How can you take Twitter to the next level and use it to build relationships with the media and key influencers? In this session, we’ll review how communicators can use Twitter effectively and how to build authentic, mutual relationships with the goal of receiving positive coverage for your company.

1. Building Relationships with Media &
Influencers on Twitter
Missy Voronyak, WCG
Group Director of Social Strategy &
Engagement
West Metro Communicators CONNECT
November 2016
#WMCCMN

2. @missyvoronyak
BLOGGER & SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICT

3. @missyvoronyak
MISSY VORONYAK
GROUP DIRECTOR - SOCIAL MEDIA & ENGAGEMENT
Missy Voronyak has 18 years of marketing and communications experience, including social media, branding,
digital, advertising, executive communications and more. Since joining WCG in 2013, Missy has worked with
medical device and pharmaceutical companies, in addition to cutting her teeth on consumer goods companies.
Her previous 15 years of marketing experience were with Allina Health and Hazelden Foundation.
Missy is also a blogger (marketingmama.com) where she covers a variety of parenting and health topics in her
free time. Founded in 2007. She is the director of strategic planning for the Social Media Breakfast of
Minneapolis/St. Paul and the founder of the MN Blogger Conference (est. 2010).
Missy has been recognized as a “Top Ten Titan in Social Media” in the Twin Cities and one of 11 “Top Tweeps
in the Twin Cities” by KARE11, MN Hospital Association Community Benefit awards, Telly Award finalist,
Healthcare advertising awards and more. Missy received her degree in public relations and mass
communications from Drake University.

4. Setting the
Stage
Building
Relationships
Twitter
Basics
Your
Assignment
AGENDA

5. @missyvoronyak5
SETTING THE STAGE
ARE YOU GETTING THE MOST OUT OF TWITTER?

6. CONNECTING WITH MEDIA
Journalists frequently use Twitter
for story inspiration AND to source
interviews for stories.
You’ll miss these opportunities if
you aren’t following and engaging
with them.
Example: Here are two examples
of local journalists looking for
interview subjects and one who
found me on Twitter and sent me a
private message to interview.

7. MAKING CAREER CONNECTIONS
You can connect with people you would like to
know for networking.
Example: Natalie Zheng reached out to me on
Twitter as a fellow Drake University alum. She
made a positive impression, stayed on my
radar screen and we eventually met at an
event where she introduced herself. I felt as
though we already knew each other.
A few years later, I recruited her for a position
and hired her to work with me.

8. @missyvoronyak
LISTENING FOR CONVERSATION INCREASES OPPORTUNITIES
If you listen to conversations on Twitter, you’ll
notice opinion trends bubbling up by strong
voices.
Example: In 2011, my employer was pitched to participate in a pink
garbage can program. They would place our cancer center logo on
the cans and give us a % of the $$$ as donations. My employer was
excited about the awareness and the $$$.
Yet, I had noticed people were beginning to talk about “pinkwashing”
on Twitter – rebelling against the consumerism of breast cancer
awareness.

9. @missyvoronyak
AND AVOID PITFALLS
"The pink garbage cans really set me off," said Eastman,
a breast cancer survivor from Savage. "If a company
really wants to help, write out a check. This is now more
about marketing than awareness."
OCTOBER 17, 2011
My employer heeded my counsel
and passed on the opportunity.
A few months later, this article ran
on the front page of the Star
Tribune.
Social listening using Twitter
saved us from a PR nightmare.

10. @missyvoronyak
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
ENGAGING WITH YOUR INFLUENCERS

11. 11
WHY INVEST IN INFLUENCER ENGAGEMENT
Be included in
content
influencers are
creating or
sharing about
your area
Engage
influencers in
conversations
you are
creating
Engage in
conversations
influencers are
having
relevant to our
topic area
Get on the
influencer’s
radar
Who are your influencers?
By identifying and building genuine, long-term relationships with influencers,
we can expect to:

12. STUDY YOUR INFLUENCER(S)
• Study your influencer on their Twitter &
LinkedIn accounts, as well as any blogs
or social media accounts
• Set up Google Alerts for your influencer
• Review their posts and articles from the
past year to understand passion areas,
tone and preferred approach
12

13. Build Rapport Build Interest Build Advocacy
• Determine any existing
relationships that employees
have with influencers
• Create process & assign
contact to each influencer to
consistently engage online
• Introduction via personalized
email or LinkedIn invite
• Create outreach calendars of
valuable information to share
• Ongoing & consistent
engagement with continued
support of influencer’s content
• Track what content is
resonating
• Based on responses, adjust
accordingly
• Continue to share content
• Invite to events
• Grant exclusivity
• Invite feedback
• Offer interviews or casual
dinners with experts
• Measure success
CRAWL WALK RUN
CULTIVATING ORGANIC RELATIONSHIPS IS A PROCESS

14. Show sincere
interest
Give early access
to new
products/services
VIP invite to
exclusive event
Break big news to
their community
Share their
content publicly
and tag them
(LinkedIn, Twitter)
Invite to be a
featured speaker
Help position influencers as leaders in their community
ENGAGEMENT STARTER IDEAS

15. @missyvoronyak
GUIDELINES FOR BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH INFLUENCERS
15
1. Do your homework and know who you’re engaging
2. Ask smart questions
3. Communication is a two-way road & relationships matter
4. Be authentic
5. Be a resource

16. EXAMPLES OF ONLINE ENGAGEMENT

17. INCREASE YOUR TOUCHPOINTS WITH ONLINE ENGAGEMENT
coffee

18. @missyvoronyak18
LET’S MAKE TWITTER YOUR BFF
THE BASICS

19. TWITTER: THE BASICS
19
• Fastest social platform
available
• Strong Twitter use by
business journalists
• Tweets now appear in
Google search results in
real time
• Increasingly used to
share video / live-
streaming video

20. @missyvoronyak
THE KEYS TO TWITTER SUCCESS
20
Read
• Stay on top of your industry news
and conversations
• Use Twitter feed as a news
source by following leaders &
news sites
• Mobile apps make this easy
Connect
• Bring your real-life network to life
online
• Connect with influencers, peers
and friends
• Build & deepen relationships
through consistent
communication
• Add value for your network by
sharing interesting & relevant
content
• Share influencer content
strategically – not only news
about your company
Share

21. @missyvoronyak
OPTIMIZING YOUR TWITTER PROFILE
21
• Use your real name
• Choose a “handle” that
incorporates your real
name
• Use a professional
photograph of yourself
(not your logo) –
doesn’t have to be a
fancy headshot. Work
related is okay!
• Write a clear, simple bio that
includes personality
• Share what you talk about
using hashtags
• Mention where you work in
your bio, but not your handle
• Can include magic words:
“all opinions are my own”

22. EXAMPLE PROFILES
Group
Exercise

23. @missyvoronyak
WHO TO FOLLOW
23
INFLUENCERS COLLEAGUESMEDIA INTEREST AREAS

24. @missyvoronyak
THE FIVE BASIC FUNCTIONS OF TWITTER
24
Tweet
Retweet
Reply
Favorite
Direct Message

25. @missyvoronyak
ANATOMY OF A TWEET
25
Full
name &
handle
# of people
who favorited
Tagging handles
makes them
clickable and the
person knows you
mentioned them
Hashtag
Hashtags are used to start a
new conversation or join one
already taking place.
Always search hashtags
before using to make sure
it’s relevant.
Limit hashtags to 2 per post.
# of people
who retweeted

26. WHAT SHOULD YOU TWEET ABOUT?
• Links to news articles in
your industry & community
• Positive pictures and
thoughts about work culture
• An article by your influencer
• Content you create (blog
posts, podcasts, etc.)
• Live-tweet an event or
meeting using designated
hashtag
• Your hobbies/interests
26

27. TWITTER PRO TIPS
• Disclosure = list where you work or if a
business is a client in your bio or the
tweet
• Use casual and conversational language
instead of formal
• Posting a hashtag after a link can
increase click through rates
• Don’t begin a tweet with a hashtag
• Use photos when you can
• Only start a tweet with a @username if
you are responding to someone, because
it will only be visible to them

28. A FEW WORDS OF CAUTION
• Keep your boss in the back of your
mind.
• Everything you do on Twitter is tracked
& saved. Even if you delete it.
• Do NOT tweet if you are angry,
annoyed or inebriated.

29. @missyvoronyak29
YOUR ASSIGNMENT
NEXT STEPS ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS

30. YOUR ASSIGNMENT
Follow your influencers on Twitter, Facebook (if
public) and possibly LinkedIn
Spend 10 minutes on Twitter each day – tweet,
reply, retweet and favorite
Study influencers for 2 weeks, then begin
engaging
Track engagement for measurement & reporting
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31. @missyvoronyak
@missyvoronyak
mvoronyak@w2ogroup.com
linkedin.com/in/missyvoronyak
LET’S STAY IN TOUCH
marketingmama.com

32. THANK YOU!