Author: tjsacks

5 PR Agency Fails to Avoid (and their accompanying clichés)

Congratulations, you just hired a new public relations agency and you’re looking forward to moving ahead with a long-lasting and mutually productive relationship.   If you’re not new to the PR agency alliance, then you’ve probably already suffered the slings and arrows of an agency fail.  But if this is your first time at bat, well […]

How to Protect your PR Image

I remember when I was a kid my mother telling me, “Don’t sign your name to anything that you wouldn’t be afraid of appearing one day on the front page of the New York Times.” How true these words of wisdom were. Today, with the advent of the internet, it seems that everyone is obsessed […]

How to Explain PR to Your Father 

For those of you who have recently graduated from college and have had the good fortune of landing a job in a public relations agency, congratulations.  But now comes the hard part; trying to explain to your family and friends what you do for a living.  I remember many years ago when I landed my […]

5 Key Skills for PR Professionals

“Why do you want to go into public relations?” I queried. “Because I’m good with people,” she responded. I have lost count on the number of times I have heard this response from the uninformed person who acknowledges that she/he wants to pursue a career in public relations. In order to succeed in the public […]

When to Fire Your Public Relations Agency

A good public relations agency brings a lot to the table. They can increase sales, improve brand reputation, introduce new products or services and take care of your social media efforts, leaving you free to focus on other parts of the business.  But when this isn’t your area of expertise, how do you know if […]

What is Public Relations? 7 PR Definitions  

For an industry that does so much to help define its clients and their industries, it is an unfortunate turn of events that our own industry has such a vague understanding among many audiences.  When I first told my parents I had entered into the field of public relations they went about telling all of […]

Tips for When You Interview at a PR Firm

OK, so you got yourself that interview with a public relations agency. Now what do you do? Review their website.  I can’t stress enough the importance of becoming familiar with the agency, its philosophy, client categories, client list and work samples. From this you’ll be able to discern whether this is the shop for you.   […]

Interview Tips for a Job in Public Relations

Did you know that you can win or lose your new job interview within the first five minutes? First impressions count, and non-verbal cues matter even more than verbal ones. So in those first few minutes, it’s all about smiling confidently, shaking hands firmly, making eye contact and generally looking as if you’re glad to […]

5 Ways to Ace a PR Presentation

OK, so you’ve gotten the call—you’re one of the public relations agencies chosen to present your recommended public relations program to the perspective client. You’re passed the written portion of the “test” and now you’re on to the in-person review.  Preparing for the presentation is probably the most important part of the “test.” Remember: It’s […]

7 Tips for Writing a Strong Press Release

Press releases are essential in any public relations strategy.  They detail product launches, special events and other newsworthy activities that a company produces. Because media outlets are flooded with daily stories and pitches, it is imperative that you make yours stand out from the rest. Here are seven tips to make your press release stand […]