Cheap Trick: Great Band, Lousy B2B Growth Strategy

It’s tough to launch and grow a successful business, and tempting to look for shortcuts. And why not? We’ve all heard about the magical growth hacks; the campaigns that went viral, the PR home runs that crashed servers and exploded phones. So, when B2BNXT said they wanted to interview me about B2B growth tips, I […]

MWC Report: Small Companies Score Big Buzz

I am often asked by clients how to build trade show buzz and booth traffic. It can be especially challenging when you’re a small startup with limited funds, as are most of our clients.  They’re competing against well-known companies that have massive tricked out booths, and also trying to steal attention from other strivers. The […]

Two Weeks, Two Wild Media Rides

If you’re a news and politics junkie like me, it’s been a head-spinning couple of weeks. First, a Buzzfeed article claimed that Donald Trump asked Michael Cohen to lie to Congress. Other media swarmed around the story, feeding 24 hours of breathless coverage before Team Mueller issued a rare public statement, claiming the facts did […]

Will AI Take Jobs from PR?

I was watching 60 Minutes this weekend, which ran a segment about AI that highlighted China’s growing clout in the tech (Silicon Valley, hope you were watching; you should be scared, very scared). They interviewed Kai-Fu Lee, the so-called Oracle of AI who boasts a Ph.D., Apple, Microsoft, and Google stints, and runs a Chinese […]

How to Overcome Social Media Challenges in 2019

Last month I interviewed top PR and social media experts about the challenges facing online marketing. The following recap includes some of the juiciest quotes from Neal Schaffer, Frank Strong, Drew Neisser, and Deb Weinstein. I also share my views (not necessarily the agency’s) and pose additional questions. Finally, I include links to other stories […]

Does Social Media Marketing Need a Reboot? Neal Schaffer Responds

I was thrilled when Neal Schaffer agreed to participate in my series about challenges facing social media marketing.  Neal is a social media speaker and consultant ranked by Forbes and others as a top influencer. I had the privilege of writing for his Maximize Social Business blog for three years, and have also spoken at […]

Drew Neisser on Next Steps for Social Media Marketing

I have been blogging about challenges confronting digital PR and social media marketing. You can read those posts to learn more. In a nutshell, issues have surfaced over the past couple of years (related to fake news, online manipulation, growing privacy concerns as examples) that I believe drive the need to take stock and possibly […]

What Lies ahead in Social Media Marketing?

If social media were a brand, it’s one that I think most would agree has been tarnished. The reputation hits come from many directions. Sure, Facebook’s troubles have been front and center. It’s nothing short of mind boggling, the mischief and misdeeds that run rampant there. And it’s not just about Facebook or even social […]

FUD 2.0 and the State of PR Ethics

I’m always interested in topics related to my profession, PR, and the industry we serve, technology. So I was eager to see what NY Times had to say in Jack Nicas’s recent piece: How Facebook’s P.R. Firm Brought Political Trickery to Tech. Longtime readers know that I like to call out misperceptions about PR, hence […]

We’ve been hacked! Call the Press!

Folks, it is time for a tough conversation. No, not that one. The one about your cybersecurity stance – and any breaches. These things are the “third rail” in technology public relations, which is my forte. Talking about it seems somewhat akin to admitting you have an STD. After advising many cybersecurity companies over the […]