Tag: PR Advice
Is your business making the most of its media coverage? Seven things to consider.
Are you making the most of the coverage you've achieved through PR? Can you lay your hands on it quite quickly or is it languishing on a link, in an email, on a...
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PR
Do you need a PR agency to help you launch?
The launch of a new company, brand or product is a news hook in itself. But all the better if you’re introducing something new, ground-breaking or disruptive to the...
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PR
When is national coverage actually realistic?
Let’s talk about the thing everyone wants when it comes to be PR...national coverage.
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PR
Why PR should always be connected to a wider marketing ecosystem
PR is incredibly powerful but it's never at its best unless it's working as part of a wider strategy. The businesses that see real impact from their PR make sure that it...
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PR
What to get right BEFORE doing PR
PR is an incredibly powerful tool for business growth and development, but before you dive right in with a PR agency, or even your own in-house PR, there are certain...
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PR
Knowing when to join an industry conversation and when to sit it out
Sometimes it's right to speak out and sometimes it's wiser not to. But knowing which approach to take can be tricky.
Here are some key things to come back to when...
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PR
Authenticity is everything in PR
Authenticity has become a bit of a buzzword, and I can understand the criticism that perhaps we’ve lost touch with what the word actually means.
But in...
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PR
The danger of using too many big words
In an ideal world, your carefully crafted message would reach your desired audience perfect conditions: a quiet room, undivided attention, and a receptive mindset....
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Copywriting
Why it’s never too early to start your summer PR campaigns
I know what you’re thinking. It’s dark. It’s rainy. It’s the dead of winter. Why are we talking about summer campaigns already? Isn’t it...
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PR
Why do we recommend that our clients appear on podcasts?
Podcast appearances can be like Marmite. While some clients embrace the idea of appearing on relevant podcasts, others are more hesitant.
Being a podcast guest can be a...
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Podcasts
Five things to avoid when writing awards entries
Awards can provide a great boost to a business’s reputation and can often lead to new opportunities and increased success. Writing an awards entry is an important part...
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Copywriting
Leveraging seasonal news hooks: Tying your brand story to January themes
January is a month full of fresh starts, big goals, and renewed energy. For us PR professionals, it’s also a great opportunity to tap into seasonal news hooks. If...
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PR
Top tips for a great podcast appearance
First came our top tips for recording yourself on video, then our how to prepare for journalist interviews guidance, and now our top tips for a great podcast appearance....
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PR
How to approach backlinks in PR
Ethical, organic link building is central to topping the charts when it comes to Google’s search engine ranking factors. Quality backlinks are prized possession, and...
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Media Relations
The reality behind big PR moments
Big PR doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s built on a foundation of visibility, credibility, and consistency. And if you’re hoping for your own ‘big moment,’...
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PR
Why your fear of employee poaching is holding you back
We work with a number of clients who are hesitant to post about their employees on social media. The reason? A fear that showcasing great talent might lead to that...
Is it OK for your company to stay a “best kept secret”?
We hear the phrase “we’re a best kept secret” from prospective clients more often than you’d think. We work with a range of companies which have never done PR...
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PR
How to prepare for journalist interviews – our tips
Our best tips for preparing for a journalist interview so that you can go into a meeting, on a phone call or, increasingly, on a video call with positivity and...
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Media Relations
Starting and ending projects on a high note
As a business owner, you want to ensure that every client has a positive experience while working with you. The first and last impressions are crucial to achieve this...
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PR
How employer branding impacts recruitment
In case it’s not obvious, reputation matters. A business’ internal and external image can have an impressive sway on its success. Yet, when we think of brand...
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PR
Why Christmas really is in July for PRs
It's a midsummer's day in July day, and the last thing on your mind is Christmas. The sun is shining, and you're probably more concerned with hitting send on that...
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PR
How I use Kanban Boards to keep my PR life (mostly) together
If you’ve ever worked in PR, you’ll know there's a lot of spinning plates and wearing a lot of hats.
And sometimes you can spin a hat and wear a plate and it all...
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Productivity
Why you should approach PR like you approach networking
If you go along to a single networking event and expect to walk away with a handful of clients, you’ll be disappointed. Yes, it could happen – but most likely,...
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PR
Is PR largely out of our hands? What can you control in a PR campaign?
In contrast to some other PR consultancies, we’re clear that we won’t guarantee our clients coverage in particular publications (especially not within a certain...
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PR
Everything you need to know about paywalls
Paywalls are shaping how we approach media and impact the choices we make for our PR clients – so let's unpack them.
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PR
Been burnt before? How to make your PR experience positive
Bad PR practice helps no one - not the PR pro, not the journalists they've liaised with along the way and certainly not the client, who's invested in what's turned out...
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PR
A sign of the times – why PR changes so frequently
Only yesterday, learnings from a PR campaign that was successful 20 years ago were brought up in a discussion about a current strategy. To adapt a phrase, 20 years is a...
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PR
What’s our Four Lens Messaging Session?
Have you heard of a messaging session? We find them invaluable. But what exactly are they? Here's a guide to our Three Lens Messaging Sessions - why we hold them, what...
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PR
Nurturing a culture of PR in your business
A solid culture of PR within your business isn't just a nice-to-have; it's the secret ingredient for businesses aiming big. By keeping it authentic, transparent, and...
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PR
Breaking down the buzz: how can AI enhance PR strategies?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is arguably the buzziest of all the buzz words making headlines right now; it’s starting to feel as though it is literally everything,...
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PR
Day in the life: Senior Account Manager, PR – Carnsight Communications
In our 'Day in the Life' series, we'll walk you through the average day in each role at Carnsight Communications with the hopes that it gives you a bit more clarity on...
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Career
Why leveraging your PR ecosystem pays off
You're probably wondering what I mean by a 'PR ecosystem'. This is by no means a professional or academic term, it's actually a phrase one of my colleagues threw around...
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PR
The vital role PR plays in building a strong employer brand
In today's job market, it's more important than ever to attract and retain top talent. And to do that, you'll want to cultivate a positive employer brand. PR is a...
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PR
4 things businesses should know before writing an eBook
You may have noticed that we recently launched our eBook, Powerfully Practical PR. After a long time in the making, it's time to share our tips, tricks, and top...
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Copywriting
Carnsight Communications launches ‘Powerfully Practical PR’ eBook empowering SMEs to PR themselves
Carnsight Communications, a boutique PR firm based near Bath, is launching its new eBook, ‘Powerfully Practical PR’, on Amazon on February 1 2024.
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News
Making your B2B business less boring
When it comes to B2B PR, many companies grapple with the idea that what they do or offer is too mundane to capture the attention of the media. They worry that their...
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PR
When PR is all about driving sales – and how to do it properly
You'll often hear me saying there's more to PR than sales - and there is - much, much more. But sometimes, our job is all about the selling - be it getting more bums on...
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PR
Mastering Year-End PR Reviews
As the year comes to a close, it's not just the holiday season that demands attention; it's also the perfect time to reflect on and evaluate your PR activities for...
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PR
Never heard of it! Why it’s important to be open to new publications in PR
“We just want to be in the Economist”. This was a response from a potential client when I asked about target media. They were new to PR, hadn’t ever really raised...
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PR
Why you need to pick up the phone in PR
Maybe it’s generational, or perhaps it’s just a mix of personality and communication style. Either way, I can’t deny a professional pitfall of mine is working up...
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Media Relations
Managing Work Stress in Public Relations
Working in PR can be highly demanding with PR pros wearing a lot of different hats, and so managing work stress is an important aspect of the job. From being...
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Productivity
Building confidence on social media as a small business owner
Social media has revolutionised the way we conduct business, and a strong social media presence is now a must-have for entrepreneurs. Whether you run an Etsy store, a...
Why Consistency is Key in PR
Consistency is key.
We know this and apply it to so many aspects of our lives. Consistency is how we improve and develop. It's how we achieve success and demonstrate...
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PR
Giving and receiving writing feedback
Writing takes up a huge portion of my time as a PR. From news releases to thought leadership pieces, emails to social media copy, every single day I write thousands of...
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Copywriting
Here are 7 steps to PR yourself
We've translated our skills for promoting a business through PR to help those who want to promote themselves as individuals. If that sounds like you, then here’s a...
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PR
B2B PR isn’t B2C PR’s Boring Sister – Here’s Why!
B2B PR is often overlooked by those considering a career in PR. B2C always seems so much more creative and alluring. But the truth is, B2B PR is more than just B2C...
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Career
The timeline of a press release
We’ve written many blogs on press releases and useful tips on when is best to pitch, what to avoid when pitching and crafting a perfect press release. But today we...
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PR
How to Avoid Cliched Quotes in Press Releases
Press releases are a valuable tool for communicating important information about your business to the public. However, all too often, press releases are filled with...
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PR
LinkedIn: Key differences between personal and business profiles
By now we all know that having a LinkedIn presence as a professional is important. With over 875 million users, LinkedIn can help you build connections with other...
Google My Business: Why it Matters
Google My Business is a free platform offered by Google to help businesses manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. As a business owner,...
Should your business invest in social media?
There are countless benefits to having a strong social media presence. In 2021, 55% of consumers learned about new brands through a business’s social accounts...
Can clients and agencies ever really work as “partners”?
This question came out of a really interesting podcast with Tom Lewis - Agency ownership models are everything. It’s primarily about the advertising agency model and...
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PR
Press Releases – when is the best time to pitch?
We’ve shared many tips on crafting the perfect press releases here at Carnsight Communications and even what to avoid when pitching to journalists. What we...
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Media Relations
Which different PR techniques and strategies can you use?
Here at Carnsight Communications, we use different PR techniques depending on the need for your business at that specific time and what will best meet your objectives....
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PR
B2B vs B2C PR
In the world of PR, there are two key categories to bear in mind: business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C). Both types of PR involve promoting a...
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PR
Why you need to read the publications you want to be featured in
Business owners are busy people. I’m sure that’s not exactly news to any of you. The thing is, because of this, the business owners and management teams of the...
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PR
In-house or outsourced PR – Which is better?
In this blog, we want to help you identify the pros and cons of in-house versus outsourced Public Relations. Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s cover some...
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PR
What’s a PR stunt and when should I use one?
The PR stunt. An orchestrated creative concept that has formed a debatable reputation for itself over the years. Stunts have also earned the title of ‘guerrilla...
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PR
How to keep sales messages out of your press releases
Let’s be clear – a press release is about something you’re trying to get coverage for, and this may well be a product or service you also want to...
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PR
The best PR tips for small businesses
Recently our founder, Jess Morgan, delivered an insightful keynote presentation with the Small Business Network at the Digital Mansion, Corsham. Her talk outlined how...
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PR
PR touchpoints: what are they and why are they important?
In our introductory client meetings, we often talk about the importance of building up a number of PR touchpoints. But what do we mean by the term and how do they impact...
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PR
People Case Studies – the Dos and Don’ts
Why is it always a good idea to have a person as a case study waiting in the wings on a PR campaign? Because journalists love them and will usually feature your story if...
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PR
What is Domain Authority and how do you improve it?
What is Domain Authority? Domain Authority is a metric that details how likely your website is to rank in search engine results. The metric is on a scale factor of...
Top Carnsight Blogs of 2022
As we wrap up 2022 and get ready to close up shop for Christmas break we thought we’d share some of our top Carnsight blogs of the year. These are the five...
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PR
Handling negative social media comments
Having a social media presence as a brand means that at some point, we’re more than likely going to receive negative comments or criticism of some sort on our...
Social Media: Making something out of nothing
Although managing different businesses’ social media channels can be fun and exciting, it does come with some challenges. We work with a lot of niche businesses that...
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Copywriting
Being open-minded is what will get you results in PR
Pretty much every client we work with comes into PR with an idea in their head of what kinds of opportunities they are looking for when it comes to promoting themselves...
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PR
PR only works when you let your guard down
Welcoming an external team into your business can be challenging. As a PR agency, we understand that we have to earn our client’s trust and we’d like to...
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PR
The most useful sayings in the world of PR
I love a saying. I find myself trotting them out time and again – probably more so the older I get. I can almost see the eye rolls from here! The thing is, the...
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PR
Why you need to repeat yourself in PR
“I feel like we’re saying the same thing over and over.” This is something we hear a lot from our clients. And it’s a valid concern. No one wants...
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PR
What does a social media executive role involve?
Are you curious about what a social media executive role involves? In today’s world, most of the population have some sort of social media presence. Social Media is a...
Why you should stop counting ‘likes’
As we’ve covered in previous posts, there is no doubt that having a social media presence is important for your business. However, if your business strategy involves...
Should your business start a newsletter?
If you’re wondering if it’s time for your business to start a newsletter, this post is for you. You might be thinking ‘I’m nailing it with my social...
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Copywriting
What does that really mean?: Words to avoid in PR
There are a lot of words and phrases businesses use internally that don’t work so well when it comes to PR. Writing for publication in the media is very different...
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PR
PR: Why this is the career for me!
PR is a fast-paced yet rewarding career. We’ve all heard the saying that ‘life is too short’ right? So why waste your time in a career that doesn’t make you...
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Career
Why it’s important to have a strong website set up before doing PR
Having a good website set up is essential before deciding to PR for several reasons. When potential clients or customers hear about your brand, whether from a friend,...
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PR
The Dos and Don’ts of Good Headshots
If you’ve read our post on why good photography is key in PR then you know a good photograph can make or break a media story. This is particularly true when...
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PR
Using awareness days to inspire content
What are national awareness days? The phrase ‘national awareness days’ refers to a day to commemorate an occasion or place of importance for a particular...
7 tips to improve your writing
Writing is a skill that has to be honed over time, but today I’m sharing seven quick tips to take your writing to the next level. 1. Always say what you want in...
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Copywriting
Crafting the perfect pitch
In a recent blog post, we shared our top tips on what you should avoid when pitching to journalists. There we talked about the common errors PR professionals or...
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PR
What you should avoid when pitching to Journalists
As PR professionals, pitching to a journalist is part of our every day and is almost second nature. It’s key to remember when pitching to journalists that there...
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PR
A fast-track guide to writing a good business biography
A biography (or bio) is a great way to give potential clients, customers, or employers a quick snapshot of who you are. It’s a chance to show off your experience in...
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PR
How do you write a press release? A simple template
What is a press release? First things first, a press release is a clear, written summary of a piece of your news, aimed at journalists. It should give the reader...
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PR
What are the benefits of PR?
One of the first questions we ask new clients is “why do you want to do PR?” Most often, people seek out help from a PR agency to win new clients or...
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PR
Finding your tribe when you start a business
I was lucky that starting a business in PR meant I could work from my kitchen table, quite literally. Back in January 2016 I had a laptop, a phone, contacts and...
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Career
Top tips for recording yourself on video
Whether it’s an explainer video, for vlogs, interviews, presentations, tutorials, product reviews, or video testimonials, video is dominating the internet. 54% of...
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Media Relations
Public relations: the expectations versus the reality
Thanks to movies, TV shows and books, there are a lot of misconceptions and expectations around PR and publicity and what PRs’ and publicists’ daily lives...
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PR
Why good photography is important in PR
A good photograph can make or break a media story. Don’t just take a PR agency’s word for it. I was chatting to a consumer journalist recently – an...
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PR
How to write an SEO-friendly blogpost
What is SEO? SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s used to promote organic traffic to your webpage via SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). The...
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Copywriting
How to make your product famous
Brand You Magazine Jessica Morgan, founder, Carnsight Communications Firstly, get ready to celebrate the coverage you achieve for your product. There’s no reason you,...
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PR
Are my PR results any good? PR and ROI
“What’s a typical return on investment (ROI) on PR activity?” It’s a question that usually gets asked early on in our PR conversations with...
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PR
Do you cringe at the thought of PR? How to make the PR process work for you
If the thought of PRing yourself or your company makes you shudder, or talk of “raising your profile” leaves you cold, don’t panic. Whether it’s...
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PR
How you’ll need to help your PR consultancy
When you hire a PR agency to help you achieve coverage for your business, it’s important to bear in mind that your contribution, as well as their skill and effort,...
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PR
How to Publicise a Business Book
Recently, we’ve taken on the exciting project of working alongside Katie Redfern, founder of Meaningful Recruitment, to PR her new book ‘Working Meaningfully...
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PR
Why you should start the New Year with PR
So, 2021 wasn’t quite the year we all had in mind. It came with many challenges and many of us are probably relieved to see the back end of it. But each new year...
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PR
Our top 10 most popular blogs on PR and communications
We’re so close to publishing 100 blogs now (whoop!!) and we’d like to think that we’ve provided plenty of good PR advice and guidance in the process....
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PR
Seven things every small business should know about PR
1. You can absolutely be on national TV as a small business I’m writing this the week after one of the small businesses we work with – with just 24 staff...
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PR
PR – a year of learnings
Over 12 months ago, I started my career in PR at Carnsight Communications as a PR Account Manager. What a year it has been; I have learnt so much, much more than I ever...
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PR
5 quick practical PR tips to help everyone
Today, we’re cutting right to the chase. Do you want some powerful, practical PR tips? We’ve got five of them! Quick and easy to digest, take these tips on...
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PR
Our timeless PR top tips
Here at Carnsight Communications, we pride ourselves on getting our clients’ brilliant work noticed by the right audience at the right time. As PR professionals,...
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Career
Can you really achieve good PR results for any business?
Another question we’re often asked is “can you get good PR results for absolutely everything?” Or, in other words, can you PR anything under the sun,...
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PR
Social Media guide – the importance of commenting, sharing and tagging
Getting PR coverage is great! But if you’re not sharing it then how can you expect others to? To get the most out of your PR coverage, sharing it across social...
In Conversation With: Philly Spurr, Head of Communications – BBC World Service
This week we have another fantastic Q&A in our ‘In Conversation With…’ series. We’re speaking with Philly Spurr, Head of Communications for BBC World...
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Media Relations
Finding your business inciting incident and telling a great story
When telling your business story, it’s easy to get bogged down in the detail. After all, your company might very well be your life’s work and the outcome of...
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PR
How to get great photography with PR (even with social distancing measures)
It may seem obvious but when pitching to a journalist, it really is key to ensure you have a strong story to share with them, along with a solid method for engagement...
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PR
Where to start with social media for your business
Previously on the blog, we’ve talked about our top tips for LinkedIn and we will definitely be covering social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram in the...
Five reasons your PR won’t work
We like to think we’re positive, can-do people (and we have some great reviews to prove it). But we’re also realistic. For PR to work well, there are some...
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PR
Why customer reviews are vital and how to get them
Today we have a guest post by the wonderful Shona Chambers! Shona is a freelance marketing consultant with a career spanning over 20 years, working with both large and...
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PR
Advertising and PR: What’s the difference?
This article first appeared on Enterprise Nation, April 2021. “But isn’t PR just advertising?” We’ve been asked this question quite a bit over the years, and we...
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PR
A shift in comms – how the past year has reshaped communication
Communication is a fundamental part of our lives. It enables us to build and strengthen relationships, connections, businesses, and more. Communication doesn’t fit...
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Media Relations
5 Top Tips for Engagement on LinkedIn
I don’t know about you, but for a long time, LinkedIn was the platform that I felt the least comfortable navigating. Its whole demeanour is very different to other...
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PR
Why is it important to build your profile?
What are the benefits of building your profile, and how should you go about it? As a PR agency, we often talk about the importance of building the profile of a business...
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PR
Avoiding a PR Crisis and the ‘Any Press is Good Press’ Myth
Have you ever heard the phrase ‘any press is good press‘? Or maybe even ‘there’s no such thing as bad publicity‘? At Carnsight, we love...
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Media Relations
How to use PR effectively for your product business
Carnsight founder, Jessica Morgan, was recently featured on Vicki Weinberg’s podcast, Bring Your Product Ideas to Life. Jess shared her tips and tricks on how to use...
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PR
How I landed a PR internship
When I decided I wanted to pursue an internship in PR I had no idea where to start or what I needed to do. I soon realised that it was pretty much the same as everything...
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PR
Should PRs guarantee press coverage?
There are lots of things we can guarantee when you work with Carnsight. We can promise we will take time to get under the skin of your business; we’ll be creative...
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PR
Evergreen content: what, why and how?
You’ve probably heard of the term ‘evergreen content’, but what does it really mean and how do you make the most of it? Evergreen content is basically...
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PR
What a career in marketing taught me about good PR
It’s almost five years since Carnsight Communications opened its doors, over ten years since I switched to PR and almost twenty years since I started in marketing....
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PR
Work-Life Lessons Learned in 2020
I’m not one to say everything happens for a reason and I don’t think absolutely every difficulty in life has to be a lesson, but 2020 sure taught me a lot in all...
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Team
PR at Christmas: 5 festive tips
Is it just us or does Christmas seem to get earlier every single year? The run-up to the festive season seems to be creeping forward earlier, with thousands of Brits...
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PR
Questions about PR? Here are the answers
What is PR? PR stands for public relations. The dictionary says it’s “the business of inducing the public to have understanding for and goodwill toward a person,...
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PR
How to engage with target publications
And why it’s important to help raise your profile As a small, proactive PR agency, we work on a mix of short term projects and longer term PR activity, helping them...
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Media Relations
PR Lingo You Should Know
Before starting my internship with Carnsight back in 2019, I knew very little about PR. Something that became immediately obvious to me during my first couple of...
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PR
Stats sell: jazzing up your PR with research
A great piece of PR, whether it be a press release, article, comment piece or blog, usually consists of an eye-catching title; an interesting topic; concise and coherent...
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PR
Our Non-Fiction To Read List
As a team of English Literature and Creative Writing Graduates, we here at Carnsight love to read – we’ve always been big book lovers and word enthusiasts....
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Copywriting
Is there a place for non-Coronavirus news?
The need for non-Coronavirus news is a hot topic. Will publications still accept stories that don’t have a Coronavirus angle? Should you try and somehow create one? Or...
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PR
How to communicate as a business during the coronavirus
The Coronavirus has meant that we are operating in unprecedented times and communication has become more important than ever. Business owners are being forced to adapt...
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PR
Enterprise Nation: Festival of Female Entrepreneurs
Written by Steph Brown – I felt out of my depth when I attended Enterprise Nation’s Festival of Female Entrepreneurs in 2018. I was new to the full-time working...
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PR