Why do you love PRSA?

The PRSA Social Media committee got together and started to talk about why we are PRSA members. Read their responses below.

Take a look at what our committee loves most about PRSA. It’s interesting to see everyone in this groups finds value in different ways.

Emily Lenard – PR + Social Media Strategist at Hanson Dodge Creative

While there are many benefits to being a PRSA member, I find that I most value the daily Issues & Trends PRSA email newsletters. These daily newsletters include insightful, relevant articles from both industry publications and mainstream media. In the past, I have found blog inspiration and creative solutions for the clients I represent. With countless resources available online, I greatly appreciate being able to go to my PRSA Issues & Trends email to find that the most beneficial, credible articles are at my fingertips.

Jenna Kashou – Development Director at Notre Dame Middle School

PRSA has been a hotbed of ideas and knowledge for me. I moved from the PR to the nonprofit sector, but remain a member of PRSA because of the professional connections I have made and because the programming really gives me an edge in my career. The best benefit – I’ve met great friends through my involvement in PRSA.

Meghan Welch – Marketing Communications at Derse

Why is PRSA awesome? Because of the networking, of course! Whether you’re looking for a new job, another way to get involved in the community or just to meet new people, PRSA can help. The group is comprised of passionate PR pros that span a variety of industries and disciplines, so you’re guaranteed to meet a wide variety of people.

I joined PRSA about four years ago. In that time, I have changed jobs, started volunteering and widened my social circle. Networking through PRSA has helped with all these changes. The experience has been invaluable and the people in PRSA are constantly helping me to reach my goals, both professionally and personally.

Andrew Wiech – PR + Social Media Specialist at Hanson Dodge Creative

I really didn’t know what to expect when I joined PRSA. I was pretty nervous at my first luncheon. It was like freshman year of high school all over again. I walked into the Rouge Ballroom at the Pfister Hotel and thought to myself, “Where do I sit?” But this chapter embraces with open arms and the relationships I’ve formed over my first year of membership have been extremely valuable.

I love how malleable PRSA can be. Personally, I dove in head first and started getting involved and I love the experiences I’ve gained by being a member of the organization. From leading educational sessions on social media tools and strategies for the Social Media committee’s Friday morning training sessions to co-chairing of the Young Professionals committee and setting up events to get our younger PR professionals involved in the chapter, I feel connected to the chapter and love to see it continue to grow and evolve.

Laura Stanelle – Account Executive at Emerald Isle Marketing + PR

What’s so great about a PRSA membership? Is it the trove of resources made available via email, blogs and social media? The monthly luncheons that feature engaging, educational speakers? The delicious desserts that end those valuable luncheons? Yes, yes and definitely yes. For me, though, the things that make joining PRSA a no-brainer are the abundant networking opportunities that exist for members. As a young PR professional, starting out in this industry can be daunting, but talking to that agency founder would be much more difficult had I not sat next to him at last month’s meeting. And getting to know those women at that other PR firm? Much easier now that I’m serving on a committee with them.

Public relations is, by nature, a social profession. What better way to exercise the very tenants of our industry than by meeting and networking with others like you? From helping advance your career to providing insight into new client opportunities to just being really great friends, the people you meet through PRSA prove a membership’s value time and time again.

Mo Moorman – Public Relations Director at Jockey International 

I enjoy being involved with PRSA because it is focused on advancing the PR profession and it provides excellent personal and professional growth opportunities through initiatives like networking events, shared resources and seminars. Sharing suggestions, challenges and opportunities with fellow PR pros brings to light best practices that strengthen my ability to provide excellent service as a PR practitioner. Getting actively involved is key: Serving on PRSA committees; contributing to and sharing association resources; and attending events are just a few of the ways that I find help me maximize my membership with PRSA.

Now it’s your turn! What do you love about PRSA?

Smartphone Smarty Pants: Helpful Apps for PR Professionals

On the first Friday of every month, the PRSA SEW Social Media Committee conducts an informal social media training at the Milwaukee Public Market at 8 a.m. This month Laura Stanelle of Emerald Isle Marketing + PR and Emily Lenard of Hanson Dodge Creative discussed helpful smartphone apps for PR professionals.

Coincidently, Mediabistro’s PRNewser published their second list of 10 must have apps for PR a day earlier so we were able to crib some helpful apps from them as well.

Organization apps:

Evernote: Awesome for notes, photos and voice memos. Keeps everything in one place and syncs up between devices.

Dropbox: Synchronizes documents and files across several devices, so you’re never without a file you need.

Instapaper: Saves articles and other content for reading later.

Local apps:

JSOnline: Local headlines at your fingertips; divided by section.

OnMilwaukee: A favorite website in an easily accessible app.

MKEBIZ: Business Journal of Greater Milwaukee divided by Latest News, Most Viewed and Most Emailed.

Reference apps:

Wikipedia: Helpful for quick reference on thousands of topics in encyclopedia entry form.

Google: For many the utility of Google is a no-brainer, but many people still haven’t added the Google mobile app to their arsenal of tools on the go.

Mashable: This is a great resource for all levels of PR, marketing, social media and communication professionals.

Others:

Recorder: Mediabistro’s PRNewser recommends this app to capture memos, interviews, and ideas on the go.

Dragon Dictation: Fingertips not moving as fast as your mind? Then this is the app for you. Talk into your phone and let Dragon Dictation put your verbal thoughts into words for a text or email.

Communication-Social Media:

WordPress: Another helpful app on the PRNewser list. This app enables blogging and comment moderating via a client’s WordPress blog/website.

Hootsuite/Tweetdeck: Monitor, engage and track individual post clicks and engagement of your clients’ online communities on many social networks at once.

Twitter: Even though apps like Hootsuite seem to get more press, we advise you not to count out the native Twitter app. Many find it easier to use—helping you get the message out more efficiently.

Others you’d like to add?

April Luncheon – Barcelona Declaration of Measurement Principles with Pauline Draper-Watts

“I get really excited when I see good research, but I don’t get excited that often.”

And with that, Pauline Draper-Watts, past chair of the Institute for Public Relations (IPR) commission on measurement and co-author of the Barcelona Principles, began an educational and incredibly valuable discussion on PR measurement and its importance.

As PR professionals, we can’t dispute the need for measurement and evaluation. Historically, our profession has lacked a standard for measurement. The Barcelona Principles – the result of a collaboration between the Institute for Public Relations, AMEC, PRSA, the Global Alliance and the International Communications Consultancy – are the industry’s first step toward the establishment of global guidelines for public relations measurement. They rest on seven principles, outlined below:

1.      Importance of Goal Setting and Measurement

2.      Measuring the Effect on Outcomes is Preferred to Measuring Outputs

3.      The Effect on Business Results Can and Should Be Measured Where Possible

4.      Media Measurement Requires Quantity and Quality

5.      AVEs are not the Value of Public Relations

6.      Social Media Can and Should be Measured

7.      Transparency and Replicability are Paramount to Sound Measurement

All of the slides from the presentation can be seen in the link below. They provide incredibly detailed and valuable information on the seven principles and how they can be applied to every area of our communications efforts.

Barcelona Declaration of Measurement Principles

– Laura Stanelle (@laurastanelle)

Social Media Dictionaries: Or what you need when everything starts with “tw”

In the midst of this Wild West we call social media, it can be difficult to make sense of words that should mean something, but that just…don’t. Each new Web 2.0 platform brings with it its own vernacular, and it doesn’t take long for us to get overwhelmed, throw up our hands and cry “It’s all Geek to me!” (No? Just me? Right.)

When you come across a word you don’t know in “real life,” you head to Webster-Merriam. But when you come across a word that features random capitalization, looks a little like baby talk or makes you feel more like a hipster than usual, where do you go?

Soon, AP Stylebooks will reflect some of the most common social media terms, but until we receive our new copies, the Web provides plenty of answers.

As Jenna pointed out, Google is a great starting point for staying on top of social media trends. The same can be said for social media vocabulary. Throw “social media dictionaries” into the search bar and you’re off. Depending on how comfortable you are with general social media terms, some of the dictionaries out there might be more confusing than helpful. I found some of the pre-made dictionaries to be a little meaty, so I compiled my own, just-the-basics version for our office: SM dictionary a la Emerald Isle.

For future reference, you can access this dictionary at http://bit.ly/smdictionary

As you navigate this new world of social media, and try to figure out how to put it to use in your daily life, just knowing what the heck everyone is talking about puts you at an advantage.

Hope this helps,

Laura Stanelle, @laurastanelle