13 Best Portable Apps in 2023 Downloading and installing software is tedious. Portable apps solve that problem. These tools run on a computer without installation. These apps can help you switch between your work and home computer and handle projects from different devices. They allow you to work on the go if you can't install software on public computers. Plus, these apps won't bog down your device. Whatever the reason, portable apps can also come in handy in many other situations. Check our list of the best portable apps for every device and browser. But first, let’s address the big question. Are portable apps safe? Like any software, portable apps can spread viruses to your computer. But if you follow the same anti-virus protocol you do for the rest of your computer, including using anti-virus software, scanning your portable drive for viruses, and backing up your system, downloading and using portable apps is safe. Best Portable Apps for Different Devices and Browsers 1. Google Chrome Portable — Best Portable Browser App for Chrome Image Source If you do most of your work on Chrome, you’d love its portable version. Let’s face it, Chrome software takes a lot of disk space, and if you don’t clean the cache regularly, it can slow down your device. And since you use Chrome already, the best part is that the portable version is identical. It links to your Google account, offers bookmarks, and supports extensions. However, it won’t save passwords by default, as...

How to Write an Effective Communications Plan Remember the "Tide Pod Challenge?" That horrendous time at the beginning of 2018 when adolescents filmed themselves ingesting laundry detergent? While it was a funny (albeit dangerous) start to the new year, this small boost of infamy was a PR mess for the detergent brand in question, Tide, whose crisis communication team had to figure out how to respond to America's teens swallowing their toxic product. Tide's parent company, Procter & Gamble, was swift in their response, thanks in large part to their communication plan. In this post, you'll learn how to create an effective communication plan that prepares you and your company for any situation. Communication plans can help you clarify the purpose of a product launch or new initiative and officially determine the messages you want to deliver to your intended audience(s). Additionally, a communication plan can help your business during a time of crisis if a previous marketing message or business decision damages your reputation with internal stakeholders or customers. If companies don't have a communication plan, they'll be unprepared when disaster strikes. It may be unlikely that your company will find teenagers eating your product for internet fame, but not so unlikely that you'll never find yourself needing a procedure to effectively handle difficult situations. Need a free, easy-to-use communication plan template? HubSpot has 12. Check out this toolkit for everything you need to build your own. This is part of a template offered in the...

Should You Pay a PR Firm? It's a question almost every fast-growing company runs into: should we hire a PR firm or build an in-house team? And if you wrestle with this question long enough, it quickly spirals into an endless back-and-forth ("on the other hand…"). The truth is, depending on your specific goals, resources, and budget, one path may make more sense than the other. We've rounded up some helpful advice from PR pros at HubSpot to help you make the right call. Let's dive into the key benefits and drawbacks of hiring an agency, explore how to make the right decision for your business, and cover five PR tasks you can manage in-house. Reasons to Hire a PR Firm 1. You know what you want. Hiring a firm without knowing what you want is like driving to a new destination without a map. Chances are, you'll get lost — quickly. "Hiring a PR firm can be a significant investment, so before doing so, you need to be clear about your goals and what you're hoping to achieve through PR," advises Ellie Flanagan, Manager of Product & Corporate Communications at HubSpot. Your goals are your compass. They influence your budget, timeline, and even the tactics you want to employ. Just as importantly, they give you a clear picture of what you need from an agency. 2. You're ready to "feed the PR machine." PR is not a "set it and forget it" activity — even if you...

15 of the Best Public Relations Examples to Inspire Your Next Campaign Journalists crave juicy stories and viral marketing campaigns, but standing out in a sea of conventional pitches is one of the biggest challenges for any public relations professional. When you need a dose of inspiration, it can be helpful to explore the most compelling PR plays in recent years. To save you some time, we curated a list of the absolute best of the best to get the creativity flowing for your next campaign. Read on to get inspired by some of the best minds in public relations. 1. Spotify: Wrapped Image Source Spotify's Wrapped campaign has quickly turned into a viral, end-of-year event. Since 2016, the streaming app has provided each user with a "wrap up" of their listening habits which are delivered in colorful, eye-catching graphics. Naturally, you can share your stats on different platforms, like Instagram and TikTok. Spotify's Wrapped is not just another marketing campaign— it's a viral, multi-platform, FOMO-inducing social campaign. It's highly personal, relevant, and shareable. It's this winning combination that its rivals, namely Apple and YouTube, haven't been able to recreate. 2. Subway: Eat Fresh Refresh For the longest time, Subway has rolled out countless marketing campaigns featuring its trusty tagline, Eat Fresh! But now, in light of changes to both its brand and menu, a new campaign has emerged, fittingly titled "Eat Fresh Refresh." The campaign includes...

Bad Press Releases: 14 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid Press releases remain a critical link in the communications chain. According to Cision’s 2021 Global State of the Media Report, 78% of journalists say they prefer press releases and news announcements to other content types. The problem? Writing a press release is simple — writing a good press release is no easy task. In this piece, we’ll break down 14 common bad press release characteristics and offer suggestions to help your team avoid press release mistakes. 14 Rookie Press Release Mistakes to Avoid While there’s no such thing as the “perfect” press release, your team can get closer to the mark by avoiding common errors. Here’s a look at 14 of the most common rookie mistakes — and how to reduce your chance of making them. 1. Forgetting to Add Links Press releases are not just for the press. Releases will likely be published on your website, and your team might also submit releases to wire services. The result? Press releases now live in a digital world — and they need links that drive readers to other relevant content. For marketing teams still using the traditional model of press release production, however, it’s easy to miss out on links. The result is a release that might have great content but doesn’t go anywhere, meaning your team can miss out on potential conversion opportunities. The Solution: Ensure all press releases are reviewed prior to publishing. If there’s no obvious place for...

Press Release Distribution: Top 10 Services + 4 Mistakes to Avoid To thrive as a small business, you need press coverage. But, unfortunately, coverage doesn't just come naturally – you need to work for it. Enter: the press release. Press releases are important for increasing your brand awareness and helping your public relations (PR). But if nobody sees your release, you won't get very far. You need to distribute it effectively to get your story picked up by local and/or national newspapers, magazines, or blogs. In this guide to press release distribution, we'll cover the following to help you put together a plan of action that results in coverage: What is press release distribution? Why is press release distribution important? How to distribute your press release Distribution mistakes to avoid Should you use distribution services? Keep reading to learn how you can properly create, pitch, and distribute a press release for optimal brand awareness. What is press release distribution? Before we dive any deeper, let's iron out exactly what press release distribution is. It's the process of circulating or seeding out your press release to journalists, publishers, and members of the press. Your press release normally provides updates on your company's products and/or services, projects, partnerships, organization structure, and more. With distribution, you allow various publications to share your press release and thus, reach a wider audience. Why should you submit a press release? The purpose of distributing a press release...

What is Public Relations? The Definition of PR in 100 Words or Less Image is an important aspect of brand awareness, which influences whether your potential customers know, like, and trust you. Where publicity is outside a brand's control, public relations (PR) is an effective way to contribute to the conversation. There’s an old saying: “Advertising is what you pay for; publicity is what you pray for.” Public relations isn’t an easy profession to define. In fact, in 2012, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) accepted a few thousand submissions before finally agreeing on one: So how can an organization take its beneficial relationship to the public and turn it into good press? Are you really “praying” for something, like the old saying goes, if you’re using a strategic process to get results? If public relations is a bridge for that relationship, then public relations professionals are the bridge builders. Let's talk about them a little more specifically: What is a public relations professional? A public relations professional is in charge of creating and executing a PR strategy, helping a business or individual cultivate a positive reputation through various unpaid or earned channels and formats, including press, social media, and in-person engagements. They also help clients defend their reputations during crises that threaten their credibility. In order to understand this, you must first consider the two sides of PR: the positive storytelling side and the negative damage-controle side. Positive Public Relations If an organization is proactive about...

How to Write a Press Release When it comes to content, sometimes old school can be a good thing (namely, when it comes to old-school rap or Throwback Thursday on Instagram). But when it comes to your company's public relations strategy, being old school isn't advantageous for your business or your brand. Ten years ago, people still relied on morning papers for news. Today, the vast majority of your company's customers and prospects scan headlines on Twitter or see what’s trending in their Facebook feed. People now have control over where, when, and how they consume information. As a result, public relations is no longer about feeding into a traditional news cycle; it's about providing relevant content when, where, and how your prospects, influencers, and customers will consume it. Sounds pretty hopeless, right? Wrong. While relationship-building still helps you get into popular publications, we now have the opportunity to quit playing the waiting game and generate our own buzz. By turning your PR strategy into an inbound one, you create opportunities that weren’t there before and carve out a place for your company, building meaningful mindshare with your target audiences in the process. One of the most crucial updates to make to your PR strategy is to think of opportunities to connect to the audiences you care about -- including, but not limited to, reporters. And that starts with press releases. In this post, we'll discuss: What Is a Press Release? Types of Press Releases Sample Press...