How to Make a PR Agency or Client Introduction to the Media

Strong media relations are a crucial part of finding success as a PR pro. But with outlets switching up their teams all the time, building lasting relationships is tougher than ever! That’s why it’s so important to make agency and client introductions to the media the right way and set yourself up for success at the start. 

Constantly introducing yourself and your clients to the media can seem intimidating, but it’s the key to keeping up with the changing media landscape. And it’s an amazing opportunity to build personal connections with tons of journalists and establish yourself as a helpful and credible resource in your niche. 

How to Make an Agency Introduction to New Media Contacts 

When you’re reaching out to an editor or journalist for the first time, you’ll have to introduce yourself and your agency before you make any individual client introductions. This is the time to lay the groundwork for a strong, mutually beneficial relationship going forward. 

Start building your connection with powerful relationship-nurturing strategies, like engaging with editors on social media. Leaving likes and encouraging comments helps get you on their radar and familiarizes them with your name and agency. 

Once you’ve started to engage with them online, take it to the next level with an introductory email. It doesn’t have to be anything super in-depth! A few short paragraphs will do the trick and help your relationship start growing. 

Start your email with a tailored, personal note: call out the publication they write for and mention a few of their most recent stories that you liked (and tell them why you enjoyed their work so much!). Then, move on to a quick agency introduction. Write out your full agency name, describe your niche, and highlight a few of your current clients — using bullet points to list them out works perfectly here. 

Don’t forget to end it with a call to action! Instead of your usual pitch CTAs, ask the editor if there’s anything you can assist them with at the moment. Show them that you’re knowledgeable in your niche and have valuable insights that will help them write their articles. 

How to Make a Client Introduction to the Media 

Once you’ve got the agency introduction out of the way, it’s time to make a client introduction. This is the time to go more in-depth and show editors what each client is all about. There are two main scenarios in which you’ll have to make a client introduction.

Scenario #1: New Client Introduction to a Current Contact 

Bringing on a new client means introducing them to your current media contact list. Keep the messages short and sweet, but still helpful and valuable. Your introductory emails should convey how excited you are to be working with this client and to be introducing them to your contacts. 

If you’re taking over for the client’s previous representation, introduce yourself as their new point of contact before moving on to the client introduction. If they’ve never had PR representation before, introduce them right away! 

To start, give a brief overview of your new client. Stay general here; 2-3 sentences about your client’s brand, products, or purpose is all you need. Then, include a bulleted list of three timely and relevant pitch angles for the editor to keep in mind for future stories (and make sure this list is personalized to their niche!). 

For product-based clients, this is the time to casually offer up samples. Something like, “We’d love to get you acquainted with the brand; let me know the best address to send the latest and greatest your way,” gives the editor space to accept or hold off on samples. Never send unsolicited products! 

If your new client is an expert, you can offer them up for interviews instead. List out 2-3 specific areas they can speak on. Make sure these topics are relevant to the editor’s beat and switch them out as necessary for each media contact. 

Then close out your message on a high note! Reiterate how excited you are about your new client and how you’re both looking forward to working with this editor. 

Scenario #2: Current Client Introduction to a New Contact

When a publication hires a new journalist, you’ll have to get ahead of the game and introduce yourself and your clients right away. This type of client introduction combines both of the introductory emails we’ve talked about so far: you’ll share details about your agency and your client and go more in-depth about both. 

Follow a similar process to the client introduction in the first scenario, but switch out your excitement about your new client to excitement about your new connection. Congratulate the editor or journalist on their role and say that you’re excited to work with them. It’s also a great idea to mention the specific beats they’ve covered at the publication so far — this reinforces you as a credible, plugged-in source. 

Next, share a bit about your clients and ask the editor what they’re currently working on that you can help out with. The focus here is on providing the journalist with valuable information. 

Remember, you’re here to help the media do their job (and make their days a little easier). Offer to share your expertise in their space, match them with sources or companies that are relevant to what they’re working on, and remind them that you’re in the know on industry trends and niche content. 

Related: How to Build Better Media Relationships as a PR Pro

What You Can Do to Make Agency & Client Introductions Easier 

Agency and client introductions are super common in PR, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy! The ever-changing media landscape makes it tough to keep up at times. Here are some final tips for smoothing out the client introduction process. 

Ask Current Contacts to Keep You in the Loop

Put in the effort to get on (and stay on!) good terms with all of your media contacts. That way, if one leaves their current publication, you can ask them for an introduction to their replacement. And you’ll usually get a great referral from your contact, too! 

If your contact doesn’t have any ties to their replacement, ask for details on when the transition is happening. Once you have a date, set a reminder for yourself to reach out to their replacement with an agency & client introduction (like in scenario #2) as soon as they arrive. 

Focus On the Facts

Even if a new media contact doesn’t intend on utilizing your client in their upcoming stories, you should always offer them up as a great resource for background info during a client introduction. Your clients have super specialized expertise, which is valuable to journalists when crafting their pieces. 

This goes a really long way in establishing a close media relationship. The editor will seriously appreciate the opportunity to gather facts from such a reputable source and will reach out to you again for info for future stories!

Client introductions can be tough, but each introduction is an opportunity to establish yourself and your clients as credible, useful resources. Introducing your clients to the media the right way will help kickstart this process and get them on editors’ radars for future pieces.