• 5 Ways to Turn Existing Content into Engaging Visuals

    5 Ways to Turn Existing Content into Engaging Visuals

    />If your company has existing content that is not being utilized in a visual way, then you may be missing out on a rich source of engagement. Turning your content into engaging visuals may sound like an intimidating task but once you get started you’ll find ways to expand your library of visual content quickly and efficiently. We’ve compiled five ways to help you get the most out of your content and get more eyes focused on your work.</span></p> <ol> <li> <h2><strong>Case Studies</strong></h2> </li> </ol> <p><span style=One of the most effective ways of taking existing content and turning it into a more visually engaging piece is through the creation of case studies. That successful project you put your heart, sweat and tears into for three months? Share it with your audience! Why not create a dedicated page on your website, a sales tool or a company brochure? Highlight your stats with colorful graphs and icons. Hire a professional photographer to capture authentic images of your office or team members collaborating together. Giving your audience a view from behind the scenes is a great way to build trust in your brand and show transparency.

    Ebooks

    If you’re looking to grow your list of prospects, an ebook is a great way to generate inbound leads. An ebook is an electronic version of a traditional printed book that users can view on their computer, tablet or smartphone. Take an existing blog post and reorganize the content into defined pages or chapters. Then, add some complementary imagery to help tell the story. Once you’ve got your snazzy new ebook ready for release try setting up a page on your website where visitors are required to enter their email address to access and download the free content. Publicize your ebook further by taking some of the imagery to promote on your social channels or in a paid campaign. 

    Infographics

    An infographic is a visual piece often consisting of icons, graphs, charts and stats which present otherwise dense or complicated information in an easy to consume way. Your company may conduct meaningful research about market trends or user insights or your annual report could be re-considered as an infographic for investors. Keep a file and make sure to track useful company and industry data and analytics throughout the year. Those stats and figures can easily be turned into powerful infographics that your audience will want to engage with and share. According to HubSpot, infographics are liked and shared 3X more than any other type of content. To support the SYLVANIA State of the Socket Survey 2016, we created a branded infographic for media pitching and marketing purposes, and then broke it down into bite-sized “social snapshots” for spreading the word on social media.

    Video

    If you already have an infographic that’s getting some attention, the next thing to do is elevate that piece into an animated video. Motion tells the story in a compelling, dynamic way and holds your audience’s attention for the duration of the piece.

    If you have a corporate brochure that gives an overview of the history and scope of your services or product, then you already have the outline of a script for an explainer video. A video services agency can turn your script into a powerful video that builds brand awareness.

    Another way to spur off a new video is to do some analysis and get creative! To kick off Black Duck Software’s first-ever user conference, we dug into their history, their customer, and the technical background of their product. The result? A high-energy piece with an epic voice-over from famed narrator Stefan Rudnicki.

    Social Posts / Advertisements

    When it comes to social media it is crucial that your company shares content on a consistent basis. Facebook posts with images see 2.3X more engagement than those without. You can use images from your company’s new case studies, ebooks, infographics and animated videos, and see what your audience reacts to the most. Try reworking a significant stat from your infographic and cropping it into a post that can be easily shared. Mock up your ebook up to look like a physical printed piece and promote your smarts. Take the animated video and split it up into moving GIFs that can easily be shared on social media or used in a paid campaign.

    The possibilities are endless when it comes to displaying existing content in a visual way. For every case study, blog post or other piece of content you produce, think “visual content package” and apply the ideas above. Break out your brand guide! With a uniform look and feel, your content library will multiply, your marketing calendar will thank you, and each new piece will play into one another seamlessly.

    Matter

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  • PR Real Talk: Trade Show Execution – What's Working, What's Not?

    Today, we’re talking about industry trade shows. From the months of preparation to the perfect storm that is: HIMSS, CES, RSA, etc., a lot of time, effort and money goes into creating a successful trade show experience for both your team and your clients. As communication professionals, it’s our job to help our clients develop meaningful relationships with media and analysts, at and around these events. Despite the many advances in digital communications, trade shows remain very important opportunities for that oh so valuable face time that journalists love so very much.

    Trade shows have become one of the cornerstones of any successful PR program. Chances are pretty good that any PR vet you talk to will have some heroic battle story about the time they did 78 briefings at CES, or HIMSS, or wherever. Because trade shows have been integral to PR for so long, they suffer from a very real threat of the – “because that’s how we’ve always done it syndrome.”  Good public relations requires evolution and the ongoing questioning of everything. Are we releasing the most interesting announcement we can at this show? Does our presence at the show have value in the eyes of the media and industry at large?

    A few Matter Communications folks had the opportunity to attend and view a live Twitter chat (#HITMC) last week week led by John Lynn, a well-known and highly respected healthcare journalist and entrepreneur. Co-hosted alongside a communications agency based in Georgia, John discussed what works when meeting with media, tips for engaging editors, and thoughts around press releases at HIMSS. While the chat was healthcare-focused, many of the points brought up can be applied to a wide variety (if not all) of our clients, particularly those that attend the largest trade shows and face the goring challenge of breaking through the noise and finding value.

    A DYING TRADE? OR AN EVOLUTION?

    One topic that raised a few key takeaways is around the continuous battle of the press release. A continuous stable (or base) of each client announcement that has rendered suspicion over the years. Is it really dead? A majority of the PR pros at Matter and across the industry will agree that no, the press release hasn’t died. While the press release is still alive and well, it is not the same tool that it once was, thus our approach may need to be reevaluated. A few of the participants of the #HITMC chat noted that sending out press releases are best done at least one or two weeks prior to HIMSS (or other major conferences), versus right before. This allows the reporter to read and fully digest the material, and provides them an extended time to be able to ask questions prior to meeting your client at the show. Other participants raved about the type of content we are feeding them within our press releases; making it relevant, interesting and NEW. Here are a few examples:

    DATA, DATA, DATA

    Another topic that arose during the chat, and one we’re well aware of, is the media’s insatiable appetite for data. We always ask for it from clients, as reporters really do value hard and fast numbers that support or bolster the stories we are telling on behalf of our clients. Third party validation and data are undoubtedly one of the key ingredients to make our clients stand out amongst their competitors.

    During the next conversation with your client, and if it aligns with your current campaign and overall messaging, ask your client if he/she has any updated case studies or data they have gathered internally. If not, maybe that brings up another conversation about conducting a survey to gather that data. Aside from becoming great pitching fodder for your team, data can lend itself to other assets we love as PR pros such as infographics, info-stamps and even gifographics. Data can provide that extra level of expertise your client is always looking to portray to its customers, industry influencers and the media.

    IN SUMMARY

    When it comes to large conferences, there are always lessons to be learned as you come out of the show. As trusted partners to your clients, it is important to understand and recognize when you need to revisit a certain tactic or approach when planning for conferences large or small. Always be on the lookout for industry intel on what the media wants and how well your proposed strategies and tactics are working. When it comes to PR planning and development the need for evolution is the only constant. To set yourself apart and to really be seen by your clients as a trusted advisor, keep an eye out for the next Twitter chat or take an opportunity to simply ask a journalist what they want. This desire to understand your audience and the state of your industry will help you to set yourself apart from the PR flacks at the trade show, who continue to simply do the same things they’ve always done.

    What other tips do you have when developing a trade show plan? Share yours below!

    Matter

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  • 4 Ways to Go Beyond Reading and Watching with Interactive Content

    Last week, Leo and I attended the quarterly Boston Content meet-up to engage in a discussion about Interactive Content. You’ve likely seen the term on several “trends & predictions” lists for 2016, but what is interactive content, exactly? And how can you use it to support your brand’s content marketing initiatives? Senior Content Marketing Manager at SnapApp, Lena Prickett, was the leader of the discussion and she had four key takeaways for using interactive content to help boost business goals.

    1. Interactive content requires consumers to engage in a way that goes beyond reading or watching

    Bringing users into the experience and allowing them to tailor the content to their interests is what interactive content is all about. This also allows marketers to essentially have a conversation with their prospects. Brands are able to gather additional data to then deliver a more personalized experience to users. It’s one of the best ways to deepen information exchanges with an audience. Especially if you have proprietary data – do something with it!

    2. Interactive content can take on different shapes, but requires you ask the same questions

    Content formats include, and are not limited to: interactive infographics, “gifographics,” quizzes and assessments, data visualization and maps, calculators, surveys, and generators and tools. The latter of which gave this blog post headline a “B+.”

    And I must personally highlight one of 2016’s top trends, 360-degree video:

    No matter what format you decide on, you should be asking:

    • What is my goal? How will this content format help me meet it?
    • What do I want my audience to gain?
    • What resources do I need to make this happen?
    • What existing content do I have that I could make interactive?

    3. Speaking of questions, you need to ask yourself, “Why should this content be interactive?”

    Sometimes it simply doesn’t make sense. If the interactivity is not actually adding any value for your audience, then spend your time and resources on something else.
     
    4. When done right, interactive content can help you meet a variety of business goals, from qualifying leads to increasing blog interaction

    As a content marketer, you’re often competing for people’s attention with Buzzfeed, the king of interactive content. So you should do your best to distract people with your own Buzzfeed-esque, “bored at work” content that ultimately keeps your brand top-of-mind and engaging. If people can engage with your content they are going to stay on your site longer, which can in turn help boost your SEO. The longer someone stays on your site, the more you learn about them and the better you can engage with them in the future. Appeal to the interests of your audience, while giving them something useful. And consider scalability by looking for and creating an interactive tool that will scale across all of your programs and channels; investing in a repeatable, templatable platform is often ideal.

    What types of interactive content do you like the best, and why?

    Tim Bradley

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  • Animate Your Infographics to Maximize Your Reach

    In today’s media landscape, there’s no such thing as “too much content.”  The amount of platforms, outlets, and opportunities for getting your message seen and heard is enormous, and it’s crucial that brands take notice and stay ahead of the game.  

    As both the Boy Scouts of America and Scar from the Lion King advise, “Be Prepared.”  It’s best to always be ready with content (especially visual content) before it’s needed, because inevitably, it WILL be needed.

    Here at Matter, we’re big proponents of maximizing content and creating cross-platform campaigns.  It’s one of the many benefits of having a full suite of creative services under one roof, working with both the PR teams and each other to keep messaging and aesthetics consistent, regardless of what the “output” is.

    While larger projects (product launches, cause campaigns, etc) benefit most from utilizing the “Holy Trinity” of Creative Services – integrated Web Development, Design, and Video (more on that in another post), smaller initiatives can benefit immediately from simply going one step further with your content production than initially planned.

    With that, I give you The Animated Infographic – A cost-effective way to spread your message across as many platforms as possible, while maintaining a consistent design aesthetic.

    By developing both a static infographic AND an animated video based off of that infographic, you’re ready for almost any application.  Examples:

    -Post the infographic on your site (obvi…)

    -Add the video to your YouTube page (also obvi…)

    -Print out the infographic to use as collateral.  Clients have used our infographics at presentations, sales meetings, or even blown up and displayed as artwork on walls (we do that too)

    -Include either the infographic or video (or both!) in press releases and blog posts

    -Run the video on TV screens at trade shows or at your office.

    And the best part is, as your story gets pitched to media and spread on social channels, you can accommodate any content request.  Some websites may prefer to embed videos, while some may want the static infographic.  Print publications, obviously, would prefer the infographic if they plan to print it.  Double-up on Facebook and Twitter blasts by sharing both pieces of content separately.

    This way, you can be sure that you’ve got a consistent message and design aesthetic, and have maximized your opportunities for sharing across all possible outlets.

    Check out some examples we’ve produced here at Matter!

    Tyco Integrated Security:

    Anna Jaques Hospital:

    Madico Window Films:

    High Liner Foods:

    Matter

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  • 4 Ways Visuals Help Win PR Business

    These days it’s impossible to find an article written about our business that doesn’t cover the emphasis currently being put toward visual story telling.  It’s an exciting part of a PR and social media gig, and should be a big part of every agency new business pitch.  Here are a few ways to leverage visual content to help pitch prospects:

    First, work with your in-house video producers to develop a “draft” video that supports the theme of your pitch, and use that content to further support a specific point during your meeting. You may slightly miss the mark on the tone or vibe of the video – occasionally that happens – but the effort and the investment will be appreciated and will demonstrate how your PR agency employs visual images to positively impact any communications initiative.

    Second, pepper your recommended communications program with smart and provocative graphics, videos and images. Propose a monthly webinar hosted by your client’s key spokesperson, or spice up the distribution of a press release with an accompanying infographic that helps tell the story. Or, develop and distribute a logo or icon that represents the category you are creating. In all circumstances, recommend a stream of visual content that will help you and your team better tell the prospect’s story. (A steady flow of visual content is key. One-offs aren’t going to cut it in today’s content-hungry world. Visual content should be included throughout any smart program, and it should be front and center during a new business pitch.)

    Third, work with your in-house graphic designer to be certain that your presentation is perfect. In addition to being packed with sound, smart and creative ideas, it should be visually strong. Quite simply, it must look good – and it should help convey whatever message you are trying to deliver. Basic graphic design fundamentals exist for a reason, and they should be employed when assembling your final presentation.

    Finally, leverage some of the content discussed in the meeting for a follow-up visual deliverable. Include a video via email, a graphical representation of a key metric or send a crisp clean infographic via FedEx. In any circumstance, you are reminding the prospect of the content-rich discussion that occurred in the meeting, and the fact that you have the capabilities to deliver supporting materials whenever necessary.

    What tips do you have for leveraging visual content as part of the new business process?

    [Blogger’s note: Clients here at Matter have the luxury of being able to leverage Studio-C by Matter Communications, our in-house creative services team. That team has a continuous dialogue with those pitching new business and running client account teams, and that relationship makes for improved visual content that support both client and new business initiatives. It’s seamless, really, and has benefits that are both programmatic and budget-related. And, the award-winning deliverables are top-notch.]

    Scott Signore

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  • Rounding the Mark with Powerful Images

    Two top-of-mind topics collided yesterday when I was forwarded a dynamite article about the technology that goes into the catamarans currently racing in the America’s Cup. My affinity for sailing overlapped with my day job – the article provided another reminder of how it behooves all of us to always consider using visuals to help tell our story. Read this, this or this, and you will immediately see they are engaging and impactful examples of visuals that help convey a complex topic. (And, they happen to be tremendous images of amazing sailboats, if you like to see such a thing.)

    Back to my day job.

    I didn’t have to look far to find another good example of the power of visual assets. Our LoJack team supported the launch of the “Drive 4 Pledges Day” initiative with this infographic aimed at highlighting leading driving distractions and to provide tips for staying safe. Not only is it a powerful tool for the end audience – who doesn’t appreciate and value easy-to-understand content? – but it’s an equally important asset to share with media and across social channels. It’s clear and content-rich, and directly aligned with trends in PR and social media.

    As our category continues to evolve, story-telling is once again complemented by supporting visuals (see 20 years ago when marcom materials were a significant line on any marketing budget) and particularly important when a complex, slightly confusing or highly technical topic needs to be conveyed to a key audience. Beyond infographics, the visual story-telling process now includes icons, logos and other social media-friendly representations of key and priority messages. We’re telling a visual story with many of our clients, and have been at the front of this trend with Studio-C, our full-service creative services group that delivers impactful videos and graphics.

    So, how certain are we that visual story-telling in our category is here to stay? Well, we’re investing further into the initiative by hiring new and talented professionals to our creative team. Just this week we welcomed Jennifer Mills as a senior graphic designer, and Sanford Paek as our agency’s first Director of Sales and Account Management. Jennifer honed her skills at a number of high-profile agencies, most recently at Burlington-based Davies-Murphy Group, now owned by Lewis PR. Sanford, whom I’ve known for over a decade while he managed services at Business Wire and Thomson-Reuters, is the ideal professional to engage with prospects and clients about bridging the gap between the client’s business objectives and their go-to-market communications program, and our creative team. Like all of us here at Matter, I’m enthused about Jennifer and Sanford’s arrival – and looking forward to doing even more to tell our clients’ stories visually.

    Are you using visuals to tell you story? Care to share any with me?

    Scott Signore

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  • 5 Reasons Why Having a Creative Studio Kicks Ass

    Most public relations and social media agencies still haven’t seen the light. They haven’t yet embraced creative deliverables as a requisite for going to market in today’s communications world.  Most haven’t complemented their existing client programs with high-impact videos, infographics, or other creative elements that improve the story-telling and help key messages reach key audiences in an effective manner. We opened our physical studio a few months back – after outsourcing too much creative work to other providers – and our in-house team of producers and designers are hopping!

    Here are five reasons why having a creative studio as part of your public relations and social media agency kicks ass:

    First, the market demands visual storytelling and any PR agency with in-house talent and related equipment has a leg up on the competition. Clients understand that they benefit when their PR and social media representatives work in lock step with their creative staff.  An agency can go to a pitch – or propose a program to an existing client – that is truly comprehensive, and that’s a key differentiator.

    Second, the efficiencies of having the PR and social media team in the same building as the creative team are many, and they relate to both process and budget.  A minor change can remain minor, while something more significant comes out of the starting block several steps ahead.  Those who help with key messages and how to connect those messages with key audiences are already in the building and on staff.  Rather than working with two providers, maintaining alignment with one “team” is ideal for project management.  (Editor’s note: the efficiencies are so great that here at Matter we are commonly finding that our creative team is able to deliver sought-after creative content faster and more cost effectively than the client’s own in-house creative team.)

    Third, investing in people and technology continues to pay dividends. We’re experiencing it first hand by having made a technology investment for one client and now having the opportunity to offer the same service to our entire client roster and prospects. (In Studio-C by Matter we have the ability to execute live and interactive broadcasts with any broadcast TV station globally. We’re offering satellite media tours for our clients at a fraction of the cost of the traditional vendors.) Having creative equipment is unique and while the market is competitive, there’s opportunity to offer new services to new clients.

    Fourth, we can do “more” because we have a physical space dedicated to creative activities. We have multiple backgrounds for our video shoots, and an area dedicated to still product shots, as well as enough lighting equipment to create virtually any environment desired by a client. We can get creative – as creative as we need to be – because the space was designed specifically for such activity.

    Finally, it’s exceptionally fun. It’s new and refreshing. In some ways I believe it’s exactly what the PR industry needed following the meteoric rise of social media. While we still spend lots of time and energy thinking about the words we use (and how to share them most effectively), it’s fun to think visually and deliver complementing creative content that dramatically improves engagement.

    Do you work with an agency with an agency that has a creative an in-house creative studio? Do you agree that that set-up kicks ass for you and your business?

    Scott Signore

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  • What’s the Difference Between Paid, Owned and Earned Media?

    What’s the Difference Between Paid, Owned and Earned Media?

    Even seasoned PR pros sometimes have difficulty distinguishing between different forms of media in the digital age. That’s because they all bleed into each other, blurring the lines. So, what is shared media versus earned media versus owned media versus paid media? And what exactly is shared media?

    The nuances can be especially challenging for junior folks cutting their teeth at PR agencies.  I’ve seen more than a few otherwise bright eyes go full Cookie-Monster-googly when I discuss this topic in meetings.

    An easy way to understand and remember the differences within the media landscape is an acronym Matter Communications came up with called: “POETS” (Paid, Owned, Earned, Traded, Shared). There are exceptions to all of these, and some of them can peacefully co-exist within other categories, but this will get you smart enough to be dangerous:

    Paid – If you buy a banner ad, or place an ad in a magazine or on the radio, that’s called paid media. You didn’t earn it, you paid for it. And no matter how good or bad your product is, the audience will see/read/hear exactly what you want them to. Paid Facebook and LinkedIn ads fall into this camp, as does (in some instances) rewarding bloggers for coverage. In general, consumers are growing more distrustful of ads than ever, because it’s obvious the media was bought and paid for by a company with its own best interests in mind. That’s where native advertising comes in (in which an ad ostensibly poses as valuable content) but that’s a column for a different day.

    Owned – If a company has a blog, pumps out ebooks or newsletters, creates infographics or “think pieces,”  these are all forms of media they “own” and can use to attract eyeballs to their respective websites or landing pages.  These typically fall into the content marketing bucket and, like Paid media, this helps companies keep control of the brand (to an extent).

    Earned – This form of media is synonymous with “traditional” public relations. A company hires a PR agency, the agency weaves a narrative around the company’s products and/or services, and then pitches that story to online and offline publications, blogs or news outlets. The resulting editorial articles, broadcast hits or blog posts are called “earned” media, since the company didn’t pay the outlets to write about them. The coverage, therefore, was earned.

    Traded – Sometimes two companies will agree to do guest posts on one another’s blogs, or work together on a video series around the same topics. Perhaps they’ll even share booth space at tradeshow or team up for speaking gigs. In these cases one company is yielding part of the discussion to another entity, betting that trading part of the stage will return bigger results from a larger network of interested parties. Here’s where it gets nuanced, but many companies are working with influencers and bloggers to garner coverage or social media love in exchange for access, information or input on a company’s product, etc. Lines = blurred.

    Shared – This one is trickiest to explain and can take on many forms, but essentially, consumers are working in concert with a brand to create and share/promote the brand’s content. For this to happen, the brand must have fans and followers who feel passionately about the brand and want to engage. Or, the brand has to be giving away something of significant value. A recent example is Lay’s “Do us a Flavor” contest, where the company asked fans to help pick the next flavor of potato chips. I participated in this form of shared media, and I happened to recommend Sriracha as a flavor. Alas, Cheesy Garlic Bread won.

    Is this helpful? Let me know if you’ve got a different way of categorizing these buckets in the comments section below.

    Matter

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