Public Relations

Intro to series…Small Business PR by Janet Krenn

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Odds are, as a new PR professional you may find yourself working for a small business. What makes me say so? For starters, half of all private sector employees work for small businesses and small businesses generated 60 to 80 percent of new jobs, so says the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Many of these businesses need PR help. A small business might higher young talent to keep expenses down, and you, as the young talent, might be interested in the additional responsibility that comes with working for a small business.

When working for a small business, your employer is your client. Small businesses offer a lot of opportunity for new PR pros like you, who might gain access to projects and responsibilities you might not get at larger companies. On the other hand, the smaller the business, the more non-PR work you might be expected to do, anywhere from admin to marketing to taking out the trash.

The term “small business” is allusive. The U.S. SBA tailors its definition of “small business” based on industry, but typically small businesses have fewer than 500 employees and make fewer than $14 million. This covers a huge spectrum, and it has a bearing on what you can expect from working in at a particular small business.

For an idea of what it will be like to work for a small business, pay attention to the number of employees a company has.

What PR activities could you expect to do?

The smaller the company, the more likely that you’ll be asked to take on multiple PR tasks. For example, if you’re the only PR professional at a small business, you may be required to write press releases, conduct media relations, and work on internal communications. On the other hand, the larger the company, the more likely that you will have a well-defined role and might have specialized work.

What are industry-specific challenges?

The major challenge to small businesses is limited resources. This might mean you have to get creative with your project budget. It also means you may have to learn to go without something that you previously thought was non-negotiable.

Working for a small business can also pose a professional challenge. You will probably be challenged to develop a skill set that you lacked. You will probably be challenged to multitask several various projects and tasks on a regular basis.

What kind of non-PR coursework/skills/interests could be helpful?

Not only should be well-trained in writing and PR, it would be helpful for you to have some coursework in
(1) the specific industry in which the small business belongs. You may not know exactly what you want to do; you probably couldn’t predict exactly where you will end up working; so dabble in anything that seems interesting to you. If you’re still in school, don’t be afraid to use those elective credits to explore the world beyond PR.
(2) marketing and business. Working for a small business may mean that you will have to take on business and marketing functions as well as PR ones.
(3) design. Again, the smaller the business, the more odds and ends you’ll have to take on. Having an understanding of web and print design could go a long way in a company with no designer or one who is out sick in the middle of a pressing deadline.

How can I find a PR job in a small business?

In one word: Networking. The smaller the business the less likely they will (1) know how or where to advertise a position or (2) be willing to pay fees to advertise a position only to receive a grab bag of candidates. Aside from networking, check publications and websites that offer localized listings, as small businesses might be unable to pay relocation fees and instead hope to draw a pool of candidates that are already living in their area. Local small business associations and bureaus might be another good place to start.

Janet Krenn is a Sea Grant Communicator at Virginia Sea Grant.


your pr career…Becoming the PR Pro Journalists Want You to Be by Andi Wilmes

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I recently watched a Ragan Communications video interview entitled “How to Pitch David Pogue of The New York Times.” Nothing in the interview was new to me. I have read and attended countless “How to pitch…” articles, blog posts and seminars and they basically all say the same thing. But after I watched this particular interview I found myself asking “Why in the world if we know all the DOs and DON’Ts of interacting with journalists do we find ourselves often doing the DON’Ts?”

I know that to pitch correctly it takes time (and time means money) which is why it is much easier to mass email canned pitches that reuse already approved marketing copy. But you don’t have to be a genius to know these pitches don’t work and are the reason thousands of articles and seminars are devoted to eradicating this common practice.

Here are some examples of the DON’Ts many of us are guilty of:

  • Making the awkward “Have you had a chance to read my news release…” follow-up call to journalists you don’t have a relationship with or have never worked with
  • Writing news releases and pitches filled with industry jargon and corporate gobbledygook
  • Developing distribution lists that are not well targeted
  • Crafting email pitches that have several paragraphs and long subject lines
  • Not bothering to research or read what the journalist covers prior to pitching
  • And the list goes on and on

It’s no wonder PR pros have a bad rap amongst journalist. Many of us are blatantly ignoring their complaints, advice and tips on how best to work with them and achieve a placement. What’s worse yet, seasoned pros are often guilty of teaching or allowing new pros to perpetuate this negative stereotype. It’s no secret that many of the above tasks are given to the new pro.

So as the next generation of PR pros let’s make a pledge! We all solemnly swear to end this nonsense and start becoming the PR pros journalists want and need us to be.

Andi Wilmes is the director of marketing and communications at Beringea, Michigan’s largest venture capital firm. She can be reached at andrea.wilmes@gmail.com.

intro to series…Higher Education PR, by Brian Camen

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Prior to joining Weber Shandwick this month, I worked in higher education PR for two years. I would often get questions from outsiders about what I did. Since some people don’t understand, I thought I would provide an overview of what a higher Ed PR practitioner does. Please remember, this is a general overview and everyone’s position is different. So here’s a run down:

  • Media Relations: Higher education institutions often provide faculty expert sources for the media. Students have newsworthy initiatives going on. How does your institution compare with the latest enrollment trends? Whether it’s fulfilling a request or pitching, Media relations can be a large part of a pros job. Developing relationships with higher Ed reporters is key.
  • Monitoring: Monitor articles that were published and monitor breaking news. Monitoring breaking news falls under media relations, one thing leads to another. As a PR pro, you need to be in front of the news so you can leverage your professor or school’s expertise and provide sources for the media. Have multiple experts available that can talk about different angles on the same topic, why not create a media tip sheet?
  • Crisis Communication: Swine Flu? Death on campus? Shooting? The PR pro should play a large part in your institutions emergency response management team. You hope none of the above ever happens, but you must be prepared.
  • Media Training: Sure your professor can speak academic, but can they (or you) translate their work and apply it to current events?
  • Internal and external writing: Writing is a part of a PR pros job. Press releases, internal newsletters, magazines, editorials, HR communications, web articles, rankings communications and byline articles are samples of the type of writing. You may also have to write fundraising letters and grants depending on your position.
  • Social Media: You may be asked to create and maintain a strategic social media plan for your institution.

Depending on the institution and budget, you may have marketing or event responsibilities as well. Every day brings on a new task. Higher Ed PR is rewarding. Higher Ed pros don’t put out fluff or spam (most don’t). They help promote thought leadership. And that is one of my favorite things about higher Ed PR.

career advice… The mistake I stopped making by Brian Camen

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When I graduated college, my resume  touted all I accomplished during my four years at Arizona State University. Three internships. Two relevant part-time jobs. President of my fraternity, and a good gpa. Sounds impressive, right? These kinds of accomplishments impressed a hiring manager and got me a job, but they meant very little once I started work.

We all make mistakes as first time full-time employees, but mine was a big mistake. I acted as if I knew everything.

Just because you had four or five internships, doesn’t mean you know everything about Public Relations. I’m happy to report that I stopped making that mistake quickly. My attitude quickly changed once I realized that pretending to know everything was the worst thing one can do.

Entry-level employees often are afraid to seem inexperienced so they pretend to know all the answers. The point of an entry-level position is to learn about the industry you work in, develop yourself as a full-time employee, and grow your skill set. Your boss isn’t expecting you to be perfect nor is your boss expecting you to manage yourself. If your boss wanted those traits in an employee, they would not have been seeking an entry-level employee.

As a new professional you will undoubtedly make mistakes (whether accidentally or on purpose). The key is to learn from those mistakes. Study what you did wrong and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Another key to your entry-level position is to master your entry-level tasks. Once those are accomplished, your boss will feel more comfortable giving you higher level tasks. Developing your skills takes time. You can always be a better writer, listener, and practitioner.

Your skill set isn’t going to develop overnight and no matter how many internships you have, you never stop learning in this industry because Public Relations is continually evolving.

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BRIAN CAMEN is a Public Relations Specialist at a top-ranked international b-school in Glendale, AZ. Read his blog The PR Practitioner (http://www.theprpractitioner.com). He can be reached at brian.camen@gmail.com or @BrianCamen

social media case study… Shark/Ray Videos “Reel” in Event Attention, Attendence by Janet Krenn

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A touch tank is the aquatic equivalent of a petting zoo, and an event like the opening of a new touch tank might not sound like front page news.

For McWane Science Center, the online video campaign, Shark and Ray, was featured on the front page of a local news website every week of the campaign. In the end, opening day became the Center’s third best attended, behind opening day and one other special event, and the Shark and Ray characters have gone on to help raise funds to support the newly installed touch tank.

So how did a couple of employees and a few professionals working pro bono do it?

Background

The McWane Science Center in Birmingham, Alabama, is museum that encourages hands-on activities. So a touch tank in that allows children and adults to interact with sharks and rays was a natural fit. More than just an additional display in the museum, the touch tank was an expansion. It required the not-for-profit to attract additional funding to support it while generating interest in the new attraction.

“Social media is the least expensive way to reach our audience, and that is why we were initially interested in exploring it,” says Chandler Harris, Director of Public Relations at McWane Science Center.

Shark and Ray Campaign

The Shark and Ray campaign began as a series of 7 web videos that were launched weekly leading up to the grand opening of the Shark and Ray Touch Tank.

“When creating the concept for Shark and Ray we knew we would be speaking to a younger audience,” says Jason Hill, from Provenance Digital Media who consulted with the McWane Center on the campaign. “But we still wanted to make the humor broad enough to appeal to parents as well.”

“I think for most of us, the most surprising aspect was the range of adults without children that became some of the biggest fans,” Hill adds.

Social Media Tools

To promote the Shark and Ray videos, the team turned to Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, but focused on their already large Facebook fan base of 2,700+ fans. Twitter was used to tweet updates from the characters. YouTube was used as an alternative video host to Facebook.

“All three complement one another, but serve distinct purposes. When combined, they are much more powerful then when used as a single channel of communication,” Marc Beaumont from Contenova Growth Advisory.

Behind the Scenes

Those who produce the Shark and Ray series notes that their success cam from building a strong team. Combating the notion that social media is so easy it could be done out of a basement, the McWane Center brought in several groups to work on the project. Consultants helped by conceptualizing and producing the video. McWane Center Staff maintained social media pages.

“It was a great example of how a group can work together,” said Jen West, Designer at the McWane Center and Project Manager of the Shark and Ray campaign.

Advice from the Team

What does the team think is important in having an online video social media campaign?

1. Talent and Technical Know-How

The Shark and Ray team were specialists. There were people who wrote; those who strategized; and those who were responsible for the editing and compression of video. Some worked on the look of the video, and others offered their voices for the characters.

2. Courage

Not only do you need to take risks, you need to know when to reign it in. As Marc Beaumont put it: “You have to have the courage to fight the impulses to make it into a high-end production.”

3. Resourcefulness

Jason Hill notes that the consultants who worked on Shark and Ray, as well as the local celebrities who participated in the clips all did so pro bono. “Don’t be afraid to ask for volunteers and to reach out into the community and encourage participation,” says Hill.

4. Flexibility

One of the benefits of working with social media is the ability to respond. By keeping your projects relatively simple, you can maintain flexibility. “Social media is created to resonate with people, and make it moldable,” says Jennifer West.

5. Brevity

Remember that successful online video is only a few minutes long. Chandler Harris says, “Keep it short and simple.”

The Team

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JANET KRENN is Communication Co-Chair of the New Professionals Section of PRSA. If you’re a member of the New Professionals Section, and you’d like to contribute to the New Pros’ blog, email her at janetqs(at)gmail dot com