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In an attempt to reach reporters, journalists, and other news content creators, publicity-seeking businesses are now turning to social media. No longer content just to send them pitches via email, companies are now trying to link up with them on social media. Once a connection is made on social media, the thinking goes, they will be much more willing to write a story about you or use you as a source for upcoming articles.
Email is still the preferred option
It is easy to understand why businesses are doing this, but the initial evidence seems to suggest that this approach just doesn’t work. By a wide margin, reporters and journalists still prefer to receive email pitches. In fact, more than 80% of reporters say they prefer email pitches. And even when they are open to the idea of social media pitches, they typically want to continue the conversation via email.
Which, if you think about it, makes sense. Do you appreciate it when random strangers send you text messages on your phone, or when telemarketers and other spammers somehow get ahold of your contact details? At least with email, it’s a lot easier to tell if the message is coming from someone official. Or at least, from someone working directly at a company. And, let’s face it, emails are a lot easier to ignore than someone sending you a friend request.
When can you send social media pitches?
That being said, reporters say that there are several situations when they don’t mind pitches being sent via social media. For example, if there is a gap in their coverage, then it can be helpful to get a heads-up about an interesting news story or potential angle to supplement existing coverage. And if reporters are working on a tight deadline, and need a source for their story, it can be convenient to have someone available via social media.
The rules of the road for social media pitches
Based on what we know, there appear to be some very clear “rules of the road” for engaging via social media. First of all, you should be familiar with the work of the reporter or journalist, and be very clear on how your pitch aligns with their work. A travel blogger, for example, is looking for travel and leisure content, and probably doesn’t care about much else.
And, secondly, you should use the two social media platforms – LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter) – that are most often used to cover the news and find new business stories. If you are pitching via Instagram, TikTok, or SnapChat, you are probably wasting your time. That being said, LinkedIn appears to be the clear favorite of journalists and reporters.
So, if you are looking to boost the profile of your business or brand, you should definitely keep this in mind. Get to know the work of the top journalists and reporters in your industry. And only then reach out to them via email. Over time, as the relationship builds, you might be able to add them to your social media outreach efforts. But always make sure you are mindful of their time and privacy.
