Retweeting is a way to share another twitter’s message with your followers.  You’ll note that Twitter offers a Retweet button under each message.   I would recommend that you not use this option as it does not allow you to add any comments and it’s hard to tell who retweeted the message so not good for branding.   Here’s an example of what an automatic retweet looks like:

 Compare these two messages to the following examples that were manually (classic) retweeted:

Classic RT allows you to add your own comments and shows your Twitter ID.  (Most 3^rd party apps will let you do this!)    To manually retweet, cut and paste the original message into the message box, add RT at the beginning and add your comments either at the beginning or at the end.   

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Some reporters don’t want anymore than a well written e-mail pitch, but others do.   So don’t rule out the personal touch.  If they are open to it – invite a reporter out for coffee and get to know them.  

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I ran across this short but informative article written by Mickie Kennedy on Ragan -

3 phrases to omit from your next conversation with a journalist

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If you have never heard of HARO (Help a reporter out) then you owe it yourself to check it out.   HARO, created by Peter Shankman, puts reporters and sources together in a very effective way.   Once you sign up (for free!), you’ll get daily e-mails with reporters requests for sources and you can reply directly with your pitches.   You can also follow HARO on twitter @helpareporter.

Last week I participated in the “How to Pitch a HARO Reporter” conference call featuring reporters from the WSJ, USA Today, AOL News and Crain Business.   Here are some of the great tips from the call:

• Most reporters want pitches via e-mail (not via phone and not via twitter).
• Know what the reporter writes about – do your homework before you send the pitch
• Subject line is key – short & sweet indicating what your pitch is about
• “Exclusive” in subject line will get attention – BUT only if it’s truly exclusive!
• Misspellings are annoying – check and double check before hitting the send button.
• Initial pitch should be short, interesting and on target, don’t include attachments.  If reporter is interested they’ll come back and ask for more info.
• Use bullet points – why newsy, why now; is your pitch related to a broader trend or related to a current news story?
• If you include a link in your e-mail pitch, make sure you explain what it is; if you can’t explain don’t expect reporter to click on it.
• The traditional press release is not going to get you coverage – usually old news by the time it’s read.  

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Recently I had an opportunity to sit down with Peter Philips,  President of Philips Publishing Group and Publisher of the Pacific Maritime Magazine.  We talked about the best ways to get a company in print and he provided some valuable information:

Question –   Should a press release be sent out to all publications in general or should the public relations department try to narrow down the distribution?

Peter – “Do your homework.  Make sure that your release, email or phone call is directed at the publication’s audience.  Standard Rate and Data Service (SRDS) is a good place to find editorial and audience profiles for all US publications. SRDS is available online and at most larger public libraries.”
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Recently a client asked for a simple paper on how-to use twitter so that he could pass it to his editors. Easy I thought; as I sat down to write the list; soon to find out that explaining all the nuances of twitter is anything but easy. So instead of reinventing the wheel I found this excellent tutorial “The Complete Guide to Twitter” by Mark O’Neil on MakeUseOf.com. It’s a free download once you enter your name and email address.

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NPR The Media Made
From The Stewart/Colbert rally to Wikileaks; media personalities were the headlines. Interesting interview with NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik

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According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, jingles will be used in more ads this year.   Apparently in the late 1930’s “happy music” in ads was a sure sign the country was rebounding from the Depression.   I think we could all use some “happy music” in ads or otherwise this year!       Read more about the ad trend predications for 2011 in the WSJ’s article “Ad Execs Gaze Into 2011 Crystal Ball”

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At the recent State of the Media Conference in San Francisco, I had an opportunity to sit down with Peter Philips, President of Philips Publishing Group and Publisher of the Pacific Maritime Magazine. We talked about the best ways to get a company in print and he provided some valuable information:

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Rosemary Coates is the President of Blue Silk Consulting specializing in supply chain planning and execution.  She has extensive knowledge and experience in manufacturing and outsourcing in China, and has worked for extended periods in both Asia and Europe. Rosemary recently released her first book, 42 Rules for Sourcing and Manufacturing in China, (available at Amazon.com).

I sat down with Rosemary to discuss how she is using her blog (http://rcoates.wordpress.com/) to brand Blue Silk Consulting and to promote her book:
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