Tag Archives: Agility Influencer Targeting

4 Keys to the Successful Digital PR Pitch

Posted on September 25, 2012 by | 5 Comments

The key to garnering digital exposure for your messages? Easy. Don’t handicap your messages by ignoring all the different ways your intended targets might use the content you publish. Make it easy and intuitive for people to share your messages with their networks.

I’m active on LinkedIn, and it’s not unusual for me to hear from a recruiter every now and then.  Last week, one sent me a note about an interesting sounding job.  While I had zero interest in the gig, I know others in my social networks might be interested.  So, instead of ignoring this message, I responded to the recruiter, asking if she had any publicly-available information so I could share it with my network.

She sent me an attachment. 

This reminded me of an exchange we had once with a heavy hitter editor from one of our sister company’s leading technology magazines.  When asked what his PR pet peeve was, he had a ready answer.   Email pitches that didn’t include a URL that he could tweet, link to and share.

Consider how your audience will use the content you share. 

In both cases, the people contacting the targets (the recruiter contacting me, and a PR person contacting the editor) either don’t understand or aren’t considering what behaviors their communications inspire.    The recruiter assumed that when I said “share with my network” that I was talking about e-mail.  The PR person is assuming that the outcome is going to be traditional media pick up in the form of a print story.

By letting these assumptions drive their communications strategies, both miss out on significant opportunities for exposure.   For public relations especially, the lessons are important:

  • When you’re targeting media and influencers, take the time to research and understand how their beats and responsibilities have changed.   Most journalists who write for a print publication are also creating digital content and sharing content in social networks.  Even if your story doesn’t make the print publication, exposure on the outlet’s digital channels can be immensely valuable (and may reach an even larger audience!)
  • Tailor your pitches accordingly.  The e-mail pitch that includes the press release pasted into the body of the email (and then attached for good measure!) is dead.

Here are four keys to ensuring your PR pitch isn’t out of step with the realities of today’s news rooms, social networks and the blogosphere:

  1. Provide links to digital assets (images, videos, infographics) in your pitch.
  2. Include links  to the story and other information the journalist can reference and share.
  3. Structure your pitches and press releases with tweeting in mind.  The headline needs to be a perfect tweet.  Highlight key themes with paragraph subheads (in bold so they’re easy to see) that are also perfect tweets.   Call out key facts in a bulleted list.
  4. Ensure the URLs you provide render well when shared on Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ and LinkedIn, rather than displaying HTML gobbledygook to users of those networks.

In other words, make it dead easy for journalists, bloggers and other influencers  to share your story with their respective social networks.  Decisions to share and tweet content are made in fleeting seconds.  Don’t handicap your messages by ignoring all the different ways your intended targets might use the content you publish.

In the case of the recruiter, I actually took the time to send her a note explaining the problem with the attachment, and noting that if her firm wanted to recruit social media candidates, they needed to run a social-friendly recruitment campaign.   She replied, saying that she agreed, but that her boss did things “the old way.”  In this interaction is one more lesson for us all – it’s up to all communicators to ensure their organizations are in step with their audiences.  The up side of doing so is clear – your communications are more likely to be successful.  The down side is equally clear – your communications are more likely to be irrelevant.

Author Sarah Skerik is PR Newswire’s vice president of social media.

 

 

 

Image courtesy of Flickr member Donna Sullivan Thomson.

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‘Dear Blogger’ & Other Pitch Mistakes PR Pros Make

Posted on September 24, 2012 by | 22 Comments

“My time is worth something,” said fashion and celebrity blogger Cynthia Smoot, aka @OhSoCynthia, at last week’s Social Media Club of Dallas monthly meeting.

A PR person in the audience had asked the panel if bloggers always expect to get something for free. Every head in the room turned in unison to see who was at the microphone. I think I also heard a gasp from somewhere.

Cynthia took it in stride, lifting her chin with her Oh-So-Cynthia grace and crossing her legs to show the fabulous pair of boots she was recently given for covering a fashion event.

Dallas bloggers: @OhSoCynthia @TexasHolly @FoodBitch @LivingLocurto @Pelpina

Holly Homer, @TexasHolly contributed that they are bloggers, not journalists with a salary and expenses being paid for by a media company. They blog because they are passionate about what they write about and sometimes have a day-job. To cover an event or try a product they have to give of their personal time.

Food critic @FoodBitch works at an advertising agency by day and writes about food by night. She said some PR people have even expected her to pay for entry into their event, even though they invited her to come and cover it for her popular Dallas food blog.

I cringed. We in PR still don’t quite fully comprehend those writers who call themselves bloggers. And yet, our industry is constantly seeking to ‘work with bloggers,’ i.e. get them to promote our stuff to their audiences.

So let’s cover a few basics about working with bloggers that we’ve all heard before, but apparently we need to hear again.

First, a pet peeve, “Dear blogger,” is tops on FoodBitch’s list, as is “Dear _____.” Or how about “Dear Mommy Blogger,” suggested Amy, @LivingLocurto. All the bloggers nodded in agreement. This certainly aligns with the daddy blogger sentiment I wrote about two years ago in a post appropriately titled Don’t Call Us Daddy Bloggers.

Pelpina Tripp, @Pelpina asked that PR pros do their research. Don’t send her pitches if you’ve never seen her work and don’t know what interests her audience. She gets a lot of email. She doesn’t have time for pitches that are not appropriately targeted. Holly added, “If you don’t bother to check out my blog why should I care about your pitch?”

And while we’re on the research subject, Amy begs that if you mention someone in your pitch that you link to somewhere online that explains who they are. “Don’t make me do the research. I don’t want to Google the person you’re talking about.”

Cynthia then mentioned that a huge pet peeve for her are press releases without images to use in her blog or to see the product you’re talking about.

A PR practioner in the audience said, “But a lot of publications don’t accept attachments.”

“Bloggers accept attachments!” responded Cynthia. All the other bloggers agreed emphatically. They need images and only get them in less than 5% of pitches.

A few more suggestions included:

  • Make your pitch interesting for the blogger’s audience you are pitching
  • Write subject lines that capture the attention of who you are targeting
  • Make your email subject line clear about why you are contacting them

If you are a blogger or a PR and would like to add to this, please leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you!

Victoria Harres is Director of Audience Development at PR Newswire, the main voice behind @PRNewswire, social media lead for @Business4Better and a frequent speaker and writer on social media for business. 

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September Media Moves

Posted on September 12, 2012 by | Leave a comment

http://prnbloggers.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/agility-logo.png?w=500

PR Newswire’s Audience Research Department continually updates our Agility Influencer Targeting global media database, with more than 700,000 journalist and blogger contacts.

The MEDIAware newsletter, published by the team each month and featuring media news and job changes in the last month, is now available. Here is a sampling of this month’s edition:

Anderson Cooper‘s daytime talk show has been renamed “Anderson Live”. (http://www.andersoncooper.com) The second season will feature rotating guest hosts and will be filmed live. His first guest will be singer/actress Beyonce.

Reed Elsevier, parent company of Hollywood trade paper, Variety has accepted a multimillion dollar bid from Avenue Capital to purchase the longstanding entertainment trade paper. Avenue Capital is the parent company of the The National Enquirer.

Check out Miabella Magazine (http://www.miabellamag.com), a new magazine out of South Florida spearheaded by Editor-in-Chief Gina Villani Addison (editor@miabellamag.com) (https://twitter.com/MIABELLAMag). Miabella is a bi-monthly magazine geared towards young women ages 14-21. The focus of the magazine is to provide help and guidance in gaining a positive self-image.

The new owners of the Orange County Register (http://www.ocregister.com) has approved 25 newsroom positions, including Movie & Resturant Critics, Business Editor and Auto Reviewer.

NS: Modern Luxury for the North Shore is set to launch in October. The publication will navigate the North Shore area of Chicago, highlighting the local businesses and personalities. Elaine Doremus (edoremus@modernluxury.com) (https://twitter.com/NSEditorinChief) will serve as Editor-in-Chief. For additional information visit: http://www.modernluxury.com/ns.

KXTV-TV (http://www.news10.net) in Sacramento, CA has launched a new weekend morning broadcast, which will be anchored by Kate Larsen. Follow the station on Twitter at http://twitter.com/News10_CA.

The Los Angeles News Group (LANG) has appointed Gene Warnick to the position of Sports Editor, which will expand his duties to oversee sports for all of the LANG newspapers. LANG newspapers include the Los Angeles Daily News, Daily Breeze, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, San Bernardino Sun, Redlands Daily Facts, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News and the Whittier Daily News.

Good Morning America (https://twitter.com/GMA) Host Robin Roberts (https://twitter.com/RobinRoberts) said goodbye Thursday, August 30th as she is taking medical leave to undergo a bone marrow transplant from her sister. Roberts announced in June that she has Myelodysplastic Syndrome, a rare blood disorder that affects bone marrow. It was then announced there will be a series of guest hosts in her absence such as Oprah Winfrey, Kelly Ripa, Barbara Walters, Katie Couric and more surprise guests.

Live! with Kelly (http://dadt.com/live/) has announced ex-football player Michael Strahan will be Kelly Ripa‘s new Co-Host beginning September 4th. Strahan was one of 59 co-hosts who had sat next to Ripa during the past nine months after Regis Philbin left the show. He is expected to also continue his co-hosting job on Fox NFL Sunday.

Highlights Hello (http://www.highlights.com/highlights-hello-magazine-for-kids) is a new publication from the Highlights for Kids crew that is ramping up for a January debut. This pub targets toddler up to age 2 and parents with reading and picture activities and advice from pediatricians and other children’s experts. Christine French-Cully is the Editor: eds@highlights-corp.com

The Red and Black (and Blue?), the University of Georgia newspaper, is now run by Adviser Ed Morales, who is in charge of all editorial content. Editor-in Chief Polina Marinova and the staff of this student-run newspaper have quit in protest of the university’s decision to oversee the Red and Black (http://www.redandblack.com).

The Birmingham News is going through many changes. The new publisher, Alabama Media Group, has dropped the paper from a daily to a three-day per week publishing schedule. It will now be printed on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The paper will still be updated on its shared website, http://www.al.com/al.com,  which includes The Birmingham News, Huntsville Times and Press-Register in Mobile.

You can read the full September MEDIAware Newsletter here:
www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/medi…

And check out all of the Audience Research Group’s Updates by Region here:
http://www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/mediaware/SeptemberAugust2012AgilityUpdatesbyRegion.html

Follow all of the latest media moves and news from PR Newswire’s Audience Research Department on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PRNmedia

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Amplifying ROI … Return on Influence! #cmworld

Posted on September 5, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Mark’s new book, “Return on Influence.”

What do you, me, Derek Jeter and Eva Longoria have in common? (Hint: The answer isn’t “nothing”.) We’re all – or have the potential to be – influencers.

“This is the era of citizen influencers,” declared Mark Schaefer during today’s Content Marketing World session. As a marketer, this wasn’t news to me, but it struck me. ANYONE has the opportunity to influence. What a powerful statement! And what and immense opportunity for the content marketer inside each of us.

Among many of the non-traditional influencer examples provided were:

> A Mommy Blogger commissioned to Bolivia to help raise awareness for an orphanage — resulting in 150 children being sponsored as a result

> A shy government employee in California who tweets 2oo times each day and has been sought after by notable brands such as Audi

As content marketers, how can we learn from these real-world examples to increase our level of influence, and thereby increase ROI (return on influence)? An educator at heart, Mark provides a valuable framework for amplifying influence:

1. Meaningful Content: “Content that moves is power on the Internet,” he notes.

2. Relevant Audience: You have to ignite your content to build power and influence. Relevancy is what will spark that flame.

3. Consistent Engagement: (Does the term agile engagement come to mind?) Keep the conversation flowing through content that follows Mark’s RITE principle: Relevant, Interesting, Timely, Entertaining.

Building your influence likely will not happen overnight, but by following the above guiding framework, all of us can ignite a flame to shine ever brighter.

Author Christina Griffo is a marketing manager for PR Newswire.

At PR Newswire, content marketing is powered by an agile communications approach – built on effectively listening to online conversations, targeting of active influencers, creating content based on the insights gleaned and syndicating content that is relevant, compelling and trustworthy on an ongoing basis to drive visibility and deliver results.

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Small Business Communciators Monitor Online Conversation With Multiple Channels

Posted on August 30, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Anyone who has implemented a plan for monitoring online conversations and social media mentions knows how tough tracking all these discussions can be fore even the most ambitious and well-intentioned communicator.

That’s why findings from a survey conducted by PR Newswire and PR News aren’t terribly surprising.   Fewer than 40% of small business communicators monitor conversations daily, despite the speed with which conversations and rumors can take hold  online.    The good news is that only 3% of communicators reported that they don’t do any monitoring.  Another 18% indicated they monitor conversations weekly.

One reason why the majority of communicators aren’t listening on a daily basis likely stems from the simple fact that many people find themselves relying upon multiple channels in order to keep tabs of key social networks and online groups.

The the survey found that the topics monitored were roughly even, distributed between monitoring for the brand, the industry and (to a slightly lesser degree) competitors.

The Small Biz PR Report covered the survey comprehensively in the article titled 37.7% of Communicators Monitor Conversations Throughout Each Day.

PR Newswire is conducting another survey , this time on the topic of content marketing.  Your participation is invited!  Take the content marketing survey.

We know that monitoring social, online and traditional media can be hard.  PR Newswire’s new Agility platform puts monitoring different channels in one place.   Monitor your media, interact with your audience, identify media & influencers and distribute your content – all in one place.  Learn more about the Agility Influencer Engagement Platform.

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July Media Moves

Posted on July 10, 2012 by | Leave a comment

PR Newswire’s Audience Research Department continually updates our Agility Influencer Targeting contact database. The MEDIAware newsletter, published by the team each month and featuring media news and job changes in the last month, is now available. Here is a sampling of this month’s edition:

Ann Curry Co-Host of NBC’s The Today Show (today.msnbc.msn.com/) announced her departure on Thursday, June 28th. She shifted into the Co-Host role last June after Meredith Vieira left the show. Recently, The Today Show has experienced a drop in ratings giving their rival at ABC’s Good Morning America ample opportunity to take over the number one spot for morning show ratings. Curry will remain at NBC and head a new team that will cover stories from around the globe. She will anchor prime-time specials and report for The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, Rock Center, Dateline and MSNBC, collectively. Her replacement is Savannah Guthrie. Guthrie was the Co-Host of the 9 o’clock hour of The Today Show and frequently filled in for Curry. She began her new co-host role Friday, June 29th. You can watch Curry’s departing words here: tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=739524

Just as former L.A. Laker Magic Johnson aspired to greatness on the basketball court, he is now hoping for the same success with his new venture – a cable network called “Aspire” (www.aspire.tv). The network is based in Atlanta (more specifically College Park) and was started in conjunction with gmc TV (Gospel Music Television). Programming includes a mix of family-friendly movies, films, documentaries, comedy and music as well a two-hour block of original, independent black features. The only specific programs mentioned, but not confirmed at press time were “Soul Train” and “I Spy.” Johnson has already lined up a number of exclusive, advertising deals with national brands such as Coca Cola, Wal-Mart, Nationwide Insurance, L’Oreal and Chrysler. Aspire’s direct competition includes the already existing minority-oriented entities of BET, Bounce (also in Atlanta), TV One and Centric. Twitter at twitter.com/tvASPIRE or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AspireTV.

A KATU-TV news helicopter helped Portland police arrest a suspected bank robber on June 20th. The suspect allegedly robbed a bank in Washington and drove across state lines into Oregon. Police on the ground lost sight of the suspect, but were able to relocate him by watching KATU while communicating with the station’s assignment desk about the location chase.

Heads up DC political journalists: Politico (www.politico.com/)is expanding and is looking to add 20 people to its editorial staff. The success of their Politico Pro paid service has spawned this need for more quality content.

Check out Hudson Reporter’s newest magazine - 07030. Hoboken’s newest semiannual lifestyle magazine ((www.hudsonreporter.com/pages/07030_hobok…), covers everything from celebrities to food and all in between. The magazine will offer regular highlighted features of “How We Work” and “How We Live” aspects of Hoboken. Kate Rounds is the Editor-in-Chief and can be reached at 07030@hudsonreporter.com.

The G. Gordon Liddy Show will go off the air at the end of July. G. Gordon Liddy, who is 81, is retiring from the show but will still be a Commentator on the Radio America network. Replacing G. Gordon in the 10:00 a.m. – Noon spot on Radio America will be Economics talker Peter Schiff (twitter.com/PeterSchiff). G. Gordon was part of the Watergate scandal in the Nixon administration who had five operatives break into the Democratic headquarters. The break-in led to the demise of President Nixon and was captured in the movie and film “All The President’s Men” written by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, Washington Post Reporters at the time. G. Gordon spent over four years in prison for his part in the break-in, but he came back and became an expert on how things really work in politics, defense and at the White House.

CBS affiliate KBAK-TV in Bakersfield, CA took a unique approach in an effort to fill an open reporter position by conducting an on-air job interview. No word yet on who was chosen for the position.

We are sad to announce that Howie Chizek, a mainstay in Ohio radio has passed away. Howie died while on a trip taking underprivileged youths to Disney World. Howie has been in radio for 34 years and was still working at his show on WNIR-FM in Akron before his death. Howie was also the Cleveland Cavaliers Public Address Announcer at one time when they played in Richfield, Ohio.

U-T San Diego is following the lead of the Los Angeles Times by launching a pay wall. Non-subscription users will be required to participate in an online or print subscription after 15 monthly article views.

Congratulations to WATE-TV, Channel 6 in Knoxville, TN for winning two 2012 Edward R. Murrow awards. One was in the category of Best Use of Video in a small market. The other was for Best Video News Series in a small market with its piece on “Mission to Africa.”

Charlotte area residents will be familiar with the new afternoon drive team at WBT-AM/FM. Brad Krantz previously teamed with Richard Spires on WBT as recently as 2003. Now he’s back and teaming with Britt Whitmire. Whitmire arrives from various North Carolina stations including WPTF-AM and WSJS-AM. Their Facebook page is www.facebook.com/bradandbritt.

CNN International has launched a new program. “CNN Newsroom International” focuses on – what else? – international news and events. It is hosted by Suzanne Malveaux along with Hala Gorani, Michael Holmes and Richard Quest. The show airs 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. weekdays.

MSNBC debuted its new program called “The Cycle” on June 25th. (twitter.com/thecyclemsnbc) It airs weekdays at 3:00 p.m. EST. It is an ensemble show featuring four hosts that include conservative commentator S.E. Cupp, author Toure, Salon.com writer Steve Kornacki and former Congressional candidate Krystal Ball. All hosts will appear on every episode with each person taking turns heading the discussions. “The Cycle” is replacing “The Dylan Ratigan” show which aired its last episode on June 22nd after Ratigan decided not to renew his expiring contract with MSNBC.

Artnet Magazine has ceased publication after 16 years. It was the first online art magazine to exist. Unfortunately, the magazine was never able to make a profit. There are plans for its archives to be available on Artnet.com. Its Editors: Walter Robinson, Rachel Corbett and Emily Nathan are currently looking for new opportunities.

There is now an official Fox News lifestyle online magazine titled “Fox News Magazine” (twitter.com/foxnewsmagazine). The magazine covers love, style, beauty, nutrition, décor and celebrities. There is also a deal tracker Twitter page (twitter.com/foxmagdeals) offering the latest discounts on top brands exclusively for its readers. The magazine can be viewed on all platforms including phone, tablet, laptop and desktop. Don’t forget to visit the Facebook (www.facebook.com/FoxNewsMagazine), Twitter and Pinterest (pinterest.com/foxnewsmagazine/) pages today!

Los Angeles Times Business Reporter Ken Bensinger wins the prestigious Loeb Award, business journalism’s highest honor. Bensinger received the award for a three-part series that he wrote on the ruthless used-car business called “Wheels of Fortune”. www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-award-201…

You can read the full July MEDIAware Newsletter here:
www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/medi…

And check out all of the Audience Research Group’s Updates by Region here:
www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/medi…

Follow all of the latest media moves and news from PR Newswire’s Audience Research Department on Twitter at: twitter.com/PRNmedia

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Social Media Influence a la The Breakfast Club

Posted on June 26, 2012 by | 1 Comment

While there is not a one-size-fits-all strategy for identifying and engaging with social media influencers, analyzing the dynamics of a high school class can actually provide insight into the makeup of the players in the vast social media space.

The personas below should remind you of some of your friends past, but if you weren’t the Zack Morris or Kelly Kapowski of your high school class — or you just prefer not to think back to those years, — pop in your favorite John Hughes film or watch a rerun of an early 90’s television show and it should do the trick.

The Popular Girl – Probably the most identifiable character of the high school personas, the popular girl’s value lies mostly in her bragging rights to a large number of fans who very often hang on her every word.  Quite the social butterfly, she has access to a broad network, and visibility among the masses.  Those who follow and share what she says may do so based solely on her popularity (think today’s teen pop star) and not always because of the quality of the message; however she is always in-the-know and can certainly make you ‘look’ good.

The Class President – The epitome of a leader, the class president has authority, a trusted voice, and is respected by many.  Like the popular girl, the class president casts a wide net and is often sought after to get a message out.   Equivalent to industry thought leaders, they can be the keynote speakers at industry conferences and often quoted online and in publications.  They are a powerful player to have on your team, but hard to pin down since they are wanted by many.

The Artist – With a passion for expression, the artist is the active creator.  While the artist may keep to a smaller circle, they are well-liked and definitely have a voice – usually adding a unique perspective to a conversation.  These are your audience members who are the content creators.  They will share when they find something relevant and interesting — and they won’t just ‘like’ or ‘retweet’ verbatim, but add dimension to a message by incorporating their own ideas; layering it with new insights and spurring conversation.

The Nerd – Known primarily for his smarts and less-than-suave communications skills, the nerd is often overlooked by the majority as influential. However, when one is seeking last night’s science homework, the nerd climbs to the top of the call list. They are trusted to have accurate and thorough information.  In today’s social space, the nerd is the niche expert, the one that is deeply knowledgeable about particular interests and impactful to smaller, more targeted, loyal audiences with similar interests.

The Newspaper Editor- An important character in the high school class, the newspaper editor is a deciding factor in the stories that are highlighted for the mass consumption.  Not surprisingly, the newspaper editor can be compared to today’s traditional journalists and bloggers, responsible for sharing and amplifying messages.  These influencers range across industry and topic, but are strong connections to have and alert when you have big news to share.

The rest of the student body – The remaining individuals that make up the high school class are the majority.  Warming most of the seats in the classroom, this group flies under the radar and primarily mingles within their smaller, comfortable circle of friends.  Although not always making their presence known, this group is taking in the information out there and finding their way – passing along messages that resonate to close friends and family.  They probably make up most of the members of your social media network, but don’t mistake their silence for apathy; they can be your prime target and appreciate the constant flow of relevant information.

A high school class comprised of only one or two of these characters would be dull and ineffective.  It’s the mixture of personalities, the unique perspectives and interests, and distinct reactions to situations that make the group vibrant and interesting.   One influencer is not “better” than another and a large following does not necessarily mean the right following.  Rather, it’s important to find the appropriate blend of influencers for your brand, which will vary based on overall business goals and even from message to message. Ongoing, careful listening – and engaging with streams of content – is paramount.

Consider a few of these tips, and ask yourself some of these questions to drive you in the right direction of identifying and engaging your brand influencers.

Start by monitoring online conversations surrounding your brand and your industry, and review the messages that are being shared.  Pinpoint your biggest fans and note who is leading and impacting these conversations:

  • Who makes up your fans’ networks?
  • Do they seem to fit the profile of your target audience?
  • Where do they hang out online?
  • Are they actively responding to and interacting with content?
  • Are there trends in the types of content that seem to resonate more closely and motivate them to spread a message?
  • Do their behaviors change across channels?

The content that drives action from the popular girl or class president may not do so from the artist or the nerd, as their level of passion and knowledge will vary, as does what they deem valuable or interesting.

Some may appreciate new research and statistical information while others may like to share educational, how-to advice, product specs or broad thought leadership content.  Therefore, delivering content in a variety of multimedia formats, across multiple channels – and tailoring messages to appeal to different segments of your audiences to engage influencers is essential.

Do you have advice or best practices to share around social influencer engagement?

PR Newswire has created an opportunity for thought leaders and experts like you to showcase your expertise and boost visibility by crowd-sourcing an eBook, “The Definitive Guide to Social Influencer Engagement.”   You can submit a chapter – or many – for a chance to be published in an eBook that will be widely distributed.  The chapters have already been outlined and submission is easy!  Visit www.agilitycommunity.com to learn more or email AgilityAtWork@prnewswire.com with any program questions.   The deadline is June 29th.

A version of this post appeared originally the Content Marketing Institute blog.  Author Meryl Serouya is a marketing & communications associate for PR Newswire.

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Inside PR Newswire: Sara Campbell, Senior Audience Researcher

Posted on June 19, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Welcome to Inside PR Newswire, a series that provides a special look into the people that make up PR Newswire. We’ll share their stories about what they do, how they arrived at PR Newswire, and a little about themselves as individuals when they’re not at work.

Sara Campbell is a senior audience researcher at PR Newswire. So Sara, tell us — what do you do?

As a senior audience researcher, I am responsible for updating media contacts for the New York metro region. I have also taken the lead training several employees during their transition from Targeting Services to the Audience Research team. Our Global Media Database has over 500,000 global media contacts.

How did you end up at PR Newswire?

In 2008, I met PR Newswire’s account manager Kelly Fuller at the PRSA Northeast District Conference in Rochester, N.Y., while I was working at a PR agency. In January 2009, I wanted to move down to the New York area to continue my career growth, and I reached out to Kelly for help. She told me about the Audience Researcher position at PR Newswire and I applied. I got the job offer and moved down to Hoboken one week later so I could commute to PR Newswire’s Jersey City office. Kelly even helped me move, and we continue to be great friends to this day.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

I am constantly juggling different tasks. I’m responsible for updating any and all media changes in the New York metro region, and then I tweet these updates on our Twitter page (@PRNmedia).

My position also includes handling client projects and requests. Our team is currently helping clients transition to PR Newswire’s new Agility platform, which allows our clients to target, monitor and engage with traditional and social media from one platform.

Additionally, I write for the Audience Research group’s monthly newsletter for clients, MEDIAware; and I occasionally assist our MultiVu Media Relations team with writing national alerts for satellite and radio media tours.

How large is your team?

The Audience Research team has 16 researchers based in the U.S., with an additional 12 researchers based in Mexico. We also have a team of researchers abroad. The U.S. and Mexico teams are led by Director of Data Services Jeff Veasey.

What has changed since you started working at PR Newswire? What’s stayed the same?

One of the biggest changes I continue to see is how journalists and PR professionals are using social media to engage with one another more. Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites are continuing to grow. Journalists and PR professionals are using these platforms to communicate, share stories and pitch ideas. As a media researcher, I try to collect as much data from these social networks to help our clients better connect with the media. We also use social media to strengthen our relationships with clients and journalists directly.

The one thing that continues to stay the same is the way our Media Research team collaborates to complete tasks and ensure that we are providing the best service to clients.

What’s the most fun part?

The most fun part of my job is the colleagues that I work with. We have great team chemistry and it is a pleasure to work with all of them. We work cohesively to complete projects and update our data, ensuring that our clients are receiving the most accurate information. Our team has seasoned audience researchers with many years of experience at PR Newswire; they continue to inspire and motivate me to grow professionally.

What do you do when you are not working?

When I am not working, I am most likely dancing! I have been a dancer since age 3 and it is a true passion of mine. I just finished two years as an NFL cheerleader — it was the most incredible experience! I felt so fortunate to have the opportunity to dance on Sundays on the sidelines and do charity events in the community. I hope to be able to continue to perform or take dance classes.

I also enjoy traveling. My sister and I traveled to London and Paris last April. The picture above is me in front of Victoria Palace at Piccadilly Circus in London, before seeing the musical “Billy Elliot.” I hope to continue to travel the world and see new places.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years, I hope I’ll have continued to grow my career in the communications/media industry. I also hope I’ll be sharing my love of dance by either teaching or coaching.
Written by Grace Lavigne, senior editor of ProfNet, a PR Newswire service that helps journalists connect with expert sources. To read more from Grace, check out her blog on ProfNet Connect.

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Targeting Influencers in the Sea of Social Media [Infographic]

Posted on June 14, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Influencer targeting is one of the cornerstones of the agile engagement framework.  To learn more about how to make agile engagement work for your organization, download our free white paper, The Dawn of Agile Engagement.

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