Top Five Mistakes Startups Make with Social Media

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Top Five Mistakes Startups Make with Social Media

When it comes to social media marketing, how can you get ahead? What mistakes should you avoid? Lauren Carmody of Connecticut Innovations and Chris Rinaldi of ZAG Interactive cover the “Top 5 Mistakes Startups Make with Social Media” to help you answer just that.

About the Presenters

Lauren GrenierLauren Carmody is an executive in residence in marketing at Connecticut Innovations, assisting CI and its portfolio companies with marketing and public relations strategy and execution. You can contact her at lauren.carmody@ctinnovations.com.

 

 

 

Christopher RinaldiChris Rinaldi is a digital strategist at ZAG Interactive, an interactive marketing agency in Glastonbury, Connecticut. He helps clients plan and execute digital content. You can contact him at crinaldi@zaginteractive.com.

 

 

 

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Engaging the Media: Perfecting the Pitch

[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”http://ctinnovations.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Content-Detail-News.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]Engaging the Media: Perfecting the Pitch

Your organization is experiencing tremendous momentum. Profits are up. You have penetrated new markets and hired an additional 50 employees over the past few months. What’s your secret? What’s your story? You are now a bona fide newsmaker, a mover/shaker within your industry. The choice before you is whether to rest on your laurels or take advantage of this great opportunity to share the secrets of your success with a broader audience. Such audiences include potential, existing and former clients, shareholders and future employees.

Can you persuade a journalist, blogger, editor or producer to use your company as a source in a story like public relations professionals do? Sure you can. Media outlets are hungry for new material, for better angles, for stories that inspire and capture the imagination. You can be that resource for the media.

A good starting point for your media outreach efforts is defining your audiences. Obviously, your client or customer base composes one audience group. A second target may be the experts and product analysts covering your industry. Find out what publications, websites or blogs your clients like to read. Odds are they enjoy reading the latest news and trends in their industry. For instance, if your clients provide software for the banking industry, chances are they read American Banker and Credit Union Journal.

Once you identify your media targets, drill down a little further to find the individual journalist or editorial department covering your business specialty. Analyze each target reporter’s coverage on a case-by-case basis, and then create a story map that illustrates the “essential ingredients” needed to build a convincing and complete story for that reporter. Once you have completed that process, work with the experts and delegated spokespeople within your company to identify the content needed to bring each story to life – it can make all the difference between an unread email and a feature story.

Now you are ready to make your pitch. Basically, the media pitch has five components: the eye-catcher, pitch foundation, pitch elements, pitch logistics and next steps.

  • As the name implies, the eye-catcher must grab the journalist’s attention. Resist the temptation to oversell the story. One or two relevant sentences that describe the competitive advantage your product or service brings to the market should do the trick. Don’t give the journalist a white paper in your pitch, just the facts. If the journalist is interested in the story, there will be follow-up questions.Example: We have developed a new technology that allows doctors to access up-to-date patient information online in a matter of minutes. Our technology bests the industry average by more than 45 minutes.
  • The next component is the pitch foundation. These are the details that support the claims made in the eye-catcher.Example: Several local hospitals have been using this technology, and they each report quicker access times. We are gathering similar data from other hospitals using this technology.
  • The pitch elements are the enticing visual/human components of the story that will make it worthwhile for the reporter. In developing the pitch, go beyond what your product or service means to your company or its bottom line and focus on its positive impact on consumers or the environment. The best stories are about people.Example: This improvement in record access benefits the patients and the medical professionals. Doctors can now use that information to immediately address issues surrounding new patients. This is especially true for patients visiting medical facilities outside of their network.
  • The pitch logistics focus on how you propose to deliver the story to the journalist or outlet. You may suggest, for instance, that you will be available for an interview at a specific date and time. For an in-person interview or site visit, you can share the directions, parking considerations and meeting location with the journalist. Make it as convenient as possible for the media.Example: If you are interested in finding out more information about this new technology, we can arrange a phone conversation between you and our head physician next week. If you would like to come out and see the technology in action, we can arrange a site visit to include a conversation with patients who have benefited from this new technology.
  • The next steps components are not always needed but are a great tool to maintain some measure of control of the process. Next steps allow you to gauge journalist interest in your story.Example: If you are interested, please let me know. I will work to clear our head physician’s schedule and will coordinate with our patient representative to make sure we have a patient for you to interview.

Those are the basic components and steps to follow to engage your targeted media. You will not always be successful in placing stories. To use a baseball comparison, try to bat .300. The most skilled public relations professional cannot guarantee you media coverage. However, your chances for success will increase if you understand your media and only contact them with fresh and relevant news.

About the author:

Tony BerryTony Berry is a media relations and communications consultant. You can contact Tony at anthony-berry@sbcglobal.net.

 

 

 

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How to Write a Press Release

[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”http://ctinnovations.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Content-Detail-News.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]How to Write a Press Release

Something special is happening and you want to tell everyone. How do you get the word out? For the past century, businesses in America have used the press release to share their good news with targeted external audiences. Though technology has changed astoundingly since the first release was distributed in 1906, the press release remains the fundamental and essential tool for businesses to share organizational news.

The development and distribution of the press release is the first step in establishing a relationship between your company and the media and journalists covering your industry or market. Your goal is not just to make a good first impression, but also to make an everlasting impression. You want to engage the media and capture their interest with exciting and captivating company news. In pursuit of this goal, we can begin to make some determination as to what company news is press release worthy.

The Press Release “Threshold”

An important point to remember is that developments at your company that are exciting to you and your colleagues are not necessarily viewed the same way by outsiders and, in particular, the media. It is important to have or establish a press release “threshold” to determine the types of news you consider interesting enough to be distributed via press release to external audiences. An important consideration is impact. Does this news have far-reaching impact on your customers, investors, industry and employees? Examples of newsworthy items include announcements about: a new technology that has a positive impact on the environment, a new drug that helps to relieve arthritis, or a new manufacturing contract that will generate more business and allow your company to add 50 new full-time jobs.

Elements of a Press Release

Once you have established your threshold and have exciting news to announce, it’s time to write your press release. There are several different approaches to writing a press release. However, certain elements are common to most releases. Those elements include the press release masthead, dateline, title/headline, subtitle, lead paragraph, quotes, body, call-to-action, organizational boilerplate and official closing. Let’s take a closer look at each of these elements.

  • The masthead of your press release contains the company logo and contact information, as well as an indication of the timing of the release. In terms of timing, a press release is either intended “For Immediate Release” or is “Embargoed” for a later date/time. Your contact information should include as much information as possible. At a minimum, include your name, email address, and office and cell phone numbers.
  • The dateline includes the date of the press release and the name of the city where the news takes place.
  • The goal of the press release title or headline is to intrigue and captivate the reader (typically an editor or reporter). It should summarize generally what the release is about. Whenever possible you should include your keywords for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes. The headline should be short and descriptive. Refrain from using jargon in the headline, and stay away from hyperbole.
  • Subtitles are optional on some press releases. However, they are a great tool for adding content to bolster the press release title. In general, you should offer the reader additional caveats that are not obvious from the title. Subtitles should reinforce and complement the title but not overpower it. For instance, if the title names a new product or procedure, the subtitle can describe the expected impact or benefit to customers.
  • The lead paragraph, in two or three concisely written sentences, should give the reader a glimpse of what is about to follow. Don’t merely provide the details (who, what, when, where, why and how) – begin to paint a picture for the reader. In many ways, the lead paragraph is the key to the success of your press release. Use active voice, and focus on impact and how this news improves the lives of your customers. Don’t bury the lead! Remember to keep the bottom line up front (BLUF) and give the reader the most essential information in the lead paragraph. Your lead paragraph should also be consistent with the title.
  • The quotes you choose to include in your press release should stand out and reinforce all of the positive aspects of the subject matter of the press release. They should also, whenever possible, reinforce a company value, or an aspect of its mission or vision. Ideally, you want the speakers to use language that demonstrates your organization’s competitive advantage, expertise and/or industry leadership. Your quotes should never state the obvious or insult the reader’s intelligence.
  • The body of your press release should go beyond merely announcing a new product, technology breakthrough or a record return on investment. It should make those announcements within the context of a narrative that supports the strategic goals of the company. Storytelling is a successful and popular approach to writing press releases that will evoke a response from the reader. Don’t editorialize or make spectacular claims in your storytelling. Stick to the facts.
  • Your press release should include a call-to-action element directing the reader to relevant information beyond what is in the press release. Most releases will include hyperlinks to the company or product website, while others may simply invite the reader to become a part of their social networks.
  • Most companies have a standard boilerplate. This is a short description of the company that is placed at the end of each press release you issue, typically under the heading “About XYZ Company.” Make sure yours is updated and grammatically and factually accurate.
  • Use ### or -30- at the bottom of your press release to let the reader know nothing else follows. This is the official closing of your release.

In a perfect world, your press release will include all of these elements and would fit neatly on one page. The industry standard is the one-page press release, though the two-page release has become increasingly popular. Confining the text to one page forces the writer to be more concise and improves the final product.

About the Author
Tony BerryTony Berry is a media relations and communications consultant. You can contact Tony at anthony-berry@sbcglobal.net.

 

 

 
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