As a PR account director for Tech Image, I have had the pleasure of representing clients at quite a few trade shows throughout the years.  InfoComm13, the largest professional AV show in the world, is my latest stop on behalf of client NEC Display Solutions.  And it was quite the Day One in Orlando.  Besides some impressive technology showcased -- like the NEC 80-inch V801 display with LED Edge-light, a mammoth 84-inch 4Kx2K display and the 14,000-lumen PH1400U projector, we were treated to a visit by former Washington Redskins quarterback and Super Bowl winner Joe Theismann in NEC booth 1801. 

Mother's Day is right around the corner, and while most of the focus will be on flowers and Sunday brunch, let's not forget why we celebrate:  To appreciate Mom and all she ever did for us.

That includes the lessons we learned. And although most of them were just to keep us from being rude, there's actually a lot which can be applied to the day to day of public relations (PR). Consider the following motherly maxims:

Pitching is just as important and vital to public relations (PR) as it is to Major League Baseball. The main goal of PR firms is to secure media placements for their clients. And pitching is how it’s done.

However, more often than not, pitching is a rather challenging process. Getting in touch with the media is difficult in itself and then getting them to show interest in your pitch is a whole other battle. PR professionals must be aware of and utilize various strategies and skills to pitch more efficiently.

Here are three ways to make your pitch a winning one:

Learning Your Opponent

(IBS is a client of Tech Image)

Unless you just emerged from a Rip Van Winkle-type slumber, you know the publishing industry simply isn’t the same as it was two decades ago. Who would have thought devices such as Amazon’s “Kindle” eReader would not only change the reading habits of millions of people around the world but also become a household name? Heck, when I grew up the Amazon was just a river. Now more people probably associate the name with a $100+ billion dollar company whose eBook sales are worth multi-billions of dollars, and were reportedly up 70% in 2012.

Where once the only real choice for books was hard cover or paperback, customers today expect to be able to receive their content in a variety of formats on different devices. They want to listen to audio online, or download and build their own personal digital libraries.

Unfortunately, all this change has been very tough on the mid-tier publishers. Through mergers and consolidation, large publishers have gained a stranglehold on the publishing industry. And digital content sellers such as Amazon are taking as much as 30 cents out of every dollar of profit for the opportunity to be listed in their online offerings.

Speaking opportunities are a great way to get your message out. They afford you face time with prospective clients, help you spread the message about your products/services, and let you illustrate your expertise.

But it can often be difficult to secure conference and event speaking opportunities. There is high competition for a limited number of spots and having an interesting angle or topic can be tricky.

But there are some basic steps you can take to help ensure that your next speaker submission will catch the eyes of the event organizers and give you the best chance at being selected to present.

In a day and age where social media is a constant presence and lightning-quick reporting is a norm, it’s common to see people in the media trying to restore their images after they have negative publicity.

There are constant scandals: run-ins with the law and just plain old bad press. With sites like Twitter and Facebook to help share scandals, some people are consistently having to “put their guard up” regarding their image. Whether it’s a Hollywood actress like Lindsay Lohan, a professional athlete like Ray Lewis, or even former President like Bill Clinton; time and time again people have been forced to re-establish their images.

But there’s no reason to worry, though, because public relations can restore your image! Since public relations professionals work to gain publicity for their client and help enhance their reputation, PR is the perfect solution for someone trying to restore their image. Here are 3 ways that PR can help restore your image:

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year…it’s the most wonderful time of the year!” I feel like I’m singing Christmas songs, but that is not the case. It is truly the most wonderful time of the year, though. March Madness is finally upon us and all mayhem has broken loose (in a good way, of course!)

As 68 potential teams battle it out to see who can be crowned the NCAA Men’s Basketball Champion, we get to sit back and watch the madness unfold itself. During this time though, let’s take a look at the similarities between PR and the NCAA tourney.  Here are three “keys to the game” for PR:

It’s 2013. The internet has officially been around for decades. Over 50 percent of U.S. mobile phone owners have a smartphone. Social media has been growing and doesn’t seem to have an end in sight. And any individual phone user regularly has multiple devices open and displaying information.

Why is any of this relevant? The answer is: content. Content. Content. Content. There is so much content out there and people can’t get enough of it, even with new content constantly being uploaded to the internet.

But how can content help your business? Moreover, what makes content effective and what is the best way to market via content?

As PR practitioners, like the ones at Tech Image, we’re accustomed to creating personas and honing brands for our clients.  But one doesn’t often hear about defining a personal or individual brand for oneself.  I was enlightened on this theme at SmithBucklin’s recent Executive Conference, in which celebrated author and motivational speaker Kaplan Mobrey spoke from his book “The 10Ks of Personal Brand Building.”

“Did you hear about that new restaurant?  Let me tell you about it, it was awesome!”

How often have you had a friend say that to you?  And how quickly did you check out the place they were recommending?

That’s because word-of-mouth marketing works.  What is “word-of-mouth marketing,” you ask?  It’s simple – it’s essentially recommendations and it’s one of the most credible forms of advertising.  The concept of it has exploded with the development of social media.