Best Ways to Connect With Journalists
If you ever wonder what is the “best” way to connect with journalists, bloggers and editors, look no further. Vocus recently released their State of the Media Report for 2014, surveying over 250 journalists about the evolving media industry. There’s no myths or full-proof methods here; just cold, hard facts. Included in this report, are helpful statistics about journalists, regarding their social media usage, pitch preferences, and the social networks they frequent the most.
For instance, nearly 50% of journalists utilize social networks to connect with viewers and readers, making it extremely important for PR pros and business owners to be present where journalists spend most of their time online. Just as journalists love to interact with their followers and promote their own stories, as a PR pro, it’s equally important to make sure that YOU are one of those followers that the journalist is interacting with.
Speaking of pitching, a staggering 91% of journalists preferred pitches be sent via email, as opposed to social media, where only 2.7% of journalists chose social as their preferred channel. This does not completely eliminate social pitches, as each situation is different, but it’s important to adhere to the preferred method of journalists for optimal results. However, Twitter pitches seem to be the most popular of the social pitches, as journalists are more easily accessible and willing to respond, since their feed is public. In general, Twitter and Facebook are the most utilized, followed distantly by LinkedIn and Google+.
No matter how you decide to forge your relationships with journalists, putting yourself where the press interacts will determine if you get the spotlight or keep your company in the dark.