Building and maintaining relationships with people in your related industry is vital to having a flourishing career.  Networking is not only a great way to gain new business contacts, but it also acts as hub for new information relating your industry.  Having strong relationships helps position yourself amongst those relevant in the community.   It helps you gain coverage of your organization’s activities and gets your message into stories that relate to the valuable work you are doing. If you want to draw a Reporter’s attention to neglected needs in the community and how you’re helping to meet those needs, a well-developed rapport will enable you to do that. It will also increase the likelihood that the reporter will contact you for comments. Using the following tips will help you build these relationships that are so key to your outreach efforts.

1) Do Your Homework

After you’ve identified the right reporters in your community to develop relationships with, read their stories and learn as much as you can about the news outlet where they work. Does the reporter have a specific focus? How big is the media outlet where they work? Do the reporter’s stories get picked up by other publications (possibly as a result of a media partnership)?

2) Send a Press Packet

Providing the right reporter with information on your program should be your first step in introducing your program to the newsroom. This keeps you from having to cold call reporters and also allows them to have your contact information handy. You want to demonstrate the resources your organization can provide, so your packet should include the following:
  -  One-page backgrounder on yourself and/or your organization
  -  One-page Corporation program fact sheet that relates to your organization
  -  Previously published news clippings that mention your organization (be sure they are positive)
  -  Your contact information

3) After the Interview

A small but important way to help build a relationship with a reporter is to send a short thank you note to the reporter who interviewed you and others who may have been involved, like a producer or the media outlet ’s general manager. Express your gratitude for the interview and offer yourself as a resource to them in the future. If you have ideas for other stories, you could also include them in the note. And don’t forget to record your interview experiences in a media log for future use by you and your colleagues.

Remember there are no quick gimmicks to building relationships.  The best advice is to Be yourself, Be accountable and Be consistent.  

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