Congratulations! Your amazingly talented PR team just landed an interview for you on a local or national news program, to be conducted via Zoom. Since you regularly use Zoom for video calls, the interview should be a piece of cake. Right?
Well, it’s true that Zoom is arguably the world’s easiest-to-use video platform. It makes remote interviews possible without the need for an elaborate home TV studio set-up. There’s just one catch: you are now your own lighting, audio and make-up crew.
But don’t worry. Part of the appeal of Zoom media interviews is that they bring an authentic, more personal element to conversations between reporters and the people they’re interviewing. So no need to spend hours trying to exactly replicate a professionally produced interview. Just get the following basics down and you’ll project confidence, polish and warmth.
Tip #1: Dress in professional business attire (men, you can skip the tie). Solid blue shirts and tops project well on TV while white might make you look washed out. Avoid busy patterns and dangly or noisy jewelry that will distract the viewer from what you’re actually saying.
Tip #2: Powder your nose and forehead to “de-shine.” Any shine gets exaggerated on TV. If you don’t happen to have a compact of powder on hand, crank up your AC ahead of the interview (unless it’s a loud window unit.)
Tip #3: Get to know Zoom’s “Touch up my appearance” feature. It applies an instant soft focus to your video display, which presents a more polished appearance.
Tip #4: Maintain eye contact with viewers. Look directly at the camera on your computer or laptop screen. Experts suggest putting an arrow pointing to the camera so your eyes are automatically drawn to it.
Tip #5: But it’s okay to occasionally look down at notes if needed. In fact, it’s advisable to have three key points you want to keep in mind written down and placed near you out of view of the camera. When you’re trying to remember a point, it’s better to look down at notes than up at the ceiling. Looking up during an interview actually makes people appear dishonest. You can also prop up your note to the side of your camera to use as “cue cards.”
Tip #6: Use your laptop or desktop computer, not your smartphone. This way your interviewer can record you in landscape mode.
Tip #7: Avoid sitting too close to the camera. For some reason, many people are inclined to get right up into the camera lens. For the eventual viewer this creates the disconcerting experience of a giant face peering back through their computer screen. Sit far enough away from the camera so your head, shoulders and chest are visible.
Tip #8: Put your laptop on a stack of books so that the center of the screen is eye level. This will elongate your neck and instantly hide any double chins. Add or remove books as needed for just the right height.
Tip #9: Make sure light is shining at you, not from behind. Either place a lamp by your computer or sit near a window with natural light so that light falls on your face. If a strong light is shining behind you, viewers will only see your silhouette.
Tip #10: Avoid virtual backgrounds. They’re fun with friends and coworkers, but not appropriate for media interviews. A tidy home office is an ideal background. If you don’t have a dedicated office space, however, be aware of your surroundings. A bed, an open door that leads into a bathroom or a mirror in the background could prove embarrassing. Also, try to find somewhere you can shut out children, pets, etc. so you can avoid this situation:
As for what you say and how you say it during your interviews…that’s a whole different topic called “Media Training.” And everyone, no matter how often they’ve been interviewed by the media, benefit greatly from it. We offer media training right here at Amendola, so reach out to us at info@acmarketingpr.com to learn more.
Another year, another Cision “State of the Media” report.
The 2020 edition, which represents the 11th annual report in the series, surveyed more than 3,200 journalists from across the globe to provide a picture of today’s media landscape. While much of the yearly report generally reads like PR 101 for experienced public relations professionals, it often contains some nuggets of interest that are worth further reflection.
In that spirit, following are a few notes and observations after digesting the 29-page report:
COVID-19 did NOT change everything: In the marketing and public relations worlds, things can seem to change fast, so it can get easy to become caught up in the moment and lose a little long-term perspective. Don’t allow COVID-19 to let that happen to you. Yes, our professional lives during the pandemic are undoubtedly different in many ways, but lots of things in the media world remain largely as they were pre-pandemic. Email is still the preferred method of pitching. Journalists still want to hear from local and national experts who can offer perspectives that illuminate their audiences. To cut through the noise, pitches still need to be timely, relevant and targeted. These things are unlikely to change any time soon.
The media business continues to be brutal: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated what was already a years-long trend of the media business shedding jobs. Journalism advocacy organization Poynter maintains a depressing and frequently updated list of recent industry layoffs that illustrates the severity of the problem. For reporters and editors, a lack of staffing and resources was cited in the Cision report as the biggest challenge they face. For public relations outreach, this presents a challenge as the number of media outlets continues to dwindle, but also represents an opportunity as individual journalists are under pressure to produce higher volumes of content and could use help finding stories.
Press releases are still relevant: In spite of its obituary having been written a number of times over the years, the humble press release remains very much alive. In fact, journalists who took the Cision survey cited the press release (36%) as the most useful of all brand sources, beating out spokespeople (19%), email pitches (13%) and company websites (12%). For marketing and communications professionals, this qualifies as great news: There is still a place in the world for the well-crafted, well-timed and appropriately targeted press release.
The major takeaway? The more things change, the more they stay the same. Given the barrage of news and information we’re confronted with on a daily basis, separating the signal from the noise is rarely easy for anyone let alone journalists dealing with budget cuts and shrinking staffs. Standing apart from the pack requires the same focus and commitment to timely and relevant messaging that it always has.
In my last post, we learned that a key technique to resolving problems is fostering dialogue with another person, or even a group of people. This wisdom comes from the best seller, “Crucial Conversations.”
Having the other person’s best interests in mind goes a long way toward resolving work and personal issues. That seems like a no-brainer. But when emotions get the best of us, conversations can go sideways in a hurry. Truly serving another person’s interests and seeing her point of view start with building mutual purpose and mutual respect during crucial conversations.
Here are some questions to ask oneself before engaging in dialogue:
Do others believe I care about their goals?
Do they trust my motives?
What would I do now if I really wanted to see
results?
You may be saying to yourself: I’m committed to those values, but I can’t get the other person to come around. The authors, through their countless use cases and observations of crucial conversations, admit that sometimes one has to create a mutual purpose. That may involve finding more meaningful goals, or longer-term ones.
It also means adroitly combining confidence, humility and skill to make people feel that they can safely contribute their thinking to a conversation.
Confidence enables various opinions to be contributed to the “pool of meaning” without threat or emotion; humility underscores that others have valuable inputs to contribute; and skill avoids the Fool’s Choice we learned about earlier.
Here are some phrases and questions to consider as you pursue mutual purpose:
“I want to talk about what each of us likes and doesn’t like. That way, we’ll be able to see what we need to do to improve and why”
“It seems like we’re both trying to force our view on each other”
“I commit to staying in our conversation until we have a solution that satisfies both of us”
“I’m beginning to feel you are upset with me. Did I do something to anger you?”
“Does anyone see it differently? Am I missing something here?”
What the authors make abundantly clear in imparting their techniques is they’re not advocating that every decision be made by consensus. “Dialogue does not equal decision-making.”
The real focus is on solving problems and building relationships. And to achieve those things, you need everyone to feel comfortable adding information and
perspective to a discussion.
When people are silent for fear of retribution or respond with vitriol, the results are the same: loss of safety and dialogue. But when they feel they can safely
contribute, the greater the possibility for true dialogue and resolution.
The ultimate goal in all of these techniques is to “aim for progress, not perfection.”
Probably the greatest single piece of advice I’ve ever heard about content creation didn’t come from a college class/professional course, or a boss/mentor, or any other supposed expert source. Instead, it came from the movie “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.” Here it is:
Yes, it’s said in anger and frustration as part of a much longer rant. The whole piece is brutally painful as well as brutally funny.
But within the comedy is a true pearl of wisdom: Try having a point.
Death of a story
We see this all the time. Someone at an organization recognizes that they need to produce content to demonstrate the organization’s expertise so they can gain a competitive advantage.
The organization’s subject matter experts (SMEs), who are very knowledgeable and have strong views on the topics in their wheelhouses, share their ideas and experience with the marketing team and PR agency. They have the makings of a great story that will capture attention and position the organization as a leader in the market.
The content is produced, and it captures the passion and expertise of the SMEs. Then the review rounds start, and by the time the organization is done scrubbing the content what was once a fat, juicy steak has been sanitized until it is reduced to a piece of limp broccoli that will be of interest to exactly no one including an editor.
Sometimes it takes the form of genericizing the content until it sounds like something a high school senior would turn in for a composition class after the grades have already been posted. It’s serviceable, grammatically correct and decently organized, but it no longer conveys the fire that the SME felt for the topic.
Basically, any sense of personality has been removed. That’s bad enough.
Worse are the reviews that take an interesting, informative piece and convert it into a blatant marketing piece for the organization. That might work on the organization’s website, but it won’t fly if you’re trying to get it past an editor for earned (read: non-paid) media.
Of course, even if you could make it past that gatekeeper, there’s really nothing in it for the reader. If they wanted to read marketing-speak they would have gone to your website.
Healthcare’s special challenge
Healthcare organizations have a special challenge because our industry loves us some jargon. It seems like healthcare as a whole never met a technical term or three-letter acronym (TLA) it didn’t like.
It’s almost as if the goal is to make the content as difficult to read as possible, like it requires some sort of book cipher to read it. Which of course goes against the most basic rules of successful selling, where you want to convey information in the easiest-to-understand language to reach the broadest audience possible.
Making content effective
The most effective content is the content that has a point to make and makes it convincingly. It doesn’t just convey information. It grabs the reader or viewer by the lapels and says, “Sit down and listen, because I’m going to tell you something you need to know.”
It then does just that: focuses on what the reader/viewer needs to hear rather than only on what the produce of the content wants to say. But it does it in a way, as Steve Martin’s character says, that is much more interesting for the listener.
In many cases, that means telling a story that has a beginning, middle and end. As humans we are wired to understand information presented in story form. It’s part of our survival mechanism.
The Vanishing Hitchhiker approach
Take urban legends. The point of an urban legend isn’t to get you to believe in the legend itself (although social media may have changed that intention). The point is to warn you that something bad could happen if you’re not careful about certain behaviors, like teenagers parking in a remote area to do the things teenagers do.
But even when we’re not warning about the dangers of parking near insane asylums when a resident with a hook for a hand escapes, stories help give us context we can use to process information and ultimately take an action. For marketing that means becoming interested in our product or service.
That doesn’t mean every piece of content must tell a story. But unless it’s a data or spec sheet, it needs to be interesting enough to capture and keep our attention, especially when so much else is competing for it these days.
The point is…
If you make your content bland, or plain vanilla, it’s true you’re unlikely to offend anyone. But you’re also unlikely to persuade anyone either.
If your goal is to capture hearts, minds and ultimately sales leads, be sure your content has a point. It’s so much more interesting for the listener/reader/viewer.
As any public relations professional will tell you, making your story stand out from the rest of the noise is what we’re paid the big bucks to do. Press releases, bylines, blogs and case studies are the stuff of dreams.
Internally, this is how it’s done: your Amendola team is comprised of an account executive, strategist, writer, media relations specialist and, if we handle it for you, a social media manager. Everyone on your team is deeply knowledgeable about your company’s offerings.
The strategist and account executive put your company’s expert message in front of our writer who produces a piece of content. The media relations specialist pickups up the ball and gets the press release or byline in front of the right set of editors and journalists who are looking for exactly the contact you have. Once it’s published, the social media manager links the article to your various social media platforms.
Client-generated content is nuggets of gold for the social media team; however, we follow a pretty strict practice of the 80/20 rule. That means all your company’s
LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter posts should be a mix of 20% company news and 80% third-party content to keep you focused as a thought leader on the topics
in which you excel. You want your followers to be interested in your feeds because you generate news of interest, not just commercials.
Finding that all-important third-party content for your social media posts is where the social media team earns its KUDOs.
But how do we do that when the whole world is talking about one subject?
Don’t get us wrong especially when all our clients are in the healthcare field – we have the utmost compassion for everyone suffering and working courageously during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s impacting everyone their jobs, health, lives, and everyday routines. This is by far, the single largest collective story we’ll see in our lifetime. But my colleagues and I are struggling to keep it fresh in a one-hashtag world.
So once again, how do we find articles that help propel you as a thought leader when all media seems tuned to one channel? How do we help you stand out above the din?
Here are 5 tips to help you find ways to enhance your message.
Research. Our team finds RSS feeds (such as Feedly) a good resource for tracking keywords created in a Google search, or to subscribe to specific outlets, which is perfect for locating articles that come at least close to your company’s subject. Additionally, we use keyword searches within Twitter to actively find articles, people with whom to engage, and conversations around hashtags normally discussed in a non-pandemic world.
Pivot. Turn your company’s news into the world’s news. Do you have a solution that helps patients monitor their meds and stay compliant? I could find you 10 articles any other day. But now, I have an article that mentions how COVID-19 patients are getting free insulin, which keeps them compliant. Do you work with EHRs? Let’s talk about how EHRs are helping or hurting during COVID-19. Give your opinion. Ask for others to tweet or comment theirs. The idea is to keep in your lane but stay relevant.
Sidestep. OK, so perhaps you can only make 20% of your posts about you. But you can include news about your clients or business partners. Find articles about them and thank them for doing a great job. Thank others for helping your clients. If you’re not already (and you should be!) follow your clients’ Twitter feeds. When they post something positive about a local restaurant feeding them, or a video of their clinicians dancing to relieve the stress, share it! Re-tweet with a comment like, “Thanks, @Joe, for helping our friends @Client! #FrontLineHeros.” It’s technically not your news, but it’s a way to engage with your clients, and most of all, it feels good.
Join in. If you can’t beat em, join em. You’re not going to get out of posting COVID-19 news; why fight it? However, everyone is in the same boat as you tired of reading all the grim statistics. So, let’s give them something to smile about!
Let us help. In these difficult times, you’ve got enough on your plate. You’re trying to run a business, keep employees on staff, and find solutions to beat this nasty thing. Why don’t you let the Social Media Team at Amendola help you lighten the load?
Remember social media is just one part of your overall messaging. When used in conjunction with the rest of your public relations offerings, it’s like adding frosting to the cake. Although, I am a little impartial. Stay safe!
Even saying it seems like an oxymoron it’s not exactly normal if it’s completely new. Truthfully, the new normal will be defined by the choices we make today and most importantly tomorrow.
While it’s been said many times, the present experience is
rather unprecedented. We can certainly learn from recent mistakes, but what we
choose to learn and how we choose to change will define the new normal.
But enough of the philosophy. If we focus on one specific topic that of public relations and marketing the question is how will these professionals be changing strategies, communications, and audience perceptions?
One thing that has certainly continued throughout the
COVID-19 pandemic is mass communication. As of April 16, there has already been
more than 38 million pieces of news focused on COVID-19 and 163,000 in just the
last day (that’s one day) across nearly 18,000 news outlets, with 44% of the
news coming from the United States.
That’s a LOT of news. And, as you would expect, reactions
from brands have varied from ultra conservative to very liberal.
Winners and losers
Before we get to the new normal, it’s important to discuss
who some of the winners and losers have been throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
In general, the market and consumers are being forced to embrace a new way of
life that includes virtual meetings, online fitness, food delivery services,
and even telemedicine. At the same time, industries supporting travel, festivals
or conference entertainment, airlines, and hotels have seen a tremendous
decline in stockholder value.
Aside from general financial stability and economics, what’s even more important for public relations and marketing professionals is who are the winners and losers as it relates to communication impacts during the pandemic. Brands that have remained empathetic, relevant and considerate have faired better than their peers.
In an example, Virgin Airlines announced they were using aircraft to help ship healthcare supplies to providers in need. Meanwhile a competitor airline ran ads of their planes “social distancing” and being 6 feet apart.
Needless to say, the latter fell on deaf ears and came
across as insensitive as real people, family and friends were suffering with
COVID. In a similar tone-deaf scenario,
Corona beer (despite the unfortunate coincidence in their name), launched an
advertisement for their seltzer beers with the slogan: “Coming ashore soon.”
Obviously with the given crisis and the continued spread of
COVID, this advertisement while intended to be playful was ill-timed and came
across as insensitive.
Creating the new normal
While brands struggle to stay relevant, considerate and compassionate during times of a pandemic, one can’t stop to question when we can get back to normal, i.e., the way things were. The unfortunate answer is never.
We must start creating the new normal. As public relations
and marketing professionals, we realize things have changed. With the media
focused solely on the pandemic (and rightly so), many brands have shifted
communications online.
Social media has seen an abundance of activity in online
presence. The digital era can be a blessing or curse to brands depending on how
they engage with their online audience during this pandemic.
As of mid-April, we are just now reaching the peak of the
COVID pandemic in some cities across the U.S. In the throes of a pandemic
brands must be cautious to post social media that is timely, relevant and
considerate of the readers.
Promotional announcements and advertisements will not only
disengage the readers but may turn them away from your brand in the future. As
we move into later phases of the crisis and we see more recoveries and fewer
active cases, brands can reengage on social media in a more promotional manner
but will need to still consider the impact that COVID has had.
Digital marketing’s role
In addition, digital marketing is playing a significant role
during the pandemic. Some brands have decided to invest heavily in digital
marketing as that’s where most audiences are in today’s world.
Depending on the industry, some brands have seen a huge
interest through this channel which is delivering content and ads at lower
costs than during normal times. The key is in the message and communication.
Knowing when, where and how to communicate is critical.
Getting to non-COVID topics
And lastly, what most brands really want to know is when can I talk about something NOT related to COVID? Unfortunately, the answer is likely not for a while.
Does this mean you can’t connect to your audience or
consumers? No. In fact, you should be connecting with your consumers and being
there for future prospects. Now is the time to support current customers and
deliver hope to future consumers.
Build the foundation now
We started this blog by talking about the “new normal.”
Unfortunately, the best crisis communication plan could not have predicted nor
planned appropriately for COVID-19.
However, an attuned, savvy team of public relations and
marketing professionals can help you feel poised and ready to embrace whatever
the future may hold. The communication efforts and media sources used by
companies will forever be changed but the vision and mission of organizations remains
the same and will only grow stronger.
Take this time to build a solid foundation upon which to
blast your value propositions and mission once the world is ready to listen.
