A successful call-to-action campaign depends less on the sweetness of the deal than it does on the familiarity of the brand. The same can be said for influencer engagement when targeting journalists and/or media outlets. Journalists and other influencers tend to...
"They’re the bane of my existence." "I absolutely hate them." "They drive me insane." These are a few of the actual comments I’ve heard from journalists about that all-too-common PR tactic, the phone call. Among journalists’ biggest PR pet peeves, 52 per cent say cold...
If you’re seeking journalists to pitch your ideas to and relying strictly on the beat system to find them, you’re limiting your range. All too often, an influencer's other areas of interest are disregarded, to the detriment of public relations. I once interviewed the...
When you've been promoting the same message for any length of time, you get to know the key influencers on the topic. Once you've created your media outreach list, all that's left is maintenance; you just need to keep the information up to date, and stay on top of new...
Andy Warhol predicted that “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” But these days, with everybody vying and dying for attention, fame rarely comes unsolicited. You and your business need to work harder than ever in choosing the right media types...
An important element to an impactful news story is the human element which is why more and more reporters are incorporating the experiences of consumer spokespersons to enhance their story. While a subject matter expert voice is important and helps to provide...
Over the last five years, a troubling conversation about the (perceived) insignificance of public relations has gotten louder and louder. Amid the ever-changing landscapes of media and business, some say public relations is old hat—a relic of an earlier time, when...
Having worked in the PR industry for 10+ years and successfully landed numerous clients in top publications like Forbes and CNN, I get asked this question a lot: “I just launched my company. How do I get press for it?” I’m going to show you my proven system for:...
Today’s not-for-profit communicators need to rethink the way they share their message. The days of sending out a press release to a mass email list with donations received or information on their annual gala are long gone. Those sharing non-profit industry news should...
What makes a story worthy of coverage, either as news or as a feature? Some developments are so big that we can all agree they belong on the front page—the Flint water crisis, problems with the Obamacare website, etc. Others exist on the margins, depending on a writer...
I began my career in television, which lent itself to the near-decade I would later spend as a media spokesperson for several very large energy companies. During that period, depending on the day, I could be speaking to reporters on issues as mundane as a random power...
Freelance writers provide an often-untapped opportunity to get coverage on websites and in a wide range of print media. But pitching them poses unique challenges—and based on my conversations with freelancers, this is a point that many PR pros seem to overlook. Some...