Alan Helquist is an entrepreneur and marketing professional with extensive experience in copywriting and public speaking. He graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and passionately writes and speaks on anything from sports to public relations. Alan has been a member of the Axia team since June 2017.
Someone has invited you to join the Forbes Council and you’re very flattered. Your immediate thought is that you should promote this honor and leverage your achievement to the hilt. However, let’s take a deeper look. Is it really an honor? Or, is it just another paid membership?
Topics: public relations, PR tips
October 30. To most it’s just another day of the year. However, in the public relations and journalism worlds, it’s a day to celebrate. October 30 is National Publicist Day.
(See also: What’s the difference between publicity and public relations? Hint: PR strategists hate when we call them publicists.)
On this day in 1906, well-known public relations pioneer and productivity consultant Ivy Lee wrote the first documented press release.
Topics: media relations, public relations, press release
This is one post about company productivity. Read about the value of a daily huddle for more.
In today’s multitasking society, it’s often difficult to stay focused. Distractions abound, and many of us think that the more we do at one time, the better. This may not be the case. There’s a method that works for our company, and we think it will work for yours too. The Ivy Lee Method is simple and achieves maximum productivity. Since we first learned about it from keynote speaker Verne C. Harnish, we use the method daily and recommend it to our clients and their leadership teams.
Topics: public relations
3 tips for following up and staying on the radar
Your company has a great story, and you want to share it. You take the proper steps to deliver it to journalists, and then you wait patiently for them to publish it. And … nothing happens. What do you do when journalists aren’t publishing your story?
Topics: media relations, public relations
3 ways to market your company’s speaker
Speaking engagements are a terrific way to increase your company’s visibility and enhance your reputation. Perhaps your company’s speaker is captivating and delivers presentations that are engaging and informative. When your speaker can get in front of an audience, you know the results will be positive for your company. However, your speaking engagements are few and far between, leaving you wondering: What is the best way to promote my company’s speaker?
Topics: public relations, spokesperson training
3 reasons why a public relations firm is your best choice
If you’re only focusing internally on social media posts and not studying outside trends in your industry, you’re missing out. Media monitoring is essential to your company’s positive image, and your news releases should be timely and applicable. If you’re considering an outside company for your media monitoring needs, think carefully before you make your choice.
There are many media intelligence companies that provide media monitoring and social media monitoring to help companies grow and build their brands. These companies use media intelligence to inform strategy, connect with your audience and measure success. These are all necessary tools, however, many of these companies are limited when it comes to helping your company succeed. A public relations firm is all-encompassing and puts your entire company’s needs at the forefront.
Topics: media relations, public relations
You have a news release ready to go for your company, and you assume that getting it in the hands of journalists first thing on Monday morning will beat everyone to the punch. However, you should consider which day is best for your news release because there are some days that provide more benefit for your company than others.
Topics: media relations, public relations, press release
A thriving social media presence is essential for a successful company. Instagram is a terrific platform for engaging your target audience. However, it’s not enough to post every now and then on your company Instagram page. Your presence must be consistent and continual. If you’re not posting regularly, your potential and current clients may lose interest, and that’s not good for your company. Here are three ways to build a successful company Instagram campaign:
Topics: public relations, shared media
3 ways to get reporters to cover your company’s news
What’s your company doing to get media coverage?
If the answer is to focus specifically on your company, it’s time to rethink your strategy. It’s not about you; it’s about the journalist.
More importantly, it’s about making the journalist happy.
So, what can your PR department or agency do to get media coverage? It’s simple: Help the journalists do their job, and you’ll get the coverage your company is seeking.
The job of a journalist has never been tougher. With increasing deadline demands and businesses focusing more on information about their own companies, the job of a reporter can be taxing. Journalists need newsworthy ideas, and your job is to make it as easy as possible to get them.
Here are three ways you can get journalists to give you great media coverage for your company:
Topics: public relations, news release
In an ever-changing marketing world, choosing your strategy, planning for success and implementing it could be the difference between positive and negative revenue results. If you’ve tried traditional marketing methods, such as cold calls and cold emails, with little or no success, it may be time to learn about inbound marketing and inbound public relations.
Topics: public relations, inbound marketing
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