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Burrill Competition Discussion: What’s your Biz Pitch for the Media?

Burrill Competition Discussion: What’s your Biz Pitch for the Media?. Melissa Anderson, Director of PR Wisconsin School of Business . Live/Archive: Tweetchat # bizpitch. Agenda. The basics of PR How PR can help you Example from previous Burrill winner What’s news?

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Burrill Competition Discussion: What’s your Biz Pitch for the Media?

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  1. Burrill Competition Discussion:What’s your Biz Pitch for the Media? Melissa Anderson, Director of PR Wisconsin School of Business Live/Archive: Tweetchat#bizpitch

  2. Agenda • The basics of PR • How PR can help you • Example from previous Burrill winner • What’s news? • How you can help your PR • Advice from the experts • Recap

  3. PR Rules! • It’s free (sorta) • It establishes credibility (third-party endorsement) • It reverberates • It connects your business with the world • It provides a forum to share ideas • It generates interest which can generate $

  4. Just ask ‘Dancing Matt’

  5. Example: Sky Vegetables • 2008 Burrill Competition winners • 2008 runners-up in Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Competition

  6. Media Impact • New York Times Green Inc. Blog • NYT website circ: 15,086,201 • Harvard Business Blog • HBR web/mag circ: 245,390+ • National Public Radio: All Things Considered • NPR web circ: 2,741,496, listeners= • Chronicle of Higher Education • Circ: 560,711 (web), 76,322 (mag) • Capital Times • Circ: 185,483 (web), comes free w/State Journal

  7. What Role Did Media Play?Keith Agoada, founder of Sky Vegetables • “The media created Sky Vegetables… once the release was sent our story got picked up and circulated quite rapidly. We had a half-dozen stories written up in the first week. • “We were able to raise money and get the company jump-started despite being a rooftop farming co. w/out a farmer, architect or engineer on the team. Now, we have all three. • “One of the first investments I made in the company was a PR person.”

  8. SV’s Selling Points What does media want to know from SV? • Job creation • Sustainability • Clean tech • Alternative energy • Green • Trend • Urban development • Buy local

  9. So, are YOU ready? • Questions to ask yourself before pitching the media: • Is my business ready to be introduced? • Do I actually have something to say? • Have I thought about how to say it? • Is what I have to say relevant? • Have I built the appropriate support network to sustain a strong media presence?

  10. Be the EXPERT! Tell YOUR story! • Know your audience(s) • Know your three core messages • Know your facts and statistics • Have “quotable quotes” or digestible sound bites in mind • Anticipate and practice answering both easy and difficult questions • Identify possible wild cards • Be a resource

  11. Analyzing Opportunities • Know your target audience and the appropriate outlet • Message • Understand your potential story topics and directions • Know your competition • What are the alternative arguments

  12. The no-hitter pitch • Editors and reporters get hundreds of e-mails a day, so be direct, don’t waste their time or make them guess • Use the intro/subject line as a headline. Get creative! • Don’t clutter with multiple contacts • Be short and provactive. Think elevator pitch! • Put message in body of e-mail and provide a link(s) back to your website • Don’t spam; use the wire for major announcements

  13. What makes your story? • Knowing what’s news and what isn’t • Find out the trends – read, watch, network • Discover your beat(s) • Follow reporters/producers/etc who are covering your beats • Be relevant and contribute something • Find creative ways to gain attention • Sell, sell, sell

  14. Other tips • Press releases are overrated • Reporters like exclusive information • It’s OK to be annoying • When you talk to someone in the media expect them to be short w/you • Be optimistic and passionate • Live and breathe your brand • Don’t be afraid to show your personality • Don’t lie or mislead • Be open about the roadblocks, challenges, or about the moment you came up w/the idea

  15. Tweet chat: #bizpitch @mvavrinak • Bio: marketing, advertising, PR, economic development @FMGMcNabb • Bio: owner of Fastpitch Media, blogger @marcaross • Bio: grassroots, communications, marketing @standupkid • Bio: Daily digital dispatches: local TV news, its rise, fall, and what's next. @GregTracy • Bio: cofounder and president of Sharendipity , a local software startup.

  16. QUESTIONS?

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