Media Strategy: How to Amplify Your Message and Better Reach Constituents

The Unnecessarily Dramatically-Named Esther D. Kustanowitz Farewell Lecture

& 45-Minute Crash Course WorkshopMarch 19, 2014

AgendaTalk about media strategy (not

social media-specific) Brainstorm about how and where

to promote our initiativesTips on writing for/pitching to

other publicationsPointers on how to construct a

more powerful media pitch

“Top-Down” to “Up and Out!”

Media, like leadership or relationships, used to be:◦hierarchical◦undemocratic◦user impact: low

Now:◦peer reviews◦consumer feedback◦ invested “prosumer” class

Next phase: Wonkavator – stories come from, and go, anywhere

http://content9.flixster.com/question/46/64/76/4664763_std.jpg

“It’s Complicated…”

[Not exactly “all” their blogs…]

Media Mergers

Media Has a Life of Its Own…

Modern Media Takes a Village (with only two women, one of whom is Kathy Griffin)

And then there’s all this….

http://www.okilla.com/315/resource-vector-based-social-media-icons/

Things to Think About…What’s your universe?Who or what are your strongest

stories?What conversations outside of your

program relate to your mission or topic?

You don’t have to be everywhere at once…Assess what your capacity is for

media outreach (financial & human resources)

Choose a few tools that make sense for your audience, focus on them

Always stay informed of new things as they come up (Instagram was new once)

ENCOUNTER•Healthy skepticism•First impressions – good or bad•Immersion can be “too soon” – you learn too much•Right org/person at the wrong time is the wrong person/org•Sense that the person/project adds a unique value

ENGAGEMENT• Connection• Interest• Dynamism• Sense of Humor• Relationship building

through shared experiences

DEEPENING RELATIONSHIP•Deeper investment – time & emotion•Working together•Partnership•Shared experience creating history

CHALLENGE •Period of instability•Moment of dissent or distress•“I am not your consolation prize”•Acknowledging when you’re wrong•Intense work to repair relationship•Showing value

RESOLUTION•Trespasses forgiven•Equilibrium restored•Understanding•Compromises (sauce on the side)•Happy relationship

Federationships…Media is managed by Marketing

& Communications, must be coordinated

A few suggestions for better interactions:◦Meet the Mar/Com team◦Keep them informed / ask questions

about media outreach◦They want content – let them know

in advance, & send them copy that’s near-ready

5 Things You Can Do Now1. Set up some Google

Alerts /use nuzzel or newsle

2. Start reading the news outlets you’d like to pitch

3. Think about pitching as establishing or deepening a relationship – get off on the right foot

4. Create a content plan with associated topics

5. Be open to input & inspiration from other places (things you see on the street, parenting, pop culture trends, etc)

Pitching Your Content & Writing for an Outside AudienceWho are you? What’s your goal?Who is your audience? What do

they want?Which are the best venues for

your content? What do they want?

Figure out who to pitchDevelop relationshipsTry new things to see what works

What Story Are You Pitching?The organization or program itself?An event?The speakers/attendees at an event?What is newsworthy about your event? (What

makes your program different from all other programs?)◦ Example, for NEI:

Federation investing in programs outside of Federation, trusting them to reach their populations best, raising their visibility

Federation serving as a convener, not soliciting donations or membership fees for participation

Federation providing professional development and networking to underserved Jewish professionals

Collaboration enables maximizing community resources, creates a peer network

Stalking Your Intended:Do the Research

Schedule “surveillance time”Read about the publicationFamiliarize yourself with the

masthead – what topic does each writer specialize in?

The Jewish Journal & Beyond…The Forward LA Blueprint GOOD magazine/

online community Patch LAist BrokeLA

Be an “all-star pitcher”Post-research, pitch the right person at

the right publicationGive that person enough to interest &

follow-up, not so much as to overwhelmGive the pitchee enough time to

respondA little flattery never hurt... (especially

w/bloggers)…but must be sincereMore important than one successful

pitch – forging a relationship…be a SOURCE

And here’s the pitch…Respect the chain of command, but use your

networksDo you need to introduce yourself and your

role? (relationship)What about the program or initiative is

newsworthy, relevant, revolutionary, innovative, etc…?

What does that person absolutely need to know about the event’s logistics?

What resources are available to them if they’d like to learn more?

Who is their contact, should they have questions?

Finding Things to Post/Pitch AboutGoogle Alerts / Google News Search

(archives)Stay tuned to Twitter, CNN, BBC,

Facebook – what are people talking about? How does it relate to your work?

Authentic lenses on passionate subjectseJewishPhilanthropy.com, Harvard

Business Review, Jewish Journal, LA Times, venues you’d like to be published in, etc

Content Creation Tips = Human Engagement TipsContent is storytellingShow, don’t tell – words can be

picturesRiveting content is

◦Current/topical◦Consistently on-message◦Deepens relationship◦Provides a unique value

emotional /intellectual shared passion – justice, equality, sports personality, humor (snark)

Tools & Resources• Free webinars from DarimOnline.org and Wild Apricot• Inside Facebook and Mashable newsletters (for social

trends/literacy in social media tools and shifts)• eJewishPhilanthropy, Google Alerts, Wired, Fast

Company, Harvard Business Review, Pew Internet Study - articles of interest

• Manifesto: Social Media for Jewish Organizations (My Urban Kvetch)

• The Future of Jewish Journalism (Or Anything Else) (eJewishPhilanthropy)

• Wanted: Jewish Leaders for the Digital Age (Ha’aretz)• Here Comes Everybody – Clay Shirky• Empowered Judaism – Elie Kaunfer

Stay in touch…I’m on the internet.