Why the Best PR Firms Look Beyond Press Releases

The best PR firms don’t focus their efforts on press releases. They focus their creative energies around the editorial angle.

Yes, press releases are great for content marketing, and they can help communicate a tight, controlled message. But it’s unlikely they will lead to media coverage.

The most successful media campaigns will always include a proactive media outreach. And there is no cutting in line. This approach centers around manually researching and pitching reporters, journalists, producers and editors that are targeted.

MACIAS PR consistently secures coverage for our clients because this approach is at the center of our strategy. Pitching directly to media is especially important for smaller businesses, including startups.

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Founder of MACIAS PR – Mark Macias – Named to the Forbes Business Council

​Forbes Business Council – an invitation-only organization for successful business leaders and entrepreneurs – has announced Mark Macias – founder of MACIAS PR – as a Council member.

A review committee selected Macias based on his depth and diversity of his experience as a journalist, author, entrepreneur and media strategist. The committee evaluates each member’s business track record and leadership, as well as personal and professional achievements.

“We are honored to welcome Mark Macias into the Forbes Business Council,” said Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, the collective that includes Forbes Business Council. “Our mission with Forbes Councils is to bring together proven leaders from every industry, creating a curated, social capital-driven network that helps every member grow professionally and make an even greater impact on the business world.”

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How Public Relations can Help Develop New Business

There’s a popular question we frequently hear from business owners: How can PR grow my business, and how do I measure it?

I’ve written extensively on here and other outlets, like Forbes and Entrepreneur, on how to measure the ROI of PR. You can read those articles here.

A successful PR campaign must be targeted to the right audience for the best results. A PR campaign that is focused around business development should always target publications that your customers read.

This is one of the strategies that MACIAS PR takes with every campaign. We are driven by results that delivery metrics that your business needs.

One of the first questions we ask potential clients is – what is the purpose of this PR campaign? The answer will help us develop an effective strategy that gets your product or service in front of customers.

So how can PR help you close sales?

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Helping a Local Story Go National Leveraging Affiliate Feeds

By Mark Macias

There are advantages to working with a media insider. Or in the case with MACIAS PR, it’s like having an Executive Producer in your corner.

During my time with NBC and CBS, I approved ideas from publicists, reporters and producers – where I believe we had a special formula for approving stories. I always pushed our reporters and producers to sell creative, timely, enterprise angles. We didn’t want to just communicate information to viewers but produced stories that would inspire viewers and readers to interact.

Today, MACIAS PR takes the same approach with our campaigns. We don’t push information, but look for strong, enterprise story angles. I’m always pushing our team to identify elements that will get consumers talking about our story at the dinner table or cocktail party. It’s rooted in our DNA.

But there’s another little-known tactic that MACIAS PR takes with our campaigns. It’s an approach that only those inside the TV medium would know. We leverage affiliate feeds.

Future of PR – Revolves around Reputations and Search Engines

By Mark Macias

One of our nonprofit clients went to a Google marketing conference and shared with me some of the best takeaways he heard. One of the boldest statements came from a Google executive who told the crowd that in the future, there will be no brands.

It seems hard to believe that brands won’t matter in the future, but it makes sense. Yes, household names, like McDonalds, Starbucks and Netflix will continue to be in our subconscious. However, among smaller brands – especially in the B2B sector – will become more susceptible to branding from Google. Let me break it down further. Continue reading “Future of PR – Revolves around Reputations and Search Engines”

5 Mistakes Leaders Make with Reporters – Forbes Analysis

By Mark Macias

I recently wrote a story for Forbes, outlining 5 mistakes I frequently see leaders make with reporters. CEOs are traditionally articulate and great with the gift of gab, but when it comes to their interaction with the media, I’ve frequently observed many of the leaders make the same mistake.

It’s a shame because it’s not easy getting interviews with reporters. PR firms have to work very hard to land the pre-interview, and you typically only get one shot. Over the summer, our team secured a 20-minute phone interview with a FOX News anchor. I worked with the CEO closely, gave him a briefing document and was on the call, trying to keep it focused. Still, at the end of the phone call, the anchor told the CEO point-blank: I don’t know what this story is now.

Here is an abridged version of the article I wrote for Forbes. You can read it more in-depth by clicking here. Continue reading “5 Mistakes Leaders Make with Reporters – Forbes Analysis”

PR Strategy – Finding Your Target Audience for Publicity 

One-size doesn’t fit-all when it comes to PR. The best PR firms create media campaigns that are customized to reach your desired audience or client. This approach is effective with every industry – digital health, technology, financial and even politics.

MACIAS PR recently secured a story on our Congressional client in Teen Vogue. The campaign wasn’t trying to reach Republicans and Democrats across the entire US. Instead, our approach and strategy narrowed the message to reach voters who would have the biggest effect on the campaign.

In the case of our Congressional client, she needed to reach Millennial voters, which is why we reached out to one of the largest Millennial readerships in the US  – Teen Vogue  – which reaches more 4 million readers every month.

Our media placement with Teen Vogue is just one example of how our team works to secure targeted press coverage for our clients.

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MACIAS PR Releases Annual Media Report, Detailing Agency’s Growth

The top tech and healthcare PR firm — MACIAS PR — has released its annual media report, detailing coverage secured for clients in 2019. The list of media placements was long and influential.

In the fourth quarter, MACIAS PR secured stories for their clients with national TV, newspaper and online publications, including Forbes, CNN, CBS News, NewsWeek and MSN. The firm also placed targeted local TV segments with Channel 19 in Alabama, Channel 4 in New York and PIX 11 in New York.

The third quarter was even bigger for MACIAS PR. The public relations agency secured stories with Newsweek, Forbes, New York Times, Washington Post, People en Espanol, Channel 11 in New York, NBC in New York, News 12 in New York City, Cheddar and others.

Media Campaign Highlights $58 Million Fundraising Round

In the second quarter, MACIAS PR launched a fundraising campaign for a digital health client. The fundraising announcement highlighted a $58 million fundraising round that was covered by more than 30 news publications, including TechCrunch, AlleyWatch, Entrepreneur, MobiHealthNews, Axios, and Fortune.

MACIAS PR kicked off 2019 with a TV segment with the top-rated morning show, the NBC Today Show. The national TV segment showcased the world’s first smart belt, reaching more than 1.4 million viewers across the country. MACIAS PR also secured media placements with Entrepreneur, USA Today, and Forbes in the first quarter in 2019.

MACIAS PR Named 2019 Strategic PR Firm of the Year

The coverage in 2019 led to MACIAS PR getting named the Strategic PR Firm of the Year by marketing and industry peers. The ACQ5 Awards recognizes industry leaders based on their expertise and innovation.

“MACIAS PR might be a boutique public relations agency in New York, but I’ll put our media results, strategy and deliverables up against the biggest PR firms in this country,” said Macias. “At the root, MACIAS PR is an entrepreneur’s agency. We continue to look at the media, business and messaging through the lense of an entrepreneur and that helps our team deliver better results at a faster pace.”

Mark Macias Named to Forbes Business Council

That entrepreneurial approach was recognized by the Forbes Business Council, which named Mark Macias to their board in December 2019. Macias was vetted and selected by a review committee based on the depth and diversity of his experience as a journalist, author, entrepreneur and media strategist.

Each Forbes Business Council member must have demonstrated a successful business track record and industry leadership, as well as personal and professional achievements and honors, for their inclusion.

MACIAS PR Launches Scientific Political Polling Services

MACIAS PR also launched a new scientific polling service in 2019. The polls come with margin of errors as small as +/-3 percent, or larger based on the client’s budget.

Macias says these polls provide data-driven political insight on voters’ sentiment and ignite new opportunities to position candidates into the news cycle.

“We craft our polls with the news agenda in mind, making sure the poll results lead to new insight on voter sentiment,” said Macias. “In the past, these political polls with margin of errors were only available to incumbents or heavily funded campaigns, but that’s changing. We’ve invested in technology and formed partnerships that allow us to run the same scientific polls on the same platforms as presidential pollsters.”

About MACIAS PR

The founder of the firm, Mark Macias, is a former Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS in New York. His media experience provides the firm with an insider’s perspective on how news stories are placed.

Macias is author of the business book Beat the Press: Your Guide to Managing the Media and frequent media contributor with CNBC, Forbes and The Daily Caller where he gives PR, media and crisis advice on timely business and political stories.

Companies interested in receiving a PR estimate can click here to get an online proposal.

What is Public Relations? FAQ on how PR Works

What is public relations? It’s one of the most popular questions we continually hear from business owners when we talk shop.

Public relations is one of the most efficient and strategic ways to get your story in front of customers. It introduces your story, product and service directly to potential clients via the media. It’s also more affordable than advertising.

How is PR different from Advertising?

Public relations is not advertising. You can’t buy a news story with the media. Yes, you can buy “sponsored” posts with the media, but that’s really just a commercial put in words. More important, when your advertising budget is over, say goodbye to your “sponsored” post. However, with PR, your story stays on the media website long after your PR budget is over.

PR can also help improve your brand in the media. PR specialists are frequently the front line of defense against crises linked to legal problems, technical difficulties and perhaps even natural disasters. Public relations involves a wide selection of tactics and strategies. So how is MACIAS PR better than other PR firms?

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Why Perspective Matters when it comes to PR and Media

The way you frame a story will always influence whether the media covers it. This is where perspective plays a role in how – or if – your story gets told.

Different stories need to be told through a different lense. For example, a CEO editorial must convey thought leadership from a perspective based on experience and insight. Likewise, a consumer brand trying to reach Millennials or women must connect with a perspective that their targeted customer understands. On the surface, it might sound simplistic, but execution and nuance run deeper than the the surface.

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