Infographics: Stand-Alone or Package Deal?

Everyone wants their press release to stand out and get them published articles, blog mentions, retweets, etc. Some opt for packaging their press release in a different format. However, if writing a haiku, blog, or tweet version of a press release doesn’t fit your style, here’s another take on how to spice up your press release: it’s called an infographic. An infographic is a visual that represents information or data, most often presented as a graph. One of the debates going on with infographics centers around whether they can be used as a press release or whether they should be used in conjunction with a press release. Mickey Kennedy’s article offers five reasons why an infographic should be used as a press release http://bit.ly/skl9cK.

1) An infographic clearly explains complex issues: Most people are visual learners, so text and imagery together can better communicate your point while making your story look more interesting.

2) Infographics stand out amidst a sea of traditional press releases: If something stands out, it’s much more likely to catch a reporter’s attention and get you published.

3) People share infographics: Infographics are easy to understand and fun to look at, and that translates into lots of social media traffic.

4) Infographics are a quick read: In a time crunch society, anything that’s convenient goes for reporters. If they can quickly scan and get a clear sense of your story, then it’s more likely you’ll rise to the top of their priority list.

5) Infographics provide details for the story: Infographics contain a range of information, and their format quickly allows reporters to grab any supporting details they need to fill in the gaps of their story.

The reasons for not using an infographic in place of a press release can be found in the comments section of Kennedy’s article. One argument that I agree with is that an infographic works best when a story has lots of complex information. If it doesn’t then there’s no reason to use an infographic because that’s its purpose. The second is that images don’t generate SEO.

Ryan Zuk sites marketing automation company Eloqua as an example, in that their Content Grid v2 infographic brought them 60 articles and blog posts, hundreds of retweets and even inquiry calls from Fortune 500 prospects http://bit.ly/tyBi62. Three reasons Zuk sites for why theirs and other infographics spread is that they convince people of your subject matter expertise, generate clicks in the same way as other headlines, and help others understand your message better. Infographics improve search results via inbound links. According to Joe Chernov, Eloqua’s Vice President of Content Marketing, the key is hosting it on an optimized website and having your website link to that unique content (at least as far as Google results go).

In short, when it comes to whether infographics work best alone or with a press release, I would say that it’s situation-dependent. I see instances where each may work better than the other or where both together would be more beneficial. Most would be beneficial together, but to be truly unique a stand-alone is an option as long as the information isn’t too complex. It all comes down to what best communicates your message, and that’s up to you. Regardless, having an infographic in your toolbox is a win-win.

Making Social Media Monitoring Effective

Social media monitoring is a flawed system. When we break down the phrase notice that it begins with the word social. Being social is about reaching out to a lot of people, but it’s also about the quality of relationships with those people, which is something social media is not measuring. In order to remain social, the quality of relationships must be preserved. That’s inherently what’s wrong with social media monitoring, but let’s get into specifics just to clarify exactly what are the issues at stake.

Bob Knorpp states that “We aren’t valuing conversations. We are valuing reach and frequency” http://bit.ly/mYN2Jy. Basically, social media values reach and frequency over sentiments and customer satisfaction. Reach and frequency are barely scratching the surface when it comes to social media monitoring. Another fault with social media monitoring is that it doesn’t improve revenue per customer, overall customer value, or promote a better understanding of customer value when a single campaign management suite is used http://bit.ly/mTMdDg. Focusing solely on social media doesn’t fully capture the effectiveness of a campaign, because you’re only engaging a small sector of your audience through a single channel. However, social media monitoring is also flawed because the tools are not advanced enough to capture the metrics needed to evaluate these relationships. ANA CEO Bob Liodice maintains that “…digital media has always offered better data than others for some marketers and uses…but it hasn’t offered the precision in audience measurement that brand advertisers need to compare the effectiveness…” http://bit.ly/rbIG5r. Social media monitoring it due for an overhaul, a makeover of sorts. In other words, it’s time for a change.

We may not be mind readers, able to predict exactly what motivates action and what sparks the most positive reactions that lead to the desired actions, but we have to measure it somehow to the best of our abilities. The following changes would help get us closer to that objective. The first step in making social media monitoring more effective would be to use multiple channels. Your audience uses multiple channels so you should be reaching them wherever they are at. Use multiple social media channels and/or use a variety of channels (print, video, web, radio, direct mail, etc.) to paint a more complete picture. In their article’s closing statement eMarketer relates that “…working collaboratively across functions and channels helps connect the dots after a campaign is complete and makes the most of what a company discovered throughout the process” http://bit.ly/mTMdDg. The next step to include would be measuring overall impressions, not just clicks, page visits or ad views. This step might involve conducting surveys and focus groups regarding a brand’s social media efforts, in order to more accurately capture how they are perceived and acted upon. Perhaps the most important of all these is the one I saved for last, focus on meaningful conversations. If meaningful content is what attracts people, then meaningful conversations and interactions will have the best long-term results.

In short, measuring reach and frequency is important, but it doesn’t capture the whole picture. It’s like saying you know lots of people and then realizing they are merely acquaintances and that you haven’t put in the effort to advance the relationship. You might have lots of “likes”, “followers”, “+1′s” etc. but that says nothing about the quality of the relationship you have with them. Quality is just as important as quantity, if not more so. Improving the quality of your brand’s social media relationships can effect better results, and improving the quality of your social media monitoring can ensure that those relationships stick around and multiply.

Best Practices for Marketing to Moms

A lot of people tend to think they have a handle on marketing to moms, but if they did, then getting their attention wouldn’t still be so crucial. Because they’d already have it.  Why do they not have a handle on it yet? Well, here are a few reasons.

1) Not a lot of mom’s work at ad agencies. It’s a male-dominated industry and ad agencies don’t always make time for the work/life balance that moms need http://bit.ly/nGFpF4.

2) Marketers tend to see moms as a one-dimensional group of people with three-year-olds http://bit.ly/nGFpF4. There are all types of moms and they are just as diverse as any other group.

3) A mom’s reality is not communicated through a focus group. All are too busy trying to look like the most put-together mom. In reality, moms are  time-constrained, don’t watch much TV, and “digital lives in the gaps in her life — two minutes here, five minutes here” http://bit.ly/nGFpF4.

Stephen Reily expands on the definition of a mom. 

1) Mom’s are brand-disloyal. Due to the social media culture and the Recession, moms are willing to part with brands http://bit.ly/pP6eXW. 

2) Mommy bloggers aren’t all 30-year-olds. A mommy blogger can be 25-55. As long as their content generates ‘meaningful conversations’ and ‘shares actionable recommendations’ it is useful to brands, marketers, and moms http://bit.ly/pP6eXW.  

3) Millennial moms can be reached by marketing to their boomer moms http://bit.ly/pP6eXW. Increasingly moms are listening to the same music as their daughters, shopping together, etc. Highlighting and/or playing off this bond in marketing to moms is a useful tool.

Once the definition of a mom has been examined, how to reach them becomes a lot clearer. Technology is a crucial way to reach moms and part of technology is digital and mobile. Both are illustrated in Holly Pavlika’s 5 Brands That Understand Moms http://bit.ly/qjpjjD.

-Johnson & Johnson is the first mentioned, and its Text4baby mobile app delivers health information for new moms about baby’s first year of life timed to their baby’s birth date. Johnson & Johnson is focused on relevant content, and moms are eager to learn from trusted sources like them.

-Target is next, and they offer discounts and deals through their website and social media channels. Target’s mobile app allows moms to checkout purchases anywhere, find discounts, and update gift registries. Moms can also get exclusive text offers, check prices by mobile bar code scanning, create shopping lists and create mobile gift cards. Target is focused on convenience and efficiency, two things moms gravitate towards.

-Gerber is third on the list, and they have numerous mobile apps, including their birth app that tracks sleep and feeding.  Relatable, useful content is Gerber’s specialty.

-Crayola is fourth and it wins with its mom and kid-friendly Facebook page that features plenty of activities that moms and their kids can do together. Crayola is focused on the mother-kid bond.

-Kraft is fifth and its My Recipe Box has recipes to choose from and ingredients of chosen ones can be exported into a shopping list and grouped by category. Additionally, they have a YouTube Cooking School for those who need instruction and a social plugin called Smiletagging for bookmarking smile-worthy websites. Kraft makes cooking a cinch for busy moms and brightens up their day.

To sum it up, moms value trustworthy sources that offer relevant content, convenience and efficiency and ideas on ways to connect with their kids. Marketing to moms is not limited to the above brands. Any brand that focuses on these valued characteristics, while focusing on a mom’s ever-changing lifestyle demands and bonds has a chance to gain their attention and loyalty. Doing so through digital and mobile can make you a mom’s best friend. It’s no secret that moms have a lot of buying power, and using these best practices can greatly further the reach of your brand.

Press Release 2.0

As the web has evolved, so have the press releases we write. There are still those out there who are quick to dismiss traditional PR altogether, and that includes the press release. The last time I wrote about this topic was back when I started this blog and you can refer to that post here http://bit.ly/qd3ebx. When I first spoke about this topic I mentioned how PR practitioners were increasingly turning to email versions and making their sent copies into unique presentations that command attention. What’s changed since then? More formats have come about and that means different ways to present press releases and make them stand out. Kevin Roose and Peter Lattman showcase this point, discussing how press releases have now found their way into blog posts, tweets and haiku formats http://nyti.ms/nqLbjG. Here is a recount of their examples:

- When Google bought Zagat, Google announced the addition via a blog entry titled “Google Just Got Zagat-Rated!” Meanwhile, Zagat told its website visitors via a mock review of Google using their 30-point system and quote-heavy style.

- Groupon changed up their press release by using casual language, mentioning that it had raised “like, a billion dollars” in its latest finance round.

- Zynga used a witty lead “What do Shrek and FarmVille have in common (besides donkeys and onions)?” to announce the hiring of DreamWorks Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenburg to its board.

- Marissa Mayer, Google’s top executive for local and location services, used a Twitter haiku to announce Google’s Zagat buy: “Acquisition announcement haiku: Delightful deal done, Zagat and Google now one; foodies have more fun!”

Now this approach isn’t for everyone. It’s important to take note of the tone of your company, as in some places it’s more of a match for company culture than at others. As if different formats weren’t enough to consider, Google News has a new feature that lets publishers flag their best content and standout in search results http://bit.ly/oFCkNw. It can also be used to flag others’ content when they have a good scoop. Oddly enough, the new feature is called “Standout” and it’s a tag (basic syntax: <link rel="standout" href="LINK TO STORY" />)that goes in the “head” element of a website’s HTML code. This type of content is displayed with a ‘featured’ label on Google News’s homepage as well as in search results. It’s truly the other part of the equation. You have key words, but those only take you so far. Facebook’s newsfeed highlights top stories, and Google now does the same, but instead it gives publishers the ability to highlight their own content in the vast feed of links generated by search.

Hence, there are still many ways to make press release content stand out. Wit, jokes, puns, blog entries, tweets, haiku or flagging content, all are clever ways to break through the clutter and get your message across. The press release is still alive and kicking, and format opportunities are endless. As long as there are more opportunities, press releases will exist. I’m not the only one who shares this viewpoint. Recently, Vanessa Horwell stated in her article that PR peeps should “…not turn their back on traditional media. Not yet….While the media pie has gotten bigger and there are more pieces to cut, you never know when you might need them” http://bit.ly/r6sUV1. She closes by saying they should “…see how the future media chain links connect and how that affects the destiny of traditional media before we sever those ties for good.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. The times may be changing, but they aren’t changing so fast that they have outgrown traditional media. There is clearly a time and a place for it, and with that, a time and a place for some form of a press release.