Attendees at the first BizBuzz event on Tuesday morning got a glimpse into how to navigate the media landscape.
BizBuzz is a project of DiscoverMyDelaware.com, a consulting firm for small business and nonprofit groups founded by local social media pioneer Rodney Jordan. The Business Bulletin was a media sponsor for the event. The event was held at Penn Cinema Riverfront and informally marked the launch of the cinema complex as a site for business meetings and other events.
Panelists Amy Cherry of WDEL; Tim Furlong, Delaware bureau chief at NBC10, Philadelphia; and Holly Norton, formerly of the News Journal, talked about the convergence of print, digital and video.
“You need to think visual,” Furlong said, Cherry agreed, noting that the organization needs to make certain that an individual with a compelling story is available for an interview.
Furlong said news value still determines whether a TV crew, newspaper reporter or radio team will show up at a ribbon cutting or product introduction. The size of a market is also a factor, according to Furlong. Getting a TV truck to a downstate Delaware business event is easier than having the same thing happen north a canal.
“They’ll go to the opening of an envelope,” Furlong quipped, in a reference to TV stations that cover a much smaller market than their Philadelphia counterparts. He added that the smaller stations are professional operations that do a good job of covering their markets.
Channel 10 has beefed up its presence in Delaware with a bureau and by partnering with WDEL, the state’s remaining news radio outlet. The station does cover events statewide.
Norton said a company can aid the process of getting its story out by offering images that can be submitted or taken by the media outlet.
A growing factor is web traffic. Cherry said media outlets take a close look at the number of times a post is read. Heavier traffic may mean a media organization will show up at the next event.
When it comes to press releases, make certain that the phone number is listed and that the phone is answered, Cherry and Furlong said.
At the same time, calls to media outlets after the release is issued may not be answered, due to the fact that reporters are out in the field.
Furlong said Twitter is another option that can alert the reporter on his or her phone, Furlong said. Facebook is another option, panelists said.
“Become your own media outlet,” panel moderator Ken Grant said, adding that it is important to become an expert on topics related to the business and organization.
Homework is another requirement. For example, the News Journal has a list of beat reporters and editors at delawareonline.com/social. Other sessions included branding for small business, as well as social media and media strategies for nonprofit organizations.
