Pitch Profit Promote Conference Conference February 22, 2014 How to Find, Connect & Engage with Event Planners & Media The 5 Step Small Business Plan Step 1 – Listen & follow Get Journalists on our “lists” – build some Know, Like and Trust with them before you pitch them a story idea. Become a resource first, not just pitch, pitch, pitch. Help journalists do their job better by sending them info that can help them do their job. LISTEN & FOLLOW Make a list of 10 journalists and/or bloggers, radio & TV producers that cover your industry or town. Step 2 – Locate & Connect My Go to platforms: LinkedIn, Twitter LinkedIn: - Be sure your profile is complete, professional and optimized for how you want to be known before contacting media - Use the advanced search tool. Search key words such as: event planner, meeting planner, editor, blogger, producer + name of company, - Send personal invitation – never start with a story pitch - Tag into a media folder for quick access - Follow their status updates as well as the company page & engage - Create a strategy staying top of mind Twitter: - Be sure your profile data is complete and you have a professional Twitter background before contacting media directly - Find the media in your area and follow them - Create a media list so your contacts are easier to follow - Listen You can automate this process and follow easily with 3rd party tools such as: Social Media Monitoring tools designed to monitor media: http://www.talkwalker.com https://en.mention.net/ Follow blogs by adding the RSS feed to one of these tools: http://feedly.com iphone APP: http://reederapp.com/ JoAnne Funch | Marketing Consulting & Social Media Strategy & Training |www.marketingdish.com | [email protected] | 763.497.1779 Ofc - 951.902.3263 Cell Pitch Profit Promote Conference Conference February 22, 2014 How to Find, Connect & Engage with Event Planners & Media The 5 Step Small Business Plan Google Alerts Twitter Lists (Create your own media list) - Hootsuite.com – dashboard to manage Twitter feed Google+ Circles (Create your own media circle) http://www.helpareporter.com/ - Be a resource for reporters stories Step 3 – Network Because journalists can’t really do their job these days without Internet use, you have unprecedented access to them via social media and blogs. Now you can make relevant comments on their blog posts, send them links publicly through Twitter and engage them in online industry chats and forums or Facebook events. Networking with your list of key journalists, in a way that demonstrates you know what you’re talking about, is how you become a resource for their next story. Don’t sell, build relationships! Step 4 – Pitch Some Curves Resist urge to send your list of media useless press releases. You should know what each reporter covers ahead of pitching. A curve would be a different angle to introduce story ideas that would be meaningful to the reader Don’t pitch every reporter the exact same pitch, they are all different and the readership is different per publication. Step 5 – Amplify - Post your press, however small it might seem, to your online profiles. - Create an “In The News” section on your site and keep it updated with mentions and press releases. - Print your one-page release in press release format and send it to your clients and network. - Social media is an amplifier – use it to spread news mixed in with your daily informational posts CHECK OUT MY WORKSHOPS: LinkedIn: http://www.marketingdish.com/training/linkedin-workshops/ Twitter: http://www.marketingdish.com/training/social-media-training-workshops/ Want to receive updates & future workshops, sign up to receive the info at: http://www.marketingdish.com/free-updates/ JoAnne Funch | Marketing Consulting & Social Media Strategy & Training |www.marketingdish.com | [email protected] | 763.497.1779 Ofc - 951.902.3263 Cell