PRSSA at Salem State University

Let’s face it every college major thinks they are the best. Accounting majors brag that they control the cash, education majors boast that they train future leaders and art majors are convinced that they are the unbridled free thinkers. But let’s be real when it comes down to it no one can compete with PR gurus. In order to separate the true public relation pros from the PR faux, I have complied a list of 10 ways that you know you are public relations expert and you are proud of every single one of them.

1. Stalking is completely acceptable. Sure many states have laws about following people and knowing intimate details about their life but in public relations it is pretty much a requirement. We need to know what is happening with the people around us. It allows us to be better in tune with trends and changes in our world. Also it helps to know where your future boss lives in case you want to plan a run around his/her neighborhood.
2. Being a know-it-all is a desirable trait. In elementary school it was bad to be that annoying kid with all the answers and always saying, “My dad says…” but now you are the champ. Knowing a little bit about everything is not enough in public relations, you need to know a lot about a lot.
3. You answer business calls on personal time. As far as we know there is no such thing as personal time. Company’s collapse, news breaks and videos surface outside of the 9 to 5 slot and you need to be ready. So if that means answering a call on your 21^st birthday outside of a bar with a tiara on your head then that’s what you do.
4. You have a love-hate relationship with journalists. Whether we like it or not we need journalists; it’s a tough fact of public relations. So yes we get super excited every time we meet a journalist or even future journalist because it means that we might have an in the next time we pitch a story.
5. You have ridiculous amounts of friends. People may say that you can’t possibly be friends with all of your “friends” on Facebook but guess what you know every single one of those 1,132 people and you dare someone to test you.
6. Your OCDs are your strengths not weaknesses. It might drive your roommates crazy that you need to color coordinate the dish towels or set the TV volume at certain levels every time but guess what it works for you. This  makes you great at organization and allows you to switch from task to task without confusion.
7. You never say no. Teachers always say that can’t is not acceptable but in a PR mind “no” is the bad word. We always say yes, even when there is no time, no energy and no way. Work on the weekends, absolutely, put in more hours at your unpaid internship, of course, write a couple blogs during finals week, why not. We can’t say no; otherwise our heads might explode.
8. Multi-tasking is the norm. Your parents may wonder how you can write a paper and watch Grey’s Anatomy at the same time without getting distracted but you are still trying to figure out how they read a book in a silent room. Multi-tasking is a way of life not a focusing problem. You can concentrate on one thing at a time but why would you when you could be solving 10 problems at once.
9. You can talk your way out of anything. Sometimes honesty is the best policy but why not just bend the truth. PR isn’t about spinning the facts it’s about changing your perspective. You are always that person that friends call when they just don’t know how to approach a paper and you can talk your professor into changing the final exam to a final presentation any day of the week.  You may not always know the most about a topic but you can talk circles around someone until they are convinced that you do.
10. You spend more time checking your social networking sites than you do on homework. This doesn’t mean that you aren’t good in school this just means that it literally takes you longer to go through your 10 different social accounts and be active then it does to write that 15 page paper on media impacts on teens. We have to know how to utilize all of these tools so if that means having a Facebook, a Twitter, a LinkedIn, a foursquare, a Yelp!, a Tumblr, a Stumbleupon, a Pinterest, and a Google+ account then that is what you gotta do. Sorry world lit professor.

So stand up proud PR majors don’t feel like a loser because you can’t stop talking about work on your free time and don’t feel embarrassed about the number of people you say hi to on campus every day; these are all the things that make you a success in PR. And to all those other majors who scoff and look down at us all I have to say to you is, don’t hate cause you ain’t!

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Twitter’s tweets have revolutionized the way I communicate through social media. One hundred and forty characters is just long enough to get the point across and have my followers read the whole thing. The concept is brilliant, but I’ve always wished Twitter could be more visual—pictures, videos, anything to liven it up.

San Francisco-based startup Tout was apparently having the same thought. This year, Tout debuted a short-form video blogging service, combining the convenience of tweeting with the fun of sharing videos. Users can post video status updates called “touts” limited to 15 seconds. The site operates a lot like Twitter. Users can follow each other, topics are grouped using hashtags, other users can be tagged and touts can be “re-touted.” Since it’s designed to be used with Facebook and Twitter, users can share touts instantly with friends and followers.

Watching a tout is like reading a tweet with full color, sound and action to back it up. Whether I’m spending free time at the beach or working a company event, I now have a way to let my friends and followers know exactly what I’m experiencing as it’s happening. This could be the next big thing for performers, special events companies or anyone else who could benefit from being seen and heard.

The movie “We Bought a Zoo” is making great use of the service, using it to post clips of moviegoers’ comments after seeing the film. Any company, brand or mission could use the service the same way to generate buzz. The Weather Channel has been touting coverage of tree damage after a storm in Pasadena, CA. Tout could have a hugely beneficial impact on disaster relief if used the same way in the wake of a hurricane or earthquake. Tout can also be used purely for entertainment. Shaq recently touted himself singing “I Believe I Can Fly” aboard a flight.

While the concept behind Tout is big, the community of users is still small. Many big names, such as Lady Gaga and the Boston Celtics, are not active users. A lot of people are using it in a more personal way. Aside from Shaq, The Weather Channel and the people behind “We Bought a Zoo,” some of the touts I’ve watched are people telling the camera that they just cooked dinner or that they’re about to watch the football game. One woman touted her dog in a Santa costume.

But whether I want to increase business or just share a memory with friends and family, I can get people closer to the real thing than I ever could with 140 characters. In the “About” section of their website, Tout asks, “What’s happening in your life?” Their answer: “Don’t type it- Tout it!”

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The holidays are all about family, giving thanks and appreciating the wonderful things in life. Although the holidays are behind us, our cheerful spirit shouldn’t pass as the days on the calendar do.  A great place to start being cheerful is the workplace. 

 The worst workday can start with just one negative co-worker.  Picture a Monday morning: as soon as you walk in the door you see someone you work with and ask how their weekend was, perhaps they start complaining or say it was awful and don’t ask about yours.  After hearing this, you can unknowingly become a victim of a negative mindset.  Thereby setting your whole day awry. 

However, brushing your co-workers comments off and making it a point to stay positive and saying something like “Your (strong attribute here), I know you’ll figure out a way to turn (situation) into something good” can not only uplift the distressed co-workers spirit but it will also make you feel good about yourself for helping them!

The simplest way to help others is to be kind to them.  A job in public relations is all about maintaining relationships with people, and with kindness and positivity comes confidence.  When meeting with potential clients, they will appreciate the sincerity in your attitude and remember your meeting simply because it was a pleasant experience. 

Whether it’s working with staff below you or developing a company’s image, a positive mindset will show in your work. Positive reinforcement will make your staff feel special and work hard for you.  While maintaining a healthy company image will bring in clients and people that want to work in a positive environment, creating a chain reaction of positive changes, attitudes and feedback.  This in turn will reduce “sick days” and work that isn’t up to par. 

It doesn’t matter if you’re the CEO or a starting member, your smile and positive attitude will become contagious to those around you.  This holiday season make it a point to spread cheer all year and at the end of the day know that it all started with you; that’s a pretty amazing gift in itself!

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Finals. When you are a college student, that word alone can trigger anxiety. For me, an older student who has just returned to school this semester, the word could trigger a full-blown panic attack. However, I’m determined not to let it. I can’t promise that there won’t be at least a little anxiety, though.

The last time I had a full-time class load was when Bill Clinton was in his first term in office. However, I remember that time well and don’t want to repeat what I did back then, like procrastinate and let finals week catch up with me. The best way to go about that is by being prepared, and that entails keeping up with my work throughout the semester, which I’ve done. 

Time is of the essence and to make the best of it you must plan it out down to the minute. I didn’t do that well before. All students should look at their schedules and figure out when they can fit extra studying into their day. Do you have an hour in between classes? Good. Plan to go to a dining hall and grab something to eat and get a bit of reading in. Does your first class begin mid-morning? Get up a bit earlier than normal to get some studying done. Do you have some time after your classes are done for the day before you have to go to work? Try to use that time to get something productive done. This will help you in the long run and keep you from pulling all-nighters. 

Cramming, good or bad? This is something that works for some people and it has worked for me when I’ve needed to do it. However, the idea of cramming for a test makes me more anxious than the exam itself. I need to get a good night’s sleep before an exam. If I am falling asleep on my blue book, it’s not a good thing. And I’m sure the professor will appreciate a drool free exam booklet.   

Aside from sleep, well-balanced meals are usually the first thing to go during finals. Try not to let that be the case, make sure you eat enough and try to eat decently during finals week. Coffee and Red Bull won’t sustain you. You will crash eventually.

Unfortunately, finals creep up right around the holiday season causing for added stress and work. Planning as much as you can ahead of time makes it easier. If you can shop online instead of adding shopping to your to-do list, go for it. Just don’t leave online shopping until the last minute or your gifts won’t arrive in time. 

In the end, preparation is key for exam week. Semesters go by quickly and staying on top of the material throughout the semester will make a difference in how you feel about finals week. If you didn’t do such a great job of that this semester and you feel you are spending December trying to learn the material, make a New Year’s Resolution to do things differently next semester! Good luck with your exams! 

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I’ve never been a huge basketball fan. Needless to say when I heard about the NBA lockout I was not heartbroken. In fact, I was glad that the owners held out as long as they did. How much money do these players really need? I guess millions of dollars weren’t enough.  Now, don’t get me wrong. I do sympathize for some people caught in the lockout crisis, but not the NBA players.  Other people were affected by this lockout fiasco, including fans, workers, and businesses that depend on games being played.  The lockout has left many fans feeling angry and disappointed, which is going to make it that much harder for the NBA to win back their trust and restore its severed image in order to get fans back in the bleachers. The question is, how?

In an article in PRNewser, Ashley McCown, president of Solomon McCown & Co. in Boston, suggested a three-point system for the NBA to restore its image.  First and foremost, the NBA needs to apologize to employees including concessionaires and parking attendants that lost valuable hours and paychecks due to the games being cut.  As well as the other parts of the community, such as local bars and restaurants, that suffered due to the lockout. In general, the NBA owes a sincere apology to its fans, employees and the community.  Secondly, the NBA should compensate the affected employees.  For example, teams could create an assistance fund to help those workers that were most severely impacted. Thirdly, get the games rolling as soon as possible.  The sooner the games start, the sooner the NBA can work on restoring its image and regaining the trust of its fans.

I agree with Ashley McCown’s recommendations. The NBA needs to apologize to those affected by the lockout, compensate employees who lost valuable paychecks and get the games rolling as soon as possible. However, I have some other ideas on how the NBA could improve their image after the lockout. One thing they can do is host worker appreciation games, where the proceeds of the games go towards paying back the affected employees. Similarly, the NBA could start customer appreciation efforts, which could include giving dedicated fans box seats for a game. By doing these things, the NBA will show the community that it still cares for its fans and employees, and that they will continue to do so in the future.

If you have any other ideas for how the NBA should move forward after the lockout, feel free to share your comments below.

To view the full article in PRNewser, please click here.

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Carrie Mahoney (center) on the first day of the PRSSA 2011 National Conference.

Orlando, wow what a whirlwind. Let me start by saying this trip was incredible; not just because it was almost completely free but because we were surrounded by over a thousand students with the same interests. They were all outgoing, charismatic and fun people looking to make some friends and have a good time.

My experience at the PRSSA 2011 National Conference also gave me a huge boost. My junior year has gotten off to a rough start. With no motivation to go to any of my classes let alone do the work I wasn’t exactly looking forward to five days of PR boot camp. As it turns out that was just what I needed.

Conference was an inspirational experience. Hearing and talking to titans in the field of public relations was inspiring. They shared their knowledge, experiences and expertise with us, encouraging us to go on and discover something that we are passionate about. However, it wasn’t just the “adults” that were incredible. Being surrounded by other students was encouraging. Meeting people my age that are so driving and motivated, motivated me to do better and be better. Seeing what they are doing in order to set themselves apart stirred my competitive side and made me want to push myself professionally.

Carrie Mahoney with Bob Marley at City Walk.

I came back to Salem with a renewed energy. I am excited about public relations again and all the possibilities there are in this field. I now remember why I wanted to do this. Being able to work in any industry, anywhere in the world is an idea that I loved and now I know that it is truly a possibility.

The PRSSA 2011 National Conference was an amazing experience and I can’t wait to go to San Francisco next year!

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Do you ever wonder how influential the content you share online is?  Well Klout can tell you.  Klout is a free social media tool that measures influence online.  Whether you realize it or not, you impact others when you share content on your Twitter or Facebook pages.  Klout is a free social media tool that analyzes that impact to find your Klout Score, influential topics, and your influencers.  The Klout Score measures influence on a scale of 1 to 100, with 100 being the most influential. Klout uses data from social network sites to measure how many people you influence, how much you influence them and how influential they are.  It allows you to reveal your influence and find people who share your interests.

Brands can also use Klout to measure their own success on social media through Klout Perks. Klout Perks allow brands to reach and engage with influencers around a Perk. Klout influencers create millions of impressions for a brand’s new product, initiative or campaign. Perks are targeted based on Score, influential topics, location and more. A brand’s Klout Score can show companies how well they are driving action for your company. By analyzing Klout Scores, companies can monitor their scores to understand which tactics are working and how to better engage their audience.

Klout has recently added other social sites such as Flickr, Tumblr, and YouTube to their list of social influences.  And will allow you to add as many site links as you have accounts for, at the time of sign up. To measure your social influence, visit the Klout website and sign up.

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Forget about emptying your wallets, waiting in endless lines and buying books you may never need at the campus bookstore this September. How, you may ask, is this possible? With new technology of course.

Innovators in the e-reader market, Amazon.com, recently partnered with Pearson textbook publishers to provide students with the opportunity to download textbooks instantly on almost any handheld device. Not only does this mean no more hours wasted at the bookstore, but it means no more lugging books across campus, or useless books piling up in your already over crowded dorm room.

Are you more of a renter then a buyer? Many e-reader textbooks are also changing the way students rent their books as well. Instead of renting a used book and rushing to return it at the end of the semester, rent books for only the time you need them. Whether it be a month or a full year, the book is in your hands when you need it.

E-reader textbooks are currently available to the Kindle, Knook, iPad, Mac, PC, Android and Blackberry users. And as of Wednesday a new platform is said to change digital textbooks for more interactive learning.

On August 3, up and coming digital textbook company Inkling announced they have received $17 million in funding for an interactive textbook system. With brand name competitors such as Amazon and Apple many are asking what is so great about Inkling’s promise for more digital textbooks.

Inkling is promising to change the face of digital textbooks. By reconstructing textbooks from the ground up with innovative features like 3D modes, interactive text, quizzes, music and more, Inkling wants students to become involved in their studying. Many books already exist on Inkling’s iPad app, and there are many more to come. Specifically, an architecture digital text coming this fall, that allows students to view famous buildings in rotating 3D.

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Inkling also offers another feature that is new to the digital textbook market, purchasing or renting only sections of a textbook. Inkling offers one free chapter within every digital textbook, as well as, renting or buying chapters as you need them. With the new funding in their hands, Inkling is promising many more interactive features to help students study and learn as efficiently as possible.

With so many digital textbook options it may be difficult to choose which platform provides the textbook and study help you need. Geeksugar.com breaks down the different digital resources to help students decide which would work for them.

So skip the bookstore this semester, spend time catching up with friends, moving in to your new dorm or apartment and enjoy the start of school the way it was meant to be enjoyed.

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A few blog posts ago we talked about ways you could make this a productive summer break and make the academic year an easier one. On that list we suggested that you get started on your portfolio, and for those of you ahead of the game we suggested you update your portfolio. Now, I don’t know about you but this is a task that I find a little more difficult then the rest of the suggestions on our list.

Your portfolio should represent to a potential employer your capabilities, who you are on a professional level, as well as give them a glimpse of your personality. Knowing how complicated this could be, we provide our members with “Elements of an Effective Portfolio.”* This short guide helps them to get started by providing simple elements to include in their portfolio that will leave any potential employer impressed. And while we will be evening out the playing field by doing this, we have provided you with these elements below. Hope it helps!

Resume

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By including your resume as the introduction to your portfolio you immediately introduce potential employers to you. As always, spelling, grammar, neatness and clarity of writing are essential. An eye-catching format is also crucial for this first piece of your portfolio.

Personal Code of Ethics

A personal code of ethics identifies your boundaries, gives potential employers an up-front statement of your standards and provides a reference for future ethically-questionable situations.

Public Relations Materials

You will obviously want to showcase your PR talents in your portfolio, so be sure to include good examples of news releases, media leads, biographical profiles, feature stories, public service announcements and any other PR-related material you’ve produced.

Research Materials

Research is the number one step in the public relations process. Showing potential employers that you are research-savvy provides just one more way to “wow” them. Examples include media tracking, surveys, focus groups, research reports and more.

Examples of Creativity

Creativity is essential in public relations. Showing examples of your design work, photography, photo-editing examples and other creative pieces is key.

Additional Writing

Writing and PR go hand-in-hand. Any additional writing—whether it be from an English class or a journalism class—will earn you extra points in an interview.

Awards and Achievements

By including awards and achievements in your portfolio, you will display your affiliations, convey involvement, provide examples of character and showcase various areas of success.

*“Elements of an Effective Portfolio” provided to us by the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).

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