Week 4 – Helen De Michiel on Engagement Touchpoints

I’ve read and commented on the Week 3 Readings essays (red color text at the bottom of the WK 3 private post).  I’ve been learning so much from your writings reflecting on spreadability, value and worth, and that often include the fascinating overlay of your own work-related experiences in this domain.

Now, we can continue to test these concepts on the ground as you design your project’s engagement campaign.

As you read on, and you find you can offer your own advice on techniques that are working, please add a comment!

Last week, some of you asked me to share Anthem Salgado’s tips on writing the ‘remixable Press Release ‘ that I recently picked up from a workshop I took with him.  Anthem is a young Bay Area marketing and strategic communications professional who specializes in coaching and training artists with his Art of Hustle workshops.

Check out The Art of Hustle website – to be sure, it is his brochure site, but he has also packed it with crafty, entertaining and fresh tips and ideas on promotion and spreadability.  Anthem puts into action the ideas that we are considering in Spreadable Media and need to work with on the term projects.

And to expand on our “authenticity” dialogue read Anthem’s Social Media Is Dead piece.  It is terrific, hilarious and full of wisdom. He says:

When it comes to making things happen, social media is no replacement for the original school: A navigable and up-to-date website, a content-rich email list, and probably above all, the personalized phone call.

So, here are some of my relevant abbreviated notes from Anthem’s presentation.

Engagement Touchpoints

Most of you already know all these points, but if you need a refresher, here are a few press release and email ideas from Anthem that can make your engagement activities more rewarding.

Your project engagement touchpoints should include varied channels and platforms:

1. The press release

2. The phone call

3. Personal email to your own lists

4. Social media platforms where you are offering “hot content” so your targeted evangelists will share for you: give folks little pieces of the back story on the project, tell them about you yourselves, and “socially-proof” the project or event by showing its “awesome-ness.”

The 2013 Press Release

Use nice neat containers with minimum verbal clutter. This release should be re-purposed for different audiences across platforms:

HEADLINE (and include below it…)

The facts including where, when, etc.

BIG BOX #1

This contains your most dazzling, eye-catching copy about the project (and/or event if you are doing one). This box contains the most copy and is the most engaging, storytelling about the project. It should make the reader want to scan down to the rest of the release.

MEDIUM BOX #2

This contains the less important information: background, bios, necessary details.

SMALL BOX #3

This contains the least important information: organizational information, funders, disclaimers, whatever is the fine print.

Include here END ###

SMALL BOX #4

Include 5 photos for download.

If you are planning an event, post the release on EventBrite and Full Calendar Listing.

The Email

Again, these are all copywriting tips, but they make sense for us civilians to use.

Subject Line: It’s…or something… XXX + a CALL TO ACTION 

Dumb example:  It’s Turkey Art…Come celebrate Helen’s birthday on Thanksgiving

You want people to open the email by deploying an engaging, punchy and/or humorous line plus a call to do something…Or a question that can only be answered by opening the email!

Since time is limited, you might want to start with friends and sympathetic colleagues who will help the project effort and share for you. Know your targeted audiences and change the subject line to “touch” them specifically.

Again, make the email body text inside visually scannable with bold headlines, bullet points and minimal text. If in doubt, look through the emails you delete or the ones you love.

As Anthem says in his Social Media Is Dead article:

Social media campaigns that don’t emphasize superb customer service and relationship building will be doomed to failure. Or worse, mediocrity. If you want to stand out in a crowd, get down to basics. Genuine human connection, courtesy and respect. Not coincidentally, this principle of service and thoughtfulness creates long-term audience loyalty and priceless word-of-mouth referrals (ahem, the first kind of “viral” marketing). Best of all, it requires zero updates!