How to Create a Media List for Ongoing Exposure Build a picture of which media outlets will help you grow your business by giving you publicity.
By Sharon Bolt
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Creating a media list is crucial to getting regular, targeted publicity for your business. However, many business owners and entrepreneurs aren't quite sure what a media list is, so let's dive in. A media list is a database of names, contact details and relevant information of the media outlets you would like to be featured in or interviewed by. It's simple to create and is well worth investing the time to do so, as it's something that you will refer to time and time again.
One of the many benefits of creating a media list is that it helps you build a picture of which media outlets will help you grow your business by giving you publicity. You can track the column inches each one gives you so you'll know which channels to focus on and build good relationships with.
There are a couple of things to consider with creating a media list. First, what newspapers, journals, magazines and blogs does your audience like to read. What podcast shows, radio stations, YouTube Channels and TV shows are on their playlist?
Related: What is Earned and Owned Media? And How Can They Serve Your Business?
Find out where your dream clients and target market hang out. If your customers are local, your focus will be on local newspapers, local publications, local bloggers and local radio and TV shows. Suppose your ideal customers are either national or international. In that case, your focus will be on national and international newspapers, worldwide trade magazines, bloggers, podcast shows, radio stations, YouTube Channels and TV shows. And even if your target market isn't local, I still recommend that you think about local customers and local media.
Top tip: Google is an excellent source for finding publications and shows that you may not know. Simply typing in "fitness magazines" or "chiropractic podcast shows"' or "social media YouTube channels" (depending on which industry you're in) will display lots of publications and shows for you to investigate further and see if they would be good for you to put on your media list.
It's also important to identify the reporters, bloggers, researchers, bookers, producers and hosts who write for your dream publications or help produce your ideal shows.
You're looking for journalists who are likely to be interested in your topics and who work for or are connected to the outlets you would most like to be featured in. When compiling your list, it's best to focus on quality rather than quantity. I suggest that you make audience size and how targeted the audience is to your specific niche the key factors that determine whether the media outlet and journalist makes it onto your list or not.
Let's delve deeper into finding the right contact for your media list. I'll use a publication as an example. When it comes to publications, your aim is to find the most relevant or niche journalist for you to pitch. The best person will often be a reporter and one who has already covered similar topics to your story idea. Several reporters will often cover different fields such as lifestyle, business, education, etc., all working either for the newspaper or on a freelance basis. So, finding the right reporter to match your story idea is the key to success.
Most newspapers and magazines run features that are human interest stories. Sometimes, specific feature editors either write for or are responsible for a particular area — like a lifestyle editor. The lifestyle editor would run features on pet care, travel or home improvements.
If you have a story idea that you feel might work well as a feature, the person to pitch this to would be the relevant journalist in the feature's department. The editor, albeit the decision-maker of what goes in the publication, is often not the best person to contact. When you send your story idea to a reporter, they will usually need to pitch the idea to their editor. Unless it's a small section that the editor is responsible for, they don't have time to go through pitches and press releases. That is the job of a reporter.
Related: 3 Ways to Get Free Publicity and Media Mentions for Your Business
What information to include in your media list
Let's use a publication as an example of what to include in your media list. You'll need the publication name, the name of the reporter or blogger, their telephone number and email address, their website details and social media accounts — Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Other details to include are the recent topics the journalist has covered, the circulation and size of the audience, their target audience and demographics, how often the publication is printed or blogs posted, the best days and times to pitch stories, the publication deadlines and your results. Excel is an excellent tool for creating a media list.
So now it's your turn! Spending time creating your media list is one of the best investments you can make for your business. The information you gather will be invaluable and play a significant part in your media success.
