If you want to maximize a public relations client’s chances for good publicity, you may have to ask them them curb their sales pitch. A client’s desire to push a product or service in a press campaign is often the most effective way to get press releases ignored by journalists. Public relations consultants can ruin relationships with editors and producers, and your client’s credibility may become suspect. (Read more…)

Good communicators don’t just wing it. They take the time to prepare, developing key messages. Effective communication depends on clarity, and clarity requires developing key messages and using them consistently. The discipline is deceptively simple, but once mastered, key messages will make every communication process more effective, whether during speeches, presentations, or media interviews. (Read more…)

“Off the record” is gray area for journalists and public relations professionals alike. As a reporter, if someone tells me they’re going to talk to me “off the record,” I normally take that to mean they’re willing to give me information, but don’t want that informaiton attributed to them. (I usually ask if I can use the information. If I’m told no, I will reply, “Than why did you tell me in the first place?”) How can folks in the public relations industry know what they’re getting into when they decide to “go off the record” in a media interview? (Read more…)

By now most organizations — non-profit or for-profit, large or small — have added a web presence to their public relations efforts. It’s not enough, however, just to have a web site. Leaving it dangling out there in cyberspace like a forlorn little planet in a faraway galaxy is a mistake that’s far too common, even among those in the public relations game. Your web site can’t work for you unless you first work for it. The following tips will help you promote your web site easily and effectively. (Read more…)

If you perform public relations functions for the entertainment industry, retail industry, or the arts, you may not realize that you have a city full of goodwill ambassadors that are ready to spread the word for you. Hotel concierges at business-class and upscale establishments stand ready to serve guests at a moment’s notice. And to do this effectively, they work hard at establishing an extensive network of informational resources, including public relations firms. With a minimal amount of effort, you can become part of that network. (Read more…)

When you have a public relations message you need to get out to the media in a quick, efficient way, a press conference might seem like a good idea. Rather than setting up interviews with individual reporters, sending out press releases, and contacting editors and producers, you can speak to a roomful of journalists at once. But a press conference, like any media interview, can be tricky. The following tips should make your first — or fiftieth — press conference that much easier. (Read more…)

Over the years, I’ve made friends with many people who work in the public relations industry. We’ll often talk on the phone about the PR business, exchanging stories and ideas. Recently I’ve had conversations with a number of these public relations pals, and all of them had a singular complaint: My clients are stupid. (Read more…)

Public relations is a difficult field. Your job is essentially to get journalists to do half of your work. There is an enormous amount of pressure on a public relations consultant, especially when things aren’t going well for your client or employer. Diana Turowski is a public relations professional from Chicago and has worked with the Chicago Association of Realtors. She recently sent me a great email, a list of things she refuses to do when asked by a superior or client. Her list (with my commentary) serves as an excellent checklist for public relations professionals on what not to do during your next PR campaign. (Read more…)

Your competitor announces a new service that you’ve offered for years. One of your top executives is compromised. Your firm is sued for patent infringement. These are just a few of the many nightmares that could plunge an organization into a public relations crisis. But what’s an appropriate response to a public relations blow-up? And how can you reduce the damage done to your company or client? Through careful crisis management. (Read more…)

Writing a press release can be a delicate matter. The public relations department, who must pitch the release, wants to have a say in its content. The subjects quoted in the release, often high-level executives, want to make sure they sound professional and intelligent. Business partners mentioned in a press release want to ensure that their image remains intact. Writing a press release can take days and dozens of drafts, so the question must be asked: Who should write your press releases? (Read more…)