This post is part of the series of 10 tips to increase earned media
You can find links to all the posts in the series in the right-hand column of the blog.
At the core of earned media is great content. You have to offer the reporter, editor or blogger something that they value – content that will help them interest or entertain their readers/viewers. Media is all about attracting more people to their content.
Offline events can be an excellent way to generate good content. I was recently at the PR News Taste of Tech Social Media Summit in New York City. In the two days I was there I met some industry luminaries, heard interesting panel discussions and keynote addresses and had the opportunity to interview several of the speakers. I tweeted highlights and interesting snippets. I also took note of the questions asked by speakers and the responses from the audience. All of this live interaction will find its way into blog posts and videos that I post online.
My tweeting and networking at the conference led to this earned media article in CommPro.biz
Every time you hold a live event, or attend one, or speak at an event, make it do double duty and use it to produce content. Instead of just being a passive attendee, become an event reporter. There is no gatekeeper on reporting anymore. If you have a Twitter account, a blog, or a corporate online newsroom, you can publish content.
Keep a Digital PR Tool Box in your purse or laptop bag: Camera, video camera, (with the quality of cell phone cameras today you can even use that) an external microphone for interviews, and basic editing software ( which comes with your laptop today.)
By tapping into the content and theme of a live event that aligns with your company’s products and services you automatically have access to an audience that is interested in your content. Trade journals and news sites will be interested in interviews with industry leaders.
Reporting on industry events
Plan ahead – before the event figure out what content you can produce:
- Who will be speaking
- Who will be attending
- Who can you interview – set up appointments
- Decide which sessions you want to cover
- Get the Twitter Hashtag so you can tap into the people watching the stream of content for that event
- Make sure all your equipment is working properly
- Figure out who might be interested in your content and start that conversation – bloggers, trade pubs, news site
Produce your own events
When Hennessy Cognac launched their Hennessy Artistry campaign they created a series of live events showcasing Hennessy product alongside a mix of musicians from all corners of the world. They used the events to generate a flood of content that was published and shared by traditional media, bloggers and fans.
The “We Can’t Believe That Worked.” campaign won an Earnie this year. In order to get a better understanding of the business climate in Michigan, gauge the sentiment of the state, and show the positive impact of social media on businesses, the M3 Props team set out for a 2-week tour across the 83 counties of Michigan. Throughout the 11 days on the road the M3 team met with business owners, community leaders and residents and turned their real-life experiences into engaging, shareable online content in the form of videos, photos, blog posts and personal stories that resulted in a slew of media coverage.
Creativity in your events is crucial – check out this campaign from Honest Tea, that landed them extensive media coverage – both traditional and social.
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