eBook Unlocking the Power of Multimedia Content · facebook and twitter have put digital content...

Unlocking the Power of Multimedia Contentfor CommuniCation, Conversion and engagement

eBook

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2Copyright © 2013 PR Newswire Association LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Introduction ................................ page 3

Social .............................................. page 4

Video ............................................. page 10

photos .......................................... page 15

Summary ..................................... page 21

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table of contents

attention spans are shrinking in a world of information overload. However, utilizing multimedia offers an exponentially greater advantage to targeting specific audiences and increasing long-term visibility. Photos, videos and social media create enriching content that engages readers and drives conversation.

their influence is so powerful that multimedia is given extra weight in the algorithms that search engines and some social networks use to select the information consumers see. embracing these technologies is crucial to message discovery. multimedia provides an essential platform for building a cohesive visual story with dynamic elements to captivate readers.


in this eBook we’ve curated some of our thoughts on why you should consider multimedia in your Pr and marketing efforts and some best practices to follow along the way.

For PR and Marketing professionals, crafting a story that stands out amongst thousands of others can be a daunting challenge.

visual content is rapidly becoming the cornerstone of digital media. almost all of the new developments in content sharing, digital media consumption and social media are centered on visuals. entire social networks like Pinterest, instagram and vine are built on visual content. Youtube is the world’s second-largest search engine. instagram even just upped the ante, by enabling video uploads.

these are just a few of the reasons why it is difficult to overstate the importance of visuals in today’s information environment and communications arenas. Humans are visual animals, and if you want to attract a human audience, you need visual content, period.


SoCiAL

social media provides an atmosphere for constant communication between brands and consumers…


why social?


SoCiAL why social?

facebook and twitter have put digital content front and center for their users. the algorithms that search engines and social networks use to determine what we see all give visuals more weight.

ChiCago SUn-TiMeS LayS off PhoTograPherS & oPenS Door for newSworThy ThirD ParTy ConTenT http://blog.prnewswire.com/2013/05/30/chicago-sun-times-lays-off-photographers/

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blog.prnewswire.com/2013/05/30/chicago-sun-times-lays-off-photographers




SoCiAL why social?

videos uploaded to facebook directly (versus being embedded in other players) carry a bonus – when they’re shared by fans, a “like” button for your page appears in the facebook player in your fan’s newsfeeds – effectively creating a mini-ambassador that recruits new fans for your facebook page.

USing ViDeo in SoCiaL MeDia anD SearCh engineS http://blog.prnewswire.com/2011/04/26/using-video-in-social-media-and-search-engines/

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http://blog.prnewswire.com/2011/04/26/using-video-in-social-media-and-search-engines/





SoCiAL why social?

twitter even made sharing video content easier with its native app vine. this changes how we interact with twitter content and provides yet another way to leverage multimedia content.

TwiTTer’S new Vine aPP: PerfeCT for Pr PiTCheS http://blog.prnewswire.com/2013/01/24/twitters-new-vine-app-perfect-for-pr-pitches/

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http://blog.prnewswire.com/2013/01/24/twitters-new-vine-app-perfect-for-pr-pitches/




Make iT ShareabLe Create share-worthy content with tweetable headlines and by highlighting crunchy, interesting facts in bold font or in bulleted lists.

some social meDia best practices…

USe The righT ChanneL When promoting your content, use different social channels to tell your story. use the right content for each channel.

STay CUrrenTCapitalize on breaking news and recent events to highlight your content. Calibrate your team for rapid response to current events.

4 beST PraCTiCeS branDS ShoULD iMPLeMenT, now ThaT TwiTTer iS a yahoo newS SoUrCe http://blog.prnewswire.com/2013/05/17/4-best-practices-brands-should-implement-now-that-twitter-is-a-yahoo-news-source/

USing MULTiMeDia To Power ConTenT MarkeTing & TeLL STorieS http://blog.prnewswire.com/2012/12/12/using-multimedia-to-power-content-marketing-tell-stories/

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http://blog.prnewswire.com/2013/05/17/4-best-practices-brands-should-implement-now-that-twitter-is-a-yahoo-news-source/




http://blog.prnewswire.com/2012/12/12/using-multimedia-to-power-content-marketing-tell-stories/



if you’ve thought that video was a one-trick pony named Youtube, it’s time to think again. fact is, video content is wildly popular. early roadblocks to consumption, such as incompatible formats, bandwidth constraints and high barriers to entry, have largely fallen by the wayside. We’re streaming video on our phones while we wait for the train these days. in fact, 10% of all online video viewed in the first quarter of 2013 was viewed on a mobile device. simply put, the format is not just one our audiences enjoy – it’s one they expect.


Video

videos are an effective way to showcase a brand’s products or services in a sophisticated way…


why viDeo?


Video why viDeo?

not only does video attract viewership, gain visibility and tell the story, but it expands your reach. different websites house and host different types of content. there will be websites reposting just the text or just the images — and some will post solely a video. reaching different audiences through different platforms is visibility multiplication.

ConTenT we LoVe: The booT CaMPaign’S boLD ViDeo http://blog.prnewswire.com/2013/04/05/content-we-love-the-boot-campaigns-bold-video/

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http://blog.prnewswire.com/2013/04/05/content-we-love-the-boot-campaigns-bold-video/


Video why viDeo?

a “blended distribution strategy” is the ideal set-up, where a company has some video on Youtube, as well as on their own site. this offers more control over the entire user experience.

Considered a video engagement best practice, brand tv is a proactive format that is great for branding, education and it can also cut down customer service costs.

> branD TV: USing ViDeo To engage aUDienCeS http://blog.prnewswire.com/2012/05/02/brand-tv-using-video-to-engage-audiences/

http://blog.prnewswire.com/2012/05/02/brand-tv-using-video-to-engage-audiences/


keeP ViDeoS ShorT there has been an increase in the amount of online video consumed, and the average length of B2B videos has decreased. People are watching videos to be entertained.

some viDeo best practices...

Make iT reLeVanT the most popular (“viral”) news videos focus on controversies, striking disasters or humorous occurrences.

Make iT enTerTainingvideo content should not be telling people how awesome your company is, but needs to be engaging and entertaining to your audience. the cheapest way is to have a “talking head,” but you need to be unique and entertain. You can have a “talking head,” but should add another dimension that is more entertaining.


whaT TyPeS of ViDeo go ViraL on yoUTUbe? http://blog.prnewswire.com/2012/08/09/what-types-of-video-go-viral-on-youtube/

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http://blog.prnewswire.com/2012/08/09/what-types-of-video-go-viral-on-youtube/



Photos can tell a whole story. Photos help viewers get involved in your story.

most users are browsing photos with intent; some are intending to buy a product, some are browsing for entertainment purposes and others are doing research.


PhotoS

Like the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words…


why photos?


PhotoS why photos?

in terms of merchandising/marketing a product, the photo is a key way to catch someone’s attention and then make that person feel a sense of comfort – something that can help initiate a purchase.

PhoTo Seo: USe PhoToS To MULTiPLy yoUr SearCh effeCTiVeneSS http://blog.prnewswire.com/2011/12/07/photo-seo/

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http://blog.prnewswire.com/2011/12/07/photo-seo/




PhotoS why photos?

for Pr pros, distributing a photo with a press release results in broader reach than if the photo or release is sent alone.

TiPS for USing PhoToS for Pr (#ConneCTChaT reCaP) http://blog.prnewswire.com/2012/10/08/tips-for-using-photos-for-pr-connectchat-recap/

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Source: PR Newswire 2012 Web Analytics* The number of stories with downloadable files such as pDFs, ppTs, DOCS is significantly fewer than those with just photos and videos, however they garnered even more views, representing the potential for very high visibility when such assets are included along with other multimedia content.

http://blog.prnewswire.com/2012/10/08/tips-for-using-photos-for-pr-connectchat-recap/








PhotoS why photos?

image posts on facebook get 20 times more engagement than other posts, so choose visual content posts to inspire audience interaction.


comics

memes

info-Graphics

photos

viDeos

visUalnote-

takinG

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some photo best practices...


PhoTo Seo: USe PhoToS To MULTiPLy yoUr SearCh effeCTiVeneSS http://blog.prnewswire.com/2011/12/07/photo-seo/

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be DeSCriPTiVethe caption should be descriptive and mention the 5 W’s you learned in grammar school: who, what, when, where and why. always put important keywords at the start of the caption and keep the entire caption to less than 2,000 characters.

work wiTh whaT yoU haVe When using images for your content marketing campaign, you can purchase images from a stock photo library or grab from your company’s material. stay away from images that don’t belong to you, and include images your company is comfortable with you using.

Make iT eaSy To finDYou can increase the chance of pickup by search engines by placing the image at the top of the page and as close to the headline as possible. at the very least, make sure the image is above the fold so users don’t have to scroll down for it.


in addition to competing for attention in the media, our messaging also needs to compel social media denizens to share, like and tweet the content. search engines also pick up signals from readers of your content that ultimately determine where the content lands in the search engine results page (serP) that users see when they use google or Bing to find something online.

suffice it to say, the press releases and other content we publish are now wearing just as many hats as we do. and when planning a campaign, it’s important to think about that.


the press releases you write to communicate with key media will also be seen by bloggers, analysts, employees and customers – both current and prospective. including multimedia content that captures and focuses attention on your message will give your content real competitive advantage in today’s crowded information marketplace.

We can all agree that competition for audience attention is fierce these days.


how are you using multimedia to tell your story?Let us HeLP You sHare Your storY

Photo or Video release

add a single asset such as an image (photo, logo, infographic) or a video to your release

flex release

add photos, video, audio and Pdf files to your release

Multimedia news release

add photos, videos, audio, Pdf files and more to your message with a dedicated, branded landing page

arC engagement Platform

add photos, videos, audio, Pdf files and more to a dynamic player on a fully-customizable landing page

http://www.prnewswire.com/products-services/engage/

Pr newswire (www.prnewswire.com) is the premier global provider of multimedia platforms and solutions that enable marketers, corporate communicators, sustainability officers, public affairs and investor relations officers to leverage content to engage with all their key audiences.

Having pioneered the commercial news distribution industry 59 years ago, Pr newswire today provides end-to-end solutions to produce, optimize and target content – from rich media to online video to multimedia – and then distribute content and measure results across traditional, digital, social, search and mobile channels. Combining the world’s largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimization network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, Pr newswire enables the world’s enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. Pr newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in the americas, europe, middle east, africa and the asia-Pacific region, and is a uBm plc. company.


aboUt pr newswire

http://www.prnewswire.com

eBook Unlocking the Power of Multimedia Content · facebook and twitter have put digital content...

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