BUT, consider this – what if the press release actually did contain all of the information needed, as was the case with this GE/Nuventix release we had the pleasure of pitching around last week. We pitched this news under embargo, and the response was staggering – not only did reporters from NY Times, USA Today and WSJ (among others) agree to the embargo (I mean yes, it was GE), but they only had one obvious question, which was the one answer left out of the press release – how much does it cost. 

The press release contained the majority of the key information, PLUS it had pictures! (Novel idea, I know.) It was well written and picked up all over the place, proving that no the press release isn’t dead, or passe, or even worthless – it just needs to be done right. Kudos to GE’s internal PR guy Dave for getting the most out of a tried-and-true PR tactic.

He uses real language (and I’m sure there is plenty of tech jargon he could have thrown in there). He uses analogies we can all understand. He shares examples of how the tech’s been used before (in a rocket, how cool is that) AND he visually shows examples of how the tech does what it says it will do – protects, his finger in this case. Pretty impressive stuff all the way around.

Oh and the other thing that’s impressive? The team making the magic happen, and with less than the time it takes to properly form a habit (they say that takes two weeks, btw) – Kari, Allison, Jennifer and Jessica. Nice job ladies!

Most people reading this will say “well duh, Starr.” But think about it. When a prospective client comes to us they always want to know what media relationships we have, and the more names we drop – Walt Mossberg, Ed Baig, David Pogue, Eric Zeman, Sascha Segan (I could go on and on, trust me) – the higher we go on the consideration list. But I promise you, we wouldn’t have those relationships if we didn’t feed them with good stories, and if we didn’t know when a story wasn’t good enough. In that sense, to me, it’s not as important what relationships we currently have as it is if we know how to build relationships with the right people. If I send a crappy story to Walt I can tell you it doesn’t matter how often we’ve talked in the past, he’s not going to respond. It’s that simple.

So the better question for prospective clients to ask would be “Do you know how to build relationships?” Yep, we do. It’s all about telling good stories.

What you need to get your story written:

- Something big, different, new, unique, timely; bonus points for integrating contention (Note: this is the part clients usually feel they have nailed – “new product!” “new way of doing this old thing!” “new company launch!” I would agree they have the beginning, but it’s usually not fully baked. Still, they tend to fall down on the below points much faster than in this area.)

- That something needs to be relevant to the person AND THE PUBLICATION being pitched (it’s all about the audience of the pub, truly). For instance, there are very few coverage possibilities for enterprise IT products (databases, storage) in business publications right now, unless you’re going public, are backed by industry heavyweights and/or have changed the face of IT as we know it. If that shoe doesn’t fit, don’t wear it. Your customers probably aren’t in that audience anyway. It’s our job to find the right places to pitch your story – it’s your job to trust us that we know what we’re talking about.

- Clear, real language needs to be used all over the place – jargon is a story killer, 100%. (Heed the LOLcat.)

- Analogies, examples, and people that will be references for you or your product are a MUST.

- Clients need to be on the same page with what the story is, and they need to deliver in the interview (we can help with our prep and media training, but at the end of the day you have to be able to tell your story)

- Visuals are a requirement. Every company needs to understand how to tell their story visually.

Any elements you would add? Let me know in the comments. And don’t just take my word for it – tons of reporters will give you this very same advice, including Ben Parr at Mashable who wrote this blog post on the subject last fall. (Ben, had to steal the pic you used for the post too – nothing wrong with spreading around a little LOLcat. )

Every year only a few books truly inspire me. Tribes by Seth Godin is one of them. This little novel centers around the premise of finding your passion. And if you have the “drive to make it happen, there is a tribe of fellow employees, or customers, or investors, or readers, just waiting for you to connect them with each other and lead them where they want to go.”

The author defines a tribe as a group of people who are connected to: one another, a leader and an idea.

Here at INK PR, the entire team functions as a tribe. At its core, the staff is innately connected to one another. The intimate size of the firm (now eleven women) gives the team an advantage. We share meals, baby pictures, and celebrate birthdays as one. Sharing life’s experiences with colleagues instills a bond and support system unlike any other, which comes in handy when the work gets tough. We can rely on each other both in a personal and professional manner.

Secondly, INK revolves around resounding leadership. In an interview after INK received a “People’s Choice” award, co-owner Kari Hernandez said: “Starr and I started INK to provide PR with a personal touch and do it better than anyone else.” This “personal touch” is something they saw lacking at larger PR firms. Moreover, Godin explains that to be a leader, one must be charismatic, positive and active – three qualities possessed by INK’s entire leadership team. Even at their most stressed moments, Starr and Kari stay positive and maintain a certain magnetism that motivates the tribe around them.

Moreover, INK is centered around this idea of delivering quality work . Under Starr and Kari’s leadership, INK practices what they preach—the promise to provide exceptional client service with PR strategies that work. They do this by not taking on more clients than they can handle and ensuring that each company gets the attention they deserve.

Tribes need only a shared interest and purpose to exist. At INK PR that shared purpose is to provide quality services for our clients, while functioning as a unified force. I find that successful tribes like INK PR have a distinguishing factor: committed and passionate leaders, dedicated to their field. I feel honored to be a part of something that I connect to and believe in, a strong example that I can model my own tribe after someday.

It’s not like we haven’t had big news ourselves in April. A things come to mind:

- Jennifer Sisk joined our team as senior account executive. We could not be more happy (seriously, could not) to have her on board. She’s jumped right in like she never wasn’t here. Go follow her on Twitter. She’s got the best Klout (or is it Klouchebag) score on our team (blog post for another day).

- We won two new accounts: welcome Tech21 and Flash Valet, both launching (one in North America, one for the first time to the world) in May. Flash Valet is part of our new offering for early stage start-ups (again, blog post for another day).

- We have been blowing the doors off on the media relations front for all of our clients and are excited to see the fruits of that labor in the coming weeks.

And while no longer really INK news, but certainly always part of the INK family, former INKer Beth welcomed Olive Monroe to the world (she is her mini-me, adorable).

Get ready – we’ve got a website redo coming, we’ve got big news for early stage start-ups, we’ve got opinions galore on crap going on in the world. And, it’s the last Friday in April. Watch out May, we’re coming for you.

I was so pumped for the opportunity that I started working before I had an apartment to live in. During my first week at INK I slept on an air mattress at a friend’s house, and I was a constant mess of nervous excitement. I had accepted a job and moved across the country in a heartbeat*. New city, new people, new job, new life. Was this the best or worst decision I had ever made?

I’m happy to say that it was in fact a great decision, and over the past year I have learned some incredible life lessons:

Take the chance. I remember telling myself, “Even if you get fired and only end up staying in Austin for two months, in ten years you won’t look back with regret.” Little did I know, I had landed an amazing job in a crazy city and was about to fall in love with this new life. The riskiest chances have the most significant payoff.

Find the best environment for you. We spend eternity trying to do just this, in all aspects of life. As for work environment, I was lucky to find the best for me—one that is supportive, flexible and creative, always encouraging me to discover and develop my professional strengths. This keeps me confident and motivated, as an ideal situation should.

Be a part of a family. I was a quintessential boomerang kid, which according to the New York Times are, “those young adults who left the family home only to move back in because they can’t make it on their own.” Pft. In the months I spent home after college, I only ever thought about leaving to start a career. Looking back, that time with my family and childhood friends was humbling and empowering. Now 1,700 miles away, my connection with my New York home is stronger than ever, but I have also developed a family here in Austin—with new friends and INK.**

I had considered writing a post about the professional lessons INK has taught me (a lot), but really this past year has meant so much more. Thank you INK. Looking forward to year two!

It’s not an INK celebration without warm Tiff’s Treats delivered to our door.

*Side note: I defied the New Yorker code of ethics when I moved here, proudly wearing the Texas-is-actually-cool grin. When I told my parents about the job their initial response was, “But Jess… Texas? Are you taking the job? It’s TEXAS.” Seeing that INK is ideal and Austin tops nearly every Forbes city-ranking list, they’ve clearly come around.

**Sorry for the cheese. Had to be done.

With over 30,000 participants each year, the Capitol 10,000 (or Cap 10K as it is known in Austin), is considered the largest 10K race in Texas and the 5^th largest in the nation.  The race takes place in late March every year in downtown Austin, making it an enjoyable and scenic run to participate in.  This past weekend, we all headed downtown sporting our awesome INK running shirt, designed by our very own Design Star, Jessica Warren, to represent 202 S Lowell Lane. The temperatures may have been warmer than expected and the crowds may have made the course more like an obstacle course than a run course, but we all crossed that finish line (some completing their very first 10K finish) and had a blast in the process.

Of course, no group event at INK would be complete without food, so after the race we walked over to the nearby El Alma, for a delicious Sunday morning brunch and some celebratory mimosas.  We were even joined by some of our favorite mini-INKers: Jacob, Charlotte and Parker!

Despite the sore legs and tired muscles that many of us felt Monday morning, we’re already busy trying to figure out which event the INK crew will participate in next. If you know of any great races in the Austin area, be sure to send them our way.

INK PR Job Opening: Senior Account Executive

Years of Experience: 3-4

INK PR is now interviewing for the position of Senior Account Executive. This team member will join a small group of energetic public relations specialists at the Austin-based boutique communications agency and immediately dive into PR in the technology industry.

There is a lot of love at INK PR – for what we do, for the clients we work with and for each other. We’re still a relatively young (8 years) and small (you make 11) company with a growing reputation for personalized client service, top-notch media relations (800 journalists voted INK best small tech agency for PRSourceCode Top Communicators 2010 award) and PR programs that exhibit the perfect blend of strategic counsel, creativity and common sense (finalist for PR News’ 2011 Small Agency of the Year).

We work hard – very hard – but we also value work/life balance and enjoy ourselves along the way.  We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive benefits package and pride ourselves on our all-around awesome work environment and company culture.  If wearing jeans to work, holding meetings outside on the INK poolside patio, and embracing “INK Summer Fridays” with early office closings throughout the summer sound good to you, please read on to see if you might be a good fit for INK.

Primary responsibilities:
-Manage day-to-day client relations as the main point of contact
-Maintain and demonstrate a deep understanding of clients and their industries
-Implement innovative social media strategies for your clients, INK and yourself
-Manage and implement high-level media and analyst plans and relationships
-Write and edit plans, messaging documents, pitches, press releases, blogs and bylines
-Develop and manage account budgets and invoices

Qualifications:
-Bachelor’s degree, preferably in PR, communications, journalism, English, marketing, or a related discipline
-Three to four years of post-graduate experience in the public relations industry
-Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain strong client and team relationships
-Possess a love for storytelling and an ability to effectively communicate in writing, in person and visually
-An eye for design and an ability to work in Illustrator and InDesign is a big plus
-Demonstrated expertise in branding and social media platforms and programs

For consideration, please send the following materials to Adrienne Huebner at work@ink-pr.com:
-Cover letter highlighting your accomplishments and why you want to work at INK
-Resume
-Writing samples that demonstrate your creative and/or strategic writing abilities

*UPDATE:  We are no longer accepting applications for this position.  Please feel free to send Adrienne your resume for possible future opportunities.*

Learn more about INK:

www.ink-pr.com
www.facebook.com/inkpublicrelations
www.twitter.com/INK_PR
www.pinterest.com/inkpr

Could this be your new work home?

The hour was spent listening to panelists Russ Rhea of Hahn, Texas and Sarah Russ from Phillips & Company present case studies on individual client crisis situations and give detailed explanations on what constitutes a good crisis communication strategy. Of everything that Sarah and Russ discussed during their panel, the following three points are the ones INK thinks most valuable for any client facing a crisis:

- At the center of every good crisis communications plan is a strong company spokesperson.  Make sure that you select someone who can convey your company’s messages with confidence and will appear both open and empathetic to your audience (and be sure that the selected spokesperson receives regular media training to prepare for any last-minute situation).

- Communication is critical during a crisis. Even if you do not have all the answers, it is important to let people know that you will keep them informed, as the information is available.  Remember, your audiences will get their information from somewhere – it’s better coming from you.

- Whether in crisis mode or not, always be honest and transparent with your communications plan.  Having an existing reputation as an honest company will give the public more trust in your ability to handle a crisis.

 In my experience, I’ve seen that every company faces a crisis at sometime (although some are bigger than others).  Rather than thinking it will never happen to you, expecting a crisis and preparing for every situation will help minimize the damage if and when that time comes.

My inspiration came after attending SXSW panels last week and being completely blown away by the lack of manners some people possess. Yes, I get it. SXSW is a “cool conference” and not stuffy like most tradeshows – but alas, presenters still feel the same pressure and nervousness before speaking to hundreds of 20-30-something attendees trying to recover from parties the night before. With that said, here are a few (I think simple) rules to follow when being an audience member:

-       Take it outside: If you break out into a coughing attack and think you might lose a lung– excuse yourself. While I am sure all 250 remaining audience members care for your well being, it can be a tad distracting when everyone is thinking CPR may/ may not need to be administered.

-       Type with purpose (just not in a panel).  I know I might be spoiled with the light key sounds of a MacBook Pro, but if I can hear you punching keys vigorously from 5 rows back, take it down a notch. Please be cognizant of your surroundings and that others are trying to listen. (Plus, are you really taking notes…or updating your Facebook status?)

-       Saving seats: Unless it is absolutely vital that you sit next to your BFF in panel sessions, don’t save seats. This is not the third grade. Speakers like to see a full house and that others are engaged. By leaving random empty seats throughout, you are hurting the general flow of the audience.

-       Comments vs. questions: Personally, my favorite part of any panel is towards the end when audience members can ask on-the-fly questions of speakers (from a PR perspective, I love to see how “on message” some can be without prep). PLEASE do not stand in line at the microphone and then proceed to share a 5-minute comment or lecture. Save that for a follow-up email. Remember you are here to engage, not for a one-sided conversation.

There you have it – my top tips on how to be a better audience member. Here’s hoping next year’s SXSW is a little more well mannered.