A properly executed media relations plan can positively impact an organization in numerous ways, including increased brand awareness, recognition and targeted sales leads. In fact, leveraging media relations gives marketing budgets a boost during difficult economic times. With the ROI for media relations continuing to go up as the cost of advertising rises, cost efficiency is perhaps the leading impact of effective media relations on an organization. So it comes as no surprise that more and more manufacturers are turning to media relations as a way to spread the message about their products and projects.

That being said, anyone can blast out a press release, call it media relations and hope for the best. The difference with targeted media outreach lies in understanding the outlets you’re targeting and building relationships with reporters and editors within that sector. For the building industry, this generally means architecture, construction, building and owner/developer focused trade outlets, as well as countless vertical media outlets and mainstream building and construction reporters.

Because building relationships with writers and editors involves a commitment – both in time and persistence – there are a few questions you should ask before beginning media outreach efforts:

-Do I have the time to commit to this? When properly executed, media outreach requires a significant time commitment. Editorial calendar research, daily media monitoring, competitive monitoring and promptly responding to editorial requests are just a few of the components involved in a successful outreach program.

-Are my expectations realistic? It can often take months or even years before a media outreach plan begins to fully pay off.

-Is my news relevant? You might think your new brochure is fantastic, but chances are the mainstream media won’t. On the other hand, trade media within your niche will include this sort of information in their educational and resource sections.

-Do I have existing media relationships that I can leverage? This is one reason many manufacturers choose to partner with an agency, particularly one specializing in the architectural products sector.

What about you? How do you handle media outreach? Do you partner with an agency for media relations efforts? What are some of your best practices? Success stories?