Tips on public relations: pitching to journalists

By RaeAnn McLean, February 8, 2010

Think it’s impossible to get a reporter’s attention? Think again. As newsrooms are increasingly overworked and understaffed, public relations professionals, businesses and organizations may actually have more opportunities to successfully pitch their stories. At the same time, getting the attention of very busy journalists requires that you do your homework, take a strategic approach and work hard to give them good stories. There is more to it than simply sending out a news release and crossing your fingers (although we do still cross our fingers!).

From flack to friend

photo by jgodfrey13 on Flickr

photo by jgodfrey13 on Flickr

In this day and age of so much information—much of it unsourced—reliability is a major concern. Far from being the stereotypical flack of bygone days—the one who showed up with a story idea and bottle of liquor—PR professionals are increasingly viewed by time-pressured reporters and editors as valuable resources who can help them do their jobs.

According to a recent survey, most journalists turn to public relations professionals for assistance in their primary research. Editors and reporters surveyed said they depend on PR professionals for “interviews and access to sources and experts” (44%), “answers to questions and targeted information” (23%), and “perspective, information in context, and background information” (17%). Clearly, PR professionals have an increasingly valuable role to play when it comes to getting media attention and maintaining media relations.

Think before you pitch

The principles of good media relations haven’t changed: build relationships and connect with the right reporter on the right topic with the right information. Don’t waste their time—hone your message before making contact. Do your homework to ensure:

  • the topic is relevant (of interest to the reporters you have selected)
  • the story idea is sound (demonstrate why their readers/listeners/viewers would want to know this information)
  • the background information you provide them is useful and accurate (anything that helps them write the story and makes their jobs easier)

Use all the tools to make it easy for busy reporters

The avenues to communicate with reporters increase every year. Just think—not too far in the past we sent all our news releases via a fax machine. Now, it’s best to send your news via email, the delivery mode preferred by most reporters. If they’re interested, they’ll want to find out more and they’ll use the Internet to do it. A new survey revealed “89% said they turn to blogs for story research, 65% to social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn, and 52% to microblogging sites (think Twitter), and 61% use Wikipedia.”

This means you need to go one step further before sending your initial news release via email, making sure you post the news in your company’s online newsroom, send it through a wire service and post it on other sites that allow free postings (www.i-newswire.com). This tiered approach will give you multiple connection points with the journalist. Then follow up to find out if they got your information and if there is anything more you can do to help.

Listen to them, they’ll listen to you

Bottom line: find the people who fit the pitch, determine how that reporter wants to get information, then make it easy for them to get what they need. Everything from the content to the delivery to the follow-up should be customized to that reporter. Build relationships with reporters. Be a part of their world, be where they are and know what they read. Don’t expect them to want to listen to you if you aren’t listening to them.

5 Question Friday with Libby Issendorf, Digital Strategist with the Flint Group

By Andy Reierson, February 5, 2010

I sit down with Libby Issendorf, Digital Strategist for the Flint Group, to discuss her past experience at Campbell Mithun and what brought her to Fargo. We’ll also talk about her social media work with the US Speedskating team, her upcoming trip to the Winter Olympics, and where businesses should start their social media efforts.

Who is more helpful, the company or the customer?

By Josh Lysne, January 26, 2010

About a week ago I booked a long overdue family vacation.  We looked at several options from resorts to villas to cruises, and settled on a cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line.  Needless to say, my 4 and 6 year olds were bouncing off the walls. 

Last night I was thinking about the process we went through in booking our trip.  Many queries started either on Google Maps, Cruise Reviews or Trip Advisor.  From there, it was usually a brief stop on the website for the property, then right back to consumer reviews and photos on a third-party site.  This happened over and over.

When we settled on the cruise, we wanted to look at the excursions the ship had to offer. We found ourselves off the NCL website and on to caribbeanportreviews.com to get what we really wanted, which was firsthand opinions of the excursions. My kids wanted to see every square inch of the ship, so we looked at pictures posted by past vacationers, again off the corporate site.  NCL did provide some nice 360 view tools, but there were large parts of the ship missing.

pulling hair outI have seven different websites bookmarked, and when I put them all together, they answered most of the questions we had.  It shouldn’t take that many sites to get the content I’m looking for.  That just leads to a very poor customer experience.  I know it is a big undertaking, but why wouldn’t NCL want to provide a one-stop platform for this information?  Six of the seven sites (the seventh being ncl.com) I used to make my decision had information on all the major cruise lines.  Do they really want potential customers reading about everything everyone else has to offer? 

Are you providing what your customers want? Have you asked them what they want?  Remember, if they are not getting the information they need from you, they are getting it from someplace else.  Do you know where that is?

People are looking for authentic content when making buying decisions.  You need to provide the opportunity for your customers to provide it.  If you don’t have the capacity to maintain a sharing platform, you need to at least provide links out to sites that have this information, like Amazon reviews, Yelp, or Trip Advisor.  Make it easy for your audience. 

Question:  Are reviews, tips and photos less credible when they are on a corporate website, even if they are not being sanitized?  Do you trust them?  Would you go to a third party site anyway?  Tell me what you think.

North Dakota Making National Strides

By Dave Roby, January 25, 2010

Kelvin Hullett - BismarckMandan ChamberIt’s been an interesting 6-years for me in Bismarck-Mandan. One of the most exciting things to happen is the evolution of the perception of what North Dakota is on the national stage. When I was leaving Nebraska, my going away gifts included ice fishing poles, copies of the movie Fargo and other jibes about how cold it was going to be “On the Tundra”.

What a difference a few years makes for a state. In my mind, the beginning of the perception change started in August of 2006 when Joel Kotkin wrote a Wall Street Journal editorial about Bismarck-Mandan and North Dakota. That same year, the Bismarck Tribune was a headline story in the WSJ. From there, the media on North Dakota really took off. From TIME to Business Week to Outdoor life, to Forbes to broadcast media, Bismarck-Mandan and North Dakota are receiving positive attention from the national media.

Last week, CNN was in town to do a story on how North Dakota is utilizing its stimulus funds. And, here’s a twist to the national news. They are looking to find out more about why the Burleigh County Commission SENT BACK $9 million in stimulus funds. (Because we did not need it, maybe?) They are very intrigued with the idea that elected officials would actually turn down money. (And, still have a chance of getting re-elected.) They interviewed Commissioner Jim Peluso, made a trip to the Antelope Valley Power Plant and interviewed Governor Hoeven. We are awaiting word on the air date.

What’s the result of all this media? One, there is definitely an increased positive perception of our community and our state. For a long time, we didn’t have any image regionally or nationally. I don’t have any formal studies to back up my theory about the improved image. What I can tell you is that Chamber Execs and all my Public Relations friends from around the nation now ask about what is happening in North Dakota and why are we being successful.

Second, we are seeing more people than ever express interest in moving to North Dakota. When I first arrived in 2003, we maybe sent 5 or 6 relocation packets a month. For the last year, we have sent 30 to 35 packets a month. Not to mention that the hits on Bismarck-Mandan.com have skyrocketed to over 35,000 unique visits per month.

Third, look around your neighborhood. I’m betting you are seeing new faces from places outside North Dakota. We are one of the last places in America where home values remain stable, we have jobs available and it is possible to live at least some part of the American dream.

As we grow, one of the challenges is to what I call, “maintain the integrity of the community”. That is, we like to live here because it is safe, we know our neighbors, have good schools and short commute times. As you neighborhood changes, get out, welcome those new neighbors into the fold and help maintain our great quality of life.

The above is a guest blog by Kelvin Hullet, Bismarck-Mandan Chamber President on his perspective about North Dakota’s shifting national image.

Joel Kotkin is executive editor of NewGeography.com and is a presidential fellow in urban futures at Chapman University. He is author of The City: A Global History and is currently on tour for his book THE NEXT HUNDRED MILLION: America in 2050.

Joel serves as a Senior Consultant with Praxis Strategy Group a partner with the Flint Group

5 Question Friday with Nicole Sandman, Senior Project Manager at Flint Interactive

By Andy Reierson, January 22, 2010

Flint Interactive’s Nicole Sandman and I sit down to discuss digital marketing, social media, and the lessons she learned from growing up on a pig farm. She also fills us in on the history of Flint Interactive, how her work has changed in the last seven years, and balancing her career and time at home with her husband and two lovely daughters.

Red River Valley Research Corridor ~ Life Sciences Action Summit ~ February 19, 2010 Fargo, ND

By Dave Roby, January 20, 2010

RRVRClogo-1Co-hosted by U.S. Senator Byron L. Dorgan and the Red River Valley Research Corridor. Fargo, ND, February 19, 2009

This year’s summit will focus on developing and strengthening the Red River Valley’s burgeoning life sciences industry.  Presenters including entrepreneurs, financiers, researchers, and scientists from the region and around the nation will discuss and explore actions the region can and is taking to foster strong, sustainable growth in the life sciences sector.

More about the Life Sciences Action Summit

Register Now

River Valley Research Corridor Action Summits

The Red River Valley Research Corridor and U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan work in cooperation with leading economic, science and technology-based organizations in North Dakota and the Great Plains region to organize action summits.

Action summits are high-impact conferences that have a razor-like focus on specific research and technology development opportunities in the region. The summits are intended to:

  1. Facilitate learning, networking and collaboration in the region.
  2. Connect with key partners in business and government from outside the region in a highly focused and purposeful manner.
  3. Showcase science and technology-based capabilities and initiatives in the Corridor.
  4. Engage key players inside and outside the region to put a focus on what do we do now and in the future to make the Red River Valley Corridor an epicenter of research, development and/or production in this particular science and technology field.

Previous Research Corridor action summits have focused on hydrogen energy, venture capital, radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies, polymers and coatings, life sciences, animal identification systems and unmanned aircraft systems.

The Red River Valley Research Corridor is an independent non-profit corporation committed to catalyzing and promoting science, technology and engineering initiatives that create new opportunities in the region

Red River Valley Research Corridor Coordinating Center

DeloreZimmermanShot - SmallDr. Delore Zimmerman, President & CEO of Praxis Strategy Group in Grand Forks, Fargo & Los Angeles, California was named to serve as the Coordinator. Delore has over twenty years experience working with companies in technology and information industries, universities and local development groups. Since its founding Praxis has been awarded 8 Small Business Innovation Research Awards.

Praxis Strategy Group
is a partner with the Flint Group.


Marketing 2.0 – The Extreme Makeover Edition

By Eric Piela, January 18, 2010

One of my favorite SNL characters is Stuart Smalley, portrayed by Senator Al Franken. He used to look in the mirror and say, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!”  A humorous yet inspirational daily affirmation that reminds us that we are good just the way we are. In the same manner, I confess that I thought marketing was, indeed, beautiful just the way it was—despite its disparate processes and imperfections.

photo by tanakawho on Flickr

photo by tanakawho on Flickr

But the world went and changed. Communication technologies evolved and altered how we consume media. The next thing I knew, the marketing practices I fell in love with back in college had grown unsightly and questionably obsolete. But have no fear, marketers! Our old friend just needs a little nip-tuck, and she’ll be generating leads and building your brand just like the good ol’ days.

Here are five makeover trends meant to upgrade your marketing strategy.

1. Interruption to Engagement

“Psst. Hey you!  Stop what you are doing. Look over here, and listen to what we have to say!”  If our marketing efforts could talk, this is what they would be saying.

Our tactics and messages are typically about interrupting our audience in hope of gaining mind share. However, technology allows us to imbed our messages into our consumers’ lives without nearly as much disruption: emails read on smart phones, online pre-roll advertisements before watching your favorite sitcom on Hulu, and rich media banner ads that practically bring your website to your consumer without yanking them away from their current web page.  Be where your target audience consumes media. Make it seamless and easy for them to participate with your brand.

2. Awareness to Participation

Did someone say participate?  Previous marketing intellect prescribed a healthy dose of “attention grabbing,” taken with a full glass of “awareness building.” While both are still imperative, the latest studies show we need to take our marketing beyond simple awareness. Consumers don’t want to be talked to; they want to engage in a conversation.

Social media is about having a personal voice and sharing it with the world (or connections, friends and followers, depending on the social tool of choice).  Successful companies have found ways to transform customers into vocal consumer advocates via Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In, YouTube and community blogs. Craft your message, provide a platform for discussion, and engage in a dialogue with your audience—they are dying to be heard.

3.    Marketer-Centric to Customer-Centric

Bad news. We’re marketers and we have two things going against us: time and subjectivity. First, most of us are strapped and burning the candle at both ends—so we send communications out to consumers when we find the time, or when it’s scheduled on the promotion calendar.

Secondly, we forget to be objective. We force-feed our customers the value prop we’ve defined for our product or service. The reality is, customers don’t care about how smothered your inbox is, and they don’t care about your functionality spec sheet. Customers are looking for relevant information when it’s convenient for them, not you.

Marketing automation technology allows for triggered direct mail, email, and mobile responses which deliver that instant gratification your customers demand. Optimization features in these tools will soon allow us to automatically test and improve results of marketing campaigns for each individual—including collection of time and behavior-based data that will forecast when your customers are most likely to view your marketing communications.

4.    Segments to Individuals

Did someone say individual? (I’m getting good at this transition thing).  A number of years back, we thought we got smart. We started communicating to our consumer base differently by segmenting them into groups using demographics, firmographics, and purchase history.

We just can’t seem to catch a break.  Today, by tracking web-based behavior (website activity, email click-throughs, web form submissions, and social media interaction), we harness the power to completely customize creative and copy for each communication, ensuring the right message is used to resonate with your customer.

Personalized direct mail, email, banner ads, mobile messages are all feasible or on the horizon.  It’s not just cool (and a little freaky I’ll admit), it will soon be an imperative in order to break through the “one size fits all” clutter.

5.    Business Gets Personal

Business used to be personal.  I’m talking small-town bakery personal.  Then, mass communication exploded.   Service had to scale, and the goal was to reach as many people as possible with a single message.

However, marketing is in a throwback trend.  Corporation executives are having interpersonal two-way conversations with their consumers while the world observes. Studies show people trust other people more than any other marketing medium.

Subsequently, organizations are starting to share stories of people impacted by their brand. People listen, people respond with their own story, more people listen and respond.  Soon everything becomes marketing. Organic, consumer-driven discussion trumps the carefully crafted corporate message.

Coming SOON – Joel Kotkin’s book THE NEXT HUNDRED MILLION: America in 2050

By Dave Roby, January 18, 2010

next-hundred-million-joel-kotkin

THE NEXT HUNDRED MILLION: America in 2050
By Joel Kotkin

Release date: February 4, 2010. Published by The Penguin Press

Read more about The Next Hundred Million

In stark contrast to the rest of the world’s advanced nations, the United States is growing at a record rate and, according to census projections, will be home to four hundred million Americans by 2050. This projected rise in population is the strongest indicator of our long-term economic strength, Joel Kotkin believes, and will make us more diverse and more competitive than any nation on earth.

Drawing on prodigious research, firsthand reportage, and historical analysis, The Next Hundred Million reveals how this unprecedented growth will take physical shape and change the face of America. The majority of additional hundred million Americans will find their homes in suburbia, though the suburbs of tomorrow will not resemble the Levittowns of the 1950s or the sprawling exurbs of the late twentieth century. The suburbs of the twenty-first century will be less reliant on major cities for jobs and other amenities and, as a result, more energy efficient. Suburbs will also be the melting pots of the future as more and more immigrants opt for dispersed living over crowded inner cities and the majority in the United States becomes nonwhite by 2050.

The Next Hundred Million provides a vivid snapshot of America in 2050 by focusing not on power brokers, policy disputes, or abstract trends, but rather on the evolution of the more intimate units of American society—families, towns, neighborhoods, industries. It is upon the success or failure of these communities, Kotkin argues, that the American future rests.

Visit Amazon…
Visit Barnes & Noble.com…

Joel Kotkin is executive editor of NewGeography.com and is a presidential fellow in urban futures at Chapman University. He is author of The City: A Global History and is finishing a book on the American future.

Joel serves as a Senior Consultant with Praxis Strategy Group a partner with the Flint Group

Show me the video

By Maureen Olsen, January 14, 2010

Recently, I heard about a new restaurant in Fargo, so I asked a few friends about it. It seemed like the word hadn’t yet spread around:

“Haven’t tried it yet.”
“Haven’t heard of it.”
“Oh, is that the new one south of town?”

No real luck.

Next, I searched for the restaurant on Google, and I found a TV commercial on YouTube.

“Great,” I’m thinking. “A chance to get a feel for the place.”

photo by schmilblick on Flickr

photo by schmilblick on Flickr

I  learned a little bit from the 30-second commercial. The place had a ton of pool tables, and some pretty-good looking pizza.

But I still wanted more.

What if I don’t play pool? Can I sit down and have a meal with my family? Is the ambiance refined and quiet, or more social and fun? How about a word from the kitchen or the wait staff?

Is your commercial enough for online users? Is that what they are looking for?

A TV spot is supposed to generate awareness, and sometimes a specific action. But on the web – especially searching on YouTube – your audience is already engaged and interested. Online video gives you a platform to tell them more.

Coined the “lean forward” medium, online video gives you access to an interested user, and a chance to talk to them one-on-one. Don’t miss out on that opportunity.

Here are a few tips to make the most of your online video:

  1. Your communications strategy is key. Online video should support your business goals and communicate your key messages.
  2. Use relevant content. Give your users what they’re looking for. Do they want to be entertained and get a feel for your brand? Or do they need more information about your product before they buy?
  3. Be Sincere. Keep it real. For example, use testimonials from the real users of the product or service—not models or actors.
  4. Decide what production value you need. Don’t spend any more money than necessary on production. A Flip camera works great for simple blog interviews. For anything more than that, consider working with a professional to produce your original content.
  5. Keep it Short. Online videos should meet your user’s time constraints. Usually nothing longer than 1-2 minutes. Make every second interesting.

Here’s to your engaging online videos in 2010.

5 Question Friday with John Hyduke

By Andy Reierson, January 8, 2010

After the holiday hiatus, we are back with another “5 Question Friday”. John Hyduke, President of WestmorelandFlint and Business Development Director for the Flint Group, sits down to discuss what goes into opening up a new location and the growth of Flint Direct. We also manage to sneak in a conversation about hockey and his four lovely daughters.