B-Roll. You hear that term a lot when you work in television. After a while it becomes just another acronym, part of the linguistic shorthand that is used to produce TV news. Things like VO and VOSOT and NATSOUND and 1-shot, wipe, CG and CG Full are simply the vernacular of TV producers, reporters and editors. For the most part, you'll never need to know what these terms mean, unless you simply want to deftly slip in NATSOUND while hosting a wine and cheese tasting party one day. And if you do, please seek help.
But B-Roll is another story completely. When it comes to the world of public relations B-Roll is a term you will use early and often. As you're putting together your pitch to the media, you have to be thinking about visuals as well as your story. Certainly photos and videos help punch up any pitch you make. But what kind of photos, what kind of video is appropriate and will help catch the attention of reporters, producers and editors?
Let's start with the basics. There are two types of video you can use while putting together your pitch or your press kit.
1. The story
2. B-Roll
The story video is pretty self explanatory. Generally, it documents an event or a day in the life of an organization. It can be used as a commercial, to help spread a message or highlight something specific about your business or non-profit.
For instance, let's say you own a massage therapy shop. You provide massage therapy, acupuncture and other forms of holistic care. You could put together a video that you can post on your site and add to your press kit that follows a customer through an acupuncture session or an aromatherapy. This could have interviews, narration, video that tells a story from beginning to end.
Here's an example of a story video that carries a message meant to express the goals of a non-profit.
The B-Roll:
Now let's take a look at B-roll. First, a definition: B-roll is video footage shot to help tell a visual story. It is generally used to cut in-between interview segments, and to run over narration.
Think about the last time you watched your local TV news. Perhaps there was a story of a car wreck, or a housefire. As the anchor or reporter described the scene and reported the facts, video was most likely being shown. This is because TV news uses a method called, "See it, Say it."
In this method, if the anchor is talking about the roof of the house being on fire, then the viewer should be seeing video of the roof being on fire. If the reporter mentions firemen rescuing a cat from burning house, then we should be seeing a fireman carrying a cat out of the house, or at the very least, see video of the cat in the fireman's arms.
As you put together your pitch, think about what visuals would go with your story. Maybe your pitch is about a local theater. You probably would want to show video of the theater itself, actors in rehearsal, bits of a show, perhaps some interviews with a director. You might even include shots of an audience entering the theater, video or your concessions, as well as some of the costumes, props and sets used in your theater.
Here is an example of B-roll shot for the Qatar Science and Technology Park:
Notice that it starts with a wide shot, then moves into more specific shots of individuals, experiments, labs and other resources. There's just not enough time to get into the mechanics and details of how to shoot award-winning video, however an old colleague of mine, Shawn Montano writes a blog devoted specifically to shooting and editing video. It's called The Edit Foundry. For more background into how to shoot professional video, click the link and check out his blog. It's worth the time.
Why B-Roll?
While I was working on a crisis communications project for Kroeger/King Soopers a few years back, one of the things we felt we had to put together video of a King Soopers pharmacy in an effort to illustrate some of the security protocols in place as well as some of the general day to day activities of the pharmacists and techs.
There were a number of reasons why we felt we had to shoot our own B-roll. First and foremost for us, was the fact that King Soopers management didn't want a number of television crews invading one of their stores to shoot video at a pharmacy. Not only would it disturb the shopping experience for some of their customers, but there are restrictions regarding what can and can't be shown in video of a pharmacy.
There was also the control aspect. King Soopers wanted to be able to have some control over the kinds of images used as part of the story that would be covered. For many small business and non-profits, that level of control and sensitivity isn't such a big issue. However there is another major reason why b-roll can be very important to your PR pitch: Time and Resources.
Newsrooms today are doing more with less. Many have slashed budgets and personnel to the bare bones. The kinds of stories local TV news used to cover aren't being covered anymore. They simply don't have the staff and videographers to cover everything. However, there are many times when newsrooms have to make tough decisions on what stories to cover and which ones to leave alone. In those instances producers will generally choose the stories that mean the least amount of work for them. Stories with complete information and b-roll will almost always be chosen over stories without those elements.
I'm not saying journalists are lazy, just severely pressed for time, and the more help you give them, the more elements to the story you assemble as part of your pitch, the more you increase your chances for success.
Finally, one of the major advantages of creating b-roll over other forms of video presentations is the time involved. You can usually shoot effective b-roll in just a couple of hours, depending on what you're shooting. You also cut down on any editing time, since you're not necessarily telling a story, you're just cutting together various video shots of your small business or non-profit.
Just a few things to keep in mind when putting together your B-roll:
1. It doesn't have to be glossy or slick. Simple video camera and video editing tools are the only things required. You're not shooting a movie, just b-roll, keep that in mind.
2. Keep it to 3 minutes or less. If it's too long, people won't watch it and producers won't take the time to go through the entire b-roll.
3. When you send your b-roll to a newsroom as part of a pitch, also send a shot sheet with time codes, so producers and editors can quickly and easily use the video in a pinch.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The almighty Newsletter
We've spent a lot of time going over all the different tools available to you in both the public relations and social media realms. And, let's be honest here, there are a TON of tools you can use, from various platforms, mobile and static, to media databases and up to the minute news and cultural updates.
We've even discussed analytics, which are vital to understanding the effeciveness and direction of your efforts. **Just a note here, there will be an in-depth understanding of analytics coming up soo, so watch for that.**
But there is one tool that has been overlooked, and not just by this blog, but by many organizations large and small; The Newsletter. Certainly there are a number of organizations, primarily non-profits that use the power of the newsletter to reach into the homes and offices of current and potential customers, volunteers and donors.
Yet, there are two issues to tackle when discussing the newsletter. First, too many small businesses don't use newsletters enough. Second, those that are using newsletters are likely not getting the most out of the tool as they could be. There's a third issue, but we'll get to that farther down.
Why use a newsletter?
Actually, the better question is, why NOT use a newsletter? Let's take a look at the advantages of a newsletter as an efective marketing and social media tool:
1. Reaches a targeted, mass audience quickly and at a low cost.
2. allows you to tell your story in a creative, entertaining and useful way.
3. You can put much more content in a newsletter than on most social media platforms
4. Significantly cheaper than other direct marketing materials/tools
Here are the cons:
1. Generally a small cost associated with newsletters (However there are some free services available)
2. Can be time consuming (Again, there are solutions to this problem as well)
You likely have a large email database built up from current customers or event attendees. What do you do with these email addresses? Many small businesses use these addresses to send out holiday greetings, notify customers of upcoming deals or sales or to simply stay in contact from time to time.
However a newsletter is a constant, regular update to the workings of your organization, including changes, sales, staff, events and community activity. Newsletters are like tiny e-zines allowing you to give useful tips and information. Which leads us to the next issue with many who use newsletters; correct content.
Make it useful:
If you already use a newsletter, take a look at it, and I mean hard. Take five minutes to read through. Does it keep your interest? Does it give information that can be used in a practical, everyday way? Does it appeal to potential new customers, donors or volunteers? Or is the newsletter simply a listing of upcoming events and news of the past month?
While a newsletter should have some information on events or changes taking place within your organization, there are better uses for your newsletter space than updates and news blurbs. This is the kind of information you can post on your website, your Facebook pages, even your blogs. Putting links into your newsletter to your other social media platforms is a great way to keep people up to date with the hard news of your organization without using valuable space.
So what SHOULD you put into your newsletter? Just like all of your other social media efforts, your content needs to be useful and entertaining. Remember, ultimately, the purpose of your newsletter, just like all of your other social media efforts, is to drive people to your primary website and, ultimately, through your doors.
One of the best ways to drive interest through newsletters is the same device you're using with the rest of social media; interaction. You want your newsletter to get readers involved. Contests, top ten lists, debates about topics of the day relating to your product or service and questions that require more than a yes or no answer.
Certainly another valuable use of your newsletter is to let readers know of upcoming events, but simply announcing an event is just like posting it to your Facebook or Twitter. It simply tells people what the event is, where and when. But a newsletter allows you to delve deeper and get to the why and how of your event. Plus, using a newsletter to post an event is a great opportunity to get interactive. Ask for input, thoughts, ideas from your readers.
The Electronic Age:
One of the major advantages a newsletter has over other direct marketing materials is that it comes in an electronic format. This means you can add video and audio to your email, something you can't do with a pamphlet or other regular mail products.
Use video to tel stories. A video slot will take up less space in your newsletter and can tell a full story in a visual, entertaining way. If your service doesn't allow you to post a video, attach a link to the newsletter with an enticing headline that will lead readers to click on it and drive them to your site.
Podcasts are another tool you can use in your newsletter that carries the content beyond most other newsletter formats. Again, this is a simple link with a short synopsis and an intriguing headline that catches your reader's interest.
These are the items that will not only make your newsletter stand out, but it will also provide useful information in an attractive and interesting format. You want your readers to loo forward to each edition of your newsletter. You want them to forward it to their friends and others. You want them to take the content you provide and link it to their blogs, their Facebooks, their Twitters.
Here are some tips small businesses and non-profits can use to make their newsletter content more interesting and useful:
• Contests - They're a great way to drive folks to your website. If you're a small business, a free meal or a percentage off or a small giveaway works. For non-profits, perhaps free paid admission or VIP position to the next event. Trust me, after years in the media, if I learned one thing it's that people love free things and they love recognition.
• Information they can't get anywhere else - People like to feel as if they have information others don't. For small businesses, this means providing information on a product or service that is unique to what you do, or that is new or that is hard to find. You are the expert in your field, show off your stuff. The same applies to non-profits. A note here...facts and figures don't get the job done. You have to show readers how the information impacts their lives, put it in context for them. If your non-profit deals with starving children in Africa, you can give facts and figures until the sun goes down, but it won't make people care. You have to give them something that triggers them emotionally, something that they can relate to, something that impacts their daily lives. You can use your newsletter to do this.
• Video and podcasts - We covered this above. It doesn't take a lot of effort, and it doesn't even need to be something you produce yourself, although that should be your first option.
• Use you links - Put your day to day update information on your website, say, in a newsroom section. Then place interesting headlines with links in your newsletter. The same holds true for staff information, profiles, etc. Sure, it's a great idea to tell the world you just got a huge grant, but, again, if you're going to make this the lead in your newsletter, it has to be something emotional, relative or impactful to your readers, not just a rah rah article.
• Use humor when appropriate - People like to laugh. It keeps people interested, it keeps people coming back. I'm not saying create a comic strip or tell jokes, but keep it light and funny when you can.
Time Constraints:
Now, let's talk time. Yes, putting a newsletter together and sending it out to your email database, can be a bit time consuming. But you can manage the time constraints with a little planning. Using programs like Constant Contact or others, you can create a template that will allow you simply plug-n-play with your content.
The next step is creating your content, writing your articles. Why not ask other experts, or others in your organization to take a stab at writing a regular article, or a guest article. This will lessen the time it takes you to write every single article, add links and post updates.
Plus, look at it this way, a newsletter comes out once a month, maybe twice, weekly if you're really ambitious. But let's say it comes out once a month. This gives you a month to put it together. And since a newsletter shouldn't be confined by breaking news or updates (it's not a daily paper) you can begin work on it way ahead of time it's scheduled to go out. Blogs, on the other hand should be updated daily, which means an hour a day or so putting in useful content regularly.
Who is Looking:
Finally, you want to know who is really looking at your newsletter. Here, again, is where analytics come in handy. Google offers a free newsletter analytic program, as do others. Most of these are free and the amount of information they give you is invaluable. The program lets you know who receives the newsletter, if they open it, and what they do with your newsletter once they DO open it.
Are they simply reading it and going away? Are they clicking on links? Are they going to your website? Knowing this info. is crucial to evaluating your newsletter efforts and will help you improve your content so it reaches the largest audience possible, just like with your website analytics.
So, fire up your laptops, take your photos, sign up with services like Constant Contact and get started on creating your newsletter. It could prove to be one of your most valuable tools in your social media toolbox.
We've even discussed analytics, which are vital to understanding the effeciveness and direction of your efforts. **Just a note here, there will be an in-depth understanding of analytics coming up soo, so watch for that.**
But there is one tool that has been overlooked, and not just by this blog, but by many organizations large and small; The Newsletter. Certainly there are a number of organizations, primarily non-profits that use the power of the newsletter to reach into the homes and offices of current and potential customers, volunteers and donors.
Yet, there are two issues to tackle when discussing the newsletter. First, too many small businesses don't use newsletters enough. Second, those that are using newsletters are likely not getting the most out of the tool as they could be. There's a third issue, but we'll get to that farther down.
Why use a newsletter?
Actually, the better question is, why NOT use a newsletter? Let's take a look at the advantages of a newsletter as an efective marketing and social media tool:
1. Reaches a targeted, mass audience quickly and at a low cost.
2. allows you to tell your story in a creative, entertaining and useful way.
3. You can put much more content in a newsletter than on most social media platforms
4. Significantly cheaper than other direct marketing materials/tools
Here are the cons:
1. Generally a small cost associated with newsletters (However there are some free services available)
2. Can be time consuming (Again, there are solutions to this problem as well)
You likely have a large email database built up from current customers or event attendees. What do you do with these email addresses? Many small businesses use these addresses to send out holiday greetings, notify customers of upcoming deals or sales or to simply stay in contact from time to time.
However a newsletter is a constant, regular update to the workings of your organization, including changes, sales, staff, events and community activity. Newsletters are like tiny e-zines allowing you to give useful tips and information. Which leads us to the next issue with many who use newsletters; correct content.
Make it useful:
If you already use a newsletter, take a look at it, and I mean hard. Take five minutes to read through. Does it keep your interest? Does it give information that can be used in a practical, everyday way? Does it appeal to potential new customers, donors or volunteers? Or is the newsletter simply a listing of upcoming events and news of the past month?
While a newsletter should have some information on events or changes taking place within your organization, there are better uses for your newsletter space than updates and news blurbs. This is the kind of information you can post on your website, your Facebook pages, even your blogs. Putting links into your newsletter to your other social media platforms is a great way to keep people up to date with the hard news of your organization without using valuable space.
So what SHOULD you put into your newsletter? Just like all of your other social media efforts, your content needs to be useful and entertaining. Remember, ultimately, the purpose of your newsletter, just like all of your other social media efforts, is to drive people to your primary website and, ultimately, through your doors.
One of the best ways to drive interest through newsletters is the same device you're using with the rest of social media; interaction. You want your newsletter to get readers involved. Contests, top ten lists, debates about topics of the day relating to your product or service and questions that require more than a yes or no answer.
Certainly another valuable use of your newsletter is to let readers know of upcoming events, but simply announcing an event is just like posting it to your Facebook or Twitter. It simply tells people what the event is, where and when. But a newsletter allows you to delve deeper and get to the why and how of your event. Plus, using a newsletter to post an event is a great opportunity to get interactive. Ask for input, thoughts, ideas from your readers.
The Electronic Age:
One of the major advantages a newsletter has over other direct marketing materials is that it comes in an electronic format. This means you can add video and audio to your email, something you can't do with a pamphlet or other regular mail products.
Use video to tel stories. A video slot will take up less space in your newsletter and can tell a full story in a visual, entertaining way. If your service doesn't allow you to post a video, attach a link to the newsletter with an enticing headline that will lead readers to click on it and drive them to your site.
Podcasts are another tool you can use in your newsletter that carries the content beyond most other newsletter formats. Again, this is a simple link with a short synopsis and an intriguing headline that catches your reader's interest.
These are the items that will not only make your newsletter stand out, but it will also provide useful information in an attractive and interesting format. You want your readers to loo forward to each edition of your newsletter. You want them to forward it to their friends and others. You want them to take the content you provide and link it to their blogs, their Facebooks, their Twitters.
Here are some tips small businesses and non-profits can use to make their newsletter content more interesting and useful:
• Contests - They're a great way to drive folks to your website. If you're a small business, a free meal or a percentage off or a small giveaway works. For non-profits, perhaps free paid admission or VIP position to the next event. Trust me, after years in the media, if I learned one thing it's that people love free things and they love recognition.
• Information they can't get anywhere else - People like to feel as if they have information others don't. For small businesses, this means providing information on a product or service that is unique to what you do, or that is new or that is hard to find. You are the expert in your field, show off your stuff. The same applies to non-profits. A note here...facts and figures don't get the job done. You have to show readers how the information impacts their lives, put it in context for them. If your non-profit deals with starving children in Africa, you can give facts and figures until the sun goes down, but it won't make people care. You have to give them something that triggers them emotionally, something that they can relate to, something that impacts their daily lives. You can use your newsletter to do this.
• Video and podcasts - We covered this above. It doesn't take a lot of effort, and it doesn't even need to be something you produce yourself, although that should be your first option.
• Use you links - Put your day to day update information on your website, say, in a newsroom section. Then place interesting headlines with links in your newsletter. The same holds true for staff information, profiles, etc. Sure, it's a great idea to tell the world you just got a huge grant, but, again, if you're going to make this the lead in your newsletter, it has to be something emotional, relative or impactful to your readers, not just a rah rah article.
• Use humor when appropriate - People like to laugh. It keeps people interested, it keeps people coming back. I'm not saying create a comic strip or tell jokes, but keep it light and funny when you can.
Time Constraints:
Now, let's talk time. Yes, putting a newsletter together and sending it out to your email database, can be a bit time consuming. But you can manage the time constraints with a little planning. Using programs like Constant Contact or others, you can create a template that will allow you simply plug-n-play with your content.
The next step is creating your content, writing your articles. Why not ask other experts, or others in your organization to take a stab at writing a regular article, or a guest article. This will lessen the time it takes you to write every single article, add links and post updates.
Plus, look at it this way, a newsletter comes out once a month, maybe twice, weekly if you're really ambitious. But let's say it comes out once a month. This gives you a month to put it together. And since a newsletter shouldn't be confined by breaking news or updates (it's not a daily paper) you can begin work on it way ahead of time it's scheduled to go out. Blogs, on the other hand should be updated daily, which means an hour a day or so putting in useful content regularly.
Who is Looking:
Finally, you want to know who is really looking at your newsletter. Here, again, is where analytics come in handy. Google offers a free newsletter analytic program, as do others. Most of these are free and the amount of information they give you is invaluable. The program lets you know who receives the newsletter, if they open it, and what they do with your newsletter once they DO open it.
Are they simply reading it and going away? Are they clicking on links? Are they going to your website? Knowing this info. is crucial to evaluating your newsletter efforts and will help you improve your content so it reaches the largest audience possible, just like with your website analytics.
So, fire up your laptops, take your photos, sign up with services like Constant Contact and get started on creating your newsletter. It could prove to be one of your most valuable tools in your social media toolbox.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Facebook Changes Could be a Boon to Small businesses and Non-Profits
Thank you all for the feedback regarding the PR/Social Media Toolbox seminar. Keep watching this blog or the www.cgcommunicationsonline.com website for updates on upcoming seminars and, hopefully, some webinars coming your way.
In the meantime, I passing along something very interesting that passed through my email this morning. Something that could be a big benefit to small businesses and non-profits. Instead of just telling you about it, here is the article from Mashable.com, via The New York Times. It's all about location services and...well...take a look. (to read the entire article, click on the link above)
Facebook’s move into location has seemed inevitable for some time, and it now appears that the company will officially reveal its plans at next month’s Facebook developer conference –- f8.
According to The New York Times, the social network will incorporate location in two ways: (1) its own features for sharing location and (2) APIs to let other apps — like Foursquare and Gowalla –- offer location services to Facebook users.
So, what does this really mean for you, the small business owner and non-profit director? Well, it means a couple of things. But before we can get too deep into the impact this new service will have, we first have to look at the tools you are already using and how you're using them.
You probably know that if you want to find people who live in your immediate area, you can go into the Facebook search function and type in the location you're searching for. In a lot of ways, this is similar to the old MySpace function, which would give you all users within a certain radius of where you live. You could look people up by zip code, city or country.
Facebook's locator function isn't as user-friendly and not as comprehensive. There are some extra steps involved in the Facebook setup. But it's useable and gets the job done...eventually.
One of the things I noticed when conducting the seminar last weekend was that many users, from both the small business and non-profit sides still don't completely understand the tools available to them on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, linkedIn, etc. Among these tools include groups, business pages and, yes, locator services.
Why do these tools matter? Think about it for a second. Being online means people all over the world can see your site, review your products and services and get to know all about you. This is great. But what can someone in Paris really do to help your local business or non-profit? Actually, if you're a non-profit, there IS a chance that someone halfway around the world might see your site and decide they feel as strongly about your cause as you do and decide to donate. But more likely, they'll find a local organization doing something very similar to what you're doing. In this way, they can do more than just give money. They can get to know the organizers, spend time volunteering and be active within a group on a personal level.
What matters most to your oganization is what has always been the lifeblood of small businesses and non-profits; local community involvement. People are always looking for others with like minds and interests. Online is no different than in the real world. You want to find people in your backyard, in your community that are likely to frequent your business, or volunteer for your non-profit.
Location services, like the groups function on Facebook and Twitter help you find others specifically in your area and sharing your likes and interests. Combined, you can really focus your posts and outreach to those that are most likely to respond.
Now comes the new Location Services function, set to kick off on Facebook next month. This new function will allow you to track friends, as well as others, depending on their privacy settings, wherever they're at.
In other words, let's say I'm out at a bar celebrating St. Patrick's Day. Depending on how I set my privacy settings, my status will reflect my location at any given time. This allows my friends to see where I'm at if they want to find me. This can be valuable information for anyone looking for trends among specific demographics. You can see where a specific demo spends their free time, or even how they spend their hard earned cash, depending on where they might be shopping or finding entertainment.
Certainly wading through all of this information and keeping track of each of your individual friends coudl prove to be time-consuming. But I'm here to tell you that it will ony be a matter of time, if it's not already developed, just waiting to be launched, before a program comes out allowing you to analyze the pertinent demographic information gathered by the new location function.
But here's where the new function will really help small businesses and non-profits. Another feature of the service will allow your organization to put your location information on your Facebook every time you post or update your account. In other words, anyone seeing your status will be able to see exactly where you're located at.
Given the millions of Facebook users who regularly use the site on mobile platforms such as laptops and smartphones, it's a safe bet that they're on the go and more likely to make a stop at your location if they're looking for something specific, or if something you post catches their eye.
This is where your twitter feeds, linked up with you Facebook account, can have some real impact. If you own a restaurant or a barbershop or salon, or even a small boutique, you can post deals on your profile, such as half off a haircut for the next hour, or a free drink for patrons in the bar at 4pm, etc. By posting to your Facebook, all those mobile individuals in your area will be able to see this update and, if they wish to partake of the deal, they'll know exactly where you're at.
Clearly, I'm assuming there will still be some glitches in the new service as Facebook continues to perfect it, but the possibilities are fascinating and could truly have a positive impact on your organizations' bottom line.
As the old saying goes, knowledge is power, and knowing more about your potential customers and shareholders is vital to your success. The new locator services function Facebook will kick off is just more information to help you focus your efforts on the right audiences.
In the meantime, I passing along something very interesting that passed through my email this morning. Something that could be a big benefit to small businesses and non-profits. Instead of just telling you about it, here is the article from Mashable.com, via The New York Times. It's all about location services and...well...take a look. (to read the entire article, click on the link above)
Facebook to Launch Location Features Next Month
Facebook’s move into location has seemed inevitable for some time, and it now appears that the company will officially reveal its plans at next month’s Facebook developer conference –- f8.According to The New York Times, the social network will incorporate location in two ways: (1) its own features for sharing location and (2) APIs to let other apps — like Foursquare and Gowalla –- offer location services to Facebook users.
So, what does this really mean for you, the small business owner and non-profit director? Well, it means a couple of things. But before we can get too deep into the impact this new service will have, we first have to look at the tools you are already using and how you're using them.
You probably know that if you want to find people who live in your immediate area, you can go into the Facebook search function and type in the location you're searching for. In a lot of ways, this is similar to the old MySpace function, which would give you all users within a certain radius of where you live. You could look people up by zip code, city or country.
Facebook's locator function isn't as user-friendly and not as comprehensive. There are some extra steps involved in the Facebook setup. But it's useable and gets the job done...eventually.
One of the things I noticed when conducting the seminar last weekend was that many users, from both the small business and non-profit sides still don't completely understand the tools available to them on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, linkedIn, etc. Among these tools include groups, business pages and, yes, locator services.
Why do these tools matter? Think about it for a second. Being online means people all over the world can see your site, review your products and services and get to know all about you. This is great. But what can someone in Paris really do to help your local business or non-profit? Actually, if you're a non-profit, there IS a chance that someone halfway around the world might see your site and decide they feel as strongly about your cause as you do and decide to donate. But more likely, they'll find a local organization doing something very similar to what you're doing. In this way, they can do more than just give money. They can get to know the organizers, spend time volunteering and be active within a group on a personal level.
What matters most to your oganization is what has always been the lifeblood of small businesses and non-profits; local community involvement. People are always looking for others with like minds and interests. Online is no different than in the real world. You want to find people in your backyard, in your community that are likely to frequent your business, or volunteer for your non-profit.
Location services, like the groups function on Facebook and Twitter help you find others specifically in your area and sharing your likes and interests. Combined, you can really focus your posts and outreach to those that are most likely to respond.
Now comes the new Location Services function, set to kick off on Facebook next month. This new function will allow you to track friends, as well as others, depending on their privacy settings, wherever they're at.
In other words, let's say I'm out at a bar celebrating St. Patrick's Day. Depending on how I set my privacy settings, my status will reflect my location at any given time. This allows my friends to see where I'm at if they want to find me. This can be valuable information for anyone looking for trends among specific demographics. You can see where a specific demo spends their free time, or even how they spend their hard earned cash, depending on where they might be shopping or finding entertainment.
Certainly wading through all of this information and keeping track of each of your individual friends coudl prove to be time-consuming. But I'm here to tell you that it will ony be a matter of time, if it's not already developed, just waiting to be launched, before a program comes out allowing you to analyze the pertinent demographic information gathered by the new location function.
But here's where the new function will really help small businesses and non-profits. Another feature of the service will allow your organization to put your location information on your Facebook every time you post or update your account. In other words, anyone seeing your status will be able to see exactly where you're located at.
Given the millions of Facebook users who regularly use the site on mobile platforms such as laptops and smartphones, it's a safe bet that they're on the go and more likely to make a stop at your location if they're looking for something specific, or if something you post catches their eye.
This is where your twitter feeds, linked up with you Facebook account, can have some real impact. If you own a restaurant or a barbershop or salon, or even a small boutique, you can post deals on your profile, such as half off a haircut for the next hour, or a free drink for patrons in the bar at 4pm, etc. By posting to your Facebook, all those mobile individuals in your area will be able to see this update and, if they wish to partake of the deal, they'll know exactly where you're at.
Clearly, I'm assuming there will still be some glitches in the new service as Facebook continues to perfect it, but the possibilities are fascinating and could truly have a positive impact on your organizations' bottom line.
As the old saying goes, knowledge is power, and knowing more about your potential customers and shareholders is vital to your success. The new locator services function Facebook will kick off is just more information to help you focus your efforts on the right audiences.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Lessons Learned
Welcome back, friends. Big weekend just passed and I'm feeling chipper. We held our first PR/Social Media Toolbox Seminar at the Avenue Theater in Denver Saturday morning, and I think it went well. It's so frustrating, though, because there is SO much information to give to small businesses and non-profits, we just can't fit it all into just four hours.
With that said, I wanted to go over a few things that came to light during the seminar that I think are important to pass along to you.
First, don't be afraid: Public relations and social media are tools, just like the cash register, pamphlets and a car. Sure, you might have had to take a little bit to learn how to drive a car well, or how to maneuver throught your new Point of Sale system, but you learned because you had to. PR and social media are the same. These tools will help you grow your business in this hyper-competitive market.
Second, these ARE legitimate business tools: Facebook isn't just for Mafia Wars or Farmville or clever status updates. Twitter isn't just for telling people what you're buying at the grocery store. Public relations isn't just for telling bad news. These are real tools that can help you spread your message and attract more customers or donors. More importantly, these tools can help you stay in touch with them. Your customers, volunteers, donors, the media, they're all online, they're reading the paper and watching the news broadcasts.
If all of these individuals, so important to your bottom line, went to a Starbucks every day, wouldn't you want to also be at Starbucks to meet them, talk to them, get to know them? Social media and PR is the same way. That's where these people are, in varying degrees, so that's where you should be.
Third, don't let the little things get to you: When I worked as a journalist, it used to bother me when a colleague would do something stupid. Or when another news outlet showed supreme insensitivity or broke the unwritten ethics of journalism. I felt it reflected so poorly on my profession. At some point, however, I realized that news serves an important function in today's society. It's much the same way when it comes to social media.
We heard from seminar attendees that one of the reasons they don't get onto Facebook or Twitter very often is because of all the "little stuff" that gets in the way. You can ignore all the stupid games that people play on Facebook, as well as the inane Twitters that come across your phone every now and then. But there are tools that you can use to ignore or hide the kinds of posts you don't find useful. It's easy and takes no time at all. But here's a though to consider before simply dismissing these things as totally useless. These are things your customers or potential customers might be involved in. It's part of pop culture now and being able to speak the same language and about the same things that interest potential customers can only help you in the long run. Listen, I had no love for the "Pants around your ankles" song, which exploded after it debuted on American Idol. But I listened to it. I learned the backstory, I came to know it, just so I could talk about it if I had to. Much like spouses who learn sports because their significant other is a football or baseball fan, at least knowing about these social media games puts you into the conversation, even if you don't play them or have interest in them yourself.
Fourth, ask for help: You know you have to go online. You know you have to expand your outreach footprint. And you're wading into unfamiliar waters. There will be things you don't know and these are the times to go looking for assistance. The wonderful thing is, you don't have to pay thousands of dollars for a PR firm to come to your rescue. You can use the same tools you're using to grow your business. Ask for help from others online. Tweet a question, post it to your Facebook, find a group online that specializes in solving social media problems. Heck, find blogs like this one that are designed to help you out. The knowledge is out there, you just have to ask for help. And today, that's as easy as spending two minutes changing your status.
Fifth, be aggressive: When it comes to dealing with the press, or with social media, it's okay to take some risks. Certainly you don't want to stalk reporters, or annoy them to the point of dismissing you. But making the phone calls, having confidence enough to send a pitch email, even if you don't think the story will be covered, is getting your name out there, being aggressive, taking risks. The same goes for social media. As always, don't post anything online you wouldn't want repeated in public, but don't be afraid to post several times a day if appropriate.
This space is for you. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about social media or public relations. Also, and this is important, because I've said it before and I'll say it again; dont' be afraid to make mistakes. Hey, during the seminar, we had our screen fall down three times. Yes, it's embarrassing, and a mistake we can easily fix the next time. Your efforts are the same. Maybe your screen will fall down, or you'll trip. What matters is that you learn, get up and go at it again.
And we'll be right here to help you along the way.
With that said, I wanted to go over a few things that came to light during the seminar that I think are important to pass along to you.
First, don't be afraid: Public relations and social media are tools, just like the cash register, pamphlets and a car. Sure, you might have had to take a little bit to learn how to drive a car well, or how to maneuver throught your new Point of Sale system, but you learned because you had to. PR and social media are the same. These tools will help you grow your business in this hyper-competitive market.
Second, these ARE legitimate business tools: Facebook isn't just for Mafia Wars or Farmville or clever status updates. Twitter isn't just for telling people what you're buying at the grocery store. Public relations isn't just for telling bad news. These are real tools that can help you spread your message and attract more customers or donors. More importantly, these tools can help you stay in touch with them. Your customers, volunteers, donors, the media, they're all online, they're reading the paper and watching the news broadcasts.
If all of these individuals, so important to your bottom line, went to a Starbucks every day, wouldn't you want to also be at Starbucks to meet them, talk to them, get to know them? Social media and PR is the same way. That's where these people are, in varying degrees, so that's where you should be.
Third, don't let the little things get to you: When I worked as a journalist, it used to bother me when a colleague would do something stupid. Or when another news outlet showed supreme insensitivity or broke the unwritten ethics of journalism. I felt it reflected so poorly on my profession. At some point, however, I realized that news serves an important function in today's society. It's much the same way when it comes to social media.
We heard from seminar attendees that one of the reasons they don't get onto Facebook or Twitter very often is because of all the "little stuff" that gets in the way. You can ignore all the stupid games that people play on Facebook, as well as the inane Twitters that come across your phone every now and then. But there are tools that you can use to ignore or hide the kinds of posts you don't find useful. It's easy and takes no time at all. But here's a though to consider before simply dismissing these things as totally useless. These are things your customers or potential customers might be involved in. It's part of pop culture now and being able to speak the same language and about the same things that interest potential customers can only help you in the long run. Listen, I had no love for the "Pants around your ankles" song, which exploded after it debuted on American Idol. But I listened to it. I learned the backstory, I came to know it, just so I could talk about it if I had to. Much like spouses who learn sports because their significant other is a football or baseball fan, at least knowing about these social media games puts you into the conversation, even if you don't play them or have interest in them yourself.
Fourth, ask for help: You know you have to go online. You know you have to expand your outreach footprint. And you're wading into unfamiliar waters. There will be things you don't know and these are the times to go looking for assistance. The wonderful thing is, you don't have to pay thousands of dollars for a PR firm to come to your rescue. You can use the same tools you're using to grow your business. Ask for help from others online. Tweet a question, post it to your Facebook, find a group online that specializes in solving social media problems. Heck, find blogs like this one that are designed to help you out. The knowledge is out there, you just have to ask for help. And today, that's as easy as spending two minutes changing your status.
Fifth, be aggressive: When it comes to dealing with the press, or with social media, it's okay to take some risks. Certainly you don't want to stalk reporters, or annoy them to the point of dismissing you. But making the phone calls, having confidence enough to send a pitch email, even if you don't think the story will be covered, is getting your name out there, being aggressive, taking risks. The same goes for social media. As always, don't post anything online you wouldn't want repeated in public, but don't be afraid to post several times a day if appropriate.
This space is for you. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about social media or public relations. Also, and this is important, because I've said it before and I'll say it again; dont' be afraid to make mistakes. Hey, during the seminar, we had our screen fall down three times. Yes, it's embarrassing, and a mistake we can easily fix the next time. Your efforts are the same. Maybe your screen will fall down, or you'll trip. What matters is that you learn, get up and go at it again.
And we'll be right here to help you along the way.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Find the Right Angle
As promised recently, I'm going to take a short break from the social media focus to go back to the public relations realm for an entry or two.
I'm sure you've all heard of the phrase, "news angle." It's that mysterious, almost ethereal concept that guides the direction of news broadcasts and headlines. Honestly, news angles aren't that mysterious and once you understand how to "find" the angle of a hot news story, you'll find your pitches will be significantly more successful.
When I was producing talk radio, I had several different jobs to do each day. Among those included getting the sound ready, booking guests, catching up on voicemails and emails, hundreds every day. But my primary job, both before and after the show, my focus was finding the "angle" on the hot topics of the day.
As a talk show producer, I would look at the hot news of the day. Sometimes there were a number to choose from, sometimes the hot story was a single, obvious one. But we couldn't just report on the hot news story and then say, "discuss" hoping the audience would respond. We had to give them something to think about, something that would push their buttons, something they could relate to. Because every story has a hidden story. Something underneath the headlines that the public can relate to, or that infuriates them, or simply grabs their interest. I had to find that something, that's called, finding the angle.
Let's play a quick game.
One of the headlines in today's Denver Post deals with the ongoing trial of the accused killer of former Denver Bronco, Darrent Williams. During the trial, an alleged confession letter, mailed by the killer to an outside source was placed into evidence. In the letter, the accused reportedly confesses to pulling the trigger and killing Williams. Here is a link to the full story in case you want to read it.
Based on the short description above, what about that story interests you? What aspect about it makes you angry, or sad, or fascinated? Is it the culture of pro-athletes? Is it the ongoing gang problem in the U.S. (or Denver if you live here)? There are a number of angles to this story and the job of a reporter, or producer or editor is to find the angle that is going to resonate with the largest number of the viewing and listening public.
This is what you're doing when you look for the "angle" of a current news story. sometimes the angle is obvious. Let's a take a look at a plane crash as an example. Below is a copy of what I call the news tree. I call it a tree because, to me, it looks like a tree. If you lay it on its side, it also acts as a timeline, a timeline of future potential stories.
Every news story has a beginning, a singular event that is generally covered as it is happening, or immediately afterwards. From there the story develops. If a story has legs, it has many more opportunities for potential news angles. In the case of the news tree above, the singular news event is a plane crash. The story is covered and then, as the investigation continues, it begins to grow legs, or branches. These branches represent potential news angles.
You can see that some of the angles include, the safety of airplanes in general, the safety record of the plane in question, airline staff training, the rights of survivors to sue, survivor stories (if there are any), family stories, etc. As more information comes out about the crash itself, the more potential angles there are to the story.
As a small business and non-profit, knowing what the potential news angles are is important because it allows you to tailor your pitch to catch the interest of the largest number of viewers, listeners and readers. Which, of course, will also catch the interest of a newsroom.
Let's look at another example, this time from real life.
A local non-profit specializes in cat spaying and neutering. This is their focus. The non-profit officers are working hard to spay and neuter as many cats in the Denver area as possible. It's a low-cost clinic and open to anyone who has a cat that needs to be fixed.
Up to this point, their primary goal was to raise awareness not only of their clinic, but of the problem of unfixed cats in the area, both owned and ferrell. Now, the issue of unfixed felines is a big issue, but not one that most people think about every day. So the challenge facing the organization seemed daunting.
Of course, they promoted the opening of their new clinic and used many of the PR and social media tools available effectively. The coverage was minimal for the opening, despite many pitches and some social media outreach. So how to reach the average person who isn't thinking about spaying and neutering cats? There has to be an angle that grabs the interest of the audience, something that makes them sit up and take notice.
One of the biggest angles the organization has is the overall tax dollars saved by the city through their spaying and neutering efforts. This is a huge angle for the simple fact that any story that impacts a person's wallet will make them take notice. But numbers alone won't well a story. Numbers are dry, after a while, they make people's eyes glaze over.
But couch those numbers in a good story, and suddenly you have yourself an angle that news outlets will fall over themselves to cover.
Here's the story to go with the numbers, the story that gives the spay and neuter organization an angle that is of value to a news outlet: The clinic works with individuals who go out, late at night and traps ferrell cats and then brings them to be fixed. These are people who care deeply about the cause of the clinic and take time of their own to help control the cat population in Denver. Like ghosts in the night, these individuals set traps, and humanely capture these cats and delivers them to the clinic to make sure they can't give birth to future litters of ferrell cats.
Suddenly you have all the makings of a very good story. You have a character, in the form of a trapper, you have conflict (the challenges facing the trappers to catch the cats, as well as the overall ferrell cat problem in Denver), You have a structure (a path or journey that the character follows, why they do what they do and how they got started), movement and resolution (seeing the character lay the traps, searching for the cats, catching the cats and delivering them) and you have an aha moment, the moment the audience understands how the story impacts them.
Within this story, the numbers resonate better with the audience. The story puts the puts the problem of ferrell cats in perspective, it gives it a human face, it gives them something they can see, it makes the poblem real.
The organization realized that the angle that will make people really take notice is the angle of money. Angles that impact the wallet will always be important and make for a successful pitch.
What this means for you:
As a small business owner or non-profit director, knowing how to find an angle means you can find the one or two elements within the larger story that audiences will really relate to. Of course, in order to do this, you have to stay on top of the news of the day.
By reading the headlines and watching your news updates, you can know which stories news organizations fell are important and are keeping an eye on. Following your twitter counts and by using certain social media tools, you can gauge what the general public is talking about and finds interesting. Trust me, newsrooms are doing the same thing, and the more you are thinking like a journalist, the more success you'll have pitching your story. Plus, the more you know what people are talking about, the easier it will be to find the right angle.
More importantly, by keeping up to date, you'll be able to react immediately when news breaks. For instance, recently there was a school shooting in Jefferson County, Colorado. Certainly, images of Columbine re-emerged for most of us. However for specific non-profits in the area, such as the Conflinct Manager Center, the news story presented an opportunity for them to work with local news organizations as experts in what escalates conflicts to the point of violence. Mental health professionals also could have capitalized on the news event to help put the story in context for news outlets and their audiences.
The same operating procedures work for orthopedists when a famous local athlete gets injured, or for local salons when discussing the latest hair disaster of a famous actor at the Oscars, or for restaurant owners when discussing the outbreak of e-coli (obviously, the restauranteer wants to go on to talk about making sure people are eating in a clean and safe environment).
One last thing to keep in mind when looking for a news angle to spice up your story and pitch. Look for angles that people can immediately relate to and that resonate with them on a personal level. This includes things like:
Money
Family
Religion
politics
love and relationships
nostalgia (We once spent four hours during the Jay Marvin talk show, talking about people's memories of the drive in. Seriously. And it was a great show.)
These are subjects that are often close to people's hearts and create an emotional response almost immediately. If you look for those kinds of elements in any angle you pitch, you'll find that your success rate will shoot up. By the way, the same holds true when looking for conversation topics on social media. Clearly, if it works for news organizations, it's most likely to also work for your social media efforts.
So keep an eye on the news and don't let the angles pass you by.
I'm sure you've all heard of the phrase, "news angle." It's that mysterious, almost ethereal concept that guides the direction of news broadcasts and headlines. Honestly, news angles aren't that mysterious and once you understand how to "find" the angle of a hot news story, you'll find your pitches will be significantly more successful.
When I was producing talk radio, I had several different jobs to do each day. Among those included getting the sound ready, booking guests, catching up on voicemails and emails, hundreds every day. But my primary job, both before and after the show, my focus was finding the "angle" on the hot topics of the day.
As a talk show producer, I would look at the hot news of the day. Sometimes there were a number to choose from, sometimes the hot story was a single, obvious one. But we couldn't just report on the hot news story and then say, "discuss" hoping the audience would respond. We had to give them something to think about, something that would push their buttons, something they could relate to. Because every story has a hidden story. Something underneath the headlines that the public can relate to, or that infuriates them, or simply grabs their interest. I had to find that something, that's called, finding the angle.
Let's play a quick game.
One of the headlines in today's Denver Post deals with the ongoing trial of the accused killer of former Denver Bronco, Darrent Williams. During the trial, an alleged confession letter, mailed by the killer to an outside source was placed into evidence. In the letter, the accused reportedly confesses to pulling the trigger and killing Williams. Here is a link to the full story in case you want to read it.
Based on the short description above, what about that story interests you? What aspect about it makes you angry, or sad, or fascinated? Is it the culture of pro-athletes? Is it the ongoing gang problem in the U.S. (or Denver if you live here)? There are a number of angles to this story and the job of a reporter, or producer or editor is to find the angle that is going to resonate with the largest number of the viewing and listening public.
This is what you're doing when you look for the "angle" of a current news story. sometimes the angle is obvious. Let's a take a look at a plane crash as an example. Below is a copy of what I call the news tree. I call it a tree because, to me, it looks like a tree. If you lay it on its side, it also acts as a timeline, a timeline of future potential stories.
Every news story has a beginning, a singular event that is generally covered as it is happening, or immediately afterwards. From there the story develops. If a story has legs, it has many more opportunities for potential news angles. In the case of the news tree above, the singular news event is a plane crash. The story is covered and then, as the investigation continues, it begins to grow legs, or branches. These branches represent potential news angles.
You can see that some of the angles include, the safety of airplanes in general, the safety record of the plane in question, airline staff training, the rights of survivors to sue, survivor stories (if there are any), family stories, etc. As more information comes out about the crash itself, the more potential angles there are to the story.
As a small business and non-profit, knowing what the potential news angles are is important because it allows you to tailor your pitch to catch the interest of the largest number of viewers, listeners and readers. Which, of course, will also catch the interest of a newsroom.
Let's look at another example, this time from real life.
A local non-profit specializes in cat spaying and neutering. This is their focus. The non-profit officers are working hard to spay and neuter as many cats in the Denver area as possible. It's a low-cost clinic and open to anyone who has a cat that needs to be fixed.
Up to this point, their primary goal was to raise awareness not only of their clinic, but of the problem of unfixed cats in the area, both owned and ferrell. Now, the issue of unfixed felines is a big issue, but not one that most people think about every day. So the challenge facing the organization seemed daunting.
Of course, they promoted the opening of their new clinic and used many of the PR and social media tools available effectively. The coverage was minimal for the opening, despite many pitches and some social media outreach. So how to reach the average person who isn't thinking about spaying and neutering cats? There has to be an angle that grabs the interest of the audience, something that makes them sit up and take notice.
One of the biggest angles the organization has is the overall tax dollars saved by the city through their spaying and neutering efforts. This is a huge angle for the simple fact that any story that impacts a person's wallet will make them take notice. But numbers alone won't well a story. Numbers are dry, after a while, they make people's eyes glaze over.
But couch those numbers in a good story, and suddenly you have yourself an angle that news outlets will fall over themselves to cover.
Here's the story to go with the numbers, the story that gives the spay and neuter organization an angle that is of value to a news outlet: The clinic works with individuals who go out, late at night and traps ferrell cats and then brings them to be fixed. These are people who care deeply about the cause of the clinic and take time of their own to help control the cat population in Denver. Like ghosts in the night, these individuals set traps, and humanely capture these cats and delivers them to the clinic to make sure they can't give birth to future litters of ferrell cats.
Suddenly you have all the makings of a very good story. You have a character, in the form of a trapper, you have conflict (the challenges facing the trappers to catch the cats, as well as the overall ferrell cat problem in Denver), You have a structure (a path or journey that the character follows, why they do what they do and how they got started), movement and resolution (seeing the character lay the traps, searching for the cats, catching the cats and delivering them) and you have an aha moment, the moment the audience understands how the story impacts them.
Within this story, the numbers resonate better with the audience. The story puts the puts the problem of ferrell cats in perspective, it gives it a human face, it gives them something they can see, it makes the poblem real.
The organization realized that the angle that will make people really take notice is the angle of money. Angles that impact the wallet will always be important and make for a successful pitch.
What this means for you:
As a small business owner or non-profit director, knowing how to find an angle means you can find the one or two elements within the larger story that audiences will really relate to. Of course, in order to do this, you have to stay on top of the news of the day.
By reading the headlines and watching your news updates, you can know which stories news organizations fell are important and are keeping an eye on. Following your twitter counts and by using certain social media tools, you can gauge what the general public is talking about and finds interesting. Trust me, newsrooms are doing the same thing, and the more you are thinking like a journalist, the more success you'll have pitching your story. Plus, the more you know what people are talking about, the easier it will be to find the right angle.
More importantly, by keeping up to date, you'll be able to react immediately when news breaks. For instance, recently there was a school shooting in Jefferson County, Colorado. Certainly, images of Columbine re-emerged for most of us. However for specific non-profits in the area, such as the Conflinct Manager Center, the news story presented an opportunity for them to work with local news organizations as experts in what escalates conflicts to the point of violence. Mental health professionals also could have capitalized on the news event to help put the story in context for news outlets and their audiences.
The same operating procedures work for orthopedists when a famous local athlete gets injured, or for local salons when discussing the latest hair disaster of a famous actor at the Oscars, or for restaurant owners when discussing the outbreak of e-coli (obviously, the restauranteer wants to go on to talk about making sure people are eating in a clean and safe environment).
One last thing to keep in mind when looking for a news angle to spice up your story and pitch. Look for angles that people can immediately relate to and that resonate with them on a personal level. This includes things like:
Money
Family
Religion
politics
love and relationships
nostalgia (We once spent four hours during the Jay Marvin talk show, talking about people's memories of the drive in. Seriously. And it was a great show.)
These are subjects that are often close to people's hearts and create an emotional response almost immediately. If you look for those kinds of elements in any angle you pitch, you'll find that your success rate will shoot up. By the way, the same holds true when looking for conversation topics on social media. Clearly, if it works for news organizations, it's most likely to also work for your social media efforts.
So keep an eye on the news and don't let the angles pass you by.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Big Things, Friends...
Whew, it's been quite a week. My apologies for being a little out of the loop the past week. The new website is up, you can visit it at www.cgcommunicationsonline.com. It still has a little work to be done on it, but the front page is up and you can get information on the upcoming PR/Social Media Toolbox seminar.
Speaking of which, just a reminder, if you are a small business owner or work with a non-profit, please sign up for what will be a great four hours of learning, fun and growth. If you know someone who you think would benefit from the seminar, please pass this on and let them know about it. I look forward to seeing many of your smiling faces on Saturday.
Here are the details:
Saturday, March 6th, 2010 from 10am to 2pm
The Avenue Theater
417 E. 17th Avenue
Denver, Colorado 80203
Cost $50 for two participants.
Food and snacks provided as well as handouts and collateral. A talkback with working journalists will take place at the end of the seminar.
Meanwhile, there's been a lot of interesting stuff taking place in the world of social media and public relations. Most notably the earthquake in Chile and the Vancouver Winter Olympics have been boons to social media outlets as people attempt to keep up to date with the events taking place in those two regions for very different reasons.
Here's a story from www.gigaom.com about how social media has become THE information source for folks looking updates from Chile and attempting to help those in need. Click on the website to read the entire story.
"As with the earthquake inHaiti , social-media tools such as Twitter and other web-based resources have been a key source of information about the disaster, helping family members find out about their loved ones as well as letting authorities know where there are problems that need to be dealt with. We’ve collected some of the places you can look for further data and in-person reports, as well as ways of helping Chile recover from the quake. If you have any other resources you think people could use, please post them in the comments or email them to mathew@gigaom.com."
Clearly social media, including blogs, vlogs, podcasts, as well as the usual routes of Twitter and Facebook are being used to connect the world in ways that we couldn't have imagined just a few short years ago. It's become so prominent that major news networks are using social media on a daily basis to gather and disseminate information, conduct interviews and track the progress of the cleanup.
This allows nearly anyone to become a reporter on the scene, just like the recent school shootings here in Colorado. Individuals inside the school were Twittering details and information to not only friends and family, but to news outlets and the authorities. With this kind of reach and usefulness, is it any wonder why social media has become the powerful tool it is today?
Here is another story on how social media has swept over the Vancouver Olympics from the Seattle Times. As always click on the link for the entire story.
"Vancouver 2010 is the first Olympics to experience social media in full force.
With more people connected on Facebook, Twitter and other networking sites than ever before, real-time updates about all things Olympics have been rampant. Games news has been coming from athletes, organizers and spectators across the globe and around the clock.
Here are a few notable ways social media has been used by key players:"
A thought hit me on Saturday night while I was talking to a friend about the US Men's upcoming Olympic Hockey Gold Medal Game. There's been a lot of talk about the 30-year anniversary of the "Miracle on Ice" game at Lake Placid and how that team compares to the current team. Outside of all the hyperbole and comparisons, I wanted to relate a little story that I think illustrates how the world has changed since those glory days of 1980.
I was ten years old in 1980 and I remember being in Winter Park, Colorado when the US beat Russia. Of course, this was well before the cable explosion and the 24-hour news networks and ESPN and the information overload we enjoy today.
The game had been played earlier in the day and was being broadcast on tape-delay in Colorado that evening. We were at a little restaurant after a full day of skiing (We were at Ski Idlewild, a place for beginners to learn before moving up to the Mary Jane slopes down across the way). The restaurant was named the Bennedicts Inn, or something like that, I think it's long since closed its doors.
I was there with my mother and her boyfriend, and we were eating and I remember the little tv in the corner of the restaurant was showing the game. As the meal progressed, a buzz started to sweep over the patrons and by the time I had finished my baked salmon with almonds, every eye was glued to the tv, wondering, hoping, watching in disbelief as the clock ticked down and the impossible happened.
A cheer rose up throughout the place and if I remember correctly, the owner of the restaurant bought a round of drinks for everyone at the place. Kids got a free desert. I had a cheesecake. I didn't realize the implications of the game at the time, I just knew people were really excited about it. I knew the U.S. had beaten the hated Russians, that much I understood, I just didn't get how big the victory was, not then.
I never heard the famous Al Michael's call of "Do you believe in miracles?!" The tv was too far away and the crowd was way too loud. It would be another ten years before I'd have a chance to watch that game in full, with the knowledge of the real meaning of what the win meant.
Fast Forward to Vancouver 30 years later. The US Men's Hockey Team was taking on the vaunted Canadian Men's Hockey Team in a game to decide seeding for the medal rounds. I could have watched that game live while I worked away online that day, but I didn't. I missed the game. Didn't matter. Within seconds, literally, the world knew the US had upset the Canadians. I got an AP update on my iPhone. Twitters were flying out of the hockey arena like balloons at a Superbowl pregame show.
There were pictures taken with phones being emailed and Twittered and posted online. Status updates on Facebook let everyone know what they felt about the win. By the time the game was rebroadcast on NBC later that night, it's a safe guess that nearly everyone watching already knew the final outcome.
It's hard sometimes to wrap your mind around how much has changed since 1980, but that little scenario kind of puts it all into perspective. Social media has changed the way we get information and, perhaps more importantly, what we do with that information. The facts and figures and wins and losses and basic news that we used to get at regular intervals from newspapers and networks are available at any time, right at our fingertips.
That means papers, magazines, newscasts, basically any information outlet has to do more to grab your attention. They have to lure you to them with feature stories, in-depth reporting and reliable insights, analysis and editorials. We've moved into an age of not just getting the news, but trying to break down the news and put it in context and make sense of it all.
What this means for you:
This is a wonderful time to be a business owner. Not because of the economy, but because you are a valuable asset to all of these news organizations that NEED people like you to be their experts, to help them analyze what is going on around us. When an opportunity arises to speak about something you know in regards to a news event, you have to be ready and use social media to improve your pr efforts.
This means, of course, you have to stay on top of the news of the day on a regular basis. Fortunately, there are programs designed to help you do just that. They'll give you constant updates and keep you in the loop every minute of the day. Once you see something you can speak about or help a news organization with, you have to jump on it and let them know you're available for interviews or as an information resource.
It's a new technological world we live in, and isn't it grand?
Speaking of which, just a reminder, if you are a small business owner or work with a non-profit, please sign up for what will be a great four hours of learning, fun and growth. If you know someone who you think would benefit from the seminar, please pass this on and let them know about it. I look forward to seeing many of your smiling faces on Saturday.
Here are the details:
Saturday, March 6th, 2010 from 10am to 2pm
The Avenue Theater
417 E. 17th Avenue
Denver, Colorado 80203
Cost $50 for two participants.
Food and snacks provided as well as handouts and collateral. A talkback with working journalists will take place at the end of the seminar.
Meanwhile, there's been a lot of interesting stuff taking place in the world of social media and public relations. Most notably the earthquake in Chile and the Vancouver Winter Olympics have been boons to social media outlets as people attempt to keep up to date with the events taking place in those two regions for very different reasons.
Here's a story from www.gigaom.com about how social media has become THE information source for folks looking updates from Chile and attempting to help those in need. Click on the website to read the entire story.
Use Social Media to Track the Chilean Earthquake
"As with the earthquake in
Clearly social media, including blogs, vlogs, podcasts, as well as the usual routes of Twitter and Facebook are being used to connect the world in ways that we couldn't have imagined just a few short years ago. It's become so prominent that major news networks are using social media on a daily basis to gather and disseminate information, conduct interviews and track the progress of the cleanup.
This allows nearly anyone to become a reporter on the scene, just like the recent school shootings here in Colorado. Individuals inside the school were Twittering details and information to not only friends and family, but to news outlets and the authorities. With this kind of reach and usefulness, is it any wonder why social media has become the powerful tool it is today?
Here is another story on how social media has swept over the Vancouver Olympics from the Seattle Times. As always click on the link for the entire story.
Social media and the Vancouver 2010 Games
Posted by Meghan Peters
With more people connected on Facebook, Twitter and other networking sites than ever before, real-time updates about all things Olympics have been rampant. Games news has been coming from athletes, organizers and spectators across the globe and around the clock.
Here are a few notable ways social media has been used by key players:"
A thought hit me on Saturday night while I was talking to a friend about the US Men's upcoming Olympic Hockey Gold Medal Game. There's been a lot of talk about the 30-year anniversary of the "Miracle on Ice" game at Lake Placid and how that team compares to the current team. Outside of all the hyperbole and comparisons, I wanted to relate a little story that I think illustrates how the world has changed since those glory days of 1980.
I was ten years old in 1980 and I remember being in Winter Park, Colorado when the US beat Russia. Of course, this was well before the cable explosion and the 24-hour news networks and ESPN and the information overload we enjoy today.
The game had been played earlier in the day and was being broadcast on tape-delay in Colorado that evening. We were at a little restaurant after a full day of skiing (We were at Ski Idlewild, a place for beginners to learn before moving up to the Mary Jane slopes down across the way). The restaurant was named the Bennedicts Inn, or something like that, I think it's long since closed its doors.
I was there with my mother and her boyfriend, and we were eating and I remember the little tv in the corner of the restaurant was showing the game. As the meal progressed, a buzz started to sweep over the patrons and by the time I had finished my baked salmon with almonds, every eye was glued to the tv, wondering, hoping, watching in disbelief as the clock ticked down and the impossible happened.
A cheer rose up throughout the place and if I remember correctly, the owner of the restaurant bought a round of drinks for everyone at the place. Kids got a free desert. I had a cheesecake. I didn't realize the implications of the game at the time, I just knew people were really excited about it. I knew the U.S. had beaten the hated Russians, that much I understood, I just didn't get how big the victory was, not then.
I never heard the famous Al Michael's call of "Do you believe in miracles?!" The tv was too far away and the crowd was way too loud. It would be another ten years before I'd have a chance to watch that game in full, with the knowledge of the real meaning of what the win meant.
Fast Forward to Vancouver 30 years later. The US Men's Hockey Team was taking on the vaunted Canadian Men's Hockey Team in a game to decide seeding for the medal rounds. I could have watched that game live while I worked away online that day, but I didn't. I missed the game. Didn't matter. Within seconds, literally, the world knew the US had upset the Canadians. I got an AP update on my iPhone. Twitters were flying out of the hockey arena like balloons at a Superbowl pregame show.
There were pictures taken with phones being emailed and Twittered and posted online. Status updates on Facebook let everyone know what they felt about the win. By the time the game was rebroadcast on NBC later that night, it's a safe guess that nearly everyone watching already knew the final outcome.
It's hard sometimes to wrap your mind around how much has changed since 1980, but that little scenario kind of puts it all into perspective. Social media has changed the way we get information and, perhaps more importantly, what we do with that information. The facts and figures and wins and losses and basic news that we used to get at regular intervals from newspapers and networks are available at any time, right at our fingertips.
That means papers, magazines, newscasts, basically any information outlet has to do more to grab your attention. They have to lure you to them with feature stories, in-depth reporting and reliable insights, analysis and editorials. We've moved into an age of not just getting the news, but trying to break down the news and put it in context and make sense of it all.
What this means for you:
This is a wonderful time to be a business owner. Not because of the economy, but because you are a valuable asset to all of these news organizations that NEED people like you to be their experts, to help them analyze what is going on around us. When an opportunity arises to speak about something you know in regards to a news event, you have to be ready and use social media to improve your pr efforts.
This means, of course, you have to stay on top of the news of the day on a regular basis. Fortunately, there are programs designed to help you do just that. They'll give you constant updates and keep you in the loop every minute of the day. Once you see something you can speak about or help a news organization with, you have to jump on it and let them know you're available for interviews or as an information resource.
It's a new technological world we live in, and isn't it grand?
Monday, February 22, 2010
Want vs. Need
In case some of you have been living in a cave for the past four days, I'm here to fill you in on what's been going on. Let's see, it snowed in Denver all weekend, USA beat Canada in Hockey, oh, and Tiger woods apologized to the world.
My last entry took a look at his apology and dissected what he did right and what he could be criticized for during the admittedly emotionless prepared speech. Immediately following the speech, the internet, talk shows, television analysts exploded with their take on the press conference, what he said, how he said and why it mattered.
One of the most prominent complaints or criticisms I heard on Friday, and into the weekend, was that the entire rigamarole was a huge waste of time. Reporters, producers, editors, photographers, all news veterans lamented that the press conference was broadcast live on network and cable stations, live on the radio, streamed live on the internet. "Why was this 'news'?" they cried. This cry was echoed by many in the general public who missed a chance to see Drew Carey be accosted by an 80 year old woman because of the apology.
Millions complained, millions watched:
I had my own theories as to why news networks devoted so much time to Tiger's conference. I chatted with some friends of mine still working in newsrooms and got their take. Many agreed that while it wasn't an earth-shattering or life-changing event, it still presented news value to their audience. Simply put, they felt it was something that held interest for the viewing, listening and reading public.
I was curious, so I asked for the viewing numbers from the press conference. According to Monday's rating numbers, as provided to me by a local television station, the televised press conference received a rating of 13.6. This equals approximately 210,000 households viewing the event (note - this is out of an estimated 1.54 million potential viewing households in the Denver market).
Put another way, this is a larger group of viewers on average than watches the late night, 10pm news broadcast on the leading station. A 13-share is pretty darn good for any time slot on just about any day. Salespeople can make a lot of money selling advertising for a show that continuously gets a 13 share.
Also keep in mind that this number does NOT include cable viewers in Denver at the time, which was estimated at about 60-percent during the press conference. This means it's likely that 210-thousand number could jump considerably when those viewers are included. It's not unrealistic to imagine that the number could double. This means it's likely that nearly one third of the potential household viewers could have been watching Tiger read his statement on live television.
But does this answer the question as to "why" it constituted news? No, not really. Remember, I've gone over the general characteristics of what defines news. Proximity, timeliness, impact, relevance and wow factor. I'm not going to go through each characteristic and apply it to Tiger's apology. But I am going to look at this from the point of view of want vs. need.
A cautionary tale:
When I was producing talk radio, I worked with a talk show host, Erin Hart, who was solid, but sometimes had a hard time grasping the difference between what her viewers needed to hear and what the viewers wanted to hear. I remember one day when she was adamant that we spend the day talking about the mass starvation and genocides taking place in Africa. At the same time, there were had been a recent police shooting, a news report about the failing DPS system and, of course, her favorite target, conservative Colorado Governor Bill Owens was still in office.
I insisted that any of those three topics would generate more interest, more conversation, it was talk radio after all. No, she just KNEW that people would care if she could just tell them what was going on half a world away. She was determined to MAKE them care.
We spent three hours with one phone call and received a stern lecture from our program director at the time.
Certainly news carries an aspect of information you need to know. For instance, you need to know if the car you're driving will stop when you apply the brakes. You need to know if there's a toxic dump in your neighborhood. You need to know if there is a dangerous person prowling around your area.
But in reality, these are stories that are covered in a very quick, basic reporting style. Just the facts, ma'am, and then you're informed. But news covers a lot more than just those types of stories. They cover stories of interest, stories of the odd and unusual and stories that the viewers, readers and listeners will find interesting.
These are stories of want, not necessarily need. Tiger's story was a story of want, that much is clear. Network executives believed that there was enough interest in Tiger's first public statement since the incident that they pre-empted regularly scheduled programming to carry it. But I believe the decision went far beyond just the wow factor element of the story.
I believe they looked at this through the same prism they use when making decisions about news programming in general. There was interest in the story, first, because it was Tiger. He's a celebrity, a major celebrity. But more than that, there was timeliness and relevance and, in some cases, impact.
Many, many Americans struggle with marriage infidelities. To see a person like Tiger go through the same issues, it makes him seem more human, more relatable. This adds relevance to the story. There is timeliness, obviously, because it was happening right then. Then there's the impact. There is an economic factor to take into consideration.
According to AP, trading on the stock market took a huge dip during the apology. Then, right afterwards, it ticked up again. Sponsors who depend on Tiger's endorsements are struggling to figure out what to do with him and his now tarnished image, while others have already dropped him.
You see, this story mattered. Sure it was one man and it didn't involve any heinous crime. But it still mattered to millions of Americans. In this instance, the people determined what was news, not the networks.
There's a reason why shows like American idol gets so many headlines. It can turn a song like "Pants on the Ground" into an overnight hit because people watch it, and people talk about it. Because of this, your local news and the networks will devote time in their coverage to shows like Idol. It will bring in viewers and that's important to stations struggling with budgets.
What this means for you:
Let's face it. If news covered only the important, need to know only, stories that many define as news, would you watch? Maybe you would, but many, many others would not. This isn't the age of Edward R. Murrow anymore. It's the age of the internet and news takes on a lot of different faces today.
As a small business or non-profit, you have to weigh this want vs. need issue when deciding on what to pitch to a news organization. Sure, your event may be for a good cause, and it is worthy of news coverage because people SHOULD know about your efforts. But is it something that the public is really interested in?
You have to look beyond just the "what people should know" aspect and find something in your story that will really interest people. You can do this by listening to what people are talking about in grocery store lines, listen to talk radio, read the papers and watch the local news. Look up the most popular Twitter subjects, check in with some pop culture blogs and see what is being talked about. In order to successfully catch the attention of the public, you have to know what they're talking about and what they're interested in.
Because in the end, news is rarely about what the public needs to know, it's almost always about what people want to know. Call it "infotainment" if you want, but it's the world we live in and it's not going to change. If anything, the advent of the internet makes it easier for people to bypass what they see as dry and boring news and go directly to the sites that feed their desire for something interesting.
This is what you're competing with and if you pitch only stories that feed the need and ignore the want, you're going to struggle to raise the profile of your organization.
My last entry took a look at his apology and dissected what he did right and what he could be criticized for during the admittedly emotionless prepared speech. Immediately following the speech, the internet, talk shows, television analysts exploded with their take on the press conference, what he said, how he said and why it mattered.
One of the most prominent complaints or criticisms I heard on Friday, and into the weekend, was that the entire rigamarole was a huge waste of time. Reporters, producers, editors, photographers, all news veterans lamented that the press conference was broadcast live on network and cable stations, live on the radio, streamed live on the internet. "Why was this 'news'?" they cried. This cry was echoed by many in the general public who missed a chance to see Drew Carey be accosted by an 80 year old woman because of the apology.
Millions complained, millions watched:
I had my own theories as to why news networks devoted so much time to Tiger's conference. I chatted with some friends of mine still working in newsrooms and got their take. Many agreed that while it wasn't an earth-shattering or life-changing event, it still presented news value to their audience. Simply put, they felt it was something that held interest for the viewing, listening and reading public.
I was curious, so I asked for the viewing numbers from the press conference. According to Monday's rating numbers, as provided to me by a local television station, the televised press conference received a rating of 13.6. This equals approximately 210,000 households viewing the event (note - this is out of an estimated 1.54 million potential viewing households in the Denver market).
Put another way, this is a larger group of viewers on average than watches the late night, 10pm news broadcast on the leading station. A 13-share is pretty darn good for any time slot on just about any day. Salespeople can make a lot of money selling advertising for a show that continuously gets a 13 share.
Also keep in mind that this number does NOT include cable viewers in Denver at the time, which was estimated at about 60-percent during the press conference. This means it's likely that 210-thousand number could jump considerably when those viewers are included. It's not unrealistic to imagine that the number could double. This means it's likely that nearly one third of the potential household viewers could have been watching Tiger read his statement on live television.
But does this answer the question as to "why" it constituted news? No, not really. Remember, I've gone over the general characteristics of what defines news. Proximity, timeliness, impact, relevance and wow factor. I'm not going to go through each characteristic and apply it to Tiger's apology. But I am going to look at this from the point of view of want vs. need.
A cautionary tale:
When I was producing talk radio, I worked with a talk show host, Erin Hart, who was solid, but sometimes had a hard time grasping the difference between what her viewers needed to hear and what the viewers wanted to hear. I remember one day when she was adamant that we spend the day talking about the mass starvation and genocides taking place in Africa. At the same time, there were had been a recent police shooting, a news report about the failing DPS system and, of course, her favorite target, conservative Colorado Governor Bill Owens was still in office.
I insisted that any of those three topics would generate more interest, more conversation, it was talk radio after all. No, she just KNEW that people would care if she could just tell them what was going on half a world away. She was determined to MAKE them care.
We spent three hours with one phone call and received a stern lecture from our program director at the time.
Certainly news carries an aspect of information you need to know. For instance, you need to know if the car you're driving will stop when you apply the brakes. You need to know if there's a toxic dump in your neighborhood. You need to know if there is a dangerous person prowling around your area.
But in reality, these are stories that are covered in a very quick, basic reporting style. Just the facts, ma'am, and then you're informed. But news covers a lot more than just those types of stories. They cover stories of interest, stories of the odd and unusual and stories that the viewers, readers and listeners will find interesting.
These are stories of want, not necessarily need. Tiger's story was a story of want, that much is clear. Network executives believed that there was enough interest in Tiger's first public statement since the incident that they pre-empted regularly scheduled programming to carry it. But I believe the decision went far beyond just the wow factor element of the story.
I believe they looked at this through the same prism they use when making decisions about news programming in general. There was interest in the story, first, because it was Tiger. He's a celebrity, a major celebrity. But more than that, there was timeliness and relevance and, in some cases, impact.
Many, many Americans struggle with marriage infidelities. To see a person like Tiger go through the same issues, it makes him seem more human, more relatable. This adds relevance to the story. There is timeliness, obviously, because it was happening right then. Then there's the impact. There is an economic factor to take into consideration.
According to AP, trading on the stock market took a huge dip during the apology. Then, right afterwards, it ticked up again. Sponsors who depend on Tiger's endorsements are struggling to figure out what to do with him and his now tarnished image, while others have already dropped him.
You see, this story mattered. Sure it was one man and it didn't involve any heinous crime. But it still mattered to millions of Americans. In this instance, the people determined what was news, not the networks.
There's a reason why shows like American idol gets so many headlines. It can turn a song like "Pants on the Ground" into an overnight hit because people watch it, and people talk about it. Because of this, your local news and the networks will devote time in their coverage to shows like Idol. It will bring in viewers and that's important to stations struggling with budgets.
What this means for you:
Let's face it. If news covered only the important, need to know only, stories that many define as news, would you watch? Maybe you would, but many, many others would not. This isn't the age of Edward R. Murrow anymore. It's the age of the internet and news takes on a lot of different faces today.
As a small business or non-profit, you have to weigh this want vs. need issue when deciding on what to pitch to a news organization. Sure, your event may be for a good cause, and it is worthy of news coverage because people SHOULD know about your efforts. But is it something that the public is really interested in?
You have to look beyond just the "what people should know" aspect and find something in your story that will really interest people. You can do this by listening to what people are talking about in grocery store lines, listen to talk radio, read the papers and watch the local news. Look up the most popular Twitter subjects, check in with some pop culture blogs and see what is being talked about. In order to successfully catch the attention of the public, you have to know what they're talking about and what they're interested in.
Because in the end, news is rarely about what the public needs to know, it's almost always about what people want to know. Call it "infotainment" if you want, but it's the world we live in and it's not going to change. If anything, the advent of the internet makes it easier for people to bypass what they see as dry and boring news and go directly to the sites that feed their desire for something interesting.
This is what you're competing with and if you pitch only stories that feed the need and ignore the want, you're going to struggle to raise the profile of your organization.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
