#ThrowbackThursday with Heather Whaling

Stephanie Vermillion Leave a comment

Heather w PhoneEditor’s note: This is the second post in our monthly #ThrowbackThursday series, which features a prominent, successful PR pro taking a look back and sharing tips from his/her days as a new pro. 

Are you following Heather Whaling on social media? You should be. Consistently making her way onto “Best PR Pros You Should be Following” lists on PR News , Cision and The Muse – just to name a few – Heather is making her mark on the social media industry.

She’s the president and founder of Geben Communication in Columbus, Ohio, co-moderator of the weekly social media #pr20chat Twitter chat and runs one of the most popular social media blogs in the industry – prTini. 

As an admired professional in the social media industry, we take a look at Heather’s thoughts on her early beginnings (MySpace!) and how she’s not only kept up, but thrived, within the ever-changing industry.

Question 1: What were the first social media platforms you ever used, whether for personal or professional use? How did you predict these channels would develop?

If we’re not counting things like AOL Chatrooms, then my first social platform – in terms of how we think about social now – was MySpace. I hadn’t totally bought into social, so my friends actually created my MySpace profile for me.

Who knew I’d be dragged into MySpace and then go on to make a career out of helping brands excel in a social world!

Question 2: How did you stay knowledgeable and updated on the fast-paced world of social media as a young professional?

When I first started incorporating social media as an extension of PR, I was the director of PR for an agency in Orlando. They gave me a lot of freedom to research and experiment. After we did some internal testing and iterating, we offered our services pro bono to a few nonprofits.

We learned a lot and those nonprofits were seen as early adopters and maximized the benefits of being “first” in their market. Learning by doing is incredibly helpful (Click to Tweet!).

Then and now, I try to read as much as possible. I also carefully curate Twitter lists to help me find really great content that I may otherwise miss.

Question 3: As a young professional, how did you work with clients or brands that were resistant to new social media and digital trends?

When you pitch an amazing idea to a client, it’s tough to stay energized and engaged if the client shoots down the idea.

But, instead of getting frustrated, take a step back and try to understand WHY the client is resistant. Once you understand the apprehension, then you can develop a way to get them on board.

You may need to start small – perhaps a pilot program – before they’re ready to go all-in on a social/digital strategy. Stay focused on the big picture goals. Help them understand how this social thing you’re proposing will help them achieve the goals they’ve already prioritized.

It can also be helpful to present skeptical clients with research or case studies that show how similar companies approach social and the value it provides their organization.

Question 4: What has been your most memorable campaign or program that has embodied effective social media strategy?

At Geben, we’ve had the opportunity to develop and implement a number of social media campaigns. That said, I still think the best efforts integrate traditional and digital PR to maximize the value and outcomes, but I digress …

Here are a few of my favorite campaigns (with case studies if you want to learn more details!)

Question 5: If you could go back five years and tell yourself anything about the way social media would transform the communications industry, what would it be?

I started my company just over five years ago, making a big bet on the fact that social media would radically transform PR and open new doors for a fresh approach to traditional PR best practices. Thankfully, I made the right bet!

Looking back, I’d tell myself to get ready to meet some of the nicest, most helpful people. I’m always amazed at how the people I’ve met through Twitter and other social channels are so willing to make introductions, send you new business leads and generally root for you.

The social community’s generosity is incredible. I’d also tell myself to hang on for a wild ride and to embrace the crazy ( — one of our House Rules!)

More about Heather:

As president of Geben Communication, Heather Whaling (aka @prTini) leads new business development and client strategy. An avid Twitter user, Heather can trace 75% of Geben’s business back to relationships that began online. This ability to turn social networking into business outcomes has helped Geben evolve into a highly respected, sought-after, award-winning PR firm. In addition to helping clients secure coverage in a range of high-profile media outlets – from the New York Times and Wall Street Journal … to Huffington Post and TechCrunch – Heather has been quoted in Inc.com, Entrepreneur  and BusinessWeek about technology’s impact on communication and business.

Heather was selected as one of Columbus Business First’s “Forty Under 40” and named one of Columbus’s top 10 entrepreneurs by The Metropreneur. She also serves on the Board of Directors for The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio.

Heather was one of five women bloggers to join Fairwinds Trading and Macy’s in Haiti in March 2010 to learn about the “Heart of Haiti” economic development initiative. She was also one of three social media correspondents selected by Outback Steakhouse to document the 2012 Outback Bowl via social media.

February 2015 Twitter Chat Highlights: Humanizing Brands with Responsive Digital Strategies

Ashleigh Mavros Leave a comment

Twitter Chat SquareWe’d like to thank everyone who participated in the February #NPPRSA Twitter chat to start off 2015 by discussing ways to have a well-balanced digital strategy. We would especially like to thank David Armano, Global Strategy Director at Edelman Digital for joining us and sharing insights, case studies and words of wisdom.

Join us again on March 18 for our next #NPPRSA chat and stay up-to-date with PRSA New Professionals on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.

Review highlights of the chat below. What did you learn from the February chat? How can you make sure your brand is creating value while also being responsive? What can you do to present a really strong brand image online?


You can receive FREE New Professionals Section membership for PRSA with code AM15 throughout March!

Lauren Headshot 1.3MBLauren Rosenbaum is the PRSA New Professionals Social Media Co-Chair and Co-Founder of Soversity, a public relations and digital marketing company. You can connect with her on Google+, LinkedIn or Twitter.

How To Put Your Best PR Face Forward

Stephanie Vermillion 3 Comments

As young PR pros, social media is a tool we use every day. We revamp our clients’ plans, update them on best practices and research the new tactics.

Putting Your Best PR Face Forward

Image from www.gratisography.com

But, how often do we invest time in maintaining and regularly updating our own personal profiles?

When you consider all of the tweaking, posting, researching and revamping that can be done it seems as if a limitless amount of time could be devoted to personal social media. But let’s face it – we don’t have limitless hours in the day so keeping profiles up-to-date can seem daunting.

Don’t let the enormity of social media stop you from putting your best face forward (Click to Tweet!). Below are three steps to streamlining your personal social media strategy with your precious time in mind.

1. Start with focus

The first step is always the hardest – at least that’s how the saying goes. It doesn’t have to be, though!

First, think about your personal brand.

  • Who are you?
  • Are you serious or light-hearted?
  • What are you passionate about?
  • What would you like to learn about?

This information will guide how you set up your profiles, what content you share, and the tone. By narrowing your focus, you can spend your time strategically on developing your profiles.

Next spend some time looking through the social media profiles of your mentors and successful individuals from your interest areas.

  • What are they talking about?
  • How do they describe themselves?
  • Are there opportunities for you to engage with their networks, such as Tweetchats or LinkedIn groups?

Once you’ve determine your personal brand and identified a few best practices from those you admire, you’re ready to set up or revamp your profile. Make sure to include key words for the topics you’ll be talking about and an appropriate photo that fits your brand. No matter what you do make sure your profile is accurate – nothing is more aggravating than following a tech specialist who only talks about where to get the best french fries.

Set aside 30 minutes every six months to revamp each profile, focusing on no more than one profile each month. This will make the task seem less daunting and more manageable, as well as help you to focus on your personal social media strategy.

2. Get the news delivered to your fingertips

One of the easiest ways to stay up on key trends and news is to have it at your fingertips! Your time is limited so it’s difficult to read every article related to a particular topic.

Instead of scanning dozens of news sites and blogs for relevant and interesting stories worthy of sharing on your social channels, have them delivered straight to your inbox. The obvious news sources include newsletters for your favorite sites and, of course, PRSA’s daily e-newsletter Issues and Trends.

Look outside of your typical news sources by tapping into the power of content curation tools and news alerts. Personally, my two favorite tools are Swayy and Google alerts.

Swayy connects to your social media channels and delivers curated content to your e-mail (or their app) based on designated key terms and the content your network is sharing. Combined with Google alerts, you will have endless content to share on the topics of your choice. For a list of other great tools for finding sharable content check out this list from Inc.

When evaluating articles for “share worthiness,” ask yourself: “Does this strengthen my personal brand and is it authentic?” If the answer is yes, move onto the final step!

3. Schedule your findings

With content at your fingertips the final step is easy – get it all posted. Choose top articles from news scans and curated content, then schedule posts throughout the day.

Again, there are plenty of free tools available for scheduling, many of which you are likely familiar with like Hootsuite. Each tool has a variety of benefits. My favorite features are analytics, which ensure I’m reaching the right audience, and auto-scheduling, which puts posting on autopilot.

It really is that simple – focus, content, schedule. Social media can be powerful, not just for your clients, but also for you. By focusing and tapping into available tools, you too can take advantage of its benefits and amplify your personal brand.

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Katie Atkinson Katie Atkinson is an account coordinator for LEWIS PR’s Boston office. When she’s not working, you can usually find her planning her next trip, dreaming about delicious food, and, recently, warm weather. Find her on Twitter @Katie_Atkinson

How to Learn Social Media Protocol at a New Job

Stephanie Vermillion Leave a comment

There are basic ground rules for what is appropriate for social media. Nothing obscene, offensive, downright false – the obvious stuff.

But when you start a new job, there are always more nuanced guidelines to adapt to.

How to Learn Social Media Protocol at a New JobThe best way to ensure you’re on the right track is to be as informed about your new company’s social media protocol as possible. Here’s how:

Do your research.

Take a look at your organization or company’s Twitter feed. Browse their Instagram profile. What has been popular on their Facebook page?

Don’t forget to look at what other brands are doing as well. See what hashtags are used by the accounts your company follows and peruse the posts attached to them.

Doing your research will help you learn what content is appropriate and relevant, and will ensure you understand your organization’s social media tone.

Ask questions.

The only way to make sure you are 100 percent certain about what is appropriate is to enlist the help of your colleagues.

When you’re the newbie, your coworkers are all experts. In an agency, you may have the advantage of working with a host of social media gurus. If you work in-house, you may not have as many PR pros to lean on, but I guarantee all of your coworkers know way more about their department or field than you do.

I work for a nonprofit dedicated to the great outdoors, and I thought that curating content for social media would be pretty easy.

Just tweet things about hiking and post scenic pictures on Instagram. Right?

Wrong.

Have we tweeted enough about cyclists and hikers?

How much do we want to talk about hunting?

It’s a polarizing topic, but it’s also one of the main funding streams of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, an organization we give half of our funds to. And don’t even get me started on sage grouse. I was woefully unaware that listing an animal as an endangered species was anything but something to be celebrated. Fortunately, I had super knowledgeable coworkers to set me straight.

If you see room for improvement, speak up.

Adapting to your employer or organization’s social media practices is important, but you were presumably hired because you have good ideas. If you think you have an idea to improve engagement, gain followers, or simply provide better content, than say so.

Do so in a professional and thoughtful manner. Don’t tell your boss that you simply can do a better job with Twitter, show them how you can improve your organization’s Twitter account with a well thought out content plan.

Continue to seek out knowledge.

There are only two of us that make up the communications department where I work. This is great because I was given nearly immediate autonomy over social media, but the lack of oversight when I first started was as daunting as it was exciting.

Knowledge is power. Seek it out. (Click to tweet!)

You’re already facing a steep learning curve when you start a new job, and you have the responsibility to continue to expand your skillset to make sure you do the best job possible. A new position is certainly cause for celebration, but don’t rest on your laurels.

Make an effort to try out new tools and platforms, continue to update yourself on best practices, and never think you know everything about social media. It is constantly evolving, and you owe it to yourself and your new employer to continue to the best the best you can be.

—

Laura Cardon 

Laura Cardon is a public relations professional living in Denver, CO. Originally from Maryland, Laura enjoys riding horses, hiking, and volunteering at the Denver Animal Shelter. In her spare time, Laura also shares her passion for the great outdoors with fellow beginner outdoors enthusiasts on her blog, Outdoors Beginner. Find her on Twitter @LauraCardon23.

Social Media Advertising: A Guide for New PR Pros

Stephanie Vermillion Leave a comment

Remember the good old days when a brand could post on Facebook and reach 10 – maybe 13 – percent of its followers?

Social media advertising: A guide for new PR prosAs a new pro, I had this luxury for probably six months before the Facebook-algorithm apocalypse hit. {Dun, dun, dun…}

And, once it did hit (which seemed like a slow, painful waiting game), the PR world was never the same.

That is, until Twitter introduced advertising.

Then LinkedIn.

Then Pinterest

Then … You get the picture.

Within a few short years, the PR job description morphed from traditional PR into a combination of:

  • Pitching media,
  • Tweeting,
  • Pinning,
  • Posting,
  • Writing optimized content,
  • Email marketing, and
  • Advertising on social media.

… And breathe. That sounds like a lot.

But here’s the good news:

You’re already trained in the traditional PR tactics from school. And growing up as a millennial, you should have a pretty good handle on the organic side of social media (as long as you read social strategy content regularly).

But social media advertising is where you may fall short. It’s not something you (usually) do for yourself, and companies are hesitant to let interns handle monetary decisions.

So, to make sure you have a grasp of paid media before your next interview, here’s a quick Facebook and Twitter advertising overview for new professionals.

Facebook Advertising

With Facebook advertising, you have a number of options:

  • Power Editor
  • Facebook Ads
  • Boosted Post

Power Editor is a top-of-the-line tool, and it’s one you’ll want to use once you have a bit more experience under your belt. (Here’s a guide if you’re ready to dive into the deep end.)

The regular Facebook ads are much easier for beginners. Facebook starts by asking you what your objective is, then develops a campaign to help you meet that end goal.

Once the objective is selected, you select the audience (this is the great part – you can get really specific here), budget, images, etc.

In terms of budget, the more you spend, obviously the more people you’ll reach, but you don’t have to go on a spending spree. Even a $5 – $10 ad can work (and this amount is good for a starter test if you have a major campaign on the horizon).

The boosted post is another super-simple option. You’re basically boosting the content you already have slated into your editorial calendar that’s posted on your page’s wall. You can get specific with audiences here as well.

For example, if your post is about a triathlon, target those who like the page of a triathlete magazine. If it’s about a new hotel chain, target people interested in travel who like direct competitors’ pages. (And if you know the target age/ gender/ location, by all means – narrow it further!)

You can get as creative as you want, but make sure you monitor how posts are resonating – and driving conversions – with different audiences to guide your strategy moving forward.

Twitter Advertising

Just like Facebook, Twitter has several advertising options:

  • Regular Twitter Advertising
  • Twitter Quick Promote

The first option is the normal Twitter advertising, which (from my experience) requires a budget in the high hundreds or thousands to perform well. Of course, the brands really winning with this are spending well beyond that, but we saw great results for a client when using about $500 – $600.

With this option, Twitter presents a number of objectives (again, just like Facebook) to help guide your campaign. Options include clicks, installs, followers, leads and engagements, among others.

After you select the objective, you can determine audience (again, very specific options!) and budget, including overall and your bid for website clicks. We had success bidding toward the lower end of the suggested scale – about $1 more than the lowest bid – but you may want to do some smaller-scale testing since so much depends on your content and audience.

The second option is the new Twitter Quick Promote tool. It’s designed for small and medium-sized businesses. It offers similar advertising options, but on a smaller scale to fit within a smaller budget (we’ve done successful campaigns on this site for as low as $20 – $40).

Quick Promote is, as one would guess, quicker than normal advertising. You choose a tweet that’s already resonating with your audience (by viewing engagement analytics on your Twitter dashboard), then promote it right there, within the dashboard.

While social media is designed for fun, these companies aren’t messing around anymore. They’re profit-driven, and they have to be in order to survive.

That means paid will only become more integral to the PR world, and those new pros who understand social media advertising elements – even just vaguely – will have a much better chance to stand out during a job interview.

To learn more about advertising on all types of social media site – including those I didn’t touch on – take a look at Hootsuite’s beginner’s guide. And, if you have any questions for me, please leave them below and I’ll be happy to answer!

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Stephanie VermillionStephanie Vermillion is a senior account executive at Wordsworth Communications, a public relations agency in Cincinnati. She is the PRSA National New Professionals blog co-chair, and is on the PRSA Cincinnati Leadership Team. Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn and Twitter (@SMVermillion).