Event recap: Boston’s Most Influential Online Journalists & Bloggers

May 16, 2013
by Molly Pappas, Media Relations Specialist, Business Wire/Boston

Last week, Business Wire/Boston hosted a media panel breakfast event with some of the leading online journalists and bloggers in the area to discuss the latest trends in online media.  Among the topics discussed were the evolution of online media, tactics of coverage and how an online journalist’s job has changed.

Our media discussion revolved around six of the area’s established names in online media:

Moderator –

Shane O’Neill, Assistant Managing Editor of CIO.com (@smoneill)

Panelists –

Paul Roberts, Editor-in-Chief/Founder of The Security Ledger (@paulfroberts)
Tiffany Campbell, Managing Editor of Digital at WBUR.org (@tiffanycampbell)
Galen Moore, Web Editor at Boston Business Journal (@galenmoore)
Angela Nelson, News Editor of Boston.com (@bostonangela)
Jamie Wallace, Editor-in-Chief of Fans of Being a Mom blog (@suddenlyjamie)

L-R: Angela Nelson, Jamie Wallace, Shane O’Neill, Paul Roberts, Galen Moore, Tiffany Campbell

L-R: Angela Nelson, Jamie Wallace, Shane O’Neill, Paul Roberts, Galen Moore, Tiffany Campbell


Check out the links below for some Storify compilations of tweets from attendees and panelists!

On the evolution of online media:

  1. ‘iPhone has changed my life as a reporter’- @tiffanycampbell on benefits of new tech #BWCHAT
  2. Getting so much feedback via blogs and Twitter is double-edged sword because of + & – comments, must be prepared says@suddenlyjamie #bwchat
  3. #bwchat panelists honest about balancing metrics w/delivering content that should be reported & engaging with audience. Refreshing.
  4. RT @metiscomm: Monitoring #socialmedia is like having #kids - you have to add 5-10 minutes to everything you do: @GalenMoore#BWchat
  5. Nice to hear that cultivating relationships is still important in PR…and that tweet pitching is not really valued #bwchat
  6. Paul Roberts/The Security Ledger: “Stories that do the best are the ones that have real news.” #bwchat
  7. Its an antiquated conception that print gets more views than online, plus it has a longer shelf life @bostonangela of @BostonDotCom#bwchat
  8. Online stories get more eyeballs and have longer shelf vs print says@BostonAngela #bwchat

On the tactics of coverage:

  1. RT @jensaragosa: Visuals are key-send me your photos, your videos and we’ll get them on our site says @BostonAngela #BWChat
  2. Online newsrooms v. important MT @V2comms: @GalenMoore“…please remember this – put your press release on your website”#BWChat
    MetisComm
  3. If you don’t put up something with a striking visual, it might as well be invisible- @suddenlyjamie #BWchat
  4. RT @bkguilfoy: “My email has 99 problems but your attached image aint one” #bwchat
  5. Prep story for instant repurposing via visual/social/online mediums & your story will be gold to the media @suddenlyjamie #bwchat

On how the job has changed:

  1. #bwchat @galenmoore ”voicemail is where things go to die.” Ha – so true!! Even for PR people.
  2. Pitching diff now than 20 yrs ago? #bwchat panelists say no, but impt to now add pictures so journos can make packages for social channels
  3. Pitching press is still about relationships, knowing publication, good content. But need to present it for visual and social media#BWCHAT
  4. Yes! MT @amyshanler: #bwchat reporters/pr pros are all real people. Let’s not lose sight of that when focusing on our work, or our numbers.

Our full house had nothing but praise for the panelists and discussion.

  1. Fabulous panel MT @GalenMoore: Tx @BostonAngela,@paulfroberts, @tiffanycampbell,@suddenlyjamie, & @smoneill for a lively panel #bwchat
  2. Morning well spent at #BWCHAT with area media, good Q&A, content. Thanks BusinessWire
  4. At BusinessWire “Meet the Media” pgm in Waltham. Full house. Awesome panelists. Love learning! #bwchat

Thank you to our amazing moderator and panelists for a great, informative discussion!

For upcoming local Business Wire events or our award-winning webinar series, visit our events page or follow Business Wire events on Twitter, hashtag #bwchat.

1 Comment | Business Wire Events, journalism, Media Relations, MRT, multimedia, Pitching | Permalink
Posted by Phil Dennison, Senior Marketing Specialist, Business Wire

Event Recap: Meet the Washington, DC Tech Media

May 12, 2013
by Simon Ogus, Media Relations Specialist, Business Wire/Washington, DC
Simon Ogus

Simon Ogus

Business Wire/ Washington, DC recently hosted a technology media panel with some of the leading journalists in the area to discuss the latest trends in the world of technology reporting. Among the topics discussed were how reporters utilize social media, how to most effectively organize a pitch and the best ways to get a reporter’s attention in this fast-paced news cycle.

It was an honor to moderate the panel, which included five established names in the Washington, DC technology reporting industry:

Paul Sherman, Editor and Publisher of Potomac Tech Wire (@PaulRSherman)

Bill Flook, Reporter, Washington Business Journal (@TechFlashWBJ)

Rob Pegoraro, Freelancer, previously with The Washington Post (@RobPegoraro)

Nick Wakeman, Editor-In-Chief, Washington Technology (@Nick_Wakeman)

Andrew Feinberg, Freelancer, previously with The Hill  (@agfhome)

On Social Media: Twitter and LinkedIn

Business Wire tech media event panel

L-R: Andrew Feinberg, Bill Flook, Nick Wakeman, Rob Pegoraro, Paul Sherman, Simon Ogus (standing)

The panelists, all active on Twitter, agreed that social media outlets allow them to read and follow news and trends in a timely manner while also enabling them to connect and communicate with many individuals through a common platform. One downside to communicating through Twitter, they noted, is the overwhelming amount of information they must sort through to find those topics they can actually write about. Feinberg made the analogy that Twitter is like “attempting to take a drink of water out of a fire hose” – a sentiment that was unanimously agreed to.

That isn’t to say that news can’t be shared on Twitter between public relations professionals and reporters, only that the task has become a bit more difficult in the last couple years. As Sherman explained, “The big news breaks fast on Twitter, but often times the small news can’t get through the noise.” This has led reporters to seek out information on other platforms. The panelists considered LinkedIn as another valuable social media resource, as it provides the reporter more background than a Twitter profile might about who is messaging them. Overall, however, the panel finds Twitter to be very useful, but is primarily best for fast and short conversations.

On capturing a journalist’s interest

The panelists agreed that the content of the press releases is always king to attract those reporters most interested in a particular topic. And, because these panelists are all based in the greater Washington, DC area, they are always on the lookout for news that will uncover the latest Washington, DC story. They stressed how local news content is always the best for them in a news release/pitch and suggested focusing on transactions that are happening in this area.

Wakeman suggested that the best way to catch his eye is to “have your story align with trends, specifically economic trends.” For Pegoraro, the releases he said he finds most appealing describe “companies and individuals solving long-running problems through technology.” He stressed that buzzwords don’t provide much of an impact on the news releases and recommended producing copy that enhances your release with a strong descriptive headline.

Tailor your pitch for a mobile device

Pegoraro also noted that because reporters are more often checking their emails on the go, it’s a good idea to be mindful of the readability of a news release or pitch on a smart phone. He suggested first testing the email pitch on a personal smart phone and also including the more important pieces of information at the top of the email.

Consider the reporter’s deadlines

The panelists preferred being contacted during their business hours. Understanding each reporter’s deadlines is also important. For example, Flook described how the early hours of his workday are devoted to sending the “TechFlash” email and so he may not be responsive to emails or calls at that time.

Don’t just pitch events as news, pitch something about the event

The panelists agreed that there are too many events and not enough resources to cover them. They recommended that news about an event include something that occurred or was discussed at an event. They felt this could also help save a lot of effort on the public relations side to promote something specific within an event that would be relevant to the reporter instead of a general release about the event itself.

Incorporating newswire distribution

The Q&A session revealed that all five panelists currently receive Business Wire’s technology copy and provided insight as to the importance placed on copy received in this manner. Sherman told the audience he “checks Business Wire’s copy every day” and Wakeman said he has “relied on Business Wire for years.” In addition to the releases being easy-to-view, other requirements in place for wire-distributed copy are a bonus to journalists. Pegoraro mentioned that he has often been interested in a release submitted directly by a company, but has found it frustrating when he’s unable to locate a point of contact in order to follow up. He said that when releases come through a newswire service, these types of omissions are rare.

Thank you panelists!

We’d like to thank our panelists again for their valuable insights to public relations professionals and communicators.

For upcoming local Business Wire events or our award-winning webinar series, visit our events page or follow Business Wire events on Twitter, hashtag #bwchat.

Leave a Comment » | Business Wire Events, journalism, Media Relations, MRT, Pitching, social media | Permalink
Posted by Phil Dennison, Senior Marketing Specialist, Business Wire

Wrapup: Content Marketing Strategies 2013

May 10, 2013

If you’re following us on Twitter, you know that we just spent the week co-hosting, attending and speaking at Content Marketing Strategies, a 3-year-old content marketing conference hosted by our friends and delivery partner dlvr.it. Over three days worth of speakers and presentations, we heard tons of great information covering everything from content SEO, to leveraging LinkedIn and Google+, to aligning marketing and sales, to the nuts and bolts of conducting a content audit.

content-circle250

We’re going to be talking more about it in the next several days, but we thought we’d end the week with a look at some coverage from other attendees and speakers:

“Content I Enjoyed Today. Tactics I’ll Implement Tomorrow” by Marilyn E. Cox, Director of Marketing Communications, Cincom Systems

“What I Heard at Content Marketing Strategies” by social media strategist and consultant Michael Procopio.

“Tactical Takeaways from Content Marketing Strategies 2013″ by Scott Frangos, President, Webdirexion.

Check  back next week for info on some specific presentations and how you can apply them to your own PR and marketing efforts!

1 Comment | Content Marketing | Permalink
Posted by Phil Dennison, Senior Marketing Specialist, Business Wire

The Women of Berkshire Hathaway: BW CEO Cathy Baron Tamraz Interviewed by Bloomberg TV

May 8, 2013

During Berkshire Hathaway’s Annual Shareholders meeting on Saturday May 4th, 2013, Bloomberg TV’s “In The Loop” host Betty Liu interviewed three female CEOs from Berkshire Hathaway’s subsidiary companies; Cathy Baron Tamraz, CEO of Business Wire, Mary Rhinehart, CEO of Johns Manville, and Susan Jacques, CEO of Borsheims. The three women speak out about the role of females in business and the vast opportunities now available for women.

When Liu commented that, to someone looking in, five female CEOs is not an impressive number for Berkshire Hathaway, Business Wire’s Cathy Baron Tamraz said, “Change comes slowly. [Warren Buffett] didn’t buy these other businesses because there were men running them . . . He is always looking for the best person for the job.” Watch the full interview to hear more from the women of Berkshire Hathaway.

1 Comment | Berkshire Hathaway, Business Wire, Interview | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by joannengo

Off to Omaha: Business Wire at the 2013 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting

May 1, 2013
by Melinda Rosenzweig, Marketing Supervisor, Business Wire/Newport Beach

We’re just about to head to Omaha to the annual Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting. It’s Business Wire’s sixth meeting as a Berkshire Hathaway company and each year seems to get better and better.

As always, we’ll be selling a great item at our booth to support a great cause. This year, we’re selling commemorative pins that feature a very cool design and include the Berkshire Hathaway name and meeting year, and the Business Wire name. Pins are $5 each.

2103 Business Wire/Berkshire Hathaway commemorative pin

2103 Business Wire/Berkshire Hathaway commemorative pin

We are raising money for a very important charity, CASA of Douglas County, Nebraska, an organization that provides a voice for
abused and neglected children within the court system.

Thanks to the generous attendees, Business Wire hopes to double the number of pin sales compared to last year when we raised more than $5,000 for CASA, all while having a lot of laughs and meeting some great people

So if you happen to be in Omaha this weekend, stop by our booth & say “Hello”, buy a pin and support a great cause! And don’t forgot to follow Business Wire’s Neil Bardach on Twitter, as he will be live-tweeting throughout the weekend.

Business Wire booth on the show floor at the 2013 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting

Business Wire booth on the show floor at the 2013 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting

Leave a Comment » | Berkshire Hathaway, Business Wire | Permalink
Posted by Phil Dennison, Senior Marketing Specialist, Business Wire

How to get Bloomberg’s Attention: PR Tips from the Bloomberg Financial Services Media Breakfast

May 1, 2013
By: Joyce Thian, Zara McAlister and Ciaran Ryan/ BW Toronto

Business Wire Canada partnered with Bloomberg Canada to connect corporate communications professionals within the financial services community with Bloomberg reporters at its Toronto bureau on Friday, Apr. 26.

The view from Bloomberg’s 43rd floor Toronto office is definitely something to write home about. Flanked by city skyscrapers and Lake Ontario glistening in the background, one gets the sense that Bloomberg is doing well. David Scanlan, managing editor for Canada, confirmed this sentiment in his opening remarks at the Bloomberg Financial Services Media Breakfast.

In front of an audience of communications professionals within the financial services industry, Scanlan spoke about Bloomberg Canada’s growth in turbulent times. While many traditional media are downsizing, Bloomberg has been ramping up expansion efforts in major cities across the country — opening a new bureau in Calgary, expanding the newsroom in Montreal, and adding reporters in Toronto and Winnipeg.

“Canada is an interesting story. More and more people around the world are interested in what’s going on in Canada,” said Scanlan.

Canada media breakfast

The conference room before guests and speakers arrived.

With so many eyes and ears in the financial world following Bloomberg’s news, it’s important for your business to be on its radar. Scanlan, along with Toronto bureau chief  Jacqueline Thorpe, and financial services reporters Doug Alexander and Katia Dmitrieva, shared their insights on how PR pros in the financial services industry can ensure their stories resonate with the media.

Scanlan: What makes news?

Bloomberg never suffers from a lack of story ideas.

“We are bombarded every day with hundreds if not thousands of things we could write about,” Scanlan said.

If you want to catch Bloomberg’s eye, keep these questions in mind when pitching a story:

-          Has it got the surprise element? — “If you’re a bank opening a new branch at Yonge and Finch, it’s not going to do a lot for us. If you’re opening a branch in a tent in Tripoli, that’s different, that’s surprising. [We’d want to know] what’s going on there.”

-          Is it different? — “We’re always looking for ideas from really smart people that other people want to hear from.”

-          Big names?—“We want to know who’s moving on the street, or even who’s fired.”

-          Where’s the money? — “Events, deals, companies that are bigger and have more money at stake are going to be of more interest to us [and our readers around the world].”

 

Thorpe: Top five PR sins

Jacqueline Thorpe, Toronto bureau chief, shared her PR pet peeves:

-          Not knowing what a reporter covers—Know what’s trending and who covers which beat.

-          Flowery press releases—Avoid canned quotations and unnecessary exclamation marks!!! Stick to the five W’s (who, what, when, where, why).

-          Not enough information in press releases—Make sure contact info is accurate and complete.

-          Burying bad news—Always better to be upfront about it.

-          Not being available— “Bloomberg reporters are needy.” Don’t go on vacation right after issuing a press release.

Don’t say you weren’t warned.

Alexander and Dmitrieva: How to get (and keep) a Bloomberg reporter’s attention

Doug Alexander and Katia Dmitrieva, both financial services reporters who cover a wide range of sectors, stated their preferences when receiving story ideas.

Alexander prefers an email over a cold call, especially if the pitch ends up being irrelevant. He also stressed the importance of ensuring all important news is included in the first few paragraphs. A heads up on a big story is always appreciated—even if it’s early in the morning.

For Dmitrieva, it’s all about frequent communication. She’s always open to hashing out story ideas over coffee and developing relationships.  Bloomberg also hosts informal lunches which provide an opportunity to meet with the reporters at the bureau.

And once you’ve made it into the office be sure to check out the view.

Leave a Comment » | Business Wire Events, journalism, Media Relations, MRT, Pitching | Permalink
Posted by Phil Dennison, Senior Marketing Specialist, Business Wire

What does “Think Like a Publisher” Mean?

April 26, 2013
guest post by Bill Flitter, Founder/CEO, dlvr.it
Bill Flitter

Bill Flitter

As every company is now a media company, we are told to think like publishers. What does that really mean? Come find out at Dlvr.it’s third annual Content Marketing Strategies Conference,  May 7-9, 2013 at The Claremont Hotel Club & Spa in Berkeley, CA.  New this year is the collaboration between dlvr.it and Business Wire as co-hosts.

This boutique conference will bring together thought leaders for three days of intense discussion, strategy workshops and case studies. Participants will gain practical “how to” advice on content marketing SEO, content distribution optimization, content ROI, and learn from case studies by brands including Red Hat, New Belgium Brewing, FOX’s hit show Glee and much more.

Dlvr.it and Business Wire guarantee that you will walk away with an action plan to kick-start or enhance any content marketing program no matter how large or small.

At the conference you will learn:

  • How Cisco Systems measures content marketing ROI
  • How to create viral content people will talk about
  • How to effectively engage users across multiple channels with limited content
  • How to effectively use Google+, LinkedIn and the visual web to drive reader engagement and sales with content marketing

Here’s a sample of some insights and tips from the expert speakers at the 2013 Content Marketing Strategies Conference:

From Arnie Keunn, President of Vertical Measures, SEO expert, frequent speaker and author on content marketing:

What we’ve concluded from all the changes in the past 2-3 years in the world of content marketing is that Google really wants to convince you of one thing: creating great content is the way to go. That being said, SEO is still just as important. You must optimize, optimize, optimize: your content, image tags, videos . . . everything! Then you need to promote it. Distribute it. Get backlinks to it. Professional SEOs understand this and are implementing these tactics better than anyone out there right now.

From Maria Ross, Founder of Red Slice, brand strategist, author and speaker on brand strategy:

Being consistent means identifying and articulating the key things for which you want your brand to be known, and ensuring you deliver that promise through everything that you do. Brands get into trouble when they promise one thing but fail to consistently deliver it through every single customer touchpoint. You can’t possibly be all things to all people so choose wisely and focus on those messages.

From Scott Frangos, Founder & President of WebDirexion, chief optimizer and speaker on Google+:

Even as more features are added to Google+, marketers have yet to wrap their strategic and tactical minds around ways to take full advantage of the existing G+ system.  Here are four initial brainstorms:

 – Use a community(s) to build interest for a Google hangout on a business topic, then stream the hangout live and save it on your YouTube channel.

 – Build your circles wisely, then use the post to circle emails and calendar scheduling to invite the right people to an online or offline event.  Be careful here — all the SPAM cautions apply.

 – Authors and thought leaders — brand your Google+ location with a personal URL — mine is ScottGooglePlus.info

 – Have a smart surf of “Google “Ripples” to see what people are buzzing about and listen to prospects, competitors and colleagues about a particular post, topic and website.

From Lindy Roux, Principal Content Strategist at Siteworx on content strategy:

Businesses often don’t fully realize the amount of content they actually need to create, review and ultimately map for their website. With the investment your company is making in redesigning your website, why risk your site’s success by not properly addressing the content? To prevent this, I highly recommend that content be considered a managed risk, just as any other component of website development.

From James Citron, CEO & co-Founder of Mogreet and mobile marketing expert on B2C mobile distribution:

When content is shared to consumers by MMS, brands have the option to include prompts to share the received information across social channels.  And there are major benefits to the brand for including social sharing in messages. First, it empowers the customer to share the amazing, exclusive branded content with their friends and family.  Secondly, it activates word of mouth marketing, increasing the trust factor dramatically. Content shared by friends is much more likely to convert into higher database opt-ins than content shared by a brand, alone.

From Marilyn Cox, Director of Marketing Communications at Cincom on content development:

Oftentimes content is created by marketing, with very little input from sales.  Sales is left without an understanding of what content is available, why it was developed, and how to properly position the information. The work of content creators can be incorrectly used, or left dormant.  Very little activity and engagement results from the hard work of many. Both camps are left frustrated and rendered ineffective. Marketing must learn to align and collaboratively develop content with their sales organization. Content should educate and empower sales.

From Kerala Taylor, Digital Engagement & Marketing at KaBOOM!, writer and publisher on content creation:

You can write blog posts daily, load them with all the perfect keywords, and rush to cover trending topics, but at the end of the day, your efforts will be in vain if no one is visiting, sharing, or talking about them. When creating content, one of the simplest but most effective questions you can ask yourself is: Would I share this with my friends?

From Rob Fuggetta, Founder & CEO of Zuberance, brand advocacy expert and author on content marketing:

Are you leveraging your highly-satisfied customers (AKA “Brand Advocates”) to generate product reviews, videos, testimonials, and more? If not, you’re missing a major content marketing opportunity. Content created by Advocates is highly trusted and influential. According to Nielsen, 92% of consumers trust peer recommendations. Only 53% trust content that you create and post on your website.

From Carla Johnson, Principal of Type A Communications, brand engagement expert, speaker and author on creating content:

Take time to identify the people with whom you want to connect and understand them intimately. By creating personas, both sales and marketing will identify and understand common characteristics of a group of people with whom you want to connect. It outlines their perspectives, fears, drivers, and content needs.

From Josh Turner, Founder of LinkedSelling and B2B marketing expert on LinkedIn content marketing:

LinkedIn status updates can be an effective way to stay top of mind with prospects, clients, referral partners, and centers of influence. Yet most people are completely missing the boat on how to execute an effective content marketing program on LinkedIn. Using tools like dlvr.it you can automate a substantial portion of your updates.  If you’re trying to reach prospects all around the country or even globe, then it’s impossible to hit them with manual updates at all the necessary times of the day.

To learn, hear more from and engage with the above speakers register now for the 2013 Content Marketing Strategies Conference.  There a few tickets still available and we are pleased to be able to offer them to you at a 50% discount. At only $347, this is a fantastic deal for a 3-day conference. Simply register today and use the discount code BWIRE.

1 Comment | Content Marketing, Events | Permalink
Posted by Phil Dennison, Senior Marketing Specialist, Business Wire

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