What makes Twitter such a a valuable PR tool?

In an industry which relies on constantly having its finger on the pulse, it is no wonder digital PRs find Twitter to be such a useful tool. 

The news content, trends and industry specific insight available on the platform are key factors in making Twitter so helpful. 

Reactive PR, list building, data capture and trend projecting are just some of the ways PRs can use the platform to truly squeeze all of the value out of it. 

Brands hoping to make waves with PR should think twice before overlooking the social media platform, and this is why: 

Finding contact details

Sometimes, you will find a journalist who has written an article or published work that is right up your brand’s street and you want to reach out to them. However, it is not always as simple as finding their contact details on a distribution platform or through google search. Nearly all journalists will have a personal Twitter profile where they will share their contact details in the bio. Failing that, shooting them a quick direct message explaining who you are and why you want to get in touch can be the start of a fruitful relationship! 

Identifying trends

Twitter is a great indicator for what is currently trending around the country and world. Trends and emerging topics are often discussed on social media ahead of mainstream news publications. If you spot something trending on Twitter which could be relevant to your brand, it’s time to jump on it now and get ahead of the news cycle. 

Reactive opportunities

By following key target publications and journalists on Twitter, you can be kept up to date with the subjects they are covering and reference this with your own content. A lot of journalists will also look to Twitter for content on specific subjects, by using #journorequest. When working on reactive PR, timing is everything. Fast-reacting brands can use this as an opportunity to successfully comment on sector-specific content ahead of  competitors.

Ideation

With so many sources for thinking of new ideas and topics for campaigns, Twitter is a great ideation tool for your brand. The platform allows you to see what your competitors are doing, monitor news on a national, regional or sector specific level and see examples from other PRs which might help to shape ideas for your newest campaign.

To find out how we can help your brand get on top of your digital PR game, please get in touch. 

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