IT’S A PR THING

Episode 13 -- Corporate Cultures That Court Crisis (Part I)

Today we're starting a new series called Corporate Cultures That Court Crisis. Is your business culture setting your organization up for disruption, public backlash, lost revenue, damaged relationships, etc.?
Is your culture Too Big for Its Britches? Is it All About the Bennies? Is it operating Cowboy Style, or Blissfully Oblivious?
Join us today as we focus in on our first culture category, and learn the behaviors, characteristics and the risks these organizations face -- and how to course correct if you're heading in the wrong direction.
This is going to be an interesting episode today, and an excellent one to pass on to your leadership. So get ready to take some copious notes, and let's all dive in for some more PR learning love!

Episode 12 -- Talking With Tanner: A Fresh Look at Working in the PR Field

Don't let the title fool you, our more seasoned PR pros -- this episode is for all of us!
Today we're talking with Tanner Sizemore, who gives us insights into what it's like for a new professional entering the PR field, how it's different from the world of academia, how relationships play into a new professional's experience, and what kind of culture new PR pros are looking for today.
While my end of the audio is low and a bit muffled (sorry -- a little technical hiccup), Tanner is loud and clear as the star of today's episode. And he has some standout thoughts for us all to consider, and to pass along to students, incoming professionals, our own kids, and others.
So grab a pad of paper, grab a pen - and let's dive in for some more PR learning love!
 
 

Episode 11 -- The Key Influence To Engage Stakeholders

Today we're going to reveal the key influences that drive stakeholder engagement. If you're scratching your head about why your million-dollar plus ad campaign isn't driving people to purchase, vote, participate, etc.  . . . well there is a reason for that. You're going to see why advertising and news releases, or “earned media” have a short lifespan when it comes to driving stakeholders to productively engage with you in a meaningful way. But, more importantly, you're going to learn what has the biggest influence along that continuum
So get ready to listen and learn, and ultimately save you time and money, and your team from the wear and tear of unnecessary stress and frustration.
Grab that pad of paper, grab a pen, and let's dive in for some more PR learning love today!

Episode 10 -- Crisis and Controversy: 3 Key Tips to ‘Get Ahead of the Story’

Can you still get ahead of the story in today's media environment? And if so, how do you do that? Schmooze the media? Press release your way out of it? "Reframe" the situation and set the record straight?
In today's episode, we get all up in these questions. And we lay some hard reality on you in the form of three crucial tips to help you get ahead of the news story -- and who has the biggest burden in the organization in keeping you out of the negative headlines.
So grab that pad of paper, grab a pen, and let's dive in for some more PR learning love!
 
 
 

Episode 9 -- The 14 Resources To Help You Manage Your PR Function

Thank you for tuning into IT’S A PR THING. Today we're going to cover 14 resources and tools available to help you manage and improve your public-relations function within your organization. THAT’S 14! One to check out everyday for two weeks!
These tools and resources come from a breadth of organizations and experts AND many of them are free or accessible at a very low cost. 
So get ready to take copious notes today as we dive into some more PR learning love! 
RESOURCES REFERENCED IN TODAY’S EPISODE
Our Podcasts — FREE
EPISODE #3 -- THE FIVE LIMITING BELIEFS ABOUT PR 
TUESDAY TIP #2 -- AVOIDING THE SCRAMBLE, HERDING THE CATS 
TUESDAY TIP #4 -- BLT + PICKLE and the CEO 
TUESDAY TIP #9 -- THE 10 TOOLS TO BUILD BETTER MEDIA RELATIONSHIPS
EPISODE #8 -- THE MEDIA INTERVIEW: FOUR PRO-TIPS TO HELP YOU PREPARE AND MANAGE IT
Books -- Under $20 each
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People-- Steven Covey 
Damage Control: The Essential Lessons of Crisis Management -- Eric Dezenhall & John Weber 
Left Turn -- Dr. Tim Groceclose
More podcasts -- from other people -- FREE 
School PR Drive Time Podcast
The CX Leader Podcast 
 
Case Studies  -- FREE 
 
Case Study Library @ MCFARLANDPR.COM 

Episode 8 -- Is Your Content Output Producing PR Outcomes?

Thank you again for tuning into to IT'S A PR THING. Today we talk about content outputs versus PR outcomes. Is your content creation really creating communication? Is it moving you to dialogue that creates relationships? Or is it just announcing, notifying and informing?
We see a lot of information floating around about how content is king, and categorizing content creation as communication. But is it really? If it's not generating dialogue or interaction with you, is it really communication -- or just costly eye candy and clutter?
Output doesn't equate to outcome. They are different - yet also interrelated . . . and one can help you measure the other.
Tune in today and get a quick mindset check, and use it to reevaluate your own PR efforts and coach your team on how to produce PR outcomes from your content output.
And when you're finished, check out Tuesday Tip 4 -- BLT + Pickle and the CEO to learn the formula to measure your PR outcomes.

Episode 7 -- The Media Interview: 4 Pro Tips To Help You Prepare and Manage It

Thanks so much for joining us today on IT'S A PR THING.
Today we're going to cover four pro tips that are crucial regarding any media interview.
Most people go into a media interview thinking they just need talking points. But there's a lot more you need to think about than parroting messages.
First and foremost, you need to have a strategy, you need to have something prepared that helps you deliver that strategy, you need some support to help you be successful in the interview and you want to make sure that your bases are covered in case you are misquoted or information is reported inaccurately.
If you've never done a media interview before, this is going to be some great starter information for you to get off on a good foot.
If you're someone who has done interviews here and there in the past, today's episode will give you new considerations and tools to strengthen your interview process.
And if you're someone like myself who has been the spokesperson and/or coaches people on media-interview practices, this is going to give you some good reminders of the discipline and techniques that we need to be using every time we're doing those media interviews
So grab a pad of paper and a pen, and let's dive into some more PR learning love!

Tuesday Tip 9 -- The 10 Tools To Build Better Media Relationships

Thank you so much for joining us today for the Tuesday Tip here on IT'S A PR THING. Today we're going to talk about 10 key tools that can help you build better relationships with the news media.
Building a relationship with the news media takes more that just a solid contact list and blasting out news releases. You need to not only help journalists know about stories, but you must also give them opportunities and materials to help build and package those stories — and you must also be timely, relevant and responsive to help them do their job.
These 10 tools will help you build credibility and good working relationships across your media contacts. 
So grab a pen and a pad of paper, and let's dive into some more PR learning love!
 
CORRECTION: True confession all -- I got so into talking about the details of each tool that I mixed up the number order, and didn't realize it until we were fully produced. My apologies -- but you know what they say . . . "imperfect action is better than no action." Thank you for your grace.

Episode 6 -- The Power of PR in the History of American Independence

THE POWER OF PR IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE
YES! Public relations tactics and techniques played a major role in the birth of the United States as a nation.
Today you're going to learn about the first-viral share in American history -- before Facebook or Twitter.
You're going to learn about the first branding campaign -- before the first ad agency existed.
And you'll learn about the crucial influencers of the time -- who did it all without social media, the Internet, network television or even electricity.  
Come on! Let's take a walk down history lane!

Tuesday Tip 8 -- Know When to Decrease To Increase

Ever feel like no matter how hard you're pushing your message, how much you're communicating (because you can't over communicate, right?) and how much market splash you're making, you still don't seem to be moving the needle on progress?
Well, today we're going to dive into the practice of "decrease to increase" -- where sometimes pulling back and doing less IN THE RIGHT WAY will actually gain you more in the long run in influencing those stakeholder relationships.
Join me today for some more PR learning love in this Tuesday Tip, and get the insider advantage of knowing how to decrease to increase.
And, as always, if you liked this episode, please give it a review and share the PR learning love!