Vocus and PrintFirm: A Twitter Tale

PrintFirm Thanks Vocus PRWeb

We interrupt your regularly scheduled informative blog post to share an awesome Twitter success story. Before I get into the details, let me give you the backstory. I’ve been involved in online marketing for a few years now, so I know a lot about promotional tools. Through trial and error, I’ve learned what tools work, and which ones are all hype. When I got my first copywriting job, I found myself writing press releases for the first time in my life. I studied Political Science in college, so I had no real journalism experience to speak of. I did a little research about the proper format, and hoped for the best. The company used Vocus aka PRWeb as a distribution service, which I’d never heard of. Submitting the release through their interface was easy enough, and the post-release analytics showed some pretty impressive results for a first timer.

By the time my second assignment rolled around, I felt pretty comfortable about the process. I wrote the release, and sent it off to my superiors for approval. Then an outside consulting firm the company hired ripped my release to shreds saying it lacked clear direction and purpose. The CEO explained their criticism, and I panicked. Fortunately, my supervisor at the time stuck up for me (thank you Peter Gregory—a true SEO artist), and we ended up publishing the original version of my release. I uploaded the copy to Vocus, and feared the worst. A few hours after the release dropped, my supervisor exclaimed, “We made the front page of Yahoo!” I was stunned. How did my little, supposedly horrible release make it all the way to such a major media outlet?

Vocus. That’s how.

I’ve been gushing over Vocus ever since, and always recommend them whenever the phrase “press release” comes up. I’ve bounced around to a few other businesses, but I never forget to follow Vocus whenever I land a gig. Of course, I’ve been with a few smaller companies who couldn’t afford to pay for PR. I didn’t care because Vocus always reminded me of one of the highlights of my young career. That release boosted my confidence, and taught me to trust my instincts when confronted with obstacles.

Naturally, following Vocus was one of the first things I did when I joined PrintFirm. I tweeted to express my appreciation for their services, and went about my business. A bit later Vocus replied to my tweet, and then followed PrintFirm. Score! That’s a big win for a social media manager, especially in the second week on the job. I quickly brushed it off, anticipating the inevitable unfollow.

Fast forward to this morning, which started out as a typical day at the office. I sat down to outline a solid 6 month marketing plan when my manager walked in, and handed me a book entitled Marketing in the Round: How to Develop an Integrated Marketing Campaign in the Digital Era. “Cool!” I said. “Do you want me read it, and give you a report?”

“Open it,” he said.

Puzzled, I flipped open the book to find a personal note from Vocus Social Media Manager Stacy Acevero thanking me for the Twitter love. Well Vocus, not only did you make my day, your response solidifies your place in our long term marketing strategy. So thank you Vocus…for everything. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some reading to do.

Published by Katherine Tattersfield

Katherine is a professional copywriter and social media manager at PrintFirm.com. She fell into online marketing in 2010, and built her career around this dynamic field. She earned her B.A. in Political Science from California State University, Northridge (Summa). When she's not writing, Katherine enjoys photography, skateboarding, graphic design, and chasing her dog around with her husband. Connect with her on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google Plus.