proactive media outreach training - march 2015 · 6/5/15 2 financial planning association |...

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PR Banzai! How FPA members can jump into proac5vely engaging the media

Financial Planning Association | OneFPA.org | 800.322.4237 | [email protected]


ban·∙zai

Exclama5on 1. a Japanese ba+le cry 2. (especially of Japanese troops) a+acking fiercely

Showing your hear.elt and powerful intensity.

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Remember…

Passion Sells


Reac;ve Proac;ve

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Proac;ve Reac;ve


Have the basics in place:

•  Understand WHY •  Understand focus and specialty •  Compelling brand message •  Press Kit (PDF and downloadable) •  Press Room on website

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Be commi8ed to being a consumer of the media.

Be dedicated to forging rela;onships with journalists.

Be willing to meet the needs of journalists.

Be aware of your business and your profession.

To be a good media rela;ons

person…


Basic ways to engage the media:

•  Press releases •  Paid adver;sing •  Social media •  Pitching

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Pitching: Defined as developing targeted messages that highlight the unique a?ributes of you and your company to specific media outlets.


Targeted Messages: A pitch should consist of a single message/topic of significance.

Unique A8ributes: A pitch should indirectly ;e to a specific a+ribute/feature of your business that sets you apart.

Specific Media: A pitch should be tailored to a media outlet and appeal to its specific audience.

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Benefits of Pitching:

•  Demonstrates knowledge and experience •  Demonstrates how you can help people •  Seeks to educate •  Helps a reporter do their job •  Mul;ple angles to the story gives it longevity and greater

opportunity


The Four Criteria of News:

1.  Is the story ;mely?

2.  Is the story unusual?

3.  Is the story controversial?

4.  Is the idea relevant to the audience?

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Finding Great Story Ideas:

•  Read newspapers and magazines •  Plug yourself into something in the community •  Follow industry trends •  Think outside the box •  Come up with an annual survey of your clients and prospects

(original research always sells) •  Examine what you are doing for your clients


Think like a reporter and focus on the story.

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Weekly Pitch Strategy:

•  Keep a pad of paper by the phone •  Listen to what your clients/prospects are talking about •  Review your notes at the end of the week •  Research the most interes;ng topics •  Select one •  Check for newsworthiness •  Write the pitch •  See if the client is willing to go “on the record” •  Send the pitch to specific reporter(s) •  Start over


Newsworthiness Checklist:

R About something new? R Appeal to a television audience (visual)?

R About something currently taking place? R Make complex easier to understand?

R About something unusual? R Provide original data?

R Local appeal? R Does it paint a picture?

R Wide appeal to consumers? R Can it be offered as an exclusive?

R Appeal to the industry/profession? R Does it make a significant assump;on?

R Strategies/tac;cs people can use? R Does it have a notable expert?

R Unique take on larger na;onal story?

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Shotguns • Blast it out to everyone

Fishing •  Overwhelm reporters with too much

Hype •  Pitch doesn't live up to hype

Gunk •  Cut to the chase


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Research Shows The Following About Pitching: 70% of journalists want pitches with bullet points and detail 85% of journalists want pitches via email 59% of people don’t understand what is newsworthy 53% of people send advertorial content…not editorial 42% of people don’t understand beats 61% of journalists want real stories and anecdotes 61% of journalists want numbers and sta;s;cs 60% of journalists want to speak with a company’s authority figure

18% of journalists require their resources to have experience working with the media


TIP #1 – Be succinct TIP #2 – Know who you are pitching TIP #3 – Have a compelling subject line TIP #4 – Write a+rac;ve copy TIP #5 – Have something to say TIP #6 – Iden;fy relevance in the pitch TIP #7 – Stay away from self-‐promo;on TIP #8 – Real life sells TIP #9 – Include contact informa;on TIP #10 – No a+achments TIP #11 – Avoid blanket pitches TIP #12 – Find unique stories/be unique

12 Key Tips on Pitch Format

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Let’s look at a sample


Cardale Jones 2015 Na;onal Champion – Ohio State University

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The Subject Line:

Here’s How Ohio State’s Cardale Jones Can Realize His Dream of Being a Financial

Planner

Here’s&How&Ohio&State’s&Cardale&Jones&

Can&Realize&His&Dream&of&Being&a&Financial&P

lanner&

!Ohio!State!quarterb

ack!Cardale!Jones,!who!just!won!the!Coll

ege!Football!Playoff!National!Championship!

this!past!Monday,!declared!that!he!will!return!to!co

llege!and!forgo!entering!the!NFL!Draft!th

is!spring!

because!of!his!desire!to!graduate!and!b

ecome!a!financial!planner!when!his!football!d

ays!are!over.!

!The!Financial!Planni

ng!Association!(FPA)!commends!him!on!this!decision!and

!offers!a!few!ways!he!can!

realize!his!dreams!of!helping!people!achieve!their!financ

ial!goals!once!he!hangs!up!the!helmet!and!

spikes.!

!1. Pursue&CFP®&Certificat

ion&–!It!is!rather!ironic!that!Jones!won!the

!College!Football!Playoff!

National!Championship,!which!has!been!shortened!to!

the!acronym!“CFP”.!In!financial!planning,!

a!Certified!Financial!Planner™!(CFP®)!is!

someone!who!has!demonstrated!the!necessary!

competencies!and!ethical!requirements!necessary!to!be

!a!financial!planner.!He!has!attained!one

!

CFP!already.!It!only!makes!sense!to!pursu

e!the!other!when!he!is!ready.!

!2. Connect&with&Millennial&Financial&Plan

ners&–!The!financial!planning!profession!is

!growing!with!

college!students!increasingly!interested

!in!making!financial!planning!their!career.!Jon

es!should!

connect!with!other!financial!planning!st

udents!around!the!country!to!learn!wha

t!other!students!

are!facing!as!they!pursue!their!degrees!a

nd!prepare!for!the!CFP®!examination.!The!Financi

al!

Planning!Association’s!NexGen!community!is!a!great!start

ing!point.!

!3. Take&Advantage&of&W

hat&Ohio&State&Offers&–!The!Fisher!College!o

f!Business!at!The!Ohio!State!

University!has!programs!in!place!to!help!th

ose!pursuing!CFP®!certification.!While!he!is!a!ways!off!

from!taking!advantage!of!the!Online!Executi

ve!Certificate!in!Financial!Planning!at!Oh

io!State,!the!

school!is!certainly!interested!in!helping!s

tudents!pursue!a!career!in!the!professio

n.!

!4. Get&an&Internship&–!An

!internship!where!Jones!can!work!side!b

y!side!with!a!seasoned!financial!

planner!is!a!great!way!to!gain!some!experience!and!lea

rn!the!nuances!of!the!financial!planning!

profession.!There!are!several!ways!for!Jo

nes!to!identify!opportunities,!including!t

hrough!FPA’s!

student!page!on!the!FPA!website.!

!

The!financial!planning!profession!is!bloss

oming.!These!are!just!a!few!ways!for!Carda

le!Jones!and!other!

students!interested!in!the!profession!to

!embrace!it!as!their!future!career.!

!If!you!are!interested

!in!speaking!with!an!FPA!representative

!about!this!topic,!please!contact!Ben!Lew

is,!

FPA’s!Director!of!Public!Relations,!at!303

^867^[email protected].!!




lanner&






is!spring!



ays!are!over.!






spikes.!










!





!growing!with!



es!should!



t!other!students!



al!


ing!point.!








io!State,!the!



n.!








hrough!FPA’s!


!



le!Jones!and!other!






is,!



The IntroducXon: Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones, who just won the College Football Playoff Na;onal Championship this past Monday, declared that he will return to college and forgo entering the NFL Drao this spring because of his desire to graduate and become a financial planner when his football days are over. The Financial Planning Associa;on (FPA) commends him on this decision and offers a few ways he can realize his dreams of helping people achieve their financial goals once he hangs up the helmet and spikes.

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lanner&






is!spring!



ays!are!over.!






spikes.!










!





!growing!with!



es!should!



t!other!students!



al!


ing!point.!








io!State,!the!



n.!








hrough!FPA’s!


!



le!Jones!and!other!






is,!



The Proof Points:

Pursue CFP® CerXficaXon – It is rather ironic that Jones won the College Football Playoff Na;onal Championship, which has been shortened to the acronym “CFP”. In financial planning, a Cer;fied Financial Planner™ (CFP®) is someone who has demonstrated the necessary competencies and ethical requirements necessary to be a financial planner. He has a+ained one CFP already. It only makes sense to pursue the other when he is ready.




lanner&






is!spring!



ays!are!over.!






spikes.!










!





!growing!with!



es!should!



t!other!students!



al!


ing!point.!








io!State,!the!



n.!








hrough!FPA’s!


!



le!Jones!and!other!






is,!



The Proof Points:

Connect with Millennial Planners – The financial planning profession is growing with college students increasingly interested in making financial planning their career. Jones should connect with other financial planning students around the country to learn what other students are facing as they pursue their degrees and prepare for the CFP® examina;on. The Financial Planning Associa;on’s NexGen community is a great star;ng point.

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lanner&






is!spring!



ays!are!over.!






spikes.!










!





!growing!with!



es!should!



t!other!students!



al!


ing!point.!








io!State,!the!



n.!








hrough!FPA’s!


!



le!Jones!and!other!






is,!



The Proof Points:

Take Advantage of What Ohio State Offers – The Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University has programs in place to help those pursuing CFP® cer;fica;on. While he is a ways off from taking advantage of the Online Execu;ve Cer;ficate in Financial Planning at Ohio State, the school is certainly interested in helping students pursue a career in the profession.




lanner&






is!spring!



ays!are!over.!






spikes.!










!





!growing!with!



es!should!



t!other!students!



al!


ing!point.!








io!State,!the!



n.!








hrough!FPA’s!


!



le!Jones!and!other!






is,!



The Proof Points:

Get an Internship – An internship where Jones can work side by side with a seasoned financial planner is a great way to gain some experience and learn the nuances of the financial planning profession. There are several ways for Jones to iden;fy opportuni;es, including through FPA’s student page on the FPA website.

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lanner&






is!spring!



ays!are!over.!






spikes.!










!





!growing!with!



es!should!



t!other!students!



al!


ing!point.!








io!State,!the!



n.!








hrough!FPA’s!


!



le!Jones!and!other!






is,!



The Conclusion:

The financial planning profession is blossoming. These are just a few ways for Cardale Jones and other students interested in the profession to embrace it as their future career.

If you are interested in speaking with an FPA representa;ve about this topic, please contact Ben Lewis, FPA’s Director of Public Rela;ons, at 303-‐867-‐7190 or [email protected].


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The 401(k) Advice Guru: •  Early 2000’s •  Warn people of over investment in company stock •  Did not resonate un;l Enron, WorldCom, etc •  Became the most sought aoer 401(k) expert


The Local Solo 401(k) Expert: •  Mid-‐2000’s •  Planner in Charlo+e, NC •  Wanted to be the go to source on solo 401(k) plans •  Company closed doors •  Tied solo 401(k) plans to the company closing •  Led to opportunity and business growth

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Huh? Surnamed Mutual Funds: •  Mid-‐2000’s •  Planner in Washington, D.C. •  Client asked an innocent ques;on about the difference between

surnamed mutual funds and other funds •  Morningstar research led to interes;ng takeaways •  Pitch sent to five outlets •  Coverage in all of them!


Being proac;ve leads to…

Rela;onship Building

Friendships

Word of Mouth

Business Opportuni;es

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Not doing it right can backfire!



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Although most writers publish one story per day, 44% of

them get pitched a minimum of TWENTY TIMES per day.


Source: Fractl

70% of reporters want to collaborate with you on the story – so don’t overdo it.


Source: Fractl

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If you could give 1-‐3 points of feedback to people who pitch to you, what would you say?


Source: Fractl


Source: Fractl

Do your research Know the publica;on

Be relevant Make it newsworthy

Know my beat Be personal

Be concise Don’t cold call

Does it fit my beat? Use spellcheck

No a+achments Don’t pitch on social media

Know my audience Avoid phony friendliness

Get my name right Avoid the fluff

Tailor your subject lines Die in a fire

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Some closing thoughts…

•  Repe;;on creates awareness

•  Be aware of who you are pitching…and HOW

•  Be unique, be original

QuesXons?


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Reach out anyXme! Ben Lewis

Director of Public Rela;ons 303-‐867-‐7190

[email protected] @BenLewisPR


proactive media outreach training - march 2015 · 6/5/15 2 financial planning association |...

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