Media Relations: The PR Service That Moves Your Business Forward
Most companies hire PR agencies for press releases and media lists. That’s the baseline. But the PR service that actually changes outcomes is media relations—the strategic work of building journalist relationships and securing high-impact placements.
Media relations puts your story in front of the right people at the right time. A media marketing agency handles pitching, follow-up, and relationship management so your news reaches publications that matter to your audience. Done well, it drives traffic, builds credibility, and shortens sales cycles.
Here’s how media relations works and what it delivers.
November 17, 2025
Media relations is the ongoing process of connecting with journalists and securing coverage. It includes:
- Identifying target publications and reporters
- Crafting tailored pitches (not mass emails)
- Building relationships through consistent, relevant outreach
- Coordinating interviews and briefings
- Tracking placements and measuring impact
This isn't about blasting a press release to 500 contacts. It's about finding the ten journalists who cover your space and making their job easier.
Press releases sit in inboxes. Media relations gets responses.
Credibility: Third-party coverage carries more weight than owned content. A feature in TechCrunch or CoinDesk signals legitimacy to investors and customers.
Reach: Quality placements put you in front of audiences you can't access through ads or social. One article in a Tier 1 publication can generate thousands of qualified visits.
SEO: Backlinks from authoritative media sites boost domain authority. This compounds over time.
Sales enablement: Sales teams close faster when prospects have seen your CEO quoted in Forbes or Axios.
In our work with Web3 clients, we've seen single placements drive 40% traffic spikes and generate inbound investor interest within 48 hours.
Here are three measurable shifts we track with clients:
1. Shortened sales cycles
B2B buyers research vendors before contact. Media coverage answers their questions early. One fintech client reduced average deal time by three weeks after a Bloomberg feature.
2. Investor inbound
VCs and angels monitor tech media. A well-placed Series A announcement draws attention. We've seen clients field five+ investor inquiries from strategic Forbes placements.
3. Talent attraction
Engineers and product leaders read Hacker News, The Verge, and Protocol. Coverage there builds employer brand. One AI startup saw engineering applications triple after a WIRED profile.
Start with reporter research. Identify 15–20 journalists who cover your category. Read their recent work. Note their beats and angles.
Personalize every pitch. Reference a recent article they wrote. Explain why your story fits their focus. Keep it under 150 words.
Offer real value. Journalists need data, expert quotes, or timely angles. Lead with what helps them, not what helps you.
Follow up once. Send a brief check-in 3–5 days later. If no response, move on.
Track everything. Log outreach, responses, and placements. Measure referral traffic and conversions from each hit.
We secured for our DePIN (decentralized physical infrastructure network) client CoinDesk coverage by offering exclusive data on network growth—reporters need fresh stats, and we delivered.
Pitching too broadly. Sending the same pitch to 100 reporters wastes everyone's time. Target 10 with custom messages.
Overhyping. Calling your product "revolutionary" triggers delete. Let metrics and use cases speak.
Ignoring timing. Pitching a fundraise announcement three weeks after it happens misses the news window.
No follow-through. If a reporter responds, reply fast. Missed windows mean missed coverage.
Measure media relations by:
- Placement count in target publications
- Domain authority of outlets covering you
- Referral traffic from media hits
- Backlink growth from coverage
- Inbound inquiries (investor, partnership, sales) tied to placements
We recommend monthly reporting. Track trends over quarters, not weeks.
If you're not running media relations, start with a target list. Identify five publications your audience reads daily. Find three reporters at each outlet. Draft personalized pitches.
If you're already pitching but not landing coverage, audit your approach. Are you offering journalists something useful? Is your timing right? Are you following up strategically?
Media relations takes consistency. Plan for 3–6 months of regular outreach before judging results.
Need help refining your media strategy? We review pitches and target lists—message us for a second opinion.