Despite what some people say, traditional journalism still is an important marketing tool in many industries. But can you use social tools to get covered in a magazine? Yes you can.

One strength of using social media is the ability to build relationships, and you can do it with the key journalists within your industry. If you haven’t identified them yet, start there. Once you know who they are, find out if they have a blog or Twitter account. By leaving comments and participating in the conversation, you can create a connection with these journalists and increase the possibility to get covered in the future.

Just remember that spamming these people with commercial messages will give the opposite effect. This is a long-term solution, not a quick fix.