Archive for the ‘Interactive PR’ Category
Best Interactive PR Articles and Blog Posts of 2009
Monday, April 5th, 2010Interactive PR, sometimes called social PR, is a combination of search-optimizing press releases, creating social media releases through tools like PitchEngine, blogger outreach and the use of social media to promote company news and announcements. Though the ability to distribute press releases online has been around for more than a decade, it’s only in the last few years that tools and techniques for combining PR with social media have really emerged, and they continue to evolve.
Here are some of the best articles and blog posts from last year on tools, techniques and insights related to interactive PR, from best practices in blogger outreach to helpful resources and the latest strategies.
Blogger Outreach
Blogger Relations by Sourcing Innovation
Interesting post detailing 10 “secrets” for effective blogger outreach. Good advice, and if you like this post, you may also find value in How to Get Coverage in Blogs – Really.
Social Media PR: Top 10 Ways Not to Pitch Bloggers by Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York
Shannon Nelson summarizes advice from several bloggers on Twitter about how NOT to pitch them.
The Very Basics of Blogger Outreach by Social Media Today
Kevin Briody provides seven tips for successful blog pitches, such as building a solid list up front, personalizing your email and keeping your message concise.
Interactive PR Resources
PRChannel
***** 5 Stars
An extensive list of resources for online PR pros, including how-to articles, free and paid distribution services, tools, industry news, career listings, PR associations and more. Two other helpful resources from PRChannel are 6 Must-Read Books for Public Relations People and 5 Questions to Ask When Considering a Media-Monitoring Service.
50 Free Press Release Submission Websites by Internet Marketing
This is Avangate’s Top 50 press release submission list, the most trusted sites where you can publish a press release, all of them free of charge. This list was initially created in 2007, but has been updated periodically since then.
15 Online Press Release Distribution Sites by sitepoint
Another helpful list of online PR distribution sites.
Downloadable List Of 120+ Press Release Sites by SEO Tips & Opinions Blog
Joseph Alvini provides yet another list of online PR sites, a mix of free and paid services in both online and downloadable formats.
10 of the Best Social Media Tools for PR Professionals and Journalists by Mashable
Sarah Evans offers her list of resources for keeping up on social media trends and performing online PR tasks more effectively, including PitchEngine, BeatBlogging.org and Twellow.
Interactive PR Insights and Tactics
Optimizing A Press Release by PRESSfeed
A detailed 11-step process to optimize press releases for search.
9 Steps for a Public Relations Plan in 2010 by The 60 Second Marketer
Ann Pruit offers tips for maximizing the impact of online PR ranging from providing journalists with tips and insights to creating seasonal angles.
SideWiki changes everything by The Digital Content Blog
Mark Borkowski explains why he believes “SideWiki will change the lives of beleaguered PR folk. In time, this tool will significantly change the way brands strategise, think and exist,” and what PR pros should know and do about this tool.
PR and Media, from Begging for to Earning Attention by Conversation Agent
Valeria Maltoni makes the case that “There is opportunity…for PR and media to step up their game and go from begging for to earning attention (because) both groups worry about circulation, in different ways,” and then provides guidance on how to get more PR coverage in the crowded online news space.
15 Ways PR Agencies Can Help Companies With Social Media by Dave Fleet
Dave Fleet details tactics the PR firms can use to help their clients succeed in social media, from audience research and policy development to influencer outreach and design/creative work.
10 Reasons Media Relations Will Get Easier in 2010 by Journalistics
Jeremy Porter predicts that social media, research tools, expanded media options, improved filtering and other developments will help get journalists interested in your stories.
How to Get Coverage in Blogs – Really
Monday, March 22nd, 2010B2b marketers and PR pros know that getting coverage in an industry-specific blog is highly beneficial. Blog links are valuable for SEO. Relevant blogs can drive targeted direct traffic from the blogger’s social media sphere of influence. And coverage from independent bloggers enhances a company’s reputation and credibility.
Numerous bloggers have written about how to pitch blogs, such as B.L. Ochman, Christina Kerley, Cece Salomon-Lee and Laura Moncur. Such posts often take the form of “do’s” and “don’ts” for successful blogger outreach. Best practice recommendations generally say that you should:
- • Personalize pitches with the blogger’s name, blog title, and some indication that you’ve read the blog;
- • Explain why your topic is important to the blog’s readers;
- • Keep pitches short and compelling;
- • Include links to related media (video, photos, screen shots);
- • Offer an interview with a company executive;
- • Explain how you’ll promote the blogger’s coverage, if you get it; and
- • Follow up after 3-4 days if you haven’t heard back.
These posts also frequently include guidance on practices to avoid when pitching bloggers. For example, don’t:
- • Send out an impersonal mass mailing;
- • Send only a press release, or a release with just a brief introductory note, and expect coverage;
- • Take a “shotgun” approach, sending irrelevant announcements to a large number of bloggers; and don’t
- • Ever, ever, EVER include a press release as an attachment (many bloggers will automatically delete unsolicited messages containing attachments).
All of this advice is as relevant today as it was two years ago. The problem is that it’s no longer enough.
As more PR firms have discovered the value of getting coverage in blogs for their clients, the practice of blogger outreach has spread exponentially and the volume of pitches has exploded. Based on anecdotal evidence and personal experience, as little as two years ago the “hit rate” for blog pitches was fairly respectable, at least among B-list and C-list bloggers, because these writers received few pitches and many were flattered by the attention suddenly being paid to them by PR firms. But in 2009, the volume of pitches began to rise dramatically. Today, it’s not unusual for a C-list blogger to receive several pitches per week, and B-list bloggers to get 10 or more per day. I can only speculate on how many pitches an A-list blogger like Chris Brogan, Brian Solis or Erick Schonfeld must receive.
The vast majority of bloggers write part-time, and there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to even respond to each pitch, much less write about each. Consequently, as the volume of outreach has risen, the hit rate has declined. What to do about this if you’re in PR, or a client seeking coverage in industry blogs?
First, recognize that the advice given above is focused on “cold” outreach, that is, where you or your client has had no previous contact with the blogger. The first step in increasing effectiveness is to shift to “warm” outreach, where you establish a relationship prior to pitching. This requires more time and effort, but can pay off in more coverage.
Follow your targeted bloggers on Twitter. Retweet some of their posts. Provide relevant and helpful comments on some of their blog posts. Help them promote their content through Twitter and other social media tools. Join the same LinkedIn groups they belong to. This will get their attention and establish a social, online relationship with them. Once you’ve done this, a well-crafted pitch, following the rules laid out above, will have a greater chance of cutting through the inbox clutter.
The most effective means to coverage, however, is to offer a guest post. Even TechCrunch accepts guest posts, though that isn’t the place to start. Begin by approaching C-list bloggers, the easiest place to get coverage. Provide true thought-leadership content (not thinly-disguised marketing collateral) that establishes your expertise in your industry. Use your presence on these blogs to build credibility with B-list bloggers, then move to the A-list.
Guest posts turn the idea of blog pitching on its head. Instead of asking a blogger to take time out of their busy schedule to write about your company, product or service, you’re offering to save them time by providing valuable, relevant content for the blog that he or she doesn’t have to write. It’s a win-win-win; you get your name and link on blogs, readers get a helpful and interesting post, and the blog authors get useful content plus a day off.
As the social media landscape continues to evolve, interactive PR practices must evolve along with it. Smart PR firms, and their clients, will focus less on “cold” pitches and more on establishing relationships and creating thoughtful content.
Best of 2008: Interactive PR
Sunday, January 3rd, 2010What are some of the best tools for implementing PR 2.0? How do PR, SEO and social media work together to build name recognition and credibility for a company? What are the best (and worst) practices in interactive PR? How should marketers and PR professionals adapt to the decline of traditional publishing and the rapidly increasing influence of social media?
Find the answers to these inquiries and more here in some of the best articles and blog posts about interactive PR from 2008.
Thankful For PR 2.0 by THINKing
Harry Hoover calls out some of his favorite PR 2.0 tools, technology that has made the practice of PR more effective and transparent. Included on his list are Twitter, Peter Shankman’s Help a Reporter Out (HARO), and online social media release service PitchEngine.
Digital PR and SEO Series: Part 3 Social Media Monitoring by Online Marketing Blog
The prolific, mercurial Lee Odden explains how to integrate media relations, SEO and social media to optimize your brand’s online presence, reputation management and engagement with key audiences.
Dirty PR, Sexy Keywords and Outsmarting the Search Engine by PitchEngine
Noting that “there have always been bad PR practices out there, but thanks to this digital era of communications, new methods of PR delivery are making it increasingly tricky for journalists to weed out the good from the bad,” Jason Kintzler explains how PR professionals can use SEO and social media properly—for relationship-building, not trickery.
Steve Rubel on how blogs are changing the face of PR by iMedia Connection
Lori Luechtefeld talks with PR pro and blogger Steve Rubel about the importance of focusing on your audience and message rather than shiny, sparkly new online tools. Among other points, Rubel contends that the press release will evolve rather than disappear, that blogging has permanently altered the media landscape, and that transparency is paramount in building relationships with a broader range of constituencies.
PR Firms: Spend your Money on SEO by Orange Soda
A helpful, if perhaps somewhat controversial, post about what’s dead in PR (e.g., press releases, inviting reporters to lunch) and what’s hot (e.g., blogging and SEO). Some of the points made are spot-on, but as the posts above from Jason Kintzler and Lori Luechtefeld note, the press release is much more likely to evolve with changing practices than to disappear.
Building Relationships is More Important Than Building Links Alone by Search Engine Journal
Blog links have become a valued commodity in the PR world, so much so that popular bloggers receive a constant stream of pitches by email. Loren Baker contends that the best way to generate links is to think beyond the one-off pitch and build relationships with key bloggers in your industry. Following his strategy and the steps he lays out in this post, “one can cut past the boilerplate emails and link requests, and build not only a business relationship with a publisher, but also a long term friendship.”
To Succeed Small Business Marketers Must Unlearn Traditional PR by Content Marketing Today
Newt Barrett expands upon the core idea presented by David Meerman Scott in his invaluable book, The New Rules of Marketing & PR: that PR and marketing professionals need to shift from writing company- or product-centric press releases to customer- and market-centric content that has real value to the company’s prospective clients. In Newt’s words, “if your PR strategy is driven with a customer focus that is backed up by a rich set of customer-centric content, you will generate news.”
Brave New World of Media Pitching: LinkedIn by PR Meets Marketing
PR 2.0 expert Cece Salomon-Lee follows up on her post about Twitter pitching by explaining how LinkedIn can help with PR, such as through forging new connections and researching reporters.
Online PR – Is there any value beyond the links? by Search Engine People
Search marketer Jennifer Osborne answers the provocative question posed in her title with a resounding “Yes!,” detailing six ways to measure the impact of interactive PR, from links and increased traffic to SEO rank and increases in offline inquiries.
Optimizing Press Releases – It All Starts with the Lead by StraightUpSearch
This brief but valuable post offers several simple tricks to help get your news releases not only found but actually read online.
How To Pitch To Bloggers by Pick Me!
The tireless Laura Moncur, author of a half dozen blogs, gives PR practitioners priceless advice on how to effectively pitch bloggers, such as doing some research first, understanding how bloggers differ from traditional journalists, proiding review copies when applicable, and being “prepared for the truth.”
Words to Write By: SEO Tricks for Press Releases by Speak Media Blog
PR strategist Jennifer A. Jones recommends using SEO keyword tools to discover the most popular current keywords when writing news releases. At the time she wrote this post, “sex,” “money,” “secret” and “trick” were among the top attention-getting words (it’s not clear if that means used separately or in combination…hmm) while gobbledegook words like “solutions,” “leading” and “cutting edge” are pretty much worthless.
Social Media Newsroom for How Best to Avoid Dying
This is the social media newsroom page for the book How Best to Avoid Dying
Press Releases and Search Engine Optimization by Search Engine Watch
SEO and web design expert Mark Jackson offers step-by-step guidance on how to maximize the value of press releases for SEO, from writing the release through distribution and publishing.
Facebook Connects Your Brand Across the Social Web by PR 2.0
Brian Solis, principal of Silicon Valley-based PR firm FutureWorks, reviews a presentation by Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and cites the platform as key to online reputation management, noting that “With just a bit of code, Facebook Connect enables seamless integration between Web sites, pages, communities, and networks and the Facebook identity system.”
How to Pitch Bloggers
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009This post was originally published on the WebMarketCentral blog in July 2008.
Getting blog coverage for your product or service is now just as (if not more) important than getting written about in traditional media. Blogs are now mainstream, as almost 80% of Internet users report having read a blog within the last year. Blogs are also influential, trusted sources of information for buyers, particularly in the B2B space; the most recent ITtoolbox/PJA IT Social Media Index Wave II report updates earlier findings and concludes that “IT decision-maker and influencer audiences (now) spend more time consuming or participating in social media than they do consuming editorial media or vendor content.” Blog coverage helps increase awareness, build credibility for your brand, and helps with SEO.
Yet many PR people stumble badly when reaching out to bloggers, with blog outreach efforts a mix of good, bad and ugly. As previously noted here and elsewhere, making pitches both personal and relevant is the first step to getting a blogger to write about you. It’s also helpful to provide bloggers with useful assets such as images, video, audio and research findings (with original source links if it’s not your own material) that they can incorporate into posts.
But how do you get beyond the basics? What really motivates bloggers to write about whatever it is they write about?
It’s not about money—at least not primarily, for most bloggers. Therefore, outright bribery is a bad idea all the way around (that generally includes free products too, although there are a few exceptions to this rule, such as books).
Bribery is bad for you because you don’t want your company to become known as a firm that has to pay to get coverage. If your product is unique and interesting, it should be blogworthy in its own right.
It’s bad for bloggers. The vast majority of bloggers don’t want to ruin their credibility by accepting money to write positive reviews. And the minority who are willing to write pretty much anything they’re paid to write aren’t the ones you really want covering your product or service.
And it’s bad for readers. Blog readers want to be able to rely on bloggers for objectivity. Marketing brochures they can get from the vendor.
So what do bloggers want? While there are a wide variety of motivations for blogging, at some level with virtually every blogger it comes down to ego. Bloggers write to be respected and read. Respect is shown by practices such as personalizing communications and providing bloggers with access to key executives and internal experts.
Readership is an even bigger issue. Help bloggers increase their audience through writing about your product or service by linking to posts about your company:
- from your website (e.g. your online media room, “in the news” section or dedicated blog coverage page);
- in your company newsletter;
- in your own corporate blog (if applicable); and
- on any social networking sites where your company is active (e.g. Digg, Sphinn or Searchles).
In contrast to bribery, focusing on respect and readership creates a win-win situation. The blogger benefits from increased traffic; has a strong incentive to write a well-crafted piece (which is good for readers); and by helping increase traffic to that blog, you increase valuable third-party exposure for your own company.
Good, Bad and Ugly Blog Pitches
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009Note: this post originally appeared on the WebMarketCentral blog in June 2008.
In How To Pitch To Bloggers, Laura Moncur tells PR and marketing people what she really thinks regarding what works, and what doesn’t, when trying to persuade her or any other blogger to write about your product, service, organization, announcement, cause or candidate. Among her advice: “no one kicks my butt” (understand that most bloggers don’t have deadlines they have to meet or space they have to fill); “press releases are useless” and “be prepared for the truth.” Laura provides excellent and timely advice to anyone trying to pitch to bloggers, to which I can only add: keep pitches personal, relevant and compelling (and read Cece Lee’s blog).
What’s a good pitch?
I get a mix of good, bad, and awful pitches in my inbox on a regular basis. Among the good ones I’ve seen recently were notes from Lauren Barrows at Flimp and Dean Levitt at Mad Mimi. Lauren’s pitch:
- Hi Tom,
I was recently researching marketing blogs and after reading a few of your blogs I would love if you could take a look at our company. Flimp Media Inc. is a rich media marketing platform developed for online direct marketing, sales and communications – not advertising. Using Flimp, anyone can quickly launch engaging audiovisual email marketing campaigns that automatically track and report detailed viewer engagement and response data and by individual email address in a clear reporting dashboard. I would love for you to take a look at our website.
Best,
Lauren Barrows
www.flimp.net
Her pitch meets the criteria of personalized, relevant and compelling, and in addition has the very important virtue of being concise. Flimp competes with several established and emerging video email/marketing platforms, and Lauren clearly knows how to get coverage.
Dean’s pitch was a bit longer, but also really well done:
- Hey Tom,
We launched Mad Mimi 4 weeks ago and we have over 400 new accounts since then.
We had a killer mention by Ajaxian (possibly the web’s biggest software-tech blogs).
We’re a well funded New York based startup that provides an entirely new way of creating emails. It’s free for small accounts, and works a little like 37signal’s “Backpack.”
Needless to say, it’s an exciting application that your readers should know about.
Here’s a pitch:
Mad Mimi is the “Backpack” of email marketing. It’s simpler, the technology is state-of-the-art, and it works in a fresh and completely unique way in building and sending emails.
Mad Mimi’s “modules-based” interface allows users to add picture and text fields, drag them around and add captions, links and dividers. Embedded constraints gently guide the layout, keeping the “designer” from getting into trouble, but providing more plasticity than templates.
The result: a fluid, flexible user interface, and clean, fashionable “Mimi-generated” promotions that represent a fresh approach to email marketing – at a subscription price that trumps the competition.
All my best,
Dean Levitt
Notice how quickly his message gets to the point of what this is, why it’s interesting and (most importantly) why it’s different from other email marketing platforms. One other thing I should note in Dean’s favor: when I bounced him back with a question, he responded within 90 minutes. I can’t honestly tell you that I know his platform is better than everyone else’s, but I’d certainly advise any small company that’s in the market for a simple, affordable email marketing platform to at least check out Mad Mimi. At the least, they are responsive.
What’s a bad pitch?
Anything irrelevant obviously, but also any message that assumes why I would know your news is important, that is too long, or that uses a generic (e.g. AOL, Yahoo, HotMail, Gmail or MSN) email address as a return.
What’s the worst pitch of all?
Sending a message that reads “Dear (blogger name): Here’s our latest press release, which I thought you might be interested in.” ARGH! Do NOT do this; far better that you have no contact with a blogger at all than just send a press release. A blogger who’s never heard of you at least won’t write anything bad about your company or offering; but if a blogger gets a straight name-plus-press-release message from you, he/she will forever view you as a PR spammer, making your odds of ever getting favorable coverage virtually nil.
