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Each day I become more convinced that Twitter is the ultimate media relations tool.

Here is why:

For years, PR people have tried a myriad of tactics to:

  • Get journalists/bloggers to notice them
  • Ensure journalists/bloggers knew that they (the PR pro) knew the journalist’s/blogger’s area(s) of interest and were familiar with the journalist/blogger’s work
  • Be seen to be sharing/discussing the content produced by a journalist of blogger
  • Give journalists/bloggers feedback (thereby helping them) in real time

PR people used to have get wasted in bars, wine and dine jounos, and/or drop small fortunes to deal with these challenges.

Today, thanks to Twitter, all of these problems can be dealt with the click of a mouse and a retweet. This process takes almost no time at all. KEY-RAY- ZEE.

So, on what bizarre, kooky planet can you possibly justify practicing media relations without using Twitter?

Join the discussion 2 Comments

  • Krista says:

    Jackson, what kooky planet did you come from where you had a PR budget to wine and dine journos? Conversely, when I was a lowly community reporter, no one tried to get me wasted to cover a client’s story, but I digress…

    I couldn’t agree with you more on this. Twitter affords PR professionals with yet another vehicle with which to build media relationships and stay current with reporters beats and interests. Journalists are steadily moving toward online communications for their readers, and by communicating within this medium, it hopefully makes their lives easier and provides relevant information. But the challenge, as with media relations in general, is that PR professionals can’t be lazy on Twitter. They have to do more than just “follow” reporters; they have to actually read and listen to them before pushing out a blanket Tweet-pitch.

  • You are indeed correct about the blanket pitching. The paradox of modern communications is that though we have more and more tools to broadcast to more and more people, individuals now expect communications to be highly tailored to their needs and wants.

    As to where I am from, it is a snowy planet, with high taxes and jackass bureaucrats aplenty. Known to some as Soviet Quebecistan 🙂

    I really appreciate the insightful comments you leave Krista. Thanks!

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