Tips on DIY media outreach

Finding the right media contact is not an easy task, especially as of late, with media continually evolving  and reporters changing roles and outlets.  One would think that it would be easier given the digital media landscape with information literally at our  finger tips – but that’s not necessarily the case. Twitter accounts with profiles descriptions such as “Ottawa Citizen Reporter” are not overly helpful in finding the right media contact at The Citizen to share your story, am I right?

In a perfect world, reporters would update their social media accounts with bio information that described what they cover in more detail. Here are a few examples of Ottawa Citizen reporters who do this well.  (Most reporters from the Citizen and other outlets also do this well – we chose these three examples – there are others.  In addition, many twitter accounts for media outlets also provide twitter lists of their reporters by topic).  

At a quick glance, you can tell if your story is the right fit for these reporters:

Some even provide email addresses to share story ideas and invite followers to other social media channels as in this last example.

3 Steps to a Successful Pitch  

Beyond the obvious of delivering news value, the key to pitching  is to understand reporters and what they’re really looking for. I recommend that if you want to dabble in DIY media outreach, that you follow these three steps.

1. Read the tweets and Facebook updates from media outlets.
2. Watch the conversations being created around the news that is being reported.  Follow Twitter feeds. Be an observer of news for your industry.
3. Follow the source of the news. Find the names of the reporters who cover your specific topic and search for articles by those reporters.  Subscribe to their feeds. Get a sense of their writing style, what they do and do not cover to better target your pitch.

One last thing…

When pitching a story idea, it’s important to understand the life of a reporter. Here is a link to an older post you might find helpful, or at the very least – insightful.  http://storylinepr.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/a-reporters-job-and-yours/

Reporters, I ask you this…

Wouldn’t it be nice to read ONLY pitches on topics you cover? Granted, this approach of full disclosure on social media profiles, may open the floodgates to more pitches. It will also not stop the non-news marketing pitches being disguised as press releases, nor will it stop those who do not do their homework, but don’t you think it will lessen the number of times you have to hit the delete key? Who knows – there may be gem or two in there that you would have not otherwise received!

New Year’s Resolutions to Kickstart your PR

Do you have New Year’s resolutions set for your business in 2013? I have many. On the top of my list is face time. Personally, I plan to get out from behind my computer screen and set more appointments for coffee / lunch with cherished colleagues, (who I have cancelled on far too many times in 2012 than I care to admit). I want to reach out to new contacts that I have established a rapport on social media & have been wanting to meet in person to further build on those relationships. 

I also intend to work smarter, not harder. Here at the office, we’ve been really focused on our new business model. We’ve been testing various elements of storylinePRO for several months now and are very excited about our 2013 launch. Details to come.

Does your PR need a kickstart in 2013?
We’ve highlighted the following New Year’s resolutions for you to consider to kickstart your business PR profile.

Write Better Headlines

Whether it’s a blog post, a news release, email campaign or a Facebook or Twitter update, perhaps it’s time to start thinking about restructuring your headlines in 2013 to appeal to a broader audience.  There are a couple of reasons for this… 

a)  The headline is what journalists see first in news room wires and the first thing your audience sees in RSS feeds, email in-boxes and status updates on social media. You have to make it compelling to ensure your message gets the attention it deserves. 

b) Search engines place extra weight upon the text at the top of the page and only index the first 65 characters of the headline. 

Addressing both these issues when creating headlines can be challenging, but can be accomplished keeping these tips in mind… 1. Think like a journalist 2. Point out the benefits and 3. Be concise.

Stop ‘Selling’ and Start ‘Telling’ your Story

Great communication is about telling stories well. Some of the largest and savviest organizations are using “stories” as a core foundation of their marketing efforts and are discovering that storytelling is very powerful in the world PR. Public Relations is no longer about developing messages to be pushed to the media. Rather than tug on the sleeves of the media and beg for mentions, tell your story – everyone has one, what’s yours? In this issue of ePRnews, we shared some tips on understanding the use of stories in PR.

Add  More Video

And speaking of storytelling, video can bring your stories to life, creating emotion and visually stimulating assets to drive home points that your audience cares most about. It just takes a little creativity, a good story and solid planning.  Here is a recent ePRnews newsletter on this very subject.

Evaluate your Social Media PR Channels

Journalists and bloggers who are at the top of your pitch lists – consume content digitally. Sharing on social media can have a lasting effect on the online visibility of your message. Ensure that you have the right set of social media PR channels to tell your story.  Of course, it doesn’t make sense to invest time and effort in a particular social network if your clients are not there. How do you determine where they spend their time? The easiest way is to ask.  Compile a quick survey!

Build Relationships with Media

Invest time in building relationships with reporters, not just media databases.  Watch the conversations being created around the news that is being reported in your industry.  Follow the source of the news. Find the names of the journalists who cover your specific topic. Search for articles by those journalists and start engaging.

Target your Pitch

Remembering a media survey we stumbled across a few years back, it revealed startling stats….  ‘Over half of journalists say unsolicited pitches result in a story only “1% to 20%” of the time and 44% say only “0 to 25%” of the pitches they receive are related to what they cover’.  On behalf of my industry, “tisk.. tisk…” You will have invested a lot of time and research into ’the perfect pitch’, so make sure you are sending it to the right media contacts that would have a genuine interest in your story.

Our Thoughts on New Year’s Resolutions
Setting goals is a wonderful thing for your business and your spirit. A new year ahead with nothing but promise and inspiration is rejuvenating. What other New Year’s resolutions have you planned for your business that will kick-start your PR profile in 2013?

Storytelling and digital deal breakers for business

In today’s digital landscape, companies are all about storytelling, engagement across multiple platforms and increasing their online presence.  As consumers, we no longer let our fingers ‘physically’ do the walking, but rather, we Google companies and follow them on social media when we are in the market for their products and services. But as a business owner, have you ever considered using Google search when a new prospect lands in your lap? We have… and we did. Here’s our story… 

10 tips for building your online newsroom

In a recent issue of ePRnews, we featured some key benefits and quick tips for building an online newsroom on your website. Since then, we’ve received calls & emails from our readers asking to learn more, so we thought we would post those checklist items with a little more detail here to benefit all.  

Here are a few facts to you should know up front 

• Social PR communications tools are vital in today’s digital media landscape.  As journalists have converged into the digital realm, creating a content rich and up-to-date online newsroom is key.
• Online newsrooms provide journalists and editors with background information that’s needed to develop accurate and timely news stories.
• Statistics tell us that journalists and editors are searching the web for information on companies, just like yours, more and more everyday. If that isn’t motivation enough to get your online newsroom up to snuff,we don’t know what is!

We hope you find a couple of good nuggets of information on what to include in order to build an effective online newsroom.

transition from tradition

Every year when I was a kid, I remember lovingly wrapping a bottle of Old Spice aftershave for my dad to open under the tree on Christmas morning.  And every single year, my dad would act surprised and manage to muster a genuine look of  appreciation on his face. It was only years later that I found out he wasn’t so fond of the stuff. I look back now and find it quite comical.

Originally marketed as a women’s fragrance in 1937, Old Spice for men followed in 1938 in its classic buoy-shaped bottle,  known as Early American Old Spice. Like mine,  Old Spice after shave and cologne became a staple product in homes through traditional radio, television and print ads.

By the time Procter & Gamble purchased Old Spice from its original founders in 1990, it was tired and in need of a new lease on life. P&G has made a number of changes over the last 20 years including the branding, packaging and product lines.  But the most impressive changes were attributed to its marketing, transitioning from traditional paid media to social media  – and in the process, re-invented the brand. After all, for years it was known for being loved on your dad – not your man.

In February 2010, Old Spice introduced their new sex symbol pitchman, Isaiah Mustafa, referred to by its audiences as ‘Old Spice Guy’. They launched “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” television spot, and it was a huge success.

social media PR – making the leap!

We just finished our presentation at the IEA, (International Executives Association) Leadership Conference at the National Convention Centre earlier today. Some great questions from attendees about making the leap from traditional PR to social media PR!  It was great to share information on connecting to journalists through social media, see some familiar faces in the crowd & have the opportunity to connect, (live and in person), with members of my online community.

How to use social media to enhance your PR efforts

View more presentations from Deanna White

open the door to PR possibilities

I’ve always admired local entrepreneurs who aspire to, and succeed, in winning local business awards. It’s a great way to promote your professional profile and create a greater awareness with customers and media.

In a recent post, I summarized the PR value of business awards with a few tips on how to generate free publicity. I thought I would list some of the award opportunities that are available locally for Ottawa business.

Make a note of the upcoming application deadlines for the following local business award opportunities and considering adding one or two to your 2012/2013 communications plan.

getting engaged

Public Relations, by definition, includes ongoing activities to ensure your company has a strong public image. Just as media is finding its way with a new online business model, so must business. Social media has re-defined PR and helped shape how companies can leverage their online reputation. It’s all about is creating content that captures media and target audiences while addressing your business goals. There are many elements of PR that can help you do this with the net effect of increasing website traffic, optimizing search engine rankings, and ultimately creating new business. Here are few…

the joke’s on who, exactly?

I’m all for companies who issue releases that provide a little humour for the entertainment value on April Fool’s Day – as long as it is obvious and all good and all in fun. In fact, some organizations have been pretty clever this year…

Yesterday, LinkedIn listed under “People You May Know” the likes of Albert Einstein, J.R.R. Tolkien, Sherlock Holmes and Robin Hood. Google was having a little fun too. If you typed “Helvetica” in the Google search box, your font would change to Comic Sans. They went as far to announce a new technological advance in its popular Gmail application, motion-controlled email.

Some companies went a little further (and over the top in my humble opinion).  Virgin announced its company founder Richard Branson had bought Pluto in order to reinstate it as a planet. Ikea released its ‘newest product’ via YouTube video: The Hundstol, or dog high chair, which confused consumers who asked about availability.

There’s a belief that all publicity is good publicity… but is it really?

I believe that ‘news’ should be exactly that…

connecting online

I received a very good question on my last blog post for suggestions on how new PR practitioners can build solid media lists.  First of all, let me say that by entering the industry now, you already start from a very good place with a solid grounding in social media.  This is really the future of PR.  Remember the days when you had a breaking news story and all you had to do was find a phone booth to call it into a news desk? OK, truth be known, me neither, but that’s the way it used to happen. Today, the way journalists source and report the news is changing. As media finds its comfort level with a new business model online, so does the PR industry with the way we interact with journalists and target audiences.  

As mentioned in my previous post, reporters are on the move – and for the most part, it is difficult to keep media lists up to date.  It takes diligence and a continuous effort to ensure lists stay relevant.  I also mentioned the importance of following Twitter feeds.  I view Twitter accounts like I do LinkedIn, a way to stay connected.  I love that I can follow a colleague on LinkedIn throughout their career and have the ability to connect, regardless of where professional lives may take them.  Twitter works much the same way.