Welcome to your go-to guide on the Media Relations tab. This section includes the journalist database, your saved journalist list, sending press releases and newswires. Read below to learn more!
Searching for Journalists
Managing My Contacts
Sending your Press Release
PR Tips
What is Media Relations?
Media Relations is a solution for media relations professionals to research media contacts, build relationships, organize Contacts into targeted media lists and pitch story ideas to gain media coverage.
Detailed research is enabled through access to a comprehensive media database and search capabilities to identify and vet Contacts relevant to your organization. You can search for either contacts and sources (publications), not only by name but also based on what they are writing about. Filters can be used individually or in combination to further refine the results.
How to Search for Journalists
Check out the steps outlined below:
Go to Media Relations via the lefthand side navigation bar
Select Search
Via the 'I'm looking for' option, select to look for individual contacts or sources
Use the search bar to look for journalists by their name or topic they write about
The 'Filter By' options on the left can further refine the journalist results
For further insights into how to refine your journalist list results to relevant contacts and sources, please review this article here.
One of the key 'Filter by' options is the Location Map search which allows you to refine the journalist or sources by map image. To see further details on how to use this feature, please review this article here.
How to Save a Journalist to a List
Once you've refined the journalist search results to contacts you'd like to save, you can then assign them to a list.
Select the journalists to save, either all at once or tick each journalist
Then select the 'Add Contact' icon to load the list options
To create a new list, type the name of the list and then select Create:' ...'
To save to an existing list, select it from the list
Select 'ok' to save the list
Your list is now saved under the My Contacts tab at the top of the page.
Learn more about how to create a targeted journalist list via this article here.
Check out this short video about managing and maintaining your media lists.
Request an Update for a Contacts
Check out this product tutorial which will walk you through these steps on your screen!
Found a contact who needs their details updated? Or know of a publication to be added? Please review this article for further details on how to directly inform our Database team via this article here.
How to Add your own Contacts
Check out this product tutorial which will walk you through these steps on your screen!
Contact lists saved within My Contacts can be comprised of journalists sourced within Meltwater's database as well as contacts added. Check out an overview guide of the features within your existing lists via this product tutorial here.
Creating your own journalist contacts can be added via a 'create a contact card' form or by uploading a .CSV file in the Meltwater template. Please see further details into these options within this article here.
How to Export a Media List
Check out this product tutorial which will walk you through these steps on your screen!
Contacts saved in a Media List can be exported into an excel file from the system, please see further steps on this process within this article here.
How to Send a Press Release
Now that you have your journalists saved to a media list, you're ready to compose your release.
Check out this product tutorial which will walk you through these steps on your screen!
Go to Media Relations from the lefthand side navigation bar
Select the Outreach tab
Start a new release via the purple + button (if you do not see this, check your user settings to make sure you are set up as an administrator)
If you are presented with a pop-up to 'Set Up Email', you will first need to add your email address as an approved sender before composing your release. Check out this product tutorial of this process or further details in this article here.
For in-depth steps of drafting your release and formatting options, check out this article here.
Planning to include an attachment on your release? Please review the file types and size requirements via this article here.
Check out this short video on sending a release via Outreach.
Not Receiving your Preview Release?
Preview press releases can commonly be blocked by your email server, especially if you are sending it to the same email being used as the press release sender.
Please review further details about this and how your IT team can help to ensure all releases come into monitor via this article here.
Email Engagement Metrics
Once you start sending releases, engagement analytics are available to provide insights into the overall engagement on all releases, an individual release or by journalist list.
Please review further details into the analytics available via this article here and how these statistics are generated via this article here.
Successfully Pitching to Journalists
Getting your release in front of the right journalist is only one part of successfully engaging with Contacts. Learn more about how to successfully approach journalists within this article here.
Refining the group of journalists you pitch your brand and story to can help to ensure you're reaching your target audience, here is a guide to targeting your release via this article here.
Customize your Template with HTML
In addition to the formatting options, while composing a release, you can also enhance the look and feel of the email body using HTML. Please see further details into how this could help your release design via this article here.
💡 Tip
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