Author: Lauren Gray

How to Leverage Freelance Work to Boost Your Career

Lauren Gray 3 Comments

Freelance-homeIt seems all too often that young professionals get so focused on advancing their status that they forget to explore other, alternative career development options outside the traditional ladder.

Freelancing is one of these alternatives. When approached properly, it can yield benefits to your life such as expanded opportunities, diverse experience and extra income.

Here’s how to leverage freelance work to boost your career:

Pick a Focus

To get started, select a specific skill that you’re particularly passionate about and talented in. This will empower you to not only best serve your future clients, but to get those clients in the first place.

Focus on Your Portfolio Before Your Income

This process might not yield income when you’re first getting started. Unless you’re a tenured professional, you’ll have to get started by offering your services for free.

Sam Sanchez—a freelance designer that I work with on client projects—used this strategy to build his portfolio and reputation to the point where he could start charging for his services.

“At the time [the beginning], the main thing I was concerned with was building my portfolio, not making money,” says Sanchez.

This is also a great time to make some small mistakes that will help polish your delivery process before you start asking for compensation.

Don’t Screw Anybody Over

Since you’re not packaging yourself in someone else’s company, you’re personal brand is going to be exposed and vulnerable.

Make sure that you clearly understand the expectations of your clients before you start any work. Also be sure to put these thoughts into a formalized contract document that is signed—even if it’s pro-bono work.

That being said, do what you say you’re going to do. Put forth every ounce of your effort into completing your projects and making your clients happy. What you do in this independent context will ripple into every other aspect of your career. If you do it improperly, I promise that you will ruin your career.

Know When to Exchange Your Experiential Currency

As you continue building your portfolio and clientele, begin to look for ways to exchange your additional experiential for promotions and opportunities.

Sanchez leveraged his strong freelance background to score a communications assistant position at Vital VOICE Magazine—the third oldest LGBT publication in the nation—right out of college.

He didn’t stop utilizing his portfolio there though—he continued freelancing on the side and recently exchanged his extra experience for an exciting promotion and significant career boost that he can’t publicly announce as of now.

Use It to Better Understand Your Fit

By pursuing additional opportunities outside the norm of your nine-to-five job, you’ll learn a lot about yourself. Particularly what you may be especially interested in.

Freelancing allows you to explore a variety of work styles, organizations and practices. I’ve heard countless stories of young professionals discovering the industry, and ultimately, the job of their dreams from their independent pursuits.

Are you using freelancing to boost your career? How has it made a difference?

 

profile-benBen Butler is the founder and president of Top Hat IMC—an integrated marketing communications firm in Wexford and Pittsburgh, Pa. You can connect with him on LinkedIn and on Twitter @BenButlerPR.

August Twitter Chat Highlights: Preparing for Your Next Career Move

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We’d like to thank everyone who participated in the August #NPPRSA Twitter chat focused on how PR professionals can prepare for the next shift in their career. We discussed how to lay the ground work for career growth, considering both internal promotions and jobs at new companies.

PRSA Twitter ChatSpecifically, we’d like to thank our special guest for the evening, Ron Culp, Instructor and Professional Director of the Graduate Public Relations & Advertising Program at DePaul University. Ron also manages the industry leading blog Culpwrit for new professionals establishing a career in PR.

Join us again on September 4 for our next #NPPRSA chat.

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 August chat? How can you prepare for your next career move? What can you do to broaden your experiences in your current position to be considered for a promotion? What should a PR pro do if they don’t see a future for career growth within their company? 

 


 

Amy BishopAmy Bishop works in digital PR and marketing for DigitalRelevance, a content promotion agency. She is also Social Media Co-Chair for the PRSA New Professionals Section. Read her insights on customer experience and social business on her Marketing Strategy blog. Connect with Amy through Twitter, Pinterest or Google+.

 

Book Review: ‘Spin Sucks’ by Gini Dietrich

Lauren Gray 2 Comments

This post is part of The Edge monthly series of book reviews on books relevant to new PR professionals.

The wise Ricky Bobby once told us: “If you’re not first, you’re last.”

spin_sucks-500x380Well, after reading “Spin Sucks,” it’s obvious that Hollywood’s favorite NASCAR driver has never met industry thought leader Gini Dietrich. In “Spin Sucks,” Gini examines the evolving communications world, and shares actionable insights to help PR pros of all ages adapt to the changing industry both successfully and ethically.

Unlike Ricky, Gini says a quality communications plan is a marathon, not a sprint. If you’re cutting corners, vying for first – not best – even a full dish of fancy sauce can’t help you succeed.

But, follow “Spin Sucks’” fancy-sauce recipe for success, and you’ll get positive feedback from reporters, customers and, most importantly, company leadership.

Prepare your paid, earned, owned and shared media.

Curious how the four PR silos can work in tandem? In “Spin Sucks,” Gini explains how DirecTV used each avenue to execute its successful “Football on Your Phone” campaign.

“They used paid (because it cost them to produce it), owned media (it’s embedded both on their website and YouTube channel), and shared media [through social sharing] for this campaign, and earned media was the result,” she writes.

Add a cupful of content marketing.

Sure, it’s a buzz term now, but in a few years content marketing will be a successful PR pro’s bread and butter.

Think about it. You own this content. It has your brand’s messaging and voice with no third-party filter. And, as Gini notes, once you distribute content through social and email networks, you’ll conveniently (and strategically) bring the audience back to your website.

Not sure where to start? Gini has you covered. She suggests:

–       Subscribing to SmartBrief and Talkwalker Alerts for industry news,

–       Reading blog comments to get story ideas from readers’ questions, and

–       Looking through your sent emails to uncover recurring topics you’ve discussed with customers. (This tip from Andy Crestodina.)

Sprinkle in some SEO.

When it comes to content marketing, if you build it, they probably won’t come. But, if you build then optimize it, they’ll slowly start to find you.

As new PR pros, you’re likely seeing SEO quickly becoming a necessary skill. Here’s how Gini suggests getting in the SEO know:

–       Keep blog posts between 500 – 700 words with five or six keyword mentions,

–       Your keyword or phrase should be in the post URL (here’s how to change it), and

–       Always use an image and copy your headline into the “alt text” section.

Mix in your media relations.

Yes, SEO is an important skill for new professionals, but don’t forget the PR pro’s mainstay: media relations.

As Gini notes, the best media relations starts with storytelling, relationship building, patience and time. She also suggests:

–       Reading the outlets and reporters you’re contacting before drafting the pitch, then tailoring it to their niche.

–       Commenting intelligently on your target reporter’s articles to build your credibility as a source.

–       Writing short emails. For some reporters, you may even consider a handwritten note to break through the clutter.

Technically speaking, Ricky Bobby could be right. If you’re not first, you could end up last. But, as “Spin Sucks” illustrates, speed doesn’t always equal the best batch of fancy sauce.

Conversely, if you train for the marathon – not sprint – your company’s content will be read, news will be reported and goals will be met.

I’ve only skimmed the surface of the PR lessons offered in “Spin Sucks.” Whether you’re a new or seasoned pro, I’d highly recommend this book.

Have you read “Spin Sucks”? What industry insights did you glean from it?

 

Stephanie Vermillion headshotStephanie Vermillion is a senior account executive at Wordsworth Communications, a public relations agency in Cincinnati. She is on the PRSA Cincinnati Leadership Team and is part of the PRSA Cincinnati New Pros Committee. Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn and Twitter (@SMVermillion).

 

Four Ways to Keep Your PR Skills Sharp Outside of Work

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In our day-to-day lives and work days, it can sometimes be hard to keep some of our lesser-used skills up to date and sharp. We fall into routines and some things we learned years ago become fuzzy.

Here are a few ways to keep those skills sharp, even when you’ve finished your work for the day.

07fe6551. Work pro bono

There are many companies, especially nonprofits, that may not be able to afford to hire someone in-house or from an agency to provide professional public relations for them, although they may desperately need it. Find organizations that you would like to help and offer your skills and expertise without charge. You’ll expand your creativity and formulate plans for a cause or organization you want to stand behind, and help those people to further their programs and events.

2. Create great content in support of products and services you personally enjoy

When I find a product or service that I love, I want to shout it from the rooftops. Using your public relations expertise to promote and strengthen the brand of products and services that you personally use and would vouch for is a great way to sharpen your writing, social media, and interpersonal skills. Use your influence and honest thoughts to spread the word to people who can use them.

3. Network

Talk to and help out other public relations professionals. One of my favorite things about attending a meetup with other like-minded PR professionals is discussing what works and what doesn’t for particular situations, and sharing what you’ve learned through your personal work and education that can help someone else. Discussing these topics helps to refresh methods and skills that you may not have a chance to draw upon often.

4. Stay up to date

Public relations practices and methods are constantly changing, at a faster rate all the time. Play with and experiment with new technology, tools, and methods, explore and find out what works best for your brand and clients. Be proactive, and continue learning new technology, new content strategies, and what your clients want at the pace that it happens.

These are just a few of the ways to continue to hone your skills outside of the workplace. What tips do you have on staying sharp?

 

Screen Shot 2014-07-31 at 12.03.32 PMSamantha Owens is a writer, hobbyist photographer, and grammar enthusiast based in Napa Valley, CA. She writes her own blog, contributes at a literary fiction book blog, and freelance writing work. Find out more about her at about.me/seowens or follow her on Twitter at @sowensphoto.

The Artistry of Creating What’s Never Been Done Before – Part 1

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Before the previous World Cup, Nike asked its go-to creative agency, Wieden+Kennedy, to create ‘something that’s never been seen before and never been done before.’ No pressure, right? What sounds like an overwhelming statement at first, has now become the industry norm. 

Creativity and innovation are not only critical in the public relations and marketing profession – they are vital to generating ideas that can differentiate a brand or an organization from a million others.

TheAmericanGenius_AGBeat

But what is the key to continuous inspiration – is there even one? Is it as simple as reading magazines, researching industry trends and talking to as many people as you can? Or is it about being awake, taking things in and experiencing life?

I consider myself a creator and love my profession, yet, sequentially having to come up with new concepts, innovative solutions and BIG ideas ads pressure. I do love the challenge but at the same time, it’s worth exploring how one finds continuous inspiration after having been in the industry for a few or even many years.

On my journey to endless imagination and artistry, I asked five leaders in the industry to share some of the secrets that keep their creative juices flowing:

David Bruce, Senior Director of Brand and Integrated Marketing at Major League Soccer

“I believe pretty firmly that inspiration is everywhere; it could come it the biggest or the smallest form. To me, the most crucial factor in being inspired is not closing yourself off to anything – not coming to judgments. A lot of my energy comes from the city I live in and the sources of inspiration it offers. Living in a city such as New York, gives you this rich tapestry – this energy – gives you this vibrancy. To me, that doesn’t necessarily mean having to go to a show, seeing an art gallery. It’s just walking around the streets having my music on, listening to a podcast and observing things around me. You see street graffiti and kids acting in a cult-like way. Here, they are all part of a small collective and express themselves a certain way, whether it’s through music, with art or how they dress. Every part of the city has its own style and sensibility. Chinatown is different from the Lower East Side, Midtown or East Village. That energy you get from experiencing those various communities and how different they are offers endless inspiration. It gives me direction.

I also enjoy experiencing cuisines from different cultures, seeing how a restaurant creates an experience from start to end: How you enter, how they greet you, what the waiters and waitresses are wearing, looking at the different types of menus, how everything is staged, what music is playing in the background, how you leave – all that, for me, is fascinating. You also see it in hotels, or when getting on and off an airline; it’s the small and unexpected things, the attention that people pay toward certain elements of an experience. I try to remember those things and create a memory log of things that I can regurgitate when I need to.”

Janet Froelich, Former Creative Director of the New York Times Magazine and Real Simple

“I think that a lot of what you do when you problem solve in an area that you’ve worked in for a very long time, is you feed off of it. It’s like a language that you learn so well, that you can use it without thinking about it any longer. You can structure new ideas by examining the nature of the problem. That also means, working off and with other people. I strongly believe that creativity is often collaborative. No matter which field you go into, you will work with other people. Today, I was reading an article in the paper, about how different Paul McCartney and John Lennon were. John Lennon was more of a wild spirit and undisciplined in his approach whereas Paul McCartney was very structured. They played off each other, sometimes battling it out, but often coming up with a much better solution than either of them would have had alone. So, some of it is about collaboration, learning to work with other people, developing a strong team, and understanding the nature of a problem solving in your specific discipline. The more you solve those problems often, the better you get.”

Check back on Monday for part two featuring Nicole Dobrzynski ‎(Global Football Brand Manager at Nike), Tony Telloni (Managing Director at Golin NYC) and Ben Roth (SVP Creative at MKTG Inc).

 

HelmaVonZadowHelma von Zadow works with the Brand and Integrated Marketing team at Major League Soccer and is a member of the PRSA New York Chapter.  She served on the 2013-2014 PRSSA National Committee as vice president of professional development. Connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter.