From Jennifer Hellman of Goff Public

1. MINNESOTA ASSOCIATION OF CVBS I JUNE 2, 2021

2. Jennifer Hellman
Principal/COO
@CrisisCoach
Introduction

3. About Goff Public

4. CURRENT STATE
OF THE MEDIA
(AND SOCIAL
MEDIA)

5. Where do you get your news?

6. How people prefer to get news
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
News websites, apps
and social media
Radio
TV
Print
Pew research from the Twin Cities metro area, 2021.

7. Communications have changed dramatically –
and the trends started long before the pandemic

8. The power of social media
◦ People are turning to
alternative sources of news
more than ever before
◦ 51% of U.S. adults report
increased social media use
during the pandemic
◦ A single post can spark a
worldwide movement

9. Images are powerful

10. Images are powerful

11. Images are powerful

12. “Activists gather outside of
Minneapolis Police Union Chief Bob
Kroll’s home"
“Electoral college protests rally
at Minnesota Capitol"
Activists are organizing more quickly
“Protesters gather at Line 3
construction site in Aitkin County"

13. News media is
still influential
◦ 73% of U.S. adults trust their local
newspapers (59% for national
newspapers)
◦ 85% of U.S. adults seek out
credible, third-party articles and
reviews when considering a
purchase
◦ 80% of business decision-markers
prefer to learn about companies
in news articles versus
advertisements

14. The rise of pay-for-play
As newspapers close their doors, there has been an increase in
sponsored news content.

15. Paid influencers are everywhere

16. …and working with influencers can
be controversial
“Minneapolis abandons plan to pay
influencers during Derek Chauvin trial”
“State paid Andrew Zimmern $57,000 to
promote Minnesota as tourist spot”

17. THINK LIKE A
REPORTER

18. What motivates reporters?
◦ Producing stories that drive
change or question the status quo
◦ Telling stories in a compelling way
◦ Their editors
◦ Getting a story first
◦ Audience metrics – shares,
comments
◦ Getting recognized (awards) or
getting promoted to a larger
market
◦ Having their stories go national
“CNN crew arrested by Minnesota
State Patrol amid George Floyd
protests”

19. Building relationships
◦ Understand what they’re interested in covering
◦ Get to know them over a professional coffee
◦ Follow up with them after a story
▪ To thank them – not just provide corrections
◦ Act as a community resource
▪ Be available as a subject matter expert, even for stories that don’t
immediately impact your interests
◦ REMEMBER: There is no such thing as a casual conversation with a reporter
How do you develop relationships with anyone?

20. THE SEVEN
CATEGORIES
OF NEWS

21. There’s no magic wand

22. News is… timely
“Otter Tail County hearing pushback on
Governor's Fishing Opener”

23. News is… unique
“Warroad, Minn., comes together on a
miles-long skate path”

24. News… affects a large audience
“Mayo Clinic Health System to permanently
close 5 locations”

25. News is… controversial
“Church identified as hate group granted
permit in Minnesota town”

26. News… follows trends
“Mankato Brewery, Hy-Vee team up for
pop-up vaccine clinic”

27. News is… clickable
“Video: Storm chaser's vehicle totaled in
violent collision with deer”

28. News is… localized
“Younger than that now: On Bob Dylan’s 80th birthday,
Minnesota politicians weigh in on their favorite Dylan songs”

29. The more components a story has,
the more newsworthy it is

30. Why did this make news?
“Summer of travel: Minnesota businesses
expect significant recovery”
Categories of news:
❑ Timely
❑ Unique
❑ Affects a large
audience
❑ Controversial
❑ Follows trends
❑ Clickable
❑ Localized

31. Why did this make news?
“With Canada closed, northern Minnesota lake community
sets voluntary walleye limit out of overfishing concern”
Categories of news:
❑ Timely
❑ Unique
❑ Affects a large
audience
❑ Controversial
❑ Follows trends
❑ Clickable
❑ Localized

32. CREATE
MESSAGES
PEOPLE
CONNECT WITH

33. COMMUNICATION IS AN
ART, NOT A SCIENCE

34. Messaging best
practices
◦ “Why” before “what”
◦ Know your elevator speech
◦ Think of messages in themes – no more
than three
◦ How you share them:
▪ Use facts and figures
▪ Include a call to action

35. REPUTATIONS

36. Every community has their fair
share of challenges
There’s no region free of controversy.

37. “‘We must restore peace’: Minneapolis burns during
2nd night of protests over George Floyd’s death”

38. “Sheriff says tree placed on Highway 61 out of fear
of ‘spreading COVID-19 in Cook County’”

39. “Suspect charged with 7 felonies in connection to
St. Cloud Wells Fargo hostage standoff”

40. “What’s the deal with the walleye crisis on Mille Lacs?”

41. “Man arrested in connection to hate messages at
Fargo-Moorhead mosque”

42. Any small town has the potential to be the
next story in the New York Times
“A ‘community for all’? Not so
fast, this Wisconsin county says.”

43. Be willing to change and re-invent yourself
“Big bass fishing tournament heads to
Mille Lacs Lake”
◦ There are also many wonderful
opportunities
◦ Highlight and celebrate your
region’s unique culture

44. BEST
PRACTICES

45. Best practices
◦ Survey your members frequently for story opportunities
◦ Workshop your tourism campaigns
◦ Set up Google alerts for your region and key businesses
contributing to tourism
◦ Become a curator of your community’s positive news
coverage
▪Share widely
▪Specifically point out why you’re sharing
◦ Be the champion of your community

46. QUESTIONS?

47. Stay in touch!
Jennifer@goffpublic.com
@crisiscoach