We believe there’s a right and wrong way to build lasting, meaningful relationships with media: offering valuable ideas, personal contact and consistent interaction vs. engaging only when there’s a story to pitch. Although this isn’t new news, it’s often forgotten when the heat is on.  How do we do it? With every connection, we make an effort to earn trust by approaching media relationships differently. We don’t just pitch; we offer ideas, thoughts, comments and express appreciation. Just like any other relationship, we believe that it’s important to keep things fresh and exciting. To do this, we follow five simple strategies - no pitch needed.

1. We introduce ourselves before we send a pitch. We take a look at what our contact has written and offer help mining stories, provide sources or take a moment to send interesting or fun information for fodder.
2. We get out of the office. Connecting on a personal level goes miles further than an email. Whether it’s for a cocktail at one of Seattle’s newest watering holes, a visit to an amazing distillery, or a mani/pedi, we like to show appreciation to our media friends with something they like to do.
3. Their next coffee break is on us. We realize that people are busy, so we quite literally tweet a coffee. Haven’t heard of it? Check out the Starbucks @TweetaCoffee handle. It’s also a creative way to send appreciation for a great story.
4. The no pitch touch. Remember that great relationships aren’t ever one sided. Do you have that friend who only calls when they have a favor to ask? No one likes to feel used and media folks are no exception. That’s why we engage with our friends in the media even when we don’t have a pitch. We send a note of congratulations when they write a great story, post a comment or retweet a pithy thought. Everyone likes feeling the love.
5. We think like reporters. If you were a reporter, how would you connect with a source? Directly. We use social media to reach out to discuss themes or trends. Simply put, we speak straight to reporters without getting lost in the email fog.
6. We pick their brains. We ask our media contacts point blank how we can best work with them. Everybody's a bit different, so it's important to take a personal approach to this. Luckily for you, we've shared a few of the tips we've received from editors and writers in several 1:1 interviews.

Leave a comment below or find us on Facebook to share your ideas to building lasting media relationships. -          Corinne