Thanks to the world of the Internet almost anyone can paint the picture of whom they would like to be, but really aren't. A flashy website full of catchy key phrases coupled with impressive experience. Sadly, we continue to hear stories about "PR pros" who have taken advantage of businesses, in a variety of ways, but mostly making a lot of promises they knew they couldn't fulfill just to get the client to sign a tight, inflexible contract that would, results or no, assure tho

Public relations has many arms and legs beyond just a press release and pitching a story. There are a variety of strategies that fuel opportunities for ongoing, long-term public relations. The most important is expert positioning. Do you ever wonder how certain people become regular contributors on morning news? Do you see someone in your industry giving tips and advice in the media and think "I can totally do that, in fact, I have new thoughts and ideas to shares." Becoming

The DIY craze has been around for years. Thanks to the cable television, the Internet and the whole "information at your finger tips" you can learn to do most anything from changing your oil to renovating your bathroom. Personally, I love it. Taking on a task normally I would pay for feels like so much of a personal accomplishment, however, my cobbler and plumber will always get my business. In recent years, the DIY movement has become even more prevalent due to the economy.

I am always looking for ways to share with entrepreneurs the best practices for conducting public relations for their business. DIY PR can take time, but it can also be very worth it. Here, I join several experts in a round up of our best tips for writing and distributing successful press releases that help you attract media attention. Check out my advice at #18! However, it's important to remember that just because you send out the press release or distribute it on a wire li

Thanks to Twitter and Facebook, getting in front of an interacting with media has become easier than before, the problem is this: Is the person running the Twitter account actually a journalist who will do something with your pitch? Probably not. That's why I've come up with some tips for Twitter, specifically: 1. Follow the journalist, not the just publication or outlet: Most journalists have their own social media accounts giving you a better shot at getting your message

Most people think it's bad luck to consider the worst possible effect their service, product or business might have on a customer. But truth be told it's always best to plan for any potential crisis your business might experience. Most restaurants and major corporations have a plan and revise it annually, so why shouldn't a small business also plan ahead. Over the years, looking at some of the worst PR crisis of our time I can tell you one thing: Lack of an immediate response

The practice of public relations seems to be an intangible to many. Why? Because unlike advertising where you pay someone to develop and place an end product (tangible), PR is not such a sure thing. Practitioners, like myself, focus on writing press materials for your business (every business needs a press kit), generating strong story ideas and pitching to media. However, I can't predict if media are going to be 100% interested or even if they'll run the story right now. PR

When I started in PR many, many years ago there was barely an Internet, in fact we didn't even have computers in our office for every employee. We created and implemented multi-million dollar PR campaigns based on an almost 40-year old formula. Sure it's morphed some, but most corporate PR agencies continue using it, and sadly, many who come out of those firms to start their own continue to perpetuate the formulaic approach to PR. With that said, there are many who have more

“We feel a responsibility to make sure our services aren’t just fun to use, but also good for people’s well-being,” said Zuckerberg in his online post. It's been a bit of a rough year for Facebook, however, Mark Zuckerberg was way ahead of it. Noticing that his platform was becoming a tool for spreading hateful speech, bullying and, ultimately, the end of friendships, he began putting a plan in place to return Facebook to its original magic - authentic, positive relationshi

I'm really amazed at the number of new, small businesses that have come to me recently with a real commitment to community and understand the importance of giving back. And, today's startups are taking their social responsibility to new heights. We all know that you have to keep the balance of things and you can't get without giving. Today, we see so many large corporations that have become so out of touch with their community. There was a time when corporate responsibilit

By Anna Dizon on November 9, 2017 | Marketing, Press Releases Public relations has evolved from being just a sales strategy to an art form. Most small businesses may not have the means to hire a PR firm or PR specialist, but that doesn’t mean their public engagement should be lackluster. I was excited to be included in this great article helping small businesses, startups learn how to conduct successful public relations for their growing business. 19. Great Businesses Know Ho