When I was in college, I had a part-time job as a server at a restaurant. It was my first time working as a server. Despite this, I enjoyed it very much and felt that I had the knack for it. The job itself was simple: Greet the diner, tell them your name and that...
Media’s use of PR-generated sources continues to evolve, with traditional press releases now taking a back seat to more engaging multimedia content, a research from global comms agency TheNewsMarket finds. The firm asked journalists to rate different types of media...
“It’s not you; it’s me.” It’s one of the greatest relationship cop-out lines ever, so commonly used that it has its own Urban Dictionary entry. In my single days, I would have loved to have used it had every girl I ever dated not dumped me on my rear. Beyond the...
You’ve pitched an expert to a top freelance writer on assignment for a big consumer magazine. They take you up on the offer, and the interview seems to go well. Your expert is psyched to see their name in print, and so are you. Then the issue comes out, you eagerly...
A satellite media tour (SMT) remains an effective public relations tactic that can often generate high-quality results that matter to your clients. However, an SMT in 2016 is very different from 10 years ago, back when we all had MySpace accounts. Today, across the PR...
I like to write and I like to eat. As a result of these two interests, I’ve been blogging about dining out and cooking since 2009. Because of that, pitches from fellow PR folks often land in my inbox. When I receive good pitches that align with my interests, I try to...
Surprisingly, a lot of PR professionals seem to send journalists pitches and press releases without first attempting to develop a working relationship with them, or at least making it worth the journalist’s time. As a person, would you expect a stranger to do a favor...
Given all the efforts by PR pros to get media coverage for their clients or organizations, it’s surprising what happens sometimes when journalists reach out for assistance. Phone calls aren’t returned, or if they are, the response is too slow to do the journalist any...
When building media lists, many PR and communications agencies/departments implement an audience-classification system based on consumer demographics, industry segments and job functions, and then apply these categories to media outlets. But to complete the task of...
Drawing parallels between professionals in PR, marketing, and sales is easy. After all, there are many similar techniques, tactics, and tools used between the three disciplines. But there’s one tool every sales professional can’t live without that very few PR,...
Like other journalists, I've occasionally written stories that drew the wrath of PR professionals. Perhaps the article cast a company in a negative light, or included positive mentions of competitors while omitting a client. Some PR pros handle these situations better...
Journalists say it again and again—the most effective PR pros are the ones with whom they’ve established long-term relationships. The trick, of course, is establishing those relationships in the first place. What’s the magic formula that makes them happen? I wouldn’t...