Public Relations Tips: How to Deal With Journalists’ Egos
I recently received an interesting email from a PR Fuel reader that serves as an interesting public relations talking-point: “I recently emailed a press release to a newspaper writer and then followed up with a call. The writer said she doesn’t pick up email but was interested because of the … Read more
How to Get Your First Public Relations Job
Recently I started getting emails from college students who had a lot of questions about the public relations industry. Specifically, they wanted to know how to get their first public relations job. During a recent interview with Bill Lessard of PR With Brains, I thought the topic of breaking into the wor… Read more
Public Relations Tips: Dealing with Online Vandalism and Journalistic Fraud
I recently received a breathless call recently from a former colleague. My friend explained that an entry on Wikipedia concerning his company had been “vandalized” and that the company was scrambling to come up with new copy. Wikipedia is a wonderful resource, a starting point for daily re… Read more
The Value of Loyalty in Public Relations
Several years ago, I had a stunning conversation with someone who worked in the public relations industry. She was employed by a large technology company that I was covering closely as a journalist. Her company was in trouble, and all signs pointed to something deeper than a sagging global economy as the r… Read more
Faced on Facebook: Unintended Consequences of Social Media
My friend, whom I love dearly, believes she is the most unphotogenic person in the world. I beg to differ and when I tell her so, I offer up my own photographic evidence. It matters not; she scurries away when a camera is in sight and went so far as to vet her best friend’s wedding photos to ensure that only … Read more
Managing Public Relations Through the Strategic Press Leak
My forte as a journalist was reporting bad news. Whistleblowers, inside sources, gossip–I loved it all. I got a tip, tracked it down, and then the newspaper splashed a big, nasty headline on my story. Sometimes, even my editors would have been surprised about how I got my scoops.
The strategic press … Read more
Corporate Mottos and the PR Power of SIM
A corporate motto that says — in as few words as possible — a lot about your product or service is key to strategic image management (SIM). SIM demands that you choose a motto that telegraphs your values and prompts people to respond positively to whatever you sell. (And ultimately, to buy it.)… Read more
A Public Relations Guide to Dealing with Layoffs
(Including Sample Layoff Press Release Copy)
Handling Public Relations when Announcing Layoffs
Dealing with layoffs can be a draining experience for public relations consultants. The distraction of your own job being on the line — and the internal climate change that follows such announcements — make it difficult to concentrate on … Read more
Public Relations Basics: There Is No Magic Press Release Bullet
The “magic bullet” theory of public relations — that one press release is all you need to grab the attention of journalists — is easily debunked. A single press release will rarely, if ever, do the trick. To quote a journalist friend, “familiarity breeds credibility.&#… Read more
Customer Relations as Extension of Public Relations
Last week, I thanked my customers in a special Thanks-Valentine’s message. The response was very positive. I received dozens of messages that had a common theme: people were responding to my message on a very personal level.
Some clients shared their eReleases PR success story. Others gave words … Read more