How to explain media relations value to clients
Part of the PR function is getting your organization’s experts and newsmakers placed in high-authority publications—but you can’t guarantee success. Here’s how to build your case and land strong coverage.
Media relations is a crucial component of the PR pro’s role.
The savvy PR pro can do something that marketers can’t do: get your viewpoints featured by prestige publications. Coupled with all the other communications tools at your disposal, from social media to advertising, the right media placement can create the magic recipe for a content strategy.
“At its core, a media placement’s innate value is that it gives credibility to the subject that is being written or talked about,” says Judy Lee, vice president of media relations at Mitchell Communications Group. “In the rapidly moving world we live in and with an increasingly saturated and fragmented media landscape, this innate value must be emphasized.”
Many PR pros use the PESO model to describe the full scope of the PR role in the modern landscape with “earned media” or media relations taking just a quarter of the pie. However, in the current climate where trust comes at a premium, earned media might have a leg up on other tactics.
“Within the PESO model, earned media rises to the top as the one that can help clients and brands build trust with people, and essentially serves as a third-party endorsement when the tone of the coverage is positive,” says Lee.
Earned media’s true value
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