Tag Archives: public relations

Marie Claire Magazine: Pitching Tips & Overview from Editor-in-Chief Trish Halpin

Posted on February 6, 2013 by | 2 Comments
Trish Halpin and Justine Southall of Marie Claire magazine, at PR Newswire's recent "Meet the Media" event in London.

Trish Halpin and Justine Southall of Marie Claire magazine, at PR Newswire’s recent “Meet the Media” event in London.

If there’s one place a fashion brand wants to get featured, it’s Marie Claire, the largest fashion magazine in the UK with a total reach of over 2 million women, online and in print. So when Marie Claire UK Editor-in-Chief Trish Halpin starts to reveal how her journalists decide what goes in each edition, a lot of PR ears prick up.

At another of PR Newswire’s glamorous Meet the Media events, suitably located in the Victorian ballroom of central London’s 8 Northumberland Avenue, Trish Halpin and Marie Claire Publishing Director Justine Southall made a lot of people in fashion PR very excited, with a typically polished presentation and a few tips for grabbing their attention.

Marie Claire’s journalists receive thousands of beauty products a year, which may sound like a dream come true, but actually leaves them with a daily struggle to justify featuring an exciting new lipstick, say, while leaving an eyeliner in unheralded obscurity.

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Trish Halpin, Editor in Chief of Marie Claire UK, address the Meet the Media audience at 8 Northumberland Avenue in London.

Trish Halpin believes it is up to PR companies to make a journalist’s life a lot easier – for the benefit of all parties – and she gave the audience her dos and don’ts that can make the difference between a new product making it into the magazine or making straight it in to the ‘deleted items’ folder.

So, how do you attract the attention of a busy Marie Claire journalist? Here is what Trish Halpin had to say:

Do!

 •  Learn Your titles

Make sure you know why you are pitching to a Marie Claire journalist and not someone from Elle or Glamour.  To know that, you must understand how each title is different and what is unique about each brand. Familiarise yourself with each feature and pitch your product for specific pages of the magazine.

• Anticipate questions

Know your products inside out and try to predict what a journalist might ask you, because they are going to ask you a lot of questions. Don’t make them lose interest by not having the information they need.

• Think of fun ways to draw attention to your brand

The best example that got huge amounts of tweeting from the Marie Claire team was a plus sized lingerie brand that sent in a bag of breakfast baps along with some plus size bras that they wanted featured.  The team just loved it and thought it was really funny that they all got a big breakfast bap. It was entertaining and they all tweeted about it. It brightened up their day and the lingerie went into the magazine.

• Include prices & telephone numbers

Please don’t make any more work for the journalist. You may think they will call you to ask for all the details they need, but not having them in the first place may turn them off the whole idea. Get them everything they need from the beginning.

• Exclusive content

It should go without saying that if Marie Claire is offered the chance to feature exclusive content such as case studies, expert insight, or a celebrity feature, they don’t expect to see it in another magazine in the same month. In the long run, one quality long term relationship is better than two that are short lived.

Don’t!

 • Cold call or ask for features lists
You must make sure you know who is responsible for each section. Phoning up and saying “Can I speak to somebody who deals with homes?” is hopeless.  You need the name of the person you want.

For example, if you have a tanning product, call up the beauty desk and say, “I see that you did a tanning story last June.  Will you be doing one this June?  What will the angle be?”  Don’t just say, “Give me a list of what you’re doing”.  It’s not going to happen.  You need to do your research.

• Send too many emails
Don’t send too many emails, because journalists will just stop looking at them.  “As soon as you see it come into your inbox you just press delete, because if you get something every single day, you just haven’t got the time to look at it. It’s better to target one or two really good specific emails at the right people from the beginning.”

• Send pictures as attachments
Don’t send pictures as attachments.  Have them in the body of the text, again because the journalist is not going to spend the time downloading it. If they have to download an image, a journalist might not even read your email, but if they see something in the body of an email and think “that looks really nice”, then they will read it.

• Send redundant press kits
Marie Claire have got four people in the beauty department, but they don’t all need a press kit each.  Redundant kits are a waste of your money and it wastes a lot of packaging.  Again, target the right person.

• Underestimate the power of cake!

There is nothing that gets a magazine team more excited than being sent some cake.  It’s a brilliant way into a magazine because journalists, like the rest of us, become very excitable when presented with free cake. They will take a photo of it, they will tweet it, they will boast about it, and they’ll remember it.

Add  power and precision to your pitching with Agility, PR Newswire’s unique media targeting, monitoring & distribution platform.  Identify and target key media and bloggers; uncover what is being said about your brand as it happens; and engage these influential people in real-time via traditional and social channels.

Author Andrew Woodall is an operations manager for PR Newswire Europe, and is based in London.

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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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An Emerging PR Trend: Content PR Strategy & Tactics

Posted on January 15, 2013 by | 7 Comments

Content PR.  You’ve probably seen this phrase bouncing around the blogosphere recently, and no wonder, it’s an emerging PR trend for this year.  But what is content PR?  To discover the answer, we need to look to marketing first.

ContentPR-infographic-loResOver the last couple years, we’ve seen a significant change in marketing tactics, and the subsequent rise of inbound marketing.   Driven by generating interest rather than causing interruption, inbound marketing tactics, including content marketing, draw the audience to the brand, rather than pushing messaging out and hoping that someone pays attention.   Doing this requires a brand to be in tune with its audience, know what they’re talking about (and where the talking is occurring) and the creation of content that speaks to the audience’s interests.

The Genesis of Content PR

Within that last sentence you see the genesis of content PR.    More than any other department, public relations is dialed into the sentiments of their brand’s constituents.  And knowing where influence and conversations are to be found is PR’s stock in trade.  And finally, PR pros are an organization’s master storytellers.  In a word, they do content.

What is Content PR?

Content PR is the extension of content marketing principles applied to PR.  The core content marketing principles include:

  • Understanding audience interests,
  • Creation of relevant and compelling content
  • Deployment of that content in various formats and across different channels in order to reach audiences where they live

New strategy & tactics

In practice, content PR requires some shifts in the traditional PR mindset and tactics.

From episodic campaigns to ongoing presence.   It can be tough to get away from the traditional idea of a campaign.  But as we all know, audience interest isn’t dictated by campaigns.   While campaigns do a great job of building interest, opportunities are lost when brands don’t serve the organically occurring interest that develops when a person has a gift to buy, is researching charities related to a new cause, or is researching vendors or a project at work.   Content PR is crucial to developing a plugged-in brand presence that understands – and delivers – what constituents are seeking, and what they need to make related decisions.

Reflecting the audience point of view in messaging.   While there’s still a place for news announcements of record, savvy brands are changing their messaging to reflect the audience point of view.   Rather than simply issuing a message from the ivory tower to the masses, brands today are communicating in the context of their customers and other constituents, building audience values into their messaging.   A brand that’s launching new software, for example, might develop content supporting the launch around related customer challenges, bringing in expert advice about dealing with a particular issue, and work in details about the new software’s capability within that context.  So instead of “NewSoftware from XYZ Corp. Offers Improved System Performance,” the headline might read “5 Ways to Improve System Performance.”  And instead of a simple text press release, the content might include an array of elements, including an infographic, slides or a short video with an expert.

Measuring pull, not push.   While we’ve been talking about “push vs. pull” communications for years now, fully embracing a “pull” mentality is crucial for the successful practice of content PR – and measuring it.  How do you measure pull?   While metrics will vary for each organization, here are some ideas:

  • Search rank, and inbound search terms used to find brand content.  A dive into website analytics tremendously revealing.  A look at the search terms people used to find your web site shows you pretty clearly 1) the terms for which your content ranks in search engines and 2) the terms your audience is using to get to your web site.  If those terms don’t jibe with the larger PR strategy, a focused content PR effort can help.
  • Traffic to specific content – and the resulting activity. Measuring the visits to specific pages is one obvious measure.  But take it a step further, and look at what happens next.  Are people sharing the content published on social networks?  Are they clicking on the links embedded in the content and taking the next step (see Outcomes, below.)   Looking deeper into page traffic will reveal whether or not your audience is truly engaging with the content your brand has published.

Collaboration.  More than ever, integration with marketing is crucial if content PR is going to work.  Key challenges that collaboration will address include developing a consistent and coherent experience for your audiences.    It’s also important to realize that one piece of content can trigger a variety of outcomes, and brand need to have their ducks in a row to capture all of the potential results.  For example,  in addition to generating interest among media and bloggers,  the direct connection the audience has with the content brings with it the opportunity for the brand to move prospects ahead in the decision process.   PR and marketing should collaborate to ensure the content is accurately mapped to the customer decision process, and appropriate next steps are offered to readers. Designed to further inform – and qualify – your brand’s prospects, next steps can include access to more specific information (such as case studies), tips for doing something better and access to staff.

A hallmark of content marketing is creating content that can ultimately represent the brand’s voice and POV within the timelines of an individual person’s search for information or buying process.  Content PR shapes opinion contextually.  When coordinated with the brand’s marketing efforts, content PR shapes opinion generates lasting visibility and delivers measurable, top line business results.

Join us for the upcoming webinar on Wednesday, January 23, 2013:  Leveraging Converged Media’s Impact on Content Marketing

Additional resources:

White paper:  Maximizing Content Marketing – A 6 Step Plan for Agile Engagement

4 Ways to Attract Qualified Audience With Content

Author Sarah Skerik is PR Newswire’s vice president of social media.   See her in person at the upcoming Online Marketing Summit in February, where she’s hosting a workshop on Driving Qualified Audiences Into the Funnel Using Rich Media and Distribution Networks.

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Is Your Content REAL? 4 Ways to Attract Qualified Audience With Content

Posted on January 10, 2013 by | 3 Comments

real contentThere was a time when PR pros and their counterparts in marketing measured success by the number of impressions a campaign generated.  I’ve never cared much for the fleeting impression.  In my mind, unless it turns into a measurable outcome, impressions are simply an abstract estimate of the number of people annoyed by a campaign.

There, I said it.  “Annoyed.”  Interruption is not viable communications model, not in this day and age, when our audiences are so firmly in control of the content they consume.  Rather than barging our way into our audiences’ minds, instead, communicators have a new charge.  Our brands have to be viewed as smart, interesting, useful, accessible and human by our audiences.  And it’s up to communicators not to just craft this image, but to deliver the experience.

“Experience” is the cornerstone, and communicators have to consider customer experience as they create and publish content.    To determine if your content is on the right track, ask yourself if the content you organization is publishing is “REAL,” which I’m using a handy little acronym for the following:

Relevant: Too often brands tell the story they want their audiences to hear, not thinking in terms of what information their audiences are actively seeking.   The first step to achieving relevance is listening to what audiences are saying.  What questions recur over and over in online discussion groups? What are the search keywords that are most often used in your industry category?  What questions do your customer-facing teams field most often?  Aggregating this data will help your organization understand what your audience really cares about.  In addition to answering these questions outright, the organization can also use this valuable intelligence as a framework for messaging.   Creating relevant content is the best way to ensure the audience you acquire is indeed qualified.

Entertaining (or engaging, or both):  No matter what subject matter your content addresses, in order to be successful, the content must be entertaining or engaging  — and preferably both!  Some subjects lend themselves well to humor, which makes the entertaining piece a slam dunk.  But if your subject matter is of a drier nature, and doesn’t lend itself well to being funny, that’s still no excuse to be boring.  Lively writing peppered with anecdotes and real-life stories will make your content more interesting to readers.   Bullet points and lists will draw readers in.  And visuals – even simple charts – add appeal and dimension to otherwise flat content.

Actionable:  Will your content improve the lives of readers?   That’s a big question, but ensuring the answer is “yes” will virtually guarantee the utility of the content you’re publishing.   While your content may not be the answer to lifelong happiness, it should enable your readers to do something better.  Does it offer tips to help them use your service more efficiently, save budget dollars or do their jobs better?  Does it offer insight that will help them make a more informed buying decision?   Ensure your content offers a course of action your readers can follow that will make positive impact on their lives.

Leading:  While many of us love writing, the content we’re producing really does need to have a point.  It needs to offer a pathway for interested readers to follow – and to further qualify themselves as prospects for your brand.   However, the path you lead your readers down doesn’t need to be (and probably shouldn’t be) as overt as requiring them to fill out a form for more information.  Instead, if you have developed a set of interesting and useful content, trust it to attract and guide your prospects.  Offer more useful information, which drills more deeply into specific needs and answers ever-more detailed answers.  Effectively, you’re mapping content to the buying cycle, putting general interest information at the top of the funnel, to attract prospects, and then qualifying those prospects as they pursue more information.  By the time your prospects do reach out and contact your brand, most of them will have done extensive research, and eliminated potential vendors – and they will be very well qualified prospects.

Anyone who has a hand in creating content for a brand knows of the ceaseless demand for information generated today’s information marketplaces.   And let’s face it, content creation is time consuming and expensive.  However, content that is truly “REAL” and is mapped to the different stages in your organization’s buying funnel can be a tremendously efficient generator of qualified leads for your business.  Before you publish, take the time to get the content right, and make sure it’s “REAL.”

Want to learn more?  Attend the Online Marketing Summit, and get a 30% discount on registration:

Sarah Skerik is PR Newswire’s vice president of social media.  She is presenting on the topic of Driving Qualified Audiences into the Funnel Using Rich Media and Distribution Networks  at the upcoming Online Marketing Summit.   A 30% discount) on event registration is available to readers of this column – click on the link above for details.

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Media News and Moves for January

Posted on January 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

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MEDIAware, PR Newswire’s Audience Research Department newsletter, features recent media news and job changes in the industry. Here is a sampling of this month’s edition:

Sporting News Editor Garry Howard (twitter.com/SN_GarryD) announced this Charlotte-based publication would go to a digital only format on January 1st and no longer print the publication. Their content will be available online, tablets,smartphones and via apps. The last issue printed by the venerable pub was a college football bowl guide. Sporting News is online at: www.sportingnews.com and on Twitter at: twitter.com/sportingnews

Clear Channel (www.clearchannel.com) has cut several employees in substantial layoffs that affect many of its clusters including Chicago and Detroit. Layoffs in Detroit include Frankie Darcell, the Afternoon Host at Urban Adult WMXD-FM; Morning Show Producer Jenna Cork; Afternoon Host Kristin Burns; and Weekend Host Danielle Car at Hot Adult Contemporary WNIC-FM; Website Program Director; and Afternoon Host Eric Chase at Sports station WDFN-AM. Layoffs in Chicago include at least four on-air positions and elimination of an unspecified number of positions in other areas.

A childhood memory for many Boston viewers, Dr. Timothy Johnson is retiring from the airwaves at year’s end. Johnson has been with WCVB-TV since its inception in 1972. He is currently Medical Editor at the ABC affiliate as well as Senior Medical Contributor to ABC News. He also provides on-air commentary for ABC programs, such as “World News,” “Nightline,” “20/20” and “Good Morning America.” Johnson has received many awards during his distinguished career.

A new architecture magazine is launching. Residential Building Products & Technology (residentialbuildingproducts.com), a digital magazine, is scheduled to publish in mid-January 2013. Nigel Maynard (www.twitter.com/products_hound) has been named its editor. He was previously Senior Editor at Residential Architect and Builder. Maynard can be emailed at nmaynard@lf.com.

Caribbean Travel + Life has ended publication. However, some of the articles it covered will be found in Bonnier Corporation’s sister publication, Islands Magazine. Islands (www.islands.com/magazine) will increase its frequency to 10 times per year and produce two Caribbean-themed issues in May and November. It will also publish regional editorial in each issue.

WZTV-TV Reporter Erika Lathon was the victim of a robbery at a Nashville ATM earlier in the year. Lathon was shot in the left arm despite handing over her money to the two robbers. Lathon was able to drive herself to a nearby hospital to be checked out following the incident and did not need to be admitted. Police are still investigating the robbery, which occurred at a well-lit ATM. Lathon has been a Reporter with the Fox affiliate for a dozen years. Well-wishes can be sent to her at elathon@fox17.com. The ongoing investigation can be followed on the station’s website at www.fox17.com and its Twitter account at www.twitter.com/wztv_fox17.

Anschutz Corporation buys The Gazette (www.gazette.com) in Colorado Springs, previously owned by 2100 Trust.

The Orange County Register (www.ocregister.com) recently introduced a new weekly automotive section called Wheels. Susan Carpenter joins the paper as the Auto Critic for the section. Follow Susan on Twitter at twitter.com/OCRcarpenter.

Hearst renegotiates its contract with San Francisco Chronicle (www.sfgate.com) printing company Transcontinental, saving Hearst about $30 million. The new contract will take effect January 1 2013 and will not expire until 2024.www.newsandtech.com/news/article_a43a769….

The National Journal (www.nationaljournal.com) annnounced a plan for their future and unfortunately that will include ten more layoffs. They are planning to streamline their newsroom into two groups: one working for members and the other working for digital. National Journal is on Twitter at: twitter.com/nationaljournal/

Conservative radio talk show host Laura Ingraham (www.lauraingraham.com and twitter.com/IngrahamAngle) is taking a break from her nationally syndicated talk show, The Laura Ingraham Show” on Talk Radio Network (www.trncorporate.com). She plans to return to the air at some point but not with Talk Radio Network.

Nexstar Broadcasting (www.nexstar.tv) has laid off 15 staffers at its newly acquired Salt Lake City stations KTVX-TV and KUCW-TV, according to The Salt Lake City Tribune. The Tribune also reports the station’s accounting, research and traffic departments have been eliminated and will be handled by other Nexstar sites. The stations were part of a 10 station package Nexstar bought as part of a deal with previous owner Newport Television.

You can view the whole January issue of MEDIAware here: www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/medi…

And all of the Regional Updates here: www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/medi…

You can also 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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PR Trends for 2013: Outcomes & Tactics

Posted on December 20, 2012 by | 12 Comments

google trends prYesterday we discussed the evolving media environment, and some of the emerging PR trends that will impact our business in 2013.  Today, we’re going to drill down into more tactical PR trends, and discuss how the practice of PR is changing on a fundamental level.

Evolving outcomes

The outcomes expected of PR are evolving, and that’s where we’ll start today.   Traditionally, PR outcomes have been campaign based, and in many cases, have been measured fairly narrowly, in terms of media pick up and AVEs.  Tying PR output to the business bottom line has long been a challenge.   It’s a different story today, however, and it requires an expanded view of measurement across the enterprise.

“What we measure is part of the puzzle,” notes Deirdre Breakenridge, CEO of Pure Performance PR and author of Social Media and Public Relations: Eight New Practices for the PR Professional. “When we look at the metrics we capture, we have to be working with other business areas to gauge the full impact.  The pieces connect. We’re not in a silo.  We have to make correlations between the data and the outcomes.”

So what are some of the outcomes we’re seeing PR departments charged with delivering?

Reputation & mindshare:  In today’s connected business and social environments, PR is charged with developing reputation and generating lasting mindshare.

Example:  Today’s buyers (both consumer and B2B) conduct extensive research before contacting vendors. If a brand doesn’t have a good reputation, positive reviews and strong search and social visibility, it will be eliminated from consideration well before the prospect gets serious about buying.  Instead of building episodic awareness, the new imperative for PR is to develop ongoing brand visibility and a strong reputation.

Related reading:

Lead generation, web site traffic, conversion rates:  Yes, you’re still reading a post about public relations.  One of the strongest emerging trends is the requirement for PR to deliver hard, measurable business results, whether that’s measured in an increase in web site traffic, or leads generated.    Delivering results that hit the top line, while formerly the domain of marketing, is increasingly expected of PR departments, and to PR’s benefit (in my mind, at least.)   Information drives many purchasing decisions today, and it’s only natural that the department responsible for conveying much of an organization’s information plays a strong role in influencing customer decisions.   However, doing that requires PR to become much attuned to the audiences, and to develop messages within that context.

“We have to ask how we differentiate ourselves,” says Shana Harris, COO of the Warchawski Agency.  “What are our goals, and what are the audience’s pain points? We have to put ourselves in our target audience’s shoes, understand the target audience and understand the experience we want to create for them.”

Related reading:  Demand More from Your Press Releases

Practical tactics

It goes without saying that PR tactics are evolving in tandem with shifts in the media, information and attention markets.   Emerging trends that are gathering steam as we head into 2013 include:

  • “Content PR”:  You’ve undoubtedly heard of content marketing – the practice of deploying content designed to interest, educate and inform an audience, in order to attract them to the brand and to influence decisions in the brand’s favor.   Many of the tactics adopted by content marketers are pulled straight from PR’s playbook, but the way content marketers are using them should awaken PR pros to the opportunities in their midst.

Specifically, content marketers focus on developing content that serves the audience, answering their questions and giving them the information and education they are seeking.    Conversely, PR has traditionally spent a lot of its time crafting the message the brand wants the marketplace to hear.  “Content PR” is an emerging trend that combines PR’s access to influencers and its traditional role as the storytellers in chief for the organization with the audience-focused approach advocated by content marketers.    The most effective PR departments are evolving their message strategy, developing stories their respective marketplaces will eagerly devour (and like, post, tweet and share.)

Related reading: Content marketing case study: It sure looks like PR to me

Communicating visually:  We’ve been talking about multimedia here at PR Newswire for years: as previously discussed on this blog, we know empirically that press releases that include some sort of visual (image, infographic, video, etc.) generate better results than their plain-text brethren.  At this point, it’s probably safe to say that multimedia communications are less of a trend, and more of an imperative, for communicators today.  However, the mechanisms by which our audiences access, ingest and share the images, resources and video we publish continue to multiply.    Developing the ability and means to communicate key messages visually is an important skill required of today’s PR pros, and an investment required of PR departments.

Related reading: Press Releases With Multimedia Get Better Results

In just a few days, I’ll be celebrating my 18th year with PR Newswire.  While that is a staggering number and I’d be willing to argue that I can’t possibly be *that* old, this post caused me to reflect on all the changes I’ve seen during my tenure with “the Wire” (as we affectionately call it.)   PR is an infinitely interesting discipline, and the changes enumerated in my last couple posts underscore the simple fact that we are getting closer and closer to the intersection of information, interest and intent that is really the golden ring for communicators. Are you as excited about what’s in store for communicators in 2013 as I am?

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

Want to dig deeper into the evolution of PR and trends to watch for in 2013? Access the archive of a recent webinar titled PR Prepping for the New Year: A Look at the Evolution of Modern PR & What It Means for You discussing the evolution of PR and trends for 2013.  Panelists included:

  • Deirdre Breakenridge (@dbreakenridge), CEO of Pure Performance Communications

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PR Trends for 2013: Evolving Media & Social Business

Posted on December 19, 2012 by | 4 Comments

What’s on tap for PR in 2013?  The answers we received when we asked PR pros to complete the sentence “PR is _____”  provided a harbinger of what the industry can expect in the coming year.

The answers were myriad and varied:  Mind share. Cross-channel conversation.  Content that adds value for readers.  Creating understanding in a complex world.  Engaging dialogue.  A connection between a company and its publics.

And all the answers were correct and point to an emerging reality – PR is getting a lot “bigger.”    The scope of the job is greater, the audiences more vast, the information marketplace is more fluid and the integration with other departments more crucial.

To gain a better angle on the trends for 2013, it’s also important to consider the underlying drivers of trends.

Social Business :   There’s no question that changes in the media environment has had an effect not just on PR departments, but on entire organizations.     Social media has changed customer expectations and introduced an age of radical transparency.  Smart organizations have recalibrated their entire enterprise to connect with, communicate to and serve their customers and prospects.   So what do these changes mean for PR?  A lot, it turns out, from a tactical standpoint.

  • Collaboration & integration:  Silo-busting has taken on a new urgency – it’s crucial for different departments to collaborate in order to deliver a cohesive message strategy and experience for customers across channels.   Social media, inbound and outbound marketing and print buys, for example, all have to work together and make sense.    Print media often drives online behavior, and brands need to plan for (and capture) those actions.
  • Listening & response:  Today’s transparent marketplace puts new pressure on businesses to respond quickly to queries  and comments from their constituents.  This requires communications departments to spool up their social listening efforts, and calibrate their processes (such as review and approval) to speed response.

Evolving media markets:  Journalistic model evolution:  The underlying business models of traditional media continue to evolve – the fact that Newsweek is going all digital in 2013 was probably the most dramatic example from 2012.   What does this mean for PR?  As journalistic models change and go digital, chances are excellent that the folks creating content for digital entities will change how they measure success. Instead of news stand sales, for example, digital metrics, such as the number of times a story was read, shared and commented on – will take precedence.  But the digital environment wages war every second for reader attention .  How can an organization succeed?  By consistently publishing unique, useful and interesting content. Therein is the opportunity for PR pros.

  • Digital media does a great job of serving niche interests, and while the audiences may be smaller, they are enthusiastic and informed.  Find unique story angles to share with tightly focused digital media for maximum visibility to your core audiences.
  • Just because something isn’t “hard news” in the traditional sense doesn’t mean that it won’t be of interest to your audience.  Content that will help your constituents and addresses their pain points plays very well.  Find your internal experts who can offer tips, tactics and advice to your readers.

Mutable social networks:   As we build our communications plans and strategies, it’s important to remember that social platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest have the right to change their service offerings, algorithms and terms of use – and they do.  For example, in November, Twitter ceased to render images from Instagram (owned by Facebook) within its news feed, in order to give images generated by using its own suite of photo filters more visibility to Twitter  users.   Organizations that had created rich content on Instagram, and used Twitter to share it to a wider audience, found themselves in a tight spot, as visibility for the images they distribute was reduced.   At the same time, Pinterest announced that (for the time being at least) they added support for Twitter cards, thus ensuring images shared via Twitter via Pinterest will render  on Twitter’s web site and apps.  Confuzzled?  You’re not alone, and there is no safeguard against these sort of changes, which can negatively impact the investment an organization has made in developing a strong presence on a particular network.  So what should communicators do?

  • Don’t become solely reliant upon a social network.   While social networks are incredibly useful for finding, connecting with and engaging audiences, at some point, the brand needs to develop a more direct relationship with audiences.   Encourage your social connections to participate in events, refer them to content on your own web site, and provide engagement options (live chat, comments, etc.) on your own web site to enable your audience to communicate directly with the brand, via channels the brand owns.

In subsequent posts, we’ll discuss trends in PR tactics and outcomes for 2013. Watch this space for more!   In the meantime, you can access an archive of a recent webinar titled PR Prepping for the New Year: A Look at the Evolution of Modern PR & What It Means for You discussing the evolution of PR and trends for 2013.  Panelists included:

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

 

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How to Become an Expert Source for Top-Tier Media

Posted on December 17, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Earlier this year, Charles Passy, staff writer for the Wall Street Journal Digital Network, sent a query via ProfNet looking for experts on farm stands. Mark Tardif, director of college communications at Unity College in Maine, saw the query and immediately knew he had the perfect expert – Sara Trunzo, Unity’s food and farms project coordinator. Tardif responded to Passy with Trunzo’s information, and the pitch resulted in a national media hit for Unity College, a small environmental college with less than 600 full-time students.

We thought it would be interesting to hear about the mechanics behind the article and pitch from three different perspectives – the reporter, the PR professional and the expert — so we invited Passy, Tardif and Trunzo to be part of a free webinar we hosted last week.

Here are some highlights of the webinar for those who were unable to attend. You can also access a recording of the webinar.

Charles Passy, staff writer, Wall Street Journal Digital Network

Passy, a “big fan of ProfNet,” primarily writes about personal finance, food, wine and other gourmet topics.

On the personal finance side, he writes for both MarketWatch.com and SmartMoney.com, both part of the WSJ Digital Network. Occasionally, some stories also appear in the print version of the Journal.

On the food and wine front, Passy writes a food and wine column, “Table for One,” for the WSJ.com blog Speakeasy, which covers cultural/lifestyle/arts topics. He also occasionally writes a front-page piece on an offbeat topic, like the one he recently did on experts who get certification as beer sommeliers.

Passy has been utilizing ProfNet for several years, so we asked him for tips on how ProfNet subscribers should respond to queries:

The early bird gets the worm. Time really counts. Don’t hesitate with a response. The sooner you reply to Passy’s query, the more receptive he may be, particularly if it’s a story on a tight deadline (meaning one where he has given a deadline of the same day or within a day). However, even if he does list a longer deadline, he’s always curious about the first few responses, just to see what he’ll get.

“Sometimes people try to craft the ‘perfect’ response, particularly if I’m indicating a tight deadline,” said Passy. “It really does help to get a quick response. If it’s a tight deadline, I’m looking for people that I can potentially talk to within a window of 2-3 hours. If I’m asking for a written response, which I often do, it still helps to get in there early.”

Don’t call. If Passy wants phone responses, he’ll indicate that in the query. Otherwise, reply only by emai.

“I really do go through my ProfNet email responses,” said Passy. “Calling doesn’t help. In fact, it kind of ticks me off, especially if I’m on deadline. It’s not that I don’t like talking to people, but the whole point of email responses is that it allows me to put a filter through the responses to see who’s right or who’s not.”

Be specific and detailed in  your response. If Passy asks for a written response, give him a written response. It’s crucial in a deadline crunch, and it tells him if the expert really knows the subject.

“I know gathering a written response takes time — and time can be of the essence — but if I’m asking for it, I’m doing so for a reason,” he explained.

Passy also said he sometimes uses quotes directly from email responses, although he generally follows up by phone.

“I’m not a big fan of email interviews,” he said. “Sometimes a quote can be too perfectly crafted. I like to make sure it’s a thoughtful, but honest, response. But when I ask for it in writing, I do like to get it in writing.”

Offer a real expert. Don’t offer just anyone; make sure it’s someone who really knows the subject Passy is writing about — and make it clear why your expert is the best person to answer the query. Include a short bio (not a generic one) that explains the expert’s qualifications.

For the bio, don’t send a five-paragraph boilerplate bio, which gives Passy too much to read and doesn’t really tell him how the expert fits into his article. If the expert has written a white paper or is doing research on the specific topic Passy is writing about, include that at the top of the email response — even if that means appending a couple of lines on top of the boilerplate bio to tell him why he really wants to talk to your expert.

Understand the odds. In some instances, Passy gets hundreds of responses for a story, and he’s only able to quote two or three people. Don’t take it personally if he doesn’t use your expert — but don’t respond with a high expectation of being quoted, either.

“I might end up interviewing a dozen people. I might only quote two or three. The odds are somewhat stacked against you. It’s not necessarily a crapshoot in that I do try to focus on people with the best responses, but there can be several good people all the same.”

However, Passy does sometimes keep good experts in mind for other stories.

Stay on topic. Don’t respond to a ProfNet suggesting another story.

“Do yourself a favor and make the pitch separate from my ProfNet query,” said Passy. “When I see ProfNet in subject line, I’m expecting someone responding to the matter at hand. It’s a waste of my time, it’s a waste of your time, and it’s bad form. I understand the temptation, but understand I’m opening up the emails thinking I have something for my story. If you have my contact info and you want to make a pitch, that’s fine, but please don’t say you’re responding to that query. It doesn’t serve anybody’s purposes.”

Mark Tardiff, director of college communications, Unity College

Unity College (tagline: America’s environmental college) is a private liberal-arts college in Unity, Maine. The college is completely focused on environmental topics, and has various experts who are really good in the niche markets the college serves.

Tardif shared the following tips on how communication professionals can best manage the PR-expert relationship:

Build trust. Experts need to trust their communications professional. When faculty members trust their PR person, it allows the PR pro to responding to reporters quickly when a query relates to the faculty member’s expertise.

No one is expected to know everything about a given topic, particularly in the case of experts that don’t have a great deal of experience with media. That’s where trust-building comes in.

“I say to our faculty, ‘You can trust me to identify your expertise and match you with an opportunity that is right for them. I’m looking out for your best interests.’”

Communicate regularly. This is especially important in a smaller organization. Have regular, face-to-face contact to really understand the skill set of all your experts. This will also help you respond quickly to ProfNet queries.

Also, when responding to queries, send a copy of the query to the expert you’re pitching.

“Right after I responded to the query, I immediately sent it to Sara so she had a chance to see it and would be able to think about what parts of the query are in her wheelhouse and what parts are associated with our larger goals.”

This tactic can also help in creating a follow-up to the reporter.

“When Sara saw the query, she engaged a professor in the program and the sustainability coordinator, and they each were able to look at the query and say, ‘I can discuss this part.’ I was then able to immediately turn around and, within three minutes of the original outreach to Mr. Passy, send a follow-up email saying, ‘Here is what each expert can offer.’”

Know and communicate your mission. Experts should understand what it is you’re trying to do with your communications program and the larger goals of the organization.

“Your experts have to understand what it is you’re about, what it is you’re essentially ‘selling,’ and why their input is very important,” said Tardif. “At Unity College, our faculty and staff understand that sustainability science is the center of the curriculum.  We are the first college in the United States to have all aspects of the curriculum connect to sustainability science, the most leading-edge approach to 21st century environmental problem-solving.”

Help experts work through their misgivings. An expert doesn’t have to be a Pulitzer Prize winner to be qualified to respond as an expert. At times, especially among experts with limited media experience, speaking with a member of the media can be daunting. Establish open lines of communication with experts to encourage them to express their misgivings.

And if something doesn’t turn out right, ask experts to let you know so you can work through it.

“I’m looking to build confidence in my experts,” said Tardif. “They are confident in their field, but some still have limited experience dealing with the media. I follow up on what was positive and what was negative about the interaction, and take it from there.”

Communicate successes. When you get a media hit, it can be seen as a validation of your larger goals. Whether it’s big or small, Tardif shares that in a college-wide email

Sara Trunzo, food and farms project coordinator, Unity College

Trunzo is the food and farms project coordinator in Unity’s sustainability department, focusing on organic, sustainable and small-scale agriculture, particularly within the context of regional and local food systems, community food security and hunger relief. This is all done through the lens of higher education, experiential education, and sustainability science as a tool for teaching environmental problems and solutions.

While Trunzo did have some media experience with local or regional outlets, this was her first foray into the world of national media. Here are some of her tips for other experts:

Be open to media opportunities. Some experts question whether they know enough to talk to the media. Don’t feel like your contribution isn’t valid.

“If your PR person is asking you and is considering you an expert, it’s because you have the experience and you have an informed opinion,” she said.

Don’t be afraid to say no. However, it’s also important to know when you’re not an expert on a topic.

“You shouldn’t have to overthink whether you can answer a question. Be careful not to overreach.”

And while dealing with the media can be awkward at first, allowing yourself to be put on a pedestal will also elevate the profile of your organization.

Take advantage of technology. “One of the things that make it a lot easier for me is having a smartphone,” said Trunzo. “Some of what I do is in the field, and being able to see the query while I’m out in the field with students makes me able to turn something around quickly.”

Keep PR in the loop. Let your PR department know what you’re working on so they already have someone in mind when a query comes up.

Trunzo suggests firing off a quick, once-a-week email to the PR group that includes a couple of bullet points about what’s going on and the most exciting stuff you’re working on. Make it short and easy to read.

She also recommends eating lunch with them from time to time to “talk shop.”

Q&A

Q for Tardif: What criteria helps you determine which experts to use?

Tardif: “I love this question. It’s such a great question because it really goes to the heart of what we try to accomplish with this department, and I think it applies everywhere. Develop a gut instinct through a dialogue with an individual to really gauge their level of understanding on what you’re trying to accomplish with the communication program, their level of buy-in, their level of comfort. If somebody is fundamentally not there yet, in terms of comfort, you’re going to be in a situation where it falls flat. You really have to develop a rapport with that expert and have that back and forth over time.”

Q for Tardif: Do type of media training do you do when you’re working with an expert?

Tardif: “Another great question! We don’t have formal media training program, but we’re starting to move in that direction. But on a one-on-one basis, I will do an informal Q&A. I think the training ground for us has been regional media. We have some smaller newspapers, some TV stations that cover our area.”

Q for Passy: Are there any suggestions on how to write email subject lines to improve the chances of having it opened or read?

Passy: “The first thing is to make it clear in the response that you’re responding to ProfNet. It’s a basic thing, but that’s how I’m going to visually flag those emails. Beyond that, there’s a part of me that has to admit that if it says something like, “I have the perfect expert for you,” I’d be inclined to open that email. It’s human nature. Although if it’s not the perfect expert, I’ll probably get annoyed.

“If you can put in a few words that shows you really get my query and my story – ‘ProfNet response: expert who wrote white paper on subject’ or ‘ProfNet – have expert who has done research on your topic’ – I’d probably be inclined to read that. I want something that signals to me that you’re a little more real than some of the other responses.

“Also, no more than two medium-sized paragraphs.”

Q for Passy: Is it OK to include a link to the person’s expertise, or do you prefer a short bio?

Passy: Include both – a short bio just for the query, and why this person is particularly suited, and then maybe a link to a longer bio. Include a little bit of bio in the response, at least telling me who this person is. I wouldn’t rely on the link only.”

Author Maria Perez is director of news operations for ProfNet, a service that helps journalists connect with expert sources. To read more from Maria, visit her blog on ProfNet Connect at http://www.profnetconnect.com/profnetmaria/blog/

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What is Public Relations? [Infographic]

Posted on November 13, 2012 by | 37 Comments

In a world of constant communication, PR is once again taking center stage … but in a whole new way. To get a clearer idea of what modern PR looks like, we went to the source and asked you, our audience.

About a month ago, we took to the PR streets of social media and asked our friends and followers to complete the sentence “PR is ____.“  The conversation took off at the 2012 PRSA International Conference, and continued on Twitter, under the hashtag #PRis. The response was so incredible and insightful, we put together this infographic  to convey the diversity and depth of the your answers.

A special thank you to everyone who joined in the conversation!

Author Jamie Heckler is a senior multimedia designer for PR Newswire.  She’s also the creator of this infographic.

The evolution of PR – related reading:

Earning more media through brand streaming (free white paper)

PR Trends - collected blog posts on the most recent trends in public relations

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Media Moves & News for November

Posted on November 8, 2012 by | Leave a comment

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MEDIAware, PR Newswire’s Audience Research Department newsletter, featuring media news and job changes in the last month, is now available. Here is a sampling of this month’s edition:

Newsweek (http://www.thedailybeast.com/content/newsweek.html)announced it will cease printing with its last issue on Dec. 31st. Newsweek will be an online publication only in 2013. Newsweek estimates that its been losing $40 million annually on the print edition. Layoffs are expected in the transition. The new online product will be called “Newsweek Global”. Some Newsweek articles will continue to be available on The Daily Beast (http://www.thedailybeast.com) free website run by the same company. Newsweek began in 1933 and competed and battled with Time magazine to provide readers with the top weekly news stories in the newsweekly magazine business. The magazine peaked in 1991 with 3.3 million readers and was down to 1.5 million at the midway point this year. The lack of advertising dollars for a national weekly losing readers played a part in the demise as well.

It’s stormy weather for employees of The Weather Channel (http://www.weather.com) lately as approximately seven percent were laid off last month. The Atlanta-based company, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, had to lay off employees as part of a restructuring. The restructuring affected about 75-80 people. The last such layoff was in 2008 after NBCUniversal acquired a controlling share of the company. Meteorologists Jeff Morrow and Adam Berg were among those out.

The Seattle Times (http://seattletimes.com) reported on its own employees protest against the company, following the company’s controversial decision to purchase a full-page ad supporting the Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna. More than 100 Seattle Times news staffers – including reporters, photographers, columnists, artists, editors and online news producers – signed a letter protesting the Times Co’s decision to sponsor newspaper ads supporting Republican gubernatorial candidate McKenna and a statewide referendum for legalized gay marriage. The employees cited threats to the paper’s credibility and neutrality as reasons for the protest.

Anderson Live (http://www.andersoncooper.com), Anderson Cooper’s daytime talk show, will not return for a third season. The program will run until Summer of 2013 completing its second season. You can still see Anderson Cooper on his CNN program “Anderson Cooper 360″ (http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/).

After Newsweek announced its move to digital earlier this month, popular Senior Correspondent Peter J. Boyer makes a major move. The former New Yorker and Vanity Fair Staff Writer has been named the new Editor-at-Large of Fox News. The new hire was named by Fox News CEO Roger Ailes in a statement to his staff, describing Boyer as a “talented and insightful journalist.”

Former “CBS This Morning” Co-host Erica Hill has joined NBC’s “Weekend Today” as its new Co-host. Hill will host on Saturdays and Sundays beside Lester Holt. In addition to her new Co-hosting duties she will be a national correspondent for NBC News reporting on “Today” and “NBC Nightly News”.

Comedian Adam Carolla has joined Fox News Channel (http://www.foxnews.com) as a Contributor mainly on “The O’Reilly Factor” program (http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/oreilly/index.html). Carolla is set to appear each Monday on the show to comment on political and social issues. In addition to appearing on “The O’Reilly Factor” he will make appearances on other Fox News Shows. You can also see Carolla on his daily podcast show “The Adam Carolla Show” (http://adamcarolla.com).

As countless publications continue to take major hits due to the economic recession Condé Nast Corporation (http://www.condenast.com) announces several cutbacks. Eight editorial staffers and three business staffers were laid off at Self Magazine as part of Condé Nast’s 2013 budget cuts. According to New York Post, reports state that each title under the major publishing house must cutback by an estimated 5%. Although the cutbacks are said to continue within the coming months, large brands such as Vanity Fair and The New Yorker may escape staff reductions this time around. However, other powerful names were not so lucky, such as Susan Portnoy (Vice President Media Relations for Digital and Corporate Communications), most commonly known for her involvement in New York’s annual Fashion’s Night Out.

LANG (http://www.langnews.com) which include the Los Angeles Daily News, the Torrance Daily Breeze and seven other papers has taken the obvious next step into becoming a regional news operation with an emphasis more on digital and less on geographical. Carolina Garcia will take over as Managing Editor of digital news for all LANG papers.

The Chicago Sun-Times (http://www.suntimes.com) has announced the hiring of Actress and Author Jenny McCarthy as Columnist. Ask Jenny will appear in the newspaper’s Splash section, and her blog will run Monday through Friday at splash.suntimes.com. The column will focus on and answer questions about love, sex, parenting, friendship, fitness and duties of a single mother.

Wired (http://www.wired.com) is bringing advertisers and the blogging community together by running ad-sponsored blogs. http://www.adweek.com/news/press/wired-bringing-advertisers-and-its-blogs-closer-together-136211

The Los Angeles Times (http://www.latimes.com) circulation figures are showing an increase due to paid digital subscriptions: http://www.laobserved.com/biz/2012/10/digital_helps_lat_ga.php

Meteorologists Dick Albert of WCVB-TV (http://www.wcvb.com) in Needham, MA and Steve Cascione of WLNE-TV (http://www.abc6.com) in Providence, RI are teaming up to create a weather-focused online forum called SkyWatchers (http://skywatchers.me) which is set to launch by the end of this year. SkyWatchers will be a platform for weather lovers to connect with and share information about all things weather. They are tweeting: https://twitter.com/skywchrs

The Press of Atlantic City (http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com) powered on through Hurricane Sandy and printed 24-page editions on Tuesday Oct. 30 &  Wednesday Oct.31st.

You can view the whole October issue of MEDIAware here: http://www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/mediaware/

And all of the Regional Updates here: http://www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/mediaware/November2012AgilityUpdatesByRegion.html

You can also 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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