by Matt Schlossberg | May 27, 2016 | Blog
Contributing a bylined article in a print or online healthcare publication is one of the best ways to up your PR/marketing game by building your organization’s reputation as a credible information source and bringing attention to your capabilities as a solutions provider.
Here’s what the research tells us:
- Earned media is the most trusted form of advertising. (Nielsen, 2013.)
- Lead-generation driven by earned media outperforms lead generation driven by paid media by 10-15%. (Conductor, 2014.)
- 70% of consumers want to learn about products through content, rather than traditional advertisements. (Inc., 2015.)
In addition to its stellar performance against traditional marketing and advertising tactics, earned media bylines have the potential to enhance every facet of your current PR and marketing efforts.
Think of vendor-neutral, solutions-agnostic bylines as the stock base of a really great soup or stew. Home cooks and professional chefs use these flavorful stock compounds to enhance countless dishes. Similarly, contributed articles can refitted to enhance any number of PR and marketing vehicles, including social media and blog posts, white papers, and case studies. Positive coverage that earned contributions garner can also be a stepping stone to encouraging existing customers to participate in media interviews or as co-authors on future articles.
They can also serve as key collateral for your organization’s sales team. IGD Enterprise notes that 74% of technology influencers and decision-makers turn first to third-party content sites for information on vendors and solutions in order to develop RPFs or RFIs. A glossy reprint or simple PDF of a contributed article is a great for prospects seeking additional information and validation on your solutions and services.
Producing regular bylines will help you build lasting relationships with editors and the audience their publications reach. I helped a client develop an editorial calendar that included topics and targeted publications. After three or four placements, we found that we no longer had to solicit editors they were coming to us.
Whether you are penning listicles, high-level thought leader pieces, or granular articles in the style of long-form journalism, earned media contributions are proven, long-lived, and essential components in any PR/Marketing toolbox.
by Matt Schlossberg | Feb 11, 2016 | Blog
In 2010, the PR Director of the health IT association I worked for asked me to shoot video of staff and members. I did a double-take. I was a managing editor. Magazine articles, case studies, blog posts, Newsletters, books if you needed prose, I was your guy.
But video? My “qualifications” included being a classic movie buff and serving as director of shaky, out-of-focus snippets of my kids taking their first steps.
However, there was no budget, no oversight, and no expectations of success, so I agreed to do it. I was given a cheap handle-held camera, a tripod with a bum leg, and best wishes in finding my own editing software. I figured I would muscle through a couple of videos before this nascent program was quietly smothered in the crib.
Six years, 230+ videos, and one association award later, I’m a video evangelist. Here’s why video could be one of the most versatile tools in your marketing/PR arsenal:
Video is a powerful tactic on its own. I can quickly shoot and edit testimonials, as well as impactful messages and perspectives from thought leaders. For example, I shot 20 minutes of video for an Amendola client, and was able to edit a half-dozen distinct videos for them to use over the course of months. YouTube is the second largest search engine on the Internet, after Google. In addition, 70% of the top 100 search listings on Google are videos. More than 92% of B2B customers watch video online, and 75% of executives watch work-related videos on business-related websites at least weekly, according to Forbes.
Video seamlessly integrates with other tactics. Video can make your other PR/marketing tactics press releases, social media, and media pitching stand out from the crowd. For example, video increases email open-rates by 96%.
Video is cheap, easy and fun. With a one-time $300 investment and a bit of experimentation, I had portable film studio and am able to create professional-looking video clips very quickly and on the fly.
Forget big budgets. With minimal investment and technical know-how you can create a robust, creative video program that will give the rest of your PR/Marketing tactics a much-needed shot in the arm.
Check out some of the client testimonial videos I’ve created, using footage captured at HIMSS.
by Matt Schlossberg | Jan 22, 2016 | Blog
Matt Schlossberg spent more than seven years at HIMSS where he wore many publishing and marketing communications hats. Now at Amendola, Matt and the team have created a guide to HIMSS16 full of insider insight into how to make a big splash at our industry’s biggest event.
Get the Amendola “Hacking HIMSS” guide here.
