One of the biggest challenges of media outreach is knowing exactly who to contact. I have a few tricks of the trade you might find useful. Here are 5 great resources for finding reporter contacts.
Photo Credit: David Sim
Their articles
The easiest place to find a reporter’s contact information is at the bottom of one of their articles, many times in print, but almost always online. While you’re there, leave comments on their articles, follow them on Twitter, show them that you’re paying attention.
Followerwonk helps you find and analyize Twitter users to help build your social profile. However, I like to use Followerwonk to search for reporters, especially in niche spaces. If you go to Followerwonk, click on “Search Twitter Bios.” From there, you can enter terms like “cover travel” or “travel reporter” or “write about travel.” You’ll be delivered a list, ranked by influence, of all of the people who have those words in their Twitter bios.
The Socials
You can use Followerwonk to identify reporters, and you can use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google Plus to engage with them. It’s great to start conversations with reporters online before you actually pitch them a story. It goes back to building the relationship before you make the ask.
Rapportive is an email add on that shows you everything about your contacts alongside your inbox. I love it because it reminds me to connect on LinkedIn and follow my contacts on Twitter, but when it comes to finding reporter contact information, it’s also valuable tool. If you know the email construct for a certain organization – for example firstname@moshermullen.com – type it into your “To” field. If Rapportive populates, you’re in business.
Competitor research
When I’m trying to find reporters who cover specific industries or trends, I’ll often conduct competitor research. I like to see where companies are getting coverage and what people are writing about them. This also helps me understand industry trends, how to hone my pitch and ways I can differentiate my clients from their competitors.
Another great tool that’s worth taking a look at is Help A Reporter Out (HARO). You can sign up for email alerts, which compile queries from reporters looking for sources. Not only can it provide you with direct access to reporters covering your industry, but you can also identify trends in the news cycle that might help you pitch other reporters as well.
