There is a well-known baseball adage on how to field ground balls – play the ball before it plays you. It means players should attack the ball and take the initiative to field the grounder. It’s a call to be proactive and not reactive with your play. The same theory is true in animal welfare public relations. Creating a proactive media outreach plan can help keep your organization top of mind with the media.
An animal welfare PR agency, like Orange Orchard, knows what is going on in the news and stays in tune with what reporters are writing about through media monitoring. Our team stays up to date on what topics are trending and are likely to make a splash in the news. Social media is also a great tool to boost PR efforts by following reporters, editors and influencers who are talking about animal welfare.
Media relations play a huge role in a proactive media outreach plan. Reporters, editors and influencers will reach out to the organizations they have the best relationships with to get the facts they need for their article. Building these relationships requires you to reach out first, introduce yourself and ask what topics reporters are interested in covering soon. At this same time, offer to write a guest column or be a trusted source for the publication.
All in all, creating a successful proactive PR campaign is all about being vigilant with media monitoring, looking for trends on social media and building relationships with reporters, editors and influencers. But this takes a fair amount of time and effort that does not always fit into your day. You need to manage the organization, fundraise and recruit volunteers. That’s why the experts at Orange Orchard exist. Our team understands animal welfare issues and has countless established media contacts. If you’re ready to get started, contact Orange Orchard online or at 865-977-1973.