The Public Relations Blog

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.

Submit better award entries by drafting better PR plans

For some, entering a public relations program for a recognition like the Silver Anvil, Image Award, or Radiance Award can be daunting. In my PR career, I’ve written multiple award entries and, while the first one seemed overwhelming, I was hooked from the start and hungry for more.

How to keep your company from making reputation-ruining mistakes

Social media is the most accessible tool customers have to learn about your company and become familiar with your brand. It’s also incredibly impactful in helping – or hurting – your company’s reputation.

Every company needs PR to build trust, increase sales, and more

What is public relations?

The world revolves around relationships. Every company has relationships with its customers, shareholders, and employees as well as the public. Without these relationships, business would cease to exist. So, what does public relations have to do with relationships?

3 ways your company can rise above the fray and maintain a positive image

According to the Knight Foundation, public trust in the media is at an all-time low. In a recent survey conducted with Gallup, the group dedicated to supporting quality journalism and engaging communities found some shocking facts. One surprising finding was that participants ranked newspaper and television news lowest, next to Congress, among major institutions they trust.

3 tips to improve your pitches

For more than 25 years, I worked as a journalist. During that time, I would pitch story ideas, while simultaneously learning the preferences of my editors. One time, an editor declined my offer to write about an emerging artist. "What will your second paragraph say?" he asked. He explained that he wanted human interest. So, I gave him plenty. I repitched the story, providing details about an 88-year-old dying artist, who was bedridden and painting with an easel sprawled out on his stomach. This time, my editor approved the story.

Urban Meyer’s denial made a crisis situation more complicated

In any line of communication, the audience must trust you. Your message needs to be clear and straightforward. This prevents any confusion or feelings of distrust that may arise if your audience doesn’t believe your message.

These steps could have helped Ohio State in its initial stages of crisis communications

It’s been two months since the controversy regarding Ohio State University’s coaching staff became public, and yet, it’s still the main storyline of the Buckeyes’ season. There are crisis communication steps Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer could have initially taken to prevent the escalation of the situation.