PR From A to ZGPR

The Difficult Conversation Team Training

Companies are always interested in improving their cultures and positively impacting employee’s lives, but as we slog through this incredibly difficult time, companies are pressed to do good deeds, while feeling pressure to avoid politics or any topic that may be stressful for leadership, employees, or customers. At the top of the list of these stressful conversations is race. If you do not know…

3 Easy Non-Political Actions Small Businesses Can do to Improve Diversity

Small Business owners can take, easy, non-political steps to help improve race and diversity issues. This has been a really tough week for America and I fear that it will get worse before it gets better. You can read my thoughts on the difficult conversations that corporations need to have, but as a small business owner, I know that you like do not have the bandwidth or urgent need to address…

Securing Your Brand During the Covid-19 Crisis | Thankful that so many professionals shared their thoughts on this article about marketing through the coronavirus crisis

Like you, I am seeing lots of worrisome (shocking, tragic!) economic news after a rough month and my first thought is to yell from the rooftops or more accurately, from my social media, which I have done repeatedly:

Do not shut down your company’s marketing communications and public relations as a tactic to attempt to survive the recession.

I know it’s tricky to give this advice because I sell…

I offer lots of advice to clients and potential clients on PR, Content Marketing & Social Media. To me, social media is not something you do once a day or once a week – it is something that you embrace which becomes part of your normal mode of communication. Successful social marketing is an extension of a company’s brand or culture. If you have to fight to remember to post something or write…

In Public Relations, there are no one-size-fits-all approaches and we have to ensure that our companies and clients are using the most sophisticated strategies that support the organization.  For startups, especially tech startups, PR may look different, challenging, or sometimes the same as corporate communications. Understanding that a startup is not a small business, although there can be some…

I hope you are well and have avoided getting sick or in any way negatively impacted by the coronavirus. I hope you are safely working from home, are able to practice social distancing, and can care for yourself, family, friends, and community. I know everyone is talking about it, but can I just ask: Are you tired of talking about the Coronavirus yet? I am but there’s still so much to know, learn,…

Updated: How CEOs can Lead the way Through Coronavirus Concerns at Work

Co-authored with Jocelyn Brandeis All companies, large and small, need to be prepared at any given time should a crisis happen that affects the company, employees, stakeholders, and community. With the COVID-19 coronavirusknocking on the United States’ door, we have to look at how other countries are handling their workforces and begin to make our own preparations, as globally conferences,…

Newsjacking: Should Your Brand Attempt to Insert Itself into Breaking News?

Or, the real title I wanted: Can you use the tactic of “newsjacking” and not look like a jackass? Newsjacking refers to “the practice of capitalizing on the popularity of a news story to amplify your sales and marketing success (Hubspot) and is an often-used technique for media relations professionals to earn media coverage for their clients. Communications professionals at companies or public…

All companies, but especially small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) need to start thinking of the PR implications of coronavirus (officially known as #COVIDー19) and any potential business impacts, risks or crisis scenarios. Questions your team might want to consider now related to coronavirus:

1. Can your organization deliver at current levels if a percentage of your staff gets ill? What if…

Jules Rules for Using LinkedIn #LinkedIn #SocialMedia

I wanted to share my Jules Rules for Using LinkedIn because it is time to update our skills. I have often provided my best advice on how to use LinkedIn based on over ten years of using the platform and while the advice remains the same, I am still finding that the platform is tragically ignored by the vast majority of professionals. As a longtime LinkedIn user and expert on the topic, I have a…

Get Social Or Get Going

Every once in a while I totally FREAK OUT! OK, possibly more than once in a while. Usually, there is a reason. I am not a fan of random drama, but a good old fashioned stress-induced meltdown is totally acceptable. I feel one coming on. My life is chaos. Everything is moving in the opposite direction – not good, not bad, just not what I expected. I have great work, but lots of responsibility;…

Ladies, Your Gifts Are Needed

I have been quiet about doing this girl-power thing lately but now I am ready to talk about it. So if you’re here for PR advice, go ahead and visit my archives. (more…)

How to Make a PR Consultant + Client Love Connection

Are you familiar with the scene from Jerry Maguire where Tom Cruise’s character is battling with his client and he moans and begs, ‘Help me help you!‘ The desperation and genuine desire are expertly acted by Mr. Cruise and that scene pretty much sums up my life as a public relations professional. I spend most of my days living and breathing some form of a call to action (moving, pushing,…

Why The Myth of the PR Rolodex Remains

I am most often contacted by people who want to hire me or people who have questions about the process of hiring a public relations person. There are usually many questions, but the one that gets me rattled and moves the conversation from a Q & A to a lecture is the inevitable question about wanting to find the person with the “Golden Rolodex.”

For you youngsters, a Rolodex is what people used…

11 Top B2B Social Media Tips

B2B companies have a huge opportunity right now to deploy social media strategies that will move the needle – but with everyone doing it, how do you stand out in such a noisy marketplace? It all comes down to not being boring and telling a story that connects with your target audience. Easy enough right? But most B2B marketers are not storytellers, so the content too often comes across as a sales…

2020 list of must-read PR advice

I was just starting my 2020 list of my best pieces of PR advice when a client shared Brooke Hammerling’s insights from her TechCrunch interview. I was so relieved to read her similar experiences and takes on PR, especially public relations in the tech and start-up sector, that I almost cried real tears of joy. Ms. Hammerling’s article is exclusive for TechCrunchsubscribers, and I rarely try to…