PRSA

Tips for Professional Spring Cleaning!

Lauren Gray Leave a comment

The first day of Spring is here! The birds are chirping, and the sun is shining for an extra hour now! Everyone suddenly remembers all of the New Year’s Resolutions they’ve neglected and are back on the fast track to success. However, in your feverish pursuit to self improve, don’t forget to dust off areas of your professional life as well!

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Here’s a list of habits to break this season:

1)   Always working overtime

This one is my kryptonite. I am one of those overly-caffeinated people who prefer to be busy (which is probably why PR was so appealing), and I often volunteer for extra projects around the office. Yet, if you are like me, be conscious of how much time you spend working after hours. Showing initiative and passion for your work is admirable, but a rested state of mind is more important. Burnout is a very real thing, which like jetlag, won’t materialize until it is too late to stop it. Preserve your free time.

2)   Ignoring the “age issue”

Many of us new pros are ambitious twenty-something grads who have only recently suited up for the big leagues. While most of the people we work for admit they hire new pros to stay current and add a fresh perspective to the company dialog, they generally shy away from giving our opinions equal weight because we lack years of experience. The problem occurs when new pros try to ignore or overcompensate for their greener resumes… I say, embrace this stage in your career! Be a sponge. Ask questions. Get advice from more “enlightened” colleagues and learn from their mistakes. There is a lot of knowledge and wisdom to be gained when you can admit that you don’t know everything.

3)   Clinging to a routine

A routine is defined as: a regular, unvarying, habitual or unimaginative procedure.

Unimaginative?! Yikes!

Our daily routines are great for saving time and adding stability to our busy schedules, but make sure to spice things up every so often. New ideas generally grow on trees found just off of the beaten path.

4)   Accepting digital pollution

I don’t know about you, but on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis, my email is cluttered with unwanted advertisements, company newsletters, seminar invites and those spammers who think they’re sly by adding “Re:” in the subject line (we ALL see through your antics, buddy). Take a stand and don’t let yourself be annoyed unnecessarily! Depending on how long it has been since your last “unsubscribe” purge this may take a while; just trust the clean inbox WILL be worth it. And this digital spring-cleaning includes social media as well. A recent study by UCSD found that feelings shared on Facebook (both negative and positive) are contagious among online friends. (You can find the study findings here: Detecting Emotional Contagion in Massive Social Networks.) Keep in touch with people who encourage and inspire you, and maybe consider hiding those Debbie Downers from your newsfeed.

Good luck in your spring-cleaning endeavors; and remember, it only takes 21 days to break a habit!

megan linkedinMegan O’Neal graduated from UCLA in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, emphasizing in mass communications. She currently works as  the Marketing and Communications Coordinator for SDA and volunteers with the National MS Society, freelancing for the PR Department. Connect with her on Twitter @megannenicole.

A New Pro’s Guide to To Starting Your Own Blog

Jess Noonan 4 Comments

By now, you’ve probably heard all of the reasons why you should start a blog. Maintaining your own website and blog helps you further develop your personal brand, improves your writing skills and can even lead to new career opportunities and freelance gigs.blogging-blog2 But what you might not know is how to start a blog.

Here are six steps to help you launch your own blog:

1. Select a topic (or don’t pick one at all). Before you begin blogging, you should have a general idea of what you want to blog about. Many pro bloggers advise new bloggers to select a niche for the best chance at getting noticed in a sea of other blogs. I personally ignore this advice. When I started my blog almost two years ago, I knew I wanted to blog about many topics: PR, writing, running, yoga, personal branding. Instead of picking a niche, I selected a more general theme (Get Gutsy) and have been blogging successfully under that umbrella topic ever since. Don’t feel pressured to pigeonhole yourself into a niche you may lose interest in a couple years down the line. Think long-term.

2. Choose a platform. WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr…the options for choosing a blogging platform are endless. However, if you ask me, the choice is simple. If you have any interest in using your blog to make money at any point or simply want a more professional presence, go with WordPress. WordPress.com is completely free and even allows you the opportunity to buy your own domain (i.e. JessicaLawlor.com instead of JessicaLawlor.Wordpress.com). When you’re ready, you can upgrade to WordPress.org, which allows you to self-host and gives you access to many more design and plug-in options. Still not sure? This The Next Web piece can help you select a platform.

3. Make it pretty. Of course, your blog’s content should shine, but aesthetic is important, too. When someone stumbles onto your blog, a visually-pleasing and easy on the eye design will help them stick around to consume your content. WordPress.com offers many free themes with limited customization. That’s a great place to start. When you decide to get more serious about blogging, you may consider hiring a web designer for a more advanced and professional presence.

4. Help readers find and get to know you better. Before your blog launches, there are a few very important things you should have in place to allow your readers the opportunity to get to know you and your blog.

  • About page: Develop an “About” page where readers can learn more about who you are and what they can expect from your blog. Down the line, you may also use this page to direct new readers to some of your most popular posts.

  • Portfolio: If you’d like to use your blog to attract potential career or freelance opportunities, be sure to showcase your resume or links to guest blog posts or other writing and work samples.

  • Contact: Be sure to make it easy for readers to contact you! I personally have a tab on my site called “Contact” with a form

  • Social media buttons: Help your readers connect with you on other platforms by including social media buttons on the main page of your site.

5. Pick a frequency. Many people don’t start a blog because they think if they don’t have the time to blog every day, it won’t be worth their while. This is completely false! There are many, many successful blogs out there that don’t post as often as you might think you need to post to make a splash. Pick a frequency you can commit to; maybe that’s once a week, maybe it’s just twice a month. Whatever your frequency, stick with it, so your readers know when to expect you!

6. Get started! What are you waiting for? Many people wait for the *perfect* time to launch their blogs, but in reality, there is no perfect time. It’s challenging (especially for us Type A PR pros) to start something without a solid plan in place, but know that your blog will always be a work in progress. My site has been live for almost two years and every day, I make tiny tweaks to it to continue improving my reader’s experience. If you start now, you will reap the benefits much faster.

Have other tips for starting a blog? Share them in the comments below!

Jessica-44Jessica Lawlor is the marketing and communications coordinator for Visit Bucks County, the official tourism promotion agency for Bucks County, PA. She serves on the PRSA New Pros executive committee as a PRSSA liaison. In her free time, Jessica is a freelance writer and blogs at JessicaLawlor.com about getting gutsy-stepping outside your comfort zone to reach your goals. You can connect with her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Interested in freelance writing and personal branding? Jessica Lawlor is teaching a session on personal branding for freelance writers in an online course called Launch A Freelance Writing Career. Click here for more details.

Honoring National Woman’s History Month

Jess Noonan Leave a comment

In honor of March being National Woman’s History Month and the public Blog Photorelations industry being dominated by woman, we celebrate educational and professional freedom for woman by applying the words of some of the most powerful and influential woman in history to our own career paths.

“We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to do’ list.”
– Michelle Obama

Most millennials wear their workaholism with honor. We tend to lose sight of how stressful a career in public relations can be. We need to remember the importance of keeping a balanced life, free from havoc on our health, happiness and job performance. Whether you take up a certain hobby, read a book, take a bike ride or visit friends, truly think about what you do to relax and designate time for it.

“You won’t change things unless you are prepared to fight, even if you don’t win. But I do hate losing.”
-Wendy Davis

In today’s crowded media space, creative public relations planning is a huge part of any public undertaking. Never be afraid to introduce new ideas to your team. Having new ideas to introduce means staying abreast of industry trends and continuously developing your creative potential. To boost your creativity, step outside of your own comfort zone. Open up your mind to new perspectives and take time to learn skills that you would not normally be interested in.

“Take criticism seriously, but not personally. If there is truth or merit in the criticism, try to learn from it. Otherwise, let it roll right off you. “
-Hillary Clinton

Constructive criticism is a key part of any position. Be sure to pay attention to critical comments from supervisors and co-workers. Always being prepared to take notes during meetings and conversations will help avoid making the same mistakes twice.

“Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.”
-Oprah Winfrey

Ethics plays a huge role in public relations as a profession. By always promoting the flow of accurate and truthful information, young professionals can continue to build a better reputation for public relations as an industry. Help educate your clients by letting them know what rules you are governed by and what values should be followed when communicating with the public.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt

Believing in your capabilities and planning for your success are ultimate keys to achieving your dreams. Pave your career path by setting long and short-term goals to reach throughout the year. Remember to always take advantage of mentoring and networking opportunities. Cultivating relationships with co-workers and supervisors is a likely way to gain valuable insight and advice on how to navigate through the early stages of your own career.

 

Bio PhotoMagan Felitto is currently a freelance public relations professional, working with a major entertainment company in New York City. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology’s, Advertising & Marketing Communications program in Summer 2013 with four years of experience as Vice President of Chapter Development of her former PRSSA chapter and a plethora of internships under her belt. She is also a proud member of PRSA National, PRSA-New York, and PRSA New Professionals Section. Ms. Felitto can be reached at MaganFelitto@gmail.com.

Diversity and New Pros: Be a Storyteller, Make a Difference

Lauren Gray Leave a comment

As new professionals in the public relations field, we constantly work with people of all walks of life across many disciplines. Working with a diverse range of people opens our eyes to the possibilities and opportunities out there.

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That being said, the PR profession is not as diverse as you might think despite ongoing and tremendous progress that has been made. According to the PRSA Foundation, ethnic groups make up 30 percent of the U.S. population yet only 10 percent of minorities work in public relations.

When most people hear about diversity, the primary identifiers that come to mind include race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. There are many more than that, some of which you might least expect. What makes everyone unique and different in their own ways most likely falls under this category. To name a few, it also includes income level, religion, disabilities, socioeconomic status and age.

Addressing such issues is no easy task yet very much achievable. Local PRSA Chapters can do their part in working on diversity initiatives custom tailored to their communities in order to help diversify its memberships. PRSA members can serve as mentors to PRSSA students of all walks of life as a way to provide professional guidance and support to help prepare the next generation of leaders.

One attribute of PR professionals is that we are storytellers. We all have stories of our own to tell based on our knowledge, experience and upbringing. As no two stories are completely alike, it is having those unique stories that makes us diverse. By learning from one another about our differences, it helps us become competent professionals as a result. If we want to stand out as professionals getting started in this field, it is important that our individual stories be heard to help ourselves advance in this profession.

Now, I would like to hear from you. Each month, I hope to feature on this blog a new professional of different backgrounds and how it relates to your experiences as a PR professional. Speak from the heart so that we can all understand where you are coming from. If you are interested in submitting your story, email simonoh804@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from as many new professionals as possible.

 

Simon_Oh-5Simon Oh is the diversity liaison for the PRSA New Professionals executive committee. He is currently a graduate student at San Jose State University, studying transportation management. His professional background includes public affairs and community relations within the transportation field. Connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

PRSA New Pros Teleseminar: March 13 on Real-Time Marketing with Arby’s

Lauren Gray Leave a comment

Josh Martin, Social Media Manager at Arby’s, will host our first PRSA New Professionals Section Brown Bag Discussion of the year. Josh gave us a preview of what you will be able to learn from his teleseminar on Real-Time Marketing Done Right. Register for the March 13th teleseminar today.

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How would you personally define real-time marketing? 

To me, real-time marketing is simply making timely responses to mainstream events.

What are some notable differences when executing RT marketing with an agency vs corporate?

Agencies bring a lot of creativity and strategic thinking to the table when it comes to RT marketing. Corporate lives/breathes the brand on a daily basis and often has a better understanding of what will work with their audience. The magic happens when both agency & corporate can work together seamlessly.

What are some of your goals when planning/executing RT marketing? 

My goal for RT marketing: Don’t do anything stupid. RT marketing is about two things: listening and engaging. We want to make sure we’re listening first and understand the conversations that are taking place. If we decide to pursue an opportunity, our goal is for the content to not feel forced and stays consistent with our brand voice.

What advice do you have for brands/companies that don’t have a budget to promote/push out their content?

Brands can still be effective in social media, even with a limited budget. They need to be laser-focused on developing a content strategy and be patient with results.

In your opinion, is there a good ratio to be used of pre-planned content and real-time content?

Specifically during a major event, when brands are trying to stay relative. It’s important to have pre-planned content at the ready so you can move quickly during a major event, but it’s as equally important to be flexible and pivot to real-time content when an opportunity presents itself.

Want to learn more from Josh? Register here.