The magazine I run is holding a contest, and we’ve been working hard with our PR consultant on creating the best press releases possible to advertise our event. It’s not as easy as one might think to craft a good press release—even if you are a professional writer. I found this blog post on 5 Tips on Writing a Good Press Release really helpful—and I thought I’d share it with you.

Do Your Research Before You Pitch

I get press releases all the time that make me wonder if the person who sent it to me had even picked up a copy of the magazine I work for. We are a regional publication that has strict guidelines on what we publish. And we publish the same columns and categories each month. National news or news outside of our coverage area does not interest me, or our readers.

Yet I constantly get emails and phone calls from PR people pushing their agenda on me, the editor of a publication that would never consider publishing their news. They are not only wasting my time, they are wasting their time. And, if they are charging their clients, they are wasting their client’s money.

Make sure you do research on the magazines, newspapers, TV stations, whoever you are pitching your press release to before you pick up the phone and call. There is no reason to pitch the opening of a new Los Angeles-based restaurant to a home improvement magazine who caters to people living in Boston, Massachusetts. Continue Reading

Much of the talk about public relations focuses on how you can get the news media to cover your business. If it’s good coverage, then it may have a positive effect on your sales.

However, getting good coverage can burn up a lot of time and energy that might be put to better use. Instead of courting the media, you could be courting potential clients.

However, this is not to say that public relations is best left to big companies with deep rosters of established clients and the ample cash needed for hiring outside firms to manage PR campaigns. There are simple PR steps that your freelance business can take. Here are five: Continue Reading

Matthew Heusser, a technologist hailing from Allegan, Michigan, got his roots in computer programming. But what he did with that knowledge—mixing in tons of risk-taking and determination—has made him a prominent speaker in his field as well.

I talked to Matthew, 32, to find out how he leveraged his job in programming to become an expert in the industry, how he gets paid to talk about it—and how you can do the same.

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While Molly Lynch used to be a player in the traditional PR game — long hours, grunt work and glamorous clients — she managed to go solo after just a few years. She discovered that freelancing provides numerous challenges, but the rewards are just as grand… if not better.

That’s why the 29-year-old loves her life as a PR consultant for Lynch Communications Group, LLC. Based in Chicago, this Windy City resident likes getting caught in the whirlwind of the public relations arena, but prefers to fly solo.

Kristen Fischer (KF): How did you get started in public relations?

Molly Lynch (ML): During college, I interned and freelanced for Weber Shandwick. I also worked at a radio station on their promotions team and in the news department at the local ABC affiliate. I knew I was going into the communications industry, but I wasn’t sure which area. Post-college, I sent out hundreds of resumes to public relations firms and TV stations and landed my first full-time job in the Publicis Groupe. It was a great experience for me from A to Z—I had a great boss, great clients, fun colleagues, etc. A perfect way to get your feet wet. Continue Reading