When you’re writing a press release, you’re in a constant battle to create an interesting story that grabs journalists’ attention without using marketing hype or exaggerated claims. To be effective, a press release needs to be unbiased and completely accurate. If a journalist get… Read more
I’m a firm believer in studying the mistakes made by other PR campaigns so you can avoid making them yourself. Forget learning from your own mistakes. That’s too costly. The goal should be to let other people make the mistakes, you learn from them, and you never make mistakes at all. … Read more
You can spend all the time you want writing a plan to build your brand, and you can create marketing materials and advertisements that reflect your branding goals too. But if you don’t train your employees to be ambassadors for your brand, it’ll all be for nothing. See, your brand is more than a … Read more
As press release distribution has shifted from an offline to an online activity, a growing number of marketers are realizing the potential press releases have for increasing a company’s search engine presence. Simply put, SEO and press release writing go hand in hand these days.… Read more
There’s nothing more disappointing than announcing your great news to the world through a press release only to wait by a phone that doesn’t ring or an email inbox that remains forlornly empty. Your story was newsworthy! Why did no one care? Well, guess what. Sometimes it’s not your ne… Read more
To people seeking press attention for a story, reporters can be like unfathomable magical creatures. When one does call in response to a press release, it’s like a visit from a unicorn. More often, reporters are like the Loch Ness Monster – rumored to exist, but rarely seen or heard from. When … Read more
Ask a stranger in a coffee shop what comes to mind when she thinks of public relations, and chances are she will say something along the lines of “spin” or “covering up a scandal.” And its true that the only time the average person sees a public relations professional is when they a… Read more
What is a Feature Story?
In journalism terms, a feature story is an “evergreen” story, meaning that its significance won’t fade over time. While the exploits of the latest celebutant have a limited shelf life, evergreen feature stories can run at any time. … Read more
One of the things we talk about quite often on here is how important it is to be different. You need to have a different message … a different brand that your target audience can connect to. After all, if you’re no different than anyone else in your industry, why should customers do business with … Read more
Have you ever heard the story of how a young man named Ivy Lee responded to a tragedy that took the lives of more than 50 people and used it to create what would become a mainstay of any public relations effort? Don’t worry if you haven’t. The truth is that most publi… Read more