Author: Stephanie Vermillion

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.

—

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!

—

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).

#ThrowbackThursday with Deirdre Breakenridge

Stephanie Vermillion 1 Comment

Editor’s note: This is the first 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. Thanks to Deirdre for helping us kick this off!

For those who don’t know her, Deirdre Breakenridge is the chief executive officer at Pure Performance Communications. But, like most successful PR pros, that’s only the beginning of her portfolio.

Deirdre K. Breakenridge is Chief Executive Officer at Pure Performance CommunicationsShe’s the author of five Financial Times books, including her latest “Social Media and Public Relations: Eight New Practices for the PR Professional,” an adjunct professor at New York University, a member of PRSA (woohoo!), and co-founder of #PRStudChat, a dynamic Twitter discussion scheduled monthly for PR students, educators and PR pros.

Honestly, we could fill this post with all of her work and achievements, but we know what you’re all here for: Deirdre’s life lessons! So, without further ado, let’s dive in.

Question 1: What were three of the biggest challenges you faced as a new professional in the PR industry and how did you overcome them?

  1. Thinking you’re prepared when you’re not. No matter how junior the team member, you must come into a meeting fully prepared. However, this goes far beyond having a pad and pen to take notes. Being prepared involves challenging yourself to think about and answer the questions that a supervisor / boss may ask you during the meeting. Still to this day, I coach professionals to think ahead. And, if they are in a meeting with executives it’s important to identify what they would ask, or need long before the meeting begins.
  2. Rejection from the media. Rejection is a part of public relations, especially when it comes to media pitches. Even in the face of rejection, you must continue to perfect your pitching efforts by spending more time doing homework about the journalists / bloggers you’re pitching, and the communities they serve. Relationships develop over time, so if you are persistent and consistently offer good information, then you are more likely to land a really good story and be recognized as a reliable source.
  3. Networking more often at association meeting and special events. Not everyone is a natural born networker and making good connections requires you to get out there to meet people. When you’re a young professional it can be difficult to walk into a room not knowing anyone and strike up a conversation. However, the more opportunities you take to network, the more you realize that people are at these events for the very same reason. What is the worst that can happen? Perhaps, you introduce yourself and shake hands. Then, you exchange business cards and move on to meet someone else. However, there will be those instances when you meet someone and there is a great connection. What may come out of a simple introduction can be a number of opportunities. I learned early on that not every person you meet will lead to a next step connection, but you will never know unless you try.

Question 2: What type of time management tools did you use to stay on track as a new professional? 

In the past, time management for me was a big black planning book that I carried everywhere and a large calendar sheet on my desk that was marked up daily. Then, about 10 years into my PR career, time management software was integrated into our agency, and we no longer had to fill out manual time sheets. I think I just dated myself!

However, what I would recommend to young professionals today are several apps to make them more organized. I’m a big fan of Evernote, which is the note taking software that allows me to capture notes, ideas and images, and then syncs on all of my devices. I also use Circa, which is a news app that curates the important news headlines. There is a scanner app that I find very helpful. It allows me to scan documents into PDF form and then share them. Of course, my Google calendar keeps me organized and on track, with alerts so I can properly prepare for my meetings. Lastly, Spreeder is free online speed-reading software designed to improve not only your reading speed but also your comprehension.

There are many great apps and tools. This article from Lifehack has several really good time saving resources that you can check out here.

Question 3: What were some of your most important career goals as a new professional? 

Building relationships was at the top of the list. It is your network of connections that will allow you to excel in business and to help others (Click to tweet!). There is so much that goes into relationship building, but it all starts with getting to know people, learning more about them and listening, rather than immediately sharing information about yourself. To be known as someone who is connected, or that you’re a great connector, is very valuable, and often sought out by companies large and small.

Focusing on your integrity as you pursue new opportunities. There will be times that your values and integrity may be challenged, and you will have to make an important decision. Always choose the ethical side of the situation and your integrity will remain in tact for the duration of your career. If you need a refresher on ethics, you can check out the PRSA Code of Ethics.  At the end of the day, you have to be sure that your communication is transparent and in the best interest of all parties involved. Always let your values and ethical standards guide you.

Perfecting your writing skills. If you’re in PR today, then writing for all different types of media is important. We have moved from earned media to owned, paid and shared. Companies are looking for professionals who are not only able to write byline articles, editorial opinion pieces and news releases, but also blog posts, video scripts, tweets and Facebook updates, ebooks, etc. Perfecting your writing skills takes a lot of practice and also requires you to read in your spare time. The more you read the better your writing will become. I’ve been writing for 25+ years. Practice makes perfect, and for me, led to some incredible writing opportunities, including several books published by Financial Times Press.

Question 4: How can today’s new professionals find time to focus on personal career goals without getting sidetracked by work?

Careers can get very busy and you will always find yourself sidetracked. You have to make a date with yourself to find time to focus on your personal goals.  If you’re a morning person then you should set aside the time then, or if you like to stay up late at night, then this may be your best time plan out the steps to reach your personal career goals.  You should also incorporate regular telephone, Skype and in-person meetings into you weekly routine, so that you can meet people, get different perspectives and learn about new career directions. In addition, finding a mentor will help you to grow in your career and to have a seasoned professional guide you as you strive to reach your personal career goals.

Question 5: If you could go back in time and give advice to yourself during your first year on the job, what would you say?

My first year of work was an incredible experience, so I’m not sure what I would have changed or where I would have given myself advice. But, I do remember my second job, wishing I had given myself some advice early on.

I was doing PR for a cosmetology school that was affiliated with a popular hair and skin care company. I remember, within my first couple of weeks of working there, I was asked to model for one of their hair fashion shows. It was an honor and then quite a shock when I was on stage and they cut my hair above my ears and colored it bright red. After the show, I had to keep my hair short and colored. They also gave me a lot of makeup that I was supposed to wear as a representative of their company and advised me on my wardrobe. But, It just wasn’t me.

Although I had fun and stayed with the company for a few years, I eventually realized that I wasn’t being true to myself. Almost like a “Devil Wears Prada” movie scenario. After I left, I grew out my hair, went back to my natural color and found my own style of fashion.  If I could go back in time, I would say to myself, “Be true to who you are from the work that you do to how you present yourself (including your appearance) in any role that you play.

If you can learn this early on you’ll be a lot happier!

To learn more about Deirdre, visit deirdrebreakenridge.com or follow her on Twitter at @dbreakenridge. 

Five PR Tips From Taylor Swift

Stephanie Vermillion 2 Comments
Five PR tips from Taylor Swift

Image from Canva.com

A pop princess may be the last person you’d expect to look up to as a public relations professional, but Taylor Swift is definitely doing something right. Between buzzing up constant media attention, building a loyal fan base, and staying true to her strengths, there’s a lot we can learn from Taylor about being a successful communicator.

She knows her brand. Crossing over to full-fledged pop could have spelled career disaster, but Taylor stayed true to herself by making the switch.

Be like Taylor: Spend time learning the voice of each of your clients and you’ll be able to decide the best ways and places to tell their stories.

She’s a conversationalist. Taylor has crazy follower counts across the board, but she’s not just broadcasting on social. She’s truly interacting with her fans! With so many people talking, it’s hard to actually hear anything these days.

Be like Taylor: Running a brand’s social media? Pull a page from Taylor’s playbook and reply to fans posts, seek out conversations via hashtag searches, and be proactive in your interactions. Use your personal Twitter to build relationships with media. In other words, be social! (Click to Tweet)

She offers the exclusive. Before her latest album dropped last fall, Taylor held secret listening parties across the world with 89 of her biggest fans at each event. Fans were invited to get a first listen to 1989 in Taylor’s very own homes. Hearing the album ahead of time didn’t dull the excitement around the release: these select fans were even more thrilled to see her music finally debut weeks later.

Be like Taylor:  Have a great story brewing? Reach out to one of those contacts you’ve built a relationship with and offer it as an exclusive. Between the 24-hour news cycle and a saturated media market, breaking a story has become just as rare as a Taylor Swift listening party. Working together on an exclusive can benefit both you and your contact. You’ll secure a great coverage hit while your contact gets to lead the media frenzy.

She knows what’s trending and how it aligns with her brand. She uses news angles to her advantage to ensure she’s being talked about. When Tumblr went crazy over the Becky meme, Taylor was spotted the very next week in a “no it’s becky” tee.

Be like Taylor: Consume a variety of media every day so you know what’s hot and how you can be a part of the story.

She shakes it off. At the end of the day, not every relationship, song lyric, or pitch is going to work. Taylor doesn’t stress about the things that don’t fit – she’s able to kick back and poke fun at herself for every faux pas.

Be like Taylor: Take what you learn from every experience and use it to be better the very next day.

We all know Taylor’s talents are countless! What other PR lessons have you learned from Taylor Swift? Share below!

—

 IMG_0011.JPGChristine Perez is an Account Executive at The S3 Agency, a boutique advertising, social media, and public relations agency in Northern New Jersey. She has a wide array of experience with CPG products on both the agency and client sides. In her free time, she volunteers with a local animal rescue as a communication strategist and pet foster. Tweet with her @ICtine or connect with her on LinkedIn.