How to Use Twitter For Public Relations

It's very clear that Twitter has become the place for public relations professionals. Twitter allows the PR specialists to connect with journalists and bloggers. When used tactfully, it allows those in media relations to learn about a journalists specific interests and preferences. This can help the PR professional prepare customized pitches for journalists that want to hear them.

Twitter, when used properly can be a powerful PR tool. But as with any communication, there are good ways and bad ways to approach it. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Compared to other methods, journalists are often more receptive to being pitched on Twitter, because it forces the public relations professional to be brief. In fact, he only gets 140 characters.
• Using a direct message for your first interaction with a journalist is rude-especially if it's a pitch. If you're off topic because you didn't take the time to engage the journalist in dialog it's even worse.
• If you take the time to discover what the journalist likes writing about, it will be much easier for you to pitch a story that's relevant to him and his audience. Ideally, you'd follow the journalist for a while before making a push of your own.
• Keep in mind that you don't always have to seek a placement in the journalist's publication or land a spot on their show. Often times just demonstrating that you can be a valuable resource to them. When the time is right, they might approach you.
• Journalists write because the want people to listen. If you can express your interest by showing appreciation for stories you truly enjoy and respond to the journalists tweets, you'll befriend them must sooner. Journalists will open they're ear to you, if they know you do the same for them.

Above all else, the key to interacting with a journalist is respect. You should communicate with them in a professional manner and put your time in. Blindly pitching your story and pushing your agenda is a surefire way to lose the respect of a writer, broadcaster, or any one else in the news business. Instead you should consider their needs, interests, and preferred method of contact.

By following journalists, you can observe how other communications professionals successfully use Twitter. By noticing what works and what doesn't for each individual journalist, you'll be better prepared for your own approach. Following established PR professionals can benefit you too. Through conversation and observation you'll find that Twitter can be a powerful Public Relations tool.

Wes Upchurch invites you see his latest Tweets about media relations by following PressDr on Twitter. By following PressDr you'll discover the secrets of writing the perfect press release and getting free publicity for your business.