Whether you’re responding to a company crisis, commenting on a breaking story related to your industry, or remarking about a big merger your company was just involved in, giving a statement to the media is often easier, quicker, and more helpful than writing a traditional press release. Releasing a statement to the media is what you do when people already know the story, so you don’t need to write a press release; instead, you just need to give a comment. Read More
Whether you’re a seasoned veteran who has written hundreds of press releases for your business or you’ve just finished sending out your first ever release, another press-related document exists that you might want to know about. It’s called the media advisory and depending on what you’re trying to accomplish, you might find it even more useful than the traditional press release. With that in mind, let’s discuss exactly what it is and how it could prove useful to your marketing endeavors. Read More
The editor’s note in a press release is where you provide additional context, clarification, or supplementary information to help journalists fully understand the context of a press release. It should contain information about the organization(s) involved in the press release, sources cited, and contact information for the media representative. Unlike the main content of the press release, the “Editor’s Note” isn’t intended for direct quotation or publication, but rather to help the journalist understand or interpret the information presented. Read More
If you’ve followed this blog for a little while, you know that press release writing is one of the major topics I cover here. It’s a very important topic to me, and I truly believe that becoming a better press release writer can do wonders for your PR efforts. Read More
If you’re a baseball fan, you’ve probably heard a little about the recent suspension of San Francisco Giants outfield Melky Cabrera. For those of you who haven’t been keeping up with the story, let me catch you up to speed. The star player was recently suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for a positive testosterone test. Of course, this is baseball, so these things aren’t all that surprising anymore. Read More
I’ve always been a firm advocate for getting your point across in as few words as possible. Today’s readers are more pressed for time than ever before, and as it relates to PR, reporters are bombarded by pitches all day long, so the faster you can get to the point, the better. Read More
There’s really no way around it — most PR internships are tough. You might find yourself spending more time than you’d like changing the ink cartridges in the printers than doing actual high-level PR projects, but with a positive attitude and a good work ethic, you really can get quite a lot out of your PR internship. Sure, some opportunities are better than others, but there really is something you can learn from every experience. Read More
As the face of your company, you may find yourself having to give speeches from time to time. Maybe you’re giving a speech at an industry conference, or perhaps you’re just trying to rally the troops at the annual company party. No matter what the venue, there simple fact is that you want your speech to get your message across in a clear, memorable, and exciting way. Read More
If you aren’t keeping track of what’s being said about you in the social media space, you’re asking for trouble. These days, everyone is on Facebook or Twitter, or they have a blog, or they participate in some sort of online community. And they’re constantly posting their opinions and talking about their experiences dealing with companies (e.g. “The waiter at my restaurant was such a jerk!”). There’s a good chance that people are out there talking about your company, and it’s vital that you have your fingers on the pulse of what’s being said. Read More
As you continue to grow your business, you’re going to find that all the different hats you’re wearing are weighing you down to the point that something has to give. That means you’re going to have to find people to whom you can delegate responsibilities. In most cases, you will need someone to take over the PR responsibilities so you can get the most out of your campaigns. And while that sounds like a great idea, when you get to this point then you’re going to be faced with a big decision—do you go out and hire a PR agency? Or should you begin building a team in-house? Read More