

This step is all about approaching the media. It's the fun bit!
We’ll take you through the etiquette of contacting the media to give you the best chance of success, we’ll show you how to find the right journalists that write about events.
Some of the contacts may be on the media list we gave you when you first signed up, so make sure you check that list before you start your research.
We’ll also teach you about the different types of media, how they operate and we’ll prepare you for any interviews you might have.
Once you’ve worked through this step, you will be ready to go out to the media.
TYPES OF MEDIA
There are various types of media and each type works slightly differently.

Print and online media tend to have a writer that looks after a particular section or topic eg health, technology, entertainment, food & drink, beauty – the list goes on, so that’s the person to contact about your event.
They also have specific writers that write the events sections and list what events are coming up locally. Only the titles local to your event will be interested, ie a Sydney publication will not write about an event happening in Perth.

Radio stations are broken up into programs and each program will have one or two producers that look after the entire show.
There are two types of radio program. The first is talkback where the presenters discuss topics at length and bring experts on to the show and invite listeners to call in with their opinions.
The second is music based with light chat in between songs. These chats topics are often based on pop culture like discussing the latest episode of The Bachelor or celebrity gossip, so you’re better off looking at talkback for events.
You will find there are segments within programs that cover certain topics eg food & drink, technology, health & wellness, so if your event relates to a topic, it makes sense to find that segment and contact them as they are more likely to talk about your event.

TV shows as a rule are unlikely to cover your event before it takes place, but you might get coverage if you invite them to come to the event, especially if you can find a news angle.
MEDIA DEADLINES

You also need to be aware of the timelines that media work to. All media work to lead times but not all their lead times are the same.
Monthly magazines are known as long lead publications because their lead times are three months – this means that they write their stories and send the issue to print three months before it hits the shelves. It follows that you will need to send your event info to these publications over three months ahead of when you ideally want it to appear.
Weekly magazines and newspaper supplements are known as medium lead as their lead times are approximately six weeks.
Newspapers are short lead as they turn stories around in a matter of days, however the sections that cover events are planned and written a couple of weeks in advance.
Radio, TV and online are considered immediate lead because they broadcast stories in a matter of hours however you need to send your info to the experts at least a week in advance of when they will be appearing on the show.
There are a number of handy tools that PRs use that you might want to consider using too.

Another free of charge service. You can set up alerts via your gmail that will monitor the web so you know when your brand has been mentioned online.
Click here to set up

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) is a popular sourcing service for the English-speaking world. It connects journalists and bloggers with relevant expert sources. It sends out alerts every day from reporters looking for content for their stories.
Click here to set up

It’s a call out service that media use when they are looking for story content. There are often call outs for small business owners and entrepreneurs to share their stories.
You can sign up to get their alerts for free. You can also put yourself forward as an expert so that when a journalist searches for a person to speak on your topic, your name comes up.
Click here to set up
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