Social networking stands to be a strong training ground for media readiness, and entrepreneurs need to pay attention to sites like Twitter and Facebook for a dose of free media training.

Any media pro will tell you that in order to get consistently called upon for expert commentary, you need to speak in catchy sound bites. What better place to practice than the quick pitch worlds of Facebook and Twitter?

Here are 4 ways to use social networking to get you media ready:

1. Make Your Social Networking Profiles Media Friendly
Use your social networking profile as a media page by concisely saying who you are, what you do, what answers you provide, and how you help clients. Arrange it like you would a media page: strategically include mentions of your work, areas of expertise, client success stories, FAQs, and kudos from others.

2. Spotlight Success Stories
Use the blogs and other features to spotlight your successes as well as the successes of your clients. This will help build credibility and demonstrate authority in your subject. Invite your clients to drop comments on your page, adding a visibility boost to both you and them.

3. Go Multi-Media
Use video, audio, and RSS feeds to keep your content lively and up-to-date. Video and audio will not only showcase your expertise, but will act as a video demo, something professional speakers pay thousands to have produced and marketed! Your well created video tips can pave the way to TV exposure, speaking engagements, joint ventures and more!

4. Use Twitter to Practice Speaking in Sound Bites
Twitter is the ultimate place to learn to be succinct, another key skill for media success. Long-winded answers can get rewritten by journalists, possibly changing the meaning or intention. Twitter’s 140 character entries force users to get to the point. This is a prized talent when interacting with the media!

Communication keeps getting shorter and shorter, and it’s wise to keep up with the trend by practicing being clear and concise on social networking pages. Use your pages to spotlight the highlights of your business or career, serving as an “at-a-glance” view of who you are and what information you can provide to the media. When you take the guesswork out of busy journalist’s lives, you’re more likely to be contacted and called upon for expert commentary.

Would you like to reprint this article? You may as long as you include this blurb in its entirety:
Nancy Marmolejo is a PR, media, and social networking strategist who teaches women entrepreneurs how to generate more money and attention by positioning themselves in the spotlight. An award winning business owner, Nancy is frequently quoted in the areas of business, creativity, and social networking. Get Nancy’s 7 part free audio course by visiting www.VivaVisibility.com

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!