Straight from the Media’s Mouth…
I was on the road for two weeks in February, with a client talking to media, and was able to gain some firsthand insight into how the media is changing and what it’s like to be a reporter or editor these days.
A few takeaways:
• Video is essential. A number of editors strongly encouraged me to work with my clients on embedding video into press releases. Video is a critical component of keeping readers on news Web sites. The media want press releases to be more visual and engaging than the standard text format with a quote from the company.
Videos must be short in length. How-to demonstrations accompanying new products or services are well received.
• Print is still alive. While the shift to online news consumption is very real, a number of media I spoke with (note most of these media are trade/vertical focused serving engineers and the electronics industry) believe while frequency of their print editions may lessen, the print magazine will continue to be what keeps readers coming back. Specifically, technical papers and in-depth features continue to be in high demand.
• Content is king – and media needs our help with it. They want fresh content that is brief and informative. Tutorials, how-tos, instruction and never-before-seen information that will keep readers coming back for more. Also, articles authored by industry leaders provide unique viewpoints to readers and take the burden off of the typically lean editorial staff.