Keeping in Touch with the Media

 

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Help the press remember who you are by calling them periodically. You won’t develop rapport overnight – it takes time. Until you feel you’ve established rapport, call only when you have news. Once things “click,” you can feel free to call almost any time.

Always have a goal in mind and a legitimate purpose for your call. For instance, you can call to find out what stories they’ll be focusing on in the next few months, or the progress they’re making reviewing your product. You shouldn’t call to discuss irrelevant issues like the weather or vacation plans. Aimless calls are recognized as such.

Other legitimate topics you can discuss include:
• what’s new in the industry;
• what your company is doing; or
• what’s new in your segment of the market

Your time and reporters’ patience are both limited, so prioritize the calls you need to make on a regular basis. The Media Contact/Priorities Worksheet presented in Chapter 4 should be helpful for this. Consider creating a chart or using a time-management software program that will remind you who to call and when to call. This will help you stay in touch with each reporter, and will help ensure the advancement of your product.