• Traditional Media and You — A recent study conducted by the Associated Press shows that a large majority of journalists use social media sites like Twitter to identify new issues and viewpoints. News resources like Reuters and CNN report relevant breaking news on their personal social accounts as well as through print, radio and TV. These methods engages their followers / readers / listeners / viewers, and in turn spreads the word. When dealing with the traditional media, try to reach out to them quickly, engage them in your topic of conversation and hope that they help you get your viewpoint heard. The minute news begins to spread, you will need to kick your efforts into high gear and start using your resources.

• Video is King — Don’t underestimate the power of online video. Video is shared faster and more frequently than anything else. A strong, straight-to-the-point video can help relieve the crisis situation more than a Tweet or written distribution can. But the key factors still weigh in, keep your message sincere, relevant and clear. To see an example of what NOT to do, watch the 2010 videos from the former BP CEO during the first weeks of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. When a crisis occurs, one of the first things you need to know is, “How long will it take to shoot, edit and distribute a video?” The answer is, when you’re working with savvy media professionals, it’s possible to shoot, edit and distribute video within hours.  In fact, we often find that the approvals can take as long as the shoot and edit.

The third and final installment will be Scene Stealers.

Read Part 1 of Gaffes, Baffles and Mistakes. How to Fix Social Media Bloopers; The Basics For more information about how to leverage social media to enhance your online reach, and drive media to your content at the best value in the industry, contact NBN and ask about our multimedia news or video release services www.newsbroadcastnetwork.com/contact.

Stay up to date with our blogs by visiting Newsbroadcastnetwork.com, or see some of our online distributed work at Newsinfusion.com. Follow us on Twitter and check us out on Facebook for the latest updates in projects and other marketing, PR and social media tips.

It wasn’t just the American Heart Association recognizing the opportunity to talk to Americans about heart disease during February. Quest Diagnostics produced two RNRs, on how Americans don’t know they are at risk for heart disease until they undergo routine medical testing, typically for some employment-related reason like an insurance exam. Dr. Harvey Kaufman of Quest says, “The study’s results showed that many participants were not previously aware of their risk for diseases that directly impact heart health. In fact, 59 percent of those found to be at high risk for high cholesterol and 28 percent of those at high risk for diabetes first learned of their health risk through their lab results.” For more information, go to www.questdiagnostics.com or visit the RNR: http://www.newsinfusion.com/events/questwellnessstudy.

To see more NBN produced tours, visit NewsInfusion.com and for more information about how to leverage social media to enhance your online reach, and drive media to your content at the best value in the industry, contact NBN and ask about our multimedia news or video release services www.newsbroadcastnetwork.com/contact.

So you’ve decided to create an online video. You’ve defined your target audience, decided on a fantastic visual that will grab viewers in the first ten seconds and made sure your concept won’t run more than two or three minutes.

Here are some other things to remember:

This should not be a sales pitch. Millions of people watched the Old Spice commercials online, but they’re the exception rather than the rule. Nobody will watch more than two seconds of a direct sales pitch for your product, service or cause. Online video is all about engaging your audience, drawing them into a visual story that enhances the value of what you have to offer.

Make the video a visual representation of your brand.   Every detail in the video should contribute to the brand message you want to convey. Are you a luxury brand? If so, the music, background, lighting and images should all convey a spirit of elegance. I’ve seen videos where the CEO sits in front of a cluttered desk and leans back in his chair so much that it looks like he has a paunch. This is not the image you want online.

Don’t pinch pennies on lighting. Skilled lighting can make even pedestrian images command attention. Hire a professional to set up your lighting to avoid accentuating wrinkles on peoples’ faces or obscuring the action that’s most important to the story. Unless you’re going for horror movie effects, the days of viewers accepting videos with lots of shadowy, hard-to-see images are long gone.

Syndicate your video beyond YouTube. YouTube reigns supreme but there are many other video sharing sites that attract millions of viewers each day so don’t ignore them. Also seek out the specialty sites that attract the kind of audiences you’re seeking; if you’re providing how-to tips make sure to post the video on the many do-it-yourself sites.

Implement a comprehensive online video promotion plan and keep it ongoing. SEO promotion is critical for you to stand out from the thousands of hours of video going online each day. Write descriptive text that will maximize key words and tags and seek out message forums on subjects relating to your video. For your thumbnail, choose a visual that makes the potential viewer want to learn more and click on the video. A head shot of an anonymous executive won’t do the trick.

For more information about the latest developments in video and how to cost effectively leverage social and visual media to enhance your online reach and drive media to your content, contact NBN and ask about our multimedia news or video production and promotion services www.newsbroadcastnetwork.com/contact.

Stay up to date with our blogs by visiting Newsbroadcastnetwork.com, or see some of our online distributed work at Newsinfusion.com.

Follow us on Twitter and check us out on Facebook for the latest updates on the rapidly changing media landscape and marketing, PR and social media tips.

Written by Mark Manoff

In between Christmas and New Year’s Day, NBN did a Satellite Media Tour from Kansas City on America’s newest shopping holiday: Gift Card Weekend. Gift cards now are the single most given holiday gift. Brett Glass, the CEO of Gift Card Impressions, spoke to 23 television stations and did eight more radio interviews in a five hour, 30 minute tour. His message? Some of the nation’s largest retailers are backing a once-a-year event on Friday to Sunday January 6 – 8 wherein participating retail partners give special offers to people who received gift cards during the holiday season. And that’s most of us…since Mr. Glass noted that the average person receives about 10 gift cards annually. Participating sponsors like Lowe’s, Sphere, Bass Pro Shops, Applebee’s, J.C. Penney Company, SpaFinder and Adidas give discounts and other incentives. You can view the NewsInfusion page by visiting http://newsinfusion.com/events/giftcardweekend.

NBN can customize a fully integrated and blended media strategy, stretching across broadcast and multimedia platforms while combining expert media relations for earned as well as guaranteed placement solutions to successfully reach your target audience with remarkable results. To discuss or request a quote today CONTACT US

Social media can be very beneficial in many aspects, and it’s a great way to market yourself or your business. However, you have to be cautious not to write or share the wrong thing. In the digital world, one post can be circulated to thousands of people in a matter of seconds, and a serious mistake left unaddressed can be absolutely catastrophic. So lets say you or someone in your company pulled a Kanye. Here are a few basic steps to manage reputational missteps in the new digital age.

The Basics

• Nip the Problem in the Bud — The first step is to try and move quickly, when a major baffle happens, timing is everything. Don’t wait around to see what happens, get the task started by doing damage control.

• Take to The Sites — Whether the situation started on one small site or a large and influential one, the first thing you need to do (once you have crafted your response)  is take to the masses. Since Twitter is the site with the most mobility and the biggest capability to spread the word fast, it will usually be the first choice. However, we suggest you reach out to as many sites as you are able.

• Separate Services on Same Sites — Many companies create separate Twitter, Facebook or web accounts for the different services or products they offer. Different account pages are designated solely for customer service, frequently asked questions, information assistance, product promotion, and corporate news and visibility. If you have several of these account pages, it is important NOT to fill them all with endless apologies. Instead choose the one page with the most traffic and relevance to your topic, and submit a sensible, authentic 140 character message.

The second installment of this three part segment will be Traditional Media and You.

For more information about how to leverage social media to enhance your online reach, and drive media to your content at the best value in the industry, contact NBN and ask about our multimedia news or video release services www.newsbroadcastnetwork.com/contact.

Stay up to date with our blogs by visiting Newsbroadcastnetwork.com, or see some of our online distributed work at Newsinfusion.com. Follow us on Twitter and check us out on Facebook for the latest updates in projects and other marketing, PR and social media tips.