So what's a media list and how can it help? A media list is a document with the contact details of specific journalists, bloggers, writers, editors and influencers who write about your subject matter.

Mostly created in Google Sheets or Excel, a media list usually includes the name of the journalist, their email address, the name of the publication they work for, and a link to their recent article. Here's a full list of information you should include:

• Name of outlet

• First name 

• Last name 

• Job title

• Phone number

• Email

• Twitter account

• LinkedIn account

• Links to recent coverage

• A notes section for media pitching updates and reporter preferences

So how can you create one?

Step 1. Brainstorm Media Outlets.

Brainstorm the potential publications which you know and would like to be featured in. This can include anything from the biggest names such as the New York Times to tiny tech blogs. Get creative. 

Step 2. Ask your target audience

Once you've listed all the publications you know you'd like to be featured in, it's time to ask someone from your target audience what publications they read. Add them to the list.

Step 3. Google News Search

The next step in creating a media list is to go to Google News and type in the key words you'd like to be known for. For instance, at The Impact Economy, we would like to be known for terms like "Climate Tech" or "Sustainable brands". Find different and new publications which cover your industry and add them to your list.

Step 4. Assign A Media Tier

With most of the companies I work with, there are usually three or four different tiers of contacts — ranging from international publications to industry-specific bloggers.

• Tier 1: Top Tier — Top tier media consists of outlets with international reach and high circulation, including publications like The Guardian, The New York Times, The Washington Post etc.

• Tier 2: Regional/Local — Regional tier media contacts are usually specific to the country you operate in as well as the language. For instance, for a Dutch brand, national newspapers like Volkskrant or NOS would be considered 2nd tier media. 

• Tier 3: Tech Blogs  — The 3rd tier is usually overlooked as most brands want to be featured by the New York Times immediately. However, tech blogs are at times far more effective to deliver the desired result. These could include publications like The Next Web, Sifted, or The Verve. 

• Tier 4: Trade Magazines — Trade magazines and industry publications are valuable press contacts and often more open to featuring content from your brand. If you're in property technology, these could include publications like Propmodo, or Property Week. If you're in impact investing, it would be more  Impakter, and Impact Alpha, etc.

Step 5. Create a spreadsheet

Create a spreadsheet with your desired publications, the ones where you would love to be featured, as well as the ones which your target audience reads for each of the above tiers.

Step 6. Look for recent articles and see who published them

For each of the publications on your media list, look through their recent publications and find articles which are similar to the one you'd like to be featured in. This can be in terms of the topic (i.e., they wrote about cleantech) or in terms of substance. Add each article to the row in your sheet, the author, and make a note of what you liked about it.

Step 7. Find the contact details of the author

Once you’ve identified your target authors, you have to find out how to get in contact. I usually do this for my clients via LinkedIn, Twitter, or old fashioned email. Try to avoid sending emails to addresses that are similar to info@publication.com — this is a one way ticket to waisting your time.