A Powerful New Way for PR to Distribute News. Here’s How to Use It

Most PR folks distribute news by using a news release distribution service.

And by consulting media directories to identify and pitch interested journalists.

And by posting the news release on their owned media sites.

Savvy PR professionals also now use Twitter to distribute their news.

Twitter is an important news channel. Almost  60% of Twitter’s 300 million active monthly Twitter users use the social networking site to keep up with breaking news, according to Pew Research Center. Use of Twitter for news increased from 55% to 67% for users under 36, and from 47% to 59% for users over 35.

If you are not tweeting your news announcements, you are missing a sizable opportunity to expand your reach. “After all, your Twitter followers are following you because they want to learn more about your business. This is the perfect audience to activate by sharing your news,” writes Jahana E. Martin, Newsroom Supervisor, Atlanta, for Business Wire.

Twitter is one of the main news sources for journalists, if not the main source. Its format is perfect for reporters: short, to the point and fast. Breaking news routinely appears on Twitter before it does on network news stations.

Martin offered some valuable tips for crafting tweets.

• Leave space for people to comment if they wish to retweet.  In other words, make your tweet less than 120 characters.

• Include images and multimedia. Studies show that images increase sharing.

• Share your news and follow-up news coverage multiple times for a broad reach. Social media pundits advise resending tweets three, five or more times. Martin recommends tweeting an announcement 15 times or more, including follow-up news.

• Use popular keywords that are relevant to your news. You can learn what keywords competitors or industry influencers are using by looking at their Twitter feed. See if there’s a recurring keyword that you see appearing in retweets. Many resources are available on the Web. Twitter itself has helpful advice on keyword targeting.

• Ask people to take a specific action: download a paper, retweet, follow, or replay.

• Include hashtags. Hashtags help people search for topics. Reporters frequently use hashtags to view discussion on a topic and gauge consumer sentiment when writing a story. To learn about popular current topics, visit Trends and Moments on Twitter. If you see something that is relevant to your news, use the hashtag to expand your reach. Consider how your message relates to events. If you are visiting a tradeshow, the event probably has its own hashtag.

A multitude of studies reach varying conclusions for the best tweeting times. The truth is that the optimum time depends on your audience. Consider the demographics of your audience: their age, geographic location and if they are consumers or businesses.

Buffer suggests conducting an A/B experiment to find the best tweet. Send different tweets at least an hour apart, and then compare the numbers for retweets and likes to find the best one.

At CyberAlert, many of our tweets for our blog articles are often retweeted long after the original posting. Reposting popular tweets weeks or months after the original posting can attract more viewers. It’s a technique that Jeff Bullas, a well-known social media guru, has practiced quite effectively. Retweeting a news article may require some tweaking so it doesn’t appear as old news.

PR Pitching and Networking on Twitter

PR pros can also use Twitter to pitch to reporters and otherwise network with them, advises Kait Fowlie of Marketwired.

First, create a profile that reflects trustworthiness, authenticity and value – if you haven’t already. Sharing informative, interesting tweets over time and gradually accumulating a following will help establish your Twitter presence.

Follow reporters in your niche, monitor their queries to find sources they seek and the articles they are writing. If reporters request tips or sources, try to offer a resource even if it’s not your own.

Find other reporters, bloggers, and influencers you may not already know by tracking relevant hashtags.

Researching hashtags can also reveal conversations. You can contribute your input, if it adds value.

Because most journalists prefer to receive pitches and news release via email rather than social media, it’s best to find if they prefer contact through Twitter. However, if a reporter’s direct message option is enabled it’s safe to assume you can send them a direct message, notes MuckRack Daily. Make the message low-pressure, offering yourself as a resource or asking how they can be contacted.

Bottom Line: Twitter is an excellent news distribution channel and networking tool for PR announcements and content marketing. These tips from industry experts can help PR get the most out of Twitter.