Effective Media Strategy for Business Growth

1. Media and Marketing ASBA Technical Meeting Savannah, GADecember 2009 Mary Helen Sprecher Peter Francesconi

2. Why You Need the Media • Free advertising • Spread the word about your company and services • Credibility • Help grow your business • Enhance, and protect, your image

3. Meet the Press Secrets to Dealing With the Media • Assume Journalists Are… • Lazy • Procrastinate • Enjoy Freebies

4. Meet the Press Make It Easy for Media • Make it easy for the media by doing their jobs for them. • Complete information is important— the less “hunting” we do, the better for you. • Have materials ready to go—often it can fill an open “hole” in the publication. • The first sources to respond with info often will get the coverage. • When you do the work, you control the message. • You need to make us aware of what’s happening! We can’t write about it unless you tell us.

5. Build Your Media Strategy What’s Your Story? • Anything you do can be news and worthy of a press release/photo + caption, etc. • - New or completed jobs • - Adding staff • - New equipment/facilities • - Awards/honors • - Anniversaries/milestones • Bigger feature stories, too. • - Generally “query” local media: Often they prefer to write the bigger stories themselves. • - If you already advertise, they’ll probably write about you • Think Beyond the Sports Pages

6. Build Your Media Strategy Prepare Materials • Printed Materials • - Press release • - Other company background material/ fact sheets • Photographs • - For print • - For websites • Your Website • - An important resource for accurate info • IMPORTANT: • Consistently BRAND your printed material and website!- Logo/Company info/Contact info

7. Build Your Media Strategy 12 Steps to Writing an Effective Release • Skip the hype and stick to the facts. • Give Who, What, Where, When, Why. • Use the Inverted Pyramid—put most important info first. • Briefly describe the news, then say who announced it. • The first 10 words are the most important. • Avoid excessive use of adjectives, fancy or stilted language, jargon. • Keep it to one page, if possible; no more than two pages. • Put a date on it. • Write a headline. • Provide as much contact info as possible, including your website address. • Give info on accompanying art. • Proofread it! Especially for names and dates.

8. Build Your Media Strategy Formatting the Press Release • IN GENERAL: • Format for 8 ½ x 11 paper • Use at least 1-inch margin on each side • Use bold type for headline • Upper and Lower Case in Headlines Makes It Easier to Read ALL CAPITAL LETTERS ARE HARDER TO READ • Complete the paragraph on one page; don’t carry it over to the next page. • Use only one side of each sheet of paper. • FOR EMAILING: • Both ATTACH the file as a word doc and PASTE the text into the email. • For both the attachment and in the body of the email: Use a format that makes it easy for others to copy and paste!

9. Sample Press Release Build Your Media Strategy

10. Build Your Media Strategy Photographs • Get a good photographer. • Go digital. • Think “unique.” • Include signage in background if applicable. • Provide a caption with names, places, dates, contact info. • On press release and website, indicate availability of photos. • IMPORTANT: • Photo requirements are different for print pubs and for web use. • Printing in newspapers and magazine requires higher resolution photos than displaying on a website or in emails. - Good color in magazine, generally 500K to 1 MB or more. - For website use, 72K is the standard.

11. Build Your Media Strategy Quick Summary • Research Media Outlets • - Print, Broadcast and Internet • What’s Your Story? • - Almost anything you do is worthy of a press release/photo • - For bigger stories, generally query the publication • Prepare Materials • - Press releases, photographs • - Consistent branding • Make a Pitch • - Send a tailored message • - Provide resources, material, background, sources • Follow Up • - Be a resource, not a nag • - Write a thank-you note!

12. Email Essentials Make Email Work FOR You • Every message you send is a free advertisement for your business and needs to project the right image. • Get a “real” business email address. • - Don’t use an aol or gmail or earthlink address… • No: goodbuilder@aol.com • Yes: JohnT@xyzcompany.com • Create a consistent signature that appears on all your emails, for ALL your employees. • - Name, position, company, address, phone/email/fax, website, company logo • Always respond, and in a timely manner. Use auto-reply if away or busy. • - “Thanks for your message. You will receive a response within 24 hours.”

13. Email Essentials Guidelines for Email Communications • NO SPAM • - If you’re sending regular e-mail blasts or newsletters, always provide a way to unsubscribe. • Don’t harass • DON’T TYPE IN ALL CAPS • Don’t send massively large files, photos, etc., unless the recipient says it’s OK • Try to keep emails short • - And break up large blocks into paragraphs to make them easier to read.

14. Social Media Why Do I Need Social Media? • An alternative tool to add to your marketing mix. • Allows you to post updates, share ideas, and get feedback from customers in a quick, easy, and cost-effective manner. • Gives you a web-presence on an interactive basis, rather than just informative. • Brings personality to your organization and creates brand loyalty. • Provides an alternative medium by which to search for sales leads, develop new business relationships. • USE IT — Learn how it can benefit your organization • Converse — Don’t simply pitch your products or promote your ideas. Make it seem like personal conversation at least a third of the time. This helps develop relationships • Be aware of social media sites your clients/customers are using. Get on those networks and interact.

15. Social Media Advantages/Disadvantages • Majority of social media networks do not charge a fee. • Allows you to broadcast your information to a wide spectrum quickly and easily. • Connects you to people that you may not have been connected with otherwise. • Can be time-consuming to monitor various networks. • Information passed through social media networks is open to scrutiny by many people at once.

16. Website Essentials Must-Haves for Your Website • A WEBSITE!! — And Keep It Up to Date • - Websites are often the first thing people go to when researching a product or service • - Media use the website for information, background, fact-checking. • Basic information • - Office hours, location, directions, staff email links, projects/portfolio, staff bios • Newsworthy content: products, photos, jobs • Testimonials • Media Page: Press Clips/Awards/Honors • Sponsor/partner logos, links and blurb • Newsletter sign-up, if applicable