We’re grateful it’s Friday because cold season seems to be taking us down one-by-one, and we’re in need of some major rest! Before we pull the blankets back over our heads, check out our Weekly Rewind. We came across plenty of great PR tips this week!

Thou Shalt Not…

As PR pros, we undoubtedly know how valuable positive media coverage is in order to reach our target audiences. But reporters are always on the go, and sometimes securing that essential coverage can be difficult. PR Daily gives us the “10 pitching commandments,” which include:

• Customize your pitches: Reporters know when they’ve received a canned pitch. Check out their Twitter feeds, read their recent stories and personalize the content.
• Wait 24 hours to follow up: We know that follow up is extremely important, but you should wait at least a day to reduce the risk of extreme annoyance.
• Make it timely: Tie your pitch to a timely hook because it will seem more appealing to the journalist to cover it. For instance, if you’re announcing a new platform feature, show why it’s relevant for today’s political climate.

The Art of Writing for Instagram

Coming up with that perfect Instagram caption can sometimes be the most difficult part of a PR pros day — we kid. But it can take longer than it should to create that witty caption if the creative juices aren’t flowing. Here are four steps for writing an outstanding Instagram caption whenever you find yourself stuck:

1. Keep it short: Three or four lines of text, about 200 characters.
2. Avoid Hashtags: Industry practice is to avoid hashtags in the caption unless necessary to the campaign and instead, insert the hashtags in the first comment of the post.
3. Don’t include a link: You can’t click on a link in a caption, and no one is going to copy and paste it into a web browser.
4. Have personality: If you feel like you’re lacking in this department, check out other Instagram accounts for inspiration.

Facebook, Snapchat — Tomato, Potato?

There may be another new Facebook feature on the horizon. Business Insider reports that Facebook stories is currently being tested in the Facebook mobile app. “Facebook stories works identically to Instagram stories, and by extension Snapchat stories. You add photos and videos to your personal story for your friends to tap through, and everything you choose to share disappears after 24 hours.” Also, the stories won’t appear in your News Feed or on your profile’s timeline.

In a statement, Facebook said this is an effort to make it fast and fun for people to share creative and expressive photos with whoever they want, whenever they want. If it’s another meaningful way to get our client’s message out, we’re game!

Because it’s Friday, and We All Need a Laugh

Have you seen this ad by Dutch agency Etcetera for a pregnancy test? The ad, which was created six years ago, is currently making waves on social media and people are finding it hilarious all over again. The ad depicts a couple looking upon a pregnancy test in complete surprise of the results even though the woman is obviously very far along in her pregnancy. Etcetera defends the clear exaggeration of the ad by explaining, “Since Predictor is 99.9 percent accurate, you’d rather depend on the test than your belly.”