With the July 4 holiday weekend upon us, I wanted to be sure to get this blog post published before heading out for a festive few days since it covers such a timely piece of research. So without further adieu …
A research brief from The Center for Media Research caught our eye this week: their June 30 briefing, “Coffee and the Web for C-Level Execs in the Morning.” According to Forbes and Gartner, 67 percent of C-Level executives named the Internet as the most influential and important source of business information - a number that’s increased 37 percent since 2004. Conversely, the numbers of execs who say newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal are their main source of business info has decreased 36 percent since 2004.
So, what does this mean for media relations pros?
Well, for starters, it means the landscape is shifting fast, and we need to keep up. Changing the way we choose keywords, mentioning competitors and reevaluating media targets is a good place to start.
Keywords
In an earlier post, I wrote about the importance of inbound media relations. Taking the time to choose the right keywords that will provide the highest return can net big exposure. Thanks to online news alerts and automated feeds, a company’s target audience could very well be set up to receive information specific to their interests. So knowing what types of keywords they’re likely to plug in for Google News and other automated alerts will increase the chances that your news gets delivered when relevant alerts are in place.
Mentioning Competitors
One of the golden rules of media relations used to be to never mention a competitor, but with online information, it could be advantageous to mention the competition in an effort to gain exposure. This strategy should be used very cautiously and judiciously but shouldn't be ruled out altogether. In press releases, blog posts and other online efforts, for example, it can pay dividends if you can strategically ride the coattails of a well known competitor to reach new audiences, set the stage for favorable product or service comparisons, or specifically target the customers or followers of a particular competitor.
Since online news alerts and automated feeds allow anyone to pick up news containing particular keywords, using a competitor’s name can be one of the best ways to quickly expand your audience. But don't do startups and lesser known competitors any favors by mentioning them in your communications.
Media Targets
Increasingly, execs view online news sources as legitimate competitors of print publications. The landscape is changing, expanding the reach of smaller publications and hurting the established titles that executives have trusted for years. In response, we should reevaluate the way we analyze media outlets and change the way we prioritize media contacts as needed.
After all, this trend will likely continue to develop, at least for the foreseeable future.
So how else does this impact your work? Drop me a line or post a comment to share your thoughts.