If you haven’t checked out the Blogs section of ProfNet Connect lately, you’re missing out on some really great posts. Here’s a link to some of last week’s most popular blog posts:

How to Create a Winning Blogger Pitch Every Time. In this week's Q&A Team column, five experts from the ProfNet Community discuss the benefits of getting your product or news covered in a "mommy blog," how to find the right blogs to pitch, what to do -- and not do -- when pitching, and more: bit.ly/10WlVq6

Three Tips for Formatting Press Releases for Maximum Online Readership. The Financial Times this week launched FastFT, a nimble and ultra-short-form news service publishing extremely short stories. The reasoning behind the new service? While the 140-character limit on Twitter is a bit too confining, it's clear that readers prefer short snippets rather than long-form. The FT is adding the short-format service to their mix, in order to "create more portals and routes for readers to consume the publication's content." FastFT is going to be a winner for the Financial Times, says Sarah Skerik, vice president of social media for PR Newswire. Today on ProfNet Connect, Skerik talks about important lessons that PR pros need to pay attention to when crafting press releases and other messages: bit.ly/13gY5Iw

Grammar Hammer: I Think I May, I Think I Might. "I might go to the movies this weekend." "I may go to the movies this weekend." Is there a difference between these two sentences? Today's Grammar Hammer explores the subtle differences between "may" and "might." The answer might surprise you: bit.ly/10VHmLr

Upcoming #ConnectChat: Networking Secrets for Freelance Writers. Networking is essential for freelance writers. It's how you build relationships, share stories and find support from others in the trenches. For our next #ConnectChat, Minda Zetlin, president of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), will share some networking secrets for freelance writer. The chat will take place Tuesday, June 11, on Twitter. You can find all the details of the upcoming chat here: bit.ly/15E6lTm

MEDIAware June Media Moves. The June issue of MEDIAware, PR Newswire's audience research newsletter, is now available and is chock-full of media news and updates. This month's edition has info on Politico, ESPN, Rolling Stone, The Advocate, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Sun-Times, NY Daily News and more: bit.ly/18O9Los

Chicago Sun-Times Lays off Photographers and Opens Door for Newsworthy Third-Party Content. The Chicago Sun-Times' decision to lay off of its entire photography staff opens the door for PR professionals to garner visibility using visuals for the brands they represent, as long as they keep the audience's interests firmly in mind. Sarah Skerik, vice president of content marketing for PR Newswire, discussed the opportunities brands have to fill voids with newsworthy content, and shared four questions that should shape your visual content strategy: bit.ly/12TxKP3

Where Did Your Experts Pop up in May? From major wire services to national newspapers, health publications to lifestyle blogs, more than 400 media outlets featured ProfNet experts in May. You can see a list of some of them here: bit.ly/ZrtIhV

Is Translating Global Press Releases Really Necessary? When you send out press releases globally, do you translate it to the native language of the recipient? If not, you might be doing yourself a disservice. Today on ProfNet Connect, Colleen Pizarev, vice president of strategic communication for PR Newswire, explains why it's important to translate global press releases, along with other resources to get your global PR program off the ground: bit.ly/15STdKJ

Intro to DIY Mobile Journalism. On Tuesday, May 28, ProfNet hosted a Twitter-based Q&A on mobile journalism. Cindy Rodriguez, journalist-in-residence at Emerson College in Boston, discussed how reporters are using smartphones to collect soundbites and do interviews, tips on which apps work best for mobile storytelling, and much more. If you missed it, you can read a recap of the very informative chat here: bit.ly/175AWgx

Why Warren Buffet and I Are Long on Newspapers. Much ink has been spilled over the state of America’s newspapers and magazines, but one fact is absolutely clear: Social media has been a boon for the watchdogs of democracy -- and both publishers and reporters have been the big beneficiaries. In this post, Greg Berardi, founder and partner at Blue Marlin Partners, shares eight reasons why a beaten industry is better off with social media: bit.ly/11iu5sS

What were your favorite blog posts last week? Which ones did you find most helpful/interesting?

Whether you're a reporter, blogger, author or other content creator, ProfNet can help you with your search for expert sources. You can send a query to tens of thousands of experts and PR agents, search the more than 60,000 profiles on ProfNet Connect, or get timely experts and story ideas by email -- all for free! Need help getting started? Email us at profnet@profnet.com.

If you haven’t checked out the Blogs section of ProfNet Connect lately, you’re missing out on some really great posts. Here’s a link to some of last week’s most popular blog posts:

The Future of Content Marketing. Social Media Club New York recently hosted an event about the future of content marketing, an important topic for companies to fully understand. According to the Content Marketing Institute, marketers spend a quarter of their budget on content marketing, with 60 percent planning to increase their content marketing budgets in the future. In this recap, by ProfNet’s Polina Opelbaum, panelists from Gartner, Text100, BBC Media Action USA, IBM and Showtime Networks shared their insight on the future of content marketing: bit.ly/12xGXwC

Spotlight: Chicago Tribune’s Julie Wernau. In our monthly Spotlight feature on ProfNet Connect, we talk with a journalist who uses ProfNet, to find out more about who they are, what they do, what kind of replies they like to see from ProfNet members, and more. This month, we caught up with Julie Wernau, energy and green technology reporter for the Chicago Tribune's business section: bit.ly/12e4Ys7

Lessons Learned: Overcoming Our Mistakes. Last week, Facebook and Girls in Tech hosted a meetup with senior tech women from Kickstarter, Research Lab AT&T, Bloomberg and Facebook. The panelists discussed the mistakes and lessons they learned in their career, and provided valuable advice for women in, or interested in, the tech field: bit.ly/104jdhH

Press Release Rx: Three Ways to Improve Reader Experience. You can't read an article or blog these days on Web design or SEO without seeing a reference to "user experience design” (UXD). It's a hot topic, and for reasons that go far beyond aesthetics. The experience that users of a website encounter have a direct effect on that site's search rankings and conversion rate. And the advice offered by UXD pros and SEO gurus provide some important lessons for writers. In this post, Sarah Skerik, vice president of social media for PR Newswire, shared some ideas for designing press releases (and other content) that encourage readers to move forward, to the outcome you want them to take: bit.ly/12ADiyf

Interesting Expert of the Week, Gluten-Free Edition. Just a few years ago, not many of us knew what gluten-free food was or where to get it. Today, walk into almost any supermarket and you’ll see gluten-free food in nearly every aisle. So, for this week’s Interesting Expert spotlight, we caught up with Elana Amsterdam, founder of ElanasPantry.com, a wellness expert and “gluten-free guru”: bit.ly/10xzLSs

Blog Notes: Politics & Culture, Food and Finance Blogs. As PR Newswire's media relations manager, Christine Cube comes across great blogs that cover a wide variety of topics and interests. Each week, she offers brief profiles of blogs you might not have heard of but that might offer pitching opportunities for your clients. In this edition, she shared reviews of a few politics and culture, food, and finance blogs: bit.ly/18G60SM

Angie’s Social Media Angels: Hyundai Hope on Wheels. With all of the negativity that can be seen through social media, it’s nice to find people whose words are uplifting and positive. Twice a month, ProfNet’s Angela Smith spotlights a person or organization that is making an impact using social media as platform. In the latest edition, Smith shined a spotlight on Hyundai Hope on Wheels, which has donated millions of dollars to pediatric cancer research: bit.ly/14td2aj

What Writers Need to Know About Information Products. Writers are likely concerned that the number of opportunities for “traditional” freelance writing is diminishing as more and more news outlets close shop, but there are still plenty of markets for writers who are willing to look beyond magazines and newspapers. In this post, Marcia Layton Turner, executive director of the Association of Ghostwriters, discussed some of the challenges writers may face, and shared a few resources necessary to start creating and selling information products: bit.ly/19oDmTU

Grammar Hammer: Stop! Graduation Time! ‘Tis the season for graduation parties -- don't be caught red-faced by using bad grammar when congratulating the graduate. In this installment of the popular Grammar Hammer column, Cathy Spicer explains the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs, all in a graduation theme: bit.ly/17FZ9ty

Pitch Perfect: How to Write an Awesome Query Letter. Pitching an editor is an important task for every writer, but knowing how to do it successfully enough to capture the attention of an editor is even more important. In this panel recap from last month’s ASJA conference, four writers shared their tips on how to successfully pitch an editor: bit.ly/193ndTG

What were your favorite blog posts last week? Which ones did you find most helpful/interesting?

Whether you're a reporter, blogger, author or other content creator, ProfNet can help you with your search for expert sources. You can send a query to tens of thousands of experts and PR agents, search the more than 60,000 profiles on ProfNet Connect, or get timely experts and story ideas by email -- all for free! Need help getting started? Email us at profnet@profnet.com.

If you haven’t checked out the Blogs section of ProfNet Connect lately, you’re missing out on some really great posts. Here’s a link to some of last week’s most popular blog posts:

How Writers Can Break Into the Corporate Market. With the popularity of content marketing on the rise, more and more companies are turning to freelance writers. Have you been thinking about breaking into the world of corporate writing but aren’t sure where to start? In our latest #ConnectChat, held March 5 on Twitter, writer Susan Weiner discussed the ins and outs of how writers can break into the corporate market.

Five Best Practices for Face-to-Face Press Meetings. Press and analyst meetings at industry events are invaluable for public relations. Booking face-to-face time with the industry's most relevant pundits is undoubtedly considered a PR win. But why are events so important? Why are in-person briefings so valuable? What does it take as a PR pro to book meetings, and how can you really garner results for your client? Casey Cardinal, account executive at InkHouse Media + Marketing, shares five best practices for clients to harvest real results from in-person media briefings.

Upcoming PR/Media Events. We regularly update our ProfNet Connect calendar to include upcoming events we think will be of interest to PR and media professionals. In the latest installment, we shared details of offerings from PRPLI, Columbia Journalism School, PRSA and Ragan’s.

MEDIAware: March Media Moves. The March issue of MEDIAware, PR Newswire's audience research newsletter, is chock-full of media news and updates, including info on Newsweek Global, Vogue, International Herald Tribune, Entertainment Weekly, London's Daily Mail, and more.

The Q&A Team: Dealing With Negative Comments on Social Media. Most of us have been there: You manage your company's social media accounts and aren't quite sure how to deal with negative tweets, Facebook posts, comments, etc. Should you respond? Ignore? Delete? In the latest Q&A Team column on ProfNet Connect, seven experts weigh in with tips on when and how to respond.

Angela’s Social Media Angels. With all of the negativity on social media, sometimes it’s nice to read about people whose words are uplifting and positive. In her regular column, ProfNet Editor Angela Smith spotlights a person (or organization) that is making an impact on their followers using social media as a platform. In her latest, she shines the light on #GivingTuesday, which has helped charities raise more than $10 million in online donations.

Blog Notes: Life in L.A., Fuel, Marketing and Food Trucks. As PR Newswire's media relations manager, Christine Cube comes across great blogs that cover a wide variety of topics and interests. Each week, she offers brief profiles of blogs you might not have heard of but that offer pitching opportunities for your clients. In her latest post, she shares reviews of some notable fuel, marketing and food blogs.

Feeling Lucky? Share Your Story for a Chance to See Your Picture in Times Square. St. Patrick’s Day is on the way, and luck is in the air. Has ProfNet helped you “strike gold”? Whether you’re a PR person who uses ProfNet to get coverage for your experts, or a journalist who uses ProfNet to find expert sources, we want to hear your story. Every month, we’ll select our favorite story, and that person will get his/her picture posted in the heart of New York City: the Reuters sign in Times Square.

Where Did Your Experts Pop up in February? ProfNet has been helping journalists and experts connect for more than 20 years. In that time, we have seen queries from just about every type of outlet imaginable – from newspapers and magazines to radio shows and blogs. And while the media times are changing, there are still a great many stories being written, and writers still need expert sources. In this post, you can see many of the more than 300 media outlets that used ProfNet in February 2013.

What were your favorite blog posts last week? Which ones did you find most helpful/interesting?

Whether you're a reporter, blogger, author or other content creator, ProfNet can help you with your search for expert sources. You can send a query to tens of thousands of experts and PR agents, search the more than 60,000 profiles on ProfNet Connect, or get timely experts and story ideas by email -- all for free! Need help getting started? Email us at profnet@profnet.com.

If you haven’t checked out the Blogs section of ProfNet Connect lately, you’re missing out on some really great posts. Here’s a link to some of last week’s most popular blog posts:

InfoWorld Technology Leadership Awards. InfoWorld.com, a website for IT and business professionals seeking to stay abreast of leading technology trends and issues, seeks entries for its annual Technology Leadership Awards. The awards are open to IT pros and business managers anywhere in the world who can demonstrate such innovative leadership with real-world results over the last two years.

Spotlight: Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic. In our monthly Spotlight feature, we talk with a journalist who uses ProfNet to find out more about who they are, what they do, what kind of replies they like to see from ProfNet members, and more. This month, we caught up with Randy Cordova, feature reporter for the Arizona Republic.

Inside PRN: Meet Customer Content Services Manager Anna Deleo. Our Inside PR Newswire series offers a glimpse into the lives of the people that make up PR Newswire. This month, we catch up with Anna Deleo, customer content services manager in PR Newswire's Washington, D.C., bureau and part of the curating team behind @PRNPolicy.

SEO Tips for Developing Effective Messages. It should go without saying that if you’re publishing content online, you should be capitalizing on the opportunity to positively influence search engine rankings for your organization. Each piece of content a brand publishes can (and probably should!) improve the search engine rank of the company’s Web properties. This post shared highlights from the recent Online Marketing Summit, in which a number of speakers offered advice on SEO and content strategy, many of which are useful for PR.

Grammar Hammer: In Search of the Elusive Semicolon. When it comes to grammar rules, the proper usage of a semicolon stumps even the most seasoned writers and grammatical pros. Cathy Spicer, aka Grammar Hammer, looks at the use – and misuse – of what some jokingly refer to as “the most terrifying punctuation mark in the world.”

Angie’s Social Media Angels: Alex’s Lemonade Stand. With all of the negativity on social media, sometimes it’s nice to read about people whose words are uplifting and positive. In her regular column, Angela Smith, editor at ProfNet, spotlights a person (or organization) that is making an impact on their followers using social media as a platform. In her latest, she shines the light on Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a nonprofit fighting childhood cancer.

SMW Recap: Digital Newsgathering Standards. As part of Social Media Week, The Associated Press and Muck Rack hosted "Digital Newsgathering Standards: A MuckedUp Conversation with AP." The discussion centered on user-generated content, content verification, and reporting accuracy during a time when there is pressure to release news as quickly as possible. Speakers included representatives from Sawhorse Media, Associated Press, Edelman, Spundge and Poynter. This blog post offered highlights from the event.

PCNY: Today’s Food Media Landscape.  The Publicity Club of New York recently hosted a luncheon covering the food media landscape. A panel of food editors from “Good Morning, America,” Food & Wine, BuzzFeed, The Sporkful, amNewYork, and Grub Street New York offered advice on how PR people can best pitch them and the types of things they are looking for.

#ConnectChat Recap: Tweet Your Way to a Feature. Social media has changed the way journalists gather and report hard news, and the same holds true for feature reporters. In our latest Twitter-based chat, author, adjunct professor and former NY Daily News reporter Nicholas Hirshon discussed how reporters use social media to gather information for creative feature stories, and how social media has changed the roles of a features reporter -- good information for anyone looking to pitch reporters.

Call for Speakers: FreeStructure 2013. FreeStructure, a global movement focused on leveraging the growing volumes and understanding of data, is looking for speakers for a three-day gathering that will bring together data communities to explore data’s fullest potential to solve real problems being faced by businesses, communities and the planet.

What were your favorite blog posts last week? Which ones did you find most helpful/interesting?

Whether you're a reporter, blogger, author or other content creator, ProfNet can help you with your search for expert sources. You can send a query to tens of thousands of experts and PR agents, search the more than 60,000 profiles on ProfNet Connect, or get timely experts and story ideas by email -- all for free! Need help getting started? Email us at profnet@profnet.com. 

If you haven’t checked out the Blogs section of ProfNet Connect lately, you’re missing out on some really great posts. Here’s a link to some of last week’s most popular blog posts:

The Q&A Team: How Twitter’s Vine App Will Impact Journalists. Twitter recently rolled out Vine, a video-sharing app that lets you capture a six-second video that loops continuously. Last week, Victoria Harres, director of audience development for PR Newswire, looked at how Vine will impact PR professionals. In this week's Q&A Team column, four ProfNet experts discuss how Vine will impact journalism.

Want to See Your Picture in the Heart of Times Square? Whether you’re a PR person who uses ProfNet to get coverage for your experts, or a journalist who uses ProfNet to find expert sources, we want to hear your story – and you might get your picture in the bright lights of Times Square as our thanks. This blog post explained how sharing your success story can land you on the Reuters sign in Times Square.

PCNY: Today’s Food Media Landscape. Food editors from “Good Morning America,” Food & Wine Magazine, BuzzFeed, The Sporkful podcast, amNewYork, and Grub Street New York headlined the most recent Publicity of New York luncheon. This blog post shares highlights of the discussion, courtesy of ProfNet editor Angela Smith.

Listen Up, Tweethearts: Your Social Media Guide to Valentine’s Day. There’s no denying that social media has affected the way people interact on Valentine’s Day, but can expressing your feelings and posting your date night whereabouts via Facebook and Twitter have any repercussions later on? In this post, Angela Smith, editor at ProfNet, explores.

Valentine’s Day 2013 by the Numbers. As many of us lament the contrived commercialism of Valentine's Day, Civic Science, an online polling and data-mining company, wanted to get a sense of what real people would be doing on V-Day. So, over the course of a week, they surveyed a few thousand U.S. consumers over the age of 18 to see whether they would be observing Cupid's big day. They shared the results in this blog post.

Grammar Hammer: Can You Really Beg a Question? Each week, Cathy Spicer (aka Grammar Hammer) explores a different grammar rule. In her most recent post, she looked at the origin and use – or, rather, misuse – of the phrase, “begs the question.” You might be surprised at what she found.

Tweet Your Way to a Feature. Social media has changed the way journalists gather and report hard news, and the same holds true for features reporters. This post gives the details of the next #ConnectChat, "Tweet Your Way to a Feature," scheduled for Feb. 19. Author, adjunct professor and former NY Daily News reporter Nicholas Hirshon will answer questions on how to use social media to gather information for creative feature stories, as well as how social media has changed the roles of a features reporter.

Where Did Your Experts Pop up in January? Last month saw reporter from news outlets such as Associated Press, FOXNews.com, Bloomberg News, CNN, Globe and Mail, Crain’s New York Business, E! Online, Investor’s Business Daily and hundreds of others. In this post, you can see a rundown of many of the outlets that used ProfNet in January 2013.

Tips for Beating Blog Burnout. Producing an engaging and successful blog means coming up with new ideas while staying energized, but how do you find inspiration, and generate creative and fresh ideas, time and time again? Susan Getgood, vice president of influencer marketing for BlogHer, shared her strategies and tips during a recent #ConnectChat.

Blog Notes. In her weekly roundup, Christine Cube shares some of the interesting blogs she comes across as she manages PR Newswire for Bloggers. Last week, she shared info on lifestyle, gardening, personal finance and travel blogs.

What were your favorite blog posts last week? Which ones did you find most helpful/interesting?

Whether you're a reporter, blogger, author or other content creator, ProfNet can help you with your search for expert sources. You can send a query to tens of thousands of experts and PR agents, search the more than 60,000 profiles on ProfNet Connect, or get timely experts and story ideas by email -- all for free! Need help getting started? Email us at profnet@profnet.com.