Using Twitter to send press releases

[viraldealnetwork]

Do you like the idea of sending press releases to journalists/media sources on Twitter?

Has anyone ever used Twitter to get featured by talking to a journalist on there?

Any opinions would be great

 

[MancunianCreative]

Unless people are following you or searching that topic it can be difficult for it to get seen.

 

[viraldealnetwork]

Unless people are following you or searching that topic it can be difficult for it to get seen.

Actually I meant interacting with journalists really, but I do agree that unless people are searching your topic it's hard to find. I'm more interested in whether people have used to to talk to journalists.

 

[eventdomain]

If you want to tell Journalists something, its best to ring the newspapers direct - ask for the NewsDesk when you call them. Send your release by email first though!

I never, ever use Twitter to get in the press - I go straight to the papers, and always got my Featured Stories by direct contact with Journalists.

 

[OldWelshGuy]

Ed is spot on here. If you want to communicate with Journos, then speak to them directly. You can start building a relationship by sending them some meaty information (about your niche) that you have picked up online, and giving some commentary on it.

 

[Ashley_Price]

Your press release would have to be very short (i.e. less than 140 characters) if you wanted to send it via Twitter.

Twitter is a great way to build up relationships with people, like journalists, etc., but you won't get anywhere if you immediately start bombarding them with press releases - they will probably just block you.

 

[businessmodel01]

I think in my industry it would get lost on twitter, but we did use it a while ago to invite some people to add there details to our list with a view to recieving our email pr's. #

best wishes

 

[Deleted member 74679]

I tweeted a columnist and got my product featured in the Saturday Telegraph Magazine:

http://businessplusbaby.com/2011/10/24/from-tweet-to-telepgraph/

 

[MancunianCreative]

Your press release would have to be very short (i.e. less than 140 characters) if you wanted to send it via Twitter.

Twitter is a great way to build up relationships with people, like journalists, etc., but you won't get anywhere if you immediately start bombarding them with press releases - they will probably just block you.

You don't write a 140 character press release you write a leading introduction and hope they click the link.

But do it to maybe 3/4 people at most because if they check your time line and see you've hit up 2000 people with the exact same tweet they won't feel very special or selected. Make someone think that they are the vital cog and you'll get more from them.

 

[JD@fifty6]

I've had to make this work on a few occasions - one being for a book launch. The best method I found was to use Twitter in the way it's designed to be used - as a conversation platform and not a broadcast channel. That means finding the journalists who are most likely to be interested in what you've got to say (and that's very important and does not mean 'every journalist on the face of the planet). Once you've done that, be interested in them and what they are releasing on Twitter. By monitoring what they're tweeting you can work out whether they are using Twitter because they want to, or because it's just another place for them to broadcast. If they are asking questions and being interesting, then converse with them and build a relationship. Then, and only then, will you be in a good position to have your PR read when you send it through with a mention.

Notice how that's exactly like if you were to see this journalist in the pub? Would you run up to them shouting 'HI I'VE GOT SOMETHING REALLY INTERESTING FOR YOU', slap them round the face with your bit of paper and then run off again?

 

[webstore]

Best way to get a press release bulk circulated is to use a profiled service such as prweb.com (chargeable) - but there are others some of which are free.

prweb.com will not release your press release until it meets a given standard that meets the expectation of journalists receiving press releases and their website will guide you through this process.
.

 

[eventdomain]

PRWeb is good, as is i-newswire, but any PR rests on the actual idea eg: a website that's innovative will always decimate a bog-standard copycat offline biz idea, but everyone thinks media success is about a good sounding release - it is not the case.

If the idea isnt there, it cannot possibly have any buzz. Some window cleaning round wont have the media buzz of say a cooker for eggs... it just cannot compete with the innovation of the egg cooker.

The media momentum for innovative ideas is always on another level entirely. Some biz types are just boring, and people hang on too tight, due to 'its all they have'. So, invent something useful, and you might have a chance of creating that media buzzy thing.

 

[BustersDogs]

Do you like the idea of sending press releases to journalists/media sources on Twitter?

Has anyone ever used Twitter to get featured by talking to a journalist on there?

Any opinions would be great

Local paper reporters are part of my Twitter network, and I have sent tweets to them which they've responded to with a request for me to email more info, which has then got me into the paper. Not quite a press release, but without Twitter I doubt I'd have thought it important enough to phone them up.

 

[Richard Glynn]

Local paper reporters are part of my Twitter network, and I have sent tweets to them which they've responded to with a request for me to email more info, which has then got me into the paper. Not quite a press release, but without Twitter I doubt I'd have thought it important enough to phone them up.

Here's the trick. As long as you're engaging with the journalists and not simply begging them to feature your news I think your chances of coverage are increased.

For targeted opportunities, check out the hashtag #journorequest .. http://twitter.com/#!/search/journorequest

Never been a fan of PRWeb and online news services generally. For me, it devalues your news. But, if SEO is your game it will have some (although currently diminishing) benefits.

 

[BustersDogs]

I followed #journorequest for a while, but it all seemed to be about babies and beauty. :|

I don't beg for stories, no, I was chatting with the Editor at 7am yesterday morning about... being up early and isn't it cold. Fascinating stuff.