Spring is a time for renewal and newness in all areas of life, even in your public and media relations work. This time of year is great to take a look at your current practices and do some light housekeeping, or “spring cleaning,” to ensure your tactics and efforts are fun, fresh, and most importantly, effective.
While some PRos have in the past noted January as the best month for PR, we’re here to say that you can level up your efforts at any point. We tapped into our community of PR professionals to get their take on what to know and what to pitch for effective media relations this spring.
Keep authenticity at center stage
By now, it’s no secret that the authentic bird gets the worm in public relations. In any situation when working with the media, it’s critical to be authentic and transparent in your communication to foster ongoing trust. It’s this built trust that will keep a reporter coming back to you for sources, story ideas, and more, and honoring it is a great way to build a lasting and resourceful relationship.
In the age of folks leveraging AI and ChatGPT to do the heavy lifting in their PR efforts, coupled with a tough few months in tech with layoffs making journalists busier than ever, ensuring authenticity is a priority this spring is a great way to get off (and stay) on the right foot with your list of media contacts.
How to be authentic in your outreach? Say what you mean! Communicate openly with the reporter, be succinct and let them know what your source has to offer. Do your research in advance to be sure it closely aligns with their beat, and keep the lines of communication flowing. Whether it's a net new pitch, a touch base, or a follow up - honesty, authenticity and transparency are always the best policies.
Personalization and creativity are key
Knowing your why, and knowing your audience, are two things to incorporate into your PR practice this spring. Before reaching out to a reporter with a vague pitch, take a step back and ask who exactly it is that you’re hoping to reach with this message. Doing so not only helps tailor your pitch to your specific audience, but also to the journalist you’re hoping will cover it.
How to get personal? Consider how to make outreach more compelling with targeted immersive and interactive elements like multimedia that help bolster your message and make it more engaging for the reporter and, eventually, for your audience once that coverage goes live. Partner with influencers and organizations that are relevant to your client or cause, and leverage their insight and support as third-party validation. This can look like co-creating and sharing out that interactive content or hosting collaborative events and experiences.
Do good and do right by your PR
The concept of “doing good” in your PR practice might seem simple, but it actually goes much deeper, particularly when it comes to elevating marginalized voices and issues.
Ensure that organizations you partner with or clients you take on are genuinely committed to amplifying these voices and addressing their issues authentically. Take time to do a holistic vet so you can be certain that your efforts align with ethical values and contribute positively to society for genuine connections and more trust with your audience.
Whether you’re due for a light spring dusting or a full spring cleaning overhaul, keeping the tenets of authenticity, personalization, and doing good top of mind will help you chart a course (and stay on it) toward more effective PR execution during this season.
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