Tag Archives: press release

Content We Love: 5 Broken Cameras’ Multimedia

Posted on February 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

“Content We Love” is a weekly feature written by a team of our content specialists. We’re showcasing some of the great content distributed through our channels, and our content specialists are up for the task: they spend a lot of time with the press releases and other content our customers create, proof reading and formatting it, suggesting targeted distribution strategy and offering SEO advice. In Content We Love, we’re going to shine the spotlight on the press releases and other messages that stood out to us, and we’ll tell you why. We hope you find the releases enjoyable and the insights gained from discussing them enlightening.

5 broke cameras

And the 2013 Academy Award Nominees are…

Oscar season. To me, it is a reason to celebrate. Every year the scenario is the same, my ballot sheet is printed and come the last Sunday in February, I stand in anticipation to learn who are the winners.

  • The motion picture industry shapes our lives. Dinner and movies shape “date night” and when we peruse the news, video and images seek our attention.

So how fitting: my gaze could not be broken when the multimedia assets on 5 BROKEN CAMERAS Nominated for Oscar® captured my attention.

How fitting it is to have key images
and the movie trailer on the actual release!

The goal of issuing content is to:

  1. have people read it
  2. have people act on it
  3. have people remember it

Chances are, if you’re sending a release, you have a message, a story to share. The hopes are that people will not only see it, but read it, act on it (share, print, comment, etc), and also remember it. And what is memorable? Multimedia!

*Including multimedia components increases the visibility of your message.

Why?

People are drawn to images and videos!

5 BROKEN CAMERAS Nominated for Oscar®, a release about a documentary, scored well in my book for compiling not just an image or two, but including the movie trailer.

The release combines the information of being Oscar-nominated and the story of Emad Burnat– and gives every single reader the opportunity to share in the experience, by way of the 2 minute trailer!

As you know, we live in an instant-gratification type of world. The likelihood of someone searching for a video versus pressing play on the same page as the release definitely favors the latter. If you have available video, available images, infographics, etc– add them! No more expecting people to search for your information… deliver it directly!

If pictures are worth a thousand words, keep the conversation going on your release with multimedia components!

Big thanks to Kino Lorber for letting us share in the story and the release and congratulations on the Oscar nomination!


http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/5-broken-cameras-nominated-for-oscar-189105081.html

Author Emily Nelson is a Customer Content Specialist for PR Newswire. Follow her adventures on www.bellesandawhistle.wordpress.com or on twitter www.twitter.com/emilyannnelson.

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Content We Love: American DG Energy’s Catch and Release

Posted on February 1, 2013 by | Leave a comment

ContentWeLove“Content We Love” is a weekly feature written by a team of our content specialists. We’re showcasing some of the great content distributed through our channels, and our content specialists are up for the task: they spend a lot of time with the press releases and other content our customers create, proof reading and formatting it, suggesting targeted distribution strategy and offering SEO advice. In Content We Love, we’re going to shine the spotlight on the press releases and other messages that stood out to us, and we’ll tell you why. We hope you find the releases enjoyable and the insights gained from discussing them enlightening.

Talk about a jail-house rock!

Movie trailers hold a special and dear place in my heart. I always must arrive to the movie early so I can watch the color dance before my eyes. The purpose, naturally, is to showcase what is coming out soon in the theatres… but even more so, to catch you in an incredible hook. Turn a story into a must-see.

  • What does this have in common to a press release?

The trailer is the headline.

The headline is what is first seen, and sometimes only seen in regards to press releases. Therefore, how imperative it is to have a terrific headline!

energy headline

When the writers of a press release release about an energy contract for a jail transformed their message with the headline, “Reduced Energy Costs Begin 15-year Sentence at Cumberland County Jail” – people took notice!

It wasn’t long before a conversation began on LinkedIn to discuss the headline. Not only did people see the release, they read it, and then commented on it.

Our own VP of Social Media, Sarah Skerik, joined the commentary in favor of the catchy headline.

From a technical standpoint, it’s short, and our research indicates that headlines between 100 – 120 characters (not words!) get the most reads. There is a precipitous drop in average reads for headlines that are longer than 140 characters.

  • Rule of thumb is to always keep it simple.

Also from a technical standpoint, I like the fact that the headline has a search key phrase (reduced energy costs) in the headline.

  • Gone are the days of keyword-strings. Now a release is optimized by using a few primary keywords that are relevant throughout the release

Finally, it’s quirky and dare I even say fun, which given the subject matter – a municipal energy contract! – is really saying something. Had I seen it on the wire when it went out, I would have been apt to tweet it, for its clever quirkiness.

  • Personally, I love puns. I appreciate when words are played with, turned on themselves, or find liberation from doing hard time. The headline, once read, causes the reader to astoundingly proclaim, “What?!” due to the wonderful play on words.

My inner eight year old has something to say about this headline, too. “Made ya look!”

With the primary goal to have people read your release, a great headline is the ultimate first step to achieve that. Catch your reader with your press release!

Hearty appreciation to American DG Energy for their catchy release!


http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/reduced-energy-costs-begin-15-year-sentence-at-cumberland-county-jail-186158122.html

Author Emily Nelson is a Customer Content Specialist for PR Newswire. Follow her adventures on www.bellesandawhistle.wordpress.com or on twitter www.twitter.com/emilyannnelson.

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The Difference between Social Media News Releases & Traditional Press Releases

Posted on January 24, 2013 by | 7 Comments

first mnrWhat’s the difference between a social media press release and the more traditional version?  This is one of the most common questions we receive here at PR Newswire, and the answer is simpler than you may think.

At the outset, the social media news release (SMNR) — originally conceived by Todd Defren of Shift Communications — looked pretty complex, incorporating a host of multimedia assets as well as links to related information, such as other press releases from the company and quotes from experts.    The emphasis on the format intimidated many, and frankly, continues to do so today.

The difference between the two release types, in our mind, is pretty clear.  A social media release at its most basic is easy for readers to scan, includes elements (text, multimedia, etc.) that are easy to share, and offers readers ready access to a collection of associated, relevant information.   A more traditional message lacks these features.

Easy, social-friendly formatting:

When asked about social media press releases, we like to emphasize key features that are easy for almost any PR pro to incorporate, rather than focusing on a specific format.  It’s important to do the best you can with what you have, and let’s face it, you may not have a cool video or sleek graphic for each message. Social- and traditional media friendly features all releases should all include:

  • Sharing: Make it easy for readers to share your content. Embed buttons for social sharing, blogging and other interactions within your news release pages, and be sure the vendors you use have social sharing buttons embedded in the versions of the press releases they host on their web sites for you.
  • “Scannability”: As you write your release, you’ll want to be sure the text is easy for readers to scan.  Using bold subheads and bulleted lists enables readers to quickly scan the document and readily ascertain the key points. This tactic improves reader engagement. As a bonus, key pieces of text like headlines, subheads and key bullet points are often relayed on social networks.  Use bold text on your subheads, and don’t forget anchor text links, which draw the eye to key terms.
  • Links:  Embedded anchor text links, as well as links to more information, are welcomed by readers if they deliver on the promise of providing more information or an answer to a question.   The content to which you link has to be specific.  It’s of little use to your reader, for example, to link from a product name in a press release to your company’s home page.  Don’t make your reader navigate their way to the information. Serve it up on a platter.
  • Contact information: This piece of advice comes from the team that builds and maintains our MediaRoom products (we host media and IR sites for clients.) Contact information needs to be at the top of the page, in a prominent position, and it needs to include a means to reach company contacts directly. Journalists and bloggers work in tight timeframes. They appreciate having ready access to your organization’s media contacts. This is not the place for a generic “email us” form.

Visuals

Now, on to the fun stuff.  Visuals are important, for a number of reasons.  In addition to attracting attention and ultimately delivering better results than plain text copy, visuals encourage social sharing, thus amplifying your message and increasing your audience.

  • Distribute & Share:  If you have a image or  video, don’t just host the video on your web site. Upload it to your company’s Facebook page, YouTube channel and other sharing sites like Vimeo, SlideShare and Flickr (yes, the last two accept video as well as images.) And don’t forget Twitter.  They just debuted Vine, a new video sharing app, today.
  • Describe:  On all the sites and pages on which your multimedia content is hosted, do be sure to surround the video with descriptive information.   When uploading it to a sharing site, be sure to give it a descriptive title, use a variety of tags, categorize it correctly and include a full description –with a link back to a related page on your web site.  Doing so will ensure the video comes up in relevant searches and is indexed correctly on the web site.

Professional help:

At a certain point, there’s only so much a brand can do to distribute and promote content, and when you reach that point, if your message needs more oomph, it’s time to seek professional  help.  Here at PR Newswire, our MultiVu team routinely produces and distributes a range of multimedia press releases as well as more the sophisticated digital content format we call the ARC.    Marrying sophisticated video distribution to dozens of web sites with a host of interactive multimedia options, these message platforms can illustrate, animate and amplify your messages is ways you’ve probably never considered.  Learn more about how we’re helping organizations everywhere engage audiences with multimedia.

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

 

 

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SEO Trends for 2013 & What They Mean for PR

Posted on January 23, 2013 by | 8 Comments
seo_2013

This image, originally published on the Ink Blog, nicely summarizes the diverse tactics and approaches that are shaping SEO today.

The practice of search engine optimization has changed dramatically over the last couple years, and now offers PR pros and other communicators some real lessons in achieving relevance to audiences.    A look at current SEO trends offers some great ideas for anyone charged with creating content or doing outreach for a brand.   Here are some common themes I’ve been seeing on leading SEO sites and blogs this winter.

A mix of quality content:

You can’t read an SEO or marketing blog today without bumping into the phrase “quality content,” and there’s a good reason for that.   As brand publishing becomes more entrenched, the content we publish is at the very heart of our communications.  It’s the hub on our web site, it’s the landing page where we convert leads, it’s the fuel for social conversation, it’s the next step in the buying process.   So, content is crucial.  We get that.  But what does “quality” really mean?

In reality, and in this context, “quality” means a mix of content.  You need some attention-garnering, awareness-building, “upper funnel” stuff.   Many infographics, pithy blog posts about 6 ways to do something better and clever videos fall into this category.

However, this is the content equivalent of convenience food.  It’s bite-size and portable, but it’s not a feast.

“Clients are shifting not only to higher-end writers, but to subject matter experts,” noted Christina Zila in a recent Search Engine Watch post titled 5 Trends Shaping SEO & Content Marketing in 2013.  “In 2013, demand will increase not just for good writers, but for good writers who know their stuff.”

More substantial, meatier content that’s designed to inform and educate your audience – and move them deeper into the buying process – is crucial as well.   This content is tougher to produce, but  is high-value, more likely to generate links and readership, and is great fodder for derived content.

Integration of user experience and planned outcomes

Brian Loebig said it well on the InkBlog:  “There will be a tighter integration of websites, social media, press releases, SEO and mobile applications. In fact, I think the idea of optimizing for search engines will become congruent with optimizing for actual humans. If the content you are creating and distributing is highly useful and relevant for humans it will likely be favored by the search engines.”

This is an important point to remember, because while our audiences access content via all manner of devices (computers, smartphones, tablets) and platforms (web, mobile, apps, social) they expect a coherent brand experience.   This requires integration and coordination between departments, and also underscores the fact that we’re not optimizing discrete pieces of content or web pages anymore – we’re optimizing experiences.

It’s also worth noting that time-on-page and bounce rates are factors search engines notice.  Developing content and experiences that not just capture but keep attention is an important factor in both achieving successful outcomes and great online visibility.

Derived content – diverse and fresh

Content marketers have long advocated the derivation of many pieces of content from one.  A white paper, for example, can provide fodder for multiple blog posts, a deck for SlideShare, a webinar and be the basis for a variety of images.  Done well, this derived content can spark social sharing, and deliver readers back to the original work, which is often one of the meatier, more substantial pieces of content your organization has published (see above.)

Depending upon where the derived content is hosted, there can be some value in the links going back to the original work itself, especially if those links are coming from a relevant and respected industry blog or web site.  However, the fact that the work is being read and shared creates signals that engines notice.  Additionally, current content is still important, and derived works are a good way to fuel your brand’s content creation engine.  Just be sure that the derived works are themselves useful and substantial.

At this point, some readers may be thinking “This doesn’t sound like SEO to me,” and if your definition of SEO is limited to keyword density and link-building, then yes, you’re right.  This is new ground.  The lesson here for all communicators that we can learn from search optimization gurus can be summarized pretty simply:  Search engines are smarter than ever and they pay attention to signals generated by real, live humans.  To generate visibility in search engines, you have to start with compelling content, use multiple channels and formats to deliver the messages, and make serving your audience well the priority.

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

See more blog posts on the topic of search engine visibility and content optimization: 
http://blog.prnewswire.com/tag/seo/

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Content We Love: A Masterful News Hook

Posted on January 18, 2013 by | 1 Comment

ContentWeLoveThe press release we’re highlighting today stood out for two reasons.  Titled “Startups Advise Obama: Focus on Taxes and Talent as Second Term Begins,” and issued by Silicon Valley Bank to promote their new Startup Outlook Report, the press release makes masterful use of timing, on the even of President Obama’s second inauguration, and it includes a data-packed infographic.  It’s timely, relevant and visual.  It just went out today, but we’re expecting this one to perform extremely well.

SILICON VALLEY BANK SURVEY

We’ve talked about newsjacking on this blog before, and while I wouldn’t say that this story qualifies per se — a newsjack is an extremely fast and focused response to a trending story, in which an organization is able to insert itself into the swelling conversation and coverage due to its response — we have to applaud the Silicon Valley Bank on the timing of this campaign, and the relevance of the hook.  We’ll see a lot of stories about the inauguration this week (in fact we are, see our Obama Inauguration press release page).   What we like about this one is not just its timing, but its extreme relevance to the issues of the day, and the fresh perspective it offers.

The headline also deserves a shout out.  It’s pithy and gets right to the heart of the press release content.  If you have any interest in the American economy, you’d be hard pressed not to click on that headline and read.  It’s compelling, and not because it’s coy.  It implies the presence of facts within the press release, and the press release itself delivers on that promise.

And finally, there’s the infographic to consider and admire.   It packs a lot of information into a streamlined visual that conveys key data quite literally at a glance.   Readers love visuals, and this is a good one.

So kudos to the communications team at Silicon Valley Bank.    They made an already compelling story nearly irresistable with solid writing, excellent timing and a beautiful visual.

sarah avatarAuthor Sarah Skerik is PR Newswire’s vice president of social media.  Join her next Wednesday (January 23) week for a free webinar co-hosted with the Online Marketing Summit on Leveraging Converged Media’s Impact on Content Marketing

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Content We Love: 2012 in Press Releases

Posted on January 11, 2013 by | 2 Comments

ContentWeLove

“Content We Love” is a weekly feature written by a team of our content specialists. We’re showcasing some of the great content distributed through our channels, and our content specialists are up for the task: they spend a lot of time with the press releases and other content our customers create, proof reading and formatting it, suggesting targeted distribution strategy and offering SEO advice. In Content We Love, we’re going to shine the spotlight on the press releases and other messages that stood out to us, and we’ll tell you why. We hope you find the releases enjoyable and the insights gained from discussing them enlightening.

2012.
A Year in Press Releases

PR Newswire in 2012 saw great news, great events, and great releases- many of which proved to be interesting, insightful, and dynamic on multiple channels. Reading through these stories touched our hearts and made an impact— and we are proud to present a collection of those impressive releases.

In short: a year review of releases we absolutely love!

Proving to be industry-leading, market-moving, attention-grabbing, award-winning, heart-warming, eye-catching, and thought-provoking, these were stories heard around the world. They stayed on our minds and in our hearts.

01. Kicking off 2012, Chemistry.com had women packing their bags and looking for love! This insightful study revealed where to find a sensitive man in the United States. We can’t help our curiosity on mass migration of people to those cities!

Studies put a pulse on the current population and we “loved” the interesting take on “looking for love.”

02. February was a colorful month with a golden Apple and platinum Adele singing the blues. Official Harris poll of brand reputations announced Apple took the coveted lead of #1 from Google. Congrats to Apple and all Apple-enthusiasts! When ’21′ hit, I trekked to four different stores for the album. Apparently the entire world did the same. We all celebrated when Adele rocked the Grammy Awards with her astonishing six awards for her album ’21.’

Big news in February. Both stories were of high interest and made lots of noise throughout the world. The world was tuning in and singing along.

03. America is booming! U.S. Census Bureau released hearty information that Asians are now the fastest growing race group in America– as of the last decade!

Remember filling out the 2010 Census Information? This press release showcased the results of a booming population which made waves across different channels.

04. Do you play “I-Spy” with gas prices? Apparently there is a good reason why: U.S. drivers were once again told that our total cost of driving increased in 2012. Keep your fingers crossed for an increase in your wallet instead this year.

Personally-impacting news drives our decisions and opinions– more couldn’t be said of the value of this continually rising story.

05. Starting in the middle of the election year, the Nation hit new lows… of confidence. Harris Poll released tough news that confidence in Congress was the lowest in 50 years.

The world’s eyes turned to the U.S. as the election was looming closer and closer. This poll struck a chord with a nation looking to poll in November.

06. Technology rules our world like never before. Given the option, Gazelle told us consumers wanted iPhones more than sex! What would you give up for technology?

Surveys have the golden opportunity to showcase the feelings of a population. In this instance, Gazelle alerted us we are crazy in love— with our phones (& don’t care if that makes us rude).

07. Location. Location. Location. U.S. News announced the big dog on campus: Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston is now #1, obliterating Johns Hopkins’ 21-year golden record. And if you’re planning on re-locating, Zillow has great news of the first increase of home value in nearly FIVE years!

Nothing can be more important than our health and the information provided by U.S. News & World Report helps people make decisions about who takes care of their health, Home is a close second to health and Zillow gave people the information they needed to find a home.

08. August brought the heat: the political heat. The Republican National Convention announced Chris Christie was the keynote speaker but not the candidate. All eyes turned the politico pages in anticipation for the next few months!

With the election getting closer and the debate heating up, the RNC announced big news for their upcoming convention.

09. No yellow flag on the play: An end to the ‘mash-up’ is complete! The NFL settled with their referees and brought cheers back to the game we love. Merriam-Webster had a ‘mash-up’ of their own with its addition to the official lexicon. Other added words? Aha-moment, sexting, man cave, and gastropub.

Social media was laden with relief from the announcement of the NFL and the referees. The addition to the dictionary solidified the importance of modern vernacular in tandem with current events and entertainment.

10. The award goes to… The Nobel Peace Prize went to the entire European Union. Congratulations EU friends! U.S. Presidential predictions took a hairy turn when the Obama Chia Pet vastly outsold Romney’s caricature. Chanel No5 got a new face for the iconic brand and it was none other than Brad Pitt!

A prize beyond measure was given to European Union while stateside Brad Pitt took the coveted role for the face of Chanel No5. Politics ran rampant and even included Chia pets– now you can water your love of politics!

11. President of the United States of America is Obama! The U.S. re-elected their leader and the European Union offered congratulations on the victory.

November of 2012 became legendary with the re-election of a President and the E.U. were tops on the list to send congratulations.

12. In December, our future was told. The U.S. Census Bureau released projections that our Nation is growing older and more diverse than ever before in half a century from now. OpenTable also released its top 100 Restaurants across the country list— which means– It’s time to eat! All gourmands rejoice!

Results in December showcased the future of our nation, growing up and getting more diverse than ever while a hearty survey of the top 100 Restaurants made us hungry for more.

Huge thank you to all listed the pleasure of reading your phenomenal releases and allowing us to spotlight your stories.

Now who is ready for what 2013 will bring?!

Author Emily Nelson is a Customer Content Specialist for PR Newswire. Follow her adventures on www.bellesandawhistle.wordpress.com or on twitter www.twitter.com/emilyannnelson.

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Content We Love: Anna’s Linens Dreamy Headline

Posted on January 4, 2013 by | Leave a comment

ContentWeLove“Content We Love” is a weekly feature written by a team of our content specialists. We’re showcasing some of the great content distributed through our channels, and our content specialists are up for the task: they spend a lot of time with the press releases and other content our customers create, proof reading and formatting it, suggesting targeted distribution strategy and offering SEO advice. In Content We Love, we’re going to shine the spotlight on the press releases and other messages that stood out to us, and we’ll tell you why. We hope you find the releases enjoyable and the insights gained from discussing them enlightening.

Dreamy Headlines and SEO

Dreams are powerful. They take us on great adventures, push us to great heights, and sometimes visit while we are sleeping. And if you’re anything like me, you’re also completely smitten with a little shut-eye. I love sleep!

Yet when I read the headline, “National Sleep Survey Pulls Back The Covers On How We Doze And Dream,” instantly I was wide awake.

Headline Nerd-Time:

  • Did you know that search engines only index the first 65 characters of a headline?
  • Did you know the headline is sometimes the only thing visible on a release?

This headline opens the information in a way that sparks your interest.

Remember the phrase growing up, “it’s not what you say, but how you say it“? Headlines 100% follow this rule. How so? By uncovering the story in a headline in a way that is pithy and interesting, you are inviting your audience to read the entire release! Which is the point of a press release– to tell your story!

Surveys are common. Chances are, you’ve completed a survey once or twice in your lifetime. So what happens to the results? If you’re Anna’s Linens, the choice is to publish the results in a fresh and SEO-friendly way.

“If you’re counting sheep at night, chances are you’re doing it on your side, in your pajamas, and between 10:00-11:00 on a Sunday night, according to a new national sleep survey conducted by the home furnishings retailer Anna’s Linens.”

Jargon. Modern language.
It’s not what you say, but how you say it.

Modern SEO (Search Engine Optimization) actually works against if your release is laden with complicated jargon meant for computers. Confused?

You get better results when you write for people.

People read your release (not computers), so how imperative is it to write in an easy-to-understand way. When a release is clearly not written for people, search engines actually respond the same way a person would: Zzzzzzzz.

Take a read of the survey. It is pithy, dynamic, insightful, and definitely not a snore. When you’re writing, keep SEO and headlines in mind. That will take a great press release from a pipe-dream to a reality.

*Writing your release and want more information on SEO? Keep these tips in mind: SEO Best Practices

Big thanks to Anna’s Linens for providing a great release for us all to read!


http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-sleep-survey-pulls-back-the-covers-on-how-we-doze-and-dream-184798691.html

Author Emily Nelson is a Customer Content Specialist for PR Newswire. Follow her adventures on www.bellesandawhistle.wordpress.com or on twitter www.twitter.com/emilyannnelson

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Content We Love: AOA Sends Kids to Med School!

Posted on December 21, 2012 by | Leave a comment

ContentWeLove

“Content We Love” is a weekly feature written by a team of our content specialists.  We’re showcasing some of the great content distributed through our channels, and our content specialists are up for the task: they spend a lot of time with the press releases and other content our customers create, proof reading and formatting it, suggesting targeted distribution strategy and offering SEO advice.  In Content We Love, we’re going to shine the spotlight on the press releases and other messages that stood out to us, and we’ll tell you why. We hope you find the releases enjoyable and the insights gained from discussing them enlightening.

The holidays. Ahhh. It’s a magical time of year if you ask me. Yet it can be a huge challenge to stay relevant and current while the world as we know it is very distracted by tinsel.

Much to my delight, the release by the American Osteopathic Association about a mini-medical school stopped me in my sleigh-tracks!

Kids Bored at Home Over the Holidays? Send Them to Medical School

Headlines are paramount in press releases. Sometimes the headline is the only thing visible to an audience, not the entire release. Insert hook, line, and sinker. Therefore, a headline needs to not only explain the release, but connect with the audience!

This release very well could have read, “New online school for children to learn of anatomy and physiology”– but AOA took what is on our minds most right now (the holidays) and made it relevant!*

Now that the release has our attention…

  • What before my eyes did appear?
  • A bulleted-list, something I hold so dear!

Bulleted lists are important in a release because it breaks up the massive blocks of text. Text is required to tell the story. But we must never forget of the visual world we live in. The bolding with the bulleted list puts information in bite-sized pieces. Only way to finish the feast is one bite at a time. Bon Appetite!

So whether you’re making a list (and double-checking it), making a holiday meal, or looking for med schools to enroll your children in for the holidays, deck your halls and arm your releases with components that stand out. Tell your story to the world– with great headlines and wonderful bullets!

Big thanks to American Osteopathic Association for providing a great release for us all to read!


http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kids-bored-at-home-over-the-holidays-send-them-to-medical-school-179966361.html

*Writing your release and want a better headline? My team can actually help with that! Ask us about HeadlineMax on your next release.

Author Emily Nelson is a Customer Content Specialist for PR Newswire. Follow her adventures on www.bellesandawhistle.wordpress.com or on twitter www.twitter.com/emilyannnelson

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Content We Love: Empire State Building’s Visual Storytelling

Posted on December 14, 2012 by | Leave a comment

ContentWeLove“Content We Love” is a weekly feature written by a team of our content specialists.  We’re showcasing some of the great content distributed through our channels, and our content specialists are up for the task: they spend a lot of time with the press releases and other content our customers create, proof reading and formatting it, suggesting targeted distribution strategy and offering SEO advice.  In Content We Love, we’re going to shine the spotlight on the press releases and other messages that stood out to us, and we’ll tell you why. We hope you find the releases enjoyable and the insights gained from discussing them enlightening.

 

Are you a storyteller?

Stories shape us, mold us, and impact us. It has brought us around campfires, grandparents, and friends who weave a delicate tale into our minds. Every message is a story! Finding the way to tell your story can be beyond difficult in this modern age.  Add the pressure of being the “World’s Most Famous Office Building” in the wake of Hurricane Sandy along with the incredible Alicia Keys… all eyes are on you!

empire gawkerThe Empire State Building put out a press release unlike any other– taking our visual world and telling a visual story! When I first read the release, I couldn’t help sharing it with friends and colleagues, exclaiming, “this is awesome!”

Because it is. Seriously awesome!

Not only are the LED lights impressive (especially in tandem with Alicia Keys singing), but the streaming video, the pictures, and the story compiled in a manner that is clear and visual bring me to a mental campfire to listen and pay attention.

Adding multimedia components to tell your story automatically boost its visibility.  It is often said, “pictures are worth a thousand words.”  Seeing images across the world of different events, disasters, elections, victories all fuel this as being true. Imagery is important!

Empire huffpoThis multimedia news release** not only had a panoply of great images that showcases the message, but also a video (!!) which perfectly captivates you in the moment, in the hype, in the excitement for the Empire State Building.

 

Wrapping up the beauty of this release is my adoration for all things social. Not only are we supplied with a compelling message, but we can take the next step! Empire State Building on Facebook? Check.  iHeartRadio’s social aspects? Check. More pictures on Flickr? Yes.YouTube? You bet.  Twitter?! YES!

empire mashableAre you a storyteller? Never forget the power of multimedia when you distribute your news– it can leave a lasting impression that is seriously awesome!

In case you missed it, a couple weeks ago we release the results of a study of press release formats, and the results  they generate.  In a nutshell, our findings revealed that more multimedia within a message increases that press release’s results.

**Want a Multimedia news release like this? Contact our Multimedia Team, MultiVu, and they can help! And you can see the original multimedia press release here: 
http://www.multivu.com/mnr/59258-empire-state-building-first-ever-led-tower-light-show

Author Emily Nelson is a Customer Content Specialist for PR Newswire. Follow her adventures on www.bellesandawhistle.wordpress.com or on twitter www.twitter.com/emilyannnelson.

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What is Quality Content?

Posted on December 13, 2012 by | 5 Comments

Content-is-King-1-300x169Virtually every discussion of modern public relations and marketing practice will at some point refer to the importance of quality content.  It is the absolute baseline for brand publishing, content marketing, social media messaging and just about any other way that an organization communicates.

The need for quality applies across the board whether the content you are producing is called a press release or a white paper, sponsored content or a blog post.

Quality transcends category.

But what exactly is quality content?  Often that question is answered by what it is not:

  • It’s not spam.
  • It’s not jargon.
  • It’s not solicitous.
  • It’s not laced with tricks to attract search engine algorithms.

The don’ts are easier to point out than the do’s.

If we’re going to define what constitutes quality, let’s start at the simplest level.  Quality content is well written.  That means it’s concise, clear and grammatically correct.  I can’t recall reading anything that was so brilliant I could overlook the typos, mismatched tense and run-on sentences.

Secondly, quality content is honest.  It is honest about what it is and who is writing it.  If it is sponsored content, that is made clear, as is the author or authoring organization.  If someone else’s ideas or someone else’s research is referenced, that too is appropriately attributed.

Beyond that it gets a lot more subjective.

The Google Webmaster Blog talks about “unique, valuable, engaging.”  Other attributes that are cited by various Web authors include useful, relevant, well-researched, credible, and easy to read.

I suggest that good quality content has to be either interesting or informative.  Entertain or educate.  Great quality content does both.

There are many ways to be interesting.  For example, your content can be funny.  Photos and videos can be interesting in ways that are hard to replicate solely with blocks of text.  Great writing, especially if it is in a style and tone that is unique to the author, can in itself be interesting.

Content can be informative to a very broad audience, such as when NASA discusses some new information about the nature of neighboring planets, or to a very small audience, such as information about an innovation in industrial design.   Quality content doesn’t have to be brilliantly original, never-before-heard wisdom.  It can add context or insight to information that is otherwise widely known.  But it has to add to the conversation.

How good is your content?  Try asking yourself whether it is the kind of stuff that you would be interested in reading and why.  If your answer is affirmative, you’re on the right track.

Author Ken Dowell is PR Newswire’s executive vice president of social media & audience development.

Does your content need some fine-tuning?  We have some resources that can help:

Image via 100Kblueprint.com

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