3 Ways to Maximize Your Media Coverage

This blog was updated March 30, 2020 to include new resource links.  

Media coverage takes many forms. It could be feature article secured in national business press, a product review in an IT trade outlet, commentary drafted by your team and included in a local business journal or a variety of other pieces published by a publication outside of your organization.

Regardless of the medium, there’s nothing quite like media coverage and the feeling you get when opening a glossy magazine to see your CEOs commentary or clicking a link to find your brand name surrounded by favorable remarks. But that feeling of satisfaction, and even sometimes pride, doesn’t just fall in your lap — a lot of work goes into securing quality media coverage and that in itself gives brands an incentive to make media coverage live longer than just that first click or page turn. Continue reading “3 Ways to Maximize Your Media Coverage”

Appirio Selects BLASTmedia as North America Public Relations Agency of Record

(INDIANAPOLIS – May 11, 2016) BLASTmedia, a national public relations agency, is now the agency of record for Appirio, a global services company that helps customers create next-generation worker and customer experience using the latest cloud technologies. Continue reading “Appirio Selects BLASTmedia as North America Public Relations Agency of Record”

BLASTmedia Named as One of The 2016 Best Places to Work in Indiana

(INDIANAPOLIS— May 1, 2016) — BLASTmedia, a national public relations agency, is honored to announce its selection as one of the 2016 Best Places to Work in Indiana by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. The statewide award program identifies, recognizes and honors 100 companies in Indiana that benefit the state’s economy and workforce.

Continue reading “BLASTmedia Named as One of The 2016 Best Places to Work in Indiana”

How-To: Embed Facebook Photo Album or Post on a Blog

As you might expect, events like winning an award or volunteering as an agency are something we’re quick to share on social media. With so action, there were plenty of visuals to help tell our story. But how best to showcase these visuals? Instagram? Snapchat?

One option is a Facebook photo album. You can even embed that Facebook post on a blog using 5 easy steps.

Embed a Facebook Photo Album or Post

1. Create a Facebook post featuring photos taken from the event or topic you want to showcase

2. Navigate to your Page’s Facebook timeline

3. Click the three dots on the right-hand side of your post and select “embed” from the drop-down menu
Embed Facebook album on a blog

4. Select the code presented in the pop-up windowUse iframe to embed a facebook post

5. Paste the code into your blog post, and ta-da!

This blog was updated in May 2019 to reflect changes to Facebook.

Public Relations Pocket Dictionary – 25 PR Terms To Know

“Did you see that huge hit for X client? I am receiving a lot of great traction for that pitch angle!”

If you are a veteran of the PR world, you most likely read the above sentence and understood its meaning perfectly; you maybe even have had a slight, victorious smile on behalf of your fellow pro in the trenches. Yet to our friends, families and even some of our colleagues that are new to the hectic world that is public relations, that sentence probably seemed like it was written in a foreign language. As PR continues to evolve into a career that integrates writing, editing, social media, research, communication, events, and a whole host of other skills, the terms we use to describe our jobs and daily activities will grow and change – and staying up to speed is essential for the experienced and newbie alike.

PR terms
Photo credit: newcastle-edu.au

Though the PR universe is rich with lingo, we compiled a list of the 25 must-know words and phrases to get any professional off on the right foot and keep us all in-the-know:

  1. Angle – A specific emphasis we chose for a story that we present to the media – ie: presenting headphones as a great travel gadget because they are portable.
  2. B2B (business to business) – Clients that focus on resources by businesses for businesses – PR efforts deal a lot with trade and business publications as well as analyst firms.
  3. B2C (business to consumer) – Clients speak directly to average consumers with their products and services  – PR efforts deal with print, online and broadcast consumer media.
  4. Boilerplate – A short company description most often used at the end of a press release.
  5. Byline – Articles or tips that are authored by a thought leader at a company (or the company itself) about a topic in which they are influential. Used as part of a robust media relations campaign and often preferred by media because it is ready made (a.k.a. easy to publish) content.
  6. B-roll –Previously recorded video footage, often shown in the background, which can be used to bolster a news story about your client.
  7. Circulation – The total number of copies of a print publication that is available for readers, whether through subscriptions or newsstands. This is a number we share with clients as one of the factors to the relevancy of a piece of coverage they have received.
  8. Coverage/Clip/Hits – An article, story, blog or segment that mentions your client. Also refers to the physical copy of that mention that can be given to clients.
  9. Earned MediaThird-party endorsement for your client, whether from the sharing of media coverage or tweets, reviews and posts from consumers of your client’s product.
  10. Ed Cals – Short for editorial calendars, ed cals are a schedule of topics media will cover at a certain publication for the entire year. These can give PR pros a starting point for reaching out to an editor about a story.
  11. Embargo – The sharing of unannounced, relevant information between a PR pro and the media that cannot be published before an agreed upon time and date. For example, if you have a new phone model coming out, you contact reporters asking if they are interested in information, reach an agreement that they won’t post the news before a certain time and then give them a preview of the information to be announced.
  12. Exclusive – Offering first-look information or samples to a single, usually major, media outlet. This means that the information or product won’t be shared with any other outlets until the original outlet has posted their story. Can be a good way to kick off a campaign.
  13. Launch The official announcement, usually jump started with a press release, about a new product or service.
  14. Lead time – The amount of time needed by reporters to gather information for their story; varies by type of outlet, with magazines having the longest lead times and online the shortest.
  15. Owned MediaContent created by you and your client, such as company blogs, company website and corporate social media profiles.
  16. Paid Media – Not just your traditional advertising, this can encompass Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter ads that can work as part of an integrated PR and social media strategy.
  17. PitchA highly targeted note that is crafted and sent to an editor to gauge their interest in your client. Can also incorporate photos and videos, and ends with a call to action.
  18. Press kit – A set of documents given to media, usually containing press releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other relevant material to them about your client or their product/service.
  19. Press tour – Usually done in anticipation of the launch of a new product or service, press tours are 1-2 day events where you invite select media to interact with your client and their upcoming offerings face-to-face. This can be a great way to enrich relationships with editors you may not often see, and allow reporters an early, hands-on look at unreleased projects.
  20. Round-up – A story that highlights several products/services that apply to a certain topic, which can range from Valentine’s Day gifts to best products from a trade show. Though these are smaller than feature stories, they are a great compliment to any media relations campaign and can often point out the strengths of your clients versus their competitors.
  21. Syndication/syndicate – A news service that takes a single story and places it on several websites or in several outlets nation/worldwide – Associated Press is an example of a syndicate. When a piece of client coverage is syndicated, it means that the same story ran in multiple media outlets.
  22. Traction – A term to denote interest in your client from a media outlet – this could be a request for more information or actual coverage.
  23. Trade publication – A publication targeted to a specific industry for people that work in that industry (usually not for consumption by the general public). Examples include: Variety (entertainment industry) and ComputerWorld (information technology industry).
  24. UVM (unique visitors per month) – The number of real, individual visitors to a website, determined by individual IP addresses of the visitors. A way to measure the popularity of a website (the higher the number the better), rather than relying on number of site visits, which can encompass one person visiting a site several times. Can help show clients how many people potentially saw their article.
  25. Sending over the wire/wire service – A distribution service for press releases that allows you to get news out about your client to several media outlets across the country in a short amount of time. Since there is a cost associated with wire services, they are usually only used in the event of big company news or breaking news. Businesswire and PR Newswire are examples of this service.

Though this certainly isn’t a complete list, it can serve as a quick guide for both PR pros and clients, letting them know what services you are expected to perform and can offer. If any of the above PR terms peak your interest as to what BLASTmedia can do for you as a client, please contact Lindsey Groepper. 

Any other terms you think should make the list?

Explaining the Benefits of Online vs. Print Media: Show Me the Value!

As PR professionals, we have all been in meetings with clients, both new and old, where the first outlets they describe as their “home runs” are print publications like Good Housekeeping or the New York Times. While these magazines and newspapers remain a crucial part of any PR strategy and campaign, they are steadily being eclipsed by their online counterparts and new Internet-only media.

In this era where the digital realm plays a pivotal role, the need for visually compelling and impactful communication remains paramount. Companies like Clash Graphics excel in providing cutting-edge solutions for poster design and production, seamlessly integrating with the evolving trends in digital media.

Just as the media landscape transforms, so too does the approach to creating visually compelling and shareable content, making digital printing an indispensable component in the contemporary PR toolkit.

Continue reading “Explaining the Benefits of Online vs. Print Media: Show Me the Value!”

Media Training 101: What You Should Know

As a business executive or entrepreneur, one might hear that media training can benefit media and press-related endeavors. As practitioners, we must be able to direct our clients in the media, helping them comfortably get their message across to their intended audiences. At BLASTmedia, we help our clients put their best foot forward when participating in press tours, interviews, and media interactions.

A media training and coaching blog defines media training as, “learning how to tell your story in the most compelling and interesting way by taking control of an interview and transforming contentious questions into positive ‘on message’ answers.”

But media training does a little more than simply help you practice for an interview. It builds confidence when talking with the media and strengthens communication skills. This is important because it allows you to make clear statements, getting a crisp, comprehensive and lucid message across–allowing you to show your business, client, or product in the best light possible.

We’ve dug around and found some items both practitioners and clients should get out of media training:

The Message. The message is the most important aspect of an interview, whether it be in print, audio or television. You are in control of the message and what the audience will take away from the experience, so it’s vital to be clear and concise.

Jon Greer weighs in on bNET, saying “In today’s information-saturated world, none of us has time to wade through tiresome, poorly worded, jargon-laden business information. To get anyone’s attention, whether it is in the traditional media, in online media, in speeches, analyst meetings, employee communications—any communication platform—our information needs to be fresh, relevant, interesting, and timely.”

When we talk to the media, we need to know how they operate, what they are looking for and how to package our information in a way that will actually be included in their stories. Media training gives our clients the skills and tools to deliver information effectively.

Pick and Choose. Take a moment to ask yourself some questions before committing to a media opportunity. We as practitioners want to generate our clients coverage, including direct media interviews, but we must remember: Quality over Quantity. Some opportunities might not be a fit for the intended audience, allow our client to express a clear message, etc. Kalisa gives some insight into media opportunities on her blog, I’ll be the One in Heels. Below are her tips regarding picking and choosing media opportunities:

  • Ask yourself some key questions such as, is this a story you want your name tied to? What angle is the reporter taking? Who else are they interviewing? Do I have all the facts? How will my participation in this story make me look in the end? Is this even  news I want circulated?
  • No complaining! If you agree to be interviewed for a particular story, and they write about you in the context of that story and you don’t like it–you have to deal with it. At the end of the day, this story is the reporter’s story, not your story. This is why it’s important to be prepared and equipped to efficiently and effectively portray the message you would like audiences to understand.

Be Quotable. If you have great quotes, the reporter won’t have to use any liberty when trying to paint a picture of the desired message. Have quotes prepared and in your mind before going into the interview. It’s also helpful to create a list of words and phrases you feel will help you get your message across–and don’t forget to prioritize them in case you don’t have time to get to them all. By having these key phrases, quotes, and words in your mind, you will be more likely to clearly and comprehensively include them into well-crafted answers.

Actions Speak Louder than Words. More often than not, how you say something during an interview is more important than what you say. UCLA Professor Albert Mehrabian’s landmark study in the 1960s examined how people derive meaning from communications. He found that:

  • 7% of meaning is derived from word choice
  • 38% of meaning is taken from verbal cues, such as volume, pitch and pace
  • 55% of meaning results from non-verbal cues, including body language, eye contact, gestures, and appearance

Because audiences will quickly determine whether or not they like you or trust you in seconds, it’s important to make sure your verbal and non-verbal messages match or compliment each other. Otherwise, they will effectively tune you out and disregard your message.

Media training gives you the tools and skills to effectively communicate with a variety of audiences, while giving clients, brands, or products positive media exposure. With the right tools and tips they receive with media training, clients will begin to understand the space in which they are able to promote themselves. They will create connections and relationships with audiences using their unique and genuine message–crafted and delivered clearly and effectively, of course!