What is it like working in TV News?

By Mark Macias

Throughout my TV career with NBC and CBS, publicists used to ask me in private: why don’t producers and reporters ever respond to my emails or phone calls?

Journalists, producers, reporters and writers get a ton of unsolicited emails every day. I’m sure you know that. Let me tell you something you don’t know.

This morning, I texted a long-time colleague from CBS and asked her about a TV segment she had already shot on my client. The story is shot, so the hardest and most difficult work is essentially done. I had texted her earlier in the week, and got no response.

Had I been your typical publicist, I would probably would have assumed she didn’t care. But I know this reporter well. I know she likes the story and she’s also a personal friend.

This morning, she responded.

“I’m so sorry. I’m juggling so much.” Continue reading “What is it like working in TV News?”

What did your PR Firm deliver in Q2?

By Mark Macias

I’m a big believer in transparency for my PR firm. I always hear from potential clients who complain their last PR firm kept them in the dark and never delivered any media placements.

Here’s a closer look at what Macias PR delivered for our clients from April to June 2017.

Continue reading “What did your PR Firm deliver in Q2?”

How Newsrooms and Bookstores are Similar

A bookstore and the newsroom are similar in many ways. They are both packed with stories that want to be shared. Unfortunately, many quality stories are never told because they don’t get into the right hands.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a consumer looking for a great novel, or a business trying to get your story told through the media.

Knowing how to navigate a newsroom is crucial when it comes to getting a story placed in the media. You might have a great idea on your business or tech startup, but if you don’t know how to find the right journalist, your story won’t get told. Continue reading “How Newsrooms and Bookstores are Similar”

Why Ad Blockers Make PR more Influential

 

By Mark Macias

Google Chrome is about to add a new feature that allows consumers to block ads from their browsers. (Read WSJ article here) Last year, Google earned $60 billion in revenue from online advertising, so if the search engine is about to block ads from their browsers, it’s something we should pay attention to.

Reaching your potential customers is about to get a lot harder if you rely on advertising. At the same time, PR is about to become more influential.

Consumers already disregard commercials on TV, and we’re now immune to ads that surround our environment. But it’s different with an actual news story. Continue reading “Why Ad Blockers Make PR more Influential”

Editorial Approach behind Best PR Campaigns

By Mark Macias

Programming and editorial play a crucial role with every media campaign we launch. With Macias PR, every story begins with an internal analysis of the value behind the idea and the argument for why reporters or editors will like it.

As the Executive Producer with NBC, I approved every story idea and script that came out of the Special Projects unit, which included consumer, medical, health, tech and features segments. I always looked for water cooler type stories that would get people talking. I learned early in my media career that these types of stories generated huge ratings – and when my stories generated big ratings, I was viewed as a winner.

Our PR team also applies this approach to every media campaign. We make sure every story is relevant. First and foremost, we put editorial and programming at the forefront of every campaign.

Continue reading “Editorial Approach behind Best PR Campaigns”

Why PR is becoming more Powerful with Ad blockers

Number of Devices Blocking Ads from their Browsers

By Mark Macias

PR is about to get more powerful. Roughly 380 million people already block ads from the browsers with different applications, as the above graphic demonstrates.

Google Chrome is now reportedly close to adding a new feature that will allow consumers to block ads from any Chrome browser. The easier it gets for consumers to block ads, you know, the faster it will hit the tipping point.

Continue reading “Why PR is becoming more Powerful with Ad blockers”

How to Negotiate with Top PR Firms

By Mark Macias

Every business wants the best deal, but when it comes to PR, a few common rules for negotiating don’t typically apply.

It’s important to communicate with the PR firm what exactly you are looking for from a PR campaign. Are you trying to drive new leads, or increase sales? Maybe you need credibility or are in crisis mode. All of those campaigns require a different strategy, approach, resources and budgets.

Continue reading “How to Negotiate with Top PR Firms”

How Much Do PR Firms Cost?

By Mark Macias

During my time with NBC and CBS in New York, I worked with a lot of inexperienced publicists who were trying to get stories on TV. Most of these publicists spent hours spinning their wheels, trying to get their ideas in front of us.

From a business perspective, these PR firms were spending a lot of money upfront, trying to get traction with the media. A smarter approach would have saved them time and money.

Continue reading “How Much Do PR Firms Cost?”

Best PR Firms – Characteristics of Great Publicists

By Mark Macias

How do you identify a the best PR firms and the publicists that define it? Media strategy, approach, curiosity, experience, the ability to execute, creativity and energy all play a crucial role when it comes to successfully leading a media campaign. It really does make a difference when it comes to securing stories with the media and I’m not just saying that as a PR guy. I’m also saying it as a former journalist.
Continue reading “Best PR Firms – Characteristics of Great Publicists”

How to Measure the ROI of PR

By Mark Macias

It’s one of the more popular questions I hear when discussing PR with new clients: How do you measure the ROI or effectiveness of a PR campaign?

There are actually many methods to measure a successful PR campaign– 1) number of media placements and the influence of their reach; 2) the demographics of those readers (certain demographics are worth more to reach than others; 3) the credibility from the media exposure 4) actual sales, which can be measured through links published in the news story 5) and SEO – since search engines now use news stories and blogger comments to measure the value of a website.

Continue reading “How to Measure the ROI of PR”