SEMpdx Presents SearchFest 2009

Well, needless to say it has been awhile since I last posted on the Real World PR blog. To fill you in, I graduated UO, moved to Bend, Oregon and am now working at a stellar Internet Marketing boutique agency specializing in SEO (Search Engine Optimization.) You could call me an SEO Geek…

My AudetteMedia SEO Geek counterparts and myself will be attending SearchFest 2009 presented by SEMpdx this coming Tuesday, March 10th. To say I’m excited for this event would be a wicked understatement. This intimate gathering of search nerds is sure to be an informative, fulfilling and fun experience.

If you’ll be in Portland, Oregon March 10th, have a day to spare and are at all interested in learning the latest advancements in enhancing search engine performance to deliver more visitors and customers to your website, you really should be at the Oregon Zoo at 8 am.

Details:

Conference tracks will cover a wide variety of topics, ranging from search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) fundamentals, to more advanced tracks that include leveraging Web 2.0 to increase online visibility and sales, Web analytics, and future trends.

Location: Oregon Zoo – Cascade Crest Banquet Center.

Danny Sullivan’s (Yea, that’s right!) Keynote will kick off the day beginning at 8:00am with breakfast provided. Sessions will run all day and conclude with exciting Hot Seat Site reviews and a cocktail reception following at 5:00pm.

Speakers & Topics:

•    Danny Sullivan, Search Engine Land

•    Rand Fishkin, SEOmoz

•    Adam Audette, AudetteMedia

•    Vanessa Fox, Nine by Blue

•    Marshall Simmonds, New York Times

•    Neil Patel, ACS SEO

•    Riona MacNamara, Google

•    Laura Lippay, Yahoo

•    Matt McGee, Small Business SEM

•    Greg Hartnett, Best of the Web

•   And More!

Be there!

Link Together, Stay Together

Another edition of Link Together, Stay Together to bring you some more PR blogs and worthy sites to link to along your journey through this real world of public relations.

culprit – “Guiding the career in public relations.” This is an excellent blog to check out, especially for those aspiring to become PR professionals.

Online Public Relations Thoughts – “Daily entries on public relations and communications ideas and trends.”

The Professional Communicators’ Coach – “A blog specifically designed to assist Professional Communicators such as Public Relations (PR) practitioners, media managers, marketing specialists, public speakers and authors have more prosperity, passion and purpose in their professional lives.”

Media Orchard – “Media News, Marketing Views, Celebrity Culture, Political Spin.”

PR Disasters – “PR disasters, spin doctors and reputation management gone wrong, by PR analyst and author Gerry McCusker.”

So, link up bloggers and stay connected with the virtual world of public relations. Enjoy!

Social Media 101

 

“It is increasingly clear that the level of a brand’s engagement with the ever growing online community is beginning to have a direct correlation with that brand’s reputation,” according to the Top Brands in Social Media Report 2008 found on the immediate future blog.  

www.lunac.net

 

Social media: what is it, how does it work and why should you be doing it?

Following, are excerpts from and an expansion on Immediate Future’s Top Brands in Social Media Report 2008. Check out IF’s blog for the full Report.

 

“The term social media reflects the sharing of information, experiences and opinions through a series of widely available, easy-to-use tools. Very simple, very public, very hard to ignore.”

Social media is booming. Each day, new reports surface concluding that the phenomenon is continually growing.

What makes up Social Media?

Social media describes online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences and perspectives.

 Social media includes:

·Blogs

·Microblogging (Twitter)

·Forums

·Social networks (MySpace or Facebook)

·Video sharing (You Tube)

·Picture sharing (Flickr)

·Podcasts

·Vidcasts

·Wikis  

·Virtual worlds or communities (Second life)

 

According to the Social Media Report 2008:

Social media encourages the building of communities; Groups of people with common interests who interact with one another on varying subject matters.  

More importantly, anyone can participate in these communities. Finding a group and joining in the conversation is very easy thanks to the wide variety of online tools available (which facilitate the finding and sharing of information.)

But what does that mean for brands? Quite simply, the balance of power has shifted – with control passing from the brands themselves to the consumers. Online audiences can choose the content they want to view and are free to comment on/share it with whomever they like, whenever they wish to do so. Brands must accept that they need to embrace this shift, rather than shy away from it, as this is a trend that looks set to continue.

We covered what social media is and how it works. So, why should you use it?

Blogging, and the reading of blogs, an important component of social media, is now a widespread activity, becoming increasingly impossible to ignore. The risk is: people will talk about brands with or without that company’s permission (in recent research, 34% of bloggers revealed they currently post opinions about products and brands on their blog.)  It is therefore vital to be part of those conversations, or even to initiate them (such as through a company blog, with 36% of online users stating that they think more positively about companies who actually run their own blog).

It is important for individuals and companies alike to speak the first word. Several brands not currently using social media have taken a fall for it. On the other hand, companies utilizing social media have reaped the benefits.

Share of voice is a term that describes essentially that: the amount a certain brand is talked about in comparison with other brands. A share of voice analysis was done by immediate future for the 2008 Social Media Report. Communication in the digital world was measured, then analyzed, to determine which brands were most talked about and thus had the largest voice within social media networks.

The results:

Share of Voice for Top 25 Brands

The table presents the results from the 2008 research. IF Rank ‘08 represents the 25 most discussed brands across the selected social media sites, with last year’s results shown under IF Rank ‘07. The year on year change is also included, as well as the rankings for the Interbrand 2007 research and Millward Brown’s ‘Top 100 Most Powerful Brands’ 2008.

The bottom line is, it is becoming increasingly important for brands to be aware of social media and who is saying what about them. A proper outlet needs to be created for consumers to initiate and continue conversations, and eventually become advocates for the brand. It is important for brands to avoid controlling the conversation. Rather, by consistently monitoring and participating in the social network preferred by their audience, brands can begin to develop a powerful following of advocates, who will, in turn continue to spread the word on the brand’s behalf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those That Link Together, Stay Together

Whether you are a current, past or future public relations professional, there is a lot of great stuff that exists in the blogosphere to enhance your journey through the real world of PR.

Check out these blogs to keep up with what’s happening the virtual world of public relations:

The Bad Pitch Blog: “An award-winning public relations resource from Richard Laermer and Kevin Dugan, since January 2006.”

Communication Overtones: Contributors: Kami Huyse and Lauren Vargas.

KD Paine’s PR Measurement Blog: “If you’ve ever wondered how to measure social media, public relations, public affairs, media relations, internal communications or blogs.”

Media Bullseye: “News, Advice and Commentary for Public Relations, Marketing and New Media.”

More with Les: “Les Potter blogs on strategic communication/public relations and integrated marketing communication… plus life in general.”

POP! PR Jots: by Jeremy Pepper.

PRos in Training: “Tips, tools, resources and random thoughts for students (and veterans) of public relations.” Written by University of Oregon professor of public relations, and co-owner of a local PR firm, Kelli Matthews.

Spare Change: “Making a difference with social marketing.” By Nedra Kline Weinreich.

Strategic Public Relations: “Focused on public relations strategy within integrated marketing communications. Hosted by Kevin Dugan since July 2002.”

The PR Post: A blog for writing students. Written by Tiffany Derville, assistant professor of public relations at University of Oregon.

Tough Sledding: “Bill Sledzik on public relations and how it affects our lives.”

Young PR: “Discussing issues affecting PR students and new practitioners.”

Add to your blogroll and enjoy!

“Go World” Does Public Relations Play a Role in the 2008 Summer Olympics?

It’s been awhile, Real World PR readers, and much apologies for the lack of posts in the last few months. Graduating college, PR job searching, PR job starting and moving to a new city can really take it out of you. But, enough about that — Let’s dive head first into one of the hottest public relations issues facing the world right now: The 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Image courtesy of living-chinese-symbols.com

Much controversy, questioning and skepticism has surrounded the lead-up to 08.08.08. Now that we’re a week into it, is there an answer to that ever-burning question, “can public relations save the Beijing Olympics?”

According to Phil Gomes’ Web log, Phil’s Blogservations, “No amount of PR—no matter how carefully or strategically applied—will help a faulty or underperforming product in the long term.”

Is this the mentality surrounding public relations concerning the 2008 Olympics? Is it reigning true? Depends how you look at it, I say.

Human rights issues proved to be one of the major concerns in the weeks leading up to the Opening Ceremony. Public relations, media coverage, optimism, even hope couldn’t help the wave of grief following the tragic loss of U.S. men’s volleyball coach, Todd Bachman. Bachman was stabbed and killed; apparently victim of a random attack by a Chinese man who then jumped 130-feet, taking his own life.

According to the U.S. men’s volleyball team, they do not feel any “less safe,” in the city of over 14 million and would proceed in their usual fashion following the tragedy, (olympics.thestar.com.)

This tragic event has been magnified, following the wave of concern regarding China’s human rights issues and how the Chinese government would handle such issues.

Call me a blind optimist, but random acts of violence occur in Canada, Romania, even the United States. Not to shadow the horrible devastation of this tragedy, it just may be important to notice the unexpected positives appearing throughout the Beijing games.

There may simply be something to show for seeing the United States Women’s gymnastics squad taping their wrists and chalking their hands side-by-side with China’s Women’s gymnastics team. Smiles plastered on their faces, athletic competition the only rivalry to show.

Perhaps, the Visa commercials said it best, “Go World.” Human rights issues, cultural differences, environmental concerns, and government questioning will always loom overhead. But maybe, just maybe, a sporting event so promising and historical as the Olympic Games can overshadow our differences and we can all cheer the world for accomplishments and grace.

E-mail Etiquette: It Can Make or Break You

As we approach graduation and the time comes to apply for jobs, send resumes and ask for references, e-mail etiquette could just be what will make or break your future.

This might sound extreme, but potential employers, teachers and/or business professionals looking to possibly hire you or give you a letter of recommendation may be deterred by poor e-mail writing.

Most e-mails are not written correctly. Mistakes can vary, from grammar to punctuation to salutation, but a poorly written e-mail always receives the same results: an equally poor impression.

Check out Brian Zafron’s The Art of E-mail-Writing And How It Can Make or Break Your Business, a nice refresher on e-mail writing and etiquette.

Here, I want to briefly remind you of some tips for writing proper e-mails. Zafron goes in to more detail in his post, so be sure to check it out for further clarification.

Content

1. Make your purpose clear: Say what you need to say in as little words as possible. There is no room for ambiguity in e-mail etiquette. Period.

2. Brand with a meaningful subject line: A straight-forward, explanatory subject line will almost guarantee the receiver reads your e-mail. Confusing, spam-like headers will most likely end up in the trash.

3. Pay attention to tone: E-mails establish relationships with potential employers, business partners, teachers, etc. so it is important to have a compatible tone. Shaky writing might translate into a shaky relationship.

Style

1. Engage people with your sentences: Make your sentences strong; use vivid verbs and concrete language that won’t leave a reader asking questions or feeling confused. Basically, write your e-mails as if you are turning it in to your PR Writing professor; think about how he/she would grade it as an assignment and adjust accordingly.

2. Vary sentence length: No run-ons. Short sentences are better than long ones; this will keep readers engaged.

3. Don’t be a pompous jerk: A potential employer won’t be impressed by your ability to use a thesaurus, so stick to words you already have in your vocabulary. An extensive vocabulary can be an asset (especially for us PR writers) but, overly wordy, unnatural vocabulary can take away from the quality of your message.

Form/Technicals

1. Brevity is key: There it is again. Nobody likes long e-mails. In general, people don’t like to read. So make your e-mail quick and to the point.

2. CC with moderation: Only carbon copy (cc) to parties who are directly in contact with the subject of the e-mail. When in doubt, blind carbon copy (bcc) to conceal the names and addresses of recipients.

3. Throw on your John Hancock: Your signature at the end of an e-mail, along with contact information, provides a great touch of professionalism.

One last tip from me: Consult your AP Style Book. This is especially important for us aspiring PR practitioners who will be sending e-mails to professional PR practitioners.

Like I said before, send out e-mails as if your PR Writing teacher will be editing it. Mind all of these tips and your electronic mail etiquette really could make your transition into the real world of public relations, not break it.

Graduate School? Is it for you?

Spring term, the last term of a four year, undergraduate college education, is rapidly approaching. As seniors about to graduate we are faced with many difficult decisions: Do we move home and live with our parents? Do we travel around Europe for the summer? Do we get a job right away? Do we continue school and get a master’s degree or MBA?

Here, with the help of Les Potter, author of Les is More, I hope to aid you aspiring PR practitioners in the grad school, master’s degree, MBA decision making process. Les recently blogged about this process and offers great advice on whether or not to attend grad school, how to decide, figuring out why and choosing where. Check out his blog post for the whole story.

Les’ advice, that I second, is to ask yourself why do you wish to have a graduate degree? Your answer will lead you directly in to the next important question: in what do you wish to obtain a graduate degree?

Choosing a graduate program can be difficult. Tiffany Derville, assistant professor of Public Relations at the University of Oregon, recommends that students with a background and /or formal education in public relations may prefer the route of an MBA. Professional business skills can be a great asset to public relations knowledge. For those students who do not have formal education in the area of public relations a graduate degree in communications or specifically public relations can become extremely beneficial.

Here’s a tip: go work for at least three to five years in the real world of public relations before making a final decision about graduate education. This real world experience can hone your goals and objectives for your professional experience in public relations and provide you with hands-on experience that will help you in your later studies. Within those three to five years you might even find a job that offers tuition reimbursement programs for education that would further your business performance. Les recommends this in his blog and Tiffany seconds the recommendation.

The real world of public relations is out there ready and waiting for us future grads. I suggest we all take Les and Tiffany’s advice and experience this world for a few years. We have enough decisions to make in the next few months, so if we don’t already know that we want to attend graduate school after graduation, maybe we should take those few years of real world experience to figure it out.

One First Class Ticket. Final Destination: The Real World of Public Relations

Want to learn more about the real world of public relations? Want to meet PR professionals? Want an opportunity to observe public relations in action? Want to really sharpen your skills while building a resume and portfolio?

Look no further than your local college chapter of PRSSA. The Public Relations Student Society of America was founded by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) aiming to cultivate important, lasting relationships between students and professional public relations practitioners.

The mission of PRSSA is to enhance students’ knowledge of public relations, provide access to professional development opportunities and to serve the public relations profession by helping to develop highly qualified, well-prepared professionals.                                                                                                                                 (Image from prssa.org)

PRSSA offers great tools, opportunities and advantages for students planning to enter the professional world of public relations after college.

• PRSSA provides dozens of media for individual members to communicate with the Society’s national leadership; these resources provide opportunities only members can benefit from.

• PRSSA and its sponsors give away $20,000 each year to winners in national scholarship and award competitions.

• PRSSA offers students the opportunity to travel to exciting cities across the country and participate in professional and leadership development programs.

As students we often here, “PR is about who you know.” The most intrinsically valuable benefit of a PRSSA membership is the affiliation with PRSA. PRSA is the ‘who’ to know. With over 20,000 members and 124 chapters, the PRSA/PRSSA relationship offers you a vast majority of potential employers.

PRSSA currently has chapters in all but 5 of the United States. If your college has a PRSSA chapter, get in contact with the chapter president and find out when and where meetings take place.

PRSSA is a once in a lifetime, (4 years in college does feel like a lifetime) experience every public relations student should consider. This truly is your ultimate, first-class ticket into the real world of public relations.

Making Public Relations “Sticky”

(Image from madetostick.com.)

My PR writing education at the current moment is focused on “stickiness.” When I say “stickiness,” I am referring to making ideas stick; creating memorable ideas that will stand the test of time.

I am currently reading (or through the first chapter) of Chip and Dan Heath’s Made to Stick. This book illustrates why some ideas thrive and others die.

Mark Twain once observed, “A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can even get its boots on.” There is truth to this observation, and the Heath brothers lay it all out in Made to Stick: Urban legends, conspiracy theories, and bogus public-health scares circulate effortlessly. Meanwhile, people with important ideas—businessmen, educators, politicians, journalists, and others—struggle to make their ideas “stick.”

So how do we, as public relations professionals, make our ideas stick? The Heath brothers have found that sticky ideas have six key attributes in common: simplicity, unexpectedness, concretenes, credibility, emotions and stories.

Think: You are John F. Kennedy and your PR plan is to put a man on the moon.

Strategy:

“To become a leader in the space industry through a maximum, team-centered innovation to specifically target successful aerospace initiatives.” (Blah, blah, blah.)

OR…

“Put a man on the moon and return him safely by the end of the decade.”

Is this idea simple? Yes. Unexpected? Very. Concrete? Yes. Credible? The idea seems crazy, but the source is certainly credible. Emotional? Yes. Story? Yes.

Abstract, dense messages don’t motivate or inspire people. Concise, relatable messages do.

I suggest all aspiring, current and up-and-coming PR practitioners check out this book. It would be great for all of you advertising hopefuls, too. This book is opening my eyes to how I can make my public relations ideas stick. My PR plans will survive, not die, and yours should too.

A PR Look at Starbucks’ Environmental Impact

Pictured above: A Starbucks sleeve you get with your coffee so you don’t burn your fingers. It’s not just a “CAUTION: VERY HOT” warning though, it serves as PR for their social responsibility program:

“Starbucks is committed to increasing the amount of recycling in all our company-operated stores, but it comes with certain challenges. For one, we don’t oversee waste management in all of our company-operated stores and must rely on our various landlords to place a high priority on recycling, as well as track their efforts. In addition, some of our stores are located in communities where commercial recycling facilities are not available. Nevertheless, we strive to increase the number of company-operated stores that participate in a recycling program.”

When I received this sleeve on my usual grande, 1%, no-whip mocha, I noticed two interesting, “errors in judgement,” as I like to categorize them:

1. There is no recycle symbol on the sleeve
2. It says, “For single use only.”

The recycling symbol omission and “for single use only” statement seem to contradict everything else that Starbucks claims regarding their environmental policies and programs. All of us PR practitioners, current and aspiring, know the importance of effective message placement. The recycling symbol universally lets the public know the material they hold in their hand can be recycled. This sleeve gives the impression that we are not to recycle it, just throw it out with the rest of the trash?

Which brings me to my next point: I have been in various Starbucks stores- most frequently: the University of Oregon campus location in Eugene and various locations in Portland, Ore., none of which have any sort of recycling program implemented. I know recycling is a high priority in Eugene and Portland alike, and I also know that commercial recycling facilities are available in both areas. Each store has an ample garbage can to fit all the paper cups and post-consumer fiber sleeves, but no recycling bins.

I propose that Starbucks revamp their social responsibility PR program. Recycling should be a more important aspect of the Starbucks corporation and an effective PR plan to implement this would be a challenge Starbucks could successfully face head-on.