How To Create A Media Plan
It is not a secret that more and more entrepreneurs are choosing to handle their own public relations for many reasons. The biggest reason being that it can cost you a good amount of your monthly income to retain one. What is a secret is that - You can and you should DIY your PR efforts until you have outgrown that or have the budget to bring in a Pro. No one is going to be more passionate about your brand and no one knows it as well as you do.
So, where do you start? First things first:
Identify Your Target Audience
Who are you trying to reach? Please don’t say “everyone!” If you say everyone, then you reach no one. And while the 'takeover the world ambition' is standing ovation worthy, there are a few brands that have that universal appeal. So let's jump back into reality, and hone in on a more targeted demographic—say, something less broad than “The United States of America.” Chances are, you identified a more specific audience as you were developing your product or service. That will be the intended target for your public relations outreach.
Your target list should be broad and all-encompassing of your industry (for example: fashion), but also specific (fashion magazines), and even niche (fashion magazines in Texas). Keep in mind that you may not be able to reach each target your first time out of the PR gate (In fact, you will need to tweak your press materials and pitches for each category. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves—all of this will be explained in upcoming articles!). So, prioritize your categories in order of importance.
Next, Think Like Your Target Audience
Now that your targets have been identified, you need to think like your audience in terms of media. Specifically, what media are they reading, watching, or listening to? This is another place where priorities are key. I counsel clients to break this list into two main categories: “Immediate Targets” and “PR Bliss.” Again, this is a time when you need to be a realistic optimist with your plan.
As an entrepreneur myself, I know that we need to be our own biggest cheerleaders. But we also need to apply common sense; a concept as simple as “crawl before you walk.” Instead of starting with Oprah (or whoever you deem her 2017 counterpart to be), how about making a plan that begins with a list of “immediate targets” that will eventually lead you to “PR nirvana,” as opposed to trying to begin with your dream PR target? Do you expect to be among the Forbes 500 within six months? Probably not. And the same goes for your initial media coverage.
I talk with my clients a lot about what I call the low-hanging fruit in the world of media relations. Why not start with what is right in front of you? Your hometown probably has a paper that would love to cover a story about how a local has started a new business venture; and the same goes for the community where you live now. Don’t forget your local media! If you are a new player in your field, trust me—your industry wants to know who you are. Conquer this first and then we can talk about calling the Oprahs of the media world.
Do Your Research
So now we are making progress! The audience is solidified and you have your immediate media targets in place. Time to hire a skywriter and let everyone know what you are up to, right? Not so fast!
Have you ever received a call from an uninformed sales person who is peddling the exact same thing you offer, or even better, the exact opposite of what you need (ex: medical supplies for a bakery….hmmm, I wonder how that works exactly…)? The same approach applies for media outreach; you need to do your homework before your first pitch is delivered. Using your new target media list, you need to become your intended audience and consume, consume, consume!
Get to know what these outlets are covering (and what they avoid), how they approach stories, their tone, and who covers what “beat” or topic (you never want to pitch the weather reporter a business story idea). I usually recommend reviewing a minimum of three issues of monthly magazines and at least one month of weeklies and dailies/websites. And if you don’t have time to wait for the collection to be compiled? Review past articles online. The key here is to really understand and get to know these outlets before you pitch them. If there is a website that only covers grapes and you pitch them a story on oranges, you can pretty much guarantee they will flag you and any future pitches you send as clueless—that’s me putting it politely.
FYI – An article on proper pitch protocol is heading your way soon! And, yes, you have time to wait for it. Remember, you are going to be busy researching your target media outlets in the meantime!
You will also want to start stocking your PR toolbox as you embark upon your new venture. Do you research on writing styles and when to use what punctuation mark- You'll thank me later! You’ll also want to sign up for The Resource Guide for Publicity Opportunities, one of the greatest PR resources (and it’s free!).
So, remember: here are the two things you should do first when creating your startup PR plan:
Define your audience
Identify the media outlets. Get to know them inside and out.
This will prep you for the next article I write: how to create stellar media lists.