Pitching journalists and bloggers for placements in a social media world requires keeping up with the ever-changing rules of engagement.

I’ve collected nuggets of wisdom along my PR career and put together a set of tips and guidelines to help you avoid a deleted press release and score that coveted placement.

TWITTER/FACEBOOK
While I believe the ideal way to build a relationship with a journalist is through a meet and greet, it can be tough given busy schedules.  Twitter and Facebook are great platforms to learn a writer’s beat, personality, channel/contact preference, subjects they’re interested in covering, and their deadline dates.   Most of the journalists I’ve worked with prefer email pitches.  I use Twitter and Facebook as a way to get to know a reporter so that when a client comes along that might be relevant to the journalist, I can help make a meaningful and authentic connection.

BLOGGERS
Pitching bloggers is different than pitching journalists.  They aren’t paid to write about something specific at a certain time and aren’t under any obligation to cover your brand.  They care more about what is of interest to their readers.   Giveaways, contests, photos, and exclusive content all provide incentive for bloggers to feature your product or brand because it in turn engages their audience.

TIPS

Know the journalist
Know who they are, address them, and contact them the way they want to be contacted.   It’s important to think about what is in it for them -  they also have an audience.

Avoid mass emails
A personalized email may take more time but it goes a long way in getting people to pay attention. While each message does not have to be completely unique and different, it should have the person’s name to which you are mailing as well as a customized sentence explaining why the pitch is relevant to their readers.

Target
Be realistic and do research (sometimes a Google search is all it takes). Know the target demographic for the outlets you are pitching.

Be time sensitive
Many journalists are operating on a tight schedule.  Be considerate, and answer all emails in a timely fashion.

Keep it simple
Journalists and bloggers are inundated with emails and pitches.  Put the most important content in the first paragraph.  Pay attention to formatting and spelling errors. Keep the writing concise.

Teresa La is Director of Digital Publicity with KARMA Media Labs.