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luni, 16 decembrie 2013

Movie Night at the White House

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Ever dreamed of having your own short film screened in a movie theater? How about right here at the White House? Great news: We're inviting K-12 students from around the country to create and submit one- to three-minute short web videos.

The topic: Highlighting the importance of technology in the classroom -- and imagining how technology will change the educational experience for kids in the future. And finalists could have their videos screened at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, and posted on the White House website.

Find out how you or someone you know can apply.

An Eight-Step Plan to Get PR-Driven Links

Posted: 15 Dec 2013 03:15 PM PST

Posted by Jess_Champion

In a past life I worked exclusively in traditional print and broadcast PR, where digital coverage was viewed as a bonus. But since landing a job as a PR consultant at Distilled, all of that has changed. My goals have shifted.

Previously my goals were things like brand awareness and changing audience perceptionsâ€"and these were driven by press coverage.

But, while these goals still come in to play, I have a new goal tooâ€"to build links. And, as most of you know, link building is not easy.

So, eight months down the line, I feel it's time to share what I've learned.

An eight-step plan

There are a few tried and tested methods for PR driven link-building, like guest posting and pitching for by-lined articles, but these can be slow-burning processes.

What I'm going to talk you through is a process which, if invested in and executed well, is much more likely to result in multiple links from high quality, authoritative news sites.

There's no quick fix. Even before search was on my radar, I'd always believed in integrated communications. Link-building is just another component of what should be a multi-faceted approach, and as such, I believe that links are symptomatic of a well-executed PR campaign.

For any marketing campaign you should be looking to use multiple channels. However, the purpose of this post is to specifically explore ways of working with the media, and consequently how to build links on top-tier media sites.

Step one: Find the story

If you want to be in the media, you need to find a story. It's as simple as that. No amount of spin is going to see your latest annual review on The New York Times' homepage.

In a recent Distilled blog post, I wrote about the eight criteria that make something newsworthy. In brief, these criteria are:

Image: @Distilled

Head over to that post if you'd like more details and examples of each one.

Sometimes you'll have things going on that already fit the bill. Maybe you're launching a new product in time for Christmas. Or perhaps you've got a great case study which will help you tell a human interest story.

Relating to real people, like Batkid, will help you tell your story

(Picture: Bhautik Joshi/Flickr)

Oftentimes, though, our clients just haven't got anything newsworthy going on. And this is when you need to create your own story.

Step two: Create a story

There are a few different ways you can create a story, the most obvious being PR stunts. But these often mean spending big bucks. A cheaper way to create a credible news story is to conduct a survey.

For example, I recently ran a survey for our client Worldpay Zinc. We only launched it two weeks ago, but here are some of the results so far:

An article on the website of one of the UK's national newspapers, The Telegraph, incorporating two links
A write-up on The Guardian, which also included two links
Daily Mail coverage
3 pieces of national print coverage
30+ pieces of online regional coverage
A BBC Radio 2 appearance
A mention on national TV

You'll notice that I've included results that don't include links, but that's to reiterate a point that I often make at Distilled: Links are symptomatic of great PR.

That's not to say there aren't ways and means to increase your chances of getting links, though, and we'll explore these in the steps below.

Step three: Conduct a survey

Once you've decided on a survey topic and incorporated as many of the newsworthy criteria as you can, you'll need to devise the questions. Here are some general rules for conducting robust PR surveys:

1. Start with the story and work backwards

It makes a good deal of sense to have an idea of your angle before you start, so always think about the story you'd like to tell. Each question should directly relate to this story, regardless of whether you get the results you expect or not. The aim here is not to manipulate, but to make sure the answers translate into interesting data points.

2. Choose a reputable market research agency

Journalists are much more likely to cover surveys if they come from a trustworthy company. The agency will also help you fine-tune your questions and make sure you're not being unintentionally leading.

3. Think about your demographic

Surveying the general public is fine but sometimes looking at a specific niche will strengthen your story. If your client is a parenting website, why not run a survey of parents? As an aside, if you poll the general public then you'll need to survey at least 2,000 people. 1,000 is generally fine for smaller niches.

4. Split your demographic

A great way of drilling down into a story is by splitting your demographic into subcategories. Most polling companies will do this by age, gender, and region as standard but, often at additional cost, it's possible to dig even deeper. A strong leading stat with lots of subsequent data points will help you create a much more robust story.

5. Ask as many questions as you can

As a rule, you should ask at least 10 questions. Along with the demographic splits, this should give you enough data to write a compelling news story with lots of interesting points. The more details you can add to a story, the more news copy you'll generate.

6. Use lists

Where you can, compile lists. Journalists love a good "Top 10 list." In fact, the WPZ survey I mentioned earlier has two articles on the Telegraph site. The second was titled "The 10 jobs men don't trust women (or men) to do."

Step four: Make your story link-worthy

Once you've analysed your data and come up with a strong story, you then have to find a way to generate links. Increasingly, newspapers are reluctant to link out, and in my experience, the only way to get a decent link on a high-tier site is to create something of value to both the journalist and their readers. Digital journalists are crying out for great visuals and digital content; if you can create something that genuinely adds value to the story (and makes the journalist look good in front of their editor), then you're onto a winner.

For the WPZ story we created a report and an infographic, both of which garnered links.

Click image to open(via WorldPayZinc).

Step five: Present the story

The press release is something that is hotly debated in the PR industry, with arguments both for and against.

However, as David Hamilton says in the article linked to above, while the context may have changed, the need for press releases has not: "The key is to make sure that they are part of a proper strategy and are a supplement to, not a substitute for, proper relationships with journalists."

I use press releases to get my ducks in a line, to get to the crux of a story and to help me establish my key messages. I don't publish them on newswires. For me, the press release comes at the end of a conversation with a journalist. For the most part, it's a tidy way of sending them everything they need, after they've already expressed interest in a story. It's worth noting that I do still get asked for press releases. When written well, with your target publication in mind, they can really help out a busy journalist. You should also publish your press releases on your website, so journalists can find them online if they need to.

Step six: Writing the press release

Rather than trying to big-up your client with hyperbolic language that will surely piss off journalists, spend your energy trying to think like a reporter and find the most interesting elements of your story. You can do this by thinking about the "w's:"

Who? Who's involved in the story? Who cares?

What? What's the story? What's new?

Where? Where is the story taking place? Is there a local angle and/or local publications you can target?

When? Is the story relevant now? Can you tie it in with a current or forthcoming event or "hot topic?"

Why? Why should people care? Why are you telling this story? Why is it relevant to the media you're targeting?

Structuring your release

Think of a press release as an inverted pyramidâ€"get as many of the w's as possible in the first paragraph. While doing this, get straight to the point and keep it simple. Remember to avoid jargon and hyperbole.

The reason for visualising an inverted pyramid is that, historically, editors would slash a press release from the bottom up if they didn't have space for the whole thing. So get crucial elements of your story in early. Your following paragraphs should flesh out the story and give more detail.

(Image: Wikipedia)

Be human: Quotes that'll get you quoted

The majority of the release should be factual and straight to the point. There is, however, room for some colour in the form of a quote or two. Quotes are where a little hyperbole is permitted. For survey stories, quotes should be used to say how you feel about the results. Are you shocked? Saddened? Thrilled? For further credibility you could also include a quote from an expert, or from a case study.

You should always include quotes in a press release but never quote someone who won't be available for interview. This is a guaranteed way to irritate a journalist calling for a follow-up with your spokesperson.

Most importantly, make sure your quote sounds like a real person. This is the ideal opportunity to get your passion for the story across. Don't spew mission statements or company visions, and don't sound like a robotâ€"or worse still, an advert. Read it out loud, does it sound like something someone would actually say?

As an aside, if you can, try to ensure that your spokesperson has a profile page on their website. Journalists will occasionally link to this profile page if they feel the homepage is too commercial. Similarly, another trick that has worked for me in the past is to include the website's URL in a spokesperson's job title.

Freddie Starr Ate my Hamster: getting your headline right

Keep your headline as short and interesting as possible, but don't try too hard. Occasionally there's scope for a great pun or witticism, but if not, don't sweat it. It's more important that it actually makes sense and piques interest in the reader.

Try to keep your headline on one line, and if possible, short enough to be tweeted with a link. And, tempting as it is, avoid putting the company name in the headline. Remember, you're offering the journalist an interesting story, not an advert.

And you're off!

By now you should have a good idea of what makes a decent press release but here are a few extra pointers to help you on your way:

Make sure you include your contact information (including a phone number), and make sure you're actually available to respond swiftly to any resulting enquiries.

Double space your release so it's easy to read.
Try to keep the main body of the release on one side of A4 (roughly 8.5x11"). If you must write more, make sure you don't go over two pages.
Copy the press release into the main body of an emailâ€"never include attachments.
Similarly, if you have accompanying images, just let the journalist know rather than clogging up their inboxâ€"they'll tell you if they want to see them.

If you'd like to see an example, the Worldpay Zinc press release can be read here.

Step seven: Find journalists

The most important aspect of pitching a story is making sure you find the right journalist. And this is nothing that a good old-fashioned Google search can't help you with. Look at stories on similar subjects, or those written for similar audiencesâ€"and don't undervalue smaller niche sites.

Once you've found the journalists you want to target, finding their contact details needn't be too difficult. I'm fortunate in that I have the luxury of a subscription to a media database. If you can't afford this luxury, here are a few tips that could help:

Take a look at this post from our COO Rob Ousbeyâ€"it contains tonnes of great tricks for finding email addresses.
Call the switchboard of the organisation you're targeting. It's fine to call and either say, "I have a story on X and would like to know who best to pitch it to," or to simply ask for an email address.
For UK-based journalists, take a look at journalisted.com
For US-based journalists, take a look at helpareporter.com
Contact journalists on Twitter. I've had success just by saying, "I have something I'd like to pitch to you, mind if I send an email?" Usually they'll reply with their email address, or at least tell you where to find it.

Step eight: Pitch to journalists

Now that you've got the best possible story and have created valuable, link-worthy assets, it's time to pitch. Pitching is something that I get asked lots of questions about and I've met many people that seem terrified of pitching to top-tier journalists. But let me tell you a couple of secrets:

Secret #1: Journalists are human too

Secret #2: If you've got a great story lined up, pitching isn't hard.

Here are my top pitching dos:

Craft your subject line well. Don't waste space telling journalists who your client is, tell them about the genuinely newsworthy story you've so lovingly crafted.

Be human and personable.
Get their name right. You'd be surprised how many times I've heard a journalist moan about being wrongly addressed.
Reference their work. Tell the journalist about an article you particularly enjoyed. But use flattery sparinglyâ€"be genuine.
Build a relationship first. Journalists are more likely to read your emails if they recognise your name. Twitter's perfect for this.
Leave a reason to follow up. "Just checking" emails don't go down well. Ask them if you can help with any more information or an embed code, for example.
Pre-pitch. If you have a genuine news story, then you'll need to do all your pitches in one go. (Use Boomerang to schedule emails.) A tactic I've had a lot of success with is to pitch the story ahead of the release. Give the journalist enough information to pique their interest. Use an embargo if you need to. (But use sparingly and only for genuine news stories.)
Keep it short and simple (KISS). Journalists don't have time to read long, rambling emails.

And don'ts:

Take advantage. If you have success once, don't be tempted to go back to the journalist unless you're certain your story will interest them.
Blanket bomb journalists with a press release. Press releases are still useful (and journalists still ask me for them) but they should come at the end of a conversation. It is ok to just send releases to general news@ addresses, but don't expect these emails to be fruitful.
Call to follow up. Many a PR has been known to call a journalist to say, "Did you receive my press release?" Don't do itâ€"it will only piss them off! Call ahead if you like, but never after.

Use hyperbole or buzzwords. It's just plain annoying.
Ramble. If you call them, don't launch into a pitch and ramble on. Ask if they have a moment to spare first.

A quick recap: remember

The most successful digital PR campaigns incorporate a newsworthy element.
However, they must contain complementary digital assets in order to get links.
Surveys are a great way of creating stories, but be sure to use a credible research company.
The press release isn't dead. But we'll kill it if we abuse it.
Pitching isn't that hardâ€"as long as you are pitching something worthy.
Links are symptomatic of good PR.

I'm hoping that by now you'll have a better idea of the process of creating a story and selling it in to the digital press. Just remember that PR isn't an exact science and there are never any guarantees. When it does pay off, though, the results really do speak for themselves.

Success for Worldpay Zinc: Coverage (and 2 links) on the Telegraph

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Seth's Blog : The care and feeding (and shunning) of vampires

The care and feeding (and shunning) of vampires

Vampires, of course, feed on something that we desperately need but also can't imagine being a source of food.

You have metaphorical vampires in your life. These are people that feed on negativity, on shooting down ideas and most of all, on extinguishing your desire to make things better.

Why would someone do that? Why would they rush to respond to a heartfelt and generous blog post with a snide comment about a typo in the third line? Why would they go out of their way to fold their arms, make a grimace and destroy any hope you had for changing the status quo?

Vampires cannot be cured. They cannot be taught, they cannot learn the error of their ways. Most of all, vampires will never understand how much damage they're doing to you and your work. Pity the vampires, they are doomed to this life.

Your garlic is simple: shun them. Delete their email, turn off comments, don't read your one-star reviews. Don't attend meetings where they show up. Don't buy into the false expectation that in an organizational democracy, every voice matters. Every voice doesn't matter--only the voices that move your idea forward, that make it better, that make you better, that make it more likely you will ship work that benefits your tribe.

It's so tempting to evangelize to the vampires, to prove them wrong, to help them see how destructive they are. This is food for them, merely encouragement.

Shun the ones who feed on your failures.

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duminică, 15 decembrie 2013

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Haircut Deficit: Kids Living in Basements a Drag on U.S. Services Spending; Since Recession Ended, Durable Goods +34%, Services +6.3%; What's Next?
Twenty-Three Hurt in Spain Protest Against Anti-Protest Legislation; Peripheral Europe Powder Keg Ready to Explode
Italy "Pitchfork Protests" Continue; "LettaSpeak" Translation; Nonworking Parts

Haircut Deficit: Kids Living in Basements a Drag on U.S. Services Spending; Since Recession Ended, Durable Goods +34%, Services +6.3%; What's Next?

Posted: 15 Dec 2013 06:52 PM PST

The recession ended in mid-2009. Since then spending on services has lagged spending on durable goods by a huge margin.

Why? A record number of Millennials, adults aged 18 to 32, put off household formation and stay at home to live with parents.

Why? No job and/or huge college debt with no way to pay it back.

The jobless rate for Americans aged 18 to 19 years old stood at 19.2%. Unemployment among 20- to 24-year-olds is 11.6 percent. In contrast, the overall unemployment rate is 7%.

Kids Living in Basements a Drag on U.S. Services Spending

Bloomberg reports on the Haircut Deficit, Kids Living in Basements a Drag on U.S. Services Spending.

Consumer spending on services -- everything from rents and water bills to health care and haircuts -- is a laggard as the economy has recovered from the worst recession since the Great Depression. Such expenditures adjusted for inflation have risen 6.3 percent since mid-2009, compared with a 34 percent surge in outlays on durable goods such as automobiles and appliances, according to data from the Commerce Department in Washington.

Purchases of durable goods have been quicker to recover. Some of the growth is driven by record-low interest rates, supporting auto sales that account for almost a quarter of the increase in spending on long-lasting items. Another contributor is pent-up demand for replacement of aging household goods such as appliances and furniture. Neither force has much effect on purchases of services, which are more likely than durable goods to be paid for in cash.

From 2008 through this year, the annual rise in the number of households has averaged less than 1 percent. That compares with an average year-over-year gain of about 1.7 percent in Census Bureau data going back to 1948.

"If you look at household size, the average number of people per household has gone up," said Mark Vitner, a senior economist in Charlotte, North Carolina, at Wells Fargo & Co., the biggest U.S. home lender. "Consumption of household services by person has actually gone down because it's the same amount of space consumed by three people instead of two."

Millennials -- adults aged 18 to 32 -- are still slow to set out on their own more than four years after the recession ended, according to an Oct. 18 report by the Pew Research Center in Washington. Just over one in three head their own households, close to a 38-year low set in 2010.

Growing income inequality also may be playing a role, squeezing the take-home pay of those less well-off and forcing them to scrimp on spending, said William Dunkelberg, chief economist of the National Federation of Business.

The richest 10 percent of Americans last year earned more than half of all income, the largest total since 1917, according to Emmanuel Saez, an economist at the University of California at Berkeley.

The steep rise in spending on durable goods has largely been fueled by a surge in loans to purchase automobiles. Outstanding automotive loan balances climbed to a record-high $782.9 billion in the third quarter, $103 billion more than the same three-month period in 2012, according to seven years of data from industry researcher Experian Automotive.

What's Next?

Via email, a close friend "BC" commented on "What's Next"

The top 1-10% receive 50% of income in an economy in which 72% of GDP is Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE). Unless the top 10% increase spending ~6%/yr., US real final sales per capita will be near 0% at the trend population and reported deflator.

The bottom 90%, who receive the other 50% of income, are not experiencing any growth of purchasing power after factoring in taxes, inflation, and debt service. They contribute little-to-nothing in growth of real final sales per capita.

Once the Boomer top 10-20% replace their auto fleets, real retail sales and real final sales per capita will again contract.

Wealth Effect

I would add that some of the spending, especially on autos, is due to the wealth effect of rising stock market and recovery in home prices. A substantial (and lengthy) decline in the stock market is long overdue. And when it comes it will pressure sales and services in general.

What's coming isn't pretty even though the precise timing is unknown.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com

Twenty-Three Hurt in Spain Protest Against Anti-Protest Legislation; Peripheral Europe Powder Keg Ready to Explode

Posted: 15 Dec 2013 02:08 PM PST

Protests are underway in Madrid. Riot police were called out to suppress the demonstrations. At least 23 are hurt including 14 police officers.

The protesters are protesting proposed anti-protest legislation including a fine of €30,000 for "Insulting Police Officers" and a whopping €600,000 for demonstrating near parliament without permission.

Please consider Clashes in Madrid as demonstrators rally against anti-protest bill.

At least 23 people have been hurt in clashes outside the Spanish Parliament in Madrid, as hundreds of protesters gathered on Saturday to demonstrate against newly proposed anti-protest legislation.

The demonstrators held signs that said 'Freedom to protest' and 'People's Party, shame of Spain!' while police and barricades prevented them from getting any closer to the parliament building.

The new law, drafted by Spain's ruling People's Party, would introduce fines for activists taking part in unauthorized protests, publishing images of police, or interrupting public events.

Demonstrating near parliament without permission could result in a fine as high as 600,000 euro (US$824,040), while insulting a police officer could cost a demonstrator up to 30,000 euro ($41,202).

Images from RT

Click on the top link for more images and an RT video.

Peripheral Europe Powder Keg Ready to Explode

The anti-protest legislation suggests things are seriously out of control in Spain. But it's far worse than that.

Amazingly stiff anti-protest legislation coupled with the rise of the neo-Nazi "Golden Dawn" party in Greece, the Catalan separatist movement in Spain, and numerous "pitchfork protests" in Italy, strongly suggests peripheral Europe is a powder keg ready to explode.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com

Italy "Pitchfork Protests" Continue; "LettaSpeak" Translation; Nonworking Parts

Posted: 15 Dec 2013 11:26 AM PST

The "pitchfork protests" in Italy have now gone on for a week. RT reports 'Pitchfork' protesters clash with police in week of anti-austerity rallies

Protesters in several Italian cities have clashed with police amid anti-austerity protests which have lasted for almost one week. The so-called "Pitchfork" protesters are marching against cuts and calling for the government to resign.

Demonstrators hit Rome, Venice, and Turin on Saturday. Students threw paint bombs at police in Turin, which has been the epicenter of the protests. The city has seen the largest number of clashes with law enforcement, with officers using tear gas to disperse demonstrators who hurled stones.

Turin protesters also blocked rail traffic and stopped trains at the city's main stations. Truckers - protesting high taxes and fuel prices - and students brought traffic to a virtual standstill earlier this week. Activists pitched tents on a bridge across a river bordering France, near the town of Ventimiglia, forcing police to step in. City authorities ordered reinforcement from security forces.

Activists have promised larger demonstrations in the capital next week. The protests are being staged in the name of the Forconi – or Pitchfork – movement, which was originally organized by a group of Sicilian farmers.

"There are millions of us and we are growing by the hour. This government has to go," Reuters quoted one of the leaders of the protests, Danilo Calvani, as saying earlier this week.

As demonstrators blame the two-year recession on politicians, they are demanding that the government be replaced and parliament be dissolved.

Fourteen policemen have been injured over the past several days. Many shops and other properties have been damaged.

On Thursday, Interior Minister Angelino Alfano voiced concerns that the unrest could "lead to a spiral of rebellion against national and European institutions." He told lawmakers that although the government understood "the suffering of poor people," it would not allow the violence to continue.

Alfano said that the government has tried to talk with the protesters, but has thus far failed because there are many different groups and no clear leaders.

Protest Images

RT has four excellent images of the protests. Here are a couple of them.

Italy's "Pitchfork Protests" Spread to Rome; Interior Minister Warns of "Drift Into Rebellion"

Last Thursday I reported Italy's "Pitchfork Protests" Spread to Rome; Interior Minister Warns of "Drift Into Rebellion".

"LettaSpeak" Translation

In response to my article, reader George offered comments on this paragraph from my article: "Letta has warned repeatedly that opposition to the government and the EU is growing strongly, fuelled by sacrifices needed to keep public finances in order and which could result in a massive anti-EU vote in next year's European parliamentary elections."

George says "Hello Mish. The sacrifices Letta refers to are nothing more than taxes paid to an oligarchic government, so the government can pay interest to private bankers, on money the bankers had lent to the government, money that the bankers worked so hard on their computers to create."

Nonworking Parts

That's part of it. Some of the taxes go to support public unions, and the rest goes to government bureaucrats doing everything they can to not only pad their own pockets but also to stay in power.

I leave it to the reader to assign percentages to each of the "nonworking" parts. The percentage of working parts is small and can safely be ignored in assignment of where tax money goes.

And please note the irony. The "pitchfork" movement is up in arms because government is not handing out enough jobs, giving away enough free money, and giving away enough free services.

Here's the "real" pitchfork beef: Most of them are upset because they're not in on the scam.

That leads to the next question: How much would it cost to do what the movement wants, and where would the money come from?

As bad as all this is, the Euro made matters far worse. It can't and won't last.

Eventually, there will come a time when a populist office-seeker will stand before the voters, hold up a copy of the EU treaty and (correctly) declare all the "bail out" debt foisted on their country to be null and void. That person will be elected.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com

Seth's Blog : Soft tissue

Soft tissue

Most organizations are built around three anatomical concepts: Bone, muscle and soft tissue.

The bones are the conceptual skeleton, the people who stand for something, who have been around, have a mission and don't bend easily, even if there's an apparently justifiable no-one-is-watching shortcut at hand. "We don't do things that way around here."

The muscles are able to do the heavy lifting. They are the top salespeople, the designers with useful and significant output, the performers who can be counted on to do more than their share.

And the soft tissue brings bulk, it protects the muscles and the bones. The soft tissue can fill a room, handle details, add heft in many ways. It can bring protection and cohesion, and sometimes turn into muscle.

When a bone breaks, we notice it. When those that make up the organization's skeleton leave, or lose their nerve or their verve, the entire organizations gasps, and often rushes to fix the problem.

Muscles are easily measured, and we've built countless organizational tools to find and reward our best producers.

But soft tissue... soft tissue is easy to add to the team, but time-consuming to remove. Soft tissue bogs down the rest of the organization, what with all those meetings, the slowdown of time to market, the difficulty in turning on a dime.

An organization that lets itself be overwhelmed by the small but insistent demands of too much soft tissue gets happy, then it gets fat, then it dies.

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luni, 16 decembrie 2013

Movie Night at the White House

An Eight-Step Plan to Get PR-Driven Links

An Eight-Step Plan to Get PR-Driven Links

An eight-step plan

Step one: Find the story

Step two: Create a story

Step three: Conduct a survey

Step four: Make your story link-worthy

Step five: Present the story