As we’ve discussed before, making connections is important, especially for PR pros with journalists. Social media has become a significant way of reaching out and engaging. At inVocus, we asked PR professionals to share the best connection they ever made through a social media platform. Here are the top five stories:
Elizabeth Horodnyk, marketing communications coordinator, Eclipse Automation
The best connection I’ve made with a journalist on a social media platform came from Twitter. I was trying some new techniques on trying to connect with the media, instead of just doing a follow-up pitch. I sent one journalist a nerdy response to one of his comments, and we ended up creating a large thread about cat memes on the Internet. The journalist followed me, and I not only got the review for my product written about on his site, but also gained a few of his media friends as followers also. I still connect with him from time to time, and due to this connection, I get responses from media agents more readily and have gained connections I otherwise would never have gotten.
Irina Jordan, founder, ARTISURN
I saw one of my friends post a feature article about his business on his Facebook timeline. I looked up the reporter’s name on LinkedIn and sent him a personalized invite complimenting him on the article and offering to be a source in my areas of expertise. The journalist got back to me and asked me to pitch my story about me and my company, which I did. The story was approved by his editor and he interviewed me and a few of my customers. The feature story will be published next week. Now I have an ongoing relationship with this journalist, where he is open to story leads and ideas.
Nolan Thompson, co-founder, HeadFunder
I had a pretty amazing connection through Gmail/Google+. My friend Jaclyn’s mom was putting on the California Women’s Conference at the Long Beach Convention Center this year where The Huffington Post was actually a sponsor of the event. She had a relationship with one of the guest writers for HP and thought that my partner and I should meet with her. Jaclyn made the introduction through Google+ and we spoke through email about meeting each other at the Women’s Conference, which was a two
day event.
My partner and I got out there the first day and waited to speak with her, but she ended up not making it that day. So we were a little discouraged and were not going to attend the second day, but all of the sudden I decided to bug Jaclyn, and she ended up giving me the writer’s number. I called, and the HP writer told me that she was about to leave because she had to catch her flight to New York, but I talked with her, and she said if we could make it there in 30 minutes, we could talk. So my partner and I raced down to the Long Beach Convention Center to meet.
We sat down with her and ended up talking for almost two hours, learning more about what each other did and if we could help each other in any way.
She ended up getting us an article in Raine Magazine, which is coming out in their September edition. She is working on getting us featured on Huffington Post and is a longtime friend and source. Honestly one of the best connections we have made this far!
Stanzi McGlynn, PR manager, Inphorm Inc.
Last year, I was following an authority in the world of family travel on Twitter who has written for a number of national publications. I was interested in having her visit a family-owned resort I represent in Lake Placid in upstate New York — a great fit for her family-travel background. I reached out by private message one day after she followed me back with a short message and gave her my email address.
Not long after, she replied, expressing interest in visiting the resort I represent, and notified me she’d email me that day. Six months later after persistence and consistent communication, a media visit for her to experience the resort and Lake Placid worked out. She covered she (sic) and her family’s experience in features for About.com Family Travel and, while not a client of mine, included Lake Placid in a roundup of Places to Catch Olympic Fever for nationally syndicated family travel publication MiniTime, leading up to the Sochi Winter Olympics, linking the resort I represent as a kid-friendly lodging option during a visit. While I can’t take credit for the latter placement, I like to think my communications with her had somewhat of an impact in Lake Placid’s inclusion.
Tracey A. Gould, director of marketing and business development, SKA Consulting Engineers Inc.
I was looking to secure a feature on one of the partners in my firm — an architect with motorsports facility design and racing experience. I did some keyword searches on LinkedIn and found a writer for Sportscar Magazine and connected with her. I pitched the story in brief through the initial invite to connect, and she responded favorably. We had an interview the next month and a four-page spread, cover story within three months!
