5 Top Tips for sharing your company’s news on Social Media

February 29th, 2012 Posted in Advertising, Facebook, Marketing, Media, MediaHQ, Mediacontact.ie News, Social Media, Social Network, Social Platforms No Comments

The social news revolution is presenting a very exciting opportunity for
organisations about how they influence what customers read about them on
social media sites.

We now consume a large proportion of our daily news on social channels.
According to Mashable an astonishing 75% of all
news in the USA is consumed through social channels
(http://mashable.com/2010/03/01/social-networks-source-news)

We started Mediahq.com in September 2011 to help businesses to
simultaneously share their stories with traditional journalists via emails,
and on social channels.

It has quadrupled our web traffic is just 4 months with hundreds of stories
receiving thousands of new eye balls through Twitter and Facebook.

But what makes a good story you might ask? Why is one a must read and
another as dull as ditch water?

Just yesterday the communications team at @Foroige, headed by @Jerome_Hughes
released “Phone APP Translates ‘Cork English’ into English!!” a story that
gained over 1000 views within hours of being published.

Thanks to Jerome’s journalistic instincts and the hard working Social Media
Research Team at Media HQ, the story also featured on the Rick O’ Shea show,
Spin SW, FYI on TV3 as well as a feature article on the popular Irish site
Joe.ie.

Here are five tips we’ve learned to to help you get more views for your
social news stories.

1. Make sure your story is Newsworthy!
No matter how much you format your text or edit your headline, be it
traditional or new media, if your public does not find the content
informative, interesting or useful you will not succeed.

2. Use a Headline that’s attractive and Twitter friendly
To use a long confusing title is shooting yourself in the foot before a
race. No matter how good your story is, you need to draw the reader in using
your title. It needs to be short and catchy enough to fit in a tweet and
needs to contain enough Keywords to be recognized by search engines.

3. Keep your Release short and to the point.
The attention of the average Internet reader is decreasing rapidly and we
must face the fact that most readers will not read a long post. Avoid
including additional info about your company as in a traditional Press
Release. Keep your story specific enough that even a skim-read is enough to
make people want to share it on social Media

4. Try and use humour
The most successful Social Media Releases are light-hearted as the reader
is encouraged to share with his/her friends or family. A serious,
disheartening story may well be read by your closest audience but it is
unlikely they will pass it on through their other networks.

5.Make sure you have a good idea!

Never underestimate the power of creativity. The Foroige story did well because it was something that the public hadn’t seen before and weren’t expecting. People will never share the same old, same old!

PR on a Shoestring is coming to Galway and Cork – in association with AOIFE

February 23rd, 2012 Posted in Course/Training, Mediacontact.ie News No Comments

Mediacontact.ie are teaming up with the Association of Irish Festivals and Events (AOIFE) to bring our popular training course, PR on a Shoestring: a masterclass in How to make your Business Famous, to Galway and Cork. We’ll be in Galway on 27th March and Cork on 28th March for this full day’s training. Places are limited to 15 people.

MediaHQ Combination discount
When you book a place on our ‘PR on a shoe string Masterclass’ you are also eligible for our first time introductory discount on MediaHQ.

Media HQ is the most comprehensive Irish media contacts database in the country, including 20,000 contacts with journalists’ biogs, social media links, tv and radio programme details and schedules. It’s also a press release distribution service whereby you can send your press releases to our media lists and your own media lists from any computer anywhere in the world.

If you avail of this MediaHQ combination discount, you will also receive step-by-step training on how to use MediaHQ on the day of the event. For more information on MediaHQ contact Gaye@mediacontact.ie or click here.

AOIFE Members

Attend PR on a Shoestring only: €195
Attend PR on a Shoestring plus Media HQ subscription: add €395

Non- AOIFE Members

Attend PR on a Shoestring only: €245
Attend PR on a Shoestring plus Media HQ subscription: add €395
(Full price of Media HQ, the complete online press office: €850 + VAT. )

Target Audience: This training course is suitable for people who want to maximise their profile in the Irish market by generating increased publicity for their business through traditional and online public relations, and marketing.

Course Content: Have you ever seen a positive item about a business on television, or in a newspaper, and wondered how to get free media coverage for your business?

This one-day course has been designed to equip you with the necessary skills and technology to effectively communicate your business through the media.

The training will start by helping you to define what is unique about your business, and how to define your communications objectives. You will learn how to identify and communicate with your target audience. We will look at how best to prepare a media list and how write an effective media release, as well as examine the dos and don’ts of talking to journalists.

We will examine case studies of businesses that know how to use the media to successfully communicate their green credentials to their target audience. In particular, we will talk about being creative and original when devising a media strategy.

The course will cover:

How the media works in Ireland.
How set the communications objectives for your organisation.
How to organise a PR campaign.
How to write a great press release.
How to prepare a media list and send a media release at the right time.
How to create great picture and how to use them.
How to contact the media and get them interested in your business.
How to be creative when approaching the media.
How to integrate social media into your PR plan.

Here is what previous attendees of the course thought of it:

PR on a Shoestring is an excellent course I really enjoyed it and learned a lot. The more I think about it, the more I feel I got from it – it takes a day or two to absorb all the information!!
I will be recommending to all and sundry.
Máire Flynn, The Tannery Restaurant

A one-day fast-track to understanding the main principles of PR and social media in Ireland. Jack delivers a lively and energetic performance, which leaves you enthusiastic about tackling your own PR objectives. I also enjoyed the mix of theory, practical case studies, group feedback and videos – great course!
Elaine Watters, Elaine Watters Photography

The day was very informative, helpful and made public relations a lot clearer and more structured in my mind. I really enjoyed the practical exercises – they really got me thinking ‘outside the box’.
Franziska Fehr, Progressio Ireland

The course surpassed my expectations – it was challenging and engaging while also being very informative, fun and interesting. Very good value for money.
Holly Cowman, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick

Probably the most knowledgeable and well-prepared presenter I’ve ever seen.
Phillip O’Connor, Eblana Communications

Jack was excellent; the course covered so much in one day. The course provided a clear overview of effective PR tools and it was really refreshing to see how different approaches can be used.
Jane McGarrigle, Fianna Fail

I found the day very productive. I feel very refreshed and brimming with ideas on how to do our PR more efficiently.
Caitriona Gleeson, Safe Ireland

I loved the exercises that Jack gave us – I’ve done lots of training in Ireland but never did any exercises like these before – they were completely original.
Holy R, Dochas

Rubberbandits to feature in video game

February 21st, 2012 Posted in Games, Music No Comments

Blindboy Boat Club and Mr.Chrome, otherwise known as Limerick hip-hop act Rubberbandits, are to star in their own video game. The Revenge of Steven Forward will demo at the upcoming Games Fleadh in March and will be available on the Apple App Store and Android Market by the summer.

The boys have apparently written dialogue for the game and their music will be featured on some levels, which include scenes from Limerick streets and estates. It’s an Open Emotion creation – the people behind Mad Blocker Alpha (and guess what, they’re based in Limerick).

Source: Silicon Republic

5 (bad) excuses for not joining Twitter

February 21st, 2012 Posted in Media Tips, Twitter No Comments

Our Twitter masterclass is coming up in just a few weeks’ time, so if anyone out there is still unconvinced about how great Twitter is and what it can do for your business, here is a list of the top 5 excuses people use not to dive into the Twittersphere and why they’re all nonsense.

It’s a waste of time for businesses. This is simply not true. If done correctly, Twiiter will help you get media coverage by connecting with bloggers and journalists directly, and can also generate significant traffic and leads by getting found by potential customers and sharing valuable content that drives them to your website. Marketers already recognize the value of networking in generating business – well, this is taking that networking online, and Twitter is one tool that makes networking easy.

Why do I need to know this nonsense? What’s great about Twitter is that you don’t have to follow (and thus get updates from) people whose tweets you don’t enjoy. You can follow someone, and then choose to unfollow if you don’t enjoy their tweets. And you don’t have to follow every “noisy” person who follows you. With that said, don’t write this off altogether – what is sometimes called “noise” is actually an integral part of engaging fully on Twitter, sharing a bit of yourself in order to connect and communicate with others

My customers aren’t on Twitter. Even if this is true, you should still check out who may be talking about you there, or if your competitors are tweeting. If you have a very niche market, perhaps a small audience of engineers or manufacturers, there is all the more reason to connect directly with these people wherever they choose to hang out, which may be Twitter. Go to search.twitter.com to find out.

It takes too much time. It can, but it doesn’t have to. There are countless apps that can help streamline your twitter feed and make sure you only see what you deem necessary. Try Tweetdeck, StrawberryJ.am or Buffer for size. All you really have to do to stay on top of things is check your stream once or twice a day, and check your @replies to see who’s talking to you (or about you).

I don’t want the opportunity for negative exposure. The truth is, people are probably already talking about you and the question is whether or not you will listen and respond. You need to get into that conversation to address your customers’ feedback, even if it’s just to say ‘we hear you’. Listening and responding early can have quite a significant impact in calming fires before they spread.

Source: Hubspot

Facebook launches verified accounts

February 21st, 2012 Posted in Facebook No Comments

Facebook last week launched verified accounts for prominent public figures in what seems to many to be a copycat move in Twitter’s direction.

People with verified accounts will appear more prominently in the Facebook’s ‘People to Subscribe To’ suggestions and they will also be allowed to use nicknames rather than their birth names.

It’s a way to stamp out fraud, they say, so that people don’t subscribe to imposters. There is (for now) no way to be volunteer for verification, you have to be chosen.

Facebook will then manually approve alternative names; for example. Lady Gaga could change her username to Lady Gaga instead of her birth name, Stefani Germanotta.

Unlike Twitter however, Facebook will not show any sort of symbol or badge denoting a verified account. You’ll just have to take their word for it.

Source: Tech Crunch

11 Linkedin marketing gems you’re missing out on

February 21st, 2012 Posted in LinkedIn, Media Tips No Comments

Take a look at this article from Hubspot that will fill you in on 11 (yes, eleven) hidden tricks and tools that will help your business on Linkedin.

We already know that LinkedIn is more effective at generating leads than Facebook or Twitter. It also has over 100 million users, is a B2B marketing goldmine, and allows brands and individuals to build valuable industry connections that can lead to opportunities. Here, we examine 11 features of LinkedIn functionality that many marketers either overlook, or just plain didn’t know about, and explain how they can bolster your inbound marketing.

LinkedIn Answers. LinkedIn Answers is a forum for people to ask and answer questions. Aside from the obvious thought leadership credibility you can gain from providing clear answers to questions here, it is also a great opportunity to identify industry influencers with whom to network. LinkedIn Answers actually provides you with the ability to search through experts in the Top Experts section.

Group Statistics. Found under ‘More’ in the navigation of your LinkedIn group, Group Statistics gives you insights about group members, whether you own the group or not. Use the data available in Group Statistics to help refine the targeting of your advertising and marketing campaigns. For example, if you’re running ads on LinkedIn, take a look at the activity levels of groups you’re considering targeting in Group Statistics to ensure you’re only targeting ads at the most active LinkedIn users.

Subgroups. A subgroup is a space within your group where members can collaborate based on a function, project, topic, location, or anything else. As your group grows, you’ll find that maintaining relevancy for everyone becomes more difficult. use LinkedIn subgroups to filter out any content that isn’t relevant for the entire group and keep your members engaged.

Targeted Product Tabs. did you know you can do more than just blanket product information out there for the entire LinkedIn universe? You can actually create different variations of your product tab for each segment of your target audience. Create a default version of your page, then iterate on it so the most appropriately messaged page appears based on the characteristics of your target audience — like company size, job function, industry, seniority, and geographic location.

Linkedin Apps. Did you know there’s a LinkedIn Application Directory? You can enhance your profile and better collaborate with your network with many of these apps. Some of the better ones are SlieShare Presentations, Box.net, and Company Buzz.

Skills and Expertise. This tool is in beta, but lets you search for LinkedIn members, companies, and groups based on the skills and expertise they list. When you search for a skill, you can find the best people on LinkedIn to speak with related to that query, their locations, groups that are discussing the topic, and see the growth of that industry over time.

News Module. The News Module not only feeds mentions of your business to your LinkedIn company page, but it also shows news to those who have your name listed in their profile. That means news about you has a greater likelihood of showing up in someone else’s news feed.

Linkedin Events. This app automatically delivers personalized recommendations for events you should attend based on your industry, location, and what events your connections are attending. That means you can be where your customers, vendors, and industry influencers are going.

Linkedin Polls. Groups now have the ability to poll people, and it’s really, really easy to do. Just go to the group in which you want to publish a poll (it’s up to group managers to decide whether everyone can publish polls regardless of group membership), hit ‘Poll’, enter your question, and schedule for how long you’d like your poll to run. Conduct your own market research and collect data for content creation.

Company Status Update. Company pages now have the functionality (and have for several months) to post status updates, just like you can on personal profiles or your company Facebook page. Post content you’ve created, post questions to your page followers, and share other peoples’ content to get more followers, drive more traffic to your website, and generate leads.

Under Contacts in the main navigation, click on ‘My Connections,’ then ‘Export Connections’ to download your .CSV or .VCF file. You can also filter out certain people in the left navigation — like friends and family — that aren’t relevant to your business.

Source: Hubspot.

Olympics to be broadcast in 3D

February 21st, 2012 Posted in Sport, TV, World events No Comments

The BBC has announced that the 2012 Olympics taking place in London this summer will be broadcast in 3D for BBC HD viewers with 3D televisions.

Viewers will be treated to three dimensional versions of the opening ceremony, closing ceremony, men’s 100m final and daily highlights.

It’s expected that the service will give the BBC an idea of how ready audiences are to embrace 3D. They chose a limited number of events to ‘minimise the loss of HD that is a consequence of our 3D service.’

NBC and Panasonic will be doing the same in the United States too.

Source: Mashable

4 social media disasters

February 21st, 2012 Posted in Crisis, Media Tips, Social Media No Comments

When social media is done right, it goes very very well. But when it’s done wrong, you could have a tidal wave of complaints, criticism and chaos on your hands in a matter of minutes. Here are four recent social media disasters and how to avoid them.

Netflix launches Qwikster. Netflix’s failed attempt to split their services by launching a separate streaming service called Qwikster was an undeniable disaster, but not just because of the business model. Around the time of the attempted launch Twitter users who tried to follow @Qwikster found someone who talked about drugs and uttered an impressive amount of profanities. So, always search online for potential names of products or services BEFORE you tell people about them.

Kenneth Cole’s Cairo joke. The uprising in Egypt last year was a hot topic on Twitter. Fashion label Kenneth Cole failed to make light of a very serious situation by tweeting: ‘Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumour is they heard our new spring collection is now available online.’ Never use sensitive issues such as world conflict or death to promote yourself – especially if you’re a big brand.

Burger King’s Whopper Sacrifice. This short live Facebook campaign was shut down because Burger King asked people to defriend ten people for a free Whopper burger. Avoiding this one is a no-brainer: don’t’ do anything that directly goes against the whole point of social media (i.e connecting with people!)

Ketchum offends FedEx. Ketchum, a public relations and marketing agency based in New York, took the philosophy of showing your brand’s human side on Twitter too far when a vice president tweeted about how he would die if he had to live in Memphis Tennessee. There are worse things you could say on Twitter in normal circumstances, but Ketchum happened to have a big meeting with their biggest clients, FedEx, the next day. Guess what? FedEx are based in Tennessee. Therefore, be careful not to tweet personal views that could be taken up the wrong way.

Source: Hubspot

Newspaper readership down 2.4%

February 17th, 2012 Posted in Ireland, Journalism, Media, Newspapers, Stats No Comments

The latest Joint National Readership Survey (JNRS) has revealed that newspaper readership in Ireland has declined by a further 2.4% overall this year compared to last year.

2.89 million adults (or 81% of the adult population) surveyed at the end of 2011 had read a print edition of a newspaper during the survey period compared with 2.96 million adults the previous year.

The Irish Independent is the most read newspaper with an average daily readership of 477,000, while The Irish Times fell behind with 310,000. The Irish Daily Star grew its readership to 373,000, while the Daily Mirror also enjoyed an increase from 192,000 to 214,000.

Of the Sunday titles, the most popular is Sunday Independent with 939,000 readers followed by the Sunday World with 819,000. The Irish Sunday Mirror and the Irish Mail on Sunday saw an increase, probably due to the closure of the News of the World.

Millward Brown Lansdowne, which compiled the report, suggested there was some evidence of a tendency among readers of daily titles to shift from regular to occasional readership.

Source: The Irish Times.

Blog

PR on a Shoestring is coming to Galway and Cork – in association with AOIFE

Rubberbandits to feature in video game

5 (bad) excuses for not joining Twitter

Facebook launches verified accounts

11 Linkedin marketing gems you’re missing out on

Olympics to be broadcast in 3D

Newspaper readership down 2.4%

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