Having a carefully constructed media list is crucial if you’re a company or an individual trying to spread your message to the world. We know the pain of building a media list from scratch, and how frustrating it can be to see no results for all your hard work. But fear not, we’re here to help you build an effective media list that will get your brand noticed and heard.

This article will discuss what a media list is, why it’s crucial, and how to create a successful one.

What is a Media List in PR?

A media list is a collection of journalists, bloggers, influencers, and other media connections you can contact to secure favorable media attention.

Whether you’re a company marketing a new product, a non-profit organization raising awareness about a cause, or an individual trying to establish your personal brand, it’s a crucial tool for anyone wishing to communicate with the general public.

A media list’s goal is to assist you in identifying the appropriate individuals who can spread your message to your target market. Using your media list, you can simply contact journalists and influencers who might be interested in your story and eventually write a decent article about it. When your relationship with your media list became successful, it can surely contribute to the progression of your goals. 

Media List Templates & Samples: What Do They Look Like?

Media listings can follow many different forms, but typically, it includes the following information:

• Name
• Title
• Publication/Company
• Email address
• Phone number
• Social media handles

Here’s an example of what a media list template might look like:

Name	Title	Publication/Company	Email	Phone	Social Media
Jane Doe	Staff Writer	The New York Times	janedoe@nytimes.com	(212) 555-1212	@janedoe
John Smith	Editor	TechCrunch	johnsmith@techcrunch.com	(415) 555-1212	@johnsmith

You can also find other media list examples and media contact list templates, such as this one from BadenBower team:

Deciding Whether to Buy or Build a Media List

When it comes to creating a media list, you have two options:

• buy a pre-existing list,
• or build one yourself.

Buying a pre-existing list can be a quick and easy option since you do not have to input the information yourself. But it’s important to make sure that when you buy a list, the list is up-to-date and relevant to your target audience. You should look for one that’s regularly updated and includes the latest and complete contact information of journalists and influencers.

On the other hand, building your own media list can be a more time-consuming option, as you will find the information manually. But, the good thing with this option is, it can be more effective than buying a pre-existing list. By building your own contacts, you can ensure that persons included in it are tailored fit to your specific target audience and goals. You can be sure that all information in the list is useful to achieve goals. It also gives you the opportunity to build relationships with journalists and influencers, as you personally know them, which can be valuable in the long run.

“The media is a powerful tool to shape public opinion and drive change. So, start building your media list today and harness the power of the media to drive change and achieve your goals.”

Barack Obama

Creating an Efficient Media List: 4 Simple Steps to Media List Building

Learning how to create a media list can seem like a complicated task, but in reality, it is actually a simple process. Here are four steps that can teach you how to build a media list:

1. Know Who You Are Talking To

The first step in building a successful media list is to know who will read your message – your target audience. To correctly identify your target audience, consider the following questions:

• Who are you trying to reach? 
• What publications do they read? 
• What influencers do they follow? 

Aside from asking these questions, another way to identify your target audience is to look at your existing customers’ demographics such as who they are, from what age bracket, what are their key attitudes, what they watch, and what are their sources of information. 

You can easily do this by utilizing tools such as Google Analytics. It can let you see what websites your target audience is visiting, or use social media listening tools to see what they’re talking about.

2. Determine What Information To Include

After knowing your target audience, the next step is to determine what data will your media list consist of. As mentioned earlier, a typical media contact list for press release includes the following information:

• Name
• Title
• Publication/Company
• Email address
• Phone number
• Social media handles

Aside from these important details, you can add more, depending on what you think may be useful for you in the future. 

3. Select the Best Media List Management Platform

A media list will be even more useful and efficient when managed properly. There are a variety of tools available to help you manage your media list. It can range from simple spreadsheets to complex database systems. When choosing a platform, consider the following:

• The number of contacts you need to store
• Whether you need to collaborate with others on the list
• The key features you need, such as email integration and social media tracking
• The most efficient and cost-effective option

Some popular media list management tools include:

• Cision
• Muck Rack
• HARO
• Help a Reporter Out

4. Knowing What Media Contact to Source and Add

Finally, in building your master media list, it is vital to source and add relevant media contacts. It is the most important detail of your media list. There are a variety of ways to do this, including:

• Online searching: You can use search engines like Google and famous social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn to find journalists and influencers who are relevant to your target audience.

• Networking: You can also ask for a referral by reaching out to your existing network to see if they know anyone in the media who would be interested in your topic.

• Attending events: Attending conferences and events can be a great way to meet journalists and influencers in person and build relationships with them.

Aside from the ways mentioned above, you can also utilize the following software tools to easily find and add contact to your media contact list. 

• Hunter: With Hunter, you can look up and find journalists and influencers’ email addresses for a particular business or site quickly and easily.

• BuzzStream: BuzzStream includes a database of over 1.5 million contacts, as well as tools for finding new contacts and tracking your outreach efforts. This tool can help you research for journalists and influencers and build relationships with them in the process.

• Mention: Mention is a tool that allows you to monitor what’s being said about you online. This can be a great way to find journalists and influencers who are already interested or already talking about your topic.

Once you have your media list, it’s important to keep it up-to-date. A regular checking and updating for changes in contact information and adding new journalists and influencers as you find them is very important.

Also, when influencers or journalists are filling up the form, make sure their details are complete and if possible, have secondary contact information so you can have multiple ways to reach out to them when the main contact cannot be reached. 

Wrapping Up: The Benefits of Building a Strong Media List

Having a well-crafted media list is a useful and efficient tool for businesses looking to get their message out to the public correctly and effectively. By targeting the right journalists and influencers, you can increase your chances of getting wider media coverage to the right target audience. 

Here are a few key benefits of having a strong media list:

• Increased media coverage: By targeting the right journalists and influencers, you’ll get wider media coverage to spread your message to a wider scope of people – your target audience and possible new leads. 

• Improved outreach efforts: Having a complete and up-to-date media list makes it easier to reach out to journalists and influencers when you have a story to tell.

• Better relationships with media: Having a media list is also an opportunity to build relationships with journalists and influencers over time, which can be useful for you in the future. It can build rapport and lead to better and more personalized communication. 

• More opportunities for thought leadership: By targeting the right media outlets and journalists, you can position yourself as a thought leader in your industry.

In conclusion, building a strong media list is a key part to facilitate successful PR and marketing strategy. By following the steps discussed in this article and using the right tools, you can create an effective media list that will help you reach your target audience and achieve your company goals, short and long term. 

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