Jon Pushkin, APR

The October monthly episode of our For Immediate Release podcast explores critical communication trends. Shel Holtz, SCMP, and I discuss six compelling topics, including Reddit's potential for crisis comms, the state of blogging in 2024, ethical concerns in celebrity news coverage, workplace connection challenges, and AI's impact across industries. In a blog post, I've set out some key takeaways that present opportunities for communicators, including leveraging Reddit for stakeholder engagement and preparing to guide organisations through AI adoption. Read more and listen now for valuable perspectives and insights on navigating today's complex communication landscape. https://lnkd.in/e5_CcMR2

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Language in the Press Forward "Closing Local Coverage Gaps" program FAQ warms my heart: Using LION: Local Independent Online News Publishers' definition of sustainability as a framework, we will prioritize outlets that are intentional about their editorial impact, operational resilience, and/or financial health. We will support organizations that have a clear plan for how they will use this investment as a foundational step toward developing and maintaining a long-term business model. https://lnkd.in/eGKFYhGz #impact #localnews #sustainability

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Do you know who needs to know what in a crisis, and when to release information? Check out Ben Sefarbi's article to learn more. Three of us are certified in crisis communications at The Creative Company, Inc.. Two have former actual news room experience and one was a reporter for a regional newspaper. We can help your organization be prepared. #crisiscommunications #beready

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As evidenced by the dynamics of the presidential election, women continue to be held to a different, much stricter standard than men. In my book "WOKE: A Cultural Competence Guide for Communicators, I delve into why and how women continue to struggle for equality and representation. "Women’s quest for equality is the longest-running struggle in the history of the world. Men have ruled over humanity for millennia, and nowhere has their dominance been more pronounced than over the lives and bodies of women. Although women have made great strides toward equality in the last few decades, they continue to be held to a different standard than men, and society holds many unconscious and deeply rooted biases against them. Nevertheless, women continue challenging traditional gender norms, advocating for equal rights, and reshaping female empowerment narratives." https://lnkd.in/gsTAMAbc

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Let’s dive into this week’s Association Insights video, tackling one of the evergreen questions association communicators always have: How do I get more reporters to attend our event? 🎤 Make It Newsworthy: Highlight unique angles, exclusive access or significant industry developments that resonate with your audience. The more relevant your event, the more likely reporters will see value in attending. 📧 Personalize Your Outreach: Skip the generic press releases. Tailor your invitations to individual reporters, referencing their past work and explaining why your event is relevant to them. ⏰ Time It Right: Send out invitations well in advance, but not too early. Follow up closer to the event with additional details or exclusive opportunities. 🎁 Offer Unique Incentives: Consider one-on-one interviews with key speakers, access to exclusive content or behind-the-scenes tours. Unique offerings can make your event more appealing. 🤝 Build Relationships: Share valuable insights and be a reliable resource year-round. Strong relationships increase the likelihood that reporters will prioritize your event. By focusing on these strategies, you can boost your chances of getting reporters to attend and cover your event. 💬 How do you get reporters to attend your events? Share your tips in the comments! #AssociationInsights #EventPR #MediaRelations #OnWrdUpWrd #Communications

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Deadline looming. Document nearly [finally!!] done. Just waiting on one more author. Would you ask the copyeditor to go ahead and get started? To save some time? Not so fast. Great copyediting uses the WHOLE document. Without the missing piece, it's impossible to eliminate repetition, build seamless idea flow, or define acronyms on the first mention only. Not to mention -- merging two versions of a document with tiny changes sprinkled throughout is extremely fraught and very time-consuming. Read: low-level work with a hefty price tag. Want great work? Give your copyeditor all the elements she needs to produce it. Don't send her your document until the final draft is truly, truly DONE.

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CALL📣 FOR SPEAKERS Keynote "Keys Series" Call for Speakers is happening NOW! 🎤 We're now accepting submissions from emerging and seasoned professional public speakers. Here's a tip: be sure to provide accurate details along with an impressive bio (a one-sentence bio response is certainly not impressive). ✨ Important: Grab the production team's attention, so be your biggest fan and pitch! ⏰ Deadline: August 3 at noon. Submit your application today and be part of an incredible event! 🌟 for more details comment below. #KeynoteSeries #CallForSpeakers #PublicSpeaking #ProfessionalSpeakers #EventOpportunity #SpeakerSubmission

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MSR Communications celebrates its 25th anniversary with an infographic that looks back on what’s changed in the last four years—from the pandemic to shifting consumer behavior and a greater emphasis on authenticity and combatting misinformation; PR pros have much to navigate. Looking to the future, we must be agile and strategic, leveraging a mix of secured media coverage and integrated activities from all media types to tell compelling stories that connect with consumers and prospective buyers on a much deeper level.  Full infographic here https://bit.ly/3ZoQfPv #PR #PublicRelations

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What are the biggest mistakes I see agencies make in their proposals? ❌ Ignoring the brief. If you’re not addressing the client’s challenges and needs, it signals a lack of attention to detail and understanding of their business. ❌ Overloading with info. You were invited for a reason— now isn’t the time to restate every fact and figure about your agency. Resist the urge to cram in every case study and idea. Clients are busy, and yours isn’t the only proposal they’re reading. Stick to the essentials. ❌ Failing to stand out. Why are you the ideal partner for this specific client and assignment? What sets you apart from everyone else they’re talking to? ❌ Not making it easily forwardable. Your proposal is likely going to get passed along to others in the client organization who haven’t been fully briefed. Summarize summarize summarize if you want the key points stick. ❌ Forgetting to ask for the business. Instead of a generic thank you, show them your team is passionate about their business and ready to hit the ground running. What do you think separates a good proposal from a great one?

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Blanket donor acquisition campaigns are becoming inefficient as response rates drop across the industry. The smarter approach? Use tools like predictive modeling to pinpoint your ideal donor personas and focus your resources on engaging those most likely to convert. Our experts can help you target the best prospects in any channel to make your acquisition dollars work smarter.

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How can your advocacy campaign cut through the noise in 2024 to actually move the needle with lawmakers? We partnered with the Center for Campaign Innovation to gather public affairs experts and advocacy pros to answer this question. Here’s what we found: ▪️ Storytelling is key. ▪️ Vendor-client relationships are more important than ever. ▪️ AI is filling gaps – but it’s not foolproof. Get the full readout of these findings and more in our post-conference report:

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🚀 Crafting the Perfect Subject Line for Media Pitches 🚀 In today’s Association Insights, I’m zeroing in on a crucial element of PR success: the subject line of your media pitch. Why is it so critical? Here’s what you need to know: 1️⃣ Clarity and Relevance: Ensure your subject line is a direct reflection of your email's content. A straightforward subject makes it immediately apparent to reporters that your pitch aligns with their interests. 2️⃣ Brevity is Key: Keep subject lines to 1-5 words. This conciseness is not only effective for visibility on mobile devices but also respects the reporter's need for efficiency. 3️⃣ Convey Urgency and Value: Use impactful words like 'introducing,' 'new,' or 'exclusive' to grab attention and highlight the importance of your content. 4️⃣ Continuously Test and Refine: Employ A/B testing to discover which subject lines perform best, allowing you to enhance your media outreach strategies. A compelling subject line can make the difference between an opened email and one that slips through the cracks. It's your pitch's first impression—make it impactful! 💌 What are your top tips for writing effective subject lines? Share your insights below! #MediaPitching #PRtips #AssociationInsights #OnWrdUpWrd #PublicRelations #CommunicationsStrategy

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  Communications professionals have an obligation to defend and support credible media outlets producing journalism grounded in shared facts, ethical reporting standards and protecting the public interest. In the disinformation age, shady websites like The Hub have spilled out of think tanks to prop up political and corporate agendas while passing themselves off as ‘independent’ media outlets. At least in this social media graphic they’re transparent about the far-right agenda they’re amplifying (though not so transparent about who funds them). I have nothing against the opinionator industry as long as they’re honest that they’re little more than Substack curators and a long way from credible media outlets that aim to meet basic journalism standards and engage in newsgathering.

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This column is for my strategic and crisis communication peers. "Inreach" is a real word. And a solid Inreach strategy can enhance a meaningful Outreach Strategy. #internalcommunications #strategiccommunications #outreach #engagement

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Building trust is a process that requires intentionality, authenticity, humility, and a willingness to reexamine institutional norms and narratives. Melissa Tribelhorn, MPA and Northwest Association for Biomedical Research are providing critical thought leadership on an important frontier at the intersection of healthcare and technology to weigh the benefits and risks of rapid technological advancement in patient data acquisition and the potential impact on a range of products from consumer healthcare devices to breakthrough therapeutic discoveries. I deeply appreciate the approach through a critical policy lens - ie. how can we create an environment that propels new innovation while being mindful of maintaining sensible guardrails along the way?

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Thrilled to have hosted a webinar on the Ethnicity Pay Gap with three exceptional experts on the subject. Our discussion delved into systemic biases, actionable solutions, and the imperative for change. Let's turn insights into action for a more equitable future. #EthnicityPayGap #DiversityandInclusion

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How do you feel about press releases? I'm still a fan, even if they simply serve as an official catalog of an organization's news. What you do with that information in your PR program is what's really meaningful though. Use the data for social posts and infographics, and pitches to media. Extract the quotes for your website. Find contributed content opportunities to share the news from the release in a more robust way. Develop creative graphics to support and enhance your news. Create video to share the news in a more personal way. Finally, don't expect your press release to reach the press. Those days are long gone. The release is just another content tool.

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I often talk about the idea that some crisis communications management situations are planned for but never seen. I recently managed a crisis in which you literally could not see. For one of my client's, the power was out when people arrived on site. It affected several thousand stakeholders. We quickly drafted messages in the event that the power came back quickly, or in case it didn't come back at all that day. The power came back on about 30 minutes after we sent the initial message. But we were prepared with alternative messages if it didn't. Preparing for a number of different scenarios is a hallmark of crisis communications. My job as a crisis communications consultant is to anticipate what might happen even if you can't see it or never see it, literally and figuratively. What's lighting you up today? 💡 #crisiscommunications #crisismanagement #publicrelations

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