tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49749541229744825632024-03-13T12:02:20.920-07:00Real Public RelationsChris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.comBlogger135125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-18144244508388862442012-03-22T10:32:00.000-07:002012-03-22T10:32:39.243-07:00Things that go "Bump"It sounds like a horror novel, and for some small businesses, it can be a real fright. But breaking news doesn't have to be the mask-wearing, knife-wielding slasher that ends your news coverage dreams. The fact is, understanding how breaking news works and how it impacts small business news coverage can actually help you in the long run, but you have to remain patient, confident and respectful. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-05FU1AJI7SA/T2thnEOIY-I/AAAAAAAAAbo/5D8Co46s4JA/s1600/0319-peyton-manning-jersey-bn-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-05FU1AJI7SA/T2thnEOIY-I/AAAAAAAAAbo/5D8Co46s4JA/s320/0319-peyton-manning-jersey-bn-01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Manning a Bronco? I should pitch my fundraiser story now!</span></i></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Be Aware:</b></span><br />
<br />
Let's say you're a small business who has taken the right steps to pitch a story to a newsroom. You make the contact, put together a simple release, make the follow up phone calls and finally get a reporter to commit to covering your story. Because you're pitching an event that takes place over the weekend, the story is slated to air on a Thursday. Thursday rolls around and you're ready, excited even, for your interview and story to be broadcast out to the masses. <br />
<br />
Suddenly, hours before your story is to air, there is breaking news. Producers begin slashing and burning their rundowns, replacing old stories with new stories related to the breaking news. Your story ends up being cut and now, just a day before your event, it's unlikely your story will ever hit the airwaves. <br />
<br />
This is how breaking news works, and, unfortunately, it's the small businesses and non-profits that are hit the hardest when news breaks, regardless whether it's local or national. When this happens, the best you can do is thank the reporter for their efforts, and give them space and time. For one, reporters and producers will be focused on covering the breaking news, NOT on your story. The worst thing you can do is get angry, plead for your story to air or pester them to find out when your story will air in the future. Your story is huge to you, but to them, it's just another story that had to be cut to make way for bigger, better things.<br />
<br />
I have clients who's stories have been bumped for a number of reasons. In Denver the most common reason for being bumped is weather. My clients have been bumped due to blizzards, potential blizzards, tornadoes, Spring thunderstorms and extremely high winds. They been bumped because of school shootings, political news and even sports developments.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Which leads me to this:</b></span><br />
<br />
Unless you've been living in a cave for the past two weeks, you know that there have been some fairly remarkable sports stories developing from New York to the San Francisco Bay. It started off simply enough with Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning being released from his longtime team, the Colts. This was followed up by his cross-country tour of teams as he tried to decide where he'd play next.<br />
<br />
Then on Monday, Manning made his choice. He chose the Broncos, setting in motion a whirlwind of activity both in the NFL and in the media. Speculation, rumors, reports began circulating as reporters attempted to break down his decision, it's impact on other teams, and, not to be forgotten, what would happen to the league's previous biggest story, Tim Tebow. In the middle of all of this Alex Smith, QB of the 49ers was meeting with the Dolphins, another ripple effect of the Manning decision.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, Manning and the Broncos held a press conference to introduce the newest starting Broncos QB to the world. Meanwhile, Smith resigned with San Fran, more Manning ripples. But things only got stranger after that. On Wednesday, the league handed down severe penalties to the New Orlean Saints as part of a bounty policy run by the defense during its Superbowl run. At the same time, Tebow was traded to the NY Jets, then he wasn't, then he was again.<br />
<br />
All the while, news rooms across the nation were scrambling to keep up with the quickly developing stories. In Denver, reporters and producers were overwhelmed with the sheer amount of information coming at them.<br />
<br />
Entire rundowns were written, scrapped, re-written and scrapped again as the news changed seemingly by the minute. The losers in all of this, sadly, were the small businesses and local stories that got bumped because of the time devoted to the Manning, Tebow, Bronco developments. This isn't to say that the breaking news wasn't important, it was, but that's an issue for another post. It's just that many of the stories that ended up being bumped would never have a chance to be aired again. <br />
<br />
It was during this rush of breaking news that I received a tweet from an old friend who works in a local newsroom. In essence he was lamenting the fact that even while all hell was breaking loose, he was being pitched other news stories. Folks, if I've said it once, I've said it a million times, one of the biggest reasons why story pitches fail is due to lack of awareness.<br />
<br />
If you're going to be pitching a story, you really ought to know what is going on in the world around you. Trust me, when newsrooms are dealing with breaking news, the last thing they have time to do is listen to a story pitch that has absolutely nothing to do with the story that is breaking.<br />
<br />
Even if you simply send an email pitch, the likelihood that a producer or reporter will have time to open it up, read it and decide on its newsworthiness is very, VERY low. Your email will more often than not end up unread and you will have wasted your time pitching a story during breaking news. Oh, and don't even THINK about making a phone pitch. <br />
<br />
As a small business owner, losing out on a story due to breaking news is frustrating, even heartbreaking. But you can use the situation to help you over the long haul. These are great times to help build your relationship with a particular reporter or producer. Think about it. Journalists are people too. They have feelings and they DO understand the frustration that goes with being bumped. They also understand that you did pitch a quality news story, and they'll listen to you again in the future. You may have lost out on a particular story because of breaking news, but you'll get a longer look the next time you pitch.<br />
<br />
<u>Here are some basic tips to help you deal with breaking news as a small business owner or non-profit:</u><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><i><b>1. Be patient</b> - Understand that when breaking news happens, producers and reporters are VERY busy. You may be wondering if your story is threatened and you may feel the urge to call the newsroom to find out if your story will air or be printed. Fight that urge. The worst thing you can do during breakig news is call a newsroom about a story that may or may not be on the cutting block. IF they have time, and IF they think about it, they'll let you know if your story is being bumped. Most likely you won't know until you watch, listen or read the news. At some point you'll be able to chat with the journalist, just not during breaking news.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>2. Be respectful</b> - This could also be titled, "Don't get angry". If your story IS bumped, let the reporter or producer know that you understand and that you're hopefull the story can be covered at a later date. Whatever you do, don't get upset, don't complain, don't plead, beg or bribe. A simple thank you, and let's touch base in a few days, will go a long way to building a relationship with a particular journalist. If you show you understand and respect the deadlines the journalist is under, they will remember you the next time you pitch a story.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>3. Never ever, ever, EVER try to pitch during breaking news</b> - Consider this...you're at work, you have a huge project to deliver and the dealine is coming up fast. All of your focus is on that project and on meeting that deadline. Then, suddenly, someone comes in and wants to tell you all about their Disney vacation with the family. You don't have time to listen to that. It could be the funniest story in the world, but really all it does is distract and annoy you. That's what it's like for a journalist working on breaking news that gets a story pitch. All you'll do is annoy them. They may not listen to your pitch, but they'll probably remember your name as the person who didn't respect their deadlines enough to pitch a story during breaking news. That won't help your effort later on when you try to pitch the same story or even a different story. </i></blockquote>There is ONE exception to that last rule. If, say, the breaking news is about a toxic chemical spill and you just happen to be the owner of a company that works with toxic chemicals, you can make a pitch to the newsroom that might actually give insight into the breaking story. In other words, the only time you can pitch a story during breaking news is if you have something to add to the coverage. <br />
<br />
If, however, newsrooms are scrambling to cover a plane crash or multi-car pileup on the freeway, and you call to pitch a Saturday night fundraiser, don't be surprised if you quickly get a dial tone. <br />
<br />
Once again, dealing with newsrooms and journalists is all about common sense and courtesy. Respect what they do and understand the pressures they are under and you'll gain respect, which goes a long way when pitching future stories.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-53807660393559190902011-10-25T07:44:00.000-07:002011-10-25T07:44:23.080-07:00Occupy This!Greetings friends. <br />
<br />
It's been a while since we here at RPR Central have had time to enlighten you with more words of PR wisdom. Mostly it's been because we've been working on other blogs and social media efforts for clients, so that's a good thing. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m6NaK1S7nhs/TqbK80EKhpI/AAAAAAAAAak/46QwMTyrZto/s1600/occupy-wall-street-rich-homes.gi.top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m6NaK1S7nhs/TqbK80EKhpI/AAAAAAAAAak/46QwMTyrZto/s400/occupy-wall-street-rich-homes.gi.top.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just here with a million of my closest friends...hope someone notices.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
But never fear, we've been stocking up on some great posts for you to enjoy in the next few weeks. This post was going to be a brilliant analysis of the "Occupy" movement and how it's captured the attention of the world...or at least the world media. But, about a third of the way through, it became clear the analysis could be told in one single phrase. "Size Matters!"<br />
<br />
If the occupiers consisted of a hundred angry folks holding signs and camping out in public parks and Wall Street, there's very little chance you would have heard much about this movement. But the fact is, there are thousands upon thousands of them clogging streets, holding up signs and making themselves known to anyone within shouting distance.<br />
<br />
Yes, there's a little more to it than just size. There's the organized media content, the massive online and social media push and some smart logistical planning (such as taking it to Wall Street). But frankly, it's the sheer number of people involved that has turned the movement into such a big story.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Inside Track:</span></b><br />
<br />
I'm guessing here, but I'm pretty positive that a movement as large as this doesn't just happen on its own. Yes, it's possible to organize a few hundred people to suddenly show up as part of a flash mob to protest something or make a point. But this is much more organized that that. There are some very smart and organized folks behind the scenes that put all of this together. More than that, these folks knew exactly the right media buttons to push to get massive amounts of news coverage.<br />
<br />
It's that kind of inside knowledge that helps businesses garner earned media coverage, regardless of the size. In the past we've covered the importance of building relationships with the media to help you pitch your stories. As mentioned, just because you have built a relationship with a reporter, producer or editor it doesn't mean they'll automatically cover your story. You still have to put together a great pitch, make it timely, impactfull and local. <br />
<br />
But even if your media contacts don't always cover your story, you can still use those contacts to help you garner coverage for your business. This is because these contacts are the ones in the middle of everything going on in your local newsrooms. They know the scuttlebutt, the trends, they see the changes and they have a pretty good idea of how local events are effecting the other newsrooms.<br />
<br />
Some of this information may come in the form of gossip. There are a number of websites out there dedicated specifically to the changes and trends taking place in newsrooms. These sites tell you who's leaving, who's coming, what broadcasting changes are on the way, or what kind of content certain newsrooms are looking for.<br />
<br />
Sites like MediaBistro, assignmenteditor.com, SourceBottle.com and Broadcast.com are all very helpful in helping you keep on top of what to pitch, when to pitch, how to pitch and even who to pitch your stories to.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">An Example:</span></b><br />
<br />
I have to mention before I move on to the example that the individual in question is a good friend of mine. We worked together at a local newsroom and we chat often about how much the news industry has changed in the 8 or so years since I left local news. There's a level of trust there that you can't expect from your local news contacts, but that doesn't mean you still can't glean important information from them.<br />
<br />
I have a client. A local theater that has just opened its doors. It's brand new and in serious need of some PR attention. Some buzz has been created, but as always, more is desired. Pitching the arts and theater is significantly different than pitching other news stories. First off, it's one of the few remaining beat jobs still in existence in local newsrooms. Just about every outlet has at least one individual dedicated to covering local theater, arts and entertainment. <br />
<br />
But in the end, you're still pitching a business. As it happens, the newsroom where my friend works, has a very well known and popular entertainment reporter. He's been on the air in Denver for over 20 years and a single positive review by him can elevate a show from the doldrums to wild success. <br />
<br />
In the many years I've been pitching a show, event or theater, I've never received coverage from this reporter. You'd think that would make me angry, frustrated or simply make me throw up my hands and quit. But you have to remember, it's never personal. I continue to pitch him because it's worth it. <br />
<br />
Recently my friend and I were chatting at a party, discussing life and work and family. At one point, as it often does, the conversation turned to the changes taking place in local newsrooms. More than the mechanics of the rundown or new technology, we focused on overall content of his station newscasts. <br />
<br />
It was during this conversation that he mentioned that even the entertainment reporter was subject to the content policies. In other words, even the entertainment stories had to have an element of economy to them. Every story had to provide some sort of economic value to the viewer. In other words, instead of just reporting on new shows or upcoming events, the stories had to report on deals and specials that would provide real entertainment value to the viewers.<br />
<br />
Suddenly, I realized how I needed to pitch my story. It wouldn't be about a grand opening, or about new and unique shows. My pitch had to focus on the extraordinarily cheap tickets, package deals and affordable drink specials. A new venue, to be sure, but one that provided extra bang for your entertainment buck. <br />
<br />
Had I not known this valuable piece of information, I likely would have pitched my story in very much the same way I had previous stories. And it would have been ignored. Now, I have some insight into HOW to pitch this particular reporter I didn't have and I believe it will help me get coverage for my client.<br />
<br />
We'll see. The point is, I know how to pitch most of the other entertainment reporters, now I know how to pitch this particular reporter, one I've never had success with before.<br />
<br />
As a small business owner, you can't simply put together a single pitch and send it out to everyone in a mass email. You have to cater your pitch, craft it specifically for individual journalists. One reporter will be looking for one kind of element in the pitch, while another will be looking for something completely different.<br />
<br />
If you don't have someone on the inside to give these kinds of details, you can still get this information by simply asking. You may not get an answer, but it never hurts to ask a reporter what exactly they are looking for in the kind of news stories they cover. <br />
<br />
It also helps to read the articles, watch the reports and listen to the broadcasts of the reporters you are most likely to pitch. In this way, you'll have a better understanding of what kind of stories they are looking for. <br />
<br />
It takes time, and effort, but by creating unique pitches to each reporter you send your story to, you'll vastly improve your chances of receiving coverage.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-20056739771186650802011-08-04T11:52:00.000-07:002011-08-04T11:52:45.477-07:00Know The Code!Maybe you've seen them out there. Funky looking squares that look more like those "Magic Eye" pictures than any kind of real marketing materials. They're called "QR" codes and believe it or not they represent the latest in guerrilla marketing strategy.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2YFn5LO37hM/TjrqTd1O7ZI/AAAAAAAAAZw/MGNI0S-ZD6c/s1600/loveyourpet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2YFn5LO37hM/TjrqTd1O7ZI/AAAAAAAAAZw/MGNI0S-ZD6c/s400/loveyourpet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
You might already be using them, and if so, that's fantastic. But chances are, you have no idea how these things work and more importantly, how to use them. Even if you ARE using QR codes, you may not be using them correctly. So let's take a moment to learn about what they are and how to use them to drive traffic to your websites and customers through your doors.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>QR What?</b></span><br />
<br />
Basically, the QR code is a pre-programmed visual representation of information. Think of it as a kind of barcode. You can't really see the information that's programmed into that barcode, but you know it's there, right? Well, a QR code is essentially the same thing. The biggest difference is that the information encoded into a barcode generally deals with pricing, or personal information such as height, weight, eye-color, etc. The barcode on your driver's license contains a wealth of information that can be used by police, fire, emergency crews and so on.<br />
<br />
But chances are, you're not looking to provide that kind of information to your customers or online viewers. So what kind of information DO you want to give out to your friends, fans, followers and customers? You want to tell them about your daily specials, your upcoming deals, your website address, your social media information, everything that will help improve your business.<br />
<br />
Chances are, though, that you don't have the time, or skill needed to program a barcode that includes all of that information. Most of us don't. Fortunately you don't have to be a computer programmer or take hours to develop a QR code that contains that information.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>How To Get It:</b></span><br />
<br />
The best and easiest way to generate a QR code for your business is to find a website that does it quickly and for free. There are a number of sites out there that do this. Simply type QR Code Generator in your google search and viola! For most sites, once you get on, you only need to type in the URL for the site you want encoded and the site will generate your code square. <br />
<br />
Once the square is generated, you can download the code to your desktop. From there, it's all up to you. You can post it on your social media sites, print out a poster, insert it into your blog, whatever you want to do. This is where the fun begins.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>How It Works:</b></span><br />
<br />
Like a barcode, the QR code needs to be scanned in order to work. I'm guessing most of you don't carry around barcode readers when you go shopping, but many of us DO have smartphones. So many of us, in fact, that barcode readers for your iPhone or Droid are as common as wallets and belt buckles, everyone has them. <br />
<br />
For most of us, we use these barcode scanners to retrieve nutritional information while we're shopping. We can scan the back of a potato chip bag, or can of green beans and find out how many calories per serving, how much sodium, etc. QR Codes have different kinds of information programmed in. While you're using the QR code to provide information, it's more of a delivery system than a repository for information itself. Instead of having tons of information encoded in, the QR square is primarily used to take the user to a specific location where they can find all the information you want them to see.<br />
<br />
All you have to do is download a QR code reader onto your smartphone and you're ready to go. It's very simple to use. Just open the app, your camera will turn on and then you simply have to point the camera at the nearest QR code square you see. Within seconds, you'll be transported to a website that is hopefully interesting and useful.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>How To Use It:</b></span><br />
<br />
Unlike bar-codes, the QR code really only contains one piece of information. Generally, this is a web-page. But it can also be the link to your Facebook page, your Twitter page, your blog, whatever you want it to be. Some companies, such as Coca-Cola have designed special web pages specifically for their QR codes. When you scan the code, you will be taken to a website that has information, specials, daily deals, whatever they want you to see.<br />
<br />
When I put together QR Codes for my clients, I make different codes for all of the different social media sites, website, and, if necessary, a special code for a special deals page. This could mean four, five, six different codes, which is fine, since you may want to drive folks to specific pages for different reasons.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>There are two important factors to keep in mind when using your brand new QR code:</b><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>1. Enticement</i><br />
<i>2. Payoff</i><br />
<br />
In other words, your code presentation has to be interesting enough to grab the viewer's attention and get them to pull out their smartphone, open the app and scan your code. But perhaps more importantly, you also need to make the effort worth it. There are few things more frustrating than scanning a QR code only to be taken to a page that offers nothing of value.<br />
<br />
This doesn't mean you have to offer the world, but consider this: Platforms like Foursquare and the Facebook Check-in have been built on, and successful because of a reward system. You check in on Foursquare and more often than not, you'll receive a free drink, a free appetizer, a discount on a meal. It makes the effort to check in worth it. <br />
<br />
Yes, it's nice to provide pure information to people, but what they really want is to be rewarded for patronizing your website or your business. <br />
<br />
Years ago in Denver there was a band that called itself, "Free Beer". An interesting name to be sure, but the bar that employed them as a house band would advertise the band by putting out fliers that said, "Free Beer Tonight at The Whiskey Bar!" People would see that and they'd flock to the bar expecting free beer. Well, they got free beer, but they were pretty disappointed when they found out it was a band and NOT free alcohol. <br />
<br />
But, the bar DID make it okay by providing one free beer for everyone who came to see the band. If you put together a QR code poster that said, "Scan me for Free Beer!" chances are you'd get a TON of hits to your website. If, once they get to your website, they are told about the band, and that they can get a free beer if they come to see the band, chances are you'll generate some excitement. You might even draw a bigger crowd because of your efforts.<br />
<br />
The point is, the presentation of your code garnered enough interest to get folks to scan it. This alone gets the word out about your event or special. Then, you actually offer a decent payoff for people to consider walking through your doors as a customer. This is marketing 101. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Do's and Don'ts:</b></span><br />
<br />
So here are a few tips to make sure you're using your QR code as effectively as possible:<br />
<blockquote><i><b>1. Test your code </b>- The minute your code is generated, scan it with your smartphone to make sure it takes you to the page it's supposed to. If it doesn't work, there's no point in using it.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>2. Don't get too fancy</b> - When you present your code, whether it's on social media platforms or as part of a poster, don't bury it in a ton of other media. In other words, you want folks to see the code and immediately know that it should be scanned. If it's buried inside pictures, graphics or other design elements, it can be confusing, and the last thing you want to do is confuse your customers, or potential customers.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>3. Find a Signal</b> - If you use your QR code as part of a poster or flier, make sure you hang that flier or poster in a location with a strong signal. I like to post my QR code fliers around downtown Denver and in an area we call LoDo. But there are pockets in town where the signal is pretty weak. One bar kind of weak. Plus, the WiFi that is available nearby is locked. There's no point of hanging the poster or flier in a place where people can't actually scan the code and be taken to the page. Test your code wherever you hang it.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>4. Be Mobile</b> - Make sure that whatever page your code directs the customer to works in a mobile format. Some websites aren't very smartphone friendly. They either use flash (which is bad for iPhone users) or they don't really fit into the smaller smartphone format and is a terror to negotiate on the phone.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>5. Be Interesting</b> - Make sure that the text or title around the code is interesting enough, intriguing enough to actually get people to scan the code. You want just enough information that entices them, but not too much that makes the scan irrelevant. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>6. Make it Worth It</b> - Add value to your code by offering a reward to those who take the time to actually scan your QR square. This could be in the form of "secret" information, a free drink, a discount on a purchase, whatever it is, reward the user for taking the time to scan your code. Trust me, they'll come back and scan again and, even better, they'll tell their friends to scan your codes as well.</i></blockquote>Chances are, the QR code will, at some point, go the way of the fax machine, but then again, maybe not. That's the problem with new technology. We're not exactly sure what will stick and what won't. If you had asked me ten years ago if MySpace would make it, I'd have said yes, absolutely.<br />
<br />
But then Facebook came along and made MySpace a non-factor. Does that mean that the time spent on MySpace was wasted. Absolutely not. Bands and other entities were able to use MySpace to build a fanbase, and when Facebook came out, they simply transferred that over. QR Codes may be replaced in a year or two by something else, true. Until then, why not use it to help grow your business and get the word out to the masses? <br />
<br />
The QR Code is simply another weapon in your arsenal that can be used to help you. It is easy to generate, easy to use and easy to understand. They're already being used significantly by businesses of all sizes and stripes. And, at least for now, they seem to be growing in popularity. <br />
<br />
So get yourself coded and get out there, it's cool, it's fun, and hey, everybody's doing it!Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-30087939534295839512011-07-18T21:42:00.000-07:002011-07-18T21:42:52.375-07:00Judging The CoverSometimes what you see is exactly what you get. And sometimes, what you see is simply what you want. This point was hammered home to me last week as I was wandering local businesses attempting to drum up donations for a fundraiser I'm putting together for a local non-profit foundation I'm working with.<br />
<br />
I walked into a small, cozy little liquor store in a tucked away section of lower downtown Denver. It's a nice shop, a family-run shop, the kind of shop you enter and instantly feel at home in. As I struck up a conversation with the owner behind the counter, we started discussing various alcohols and drinks and, since I'm a fan of the "brown" liquors, the conversation drifted towards whiskeys and rums. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-thIbHjvNRlg/TiUK8JatajI/AAAAAAAAAZs/tf5wUH0cAkY/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-thIbHjvNRlg/TiUK8JatajI/AAAAAAAAAZs/tf5wUH0cAkY/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>You might not have a logo this recognizable, but your logo CAN help you drum up biz</i></div><br />
Anyone who is even vaguely familiar with alcohol an rattle off the names of the more familiar whiskeys and rums found on nearly every shelf of every liquor store in the country. But I was surprised when the merchant started talking about a new rum that had hit the market. Apparently he was having a hard time keeping it in stock.<br />
<br />
I won't name the rum, but I will say that it's relatively new, it has enjoyed a strong national advertising campaign and has a pretty cool label. When I asked the owner how the rum actually tasted, he said, "Surprisingly, really good."<br />
<br />
But it's what he said right afterwards that is actually the point of this post. He leaned over as if to tell me a secret and said, "You know, most folks come in and buy it because of the label design, and then they buy it because they like the taste." <br />
<br />
It's a pretty basic tenant that a cool logo, or a classy visual representation of your organization will help lead to success. Sometimes, logos become icons themselves, just look at Apple, or McDonalds or Jaguar. You can instantly see their logo. They are clean, they are classic, and more importantly, they are instantly recognizable. <br />
<br />
This is why so many companies devote so much time and effort into designing their logos. They logo is often the first thing a potential customer sees, and it's what they'll remember. Your logo is the vanguard of your organization, so it has to be simple, clean and attractive. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Represent!</b></span><br />
<br />
But more than that, your logo needs to say something. When people look at your logo, you want them to associate it with quality, or with fun, or with whatever you want your image to be. That means your logo has to actually say something about who you are, what you do and what you stand for. <br />
<br />
Take a look at some of the more successful small businesses around you. Some may simply have their name attached and use that as their logo. Others may have a more complex logo. Some will have a simple, clean and easily recognizable and memorable logo. Chances are, the ones with the great logo will be the more successful organizations. <br />
<br />
That doesn't mean having a great logo will ensure great success. Far from it. Because you have to remember the second half of what the kindly liquor store owner said to me. They buy it for the label, they buy it again because they like the taste. <br />
<br />
You see, a great logo can only attract people initially. It's the substance behind the logo that will keep your customers coming back and help grow your business. If you have a fantastic "look" but your service or product is poor, you'll go under. The best of logos can't help a business that provides poor quality service or products. <br />
<br />
But having a great look CAN help establish you as a force to be reckoned with and help your business attract customers, especially in the early days after the doors have just opened. <br />
<br />
Customers, no matter how established they may be with an existing product or service, will always be curious about something new. Is it better than what they have? Is it more affordable? More convenient? Customers will come to you out of that curiosity, and it's your logo and look that will initially catch their eye.<br />
<br />
And remember, your look extends far beyond just the sign hanging outside your door or on the sign on the corner. Your look has to be part of everything you do. This means your press releases, your pamphlets, your in-house collateral and anything you hand out or give away in your surrounding neighborhood. It has to extend to your advertising and even your uniforms (if you wear them).<br />
<br />
And don't think that social media isn't important when it comes to distributing your look to potential customers. Brand your Twitter page with your logo, make your Facebook photo your logo. The same holds true for your blogs, your website (of course) and even your Foursquare and LinkedIn accounts. <br />
<br />
You want your logo to be seen by as many people as possible, and that means making sure it's on every piece of paper the public comes in contact with from your business and on every associated page they might see online.<br />
<br />
If you're putting together a logo for a business you're putting together now, or thinking about redesigning your logo, keep these tips in mind:<br />
<blockquote><i><b>1. Keep it clean</b> - We're not talking being obscene or not being obscene. We're talking about the KISS system; "Keep It Simple Stupid". This theory actually works in just about every aspect of social media, PR and marketing. But for your logo, simple is king. You want it to be a symbol that folks will easily recognize and remember. You don't want hieroglyphics that folks have to decode.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>2. Let it Represent You</b> - If you run an auto body shop, you certainly wouldn't use a sandwich as a logo, would you? You want folks to have a pretty good idea of your business just by looking at your logo. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>3. Use The Right Colors</b> - Look it up...colors have impact. This is why restaurant use the colors red and yellow in their logos. Red and yellow makes people hungry. Blues and purples make people feel confident. Green makes people feel calm. There are a number of resources online that you can refer to in order to get the right color combination for your organization.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>4. Don't Get Wordy</b> - You want your logo or look to be symbolic of your organization. It's hard to be symbolic with a lot of words getting in the way. One, two words tops. You don't need to put your slogan or message in your logo. There is enough time to do that in the rest of your collateral. Let your logo stand alone. Put your name in, no problem there, but otherwise, the fewer words the better.</i></blockquote>Again, your logo is just the first interaction with your customers or potential customers. In the end, you have to have a quality organization in order to survive and grow. And one last item...as you're putting together your logo, make sure you get a design that is a high quality resolution and comes with various color backgrounds and one with no background so they can be used in videos, TV and other forms of printing and collateral.<br />
<br />
So get out there and wave your logo loud and proud! Just like everything else, it's a tool to attract customers, and the better you use that tool, the more successful your company will be.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-29157081185521177502011-06-16T23:42:00.000-07:002011-06-16T23:42:35.635-07:00No Tiger? No Problem!Okay, I'll admit it, I like golf. I like to play it and (gasp) I like to watch it. Let's be honest here, I fit the mold. I'm over 40, white, male and firmly middle class with aspirations to go higher. If there's a cookie cutter for wannabe golfers, I was cut from it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OEthkhXQyMw/Tfr2ybQu88I/AAAAAAAAAZk/TsP77cZTywI/s1600/JP-GOLF-2-articleLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OEthkhXQyMw/Tfr2ybQu88I/AAAAAAAAAZk/TsP77cZTywI/s400/JP-GOLF-2-articleLarge.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Really good golfer...not exactly Mr. Personality, though.</i></div><br />
Of course, like millions of Americans, I fell in love with the game of Tiger Woods from his very first Major Championship in the late 90's. Like most, I have followed his career with an almost stalker-ish interest. But in the past two years, Tiger has been conspicuously absent. He hasn't won a Major in that stretch, and while he's made a couple of runs here and there, he just hasn't been the same since that fateful run-in with a hydrant in December 2009. <br />
<br />
And now, Tiger has taken his clubs and gone home for this year's US Open Championship at Congressional. This may be great news to the rest of the field, it's a nightmare for the TV networks who know that viewership goes down when Tiger doesn't play. It also presents a dilemma for pro golf in general.<br />
<br />
Sure, they'd love to have a healthy Tiger playing. He brings ratings, he brings excitement, he simply raises the stakes. But pro golf also has an entirely new generation of young and talented golfers waiting in the wings to step up and take over the empty reigns left behind by Mr. Woods.<br />
<br />
The problem is, no one knows who they are. Die-hard golf fans know Ben Crane, Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson and the others. But the casual American has no idea who these young guns are. So, to counter this lack of name recognition, some young golfers and US Golf decided to reach out and touch someone, social media-style.<br />
<br />
Take a look at this video that hit YouTube and the airwaves this week:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PM2NocuEihw" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What's The Point?</b></span><br />
<br />
Hey, it's a great video, and it's worth watching over and over. It's clever, it's creative, it's hip, it's in your face without being over the top. But really, what's the point?<br />
<br />
This is a question you have to ask yourself every time you do something online, whether it's a Facebook post, a Tweet, a blog post or a video. What are you trying to achieve with your actions? Will your particular post or video help you reach your goal? Or are you simply throwing stuff up online to fill space and keep your name out in front of your friends, followers, fans, customer and potential customers? <br />
<br />
In the case of the aforementioned video, one has to ask, "What was US Golf trying accomplish?" Because I don't work for US Golf, I can only speculate. My first thought is that the powers that be wanted to generate some interest and excitement and draw an audience to this week's US Open.<br />
<br />
If that was, indeed the purpose of the video, then sadly, it most likely failed. It's not that the video isn't eye-catching, or clever or fun to watch. But the video itself isn't likely to bring any more viewers to the tv screens than would have previously been watching. It's not like someone will see the video and say, "Hey, these guys are cool, I HAVE to tune in to the US Open to check them out!"<br />
<br />
In that respect, US Golf missed the target, and badly. But in the process, they may have hit a home run on another front. Perhaps unwittingly, (or maybe they are just crazy like a fox) they managed to bring some personality back into golf. Golfers can sometimes be a stoic bunch. Yes, they will wear colorful clothes, and every now and then a few pop up with some compelling stories. But outside of Tiger, let's face it, the personalities are generally lacking, particularly on the American side of the slate.<br />
<br />
But now, with this video, the American public gets a chance to see some of the next generation of US golfers goofing around, having fun, being, well...interesting. There is no overt or clear-cut message in this video, other than, "Hey, we are pro golfers and we like to have fun!"<br />
<br />
But that's okay. Most of the truly successful videos have messages that aren't immediately obvious to the viewer. In this case, the golfers in the video produced something that is enjoyable and entertaining to watch. This alone will grab people's attention and generate views. And ultimately, that's the goal. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Delicate Balance:</b></span><br />
<br />
That's what makes videos-as-a-marketing-tool so difficult. Too often small businesses try to hit their audience over the head with their message at the expense of watchability. We already know that humor is subjective, so that can be another pitfall, but more often than not, if you shoot for humorous and entertaining, you'll hit your mark more than you'll miss it.<br />
<br />
But even the most entertaining of videos have a message in it if it's produced by a small business or non-profit. The message may be, "Get down here and spend your money," but it's still a message. The trick is knowing how to present that message and producing a video that meets your goals.<br />
<br />
In the case of the US Golf video, they may have been off target in their goal of increasing viewership for this particular major, but they DID hit the target of making these golfers interesting and more personable. In the absence of Tiger, they injected some fun into an event lacking some star-power.<br />
<br />
In the case of one of my clients, a veterinary clinic in Denver, they had some very simple and reachable goals. First, tell people that they exist. Second, talk about the quality of care they provide. Third, let people know they are one of the most affordable clinics in town.<br />
<br />
It would be easy to shoot a video of the front of the clinic, give an address and tell people, "Hey we're here, we're good, we're affordable." But that doesn't seem like a very interesting video, does it?<br />
<br />
Instead, they produced a series of videos. One showing a veterinarian caring for a cute little chihuahua, acting like the dog whisperer, talking to the dog directly and listening as the dog talks back. It's funny, it's clever and it has a tagline at the end, "Our doctors are THAT good!"<br />
<br />
The next video shows a man in the waiting room, preparing to pick up his pet. Within seconds, the front desk girl comes out, hands the pet to the owner as the owner lugs out a huge bag of money to pay for the treatment. Instead, the girl takes a single bill from his hand and tells him to have a good day. The tagline is "It's really THAT affordable!"<br />
<br />
Notice that there is some consistency with the presentation of the message, that there is a bit of humor in both, they're both short (a minute or less) and they use the right words. Affordable denotes quality whereas cheap is...well...cheap. You can check out both videos at <a href="http://www.downtownanimalcarecenter.com/">www.downtownanimalcarecenter.com</a>. <br />
<br />
The messages get across that they provide quality care at a price people can afford by blending a short and interesting video with a strong tagline. At the end, they include a call to action for people to check out the website and make an appointment.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>And Now The Tips: </b></span><br />
<br />
Small businesses and non-profits can reap huge benefits from the use of video, but in order to do so, they have to keep these tips in mind:<br />
<blockquote><i><b>1. Keep the videos short</b> - Anything more than a minute isn't likely to generate a ton of views. :30 to :45 seconds is ideal. You can go a minute, but you have to get right into the interesting part of the video to hold people's attention. The only exception to this rule is music videos. Even then, try to keep it to less than two minutes. Anything more and you'll probably lose viewers midway through and they won't share the video with friends, which is what you want.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>2. Know your message</b> - The beauty of video is that you can produce a series of short videos, each with a different message. They can all work together or separately, but know what you want to say before you shoot the first minute of video, otherwise, you have no focus. If you have no focus, viewers won't know what you're trying to say.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>3. Establish your goals</b> - Know what you want to achieve with your video. If you want to raise awareness, that's a different type of video than driving business or donations. Make sure your video hits your target and is keyed to help you meet your goals. Again focus here helps.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>4. Think entertaining</b> - Make it funny, dramatic, avant garde, it doesn't matter. What matters is that it's fun and interesting to watch. That will bring eyes to your video and therefore get your message out to more people. Plus, the more entertaining the video, the more it will be shared. Think clever and interesting rather than simply overstating your message.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>5. Keep it simple</b> - Like everything else you do with your marketing, the simpler the better. You don't want to overwhelm people with too much at one time. Try to keep your videos to a single message. The more you try to cram into your video, the longer it will be and the more confusing it will be for viewers. Confusing is bad.</i></blockquote>Remember, we are a visual society now. The more you can use video in your social media, marketing and promotional efforts, the more successful you'll be. Just try to keep in mind those simple tips and you'll find your pages filling up with fans, friends and followers. And if you do it right, you'll also start to see more smiling faces walking through your doors. And that's always a good thing.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-58764083181311874202011-06-07T20:18:00.000-07:002011-06-07T20:18:29.273-07:00Hide The Weiner<div class="clearfloat" id="page"><div class="clearfloat" id="inner"><div id="content"><div class="post" id="post-13393"><span style="font-size: small;">Once again, dear friends, it falls upon the big, beefy shoulders of the Real Public Relations staff to talk a little current events and provide a little analysis and "lessons-learned" moments from the latest social media celebrity scandal.</span></div><div class="post" id="post-13393"><span style="font-size: small;">As you'll recall, not long ago, an employee at Chrysler lost their job after dropping F-bombs on Twitter about the apparent lack of driving expertise by the lovely folks in Detroit. The individual in question said they made a mistake, that they had intended to make the "offensive Tweet"on their personal account, NOT the actual Chrysler Twitter feed. </span></div><div class="post" id="post-13393"><span style="font-size: small;">Regardless, the unfortunate twit...errr...tweeter, was unceremoniously fired and a Detroit PR agency had lost one of their biggest accounts after the dust had settled. At the time, this space discussed Twitter etiquette and went over some of the Do's and Dont's of the Twitterverse.</span></div><div class="post" id="post-13393"><span style="font-size: small;">Fast forward a few months and lo and behold, another poor soul has found himself in hot water due to a rather "racy" if not x-rated set of Twitter postings. This time, though, it's not some faceless drone working with Chrysler. No, my friends, it's a politician, Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner from New York, to be exact. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SfYmdWD0XP4/Te7pH8AG3ZI/AAAAAAAAAZg/W56-0w3s5N4/s1600/anthony-weiner1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SfYmdWD0XP4/Te7pH8AG3ZI/AAAAAAAAAZg/W56-0w3s5N4/s400/anthony-weiner1.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i> "Now I'll just send that as a direct message...D'OH!</i>"</div><div class="post" id="post-13393"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="post" id="post-13393"><span style="font-size: small;">By now, you've probably heard the news. Congressman meets lovely young lady on Facebook, Congressman flirts with lovely young lady, Congressman sends pictures of his underwear-clad junk and bare chest to lovely young lady. Just like Disney would have written it. </span></div><div class="post" id="post-13393"><span style="font-size: small;">Only there was a problem with all of this. First...said Congressman is recently married. Second...Said Congressman's new wife had no idea he was sending photos to the lovely young lady. Third...Congressman lied about the photos when they magically appeared on a government watchdog site.</span></div><div class="post" id="post-13393"><span style="font-size: small;">We are not here to pile on Congressman Weiner or to judge his actions. There are enough people doing that already. We ARE here, though to point out to small business owners and non-profits just how powerful, effective and yes, sometimes dangerous, Twitter and the online universe can be.</span></div><div class="post" id="post-13393"><span style="font-size: small;">First, here is an excerpt from a USA Today article:</span> <br />
<blockquote><h2 class="title"><i>NY Congressman Admits to Lying About Lewd Photograph</i></h2><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><i>Congressman Weiner said he had meant to send the photo as a direct message to the female college student and “panicked” when he realized he had instead sent it out to all of his Twitter followers. He did a whole day of television interviews last week in which he repeatedly denied that he had sent the photo, saying it was likely a prank and that his Twitter account had likely been hacked.</i> </div></blockquote><div class="clearfloat" id="stats">Let's take a look at this a little closer. According to Congressman Weiner, he intended to send the photos as a direct message. Instead, he sent the photos as an @reply, which are visible to all followers of his account. Thus, instead of a single recipient getting the photos, EVERYONE got to see the kind of heat the Congressman packs in and out of the house.</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"> </div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"> Listen, we all know that dealing with new technology can be confusing. There are a lot of buttons and gizmo's and blinking dealio's on your Twitter pages, your Facebook pages, your Foursquare and blogs. It's easy to make a mistake, it's human. You're going to make them. But here's the deal, when you make a mistake about a special your running, or when you're hosting an event, those are easily fixed and they likely won't ruin your company. When you make a mistake about who to send your R-rated photos to, well, NOW you have some problems.</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Know The Tweet!</b></span></div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"> </div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats">It's been said here a million times, and it bears repeating again. Only post those items which you want the world to see! This means don't be tempted to post gossip about a co-worker, or your boss, or the company dress policy, or the fact that you're sleeping through meetings, or that sometimes you like to drive 130 through school zones unless you're perfectly okay with the entire world knowing about it. This includes posting any lewd photos. </div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"> </div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats">Furthermore, it doesn't matter if it's Twitter, or Facebook or a blog or anywhere online. If it's up there, it has the chance to be seen by those you don't want to see it. It doesn't matter if it's private. It doesn't matter if you don't think you're big enough for folks to care. Because the fact of the matter is, SOMEONE WILL care. This is particularly true if you post on your official company or organizational platforms. But it also matters even if it's just your personal pages as well.</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"> </div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats">Congressman Weiner used his personal Blackberry and laptop computer to send the Tweets, did it on his own account, and apparently did all the photo-taking and posting on his own time. Other than being a bit of a louse behind his wife's back, he didn't break any laws. And yet, because of who he is, the photos were newsworthy...at least to a point. </div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"> </div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats">The fact is, Congressman Weiner didn't know Twitter well-enough to send his photos in such a way that only the recipient could see them. And even if he had, who's to say that the lady in question wouldn't have sent those photos to others who would have posted them all over the internet anyway? Weiner SHOULD have asked himself this question, "Would I care if the world saw these photos?" </div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"> </div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats">Clearly the answer was yes. In that case, he should have never sent them, on Twitter or anywhere else. The lesson learned here, is that even if you don't think people are watching, or reading or paying attention, they are. If you run a small business or non-profit you are in a position where people will be paying attention. And even if you don't post the offending items on your official social media platforms, folks are watching your personal pages as well. You are linked to your organization BECAUSE it's a small business or non-profit. Most people don't make the separation, so you'd be smart not to either. In essence, you ARE your organization. Best to remember that always when you're posting anything on Facebook or Twitter or a blog, or anywhere else, even an online comment or letter to a publication. </div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><br />
</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><i>By the way, if you ever want to send a personal message on Twitter, just go to your Twitter page and at the top you'll see a tab that says "messages". Click on that tab. It will take you to a box where you'll type in the name of the person you want to send a direct message to. Type in the name, then in the text box, type in your message. DO NOT use the @ symbol in the text box and DO NOT reply to other messages with an @ reply. Those messages can be seen by everyone. Then again, don't send any messages you wouldn't mind the wold seeing in the first place.</i></div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tell Me Lies, Tell Me Sweet Little Lies:</b></span></div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><br />
</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats">As noted above, what Congressman Weiner did wasn't Earth-shattering. He didn't kill his neighbor, shake a baby, steal money from orphans or spew racist slurs. He simply sent some R-rated photos to a woman who wasn't his wife. He didn't break any laws, he did something stupid, but then again, don't we all sometimes?</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><br />
</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats">Again, we're not here to blast or defend Congressman Weiner. However, when we look at his actions, we once again see some decisions that, from a PR and social media standpoint are downright felony stupid.</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><br />
</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats">We've already looked at his decision to send the photos online in the first place. But it's what he did after the photos were revealed that really put him into hot water. He lied about it.</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><br />
</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats">Listen, as we've said here before, you can make heinous mistakes and get away with it if you're upfront about it, apologize about it and have a plan in place so it won't happen again. In situations like this, there really is no plan to put forth. It's not like Weiner is going to stand up behind a podium and say, "My wife will be monitoring all of my online activity from now on...oh, and I promise not to be a guy anymore...so, you know...I won't be doing stupid things from here on out."</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><br />
</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats">That doesn't really fly. And besides, since no laws were broken, no one outside of his immediate personal circle was hurt, a plan really isn't necessary here. But what IS necessary is honesty and an apology.</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><br />
</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats">How much simpler would it have been had Congressman Weiner came out and said, "Yeah, that's my junk, and that's my shaved chest, and I DID send them to a woman I don't really know who I met on Facebook, and I've talked to my wife about it, I apologized, we're okay as a family and I apologize to my constituents for making a poor choice."</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><br />
</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats">Frankly, the story would probably have gone away within a day. No story here folks, he admitted it was him, that he sent the photos to a woman who's not his wife and by the way, he's very sorry we found out about it.</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><br />
</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats">The public at large likely would have let it go and marked it up to men-in-power-doing-stupid-things syndrome. Yes, FOX would run it into the ground for the next six months, but for the most part, the public would forget about it very quickly.</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><br />
</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats">Instead, he lied about the photos, and, once caught in a lie, had to lie more, and then after he admitted the mistake, had to own up to the lies, forever tarnishing his image as a lawmaker and leader. Certainly there are many out there now asking, "if he's willing to lie about something so small, what else will he lie about?" And that's a reasonable question.</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><br />
</div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats">As a small business owner or non-profit director, you have to remember these three things when you find yourself in a situation, either of your own making or of circumstance. </div><blockquote><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><i><b>1. Be Honest </b>- Don't lie. If you made a mistake, own up to it. If you did something wrong, own up to it. Don't blame someone else. Even if the problem isn't of your own making, ultimately if it happened at your organization, you're responsible. Take the hit and swallow your medicine like an adult. Trust me, it's better than getting caught in a lie. That just makes things worse. </i></div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><i> </i></div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><i><b>2. Apologize</b> - Be sincere, and contrite. Chances are, you're going to be very sorry about whatever happened. If one of your employees was running drugs out of your restaurant and someone overdosed because of it, YOU make the apology. It's your business, after all, and you're ultimately responsible. Apologize for not being more diligent.</i></div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><i> </i></div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"><i><b>3. Have a plan</b> - In most cases, you'll be hammered for not being prepared or for lack of oversight or for simply having human foibles. In each case, you can offer up a plan that will ensure that something similar doesn't happen again. For the most part, that's what your customers and supporters want to see. They understand making a mistake, they just want to make sure it doesn't happen again. </i></div></blockquote><div class="clearfloat" id="stats">When working in the online world, you have to be VERY careful. As you have seen, it only takes a single moment, a single sent photo, a random post or Tweet to get yourself into scalding hot water. You have to remain on top of everything you do online. </div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"> </div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats">Social media is a powerful platform to market your organization and gain supporters, recognition and even business. But all of your careful work can be undone in just a handful of keystrokes if you're not careful. </div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats"> </div><div class="clearfloat" id="stats">And if you DO make a mistake, don't try to hide it, or "delete" it or ignore it. Tackle it head on with honesty and sincerity and you'll find that you can overcome almost any faux-pas. Just as long as your straightforward with your friends, followers, the public at large and the media. </div></div></div></div></div><style id="yoono-style">
.yoono-link-hover { border-bottom: 2px dotted rgb(59, 89, 152); display: inline ! important; float: none ! important; }.yoono-link-active-link { cursor: pointer; }.yoono-link-icon { position: absolute; visibility: hidden; background-repeat: no-repeat; height: 16px; z-index: 100000; cursor: pointer; }.yoono-link-icon.smallHint { background-image: url("http://cache.yoono.com/static/sb/yoonolinks/yoolink_icon_bulle_01.png"); width: 23px; height: 29px; }.yoono-link-icon.smallHint.yoono-left { background-image: url("http://cache.yoono.com/static/sb/yoonolinks/yoolink_icon_bulle_02.png"); }.yoono-link-icon.smallHint.yoono-bottom { background-image: url("http://cache.yoono.com/static/sb/yoonolinks/yoolink_icon_bulle_03.png"); }.yoono-link-icon.forceOpaque { opacity: 1; }.yoono-link-icon.yoono-reminder { position: fixed; right: 1px; bottom: 1px; border: 0pt none; -moz-border-radius: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt; height: 30px; padding-top: 12px; background-image: url("http://www.yoono.com/favicon.ico"); background-position: 2px 10px; padding-left: 24px; }#yoono-link-debug { position: fixed; right: 10px; bottom: 10px; width: 210px; border: 2px solid black; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% silver; z-index: 10000; opacity: 0.8; text-align: center; font-size: 14px; color: black; }#yoono-link-debug.yoono-ie { position: absolute; }#yoono-kwe-debug { position: fixed; width: 200px; font-size: 16px; z-index: 1000; text-align: right; font-weight: bold; top: 10px; right: 20px; border: 2px solid black; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% silver; opacity: 0.6; color: black; }#yoono-kwe-debug.yoono-ie { position: absolute; }
</style>Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-88547027703570028572011-05-19T22:02:00.000-07:002011-05-19T22:02:56.014-07:00Run For Your Lives!I like horror movies. I do. There's nothing better than sitting back and getting a good scare. The kind of scare that makes you jump out of your seat and scream and spew popcorn across three aisles in front of you. Sadly, my love of horror hasn't helped me much in my professional life. Truth be told, it hasn't helped me much in my personal life either, but that's a different story. <br />
<br />
As it turns out, I just wasn't thinking far enough outside the box. This realization came to me today as I ripped through my Twitter feed checking for any interesting stories. That's when I came across THIS little gem from the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-cdc-zombie-apocalypse-20110519,0,6704265.story">Los Angeles Times</a> and local TV station, <a href="http://www.9news.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=950574990001&odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cfeatured#/News/CDC+helps+Americans+prepare+for+a+zombie+apocalypse+/49906872001/50183015001/950574990001">KUSA</a> (click on the links to read the entire article or watch the video)<br />
<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Preparing for a zombie apocalypse? The CDC weighs in</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="thumbnail" style="width: 600px;"> <div class="holder"> <table cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td> <img alt="CDC advises on Zombie apocalypse" border="0" height="381" src="http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2011-05/259041100-19110451.jpg" width="580" /> <div class="small"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Zombies take over Hollywood Boulevard in a 2009 zombie walk. Would you be ready if they came to your neighborhood? <span class="credit">(<span class="photographer">Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times</span>)</span></i></span></div><div class="small"><br />
</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="toolSet" style="width: 335px;"> <div class="byline"> <span class="byline">By Amina Khan, Los Angeles Times / for the Booster Shots blog</span> <div class="date"><span class="dateString">May 19, 2011</span><span class="dateTimeSeparator">, </span><span class="timeString">11:37 a.m.</span></div><div class="date"><br />
</div></div></span></i></span> <i>Preparing for disasters has always been part of the mission of the <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/health/diseases-illnesses/u.s.-centers-for-disease-control-prevention-ORGOV000011.topic" id="ORGOV000011" title="U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>, from hurricanes to flu pandemics.<br />
<br />
It was only a matter of time, then, before they decided to weigh in on another calamity of great concern to the public: the <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/arts-culture/folklore-mythology/ghouls-zombies-%28supernatural-entities%29-15019000178.topic" id="15019000178" title="Ghouls and Zombies (supernatural entities)">zombie</a> apocalypse.<br />
</i><div class="articlerail"> <div class="googleAd"> </div></div><i> "That’s right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you’ll be happy you read this," Dr. Ali S. Khan, an assistant surgeon general with the CDC and head of its office of Public Health Preparedness, <a href="http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp" target="_blank">wrote</a> on the CDC's Public Health Matters blog.</i></blockquote>I have to tell you, the instant I saw this article, I laughed, I chuckled, I shared and I laughed again. But then I took a moment and thought to myself, "THIS IS BRILLIANT!" <br />
<br />
I wasn't talking so much about the articles themselves, although the LA Times writing is excellent. No, I had to marvel at the creativity and cleverness of the Center For Disease Control. This, my friends is what we call a PR Home Run and there are some lessons to be learned from this particular news gem.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A "Newsy Sense of Humor":</b></span><br />
<br />
Before I go on, I have to admit, I wish I had thought of something like this. I also desperately wish I had been in the room when whoever it was pitched this idea during the PR meeting. In my mind it goes something like this:<br />
<blockquote><i><b>Person 1</b> - Any ideas of how we can make emergency preparedness more interesting and newsworthy?</i><br />
<i><b>Person 2</b> - We could use the recent tornado and earthquake tragedies as a news peg. </i><br />
<i><b>Person 1</b> - We could, probably too soon, a little depressing, but a good idea.</i><br />
<i><b>Person 3</b> - Terrorism?</i><br />
<i><b>Person 1</b> - Bin Laden's dead, not timely. Anyone else? Anyone? ANYONE?!</i><br />
<i><b>PR Intern</b> - uhhhh....Zombie Apocalypse?</i><br />
<i><b>Person 1</b> - (choking on water) WHAT?!</i><br />
<i><b>Person 2</b> - BWAAAHHHHH HA HA HA HA HA HA!</i><br />
<i><b>PR Intern</b> - I'm serious...how about a zombie apocalypse?</i><br />
<i><b>Person 1</b> - Errrrr....yeah, you know what? Okay!</i></blockquote>Allright, I'm pretty sure it didn't go down that way, but a man can dream, can't he? Before we get too deep into the analysis here, I'm going to make a few assumptions.<br />
<i><b><br />
</b></i><br />
<i><b>1. The CDC is trying to reach a younger, more apathetic demographic</b></i><br />
<i><b>2. The CDC probably feels that their message is getting old and that they needed to spice it up a bit</b></i><br />
<br />
By now, you've probably seen this story on the network news, in your local papers, on your local affiliates, heard it on the radio, heck, even NPR is running the story. So how does a "fake" news story manage to get massive amounts of news coverage across the globe and shared millions of times in social media circles?<br />
<br />
The answer is that the CDC did a masterful job of blending popular culture with a real news story with a real news peg. And the incredible part is that they managed to do it about an issue that is generally VERY serious and, at least lately, involves stories centered around real life tragedy.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Zombies Rock:</b></span><br />
<br />
Let's face it. Zombies are awesome. It doesn't matter if they're the slow-moving, dimwitted zombies from the 60's, or the lightning-fast brain-eaters from the late 90's. They're popular, they're scary (usually) and everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, is familiar with them. Zombies have replaced vampires and werewolves as top monster (despite the best effort of that Moonlighting show...wait, not Moonlighting...you know what I'm talking about). <br />
<br />
That's what makes this latest CDC PR effort so effing genius. The American public has been listening to the emergency preparedness message for decades now. We've heard it so often, that for many of us, it's become a dull roar against the background of the rest of the news we're inundated with on a daily basis.<br />
<br />
And yet, even though we see new zombie movies just about every year, we continue to love them, watch them, read about them; we can't get enough of them.<br />
<br />
Zombies have enjoyed fifty years of mass appeal even as the emergency preparedness message has been relegated to the back pages of media outlets everywhere. At some point, it probably occurred to someone that, hey, what could be more of an emergency besides a zombie apocalypse? The nuclear threat has gone the way of the cold war, the threat of terrorism seems to have diminished a bit, the economy is picking up. <br />
<br />
What's left to be afraid of? The answer, of course, turned out to be zombies. So what if zombies don't exist outside of certain New Orleans neighborhoods? If ever there was an emergency situation we can all get behind, it's a full-scale zombie attack.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Still Newsworthy:</b></span><br />
<br />
But here's why the story REALLY works. There was an actual newspeg behind the effort. Yes, that newspeg happened to be the tragic deaths of hundreds in the U.S. and across the world due to severe natural disasters. Within our own borders, the need for emergency preparedness plans is all too evident after watching the Mississippi jump its banks and twisters tear apart town after town in the South.<br />
<br />
Yes, the loss of life is tragic. The financial impact and the social upheaval is disastrous. But we already know that. We've all seen the pictures and, unfortunately, too many of us switched away to instead watch American Idol or Dancing With The Stars. The stories themselves have become a bit old hat. We're not only not shocked anymore by these disasters, we generally aren't paying much attention anymore.<br />
<br />
Now, the CDC couldn't send out this release after the tornadoes, or after the initial flooding in the Midwest. That would have been seen as insensitive, and rightly so. But now, the flooding isn't as big of a threat, and enough time has passed since the tornadoes did their damage. <br />
<br />
Yet the newsworthiness of the story remains. Being prepared for any kind of emergency, regardless of what it is, is still important. Newsrooms realize this. They KNOW it's a story they have to cover, it's just that they don't do it with any gusto anymore. <br />
<br />
Right after 9/11, emergency preparedness stories received ten minute, in-depth packages and three page spreads in the media. In recent days, the same stories were lucky to get a :30 second VO or a sidebar mention.<br />
<br />
One of the reasons I think this story really works is because the reporters, producers and editors immediately recognized the cleverness of the release. The Tweets I saw from my friends still working in newsrooms seemed downright giddy. They loved the story. They giggled and guffawed as they posted the story on their websites, read it on the air and printed it in their papers. They Tweeted it with lead-in's like, "I LOVE this story!" and "Thought everyone would enjoy this!"<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Breakdown:</b></span><br />
<br />
So let's take a quick look at how this story worked, blow-by-blow.<br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>1. There was an actual newspeg (recent natural disasters)</i><br />
<i>2. The information was wrapped inside a popular culture beast (literally and figuratively)</i><br />
<i>3. The CDC made the connection between the fictitious event and a real emergency and the need to </i><br />
<i> be prepared in both instances</i><br />
<i>4. The release made no overt effort to be jokey. It was tongue-in-cheek serious and made its point as </i><br />
<i> if it were discussing a real event</i><br />
<i>5. It was timed in such a way that it was still relevant without being insensitive</i><br />
<br />
Trust me, this isn't as easy as the CDC made it look. It took skill and knowledge and some creativity to pull this off, which they did in spades.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Extra Benefits:</b></span><br />
<br />
Another stroke of genius is the social media aspect of this story. Traditional emergency preparedness stories never make it as a social media viral posting. When is the last time you saw a Facebook post about being ready in case of a sudden snowstorm or epic hailstorm? The answer is, never.<br />
<br />
And yet this story was burning up Facebook, it was blowing up on Twitter. In a day it became about as popular as the "Talking Dog Tease" on YouTube. I don't know if the CDC considered the social media aspect of the story, but because of the pop culture reference, and the uniqueness of the approach, the public saw exactly what the media saw, a funny, interesting story packed with real, useful information.<br />
<br />
I suppose this story could have been couched in an alien attack, or a vampire scourge or an explosion of werewolves or teenage witches, but somehow I don't think it would have enjoyed the same success. Had they picked aliens, it would have seemed a little too much "War of The Worlds". Had they picked vampires, werewolves or teen witches, it would have seemed too cheesy. It would have looked like they were trying too hard to connect with a younger generation and see relevant. <br />
<br />
By going with zombies, they managed to cross generational lines, be funny and informative at the same time, and look clever instead of desperate. The particular pop culture reference made all the difference.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>How To Do It:</b></span><br />
<br />
Generally, I encourage you, as a small business owner or non-profit director to take risks, to think outside the box. And trust me, I still do. However in this case, I have to say, be careful. Again, this isn't an easy thing to do. You can see how the choice of choosing the specific pop culture reference made all the difference. You can see how the timing had to be impeccable. <br />
<br />
Plus using a fictitious event to promote real information can be tricky if not properly presented. The CDC got away with it because it's so well known and the story was one which had been presented regularly for decades. Try doing this with a first-time pitch and you could run into trouble, or run the risk that journalists think your a bit batty.<br />
<br />
However, with that said, if you want to use this technique to spice up your story pitch keep these things in mind.<br />
<blockquote><i><b>1. Make it useful</b> - Your pitch has to have quality information, stuff that the everyday person can use and needs to know. This makes it difficult for a lot of small businesses to capitalize on this technique</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>2. Time it right</b> - Like every other pitch, your story has to be timely and have a newspeg. If it deals with serious, sad or tragic events, you'll have to wait and catch that tiny window between not being insensitive and still being relevant</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>3. Choose your reference correctly</b> - If you use this technique, you don't want to appear like you're just using a reference to attract a specific audience. You want to look clever and smart, not like you're working too hard. Your pop culture reference has to be something everyone can immediately relate to, like, you know...zombies!</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>4. Don't try to be funny</b> - Again, funny is in the eye of the beholder. The CDC played it right by presenting the information as a real release, complete with background information and fictitious studies. Yes, the story was humorous, but the CDC didn't present it that way. There was a subtle wink to the reader, but we all knew what was happening right away and didn't need to be drawn in by jokes or overt humor.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>5. Use it sparingly</b> - This isn't the kind of approach that will work over and over again. This release worked because it came from a normally staid and conservative organization that normally doesn't do this kind of thing. It caught the media off guard, it caught the general public off guard. It was unique in both its presentation and in the fact that it hadn't been done by the CDC before. However, if the CDC tries to use this approach too often, it will backfire and the media will simply stop paying attention to it. </i><br />
<i><b>***NOTE***</b> The exception to this is if the CDC uses this same approach in a year when it releases its annual emergency preparedness story. Next time they might try "What to do if attacked by massive flocks of birds" or "How to be prepared in case the Mayan Calendar is correct." This will work for a few years, but only if used once a year, as if part of a series. Even then, in five years or so, it will get old and the media will have moved on.</i></blockquote>So there you have it. The breakdown of an honest-to-goodness PR homerun. it doesn't happen everyday, and I rarely get as much joy writing about a particular press release or news story as I did with this one. <br />
<br />
In the end, what small businesses and non-profits can take away from this story is that it's okay to think outside the box, to be creative and take risks. Yes, sometimes you'll fall flat on your face and your story won't be picked up. But then there are those times when your story might actually become a news blockbuster and an internet sensation. <br />
<br />
Hey, it can happen...just like a zombie apocalypse.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-72033103446163368492011-05-17T12:07:00.000-07:002011-05-17T12:15:59.718-07:00The Human BrandBranding. It's like the holy grail for most marketers. Creating an instantly recognizable brand is one of the primary objectives for the majority of marketers and organizations spend thousands of hours and millions of dollars to do so. And yet, with all that effort and with all the products, companies and services available to the consumer, the number of insta-brands (or instantly recognizable brands) is quite small.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DU4rPZW8URU/TdLHDLI0wzI/AAAAAAAAAZU/LJQ6Ye7X4-I/s1600/oneball_brand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DU4rPZW8URU/TdLHDLI0wzI/AAAAAAAAAZU/LJQ6Ye7X4-I/s320/oneball_brand.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>Of course, small businesses and non-profits just don't have the resources that major companies do when it comes to branding their organization, product or service. But, as we've seen in this blog before, you don't need the massive resources of large companies to do something well and be effective. You simply need a plan and a little know-how.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Obstacles:</b></span><br />
<br />
First, branding isn't just getting your name out to the masses. It's about creating an image that is instantly recognizable. You want folks to have an immediate connection to you when they hear your name, product or service. This isn't just about having folks recognize your name, but about having them really connect with you. Maybe you want your name associated with quality, reliability, new and hip, it's really up to you. <br />
<br />
The problem is, folks don't automatically relate to "things," they relate to people. It's hard to relate to a plate of spaghetti or a sandwich or a car. You can WANT those things, you can think those things are cool, or nice or desirable, but you can't really relate to them. The same holds true for most organizations. You can admire a business or what a non-profit is trying to accomplish, but at the end of the day, it's still a faceless organization, often a name without a personality.<br />
<br />
And using social media to create meaningful, integrated relationships between a brand and consumers is simply harder than creating the same kind of relationship between people. In essence, all of the social media networks out there were designed to connect people with people, not people with brands.<br />
<br />
For instance, you own a small business or run a non-profit. You're online as yourself, but also have pages for your organization. On your personal pages, you most likely interact with your friends in a more casual, conversational manner. Now think about how you interact on your organizational pages. You most likely use those pages to simply announce specials, deals, make a plea for donations or let folks know about an event. Unlike your personal profile where you're involved in conversations, these types of organizational postings are primarily one-sided.<br />
<br />
This isn't how humans interact with other humans. Even on sites like LinkedIn, where your interactions are more professional and formal, you're still often having a conversation, it's rarely just a one-way street.<br />
<br />
The problem is, if you attempt to involve yourself in more casual conversations from your organizational pages, it may not be received very well by others in the group or conversation. They'll probably look at it as an awkward intrusion by a company trying to sell something.<br />
<br />
You can certainly build a network on your social media pages of people who "like" or are "fans" of your brand, but that still doesn't mean they want you involved in their personal conversations. Plus, commenting on various personal posts can potentially damage the brand image you have worked so hard to build.<br />
<br />
So does this mean you have to continue the one-way conversation rut that you're probably already in? No, you don't. You may never be able to get folks to view your brand as a warm, fuzzy friend that can converse in casual conversations at will. But you CAN humanize your brand to the point where your network contacts feel comfortable interacting on a less-than-formal level.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Solutions:</b></span><br />
<br />
First, understand that we're talking about "humanizing" your brand. In other words, you want to make your brand feel less than a faceless entity and more like a welcome friend that can be trusted and conversed with regularly. At worst, you want them to feel like you're brand is a familiar acquaintance.<br />
<br />
You can do this easily without breaking your bank. <br />
<br />
<i>1. Put a human face on your organization</i><br />
<i>2. Be more interactive</i><br />
<br />
There you go. Simple, right? Actually yes, and we'll show you how.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Human Face:</b></span><br />
<br />
Think about the 'O' Network. Think about Virgin Records. Think about Maytag. What do all of these things have in common? They each have a human face attached to their names. Oprah Winfrey is literally a corporation unto herself. She owns magazines, runs a TV network, makes movies and television shows. And yet, she is, in the end, simply Oprah. <br />
<br />
Virgin Records IS Richard Branson. He jet sets around the world, loves music, give generously to charity. He's a playboy adventurer that exudes confidence and fun. Oh, and he owns one of the largest music retail outlet chains in the world. Virgin isn't just a music label anymore, it's virtually a way of life. And that's because, as an organization, it's practically synonymous with Branson.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hk29iDQE2Yw/TdLHReIYTyI/AAAAAAAAAZY/v0MGFcjl75Q/s1600/mrclean_mascot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hk29iDQE2Yw/TdLHReIYTyI/AAAAAAAAAZY/v0MGFcjl75Q/s1600/mrclean_mascot.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CliUzAKisMs/TdLHU5lowQI/AAAAAAAAAZc/07ogdBXs9R0/s1600/mascots_main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CliUzAKisMs/TdLHU5lowQI/AAAAAAAAAZc/07ogdBXs9R0/s400/mascots_main.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Both of those organizations have real-life individuals behind their brands. In fact, those people ARE their brands. They embody everything about their brands. But what about characters, a fictitious face to an organization? That's where Maytag comes in. You know the guy. The loveable loser repairman who has nothing to do because of the quality of his product. Like Mr. Whipple, Mr. Peanut, Mr. Clean, Tony The Tiger, the Travelocity Elf, Charlie Tuna, the list goes on and on, The Maytag repairman doesn't really exist. And yet, each of these characters have helped to create a brand that consumers love. Perhaps the most famous of this type of branding belongs to one of the most successful companies in the world, McDonalds. What would McDonalds be without the clown? Just another burger joint? <br />
<br />
This type of branding works because now you have a face to front for the organization. Just like you should have a human face when pitching a story to a news outlet, having a character to represent your brand works. It works because now consumers have something or someone, a person or character that they can relate to. <br />
<br />
One of the primary reasons this tactic works is due to a few important elements:<br />
<blockquote><i><b>1. The characters are relatable</b> - They're funny, charming, frustrated, in love, pursuing a goal. They represent many of the human hopes, strengths and frailties that people instantly connect with.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>2. They are personable</b> - These characters don't preach, they don't yell or scream at the consumer, they simply talk. This is important. They interact with consumers. Even in ads, you often see them interacting with regular consumers. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>3. They stick around </b>- Repetition matters. Like radio and TV ads, quality is important, but quantity is vital. You can't just toss out a character a few times and hope consumers catch on. You have to use your character all the time, over a long period of time. </i></blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Being Interactive:</b></span><br />
<br />
This second part is perhaps the most important part of humanizing your brand. We've discussed this in this space before, but it's so vital to your social media success, that it bears repeating.<br />
<br />
BE INTERACTIVE!<br />
<br />
There, that wasn't so hard, was it? When you post, whether it be on LinkedIn, or Twitter or Facebook, don't just tell people about your specials, or your product or your service. Ask questions, look for feedback, get your network involved in what you're doing.<br />
<br />
An example of a brand that is using social media to successfully interact and build their brand is "TempurPedic". This is where I say I'm not being paid by any organization mentioned in this posting...so you know.<br />
<br />
TempurPedic is running ads that don't just tell the consumer how good their beds are. In fact, the ads make very few claims at all. Instead, they ask consumers to interact with their social media and online platforms. The ads ask viewers to go to their website, check them out on Twitter and Facebook and find out what OTHERS are saying about their product. <br />
<br />
This is a brilliant approach. Particularly since they actually use the phrase, "join the conversation" in the ad itself. It's not asking them to log in and receive information, it's asking them to be PART of disseminating opinion and information. It makes the consumer feel like they are an active part in building the brand.<br />
<br />
I know what you're saying right now. "But I don't have the money for a national television ad campaign." I get it. Who does? But that doesn't mean you can't have a similar message in your postings. You can encourage your network to participate in conversations. Ask questions, solicit for advice, open a forum to discuss specific things.<br />
<br />
Then there's the issue of video. One of the best things about living in 2011 is that anyone, ANYONE, can shoot video, edit it and post it as a kind of ad for your brand. You can use a character as part of these videos, you can have a call to action, you can open conversations with these "ads".<br />
<br />
In fact, if you're NOT using video on your social media platforms yet, you need to start, immediately. People like watching videos, they will share videos, all of which helps build your brand. <br />
<br />
When you do put your video together, here are a few things to remember:<br />
<blockquote><i><b>1. Keep them short</b> - Anything over 30 seconds isn't likely to be shared or watched all the way through unless the video is REALLY good.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>2. They don't have to be funny</b> - Funny is relative. What's funny to you, might be offensive to others. Simply consider your message and the best way to deliver your message. You want the feel and image of your video to reflect and build on the image you are creating for your brand. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>3. Have a call to action</b> - At the end of the video, or during the video, make sure you let the consumer know what you want them to do. If you want them to join a conversation, tell them. If you want them to do something else, tell them. Just watching a video will help raise awareness, but it doesn't necessarily get consumers to support your brand.</i></blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"><b>That Human Touch:</b></span><br />
<br />
In the end, you want your social media network to not only like your brand, to feel affection for it, you want them to help you build your brand. If your friends and fans can start relating to your brand on a human level, they will start to relate to your organization on a more personal level.<br />
<br />
Eventually, you'll find that your network will begin to actively help build and humanize your brand through conversations with their own network and mentions of your brand as they might mention other friends they have. <br />
<br />
This doesn't happen overnight, but it DOES work. Just make sure that the human face to your brand has a warm smile. I mean, we may live in a technological era, but some things never change.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-25367090265649572042011-05-03T10:41:00.000-07:002011-05-03T10:41:45.360-07:00How The World Has Changed!So, where were you Sunday night when you heard the news about the death of Bin Laden? Actually, a more pertinent question should be, HOW did you hear about the death of Bin Laden? This question matters because it reflects how technology has fundamentally changed how we receive information. Again, this isn't a newsflash like lightning from the sky. Technology has a history of changing information gathering and dissemination.<br />
<br />
It started with the printing press, moved along into radio, then television and ultimately computers. There's no denying that smartphones have been the next evolution in that process. But what happened Sunday night was surprising. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o7nIH6cqDnU/TcA-KEEFkZI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/5hUrjfcROzI/s1600/obl-dead-party-278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="323" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o7nIH6cqDnU/TcA-KEEFkZI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/5hUrjfcROzI/s400/obl-dead-party-278.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I started a tweet...that started the whole world cheering! </i></div><br />
I actually found out from a post on Facebook. A friend of mine works in a Washington D.C. newsroom and posted the news on his Facebook page just minutes before I received the breaking news alert on my iPhone. I was watching some cable TV show, blissfully unaware of the world-changing events taking place. But once I saw the FB post, I immediately switched to the networks in an effort to make sure it was real. <br />
<br />
Being the news junky I am, I switched between CBS, ABC, FOX (always interesting to see how they handle their news). I even took a moment to peek at ESPN, just to see how they might be handling the information. Remember, this was about 40 minutes before President Obama made the official announcement on television. <br />
<br />
Of course, the networks were all over the breaking story. However the most fascinating moment of the night for me emerged from Philadelphia, where the Mets and Philly's were playing a usual early-season nighttime game. Suddenly and without warning, a buzz started to rise from the crowd of 40-thousand in attendance. Within minutes, the crowd erupted into an impromptu chant of "U-S-A, U-S-A!" There had been no official announcement made over the P.A. system, or flashed across the scoreboard at that point. Just thousands of folks receiving the news on their smartphones.<br />
<br />
Instead of waiting to hear the news on network TV, instead of dealing with vague rumors until the President confirmed the facts, Americans, heck, the world, was flashing the news as quickly as millions of fingers could type and hit send.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>An Avalanche of Tweets</b></span><br />
<br />
And the numbers back this up. According to Twitter on Monday, a record 12.4 million Tweets were sent per hour following the revelation that Bin Laden had been killed. Mashable.com noted the following from Twitter:<br />
<blockquote><i>"At 11pm ET, just beore Obama's speech, users generated 5,106 tweets PER SECOND, the highest single volume of tweets during the night. At 11:45pm, just when he finished his speech, Twitter users were sending 5,008 tweets per second."</i></blockquote>Even the average from 10:45 pm to 12:30 am ET, three-thousand per second, resulted in a whopping 27,900,000 tweets in just two hours and 35 minutes. That's impressive, no doubt. But, like everything else, these numbers need to be placed in context.<br />
<br />
There's no doubt that the flood of Tweets prove, once again, that it is a powerful tool to relay information. It's easy to type in a few keystrokes, hit send and now someone else knows what you know. But what happens to that information? Certainly getting the news at light speed is valuable, however what happens after that initial blast of information remains crucial.<br />
<br />
News has been changed forever by Twitter and Facebook and other social media sites. But ask yourself what you did immediately after you heard the news. The majority of individuals, when possible, did what I did; turn to a news network to get more information. <br />
<br />
Twitter hasn't destroyed news. In a way it's enhanced it. It has opened the lines of communications between newsroom and the average Joe. It increased the speed in which we get news headlines. What it hasn't done is replaced news itself. In the end, all Twitter can do is provide headlines. While those may catch the eye and raise interest, we still need those headlines, those bits of information to be filled out with details and context.<br />
<br />
I didn't sit around waiting for more Tweets to tell me what had happened. I went to my BBC app on my iPhone right away for any details. I then checked out my AP app., all while switching around the networks to get more information. Twitter can only raise the flag, it can't tell the whole story.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>So what does this all mean?</b></span><br />
<br />
From a news standpoint, it's a bit comforting. When news breaks, it alerts folks to tune into their local tv stations or check out the networks, or news websites for more details. And as long as the headlines continue to be newsworthy, people will continue to tune in. <br />
<br />
Ultimately, though, it means that despite the power and the reach of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, they're only good up to a point. At some point you have to provide them with the meat of the story. FB and Twitter can tease and inform, but they can't tell the whole story. <br />
<br />
As a small business or non-profit, you should pay attention to this point. It really comes down to the old problem with advertising. If you advertise one thing, and the product or service is completely different, eventually consumers will get wise. The same thing goes for quality. You may do a great job getting people to try out your latest dish, but if it's not good, you can be sure they won't be coming back. Worse yet, they'll tell everyone they know how awful it was.<br />
<br />
If you're using Twitter to get information out about your latest special or deal or interesting tidbit, you have to follow up on that tweet with real quality. If you tweet about a blog, that blog had better be worth reading, otherwise, it will eventually be ignored and your readership will decline. <br />
<br />
What we did after we saw the initial tweets about Bin Laden's death is typical of what folks do when they see an interesting tweet about any topic. The first thing they do is to check it out. People are cynical, they are cautious, particularly when it comes to their pocketbook. Your tweet may get them to check out your website, business, non-profit, blog, YouTube site, etc., but if you don't have the quality to back up your Twitter headline, you'll lose those followers and Twitter will become useless to you.<br />
<br />
Don't think of Twitter as a singular marketing tool. Think of it more like one part of a bigger machine. Before you can even begin to use Twitter effectively, you HAVE to spend time creating your product or service. You have to make sure your blog is interesting. You have to make sure that the final destination is worth the trip. <br />
<br />
Because remember this. Twitter can be used by larger entities to get the message out. But it's at its most powerful when in the hands of the individual user. You may get your tweet out to thousand of people, but that is only the beginning. Once those people have tested your product, they'll have the last word. If they liked it, they'll tweet their friends and let them know. They may even retweet your future tweets. <br />
<br />
If they didn't like what you're selling? Then you could be in trouble. Because just as they'll tell friends if they like you, they'll tell EVERYONE who will listen if they don't like you. That aspect hasn't changed, despite the influx of technology. In fact, it's just enhanced that typically human behavior. <br />
<br />
In the end, if you can't produce what your Twitter headline promises you could end up in the worst place of all, and that's simply being ignored. If people are complaining, they're at least talking about you and you have a chance to answer the critics. If you are ignored, your organization becomes persona-non-grata. And on Twitter, there's nothing worse.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-3258823768638327562011-04-05T13:56:00.000-07:002011-04-05T13:56:07.491-07:00The New MediaRelationships...<br />
<br />
It's a simple word. It's a simple concept. Relationships matter in business, they matter in your personal life, they matter in your public relations and social media efforts as well. An interesting turn of events reminded me of just HOW important relationships are when it comes to getting your message across to the audience you're targeting.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bcAXrEkpMYw/TZuBzU7STHI/AAAAAAAAAZE/XrmKlsGin7g/s1600/Media-Relations-4-Reasons-to-Build-Media-Relationships.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bcAXrEkpMYw/TZuBzU7STHI/AAAAAAAAAZE/XrmKlsGin7g/s400/Media-Relations-4-Reasons-to-Build-Media-Relationships.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
As part of my responsibilities handling public relations for my clients, I work hard to build relationship between my clients and local newsrooms. My clients are small business and non-profits. They rarely have met a reporter, almost never have been in a newsroom, let alone built a working relationship with a journalist. Part of my job is to get them in front of reporters, producers and editors that can, ultimately, help them tell their stories.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, building relationship with the media is harder today than it has ever been before. There are a number of reasons for this, but regardless of the hurdles facing small businesses and non-profits, it IS possible, you just have to be diligent, creative and smart.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Things Have Changed:</b></span><br />
<br />
One of the biggest reasons why building media relationships is so much harder today is due to the economics of news. 20 years ago, when I started working in news, payrolls were tight. Expense accounts were smaller, less time was being devoted to investigative and in-depth stories that took longer and cost more to produce. <br />
<br />
At the time, there was angst among journalists that the nature of news and reporting was changing, and not for the better. It's not like news was a treasure trove of riches at any point in history. But it seemed as if the money was disappearing at a historic rate. Despite the warning signs, reporters still took time to chat with potential experts, spend time with individuals that might make good stories at some point, linger just a bit longer while covering stories. They did this because they had a bit more time, but more importantly, it was part of their job.<br />
<br />
Digging for stories was vital to their success. And digging took time. They understood that great stories don't always just walk in through the front door. They had to go find them. That meant building relationships of all kinds. <br />
<br />
Fast forward 20 years and the scorched landscape of news looks like the aftermath of some kind of financial armageddon. Staffs have been slashed to truly the bare bones. Time constraints are tighter than ever before. Journalists simply don't have the time to go digging for stories and build relationsips, they're merely trying to survive.<br />
<br />
Some of this is due to the competition from new information outlets and the explosion of social media. But most of the problem is that journalists are doing jobs that, even just a few years ago, they weren't being asked to do. <br />
<br />
For instance, in Denver, a top feeder market in the U.S., is now asking many of their reporters to shoot their own stories. Reporters and producers are being asked in some cases to edit their stories as well. Nearly every discussion I've had with fellow journalists has centered around the increased workload and spike in stress.<br />
<br />
One photographer lamented to me, "They even asked us to report on stories at one point..." he said laughing. "We're photogs, not reporters, that's how bad it's getting." <br />
<br />
What this means is that, whereas in the past small business owners, pillars of their communities, the ones who live, work and play in the local neighborhoods, simply don't have the access to journalists they used to in the past. This lack of access ultimately makes it difficult for small businesses and non-profits to grow the kind of relationship that can help them in their PR efforts.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tight Security:</b></span><br />
<br />
There was a time when PR pro's were able to walk into newsrooms, shake some hands, drop off a case of beer or a couple of pizzas and leave behind some press releases or clever media kits. Reporters would stop by, say hello, munch on some food and get a chance to meet the client as well as the PR person. <br />
<br />
Today, with budgets tight and competition fiercer than ever before, not to mention the rising violence rate against journalists, strangers in newsrooms raise flags and set off alarms. This was brought home to me this past week as I took a client around to all the local newsrooms to promote a new campaign. My group included me, two lovely ladies from HOOTERS and my client. We came armed with envelopes containing press releases and other campaign/client info., as well as boxes of Buffalo wings.<br />
<br />
In years past, this alone would have granted me access to just about every newsroom in the city. Last week, I was able to walk into only two of them. Fortunately, the two newsrooms I was able to enter happen to be the two most popular news outlets in town. But the point still hit home. <br />
<br />
New rules and procedures kept me and my group from getting into newsrooms I ordinarily would have simply walked into. When the two HOOTERS gals asked me why the security was so tight around these newsrooms, the answer sounded lame. Sadly it's true. The reason for the increased security is the result of competition and fear.<br />
<br />
Competition with an increasingly growing number of information outlets, all battling for a smaller piece of the audience pie, is one main aspect. Each newsroom likes to think it has secrets that, if found out by their competitors, could destroy them. The working journalists know this isn't true, but the fear of spies remains high in most newsrooms, especially on the local level.<br />
<br />
Of course, the rising violence against journalists is legitimate fear, and one that I understand, having lived through a newsroom shooting while working at a local TV station ten years ago. Limiting access to complete strangers makes sense. Limiting access to experienced and qualified professionals, doesn't.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Get Lucky:</b></span><br />
<br />
Fortunately, I got lucky and was able to call in a favor at one station. This individual managed to wrangle a representative to come down and spend some time with me and my group. We had a wonderful conversation, arranged a future meeting and left the station feeling as if we'd accomplished something. In one newsroom, they didn't allow us to leave our food. At a third station, we lucked out and I managed to run into an old colleague who just happened to be one of the individuals I'll be pitching the campaign to. She was busy, so I didn't take much of her time. It was enough that I ran into her, said hi, left her the release and the wings and let her do her job. <br />
<br />
The point is, if a seasoned PR pro with longstanding newsroom relationships who also happens to be a former journalist has problems getting into newsrooms, what chance does a small business person or non-profit director have with no connections at all? The answer, not much.<br />
<br />
But that doesn't mean you shouldn't continue to try to develop those relationships. Here are a few tips on gaining access to newsrooms even in this era of closed doors, tight security and overworked journalists who just don't have the time they once did to meet with the public and build relationships.<br />
<blockquote><b>1. Target specific journalists to begin a dialogue with:</b> <i>This could be a reporter or a producer or an editor. It doesn't matter. What you want and what you need is someone who will carry your flag (story) into the news meetings and fight for you. Obviously they won't be able to do this all the time, but if you give them a good story, they'll fight for it to receive coverage. </i><br />
<br />
<b>2. Start your dialogue with an email, a press release, a hello, almost anything will do: <i> </i></b><i>In many cases, you'll start with a press release. But you can also simply send a small electronic media packet with a short note that introduces your organization to them. Let them know who you are, what you do and that you'd like to hopefully work with them in the future on a quality story.</i><br />
<br />
<b>3. Be respectful:</b> <i> If they know that you understand their business, their time constraints and their deadlines, they will be much more likely to respond to you. Don't pressure them too much, particularly in the beginning. You don't have to call them, or send a ton of emails. Start with your introductory email and follow up when you think you have a good story to pitch. The better the story, the more they'll take notice of you. Even if they don't pick your story up, they'll at least know that you understand how to pitch and what to pitch. Remember, news decisions are made by committee in many instances. They may have fought for your story but it was turned down. Keep your lines of communication open. Keep pitching them good stories and eventually, you'll hit one.</i><br />
<br />
<b>4. Invite them over for drinks:</b> <i>Okay, this isn't as creepy as it sounds. At some point, like many businesses, you'll want to consider a special "media night" where you offer specials and deals specifically for members of the media. You can throw a party and invite members of the media to take a look at your new location, or new product or sample your food and drinks. You DON'T want to say something like, "I would love to meet you some time, let me buy you dinner sometime." That sounds a bit stalker-ish, and your emails will most likely end up directly in the junk pile. Wait a bit, and then invite them to a night when all the media is invited to attend. And remember this; if and when you Do manage to entice members of the media to a party or special event, don't hound them with pitches or just talk shop. Just talk with them like ordinary people, because that's what they are. Share a drink, tell some stories, get to know them and let them get to know you. They'll appreciate not having to talk work. Let them relax and enjoy themselves. Oh, and if you REALLY want to get the media to your event, offer an open bar. Seriously, an open bar works.</i><br />
<br />
<b>5. Take advantage of the coverage:</b> <i>If after all your pitching you finally get a story covered, you'll at least end up with a photographer on your doorstep to take photos or shoot video. The reporter may or may not be in attendance. However, if you're lucky, the reporter will show up as well, or at the very least, spend time interviewing you on the phone. If it's a phone interview, don't wander in the conversation. Answer the questions, thank them for their time, and at the end, simply say something like, "I really look forward to meeting you sometime, thank you for the story." If they show up in person, you have a much better chance to chat while the photographer sets up. Be casual, just talk to them, compliment them on a recent story they covered. Flattery, like bribery, works. You don't have to roll out the red carpet for them. Just be nice and be respectful. Don't fawn all over them, and treat them like you would want to be treated. They have a job, let them do it. But if you see an opening to chat with them about life in general, take it.</i></blockquote>Because newsrooms are trying to do more with less, you have to know that stories that would have been covered just a few years ago, simply aren't getting covered today. They don't have the resources they once had. Because of this, even really good story pitches aren't making it into rundowns. Don't get discouraged. It takes time to build these relationships, but if you persevere, you WILL be able to make a connection. You probably will never be best friends with these folks, and that's okay, you don't need to be. You DO need to have a professional relationship with them. One where they know who you are, trust you enough to listen to your pitches and respects you enough to fight for your story if they like it. <br />
<br />
It's not always easy, and it won't happen overnight. But if you work at it, you CAN make a connection. And once you do, don't abuse that relationship. Ultimately, you need these individuals and these newsrooms to help you get your message out to the public at large. Now, go out and buy a case of beer, a box of wings and a cute greeting card with an insert that says, "My name is _____, will you be my friend?"<br />
<br />
Okay, forget the card, but the beer and wings are still a good idea. Journalists may be overworked, underpaid and stressed to the hilt, but they'll always appreciate a quality tribute. And that, my friends, could be the start of a beautiful friendship.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-69414711688448674142011-03-08T23:45:00.000-08:002011-03-08T23:45:59.553-08:00Solving the Charlie Sheen RiddleIn case you haven't noticed, there's been a bit of a buzz the past week or so about an actor with a rich acting family tradition and a list of movie and television hits to his own credit. You might have heard of him. His name is Charlie Sheen and he's apparently composed of tiger blood and adonis DNA.<br />
<br />
Now, if you're like most people, you're probably a bit fed up with the all-Sheen-all-the-time coverage on what seems to be every television station across the cable dial. He's been interviewed, quoted, mocked, been the butt of late night talk show jokes and he's been burning up Facebook and Twitter like a mid-summer wildfire on drought-ridden Colorado mountain. In other words, it feels a bit out of control. You want to avoid it. You try to ignore it. But it's everywhere...you just can't.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FYm5c8adScw/TXcv-c2NGfI/AAAAAAAAAZA/XoLqOeBY-cE/s1600/charlie%252Bsheen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FYm5c8adScw/TXcv-c2NGfI/AAAAAAAAAZA/XoLqOeBY-cE/s400/charlie%252Bsheen.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Chicks, money, drugs...Duh...WINNING!</i></div><br />
We all know some folks who've actually tried to stay above the fray. And yet, one-by-one they fall. Just today, I ran across two Facebook posts from friends who finally gave in and posted something about the Sheen-ster. <br />
<br />
The problem is, it's just so invasive. No matter what you do, you simply can't get away from the hurricane that has become Charlie Sheen coverage. It's part of the national consciousness by now and it's not only THE conversation that people are having, it's become a cultural, nearly iconic monster.<br />
<br />
Yes, it's insane, it's confusing, it's infuriating. But from a PR standpoint, there is a lesson to be learned from all of this, and it's NOT the old standby that any PR is good PR.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Asking the "What-Ifs"</b></span><br />
<br />
From a PR standpoint, it's hard to imagine something like this happening without a plan or at the very least some kind of handler in the background working tirelessly to manage damage control. And yet, at every turn, Sheen has popped up on talk shows of all stripes. And more remarkably, he's been just as crazy, if not moreso in each follow up interview. Now, as anyone knows, actors, especially big-time actors, have agents, handlers, PR experts and image consultants that are constantly working behind the scenes to manage every public appearance, monitor every word and dictate the message. Actors associated with major production outlets have an extra layer of handlers doing pretty much the same thing, only on behalf of the production company. This is TWO layers of handlers for an actor to fight through to let his or her own personality shine, or explode, whichever it may be. <br />
<br />
So when an actor does go off the reservation and gets wild or does ANYTHING to tarnish their image and reputation, or that of their production bosses, there's often an army of handlers scrambling behind the scenes to put a cork on the problem, spin away the issues and begin to fix anything that may have been broken.<br />
<br />
Yet, surprisingly, this hasn't happened in Sheen's case. Not only have the handlers apparently sat by idly while Sheen ran rampant all over the public airwaves, it seems as if they've encouraged his behavior by booking him on every show known to man with either little or no coaching whatsoever.<br />
<br />
I don't know about you, but this seems a bit odd. More than odd, it's almost criminally negligent. IF Sheen is doing this all on his own, and his handlers are sitting back doing nothing, they should be fired, then sued, then thrown in jail for stealing money from Sheen. <br />
<br />
However, if this is, instead, some kind of a larger plan, then it would seem that they have done their job. Not because they unleashed a wild and crazy actor onto an unsuspecting public, but because, if this was all planned, it was, in a word, brilliant. Brilliant because the whole thing began so spontaneously. It didn't feel concocted or contrived. One minute Sheen was dealing with some very serious personal legal issues, and the next moment, he is the cover boy for "Insane Weekly."<br />
<br />
As a former journalist, Sheen's actions look like the very real ravings of a man on the edge. From a PR perspective, this entire situation feels like part of something much bigger. The inaction of his PR team sends up red flags to me. No one, and I mean NO ONE, would allow their client to perform like this under the glare of the media and public spotlight without either having given up completely or having a plan in place. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Why Does It Matter?</b></span><br />
<br />
One of the biggest questions I've heard over the past couple of weeks is from clients and friends alike who simply want to know why. Why has the Charlie Sheen spectacle taken over our broadcasts? Why has it invaded our social consciousness? Why is it suddenly our cultural touchstone? Most importantly; why is the media continuing to make this an even bigger media circus than it already was?<br />
<br />
The answers are pretty simple actually. Let's take a look back at the elements of what makes a good news story. You have proximity, impact, timeliness, relevance and WOW factor. Breaking down these elements into this particular story, it's easy to see that timeliness and WOW factor are the driving forces behind this continuing story.<br />
<br />
Sure, it has little to no impact on our daily lives, for most of us, there is little relevance. Although some news organizations are using this epic implosion to focus on mental illness, drug abuse and domestic violence, which is noble. And while we all might feel like we know Sheen at least a little because we have seen so many of his movies and TV shows, there's really no proximity. <br />
<br />
That leaves us with timeliness, which is and easy one, since this story grows bigger with each passing interview. He goes on the Howard Stern show on a Thursday, and by Thursday afternoon, he's headline news again and the social media platforms are burning up with his quotes. <br />
<br />
But it's the WOW factor that is the real meat of this story. It's part voyeurism, part fireworks show. Many following the story do so because they enjoy watching someone rich and famous crumble right before our eyes. Others follow because they are simply amazed or dumbfounded by his actions. Even others follow the story because it's fascinating to see a person who seemingly had it all, throw it all away. Americans like to root for the underdog, we also like winners (WINNING!) and then, at some point, we eat our own. We eventually like to see our hero's fail because there's something satisfying in watching someone richer, or more famous, talented, good-looking, etc, fail. It makes us feel better about ourselves on some level. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Story Matters Here: </b></span><br />
<br />
This is something newsrooms know all too well. Journalists know that the American public likes to see people fall from high places. It's even better when they do it to themselves and even better than that if they do it in such a way that leaves a flaming heap of personal debris along the way. It's why the Michael Jackson stories were so big. It's why newsrooms followed the Brittney Spears story so closely. <br />
<br />
Sure, entertainment may be seen as a diversion to those who prefer to keep an eye on events in Libya, Iraq and Russia. But those problems always seem so far away and removed to an American public that prefers to watch American Idol to the BBC. The Charlie Sheen story may not have the impact or oomph that the chaos in the Middle East may have, but it is certainly more entertaining and it has all the elements of a tragic story that appeals so much to the average person.<br />
<br />
And it's those story elements that would make even Shakespeare proud. You have it all. Character, plot twists, intrigue, tragedy, comedy, love, hate, a moral. In Sheen you have a talented, but deeply flawed individual who is adored by many, is well known, who seems to have everything. <br />
<br />
And, like any good Shakespearean play, the main character tragically tumbles from his ivory tower through a series of poor choices and myopia. You see, journalists know a good story when they see one, and this one is as good as it gets. There's a reason why Shakespeare was so popular, why romance novels routinely outsell NY Times Bestseller books and why "reality" TV watched more than PBS. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>So, What Can I Learn?</b></span><br />
<br />
Like every other exercise here at RPR, the purpose is to take real-life events and glean valuable knowledge whenever possible. So in this case, you might be wondering, "What can I learn from the Sheen overload that can help my small business or non-profit?" <br />
<br />
First, we hope you learned what NOT to do in an effort to get noticed. You should NOT make outrageous statements that hint at massive drug abuse, misogyny and a blatant disregard for the law on your behalf. While it certainly may get attention, the fact is, you're not Charlie Sheen and it likely won't help your business grow and prosper. <br />
<br />
However, there ARE some elements of the "Sheen Incident" that you CAN use for your future social media efforts. First and foremost, you should recognize the elements of WHY the Sheen story has captured our imagination. As mentioned above, you have two things happening here.<br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>1. Some of the elements of news, including WOW factor</i><br />
<i>2. All the elements of a great story</i><br />
<br />
Now realize this; you don't have to publicly implode in order to get attention. However, in order to catch the eye of folks on Social Media and in the press, you DO need a good story and you have to have some elements of news. <br />
<br />
Obviously, most of us don't have the name-recognition that a Charlie Sheen does. But we DO all have great stories to tell. You can tell a story with character, with plot twists and movement, with a moral with intrigue. Your story can be funny or it can be a tragedy, but you HAVE to have a story to tell. <br />
<br />
With Sheen, we already all knew the backstory. So we basically started in the middle, with his career blowup. All great stories have a backstory. But that backstory should be able to be told in a few, short sentences so that the audience can get right to the meat of the matter. <br />
<br />
For instance, if you're telling the story of a war veteran who has lost his house, you can tell his backstory in a quick two-sentence summary. Man serves his country, loves his wife and children, follows the rules, and then, after returning home from service in a war zone, finds himself in financial trouble and at odds with his bank. You have a main character, a bad guy which sets up conflict, you start in the middle with his return home and his struggles to keep his home and provide for his family. It tugs at the heartstrings, it's a tragedy and audiences everywhere can relate to the the issues.<br />
<br />
This is why it's so important to really put some thought into your story. You have a good story, you have a great shot at grabbing the attention of readers, friends, followers and the media. <br />
<br />
The other element at work here is the WOW factor. This is often very hard for small businesses and non-profits to generate. You just don't have the cache that movie stars, sports stars and politicians have. There's nothing wrong with that, but still the question persists...how can you use the WOW factor to enhance the profile of your business or non-profit?<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Use Your Power Wisely:</b></span><br />
<br />
Ultimately, WOW factor can either be celebrity focused, OR it can involve something so unique or eye-catching that people simply have to see it. Online, this is what normally passes for viral videos. A piano playing cat, a merengue-dancing dog, a waterskiing squirrel, these videos get viewed millions of times on YouTube because they're funny, unique and incredible. But it doesn't always have to be dogs. People can get in on the act as well.<br />
<br />
In Denver 30 years ago, a man gained attention and fame by doing a series of stunts for charity. He sat in every seat in Mile High Stadium. He swam a lake 100 times, he used a pogo-stick to cross the state of Colorado. All of these stunts grabbed the attention of the press and ultimately the public. <br />
<br />
Think about how others grab attention. They sit on a billboard for weeks at a time. They stage protests, they organize things like massive bike rides through the center of town, disrupting traffic. All of these things are headline grabbers. Not all of them, however, will work to enhance the image of your organization.<br />
<br />
Clearly, the WOW factor is great at getting attention. But it's also risky. If you do it in such a way that goes against your image or grabs attention in a negative way, then you risk damaging your organization. You may, in the short term, gain notariety for your organization, but in the long run, bad publicity will cost you customers. <br />
<br />
What you want to do is grab attention by doing something big, something positive, something that fits into the image and values of your organization. If you can do this, you CAN raise your profile and give yourself a pulpit from which to spread your message.<br />
<br />
One example of this is a man who I used to cover when working in radio. Ever year, starting right after Thanksgiving, this man would begin pitching his story to newsrooms across Denver. He would drive his semi-truck around town, and then, dressed like a superhero Santa, complete with a mask so nobody knew who he was, would stand on top of his semi, encouraging people to bring him presents which he would later give to children. This became an annual tradition and after a few years, the masked Santa was a local hit. <br />
<br />
While this story did have proximity and impact as well as timeliness, it was the WOW factor of being a "mysterious Santa" that garnered him much more coverage than the multitude of other toy drives taking place in the city at the same time.<br />
<br />
In the end, as we watch "The Man They Call Charlie" continue his plummet into celebrity hell, we can look at it and understand why it's such a big story. But more importantly, we can watch it and learn from his actions, his mistakes and the hidden strokes of genius. You can learn what not to do, and take from this story the elements of story, news and character that you can use to make your efforts a success. <br />
<br />
And if that doesn't work, you can always go out and get yourself some tiger blood, fists of fire and adonis DNA. Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-37550747006285429082011-02-17T19:44:00.000-08:002011-02-17T19:44:50.595-08:00Join The ClubHuman beings are interesting creatures. Of course, like snowflakes, none of us is like anyone else. We're all unique. But as different as we all may be, there are still some similarities that binds us all together as a species. For instance, everyone eats, everyone poops (someone wrote a book about that), everyone sleeps and loves and laughs and cries. These are things that we can all relate to because we all do these things. But sometimes what binds us together is a group, race, religion, culture, gender. We may all be unique, but at the same time, we're all looking to belong...to something.<br />
<br />
The need to belong to a group, something larger than ourselves, is very real for most of us. People like to be around others that have similar interests, backgrounds, likes and dislikes. It's this desire to be with others that have common interests that can have a major impact on your social media efforts.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jj3vXpIUtac/TV3rCwKCL3I/AAAAAAAAAY4/TJEnAtBTFYI/s1600/UncleSam_2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jj3vXpIUtac/TV3rCwKCL3I/AAAAAAAAAY4/TJEnAtBTFYI/s400/UncleSam_2.gif" width="355" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I want you to help me grow my business! </i></div><br />
Think about it. Regardless of whether you're a small business or a non-profit, you most likely already have a base of customers you deal with regularly. They are, in essence, part of your club, your gang, your posse, if you want to be a bit more "hip". <br />
<br />
Some businesses have actually raised this mindset to a virtual art form. We've all heard the term, "Membership has its privileges." American Express has created a kind of exclusive club that many of us wish to belong to, but not all of us can. AMEX has made it clear that we want to be part of their club, because members enjoy certain perks that the rest of us don't. <br />
<br />
Like a good nightclub that has a line stretching out the door, being exclusive can go a long way towards creating buzz and grabbing attention. We all want to know what the big deal is. What are the perks? Why does everyone want to go into THAT particular club? Eventually those questions turn into statements like, "I want to be a member, " or "I just HAVE to get into that club." <br />
<br />
You can use this same kind of marketing strategy to push your social media efforts and create buzz about your organization. And you don't even have to be exclusive to be successful at it.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Popular Kids:</b></span><br />
<br />
Remember High School? There were all kinds of cliques, ranging from nerds, to goths to jocks to the popular kids. Some folks were able to mix easily with members of most cliques. Some simply stayed put in their comfort zone. But regardless of who you were or what clique you belonged to, you always wanted to hang out with some of the "popular kids". Being seen with them instantly raised your credibility and stature among the rest of the kids dancing around the proverbial campfire.<br />
<br />
The world of marketing and PR isn't much different. It's why so many organizations latch onto certain celebrities to promote their cause or business. At least that's how it used to be under the old school system. Sure, businesses still rely on celebrity endorsements for the bulk of their advertising. But in the world of social media, celebrities have very little impact.<br />
<br />
What DOES have an impact is finding the social media personalities that already have established themselves and have major followings. In most cases, these Facebook, Twitter and Blog pages have grown because the content is interesting, informative and fun. In the world of "New Media," these are the new "popular kids" on the block, and you want to be associated with them in some way.<br />
<br />
In a lot of ways, it's easy to hitch your wagon to these individuals. You can simply follow them, or friend them if you're talking about Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. If it's a blog, subscribe to the blog and then participate in discussions. Become a regular reader and responder. It's a bit like trying to pick up on the waitress at the bar. You don't just go in and ask her out, you have to get to know her, she has to trust you, you have to make a connection before you can do anything with her.<br />
<br />
Blogs are kind of like that. We've discussed this before in this space. It takes a little time, but getting to know the author of a popular blog can do wonders for your hit rate.<br />
<br />
By connecting with these "popular" profiles, you wedge your way into their club. You now have an opportunity to reach many more individuals with your message and posts. Be clear, though, about the audience for the particular profiles you friend or follow. Make sure that you're reaching a group of people that are either interested in your product, service or cause, or MIGHT be interested. While it's always a good idea to go after groups of people that fall outside of your traditional audience, you still have to make sure that your posts will have an impact, otherwise, you'll still be shouting into the wilderness, despite how many friends or followers your new contact may have.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Let's Start A Club:</b></span><br />
<br />
Up to now, we've discussed how to join existing groups or "clubs" on social media platforms. But you can have just as much of an impact, maybe even more, by starting your own club or group. There are a few ways to do this. You can actually start a group or club page on Facebook, start a blog for that group or club, set up a Twitter account for said club or group. This is the most obvious way to establish your group or club, but certainly not the only way, or even the most effective.<br />
<br />
When I was in college in Boulder, I used to go to Old Chicago, on Pearl Street quite often. I also went to a bar called Potters every Saturday night. With all the bars in Boulder, why did I choose those places over all the rest? Quite simply, I liked the atmosphere, the clientele and more importantly, I was part of their beer drinking club. As a card-carrying member, I received discounts on beers at those locations. The more I went, the more I saves, plus I racked up points that rewarded me with perks like mugs, t-shirts, etc. Like the saying goes, membership has its privileges. <br />
<br />
You could begin a similar kind of program for your customers or donors. This isn't a new marketing technique. Discount books or cards have been part of the marketing world for decades. And as they say, if it isn't broke, don't fix it. <br />
<br />
There's another way to create a club atmosphere around your organization that can be even more successful than either of the above methods; Build a nation.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Nation Building:</b></span><br />
<br />
We've all heard of the Steeler Nation, the Packer Nation, Arnie's Army. While these are sports-oriented groups, the simply fact is that everyone who belongs to these groups are fans. And fans matter. I'm working with a client now that is trying to increase traffic to their veterinary clinic. One of the ways they're trying to do this is to increase the number of spays and neuters they do every week. As part of the campaign, we have created, "NOOTER NATION." The spelling is a take off of HOOTERS, which is a partner in the effort. Everyone who gets their pet spayed or neutered becomes part of "NOOTER NATION" and receives discounts on food and drinks at HOOTERS. <br />
<br />
Another client is considering starting "Amy's Army" to recruit volunteers to help trap and release feral cats in Denver. By starting these various nations and army's, these organizations are calling for individuals who want to be part of something they believe in. They can rally around a cause and feel part of a group with a name and a hierarchy and a vision. Plus, once you create your nation or army or club or group, you can begin to market it as a way to help market your product, service or cause. <br />
<br />
People want to feel like they belong to a group or an organization that holds their same beliefs, has their same values. If you own a restaurant, start the "Hoagie Hangout" or "Carnivore Club". You own a theater, how about the "Actor's Circle," where regular attendees receive discounts on shows or refreshments. The purpose of beginning a club based on your business is towfold. First, you reward customers who use your service or buy your product. The other purpose is to draw in others who may otherwise not have been interested or even aware of your organization.<br />
<br />
In the end, you want people to take advantage of your service or product or donate to your cause. By establishing a club or group, you give your potential customers something to latch onto, and a club, group or nation is just that something.<br />
<br />
So get out there and start a club. Ask folks to join and make it worth their while. You'll find that, like the saying goes, "If you build it, they will come." And that's a good thing.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-5591603647519460012011-01-24T23:53:00.000-08:002011-01-24T23:53:00.636-08:00We're Only Human!Sometimes, as has been pointed out in this space numerous times, lessons can be learned from watching other people's mistakes. And let me be very clear on this, we ALL make mistakes. Journalists are just as human as you are and, as you have probably noticed from time to time, they make mistakes.<br />
<br />
This isn't a posting about how to overcome mistakes in your PR or social media efforts. You're going to make them. In most cases, these mistakes are going to be minor in nature and you'll be able to overcome them with thought and diligence.<br />
<br />
No, this is more like, storytime with Real Public Relations. By the end, you'll hopefully have a bit of insight into the way newsrooms work, about how personalities can get in the way of doing good work, and how that can all have an impact on your pitches and PR efforts.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>A couple of examples:</b></u></span><br />
<br />
Ever make a mistake in your job? Of course you have. Usually when you do, the only one that notices is your boss, maybe your co-workers. What you DON'T have is the general public breathing down your neck, pointing, laughing, cursing. When a journalist goofs, that's exactly what happens. Plus, mistakes don't do much for the reputation, which is basically all that journalists have to rely on. But it happens, a lot. Take this story for instance:<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>WESH News Van Gets Jammed Under Orlando Overpass:</i></b></span><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-5486" src="http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/files/2011/01/WKMG_WESHvan.png" title="WKMG, WESH van" /> </i><br />
<i>A <a href="http://www.wesh.com/index.html" target="_blank">WESH</a> news van got stuck under an Orlando overpass on Wednesday after the vehicle’s mast had been accidentally raised.</i><br />
<i>Reporter <b><a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/Greg-Fox-profile.html">Greg Fox</a></b> was riding in the van along with photographer <b><a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/Frank-Burt-profile.html">Frank Burt</a></b> when the raised mast struck the underside of a highway overpass, tipping the vehicle onto two wheels.</i><br />
<i>A fire rescue crew was called to the scene, <a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/os-wesh-van-tips-wymore-overpass-20110119,0,3183720.story" target="_blank">according to the Orlando Sentinel</a>, and rescue workers steadied the van using jacks so that Fox and Burt could exit safely.</i><br />
<i>Orlando CBS-affiliate WKMG <a href="http://www.clickorlando.com/news/26546995/detail.html" target="_blank">reported</a> on its rivals’ misfortune during the station’s 7 p.m. newscast.</i><br />
<i>The WESH crew told officials that the van had successfully passed under another overpass before the accident, leading them to believe that the mast’s deployment was a technical malfunction.</i></blockquote>Here's another one: Have you ever worked in an office with someone you don't get along with? Have you had to deal with that person under extremely tight deadlines, forced teamwork and unrealistic expectation all in an environment of pressure-cooker proportions? No? Well, journalists often have to deal with these types of situations. And this can be the result:<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Newsroom Brawl Lands WCCB Anchor Brien Blakely in Hospital </i></b></span><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-5476" src="http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/files/2011/01/BrienBlakely_grimace.jpg" title="Brien Blakely, grimace" /> </i><br />
<i>Anchor <b><a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/Brien-Blakely-profile.html">Brien Blakely</a></b> spent Tuesday evening at a Charlotte emergency room instead of the <a href="http://www.foxcharlotte.com/" target="_blank">WCCB</a> anchor desk after getting into a violent altercation with a news producer.</i><br />
<i>Moments before WCCB’s 10 p.m. newscast, Blakely got into an argument with a producer that escalated into a physical brawl. During the fight, Blakely, who joined the Charlotte Fox-affiliate in 2005, was sent flying over a desk. His nose was badly cut during the fall and he was rushed to an area hospital for treatment.</i><br />
<i>Police were called to the scene but no charges were filed.</i><br />
<i>“I was protecting the honor and integrity of our station,” Blakely <a href="http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/01/19/1994084/co-workers-come-to-blows-at-fox.html" target="_blank">told</a> the </i><i>Charlotte Observer about the fight.</i><br />
<i>The news producer walked out of the station after the altercation as Blakely went to the hospital. Both men were not at work on Wednesday.</i><br />
<i>WCCB has had its fair share of turmoil recently. In December, news director <b><a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/Ken-White-profile.html">Ken White</a></b><a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/wccb-news-director-ken-white-busted-for-stealing-groceries_b4467" target="_blank">was arrested</a> for walking off with a bag of groceries at an area supermarket.</i> <br />
<i>While the station is not commenting on the fight, Blakely says that the incident is behind him.</i><br />
<i>“These things happen,” he told the </i><i>Observer. “It’s over. We’re buddies again.”</i></blockquote>Take a look at that last sentence. "It's over. We're buddies again." Sounds ludicrous, right? That two grown men got into a fight in a newsroom in the first place, but then, after one of them ends up in the hospital, that they could be "buddies". But it's true, it happens. I know from personal experience.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Rumble In The Rockies:</b></u></span><br />
<br />
There happens to be a newsroom culture that is kind of hard to explain. But put simply, it's a high-stress, fast-paced environment full of strong personalities. Things get tense, tempers flare, people clash, there are arguments. Sometimes these arguments get very, ahem, heated. But here's what you have to understand. It's not personal. Unlike politics and religion, the newsroom wars are typically short, intense explosions that burn out quickly. Afterwards, you shake hands and you go out for beers together.<br />
<br />
I've had several clashes with co-workers while working in news. For instance:<br />
<br />
When I was in radio, we used to have an area called, "The Pit" where all the producers and talk show hosts used to be located. We'd discuss news of the day, as we all tried to put our shows together. The arguments used to get so heated and loud that management issued several memorandums telling us, in essence, to keep quiet.<br />
<br />
One morning, my host, Peter Boyles, and I got into a short but heated argument about which topic we were going to start the show off with. We disagreed vehemently and at 4am tempers flared. He told me to "F" off, I flipped him the bird, words were exchanged, he threw a piece of his bagel at me. Fortunately, we were separated by several inches of soundproof glass as I was in the booth and he was in the studio.<br />
<br />
Fast forward several years and I had just moved from one TV station to another. I was producing the morning news and our show had been experiencing some serious technical difficulties. As a producer who had spent hours crafting the rundown, writing copy, organizing guests, there's nothing more frustrating than technical issues. From the booth I continued to press the technical and editing staff to get them on the ball. Of course, they didn't take that well. Immediately after the show, I made a beeline to the technical room downstairs and sought out the senior editor on shift that morning.<br />
<br />
He defended his crew, I defended mine. Again, words were exchanged, and an offer to "take it outside" was made. We nearly went, too. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed. We were ushered down to the News Director's office and reprimanded severely. The fact is, by the time we reached the ND's office, we were fine. We realized how stupid we had acted and it was completely forgotten. There truly were no hard feelings. To this day, that man is one of my favorite individuals that I worked with at that station.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Sh** Happens:</b></u></span><br />
<br />
Sometimes, however, mistakes simply happen. You'd be surprised how often the issue of a non-retracted tower plagues a newsroom, whether it be radio or TV. Fortunately, the stations I worked at had the good sense to keep me from driving around any sensitive or expensive equipment. I was relegated to holding a microphone or staying back at the station to report and write. But I've witnessed some real doozies.<br />
<br />
One Halloween night our station had decided it would be a great idea to broadcast live from the Denver Press Club, one of the most haunted places (reportedly) in Denver. The shows were great radio. Seances, wonderful interviews, compelling storytelling. At 9pm sharp, the host signed off and the truck operator began to pack things up. All the wires were coiled, the equipment placed and locked down. Everything seemed in order. With one big exception, the mast was still up.<br />
<br />
As the truck pulled away, it carried off the awning in front of the building. An awning that had survived fires, vandalism and a century of wear, tear and weather, was simply no match for a radio truck with a 20-foot broadcast mast.<br />
<br />
The repercussions were swift and terrible. We all had to train on the truck and learn the secrets of the mast. Plus, suspensions were threatened if it happened again. Of course, the next time a big remote was planned, the truck was operated by the manager of the department himself. It was a great remote, again wonderful radio. It was just after Thanksgiving and the show that aired right after mine decided to broadcast live from a hilltop above Golden where a man calling himself the "Real Santa Clause" resided. He raised reindeer, lived in a wooden shack and dressed like Kris Kringle.<br />
<br />
Once again, the show was a hit. After signing off, the crew wrapped up. With the manager in charge of things, no one thought twice to think about the truck mast. of COURSE it had been retracted. In a moment of serendipity, someone took a photo of the manager standing outside the truck, with the producer and talk show host sitting just inside getting ready to go. In the background, you could see the mast clearly still raised.<br />
<br />
Within minutes, the truck was on its way and promptly ran smack dab into several power lines directly overhead. The power lines snapped and fell to the ground, some landed on top of the van. This kept the crew in the van trapped inside as thousands of volts of electricity coursed through the van and into the ground. They were safe as long as they stayed inside, but once they stepped outside, if they touched the van, they would have been torched.<br />
<br />
Sadly, the mast also pulled some power lines out of the box at Santa Clause's shack, starting a fire. Within ten minutes the shack was ablaze, and Clause was trying to put out the inferno with a water hose, which quickly melted.<br />
<br />
Below, at the bottom of the hill, the fire department could see the flames. The producer of the show told me later that she could see the firemen walk out of the firehouse and looking up at the fire, pointing and wondering what in the world was going on. About an hour later the fire had been put out, the power lines had been cleared and the truck was back on the road. <br />
<br />
The following morning, the picture that had been taken moments before the mishap mysteriously appeared on the door of the manager's office. Someone had written in a thought balloon, "Hmmm, what am I forgetting?" with an arrow pointing to the still-erect mast.<br />
<br />
True to their word, however, the manager was suspended for two days. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Don't Judge:</b></u></span><br />
<br />
There are a million stories just like those. I alone could spend hours telling of similar events based solely on my experiences. The point to all this is that everyone makes mistakes. Reporters, editors, producers, they're only human. They will, from time to time, mess up on a fact, not check a critical piece of equipment or simply misspell a name. <br />
<br />
I've heard many complaints in my time about how a newsroom got their name wrong, misquoted them or didn't get the right address for their business. In some cases a wrong logo was put up, or the story simply didn't run when it was supposed to. This happens. Your best bet to deal with these types of mistakes is to be patient. Don't lose your cool, get angry, yell or beat down the door. <br />
<br />
You can try to prevent these mistakes from happening by following up with the newsroom. Email them the correct information in simple, easy to read fonts and short sentences. Make sure they received the information and then follow up again to make sure they have everything correct. Even then, it may not end up correct on the air or in the paper. <br />
<br />
When this happens, calmly and coolly contact the reporter or producer and let them know the information was wrong. Ask them to make a correction and then, let it go. Trust me, they'll feel bad about the mistake and do what they can to fix it. By being professional about it, you'll earn way more points with the newsroom than if you yell and scream. Because even though journalists are able to fight with a coworker and then immediately forget about the conflict, when it comes to people outside the newsroom, they have memories like elephants. They'll remember how you treated them and the next time you pitch a story, you just won't be worth the time or effort.<br />
<br />
You can learn something from the newsroom culture in this respect. It's okay to disagree, even get upset, but don't make it personal and then, when it's done, forget about it. Move on and focus on other more important things. If you can do this, you'll quickly earn a reputation as someone who really cares about their business, but is easy to work with and handles things professionally. Even if the mistake is completely theirs, it's best to chalk it up as an honest mistake and cheerfully thank them for their time before pitching them again in the future. Trust me on this. I mean, we're only human, right?Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-38501127508933960922011-01-17T01:12:00.000-08:002011-01-17T01:12:59.237-08:00Today's Post brought to you by the word: TransparencyI'm a football fan. I also happen to be a native of Colorado; born and raised. I learned how to ski at a young age, I remember when LoDo was a dump and spent my formative years cheering for the old "Orange Crush" Bronco defense when before Lyle Alzado went all Raider on us.<br />
<br />
To say I'm a fan of John Elway is like saying Russians like their vodka. So you can imagine my delight when old No. 7 took over the reigns of my beloved Broncos. For one, it signaled the true end of the disaster that was Josh McDaniels. But more importantly, it meant that the team I grew up loving was returning to its roots, its traditions. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TTQH_yfs9sI/AAAAAAAAAYk/8o4H7lhu8_Q/s1600/johnelway2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TTQH_yfs9sI/AAAAAAAAAYk/8o4H7lhu8_Q/s320/johnelway2.jpg" width="294" /></a></div><br />
And yet, oddly enough, even as the team was starting to return to it's rich history, a new, fresh image was being born. Suddenly the secrecy and closed door policy that is so often a part of NFL culture was giving way to a more open, honest and transparent culture not seen in these parts since Red Miller prowled the sidelines and Tom Jackson was calling John Madden "The Fat Man."<br />
<br />
What, you might ask, does this have to do with small business and non-profit PR and social media? In a word...everything.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>A Modern Culture:</b></u></span><br />
<br />
It's often been said that knowledge is king. In today's world of instant gratification and constant information overload, it can seem like secrets are a thing of the past and everyone knows what everyone else is doing. But look closely and you'll see that the organizations that have the most success with social media are the ones that not only use it regularly, but they're also the ones who know exactly the kind of information to release.<br />
<br />
Success with social media isn't just about making regular postings, daily tweets and maximizing your groups, friends and followers. Certainly those are important, but no matter how efficient and active you are, if you don't provide the RIGHT kind of information, your campaign will ultimately fail.<br />
<br />
We've discussed in this space before the need to make your posts informative, fun and interesting. We've talked about adding value to your posts across all of your platforms. But there is another element of social media content that most organizations simply overlook, an element that can help you build a massive following.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Pull Back the Covers:</b></u></span><br />
<br />
I've always thought that some enterprising local TV station ought to place cameras in their newsrooms and conference rooms and let the world see the day-to-day operations. Of course, that is nearly impossible. But why not stream the daily news meetings? Let the world take a peek into the workings of how news decisions are actually made. I think people would be surprised at how passionately stories are debated. <br />
<br />
While that hasn't happened yet, and probably won't for many years, some local TV stations ARE using Twitter to let their followers know which stories are being discussed for later broadcasts. I follow these newsrooms every day so I can get a jump on pitching a client if they're a right match for a story being considered. <br />
<br />
Clearly, some newsrooms get it. They understand that times have changed and it's no longer just 20 people sitting around a table making news decisions, separate from a majority of public input. Today, there is an interactivity never before seen in news. Producers and editors are constantly updating stories, producers are using social media to gather feedback, track down guests, and dig for information. At the same time, the public has more access to journalists through Twitter and Facebook giving them a feeling of being part of the news that impacts their daily lives.<br />
<br />
The covers have been pulled back a bit, letting anyone who's interested see a bit of the process that takes place in newsrooms everyday. In a similar move, Elway and the Broncos have started using Twitter to reconnect to the thousands of fans that felt betrayed and disappointed by the Josh McDaniels era.<br />
<br />
Last week, before I heard it on the radio, before I saw it on SportsCenter, before I caught in on my local nightly newscast, I heard about the hiring of Denver's new head coach, John Fox, through Twitter. But this tweet didn't come from a friend in a newsroom or someone who heard it through the grapevine. No, it came from John Elway himself. It was short, simple and to the point. "The Denver Broncos have hired John Fox to be our next head coach."<br />
<br />
The next day, this quote from <span id="redesign_default">Patrick Smyth, the Broncos' executive director of media relations appeared in the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_17081765">Denver Post:</a> <i>(click on the link to read the entire article)</i></span><br />
<blockquote><i><b><span id="redesign_default">"It was important to us to reach our fans directly and in the most personal way, and it was important to restore some of the credibility in our organization that might have been lost in a challenging season," Smyth said. "We owe that to our fans."</span></b></i></blockquote>As a fan, I felt closer to my team than I ever have before, and this is coming from a guy who stood on the field of old Mile High Stadium covering the Broncos Superbowl celebration for local radio, rubbing elbows with the players and coaches, the Lombardi trophy just a few feet away. Such is the power of social media. It has the ability to inform, entertain, and most importantly, connect.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Reality Social Media:</b></u></span><br />
<br />
With the popularity of reality television, more and more people want access to the inner sanctum of their favorite organizations. They not only want that access, they feel they deserve it. So why not give your customers, potential customers and supporters that access?<br />
<br />
Remember, your business, like most small businesses, is rooted in the neighborhood in which you operate. Your organization is more than just a name over a door and a collection of individuals. You are, hopefully, a trusted entity in your neighborhood. If you're brand new, you want to reach that status as quickly as possible. One of the best ways to let potential customers or supporters get to know you is to let them see you in action.<br />
<br />
I'm not necessarily talking about setting up cameras all over your office or store and streaming live video 24/7. But why not tell your story online? Why not let the world see the interesting and fun characters you have working for you? Why not allow them access to your decision making processes so they can understand the effort you put in to make your customers happy? By posting this kind of information, you achieve a couple of things:<br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>1. You build trust</b> - People can see that you're not skimping on product or effort. They can see exactly what they're getting for their money or time.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>2. You build familiarity</b> - The more the public knows about you, the more likely they are to view you as someone they are comfortable with. The old adage, you do friends with people you like" holds true. </i><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b><br />
<i><b>3. You build interest </b>- If your posts are interesting enough, you'll start to attract followers, friends and supporters based solely on the strength of your content. Your existing friends, followers and customers will tell their friends about you and direct them to your pages, thus growing your base.</i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Elements of Transparency:</b></u></span><br />
<br />
Again, transparency can be easier said than done. But you CAN be more transparent and open to your constituency, and without divulging your trade secrets or putting your customers at risk. For example, if you own a bakery, why not post a video once a week that shows you making one of your special sticky buns or perhaps an easy to make holiday treat for kids? It's like your own little cooking show, only without the commercials. You don't have to show your baking secrets, but parents would likely appreciate seeing you make your bread or sweets, so they know exactly what is in them.<br />
<br />
If you're a dry cleaners, why not offer tips on removing stains, something special that only your shop does. Bars can show virtual tours of their kitchens or let folks see how they decide on what beers to serve. There are a million things you can post that gives the public more insight to your operation, letting them feel like they know you a bit better and in turn attracting their business. <br />
<br />
Yes, this means you have to shoot some video, and do some minor editing. It also means you have to post regularly and really make sure your content is valuable, entertaining and informative. But really, if you plan on having a successful social media campaign, you should be doing these things already. <br />
<br />
What we're talking about here is the KIND of content that you're putting up. To that end, let's look at some of the elements you'll need to run an effective transparency campaign.<br />
<blockquote><i><b>1. A good story</b> - Just like putting together your release, you want to make sure you're pointing out the most interesting and unique parts of your story. Unlike your press release, this isn't about telling your history, but letting folks know how you operate on a day to day basis. What is happening in your office? What kind of decisions are being made and how will the general public benefit from these decisions?</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>2. A good character -</b> This isn't absolutely essential, but it helps. If you have some colorful characters in your office, let the world see them in action. Do you have an employee that sings? Someone who is a great artist or a whiz with computers or machinery? Highlight them and let the world see the talent you have on your staff.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>3. Video</b> - You can write all you want, but people really want to watch interesting video. For example, we have a video shoot for a client coming up that shows a day at a veterinarian clinic through the eyes of a dog that is visiting for a day. People will get to see the dog get checked in, go through the grooming, get neutered, receive follow up treatment and then go home. It will be split up into a series of short videos. This kind of video takes a day to shoot and a day to edit, but you get weeks worth of video out of it and it lets the world see how this clinic cares for the cats and dogs brought in for treatment.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>4. Follow the rules </b>- Just like before, you still have to make your posts worth something. They have to have value, be entertaining, fun, informative. This is where a lot of businesses fall short. So often businesses use their social media platforms to just talk about an upcoming sale or special. That's talking TO the public. This doesn't open the door for conversation, and a conversation is what makes a good social media campaign so effective.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>5. Be personal </b>- One of the things that makes social media so special is that it can give people a window into the feelings, thoughts and actions of others. I can read about a daily deal or about how the weather sucks anywhere. But I CAN'T read about how the weather makes you feel, or how happy you are that your organization just received a prestigious award. Don't just tell me that you got the award, tell me how you feel and what you're going to do to celebrate. </i></blockquote>I understand that this will be harder for some than others. Being open feels risky, particularly in this age of scammers and hackers. And you certainly need to be aware and cautious. You don't want to go telling the world about your trade secrets. But you DO want the world to feel as if they know you better than they know your competitors. <br />
<br />
It's this kind of openness and familiarity that can truly have a positive impact on your bottom line. So get out there, beat your chest and bang the drum and pull back the curtain. Let the world see you in all your glory. Take a hint from Elway and be more transparent. You'll be surprised at how freeing, and successful, it can be.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-35663565418330916102011-01-06T21:11:00.000-08:002011-01-06T21:11:34.715-08:00An Air of MysteryGreetings all! It's been a while since I've posted last. I promise it won't be nearly as long between posts for quite some time. I decided to take a little time off during the holidays to catch up on some work, as well as with friends and family. It was a nice, much needed break, but I'm back and ready to get back to work helping small businesses and non-profits create and maintain their PR and social media efforts. So with that said, let's jump right into today's topic.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>The Mystery Campaign!</b></u></span><br />
<br />
First, let's begin by saying that the "Mystery Campaign" is not new. It's also not really a PR campaign. You won't have much luck pitching a media outlet a mystery story. Journalists have a bad habit of wanting to know details and the like. However, as a marketing strategy, more to the point, as a social media marketing strategy, it can be real boost to your overall efforts.<br />
<br />
Before we move forward, ask yourself this...what is one of mankind's most enduring traits? The answer is, of course, curiosity. We are a curious species. When presented with something unknown, we nearly always go out of our way to satisfy that curiosity. For decades, marketers have banked on our natural curiosity to promote products, services and businesses. And, like the old saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TSagYFx5VWI/AAAAAAAAAYg/1tK-cOl3w7E/s1600/spoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TSagYFx5VWI/AAAAAAAAAYg/1tK-cOl3w7E/s320/spoon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Currently, in Denver, a series of billboards caused a minor stir when they appeared of the skyline of the Mile High City. If you live in or around Denver, you've probably seen them. They're big and red all over, with a single, yellow spoon situated just off to the right of center. <br />
<br />
There's no copy, no hint as to what it might be promoting, no message hitting commuters over the head as they go to and from work. It's a simple, basic picture and nothing else. What is it? People asked. What does it mean? Who did it? What's the point? Within a week, people's curiosity was piqued. <br />
<br />
I spend a lot of time online doing research for my clients, as well as for this blog. I read the papers, and the news outlets online and within a short period of time I began to see the question pop up all over the place, wondering about the giant red billboard with the yellow spoon. <br />
<br />
It didn't take long, about two weeks, before the answer was out and the public curiosity was satiated. It turns out the billboards were part of a new promotion for McDonald's breakfasts. This is just a single example of this kind of mystery campaign being used to raise awareness and generate interest in a product or service.<br />
<br />
Those of you old enough to remember the 80's will recall fondly, maybe, the very first Apple commercial that aired in 1984. If you don't remember, or weren't around to watch it the first go-around, here it is.<br />
<br />
<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HhsWzJo2sN4?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HhsWzJo2sN4?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<br />
This ad ran during the Superbowl and confused millions of viewers who basically had no idea what the commercial was about. It created waves of interest as the general public tried to figure out what they had just seen and what it was supposed to say.<br />
<br />
The "Mystery Campaign" has even been used successfully in animated TV shows. Anyone remember the "Gabbo's Coming!" commercials from the Simpsons over 10 years ago? Who is Gabbo? Why is he coming? What will he do when he gets here? Hell, as a casual watcher of the program I was intrigued to find out who this "Gabbo" character was. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Why it works:</b></u></span><br />
<br />
I've already explained one reason why the "Mystery Campaign" works; simple curiosity. But that alone isn't enough to make a campaign successful. More than anything, the successful campaigns capture the imagination of potential clients and customers. They also provide a promise of some kind that appeals to the base desires of your potential audience. The question is, how can you do that with your social media campaign? Let's break it down.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>The elements:</b></u></span><br />
<br />
Let's get this out in the beginning; the mystery campaign doesn't work for everything. Generally they work best when unveiling something new, something innovative, something unique. If you're promoting a dry cleaners or widget, you might want to consider a different approach. <br />
<br />
But if you have an event, an opening night, an unveiling, you'll want to start with an angle. Remember when we discussed news angles? This isn't much different. The goal is to build a mystique, a mystery, not just to ask question, but to truly get people's attention and tickle their imagination.<br />
<br />
Just like in everything else you do, you also want to tease your potential customers or clients with the promise of something exciting, special, unique, wonderful. Use any adjective you wish, but you want your audience to be waiting in anticipation, believing that what they're waiting for will benefit them some way, either materialistically, financially or emotionally. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Let's look at the tools you need to make this work:</b></u></span><br />
<blockquote><i><b>1. A date</b> - No, I'm not talking about someone you ask to the prom. This is more like a deadline, a specific time frame in which to weave your web. In order to build anticipation, you need to let the public know when to expect the big event. Without a deadline or end date, you'll have a hard time creating buzz. You can only string the public along for so long. Eventually the excitement will wear off, they'll lose interest and move on to something else. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>2. Appeal to the base wants and needs </b>- What do people want? Money, love, happiness, security? Whatever it is, your campaign needs to give the promise of meeting at least one of their wants or needs. Let's say you're promoting a new sandwich at your restaurant. Give it a name, call it, the Bronson. Then, as part of your campaign you can say something like, "Bronson is coming, and you'll never be hungry again..." Hey, that sounds good. Of course, as a reader, I'll be asking, "Who the heck is Bronson, and why won't I ever be hungry again?" You have my interest. Now all you need is...</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>3. Follow up</b> - What makes a great mystery campaign great is that it ends up being everywhere. It gets people talking. They start asking their friends and co-workers about the mystery. Posters begin appearing on streetcorners, posts end up flooding Facebook, the Twitterverse is abuzz with contemplation and excitement. But this doesn't happen without some work. YOU have to be constantly posting online, spreading the word, going into chat rooms and asking questions about the very campaign you have created. It takes some vigilance and effort to make a mystery campaign successful, moreso than your typical social media efforts. But if you put in the time, you'll begin to create the kind of buzz that will pay off big in the end.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>4. Watch your timing</b> - This is one of the most important elements of this kind of campaign. If you start too far in advance of your big unveiling, you'll lose the interest of the public and the buzz will fizzle out. Start too close to the end date, and you won't have enough time to build the kind of activity you want. A general rule is to not start your campaign more than a month in advance. Figure it will take about a week for people to actually start paying attention. Then two weeks for the buzz to reach a crescendo. The final week will be all about driving folks to either purchase tickets to your event, or get them excited enough to show up to your unveiling. This is called the 3 stages and I'll cover them in just a couple of paragraphs.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>5. Have a point</b> - It's great to catch people's attention, but once you have it, you have to do something with it. In other words, you want to drive the folks online to a website, a Facebook page, a Youtube page, or give them a call to action of some kind. Maybe it's to show up at a specific location at a set time for the unveiling where you'll toss out swag and have a party. Whatever it is, you have to tell people what you want them to do. </i><br />
<i><b><br />
</b></i><br />
<i><b>6. Be visual</b> - Of course, words say a lot, but we all know the old adage, a picture is worth a thousand words. Take the McDonalds billboard mentioned above. A big red billboard with a simple, single yellow spoon laid against it does more to grab attention than a billboard full of words. The same holds true online. Even a picture of the date with a simple, short tagline can be effective. In order for your efforts to be successful, you will want to use pictures, graphic elements, even video to help build excitement and buzz. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>7. Be diverse</b> - In other words, don't have one single picture or one single video. People will tire of the same visuals very quickly. You want to have several different visual elements, each with a slightly different message or targeted at a different audience. For example, one of my most recent projects involves the opening night of a Shakespearean theatrical group. They know they'll attract more traditional theater goers. But in order to be special they need to attract those that might otherwise not pay money to watch live Shakespeare. To reach those audiences, we created a series of videos, some that appealed to those who enjoy action and adventure, blood and fights. At the same time we released a video that highlighted the more...sexy...elements of the show. All the while we are keeping the entire venture wrapped in a veil of secrecy. All these readers know is that something fun, sexy, new and exciting is coming on 1.14.2011. Plus, by having a handful of different visual elements, you'll be able to post and repost these photos and videos over and over to catch those who might have missed them the first time around.</i></blockquote>If your campaign has all of those basic elements, your efforts will likely be successful. Again, you have to stay on top of this kind of campaign more than usual, which is just one other reasons why you shouldn't launch this kind of campaign too far in advance. You simply won't have the time to truly stay on top of it all and still manage the rest of your responsibilities. But three to four weeks of hard work and vigilance will net you some major results.<br />
<br />
Which finally leads us to the the three stages of the "Mystery Campaign." Let's assume you are starting your efforts one month before the end date. As mentioned above, you can break your four weeks into three stages. But this works with a three week advance, and, if you're desperate, even a two week advance. Any less lead time than that and you're likely wasting your time.<br />
<blockquote><i><b>1. Launch </b>- This is where you make a splash. You can leak your best stuff, your most attention grabbing stuff out online over the course of the first stage. This is the part where you want folks to sit up and ask, "What is this about?" It's during this time that you will be posting the most content on your various social media platforms.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>2. Maintenance</b> - Once you have their attention, you have to maintain it. You can do this one of two ways. A) You can continue to post constantly in an effort to build momentum quickly. Or B) You can begin to release your material in a more measured way, designed to keep it in front of people, but still make it a bit of a mystery. If you suddenly pull back a bit, it will get people wondering what is happening and keep them on the edge of their seat, so to speak. Either way can be successful.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>3. Tapering Down</b> - The final week leading up to your big event is really your make or break moment. On one hand you can, in an effort to reap some PR bounce from your campaign, unwrap the mystery a day or so beforehand. This is risky since you take the chance that you will kill the suspense for some folks and lose some potential customers or clients before your big unveiling. The better move is to keep the suspense going until the very last moment. The only change you'll likely make at this stage is to focus not so much on the mystery, but on the date and the call to action. If your efforts up to this point has been to highlight the promise and the mystery, at this stage you'll want to really hammer the end date and what you want people to do at that time. By this stage, people will just be starting to tire of being in the dark. By giving them something to do on the date in question, you rekindle their excitement, knowing that their curiosity will soon be quenched.</i></blockquote>Of course, you'll likely never make the kind of splash that Apple did in 1984, or that McDonalds did in Denver, but you can still reach thousands upon thousands of folks who otherwise might never have heard of your business or non-profit. <br />
<br />
Also, keep in mind, that while we're talking about something potentially viral (isn't everything online "potentially" viral?) that isn't necessarily your goal here. Your goal is to get people questioning and talking, yes, but you don't need it to circulate around the world in forwarded emails. What you DO want to do is get your immediate community of potential customers and clients to take notice of you. And when it comes to grabbing attention, really, nothing does it better than a well-developed Mystery Campaign.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-48962710040685014572010-12-02T10:58:00.000-08:002010-12-02T10:58:12.774-08:00Don't Touch Me There!Years ago there used to be a TV show on late night called SpaceGhost Coast to Coast. It was a strange little cartoon who's viewers were comprised mostly of "The Tick" fans and folks who used to rush home early on weekend nights to watch Liquid Television on MTV. (How's THAT for a blast from the past?)<br />
<br />
I bring this odd little show up because when I heard of the new TSA patdown policy I remembered a song from the show that I felt was appropriate. It was sung by one of the show's secondary characters called "Brack" and it was called, "Don't Touch Me." It was a pretty basic song. Basically it was just Brack singing "Don't Touch Me!" over and over again.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TPfsFyO5l2I/AAAAAAAAAYU/3FBuj2XsiWc/s1600/28e25_tsa_pat_down.gi.top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TPfsFyO5l2I/AAAAAAAAAYU/3FBuj2XsiWc/s400/28e25_tsa_pat_down.gi.top.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I amused myself the other day imagining thousands upon thousands of holiday travelers singing that song as TSA officers groped and fondled their way through prospective terrorists. In the end, though, what REALLY amused me was the public relations fallout from the new pat-down policy and the concept that someone in government though that this would just go by the average citizen unnoticed.<br />
<br />
Well, clearly it didn't. And, as this USA Today article points out, the PR disaster didn't catch TSA officials completely off-guard.<br />
<blockquote><h2>TSA chief: Public outcry over pat-downs weighed vs. risk</h2>By <a class="linkedBylineName" href="http://content.usatoday.com/topics/reporter/Ben+Mutzabaugh">Ben Mutzabaugh</a>, USA TODAY<br />
<blockquote><i>The nation's transportation security chief says he decided to launch controversial new airport pat-down searches without first warning travelers, against the advice of his public relations aides.</i><br />
<i>Transportation Security Administration head John Pistole said in a wide-ranging interview Tuesday that he rejected the advice for fear of highlighting screening weaknesses terrorists could exploit.</i><br />
<i>TSA's more intensive pat-downs of private body parts under clothing set off what he called a "media frenzy" leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday travel week.</i><br />
<i><b>Q&A</b>: <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2010-12-01-column01_ST_N.htm" target="_blank">Pistole talks about threats, how far searches will go</a></i><br />
<i><b>FREQUENT TRAVELERS</b>: <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2010-11-29-frequent-travelers-tsa-screenings_N.htm" target="_blank">Oppose new TSA security screenings</a></i><br />
<i><b>POLL</b>: <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2010-11-23-airport-security-tsa-poll_N.htm" target="_blank">Most fliers bothered or angered by TSA pat-downs</a></i><br />
<i>"What it came down to was I wanted to make sure people are not subjected to additional risk of planes being blown out of the sky," Pistole told USA TODAY's editorial board. "I was gravely concerned that we needed to do something with a sense of urgency and professionalism that did not signal to terrorists that we had a vulnerability."</i><br />
<i>Pistole says he wishes there was an "easier answer" to the balance between keeping the public informed and ensuring flights are safe.</i></blockquote></blockquote><u><i>This article tells me two things:</i></u><br />
<i>1. TSA has competent PR consultants</i><br />
<i>2. TSA officials are terrible at damage control</i><br />
<br />
It was reassuring to hear that at least SOMEONE at the TSA was aware of the potential PR disaster that awaited after announcing the new policy. As a PR professional, I was left wondering how an official government agency could believe that there wouldn't be some kind of negative reaction to the pat-downs. However, upon reading this article, I was comforted to know that there are some folks who could foresee the shitstorm that was to follow the implementation of the policy.<br />
<br />
What is NOT comforting, however, is the response to the controversy. If the agency knew there was going to be a backlash one would figure they would craft the kind of response that would negate at least SOME of the anger and frustration felt by travelers. But no. What we got was more of the fear-based, shallow platitudes that we have been fed for several years now.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Right Moves, Wrong Message:</b></span><br />
<br />
Let's look at the TSA strategy in response to the problem. They set up editorial board meetings and went out on a full-fledged media blitz to explain the new policy. This was exactly the right move, at least on macro scale.<br />
<br />
But what was the message that they passed on in all of those interviews and meetings? Essentially, it was, "If we didn't do this, you would die!" Using phrases like, "blown out of the sky," and "signal to terrorists that we had a vulnerability..." does little more that reinforce the fact that the TSA isn't really doing their job. It instills fear, rather than confidence.<br />
<br />
The fact that this message was approved by the PR folks is disturbing. Why not instead move forward with a message that focuses on reinforcing current strengths instead of highlighting weaknesses? A message such as, "While our current policies are working effectively, we feel the new policy will make our screening processes even stronger in the face of new threats."<br />
<br />
Of course, there's no way that any message was going to completely satisfy everyone. But the message that was relayed through the media came across as arrogant fear-mongering. It told the public that we were helpless to stop future attacks without the new policy. Plus, it even blames the media for creating a "frenzy". It wasn't the media that created the problem, the public reacted to a new, surprise policy and the media covered it.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What This Means To You:</b></span><br />
<br />
As a small business owner or non-profit, you will, from time to time, be forced to change your policies or prices. Whenever you make a change, you take the risk of alienating long time customers and driving away new potential customers if you don't handle it right.<br />
<br />
In most cases, you can make the change easier by simply communicating better. In the TSA case, they sprung the pat-down change on the public with little to no warning. For small businesses and non-profits, you can minimize the anger and frustration of changes by announcing the change on your social media platforms. Simple posts on Facebook, your blog and through Tweets can let your customers and potential customers know your new policies.<br />
<br />
More importantly, solid community outreach can go a long way towards minimizing the fallout from future changes in your business policies. Think about how much goodwill the TSA might have garnered if they had put representatives in major airports to explain the new policy and simply be there to allow travelers to vent their frustrations? Sometimes community outreach and PR is about listening to complaints.<br />
<br />
Just by having someone there to listen to the venting, the TSA would have shown a willingness to acknowledge that there is an issue, and an understanding of travelers' frustrations. People know they won't be able to change the policy, but by allowing them to express their frustration, they let travelers know that they understand and that they care. That's really all that people want in situations such as these.<br />
<br />
As a small business or non-profit, you can open a forum online, or have someone physically in place to listen to customer complaints after the changes have been implemented. You might still lose a few customers, but most will appreciate that you took the time to listen to their complaints.<br />
<br />
Change can be difficult, we all know that. Your customers frequent your organization because they like how you run your operation. When change happens, it makes them angry, frustrated and scared. It is up to you to listen to them, to communicate with them, let them know WHY you are making the change so they can see your side of things. People are forgiving if they know the whole story and if you take the extra steps to show them that you understand and care. <br />
<br />
So don't make the same mistake that the TSA did. Communicate beforehand, make sure you are prepared to listen to complaints and make sure your message doesn't condescend to them or blame someone else for any fallout that might occur from the changes. Put yourself in their shoes and use your social media platforms and a solid PR plan to get your message out before the change creates the kind of problems that you can't control. If you do this, you'll be able to make your changes without losing business or money.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-42152693446358749702010-11-11T16:14:00.000-08:002010-11-11T16:22:32.748-08:00The Forest For The Trees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TNyGtgn-vjI/AAAAAAAAAYM/yY2FdMA2oJk/s1600/forest-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TNyGtgn-vjI/AAAAAAAAAYM/yY2FdMA2oJk/s400/forest-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>One of the biggest problems small business owner and non-profit directors have when handling their own PR and social media efforts is that they are too close to their own organization. I know this sounds strange to say, but sometimes being TOO familiar with your business or non-profit can actually hinder your ability to speak to the masses, gain friends and followers and garner you some much needed earned media coverage.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Case in point:</b></span><br />
<br />
On Thursday morning, I received this email from a friend who works as news producer at a local television station:<br />
<blockquote><i>On Nov 11, 2010, at 11:56 AM, Shaw, Duncan J Shaw wrote</i><br />
<i>You know I *love* sending you stuff…<br />
<br />
Nowhere in this e-mail or attached press release is there an explanation of *what* “Wage Theft” is (they provide a link to a video in the e-mail, and I think there are links in the attachment), but you would think you’d at least give a one or two line explanation…</i></blockquote>This "release" is one of the myriad of "Bad press releases" that newsrooms receive every day. Fortunately, I have the pleasure of reading a few of them from time to time without having to sift through the piles of garbage that producers, reporters and editors have to deal with.<br />
<br />
Before we go any further, let's take a look at the aforementioned "release":<br />
(NOTE - I have removed the name of individual who sent the release) <br />
<blockquote><i>Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2010 11:53 AM</i><br />
<i>Subject: Press Advisory for Wage Theft Action in Denver, 11-18-10</i><br />
<br />
<i>Greetings.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Attached is a press advisory about a Wage Theft Day of Action and Awareness that will take place a week from today in 30 cities around the country (including Denver) on Thursday, Nov. 18th at 11:00am.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Here is a YouTube link about the problem of wage theft: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn6nr2PviIU&feature=player_embedded</i><br />
<br />
<i>For general inquires ahead of time about the Day of Action in Denver or concerning the informal partnership that has developed in Denver between Interfaith Worker Justice of Colorado, the Department of Labor, OSHA, and the El Centro Day Laborer Center, please contact me (Rev. Daniel Klawitter) at: 303-477-6111 ext. 36.</i><br />
<br />
<i>For inquires about what wage theft specifically looks like in Metro Denver and/or to get personal human interest stories from workers who have had their wages stolen by their employer, please contact the Director of El Centro Humanitario, Eddie Soto, at: 303.292.4115, esoto@centrohumanitario.org</i><br />
<br />
<i>WHAT: Educational event/Press Conference on Wage Theft</i><br />
<i>WHO: Religious Leaders, Day Laborers, Worker Advocates and representatives from OSHA, the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division and Colorado Dept. of Labor and Employment.</i><br />
<i>WHEN: Thursday, Nov. 18th at 11:00am.</i><br />
<i>WHERE: El Centro Humanitario, 2260 California St. Denver, CO 80205.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Speakers will include Dusti Gurule, the regional representative for U.S. Department of Labor Secretary, Hilda Solis.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Sincerely,</i><br />
<i>XXXXXX</i></blockquote>There was the obligatory follow-up contact information at the end, which was perhaps the best part of the release.<br />
<br />
Now let's take a look at WHY this release is such a poor example of a press advisory. Look back at Duncan's note in his email to me.<br />
<br />
<i>1. There is no explanation of what "Wage Theft" is</i><br />
<i>2. The video link is just that, a link, no embedded video</i><br />
<br />
These two items alone make this a very ineffective press release. Of course there are some reasons as to why these mistakes happened. First, the sender assumed that journalists know what wage theft is. Second, they may not have taken the time, or knew how, to embed video into an email.<br />
<br />
While both mistakes are understandable, they aren't excusable. As we've covered in this space many times before, journalists are two things; busy and lazy. Yes, it sounds like a contradiction, but it's not. Reporters, editors and producers already have a ton of work to do. They either won't want to, or don't have time to open up external links or attached files. If you want a journalist to look at your video, read your release or peruse your article, then you have to put it directly into the body of your email.<br />
<br />
You really have to make it as simple as possible for them to get and digest the information quickly. One stop shopping is the way to go. Don't make them go to YouTube, or take tha chance that whatever file you've attached doesn't come with a virus. Yes, it's only one extra click, but that extra click can be the difference between getting news coverage and ending up in the ignore pile.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Speak The Language:</b></span><br />
<br />
Now about the other miscue, assuming that journalists were already aware of "wage theft", well, that's an entirely different beast.<br />
<br />
As a small business owner or non-profit director, you deal with your particular cause, service or product on a daily basis. You know all aspects about what your organization does, from top to bottom and from all angles. No one knows as much as you do when it comes to your business or non-profit. On one hand, this makes you the perfect person to go forth and spread your message. On the other hand, this intimate knowledge can be a real handicap as well.<br />
<br />
For instance, the individual who sent the above press release is most likely so involved with the issue of wage theft that it is almost inconceivable to him that very few people actually know what wage theft is.<br />
<br />
This has been an issue with many of the clients I work with as well. Whether it's a restaurant, a storage company or any number of non-profits, each of them simply assume that everyone is already aware of their business or cause.<br />
<br />
This assumption negatively impacts how you present your information. Because we all know that brevity works when dealing with the public, corners are cut and vital information is often left out. This is the kind of information that, while well known to those close to the business or cause, isn't readily known outside of those circles. Thus, you end up sending a release that focuses on your upcoming event, without actually describing what your business or cause is all about.<br />
<br />
More than that, BECAUSE you are so well versed in your cause or business, you ultimately end up using language that is either confusing or is a turn-off to the public at large.<br />
<br />
When dealing with one of my current clients, we have gone round and round over the type of words used to describe pets without homes. To the public at large, homeless pets are feral. But within the circles of animal rescue and care, feral has a very specific meaning. That means we have to use both "homeless" AND "feral" in all of our releases. It might seem like a little thing, but it's extra words that can ultimately confuse readers.<br />
<br />
Another instance involves the upcoming holiday season. When it was proposed to promote proper care for new pets given as presents, the client had a problem because so many pets will likely come from breeders, something the client is opposed to. The problem is, the public doesn't care, thousands of new pets WILL come from breeders this holiday season. Simply by talking about holiday pets won't increase the number of pets purchased from breeders. But by avoiding the topic altogether, the client would have missed an opportunity to talk about spaying and neutering for all these new pets and wouldn't have had a platform to discuss spaying and neutering in general.<br />
<br />
This problem can be seen in every walk of life. Engineers, chefs, computer programmers, non-profits of every stripe. When putting together your press releases, when posting items on your various social media platforms, keep in mind that the public at large isn't familiar with your acronyms, your technical speak, your specific definitions.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Combating The Problem:</b></span><br />
<br />
It's not easy to step back and see the bigger picture. In most cases, you don't have that luxury. You're so busy handling the daily details of your organization, you are essentially immersed in every aspect of your organization. So when it comes to putting together your release or posting on Facebook or Tweeting, here are some ways you can make sure your knowledge doesn't get in the way of your success:<br />
<blockquote><u><b>1. An extra set of eyes</b></u> - Get someone you trust to go over your releases before sending them out. Make sure this is someone who isn't as familiar with your organization as you are. By getting someone to represent the public at large, you can make sure your message isn't lost, hindered or obfuscated by technical language or terms that only you will understand.<br />
<u><b><br />
</b></u><br />
<u><b>2. Dont' get caught up in the minutae</b></u> - Yes, to you, the minutae matters, it has to in order to be successful. But too much minutae will turn away followers. They don't care about the difference between "homeless" and "feral" or between "hoagie" and "grinder". You also don't have to explain every little thing, just the overview. Make sure your basic message is received in the simplest and most understandable manner possible.<br />
<br />
<u><b>3. Don't forget the bottom line</b></u> - In the end, you want others to understand, appreciate and support your business or non-profit. The public wants value and you have to show them why your organization gives them that value. Don't worry about every little thing, focus on explaining, briefly what you do or what you're about, and what you can do for them. If you can adhere to these two basic elements, you're releases and your postings will be successful.</blockquote>You have a passion about your organization, that makes sense. But if you don't step back and simplify and clarify your message, your efforts will result in failure. Just keep in mind that you have to explain in short simple terms what your business, product, service or cause is all about and then explain why you bring value to the public. It's not hard to do, unless, of course, you're just too close to the subject matter to see the forest for the trees.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-67456200377354008842010-11-03T23:31:00.000-07:002010-11-03T23:31:42.815-07:00A view from the other side:One of the most important things anyone dealing with the media needs to learn is the thought process of producers, reporters and editors. Sometimes, it's not as easy as it sounds. Listen, it's not rocket science, but, like a lot of other professions, one can't REALLY understand someone's thought processes until they "walk a mile in their shoes," so to speak.<br />
<br />
Of course, it's impossible for everyone to spend time working in a newsroom (although I, and many others think it SHOULD be requirement for PR professionals, but that's another issue). Heck, most people wouldn't want to work in news. It can be boring at times, terrifying at others, there is tedium, long hours and to make up for it all, few people are getting rich working in local news.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TNJTLGFx6sI/AAAAAAAAAXg/CXQXEPJrnIE/s1600/IBA-News-w-Sheila-Zucker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TNJTLGFx6sI/AAAAAAAAAXg/CXQXEPJrnIE/s400/IBA-News-w-Sheila-Zucker.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
One of my goals when starting this blog was to help small business owners and non-profits understand a little better HOW newsrooms operate, what kind of pressures they work under and the thoughts and decision processes used by most journalists.<br />
<br />
To that end, I offer this article. It comes from Shoptalk, a popular media website and email newsletter that comes out every day. The article is written by Doug Drew and I think it gives some incredible insight into how producers book guests for their shows. <span style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Keys to Booking Guests</span></b></span><br />
<i><br />
Guests are often trying to promote something other than your primary objective.<br />
The producer of the Howard Stern show, Gary Dell'Abate, recently appeared on David Letterman's The Late Show, telling Dave that if Stern was a good guy on the radio "we would have no where to work." It was a great interview with lots of insight into Howard Stern and his shock radio show. It was about an 8 minute interview, lengthy by late night talk show standards, and not until the very end did Letterman let Dell'Abate plug the real reason he was on the show, to promote his new book They Call Me Baba Booey.</i><br />
<br />
<u><b>The plug goes at the end of the segment</b></u><br />
<i>I am sure Dell'Abate's agent or publisher pitched The Late Show to book Dell' Abate as a guest. In fact, most guests who appear on television are booked through a PR agency who sent a press release to the station. Television stations are inundated with people trying to get on TV to promote their product, their book, their movie, their concert, their community event, their restaurant, etc. Some of these make great guests, but just remember whose show it is. Accomplish your goals first, and get them to hold their plug for the end of the interview.</i><br />
<br />
<i>It's easy to book a guest who comes in the door through an agency or a press release. You simply call the contact person on the release, and select a date for the appearance.</i><br />
<br />
<u><b>Guests are given valuable airtime</b></u><br />
<i>But too often that is where the planning stops, and it can't be that way. Too many producers simply pick up the press release, call the contact person, agree on a date, and viola, the segment is booked! But it's not just about filling time. You are giving these people incredible amounts of airtime. It's time they very likely couldn't afford to buy if they were going through the sales department. So, they should be willing to do whatever it is you want, within reason.<br />
<br />
Dan Aykroyd is making the local TV circuit, his agent offering him as a guest to pitch his new Vodka. Aykroyd is a great guest, but if not planned properly he will simply come in and do a commercial. Instead, think why you would want to have him as a guest. You'd want to talk to him about his movie career, and about the new Ghostbusters movie that is in the works. You have to make it clear to the contact, that you'd love to have Aykroyd as a guest, but that you will start off talking about his movies, and at the end, he can talk about his new Vodka. It's a win-win for everyone.</i><br />
<br />
<u><b>Charities must follow the same rule</b></u><br />
<i>If the Cancer Society wants to come in and talk about it's upcoming fundraiser, that's fine, but you don't want the Executive Director on as a guest. You want a cancer survivor on to talk about what it's like to deal with the devastating disease. Remember, what you want are real people with interesting stories to tell, while the charities are trying to promote an event. It's your show, demand a real person and promise you will promote the event at the end.</i><br />
<br />
<u><b>Make the PR agency do all the work</b></u><br />
<i>Put the people who write the press releases and the PR agencies who are pitching guests to work. Tell them that their clients can come on the show, but only if they do it your way. If they don't want to play, then they don't get on. Believe me, most will agree to your requests. Have the agency do all the work. If they are pitching new toys for kids, tell them that they have to have all the toys on set, plus they need 5 kids to test the toys and are willing to talk to your hosts about what they like or don't like about the toys. Make the PR agency come up with all the props and children.</i><br />
<br />
<u><b>Bottom line</b></u><br />
<i>Make the guests and their agencies do the heavy lifting. They do the work, and you get a great segment. These guests don't get on your show unless they do it they way you want. It's a win-win for everyone.</i></blockquote>Take a moment and re-read that "Bottom line" paragraph. I think it sums up fairly well what works when trying to get yourself booked with a news program. I've mentioned it before, but I think it's worth going over again. <br />
<br />
Producers, editors and reporters are busy folks working under tight, tight deadlines. The more you do to help them, the better your chances of being booked as a guest. More importantly, if you get booked once, and you prove that you can speak their language, understand their time constraints and deliver with a quality, interesting guest, they won't hesitate to book you again.<br />
<br />
In essence, what this article is telling journalists is that they basically hold all the cards. Having been on the PR side for several years now, I'd like to dispute that point, but I really can't. They ARE offering you a chance to appear on television or in print and get valuable airtime to spread your message or promote your event, product or services.<br />
<br />
Certainly you are offering something of value to the newsrooms as well. But it's a very rare and fortunate few that can call their own shots when trying to be booked as a guest on any television program. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Two very important things to remember:</b></span><br />
<br />
If you take nothing else from this article, you should remember two very important points made about the purpose and kinds of guests being booked. <br />
<blockquote><i>1. The purpose of the guest is NOT to give a commercial, but to provide entertainment or valuable information to the audience.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>2. Always look for the more compelling guest. In other words, don't take the PR spokesman or the executive director, when a more compelling interview subject is there for the taking.</i></blockquote>This holds particularly true for non-profits, as mentioned in the article. If you run a non-profit dedicated to improving schools in low-income areas, then it's much more interesting to hear from a student or a teacher discuss the challenges and difficulties and victories of everyday life at the school, than to listen to the non-profit director extoll the virtues of the program. People want real, they want gritty, they want emotion. They want stories, told by the people who are living those stories. They DON'T want to hear from spokesperson who isn't on the front lines of the problem and recanting stories second-hand.<br />
<br />
This is the kind of information you have to put into your releases and pitch paragraphs. Let the journalists know immediately what the story is, then follow up by letting them know who the interview subject will be. The more compelling the interview subject, the better your chances of getting booked.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What this means:</b></span><br />
<br />
This means you have to prepare, you have to train, you have to practice. In other words, if you're trying to book your business or non-profit as an interview subject either on a local TV news show or in your local paper, you might have to offer up someone other than yourself to actually be interviewed. <br />
<br />
This can be tricky, because, frankly, who knows more about your messages, your business, your organization and its overall goals than you do? Whoever you offer up has to be well-versed in your messages. They have to be comfortable being interviewed, both on camera and off. They have to know what to say, how to say it and when to say it. <br />
<br />
You will want to spend time going over all of these things before letting them loose in a newsroom. They will have to make sure they get your messages across without having it sound like a commercial, they will have to be able to tell their story in a concise and compelling manner and they will have to remember to make sure to plug whatever service, event or product your pitching at the end of the segment.<br />
<br />
To that end, you will want to remind the journalists why your guest is there. You can do this simply by sending an email thanking them for allowing you to appear on the show to promote your subject matter. During this email you will want to make sure you include your address, the time and location of the event, the correct spelling of the product and of course, the correct spelling of your organization and the person being interviewed. You might also want to provide any photos or video you have, plus put together any lists you have that is associated with the interview that could be used as full cover graphics. <br />
<br />
If you couch this in the spirit of trying to be helpful and providing information, the journalist won't be offended. You're simply trying to make sure there are no mistakes and that both parties walk away from the interview satisfied.<br />
<br />
One of the biggest issues I hear about is a business or non-profit complaining about how the news misspelled a name or didn't get something right during the interview. When I ask them if they had followed up with the newsroom BEFORE the interview, 99-percent of the time, the answer is no. <br />
<br />
Journalists KNOW you want to get exposure, and they're okay with that as long as they get a quality interview segment out of it as well. They won't take offense and they will appreciate any ideas or extras you throw their way to make the segment more interesting both informationally and visually.<br />
<br />
So, in the future, if in doubt, take a moment and re-read this article if you have any questions about what kind of guests a newsroom might be looking for. Then go out and make sure you are able to provide a journalist with everything they might need for a good segment. If you can't, rethink making your pitch, or rework it from the ground up. If you can offer them what they want, then go forward and begin pitching. If you can do this, journalists will love you and you'll find yourself being called upon again in the future for more interviews. And that's never a bad thing.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-49277642974226693652010-10-28T12:04:00.000-07:002010-10-28T12:04:22.150-07:00Feel the Passion!Recently I spent a day going around to local newsrooms to introduce a friend to reporters, assignment editors and producers. Whenever possible, this is a great way to begin to build relationships with local journalists and get a feel for how to pitch your stories to the separate newsrooms. Some newsrooms are more open to "feature" type stories, while others are really only looking for hard news stories. By meeting the journalists in their respective newsrooms, you can get a feel for how to pitch your stories. <br />
<br />
But one of the biggest reasons to spend time at your local newsrooms is that you get to actually have conversations with the reporters, producers and editors that will be receiving your pitches. I always tell clients that when they have a chance to meet journalists, do more listening than talking.<br />
<br />
The importance of this bit of advice came to the forefront last week during my little "mini-tour". We were chatting with the producer of the number one morning talk show in Denver and we began discussing media pitches. It was a discussion that brought to light one of the biggest mistakes PR professionals make all the time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TMnGyC7gvvI/AAAAAAAAAXY/l6JH_bhe6e8/s1600/WomanOnPhone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TMnGyC7gvvI/AAAAAAAAAXY/l6JH_bhe6e8/s400/WomanOnPhone.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Hi, let me tell you about a great story you might be interested in!</i></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>First, a bit of insight:</b></span><br />
<br />
We've covered this in-depth in this space before, but it's worth mentioning again. Newsrooms are flooded with press releases every day. They get hundreds upon hundreds of pitches, releases and alerts on a daily basis. This isn't even counting the number of stories they glean from listening to the local scanners, or the ones pitched individually by journalists who might have been alerted to a story through more "unofficial" channels. In other words, they are constantly swamped with potential stories.<br />
<br />
And it's not just emails coming across their desk. When I worked in newsrooms, we still received a ton of faxes, and even today, the number of faxed releases might surprise you. But one of the most time-consuming and annoying pitches they get are the phone calls. Most of the time, these are first-time pitches; cold calls from a large PR firm halfway across the country where some first year PR account manager is simply calling every newsroom on their list making their pitch.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Here's the problem with this approach:</b></span><br />
<blockquote><i>1. Generally, these calls are ill-timed, catching journalists when they're at their busiest</i><br />
<i>2. Journalists like to look at information rather than have it told to them over the phone</i><br />
<i>3. Most of the time, these pitches are scripted out</i><br />
<i>4. The PR person is often surprised when they actually talk to a live person and they </i><i>aren't prepared to make a live pitch.</i></blockquote>Here are some interesting comments from the producer we spoke to, Nathan Lynn, producer of 850 KOA's "Good Morning Colorado" program. <br />
<br />
"They always ask to speak to Nathan, and when I tell them they've reached him, they panic a little. Then they go right into their script. I can tell when they're reading directly from a script and it doesn't inspire me to want to book them as a guest."<br />
<br />
Take that in for a second. Imagine you're a business and you've hired a large PR firm to manage your account and get you some quality earned media coverage. You would expect this large, experienced firm to make quality pitches on your behalf. You would hope they would craft your message, release and pitch, target appropriate media outlets and individuals in those outlets and bring some passion to the effort.<br />
<br />
Instead, what normally happens is the firm sends out a media blast to every conceivable newsroom, puts together a pitch script, hands a list of newsrooms to call to the account manager and hopes for the best. This is a bit like throwing a bunch of stuff at a wall and seeing what sticks. It may generate some results, you might even get a couple of hits, but the money spent for the results will likely end in disappointment.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Advantage, small business:</b></span><br />
<br />
This is where small businesses and non-profits often have an advantage over the larger firms, particularly if you're handling your own PR. In a word, you bring passion to the table, and that passion can often be the difference between a successful pitch and a failed one.<br />
<br />
Granted, you probably don't have as much time to devote to your PR efforts as a large firm who has either an in-house staff or can afford to hire a firm to focus on pitching. But let's face it, you don't need a large firm. You're not necessarily looking for national media exposure. For most small businesses and non-profits, you're going to get much more of a bounce from your local media than an article in USA Today or the CBS Evening News. <br />
<br />
Outside of the fact that national news outlets are losing viewers and readers at an alarming rate, your potential customers are tuning into local newscasts to find out what is happening in their immediate area. That's not to say that a mention on a national news outlet or magazine wouldn't be nice, but given the time you'll spend to get that mention, you're better served focusing on your local outlets instead.<br />
<br />
This brings us back to why your PR efforts can often be more successful than those of a large firm. You know the area, you know the audience, you know the trends of the local newsrooms. Heck, you might even know a few of the local journalists. You can often do a better job at targeting local newsrooms, editors, reporters and producers than the larger firms. But the one thing that you offer that the larger firms usually don't is passion. <br />
<br />
You know your product, service or business better than anyone. It is what you do, it is your lifeblood it is why you get up in the morning. Who better to make your pitch, then, than you.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tips for the phone call:</b></span><br />
<br />
With that said, there are some things you can do to increase success when it comes to making your phone call pitch. Keep this in mind, it is very rare to make a cold call phone pitch and have a newsroom pick up your story. In almost every instance, it is always a better idea to send an email release and pitch letter beforehand. Then you make your follow up phone calls to try and close the deal. When making that phone call, remember these tips:<br />
<blockquote><b>1. Be natural</b> - It's okay to write out a script if you really need it. But it's usually better to simply list the important points of your pitch. Reading from a script can drain the passion you naturally have for your story.<br />
<b>2. Practice</b> - For most, making a pitch is not something that comes easily or naturally. You have to practice your pitch to make it sound natural. Record yourself and play it back. Do it over and over in front of a mirror until you feel comfortable with it. Then make the pitch to a friend or colleague and get their feedback.<br />
<b>3. Be prepared</b> - If you're lucky, the journalist will be interested in your pitch. If this happens, you have to be prepared for them to ask you questions. You might get through your pitch just fine, but if you falter when they ask you questions, you're going to ruin your chances. <br />
<b>4. Be conversational</b> - Anyone who has taken a public speaking course has heard this a million times, but it matters. You don't want to be stiff or awkward. Yes, you're going to be nervous, that's okay. But you still have to be able to talk about your story in a way that interests them. I still get nervous when I make my phone call pitches, and I've been doing this for years. I simply remind myself that I'm pitching a good story and that journalists always want to hear a good story. That puts me at ease. Instead of thinking that I'm being a pest, I approach it as if I'm providing a service, actually being of help, to a newsroom.<br />
<b>5. Be confident</b> - Don't apologize for taking up their time and don't apologize for calling them to pitch your story. Be confident in your pitch. You've already sent them information, so in most cases, they'll already be familiar with your story. You simply have to remind them of the email you sent and then explain why your story would be good for their audience to see or hear. <br />
<b>6. Get to the point</b> - As we've said before, journalists don't have a lot of time to spend listening to phone pitches. When you make your phone call, let them know who you are and why you're calling. In some cases they'll remember your email. If they do, simply ask them if they're interested in the story and would like to schedule and interview. If they don't remember the email, they'll ask you to refresh them on the pitch. If this happens do this:<br />
<i> a. Tell them what the business is</i><br />
<i> b. Tell them immediately about the event or story</i><br />
<i> c. Mention the newspeg, let them know why this is a timely/important story</i><br />
<i> d. Explain why it's a good story for their newsroom and audience.</i><br />
<br />
You can do all of this within two or three sentences, literally 30-seconds. If you're lucky, you'll get two minutes to talk to the journalist, you have to make the most of every second.<br />
<b>7. Don't pester</b> - Let's assume that the journalist has either read your email, or has listened to your pitch and responds with a "not interested". Now you have to do a little tightrope walking. You don't want to simply give up, but you also don't want to pester them. If this happens, reiterate why it fits with a current newspeg or how it will be of interest to their audience. You might even ask why they're not interested in the story. Make sure they know that you're asking for future reference so you can make better pitches to them down the road. Most of the time the journalist will tell you. Finally, you can ask if there might be another treatment of the story that they'd be interested in. In other words, you're pitching a package piece or feture story. They might not be interested in devoting so much time and space to your story, but they might be interested in a shorter VO or a reader or a calendar listing. You're simply trying to get the outlet to run something on your story, so if you don't get the bigger treatment, then try for something smaller. After that, thank them for their time and let them go. Most reporters will sit through two, maybe three follow up questions from you, but not much more. Again, remember that their time is valuable.<br />
<b>8. Be passionate</b> - This doesn't mean yelling or jumping up and down as you pitch your story. What it means is that you feel your story is important and that it is valuable to the newsroom. Trust me, journalists can hear if you really care about your story. If you are hesitant or blase about your story, how can you expect them to get excited over it? </blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A short story:</b></span><br />
<br />
Here's an example of how being passionate and persistent can really pay off during a follow-up phone call pitch.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TMnHCdnCAAI/AAAAAAAAAXc/6MXgCiVj91U/s1600/3060000000056684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TMnHCdnCAAI/AAAAAAAAAXc/6MXgCiVj91U/s400/3060000000056684.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I was pitching a story for Chase Bank in 2006. They were releasing their "Blink" card nationally and Denver was one of the first markets to get the card. Chase had already rolled out the card in Chicago, New York, Atlanta and Dallas before they ever got to Denver. Being fifth on the list put us behind the eight ball a bit since the story had already been covered nationally, and had been picked up at least once in both local newspapers.<br />
<br />
We initially sent out an email release announcing the release of the card locally. This made it a local story, instead of a national afterthought. It was a chance for local journalists to dive deeper into how the card works and personally ask questions of Chase Executives.<br />
<br />
Every time I made the follow up phone call, I was asked why they should spend time on a story that had already been covered several times on the national level. My simple response was this:<br />
<br />
"Over 500-thousand Colorado residents will be receiving this card and this is the first time you'll be able to talk personally with Chase executives to localize the story."<br />
<br />
In almost every case, this was enough to convince them to schedule an interview. However, I ran into a major roadblock when I started calling media outlets on the other side of the state. Editors and reporters of these smaller outlets flatly refused to cover the story. At first I was taken by surprise at the myriad of denials. after four refusals, I started to wonder why these smaller outlets weren't interested. I had tried the new technology aspect and even wondered if it was just a matter of limited time on the broadcasts or space in the newspapers. <br />
<br />
During my sixth call, while talking to the editor of the Idaho Springs paper, I asked him why he wasn't interested. He answered that Chase had no banks in his area and therefore the story had no impact with his readers. I immediately kicked myself for not thinking of this earlier and then addressed his concern.<br />
<br />
I mentioned that Chase DID have branches on the Western Slope of Colorado, only they weren't called Chase, they had a different names such as Wachovia, National and Western, all of which I knew WERE located on the Western Slope as well as Idaho Springs. I mentioned that thousands of residents in his area would be receiving the card in the initial statewide rollout. More than that, several other banks would be rolling out similar cards in the upcoming year, meaning many more of his readers would be impacted by the "Blink" card or cards just like it.<br />
<br />
After a short pause, the editor asked if I knew exactly how many Western Slope residents would be getting the card. I told him I'd get that information within an hour and get right back to him. After hanging up, I found out that nearly 60-thousand residents would be getting the card and called him right back. Within minutes I had booked an interview, and started calling back the newsrooms that had refused the story earlier. Armed with my new information and knowing that it was good story, I managed to book all of those previous denials and went on to book several more outlets on the Western Slope.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Lesson Learned:</b></span><br />
<br />
This pitch was very successful because I was passionate about the story. I KNEW it was a good story and that it had a place in newscasts and newspapers across the state. I also did not just give up when I was given a denial. I asked a simple question and received a simple answer to which and could respond. We also did not simply blast out our press release. We targeted key media outlets and key individuals in those outlets. This saved us time from having to call every single outlet in the state and we didn't waste our time trying to explain the pitch to a journalist who simply wouldn't care about the story.<br />
<br />
As a small business owner or non-profit, you have the ability to bring that kind of passion and planning to your pitch. You don't have to get every media outlet in the state to cover your story. You can target the top outlets and make your pitch with them. The fact that you truly care about your pitch is also an advantage. Again, producers, reporters and editors can hear when you care.<br />
<br />
If you practice your pitch, be confident, to the point and prepared, your phone call pitch will always have a better chance to succeed than a larger firm that is, usually, only going through the motions. This isn't a case of David vs. Goliath, it's really more a matter of passion. You have it, they don't. Use that to your advantage and you'll find yourself doing a lot more media interveiws in the near future.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-80245124774277174292010-10-25T10:26:00.000-07:002010-10-25T10:26:58.503-07:00A Call To Action!So you have a social media campaign. You're online every day, updating your Facebook posts, Tweeting regularly, blogging every other day. You're doing everything you should be, but for some reason, your network isn't growing, hits to your website or blog remain low, your business isn't picking up like you think it should.<br />
<br />
On the other side of the coin, you've been pitching stories to your local media outlets, you haven't been getting much attention from the newsrooms, and when you do, the response hasn't been nearly as big as you'd hoped it would be.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TMW8uWCryXI/AAAAAAAAAXU/1LJ-XTVC28E/s1600/call2action.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TMW8uWCryXI/AAAAAAAAAXU/1LJ-XTVC28E/s400/call2action.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><br />
And now you're asking yourself, "What am I doing wrong?" There might be a few culprits, but chances are, your biggest mistake could be something so simple, you'll kick yourself when you find out what the answer is.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Different Kinds of Campaigns:</b></span><br />
<br />
Before we go forward, let's take a moment to go over a couple of things. First, take a look at your message. Is it clear? Is it concise? Is it memorable? Second, and this is important, ask yourself what kind of goals are you communicating to your readers, viewers, friends and followers?<br />
<br />
<b><u>There are really two kinds of social media and PR campaigns:</u></b><br />
<br />
<i>1. An Awareness Campaign</i><br />
<i>2. A Call To Action Campaign</i><br />
<br />
If you own a small business or non-profit, one of the most important decision you'll make as you create and plan your efforts is to decide what kind of campaign you want to run. Do you want to simply raise awareness of your organization or of a your cause? Or do you want to motivate potential customers or donors to frequent your business or donate to your charity?<br />
<br />
Depending on what your goals are, you'll end up running completely different types of campaigns. If you want to motivate people, then running an awareness campaign is going to net you very disappointing results. Let's take a look at how the two efforts differ.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Raising Awareness:</b></span><br />
<br />
If you're simply running an awareness campaign, then your work is relatively simple. Like a call to action effort, one of the first things you want to do with an awareness campaign is to get your platforms up and begin linking to as many groups, friends and followers as possible. By doing this, you immediately have the ability to expose your organization to hundreds, thousands, potentially tens of thousands of new sets of eyes.<br />
<br />
Once you've done this, your biggest goal is to continually grow your network as much as possible. In order to do this, you have to provide content that is both interesting and shareable. Your links, your posts, your photos and videos must be appealing to the audience you're trying to reach. If they are, your links will be shared and, hopefully, your efforts will begin to draw attention from others that have received a shared link from one of your followers.<br />
<br />
If you're trying to raise awareness, much of your content will contain information that is crucial to your efforts. We'll get into some of the best ways to run an awareness campaign in our next post, but if all you want to do is raise awareness of your organization or cause, then most of your work will deal with constantly posting information that is both entertaining and informative. Kind of like news. You want sets of eyes to see your material and log into your platforms. In order to do this you have to focus on the content. Do this, and your awareness effort will have a great chance to succeed.<br />
<br />
This is why non-profits do so well in the social media realm. If your major goal is to simply get folks to see you, to become aware of a cause, then all you really need to do is put something online and then work to distribute your content to as many sets of eyes as possible. You're trying to educate. Your biggest hurdle is getting it in front of folks and then making the content as interesting as possible so they take the time to read what you posted. If you can get others involved in your cause you can build your network, and your non-profit awareness campaign will take off. But what if you need to actually get others to DO something other than just read your material? Then what you need is something a little extra. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Motivate, Motivate, Motivate:</b></span><br />
<br />
But let's assume for a moment that you don't just want to let people know that you exist, or tell folks about a particular cause you're interested, but you really, truly want or NEED to motivate the public to begin buying your wares, using your service or donating to your cause. What kind of campaign do you need to run then? Simply put, you need a "Call To Action" campaign. And while there are some similarities to an awareness campaign, there is one primary difference; and that difference is right in the name.<br />
<br />
A "call to action" campaign implies exactly what it say, you give people a REASON for actually getting out of their house and down to your doorstep. But in order to do this, you have to offer more than cute phrases, interesting information, funny videos or catchy slogans.<br />
<br />
Whether you're involved in a social media campaign or a PR effort, you have to make people want to participate in your venture, whether it's a small business or a non-profit. One of the most common questions I get is "how do I motivate people online?" Surprisingly, there's a pretty common answer.<br />
<br />
If you own a small business, think about how you normally motivate customers and potential customers to frequent your business. You run specials, you offer sales, you organize contests. No matter how much technology changes how we do business, the fact is, people want to feel like they're getting a bargain. This has been true since folks began trading beads for food millennia ago, and it holds true today.<br />
<br />
Why change what works? The biggest difference in social media and PR isn't what you're offering, it's the method of communication that has changed. Before mass media, you would depend on word of mouth. As times changed, businesses began using newspapers and billboards and eventually moved to radio and TV ads.<br />
<br />
As you know, advertising can be expensive, and often small businesses and non-profits can't afford to buy quality advertising to raise awareness or motivate the public. This is why social media and PR has been such a boon for small businesses and non-profits. It allows you to spread the word, raise awareness and motivate without having to spend thousands of dollars on advertising.<br />
<br />
But even though the venue might have changed, the basic tactics of motivating the public remains, essentially, the same.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Give 'Em A Reason:</b></span><br />
<br />
It doesn't matter if it's a Faceook post or a TV interview, if you're running a call to action campaign, one of your primary messages needs to be that by going to your store, they're getting something special. Here are a few tips to appeal to potential customers or donors:<br />
<blockquote><b>1. Offer a bargain</b> - This could be a sale, a two-for-one deal, a discount offer. Something that will make them feel like they are getting a deal they can't find anywhere else.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>2. Make them feel special</b> - One of the most effective techniques to motivating others is to make them feel like they are getting something totally unique to your business, something they can't find at other stores. <br />
<br />
<b>3. Make it time sensitive</b> - Let's face it, if you know you can go to Wall-Mart at any time to buy that cheap video game, then you're less likely to get up off your couch to run down and get that game. But if that game is only for sale for three days, then you know you HAVE to run down and buy it while it's on sale. Consumers need to know that if they wait too long, they'll miss out on a great deal. Only then will they be motivated enough to actually beat down your door.<br />
<br />
<b>4. Be transparent</b> - This is primarily for non-profits. When folks donate to a cause, they want to know exactly what their money is going for. Is most of it being eaten up by adminstrative costs? By telling folks what their money goes to, the public will feel better about donating.<br />
<br />
<b>5. Tell a story</b> - Again, this is primarily for non-profits. Tell a story that pertains to the cause the pulls on the heartstrings and really clarifies the need of those involved with the cause. Those late night commercials featuring suffering African children is a great example. There is a sense of urgency that kids are dying while you wait, and it lets you know exactly what your money is going to do to help.</blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Not A Commercial:</b></span><br />
<br />
Oddly, one of the things that really irritates a lot of folks is being sold online. In other words, you don't want your Facebook, Twitter or Blog postings to be simple advertisements. You still want to post interesting and informative content. But at the same time, you want to let them know that you're having a sale and that the sale is for a limited time only.<br />
<br />
How to do this without turning people off? It can be tricky, for sure. But without a call to action, your posts will simply become informative and, essentially, an extension of an awareness campaign. <br />
<br />
<u><b>Here are some examples of some great call to action posts as part of a social media campaign:</b></u><br />
<blockquote><i>"Wouldn't your wife love a night of passion? Why wait until Valentines Day to give her flowers. Say 'I love you' just because. Gerry's Flowers is offering half off on all rose bouquets and arrangements this weekend only!"</i><br />
<br />
<i>"Protect your family this winter. Make sure your car is ready for that first snowfall. All month long Frank's Auto is offering $30 winterizing for you car..."</i></blockquote>Do you see a pattern? You're giving people a reason to get down to your business. And it's not just because of the sale or special, you're appealing to something more personal, something that impacts their daily lives. Simply posting something on Facebook that says, "Half off all bouquets" won't be as effective as letting them know WHY they need to buy that half-off bouquet.<br />
<br />
Just like an awareness campaign, you still need to grow your network and raise awareness of your organization. But in order to motivate your friends or followers, you'll need that extra call to action aspect that will actually get feet in the door.<br />
<br />
The PR side of a call to action campaign is a little trickier, primarily because newsrooms don't want to be seen as advertisers for a particular business. Non-profits have more success in this arena since generally your call to action is getting folks to donate, attend an event or become involved in a cause. You're not selling anything, so your call to action during an interview can be much more effective, yet you still need to create urgency, tell a story and let folks know that their money is going to be impactful for a good cause.<br />
<br />
In the end, if your efforts aren't as successful as you'd hoped they'd be, chances are you're not running the right kind of campaign for the goals you have set. Go back and take a look at the kinds of posts your putting up on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog.<br />
<br />
If you don't have a call to action, you're not motivating. If you're not motivating, you're not going to grow your business or network. And that is always going to be frustrating and disappointing to any small business or non-profit.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-1159120011765443842010-10-14T01:19:00.000-07:002010-10-14T01:19:16.300-07:00Give 'Em A Break...It's that time of year again. The leaves are falling, the weather takes on a slight chill, footballs are flying and every pitch in baseball takes on major importance. In Colorado, snow-making machines are working overtime in the rush to get skiers on the slopes as soon as possible. Yep, it's election time again and that means only one thing...stressed-out journalists.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TLa85gIj29I/AAAAAAAAAXM/fru61pW8hwY/s1600/ballot-box-election.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TLa85gIj29I/AAAAAAAAAXM/fru61pW8hwY/s400/ballot-box-election.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I spent fifteen years working as a journalist and I can tell you, this is never a fun time of year. Reporters, producers and editors have been spending months, literally, preparing for one night in early November. By preparing, I'm talking about hours upon hours of reading bills and proposals and municipal codes, not to mention candidate resumes, speeches, background checks and press releases from a multitude of political groups across the spectrum.<br />
<br />
I haven't even touched on the hours spent designing graphics, setting up logistics for coverage, such as who will be at the different headquarters, arranging live shoots, creating a schedule, building rundowns and...well, you get the idea. A LOT of work goes into election night coverage...a lot.<br />
<br />
Never mind the pressure to get all the facts right on election night as the results being flowing in, and pressure from management to get the big scoop, nail down the big interviews and do it all in such a way that doesn't go overbudget, over-time and in an entertaining fashion that will attract the most viewers.<br />
<br />
As you can guess, all that work and no play makes journalists cranky. The last thing they need is someone constantly bugging them with a story that, while interesting, simply has no place in their already crowded rundowns.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Practice Patience:</b></span><br />
<br />
We've discussed timing in this space before, and this is one of those times where the more you are aware of what is going on around you, the better off you will be when pitching your story. Perhaps the most important thing I've pitched with clients during election season is to practice patience when dealing with newsrooms and reign in their coverage expectations.<br />
<br />
The fact is, if your story doesn't have some kind of political slant, it's unlikely you're going to get much, if any, coverage on your local newscast or in your daily papers. This doesn't mean you should take a month off and simply throw up your hands in frustration during October and early November. There ARE some things you can do to increase your chances of garnering earned news coverage, but remember, you have to plan it right, time it right, write it right, and have a little luck as well.<br />
<blockquote><u><b>1. Be Relevant</b></u><i> - If you're pitching a story, try and find an angle that is political in nature, especially if there is a bill or proposal or particularly heated race. Your best bet is to find a story involving your organization that relates in some way to the big political races. This will offer journalists a different angle to a story they're probably already bored covering.</i><br />
<br />
<u><b>2. Pitch Early</b></u><i> - As election day grows closer, rundowns begin to fill up with fewer and fewer feature stories due to election coverage. If you have a story you'd like to wedge in during October, make your pitch in late September or early October. If you wait until the last week of October, you're chances decrease significantly.</i><br />
<br />
<u><b>3. Be Personal</b></u><i> - This is the time of year when personal relationship can be a real help. It won't guarantee that you'll get coverage, but at least you'll have someone carrying the flag for your story during the daily newsmeetings. Even in newsrooms where you don't really have strong personal relationships, you can improve your chances by personally addressing your release to individuals reporters, producers and editors. One final note: instead of emailing your release, personally hand-deliver your release to each newsroom if possible. Again, this won't guarantee coverage, but trust me, these journalists are being indundated, overwhelmed in some cases, by emails pitching stories, both political and non-political. If they have something solid, in their hands, that they can peruse on their desk, it's harder to simply overlook. Your release may sit on their desk for a bit, but it will be there, reminding them of a story that might be news-worthy later on. </i></blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Other Tips:</b></span><br />
<br />
Another thing to keep in mind is scheduling. One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is scheduling events in the middle of October and early November. Every other year, this is generally fine. However during election years, it means you'll be fighting an uphill battle for coverage. <br />
<br />
This leads me to time-sensitive stories. Your best bet when pitching a story so close to an election is to try and make it as least time-sensitive as possible. If you pitch a story that absolutely has to be covered within a small window of time, you are severely limiting your chances. If a newsroom can't find time or resources to cover your story in that time-span, your story will simply be tossed away with no chance to get coverage after the fact. However, if your story has some relevance before the elections, and will still be relevant or interesting AFTER the elections, you set yourself up for being part of an election follow-up story, or be part of the first wave of post-election stories. <br />
<br />
But let's assume you either HAVE to pitch a story, or simply feel like you have a great story and don't want to wait a few weeks. In this case, follow the above tips to get your release into the hands of key newsroom players. Then, be tactful and smart when it comes to the follow-up. What you do AFTER you get the release to the newsroom will be the difference between getting your story on the air or in print and being completely ignored.<br />
<blockquote><i>1. Let's assume you walked your release into the newsroom. Your next step is to wait a day or two and follow with an email. Make it short and to the point. Remind them who you are, what your story is and make your request for coverage. Let them know that you are flexible and available.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>2. If you still haven't heard back from them, wait another day or two and give them a phone call. Chances are, you won't reach the individual and will instead get their voice mail. If you DO get their voicemail, again, keep it short, and follow the same instructions as above. If you happen to get a live person, do the same thing as above with a couple of important changes: A) If they politely decline covering your story, don't argue with them. You can point out how your story applies to the current political coverage (if it's relevant) and if they still aren't interested, thank them for their time, remind them that your story will still be relevant AFTER elections and that you'd love to talk about the story after the election dust has settled.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>3. Follow up with an email a few days later. After you've left a message on their voicemail or chatted with them directly, send an email, thanking them for taking time to consider your story. Again, keep it short and remind them that your story will still be relevant and interesting after the elections. Thank them for the work they are doing as part of their election coverage and let them know that you understand the pressures they are under. Keep it professional and flattering. They will like the fact that you aren't pestering them too much and respect the fact that you understand the situation. You STILL may not get any coverage, even after the elections are done, but they will remember you the next time you pitch and this, my friends, is how you begin to build relationships with journalists.</i></blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Patience, Grasshopper:</b></span><br />
<br />
In the end, while you don't have to lower your expectations, you may have to adjust them, at least temporarily, while newsrooms focus on the elections. It's perfectly okay to pitch your stories, it's NOT okay to make demands on journalists, despite how good your story may be. Journalists are like elephants...they remember everything. If you pester and cajole and argue, you will become persona-non-grata. Yes, we know that journalists are supposed to be subjective, but they are human, and if you make their lives miserable when they're already overworked, they will make you pay for it later.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Find Opportunity:</b></span><br />
<br />
This time of year is also a great way to go the other direction and try to make their lives easier. If you are a massage therapist, or dry-cleaning service, restaurant, bar, whatever you do, if you can provide a service to your local newsroom, by all means, offer it. Some journalists will take you up on a round of free drinks for local journalists, some won't. <br />
<br />
If you don't want to deal with that hassle, simply order pizzas and have them delivered to the newsroom in your name. You can do the same thing with breakfast burritos, beer, donuts, anything that will make their lives a little easier while they are slaving away preparing for and covering the elections.<br />
<br />
Like always, there's no guarantee this will garner you coverage, but at the very least, they will remember you. Even though you might not get much, if any, response to your pitch this time of year, you can still use the elections as an opportunity to build relationships with local journalists. And that is the kind of campaigning that can really pay off for you in the future.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-26143767258216320652010-10-05T22:53:00.000-07:002010-10-05T22:53:52.526-07:00Five Reasons Why Your Social Media Campaign Didn't WorkNot long ago I posted an entry that received a great deal of interest. If you missed it, it was, "Five Reasons Why Your PR Campaign Didn't Work."<br />
<br />
Well, keeping in the spirit of that entry, I've decided to post a follow-up, only this time, focused on Social Media. I know a lot of you are in the process of creating your own social media campaigns, or perhaps you've already done so and are maintaining it daily in hopes that it will drive customers to your door.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TKwOzvVaAtI/AAAAAAAAAXE/qYbdMlpmXiA/s1600/social_media_expert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TKwOzvVaAtI/AAAAAAAAAXE/qYbdMlpmXiA/s400/social_media_expert.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
But you might not be seeing the bounce you were hoping for. Maybe you're not seeing any results at all. There are a number of reasons for this, some of it requires a simple tweak on your part. However, some issues will require you to completely overhaul either your approach or your expectations.<br />
<br />
Let's take a look at the five most obvious reasons your social media campaign simply doesn't seem to be working.<br />
<blockquote><u><b>1. You're talking AT your audience, not TO them:</b></u> <br />
<i>First and foremost, social media works best when it's a conversation. Sure, platforms like Twitter work well when simply trying to exchange links and let people know what you're up to, but for real results, conversations work best. There are a number of ways to initiate a conversation, such as asking questions, or starting a thread about a particular subject of interest. You can also use social media to monitor what others are saying about your organization and respond. If youre just using your platforms to give information and not using to listen as well, you're likely not going to get as much interest from your friends or followers.</i><br />
<br />
<u><b>2. You aren't expanding your network: </b></u><br />
<i>This is a toughie for most folks since it's hard to grow a network online without actually knowing anyone. But the online communities and social media platforms allow for all kinds of connection with folks you've never met before. For instance, when you initially signed up for Twitter, you were prompted about your interests or type of business you are. Most folks skip right past this part of the sign in process, but you should go back and check it out again. It will connect you to individuals and organizations that are interested in the same things you are. Facebook has groups you can join that target your specific audience, as does LinkedIn. Blogs require a little more effort, but you can start linking to other blogs of interest and expand your blog network very easily. Sending a quick note to other blogs letting them know you're linking to them and asking them to link to you takes little time and can help you reach thousands upon thousands of new sets of eyes.</i><br />
<br />
<u><b>3. You don't have a call to action: </b></u><br />
<i>Putting information out on your Facebook and Twitter and blog pages is great. But what do you want readers to do with this information? This is key, because if all you want to do is raise awareness, then you can get away with this. But more likely you want to get people to do something specific like, go to your store, or buy a product or give money for a cause. This means you have to tell them to do it. Simply telling them that you exist isn't enough. You have to tell them to get out or get online and check out a website or drive to your store. People need to be prompted. Sometimes this means offering a special promotion, but at the very least you HAVE to tell them to do something specific in order to start seeing results.</i><br />
<br />
<b><u>4. You're being impatient: </u></b><br />
<i>Again, this is typical of most social media campaigns that don't succeed. While there are some viral campaigns that become internet superstars overnight, they are rare. A more likely scenario is that you'll establish your identity on your platforms and watch as your friends and followers grow at a steady pace. Think of it as a plant that needs to be watered and cared for in order to grow. It takes a minimum of three months online to even begin to reap visible results from a solid social media campaign. If you put up your platforms and expect customers to suddenly be beating down your door, you have to adjust your expectations. It's okay to make adjustments as you go along, but you have to be patient and give it time to really work for you. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will your social media success.</i><br />
<br />
<u><b>5. You're operating in a vacuum: </b></u><br />
<i>This is important, so listen up; Social media works best when used in combination with other marketing and public relations tools. You can build a small network by only staying on your platforms. But in order to really get the bounce you want, you have to add your pages to all of your marketing materials, you have to do some public relations to get your name out in front of the public at large and drive them to your blog or your website or your Facebook and Twitter. Every time you do a community outreach appearance, you have to let people know where to find you online. I know this sounds like simple stuff, but you might be shocked at how many organizations simply believe that by putting up a Facebook page, they'll suddenly get hoards of new customers. It just doesn't work that way. You have to combine it with an organized and targeted PR effort as well as making sure your information is viewable on every bit of marketing collateral and every time you're out in public.</i></blockquote>One final note: There are two things that you should attempt to implement into every social media campaign you do if you want to see steady growth and long term results.<br />
<blockquote><i><b>1. A call to action</b> - I mentioned this above, but this is so very important. You have to tell people what you want them to do, otherwise, it's just interesting facts that they'll read and move on from.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>2. A promotion </b>- Folks like deals. They like bargains. They LOVE it when they feel as if they know something not everyone else knows. You can offer promotions for your social media followers and believe me, those followers will tell their followers and your network will grow. Plus, a promotion is a great way to institute a call to action, i.e., "Get your FREE appetizer, only good till Friday, so come on by!"</i></blockquote>If you've been diligent in your efforts with your social media campaign, but you just aren't seeing the results you expected, take a look at the list above and ask yourself if you're guilty of committing one of those mistakes. Also realize that none of those mistakes is fatal if acted upon quickly enough. The beauty of social media is that it's ever-changing and you have the ability to make fast changes on the fly to try a new idea or correct a miscue that may be costing you potential customers. <br />
<br />
The good news is that you're already online and interacting with others in the social media environment. And that, my friends is half the battle.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-18820691935506105102010-09-10T14:50:00.000-07:002010-09-10T14:50:58.570-07:00The Confusion About PRI had an intersting discussion on Thursay that I had to pass along today. It's a conversation that I've been involved in a million times and one that I think could be the reason why so many small businesses and non-profits struggle when it comes to defining exactly what they want to do when it comes to PR.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TIqoLIFZPDI/AAAAAAAAAWw/QBKcz5QHJ_w/s1600/media_relations.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TIqoLIFZPDI/AAAAAAAAAWw/QBKcz5QHJ_w/s400/media_relations.png" width="337" /></a></div><br />
The young lady I was talking with happens to be in marketing. Marketing is one of those things that has always seemed a bit like a black hole to me. I certainly engage in marketing through my social media efforts, and I believe marketing is a valuable asset to any organization. However, marketers don't always see social media and PR as viable tools in their arsenal and therefore there has always been a disconnect between PR, social media and marketing.<br />
<br />
Case in point: The woman asked me at one point in our conversation, "What do you do?" to which I replied, "I do PR and social media for small businesses and non-profits." The blank stare I received told me everything I needed to know. She really had no idea what I did for a living. Her follow-up question was nearly as classic, "Sooooo...." she hesitated, "You send out press releases and stuff? How do you make a living at that?" <br />
<br />
Listen, I'm used to this. My entire life I've held jobs that simply didn't register for most folks. When I told people I was a producer in radio and television, many thought, "Wow, that sounds like a cool job!" And it was. Invariably, though, they would always follow up with, "What exactly does that mean? What do you DO?"<br />
<br />
I thought when I moved into PR and social media, that question would be self-explanatory. I was sadly mistaken. The fact is, most people really don't know for sure what PR means. As I thought about this conversation more and more, it dawned on me that this could be the reason why so many small business and non-profit PR efforts fail; they really don't know what PR is.<br />
<br />
Obviously, that was one of the reasons why I started this blog. It's important to know what PR is before you can begin to successfully create and implement a PR campaign. And yet, it still amazes me that for so many, PR is simply about sending out press releases. For you loyal readers, you have seen that it's much more than that. However, it's important to know that PR actually encompasses a few different areas, each one as important as the other for small businesses and non-profits.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Media Relations:</b></span><br />
<br />
When most people think about PR, this is actually what they're familiar with. The image of a PR pro is that of a person who spends their time trying to garner earned media coverage for their client. And while this is important, this is only a part of what a true public relations professional does.<br />
<br />
This aspect of PR is actually media relations and it can often be the hardest of the three tasks involved in good PR. Most of what I have written about in this space has dealt with media relations since this is the aspect that most small businesses and non-profits desire from their PR efforts. <br />
<br />
Unlike the other three areas of PR, this one requires the most experience and the most patience. This area not only involves putting together press releases, but understanding newsroom dynamics, timing, awareness of current events and a strong ability to be a good storyteller. <br />
<br />
There's a reason why the most successful media relations pro's are former journalists. They have spent time in the trenches and understand instinctively how newsrooms operate and how best to pitch a story. If you're simply looking for someone to come in and help you get some news coverage for an upcoming event or promotion, then you should really be looking for a qualified media relations individual rather than a fully equipped PR pro.<br />
<br />
However, if you're wanting something more, something along the lines of a fully functioning and interactive PR campaign, make sure that you find someone who does more than just promise extensive news coverage. You want them to talk to you about community outreach, civic outreach, partnerships and public interaction (including online interaction). This is the person that will give you a well-rounded campaign and not one that makes a quick media splash before disappearing.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Audience:</b></span><br />
<br />
Before we move on to the other areas of PR, we need to look at the audiences you're campaign is going after. Ultimately, you want the biggest audience you can get. This is why media relations is so appealing. You can reach tens of thousands of potential customers all at once if you get a feature story in the local paper or leading 10pm newscast. But those stories are here and gone in a day or so. Unless you become a regular news darling, you're likely going to only get a single spike in your activity before thing return to normal.<br />
<br />
In PR, we're usually dividing up the audience. There's the media audience, the reporters, producers and editors we're pitching our stories to. Then there's the public audience, the ones who, ultimately you want the story to reach, and then there's the wildcard audiece. This audience can be government officials, other businesses or a specifically consumer audience. <br />
<br />
Reaching each of these different audiences is best done through different venues. A good media relations person knows how to best reach the media audience. They know how to speak their language and convince them that your story is worth reporting on. And of course, they're using the media to get your story and your message out to the second audience, the public at large. They can even utilize specialty media to reach your wildcard or targeted audience. But a good PR pro realizes that even the best placed news story only give so much bounce. There are other methods that need to be used in order to really make your PR campaign successful.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Community Outreach:</b></span><br />
<br />
This is an area of PR that often gets overlooked, but it's so vitally important, that without it, your campaign is doomed to failure. What is community outreach? It's very simple, it's getting out into the community and doing something visible, something impactful, something people will remember. This could be as simple as setting up a booth at a local fair, or as complicated as setting up a travelling show that goes from neighborhood to neighborhood to tell folks what you're all about.<br />
<br />
In the end, though, the purpose of community outreach is simply to get out in front of the public, potential customers or "stakeholders" as they're often called in PR circles. Whatever you do, you need to make sure you are out in the community and visible. This not only reinforces whatever media coverage you've received, but it also puts a human face on your organization. <br />
<br />
As with the media relations aspect, community outreach also has a media component to it. Whereas media relations uses the media to get your message out to the public at large, an effective community outreach program can carry your message to the media. If you want to raise awareness of famine in Africa and you use a powerful community outreach program to visually get your message across, you can stage your event on the steps of the capitol and find yourself surrounded by a handful of television cameras and reporter microphones.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Partnerships:</b></span><br />
<br />
We've spent some time talking about partnerships before, but this is a third, very important aspect of quality PR. A good PR pro is always looking for ways to leverage your strengths and shore up your weaknesses. This area often falls on the shoulders of the organization's willingness to join forces. I've worked with clients who were dead set against partnering with any other organizations. This was a mistake in my opinion, but the decision was theirs, not mine, to make.<br />
<br />
Partnerships certainly have some cons involved, most obvious is the fact that you suddenly have more chefs in the kitchen and you do lose a little of the autonomy that comes with handling your campaign completely by yourself. But I believe the pro's outweigh the con's in most instances.<br />
<br />
First, a good partnership opens up your organization to an entirely new audience. You suddenly aren't just talking to folks who might already be aware of you, but you're talking to an audience that might not have ever heard of you. More importantly, you're reaching these new potential customers through a source that these new folks already trust. It's a bit like reading about a new restaurant from a newspaper critic who you don't know, or having a longtime friend tell you about a new restaurant. The critic may love the place, but your longtime friend may have gone there and hated it. Who do you think you'll listen to? That's right, the person you know, the friend who's word you value more than some third party who you don't know.<br />
<br />
Partnerships also build your public persona as a whole. In other words, you get the recognition from your own efforts, but then you also get recognition from the efforts of your partner. In essence, you double the impact of your campaign. Of course, you partner is doing the same. <br />
<br />
Partnerships can also help shore up any weaknesses your campaign or organization might have in terms of media relations or community outreach. Let's say your organization is great at getting media coverage, but lacks the kind of community outreach impact you'd really like. Your best bet is to find a partner that is killer when it comes to community outreach, but might not have the same media relations reach that you do. This kind of partnership can help shore up the weaknesses of both organizations.<br />
<br />
Of course, a quality PR pro goes about finding the right kind of partner for your organization. They do the research, they find potential partners, either in business or government circles that not only have similar goals, but also have the right cultural fit as well. Then they work with both organizations to increase the reach of your message and media relations and community outreach efforts.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Final Note:</b></span><br />
<br />
In the end, a PR pro wears a lot of different hats. What you get out of your PR campaign really has more to do with what your goals are than what kind of PR pro you bring in. For most small businesses and non-profits, you can't afford to bring in an agency to handle your campaigns. You MIGHT, however, be able to afford to bring on a consultant to help with the efforts that you have probably already began.<br />
<br />
If you do this, be sure you have your goals well defined. Do you want more media relations? Do you want to focus on community outreach? Ideally, organizations would be able to handle their community outreach efforts and then only need to bring in a consultant to handle their media relations. However, be aware that all aspects of PR work in concert with each other. Whatever you do, you have to make sure that your media relations, your community outreach and your partnership efforts are all working towards the same goal with the same message. If each one is working separately, it doesn't matter how well you execute your plan, it will still be doomed to fail.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-36632472021154687932010-09-08T15:02:00.000-07:002010-09-08T15:02:00.884-07:00How Social Media Impacted a Local DisasterOn Labor Day, 2010, many of us spent the day barbecuing, enjoying the great outdoors, or simply recovering from the long holiday weekend. However for thousands living in and around Boulder, Colorado, Labor Day meant something very different.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TIgHsEAaLFI/AAAAAAAAAWo/pmN--stXli0/s1600/fire-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TIgHsEAaLFI/AAAAAAAAAWo/pmN--stXli0/s400/fire-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
As a fire ripped through Four Mile Canyon above Boulder, fear was the predominant emotion as families ran for their lives from a forest fire that destroyed homes and changed lives forever. <br />
<br />
We've all seen how social media has emerged as a player in regional and national disasters. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and other platforms have been able to deliver information, photos, video and details in the aftermath of earthquakes, tsunami's and mudslides across the world. <br />
<br />
But as the fire continued to grow and rampage on Monday and into Tuesday, social media became more than just a way for those living in an around the impacted area to report on what they were seeing or feeling. It also became an invaluable tool for officials to help keep the media and the public informed, coordinate services and save lives in the process.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.lostremote.com/2010/09/07/twitter-social-media-boulder-fire/"><b>An illustration of this can be seen from a recent post on the lostremote website:</b></a><br />
<blockquote><i>When the Boulder Sheriff’s emergency alert system <a href="http://cbs4denver.com/news/everbridge.notification.system.2.1901207.html">failed</a>, its emergency operations center asked that residents use Twitter and Facebook to help spread the word of mandatory evacuations, <a href="http://c1n.tv/boulder/blog/?p=1590">reports</a> the Boulder Channel 1 Blog. The hashtag <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23boulderfire">#boulderfire</a> has become a lifeline of sorts for many looking for the latest information on the fire, as well as people and <a href="http://twitter.com/picasboulder/status/23247984837">businesses</a> offering to help evacuees.</i></blockquote>Twitter played a huge role in this effort, as did Facebook and other social media platforms. As the fire grew in intensity and size throughout Monday, thousands who lived in the area begain taking photos and reporting on what they were seeing and feeling. Information was coming in from folks who were literally facing devastation as the fire crept towards their homes, from people who lived in Boulder and could see and feel the impact of the fire. Friends and family of those directly impacted by the fire constantly updated their Twitter and Facebook feeds as they received information from loved ones.<br />
<br />
I shot this photo from my mother's house about eight miles outside of Boulder.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TIgGyRK5oFI/AAAAAAAAAWg/zIgntE2JLs0/s1600/firephoto.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TIgGyRK5oFI/AAAAAAAAAWg/zIgntE2JLs0/s400/firephoto.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Information was everywhere. Newsrooms were using tweets and updates from those in the path of the fire to get up to the minute eye witness reports. Emergency responders were updating the situation as they tried to hold back the flames and public officials used social media to coordinate services as you can see from these shots from a Boulder Emergency Services website and from the KCNC news website.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TIgGWvytMYI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/2_wG77lh3mY/s1600/epic2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TIgGWvytMYI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/2_wG77lh3mY/s400/epic2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TIgGaq4_fzI/AAAAAAAAAWY/frU-VaAnEOs/s1600/kcnc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TIgGaq4_fzI/AAAAAAAAAWY/frU-VaAnEOs/s400/kcnc.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
In total, social media came through it all with flying colors, proving once again, that it not only serves as a depository of fun and entertainment, but also as a valuable resource when it really matters.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4974954122974482563.post-44518999937927497822010-09-01T00:40:00.000-07:002010-09-01T00:40:29.079-07:005 Reasons Why Your Press Release Didn't WorkI've spent a lot of time in this space talking about all of the little things that can make the difference between a successful PR push and one that ends in miserable failure. Hopefully you have been following along and have learned some valuable lessons without actually having to, you know, go out and make the kinds of mistakes that rookie PR pro's make every day.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TH4DOzf95GI/AAAAAAAAAWI/t7awMB7G748/s1600/IMG_0510-1024x768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_p7gPRhyBJ1k/TH4DOzf95GI/AAAAAAAAAWI/t7awMB7G748/s400/IMG_0510-1024x768.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
We've discussed building relationships, crafting your story, making the follow up phone call, writing your release and timing your efforts. We've covered just about everything from A to Z. There are still a ton of tricks to be revealed and insight that will help you succeed in getting your story covered by a local news outlet. But in the end, good PR comes down to some very simple techniques that, if followed, increase your chances of earning news coverage. <br />
<br />
I don't do this very often, but I want to share with you an article written by an actual reporter working in an actual newsroom that discusses some of the major mistakes all PR pro's make when pitching a news story. The article comes from the website, "Localnewser.com" and I think it is one of the best written articles about why some stories get covered and others don't. <br />
<br />
In a rare move, I'm going to paste the entire article here, because I think it's that valuable. I'll have some analysis after the article and some insight into why these five issues matter so much. In the meantime, read this article, take it in, and then re-read it just so it's ingrained in your mind. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Five Reasons Why Your Release Failed:</b></span><br />
<blockquote><i>So you spent all that time crafting the perfect news release and—full of confidence and high hopes of massive news coverage and a satisfied client—you sent out your releases.</i> <br />
<i>And zippo. Something went wrong. Systems failed. The news trolls (like me) somehow missed the chance to make you happy.</i><br />
<i>But why? Why would a reporter read a solidly written news release with a beefy story to back it up <em>and not jump at the chance to do a story</em>--a minute and a half on the local news or a few inches of copy in the local paper?</i><br />
<i>Here are five common reasons why:</i> </blockquote><blockquote><i><span id="more-1964"></span></i> <br />
<i><strong>1. You Didn’t Make Me Feel Special</strong></i><br />
<i>We just got off on the wrong foot, that’s all. I’m an overworked reporter and my feelings are very, very easily hurt. I was interested when I saw that you’d sent me a possible story (<em>you thought of me!</em>) and then, quickly, I realized you hadn’t truly thought of me at all. I was just a number to you.</i><br />
<i>The “Dear Mark” on your cover letter proceeds to suggest that a story I might do—and remember, I’m a <em>television</em> reporter—would be of interest to my “readers.” My <em>what?</em> I don’t have readers. This isn’t a personal letter—it’s a mass mailing. My feelings just got hurt and for better or worse, you’ve started to lose my interest. Now I’m not looking for a way to do the story, I’m thinking of how many other reporters have the same release in their hands. It feels far less special. It feels like wire copy to me now.</i><br />
<i>Recently, I got an email early on a weekday, tipping me to a potential story. It was fantastic, because I was about to walk into the morning editorial meeting, where reporters are called upon to have story ideas. I <em>hate</em> not having story ideas. So your email was perfectly timed. I felt good. I felt good about <em>you thinking of me</em>. And I was ready to pitch your story.</i><br />
<i>Then I got into the meeting and another reporter pitched your story. In fact, <em>everybody</em> had gotten your email. I didn’t feel so good about you after that. And for that matter, I was even tempted to bust on the story when the other reporter brought it up. Instead of making me feel special, you made me feel ordinary and I decided to work against your story, instead of for it. <em>Yeah, she's been shopping that thing around to everybody...</em></i> </blockquote><blockquote><i><strong>2. I Was Ready, but You Weren’t</strong></i><br />
<i>Okay, so you got me. I read the release and I thought it would make a good story. And my producers (or editors, at a paper) agreed with me. If I’m a television reporter, I may even have been assigned to a newscast immediately—<em>they wrote your story on the newsroom's assignments board in dry erase marker, which is as good as it gets! </em> Pending breaking news, you’re a lock!</i><br />
<i>And so I called you. I said we wanted to get interviews and shoot some video and do a live report at noon—basically, we needed to go directly from the television station to you, so that we could have a story ready to air in less than three hours.</i><br />
<i>And you said “<em>today?</em>”</i><br />
<i>Yes. Today. In fact, <em>now</em>. In broadcast and print, when that release goes out, you better be ready to jump. If you mention an executive who has news, he’d better be ready to do interviews immediately. If you mention a new cattle-combing machine, it’d better be in town, up and running, and ready for cameras.</i><br />
<i>If you say, “let me make some calls,” I have to go to the producer of the noon newscast and throw cold water on my own story. “<em>Hey, looks like it’s not as much of a go as I thought. Sorry. This might not happen for noon after all.”</em></i><br />
<i>Now the noon newscast producer doesn’t like me anymore, and the executive producer wants to know why the story didn’t make the show. When something falls through, news producers don’t think, “<em>okay, cool, we’ll do it tomorrow.</em>” They think, “<em>okay, it’s dead. What else do we have?</em>”</i> </blockquote><blockquote><i><strong>3. You Buried the Lead</strong></i><br />
<i>Look. I’m in a newsroom that’s about three-quarters the size it was just two years ago. Some of my friends lost their jobs and nobody’s been hired and I have to work a lot harder than I used to. I’m not quite as happy with my job as I used to be, and I’m a bit cranky about that. Short tempered. Irritable. I’m also forced to work fast and I don’t have a lot of time to chat or read.</i><br />
<i>So your news release—the one your client <em>finally</em> approved—well, it was just too long and too boring for me. It had all the stuff the client wanted in there, all that corporate stuff, but I just read the first two paragraphs and didn’t see a story. It didn't jump off the page and scream <em>why are you sitting there? You're missing a great story!</em></i><br />
<i>There was all this stuff at the top about the company and how it was responding to global this and that and how a green initiative something or other resulted in… I don’t know. I couldn’t figure out what the story was.</i><br />
<i>That’s not to say there wasn’t a story in there. But <em>it didn’t read as a story the way I report stories</em>. It read like a news release.</i><br />
<i>Put yourself in my shoes. Would you go on the news at six o’clock and have the first thing out of your mouth be the first line in your news release? Would it make any sense at all? Or would it sound like corporate blather? If the top of your news release reads corporate, and not NEWS, you stand an excellent chance of losing me. Because I’m just too damn overworked, tired, and coffee-deprived to do the work for you, sifting down to the fifth paragraph and then thinking of how to translate what you wrote into the language I use to tell stories. So I move on.</i> </blockquote><blockquote><i><strong>4. It’s Like… You Don’t Get Me</strong></i><br />
<i>I read the release and I liked it. I saw a story in there. I thought it could even be a good story. I told my bosses and they agreed with me. I probably told them all about your story in my language, describing how I’d make it into a kickass television story (or newspaper story).</i><br />
<i>So I called you. And we weren’t <em>getting</em> each other. It was trouble from the start. You see, as a television reporter I’m always thinking about who I’m going to interview and what I’m going to show. If I can't think of a way to tell that story with images, I'm probably going to think that's a story that's never getting onto the air at my television station.</i><br />
<i>Maybe it's better as a newspaper story. But newspapers like pictures (and, increasingly, video), too.</i><br />
<i>At any rate, I called you and said I wanted to do the story and you suggested that I interview your company’s PR guy in the company conference room at headquarters.</i><br />
<i>That sounded <em>horrible</em> to me and I almost gave up right there. But I said, well, the story’s about your new aircraft baggage loading device that you say will cut airline costs. So let’s meet at the baggage area, you show me the device in operation, we’ll get some great video and interview a few of the crew members who will be working on the machine—baggage handlers (you know, regular people, not spokespeople).</i><br />
<i>And you freaked. <em>Baggage area</em>? That’s going to be tough, you know, with regulations and stuff. And we’d really rather you didn’t speak with any employees.</i><br />
<i>And my story started drying up before my eyes. Because a PR guy in a fancy conference room—even with your company’s super nifty logo on the wall in chrome—bores me and gets me in trouble with my boss.</i><br />
<i>Watch my newscast and see who we interview. Do you see a lot of conference room talking heads? If you don't, then you know a story with spokespeople and handout pictures (no matter how nice your press kit is) just won't be cutting it.</i><br />
<i><em>Don’t you get me at all?</em></i> </blockquote><blockquote><i><strong>5. My Day Changed…and You Got All Offended</strong></i><br />
<i>So we agreed we had a good story here and I called and you were happy and your client was happy and we both decided to do the interviews with regular people (I know you prepped them—and that’s cool with me as long as they don’t sound like they’re reading lines) and we were going to get a look inside the factory with some great video opportunities. And then—to top it off—you said the magic words: “<em>and we’re only giving this to you</em>.”</i><br />
<i>Heaven.</i><br />
<i>And then an elementary school caught on fire. That dry erase board with all the cool stories listed? They grab the eraser sometimes when schools catch fire, or planes miss runways, or mayors turn up in handcuffs. Suddenly everybody in the newsroom’s working the same story.</i><br />
<i>And our cool factory exclusive gets scrubbed.</i><br />
<i>I call—<em>really sorry, but we’ve got breaking news</em>… and I’m hoping we can maybe do the story later in the week. (Odds are we’ll be doing a full day of follow-up coverage on the school fire tomorrow)</i><br />
<i>And you are irritated. You’ve made calls, <em>put things in motion</em>, <em>you know</em>? The company’s switching things up to accommodate the news crew and they roped off a parking place for our live truck and they've moved fast to give them everything a news crew could ask for (<em>even bottled water, for heaven’s sake!</em>) and now… you feel like you’re going to look bad.</i><br />
<i>So you say fine and hang up and you want to forget you ever pitched me the story.</i><br />
<i>But here’s the thing. I totally still like the story. I even feel bad and will argue with my bosses that we <em>need </em>to do the story.</i><br />
<i>But you took the hit with the client (don’t they know that reporters cancel all the time?) and you did damage control and pushed the story somewhere else. But the TV story never happend, and nobody ever parked the big shiny TV truck outside the factory, which would've made everybody so happy. But why?</i><br />
<i><em>I thought we had something special.</em></i></blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What This Means To You:</b></span><br />
<br />
I hope you read this in its entirety and that you took every single reason to heart. In essence this is a short recap of everything this space has tried to convey over the past year. Most of these examples are easily fixed, and yet they are the kinds of things that paid PR professionals do every day! It's understandable that you might make some of these mistakes. I mean, hey, let's face it, these faux-pas are being made by folks who are supposedly experienced PR pro's. That's their job and yet they manage to screw it up on nearly a daily basis.<br />
<br />
You have a business or a non-profit to run. How can you be expected to get everything right? The answer is, you don't. You're allowed to make mistakes, you WILL make mistakes, it's a given. Don't stress too much over the mistakes you make, they will happen. The key is to minimize the damage that those mistakes make.<br />
<br />
That's why I liked this article so much, I just HAD to post the entire thing in this space. If you follow the advice this space has given in terms of creating your story, putting together your press kit, building relationships, timing your release right and making sure your follow-up is solid, you can overcome a number of superficial mistakes. But the five reasons listed above aren't just superficial oversights. They constitute some major reasons why stories aren't covered by a local news outlet.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Let's start with #1.</b></span><br />
<br />
Like actors, I've always said that reporter have huge egos. One of the best ways to ingratiate yourself with a reporter is to play to that ego. Producers and editors don't have the kind of egos you'll find with on-air talent. You have to woo them with facts and a good story, but if you make a reporter feel special, you'll have a good chance of having them carry your story into the news meeting, which is vital to the survival of a pitched story.<br />
<br />
Here is my one quibble with this point: Unless you're pitcing a story to a reporter that you already have a relationship built with, pitching several individuals in a newsroom is actually a good strategy. I have a few individuals in the Denver media that I have very close relationships with. For instance, if I pitch the local CBS affiliate, I pitch to one person. This is a person that I have worked with for years, a person I have the utmost respect for and a person that I often run stories by to get his opinion of the pitch. When I send a pitch to that station, I send one pitch to him, so he gets it first. I give him the first shot at the story. If he doesn't want it, there are no hard feelings and I simply ask that he forward it to the desk or to others in the newsroom that might be interested in the story. <br />
<br />
However, there are a few newsrooms in the city that I don't have personal relationships established. In those newsrooms, I send my releases to three, sometimes four individuals. I send it to reporters, the desk, a producer and an executive producer. This covers my bases. If one person doesn't like the story, I have three others that might like it enough to take it into the newsmeeting. <br />
<br />
<b>Point #2:</b><br />
<br />
There is no excuse for this. I have covered this more than once in the past few months. Sending out your release is really just the beginning of your work. If you send out a release, you HAVE to be ready to step up if a reporter actually decides to cover your story.<br />
<br />
Remember, you only get one chance with a local newsroom. If you pitch a good story, and they accept it, but you're not prepared to actually follow through with a quality interview, then you're shooting yourself in the foot. Reporters and producers remember when an interview doesn't come through. And the next time you pitch a story, they'll remember that you failed them once and they'll be less likely to schedule you for another chance. If you send out a pitch, you had better make sure your schedule is cleared and you're ready to do what it takes to make sure the interview comes through.<br />
<br />
<b>Point #3:</b><br />
<br />
This is a mortal sin when it comes to pitching a story. When I taught PR to college students, one of the biggest challenges I had was breaking them of their 12 year habit of writing thesis statements and english papers. Your first sentence had better be compelling and it had better tell the story immediately. Imagine your first line as the first line of TV story or as a headline of a newspaper atricle. Once you write your first sentence or two of your release, take a moment, then go back and read it out loud. If it sounds like something that a TV story would lead with, then go with it. If it sounds like an english paper, scrap it and start over.<br />
<br />
You have to grab them with the first sentence, period. Most journalists won't read past the first paragraph, hell most won't read past the first two sentences. If you haven't captured their attention in that time, your pitch is doomed. <br />
<br />
I recently pitched a story involving homeless cats and the financial impact it has had on local taxpayers. I didn't wait until sentence number three or four to get my point across. I stated loudly and unequivocably in the first sentence: "Homeless cats in Denver are costing taxpayers over one-million annually in housing, adoption and euthanization." That's the story and that's the kind of lead that a tv producer can lead with, or a newspaper can make a headline out of.<br />
<br />
<b>Point #4:</b><br />
<br />
This point might seem tricky, but it's really not that complicated. This is an aspect that needs to be considered long before you ever send your pitch out to a newsroom. As you're writing your release, you have to consider what kind of visuals are available for your story.<br />
<br />
In fact, you should even mention the available visuals in your pitch letter. Letting journalists know what kind of visuals they have to work with can mean the difference between being covered, and being relegated to the dead list. <br />
<br />
Plus, and this is important, newsrooms don't take a story and decide to cover it hoping it will work out. They expect you to come through. The best line in the entire article was this: <i> </i><br />
<blockquote><i>When something falls through, news producers don’t think, “<em>okay, cool, we’ll do it tomorrow.</em>” They think, “<em>okay, it’s dead. What else do we have?</em>”</i></blockquote>I know this was written as part of point number 1, but it applies to point number 4 as well. If you don't have the kind of visuals a journalist is looking for, they may scrap the story and move on to another story. And this doesn't just apply to television anymore. Newspapers, radios and even magazines are using video more and more. Even if they aren't looking for great video, they'll at least want good photos. If you promise quality visuals, and you should, then you have to come through. Otherwise you'll be labelled as a person who doesn't come through and that will make any future pitches that much harder to sell.<br />
<br />
<b>Point #5:</b><br />
<br />
<br />
Finally we get to the last point. This requires that you have patience and understanding. One of the best things you can do is be amenable to change. By understanding the stress and deadlines and pressure that reporters and producers and editors are under, you'll quickly endear yourself to local journalists. <br />
<br />
Be aware that breaking news, especially on the local level, supercedes everything. If you're scheduled to be interviewed and they have to cancel, don't get upset. If you throw a fit, you don't get anything. Trust me, journalists feel bad if they have to cancel a story. They'll do everything they can to reschedule and get the story on at a future date. But if you get angry and throw a fit, they'll let your story just die. <br />
<br />
By understanding their situation, you'll build relationships and grow a rapport with journalists you'll want to work with again in the future. We've covered this in several posts here, and being respectufl of a journalists time and limits will go a long way to getting more stories covered in the future, even if it means sacrificing a story today.<br />
<br />
As a small business owner or non-profit, understanding and embracing these five tips will go a long way to making sure your story pitch succeeds. And in the end, that's what it's all about. Certainly you have work to do long before you make your first pitch, and the follow up is equally as important. But by keeping these tips in mind, you can definitely increase your chances of a pitch success. And really, in a world and an industry where there are no guarantees, that's the best you can hope for.Chris Gallegoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17972192752482571028noreply@blogger.com0