The Public Relations Blog

You’ve seen the shift: Traditional media no longer holds the trust it once did.
Your audience is turning to new sources for information, so your public relations strategy needs to evolve with them. Relying solely on mainstream media isn’t enough anymore. To build genuine connections, you need to explore alternative channels like niche publications, targeted newsletters, and platforms your audience already trusts. Adapting to these changes puts you ahead of the curve and closer to the people you want to reach.

TED Talks and TEDx Talks are popular platforms for sharing ideas, but they are not the same thing. Many people confuse them or use the terms interchangeably without knowing the differences. Understanding what sets them apart can help you choose the right platform for your needs.

1. Audiences Turning to Other Content During Height of Writers’ Strike
2. Snapchat is Less Like Social Media and More like a Phone
3. 60-Second Close: Public Relations is Driven By Personal Connections and Trust

Recently, I attended a PRSA chapter’s Media Roundtable event where 12 journalists from different outlets and backgrounds gathered to give insight and best practices to public relations professionals. While all journalists have their own preferred way for you to pitch them – and it depends if their outlet is print, online, or broadcast TV – there are some similarities that PR pros should know.

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.

There aren’t many people who read the newspaper at breakfast anymore. Most of us get the news from our phones through social media. However, traditional media – like newspapers and major news outlets – still hold value in our fast-paced, 24-hour news cycle. Social media curates content from many sources, including traditional media outlets. Its platforms are a dynamic medium that your company should use to share news as well as engage with current and future customers.

4 steps to help you choose the best media-monitoring platform

Capturing media clips to share with clients is one way a public relations firm shows its success. What many PR firms struggle with is capturing all the media mentions for its clients. No media-monitoring service can capture every media clip or media mention. Some platforms can’t access certain sites, while Google Alerts may capture a clip before the provider. When choosing a media-monitoring platform, it’s important to use the provider that best fits your clients’ needs. Some popular platforms include Agility, Cision, BurrellesLuce, Meltwater and TrendKite.

Finding a media-monitoring platform isn’t easy as each platform offers something different. Here are four things you can do to ensure you choose the right platform for your company.

6 tips to help you obtain news coverage for your company

Public relations professionals should understand their clients aren't looking to put a news release in a frame on their wall. They want a cover story or great feature story to frame. So how do you make it happen? There’s no sure-fire way to earn that coveted feature story placement. However, there are some things you can do to help make the dream a reality.

4 tips a spokesperson can use to prepare for an interview

In the midst of an interview, sometimes it’s tempting to exaggerate to make your company look good. Perhaps you’re unprepared to answer the question, so you respond enthusiastically with a “fish tale.” Or, perhaps you’re attempting to “fake it before you make it.”

No matter the reason, you should never exaggerate or tell even the smallest lie. You’ll lose credibility and put your company’s future in danger. We’ve had one such client whose CEO embellished during an interview, and it didn’t turn out well. Learn from that company’s mistake so you can prevent it from happening to your company.

3 tips for spotting an altered photograph

Images can create very strong reactions and, in some cases, a significant viral stir. In the world of marketing, images are everything. They’re created, posed, colored and sized with the intent of stimulating emotion and a call to action. The new bane for journalists and readers alike is the spread of false images. How can you discern true images from the doctored ones?