Neil A. Carousso produces NewsNation original “Kurt’s Country” – a celebration of country music and a slice of Americana with host Kurt Bardella.
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Mastering Media Strategies: Insights from Industry Veterans
In a recent power webinar, host Jimmy Newson, The Impact Influencer, delved into the intricacies of media strategies, branding, and storytelling with two seasoned professionals: Joe Connolly, long-time business news reporter at WCBS 880 and now WABC Radio in New York with 25 years of experience, and Neil A. Carousso, a TV producer at NewsNation and owner of a media production company.
This session is a treasure trove of actionable advice for businesses looking to enhance their visibility and engagement with the media. Here, we break down the key insights and tips shared by Joe and Neil, providing a comprehensive guide to mastering media strategies.
Understanding Newsworthiness: Joe’s Perspective
Joe, with his extensive background in journalism, offers a deep dive into what makes a business or entrepreneur story newsworthy. Here are his key points:
1. Identify the Hook
- Relevance: Ensure your story is timely and relevant to current events or trends.
- Human Interest: Stories that evoke emotions or highlight personal journeys tend to capture attention.
- Impact: Demonstrate how your story affects the community or a specific audience.
2. Crafting the Pitch
- Conciseness: Journalists receive numerous pitches daily. Keep yours concise and to the point.
- Clarity: Clearly articulate the main points and why your story matters.
- Supporting Data: Include relevant statistics or data to back up your claims.
3. Building Relationships
- Personal Outreach: Pick up the phone and engage in direct conversations with journalists.
- Follow-Up: Be persistent but respectful in following up on your pitches.
Authentic Storytelling: Neil’s Approach
Neil emphasizes the importance of genuine and authentic storytelling to resonate with a wide audience and skeptics alike. Here’s how to achieve that:
1. Be Authentic
- Transparency: Be open about your journey, including both successes and challenges.
- Consistency: Ensure your brand message is consistent across all platforms.
2. Engage Your Audience
- Narrative Techniques: Use storytelling techniques such as character development and conflict resolution.
- Visuals: Incorporate compelling visuals to enhance your story.
3. Resonate with Skeptics
- Credibility: Build trust by providing verifiable information and testimonials.
- Relatability: Share stories that your audience can relate to on a personal level.
Effective Media Engagement
Both Joe and Neil stress the importance of effective communication and personal outreach in media relations. Here are their combined insights:
1. Understand Your Audience
- Research: Know the interests and needs of the media outlet’s audience.
- Tailored Pitches: Customize your pitch to align with the audience’s preferences.
2. Provide Value
- Expert Insights: Offer unique insights or expert opinions that add value to the story.
- Exclusive Content: Provide exclusive content or angles that haven’t been covered before.
3. Persistence and Timing
- Follow-Up: Don’t be discouraged by initial rejections. Follow up at appropriate intervals.
- Right Timing: Pitch your story when it’s most relevant to current events or trends.
Leveraging Social Media
The conversation also touched on the importance of leveraging social media for business promotion. Here’s how to do it effectively:
1. Content Creation
- Quality Over Quantity: Focus on creating high-quality content that resonates with your audience.
- Consistency: Maintain a consistent posting schedule to keep your audience engaged.
2. Strategic Posting
- Platform-Specific Content: Tailor your content to suit the platform you’re posting on.
- Engagement: Actively engage with your audience by responding to comments and messages.
3. Networking
- LinkedIn: Utilize LinkedIn for professional networking and sharing industry insights.
- Behind-the-Scenes: Share behind-the-scenes content to give your audience a glimpse into your business operations.
Local Media Coverage
For small businesses, local media coverage can be incredibly valuable. Here’s how to secure it:
1. Local Relevance
- Community Impact: Highlight how your business impacts the local community.
- Local Events: Tie your story to local events or initiatives.
2. Budget Allocation
- Marketing Budget: Allocate a budget for marketing efforts to achieve long-term results.
- Professional Production: Invest in professional media production to enhance your visibility.
Becoming a Repeat Source
Joe and Neil also discuss the importance of becoming a repeat source for media outlets. Here’s how to achieve that:
1. Credibility
- Reliable Information: Always provide accurate and reliable information.
- Expertise: Position yourself as an expert in your field.
2. Persistence
- Consistent Outreach: Maintain regular contact with journalists and producers.
- Balanced Approach: Be persistent but avoid being overly aggressive.
3. Storytelling and Authenticity
- Engaging Stories: Continuously share engaging and authentic stories.
- Audience Connection: Focus on building a strong connection with your audience.
Conclusion
The insights shared by Joe and Neil in this episode provide a comprehensive guide to mastering media strategies, branding, and storytelling. By understanding what makes a story newsworthy, crafting authentic narratives, engaging effectively with the media, leveraging social media, and securing local media coverage, businesses can significantly enhance their visibility and engagement.
Jimmy’s closing remarks encapsulate the essence of the discussion: stay active, stay focused, and stay strong. By implementing these strategies, businesses can navigate the media landscape with confidence and achieve long-term success.
For more valuable insights and strategies, be sure to check out Joe and Neil’s work and stay tuned for future episodes. Join the “strategy line professionals” club and empower your business with the knowledge and tools to thrive in the media landscape.
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The Multi-Tiered Approach to Gaining Exposure and Credibility. Become a Repeat Source for the Media
Hosted by Moving Forward Small Business
Summary
The conversation focuses on strategies for impact in branding and storytelling, specifically in the context of small businesses. The guests, Neil A. Carousso and Joe Connolly, share their expertise as journalists and news reporters, offering insights on what makes a business or entrepreneur story newsworthy and how to approach narrating a brand story. They emphasize the importance of being genuine, personable, and succinct in communication, as well as the value of building relationships with journalists and leveraging earned media opportunities. The conversation also touches on the multi-tiered approach to gaining exposure and the need for preparation and practice when engaging with the media. In this conversation, Jimmy Newson interviews Neil A. Carousso and Joe Connolly about the importance of professional media production and how to leverage earned media for business growth. They discuss the value of clear messaging, the role of professional media in getting attention and targeting different audiences, and the impact of media coverage on businesses. They also provide insights on becoming a repeat source for media outlets, leveraging social media to amplify media coverage, and the importance of storytelling and behind-the-scenes content. The conversation concludes with tips for local businesses and the importance of budgeting for marketing.
Takeaways
- To make a business or entrepreneur story newsworthy, it is important to genuinely care about what you’re doing and communicate that passion to journalists.
- When pitching a story to the media, it is best to call and speak directly to reporters, as they appreciate hearing from the business owner themselves.
- Being succinct and focused in your pitch is crucial, as journalists are often pressed for time and need to quickly understand the value of the story.
- To resonate with a wide audience and skeptics, it is important to be genuine, authentic, and personable when narrating your brand story.
- Building relationships with journalists and being prepared for media opportunities, such as interviews, can help small businesses gain visibility and credibility.
- A multi-tiered approach to gaining exposure, including press releases, media appearances, and social media promotion, is necessary for effective brand storytelling.
- Practice and repetition are key to becoming comfortable and confident when engaging with the media and telling your business story. Clear messaging is crucial for capturing attention and engaging audiences.
- Professional media production can help businesses get the best product shots, media attention, and target different audiences.
- Being a repeat source for media outlets requires establishing credibility, being knowledgeable, and providing valuable information.
- Leveraging social media can amplify media coverage and reach a wider audience.
- Storytelling and behind-the-scenes content can be effective in showcasing a business and engaging customers.
- Local businesses can reach out to local media outlets and reporters to get coverage and build credibility.
- Budgeting for marketing is important for small businesses to ensure consistent growth and success.
Elevate your business and media strategy with actionable insights from our recent webinar replay, Maximize Your Media Presence. Unlock the power of impactful storytelling and strategic branding to significantly enhance your media visibility. Plus, explore the unparalleled benefits of our Strategy Alignment & Execution Membership for a hands-on approach to real-time strategy implementation, ensuring no business is left behind. Discover how our memberships not only provide you with exclusive access to a supportive community and significant discounts on our premium online courses, bootcamps, accelerators, and clinics but also offer bespoke press release services tailored to propel your brand forward. Don’t miss this opportunity to amplify your business growth and media influence. Visit Moving Forward Small Business now for more details and to become part of a movement geared towards your success.
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Kevin O’Leary: AI bossware can ID protesters and bar them from jobs
Produced by Neil A. Carousso, NewsNation
- Kevin O’Leary says his firms go ‘dark and deep’ on job applicants
- Anyone ID’d at protests isn’t considered any further
- Think about your future and your personal brand, he advises
(NewsNation) — In an interview on NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” Thursday, “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary said he’s using AI-powered bossware with the ability to weed out potential employees who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
“It’s happening right now as we speak. I’m just one firm doing this,” said O’Leary, who in addition to his experience in business also once campaigned to head Canada’s Conservative Party.
O’Leary said U.S. employers currently use technology, including high-resolution video scans, for these types of hiring needs. He pointed out that the technology used to identify people in crowds, like college protests, is getting better, which may mean those protesters’ future job prospects could get worse.
“When we dig deep into the dark web for your background, I’ll see you,” O’Leary said.
He told Vargas that it was easy for Vietnam War protesters to be anonymous in the age of grainy 16 mm news film. Now, in the world of HD video and identity technology, a job applicant whose image pops up in a protest video would be done.
“We don’t even consider that person. Why would we when we have lots of other people that aren’t burning stuff?”
O’Leary said if your passion for a cause is more important than your future career, “Go for it.”
“I’m not saying you shouldn’t do that. I think you should think about your future. Think about your career. Think about your personal brand,” he said.
And, he said, think about all the opportunities you’ll never know that you missed.
“You’ll never know what you didn’t get that loan, or that mortgage, or that job, or get that board seat.”
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Neil A. Carousso Joins Growing NewsNation Network
New year, new digs for Carousso Enterprises founder Neil A. Carousso.
After leaving WCBS 880 at the end of 2023, Carousso has joined NewsNation – America’s fastest growing cable news network – where he is producing “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” anchored by the former ABC “20/20” anchor.
“It’s a perfect fit for me to produce and enterprise meaningful and impactful stories in the U.S. and around the world that go beyond the political infighting in Washington,” Carousso posted on X.
“Elizabeth Vargas Reports” on NewsNation is slated to move from 6 PM ET to 5 PM ET, beginning January 22. “I’m happy to be working with [Elizabeth Vargas] and the entire team, which has been so welcoming, positive and energetic. Special thanks to Lee Harris, NewsNation’s director of integrated operations, and executive producer Adam Thomas for their belief and confidence in my work to hit the ground running in 2024.”
“Vargas Reports” bills itself as an unbiased evening news show. It broadcasts live from NewsNation’s New York City newsroom.
NewsNation announced Thursday a new primetime lineup that moves “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” from 6 PM ET to 5 PM ET, beginning Monday, January 22.
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Neil A. Carousso Departing WCBS 880
Carousso Enterprises founder Neil A. Carousso is leaving WCBS-AM New York at the end of the year to pursue a new opportunity that will be announced at the start of 2024. Barrett News Media covered Carousso’s career announcement here.
After six years, Neil A. Carousso is departing WCBS 880 in New York.
Carousso has worked the news and business beat since joining the station and reflected upon his time at the all-news station in a thread on X.
“It was never lost on me over the last six years that I have produced for many of the anchors and reporters whom I grew up listening to in the backseat of my parents’ cars,” Neil A. Carousso wrote, noting he relied upon the station during Superstorm Sandy. “It was the honor of a lifetime and I’ve made lifelong friends.”
He shared his admiration for former leader Tim Scheld and added that while he enjoyed his time working at the station, it is time to move on to bigger and better things.
“Working at (WCBS 880) never felt like a job for me. As my late mentor and friend and legendary WCBS 880 sports director and anchor Ed Ingles said, ‘If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.’ I never ‘worked’ a day in six years,” said Carousso. “As they say in the biz, ‘stay tuned.’
