[GTM glossary](/glossary.txt) Media relations Marketing # Media relations In short Media relations is the ongoing work of building and maintaining relationships with journalists, editors, and analysts so a company can earn coverage without paying for it. The goal is accurate, credible mentions in outlets that the target audience already trusts. It is a core part of public relations, but narrower. Public relations covers the whole reputation effort, while media relations focuses on the working relationship with the press. For B2B teams, good coverage supports brand awareness, backs up sales claims, and gives prospects a third-party reason to trust you. ## What media relations involves Most of the work is research and relationship building, not mass emailing. * **Targeting:** Build a short list of reporters who cover your category, not every journalist with a tech beat. * **Pitching:** Offer a story that fits their beat: original data, a customer result, an expert view on a trend. * **Responding:** Answer reporter queries quickly with usable quotes and facts. * **Follow-through:** Share the published piece with sales, social, and customers so it keeps working. --- ## How to run media relations as a small team You do not need an agency to start. A lean process works. * **Step 1:** Define two or three topics where your company has real expertise or proprietary data. * **Step 2:** List 20 relevant reporters and read their last few articles before contacting them. * **Step 3:** Send short, personalized pitches with the angle in the first two lines. * **Step 4:** Track replies, coverage, and referral traffic in a simple sheet. --- ## Example Say a sales-tools startup analyzes its own anonymized usage data and finds a surprising pattern in how teams follow up with leads. It pitches the finding to three reporters who cover sales technology, offering the data and a spokesperson. One writes a story. Sales then links the article in outreach as proof of credibility. --- ## Common mistakes * **Spray and pray:** Sending the same pitch to hundreds of contacts damages your reputation with the press. * **Only pitching product news:** Reporters want a story for their readers, not your feature list. * **Contacting only when you need something:** Share useful information regularly, not just at launch. * **No measurement:** Track coverage quality and downstream impact, not just the number of mentions. --- ## Media relations FAQs **What is media relations in marketing?** Media relations is the practice of building relationships with journalists and editors so a company earns credible, unpaid coverage. It supports brand awareness and trust by placing accurate stories about the company in outlets its buyers already read. **What is the difference between media relations and public relations?** Public relations is the broad discipline of managing reputation across audiences, including customers, employees, and investors. Media relations is the part focused specifically on working with journalists and publications to earn press coverage. **How do you measure media relations success?** Track the number and quality of placements in target outlets, share of voice versus peers, referral traffic, and mentions that appear in sales conversations. Quality and relevance matter more than raw mention counts. **How do you pitch a journalist effectively?** Research what the reporter covers, lead with a clear and timely angle in the first two lines, offer data or a spokesperson, keep the message short, and avoid sending the same generic pitch to many reporters. Share term --- ## More related phrases * [Analyst relations](/glossary/analyst-relations.txt) * [Media](/glossary/media.txt) * [Organic social](/glossary/organic-social.txt) ## Similar phrases * [Content marketing](/glossary/content-marketing.txt) Content marketing is the practice of creating and sharing useful content, such as articles, guides, and videos, to attract, educate, and convert a defined audience. * [Brand awareness](/glossary/brand-awareness.txt) Brand awareness is how familiar your target market is with your company, and it shapes whether buyers consider you when a need arises. * [Earned media](/glossary/earned-media.txt) Earned media is publicity a brand gains without paying for placement, such as press coverage, reviews, podcast invitations, analyst mentions, and shares, because others choose to talk about it. * [Public relations (PR)](/glossary/public-relations.txt) Public relations (PR) is the practice of shaping how a company is seen by earning coverage, building media relationships, and managing communication with customers, press, and other audiences. * [Paid media](/glossary/paid-media.txt) Paid media is any marketing channel where you pay for placement, including search ads, paid social, display, sponsorships, and sponsored content, to reach audiences faster than organic methods allow.