Throughout the semester, my Advanced Communications class has learned about the ins and outs of the public relations industry. Our professor, Nina Flournoy, has dedicated herself to preparing us seniors for “real world PR”. She has taught us what we really need to know in order to enter and be successful in the PR industry. These are some helpful tips that I have gathered throughout the semester:
1) Be Current. Keeping up on the news is one of those reminders that has constantly popped up throughout my college career. I remember when Harold Burson of Burson Marstellar came to speak at SMU last fall. I intently hung onto every word he said, as he is one of fathers of today’s PR world. Someone from the audience asked him, “What is one piece of advice you can give us students who are entering the PR field”. He answered, “Read the newspaper”. That piece of information alone is very valuable and relevant in this industry. In order to have a press release read, or your client heard, you must be time worthy to be newsworthy. Russel Page, the Utah-based public relations and media director at Decade Media, wrote the article, “Getting Media Coverage For Your Business in Connect Magazine. One of his PR Tips is Timeliness, as he states, “Read the paper. Watch television. Identify the current hot topics the news media is covering. The growing economy, increasing home prices, rising interest rates, and steady job growth all seem to be hot topics lately because they are happening now, and they affect everyday people.”
To read more about Russel Page’s PR Tips, visit www.russpage.net/pr-tips/.
2) Have Strong Verbal/ Writing Skills. It is imperative to have good writing and communication skills in the public relations industry. As a college senior, I feel that the majority of my writing skills classes have been at the beginning of the college career. However, taking this Advanced Communications class has really made me tap back into my world of MLA documentation and press releases. Having these skills is not only required for the PR industry, but are lifelong skills that everyone should posses. The National Commission on Writing (NCW) is adamant about having all people who work for the government to be able to write effectively. In fact, in a recent press release from the College Boards’ NCW, the announced that the States will spend $221 million annually on teaching writing skills due tot its extraordinary importance. According to the NCW’s press release, “More than 75 percent of respondents report taking writing into account in hiring and promoting state employees. ‘I'd say there's a premium placed on well-developed writing skills,’ said one human resources director”.
Secondly, being able to communicate verbally is something that is not only a social skill, but also a professional skill. In order for people to listen to you, whether it’s in a lecture, brief conversation, or conference call, being able to effectively communicate clearly to others is essential.
To read more about the States spending on teaching writing skills, please visit http://www.writingcommission.org/pr/message-from-state.html.
3) Blog. Blogging is the new thing when it comes to public relations. Many professionals in the journalism or public relations industry are blogging these days. Not to mention: PR students! It is the new way to get out what you want to say in a more honest, concise way. According to Pew Internet & American Life Project’s December 2006 survey, 70% of American adults use the Internet, which accounts for approximately 141 million people. Also, according to the December 2006 survey, the percentage of people who “read someone else’s online journal, web log, or blog” is 39 percent. Considering this statistic, almost 55 million American Internet users read other people’s blogs. This is huge percentage of America’s consumer population. Roger Park, “who has worked as the Web Editor for Emap/USA Outdoor Group and was responsible for editing articles for several publications”, wrote an article for imediaconnection.com about a PRSA (public Relations Society of America) seminar on blogging (http://www.imediaconnection.com/bios/bio.aspx?id=1893). Park’s article, entitled “Blogs, RSS, and PR Professionals” spoke about what bloging is doing to the PR world today. Park states, “blogs are reshaping the communications industry”.
To find out more about internet statistics, vistit: http://www.pewinternet.org/trends/Internet_Activities_1.11.07.htm.
To read Roger Park’s article “Blogs, RSS, and PR Professionals”, visit http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/4365.asp.
4) Know Your Audience. During my first semester this year, I did a country profile project on Chile. It included tips for International businesses looking to expand to Chile. During my studies, I wrote about a case study concerning Home Depot opening its doors in Chile. Home Depot’s move to South America was unsuccessful due to lack of a target market in Chile for a do-it-yourself hardware store. Home Depot closed its doors and said goodbye to South America; costing them money and their International reputation. This example re-iterates the importance of knowing your audience, whether it’s for a press release, retail store, or marketing campaign. In August 2004, Ann S. Murphy, Vice-President of Boston-based PR firm O’Neill and Associates, wrote an article in Boston Women’s Business called “Employ Strategies of Public Relations Campaigns to Achieve Goals”. Murphy states in her article,“The No. 1 task at hand when beginning a public relations campaign is to determine who will be listening to your message”. Without an audience, you don’t have a product. Sending your message to the right people is key to the success of any campaign.
To read Ann S. Murphy’s article, visit: http://www.oneillandassoc.com/documents/WomensBusinessBostonAug04AnnMurphy.pdf
5) Maintain Media Relationships. Having connections and relationships with reporters in the media is essential to success in the PR field. These relationships will lead to having someone who trusts your message is newsworthy, and will help you to deliver it. Misukanis & Odden, a public relations firm in Spring Park, Minnesota, knows how to market themselves to their clients. Included in their mission statement reads, “public relations specialists have built tenured media relationships with national, regional, trade and broadcast publications to ensure that your message is delivered in the timeliness manner”. Misukanis & Odden have recognized the importance of building and maintaining media relationships, and use them as a way to sway clients in their direction. Posted on Silicon Strategies Marketing’s homepage, their analyst relations page reads, “the media analysts are your allies. When coxed correctly, they promote and defend your product and positioning. Keeping them educated and enthusiastic is an essential element of your promotional strategy”. Silicon strategies quotes Shoe on their website stating, “Never pick a fight with a guy that buys ink by the barrel”.
To learn more about Misukanis & Odden, visit http://www.misukanisodden.com/media-relations.php.
To learn more about Silicon Strategies Marketing’s analyst relations tips, visit: http://www.siliconstrat.com/technology_marketing/press_analyst_relations.html.
