Hence, the following examples of often misheard/misused phrases that you will want to brush up on for more effective PR writing.

Deep-seeded vs. deep-seated. Even though deep-seeded kind of does make sense, the expression has nothing to do with a feeling being planted deep within one, but instead refers to its being seated firmly within one’s being: “My aversion to anchovies is deep-seated.”

For all intensive purposes vs.  for all intents and purposes.  Intensive purposes? Purposes that are exceptionally concentrated? No, in effect; for all practical purposes. “For all intents and purposes, I do not text and drive.”

Wet vs. whet one’s appetite. While imbibing may have an effect on your appetite, the proper word is whet. It is just such an uncommon word that people seldom see it spelled out. The word literally means to sharpen a knife or to excite or stimulate (someone’s desire, interest, or appetite).

Pore over vs. pour over. If you’re “pouring over” documents be prepared for some messy paperwork! What you should be doing is “poring over” them, or examining them closely.

Home in vs. hone in. Home in means to direct on a target and derives from the 19th-century use of homing pigeons! Used metaphorically, one can home in on something or focus on and make progress toward it. To hone is to sharpen, and it has become an alteration of home in. Although many people regard it as an error, it has become so common that many dictionaries now list it. We can think of honing in as a sharpening of focus or a perfecting of one’s trajectory toward a target. So while it might not make strict logical sense, extending hone this way is not a huge leap.

So, remember the next time you treat something with disdain by saying “I could care less,” no, in fact you could! So use the proper phrase, “I couldn’t care less.”

Any improperly used expressions that irk you? Let us know in the comments.

Social-media-fueled brand controversies are more common than ever in the digital age. But even in the current crisis-of-the-hour media environment, it’s natural for major brands to take slights very seriously. Where millions of dollars are spent and fat profit margins are at stake, overreactions are understandable. You can almost sense the confusion, conflicting advice, and panic beneath the surface.

Most businesses will back down in the face of controversy, even when the criticisms are groundless. Remember when Gap backpedaled as brand-watchers criticized its new logo? Admittedly, the new logo was bland and the backlash probably added color to its reputation, but it was a stunning reversal in such a short time.

Sometimes a brand will simply cave. Home center chain Lowe’s pulled its ads when threatened with a boycott over its support of a reality show called “All-American Muslim.” The decision was met with fresh outrage from progressives, so it was a true lose-lose for the chain. But word like “one million moms” have been known to trigger a hasty media planning redesign.

That’s why it was refreshing when Cheerios, assaulted by YouTube trolls over a charming ad featuring an interracial family, was so unfazed in its response to criticism. Not only did it refuse to back down (and why should it?) but the tone of the brand’s response made it clear that the ad would go on.

Of course, it’s easy to stand your ground when confronted with ugliness, but lots of companies would have quietly killed the ad. More importantly, most probably wouldn’t have produced it in the first place. So, cheers to Cheerios for wanting to position its brand as inclusive and up-to-date. And even more for unapologetically disabling nasty comments and seeing the PR gold in letting the commercial’s actors speak for the brand.

By meeting its critics head-on instead of overreacting, Cheerios elevated the spot from a progressive commercial to a statement about brand values. And it reaped bowlfuls of good will in the process. Well done.

After crowd sourcing some PR colleagues, here are some of the most sweat-worthy PR moments folks have dealt with and tips for overcoming them:

Late, late, late. While pitching a prospective client in suburban Atlanta, we got lost on the way to the office and were about a half-hour late to meet with C-level execs. The busy prospects glared at us through the meeting and cut us off early to show their displeasure. (Needless to say, we didn’t win the business.) If you’re unfamiliar with an area, consider doing a “dry-run,” even including driving to the prospect’s office. Even the best GPS isn’t infallible!

Conference line conundrum. For a top-tier reporter interview with one of my clients, I circulated our conference line details without double checking with the rest of my team to confirm the line’s availability. Six other team members ended up dialing in accidentally for a totally unrelated call, some even scolding me for not double checking!  Always check to make sure the conference line is free.

Promoting the “awkward” product. While pitching an “adult diaper” client, I was asked – in mixed company – my impressions of having “tried it out myself.” Oh, the discomfort! If you find yourself in a similar position, I recommend you take a deep breath and just go with it, despite the embarrassment; just keep it clinical and professional!

The forgotten presentation. At a previous agency we were a finalist for a large account. We were even told that we were the clear favorites after the first round. The final presentation was at the company’s HQ in the midafternoon so our team spent the morning and afternoon rehearsing, casually having lunch and then heading to the office only to realize we forgot our presentation! We tried going along with it as if we’d always intended to present this way, but that didn’t fly. Since then, I’ve always made sure we have backup and more backup (sending via email, on extra thumb drives, saving in the cloud).

The speechless spokesperson. After coordinating a call with a reporter and a client, briefing the client as usual, and confirming journalist questions, I got on the conference line and the client spokesperson went mute. He wasn’t able to answer any of the questions. It was clear the reporter was getting upset. Luckily, I was familiar enough with the issues to jump in with answers, and where I wasn’t I steered things in another direction. The lesson is don’t take anything for granted, and for phoners, make a “cheat sheet.”

What’s your most sweat-worthy PR moment?

Make no mistake. . .persuasion is an art form!

As public relations professionals, we understand the vital importance persuasion plays in almost everything we do i.e. dealing with media, influencers, opinion leaders or just about any third-party “endorsers.” It’s THE key factor in our being successful.

That said, there’s another area where we could spend more time and planning to be persuasive. That’s making sure that clients take our best advice and counsel. It’s easy to assume that we’ve been hired for that very reason. But it doesn’t always happen that way; company politics, distractions, and poor relationships can subvert even the best PR counsel. A couple of quick tips on being persuasive:

Always advise from the POV of the client’s best interests. Make the client feel you’re on the same side of the table. Don’t bring your interests or abilities into the mix; at the end of the day, you’ve been retained and are being paid to think about their needs.

Make sure you look at the big picture through their eyes, but retain your objectivity. And let them know you’re doing just that. Part of an agency’s value is the perspective we bring; chances are we’ve been down the same or similar road with other clients; we have our ears to the ground when it comes to influencer and media opinion; and we’re not as swayed by internal politics or history.

Listen first. You can only apply your expertise in meaningful ways and be perceived as a valuable resource when you’ve really heard what the client is saying. It’s much easier to be persuasive when you demonstrate that you’ve paid attention, even to the smallest detail. So, before you opine, listen and ask questions. Then listen some more.

Build a case. When pitching clients, we present and prioritize objectives. When we pitch media or any third-party endorsers, we organize our persuasive messages and key points to put our best foot forward. Do the same in persuading clients to follow your best advice and counsel.

Lately there’s been a minor debate about which is more valuable for a career in public relations – education or experience. The conversation could – and will – go on and on.

At first blush, it’s no contest. The advantage goes to experience. A college degree is increasingly required to enter the work force in any professional services job, but it’s not a leg up. It’s the price of entry.

Beyond the basic degree, it’s far more beneficial to gain experience in the field, at least in my book. Public relations in particular is more of an art than a science. Persuasion theory is nifty, but how do you teach media relations? Vet campaign ideas? Learn client counsel and salesmanship?  While it may be tempting to defer facing our job-challenged economy by going to grad school for a Masters degree  in communications or digital studies, chances are it will be costly. Moreover, it takes funds that can theoretically be earned…on the job.

But the education vs. experience discussion isn’t so simple. The wrong kind of work experience can do more harm than good. The flipside of the debate for an untrained person is that without the right environment, mentors, and supervisors, you can develop bad habits. The PR industry probably loses many talented people because they have the bad luck to land in boiler-room-type agencies or stultifying bureaucracies where there’s no learning or inspiration, or worse, questionable or unethical practices. For those without the judgment or means to escape, it’s far better to stay in school and learn the ropes.

Conversely, there’s a vast hole in the education of many otherwise well-prepared communications graduates, and it’s one that they can easily fill during their college years. I’m talking about business and finance. Budget management, company analysis, category research, and making a case for PR’s value to the business bottom line are essential for a good PR practitioner. Yet few enter the workforce equipped with even the skills to read a balance sheet. I know; I was one of those clueless English majors who wished I’d taken accounting, or at least a business course.

The bottom line is that neither education and experience exists in a vacuum. And each requires a proactive approach. If you’re not getting what you need in either environment, you’re shortchanging yourself, but if you take matters into your own hands, you can make up for just about any deficit and enjoy a successful career.

Build a Stronger Partnership

Accepting friend requests from clients can be good for business, because it allows them into your personal Facebook world and lets them learn more about you outside the job. This may create a better professional relationship in the end. However, it’s important to keep in mind that your every post or update can be scrutinized.

It’s Not You, It’s Me

If friending clients isn’t your thing, tell them that you separate your business and personal lives, and that you use Facebook to keep up with family and college friends, but you’d love to connect with them on Twitter and LinkedIn. Just be sure to follow through afterwards.

Brag and Tag

Many PR pros already post their coverage to social media, but tagging your client in a status update or wall post helps spread the word to your contacts and triples the visibility. Your update will appear on your page, your client’s, and the outlet’s page. Supporting client content by tagging is also a good way to network and promote your own accomplishments, so it’s a win-win.

Be Smart

If you post your innermost thoughts and deeds on Facebook, then friending a client isn’t the right choice for you. Complaining about your hangover, or venting about your frustrations at work, your boss or an unwelcome task will make your client think you don’t enjoy your job and question your commitment.

Naturally, posting lewd or inappropriate images doesn’t portray you in a professional light. Keep in mind that everything on social media is open for public consumption, even when you think it’s not, so posting anything that’s questionable is a risk you shouldn’t take.

Be sure to Like us on Facebook too!

Feeling stressed? Not enough hours in the day? You’re not alone. A few months ago, PR manager came in at number 5 on a CareerCast survey listing the most stressful jobs in America. – PR jobs vary, but most certainly aren’t the lives of wining and dining that some imagine.

While unpredictable situations, crazy deadlines, and great client expectations play a role in our day-to-day stress, you can’t let it get the best of you! Here are some ways to unwind at work.

Get out. That’s right, go for a walk. While it’s hard to even think about leaving your desk on a busy day, sometimes the best thing you can do is step away and take a walk. Whether you head to a nearby Starbucks or just the building cafeteria, changing your physical surroundings can help clear your head and remind you that there’s a whole other world outside your work environment.

Manage your email. For me personally, there’s nothing more stress-inducing than a chaotic Inbox. At the end of each day try to spend some time sorting and filing the emails from the day. This helps with organization, and it’s a good way to make sure you didn’t miss an important note.Plus, you’ll start the next day in a calmer frame of mind.

Shout about it. Maybe you shouldn’t literally shout, but grab a co-worker with whom you feel comfortable and talk the problem out. Sharing client dilemmas, reporter struggles, and other daily problems with someone else helps relieve pressure.

Lighten up. It’s easy to take things too seriously. Instead of feeling down and out about a media hit that didn’t pan out or an event that hit some speed bumps, consider what went well, too.

Work out. Some people swear by evening workouts. Activity is a great way to vent your aggressions, and the more challenging your class or routine, the harder it is to let other worries creep in.

What are some of your tips for de-stressing at work?

According to PR industry newsletter to The Holmes Report, “PR thinking” will dominate marketing communications in future years. That’s meant to be encouraging news for PR pros.

The basis for the forecast is a new survey of 2000 marketing communications students in four European countries. Seventy percent of this “next generation” of marketers say they believe that a PR mindset will dominate among marketing and ad agencies within the decade. Even more startling, more than 80 percent percent predict the death of specialist shops, like social media or digital.

It’s only one survey, but it’s a comprehensive one, and these are surely marketing’s future leaders.

So what is “PR thinking”? The post defines it as the belief that “word-of-mouth and trust for brands is most important.” I would add that for many of us who work in PR, the essence of PR thinking is about generating and using influence. It’s explicit or implied third-party endorsement, – what most of us learned during our first week on the job.

But beyond the survey, there are many, even more compelling reasons why “PR thinking” will continue to dominate marketing communications. One is Google, which rewards content and social sharing and metrics like follows, comments, and views over black-hat SEO tricks.

Another is the obvious struggle of the traditional ad industry to redefine itself and to move towards word-of-mouth marketing and even brand journalism. But here’s my list of the key ingredients.

Adding value. We’re trained to do this for journalists and bloggers, and to help them, in turn, add value for the end user. Today this means quality content. PR standards still aren’t journalism but they’re getting there.

Storytelling. This is a newer trend, but jargon-stuffed press releases and commercial messages are giving way to real stories, complete with conflict, drama, and emotion.

Influence. It’s not what we say, it’s how we influence others’ own content, sharing, and behavior.  This is the heart and soul of PR and very different from the paid media mentality. It is how the PR investment should be measured.

Trust. There is no influence without trust. The gap between what consumers believe when companies talk about themselves (8%) and when those they know talk about the company (80%) is huge.

Relevance. No amount of influence matters if the message isn’t relevant.

Of course, key marketing communications values like relevance aren’t proprietary to those trained in public relations. And that’s the point. The “new” marketing isn’t limited to PR, or social media, or WOM marketing, or any of those.

Maybe “PR thinking” really means forgetting about channels or disciplines or labels. For the digital age, that’s just good marketing.

No phrase better captures the importance of networking, not only in public relations, but in just about any industry. It’s an essential part of getting ahead, yet there are many ways to self-sabotage. For some shy folks in the biz, networking can be absolutely terrifying.

But successful contact-building is something you can practice, and with the weather warming up, there are sure to be tons of relevant opportunities to do so. Here are some important reminders for the next event you attend.

Do your research. See if you can take a look at an RSVP list before the event to get a feel for those attending. Will it be mostly young professionals? Industry vets? Getting to know the crowd beforehand not only is a great way to prep conversation topics in advance, but it helps calm nerves or anxiety.

Do come with some ice-breakers. Easy ways to strike up conversation include: comparing notes on a recent speaker; asking about membership in the sponsoring group/organization; industry trends, or topical news. Open-ended questions or casual comments (“I’m glad I rushed out of my office for once instead of working late again; how about you?”) can start a conversation flow.

Don’t dress down. Networking events are great opportunities to meet people quickly, so it’s important to leave a positive first impression. Your role doesn’t matter; there is no reason a college intern shouldn’t dress like an executive! Accessories are also a great way to express your personality and could act as a potential ice breaker.

Don’t cling. It’s fine to go with a colleague, but don’t huddle with her all evening; you’ll be more approachable if you’re mingling and have an open body posture. By the same token, don’t monopolize those you’re meeting. After 5 or 10 minutes, excuse yourself to take a call/visit the bar/find a contact. Better yet, play (business) matchmaker and introduce them to another contact or associate of yours, then move on.

Don’t abuse the open bar. Bee-lining to the bar might seem tempting in an intimidating crowd of people, but be sure to control your drinking! Limit yourself to one or two drinks for the event and take your time with them. You want to be remembered for your business or employee potential, not for being a party animal.

Don’t forget to follow up. Just because the event is over doesn’t mean the networking is! Look through your new collection of business cards and follow up, whether through Linkedin or email. It’s helpful to reference something you talked about at the event and look for opportunities to connect again.

Memorial Day is the unofficial kick-off of the summer movie season, marked more and more by social media-infused promotions. The goal is to drive interest among the typically young, male movie fans with a fusion of traditional and digital PR and marketing, increasing the hype and the ticket sales.

Beginning in 1999 with the “found-footage” film ‘The Blair Witch Project’, the practice is now a must-have movie promotion strategy.

Hunting for (box office) treasure. Think of Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) as online scavenger hunts to build hype and provide background for new projects. They act as modern-day grassroots PR campaigns. “Cloverfield” hopped on the bandwagon in mid-2007 with MySpace character pages and “in-world product” sites. The mysterious trailer and secrecy-saturated campaign spurred curiosity, and coverage.

“The Dark Knight” raised the bar with worldwide scavenger hunts led by the Joker, including cakes embedded with cell phones and a mock District Attorney campaign. The results were no joke; the campaign generated TV coverage as it connected more than ten million players in 75 countries.

More recently, “Tron: Legacy” rallied moviegoers with a “crashed” press conference and tokens to the film’s arcade. Even the upcoming “Man of Steel” joined the party, creating an in-world online project that mirrored the hunt for extraterrestrial life through satellite signals.  All the campaigns were covered by popular film blogs.

(Smile for the) cameras. Another form of social media promotion is interactive or 3D theater standees, the attention-grabbing larger-than-life posters like this one for “Transformers”.  Standees encourage theater-goers to take photos and share them on their favorite social networks while tagging the film’s accounts to build buzz. Despite the visual appeal of a photo with Gandalf or a “Despicable Me 2″ Whack-a-Minion display, they rarely result in traditional media coverage, but the social sharing can be a blockbuster in itself.

The “Social Network” path to profits. More and more movies generate buzz with exclusive hashtags, Instagram reveals, and Facebook “likes”.  The horror fad film “Paranormal Activity” built a fan base through screening demands on Eventful, an event-sharing and requesting site, with resulting buzz in non-film outlets like Advertising Age.

The savviest film marketing uses in-world social media reveals, custom apps, and hashtags that unlock special poster content. Part of the success behind the megahit “The Hunger Games” was clever use of social sharing and exclusive content, generating recognition on such “mainstream” sites as CNET. For the “Hunger Games” sequel, “Catching Fire,” the studio has already created an updated “Capitol” fashion site, Instagram page, exclusive stylized images linked to the movie, and its first trailer, all some six months before its premiere.

Pay attention this weekend and in coming the months to spot some new trends.