It has finally happened. Like many of my fellow peers that I have sat by in journalism classes for the past six semesters, I have actually made it to the final year of my college career, also known as 16th grade.
Naturally, I am filled with senioritis and find myself uncomfortably squirming in the tiny chairs in many of my classes. But this year is different than the final year of high school where graduation is a mere celebration into advanced schooling. This year, I am filled with something new, something scary and something inevitable: joberitis.
This awkward, yet intriguing, feeling pretty much tells me that after this year of school I have to become a grown-up, I need to look for a job.
There are many places online to look for a job: monster.com, careerbuilder.com and jobs.org. But do those sites really succeed in helping people find jobs that fit their background and education?
I recently have found a couple websites that can be useful in helping PR students and other journalism students search for the perfect job.
First, PRweekjobs.com is a great website to look for PR job listings that are updated weekly. This site provides information regarding job descriptions, location and pay.
The next PR job resource that I find useful is the PRSA job center. This site lets PRSA and PRSSA members take a first look at PR jobs available within a specific location. Also, becoming a member of CSU’s chapter of PRSSA provides advantages including networking and more access to job searching.
Finally, one of the best sources that will never fail is networking. A great website for professional networking is Linkedin.com, a myspace for grown-ups. Linkedin offers you networking capabilities with professionals in many different industries including PR and marketing.
Although many PR students might not have joberitis yet, these sites just might be the cure.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Media stocking
Being a public relations practitioner requires knowledge and background within many areas of the industry. You have to know how to write a press release. You have to develop an accurate media list to pitch too. You have to develop a pr plan and present it to the client. Most importantly, you have to be an excellent writer and know the workings of AP style.
Although we are taught many of these things in the classroom, one important thing might not be included in public relations curriculum is media stocking.
As strange as it does sound, media stocking does not literally mean hunting down the media and stocking them until they publish your press release. Instead, media stocking is the back end of public relations: tracking media coverage to provide measurements and campaign progress to clients.
As part of the final stage in public relations campaigns, keeping track of media coverage is one of the most important and forgotten parts of PR. Luckily for us, we have an essential tool that call help us in our media stocking ventures: media directories.
Cision Media Directory : Formally known as Bacon’s, Cision offers a wide variety of tools for PR pros. Cision services offer media monitoring, developed media lists and online evaluations of client coverage. Cision is a great directory because they locate all articles your client is mentioned in and send them to you within a month.
Gebbie Press: Gebbie press, in the PR world known as the modern edition of Mondo Times, offers PR pros media information from over 24,000 listings. Gebbie is perfect for the PR practitioner who needs an itemized list of media specific to their client all while receiving articles publicizing the client.
BurrelesLuce: Also known as Burrelle’s Media Directory, BurrelesLuce is similar to Cision but now offers more online interaction for PR pros. With press release blogs increasingly becoming popular, BurrelesLuce offers a virtual, online multi-media kit.
While media stocking can become easier with the media directory tools mentioned in this blog, it is important to remember that locating client coverage can take weeks if not months.
Happy stocking :-)
Although we are taught many of these things in the classroom, one important thing might not be included in public relations curriculum is media stocking.
As strange as it does sound, media stocking does not literally mean hunting down the media and stocking them until they publish your press release. Instead, media stocking is the back end of public relations: tracking media coverage to provide measurements and campaign progress to clients.
As part of the final stage in public relations campaigns, keeping track of media coverage is one of the most important and forgotten parts of PR. Luckily for us, we have an essential tool that call help us in our media stocking ventures: media directories.
Cision Media Directory : Formally known as Bacon’s, Cision offers a wide variety of tools for PR pros. Cision services offer media monitoring, developed media lists and online evaluations of client coverage. Cision is a great directory because they locate all articles your client is mentioned in and send them to you within a month.
Gebbie Press: Gebbie press, in the PR world known as the modern edition of Mondo Times, offers PR pros media information from over 24,000 listings. Gebbie is perfect for the PR practitioner who needs an itemized list of media specific to their client all while receiving articles publicizing the client.
BurrelesLuce: Also known as Burrelle’s Media Directory, BurrelesLuce is similar to Cision but now offers more online interaction for PR pros. With press release blogs increasingly becoming popular, BurrelesLuce offers a virtual, online multi-media kit.
While media stocking can become easier with the media directory tools mentioned in this blog, it is important to remember that locating client coverage can take weeks if not months.
Happy stocking :-)
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Pitching friends
Let’s face it, pitching to the media is one of the most important aspects of public relations. Whether it involves calling newspaper reporters, emailing magazine editors or mailing press kits to TV producers, pitching isn’t as easy as it sounds.
As I mentioned in a previous blog, “The Real World: PR” , becoming friends with the media is a great tool used to make pitching easier.
But, how do you become friends with someone when they don’t want to be your friend? Pull their hair and tell them to be your friend like Celia in the Showtime series “Weeds”?
Oddly enough, no.
During the experience I have received in my internship, through tips I have heard from many PR pros and after reading an article by Jeff Crilley, author of “Free Publicity” , I have come up with a couple tips for pitching the media, or should I say pitching friends.
1) Research the publications and the journalist.
Pitching a press release about your client’s soy milk product to a sports editor at the local newspaper will not give you media coverage, however; pitching a press release about your client’s massage bed to a spa magazine will.
2) Kill them with kindness. :-)
So, you call an editor at a magazine to pitch your client and they instantly scream “umm no I can’t talk to you, is this a joke?! I have to meet deadline, but thanks for interrupting me”, what do you do? Continue to be kind and polite, because giving them attitude back won’t get you media coverage in the future. This allows them to at least feel some sort of guilt for being understandably rude.
3) Make follow-up calls in the morning on Monday through Thursday, no holidays.
Calling editors and reporters in the morning gives you a better chance to catch them in a good mood. Deadlines are usually in the afternoon, Friday’s seem to be the busiest day and holidays are the most stressful time of the year for everyone.
4) Get to the point.
Instead of rambling on forever about your pitch, only mention the most important parts. It is important that the media know you respect them. Being brief and getting to the point can show a tremendous amount of respect.
Following these key points while pitching to the media will not only help your client get media coverage, it might just add another friend to your professional Facebook.
As I mentioned in a previous blog, “The Real World: PR” , becoming friends with the media is a great tool used to make pitching easier.
But, how do you become friends with someone when they don’t want to be your friend? Pull their hair and tell them to be your friend like Celia in the Showtime series “Weeds”?
Oddly enough, no.
During the experience I have received in my internship, through tips I have heard from many PR pros and after reading an article by Jeff Crilley, author of “Free Publicity” , I have come up with a couple tips for pitching the media, or should I say pitching friends.
1) Research the publications and the journalist.
Pitching a press release about your client’s soy milk product to a sports editor at the local newspaper will not give you media coverage, however; pitching a press release about your client’s massage bed to a spa magazine will.
2) Kill them with kindness. :-)
So, you call an editor at a magazine to pitch your client and they instantly scream “umm no I can’t talk to you, is this a joke?! I have to meet deadline, but thanks for interrupting me”, what do you do? Continue to be kind and polite, because giving them attitude back won’t get you media coverage in the future. This allows them to at least feel some sort of guilt for being understandably rude.
3) Make follow-up calls in the morning on Monday through Thursday, no holidays.
Calling editors and reporters in the morning gives you a better chance to catch them in a good mood. Deadlines are usually in the afternoon, Friday’s seem to be the busiest day and holidays are the most stressful time of the year for everyone.
4) Get to the point.
Instead of rambling on forever about your pitch, only mention the most important parts. It is important that the media know you respect them. Being brief and getting to the point can show a tremendous amount of respect.
Following these key points while pitching to the media will not only help your client get media coverage, it might just add another friend to your professional Facebook.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Advertising season
It’s that time of year again. No, I am not talking about the transition of seasons when everyone is discussing how the campus trees are changing from summer green to autumn red. And I am not talking about the time of year where chocolate candies and people dressed as superheroes celebrating the dead, are running around town.
I am talking about football season, or should I say advertising season. The time of year where American’s consume more amounts of advertisements on Sundays than beer- alright maybe it turns out to be equal.
For example, after watching the Denver Broncos beat the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, I realized how brainwashed I felt because of the amounts of advertising I devoured. Lizards telling me to “save money with Geiko”, Peyton repeatedly explaining how digital cable is great for football fans, Budweiser telling me to take cans to the opera and Bronco cheerleaders telling me to eat McDonalds "world famous french fries".
According to TNS Media Intelligence, approximately $143.3 billion dollars a year is spent toward advertising and about $40 billion is spent toward TV advertisements. Although more and more money is spent each year toward advertising, approximately 65 percent of American’s believe that they are bombarded with too much advertising.
After reading statistics regarding the amount of money spent on advertising I couldn’t help but wonder if marketing and advertising really work. Are commercials increasing consumer sales or just annoying the target audience? Does what marketing agencies do for their clients really matter in business?
Although I am not able to answer these questions, I believe that Peter Drucker, 20th Century business guru, couldn’t have explained it any better: “Because its purpose is to create a customer, the business has two basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results, all the rest are costs.”
I am talking about football season, or should I say advertising season. The time of year where American’s consume more amounts of advertisements on Sundays than beer- alright maybe it turns out to be equal.
For example, after watching the Denver Broncos beat the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, I realized how brainwashed I felt because of the amounts of advertising I devoured. Lizards telling me to “save money with Geiko”, Peyton repeatedly explaining how digital cable is great for football fans, Budweiser telling me to take cans to the opera and Bronco cheerleaders telling me to eat McDonalds "world famous french fries".
According to TNS Media Intelligence, approximately $143.3 billion dollars a year is spent toward advertising and about $40 billion is spent toward TV advertisements. Although more and more money is spent each year toward advertising, approximately 65 percent of American’s believe that they are bombarded with too much advertising.
After reading statistics regarding the amount of money spent on advertising I couldn’t help but wonder if marketing and advertising really work. Are commercials increasing consumer sales or just annoying the target audience? Does what marketing agencies do for their clients really matter in business?
Although I am not able to answer these questions, I believe that Peter Drucker, 20th Century business guru, couldn’t have explained it any better: “Because its purpose is to create a customer, the business has two basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results, all the rest are costs.”
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Wanted: Dead or Alive
In an article on Entrepreneur.com, author Mark Nowlan explains how news releases are now being posted online in blogs to attract a more diverse audience, causing many people to ask: are traditional press releases dieing?
So are they taking over the way PR firms are distributing information? Will press releases soon become only accessible online?
My answer: No.
Why? Because PR blogging is like online journalism, it merely adds yet another form of communication to the mix.
Although I believe press release blogs are a more modern way of distributing information about a particular company than traditional press releases, I do not believe they will take over news releases entirely. These blogs only add to the tools that public relations practitioners can use and there are many reasons why.
First, they help expand target audiences. Putting press releases online reaches a different, diversified audience than normal press releases, essentially killing two birds with one stone. As PR practitioners, we rely on the media to distribute client press releases in order to gain publicity. However, with blogs, the PR community now has control over who receives the information.
Next, I believe that web press releases can distribute information in a way traditional releases can not, by using multimedia. With these blogs, writers can now enhance news releases by using videos and photos to make the news more credible, by using hyperlinks that send readers to company background information, or by using audio to distribute quotes from the CEO or President of the company.
Finally, adding press releases in blogs is free and easy. By simply starting a blog, posting press releases and updating it weekly, information can be communicated by the click of a button.
To help those PR pracitioners wanting to post releases online, below are a list of distribution sources:
PRWeb.com
PRNewswire.com
Webwire.com
PRLeap.com
So are they taking over the way PR firms are distributing information? Will press releases soon become only accessible online?
My answer: No.
Why? Because PR blogging is like online journalism, it merely adds yet another form of communication to the mix.
Although I believe press release blogs are a more modern way of distributing information about a particular company than traditional press releases, I do not believe they will take over news releases entirely. These blogs only add to the tools that public relations practitioners can use and there are many reasons why.
First, they help expand target audiences. Putting press releases online reaches a different, diversified audience than normal press releases, essentially killing two birds with one stone. As PR practitioners, we rely on the media to distribute client press releases in order to gain publicity. However, with blogs, the PR community now has control over who receives the information.
Next, I believe that web press releases can distribute information in a way traditional releases can not, by using multimedia. With these blogs, writers can now enhance news releases by using videos and photos to make the news more credible, by using hyperlinks that send readers to company background information, or by using audio to distribute quotes from the CEO or President of the company.
Finally, adding press releases in blogs is free and easy. By simply starting a blog, posting press releases and updating it weekly, information can be communicated by the click of a button.
To help those PR pracitioners wanting to post releases online, below are a list of distribution sources:
PRWeb.com
PRNewswire.com
Webwire.com
PRLeap.com
Monday, September 10, 2007
"The Real World: PR"
While the end of the first month of school approaches upon us, I am starting to catch myself daydreaming about the most random things possible while professors are talking about important things I should be listening to. But let’s face it, we all do it.
I think about what I am going eat for dinner: ravioli with marinara or a bean burrito with cheese. What ridiculous, yet addicting, reality TV shows I will watch later: “Rock of Love” , “The Real World: Sydney” , or re-runs of “I Love New York” . And, most importantly, I think about what tomorrow will bring: more daydreaming or productiveness.
Today, however, was an unusual day. I started to thinking about my blog and what public relations trends and topics I could discuss this week. I wanted to make today’s blog simple and easy with a touch of my own personal knowledge on the subject. So here goes.
During my internship, I learn something new everyday that sometimes I don’t learn in class. I watch my boss, who did PR for 48 Hours, worked for some of the top PR firms in the nation and has won many PR awards, perform daily rolls as a practitioner and I see how herself, and her clients, succeed.
With knowledge gained from my PR internship and after reading blogs about succeeding in PR, including an article by fellow blogger Kami Huyse, I have created a couple tips that might not be taught through a PR class.
*Ask questions.
Many people think asking questions shows a sign of weakness, however; I believe it shows a sign of interest.
*Be the media.
Not only is it important to be friends with the media, it is also important to think like the media. Also, keeping track of every article your client is mentioned in, helps in learning which media to target. Cision, which was once called Bacons, is a public relations practitioner’s best friend.
*As a public relations professional, be confident and be able to back it up.
Public relations practitioners are attempting to build or recreate client’s images so the image of the actual practitioner needs to be credible as well. Having confidence in yourself and your campaigns can lead to success.
Although my skills and familiarity in the PR field are amateur, I hope these couple tips are helpful to some of those daydreamers out there.
Have any PR and marketing ideas or topics that you would like me to discuss? Please let me know!
I think about what I am going eat for dinner: ravioli with marinara or a bean burrito with cheese. What ridiculous, yet addicting, reality TV shows I will watch later: “Rock of Love” , “The Real World: Sydney” , or re-runs of “I Love New York” . And, most importantly, I think about what tomorrow will bring: more daydreaming or productiveness.
Today, however, was an unusual day. I started to thinking about my blog and what public relations trends and topics I could discuss this week. I wanted to make today’s blog simple and easy with a touch of my own personal knowledge on the subject. So here goes.
During my internship, I learn something new everyday that sometimes I don’t learn in class. I watch my boss, who did PR for 48 Hours, worked for some of the top PR firms in the nation and has won many PR awards, perform daily rolls as a practitioner and I see how herself, and her clients, succeed.
With knowledge gained from my PR internship and after reading blogs about succeeding in PR, including an article by fellow blogger Kami Huyse, I have created a couple tips that might not be taught through a PR class.
*Ask questions.
Many people think asking questions shows a sign of weakness, however; I believe it shows a sign of interest.
*Be the media.
Not only is it important to be friends with the media, it is also important to think like the media. Also, keeping track of every article your client is mentioned in, helps in learning which media to target. Cision, which was once called Bacons, is a public relations practitioner’s best friend.
*As a public relations professional, be confident and be able to back it up.
Public relations practitioners are attempting to build or recreate client’s images so the image of the actual practitioner needs to be credible as well. Having confidence in yourself and your campaigns can lead to success.
Although my skills and familiarity in the PR field are amateur, I hope these couple tips are helpful to some of those daydreamers out there.
Have any PR and marketing ideas or topics that you would like me to discuss? Please let me know!
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
PR in an advertising world
In today’s world, many business leaders and entrepreneurs constantly confuse the meanings of two very important, and now, co-dependent words: public relations and advertising.
According to the Public Relations Society of America, PR can be defined as an ongoing campaign to ensure a company, organization or product maintains a strong public image. The online dictionary defines advertising as a paid form of communicating a message by the use of various media.
As a public relations student at CSU and public relations intern at a local marketing company, HuebnerPetersen Marketing, I am starting to realize and understand the meaning of each term. Also, I believe that utilizing public relations and advertising within one firm will help lead to successful campaigns.
Just 20 years ago, marketing agencies and public relations firms were competing. Now, it seems as though public relations is rising, advertising is falling and agencies are realizing the importance of collaboration.
CEO of Edelman PR Worldwide said, “It’s the end of the era of advertising domination. Today, great brands are built with PR.”
According to the Public Relations Society of America, PR can be defined as an ongoing campaign to ensure a company, organization or product maintains a strong public image. The online dictionary defines advertising as a paid form of communicating a message by the use of various media.
As a public relations student at CSU and public relations intern at a local marketing company, HuebnerPetersen Marketing, I am starting to realize and understand the meaning of each term. Also, I believe that utilizing public relations and advertising within one firm will help lead to successful campaigns.
Just 20 years ago, marketing agencies and public relations firms were competing. Now, it seems as though public relations is rising, advertising is falling and agencies are realizing the importance of collaboration.
CEO of Edelman PR Worldwide said, “It’s the end of the era of advertising domination. Today, great brands are built with PR.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
