Facebook is crawling with reporters, editors, bloggers, and other members of the media. These people often use Facebook as a way to find sources, generate story ideas, connect with the communities involved with stories, share their stories, and so on. In other words, Facebook is an important resource for them.
For you, this means that you need to understand how you can use Facebook to connect with reporters and interact with them on a meaningful level. Here are 5 easy tips to get you started.
- Find the reporters you’re targeting—The first thing you need to do is add reporters to your network on Facebook. A lot of times, reporters will include a link to their Facebook profile at the end of their stories or somewhere on their bios. You can also check out MuckRack’s directory of publications and journalists on Facebook (and other social media sites).
- Share their stories—Reporters are always thankful when people share their stories and help drive traffic to them. Sharing out the stories of the reporters you’re targeting can be a good way to get on their radar and earn their appreciation. You can also leave nice comments on their wall whenever they write a story you enjoy.
- Pay attention to what they share and post—By analyzing the type of content a reporter shares and posts, you can learn more about his or her interests so you can tailor your own stories to be more attractive to that specific reporter. You could even find a story opportunity amongst the things they post and share.
- Be ready to jump on opportunities to be a source—Many reporters use Facebook as a tool for finding sources. You need to make sure you’re ready to pounce on any relevant opportunities that might arise when a reporter is looking for a source and you’re qualified. You should also make sure that your Facebook profile does a good job of explaining who you are and where your area of expertise lies.
- Don’t spam them—Can you pitch a reporter over Facebook? If you have a relationship with them, you could pitch them, but that’s only recommended if you truly have a relationship with the reporter. And even then, you don’t want to overdo it. You shouldn’t constantly be harassing reporters over Facebook, and you certainly don’t want to send them pitches irrelevant to their niche. You’ll quickly turn into a pest in their eyes.
Do you use Facebook to connect with reporters? What are your best tips?
This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (https://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Grab three free ebooks, including the Big Press Release Book and Twitter Tactics, here: https://www.ereleases.com/free-offer/big-press-release-samples-book/