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Working With Outdoor Writers

Jeff Patterson, APR – Senior Vice President, Director of Public Relations

Outdoor writers can exert a powerful influence on their readers. When a well-known and respected writer does a favorable story on your product, this “endorsement” delivers more impact than even the best advertising. What’s more, the cost of gaining this invaluable exposure may be as low as the expense involved in preparing and sending a news release and photo to the writer, or mailing the product itself to the writer for testing.

For these reasons, it makes sense to establish and build good working relationships with outdoor writers. The following steps are essential in this process. They certainly require an investment of time and effort, but the high return on this investment will make it worth your while.

1. Determine who the key writers are and how to contact them. Create a media list including:
   • Writer name.
   • Publication(s) with which the writer is affiliated, and title(s) held at the publication(s). A writer may be a field editor for more than one publication, or be a regular contributor to several different publications.
   • Specific areas in which the writer specializes: bowhunting, fly-fishing, shotgun sports, etc.
   • Mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail address. Remember that many writers work out of their homes and can often be reached quicker there than at the publication(s) with which he or she is affiliated.
   • Preferred means of communication for each writer. For example, a busy editor may prefer a fax as opposed to a phone call that interrupts his or her day.

   In addition to writers for national publications, remember to include outdoor writers for local newspapers in your company and dealer areas, as well as writers for state and regional publications.

   Update the media list on a regular basis, as position changes occur fairly frequently in the outdoor media. An accurate media list helps ensure smooth, timely communication with the writers, and lets them know that you are paying attention to what they are doing. An editor can become quite irritated if he or she keeps receiving news releases addressed to a predecessor from five years ago!

2. Do your homework prior to contacting writers. Try to understand what each writer will consider interesting and newsworthy, then determine how your company and products fit into this framework. You can get a “feel” for the writer by reading his or her stories in recent publication issues, or by talking with people from other companies in the industry.

   Think of writers like customers. Learn as much as you can about each one, then determine what you can “sell” them according to their individual needs and interests. Provide them with excellent service and you will have a winning formula.

3. Make sure your company is prepared to handle writer requests for interviews, information, art, product testing, etc. In other words, be ready to deliver when a writer calls! A writer can quickly become frustrated if the people he or she wants to interview are never available or if getting basic information is like pulling teeth. It is very important that company spokespeople/PR people have a thorough knowledge of new and existing products as well as the sport in which they are used, and can effectively communicate that knowledge to writers.

   Being prepared means doing things like training company spokespeople to make them more media savvy, getting news releases written in a timely manner, establishing an organized photo library and creating a smooth system for getting products to writers. Keep in mind that writers are often working on tight deadlines. A company that can quickly respond and consistently help writers make their deadlines will earn their confidence and gratitude, not to mention more “ink.”

4. Get to know the writers and make it easy for them to get to know you. A good place to do this is at industry events such as the SHOT Show, which many writers attend to hunt for news and story ideas. Make a point of meeting writers at these events. Introduce them to your company and the people who speak for the organization. Provide concise background information on the company, its spokespeople and its products. An effective way to do this is to prepare a press kit that writers can use for later reference.

   You may also want to consider joining an outdoor writers group. There are state and regional associations, as well as the national organization, the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA). Outdoor-related companies can become supporting or sponsoring members of these groups, which can provide many opportunities for interaction with writers.

   There are other ways to enhance the relationship-building process. For example, a company may host a writers’ conference. Another may arrange for writers and company executives to spend time together in the outdoors, using company products. Yet another company may decide to form a writers’ advisory council to provide input on its products.

   It all comes down to the fact that familiarity is an important element of a relationship. It's only human nature––writers are more comfortable dealing with people and organizations they know. Once you have established this familiarity, the media relations process becomes much easier, as long as both parties involved have the capability and commitment to work with each other on a professional basis.

5. Research key writers and publications to determine:
   • the specific types of information and/or products they are currently interested in
   • when the information and/or products are needed (deadlines)
   • how they want information (desired format of news releases and other communications materials, preferred means of delivery)

   One way to determine the type of information/products desired and the deadlines by which they are needed is to review editorial calendars. Many outdoor publications put out editorial calendars, which list featured article topics for each issue over the course of the year. This makes its possible for you to pick out specific topics and issues which relate to your company and its products. You can then plan to contact the writers/editors and pull together whatever products or informational materials are needed, well in advance of deadlines.

   Keep in mind that some writers may work as much as a year in advance, and some publications may have editorial deadlines three months prior to an issue’s publication date. Knowing the deadlines of these writers and publications can give you a big advantage in terms of getting your company or products into print.

   Once you have done your homework, make sure individual writer preferences are heeded as much as possible. If all he or she wants is a one-page, bullet-point news release on a product, don’t send a three-page news release that covers every last detail. By making the writer's job as easy as possible, you will get more and better coverage.

6. Be as proactive and responsive as possible. Call the writer when you have newsworthy information or story ideas that match his or her focus areas. Don't wait for the writer to call you. Done properly, this aggressive approach will result in more coverage and better positioning for your company's products and services.

   Do not bombard writers with “fluff” or self-serving story ideas. In the end, this will work against you. It is okay to call a writer occasionally just to catch up on what he or she has been up to, but don’t overdo it.

   Get your products into the hands of key writers for field testing. This is one of the best ways to generate coverage. If your products are high-ticket items, establish some type of loan or consignment program for select writers.

   A few words of caution. Never attempt to “buy” a writer. Never throw your weight around to pressure a writer into doing a story. These tactics are likely to ruin your relationships with ethical writers and damage your reputation among writers and in the industry.

   When a writer does call, make every effort to respond within the given time frame and with complete, accurate information. A timely, thorough response is appreciated by the writer and increases the likelihood that he or she will continue to use your organization as an information source.

7. Monitor results. Use a clipping service or some other means to track coverage by individual writers. Thank writers who do a good job of publicizing your company and its products. Weed out writers who take your products and information but never produce anything. There are bad apples in every barrel. If in doubt about the credibility of a writer, ask other companies in the industry about their experiences with the individual.

   You may also want to evaluate results by doing things like measuring the number of column inches generated by each writer or quantifying coverage in terms of advertising value. Such evaluation provides a more dispassionate analysis of your editorial treatment by writers and the “worth” of the coverage you receive.

   The editorial exposure provided by outdoor writers has given many companies a shot in the arm in terms of sales. A positive story by an outdoor writer can move product in a hurry. The bottom line is that establishing good working relationships with outdoor writers is just good business for those of us in the outdoor recreation industry.

If you have comments or questions regarding this article, please call me at (402) 437-6410 or send e-mail to jeffp@swansonrussell.com.

For additional information regarding working with outdoor writers or other marketing communications services offered by Swanson Russell, call Steve Russell at (402) 437-6400 or send e-mail to outdoors@swansonrussell.com.