PR Etiquette Tips: Pitching Journalists on Social Media

Thousands of staff journalists and freelance writers have become surprisingly active on social media, touting their own stories, commenting on the news, connecting with readers/viewers and hunting for new story ideas.

Some publications have started compensating writers on the number of shares their articles generate. Others include social media activity in the reporters’ performance reviews.

Social media now offers a new touch point for public relations to engage journalists. Though pitching through social media is a relatively new phenomenon, a set of unwritten rules and etiquette has already evolved.

Not surprisingly, studies and anecdotal reports both indicate reporters are most active on Twitter. The network is ideal for PR networking with journalists because of its open nature and their high adoption rate.

One 2014 report that surveyed journalists confirmed their pervasive adoption of social media. About half promote their stories on social media and almost half connect with readers or viewers on social networks. More than three-fourths said the most frequent way they receive pitches is through Facebook, but 45 percent prefer not to be pitched that way.

Another revelation: The vast majority of reporters prefer to receive pitches by email. Social media is too public a forum. They don’t want competitors or the public to know what stories they’re considering or preparing. Social media platforms have other drawbacks for media relations: They don’t allow enough information to fully explain story ideas and public PR pitches on social media can seem like ads.

Sprout went straight to the source and interviewed three journalists to find their preferences. As expected, they are most active on Twitter for work. Here’s what they had to say.

PR Twitter Best Practices

The best way to befriend them on Twitter: Read and respond to their tweets.

Social media is a two-way street. Offer something in return for media attention such as access to executives – or even friendly conversation.

PR pros can easily conduct basic research on reporters due to Twitter’s open nature. It’s easy to check how reporters use Twitter, if they’ve built friendly relationships with public relations pros, and if they have a history of contacting PR reps through the network.

Just because they are active on Twitter, doesn’t mean that’s their preferred contact method. Reporters may prefer to communicate with PR reps through more private channels like email.

“Calling out” journalists in public on Twitter or other social networks is off-putting. Tweeting comments or questions that are best reserved for private irritates reporters. One reporter recalled how a PR rep once tweeted: “I sent you an email … did you read it?”

Other Tips from Journalists

Get to the point in your pitches. Reporters receive hundreds of emails a day. As one told Sprout, if the pitch isn’t clear by the email’s third sentence, he’s on to the next message.

Don’t oversell weak products or ideas. If you do, you may not be taken seriously when you pitch a noteworthy story idea.

Don’t address them by the wrong name or misspell their names. A tip for spelling names: Look at the email address.

Don’t send off-base pitches. If they haven’t written about a topic for years, they’re probably not interested in covering it.

Bottom Line: Twitter provides an excellent way for PR pros to research and connect with journalists. However, reporters still prefer to receive pitches by email. A social network like Twitter is too public forum for messages that are best kept private. First, get to know the reporter’s preferences and tendencies. In advance of making a pitch, introduce yourself to a reporter by first doing something that’s helpful. The same etiquette applies to contacting freelance journalists.