Media Relations Is Not Dead Nor Is It Dying

Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

My public relations career began with media relations. Securing between 20-50 opportunities each week (no, that is not a typo), I was the highest producer at the agency I worked at before starting out on my own. Although I’d never recommend someone go through the “boot camp” experience I had, it did teach me how to secure media opportunities quickly and make them stick.

As you can imagine, I’m a big proponent of media relations.

I’ve seen how it can establish trust early on in a client relationship, spike sales overnight and lead to valuable partnerships. I’ve also seen great opportunities come to fruition without tangible results beyond media impressions. Or when coverage falls through after spending significant time to secure it in the first place.

Media relations can be tough. If you’ve tried it yourself, you know media relations is challenging. It requires a high level of resilience, creativity and organization. It can be extremely unpredictable and it’s not guaranteed like advertising. It can also be hard to measure.

April 12, 2012

12 Apr 2012

How I’m Building My Press Distribution List

Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

Guest Post by Erin Feldman

I don’t have a background in public relations, but my current position as the marketing communications manager at TouchSystems requires some PR skills.

One of the primary aims of my position is to increase the company’s brand recognition and presence. One of the ways I’m doing that is through press releases about new products, changes to existing products, or developments at the company itself.

Doing so is a challenge; I’ve been having to remember and relearn the process for writing a press release while adding my own spin to it.

I’ve also been having to develop and grow my press distribution list.

The second task actually hasn’t been too difficult. I have some experience with public relations through some positions I’ve held in the past.

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