5 Reasons You Should Always Follow Up On Your Pitches

Some media members have PR people believing they live by the motto: “Don’t call us, we’ll call you.” That’s why you might think that when you don’t get a response on that press release you sent out it must mean that no one is interested. Maybe that is the case, but maybe it’s not. The only way to know for sure is to … Read more

Pick Up the Phone to Make Your Pitch

Press releases. We write them in an attempt to capture the interest of overworked journalists. If we do a good enough job (and with a little luck), they’ll pick up the story and run with it.

But is a written press release the only way to go about it? Is there anything we can do to supplement our PR efforts? You bet… Read more

5 Reasons You’re Unsuccessful with HARO

I’m not even going to waste my time (or your time) explaining what HARO is. By now, I’m assuming everyone on here is subscribed to it and is responding to media queries on a regular basis. Hopefully, you’ve earned some quality coverage by doing this. If not, I’ll tell you why you’ve been unsuccessful to date.… Read more

8 Types of Annoying PR People

I’m a PR guy, and I know a number of other PR guys and gals who I respect more than I can even put into words. But let’s face it. Our industry is plagued with some pretty annoying people. These are the types of PR guys who waste journalists’ time, overcharge their clueless clients, and use ridiculous PR speak, li… Read more

7 Simple Tips for Responding to HARO Queries

We previously covered the Top 10 Tips for PR Success Using HARO. By now, I’m going to assume that most of you have heard of and signed up for HARO. Just in case there are a few of you who don’t know what it is, HARO is an email list you sign up for to receive queries each day from reporters who need sources for their st… Read more

How PR Professionals Get Stories Placed in Magazines

The Importance of Magazines to Successful PR

Many people feel that magazines are on the decline.

The reality is quite the opposite:

Here are a few facts to help illustrate the importance of magazines in today’s world – an important element to consider if you want to get the message out about your prod… Read more

5 Ways to Determine Whether Your Story is Newsworthy

Man Reading NewspaperYou slaved for hours crafting the most informative, beautifully written, and concise press release to ever cross an editor’s desk.

But you wait, and wait, and still receive no calls from journalists or bloggers. You follow up with the newsroom and editors give you the brush off.

You followed all th… Read more

Demystifying the SEO Press Release From the Traditional Press Release

Head ScratchingWhen those outside the realm of public relations hear the term Search Engine Optimized (SEO) press release, more than head scratching ensues. Clients have often been heard murmuring, “What would I do with a SEO press release and who would I submit it to?” It’s time to demystify how the … Read more

How to Keep Your Public Relations Strategy “On Message”

media relations strategyA politician gets asked about abortion and the answer somehow comes back to education. They’re asked about tax reform and the answer relates to education. Foreign policy is inexplicably linked to, you guessed it, education. What’s going on here? The politicians are using messaging point… Read more

How to Stand Out in a Crowded Public Relations Industry

High energy prices, troubled industries, flatlining online advertising growth, and geopolitical concerns are just some of the headwinds the U.S. economy faces these days. One would think that these issues would also impact spending on public relations, but that does not appear to be the case. Good new… Read more