Get Social with Your Next Pitch

Jess Noonan 1 Comment

Social media has changed the way we do a lot of things. Instead of instant messaging and emailing friends, we’re more likely to send them a Facebook message or a SnapChat. Instead of buying magazines to keep tabs on our favorite celebrities, we follow them on Instagram and Twitter. And instead of spending hours on hold with a customer service hotline, we send a tweet to the company’s customer support account (my personal favorite).

If social media has changed all of these things, shouldn’t it also change the way you interact with reporters? According to Vocus’ 2014 State of the Media Report, 91% of reporters still prefer being pitched via email, so those days aren’t completely behind us. But that doesn’t mean social media shouldn’t become part of your pitching strategy.

Here are three ways it can help you land that next great piece of coverage:

Before the pitch: Foster name recognition

We all know that journalists receive a ton of pitches, and seeing a name they recognize in their inbox could be the difference between landing in their email’s trash folder and becoming their next story. But if you’ve never met or worked with the reporter before, how can you make that initial introduction?

Start a relationship on social media. Follow them on Twitter and retweet them, share their stories mentioning their handle, etc. The Cision 2013 Social Journalism Survey found that 80% of the journalists that responded used social media for professional networking at least once a week. This is a great way to start a relationship and increase the probability that your name will stand out in their overflowing inbox full of pitches.

A helpful way to keep tabs on reporters in your niche is to put them all into a private Twitter list or Facebook Interest List and check them each at least every few days. Interact with those you already have a relationship with, and make new connections that could be beneficial in the future.

During the pitch: Conduct reconnaissance

While flattery definitely won’t ever get you everywhere, as the adage goes, it can definitely get you somewhere. Not only does letting a journalist know you follow their work help in that regard, it also shows that you’ve done your research.

Set aside 15 minutes before writing your pitch to go through the journalist’s social media updates. What have they written about recently? What’s their opinion on a recent piece of big industry news? This information can be helpful when writing your email’s intro. Diving straight into the pitch might be quicker, but you want to foster a relationship, not throw information at them.

After the pitch: Follow up

One of the things journalists hate the most is a phone call saying “Did you get my pitch/press release?” or a another email asking “Did you get my email?” For your follow-up, try going a less invasive route.

When it’s time to follow up with a reporter, try reaching out on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. If they haven’t seen your pitch yet, it’s likely because their inbox is so crowded. By comparison, their mentions stream on Twitter is probably a lot emptier.

I frequently follow up with reporters via social media and am met with a much quicker response than sending another email. Even if it’s a rejection, at least I know that the pitch was seen and not lost in cyber land, and I know not to follow up a second time. If I had emailed them, I likely wouldn’t have seen a response.

While journalists will probably prefer being pitched over email for at least the next few years, there’s no reason your online communication with them should be limited to just email. Reaching out to them on more than one channel will add a depth to the relationship, which can help all parties down the road.

Have you had any success pitching journalists via social media?

 

710T3ue1Brittany Berger is the Content Marketing Coordinator at eZanga.com, a search engine and online advertising company in Delaware. Connect with her on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Creative Tech Skills You’ll Need for Entry-Level Jobs

Lauren Gray Leave a comment

Landing your dream job or even an entry level position in public relations requires more than being a crafty wordsmith, talented strategist and a social media wiz.

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While most of us already have blogs and understand how to use WordPress, most job postings I see now list a slew of additional visual storytelling skills that those of us new to the profession have to at least have some experience with before being called in for an interview.

Additional skills to consider developing:

  • Adobe publishing including InDesign, Photoshop and other software to create digital documents and iPad apps
  • Adobe Systems Acrobat
  • Video shooting and editing skills
  • Website creation software – Joomla! , WordPress and Drupal are examples of ones I often see on job posting. If you have created a blog or a website using WordPress, extend your knowledge and skills by learning and implementing the latest upgrades
  • Software to create mobile apps to leverage for campaigns
  • Analytics – although being a data analyst is not expected, understanding the basics and being comfortable with numbers and with an analyst is expected
  • Microsoft Office software including SharePoint Server and Excel. Formulas are a must know!
  • Some knowledge HTML coding
  • Cascading Style Sheets
  • Podcasting software

Deirdre-Breakenridge “Public Relations is becoming more intergraded with marketing and advertising,” said Deirdre Breakenridge, an experienced public relations professional and author of several books on the intersection of technology and public relations. “It’s important to embrace new technology to do justice to the brand. All areas such be working together.”

And although these skills may not be taught in university classes, it’s important to invest some time in learning them before you graduate, she said.

Check out classes online or professional development classes at a local community college as they’re both budget-friendly options. Some of those classes even offer certificates that can be earned with just three or four shorter classes.

While technology is becoming almost a basic requirement for entry level jobs, good, strong writing skills still rule.

“You need a balance of the two,” Breakenridge said. “Always strive for the balance.”

A healthy balance of skills can set you apart from the crowd of applicants.

How many of you are making the effort to go beyond your college classes or to upgrade your personal talents in these areas?

 

Kris Antonelli,  is a freelance writer and communications professional based in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. metro area. As a former newspaper journalist, her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Baltimore Magazine, Baltimore Sun and other publications. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter or via email at Kris.antonelli@yahoo.com.

Networking: Keeping Contacts as a New Professional

Jess Noonan 4 Comments

YBusiness Meetingou studied hard, joined PRSSA, did multiple internships, networked, graduated, networked some more and got a job. Phew! Now, you no longer have to worry about your LinkedIn activity, participate in that Twitter chat or attend local industry events, right? Wrong!

In case you haven’t already figured it out, the PR industry is like a big small-town. There aren’t six degrees of separation, in many cases there are barely three. It seems everyone knows everyone (or knows someone who knows someone). This tight-knittedness is capable of swinging the pendulum in your favor–or not. The choice, really, is yours.

How do you hold on to that network you’ve worked so hard to build? How do you continue to build that network, and make it work for you?

  1.  My first suggestion is to not just attend your PRSA chapter meetings, but volunteer and get involved. As current president of the PRSA-St. Louis Chapter, I can tell you that having new pros on our committees are just as important as having senior pros. You provide a different perspective, and we need all viewpoints represented. In addition, You will work side-by-side with seasoned pros, who will get to know your solid work ethic first-hand and meet people you may have not have had access to otherwise. Volunteering is work, and creates work experience.
  2.  Participate in Twitter chats. Not just #NPPRSA, but other industry-related chats, such as #PRprochat started by Carrie Morgan, or the #SoloPR chat spearheaded by Kellye Crane. Not only may you meet your next recruit, but many senior pros participate in those chats as well. Doing this keeps you in front of your network, expands your network, and may even provide informational content you can later expand into a blog post!
  3.  Join applicable LinkedIn groups and participate in the discussions. Don’t feel like you can’t contribute if you don’t know the answers–ask questions, there may be others with the same question.
  4.  I’m sure you have certain industry-leading blogs to which you subscribe. Don’t just read those posts, comment and reply to other comments. Add value to the community. Warning: be careful to not over-do it; you don’t want to comes across as a stalker.
  5. Finally, swinging back to #1 – involvement in your local PR organization. You should at least set a goal of attending one event per quarter (4 per year).  And, don’t just attend make a point of introducing yourself to at least three new people at each event. Then, within a couple days of the event, connect with them on LinkedIn—reminding them where you met and thanking them for the conversation, then follow-up. The follow-up doesn’t have to be often but does need to be pertinent and professional.

A case in point: a while back I wrote a post on mentoring for BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas blog. In it, I mentioned that Lori George Billingsley, director of issues communications at The Coca-Cola Company and past PRSA Multicultural Communications Section chair, claims her mentor has been instrumental in helping her secure all of the PR jobs she’s held.  That’s a pretty powerful testament to her networking, diligence and professionalism!

There’s no doubt that social media makes it much easier to keep in touch with people. However, no matter how much you keep in touch electronically, nothing beats face-to-face conversations to build your network!

Share what you’re doing to build and strengthen your network in the comments below.

Tressa RobbinsTressa Robbins is Implementation Vice President at BurrellesLuce, to ensure successful onboarding of major accounts with traditional and social media monitoring, media contacts and press release distribution, as well as reporting and analytics. She is the president of the PRSA St. Louis chapter, a PRSSA mentor, professional advisor to the Southeast Missouri State PRSSA chapter, and serves on Southeast’s Mass Media Department Professional Advisory Council as well as teaches a special topics course this semester. You may follow and connect with her on Twitter.

Post-grad Internship Turned Full-time Job: A Checklist for Before, During and After

Lauren Gray 4 Comments

There are a number of reasons to take a post-grad internship: specific agency, certain city, more skills in a niche PR industry, test out a new area of PR, no solid job offers, and the list goes on. For me, I interned a handful of times in college and taking on one last internship during my post-grad was my foot into the door of a large agency in a city I love, Chicago.

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Here some tips I learned before, during and after, that helped turn my post-grad internship into a full-time job.

 BEFORE You Apply/Accept:

  • Narrow your search. Whether you want more experience in a certain industry, to work at a certain company or in a specific city, narrow it down and only apply to places you can see yourself working full-time.
  • PRSA and LinkedIn are your best friends. Use them to find, research and apply for opportunities.
  • Look for paid opportunities. At this point, you probably already had one or two unpaid internships (which is more than enough). So don’t take another one.
  • Ask their hiring rate. During the interview, ask them how many interns they have hired recently. If it’s a summer internship program where they have 20+ at one time, the hiring rate might not be as high. But if they hire on need base (when they have new business/client work), there’s a better shot they are looking for an intern to eventually hire full-time.
  • Ask about their environment & professional development. Make sure it’s a place you’d like to continue to work if you were hired on full-time.
  • Ask questions like: do you have events where employees can get involved and get to know each other outside of work? Does the company encourage trainings, workshops, industry events and professional groups inside and outside of the office?
  • Be prepared and set expectations beforehand. You’re transitioning from post-grad and need to be thinking long-term. Ask yourself if you don’t get hired full-time, what’s your next step? If you do get hired, will you want to work there? For how long?

DURING Your Internship/Freelance:

  • Join PRSA. Even as an intern you can join PRSA. As a post-grad, you can use it to not only network in your area, but also discover additional opportunities and build your resume.
  • Act at the level you want to be hired for. Yes, you’re an intern, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take on more responsibility. Make sure to show them that if they could, they would hire you on the spot.
  • Ask for feedback. As an intern, there may or may not be a formal review process. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t check with your team on a regular basis and ask for ways to improve. Set personal goals and communicate them with your boss. This shows how serious you are about what you can learn from the company as well as provide the team.
  • Touch base about two-three weeks before your deadline approaches. Along with your reviews, you want to make sure you’re on the right track to hopefully getting hired. Sit down and meet with your boss to talk over your next steps: if they foresee a full-time position opening up, if there is a possibility it will be extended or if your position will come to an end with the contract. Sometimes they don’t have all the answers – it could depend on budgets with the client or company. Either way, you won’t know until you ask them.
  • Network: Inside and outside of work. Seek out co-workers who you’d like to learn from, grab a drink with an old classmate, or meet for coffee with a fellow PRSA member. Constantly continue to expand your network. The more people know you and the more experiences you have, the greater opportunity you will have to discover your next position.

To find more tips on networking, check out an earlier blog post here.

  • Keep resume updated. Halfway through your internship, begin researching and applying for other jobs. If you have an interview somewhere else, take it and be upfront with your boss about it. The bottom line is that you need to get hired. Your boss understands that. Not only is interviewing at other places helping you line up additional opportunities, but it also shows your boss how serious you are about full-time position.
  • If your position is extended, don’t worry. This means they want to hire you full-time, but can’t right now. Take this time to re-evaluate where you really want to work: is at this company or somewhere else? If you take the extension, make sure to continue asking for feedback, touching base, networking and applying for other positions in the meantime.

AFTER: You’ve got the job offer, now what?

  • Negotiating the contract. urlIf you can, ask fellow co-workers you trust about their salary when they were interns and offered a full-time position. When you’re given the contract, take it home and read through every detail. Look for all it includes: responsibilities, salary, insurance and other perks such as compensations for a phone, gym membership, professional development, etc. When negotiating, make sure to talk about all the work you’ve completed and if you’re asking for an increase, give a range or a few options and reasons for why you believe you deserve more (for example, between 3-5K more because of X or PRSA membership compensated because X).
  • Check all other opportunities. If you were pursuing other jobs and in the middle of other interviews, decide what’s best for your career move. Creating a pro vs. con list and talking with your mentors are always helpful.

Finally: Find that work/life balance. As an intern, you weren’t expected to work more than 40 hours a week. As a full-time employee, it doesn’t always work that way. Just make sure to strive for a work/life balance. You’re expected to meet deadlines, but you also need to enjoy yourself.

NicoleBersaniNicole Bersani is an assistant account executive Social@Ogilvy and also serves as the PRSA New Professionals Section mentorship co-chair. Connect with her on Twitter @NicoleBersani and on LinkedIn.

5 Tips to Make Business Travel a Breeze

Lauren Gray Leave a comment

Unfortunately, traveling for business isn’t as easy as packing up your car or shoving your carry-on items in the overhead space. To make the agony of travel a little more bearable and keep you from looking like the new kid in the airport, here are five tips to travel like a pro:

tips for a business trip1. Research your travel destination before you board the plane –Typically, you’re going to have down time on business trips so it’s a good idea to look up popular bars, restaurants and coffee shops in the city. And, if traveling with a client who isn’t familiar with the area, it’s a good idea to get a feel of the land ahead of time. That way, when the down time comes, you can suggest things to do and get to know your client a little better in the process

2. Pack the important stuff in your carry-on – A co-worker shared a horror story with me once that went a little something like this: “I flew to Germany for a meeting with a global company’s executive team and made it there without my luggage.” Be sure you have the essentials with you at all times – a business suit, contacts, medicine, glasses, basic toiletries, jump drive with your presentation and chargers  should all find room in your carry-on to avoid headaches and frantic shopping trips around an unknown city.

3. Know how travel expenses will be handled –Talk to your office travel coordinator, finance department or supervisor before you leave about how to handle expenses acquired during your time away from the office.  Some offices choose a per diem, while others require employees to keep track of their receipts and fill out an expense report upon returning. Clearing up any confusion about how to handle finances before you leave will make sure your company and your pocketbook are left surprise-free. Also, don’t forget cash. You’ll need it to tip the folks that make your life easier, like doormen, bellhops and maids.

4. Confirm all the details of the trip before you leave – Make sure everything is in check prior to leaving the office – including your flight, hotel and car rental – and be sure to bring the confirmation emails with you so you have it if any issues arise. If you have to ship product or additional materials to your destination ahead of time, it is best practice to call the location ahead of time and give them a heads up as to exactly what and when your things will be arriving.

5. Download travel apps – If you’re flying, there’s a good chance your airline has an app that lets you check your flight status, change your flight time and check-in online. Plus, car service apps, like Uber, make sure you get from Point A to Point B on-time, without worrying about trying to hail down a cab or navigate through an unfamiliar city. If your destination is within driving distance, apps like Waze can give you inside information on traffic patterns, slowdowns and construction areas. Also, the likes of Yelp and UrbanSpoon give you quick access to nearby restaurants and cafes.

Most of all, don’t forget to have fun. Take the opportunity to reconnect with old friends, develop a more personal relationship with coworkers and connect with your clients. After all, there’s no better place to learn than on the road.

Kelsey SpellmanKelsey Spellman (@kelseyspellman) is a social influence manager at The Adcom Group, a full-service communications agency in Cleveland, Ohio. Kelsey works with a variety of B2C and B2B clients, specializing in media and blogger relations and experiential marketing. Kelsey graduated from Ohio University in 2011 with a degree in public relations and blogs over at starfishsnacks.wordpress.com.