Negative Doesn't Always Mean Negative

PR buzz is not always perfect. As a PR pro, you know that you can do a lot of work, but still need a little bit of luck.

When you work with reporters, you do not have full control of what gets shared; even if YOUR prep work is spotless. You may have created great keywords and statements that can get misdirected, or your product may be poorly reviewed. It's really out of your hands. However, bad news is not ALWAYS bad. It's still news, right?

Currently, I work with a client that is very unique and has gained success with a niche market. They are trying public relations for the first time ever and getting a lot of buzz. However, the mainstream market does not particularly love the product and are willing to say it. My client knows and even says they are not a brand for everyone, but he still gets nervous after reading a negative review or hearing a negative comment. Nonetheless - they are getting ALOT of publicity. One review did come back negative, but they still placed a large photo in the review and said where someone could buy the item. This is what counts.

Again, in a situation when a reporter does give you negative feedback - don't be surprised. This can happen! I was reading about a similar situation where a brand received negative PR after reporters tried the product and didn't enjoy it. The company came out making a statement that said too many went way too far with reviews and said they wouldn't release any more items to be tried until further notice. This is a poor move and never do this. PR works symbolically with media - they need each other. So, if you think something, don't way something. You don't want the reporters on your bad side even more.

How to Pitch a Reporter Using Twitter

I've recently started to use Twitter as a means of pitching my clients. Public relations is still quite a new line of work, but the reality is that PR professionals cannot always just do the same thing, we cannot always rely on sending a pitch and making follow-up calls to see success in our work. As PR professionals we need to keep evolving and thinking of new ways of reaching media. I think Twitter is a great way to do this. Why? Because first, many reporters are doing freelancing and don't have a specific outlet, phone number or email address, and second, most of the reporters we're trying to reach are there and posing questions to their followers! Here is what I've found to be the most successful ways to start the conversation with the media you want to through Twitter.

1. Introduce yourself. Don't jump right into your pitch, especially if you've never contacted this person before. Say "hello!" Otherwise, you're being creepy and rude.
2. Keep it brief. This may seem like a given, as it's Twitter, but try to keep your pitch to the point and don't send more than two tweets relating to the pitch. No one wants to read a book when they check their @ messages.
3. Don't use "netspeak." It's your prerogative to tell your BFF that you're "LOL"-ing at her joke and will "<3u4eva," but keep it professional for a pitch.
4. Link it up! 140 characters isn't going to be enough to hook someone (or event get them to remember what you're talking about five minutes later), so include a link with all the details.
5. Keep the conversation going. Don't pitch and ditch - keep engaging with your new contact (even if they decline your pitch)! You might be making a valuable relationship.

Have any experience with this sort of pitching? Please share your story! Happy tweeting!