3. Now that we are in the 21st century and the Age of Information, a school district needs a communications professional to manage communication strategies that are proactive for a school district, instead of reactive. School districts must make a choice to be an active player in their community, not a passive one of the past... - Marsha Chappelow, Ph.D.
5. You need to know where to reach journalists. They need to know where to reach you.
6. Journalists’ Sources 89% said they turn to blogs for story research 65% to social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn 52% to microblogging services such as Twitter The survey also found that 61% use Wikipedia
17. Form a relationship Find out what they want Keep it concise Don’t use Twitter solely to pitch Don’t spam Get better results by making your story ideas brief and focused the twitter pitch, or “twitpitch”
20. DO self-identify DO post meaningful, respectful comments DO reply in a timely manner DO share success stories DO share your knowledge and expertise DO engage with media, pitch story ideas The dos…
21. DON’T pitch without doing your research first DON’T post anything you wouldn’t feel comfortable having a journalist read/use DON’T forget that once it’s posted, it stays on the Internet forever When in doubt, JUST DON’T! The don’ts…
22. What makes a winning social media program? Integrates with other efforts – PR, advertising, etc. – to create a “sum greater than its parts” Provides actionable customer data Engages new customers or builds stronger bonds with existing ones Drives sales or other business results Strengthens the brand in a measurable way
Where Do Stories Come From? A national survey, conducted by George Washington University, found that an overwhelming majority of reporters and editors now depend on social media sources when researching their stories. The groups placing the highest levels of importance on social media for reporting and producing stories were journalists who spend most of their professional time writing for Websites . Those at Newspapers and Magazines reported this less often. Journalists who spend most of their professional time writing for Websites (69%) reported this the most often, and significantly more so than those at Magazines (48%)Heidi Sullivan, Vice President of Research for Cision, says "Mainstream media have hit a tipping point in their reliance on social media for their research and reporting...however... it is not replacing editors' and reporters' reliance on primary sources, fact-checking and other traditional best practices in journalism." As such, important to make sure you’re represented on these, familiar with and that all of the information is accurate (should be googling your school to see the results, checking it’s wikipedia page, etc)
How familiar are those of you in the room with these tools?
Muck Rack provides information and insight into journalists on twitter, what they’re saying and what topics are in the “news.” Muck Rack makes it easy to follow real time reporting. Also offers a daily e-newsletter of top news topics of the day and top media tweets
Once you’ve identified the right people to follow, it’s all about the RELATIONSHIP People do business with people they like. Don't be a robot. Tell, don’t sell. Pitch like you’re telling your story to some friends over a glass of wine. Be conversational.Building relationships helps build more relationships. It also increases the perception of value and builds loyalty. Blending #PR & #SM is about understanding markets, assessing the needs of people, where they are & how to reach them.
Many journalists are open to being pitched through Twitter because it forces PR pros to get to the point quickly – in 140 characters or lessIt’s easy for PR people to learn what a journalist is interested in writing about if they follow them – and pay attentionIt’s a bad idea for your first interaction with a journalist to be a direct message (DM) pitch – especially if it’s off-topicShow appreciation and acknowledge that you’re following the journalist’s tweets
Stay up-to-date, follow journalists and monitor the convoDon’t just pitch, engage with them first and on other topics, and build the relationshipKnow your friendlies, go-to for storiesCan also use for event pitching/promoting and follow up – way to break through email clutter