The Public Relations Blog

Know the different types of style guides news media outlets use

Your company just accomplished a major milestone, donated to charity, or expanded its footprint. Congratulations! Now you want to send a news/press release to get the news media’s attention you’ve earned. Before you do that, you’ll first want to make sure your news release is written in the media outlet’s preferred style. Otherwise, the newsroom may not use it.

And what is copy editing style, and how do you find out what the media outlets use?

Axia’s 60-Second Impact

60 Seconds of Information Impacting You and Your Fast-Forward Economy

January 2021 – New Year, New Plan

Agile Marketing Strategies Your PR Team Needs in 2021

In a few short days, we’ll be able to put 2020 to rest and usher in 2021. As companies settle in for a brand new year, marketing leaders have the opportunity to set new priorities and shift roles and responsibilities to meet new demands. Check out the ways top companies like Nike, Salesforce, and Apple are implementing agile marketing strategies focused on empathetic communication and reimagining what’s possible in a post-COVID landscape.

For good PR and media relations, move your brand away from exaggerations

I’m warning you now that this is the greatest blog post you may ever read. Maybe. This is a hyperbole. How often are your company and your PR team boasting — to the extreme — how amazing your company, its thought leaders, and its products are? Your company may be pretty amazing, and not everyone is going to think your company is the greatest thing since sliced bread. As an executive, you have to recognize and realize this fact. 

Social media is a necessary tool to successful PR campaigns

Social media is about conversations, community, and connecting with your audience. It’s not just a broadcast channel or marketing tool. You need to be authentic and candid with your audience to make a connection. 

Social media is also known as shared media, which is user-generated content that can be shared on multiple platforms with friends, family, business associates, and buyers of your products and services. Social media users want to be informed, entertained, and connected with other users. To this end, you must customize each post so it is native to each platform. For example, you wouldn't post the same content on Instagram as you would on Facebook because the tone, audience, and demographics are different. 

Conducting research and analyzing your needs

Finding a PR agency for your company can be difficult. Knowing exactly what kind of PR work you’ll need is the first step in researching companies that would be a great fit for you. Here are some things you should keep in mind when researching an agency:

Five essential elements that will guarantee a successful campaign

There’s a lot that goes into releasing a successful PR campaign. It’s more than just writing a news release for a new product or coordinating with the media. 

A PR campaign can offer many benefits, including creating a long-lasting impact on your brand and its future reputation. That’s why it’s important to plan a roadmap for your organization’s PR campaign. 

Here are five elements that will help guide you in creating a successful PR plan: 

Axia’s 60-Second Impact
60 Seconds of Information Impacting You and Our Fast-Forward Economy

December 2020 – Year in Review 2020
Key Takeaways and PR Moves to Make Now

This year, we saw a tremendous upheaval for industries across the globe — perhaps none more so than in marketing. Check out the major impacts affecting marketing strategy as we move into the new year and the moves to make now to position your team for success in 2021. 

A crisis communications plan protects and defends companies and organizations from a fallout in the public eye. These crises are caused by issues like a company scandal, an executive’s inappropriate behavior, or a product recall. Developing a crisis communications plan can help companies maintain their reputation. 

Companies task public relations agencies to design comprehensive crisis management plans that limit risks to their brands. We craft specific messages for employees, investors, customers, the public, and news outlets. Insufficient external and internal communications can cause the following:

• Operational response failure

• Stakeholders reacting negatively

• Public perception that the company is inept and, even worse, criminally negligent

• Sever impact on the company’s brand, reputation, and finances 

Why you should analyze every aspect of your competition

Knowing what your competitors are doing can put you ahead in your industry. Here are some things you can learn from your competitors:

Knowing inverted pyramid and the five Ws/H will set you up for success.

The first few sentences of your story are everything. They state the facts, set the mood, and grab your reader’s attention. When written correctly, they capture the heart and soul of your story and convince your reader why what you’re saying matters. When written incorrectly, the reader may leave your page, click on a new site, or possibly lose interest in your company’s work altogether. 

So what are these first few sentences, and how do you write them effectively?