The Public Relations Blog

A newsworthy story doesn’t require a favor

A public relations insider knows that relationships matter when connecting with reporters. You must build and maintain relationships with journalists in order to receive quality media coverage. And you can’t call it a relationship when you’re simply asking a favor. A relationship benefits you and the media outlet, while a favor is requesting a reporter or contact give your company preferential treatment through media coverage.

5 elements your website needs for the best coverage from media outlets

Whether you're new to public relations or you’ve been sending news releases for years, it's a good idea to make sure your website is press-ready. Essentially, you want to make your company’s website easy for reporters to give you good coverage.

Networking is a critical component of PR

In the public relations industry, networking is one of the most important things you can do. However, it’s easier said than done. How do you network? Why should you network? And most importantly, how do you maintain connections?

How do you feel about the teller who usually waits on you at your local bank? What about the characters on your favorite television show? Chances are, you feel that they’re trustworthy people you’d like to be friends with – even if you don’t know their real names. This sensation actually has a name; it’s called the mere-exposure effect. Learn more about it and how it can help your company.

How to reach out to journalists

If you remember the world before social media, then you know that back then, to stay connected meant to be in touch personally. Being connected meant sharing experiences and activities together.

4 ways to measure the success of your public relations messages

Public relations professionals craft messages for audiences, which we call outputs. Outputs are what a company releases and communicates to its target audiences. News releases, social media posts, email blasts, blog posts, and events are among the many ways PR professionals create outputs that appeal to target audiences.

And you won’t survive next year without it

Social influencers. They’re spreading like wildfire on social media and you should join the movement now. So, what is a social influencer? SproutSocial defines social influencers as “power users who can help your potential customers make a buying decision through social networking.” While influencers used to be only celebrities, like athletes, actors, or artists, social media has completely changed the influencer game. Now, average, everyday people are gaining consumers’ trust and loyalty.

When I started competing in pageants at the age of 16, I had no idea the skills I would learn and the professional development I would experience. I was initially drawn to competing because I thought it would be a great opportunity, and I’d get to dress up and have my hair and makeup done. Then, I figured I’d take the crown home, having completed my duties. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

How one of our clients learned the hard way about search engine optimization

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the process of generating visitors or traffic to a website from free or organic search results on search engines. When someone types a word or a phrase into a search engine, such as Google, that search engine delivers relevant content from its engine, which crawls the web for content that is relative to the keywords you just typed. According to HubSpot, 75 percent of people never scroll past the first page of search engine results, making it imperative for your company’s website to appear high on the first page of a search engine’s page results (SEPR).

How do we ensure that communication pros abide by their codes of ethics?

Both the journalism and public relations industries have always struggled with negative reputations. People have been calling PR practitioners “spin doctors” for decades, and, as the era of fake news fell upon us, it changed the face of journalism. Despite unfortunate widespread beliefs, both PR pros and journalists follow strict codes of ethics in their work.