In our growing digital culture, people are increasingly turning towards email, text, Twitter, and Facebook as their first option for communication.  While this isn’t necessarily new or a bad thing, I still believe that picking up the phone is the most effective way for Public Relations professionals to communicate. Whether pitching a story idea or securing a briefing, more times than not, I get a response when using the phone. Everyone knows that each phone conversation can’t be successful and result in media coverage, but by the end of it, I have feedback to share with clients and colleagues. Most forms of digital correspondence do not afford the nuances of a phone conversation like tonality or free-flowing conversation.

The trick? Be persistent and know when to call. For instance, when pitching broadcast, calling stations prior to 9am planning meetings has been effective. For journalists, calling between 10 am – 2pm seems to work best as they are often on deadline later in the day.

Now for the treat. Often times, I never know how the conversation will go with the person on the other end, but at least I get a  response, something email, twitter and facebook may or may not provide instantly.  Having all those unanswered emails, tweets, and posts floating in cyber space can be stressful and unproductive, but at least with a phone call I know where things stand and to me that is a BIG treat.

Memo to communications professionals: If video isn’t in your PR and marketing toolkits, it should be.

Why do you need video? Because:

• YouTube streams more than 1.2 billion videos every day, according to TechCrunch
• 90% of 2009-2010 broadcast TV was on Internet
• Microsites with video are 53 times more likely to get on the front page of Google Search, according to Forrester Research
• More than 177 million U.S. Internet users watched video online in June 2010, according to ComScore, that’s more than 100 videos per viewer
• Approximately 85  percent of the total U.S. Internet audience regularly views online video
• Media websites increasingly depend on outside video. In fact, one well-respected newspaper has asked for a video series to be created for their website.
  • 90 percent of radio websites now use video.
  • 87 percent of newspaper websites now use video.
  • 76 percent of magazine websites now use video.

Ok, so now that you’re on the video bandwagon, here are five helpful tips (or so I hope), from storyboarding and preproduction to merchandizing:

1. Speak the words, don’t write a script. Account for pauses, music transitions, and most importantly, how naturally the words flow together. Skip long words. Use phrases (that’s how most people talk).
2. Stock imagery can be a  great way to give more pizzazz to flatter footage, but be cognizant of where/how it was used previously
3. Think about customizing videos, with different calls to action that make the viewer interact with the message
4. Optimize your video – the description should be keyword rich, place links in the description and the video itself.
5. One video does not all audiences serve, so think about how to maximize any video you have (and/or buy). Can you create products messages for tradeshows? Use mini-segments to pitch the media? Tell a better corporate story to potential employees?

See you on the big screen.

Our offices have been abuzz this week (and last week, and the week before that…) with preparations for the 2010 PhotoPlus International Conference and Expo in New York City, which takes place later this week. It’s hard to believe it has already been a year since we last descended on the Javits Center for three days of photography-related fun; but alas, here we are again.

PhotoPlus has historically been an important event for Matter, with our large roster of digital imaging clients. This year, an unprecedented 19 of our clients will be attending the show, where they will meet with members of the media, demonstrate their products and share the latest and greatest in the photoimaging industry.

Matter will once again host clients, media and photography professionals in our booth (#817). We’re looking forward to catching up with old friends and meeting new faces throughout the show and at our in-booth social reception on Friday afternoon.

Though preparing for such a large event undoubtedly requires much planning and a few late nights in the office along the way, it is also energizing to see and feel the collaborative spirit evoked by the common deadlines and goals shared by teammates. Nevertheless, after many weeks of hard work, we’re all excited to be only a few days away from the main event. If you’ll be at PhotoPlus this week, we sure do hope you’ll stop by to say hello. See you there!

There are more memorable quotes from the year I spent as a fledgling reporter/anchor in Coweta County, Georgia than any other period of my life. The people of Coweta have a kindness in their heart and an amazing ability to turn a phrase. What they inherently know takes most a lifetime to learn, but you have the benefit of grasping one part by scrolling down the page and reading Patty Barry’s “Listening Matters”.

When leaving that job, a county commissioner was kind enough to say, “Son you always manage to get the scoop before the paper and you did it in less than a year… How’d you do it?”

Flattered and perplexed by the question, I asked one of my news sources why they provided me with information no one else had at the time. “We don’t,” he said, “You’re just a better listener.” Being a good listener paid off spades as a reporter, but no longer am I on the side of the conversation.

In P.R. we are charged with relaying stories to reporters and editors. Sure, listening is key to discovering the most effective way to impart that information, but as my brethren from the south know, there is an art to a potent delivery.

Not nearly qualified enough to break down the elements of an effective pitch (nor blessed with the innate understanding), I turn to the analysis of Chip and Dan Heath, authors of Made to Stick. This must read creates a simple checklist that anyone can use when trying to impart an idea or information.

Check list

Is the message: 1) Simple 2) Unexpected 3) Concrete 4) Credible 5) Emotional 6) Story format

The book spends 257 pages breaking down each element, but before you get on the phone to sell your story ask, will this pitch be a SUCCES(s)? The more boxes you can check, the greater you’re shot at garnering coverage.

You have probably never heard a story about a detective catching people stealing cows, but my listeners did that summer afternoon in 1998. Like many of the people I met in Coweta County, Detective Mitch Gadis had a gift for turning a phrase and in the process imparting a life lesson we should none forget.

“Never steal  a cow from a county with cow in its name.”

I have a problem, one that really grinds my gears! My whole life I’ve seen one version of linguistic reality, only to have my world turned upside-down recently!

You see, one of my account teams regularly has update calls with our client contact, usually every other week.  Certainly a valuable time to block off in the client’s schedule to ensure that we are all able to stay connected. My colleague routinely refereed to these meetings as “biweekly”. At first I let it pass, but after several of these references, I had to step in…I explained that “biweekly” means twice in the same week, what he was looking for was “bimonthly”. He vehemently disagreed! Now both of us had our scruff up…there’s no backing down from this fight! So with the machismo of a man who knew he was right, I suggested we take our battle to the old trusty American Heritage dictionary, from which I quote:

bi•week•ly  adj. 1. Happening every two weeks 2. Happening twice a week; semiweekly

Say what!? How can the same work have two polar opposite meanings!? After I took a deep breath and acknowledged that I was technically wrong (not something I tend to do regularly), the new reality started to creep in. While technically we were both right, I began to really think about this alternate reality…and I didn’t liking what I saw! Up was down, down was up and the creeping dark edges of this Bizaro world were making me claustrophobic.

Have no fear, in the end my savior came from the most likely of places, the AP Style Guide. Old faithful clarified this linguistic netherworld for us, but not the way I would have liked! I quote:

biweekly Means every other week. Semiweekly means twice a week.

Okay, I can stop hyperventilating now, the planets are back where they belong and we can all go back to work…right? Well no! The prefix “bi” is modifying “weekly” so how the heck can that mean every-other week!? I guess I can take solace in that the American Heritage at least acknowledges this “usage problem”

I guess this is just one of those things that you have to accept, like algebra. Why does the Pythagorean Theorem work, who knows it just does…accept it and move on…at least that’s the irritated response I got from my algebra teacher back in the day.