Subject Matter Experts: Everyone has them. Not everyone uses them in external relations – and understandably so. While your organization’s CEO or official spokesperson is likely the one interfacing with the media and is most likely to be quoted, your SMEs should not be overlooked as sources for earned media. With the relentlessness of the 24-hour news cycle, reporters are always looking for expert sources to comment on the topic of the day.

College football is broken. It’s been broken. And with USC and UCLA set to join the Big Ten (what?) and the college football playoff about to balloon from 4 teams to 12, we’re now teetering on the brink of things being shattered beyond repair. Thankfully, I’m here to fix it. And it’s only going to take me about 600 words.

There is a general idea in marketing and messaging that a person or audience needs to see or hear a message seven times before it sinks in and moves someone to take action. The “Rule of 7,” some call it.

The very best public relations efforts don’t happen quickly. They need time to ripen in the public imagination as events unfold around them. Then, when the campaign is fully matured, it appears as magic to win the day.

So you want to write a LinkedIn article… But you might want some tips, tricks and best practices before you start your draft — so we've created this helpful guide.

Conferences and events have long been a staple in almost every industry, but COVID-19 brought these in-person networking and professional development opportunities to a halt. While many organizations pivoted to hosting virtual events, which still provide valuable learning opportunities, it’s just hasn’t had the same feeling or impact. There is great news for people with ZOOM fatigue. In-person events are BACK!

Keep it short. Keep it simple. These are a couple of the most basic rules of communicating and public relations. You keep it short because attention spans are short. You keep it simple because people are, well, simple.

Have an advocacy day coming up for your organization? Don’t forget to share the day on your social media accounts. Here are our top tips for making a splash on your big day.

So apparently, it’s my turn again, and as the leading “expert” on almost nothing, you can expect more of the same from me: PODCASTS. Only this time, I’m going to be even less helpful. In a move that says “I, and I alone, have good taste and should be listened to” I’m going to offer up a list of three of my current personal favorite podcasts.

I’ve got something to say about Christmas cards.

Basically, I think fewer of you are sending them, and I’m worried.

I base this on the fact that it feels like I’ve just gotten fewer Christmas cards so far this year than I normally do.

Sadly, it’s a PR call we get too often. Something bad has happened—a school shooting, the death of a colleague, a major incident or tragedy—and our clients want to know how to respond. Very often, folks wish to put out a statement, or post their viewpoints on social media. And equally often, our advice is to wait.

Leadership from Big Brothers Big Sisters – Michigan Capital Region will have the opportunity to attend Leadership Lansing, the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce’s leadership initiative, at no cost this year thanks to a contribution from Resch Strategies.

Spending more time working from home over the last 18 months has had its benefits. No doubt, a lot of the changes and restrictions of pandemic life have been frustrating and exhausting, but some of the upsides of a more relaxed working environment at home have been welcome.

Anyone who has worked in or around the Capitol knows the challenges of trying to unveil a big initiative while navigating the political machine. You’ve got the legislative calendar, budget proposal, budget completion, State of the State address, Consensus Revenue Estimating Conferences, election deadlines, ballot initiatives - and this is just working around what’s planned. A reporter on the Capitol or statewide beat will tell you that when a routine week of coverage is planned, it ends up being anything but.

There is a lot of content on the internet. I can lose hours at a time just swiping on my phone. (Thanks, TikTok). With this sea of content for people to choose from, it can be a battle just to get viewers to your Facebook page, website, e-newsletter, etc. Once someone lands where you want them to, you need to grab their attention within seconds in order to ensure that they continue interacting with your content.

This can be hard. Graphics can help.

Resch Strategies, a statewide public relations and public affairs firm, today announced the addition of Anna Heaton to their lineup of public relations professionals, welcoming the former gubernatorial press secretary as vice president of the 12-year old firm.

On Tuesday, June 1, 2021 - for the first time in 442 days – the entire Resch Strategies team was back together under one roof. It wasn’t a planned thing. No one said, “Ok, it’s June 1. Let’s all go back today.” (I guess that would have been my job to do.) It was a podcast day, which does seem to bring folks in, but no. No plan. No official return. No government edict. Just a happy little coincidence.

Zoom meetings. Moving from one crisis to the next. Rolling out of bed directly into the office chair. Working from home sounded great 14 months ago, but global pandemics have a way of defying expectations.

If you’re considering starting podcast, there’s a lot to do and figure out before hitting “record” for the first time.

When it comes to your various social channels, it’s one thing to post the occasional article and funny meme - and you may get decent engagement that way - but it’s much more impactful if you do a little bit of work upfront and determine who YOU are as a brand.