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V O L . X X V N O. X V I 54 Fact Book / Doing Business in Maine B U S I N E S S R E S O U R C E S Y our company's social media can be used as to attract the attention of the mainstream media and generate positive publicity. If you post newswor- thy items on your social media on a regular basis, then reporters, editors and other journalists will think of your com- pany as a source for story ideas. Social media is the perfect way to garner posi- tive attention in the mainstream news. Below you will find the 10 best ways to attract the attention of mainstream media using your social networks. 1. Use LinkedIn to post newsworthy items: Posting stories, photos and videos about updates at your business on an ongoing basis can easily show mainstream media the impressive growth going on at your company. 2. Post story links about your com- pany: Using already published trade publication stories, television news stories and newspaper stories about changes happening at your company can not only show your follow- ers what is going on but can inspire other outlets to cover the story. 3. Post links to national stories about your industry: Create a post that includes a link to industry news that makes a connection to what is happening in your market or region. e connection to a bigger story may interest regional outlets. 4. Create a video about how your product or service is made: A video can show the unique processes you use to create your products, which in turn can garner media attention. Everyone loves going behind the curtain to see how things are made. 5. Provide photos of the problem or action: Posting images that contain a problem your company is working to solve can provide a newsworthy angle. Showing the actions your busi- ness is taking may also be worthy of a story. Even if your company is not part of the solution, the media may value the resource you have provided. 6. Conduct a poll to show change or support: Conducting a poll or sharing results on social media will make solid data about your company and follower reactions easy for media to collect that may be pertinent to a piece they are working on. e results may also show a newsworthy trend, breaking the status quo, wor- thy of its own story. 7. Use video for crisis management: Responding quickly to a company crisis is essential to reducing the neg- ative news. Using video and posting on social media in a timely manner allows mainstream media to show their audiences your side of the story. 8. Engage with the media on Twitter: By engaging on social media plat- forms such as Twitter, you can gain the attention of the editor or reporter. is technique is best implemented by liking posts and leaving meaning- ful comments. 9. Before pitching, develop relation- ships using social media: Rather than cold pitching, a relationship can be nurtured through social media. Taking the time to view and let posted information sink in before reacting, whether comment- ing or liking, shows the media con- tact that you care about their work or personal opinions, making you a trusted source. 10. Regularly post tips on a topic you want to be known for: Start by determining areas where you possess expertise, then regularly post tips, tricks and knowledge based on that expertise. When media are develop- ing stories related to these areas of expertise, they know they can turn to you as a source. Following these practices will help show journalists that your company is serious about the products or services you provide, that you truly care about the topics the outlet covered, that you are well informed of industry news, and that you can be relied on as a trustwor- thy source. Not only can social media be used to make covering a story easier for media, but you can also form long-last- ing relationships that will increase your media coverage in the future. N a n c y M a r s h a l l i s t h e f o u n d e r a n d C E O o f M a r s h a l l C o m m u n i c a t i o n s and host of " The PR Maven" p o d c a s t . S h e c a n b e r e a c h e d a t n m a r s h a l l @ m a r s h a l l p r . c o m H OW TO B Y N A N C Y M A R S H A L L Use your company's social media to attract mainstream media attention 9 Wireless Data Center cabling Telephony Virtualization Security Fiber Optics B U S I N E S S R E S O U R C E S

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