The backbone of a media relations program involves promoting an expert as thought leader and subject matter specialist to journalists with the end goal of garnering an interview and subsequent media mention. But how do you get journalists to call you? What is the best way to promote yourself as a go-to specialist on a topic. Getting media interviews is central to elevating your reputation and supporting your goals for growing your practice/business. It can also improve your website search engine optimization (SEO) with backlinks from the various media outlets in which you are quoted.

Here’s some strategies that have worked for MCPR for bringing media interviews and resulting publicity to our doctor and wellness clients over the years. See our results for yourself HERE.

  1. Promote yourself to journalists with a concise bio detailing your expertise, your education, and your work history. Use the bio in pitch notes to journalists welcoming them to seek your point of view for their articles.
  2. Don’t be shy. Along with your pitch notes, share recent media mentions with journalist to substantiate your expertise in your area and experience with media.
  3. Create a list of media outlets and journalists that write about your specialty and keep the list up to date. Use the list periodically to remind journalists that you are available to provide comments for their articles. Update the list with new journalists as you meet and interact with them.
  4. Use smart PR tools alerting you to articles in the works in which journalists are seeking commentary. Tools like Connectively (formerly HARO), Qwoted, Profnet, and Peter Shankman’s SOS Media Queries to name a few.
  5. Be sure to always be on time when responding to journalists queries. Keep in mind that they are almost always on a deadline and that to help them, you need to work in their timeframe. Journalists will keep calling on you if you are helpful to them.
  6. Never use AI when responding to media requests. Journalists are looking for original and authentic responses from experts. They want interesting and relevant quotes for their articles. You will be busted for sending answers from AI and you will lose the relationship with that journalist.
  7. Track for published articles and thank the journalist for including comments from you. Welcome them to reach out again for upcoming stories. Use article tracking tools such as Google alerts and TalkWalker to learn when you are quoted in the media.

Good luck. MCPR specializes in publicity for doctors and wellness experts. Call us at 203-968-6625 if you’d like our help.