Insights for Leaders Navigating
Visibility, Credibility, and Growth.
From media strategy to reputation management, we explore the trends shaping public perception and share the approaches that drive measurable results for growing brands.
The media industry has undergone dramatic change over the last 10-15 years. We’ve written numerous times about the shifts in the landscape and how to navigate them. However, rarely is there quantifiable information about how the evolution of the media landscape affects the PR industry.
MediaMiser released an infographic outlining the future of PR, stating that the tactics and strategies PR professionals will turn to will be centered on tech-driven media intelligence. For example, according to the infographic, 83 percent of journalists use only 10 percent of the press releases they receive. While this data is not shocking, as numerous journalists have informed me of their dislike for releases, it further supports the need for other creative methods to disseminate messages to key audiences.
The infographic lists thought leadership, content marketing, social media content and working with influencers as some of the new tactics being adopted in place of the traditional news release and media relations. These tactics are effective for a number of reasons: control over the messaging, the demand for original content, and most importantly, the ability to measure engagement and reach, allowing businesses to understand the impact of each initiative.
While we frequently execute on all of these tactics for a variety of clients, not all media relations should be eliminated. For instance, proactive pitching is still an effective way to secure journalists’ interest and can provide them with a story that won’t appear on the wire. To do this, find an interesting trend in your client’s industry, read through what has already been written and find a new, creative angle that your client can provide commentary on, serving as an expert source for the journalist. Not only does it have the potential to lead to coverage, it can also assist in building a relationship with the journalist and demonstrates your clients’ knowledge outside of their own company.
The evolution of the media landscape presents challenges for PR professionals, as it requires creative thinking and the ability to adapt. However, PR generates conversion rates 10-50 times that of advertising, proving that it is still an effective tool to assist businesses in achieving their overall objectives.
This infographic was created by MediaMiser and published on MarketingProfs.
For startups with limited marketing resources, it can be a challenge to prioritize which materials and channels will provide the most ROI and engagement with target audiences. For companies with complex and technical offerings, white papers and data sheets can be effective ways to share detailed product information; for other companies, a robust blog and social media accounts may make more sense.
In today’s age-of-information overload, where we’re bombarded with content, where does this leave the trusted email newsletter? Is there room for this “old school” email-marketing tool, or are newsletters something to be tossed aside as inbox-clogging spam? Entrepreneur contributor Jacquelyn Whitmore writes that some consider email newsletters as “the sad old fuddy-duddies of the online marketing world.”
Email newsletters – like any marketing communications channel – have evolved in recent years, due to the rising number of devices and media competing for mindshare, coupled with the public’s generally shrinking attention span. As a result, after fine-tuning their content and models, newsletters are thriving and many are seeing better subscriber numbers today than they did five years ago. So what are newsletter publishers doing differently? A few examples are provided below:
They speak to their audience authentically: theSkimm has more than 5 million subscribers to its email newsletter The Daily Skimm which “gives you everything you need to know to start your day.” The newsletter features the important news stories of the day and delivers a summary in an entertaining, dry and witty style.
Part of what has contributed to The Daily Skimm’s success is that it offered a new way for its subscribers (largely female millennials) to get their news, using a more digestible, easy-to-understand and conversational tone. Bloomberg notes that many media outlets covered the final presidential debate of the election, “But the tenor of the Skimm’s coverage was, uh, less formal: ‘Trump and Hillz had a night out in Vegas,’ the summary began. In Skimm parlance, ‘Hillz’ is Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump doesn’t get a nickname, though during the 2012 election Mitt Romney was known as Mittens.”
This editorial voice is far different from the formal and conservative style you’ll find on the pages of The Wall Street Journal and that’s because theSkimm’s founders know how their target audiences speak and they tailor their content accordingly.
They’re becoming stand-alone destinations for content: Publishers are learning to evolve their newsletter strategies – and are increasingly treating them “as platform-like publications themselves, designed to be read entirely in email without readers having to click through to the host’s site.”
Quartz is one news source experimenting with this approach with its Quartz Daily Brief. Gideon Lichfield, senior editor in chart of the newsletter, stated to Digiday that the business publisher “recognized that people are no longer coming directly to publishers’ sites through social media side doors, so it takes the approach that everywhere it publishes is a platform in and of itself, rather than just a way to get people to Quartz’s site.”
Ozy is another publication taking this approach. Its Presidential Daily Brief is designed to be entirely read in email and the publication is planning to do the same with its other email newsletter, the Daily Dose, according to the Digiday article.
They’re shaking up the newsroom masthead: Vox is one media company that’s been shaking up the format and model for its newsletters, and more recently, has dedicated an editorial position as “senior email editor” that will focus exclusively on the site’s newsletter program. In 2014, Vox launched its Vox Sentences email newsletter that provides “a handful of top stories with a collection of the best links from around the web … And, as the name implies, it’ll be direct — just a bunch of sentences.”
In an article from the Poynter Institute, Vox’s co-founder Melissa Bell stated, “Newsletters offer a direct relationship to readers in a platform that is necessary to a lot of people’s lives: their email inbox. So we want to have a presence there and make sure that we’re developing a direct relationship with people who like to consume our stories in that manner.”
So for startups (and established companies) looking to build out their content marketing library, the humble email newsletter may deserve a second look. Entrepreneur’s Whitmore stated that “Email marketing is still the most viable, affordable way to get your point across,” and there are several innovative newsletter publishers like those above to inspire your content and design teams.
Have you launched an email newsletter recently? What has worked for your organization? Let us know in the comments here!
It’s no question that creative storytelling is top of mind for PR professionals. The objective of nearly every press release, pitch, webinar and case study is telling a compelling story that will not only entice a journalist, but will help the company communicate and strengthen the relationships with their target audiences.
With that being said, telling a good story usually requires an audience and, in today’s world, it’s increasingly difficult to capture and keep attention spans long enough to transmit the message and spark the desired reaction.
A recent article by Time covered a study, which found that people now have shorter attention spans than goldfish – individuals generally lose concentration after eight seconds, where the average attention span of a goldfish is nine seconds.
So how can stories avoid falling victim to the pile of tossed-aside content?
The answer lies in creativity and not getting complacent with old storytelling strategies. Storytelling with photos is an underexplored tactic and has the power to communicate a message in a quick and powerful way.
For example, if a long-form article is not resonating with the intended audience, take a moment to brainstorm alternative ways to repackage the content. Such as telling the story with images.
This can be done in multiple ways and with the accessibility of social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, has the potential to be shared across multiple audiences.
A great article by PetaPixel shares the following six tips for telling stories with photos:
- Create a plan that includes your topic and the type of images you want to include.
- Determine if you will use a single shot or a series of images.
- Take “strong” images. This means an image that conveys emotion and has layers of meaning.
- Trust your instincts and take the photo, even if it might not be “perfect.”
- Be original. To echo the points made earlier in this post, people are presented with an overload of information every day, so telling stories with images they’ve never seen before will be advantageous in keeping their attention.
- Don’t be afraid of failure.
Any good story needs a beginning, middle and end. Storytelling with photos is no different. PR and communications professionals will need to consider the above six steps to determine how they will bring their story to life through images. A few possibilities for PR storytelling could be to illustrate a customer case study, results of a survey or a new product announcement. Using photos applies a deeper level of connection and enables the reader to visualize and understand your product or solution quicker than words can convey.
I look forward to exploring different ways to utilize photography in PR storytelling and would love to hear ways in which you’ve been successful with your photo storytelling PR campaigns.
With journalists working remotely from all over the country and PR professionals working with clients in a variety of cities and even countries, the PR industry rarely feels the limits created by location. However, broadcast often seems like the one of the last mediums to feel its constraints.
Recently, we’ve secured several broadcast interview opportunities for our clients via Skype with stations located across the country. Upon securing these, we’ve also realized that while Skype interviews are similar to in-person broadcast opportunities, there are a couple of other items to consider for ensuring a successful interview.
First things first: Brush up on traditional broadcast interview best practices. These include practicing key messages and preparing for expected interview questions, wearing solid, neutral clothing, answering questions concisely to provide useful sound bites, and being mindful of body language throughout the interview. As you prepare for your Skype interview, here are several specific items you should consider:
Set the Stage: One of the biggest differences you’ll experience with a Skype interview is the lack of an in-person reporter or cameraperson to assist in setting the stage. First, pick a location that has a solid backdrop and few distractions. Busy paintings and pictures, or crowded, messy bookshelves create distractions, making it difficult for the viewer to focus on you and what you have to say. The other critical aspect of the interview setting is lighting. The main source of light should be either directly above you or in front of you to illuminate your face. If the main source of light is behind you, there will be a shadow covering your face.
Consider Body Language. Body language is an important aspect of communication. To demonstrate engagement, sit up straight and, to avoid distraction, keep hand movements to a minimum. Remember, the frame will likely include a shot of you from about the waist up and flailing your arms excessively across the screen will make is difficult for the viewer to see your face and to focus on the messages you’re communicating.
Make Eye Contact. This small, instinctive item is trickier than you might imagine when it comes to Skype. During the interview, you’ll be tempted to look at the screen where the reporter appears or look at the small image of yourself in the lower right-hand corner, but remember to look into the camera. When you look into there, it will appear as direct eye contact for the people on the other side of the connection. This may take some practice.
Use Post-It Notes. For each of our clients, we deliver documents in advance of a briefing to provide background information on the journalist and share the journalist’s objective for the interview. These sheets also include suggested messages that will likely be of interest to the reporter. On the phone, it is easy to keep these nearby and refer to them during an interview. However, with a broadcast interview, it is apparent when the interviewee looks down at a document. If you need a couple of reference points or reminders during the interview, use sticky notes and place them along the sides of your computer screen. This will make it easy for you to ensure you hit your key points without looking distracted or like you’re reading from a script.
Test the Technology. Once you have the interview scheduled and your stage set, it would be incredibly disappointing to learn that you can’t remember your Skype password or aren’t sure how to find a new contact. In advance of the interview, practice a Skype call with your colleagues or PR team to ensure that all systems are a go.
Skype interviews are becoming a common practice for broadcast interviews, enabling reporters to access experts all over the world. With Skype interview opportunities, it is important to ensure you are prepared, because while they share a number of similarities with broadcast interviews, there are a number of subtle differences that can have a large impact on the outcome of the interview.
This week Communiqué PR’s client A Place for Mom (APFM) released new findings from its National Senior Living Cost Index, which looks at costs for three primary senior living categories in the U.S.: Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care. The Cost Index draws on APFM’s comprehensive database of families that have moved into senior living and assisted living homes across the U.S. between 2012 and 2015. It is the largest report of its kind.
The Findings
The data revealed that senior housing and care costs are not spiraling out of control, but rather growing steadily at rates similar to rental housing. This contradicts public perception that healthcare costs are rapidly rising – in fact, APFM found that Assisted Living and Memory Care costs are growing slowly, at 2.9 and 2.3 percent per year respectively in 2016. That’s a slower growth rate than that of health insurance premiums and hospital service costs, and much slower than recent home-sale price growth.
APFM also found that senior living costs are growing steadily in regions across the U.S. except in the South, where growth slowed. Drilling deeper, the data shows that metro areas with hot rental markets (for example Seattle, San Diego and Denver) also tend to have the fastest growing senior living costs.
A New Senior Housing Planning Tool
To help families navigate senior living costs in their area, A Place for Mom developed a Zillow-like interactive map, which allows families to search for senior living costs in over 2,000 cities, metros and states across the U.S.
Valuable Data for Seniors, Their Families and the Media
APFM’s new tool is, first and foremost, a valuable resource for seniors and their families who are looking for affordable housing and care options. But it also serves as a valuable resource for media – APFM’s large, unique data repository well positions the organization to serve as an ongoing resource for journalists who are covering the senior housing and care market. APFM is the only publicly available source of data on senior housing and care costs, offering journalists useful information on industry trends and proof points to back up their stories that journalists cannot get anywhere else.
Looking Ahead
To augment its senior living cost data, APFM conducted a survey of senior-living consumers around what characteristics of neighborhoods and senior living communities would have the most influence on a decision to move. The findings will offer unique insight into senior-living consumer preferences. Look out for the report in June!
Would you believe it if you heard that 59 percent of senior executives prefer video content over text?
You better believe it. According to Forbes Insights, 80 percent of senior executives say they are watching more online videos today than they were a year ago. In addition to the uptick in views, executives are also inclined to take some sort of action after watching a work-related video: 65 percent shared that they visited a vendor’s website after watching.
It’s no question that video possesses a power to make us feel and act, but mastering this power can be a tricky task. With the explosion happening in the video industry, it seemed fitting to consult the experts to provide insight around integrating video into PR campaigns.
Last week at our Communiqué brownbag, Maren Higbee, executive producer at Mighty Media Studios, carved time out of her day to give us the rundown on all things video. As an experienced writer and producer, she is passionate about helping organizations reach their target audiences through video. It was great to have Maren in our office and learn about the trends she is seeing in the space and especially how she perceives that video should align with PR efforts.
The first step in video integration is to ask the question: “Is video the answer?” Maren shared several stipulations critical for our clients (and anyone) considering video to address in order to determine if video is the correct answer:
- Know your audience and understand what they want.
- Determine if incorporating video will improve an existing campaign. If so, how/what is the objective?
- Plan and understand how integrating video would add to the audience’s experience.
- Determine the metrics you would use to measure success. Consider if these are attainable.
- Decide if social media will be part of the campaign. If so, begin to strategize.
Once you’ve tackled the above, the next step is to determine what type of video will work best. This can be the challenging part for many businesses as video production ranges anywhere from $6K to $100M; and depending on the route you chose, will buy a variety of outcomes. Really understanding who your audience is and what they want is key throughout the entire process to ensure your money is spent with strategy and intention. The following are a few of the types of videos that Mighty Media produces and their typical purposes:
- Customer Evidence Videos provide an inside look and share the broad spectrum of your client’s product and/or services. These types of videos allow a glimpse into the real life experiences of those working on new products or real-time uses.
- Event Media / Keynote / Launch Videos inspire awareness. Exciting announcements spread quickly by word of mouth often inspiring people to search for information. Share the story, the energy and bring clarity to everyone interested in your business.
- Creative Concept Videos spread the idea. Connect to your audience through a concept video, futuristic vision or global story. Get the messaging into the hands of the influencers.
- Commercials and Marketing: Show don’t tell. Why try to explain in text alone? Let people across the country see what you have to offer in one quick direct message.
- Motion Design, Graphics and Animation visualize the unseen. Sometimes the message we want to convey is complex and hard to envision. Let a graphic video simplify the material density and allow the message to strike at home with anyone, anywhere. These videos are great for bringing brand awareness to the masses.”
Being unsure of what type of video to roll with, many businesses have even started conducting “rapid testing” with their video content. In these types of experiments, they will whip out a campaign and quickly conduct a read on its metrics. If the target audience does not respond favorably to the video, the company will pull it. This helps companies quickly and accurately test if they are providing content their audience enjoys. Because the driving purpose of sharing video and creating content is to connect with your audience on a deeper level, it’s important to not force video or content if it’s not resonating with them. Doing this will not only waste money, it can also force a wrench between your key messages and customers.
Luckily, there are baby steps businesses can take when integrating video into their marketing suite. If budget and/or equipment is the issue, companies can try using webcasting and iPhone stabilizers for filming. As long as the lighting is right, these methods of filming can be just as effective if in alignment with the audience. The short clips or “how-to” segments commonly seen on Facebook have become a popular type of video. These videos have subtext at the bottom of the screen, allowing the reader to watch and understand the video without having to use volume or listen along. This strategy can expand the number of viewers simply by including individuals who would have closed your video because they didn’t have headphones, or were in an inappropriate setting to listen aloud.
Once you have the footage you can then select your publishing platform. Popular options include YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, twitch, Dailymotion, JWPlayer, INXPO and Skype Meeting Broadcast. Each of these platforms cater to a different audience with different features, and like every step of the production process, the platform should be selected with your audience in mind. From there, PR pros can determine and experiment with the videos that resonate with different types of media.