Hear ye, hear ye! New rules of media relations declared!

A medieval town hall meeting it was not. Rather, Marketwire co-sponsored a webcast that took place yesterday (October 28, 2009) on “The New Rules of Media Relations,” focusing on how PR pros can effectively work with today’s journalist in the media landscape that’s morphing right before our very eyes.

Helpful tips, useful facts and insightful questions made the webcast a source of valuable information as we all navigate our way through unchartered territory. (more…)

Web 2.0 technologies have irrevocably changed the volume and speed of news delivered and consumed on a daily basis.  There has been a shift of influence from professional journalism to social media as many news consumers now rely on a significant mix of traditional and online sources.  In a recent CBC Radio show, Ira Basen explores the changing landscape of news delivery from news 1.0 to news 2.0, and asks whether the world is ready to part ways with traditional news media. (more…)

Press releases, a.k.a. news releases, are a staple of many public relations efforts and continue to provide traditional and social media audiences, as well as consumers, with a wealth of information on products, services, people and events.

Press coverage (both traditional and online) and attention across social networks can be more effective than any other type of advertising, and a well-written press release can garner great rewards for your company by increasing sales, driving qualified leads to your website or drawing attention to important causes and events.  Writing releases smartly and strategically is extremely important: editors and bloggers alike read press releases quickly and with a well-trained eye, and if they can’t find what they are looking for within the first paragraph (sometimes even within the headline itself), they are more likely to disregard it altogether.

How do you compose a well-written and well-structured press release to grab the attention of your audience?  The steps below can help. (more…)

After an eventful first day, Day 2 of the Online News Association’s annual conference opened with a bang as CEO/Founder Lisa Stone, BlogHer, talked about the evolution of “the mommy media.”  She spoke about the transformation of B2B and B2C marketing through blogging.

Some of the top sessions centered on hot-button topics, such as “Journalism for the Mobile Generation” with panelists like Benjamin Moss, director of mobile products, Associated Press.

Other sessions discussed the ethical considerations the media must take into account when using Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, and included tutorials on best practices when using SEO and SEM to reach your audiences. Take a look at J.D Lasica’s (founder, Socialmedia.biz) presentation on social media best practices. (more…)

It was made abundantly clear in discussions at the fifth annual IR Magazine Canada Think Tank, held October 1 in Toronto, that social networks, Web 2.0, and our real-time, mobile nature of communicating with each another have radically changed the practice of investor relations.   A growing percentage of the Canadian financial community is embracing social media and reaping its rewards.  They are tapping into channels like Facebook and Twitter to listen to and engage stakeholders, employees and analysts, and they are utilizing digital channels like YouTube, SlideShare, and podcasts to expand the reach of corporate messages and materials. (more…)

The fifth annual Online News Association conference is being held this year in San Francisco and includes an amazing line-up of speakers and networking opportunities.  At the top of the conference, participants had already learned about Twisten.fm (Pandora’s cousin – a social media site for music), Muckrack (a journalist-only Twitter feed), and caught a quick glimpse of Yahoo!’s new editorial style guide. We collected a ton of marketing shwag and chatted with the editorial director of CNNMoney.com. (more…)

We are in San Francisco this week, exhibiting at the Online News Association conference that hosts news writers, designers, editors, photographers, and technologists who produce content for the internet. This year marks ONA’s 10th anniversary.

ONA has put together an A-list roster to include media behemoths like Evan Williams, founder, Twitter, Chris Barr, senior editorial director, Yahoo!, and Lisa Stone, CEO, BlogHer.

The ONA conference will focus on the transformation of traditional media and honor companies that are leaders in the electronic media community. The educational sessions speak to the production and consumption of social media, mobile media, streaming media, and draw attention to the evolution of news.

Highlights and commentary to come — stay tuned!