The Public Relations Blog

8 items to include in your company’s online newsroom

Seasoned PR pros may remember printing countless press releases, fact sheets and biographies to include in perfectly curated media kits. Media kits of yesterday were helpful leave-behinds, however, today they’re dinosaurs. Digital media kits – or online newsrooms – are an easy way for media to access key information and assets.

As a professional journalist, I’ve received my share of calls from unhappy sources complaining I excluded them from an article. These calls come because some companies believe if their competitors receive media attention, they deserve attention too. Realistically, the news cycle doesn’t work that way. Even with the highest degree of professionalism, there are plenty of editorial cracks through which information can fall.

Someone has invited you to join the Forbes Council and you’re very flattered. Your immediate thought is that you should promote this honor and leverage your achievement to the hilt. However, let’s take a deeper look. Is it really an honor? Or, is it just another paid membership?

Why the distinctions matter to your company and bottom line

In some companies, public relations and marketing share the same space, with their goals and functions used interchangeably. At other companies, they’re separate, with different reporting structures and a constant battle for budget dollars between the two. Some organizations have one function reporting to the other. How does your company handle these disciplines and, more importantly, are you using them correctly?

This was just one of the topics at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism’s highly anticipated 2017 Global Communications Study. How we structure and utilize PR and marketing is a major issue facing the PR industry and one your company must tackle to ensure you’re getting the maximum benefit and profitability.

3 tips to be certain your PR agency knows your field and can deliver success

Why would you risk hiring a public relations firm that hasn’t achieved results within your company’s industry? Before hiring a PR firm, do your due diligence to ensure you’re hiring a firm that fits your needs and wants – one that can create a successful PR campaign in your industry. Hiring an inexperienced PR agency is mistake #6 in Axia Public Relations’ list of 15 mistakes companies make when hiring a PR firm. Check out our three areas of importance to ensure you hire an experienced PR firm that will bring you success.

How to make the most of social media when times are tough

Even the most seasoned public relations professionals find managing social media in a crisis challenging. News spreads fast on social media. Things can escalate in a matter of minutes. Marketing departments are often in a position where they must act swiftly and shrewdly when their company’s reputation is at stake. The good news is that social media can help you mitigate crises when you use it wisely.

3 qualities you need for PR success

The public relations game has changed drastically since the introduction of the 24-hour news cycle. It’s no longer sufficient to draft news releases, run campaigns and manage crises. While the methods have changed, the heart of PR remains the same.

Students today will be decision-makers tomorrow. The next generation of PR professionals looks to current leaders to guide it. Axia Public Relations’ CEO Jason Mudd is doing his part to help shape the future of PR. He understands the changing landscape and the importance of blending the old with the new in PR tactics. Joined by other experts at the University of North Florida (UNF), Mudd gave advice on the qualities every PR expert should have.

How to build long-lasting media relationships

When you think of media, you think about placement for your company’s product or service. However, media is much more than getting your story published. Pitching your story to the media is about creating long-term mutually beneficial relationships with journalists. How do you pitch so that journalists will pick your content and connect with you as a source for their future stories?

3 key points for maximizing the effectiveness of your PR strategy

Having been in the public relations game for nearly two decades, I’ve found that one question continues to plague our industry: How long will it take to see the value of public relations? Everything we do in business should net a return – that’s the whole point, right? PR has most certainly transitioned into a business of measurement. Where once clip books and impressions marked success, we must determine today’s campaign success by precise metrics and established goals.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a controversial topic for many marketers. With Google often changing its algorithms, some companies doubt whether SEO should remain an important part of their online marketing efforts. Google strives to bring the best search results to its users based on how people interact with content. By incorporating these techniques, you can optimize your company’s marketing endeavors.