[New Post] Media Relations Must-Dos: 10 Tips for More Earned Media

 

BLOGS

Media Relations Must-Dos: 10 Tips for More Earned Media Eleanor Cates A lot has changed since Herbert Muschel launched PR Newswire in 1954, but one thing hasn't: The press is still a fundamental element of our society. From mainstream media with newsrooms spread around the globe to niche publications with smaller but equally passionate staffs, today’s news outlets provide decision-driving information that reaches a diverse audience. And as the use cases in our multichannel strategy guide show, a mix of media channels – determined by your content and the audiences you're trying to reach – is key to achieving your communications goals. Familiarizing yourself with the needs of the media will make your news stand out in the crowd for the right reasons. While preferences may vary from media point to point, there are a handful of traits and tips your media outreach should always follow. Credible A communicator's credibility is the bedrock of their relationship with news organizations. The journalists you work with need to know and trust that you have the expertise, experience and perspective to add to their story. What you say and how you say it can make or break that credibility. Know your standards: AP News Values and other codes of ethics. Learn them. Love them. Live them. Be transparent: State your objective and sources early on, and provide links that direct readers to useful information. This helps with both verification and reader engagement. Be consistent: Establish a consistent presence in the eyes of the press by using a regular cadence of press releases, social media and other media outreach tactics. Keep learning: Guidelines change. It’s important to not only stay current with PR and marketing best practices, but also journalism best practices. For instance, follow #APStyleChat on Twitter or Storify to keep your content up-to-date with the style rules many journalists follow. Newsworthy The definition of newsworthiness has changed. What a top-tier media point may not consider newsworthy could very well be newsworthy to a trade publication or social influencer. Being able to identify what is or isn't newsworthy to a particular audience is an art you should master. Be relevant: To be newsworthy, you must be relevant. To be relevant, you must know what’s going on. Monitor topics and trends in your industry, and take the time to understand how your brand can authentically add to those conversations. Learn how to connect the dots with these tips on communicating relevance. Get local: Most of the media outlets you reach out to are focused on a specific audience. Even mainstream media outlets break their coverage into different beats. Target your story's angle to the very specific interests and informational needs of that audience. As we showcased in this article about Elections 2016 content, that could mean giving a local angle to something of national importance or tying your message to a particular subtopic of a larger story making headlines. Don't be dull: Newsworthiness does not equal boring. As a brand communicator, you're not just presenting facts, you're telling a story. Keep it professional and respectful, of course, but have some fun. Need some ideas? Check out Content Tips for Adding Creativity in More Conservative Niches. Proactive It's no secret we live in an always-on world. Media and their audiences operate 24-7-365, creating and consuming content constantly and expecting answers to questions immediately. Because of this, brands must prepare for and satisfy the needs of their audience as quickly as possible. Keep it simple: Channel the tiny house trend and eliminate clutter from your press releases and pitches. Make it easier for readers to connect with your message by being judicious with the information you include and highlighting the most important details with bullets and other formatting techniques. Anticipate multimedia needs: Look at the media sites you visit. It's a requirement for nearly every news item to include some sort of visual. When planning out your press release, consider what photos, graphics and video would help the media tell your story. While the decision on what to use/not use resides with them, what you provide can at least offer inspiration. Include contact info: Reporters are sorting through thousands of press releases and pitches each day. Your contact information, website and social media details are not things they should have to spend research calories on. Not including complete or accurate information can be the deciding factor in covering your story. Finally, think of campaign efforts holistically. Today's audiences cross-reference a mix of paid, earned, and owned channels to make their decisions. Your media outreach strategy should align with your approach to how you create and promote content for your blog, email campaigns, social media, events, etc. This consistency will reinforce your message with your audience and increase your chances for conversion. Download Maximize the Reach of Your Message with a Strategic, Multichannel Plan and learn how to match medium(s) to the message when planning strategic news, product announcements, crisis management and other communications for your brand. Eleanor Cates manages public interest accounts at PR Newswire. She specializes in outreach strategy for PI/government policy, higher education, healthcare & biotech, arts, charity and non-profit media sectors, and is a product champion for the PR Newswire Election 2016 product suite. Follow her on Twitter at @EllyCates and@PRNPublishing, or connect on LinkedIn.

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How to Write Concise and Compelling Press Release Headlines

 

Beyond PR

How to Write Concise and Compelling Press Release Headlines Erica Crist Writing a short press release headline that packs an informative punch isn't easy. It may be tempting to describe your story in full right out of the gate, but lengthy headlines can overwhelm readers and compromise their interest. If your readers don't make it past your headline, they won't be clicking your call to action. Short headlines are preferable for a number of reasons. Concise headlines are easier to comprehend when scanning through a newsfeed and are better formatted for mobile devices. Moreover, the shorter your headline, the better the chances your release will be shared and read in full by your audience. Our SlideShare How to Write Press Releases notes two rules of thumb for headline length:  Keep it under 110 characters so that it’s easily tweetable Include the most important information in the first 65 characters (including spaces), which is the approximate length for Google displays/indexing This may sound simple enough, but your headline can double in length when trying to accommodate brand guidelines. Company names, product mentions, and other information quickly add up. The next time you're writing a press release, consider these five tips and examples to help keep your headline short, sweet and to the point. 1. Utilize subheadlines. Long, convoluted headlines are more difficult to understand, and your message could be lost on readers if there are too many details. Focus on being succinct and utilize subheads to add context. Headline Before: XYZ Corporation, a Technology Company, Partners with Leading Consumer Electronics Brand ABC at ConsumerTech 2016 to Launch Wireless Earbuds Headline After: XYZ Corp. and ABC Brand Debut Wireless Earbuds New Subheadline: Visit XYZ in booth 720 at ConsumerTech 2016 The reader still sees the main points of the story with fewer words and tighter language. 2. Omit nonessential words. Review your headline for any words that can be cut, such as adjectives, articles (a, an, the), or even entire clauses. Replace conjunctions with punctuation, and your audience can still skim the headline without losing its meaning. Headline Before: XYZ Corporation Shares the Very Best Family Travel Destinations of the Summer and Tips for Traveling with Children Headline After: The Best Summer Travel Destinations for Families New Subheadline: XYZ Shares Tips for Traveling with Kids Eliminating unnecessary descriptors cuts down on clutter; even replacing 'children' with 'kids' saves valuable characters. 3. Consider word length. By substituting in well-known abbreviations (Corp. for Corporation, vs. for versus), acronyms (ET for Eastern Time, IPO for Initial Public Offering), numbers (300 for Three Hundred) and symbols ($, %, etc.), you can save precious characters and still convey a clear message. Headline Before: The Ten Best Places to Eat for Less Than Ten Dollars in Los Angeles According to XYZ Corporation Headline After: XYZ Corp. Ranks 10 Best Places to Eat for Less Than $10 in LA Keep in mind that too many acronyms and abbreviations can cause confusion; use them where most appropriate and be sure that they are readily understandable and familiar. 4. Minimize the hype. Search engines now favor "human-friendly content" that uses natural language with minimal jargon. Don't be tempted to overstuff your headline with too many keywords, clever idioms and slang. Don't be too vague, either. Headline Before: Social Media is a Piece of Cake for Small Biz Owners Using XYZ's Marketing Platform Headline After: XYZ Offers Simple Social Media Marketing Tools for Small Businesses 5. Test what works. Try including a variety of information (both quality and quantity) in your press release headlines. For instance, if you are writing for a niche audience, using specialized language and industry terms could improve engagement. Look at your reporting and analyze the types of headlines that drive the most interest from your audience. Then adjust accordingly as you move forward. Make every word count when considering the length of your headline. If you want to hook readers with your press release's compelling story, you need to give them a reason to click. Download The Buyer 2.0 Content Strategy Checklist for more tips that will help you write and distribute content that resonates with your audience. Author Erica Crist is a Senior Customer Content Specialist based in Cleveland. PR Newswire’s Customer Content Services team is available 24/7 to counsel brands on content distribution. Follow her on Twitter at @VPOEventZone. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn.

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