How to Create News When You Don’t Have Any

In the past, I mentioned that one of the strategies used by PR magnets (those people who always seem to get media coverage for their clients) is the leaky faucet approach to PR. This involves dropping a steady series of press releases over time to eventually get media coverage. Basically, by constantly bei… Read more

5 Ways PR Pros Use LinkedIn

Public relations has always been all about “the Rolodex.”  PR old salts have amassed a Rolodex full of important contacts while newbies struggle to do the same. But nowadays, Rolodexes are more than a jealously guarded little box of file cards. They are, due to sites like LinkedIn, public kn… Read more

Apologizing: How You Say It Matters

There’s an old saying that goes, “It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it.” And when it comes to corporate apologies, this saying has a lot of truth to it. Sure, you need to make sure your apology has the right words, but even the best-written apology will be a total flop if i… Read more

A Closer Look at Embargoed Press Releases: What You Should Know Before Using Them

What is an Embargoed Press Release?

An embargoed press release is a news announcement or statement that is distributed to media outlets in advance of its intended publication date, with the understanding that the information should not be made public until a specified time.

Key points about embargoed p… Read more

Top Reasons to Target Smaller Local Media Outlets

You have a great story to tell. You’ve written up an interesting press release, and you’re hoping to land some serious coverage from the media. What do you do now? Who do you send your press release to?… Read more

How PR Professionals Get Stories Placed in Magazines

Exposure in magazines can be a great way to garner publicity for your organization, though lately there are fewer and fewer of them. Because of this, it’s important that a PR professional use all of her savvy when pitching a story to a magazine. Follow these tips to keep your pitch out of the “ci… Read more

4 Reasons PR Campaigns Fail

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

How to Write Press Release Leads

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

The History of the Press Release

The History of the Press Release

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

What’s the Right Press Release Length?

Press Release Length

Usually, when we talk about creating the perfect press release, we focus on crafting catchy headlines and avoiding silly grammar errors. But these aren’t the only elements required for a successful press release. And you might even argue that they aren’t the most impo… Read more