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Is the glass half empty or half full? That’s the dilemma raised by the latest PR News survey about measurement practices. On the upside, more PR pros appear to be relying on measurement than previously. The flip side is the pace toward a more analytical mindset is incremental.

For communicators looking to increase their cache of visual materials and at the same time build online street cred, Instagram is the only place to be. While many brands are already on the platform, few truly know how to succeed. In today’s saturated media environment, compelling visual assets are the only way to stand out among the dross.

“It’s not just tracking mentions, but how are you being mentioned, what messages are you getting across!” With this important central concept in mind, Cindy Villafranca, senior specialist, communication & outreach at Southwest Airlines, walked… Continued

Strong blog content is the “gift that keeps on giving.” Every post you publish boosts organic search engine relevance, thus keeping your brand top of mind and at the top of online searches. It’s also a highly effective way to stay engaged with your readers, building an atmosphere of long-term trust among your audience. And of course, it’s a way to further extend your brand’s personality in ways that traditional marketing may not.

When Instagram first caught our attention and won our hearts, it was through the platform’s utter simplicity: One-size photos, a handful of filter options and no frills. It was so simple that if you don’t use the app regularly, you may have formed an idea of what it is that isn’t as fluid as the reality. But if you aren’t familiar with the latest tweaks, you can be sure that the actual users of the platform are.

Companies around the world now face new and complex crises—things like cyberattacks, phishing and hacking—that can pose enormous threats to safety, reputation and profitability. Damage to a brand is pretty much guaranteed to happen when a company is not prepared with robust business continuity and crisis communications plans. There are now more than 80 to 90 million cybersecurity events each year, costing the global economy $575 billion in 2014. It is predicted that the number of cyberattacks will only grow from here, and with it the concern felt by the general public.

Going off script with journalists, in front of a live audience or on social media works just fine if, say, you’re a celebrity or politician (or both) who is expected to go off script and wing it, and you routinely benefit from making outrageous and provocative statements. How many senior executives, midlevel employees and new hires at brands fall into that category? One or two people, maybe, in the whole country. Everybody else needs media training in the workplace.

Continuing its efforts to keep users on its platform for as long as possible, Facebook has opened up its Instant Articles feature to all publishers. The mobile-centric program offers publishers the ability to post content that lives on Facebook, with promises of quick load times and advertising options from the company. In an era where organic reach is all but nonexistent, Facebook’s new hub of native media will offer brands an easy way to connect directly with the platform’s vast audience.

Google’s search algorithm rewards websites that are focused on improving the user experience and that publish quality content, and punishes those sites that do neither. You know what kind of punishment this entails—your content will be buried under your competitors’ content in Google searches that use the keywords tied thematically to whatever product or service you sell. That’s the strategic side of SEO—here are some tactical tips.

It appears Mossack Fonseca simply did not have a proper crisis management plan in place—an inexcusable omission for a company that has been in operation for over 40 years and regularly handles billions of dollars in client assets.

While most organizations will never have to deal with media fallout of this global magnitude, there are certain lessons all companies should learn from the Panama Papers scandal