• Matter’s Open Door: Startup Edition

    Matter’s Open Door: Startup Edition

    In June, Matter’s Open Door program conducted one of its free classes on PR, media relations and social media for startups. Below are some of the session’s best takeaways.

    I’m the only one on my team that has time to work with media. How should I approach it?

    It’s important to have a consistent contact person reaching out to the media in order to build a solid rapport over time, so try to build a couple hours each week into your schedule for devoted media relations work. While it is not expected (or recommended) that you constantly send reporters new pitches, you do need to find creative ways to consistently reach out with story angles that will benefit your brand and their readers. Really think about the kind of information they want to provide, and be realistic about how you fit in.

    Tip: Read a couple articles each week from your target publications or journalists so you can get familiar with what they like to cover.

    If you’re working with a small team or handling pitching by yourself, focus on the journalists that are most actively covering your market first. You can expand your efforts once you become comfortable with the process.

    –Sage Morander, Account Executive


    How can I create compelling social media channels if my customers are businesses, not consumers?

    B2B companies can still be creative, both in the copy of social posts and in visuals. Use images, graphics, videos, GIFs and more to showcase your company’s personality across your platforms. Don’t be afraid to have a little fun! But be conscientious about the trends you choose to adopt – don’t try too hard to be “with it”.

    When you’re posting promotional content, make sure you’re including “lifestyle” (or “workstyle”) visuals that put your products or services in the context of your customers’ daily lives. This creates a human connection with your brand while bringing more life to the work that you do. Similarly, make sure you capture images at events, conferences and internal happenings that include people. Leverage these people-laden images on social to display your culture and corporate values.

    Tip: Continuously build a content library that you can pull from for posts throughout the year.

    -Julianna Sheridan, Senior Account Executive


    I’m already up to my ears in prototypes, presentations and meetings. Is PR really that important to what I’m doing right now?

    Yes! But not necessarily how you think. It takes time to get ready for a dedicated PR effort, and more time still to execute that effort so it brings you the type of positive coverage that will enhance your marketing, sales, social and recruiting efforts. Indeed – it’s time you might not currently have.

    But, what you should make time for is thinking through a PR strategy that will aid you in the future – especially if you’re courting new stakeholders. They’re interested in investing in ideas that have staying power. It’s your job to show them that you know what needs to be done at each stage of growth to ensure your company succeeds.

    Growing companies need meaningful exposure. They need differentiated messages. They need trained spokespeople. They need thought leadership. Outlining your approach for these elements now could just be the thing that convinces a stakeholder to come on board.

    -Vanessa Boynton, Account Director



    Curious about Matter’s Open Door? Send us an email!

    Matter

    ,
    , , ,

  • Media On The Move: Week of 6.17.2019

    Media On The Move: Week of 6.17.2019

    In 2009, newspapers died. According to Business Insider, in that year alone, 105 newspapers shut down, and 10,000 jobs were cut. The narrative is well-tread, and while newspapers never fully rebounded (and most likely will not), there are more than a handful to have successfully rolled out a subscription- or paywall-based model.

    Without delving into the genuine need for local news (which is too real), and without psychoanalyzing the behavioral shifts that led to this point (which are vast and too open-ended), we can instead look at the value that we, as PR professionals, place on localized media outlets.

    Most clients want the pizzazz that comes with a headline from a top news organization, like Wall Street Journal, New York Times or Washington Post. On the tech side, it’s the TechCrunches and VentureBeats of the world. However, unless the client has a focused message and a strong news hook, it can be a lesson in futility to chase hits that can take months to develop – and depending on the client, may never pop.

    Some of the best reporting in the United States is being done at the local level. These are the reporters who understand the power of the people. They ask insightful questions, and they have a nose for getting to the root of story. For a company looking to build its narrative profile, local media can be an excellent opportunity to do the critical blocking and tackling that it takes to establish a foundation. It can also function as a groundswell tactic to not only seed keywords but ensure that other reporters and outlets are picking up on the story as well.

    Local media can be a hard sell for certain clients. And, to be fair, for bigger clients, unless it’s a human-interest angle, your success will be determined by your ability to nail down the whales. But, for the others, it can absolutely be worth your time to do the extra research and legwork to sell the opportunity. This is not to say that pitching local is always a slam dunk. As mentioned above, the reporters are quick to call out BS, or a flimsy hook – a sure way to immediately kill trust before it even has a chance to set roots.

    If we think about it from an ecosystem perspective, then the importance of local media is amplified. In order for the large publications and outlets to do what they do best, which is reach wide audiences, then local publications need to be able to cover the beats close to home. Not to mention, the less attention smaller publications get, the more likely they are to shutter, killing more jobs and constricting the news market even further. It is a symbiotic relationship between the two, and it is in our industry’s best interest to place the appropriate value on both.

    Let’s take a look at this month’s media on the move.

    Media on the Move

    Compiled by Georgina Rupp

    CBS:

    • Anthony Mason, a senior national correspondent and CBS veteran, and Tony Dokoupil, another correspondent, replaced Norah O’Donnell and John Dickerson, on CBS This Morning.
    • Norah O’Donnell will be joining CBS Evening News as the anchor and managing editor, replacing Jeff Glor.
    • John Dickerson is moving to 60 Minutes.

    RTInsights:

    • Trevor Curwin has left RTInsights to head up the Intelligence practice at Momenta Partners. Replacing him will be new Editor-in-Chief Joe Maglitta.

    Thrive Global:

    • Lindsey Benoit has left Hearst after three years to join Thrive Global as Deputy Editor, Entertainment + Partnerships.

    Barron’s:

    • Eric Savitz returns to Barron’s for his third tour as Associate Editor, writing about technology investing and Silicon Valley.
    • The publication has also appointed three new editorial directors: Beverly Goodman as Editorial Director, Investing, and Asset Management, Dan Hirschhorn as Editorial Director, Digital, and Phil Roosevelt as Editorial Director, Magazine.

    Brit + Co:

    • The digital media brand let go the majority of its staff after acquisition talks fell through

     Denver Business Journal:

    • Jensen Werley, formerly of BizWest, has joined the Denver Business Journal as technology and health care reporter.

    Stacey on IoT:

    • Stacey Higginbotham, editor and founder, is moving to Seattle this summer.

    The Improper Bostonian:

    • The publication closed in April after nearly 28 years in business.

    Condé Nast:

    • Condé Nast has sold Golf Digest to Discovery Inc. and Brides to Dotdash. Condé Nast put up three publications for sale last year and is still looking for a buyer for W.

     

    Never miss an update! Subscribe below.

    Charles Trowbridge

  • Meet Meghan Gardner, PDX Vice President

    Meet Meghan Gardner, the new VP of Public Relations in the Portland, Oregon office. Meghan recently relocated to Portland from the East Coast, where she spent about 12 years in the Boston area. Although a Western Massachusetts native, born and raised in the “Happy Valley”, Meghan spent a lot of her career traveling to various places near and far. We are happy to have Meghan join the team! Learn more our recent interview with her.

    What inspires you?

    Meghan Gardner (MG): What inspires me and keeps me passionate on a day-to-day basis? My team. They ask me challenging questions and always have something interesting to bring to the table. Also, I read a lot of fiction and have found it’s a good reminder that sometimes I might think my perspective is the most important one, but it’s often not, and definitely isn’t the only one. Finally, my daughter inspires me. I have an 11-year-old daughter who, I only half-jokingly say, I want to be more like when I grow up.

    What excites you about starting at Matter?

    MG: Being in a new city, with a new team, with nothing but opportunity in front of us. The clients that get me excited about going to work are those who appreciate the work that we do, trust our expertise and challenge us to think bigger. When I think about the career growth opportunities I have here at Matter, I feel pretty unlimited. I have a lot of autonomy to try and seek a path that makes me feel fulfilled and accomplished.

    What was your first impression of Matter and the Portland office?

    MG: My first impression is that this is a company that is to be reckoned with. The people are smart, the strategy is sound and the work is just flat out interesting. The Portland office is in an incredibly vibrant neighborhood. There are shops, restaurants and brewpubs everywhere. Then once I walked in the door, I saw that the place is really about the people. This team is incredibly committed to one another, committed to the work, and not to mention a group of really kind, thoughtful human beings.

    What do you like about your role and working at Matter?

    MG: I get to help set the vision and strategy at a high level for client work while keeping an eye on whatever’s happening day-to-day. There’s a nice sense of shared direction where it rarely feels like you walk in and you don’t know what’s coming. My favorite part about working at Matter is definitely the team. I know it’s a cliche, but I’m surrounded by strong opinions and smart, thoughtful people who challenge me to be the best professional that I can be every day.

    What is the culture of Matter?

    MG: The culture at Matter is hardworking, ethical and collaborative. The hardworking elements to what we do plays out in the fact that we’re all working toward getting great results for our clients. The ethical part is that we commit to one another, both out loud and implicitly, that we’re going to do the right thing. Working hard to get a result only matters if it’s done in the right way. And finally, we support each other which is encouraged by the leadership of the organization, making it enjoyable to be a part of.

    How does Matter engage with the community?

    MG: Our Helping Hands program empowers each office to design their own volunteer programs where we donate our time and efforts to a nonprofit organization that’s important to us in the office. This program allows employees to volunteer independently as well and once you’ve reached a certain number of hours as a volunteer, Matter donates money to the organizations that you support. So, it’s not just something that you’re expected to bolt onto your day; we genuinely like to support by giving people time during their workdays to give back to their communities.

    How does teamwork play a role in the way Matter operates?

    MG: Teamwork is built into the way that we do our work every day. I can’t imagine getting our jobs done without being part of a team. What that means is that we take seriously the responsibility to make sure that people know what their roles are on any given account, or project. It’s important that you know who manages you and who coaches you, but also who you can manage and who you can coach. Finally, it’s important we all feel that we’re contributing something to the best of our individual abilities, in order to accomplish something together. Even our financial incentives are based on team achievement, not just individual achievement.

    How does integrity play a role at Matter?

    MG: Integrity plays an incredibly important role in our work at Matter. It’s like teamwork: our jobs can’t exist without it. There’s an old saying that advertising is about visibility, PR is about credibility. Whether that breakdown still exists is irrelevant, and of course we do a lot more than just PR, but with that in mind, we need to have integrity in our work as the very nature of the job is to help our clients be more credible.  Leadership certainly sets the stage for integrity at Matter through open and transparent communications to be as forthright and forthcoming as we can, involving members of our teams in decision making to create a sense of collaborative autonomy. That helps bring integrity to the work that we do because everybody has a stake in it.

    What is innovation like at Matter?

    MG: Innovation is the lifeblood of our work. There are some people in the marketing world who like to say that PR is dying. So innovating, in a way where we’re not reliant on an old way of doing things, or an old mindset, is fundamental to our success as a business. Innovation is also what gets people excited about coming to work in the morning. When I’m thinking about my team, and about what gets them motivated and wanting to work here, innovation is a really an important part of that.

    Matter

  • Matter’s Helping Hands Recap: May 2019

    Matter’s Helping Hands Recap: May 2019

    Matter’s Helping Hands initiative encourages a nationwide community service effort that is rewarding and fulfilling for all of the employees. With 1000 plus hours of impactful volunteer work done each year, Matter is truly making an impact on its surrounding communities.

    84 volunteer hours!

    This past month, Matter employees nationwide reached a combined total of 84 volunteer hours. This brings the current yearly total to 615 hours, more than halfway to our 2019 goal!

    Matter is one of the many companies that offer employees time to volunteer during work hours, a concept becoming known as VTO (Volunteer Time Off). VTO does not cut into an employee’s sick or vacation time; it is a tangible benefit above regular PTO. If you are considering adding VTO to your benefits package, you should know that it is known to aid in recruitment, retention and corporate visibility. In an article in Fortune, it is stated that employees feel a deeper connection and commitment to the work when they get to participate versus there being a corporate donation. This month, Matter employees were thrilled to help make an impact and volunteer with a few different organizations.

    Below is a recap of events across the agency in May.

     

    Newburyport

    A group from Newburyport volunteered at the Lazarus House. The Lazarus House is a non-profit organization that provides food and clothing programs through its soup kitchen, food pantry and thrift shop; as well as transitional housing for the homeless. The team helped with gardening and landscaping activities at their Ishah House, which is their women’s transitional residence.

    /></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <h1><b>Boston</b></h1> <p>Two groups from our Boston office volunteered at <strong><a href=Cradles to Crayons and were able to help a total of 691 children by putting together packs of essential clothing and supplies to succeed.

    /></p> <p><img decoding=Community Food Share helping with gardening and yard clean-up activities. They also volunteered at the International Dog Institute, a non-profit that trains dogs to assist those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, at no cost to the recipient.

    /></p> <p><img decoding=Providence Children’s Museum, serving food to over 400 hundred local families in partnership with AmeriCorps. They also had volunteers help with gardening at the Roger Williams National Memorial.

    width=

    Providence

    The Providence office volunteered at the Oregon Food Bank repackaging and sorting donated goods. They also held a clothing drive for New Avenues, an organization dedicated to the prevention and intervention of youth homelessness. They collected and donated 6 boxes of gently used clothes.

     

    To receive weekly updates from Matter straight to your inbox, subscribe below!

    Matter

    ,