Steps for Building a Better Media List

Congratulations! You’ve landed a client in a field that’s new to your firm. Or perhaps your organization is launching a new product or service or entering a new geographic market.

Your media database will surely provide all the information you need to build a media list that connects you with the appropriate audience. You or a fellow staff member compiles a comprehensive media list that includes appropriate contacts and creators. Check that item off your to-do list. 

Benefits and disadvantages of media databases   

Over the years, I’ve worked with various media resources and databases, and I have found that each has its distinctive benefits, as well as its disadvantages. For those of you who remember the old physical Bacon’s media directories the size of a major metropolitan phone book, you knew it was out-of-date the moment that it went to print.

Enter searchable online directories that let you compile lists based on the criteria you enter. Some might have been cost-prohibitive depending on your budget, but they promised time savings and more up-to-date listings. 

Some were more intuitive than others, and most included the functionality of saving your lists or of sending your pitch to multiple recipients with the click of a mouse. The more robust databases also allow you to search for stories, enabling you to identify journalists who have written about relevant topics and add them to your list. 

Unfortunately, I found that the back-end support for many of these online databases was lacking. Some outsource their data management to overseas workers who don’t possess knowledge of geography or emerging industries. 

In addition, the sheer volume of outlets and journalists to keep up with virtually ensured that the database management would never be completely current. I recommend notifying your vendor of staff changes, closures or other updates as you discover them. 

The reality is that even the best media database will not capture every possible relevant outlet or contact. 

Being thorough takes time and creativity

Building a list through a media database is a great starting point, but it should not be the end-all, be-all of your efforts. Here are five additional steps to optimizing the reach and effectiveness of your media list.