Our September DIG focused on Media Relations and how you can promote your brand, product and/or service to the media and to your audience. If you missed it, we gave our attendees a look into how telling your story goes way beyond the press release. Take a look at the steps to having an effective media effort.

1) Develop Your Message

This is not only the message of the product that should have been developed in your overall marketing plan. This is the message or the pitch to the media. Why is this interesting to the media?  Why should they want to cover this? Develop a message that connects to the community or other news. For example, if you are promoting a new location, a media angle could be the economic impact your location will have on the local community.

2) Develop Your Plan

Every announcement needs a supporting cast. Never let a press release stand on its own. Don’t put a release on Business Wire or PR Newswire and think it is going to do the job. You should develop a media pitch that you send out in your email that connects your announcement to a greater issue.

• Plan for the release
• Develop a supporting pitch
• Schedule your follow-up

3) Within that plan, determine your vehicle!

Your vehicle of delivery can take many shapes. It is ideal to create an event, a campaign or series of messages to support your announcement.

• Press release
• Event
• Email Campaign
• Guerilla Marketing Effort

4) Determine Your Messengers

Due to blogs, online publications and social media, there are many options when it comes to whom you tell your story to. Be sure to think outside of the box, and know whom you are reaching out to. If you choose to pitch a blogger, then read their blog, and know what they are interested in. Do your homework and talk to others with purpose.

• Reporters
• Bloggers
• Guerilla Marketers
• General Public
• All of the above

5) Track Your Efforts

So you have contacted the media and you have sent out your release, so your job is complete, right?  In some ways it has just started. Always be sure to track all of your efforts and being able to tie a number to your efforts. Monitor coverage with media tracking tools or event Google searches and alerts. And then be sure to listen to the responses and your coverage, and react to the response when appropriate.

• Monitor all coverage
  • News
  • Blogs
  • Social Media
• Listen to Your Responses
  • Client Response
  • Public Response
  • General Public Response
    •  Social Media
    • Sales
    • Blog Comments
    • Customer Service Calls
    • Store Traffic
    • Emails
• Analyze all numbers
  • Open rate
  • Forwards
  • Web Traffic
  • Sales Numbers
  • Social Media followers and likes

   
  You have an outstanding opportunity to create your story, and to connect with your audience with every bit of information that you have to send out.

   

   

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Building a Blueprint: 2012 Marketing Planning

Speakers:
Samantha Owens Pyle, VP of Communications Strategy
Jenn Sheets, VP of Brand Strategy & Creative

Tuesday, Obtober 18th
8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Register here: http://octbgdig.eventbrite.com/

Sponsored by
Citizens First
& Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce

Where?
Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce
710 College Street

Light breakfast will be served compliments of Citizens First.

Media Relations for the Rest of Us

Speaker:
Samantha Owens Pyle
VP of Communications & Strategy

Tuesday, September 27th
8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Register HERE.

What We’ll Cover:
Strategic media relations are just as important as making the proper media buy when reaching out to a target audience. It’s not only who you talk to, but also how you talk to them. Whether it is by email, social media, by phone or in person, there’s rhyme and reason to the proper media pitch that will secure you editorial coverage every time. Join us for “Media Relations for the Rest of Us” as we discuss the ins and outs of contacting members of the media, and getting the results you want.

Sponsored by
Citizens First
& Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce

Where?
Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce
710 College Street

Light breakfast will be served compliments of Citizens First.

Media Relations for the Rest of Us

Speaker:
Samantha Owens Pyle
VP of Communications & Strategy

Wednesday, September 28th
8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Register HERE.

What We’ll Cover:
Strategic media relations are just as important as making the proper media buy when reaching out to a target audience. It’s not only who you talk to, but also how you talk to them. Whether it is by email, social media, by phone or in person, there’s rhyme and reason to the proper media pitch that will secure you editorial coverage every time. Join us for “Media Relations for the Rest of Us” as we discuss the ins and outs of contacting members of the media, and getting the results you want

Sponsored by
Lipscomb University
Advocate Marketing & Print
Concept Technology

Where?
Lipscomb University – Ezell Center (Room 301)
Lipscomb University Campus Map
Continental breakfast will be served starting at 8 a.m. courtesy of Concept Technology.

*NEW and IMPORTANT*
Parking Information:
Free parking for DIG guests will be provided at the David Lipscomb Campus School football field with shuttle service to the front door of the Ezell Center. Shuttles will run continuously from 8:00 am until 9:00 am and return guests to their cars at the conclusion of the DIG.

David Lipscomb Campus School Football Field Address:
1013 Caldwell Lane
Nashville 37204

Avoiding Common Website Pitfalls

Speaker:
Scott Hutcheson
cabedge.com

Tuesday, August 23rd
8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

What We’ll Cover:
Building a new website can be exciting, but also a bit overwhelming at times. Knowing how to avoid the common traps will make the process easier and more successful. In this DIG session, we will cover how to recognize the wearisome areas such as forgetting your users, designing by committee, and marginalizing your messages and steer clear of them. Get prepared to build a new website faster while better meeting your business goals.

Sponsored by
Citizens First
& Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce

Where?
Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce
710 College Street

Light breakfast will be served compliments of Citizens First.

Avoiding Common Website Pitfalls

Speaker:
Scott Hutcheson
cabedge.com

Wednesday, August 24th
8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

What We’ll Cover:
Building a new website can be exciting, but also a bit overwhelming at times. Knowing how to avoid the common traps will make the process easier and more successful. In this DIG session, we will cover how to recognize the wearisome areas such as forgetting your users, designing by committee, and marginalizing your messages and steer clear of them. Get prepared to build a new website faster while better meeting your business goals.

Sponsored by
Lipscomb University
Snapshot Interactive
Advocate Marketing & Print

Where?
Lipscomb University – Ezell Center (Room 301)

*NEW and IMPORTANT*
Parking Information:

Free parking for DIG guests will be provided at the David Lipscomb Campus School football field with shuttle service to the front door of the Ezell Center. Shuttles will run continuously from 8:00 am until 9:00 am and return guests to their cars at the conclusion of the DIG.

David Lipscomb Campus School Football Field Address:
1013 Caldwell Lane
Nashville 37204

Continental breakfast will be served starting at 8 a.m compliments of Concept Technology.

Immediately, I realized that my husband and I differ in one very significant way. I tend to be frugal and stubborn when it comes to our renovation purchases at the local hardware store. I pride myself on making the most of our budget and having the most impact for the least amount of money. My husband on the other hand won’t leave the store without wanting to purchase a new tool that will make the project easier.

But who needs to buy an 18-volt drill when we have an all-in-one 12-volt already at home? Or who needs to buy an electric circular saw when we have a circular saw attachment for that same battery powered 12-volt drill? And who needs a nail gun when you have a perfectly good hammer and swinging arms?

If you’ve done your own renovations before, you can probably see where I’m going with this. It took me a while to give in, but I’ll now admit that having the proper tool to accomplish a job is money well spent. Even further, if the person using the tool knows what they are doing, the job will go cheaper and faster with much better results. This is all true even if you have huge vision, a great plan and the determination to think you can do it yourself. Sometimes you just need to step back and admit you need help.

Take hanging drywall for instance. It seems easy enough. But after you have mudded once, you will realize that it takes an artist to make it look perfect. I’ll never forget the time that Luke and I decided to hang crown molding in the living room. It was amusing to watch two intelligent and handy people (who are good at math btw) attempt to make cuts at the correct angle to make it work. I later watched someone who had hung it a million times fly through the installation with perfect results. Experience and some tricks of the trade would have proved invaluable in that situation.

We have long since sold our practice house and are a little less adventurous these days. I still do some pretty crazy sounding reno projects myself though- like knocking down walls I don’t want when my husband is at work or installing a new bathroom floor one Sunday because the one I had was too hard to clean. The difference is that now I know when to hire someone to do parts or all of it for me and when to invest in the tools I need to get the job done right. There is absolutely no sense in saving money if you don’t get the results you want. Can I hear an AMEN?

So, what have I learned? Know the limits of talents and capabilities. Vision, determination and willingness don’t always make up for expertise. Invest in the right tools and use them wisely. Lastly, expect great results and make good decisions to make those results happen- even on a starving artist’s budget. And yes, even in your marketing efforts.