The Public Relations Blog

Why you need both for successful PR campaigns

As a public relations professional, do you know the difference between strategies and tactics? Just like how many people incorrectly interchange the terms goals and objectives, they also confuse strategies and tactics. Everyone should understand and recognize the distinction between these important business terms.

4 ways your company can profit from winning an award

Has your company hired a number of new employees? Do you contribute to philanthropic endeavors? Do you have a great CEO or believe your company is a great place to work? It may be time to submit your company for an award.

Benefits

Many companies shy away from the idea of entering into award competitions because they think it’s too self-promotional and they worry the entry might be too time-consuming. The benefits of entering and winning an award largely outweigh any reasons not to.

6 tips for getting better results with your pitches

How often do you get a call from someone trying to sell you something and the person begins by asking if you have a minute? This is an immediate way to shut down the conversation and end the call. In today’s busy world, no one really has a minute.

As you are pitching, you will discover that the same is true for journalists. You will find that it’s never a good time to pitch a journalist. Journalists may be working on several stories at one time and are often on tight deadlines. This means they are usually far too busy to speak by phone about your pitch idea, especially when others are bombarding them – often with pitches that don’t pertain to the area or topic that they cover.

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.

Understand the difference between these key components of a winning PR plan  

Goals, objectives, strategies and tactics are some of the most important parts of a public relations campaign and are key components of any PR plan. Many people often fail to fully understand – and therefore misuse – these uniquely nuanced words. Because of their importance, you, our client, need to understand their differences to ensure greater success for your business.

Live tweeting and posting aren’t for the faint of heart

Managing your company’s social media accounts can be a rewarding experience. If you don’t have a team available within your company to develop and promote content, hiring a public relations firm is a reliable solution to ensure you’re using quality content and providing active engagement to reach your customers. In some instances though, it isn’t just recommended that you use a PR firm; it’s critical.

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.

The journalists you pitch a story to matter more than you may think

A PR industry pro recently shared in PRWeek that it is better to focus pitching efforts on local media with the hope that other outlets will subsequently pick up the story. While local efforts are a great start, it isn’t always the most efficient way to pitch a client or a story.

How your company should respond to a social media attack

A great illustration of mob mentality is the scene in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast when the townspeople amass and call for the Beast’s head. Can you imagine what that would be like today if the mob flocked to social media and the Beast was a company that people felt had “wronged” them in some way? The Beast would have a sea of virtual torches and pitchforks at his company’s door. Without a PR firm, that business could be doomed.

Navigating social media and the public can be tricky. A single negative post concerning even a well-established company can go viral in an instant.

Celebrate achievements through award recognition

Entering and earning awards is an exceptional way to build credibility and positive press around your brand and company. There are a number of benefits behind winning business, industry and community awards. They can elevate your company’s status; educate and attract new customers and new employees; improve company morale; and raise your credibility.