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We all need a little inspiration every now and then. Below are a few of our favorite quotes that inspire us to do our best every day! Do you have a favorite quote? Leave us a comment below!

• “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” –Albert Einstein

As every PR Professional knows, pitching can be tricky. One day a pitch can land you the greatest placement of all time and the next you could be receiving an “unsubscribe” notice (with an overused pitch you will definitely receive the latter).  Just remember to keep pitches fresh and timely so that editors will actually want to read them!

• “If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.” – George S. Patton

When it comes to public relations, brainstorming is a must; however it is hard to come up with new ideas when everyone is just agreeing with each other. We are not saying you should argue with your colleagues, but simply try offering additional ideas just to see what happens. Who knows, you may come up with an even better solution! Need tips on how to brainstorm? Check out our post on The Importance of Brainstorming!

• “Understand your audience and you will understand the impact of your message on each follower in your social media networks.” ― Matt Gentile

This quote says it all when it comes to engaging fans and followers on social media. If you understand your audience, it is easier to tailor messaging so that it has the biggest impact on fans.

• “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Enthusiasm and positivity are a must in the public relations industry and we strive to maintain this atmosphere in our office each and every day!

• “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers.”— Daniel J. Boorstin

Okay, maybe we just like this one because of obvious reasons.

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Everyone know the classic phrase “Sharing is Caring,” but how does it relate to social media? With the recent decline in Facebook reach, businesses that use social media are resorting to an age-old way of gaining new followers, the SHARE technique. By using this technique, fans can share content so it will show up in their friend’s news feed, who in turn shares the content again, and in no time you have a high fan engagement level, reach and even MORE fans!

Now for the catch—how exactly do you get fans and followers to share your content? It’s easy, just make the content interesting! (Okay, easier said than done). We have included a few tips below on creating ‘Share-able’ content.

3 Ways to Promote Sharing

1. Viral Content. Fans LOVE video content—so why not give them what they want? Remember that viral video everyone was talking about with the (insert viral video topic)? If it relates to your page in some way, post it! Not only will this increase clicks on your own page, but your fans will share it with their friends, giving you a chance to score even more fans!
2. Photos. Pictures make posts more interesting, simple as that. Not only are fans more likely to click on a post when an image is involved, but they may even comment with their own photo!
3. Make it Meaningful. Whether this means inspiring your audience to join a cause or comment on a trending topic—if the post relates to fans in some way they will act on it. (Remember, this can go both ways so try to keep your posts positive)!

We hope these tips help your page reach its maximum potential! Have any more tips on creating “Share-able” content? Share them with us below! (Pun intended).

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The Public Relations Industry is what some may call ‘fast-paced’ and at times it can be (very) stressful. Here are a few tips on how to stay sane when things seem to be getting a little crazy.

1. Organize your Inbox. Email is a key form of communication in the PR industry- and a cluttered inbox makes for a stressful day. Take some time before you leave work to go through your inbox and organize it. Delete emails you no longer need and file the rest. When you come in to work the next morning a clean inbox will be very refreshing.
2. Take a break from your desk. We know you all love sitting at your desk staring at a computer screen, but sometimes you just need a break. Take your lunch break outside and enjoy the weather, walk around your building or even stand up and stretch at your desk. Anything to get you moving throughout the day!
3. Drink something other than coffee. We are all guilty of it—but next time you feel the need for some caffeine swap out that morning coffee (or maybe just the second morning coffee) for an Orange Juice or water. This is not only healthier but it will keep you from hitting that mid-day slump and give you actual  energy to power through the rest of the day!
4. Take a break from your tech devices. This may be very difficult considering our phones and tablets are like an additional limb—but you can do it! Try putting down your gadgets an hour before you go to bed and you will wake up a new (well-rested) person.
5. Breathe. This may seem silly, but the best thing to do when faced with a stressful situation is to stop and take a deep breath. This will help calm you down as well as give you some time to take a step back and really think about the task at hand. Easy as that!

How do you relax in the fast-paced world of Public Relations? Comment below!

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The social media supergiant Facebook always seems to have an upgrade for its users, and in this case it doesn’t come cheap. The latest in Facebook news is an algorithm that decreases a brand’s “reach,” which ultimately means fewer people are seeing posts from a brands page. This means that in order to reach more fans, a brand must increase its “Facebook” budget. Two years ago, reach was at 16 percent, today it can be as low as 2 percent depending on the brand—so what does this mean for brand pages and their content and how do we remedy this without paying an arm and a leg? One word: Engagement.

Now is the perfect time to focus on engagement. Since not many ‘new’ fans will be seeing your page, why not get the existing ones to join in on the conversation! We have listed a few ways to counter the new algorithm and maintain a brands page below.

• Content: Do your fans like Notes, Videos, Photos, Status updates or Links? Take a look under the “Posts” tab in Facebook insights to find out and adjust your content according to which type of posts gets the most interaction.
• Timing: When are your fans online? Again, take a look at your Facebook Insights under “Posts” to see what time of day your fans are on Facebook and schedule your posts to match that, otherwise you are shooting in the dark in hopes that your post shows up on fans timelines.
• Sharing: Your fans will always be your best promoters, and it’s time to rally the troops. Encourage fans to share your content- this will not only help increase organic reach but you get the chance to gain new fans!   
• Incentivize: Fans typically will not engage with a brand unless something is in it for them. Contests, Giveaways and Coupons are a great way to get fans involved and give them something in return. (Tip: Have the contestants share their picture for a better chance to win!)  
• Cross Promotion: All brands are facing the same challenge in reaching a broad audience-why not help each-other out? Find a complementary brand (preferably with a high number of page likes) and cross-promote. This benefits both brands as they will get access to a whole different pool of potential fans!  You can also cross-promote internally across all of your social media platforms to increase brand awareness.
• Streamline: Make sure your messaging is the same across all social media platforms. This includes Twitter, Instagram, Vine, etc. You don’t want fans getting confused about your brand due to separate messaging.

We hope these tips help you and your brand overcome the Facebook Reach obstacle. If you have any extra tips or tricks please comment below-we would love to hear your thoughts!

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With all of the new technology surrounding business in today’s society, brainstorming seems to be dropping off the radar—not because it isn’t effective, but because our minds are so used to the fast-paced and tech-centered way of life we don’t always take the time to do it.

Brainstorming by definition is a group or individual creativity technique by which efforts are made to find a conclusion for a specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously contributed by its members. But what happens when you can’t think of ways to successfully brainstorm? Since we know time is precious, we have listed some practices we employ at Avalon Communications below.

Brainstorming Techniques:

• Use a whiteboard: We know, basic right? But you would be surprised at how much it helps to see things written down clearly on a board. By organizing your thoughts on paper (or board) you can better organize them in your mind.
• Start thinking individually, then move into a group: It is better to think of your own ideas first, write them down and then share with the group. This not only streamlines your efforts, but you can see what others are thinking- giving you a new perspective on the issue at hand. Sometimes another member may have the same idea, but with a different angle- making for a great brainstorm!
• Put some crazy ideas out there: Sure, they may be unreasonable and unrealistic, but it may spark another member’s mind to come up with something great!
• No Judgment: No one likes to have their ideas thrown out the window. Make brainstorms a judge-free zone so everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts.
• Listen: Most importantly you need to listen to other’s ideas. Do not just over-rule their ideas because you think you have a better one. Work together as a team!

These are just a few ways we find to be very successful in the workplace and hope they help you come up with some great ideas! Have some brainstorming tips of your own? Comment below!

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Avalon Gives Back!

 At Avalon Communications we value the importance of giving back to the community and being based in Austin gives us many opportunities to do so! This week, we chose to help out at the CARITAS Kitchen in Downtown Austin, Texas.

First, what is CARITAS?

CARITAS is a non-profit that serves over 20,000 people each year whose opportunities have been diminished by poverty and homelessness. They serve households of all sizes, many being those of refugees, veterans, women and children. They work alongside each and every one of these people to increase their stability and self-sufficiency regardless of the clients’ past experience and future goals.

How did we help?

Every week day, CARITAS staff members and volunteers help prepare and serve lunch to those in need. This Wednesday, several of us at Avalon were happy to be a part of the CARITAS kitchen! We had the help of the wonderful CARITAS staff members as well as students of the Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Austin to guide us through kitchen prep, food service and clean-up for 320 people. At 9 o’ clock sharp it was all hands on deck! We helped prepare the food, learned some very interesting kitchen facts from our knowledgeable mentors and in no time, it was time for lunch. The food looked delicious (and tasted even better according to those who came through the door) and the company was delightful.

How Can YOU help?

We know after reading about our experience at CARITAS you may be wondering what you can do to help. They are always looking for volunteers and it’s easy to sign up- follow this link.

This experience not only gave us a great opportunity to help those in need, but also bond with our co-corkers as well as our city!

Want to see pictures from our day at CARITAS? Check out our Facebook Page.

Where do you like to volunteer? Share with us on Twitter!

Time management is a phrase commonly used in resumes, interviews or maybe on a poster in your office- but do the people that use this phrase really understand its meaning and practice it in the workplace?

In business, time management is very important not only for your personal benefit but for your co-workers, clients and anyone else you interact with. Do you give yourself enough time to complete your tasks? Do you prioritize them based on deadlines? Do you allow room for interruptions that may occur? If you answered ‘no’ to any of these questions, you may need to improve your time management skills.

It is understandable that some may not know where to start when it comes to time management- so we have listed a few key practices that will help below.

How to Manage Your Time Wisely

• Prepare for interruptions: As a professional, interruptions happen- sometimes good, sometimes not so good- but you need to be ready for them. A deadline does not change just because a conflict came up and you will still be expected to finish your work.
• Plan Ahead: If you have a reoccurring commitment like a meeting every Wednesday you should always plan around that. You know it is going to happen, so there is no excuse if you forget to fit it into your schedule.
• Make a To-Do List: This may sound basic, but it really works! Either the night before or in the morning, write down everything you need to get done that day. By writing these down you can see exactly what you have to get done that day and it feels great to check off tasks as you go! (It helps to put a star next to the most important tasks)
• 30 Seconds or Less: When handed a new task, ask yourself if it can be completed in 30 seconds or less. If so, go ahead and do it! If not, write it down on your To-Do list and complete it when you can.
• Be Organized: There is no greater way to waste your time than by being unorganized. Take the time to make sure everything is easily accessible, filed correctly and in order— your life will be much easier as will your work day.

These are just a few of the strategies we employ at Avalon Communications as we know that time is precious for both our clients and the media.

How do you manage your time in the workplace? Comment below!

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In business, most communication happens via email- which is why proper email etiquette should be something every company practices. An email is the starting point of communication for many professionals- and to get past the first “introduction” step of communication certain steps must be taken.

At Avalon Communications, we value our clients as well as our media contacts, and to us, email is a very important form of communication. Below are some points that we strive for in each correspondence.

Turnaround Time:  Always respond to an email in less than 24 hours. This not only shows that you are paying attention to the recipient but that you are readily available for what may come up.

Proper Greeting: Always double check who you are sending an email to, and make sure it correlates with the salutation. (There is nothing worse than calling someone the wrong name).

Grammar: As a professional, grammar is key. If you misspell a word, or worse, the recipient’s name- they may delete your email without hesitation. Always use spell-check.

Attachments: If you say in the body of your email that you have added an attachment, make sure it is attached.

Signature: Be sure that your signature includes your name, title, company name and address and company email

As you form relationships via email, you may notice that certain people format emails in certain ways, or like different types of responses; some may like you to get straight to the point (especially if they need information asap) while others may like a more conversational tone.

These are just a few tips on how to receive greater response via email as well as form greater bonds with those you are communicating with- if you have any other tips comment below- we would love to hear your thoughts!