5 Great Ways to Appeal to Millennials and Gen Z

Millennials, anyone 21-35 years old, and Gen Z, anyone 20 and under, are coming of age where they can make their own buying decisions. Let's pair this with the fact that they are the first two generations in the world to grow up with technology being so potent in their lives.

With their level of buying power and resources to make it happen, getting their attention is harder than ever before. Our franchise PR firm has these five proven ways to appeal to this dominating demographic.

Be relevant but not desperate. There is a difference between using terms, mannerisms, and other processes from Millennials to be more visible and trying too hard. When a company uses a modern phrase, they have to be careful the way they say it and not cringeworthy. It can be painfully obvious when a brand is not sure how to use a phrase or slang, or connect with the thought processes of Millennials, and it can have a major boomerang effect.

Learn to love creativity. The younger generations like to be creative and unique. They embrace it. This means that businesses need to follow in their footsteps. It can be intimidating to be truly creative due to the fear of messing something up and being offensive. While you need to use judgement and veto any ideas that are truly wrong, don't be afraid to be creative and fun. Nobody likes a business that is boring, especially a demographic that has resources to entertainment everywhere.

Use real-time communication. Consumers under the age of 35 (even up to 40) are big users of social media to communicate with brands for concerns, questions, compliments, or just conversation. Even if you don't want your business to be on social media, unfortunately, you don't get to make that call. Any great franchise public relations team will tell you that you not only have to be present on social media but active on it; simply posting a generic post once a week is not truly using social media.

Post useful information such as articles and stats, post questions, post fun/entertaining things, show some love to people and other companies, and show you hear people who contact you.

Allow people to find you. Even if people are searching you, it doesn't mean you don't have to make your profiles as accessible as possible. On social media profiles, make sure to do the following:

• Hashtags for industry terms
• Have brand consistent messages on all platforms but don't post the exact same content on all platforms. Ex: a new product? Post it on all platforms but change the way you post it, such as the content around it. 
• Make sure that all profile fields are filled out: URLs, bios, mission statements, everything. 

Consider utilizing user-generated content. One thing that Millennials and Gen Zers like to do is help brands with content, it makes them feel heard and appreciated. If you are willing, consider having a campaign that is user-generated. Be aware that there will be trolls and watch out for them and scan all content prior to publishing. 

As a Chicago PR agency, All Points PR is all about connecting with target markets. Does your business need help connecting with Millennials? Then email All Points PR. 

6 Public Relations Myths

Just like many things in this world, franchise public relations is subject to many myths. There are lots of myths about public relations but we have chosen six to discuss.

1. Any publicity is good publicity. You have likely heard this one before. This is one of the oldest myths about public relations there is and it is very wrong. Just because your name is out there in the world for people to see does not mean it is a good thing. If your name is out there and it's because you're involved in some scandal, then your reputation will not improve; you will have a negative connotation to your name. Some celebrities believe in this and is why they do crazy publicity stunts like sham marriages or go on binges.
2. PR is only about press releases and press conferences. While these two facets of public relations are big and powerful, they are not all that a franchise PR agency will do. They are not even the right tool for the job sometimes. A press conference is a tool that should be held off for the big jobs and press releases should not be pushed out every single time there's a hint of news. Be creative and use other tools, social media is a good one. 
3. Publicity is easy to get and doesn't cost a thing. Public relations has a lot of competition involved in it; just about every company out there is trying to get noticed by the media in some way. Now, PR is cheaper than advertising because PR is earned and not bought, however, it still costs a company money to hire a franchise PR firm and it is hard work for the firm to get the company noticed. 
4. Only the bad need publicity. Good companies get it naturally. While yes, it does occasionally happen naturally for a company that has a great product or service, every company can benefit from having PR in their efforts. A bad company uses PR to catch up, a good company uses PR to get ahead. 
5. PR is only full of ex-reporters. While many people in PR are indeed former reporters, there are other people in it too. Many PR professionals have only worked in PR; yes, many did get degrees in journalism. There are also people with marketing experience in PR too. 
6. Public relations is full of people who spin words, create slogans, and force propaganda. The world of PR is supposed to be full of ethics; certain franchise PR agencies indeed hold to the ethical codes of PRSA and know where to draw the line. A company that uses sleazy tactics to get publicity is not an agency you want to deal with. 

Have any more myths to add in? Submit them in the comments! We can help you sort those out too. 

5 Ways to Know a Career in PR is Not For You

My franchise PR agency has been around for some time now and we have been able to hire some really talented PR practitioners; however, we have also seen our fair share of people who came through the doors only to realize that they were not cut out for the franchise public relations business. How can you know if you are cut out for PR? Here are 5 ways to tell:

1. You don't take criticism well. In any industry, you have to be able to take criticism, especially constructive criticism. When you are crushed by the fact someone did not like your work, even if they told you nicely, then you do not take criticism well. If you can't take criticism well, then working in franchise PR will not be a pleasant experience for you. Critical feedback is common to see, hear, give, and receive in the PR industry, you have to have somewhat thick skin. 
2. You think it's a 9-5 job. Well, in terms of hours, sometimes it is; what I mean here is that if you go home after work and then do not think about PR, you don't read up on things happening, etc. then maybe you are not passionate about the PR world. You have to passionate about public relations in order to really succeed in it. When you finish a project, there is always something else to do for that client, there is always a "what's next?"Go and comment on another post or send another tweet! Your job is never done. 
3. You don't get excited about news. If you don't read the news throughout the day and get excited about what is happening, especially in your (or a client's) industry, then this goes back to not be passionate. 
4. You are not enthusiastic/energetic. This is not about not having passion, it is actually about not having enthusiasm or energy… about anything. If you find you are always tired and have a slow pulse at all times, then PR is not the place for you. It's not like people who succeed in PR are crazy energetic and never sleep, like they're perpetually perky, but you need to have energy! Don't worry, we get tired too. 
5. You are bad at communication. You can't write well, you can't speak (publicly or sales), etc. You have to have good writing skills and be able to speak in front of people, especially when it comes to making sales pitch. 

If you are interested in a career in PR, then do your research and study up! If you have any questions, contact All Points PR. 

How to Be an Ethical PR Practitioner

Working in franchise public relations can raise some ethical issues; you want to raise awareness for your client and get them business but you also want to do things correctly. You are to protect the integrity and public trust of your client and do so by ethical means. Being successful in franchise PR all depends on your ethics within the practice.

In order to make sure practitioners in the industry abide by good standards, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) created the Ethical Guidance for Public Relations Practitioners list. This list, or code, was made and is still maintained by the PRSA Board of Ethics and Professional Standards; its objective is to create principals and other guidelines that are founded upon core values. PRPs are to be advocates, honest, loyal, professional in their development, and objective.

As a PRP, you cannot prevent the flow of information to any source as long as the information is honest and correct. This is one of the principles of the code of ethics. This is because if there is information to be known about someone or a company, as long as it is not a fabrication or dishonest, then the world has the right to know. What can you do about this if the information is negative? Damage control; however, you cannot take the information and bury it for no one to see. However, you are to protect information that is confidential and private. This can create a sticky situation for some on what to disclose and what to hold in; it is a case by case basis.

Promoting an environment of healthy competition among fellow professionals is a key for the success of being in PR. You can help establish an advantage for a client but it has to be something that the competition can do as well; so this means no insider trading and "behind closed doors" dealings.

Avoiding any conflicts of interest is a biggie when it comes to obeying the code of ethics. It can seem like a great idea to get involved in something that you have a special connection to, however, this can create a bias. You have to remain objective.

Being open about a decision and the process is another principle for PRPs to follow. When you hide this, it can create a sense of distrust and secrecy that does not give the public confidence about those in the industry. As someone working in a franchise PR agency, you have to help the confidence gain trust in the PR industry. Being honest and accurate in all forms of communication is a big way to accomplish this principle.

If you have any questions about the PRSA Code of Ethics, then feel free to contact All Points PR - a Chicago PR agency. 

How to Create an Elevator Speech

In case you are unfamiliar with an elevator speech, it is a verbal pitch about your company or a client's that will hopefully encourage other people to want to learn more about it.

No matter the circumstance, whether you are out at a conference or you are just out and about, you should have an elevator speech about a particular topic, company, or person. When you are promoting yourself, your company, or a client, you need that elevator speech to answer questions like, "What is your/their company about?" "What can you tell me about yourself/them?" etc. You need to get people interested in the topic of your elevator speech, you need to make it short (around 30 seconds) and you need to make it compelling.

Why is it called an "elevator speech"? Well, it's supposed to be something you can tell someone when standing in an elevator and be able to say in the time it takes to ride an elevator. In that short amount of time, you have to make a big impression. As someone in franchise public relations, I have to deliver these all the time.

So how do you make one of these guys a good one?

1. Make people care. People want to know, "What can the company do for me?" The answer to this question is going to really make or break whether or not the person cares to carry the conversation past the elevator speech. Explain the benefits of your company or your client's company and personalize it. 
2. Make it easy to join the club. Feel free to drop some big names that you company or your client's company has worked for/with, even if they are competitors with the person you are pitching too (this could actually work to your benefit). 
3. Make them want to hear more. The pitch is supposed to be nice and short so do not try to stuff it with detail, put enough in there to peak their ear but not so much that they have to double back. A few good details, your credibility, and what the company can do for the person. 
4. End with a call to action. What are you willing to do for the person, to win over a client or customer? What is your end goal? Etc. 
5. Be yourself. Be professional but do not act like a stiff board, have a smile and be comfortable. No one is likely to buy a pitch from someone who is rigid and awkward. Be comfortable with your pitch and say it nicely. 
6. Get feedback. Tell it to people who can give you feedback like coworkers, friends, family, etc. Just don't test it out on the people you are trying to win over. 

If you have any questions about elevator pitches, then contact All Points PR - a Chicago PR agency. 

How To Get Your Press Release Noticed

As a public relations practitioner at a Chicago PR agency, I have learned a few things about how to get a press release noticed; after all, Chicago has plenty of PR agencies and so just having a press release will not get you noticed by the media, you have to make it worth their time.

Pitch a story that is relevant. 
You want to pitch a story to journalists that is on topic with what is going on in the world or a certain industry. Make sure to give people a reason why your story is something that people will care about and how it will help them, this stands out.

Make the info easy to find. 
A journalist will love when you have a press release that contains the important and relevant information at the top, not at the bottom. There is a trend in the industry that has some PRPs putting bullet points in their releases, some journalists find this attractive while others do not.

It helps to put the contact information at the top of the release as well and paired with a couple sentences giving a summary of what the release is about, this is similar to a budget line. You are sure to get your release tossed by a journalist if they have to dig through your release just to figure out who you are, that is a no-no. In order to succeed at a franchise PR agency, you have to succeed at this.

Make sure, above all things, you list the Ws! Who, what, where, when, why, and how in the release. Now, not all the points will be important enough to be in the first paragraph but list them all in the release somewhere, according to importance.

Do a full subject field and headline. 
Make your subject line something creative and catchy but do not make it over-the-top or cheesy; if you try to oversell in the subject line, this will not get your release noticed. You have to have a valid subject line, do not make it misleading or you will only frustrate the recipient. Give the person a reason to care and to continue reading.

Think like the audience. 
Whoever you send the release to, you will want to think like their audience. This will help you get the attention of the recipient. If you are in franchise PR, you will realize that thinking like the audience will get you great results.

If you have any questions, then contact All Points PR - a franchise public relations agency.

How To Know When You Should Hire a PR Agency

A big part of running a business is growing the business and getting your name in front of more people, the only thing that really takes priority is actually running your business and selling your product or service so you gain revenue.

However, it can be intimidating or confusing to think about hiring a franchise PR agency to come and help you because you may be wondering, "Will it be worth it?" or things like "I bet I can do it on my own."

There are a few things you can consider to know if it is time for you to hire a franchise PR firm.

The first thing to consider is if you have time to do PR or not. If you find that you consider PR for your business as something that will get done when it'll get done, then you do not have time for it. Public relations is not something that you just turn on and off and get small bits done here and there, then hope it works out for you. You need to have a game plan, execute your plan, and measure the results. If you do not have time for this, then you should really consider hiring a PR agency.

Another time to consider bringing in the help of an outside franchise PR agency is when you want to really nail a launch of a product, service, etc. The launch of a new product or service or whatever it is your company is doing is a big deal. Sometimes having the brain power of a PR agency that is not in-house can really bring some great ideas and give you an awesome launch. Also, having the help of a PR agency can bring in fire power that you may not have such as connections to the media, social media, event planning, etc.

A third thing to consider is when you want to revitalize or revamp your products or service. This is a real good time to bring in some outside minds because if you are trying to revamp, that means you're trying to break away from what was done before. If you use the same minds as the first time, then you run the risk of having the same results.

If you are considering a PR agency, then contact All Points PR - a Chicago PR agency. 

4 Tips for Sparking a Grassroots PR campaign

Sparking a grassroots PR campaign can seem like a huge undertaking, and it can be, but it does not have to mean struggling; there is a difference between something being a big job and being a hard job, if you know what you're doing, you will find that this task requires dedication, persistence, and creativity.

Grassroots PR for any PR type means getting your hands dirty but especially for franchise PR because it is being done for the little guys (usually).

So what are some things that you should know for your next grassroots campaign?

The first thing to know is that you are not raising an issue but rather are telling a story. People like to hear stories because it gives them to listen to or read and establish a connection. When you tell a story, you are trying to build that emotional connection with your audience; that emotional connection means having more loyalty and a solid connection. You want that ethos and pathos (credibility and feelings) to happen between you and your audience.

The second thing you will want to do is to reward your supporters. Why is this important? Well, if you do not reward the people who are giving you their time, effort, and money, then you will run out of people who give you their time, effort, or money. If people are offering up their services or whatever, then you show them that you are grateful for that. Don't forget that even a simple "thank you" will do wonders.

The third thing you need to do is make sure your message is heard. As an employee of a franchise PR agency, then you will have tools in your arsenal that help you get your message heard. You will have press releases, the media, signs, social media, and people. People are one of the most potent tools you will have to amplify your message. Have people go out and tell your story and get people to hear it; people tend to listen to someone standing in front of them more than any TV, sign, or whatever. Another important you will want to use is social media.

The fourth thing ties into the second point, empower your supporters. Develop brand volunteers, give them their time and space to tell the story to people, meet people, and build that ever so important connection with them.

So next time you try a grassroots effort, make sure you get your team together and make sure they know they are valued.

Is the Term "Public Relations" Going Away?

If you were to look at the top 10 PR agencies from the past year or two, you would see that the vast majority of them to none of them have the term "public relations" in their name. Look at All Points, we kind of have it in our name but it's just the "PR". It seems that the term public relations is losing ground in PR agency names and even a bit in vocabulary.

There was a time that someone in a Chicago PR agency or any other major city that they would exclusively work with PR directors and executives as part of their client list but today, you will see that there are many franchise PR practitioners who work with companies who don't even have departments labeled "Public Relations", you'll likely see them called "Communications"; even working with people at large companies or small companies typically means working with someone who does not have the term in their title.

Multinational companies like Airbus, American Airlines, Johnson & Johnson, Nestlé, etc. might have PR departments but most of them do not, they have people who do PR work but have titles without PR in them. Another common label for them are things like, "Corporate Communications", "Internal Relations" or "External Relations", things like that.

It seems that companies are switching from using the "public relations" name in favor of the other ones mentioned because they feel it allows them to have more boundaries, despite the fact that those who started as PR agencies still use PR as a main tool. What is popular now is to combine PR efforts with paid advertising to really get the message to all those it needs to reach.

With all that being said, the term still carries a lot of power and is still popular; the business is going nowhere, it might have a different label if the trend continues.

Social Media Etiquette

So social media has just about infiltrated its way into the heart of human life; almost everyone uses social media to some extent; maybe you only use one social media platform and/or you only post to your social media account(s) once every few months. Regardless of how much you are invested in social media, there are certain unwritten rules, or social media etiquettes, that those of us who do use are expected to obey. Whether you are in the world of PR like franchise PR or marketing or some other vocation, on your personal social media accounts, you should be doing your own PR by following social media etiquette.

1. Be careful who you friend/follow. This day and age of social media, we like to be popular on those platforms; the idea of having thousands of "friends" or followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. are very intriguing and exciting. However, the people you friend/follow or let follow you can bite you in return. When people, like potential employers, see you following someone or someone following you who is less than respectful or appropriate, it can look bad on you. 
2. Be careful of what you post. It can be easy and even tempting to post something on social media when we are angry, sad, or intoxicated but these can be less than opportunistic times to post to social media. If you are angry at someone and decide to post it on one of your accounts, then someone else can see it and it can become popular and you can get stuck in a bad situation later; even if you delete the posting but someone shared it already, then there is not much you can do to undo the damage. Poorly planned social media posts have gotten people in trouble many times. 
3. Take a deep breath. This is almost a sub point of the second point because it is more focused on the posting while angry point. If someone posts on social media and the post offends you in some way, take a deep breath and walk away for a few minutes or even longer. Posting something while angry might feel good in the moment but it will not del so good later on when you have calmed down (and especially if there are repercussions from your post). 
4. Watch the photos. Posting photos on social media is half the fun of social media but some photos we take should not go up there. A classic example of photos to watch out for are the ones that were taken while intoxicated. Sure, the times were fun but posting a photo on social media of someone, or even yourself, being drunk or foolish might not be so fun later on. A big thing to consider if you do indeed do this is whether or not to tag someone; you do not know who that person is fiends with or what they are allowed to post so don't post without their consent. 

As someone at a franchise PR agency, I can tell you that social media etiquette is not just for those who take social media seriously, it is for those who don't want to have lame regrets later on from something they could've totally avoided. 

10 of the Biggest PR Disasters of the 2000s

Companies all have good ideas and they have bad ideas. Sometimes something looks good on paper and then loses its luster when you see it actually play out. We see companies have a PR crisis that was either created by their own hands or by the hands of someone else; regardless, when a company has a PR crisis, it must be fixed.

In this post we will review ten of the worst public relations disasters of the last 13 years and take a walk down memory lane. These are not necessarily in a ranking of worst to less worst, etc. They are just a collection of unfortunate corporate moments; you get to decide which was the worst!

1. The Bridgestone Tire fiasco. Remember this one? In 2000, Bridgestone had numerous reports about having tires that they made blowout while being driven; one car that had trouble with these tires in particular was the Ford Explorer. The problem had apparently started before 2000 but it was not acknowledged until that year when there was an investigation. It was reported that the tires had caused 200 deaths. 
2. Smoking has positive effects remark. Back in the early 2000s, 2001 to be exact, Philip Morris made a remarks that took many people by surprise; Philip Morris said that smoking would actually be good for the world because of how it caused early deaths of smokers. What was their reasoning for this? They tried to say that the early deaths would save millions in healthcare costs. 
3. Poor child attire for Abercrombie & Fitch. Still, even after hearing of lash back from consumers against other clothing makers, A&F decided that making thongs and racist shirts for their clientele would be a wise idea. First, they released the shirts and thought that people would enjoy them. After the backlash, they decided to release the thongs. Yes, they tried to defend both decisions. 
4. The racist board game. Remember this one? Maybe or maybe not, this one gained awareness but not as much as the previous PR faux pas. In 2003, Urban Outfitters decided to sell their own version of Monopoly called "Ghettopoly." You would steal property, get your neighborhood addicted to crack, etc. 
5. Janet & JT wardrobe malfunction. In the 2004 Super Bowl half-time show, Timberlake was supposed to rip off part of Janet Jackson's jacket and reveal… something. Well, a little more came off than what was expected and her breast was briefly exposed; people quickly then dubbed this Nipplegate. 
6. Terrell Owens & Nicollette Sheridan ad. Soon after Janet & JT debacle, ABC aired a commercial that featured Terrell Owens and Nicollette Sheridan in the Eagles locker room; Sheridan was supposed to be seducing T.O. This might not have been a great idea at any time but so soon after the Super Bowl half-time show ordeal? It flopped real quick. 
7. Cartoon Network & bomb confusion. In 2007, Cartoon Network decided to do some guerrilla marketing for their show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" by placing little light-up signs around Boston in various spots. Unfortunately, they did not have enough context or explanation and so many residents confused the signs with bomb danger. 
8. JetBlue holds passengers on planes for 11 hours. In 2007, JetBlue flights at JFK were held up for a whopping 11 hours on the runway. Why? Well, for good reason, there was nasty weather and the flights could not take off. However, the problem was in their decision to not return to the gates to let passengers leave but rather keep them on the planes the whole 11 hours. 
9. Pleases & thank you's of bailout money. In 2008, the Great Recession was in full swing and many huge corporations were in financial trouble. Fortunately, the government had offered bailout money to the companies that needed it to stay in business. The problem was how some of them asked for it and how some of them showed their thank you's. 
1. How they asked for it: Automakers Chrysler, GM, and Ford flew to D.C. on private jets to ask for the bailout money. Yes, luxurious private jets. 
2. How they said thank you: AIG threw a company retreat at the renowned St. Regis in California that totaled $443,300. 
10. Dominoes started to fall. In 2009, two Domino's employees posted videos on the web of them doing rather distasteful things The videos went viral & it took Domino's two days to respond to the issue; by the time they did, the damage was already done and almost unfixable. 

The world of public relations is sometimes a tough one and with the world being more technological than ever, PR has gotten both easier and harder. The world of franchise PR is in the same boat. If you are looking for a franchise PR firm to help your company gain exposure and be prepared for a fiasco, then hire All Points PR - a Chicago franchise public relations agency. 

Want a Career in Franchise PR?

The idea of being a PRP in franchise PR sounds so cool. Think about it, you are doing public relations, closely related to marketing, and talking on your phone about how you will make sure that your client will be famous! Your client will not get bad press! Yeah, it sure sounds cool being the go-to guy for a corporation while the media gulps down the news about their recent purchase of a competitor or something. While the scenarios are certainly possible and do happen in franchise public relations or other forms of PR, it is not always the glitz and glamor that many people think it is.

A career in public relations, especially franchise PR, is a job that you have to be tough to succeed in. We're not talking physically tough but rather emotionally and professionally. There are a few characteristics that one must meet in order to be good or even great in PR.

• Patience. If you expect to be a successful PRP in franchise public relations, you have to be patient. Things take time, journalists have a lot of things to do and basically a few hours to get it all done. They operate under heavy deadlines and so sometimes a PRP is not their top priority. Another aspect of this is being patient in getting your story accepted by a journalist. 
• Persistence. This was hinted at in the first point but it is another necessary characteristic for a PRP. Sometimes you will have a great piece and need it to be accepted by a journalist. You will be turned down by journalists; it might take a couple days to get a story submitted to a journalist, you just have to be persistent. The key is to stay on their radar while not being overwhelming; if you are too overwhelming, they will just deny you all together. 
• Communication. If you want to be good in PR then you have to be able to communicate. Ask questions. Inform people of things going on. Email people. Call people. Whatever needs to be done to keep people in the know, get it done. If you leave people in the dark, you will soon find that you have nobody to inform because they have all left you for another franchise PR agency. 
• Writing. The ability to write is essential to PR. Specifically, the ability to write stories and compelling stuff is essential. If you can't write, you need to learn if you want to be in PR. 
• Ethical behavior. If you think you will be that sly wheelin' & dealin' PRP who can make himself rich while exploiting others, good luck getting hired by a PR agency. Any respectable and known PR agency has ethics and morals. The governing body of PR,  PRSA, has a set of rules set in place that PR agencies have to abide by. 

We are a full-service chicago franchise PR firm. We do social media PR, crisis communications, grassroots PR, business, and more.  

Why Should I Get A Franchise Public Relations Team?

What is the point of getting a franchise public relations team for your company? Well, there are a lot of reasons, my friend. See, a public relations franchise team can do a lot to protect your business and give you direction about what to do next in order to grow. Let's explore the reasons your company should buddy up with a PR firm.

The first reason your company should team up with a franchise PR firm is because the PR firm can protect your company. When things happen and there is a hoopla about the outcome, your company will need somebody who knows how to handle the media and the angry mob of consumers outside your door. Having a PR firm by your side who can handle crisis communication is going to do a lot of good in the long run. The media will want answers and with the help your PR team, you will be able to give the right answers.

The second reason your company should hire a franchise PR team is because they will get your name out there. The people at the public relations firm will work night and day trying to get your name in front of the media; this gets your company's name in the newspaper, magazines, radio, and television. Yeah, your company could be doing a segment on the news stations in your area and, if awesome enough, perhaps national media. This will greatly increase potential business opportunities since more results when they promise to get your in front of the eyes of your publics, or, people you want to be your customer.
people will know your business exists; let's be honest, a lot of times, the reason a business struggles is because they are unknown to many (as long as they do indeed have a good product/service). A PR firm can get

The third reason your company should dire a franchise PR firm is because they will give your direction on what to do next. This is an ambiguous statement so I'll explain further; the PR team can help you decide what would be a good way to promote your company. This is more marketing related than PR but a good PR firm will either know this knowledge or at least have marketing people working there to give their input.

Still not sure why your company should hire a PR firm to help your business? Do some research and you will see. If you have any questions, contact All Points PR, a full-service Chicago franchise PR firm .

What is Public Relations?

What is public relations? Many people have this question and it is difficult to answer for those who do not know. Many people think that public relations is the same as marketing and advertising; while they are similar in theory, they are different practices entirely. It is said that PR is something you do not pay for while marketing is something you have to pay for. Also, advertising and marketing seek to control the conversation and message while PR communicates and builds relationships with target markets, or publics, and opinion leaders of the public.

Of course, to answer the question, "What is PR?" We have to dive deeper and explain what public relations  practitioners can do and not do. What franchise industry PR can do is to help build and maintain a good image for a company and/or person. One thing the PR firm must do for this is to build credibility for the client. The reason the firm must build credibility for the client is because it helps with the client's persuasion and builds trust and power behind the client's words.

 A second task of a PRP for a client is manage the client's reputation; this means to build and maintain. If a client wants to appear generous, then the franchise PR agency will create PR opportunities or capitalize on good moments. People sometimes think that PR stunts are negative but this is not true, when a PR firm does a PR stunt, it can be for pure promotion of an event, etc and not to cover up or create anything bad. The negative connotation of PR stunts typically comes from the PR stunts that are done for celebrities. But back to the main point that franchise public relations firms do use and create moments for reputations is often good.

 A third task of a PRP is to inform public opinion and create understanding. When publics, or consumers, don't understand something a company is doing, it is up to the franchise PR firm to resolute the questions and issues.

 A fourth task of a PRP is to create unity among people. For example, a PRP at a company is supposed to create loyalty, a whole-hearted volunteer effort, etc. They are supposed to create that sense of "togetherness" for a company so they will perform better. A common misconception of public relations is that it is supposed to cover up mistakes and faux pas of companies; this is not true at all, at least not for PR firms that believe in ethics. Ethical PRPs know that you do not sweep anything under the rug but rather you acknowledge the error. resolve it, and move on. Ignoring an issue or covering it up is a huge mistake and creates a bad reputation, worse than the original error. 

Hopefully this blog helped you understand what public relations is and now you can sleep peacefully knowing what it is and how it's different than advertising and marketing.

Getting the Most Out of Your Franchise Public Relations SEO

Using SEO article marketing is a brave and smart way to get your name out there, especially in the <a href=http://www.allpointspr.com> franchise PR </a> realm where everyone feels like they are the next Walter Cronkite as they spread their opinions about the news all over social media.

There are a few things that you can do to increase the likelihood of generating links and boosting your ratings on search engines.

The first thing is to use specific keywords. Keywords are the things that people type into search engines to find something. For example, if you want good local Chinese restaurants, you may search "good local chinese restaurants." Use Google Analytics to search for the best and latest keywords that are related to your business. The thing about keywords is that they often work for a while and then one day, nothing. What were once fantastic keywords that were generating lots of links and clicks are now getting nothing or maybe only a quarter of the results they were a month ago. The reason is because people may not always search for something with the same language; also, search engines will switch things up and so you have to see what keywords they like and don't like.

The best way to incorporate keywords into something is to incorporate keywords into your articles and blogs that you post online. When you search for something, search engines scan everything on the internet for those specific words and the things that contain the most are the links that are higher up than others. Once you find your keywords, sprinkle them into your web articles and blogs. You can easily tie them into a sentence so it's not awkwardly posted into your writing. For example, if your keyword was "Chicagoland prime steakhouse" then you could say, "The best place to find a 'chicagoland prime steakhouse' is on Wabash in downtown Chicago" instead of "If you like meat 'chicagoland prime steakhouse' then you should go down to Wabash in downtown Chicago." The second sentence was kind of awkward, huh? While that is utilizing keywords, it's not pretty.

To be more specific with utilizing keywords in your writings, in addition to posting them in your text body, try using them in titles and even your social media posts. These small additions are little things that can really add to your rankings without a whole bunch of added effort. As a <a href=http://www.allpointspr.com> franchise PR firm </a> it's important for you to have high rankings since this will position you as a leader in the PR world.

Why Optimize Press Releases?

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As a franchise public relations agency we know how much time and effort goes into making a press release perfect.  We know what it takes to make a press release more powerful than the words itself, and that is by optimizing the content.  To get the most out of a press release in terms of it reaching a large audience it is crucial to optimize the content so it can be found online.

Before writing the press release, we recommend that you come up with a minimum of five different keywords to use throughout the press release and link those keywords back to a website.  Keywords do not only make the reading easier for the reader, but it makes the search engines understand that the article is talking about.  When our Chicago public relations franchise uses keywords, we do it to make sure that people can easily sum up and remember what the article discussed whether they read one paragraph or two pages.

It is also important to make sure that the keywords are relevant to the content and that they are all scattered throughout the article.  Our public relations company likes to keep the press release visually balanced and we like to include links to our website and the franchise PR website. 

Also, if you want to make the press release more visually captivating, it is critical to use images in the release.  Not only that, but you can link the image so it sends the viewer back to a website.  What our franchise PR firm loves about linking images is that when you search the keyword in the Google images, the image will come up under the keyword.  This is very important because it gives ownership to the image and this way people can site a source instead of stealing images online.

Don’t let your press release get lost in cyberspace.  Use keywords in your press releases and link them back to credible sites.  If you are in need of assistance writing press releases or optimizing content in general, please contact our firm for franchise PR consulting or comment below.