That's News "For" Me

In my last post I gave you a glimpse of my own personal reteller channel –the network of retellers who influence me. But I neglected to talk about how I gather all my news in one place. Like many on-line news junkies, I use iGoogle, a news aggregator that collects top stories, my RSS feeds, weather, stock updates, etc. onto one clean dashboard that I can design, change, and add gadgets to whenever I want. Essentially it’s news just for me – and I love it!

But is the emergence of news aggregators good news or bad news to pr and marketing professionals? Well, a little bit of both.

The good news is that we can track all the news about our clients and the industries we cover in one place. By being able to easily monitor multiple retellers, we get a greater understanding of the types of stories they want to tell.

The bad news is that because more and more people are “pulling” news from the web on their own terms, your story may be missed if they’re not subscribing the Reteller channels carrying your story. One way around this is to make sure your channel includes retellers with high visibility and proven audience appeal. We also recommend making it easy as possible for others to track your news by using key words in your press releases that will help them find you. And finally make sure your newsroom and blogs are set up to supply RSS feeds so if people want to subscribe to your news – they can.

What's Your Personal Reteller Channel?

Before you begin building a Reteller Channel for the distribution of stories about your products and services; it’s helpful to think about what channels influence you. When you get up in the morning do you listen to talk radio or news radio? Do you get your news from news aggregators that email you headlines you’re interested in or do you still read the newspaper from stem to stern? Are you buying gifts this year that you saw reviewed on CNET or are you buying gifts that your friends recommended? The bottom line is – you’ve developed your own personnel Reteller Channel for how you receive and filter news. And you’ll quickly notice that your Reteller Channel is no longer just made up of traditional media, but a healthy mix of new and traditional media.

Here’s a look my personal Reteller Channel:

• Boston.com (read online) in the morning
• WSJ (RSS feeds on top headlines, health care)
• My healthcare blog (unhealthybehavior.com) tracks recent posts on other health blogs so I can quickly keep track of industry news.
• My business partner who is a personal technology nut influences my decisions about technology purchases (and he’s influenced by CNET and Walter Mossberg)
• My husband breaks the news to me about the economy over a glass of wine at dinner, where I’ll be calmer (I can’t stand to follow it anymore –too nerve racking)
• NPR is what I listen to on the way to work
• I scan CNN and Fox to get my headlines throughout the day and night
• George Stephanopoulos is where I get my political fix on the weekends (used to be Tim Russert- how I miss him)
  
  My point is- once you develop a better understanding of how you get your news, you’ll come to a better understanding about the channel you need to create to reach prospects.

Nobody Buys What You Sell Until They Buy Into The Story You Tell

Have you ever bought anything without first buying the story about it? Did you buy your Blackberry or iPhone by accident or did you first buy into the story about it? Were you influenced by a story in Walter Mossberg’s column in the Wall Street Journal or did a colleague tell you how much she likes his? Perhaps you read a series of on-line reviews by popular bloggers. Either way, you first bought into the story about it.

The simple truth is that facts tell but stories sell. That’s why it’s critical you understand that no matter what your product or service is, it is represented in the minds of buyers by a story.

The right story told well and told often, plays a critical role in motivating a purchasing decision and reinforcing brand loyalty. And the best way to get your story told well and often is through what we call the Reteller Channel™.
When you tell your story directly it’s greeted with skepticism and is easily dismissed.Tell it indirectly through trusted “Retellers” the message sticks.

How to Spot a Reteller

Because there are so many types of Retellers. here are some basic characteristics that will help you identify them.

• Some get paid for their opinion so they have an incentive to retell your story. (Media)
• Some are industry thought leaders.
• Some are decision influencers within an organization
• Some are just friends and colleagues who like to share what they know
• Because reteller’s opinions are respected, they can motivate an audience to take action
• They are believed because they have demonstrated some expertise in the market they are retellers in.
• They have an attentive audience to tell the story to
• They have the medium to reach people (public speaking, media, blog, ear of top level executives)
• They add value by interpreting the details of your story for their audience.
  
  

What Retellers Hope For

It’s always important to remember that when you’re trying to get the channel to tell your story, you ultimately have to understand the audiences they serve. Which means - you need to understand your buyers. Luckily, there’s a predictable model that describes how receptive people are to new ideas and products. Each category of buyer has a different receptivity to new products and services. Here’s how they think:

Innovators are looking for something new and exciting
Early Adopters want to experience a breakthrough
Early Majority want what everyone else is getting
Late Majority want a brand they can trust
Laggards will use what you’re selling eventually because it’s now a commodity.

And there are Retellers that appeal to each market category. Once you understand what group your product or service appeals to - tell them what they want to hear.