By Jill Kurtz
Online Career Tips Contributor
Not everyone is on Twitter, but one sector that pays a lot of attention to the twitterverse is the media. Your media outreach strategy should definitely include the use of Twitter.
Start by following the general media outlet accounts. Many will have more than one, sometimes with different accounts focused on specific topic areas. Also follow individual editors and reporters. A great way to find related accounts is to look at what each account follows as well as its followers.
Once you have identified who you want to reach via twitter, use these strategies to connect and earn coverage:
Create Private Lists
Use the private list functionality within Twitter to organize media contacts by subject, location, event type, and any other criteria that help you to target your messages to the right outlets. There are likely outlets you will want to work with all the time and others that may be a good target for a specific activity or event. You want to be targeted in your outreach so every message from you on Twitter is something a reporter wants to read.
Direct Message
Send individual messages to reporters and outlets with information about topics and events they cover. When your tweet starts with a specific ID (i.e., @APUSPRteam) the message is only seen by that one recipient. Be sure to be very targeted and specific in your message.
Share Multimedia
Share more than 140 characters of text. Video, photos, and relevant links will give your tweets more interest. Reporters love resources, so connect them with information that lets them delve deeper into your story.
Use Keywords
Part of the legwork for any media pitch is determining the relevant keywords around your story. Use these in your tweets, making them hashtags where appropriate. You want to show that your pitch is relevant to the larger universe that the reporter is covering.
Share Their Content
Twitter is a two-way street. Retweet and share the content of the media you follow to show your engagement with their work. This demonstrates your interest and makes it more likely that they will return the favor by sharing and retweeting your content.
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