why great ideas often don’t get noticed - jonathan marks
TRANSCRIPT
Why Great Ideas Often Don’t Get Noticed
Jonathan Marks
I’m a “near futurist” examining emerging technology to see how it affects storytelling in the next 3-5 years.
Sharing these ideas with others passionate about building conversations - for good and for business.
Help companies look sideways. Breaking through preconceptions we have of Europe.
Jonathan Marks.com?
Some cities have ambitions to be much more resilient and use
less fossil fuels
I want to use my media skills to help accelerate a sustainable society.
What I hope in next 15 minutes....
• Look at how powerful stories get told in North-European media
• What is hot and not?
• Why are stories important for Greek companies wanting to reach foreign markets.
Some assumptions today
• The fun and innovation in media is happening at the edges..many bits of social media are hyped.
• Everywhere is different.. Thessaloniki is not Amsterdam. But there are lessons learned by comparing countries.
• New ideas aren’t the problem..it is getting rid of the old ones.
• Copying ideas doesn’t work. Adapting them to fit your local conditions definitely does. Understand those conditions by speaking with the colleagues here.
Europe is different?
• European companies explain what they do
• US companies have learned to explain why anyone should care about what they do.
• Media likes companies who can explain the why
• Ideas? Look at the stories on crowdfunding sites than get more than 1 million Euro within 10 days.
Kickstarter – a preordering system to test your product idea
So what’s your story?
How will you get their attention?
Access to social media sites becoming free in some countries....
Cross Media View 2015
Audio
Visuals
(graphics video
& video) Text
Radio
May be this is the future?
iPad, TV, Any Screen
From Shouting to Sharing
From Shouting to Sharing Don’t raise your voice, improve
your argument
“Good sense does not always lie with the loudest shouters, nor can we say that a large, unruly crowd is always
the best arbiter of what is right.”
Desmond Tutu”
What’s the story that gets you into the front window?
How will you stand out?
News is a Purple Cow
• Journalists write about what stands out
Editors care about their title, their traffic and their readers/viewers - not
your company
The fact that your company exists is NOT news!
The fact that your company exists is NOT news!
Want to get attention? Join the news agenda!
Public Relations people usually say
LAUNCH, BIG & WIDE!
But often its better to focus on one trusted / influential writer, or a few (but use different story
angles for each)
Conversations always beat press releases
Converse before you fire off a press
release!
Why?
A day in the life of a stressed blogger or journalist
INCOMING!! Email
SMS
Voice calls
Skype / IM
Facebook IM / Messages
Twitter @replies
Twitter DMs
Face-to-Face
What many journalists face on most days:
3-5 News stories by 9am
4-5 Feature ideas
Write-ups from trips
Arranging travel
Arranging meetings
Incoming crap
Then I get this:
“@jonathanmarks
Yeah!! Jonathan, we just
launched a new product!!!”
So, for me to drop everything and write about you, your story needs to be BETTER
than everything else.
Plan B
Increase your chances by a
pre-briefing
e.g. one or two line email:
Answer: Unlikely.
So – You increase your
chances by a pre-briefing
E.g. One/two line email:
“Jonathan, we saw your article
on olive oil. Here’s a useful
piece which might add to that
conversation. Interested?”
But put substance into the first
pitch
Never ask permission.
If you know its relevant,
just do it
“Hey Jonathan, Can I sent
you a press release?”
#FAIL
Give them useful quotable statements!
Don’t be a recluse. Network. Get noticed. Share the story.
Remember: your product launch
party is NOT news
Find communities talking about products in your sector
Even better: Great products make news. A product that goes viral is much better ‘news’ than a PR release. So build a great product. Then build an engaging story.
Be a great contact for time poor journalists & writers
Target the right title & the right writer: • Target influencers • National papers & TV often follow specialist blogs
Understand your market, like this guy
Should you hire a PR firm? Perhaps.
PR firms should build relationships Introductions do the same
Use Social Media Wisely
What context is your product sold?
• On the market or on line?
Some people in sales do not understand conversations...
About 4 people a month follow the sausages.
Be Realistic Is Marketing dreaming?
Does Marketing really understand what people want?
Is Social media a way of improving poor customer service?
Most product websites look “finished” What can the visitor do to get involved?”
What can the user add?
Can they get involved?
People will NOT pay for
• more of the same at the same time.
• services they do not value
• things they don’t understand within 30 seconds.
• anything that locks them in to something they believe they don’t need (especially now with the credit crunch)
People will pay (attention) for
• services that help start conversations with their friends
• Advanced warnings of things they need to know
• ways to save time
• collections and convenience
Shaping the message online
• Influencers. These are people who have ideas can persuade others. How much do they engage? Trusted? Listened to.
• Amplifiers have a lot more followers, but are not necessarily conversing...they are broadcasting.
Is anyone listening from your company?
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Some Key Points To Close
To Summarize
• Know Who To Contact. Read their work.
• Create Relationships Before The Pitch
• Networking and creating buzz will help,
before you pitch
• Have a unique, engaging, fresh story
• Personalize the pitch
• Lay out the benefit for their readers or
viewers.
Points to take home…
Build engaging stories. Start with why anyone should care.
Make your product and story easy to discover... tag tag tag
Find partners to mashup your story into new and interesting ways.
Use social media to crowdsource ideas - not just to publicise.
DON’T!
• Be insulting or pushy. Always ends badly
• Tell your whole life story
• Send 100 bloggers the same email
• Never send the same pitch many times –
come up with new angles every time
DON’T!
• Don’t try get publicity simply because you
want to boast to friends.
• Don’t be vague: Identify to the writer what
you want covered.
Look Sideways for Surprises
And check rear view mirror
Want these slides?
• Drop me a line. [email protected]
• I am here today and tomorrow if you want a second opinion on your pitch.
