All solid relationships with reporters takes time and effort, and that holds especially true with the field of public relations. MyPRGenie features a wide variety of tools that helps each business develop its own online newsroom that allows each release that they create to be automatically tagged and search engine ready for the World Wide Web.

MyPRGenie will help you target the right reporters and publications for the maximum buzz potential for each release. However, building relationships with journalists is a key step in helping each business get the most mileage possible out of every new release.

The public relations experts at MyPRGenie strongly suggest that each business follow these critical steps for establishing and fostering fruitful relationships with journalists.

1. Know your target

Read up on what the journalist you’re targeting has written to find out what he or she covers. Understand what is interesting to that individual journalist’s audience. Don’t waste time pitching on a topic unrelated to their beat.

2. Know your client

Before you start reaching out, become the resident expert on your client and the issues that you’ll be discussing. The more knowledgeable you are, the better your chances of establishing strong connections with journalists.

3. Get to the point

The first questions during your initial call to a journalist should include:

• Are you on deadline?
• Do you have a minute to talk?
• If they do have time, explain why your article and client may be of interest to them, quickly and succinctly.

4. Who are you? Identify yourself:

Get to know your journalists–take notes and keep a file on each person. What do they value? Information? Insight? News tips? Story ideas? Press releases or exclusives only? Do they prefer face-to-face meetings, e-mail or phone? What are their deadline pressures?

5. Altruism helps

Put that knowledge of their likes and dislikes to use. Call with a story tip you’ve heard about, even if it’s not about your client. Suggest story angles they may not have considered. Send an interesting link. Compliment them on their big stories.

6. Deliver the goods

When a journalist is seeking information or an interview, do everything in your power to get them what they need, and quickly. Failing to respond to a journalist on deadline is inexcusable.

7. Cast a wide net

Always be on the lookout for new journalists to contact by tracking the media coverage of your client’s industry.

8. Keep after it, Tenacity Pays

Once your research has established that a particular journalist should be interested in your client, be persistent, but not annoying. Following up at least weekly shouldn’t be too intrusive.