The Do’s and Don’ts of Emailing Journalists

By Hannah Braly | Jan 31, 2019

Emailing is a great way to communicate, it’s fast and efficient. However, when done incorrectly, your email may be ignored or deleted and the journalist may be less likely to open subsequent emails – and you want them to stay open to future ideas. As a public relations firm, we’ve had a lot of experience […]

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When is a Press Release the Right Way to Share Your Message?

By Hailey Rae Swalley | May 3, 2018

“Can we draft a press release on this?” is a question PR pros hear every day. Press releases have a time and a place – but they aren’t always the most effective method to get your message across. There are two primary occasions when a press release is the best way to tell your story […]

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Five Steps to a Broadcast Segment

By Savanna Frimoth | Apr 25, 2018

Local broadcast stations are a great opportunity for local businesses to share about their expertise. Here are a few tips for working with broadcast.   1. Set expectations There are many parallels between print, radio and TV broadcast, but some things are simply different. Establishing expectations about the way broadcast works is important. TV broadcast […]

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From Pusher to Publisher: Three Online Brand Newsrooms Doing it Well

By Kelda Rericha | Dec 21, 2017

A press release doesn’t get a brand very far anymore. Newsrooms are taxed. Reporters are swamped. And quite simply, we’re all more drawn to an image or video than a long-form corporate release. Seventy-eight percent of CMOs now say that custom content is the future of marketing. In turn, many have started to build in-house […]

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3 Ways Glossier is Owning their Strategic Communications

By Savanna Frimoth | Sep 5, 2017

Emily Weiss, Founder and CEO of Glossier Image credit: Photographed by Nigel Parry; Grooming: Hair by Cecilia Romero for Exclusive Artists & Makeup by Aliana Lopez. Entrepreneur, September 2017   Working in the field of PR and communications, it’s interesting and refreshing to observe companies who “get it”. I have to admit to personally being […]

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3 examples of PR crises from well-intentioned brands

By Natalie O'Grady | Aug 29, 2017

Most brands understand the need for PR crisis plans, and build strategies around a number of scenarios; an employee goes rogue, a customer takes up a personal vendetta on social media, etc. What many don’t plan for, however, is their own well-intentioned ad campaigns turning against them. When launching a new ad strategy, many marketers’ […]

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Customer Service on Snapchat

By Natalie O'Grady | May 25, 2017

In its short history, Snapchat has grown from a novelty app to a social media platform in which brands are eager to pioneer new styles of social media campaigns. From branded lens and geofilters, to influencer “story takeovers” and specialized in-app ads, there’s a multitude of ways for brands to utilize Snapchat. Users on Snapchat […]

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Dark Social: Digital Word of Mouth

By Natalie O'Grady | Mar 10, 2017

“Dark social” isn’t as malicious as it sounds. The term was coined by Alexis Madrigal in an article for The Atlantic in 2012 to describe the sharing of information in emails and instant messengers – sharing that existed long before social media platforms were popular. Social media ROI is getting easier to measure, but dark […]

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Is Jargon Bad?

By A.wordsmith | Feb 10, 2017

Forward-facing innovators can optimize deliverables by leveraging a holistic view of language. Last weekend I used the word “optimize” while out with friends. My husband nudged me. “You’re using your business jargon in real life again,” he whispered. My work is a nonstop cycle of blogs, articles, brochures, press releases, POVs, web copy and white […]

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4 Considerations for Contributed Content

By Savanna Frimoth | Feb 1, 2017

Cision named contributor marketing as one of the top trends for 2017.  Contributed content is an incredibly useful tool for PR pros—whether you’re looking to raise the profile of your client or your agency. Contributed marketing is creating content then pitching it to appropriate outlets.  The demand for content is rapidly increasing. The Atlantic reported […]

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Download our Social Analytics POV

By Natalie O'Grady | Jan 26, 2017

“Today, knowledge has power. It controls access to opportunity and advancement.” – Peter Drucker More than ever, public relations professionals are working to quantify PR’s value for their clients. This can be difficult for a number of public relations tactics, but social media is notoriously hard to pin down in terms of ROI. Executives and […]

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What My Public Relations Degree Taught Me

By A.wordsmith | Nov 12, 2016

“What My Public Relations Degree Taught Me” is part two of a mini-series on education and being a millennial in the world of PR, from some of our young professionals at A.wordsmith. Read part one here.   I veered towards PR after five years in the education and nonprofit world. The overlap between development and communications is […]

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