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PRetty in Pittsburgh

Why Every PR Pro Needs to Engage With Journalists on Twitter

I joined Twitter in September 2008 (!!) according to my bio. Twitter has always been the non-loved social media channel. People jumped on Instagram. Fell in love with TikTok. Remember Vine? They were all over it. But Twitter? People who were non-believers always said they didn’t “get” it or never found the value. But I have always been here to say it’s my favorite. Which may be another post for another time. I recently had a fun Twitter conversation with fellow Pittsburgh “tweeps” as we used to say “back in the day.” Social media day, that is. Talking about how many great connections we’ve made there and still do today. But every PR pro needs to engage with journalists on Twitter to add to those connections.

All that to say, a lot of PR people have given up on or not used Twitter but to me, they are missing out on a huge opportunity: media relations. Now I am not saying you need to full-blown pitch media on Twitter. That would be weird. Some say their DMs are open or ask for pitches so by all means do that when that happens. But I am talking about engaging with journalists in a natural, conversational way (that has nothing to do with your pitch). Here’s a look at what I do.

Start With a List

One of my favorite Twitter features is Twitter lists. Instagram, I beg of you for this so I can keep track of influencers better! I’ve been curating Twitter lists for years, and it’s such a great way to save journalists in one easy list to weed out your timeline. For example, I had a previous medical client so I had one main list of national health reporters, and then when we needed to target media just in their city, I made one that was specific to that city. When I was heavily pitching something, I simply scrolled and checked in every morning to see if there was opportunity to engage. And, when it was just “business as usual” I made a point to do this several times a month at least. Which brings me to my next point…

Engage When You Don’t Need To

They say the best time to build your network is when you don’t need it. The same is true for Twitter. People will see right through you if all of a sudden you start blowing them up on Twitter and then – boom – a pitch is in their inbox. Following and liking some tweets is a great start, and find some commonality. Are they talking about watching the new “And Just Like That” and you have some thoughts to share? Send a reply. Retweet some interesting articles of theirs. Be genuine, and they’ll start to take notice.

One other tip here: sometimes I RT journalists looking for sources when I can’t help them. Maybe it’s something not having to do with what I am pitching, but I share it out to my network (a lot of PR pros). Or, I help connect them with sources. This is extra work for you but it’s SO helpful for them and a great way to establish that relationship.

Tweet the News

So you scored a placement…congratulations. Next is to share, share, share. Tweet it and tag the journalist and the outlet – from your personal account and company account. Do the same on LinkedIn. That’s a great and easy way to get visibility. Not to mention, you are helping garner more eyeballs on their story. That’s something that is VERY important for them now more than ever.

Ragan’s PR Daily put out a similar article not too long about about engaging with journalists on social media. All good tips. I’d also like to add that Facebook Groups are another great way to connect with journalists. I am in a few where journalists are sharing what they are working on and looking for sources (one woman even puts out a weekly newsletter talking about what she’s looking for – score) so that’s a super easy way to show how valuable of a resource you are.

Finally, don’t be creepy. If someone tweeted seven years ago something about their dog, don’t bring it up in an email pitch like a weirdo. There’s a way to be personable but also when it comes to the actual email pitch, be short and sweet. Twitter is where you can be more fun. Every PR pro needs to engage with journalists on Twitter as part of their media relations strategy.

Help a PR pro out at Pittsburgh “HAPPO Hour”

HAPPO, a.k.a. “Help a PR Pro Out,” is a group that was started on Twitter by Arik Hanson and Valerie Simon to assist students and PR/communications professionals of all levels find jobs, job leads, and develop connections to network and learn. I’ve been the Pittsburgh “champion” for some time, and have agreed to host the first-ever live event in Pittsburgh with my coworker Suzanne. There’s several other HAPPO events taking place at the same time in other cities as well. You can check out Arik’s blog for a list of them and more details on the history of HAPPO.

Pittsburgh HAPPO Hour will take place Thursday, February 24 from 6-8 p.m. at Bar Louie Station Square. I am inviting anyone looking for work, hiring, or just looking to network to come. It will be very informal. We’ll also be keeping the conversation going on Twitter! Follow the Pittsburgh hashtag at #happopgh, and the main hashtag at #happo. Also follow me (@dferrari) and Suzanne (@sbasista).
As an added bonus, after the event, Suzanne and I along with a few other local resources are making ourselves available to help further with tips on interviews, writing resumes and cover letters, and answering any other job search questions. Interested in attending or need some help in your job search? Just e-mail me at deannaf84@yahoo.com. You can also reach Suzanne at suzannebasista@yahoo.com. Also, if you are hiring, let me know as well so I can make those connections.
Please RSVP by Tuesday, February 22. And please, SPREAD THE WORD!

Social media loser: Wheat Thins


There’s a lot of brands I talk about who I think are doing a great job in the social space. My post about “The Big 3” has some of those examples.
There’s also some brands I like to talk about who are not doing a good job. Why? Well, as part of my job I research a lot of companies doing social right and wrong to learn from them. I like to affectionately refer to these brands as “Social Media Losers.”
This post I’d like to dedicate to a new loser: Wheat Thins. I’ve always been just ehh about Wheat Thins. They’re pretty good, nothing to write home about. But, this isn’t about the product itself. This is about the brand’s new ad campaign “Crunch is Calling.” Have you seen it? Take a look:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PV1BFaO7LA]

OK, so this is not a novel idea. First of all, Domino’s has been doing pretty much the exact same thing. Also, integrating people’s tweets into your ads isn’t cutting edge so much, either. Remember in 2009 when Trident took out a full page ad in USA Today of people’s tweets? That was pretty cool at the time.
So I’m being a little unfair. Advertising doesn’t have to be groundbreaking. It just has to sell your product. So then I got to know just who Wheat Thins is trying to market to. What I came up with? Teenage boys. Really, Wheat Thins? I mean, I suppose teenage boys will eat just about anything. But I don’t think Wheat Thins is really top of mind for them. I’m guessing they enjoy the likes of Taco Bell, Dorito’s, Mountain Dew, and other similar products. Yeah I am being stereotypical but shouldn’t marketers be? Don’t believe they are marketing to them? Take a look at some of their tweets. Also, I took a look down the page of the boy in their commercial, a teenage boy it looks like. I leave you with some of his tweets. He’s pretty deep:

Bottom line, I’m confused.

Can we (and should we) move past Facebook and Twitter?

Over the past few years, I’ve worked on, read about, and attended events that are all social media-focused. I can safely say we’ve made tremendous progress as a collective group (i.e. PR, ad, marketing, digital), but no one’s “there” yet. We haven’t got it all figured out yet. Even the companies who have done an excellent job aren’t there yet, although they’ve set quite the mark for the rest of us, and given us all something to shoot for.
Everyone wants to set themselves apart in the social space. They joke about clients just wanting to “get them a Facebook and Twitter page,” when new tools are coming out all the time. Case in point: This week’s tool du jour Quora. Not sure what the value is yet, but it’s spewing out all over my Twitter feed faster than Lindsay Lohan returning to rehab.
People want to be trend-setting and innovative, constantly trying the newest platforms in hopes of getting some acclaim. People say Twitter and Facebook might be good, but everyone is on those channels. It’s more than that. So they put efforts in elsewhere…
…but let’s back up. Everyone is on those channels? Well, doesn’t that mean that’s where your customers are?
The numbers alone are reason enough to stay on (and focus on) Facebook and Twitter:
The ‘book:

The Twitter (as of September 2010):

They may be the standard and safe, but let’s face it: If your customers are in the boomer demographic (55-65ish), why on earth would you be on a social platform such as Quora? No offense to my boomer peeps, but they will most likely think Quora is a grain. I mean, they still think Twitter is something about a bird.

Not all brands can stray afar and still do well. Most brands are traditional with a more traditional audience that is on the social platforms their friends and family are on: Facebook and Twitter. Think about it: Successful social case studies like Southwest, Comcast, Ford and Old Spice were mainly done across Facebook and Twitter (and our good friend YouTube).
So stop trying so hard and do what’s best for your brand. Once you get a sense of what your audience likes, complains about, and questions, then it’s time to get innovative. And perhaps that innovation can happen right on Facebook and/or Twitter.
Stay thirsty and keep tweeting, my friends.