Why Media Training Is No Longer About The Media

media training blogIt used to be that you received media training to prepare to be interviewed by the mainstream media.  Makes sense, right?  Before you’re interviewed by your local newspaper, or appear on 60 Minutes you want to get some idea of what to say.  But times have changed; now if you have a website, or use social media, you, my friend, are in the media.  You are in your own media world, like it or not.  So, in truth media training is no longer about the media, it’s now about your media.

Our media trainer, Ann Convery, has trained clients to be interviewed by such media as Time, Newsweek, 60 Minutes, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The New York Times, the BBC, Los Angeles Times, Vogue, People, Rolling Stone and countless other media outlets.  But now she’s also working with clients reviewing what they should say and how they should present themselves on their own videos, or how to communicate via social media.

So, to quickly answer the two pertinent questions

Do you need media training?  YES!

When?  NOW!

Media training teaches you how to communicate with your market, customers, prospects, influencers and, yes, the media.  It is no longer strictly for those of us in the PR or media relations realm

It is an invaluable experience and one that you need in order to successfully run your business whether you’re a producer, painter, author, or rocket scientist.

And if you decide to try and save a few bucks by giving up your search for a good media trainer and trying to do the session with your sister or hairdresser, don’t!  This is truly one of those cases where you don’t know what you don’t know.  Plus, what if the Today Show calls today wanting to book you on the show tomorrow morning?  Then you’ll be prepared, right?  And if they don’t call today, you’ll still be prepared to successfully communicate in your own media world.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2013

 

SEO Press Release Tips

Business Wire, Marketwire, PrimeNewswire, PR Newswire, and PRWeb: these are the main paid wire services that American companies use. On any given day a couple of thousand press releases are sent out in the U.S. by those wire services.  So, how can you separate yourself from the pack?  How can your PR efforts and press releases be noticed in such a throng?  It’s not easy, but it’s possible.

It’s no longer enough to concern yourself with interesting the traditional media with your releases.  Yes, you need to create press releases that meet the needs of the traditional media, but you also need to maximize the use of search engine optimization (SEO).  Why do you need to concern yourself with SEO?  Will it help you land a story in the New York Times or an interview on the Today show?  Most likely not.  But it can help in other ways.  For example, when someone is searching online for a company that offers your type of product or service, are you the one they’re going to find?  Where do you show up when it comes to a Google search?

That’s where search engine optimization comes in.  SEO’s primary function is to help you rank in Google and Yahoo News and for your keywords.   And this is generally accomplished by knowing your keywords, and creating anchor backlinks for your blog or website.

Anchor text is the hyperlinked text on a web page.  They are the highlighted words you click on when you click a link.  It offers readers information about the nature of the page you’re linking to.  For example, this is my Public Relations Firm’s website linked to a keyword.  More importantly anchor text communicates with search engines.  In essence it tells search engines what the page is about.  It’s incredibly important to use in your press releases; used effectively it can boost your rankings and particularly your Google rankings.

Your first step is to learn your primary and secondary keywords.  Your press releases should reflect the keywords used on your website.  You want your releases to work for you by driving search engines to your site.  Don’t make the mistake of only using your keywords on your homepage.  Make a concerted effort to have a minimum of one of the keyword links in your press releases lead to a page on your site other than your homepage.

Focus on the first 200 to 250 words of your release.  These initial words set the tone not only for the release itself but for your overall search results.  You want to choose those words carefully and you want them to be targeted.

In most of my articles about press releases, my main focus is on the content; on telling a strong story with a compelling narrative.  Those are points you always have to keep in mind and my follow up article on SEO press releases will cover that in more depth, but here the focus is on making sure that your releases not only are interesting but that they also are SEO friendly.  A few points to keep in mind are to make sure your headline contains your primary keyword  and that you pepper the release itself with three target keywords.  Also, never forget to include at least one URL in the release.  You never know, your release might be republished without anchor text and by including your URL you’ll assure that the reader can find you.

SEO is an ever changing field and one I don’t think anyone fully masters.  So keep experimenting and keep writing new releases with SEO in mind, but also remember, when all is said and done, it comes down to telling a compelling story.  Don’t get so lost in the SEO game that you forget the basics.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

How The Big Boys Use Social Media

CNN recently ran a piece called The Top 10 Social Media Stars.   Companies can learn from how these business giants utilize their social media campaigns, it is important to keep in mind that companies such as Walmart, Home Depot, Starbucks and Disney start with an obvious huge advantage.  One because of their size and the numbers that their traditional PR, marketing, advertising and media relations campaigns drive to their social media sites, there is not really a one to one correlation between how you can utilize your Facebook and Twitter sites and how these companies use theirs.  Still, it’s worth paying attention and taking note of what they’re doing in the major leagues.

For example, Walmart boasts over 15 million fans on Facebook. Not long ago they ran an Easter fill-in-the-blank question inspired over 11,000 comments. It also finds warm and fuzzy ways to peg its promotions such as “National Puppy Day.”

Pepsi offers Pepsi Deals discounts to its 8 million Facebook followers.  It also lets users post photos of Pepsi cans or bottles in unusual or different settings, which allows users to participate.  Starbucks can boast nearly 30 million fans.  They offer deals, community feedback and direct feedback for angry or upset customers.

While the CNN piece focused mainly on Facebook, that’s obviously not the only social media avenue available.  Consistency, interaction and engagement are key.  And, while the companies spotlighted begin with an army of followers, it does help to study their social media approaches.  You never know what you’ll learn.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Ameen, Yasir. “The Top 10 Social Media Stars.” Photo. The News Tribe. 13 May 2012. 23 May 2012. <http://www.thenewstribe.com/2012/05/13/top-10-social-media-stars/#.T710f45ZUUU>

Why Facebook Thinks You’re Worth $125.00

Facebook filed Wednesday to raise $5 billion in an initial public offering.  Talk about a PR explosion!  Fun stuff, eh?  A $100 billion market cap would make the company worth just about as much as McDonald’s.  Not bad for a company still basically in its infancy.

In 2011, Facebook earned $1 billion on sales of $3.7 billion. As of December 31, Facebook had 845 million monthly active users.  The company estimates that each of its 800 million users is worth $125.00.  I actually think I’m worth quite a bit more and personally take umbrage at being valued at a mere $125.00, but there you have it.  If I decide to bail on Facebook, they’ll suddenly be worth $125.00 less than they are now, which I’m confident keeps them up at night.  .

Compared with other social media companies that have gone public, $125 is a rather high figure.  But when you consider the amount of personal information that Facebook users are willing to share for free, the market could be convinced the price is right, even though the stock performance of other social media sites has not been stellar. Without the true share price information, the company’s valuation is still up in the air.  Facebook itself conducted its own valuation and as of December 31, it figured that the price was worth $29.73 per share.  Who would know better?

Although I do belong to the cult of Facebook I can’t say that it’s actually by choice. It’s one of those “shoulds” we all deal with.  It makes me nervous if truth be told.  I did an unofficial survey of ten people today and although all were on Facebook, each one found the site rather creepy.  Creepy seemed to be the operative word.  Each person had his or her own reasons why it made them nervous, yet all were still on the site.  All but one, whose photos during a vacation liaison ended up posted on Facebook (without his knowledge).  He no longer “Friends” or “Likes” and now solos on Twitter.

So, best everyone watch themselves.  I read that private eyes gather most of their information from Facbook now a days.  I have no idea if that’s true or not, but when it comes to taking care of your own PR or media relations campaign, one apparently can’t be too careful in the Facebook world.  That said, we Facebook members know how much we’re worth.  The real question is – is Facebook worth 5 Billion?

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Vinod. “fa$ebook.” Photo. TECH4GLOBE. 08, Mar. 2011. 02. Feb. 2012. <http://tech4globe.com/facebook-worth-50-billion.html>fa

 

How Important Is Traditional PR In The Age Of Social Media?

Although we’re in the age of blogging and social media, being featured in the traditional media (TV, print and radio) is still tremendously important.  In many ways it’s even more important than it was a decade ago.   PR specialists who are shifting their focus solely online are loosing sight of the value that traditional media offers.  Whereas any effective public relations campaign needs to include an online approach that embodies social media, it’s important to make sure that the core traditional elements are also in place.

Why is traditional media so important?  The recognition factor that traditional media offers is immense.  Most consumers will be able to recognize and identify popular newspapers, magazines or TV stations much more readily than they will the most popular blogs online that are not mainstream.  The traditional media have built credible brands that carry weight, influence and credibility.  If a story is featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal or CNN, that coverage is going to be more impressive to the average consumer than if it were featured in the top online blogs.  Perhaps even more importantly, if a story is covered in the traditional media, it is all but guaranteed to be covered online by blogs and discussed on social media sites.  Add to that the fact that traditional media outlets also have an internet presence and their sites generally generate more traffic than even the top online blogs.

Bloggers often write about what’s going on in traditional media, whether it’s a TV segment or a story that was covered in the newspaper. If you land an interview in traditional media, you’re likely to catch the attention of social media as well. Furthermore, appearing in traditional media gives you something to post about in your own blog and in social networks.

The truth is that social media and blogging should be a core component of any media relations campaign, and driving and controlling your message by placing stories in the traditional media is more critical than ever.

That said, it’s important to keep in mind that how you pitch the traditional media is different than how you approach bloggers or online media.  The online approach is more direct, you’re talking more directly to the consumer.  When pitching newspaper and magazine editors or radio and TV producers, you’re pitching the media, not the public.  You need to convince that editor or producer that your story is compelling and speaks directly to his or her target audience.

This is not an either or situation, you want a combined online and traditional media approach; but if you’re looking to establish yourself as an expert in your field and to gain the credibility and validation of being perceived as a news story, you need a traditional PR campaign.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

The Value of Online Press Releases

Online press releases are a bit like ants at a picnic.  They are everywhere and can be a bit annoying.  Whereas they do have their uses, it’s important not to confuse online with offline releases.

Traditional (offline) press releases are used to pitch a story to the media.  They are your calling card; a quick way to tell your story and highlight exactly why the media should cover you.  But when it comes to landing media, a press release on its own is seldom going to do you much good.  It’s true that we’ve placed stories by sending out a press release, but those instances are rare.  Chances are you’ve also heard stories of companies that have placed a press release on one of the paid wire services and have gone on to garner national media coverage.  Those stories are also true, but, to be honest, your odds are better of winning in Vegas than of hitting it big in the media world on the strength of a press release.  A press release can be a great introduction, but if it’s not followed up with phone calls and other media approaches, chances are it’s not going to get you far.

The job of the traditional press release is to start a conversation and to generate some initial interest or curiosity.  Online press releases have different objectives.  When effective they can help you move up in search engine rankings, build back links and help drive targeted web traffic.  If you’re lucky they will get picked up by other news sites and blogs.  If you’re remarkably lucky they can result in landing you traditional media coverage.

As I mentioned earlier, they can help with your SEO.  So know what keywords to use.  Use one of your primary keywords in your titles and incorporate other keywords into the content.  Don’t overdo it though.  Be judicious in your keyword usage.  Keep in mind that with online press releases you’re primarily talking to your target audience, whereas with traditional press releases you’re talking directly to the media.  Those are very different audiences.  With online releases, create copy that is as relevant to your audience as possible article content.  Don’t sell yourself or your product or service; offer solutions.

But if traditional media is your objective, sending out online press releases is generally a very ineffective approach.  They can be seductive at first.  Your releases might get picked up by Google or Yahoo or other online sites, which is fun to see, but the chances of that type of exposure leading to coverage in a magazine, newspaper or on TV are remarkably slim.  So keep your objectives in mind when deciding what types of press release you want to utilize.  Both traditional and online releases have their place, but each has a different function.  If your objective is to help increase your web traffic and raise your search engine ranking, online is worth a shot.  If you’re looking to gain coverage in TV, print, or radio, whereas online might help, to be truly effective, focus on the traditional approach.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Gregory, Alyssa. “Publish Your Story to the World.” Photo. SitePoint. 02 Oct 2009. 30. Sept. 2011. <http://www.sitepoint.com/online-press-release-distribution-sites/&gt;

How to Maximize Local PR

Whereas I’m a big believer in going national if you have a strong story, there is a lot to be said for regional and local PR coverage.  If you live in a major media city such as Los Angeles or New York, local media placement can be challenging because in a sense many of the outlets in those cities offer a more national slant; plus, simply because of the sheer numbers in those cities, the competition is fierce.  But, even in major cities, if you shift your focus from the primary outlets and concentrate on the smaller more community based newspapers and magazines you can launch a local-oriented campaign.

Keep in mind what interests local media are local stories.  You need to understand their audience and their needs.  Their focus is community based.  For example if you are based in or you were born in Boise, Idaho and you’re pitching the local newspapers or TV stations, your tie to that city is your lead.  If you were pitching the Today Show or Time magazine, where you’re from or where you were born is generally incidental, unless it directly impacts the story.

Reference local events and/or partner when possible.  When putting on your own event, use local resources.  Pick a person or a brand that is well recognized in the community.  If there is a local cause you can get involved with, do so.  Connect with causes and charities that directly impact the area.

If you have a personal story that has a local slant to it, use it.  Maybe a story as to how you built your business, or a story about how your product, service or company helped transform the life of someone else who lives in the community.  The media loves transformational stories, so offer them one with a strong local hook.

Study the local media outlets.  Research the types of stories they do, the style they use as well as their tone and approach.  You want to pitch towards their needs.  The more you study and learn about your local media outlets, the better prepared you’ll be to pitch them stories they can use.

Remember to tie in holiday oriented stories and pitches.  Do something fun or different or interesting.  Give it some thought.  Don’t just stick to the main holidays; remember St. Patrick’s Day or even April Fools Day.  But always give your pitch a local slant.  Remember you’re drilling down, pitching narrow, not wide.

And don’t forget to amplify and magnify your local media coverage using social media. Whenever you get a newspaper or magazine story, or a segment on local TV, make sure and place links to those media hits on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media sites.  And guess what, by posting your story on the internet; you’ve now turned that local story into a national and even international story.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Why Politicians Should Forget Their PR

Politicians should stop focusing on their image and PR; sounds rather naive and Pollyannaish coming from a PR consultant.  Yet, now more than ever, PR and image should be the last thing that politicians are focusing on.  Trouble is, in this world of online media and 24/7 news coverage it seems that they are focused on little else.  Few politicians seem to be working for the good of the country as opposed to focusing on keeping their jobs.

Congress is more polarized ideologically than it was a generation ago.  Any resonance between the two parties is all but non existent.  Moving towards the center, where the bulk of Americans reside, seems to be anathema to most politicians.  The gap is no longer simply ideological; it has become a marketing approach.  The focus is not on working with those on the other side of the aisle to reach a rational, workable compromise, but on strutting ones inflexibility online and on the cable channels.  Cable news makes its living off of this approach, but our elected officials should not.

Yes the right and the left inhabit opposing ideological camps and have different agendas, but the purpose of our democracy is to work those differences through and forge programs and solutions that serve the greater good.  Politicians can’t be held solely accountable for the current climate; seismic shifts have changed the body politic, and they affect more than politicians and partisan zealots.  The nation is seemingly more divided than it has been in decades.  Or is it?  Is the division as real as it appears or is the media playing into the hands of those who scream the loudest?  The reward for divisiveness is ink, print and face-time on news shows and what politician can resist those?

In this new political terrain, compromise, which is the true backbone of any party system is only viewed in the pejorative sense.  Without true compromise nothing is accomplished.  Politicians dig in their heels refusing to budge, holding on to the purity of their ideals, which often seems to be more show than substance.  It’s a way to strut and appear to be taking the high road, where in truth all they are doing is bringing the government to a standstill.  Most realize that to truly move forward requires give and take.  Most are savvy enough to understand how true progress works, but that’s not where their focus lies.  The focus is on how they’ll look in the media, or whether they’re marching in step with their party.  It’s on keeping their job regardless of the cost to the nation.

Politics has always been contentious, but we seem to have hit a new high in polarization.  This new crop of politicians seems to value dogma over effectiveness.  If sticking 100% to their point of view means that nothing will be accomplished, or that people will lose their homes and their jobs, or that the country will suffer, then the county is surely going to suffer.

Whether dealing with healthcare or the debt ceiling, the housing crisis or the economy, the drill seems to be the same as both sides hit their talking points, close ranks and refuse to focus on the greater good.  They are all so frightened to be seen as walking out of step with the dictates of their party, that they have all become mirror images of one another.  Ostensibly, we elected them to think, to work through and work out problems and to fight for the greater good.  Sticking to route responses leaves room for very little, if any, creative thinking or problem solving.  It certainly precludes anyone taking a true stand.  We do not elect politicians to become the puppets of their particular party, but that’s what we’ve ended up with.  Few politicians are willing to take an unpopular or contrary stand and deal with the wrath of the party.

If politicians were willing to truly take practical as opposed to ideological stands, if they were willing to work with those on the other side to truly make a difference, it could backfire.  They could be singled out, denounced and the political and media push back could be overwhelming.  But, they could also shine a light and forge a path for others to follow.  They could change politics as we know it.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

When & How To Call The Media

You’ve decided to give your PR campaign a real shot.  If you’re not in a position to hire a public relations firm or media consultant and are giving it a stab on your own, learn the ropes before moving forward.  It’s important to develop your story, write your press release, build your media list and send your release out to the appropriate media.  But at that point media follow up calls might be in order.  Review these tips before making your calls.  Remember producers and editors  are people like everyone else.  Some are fun and easy to get along with, others are grumpy and impatient.  They are all over worked and have little time for calls and story ideas that don’t really work for them.

Study each outlet before pitching.  Review your local morning and mid day TV and radio news shows.  They are always on the hunt for interesting stories, particularly those with a local tie in.  If you’re pitching national, make your pitch broader, tie it into a national story or illustrate how your story would be of interest to a national audience.  Present yourself as an expert who can address topics in your field.  Study the outlets and see what type of stories they feature and how they present them.  Have your pitches fall in line with those formats.

Write out your primary talking points before making the call.  Make your calls in the morning, since things begin to back up as the day goes on.

Depending on your story, give the media proper lead time before making the pitch and:

1) Be sure to clearly identify who you are.

2) Always ask if this is a good time to talk and if not if there is a time you can call back.  If they ask to call back, ask if it’s okay to email information.

3) If it’s a good time to talk have you’re pitch ready.  Offer a short concise overview of the story you’re pitching and what you would like from them.  You need to have a call of action here.  Do you want them to read more information, set up an interview, go to an event, what is your specific call to action?

4) Know your information before you call.  If the producer or editor asks follow up questions, be prepared to answer.  Anticipate what questions might be asked.

5) Ask if they need additional information, or if you can set up a time to do an interview.

6) If they need time to review your pitch, be sure and give them your contact number and information.

7) If you don’t hear back in a couple of days, call again.

If you get a “no” remember that just means that he or she isn’t interested at that time.  Don’t give up on your story.  Go back to the drawing board and come up with a different angle.  Remember they are not saying no to you, but to your pitch, so don’t take it personally.  Stay upbeat and know eventually, it will work.  Keep studying the media for stories that you can tie your pitch to.  The more timely and newsworthy you can make it, the greater your chances of success.

You might want to ask what stories they are currently working on and see if you can be of any help on that front.  If you’re not the right fit, maybe you know someone else who is.  If you can help the media you’ll be seen as a resource and find a way onto their rolodex.  This is all about building bridges and relationships.  Be persistent, but don’t come off as a pushy salesperson.  After a few calls you’ll find your voice and your own personal style.  Keep at it.  It will work.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

The PR How-to Bible

It’s said that you can’t find the right answers until you ask the right questions.  So with that in mind if you are thinking of hiring a PR firm or of launching a media relations campaign for yourself, the following is a list of how to questions to ask yourself before moving forward.  Done correctly, a PR campaign can establish your brand and build your business and establish you as an expert in your field.  It’s the most powerful marketing tool out there, so give it a shot, but first do your homework.  Find out what you need to know how to do in the list below.

As you go through the list, write out your answers and see where you feel most comfortable and where you feel you need some help, or points that you need to give more thought to.  Once you’ve reviewed the questions and developed your own list, you can start searching for the right answers.

With that in mind, before you move forward on a PR campaign, you want to know:

PR CAMPAIGN CHECKLIST:
How to set up your public relations objectives
How to outline your PR timeline
How to develop your story
How to come up with 5 story angles.
How to write a press release
How to decide which stories to start with,
How to decide what angles to pitch local and national media
How to deliver press releases
How to create a media list
How to pitch the media
How to do an interview
How to develop an interview script for TV, local, newspaper, national
How and when to send out press releases,
How to brand your company using PR
How to create a compelling PR story
How to use media relations to reach your long term marketing goals
How to pitch your story and not your product or service
How to establish yourself through the media as an expert in your field
How to find a media trainer
How to meld social media and PR
How and why to develop a blog
How to use video marketing in your public relations campaign
How to create a story online
How to magnify and amplify an article or TV segment on the internet.
How to pick a PR consultant that meets your needs
How to use PR to launch and develop your brand
How to use your media in advertising, online marketing, and social media.

These aren’t all of the how-to points you need to review, but if you’ve gone through and answered all of the above questions, you are well on your way to launching an effective public relations campaign for you and your company. Perhaps the most difficult question is how to know how long to give a campaign.  Generally, I’d say give it at least six months.  Trying a campaign for one or two months is counterproductive.  If you stop in two months, you’ll never know how successful it could have been.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Illuminative Marketing: Creating Business By Offering Benefits And Solutions

How do you respond to cold calls, ads, direct marketing pieces, email spam?  Exactly.  Now why would you expect your prospects to react differently?  Generally people either run from or lash out at aggressive hard sell marketing,

Although they can work, traditional promotion efforts have a poor return on investment.  Most prospects turn and run when they feel they’re being sold.  Overt promotion is considered intrusive, overly aggressive, and unwelcome.  Approaches such as cold calling generally induce reactions such as irritation fear, impatience, annoyance and anger.  Not the reactions you want to illicit in a prospect.  These approaches trigger people’s fight or flight responses.  Your prospects either want to argue with you, or they want to slam the phone down in your ear.  Not a good way to start to a business relationship.  There is a reason why cold calling and direct marketing have such low rates of closing.  These approaches set you up as the adversary, the enemy.

To market effectively, attraction should be your focus.  You shine a light on your prospective client’s problems and offer solutions; which in turn draws prospects and clients to you.  Illumination equals attraction.  The trick is to shift from a traditional marketing approach to one that focuses on your value; the standard dynamics of marketing are upturned, as your focus moves from promotion to attraction.  Doing business with you becomes appealing, desirable.  You and your business are sought after.

This is where a combined approach that includes PR, media relations, blogging and social media, can be so effective.  For this to work make a firm connection with your message and your audience.  Your approach needs to be in alignment with your core values and your true skill set.  Focus on illumination and attraction rather than on selling; you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

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