PR Insiders

When was the last time you hand-wrote a thank you card? When was the last time you took out that stack of business cards you collected at an event and called (actually, phoned) those new contacts? And admit that it took a lot for you to resist posting on Instagram that beautiful dessert set before you at last weekend’s dinner.

Imagine this: attendees at a conference are flocking to a table filled with greeting cards where they can choose among “thank you,” “happy birthday” and “congratulations” greetings, write something nice (hopefully), lick the envelope and… Continued

It’s hardly news that in today’s world consumers are pressed for time and so give communicators very little of it. All our needs are just a swipe or click away. With that expectation, consumers demand that everything from apps to news and even videos fit within just eight seconds to earn their full concentration. See how the San Diego Convention Center incorporated this need for speed into its communications strategy.

PR is changing so quickly that what students learn today in college may be outdated by the time they land their first job. Still, there are concepts that are unlikely to change despite this fast-moving industry, argues Edelman VP Amanda Sapp. Making sure you are authentic in your storytelling, speaking to audiences not at them and having passion for what you do will serve you well at the start of your career and during every stage that follows.

Brands that haven’t yet tried investing resources in digital-based influencer marketing face a host of unknowns, the first one being whether it’s suitable for a particular brand or nonprofit organization. Tony Balasandiran, account supervisor for Flowers Communications Group and a speaker at PR News’ June 23 Digital How-To Conference in Chicago, shares some of the advice he offers clients that have yet to make the leap to influencer marketing.

Getting your brand covered fairly or favorably by a respected journalist in a respected media outlet—that’s what perceived authenticity used to be. It was the brass ring for communicators. Then the pool of full-time journalists… Continued

What? Another press release to write? Fine. Before you reach for the keyboard, however, think about journalists who must read scores of jargon-filled, dense releases that tired PR pros crank out on demand. With a little practice and a fresh red pen, though, any press release can be transformed from a total bore to a piece of messaging your brand (and the media) will appreciate.

It’s not a question for the ages, but it’s a head-scratcher. Why does a 27-year-old athlete without a college education know that the best way to head off a potential PR crisis is to be honest, while highly experienced CEOs and heads of multinational corporations, who’ve had the benefit of media training, fail to learn this lesson?

Why does a 27-year-old athlete without a college education know that the best way to head off a potential PR crisis is to be honest, while highly experienced CEOs and heads of multinational corporations, who’ve… Continued

We recently surveyed attendees for the upcoming Social Shake-Up, asking them a couple of basic questions: which social media platform is their main focus in their work life, and what do they want to learn about most at the Shake-Up. Judging by the responses to the first question, the past—in the form of relatively ancient social media platforms—has a pretty firm grip on the professional communicators who responded to the survey.