Five Tips to Fine-Tune Your Media Relations in Sports PR

July 17, 2015Ashleigh Mavros Leave a comment

Good communication skills and strong media relationships are essential for any PR professional to be successful with those they work with, but with the different public relations industries becoming more and more niche these days, there are some keys things to keep in mind depending on which media outlets you are pitching and working with the most.

For those working in the action-packed and non-stop sports and entertainment industries (or looking to get into these areas), here are five tips to keep in mind to help you fine-tune your media pitches, break through with key media contacts and more to further develop your media relations:

Timeliness & Relevance

As the old saying goes, “timing is everything.” In the sports and entertainment industries, this is even more important to remember when it comes to PR and pitching specific media reporters whether they are with long or short lead outlets.

More often than not, unless something is breaking news, it is best to tie your media pitches into something timely occurring that the outlet and reporters are covering (or could cover) whether it a large sporting event (such as the Olympics, FIFA World Cup, US Open, etc.), the start of a new sporting season (like golf and tennis season swinging under way each summer or football season and college sports getting started again each Fall) or anything else that’s relevant so that there is a direct tie-in to the media reporter and their upcoming editorial calendar an outlet.

Keep the Competition in Mind

When working in the sports and entertainment industries and with the media coverage surrounding them, to say it is a highly competitive space for coverage would be an understatement. When pitching various media try to keep in mind everyone else they are being pitched by and those who work with leagues, teams, events, brands, athletes, etc. and try to determine what your best pitch angle is to make you stand out from the rest and break through to the media contact.

In addition to the timeliness and relevance of what you are pitching, think of creative ways to enhance your pitches by determining the best subject line (and one that isn’t over the top or misleading), including images with your text or bullet-pointing information so your pitch helps you get straight to the point.

Don’t Get Discouraged if You Don’t Hear Back

Sometimes I like to think that “PR” more accurately stands for “persistency = results.” Like when sending out a press release announcement to a large database of media contacts (or on a newswire), you don’t always receive a lot of immediate feedback from those you sent it to.

If you don’t hear back on your pitch within an appropriate amount of time (of which there is no magic rule of thumb for), make sure and send a follow-up email or give them a call to see if they received your information. As for cold call media pitching, it seems more media prefer to receive email pitches first before being cold-called with pitches but that once you have established communication or a relationship with them that they are more willing and likely to talk on the phone with you.

Making Sure You Manage Expectations

For those of us who work in sports along with a lot of us who work in public relations, the phrase “under promising and over delivering” is very important to remember. This applies not only to those you work with/for, but also the media you’re building relationships with and collaborating on coverage opportunities.

When it comes down to things like determining how much time a media reporter can have in an interview or how much time they need to schedule photo shoots, it’s important to be aware of tight timelines and deadlines. It is in everyone’s best interest to be honest and forthcoming about what you (and who you work with/for) can and cannot do so that you are appropriately managing the media’s expectations. By doing so, this will help you with building lasting media relationships for both the short term and long term.

Keep up with What the Media are Covering

With the integration of social media into our daily lives and almost every move we’ve made in the past five or six years, this has become both a blessing and a curse at times for those of us who work in PR. Social media demands our constant attention (not to mention that sports related coverage consumes about 90% of twitter and all tweets produced daily).

However, social media also provides us an opportunity to follow key media reporters, see what they are covering and determine better pitches to add a more personable touch to connect with them and develop our relationships. While it is impossible to follow every media contact you want to get through to and see what they are covering, for the ones you do follow it allows some extra insight on events they are planning to attend, products they like, things they are passionate about and any other tidbits of information you might not have known otherwise that can help you determine a good tie-in when getting in touch with them.

I would also keep in mind that social media channels are NOT the best or recommended way to pitch key media contacts, but that it can’t hurt to respond to their posts and engage in conversations that potentially could help make you stand out to them when they do receive pitches and emails from you at another time.

About the PRSA Entertainment & Sports Section

Practitioners working in the high-profile worlds of sports and entertainment face unique challenges. PRSA’s Entertainment and Sports Section offers great opportunities to connect with peers who understand your issues and are willing to share solutions. Through in-person and virtual networking events, newsletters and other resources, the Section helps practitioners develop public relations and management skills directly relevant to their entertainment and sports environments.

Natalie P. Mikolich, is the 2016 Chair-Elect of the PRSA Entertainment and Sports Section and the Founder of npm|pr (www.npmpr.com). Natalie has worked with a variety of national businesses in different industries ranging from sports, fitness, health, beauty and luxury lifestyle to non-profit organizations and special events in addition to world class professional and Olympic athletes. Along with this, Natalie has provided public relations services for some of the leading global sports and entertainment agencies. Follow her on Twitter @npmikolich.

Three Ways to Make Your Press Release Stand Out

July 13, 2015Ashleigh Mavros Leave a comment

Like it or not, press releases are still a major resource for PR professionals. As a new PR pro you’ll may be charged with drafting a majority of the releases for your company. Below are three ways to make your next press release stand out from the crowd.

Craft a strong and engaging headline

To cut through the constant clutter of press releases, you’ve got to have a strong headline. When creating your headline you want to grab the audience’s attention and entice them to click or open the email.

You’ll want to answer the following questions: Why do I care? How is this news?

Let’s try a little experiment – which headline would you be interested in?

Atlanta had 45 Million visitors to the city in 2013
Atlanta sets new visitation record with 45 million visitors in 2013

The first headline is straight to the point, however there’s nothing to entice the reader to find out more information. The second headline tells me that Atlanta set a new record number of visitors to the city, which leads to more questions about how many visitors do other city attract? What was the previous record for the city?

Capture them with the lead

Now that you’ve got their attention, draw them in with the lead sentence. Most lead sentences are less than 30 words and answer the question of why the reader should continue on.

Atlanta set a new record for visitation in a single year, welcoming 45 million visitors in 2013. (17 words)

Make your way down the pyramid

For the rest of the release follow the Inverted Pyramid Structure. The first paragraph should contain, besides the lead, the most pertinent information and answering the 5 W’s (Who,What,Why, Where and When) of the release.

The next two paragraphs should provide additional or supporting information, though not as essential as the first. Quotes from executives or experts are often found here.

Finally, the last paragraph should contain the background details and basic general information.

Bonus Tip!

Before you begin writing a release, put yourself in the shoes of your intended audience. What would make you read this release? What makes this news? How would this make my job easier? By looking at the release from the reader’s perspective, you’ll gain a new sense of clarity.

What are some of your best press release tips?

Victoria Lightfoot graduated from Georgia State University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism, concentrating in public relations. She is currently the PR coordinator at the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau and volunteers on PRSA Georgia’s College Relations Committee and co-chairs the Travel & Tourism Special Interest Group. Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn and Twitter (@Victoria_Lenese).

How the World Sees You: A Book Review

July 7, 2015July 13, 2015Ashleigh Mavros Leave a comment

What makes you uniquely fascinating?

If you’re struggling to answer that question (like I was) and are wondering why it even matters, keep reading.

Sally Hogshead created an entire methodology, book, business and speaking career based on the science of fascination. Her book, How the World Sees You – Discover Your Highest Value Through the Science of Fascination – is an insightful glimpse into her findings. It walks through actionable steps and advice that’s incredible relevant to any new professional, especially those in the public relations and marketing space.

I heard Sally Hogshead speak at an event a month ago, and I’ve been hooked on her principles ever since. While I’ve taken many personality-type tests before, her methodology is unique, because it focuses on how the world sees you – instead of how you see the world.

Her basic premise is as follows: if you can succinctly communicate to others what makes you uniquely fascinating, you are better equipped to win in business, life, and relationships.

Here are some compelling tidbits from Ms. Hogshead’s book:

“On an MRI scan, a fascinated brain is in a state of relaxed focus…if your listener becomes distracted while you communicate, they are more likely to feel conclusion or doubt about your message. If you’re not communicating clearly, you’re less likely to add value.”
“Different is better than better. You aren’t necessarily better than your competition. But you are already different.”
“Identify how you are MOST likely to add distinct value. Do more of this. Identify how you are LEAST likely to add distinct value. Do less of this.”

I highly recommend this book to all professionals looking to enhance their careers. Sally Hogshead brings to the table an impressive advertising and branding career, and while her insights are applicable to individuals, they’re also applicable to PR and marketing professionals’ work with brands. After all, it’s our job to make people think our clients are fascinating, and in turn, motivate people to buy from or do business with our clients.

As new PR pros, now is the time to figure out who we are as professionals and people. How the World Sees You is the best resource I’ve found to guide me in that journey. It’s a quick and enjoyable read. Don’t let the length intimidate you – Part II dives into each advantage and personality type, and is meant as more of a reference than a cover-to-cover read

The five advantages are:

Innovation – you change the game with creativity
Passion – you connect with emotion
Power – you lead with command
Prestige – you earn respect with higher standards
Trust – you build loyalty with consistency
Mystique – you communicate with substance
Alert – you speak the language of details and prevent problems with care

Your unique combination of primary advantage + secondary advantage = your archetype (there are 49).

If you have any desire to learn more about yourself and improve the way you interact with clients and coworkers, I would highly recommend How the World Sees You. If you purchase the book, you receive a code to take the quiz. The nice folks at How to Fascinate have supplied us with a code for blog readers to take the quiz for free:

Visit: www.howtofascinate.com/you

Use code: PRSA

I almost guarantee you will be hooked like me, and start obsessively guessing the archetypes of your friends, coworkers and family.

Lauren Leger graduated from Boston University with a bachelor’s degree in communication, concentrating in public relations. She started her career while still in college at Boston-based PR firm, Zazil Media Group. Lauren relocated to Dallas, Texas in fall of 2014 and began working at The Power Group as a PR account executive. She recently took on a new role as Power’s manager of digital strategy, where she brings her PR expertise to the digital realm of the business. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.

#ThrowbackThursday with Dave Kerpen

June 25, 2015Ashleigh Mavros Leave a comment

Editor’s note: This is the sixth post in our monthly #ThrowbackThursday series, which features a prominent, successful PR pro taking a look back and sharing tips from his/her days as a new pro.

For many, starting your own business and writing your own book are just two “some day” goals on an aspirational list. For Dave Kerpen, they were both opportunities he jumped at in the face of fear.

Kerpen’s list of accomplishments is a pretty lengthy one – most notably including his best-selling book, “Likeable Social Media“, leading Likeable Media and Likeable Local. In honor of this month’s book review theme, we chat with the author about his journey.

Question 1: How did you know when it was the right time to start your own company and then go on to start your own book?

We all have lots of fear and a lot of people let that fear hold them back. I was just fortunate enough to have enough windows where I didn’t let that fear hold me back and just went for it. It’s funny because I talk to a lot of people every day and I often ask people, “Do you have a book to write? Do you have a book inside of you? Are you an entrepreneur?” And I’m amazed at how many people say yes. So then I say, “Well, what’s stopping you?” And they come up with a whole list of excuses. The bottom line is, we’re all held back by fear. The most successful people are the ones that choose to not let that fear hold them back at least once.

Question 2: What challenges have you had writing on social media since it is such an ever-changing industry?

It’s really hard since the publishing world has a lead-time of six months to a year. So by the time a book goes from submission manuscript to actual publication, it’s already out of date in many cases. In my books, I try to write more about timeless strategies and less about tactics and platforms since they change so often. Obviously, if a book is going to be useful it can’t be only strategies. There was some content in “Likeable Social Media” that was really irrelevant, which is why we wrote a second edition. It’s definitely a challenge for all social media and online marketing books because of how quickly the space changes.

Question 3: Where do you see the industry going in five or ten years, specifically with social media?

Social media is really no longer a distinct discipline; it’s part of what we do and part of our lives. You can call it a distinct discipline, you can call it a subset of PR, you can call it marketing, you can call it whatever you want, but it’s here to stay. Social media is so pervasive that it’s just going to be an accepted part of all of our jobs and business practices sooner or later.

Question 4: How do you keep your skills sharp?

I read a lot. I read more than I’ve ever read in my life thanks to social media and my mobile phone. I use LinkedIn publisher and Twitter to keep up with hundreds of sources that I track. I actually also read a lot of books – more business books than social media an online books. For social media content I read a lot of blogs and I’m fortunate to have my Likeable Local and Likeable Media team who write for the blogs. They both keep me on my toes which is something I’m proud of – I was able to start something that taught my team and now they’re also teaching me.

Question 5: What advice would you give to today’s young pros?

First, network by seeking and finding mentors. It’s easier now than ever to do that thanks to social media where you can literally get a hold of just about anyone on the planet. I’ve gotten connected with everyone from Miranda Cosgrove, who wished my daughter a happy birthday, to Ashton Kutcher, who we ended up doing some work with, to Cory Booker, who might be president one day. Go out there and connect and network with amazing people and mentors.

Second, read and write. It sounds really basic, but it’s true. The more you read and write, the smarter you’ll get and you’ll sharpen your skills. Too many people waste their time on stuff like TV. However, as good as reading is, writing is ten times better. Writing takes those ideas and forces you to synthesize them into something bigger.

Third, feel the fear and do it anyway. Courage is action in the face of fear. We all have fear; there’s nothing wrong with that. I hate when people tell me they’re not afraid – I’m afraid every day, but I still get up in the morning, and go to work, and take chances and go for it. That’s sort of what courage is and we all have it inside of ourselves. We can all take that fear, accept it and then be courageous and go for pursuing our dreams.

Dave Kerpen is an entrepreneur, author, speaker and most notably the CEO and Founder of Likeable Local, a social media software company serving thousands of small businesses. Kerpen also serves as chairman and cofounder of Likeable Media, an award-winning social media and word-of-mouth marketing agency.

As one of Entrepreneur’s top 10 up and coming leaders, Kerpen has been featured on CNBC’s “On the Money”, BBC, ABC World News Tonight, the Early Show, the New York Times and countless blogs. He has also keynoted at dozens of conferences across the globe including Singapore, Athens, Dubai, San Francisco and Mexico City.

Kerpen’s first book was a NY Times bestseller, “Likeable Social Media: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand and be Generally Amazing on Facebook and other Social Networks. His other books include Likeable Business, Likeable Leadership and his current project, The Art of People.

Kerpen is also a father of two beautiful girls and husband to his amazing business partner.

June 2015 #NPPRSA Twitter Chat HIghlights: Pitching With Purpose

June 18, 2015Ashleigh Mavros 2 Comments

We’d like to thank everyone who participated in the June #NPPRSA Twitter chat to discuss media relations best practices. We would especially like to thank Mallory Musante, Social Media Manager for Media Maison.

Join us again on July 15 for our next #NPPRSA chat and stay up-to-date with PRSA New Professionals on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.

Review highlights of the chat below. What did you learn from the June chat? How can you strengthen your relationships with the media?

You can receive FREE New Professionals Section membership for PRSA by using code AM15!

Lauren Loxterman is the PRSA New Professionals Social Media Co-Chair and Co-Founder of Soversity, a public relations and digital marketing company. You can connect with her on Google+, LinkedIn or Twitter.

The Edge

New Voices of the Public Relations Industry

Author: Ashleigh Mavros