The Public Relations Blog

What to do if your executive/spokesperson/client isn’t fit to be the face of the organization

As public relations professionals, we’ve worked with a plethora of companies, clients, and spokespeople. Some are perfect spokespeople while others need a few spokesperson training sessions, and then there are the ones that shouldn’t or can’t be the face of the company. 

Finding a spokesperson for your company can be a daunting task, and having a conversation with a spokesperson who truly isn’t the best fit to represent your company is even more difficult. As an outside PR firm, having the conversation with a client about who the best spokesperson is can be easier than having the conversation internally with a superior. So how do you navigate that difficult conversation? 

Be a better resource for the media

As newsrooms continue to shrink, they rely more and more on their reporters to write for print and online as well as take their own photos and videos. With reporters doing more, newspapers also rely on PR professionals and a company’s PR and marketing department to submit stories – in an inverted pyramid style – and images for publication. 

Story ideas and submissions are relatively easy to provide to a media outlet. Many companies struggle with submitting photos that newspapers and magazines will and can use. Here are some tips that will help you and your team submit quality photos the media will use. 

Our PR agency created this 20-step process for getting earned media coverage for your company

We’ve previously discussed what earned media is and its role in public relations. However, knowing about earned media is one thing, and doing it is another. For someone unfamiliar with this process, it can seem almost impossible to know where to begin and how to get through it. However, there is help.

At Axia Public Relations, we’ve developed our own system for earned media we’d like to share with you. Here is a visual chart showing how we do things and an explanation of each step.

How does your company use and benefit from earned media

Earned media is organic news coverage your company receives. It’s not paid for like advertising. People often confuse earned media with paid media even though they have two very different meanings. 

The main difference is price. Earned media is not bought; it’s the outcome of having a product or service that other people want to talk about. Paid media, such as advertising, is promoted because you paid someone or a company to do that for you. 

Social media mentions, media coverage, and reviews on your product or service are all examples of earned media used in public relations. Earned media happens naturally, and it’s a result of good PR. 

Newsroom veteran shares the roles and how of getting a story on TV

Throughout my 20 years in TV and radio newsrooms, I’ve received many calls from PR professionals. It’s clear some don’t know their way around a newsroom. So let me provide you with a roadmap because there is no better way to get your story ignored than pitching it to the wrong contact.

Pitches must be newsworthy and succinct for outlets to pick them up 

Whether it’s your first time pitching to the media, your 100th time, or your 5,000th time, you need to make sure there are things you consider and keep in mind. When you're getting ready to pitch to the media, you need to be clear on this: what's the actual story you're pitching? 

Why is being included in a news story so important for companies?

One reason is because positive news coverage improves your company’s reputation. Another is news stories about your company put it at the forefront of prospective customers’ minds.

As consumers are inundated with options, many may not know about your company and its offerings until they see your company included in a story as a thought leader.

So how do home service companies like plumbers, A/C repair companies, flooring, electricians, pool service providers, home warranty companies, and more get in the news?

Earned media is the coverage your company gets without paying for it. This isn’t done through self-promotion or advertisements nor posting news releases on PR newswires.

Earned media shouldn’t be confused with paid media, which would be paying influencers or running social media ads. It is distinctly different from owned media as well, which is the attention your company’s website attracts.

Grow your business using media contacts

When you think about how to get explosive business growth, you probably imagine your company website displaying on the first page of Google’s search results – and all the traffic that comes with that. No doubt, this is something that would do it. However, there are other ways to grow your company without necessarily being No. 1 on Google. And one of the most important is building solid media connections.

3 things to consider before submitting your news release

Are you receiving great media coverage for your company news? We once had a client who was not satisfied with the media coverage they were earning. They’d put out two news releases and only earned one media article as a result. We recommended they review their news releases, keeping the following three things in mind: