Relationships are the core of public relations. We prosper as a result of the relationships we build with our clients and the relationships we build for our clients with their audiences. But just as important are the relationships we cultivate with journalists.
Public relations and journalism go hand-in-hand. PR professionals rely on journalists to get their messages out to the public, and journalists lean on PR pros for story ideas and interview facilitation.
Maintaining these relationship are crucial, and thanks to research conducted by Muck Rack, each year we can keep a pulse on journalists’ social media habits, reporting strategies, pitching preferences and more.
Here are three key takeaways from Muck Rack’s 2022 “The State of Journalism” report:
The early bird really does get the worm
The best times to pitch are early in the week and early in the day. Monday is the most preferred day to receive a pitch, journalists say. As the week progresses, they’re less likely to be interested. Two-thirds of journalists, meanwhile, said they prefer to receive pitches between 5 a.m. to noon. As PR pros, we don’t always get to choose when we get information, but if your pitch can wait to go on a Monday, you might see sweet success in landing coverage.
Social media matters
More than half of those surveyed reported that they consult company social media pages when preparing stories, an increase to 60% from 58% in 2021. This means that the content created for those pages can play a role in the coverage you get. Make sure that you are putting your best foot forward with your social media posts because that information can inform what journalists report. The most valued social media platforms to journalists are Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. And journalists continue to use social media as a tool to track the coverage, with 64% noting that they track how many times their stories are shared on social media.
Journalists have their hands and inboxes full
Long-gone are the days when a journalist was only responsible for covering one beat. In 2022, the average journalist is covering four beats, up from three a year ago. Shrinking newsrooms and growing responsibilities lead to overflowing inboxes, so it’s best to be wise when sending notes to reporters. Following up is a good thing, 90% of journalist say at least one follow up email to a pitch is acceptable, two is fine, but tread lightly if you plan on pressing send a third or fourth time.
If you’re looking to grow your organization’s presence in the media or on social media, Devine + Partners is the team to help you do it. Send us a note at resteasy@devinepartners.com to see how we can build a strategy that meets your goals.
