Dell adds Twitter to the Press Conference Mix
Dell certainly has gone from zero to hero in the use of social media tools. At 9 am PDT today Dell is holding a press conference to introduce a new generation of mobility products.
The event physically takes place in San Francisco. But it will be linked with media events in London and New Delhi, and webcast live over the net. But what is new about this press conference is the addition of Twitter to the mix.
This is what they say in their announcement:
Dell will answer questions from reporters and customers in real-time online during a global news conference Tuesday (Aug. 12) unveiling the company’s new generation of mobility products.For PR folk this is a new twist too – now if you want to reach journalists you have to get your head around these tools. The journalists in your space might not yet be on Twitter, but it probably won’t be too long before they are. A year or so ago few journalists were reading blogs or using RSS Feeds. It’s just a matter of time.
Users of Twitter, a free social networking and micro-blogging service, will be able to ask questions about Dell’s new products and the company will “tweet” the answers. Tweets are text-based posts up to 140 characters in length.
Reporters and customers on Twitter can direct questions during the news conference to www.twitter.com/Digital_Nomads. Dell will also blog about the Global Mobility Event at Direct2Dell.
Dell is among the first major companies to offer reporters and customers the opportunity to ask questions on Twitter during a live news conference.
So not only journalists can participate in this press conference, it’s open to customers as well. And they don’t have to be in any of the physical locations. They can watch the live webcast and ask questions via Twitter.
This might be a new idea for some journalists. And it certianly is a new twist for PR folk. Perhaps the journalists you want to reach are not yet on Twitter. But it won’t be too long before they are. A year or so ago not many journalists were reading blogs or using RSS Feeds either.
The Twebinar series on Social Media (next one on August 19) showed just how successful using Twitter during an event can be.
I plan to be on Twitter later today to see how this press conference plays out. It just might be a landmark moment in media relations. If you are not yet on Twitter, get an account and follow this press conference.
