THINKing

Content Marketing On Steroids

Content marketers often equate public relations techniques purely with media relations. They think distributing news releases is only to promote a product, make an executive announcement or discuss company financial matters. They forget that they can use PR to get their information about their content out to the most important audiences: the media and their own customers. Let’s review.

Content is a treasure chest for marketers. So, let’s share it everywhere and in every way possible. But do it from the inside out. In other words, tell those audiences closest to you first, and then go wider from there.

First, write an educational or informational white paper on your area of expertise.

Use your customer and prospect email list to tell key constituents about the white paper’s availability.

Issue a brief news release about the availability on your website of the white paper. Send the release to your targeted media list using Pitchengine, which also gets your release picked up by Google News.

Consider spending a little extra to broaden your reach by distributing your release on PRNewswire or PRWeb.

Use the content in your blog.

Develop a seminar from the white paper.

Use email to offer this seminar to your key constituents.

Issue a brief release about the availability of the seminar, and repeat the above sequence.

Hammer this one content message in all communication channels and reap the rewards. How are you marketing your content?

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Top 17 Media Relations Links

The digital world is changing how PR pros perform media relations. You don’t just have to send releases to journalists today. Now, you can reach your key audiences directly with releases. But there still are some tried-and-true media relations practices:

• researching news releases and features
• writing releases and features
• developing media lists
• distributing news releases
• preparing spokespeople for interviews
• assessing the impact of your media effort

So, in an effort to help you with your effort, I’ve pulled together some of the top online media relations resources. Let’s review:

Know How To Deal With The Media

- My Creative Team Media Relations White Paper

Know The Media

- Bulldog Reporter Free Ezines - the leading source of PR views, news and tools.

- Navigator - another good media relations tool from Cision

- Online PR Media Links -find media outlets online and read before you contact them.

- Online Media List Builder - this is a paid tool to help you build custom media lists

Reach The Media (distribution services)

PRWeb

PR Newswire

Marketwire

Businesswire

PR Leap

PR.Com

Research

Reference Desks Links - follow these links to a range of solid information sources

Online Conversation Tracker - find out what is being said about your organization online

Media Relations Forms

Developing A Media List

Preparing A Spokesperson

Preparing A News Release

Assessing Publicity Results

And there you have my top 17 media relations links. We’ll have more later.

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Pull Over. News Release Police

PRWEB has been writing warning tickets for PR people who dare to use - Gasp! - humor in their news releases. According to Joan Stewart, PR experts B.L. Ochman and Sharon Dotson both have recently been spanked by PRWEB for their egregious acts of humor.

They’re calling it “objectionable content.” What?

Have you had a similar experience with PRWEB? Wade into the water and let us know about it.

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Old School Media Contacts

I know we all love the new digital age and the ability to speak directly to our customers via blogs and news release distribution organizations like PRWEB. However, the old school media still have a place in your media relations program. So, here are a few contacts for you, if you are interested in getting some analog media coverage.

Newsweek - 251 W. 57th Street, New York, NY 10019. 212-445-4563. Email protocol: firstname.lastname@newsweek.com. Before you use these contacts, at least take a look at the magazine to see what they cover and how they cover it. Then, you will be better able to craft a relevant pitch.

• Managing Editor - Tony Emerson 212-445-4645
• Senior Editor - News - Bret Begun
• Tips Editor - Raina Kelly
• Assistant Business Editor - Temma Ehrenfeld 212-445-4544

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Media Relations Primer

Non-news professionals often have a hard time understanding why their ENORMOUS news announcement, creates barely a ripple in the media.

That’s not to say a news release shouldn’t be done about it. There are audiences besides the media - like employees, customers and trade allies - to whom news releases may be sent. And with today’s online distribution channels like PRWEB, you can go directly to consumers with your news.

But the media is interested in things that are different from the norm. So, generally, bad news gets more play. Let’s examine these six categories to help us better understand what the media wants.

MONEY TALKS - In an age where cash is king, financial matters concerning your company can be big news. Mergers, acquisitions, good or bad earnings reports, new technology that will save or make money, all are good copy. Coverage increases the more you mention amounts and values.

TAKE THE GLOVES OFF - This category has a couple of dimensions. First, is in the arena of controversy.

Whether it’s DOS against LINUX, Beta against VHS, or DSL against Cable Modems, the media loves an argument about which standard is better. If an argument is good, an all out war is better. Ford vs. GM, or Apple vs. IBM - those are the kinds of battles that get an editor’s attention. Don’t be afraid to take sides.

GIVE ME A HUG - Editors even like a good love story. It could be a strategic alliance or an outright merger between two companies. No matter, the media are interested, particularly if there are questions about the cooperative effort’s chance of success.

LEADING EDGE - The rarified air where technological history is made intrigues the media. Show them tangible evidence of how the technology will improve things in the here and now, and they’ll cover the story.

CARRY A BIG STICK - If your name is not GM, Microsoft, or IBM, don’t worry. You can take advantage of a big brand name. Leverage a new agreement, alliance or partnership between you and one of the big boys for your benefit.

CHANGES - Established companies with proprietary methods like the status quo. Shake it up a little with a new system that changes the paradigm and you have the beginnings of a story.

The best stories will include something from each category, and then they will have major media staying power. Rarely does a release get covered if it centers on only one category.

For the business media, focus your efforts on MONEY TALKS and TAKE THE GLOVES OFF categories. Getting trade media coverage typically is a little easier. Although the first two categories will ensure coverage, LEADING EDGE, CARRY A BIG STICK and CHANGES are good enough for some ink.

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Holiday For Charity Gains Traction

Our Holiday for Charity effort is gaining traction. Last week we mentioned it in our enewsletter, and we distributed a news release via PRWEB. If you visit our release, please feel free to share it through StumbleUpon or your other social networks.Additionally, I posted an article on social site, Gather.

The Publicity Hound featured us in its Help This Hound feature in both the newsletter and the blog.

A good story on charitable giving appeared on the highly trafficked Unclutterer blog and I posted a note there about the program.

Today, the Charlotte Business Journal mentioned our Holiday For Charity effort in its print and electronic editions. Other places we have found the story:

News.Bigg.Net

Newslife.us

If you like this holiday for charity idea, help spread the word. Use your social networks to  let others know. Use our embedded  social bookmarking feature beneath this posting, too. Thanks.

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