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A contributed article is a great way to gain exposure for your brand and ensure your client’s name or company is considered a trusted authority. They are meant to serve as a vendor-neutral perspective by someone with concrete knowledge about a particular topic. Contributed articles (also called bylines) are one of the most used tools in a PR professionals toolbelt when it comes to serving their clients. 

However, before securing media coverage, there is a lot of groundwork that needs to be done before seeing your (or your client’s) name published. Placing a contributed article starts long before the content is written and even before the pitch is crafted. In fact, there is a bit of reverse engineering that must take place. Here are some of the most critical steps PR professionals should take when trying to place their content. 

Begin with the End in Mind When it Comes to Targeting Media

Creating a target media list for your PR goals isn’t necessarily...

A lot of people think that the only time you need a PR team is when things go awry. 

FALSE.

A crisis can happen at any moment and hopefully you have a PR team already in place that knows your business and its stories well enough to recover swiftly and effectively. 

If you don’t have one in place, or if you’re curious on what sticky situations may arise, here are easy ways to help prevent a disaster from happening in the first place. 

Preventable Things You Can Do To Avoid Getting Into a Crisis

Understand Your Competitive Landscape

You are always better prepared if you know what's going on around you. By being in-tune with your competition and what’s happening in the newscycle and world, you have the opportunity to create messaging and a narrative that best serves you in a positive light. Your messaging and narrative is the backbone of every piece of communication for your company, internally and externally. 

For example, years ago I worked with...

When you start to seek press coverage for your business, your media list—the repository that contains your research about outlets that your target audience reads—is your lifeline.

But getting to the point of being able to turn to your media list and pitch with confidence, there are several steps you’ll want to take to be sure that you’re targeting the right contacts. After all, a media list with the wrong contacts is just as bad as no media list at all (not to mention frustrating for those reporters on the receiving end of your pitch).

Getting Started with Creating a Media List

Know Your Audience

To start honing your media list, you’ll want to make sure that you’re targeting appropriate outlets for the articles you want to get published. For example, you probably wouldn’t want to pitch a story about off-roading vehicles to an online parenting magazine. If you’ve created a customer persona or multiple personas, then you not only have a...

When it comes to the art of public relations, there are several tried and true tactics that work, like getting to know your key media, being organized and respectful of a reporter’s time, and providing juicy nuggets of information as an exclusive to a single reporter. But, there are so many potential cringe worthy mistakes that are actually pretty easy to make.

Life in the PR lane is FAST and the following mistakes are simple missteps that even the most seasoned professional can sometimes make. As someone with nearly two decades of PR experience, I’ve witnessed firsthand the horror that some of these mistakes can create. Here are three of the most common PR mistakes I’ve seen and why you should avoid making them.

The 3 PR Mistakes To Avoid

1. Sending Mass Email Pitch Blasts 

How would you feel if you got a text message from somebody asking you to dinner, but they got your name wrong? Or, asked you to dine at a steakhouse when you’re vegetarian. Would you...

You may be up for a promotion, a merit increase, or perhaps you interviewed (and landed) a new gig and it’s come time to talk numbers. Discussing and negotiating a PR salary can be an exhausting, daunting, and intimidating process for some PR professionals, but it's important to not let the fear of the process overshadow the salary you (and your role) deserves. 

According to a PR Week survey, nearly 40% of PR professionals do not feel “well compensated” in their roles. Based on those numbers, it’s time to flip the script.  There are natural inflection points that should be considered as opportune times to ask for that raise you desire, like:

• Taking on a new job
• Receiving a new title or promotion
• Accepting new job responsibilities outside of your current scope

Nervous, anxious, or downright terrified of how to go about asking for your desired PR salary? Here are tips to get you prepared and properly compensated. 

Do your research

It seems...

Picture this common scenario for a PR pro: you work hard to create, pitch, and then secure media coverage. That may look like a feature piece in a premier business media outlet, a contributed article in a prominent trade magazine, or some sort of interview with a spokesperson. GREAT. It’s published, everyone oohs and aahs internally. And then what? 

Maximizing your great media coverage is critical to squeezing all the juice from your hard work. There are several other really easy ways to gain additional exposure and maximize your gain from your media coverage.

1. Post coverage on your website under "News" 

Republishing coverage on your site is a great way for visitors to see the latest and greatest from your company. Third-party validation via media coverage is a simple, yet highly effective marketing strategy—people buy from companies they trust and that are credible. When reposting on your site, be sure to summarize and then redirect readers to the article...

At some point in your career, whether you’re just starting to climb the ranks of agency life or you’re a seasoned pro with an executive title, you may find yourself grappling with the idea of pursuing a Master’s degree in PR. There are many benefits to getting an advanced degree in general: opportunity for higher earning potential, more specialized skills, and potential career advancement. But in public relations, is it really necessary to have a master’s degree to succeed? 

Pursuing a Master’s Degree typically takes a considerable amount of investment, both in time and money, so you’ll want to be sure it’s really worth it. But is it? I say no. Here’s why.

A solid network is more advantageous than added credentials

As a veteran of the PR industry, I’ve had my share of exposure to various successful individuals in PR and they all had one thing in common (and it wasn’t an advanced degree): networking. The ability to...

According to Monster.com, one of the fastest growing and most competitive fields is Public Relations (PR). That, coupled with significant projected growth in the next 3-5 years*, means many more PR professionals will be in demand and at the ready to jump into new positions. 

If you’re reading this, you may be looking for a refresher in all things PR or perhaps you’re starting a new career track in PR. PR has evolved so much in the past decade thanks to technology and with the pandemic, that many strategies have changed—so there is a lot to catch up on.

Let’s start with the basics, shall we?

What is Public Relations?

When it comes to PR, its definition has evolved significantly over the years, especially as its role with the public and technology has changed (more on that later). According to PRSA, “public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” This...

*Chase Jarvis 

When explaining PR versus Marketing, I’ve always found it helpful to use this analogy (and most of us can all relate to dating!).

If a man tells a woman she’s intelligent, looks lovely, and is a great conversationalist, he’s saying the right things to the right person to influence her decision to date him and make her feel a certain way. That’s Marketing.

If someone else (like a friend or relative that) tells the woman how handsome, smart, and successful he is, it influences her decision to date him and makes her feel a certain way. That’s PR.

Dating example aside, here’s another analogy:, 

"When you see a company on a billboard, that’s Marketing. When you read about a company in a newspaper, magazine, or online blog (and it’s not sponsored!) – that's public relations."

Can you see the difference? Marketing is paid for, or called “owned” because the company “owns” the messaging. PR...

A few days ago on LinkedIn, I polled my network with a simple question—what PR tip do you live by? The response was astounding. It’s clear that PR Pros have seen a LOT, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. And what I love about the PR community is that they are always willing to share their own best practices, lessons learned, and advice. 

There are a few resounding themes in the advice shared—truth and pitching thoughtfully. Many think of PR as damage control or spin when, in fact, it’s all about sharing high quality, truthful content in a thoughtful way. So without further ado, here is a round-up of some of that advice shared by top PR Pros:

Always try to be easy to work with. I’m not talking about being a pushover or a yes-person. I’m talking about habitually taking one thing off the plate of other folks without adding two more things to that same plate. 

•  Andrew Graham, Public Affairs and Communication President,...