Systematically using Twitter to earn coverage

Because you follow my articles and are reading this post, I can make some safe guesses about you:

– You want to get more media coverage.
– You like seeing successful examples of other people getting media coverage.
– You’re curious about using social media to help this process.

This message covers all three :).

Jeff Chandler heads PR for an infosecurity firm and is a member of my Inner Circle program. He wrote me recently to share what happened after he made systematic use of Twitter to get on reporters’ radar screens.

Instead of merely following his target media, Jeff consistently tweeted back at them and added little bits of value to the conversation. For a reminder on how to do this, here’s the article I posted back in Feb. called 5 Ways to React to Journalists on Twitter Beyond a Compliment.

One of the reporters Jeff targeted was a tech writer at CNN.com. Over the course of a few months, Jeff had retweeted some of this reporter’s stuff and also tweeted at him (“replied”), in one case about a security conference Jeff thought he’d be interested in.

Later Jeff noticed the reporter reaching out on Twitter to some industry thought leaders to ask about a computer security protocol called “SHA-1.”

So Jeff sent this tweet: “[Name], if you’re still looking for an sha 1 source, let me know and I can connect you.”

The reporter responded affirmatively and gave his email address, and you know the rest of the drill: Jeff emailed a succinct summary of his source’s credentials and also, more importantly, his take on the issue. The exchange led to an interview, and a little while later, Jeff’s spokesperson was quoted in the resulting piece, which was then syndicated to lots of other sites. Jeff’s sales team used the piece to show potential customers what his company can do for them.

Cool coincidence – the story ran the same day Jeff also had separate placements in a key industry site and also on mainstream tech giant TechCrunch.

Jeff's email concluded: “So we had a huge press day – it was fun . . . Your system works!”

Remember, Jeff didn’t just stumble onto the clues that the CNN.com reporter was looking for someone on a topic he could help with. He was following a purposeful system. Knowing the system is just one piece – having the diligence to consistently follow it is another.

That’s a benefit that members of my Inner Circle program tell me they like – being part of a supportive community of other people who do what they do and encourage each other. Jeff’s been a member the past nine months.

Have you been following a proven system consistently to lay the building blocks of your media relations success? If you’d like help with both the knowledge of what to do AND with support, encouragement and inspiration, that’s what we do in the Inner Circle. But we only accept new members a couple times a year. Sign up here to learn more about it and be notified when the doors open.

Thanks to Jeff for sharing his great results, and here’s to success like that for you.