Social Media, the ultimate goal is to be seen, right? Being seen consistently, strategically, is the path to consistently growing your business.
This week we’re going to talk a bit about injecting some PR into that path.
Here’s the definition of PR from PRSA (Public Relations Society of Ameria)
“Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”
A few months ago the PRSA North East region chapter had a conference, and I was a speaker at the conference. I got to see first hand how people were leveraging PR and Social Media together. Christina Daves and I have known that for years, we’ve interviewed dozens of people for our Get Seen Be Heard YouTube channel! But it was great to hear all kinds of angles on making this work most profitably. And I realized I have NEVER talked about this on my blog!
So here it is, my top 5 ways to use Social Media and PR together, profitably.
Connect with journalists who cover your industry. Make sure you’re connected on Twitter and LinkedIn primarily. Create a Twitter list for these journalists and be sure to retweet and converse with them regularly! Please don’t pitch them, be of service, save the pitches for the exact right time.
Use LinkedIn Inmail. If you’re following me, you KNOW you need to have a great profile (need help? Start here) (link to first three things page). Once you’ve been connected for awhile and you’ve been sharing their content and being of service, it’s time to take the next step. An InMail is a great way to stand out from the crowd. Maybe you’re just asking permission to pitch them in the future, and asking them how they prefer to be contacted.
Snail Mail rules. Remember the days when your mailbox was overflowing with bills and crap? Now, your email box is, and mail stand out. Send a nice note, include something that has your social media accounts listed so they know how to follow you. They will remember this, I promise.
Read your content – to the journalist and in general – out loud. Make sure it Blog sounds like YOU. If not, rework it. Please don’t sound like a robot or use all kinds of corporate jargon. Be real. It works every time.
Monitor relevant hashtags. Primarily on Instagram and Twitter. You’ll see who’s talking about your topics, and you can jump into those conversations. These conversations can help you develop your next pitch.
That’s it! Pretty simple when you put a process to it. Wondering where to start? I put together this FREE video series showing some simple ways to use social media and PR to get more customers. Check it out! www.gmctips.com