Three Biggest Style Mistakes in PR Writing

  • Fran Stephenson
  • March 14, 2013
  • 2 min read

I’ve written and edited hundreds of press releases, blog posts and other media materials throughout my career. And I’ve coached writing students on the basics of newswriting. There are three errors in applying Associated Press style that I see the most in writing. Using Commas in a Series If the series is simple, then lose […]

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What Style Are You Using in Your Public Relations Writing?

  • Fran Stephenson
  • March 12, 2013
  • 4 min read

For public relations practitioners, writing style can be boring and dry. But style is important in good writing. It sets standards and formats that give uniformity to writing. Surprisingly, many in the profession are unaware of style types and how they can bolster your writing efforts. Applying a style to your writing puts an end […]

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What Does Your Facebook Insight Chart Say About You?

  • Fran Stephenson
  • December 4, 2012
  • 2 min read

You are, of course, looking deeply at your Facebook insights to see how your fans are interacting with your organization, and analyzing what content resonates with your community. But you can make some instant observations by looking at that little chart which is nestled just above the cover photo and between the “New Likes” and […]

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Coping in a Crisis: What to do the First Hour

  • Fran Stephenson
  • November 29, 2012
  • 3 min read

How you respond in a crisis largely depends on what you do in the first hour after you become aware that something bad has happened in your organization. The suggestions given here are to supplement the crisis communication plan you are already using and should help with work flow in the first hour. Clear Your […]

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Myths about Digital Natives-On My Mind

  • Fran Stephenson
  • November 27, 2012
  • 2 min read

I hear it at least once a week.  A grandiose statement about how savvy twenty-somethings are and that they are the experts in exploring and using technology. I interact with that generation every week at the college level, and see a different type of native. In the past two years, I have had students who: […]

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Halloween is Sweet for Texas Attractions

  • Fran Stephenson
  • October 19, 2012
  • 3 min read

In case Halloween is under the radar at your attraction, here are some staggering stats from the National Retail Federation.  170 million people will celebrate Halloween this year, according to the group’s annual consumer spending survey.   24% of those plan to “visit a haunted house,” a category which has grown consistently year after year from […]

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Travel Takeaways — Mike Walsh at TTIA Summit

  • Fran Stephenson
  • October 1, 2012
  • 3 min read

It’s easy to get lost in conflicting advice when you attend conferences. I’ve been to one too many conferences in which I came away with a mere checklist of tactics which I was told to get….right now.  Lately, the list includes social media, mobile web sites and integration. All those things are important to those […]

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Roundabout Responses in a Crisis

  • Fran Stephenson
  • September 5, 2012
  • 2 min read

It’s hitting the fan. Your organization is in crisis and you have 30 minutes to get your act together and prepare the first response.  The challenge for any organization in crisis is that you are still gathering facts to figure out what happened yet the “always-on” media and persistent public demand a response. It is […]

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Consider the Source

  • Fran Stephenson
  • July 25, 2012
  • 3 min read

A disturbing media trend emerging the past few years really came to light for me last week while scanning the morning news programs: media interviewing other media. I’ve noticed it on two occasions: celebrity news and breaking news.  Here are two scenarios. Scenario 1: Celebrity News Celebrity A is divorcing Celebrity B. The news coverage […]

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Manage Your Next Website Redo Like a Boss!

  • Fran Stephenson
  • July 13, 2012
  • 4 min read

Is your organization’s website redo managing you? Has this happened to you? You decide to redo your website. You ask around, get a couple of quotes and next thing you know, you are in the middle of a project that’s going off the rails. It takes too long, you don’t know how to work with […]

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