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In This Issue
PR Pulse
More Client Headlines
Young & Associates Focus
Marketing Minute
My Two Cents
PR Pulse:
Tips for Success

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With visual media exploding - videos, graphics, photos - it's easier than ever to tell a story, particularly a complex one.

As newswires continue adding social media capabilities, consider a Multimedia News Release for your next major initiative or news, and incorporate an interactive element to complement the story.

Working with client The Benedictine School - a special needs educational living and learning organization - to help educate parents of children with special needs on the benefits of residential care, Young & Associates collaborated on a background video to supplement the press release.

Reporters quickly understood the topics, thanks to the visual aid. Interest from special needs publications, e.g., Parenting Special Needs, Exceptional Parent, Autism Family Online, and even mainstream outlets such as FOXNews, prove the value of this approach. 

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More Client Headlines
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Localeze:
TechCrunch, Localeze to Power Local Business Listings for Bing

Maximizer Software:
DestinationCRM, Blend Work and Play

Wolfe LPA:
Consulting Magazine, One on One with Wolfe's Jennifer Wolfe

Pace Harmon:
InformationWeek, Global CIO Blog, Will Panasonic Deal Give Lotus Cloud Cred?
The Spark
Young & Associates FocusMatchbox Blog Screen Shot

2010: Off to a Running Start

Happy New Year! The year is off to a running start at Y&A, so here's a highlight of some of our good news:

We are pleased to announce the Young & Associates blog - The Matchbox - which just launched this week. It offers insight into best practices for the new age of public relations and marketing. Check it out and don't hesitate to disagree...we love a good challenge. 

The agency was recognized for outstanding achievement by MARCOM awards receiving GOLD for our work with client Pace Harmon, an outsourcing advisory firm. Young & Associates collaborated with Pace Harmon to provide commentary on the Satyam outsourcing scandal, garnering coverage in BusinessWeek, InformationWeek and CFO, among others.

Finally, as this was going to the "presses", Y&A landed a long-term project with PeriscopeIQ, an established provider of hosted business intelligence solutions.

Marketing Minute
 
Get Your Speakers Program Game On

The landscape of on-site events, conferences and even webinars in the past few years has significantly changed. Conference organizers are faced with restricted sponsorship and attendance budgets, as well as the social media mix, in which those not attending can virtually receive a blow-by-blow of the conference via Twitter or blogs.
 
For most companies facing tighter marketing budgets, decisions to allocate sponsorship or attendance dollars can be tough. To circumvent this, more companies are vying for speaking engagements to gain access to the conference and yield visibility for the company via thought leadership. The challenge is that competition for speaking opportunities is stiffer than ever.  Renewed emphasis must be placed on the execution and planning of clinching that coveted spot - whether a keynote or a panel presentation. Here are four key steps:
 
1) Start by identifying the conferences that will benefit your company through lead generation and overall thought leadership visibility.
2) Once your team has whittled down the list, it's time to pick the right speakers for the conference. This is critical, as the exec must have the ability to present the topic with both authority AND a bit of controversy.
3) Next, remember - the abstract is king. Conference organizers want to see fresh topics so take a look at previous conference sessions to avoid repetition. Even invite your colleagues and competitors to participate in the presentation.
4) Finally, make an effort to get to know the organizers - drop a line or a direct message tweet. With competition at its toughest, that just might put your application over the top and on the agenda.

My Two Cents

Online Communities Pave the Way for Knowledge Sharing
by Jennifer Mirabile, Assistant Vice President

Young & Associates                                   
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Chances are you've participated in an online community - whether via a chat room, message board, blog, or Facebook. The concept of online communities has existed for awhile, but with the vast adoption of social networks in 2009, they are more prevalent today and more users are sharing best practices and advice on a professional level.
 
This is, in part, due to Twitter Chats (like #blogchat and #smallbizchat) devoted to a select topic with live-streaming dialogue on a designated date and time. Led by a moderator and often with a Q&A set-up, these chats cross geographic boundaries for people who have similar interests and/or professional backgrounds.  Applications like Twibes and Twubs make it easy to find and participate in chats.

But what are the benefits of sharing your professional/industry strategies and insights with the public, including competitors? Online communities offer a fast way to virtually network with experts and peers in your field - to ask questions, get quick feedback and monitor thoughts from potential customers on any topic. I've seen firsthand how monitoring these discussions allows us to learn, share and network, much like an in-person conference or network event.  Also, by being an active participant or organizing your own chat, you can demonstrate your industry thought leadership. Don't be left out of industry conversations that can impact your business. Instead, embrace the virtual dialogue and opportunities presented in online communities.

A unique approach can ignite the brightest spark of all. As trusted advisors to high-growth technology companies for the past 27 years, Young & Associates is the premier strategic public relations agency for companies seeking clear market visibility, elevated industry reputation and bottom-line results.