Web Writing 101 by Elizabeth Rhoads

Heather Sliwinski Leave a comment

Shortly after I had accepted my position as web content coordinator at Lycoming College, I had the opportunity to attend Neilsen Norman Group Usability Week in 2011. I’ve always considered myself to be a strong writer, but I never realized the notable differences between print and web writing.

The difference comes down to this: just because we can read at or above college level doesn’t mean we want to, especially when we’re online. Consider the atmosphere when you’re reading a book and when you’re reading something online. Usually reading a print piece lends itself to a quiet area, whereas online articles are often read on the go, with a lot of distractions.

Online content should be written with this fact in mind.

So, here are a few tips to transform your print writing into effective web content:

  • Keep all content between a sixth and eighth grade reading level
  • Use short words
  • Online text should be 50% less than the print version
  • Include information that people really need to know, rather than what you want to tell them
  • Break content into chunks (one idea and a maximum of three sentences per chunk)
  • Use bullet points – lists in bullet points are read 70% of the time (compared to 55% read in paragraph form)
  • Use a sans-serif font
  • Use size 10-12 font – don’t go any smaller, it’s hard on the eyes
  • Keep pages short, but if you need to make a page longer, include a summary at the top of the page, followed by descriptive subheading so that it’s easy to navigate

Remember, simple is better.  The simpler you keep it, the longer your audience will stay engaged with your website.

Elizabeth RhoadsElizabeth Rhoads currently works as web content coordinator for a small liberal arts college in Central Pennsylvania. She graduated from Susquehanna University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Communications. She is an alumna of the White House Internship Program.  Rhoads serves the PRSA New Professionals Section Executive Committee as programming director and chair-elect.

Cross-Trained: The Intersection of Marketing and PR

Zaneta Chuniq Inpower Leave a comment

Public relations practitioners new and old have been challenged to adapt to the new PR landscape that includes the understanding of the concept of integrated marketing communications or IMC, as we continue in the digital age.

Imagine a job in a manufacturing factory where every person only knows their individual function. Each one of those factory workers are limited in their understanding of how the products are made. With today’s PR landscape, every factory worker (PR practitioner) must be cross-trained in marketing to truly understand how the PR machine must function.

As a new PR pro, learning how public relations is not an independent study, but encapsulates all of the sciences under the marketing umbrella, including advertising and communications is critical. In this day, the traditional PR department or agency employs various marketing techniques that contribute to a greater PR influence.

The biggest challenge that new professionals face is within the changing PR landscape is learning more about marketing and how marketing directly relates to public relations. Below are four things every new PR pro can do to be cross-trained and propel their PR understanding to new heights:

  1. Read PR and Marketing News – New sites like Forbes, Fortune, Mashable and PR Daily are great resources on up-to-the-minute PR news and trends. Subscribe to their RSS feeds on your personal blog site, or follow their respective Twitter pages to receive news as it breaks. What are some of your favorite industry news outlets?
  2. Seek an experienced mentor – Last week we posted about the importance of PR mentoring for new and experienced professionals as January was National Mentoring Month. Exchanging best practices and experiences with a mentor is a great way to learn and grow.
  3. Practice, practice, practice – Knowledge is useless without application. Anything that you are learning, take time to study it further and put it into action right away. Remember all of those concepts that you learned in college that you never used? Implement all of the knowledge that you find and make yourself sharp.
  4. Engage with your PRSA section – This may seem like a dead giveaway, however PRSA New Professionals host a plethora of events and resources from a quarterly newsletter, blog, Twitter page, teleconferences and more. Get involved and make the most out of your membership!

What are some other things new professionals can do to sharpen their PR skills?

Zaneta Chuniq InpowerZaneta Chuniq Inpower is owner and president of Chuniq PR, an independent media and marketing management firm. Additionally, she is the digital communications coordinator for Douglas J Aveda Institutes and Salons, editor  for Supreme Design Publishing and social media manager for COIN Handlers Management. Her personal interests include reading, international travel and culture and community revitalization. Inpower received her B.A. in advertising from Michigan State University.

Never Stop Learning: Why Having a Mentor is Crucial as a Young Professional by Brandi Boatner and Kate Enos

Heather Sliwinski Leave a comment

Albert Einstein once said, “”Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.”

Yes, we’ve checked the boxes: graduated from high school, received a diploma in college and got our first, second or third job. But that doesn’t mean learning should ever stop, especially in the workplace.

In public relations, all the classes in the world can’t teach you what you learn while on the job. The art of managing tight deadlines, heavy demands and expecting the unexpected isn’t on any syllabus. But there is one resource that remains untapped and full of knowledge – those who have blazed the trails before us in the world of public relations, otherwise known as mentors.

January marked National Mentoring Month, a celebration of those who choose to dedicate valuable time and energy into the next generation of professionals. No matter your age and title, everyone can use a mentor.

The trick is finding a mentor.

According the New York Times, it won’t happen overnight. Here a few tips and tricks to finding the right match for you:

  • Time: It takes time to cultivate relationships and to see if the chemistry fits to make a match.
  • Industry: Find someone in communications and public relations if that’s the career path you see yourself in.
  • Commitment: Make sure your potential mentor is willing to put time into meeting regularly and making you a priority.
  • Goals: Set goals, and know your strengths and weaknesses before you meet with a mentor.

Mentoring is not only for those who are seasoned practitioners in the field. New professionals in the industry can also be mentors through “reverse mentoring”.

Recently, the Wall Street Journal found “many businesses are pairing upper management with younger employees in a practice known as reverse mentoring. The trend is taking off at a range of companies, from tech to advertising.”   

With the advent of social media, new technologies and innovative marketing techniques, businesses across a variety of industries recognize the skills, knowledge and expertise young professionals bring to an organization, thereby benefiting all employees.

Your mentor is out there – all you have to do is ask. So, what are you waiting for?

 

Brandi Boatner and Kate Enos are the PRSA New Professionals Section mentorship co-chairs.

Intro to Government PR by Doug Matthews

Heather Sliwinski 1 Comment

I’ll be honest. I never made a formal decision to get into government communications. Would you believe that I was actually a forensic science major for my first two years of school? Yep. I wanted to be CSI before David Caruso inexplicably made it seem cool. Now, how David Caruso and “cool” found their way into the same sentence is a subject for another time. Suffice it to say, I’m a bit of a nerd at heart.

It was a combination of life experience, timely opportunities and great mentors that guided me to where I am today, and I couldn’t be happier with the result. So here’s my first bit of advice: create your own opportunities, but don’t get so focused that you fail to see the new, unexpected ones that present themselves along the way.

I joke that I was “infected” with the public service mindset. I blame my parents. My father was a career law enforcement officer and police chief, and my mother was an emergency room nurse. The first “marketing” I ever did professionally was working at the city pool, getting families to show up for “Dive-In Movies”…in between fits of whistle-blowing and telling kids to “walk, not run” on the pool deck.

So, after an epiphany while sitting in Applied Calculus II (another interesting, albeit off-topic story), I left class and changed my major to advertising and public relations. I secured my first internship as a sophomore doing marketing and events for the county recreation department. (Another aside here: get as much job experience as you can before you graduate–it’s the single best thing you can do to differentiate yourself from the thousands of other job-hunting graduates entering the work force.)

I continued that work until graduation, with a short stint in between studying in London and interning with Fleishman-Hillard. It was during this venture into corporate public relations that I had my second epiphany. The assignments were interesting enough, and the people were great, but I had trouble finding satisfaction with the work I was doing. For me, there was a satisfaction and fulfillment that I got from serving the public that I didn’t get when serving a client or a private industry.

That’s something I love most about this career: the absence of a traditional “target market.” Sure, you’ll always have specific audiences for specific programs, but government service is a great equalizer. After all, everyone needs their garbage picked up, right? And every one of you expects the lights and sirens to arrive when you call 911.

There’s also unbelievable variety in what our team does. I mentioned garbage collection and public safety, but we also do engineering. We do public health. We manage parks. We build roads. The work we do truly touches the lives of everyone who lives here in Austin and I get to be a part of that. We help people understand, appreciate and connect with the products and services they have invested in as taxpayers. We help make good government.

In my role, I get to be both the PR pro and the media pro. We run an in-house agency, with teams spanning media relations, Web development, employee communications, project management, community engagement, marketing, events and interactive media. We have our own television station and graphic design shop. The opportunities for learning and development are limited only by your desire and willingness to expand your horizons. The work environment is what you make of it: there is more space to try new things and take risks than you might think!

We do, though, have to talk about the other side of that coin. When you sign up as a public servant, you do so with the understanding that virtually everything you do is public. The work you do belongs to the taxpayers, and they can be a fickle and demanding audience. Likewise, there’s always an undercurrent of politics. Ultimately, my boss (the city manager) works for seven elected officials, so you can’t escape it. You can, though, maintain a distinct line between political and professional communication.

If it sounds interesting, you can start by looking for internships in your local jurisdiction. I learned as much interning with Orange County Parks & Recreation as I did in four years of coursework. Get involved with the International City/County Managers Association or the City/County Communications and Marketing Association. Look into public administration and public affairs courses as a supplement to your normal coursework.

The work might not be for everyone, but for someone with the passion to serve, a love for the art of governing, and the willingness to wear virtually every hat in the haberdashery (or millinery), there’s not a better job on the planet. 

 

Doug Matthews is an 18-year veteran of local government communications, currently serving as the chief communications director for the City of Austin, Texas. He served similar roles for the Florida cities of Largo and Clearwater before becoming an adopted Texan in 2009. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of South Florida.

PRSA New Professionals Section 2012 Executive Committee

Heather Sliwinski 1 Comment

After a year of outstanding growth and participation in the New Professionals Section led by a group of passionate young PR professionals, we would like to welcome the members of the 2012 Executive Committee. Some are veterans of the Section, and some are new faces, but all are enthusiastic and optimistic for the coming year. Big thanks go out to the 2011 committee, and especially immediate past chair Sarah Siewert, for their leadership, commitment and fresh perspective, which positioned New Professionals as PRSA’s biggest Section in 2011. The 2012 Committee will strive to build upon the foundation they have laid out for another successful year.

This year, the Section has a diverse group of individuals from a range of PR specialties, companies and geographic location. Each committee member brings with them a different viewpoint, and as a way to introduce them, we asked–what is your favorite thing about your city?

The thing I love about Dayton (Ohio) is that it provides a combination of “city” life and a quiet, little suburbia town (living in Centerville). Everything that I want/need to do is within a 10-minute driving distance and there’s a nice mixture of nightlife, museums/theaters and great places to eat! It’s also just a short drive to Cincinnati or Columbus if I need a little something extra (like baseball games)!—Leah Moon, Section chair

Woolrich, PA – “The best of both worlds” – For those who love the outdoors, I’m right beside the Pine Creek Valley. The views from the peaks and valleys are breathtaking, not to mention the opportunities for kayaking, biking, fishing, camping, etc. How about that city life? I work in Williamsport, PA, which was just recently listed as the 7th fastest growing city in the United States! Trust me, there is a lot of growing space – it’s a very small city. It’s also right across the Susquehanna River from the home of the Little League World Series – we get our few weeks of fame every August!—Elizabeth Rhoads, Section chair-elect and programming director

Seattle, Washington: Venture here from May-September and experience why so many Seattleites never move away – the water, mountains and abundance of green are spectacular and make the rest of the year worthwhile. Add in opportunities to work with top-tier technology, healthcare, biotech and aerospace organizations, and it becomes obvious why we’re proud to call Seattle home!-–Brendan Hughes, programming co-chair

Philadelphia. We’ve got cheesesteaks, Rocky and, of course, the Liberty Bell. While Philly may have a tough reputation, those who live here know they’ll never trade the lights on Boathouse Row or Citizens Bank Park for any other city. Say what you will about New York or Chicago, but we know it’s always sunny in Philadelphia.–Anna Cramer, social media chair

What I love best about my city is that it’s a big city with a small-town feel.  Charlotte, North Carolina may not be considered a big city to most, but given its popularity,  it has just the right amount of people. It’s not extremely busy, the people are friendly and the community generally cares for each other.–Jamela Wintons, newsletter co-chair

First, let me say that I love the Mitten!  Yes, the Mitten, as in the state of Michigan. The area plays host to great sports teams such as the Detroit Red Wings, Tigers and even the Lions. Music is in its veins, and the art scene is growing. If you’ve not seen a Pure Michigan campaign, you are missing the beauty that is often overlooked when you hear about the city and its surrounding communities. I’ve lived in several communities in the Detroit metro area, and I have an affinity for each one. The best part about the town, regardless of the location, is the people. They are strong and resilient even through tough times.  Without the drive of the people, I don’t believe I would be the person I am today.–Diahnn Henderson, newsletter co-editor

“NEW YORK! Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there’s nothing you can’t do.”- Alicia Keys. Several musicians have said it best when describing New York as an extraordinary town- if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. New York City is a wonderful location for a new professional in the PR industry because it offers so many opportunities and experiences that help shape your professional development. From networking to events to top-notch clients and corporations, New York City is a great place to launch a career.—Brandi Boatner, mentorship co-chair

Living in Washington, D.C., is a truly an amazing and eye-opening experience. From jogging trails that run by the Lincoln Memorial to spotting the President’s motorcade on a ride to work, it is a city like no other, where residents descend from across the country and the world to make up our nation’s capital. D.C. is great for young professionals to start their careers, whether it be in the nonprofit world, civil service or private sector. Whatever your interests are, there is something for everyone in our little district.—Kate Enos, mentorship co-chair

I love that Chicago has so many faces. Besides the fact that there are incredible opportunities for new professionals to learn and grow, Chicago is a great place to live. I really enjoy exploring new neighborhoods, trying out new restaurants and visiting the lakefront running trail. Despite the brutal winter weather (which I’ll often complain about on Twitter), Chicago summers make up for it with street festivals and outdoor concerts.—Nick Lucido, PRSSA liason

CHICAGO! Land of deep dish pizza, Lake Michigan and the Cubs: Chicago is a great place for any young professional interested in educating themselves about or working in public relations. Between the many universities offering graduate degrees to the numerous different fields of PR, it’s a city that people can come eager to learn and leave with a bountiful amount of knowledge! I’m happy to call Chicago home!–Alyssa Bronikowski, PRSSA liaison

In what has to be a sign of the times, I don’t have an office. Well, I do, but it doubles as a guest bedroom. When I signed on with a virtual workplace, I had to ask myself where I wanted to set up shop. After thinking about it, I settled on Newburgh, Indiana, about six miles east of Evansville and a solid 90 minutes from the closest “major” city. This place is home for me, but it’s also a fascinating town and area to work from as a virtual worker. The city is big enough to have much of the amenities I would need or like (such as good coffee), but also small enough to feel at home and be familiar with a lot of people. It may not be the biggest or the most glamorous, but it’s home, and that’s the most important to me.–Ben Luttrull, membership co-chair

Washington, D.C.: Though I originally moved from New Hampshire to D.C. to work in PR at a theater, I quickly found that D.C. has many avenues for PR professionals: government affairs, agency work, lobbying, non-profit communication positions and a host of other opportunities. What’s best about D.C. though is that it’s so small! You run into people you know all the time, are able to build a strong network of peers, get to meet accomplished professionals and can go to exciting events on the Hill, at think-tanks, at universities or at other venues. Without a doubt, D.C. has really helped shape my career.–Whitney Gray, membership co-chair

San Francisco: Known for its iconic skyline, steep hills, cable cars, trolleys and the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco offers more than just visual appeal: The diversity of its people, variety of restaurants and endless festivals and events make it a cultural hot spot for residents and visitors alike. It’s also the start-up mecca of the world, providing an environment that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship. A fusion of fun and professionalism, it’s no surprise that San Francisco is an ideal city for a new PR pro.—Carolina Madrid, diversity chair

The place that I call home is Michigan and I am fortunate to operate around the state, embracing all of which the Great Lakes State has to offer. From catching concerts and sports in Detroit to professional research and alumni support in East Lansing to helping local businesses in Flint, I am proud to be a Michigan resident!–Zaneta Chuniq Inpower, blog co-chair

I’ve had the privilege of living and visiting many cities in recent years, but Chicago will always be the place I call home. The Windy City has more to offer than anyone could experience in a lifetime–from professional sporting events to well-known music festivals and venues, unrivaled food (deep-dish pizza, anyone?) to the best broadway shows. Every day presents something new, all while keeping with treasured traditions. Working in PR in Chicago has opened me up to endless possibilites for fun, networking and growth. Sweet home, Chicago.–Heather Sliwinski, blog co-chair