The Public Relations Blog

Create the news to get you noticed

Not every day is jam-packed with breaking news announcements. Product launches, news conferences and mergers are the bread and butter of media relations. Having news to share makes the job easier. So what do you do in the absence of news? You create it.

Developing news stories is difficult for business people to understand, but in media relations there are techniques that can and do keep your name in the public eye.

Public recognition and trust are huge aspects of business success. By virtue of the stories they run, the news media can develop awareness, extend credibility, generate trust and motivate the audience’s responses toward a company and its products and services. Successful businesses often have solid working relationships with several news outlets, including bloggers, reporters, editors and producers. A recent survey indicated that the public considers news stories to be more persuasive and more credible than advertisements. A high percentage of business owners report that public relations – not advertising – is the most valuable investment for marketing dollars.

PR helps you understand this powerful network and get it right

You post to Facebook at least five times a week, send Tweets several times a day and make sure you keep your LinkedIn pages current. But how often should your company post on Instagram?

Your social media strategy only works if you have followers, and gaining new followers can ultimately translate into more business. So how do you attract more followers for your company?

Organic growth does not happen overnight; it requires time and considerable effort. Below, you will find seven tips that can help you gain more social media followers for your company and grow your business.

Learn about PR tools that can help you take control of your online reputation

Your business has gotten great reviews from many of your customers. Do all your customers, prospects and other key stakeholders know that? Getting great reviews is wonderful, but if no one sees them, it’s like throwing them in the trash.

You don’t want consumers to stumble upon your positive customer reviews by accident or, worse, make them search all around the Internet for them. It is vital to promote your customer reviews, especially on social media, to make them easily accessible to consumers.

PR can help you make the most of your time in the spotlight

Most companies want their messages and campaigns to go viral. After all, having millions of people discussing your brand could be a dream come true – if you manage it correctly.

Use PR to increase the success of your next campaign

You saw them by the thousands. Famous and regular folks alike were voluntarily having friends and family dump buckets of ice water on their heads. Perhaps you even participated yourself, like Axia Public Relations’ own intrepid CEO Jason Mudd. Yes, the ALS Association’s Ice Bucket Challenge was most certainly a successful social media campaign.

Giving to charitable causes is big business. Corporate giving, according to Giving USA, totaled $17.77 billion in 2014, an increase of 13.7 percent over 2013. It’s a system of sound business practices that guides this flow of revenue, which, in many ways, holds the nonprofit sector under closer scrutiny than corporate America. Recently, allegations surfaced about overindulgent spending at the Wounded Warrior Project. In light of these accusations, how can a company ensure that its donated money will be responsibly spent on the programs it wants to support?

Foodborne illnesses (from bacteria such as salmonella or E. coli) not only negatively affect consumers; they also impact a company’s bottom line, stock price, brand reputation and overall image. These microscopic organisms are easily spread and ultimately wreak havoc in very short order.

How often should your company post on Facebook? This is one of the most common social media questions businesses ask. It’s a good one, too, considering that thousands of stories make it to your followers’ Facebook feeds. Does that mean that posting more frequently will help your company reach more people? Or will more posts simply annoy your followers and lead them to block you?