Many people say that you should use social media to contact the media. They say that e-mail and voice mail are dead, and that it’s best to tweet, comment on a blog, or send a message on Facebook, LinkedIn or Google+.
This is an issue because reporters are harder and harder to reach.
Robert Wynne discusses this topic in his article in Forbes entitled (appropriately enough) “Should You Contact the Media in Social Media?”
Instead of just pontificating, Robert did us all a favor by asking reporters at top publications what they prefer: how to use social media, when to use it, and when to back off.
Most of the reporters said work e-mail was the best, most dependable way to reach them. “All roads lead to e-mail,” said one. “I always see my e-mails,” said another.
Some reporters has abandoned their voice mail altogether. Fortunately, usually those reporters warn callers not to leave a voice message.
One felt being contacted on a social media site, as long as the “persona” is tied to work, was fine. So a Twitter handle connected to the publication would work. However, Twitter’s fleeting nature was a concern. “I might miss a tweet,” admitted more than one respondent.
Several said that Facebook was largely a personal space, and that pitching them on that site could feel intrusive. LinkedIn was possibly okay. However, many reporters don’t check Facebook or LinkedIn very often, so you run the risk of having the message get lost or at least be less timely.
Others say that posting comments on their blogs can be a good way of connecting with them. Again that makes sense. Even before there were blogs, commenting on an article was a great way to connect. Now that there are blogs, it’s almost mandatory in a lot of cases.
All in all, this article confirms my experience. I do think common sense, persistence and good ol- fashioned manners are the best ways to connect with the media.
