Media & Communications Corner: Despite Decline of Traditional Media, Opportunities Abound

It seems apparent that fewer people care about staying on top of the news these days, opting instead to spend their time furiously texting friends, Facebook-status updating and Tweeting the most mundane details of their lives. After all, it's been well documented that magazine and newspaper readership is in the basement and that the media industry is in more turmoil than any time in history. So, naturally, the public is less informed ' and much less interested in being informed. Right? Au contraire!

All Media, All the Time

A recent study by the Pew Research Center for People and the Press found that Americans are actually spending more time accessing news than they did a decade ago. As was the case back then, people newly surveyed reported spending an average of 57 minutes each day getting the news from TV, radio or newspapers. But add to that an additional 13 minutes per day, on average, they currently spend soaking up news online, and the facts are clear: People now devote 23% more time consuming news now than they did in 2000.

As methodologies for the delivery of news multiply ' encompassing mainstream news Web sites, hyper local outlets like AOL's fledgling Patch network, high-profile blogs and social networking channels like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook ' it has simply become harder to track readership. There's simply no easy way to get a grip what kind of “circulation” we're talking about when it comes to the Alice in Wonderland-like online media world that has suddenly emerged. But it is easier than ever for the public ' ahem, potential clients and customers ' to stay on top of the kind of news they care about. Which is where you come in.

How to Tailor Your Message

Tools both simple and sophisticated are now readily available to tailor how and what type of news people receive, including personalized Web “newspapers,” subscriptions, alerts and RSS feeds, to name a few. And when the average Joe and Jane aren't chained to their computers, chances are they can whip out smart phones. In short, instead of replacing traditional news platforms, Americans are increasingly integrating new technologies into their news consumption habits.

What does this mean for companies and organizations looking for exposure to help boost business, build their brands and become thought leaders? That more opportunities exist than ever before to provide expert opinion, insight and value to clients, prospects and the public at large. Getting quoted or profiled has never been easier ' and yet that doesn't mean you still won't have to work hard to do it.

While the media outlets and the forms they take may be evolving, the rules are the same. To be considered experts and win the chance to influence others, businesses need to know what the conversation is and where it's taking place so that they can proactively join it. Better yet, they should start and lead the conversation. Once they are positioned as a quotable expert source, they are in a position of influence and able to capitalize on their expertise. So, while a quote in the print edition of The Wall Street Journal may be considered the Holy Grail, consider the alternatives because they are many and they are worthy.

Staggering Statistics

Consider some numbers: YouTube hosts 100 million videos. Tens of millions of people worldwide use Twitter. LinkedIn boasts 55 million members and more than 90,000 specialized groups. More than half a billion people on this planet have a Facebook profile. And though all of this stuff may just sound like a heap of virtual compost, it's not.

These communities are vibrant, dynamic and influential. Consider this stat: There are more than 200 million blogs on the Internet. According to Technorati's State of the Blogosphere 2009, 77% of active online users have read a blog, and 45% have started one of their own. Of these, 58% say that blogging has helped position their company as a thought leader within their industry. Think about this: More than half of the people who have started a blog believe it has made them better known in their industry. No small result!

Not only are these myriad new media players gaining leverage and expanding through strategic alliances ' AOL just bought The Huffington Post in a whopper of a deal, for instance ' they're constantly being updated and are always in search of fresh content that provides its readership value. And, as the population ages, this demand is going nowhere but up. Among The Pew Research Center's key findings is the news that while 26% of all Americans indicated having read a print newspaper the day before, that figure falls to just 8% among adults younger than 30.

So where do you begin in your attempt to jump on the bandwagon and ride it into the sunset? They key is to get prepared before making the leap. Some places to start:

• Identify your goals. Is your aim to generate word of mouth about a new product? Are you hoping to acquire new clients? Do you need to build positive sentiment about your firm? Just as you'd build a business plan for any corporate venture, write down your intentions and goals.
• Identify where the important conversations are taking place. Is it in the Twittersphere, blogosphere or, perhaps, an industry-specific networking site, such as ActiveRain for the real estate network? Need help with this? The tools for monitoring the social Web are numerous. Start by checking out these Top 30 available for free. Once you know where and what the conversation is, join it. Engage with others. Don't try to sell. Provide information people will find useful and valuable.
• Identify the influencers in your arena. Get to know them. And, have them get to know you by posting insightful commentary on their blogs, comment on the online articles in which they are quoted, or shoot them a direct e-mail in which you reference a specific article or blog post and introduce yourself.
• If you lack a public relations professional on your team, consider subscribing to “Help a Reporter Out,” a free Web-based service that aims to connect reporters on deadline with experts in a wide array of subjects. You'll receive daily lists of reporters seeking sources via e-mail, and responding when a relevant topic pops up is a great way to introduce yourself to reporters covering your industry. (And to the world at large as an authority when they quote you, of course.)
• Find out who the reporters are in the city and towns in which you work and live. As Mashable reported in its article, “Newspapers Are Still Dying, But the News Is Not Going Anywhere,” journalists displaced from newspapers often start their own blogs to cover news in their community through reporting and aggregation, while an increasing number of bloggers at news startups are starting to integrate professional reporting standards into their work.
• Repurpose it. Once you are quoted in an article, or publish a bylined piece, use all the tools at your disposal to promote your expertise and build on it.

Conclusion

While it's true you may be less likely to get your fingers inky while reading an article in which you're quoted, your chances of reaching target audiences are, in reality, better than ever. With a combination of diligent research, appropriately targeted messages and skillful use of the new tools available in cyberspace, you too can rise above the noise and be heard loud and clear.

Nicholas Gaffney, a member of this newsletter's Board of Editors, is a lawyer and former journalist. He manages Infinite Public Relations' San Francisco office and can be reached at [email protected] or 415-732-7801.

It seems apparent that fewer people care about staying on top of the news these days, opting instead to spend their time furiously texting friends, Facebook-status updating and Tweeting the most mundane details of their lives. After all, it's been well documented that magazine and newspaper readership is in the basement and that the media industry is in more turmoil than any time in history. So, naturally, the public is less informed ' and much less interested in being informed. Right? Au contraire!

All Media, All the Time

A recent study by the Pew Research Center for People and the Press found that Americans are actually spending more time accessing news than they did a decade ago. As was the case back then, people newly surveyed reported spending an average of 57 minutes each day getting the news from TV, radio or newspapers. But add to that an additional 13 minutes per day, on average, they currently spend soaking up news online, and the facts are clear: People now devote 23% more time consuming news now than they did in 2000.

As methodologies for the delivery of news multiply ' encompassing mainstream news Web sites, hyper local outlets like AOL's fledgling Patch network, high-profile blogs and social networking channels like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook ' it has simply become harder to track readership. There's simply no easy way to get a grip what kind of “circulation” we're talking about when it comes to the Alice in Wonderland-like online media world that has suddenly emerged. But it is easier than ever for the public ' ahem, potential clients and customers ' to stay on top of the kind of news they care about. Which is where you come in.

How to Tailor Your Message

Tools both simple and sophisticated are now readily available to tailor how and what type of news people receive, including personalized Web “newspapers,” subscriptions, alerts and RSS feeds, to name a few. And when the average Joe and Jane aren't chained to their computers, chances are they can whip out smart phones. In short, instead of replacing traditional news platforms, Americans are increasingly integrating new technologies into their news consumption habits.

What does this mean for companies and organizations looking for exposure to help boost business, build their brands and become thought leaders? That more opportunities exist than ever before to provide expert opinion, insight and value to clients, prospects and the public at large. Getting quoted or profiled has never been easier ' and yet that doesn't mean you still won't have to work hard to do it.

While the media outlets and the forms they take may be evolving, the rules are the same. To be considered experts and win the chance to influence others, businesses need to know what the conversation is and where it's taking place so that they can proactively join it. Better yet, they should start and lead the conversation. Once they are positioned as a quotable expert source, they are in a position of influence and able to capitalize on their expertise. So, while a quote in the print edition of The Wall Street Journal may be considered the Holy Grail, consider the alternatives because they are many and they are worthy.

Staggering Statistics

Consider some numbers: YouTube hosts 100 million videos. Tens of millions of people worldwide use Twitter. LinkedIn boasts 55 million members and more than 90,000 specialized groups. More than half a billion people on this planet have a Facebook profile. And though all of this stuff may just sound like a heap of virtual compost, it's not.

These communities are vibrant, dynamic and influential. Consider this stat: There are more than 200 million blogs on the Internet. According to Technorati's State of the Blogosphere 2009, 77% of active online users have read a blog, and 45% have started one of their own. Of these, 58% say that blogging has helped position their company as a thought leader within their industry. Think about this: More than half of the people who have started a blog believe it has made them better known in their industry. No small result!

Not only are these myriad new media players gaining leverage and expanding through strategic alliances ' AOL just bought The Huffington Post in a whopper of a deal, for instance ' they're constantly being updated and are always in search of fresh content that provides its readership value. And, as the population ages, this demand is going nowhere but up. Among The Pew Research Center's key findings is the news that while 26% of all Americans indicated having read a print newspaper the day before, that figure falls to just 8% among adults younger than 30.

So where do you begin in your attempt to jump on the bandwagon and ride it into the sunset? They key is to get prepared before making the leap. Some places to start:

• Identify your goals. Is your aim to generate word of mouth about a new product? Are you hoping to acquire new clients? Do you need to build positive sentiment about your firm? Just as you'd build a business plan for any corporate venture, write down your intentions and goals.
• Identify where the important conversations are taking place. Is it in the Twittersphere, blogosphere or, perhaps, an industry-specific networking site, such as ActiveRain for the real estate network? Need help with this? The tools for monitoring the social Web are numerous. Start by checking out these Top 30 available for free. Once you know where and what the conversation is, join it. Engage with others. Don't try to sell. Provide information people will find useful and valuable.
• Identify the influencers in your arena. Get to know them. And, have them get to know you by posting insightful commentary on their blogs, comment on the online articles in which they are quoted, or shoot them a direct e-mail in which you reference a specific article or blog post and introduce yourself.
• If you lack a public relations professional on your team, consider subscribing to “Help a Reporter Out,” a free Web-based service that aims to connect reporters on deadline with experts in a wide array of subjects. You'll receive daily lists of reporters seeking sources via e-mail, and responding when a relevant topic pops up is a great way to introduce yourself to reporters covering your industry. (And to the world at large as an authority when they quote you, of course.)
• Find out who the reporters are in the city and towns in which you work and live. As Mashable reported in its article, “Newspapers Are Still Dying, But the News Is Not Going Anywhere,” journalists displaced from newspapers often start their own blogs to cover news in their community through reporting and aggregation, while an increasing number of bloggers at news startups are starting to integrate professional reporting standards into their work.
• Repurpose it. Once you are quoted in an article, or publish a bylined piece, use all the tools at your disposal to promote your expertise and build on it.

Conclusion

While it's true you may be less likely to get your fingers inky while reading an article in which you're quoted, your chances of reaching target audiences are, in reality, better than ever. With a combination of diligent research, appropriately targeted messages and skillful use of the new tools available in cyberspace, you too can rise above the noise and be heard loud and clear.

Nicholas Gaffney, a member of this newsletter's Board of Editors, is a lawyer and former journalist. He manages Infinite Public Relations' San Francisco office and can be reached at [email protected] or 415-732-7801.