Whether you are a communications manager wanting to increase brand awareness or a CEO wanting to make sure your team is ready to respond to a crisis there is a media checklist worth ticking off.

We have all seen, especially during the COVID crisis, how businesses have had to pivot and respond quickly to changing restrictions. In many cases it has launched people and companies who may never have considered themselves a media target into the news spotlight.

Our team at Adoni Media Public Relations certainly spent many months helping corporate affairs and business teams manage media interest.

To help as you plan out your year, we’ve put together a media checklist so that you can be better prepared.

Update your Crisis Communication Plan

Crisis communication was in high demand during 2020 and not just for dealing with the media but for advice on how to manage and control internal communication with staff and stakeholders. The risk of not responding in a measured and strategic way is long-term damage to your brand and reputation.

The solution is being prepared. Don’t wait for a crisis to hit. Instead, have a crisis management plan in place so that you have the resources and framework to respond. For clients we work with that can mean identifying potential risk areas, developing key messaging, creating a chain of command and preparing holding statements. Once you have the policy and procedures in place it is important to test them. For some large organisations that can mean running crisis exercises, for others it can involve media training so that key spokespeople know they have the skills to respond.

Prepare with Media Training

There’s nothing more daunting then having a television camera in your face and not knowing how to manage the confrontation or answer a journalist’s questions.

Our team at Adoni Media run media training sessions that provide practical and tailored training to your industry. Adoni Media’s Founder, Leisa Goddard, has been a journalist for 30 years and has helped prepared CEOs, executives and spokespeople from ASX-listed companies to government agencies and charities.

During media training sessions the people most likely to face the media from your organisation learn how to respond, how to frame key messages, where to look during an interview and how to overcome nerves. Body language, facial expressions and what not to do during a media interview are equally as important.

Our entire team of media trainers are former Senior Journalists who each have decades of experience in the media industry. It means you and your team walk away with an understanding of how the media works and that alone can help build your confidence.

Content is king

A solid content strategy will ensure your business is consistent and active across multiple platforms when it comes time to engaging with stakeholders and making public statements.

Prepare two content plans, one for internal content to be published on your website, on your company blog and through internal EDMs. The second plan should be for external content, such as Media Releases, holding statements, thought-leadership pieces and posts to social media.

To gain maximum value from the work you put in to creating content make sure you optimise before publishing. Keyword research is invaluable in any content plan.

Social Media

Alongside your content plan, you should have a social media calendar and a commitment to scheduling regular posts to build brand awareness, trust and engagement.

If you’re making media and managing publicity a focus for your 2021 and would like some advice then please know we take pride in making our experience your advantage.