Every week, we like to hold mini-training sessions on everything from insider info from local “meet the media” events to the latest features on social media platforms. It’s a great way for our team members to share their expertise with the broader agency and learn valuable tips to help with the daily grind.

Recently, I had the pleasure of leading a session that’s near and dear to my heart – running a PR campaign. Any successful PR effort requires careful planning, flawless execution and a heavy dose of creativity. And while seasoned communicators know this process like the back of their hands, it’s a tall order (and a lot to juggle) for those newer to profession.

So in an effort to break down the process, I came up with ten words to describe the major activities that go into any basic PR campaign:

1. Plan – Before the campaign begins, it’s critical to have a solid media plan in place. What are the goals and expectations of the campaign? Who’s the target audience? What’s the timing? What assets will you need?

2. Assign – In a team setting, it’s absolutely critical to assign responsibilities to individual team members. Who’s going to 1) write the press release and/or the pitch? 2) create the media lists? 3) be the point person for updates to the internal team and/or the client?

3. Research – Are there stats/trends that could make the pitch more compelling? Who are the relevant reporters/pubs and how will you find them? Is there anything, competitively, that you could tie in to the pitch?

4. Build – Create all of the materials that your team will need, including media list(s), a briefing document outline, talking points for spokespeople and more.

5. Write – Now is the time to put your thinking cap on and draft that press release or media alert, customize your pitches, come up with a unique byline abstract—anything you’ll need to make the campaign a success.

6. Distribute – What’s the best approach for your campaign? Will you distribute news via a wire service? Send the news or story idea to select journalists using a media database? Or, do custom emails make the most sense? What type of media follow-up is appropriate?

7. Communicate – With everyone! Share feedback/challenges/opportunities with fellow team members and managers, and always keep your client informed on progress and next steps.

8. Search (for coverage) – While Google Alerts are useful, go the extra mile and check the pub’s website or look at the reporter’s twitter handle (many reporters tweet out their stories). And if you’re expecting something longer-lead, put a reminder in your calendar to check in at a later date.

9. Recap – It’s also important to document everything you’re seeing or hearing from your contacts – coverage, feedback/interest, requests for follow ups and more. Establish a recap frequency with the client, and stick with it.

10. Measure – Whether you have a simple process in place, or need a more detailed analysis, measure, measure measure! Keep track of the number of articles, interviews conducted, share of voice, notable spokesperson quotes—anything that helps move the mark for your client, and raises the bar for your team the next time around.

While this list isn’t exhaustive (and every campaign is different!), I hope this simplifies the process a bit for people that are just dipping their toes into the PR world. Happy pitching!

Let me let you in on a little secret. I love making New Years resolutions, but I’m terrible at keeping them. All it takes is a few weeks before I slowly return to the comfort of my old habits. But this year will be different. I’m setting smaller, but still equally as important goals that I can actually reach.

For my work-related resolutions, I’m vowing to ditch some of the bad habits I’ve accumulated over the years. And as it turns out, there are some great resources to help me stay focused and avoid the temptation of returning to old devices. Here are a few positive changes I’m looking forward to making in 2013:

1) Move away from the screen – Yes, emails and Twitter conversations are (usually) fast and easy, but there’s nothing quite like meeting with someone face to face. And in the PR business, developing strong relationships with people in the industry – media, clients, partners, peers or otherwise – is key. So in 2013, I’ll be getting out more to meet with the folks I interact with on a daily basis. If you’re thinking of doing the same, PRSA NY’s programs and events page is a great place to start.

2) Go for brevity in writing – In B2B tech PR, running into complex terms, technologies and processes is just a normal day on the job. So is making the information easy to understand for the audiences we’re trying to reach. I like to think I’m getting better and better, but there’s always room for improvement. Good thing Ragan’s PR Daily has a handy article – 20 Phrases You Can Replace With One Word – that I’ll bookmark for later.

3) Along those lines, ditch the business jargon – When I first started in PR, I never thought I’d be one of “those” people who say things like “circle back,” “robust,” or the cringe-worthy “boil the ocean.” Oh how wrong I was. I’m not sure when the words first made their way into my vocabulary, but I know I’m leaving them in 2012. This Forbes article will definitely help keep me in check in the New Year.

4) Learn a new skill – Unless you are working on projects that expose you to new areas of the communications field, chances are you (like me) have an opportunity to branch out and learn a few new skills. With 2013 approaching, there’s no time like the present for a little professional development. Check out PR Week, Bulldog Reporter and other industry trades to see what’s right for you.

5) Lend a helping hand – If 2012 taught us anything, it’s the importance of coming together as a community in times of need (and well after the news trucks have left). Next year, I’ll be using the volunteer days offered to me by Affect, and will be encouraging others on our team to do the same. Whether you’re helping to rebuild after Hurricane Sandy, lending your support in the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, or offering your time for another deserving cause, any and all help is appreciated.

Are there goals you’re looking forward to reaching in 2013? Bad habits to walk away from? Leave your resolutions in the comments below!

Happy New Year, all!

Hi TechAffect readers! I’m Katie Koenig, Affect’s newest hire! I was asked to write this blog post to show all NYIP entrants, voters, friends and family a glimpse into our wonderful office. I am currently one of Affect’s PR & Social Media interns and have been here since September 2011. I have loved interning at Affect and am thrilled to continue on as a full time Assistant Account Executive starting this May. Read on to see what it’s like at the Affect office!

When you’re finally done dodging around fast paced New Yorkers on the street, you find the right address: 989 Avenue of the Americas. As you pull open the tall glass doors, you enter the well-lit lobby and are warmly greeted by our security guard Wilma. She directs you to the elevator that will take you up to the 6^th floor.  Once the elevator opens up, you step right into a bright, chic office. Welcome to Affect!

Pat, the 2011 winner of The New York Intern Project and now an Assistant Account Executive, is usually the one to greet our guests. His bright smile and enthusiastic welcome will make you feel instantly comfortable in our office. You scan your surroundings and start to take it all in. The loud sounds of the traffic of Midtown, the amazing sunlight that fills the room, the constant clicking of computer keyboards. So this is what a PR firm in New York is like! You look to your right and you see a glass enclosed conference room. This is where all of our team meetings take place, which range from team lunches from Chipotle to weekly staff meetings. Here at Affect we are always trying to make our daily tasks more fun. A few weeks ago, this is where we had our staff meeting while simultaneously celebrating National Potato Chip Day!

When you look straight ahead, you see a smaller glass enclosed conference room. This is where Affect employees will have their weekly client calls, client team meetings, and brainstorm sessions. If you take a left out of the elevator, you’ll see our comfortable seating area with an extensive display of awards. Your eyes widen as you read the trophies: PR News Top Place To Work In PR, Inc. Magazine America’s 5,000 Fastest Growing Companies, Bulldog Reporter Small Agency Of The Year? This must be a fantastic place to work!

On the left side of the office you’ll encounter more work areas, offices, smiling faces, and the office kitchen. We work hard here at Affect, so sometimes you need that extra caffeine boost to get you going. You’ll always hear the coffee machine brewing around here!

Here at Affect, we love our beautiful office space as much as we love our jobs. The Affect Team is thrilled to pick our next rock star intern from The New York Intern Project. Keep racking up those votes, and this summer it could be YOU entering our home on the 6^th floor!

1. What SOPA Means for PR Professionals (Ragan’s PR Daily)

SOPA was a major industry topic this week, with a large amount of websites, including Wikipedia, protesting the act. It’s interesting to see how this act influences public relations. For example, did you know that if you represent a client with a non-U.S. website that hosts offensive content, Google will be required to exclude the website from their search engine?

2. PR: The Best Insurance in a Crisis? (PR News)

After the sinking of a Carnival Cruise ship off the coast of Italy, there was a lot of discussion on how large companies should handle this type of crisis. PR News wrote an interesting story explaining that many insurance companies are partnering with public relations agencies to offer crisis management services to businesses.

3. Interview: Mark Cuban On PR’s Value For Startups (PRSAY)

Last week, Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, wrote a piece in Entrepreneur advising startups on how to have a successful start. One of his rules was to “never hire a PR firm.” After receiving a large amount of feedback on his advice, Mark Cuban spoke with the PR blog, PRSAY, to provide more details on his response.

If you find any additional great public relations articles that you’d like to share, get in touch in the comments section.

Back in September the PR firm came under fire after the LA Times uncovered that Coghlan was affiliated with fake news site, News Hawks Review, and had been shamelessly promoting their client Central Basin Municipal Water District of California on the site. Coghlan has an agreement between Central Basin’s public affairs office which promises promotional stories “written in the image of real news.”

This couldn’t be a more blatant violation of PR ethical standards.

Following the LA Times’ expose, PRSA weighed in condemning Coghlan actions and the industry rags were all a flutter with disapproval. You would think, given the public outcry, Coghlan would amend its ways. Quite the contrary. The LA Times reported Tuesday that the fake site, News Hawks, was publishing stories by “journalists” that didn’t exist. Since being called out on this, they have taken down their staff bios. PR Daily outlined the full details of their actions.

Of course, this is something that shouldn’t be breached and Coghlan did so intentionally, which is an issue. But here are three tips to make sure you’re on the right side of the ethical line, when doing PR for a client:

Don’t Pretend to Be Something You’re Not: You should never misrepresent who you are, or who your client is.

Transparency Is Key: Be honest and forthcoming about all relevant aspects of what you’re doing when personally promoting a client and you’ll avoid potentially hairy situations.

If  Your Stomach Hurts At The Idea, You Probably Shouldn’t Do It: The situation with Coghlan serves as a scary reminder to do a gut check every now and again when you find yourself in a hairy situation.

It’s a hilarious – and also scary – take on how many of us PR professionals are dumping the word “excited” into each press release. And I won’t lie (because the internet lives forever), I’ve also used the word “excited” in releases from time to time.

So while it’s tempting to simply now offer a few thesaurus-ready alternatives to “excited“, I think what we (myself included) really need to do is re-evalaute the way we write quotes in general. As such, here are a few things to consider before falling into the age-old, “We’re so excited to….” quote:

• Can you skip over the excitement all together? Often, we’re opening with “we’re so excited” as way to stall the quote. Write the quote, then cut out the “excited” clause – the rest of the quote may work as a stand alone.
• Quotes are most effective when they sound like they were actually spoken by the attributed executive. Consider that executive’s “voice” and consider what they may actually say about the announcement (and I’m willing to bet few can’t wait to tell you about how “excited” they are.)
• Write down the top messages you’re trying to get across in the release. Are you missing any of them? Make that message the quote, and get straight to the point.
• Quotes are a fantastic tactic for when you want to insert opinion into a news release, and can’t simply type up a statement about your client’s perspective in a raw paragraph. Use the executive quote to put the opinion at the forefront. For example, “We’re the only company leveraging this technology to do X”, or “Our software is matchless in its ability to Y.”

Any other strategies for avoiding seeing your press release on the Everyone’s Excited in Press Releases blog?

How does this relate back to PR? Well…recently, I was in a rather observant mood and started noticing the “handout” techniques promoters were using. Some loudly called out the name of their companies; some interrupted groups of people asking what their plans were for the day. Others took more creative approaches. I remember seeing promoters dressed up as brides to snag viewers for the premiere of Who the [Bleep] Did I Marry? There was even someone singing who managed to draw a small crowd. But there’s one tactic I will never understand: the people that just stand there. Arms outstretched with flyers in hand. Saying nothing. Telling you nothing about the company they represent. I’ll let you guess who has the most flyers left at the end of the day.

The point is, we can all learn a thing or two from flyer distributors about connecting with customers. Here are just a few things that come to mind:

• Know your core buyers – People giving out flyers for Empire State Building tours were talking to families and other tourists carrying cameras outside of Grand Central. Salon promoters were chatting up young men and women outside of H&M. Identifying places to best reach your target audiences can help you focus your sales efforts.
• Communicate what you offer - What makes you different from the five other people who just tried to sell me a tour to the same NYC landmark? Markets are crowded and the ability to quickly communicate your differentiators helps potential buyers distinguish your company from the competition.
• Demonstrate your skills – People working for comedy shows will tell jokes on the street to sell tickets. Software companies offer subscription trials to new customers. Giving potential customers a taste of what they’ll get helps influence purchasing decisions.
• Offer up knowledge - Even if someone has passed on tickets to the latest Broadway show, most vendors are happy to give directions to tourists, or offer up suggestions on other activities to try out. Providing potential customers with valuable knowledge about your industry in general, even if someone isn’t buying, is a way to cultivate market leadership and brand recognition for next time.

Visitors to New York – have you purchased tickets to top sightseeing destinations, shows, etc? If so, what was it about your salesperson that convinced you to buy?

A PR or Advertising person attending Internet Week walks into a bar…. No, it’s not necessarily a joke that requires a fill-in-the-blank answer.

There were many of us PR/Advertising-savvy types at Internet Week (#IWNY), and after the sessions and panels had wrapped, many of us did continue our networking and socializing at the bar parties afterwards. Need proof? Checked Twitpic or Facebook lately?

All kidding aside, there were some rather serious business-oriented lessons to be had from this year’s Internet Week. I’ll share a few of those with you here, keeping with a “bar” theme. (I’ll take some poetic license with the “bar” thing, so just work with me here, OK?)

“Bar” #1: Storytelling, Humor and “Touchy-Feely” Moves to B2B

It’s very clear at this point that “THE BAR IS RAISED” regarding engaging in an effective and relevant way via social media, and that’s no longer limited to B2C companies, but also B2Bs as well. After all, companies are made up of people, and those people have emotions that (whether they are conscious of it or not) are driving many decisions. At Internet Week, there was great emphasis on using strategies in corporate communication efforts that only a few years ago, some might have dismissed as too “touchy-feely” for business.

This year amongst business types, there seemed to be an increased appreciation and perceived business value for reaching out for that emotional connection. There were many mentions of “storytelling”, both auditory and visual, within a corporate context. There were a lot of discussions about how “humor” is important and can not only help connect with an audience, but also may help a brand diffuse a situation if there is some unwanted brand-mocking going on.

“Bar” #2: There’s a Social Media Strategy for Every Business (You Just Have  to Figure it Out)

“BAR NONE”, today’s companies, B2C or B2B, can certainly benefit from some type of social media presence. Of course, you didn’t really need to attend Internet Week to know this, but it was certainly reinforced as to how many different shapes, flavors, and textures that social media presence can have and that there is a strategy out there that will be a good fit, if only you just dedicate some time to figure that out. There are so many options, formats and mediums available when it comes to social media, and a much larger price to pay in abstaining. Authenticity resonates, so it’s also important, whatever the approach/strategy, that the social media presence be true to the “voice” of the company/brand.

“Bar” #3: Messages have to Be Crafted With Two-Way Communications in Mind

“DON’T BAR-K”. (OK, so “bar” is in there. It counts!) This year’s Internet Week attendees realize that the era when only one-way communication was sufficient is over.  Barking at people about what your company feels is important with timing of your company’s choosing will no longer cut it. Companies can still craft messages, but that they also need to listen, engage, and do it all in a timely, relevant manner. Just as it wouldn’t be a good idea to crash a bar party and thrust your business cards into everyone’s hands suddenly without an introduction and some conversation, this holds true for today’s online business presence as well. Also, timing is important. Even if you love animals, if you’re not expecting a dog to bark, and he does suddenly, it can be startling. If in real estate, it’s “location, location, location”, then in social media it’s “timing, timing, timing”. People and companies are surely more receptive when the timing is right.

Hope these 3 “bar” tips I’ve shared here are helpful and satisfying. Speaking of satisfying, all this “bar” talk is making me crave a bar of a different kind. (Hmm. Should I go with milk or dark?) It must be Internet Week sweets truck withdrawal.

-Stephanie Grayson (@Critiques4Geeks)

Stephanie Grayson is an experienced corporate communications professional in New York who sometimes guest-blogs on PR and Advertising when cool people ask her to.

On Wednesday, an employee for the Secret Service — thinking they were logged in to their personal account — posted a tweet to the Service’s account that read, “Had to monitor Fox for a story. Can’t. Deal. With. The. Blathering.” The tweet created quite a buzz before it got deleted, as it got passed around Twitter through numerous retweets and screen shots.

Fortunately for the Secret Service, they handled the mishap as though they’d been dealing with the social media platform for years. Their response was quick and to the point. They deleted the tweet almost immediately, and quickly followed that by issuing a formal apology for the tweet. In their apology, the Service indicated that the user no longer had access to their official account due to the “unapproved and inappropriate tweet.”

Despite their best hopes and efforts, this story gained a lot of attention on Twitter and beyond.

Since no sensitive information was leaked and thousands people were made aware of their new account, the incident may actually prove to be a boon for the Secret Service’s account moving forward. As a result, they have accumulated more than 23,000 followers in less than eleven days since the account launched – stats countless companies would love to duplicate.

All in all, they handled their first Twitter crisis in the appropriate manner, but it’s instances like this that illustrate the importance of having a social media usage policy in place before venturing on to new platforms. It’s vital that companies of all sizes are prepared to handle crises like this to mitigate potential damage.

What do you think? Was the Secret Service lucky this wasn’t a bigger issue?

1) Plan Your Intro. When approaching someone you don’t know, think about an opening line (just don’t ask them if they come here often). A tried and true approach is to inquire about their connection to the organization hosting the event.

2) Engage the loner. Have you ever been at an event where you know no one, and are tempted to hide out near the buffet table, but then someone approaches you and makes an introduction? Now think about how grateful you were that someone engaged you. The loner nursing a beer and scanning his BlackBerry in the corner may in fact be a great contact for you.

3) Ask compelling questions. Take the conversation beyond small talk, and ask them interesting questions that aren’t too focused on business, but could lead to a lively discussion. For example, you may ask, “have you read any books or articles that really stuck with you recently?” or  “did you hear that a couple in Israel named their child ‘like’ in an homage to Facebook?”

4) Plan an escape route. There is nothing wrong with bowing out of a conversation that has run its course. At any point, you can simply say, “it was great to meet you. Keep in touch, here’s my card.” They will probably be relieved to move on as well.

5) Follow-up is key. The day after an event, examine your stack of business cards. For people who would make a good addition to your network, drop them a casual, non-salesy email. Tell them you enjoyed meeting them and note one personal piece of your conversation. Consider adding them to your network on LinkedIn and following them on Twitter as well.

There are scores of articles published offering their own set of networking tips. The best one I’ve found is a compilation of crowdsourced tips (read it here). My favorite – never use the word “I” until the third sentence.

I’ll no doubt be using these strategies at Affect’s office warming party tonight, where we will show off our sparkling new space to friends, clients and partners.

Do you have any tips to share?

Image courtesy blog.larrybodine.com