I haven't been up here in a while for a number of reasons, all so boring I won't share. Well they are probably excuses rather than reasons. I see there are 118 members now! So hello everyone! Tom

We are launching a network for people who make and break the news in Bristol on the 30th June. The site's URL is www.PRBristol.co.uk. The objective is to provide a stronger voice for the industry and to use ‘blogs’ to share best practice and to improve communication between PR practitioners and the news media. Organisations in the private and public sector are using new technology in increasingly sophisticated ways to communicate with consumers, customers and stakeholders. The lines are also becoming increasingly blurred between those who make the news and those who break the stories, not least because of the introduction of multi-media platforms which have revolutionised the way news is disseminated. www.prBristol.co.uk will introduce you to the fast-moving world of social networking and to other developments up and down the spectrum of news media. This site is intended to be useful, informative and influential. Please try it out. Attached is a simple user’s guide to the functions and applications. We’ll be surprised if you don’t keep our ‘News at a glance’ feature as your web home page or if ‘The Watering Hole’ doesn’t add a new dimension to your social life!

http://www.widernet.org/Newsletters/WholeIssue.asp?IssueID=15

I've spent a considerable amount of time pouring over the contents of the two social media release and newsroom templates offered up by Todd Defren of Shift Communications and Canada's Social Media Group- Digital Snippets. The emphasis of both of these templates focuses on the conversation. Journalists can connect, share and even offer their opinions through moderated comments and social tools like Twitter. This is definitely where brands are going to win-over writers by being more accessible, visible and more involved. In addition, there are some great widgets that help add to the pitch. You can post videos via YouTube, photos via Flickr and so on. That said, there are a few things that could enhance the benefits for the journalists we're trying to serve. PR 2.0 isn't just about the conversation. With all the technology available, shouldn't we be making the PR process more efficient? Cutbacks at news organizations are giving journalists more limitations on time and budget. Here are ways we could improve on a good thing: AP Style Content A simple link to an AP style press release that can be cut-and-pasted straight into a newspaper or magazine article (print or online) would save writers time tracking it down through socialized content. There wouldn't be a need to Skype or instant message a PR rep if the story was available in its entirety from the start. The pitch needs to be concise, which the social media release templates call for, but the story should also be accessible. Of the media on PitchEngine and LinkedIn I questioned, most of them all agreed - if they never saw a printed press release again they'd be thrilled. On the other hand, they said speaking their language (AP or Chicago) is vital. High-Res Photos Flickr doesn't offer users access to high-resolution images and most writers (and their art departments) would be more inclined to take an article that is accompanied by photos they can print. This could be accomplished with a link to a corporate image library hosted by the brand or their PR agency. Accompanying graphics and photos are great for explanation, but something a publication can print is a plus. My brand implemented an easy-to-use image library for media (and our sales force) that has streamlined the process dramatically. Product Sample Requests I may only be speaking for manufacturers here, but writers always want samples. Including a link to the person who holds the keys to the sample room is a huge help to media. They can place a sample request now, instead of exchanging voice mails and emails for two days before the product actually ships out. Making all these things accessible via the web is critical. It makes the press release and all the assets available to the writer 24 hours a day with no need to dig further for additional information the next day. Hopefully, these additions will help you help writers -- especially those who haven't fully embraced all the components of social media just yet. Those of us putting these social media tools to the test with our own brands will discover more useful strategies as we dive-in, gently. Original post on PitchEngine.

It's more of a question than a suggestion, but I think it could be a unique way to touch your media contacts without blitzing them with excess pitches. Here's a little background... Earlier this week Sarah Perez posted this article on ReadWriteWeb about something called "Twitpitch" invented by Stowe Boyd, a business strategy and information technology consultant. Instead of getting hammered with emails he set up a group on Hashtags and had people tweet him their pitches. By viewing a single page, Stowe could then read through perhaps the most concise pitches on the planet. Now put this in the context of PR. Perhaps your agency or brand could have their own unique hashtag (#pitchfeed for example) or maybe it would be better served as a newsfeed for an upcoming trade show. By creating a keyword (hashtag) for your brand, writers could visit your unique link (ours is #pitchfeed for example) and scan quickly through your recent posts. The posts would be concise - kind of like a headline with more meat than fluff. They would also have a link to more information. You can even let your contacts subscribe to the feed-like tweet via RSS. Hashtags are being used by tech bloggers and were popularized during the San Diego forest fires in 2007, according to their site. If Twitter continues to grow and more media get used to utilizing it, especially internal at their publications, etc. there could be an opportunity for PR pros like you to give them a fresh approach. However, use CAUTION. Just because the tool exists that doesn't mean you have to use it. It's kind of like embedding too many links in a release- when does it become too much? The majority of people I polled recommended keeping your tweets to a minimum and to generalize your pitches like, "Anyone interested in a new solar toaster?" That's why I liked the Hashtag alternative, where only your stories are posted to one user-group (or writers). Melanie Seasons a New Media Relations at MS&L Digital had this to say: I've pitched via Twitter through DM and through my public feed, both successful. But with most things, it's completely dependent on the campaign and the person. Some rules to stick to: -Don't pitch someone on Twitter that you don't already have a relationship with -Don't sign up for Twitter or add people just so that you can pitch stories. You must have a presence and friend list established. -Identify the Tweet as a pitch -Short and sweet. One sentence, one link -Invite a DM or email for more info -Remember Twitter's purpose - don't pitch more than you Tweet So, if you're interested in testing this out, and maybe implementing it for your clients attending an upcoming trade show, or maybe just testing it out, I put together a little quick start guide. Have at it! Here's how to set up a hashtag: 1. You need a Twitter account. 2. Log on to www.hashtags.org and see if the #hashtag you would like to use is available. Click "All Tags" and search the list. 3. Click "enable" in the right hand column. 4. Once enabled, simply type your text in Twitter and include your #hashtag (preferably at the end of your short post) 5. Visit your site: http://hashtags.org/tag/pitchfeed/ for example Here are more answers to "Have you ever pitched on Twitter?" Original Post on PitchEngine