One great way to gain exposure to the public and build a good reputation is to include Media Relations in your PR strategy.
Media Relations, which connect public relations practitioners and journalists, is a tool that adds more credibility and value to the organization’s campaign as it’s “earned media”. It means that, unlike paid and own media, you don’t pay for it and you don’t create it either. You don’t pay for the content that is written or said about you. If this content is positive, it only means that you deserved it because of the quality of your work and efforts. Having the media saying positive statements about your business will definitely help you build a respectable reputation, which is the aim of Public Relations.
Usually, within the company, PR professionals are the ones who are in charge of contacting the media. They have to create good relationships with the journalists, maintain those relationships and provide them with information about the organization and/or the campaign they are working on.
Media relations will either have a good impact on your business or inversely, a bad one. A good media coverage will definitely raise the company reputation, promote the brand, increase the numbers of customers and boost sales. On the other hand, if what is said about the company is negative, its reputation will be in danger and the organization will lose its credibility as well as the public’s trust.
Generally, PR and Media Relations professionals rely on many tools to approach the media. News releases are the most frequently used. They communicate the most important information to the journalists. They provide them with useful statements and can also be published word by word sometimes. Practitioners can also use videos releases, media pitches, press conferences and more as Media Relations tools. Journalists will then do what they got to do based on the information provided by the PR team, which will give more visibility to the organization.
To put it simply, Media Relations is essential if you want to promote your image as a company. It will help you strengthen your brand image and your message in addition to expending your public and costumers.