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Our Clients Scored Three Out Of Three Last Night At The 43rd Annual Press Club Awards

Congratulations to three of our outstanding clients– East Village High School, Clairemont High School and Honorable Thomas P. Nugent, who were recipients of awards at San Diego Press Club’s 43rd Annual Excellence in Journalism Awards! At this year’s event, there were approximately 1300 entries with around 450 awards in first, second and third combined. This is among the largest regional competitions in the United States, making it a huge honor for our clients to be recognized. As PR professionals, our work is first and foremost about being effective in everything that we do for our clients.

East Village High School took first place, being recognized under “General Writing for External Publications” for a press release featured in the Union Tribune entitled, “San Diego Early/Middle College, Now East Village High School, Offers a High School Diploma and a Whole Lot More.” The release announced the new name change of the high school, and its partnership with San Diego City College.  East Village High, a high school located in San Diego Unified School District, offers students a four-year high school diploma as well as up to two years of college credit — absolutely free.

Additionally, an on-line student recruitment brochure on behalf of Clairemont High School and the website design on behalf of Honorable Thomas P. Nugent for his mediation website, received third place honors behind big names such as the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego County Bar Association. For the Newsletter and Website categories, the judges took into account overall design as well as the copy and audience.

We couldn’t be more proud of our clients!

Check out the winners here:

Tips for Acing a Media Interview

If your client has an upcoming appearance on the news or a talk show, it is your job as their Public Relations team to make sure they are prepared.

Here are some tips to keep in mind in order to ease their nerves and to make the most of this opportunity:

  1. Know your key messages. Try not to go down a rabbit trail. Stay focused on the key points you want the audience to remember.
  2. Practice makes perfect. Write down questions you believe the reporter might ask and practice responding to them.
  3. Dress the part. Steer clear from stripes, distracting patters, and loud colors. Look neat and professional.
  4. Talk to the reporter. Stay focused on the reporter and avoid looking into the camera.
  5. Have a call to action. Be sure you know all the information and have the correct spelling on your social media or website.
  6. Watch your arms and hands. Be mindful of your hands when speaking and avoid crossing your arms.
  7. Have fun! Be sure to smile and remember to have a good time!

4 Ways To Help Your Clients Network

Few things are more important than the personal relationships you build with people in your life. Especially working in the public relations industry, we understand that relationships are at the heart of our occupation. After all, it is our job to connect our clients to potential customers, suppliers, business partners, collaborators, inspirational leaders, mentors – even friends.

Here are 4 ways to help your clients to network and build the relationships they need:

  • Invite your client to a networking breakfast, lunch or dinner as your guest: This is a great place for you to build a stronger relationship with your client, as well as the chance for them to expand their own networks.
  • Host a smaller, more private event at your client’s workspace: You might invite consistent customers or suppliers that you want to thank; potential partners the client has not met before; or members of the media who are simply acquaintances. No matter what strategy you go with, inviting people to a small gathering is a surefire way to get to know them on a more personal level.
  • Attend special events: Whether as a spectator or a volunteer, attending local events allows the client to give back to the community, while simultaneously meeting people along the way. Your client might also consider joining relevant boards or committees.
  • Boost your client’s LinkedIn presence: It’s no surprise that social media plays a key role in networking these days. If used properly, LinkedIn is full of potential. Teach your client how to embellish their profile, invite others to connect and even message potential clients to get together for coffee.

Life-Saving PR Tips from “The Walking Dead”

The survivors of the zombie apocalypse become a family under the leadership of Rick, and their chaotic and unpredictable lives they now lead have forced them to learn new skills to survive.

In a similar manner, PR professionals must be prepared to handle situations quickly and without hesitation.

While we are not fending off zombies like Rick and crew, there are a few lessons PR pros can learn from “The Walking Dead”:

  1. Avoid lifeless press releases. Reports will mostly likely delete or ignore your release if you do not write a captivating message with a concise headline. You need to captivate the reader or your release will float around the internet with other unread releases – much like a herd of roaming “walkers.”
  2. Clear communication is crucial. In PR, your relationships with your clients should be your first and foremost priority. Just like when Rick lays out what must be done and by whom, you must have a clear strategy with goals and deadlines in order to provide the client with desired outcomes.
  3. Plan ahead. Whether you are crafting a crisis management strategy or advising clients on their organizations’ day-to-day activities, PR pros must plan ahead. Likewise, Rick and his fellow survivors plan escapes and attacks ahead of time to keep themselves as safe as possible.
  4. Tell your story. As a PR pro, you must continuously think of new and innovative ways to tell your stories. Similar to how Rick and his fellow zombie-apocalypse survivors find new ways of enduring the zombie apocalypse.

And the Winner Is…

One of the day-to-day duties at Legal Image is searching for awards to nominate our successful lawyers and their firms for. They did all of the hard work that led up to them being qualified for the award, but it is our duty as their Public Relations Team to write an effective nomination that will highlight their accomplishments and get them noticed by the judges.

In order to get your clients’ products or services the recognition they deserve, here are a few key elements in writing award nominations that win:

  1. Focus on the category. Many PR pros make the mistake of writing award nominations that explain how fantastic their client is in a breadth of ways, but the praise does not align with the award category. Focus on how qualified your client is as it pertains to one category. This will help reduce the wordiness of a nomination, better hold judges’ attention, and give them everything they need to know to evaluate your client without having to dig through the nomination for it.
  2. Make a good first impression. Assume the judge will only read the first sentence of your nomination – what must they know and understand about your client? An opening statement that clearly conveys why your client’s product or service deserves to win the award will help you make a good first impression.
  3. Incorporate visuals. Depending on the size of the program, judges may be sifting through hundreds of nominations and will go crazy after looking at block of text after block of text. Use visuals – from infographics to marketing photos – to show them how awesome your client is. If the nomination does not allow you to upload visuals, incorporate links within the text itself.

Take a Note from Opera to Improve Your PR Career

The work ethic of opera singers is a model for people in any industry, but they demonstrate admirable behaviors and attitudes that are especially relevant to PR professionals.

Set the stage for a successful career in Public Relations with tips from opera singers:

  1. They learn languages. Operas are performed in English, Italian, Russian, German, French, and many other languages. Learning languages is essential for opera singers. While few PR pros have to conduct business in a foreign language, it is import to be familiarized with the business lingo used by people in the sectors you represent – whether it be law, biotech, or hospitality. Fluency is not necessary, but a certain comfort level is essential in order to communicate effectively.
  2. They don’t give up. For opera singers, getting one gig from 50 plus auditions is deemed successful as audiences and company budgets are shrinking. They don’t lose hope or take rejections personally; instead, they maintain a positive attitude and keep trying. In the world of PR, we face rejection too, when we propose story ideas to the media – another industry that is struggling particularly in the realm of print media. Just like opera singers, you need to keep trying because you never know what might appeal to a reporter.
  3. They don’t backbite. The opera world and the PR world are both surprisingly small. Word will get around quickly if you behave badly by trash talking your colleagues and clients. Your reputation is very important in both of these fields.

An Inside Look at Our Internship 

Interns are an integral part of our team at H&A. We provide agency experience for hard workers and go-getters looking to dive into the PR world.

Here is the inside scoop from Kate, one of our summer interns:

What was your favorite part about your internship?

I loved that I was a part of the team. I wasn’t just given menial tasks or disregarded, but I actually contributed. I was given responsibility and an opportunity to learn and grow through hands-on experience.

What was the most valuable PR skill you learned at H&A?

I learned that PR should be precise and purposeful, among many other things. Whether it meant draft after draft of a press release or back-and-forth conversation about strategy, everything produced at Heying & Associates is well thought-out, purposeful, and perfected.

What were some of your responsibilities as an intern?

My role at H&A was extensive. From writing press releases and blog posts, to pitching to the media, to client research, I got to do a little bit of everything. There was no typical day for an intern at H&A, but there was always work to be done and experience to be gained.

 Why should aspiring PR professionals intern at Heying & Associates?

There is no such thing as too much experience. Even if you consider yourself an expert in PR, there is always something new to be learned, and H&A is a great environment to do so. You get to work closely with everyone in the agency and gain exposure to a variety of clients.

If you are interested in applying, send your resume and cover letter to [email protected].

How To Improve Your PR Strategies This Fall

With summer officially ending, fall is rapidly moving in. However, just because the seasons are changing doesn’t necessarily mean our PR strategies need to. Rather, PR pros just need to improve their approaches with fresh ingredients to trigger public interest, add value, or spice up conversation.

This fall, PR pros should take advantage of the holidays to harvest some fresh ideas in order to stay ahead of the competition.

Here are a few things to consider:

Go beyond the norm: Don’t just focus on the most popular events. Many businesses will strictly create PR strategies surrounding Halloween, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and other favorites. While these are very important, it is also vital to consider events that matter for your local community. Go above and beyond in order to reach different audiences.

Out with the old, in with the new: Your strategies should stand out as different. They should be inspiring and create interest. Straying away from what everyone else is doing will give your campaign more of an appeal.

Don’t ignore mobile trends: Our society is constantly on the move and therefore, constantly on their phones. Make sure that your website and other content is easily accessible and can be easily shared on smartphones and tablets. Also, don’t skimp on your social media. Cover all of your bases and make sure your company is at least present on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

We Want You to Be Our Intern!

When interning with Heying & Associates your time won’t be spent copying, filing, and collating. We want you as part of our team! We’re looking for a self-starter who is hungry for working-world experience and willing to go above and beyond expectations. If you’re someone with fresh ideas you can’t wait to share, we want you. We’re a laid back team with our eye on the prize; we encourage collaboration and teamwork, so by all means don’t be shy. Our philosophy is to dive right in, and we hope it’s yours too. This internship is what you make it. Got a knack for building social media networks? We sure could use your help! Love to write? We encourage you to contribute to our blog. Love talking to new people? You’ll be in the right place.

Qualifications include:

  1. Ability to work independently.
  2. Confidence in your writing, editing, and grammar abilities.
  3. Attention to detail and organization.
  4. Desire to learn and share ideas in a team environment.
  5. Fearlessness on the phone is plus, but not required. This is a great environment to build your confidence when approaching people you’ve never spoken to before.
  6. Working knowledge of social media platforms including LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

Did you lead your sorority in launching a successful social media campaign? Have you worked at your school’s newspaper for the last three years? Those experiences can give you a GREAT kick-start to any internship in the PR field.

If you think you would be a good fit, please email your resume and cover letter to [email protected].

6 Tips to Creating a Powerful Blog Post

Blogging is a key element of a digital marketing strategy. It helps to boost your online visibility, position yourself as a subject matter expert, establish credibility, and increase awareness of your brand.

It can be difficult to constantly find new topics to write about. A strong blog topic should be created with the reader in mind and be useful, informative and simple.

Once you’ve come up with topics, here are a few tips to make your blog post powerful:

1. The title matters.

This is the first thing your readers see. It needs grab their attention. Clearly and concisely explain what the post is about and why your readers should care.

2. Don’t write just to write.

Make sure your post provides value to your readers and represents your voice. Each post should include a call to action, asking readers to comment, share, contact you, sign up for your newsletter, etc.

3. Consider the format.

Solid content is not enough for short attention spans. Make sure your post is easy to digest with sub-headlines and numbered or bulleted lists. Break up meaty paragraphs by incorporating quotes or charts that support your content.

4. Visuals, visuals, visuals.

Research shows that articles with images receive 94 percent more total views than those without. Select clear, high-quality images that are engaging and related to the content.

5. Consider frequency.

Consistency is important when it comes to blogging. Your readers like to know what to expect. Active blogs engage readers better. Blog posts should be made at least once a week.

6. Think about the length.

Not too short, but not too long. A blog post should be simple and straightforward, but also fully representing the desired message.