Pitching to media via LinkedIn ads: the way forward for PRs?

3 August 2012
by Charlotte Stoel
Tags: digital PR, LinkedIn, media relations, PR pitch, Twitter

I can’t imagine a world when PR people pitched stories without email and the web, but according to our CEO that was the case when she set-up Firefly. Now, in this digital age, we’re likely to catch the interest of journalists and bloggers on Twitter, with some even asking us to only pitch to them this way – you know who you are!

Personally, Twitter would be the only social media channel I would use to pitch (and I do use it in a selective way) but I recently found out that an online marketing agency in the US is suggesting a new medium; LinkedIn ads. So, how does it work? Essentially, PRs write a pitch that is no longer than 75 characters; there really is no room whatsoever for fluff. This text goes into an ad where reporters can click through to see more information. The upsides to this are that:

• You have a clear way of measuring interest
• This is not a disruptive form of pitching
• You learn to hone your pitch to the really important bits

The downside? Unfortunately, for me there are many:

• It costs money
• It makes it harder to tailor pitches
• Slow turnaround
• It’s impersonal
• You’re not part of the process, so can’t add value like you can in a conversation

Most importantly, I would feel – and I’m sure many PRs would agree – like this is a very passive approach. When you’re motivated to get the best results for your clients, sitting back and waiting for a response wouldn’t work for me. However, maybe there is scope to use this approach in tandem with more traditional outreach mediums such as phone and email? It makes sense, but the returns on investment still need to be proven.