[New Post] Earn More Media Coverage by Communicating Your Relevance

 

Blogs

Earn More Media Coverage by Communicating Your Relevance Anna Jasinski Trying to gain media coverage for your brand or clients can often feel like an unending uphill battle. The shifts in the media landscape, even very recently, have been seismic. Newsrooms are cutting budgets and transitioning more focus to digital, social and multimedia. And most reporters will tell you that they are overburdened and overwhelmed, as immediacy is sometimes prized above all else. If you don't demonstrate relevance instantly, your press release and pitch risk missing the mark, says Mike Sharp (@Sharp208), a former journalist turned PR pro. Before making the move to PR, Sharp was a video journalist, with experience in TV, radio and newspaper reporting. Now, he's the public relations coordinator at The Idaho Foodbank, where he manages media outreach and communication for the non-profit. Having been on both sides of the playing field, Sharp understands PR pros' opportunity to provide valuable content and align themselves as an ally and resource for journalists covering their industry. Here are Sharp's 6 tips for earning more media coverage. Present the news angle immediately. Check your press release headline for "nonsense" or unnecessary language, says Sharp. In order to draw eyes from media – and prevent a move to the virtual trash bin – headlines need to immediately provoke and inform. Show relevancy, recommends Sharp, by focusing on how your story impacts people beyond your company or organization. "Who does it impact? How does it touch the heart, affect the pocketbook, or put health at risk?" he says, thinking of questions he had to answer as a journalist pitching editors and crafting stories. Package the story. "Journalists are now expected to turn out three to four stories a day – if not more – and everyone is short-staffed," says Sharp. "They want your release to be more effective." By packaging your content well, with a relevant and relatable headline, quotes that speak to the impact, and multimedia, "you can help build the story for them," he says. "Show them what it could look like." Keep in mind, though, that journalists will be using these assets to complement, not replace, their reporting. Make your multimedia and content easy to adapt and include a media contact who is immediately available to answer questions and provide additional information. Cultivate relationships. Be a resource first, Sharp says. "Position yourself as a source, before you have a press release you need covered." Reach out to journalists covering your industry to let them know you're an accessible expert who’s willing to help. They're more likely to come to you if you put yourself out there, he added. Then, when you do have a release you want them to cover, don't just pitch the content or your brand. "Connect the journalist with a person your news is impacting directly – put the story in their hands." It's a great relationship builder, he says. If you're looking for another avenue to connect with the media, tools like ProfNet can help you find opportunities to respond to journalists’ queries and showcase your expertise. Connect the dots. Once you build the relationship, you have to tune in and listen, says Sharp. The biggest struggle he's faced in making the move over to PR is figuring out how each news outlet needs to be pitched. "They are all different," he says. "You have to individualize – there isn't just one way." Do the legwork to figure out what a specific journalist needs and likes, and listen when you do talk to them. Do they only want hard news? Are they looking for good feature stories? Reporters change beats often, too. So it's important to doublecheck they’re on a beat that’s relevant to your story. You have to be able to connect the dots from your news to their needs. Follow up. After putting out a press release, Sharp advises following up with a personalized message that reinforces your relevance via the journalist's preferred communications channel (email, phone, social media). In your outreach, show your impact and news angle quickly, similar to writing a good headline. "Can you tie yourself into a story without it being forced? You have to get to them in a way that doesn't feel like noise," Sharp says. Sum up why your news matters in quick bullets, which are easier to consume on the receiving end. Ask questions. If you're not getting replies or coverage, "don't be afraid to ask why," says Sharp. Sometimes it's just the nature of the news. Something timelier may have come up that meant your news was pushed aside. But, it may be that you're not being explicit in communicating your relevance. By asking why, you may find the missing puzzle piece for generating more media buzz around your brand's news. Download our guide Redefining Newsworthiness: New Opportunities to Earn Media & Attention to get more tips and examples of brands that reassessed their story and earned valuable media coverage. Author Anna Jasinski is an audience relations manager at PR Newswire. Follow her on Twitter at @annamjasinski for more on PR, content best practices & social media.

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[New Post] A Guide to Worry-Free Global Content Distribution [Checklist]

 

Blogs

A Guide to Worry-Free Global Content Distribution [Checklist] Alison Candelaria Reaching new audiences is a constant challenge for most brands. And with so many promotion options across social, paid, earned, and owned media, a multichannel strategy is the only way to successfully connect with today’s influencers and customers. But are you missing out by limiting your geographic influence? Expanding your message’s reach beyond your home country's borders has the potential to unlock a treasure trove of new audiences and future brand enthusiasts. When preparing your press release and content distribution strategy for a multinational audience, there are many questions that need answering. To alleviate any last-minute worries, check out our international distribution checklist, then keep reading for an in-depth breakdown of each tip. What is your press release's purpose? Before planning anything else, consider the big picture. Brands publish press releases to announce information, share their point of view, and inspire journalists, customers, investors and other audiences to take action. However, your audience is busy (just like you and me!).  They aren't wanting for content; in fact, it's usually quite the opposite. All around the world, content consumers are bombarded with ads, shared stories, social posts, and more. To make sure your content doesn't become white noise, you need to deliver a relevant message in the most user-friendly way possible. Your press release's goal and audience are the most important factors to identify because they will inform the rest of the decisions you make. Is your goal driving leads, targeting trade media, increasing awareness of thought leadership content, launching a new product, or attracting new investors and funders? Moreover, which types of audience will be instrumental in meeting your goal? While most brand goals benefit from promoting content across a mix of general media, trade publications and online channels, others may be better suited by specifically targeting an online or media audience. However, you won’t be able to decide this until you’ve reflected on what you want to accomplish. PRO TIP: Learn how to identify your content's audience and the best ways to serve them with our guide Gain Targeted Audience Attention with PR Newswire. Where do you want your news to go? Once you've answered the first question, you can begin to consider the specifics of your international distribution. Although a lot of focus is given to where your audience digitally lives, their physical location cannot be overlooked. Think about countries, not continents. Oftentimes, two countries within the same region have very different needs that your PR and marketing strategy must take into account. For instance, significant language differences across a continent can lead to a large number of translations, while diverse customs and rules may necessitate tailoring your message for each country. Targeting the most relevant markets will not just deliver better results, it will also save money and time. When deciding on which countries you want to reach, start with your known markets – countries that house a local office or are major players in your industry (green technology in China, energy in Canada/South America, etc.). But don't stop there. Have you noticed a recent spike in traffic to your website or press releases from a specific country? It may be an emerging market you should consider branching into. After determining your list of countries, look for overlap across larger regions and entire continents. PRO TIP: Read Expanding Into Emerging Markets for additional advice on aligning your brand's message with a specific country's needs. What languages do your audiences speak? This might seem obvious, but translations are crucial to international success. You want to remove any barriers between your audience and your message. Providing content in the language of your readers makes it easy for journalists to write about your story and online audiences to find it. A high-quality, human (not machine!) translation can take time.  Allow for 1-2 business days if possible. If that’s not possible, consider staggering the distribution of your various translations across local business hours. PRO TIP: When you're thinking about your lead time, review your internal processes. Do you need time to review translations internally?  Do you have highly technical or specific terms that you prefer be translated a certain way?  The more information you provide your translator in advance, the quicker and more accurate your translations will be. How does your story impact your international audience? Ultimately, how broad or specific you get with press release distribution should be based on whether or not your brand's story matters to audiences on the other end. You have a very brief window to grab attention. You're much more likely to earn coverage if local media can quickly tell why their audience will react to your story. Because each press release offers another opportunity to build and reinforce relationships with the international markets you're targeting, localize your content whenever possible. If you are opening a new office in Mumbai, but you know this also impacts your audience in Philippines, show them how! Additionally, identify what action you want your reader to take and place it prominently in your content. At minimum, if you have a local website or domain, ensure that it's accessible. PRO TIP: For your press release and other content to succeed, you must reach your audience with the information they need, when they need it. Download the Buyer 2.0 Content Strategy Checklist and learn how to plan out content your audience will care about. Storytelling is universal.  Good content that tells a compelling story can rarely be contained by borders, languages, or time zones.  For every good story told, there are many more people who want to hear it.  Just make sure you're making it easy for them to do so! Alison Candelaria is director of international sales at PR Newswire. She spends her time helping organizations of all sizes target their message to global communities.

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