Did you know…

Fact checks – do we do them or do we believe what we hear?

PR vs. Journalism

This is a funny video portraying PR and Journalism

TOW Week 16

Attention all bloggers… here’s what’s in it for YOU!

During my PR writing class this semester we had to start blogging as part of our grade.  What started out as an assignment has turned into something that I’ve enjoyed.  Blogging has really helped me grow in my understanding of public relations and what it entails.  If you start blogging you might begin to realize how much it could benefit you. 

Below are some tips that I have learned while blogging…

1.  Making and keeping connections.  In PR one of the important elements is contacts.  It’s whole lot easier as a PR professional if you have established connections along the way that you can refer back to for advice or help.  Blogging is a way to make and keep the connections that you have made.
2. Gain advice from professionals in your field.  There are many different people plugged in to the blogging community and a lot of them have some great advice to share.  I follow a couple of blogs that relate to public relations and social media and I can see when those blogs are updated.  The blogs I follow are written by professionals who have already have a lot of experience behind them.
3. Gives you experience with social media sites.  The more you participate in social media sites the more fluent you become with them.  A lot of businesses now are using these sites as a way of relaying information, the more familiar you become with them the easier it will be to utilize them when needed.
4. Writing makes you a better writer.  The saying goes that the more you write the better you become and I believe that to be true.  This semester I have had to blog more than I ever have before and it seems like it’s getting a little easier to sit down and organize my thoughts.
5. Build your credibility.  Blogging can help you establish some credibility.  When people see some of your post and comments that people have made about your post it makes you look like a more credible source.
6. Proofread.  Proofreading your work is very important.  PR professionals, future employers and colleagues can view your blog so it is important that you proofread to limit your mistakes.
7. Be organized.  It’s important when blogging to organize your layout.  There are many features that Word Press offers to help with this.  With Word Press you have the ability to set up categories and pages to make your layout look more tidy.
8. Wonderful networking tool.  Networking is another major aspect of public relations.  Networking can get your name out there and can also help in the future when you may need to call on various contacts.
9. Spread the love.  Who doesn’t love receiving mail? I know I do, and I also love receiving web mail aka comments!  It’s nice to let people know when you like something that they posted on a blog.  Leave comments and let them know how you feel about what they wrote and they will most likely do the same in return.
10. Keep going.  The more often you blog the more traffic you will generate.  When blogging be consistent and try to post something at least every other day.

A Hug from Taylor continued…

A Hug From Taylor continued….

Challenge 1 was a success as you saw in my last post.  Challenge 2 was for Ryan and Michael to be creative with Taylors favorite number 13 and were they ever creative Challenge 2 complete .  Taylor loved the video so much and put out one more challenge.  Not only is this a successful PR campaign but these two guys have made a difference. This story is moving….you have got to check it out A Hug from Taylor.

Challenge Three:

Surprise

(Check PROpenmic.org for a recent update)

TOW – Week 15

What is a Social Media News Release???

A SMNR is like a traditional press release, in that its purpose is to circulate awareness.  However, a SMNR is geared to circulating the information over the internet.  A SMNR does have some differences and some say that it is more effective than the traditional press release.  One of the ways that a SMNR differs is that a SMNR is able to provide a lot more interaction.  SMNR’s have the capability to embed videos and pictures, include links to further information and display inforgraphics,  among many other things.  Another helpful element within a SMNR is that you can include core notes that way if the journalist is pressed for time they can skip through and just read those core notes.  Another major difference is that a press release is designed with the press in mind and the SMNR is intended for that as well but its over the web so you must know that others will probably see it. 

Some of the companies using SMNR’s:

Coca-Cola

Gatorade

Verizon

Ford Motor Co.

Nutrisystem

                An SMNR might be a great way to spread information about your company, decide if it’s a good fit for you.  As a soon to be PR practitioner its good to research all of the media outlets so that when in a position you can decide which will work the best.  Through this research I learned a lot information about SMNR’s that I had never known before. 

Sources :

Pressit

Real Wire

Pr-squared