Why Earned Media is More Important Than Ever During a Pandemic [Valerie Christopherson Interview]

In crisis there is opportunity, and for those who understand how media consumption has changed during this coronavirus pandemic, there are distinct opportunities for your business to appear on the radar of more people organically earned media. Learn all about this opportunity straight from the PR expert and thought leader Valerie Christopherson, Founder and CEO of the PR agency Global Results Communications, headquartered right here in my beloved Orange County, California.

Our conversation went above and beyond the topic of the current pandemic as we discussed other issues upon us and how we can respond to them, including my sharing my own story of how I was called out on social media and how I will be responding. It is a good reminder that if digital influencers are the new media, with that comes responsibility.

Key Highlights

[00:39] Introduction of Podcast Guest, Valerie Christopherson
[01:05] Who Are Global Results Communications?
[03:47] Changes In Earned Media
[06:36] The Most In-Demand Type of Media Right Now
[08:58] Valerie's Recommendation on the Vehicles Which Companies Can Be Hears
[13:41] The True Purpose of Press Release
[14:35] Why Press Release Is Still Important?
[16:09] Valerie's Advice on Corporate Communications
[19:17] What Businesses Can Do To Leverage Pandemic
[22:59] The Effects of Black Lives Matter Campaign
[27:01] Content In Diversity And Inclusion
[30:42] Final Advice
[31:01] Connect With Valerie

Notable Quotes

• As PR professionals, we've gotten back to providing facts and reporters, especially in technology, and in health care to report the facts, what are we seeing? What are we doing? And we saw companies band together, and wanting to tell the story from a factual standpoint, and not from the storybook point of view.
• It's really important that you think through the different mechanisms because people are on the go so make sure that you have some actionable item to a press release on social media. 
• But right now being realistic. If if you can't read it in three minutes, I'm not sure it's getting read in its entirety, which is why I go back to that key takeaway.  There should be an active even if the action item is simply let me think about that. 
• I would use the press release for what it was meant and designed to be in that would be for news. And news being hard news.
• And the best thing to do in a moment like that, communicates consistently, calmly, and collectively, on an hour-by-hour basis.

Links mentioned in the show:

Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Free Ebook: https://nealschaffer.com/maximizing-linkedin-for-business
Global Results Communications: https://www.globalresultspr.com/
Global Results Communications on Instagram:

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