Social Media: What’s the Frequency?
As a communications advisor to clients in the tech industry, I am frequently asked how to leverage social media as part of an integrated PR strategy. Clients are often curious to know when and how often they should post and what their content should look like. Many clients are also now starting to think about […]
Reflecting on Bob Simon & the Art of Story-Telling
One of the many reasons I got into PR is because I have a deep-rooted love of storytelling. Stories not only reflect back our experiences, but they also shape how we think about the world. Stories help us be analytical, empathic and worldly. They empower us to think beyond our own experiences. Few understood this […]
Seattle Rallies to Support Diabetes Community
670,500 adults in Washington state have diabetes; that is nearly 10 percent of the population. This number is predicted to grow to nearly one million by 2025. When learning these staggering statistics, I was shocked. Of course, I was aware of diabetes and I have personally seen the hardships it creates because my cousin was […]
Swinging for the Fences: A New Platform in the Sports Media Landscape
Just two days after his retirement from professional baseball, New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter made perhaps the biggest media splash of his 20-year career by launching The Players’ Tribune, an online media outlet that allows athletes to publish first-person articles on the topics of their choice. Several heavy hitters have contributed articles in the […]
“Fear-bola” and the Power of the Media
It’s impossible to ignore the ongoing coverage of the global Ebola crisis. Reading the latest on the outbreak—particularly in the hardest-hit areas—is at once fascinating and heart-wrenching. It’s deeply troubling. And lately, above all, it’s terrifying. At the heart of many of the stories around Ebola is its growing danger and the pervasive fear that […]
Did I Get Your Attention?
Journalists’ inboxes are often full of emails pitching a variety of different stories. As a beginner in the PR industry, I am realizing with every pitch I send that getting their attention is anything but easy. So the question becomes, how do you get them to read your pitch? How do I make my email […]
Corporate Guidelines a Must as LinkedIn Opens New Publishing Capabilities
Recently, I wrote about publishing capabilities on LinkedIn and the social media giant’s plans to invite all its members to contribute articles via long-form posts. Since that time, I began thinking about the implications of this new capability as it pertains to copyright, other forms of intellectual property, corporate guidelines and staff education. For instance, […]
2014 AP Stylebook Updates – A Sign of the Times
It’s that time of the year again—last week, the Associated Press (AP) released the 2014 edition of its AP Stylebook, better known to many as the journalist’s bible. If you work at all with media, you’re undoubtedly well aware of the book’s unique style and grammar rules. As PR pros, we likewise abide by the […]
Who’s the “Scumbag” Now?
On May 5, our very own Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) posted a tweet that received a large amount of backlash. In an attempt to deliver a traffic update with a touch of humor, SDOT referenced the popular meme “Scumbag Steve.” Referring to this meme, SDOT tweeted a picture of slowed traffic near the site […]
Social, Search or Direct? How Viewers Get to News Matters & What It Means for PR
According to a recent, particularly fascinating Pew Research Center report, the path that readers take to arrive at a news site reveals a lot about their level of engagement with the outlet and its content. In other words, the amount of time someone spends reading an article or browsing an online site depends largely on […]