While the fundamentals of media relations remain the same, Web 2.0 has changed how PR professionals listen, communicate and engage with media. Through the use of new media, pitching is smarter, faster and more powerful. Presentation from PR 2.0 Conference July 13, 2009 in Mpls.

1. The “New Media” Relations
Toolbox
Eva Keiser, APR
eva@risdall.com
@EvaEKeiser
Linkedin.com/EvaKeiser
Facebook.com/Eva.Keiser

4. What this Means…
 Information is
everywhere; more
channels
 Information is free
and everyone is an
expert
Harder (and easier)
to generate media
coverage

5. How Does Our Role Change?
 More “noise” to listen to – need tools to sort
through everything!
 Different channels = different approaches
 Reduced reliance on traditional “sources”
 More “noise” to cut through
 Cultivating mutually-beneficial relationships
is critical!

6. Media Relations is . . .
 Media relations are those activities that involve
working directly with persons responsible for the
editorial (news and features), public service and
sponsored programming products of mass
media.
 Social media is an avenue for listening to,
communicating to and engaging with media – of
all shapes and sizes

8. Social Media:
It may look different but it is still a goldfish

9. Fundamentals
 Successful media relations and social media
both depend on relationships
 Social media is not a strategy; It is a tool, a
technique, a technology and a medium to
communicate
 Key is to concentrate on the relationship not the
technologies
 Using social media will make your media
relations faster and more powerful!

10. Media Relations Foundation

11. “Earn” the Media
 Get to know the reporters and editors on whom
they depend. Do your homework. Understand
their wants and needs
 Understand the constraints under which
reporters and editors operate. Understand the
journalist’s job and how the media works
 Prove yourself worthy of the level of trust and
confidence practitioners need to do their jobs
well. Build relationships

12. Media Relations Keys
– Do your homework
– Think like a reporter
– Find the hook
– Identify your target
– Plan your pitch
– Keep it short
– Pick the right vehicle
– Use plain English
– Make it easy for
them

13. Do Your Homework
– Assignments (current & past)
– Interests
– Preferences
– Information sources
– Personality
– Background
Social Media offers a unique window into the
human side of reporters, what actually
interests them.

14. Think Like a Reporter
A good story is:
– Timely
– Newsworthy
– Appealing
– Accessible
– Relevant to a broad
audience
– Has human interest
– Offers great visuals

15. What’s the Hook?
– Process milestones
– Opportunities for public
participation
– Current news
– Science
– Trigger events
– Field trips
– Trends
– Human interest

17. How Do Journalists Use
Social Media?

18. Social media tools are part of media
relations arsenal
“I can’t imagine not having Twitter to
do my job right now. The power of
active PR people plus involved
thought leaders is amazing.”

19. “Blogs can be a useful
resource for journalists. .
.they can occasionally be
a good source of ideas
and tips.”

20. Twitter is the modern day police scanner/ wire
machine/letters to the editor all in one and sitting in the
middle of our old newsrooms.
We journalists can keep up on breaking news, local trends
and the general mood of our city’s residents. We are
chained to our computers frequently…
Twitter allows us to break out of those silos daily and meet
so many more of our readers and local citizens. It also
helps to cultivate even the most unlikely of sources.

21. – Pushing (sending out links to finished stories)
– Pulling (crawling for trends, leads, breaking stories, and
sources)
– Sharing (live-twittering from events and 1-on-1/Q&As
with executives)
– Ingesting (soaking up flavor and nuance from the
community)
– Networking (connecting with people we write about, with
people we write for, and connecting both sides with each
other)
– Lingering (making names for ourselves in the beats and
areas of interest we cover)

24. Tapping into the
Conversation
Listen ♦ Communicate ♦ Engage

25. Listen
– Monitor conversations to learn what is being
said about an organization or an event
– Learn about journalists and their preferences
- beyond the byline
– Identify media needs; find opportunistic
pitches
– Trend topics

31. Communicate
– Speak out and share information
– Provide commentary or clarification
– Promote your idea or product
– Position yourself as an expert
Social Media is a distribution channel for
sharing your news and a billboard for your
expertise.

33. Engage
– Building relationships with media; identify sources
– Pitch stories
– Provide resources
– Give feedback
– Address concerns or continue discussion
– Clarify statements or assumptions
– Get advice / sources / leads
You won’t be successful unless you
listen before you engage

35. Media Relations
+ Social Media
= Power

36. Importance of Blogs
– Bloggers are journalists too!
– Mainstream journalists utilize blogs to find
sources and generate story ideas
– Bloggers are often gatekeepers to mainstream
media; coverage in the blogs that journalists
read gets you in front of the media
Create groundswell via social media to put
your story on media’s radar

37. Pitching on Blogs
– Many journalists have web
duties, in addition to fewer
staff members to enterprise
stories
– Connect with reporters,
columnists via their blogs:
use comments to engage
them, position yourself as
source
– Use links to your site in
comments to promote your
organization (sparingly)

38. Pitching Blogs
• Build relationship first
• Gain permission to pitch
• Don’t spam
• Pitch as individual not category

39. Pitching on Twitter
Some welcome the 140 character pitch, but not all.
– Brevity
– Links direct media to more info.
– Value; Offer more than just
spammy pitches
– Law of Thirds; broadcast,
converse, share value
– Engage contact in conversation,
build your relationship before you
need it!

40. Cases In Point
Listen ♦ Communicate ♦ Engage

41. Listen

42. Listen

43. Engage

45. Engage

46. Engage

47. Engage

48. • Heard in the morning meeting - Minnetonka
company GoGirl selling device that lets gals
pee standing up - didn't know I needed it
9:37 AM Feb 16th
• GoGirl a device allwing women to pee
standing up - prompting a lot of
comments – what do you think?
10:15 AM Feb 16th
• @esmemurphy There's a car parked
in a driveway on Interlachen that's
done over in "Go Girl" logos. Ah, the
glamour of PR and marketing.
10:20 AM Feb 16th in reply to esmemurphy

49. TV Story Appears at 5 p.m.

50. People Digg It!

52. Results
• Two dozen TV stations across in two days
• Dozens of radio morning shows
• Server Crashed --- went from a few
hundred daily visits to more than 30,000
on one day alone
• Sold15-20 an hour

53. Making It Work For You

54. What Social Media Isn’t . . .
• A replacement for traditional media relations
• A one time activity
• Activated immediately
• Without cost (time and resources)
Using social media as part of a media
relations effort requires commitment and
resources from an organization

55. Success Requires
• Start small; have a plan
and evolve
• Listen before jumping in
• Continue to build
relationships
• Be prepared to give
before you can expect to
receive
• Be committed to the effort; Gotta give love
celebrate successes to get love!

56. Making It Work For You
• Identify trends & stories
– Read blogs
– Monitor Twitter
• Track brands & topics
– Set up an RSS reader
– Set up Google Alerts
• Make connections
– Cultivate your network
– Join Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Digg
• Share information; become part of the
conversation

57. Toolbox

58. Listening Tools
– Google alerts
– blogsearch.google.com
– technorati.com (search and watchlist)
– blogpulse.com
– whostalkin.com
– perspctv.com
– sm2.techrigy.com

64. Twitter Tools
– Search.twitter.com
– Twittorati.com
– Directories
– Twellow.com
– Wefollow.com
– JustTweetIt.com
–Twittercounter.com
– @Journchat

68. Finding Media on Twitter
mediaontwitter.com

69. muckrack.com

70. journalisttweets.com

71. micropr.wik.is/List_of_Twittering_Journalists

72. twitteringjournalists.pbworks.com/

73. Questions?
Thank you.