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It’s one of those conversations that starts casually, but that can quickly become all consuming if you’re not prepared. You’ve been there before.

As a PR professional you’re probably aware that client testimonials are an extremely powerful marketing tool. The reason they can be so effective is simple: While it’s fine for a business to tell customers and prospects how great its products or services are, it’s much more persuasive when people who have used those products or services sing the company’s praises.

Bringing two organizations together is tough. When you’re merging disciplines as well as cultures, it’s tougher still.

As the economy slowly wends its way toward recovery, many companies are opting to focus on managing risks rather than challenging existing boundaries in their respective businesses. However, there are bold marketers defiantly raising their profiles to seize audience share despite the stagnant economy.

Mobile users reach for their devices early and often to find local information. Companies often find themselves focusing more on external communications to maintain a favorable public image.

Social media is increasingly becoming a required skill in almost any field, whether you are in marketing, sales, communications, engineering or human resources. And if your current job has social, digital or media in your title—whether at a Fortune 500 company or a startup—part of your job is to evangelize the importance and value of social across the company.

Multiple social and digital platforms are replacing traditional media. These platforms move faster and cross boundaries more easily than national media.

To honor its 40th anniversary, boutique PR agency The Marcus Group (TMG) wanted to do something different. Instead of simply having a big party to celebrate the occasion, TMG decided to donate a full year of its services to a charity.

The theme for this year’s Counselors Academy spring meeting—which took place in Austin, Texas—was dubbed “WEIRD,” an acronym for Wired, Entrepreneurial, Imaginative and Results-Driven. The moniker of the meeting was a play on the city’s slogan: Keep Austin Weird.

Making someone laugh is the most intimate connection we can create in a business environment. Humor is a powerful way to amplify a message as competition for the attention span increases exponentially.