It’s February’s First #FollowFriday, which means time to fulfill Twitter’s mission — to be helpful.

Every Friday on Twitter is #FollowFriday — or #FF — whenTweeps recommend others within their networks who have worthwhile things to say and are worth following.

I have many #FF choices and I hope to add more to this list when I can catch some time today. Please don’t be offended if you’re not on this list. You will be!

Here are some of my #FF choices. If you follow them too, tell them I sent you, and don’t forget to use the #FF hashtag.

@SarahSkerik — leads social media initiatives at PR Newswire and included my quotes in her highly respected PR Newswire blog.

@PRSaraHEvans — a leader in the PR social media community and founder of JournChat

@AnnDwyer_Crains — writes about Entrepreneurship and the challenges facing small business people

@PRSoapBox — Colleen Campbell, a former colleague, is brilliant and her observations about digital PR and the industry in general are spot-on.

@ScottKleinberg – 0ne of the most helpful journalists you will ever find on social networks. He writes for the Tribune and assists other Tribune staffers with their social media actvities.

@BernieTafoya – Newsradio 780s veteran street reporter. One of the most creative guys on radio and a class-act pro.

@GiniDietrich — Social media powerhouse, super creative CEO, author and founder of the popular “SpinSucks” blog.

@MarjHalperin — She’s a colleague, and fellow radio news junkie, communications strategy maven, and is all over Chicago‘s cultural and arts scene. She is now heading up Mayor Emanual’s initiative to craft Chicago’s Cultural Plan.

@PointA_PointB — My friend, Catherine Morgan, Brainiac, extremely connected life coach who has an answer to every entrepreneur’s question. She’ll steer ya right!

@MrMediaTraining – one of the most insightful and spot-on interview training coaches, who is so good at finding others’ media blunders and picking them apart with great precision

Keep checking in here, as I plan to do a favorite journalists Tweep list.

Image by The Next Web via Flickr

If you are a news junkie and a Twitter fan, you will want to check out this directory of journalists on Twitter, listed by their media outlet. It comes from Muck Rack, which follows what journalists are reporting and talking about on social media. It also ranks the most active journalists on social media on the Muck Rack Leaderboard, which is a great way to follow trends and developing news.

Muck Rack is a fantastic source for anyone interested in news and communications. It was started in 2009 with about 150 journalists on Twitter and now lists thousands of reporters and editors who are active on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Quora, Google+, LinkedIn and more. What’s best is that the list is actually fact-checked by a team of editors, so you know you’re getting great info.

If you want to get even closer to the action, subscribe to the Muck Rack Daily email to learn on a daily basis what journalists are saying. This is a great resource for anyone who is trying to promote their own business, or who is doing PR and Media Relations on a shoestring!  If you subscribe, let me know what you think.

• Get more customers?
• Grow my business?
• Stand out from the competition?
• Inject new life into my online presence?

Almost every week, small business people and entrepreneurs ask me how can PR build your customer base and grow your business?

It doesn’t happen overnight, unless you’re one of those rare savvy jack-of-all-trades who hits the PR jackpot and has your product or service featured on The Today Show or on the Chicago Tribune front page in your first round of media outreach.

It starts with building relationships with the people who can help you spread word about your business.

Look at your local newspaper or radio station. What stories do you see about your industry? Who is the reporter, how can you contact them, what are his/her interests? Do you have any interests in common?

You can find out a lot about reporters by simply following what they write about. Many media outlets provide online profiles about their writers and editors. Often, they’re buried online under the “About Us” or “Contact Us” sections. For example, many major metro newspapers, such as the Chicago Tribune and the Daily Herald (serving the North and Northwest suburbs), have a very detailed list of their reporters, writers and editors.

These editorial directories can be a bit hard to find. For example, the Daily Herald lists their media contacts under the tab “Services & Info, which isn’t the most intuitive for searchers. Often, media outlets bury their “Contact Us” link at the bottom of their web page in very fine print. Take the time and patience to look for it.

If you’re looking for contacts on a magazine web site, often you’ll find an editor to reach by clicking on their “Advertising” tab and clicking on their “Media Kit” or “Editorial Calendar.”

Trying to reach TV reporters? You’ll often find their contact information online as well, although it seems TV stations make it the hardest to find that info. For example, this NBC5 Chicago contact site has minimal information. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, pick up the phone, call the station or outlet’s general number and ask to be connected to the Newsroom. Someone staffing the news desk will be able to direct you to the appropriate person. Don’t be surprised if you get a reporter’s voicemail.

Use the search tool available on nearly all media outlet web sites to see past stories. If their stories are archived (often for a fee), make a small investment to get copies of their most recent reports.

Consider ways to get their attention by sending them samples of your product, inviting them to visit your business, or sharing a new angle or bit of advice on something they’ve reported on. Better yet, send an email, complimenting their work and offering your expertise for a future story.  Invite them for coffee (most reporters don’t have time for lunch, but you should still extend the invitation.)  Don’t be discouraged if they say they’re too busy for an in-person meeting. They really are busy – their jobs have become more demanding. Besides reporting the news, media reps also are expected to post on social network profiles and/or provide additional content for media-owned blogs (or even their own personal blog).

Are you on Facebook or Twitter (either a personal or professional page)? It’s very likely that reporter is also on social media, so take the time to “Like” their page, follow what they do, and engage. Post items on their wall that are helpful. And I mean helpful - not bragging or advertisements. Show them that you can be a valuable resource.

Establishing media relationships is one way to open the door to possible coverage and demonstrate your expertise and credibility.

Next time we’ll talk about how you can use social networks to spread word of mouth and get your customers and their friends talking about you and providing untapped exposure.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear about your experiences working with reporters. What have you done to get their attention?

Was it fruitful? What could you have done better? Leave a comment and I promise to respond!

This year has been tough for nearly every organization seeking to boost sales or increase awareness through traditional media such as print and broadcast, or word-of-mouth platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

In 2011, professionals were faced with a double whammy: shrinking marketing budgets and trying to follow and adapt to an ever-changing media landscape. We’ve all had to learn a lot of new rules and tools to stay on top of social media marketing.

As my way of saying thanks, I’d like to share a few timesaving tools and resources that kept me on top of my game this year:

1.    PR Daily: A fantastic eNewsletter for PR and marketing professionals following traditional and social media trends and topics.

2.    LinkedIn’s Answers: Saves countless hours researching an infinite number of topics or challenges. Why start from scratch when you’ve got experts eager to help on any topic for any industry.

3.    Google Docs: Invaluable for collaborating on projects. Edit or create documents on a Google Doc and use Google’s chat tool for instantly discussing or improving upon your changes. It’s simple and elegant.

4.    Join.me: Share your computer desktop view with others remotely for presentations or collaboration. Others can view your desktop presentations or follow as you navigate web sites by simply clicking on a link to Join.me.

5.    Highrise Contact Management: Following-up with the reporters you pitch, or the prospects you’re trying to reach is easy with Highrise. It helps you track all emails and phone calls and sends reminders about the tasks related to those contacts. An easy way to create, organize and monitor all your customer info, emails and notes.

Give these free tools a try and tell me what you think. And if you would like to review your PR efforts this year, or want to discuss your 2012 strategy,  don’t hesitate to contact me through the form here on my blog or at michelle at michelledamico dot com.

Wishing you happiness in the Season of Giving and lasting prosperity in 2012.

Enjoy these photos as a gift from my personal collection. 

Gifts from an ice storm, by Michelle Damico

A visual feast is often the next best thing, by Michelle Damico

Your passion will take you there, by Michelle Damico

Image by jpo.ct via Flickr

I ran/walked today for 30 minutes. Not a big deal for most people. But I hate running. Have hated running since college. But since having emergency surgery this summer, I lost interest in my power walking routine and gained weight. Now I want it off.

So much of my life is directed by chance, and this little story is proof once again. My new client, Coach Brendan Cournane, planted the idea of a run/walk routine when reporters picked up on this training technique and wrote about it in their news coverage of Brendan (he coached 400 runners) in this year’s Chicago Marathon. I am amazed and inspired by his stories. I’ve been thinking about running since he called me a week before the marathon. But in my mind I made all the expected excuses why I could not “Just Do It.”

Why did I decide to  lace up today? A simple Twitter inquiry from @GiniDietrich, PR Maven and Blogger Extraordinaire. She was following up on my comment to fellow tweep @MSchechter about his run-walk program.

Gini’s question: “how are you doing?” was code for “so have you gotten off your butt yet and started the program?” That simple prompt stayed with me all day. Whenever I checked Twitter, it was staring me in the face.

By 4:30 this afternoon, I said enough with the BS. No more excuses. End the week with a positive accomplishment. And I did.  Thank you Brendan, Michael and Gini for the inspiration and motivation this month.

Once again, my writing and social media idol Roger Ebert is right: ‎”So much of what happens by chance forms what becomes your life.”  Life Itself, a memoir. 

Image by plenty.r. via Flickr

Texting, posting, tweeting, liking, commenting, following, emailing. Key verbs for interacting with reporters? Yes, but what about CALLING? I still believe in the power of the phone call to get reporters’ attention. They generally discourage it and I respect that, but I rarely get a complaint when I do phone them. I also am respectful of their time and deadlines when I call.

A call, even if it’s a voicemail, can point them to your email amid the hundreds they get all day. It can entice them to check out your business or client web site, and it’s part of your brand awareness to a key audience.

In fact, today, I credit my calls in helping earn major placements for my client in:

• Chicago Tribune — a third page story in the front section of the paper
• Tribune Local — serving the local community online and in print
• Daily Herald — serving Chicago suburbs with versions in print, online and in video

And since the Tribune covered my client’s story, the Tribune-owned WGN-TV aired photos  during the evening news!

Without making my calls these stories may not have happened.  An email alone would have probably gotten lost in the deep dark inbox hole at the those outlets.
I always follow some important rules when phoning reporters:

1. Ask first if they’re on deadline and say you’ll call them back if they are
2. Know what they write about and be knowledgeable about why your pitch is news
3. Believe in your client. It’s easier to cold call a reporter when your gut says you’ve got great news to spread.

What’s been your experiences phoning the media? Leave a comment or let me know if I can help.

What if, by subscribing to just ONE blog, and interacting with that blogger you’d get a free ad seen by tens of thousands of Chicago Tribune readers?

It happened to me today and it’s the perfect example of why every business short on PR resources should follow at least one blog. Not just any blog, mind you, but blogs about topics that interest you (that’ll keep you coming back), and that are supported by a local newspaper. Most newspapers have bloggers. Many Chicago Tribune reporters are bloggers, and the Trib also owns the ChicagoNow network of community bloggers. I follow ChicagoNow bloggers Catherine Morgan and Judy Marcus.

Besides loving PR, I also love to eat, cook and create sweet things. So when I heard about Judy’s Sugar Buzz Chicago, I became an instant follower. I subscribe to her blog and receive emails about new blog items. I send her ideas all the time, and after mentioning that  my sister opened Jam ‘n Honey, a new breakfast restaurant  in Chicago’s trendy Lincoln Park, Judy wanted to learn more.

Yes, it was wonderful having Judy blog about the restaurant, which is only weeks old and already has lines of diners waiting for tables. But here’s the icing on my cake: The blog’s parent company — the Chicago Tribune — began sprinkling links to her blog within the online version of the paper. Here is a screen capture of my sister’s restaurant  posted adjacent to a local story that attracted tens of thousands of readers today.

The headlines lured readers to a news story and then drew them to valuable real estate about Jam ‘n Honey Restaurant. How long did that info remain on the news page? Maybe about eight hours today (the ChicagoNow promos interchange regularly online). But hey, eight hours of free PR hours is far better than zero hours of free PR!

By having fun and by staying in touch with people who write about my favorite things, this local restaurant received valuable exposure to thousands of readers!  PR doesn’t get any sweeter than this!

Image via Wikipedia

Google+, Groupon, Spotify, LivingSocial Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media networks may be capturing headlines, but there’s a quiet revolution going on that could change the way the next generation buys consumer items and transacts business. It’s the movement toward Social Currency, a development that is taking shape through corporate leaders such as American Express or small start-ups like Pegmo.com, based in the Chicago area.

Here’s the premise behind social currency: The best way for a business to strengthen customer loyalty and spread valuable word of mouth is to reward customers for engaging with them. American Express is trying this experiment in Isreal, where its Rewards customers earn points by engaging with AmEx on its Facebook Fan Page.

Chicago-based Pegmo is focussed (for now) on the shop local movement, rewarding creative “Pegs” when you Tweet, post a comment or photo, like, or check-in to the social media property of your favorite restaurant, store, or other local establishment. Collect enough pegs and you’re eligible for  $5 to $20 gift certificates from your favorite merchants.

Chicago entrepreneur innovations expert Noel Burkman says social currency is the future, and he believes it will be the next big disruption to the way we interact with businesses.  Burkman points to the start-up GiftRocket. Who needs to shop for gift cards when you have GiftRocket?
Burkman says you just visit the site and create a gift card for any establishment, which your friends and love ones can redeem through their mobile devices. Provide the name of a business for which you want to give a gift card. I love a Barrington, Ill. gourmet bakery called Ambrosia Euro American Patisserie. My husband can go to Giftrocket and purchase credits for me an Ambrosia Lemon Charlotte cake for my birthday.

Ambrosia’s not required to be part of any GiftRocket membership plan. They don’t have to be a part of anything. GiftRocket finds Ambrosia on Google maps, specifies the gift amount I’ll receive and sends me an email that I’ve got Ambrosia money in my pocket (well actually in my email). The next time I’m within 20 yards of Ambrosia, GiftRocket will deposit $20 in my Paypal account and I’ve got a decadent cake with my name on it waiting for me in the showcase at Ambrosia’s welcoming cafe. How easy is that?

Who needs cash when you’ve got Social Currency?  Will you? How far will you go to engage AND transact socially? Would love to hear your thoughts.

And if you’d like to read more about it, check out these links.

Related articles

• Chicago start-up mixes social media, loyalty plans
• Is Amex’s The Social Currency Cocial or Spin?
• Rewarding Points for Socializing

Image via Wikipedia

There’s a great back story to the news coverage I secured this week in the Chicago Sun Times. When I pitched a story idea to columnist Neil Steinberg about the Half-Cap ceremonies held by the Chicago Public School to honor sophomores for making it half way to graduation, he said he was ‘shocked.’ Why honor sophomores for doing what is expected of them — finishing their first two years of school? He called the idea ludicrous and said he’d write a critical piece.

I kicked my self for reaching out to this journalist, but willingly followed through with my offer of an interview of my client, Lloyd Bachrach, the keynote speaker at Half-Cap ceremonies at Fenger and Robeson High Schools.

“Great,” I said to myself, “He wants to talk to my client, and bash him and the school system.” I expected Steinberg to excoriate the program as a waste of precious time and resources.

Steinberg said he’d understand if Lloyd backed out of the interview, but I didn’t recommend that to Lloyd. I offered the interview, I believed it was a great story, so I proceeded with planning Steinberg’s interview with my client.

I could only hope that he would be fair and temper his criticism. I considered the negative questions that might be asked and prepared Lloyd as best I could for Steinberg’s potential cynicism. While Lloyd wasn’t looking forward to the reporter’s call, he also worried about the outcome. He has a great relationship with Chicago Public Schools, and didn’t want to spoil that with a potentially negative story that his PR consultant had arranged.

For a week I checked the paper looking for the story, hoping that Steinberg would just abandon it. His column appeared while I was in London giving media training and social media workshops for a client. I was thrilled at the results! By giving Steinberg full access to the information about this program, we completely turned around his point of view. His negative preconceived notions turned into a positive, powerful story with a message.

I think it’s a wonderful PR case study about:

1. The value in sticking to your beliefs in a good story when a leading journalist criticizes it.

2. Why you must still agree to a client interview, despite the reporter’s negative reaction.

3. Giving access to all facts, sources and potential angles is important, especially when the reporter’s approach is critical.

4. Preparing your client for the worst allows for an interview that is devoid of emotion, civil and leads to a greater level of knowledge and undertstanding.

I couldn’t be more pleased over the results and all the hard work that went into helping Lloyd get a positive mention in this column and putting the public school half-cap ceremony in a positive light. What would you have done differently? Any other advice you’d like to share, or have you had a similar experience with a journalist? Leave me a comment, OK?

Image via Wikipedia

In this tough job market, candidates need to use every tool at their disposal to find work. Using social networks is a natural, because you can reach many, target niche audiences, and mine your friends and family for contacts.

You rarely find a job from someone you know. It’s more likely that someone who knows a friend or relative will connect you to your next employer. That layer of connections is the magic potion that social media provides. How do you dive into those layers to make sure you’re searching every available corner for work? Here are five tips to get you started.

1. Start with family and friends.

Call them first and let them know you’re in the market for a job. Ask if it’s OK to email your resume and a short cover letter that spells out your value to a future employer. Provide succinct bullet points about your strengths and why those strengths matter. Your resume should tell a future employer what YOU can do for them. Ask your direct contacts to forward your resume to those who might be interested.

2. After you’ve made the rounds to friends and relatives, use your Facebook account to reach those acquaintances (or those you contact less frequently) and tell them you’re hunting for a job, are seeking suggestions and are eager to hear their words of wisdom. Direct them to your resume on LinkedIn (include the URL on your Facebook page).

3. What? You don’t have a LinkedIn Profile? Are you crazy?

If you are hunting for a job, you MUST get on LinkedIn ASAP? Why? Most recruiters (85 to 95%) surveyed say they go to LinkedIn first before anywhere else to find talent.  It’s THE leading professional network. LinkedIn offers a variety of ways to showcase your skills, personality and experience. While most counselors will tell you to limit your resume to one page, there’s unlimited space on LinkedIn. So spell out the activities that are relevant to your job search. Mention your rank on the Dean’s List and include the job at the off-campus pizza parlor that helped pay your way through school.

You can fill your LinkedIn profile with as much information as possible to give that prospective employer a complete view of why you’re their perfect candidate. Plus, you can ask people to post letters of reference so that all those bosses and colleagues who loved working with you can tell others why they should hire you.

4. If you happen to have a specific area of expertise, you can elevate your profile with LinkedIn “Answers.” There are people who make it their goal to answer LinkedIn queries posed by others. What’s beautiful about this? The LinkedIn rating system: Answer many questions and have your answers rated as the most helpful, and you’ll be rewarded and acknowledged for your expertise on LinkedIn.  So when a recruiter scopes out your profile vs. another job candidate, you’ll have an extra boost thanks to your efforts trying to help others.

It’s easy to see the questions and answers being posed every minute on LinkedIn.  They’re categorized by industry, so look up the industry that interests you, and follow the conversations.

5. Make the most of that Q & A.

I have made great connections with people who have answered my LinkedIn questions. I dutifully rate the best answers, and I immediately send an invitation to connect. Doing so further widens your network, and only brings more good karma to the job search.  And when it comes to social media and job hunting, karma is one of your most valuable assets.  Job hunting, like social networks, follows the same dictate: “If you give much, you will get much in return.” It’s a great rule to follow in the job search and for the rest of your life.