How to Use Social Media to Get Press (For Your Business)
Social media is great, but “doing social media” is not a strategy. Social media should be guided by strategy, purpose and measurable goals.If one of your goals is to achieve PR this year, then you’ll want to learn more about how social media can help you get good PR results. In fact, social media is one of my favorite tools for achieving PR for my clients and myself.Below I share five ways reporters, producers, bloggers and other members of the media are utilizing social media. Understanding how the media navigate and utilize social media can help you and your brand better connect to and engage with the professionals most relevant to your industry.
5 Tips on How to Use Social Media to Get Press
1. Be Active on Social MediaYou name it, reporters, editors, producers and bloggers have all set up shop on social media. You can find them on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (and more!) – all looking to build their followings and establishing their own voice and brand online.Many journalists today write for several media brands, so they work hard to create a personal brand online. Take a look at your media list, then look for each of those professionals on Twitter. Create a Twitter list of media professionals to watch and keep up with the media that mean the most to your brand and industry.2. Share Hints of What You’re Working OnI have seen reporters and producers time and time again utilize Twitter and LinkedIn to help them find a source for their article. I’ve seen writers from Reuters and editors at Glamour both drop subtle (and not-so-subtle) hints of the projects they’re working on and the sources they need.Watch them on social media and earn yourself and your client a front row seat so you can become a potential future source.3. Show that You're ListeningNothing is worse for a reporter or blogger than sharing a beautiful article he or she wrote and no one commenting, sharing or re-tweeting it.You can earn brownie points with that reporter or blogger by actively listening to what they’re talking about on social media, and then engaging with the content by sharing, commenting, liking and re-tweeting their posts and content.4. Connect with PR People and BrandsDid you read an article by a reporter that impressed you? Go ahead and tell them so. Praise the reporters you admire and get on their radars. I often do this through LinkedIn. I find a specific blogger’s or reporter’s profile on LinkedIn and then invite them to connect.In the invitation to connect, I write a little introductory note. In that note, I reference an article they wrote and tell them about why I’d like to connect with them. Perhaps they write about a topic important to a client or to myself and I’d like to be on their radar as a future source. Almost all reporters and bloggers are willing to connect with me – who can resist a complimentary note like that? ;)5. Utilize HAROWhen a reporter or media professional is in need of a source for their story, they often submit their query to HARO or Help a Reporter Out. HARO queries are then distributed thrice daily to PR agents and brands that read through them to find potential opportunities for PR coverage.But here's a tip that can give you edge: when the need for an urgent source arises, media can’t wait for the HARO emails to run – so they turn to HARO’s Twitter feed for source requests. Follow HARO’s Twitter feed and discover instant opportunities for press for you and your business. Follow the hashtag #URGHARO.Remember, social media can be an amazing tool in your PR toolkit if you take the time to network and listen to media professionals online. Just as you look to them for media coverage, they are often looking to you for story ideas and sources.Never before has the connection between media and brands been so close and instant – and knowing how to make those connections meaningful can set you up for PR success!
Want to learn more about using social media to get press for your business? Download Jenny's free ebook Five Ways to Use Social Media to Get PR. Had PR success? Tell us your story in the comments!
About the Author: Jenny Finke is a PR and social media guru and founder of the PR agency, Red Jeweled Media. She believes brands can do a better job at social media, and it starts with listening. Contact her at www.RedJeweledMedia.com.
