It was my pleasure over the weekend to listen in on some journalists chat about the relevance and direction of PR in the digital age.
It was from CNW’s breakfast with the media http://bit.ly/mrAwFE
Thought I’d share my top 10 insights with you here:
1. Reporting principles remain the same for the most part. At the end of the day it’s about telling a good story.
2. PITCHING is no longer what it once was – it’s about seeking out the appropriate way to reach the reporter and starting a conversation with them!
3. A traditional 9am-5pm job doesn’t exist anymore especially in the newsroom – Speed of information has changed, so the quicker you can get the info to someone, the better.
4. You need to find new ways to reach the journalist – if they’re active Facebook 80% of time, make contact there first.
5. Try this exercise: Put your synopsis into a 140 character tweet and include a link to more information.
6. Don’t make a reporter WORK for the story – provide links that work, no passwords required and that can download easily.
7. Make your story is as interactive as possible – a good video clip and a few photos can add depth and bring your story to life.
8. Build relationships – don’t just contact a reporter when you have a story, inquire about their style, their beat and get to know them.
9. Make sure your clients have good SEO on their site, sometimes journalists use Google first. Ensure that Measure and Tracking tools are in place.
10. Don’t just choose one social media forum to use and hope it reaches everyone. You need to cultivate multiple touch points: advisories and releases still have their place too!
And another I thought was important:
‘Digital First’ is a mind set and you must engrain it into your clients. As a PR practitioner, bring in people (developer/programmer) who know how to develop multiple story telling vehicles online.
Just a quick bite – happy hunting!
Amanda