Come discover PRSSA

The PRSSA Logo, courtesy Google Images

Are you a public relations major? Are you doing everything you can to prepare yourself for graduation? Are you involved with the Public Relations Student Society of America? If you answered yes to the first two, but no to the last, there is something wrong with your answer. How can you be doing everything to prepare for graduation and not be involved with PRSSA?

It often baffles me when students don’t take advantage of all the benefits PRSSA has to offer. I’d like to outline a few of them and see if I can convince you to become a member of this outstanding organization.

More bang for your buck

Membership dues vary among chapters, so I can only speak for PRSSA Kent. Our dues are $50 for the entire year, and for that you receive many benefits. Here are just a few:

• Educational opportunities – PRSSA Kent has an officer who is specifically in charge of planning the schedule for each semester. The VP of Professional Relations brings in public relations professionals to talk about all aspects of the field. Attending these meetings can help you get a better understanding of what you want to do upon graduation.

• Networking opportunities – PRSSA Kent provides at least one networking opportunity a year for our students. This spring we will have the Communications Connection, a networking event with Ad Club, and a joint social media conference with Akron PRSA. Members can also attend events outside of Kent like National Conference, National Assembly and regional activities.

• National benefits – Being a member means you have access to many of the benefits National PRSSA provides. These include, but are not limited to: JobCenter, PR Issues and Trends, Forum, Scholarships and Competition and contact with the PRSSA National Committee. *Side note: There are many PR scholarships that tend to look more kindly on those students who are PRSSA members.

Added bonuses

• Experience – Is your résumé blank? PRSSA is a great way to get early experience and add things to your résumé.
  

  The 2009-2010 PRSSA Kent officers

  You can head up a committee to plan a networking event, help out with online media or even plan a campaign for a PRSSA competition. If you haven’t had an internship yet, PRSSA will help you show employers that you have experience outside of the classroom. *Side note: PRSSA is also a great way to find an internship. The PRSSA Kent networking events have plenty of professionals from  Northeast Ohio who are looking for interns.

• Leadership – If you want to take your membership to the next level, consider running for an executive board position. PRSSA Kent’s executive board has meetings every other week, and we plan everything from meetings to our mentoring program to PRSSA office hours. After serving as an officer for three years, I can say that I’m more confident to speak in front of people, and my leadership skills have drastically improved.

Have I convinced you yet? If you’re not already a member of PRSSA you can find more information at prssa.org and see if your university has a chapter. I am proud to say that I am a PRSSA member. When graduation comes around I know I’ll be prepared. Are you?

What are some other student organizations that are beneficial to public relations students?

Have you networked today?

Picture courtesty Google Images

I know I briefly touched on networking in my last post, but I think it’s a topic that’s worth some deeper discussion. So let’s start with the definition of networking. Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary says networking is the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions; specifically: the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business.

Today it also includes networking through social media. While social media networking is important, I’d like to focus on face-to-face communication for this post.

What’s your 30-second commercial?

I recently had the opportunity to attend the 2009 PRSSA National Conference. While I was there I attended a session led by Laura Neal, Industry Specialist for Arts, Entertainment & Communications at California State University Fullerton’s Career Center, and Debbie Darling, Industry Specialist in the Humanities and Social Sciences at CSUF’s Career Center, titled “From Wannabe to Winner.” If you want to see the PowerPoint from the session you can do so here. During the presentation they talked about networking and how everyone should have a “30-second commercial” prepared that briefly explains who you are and what you have to offer.

For example, my 30-second commercial might go something like this:

Hi, my name is Mary Jo Spletzer. I’m a senior public relations major at Kent State University and I serve as president for PRSSA Kent. I’ve interned at Flash Communications, the university’s student public relations agency, and I’m currently interning at the Akron Art Museum. I’m hoping to pursue a career in non-profit or corporate PR.

From listening to this you know who I am, what I’ve done and what I might plan to do in the future. Depending on who I’m talking to, I might add in some of my skills so the person can get a sense of what I can offer to his/her company. Neal and Darling say to keep three things in mind when you start to network: be aware of your social context (your commercial might change depending on who you’re talking to), stay focused (know what you want to say and say it) and know who you are (stay true to yourself).

Do you know your Netiquette basics?

Some people know this as etiquette rules for the internet, but I’m referring to networking etiquette. What should you wear? How do you politely end a conversation? Here are some tips that Neal and Darling provide:

• Dress the part – Unless the setting calls for casual clothing, you need to look professional. Make sure you wear nice clothes and look put together.

• Know your intended goal – If there is someone at an event you really want to speak to, then make sure you do. Don’t be pushy or rude, but make yourself known.

• Keep in mind your handshake, eye contact and posture – Your handshake should be firm, but not too firm (some people don’t know their own strength). Keep eye contact with the person and really listen to what he/she is saying. Be poised and stand tall. Slouching never got you anywhere.

• Have some conversation starters – Have a few things in mind that you want to talk about, and always have open-ended questions handy. You don’t want to awkwardly stare at each other or keep making the other person repeatedly answer yes or no.

• Know how to end a conversation – The best way to do this is say, “It was very nice talking to you, but I’m sure there are other people you’d like to meet so I won’t take up all your time. Thank you and here is my business card.” The exchange of business cards (see below) is a great way to end a conversation.

• Have a business card ready – Business cards usually end the conversation and help the person remember you. They should be simple and professional. When you exchange cards always make sure the card is upright to the other person (you should be looking at it upside down). Also, take the time to look at the other person’s card before putting it away. You may even want to make a comment about it.

These are just some simple tips to keep in mind when networking. Remember that it’s about building a relationship and nurturing it so it strengthens and grows. It’s important to network early in your career and often. You never know who you will meet.

What are some networking tips you have? Do you have your 30-second commercial ready?

National Conference, here I come!

Enjoying day one at the San Diego Bay with my roomies.

This past week was a blur for me. I hopped on a plane and headed to sunny San Diego for the 2009 PRSSA National Conference. While the sunshine and palm trees were a nice break, I’m glad to be back in good old Kent, Ohio. Even though my bank account won’t let me forget the trip anytime soon, I think it’s important to look back on the sessions, workshops and networking opportunities that conference provided.

Sessions and Workshops

I’ll be honest and say that not all the sessions at conference are top notch. However, there were some I attended that I thoroughly enjoyed (and actually learned a thing or two). Here are two that I think are worth mentioning:

• Voyage to Visions – This session was led by Brad Hawkins, Public Relations Manager for Southwest Airlines, and Christina Simmons, Public Relations Manager for the San Diego Zoo. From Brad’s short presentation (his slides wouldn’t work) I got the impression that it’s all about keeping the customers and the employees happy. Not that I didn’t already know this, but a lot of the speakers, including Brad, reiterated the topic of employee relations. Christina gave a really insightful presentation into the world of the San Diego Zoo. She talked about crisis communications, new zoo initiatives and the importance of making sure they do everything in the best interest of the animals. The zoo is a non-profit organization (something I didn’t know) that uses funds to support conservation and conservation communication around the world.
• Channeling the Message From the Inside Out – Sheri Oppenheimer, a Communications Manager for Campbell Soup Company’s North American Foodservice division, gave a great presentation on employee relations. Campbell’s didn’t always have a high rating with their employees, but they began to understand that if people loved working there, then they would be passionate about the company. They quickly made some drastic changes, and today you won’t find many people who don’t love working at Campbell’s. Sheri told stories about having fun on the job, giving back to the community and treating employees with respect and consideration. Campbell Soup Company is a great example of excellent employee relations.

 

Network, network, network

PRSSA Kent members at the "Bring us something PRSSA" Fiesta

Networking is another important part of conference. While I attended sessions I had the opportunity to meet students from all over the country, from Washington to Iowa to Hawaii.

I also got to see my PRSSA friends who I met at last year’s conference, the 2009 PRSSA National Assembly and the 2009 Leadership Rally. It’s always good to keep in touch because you never know where you will end up. Here are some other networking opportunities that made the trip:

• “Bring Us Something PRSSA” Fiesta – This is the first event to really kick off conference. All the PRSSA Chapters bring something from their school and pass it out to the other conference attendees. It’s a great chance to mingle with other members and see who came to conference. PRSSA Kent passed out paper clips, and in return we received cups, pens, post-its and many other goodies. My favorite gift was a Hawaiian lei from the University of Hawaii. 
  

  Celebrating PRSSA Kent's University Service Teahan

   

• “Academy of PRSSA Awards” Ceremony and Dinner – This is the last big event of conference where the national committee announces the winners of the PRSSA scholarships and Teahan awards. I am proud to say that Kent State won the Teahan for University Service this year. It’s quite an honor to be nationally recognized, and the $300 check to our chapter isn’t so bad either!

Strengthening Bonds

Another part of conference that I really enjoy is hanging out with the other members from PRSSA Kent. At last year’s conference I roomed with Rebecca Odell and Shantae Rollins. It just so happens that now they’re my roommates. This year I learned a lot about four other PRSSA Kent members, and I feel that our bonds have really strengthened through this trip.

Jumping for all the exciting things I learned at conference.

Conference provides numerous professional development opportunities, and I encourage every PRSSA member to attend at least one during their college career. If you can’t make it to conference, consider attending a regional activity or networking event held by your chapter. It’s always a good idea to put yourself out there and learn as much about the field of public relations that you possibly can. So go get registered for an upcoming event and start getting involved! You never know what might come out of it.

The ups and downs of electronic mail

Courtesy Google Images

I love it when the weekend comes. It could because I don’t have school or work. Maybe it’s because I get to sleep in on Saturday. However, the main reason I love it is the lack of e-mails in my inbox. I know that’s a weird reason, but on an average weekday, I usually receive more than 30 e-mails. I get messages from professors, classmates, PRSSA Kent inquirers, listservs, my employers, co-workers and the list goes on. I don’t joke when I say that I can go to class for an hour and come back to 20 unread e-mails.

I think the abundance of e-mails relates to my major. Public relations has a lot to do with communicating, and e-mails are a popular way to send messages. However, many people are careless and often the message is lost.

I recently watched a great video on myragantv.com where Mark Ragan, CEO and Publisher of Lawrence Ragan Communications, gave ten tips on how to avoid e-mail blunders. You can view the video for all of the tips.

Here are five of the tips I thought were really great:

• Tip 1: Don’t say anything that you wouldn’t say in person. I definitely agree on this one. Many times people forget that e-mail is not private. Only send things through e-mail if you would say it face-to-face.
• Tip 2: Don’t write e-mails like text messages. There is nothing wrong with text messaging, but letting it work its way into your e-mails is a big problem. I can’t stand it when I get e-mails with all lower case or no use of punctuation or proper grammar. E-mails should be professional. Save the idk’s and lol’s for your texts.
• Tip 3: Don’t use ALL CAPS. I’m always confused when I get a message in all caps. I’m not sure if the person is angry or if they want to shout what they sent me. It’s also very hard to read. Again, take the time to make your e-mails look professional. Believe me, all caps is not the way to do this.
• Tip 6: Keep your e-mails short. I have to say that I’m guilty of breaking this rule. When I write e-mails to the PRSSA Kent executive board they tend to get very long winded. No one wants to read an e-mail that keeps going like the Energizer Bunny. Get to the point and keep your message brief.
• Tip 8: Summarize an e-mail chain. Don’t make people read through 15 e-mails strung together. Give a quick summary at the top to let them know what’s already been discussed.

Here are some quick tips I think you should also keep in mind:

• Make sure you get the person’s name and spelling right.
• Don’t send short, mysterious messages that the reader can’t understand.
• Double check who the e-mail is addressed to. Those reply all buttons can be tricky.
• Always read the entire e-mail before responding. Your question may have already been answered the first time.

E-mail is a great way to send messages. Just make sure you keep it professional and try to avoid easy mistakes. What are some of your e-mail pet peeves? Do you have any tips for avoiding e-mail blunders?

Changes for PR learning

As I sat down this week to work on my upcoming class assignments, I couldn’t help but think about how much public relations education has changed. I wasn’t in college ten years ago, but I imagine the curriculum was a little different.

The Times They Are A-Changin' album cover

Skills you should already have

If you read any top ten list of skills a public relations professional should have, I’m sure you’ll see the things you already know. These include: writing skills, communication skills, understanding how business works and so on. I agree these are skills that all public relations students should have, but as Bob Dylan says, “The times they are a-changin’.”

Today there is convergence in the PR world.  This means that students, and pr pros already in the field, have to learn additional skills in order to utilize the tools available. This means that in my current classes I have to learn how to create newsletters and spreadsheets in InDesign and create and edit a video that has the potential to go viral.

Skills you may want to learn

With a changing world comes new skills. I think Arik Hanson describes it best in his blog post “The evolving skills of tomorrow’s PR pro.” He says,

“A basic understanding of how you work with traditional media outlets is no longer enough. You also need to understand the nuances of working with bloggers and know how to reach customers where they live online… Understanding information architecture and Web content development was once a “nice-to-have.” In today’s world, PR professionals are expected to develop blogs (using different platforms), Facebook pages and Ning sites. In some cases, we’re even expected to write HTML code.”

The changing skills for public relations professionals is a popular topic in the blogosphere. Sarah Evans, a public relations and new media consultant at Sevans Strategy, wrote a blog post about new skills PR professionals must have. Here are the skills listed in the post:

• Basic HTML code – I never really thought about html code until last month. I’m interning at the Akron Art Museum this fall and I’ve had to put together several e-Blasts using html. It’s not that difficult to learn, but it can be time-consuming. HTML Code Tutorial is one of the sites Evans lists that can help you get started.
• Search Engine Optimization – Search engine optimization allows you to draw in more traffic to your Web site via search engines. There is more to it than links and keywords, and if you’re going to be in public relations, you have to know the basics.
• Social Media Release – These releases are interactive and can include photos, audio and video. You can also provide links in your text, and share these releases through different outlets. The press release isn’t dead and you need to know how to create a SMR.
• Establish an online presence – You may not love social media, but you have to know how to use it. Evans said that this may seem like a huge duh, but employers see value in people who have a strong online following.  So get on Twitter, get on Facebook, and as Nike says, “Just do it!”
  

  Another skill you should have - pumpkin carving!

Of course there are other skills that you should have like programming and design, video writing, production and editing and media monitoring and measurement. I know I still have a lot to learn when it comes to these skills, but I’m confident that I’m heading in the right direction.

What are the top five skills you think PR graduates should have? How can universities improve public relations curriculum?

Plan, Promote and Prosper

Me on Homecoming Court

For those of you who attend Kent State University, you already know that this past week was Homecoming. This year was really exciting for me as I was selected to be on Homecoming Court. It was an amazing experience that I’ll never forget.

OK, enough about me. Let’s talk about the promotion of Homecoming on Kent’s campus. As I was attending all the events this week, I couldn’t help but notice the lack of student attendance at some of them. Maybe it was the weather or maybe it was the low levels of school spirit. However, I think it had something to do with the promotion of these events.

Event Planning 101

As public relations students, we get to learn about many aspects of the field including event planning. If you’ve ever taken PR Tactics with Tim Roberts, you know that planning an event takes a lot of work. Every little detail counts. But what’s the point of having an event if you’re not going to promote it? You can spend a lot of time and money on an event, but if no one shows up, that time and money is lost.

Kent State had some really great events for Homecoming this year. From what I can tell, they definitely put a lot of thought and planning into the events, but they missed a step. They didn’t promote them.

Kent State shoots, but misses

Maybe I’m being a little too harsh. I shouldn’t say that they didn’t promote all of the events. Saturday’s events (parade, game, etc.) were highly attended. In fact, the Bowman Cup broke the record for registration this year. The other events (Thursday’s tailgating party, Friday’s spirit walk, pep rally, etc.) had much lower attendance rates. These events were promoted, but it could have been done better.

Here are some things I think Kent State did well:

• Events listed on KentNewsNet.com
• Events listed in the Daily Kent Stater
• Page dedicated to Homecoming through Alumni Association Web site
• Promotional video with people talking about events

While these are all great ideas, they are definitely lacking. Event listings are good, but if people don’t know what will take place, why should they go? I like that a page is dedicated to Homecoming, but it is only through the Alumni Association. I know, I know Homecoming is about alumni coming back to campus, but a page should have been created on the Kent State Web site as well. Last but not least, the promotional video was a nice idea, but it was boring and no one would want to sit through it.

Here are some things I think Kent State could have done better:

• Detailed list of events sent to students’ email
• More fliers posted on campus
• Page dedicated to Homecoming on Kent State Web site
• Facebook page dedicated to Homecoming
• Twitter updates of the events through @kent360
• More event blurbs in the Daily Kent Stater
• A stronger promotional video that would persuade students to attend events

I was pretty busy this past week, and I may have missed some of the promotional things Kent State did. The above are just suggestions, and Kent State may have actually done some of them. However, after seeing the lack of attendance at some of the events, it’s clear to me that not all of the promotions were done well.

As public relations practitioners we have so many tools to help us achieve our objectives. I’m not saying use them all, but use the tools that are best suited to help you promote your event in the best way you can. Remember synergy – the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts. An event listing is great, but other tools added in can make it better.

What are some ways you think Kent State should promote Homecoming?

Don’t count every hour, make every hour count

Courtesy of Google Images

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, please raise your hand (my hand shoots into the air). Yup, it’s that time again. The semester is in full swing, and once again, I realize that I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. Unfortunately, I can’t spit it out, and I’m going to have to figure out a way to swallow. We’ve all been there, and the only one way to fix it is time management.

They just don’t teach you this stuff in school

As scheduling for spring is right around the corner, I’m sure most of you have begun researching classes for next semester. It was probably easy to find your marketing class and the PR skills classes you haven’t taken yet. Are you thinking about registering for Time Management 101? Oh, you couldn’t find it? That’s because you aren’t going to find a class on time management. It is something you will have to learn on your own.

You’re going to have to figure out how to organize your information, keep track of everything and get your work turned in on time. Some people find this very easy to do, yet others struggle with it every day. I have a pretty solid system, which includes having a planner, making lists and constantly checking my email. However, I always have to be thinking ahead so I don’t fall behind (even then it happens sometimes).

Time is money

You may be thinking that I’m making a big deal out of nothing, but I think it’s safe to say that time management is a huge part of public relations. Companies want to work with people who will get the job done. The PR practitioners who stand out in the field, and get the jobs, are those that can handle information and manage time. You can have the best skill set in the industry, but it won’t matter if procrastination keeps you from getting your work done.

Time management takes time

It’s important to take the time to practice time management. Being organized isn’t always easy, and it isn’t going to happen overnight. Invest in a planner and start organizing your tasks now. As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect.” The students who make their deadlines, and do it well, will go far in the field of public relations.

Lee Odden, who is part of the team at TopRank Online Marketing, a Minneapolis SEO and PR/marketing services agency, wrote a post on the team’s Media Relations Blog about the importance of good organization and time management. Here are some tips from the post:

• Create a clear task list

Write things down. Making a list will  help you prioritize what should get done first. I also suggest getting a planner (and using it) because it helps keep everything organized in one place.  My extra tip is to make sure you write down your list before you go to bed. It will help you sleep better and relieve some of your stress.

• Prioritize

Target each task by its deadline, and make sure you work on the most important tasks first. My extra tip is that a good time manager takes extra time on the important things. Even though other tasks are looming in the background, it’s better to do a good job the first time.

• Congratulate Yourself

Don’t just delete the task from your list. Cross it out so you can see your progress. Personally, this is my favorite part of having a list. I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I have more than 10 things crossed off by the end of the day.

• Schedule Work Time

Odden suggests to go beyond making a list. He thinks it is important to schedule time for when you will work on specific assignments. I definitely agree with this as it makes you sit down and work on your tasks. My extra tip has to do with e-mail. Keep your inbox clean and organized so you don’t forget to complete a task or reply to an important message.

• Constantly Re-Assess

Sit down at the beginning of each week and reevaluate your task list. This will help you eliminate surprises and make sure you get things done in a timely manner. My extra tip is to re-assess more than once a week. I like to sit down every couple of days and rewrite my list. I take off what I’ve accomplished and add in the new things that have come up. This way I always have an updated version of what needs to get done.

Now that you’ve read what I learned, what are some of your tips for successful time management?

Grammar can kill

Can you remember the first day you decided to become a public relations major? I can remember it like yesterday. I walked into Dr. Gordon’s office at the University of Findlay, and the first thing he asked me was, “Do you like to write?” This was an easy question for me – I loved to write! He told me that PR would be a great career choice for me as there was plenty of research and writing involved.

The professors at Kent State provided me with some additional things to keep in mind. You can’t just like to write, you have to write well. Spelling, grammar and punctuation are the basic fundamentals to keep in mind. However, spell check doesn’t cut it, and you can’t just throw in a few commas and be done with grammar and punctuation.

Courtesy of Google Images

We all know this, but sometimes it’s easy to get sloppy when we’re not paying close attention. Don’t get sloppy! Always check your work several times.

You may edit your writing to get a higher grade, but you should edit because bad grammar can kill your message. I’m sure you’ve all read an email from someone and noticed a spelling or grammatical error. Instead of paying attention to the message, you were looking at the error.

It’s even worse today with the addition of texting, tweeting and blogging. Yes it’s a conversation, but that doesn’t mean it’s OK to throw away everything we’ve learned. Bill Sledzik, associate professor at Kent State University, has a post called Teaching students how to write good* that provides great insight for why you should edit your work, especially online.

I know I’m preaching to the choir. You’ve been told year after year that it’s important to have writing skills, but we must also be able to use them effectively. Writing is one of the most important assets for public relations practitioners. Now is the time to hone your skills and practice writing well. I’m nowhere near perfect in my writing, but I use every chance I can to improve and get better.

Here’s my list of tips on how to become a better writer:

• Give yourself time to write

I know we’re in college and realistically we don’t have time. However, it’s important to make time for writing. Some people can write something magical in ten minutes. If you’re like me, however, you’ll want to take some time to pull your thoughts together.

• Give yourself time to edit

As we mentioned above, grammar can kill, so editing is very important. Read through your paper several times, and don’t edit right after you’ve finished writing. It’s always better to walk away and come back. You’ll catch things you missed the first time.

• Have someone else read it

My boyfriend may not get what I’m writing about, but I always have him read my papers. A different pair of eyes can help spot things you missed or let you know when something doesn’t look right.

• Say hello to your best friend, the AP Stylebook

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve referenced this book. It will become your Bible, and I suggest you use it.

• Don’t forget to let When Words Collide join your party!

I bought this book for my Media Writing class and we’ve hung out a lot since then. It helps me with the simple things that I should remember but can’t. There’s nothing wrong with having a friend help you out, right?

• Never fall in love with your work the first time

If you like what you wrote, don’t. Every time I really love my first paper, I get it back covered in red ink. If you like your work too much, you won’t evaluate it. Take this blog post for example. I rewrote it four times and I still hate it.

What are your tips for writing well?