Press releases: You can often hear me saying, the press release is dead. But yet, we still write them, We still pitch them, and we still syndicate them.

And most importantly, they still get picked up and reprinted.

No, the press release is not dead. There’s a right way to do it, of course. 

A press release acts as a way for you to get a message out, especially when you have some great news to share. Or, if trouble comes up, it’s best to stay on top of the story and shape the narrative.

Read more to learn the right way and time to write a release up and send it out.

Topics: press releases

Time is quickly running out in 2015, which means it’s time to make decisions and set your New Year’s resolutions for 2016!

Coming up with a personal resolution is easy — you know what your bad habits are and what you need to do to change them. There are support groups, clubs and apps to help you change your ways. Professional resolutions are trickier to identify because the list could honestly be endless.

Keep reading below to learn about the 5 pr resolutions will change your life and your business in 2016.

Topics: PR Strategy, trends, press releases, garden industry public relations, emails, holiday

You've done the easy part: brainstormed a topic, wrote the blog and gathered images. Last, but certainly not least, headlines are the hardest yet most important element of a blog post.

We advise writing a headline after the body is written because the headline should summarize the entire article.

While there is no specific formula for the perfect blog title, research has shown that there are a few techniques that prove successful.

Continue reading to find out the hidden formula for creating a booming blog headline.

Topics: audience, press releases, content marketing, blogging, emails

For our brand new Spring Speaker Series, we sat down with Garden Media Group’s most veteran employee, Stacey Pierson.

Stacey has been with the company for more than16 years and is a public relations pro when it comes to the lawn and garden industry. As an Account Supervisor, Stacey has helped launch products and build amazing brands for her clients.

Continue reading to learn more about Stacey and her experiences in the public relations and marketing industry. 

Topics: Public relations, press releases, image building, Garden Media Group, Speaker Series

New York Fashion week ends today, which means the world’s most stylish influencers are packing their designer bags and looking to a new city for this season’s inspiration.

Trend spotters at Garden Media are feeling especially inspired and are gathering materials from the shows for our 2016 Garden Trends.    

Though one deals with fabric and the other deals with soil, the garden and fashion industry have a lot in common.

Continue reading for more information about what garden brands can learn from New York Fashion Week.

Topics: audience, branding, press releases, image building, Garden Media Group

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Press releases aren't dead. We're saying it!

But, just because they're still alive, doesn't mean they're fine as is. The strategy, format, and goals of press releases are still relevant. Yet, the tactics with which we write and market our press releases need some work.

Below are 4 tips and tricks to bring your press release into the 21st century.

Topics: Public relations, PR Strategy, press releases, public relations media plan

Vine is a beautiful, beautiful app. Video creation is finally as easy as it gets. Now, if they could just make it for Android...

Nonetheless, Vine has amazing implications for the world of public relations--and for small businesses. 

Vine was launched by Twitter in late January; since Vine was made by Twitter, the videos are embedded directly into the social media site. 

Vine has the potentional for an unforgettable pitch; below, we'll detail how to use Vine to create an easy, visually-driven public relations pitch.

Topics: Twitter, PR Strategy, press releases, public relations media plan, Vine

FINALLY! It’s March. As soon as the sun peeks out and the temperature rises above freezing, my spring fever hits in full force.

Already I’m thinking about my fresh veggie seeds, which are currently sprouting, but before long, they'll be delivering crisp, colorful, intoxicating flavors! 

Before I can enjoy spring, I’ve got to do a spring cleaning on my winterized apartment. Then, I had an epiphany.

My apartment isn’t the only aspect of my life that needs to be refreshed and fluffed. Writing can get stale too.

Go into the spring season with confidence, and spring clean your newest press release. You’ll feel better about your work, and your readers will love the fresh, new twists.

Topics: PR Strategy, press releases, image building

Press releases have been on the chopping block. They've always been an integral part of the public relations world, but in 2013, are they still relevant? YES! This medium has been around for so long because their impact is stellar.

But, as with most mediums, the trick is to evolve. Press releases are still an integral part of a public relations media plan, but we need to approach them differently than we did last week or last year.

One of the best ways to do this is to optimize your press release for social media. Social media allows you to easily share your content, so you'll get more eyeballs reading your big news. Sharing on social sites will help boost your SEO, and you'll get to deliver the news right where it's wanted: to the people who follow you! They're craving the news your business has, so give them what they want and share it!

Writing a press release tailored for social media is a bit different, so we'll walk you through it.

Topics: PR Strategy, press releases, public relations media plan, social media

Infographics have been on the to-do list at businesses across the country for the past few months. The medium began to gain traction in late 2009, but have since then exploded.

Infographics have the potential to go viral, specifically because of their share-ability. They're super easy to share on all social media outlets, and best of all, if you share it, your post will get six times more interaction on Twitter.

Trends come and go, and three years have passed since the creation of the inforgraphics, so are they in or out? Tell us what you think by commenting or tweeting at The Garden Media Team.

Until then, here’s the good and the bad sides of infographics. Decide for yourself if they should still be apart of your public realtions media plan.

Topics: Public relations, creating content, branding, press releases, social media