Living in Twitterverse

Once upon a time I was completely against Twitter. Yes in that situation, I was definitely considered a laggard in the social media world. Rather, I was quite skeptical with the whole buzz about Twitter. For the most part, I did not understand the point of following celebrity tweets. What was the big deal and why do people care so much? But my biggest question of all was… “What are the benefits of Twitter?”

It wasn’t until I finally joined Twitterverse, when I realized the full potential of this social media network.

I never thought I would be one to fall in love with Twitter, but let me give advice to those of you who still don’t see the point in Twitter. Throughout my time here in Twitterverse, I have started compiling a mental list of twitter tips from people in the PR and social media industry.

Here are just a few:

1.     Follow and read about businesses and organizations: The world of twitter is full of fascinating industry information, whether you’re interested in science, business, or journalism. Twitter is a tremendous tool for learning more about companies and organizations that you are interested in. It could also be a window into finding your next job opportunity. Just simply follow and read more about the people and organizations in the industry you’re interested in!

 

2.     Stay up to date with what is going on around you: Twitter is a one stop place where you can get quick feeds about up to the minute news, trends, and happenings! It is always good to be well versed on news topics and to stay on top of trends in this ever changing society. Thanks to twitter, news is at your fingertips. You you can follow every news station from CNN to NY Times and much more!

 

3.     Tweet others the way you want to be tweeted: All I can say is…stay engaged! Don’t be afraid to take this opportunity to get into conversations with people. Ask questions and re-tweet about information you find interesting. People love to know that you care about what they have to say as the same to you!

 

4.     Spotlight your interests! : One of my favorite things to do on Twitter is to follow anything in relation to my interest topics. From health, public relations, business, news, fashion and food, I can create lists of topics that highlight my interests! This can help create your twitter personality and enable others to learn a little bit more about the things you like.

 

– Anna Tu

STAND OUT: An expression for work and life

First of all, I want to apologize that this blog post took me for-ev-er to write. On Nov. 3, PRSSA and AdFed were hosts to Craig Pladson and Allison Janney (2010 UST graduate!) from Colle+McVoy and Exponent; and since then, my COJO senior capstone has consumed every aspect of my life. I’m not kidding; I think I’m actually dreaming about media ethics and philosophical arguments.

Anyway.

Craig and Allison came prepared, with a snazzy presentation, and extensive knowledge and advice! The theme of the day: standing out.

For Colle+McVoy, standing out is an expression of its culture and is ultimate work objective. Allison and Craig, though, suggested applying the same concept on a personal level. As students, we constantly have to market ourselves to potential employers, creating a personal brand that enables us to stand out among our peers in a competitive industry. So, our presenters boiled it down to five key ways to do just that, to stand out as a student and young professional:

1)   Find your passion. I don’t know about you, but I find that we are preached this so often, but no one really takes it seriously. Allison and Craig do. Most important, don’t fake it because people can tell if you’re not genuine. Find what excites you and do what you love, so that you can love what you do. Truly, it’s the key to a happy working life. Most importantly, don’t settle.

2)   Establish your brand. Be who you are. There are so many expectations and protocol that we’re to follow during the job search that I think this sometimes gets lost. Showcase your personality and what makes you unique. Find what you do well and embrace it. Sell yourself passionately and professionally, and be confident in your abilities. Be you.

3)   Connect meaningfully. Use your student title to your advantage and talk to people in the industry. Network thoughtfully through genuine interaction and interest. Of course, being informed is expected, but go beyond those basics. Go ahead, do some creeping on Twitter or LinkedIn, find out what the professionals are working on and talk to them about those projects. Although sometimes a little spooky, knowing more than just the basics allows for more relevant conversation sooner, which can lead to great networking that can give you access to internships or jobs.

4)   Master the basics. Spelling. Punctuation. Grammar. It may seem like “elementary, my dear Watson,” but you should continue to practice these essential skills and build on your existing knowledge. Many PR jobs require a writing test for applicants, so be sure to review your AP style handbook and the basics you learned in PR Writing. More importantly, you should be willing and able to do the “easy stuff” because that’s what leads to the big stuff.

5)   Try and try again. We’re entering into a competitive industry, so chances are there may be times someone tells you “no.” As a perfectionist myself, failure is one of the scariest parts of reality; however, Allison and Craig assured us that it is a normal part of the process. Be open to criticism and feedback, and use that information constructively. Figure out why you failed and improve yourself. Then, be persistent. Try again.

Crisis Communication: “Get in front of it”

This week at our PRSSA meeting, Mike Cristaldi spoke to us about what he does as the Director of Public Relations for the Minnesota Timberwolves. One of the major responsibilities of a PR team, especially in sports, is crisis communication. Whether it’s an arrest of a player, a league lockout or a coach’s resignation, the world of sports can be unpredictable, and it’s the job of Mike and his staff to figure out the best way to handle it and how to communicate with the public. Mike emphasized that the best way to address an issue is to “get in front of it.” The media and the public are going to have a field day with your team’s crisis no matter what, and the most important thing to remember is to just come out and handle it right away. Mike pointed out that your crisis can be contained to as little as one day, rather than being drawn out and escalated. If you avoid addressing the issue, it leaves the media and the public with the opportunity to continue bringing it up and speculating. The sooner you deal with a crisis and communicate your key messages, the sooner it will be over and done with, and suddenly, what seemed like the end of the world for your organization is now old news.

With social media sites such as Twitter, anyone can spread news–and fast. That’s why it’s even more important to handle a crisis as soon as possible. Twitter can also be a great tool for a PR team to confront issues and broadcast the team’s messages loud and clear, straight from the source.

-Brittney Klingl

Beehive PR’s October Information Session

Whether you’ve just become interested in the field of public relations or you’re about to graduate and start your search for the perfect job in PR, informational interviews are a great way to discover the ins and outs of the field. Scheduling informational interviews can be intimidating, but a great way to become comfortable in this setting is by attending information sessions that some agencies offer—you can even go with a friend or classmate!

Recently a friend and I went to an information session at Beehive PR. Attending this event was easy and free. Information about the session is under the “jobs” link, I simply sent an email RSVP and prepared for my first informational interview.

The Beehive PR offices are located in historic Bandana Square in St. Paul in an old, renovated train maintenance building. Ayme Zemke, Beehive’s group director, led the information session. I first recognized the uniqueness of Beehive PR when in her introduction, Ayme told us Beehive moved to this space recently because utilizing natural light played a large factor when they were deciding on a new office space. The space Beehive now occupies has high ceilings with skylights that allow everyone to be exposed to the natural light.

Ayme then graciously gave us a tour of the complete office space. Another aspect of the offices that I really liked was the kitchen. The kitchen is special to the Beehive team because it serves as a place to get to know each other better. A tradition was born in the kitchen where everyone brings in his or her favorite dishes during the holidays. This says a great deal about Beehive’s culture and the welcoming atmosphere of the agency. A benefit to informational interviews is that you’re able to see the different layouts of offices and how different agencies run.

After the tour, Ayme gave a brief PowerPoint presentation of the work Beehive does for its clients. I found the agency unique because it works for some of the companies it partners with. For example, Beehive PR contracts with Ginger Consulting and Black Retail when necessary, but also provide PR services for these companies. Ayme also showed us the work they’ve done for some of their long-time clients. Beehive PR has assisted Peter’s Billiards with attracting more customers and also making their products known. With the help of Beehive PR, Peter’s Billiards discovered many of their customers were unaware they sold more than just pool tables. After this discovery, the company began using social media to interact with its customers and to make it known that they also offer furniture and classic game equipment.

Ayme was open to questions at the end of her presentation and offered her insight on the changing world of PR, what the Beehive team looks for when hiring an intern, and how they differentiate themselves being a small agency, among many other things.

Beehive PR offers these information sessions because its small team doesn’t have much time to schedule individual informational interviews. I learned so much about the agency’s work, culture, and team in just an hour!

If you’re interested in attending an informational session at Beehive PR, there is another one coming up on November 17 and others throughout 2012. It’s a great way to get your resume out there, meet new people, and see how different agencies work! Now get out there and email info@beehive.biz to confirm your spot at the next Beehive PR information session!

– Katrina Pauly

“Write well and be indispensable.”

This semester in PRSSA we were graced with the presence of Melissa Scovronski, the Public Affairs and Marketing Manager for the Metropolitan Airports Commission. Melissa had great advice for us, but I think one of the most important things she, and many other PR professionals, have told us is to keep writing, and write well!

In Public Relations, writing is incredibly significant. PR professionals write almost daily and are responsible for producing impressive content without grammatical errors. As potential professionals, it is our job to prepare ourselves for the working world by sharpening the skills that will be most useful in our desired fields. As Melissa said, “Everyone can write, but not everyone can write well.”

Most of us are, or will soon be, applying for internships and jobs. Our potential employers want to see examples of our writing and want to be confident in our writing abilities. I have decided to use this entry to lay out a few ways to practice and perfect writing skills.

• Create a blog.

In a world overrun with social media, it is easy to refrain from blogging due to the huge amount of content already available. However, blogging will keep you writing regularly, hopefully exploring topics you are passionate about, and also give others a chance to read your work.

• Take advantage of writing and journalism classes.

As college students, we are a lucky portion of the population with the ability to expand our knowledge through classes and workshops. By taking advantage of writing classes offered in school, we can get direct feedback and encouragement from teachers who have great insight on what we can to do improve our writing.

• Learn and practice correct grammar.

Though we have been learning grammar for more than 15 years, it is essential to perfect it. A piece of writing submitted with simple grammar mistakes is likely to scare away editors. If there are little things you have always gotten wrong (ex. who vs. whom), look them up, and get them right.

Now that you have a few tools and ideas, start writing! It is never too early to get ahead.

Royal Wedding Fever

In case you have been living under a rock the past 3 months, the “wedding of the century” is about to occur. Prince William is set to wed Kate Middleton on Friday, April 29^th in London. This has become a significant pop culture event. There are hundreds of products featuring the royal couple, news channels are covering every moment and people are waiting anxiously for the wedding. I have been looking forward to this moment since the couple announced their engagement in November. I remember hearing about family and friends waking up at 4 a.m. to see Prince William’s parents Prince Charles and Princess Diana momentous wedding in 1981.

Follow the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton on Twitter: @RoyalWedding

Naturally, the social networking environment has been buzzing about the upcoming nuptials. The wedding has an official Twitter handle (@royalwedding) as well as numerous Kate Middleton impersonators. The future Queen of England’s carriage has a Twitter handle as well (@royalpony).

However, according to Yahoo, the royal family is considering adopting technology that will prohibit the use of cell phones during the ceremony. This would prevent any guests from tweeting news about the ceremony. They believe this will not only prohibit guests sharing details of the ceremony but will also increase security of the guests in attendance. The official hashtag of the wedding will be #rw2011 in case you want to follow updates from around the world. Sorry @royalpony, but you will not be able to tweet updates after you drop @PrincessKateFTW off at the @wabbey.

Do you have Royal Wedding fever? Will you watch?

With the slip of a finger, Twitter tells the world

Although I may be the ONLY person in PRSSA who isn’t on Twitter, that doesn’t mean I don’t know what’s going on in the media. Here are some recent articles circling our social media sphere I found interesting. And who knows peeps, your one and only Twitterless blogger could be gracing the Twitter world with her presence soon.

And they say advertisers are more creative. According to a survey done by Worldcom Public Relations Group and the Transworld Advertising Agency Network, both PR and advertising professionals believe that PR is making better use of social media. Go us!

According to PRNewser contributer Tonya Garcia, “of PR respondents, 20 percent said the profession was ‘an innovative marketing communications leader’ in the social media arena and among advertising pros, 12 percent said their profession was ‘innovative,’ 40 percent said it was ‘keeping pace,’ and 40 percent said that advertising is ‘falling behind.’”

The study also found that respondents on both sides expect fees for social media to rise in 2011. What do you think? Would you pay for social media?

With these statistics in mind, what do you think happened here?

According to a March AdAge article, “when an employee of New Media Strategies dropped the f-bomb in a tweet from client Chrysler’s Twitter account March 9, Chrysler decided not to renew its contract with the agency.”

The debacle began when one of the New Media Strategie’s employees tweeted from the @ChryslerAutos account. The employee suffered a minor case of identity confusion when he or she thought they were logged in to a private Twitter account rather than Chrysler’s account.

After the expletive went out, it was quickly deleted, but the power of social media had run its mouth and the tweet had already been retweeted and spread to blogs.

As the day progressed, Chrysler’s communications team was struggling to learn details about the accident while bloggers and media began calling. In Chrysler’s case, their marketing department controls social media accounts that are “consumer facing,” while their communications department has separate Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr accounts that are meant to be “media facing.”

The AdAge article states that turf battles between marketing and communications over social media have been an issue for automakers and other companies for a few years. How do you think the balance should apply? Should communicators be responsible for all real-time media while the marketers oversee or should the marketers send out all media material and the communications department edit the copy? I’m open to your suggestion, but you know where my bias lands.

Is the #unemployedwinner truly #winning?

Charlie Sheen has always been a controversial celebrity. Most recently, he took a leave of absence from his popular television show “Two and a Half Men,” where he is currently the highest paid actor on television earning 1.8 million per episode, to enter a rehabilitation facility. He then left rehab and is currently living in his California home. Soon after he made public rants about the producers of “Two and a Half Men” his publicist quit.

On March 1, Sheen joined Twitter and set a new Guinness Book of World Record as the “Fastest Time to Reach 1 Million Followers.” Two days later he signed with the Beverly Hills firm Ad.ly that runs celebrity endorsements on Twitter and Facebook, where he can earn $250-$25,000 per tweet. You can even apply to be his social media intern here if you can explain to him why you would be the best social media intern in 75 characters or less. Charlie was officially fired from “Two and a Half Men” on March 7.

As a PR pro, how do you view Charlie’s PR plan? Does he have one or is he pulling a Joaquin Phoenix? Sheen has never had a positive reputation. He has over 2 million followers in a matter of days and now has the opportunity to make thousands of dollars per tweet. Is he truly #winning?

Look Who’s Talking

Last week PRSSA welcomed Natalie Howell from Roepke Public Relations to talk a little bit about working at an agency and (gasp!) life after college. As a young student desperately searching for internships, I found Natalie’s tip about the application process inspiring, yet a little intimidating. Her advice: have a great interview.

Well, that sounds easy enough, but as anyone who has ever interviewed for a job, auditioned for a play/musical or even gone on a first date knows, making a good first impression is easier said than done. Lucky for us, Natalie landed an internship at Roepke PR (which later grew into a full-time position) after having a great interview. She gave us a few tips and insights on making a great first impression.

1. Practice makes perfect: The more interviews you go on, the more comfortable you are with the interview setting.
2. Age is just a number: Don’t let age determine which positions you apply for. Let your experience speak for itself. If you can do the job better than anyone else, go for it!
3. Do your homework: Research the firm before going in for an interview. It’ll help you think of questions and start a conversation.
4. Ask questions: Show your research and enthusiasm by asking questions in the interview. An interview is as much your chance to get to know the agency/company as it is a chance for them to get to know you.
5. Carry the conversation: Take control of the interview and be the one to carry the conversation. This is your chance to show off your communication skills.
6. Show your stuff: Even if you haven’t had a lot of PR experience, you can still show your knowledge and creativity. Bring in writing samples of press releases or short stories you’ve written for class or send a link to your blog.
7. Be enthusiastic: Don’t be afraid to show the interviewer your excitement and enthusiasm for the job. Agencies are looking for people who will be motivated and passionate about their work.
8. Be persistent and personal: Follow-up on interviews with a handwritten note. It serves not only as a reminder of your great interview but also shows you care.

Natalie also reminded us once we land an internship, the interview isn’t over; the internship serves as an extended interview for both the intern and the agency. Internships give you a chance to get a feel for the personality of the agency. They’re also a way for agencies to see what you can do. Natalie says if you work hard and are enthusiastic, who knows? You may just land a full-time position.

Touring Target Field

Last Friday we had the awesome opportunity to explore an exciting career in public relations. Chris Iles, the Corporate Communications Manager for the Minnesota Twins, met with us at Target Field, gave us a small private tour and brought in coworkers to talk about PR careers. We got grasp on what a real career looks like in the world of PR and also picked up great advice from seasoned professionals.

As Chris met us in the front office, we couldn’t help but be a little excited. As we walked through the offices, we were all able to ask Chris questions about his job, the kinds of things he was responsible for and any advice he could give us on getting careers in the PR world.

UST PRSSA gets a look inside press boxes behind home plate, executive suites and balcony views.

To end the tour, we went into the Twins conference room and met members of the PR/Community Affairs team. We were excited to learn that one of the members, Stephanie Johnson, is a St. Thomas alumni. As head of the Twin’s Community Fund, Stephanie has the rewarding job of increasing the Twin’s positive image in the community. We were also introduced to Chris’s boss, Kevin Smith, Executive Director of Public Affairs and Executive Director of the Twins Community Fund. Kevin explained his career to us and outlined the career path that brought him where he is today.

After listening to the staff and asking many questions, the tables were turned. As PR students just learning how to become involved with the professional world, the members of PRSSA have an interesting advantage: our familiarity with social media. As college students, most of us have learned how important and trendy social media is in the world of PR today. Kevin, Chris and the team asked us how they should use social media to their advantage. We were able to provide insight and suggestions for engaging Twins fans and increasing their brand revenue.

Friday’s trip to Target Field was not only beneficial to our future careers, but it was also just plain fun. Who doesn’t like to get an inside look at such a prestigious organization? This tour was definitely a great one, and I think a huge THANK YOU is necessary for everyone involved in the planning and organization of this trip!