The Public Relations Blog

Axia reviews the Upitch app

Building a strong relationship with journalists is a key component of public relations. It ensures you aren’t pitching a story to the wrong person and creates a connection you can leverage for future stories. However, as technology evolves, newsroom staffers continue to get cut and journalists get more and more jaded. This means that making a journalist’s life easier is another key component of PR.

What to do if a reporter is contacting your company for a statement and you’re not prepared.

A reporter is calling and emailing asking questions about a recent change in your company. And, you aren’t ready to go public with the information. Perhaps it’s too early to make a statement. What do you do when you aren’t ready to talk to the media? Timing matters when making statements to the news. It is important to consider the immense benefits of good PR and how valuable it can be for your company.

8 tips for a successful pitch

Whether you’re already operating a successful business, you’re a startup or you simply have a fantastic idea and could use some financial backing, the Shark Tank reality show is for you.

Shark Tank, the critically acclaimed business-themed reality show on ABC, has become one of the top reality shows in America. The Sharks – self-made multi-millionaires and billionaires – search to invest in the best businesses and products that America has to offer.

It seems like every top brand has built an internal public relations staff and retained a PR firm – and before you decide whether you’d benefit from doing the same, it’s important to answer a simple question: What does public relations do for a business?

In general terms, it’s easy to say that a PR team helps manage your messaging and improve the perception of your company and brand. But what does this mean for the way you do business, how you sell and your bottom line?

Learn more about this media relations tool to make the choice that is right for your company

Your company or PR department has been offered what seems like an amazing deal. A newspaper has agreed to publish your story or news…for a fee. What they are offering is called an advertorial. Is this illegal? No, but it may be unethical.

Advertorials are becoming more popular. Companies see them as a way to guarantee placement in a newspaper of their choice. However, purchasing exposure instead of earning it is called advertising, plain and simple. Once you understand more about this tactic and how it compares to true PR work, you can decide what is best for your company and image.

A professional headshot is an important asset

Often, clients are surprised when we ask for their headshot photographs to accompany media pitches or news stories. Some have never had headshots and don’t know what we’re looking for from them. Many times, they send us personal photos with their families or images that are low quality.

Having a professional headshot is a must for anyone in a successful business. If you haven’t had a headshot since the ‘90s Glamour Shots, now is the time to update that photo.

Since 1989, USA Today has tallied the top-ranked Super Bowl commercials through its Ad Meter ranking system.

This approach combines results from a privately selected panel and feedback obtained through social media to determine commercial rank.

As we gear up for Super Bowl Sunday, here’s a brief look at the top three Super Bowl ads and what made them so memorable.

Axia PR offers tips on media-friendly writing

Your business has made some incredible headway and is on the cusp of launching the next big thing. But how do you share this information with the world?

A basic tool of the public relations trade is the news (or press) release. A well-crafted news release contains all the pertinent details you wish to share, along with factual support, delectable sound bites from valuable resources and company positioning. But too often, companies believe that anyone can write a news release and the news media will go nuts over it.

Media relations are important to your company’s earned media coverage

I recently attended a “Meet the Media” event with a professional PR association. While there, I noticed some common mistakes PR people tend to make that turn off media personnel. Most of the frowned-upon behaviors seemed obvious, but when you’re determined to pitch a story, it’s easy to make the same mistakes.

Knowing more about how PR agencies work can help to improve your relationship with them

The PR profession works hard to disassociate itself from words like scheming, deceitful and dishonest. Still, you should know there are some things that PR firms lie about.

Of course, most PR firms don’t intentionally set out to lie, but even the ethical ones sometimes get caught up in the excitement of getting and keeping clients and communications issues can result. However, once you understand the nature of these lies, you can make more informed decisions when it is time to hire your next PR firm (or fire your current one).