The Public Relations Blog

Let PR experts help you understand why your results may not be matching up

You perform a Google search and find your company at the top of the page with glowing reviews. Your customer conducts the same exact search and gets entirely different results (or vice versa). What gives?

Trying to understand Google analytics and search engine optimization rules can make your head spin. Use our PR firm to guide you through the ins and outs of the world’s most influential search engine.

When organizations consider hiring public relations firms, some use requests for proposals (RFPs) to differentiate between each of them. In an RFP, an organization can ask for everything from vendor background and special areas of expertise to ambitious ideas and rates for proposal execution. RFPs are, as a rule, highly informative documents.

Axia Public Relations has received countless RFPs both from established businesses and startup companies. We definitely understand the value of RFPs to the requesting companies, but from a PR agency’s perspective, these documents, when sent blindly, can be relatively useless. RFPs, while sometimes honestly used to pursue work with PR firms, are also overused as a means of determining the going rates for PR services or, worse, to solicit free ideas or tactical concepts. PR firms therefore tend to be leery of RFPs and here’s why

The world is amid growing panic driven predominantly by fear caused by a microscopic killer called Ebola. Americans now face a unique crisis as Ebola bridges waters and appears in a number of states across our country. Ebola is a viral killer and, naturally, fear and panic about how it spreads, infects and could potentially cause an epidemic in the United States has resulted in a scramble for answers and preventative measures from our country’s government, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hospitals, schools and more.

Join this PR webinar and learn how anything is possible with the right pitch

For decades, CNN has been the recognized leader in 24-hour news programming. It seems impossible for you to get your company or CEO featured on the network, right? Or is it? Watch our webinar with a CNN producer to learn more.

How to Re­Market the Results of a Public Relations Campaign and Maximize ROI

Gaining positive coverage is great news and certainly a morale boost in that someone thinks you
are doing a good job, but why leave it there? Just because you had a story published, does not
mean everyone has had a chance to see it. The very nature of word­of­mouth is that it is viral,
but to get the ball rolling, it is in your organization's interest to actively ensure that your message
resonates with as many as possible.

Understanding the distinctions can affect your profitability

You may often hear the terms “public relations,” “marketing” and “advertising” used interchangeably. However, there are key differences among them. How much time and money you invest in each could affect your brand recognition, customer outreach and public image.

"What's newsworthy?" News factors mostly come down to geography and subject matter.

Recently, someone asked me, “How would you define the word 'newsworthy?'” Great question; allow me to elucidate what goes into journalistic news judgment.

News elements 
What makes a story newsworthy? Pay close attention to these 10 news factors to see which apply to your particular announcement. These elements are also called "news values" because they give a story news value. Good news stories have more than one of these elements to help increase earned media coverage.

Industry trade shows are not just a wonderful venue for highlighting your company’s wares to potential customers;  they’re also a useful platform from which to soft launch or sneak peek company announcements. Too often, businesses invest tremendous amounts of money into booth construction, graphic design, booth staff and content, but limit their ability to take full advantage of trade events from a public relations standpoint. Beyond a hyper-focused networking avenue, trade shows also entice industry, national and even international media. These fine-tuned journalists arrive on-scene to uncover major announcements, private product peeks or germane industry news. And, because media and businesses happen to be at the same place at the same time, trade shows ultimately present a perfect locale to execute a variety of PR tactics that, if executed to perfection, will net stellar results. Check out these six tips for getting the biggest bang for your trade show buck:

Learn the PR tools you can use to effectively manage any crisis

When not handled correctly, a crisis can shed a negative light on your entire company. Handled well, it provides an opportunity for your company to demonstrate that it can be tough under pressure.

According to a study Stanford Universityconducted, companies that provide quick, truthful responses and keep a steady grip during a crisis fare much better in terms of public image and profitability. Your company can learn something from these lessons on the right (and wrong) ways to manage a crisis.

Learn how to use your best commodity to capture media attention

We all know that getting positive press about your company can provide an instant boost to your name recognition and credibility. A lesser-known fact is how to actually get it.

The first thing you must do is to try not to be intimidated by the process. This becomes easier when you realize the basics about your relationship with journalists. You need exposure for your company, and that’s what they can give you. They need high-quality content, and you can provide it. In fact, that’s your best commodity.