using social media for media relations

1.More than just another tool in the toolbox
Using Social Media for Media Relations

2. So much to do...
What is social media?
The strategy
Pitching- building relationships
Facebook Newsroom
The Social Media Release
SEO
Monitoring/Measuring
Ethics
3. What are social networks?

A social network is a social structure made of nodes (which are generally individuals or organizations) that are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as values, visions, ideas, financial exchange, friendship, sexual relationships, kinship, dislike, conflict or trade.

4. Social media is information and content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies that is intended to facilitate communications, influence and interaction with peers and with public audiences, typically via the Internet and mobile communications networks. 5. Online social networks are where consumers feel comfortable expressing their feelingsgood or badabout companies, products and services*thanks to Wikipedia for the definitions.
6. The Strategy
Where does Social Media fit in a communication plan?
As a strategy in a larger plan
BUT
It requires a strategy on its own...
7. Social Media Strategy
POST
People Who are you targeting and where can you engage them?
Objectives What are you trying to achieve and how will you measure it?
Strategies If you succeed, what will be different?
Technology How will you engage the people?
8. Using Social Media for Media Relations
Why?
Because traditional media is dead?
Hardly. Although online media is growing quickly, there is still an emphasisin many organizations on print media.
Why?
Build relationships with those that will distribute your story
Target niches = more authentic results
Get your message out quickly
Why?
Of journalists surveyed:
57% find Twitter credible
70% use social networks...
69% use corporate websites...
66% use blogs...
51% use Wikipedia...
48% go to online video...
47% go to Twitter...
...TO ASSIST WITH REPORTING!
Society for New Communications Research (SNCR) survey of journalists
2 sides of media relations online
Relationship building the people
Getting your story out the tools
12. Relationship Building
Social media is designed to build relationships...
...but relationships dont just happen.
It is still all about personal brand
Its more than pushing out a message; its a 2-way conversation
View it as joining a community and letting people get to know you
Decide where, how and why to broadcast your brand
Getting Started:
Figure out your strategy
Where should you be?
Who else is there?
Why should you be there?
How do you want to participate? Active/passive
Your Profile
Look at your profile and decide what message about your value and personal brand you are building.
Its a Process
Dont approach it as a one-off
Check it often and keep it up to date
Find out who is there and how you can connect
18. of Social Velocity
C
C
ommunity
ontent
onversion
onnections
C
C
C
C
C
C
19. ontent
Think in terms of value and the emotion you will evoke when you create your content
Start by listening!
Google Blog Reader
RSS
Twitter Search
Build on content
Comment on blogs
Retweet with new/additional info
Contribute to conversations
Create your own content become an expert
Start blogging
Ask questions and create the conversation
Use tools to distribute your information, photos, news, etc.
Podcast
Be transparent!
C
20. ontent
C
Do not:
Pimp client news
Send irrelevant info to bloggers and journalists
Use traditional pitches
SPAM
21. onnections
Both quality and quantity matter
Be relevant
The content you create and share will determine the quality of your connections
We dont take journalists for lunch anymore, we engage them in conversations online.
C
22. ommunity
This is the hardest part start by joining others before you build your own.
Level of community is measured by amount of discussion. Content drives discussion.
Use content to start a discussion but keep it short Twitter is 140 characters.
C
23. onversion
Think about the reaction/action you want people to have to your brand
What would they tell others about you?
What will the result be?
Will they see your information as important and authentic?
C
24. Blogger Relations
Dont forget, MANY journalists are bloggers too!
Aggregators, Google Search and News Alerts show high-ranking blog posts
Read blogs
Bloggers hate getting irrelevant information.
25. Blogger Relations
Rules are similar to building any relationship online:
Be relevant
Make your pitch personal
Make their job easy
Dont just send the press release, send a summary and links
Let them get hands-on
Send samples or give trials where possible
Be persistent, to a point
Do not SPAM them, and make sure they have not written about your story before sending a follow-up
Be transparent
26. Using Twitter to Pitch
Can use both public feeds and DM to pitch your story on Twitter
Only pitch someone that you have a relationship with
Do not add people only so you can pitch them
Keep it short
Use a link to more information
Invite an email or DM for more information
Be transparent!
Identify it as a pitch
Keep up the conversations
Dont pitch more than you tweet
27. Using Twitter to Pitch
Use #hashtags to stream your pitches
Set up a unique hashtag for your company, agency or event
Post all of your pitches to that hashtag
Easy for bloggers, journalists and content creators to search
Bloggers, journalists and content creators dont need to receive each pitch directly
Use bit.ly to shorten your urls. It allows you to track click-throughs.
28. LinkedIn
Easiest to add journalists and bloggers if you already have a relationship with them
Great for researching media
Connect with journalists that cover your subject matter
Build a descriptive profile
Anytime you meet a reporter, add them to LinkedIn
Join groups where journalists may be
Create a group for your content that journalists can join
Similar to the Twitter hashtag
Use LinkedIn answers
29. Using LinkedIn to Pitch
Send a message directly to the journalist through LinkedIn
Make sure the pitch is personalized and relevant
Have a relationship with the journalist before the pitch
Make their job easy
30. Facebook
Similar to LinkedIn, but a more casual feel
Easiest to add journalists and bloggers if you already have a relationship with them
Build a descriptive profile
Anytime you meet a reporter, add them as a friend
Join groups where journalists may be
Create a group for your content that journalists can join
31. Facebook the next level
Set up your company newsroom on Facebook
Create a fan page on Facebook with your news, videos, pictures and more
Provide information about your business for customers, bloggers and journalists
Fan Pages are well suited for newsrooms
Low barrier of entry, high visibility, numerous customization and automation options and are easy to put together
32. 33. The Social Media Release
Taking the entire press kit and putting it on one page!
34. 35. SMR an example
36. SMR The Tools
Delicious
Social Bookmarking tool
Allows you to create a page of custom bookmarks for your SMR
Directs journalists and bloggers to related information, past coverage etc.
Add notes to bookmarks for context
Allows viewers to bookmark your release to their page
37. SMR The Tools
Technorati
Shows links back to blogs on your topic or interviews with your subject matter experts
Allow bloggers to link back to your release
38. SMR The Tools
RSS
Create a feed of relevant company information, news, comments, etc.
39. SMR The Tools
Video
Link to company video on YouTube or other video sharing site
Interviews
Documentary
News clips
Demonstrations
40. SMR The Tools
Flickr
Link to photos of the product, company logos, key personnel, etc.
41. SMR The Tools
Digg
Allows audience to digg the article
Digg displays articles based on popularity a very popular piece will receive thousands of hits from being at the top of the digg list.
42. SMR The Tools
Distributing the release
SMR lives on a website
Best case: lives on your site
Drives traffic
CNW has built a customizable SMR service
Expensive
Prweb has free online distribution option
Not very efficient
Email SMR to select journalists and bloggers
Distribute through your networks
Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
43. SMR other examples
http://smr.newswire.ca/en/
http://www.news.ontario.ca/newsroom/en/
http://ford.digitalsnippets.com/
44. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
High search rankings increases visibility, online reputation
Attracts analysts, journalists and bloggers to your content
Set benchmarks
Do your research
Choose keywords that reflect your content but also rank high in searches
Google Keyword Search is a great tool
Do not write to rank, write to inform
Use keywords in alt tags of images, especially links
Analyze
Google Analytics is free
45. Monitoring and Measuring
How do you measure social media?
Listen
Which channels have the most buzz?
Who are the influencers?
What are the influencers saying?
Which bloggers and media outlets are covering your issues?
What type of comments are being left on blogs and articles about your company?
Whats important for your company?
Qualitative metrics
Conversations, corporate reputation or customer satisfaction
How are we being talked about in comparison to competitors?
Are we being proactive in contributing to relevant conversations?
Quantitative metrics
Online buzz, web traffic or search engine ranking
Number of site visits per months
Where visitors are coming from
Number of comments content is generating
Number of mentions in blogs and online media
Number of social bookmarks per month
Measuring your media relations:
Not much different from offline media relations measurement for online news and blogs
How many mentions?
What was said?
How was it said?
Where was it said large readership?
Online includes comments!
How many comments?
Positive or negative comments?
Online includes links!
How many links to blogs/articles by bloggers and journalists?
How many links back to your content?
How many views of your content?
Free Tools
Lexicon searches Facebook and displays number of times keyword is discussed on walls
Free Tools
Google Alerts
Email alerts for news and blog posts on your keywords
BlogPulse
By Nielsen Buzzmetrics
Search by conversation, keywords, links back to url
Trendpedia
Search by keywords
Allows you to compare results with other keywords (ex. Search Ford compared with Toyota)
Twitscoop and Twitter search
Search keywords on Twitter
Premium Tools
dna13
Allows you to monitor print and online media from one dashboard
Radian6
SM2
52. Ethics
SPAM
Transparency
Astroturfing
Stick to your companys social media guidelines
AND
Dont forget that social media is SOCIAL. You will be called out for any of these.
53. Ive used info from:
http://blogs.forrester.com/groundswell/2007/12/the-post-method.html
http://blog.journalistics.com/2009/70-percent-of-journalists-use-social-networks-to-assist-in-reporting/
http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/10/blogger-relations-101/
http://mediapitch.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=1625905:BlogPost:382
http://mashable.com/2009/09/18/facebook-newsroom/
http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/10/search-engine-optimization-basics/
www.dna13.com
www.radian6.com
54. Useful Links
http://www.google.com/alerts
http://www.thenewpr.com/wiki/pmwiki.php
http://www.mediaontwitter.com/
http://www.journalistics.com/
http://social-media-university-global.org/
55. Questions/Comments
Feel free to contact me any time:
Tim Shaw
Quorum Strategic Communications
905-415-4588
[email protected]
@shaw_tim