This post originally appeared on the ReadPyxl blog. Because it was quite popular, I’m re-posting it here in hopes that it will help more people. But check out ReadPyxl for similar topics. Pyxl is a pretty awesome company (hint: I work there) ; )

***

Last night, I (along with some colleagues) had the privilege of speaking about social media with a group of PR students at the University of Tennessee. In one part of our talk, we shared a list of helpful tools we use to manage social media, monitor brands, spread information, discover opportunities and track results.

Of course, there are tons of tools out there, and more popping up each day. But I’ve found a few good ones that I would call my favorites. So here’s my list of the 7 tools I can’t live without:

1. Tweetdeck

Tweetdeck is easily the social media tool I use most often. The leading browser for the real-time and social web, it allows users to connect with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace. I use it mostly to keep track of the multiple Twitter accounts I handle (including @ replies and DMs for each), to keep track of the Twitter lists I’m most interested in, and to monitor what others are saying about my search terms. I also use it to post to Facebook pages. It’s easy to use and columns are completely customizable. Simply put, it’s my social media dashboard, and I couldn’t live without it!

2. Hootsuite

The only thing missing from Tweetdeck (and my guess is that this might not be the case for long) is the ability to schedule tweets and posts. For this, I use Hootsuite. To be clear, however, some people use Hootsuite in place of Tweetdeck, but it all comes down to preferences. I just prefer Tweetdeck. Hootsuite is nice if you don’t want to download a client like Tweetdeck, as Hootsuite is web-based. But if you’re like me and use Tweetdeck as your #1 client, Hootsuite still comes in handy when it comes to scheduling tweets and Facebook posts!

3. Bit.ly

Bit.ly is (IMO) the best link shortener around. Not only does it make your links nice and small and tweetable, but it tracks how many people click each link! This is useful information to help you figure out what links are most popular and what your followers want to see more of. You can create an account to have a nice dashboard of all your links (and this account integrates nicely with Tweetdeck), OR you can add a “+” to the end of a bit.ly link to check out that particular link’s statistics. You can also see who else tweeted about the link and what time of day people went to it. It’s just really great information to have.

4. Social Mention

I really love this tool! Social Mention is a social media search and analysis platform that aggregates user generated content from across the universe into a single stream of information. It allows you to easily track and measure what people are saying about you, your company, a new product, or any topic across the web’s social media landscape in real-time. Social Mention monitors 100+ social media properties directly including Twitter, Facebook, FriendFeed, YouTube, Digg, Google, etc. It also allows you to set up alerts — think Google Alerts only more social!

5. PitchEngine

With PitchEngine, users can easily create and share social media releases. You can incorporate embedded video, images, powerpoints and more into a hosted “microsite” that can easily be shared via the social web using apps like Facebook, Twitter and more. A dynamic blend of traditional PR and a more progressive, conversational method, PitchEngine opens doors and engages readers. Those readers include not just media, but investors and consumers (friends, fans and followers) alike. This is an awesome tool to supplement your press release initiatives.

6. Help a Reporter Out (HARO)

HARO is an email digest that comes out 2-3 times daily, and is an amazing tool for every PR pro! Every day, HARO brings nearly 30,000 reporters and bloggers, over 100,000 news sources and thousands of businesses together to tell their stories, promote their brands and sell their products and services. HARO is entirely free to both sources and reporters. Basically, a PR pro can take a quick look at each digest and if an opportunity seems like something a client might be interested in, you send information over to the reporter, and you might just chosen as a source! Last week, Pyxl was mentioned in Inc. Magazine. How did we find the opportunity? HARO of course!

7. Google Reader

It’s important to stay up to date on what’s going on in the industry and in the world, so I follow a lot of blogs and news outlets — A LOT! And it can be hard to keep track of them all. However, Google Reader is a great way to manage this and cut down on daily reading time. It’s a one stop shop where all of the outlets you follow are aggregated into one place.

So there you have it — the 7 tools I can’t live without. Which tools are on your list?

This post is part of the Guest Blog Grand Tour over at Life Without Pants – an epic journey of over 75 guest posts. Want to learn more about Matt Cheuvront & see how far the rabbit hole goes? Subscribe to the Life Without Pants RSS feed & follow him on Twitter to keep in touch!

“Personal Branding” has become an idea I wish I could delete from my memory. I get it, really I do – I understand that, especially in this day and age of technological innovation and public communication, we need to consider the things we do and say, and realize that our information is not private online. But we have gotten so caught up in this concept of Personal Branding that it’s starting to take control of our lives.

We’ve become obsessed with maintaining and promoting a positive (personal) brand image – saying the right things, keeping up appearances, being careful not to offend, and dancing around issues. We’re an indoctrinated culture of “personal branders” who are so focused on always being at our best that we lose track of what really matters most – being ourselves – being real and honest with ourselves and each other – speaking what’s really on our mind even if it means we make a mistake from time to time.

I’m 24 years old. To me, at this age, I’m far too young to even consider being “right” all the time. I know I’m not, I know I’m just your average guy who can say stupid things, get frustrated, and retaliate when someone rubs me the wrong way. I’m human – and as far as I know, so are you. That means it should be OK to be vulnerable, OK to be wrong, OK to screw up and say the wrong thing from time to time.

The minute you stop being yourself in favor of being something you’re not in an effort to shape your personal brand is the exact moment that you lost the point of “personal branding” in the first place. There is NO right or wrong in the personal branding world. Your personal brand is YOU – whatever that means, for better or worse, you are who you are and once you embrace that and run with it, everything else will fall into place.

The Internet allows us to share ideas and discuss opinions easier than any generation that has ever preceded us. Use that to your advantage. We have tools at our disposal that no one ever has, so get out there and LEARN something – you don’t have to be perfect, no one expects you to always be on your “A” game, and it’s OK to be wrong and ask questions. Let your Personal Brand evolve and develop around YOU, don’t force yourself to model behavior after a cookie-cutter idea of what people think is “right”.

These are the years in our life where we are supposed to screw up and get things wrong. We go to high school, graduate college, and get thrown into the fire of the “real world” – which, come to find out, college doesn’t really even prepare you for. Do you honestly think you’re supposed to have it all figured out already? Do you really think a mistake here and bad decision there is really going to have a long-term effect on what people think of you forever?

I don’t. I’m open to failure and mistakes because I know they are an inevitable part of growth and success. This realization has allowed me to effectively speak my mind without regret – because at my age, the PR I create for and around myself and my “brand” is a work in progress, not a final product.

What do you think? Are we too young to be worrying about our Personal Brand? Are you as tired of hearing about “personal brands” as I am?

I read an article on Gawker today that said New York Times reporter Raymond Hernandez, who covers members of Congress from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, is dating Shrita Sterlin, the communications director for Rep. Edolphus Towns, a Democrat representing parts of Brooklyn.

According to Gawker:

“Sterlin gets paid to make Towns look good, a task that’s presumably made considerably more easy when the guy who’s supposed to cover him for the most important newspaper in local politics is your boyfriend.”

…and I got to thinking: Is it ethical for a reporter to date a PR pro if the reporter covers the same topic(s) the flack is pitching?

IMO…you can’t help who you love! Of course, that’s not to say that I can vouch for the relationship at hand. However, if it’s real and true, then I’m on board with it! And apparently, the Times is too…as long as the relationship is disclosed and the reporter doesn’t give special treatment to the flack (at least regarding news coverage).

But let’s talk in general here…is it ethical for a reporter and flack to date when their job directly intertwine? And what would need to be done to make the relationship work?

I can’t speak from personal experience here, but I still default to the idea that the heart wants what the heart wants and nothing (like a job) should come between that. But of course, I’m a romantic : )

I just think that this is a situation where your job and your personal life need to stay separate and there are a few things you shouldn’t do. Essentially, the flack shouldn’t get special treatment. But he/she also shouldn’t be denied coverage. The news outlet needs to review pitches in the same way it would from another flack. After all, lots of us have relationships with journos (not just romantic ones), and that often helps us get coverage…so the in-love PR pro shouldn’t be denied coverage either.

For the relationships sake, it would also be important not to bring work home…at least when both parties are involved. I could see situations where someone’s feelings could get hurt. I assume the whole scenario would work best with some ground rules set out right from the get-go.

But as I said, I have no experience with this…so my opinions could be completely wrong. (I’m just tossing around ideas in my head.)

What do you think? Are you a flack who has dated (or is dating) a journo? Let’s discuss…

By: Stephanie Block, Guest Blogger

Last week the Wikimedia Foundation, a nonprofit that governs Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that allows any web user the opportunity to contribute, edit and improve content, announced Wikipedia’s English version will now limit changes to articles on people.

Is this a big deal? Are public relations pros upset or supportive of this decision?

The announcement has sparked quite the debate. So, yours truly has summed up the big debate points just for you!

The Decision: In a few weeks, additional editorial review will be required for articles featuring people. If you edit content, the new featured “flagged revisions” will be activated. An editor, who is a volunteer, must sign-off on any change before it is accepted. Your edit(s) will remain invisible until the change is reviewed and approved. To learn more, the NYTimes.com sums it up quite well.

Pure Failure: ARS Technica’s Nate Anderson recently offered his perspective in “Despite changes, Wikipedia will still “fail in 5 years.” Quoting Anderson:

“Flagged revisions are a sign that Wikipedia is growing up, but it’s also a move away from the original site ethos that allowed anyone in the world to edit any item in any article. That free editability has given way over the years to various limits (including “protection” and “semi-protection” of pages), thanks to repeated high-profile incidents of vandalism and inaccuracy.”

Marshall Kirpatrick, lead writer of ReadWriteWeb, was quoted on CNN.com:

“As things get more and more popular online, some of these [Wikipedia-style] experiments realize they need to temper some of their experimental nature and learn from more traditional forms because they’re just not sustainable,” he said.

“It makes me shed a little tear, too, because presumably it will lead to a slowdown of new content creation, and it does seem like a departure from the essential nature of Wikipedia.”

By adding this extra layer to the editing process, perhaps Wikipedia has moved too far from their initial goals and are on the road to failure.

Progress: And, of course, there are some that view this change as a good thing.

John Abell, New York bureau chief for Wired.com, said to CNN.com, “They’ve [Wikipedia] made a leap here,” he said. “I think it’s a good leap, a necessary leap, a righteous leap. In the history of Wikipedia, this will probably be seen as a pivotal adjustment.”

My Thoughts: I know students that use Wikipedia as a research tool for term papers and communications professions that attempt to tout their product, brand, or message via the online encyclopedia. If Wikipedia is being used in these ways, then I most certainly think for the sake of Wikipedia’s own image and liabilities, they would want their content to be as accurate as possible. But, I also realize Wikipedia is a work in progress. I look at their efforts as an online experiment. Has the experiment spiraled out of control? Is it now being used in ways the Foundation did not intend?

Wikipedia has been positioned, intentionally or not, as a preferred Internet resource. According to NYTimes.com, this site is one of the 10 most popular Websites. Perhaps this type of change is just what our online-dependent society needed to start to seriously question the validity of certain bits and pieces of online information.

I remember researching for papers and having to read the big hardcopy encyclopedias for term paper prep. Now we have to research the research to be sure it is legit and accurate. Will we ever return to the good old days of going to the library, looking through books and not really having to question the validity of information? Are we loosing access to accuracy?

Being in a communications profession, for me it always comes back to the goals. If they have not already done so, I think the Foundation must revise their strategic plan and redefine their mission, vision, values, in order to progress and not fail. And, be transparent with the changes and new outlook.

Sometimes I Wikipedia people I know and subjects I am interested. Yes, I must admit, I even Wikipedia my name on occasion. But, in no way do I qualify as a Wikipedian, so start some chatter and comments. I am anxious to expand my Wikipedia knowledge. For starters, I used Wikipedia as a verb like I do with Google. Do you?

***

Stephanie Block is a media relations specialist at PinnacleCare: Private Health Advisory, in Baltimore, MD. Prior to recently starting a new career in The Charm City, she resided in Arlington, VA and worked at the American Physical Therapy Association, PorterNovelli, and Edelman. Now living in Columbia, MD, in her free time you can find her taking road trips along the East Coast, sipping wine, dreaming about Hawaii, exploring small towns, and shopping at Costco. Feel free to contact her directly at stephanieblock1@hotmail.com.

As PR pros, we know that perception is EVERYTHING! If the public thinks your company is bad, guess what? It is.

You can spend millions and millions of dollars on marketing, but if your customer service sucks…you’re just wasting your money! And when your customers aren’t happy, they now have numerous ways to vent and share their experiences with the world. Have you heard of social media? If not, listen up – it’s pretty powerful! Remember United Breaks Guitars?

Case in point: My boyfriend, Michael, purchased a 2007 Subaru WRX from Toyota of Knoxville. The car was about 25,000 miles used and had a few aftermarket modifications. A big selling point of the car was the Toyota Lifetime Warranty they offered with it, and they assured us the car would be covered, regardless of its modified state. So we bought the car and they issued the warranty…

A few months have passed and now the car’s transmission is blown. We called the warranty company to make good on our deal with Toyota, and what does the warranty company say? “That car isn’t covered. Toyota should have never given you that warranty. I’m sorry, but I can’t help you.”

Not covered?! But Toyota told us it was! So I call Toyota and they give me some stock, “I’m sorry, we’re right/you’re wrong, we can’t help you” answer. (Even though I know they promised us the car would be covered…after all, that’s why we bought it!)

AND…while Toyota now tells me they told us the car would NOT be covered at the time (I know 4 people that beg to differ)…my question is: Why do I have a piece of paper that says “Toyota Lifetime Warranty” with Michael’s VIN # if you told us the car wasn’t covered at all?! If we don’t have a warranty, then why did you give us the warranty paper?!

In short: Toyota of Knoxville lied to us to sell a car…and now we’re out $5,000.

And this isn’t the only problem we’ve had with this dealership! A few months prior, the service department broke a clip on the Subaru’s front bumper. Instead of replacing the bumper, they GLUED it back on without telling us! When our real mechanic took it off a few weeks later to work on it, he was appalled. He literally had to rip the bumper off to remove the glue (and we later bought a new bumper)! I mean, seriously?!

And that’s not the half of it! Michael’s mother and grandmother also drive Toyota’s purchased from Toyota of Knoxville…and both refuse to go back due to the terrible service department which has overcharged Michael’s mom and because of the sales team that’s lied to his grandmother to squeeze a few hundred extra dollars out of her!

I’m sorry, but is this the way you run your business?!

This is a family who has purchased three cars from your dealership (we’ll estimate $60,000 spent), and this is how you treat them?!

In an economy where car dealerships are hurting, you’d think Toyota would take care of the few people who actually purchase cars! But Toyota of Knoxville would rather make a quick buck than have customers who actually want to return.

All in all, this is an ongoing saga for Michael and I…and it looks like we’re going to have to buy this new transmission ourselves. But as I promised Toyota of Knoxville’s manager on the phone this morning:

If I have to pay $5,000….I’ll be sure to inform other consumers about how Toyota of Knoxville does business, and hopefully Toyota will loose much more than $5,000 in the long run.

Remember what I said about the power of social media? I wasn’t kidding…

But anyway, aside from my public rant, I do have a point: If you don’t know how to treat your customers, there are now numerous outlets people can vent on. If I cause even ONE person to choose another dealership over Toyota of Knoxville, they’re out more money than I am…

I encourage companies to take a closer look at how they treat the people that keep their business alive. After all, without customers, where does that leave you?

(Stay tuned for more details in the saga. I’ve contacted Toyota USA, so we’ll see if they’re able to help)

Monday, Mike Schaffer wrote a blog post about Michael Vick’s reinstatement. Anyone that knows me knows this is a hot button issue for me, and it’s sometimes best not to get me started (lol)…but I of course had to comment and now I have to write my own blog post as well.

As a pit bull owner and advocate, it’s pretty clear why I hate Michael Vick. He tortured and killed numerous dogs while running a dog fighting ring. (In case you forgot the story, click here. It’s pretty heart-wrenching.)

It’s people like him that destroy what I would consider to be the most beautiful, obedient, loving grouping of dog breeds: the American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Shaffordshire Terrier. It’s because of trash like Vick that Breed Specific Legislation laws are being passed all over the country, making it a CRIME for law-aiding, good dog owners like myself to keep our pets.

But that’s besides the point. Football players are idolized by children and adults alike. Little kids grow up looking at people like Vick and thinking “that’s what I want to be when I grow up”. Do you want your child to look up to a murderer?! Michael Vick being reinstated is a crock of shit.

Yeah, I get it: he served his time. (And by served his time I mean hung out in his super nice lakefront house which would be considered a relaxing vacation by most people.) HOWEVER, if I killed innocent animals, do you think Pyxl would let me come back to work after I was released from jail?! I don’t think so! And I’m not in some idolized career making an ultra plush salary.

There are certain things that carry a lifetime of consequences, and maybe people need to realize that before they make certain actions (like killing dogs for instance). Just look at the intern who plagiarized a few articles from the New York Times. She’s going to be haunted with that for life and will probably have a very hard time finding a career in journalism. How is it that a girl who stole a few lines will be worse off than a guy who killed innocent animals?!

It really all just makes me sick. Vick is going to be living the high life again in no time…and it’s absolutely not right!

Plus, it’s a psychologically accepted fact that people who abuse animals are five times more likely to hurt people too. Clearly, Vick is sick in the head! But what do we do with people like this in our society? Reward them, apparently! Ugh!

I really just think this reinstatement is not right. I highly doubt Vick has learned any lesson here, and I think his “partnership” with the Humane Society is nothing more than a PR stunt. Maybe the only lesson he might have learned is that the money goes away (for 2 years) when you’re caught killing dogs…other than that, I doubt he feels remorse.

And for the record, the day Michael Vick dies, I’m throwing a celebratory party. You can hold me to that.

<3 Nicole (and Diesel & Link too!)

PS: Don’t forget to pick up a Michael Vick Chew Toy for your furry friends

Earlier this week, Forbes wrote an article calling out Ted Murphy of Izea Entertainment for paying bloggers to write good reviews of his clients’ products and services. The first line of the article even refers to Ted as a “scam artist”.

So what are these “scams” that Ted pulls? He engages bloggers to write reviews for clients like Kmart, Hewlett-Packard, SeaWorld, Sears and Dirt Devil, and he pays them up to $3,000 for a 200-word blurb! Of course, when you know a $3,000 paycheck is on the way, your review is bound to be positive (and they most often are).

So what I wonder is: what ethics apply here? When is it okay for a PR pro to engage (and pay) a blogger to endorse a product? Is it not okay at all?

In my opinion, there’s a fine line between endorsements and bribery when it comes to PR in the blogosphere.

Back in the days of traditional media relations (and still today), it is perfectly acceptable to invite a food critic to a new restaurant to sample the food in hopes that a good review would come of it. And for as long as I can remember, I’ve based my decisions on what movies to see because of what the critics have said. So shouldn’t the same rules apply here? Bloggers are increasingly becoming more and more influential, so why not give them a voice when it comes to product/service reviews?

In my opinion, it’s perfectly okay to give an influential blogger a free pass to an amusement park so they can review it. You’re not paying them, you’re just simply giving them an option to test out your park for themselves – even if it costs you a few free tickets. Same goes for product reviews: Why not send out your new baby product to a mommy blogger to see what she thinks of it? This is an old practice and it is perfectly ethical in my opinion. (Of course, as long as the blogger discloses that such company provided the free tickets/product.)

HOWEVER, paying someone $3,000 to say they love Dirt Devel is a completely different story (keep in mind, I can’t verify that actually happened – just using it as an example). Adding such a high dollar amount starts to create a huge bias and completely kills all influence a blogger has. If you want a blogger to review a cool new vacuum, send them one to try out – don’t bribe them with cash! Frankly, cash exchanging hands like that really makes the whole thing an unethical mess!

So what do you think? Are there clear lines here? Is it all fair game? Or is it all unethical?

Leave some comments please!

In today’s Web 2.0 world, everyone has a voice and word-of-mouth is more powerful than ever. Of course, you can’t please everyone all the time, but it’s important for companies to recognize that they at least need to care about their customers, otherwise something like this will happen…

About a year ago when musician Dave Carroll flew United Airlines, baggage handlers broke his guitar. After discovering that United refused to compensate him for this, he created a revenge music video and uploaded it to YouTube this past Monday night.

The video, titled “United Breaks Guitars” is now a YouTube sensation and over half a million people now know about Dave’s bad experience with United.

So what I wonder is: How much will this bad publicity cost United?

– Probably more than the price of Dave’s guitar. It really is a lesson for those in the customer service industry. Now more than ever, customers have a voice and it’s very easy for them to broadcast their opinions to the world.

Now I’m not saying that companies have to give in to every crazy request a customer gives them (I worked in restaurants long enough to know this is NOT possible). HOWEVER, this is a classic case where the company WAS in the wrong. I’ve never bought a guitar but I imagine it’s not a cheap thing…so United should have just reimbursed Dave for what their baggage handlers broke.

No one wants to give their business to a company that doesn’t give a shit about its customers…and this situation is broadcasting to the world that United just doesn’t care. Of the 500,000+ people that have seen this video, how many will now no longer fly United? I honestly don’t know, but it would only take a few less tickets booked to cost the same as a new guitar would have.

Just proves the cost of bad publicity I guess…I bet United is listening to Dave now.

Want to check out Dave’s very entertaining video? Here you go:

Last week, I blogged about the three reasons why companies shouldn’t cut out their PR budgets, regardless of a poor economy. After writing the post, I got to thinking about PR as a field…and how maybe, sometimes we PR pros just need to be a little better at what we do to prove that we’re worth a part of that budget.

In a world where traditional PR (media relations) is dead, we PR pros are learning that we either need to step up – or fall down. Now I can’t say I’ve been in this business forever and I know how working at a PR firm was 10 years ago (because I don’t)…but I do know that in order to succeed in a poor economy and in a changing marketplace, we need to be better PR people now than ever before.

And here’s how:

1) Understand your client and its business.

For those of us who work at agencies, we handle multiple accounts, and constantly work for a number of clients on the day-to-day. Of course, these clients all have different business models, different goals, etc, etc, etc. However, it can be easy for a PR pro to get into a routine of working for these clients without truly knowing what the client does.

However, it’s important that we stay 100% informed about everything our client does in its business. If you don’t know your client’s business 100%, how can you expect to truly sell that business to consumers?!

So get to know the ins and outs of who you’re working for. For me, a quarterly conference call with the higher-ups of the companies I do business for keeps me informed. Of course, you’re busy and so are they – but if it helps you to better do your job…it’s worth it! And if a company sees how hard you’re working to get to know them just as well as they do, they’ll greatly appreciate it!

2) Understand the Bottom Line

It’s all too easy to worry only about the PR part of the marketing plan, and then wash your hands of it all when you’re done. But it’s important to understand how your efforts contribute to the bottom line! If you know exactly what the company goals are, then you will be more motivated to do whatever it takes to help the company achieve those goals.

At Pyxl, our CEO sits in as interim Chief Marketing Officer for many of our clients. Because of this, we know exactly what our clients’ bottoms lines are, and we know that we have to do whatever it takes to reach those goals. I know personally, I work MUCH harder when I’m trying to meet a client’s goal instead of just my own personal PR goals. Plus, it’s nice to understand how my contribution connects to the company’s big picture.

3) Keep You & Your Client on the Cutting Edge

We all know that there’s some new piece of technology every other day. As good PR people, we are inundated with it – through the blogs we read, tweets we see, etc. (Tip: Make sure you’re following all relevant blogs for this information.) Of course, we sometimes feel a little information overload. However, its important to sift through the clutter to make sure we are keeping ahead of the trends and keeping our clients there as well.

Even if XYZ client already has the PR plan done for the year, if you find a new trend/technology/etc…TELL THEM ABOUT IT! It’s so important for you AND your client to stay on the cutting edge!

I like to use Pitch Engine as an example. At the time I discovered Pitch Engine in beta, my clients already had their marketing plans for Q2 taken care of. However, I knew Pitch Engine was going to be a really valuable tool, so we got it added into the plan…and my clients ended up being some of the first companies to use it. Being ahead of the competition is ALWAYS a plus!

***

Of course, there are numerous things we need to do to continue being the best PR pros we can be for our clients…now and in the future, regardless of the economy.

What suggestions do you have for making sure we are being better in PR? Leave a comment!

After doing a review a few weeks ago on HARO, I came across this very insightful blog post from Ragan’s PR Daily. And here is the article copy, in its entirety (with permission from Ragan’s of course):

(See the original article by Jessica Levco by clicking here)

A list of dos and don’ts for PR pros contacting journalists on Peter Shankman’s free service

Forget the days when journalists called you for stories and waited for you to call them back.

Thanks to Help a Reporter Out (HARO), journalists now have the resources they need at their fingertips. Created by Peter Shankman, this free Web site provides reporters with access to more than 50,000 PR pros representing a wide range of clients.

After sending out an e-mail inquiry, reporters receive responses from PR reps offering information and experts who can’t wait to be their number-one source. For 21st century journalists, beggars can be choosers.

But how do journalists choose? And if you’re a PR rep, how can you make sure your pitch gets noticed?

Here’s what you should know about responding to a journalist’s inquiry, according to HARO experts:

Do: Read the query carefully

This is the number-one tip offered by our sources.

“Give the request serious thought before dashing out your information,” says Shelley Lieber, author of “4Ps to Publishing Success.” “Read the request carefully. What is the angle of the story? Who is the audience?”

Experts agree, saying it’s important to read the query at least twice before sending information. Don’t waste a reporter’s time, but most importantly, don’t waste your own.

Do: Respond quickly

A reporter could receive hundreds of responses from one HARO request. At some point, she is likely to stop reading pitches.

“The reporter is going to go with the most compelling and directly relevant pitches they receive first,” observes Alyson Campbell, partner at AMP3 Public Relations in New York. “So, if you reply three days later, even if your message is completely on target, chances are they already have their sources decided upon.”

Do: Include a subject line

Seems simple enough, but reporters are notorious for juggling different deadlines and stories. When responding to a request, keep your subject line simple: HARO and the topic.

Do: Research the reporter

You can’t go wrong by finding out what stories reporters have previously written.

“It shows the reporter that you’re familiar with their writing and builds a stronger relationship and rapport,” says Rachael Fisher, senior account executive at CPR Strategic Marketing Communications in New Jersey. “It demonstrates you’re willing to go the extra mile to work with a reporter to get the job done. Plus, it shows that your pitch idea is relevant to similar ideas that the reporter has worked on by citing a previous article.”

Do: Give a lot of information

Journalists want details, so sometimes it’s best to give them everything you’ve got. This strategy has paid off for Jenna Petroff, public relations manager at Hardee’s Food Systems, Inc.

She says the most positive feedback she’s gotten has come when she provides a wealth of information in the first e-mail.

“Most pitches will be short and sweet and simply offer to connect with a source or a product,” Petroff says. “This elevator pitch might work in other arenas, but on HARO, I think reporters want the goods right out of the gate.”

Do: Keep the description of your company or client succinct

One, maybe two sentences is sufficient. Your response should include information to help the reporter, not a plug for your client or boss. Reporters don’t care thatyour company is “premier” or “an industry leader”—especially if you tell them.

Don’t: Answer to everyone

Respond to a pitch only if you think you can help. “If your pitch isn’t a natural fit, don’t pitch,” warns Jenny Schmitt, President of CloudSpark in Georgia. “It’s a sure way to have an unhappy reporter and get booted from HARO—or worse ‘outed’ by Peter for a bad pitch.” (Turns out that Peter liked one of her pitches. Take a look.)

Don’t: Miss a deadline

Reporters are conscious of the clock, so you should be too. “Often reporters are on a deadline and they will use the most accessible and qualified expert in the story,” explains Debra Yergen, owner of DY& Co.

“Give them your cell phone number and don’t tell them it’s only for an emergency.”

Don’t: Forget your contact information

Have you included your phone number, e-mail and fax? Most reporters probably aren’t going to have enough time to check you out on Twitter, Facebook or MySpace, but basic contact information is essential.

Remember to include your full name, title and location. “Don’t take any chances on your name getting mangled because it isn’t clear in your e-mail signature line,” says Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, a New York freelance writer and editor.

“Giving the full details in your e-mail response is the best way to ensure being identified [in] the way you want to be identified.”

Don’t: Send attachments

Reporters don’t have time to open up attachments of press releases, media kits or pictures of your poodle.

“If you are contacted by a journalist, the goal is to serve the press, not get free publicity,” Lieber says. “Your purpose in replying to requests or sending pitches is to help the journalist do his or her job, which is serving the needs of the audience.”

Don’t: Be a pest

Resist sending e-mails asking, “Will you quote me?” Following up after an interview is OK, but badgering a reporter is not. Don’t take it personally if you’re not quoted.

Reporters often receive an overwhelming number of responses. If you get bossy or pushy—for instance, you demand to see the story before it runs or won’t budge on an interview date and time—you will quickly lose the reporter’s attention. Be polite, even if the reporter is not.

And remember, even if you’re not exactly what a reporter is looking for right now, she might save your information for later stories.

According to Lieber, “If you establish a pattern of consistent quality and reliability, then you’ll develop a valuable relationship that will pay off for you many times.”