Know which media relations leads are worth a strategy call
Each intake captures the client's outreach goal, story readiness, and timeline for launch, plus press kits, bios, and photos up front — so you know whether a strategy call is worth booking before you write a single pitch.
The exact intake your media relations leads complete
This is the real 6-question guided intake for Media Relations — the same flow your customers finish before you ever pick up the phone.
What a qualified media relations lead should tell you
Outreach to secure earned coverage by pitching journalists and outlets on a client's news, story, or ongoing narrative, as distinct from a one-time release distribution or an active crisis response.
- Main Goal Media Outreach
- Have Specific Newsworthy Story,
- Types Media Most Interested
- Can Approve Messaging And
- Media Outreach Begin
- Have Existing Materials Such
The questions your team needs answered
Every media relations intake asks these — and why each one matters.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What is the main goal of your media outreach? | Responding to negative coverage or a crisis carries the highest weight because it signals time-critical work that typically needs resourcing right away. |
| Do you have a specific newsworthy story, event, or announcement ready to pitch? | A confirmed, ready-to-pitch story scores well above one still being shaped, showing how much runway exists between the strategy call and an actual pitch going out. |
| Which types of media are you most interested in reaching? | Segments the lead so you can route, price, and prioritize it correctly. |
| Who can approve messaging and respond to media inquiries on behalf of your organization? | An approver outside the immediate team scores lower because it introduces a sign-off delay that can cost a pitch its window with a journalist. |
| When do you need media outreach to begin? | An Immediately answer is the only timeline treated as urgent, so it's the trigger for faster follow-up rather than standard queue handling. |
| Do you have existing materials such as a press kit, bios, or photos available to share? | Existing press kits, bios, or photos mean less prep work before a pitch can go out, which shortens how long it takes to act on the lead. |
How Cliont scores media relations leads
Every answer is weighted automatically — no manual review required.
Value signals
- Announce news or a launch
- Build ongoing media relationships
- Respond to negative coverage or a crisis
- Increase general visibility over time
- Not sure
- Have Specific Newsworthy Story,: yes
Urgency signals
- Immediately
See the lead your team receives
Media Relations Lead – Crisis Response Needed
From first click to qualified lead
Follow prospects and clients through one smooth, guided flow.
They land & meet you
Your video greeting plays instantly — a real face instead of a blank form.
They explain the project
Smart questions adapt to their project and capture the full scope.
They share the details
The scope and any documents come attached, so you can scope before the first call.
You get a ready lead
Scored and qualified — waiting for you to win it.
Built for media relations workflows
| Cliont capability | Media Relations application |
|---|---|
| Weighted lead scoring | Crisis-response goals and a confirmed ready-to-pitch story score highest, so those submissions rise above general-visibility or 'not sure' inquiries automatically. |
| Approval-chain flagging | When a client indicates messaging needs sign-off from someone outside the team, that friction is visible on the lead record before you draft a proposal around a timeline that isn't real. |
| Urgency routing | A timeline answer of 'Immediately' routes the lead for same-day attention instead of sitting in the standard queue with 'just planning ahead' submissions. |
| Media-type tagging | Selections across local, national, trade, online, and broadcast outlets attach to the CRM record so your pitch list planning starts before the strategy call, not during it. |
| Asset intake | Press kits, bios, and photos submitted at intake are attached to the lead record, cutting the back-and-forth of chasing materials after the client is already on your calendar. |
Common media relations lead scenarios
Crisis needs same-day response
Goal is set to responding to negative coverage, timeline is Immediately, and the intake flags whether the client can approve messaging directly or needs sign-off from outside the team.
Launch pitch, story already built
Goal is announcing news or a launch, the client confirms a specific story is ready, and materials like press kits and photos are already attached — a clean lead to move straight into a strategy call.
Still shaping the narrative
Goal comes back as 'Not sure' or general visibility, no story is ready yet, and the timeline is 'Just planning ahead' — worth a lighter-touch follow-up instead of a proposal.
Retainer-style relationship building
Goal is building ongoing media relationships across trade and online outlets, timeline is a few months out, and an internal team member is named as the approver — a longer-cycle prospect, not an urgent one.
Approval sits outside the team
Any goal can carry this flag: the client selects that messaging needs sign-off from someone outside the immediate contact, which slows how fast a pitch can actually go out once you're engaged.
Connect Cliont to your workflow
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Notify your team
Email, SMS, Slack
Automate follow-up
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Simple, transparent pricing
Choose the plan that works for your business.
Professional
Unlimited intake forms and leads for your growing business.
- Unlimited intake forms
- Custom video greetings
- AI-powered voice bot
- English + Spanish support
- Automatic lead scoring
- Digital estimates & e-signatures
- Photo, video & file upload
- Advanced analytics dashboard
Pay Per Lead
Only pay when you receive a qualified lead.
- Unlimited intake forms
- Custom video greetings
- AI-powered voice bot
- English + Spanish support
- Automatic lead scoring
- Digital estimates & e-signatures
- Photo, video & file upload
- Charged only for submitted leads
More public relations intake templates
Media Relations lead-intake FAQs
How does the intake separate a crisis pitch from a routine launch announcement?
The outreach goal question distinguishes 'respond to negative coverage or a crisis' from 'announce news or a launch,' and the crisis option scores highest, so those submissions surface as higher priority before you ever open the message.
What happens if a client doesn't have a story ready yet?
The intake still accepts the submission — a 'no' on having a specific story ready scores lower than a 'yes,' which tells you the lead needs shaping conversations before a pitch can go out, not that it should be discarded.
Does the intake tell me who can actually approve messaging?
Yes — clients select whether they can approve directly, an internal team member can, or approval sits with someone outside the team, so you know upfront if a pitch could stall waiting on sign-off.
How does 'Just planning ahead' get treated differently from 'Immediately'?
Timeline answers aren't scored the same — Immediately is treated as urgent and flagged for faster follow-up, while planning-ahead responses are logged without the urgency tag so you can prioritize your queue accordingly.
Why does this intake include 'respond to negative coverage' when you also have a Crisis Communications page?
Media Relations captures clients whose immediate need touches negative coverage but who are really looking for ongoing press strategy — if the situation is a dedicated acute crisis, the Crisis Communications subservice is built for that specific workflow.
Are press kits and bios collected automatically?
The intake asks whether existing materials like a press kit, bios, or photos are available, and a yes answer means those assets are ready to review before your team starts building a pitch from scratch.
Turn media relations visitors into qualified clients
Give every media relations visitor a guided intake instead of a dead contact form — and get a scored, qualified lead before you take the first call.