Presentation given at an annual conference that demystifies the media. You do not have to be a large brand to employ a media strategy as part of your marketing and communications efforts.

1. Taking the Mystery Out of
Media
NAEBA Annual Conference 2011

2. “I keep six honest serving-
men, (They taught me all I
knew); Their names are What
and Why and When, And How
and Where and Who”
- Rudyard Kipling

3. Source: Marketing Sherpa

4. 1. Who?

5. me-di-a (noun): the means of communication, as
radio and television, newspapers, and
magazines, that reach or influence people widely

6. Who are the Newsmakers?

7. You and Your Customers!

8. 2. What?

9. a report of a recent event;
intelligence; information

10. • News is subjective. One man‟s
mundane is another‟s
breaking story
• Audience specific; target to
relevant groups
• Interest, geography
• Real time; what is relevant
now

11. Students, Driver Hospitalized
After School Bus, Snow Plow
Accident
Apple reports record-breaking revenues
and profits
Brittany Underwood
Update from Miami: 2 (Langston) leaving OLTL
officers shot, killed in
gunfight; 1st slain
officer ID'd as Roger
Castillo - Miami Herald
Unluckiest Travel Award: Nature
Calls, Man Falls

12. “Great content in all forms helps
buyers see that you and your
organization „get it.‟ Content drives
action” –David Meerman Scott, The
New Rules of Marketing and PR

13. 3. Where?

14. Where can you find media contacts?
• Websites (TV, Newspaper, Radio, Search)
• Alltop
• Media Lists and Databases
• Competitors
• Events / Tradeshows
• Print and Digital Publications you read
• HARO
• Muck Rack
• Social Networking (Twitter, Quora, LinkedIn)

15. 3. When?

16. The Law of Perspective
“Marketing effects take place over
an extended period of time”
–The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

17. Timing
• News moves quickly, have a strategy to pitch and
distribute
• Take advantage of hot trends, topics, industry
events
• Pay attention to what is dominating headlines
• Ensure timing is relevant

18. 5. Why?

19. • Reach Buyers
• Increase sales
• Branding
• Visibility
• Shape Perception
• Credibility
• Education

20. 6. How?

21. Press Releases

22. • Develop a PR Calendar (weekly, monthly,
quarterly
• Do not limit releases to media; create
releases that appeal to home buyers
• Tip sheets (Morning & Mid-day news show
producers, radio/tv)
• Always focus on audience
• Refrain from hype

23. Content for Press Releases
• Company news
• Staffing changes, new service, published, created, solved
• Industry news
• Add to discussion, Contrary Opinion, Unique Solution
• Current news (hot topics, trends)
• Survey or poll results
• Zoomerang, Survey Monkey, LinkedIn
• Customer Case Studies
• Awards
• Events

24. Tactics for Success
• Optimize keywords and phrases in title and body of release
• Include links
• Incorporate Multimedia
• Add social media tags
• Repurpose for blog posts, newsletters
• Avoid “industry speak”
• Create an online news room
• Proactively pitch reporters by phone

25. How to Pitch
• Do not spam with off target, broadcast pitches
• Do not send unsolicited attachments
• Do your homework, know the reporter,
publication
• Give them the story; big picture, why is this
interesting/different/important
• Provide opportunities to create different angles
• Provide visuals (infographics, statistics)
• Include contact information
• Follow up with a phone call

26. How to Become a Media Darling
• Build Relationships
• Be available
• Be prepared
• Be accurate – do not provide BAD
• information
• Be willing to make the story better
• Be trustworthy – NEVER violate a reporter‟s trust
• Be generous – read and share their work

27. Distribution
Marketwire
Cisionwire
Business Wire
PR Newswire
Pitch Engine
Internal
Custom media list
Muck Rack
Your Website

28. Local Strategies
• Leverage national / industry coverage
• Use NAEBA releases, repurpose for local, offer thought
leadership
• Releases / tip sheets to local outlets
• Op-Ed pieces in local newspapers
• Pitch contributed articles
• Reach out to bloggers
• Write a local blog

29. Emergent Success
Company had been involved in
groundbreaking project funded by
prestigious organization. Two years
later foundation that provided grant
was releasing results. Created press
release to recap project & results,
distributed through Marketwire.
Witin one hour contacted by major
healthcare publication for feature.

30. Dr. Kal
Kalvin Chinyere created a
weight loss program that
focused on low cost
strategies to exercise and
eat healthy. To launch the
product and website, a
press release was written
and distributed. The
release resulted in a CNN
interview with Dr. Sanjay
Gupta.

31. Video

32. Script Your Success
• Use video to reach your buyers
• Commentary on breaking industry news
• Customer case studies
• Create a “mockumentary”
• Interview other experts
(lenders, appraisers, contractors)
• Do a series
• Be ready for unscripted opportunities

33. How to Market with Video
• Digital or video camera
• Post to video sharing sites, such as YouTube
• Create your own online video channel
• Create video blog posts
• Invite customers to submit video

34. “Fake” Video Goes Viral
PCLive.com created a
video of a guy having
computer issues with a
message on the end to go
to PCLive. Video went
viral, creating buzz, traffic
and coverage by Inside
Edition
Source:
http://www.highbeam.com/doc
/1G1-176036381.html

35. Blendtec’s classsic video has received more than 96 million
views, and delivered a 700 percent increase in sales

36. Social Media
Amplify, engage and monitor

37. A study from the Yankee Group for
Siemens Enterprise Communications
revealed that companies who fail to
use social media to interact with their
customers do so "at their own peril.”

38. 70 percent agreed that consumers want access
to company experts and support via social
media channels as well as trusting company
information provided to them via these
networks.
Source: CXO
http://www.cxo.eu.com/news/newsnewscompanies-that-dont-use-social-
media/

39. A new study revealed that 92% of Americans
use multiple platforms to get their daily news
Source: Pew Research Center Internet & American Life Project and
Project for Excellence in Journalism.

40. Social media
• Amplify news with social media
• Blog
• Facebook Page
• Twitter
• Forums, Groups
• Multimedia Sharing Sites (YouTube, Flickr)

41. Social and Strategic
• Develop a social media plan
• Where is your target audience?
• Provide valuable resources and information; position yourself as
an expert
• Engage your audience; ask questions
• Reciprocate attention with comments, links
• Include social media links in all marketing collateral, make it
visible
• Monitor what is being said about you
• Be social! Engage and respond

42. Create a universal profile

45. Manage your time

46. Daily digest of activities within your network

47. Manage social media campaigns &
networks

48. Keep track of key contacts & influencers

49. Manage your Reputation

52. Fence Maker’s Blog Meshes
with Customers
Case Study: Fencing supplier Louis E. Page Inc
really took off when now-owner Duncan Page
added a blog to the business website. Duncan
himself was surprised to find an article about how
to use woven wire fencing to build a horse
paddock attracted more than 1,500 views alone.
The result: traffic, media coverage, and an 850%
increase in sales leads.
Source:
http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/5079/6-Social-
Media-Marketing-Case-Study-Lessons.aspx#ixzz1BtD27sXa

53. Your Media Toolkit
• Media calendar (PR, Blog, Event)
• Online news room
• Bio
• Photos, Logos
• Background Information
• Expert topics
• Audio, video clips
• Digital / video camera
• Waiver forms
• Targeted media list

54. “All of us who professionally use the mass
media are the shapers of society. We can
vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it.
Or we can help lift it onto a higher level.” –
William Bernbach