1. December 15, 2008

    Public Relations and Blogs: Controlling the Message

    An era when data can be sent and received outside of traditional media outlets–via blogs, email, instant messaging, text messaging, camera phones, etc.–has created an atmosphere where truth is the prize. Those in the public relations industry must delicately balance the public’s right to know and a client’s right to direct its own message. And yes, there are ways to walk this internet-era tightrope successfully. (Read more…)

  2. Crisis Management Can Help Avoid Public Relations Nightmares

    When the phone rang at midnight, I knew something was wrong. The caller was a spokesperson for a large, public technology company based in Silicon Valley: “We’re filing for bankruptcy in the morning. I wanted to let you know. We’re announcing it at 7:00 AM EST. Get the word out.” I quickly wrote up a story for my web site and tipped off Reuters and the Associated Press that the announcement was coming. By the time the company announced its bankruptcy, the news was already on the wire, and something bigger was going down in the sector. A public relations nightmare had been averted, but how? (Read more…)

  3. December 12, 2008

    Public Relations Basics: Follow the Instructions

    Nothing irritates a journalist more than a public relations rep who can’t follow the instructions. The public relations/journalism relationship is a strange one. The reporter usually has the upper hand because they, along with their editor, have the ultimate say in whether an article gets written. Sometimes the public relations consultant has the upper hand when they offer up an embargo on a good story. But it’s usually the writer who is in charge of the relationship and that means the writer gets to stipulate certain things. As you’ll see, a public relations rep who ignores a journalist’s stated policies, whether intentionally or not, can wind up blacklisted or worse. (Read more…)

  4. Using Plain Language in Public Relations

    Using plain language to communicate with journalists is not considered bland but effective. Whether your public relations campaign targets community or business publications, it is unlikely that reporters reviewing your press kit will be familiar with specific industry jargon. Providing them with information in plain language is the surest way to get your point across, significantly improving your chances for media coverage. (Read more…)

  5. December 11, 2008

    Story Proposals: Customizing A Press Release For Reporters

    Who says a press release is the only way to court the media? Story proposals can sometimes be more effective when approaching your personal “A list” of journalists, presenting customized pitches that match their sensibilities and the news beat they cover. (Read more…)

  6. Building PR Goodwill Through Community Equity

    Facing a potentially damaging newspaper investigation, a Fortune 500 company fully expected to be forced to relocate one of its primary facilities. The story turned out to be just as bad as everybody had feared. But the outcome did not. The community rallied in support of the company, vilifying the newspaper in letters to the editor, public meetings, and canceled subscriptions. The facility is still in its original location today. So how did this company survive a public relations crisis that threatened to turn into something far more serious? (Read more…)

  7. December 10, 2008

    Preparing a Press Release? Think Global, Look Local

    While today’s small businesses and small public relations firms have a number of economical means to reach national and international media–e-mail, on-line press kits, and press release delivery services, such as eReleases–the pitch will still need to be as good as the product to achieve results. Assuming merit exists for media coverage halfway across the world, crafting a press release around a hometown perspective can detract from a its news value. Even for editors in surrounding towns and cities, success stories about your immediate business community will be of little interest. (Read more…)

  8. Public Relations Basics: Taking the Mystery Out of Community Relations

    Of all the subsets of public relations, community relations is perhaps the most perplexing. That’s because the term encompasses so many different types of activities. When budgeting for public relations, how should you decide where to focus your community relations dollars and energies? By going back to the basic steps of planning any public relations effort. (Read more…)

  9. December 9, 2008

    ‘Tis the Season for Internal Public Relations

    The economic news is ugly and workers are being laid off at record rates. The mood at holiday parties, if they haven’t been canceled yet, is grim. Now more than ever, public relations professionals must develop an internal public relations strategy, in concert with management, designed to raise the morale of employees. (Read more…)

  10. Community Listings: The Free Public Relations Tool You May Not Be Using

    Next to editorial coverage, community listings are the best way for public relations departments to build awareness of an upcoming event through the media–generally at no cost. Maximizing listings coverage can help increase public turnout, and create the numbers to boast about in future public relations materials. If four key community listings each draw just 10 people to a 200 seat speaking engagement, that’s 40 attendees–20 percent of the audience–found without spending one advertising dollar. (Read more…)

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    Our Clients Say It Best

    "Hi Heather, I just wanted to pass on a story of success I had with my last press release...

    After doing a press release on 12/15 for our Dad Does site, it was picked up by MyFox Houston and aired on their morning show - as Houston is the 4th largest city, we were very happy with this exposure!"

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