Social media is changing the way public relations professionals do their jobs. Take media relations, a – if not THE – core competency of public relations, for example. The proliferation of social media has created even more channels for pros to establish and cultivate relationships with the media, and pitch them on story ideas. Here’s a look at how Twitter helped our Verizon Wireless team secure coverage outside of usual channels.
Situation: Verizon Wireless announced on October 28 its first Android OS phone, the Droid, would go on sale November 6. We were tasked with securing coverage of the new device during that weeklong window. Constraints we faced included lack of a specific technology reporter in our media markets, and a general reluctance from the media to cover device-related news.
Strategy: Realizing the need to keep up-to-date on chatter about the new device and to find a media target for a device review pitch, we turned to Twitter. In Kansas City, many members of the media have embraced Twitter as an avenue for interaction and promotion. Thus, most have an active presence in the space. Twitter has also proven to be an effective channel for gauging real-time reactions to news announcements, especially technology-related topics.
As we monitored tweets related to the #droid hashtag in Kansas City, we saw The Kansas City Star’s TV critic Aaron Barnhart (@tvbarn) tweet about the device. Knowing Aaron was a long-time Verizon Wireless client, we reached out to him via public tweet and asked if he’d like to demo the device, no strings attached.
Solution: Aaron accepted our offer and, unsolicited, actually pitched his own story idea to the business editor. He wanted to do a review of the device from the point of a view of a long-time customer excited about the new device. We coordinated a demo with Aaron and a store manager at his local Verizon Wireless Communications store. The demo, which most reporters only allot about 30 minutes for, lasted more than an hour and Aaron filmed parts of it for his blog.
As a result of our outreach, Aaron posted a review of the device and a video on his blog, which was reposted on the Star’s Sprint Connection blog. A different version of the review also appeared as the feature story on the front page of the print business section. This coverage appeared on November 6, the day the Droid was available in stores in the area.
What success have you had in pitching using social media channels? What tactics have (or haven’t) worked for you? Share your thoughts in the comments or tweet me @m_dunn.