How to Build Strong Media Relations: Learn essential strategies for cultivating and maintaining effective media relationships.
Mastering Media Relations in PR: Explore advanced techniques to excel in the art of media relations within the realm of public relations.
The Key to Building Lasting Journalist Relationships: Discover the fundamental elements that contribute to establishing enduring relationships with journalists.
And here’s the “FAQs” section with semantic questions and answers:
FAQs
How can I improve my media relations skills?
Enhancing your media relations skills involves understanding journalists’ needs, tailoring your pitches, and building genuine connections. Consider using personalized outreach strategies and staying updated on industry trends.
What are the benefits of strong media relationships?
Strong media relationships can lead to increased media coverage, improved brand credibility, and enhanced communication with target audiences. Journalists are more likely to engage with your content when there’s an established rapport.
How do I approach journalists for coverage?
When approaching journalists, focus on providing valuable and relevant content that aligns with their interests and beats. Craft concise and compelling pitches that highlight the unique aspects of your story.
How can technology aid in building journalist relationships?
Technology platforms designed for PR professionals can streamline media outreach, help manage contacts, and provide insights into journalists’ preferences. These tools enable efficient communication and collaboration.
What role does storytelling play in media relations?
Storytelling is a crucial element in media relations. Crafting compelling narratives around your brand or news makes your pitches more engaging and memorable for journalists, increasing the likelihood of coverage.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.