Full disclosure: 2010 brings loads of celebrations for me: 25th wedding anniversary, 20th year as a home-based entrepreneur, our oldest son’s high school graduation [where this image was taken] and three children who turn 21, 18 and 16 – wow! life is good. Hey – companies – if you’re looking for a fabulous Boomer spokesperson, here I am.

In April 2009, I wrote ...]]> Can the 40 plus market be the pot of gold after the 20 and 30s rainbow?

Full disclosure: 2010 brings loads of celebrations for me: 25th wedding anniversary, 20th year as a home-based entrepreneur, our oldest son’s high school graduation [where this image was taken] and three children who turn 21, 18 and 16 – wow! life is good. Hey – companies – if you’re looking for a fabulous Boomer spokesperson, here I am.

In April 2009, I wrote about Boomers and social media stats. Because the post attracts a good bit of traffic every month, this tells me that there’s lots of interest out in Boomers and social media marketing.

As a Boomer, I know how much our generation spends. And, I know how much our purchasing decisions are influenced by not just our media habits, but also by others in our household.

[Hey, Old Spice Guy, who do you think is buying Fiji, Matterhorn and Denali? Moms with teenage boys who want them to work out like a gym rat, but smell like they don't sweat. Thanks for making if fun -seriously - to buy products that make my young men smell like awesome guys.]

Over 78 million people fall into the Boomer category born between 1946 and 1964.

If you’re looking for a reason to looking into this group, check this out. Nielsen recently released a report calledWhy Marketers Can’t Afford to Ignore Baby Boomers.

Mismatch: Boomer Buying Stats and Advertising Budgets

Boomers spend 38.5% of consumer product goods dollars BUT Less than 5% of ad dollars target adults 35-64
Most marketers target 18-39 year olds AND the influential and affluent 40+ market is largely ignored

Nielsen Marketing Facts about Boomers

* Dominate 1,023 out of 1,083 consumer packaged goods categories
* Watch the most video: 9:34 hours per day – really?
* Comprise 1/3 of all TV viewers, online users, social media users and Twitter users
* Time shift TV more than 18-24s (2:32 vs. 1:32)
* Are significantly more likely to own a DVD player
* More likely to have broadband Internet access at home

Top 10 Websites for 18-34 and Baby Boomers
Google, Yahoo, Bing, Facebook, YouTube, Microsoft, AOL, and Wikipedia all made both lists. Ask and Amazon rounded out the Baby Boomers list while Fox Interactive Media and Apple were on the 18-34 list. Hat tip to #commentz, produced by Sarah Evans, for the link to the Nielsen post.

Where do Boomers fit into your business?

I don’t think of myself as a career counselor and mentor, but other people seem to. Lately I’m getting these questions a lot: How did you get there? How can I get a promotion? Should I quit my job? How can I start a consulting business? How did you get started in social media?

What does it mean when people start wanting to know what it takes to get ...]]> Or . . . How Did you Get from Here to There

I don’t think of myself as a career counselor and mentor, but other people seem to. Lately I’m getting these questions a lot: How did you get there? How can I get a promotion? Should I quit my job? How can I start a consulting business? How did you get started in social media?

What does it mean when people start wanting to know what it takes to get what you got that you have?

Almost two years ago, I wrote two posts that I still recommend today:

Write from the Start . . . How to Launch a Creative Consultancy

Getting Started with New Media Consulting

I was thinking about writing a here to there post later, maybe in August when it’s closer to my company’s 20th anniversary [and I will write a longer one then – so stay tuned]. Since I’ve gotten several requests for career counseling, all from well-meaning folks, I decided to answer the frequently asked questions I get about who I am and what I do.

Let’s start out with a very illuminating insight . . .

Sitting in the back seat on a late night car ride home, two young ladies told me who they are. One said: I am a raconteur. The other said: I am a healer. I asked: What am I? They both said: Only you know.

So, you go first. Who are you and who do you want to be?

Not when you grow up, because hopefully you’ll always be a bit childlike, but right now, tomorrow and the next day.

If you contacted me and you’ve found your way here because of this link, my personal apologies for not letting you buy me lunch so you can “pick my brain” right away. Before we meet in person, I’ll save you time by answering questions. I’ll also ask you to think about what you need to know. I hope you find this helpful and that you achieve all of the success you deserve, both in your personal and professional lives.

Did you catch that? “Achieve all of the success you deserve.”

What does success mean to you? More money, free time, prestige, power, connections, travel? Take a minute to write down what success means to you.

For me, success is not about money – it was once, but it’s not now. Now it’s about reaching and teaching.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long have you been in social media?

My fascination with technology and communications goes back to sixth grade when I was the audio-visual person for my school. The only reason I took the job was that I didn’t get picked to be a patrol girl and I wanted to have some responsibility. I found out I really liked A/V stuff. In high school, I led the radio club – early podcaster? Backing up a bit, at 10 I took my Brownie camera to Springfield and took pictures of a historic tree coming down at Abe Lincoln’s house – a photojournalist?. At 17, I wrote my first computer program as an accounting student at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Three years later, as a senior marketing major, my business and technical writing professor offered to recommend for a position as a writer at a company in Chicago. I said no thanks, I want to be a sales rep.

Wait – the question is “How long have you been in social media?”

To me, social media is about technology, communications and relationships that mix online and in real life encounters bonded by a glue we call relationships. If you’re talking about two-way communication on social networks, I’ve been on LinkedIn since May 23, 2005 and on twitter since March 17, 2003. Facebook? At least three years. Blogging? Taught my first course in fall 2004 and started this blog in 2006.

How can I start a social media consultancy?

Yes, people do ask me to help them write their business plan over lunch. Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. Read The E-Myth first. And, take a look at the links mentioned earlier in this post.

I want to do what you do.

Oh- are you talking about being a mom, photographer, entrepreneur, wife, blogger, volunteer, leader – what? What about what I do is attractive? Who do you want to be in three to five years?

Do you make megabucks?

How many is mega?

Will you share your plan?

Yes, watch what I do – it’s all out there.

Can I pick your brain?

No, you may not. Have you ever been through the Inside Ancient Egypt exhibit at The Field Museum? Yes? Then, you know why it’s offensive to suggest that you do that to someone else.

Can I buy you lunch or a drink?

Yes, if we don’t talk about social media or work, we’re friends and we have something to celebrate together.

Can you help me get social media and PR speaking and consulting gigs?

Believe or not, people really do ask me to recommend them for the same kinds of business opportunities I’m after. Much better: be a peer and find out how can we refer each other. Would you think of asking your competitor to recommend you without knowing how to refer them?

Do you know lots of people?

Yes.

Should I start my own business or work for someone else?

Do you need more than one income besides yours to survive?

What should I do first?

Know three things: what kinds of work you love doing, what kinds of companies you want to work for and how you want to make your money.

Can you help me find a job?

That’s your job. But, if I do find a way to make a connection for you, I will.

How about you – how did you get hired or start your business? What other questions do you want me to answer?

Photo provided by Shutterstock.com in exchange for credit – thanks Shutterstock!

Facebook. Is it just Facebook? Or, is Facebook something bigger than Facebook? How will “The Social Network” profile the business of communication – and capture the spirit of our time?

On October 1, “The Social Network” premieres in theaters. I first heard about this movie from an independent film producer who predicted social networking in movies would be a trend to ...]]> “Why did they make a movie about Facebook? It’s just Facebook.” college junior watching trailers for “The Social Network”

Facebook. Is it just Facebook? Or, is Facebook something bigger than Facebook? How will “The Social Network” profile the business of communication – and capture the spirit of our time?

On October 1, “The Social Network” premieres in theaters. I first heard about this movie from an independent film producer who predicted social networking in movies would be a trend to watch. That was about a year ago. Now that the film’s release is a few months away, the first trailers are out this week – as are the preview reviews.

AllFacebook.com Says The Social Network is Worth Watching

The much-hyped movie, “The Social Network”, which is a sensationalized version of the history of Facebook, has landed on the web. While not much more is revealed in the latest trailer, there’s a number of actual clips from the movie included in this video preview. It’s clearly aiming to be a dramatic movie and it’s actually looking like something worth watching. While Facebook is concerned about drawing negative publicity to the company, the clips don’t appear to be too damaging, although they definitely are drama-filled.
Source: AllFacebook.com Full Trailer for The Social Network Arrives

IMDB links to over 700 stories

IMDB fans can check out “The Social Network” on IMDB.
Did you know IMDB links to a new desk? Here’s where to find over 700 stories about “The Social Network.”

The Social Network Trailer

Scored by Nine Inch Nails
Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails composed the score. Mashable calls him the “king of internet controversy.”

The Social Network Opens at The New York Film Festival

“The Social Network” was chosen to open the New York Film Festival on September 24.

““It’s exceptionally rare to discover a film that so powerfully captures the spirit of its time; The Social Network is such a film. David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin are a director/writer team, like [Sidney] Lumet and [Paddy] Chayefsky before them, that make this movie not only of the moment, but reflective of larger cultural issues as well, and confirm their position at forefront of contemporary cinema,” says Richard Peña, Selection Committee Chair & Program Director, The Film Society of Lincoln Center.

Last month, I taught a Facebook class. Three days before class started, one of my students heard about Facebook for the first time. How do you think this movie will raise awareness about social networks?

Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook profile says, “I’m trying to make the world a more open place by helping people connect and share.” Who do you think this movie is really about?

Looking for a way to save on your 2010 BlogWorld and New Media Expo registration? There’s a link at the bottom of this post.

Depending on when you get here, the discount may or may no longer be good. Early bird registration closes on July 15. Wondering if BlogWorld is the conference for you? Check out Wired PR Works BlogWorld coverage.

The 2010 BlogWorld & New Media Expo will take place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, beginning with the exclusive ...]]>

Looking for a way to save on your 2010 BlogWorld and New Media Expo registration? There’s a link at the bottom of this post.

Depending on when you get here, the discount may or may no longer be good. Early bird registration closes on July 15. Wondering if BlogWorld is the conference for you? Check out Wired PR Works BlogWorld coverage.

The 2010 BlogWorld & New Media Expo will take place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, beginning with the exclusive Social Media Business Summit (TM) conference on October 14th and continuing with the BlogWorld & New Media Expo and Conference October 15th-16th.

The first day is a social media business summit. Here’s my coverage from two of the 2009 keynotes along with a link to my flickr set.

Embracing Awesomeness in 140 Characters

Steve Rubel on Lifestreaming via Posterous

BlogWorld New Media Expo Images

Will you be there?

Save 20% NOW on BlogWorld and New Media Expo 2010 registration with the code “EBIRD”

Full Disclosure: Clicking on the links in this post and on banners in this site will lead the browser to my affiliate site. If you buy a product or register for an event after clicking, the company will register the sale to my account and I will receive a commission in exchange for promoting or mentioning the program. If you make a purchase through this site, let me know so I can thank you personally.

It’s funny. When we work with our clients, we don’t talk about popularity or influence as much as we do about thought leadership and measuring results. Influence comes in when we talk about ...]]> Continuing on in an informal series of posts about influence inspired by the Fast Company influence project, here’s one with references to many sources, including Wicked. Originally posted on July 9, 2008, the information is updated with new numbers and the addition of a new slant: leadership.

It’s funny. When we work with our clients, we don’t talk about popularity or influence as much as we do about thought leadership and measuring results. Influence comes in when we talk about who we want to connect with and why. How do the three relate?

How about you? Are you influential or popular or a leader?

For Galinda, a Wicked witch it’s all about being popular . . .

When I see depressing creatures
With unprepossessing features
I remind them on their own behalf
To think of celebrated heads of state
Or specially great communicators
Did they have brains or knowledge?
Don’t make me laugh!
They were popular! Please –
It’s all about popular!
It’s not about aptitude
It’s the way you’re viewed
So it’s very shrewd to be
Very very popular like me!

Artist: Kristin Chenoweth
Song: Popular

What does “popular” mean?

1490, “public,” from L. popularis “belonging to the people,” from populus “people.” Meaning “well-liked, admired by the people” is attested from 1608. Popularity “fact or condition of being beloved by the people” is first recorded 1601; popularity contest is from 1941. Popular Front “coalition of Communists, Socialists, and radicals” is from 1936. Popularize “to make a complex topic intelligible to the people” is from 1833.

Source: Dictionary.com. Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/popular (accessed: July 09, 2008).

How about “influence?”

c.1374, an astrological term, “streaming ethereal power from the stars acting upon character or destiny of men,” from O.Fr. influence “emanation from the stars that acts upon one’s character and destiny” (13c.), also “a flow of water,” from M.L. influentia “a flowing in” (also used in the astrological sense), from L. influentem (nom. influens), prp. of influere “to flow into,” from in- “in” + fluere “to flow” (see fluent). Meaning “exercise of personal power by human beings” is from 1439; meaning “exertion of unseen influence by persons” is from 1588 (a sense already in M.L., e.g. Aquinas). Under the influence “drunk” first attested 1866. Influential “powerful” is from 1734

Source: Dictionary.com. Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/influence (accessed: July 09, 2008).

How about “Leader”?

1. One that leads or guides.
2. One who is in charge or in command of others.
3.
a. One who heads a political party or organization.
b. One who has influence or power, especially of a political nature.
4. Music
a. A conductor, especially of orchestra, band, or choral group.
b. The principal performer in an orchestral section or a group.
5. The foremost animal, such as a horse or dog, in a harnessed team.
6. A loss leader.
7. Chiefly British The main editorial in a newspaper.
8. leaders Printing Dots or dashes in a row leading the eye across a page, as in an index entry.
9. A pipe for conducting liquid.
10. A short length of gut, wire, or similar material by which a hook is attached to a fishing line.
11. A blank strip at the end or beginning of a film or tape used in threading or winding.
12. Botany The growing apex or main shoot of a shrub or tree.
13. An economic indicator.

Source The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Compare and Contrast: popular and influential and leader

Orange: a popular marketing color

“Popular marketing” gets 70,600 Google results

update: now 85,300

“Influential Marketing” gets 37,300 Google results with two names mentioned most often at the top: Seth Godin and Rohit Bhargava, social media star and Digital Strategist for Ogilvy 360 – could Seth and Rohit also be popular?

update: now 171,000 results and Fast Company now has an Influential Marketing section
“Leadership marketing” gets 105,000 results. Marketing Profs hosts a thought leadership marketing section.

How to get to be popular

Set up a popular social media profile

Learn how to hang out with popular people

Share the spotlight with celebrities

How to be influential

Read Influential Marketing Blog

Time lists their version of the 100 most influential people.

Top 10 Emerging influential blogs project

Social Medial Influence

Measurement

Tracking Blog Popularity

See how Onalytica measures PR blog influence

“How to be a Leader” gets over 33 million results in a Google search. How does being a leader relate to your marketing and PR strategies?

Thanks [again] to Brendan Cooper for the original inspiration for this post – and for clarifying what the Friendly PR Index is and and is not.

Your Turn: Would you rather be popular, influential or a leader?

One way to get attention is to talk in new places. That’s what guest posting is all about. Here’s a post that first appeared two years ago today on Word Sell Inc.

Thanks to Brad Shorr for letting me sit in as a guest author with an article called “Make Up Your Mind to Make Some News.”

Here’s an excerpt . . .

While writing a press release is not rocket science, the effects you get from releasing one can propel ...]]>

One way to get attention is to talk in new places. That’s what guest posting is all about. Here’s a post that first appeared two years ago today on Word Sell Inc.

Thanks to Brad Shorr for letting me sit in as a guest author with an article called “Make Up Your Mind to Make Some News.”

Here’s an excerpt . . .

While writing a press release is not rocket science, the effects you get from releasing one can propel your visibility from obscurity to getting noticed almost overnight – especially when you distribute your news online.

How to Make News Checklist

Who is the story about?
Hint: your clients or your market first, then you.

What is the issue or problem that needs to be solved?
Make a list of how you save the world, stop pain, cut costs or add value.

When – is there an event, an anniversary, a national observance?
Tie into something bigger than you.

Where is the story taking place?
Locally – let your local reporters know you’re an expert
Industry-wide – talk to your association publication about writing a feature story
Nationally – release your story via an online distribution service like PR Web

Why does this story matter – to reporters, consumers, the public?
You have to be able to explain your answer this question. If you can’t, your story isn’t newsworthy.

How will you call for action?
You need a call to action to measure results and inspire movement. Offer a free white paper, a complimentary analysis or subscription to an information source.

What about you . . .

How do you fit public relations into your marketing plans?

Disclosures: Image provided via Shutterstock.com. Affiliate links in promotional banners.

Thanks to my friend and seminar marketing pro, Jenny Hamby, I can now say, “I co-authored a book with social media superstars.” Today’s post features an excerpt from my chapter. I’m the book’s LinkedIn expert.

Jenny’s the one who suggested I talk with Mitch Meyerson about contributing to his book, Success Secrets of the Social Media Superstars. Published by Entrepreneur Press, the book includes about 20 social media authors and will be in bookstores this summer.

Mitch is the author of ...]]>

Thanks to my friend and seminar marketing pro, Jenny Hamby, I can now say, “I co-authored a book with social media superstars.” Today’s post features an excerpt from my chapter. I’m the book’s LinkedIn expert.

Jenny’s the one who suggested I talk with Mitch Meyerson about contributing to his book, Success Secrets of the Social Media Superstars. Published by Entrepreneur Press, the book includes about 20 social media authors and will be in bookstores this summer.

Mitch is the author of eight books, including Mastering Online Marketing and Guerrilla Marketing On The Internet. Featured as an expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Mitch has trained and certified over 350 coaches in his acclaimed Guerrilla Marketing Coach Certification Program.

Mitch and I met up in Chicago where he presented a program on how to boost your sales with online marketing, sponsored by Entrepreneur Magazine.

Read more about Mitch Meyerson on Amazon. A talented author, coach and musician, Mitch also publishes the blog,Mastering Online Marketing.

12 Steps to Transform a LinkedIn Profile Into an Always-on Networking Hub by Barbara Rozgonyi cross-posted from Mastering Online Marketing

1. Use Keywords to Help People Find You.
Keywords are the search terms people use to find information online. The keywords people use to find you and your business might point to your profession, service, location, area of expertise or even the problems you solve. Optimize your LinkedIn profile with keywords in your headline, summary, expertise and your job title and descriptions.

2. Upload a Flattering Profile Photo that Matches Your Image
Worth at least 1,000 (maybe 100,000) words), a LinkedIn profile picture conveys your business image to the world. Are you casual, relaxed, authoritative, intellectual?

3. Write a Catchy Headline that Grabs Attention
Your headline describes who you are and what you do. This isn’t necessarily the title on your business card. Sort of a personal tagline, your headline stands out when people see your profile.

4. Summarize Your Talents into Sound Bites
The summary section is the place to make your personal brand statement. Given that attention is shrinking down into text-message and tweet-size sound bites, it’s important to be concise, informative and engaging. Use bullets to make your main points.

5. Cover Every Position for Maximum Exposure
Expand your connection potential by listing all relevant former companies and positions. Break up your current experience into categories like speaker, consultant and author to broaden your skill set. Then, people can recommend you for each individual position.

6. Route Traffic to Three Destinations
In addition to a place for your twitter ID, LinkedIn lets you list three websites. Consider including your company website, a link to your Facebook page and another to a landing page that collects database information. Use the URL or, better yet, a phrase that describes the site.

Check out six additional LinkedIn profile networking tips over at Mitch’s blog.
Find Mitch Meyerson on LinkedIn.

Preview Barbara Rozgonyi’s LinkedIn profile.

Add Your Voice to the Conversation

How do you use LinkedIn?

What’s your biggest question about how to use LinkedIn?

Learn how to leverage your LinkedIn profile into a powerfull business and social network.

Still sending out traditional news releases? If you’re looking for way to raise visibility, generate traffic, grow business and build an online community, consider testing out social media. Follow these seven steps to get started on conducting ...]]> Today I’m talking to lawyers. Thanks to Larry Bodine of LawMarketing.com for asking me to write this article Seven Steps to Conduct an Effective PR Campaign using Social Media for the Legal Marketing Technology section. Here’s how to start out . . .

Still sending out traditional news releases? If you’re looking for way to raise visibility, generate traffic, grow business and build an online community, consider testing out social media. Follow these seven steps to get started on conducting an effective public relations campaign to reach reporters, and the masses, using social media.

1. Set Campaign Goals

Traditional PR campaign goals often include placements in target publications along with the total number of media impressions. Search and social media news campaigns allow you to be more creative and effective. For example, do you want to reach out to bloggers, grow your community on twitter, build a Facebook group, generate more site traffic, attract more YouTube channel viewers, raise your social media visibility profile or get better search engine rankings? You can do all of these and still reach reporters on social networks. Schedule your releases to go out at least once a month. Higher frequency positions you as a newsmaker and one to watch. And, you’ll get more opportunities to fine-tune your message and measure results.

2. Being Newsworthy

Because social media sites are searchable, every action or comment can be public. You don’t need a press release to get noticed. You do need to be newsworthy on a consistent basis to sustain interested attention. As you’re crafting your campaign, think about whom you want to reach and why, what problems they have that you can solve, where they spend their time online and the sources they go to for news or help. For story ideas, focus on topics that relate to the specific area of expertise or business service you want to grow or highlight. Now think about why and how your stories need to be told. How can you tie into trends or national events? Look at stories in the news now and find connections to what you do.

Want to know what to do next? Read the social media marketing and PR article at lawmarketing.com.

How do mix social into your PR campaigns?

Thanks to Barry for buying me lunch at Navy Pier and telling me how he helps small businesses get unstuck. In the course of our conversation, I offered him the opportunity to guest post [hey - I know a good writer when I meet one!] about a variety ...]]> Barry, Barry, Barry . . . that’s the name that kept coming up as someone I had to meet. Today I’m happy to introduce you, too, to Barry as in Barry Moltz.

Thanks to Barry for buying me lunch at Navy Pier and telling me how he helps small businesses get unstuck. In the course of our conversation, I offered him the opportunity to guest post [hey - I know a good writer when I meet one!] about a variety of topics. Lucky for us, he picked this one.

How to Get on Television 5 Steps by Barry Moltz

Night after night, you sit and watch all the business pundits on network television and you think to yourself, “that should be me!” As you watch the replays on Youtube or Hulu, it starts to make you mad, until you realize there are tens of thousands of people out there just like you. At this point, a sense of hopelessness sets in.

Rarely, does the producer from Oprah just call you up and ask you to be on the show. You need to be proactive in your efforts. Here are five key elements to follow:

1. Be an expert. Write and speak about a niche constantly. Have a book or two published to “prove it”. Get endorsed by other famous people and companies about what an expert you are.

2. Have video of you talking in front of people on your website. Even if you are an expert, producers do not want to take a risk that you are bad in front of the camera. It maybe the chicken and the egg, but you need video to get video opportunities. If you do not have any video of yourself, have a professional produce a few clips for you.

3. Talk about current events. Follow the news. Relate the topic that you are an expert on to what is going on in the news. That is what the media wants to talk to you about.

4. Get referred to producers. Do you know someone that was on a business show that you would like to be on? Ask them to introduce you to the producer and monthly, stay in contact with them to tell them how what you are an expert at and how it relates to what is going on in the business world.

5. Hire a PR person. It is expensive, but it works. Make an investment in a PR person that has a track record of getting clients on the business shows you want to be on. As in any business, it’s who you know, not what you know that will mean success. Their relationships with producers will make a big difference.

What successful strategies have you used to get on television?

Barry MoltzCNBC’s The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch multiple times. He was thrilled about how good the spray on makeup made him look on television.

according to PRNewswire 70% of social media tweets result in coverage vs 20% traditional PR

given at presentation at the UnGeeked Elite Conference in Milwaukee, it got retweeted and questioned.

Some people didn’t think it sounded right. So, I asked the speaker for the source, which led back to the 2010 media survey. Here’s a clip that confirms ...]]>
On April 19 I covered key highlights from a 2010 media survey, but I missed an important one. When I tweeted this stat:

according to PRNewswire 70% of social media tweets result in coverage vs 20% traditional PR

given at presentation at the UnGeeked Elite Conference in Milwaukee, it got retweeted and questioned.

Some people didn’t think it sounded right. So, I asked the speaker for the source, which led back to the 2010 media survey. Here’s a clip that confirms the stat.

Media & PR & Social Media
The prevalence of social and consumer-generated media has led to several changes in the way that PR practitioners view and engage the press. While, PR professionals still consider email to be the most effective means for pitching journalists (74%), 43% of journalists report having being pitched through social networks compared to 31% in 2009. Higher success rates may be a reason behind the increase. In both the US and Canada, pitches through a social network resulted in coverage approximately 70% of the time. In contrast, the standard pitch to a US or Canadian journalist rarely leads to coverage, with 66% pegging the success rate at 0-20%.

Source: PR Newswire Study: Journalists Tap Social Media; More Bloggers Associate Work as Journalism; PR Practitioners Increasingly Leverage Online Opportunities

Qualifier: Results based on survey of a total of 1,568 traditional and non-traditional media and, for the first time, 1,670 PR practitioners.

Two questions for you: How do you pitch your stories? If you use pitch via social media what works for you?

Image: Milwaukee Night Light by Barbara Rozgonyi for thesociallens