“That was a great post. I can tell you spent lots of time on it.” – recent comment
Well, not as much time as you think and I have Yubby to thank for that.
Back at BlogWorld in Las Vegas, I met Vincent from Yubby [and Amsterdam!] as he and Daniel Honigman were exchanging contact information by bumping their iPhones. After I took this picture, I asked Vincent to do a video about how Yubby works. We used Vincent’s camera microphone. He then uploaded the video to my Macbook and it took me awhile to upload it to YouTube. Here it is . . . .
Although it took me a little longer than I’d like to upload the video, I started using Yubby and set up a KA review channel almost right away. And, everyone who checked out BlogWorld Expo’s site, saw Yubby in action. One person told me that the Yubby videos on the BlogWorld speaker page were the reason they came to BlogWorld.
How do you use Yubby?
1. Sign up
2. Create a channel
3. Search videos
4. Drag icons into your channel
5. Choose a style
6. Grad the embed code
7. Publish
Total time to publish a channel: as little as one minute. Here’s the BlogWorld Expo Yubby channel.
Tip: search for your name or keywords and see what comes back from 30 different video sources. Then, create, publish and promote your video marketing channels.
How do you use video in your marketing?
Disclosure: BlogWorld Expo provided complimentary registration to members of the media.
Note: This post contains dramatic videos – plan to stay for awhile.
My trip to KÀ began with a brief email exchange . . .
ME: Thanks so much for making this offer. Last year I found out about it a few hours too late. I’ve never seen a show in Vegas, but I love theater, magic, dance and drama. Thanks for letting me know what is open.
JESSICA BERLIN [Cirque Du Soleil]: Thanks for your email. Hmm….if you like theater and drama I think we should put you in to see KA. There is a 7 and 9:30 p.m. show. Which do you prefer? Also, will you be bringing a guest? Let me know and I will arrange the tickets for you.
And, that’s how I got my first theatrical review assignment. [No photography is allowed; image copied from KÀ site.]
Disclosure: Cirque du Soleil provided two free tickets in exchange for a review to BlogWorld New Media Expo attendees like me.
This is my first review of any type. Why did I accept the tickets?
1. Although this was my fourth trip to Las Vegas, I’d never taken the time to see a show.
2. I love theater and have always wanted to write a review.
3. This is the kind of freebie I can’t pass up!
4. I wanted to pass on this promotion strategy to my readers: who can you invite to your event that can cover it for you?
Thanks to Marcia Hansen from Allstate for taking me up on my offer of a free ticket. We met up at the theater at MGM, got in line and walked into a huge auditorium theater. My first thought? What a HUGE venue! [One source I saw tagged the production's cost at $150 million.]
~ Every seat in the KÀ theatre has speakers built into the headrest for customized sound effects.
~ The video projections in KÀ are an intricate mix of computer-generated effects and human input that turn the performance space into a cinema screen.
~ Approximately 1,300 hours went into the making of each of the human-sized crab puppets.
~ There are 160 harnesses (of 21 different kinds) worn by the KÀ performers.
~ The Spearmen’s shoes are created to look like they are barefoot, with molded rubber toes affixed to a shoe base.
~ For the beach scene, the sand is created using 350 cubic feet of granular cork from Portugal.
Greeters, dressed like KÀ characters, showed us our seats. One had a bright red wig.
I said: I like your hair.
She said: Thanks! I just put it on tonight!
Settling into our seats, we watched the fireballs bursting from the stage.
Having no idea what to expect – after all, this was my first Cirque du Soliel experience, I interviewed Marcia and a new friend we made, Sharon Miller from Qube Global Software, about what to expect. I asked if I could video their review after the show. They said yes – here it is:
My review?
This is a show that blows your mind. To get ready, I watched KÀ’s trailer, but that didn’t prepare me for the live experience.
For me, the show was imaginative beyond belief.
My favorite elements:
• Costumes – there’s something about costumes that draws me to theater. I love seeing how characters play out in the clothing, shoes, hair and makeup.
• Batons – yes, batons. After going to Purdue and watching the All American Marching Band’s post band-camp show, I thought I’d seen every style of baton twirling, but this was different: elegant, smooth, enchanting [maybe the music had something to do with it.]
• Shadow play – enchanting and childlike, two characters and four hands together put on a play within a play
• Acrobatics – known for seemingly impossible moves, this show boasts aerial, wheel and well, multiple, demonstrations of amazing feats that had me holding my breath until the act was over
• Music – bold, dramatic and showy, the music underscored the story line
• Hydraulic Wall – think about a plane that moves from level to angled with people on it and add in a chase scene with spikes – got it?
• Pit – from fire to smoke coming up to people going down, the pit holds a place as a character all its own
• Staging – columns ring the stage as centers for drumming and more aerobatics, archers poised on railings before they rushed the stage, which gave me a close look at the costumes – the slippers had rubber toes
• Pictures – before the show Aurora took pictures of Marcia and me – very nice, but at $44 not a must-buy
This show is not for people who: scare easily, don’t like loud noises, need a story line with dialogue, like literal drama or musicals and fear indoor fire and fireworks. A friend told me she likes to watch Cirque du Soleil clips; a few minutes is enough for her.
Would I go back? Absolutely and next time I’d take my family with me. KÀ is the pinnacle of a theater experience. I can’t wait to tell our high school theater department about it.
Have you seen KÀ? What did you think? How can you compare your business performance to Cirque Du Soleil?
I talk about this guy – a lot. Every single one of our clients has his book. I mention his book every chance I get. I even selected David’s book as the course guide for The Academy for Not-for-Profit’s Excellence’s strategic marketing course.
On September 2 Google revealed Chrome, its new browser. While most of the buzz about Chrome’s public relations is around the comic book Google mailed to bloggers, the idea that the project started on day one with the team writing a press release caught my attention.
To hear how the team was challenged to write about how they would announce Google Chrome to the world, fast forward 48 minutes into Google Chrome’s announcement video, embedded here.
This kind of forward-thinking impressed me. What if every project began with how you wanted to announce it and then you built it to match your expectations?
For Google, this approach worked and while it would be interesting to compare the original release to the final, today we’ll take a look at the campaign’s components – from a graphic perspective, which means you’ll see screen shots that link to the sites mentioned.
Google Chrome PR Integrates Multiple Components
Comic Books?
Comic books aren’t just for super heroes anymore. Wanting to capture attention and stand out, Google commissioned a novel graphic approach in the form of a comic book by Scott McCloud.
Takeaway: think about how you can use illustrations, graphics and cartoons to tell your story to your community and the media.
Instruction and Informational Videos
Google has its own YouTube channel that houses over 800 videos. Two Chrome videos, a short that tells the story and a longer 52-minute announcement video [shown here], work well together as instructive and informational tools. Each video features a variety of speakers.
Takeaway
Produce a quick, light overview that gets the message across and a second in-depth presentation with a range of voices.
Dedicated Media Center
Google Chrome Media Center welcomes exploration with a clean layout and larger type. Bullet points outline key messages in a copy panel of less than 250 words. Can you say I get it?
Takeaway
Organize information for the media, keeping in mind that media is everyone, not just journalists. Put the contact information in the upper left hand corner. And, pare down, pare down, pare down.
Online Press Kit
Repeating the simpler is better theme, here the page presents a list of links.
Takeaway
Outline your online press kit first, then develop the pages you want to link to.
Online Press Release
In less than 700 words, Chrome’s press release delivers the message while a sidebar stands by with extra resources.
Takeaway
Repeat the refrain. Use headlines to tell the story and bullets to break up the text and link along the sidelines.
Live Launch Webcast Press Event
Why hold a press conference when you can host a Webcast Press Event for all the world to see?
Takeaway
Host a live online press event and invite the media and your clients to attend and ask questions with a service that also provides live chat.
“How much money, lead time, etc is needed to get what kind of “result” – an elusive keyword for PR?
Answer:
Define Result: What does success mean to you?
Where do you want your story to land? Who do you want to write it? Who do you want to see it?
Twitter updates offer free and immediate PR, but be careful to only promote what you think is valuable. You can send out a test update to see what kind of response you get. Or, you can DM a few influential friends with a link to what you want to publicize for their opinion.
Facebook groups work well to promote events and build community.
Press releases are easy to write and distribute yourself. But, if you’re not sure about how to best position your news, consult a professional for advice. Many offer press release editing services. After you write the release, you’ll need to distribute it. Direct contact with reporters is usually the best way to get a story placed, but requires some time and effort to build a relationship. Online distribution automates the process and gets your story out to a broader, less personalized base.
Keep in mind that one of your goals is to get good positioning for your selected keywords.
YouTube videos may be referenced in your release – why not have people watch the story instead of read it? Engaging an agency is an ideal option for those that want a confident, creative and professional approach. Both our clients and the reporters who cover our stories appreciate having a media relations liaison. Because we manage our clients’ creative archives, chances are good that we’ll have everything the reporters need to tell their story.
I can hear you saying: “Hey, you’re avoiding the money answer.” Why yes, yes I am. That’s because this is all so variable that it’s hard to nail down real numbers. What I will say is this: plan on a PR strategy that matches your budget and get your news out on as many levels as you can – the more channels you use, the better your success.
Time
Money
Suggested Lead Time*
Results
twitter
minimal
$0
none-1 week
number of retweets & links to site
Facebook Group
set up page
$0
1-3 weeks
# members, activity
DIY online press release
2-3 hours to write
$0-$300 and up to distribute
2-3 weeks
# site visits, stories placed, blog/site pick up
Agency online press releases
varies by level of content and media attachments
?
4-6 weeks
# site visits, stories placed, blog/site pick up
DIY YouTube video
as long as it takes to get it right
$0
sync w/release
#viewers, comments, #embeds
Professional YouTube Video
at least an hour/minute
$varies by production value
sync w/release
#viewers, comments, #embeds
DIY Blog Posts
up to you
$0
1-2 weeks
#views, comments
DIY Traditional PR
2-3 hours to write + # hours to distribute
$0
3-4 weeks
stories placed, radio/TV appearances
Agency Traditional PR
varies by number of interviews and distribution points
many agencies charge a monthly retainer
4-6 weeks
stories placed, radio/TV appearances
* lead time applies to an event or announcement
Your Turn
What works best for you when you promote something? How do know when you’ve got results?
Thanks for letting me know what is open.
