The Public Relations Blog

Invest wisely; don’t underspend on PR.

Most companies are looking to save money — especially on items they don’t believe are essential to success. You might think you should hire the low-cost public relations solution rather than finding the right solution for your company. However, choosing a cheaper solution instead of the solution that addresses your company’s needs may jeopardize your company in the future.

Public relations builds a company’s brand. It’s a vital element to success. Don’t endanger your company by underspending on PR. Use these four strategies to ensure you’re hiring the right PR solution for your company and not making mistake #5 of the 15 mistakes companies make when hiring a PR firm.

Bring more customers to your company with a better reputation

Warren Buffett said it best:

A company’s reputation is one of its most important tools online – every website has ratings and feedback sections. Obviously, too many “1-star” reviews on a giant online retailer like Amazon can doom a product. It’s important to remember that while there are many indicators of online reputation, one of the most important consumer indicators may be the Better Business Bureau (BBB). 

Overcome hiring a PR firm mistake #1

Hiring a public relations firm is an exciting time for most companies. However, sometimes, people get so enthusiastic about their product/service and story that they jump in headfirst without being fully prepared. In fact, Axia Public Relations considers hiring a PR firm too soon mistake #1 from our list of 15 mistakes companies make when hiring a PR firm.

Here are three situations where your company is hiring a PR firm too soon:

A Q&A with a social media expert

For the “unsocial,” Twitter is a social media platform where users post tweets: messages that must be less than 140 characters. As the fourth most popular social media site (Sorry, Twitter. Instagram took your spot as third, with YouTube as second and Facebook as the most popular social media site), Twitter is a place to find sports updates, local and national news and what’s happening with your family, friends, favorite celebrities and brands. As a social media and community engagement specialist, here are my answers to the five common questions about the channel with more than 315 million users.

Use this checklist to make sure you’re optimizing your relationship with your PR firm

Here are fifteen mistakes your company might be making when hiring a public relations firm:

Knowing what stage you are writing for will help you close deals faster

Who are your customers? How and when did they learn about you? What made them decide to give you their business instead of going to your competition? If you answered “I’m not sure” or “It was just dumb luck,” then you need to stop guessing and take control of your buyer personas and the content they receive from you.

This is one story about PR and small businesses. Read What do small businesses spend on PR, How small companies do PR and what big companies can learn from them, PR firms should avoid startups, and Why small businesses struggle with PR firms for more.

Don’t just get bigger, get better.

In almost every small business, there is a big company yearning to break free. Even if you’re not actively seeking to significantly grow your company and are happy exactly where you are now, you surely wouldn’t turn down a few more customers and some more profits.

Sir Isaac Newton advocated standing on the shoulders of giants to get bigger. We suggest that you merely try to see the world from their vantage point and not be afraid to think big. No matter how big you are – or wish to become – you can look at how big companies handle their PR and discover ways that you can tailor their methods to fit your needs and increase your profitability.

Panera’s advertising agency recently said “no more” to the retail restaurant/bakery giant, citing problems like too many quick changes as a source of ongoing problems and a major halt to progress. Here's our three tips for making PR agency relations work.

There’s a shakeup afoot in the public relations and marketing departments of the nation’s most successful companies. According to a recent study by the Council of Public Relations Firms (CPRF), PR professionals at companies appearing on Fortune’s Most Admired list report not to the marketing department, but to the “C Suite,” that is, CEO, COO and/or chairman. In fact, 63 percent of Fortune 500 companies, those raking in $6 billion in annual revenues, have their PR departments reporting directly to executive offices, as opposed to 42 percent of Fortune 20,000 companies, or those making less than $100 million.

Don’t leave 8 million potential customers waiting

Some come for the music. Many stay for the comedy. All are enlightened by the insightful commentary, special guest interviews and educational segments. If you are successful in pitching to the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show, its more than eight million listeners could also be learning about your company or clients.