It’s no secret that sometimes the key to landing a job, a story, an interview or a client can be because you know somebody. But this should not be looked at negatively; fostering good relationships with media and in the business world is a smart and strategic move.
In communications, building relationships is essential. It’s not only building the relationship that is important, but maintaining that relationship as well. This can be through email, phone calls, coffee or dinner, even social media– it is important to stay active in a person’s life.
Act on Networking Relationships
From an early age, my father encouraged me to stay in touch with past employers or internship coordinators. At the time, I didn’t see the value of this “networking.” In my mind, the relationship had ended and I assumed that my previous contacts had far better things to do than to meet for coffee with a teenager. However, there have been points in my career where it has been nice to reach out to my former mentors for a word of advice. It wasn’t until I launched into actual adulthood that I realized the true value of these relationships.
Networking can help bring new ideas to the table or connect with other industry experts who might be able to spread the word about your work or products. These third-party perspectives can make a big difference when it comes to solving business problems or overcoming other hurdles in your career.
Let Your Work Speak for Itself
At Communiqué PR, we often receive client referrals from previous clients or through relationships that we have built. By creating strong relationships with the clients we serve and driving work that meets the client’s business objectives, our clients have been happy to spread the word about the work we do.
Whether it is helping clients launch a product, land product reviews, establish a network of analysts or increase thought leadership, we give 110 percent to every project we do to ensure we are truly adding value to our clients’ business. In the end, happy clients are our greatest asset in growing our business.
Be Smart About Media Relations
In addition, building relationships with reporters can prove to be just as valuable. By crafting smart pitches and reaching out to reporters in a thoughtful and respectful way, we’ve established strong relationships with reporters everywhere from the Puget Sound Business Journal to the New York Times.
Keep in mind that a relationship with a reporter doesn’t mean guaranteed coverage. What it does mean is that a reporter will be more likely to read our emails. It also means that we are more likely to elicit some sort of response, either accepting the pitch or declining it and explaining why the story isn’t a good fit for the reporter at that time. That feedback is helpful and informs our PR strategies and tactics moving forward.
For additional tips on networking and building good relationships, read these previous posts from our blog: