Media Alert vs. Press Release

By Dana Sotoodeh

You hear the terms “media alert” and “press release” over and over as a professional in the PR world, but let’s take a minute and be honest with ourselves—do you really know the difference?

Team Snackbox presents to you the differences between a media alert and a press release and when the right time is to use them!

Media Alerts– Another name for a media alert is an “invitation to cover.” Although you don’t hear this term as much as you hear “media alert”, it may help you remember exactly what its purpose is. Media alerts are geared towards media that would be interested in covering your event. For example—If you have a sports related event—you wouldn’t send an alert to a food editor.

Their sole purpose is stated in their name. To alert the media about an upcoming event or product.  The five basic components of a media alerts are the 5 W’s.

  • Who
  • What
  • Where
  • Why
  • When

Media alerts are meant to be straight to the point and extremely factual. What’s their goal? To get the media to want to attend.  You often don’t gain as many responses with media alerts as you would with a press release, so the key is to keep an eye out for any reporters you think may cover the event and look for any coverage that could be gained from it.

Press Releases- Although press releases are also extremely important documents that are meant to be informative for media, their formatting is much difference than the formatting for a media alert.

A press release relies on the inverted pyramid format—the same format as a well-written news story. While it includes the 5 W’s like a media alert, it includes extra “meat” to the release such as quotes and boilerplates that describe the company in greater detail.

Press releases are meant to inform rather than persuade media to go out and attend.

Media alerts and press releases are two tools that are crucial in the public relations world. Make sure you are able to distinguish between the two and decide which would work best for the product or event you are trying to obtain coverage for.

 

 

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Austin Woman Magazine Tour

By Dana Sotoodeh

Team Snackbox had some great memories and learning experiences in 2014—but you can never learn too much about the craft that is PR. Team Snackbox kicked off 2015 with a tour of one of Austin’s most celebrated publications- Austin Woman Magazine and ATX man.

Associate Editor of AW Media, Molly McManus, has worked with us on several different projects and was extremely helpful throughout our tour.  Austin Woman is published monthly, so we asked a few questions pertaining to timing for pitching and planning when it comes to working with a monthly publication.

Here’s a few tips we picked up from our tour, and small things to keep in mind when it comes to pitching monthly publications.

  • It’s not too early to pitch- Molly informed us that planning for the next issue starts anywhere around 60 days prior to the release date of that issue. She also told us that she compiles pitches into one place to keep them organized when it comes to filitering through them to choose which ones will run. Make sure you send your pitch with enough time for it to be considered for future articles.
  • Do your research-  There is one general conclusion that can be drawn from all the different media tours we have done up to this point. Whatever media form your pitching appreciates you being familiar with their outlet.—and Austin Woman magazine is no different.

Molly suggests being familiar with the different sections of the publication, and suggesting what section your pitch would fit into when  it comes time to sending the pitch. This shows that you’re familiar with their publication, and have taken the time to figure out where your placement would run. This saves time on both ends and makes you look educated. We call that a win-win.

  • Consider your outlets “persona”- As a PR Pro, you always want to be aware of what type of media you’re pitching and what kinds of stories they primarily run.  Molly described this to us in a really great way. She said “ If Austin Woman was a real woman, what kind of woman would she be?”  She then told us what kind of woman the  “Austin Woman” would be. This information makes us smarter as PR Pros, and allows us to craft our pitches to identify that woman. How do you figure out your outlets persona? Study their stories, reporters, editors, or their publication. It’s often easy to pick up on what kinds of beats they cover and how often they do so.

 

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Preparing for a PR Crisis

By Dana Sotoodeh

“By failing to prepare, you’re preparing to fail.”

We have heard this quote time and time again, and unfortunately we usually hear it once something has already gone wrong.  If PR had a quote to describe it, this would definitely be in the top three. It ‘s crucial to be prepared to deal with crisis situations in PR  because they will happen more often than you expect.

Team Snackie brings you a few tips for preparing yourself and your team so that you handle that crisis like a pro.

1.)  Plan, Plan, Plan– When it comes time to planning for a PR crisis, going overboard is your best bet. Since it’s impossible for you to know what crisis you may face in the future, it’s important to think of a list of crisis possibilities you could potentially face, as a foundation for  your crisis planning.   Once you have this list outlined, it’s time to think of who is best fit for your crisis team and different ways to go about handling each situation.

2.)  Monitor everything, all the time– A key to being a PR professional is always being aware of what is going on in not only your local market, but nationally as well. It’s important to keep up with local and national news and information so that you can see a crisis coming before anyone else does. There’s nothing worse than not being aware of a bad situation first hand. Keep an eye on social media and news at all times to avoid missing stories that may involve you or your clients.

3.)  Make sure your whole team is media trained- Since you aren’t sure when a PR crisis will hit, and who will be available for what media outlets, it’s important that everyone on your team has at least minimal media training. The last thing you want to do is dig yourself in a bigger hole by saying something or doing something that distracts from the issue at hand. Schedule media training sessions for everyone on your team to prevent something like that from happening

4.)  Build templates: Make sure you have general templates on hand for whenever a crisis hits. From press releases to twitter posts, you will be surprised how fast they come in handy when you need them in a pinch. It’s also easy to grab them and edit them whenever you need them rather than have to build the whole thing.

5.)  Communicate: The worst thing to do during a crisis is to not respond at all. With that being said, make sure that PR crisis’ are responded to in the most timely manner possible. When the crisis comes to an end, don’t go MIA via your social channels. Make sure to keep communication flowing through your Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms to show that you’re still just as involved.

 

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Understanding Your Basic Copyright Rights

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By Dana Sotoodeh

As professionals in a creative field, a lot of us have side jobs freelancing. Weather you’re a freelance writer, graphic designer, or you do both, it’s important to understand copyright rules so you don’t get caught in uncomfortable situations where you’re unsure about your rights.

 Team Snackbox presents you: How to understand and utilize copyright laws.

Situation: You are hired by a business to design a brochure. You create the product, print it, and get paid. A couple of months later the business asks you for the Photoshop and InDesign files you used.

Tip 1: Just because a business has paid you for the work that you have done for them, does not mean they are entitled to all of your files once the product is complete.

It’s important to realize that some businesses, believe it or not, want this information so they can use it as their own for future projects. With that being said, an important thing to remember is that when you work as a freelancer, you own the rights to your work.  This gives you the same rights that everyone has under basic copyright law such as the right to make and distribute copies, etc.   The only way the business you free lanced for can have copies of your work is if you signed a “buy- out” , in which you sign a written assignment of your copyright.  Be sure to read the fine, fine print if you sign any kind of written contract before signing on as a freelancer.

 

Tip 2: You get to decide what rights your client gets to your work

If you decide that you want to allow the business the right to your files and work, the ball is still in your court. You have the right to decide what media you want your work used on, during what time frame, and under what conditions they may use it. You also can specify if you want to give your client exclusive rights to your work. This simply means that only the client you free-lanced for gets to use it. It also ensures that they don’t sell your work to someone else.

 

Tip 3: Discuss terms and conditions before freelancing

The safest way to go about freelancing is to bring up your terms and conditions before you sign a contract, or verbally agree to one. A lot of times, businesses won’t be thinking about if they will need your work after you are finished, when they initially meet with you. It’s also fair to base your pricing on whether or not they will be using your work again in the future. In order to avoid conflicts and maintain good relationships with people you freelance for, lay out your terms and conditions from the beginning. It also speaks volumes about your professionalism.

 

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KVUE Tour

By Dana Sotoodeh

Team Snackbox is at it again—touring local media outlets and soaking up as much information as we possibly can about the anchors and reporters we work with. We recently had the pleasure of touring KVUE-TV Austin with nighttime weekly news anchor, Tyler Sieswerda.

Tyler is an award-winning news anchor and holds a wealth of information when it comes to pitching and dealing with local T.V. and media (he lives it every day!). From giving us a tour of the newsroom, to taking us behind the scenes at the news desk and editing rooms, Team Snackbox had the chance to see the day in the life of a newsroom—and yes, it looks similar to the movies.

Here’s 5 things you probably didn’t know about the T.V. world that will change the way you approach reporters– and formulate your pitch.

1.)  Reporters are Swamped– You hear this over and over and see the responses from reporters in your emails saying that they are “busy.” This is no joke. Tyler took the time to show us his extremely over-populated inbox—and let’s just say it was in the 4 digits for one day’s worth of work. When a reporter’s email is full of pitches from everyone in the city and beyond, it’s almost impossible for them to answer every single person. This brings us to the next point.

2.)  Personal relationships are CRUCIAL- We learned from our Austin American-Statesman tour that personal relationships are key to succeeding in your career, but Tyler confirmed it during our tour. Building relationships with reporters is key to getting your amazing pitch, opened, read, and considered when it comes down to it. The chances of a reporter opening your email because they know you and your work ethic are much greater if you have taken the time to reach out to them. Need help doing so? Request a tour of the station or give brief shout outs on twitter letting them know you are familiar with their work. These are small things that go a long way.

3.)  There is ONE person at the news desk- That’s right. One person is working a news desk that is constantly receiving emails, phone calls, letters, and more. Put yourself in this persons shoes. You don’t have time to read every single e-mail and answer every single phone call. This is when it is crucial to be up-front with what you want or what you are pitching. Making pitches or phone calls short, sweet, and to the point is the only way to approach the person manning the news desk.

4.)   THINK like a reporter– You’re a PR pro, not a news anchor. But when it comes time to pitching them and formulating a pitch that they can run with,  it’s important to pretend that you are. Think about what makes a good story and what angle you can work your pitch so that it works for your reporter. By simply thinking like them and crafting your pitch towards them, you are already one step ahead of the game.

5.)  Watch the news- Tyler told us that it’s refreshing to know that PR pros do pay attention to the news, and it makes a lot of sense. The title PR pro means that you should be paying attention to all your outlets, all the time. Watching the news and staying up to date with current events only makes you and what you do that much better. On top of that, familiarizing yourself with reporters and what kinds of beats they cover makes you smarter when it comes time to creating media lists geared towards the right people. It is your job as a PR pro to always be reading, watching, and paying attention to everything going on in your market. Make it a habit to tune in to the news at least once a day.

These simple but important tips not only will help you grow and build relationships with reporters, but will also help you be on your way to landing placement after placement.

You can watch our dear friend Tyler Sieswerda, on KVUE- TV Austin, weeknights at 5:00, 6:00, and 10:00.

Happy pitching!

 

 

 

 

 

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Top Tips for T.V. Interviews

By Dana Sotoodeh

A huge part of PR is securing T.V. coverage. T.V. coverage usually includes one-on-one interviews with reporters, journalists, or anchors. Although it looks as if everyone on T.V. knows what they’re doing (for the most part), it’s usually because a PR pro has media trained them prior to the interview. Never been media trained? Team Snackie is here to give you a few top tips for your T.V. interview.

1.)  Confidence is key – Nothing looks better on camera than a little confidence. Being unsure of your topic automatically makes you look less credible. Carry yourself with confidence, but not arrogance when it comes time for your interview. Sit up straight, speak clearly, make eye contact. You know what to do.

2.)  Keep eye contact with reporter – When you walk into a T.V. interview, keeping eye contact with the reporter is the most natural thing to do. The camera man will make sure your face is included in the screen. Conduct the interview just as you would if you were going for a job interview. Remind yourself that it’s just like having a conversation with anyone else—except this is a reporter.

3.)  Keep hand gestures to a minimum – Large hand gestures are often extremely distracting and will take away from whatever message it is that you’re trying to get across. If you’re sitting in a chair, keep your forearms on the arms of the chair. Try to limit your hand gestures to very small ones, or better yet—try not to do any at all!

4.)  Get Acquainted – Prior to a T.V. interview you may have a couple of minutes of face-to-face time with the reporter before you go live. During this time, they will usually get acquainted with you or let you know the interview style or how long it will last. Use this time to get comfortable with whomever you’re speaking with so you’re less uncomfortable on air.

5.) Know your stuff – Although this seems like a no-brainer, it’s crucial that you’re comfortable with the topic at hand and are ready to answer any question the reporter may throw your way. Prep for your interview by creating a sheet of practice questions and answers so that you’re better prepared.

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5 Things We Learned From the Austin American-Statesman

By Dana Sotoodeh

As PR pros, it’s extremely important to know your local media outlets like the back of your hand. Whether you’re pitching T.V., radio, or print, familiarizing yourself with as many reporters and outlets as possible, is key in moving you forward in your career.

Team Snackbox had the privilege of visiting the Austin American-Statesman and talking with food writer, Addie Broyles, last week. From viewing the newsroom to sitting down with a journalist who is smothered in pitches on a weekly basis, we asked the important questions and found out first hand what to do– and not to do, when it comes to getting a reporters attention.

Team Snackbox presents to you:

The Top 5 things we learned from our Austin American Statesman Tour

1.)  Format matters– Believe it or not, not all reporters read the subject line and make a decision from there. Although a quirky pitch title does catch their attention, the way your pitch is formatted in the body says a lot about you and the subject your pitching. Make sure everything is neatly formatted and easy to read.

2.)  Personalize the pitch- As you may know, journalists get hundreds of pitches on a daily basis. Copy and pasted press releases, however, don’t always guarantee media coverage even if you’re working with a nationally known brand. Addie Broyles told Team Snackbox that personalized pitches are often more appreciated than a pitch that looks like it’s been sent to everyone in the local and national market. Ease into personalizing your pitches by using a general statement such as “ hope all has been well,” or “ hope you had a great holiday!” These small acts of kindness are often a lot more welcoming than the PR pros that don’t take the time to get personal.

3.)  Research your reporter– We’ve heard and read this over and over, but during our Statesman tour, we confirmed it. Doing a simple Twitter or Linked In search on your reporter before pitching can make all the difference in the way your pitch is received. Pitching food to a sports writer? Probably not a good idea. Addie tells us that her email is full of pitches constantly. Do your part by researching and making sure you’re targeting the right reporter before doing so. This saves time for not only your reporter, but for you as well.

4.)  National vs. Local– It’s important to keep your media lists extremely specific to your target audience. Addie told Team Snackbox that she often receives pitches about restaurant openings in other states, cities, etc. Although she is a food writer, her market is mostly Austin-based. If given the option to write about a restaurant in Austin vs. one in Chicago, she will most likely write about the Austin one. Keep your media outlets in mind especially when they are a city-based publication, such as the Statesman.

5.)  Timeliness Matters– You wrote a great pitch. You got a reporters attention. They want to give you coverage. That’s great! There’s not better time than now to be as timely as possible. With journalists and reporters being bombarded with hundreds of stories a week, they want to be able to have reliable contacts. If they have contacted you stating their interest and have requested information, it’s your job, as the PR Pro that you are, to provide the information in the timeliest manner as possible. Addie tells us that it’s comforting to have people who she can count on to provide her with the information she needs, when she needs it–especially when it comes to deadlines.

These 5 tips can make all the difference in the way journalists work with you and receive that pitch you worked so hard on. Keep these small tips in mind when it comes to your next pitch. Take notes on the responses you receive when you incorporate these pointers.  Congrats– you’re on your way to securing coverage!

 

 

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The In’s and Out’s of a Successful eNewsletter Campaign

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By Dana Sotoodeh

We see it all the time especially around the holidays—our email is overflowing with messages about the same deals. Nordstrom’s Labor Day Sale, Dillard’s President’s Day Sale— what’s really the difference? Unfortunately, if you are scrolling past these frequent emails, the messages aren’t doing their job. They say a happy customer is an engaged one, so Team Snackbox is here to coach you on a few ways your email subscribers can gain interest in your e-newsletters and stop scrolling past your name.

1.)   Catchy Subject Line: Let’s start with the basics. The first thing your subscribers see when they open their inbox is your subject line. The key to getting your e-newsletter noticed begins with getting your subscriber to click it. Draw the reader in with creative and persuasive titles. The chances of keeping them entertained are much higher if they are genuinely interested in your subject line. 

2.)  Incorporate your personality- Subscribers want to feel like they can relate to you or your company. If you’ve been sending out the same e-newsletter and only changing the day of the sale or special, chances are, you’re getting overlooked. Incorporate a conversational tone into your e-newsletters. This makes the subscriber feel comfortable with you, and in result, boosts the chance of them opening and staying engaged in what you have to say. It’s important that your brand has it’s own unique voice.

3.)  Social Media Friendly: Let’s face it—if your e-newsletter isn’t social media friendly, it’s probably not going to go very far. In this day and age, information should be able to be shared quickly, and on various social media channels by the click of a button. Include Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook widgets within your e-newsletter. Not will your subscriber be happy about how easy it is to share your information—the more shares they do, the more popular you look. It’s a win-win.

4.)  Keep it Simple– Too many e-newsletters will overwhelm your subscribers, and none will make them lose interest. Keep your newsletters to the point by focusing on the quality of your product and offering small promotions or give-a-ways. This keeps subscribers engaged but not annoyed.

5.)  Update Content: Try and include at least one or two new pieces of content in each days e-newsletter. People don’t want to read the same thing day after day. It’s important that your content is constantly changing so that subscribers don’t lose interest and so that they understand what level of growth you and your company are on. The more new things going on, the busier you look—and busy is a good thing!

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PR: You’re Doing it Wrong

By Jenna Oltersdorf

I’m old. I’ve been in this business for a long time.

Want proof?

  1. I used to send news releases by fax (for those of you who aren’t familiar, click here.)
  2. When building a media list, I used Bacon’s Books … much like a phone book. Oh, wait. You don’t know what that is either.

I also no longer use a car phone or an Atari (confession: I miss Asteroids like crazy). The whole point is, as a PR pro I’ve evolved and I hope you have, too.

News releases aren’t dead … they’re simply over-used.

It’s not that we have to stop reaching out to reporters … it’s just with the 24/7 news cycle AND more media than ever, we have to be strategic about who we approach and how we approach them.

The problem is, you all are moving too fast. You aren’t checking your sources before you pitch them.

Case in point? My food blog (admittedly, abandoned due to lack of time, but it’s still out there). Nomnomist averages about 10 pitches per day. Absolutely not out of control.

But you know what turns me into a POO FLINGING MONKEY!?!?!?!  Getting automotive pitches. I write wrote about food. Seriously. It isn’t that hard. My logo is a spork.

Please, PR peers. Slow it down. Do it right. You’re making the rest of us look bad.

 

 

 

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5 Ways to Build Relationships with Reporters

By Dana Sotoodeh

PR pros often forget that there’s more to public relations than awesome communication skills, contacts, and a great pitch. Building a solid relationship with reporters is crucial in succeeding in your PR career. We know what you’re thinking.. “ Some reporters are so intimidating”. Fear no more—Team Snackbox is here to offer 5 ways that are key in building strong relationships with reporters and getting that awesome pitch of yours noticed.

1.)  Research your reporter– This is number one for a reason. Knowing your reporter goes a long way when it comes to pitching. If you pitch a bylined food article to a sports reporter, you clearly didn’t do your research. Make sure you know what the reporter specializes in, what their tone is, and how to phrase your pitch to make it applicable to them. This also makes you look well read and prepared which increases your chance on getting a lead.

2.)  Deliver a great pitch– We know this sounds obvious, but reporters are bombarded with hundreds of pitches a week. It’s important that your pitch is brief, gets the point across, and is extremely concise. Cutout needless words and include bullet points or numbers when it comes to talking points. A well-written pitch is key to catching your reporter’s attention.

3.)  Connect through social media– Social media is huge when it comes to reporters. Twitter in particular is a great way to connect to reporters and follow stories they’re doing. This not only gives you a feel for the reporter’s style, but also allows you to connect with them on a more personal level. Comment on their work and @ them so they get familiar with your name and know you’re genuinely interested.

4.)  Be timely– As a PR pro, “busy” defines your schedule and life. The same applies to reporters. From making deadline, to filtering through pitches, their time is just as valuable as yours. Once you researched your reporter, wrote that awesome pitch, and caught a reporters attention, it’s important to be on top of sending them the information they need when they need it. If they need contact information or an article, it’s your priority to get it to them as soon as possible. The faster you get back to them, the easier you make their life—and trust us- they will add you to their “good list”

5.)  Stay in touch– Just because your article got ran or you got a placement, doesn’t mean your contact with that reporter ends. It’s important to keep in touch with them in order to maintain a solid relationship.Don’t know how? Send them a simple “thank you” after they run your pitch. This let’s them know that you appreciate them, and that you value the relationship that has been built.

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