4 ways to maintain your media relations skills

Any personal trainer or athlete will tell you that in order to get in shape and stay in shape, a good stretching regimen is critical.

It helps prevent injury, ensures maximum performance, and it should be followed on exercise days and off days to ensure that you remain limber.

The same idea is true in media relations.

To remain at the top of your game, it’s important to be flexible enough to identify and adjust to every media relations opportunity that presents itself.

Here are four ways to “stretch” your own media relations muscles:

1. Study your media.

I say “your media” because in all cases, you’re not targeting the larger media universe, just the journalists who are most likely to cover your niche.

Even if you work in an agency with a diverse and constantly evolving client base, there’s a chance that you can narrow your targeted media down, depending on your industry or specialty.

The best place to start is to focus primarily on the media you are most likely to pitch. Read and watch their reports for the kinds of interviews they conduct, the kinds of questions they ask, their common approach.

Learn why and how they do what they do simply through focused observation on a daily basis. Make it part of your routine.

2. Meet with members of the media.