PR Pros to Get a Database of Twitter Users by Mid-Year

PR Newser reports that Cision, a very respectable company that runs a media database used by thousands of public relations professionals, will expand its reporter and blogger data to include Twitter user handles by mid year. It's unclear if they will only link existing profiles to their Twitter handles or if Cision will also replicate the broader set of tools that Twitter already offers.

Regardless, while this is hardly unexpected given Twitter's growth (and it's the right move for CIsion and the industry), it may mean changes for the more influential users of the micro-blogging service. For starters, Twitter users may soon see an influx of in-bound pitches from PR pros. Most likely these could come in the form of 150-character direct messages (DMs) since most Twitterati don't usually post their email address.

My advice to those of you in PR is to participate first, pitch later (this is counsel my colleague Phil Gomes regularly teaches). Ideally I would love to see everyone in PR be on Twitter but only if we add value. This means that we must transparently and openly participate in conversations, always respect the community and build relationships. Do this (and do this well) and most everyone will be happy to hear our pitches. 

Hopefully when Twitter data arrives on PR professionals' desktops by mid-year it won't encourage us to pollute Twitter with DM pitches. Rather, we'll use the info to be smarter. Then again, alot of this data is already out there so maybe this is all moot.

Comments

[Bob Wan Kim]

RT @chrisbrogan : You summarized my entire sm explanation... RT: "Forget marketing and just be useful. That's what @briansolis does." - @journik

[Steve Rubel]

Bob, that's what we all should do.

[Aaron]

DMs require the recipient be following the sender. I can guarantee that if the first contact I have after following someone is a DM PR pitch they're getting unfollowed and blocked immediately.

[Steve Rubel]

A lot of people though add all of their followers as friends so we shallsee.

[Zane Safrit]

I'm with Aaron. And honestly, I've not seen signs the PR agency understands this open and transparent conversation, listen first then participate.... M-O. And I think the tone of this post communicates the same concerns.

But, hey. Hope springs eternal. And 'tis the season for change. Maybe in the next 5.5 months...things will change.

[Jay Krall]

Hi Steve, Jay Krall from Cision here. I just wanted to echo your point about the importance of participating first and pitching later. We understand that blatant self-promotion isn't welcome on Twitter and we're doing a lot to educate our clients and the PR community at large about what's appropriate there and on other social networks, through white papers, webinars, conferences and our blog. We believe PR professionals can use tools like Twitter to take part in valuable conversations, and the "spray and pray" approach won't work any better there than it does by e-mail or any other means. Thanks.

[Steve Rubel]

Jay, thanks. I know you guys do a great job here.

[Natalie Secretan]

Wise words to follow ~ no pun intended.

[Steve Safran]

Steve: I'm all for Twitter sharing their database, especially if it means they will make money and sustain their business. I hope, hope hope the PR Pros follow your good advice and that they engage in the conversation rather than use Twitter as a pitch machine. Fortunately, it would be self-limiting behavior, because of the opt-in, opt-out nature of Twitter. Pitching and DM would be the WORST thing a marketer could do (except once in a while, if it's audience-appropriate) because it would simply mean they would have no followers.

Great advice - as always.

[adam isserlis]

Twitter has become a fantastic listening device. Sure I've used it to pitch, but only sparingly, and when I know the reporter prefers that means of communication and we've already developed a relationship elsewhere.

This development will be great for publicists, but only if we use the information wisely - to get a better understanding of what reporters want and what they're working on. That's always been our job by the way, this just adds another data point.