The next time you write a press release, don't write just one. Considering writing several, each one with a different twist or variation on the same theme. A press release can be revised to fit multiple niche media outlets. With all of the websites, blogs and social media pages available today, your message can be targeted to the perspective or point of view of those sites.
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A new survey of how journalists use social media and other new media provides a wealth of information for anyone involved in media relations and public relations. Among the highlights of the suvey by Middleberg Communications: 69% of the 200 journalists questioned use Twitter, 75% are on Facebook, 78% say they make use of company websites and 54% say they use online video. This is extremely important for anyone trying to persuade the media to cover their story. Why? Southwest Airlines' Press Room Crisis Communications is more of an art than a science, because each crisis is unique. But there are general rules for responding to a crisis that really don't change. Take Southwest Airlines, which has had to cancel hundreds of flights after a hole opened in one of its plane's fuselage during flight. As investigators check Southwest's fleet, the airline has posted several press releases on its site and has updated its Twitter and Facebook pages multiple times since the crisis began. It's a vivid reminder of why it's important to have a clearly defined press room on your web site. The ability to post even quick updates helps you to get important information to the media and the public. The story also reminds us of the value of social media to communicate directly with customers or, in the case of Southwest, passengers. You spend all that time crafting a press release, it's a shame that once you send it out, that's all there is to it. Well, not really. In fact, if you're not re-purposing your press releases you are missing out on some great opportunities for additional PR exposure. Here are a few examples of what to do. President's Day today provides many people with a three day weekend. Most government offices are closed, including schools, and all but essential services are staffed. So, the temptation is to assume the media is on holiday as well. Actually, just the opposite is often the case. Oh, sure, there are some reporters who take the day off to be home with their kids, but most working news rooms are struggling through what is generally described as a "slow" news day. They're looking for good stories. Sun Times Blizzard Coverage As difficult and as dangerous as this week's blizzard was, there were also some takeaways in the form of public relations lessons we can learn from the storm. First, everyone had a story. We all had to endure the storm and its aftermath, and each of us experienced it in a unique way. How long did it take to clear your driveway? Did you lose power? How long did it take before your street was plowed? That's the very thing you need to tap into when it comes to PR and media relations. Make what you do a story to which people can relate. Twitter signed up 100 million new users in 2010, according to mashable.com. Were you one of them? The fast growth is nothing short of amazing, yet not too surprising in the new world of social media. The question you may still have is whether there's any real business value and whether it's a passing fad. From the continued growth, it's definitely not a passing fad. It will only get bigger and become more ingrained with our daily lives. As for whether there's any business value, especially when it comes to media relations and public relations, that depends entirely on how you use it. Facebook may be onto something. Who hasn't been bothered by having to keep up with all of the email, text messaging and instant messages we receive? It's tough to keep it all straight, let alone know whether the message you're trying to send should be a text message or an email? That's why it's intriguing to read the initial coverage of Facebook's news strategy, as reported in the Mercury News: "While each of the social network's more than 500 million users will have the chance to get an @facebook.com e-mail address as the new service gradually rolls out to members in coming months, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the goal was not to create the world's largest e-mail network, but to merge external e-mail, text messaging, instant messages and Facebook's existing internal messaging service into a new kind of seamless communiciation system." We'll have to see how it plays out, but this appears to be one more element in how we'll communicate through social media. If you don't have a social media strategy, you're falling farther and farther behind. We can help. Contact us! |
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