You Want Media Exposure for Your Clients, but What Do Journalists Want?

Public relations professionals can learn new ways to gain media exposure for their clients by understanding what journalists need most. Writers and editors from the Orlando Business Journal shared tactics that work as well as what the paper has in store for 2017 at a recent Legal Marketing Association Orlando Chapter program.

Managing editor Susan Lundine, associate managing editor Anjali Fluker, staff writer Veronica Brezina and research director Denise Hicks said their focus this year is Orlando’s economic development and commercial real estate growth. But they said the Orlando Business Journal always is looking for new ideas, so they encouraged efforts to reach out to reporters with relevant stories and sources.

Here are their recommendations on how to work with journalists to gain media coverage:

• Review publications’ editorial calendars at the beginning of the year, and plan appropriate features to fit.

• Do your research. Find out how reporters prefer to be contacted, whether it be via email or phone, and be considerate of their requests.

• Be prompt when it comes to deadlines. If you’ve secured a guest article opportunity, be sure to give your client ample time to submit the piece to you, so that you can get it to the publication on time.

By implementing these tips from the experts, you’ll improve your chances for securing media opportunities for your clients.