Using Twitter as a Public Relations Tool

Twitter can be a helpful tool in many industries. In public relations, the value of Twitter is even more significant. For PR professionals, it is important to keep up with the news and develop a strong relationship with the media. Twitter has developed into a very useful tool for doing these things.

Here is how Twitter can be used as a public relations tool:

1. Follow the news. Twitter is an invaluable news source. Many national publications – such as the Associated Press – and local news agencies around the country release breaking news and links to other stories on Twitter.
2. Interact with members of the media. Twitter is great for building relationships with journalists. Databases like Media on Twitter and Cision allow you to see a list of Twitter handles for members of the media. When you follow journalists, it is important to wait before starting a conversation. This allows you to see who is using Twitter to interact and find story ideas, and who is tweeting strictly to promote their own content.
3. Crisis communication. When handling a crisis, it is important to be proactive and put forward a timely statement addressing the problem. Twitter gives you the ability to respond to a crisis quickly and frequently. Using search tools on Twitter, it is easy to see how people are reacting to a crisis and helps you issue an appropriate response.

How have you used Twitter as a public relations tool?

Image courtesy of Vlado at FreeDigitalPhotos.net