Meritus Media isn’t just another digital agency. It’s not a one-trick pony, not a "growth hack" experiment, and certainly not some rented warehouse of tactics peddled on Upwork. Meritus Media is a confluence—a convergence of everything that still works, everything that used to work, and everything that should work when it comes to shaping influence, crafting narrative, and building lasting visibility in the digital and real worlds.
It’s why I hung my hat here.
It’s why I stepped behind the shield of the agency—why I aligned my years of SEO, ORM, and digital strategy experience with a crew led by Mike Falkow and guided by the legacy of Sally Falkow.
A Legacy Baked Into the DNA
Sally Falkow is a name that should be studied in every digital PR curriculum—if one actually existed. I’ve known Sally for 20 years. She’s a pioneer—not in the cheesy tech-bro sense of the word—but in the trenches, back when PR professionals were still mailing press releases and journalists still answered phone calls. She was ahead of the curve with the Social Media News Release (SMNR), long before PR Newswire or Business Wire adapted.
Sally is the CEO of Meritus Media and the publisher of The Proactive Report, a long-running digital PR blog tracking the evolution of media, technology, and communication. She’s been in PR for over 30 years, holds the prestigious APR accreditation from PRSA, and was named PR Trainer of the Year by PR News in 2009. She’s trained more than 2,500 executives and has been ranked among the Top 50 PR & Social Media Influencers by Cision.
She launched one of the first PR blogs in 2003—consistently ranked in the Top 20—and authored the landmark guide SMART News: How to Create Branded Content That Gets Found in Search and Shared on Social Media. Sally’s thinking continues to evolve alongside the industry, with new insights on AI’s role in PR, analytics, measurement, and content relevance.
She didn’t treat journalists or bloggers as "targets"—she treated them like collaborators. She didn’t buy coverage. She earned it. Through context, clarity, and relevance.
From Mizuno to Meritus
Sally and I first worked together at a company called Social Ally. Our first real campaign? Mizuno Running—through a digital agency in Boston that had the foresight to trust in real blogger outreach rather than a pay-for-post model. We coordinated an outreach program that offered running influencers one, two, or even three pairs of shoes—not as payment, but as gear to test, use, and share.
The results were authentic content, trusted voices, and earned influence. This wasn’t affiliate marketing. This was PR with running shoes on.
What Meritus Media Does
Here’s what makes Meritus different. It’s not siloed. It’s 360:
Digital PR with deep journalistic roots
Reputation Management that goes beyond cleanup and leans into narrative creation
Search Engine Optimization that’s strategic, technical, and holistic
Influencer Marketing that’s built on relationships, not transactions
Web Development & UX that aligns with brand story and performance goals
Social Media Marketing with voice, not just volume
Content Strategy that understands both Google and humans
It’s everything. Not stitched together haphazardly, but flowing from one integrated approach. From thought leadership to schema markup. From crisis response to long-tail keyword capture. From brand defense to brand acceleration.
The Falkow Legacy Continues
Mike Falkow, Sally’s son and now CEO of Meritus Media, brings a unique fusion of design, performance media, and storytelling to the agency’s DNA. A former professional surfer turned web developer, magazine art director, and actor, Mike blends creative instincts with strategic direction. Under his leadership, Meritus has grown its presence in Los Angeles, Tampa, and the UK. His brother, Jonathan “Cokey” Falkow—also a performer and writer—leads business development in Europe.
Together, the Falkows embody what Meritus stands for: a rare blend of art, analytics, authenticity, and ambition.
Why I Joined
Because this model works. Because the people behind it are real. Because Sally’s ethos—journalism-first, relationship-first, truthful influence—is not just respected here. It’s the standard.
It’s baked into the process. Into the people. Into the way Meritus treats clients not as budgets, but as collaborators.
The Future
The future of visibility is hybrid. Organic and engineered. Earned and owned. Built with the precision of an SEO and the heart of a journalist.
That’s why I’m here.
That’s why I’m building alongside Mike Falkow and the team at Meritus.
And that’s why, if you’re looking to stop duct-taping digital services together and start creating true digital influence, you should be paying attention.
Let’s get to work.
FAQ
Q: What’s the difference between SEO and PR?
A: SEO is about making sure your content is visible on search engines like Google. PR is about earning visibility through media, influencers, and thought leadership. When combined, SEO + PR means your story gets found and believed.
Q: Is Meritus Media a PR agency or an SEO firm?
A: Both—and more. Meritus Media fuses PR, SEO, reputation management, content strategy, and social media into a unified digital communications strategy.
Q: What does "earned media" really mean?
A: It means someone chose to talk about you without being paid—because you were relevant, helpful, or newsworthy. That could be a journalist writing a piece, a blogger reviewing your product, or an influencer shouting you out.
Q: What’s the value of treating journalists and influencers like collaborators instead of targets?
A: Relationships. Respect. Longevity. When you collaborate, people trust you. When you “target,” they block you. The result is better content, deeper trust, and long-term influence.
Q: What’s wrong with siloed digital services?
A: Disconnection. You end up with a content team that doesn’t talk to your SEO person, or a web developer who breaks your search rankings. Integrated services mean strategy flows through every channel.
Q: How is reputation management different from PR?
A: Reputation management is defensive and proactive—it ensures that your online presence reflects your reality. PR is about promotion and storytelling. At Meritus, we do both.
Q: Why is technical SEO even mentioned in a PR context?
A: Because if Google can’t crawl your story, it doesn’t exist. Even the best message fails if your site’s slow, broken, or invisible to search engines.
Q: What’s so special about schema markup?
A: Schema tells Google what your content is—not just that it exists. It’s how you get enhanced search listings like star ratings, FAQs, events, and more.
Q: Isn’t influencer marketing just paying people to post?
A: Not the way Meritus does it. We build real relationships. Sometimes we gift. Sometimes we pitch. But we always aim for authentic engagement, not transactional spam.
Q: What does “journalism-first ethos” mean in 2025?
A: It means clarity, honesty, research, and respect for the reader. It’s a counterpoint to AI slop and fake engagement. It’s what makes stories—and brands—stick.
tl;dr
The provided text is a blog post titled "Why I Joined Meritus Media," authored by Chris Abraham, detailing his reasons for joining the digital agency. Abraham emphasizes Meritus Media's integrated approach to digital influence, combining public relations (PR), search engine optimization (SEO), and other digital marketing services. He highlights the legacy of Sally Falkow, a pioneer in digital PR and CEO of Meritus Media, as a key factor. The post further explains Meritus Media's comprehensive services and introduces Mike Falkow, Sally's son and current CEO, as a driving force in the agency's continued evolution, underscoring the company's commitment to authentic, earned influence.
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