Tactics to Maximize Buzz
Once you have created your first social media press releases, you can then improve them over time by monitoring pickup. The old-fashioned way to do this was to send a release to a given number of outlets, then count the number of pickups. Today we use more high-tech methods, including the following:
- Monitor your Open Rate (should be at least 25%, a good open rate is over 35%)
- Monitor your Click Through Rate (people who have downloaded images and documents)
- Post the release on all of your channels, including:
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- Your company website news section or blog
- Promote link and preview of the release on your blog through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
- After a few releases, examine messages with the highest rates and ask journalists what they liked about themFocus on your subject line. Keep it catchy and enticing, but truthful. Avoid phrases like “enhance”, as it will send the message to SPAM
- Check your lists EVERY time you send a release. ALWAYS remove unsubscribes and bad email addresses.
- Failure to do so will alienate media outlets and possibly can get you flagged by email services
- Only send releases to appropriate media outlets.
- “Spray and Pray” tactics don’t work, and will result in getting you marked as Spam or deleted immediately.
- If you are promoting an off-road part, only send to the truck magazines and blogs
- You can create media lists by scanning the local newsstand, most editors have email addresses listed in the staff box
- Blogs and websites usually have contact info listed somewhere on the site. Many blogs have a “tips” email
- The forums are another great place to promote new products. Be sure to ask the admin or moderator first, many forums require a sponsorship to promote new product, but this is often very inexpensive (a few hundred dollars per month)
- If posting on the forums, ensure success by checking the site daily, answering questions and interacting with members, don’t show up only when you have a product to promote or you will be ignored.
Other Tips
Promoting your brand in the modern media landscape is like throwing a party: you set the table, make the food, invite all your friends, and wait for them to show up. Once they arrive, however, you can’t just leave. You have to foster relationships, make sure everything is getting what they need, and they’re all happy. If you do this well, your guests will return for the next party – and bring a few friends. This is how content goes viral:
- Foster relationships with your consumers and the press.
- Digital media does NOT mean you no longer have to talk to people. Pick up the phone. Create relationships.
- ASK THE QUESTION: Does this product sound cool? If not, why?
- Advertising still helps.
- Every new product or brand, if its cool and well presented, gets a little buzz at first and will get press. However the media (from blogs to major magazines) are businesses too. If they run your content and make your phone ring, consider advertising. You help them, they continue to help you. Everyone wins.
- Video is Key
It’s not for everyone, as poor quality video is not worth doing. However with a decent consumer camera and basic programs like iMovie, even hobbyists can make excellent “how it works” type videos that not only work well in new product releases, they can be repurposed on the forums, your social media channels, the landing page for your product, and can even be sent to distributors for use on their sites to help sell the product.
It’s not for everyone, as poor quality video is not worth doing. However with a decent consumer camera and basic programs like iMovie, even hobbyists can make excellent “how it works” type videos that not only work well in new product releases, they can be repurposed on the forums, your social media channels, the landing page for your product, and can even be sent to distributors for use on their sites to help sell the product.
