PRos in Training

Author: Kelli Matthews

  • Toe-In-The-Water Strategy for Social Media

    [this post originally appeared on my agency’s blog. As I phase that blog out, there are a few posts worth reposting, this is one.]

    Social media means marketing departments, public relations people and CEOs have to let go. They have to let go of control. They have to let the conversation develop and dialogue take place.

    And that. is. hard.

    If your organization is not ready to open itself up to the world, but wants to dip its toe in the social media water, a couple of things will get your started.

    Start monitoring conversation about your organization, key people, trends and issues. The two primary places for monitoring are Technorati and Google Blog Search.

    Both services allow you to subscribe via RSS to a feed. I highly recommend Bloglines to manage your feeds. Lots of people would be just as adamant about Google Reader. The benefit to a feed reader is that you can view all your searches and commonly read blogs in one place, keeping your “favorites” folder more manageable.

    Start an internal blog. You can define what “internal” means. In a pure sense it would mean internal to your organization. But you can also have an “internal” blog for members only or for your staff and board of directors.

    Most blogging platforms allow you to let in or keep out who you want. WordPress is quickly becoming the Internet standard and has lots of great options for privacy. The Intranet Journal offers this how-to on creating an Intranet via WordPress.

    The clear benefit to an internal blog is that there’s still a great deal of control, but you can test systems for posting, monitoring and responding with relative security. You can also foster a blog-friendly culture that will be more open to creating an external blog when the time is right.

    CIO Magazine has seven reasons to create an internal blog here.

    Understanding blogging culture and social media is an important part of getting started. You’ll find some great tips here at Marketing Profs (one of my favorite resources!). And Kami Huyse at Communication Overtones has two excellent posts to which I refer frequently on corporate blogging – here and here.

    Need more toe-in-the-water strategies? Media Orchard offers a few additional tips here.

    Take your time and be deliberate. It may be an instant medium, but when you’re participating on behalf of your organization, it’s important to have all your systems, policies and strategies in place before you dive in.

    “Toes” via Flickr by Crawford 721.

  • Opportunities Across the Pond: Contribute to Behind the Spin

    Richard Bailey, a lecturer at Leeds Metropolitan University in the UK has just launched Behind the Spin: Public Relations for Students and Young Practitioners.

    With contributions from students and practitioners alike, Behind the Spin offers a global perspective on public relations. Check out the editorial calendar. Have a good idea? Read through this isuse and get a sense of the publications style. Then contact Richard and his team about contributing.

    Thanks, Richard for creating such a terrific resource!

  • Step Up to the Mic: PR Open Mic, That is

    Robert French of Auburn University and InfOpinions? launched PROpenMic.org, a social network (on the Ning platform) for PR students and faculty. However, several PRos have joined the mix, too.

    The network just launched today and already has 58 members. Very exciting!

    Some interesting stuff so far:

    Why not join the conversations! You are welcome.

  • Kami & SeaWorld San Antonio on FastCompany.TV

    In February of this year, Kami Huyse of My PR Pro and her blog Communication Overtones spent an hour with my Advanced PR Writing class and talked about her social media work with Sea World San Antonio and the amazing results of her efforts.

    Shel Israel interviews Kami and the park’s director of communication about this effort (and rides the ride!). A great video with some outstanding measurement advice and ideas for social media outreach.

  • Presentations as Resumes

    I think this is a great idea!

    A presentation, uploaded to Slideshare, gives you the opportunity to share who you are with potential employers. I have an online resume, but I’m very tempted to try something like this – just for fun. If I do, I’ll share it with you.

    Exhibit A: J Ben Sykes
    Ben works in Web design and does interactive stuff, so this resume suits that to a T. Gorgeous design. I love it (he has a military background, too… so it helps to tell his story.)

    Exhibit B: Hypothetical. The storyline is a little sappy and veers a little too personal for my taste, but I think the design is nice and this definitely has potential.

    Exhibit C: Cameron Ungar. Cameron’s is a great example. The red text on blue background is hard to read, but the flow works, I think.

  • Shaking the End-of-Term Fog


    The fog in Oregon can be debilitating. It frequently grounds planes at our local airport and has a palpable thickness that makes you want to curl up with a good book by the fireplace.

    Winter term felt much like a thick blanket of fog. Sometimes, a term is just like that. I think it was a combination of my dad’s health crisis and growing sense that one way or another, I have to reduce the work load in my life.

    It finally feels like it’s lifting.

    I’m started to get excited about the upcoming term, which will be full of new challenges (my favorite kind!). It’s also likely to be my last term teaching full-time. So I’m determined to enjoy it.

    I’m doing a little spring cleaning of my desk and closets, working out more and focusing on my family. I can see the sun breaking through!

    What do you do when you’re feeling in a fog? Any great tips?

  • Having Grammar Issues? Your… er, You’re Set!

    With Web 2.0, it seems you only have to ask and you shall receive. There’s a service for everything!

    At Gramlee, you can buy “words” and have professional grammar editors check your work. For a high-profile or high-stakes piece, I can see how it might be worth a try. The Gramlee grammar blog is here.

    Of course Grammar Girl is the queen of grammar tips. With her weekly podcast, you can brush up and be entertained. And this week’s episode is on which vs. that. This is a very very common error in papers I grade… maybe you should listen to it. hint. hint.

    The point, of course, is that resources abound and if you’re having trouble, take advantage of them! I frequently check my AP style via the Web when my styleguide isn’t handy.

    Want to make fun of others – I mean, learn from others’ mistakes? Here are some of my favorite bad grammar blogs:
    GrammarBlog
    The Blog of Unnecessary Quotation Marks

    See also:
    Bad Grammar on a Blog is Like Dirty Toilets in a Restaurant

  • Student Portfolios: Winter 2008

    This is the first term we’ve created e-portfolios for Advanced PR Writing. I think with a few revisions, this will be a great way for students to present their final work.

    But overall, the students did a great job. These are the best of the bunch:

    Patrick Boye
    Eileen Chang
    Lisa Poplawski
    Emily Tormey


    © Ann Cutting/Corbis

  • Don’t Make Me Cranky: Tips for Surviving the End of the Term

    This is the final day of finals week of Winter term 2008.

    The last few days I’ve been out of town helping at my parents’ house in Henderson, Nev. following my dad’s 5-way heart bypass surgery. No an ideal place to be trying to finish grading for 60+ students, but you do what you have to do.

    I want to offer a few tips for preserving your sanity (students) and not making your instructors cranky as you wrap up your term.

    1. Follow Directions: Each assignment sheet provides instructions on how to succeed; formatting requirements, length,etc. Just follow the directions – knowing is half the battle.

    2. Try the Technology: In some classes, you’re trying new technology (GarageBand, Audacity, SlideShare, etc.). Try it out immediately, so you can make adjustments well before the deadline.

    3. Test the Technology: Once you’ve created a file (particularly an audio file), test it. Make sure that’s the length you think it is, that it looks the way you think it should and it works the way it’s meant to.

    4. Ask for Clarification: If you don’t understand the assignment or the requirements, ask for clarification. Ideally not an hour or two before the deadline.

    5. Think Ahead: Asking for an extension the day of a deadline is not looked upon fondly. If you have a genuine reason that you need a couple of extra days, and it’s possible for me to grant an extension, I will. But you have to ask well in advance. (disclaimer: We’re a deadline-driven industry and many instructors won’t give any extra time. Better to meet the deadline to begin with!)

    6. Offer a Solution: If you’re stuck, your technology is not cooperating and you’re at your wits’ end, it’s ok to let me know that. At the same time, offer me a solution. Ex: Slideshare is not uploading my audio file for the slidecast. I may need a couple of extra hours. If I’m not able to make it work by 9 pm, I’ll send you separate files of the audio and slideshow and you’ll have it in your email box by the end of the day.

    Some of this is too little, too late for my Winter term students. But maybe provides some food for thought going forward.

    Other tips?

  • Your Email Signature Block is Not a Resume

    Your Email Signature Block is Not a Resume

    I’ve noticed a trend.

    Students who are heavily involved in activities will be quick to let you know… in their email signature block.

    Like most (all!) of what we write in public relations, your email signature line should be appropriate to your target audience. The advice on email signature lines will vary dramatically (just do a search). But here are a few tips for students and young PRos to make the most of this tiny piece of real estate:

    1) Keep it simple: Less is more! Include the info your recipient needs – name, basic contact info – and avoid information overload.

    2) Create more than one signature block: Your email signature block should not substitute as a resume. If you’re an intern, an account manager at the student-run PR firm, serve on the PRSSA executive board and participate in your sorority or fraternity, that’s all wonderful. However, each of those roles serves different purposes, and your signature line should, too.

    If you were my intern, I would want you to represent my clients as a member of my firm (not as a student leader or participant in campus activities). If you were my intern, you’d also be using a company email, so putting that info on your personal signature line doesn’t seem appropriate (although I’m glad you’re proud!).

    Put your Web site or blog address in your subject line and provide your resume there.

    3) Avoid quotes. I might get in trouble for this… I know lots of people who have quotes in their signature blocks. I’d say if you want to include a quote, make it a positive one and keep it short. But generally, think about the point and think about your audience. Is it necessary info?

    4) Don’t use lame fonts. Lots of fonts don’t translate from machine to machine or from HTML or “rich text” to a plain text email system. If you’re trying to do something fancy-schmancy… don’t (refer to tip 1).

    5) No personal info. Keep the info business-oriented. No one needs to know how many days left until graduation.

    So what should you include? No more than five or six lines and keep any “mini commercials” to one line.

    • Name
    • Credentials relevant to the email and to the recipient
    • Phone Number
    • Email
    • Web site or blog address

    For other tips, look here, here and here.

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