The Public Relations Blog

Creating specific and measurable goals is vital to establishing a foundation for successful integration of data analysis to business strategy. Without a goal, the time, energy and money you spend on acquiring and aggregating data will leave you directionless. So, which analytics matter most in public relations?

Typical key performance indicators (KPIs) include marketing campaign ROI; profits analyzed for variables, such as product, region, salesperson, etc.; and monthly projections/reality and month/month change amounts. Those are hopefully all numbers already in your data toolbox. You also must include metrics particular to PR.

How to connect with media outlets using Facebook Live

Facebook Live is one of the greatest features on Facebook. You can use it in many ways to promote your brand. It allows you to broadcast a live video right to your audience through your company page or personal profile. Using Facebook Live, you can create buzz about your brand and connect with your key audiences, including the media.

Which analytics matter most in PR? How do I know what to measure?

Within the business world, the volume and velocity of data continues to command attention. In the public relations sphere, knowing what to focus on, given the data analysis capabilities available in the crowd of business software applications, can be overwhelming.

How to be an ethical public relations professional

Some people think of public relations professionals as manipulators of public perceptions. Sadly, some individuals view PR strategies as tools to trick people into doing something. PR professionals are often accused of distorting reality and spreading propaganda. How do you avoid ethical accusations in your PR practice? Here are three rules to remember to remain ethical as a PR practitioner.

Don’t shy away from smaller opportunities.

We know your company – especially the CEO – wants media results. To get those results, your spokespeople must be available for interviews via email, phone, and in person. At Axia Public Relations, we’ve had companies hire us and then be reluctant to participate in interviews with smaller media outlets and with reporters who have smaller roles within bigger outlets. Being too selective about interviews is mistake #11 on Axia’s list of 15 mistakes companies make when hiring a PR firm.

In fact, there are a few benefits to participating in smaller interview opportunities. Here are three reasons you should be more willing to accept these types of interviews:

Axia Public Relations breaks down what it means to plan S.M.A.R.T.

Learn more about the improved version, the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. process.

Each of our clients has a personalized public relations plan. We collaborate with company marketing leaders to develop their communications for the quarter, year and future. We’re experts in planning and executing great strategic communications, and we know how to make them sharp and SMART.

And what exactly does SMART mean? We’ll break it down for you.

If you’d like help drafting your marketing and communications plan, Axia offers that service.

Don’t get frustrated when results don’t come quickly.

After much research and vetting, your company hired a public relations firm with the hope of gaining media hits and results. It’s been a month and you haven’t seen any results. You feel frustrated and ready to throw in the towel. It’s important to remember that a PR firm can’t guarantee results or say when you should expect results. In fact, becoming frustrated when the results don’t happen quickly is mistake #10 on Axia Public Relations’ list of 15 mistakes companies make when hiring a PR firm.

Begin your PR campaign the right way: Allow resources for measurement.

Most likely, your company measures sales, employee retention, and NPS scores. It’s also important to measure your marketing department's work along with your public relations agency of record.

Measurement must be a consistent process once you identify your key performance indicators. That’s easy if what you’re measuring is in-house and completely accessible. Hopefully, you already have the spreadsheets in place, so all you have to do is pull the sum at the bottom each week.

Companies should set aside resources for measuring their vendors' outputs, including their public relations agency. Being unwilling to spend the time and money upfront for proper PR measurement is one of the 15 mistakes companies make when hiring a PR firm. Read on to find out why you should include measurement in your PR budget.

5 key factors for conveying company messages effectively

Getting your messages to the right audiences is key in effective public relations. It’s important to know the different channels and platforms and the best way to use each of them. There are two types of communications in PR: controlled and uncontrolled. It’s essential to use both types of communication as well as the PESO model for successful PR.

Don’t confuse the pitch team with your account management team.

Most companies consist of several departments including sales, marketing, customer service, and human resources. Every department (or team) includes team members who each play a specific role within the company. When partnering with a public relations firm, many executives confuse the pitch team with the account management team and expect that their initial contacts will continue to be their contacts throughout the partnership. This is mistake #8 on Axia Public Relations’ list of 15 mistakes companies make when hiring a PR firm. Don’t let this be your company. Most PR firms have a process to ease the transition as you move from prospective client to signed-contract client.