Twitter for PRTips for making connections with reporters and bloggers by @jginkc

September 2013

It’s about a lot more than just the Tweet

It’s not easy for a PR person to connect with a reporter these days…

2

• There are fewer reporters out there

• The harried survivors expect personalized pitches

• Many just won’t follow up on our press releases!

Can Twitter help?

There is no magic formula…

But, Twitter can help you:

• Expand the reach of your message

• Build relationships with bloggers and reporters

• Identify opportunities

• Establish credibility3

Introduce yourself

Mention the name of your company or agency & what you do.

Include a picture of yourself.

Include a Website link. Your company’s Web siteYour LinkedIn profileYour personal Web site or blog

What types of topics will you Tweet about?

What are your other interests?

You are telling them who you are and what they can expect if they follow you on Twitter

4

Checklist for Polishing your Twitter Profile

Show your personalitysome examples…

5

Show your personalitya few more examples…

6

Who should I follow?

• Twitter handles of your company or your clients

• Your colleagues – Learn from each other!

• Rivals and Competitors

• News Sources

• Reporters and bloggers who cover your company or client

• Reporters and bloggers you want to cover your company or client.

• Others who share your interests

• Other interests? Search for topics, brands, people

7

https://support.twitter.com/

8

Just Google them

Type the person’s name in the search bar along with “Twitter”

Their Twitter handle often will be one of the top results

What kind of impression do you leave?You can bet bloggers and reporters are “Googling” you if

they have any interest in following up on your pitch. Are you credible? Interesting?

Engaging with Reporters & Bloggers

• Start by following them – their Tweets often will tell you what they are writing and what they care about

• ReTweet them – In moderation. Don’t be a stalker.

• See an interesting article they wrote? Tweet about it to your followers.

• Interact with them• Thank them• Have fun! Show some personality

• Do they want PR pitches via Tweet? Probably not. Take the time to learn their preferences.

10

What does a reporter want?

Always remember: It’s about them on Twitter. Not you.

A few cautions to guide you while using Twitter to connect with reporters and bloggers. On Twitter:

1) They are trying to promote their own work.

2) They are looking for story ideas.

3) They are monitoring their competitors.

4) Whether they are covering it or not, they are tracking news and breaking developments.

5) They want to network with other journalists, experts and yes, sometimes, PR Pros.

6) Some of them want to add their own color commentary to the news.

As a colleague of mine says, the same things that annoy reporters about PR people in their voicemail, email or face to face, also annoy them on Twitter. If you want them to write about your company…

PR Pro Tip:

Don’t be annoying!

Say “Thank You!”

12

Call out their articles, milestones

13

14

It’s not always about business

Contribute to the conversation

Nobody wants to follow “that guy” on Twitter who only Tweets “Buy my stuff!” or “Write about my company!”

• Link to interesting articles• Lift somebody up –

“Congratulations!” “Great tips!”• Let your personality shine – You

don’t only talk about business in real life, right? (I hope not!)

• Share about your other interests: Running, cooking, knitting, dogs, sports…

Mix it up!

Connect with those who have similar interests – You will be their go-to person for your product or service when they have a need.

Get out there and Tweet!

Jason Gertzen has been on both sides of the PR pitch. As a longtime newspaper journalist, he fielded his share of PR pleas – good and bad. Now he is the one making the pitches when reaching out to bloggers while leading a social media team at Sprint. All opinions and views are my own.

@jginkc

The Sociable Writer