Top 3 PR Articles of the Week: Friday, November 21, 2014

Whether you’re watching the news, having lunch with friends, sitting in a bar or watching football on a Sunday afternoon, there always seems to be a buzz about social media. Did you see the picture of Jane’s new house on Twitter? Did you see the Black Friday coupon code for big screen TVs on Facebook?

However, it’s important to remember that there are some down sides of social media as well. Therefore, the articles from this week address whether social media is a waste of time for brands, what we get wrong about social media and ways to hide your personal life by building a professional Facebook page.

Fast Company
Brand are wasting time and money on Facebook and Twitter, report says Read>>>

Forbes
What boomers and Gen Xers get wrong about social media Read>>>

Reuters
Facebook developing a professional website ‘Facebook at Work’: FT Read>>>

Kristin Rabas (@krabas)
Sr. Public Relations Advisor
Aurora Health Care

Top 3 PR Articles of the Week: Friday November 14, 2014

Happy Friday! Social media can be used in a number of ways in helping grow a business. Unfortunately, it can also be used in the wrong way and hurt your company’s reputation or stunt its progress. Choosing how and when to use social media is vital for fostering a successful relationship with your market. The Top 3 PR Articles from this week display how you can utilize social media in effective and beneficial ways. Enjoy!

Mashable Have more control your Facebook newsfeed.
http://mashable.com/2014/11/07/facebook-news-feed-settings/

Fast Company Discover what mistakes your company is making on Twitter.
http://www.fastcompany.com/3038228/are-you-making-these-networking-mistakes-on-twitter

PR Daily How to have a PR strategy on Instagram.
http://www.prdaily.com/socialmedia/Articles/17603.aspx

Jumpstart your career with new ‘Path to APR’

Is your career “stuck in neutral?”

Looking for a way to demonstrate the added value you bring to your organization, its stakeholders and/or clients?

Have you received a Paragon Award of Merit or Excellence and want to translate that accomplishment into a new position and/or increased financial compensation?

Do you want to be known as a public relations leader who is committed to professional excellence, ethical conduct and life-long learning?

Your PRSA-Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter’s “Path to APR” can help!

The chapter’s goal is to encourage at least three to five members to successfully travel the “Path to APR” in 2015.

Our path is designed to help PR professionals succeed by appealing to different learning styles (independent study, small work teams and professionally guided study tools), providing financial incentives and setting specific deadlines over a 10-month period beginning in December 2014.

Accreditation in Public Relations or APR is the profession’s only national, post-graduate certification program. Skills acquired on the “Path to APR” are applicable to all industries and practice areas and successfully applied daily by accredited public relations practitioners.

If you’re a chapter member who wants to move your career and the PR profession forward, please complete the form at PRSAWIS.org today to get started on your “Path to APR.”

Top 3 PR Articles of the Week: Friday October 31, 2014

Happy Halloween! In an effort to stay current, brands have to adapt to what the public is concerned about. We have to listen to what is current but also stay true to our company’s mission statement. The top three PR articles from this week show what brands can do to be authentic and current. Enjoy!

PR Daily Brands market to the trick or treat crowd by offering deals and discounts. http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/17538.aspx

PR Newser Find out what it takes to have an authentic brand. http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/the-20-most-authentic-brands-in-the-us-and-why_b102281

PR Week When does brand partnership become toxic? http://www.prweek.com/article/1317508/when-does-brand-partnership-become-toxic-relationship

Zach Hindes (@zachindes)

Take 5: Karren Jeske

Chapter position: Ethics officerKarren Jeske
Current position: Corporate communications manager at Standard Process

What do you find most beneficial about our chapter? Our chapter’s leadership development and networking opportunities are the benefits I most enjoy. Developing long-term friendships with others in our profession is priceless.

What do you like best about being a professional communicator? When you look at the most critical issues facing organizations and our society, many of them could be solved through effective two-way communications. That’s what I like best about being a professional communicator, the opportunity to improve lives.

Who do you suggest your fellow chapter members follow on Twitter? @thefoodbabe offers amazing information about what’s in the food we consume, although some may not want to know.

What’s your favorite restaurant in Southeastern Wisconsin? Andrew’s in The Delafield Hotel. If you live in Milwaukee, believe me; it’s well worth the drive! Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, I’m always raving about the meals I’ve enjoyed there, and out-of-town guests can’t get over how good it is.

What’s the best vacation you’ve taken? A few years ago, we traveled by boat from Seattle to Vancouver Island in September. Visiting Butchart Gardens in Victoria and touring the northern side of the island was amazing. We stayed at a National Geographic photographer’s bed and breakfast in Port McNeill. He took us to his favorite “secret” spots and gave us photography lessons. Then, we went on a private whale watching tour that was spectacular. I’m hoping my best vacation is yet so come. And, I’m looking for suggestions on where to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary next year!

Take 5 is a recurring set of questions designed to get to know our chapter’s board members.

Top 3 PR Articles of the Week: Friday, October 24, 2014

It looks like we’re going to get one last weekend with nice weather before the bitter cold starts to set in so I’m going to keep this short and sweet! For this week, check out the following articles about Facebook’s new Rooms app, tips on building a brand on Twitter and some useful tools that make a PR professional’s job a little bit easier.

USA Today
Facebook launches Rooms app for anonymous sharing of interests Read>>>

PRNewser
20 tools every PR professional needs to know Read>>>

All Twitter
How to build a unique visual brand on Twitter Read>>>

Kristin Rabas (@krabas)
Sr. Public Relations Advisor
Aurora Health Care

Update from International PRSA Conference: Membership is up

By Karren Jeske, APR and Ann Peru Knabe, APR+M

Screen Shot 2014-10-20 at 10.03.38 AM Southeastern Wisconsin PRSA board members Karren Jeske, APR, and Ann Peru Knabe, APR+M, represented the chapter at the 2014 PRSA Assembly in Washington, D.C. The annual meeting is held prior to the international convention. Jeske and Knabe voted on behalf of the chapter on several key issues.

The immediate past chair, Mickey Nall, APR, and current chair, Joe Cohen, APR, presented the state of the society. This was a good news story: PRSA is very healthy from a fiscal perspective, membership is up, and there was an increase in positive sentiment about the organization. National dues will not increase in 2015 and more than 50 webinars (live and on demand) will continue to be offered FREE to members throughout 2015.

The assembly passed two significant bylaw amendments that affect leadership at the national and regional level. The first amendment allows eligible non-APR members to apply for the two at large seats on the board, and the second amendment clarifies that voting members of the PRSA board of directors may not concurrently serve as district or chapter officers. While some assembly delegates expressed concern this may further dilute the value of APR, others said it encouraged inclusiveness in the decision-making process and evolution of the society.

Mark McClennan, APR, was elected as chair elect for 2015, and will assume the role of chair in 2016.  The slate of officers recommended by the nominating committee was also elected.

Screen Shot 2014-10-20 at 10.04.14 AM Joseph P. Truncale, Ph.D., CAE, was announced as the new CEO.

The assembly also featured a town-hall meeting where delegates could discuss concerns about the society of   interest. Several people voiced concern that PRSA was starting to use “marketing language” in its conversations and  literature. However, others indicated this is the trend for PR – a convergence of PR, marketing and paid media.

The next assembly will be held in Atlanta on Nov. 7 in conjunction with the 2015 International PRSA Conference, Nov. 8-10.

 

Top 3 PR Articles of the Week: Friday, October 17, 2014

Happy Friday! All companies think their content is the best and want it to be seen by everyone. To do this, we need a target market, a delivery system to spread it around, and most likely, a little luck. The question is how does that happen naturally? To help you along, the three PR articles from this week show how content marketing can be used successfully and how to distribute it effectively. Enjoy!

PR Daily 5 ways content marketing can stir PR success. http://www.prdaily.com/socialmedia/Articles/17431.aspx

Mashable How to get the most of your promoted tweets. http://mashable.com/2014/10/13/promoted-tweets-strategy/

AD Age How to distribute content after it’s been made. http://adage.com/article/news/content-made/295363/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social

Zach Hindes (@zachindes)

Top 3 PR Articles of the Week: Friday, October 10, 2014

Many public relations professionals do a lot more than traditional public relations work. Many of us are also diving into the world of social media, media buying or even graphic design. While many budgets are decreasing, the demand to wear many hats is increasing. Therefore, the top three articles from this week span a variety of topics including marketing, social media and the traditional news release. Enjoy!

Mashable
The Millennial that marketers are targeting does not exist Read>>>

Mediabistro
Hashtags 101: How to create your own Read>>>

Entrepreneur
The venerable press release remains the cornerstone of public relations Read>>>

Have a great weekend!

Kristin Rabas (@krabas)
Sr. Public Relations Advisor
Aurora Health Care

Top 3 PR Articles for the Week: Friday, October 3, 2014

Happy Friday! When autumn rolls around, we tend to settle in and wait for signs of springtime. As public relations professionals, we can’t afford to take breaks. Even when your company is engrained into the public’s mind, there is always a way to become relevant and show the value of your product or brand. The Top 3 PR Articles from this week show how an established business can make a statement to their followers and make their brand unique. Enjoy!

Forbes Here are 25 ways to grow your social media presence. People depend on social media to tell them the news, funny stories, what to think and what to feel, so continuous involvement in those types of media is very important. http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnrampton/2014/09/29/25-ways-to-grow-your-social-media-presence/

PR Daily Burt’s Bees celebrates their 30th “Beeday” in social media style. This birthday celebration shows how to commemorate milestones with your social media community in a way that honors your legacy. http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/17353.aspx

AD Age Starbucks announced their first global campaign, “Meet me at Starbucks.” The coffee giant takes a break from commercials advertising “PSL Season” and Frappuccinos to focus on what the brand has done for people in an international sized mini-documentary. http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/starbucks-launches-brand-campaign/295175/

Zach Hindes (@zachindes)