Not There, Yet; Advancing Women in PR

Ashleigh Mavros Leave a comment

Not There, YetWith March playing host to International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, it’s safe to say there’s been a lot of “girl power” making its way to our screens. But take note, this isn’t just spring fever. Ads like the Always #LikeAGirl commercial that aired during the 2015 SuperBowl and GoldieBlox’s campaign to encourage young girl’s interests in science and engineering are slowly countering the everyday messages and mindset our society has adopted. And I have to admit, I’m nervously excited by it.

Celebrated men and women are taking the public stage to support initiatives like #HeForShe and pay equality; however, simple policy enforcements aren’t necessarily going to change things. We people as a whole need to rewire the way we think, the way we act, and there are a few things us women (particularly those in PR) can do to aid this mental shift on an everyday level.

Create a culture of collaboration. “Can you send me your media list?” Why does this simple question cause so much tension and drama? If a friend or PR pro from another agency has something of value to contribute to a journalist you know, why Regina George them with a “you can’t sit with us” attitude? Wouldn’t the journalist be happy and in turn, thank you for making the introduction? Though society typically uses the term catty, in reality this mentality is just competitiveness on steroids. We fear sharing our media contact would somehow translate to losing our contact and/or opportunities in the future. But this way of thinking is self- deprecating.

Be confident in yourself and the work you do, enough so to lift and inspire others to join you on your level. How can we expect the world to treat us fair and kindly when we cannot treat each other that same way? Help out and support your female (and male) peers at every opportunity! Because I’m willing to bet that if you scratch her back, she’ll likely scratch yours back and probably invite you to join her on the next buy-one-get-one Starbuck’s happy hour. A small act of kindness without strings attached can form a deep impression, and I find that the more we work together and pay it forward, the stronger the cycle of supportive reciprocation becomes. This is public relations after all.

Ask and you shall (maybe) receive. A recent PR industry analysis was released this March, revealing a disturbing $46,000 pay gap between male and female professionals of equal experience level in the field. (No, I am not making this up. You can find it here.) The same study also found women were less likely to negotiate their salaries “due to the social costs of advocating for themselves.” It seems, women fear contending their worth will get them labeled as “pushy” or “bossy.” And for good reason. In an analysis of 450 million texts printed over the past 20 years, women are twice as likely to be called “pushy” over their male counterparts.

Ladies, repeat after me: You is Kind. You is Smart. You IS Important. Go to bat for yourself! Ask for that last slice of pizza, that guy you like out for a date, that journalist to feature your client, that promotion at work; it doesn’t have to be scary. The worst you can hear is “no,” and then you’ll be in the exact same spot as you are now, only less stressed about the pain of peeling the Band-Aid slowly. The answer is always yes until it’s a no. If you never dare to ask, you’ll never experience the joy of hearing it. (Click to tweet!)

Stand Tall. Real talk for a second: I was once, during a department-wide meeting, patted on the head by my (male) boss after discussing an initiative I’d successfully completed. Granted, I stand just about 5ft 3 inches tall, but that is beside the point. This seemingly innocent gesture is how you treat a child or a puppy, not a regarded colleague; it’s incredibly belittling, both literally and figuratively, and was never carried out on my male coworkers of short stature or otherwise.

It was after that moment I fully understood what all of the gender equality fuss is about. It’s not about gaining a position of power. It’s about starting the game standing on an even playing field, and getting a pat on the back, not the head, just like everyone else. Unfortunately there’s no hideaway from it; as a woman, you’re going to face inequality and sexism in many forms, from men and women, sometimes intentional, sometimes not. And when you do, you have the power to decide how you want to be treated. Don’t accept anything less than respect, and if you must, gently remind people what that looks like.

It’s a genuine smile when you see your fellow female coworker get recognition for her excellent work. It’s a firm handshake when you meet a client for lunch. It’s fearlessness after you counter your salary for a new job offer. It’s a woman who doesn’t feel the need to say “sorry” before asking a question, and a woman who has the confidence to jump from safe ground without looking down.

rsz_megan_nicole_oneal_headshotMegan O’Neal graduated from UCLA in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, emphasizing in mass communications. She is currently the PR Specialist at Marketing Design Group and volunteers with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, freelancing for the public relations department. Connect with her on Twitter @megannenicole.

PRSA New Pros + PRSSA Twitter Chat Recap

Ashleigh Mavros Leave a comment

We’d like to thank everyone who participated in our collaborative Twitter Chat with PRSSA as new professionals answered questions submitted from PRSSA students about entering the PR work field and about PRSA. Thank you to PRSSA Liaisons Lauren Gray and Henry Cervera for planning and to PRSSA National President Heather Harder and PRSSA vice president of public relations Ethan Parry for their support and planning as well.

Join us again on April 15 for our next #NPPRSA chat and stay up-to-date with PRSA New Professionals on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn andGoogle+.

Review highlights of the chat below and send any questions you may have about working in the PR workforce or about PRSA to #npprsa.

Why a Blog Can Change A Business: Three Arguments to Back You Up in the C-suite

Ashleigh Mavros Leave a comment

Why a blog canIf your client or organization is looking to implement an integrated marketing strategy, a blog may be one vital tool for success. However, proposing the idea of a blog many times comes with resistance from the C-suite. If you’re trying to sway this crowd, make sure you’re prepared with these three arguments to get them on board:

1. Blogs are shareable. There is no limit to the amount of times a blog can be shared online. Start by creating great content on your site, and then use social media to promote links back to that content. You’ve heard that adage, “If you want to catch more fish, cast a wider net.” The same principle applies here. Shareable content helps you reach the maximum amount of potential customers. And an added bonus – blogging can help your SEO rankings if you include clickable links and keywords in your posts.

2. Blogs give you an opportunity to engage your audience. Audiences won’t believe your brand is better just because you say it is. Your potential customers need to trust you and your products or services, and the best way to build trust is through engagement. Blogging gives you the prime opportunity to interact with your audience – if you do it the right way. You have to make an effort to build a rapport with your audience by responding to comments on your blog, answering questions or interacting on social media.

There are several reasons why marketing and public relations are shifting away from the traditional TV and radio approach, and one reason is because they don’t give audiences the opportunity to talk back. Blogging does, but it won’t be effective if the audience doesn’t feel like you’re listening. The interaction in blogging creates the two-way communication that is the basis for trusted relationships. (Tweet this!) 

3. Blogging makes you look like a genius. Customers want to believe that they are getting service from the best of the best. Blogging is a great way to show how much you know about your product or field of service. When you share information about what you know, audiences can put trust in your experience (it always circles back to trust). Blogging about tips or inside information about your product or service lets customers know that you care about helping them.

To make an extra impact on your customers, get your organization’s leadership involved in blogging. They can blog about the industry, or they could blog about their hobbies. It really doesn’t matter what they are writing about as long as they are open, honest, and engage with the audience. When customers trust an organization’s leadership, they are more likely to be loyal to the brand. You need to convert potential customers into customers, but then you need to convert customers into repeat customers. Blogging can help you do that by renewing your audience’s faith in the organization with each post.

What results has your company or organization seen from blogging? 

Jennifer MaterkoskiJennifer Materkoski is a graduate of Kent State University with a Master of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communications with a specialization in Public Relations. She has worked as a writer and editor for both newspaper and television and as a member of a non-profit marketing and development team. Materkoski is the owner and principal consultant of a boutique public relations firm, Songbird Public Relations. She is an avid sports fan and a yogi and also owns and operates an online store selling essential oils and natural products. Materkoski resides in Wheeling, West Virginia with her husband and son. Find her on LinkedIn or follow her on Twitter @MrsMaterkoski. She can be reached via email at jen@songbirdpublicrelations.com.

The Basics of an Integrated Campaign

Ashleigh Mavros Leave a comment

DIGITAL ARTSIntegrated marketing campaigns are tricky to perfect, but if properly executed the results can be rewarding for your brand or company. To execute a successful campaign, there’s several aspects that need to properly implemented; budget, content, tools, events, social, emails, advertising, sales, and media… just to name a few.

With so much content and “noise” out there, what is the best way to get your voice heard? When creating an integrated marketing campaign remember these key things to help guide you.

1. Research. So you want to create an integrated marketing campaign – now what? Doing your research is the first step to help guide your entire strategy from gauging what has previously been successful to what content will most effectively relay your messaging.

2. Consistency. This goes further than determining what hashtag you’re going to use and making sure you’re using the proper logo. The proper look and feel needs to be established, followed by key messaging as its support to guide the campaign.

3. Clear & Concise. Speaking of messaging, having a well-defined voice is a must for making sure you are getting your message across. Simplistic, well thought-out messaging that conveys your strategic goals and objectives for the campaign to be executed properly must be in place. With so many ways to share content, you want to also make sure that what you’re creating can be repurposed for additional forms of sharing and integration to drive results.

4. Audience. So, who are you targeting your campaign to? Defining your audience helps to create the messaging and how to best promote the content. Thinking on a global scale is not an easy task, and as much as we would all like for our target audience to be “everyone”, research can help determine what demographics you should be targeting.

5. Content. You know what you want to say and who to say it to, so now you have to decide what kind of content to produce that will be most successful. Is it a commercial? An event? Online? Create the most effective content based on who and how you want to engage audiences – and it may be a combination of a variety of platforms.

6. Measurement. How are you keeping track of how your campaign is doing? Tracking results not only helps you establish what is successful, but also what is not working for you. Did you reach your original goals? Proper analytics are key to ensuring how you are achieving this success.

What other components do you implement for an integrated campaign? 

Marcy McMillanMarcy McMillan is the Marketing Communications & Events Coordinator for York University’s Campus Services and Business Operations department. When she’s not working, you can find Marcy discovering new restaurants in downtown Toronto, attending and writing about events or spending some time at the public library. Find her on Twitter @marcy113 or visit her site.

Five Ways to Keep Integrated PR Consistent

Stephanie Vermillion 1 Comment

Five Ways to Keep Integrated PR ConsistentWith integrated marketing communications, the focus is usually on which platform you’re using or how you’re adapting to industry changes. But despite all the integrated PR news and happenings, one traditional, important staple remains true:

All messages should be consistent and relevant at all times. (Click to tweet!)

Messages should be reinforced consistently across all communications function – be it a post on Facebook or a press release about a new hire.

In addition to messages being consistent, you should also make sure they’re understandable. The best integrated communications messaging is concise enough that all stakeholders understand the brand.

As a new pro, you’ll impress supervisors if you can understand the fundamentals behind this new PR world. Here are some integrated marketing tips to help you get in the know on this important subject.

Messaging

Everyone in an organization, be it a CEO or intern, must be on the same page on the five Ws: who, what, when, where, and why. This will ensure the outgoing messages are concise and understandable.

If you’re starting a new job but want to comprehend your company’s five Ws, answer each question specifically about your company, ask your supervisor to review your answers, then post them on your wall. The more you integrate yourself into the company – and test your knowledge – the more likely you are to be called on for important tasks.

Photo Filters

Taylor Swift may win at social media by using each platform differently, but this doesn’t always work for everyone. For nearly every business, brand uniformity on all channels is important.

The content doesn’t always have to be the same, but little things like using the same filters for each platform ensure consistency.

Some see the world in Valencia and others view it in Lo-Fi. The brand should have a noticeable aesthetic. For example, Conscious Magazine is a winner in my opinion for having beautifully curated social media accounts. They can be found @cmagazine on Twitter and Instagram.

Hashtags

As an organization, there should be a hashtag that links your conversations together across all social media channels. Hashtags help us discover content curated internally and from members of target audiences.

Color Schemes

A company should choose theme colors to be used across all platforms that are on-brand and consistent. Colors have meaning and subconsciously communicate with the audience, so it’s no coincidence that the leading fast food restaurants all use red, yellow, and green in their color schemes.

Why? Red triggers stimulation, appetite, hunger, and garners attention. Yellow communicates feelings of happiness and friendliness. Green sends a message of nature and relaxation.

When creating assets like images and logos, organizations should use that chosen color scheme across all communications functions.

Planning

As a PR pro, I know nothing can come to proper fruition without planning. The most successful pros – and companies they work for – are always two steps ahead and have a plan for every situation. There should be a planning around National Holidays, potential crises, upcoming company and client announcements, editorial calendars, etc.

Public relations is constantly evolving because of new technology and convergence. Transparency is integral to combating negative stereotypes people have of the industry. And, in order to be transparent, all the functions of communications (public relations, marketing, and advertising) need to correctly reinforce a company’s open, cohesive and honest message clearly across all channels.

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Tiffany WooTiffany Woo is an Account Coordinator at NRPR Group, which is a public relations and social media marketing agency in Beverly Hills, CA. She has a goal of becoming one of the public relations industry’s top practitioners. Find her on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.