Posts

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Man bites Dog…

GlobalCom PR Network

This post was first published by Luke Frost, PR Deadlines, Sydney – Australia

Well that headline makes no sense. Or does it? Let’s think about those words – and how they might possibly relate to information technology.

The message is tantalising, thought provoking and if man really did bite dog, it’s newsworthy. As a headline it’s short, sharp and to the point – subject, active verb, object.

At PR Deadlines we like to craft all our messaging to the infotech world like that, in clear concise language across the entire communications spectrum: news releases, thought leadership, videos, pitches, direct mail, ads, lead generation – everything.

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Where, Oh Where to Publish Your Article? Three Platforms to Consider

Publishing platforms and content strategy

This post was first published by Laurie Davis on Interprose’s blog, Interprose Voice.

When putting together a content strategy plan, there are many types of content to consider. With all these decisions ahead of you, it can seem overwhelming but if you take some time to define your goals first, the process will be a lot easier. From infographics, to videos, to articles there are many tactics to choose from once your goals are defined.

Writing contributed pieces is one of the most fundamental tactics in a content strategy plan. Articles provide you an opportunity to demonstrate expertise, and engage with the industry by starting conversations or sharing opinions. However, there are many platforms to consider when deciding where to publish your next contribution.

Three major platforms to consider include your company’s blog, a trade or business publication or LinkedIn Pulse. Each has unique benefits and it’s important to know what you want to accomplish before choosing a platform.

Recently, I wrote an article for MarketingProfs titled The Right Words at the Right Time in the Right Place: Three Platforms to Publish Your Content On that provides a deeper dive into this subject. So, if you are looking for some advice on where to publish your articles, go check it out.

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Writer Pens Killer Headline…and You Won’t Believe What Happens Next!

Headline

This post was first published by Melissa Drozdowski on Interprose’s blog, Interprose Voice.

You’ve seen a million clickbait headlines, just like the one at the top of this post. They’re catchy. They’re clever. They’re abrasive and punchy. They pique your interest enough that you go ahead and click through to that article you had no intention of reading. And when you do click through, that cheesy, clickbait-y headline has done its job.

Humor. Emotion. Sensationalism. Call it the Buzzfeed school of headline writing. Media sites like Buzzfeed, Upworthy, and ViralNova have all mastered the art of crafting seductive, provocative headlines that bring readers in, sometimes against their better judgment. Here’s just a small sampling of their recent headlines for your consideration:

  • “We Ate Every Cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory and OH DEAR GOD” – Buzzfeed
  • “A Cop Picked Up A Donated Helmet On 9/11. Months Later, He Found A Note Inside.” – Upworthy
  • “Here’s How A Parenting Dispute Ended With A Mace-Filled Fight In Walmart” – ViralNova

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A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words, But Cinemagraphs Tell The Story

GlobalCom PR Network

This post was first published by Melissa Drozdowski on Interprose’s blog, Interprose Voice.

I’m an aficionado of the horror genre. Bad horror movies? Awww, yisss. Really good scary movies – the kind that make you want to turn on every light in the house and check under your bed just to be sure there’s nothing lurking – even better. The Walking Dead? You’d better believe I’m a card-carrying Dead-Head, Walker Stalker, or whatever they’re calling us TWD fanatics these days (if Daryl dies, we riot).

Not long ago, I was watching a good scary movie by myself, with all the lights off. My evil kitty, who’d made herself scarce all night long, suddenly decided that the moment right before the movie’s biggest scare was the perfect time to go slinking by the couch where I was huddled. I caught only the briefest glimpse of motion – a single flick of her gray tail – from the corner of my eye, but it was enough to make me sling my head around fast enough to give myself whiplash (and quite nearly a heart attack).

Why? Because the human eye is attracted to motion.

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PR: Ahead of its (Content Marketing) Time

This post was first published by Martin Jones on March Communications’ blog M+PR Nonsense.

content marketing whiteboardContent marketing remains firmly planted near the top of most brands’ priorities these days. Organizations are weighing their options and trying to figure out what their next step should be. Do they grow their own internal content capabilities and do some trial and error — getting it right is going to require a significant investment in a number of different resources. Or, do they take the less risky route and turn to one of their external agencies to see what they can learn? Well, let’s take a look at the facts.

While the evolution of the Internet and social media is a great thing, it has brought with it the unfortunate side effect of enabling brands to devise some very suspect content marketing activities. Read more

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What PR Can Learn From Minimalist Web Design Philosophy

This post was first published by Brendan Reilly on March Communications’ blog M+PR Nonsense.

Minimalist Design Technology PR Firm

I recently read an article detailing many of the principles of minimalism in Web design. The more I read, the more I came to realize how fitting many of these same ideals were in the world of public relations.

The first tenet of minimalist design is not a simple and uncluttered aesthetic that features black and white colors or basic grid layouts, as many might think. The real first tenet of minimalist design is that content always comes first. A clean and straightforward appearance is in service of that principle.

“Because minimalism is all about trimming secondary features,” according to the Fast.Co article, “the content stands out even more within a disciplined interface.” Read more

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Is Your Content Marketing Creating Headaches Down the Road?

This post was first published by Emily Hines on March Communications’ blog PR Nonsense.

Content Marketing HeadachesLast Friday, March held a content marketing and copyright issues crash course, led by our peers Jim Young (@JW_Young) and Manny Veiga (@zmveiga). Jim and Manny offered several tips and tricks to navigating the world of copyright issues, discussing best practices when publishing and curating content.

The session included great discussions and insights that are useful to PR folk and content marketers, as we are confronted with copyright issues on a daily basis. Here are three tips that I learned not to do that may help others trying to stay out of legal hot water: Read more

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Strengthen Your PR Campaigns with Visual Content

Tunnel of media, images, photographs. Tv, multimedia broadcast,Research shows that adding images and video to your PR campaigns can increase engagement and social media sharing. In fact, Forbes found that 75 percent of articles published each week include multimedia content.

Multimedia elements help on a variety of fronts and play a big role in storytelling. We encourage our clients to consider adding image material to all content they create from marketing collateral, to white papers, press releases and blogs. Consider video/animation or an infographic, which is an effective storytelling tactic that helps guide the audience through a visual message by turning statistics into interesting data, tips or other types of learning points.  Read more

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Corporate Video Content Needs to Be Less Corporate

This post was first published by Brendan Reilly on March Communications’ blog PR Nonsense.

Video content needs to be about the story, not product features and specs.The best type of interview, in my opinion, is one in which your subject tells a story and your voice as the interviewer is never heard. I’m reminded of a quote from well-known radio personality, Ira Glass:

“The power of the anecdote is so great. No matter how boring the material is, if it’s in story form, there’s suspense in it. It feels like something’s going to happen.”

Actually, I was reminded of this quote while reading a recent article at TheMusicBed.com, an excellent music licensing resource for independent and corporate filmmakers alike. The article focused on The Music Bed’s approach to conducting interviews and how they are able to pull compelling stories from their interview subjects. It’s a good read, and I highly recommend it for anyone who conducts interviews regularly, whether you’re a journalist, PR professional or filmmaker. Read more

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A Critical Video Component B2B Brands Are Missing

This post was first published by Brendan Reilly on March Communications’ blog PR Nonsense.

A stationary subject can be brought to life in your videos by using creative camera movements.It’s no secret that creating video content as part of PR and communications strategies can be highly effective, especially in a world where mobile technology and social media have led to skyrocketing video consumption numbers. But pointing a camera at someone and telling them to talk about their product isn’t the kind of video that people find particularly compelling, let alone the kind that goes viral. So what are brands missing?

There’s a lot that goes into creating high-quality videos that people will want to watch, enjoy watching and then feel compelled to engage with a brand after they’ve watched it. So many things add production value to your content, from your choice of camera to lighting decisions, audio equipment, scripting, charisma of your on-camera talent and more. One of the most overlooked aspects of what makes great video content is movement – in terms of both what you’re filming and the camera itself. Read more

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