*This post is part of Bailey Gardiner’s Public Relations Tactics series, which highlights tools and best practices to ensure a successful public relations campaign. The series will run weekly.

If you work for a public relations firm, why wouldn’t you do your own PR and practice what you preach?

A while back, Jennifer from our advertising team blogged about Bailey Gardiner’s ad in USA Today. But like she mentioned in her post, advertising is only part of the strategy in branding yourself and working with the types of clients you want to represent. Creating an integrated strategy by adding public relations and social media to the mix is like the one-two punch. Ready? And go.

Here are just a few ways to PR your agency’s work:

Share Agency News

You’re proud of the work you do, right? Announce new hires and share your agency wins with PR trades like PRWeek and Bulldog Reporter as well as local business publications and online. PitchEngine is great service that makes it easy to create a social media news release and your own social media newsroom.

Utilize Social Media Platforms

Whether it’s creating mobile video or doing industry-specific public relations,  showcase your agency’s brilliant thinking on platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook, or make it easy for people to find you with a Twitter handle or Twitter hashtag.

Position Key Staff as Experts

Another way you can use PR to promote your agency. Pitch senior staff as experts available for interview and for speaking opportunities.

When I read this hilarious post from The Oatmeal, I remembered back to when I decided to major in Communications/Public Relations at San Diego State University. I was informed that I had to pass the GSP (grammar, spelling, punctuation) test (I know I’m dating myself). Each student was only allowed three times to take it and if you didn’t pass, you had to take a semester-long course. It totally freaked me out only because I heard a lot of horror stories from other students.

My head was buried in my AP Stylebook for weeks and I ended up failing. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t really understand how knowing all of this information was going to be useful to me in my career. That’s what spell check was for, people. And, come on. I was a sophomore in college, pledging a sorority (insert joke here) and just wanted to graduate and get a job. This little GSP test wasn’t going to hold me back. I had things to do.

Well, after nearly 10 years of working in this profession, I’d like to go back and tell my college self just how important it is to know the difference between “their”, “they’re” and “there” and “loose” and “lose.” Now, I did end up passing the test the second go at it, but it wasn’t without some help from a study course. And, it is my mission in life to make sure that every intern I come into contact with, any aspiring public relations professional I speak to, or anyone that reads this post, knows that having an AP Stylebook handy at your desk (even it is from 1998) is the most important book you’ll own.

Why is it so important you ask? Well, pressing send on an email to a client or media contact with “How’s the whether in NYC today?”, or “Hope to see you their” in the copy probably isn’t going to score any points, or land my client the feature story in the Wall Street Journal. Even posting a status on your personal Facebook page as, “I definately can’t wait for the weekend.” is almost guaranteed a public call-out from my sarcastic and slightly critical friends.

I’ve listed a few below you should absolutely have memorized. The rest you can use a dictionary and that trusty little thing I like to call my “save me from public humiliation book.”

1. Affect vs. Effect: As written on The Oatmeal- “Most of the time effect is a noun and affect is a verb. If you’re unsure, try substituting a different verb and see if it works.”
2. Don’t start a sentence with a numeral. Spell out a numeral at the beginning of a sentence, or re-write the sentence so the number appears later. The only time you can use an actual numeral to begin a sentence is when it’s a year.
3. They’re, their and there: Honestly, this is the most commonly misused word I see. They’re is a contraction for “they are.” Their is possessive. There refers to a place.
4. “I before E except after C”: Receive- not recieve, Friend- not freind, Thief- not theif.
5. Finally, if you’re going to get one thing right, it’s “loose” not “lose.” You don’t loose your keys, or your shoelaces aren’t lose.

*This post is part of Bailey Gardiner’s Public Relations Tactics series, which highlights tools and best practices to ensure a successful public relations campaign. The series will run weekly.

We have all had a client that wants to be on Oprah or wants a full-page feature in the Wall Street Journal, whether they are a fit or not. And wants it tomorrow. PR pros often encounter a client with unrealistic expectations, and it is the public relations firm’s responsibility to properly manage a client’s expectations. When starting a new public relations campaign or a new relationship with a client, an agency should remember:

Don’t over-promise.

When you are pitching new business or planning a new campaign, don’t promise the moon if you cannot deliver. Be realistic about what outcomes and successes can be expected for your public relations campaign and it won’t come back and bite you in the butt later when you cannot achieve what you said you could.

Explain the public relations process to your client.

Not all clients understand how public relations works, what is a normal time frame for getting press, and what is a reasonable outcome. Share the process with your client. Explain the details of your strategy, objectives and tactics. It could also be beneficial to share case studies with your client to help frame reasonable expectations for a public relations campaign.

Set and agree upon your scope of work, goals and benchmarks in advance.

Establish in advance how your success will be measured. Write down how you will be evaluated, discuss with your client and get approval. Make sure your client knows what falls under your scope of work and what they are responsible for doing. This should all be agreed upon before work begins.  Once work does begin, always provide your client with detailed reports on your progress and report your benchmarks clearly.

Communicate with your client, and communicate with them often.

This is most important, as the key to a great client relationship is communication. Having consistent communication ensures everyone is on the same page and your client is not in the dark about what you are doing, when they can expect results, and what those results might be.

Any other tips for managing client expectations?

*This post is part of Bailey Gardiner’s Public Relations Tactics series, which highlights tools and best practices to ensure a successful public relations campaign. The series will run weekly.

Whether your public relations campaign lasts three months or 5 years, it’s important to develop an accurate and timely calendar to keep your campaign on track. From magazines to local events, each outlet and opportunity operates on a different timeline, some of which are easily spelled out and others which are more of a guessing game. Either way, miss their deadline and you’re toast.

Here are 5 tips for developing a PR calendar that works.

• Think Long Leads: Long lead publications operate anywhere between 4-6 months in advance, which makes it easy to lose track of what kinds of stories they’re looking for (when we’re thinking about hitting the beach, they’re thinking about holiday gift guides). Depending on the goals of your campaign, it can be nightmarish to miss these opportunities because you didn’t act in time.  By adding long lead pitch ideas and reminders to your calendar you’ll keep yourself thinking 4-6 months ahead all year long. Now, what are we all doing for the 4th (of July)?

• Editorial Calendars: Want to be included in a “Top 10″ list that runs annually or a “Best of” section. More often than not, long and short lead publication have an editorial calendar that outlines the months these will occur during the following year. Even if you don’t have something specific in mind, Ed Cals will tell you exactly what publications are planning to cover and when. These can often be a gold mine of information and should always be top priority when developing a PR calendar.

• Include Short Leads: While short lead publications don’t require much advance notice, they typically plan special sections and some feature stories further in advance. For topics like back to school, summer travel stories, and holiday gift guides it’s best to allow more time than less; especially now that papers have smaller staffs to cover the same number of stories.

• Events: If your client is interested in having a booth at, attending, or sponsoring an event, there’s a deadline for that. When kicking off a PR campaign see if your client is interested in national events, local events, sporting events, charitable events, etc. and then bring them opportunities that will help them grow their brand and image. Just make sure you bring them that opportunity in time. Even if the deadline hasn’t passed, booths and space fill up.

• Awards: There are awards for everything. Trust me. Submitting your client for appropriate industry and media awards can be an important part of a PR campaign. (Plus, everyone likes winning). When developing a PR calendar, look at major industry awards and awards in appropriate publications and make sure you note the deadlines and submission information.

*This post is part of Bailey Gardiner’s Public Relations Tactics series, which highlights tools and best practices to ensure a successful public relations campaign. The series will run weekly.

Media relations and writing successful pitches are two skills that get better with practice, much like how wine and cheese get better with age – two of my other favorite things, in addition to public relations. My first successful pitches were written during my days as a PR intern at Bailey Gardiner, and I’ve since learned a few tips on writing pitches that work and deliver results, like one to LA Times’ Brand X for Electra Bicycle Company.

Electra bikes featured in LA Times' Brand X

• Consider starting with a question and keep the intro brief. I started this pitch by asking, “Are you familiar with Electra Bicycle Company?” Then, I summarized what the company is known for in one sentence. Reporters are people. Have a conversation.
• If what you’re pitching isn’t new, make it sound new. It’s all in the delivery and how you phrase your sentences.  Are you pitching a story angle the publication has not yet covered? Can you offer the reporter an idea of what’s to come next from your client and when?
• Pick one angle and stick to the point. Electra has four bike lines and more than 200 different styles of bikes. Where to start? I picked three bikes and explained in three bullet points why readers would want these specific bikes.
• Be specific in your ask. Instead of closing with something general like, “Please feel free to contact me with questions or more information,” try closing your pitch with something more specific. Offer photos or an interview.

Now, it’s about landing the PR hit by following up and calling the reporter. What other tips do you have for writing successful public relations pitches?

*This post is part of Bailey Gardiner’s Public Relations Tactics series, which highlights tools and best practices to ensure a successful public relations campaign. The series will run weekly.

By now, everyone knows about the drama surrounding Tiger Woods and his 10, wait, 11, alleged mistresses. Tiger made golf cool to play and be a fan of and his friendly, family-oriented persona made him a likeable celebrity. Will he be able to recover from all the bad publicity and tainted reputation? Will the PGA ever be the same now that it’s star athlete pulled the wool over millions of fans? Only time and a good crisis communications plan will tell.

In an article written for “Everything PR”, the author, Phil Butler, says, “Golf as a gentleman’s sport will surely cease to exist.” Whether you believe that or not, the PGA is definitely involved in a crisis. Their brand is threatened by the allegations against Tiger Woods. The PGA has an opportunity to step up and make a statement- the opposite of what its star didn’t do.

There are a few rules when communicating during a crisis:

1. Plan. Plan for every possible crisis that could be related to your brand BEFORE they happen.

2. Be flexible. A crisis, often times, doesn’t give a heads up. You may have a plan on your shelf, but be prepared to change it and roll with the punches.

3. Solid tactics. As PR professionals, we often look at the bigger picture with objectives and strategies. Sometimes you don’t have time to address those when faced with a crisis. The only objective you should have is to save your brand’s reputation. How you get there and what you do specific to the situation is what’s important.

4. Speed and transparency. Take action quickly and be as transparent as possible. The crisis will only get worse if you try to deceive the public.

5. Engage often and early. Don’t wait until the next day to address the public. The news will spin out of control and it’s our job as PR professionals to control the message. Keep the media up-to-date and set a high standard for your communications.

6. Measure. Measure your messages and how well you controlled those messages. Did your brand recover? How long did it take? What were the unintended outcomes?

By the time you finish reading this post, the number of alleged mistresses Tiger is associated with has probably increased. I really hope the PGA is all over this and comes back stronger and more respected for the actions they take. As for Tiger, I’m not so sure. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

*This post is part of Bailey Gardiner’s Public Relations Tactics series, which highlights tools and best practices to ensure a successful public relations campaign. The series will run weekly.

There’s been some, okay a lot of, debate about whether or not the press release is going out of style; some say they’re archaic and everyone knows they definitely don’t mesh well with the world of social media. Yet, public relations agencies and marketing people all over the world are still writing them, whether or not they fit into a 160 character mold. When written well, they are an effective way of distributing information and can aid journalists in writing their story.

Here are four tips for writing an effective press release:

• Organize by importance: A press release is meant to distribute information; so, the most important information needs to be easily accessible. Over flowery language or convoluted sentences negate the true value of a press release. Make sure the primary information is easy to understand and easy to find.

• Incorporate SEO: Today press releases are popping up in more places online than ever before and attention to keywords should reflect this. If you’ve already established key words for your brand, a blog, or website, maintain those in press releases as well. Plus, if a release lands on sites that are already high-ranking, it could be extremely easy to find.

• Format Appropriately: Format the release to appropriately reflect its subject matter. If the release is about an event, have a bolded “who, what, when, where” section. This makes it easy for journalists to find and use the information.

• Add a pitch (outside of the wires): While releases provide all the necessary information, a pitch is the place to provide a potential story angle, reference something else the reporter covered, or add anything additional to the provided information. Just sending a release, without a pitch, can seem cold and lacks personalization.

Top 5 tips for calling Media

*This post is part of Bailey Gardiner’s Public Relations Tactics series, which highlights tools and best practices to ensure a successful public relations campaign. The series will run weekly.

For those of you not familiar, the infamous follow-up phone call is a PR tactic we use to try to convey the awesomeness of our clients in the 15  short seconds we have before a reporter cuts us off and tells us he’s on deadline. These calls can be scary, repetitive and frustrating, but more importantly, extremely effective.

As it turns out there is an art to the follow up phone call, and in my past two years at BG, I have learned a couple of great tips that I thought I’d share here.

Top 5 tips for calling media:

• Don’t script out your call. It’s so tempting to do, but don’t. The reporter on the other end can invariably tell that you are reading your message and will likely completely tune you out. If you are leaving a voice mail, you probably got deleted after the first sentence. If you got them live, they likely stopped listening a while ago and when you do finish reading, they will tell you to send it in an email and hang up. Instead, try and remember that the person on the other end is human. Ask them questions. Maybe even start with a “how’s your day going?” You can ask them if now is a good time to chat. And after you give them your very short pitch, ask them if this is something they’d be interested in.

• If they answer, get as much information out of them as possible. These days it seems challenging to get someone on the other end to even pick up, so if you are fortunate enough to get someone live, make the most out of the opportunity. If they aren’t interested, ask them if there is someone else who is. You can also try another angle with them or ask them what they are interested in. And if you have another client that might be a fit, be sure to tell them about that, too.

• Try calling at different times of the day. Sometimes you’ll take out your list and make 20 calls and not one person will answer. That’s no fun. We all know a voicemail will only get us so far and it’s best to get someone live so you can really talk through all the angles. So once you’ve left your voicemail try calling back on a different day at a different time. And then just keep trying until someone answers. Your efforts will be rewarded when you finally get Mr. Reporter on the phone and he tells you yes.

• Remember what was said during the phone call. It can get confusing when you call person after person, but if you are able to have an actual conversation with the reporter, remembering what was said can go a long way to building a relationship with media. I once had a reporter from the Dallas Morning News who told me she wished our client that does stem cell therapy for animals would do it for humans so she could get some on her knee. Those little tidbits are gold when sending your email, because it proves to the reporter that you were listening and that you are genuinely interested in working with them. It also helps them remember you and your client. All in all, a win-win.

• You have 15 seconds – one of my colleagues once broke it down for me like this, and I’ve found it to be really true: You essentially have 15 seconds to capture the media’s interest so the first sentence you say about your client better be solid. After that if they are still interested, you have about a minute to make your case. Any longer and they’ll start to tune you out, so have a little list of the best, most-newsworthy points that you can touch on in just a minute. If they are still interested, then you are good to go. You can likely keep them on the phone for another 5 minutes after that. The trouble is, it’s so hard to get past the first two barriers that you don’t often get those 5 minutes. So prepare yourself, prioritize your points and then just wow them.

Got any other good pointers for luring the media in via phone?

*This post is part of Bailey Gardiner’s Public Relations Tactics series, which highlights tools and best practices to ensure a successful public relations campaign. The series will run weekly.

Working on the public relations team at Bailey Gardiner requires being a Jack (or more likely Jane) of all trades. However, there’s one aspect of traditional pr that will always be a staple at this public relations firm: building solid relationships with media members.  It’s not easy (our clients wouldn’t pay us if it were) and it can be easily overstepped; especially with the multitude of closings, reorganizations, and layoffs recently. Yet, it can be one of the most important weapons in an agency’s arsenal of public relations tactics.

Here are four basics for effectively building media relationships.

• Research: Whether it’s your first day as an Account Coordinator or your first day with a new client, you have to figure out who the big players are. I don’t mean pulling their name from a database with facts about how they cover “regional travel.” Do some of the legwork. Read their articles, follow them on Twitter, think about their areas of interest. Learn the basics, especially if they cover a topic you anticipate pitching frequently. This will come in especially handy when you get them on the phone.
• Think before you pitch: Part of an effective public relations plan isn’t just hard hitting phone calls and magically crafted subject lines, it’s being able to look for the newsworthy and interesting angles that your client has to offer and helping them continue to produce them over time. It might not be the most interesting client, but YOU are the one pitching them. If your pitch is boring, awful, or too long, you could start burning a bridge you need. If your pitch is interesting, you approach the appropriate person, and you cater to their needs, the media will begin to trust and respect you. An assignment editor for a major news desk here in San Diego once told me he could identify a local public relations person by the sound of her voice. Media members do pay attention, for better or for worse.

• Be genuine: Ever since that time in 8th grade when your BFF passed the boy you liked a note in math class you’ve known that people can be, well, fake. And no one likes that. If you’re genuinely interested in what a reporter writes about, who their audience is, and what their needs are, it will show. It doesn’t mean they won’t yell at you for calling them on their deadline, but it will help you form good relationships and skills throughout your public relations career.
• Remember life pre-Facebook: We LOVE social media here at Bailey Gardiner, and we talk about it a ton, but meeting someone face-to-face can have a big impact. Attend local tweet ups, awards events, or whatever is happening in your area. Have a drink and relax. Talk about something besides what makes your event visually appealing to a news camera. Just make sure you remember their name and their kids’ names and where they went to college. Oh and after you meet them, keep in touch.