Sterling Cross’s Social Studies

Chris and Mary Lower, the spouses and owners of Maple Grove-based social media and public relations agency Sterling Cross are highly regarded in the burgeoning Twin Cities social media scene. But don’t call them “social media gurus.”

It’s a term that makes them laugh and shake their heads. Such “experts” often are mid- to late-career marketing or PR types looking to latch on to the Next Big Thing. (Test the guru: Ask for case studies.)

Besides, as Chris notes, it’s not a field that you can be an expert in: It’s changing too fast and too continuously. “These experts say things like, ‘Make big money on Twitter!’” Chris says, chuckling.

The Lowers do know their social stuff. Go here to read the rest

http://digital.mn-meetings.com/mn-meetings/2010winter#pg40

My experience with the media is a unique one – I began my career working part time my senior year in college at the local affiliate ABC nightly newscast running the soundboard, character generator and the 8-track music cart for the evening news. (3/4 inch video tape was the cutting edge technology of the day not that I’m aging myself with that fact…)

Being in the newsroom, I understood the immediacy and do or die pressure that a producer feels because when the clock strikes 10 pm, the show starts ready or not. With competitive pressure from other sources and mediums, the media has to supply the best coverage and source information to keep the viewer/listener/reader tuned in and satisfied. 

 No longer on the media team, rather now pitching stories to editors, reporters, and producers I know that the need for quality storytelling has not changed.  What has changed is how people are researching stories and finding sources. 

 The public relations industry has changed dramatically over the past 15-20 years….over the past few years social media has been a game changer in its own right…but that’s a whole different blog. 

 To research information for an upcoming presentation, I spoke to a number of traditional media professionals – TV, radio, newspaper and magazine news coverage decision makers – and polled them on a number of questions regarding press releases, social media and research.

 Speaking from strictly a traditional media point of view, the answers I received reinforce the fact that: 1) media begets media, 2) if you’re not establishing yourself as an expert in your field, you’re not going to be tapped as a third party source by the media to contribute to stories that have the potential of having direct reach to your potential customer. 3) If you’re not paying attention to how you’re being found and perceived online then you’re really missing the boat. 4) If you don’t have a relationship with the media you’re not going to be the first source considered to get the interview.

 When I asked a dozen local professionals the top three ways he/she researches stories, here is what I learned:

• Sources, sources, sources. I live and die with my sources / experts in the field/ contacting associations for detailed information/ calling people I know in the industry (12)
• Online research/ earnings reports/ conference calls/ government sites/ reviewing industry web sites/ journals/ Wikipedia/ Google News search (11)
• Our news archives/ news clip library/ other producers (6)
• Through the local news media/find other stories written on the same theme (3)
• Check web site of the event or person I’m writing about (2)
•  Business-related books

 I’ve had clients land radio interviews because of magazine articles I’ve placed and I’ve grown a single TV interview into a series of interviews once the client’s expertise was established.  I’ve even landed my business partner paid speaking opportunities targeting ideal clients all from a 3 ½ minute TV interview.

 My question to you is simply this – if you’re seeking media attention from mainstream (or social) media – are you proactively or reactively interacting with the media decision makers in a meaningful way that helps them do their job? Are you making it easy to be searched and found? Are you taking advantage of every media opportunity? You never know when a quick expert quote or small mention in a neighborhood paper can lead to front-page coverage.

The final insight in this blog is my favorite because this reporter provides rich insight into how he looks at a press release.  He is articulate and honest as he provides insight to his motivation and tells it like he sees it – I love straight forward answers and people! 

My final post will highlight research methods these men and women use when chasing down a story….a few of them may surprise you!

Anchor/Producer@ Twin Cities radio station

A great press release…Uses the journalistic device of the inverted pyramid, and immediately gets to the main point FIRST.  Also, the best ones are embedded IN THE EMAIL – don’t make me open up something else…just give it to me NOW.

A press release I instantly delete/toss…Is too prosaic at the outset.  Don’t paint any pretty word pictures for me – get right to the point.  And if I see that it’s Tolstoy outta the chute…my desire to read it is in inverse proportion to its perceived length.

Comments:

Press releases are like Sgt. Joe Friday – “…just the facts, Ma’am…” – but that said, DO compel me to read it or at least check it out…..

Managing Editor @ niche lifestyle and trade magazines

A great press release…Is timely, but not “next week” timely; can come with high res images if I need them; provides a quote or two; provides a reliable person to contact if more information is needed; E-mail form is best.

A press release I instantly delete/toss…Has nothing to do with any of the publications I work on or the date the event takes place is not in the time frame of the magazine (meaning not more than two months out for the lifestyle pub and four months out for the trade pub). Also LOCAL is best for us, so press releases about national attractions, hotels, etc, don’t usually work.

News Assistant @ Twin Cities daily newspaper

A great press release…provides the most important details in the first paragraph so that an editor does not have to read to the end to get the information he/she needs. The news media receives too many each day to have the time to read each to the end. 

A press release I instantly delete/toss….has no local tie-in or has forgotten pertinent information and does not supply a contact number for retrieving this information (which is only done if the news is very important to our community of readers). 

Editor @ lifestyle magazine

A great press release……is short, sweet, and to the point

A press release I instantly delete/toss…..is one that is obviously sent to a mass audience with zero relevance to my specific publication. If I can tell the writer is sincerely trying to pique my interest and the headline looks like it might be something somewhat relevant to my  publication, I will continue reading it.

Managing Editor @ minor market daily newspaper

A great press release is emailed to me and the appropriate reporter, explains why it matters to our readers, gives me the gist in a concise manner, gives me contact options for more information.

I toss releases that don’t tell me what the relevance is for my audience.

Beat Reporter@ Twin Cities daily newspaper

A great press release…is short, pithy, local and spot-on in terms of my areas of coverage. I far too often receive releases that are pages long and on topics that i don’t cover. That says to me that the sender did not do his/her homework.

A press release I instantly delete/toss…see above. Ha! I hate to admit this, but I toss probably 98 percent of them…mostly that’s because they don’t speak to my areas of coverage/interest or because they’re not local. For example, I seldom use experts from outside the twin cities if I don’t’ have to.

Editorial Director @ publishing house overseeing multiple business and lifestyle titles

A great press release……gives me all the info I need in the first graph.

A press release I instantly delete/toss…..is not remotely appropriate for my title.

Beat Reporter @ Twin Cities daily newspaper

A great press release.. If you want to do a great press release, think like a reporter. Or better yet, think like that reporter’s editor. Too many releases come from the point of view of the client. Unless you’re Apple or some similar company that can command the market’s attention simply by clearing its throat, that’s a non-starter. I like to see something that addresses an issue or development to which the average newspaper reader in the Twin Cities can relate — how does it affect them, not the company/client unless that company is either doing spectacularly well or about to pull a Titanic. I like releases that tell me the story. Most companies are not that interesting in and of themselves, so if you can explain what your company does that is relevant to the wider world, that’s key. We like stories with conflict, or that solve problems.

A press release I instantly delete/toss… Promotional stuff that looks too much like free advertising. What’s new? What advances the story about the company?

We at Sterling Cross have adapted our service offerings to reflect how the media and consumers are receiving and acting on relevant news so I don’t want to come across as someone that thinks that a great press release is the end all solution for getting your message to your end consumer. 

With that housekeeping taken care of – let me get into the message of today’s blog – what the media thinks makes for a great and a lousy press release. 

A few weeks ago, I surveyed a cross section of decision makers in the traditional media – radio, TV, and print (newspaper and magazine).  I asked them what makes for a press release that they love and makes them instantly toss/delete a release.  Here is a sampling of what they said.  The full dozen seemed too long for a single post so I’m breaking it up into three different posts.  Look for more soon!

Executive Producer @ television network affiliate

A great press release……  is short (1 page). And clear about what is going on. Clever is overrated. Clear is the key. It’s got the people involved (and their titles). It doesn’t try to hide who benefits from coverage by either omitting it, writing it really small at the bottom, or being unclear about the full story. Instead, it explains why the story is newsworthy. Links to read more or watch a previous story on the subject are very helpful for visualizing what is being pitched.

A press release I instantly delete/toss…..  Is one that is blatantly a commercial that’s trying to pass itself off as news. Celebrities don’t usually make good hooks either. With all the cable TV and Internet availability of these “A-listers” it really isn’t much of a sell to say _____ star of the new ______ will be there.

Managing Editor @ Twin Cities daily newspaper

A great press release……is clear and concise, arrives several days before the event so we can plan to cover it or advance it, underscores why the event, person or idea is interesting and/or important enough to warrant coverage in the newspaper.

A press release I instantly delete/toss…..doesn’t have a local tie.

Editor @ lifestyle magazine

A great press release……grabs my attention in the headline and the first graph. It gives me the most relevant info to my coverage area immediately.

A press release I instantly delete/toss…if I can tell it’s a national, mass release that doesn’t relate to my area.

Beat Reporter @ Business weekly newspaper

A great press release……Strong news impact in the subject line, headline and lead. I should be able to tell why it’s a story with just a quick glance. Provide as many details as possible, so I can do some research. If a new store is opening, provide the address, owner’s name, product offerings, opening date, web address, contact info, etc.

A press release I instantly delete/toss….No idea why I should care. Doesn’t provide any useful information — basically just says this company exists. Also, press releases that ramble. If the news is in the last paragraph, I probably never made it that far.

I’m smart enough to know finding success in your work may start with knowledge derived from books, but in the end relies on surrounding yourself with really smart people.  I have a strong respect for the people I work with in the media and work extremely hard to make that respect mutual.  

If you’re in the media or in the business of communicating with the media – what are your ideas on what makes for a great press release or what makes you toss one? 

Here goes anyway!

1) Communicate and have checks and balances for accountability.

2) Have both intangible mutual respect backed up with tangible reporting tools with your clients to ensure that the work you’re doing is meeting and exceeding their expectations.

3) Don’t keep your nose so close to the grindstone that you loose sight of the fun and joy of your work.

I’m not going to wax poetic about these points as I think they will need to be interpreted in a way that is useful and pertinent to you.  Drop me a line and we can share a cup of coffee if you want to talk more about this topic.  I’d also be interested in hearing additional thoughts on finding and maintaining success in the workplace.

The key is – can you unplug from your work when you need to? 

I know I’ll be tethered to this waiting room for 2-3 hours so I’ve brought both my laptop and a business book that’s been sitting on my night stand for the past week.  These steps ensure that I will be productive to my workday as I am armed to both expand my business knowledge and knock out a few blog thoughts.  As a business owner the million-dollar question remains – can you remain productive yet balanced? 

I spoke with a long lost friend from New York yesterday.  He has recently gotten out of a creative freelance career and is diving into a more creative yet corporate route.  I know for a fact business acumen like planning the work and then working the plan is a concepts that is completely foreign to him.  His definition of balance and mine are worlds apart….but yet still a concept that every man and woman that has to make a living must examine and personally evaluate.

The difficult part about being in a career that mixes a strong part of its success mix on being a strong relationship builder, is the ability to quantify tangible goals (aka fulfilling the campaigns for my paying clients) with the intangible of building bridges with targeted audiences of (in my case) the media, new business prospects and business partners. 

My question to you is – what are the top three things you do that help you keep your business running on target?  I’ll share mine next week (promise!).

I’m a big fan of Twitter – as a company we’ve landed a new piece of business out of relationships that my business partners and I have established and we’ve aligned ourselves with many creative types that have deepened our stable of marketing experts.  We’ll now be able to service our clients better because of these relationships…all because @MrChristopherL tweeted about his latest bacon craving or @mediapirate may provide insight to his favored heavy metal bands.  How, pray tell, can these obscure pieces of information convert into tangible business?  Ahhhh the beauty of social media is that sometimes to cut through all the clutter and clatter of today’s fast paced society – it comes back to the basic necessity that people like to do business with people they know, like, trust and respect.  Tools like Twitter, like a child’s bead necklace, allow these connections to snap together. 

So tell me – what are you doing?  Drop me a Twitter line @PRMoxie and we can start to follow each other’s tweets!

Mary