Summer Publicity – When the Living is Easy
It is not always the case, but often the news cycle slows down during the summer. Many people take vacations, organizations postpone major decisions and reporters can be a bit more willing to consider your story pitches. As summer takes hold, here are a few seasonal suggestions to enhance your organization’s chance of getting positive […]
Online’s Digital Communications Revolution
One of the fundamental shifts in the news business in the last 25 years is the explosive growth in online digital communications. Fifteen years ago, a publicist could consider his or her job done once they covered the major news outlets of the daily newspaper and surrounding broadcast resources, including TV and radio. No more. […]
5 Ways to Get More Publicity through Your Nonprofit CEO or Top Leaders, Part 1
Frequently, the most visible promoter of a nonprofit is the president or chief operating officer, though getting them good publicity is not always an easy task. Still, their presence often embodies the image that many donors and clients have of the organization, and a nonprofit can make itself more visible simply by highlighting that presence. […]
5 Things I Learned at the NRB Convention
Going to the annual NRB International Christian Media Convention is always exciting. The hallways, meeting rooms and exhibit booths are filled with energetic, skilled Christian communicators, always looking to enhance their ability to carry Christ’s message. There are plenty of opportunities, too. The 4-day event is packed with workshops, panels and seminars that provide up-to-date […]
PR Professionals Share Key Tips to Writing Press Releases that Can’t Be Ignored
Public relations practitioners hear the same questions over and over when they try to interest a journalist in an organization’s news event: Got something written? Got a release? Simply put, press releases are a stylized summary of what an organization thinks is important, written in the way that journalists typically write news stories. The duties […]
Effective Reporting That Will Impress Your Board of Directors
For many nonprofits, the beginning of the year is a time for assessment and re-dedication. It is a time for the board to review past performance and tweak–or possibly set–goals for the coming year. To prep the board for its assessment, many organizations prepare a year-end report. Usually, the report contains financial information and a […]
5 Biggest Stories That Captured the Attention of Christians in 2015
Police shootings, terrorist attacks, a refugee crisis—2015 offered no shortage of events to lament. It also gave us reasons to rejoice: three American friends thwarted a terrorist attack on a train in France, and China announced the end of its one-child policy. There were also stories to make us giggle, like those liberated llamas that […]
Six Public Relations Blunders That Can Hurt Your Organization
Saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Saying the right thing at the wrong time. Delivering a garbled message. Saying nothing at all. These are all common public relations mistakes that can hurt your organization and its mission. Learning to recognize some typical slip-ups can help you avoid them—and the trouble they can cause. […]
#GivingTuesday Boosts Year-end Donations for Non-Profits
Move over Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Small Business Saturday. There’s a relatively new kid on the block — #GivingTuesday — and its M.O. is charity, not consumerism. On Tuesday, Dec. 1, the fourth #GivingTuesday (www.givingtuesday.org) will bring focus to organizational fundraising within a 24-hour period. Does it work? The Network for Good reported that […]
Branding Buzz — What’s the Fuss?
Your brand is the foundation of everything you do, the single most important communications work an organization can undertake. The process of brand development and articulation aligns your organization, whether it be big or small, to achieve greater focus and maximum results. Some faith-based organizations look down on branding and marketing, thinking it worldly and […]