Anne Deeter Gallaher has written a helpful blog post on How to add Twitter to your PR to mix in 9 easy steps.
I commented and suggested using Twitter lists these five ways. All were discussed in more detail during the webinar I hosted on How to Use Twitter Lists & Directories to Generate Publicity & Build Your Brand.
1. Spy on your competitors.
Go to your competitors’ Twitter profiles and check out which lists they have created. You might learn, for instance, that a competitor who is also an excellent blogger follows six other top-tier bloggers who YOU can follow and learn from. You can find their lists on the menu bar under their photo, to the right.
2. Find journalists who cover your industry.
They are probably on somebody’s list. I just Googled “health care reporters” and found the AARP’s Twitter list called “Health Reporters.” Even though there are only two people on the list, it might grow. When you find a good list, you can follow the entire list, or you can select certain people on that list and follow them.
3. Learn how people perceive your brand.
Go to your own Twitter profile page. On the right side, at the top, you’ll see the word “Listed” with a number under it. I’m on 784 lists. I clicked on “Listed,” scanned it, and learned very quickly that people perceive me to be an expert in PR, publicity, public relations, social media and Internet marketing (all are correct). But I was surprised to see that a few people put me on lists for geeks, uber-geeks and green.
4. Promote your expertise.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to people on Twitter who have created lists that you think you or your clients should be on. They might be thrilled to hear from you and add you to their lists.
5. Save time.
Create your own list of experts in a certain field, perhaps people who offer the best content worth retweeting. Check in periodically with that list and you can quickly find all their tweets without having to sort through your miles-long feed looking for the golden nuggets.
How do you use Twitter or Twitter lists in your PR, publicity or marketing campaigns?
You are a genius! I have been looking for a novel way to top my competitors. Thanks
Don’t forget that you can place yourself on your own lists. I am a publicity expert and have created a list called “publicity experts.” I was careful to remember to put myself on that list, just in case other people come across it and subscribe to the entire list.
Joan:
Thanks for the link and mention of my How to add Twitter to your PR mix in 9 easy steps post. Your Twitter list tips are excellent! Lists are a valuable tool to see just how people perceive you and your clients. By checking the lists of leading journalists and bloggers you can determine who the experts are in specific industries and what sources they may need. Honored to be mentioned on your site! Love your steady channel of expert advice for communications and PR pros.
Gratefully,
Anne Deeter Gallaher
Glad to be able to refer my Hounds to YOUR great content.