Media Relations in a Social World

Pitching for the Hit: Media Relations in a Social World

#OGS11

Heather Whalingheather@gebencommunication.com

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Social Media + Media Relations

• More outlets• Better research• New relationship-building

opportunities • Bypass (some) gatekeepers• If you’re not quick, you’re not

relevant

Who is the media?

• Newspapers, television journalists• Bloggers• Reporters at online news sites• Vloggers• Podcasters• Facebook page admins• Contributing writers/freelancers• … anyone with an audience??

Thanks to soc med, anyone can be media, but not all media are journalists. #OGS11

Why Blogger Relations?

• 77% of Internet users read blogs• 89% of journalists conduct

research on blogs• 72% of bloggers blog to share

expertise

89% of journalists conduct research on blogs #OGS11

media relations goals:

to secure coverage in outlets that connect with the right target audience/community

to create opportunities for 3rd parties to share your stories

The More Things Change …

• Start by asking yourself:– What’s the story?– Why is it newsworthy now?– Who cares?

• Then, ask yourself:– Why should I be a resource?– What’s my specific, relevant expertise?– What other resources/assets can I give a

reporter?

how does social media strengthen media relations?

Social Research = Better Pitches

• Build highly targeted media lists• Access to reporters before, during

and after the pitching process– Build ongoing relationships

• Spot trends to create story opportunities– Example: Madison Electric

Participation Generates Media Opportunities

• After Gulf oil spill, someone created @BPGlobalPR account. – Account was a parody, but everyone

didn’t realize it … especially in the beginning.

as a PR blogger, I saw an opportunity to talk about “brandjacking”

and crisis communication

reporters were looking for online responses to the oil spill …

so I responded …

the outcome?

the anatomy of an effective PR pitch

• Pitches MUST be relevant • Find opportunities to create a meaningful

connection with the individual• Personalize the pitch

– Reference a previous post– Comment on a shared like or dislike

• Check their Twitter stream for recent nuggets of info

• Include sample tweets or Facebook updates• Use custom links to report and share stats• What’s the “ask?”

Solid media pitches trump lukewarm relationships #OGS11

5 Cs of Blogger Relations

• Cultivation• Collaboration• Content • Community• Communication (what’s the ask?)

5 Cs of blogger outreach: Cultivation, Collaboration, Content, Community & Communication #OGS11

Pitching 2.0 Tools

• Pitchengine• HARO (helpareporter.com)• Twitter lists (especially for monitoring)• OneMinuteNews.com• Storify• CNN iReport• Blogdash• Email, phone (seriously … they still work!)

Heather Whalingwww.GebenCommunication.comheather@gebencommunication.com@prTini

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Collaboration. Integration. Social Good.