Using Twitter To Get Some Ink
Who says Twitter is useless?
I used it to get published in the New York Times. But don’t worry, I don’t have a new job, but I did get quite a thrill out of seeing my name — well, my Twitter handle to be more exact — in the pages of the Old Gray Lady.
Here’s how it happened:
I follow Danial Pogue (@pogue), the tech columnist at the New York Times, on Twitter. His posts are generally pretty informative. He’s usually tweeting about the latest trends in technology and I’ve learned about a lot of interesting things from following him.
He put out a call on Twitter to his 1.3 million followers looking for “an iPhone app that doesn’t exist but should.”
My idea (which was really my husband’s idea if I’m being totally honest) came from my constant frustration with finding capers at the Sturbridge Stop & Shop. I can never remember where they are. Are they next to the olives? In the Italian section? I swear they move them from week to week.
Specifically, I’m looking for an iPhone app that would sync up with the inventory and layout of the store and tell me the exact location of the product I’m hunting for (Capers, Aisle 7, halfway down, top shelf, in between the black olives and salad dressing).
Digital Sharing
That was the idea I shared with Pogue on Twitter, and to be honest, I kind of forgot about it. Then, about four days later when I was taking a break from editing at work, I decided to check out the New York Times website. I happened upon Pogue’s column on the best iPhone App ideas. I quickly scanned the first page of the article and was disappointed to see that I didn’t make the cut. But on the second page, there it was… My Twitter handle in all its digital glory on NYTimes.com. And I quote:
“Many submissions matched @stinadavis’s idea: ‘An grocery-store app that tells you the aisle of the item you’re looking for... No more searching for capers!’ ”
A couple of notes: One, my Twitter handle is @stinadavis, referencing a childhood nickname. Two, the use of “an” before grocery-store was an editing mistake on the part of the New York Times. My original Twitter post did not include that mistake (you can check my Twitter profile to keep me honest on that).
So, what does my moment of New York Times bliss have to do with you, local business owner? Plenty.
If I can get in to the New York Times with my goofy iPhone app idea (which apparently does exist in several different forms), then you can get your business exposure, too. Maybe not in the New York Times, but at least in local publications.
We use the Worcester Business Journal’s Twitter Account (@WBJournal) to find sources for articles all the time. And nearly every news organization in the state has a Twitter account. If you’re on Twitter, be sure to follow the publications that are important to your business and that could help you reach your customers. Some reporters and columnists also have personal Twitter accounts that they troll for story ideas. Chances are if you are paying attention, you might find a way through Twitter to get some free publicity for your business.
And here’s the key: Reporters and editors love it when people love what we write. Nine times out of 10, we hear about how we messed up by misspelling someone’s name. Rarely do people take the time out to tell us what we got right. If you see a headline on Twitter that you find informative and valuable, let that writer or publication know via Twitter. You’ll establish a relationship with as an engaged reader and a potential source.
The same rules also apply to Facebook. Many publications — including the Worcester Business Journal — are using their Facebook pages to solicit input and find sources.
There is no excuse that allows you to sit idly by bemoaning the fact that your business gets no exposure in the media.
It’s never been easier to reach reporters and editors then it is today. All you need to do is dive into social media and get engaged!
Got news for our Digital Diva column? E-mail Christina H. Davis at cdavis@wbjournal.com.
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