Blog
As PR professionals, we’re keen to stay abreast of new marketing channels and trends, new beat reporters and media outlets, as well as explore innovative ways to raise visibility for our clients. Making a fresh assessment of what matters most to our clients and their expectations of our firm is an important part of this process, too. While some rules of engagement and expectations of companies’ PR firms have changed, some things still hold true year after year.
Temporary store closures, nearly zero travel demand, lockdowns throughout the country, and a seismic shift to online shopping created the perfect bankruptcy storm for retailers, restaurants, hotels and other businesses in 2020. However, a Chapter 11 filing often does not mean the end of the company; rather, it is a path forward for a struggling business.
While companies may need to cut non-essential expenses during a crisis, e.g. travel and entertainment, COVID-19 has some companies asking themselves, “Should we still be focused on marketing?”. The short answer is yes - Savvy c-suite execs and business owners may shift gears, but marketing will always remain a priority, even during the most challenging of times.
You remember the old line from the lottery commercial, “You Gotta Be In it, To Win It”? The same holds true for LinkedIn. If you want to “stay frontal lobe” and network where your contacts and prospects are, then you need a LinkedIn presence, especially if you operate in the B2B space. Currently, LinkedIn has over 610 million members worldwide, with 303 million active monthly users, 40% of which visit the site DAILY. Consider the fact that 92% of the Fortune 500 use the social media channel; the potential for visibility should be motivation enough to build and maintain a robust profile.
For years, we’ve heard about the “Holiday media slump” and why pitching stories during the December Holiday period may be akin to cheerleading in an empty stadium. There may well be breaks in a demanding news cycle at that time, and seasonal celebrations and vacation time out of the office leave holes in the calendar for PR pros and reporters alike. But the reality is, the Holidays are a great (and undervalued) time to conduct media outreach.
Forging good relationships with the press and generating worthwhile content are cornerstones of a solid media relations program. But knowing what NOT to do when working with a member of the media is just as important as what to do in terms of building and preserving those relationships and getting your story idea heard. Here are a few things reporters and editors DON’T like:
During a crisis, it’s is critical to tell your story first before anyone else does. If you do not take the initiative to communicate honestly about the issue as soon as possible, someone else will, and it’s very likely that they will have their facts wrong or that their take will be biased—and not in your favor.
Business owners know a lot about running their businesses, and many appreciate the value of marketing and PR. In fact, public relations is a vital part of a company’s overall marketing plan. Public relations helps keep your business name, products or services in front of your audience -- whether consumer or trade -- across media. Here are six tips for small businesses regarding PR.
Clients are always looking for the “big story” on their company, the glowing profile and photo shoot. But the competition for this sort of coverage is pretty stiff, to say the least, and often times, there is a disconnect between what a client envisions is newsworthy and what an editor knows will pique his or her readers’ interest enough to stop and read beyond the headline.
Interviews with the press can make even the most seasoned executive uneasy. But while a telephone interview with a print reporter may be stressful (even with notes in front of you), an interview on camera – either in studio or on location – brings a whole new set of challenges. Here are just a few tips to help you prepare for your TV interview.
