Posts

Amplifying Your Press Release With Assets

/0 Comments/in /by

One of my guilty pleasures is watching animal videos – because who doesn’t love otters having fun in the water or cows playing with balls? The captivating power of photos and videos should also be considered when creating a press release.

When your company wins a contract, achieves a major award or releases a new product, you might find it important enough to warrant a press release. To grab the attention of a journalist, consider adding a photo or video.

In the same way an image captures your attention on social media, an extra photo or video (an “asset” in industry jargon) in a press release will get the attention of the media. In fact, Amendola’s release partner, PR Newswire (a Cision company), reports that adding an asset to a release will increase your media coverage by 600%.

But gaining media coverage is just the start.

In the words of Bonnie Raitt, let’s give them something to talk about

A press release contains the information you want to share – but why not give readers more? By inserting a link in the release, you can take them to a landing page on your website where they can learn more. Too often, however, such links and calls to action are pushed to the last paragraph.

Best practices call for no more than three hyperlinks in any one press release. Therefore, consider linking to your corporate website only in the boilerplate and not in the first paragraph. The aim is to provide the journalist with as much information upfront as possible before they click on your website to learn more about your company and products.

As for your call to action, a picture (or video) is worth a thousand words. To maximize your reach, create a unique asset to place in the right-hand column of the press release, next to the first paragraph.

Creative assets to consider include:

  • A headshot for a new hire
  • An infographic or a link to the first page thumbnail for a case study.
  • For an award, an image of the award or a photo of the person being awarded
  • If you have won a contract, add the new partner’s logo or a photo of their headquarters
  • For a new product, include a screenshot or video of the product’s dashboard.

Adding an asset to a release currently increases the cost of your release by about $400 – but the return could be great if it increases your press release impressions by 600%!

Here’s an added benefit: Once you have created these assets, you can re-use them for other marketing initiatives, such as within newsletters, reports to stockholders, social media, collateral during tradeshows, and much more.

One last tip: As soon as your press release is ready to hit the wire, upload it to the “news” page on your website. Avoid frustrating journalists (and clients and prospects) who are looking for the latest company news, only to find releases from six months ago. Instead of linking back to the PR Newswire version, load the news directly to your website to ensure readers stay on your site.

Keeping your news site fresh and your press releases captivating may earn you a  thank you from the press, clients and prospects!

How To Create Media Pitches That Work

/0 Comments/in /by

Tips from The A-Team

Fewer reporters, with greater demands on their time. Fewer outlets and more competition for coverage. Face it, it’s a shrinking strike zone for media pitches.

That’s why it’s crucial to make those media pitches as good as possible: well-composed, on target and impossible to ignore. We asked our public relations experts for their advice on how to create pitches that journalists can’t resist:

Know the news and stick to it

“So what?” is the most devastating response to a pitch. “A former colleague who had worked as a newspaper journalist would always ask me, ‘so what does this mean for my neighbor Sally?’ when reviewing my pitches,” says Account Director Megan Moriarty. “A basic pitch to a reporter tells them what the news is, and I always try to add perspective about why it matters for their readers. Answering the ‘so what?’ question in a pitch provides clarity about the potential impact and demonstrates why the reporter should cover the story.”

Remember that the release must work for the outlet, not just the client. “The first question I aim to answer when drafting a pitch is, ‘How does this news provide value to the media outlet?’,” says Account Manager Maddie Noteboom. “If you can make that connection, the rest of the pitch will fall into place. By concisely stating the value to journalists, you can make the transaction feel more mutually beneficial rather than a one-way activity.”

Clients love to talk about themselves in press releases. The problem is journalists don’t care about the company, just the news. “Limit the puffery and keep the company in the background. Always keep the audience in mind,” says Jim Sweeney, senior account and content director.

One way to do that is to make the value of the pitch explicit. “Instead of just pitching a thought leader and their generic bio, explain why this person is the best suited to discuss the topic, especially if you are pitching a vendor!” says Senior Account Director Katlyn Nesvold.

Newsjacking, or tying a pitch to something else happening in the world, is another proven tactic, says Senior Account Director Janet Mordecai: “Pulling from the day’s headlines and directly correlating that to the company or the spokesperson’s experience speaking to that exact issue often works.”

Include data

Reporters love data. It lets them know there is some substance behind the pitch, advises Senior Content Director Morgan Lewis. “Pitches that contained fresh, original and relevant data always got my attention when I was a reporter and editor,” he says. “Case study outcomes, survey data, or clinical trial results that were pertinent to my publication would receive more consideration because the information could be used in so many different ways: a short brief, a stat to include in a related article, or in some cases, a byline about the data itself.”

If a client doesn’t have data, sometimes they can create their own. “Consider conducting an online survey using Pollfish or Harris Poll to generate data that’s supportive or even counter to your pitch. People’s points of view on the story enrich the pitch,” says Mardi Larson, media relations and account director.

Present the news concisely. “Reporters and other influencers consume content differently than in the past. Use bullet points and economy of words to convey your pitch. The pitch still needs to be substantive, but one can’t forget presentation either,” says General Manager Philip Anast.

Identify the right reporter and outlet.

Pitching a journalist or outlet on a subject they don’t cover is not only a waste of time, but hurts your credibility and that of your client, says Grace Vinton, account director and media specialist: “You need to be 100% certain a journalist covers a topic before sending them a pitch about it. There’s no excuse. All of their articles are online. The best pitches are tailored to a journalist’s beat and interest area and will help level-up the journalist’s coverage on the topic in some way!”

When possible, individualize the pitch, says Senior Account Director Yancey Casey. “Making a connection with reporters through custom-tailored pitches is the best way to rise above the noise and drive conversations. Respect their time — and yours — by pitching thoughtfully, concisely, and with their readers in mind,” he says.

On-target and personalized pitching is a great way to build long-lasting media relationships, says Tara Stultz, chief strategy officer: “If you take this approach, reporters will know that you only reach out to them when you have a story that is aligned with what they are looking for. As a result, they will be much more likely to open your pitches, respond to them, and cover your clients’ news and thought leadership. Yes, media relationships matter–and this is how strong ones are forged.”

Write a great subject line.

In the old days, a reporter at least had to open an envelope and read a release before crumpling it into a ball and firing it into the wastebasket. Now, an emailed pitch can be consigned to oblivion without ever being read. That’s why an eye-catching and compelling subject line is so important, says Michelle Noteboom, senior director of accounts and content. She offers the following tips:

  1. Use active voice.
  2. Include a question, e.g., “Can AI tools enhance patient safety? One health system leader says ‘yes’.”
  3. Be provocative when you can, e.g., “We don’t have a doctor shortage. We have a shortage of using doctors efficiently.”
  4. Offer a numbered list, e.g., “5 ways AI is driving documentation efficiencies.”

Keep it short, adds Senior Account and Content Director Maria Meredith: “Make the subject line pithy, with something their readers will care about, and then get to the point quickly within the first few lines. Anything you can do to make it faster and easier for journalists to hone in on stories that will pique their readers’ interest will help build those relationships.”

It’s an unfortunate fact of PR that most media pitches fail to generate coverage, but following the advice above will give yours a better chance of succeeding.

Hitting The Mark With News Releases

/0 Comments/in /by

“The first draft is the best, and it’s all downhill from there.”

These snarky yet valid words came from a longtime friend, colleague, and mentor. They semi-jokingly referred to much of the writing we produced as the content marketing arm of a Fortune 500 healthcare IT provider. But it was most often muttered when talking about news releases.  

Working in such a large, diverse organization, we never lacked fodder for any form of content, and news releases were among the most requested form of PR. As former trade journalists with decades of agency and in-house marketing experience, we’d both been the recipients and issuers of thousands of releases and had instincts––and opinions––about what made them good or bad.

Although we applied these principles with varying degrees of success, a few core tenets proved universal. So here are a few considerations.

Should This Be a Release?

Note that I say a news release, and not a press release. Whatever you are announcing should have news value, and its primary target should be the media––whether they report for trade, consumer, financial, or other outlets. But plenty of folks default to a news release when they should pursue other communications.

If the goal is lead generation, then a news release is not your best tool. If your target audience is prospects, customers, or potential partners, then communicate directly with them. Speak their language. Be persuasive. But don’t issue a news release. There are far better direct channels to use. Be creative and go direct.

Other times, a news release is a good choice, provides a solid proof point, but is not a news generator. Most partnership releases will not be covered, but you still need an asset to point to that documents the relationship, kind of like an old-school wedding announcement. Public companies have disclosure requirements and are obligated to issue such releases (among many others). Pending trade show participation or speaking engagements are other types that simply won’t get ink. But your partners, prospects, and customers may see them. Similarly, ‘point’ upgrades to existing solutions won’t garner reportage, but you’d be remiss in not announcing them.

Once you’ve settled on a news release as the vehicle, determine what level of distribution and muscle to put behind it. Should it be an asset posted to your website newsroom only? Issued on the wire? Issued on the wire with multimedia attachments and pitched directly to target media?

The Draft

When writing a release, avoid the formulaic approach employed by most companies. Leading with, “ACME Widgets, the acclaimed global leader in innovative platforms to end the scourge of hunger and promote world peace, today announced blah blah blah …” will immediately lose readers. Keep the company descriptor minimal and factual, because anyone who doesn’t know who you are can read the boilerplate at the end.

Avoid ‘inside baseball’ jargon. Succinctly describe what you are announcing, who it impacts, and what it means to them. No need to dumb it down to the point of ‘explaining it to your grandmother in Peoria.’ Just be mindful of the audience and their level of understanding. Provide context––frame up the problem that your solution addresses, and how you help solve it. Omit needless words.

Ask journalists about quotes in releases, and many will say they don’t read them because they’re typically superfluous, self-aggrandizing garbage. They needlessly inflate word counts and are rarely reprinted. But this doesn’t need to be the case. Ditch the back-slapping adjectives and “We’re proud/thrilled/honored to…” language and opt for editorial comments that add color and emphasize your value proposition. Statistics that underscore problem statements are gold. Be bold and declarative without bragging. And avoid multiple quotes when possible. Remember, you’re paying by the word.  

Ride the Stallion, Not the Camel

It’s been said that a camel is a horse designed by a committee. Well, release reviews are not only a source of delays that can torpedo the timeliness of your news, but can morph a fine Arabian stallion into a flea-infested camel. Establishing ‘need-to-see’ approval chains for each release helps, as does defining each reviewer’s role. For example, marketing reviews for adherence to corporate messaging, the product lead makes sure that features are correct, the legal reviewer checks compliance, and so on. If you have 15 individuals reviewing a single release, rethink your approach.

Implement a linear, serial review process––one reviewer at a time, with edits and comments returned to the document owner and resolved before moving to the next reviewer. Start with the most basic review, such as product, then on through the food chain and finish with legal. This way, you avoid “forked” reviews with conflicting edits that are difficult to resolve and only prolong the process.

Distribution: How Much is a Cab Ride?

When it comes to distribution, you get what you pay for, and the many ‘free’ services will get you about as far as a free cab ride. You’re nearly always better off with a trusted leader like PR Newswire (Cision), which provides tailored distribution to target audiences and a host of add-on features and feeds to refine and extend your reach. But that’s a topic that can devour another post.

One glaring distribution mistake that occurs far too often is when a company painstakingly crafts a release, then spends untold agency and in-house hours on reviews and revisions, only to squabble and balk at paying an extra $600 on features that will exponentially increase engagement.

One time-tested way to boost engagement is to bundle at least two pieces of related content with each release. These can be photos, data sheets, case studies, videos, archived webinars, podcasts––you name it. It costs a few more bucks but is very effective. Video has been proven time and again to turbo-charge engagement. The bottom line is to not rely solely on the release to tell your story. Link to related reports, eBooks, white papers … even cartoons.

And if you’re still reluctant to spend on bundled content, a link to a related content repository is another way to add more to the story without attaching individual items.

The justification, development, and distribution of news releases is a topic we could discuss for days. But keeping a few of these considerations in mind can help ensure that your next news release hits the mark rather than the proverbial circular bin.

Press Release Headlines: When Short Is Just Right

/0 Comments/in /by

A famous saying in my family is, “Our family is SO short, our family tree is a bush.” Ba dum bum.

Seriously, there are certain times when being short and sweet is right on point. Example: press release headlines.

My colleague Brandon Glenn recently wrote a blog about the 2021 State the of Press Release report from PR Newswire (a Cision company). Point 3 specifically states that for headlines, less is more. Cision recommends keeping headlines fewer than 70 characters. Not words…characters (including spaces.) Why? Email applications and Google’s search engine will cut off any text over that amount.

PR Newswire offers editors and journalists the option to subscribe to their wire service based on keywords that interest them. Subscribers are only emailed press releases with the applicable terms. Imagine how frustrating it would be if they missed relevant news because key words weren’t included in the first 70 characters of the title.

We all have a limited amount of time in our day, which is why a list of shortened titles that grab our attention is useful for helping us to decide what we will spend our valuable time reading. A clear example is the daily news feed from Becker’s Hospital Review. Not only do you see headlines comprised of just a few words, for each article you also get a one-paragraph synopsis that provides enough information to help you decide if you should open the article for a deeper dive.

Now I’m going to pick on a press release that fails to be short and sweet. Note that this is not one for our clients, but the release did make me flinch when I ran across it:

“Sandoz launches authorized generic of Narcan® (naloxone hydrochloride) Nasal Spray 4 mg in US to help reverse opioid overdose, expanding access during surge in overdose deaths”

This poor headline is 175 characters. Do we really need the generic name in the headline, as well as the dosage? Again, keep in mind that email platforms and Google will cut off after 70 characters, so all anyone will see is “Sandoz launches authorized generic of Narcan® (naloxone hydrochloride).” Journalists looking for important keywords like “opioid” and “overdose” would not see this release.

If I were writing this headline, I would say, “Sandoz unveils generic Narcan® to help surge in opioid overdose deaths.” My version is exactly 70 characters and succinctly communicates the company’s general message. The rest of the details could then be included in the sub-headline or body of the release.

A headline is meant to catch readers’ attention – and it is important to do it quickly. When it comes to writing a press release headline, remember that a short and sweet 70 characters is the magic number.

2021 State Of The Press Release: The TL;DR Version

/0 Comments/in /by

There are a few yearly traditions Americans rally behind and await with eager longing and hushed anticipation – birthdays, holidays and the publishing of Cision’s “State of the Press Release” report.

The 2021 version of this annual 20-something-page paean to the press release – brought to you by the people who profit the most from press releases, it bears keeping in mind – recently arrived on our virtual doorstep. As is the hallowed tradition in these parts, we read the report and summarize it below to save you the anguish, remorse and indignity.

The report is the result of Cision’s examination of more than 100,000 press releases from the prior year, coupled with a survey of PR pros about their press release practices. For those of you who find the full report too long and do not want to read it (TL;DR), here are five key take-aways to consider:

  1. In terms of volume, the industry has returned to a pre-COVID-19 level of “normal”: Seventy-four percent of respondents said that their press outreach was either on par or more frequent than before COVID or not impacted by the pandemic at all.
  2. Thought leadership releases represent an opportunity for some companies (and a business development opportunity for Cision): As virtually anyone familiar with the concept of a press release knows, the primary reason (83%) companies distribute them is to share business news. Cision notes that just 47% of companies use press releases to share thought leadership content, such as research, data, tips and best practices. Other leading reasons for issuing press releases include: product launches (40%); diversity, equity and inclusion (25%); and corporate social responsibility (19%).
  3. For headlines, less is more: Certainly, headlines are critical to a release’s messaging, and Cision recommends keeping them fewer than 70 characters. Email applications and Google’s search engine will cut off any text over that amount, according to Cision.
  4. Mind your action verbs: The verb “announce” is popular in headlines but doesn’t generate a commensurate amount of page views. “Launch” is also widely used but performs proportionately better with its usage. Also consider “show,” “roll out,” “reveal,” and “allow.”
  5. Check it twice: Not surprisingly when dealing in the written word, Cision found thousands of errors in “final” releases sent by clients. The most common types of errors include: hyperlink errors, misspellings, incorrect dateline dates, grammar mistakes and day/date discrepancies.

What will 2022 hold in store for the state of the press release? The sheer possibilities almost exceed the human capacity for thought (or at least mine) but be sure to return here next year to learn all about it. Until then, our nation turns its lonely eyes to you, Cision.

7 Tips for Making Your Press Release a Success

/0 Comments/in /by

Most journalists (36%) still receive their news from the good old press release. As a PR professional, you are responsible for getting the news your client wants to disseminate in front of as many relevant people as possible.

But in 2020 when the usual news topics have been turned on their head, how do you do that?

PR Newswire – a Cision company – released its State of Press Release report which noted that 48% of all releases issued between March and May 2020 mentioned COVID-19.

The report also provided these statistics when comparing 2019 and 2020 news topics:

  • Future events news dropped 56%
  • Trade show news releases dropped by 77%
  • Public safety news increased by 192%
  • Corporate social responsibility releases increased by 118%
  • News about infectious disease control saw a huge jump of 3,140%

If your client’s release is either in a category that isn’t being discussed, or included in a topic that’s likely to get lost in the shuffle, how do you ensure yours stands out?

Here are seven tips to give you an edge.

1. Start at the top with a short, newsy headline. A short and catchy headline is where you capture audience attention. After all, when you scroll through a newspaper, social media platform, or newsletter, what is it that makes you decide which articles to read?

The average headline length for a press release is 88 characters. Keep headlines short and sweet, and if it’s absolutely necessary for a longer headline, ensure the important keywords are in the first 70 characters because this is where Google search engine results and email subject lines cut off.

2. Use strong call-to-action words. According to the PR Newswire / Cision State of the Press Release report, these are the top 10 CTA headline words:

  • Confirms
  • Reveals
  • Proves
  • Launches
  • Empowers
  • Enables
  • Allows
  • Announces
  • Rolls Out
  • Shows

3. Select the right newswire company. At our agency, we have been working with PR Newswire for many years. We have experience with all the wires, but we feel this company has an edge.

Not only do they have superior customer service, their wires syndicate to more outlets than any other. Additionally, they have a service in which editors pay to subscribe to their wires.

It gives those looking for news the chance to eliminate a mass download to their inbox, and it provides search terms. Therefore, when we set up releases to be sent on the wire, we use an option provided by PR Newswire, in which we “code” for keywords and trades. This allows the right people to find the news they are actively looking for to write into their story lines.

4. Pick the right time to send your news. According to Cision, the highest volume of news is sent at 8 AM ET, Mondays through Thursdays with Tuesday being the highest day of release traffic. 52% of copy is sent at the top or bottom of the hour.

So, to stand out from the flood of releases being pushed, yours should be sent either before or after 8 AM ET. If you’re looking to maximize your visibility, the best days are Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday in the middle of the day. Use odd times like 9:05 am, or 1:10 pm.

5. Make content informative and engaging. The average press release according to Cision’s data, is 686 words and readers spent 3 minutes and 39 seconds. But it won’t get read at all if it doesn’t interest the media. This blog post by my colleague Michelle Noteboom provides tips for tweaking your message to ensure the audience hears you – during COVID-19 and beyond.  

6. Don’t rely on the wire alone – pitch away! Hopefully, you’re working with an experienced PR agency who has a great media relations team. I pulled this entire paragraph from Cision’s report because I found it compelling:

“For the first time in Cision’s State of the Media Report history, we asked reporters to share what days they receive pitches most and what days they actually prefer getting them. As many of us expected, Mondays proved to be the preferred day for reporters, and it was also when they got pitches most. However, many journalists reported they were still open to receiving pitches until Friday (a handful even on Saturday and Sunday). As the week progresses though, the number of pitches they receive declines. While their interest in receiving pitches did slightly decrease, the numbers weren’t so significant that it should prevent publicists from reaching out.”

7. Look outside the box for other ways to promote your news. Ensure the client is posting the release on their website. Use your social media team to create multiple, engaging posts for all the client’s social platforms. And if your client is a member or sponsor of any publication or trade organization, find out if benefits include posting corporate news.

New hire announcements, contract wins, and product launches all make for news-worthy events. In the world of health and health IT, we look to publications such as HIStalk, Answers Media and DOTmed, and trade organizations including AHIP, CHIME and the ATA for posting our clients’ press releases.

2020 hasn’t been an easy year. But with a little extra work and attention to detail, you can ensure your press release is picked up and read by as many people as possible.

5 Reasons to Invest in Your Future, Despite the Scary Past

/0 Comments/in /by

Welcome to Q3, 2020. What does that mean for how public relations and marketing departments will invest in their futures?

Q4 will be the time to finalize budgets for 2021. After a tumultuous year including a pandemic, record unemployment, civil unrest and a to-be-determined presidential election, not to mention murder hornets and whatever else the universe chooses to throw against us this year, 2021 may be a welcome sight. But with the roller coaster year we’ve had, faith in budgets may not be so faithful.

Investors will tell you that when the stock market plummets, don’t stress out thinking you’ve lost a fortune. Instead, remind yourself that stocks are now on sale. Buy while prices are at their lowest.

Channeling money back into your business is solid advice any time but especially after a difficult year. Here are five reasons why hiring a public relations firm could be the wisest decision to help you make up for lost revenue.

  1. Pay the pros, not the employees. Even in the healthcare world during a pandemic, health-related jobs are not secure. If your company had to reduce its staff, it’s likely support personnel including social media teams and internal communications managers may have been the first people to go. Hiring a PR firm, however, comes with all these specialists, and so many more. Fully staffed agencies have writers, SEO and content marketing pros, just to name a few, and you won’t have to pay for their unemployment insurance, 401K contributions, or health insurance premiums.
  1. Investors aren’t. This June article from MobiHealthNews points out that in these uncertain times, investors aren’t investing, especially in startups. Smaller companies must find other ways to get their message out, and their brand recognized until they can score a big influx of cash. An agency with a proven track record is the safest option for small companies with limited resources.
  1. The press release is still king. In this blog recently contributed by my colleague, Brandon Glenn, most journalists (36%) still receive their news from the good old press release. A PR firm will staff writers to get your message out there, and better still, leverage it to your target audience. And what about news wire prices? Agencies negotiate rock-bottom deals because of the number of releases they send each year, which means that’s one less contract you have to maintain. The perfect agency will also understand your niche market, so its messaging is on-point, saving you valuable time on revisions and re-reads.
  1. Full service or customized options. The perfect agency is also one that is full service, meaning it’s a one-stop-shop for everything from social media to revamping your website. However, if you don’t have the budget or need for all services, ask for customized options to fill the gaps in your internal marketing department. Perhaps you have a great handle on social media, but your website or collateral material is outdated. Or maybe you want to launch a new product. A great PR firm will offer guidance on how to best utilize the money in your budget.
  1. Uncertainty of in-person events. If there’s one thing 2020 taught us, it’s not to count on a sure thing. For the first time in 58 years, the HIMSS Annual Conference was canceled. Much to the dismay of exhibitors, HIMSS didn’t handle the monetary situation very well. Many exhibitors slated for 2020 are trying to decide if they are going to boycott in 2021. No matter your opinion on this topic, the fact is in-person events may not be happening, at least with the same attendance levels, as they have in past years. While ROI on virtual events is showing improvement, it’s even more important to consider all your options when trying to fill your sales pipeline. Having a good, established agency that specializes in your market, and who has a lot of experience and many solutions, will be important for moving forward post-COVID-19.

We may all be happy to see 2020 in the rearview mirror. But let’s not be afraid of 2021 and the opportunities it has to offer.

My brother, who is a locksmith, knows one simple truth; the months he advertises are the months his phone rings. A full-service public relations agency will know how to guide you, and help you get the most bang for your buck. Invest in your future!

5 Ways to Convince Your Clients Clients to Do PR

/0 Comments/in /by

One of the most enduring challenges many of my clients face is getting their clients on board with a public relations program.

It happens to healthcare vendors all the time.

The sales team inks a major deal with a large health system or a long-time hospital customer reports transformative results with your solution.

These exciting developments course through your company and the promotional machinery is set into motion. Press releases and media alerts are drafted. A steady cadence of pitches for bylines, case studies, and interviews are knitted together into a cohesive, multi-pronged strategy that aligns with concurrent plans developed by marketing, social media, web development, sales and internal communications.

Suddenly, a single e-mail or phone call brings the entire endeavor to a screeching halt. Your customer doesn’t do PR with vendors.

I’ve been burned by that stove a couple of times. What follows isn’t a sure-fire recipe for folding an end-user into your client’s PR program. No such recipe exists. However, with a bit of foresight and planning, you can reduce the chances of a hard no.’

1. Do Your Homework. A big part of PR is relationship building. A quick huddle with your client’s PR department and agency is great for setting boundaries about what they will or won’t participate in. It also helps to have a granular understanding of how that client approaches public relations. For example, many organizations have firm policies against promoting the vendors they use in day-to-day operations. This might imperil the chances of a press release, but could open opportunities for other kinds of content, such as speaking engagements, vendor-neutral interviews and carefully curated thought leadership.

2. Set the Table. Successful end user public relations actually start with the sales team and account managers who onboard new clients. Do your contracts include language about PR participation? Most clients would understandably balk at being required to participate in a full-fledged PR campaign, but many contracts have a line or two mandating that a press release be distributed within 60 to 90 days of signing the contract. Sales teams are also great for understanding the best way to approach a client with a public relations strategy.

3. Sell Their Story. Positive media coverage can be used by the health system to promote this new capability among existing patients and the broader community. As an industry, healthcare is unique in the level of fellowship and collaboration it inspires. Healthcare providers have a passion for sharing new ways to meet complex challenges. Creating a client-centered strategy that focuses on the organization’s journey and perspectives could open more doors than a strategy that blatantly promotes the vendor.

4. Be Strategic, Not Tactical. Any client who is participating in your PR efforts should have a voice in the actual strategy and tactics. This thinking goes beyond press release approval. It includes how and when they will be positioned and prepared for media interviews, speaking engagements, or other opportunities. Establishing a regular cadence and open line of communication with your client’s marketing and PR team ensures that you both make the most of your public relations efforts.

5. Start Small. It’s tempting to be aggressive with new client public relations because the opportunities seem endless. But broad programs are easy to reject. Too much time, too many resources. There’s nothing wrong with creating an ambitious program but reveal as much as you need to at the time. Start with small but measurable wins to build up a relationship.

Your company’s clients are a critical and bountiful resource for your PR and marketing program. They offer third-party validation for the efficacy of your solution within the industry. They act as vendor-neutral sources for editors and reporters in the trade and business press. They provide real-world solidity to the larger trends and narratives impacting healthcare in the United States.

Though your clients may understand the value they could bring to your PR strategy, that doesn’t mean they will go along with it. Communication with your clients about PR initiatives not only clears up misunderstandings but also helps establish with your client boundaries and a level of comfort about deliverables being created with their name and reputation affixed to it

Content Calendar: A Key Component to any Strategic PR Plan

Content Calendar: A Key Component to any Strategic PR Plan

/0 Comments/in /by

Oftentimes public relations professionals think of content calendars as a tool for marketing communications programs. Having an internal editorial calendar is absolutely important for any content program. Since an integrated public relations campaign has evolved from just media relations, PR pros should also consider a content calendar as part of their overall strategic PR plan.

Knowing your audience(s) is one of the primary tenants of public relations, and the purpose of any good content is to engage, educate and encourage action. Therefore, it is necessary for us to identify those people who really are influential and approach them through high-quality content rather than corporate or product blurbs.

It is also essential to make sure that a content calendar is developed based on your overall marketing goals. What do you want to accomplish this year? What new products will be announced? Are you a start-up just entering the market or are you positioning for an IPO, other investments or hoping for an exit strategy? Positioning your executives as subject matter experts and/or thought leaders is always a good strategy in any PR Plan.

So, what should be incorporated into a public relations content calendar to reach appropriate audiences and support marketing objectives?

Events

Events are one of the best opportunities to make your public relations strategy successful, whether it is through external trade shows such as HIMSS or other health/medical conferences or internal events such as webinars and user groups. Listing upcoming events in your content calendar allows you to develop content that strategically targets potential buyers as well as current customers, and position executives and thought leaders, all based on the timeline for the events. You can tie press releases and customer case studies to events, announce executive speakers or even blog about your giveaways at a trade show.

Press Releases

A well accepted strategy in PR is to average one press release every month. This allows you to keep your name and messaging top of mind and fresh with reporters. Scheduling your press releases in advance of industry events and around product launches helps your PR team coordinate with your marketing team to make sure the news is ready to be disseminated at the right time.

Articles/Case Studies

Thought leadership articles and case studies are excellent tools in the arsenal of any PR professional to demonstrate your knowledge and experience. Planning to develop these types of articles in your content calendar and then pitching for placement in key media outlets is the kind of valuable coverage many organizations desire. Compare the articles you plan to develop to the next category editorial opportunity calendars and you’ve got a head start on content that can be published.

Editorial Opportunity Calendars

Years ago, editorial opportunity calendars were the bread and butter in any PR campaign. With the move towards online media, many publications no longer publish or adhere to editorial calendars. But some still do and researching those calendars and adding key opportunities to your PR content calendar allows you to develop content in a timely basis to pitch to those media outlets. Make sure, however, that you build in lead times into your calendar. Another benefit to editorial calendars is they give you an idea of what topics the media is interested in covering and can help you develop a list of content ideas for the year.

Other categories that can be included in an integrated PR content calendar are blogs, customer newsletters and social media outreach. There are plenty of free tools on the web that you can use to develop a content calendar.

In the end, it all works together. Having a calendar of events, press releases and editorial opportunities allows a public relations professional to strategically plan to develop content that meets deadlines, achieves marketing goals and engages, educates and encourages action from your key audiences.

What An Older, More Mature Lebron James Can Teach Us About Crisis Communications

What An Older, More Mature Lebron James Can Teach Us About Crisis Communications

/0 Comments/in /by

In most cities, a sports star leaving to join another team wouldn’t quite reach the level of crisis. No doubt, the world has countless far more serious and urgent problems.

But Cleveland’s a little different than most cities. Egos are a bit more fragile here after decades of job loss, population decline, environmental damage, and not to mention sports ineptitude or so it seems to this (humble) outsider who first moved to Cleveland about a decade ago.

So after the Cleveland Cavaliers drubbing yet again at the hands of the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals in June, coupled with LeBron James impending free agency, thing were looking pretty bad for Cleveland. Despite hailing from nearby Akron and enjoying close ties with the local community, LeBron looked likely to depart Cleveland for a sexier, more glamourous destination, leaving the locals he left in his wake feeling abandoned and forgotten.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened. But to LeBron’s credit, he learned from a past mistake, and let Cleveland fans down a little easier this time, while simultaneously providing a lesson on crisis communications.

We’ve seen this movie before
The date of “The Decision” by James – July 8, 2010 is one that lives in Cleveland sports infamy. On that night, the then-25-year-old who is perhaps the greatest sports star the city has ever known crushed his hometown fans by announcing on live TV his intention to “take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat.” Next came the reaction. A city mourned, jerseys were burned, insults were hurled, and one melodramatic fan called it “the worst day of my life.”

Later that night, Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert hastily published a scathing open letter notoriously printed in comic sans font excoriating James for a “several-day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special.” Illustrating that Gilbert’s PR team had ready access to a thesaurus, the irate owner peppered his letter with several enjoyable descriptions of James and his decision, including “cowardly betrayal,” “shameful display of selfishness,” “shocking act of disloyalty,” and “heartless and callous action.”

To be clear, the majority of Cleveland fans weren’t angry at James for signing with Miami; they were upset by the “needless pain” he inflicted on the city for the spectacle of “The Decision,” which I recall one commentator comparing to a newly minted millionaire going on national tv to tell his high-school sweetheart he’s dumping her to move in with a supermodel.

Indeed, players change teams all the time (LeBron has now done it three times) “but no player has ever done it with the pomp, phoniness, pseudo-humility, and rehearsed innocence” as James, as a Chicago Sun-Times columnist correctly observed. That’s what understandably perturbed Cleveland fans, and later provided James with an opportunity to show growth in his style of public communication.

A second chance
After James spent four seasons in Miami and won two championships while making the NBA Finals every year, in 2014 he did what was once unthinkable. He mended fences (kind of) with Gilbert, rejoined the Cavs and led the city to its first major professional sports championship since 1964.

Then James broke Cleveland’s heart all over again. On July 1, 2018, the now-33-year-old James announced he was leaving the Cavaliers once more, having signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.

But this time it was different no self-serving, nationally televised special; no week-long buildup of drama and, thankfully, no jersey burnings or lamentations about the worst day of fans lives. James and his advisors simply delivered the news in 36-word press release:

LeBron James, four time NBA MVP, three time NBA finals MVP, fourteen time NBA All Star, and two time Olympic gold medalist has agreed to a four year, $154 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.

While unnecessarily trumpeting his major accomplishments on the court isn’t the height of modesty, James deserves credit for learning from his mistakes and rolling out his latest “decision” in a far more muted, low-key fashion.

And that brings us to what we can learn from James in crisis communications: Be brief, take responsibility, get to the point and don’t sugarcoat things.

While this is a lesson that apparently took James eight years to learn, healthcare organizations can learn from his mistakes by never committing them in the first place.

And it’s probably best to avoid ever proclaiming that you’re taking your talents anywhere.