With Carlo Pandian
As a champion of using social media as a focused channel to integrate with – and complement – PR and marketing channels, Quest PR relishes the opportunity to engage and debate with fellow professionals about “what’s hot and what’s not” in the world of social media.
In the same way that unprecedented internet developments have sparked seismic changes to the way we communicate across a myriad of new channels, it’s also important to remember that some things have stayed reassuringly the same – including the fact that people do business with those they know, like and trust.
Our latest “top tips” from freelance writer Carlo Pandian highlight four basic guidelines to remember – irrespective of whether you are forging connections on-line or off-line:
1. Real Relationships Are Still Important
Although social media makes it easier to communicate, it is still authentic and real connections which are the goal of the PR professional. It is easy to make very shallow connections on-line, because a message is so easy to send, so the trick is to really invest yourself into your on-line connections and build a relationship which is deep and authentic.
Use multiple social media channels to take advantage of the opportunities available for reaching out to press professionals and journalists in order to develop a rapport. Make sure that you are offering something of value to the relationship before you ask for something in return. Also, timing can be important so avoid afternoons which are usually deadline oriented and try connecting on a Friday when everyone is in a good mood.
2. Know Your Media
Before you approach a member of the media, recognise which ones cover the right sort of topic and appeal to the right audience for your story. Research the publication, put yourself into the perspective of the journalist and think about what sort of content they are looking to report on. If you think about your story from their point of view and ensure that it fits with their media, you can approach them with the perfect solution to help them meet their goals.
3. Give the Media Something Special
Where possible, let the press know that your story will be exclusive until a certain point in time. Anyone could cover just a general story, but everyone wants to know that they are reporting on something exciting and exclusive.
4. Produce Valuable Videos
YouTube is one of the best PR tools of the social media age; using video in your PR campaign can be very valuable. However, just because you have a video camera doesn’t mean that you know how to make an engaging and interesting short film. It really pays to have a professional videographer create something which will look professional and polished. The services can be more affordable than you might think.
Carlo Pandian is a communication professional for Media Recruitment and blogs about on-line public relations, social media and careers. When he’s not on-line, Carlo loves volunteering at his local community centre in South London and gardening.
Do you have any tips for using social media in your PR? Share them with us by commenting below, or send us a tweet to @QuestPR.
