Like most industries, public relations has exploded in the social media world, and in particular, on Twitter – which, given its built-in self-promotional qualities, is the perfect medium for PR professionals to promote clients. But it’s also a place to pick up their sharp marketing insights that, before Twitter, you’d have to sit through a lunch to collect.
From agency heads to social media flacks to journalists that cover them, there are plenty of worthy PR Twits to follow. Note: This list is by no means definitive; it’s intended to be a starting point, particularly for those who are unfamiliar with the PR industry. Also, we’ve largely focused on agencies and independent PR pros here, as opposed to the hundreds of wonderful in-house executives at major media companies whose tweets you should also follow.
Here are 20, in no particular order:
Lizzie Grubman
@lizziegrubman
Why you should follow: For better or worse, Grubman, principal of Grubman PR & Management, put the public relations industry on the map in 2001 by crashing her SUV into a crowd of people in the Hamptons, and, later, through her “Power Girls” reality show on MTV. You might not want to follow Grubman on Twitter -- you just sorta have to.
Notable clients: Britney Spears, Diddy
Recent sample tweet: “I'm tired of ungrateful people!”
Sarah Evans
@PRSarahEvans
Why you should follow: Evans’ Sevans Strategy is a public relations and new media consultancy, and it’s “her personal mission to engage and employ the use of emerging technologies in all communication that connects her with a rapidly growing base of more than 45,000 people.” Oh, and she was named one of “America’s Tweethearts” by Vanity Fair and to Forbes’ “14 Power Women to Follow on Twitter” list. So there.
Notable Clients: Radio Shack, Macy's
Recent sample tweet: “What are your thoughts on a company who monitors all of their employees' social media use?”
Rachel Sterne
@rachelsterne
Why you should follow: Sterne is the founder and CEO of Ground Report, a social news platform, and Upward Strategy, a digital strategy firm. In other words, miles ahead of the curve.
Notable Clients: The Aspen Institute
Recent sample tweet: “Twitterati: What kind of policy changes could support entrepreneurial journalism?”
Brooke Hammerling
@brooke
Why you should follow: A household name -- if your house is in Silicon Valley (or Alley, for that matter). Hammerling launched BrewPR “to provide media relations and strategy and networking to amazingly cool companies in the tech space.”
Notable Clients: Sony, Zynga, Lovefilm.com
Recent sample tweet: “Amazing how many teenagers I meet who are asking for Blackberries vs.
