{"id":31410,"date":"2023-09-11T02:06:26","date_gmt":"2023-09-11T02:06:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/m2comms.com\/?p=31410"},"modified":"2023-09-11T10:30:12","modified_gmt":"2023-09-11T10:30:12","slug":"pr-and-media-relations-expert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/m2comms.com\/2023\/09\/11\/pr-and-media-relations-expert\/","title":{"rendered":"Ask the Expert: A Look Into Media Relations as the Heart of PR"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The art of Public Relations<\/a> (PR) and Media Relations<\/a> stands as a linchpin for businesses and individuals striving to cultivate a positive image and foster meaningful connections. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what really goes on behind the scenes? What does it take to master the dance between the public, media outlets, and the stories that need to be told? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To pull back the curtain on this dynamic world, we sat down with an industry veteran boasting over two decades of hands-on experience. As M2.0 Communications\u2019 Media Relations Manager<\/a>, Shyla\u2019s insight offers a rare and illuminating perspective on the evolving nexus of PR and media relations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While working in media relations for as long as she has, Shyla has worked on projects like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in 2015, the first-ever automated Philippine elections back in 2010, and IKEA\u2019s recent local launch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with this, she\u2019s also handled clients from both public and private industries, such as health, lifestyle, hospitality, and consumer technology, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This piece covers her own unique experiences, insights, advice, tips, and tricks for navigating a life in media relations. Essentially\u2013all the basics you need to know according to an industry professional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of how the PR landscape is currently evolving? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the thing: a decade or two ago, we only had all-print publications. That includes a few broadsheets<\/a>, along with tons of tabloids. Then, there were the weekly women\u2019s magazines, plus the lifestyle magazines which you\u2019ll normally find in salons and parlors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basically, twenty years ago, it was all in print. But as we moved forward and evolved, online avenues for PR and media relations started popping up. This is especially true thanks to the pandemic, which made things like blogs more important than ever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is important to consider when you look at the fact that the PR landscape has been evolving to meet the needs of the audience. That is, you need to ensure that things reach the audience to begin with. That\u2019s why I think publications, bloggers, and online news are essential. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the past, if you lived away from the city, then you wouldn\u2019t know about any news. What\u2019s trending, what’s the latest\u2013you wouldn\u2019t know any of it unless you had a radio or a TV, and even then, not everything was featured on there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But now, almost everybody has a mobile phone and access to online news, bloggers, vloggers, and TikTok influencers. It helps the brand reach the audience faster. So, the way the PR landscape has been evolving is very positive for not just the brands, but for everybody! Spreading the news and reaching out to others is easy now, you never have to go too far to make sure people know what\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s your priority when it comes to media relations? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Media Relations should be personalized. For example, if your client is in the health industry<\/a>, you wouldn\u2019t tap a writer who isn\u2019t into health. That\u2019s the base-level explanation for it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But on a deeper level, what does that mean? For me, it means making friends. I study what tickles their senses, what their expertise is, and what they like. Which specific industries do they write about, and what angles do they want to write about? That\u2019s what being personalized means. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can even go deeper than that. For instance: are they married, do they have kids? What are their strengths, and what are their weaknesses? Things like that! But more importantly, part of being personal is to treat them with respect. PR and the media work hand in hand. But just because they\u2019re benefitting too doesn\u2019t mean we shouldn\u2019t show them respect or should stop treating them with decency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowing people in the industry in a personal way and treating them with respect is more than just for the job, too. Of course, there are benefits. For instance, the other day, I heard one blogger say \u201cWe\u2019re leaning more towards [M2] because of Shyla.\u201d So, I don\u2019t see this as just a job anymore\u2013I see it as my life. That\u2019s why I need to be friendly, I need to be nice, and I need to know them. It comes from a genuine place of interest, and after working for this long, I can say that I know their hearts and souls now, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So, that\u2019s what it means to be personalized: to give respect. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlways ask yourself: If you were to put yourself in their shoes, what would make you smile?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping that in mind will help you make better connections. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is forming a connection harder now with the online landscape?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

No. It\u2019s easier now because of social media. There are more opportunities for PR popping up because of that\u2013it\u2019s so much faster now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"The
Shyla Reyes with media guests celebrating the success of a media event.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Shyla
Photo of Shyla, media guests, and the client with Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping Day Survival Kits in the Manila Bulletin Office.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now, it\u2019s become a matter of how you want to present your brand or client, what headline you want, and what works as an effective angle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, it\u2019s less about reaching out. It\u2019s more about how big, how deep, and how important your story is\u2013because there are so many stories now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, the hardest thing is really the competition, and thinking about how you\u2019ll present your angle. How do you present that you\u2019re more important than your competitors? It becomes a matter of your PR strategy<\/a>, not a matter of how to reach out to everyone else to spread the story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s hard, but as long as you can tap into current trends, reaching out isn\u2019t a problem anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are some of the common misconceptions that you\u2019ve noticed about working in media relations? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For those who don\u2019t know PR, they think I\u2019m part of the media. That\u2019s one thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another thing is thinking that the job is easy. Yes, it is easy in a sense, but building relationships takes commitment. It isn\u2019t quick. I look at people\u2019s personalities, I see the kind of person they are. It\u2019s heavy; to talk to people every day, different people in different situations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You really have to know who you need to talk to, and know it instantly\u2013that\u2019s the best way to get forward. If you\u2019re in media relations, you need to know your story, you need to know who\u2019s too busy to take it at the moment, and who\u2019s got a light enough load. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cBasically, you need to know your story, and who is the best person to tell that story.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a very enjoyable job, but you need to learn and know how to invest your time and sincerity. Even your weekends, even your time with your family and kids. It\u2019s all to build relationships that foster trust, which is what matters the most as a media relations manager; earning people\u2019s trust so that they can trust you right back.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

M2.0 Communications is a Philippines-based <\/em>PR agency<\/em><\/a> that specializes in business, technology, and lifestyle communications. We offer a range of <\/em>PR services<\/em><\/a> including <\/em>crisis communications<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>stakeholder engagement<\/em><\/a>, and <\/em>influencer management<\/em><\/a>. Visit our <\/em>case studies <\/em><\/a>page to learn more about the brands we collaborate with.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The art of Public Relations (PR) and Media Relations stands as a linchpin for businesses and individuals striving to cultivate a positive image and foster meaningful connections.  But what really goes on behind the scenes? What does it take to master the dance between the public, media outlets, and the stories that need to be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":31518,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/m2comms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31410"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/m2comms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/m2comms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/m2comms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/m2comms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31410"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/m2comms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31410\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31545,"href":"https:\/\/m2comms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31410\/revisions\/31545"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/m2comms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/m2comms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/m2comms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/m2comms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}