Tag Archives: Visual PR

5 Instagram Tips for PR Pros

Posted on September 14, 2012 by | 5 Comments

Be interesting, be useful …. or be ignored. Image via our own Victoria Harres.

Each week, Dear Gracie answers questions from ProfNet Connect readers with advice from our network of nearly 50,000 ProfNet experts. Has there been a question burning in your mind lately, something you’ve been wondering that none of your colleagues can answer? Please send it to grace.lavigne@prnewswire.com

Dear Gracie,

Instagram has been around for a couple of years, but seems to have exploded in popularity recently. How can PR pros use Instagram to increase publicity for clients?

Improving Images

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Dear Improving Images:

Four ProfNet experts provide a snapshot:

Instagram is a social network where users can share photos and comment or like their friends’ photos, explains Jeff Peters, social media specialist at The Halo Group.

It offers users a simple, easy way to take and edit photographs, and then post them across all major social media portals, says Seth Grugle, digital and social media specialist for Much and House Public Relations. It borrows the #hashtag concept from Twitter and aggregates friends like Facebook.

An artsy shot that benefited from tinkering with Instagram filters, by PR Newswire’s Sarah Skerik

“One of the most interesting aspects of Instagram is that it’s not really a ‘site,’ but lives almost purely on mobile,” notes Peters.

“While it’s possible for just about any brand to use Instagram, the platform itself is most appealing to brands and industries that are more visually oriented,” Peters explains. “Instagram helps create a visual connection between a brand and a consumer or potential customer.”

For example, a fashion line could post photos of inspirational clothing patterns, a car manufacturer could post photos of challenging roadways, or a celebrity could post behind-the-scene shots that grant followers access to sights and scenes they’d never get to see otherwise, says Grugle.

PR professionals should seriously consider using the social network to complement client announcements and press releases, just as they do with Twitter and Facebook, says Jennifer DeAngelis, a PR account executive with InkHouse.

“If a picture is truly worth a thousand words, then the visual imagery projected through Instagram translates well beyond a 140-character maximum,” says Grugle.

Tips and Suggestions for PR Pros Using Instagram:

1. Check Out Instagram’s Business Page, suggests Peters. Instagram for Businesses provides information on how to get started, examples of successful approaches, advertising and marketing opportunities, and more.

2. Consider Your Audience. “Are your brand’s fans using Instagram?” asks Kevin Dugan, veteran marketer with The Empower Group. “If your audience isn’t on Instagram, do you need to be?”

“Don’t just use Instagram to use it or because it’s positioned as ‘hot,’” agrees Peters. “Make sure that you’re giving your audience content that they want to see and interact with.”

3. Post Appropriate Content. “Understand why you want to use Instagram, how you’re going to use it, what you want to get out of it and how your audience uses it,” says Peters.

“Don’t forget that, while pictures are great, substance is critical,” stresses Dugan. “What are you trying to convey?”

4. Don’t Just Post — Interact, says Peters. Some of the most popular brands on Instagram use behind-the-scene photos, photo hunts or contests. For example, fashion retailer Free People integrates Instagram directly into their product pages.

5. Get Creative, says Dugan. “Optimize the content for the format and break out of traditional molds.” Here are a few examples of unique approaches:

Instagram is also often mistakenly overlooked for various types of announcements that a company might make, such as a new product, a new hire, an upcoming event or a recent award, says DeAngelis in her post How We Can Use Instagram in Public Relations.

Gracie

Written by Grace Lavigne, senior editor of ProfNet, a service that helps journalists connect with expert sources. Dear Gracie is published weekly on ProfNet Connect, a free social networking site for communicators. To read more from Grace, check out her blog on ProfNet Connect.

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Dear Gracie: Tips for How to Appear on Camera

Posted on August 17, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Dear Gracie,

I’m doing my first TV appearance as an expert on a news show, and I’m a bit nervous. Any tips, advice?

Panicked Presenter

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Dear Panicked Presenter,

Here is the advice from six communication experts found within the ProfNet Connect community:

Preparation

“Practice, practice, practice, and then practice again,” says Rachel Weingarten, personal brand and style expert, and author of “Career and Corporate Cool” and “Hello Gorgeous! Beauty Products in America, ’40s-’60s.”

Try practicing out loud, in advance, says Karen Friedman, a former TV news reporter who now heads Karen Friedman Enterprises, which teaches people how to become powerful communicators. “Saying your words out loud will help you internalize your message and practice delivery. It will also help you recall key words and thoughts when you’re actually on.”

“Make up a list of your best stories, anecdotes and selling points ahead of time,” continues Weingarten. “Don’t try to offer up a completed list to your interviewer, but rather be comfortable enough with the details so that you don’t fumble on the presentation.”

Also, do your homework, says Weingarten. Study up on the show you’ll be appearing on. Consider questions like: What colors are the set? Will the video shooting occur indoors or outdoors? How much time will be given to speak? How close or far is the camera? Considering questions like these will give you a better idea of how you’ll look on film, says Weingarten.

Appearance

It’s important to wear the right clothing, says Robb Leer, founder and president of Leer Communications, a media and communication consulting company. “Wear something comfortable and well-fitting, and dress conservative — not crazy.”

“The most important thing is to hold onto your own personal style,” says Weingarten. If you dress for the hosts or the camera exclusively, you will likely be uncomfortable the entire time and end up so focused on your clothes that you will lose track of what’s being asked of you, she says.

Keep it simple and professional looking, echoes Susan Tellem, partner in Tellem Worldwide; a public relations, social media and marketing communications firm. “Don’t wear white or black, more than one pattern, small checks, large print, herringbone, stripes polka dots or loud colors. Instead, wear safe colors like dark blues, grays, earth tones or pastels, or wear colors that look good on you and blend well with the set.”

“Dark colors absorb light, so they tend to look better on camera,” explains fashion designer and personal stylist Kesi Case.

Tellem also recommends avoiding low-cut dresses or shirts, too much jewelry and seasonal clothing. She also advises that if you normally wear glasses, you should wear them for the interview. And bring an extra shirt or blouse, she adds, in case of spills or sweat.

“If you wear makeup, wear more than usual and have the makeup department at the studio do a touchup. Even if you don’t normally wear makeup, visit the makeup department anyway, as you will always look better on TV with it on,” Tellem says. “And men should get their bald heads or sweaty foreheads powdered,” she adds.

Also, do a complete run-through of your entire look, from head to toe, ahead of time, says Weingarten. “Make sure your hair doesn’t look like a helmet, your makeup doesn’t run, and your clothing fits you well and comfortably.”

Posture

“Keep an open body posture,” says Robin H-C, behavior specialist and life coach, and author of “Thinking Your Way to Happy!” “There is a natural propensity to cross the arms and legs and protect the torso when nervous or under stress.”

If your movements are open, then you’ll appear approachable, says Friedman. “Using hand movements and gestures when you speak makes you more animated and interested to look at,” she says. “But on TV, keep your hands out of the box — meaning, keep them away from your shoulders up.”

If you’re sitting, then sit up straight, advises Leer. Don’t slump at the shoulders, leaning slightly forward. “Sit on the front edge of a straight-back chair, not a chair that swivels,” he instructs.

“Body language conveys you’re in control of the conversation, so relax,” adds Leer. “Or at least try.”

Eye Contact

If there is no interviewer: “Keep steady eye contact, as if the person you are speaking to is standing right in front of you,” says Friedman. “Think of the camera or your audience as one person and speak to that one person, not to the masses,” she continues. “If there is a loud noise and you glance off to the side, people at home in front of their TV sets don’t know something happened in the studio. All they see is someone who looks distracted or unfocused.”

If there is an interviewer: “You’re never wrong to look at the interviewer and not the camera,” says Leer.

Delivery

“Pretend that the person in the back of the room or on the other side of the camera can’t hear you very well,” says Friedman. A microphone doesn’t substitute energy, she says. “When you speak just a tad louder, you will sound more engaging.”

But keep your tone and delivery conversational, says Leer. Use clarity and sincerity to convey conviction, he says. Don’t get louder and louder.

Mentality

“The camera picks up your nerves, so the more confident you are, the better you will come across,” says Case.

“Get out of your head!” says H-C. “Focus on the conversation with the host and do your best to silence the internal voice that is evaluating your appearance. Saying, ‘I hope I don’t mess this up’ is setting your brain up to do exactly that. Try an affirmation: ‘I am relaxed, informative and articulate during all media interviews,’” says H-C.

Also, remember to breathe, H-C continues. “When you’re nervous and adrenaline kicks in, it can shut down the frontal lobe of the brain, our problem-solving area. Trust me — you do not want to be interviewed without access to the frontal lobe.”

Extra Tips:

“The camera is always on, so don’t pick your teeth or comb your hair. Those images could later haunt you,” says Leer.

If all else fails, says Weingarten, self-deprecation works. “People don’t expect you to be as polished as the cast or crew of the show, so if you feel as though the interview or appearance has gotten away from you, stop stammering and feel free to make a joke about the fact that you’re not Angelina Jolie, but need a minute or two to collect your thoughts.”

“Though you want to look great and sound brilliant, at the end of the day, you are on TV to share a message,” continues Weingarten. “Remind yourself of this prior to all interviews. It’s not about you, rather, you are the medium for an important message.”

And most importantly, have fun! “Don’t take it too seriously and congratulate yourself for being brave. Many people would not even consider doing a live appearance,” says H-C.

Good luck!

Gracie

Written by Grace Lavigne, senior editor of ProfNet, a service that helps journalists connect with expert sources. Dear Gracie is published weekly on ProfNet Connect, a free social networking site for communicators. To read more from Grace, check out her blog on ProfNet Connect.

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PR Newswire’s New “Pin It” Button Makes Pinning Press Releases Easy

Posted on June 8, 2012 by | 1 Comment

A look at the new “Pin It” button appearing on press releases hosted on PR Newswire’s web site.

As Pinterest has grown into the third largest social media platform, its over 10 million members  have been making a huge impact.

Pinterest referral traffic has surpassed Google Plus, Linked In and YouTube traffic combined, and as we reported here earlier, brands are seeing an increase in revenue generated by pinned content.  (See “Selling in Social” for details.)

Not surprisingly, PRNewswire.com has seen an increase in Pinterest traffic since January 2012, and PR Newswire content has been widely pinned, liked, and repinned. Our clients distribute some fantastic visuals with their press releases (gorgeous photos, infographics, and interesting products), so to make it easier to share them on Pinterest, we’ve added the “Pin It” button to news release pages with images. Yet another reason why adding a visual to your release can increase engagement!

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Facebook Ups the Ante on Images: Is Your PR Program Ready?

Posted on April 12, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Options abound for creating visuals to enhance your communications. Without visuals, content can't be pinned on Pinterest and doesn't get as much attention on Facebook, or in search engines.

Earlier this week, Facebook spent a Billion (yes, billion with a capital B) dollars on Instagram, a company with no revenue and thirteen employees that has created a fun and functional photo-sharing app loved by millions of users.  Images are big news in social media and technology. Pinterest continues its rapid ascent, as people and brands collect, organize and share images and video via Pinboards (text-only content can’t be pinned.)  And Apple is fueling the fire with the visually dazzling retina display featured with the new iPad.

But despite all this attention to visual content, most PR pitches and the majority of news releases are sent out unadorned, their authors relying upon the written word to convey meaning, capture attention and spark action. Visuals are often left out of the message strategy, despite the fact (yes, fact, not theory or assumption) that visual content draws more views and interaction online.

Search engines and social networks know their users gravitate to visual content, and they reward it accordingly: messages with visuals get more “Edge Weight” from Facebook’s EdgeRank algorithm, and get more exposure in search engines.  Press releases that include multimedia get more reads and more social shares than their plain-text cousins.  At this point, we have to consider using visuals to be an imperative for PR.  But what do you do when you don’t have access to fresh images for your campaign or pitch?  You don’t necessarily need a glossy, professionally-shot image.  There are other clever ways you can develop imagery for your content, if you’re willing to think creatively – and a little informally too.

Here are some easy ways to create visuals to make your message stand out.

  • Turn text into a picture.  Pinterest and Facebook are loaded with quotes turned into simple graphics with color and eye-catching fonts.   The web site http://www.someecards.com/ offers fun and easy ways to create visuals with your own text.
  • If your campaign includes a list or data, turn it into a simple infographic.  People love to share information, and simple graphics help content travel far and wide.
  • Add simple captions or phrases to photos that evoke or relate to key messages.  (Note: be sure you have rights to the image before publishing it!)
  • Use a stock image from Getty to enhance your press release when you use PR Newswire to distribute your news.  Images are free when you select a premium photo distribution circuit, or can be purchased to accompany your news when you use another newsline option.

So the next time you’re drafting a message and don’t have an image at hand, get creative and put something together yourself.  You audience (and your boss!) will thank you.

Related reading: Make Your Next PR Pitch POP With Art

 Sarah Skerik is PR Newswire’s vice president of social media, and is the author of the free ebook Unlocking Social Media for PR.

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Tips for Making TV Pitches Nationally & Locally Relevant

Posted on March 6, 2012 by | Leave a comment
broadcast pr, pitching daytime tv,

Whether you’re pitching a daytime TV show or the network news, fine tuning your pitches for relevant viewer audiences improves the chances of getting the story on air.

When many of our clients start thinking about broadcast PR and getting TV coverage for their story, they often tell us  their primary objective is to have their segment or interview air in the top 20 DMA markets.  In many cases,  they don’t pause to consider whether or not those markets hold any value for their brand or product -  aside from just being the largest markets in the country.

In general, whether you’re pitching television producers for a satellite media tour, an in-studio interview, a b-roll package or are inviting media to attend a local event, relevancy is key.  It is crucial to make the story applicable to national media while attracting local markets.  This can be done by localizing information and “news-you-can-use” to these specific markets. For example, when a study released the top ten states where the burden of diabetes is projected to be the highest in 2015, stations within those states in top markets like Sacramento and Houston, who would normally not be interested in speaking with a doctor via satellite, participated in the SMT. This worked well for two reasons:

  • The specific statistics, information and tips made available to each station were relevant to viewers within that state.
  • We were able to tailor the pitch to be relevant nationally as well. For those states not on the list, we were able to frame the message as general stories about diabetes, and what viewers can do to protect their health.

This strategy made the story relevant nationally while simultaneously attracting local markets.

When Bicycling Magazine released its 50th anniversary edition with the Best Cities for Fall Foliage Biking, stations on that list were clamoring to participate in the lineup. Why? Because whether you’re number 1 or number 20 on that list, it provides an anchor with the opportunity to highlight the city, plus provide tips for viewers on where they could go to enjoy fall foliage biking in that city. Plus, the talent – in this case, the editor-in-chief of the magazine – was able to provide top tips for cyclists and perspective on cycling now versus 50 years ago in order to satisfy markets who were not on the list. Again, national relevancy while attracting local markets equaled a successful pitching strategy.

Some other questions to ask when trying to gear a pitch towards national, regional or local media:

-Where is my talent/spokesperson from? Where are they located now?

-Is my talent an A-list celebrity with national appeal who will attract national and local media?

-Who does my story affect? Is it a regional issue where only stations in the Midwest will be interested? Is about a disease that only affects a small population? Is it a contest being held in schools throughout the country where the markets of the local schools can be pitched, but where there are enough broad based tips and a call to action that would be appealing to all media? Is it an event taking place in one market?

The bottom line is if you need to delve into the anatomy of your story to determine who it affects in order to determine which stations will be interested. This will help shape your strategy and guide you in pitching your story to appropriate outlets where it can reach the right audience.

Author Risa Chuang is a media relations manager at MultiVu, a PR Newswire company.

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Infographics in Press Releases: Tips & Examples

Posted on February 21, 2012 by | 6 Comments

The issue of food waste disposal, made visually appealing by Emerson.

Let’s face it- we’re a visual society.  Since our earliest years, images have been capturing our attention; entertaining and exciting us.  They have been at the heart of storytelling, one of our first methods of expression, and a fundamental tool for education.  Through illustrative graphics, we learned how to read & write, add & multiply.  And so, the rapidly mounting use and influence of infographics by professional communicators, during an era when a minute -or even just seconds – of our audiences’ attention is highly coveted, should come as no surprise.

Late last year, PR Newswire analyzed press release data and found that the inclusion of multimedia significantly improves press release results. An infographic, which is more detailed than a photo and conveys information more quickly than a video, successfully extends the core message of a press release, bringing text to life by highlighting the important components.   Due in part to social media, information is so abundant it can make your head spin, so an infographic, as a diversion from plain text, gets right to the point, simplifies complex information and creates another opportunity to impact the reader in an instant.  All this considered, it is no wonder that multimedia news releases get more play.

As with any piece content, however, an infographic must be relevant, interesting and meaningful; it should not rely solely on eye-catching artwork.   Nor should the content be overwhelming; they can pack a big punch and carry a significant amount of information, but if successfully done, are displayed in a way that flows sensibly and is easily digestible.  An effective infographic both elicits an instant reaction, but also makes us think and want to learn more.

What I like most about an infographic isn’t its ability to concisely tell a story or the fuel it becomes to drive a message forward – (though both notable features), but the opportunity for free creative reign.  As soon as I’m tasked with writing a press release – and as a PR pro, you can imagine is quite often – I begin outlining the draft in my head – going through a checklist of elements that make it up:  concise, informative headline – witty, if appropriate; strong lead sentence and paragraph to catch my readers’ attention, while also providing significant insight to what will be covered; shareable quote from appropriate source, and so on.

The press release fits into a fairly standard format.  Infographics, on the other hand, allow us to detour from our usual template and color outside the lines.  This doesn’t mean we have to be “artists” or “designers,” but just requires us to revisit our early days and think a bit more visually.

And while infographics have a place in almost any message, they are especially great making data sets more appealing and instantly understandable, such as:

  • Packaging survey results that may otherwise be cumbersome in lengthy text format; 
  • Summarizing statistical data that can otherwise lose the fleeting interest of a reader;
  • Offering comparison research that will have a more a dramatic effect with visuals;
  • Messages targeted to multilingual audiences (images are a universal language, right?)

Examples:

Infographics can be used to illustrate a variety of subjects, and in addition to data, are also useful for expressing lifecycles, processes and flow charts.  Here are some recent examples we’ve spotted:

So, let’s get back to basics of dynamic storytelling and start communicating visually.

Related reading:

Tips for Creating & Using Infographics

Weaving Visual Cues into PR

Author Meryl Serouya is a marketing & communications associate for PR Newswire.   A version of this story titled “Infographics as Press Releases” ran earlier this month in Ragan’s PR Daily.

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Pinning the Future of Communications on Visuals

Posted on January 24, 2012 by | 5 Comments

PR Newswire's fledgling Pinterest presence.

UPDATE: Communicators need to pay particular attention to Pinterest’s terms of use.  Failing to do so can result be risky for brands.   Read the details here: Unpinned.

While I’m normally reticent to give new social networks a try – I’m pretty heavily invested in Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and am still trying to make Google+ work for me – I couldn’t resist Pinterest.

Pinterest is a new way to bookmark and organize all that interesting stuff you wander across when surfing. However, instead of producing a list of bookmarks, Pinterest renders the content you “pin” into gorgeous spreads (called “boards”) that resemble the glossiest magazine.  The results are beyond engaging, they’re arresting.

Here, for example, is one Pinterest enthusiast’s page.  Tina is into gardening and home decor.  She has beautiful taste, as you can see:

She’s created a lot of boards, collecting design ideas for her home and garden, along with myriad other things she simply likes.  Clicking on one of the boards (in this case, the “Ideas for My New Garden”  board) expands that collection of pins.  Here’s what you see:

The board expands, and it really does feel like you’re leafing through a high end magazine. However, instead of dog-earing the pages or ripping out something that catches your eye, you can simply “re-pin” the item, saving it to your own board.

Pinterest encourages users to link the items they pin to their sources.  This adds to the utility of Pinterest –  you can get to the underlying recipe or news article or product information easily.   At this point, what Pinterest means for in terms of opportunities for marketers and communicators should be pretty clear!

Sorry! No visual, no pin!

There’s just one catch, however.  Pinterest is for visual content.  If your organization isn’t producing visuals, your content will be bypassed by the growing and active Pinterest crowd.  You can’t pin content that doesn’t include a visual.

But what if you don’t live in the Land of High Production Values?  There is good news.  You can use Pinterest to build boards for content that is largely text based, as long as it is tied to a visual.  Mashable provides a good example:

Mashable uses visuals to pin links to text content on their web site.

Mashable has created boards around different themes, and has pinned articles to each. Each article carries with it a requisite visual.  The results aren’t as gorgeous as spreads devoted to gardens or gourmet cupcakes, but the boards are visually compelling, and make the underlying content attractive, consumable and – new verb here, folks! – re-pinnable.

The take away for me is simple –  communicators have to redouble their efforts when it comes to visuals.   Visuals carry extra weight on Facebook and Google+, they’re rendered on Twitter (drawing more attention to the tweet) and are what makes services like Flipboard and Pinterest so compelling and useful.  Flickr and Youtube are great repositories, with their own built in audiences.  But what makes Pinterest and Flipboard different is the fact that they make it easy to publish compelling visual content.

If visuals aren’t a cornerstone of your communications mix already, now is a good time make the commitment to build visuals into your plans.

Sarah Skerik is PR Newswire’s vice president of social media, and is the author of the free ebook Unlocking Social Media for PR, which we’ve updated for 2012.

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Is Your Story Right for Daytime TV?

Posted on November 28, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Most PR professionals have had the boss (or client) that wants to see their story on featured on big name day time talk shows.  There’s no question that mass media is still very effective, and here at MultiVu we hear these requests all the time, whether for air time on TV, national radio or the via the top 100 blogs for a particular segment.  This is always tricky, especially when dealing with a boss (or client) that is convinced their news is the most important of the day, and is convinced that teams from The Today Show or Oprah are lining up to interview him or her. Unfortunately, as most PR pros know, daytime TV only offers a finite number of interview opportunities, from Good Morning America to 20/20 and topics have to be relevant to each show’s format, and also of interest to their specific audience.  Herein is the problem, and following is our advice for determining whether or not a daytime slot is a good fit for your story.

A recent Beyond PR blog post titled “Getting on Daytime TV Talk Shows” broke down the format at Good Morning America.  Each show has its own format, and finding the best fit for the interview or demo you’re pitching is where you need to start.  Good Morning America, for example, is broken down into four sections:

  • •7 to 7:30 a.m. is the news half hour, covering the hard news of the day — timely, breaking news.
  • •7:30 to 8 a.m. is informational. Features have to be “buzzy” and visual (video, lots of pictures). For example, in late summer, they recently interviewed a doctor regarding the heat wave hitting various parts of the country. Rather than interviewing the doctor in the studio, they interviewed him in a sauna. At the beginning of the interview, they weighed him and took his vitals, and then compared them to his weight and vitals after being in the sauna. This helped them explain to viewers what happens to a body in extreme heat. “We are always trying to find visual ways to tell the story,” said Patty Neger, a coordinating producer on the show. “We are television. We don’t want talking heads. We’re always looking for a ‘television moment’ – what people will be talking about after the show.” Here is the opportunity to pitch a story idea, which should be an in studio opportunity, offering compelling content and visuals and an adept spokesperson. Remember, appeal to the audience.
  • •8 to 9 a.m. is hip, fun, visual entertainment – e.g., a fashion show featuring twins, one wearing a “splurge” item and the other wearing a “knockoff.” The anchors then try to guess which one is wearing which. This is a second opportunity to pitch a story – geared towards those who may still be home at 8am in the morning, or those surfing online later in the day – a good fit for a fun feature story.

The outline above shows that there is a maybe an hour and a half of air time, actually after commercials you can estimate an hour for interview opportunities, apply this across all daytime programming, and you are looking at maybe 5 hours of opportunity daily, for specific audiences. Now think of the hundreds of pitches each show receives daily and you can see that your story truly has to be of value to the outlet you are pitching.

Alternatives to daytime TV may be a better fit for your story – and audience.

So, what if you do have a story worth telling, but have been rejected by the top talk shows, how do you begin to get publicity for your client? Most importantly, identify who your audience is for this story. Are moms the focus? Then think about pitching parenting bloggers who are always looking for content.  Do you have a medical story? Don’t discount TV outlets that air in doctors’ waiting rooms. Travel? Think of all the screens at the airports, a captive audience for your information. Do you have a regional story to tell? Consider focusing on the smaller markets where your topic is of interest specifically.

There are many times when national exposure on daytime TV may be appropriate, but for others a more strategic and focused approach may be best and provide the most solid ROI for your project. Many outlets and opportunities for distribution exist that can upon discovery and counsel from your distribution partner can lead to a targeted strategy that truly delivers results.

Author Bev Yehuda is Vice President – Web Engagement Products for MultiVu, a PR Newswire Company.  MultiVu specializes in multimedia production and distribution.

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Weaving Visual Cues into PR

Posted on July 21, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Yesterday PR Newswire hosted a webinar about visual PR featuring Lorrie Thomas, CEO of Web Marketing Therapy, and John O’Connell, senior public relations manager for HTNB Corp.  The topic was visual PR, and we discussed how weaving visuals into different communications can improve the results your PR efforts generate.  Lorrie and John went above and beyond the call of duty, providing an in-depth examination of a variety of tactics their organizations have used successfully.

As readers of this blog know, a recent PR Newswire analysis revealed that multimedia content generates better press release results than plain text content.  Across the board, press releases and other content with multimedia garners more online views, is shared more widely in social networks and has a longer shelf life than plain text content.

Lorrie kicked off the conversation with a number of examples, showing how thoroughly her firm weaves visuals into their online communications, and reminding listeners that visual cues can be as simple as a subtle hyperlink in a body of text, or as complex as a an collection of videos or an array of graphical elements on a web site.

Visuals are front and center on a Web Marketing Therapy client's media pages.

This screenshot of a web site they created for a client is a good example. Developed for a leading tax negotiation and mediation firm, the goal was to highlight the CEO’s thought leadership.  Web Marketing Therapy used visuals on the media page – including headshots and videos – to highlight the client’s expertise.  And instead of simple text links, the site design employed big, clickable buttons – a best practice that’s often overlooked.   Because media pages build trust factors with current and potential customers (in addition to serving interested journalists and bloggers) fully utilizing this area of a web site is important.

Lorrie offered a variety of tips for using visuals successfully in a communications program, including:

  • Include media contact information, and make it visible in all the multimedia elements – even photos and video.
  • Web surfers scan, they don’t read.  Use visual cues can get people to (and through) your message or site.
  • Embed search ready links in press releases.  Hyperlinks still serve a visual role, offering emphasis to readers and search engines.  Doing so delivers good user experience, gives the reader a visual cue, and can help boost search visibility. (How to embed anchor text hyperlinks in press releases.)

John showed us how his organization has generated interesting data through polling that the public relations department has used successfully to create infographics and generate media coverage.  As a result, John noted that his firm is able to compete effectively in the PR realm for a fraction of the cost of competitor ad spends.

An example of the infographics created by HNTB.

Media, industry association partners and bloggers have responded very well to the data HTNB can find and produce.  John noted many don’t have the staff, budgets for the type of polling HTNB does, despite the fact that they love credible data and numbers.  Using data-based infographics has enabled HTNB to present content in new – but still newsworthy – fashion.

John pointed out that data and infographics present a coverage opportunity.  The data that can be illustrated with a visual – in addition to the infographics your organization produces – can garner attention and gain coverage where plain text can’t.  John noted that while many blogs and smaller industry publications will pick up the graphics HTNB provides, larger publications like USA Today prefer to create their own, and to do so they need the underlying data.  Getting to know the graphics departments at key news outlets was a great tip he offered listeners.

John summarized the opportunity for PR pros when using visuals: find the sweet spot between the content creator, the data you have, and what your business needs – that intersection is your opportunity.

Listen to the archived webinar: Visual PR: Using Multimedia to Generate Results

Connect with the panelists:

Lorrie’s web sites: http://www.webmarketingtherapy.com  and http://www.lorriethomas.com

Follow Lorrie on Twitter: @webtherapist

John’s LinkedIn profile: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/john-o-connell/0/867/894
Follow John on Twitter: @johnoconnellkc

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

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Video Tips: Translating Great Stories to Video

Posted on May 4, 2011 by | 3 Comments

Finding the story hook that will connect with your audience is crucial to any publicity campaign, and is especially important when creating video to bring a story to life.  Generally speaking, looking for the angles that will excite, entertain and/or inform your audiences will increase the likelihood that the content you produce is valued by your audience.

I had the opportunity to chat with Marc Newman, a divisional vice president with PR Newswire’s MultiVu division, and a 20+ year veteran of the video production industry, about things to keep in mind when you’re planning a video project.

Offer unique perspective (literally.)

Over the years, PR Newswire has created numerous video projects for Six Flags, many of which feature dramatic footage of the company’s bevy of roller coasters.  Footage shot from the vantage point of a rider in the front car is exciting and fun to watch, affording viewers at home a taste of the ride experience.  For a recent project, however, the perspective was changed to include shots backward, at the passengers, as they rode the ride for the first time – and for an extra twist, the live segments included reports in the front seats, providing commentary during the ride to the anchor teams back in the studio.

Facilitate ease-of-use and editing:

This change in perspective really worked, and the live reporting from the front of the roller coaster made great TV.  Reporters were handed USB memory sticks with MPEG4 video from their rides – including forward-facing footage as well – just minutes after the coaster glided to a stop. The resulting media coverage was tremendous, and the content was provided at no cost to the media covering the story, who could then edit the video as they desired.

Simplify (and illustrate) the complex:

Another example Mark gave was of a semiconductor company, whose communications are generally highly technical and complex.   Video featuring engineers offering simplified explanations of new technologies and an animations illustrating how new semiconductors work have been invaluable in making the company’s messages clearer and more accessible to other important audiences, such as mainstream media, investors and employees, who may not be engineers and aren’t terribly well versed in all aspects of semiconductor development.    In this case, the animations really make the difference.  However, if you don’t have access to animations,  infographics can be effective too.

Capitalize on common experience, and use it to showcase differences:

New York City taxi cabs.  If you have ever ridden in one, chances are that phrase conjured some pretty distinct imagery as you read it.  And that imagery probably doesn’t include spacious interiors made brighter by panoramic sunroofs, eco-friendly engines and non-intrusive horns.  The juxtaposition of what so many of us have experienced in a taxi in New York against the bright new reality unveiled this week by Mayor Bloomberg when he showed the world thefuture of the New York cab made for compelling video that made you stop and say, “Wow, that is cool.”  The unique vehicle, designed especially for New York City by Nissan, is a head-turner.

While it’s true that not every communicator is lucky enough to be publicizing fun new roller coasters or innovative new cars, keeping these tips in mind will help you make the most of the visuals you produce to support your publicity campaigns.

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

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