Promised Podcasts

Thanks for all of your suggestions for podcast topics, but I came up with one on my own. I originally posted these on my class blog Social Media.

When we talk about social media and public relations we constantly talk about engaging our audience and having a human voice. We are documenting our human voices everyday when we digitize "who we are." We are creating a time capsule. Have you ever thought about social media this way? Listen more about this here.

You should listen to the second podcast in the series where I put this time capsule talk into action. I interview college students and ask them what they are thinking about these days. Now it is linked here in the black hole of the Internet for years to come.

New Media...Douche Bags

This has been all over the place, but I still want to post it for those of you who haven't seen it yet. It gave me a good laugh.

Seven Facts Meme

Ashley B of There's a Mouse in My House tagged me with her Seven Random Facts meme, so here we go ...

Here are the rules of this particular Meme:
Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself.
Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Seven Random Facts about Me, Kelly J.

I am absolutely ridiculously stupid when it comes to driving directions, and therefore I have a dependent relationship with my GPS. I really am a good driver when it comes to the act of driving, but getting there is my battle.

I love game shows! I would love to be on one, and I am pretty confident I would win. If my boyfriend and I were on Amazing Race we would be very stiff competition. But what about the above fact you say? Josh is a fantastic navigator so the fact that I am directionally challenged wouldn't make a difference, and I'm not afraid to try/eat anything they'd throw at me. Other game shows I enjoy: Cash Cab, Lingo, Chain Reaction, Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy. Loving game shows brings me to my next fact:

My family and I used to watch Jeopardy every night after dinner. Now that I don't live at home anymore I try to catch Jeopardy every chance I get. It's kind of sad though because I play by myself in my living room, and it's no fun when there is no one there to hear your correct answers! It is also a pet peeve of mine when people talk to me while I am trying to watch Jeopardy, it's just not right!

People I would like to meet: Larry David, Ira Glass, and Natalie Portman. There are others, but I really think these people are pretty cool. Obviously other historical figures would be interesting to meet, but that is too typical of an answer.

Something that grinds my gears: when girls dress provocatively on Halloween just because they can. What a great day of the year to be creative, and some people ruin it with mindless costumes where the only asset is cleavage.

Food is important in my family. (For reasons other than survival) It has always been an outlet of creativity and topic of conversation. Growing up, we ate dinner together every night, and if you couldn't make it you'd make some people pretty upset.

In another life I want to be one of Justin Timberlake's backup dancers. That would require talent that I could only posses in another life because it doesn't exist in this one.

Tag you're it: Make Marketing History, So this is mass communication?, PR Squared, Unspun

It Takes Two to Tango

Media Guerrilla responds to the question, "How do you know when to talk back?" The answer to the question in regards to blogs seems tricky to me. Media Guerrilla seems to do a good job of creating a three pronged test, so to speak.

1. "Is the post factually accurate?



2. Is the post a fair expression of opinion?



3. Is a relationship with the author important?"

When the answer to these questions is "yes" Media Guerrilla gives some good food for thought:

"If yes, then you have to go one step further and ask yourself if talking back
via comments or the back channel will augment and extend the relationship. Only
you can answer that question.
If no, then you still have to go one step
further and ask whether or not the blog post itself can impact and influence
people's perceptions. In most cases, if a relationship with the blog author
isn't a priority, neither is the blog's readership, and therefor there's no need
to talkback. Case closed."

When the answer to the prongs are "no" it takes careful consideration on a case by case basis of what to do next. In another post, Media Guerrilla says the best way to direct your consideration is to maintain focused on what types of conversations suit your goals best. He says,


"Listening is important, no doubt, but when it comes to response and engagement, you really need to pick and choose which conversation will have the best returns and outcomes - i.e., which conversation will serve your purpose best."


I agree with this, but by no means should this be applied as a cut and dried approach. I don't think Media Guerrilla intended it to be either. Engagement is all about connecting on a personal level. You don't just do it because it benefits you. I understand you need to prioritize your resources, but social media is ideally about the two-way benefits-- not just converting trust into dollars.

Chris Schroeder relates Media Guerrilla's approach to the saying, "keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." Again, I think this may be a superficial way of looking at social media. Call me unrealistic, but why not strive to minimize your enemies by giving your audience a reason to trust you.

*Photo from People.com at http://tinyurl.com/2h2a42

Thanksgiving Wake-Up Call

The nearing of the holidays is directly proportional to how busy we are all getting. However, it is also a reminder to how we should handle all of this stress. There was a great post on The Bad Pitch Blog a while back entitled, "Dudes, Stop your Belly Aching." Richard Laermer outlines advice for PR types to stop their complaining.

While I (almost always) struggle to control my road rage, 'tis the season to realize there is more to life. My favorite of Richard's points is that we need to stop acting like everything is so urgent. While there are deadlines and due dates, the assignments will get done whether I stress over them or not.

Also remember to compliment more and stop complaining. It's way too easy to complain. Going with the flow whether it is leading up to the holidays or during those sometimes stressful holiday family dinners beats being a negative Nancy any day!

Podcast Newbie

For my social media class I have to create two podcasts that are around three minutes long. I am trying to brainstorm different ideas for topics. I am thinking along the lines of a short NPR's This American Life podcast. This American Life is self described as:

"The radio and TV shows follow the same format. There's a theme to each episode,
and a variety of stories on that theme. It's mostly true stories of everyday
people, though not always. There's lots more to the show, but, like we said,
it's sort of hard to describe."

Actually, it sort of reminds me of Lizzie's blog, "Five Questions for Everyday People."

In one of my favorite This American Life episodes, they went to a jail that was performing a version of Hamlet. They interviewed the actors who played a murderer in Hamlet and who were convicted of the same crime, and then delved into how this situation shaped the role like no other playhouse had.

While I obviously cannot make a podcast this in depth or sophisticated, I am trying to think of a theme to tackle from different angles. If you have any great ideas please let me know! Otherwise stay tuned for my very first podcasts.

*Photo Credit- Antonis Papantoniou

Whole Foods--A Halfway Attempt at Communications

Whole Foods has banned their top executives from online forums. The amendments to their business code of conduct is in response to the scrutiny they faced in July. Their CEO posted unfavorable comments on a forum under an alias about their competitor, Wild Oats, and now they are banning any such activity to regain control. According to their code, "
no member of Company Leadership may make any posting to any non-Company-sponsored Internet chat room, message board, web log (blog), or similar forum, concerning any matter involving the Company, its competitors or vendors, either under their name, anonymously, under a screen name, or communicating through another person."

Kristin Maverick from "Bitemarks" says, "In my opinion, Whole Foods made a mistake and took the heat. They shouldn't ban online forums completely from their company but rather move forward and set an example that transparency (the one thing that their CEO didn't comply with) can actually be positive for your company and something that they are striving to improve upon."

I also think it shows a complete misunderstanding of social media. It is a great thing to take responsibility for your mistakes and even helps to cultivate the idea that is at the very heart of two-way communication: letting the consumer know that you aren't holier than thou. Corporations make mistakes too, and the best way to correct a mistake is to improve in the future. Whole Foods has completely taken that option off the table. Plus, if they see how they can leverage social media, and decide to change their policies in the future, they may catch even more flack for their "duh" moment.

Maybe this post is useless because there will be no response from their side of the story, at least from someone in a leadership position. Is this just another example of social media misunderstood and a desire for control or does Whole Foods have a valid need for their ban?

"Remember it's just an interview not an execution" --Conrad Fink, Grady College, UGA

As my job search ensues, I am looking for any tips on how to interview well and how to craft an appealing resume and cover letter. I have found some basic tips on these matters through blogs, but some of the best tips I've gathered have been from professors. These are just a few:

• If your hair tends to get in your eyes, pin it back. You don't want to be nervously pushing it away.
• If you find yourself rambling while answering a question, but don't know how to conclude your response, repeat the question with a short answer to get back on track.
• Send hand-written thank-you notes!
• Think of details that may set you apart before the interview so that you can pepper your responses with these facts.

Obviously you should not forget standard best practices during an interview, but these were just a few tips I found that were out of the ordinary. Please let me know if you have any to add!

In case you missed it: Pat Connor, HBO Corporate Affairs and Public Relations

Last night, at the PRSSA meeting, Pat Connor spoke to us about corporate public relations. She talked about the perks of working for HBO, but it is her passion for some of the causes HBO highlights and contributes to that has kept her going for so long.

Her tips for breaking into the competitive field of public relations:

• Realize that change brings opportunity and learn how to be nimble and embrace those changes
  
• Be a consumer of news--you must understand your environment so you won't be left out
• Be enthusiastic and confident
• In interviews, know the things you have accomplished that are effective and creative. Show them you are there to learn and get things done.
  

Blog Action Day: A Mass Communication Case Study?

Today is Blog Action Day!

According to their Web site, Blog Action Day queries, “What would happen if every blog published posts discussing the same issue, on the same day?” They conclude, “One issue. One day. Thousands of voices.”
What a great idea to unite voices of mass communication for awareness of a great cause. Blog Action Day is about blog posts about the environment that still pertain to the bloggers typical topic.

Correlating PR and the environment is harder than you may think. However, I think we should take today to remind ourselves to not fall into the trap of taking the environment for granted. While this is stereotypical, I think it is common for the PR type to become too consumed with their to-do list to see the big picture. We need not let our proliferated technologies completely take over, and instead think about what we are doing. Turn off auto pilot, appreciate the world around us, and think about the importance of preserving it.

This is my small reflection and support of Blog Action Day.

If you missed it: PRSSA Social Media Meeting

Last night’s PRSSA meeting went well. It helped enhance many things we have been discussing in the social media class, and many great tools in the industry arsenal. Natalie Rittle, director of client relations for Plexus Web Creations and Audrey Baker of Porter Novelli discussed the facets of social media.

Audrey made some great points about social media tools. Notably:

The new shift in PR facilitates horizontal communications within organizations. It is no longer viable to communicate top-down. Organizations should have a human voice and be at an equal level with the consumer.

She also made a great point that we should not get ahead of ourselves when it comes to new media. Being the first to jump on a new application’s band wagon may not always be a great idea. She used Second Life as an example. Although it is not always a bad idea to be a pioneer in using these applications, her point is don't use a tool just because it is there, but rather see its need first.

Natalie taught us tremendous things about search engine optimization. Notably:

An organization should strategically write its Web site copy to display key words in order to rank high in search engines, but sometimes that forfeits good, clear writing. You may have to decide which is more important and make compromises.

SEO is a great way to show your client substantial results. PR is often times difficult to measure, but SEO follows a kind of scientific method that can be measured with concrete numbers.

Thanks to Natalie and Audrey for sharing their expertise with our chapter!

What were some of your favorite points our speakers made and is there anything else you wish they could have touched on?

The "FUN"damentals of Pitching a Press Release

We have all had our variety of internships with their various duties. Therefore I was thinking I would tap into the resource that is the blogosphere and see what your ideas are concerning pitching a press release.

While the social media press release is great when it comes to laying out your information and respecting the journalist’s intelligence, what is the best way to pitch it? Would you e-mail the journalist with just a few details asking if they would like more information and then send the SMPR, would you just send the SMPR cold with a salutation and their name, or would you lead in with a small pitch letter and have the SMPR appear under it? Do you adhere to the “never send a journalist an e-mail with an attachment” rule? Would you ever follow up with a call?

These are questions I have been working with the past week. We recently have had a story at my internship that we want in the store’s local newspapers. These newspapers are mostly small town publications so I am really hoping it won’t be too hard to get some coverage.

So far I have done research on the newspapers’ websites trying to identify the reporters who are covering the beat I am interested in. Then I get their e-mail addresses and send them our version of the SMPR and a small note at the beginning explaining the angle I think has the most interest. I followed up a few days later asking if they received the information I’ve sent. I am not sure if I should follow up with a call next or not.

Pitching press releases are honestly my least favorite part of public relations. I hate feeling like a sales person. Does anyone have any tips of the trade on how to develop relationships with the media or how to pitch a story? My favorite blog that answers some of these questions is the Bad Pitch Blog. Check it out and please help me with some insight from your experiences.

The Social Media Press Release Gets Booked

We have talked a lot about the social media press release in many of my classes including my social media class. Recently, I have been trying to implement it within my internship position. I work at the Barberitos franchising office in public relations and marketing. Because Barberitos isn’t a huge corporation set in its ways with a looming hierarchy of management, I am given a lot of freedom to try new things. I’ll let you know how my pitching of the SMPR goes later. That’ll be another post.

Enough about me. The SMPR may soon have many more "friends." PRXbuilder.com, a SMPR creation tool has been redesigned to work within Facebook.

Shannon Whitley, president of Whitley Media the provider of the PRX Builder, announced on his blog the release of the new Facebook application.

Whitley describes it:

"PRX Builder, the Social Media News Release creation tool, has been totally redesigned to work within Facebook.

No need to remember a separate user id and password – 
PRX Builder now seamlessly integrates with Facebook using your Facebook
account. Distribute releases using Facebook Messages & Posts.

Automatically post releases to Newshound, a Facebook news application.

Additional features, coming soon, will make it even easier to share your news with your Facebook friends. This is a fantastic way to virally spread your news."

I wonder how many professional practitioners would utilize the Facebook application to distribute their releases. Do you think using Facebook as an outlet for the SMPR may make your message look like spam? Or, do you think you could use it to legitimately reach more of your chosen demographic? You may not be able to control who receives your message, but isn’t that the point of social media? Putting the information out there to engage others in a conversation may be more important than the control. I'm not sure who I would be distributing my news releases to on Facebook. I can't imagine a reporter or even a regular "facebooker" that would perceive anything like that seriously In the Facebook world.

How do you spell public relations? PR.

“Speaking phonetically, Pee Arh” is a blog that examines all facets of public relations (PR) at the University of Georgia, the Public Relations Student Society of America and daily life. I want it to be a communication tool for UGA’s PRSSA chapter and I hope it will create a connection with other chapters. “Pee Arh” will be a resource for members that can help define the broad scope of public relations.

I will also be adding this blog to our website soon at www.uga.edu/prssa.