Here’s a simple PR trick that will yield great results for the hard working tech start up/SME – using the editorial calendars of your chosen media. Obviously first you have to compile a wish list of desired media (See: “Please find attached a Press Release that will be of interest…”). Once that is done though, it’s just a matter of locating the ‘media information’ section on the website of your chosen publication to find the ‘publishing schedule’ aka ‘editorial calendar’. Editorial calendars are published so advertisers can identify when is a good time to buy ads to sit alongside relevant content. They generally identify the themes or subjects the editor is intending to follow month by mon

Here’s a handy tool to give you pause for thought about the effectiveness of your website, and it's free. Many websites are used simply as brochure-ware, without much more thought given to how they can be used as multi platform two way communications tools, and how this can be achieved. I came across this tool which though simple, did give me pause for thought. It’s called “Website Grader” and all you have to do is stick in your url and push return. What you get back is a score, and a report over such issues as performance, mobile, SEO and security. Obviously, it doesn't give all the answers (it is after all, a promotional toool), but it’s still a pretty good and thought provoking way to se

‘Content Marketing’ is a relatively new term, but for many tech firms the activity has been around for years. With the explosive growth of the global online marketplace though, and the consequent rise in importance of SEO - the to ‘beneed found’ by search engines - the ability to insinuate ourselves into relevant search engine results has now taken on a critical importance for all companies. Hence the rise of so-called ‘content marketing’. But for technology companies, with their complex products and narrow markets, their clear focus offers even more advantages. The reason why content marketing is so effective for technology firms – and why it was developed in the first place – is fairl

There are few things more frustrating for a PR guy than a client not wanting to divulge the crucial details for a press release that they want you to publish and chase. This is more common than you would think. I have had very excited clients ring me about “huge” deals and the possibility of sending out a press release to the industry. Me: “Brilliant!! Congratulations. Who are they?” Client: “They don’t want to say: for competitive advantage reasons. But they are really well known in the auto industry.” Me: “Okay, great. So…how much is it for?” Client: “We don’t want to say that either. For competitive advantage reasons. Can you just say it’s a substantial seven figur

“The harder I work, the luckier I get”, Sam Goldwyn famously remarked, and if ever an epigram reflected the reality of PR, this is surely it. The truth of public and media relations is that within your target area, every avenue should be sweated, evaluated and explored, and (where appropriate) contacted. When my media contact master list is being compiled, my inclination is always to spread my net wide; to include, rather than exclude, and leave it to the writer in question to cover or not cover the subject matter. Sometimes, there is no neat fit anyway, and you might identify some good writers you wish to include who may or may not be exactly right for you. And sometimes, it is just thes

So…the market for your hot new technology is overseas, and you have compiled a list of vertical media, websites, blogs etc. Those are the guys to contact, right? No real need to go to the local media, when your market isn’t really in Ireland. Why is local media coverage important? The answer, as is almost always the case in pr, is story and audience. What story are you telling and who are you telling it to? I remember a while back, the ceo of a now very successful Irish tech firm explained the difference just ONE article in a well-regarded Irish Sunday newspaper made to his firm when they were starting out. They had been approved to unlock a significant six figure sum of funding from so