public relations content Archives

Crafting an Effective Media List for Nonprofits and Mission-Driven PR Campaigns

March 2, 2024

When you have a story to share, reaching a wider audience starts with creating a comprehensive media list. Getting your content seen by potential consumers starts with creating a media list of outlets and contacts from those outlets which cater to your target market.

Six Steps for Creating a Great Media List

Define Your PR Pitch

Start by clearly defining your PR pitch. Whether it’s an executive interview or a product announcement for your non-profit, articulate what you’re offering to the media and why it matters. A well-defined pitch is essential for capturing the attention of journalists and gaining media coverage. Pitch writing consists of persuasion, creative thinking and storytelling. If what you’re sharing is relevant to the journalist, fewer than 200 words and highly readable — think short sentences, bullet points and subheads.

Develop Multiple Angles

Consider multiple angles for your pitch that align with your target media outlets and their audiences. Figure out which approach best aligns with your goals and with those of the journalists.

Choose the Right Timing

Timing is a critical aspect of successful PR outreach. Determine when you want your content to be seen by your target audience. Quick-turnaround outlets like online platforms, daily newspapers, television, and radio are ideal for immediate exposure. For evergreen content, consider pitching to magazine publications. Evaluate your options and choose the timing that best suits your story.

Thoroughly Research Contacts & Outlets

Utilize databases and search engines to identify potential media outlets. Start with broad search terms and narrow down your list as you progress. Pay attention to journalists’ beats, cadence of publication and whether they receive pitches or not. Seek assistance from a PR agency if necessary to define your media list effectively.

Understand Media Roles

Consider the roles of potential contacts within media outlets. Editors-in-chief may focus more on the business aspects of the outlet, while staff writers or assignment editors are often looking for unique stories. Include multiple contacts from one outlet to ensure comprehensive coverage.

Review and Supplement Your List

After compiling your initial list, review it for any missing outlets or contacts. Use online resources like Google or ChatGPT to identify any overlooked opportunities. Continuously refine your list to ensure it’s comprehensive and up-to-date.

Build Your Media List Today!

By following these six steps, you can create a robust media list that will enhance your public relations campaign’s success. A carefully curated media list ensures that your content reaches the right audience, increasing your chances of securing valuable media coverage.

For more insights and expert guidance on PR strategy and media outreach, explore relevant news articles, such as those from A Good Cause and Glue Up.If you have further questions or need assistance with your PR campaign, feel free to reach out to The TASC Group today! Learn more about how The TASC Group’s award winning expertise can help you to strengthen, support and highlight your mission within the communities you serve.

The Anatomy of a Social Media “Riot”

November 1, 2023

By the time police arrived, Union Square was severely overcrowded. Within the park’s nine acres, thousands of young onlookers had gathered for what was supposed to be a gift giveaway hosted by Twitch-personality Kai Cenat. Drawn by the promise of free Play Stations and the chance to meet a social media celebrity, thousands of teenagers had traveled to the park.

When the crowd, predominantly an audience of youthful teenage boys, clashed with police, things escalated quickly. In dozens of videos shared across YouTube and other social media platforms, police collar the young attendees. One video captures a police officer slamming a teenage boy through a taxi cab’s back window. By the end of the day, several people were seriously injured, 60+ people were arrested and Union Square Park sustained over $55,000 in property damage. Cenat, the influencer who had sparked the gathering with posts made on Twitch days before, was charged by police with “unlawful gathering” and “inciting a riot.”

As police investigate this incident further and Cenat faces a court date, it’s worth considering the broader context of social media relationships and the unpredictable power of influencers to catalyze mass action in physical reality. In an age defined by Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and dozens of other social networks, what role do social media personalities have in driving people to action? What can happen when an influencer with a cult following asks their followers to do something? To answer the latter, we must first understand the phenomena known as parasocial relationships.

Defined as “a one-sided relationship where one person creates an emotional attachment and invests their time and energy, while the other party doesn’t know of the other person’s existence,” parasocial relationships are a hallmark of social media users, especially younger users post-pandemic.

In a recent study by Wellesley College’s Youth Media and Well-Being Research Lab, researchers found that 90 percent of kids have social media by the time they turn 12 (7th grade for context). With the advent of coronavirus, lockdown and the implementation of remote learning in 2020, millions of teenagers leaned harder on social media to maintain physically distanced relationships and monitor ever-evolving news. In the process, many gravitated to familiar faces, screentime soared and the popularity of specialized, social media personalities rose with it.

These relationships are built on constant content, frequent user interaction and intensely personal exchanges occurring several times a day. Intimacy is key.

Most influencers cultivate a following over time, then use these followers to secure lucrative brand deals and partnerships. While encouraging your fans to buy a product or use a service is commonplace, the power of influencers to mobilize fans in real life beyond just buying a product, to encourage them to go somewhere and do something, is still unpredictable and relatively immeasurable.

In the case of Cenat, he unwittingly baited followers to do something dangerous. What was meant to be a good time, short giveaway and brief interaction, became something much more serious. Another interesting element here, the gathering was sparked by a relatively small medium.

If you’re unfamiliar with Twitch, it’s a social media platform best known for live-streaming events, including video game tournaments and product reviews. The platform hosts approximately 140M active monthly users. For context, that’s 1/3 of X’s (formerly Twitter) monthly audience, less than 1/4 of Tiktok’s and barely 1/20 of Meta’s. Cenat, the influencer at the heart of this scandal, is one of Twitch’s most followed creators. To date, he has over 6.5M subscribers and he posts content daily.

This “riot” resulted from a perfect storm of circumstances. Post-pandemic teens, a diligently followed social media personality, the rise of parasocial relationships, the promise of a free, coveted product, a general lack of awareness about and unpredictability of calls to action on social media – these all melded together to create a moment New York City was unprepared for, yet one we can learn from. As communicators who often partner with influencers like Cenat or work with clients including city departments or public policymakers, we must be prepared.

It is important that we understand how to predict, understand and measure the power these online figures have to mobilize their followers. Frankly, we must acknowledge this power exists in the first place. Most importantly, we must work towards ensuring and encouraging online personalities to use their influence for good.

The Importance of Content Creation for Clients

October 31, 2022

The worlds of public relations and communications are multi-faceted. One of the most important parts of the industry is getting to know the inner workings of your clients so that you can create content that successfully bolsters their reputations and garners positive media attention.

Traditionally, ways of creating, sharing and viewing client content were limited to drafting op-eds, pitch materials and creating fact sheets, among other information providing collateral. As of late, PR and communications professionals have been looking to social media platforms to strengthen their strategies. LinkedIn, Meta (Facebook), Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest are among the most relevant social media networks from a PR perspective.

The benefits of traditional content creation still hold true. Op-eds and blogs are great ways for the public to gain insight through the media into a client’s opinions, thought processes, etc. on different subject matters and can lead to thought-leadership opportunities and partnerships with other like-minded individuals or organizations. The same goes for pitch materials, particularly with quotes or citations, and fact sheets with client information.

Social media has become an integral part of PR and communications plans for many organizations. The content created and social platforms used are dependent on the type of client. Nonprofit, social advocacy, legal and financial clients are more likely to use LinkedIn, Meta and Instagram, while fashion, beauty and consumer/lifestyle brands are likely to add TikTok and Pinterest into the mix.

For example, BlackRock, an American multinational investment company effectively uses LinkedIn to stand out as a thought-leader and advertise their services. Their content consists of infographic clips as well as testimonials. BlackRock knows their audience well, which allows them to curate specific content and decide which social media platforms to utilize. The company understands their audience exists on LinkedIn and is interested in reading niche blogs and learning financial jargon.

ASOS is a British online fashion and cosmetic company with over one million followers and 14 million likes on TikTok. They know a lot of their demographic resides on TikTok. ASOS follows all the trends and is very aware of what their audience wants to see. Their videos are lightly edited which make them more relatable and re-creatable to the audience. They advertise their products through videos of unboxings and styling people in creative environments.

The consumer’s attention span is decreasing due to the rise of social media. People do not want to read long posts or videos, but instead get their information quickly. Knowing the client’s target audience and understanding the idea of palatable content will lead to successful media campaigns. LinkedIn posts for one audience may not work for another, strategies are subjective. It is crucial to understand where a client’s demographic resides in order to produce the best content.

How to Know If Public Relations Is The Best Career Path For You

August 27, 2021

Public Relations (PR) is a strategic communications process that builds a mutually beneficial relationship between an individual or organization and the public. Our role as PR professionals is to relay information between our client and the public to influence opinion and perception. When you’re first starting in your career, it’s always tricky to pinpoint where your skills best fit and where they can thrive. More specifically, as a professional first starting in the public relations industry, it may take a while to figure out whether this is the industry for you.

Below, we at The TASC Group have compiled the top five indicators to help you decipher if PR is the right fit for you and your talents.

How Do I Know if PR Is Right For Me?

1. You Like a Little Bit of Everything

This may sound vague but hear us out. With PR, you end up wearing many hats and can make your way into any industry. Whether it’s social good, entertainment or politics, everything and everyone needs PR. You can learn the ins and outs of any industry without directly being labeled as a philanthropist, entertainer or politician. There are many moving parts when it comes to PR, which is why many PR professionals find it challenging to describe exactly what we do. We do everything.

2. You Love Writing; However, You Don’t Necessarily Want to Be a Writer

One thing you can guarantee about PR is that being a good storyteller will be a central part of your job whether that’s pitching your clients to journalists or training clients on how to engage with the media. Being a good storyteller is only half the battle in PR; you must be a great writer, which includes being adept at grammar, mastering nuances in language and knowing how to use the right words to get your message across. It’s the slight differences that genuinely set you apart in this industry.

3. Networking Comes Second Nature to You

Networking is often something that most people dread. However, if you shine while you’re connecting with people, you are headed in the right direction. Connecting is one word you will hear at least once a day when you are a part of this industry, and it is integral to succeeding.

4. You Enjoy Working Behind The Scenes

Successful PR means your client shines without drawing attention to the mechanism that’s making it happen. As a PR professional, you will be doing a lot of heavy lifting behind the scenes to elevate your clients’ stories. It’s not all glitz and glamor. PR includes being deeply involved in the ways you present your clients by doing thorough research and staying ahead of the latest news. We’re not in the spotlight but we’re making all the pieces fit together to paint that great picture on the outside.

5. You Are So Adaptable That You Might as Well Be a Chameleon

One of the most complex parts of being successful in PR is knowing when to adapt. The best of us often get stuck in our ways in this industry because we learn so much at the beginning of our careers that we forget how much things have changed from the first time we got a grasp on PR. If PR is truly the right industry for you, just know that being able to change along with the industry can get you far.

If This Sounds Interesting, PR Might Be For You!

Although it’s often unnerving to decide on something as significant as your career, the great thing with PR is that it’s ever-changing, providing you with the opportunity to become an expert across sectors and stay engaged with current events. If you think you’re ready to take the step into the exciting world of PR, visit our website’s career page and see if there are any options that fit your resume. Additionally, if you’re interested but not sure you’re ready for a full time job, an internship is a great way to try PR out and learn new skills from our talented team at The TASC Group.

ght fit for you and your talents.

1. You like a little bit of everything
This may sound vague but hear us out. With PR, you can make your way into any industry. Whether it’s social good, entertainment or politics, everything needs PR. You can learn the ins and outs of any industry without directly being labeled a philanthropist, entertainer or politician. There are many moving parts when it comes to PR, which is why many PR professionals find it challenging to describe exactly what we do. We do everything.

2. You love writing; however, you don’t necessarily want to be a writer
One thing you can guarantee about PR is that being a good storyteller will be a central part of your job, whether that’s pitching your clients to journalists or training clients how to engage with the media. Being a good storyteller is only half the battle in PR; you must be a great writer, which includes being adept at grammar, mastering nuances in language and knowing how to use the right words to get your message across. It’s the slight differences that genuinely set you apart in this industry.

3. Networking comes second nature to you
Networking is often something that most people dread. However, if you shine while you’re connecting with people, you are headed in the right direction. Connecting is one word you will hear at least once a day when you are a part of this industry, and it is integral to succeeding.

4. You enjoy working behind the scenes
Successful PR means your client shines without drawing attention to the mechanism that’s making it happen. This means you will be doing a lot of heavy lifting behind the scenes to elevate your clients’ stories. It’s not all glitz and glamour. PR includes being deeply involved in the ways you present your clients by doing heavy research and keeping ahead of the latest news. We’re not in the spotlight but we’re making all the pieces fit together to paint that great picture on the outside.

5. You are so adaptable you might as well be a chameleon
One of the most complex parts of being successful in PR is knowing when to adapt. The best of us often gets stuck in our ways in this industry because we learn so much at the beginning of our careers that we forget how much things have changed from the first time we got a grasp on PR. If PR is truly the right industry for you, just know that being able to change along with the industry can get you far.

Although it’s often unnerving to decide on something as significant as your career, the great thing with PR is that it’s ever-changing, provides you the opportunity to become an expert across sectors and is always engaging.