A media list, also known as a media contact list, is a list that includes the contact information of bloggers, journalists, reporters, media influencers, and more. It serves as a list of contacts to whom you can distribute your story or press release.
In this post, you will discover all you need to know about media lists, how to build an efficient media list, and tools that can help you build your media list.
Key Points:
- Media lists contain details and information of reporters that PR specialists need to spread their message.
- The media list contains details, from social media handles to the niche of the reporter.
- You can make use of basic spreadsheet platforms like Excel to store your media contacts.
- You can update and build your media list using specialized PR CRM tools.
- With the help of media list templates, you can easily create your own database.
What Is A Media List?
A media list is a spreadsheet that contains all of the contacts for the media and reporters that help distribute your press release or news story.
It should include the contact’s name, the publication they are employed by, their email address, their niche, and a link to their author biography.
This list will help you find reporters depending on their beat for a certain story and also help you keep their email addresses so you don’t have to search for them every time.
What Does A Media List Include?
Your media lists should at least include:
- The contact’s first and last name
- Their professional role
- The name of their publication or news outlet
- A link to their social media profile or website
- Their beat, specialty, and niche
- Their contact details
- And professional history, or other relevant details
How To Create A Media Contact List?
#1. Determine Your Target Audience.
Making a decision about the right audience for your story idea is the first step towards identifying the finest reporters to include in your media list.
Keep in mind that the ultimate objective of attracting media attention is to capture the interest of your intended audience as a whole. Who is your intended audience, then? That’s what your media list ought to show.
If your goal is to persuade social media users to make use of your app to boost their following online, then you should create a media list that contains social media experts and that works for platforms that the audience regularly reads.
Read Also: My Best Strategies For Audience Engagement With Free Template
#2. Do Your Research.
To tell if a particular reporter covers the business beat for a platform that your target audience regularly reads or watches, you need to do your homework.
You should do your research on publications to find out more about each individual’s specific role:
- What subjects do they cover?
- Which is their main media outlet (print news, TV, blogs, podcasts, vlogs, etc.)?
- Their frequency of publication, audience size, and circulation.
Read Also: Top 10 Keyword Research Services in 2024
#3. Make Use Of A Reliable Database.
Rather than devoting hours to scouring social media and websites, the Critical Mention database can locate and help connect you with journalists who are eager to cover your story or press release.
It can also help you find out what journalists are sharing on social media, their most recent pieces, and more. This will help you establish productive connections with the journalists who are most interested in what you have to say.
#4. Niche Down
Niching down comes down to conducting thorough research and making sure that you only add a contact to your list if you are positive they have already addressed that particular specialty.
Furthermore, you should focus on sites that cover brands and themes comparable to yours when creating master lists for your team. Then, establish new connections with contacts at those media sources through more specialized industry blogs. If you look for relevant journalists covering a certain specialty, you should be able to discover someone who can convey your tale in much more detail and color.
For example, you can not reach out to fashion reporters for a story about crypto. Instead, you can reach out to specific blogs that cover fashion, or journalists who have the keyword “trendy fashion” in their bios or content.
#5. Organize Your Contacts
Your media list ought to include all the details you might require in order to successfully contact the individuals on it.
Most media lists include the following:
- First name
- Last name
- Media outlet/publication/blog name
- Role (journalist, blogger, etc.)
- Beats/topics covered (“social media”)
- Location
- Social media handle
- How do they prefer to be contacted?
You can also add the following details to your media list:
- Phone number
- Language
- Recent articles or work
- Interests
- What kind of content do they write?
- What is their writing style (conversational or analytical, etc.)?
#6. Decide On What Platform To Keep Your Media List.
Choose a platform for your media list to keep in mind once you’ve determined the media contacts and information you’re looking for. You can make use of Excel or Google spreadsheets.
Additionally, you can make use of a PR CRM platform like Prowly because:
- Using geographical and issue filters, you can find relevant contacts using an integrated media database. If you already have contacts, you can import them.
- Keeping them in a smart media list with tags and filters to help you stay organized or choose the connections who respond the fastest
- It offers personalized and eye-catching media pitches to your connections in the press release industry.
- You can effectively follow up by finding out who saw your press release or received your email.
- Receiving feedback so you can keep refining your pitches
Additionally, if you decide to use Excel or Google Sheets, it allows you to easily export all of your media contacts.
#7. Always Update Your Media List.
To be informed about any role changes, you should update your media list on a regular basis. Therefore, you must keep an eye on media industry news. You can then check how those changes are represented in your list. You should also keep a careful eye on the changes to the beats and job titles of reporters.
Make use of PR CRM tools, as they handle the entire range of tasks that PR teams must perform, including activity monitoring, media list upkeep, coverage reports, and everything in between.
Read Also: Monitoring Online Content: How To Do This In 5 Steps
#8. Reach Out Regularly To Your Media List Contact.
Lastly, start reaching out to the reporters on your list. When reaching out to possible connections, it’s critical to maintain a consistent and businesslike tone.
Media List Template
How To Use A Media List Template
Making a media list is a useful tool for managing connections and making sure the correct people are getting in touch with you. But instead of starting from scratch, you can make use of my media list template in Google Sheets and create a copy for yourself:
Tools Used For Building Media Lists
These are available tools that can help you create a media list.
Tools for finding media contacts:
- LinkedIn (Free)
- Twitter (Free)
- Facebook (Free)
- Prowly (Free 7-day trial)
- JournoLink
- Hey Press
- PressRush
These tools will help you find media outlets, publications, and blogs
- Google (Free)
- Google News (Free)
- Similarweb
These tools will help you find emails from reporters.
- Anymailfinder
- VoilaNorbert
- Prowly
- Muck Rack
What Does A Media Contact Do?
A media contact or media relations specialist is a public relations expert who specializes in establishing and preserving connections with media outlets. Securing PR and favorable media for their company is their main responsibility.
What Is A Media Contact Database?
A media contact database is an organized list of contact details for journalists and influencers. This makes it possible for PR specialists looking for earned media coverage to search for and identify the appropriate contacts.
How Do I Find Media Contacts?
Finding media contact information is simple and easy with the help of a journalist database.
Since you have already stored their information in your database, you will always have them available when you need them.
On the other hand, if you are using a database like Prowly, all you have to do is type your media contacts into the search field. You will have the phone number, social media profiles, and email address(es) of the journalist available if they are in the database.
Certain databases can offer extra helpful data, like their most current articles or posts on Facebook or X.
Can You Buy A Media List?
Yes, you can purchase media lists. This is the most efficient method for locating media connections, thereby saving a great deal of time. This is a better alternative, as it can take a lot of time to find appropriate media sites and journalists, particularly if you’re new to public relations or the sector.
How To Maintain A Media List?
To maintain your media list, you must update the list frequently when journalists switch magazines or beats. There are media databases and other tools that can make the process go more quickly.
Related Articles:
How to Write a Media Pitch with Practical Examples & Templates
BROADCAST MEDIA: Meaning, Types and Examples
What Is A Contact Database? A Guide to Building Your Own
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