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Pitching for the Hit: Media Relations in a Social World
#OGS11
Heather [email protected]
prtini.comtwitter.com/prTini
linkedin.com/in/heatherwhaling
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 [email protected]@prTini
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Collaboration. Integration. Social Good.
