I picked this video to describe me because I feel as an upcoming PR Professional we are faced with so many social media outlets that sometimes it’s hard to keep up with it all.  PR professionals must now be educated on all of these outlets so that they can incorporate them within their career.  Social media is becoming the new way of advertising and the new way of relaying information to the public.  I found this video very informative as well as eye-opening.  It’s crazy how fast the social media craze developed and how many people it has affected.

Her is one of her post on Twitter was very informative see below…

I joined the world of twitter in 2007, but I will be honest and say that I have not been a faithful tweeter. I began this journey into the world of twitter when I was attending Clearwater Masters Commission. I mainly used it as a way to keep in touch with all the other students that were doing the program with me. I didn’t follow any professionals. Basically, it was a mobile form of Facebook, in my eyes. I slowly began to fade out my use of twitter as the year continued, and then in May I altogether stopped tweeting.

Although I stopped tweeting, I still kept my twitter name, and occasionally would check out what was going on in the twitter world. Then, last spring, in 2010 I began to venture back into the world of twitter as I realized how professional tweeting had become, and I found that I could stay updated on current events through twitter. This challenged me to step out of my little social networking comfort zone, and to begin using twitter for more than just my social life, but for real topics that other people cared about.

Barbara Nixon has given me a great amount of people to follow on twitter that will be very useful for many different things. Through this experience of twitter I have found the importance of understanding the direction in which our world is heading. Everyday people are getting connections for internships and job opportunities, simply through twitter. I have begun to understand the value of building up an honorable profile on twitter. There are several opportunities available, and the people who are able to benefit from these opportunities are ones who have connections. Who knows whom you might find out about on twitter? To me, it is worth using simply for that reason.

I am still learning about what to tweet about, and I am by no means a pro at this yet. However, I am trying out this thing, and I am going to see where it leads me.

So experience this world of twitter, see what you think, and begin making connections that you never thought possible!

Follow me on twitter!!!

Corporate Responsibility

Corporate Responsibility is used to describe a companies corporate initiatives ranging from philanthropy, to legal compliance, to social and environmental programs.

Ways to effectively communicate corporate responsibility :

• Demonstrate responsibility/ don’t assert it
• Get the facts
• Engage critics
• Earn credibility
• Define the companies “sphere of influence”
• Connect to business strategy
•  Be transparent

Source : Reputation Management

All about Stats…

Many WordPress users don’t realize all of the features that this free social networking site has to offer.  One of the things that have I became more aware of after using this site for a while is the “Stats” feature.  You can go into your personal dashboard within your page and find a chart that will provide you with a lot of useful information.

How could it benefit you?

One of the things that the stats page can tell you is what post was the most popular in the past week, how many people visited your page in a day and if you monitor it frequently you can begin to tell what works to drive people to your site.  This feature also keeps track of the amount of people viewing your blog and what day out of the last week had the most traffic.  This portion of the blog can also inform you of how many “click throughs” have been performed throughout your site each day. 

As a PR practitioner it is important to know how the public is getting their information so that you can relay the information to them effectively.  The stats page can be useful for a PR practitioner because it can help to evaluate what topics people are interested in and what kinds of things get the most hits.  If you haven’t checked out this feature on WordPress yet, give it a try to see how this information could benefit you!

Chapter 12

Every corporation WILL experience a crisis it’s just matter of WHEN. 

“Whether a company survives a crisis with its reputation, operations, and financial condition intact is determined less by the severity of the crisis––the underlying event –– than by the timeliness and quality of its response to the crisis.”

A checklist to prepare for crisis…

1. Know what a crisis is.
2. Develop a plan for when a crisis hit
3. Delegate who is responsible when a crisis strikes
4. Control the agenda
5. Develop messages with a goal in mind
6. Understand your stakeholders

Source : Reputation Management

Top Ten Public Speaking Tips

When some people see the words, public speaking, they cringe at the mere thought of having to get in front of people and speak.  When they hear the word, presentation, they sink even lower and begin to sweat.  Many jobs require some kind of public speaking or presentations.  I have compiled a top ten list of tips that will hopefully help you be a little less startled the next time you are asked to address a group of people.

1.  Practice! One way to release some of the nerves is by practicing and reciting the material so that you are more familiar with it before you have to deliver it to an audience.

2.  Know your audience.  It’s important when you are presenting to know who you will be talking to so that you can make a connection with them.  Whenever the audience can find something to relate to they will be more interested in what you have to say.

3. Look the part.  Typically a first impression is made about someone within the first 7 seconds of meeting them so it’s important to dress to impress so that people will take you seriously.  It does not need to be anything elaborate but just looking put together will make a better impression then coming off sloppy or careless.

4. Speak clearly.  It’s important to pronunciate your words so that people can understand what you are saying.  Also try to eliminate “umms” and “you knows” which are filler words that will only distract the audience from what you are actually trying to portray.

5. Eye contact.  Try to locate a focal point in the crowd so that it looks like you are making eye contact with the entire audience.  You want them to feel like you are speaking directly to them and not off in space somewhere.

6. Be yourself.  It’s important to be confident in who you are so that when you present others they will take you seriously and feel like you believe in what you are saying.

7. Time yourself.  When speaking to a crowd people tend to speed up the pace so that they can hurry up and get done.  Make sure to time yourself and prepare how you are going to deliver the information so that you can prevent this bad habit.

8. Body language.  The way a person presents themselves sends a message to the audience.  For example, talking with your hands will become a distraction if it is over used.  Pacing the room will help engage the entire audience if there is a huge crowd.  Know what you are working with and align your body language accordingly.

9. Relax!  If you have done the tips above then you should have nothing to worry about, chances are people in the audience have been in your shoes before and will understand.  Take a deep breath and believe that you are going to succeed.

10.  Experience.  When given an opportunity to speak and/or present view it as another opportunity to improve your skills.  The more you present the better you will become.

Many companies incorporate what is known as, corporate responsibility.  Corporate responsibility is a company’s initiative ranging from philanthropy, to legal compliance, to social and environmental programs. Sometimes the consumers will purchase a product for the sole reason that a company supports a cause that they are passionate about. In fact, this Christmas CVS is offering a certain percentage of proceeds to go towards the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation if you purchase one of the selected Christmas movies.  My family is passionate about this cause and therefore chose to purchase the movies their verses any other store that sells them.  This company is using corporate responsibility.  Sometimes this could come off as a marketing deploy and could back fire on a company but typically its positions the company in a good light.

            Another company that I know who uses corporate responsibility is Starbucks.  I will admit that I have a slight addiction to this place so I have received many amounts of cups from this company.  Every time I received a Starbucks cup it has a statement that says that because I am choosing Starbucks I am helping to keep farmers who are good to their workers in business because Starbucks is committed to only buying ethically traded coffee.  To some people this may be the number one reason that they go to Starbucks over another coffee shop. 

            The Susan G. Koman and the breast cancer movement is another method of social responsibility that many companies use.  I know that it is something I quickly spot when out shopping some of their corporate sponsors are Dove, Guess, Stein Mart, Frito Lay, Walgreens, Kimberly Clark and KitchenAid, among many others.  Studies show that many of these companies see a spike in sells during the time that the “pink ribbon” is displayed on their products.

            I think corporate responsibility is generally a good thing for companies to incorporate, it shows that the business is concerned with society and that they are willing to give back to something that they believe in. Check the products you buy, you never know what you might be supporting!

Issues Management : Issues management is a process that helps identify external and internal challenges within a company prior to them escalating into something bigger.

Typically an issues management team is made up of…

Governance – a group of people to oversee everything

Issues management team – this group represents the core functional areas of the business (HR, PR, sales, marketing, administration etc.)

Topic-Specific Task Force – this group develops a strong knowledge of a specific issue

Issue Resource Team – typically a group of lawyers etc. who are only called in when needed

The main thing to remember  is to have a plan in place and know who is going to resolve it, how the steps they are going to take and have some structure as to how you are going to communicate with the press and who is on standby to help if need be.

 Source : Reputation Management

What is Integrated Communication?

Integrated Communication – a dynamic communication practice aimed at advancing not just the marketing plan, but the overall operating or business plan of the firm and in so doing aligning brand with reputation.

Tools used in integrated communication…

Effective persuasion – establishing credibility/outlining goals

Meaning –  a common language for all stakeholders

Metaphors – relate it to what people know

Framing – create appeal

Bridging gaps – using talented teams to deliver product based on customer demand

Storytelling – establishing stories in a customer’s mind that they can recall

Source : Reputation Management

Crisis Communication

A crisis can strike a business at any moment and not just major corporations but small businesses too.  When a crisis hits it can potentially make or break a company depending on how they respond.  I had the privilege to hear interviews from two PR professionals in my #COMM4363 class. Both of these women have had to deal with a crisis within their company, @lovinkat who works for the Salvation Army and @cndavis who works for Sprint.  Between hearing these professionals give their advice, and reading and learning about it myself, I have compiled a list of “do’s and don’ts” that will hopefully help you when a crisis strikes.

DO :

1.     Conduct a vulnerability audit, when starting to work at a new company first evaluate the weaknesses.

2.     Have a plan

3.     Be prepared and organized

4.     Designate a spokesperson

5.     Develop a “holding statement” to give to the media right away

6.     Be sincere

7.     Always tell the truth

8.     Gather the facts

9.     Say something!

10.  Try to remain calm

DON’T:

1.     Run and hide

2.     Take your time getting back to people – respond promptly

3.     Make up something that isn’t factual

4.     Avoid the press

5.     Become defensive

6.     Put the blame on someone else.

7.     Joke around

8.     Say “no comment” – be honest, find the answer and get back to the press quickly

9.     Give information that isn’t asked of you

10.  Have someone else speak for you