Six Months of Public Relations Lessons
Looking back on the past six months, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ve learned more about public relations during the time than any other period in my professional life. Here are ten things I’ve learned about public relations in the last half of the year.
1. If You Let Them, Journali… Read more
Little White Lies Can Lead to Big Problems in Public Relations
In the world of journalism, every so often a reader will send in a tip that is worth a reporter’s time. Usually the reader has uncovered something about a company or individual that isn’t quite right. And that discovery can turn into a public relations nightmare for the company or individual i… Read more
Turning Down a Press Opportunity Isn’t PR Suicide
Many public relations professionals may find it hard to believe, but it’s okay to turn down a press opportunity. And I’m not talking about opportunities where you may get sandbagged by a reporter. I’m talking about a press opportunity that looks good, at least on the surface.
Case in p… Read more
PR Boost via Charitable Donations, Corporate Sponsorships
A law firm underwrites a local business college’s Family Business Awards Luncheon. A maker of “12-Horse Ale” sponsors a “Horses on Parade” promotion benefiting local charities. An accounting firm invites key clients to participate in a Pro-Am golf tournament it is c… Read more
Public Relations Basics: Dealing with Difficult Clients
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 … Read more
Public Relations Basics: 14 Tips for Your Next Media Interview
1. Know what you want to say. It seems obvious, but first timers and public relations pros alike should never sit down for a media interview without planning out their key messages ahead of time. Writing your key messages down will allow you to refine and memorize them before your interviewer asks the first … Read more
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 newsp… Read more
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 … Read more
PR 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 go… Read more
Query Letters: Bringing PR and Journalism Together
An in-depth feature article can be a priceless source of publicity for any organization or industry. But such an article rarely results from the standard one- to two-page press release drafted by most public relations firms. And who has the time to write an in-depth article when there’s only a smal… Read more