Social media is everywhere and it’s the fastest way to share information, making it the ideal tool for PR pitching as part of a media relations strategy. There is so much information on the Web and shared through social media that journalists and bloggers really don’t have to go far for story ideas. This makes it harder for new businesses because they are constantly fighting for attention.
While Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are the top social networks, it’s still important to stay up on social media trends and any new social sites that emerge. You can use these new tools to your advantage along with the following tips.
Do Your Research
With search tools like Google, Bing and Yahoo it is very easy to look up the top journalists and bloggers in your industry. A quick search is sure to bring up their social profiles as well as a personal blog or website.
The information you find here is important because you’ll be using it to build up a relationship with that person before pitching. You’ll want to keep an eye on their activity so you’ll know what interests them. It will also help you come up with the best way to apPRoach them for your PR pitch.
Connect and Interact
Once you see where they like to hang out and are most active, connect with them by following, adding them as a friend and subscribing to their content. Don’t just stop there though; it’s important to actually read what they’re sharing and interact with them. You can retweet a few of their posts that you find interesting, comment on the content they share on Facebook and leave insightful comments on their blog posts.
Add Other Methods to the Mix
Don’t just stop there. While you’re building a relationship with your prospect, you can still use other online tools to submit press releases and articles. You can also use your own personal blog for free promotion and then share all of those things on your own social media profiles. Hopefully by now you’ve built up a decent following in order to help spread the word. A quick search will help you find a ton of social media tools online for preparing a great PR pitch, that you can use for free.
Make the Pitch
After a couple weeks of genuine interaction, it’s time to go for the goal. Think of a clever way to make your pitch. You could send a tweet or leave a Facebook wall post letting them know that you have some information that might interest them. Try to find a post of theirs that you can respond to asking for permission to share similar information with them. Be polite and don’t expect anything in return, that way you won’t be disappointed if they decline or don’t response back.
If you’ve done your job right, they’ll recognise your name from retweets, Facebook comments and blog comments. So you won’t be a stranger to them and they’ll be more than happy to listen to what you have to say. Just remember, the relationship building process is the most important thing about using social media for your PR pitch. Take on a few prospects at a time and go from there. Before you know it you’ll have a contact list full of great connections and your next PR pitch will be much easier and smoother.
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