The “TELL” formula draws readers by the headline
News editors have to go through hundreds of news releases every day with two news stories published every minute. So, how do you keep their attention on your news release for a few more moments? I would argue, the headline matters. The Headline is the reader’s entry point to a release. It should be a brief summary or the highlight of the whole release. At PR Newswire, we tell your story to the world; and a good news release should always tell the story in the headline. We use the “TELL” formula to determine if your release headline tells a good story. T: Target Audience The press release is a connection between a company and its audience. Companies are able to deliver various types of information through their releases, from the launch of new products, attendance at trade shows, or personnel announcements. The audience of the release might be commuters surfing the web on their smartphones, or even industry editors searching for valuable news. When writing the Headline, three questions should be kept in mind: Who is the target audience of this release? What is the news story about? What key message are you trying to convey? The Headline needs to be strategically directed at the determined target audience so as to communicate the information appropriately and directly. Example: Arcade City Activates Hundreds of Philippines Drivers, Responds to LTFRB Shutdown Order The keywords of the release are clearly stated, “Arcade City”, “Activate”, “Philippines Drivers”, “LTFRB Shutdown Order”. This headline is catchy for both drivers and passengers. Readers are not only curious about how the company Arcade City activates drivers in the Philippines, but are also more likely to continue reading to see what is going on between the company and LTFRB. E: Efficiency Daily readers will spend only a few seconds scanning the release headline, so the core message should be clear and be reader-friendly. This helps to increase the efficiency of delivering information. Additionally, numbers or statistics always speak louder than adjectives. Here is one example: Bithumb Has Exceeded $870 million in Daily Trading Volume for the First Time Since the Opening of the Domestic Virtual Currency Market The word “$870 million” stands out in the headline. This will help readers spare a few more moments to figure out what the $870 million means. Numbers and statistics in the headline will help industry editors save time and effort in digging out information. L: Lean No one likes to read a long, wordy and uninformative headline, least of all news editors. We always suggest clients make the headline no longer than 180 characters (including spaces). Online and mobile reading presents new reading habits and long headlines will not only scare readers away, but will be plain unsightly on a small mobile device screen. It is important to keep the headline nice and short but to the point. Example: New Analytics Product Helps Airbnb Hosts Compete with Hotels This release headline is successful in conveying the message in nine words. It includes the nature of the company’s product – “New Analytics Product” and a hot current topic “Airbnb Hosts” vs. “Hotels”. This example demonstrates that release headlines do not necessarily need to be sophisticated, but should always mention keywords and highlights. L: Language Finally, the last component of the “TELL” formula is to mind the language of the release headline. Here are some detailed explanations: 1. Avoid passive verbs such as “think”, “feel”, “believe”. These verbs are not based on facts or statement. The headline should be objective and consist of facts based on the release content. This will help make the release look more professional. 2. Try to use active verbs and the active voice. A good headline is driven by good active verbs. These verbs do not need to be complicated. Simple wording and with strong active voice will give the headline a sense of urgency and draw readers in. For example: Dianrong and FinEX Asia Launch Asia's First Fintech Asset Management Platform This headline is written in active voice with the structure “Company Launch New Product”. An active verb “launch” is used. The keywords in the headline are the two company names “Dianrong” and “FinEX Asia”, the action verb “Launchrephrasee new product “Fintech Asset Management Platform”. If we rephrased the headline with passive voice, it would read: Asia’s First Fintech Asset Management Platform is Launched by Dianrong and FinEX Asia The name of the product consists half of the headline and both company names are at the end of the headline. Readers are more likely to stop reading at the word “Platform”, as they have already found something catchy in the first half – “Asia’s First”. The rest of the keywords including brand names of the companies may fail to draw readers’ attention. But looking at the original headline: Dianrong and FinEX Asia Launch Asia's First Fintech Asset Management Platform Readers are likely to continue reading beyond the word “Launch” to find out what kind of product the companies have introduced. They will then be given another treat in the highlight “Asia’s First”, which may further encourage them to finish reading the entire headline, resulting in the key messages successfully delivered to readers via the Headline. For other tips on writing effective press releases so as to stay relevant in the minds of the media and your wider customer base, read "How to Write High-Quality Press Release Content". Author: Haiyu Yu is the Associate Editor of PR Newswire and she is based in Shanghai.
5 Developments in China in That Will Affect Your Branding in 2018
A look back at 2017 As we proceed towards the new year, I thought it appropriate, if somewhat late, to do a lookback at China in 2017. This is definitely not an exhaustive list, rather a random selection of news items that have stuck in my hazy, post-Christmas, pre-New Year brain. New buildings and new toilets The Chinese government has made a push in recent months to address domestic health and safety issues. Much has been reported on China’s drive to install better toilets across the nation. While mundane to most western audiences and even comedic at times, this initiative is one that underscores all modern cities: Sanitation. Similarly, the widely reported forced evictions in Beijing’s poorer neighborhoods is underpinned by one thing: Deadly fires in buildings that did not meet building safety standards. On more than one occasion, these fires have resulted in deaths, each in the double digits. The government initiatives rings opportunity for non-China producers of occupational health and safety goods that meet higher quality standards. Be that luxury multi-function toilets from Japan, or fire alarms systems from Australia. Lingerie: Made in China, bought in China Victoria’s Secret held their first-ever Asia show at Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arena. Let that sentence sink in for a while. For the first time in 23 years, the high-end underwear brand held its show outside of the US or Europe, and they chose Shanghai. Not only that, they featured more Chinese and Asian models than ever. “The world’s sexiest show” aside, this is a showcase event for their target markets, and the fact they are using Asian models is a huge indication of where their aspirations lie. Of course, this is not really news. It is China or bust for some of the largest brands in the world, and they are only just making a mark in this growth market. Consumer goods are making good in a big way in China, with a middleclass forecasted to grow beyond that of both the US and Europe combined in the next two years. In particular, China’s women are a force to be reckoned with. China has doubled down on the green The lush green hues of trees, that is. In late November, the Chinese government announced plans for the world’s largest market for carbon emissions. This is just one small part of China’s ongoing fight against pollution. From laggard to leader, China has spearheaded the global fight against climate change, taking the leadership role from the deflating influence of the U.S. The Clean Energy sector will be a clear winner, and ancillary services will also benefit. The nature of clean energy means energy storage and measurement providers, for example, will almost certainly see a rise in demand and profit, as will the likes of solar panel producers and green design providers. Mobile payments QR codes. Remember those things from 10 years ago that looked like a poor attempt at optical illusion pictures? Well they never went out of fashion in China. In fact, Chinese tech startups have taken it to a whole new level. The humble QR code is the key to mobile service apps and serve as mobile payment gateways. From renting a public bike to paying for your diabetes-inducing coffee concoction, the QR code and mobile payments is a necessary part of doing business in China. The extent of growth in usage of these technologies is such that, as a business, you need to pay attention even if you are not an online store in the traditional sense. This is because the QR is the backbone of China’s cashless society. As a result, Chinese companies have progressively moved towards what is commonly referred to as online-to-offline, or O2O, as they seek to reach not only the rural masses across China, but also the increasingly (physical) cashless youth. Hong Kong and the UK have quietly follow suit. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is developing QR-code standards for retail payments. Such standards hopefully will help expand the cashless system to more merchants, particularly small shops and businesses. Sharing economy and apps, apps, apps Head to Shenzhen, China’s very own Silicon Valley, and you will see that apps are everywhere. Not only are QR codes (read above) pervasive, they are also not a novelty. Similarly, apps are used regularly and freely. The level of peer-to-peer lending has increased dramatically in 2017. Dianrong is one example. Created by an American who had never been to China prior to launching the business venture in 2012, the app gathers funds from the people (and also institutions), and redistributes them in the form of small loans for the people of China. In 2017 Dianrong raised US$220 million, more than double the entire capital they had raised in the years before, and are looking at a potential IPO in 2018. * Creating a strategy that is tailored to Chinese audiences requires an in-depth knowledge of this market. Getting your brand name into the Chinese market has never been so attractive. The economics of population and wealth growth means that China can no longer be ignored. The coming years will be mission critical for companies seeking to expand their footprint. Mark 2018 as the year you make your move. Cal Wong is Content Services Manager at PR Newswire Asia. PR Newswire Asia is headquartered in Beijing with an expansive media network, and deep insights into the local market. We can get your brand in front of those who matter. Ask me how!
Why is Brand Building Like Marriage?
You meet somebody that catches your eye. It could be their smile, their style, or their personality; you may even be attracted to their conviction and passion for something. You ask for their number. You text them that night (because calling at this stage is kind of lame), you flirt and get to know each other. Is this person a wacko? Does s/he fit my values? First, a coffee date, then a dinner. A movie. Over time, along with consistent and quality effort, you are in a committed relationship and ultimately, one day, happily married. Consistent and quality effort. On the one hand, you do not want to neglect them. Calling only when the time is right for you or when there is something you want is not only crass, it is also selfish. But also, you don’t want to be the clingy one in this relationship. As is often the case, it is about maintaining a balance. You must keep your (potential and current) customers engaged in a tactical, timely and valuable way. In my world of content marketing, that means you need to offer something valuable to the relationship, usually the creation of informative or entertaining collateral that is in line with the company’s key objectives. It also means these communiques are distributed in a timely manner on strategically important platforms. Remember, content is King, but distribution is Queen. Consequently, it is near impossible to pinpoint the moment of success, aka ROI, because there isn’t one exact moment. That doesn’t mean there is no ROI, because we all know there is. Instead, it requires looking at the ROI over longer time frames. It is the cumulative effect of consistent and quality messaging and content that determines brand perceptions. Consistent and quality effort. That is brand building in a nutshell. Attainment of that ultimate goal - the marriage of preference and brand - requires strategic engagement with your audience. Only sustained and effective delivery of your messaging can keep your brand near top of mind. So, the next time the business guys ask you about the efficacy of communications, ask them if they’re married. Cal Wong is the Content Services Manager at PR Newswire Asia. This articles was originally posted on Linkedin
6 Cost Effective Ways to Promote Your Company Online
Not every company has the budget to invest a fortune on advertising and marketing. Startups, those with cashflow issues or just business who want to take a cautious approach may benefit from a low-budget approach. While it may be hard to believe it in our relentlessly mercantile modern marketplace, free and cheap methods of advertising above and beyond tightening up your SEO do exist. They cost little more than your time, and while most lack much in the way of impact, they can easily draw enough attention to get your company’s name in the heads of prospective buyers, providing a good Return on Investment (ROI) for time spent. If nothing else, these marketing methods will hold you in good stead until you can afford to hire an SEO company to get your web copy in great shape. Agility Matters A couple of caveats here: no matter what you do, (a) use the most agile methods possible, i.e., methods that are cheap and quick; and (b) measure the results of each method, using “markers” that let you know where each new customer comes from. That way, you can repeat and extend those methods that work the best, using them to bring in even more customers. This testing method is common in most types of online marketing, SEO marketing among them. Sometimes, all it takes is a minor change in a headline to draw in more people, or even a different background colour on a page! No kidding. We know of direct mail marketers who have actually tested to see who which envelope colours worked best in their marketplace. This is of course culturally sensitive – red would get attention anywhere, but a red envelope received in a Hong Kong office might make people thing they are being invited to a wedding! You need not go that far, especially when you find yourself under the gun timewise and are working with a “shoestring” marketing budget. Consider using these simple but cost-effective ways to get the word out to your prospects. Issue a press release. This is a simple, effective marketing method that can soon have your phones ringing and doors swinging. You can handle this in many ways; for example, by connecting your business to something topical or creating a survey that draws people in. You can usually send out your press release for free to local sites, blogs, and physical newspapers who may publish it to fill an empty slot in their editorial calendar. For a small sum, some professional press release services will scatter your release far and wide to appropriate sites, blogs, and papers, and sometimes to businesses that need the kinds of services and goods you offer. This is a scalable marketing method, where you can put out press releases on various topics in larger numbers as you put more money into it—but this is still one of the least expensive ways to market. How well this works depends almost entirely on how “newsworthy” your release is, make it boring and all you’ll get is silence no matter how much you spend on distribution. But have a great story to tell and even the most basic PR distribution will work. Make sure your website is indexed by Google. Here is where high-quality SEO, ideally provided by a professional SEO company, becomes vital. Google will index your site no matter what as its “spiders” crawl your pages, but the better your SEO, the more likely you will end up on their first page for Hong Kong results when prospects search for your type of goods and services. Some people do read the second pages, but the natural tendency here is to go with the first decent provider they find. You want that provider to be you. A lot of simple errors can prevent your website being seen by Google, from badly configured web servers to unwanted security rules, to hackers tampering with your site. You must not take it for granted that because you can see your website that Google can see it as well. Test and verify. And do it regularly. Follow the tips Google provides for webmasters. You can find everything you need to make your website Google-friendly in Google’s own instruction pages, from the best types of keywords to use, how to find those keywords, what content is forbidden, what kind of content is encouraged, how to give visitors what they are looking for, and much more. Most of the same rules will apply to your sites on just about any search engine since most search engines follow Google’s examples. Again, a good SEO marketing company will work wonders here—but you can also do this part of the work yourself. Encourage customers to provide reviews. Ask the people who use your products and services to post their experiences on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and the like. They can also post reviews on Google, Facebook and Yahoo. And don’t forget specialised review sites like Trip Advisor and Yelp, and any other places that might be relevant. Locals will actively look for reviews on such sites, guaranteed, and new customers might find you this way. You yourself have probably consulted one of more of these sites, looking for a particular type of business near your home or office that other people gave high marks to. The Internet, and smartphones, in particular, make it easy. Believe it or not, the reviews on these sites make a big difference—and the more positive they are, the better. They not influence readers, but Google notices as well and may display your company more prominently if it finds positive reviews about you. Recycle written material as social media posts. Any in-house textual material can be used to attract new customers, as long as it is relevant and gets your name out there. It has to be focused on your business, though, or at least some aspect of it. For example; menus, if you own a restaurant. Lists of products. Reviews of your favourite products. New products you are introducing. Old favourite products. Schedules. Events. Significant staff changes. Look around your office for anything in writing, and ask yourself: Can I post it? Even if something seems too large for a single post, you can split it up into smaller bits, and post them one by one. Do not hesitate to post the same or similar items to different social media, because given the different formats allowed; you will often be able to present them in different, interesting, and entertaining ways. Do an expert roundup of people in your area of expertise. This is probably the least “free”, because it may take even more time and effort than the suggestions above, but it can have a great impact in many ways. You are an expert right? Probably not the only one you know, whatever your field of expertise is you will know others who are also knowledgable and respected in the same field. If you reach out to them for some advice or comments on an interesting topic then you will be able to create an Expert Roundup article. Finding Your Voice These six suggestions just scratch the surface in terms of ways you can effectively promote your businesses and products online. With a little imagination and some research, you can find many more that will work—some of which will cost nothing, or almost a little manual effort. If your ad budget is small, you owe it to yourself to use these methods to draw new prospects into your sales funnels. This article published with approval from the author Raymond Lowe. Raymond is an Internet Marketing Analyst at WL Media HK. He used to follow PageRank when it was a thing, and now he uses other kinds of PR to help HK businesses get the best from their online marketing. Follow him on Twitter for the latest on Internet Marketing and how it applies to Hong Kong businesses. View the original post
Your Website PR Is Not What You Think. You've Got It All Wrong.
Think you know what does PR mean for your website? “PR” is probably the most over-used, over-abused, over-confused and just down-right misleading abbreviations in the whole Internet Marketing field. So what is PR? It doesn’t mean what you think it does. What it used to mean didn’t mean much anyway. And what it means now is something entirely different. But it is still critical to the success of your online marketing efforts, that hasn’t changed. And once you understand where it is at you can leverage website PR to take your online marketing efforts to the next level of success. At the same time, avoiding the pitfalls that are inherent in it. So, has that confused you enough? If you are confused, that’s normal. Internet Marketing History may be divided into three PR periods. A little like the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous that were ruled by the dinosaurs. They are fascinating but also places where you can get eaten alive. PR in the First Period Let us call our first period the Triassic. In the Triassic period, Google had come to its ascendancy, just like the dinosaurs, and decided very firmly what was good and what was not. And Google used Page Rank, and that was the first PR. Yes, the P stands Larry Page, co-founder of Google, and the Rank stands for the intense smell that came out of all the nerds huddled together having geeky raptures about the fact that internet search had been solved. Google had done it, by using some academic mathematics Larry and Sergey Brin had finally made the internet so useful that ordinary humans would come and use it. And they would all turn into nerds! Only, of course, that didn’t happen. Humans invaded the internet, the internet became humanised, and nerds had to go find somewhere else to play. PR = Page Rank Google decided whether a web page was good or not depending on the number of links it got from other pages, a link was a vote. But just like a Hong Kong CE election not everybody gets a vote. And not all votes count the same. If a normal web page and a high Page Rank then the vote of a link from that high PR page counted more. So far so good. But make a set of rules, and what is the first thing that happens? Someone tries to game them. Webmaster traded links, they bought links, they joined linking clubs where everybody linked to everybody else. And so Google cracked down, with Fear Uncertainty and Dire warnings about being banned they convinced webmasters to stick, mostly, to the straight and narrow and simply link to what was good. At least they tried to. And in a few small areas it has worked, but in others, it just went underground like any desirable but forbidden commodity. From Gay Pride marches in Singapore to Direct Elections in Hong Kong, you can ban them but you can’t stop people wanting it and trying to get it whenever there seems like a chance. But back to Page Rank, or “PageRank” as it was branded. Having a higher PageRank meant a higher position for your website on the Google results page, and so more traffic, more eyeballs looking at your products, more leads, more sales and – the goal of all red-blooded Hong Konger, more money. Then it turned out that PageRank was hard to buy because people stopped cooperating in selling it. Yet there was another way to get those “links” to your website. And that basically came down to doing something noteworthy. And so we entered the second period. PR in the Second Period Businesses started to notice that hiring an SEO company and a Public Relations company at the same time worked great in improving their Google rankings. And in fact, if they simply skipped the SEO company entirely and simply hired the PR company their Google rankings also improved. Maybe not in every case (I’m looking at you 2001 website built in Adobe Flash with no indexable text), but if a website wasn’t actually hideously bad from a technical SEO website perspective, then Public Relations did what was needed. So in the second period, which continues on in some forms: PR = Public Relations Yes, public relations is not only good for your relations, but it is good for your website as well. Sponsoring a sporting event, having your logo on a Matilda Sedan Chair Race contestant, distributing flowers in Pedder Street on Valentines’ Day. All the usual things that make for a little buzz and get in the papers. They work for SEO as well, because getting in the papers also means getting into scmp.com, getting read about by people who will then blog about you, and getting picked up in syndication by a bunch of no-name websites that are too cheap to hire their own writers to do original journalism. Google notices that, and not being mind readers they can’t tell if you really did something notable just because you are insanely cool, or because you wanted the publicity, or because you wanted the links. So you get the benefit of the doubt and you get the credit and whoosh your website leaps to the top of Google. Well maybe, at least a bit. Once this was seen working people decided to go industrial and create that buzz even more effectively and we enter the third age. PR in The third period And now we enter the third period when some bright spark realised that a lot of companies were getting mentioned in the SCMP, the BBC, CNN and whatever because they had done something newsworthy. And how did those venerable bastions of the media find out about it? Because some ex-journo who knows the ropes and soaks up beer at the bar of the FCC 24×7 sent out a press release. PR = Press Release Yep, it turns out that this age-old publicity technique works just fine in the 21st century. It might not seem very flying-cars and Jetsons but it turns out to be highly functional. So much so that, of course, it starts to be abused; with everybody issuing releases for basically everything they do, newsworthy or not. That has actually been going on for some time, but recently Google cracked down on the junkier for-the-links only Press Release sites, and so. Companies have had to be a little more inventive. Only a little mind you. Come up with some interesting facts, make a report, a study, an infographic, something that talks about it in a useful and interesting manner. Then issue a Press Release about what you’ve done. With the help of a suitable PR distribution service, your release goes into a wide range of different websites. most of which have no value, but a few are actually readable and who knows, Google may well notice that suddenly you (and your website) are not complete nobodies but actually have a real functioning business. If your news is actually worth something then you’ll get a write-up, an invitation for an interview, or someone blogging about it. And that is when things really start to work. What's it all mean? So, in summary: PR = PageRank = Means little to nothing in 2017 PR = Public Relations = Always good, online or offline PR = Press Release = Tell people about what you’ve done, and that makes a difference to SEO This article published with approval from the author Raymond Lowe. Raymond is an Internet Marketing Analyst at WL Media HK. He used to follow PageRank when it was a thing, and now he uses other kinds of PR to help HK businesses get the best from their online marketing. Follow him on Twitter for the latest on Internet Marketing and how it applies to Hong Kong businesses. View the original post
Three Tips for Using Images in Press Releases
As an editor at PR Newswire, I have to read and proof-read many press releases on a daily basis. Among these press releases, only those that have interesting story angles or incorporate unique images into the storytelling make a lasting impression in my mind. Including images in press releases is now a norm and the numbers are on the uptrend. According to a study on press releases distributed by PR Newswire, press releases with multimedia elements can improve the result of communications with the number of press release views increased by 1.4 times as compared to those that are just pure-text. In addition to that, based on “Journalists’ Working Status and News Gathering Habits in Asia-Pacific” survey report released by PR Newswire in 2016, 14% of the 482 survey respondents looked out for multimedia assets in the press releases they received. Having said that, do all images have a positive impact on the distribution result? Here are three tips when incorporating images in your content: Tip 1: Do not use image that does not allow readers to make direct association with the content of the press release and the company that is issuing it. Looking at this image, can you tell which company issued the press release? A miner, a bank or a jeweler? As it turns out the press release was issued by a mint, announcing that it has secured a license to sell gold/silver bars and cast coins in line with the Islamic gold standards. The image is relevant when it is viewed in context with the press release, but if the image is taken out of context, it is impossible to associate the source of the release to a mint. The issuing company can be a miner, a bank or a jeweler. Furthermore, a random search with the keywords “gold bar” and “coin” yields many similar images. Similarly, by looking at the image below, is it possible to know the industry of the company that is issuing the press release? A technology company commenting on latest industry trends? New services provided by an e-commerce provider? Or could it be a new product launch by a tablet manufacturer? This image comes from a press release issued by a private credit rating company specializing in data analysis. Its survey findings suggest that most Asian banks will pull out cooperation with suppliers who fail to pass safety review. The message that the photo tries to convey is “online security review”. The image does not allow readers to identify the source of company and there is no visible connection between the image and news source. Therefore, vague generic images that are not directly indicative of the source should not be included in press releases as they may be rejected for distribution. Tip 2: Data, charts and rankings: Decide on a suitable range of data to be used, leverage statistical charts to integrate large numbers, and pay attention to copyright issues Data, charts and ranking lists are frequently incorporated into press releases. Sometimes charts are used to make numbers less cumbersome for readers to digest. However, never overload your press releases with numbers! Only data directly related to the press release should be included in charts, otherwise it will be counterproductive. The image above is a good example of using a chart to highlight key data. The news source comes from a network security firm which issued a press release on a research report about trends and analysis on web application attacks based on data collected by web firewalls in 2016. The data was intuitively and clearly presented in a stacked bar chart, showing web attack trends vary greatly from industry to industry - the vertical axis represents the industries covered by the research and the horizontal axis specifies numbers of online attacks detected in different industries as a percentage of the total, with the total average indicated in the top bar. Earning results from public-listed companies can also be easily and clearly represented by the chart below: In this release, client uses a stacked column chart to represent the hotel business revenue generated from respective hotel properties before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. What about a ranking list that the company has a position in it? In this release, the client announces the rankings of universities in the world. The full list contains 959 universities but the press release only includes the rankings of top 20 universities. The data featured in the release is a reasonable range. It will be impossible to include the entire list in the press release as it will impact the overall reading experience negatively. One of the key highlights mentioned in the release is that the rankings of Australia’s universities continue to rise and the Australian National University is in the twentieth position. Therefore, using this image strengthens the release’s key message. If two or more key messages need to be included in the press release and only one chart can be distributed along with it, an alternate solution is to embed a hyperlink in the release and direct readers to the ranking website for further reading. However, do note that using third-party images without prior authorization and consent may lead to copyright disputes. It is therefore advisable for company to create its own tables and charts. Similarly, releases which contain images that may have infringed copyright will be rejected for distribution. Tip 3: Infographics: Images should facilitate the delivery of the message. The fewer words used, the better Infographics are another type of image commonly used in press releases to help visualize abstract concepts. It is easier and faster to gather information from an infographic than to understand it from reading the text. Humans only need 0.15 seconds to recognize a symbol and another 0.1 seconds to understand its meaning. Infographics combine both text and images which attract readers’ attention and help them remember and digest information presented in an interesting way. The key to using infographics is to keep the design simple and concise. It defeats the purpose if the infographic includes a massive number of charts and text. Do you prefer reading texts instead of getting information from the image below? So how can we deliver messages in a simple but powerful way? The image below is a good example: The press release was issued by a technology firm explaining how the company became a leading industry player in the fast-growing Indian market after launching a popular digital interaction platform. The infographic clearly illustrates the three advantages of its digital platform: Cross Platform, Group Sharing and Amazing Speed. The infographic includes simple and easy-to-understand text for readers to comprehend easily and quickly. As the old Chinese saying goes, water can carry a boat, but can also capsize it. Multimedia elements in a press release are like a double-edged sword. When used appropriately, they are powerful tools for creating powerful and interesting press releases. So, the next time when you want to include an image in a press release, make sure you have optimized its potential to the fullest. This original blog was written in Chinese by Karina Leung. Karina is an Editor at PR Newswire. She graduated from Department of Journalism at Hong Kong Baptist University, majored in Broadcast Journalism. Karina joined PR Newswire in August 2015 and she likes words.
Media landscape in China: social media as the most important source of collecting information
China, a record-holding country: They constructed the longest bridge in the world and they also hold the record for having the most citizens living in one country with the same surname. Chinese journalists use mobile websites for their research and social media as a form of communication with the PR-Pros more than any other country. TREIBSTOFF (blog site of news aktuell, a subsidiary of German Press Agency to distribute press releases) a spoke with Lynn Liu, Director of Audience Development and Distribution Services at PR Newswire Asia. He explains which changes need to be considered in the Chinese media landscape by the PR-Pros when wanting to spread their content successfully in the People’s Republic. TREIBSTOFF: Could you give us a sense of the media landscape in China? LIU: In China the most commonly used channels to access information are search engines, web portals, social apps like WeChat, Weibo and mobile news applications. Baidu.com is a Chinese search engine that has the greatest market share where Google is absent, while WeChat and QQ.COM (both of which developed by Tencent), Sina.com, Sina Weibo and Toutiao.com are the major web portals and social media platforms. Media Channels Chinese Netizens primarily use to gather information in 2017. Source: iResearch Inc There are over 1,900 kinds of newspapers in China, most of which are local, government-sponsored publications. Due to the rapid development of the mobile internet, traditional media like newspapers and magazines are declining rapidly. Television and broadcasting still have a major influence in China, but people tend to only use them to watch entertainment programs, films and TV shows. One of the biggest media-related differences between China and Western countries is that Chinese media institutions need press licenses and journalists are required to be equipped with press cards. Most commercial web portals like QQ.com or Sina.com.cn can only repost news from official news sources, such as the Xinhua News Agency, people.com.cn or newspapers and magazines owned by officials. They cannot release and post original social news and political news articles. TREIBSTOFF: What are the challenges and opportunities? LIU: Personally, I think both the biggest challenges and the greatest opportunities come from SOCIAL and MOBILE. The proliferation of digital and social media is rapidly changing the landscape of newsrooms. Although the publishing channels and advertising revenue of print media are declining sharply, the newspaper’s newsrooms still maintain a strong competence in original content. As a matter of fact, the influence of traditional media has shifted to online and mobile channels, as well as social media platforms. How to acquire more audiences from social platforms and mobile channels is the biggest challenge faced by the media groups, but it is also the greatest chance of survival for them in the future. TREIBSTOFF: How about mobile communication, what are the main differences in comparison to western countries? Chinese citizens using their phones to read news online. LIU: As far as I’m concerned, the mobile internet is far more developed in China than in the U.S. and Europe. In big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, you can hardly see any newsstands in the streets and no one reads newspapers in the bus or subway anymore; people just keep checking their phones. The truth is, China has 1.12 billion mobile internet users, more than the overall population of Europe. 90% of Chinese people use their phones to surf the internet, read news, have social activities, play games, do online shopping and pay for practically everything using their Alipay or WeChat Wallet. This is very cool and really useful. Social media are the most important news sources and communication tools for people. For the U.S, these are Facebook and Twitter and for China they are QQ, WeChat, Weibo and other mobile news applications. For most news websites, over half of their traffic comes from mobile devices, which is the same as the U.S. TREIBSTOFF: Which implications does the rise of mobile communication have for PR-Pros in China? LIU: According to the survey conducted by PR Newswire on journalists, 31% of Chinese journalists receive over 6 pitches everyday from PR-Pros. Instant messengers are highly used by Chinese journalists at work. 37.4% of journalists prefer to use QQ and WeChat to communicate with PR-Pros; 27.1% prefer phone calls and 21.2% prefer E-mails. The influence of online communication tools is becoming increasingly fundamental to the media relations of enterprises. Tencent and Alibaba, the two major internet tycoons who strongly influence the mobile internet development in China, have contributed quite a lot to the convenience of online communication. Lynn Liu, Director of Audience Development and Distribution Services at PR Newswire Asia. Source: PR Newswire TREIBSTOFF: In terms of social media: Which channels are primary used in China? LIU: As mentioned before, WeChat and Weibo are the two leading social media platforms in China. WeChat has 938 million monthly active users, far beyond any IM tool, and is also the most influential social network and news information portal of China. Sina Weibo has over 34 million users and its affiliation with the media is more obvious. In addition, there are also mobile news applications such as Topbuzz, Zaker, Tencent and Sina, Sohu and NetEase serving as major sources for news and information. Beyond that, video and online entertainment applications in China are quite developed, with most internet users spending their time with social exchanges, news consumption, online gaming and on watching video content. TREIBSTOFF: How do companies and PR Agencies use the mentioned tools for their communications? LIU: Since 2009 Chinese enterprises using Sina Weibo as a social marketing channel has become a trend, with WeChat official accounts starting to attract enterprises from 2012. Chinese enterprises start to invest more of their budget into the content marketing on Sina Weibo and WeChat. According to the 2016 Sina Weibo Annual Financial Report, the revenue of Sina Weibo has increased by 42% to 571 million dollars. Social media has become a powerful tool in helping journalists monitor and gather breaking news. PR Newswire has 0.32 million followers on Sina Weibo and over 20,000 certified journalists are following news released by PR Newswire’s Weibo account. According to a PR Newswire’s survey on Chinese journalists (report in Simplified Chinese), 50.8% of them consider that social media platforms like Weibo are the most commonly used channels to acquire information. Journalists’ primary aim for using social media like Weibo and WeChat is to keep a watchful eye on breaking news (68.8%); the secondary aim is to follow the information released by the objects they’ve been keeping an eye on (54.6%). TREIBSTOFF: Is China different from other Asian countries in this regard? Journalists‘ Working Status and News Gathering Habits in Asia Pacific, Oct. 2016 Source: PR Newswire LIU: Asia-Pacific accounts for slightly over 52% of the global social media users. With the rapid penetration of social media channels, half of social media website users have shared news stories, images or videos and nearly as many as 46% have discussed a news issue or event. This is a trend that PR and corporate communications professionals cannot ignore. According to a PR Newswire’s survey on Asia-Pacific journalists in 2016, social media and search engines are two of the most popular channels that journalists use to stay up-to-date with the news. For brands, social media outreach should also include engaging with media professionals to build good relationships. Positive interactions can help boost brand influence and credibility. While 37.4% of Chinese journalists prefer to use IM tools like QQ and WeChat to communicate with PR-Pros, emailing is the most commonly used way of communication for journalists in the Asia-Pacific region (59%), followed by meetings (11%) and social media platforms (10%). TREIBSTOFF: What do you think, will the importance of social media in China grow or will it stagnate? Most important methods of brand communication. Source: PR Newswire 2017 LIU: I think social media will always be one of the major communication channels for enterprises, but the key is how to properly use social media to interact with the right audience. According to a survey on over 230 Chinese enterprises conducted by PR Newswire in June, 2017, 67.9% of Pr-Pros consider that the owned media including the companies official websites and official Weibo and WeChat accounts are the most important communication channels this year. 55.2% of PR Pros consider that content marketing on social media is significant. In addition, concerning news release distribution, 29.1% of PR Pros consider that the interactions of their story, especially on social media, including reposts, comments and likes, are major indexes for the effect of news releases. TREIBSTOFF: Are Fake News also a topic in China? How do the media deal with this phenomenon? LIU: Fake news is also a major concern in China. According to a survey conducted by the Media Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 59% of fake news come from social media like Weibo. Sina Weibo has enforced its position against fake news and false information. When journalists are writing a news report or are confirming a news source, approximately 90 percent (87.1%) of them view press releases as an authoritative source to obtain and verify facts. This is followed by companies‘ senior executives and news spokesmen (51.7%), information released by official enterprises based on social media (41.6%) and companies‘ official websites (39.7%). In stark contrast, the average credibility of information spreading on social media is lower than 5%. Web portals in China like Sina.com require that editors cannot use anonymous information sources and most newspapers have an editor-in-chief review mechanism, so the possibility of fake news is weakened on traditional media. According to an iResearch.com survey, over 95% of users are more attentive to news sources, including media brands and information sources. The original blog first appeared on newsaktuell.de and republished with permission from news aktuell.
How Journalists Feel About PR Pros
Journalists get frustrated with PR Professionals. You see it in blog posts and on social media — journalists frustrated with generic, relevant pages and irrelevant material. Pew Research published an analysis of the gap between PR and journalist income, and the relative number of PR professionals to journalists (there are a lot more of the former). With the advent of digital journalism, it is journalists who find their objectivity scrutinized more often than before. It’s not a surprise that many journalists harbor some misgivings for the PR industry. But how can you tell the extent of a journalist’s openness for PR interactions and the extent of the skepticism about the industry? The Cision 2017 Global Social Journalism Study provides some fascinating insights into how journalists view PR professionals and the PR profession. What’s unique about the data that they’ve collected is that the data scientists were able to categorize journalists into six “Social Archetypes” and identify how they perceive and use social media to do their jobs. What they found is that this segmentation of journalists into “Archetypes” also corresponded with common perceptions and critiques of PR professionals. What I want to do in this post is to briefly give a high-level view of the archetypes and then discuss how they see PR practitioners. Introducing the “Social Archetypes” Perhaps the most helpful way to think of the Social Archetypes is to consider a spectrum of social media use and advocacy, where at one extreme you have journalist super users posting and promoting posts, engaging their audience and sourcing stories frequently on social media. These super users often access social platforms for more than eight hours per day. At the other extreme, you have erratic social media users who will infrequently use social media except to occasionally promote posts, exclusively on Facebook and Twitter. Here’s a quick snapshot of who these journalists are: Skeptics — this 15 percent large segment of journalists do not perceive explicit benefit from social media and tend to believe that social undermines traditional journalism. These journalists are disproportionately reliant on email for communication, and 25 percent of them express that concern over copyright law keeps them from being more prolific on social media. Observers — this is the biggest population of a social archetype at 39 percent of all journalists. These journalists spend little time on social media relative to their peers. The majority spend less than two hours per day. They especially favor Facebook and Twitter and use these inconsistently for promotion and engagement. These users tend not to be involved in digital media. Messengers — these journalists have social media habits similar to Hunters, but disproportionately spend their time engaging sources and audience using messaging apps, such as Messenger, WhatsApp, or DMs on Twitter or Instagram. Hunters — these journalists disproportionately use their time-consuming social media rather than engaging, although they do promote content and engage their audience to a lesser extent than Promoters and Architects. They prefer Facebook and Twitter. Promoters — these journalists are nearly super users, with most using social media three to eight hours per day. Relative to Architects, these journalists use social media proportionally more to promote content than for other uses, but also engage and source content. Architects — these journalists feel that they cannot do their job without using social media platforms. They are super users, logging in at least five hours per day, with 35 percent logging in more than eight hours every day. These users are active on many different platforms and use social to source leads, promote content, and engage their audience. What Has Your PR Professional Done For You Lately? Across all journalists in the survey, most stated ambivalence about PR pros. On measures of reliability, meeting expectations, and providing high-quality content, the biggest responses were “neither agree nor disagree.” While perhaps not the glowing recommendation that you might want on a Yelp review, it could be worse. It turns out that the Global Social Journalism Study identifies some journalists that are more open to PR professionals, and it may be counterintuitive to who you think it is. Architects are one of the most agreeable segments of journalists to PR professionals, with 40 percent stating that PR pros “always meet expectations” and 45 percent saying that PR pros are “reliable.” This may not be too surprising given their proclivity for social media interaction. But Hunters may be even more agreeable to PR pros, with half saying that PR professionals meet their expectations. Even more surprising, Skeptics rate PR professionals as “reliable” on a level comparable to Architects. So, the spectrum of social media consumption and use for journalists doesn’t hold for perceptions of PR. You have fans where you may least expect them. In a year-over-year comparison, however, journalists stating that PR professionals are a “preferred source” of information declined six percent from 42 percent and 36 percent. A similar result was seen in a 2016 survey conducted by PR Newswire in Asia Pacific. 482 journalists across six key markets (Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan and Malaysia) were surveyed and official press release and corporate communications spokesperson were the top two most trusted sources of information for journalists. Does Industry Matter? One of the other gems of the Global Social Journalism Study was their segmentation by industry. As with the Social Archetypes, it appears that a journalist’s industry may be predictive about how they view PR professionals. Across industries, General News, Politics and Current Affairs journalists report the highest degree of “happiness” with PR professionals (65 percent), followed by Business and Industries journalists (49 percent), catch-all category Other (45 percent), followed by Lifestyle, Fashion, Sports, Entertainment, and Culture (40 percent). Although this may seem broad, coupled with the Social Archetypes these industry-specific insights could help to further identify journalists with a favorable opinion of and who are willing to work with PR professionals. Conclusion Journalists are pretty ambivalent about you. What we see in the Social Archetypes identified by the Global Social Journalism Study are journalists that do their jobs in very different ways. Consistent, reliable, quality content appears to be in demand across Archetypes, although what constitutes quality content may be entirely different for an Architect than for a Skeptic. Across the spectrum of archetypes and industries, there is a need for PR professionals and insights like the ones offered by the Global Social Journalism study help to identify where to best focus your efforts. The original blog first appeared on Cision.com and republished here with slight modification. Author: Bruce Kennedy is a social media manager at Cision, where he manages Cision's global brands. Previously, he worked in public relations in tech and entertainment, helping brands from early stage startups to household names like Red Bull, Disney on Ice, Ringling Bros. and Barnum Bailey, Techweek and more.Connect with him on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter.
Media Q&A: Focus Malaysia
Focus Malaysia is a business weekly that publishes news and analysis on issues relating to corporate affairs, small and medium enterprises, economics, personal wealth and current affairs. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulation, it is now the largest circulating business magazine in its category. The magazine provides specialist coverage of companies listed on Bursa Malaysia, property news, the role of small and medium-sized businesses, and personal wealth management issues. Focus Malaysia is also a platform for the discussion of macroeconomic topics such as wealth distribution, sustainability and the impact of innovation and technology. Led by a team of experienced editors and writers, the magazine offers in-depth coverage of topics relevant to business leaders. Today, we sat down with Calyn Yap, the Associate Editor & Business Writer at Focus Malaysia, to gain insight on how their editorial team works to achieve the magazines’ goals. Calyn also shared a few important tips that Communicators should take into consideration when pitching their stories including : understanding the nature of the publication & the specific topics that journalists cover and doing in-depth research on the possible questions that might be asked by journalists when pitching to them. 1. Can you tell us about Focus Malaysia and the scope of your media including your reader demographics and how many people are there on your team? Focus Malaysia started nearly 5 years ago in late 2012. We’re available in hard copy and online. We’re a weekly publication focused on Malaysian business news and are available on newsstands on Friday mornings. We have 6 sections – Mainstream (corporate), Property, Enterprise (entrepreneurs, start-ups, tech, SMEs), Income+ (personal finance), Markets (stocks, trades, bonds etc) FocusLife (lifestyle). Our reader demographics derive of those interested in business news. In terms of age, the majority of business readers tend to be older – 40-years-old and above. That said, we attract a fair number of younger readers ranging from 20 to 29 years-old. There is a team for each section, which has its own writers. I am part of a three-person team that writes/handles Enterprise. Altogether, the editorial team comprises of around 35 people. 2. How do you plan your editorial calendar? The same as any other publication, taking into account timeliness and relevance of issues/topics/themes. Each section mostly manages its own editorial calendar and we have weekly meetings to pitch story ideas and identify any clashes. That said, there are specific times in the year where a recurring topic/theme will surface. For example, Hari Raya would see a business article related to the festive season, and the same with other major celebrations. One thing Focus Malaysia does have on a recurring basis is a bumper edition on the theme of the year forward/looking back that is published in late December. 3. How many releases do you receive & how many stories are churned out from them on a daily basis? We receive around 10 – 20 releases a day, but as we are a weekly publication, we do not publish press/news releases as is. However, based on the releases we received, we publish in-depth analysis and features on current business issues and corporate activities, and each article is generally one to two pages. We churn out fewer articles daily when compared to dailies, but different sections have different target submissions. 4. Are there any specific topics you are looking out for in news releases? Entrepreneurs, start-ups, tech, SMEs. Note that as SMEs are involved in a wide range of businesses/industries, matters relating to policy/legislative changes are also fair game. 5. What are the 3 Do’s and Don’ts when pitching a story to you? i) Pitch it right – Do your homework and understand what Focus Malaysia publishes and the beat of the journalist you are pitching to. For example, PR companies should not call to ask if we will publish press/news releases. In the event there’s an angle that can be developed into a story from the press release, any interview pitch should be tailored to what the journalist covers. Don’t pitch something that is irrelevant to the journalist’s areas of focus and what Focus Malaysia covers. If the pitch didn’t succeed, never ask the journalist to pass the press release to another writer/journalist. ii) Set the expectation level – Your pitch should have a background on the overarching topic, cover possible areas of discussion your spokesperson(s) has expertise on and their availability. iii) Do some research – If you pitch a face-to-face interview with me (or any other journalist/writer) research possible questions relating to the subject matter that may be asked, instead of expecting me to send over questions. In my experience, there have been a number of times where I’ve sent over questions and all the interviewee does is parrot answers prepared beforehand. In these cases, an email interview would suffice. There are others that aren’t directly related to pitching, including ensuring the availability of high-resolution photos and refraining from calling to chase writers/journalists on publication dates. 6. How do you determine the success of your stories, Eg. No. of shares, likes, the amount of discussion generated via your article, the no. of media outlets that credit you as their main source? In the digital era, numbers of shares/likes and comments are important, but as we are very much focused on business, the amount of discussion generated (including by peers, the business community or authorities) is equally – if not more – important. 7. When is the best time to contact you and which mode of contact do you prefer? Friday, as it’s the day after the deadline or Monday works as well. Email is the best. This blog post is contributed by Christine Pereira, Senior Audience Development Executive at PR Newswire. Christine is in charge of partnerships, expanding our media network, organizing our bi-annual Media Coffee events, conducting media interviews, and other company-wide projects for the Malaysian market. You can contact her at christine.pereira@prnasia.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.
How to Write High-Quality Press Release Content
Generating and distributing your brand’s vital news is an important part of how you stay relevant in the minds of the media and your wider customer base. But a press release can do so much more than simply tell someone about your company. In this article, we will discuss the 4 key elements to writing high-quality press release content: The news announcement Multimedia attachments High-quality links And social media 1. Identify a Clear and Interesting News Announcement The purpose of your press release is to remind the media, your clients, and other businesses why your company is relevant. The news announcement should lay this out from the very beginning of the release. What has your company achieved recently? What new products or services are you offering? How have you been recognized as a leader in your industry? These questions can guide the direction of your press release to explain how and why your company is impacting your industry. If the specific news announcement is difficult to nail down, then start with the basics: Who is the center of the news announcement? Which organization or individual is the source of this news? What is the news announcement? What event, milestone, or company change is occurring? Are you providing advice or analysis? Where is this news occurring? If you’re hosting an event, where will the event take place? If you’re announcing a new website, where can people find you online? When is this news occurring? Is it today or next week? If it’s upcoming, why should readers care about it now? Why is the news important to your reader? How does it impact them? The most important aspect to remember when crafting your news announcement is that it is not just about you or your brand. Your audience needs to understand from the beginning why your press release is important to them. So write your release with your audience in mind. 2. Use Multimedia Assets to Engage Your Audience — and Avoid Boring Them In the age of Content, search engine results pages (SERPs) are inundated with potential links for users to click on. HubSpot reported in 2016 that 43 percent of readers skim online content. That means that two out of five readers may not even read your press release in full. So how do you keep them engaged? Use multimedia. Multimedia can come in a wide range of formats: Company logos provide a visual representation of your brand. Photographs of your company at various events put literal faces to your brand name. Infographics demonstrate your brand’s expertise in your industry. Videos provide an engaging visual and sound clip to tell your audience what they need to know about your news. The same HubSpot report indicates that users are more likely to consume videos in full (55 percent) than any other form of online content. So why gamble on a member of the media or potential customer reading your entire press release? Include a video to reinforce your news announcement. Here are some examples of organizations that use multimedia news releases to engage their audiences: LG | View case study Incheon Global Campus | View case study Jakarta Land | View case study 3. Optimize Your Release with High-Quality Links While the news announcement is the most vital piece of a quality press release, that alone may not be enough to draw journalists and readers to your business. Embedded hyperlinks and plain-text URLs can provide extra information that you may not have the space to cover in a short press release. Call to Action (CTA) The CTA is the heart of your release. You don’t just want people to read your release. You want them to make an actionable decision in support of your company. Include a call-to-action link that does the following: Comes right after the first paragraph, or lede. Don’t bury this link at the end of the release. Is a plain-text URL: http://www.myawesomewebsite.com/why-you-should-go-here. Online users tend to trust plain-text URLs more than embedded links, so if you’re asking someone to click on your link and take an action, tell them where they’re going up front. Ask your reader to take a specific action: share, tweet, subscribe, register … Whatever it is you want your followers to do after they’ve read your release, ask them directly. Don’t just give them a link and hope they will follow it. Informational Links If you have other informational webpages or articles that you want to direct readers to, then you can use these in the main body of your release. Stick to one to three informational links to avoid bombarding your reader with potential clicks. Boilerplate Link Include one link to your brand’s homepage in the boilerplate of the release. Why only one? Because directing users to your homepage only tells them where they can find you. This can be beneficial down the road, but it does not ask them to take a specific action. This is why we place the CTA link at the beginning of the release. 4. Share Your Press Release on Social Media to Expand its Reach It should be well understood that a high-quality press release is aimed at generating attention from journalists and other members of the media. However, it is also an opportunity to stay up to date with consumers or journalists who already follow your company. Posting your release to your company’s various social media platforms can trigger engagement with your release in the form of likes, shares, or retweets, thus increasing the potential impact and audience of the press release. Keep in mind that different pieces of your press release can serve different social media purposes: Post your images on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest Share videos from YouTube to Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn Tweet out links to you infographics to provide real information for your followers With a well-crafted news announcement, strategically placed multimedia and links, and appropriate campaigns to share your news on social media, your press release will be poised to attract media and other readers. Structuring press releases in this manner will do more than bring attention to your brand. Every aspect of the release should be included with the ultimate goal of your readers taking an action. To know more about writing quality press releases, please view PR Newswire’s “How to Maximize Press Release Potential” webinar now. Author: Steven D’Adamo is a client services representative for Cision. His areas of interest include the written word, customer service, and content marketing. When he is not writing, he is likely exploring unknown destinations, either through books or traveling.
4 Tips to Craft an Effective PR Strategy for Your Hotel
I was recently invited to speak to 50 over hotel PR executives in Jakarta at an event organized by Himpunan Humas Hotel (H3) Jakarta, an association for PR professionals in the hotel industry in Jakarta. Besides sharing best practices of press release writing, many questions were raised with regards to how the shift to digital media is changing the PR game. Here are four key takeaways from the sharing session: Listening The late author and PR exec Leonard Saffir once said, “The formulation of a PR strategy properly begins with listening, not talking.” Even in a digital world, getting to know your audience is imperative. Why bother writing a press release if you don’t know who you’re trying to reach? Do research on your audience. For a start, get familiar with Google Analytics and the insights/analytic data provided by the social media platforms that you are on, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, etc. Find out the kinds of content your audience like and the devices they use to consume the content. Analyze and follow Twitter’s hashtag or influencers for social conversation around relevant topics. Then use that influx of data to make informed decisions and conduct a more interactive conversation with your audience. “But I don’t get an access to Google Analytics for my hotel’s website. After all, it’s meant for web developers,” says one attendee. Well, not anymore! Welcome to PR in the digital age. Find out more about how to align your PR activities with web analytics in this post. For the more sophisticated PR professionals, there are social listening tools in the market that could streamline the entire process of identifying the right audience and topics that are trending in the social media, and make a meaningful connection with the audience. For instance, the Cision Communications CloudTM empowers the communicator and PR pro to make intelligent, real-time decisions to execute communication strategy in a unified way across paid, owned and earned channels. It allows you to listen to your audiences, target and build relationships with influencers, create compelling content, engage with audiences across channels and analyze program effectiveness. Read this blog for more information about media monitoring and how Cision Communications CloudTM pinpoints actionable insights vital to achieving your marketing and communications objectives. Effective Targeting A PR exec from a well-known hotel chain asked me about possible alternatives to reach more audience amid the declining print readership. “Am I doing the right thing by targeting more digital news outlets?” she asked. It’s not all about how many eyeballs you can get. The right question should be: “Am I targeting the right eyeballs?” For instance, resort hotels and business hotels may have different target audience. Most guests in business hotels may pay more attention to finance publications rather than trade publications in the travel industry. So, check your target media outlets and ask if those publications read by most of your target audience? Take this press release from Dorsett Mongkok Hotel as an example. Although Hong Kong is a destination of choice for travelers, the hotel clearly understands they are facing stiff competition from local and international hotel groups who are vying for the same group of customer. With their strategic location in the heart of Kowloon island and close proximity to nearby places of interest, they highlighted their unique selling points and at the same time announced the launch of incentive programs for travelers, especially those traveling with children to captivate their interests. The news was picked up by travel and holidaying-related website and the hotel probably has lesser concern over whether their news was picked up by mainstream business and financial media. Creating Contents in Multiple Formats “How can I avoid creating contents that are too salesy?” another attendee asked. Sure! Your hotel may be bestowed upon industry’s signature awards and it is hard to resist using phrases like “award-winning”, “best-in-class”, “iconic flagship”. And very often, there are upcoming seasonal offers that the hotel is planning to roll out, it’s difficult to be not salesy. But here's the catch: hotel and travel industry is all about experience and sharing it with others. The best way to do that is through visual storytelling. Instead of just using words, you can create photos and videos content that showcasing your selling points. This multimedia news release from The Parisian Macao is a perfect example. Take a step ahead of the competition. Write useful contents for your audience e.g. 5 Best Local Souvenir Shops around [Your Hotel]; Best Ideas for Airport Layovers in Jakarta. Find an interesting story angle for your content and tailor it to different news outlets as well as social media. See how HomeAway, a leading provider of vacation rental released its survey findings on the most wanted gifts Asian dads wish to receive on Father's Day. And it is not at all a surprise to know most dad wants a trip with family. A brilliant way to strengthen the company’s positioning. The Value of Customer Feedback One PR Exec asked my opinion about his plan to host a hijab (a headwear, typically wore by Muslim women) fashion show in the hotel to celebrate the upcoming religious holiday. “Cool!” I initially responded. “How do you come up with the idea?” “I don’t know. We just want something edgy, unlike another hotel.” “Do you even ask your guests about this?” “No.” he said. Indeed, customer experience management is easier said than done. Gathering feedback from hotel guests may be one thing. But only a few PR execs who use it to improve customer interaction. Again, social media is changing the way we work. Twitter Poll is free to use and can yield instant customer insights. Author: Patrick Hutapea is the Senior Audience Development Executive in Indonesia for PR Newswire.
Dress from the feet up: Why boilerplates are important and what elements to include in them
Photo by Camila Damásio on Unsplash A killer headline? Check. A newsworthy, logically crafted, grammar-free main body? Check. So now, what's missing? Right, the company boilerplate. The inverted pyramid is the most effective and preferred structure in PR writing -- so we are told. It might leave people with an impression that what is placed at the bottom of a press release is the most trivial. They might even want to do away with boilerplates entirely as most people believe shorter content is better content due to supposedly being easier to understand and convenient to share with friends on social media. That is too much of a generalization -- just because a company boilerplate is put at the very end of the release doesn't mean its importance should be underestimated. Even household names like Apple and Unilever make sure to include their company boilerplates in press releases they send out. This isn’t just because boilerplates are a big part of press release writing 101; it is because boilerplates are important when it comes to providing essential information about a company to readers of interest. The people who read all the way down to reach the end of the press release are most likely very interested in your business and what you have to say, so why don’t you seize this chance to inform and impress them via a well-written boilerplate? Here are a few ideas for you when you are crafting a boilerplate for your company: Who you are and what you do This should be the aim of your boilerplate and tells the readers how the company views itself. If your core businesses/ brands are well-known, you may want to include information about peripheral businesses that are lesser known to show the true scope of your business. This does not only show you are an expert in a certain business but also paints a picture of a comprehensive, accomplished company whose reach is far extending. History/ background/ belief/ vision of the company The most straight-forward and probably easiest way to show a company's long-standing history is to include the establishment year, to put it in context, do not hesitate to complement it with a short description of how the company was inspired to come into existence. This could be followed by a statement regarding the values/vision of the company. In a world where businesses no longer only care about maximizing profits, the key to creating customer loyalty is showcasing your common beliefs. The same goes for start-up While history and heritage might be an advantage, don’t hesitate to reveal your start-up status as it could stand for the potential, innovation, flexibility your company represents, qualities not possessed by some long-established corporations. Awards/ statistics — what makes you, an industry leader, proud? Numbers speak for themselves. Accomplishments are often included in the boilerplate to demonstrate the success and influence of a company. Major industry awards can be added to prove the company’s recognized leading position in a more objective light (in contrast to calling oneself the market leader like telling a tale which starts with "Once upon a time…" — words we know too well that no longer sound particularly meaningful). Clientele/ big wins If you have a portfolio of clients whose names and scale are impressive, consider adding it to the boilerplate, as it adds to your trustworthiness and reputation. Big companies choose to use your products/ services for a reason, don't they? All-in-all, a boilerplate should be: Think crafting a boilerplate is once-and-for-all? Not quite true, especially when there are numbers cited in it. Make sure the numbers are reviewed and updated on a regular basis and after major business moves, e.g. rebranding/ acquisitions. Free from jargon. Jargon may confuse readers who do not have privileged industry knowledge and were just hoping to find out more about you. Not too lengthy. Keep the boilerplate to 1-2 paragraphs. Encourage readers to explore more on your official websites, which leads us to the next point… Include company links. Links drive traffic to your sites, where you can post the most up-to-date and accurate information about your company. Let’s have a look at how Unilever does it all: About Unilever United States, Inc. Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Food, Home Care, Personal Care and Refreshment products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2.5 billion consumers a day. In the United States and Canada, the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry's, Breyers, Caress, Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy, Country Crock, Degree, Dove, Fruttare, Good Humor, Hellmann's, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Magnum, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond's, Popsicle®, Promise, Q-tips, Simple, St. Ives, Suave, Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto, TIGI, TRESemmé and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Unilever employs more than 9,000 people across North America – generating more than $10 billion in sales in 2016. The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan commits to: Helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being by 2020. Halving the environmental impact of our products by 2030. Enhancing the livelihoods of millions of people by 2020. Unilever ranked number one in its sector on the 2016 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com For more information on Unilever Canada and its brands visit: www.unilever.ca To connect with Unilever U.S. via Facebook visit: www.facebook.com/unileverusa To connect with Unilever U.S. via Twitter follow: @unileverusa To connect with Unilever Canada via Twitter follow: @unilever_Canada In this 200-word boilerplate, Unilever firstly defines itself as a "leading supplier of food, home care, personal care and refreshment products". The boilerplate continues by listing all the brands which are owned by Unilever and also impress readers by citing numbers that have great significance, e.g. market reach, number of employees and annual sales. Unilever also included a description on its Sustainable Living Plan to illustrate its vision to grow their business without compromising on environmental sustainability. To demonstrate Unilever's leading position in the industry, the boilerplate ended with a mention that Unilever was ranked number one in its sector on the 2016 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Links to Unilever’s websites and social media sites are also provided to allow readers to find out more about the company. An outfit is not complete when you do not match it to a pair of shoes. Some of us hope that a good pair of shoes might spice up the look; more often than not we fear “bad ones” will ruin the entire outfit. The same holds true when it comes to writing company boilerplates. A crucial but often-overlooked part of a press release, boilerplates do not receive the amount of attention they deserve because we invest enormous efforts in crafting the "perfect" press release, focusing mostly on the headline and the main body. True that not every boilerplate will make your release "pop", but a meticulously crafted one will certainly leave readers with a good impression, not purely because of the good writing, but also because you don’t miss the point – "the devil is in the detail. By Abby Tsang, Supervisor (Editorial) of PR Newswire.
4 Tips on How to Engage Customers & Tell a CSR Story through Press Releases
According to a Nielsen survey on Global Corporate Sustainability (CSR), “66% of consumers say they are willing to pay more for sustainable brands” and “sales of consumer goods from brands with a demonstrated commitment to sustainability have grown more than 4% globally.” With a wealth of information at their fingertips, consumers everywhere feel empowered to support organisations that are committed to promoting change in the economy, environment and society at large. In an age of immense data flows, how can brands rise above the noise to get their targeted messages noticed by an increasingly message-focused audience? There are many ways to tell a powerful CSR story to consumers, but mass media plays a key role in raising brand awareness and reinforcing its image in the public eye. Journalists view direct corporate messages as a trusted source of information, so companies should make sure that distributing press releases is a key part of their communication strategy. A good story angle in your press releases not only improves your brand’s image, it also ensures media pickups, boosts employee engagement and attracts more customers and investors. Here are four tips to help you with your next CSR release: Who should care about your story? Before you write a press release, take stock of the different audiences you have – influential external stakeholders, customers who act as brand advocates, and journalists who will shine light on your brand - and consider which ones you will want to take action after reading your release. After identifying your target audience, write in their language and use keywords that strike a chord in their hearts. In a release related to International Women’s Day, Anne Hathaway, the American award-winning actress and United Nations Women’s Global Goodwill Ambassador, raised awareness of unpaid care work among women during her keynote address at the United Nations headquarters. Such a powerful speech inspires organisations around the world to work together to create a more gender-equal world and help women achieve their ambitions. Also, the support from the United Nations gives women the confidence to break away from the preconceived notion that they should stay at home. Why should people care about your story? Sometimes the excitement that you have about your story may not inspire a positive reaction from your target audience. To motivate them to be emotionally invested in your story, always answer the question “Why?” By doing so, the possible story angles you have come up with when writing a release will be narrowed down to just one - the best angle to attract the audience’s attention. In a Loreal release from March, the company announced that they are the most ethical company in the world, as ranked by the Ethisphere Institute, for the eighth time! The communications team could have pushed out a short release to announce the recognition, but they went the extra mile by explaining why ethics is part of their culture. The message was well-communicated because; firstly, it is a source of pride for thousands of its employees worldwide which will inject a strong sense of purposefulness into their work; secondly, it uniquely positions itself as not just another cosmetic company in the cut-throat, fast-moving consumer goods industry, but a company that recognizes the need to influence and drive positive change in the community; and lastly, it motivates new suppliers and employees to work with them. Add characters to your story Providing a quote or two from your management is a must-have in your release. It adds depth to your story so that readers will believe in your CSR initiative. One such release that packs a punch is by 50 Reefs, a global initiative to protect coral reefs led by Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Tiffany & Co. Foundation and The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. The quotes in the release came from various spokespeople involved in the initiative. Such thought-provoking and educational quotes make readers aware of the catastrophic impact of climate change and other human causes on marine biodiversity, so that they can feel motivated to take small actions on their own to protect nature’s wonder. Some of the quotes include: “When people think of climate change, they often think of extreme heat, severe storms, and raging wildfires. But some of the most disastrous effects of climate change are out of sight – on the ocean floor. In fact, 90% of coral reefs are expected to disappear by 2050 and saving the remaining coral reefs are critical. Without coral reefs, we could lose up to a quarter of the world’s marine biodiversity and hundreds of millions of the world’s poorest people would lose their primary source of food and livelihoods. We must not allow this to happen,” by Michael R. Bloomberg, UN secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change. “This initiative was developed after witnessing unimaginable loss of reefs over the last two years. Even if the targets set by the Paris climate agreement are met, we will lose about 90 percent of our reefs by mid-century. 50 Reefs gives us hope that we can save enough of these surviving reefs to ensure they can bounce back over time,” by Richard Vevers, founder of The Ocean Agency. Drive attention to your story with multimedia Do not underestimate the power of visual storytelling. Visuals help tell your story quickly and evoke emotions that drive deeper engagement with your audience. This is substantiated by a study done previously by our analytics team that shows that press releases with visuals receive 1.4 times more views than text-only releases. The hand-picked visuals and video embedded in 50 Reefs’ multimedia news release certainly helped amplify the core message - that the raw beauty of the underwater world could easily be destroyed by climate change, pollution and poor fishing practices. Ian Yee from R.AGE, Malaysia’s top English daily newspaper who spoke at our recent Media Coffee event in Kuala Lumpur said, “If you’re really thinking of building your brand and getting people to like your brand, you have to be genuine about your cause. We have to find something we truly believe in and work hard for it.” If your organisation is working on a meaningful project - be it big or small - it is worthwhile to tell a genuine story that builds your brand and inspires your audience.
Media Q&A – Korea IT Times
PR Newswire recently sat down with Yeon Chol-woong, a journalist of 13 years and a founding member of Korea IT Times, to learn more about the type of stories the publication is interested in and tips PR professionals should note when pitching the media outlet. Yeon graduated from the University of Maryland with a major in computer science. He worked at Seoul National University's nuclear fusion laboratory as a 3D graphics designer prior to joining Korea IT Times. Yeon is currently the IT/Science team leader at Korea IT Times Korea IT Times played a crucial role in promoting South Korea’s ICT technology and industry to the global market and introducing the world’s ICT industry to South Korea since its launch in 2004. Published in Korean and English, Korea IT Times covers the latest updates in the ICT industry, technology reviews and industry analyses. The editorial staff comprises a group of experienced professional journalists equipped with the capability of clearly understanding the IT and science industries and skillfully expressing their expertise in those fields. The bilingual publication has established itself as a cradle of the global IT industry through content creation and analysis; news commentaries; syndicating of news articles to 260 leading media outlets worldwide, as well as numerous renowned news portals – local and international – such as Google News and Naver News. Korea IT Times recently inked a partnership with PR Newswire. What are your thoughts on that? By partnering with PR Newswire, Korea IT Times seeks to become a leading media outlet representing the digital economy era and to facilitate global companies’ ability to take the initiative in the fourth industrial revolution, which has recently emerged as a global issue. Through PR Newswire, I learned of the real power that moves the world. Witnessing that news from PR Newswire is being distributed in real time to every corner of the world, wherever businesses and economies exist, I realized that it is a power of the global world as well as a tool of economic prosperity. Are there specific stories you usually look out for? Firstly, the editorial focus of Korea IT Times is placed on presenting reviews of new technology and products, as well as global businesses to the global market. Secondly, Korea IT Times concentrates on raising news value by creating news articles that are novel, original, and future-oriented. Thirdly, it pursues an honest and transparent economic society by reporting analysis and commentary on business, encompassing all industries and technologies. In general, what do you think of the current South Korean IT industry? Just as GE sells software (SW) platforms and Google develops self-driving cars, South Korean companies are eager to develop ‘next-generation ICT convergence technologies and platforms where anyone can be a genius.’ South Korea has maintained its status as an IT powerhouse in the hardware sector of the IT industry such as semiconductor, shipbuilding, steel, automobile, high speed internet and mobile. But now, it is concentrating on developing convergence technologies through SW and artificial intelligence (AI) in both the new and traditional industries regardless of fields and products. South Korea’s leading companies and research institutes are participating in the open software trend that went viral around the world and are actively involved in open data activities. Driven by these open SWs and open data, the level of SW technology in Korean companies is rapidly evolving. In the past, Korean companies say, market players competed to roll out more technologies at a faster rate. But in the era of the fourth industrial revolution, the success or failure of a company depends on its ability to secure more partners, as well as be willing to share more new technologies to become an asset to society. What should PR professionals take note of when pitching Korea IT Times? News articles with stronger publicity are less effective. The most searched keywords by the readers of Korea IT Times for subscription include ‘the world's first’, ‘creation’, ‘technology’, ‘investment’, ‘the fourth industrial revolution’ and ‘export.’ When it comes to highly promotional content, public relations teams would do better if they paid attention to news that is interesting and easy for the general public to understand in order to provide readers with creative and innovative. Editor’s note: The interview was lightly edited for clarity. Hwajin Choi is the Audience Development Executive focusing on the South Korea market at PR Newswire. If you would like to be featured, please get in touch (hwajin.choi@prnasia.com)
5 Things to Note When Pitching Lonely Planet Asia
“A whole new world. A new fantastic point of view.” These lyrics are apt when describing Lonely Planet Asia, a renowned magazine offering readers insights on the histories and cultures of countries across the globe, as well as stunning photography, recommendations and travel advice. The magazine’s main goal is to inspire readers to explore new destinations and look at familiar ones through fresh eyes. Its feature stories cover countries ranging from Asia-Pacific, Africa and Middle east, to Europe and the Americas. Published by Regent Media, a publishing house in Singapore, the print magazine is headed by Associate Editor Raewyn Koh who helps to produce and edit regionally-focused columns like Globetrotter, Easy Trips, City at a Glance and Extraordinary Places to Stay. Her other responsibilities include writing for Golf Asia and escape!, two other publications under Regent Media, as well as carrying out custom publishing for clients such as Singapore Airlines and Dynasty Travel. Per Raewyn, Lonely Planet Asia rarely takes pitched stories that cover survey results or contain listicles. Story pitches on events, airline, hotel or cruise news, and tourism/itinerary ideas are more than welcome. If you happen to have a story that suits their editorial needs, here are some things you should know before reaching out to the magazine. Manage expectations, do not always expect immediate coverage “As much as possible, we do try to pick events that we would want to cover. However, certain circumstances may arise such as information coming in too late, the editor having to cut pages from the magazine due to the lack of space or the editorial team realising that the event is not as relevant after attending it. Please understand that calls have to be made about it,” explained Raewyn. Know the story/product/familiarisation (FAM) trips you are pitching at the back of your hand When PR professionals pitch any story, and even FAM trips, they should be clear of what their client expects from coverage and what the story/product/trip entails. Raewyn related a negative experience during a FAM trips last year where the PR agency could not provide them with basic details, such as an itinerary. She said, “The itinerary was only sent just before we boarded and we only knew of it when one of the other journalists was checking his inbox. Even then, the itinerary was changed multiple times over the next few days. We were also wrongly informed of certain details, such as what meals and drinks were covered, etc., which really dampened the mood of many of the journalists.” “As a representative of a brand, I believe it is important to know at least basic information on what you are pitching. It’s fine if certain questions from journalists cannot be answered, especially if a client isn’t willing to divulge certain information (such as secret ingredients, comments on negative public feedback, etc.) but giving wrong information is a big no-no.” [Tweet "Here are 5 things to note when pitching Lonely Planet Asia!"] Take note of editorial deadlines The magazine closes on the 24th of every month and PR professionals are advised to pitch any stories at least one-and-a-half months before the launch of any event. “Unfortunately, plenty of information comes in really late and I would not be able to include the event listing in the upcoming edition. Closing is usually a month and a half before any event comes out, so for example, by the end of April I’ll be looking out for things to cover in our June edition,” said Raewyn. Know who you are pitching and the stories they write While this might be common knowledge, many media professionals like Raewyn are still receiving generic or irrelevant email pitches. “Even if you don’t know the editor personally, you should at least know what the magazine is about. There are certain types of stories that have never appeared in Lonely Planet Asia and having calls on such pitches can be frustrating,” Raewyn said. “Listicles, for example, are one of those stories. We can write on one of the points but we are unlikely to publish a full list in Lonely Planet Asia.” According to PR Newswire’s 2016 Asia-Pacific Journalist Survey Report, 38 per cent of media professionals surveyed will ignore an email or cease communication under one of these circumstances: It is irrelevant to their industry, it does not capture their interest or it does not contain useful information. This serves as a reminder to PR professionals to not only familiarise themselves with the journalist’s beat, but also build real relationships with the media to better understand their working habits and editorial needs. Raewyn also advises PR professionals to be familiar with the publications produced by Regent Media - Lonely Planet Asia, BBC Earth, Golf Asia and escape! - and find out which editor or writer oversees them. “One of the problems I had last year was when someone called the office asking for Lonely Planet Asia and then five minutes later called again asking for escape!. The person was trying to pitch a story idea to these two publications but had no idea I was the same person answering the phone,” Raewyn recounted. “Know which publishing house you are talking to, make sure to get the name of the editor or writer and know the magazines they are responsible for.” Follow up, but not incessantly Following up with a personalised message via the journalist’s preferred mode of communication, eg. Email, phone or social media, is a good way to reinforce your relevance. However, avoid calling immediately after sending the email. Raewyn said, “I am fine with PR professionals follow up on emails because we do get hundreds of emails.” Want more information on the working habits and editorial needs for the journalists in Asia-Pacific? Download PR Newswire’s 2016 Asia-Pacific Journalist Survey today. Janice Tan is the Senior Audience Development Executive in Singapore at PR Newswire. If you would like to be featured, please get in touch. 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How to Write a Trade Show News Release that Turns Heads
These days there are an abundance of trade shows, representing different industries and focusing on different audiences. How do you ensure that your event’s news release stands out from the crowd? While writing an event news release is a fairly routine task for communications and marketing professionals, it’s easy to fall in the trap of producing a stereotypical news release. It’s time to try new story angles that makes your trade show news release more interesting and newsworthy. Remember to keep the five “Ws” and one “H” in mind when writing your news release and answer these core questions for your audience. Do away with standard headlines “xx company participates in xx conference” Exhibitors will usually start their promotion one month prior to the start of a trade show, based on the promotional schedule of these large events. Your headline is the first opportunity to stand out from the competition. Consider these common headlines: “xx Company Participates at xx Forum” or “xx Brand to Establish Strong Presence at xx Expo”. Headlines such as these are a dime a dozen and will attract less eyeballs to your message. One way to create eye-catching headlines is to specify the highlights of your event. For example, the press release “Midea's Exhibition at IMM Cologne 2017 Injects Personality into Kitchen Appliances”, mentions what Midea (WHO) is going to exhibit (HOW) at the IMM Cologne 2017 (WHERE & WHEN) – their new product line is (WHAT), which injects personality into kitchen appliances (WHY), rather than just telling audiences Midea is joining the event. The second tactic is to incorporate the company’s exhibition theme and the key showcase product in the main headline, followed by the news of the company’s participation in the event in the sub-headline. Take the press release on “RECARO Automotive Seating unveils three performance seat concepts for all market segments” as an example. The headline emphasizes the launch of Recaro’s new seat concepts and demotes the news that the company will be participating in the 2017 North American International Auto Show to the sub-headline. Audiences are interested in HOW and WHY you are going to participate. As communication professionals, we all know that we should share information that our target audiences are interested in. Audiences reading event-related releases will be more interested in what the company plans to do at the event, e.g. the launch of a new product, or the announcement of a new corporate development plan. Therefore, always write with your audience’s interests in mind. Consider this news release: “Huawei: Accelerating Carriers' Cloud Transformation And Enabling The Digitization of Vertical Industries”. In this example, Huawei leveraged the speech from the senior management at the event to demonstrate HOW Huawei integrates cloud and network technology transformation to (WHY) support the development of the industrial Internet, and drive industry informatization. Similarly, it can gain more attention from audiences if the release includes the key highlights of the event instead of a general summary. In the news release “Veritas Announces Global Strategic Partnership with Google to Deliver Enterprise-Ready Data Management to Google Cloud Platform and G Suite Customers”, Veritas highlighted the expanded partnership with Google in the headline and the content. This emphasizes the benefits of this partnership – providing customers with 360 Data Management capabilities to reduce data storage costs, increase compliance, and eDiscovery readiness. The less interesting event details are only mentioned towards the end of the release. More Advanced: Minimize the Brand Element As with advertising, if the public perceives your promotion to be a hard-sell, they won’t buy it. Therefore, instead of selling the brand, customizing your content for your audience is the better approach, such as sharing the brand story. The news release “Cosmetics: New Packaging Creates New Trends”, starts by sharing that “Cosmetics are all about aesthetics.” Then it breaks down the importance and the trends of packaging in the cosmetics industry nowadays: Eco-friendliness, Kidult/K-pop and Smart Packaging. The event and organizer details are only mentioned much later in the release. Although UBM is the biggest trade exhibitions organizer in Asia, it did not utilize its name as the main selling point of the release; instead it focused on new trends in the cosmetics industry. Instead of asking audiences to join the event directly, BroadcastAsia 2017 attracts public attention in this release by sharing insights and trends of the film industry via the hot topic of Virtual Reality: “Why Virtual Reality is More Than Just a Buzzphrase for The Film Industry”. While content is still king, multimedia elements can always draw more attention to your event message. However, writing a good event news release is similar to all other releases, namely that companies need to understand their audience’s needs in order to craft attention-grabbing stories.
Setting Goals for Your Next Press Release is The First Step to Getting Results
What are your goals? What can we do to define them and what needs to be done to achieve them? Each release has its own message and its own metric for success. Based on a variety of factors we could be aiming for more visits to the company website, website visits from more regions or increased user engagement, etc. Therefore, if we treat every release the same then we won’t be optimizing our results. One example of a release written with clear goals in mind is the below release: “XDynamics to Launch World's First UAV with Zero Latency Live View and Dual-Screen Controller at CES 2017” A quick analysis of the press release provides a clue into the company’s goal when distributing the press release: Goal: Make people aware that a new product will be launched and also tell them enough about it that they will be interested. 1. The headline is clear, filled with keywords and also hints at one of the strengths of the new product. 2. The photo shows the product and its caption describes how the UAV’s chassis improves its performance. 3. A quote by the company’s CEO provides more information about the product setting up the call to action. 4. The call to action at the end helps to draw more visitors to the company website with the promise of additional information regarding the product: “For more on XDynamics Evolve and its differentiating features and functions, visit the full press release at https://www.xdynamics.com/xdynamics-debuts-with-worlds-first-smart-drone-with-dual-screen-controller-at-ces-2017/ and http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xdynamics-debuts-with-worlds-first-smart-drone-with-dual-screen-controller-300379107.html.” 3 Examples of Goals that can be Set When Writing a Press Release 1. Higher Click Rates – This could be accomplished by adding plenty of links to your website and reasons for why people should click the links. One example of an effective call to action would be “Click Here to Download a Demo of Our New Game” 2. Increasing Sales – Obviously, increasing sales is a core goal of any advertising campaign and ROAS (return on advertising spending) should be tracked if possible to see what approaches work best. If possible, take a look at your most successful releases and try to identify which ones had the highest conversion rates. 3. Number of Views – The number of people reading your release is a value that can be measured and which can be compared with previous releases. The more page view conversions you have, the more brand awareness you’ve built. Goals Also Work Well in Space With all the news about the Cassini probe lately, let’s think about the importance of setting goals in the context of space exploration. We could have any of an infinite number of possible goals for each mission. Without firm goals, the wouldn’t even get off the ground. With goals it can go anywhere, whether to the moon or even to other stars*! While expectations for some types of releases such as personnel announcements should be tempered, setting clear goals gives the vast majority of releases the potential to launch your advertising results into the stratosphere and beyond. *Voyager 2 is on its way to Sirius
Five Ways Brands Can Combat Fake News with Press Releases
There’s no escaping the ever-growing threat of the “fake news” label – for media, and potentially as a huge PR crisis for communicators. According to Cision’s 2017 State of the Media Report, journalists said that regaining trust amidst the rise of misinformation and fake news is one of the greatest challenges facing the media this year. 91% of journalists report that the public trusts them less than before. PR professionals and communicators face the same challenge as the media and must be careful to avoid the appearance of false or deceptive content. Communicators understand that transparency and clarity benefits their brand story. Journalists surveyed in the State of the Media Report rated press releases and story leads as the #1 most important PR resource. The same finding was also observed in the 2016 journalist survey conducted in Asia Pacific by PR Newswire Asia, which indicated that Asia Pacific journalists rated press releases as the most trusted source of information. Earned media opportunities and media coverage rely heavily on brands’ storytelling integrity. Without it, a brand jeopardizes not only their relationships with the media and their customers, but they also risk backlash and damage to the brand. PR Newswire provides a trusted channel to share your brand’s story with new audiences. And as a vetted and reliable distributor to the media, PR Newswire enforces strict guidelines on clarity and attribution, to ensure content is seen as accurate – the antithesis of “fake news.” Arm yourself with these five guidelines that PR Newswire advocates on every release we distribute, to ensure your organization maintains credibility with audiences: Straightforward Headline As the gateway to your content, your headline should be clear and engaging. It should also be an honest teaser of what’s to follow, in order to maintain trust. If you make a promise in your headline, be sure you fulfill that promise in your content. And it’s usually best to include your company or brand name, so it’s clear to journalists and your audience who is originating this news. To know more about maximizing the power of your press release, view our recent webinar and other archived videos on trending topics related to PR & Communications. Clear Attribution Embrace your brand’s perspective and write clearly from that viewpoint. Attribute any statement of analysis or opinion to your organization. Audiences are more likely to trust your content if you’re upfront about who it’s coming from. This extends to quotes as well, which enrich a content piece, provide easy copy for journalists to use and adds a “human element” to the story. Identifiable Source PR Newswire includes a note identifying the “Source” organization within every release we distribute. Along with clear attribution within the release text, that “Source” tells the media and other readers the company or group responsible for the information. The media knows that PR Newswire vets the organizations we work with, so they can trust the news is credible and understand who is responsible for that news. Here’s how to build brand trust with content source attribution. Available Media Contact Your media contact should be a real person, with a working phone number and an email address. Journalists prefer not to be directed to an office number or a website for information – that makes their job harder, and makes it less likely they’ll cover your news. A phone call or follow up email to the journalists may also increase the chance of your news being picked up. Based on an interview we had with Mashable Asia, Asia Editor Victoria Ho explained the importance of following up, as you can help provide other facets of your news that may not be obvious to the journalist in the first place. Also, 59% of the journalists we surveyed in Asia Pacific prefer to be contacted via email and the best time to reach them is in the morning. Authentic Voice Once you’ve gained your audience’s trust through the above tactics, work to maintain it. How? Be firm in telling the whole truth and don’t exaggerate. And stick to your organization’s realm of expertise. There are times when it makes sense for a company to join in on a conversation about a timely topic, and provide thought leadership content. Just make it clear who your organization is, the connection to the topic, and why audiences should see you as an expert. Once you have crafted your content with these five guidelines, connect with a trusted distribution partner like PR Newswire to help you engage new and existing audiences and build out a press release distribution strategy that helps enhance your brand’s credibility and visibility. This blog post is adapted from the United States team.
Content Marketing: 55 Proven Ways that will Benefit your Business [Infographic]
One of the major duties of today's' marketing personnel is to create content – be it press releases, blog posts, videos, infographics and etc. In this vast sea of content, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. To play the game smart, here is a comprehensive infographic about content marketing to get you started. Credit: Skilled.co, a guest contributor of PR Newswire Blog.
![Content Marketing: 55 Proven Ways that will Benefit your Business [Infographic]](https://d21wphxnxeaxkj.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/content_marketing_facts.jpg)
Using Social Media to Complement your Press Releases
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="163"] Air Asia[/caption] A crisis is an unplanned event. It happens overnight without any warning or clue. That is why it is important for a company to have crisis management plans in place in cases of emergencies. Different kinds of crisis require different methods of problem-solving, which is why companies should establish various plans to tackle different scenarios. Companies tend to evolve in terms of its business models, vision & mission, shareholders, and in many other areas; and as companies evolve, their crisis situations will follow suit. Hence there is a need to constantly revisit their crisis communications plan to stay on the safe side of the spectrum. AirAsia is a low-cost airline based in Malaysia offering the lowest fares to more than 100 destinations around the world. It’s founder & CEO, Tony Fernandez, established the company in 1993, and has since expanded the business to its subsidiaries; Thai AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia, AirAsia India, AirAsia Japan, Philippines AirAsia, AirAsia X, Thai AirAsia X and Indonesia AirAsia X. This low-cost airline definitely lives up to its slogan “Now Everyone Can Fly”. However, 3 years ago, amidst the peak festive holiday season – Christmas approaching New Year, the airline faced its first fatal crash in its 11-year history on 28th December 2014. Flight QZ8501 that was en route from Indonesia to Singapore crashed into the Java Sea nearly halfway into its 2-hour flight claiming 162 lives including 7 members of the crew on board. As soon as this happened, AirAsia employed effective communication strategies to tackle the situation. Here is what they did and what other companies should mirror if they happen to face a similar situation. Distributed Detailed Press Releases Frequently AirAsia carried out constant communication in the form of press releases to keep the media and the public informed on daily updates since the day of the catastrophic incident. On that particular day, AirAsia issued 4 releases to notify the public about the crash, to provide any new information about the victims, and whenever debris was found. AirAsia issued statements every time they identified bodies and whenever they could not carry out search and rescue efforts due to bad weather. The frequency of their press release distribution efforts demonstrated their determination and dedication towards this crisis event as they worked and communicated relentlessly. They distributed a total of 58 releases during this time (December 2014 – March 2015). Apart from the frequency, every press release distributed contained new and useful information. Their ultimate goal was to address this crisis in the best way possible, and that’s what they did. Responded Swiftly & Identified Communication Channels Following the predicament, AirAsia's CEO Tony Fernandez started to address the unfortunate mishap by leveraging on social media as his means of communication. He took his stand as the face and leader of the company and claimed responsibility for the incident. As the spokesperson, he practiced open, honest and constant communication to the public not only through distribution of press releases but also via social media; Twitter and Facebook, to keep the public informed about the situation. His real-time communication strategy prevented rumors and assumptions from any third-party. He was the focal point for the company’s updates during that time of distress. AirAsia also changed the color of its logo from the usual cheerful red to a more subdued grey to share feelings of grief and regret with the public in line with the disastrous event. Worked Closely with Response Team More than just carrying out his duties as a CEO and spokesperson of the company by compensating the affected families, Tony Fernandez also expressed his heartfelt condolences to them. Apart from just expressing how sorry he felt on social media, he empathized with the families of the victims by making a trip to Surabaya, Indonesia, with his team, where most of the passengers were from with the sole purpose of meeting the families of the victims personally to provide emotional support. He demonstrated humanity and genuine care by reaching out to the families. Through this initiative, he proved that “Actions speak louder than words”. Took Responsibility & Took Action Instead of playing the “blame-game” such as blaming the bad weather for causing the crash, AirAsia employed a strong attitude to go head-on with the challenging situation. AirAsia was proactive in approaching the crisis from the second it happened until the very end of the ordeal. The company and its spokesperson made available to the media as opposed to hiding or delaying distribution of information to the public. The company was determined to find out the cause of the crash and was willing to communicate openly and honestly to the public. The company took full accountability of the situation. Kept Team In Check AirAsia also provided its employees moral support by praising their efforts in trying to make the situation better. The management understood that it was important not only to address the public, but also its internal team who were working so hard to make things right. During a crisis, every single step the company takes to address the situation counts. This vulnerable stage can either make or break a company even with the slightest mistake, even more so when the situation has caused the loss of lives. The company goes through intense scrutiny by the public and authorities as it is liable for whatever damage that it has caused. AirAsia executed decisive measures in its communication efforts, especially through promptness in feeding the public with latest updates on the crisis. The use of social media as a communication channel to maintain the publics’ trust and perception towards AirAsia was a good move. The crisis communication strategy that AirAsia adopted by leveraging on social media to complement the press releases is exemplary and a successful case study for many companies. This blog post is contributed by Christine Pereira, Senior Audience Development Executive at PR Newswire. Christine is in charge of partnerships, expanding our media network, organizing our bi-annual Media Coffee events, conducting media interviews, and other company-wide projects for the Malaysian market. You can contact her at christine.pereira@prnasia.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.
