• A look into how other journalists are using Facebook
• Tips for keeping readers engaged on Facebook
• Connecting with other journalists
• Information on the future of social news
• Insight into what works [on Facebook] and for who[m]

For Journalists looking to get started, here’s where to go: Getting Started.

Looks like Facebook already has some support with 26,793 likes many of which are high profile journalists including Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric and George Stephanopoulos. With backing like this, I’m looking forward to seeing the page take off!!

Image via Gigaom

The plan.
According to a recent post by Gigaom, Facebook says the plans for the page are to become an ongoing resource for journalists who want to use the network, and the page will highlight “best practices” engaged in by a number of media outlets and reporters who use it well.

Will it work?
Because journalist have been so successful on Twitter – an information based social outlet – it will be interesting to see Facebook step it up. They do have a leg up on Twitter simply because of the their reach. With 500 million active users, 250 using Facebook from mobile devices. If users are checking their smart phones throughout the day to see what their friends are up to, why couldn’t it become a news source for them as well? With this amount of people logging in constantly and the right use from those who deliver us our daily news, I don’t see why Facebook couldn’t become just as useful as a resource for the latest breaking news stories.

Nick Kristof Facebook

Success Story.

While we are talking social media savvy journalists, one of my favorite examples of journalists using social media is New York Times writer Nicolas Kristof, who has been posting to his Facebook page and updating Twitter from the Middle East and beyond.

To me, Facebook will probably always be primarily a place to play and connect with friends/family. But if you want to show me breaking news while I am there, bring it on Facebook.

Here are the facts: I have attended many webinars, seminars, boot camps, and teleconferences teaching the ways of PR and the new rules of social media, marketing, pitching etc.

I am a PR professional, early on in my career and I am hungry for knowledge and advancement. I have a passion for networking, learning from others and educating myself in and outside of work. This is all in addition, of course, to my love of Public Relations strategies and emerging social media trends. I don’t think I am a minority here, I think there are plenty of young-er minds out there that want to learn to adapt new practices and learn how to blog better, engage better, pitch better (whatever it may be) and ultimately grow in their industry and in their career.

Specifically I want to learn more about SEO, HTML and blogging (but not for beginners).  And the sad truth is, I don’t really have all day. I’m in the office from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm most days at an agency I love and give 100 percent to. So here’s my plea, if you’re out there and you know about boot camps, webinars, classes, or people who would be willing to sit down with me. I’m sick of going to seminars and webinars that repeat the same A, B, C rules of Twitter and Facebook, I’m looking for more.

So as I continue to dig for opportunity, and find time and vehicles to further my education in the industry I’m asking you, readers and friends…. to share your knowledge, and challenge me!

I have often thought about this in my experience working in PR… the traditional PR job, full of pitching, getting your releases butchered, and/or sucking up to clients to keep them happy and/or the media to sway them in your favor… can be a hard 8 (or 10, or 11) hour day. Maybe it’s not for everybody. Maybe only some personality types can take it. Or maybe that’s on the beginning and PR types learn how to grow thick skin and get better at their jobs. There’s a lot of criticism in the job, and opinions from person to person working in an agency can differ. (Not to mention unhappy clients if they don’t understand/support the angle you took to acheive their goal).

I’ve never come across the blog before but it felt like my own words when I came across it today and I had to share it with you all.  It’s titled, “PR Breakfast Club, a chance to start the day out right” and I loved this post, “Am I too emotional for PR” this post was written by Marie V-B and it’s a great little blurb about life as PR pro who sometimes breaks down at 10:00 PM at night when she makes the mistake of checking her work e-mail and getting a nasty scolding from a client.. oh the life of publicist. Question she poses: is it for everyone?

What do you think?

To see the difference between advertising and public relations it’s important to understand that one thing that advertising doesn’t deliver as well as PR is consumer trust. I think that branding is a huge part of this, and I’ll talk more later about how branding is important to create consumer confident in your company/brand/service….

For now, back to advertising – in a recent PR newsletter I read that TNS (a leading marketing information group) surveyed 1,000 US households on the subject of consumer trust late last year.  In that survey, only 35% showed any level of trust at all in advertising. Also, in a Nielsen Online Global Consumer survey, when asked what sort of advertising they trust more, 78% said they trust customer referrals over any type of advertising.

That is exactly what PR aims to deliver: trust, credibility and word of mouth promotion. The third-party endorsement that comes with appearing as a guest on TV show or the morning news, or to have a story written about you in newspapers and magazines, or even your words and advice quoted is absolutely priceless.  Somethings you can’t put a price tag on. This is what can be achieved with PR and at about one-half to one-fifth of the price of an advertising campaign.

This backs up my personal belief that public relations professionals should focus on branding, positioning and placement as a means for communication with your publics and audience, rather than pushing and selling (advertising).  Depending on what kind of PR environment you work  in – I think in some cases in can be easy to be pushed in with marketing/advertising/media relations. And while there is always an overlap to some extent… it’s important to decipher, and recognize the differences – in results, in effectiveness, in value and level of results etc.  And for PR pro’s it’s important to realize also – what it is that you are doing, what category it falls under, what effect you are having with it, and what you need to learn more about!

Next post will focus on branding, and where that fits into the PR spectrum…

Providing a Press Kit is just one strategy, and it’s not usually useful alone. Reporters will need to have some prior interest (or at least knowledge) before the kit gets in their hands so that they know how to use the contents. At a minimum, plan on contacting media contacts prior, and ALWAYS after you provide the Press Kit.  Be ready to offer additional information, and elaborate on any pitches/stories you think might appeal to them. Generate a variety of story ideas and have more than one appealing approach to share with them!

Some important things to think about when putting together your press kit.

1. What is the overall goal of the Press Kit?

2. Who is the audience? (If you pitching to a radio station for example, who listens to that station?? Because that’s who they will care about…)

3. What do I want to accomplish? Get specific in defining measurable objectives. If you want to garner media attention, how many articles? In how many markets? This is what you want to accomplish in numbers and percentages!

4. Why should members of the local news media care? Make sure you address this question, why will they care about you are pitching??

A Press Kit will always be more successful if you attach it along with other opportunities. For example, offering to do a live interview (this can be you or someone else you work with who would feel comfortable jumping in front of the camera and talking about what this pitch is all about)! This could also include providing the reporter with special opportunities to go behind the scenes, give a special demonstration, let them see what it’s all about from the inside out. This might apply to a speaker giving a conference, being let in the studio for a radio or TV show, etc. This is likely to draw them in and will go a long way in building relationships with media.

What is included?
Remember to keep the packaging generic. Your company’s name/logo and contact is enough. Don’t include photos that will become outdated quickly. You should also keep the packaging consistent from one press kit to the next, only the inside contents should change.

Press release: There might be more than one if you decide to tailor a couple to different markets.

Executive profiles with bios: Tell them a little about the people at your company/brand, make sure they have all the information on these people they would need to do a piece on them.

High resolution photos: Having a strong visual aspect in your press kit is, I think, very important, a huge selling factor.

Cover letter: It’s always idea to do a cover letter to personalize your press kit to that media outlet if it’s possible, and make sure you are addressing it to the right person!

Corporate or marketing materials for your company: Be careful, as I said before, not to include too many extras, but if you have some strong pieces for a company launch or expansion type of pitch than strong marketing materials could be great item.

Positive media quotes: You can include positive press quotes, if the media has already said great things about your brand, show that off! (These quotes might be best included in your press release, or in your marketing materials.)

Business cards/contact information: Your contact should be on multiple pieces, don’t make it hard for them to get in touch with you if they have questions or want to know more!!

Once you are done compiling — go back over everything and take out anything that seems extraneous to your specific messages. You don’t want anything to take away from you clear vision and objectives for this pitch!

Lastly, when you are delivering this press kit, be enthusiastic but avoid being a nuisance.  Remember that no matter how hard you work at your pitch, be prepared to face some who are disinterested, possibly annoyed, and unfortunately sometimes rude. Hey… we’re in PR aren’t we? Remember, relationships with media take time!

Who do you pitch to?
Well… who would care about this news? That’s who. Whatever publications, stations or media outlets would find your bit of news the least bit interesting. And even if there’s only a slight chance they would run your little bit of news in their pub, send it! You never know, it could be a slow news day, and you could luck out.

Here’s a question for you readers — is it ever too much? Do you think it is possible to over-send a release? (And I’m not talking about sending the coverage of your weekend block party to the NY Times, I’m talking within reason). Is there a danger is sending your release a little too far and wide?

How to pitch?
Don’t send out a mass e-mail to your distribution list. Instead tailor each pitch to that media outlet, or at least send an individual and more direct/personal e-mail addressed to that station or publication.  Let’s be clear, good pitching is not a “to whom this may concern” situation.

What else?
Follow up with a phone call. Make sure they have received your release and offer to help or answer any questions they might have regarding the information. Use this opportunity to build a relationship  (as this whole process is easier if you can build strong connections with your local media). SPIN Works! The nuts & bolts of good PR: A media guidebook for public interest organizations says that, “No matter how brilliant your message or clever your frame, it can very well be irrelevant you do not follow through with the pitch call.” TRUTH: Without a follow up call – there is no real pitch effort being made.

When do I pitch?
One very important aspect is timing. You don’t want to be making follow up calls when journalists and writers are trying to deal with deadlines for the next day, or when TV reporters are preparing for the evening news which will be live in an hour. SPIN says, “Late morning, say, around 10:30, is a good time to call reporters. They have already had their morning coffee, their daily planning meetings probably have concluded, and it is before they get deeply involved in other stories. The earlier in the week the better”

I’ve heard many PR peeps say that pitching was their least favorite part of PR because it made them feel like a sales person, which I completely understand. However, I try to take this perspective, and I believe it helps. If you believe in what your client is doing and think that this news concerning your client is news worthy (if you didn’t think it was news worthy than you wouldn’t be pitching it) than you should feel validated in sharing that news with these medias. If you care about this event or milestone, so should they… now tell them why!