Name: Tressa Robbins
Email:
Bio: A country girl at heart, who loves the city, I’ve worked in marketing, consultative sales, and media relations for the better part of over 20 years. The skills acquired from these positions certainly come in handy in my present role as vice president, BurrellesLuce Media Contacts. This is an exciting time of change in the world of media and I want to initiate conversations on news to assist and support public relations professionals in the industry. In my personal time, love the outdoors, boating, fishing, riding 4-wheelers (ATVs) and being mom to my three dogs. Twitter: @TressaLynne; LinkedIn: TressaLynne; Facebook: BurrellesLuce
Posts by Tressa Robbins:
- Print on your business cards leading to client testimonial page or background bio.
- Include on conference attendee badges to make exchanging contact information a snap.
- Non-profits could link to volunteer and donation pages.
- Use it to link consumers (or reporters) to how-to videos or detailed instructions.
- Have a QR code screen-printed onto t-shirts, linking to details, to raise awareness about a charity cause or some other event.
- Use at a tradeshow to allow attendees to quickly scan your contact info.
- Grassroots campaigns could link to a podcast of their guiding principles with a call to action.
- Put next to retail displays linking to product reviews.
- PR efforts for a large event could utilize a QR Code with a link to a map of the event’s venues.
- Sponsoring an event? Use a QR code on signage and other pieces linking to a special thank-you page and a sign-up form for such things as newsletters.
- In public awareness materials, it might link to an assessment survey or support resources.
- No surprise that there is more news consumed now than a decade ago with 33 percent of Americans getting news via mobile devices, and 92 percent reporting the use of multiple platforms to get their news.
- Internet is closing in but 74 percent still go to television for national and international news.
- More of us “graze” for news with two minutes and 30 seconds being the average session per site, down from three minutes and six seconds last year – compared to about a half an hour with a daily newsprint product.
- Sixty-two percent of internet users are on social media, and 77 percent of social network users get their news there.
- Facebook is the third most popular referral site for news articles – following only Google and the original news site.
- Craft the perfect headline. It should clearly epitomize what your press release is about while including keywords (for SEO). Try to get it down to 10-12 words or less.
- Lead with the hook. The lead (first sentence or “hook”) should be clear and concise. The news in your news release has to be obvious.
- Skip the fluff. State actual facts – products, services, events, people, projects. Avoid jargon or specialized technical terms.
- Set word limits. In a recent PRSA Tactics article, Ann Wylie writes, “The recommended length for the average press release has dropped from 400 words in print to 250 words online, according to Internet marketing strategist B.L. Ochman.” The press release should not tell the whole story but simply an idea of what their readers need to know.
- Timing is everything. The content should be relevant and fresh – not too far past and not too far in the future.
- Target distribution. I’m not going to detail in this post, but if you want to revisit why this is so important, you can read about it here and here.
Public Relations & Marketing with QR Codes
March 2nd, 2011
Flickr Image: Fluid Forms
In my last post, I talked about 2D barcodes being used in the print media to connect the readers’ to additional content and offer a more interactive experience. I also mentioned that there’s a myriad of uses in the communications field – not just advertising but marketing and public relations as well.
Remember, however, even though QR codes are catching on here in the US, that doesn’t mean everyone knows what they are or how to use them. If you plan to launch an initiative using QR codes, be sure that you educate your audience with detailed instructions on what to do. Also, wherever the QR code leads must offer value – exclusive information, how-to videos, giveaways, discounts, entertainment –something to grab their attention and encourage interaction. It is often easier to have the QR code point to a website that can be updated and refreshed with new content, rather than a static page, as once a QR code is created most cannot be modified.
Here are some ways to utilize QR codes in marketing, event planning and PR:
In media relations, you could even embed in your press release directing the journalist to your online press kit or photo gallery and fact sheets. That should be just enough to get your creativity flowing. What can you add? How are you incorporating QR codes into the marketing mix? How has it benefited your communication efforts? What have been some of the challenges?
Barcodes and The Media
February 28th, 2011
Flickr Image: The American Library Association (ALA)
Barcodes have been used in the retail, logistics, inventory/warehousing and governmental environments since the 1970’s. There are numerous types of 2D barcodes, but for this post, I’ll be referring primarily to Quick Response (QR) codes – which didn’t come into existence until 1994. QR codes have been popular in Japan for quite some time and even have been used in some European countries but have struggled to gain acceptance here in North America.
About a year ago, my BurrellesLuce colleague, Lauren Shapiro, wrote about the world being a giant barcode and how this might affect the public relations and marketing realm. In September 2010, I attended a PRSA professional development day (hosted by SWMO PRSA) where Ben Smith, Social: IRL agency, talked about PR and media uses for QR codes – that’s when it started to “click” for me. Then, a few months ago, another colleague, Denise Giacin, wrote about a book by a New York Times reporter and his perceptions of the changing media landscape – each chapter beginning with a QR code.
So, if this is not new, why am I just now writing about this? Because it seems to me that it’s no longer just speculation by the thought leaders, but it’s actually catching on. (I’m a wait and see kinda gal, after all Missouri is the “Show Me State.”) With the popularity of smart phones, QR codes are now more practical than in the past and are probably destined to become even more so in the future. Google Places began using QR codes, issuing window decals, in December 2009 as a quick way to see reviews and coupons for local businesses. There’s a myriad of uses in the communications field and I’ll talk more about that in my next post.
A number of print media outlets are now using barcodes to connect the reader’s print and online experiences. Mobile barcodes offer publishers an easy way to bridge the gap between traditional print mediums and digital media. The barcodes allow them to offer a more personalized and interactive experience – like linking from an advertisement to a coupon or recipe. But it’s going beyond advertising now.
The Washington Post recently began including QR codes to offer “digital jumps” to additional content. Lucky Magazine uses QR codes to link to hair and makeup instructional videos. South Florida Sun Sentinel uses QR codes to link to digital content. USA Today announced last week that they are making a commitment to use at least one Microsoft Tag (a proprietary 2D barcode) in each daily section that will provide mobile access to photos, videos and other online content. Even some college papers, Cal State Fullerton for one, have begun using these barcodes in the print edition.
The naysayers are convinced of the demise of print media; however, new technologies like QR codes offer the ability to make their content more interrelated. It provides readers with a more interactive and productive experience.
Is this just what print media needs or is this a stop-gap measure on the downhill slide? I look forward to you sharing your thoughts with our readers.
News in our Digital Lives: “Old” Media Still Matters
February 4th, 2011
A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of hearing Amy Mitchell speak in St. Louis at the annual joint meeting of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and Community Service Public Relations Council (CSPRC), of which BurrellesLuce was a sponsor. Mitchell, a native of St. Louis, is the deputy director for the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEW PEJ).
Mitchell spoke to a group of roughly 250 communicators about the new news consumer and media trends for 2011. It was an intensive presentation complete with plenty of charts, graphs and statistics. I won’t attempt to recap everything that was addressed but, here are some of my key takeaways:
Contrary to those naysayers that keep saying print media is dead, this “old” media still provides most of our news! In one American city (Baltimore), a whopping 92 percent of new content came from “old” media, proving that the published story is just the beginning of its life cycle.
There are lots of new players in the news game: citizens, non-profits, patch (local), commercial entities, corporate communications, newsmakers, privately funded sites, lobby and special interest groups. However, those producing news today have less control than ever in history.
Mitchell said, “While news in the 21st century offers greater freedom today than ever to take part in the news conversations, it brings with it greater effort and responsibility.”
So what does all this mean to you? Obviously social networks are a very important distribution channel, but PR professionals must adapt to the “new” journalism – as a service, not a product that is platform specific. Communicators must be transparent with corporate messaging. What is your organization doing to adapt to the changing media landscape?
Blogger Relations Misconceptions
January 12th, 2011As traditional media continue to downsize and the boundaries between social and traditional media continue to blur, communications professionals are increasingly turning to blogs for exposure. For those that are in PR or marketing and pitch the media on a regular ba
sis, this may come as no surprise; however, I’ve read, seen and heard more than a few bad pieces of advice recently, regarding pitching bloggers. Here are a few of the demands that I’ve responded to or heard lately and my thoughts on them:
We need a list of the top blogs so we can send them a press release.
There are so many things wrong with this request! First, if the blogger is not a member of the press, then why would you send a press release? Second, what defines “top” blogs to you may not be the same as the requestor. Third, this assumes that blogger outreach, as a tactic, supports your overall PR strategy.
Back in 2007, Jeremiah Owyang wrote, “Consider not pitching a press release or announcement at all; why not point me to relevant blog posts from the client (non marketing ones) that I’d be willing to add to my blog. Always remember that I’m thinking of my readers first, so if the content is not going to help them, I’m not going to point to it – think backwards.” Even though he wrote it more than three years ago, it’s still sage advice.
We want to send a blast email to the (blogger) list.
Really? A “blast” email of the same pitch to multiple bloggers? No. You really don’t. Bloggers are unlike the media in that they do not have a “beat,” their “outlet” doesn’t necessarily dictate they write on certain topics, and, often, they are not bound by geographic limitations. You need to research each and every target and customize the pitch accordingly. (BurrellesLuce Media ContactsPlus is one solution that can help you connect and engage with bloggers individually.) If possible, find a connection with the blogger (e.g. boating enthusiast, horse lover, same alma mater, etc.) and leverage it. Follow but don’t stalk.
Case in point: Heather Whaling (aka @prtini) received this reply from a blogger after receiving her pitch not long ago: “I really appreciate you taking the time to know a little bit about me before you emailed me. You have no idea what a difference that personalization makes. Or, maybe you do. But in case you don’t hear it enough, good job!”
PRBC co-founder Marie Baker, recently coined the term “blogger bombardment” to describe this paradigm shift. And Last week, an AmericanExpress OPEN Forum post replied to the argument, “But that means I can’t send out a mass email to hundreds of BCC’d recipients.” With this analogy…Exactly. It’s like getting a hand-written envelope via snail-mail; the recipient is much more likely to act on it if it’s personal and relevant to her blog.
I don’t want us / you to spend a lot of time on this.
<Sigh> I can’t say it any better than the guys over at The Bad Pitch Blog did: “Does this read like a lot of work? Well as the definition of a media outlet morphs, so must our approach to engaging with them. And as more and more bloggers extend the olive branch, the price of a bad pitch is increasing — less coverage, whiny bloggers, angry clients and amused competitors.”
Bottom line? If your news doesn’t warrant this caliber of effort, then you shouldn’t be pitching it at all!
Is Your Press Release Guilty of Information Overload?
December 3rd, 2010
Branding and advertising messages can be both offensive and defensive – which may be why they seem to be everywhere these days. Added to the barrage of news and posts coming in to your RSS feed, newsletters you’ve subscribed to, social news streams, your email inbox, not to mention your personal communications and – you’ve got information overload.
According to a video based on the book Socialnomics™ by Erik Qualman, we no longer search for the news but the news finds us or, at least, it tries to reach us. I’ve heard there’s an average of 5,000 attempts to get our attention every day. That was back in 2006 – the figures are probably even higher by now. But even so, 5,000 messages? Per day? Yikes! No wonder we feel overwhelmed sometimes.
That’s the “average” person. Imagine how a journalist must feel. Journalists must be masters of information management. According to a Journalistics post, they are receiving hundreds of pitches a day. (Makes my head swim just thinking about it!) As The Media evolves, newsrooms are also switching to more hyperlocal formats and journalists are finding that they are wearing other hats, besides that of journalist, including business person and manager.
Seth Godin recently wrote on his blog that, “Once you overload the user, you train them not to pay attention. More clutter isn’t free. In fact, more clutter is a permanent shift, a desensitization to all the information, not just the last bit.”
To stop issuing press releases isn’t really an option, so how do you keep yours from being lost in the thicket of information and simply adding to the fatigue of digital overload?
As Wylie states (in the above-referenced article), “The right length for each piece depends on the topic, audience, medium, budget and other factors.” The key is not “smothering your readers with information.”
How are you tailoring your media outreach to fit the ever-changing needs of journalists and bloggers? If you’ve given your press release a makeover, to keep up with the times, how successful have your efforts been? Please share your thoughts with the me and the readers of BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas.
