Media relations services
Media relations services built on four pillars
Media relations services from Susan von Seggern generate coverage through four connected tactics: sustained media outreach, press releasing, lead service monitoring, and events.
Susan von Seggern developed this framework over decades of PR work while keeping up with new methods. It mixes podcast pitching and hyper-local coverage with established tactics, so a campaign has several routes to coverage instead of depending on a single press release.
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What are media relations services?
Media relations services are the work of building and using relationships with journalists, editors, producers, and podcast hosts to earn coverage for a client. Susan von Seggern organizes that work into four pillars, described here as she runs them.
1. Sustained media outreach
Identifying target outlets and contacts, then pitching them steadily for coverage. Podcast pitching is part of this pillar, along with hyper-local outlets near where a client operates or an event takes place.
2. Press releasing
Announcing significant milestones through an exclusive or pre-brief model, followed by email servicing, and posting to a newswire if budgeted. Susan recommends Business Wire for its respectability and has an annual deal that significantly saves clients money compared with one off releases.
3. Lead service monitoring
Monitoring five lead service feeds daily, plus emails and Substacks from journalists looking for leads directly, then pitching contacts who want the client’s expertise. Susan has placed lead service coverage in Good Housekeeping, Yahoo, the New York Times, HuffPost, Best Life, and many other outlets.
4. Events
Large scale celebrity and media events, small media introductions like cocktail hours or luncheons, sponsorships, exhibiting or speaking at conferences, exhibiting at gifting events, and gift bag inclusions.
New to this? Start with the guide to what a public relations package includes.
Which media relations pillar does what?
| Pillar | What it does | Best for | Typical pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sustained media outreach | Pitches target outlets and podcasts over time | Ongoing visibility, feature stories, interviews | Builds over weeks and months |
| Press releasing | Announces milestones to press and, if budgeted, a newswire | Launches, events, partnerships, releases | Tied to the announcement date |
| Lead service monitoring | Answers journalists looking for sources | Experts, founders, authors | Daily, can produce quick wins |
| Events | Creates a moment press can attend or cover | Introductions, launches, brand presence | Tied to the event date |
Why use four tactics instead of one press release?
A single release depends on one day’s news cycle. Spreading a campaign across outreach, releases, lead services, and events gives reporters more than one way to find the story. It also matches where attention now goes: Sprout Social reports that digital and online media captured 57.84% of 2025 PR spend, which is why podcasts and online outlets sit alongside traditional press in Susan’s outreach.
Sources: Sprout Social, Public Relations Statistics. Newswire information: Business Wire.
Media relations questions
What is Susan von Seggern’s media relations framework?
It is a four part framework for generating media coverage in the current media landscape. The pillars are sustained media outreach, including podcast pitching; press releasing through an exclusive or pre-brief model; lead service monitoring of five feeds daily plus journalist emails and Substacks; and events, from media luncheons to large celebrity events.
What is sustained media outreach?
Sustained media outreach means identifying the right outlets and contacts for a client and pitching them steadily for coverage, rather than sending one blast and stopping. Susan includes podcast pitching in this work, since podcasts reach engaged niche audiences. The approach depends on relationships, and Susan has spent more than 20 years building a broad media network.
What is lead service monitoring?
Lead service monitoring means watching services where journalists post requests for sources, then pitching those whose topics match a client. Susan monitors five lead service feeds daily, plus emails and Substacks from journalists seeking leads directly. She has placed lead service coverage in Good Housekeeping, Yahoo, the New York Times, HuffPost, Best Life, and many other outlets.
What is the difference between an exclusive and a pre-brief release?
With an exclusive, one outlet gets the news first in exchange for featuring it. With a pre-brief, selected journalists get the news early under embargo so stories can run when the announcement goes public. Susan uses one of these models for significant milestones, then follows with email servicing and, if budgeted, newswire posting.
Why does Susan pitch podcasts?
Podcast pitching places clients in long form conversations with audiences who chose the topic. Susan treats it as one of the latest PR tactics, used alongside established methods like events, press releasing, and sustained media outreach. It suits founders, authors, experts, and event organizers who can speak well about their subject.
What is hyper-local coverage?
Hyper-local coverage targets neighborhood and community outlets close to where a client operates or an event happens. For an LA event, local listings and community press can drive attendance more directly than a national mention. Susan pairs hyper-local coverage with broader outreach so that a campaign reaches both nearby audiences and wider media.
Can a publicist guarantee media coverage?
No honest publicist can guarantee coverage, because editors and producers decide what runs. What a publicist controls is the strategy, the targeting, the quality of pitches, and persistence. Susan describes her style as honest, positive, and tenacious, and she uses four complementary tactics so that a campaign has several routes to coverage.
Planning an event or a company announcement?
Send Susan von Seggern your dates, your news, and your budget range. Event and corporate inquiries are a current priority, and every campaign is scoped individually.