Media is one of the fastest moving sectors in the marketing world. No sooner has a new media outlet launched, than a few others have ceased operation due to increased costs, fragmented audiences, and low advertising demand.
It seems it wasn’t that long ago I was talking with some journalists about the move away from print to digital. Now just this week I see those same journalists discussing the advent of AI technology and what it means for writers around the world.
It’s hard to keep up! Here’s our take on what media looks like in 2023, with some tips to help you connect with the right outlets for your brand in the current climate.
Get to know your audience
Discover the media your audience is consuming. You can’t underestimate the power of a good survey. Does your demographic prefer television news bulletins, print features or quick news grabs via social media? How do you insert your brand into these channels? Establishing a set of well-researched audience personas can be helpful.
Get to know the new media landscape
Newsrooms are shrinking, and at a very rapid rate. In 2023 it appears the sustainability of some media outlets may be in doubt due to economic downturn and moves to rely on digital platforms for content. This can also be attributed to rising production costs, less advertisers, and reductions in subscriptions. There are now fewer print media in-market, and TV and broadcast are evolving due to streaming platforms. It pays to be on top of the outlets available to you, their contacts, and how to best reach them.
Understand that media is ‘earned’
Media coverage is never guaranteed. It’s a bit like fishing – we find the stories, bait the hook with quality content, and cast out to see which media outlets take the story. We land the catch when they publish. But this isn’t always the case and sometimes we go home hungry. A targeted and timely approach will achieve the best results, and it’s always good to refresh on what makes a story newsworthy.
Stick to what’s newsworthy
The most newsworthy stories will gain the most coverage and require the least amount of effort in terms of having to ‘sell’ the story to the media or pay for sponsored coverage. Newsworthy stories often fit into one of the following categories:
- New/unique/a first
- Local
- Celebrity
- Charity
- Statistics/survey results/lists
- Trends/national days/special dates
- Technology
- Environmental/sustainable
- Social media
- Award wins
- A new angle to a story that has already gained traction.
Invest in video
If a picture paints a thousand words, video paints millions. Make this the year you invest in quality video content – pre-packaged footage goes a long way for media, and at the very least is great for your social content, with video always achieving higher reach and engagement.
Spend with them
Media outlets just do not survive without the support of advertising. Sponsored content is not always the answer, but if you want to keep a great two-way relationship, and see your favourite outlets continue to thrive, it’s a good idea to have some spend up your sleeve with the media outlets that best meet your audience’s needs.
Digital media and AI
Any brands not working with and targeting digital media will be at a disadvantage, so be sure to you have digital media in your marketing mix. Recent advances in artificial intelligence are bound to raise ethical questions for writers and journalists everywhere, so watch this space this year.
Making and keeping quality media contacts
Establishing and maintaining great relationships with the right media contacts takes time, patience, persistence and consistent effort. Once you have built a strong media relationship, it goes a long way toward your brand’s credibility and reliability.
At Threesides we have over two decades’ experience working with the media and can assist with finding you some great media contacts to best tell your brand’s story.