It has been fun - and challenging - to post to my blog several times a week for my Intro to PR class. Now the challenge will be to continue to post where no credit is at stake. And what will be fun - is choosing the topic! While much of what I blog about will likely still include Public Relations, because of my job, it will be more likely to be more personal.
I picked up the "2012 Writer's Market," and it has an entire section on blogging - intending to digest this tonight. I'm done with school! It's time to read and write what I want for a while, and that is the most exciting news of all.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Dates on your blog posts
Shel Holtz (of Holtz Communication + Technology) recently posted on his blog about "Keep dating your blog posts; it adds important context." I know this is a recent post because it is dated December 8, 2011! This is Holtz' point. Some bloggers feel if they don't date their posts, they get more views and more shares. I agree with Holtz that it is very nearly dishonest to NOT date a blog post. Readers reactions are determined, at least in great part, by the currency of what they are reading.
Holtz says, "Without dates, the credibility and validity of every post I see is suspect." I completely agree. How is a reader supposed to know if the post is current, valid or applicable if there is no date? I wouldn't cite a post that didn't have a date, because I believe it loses credibility.
There are six comments so far on Holtz' blog - all in agreement blog posts should have dates. One comment states, "The only reason(s) to have non-dated posts are selfish. They don't take the reader (today's or tomorrow's) into consideration." Amen to that. Readers have a right to know the timing of what's been written, to determine not just if the WANT to read it, but HOW they should read it. Without a date, there is very little context - and very little reason to read the post.
Holtz says, "Without dates, the credibility and validity of every post I see is suspect." I completely agree. How is a reader supposed to know if the post is current, valid or applicable if there is no date? I wouldn't cite a post that didn't have a date, because I believe it loses credibility.
There are six comments so far on Holtz' blog - all in agreement blog posts should have dates. One comment states, "The only reason(s) to have non-dated posts are selfish. They don't take the reader (today's or tomorrow's) into consideration." Amen to that. Readers have a right to know the timing of what's been written, to determine not just if the WANT to read it, but HOW they should read it. Without a date, there is very little context - and very little reason to read the post.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Accidental Tweet?
During a staff meeting at work today, we received exciting news that someone who has caused our company a lot of stress was leaving the position that allowed her to do so - and going to a company where she could cause us no stress. Sad that there were so many cheers and "Yahoo!"s at someone else leaving their job - but we were so excited. Several of us started sharing the news with others. I searched on-line, as a change in this high profile position should be pretty big new - but there was nothing. Should have clued me in.
Come to find out - the person was only VISITING the other company, but is expected to remain right where she is. Causing us stress.
The news initially stemmed from a tweet that was - most assuredly - a mis-tweet. Let that be a lesson - Twitter is a wonderful tool, but certain things you hear via Twitter may need to be verified elsewhere.
Come to find out - the person was only VISITING the other company, but is expected to remain right where she is. Causing us stress.
The news initially stemmed from a tweet that was - most assuredly - a mis-tweet. Let that be a lesson - Twitter is a wonderful tool, but certain things you hear via Twitter may need to be verified elsewhere.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
What do you do for a living?
Jeri Cartwright posted in her blog on Ragan.com about how frustrating it is to try and explain what she does in "Public Relations." There is such a mix of needs and skills - sometimes when someone asks what you do, you really want to respond, "What DON'T I do?"
On any given day at work, I will perform a wide variety of functions, beginning with internal communications, community relations, event planning and coordination, editing a press release or some talking points, and moderating several of our Facebook pages and one of our three Twitter accounts. And that's just for starters.
Cartwright ends her post with, "which of the following fall under public relations? Which ones should not? I can honestly say, I'm not sure anymore." In her compilation of responsibilities, she lists: PR, Media relations, Community relations, Government relations, Lobbying, Public affairs, Marketing, Advertising and Campaign strategy (elections). A pretty good list, and it barely scratches the surface. There are just too many things that fall under "other duties as assigned." All of which make PR one of the best jobs there is. Just don't try and explain it.
On any given day at work, I will perform a wide variety of functions, beginning with internal communications, community relations, event planning and coordination, editing a press release or some talking points, and moderating several of our Facebook pages and one of our three Twitter accounts. And that's just for starters.
Cartwright ends her post with, "which of the following fall under public relations? Which ones should not? I can honestly say, I'm not sure anymore." In her compilation of responsibilities, she lists: PR, Media relations, Community relations, Government relations, Lobbying, Public affairs, Marketing, Advertising and Campaign strategy (elections). A pretty good list, and it barely scratches the surface. There are just too many things that fall under "other duties as assigned." All of which make PR one of the best jobs there is. Just don't try and explain it.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Religious Public Relations
Just glancing through my "Intro to PR text book," and ran across the sentence, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has video testimonials of thousands of its 6 million members in an attempt to re-brand Mormons as regular people." Cracks me up! the reason I "ran across" this sentence is because I had underlined AND highlighted it when I read that chapter. Regular people? Regular people? And there are actually more than 13 million members - world-wide.
I have to understand that coming from persons who don't actually know any church members, perhaps members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have been portrayed as still having multiple wives, having horns, and other old stereotypes. Just kind of cracked me up to see that in a text book. Goes to show you, even text book authors make errors and commit misnomers.
I have to understand that coming from persons who don't actually know any church members, perhaps members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have been portrayed as still having multiple wives, having horns, and other old stereotypes. Just kind of cracked me up to see that in a text book. Goes to show you, even text book authors make errors and commit misnomers.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Public Relations - Not Always Glamorous
Or, title #2, "Public Relations - Rarely Glamorous." My friend, who is the director of PR where I work, had a lousy Tuesday. She drove a longer commute than normal to attend some meetings she had not planned on. This, after only two hours of sleep because her son was sick all night. Her nanny arrived to save the day, but my friend still had to work all day and try and get her son into the doctor.
When she finally left to go home, after about 8 hours of work, I was notified of an incident - I began gathering more information to see if she would be needed, and when I called to tell her about it, she turned around and started driving back, "just in case." Thus - she left work for the second time, two hours after she left the first time - and still had her long commute and a sick child.
My friend is great at her job and takes it very seriously. She is also, I must add, a fabulous mother. However, as illustrated above, her job is not always (or is rarely) glamorous. She is occasionally on TV, often quoted (and occasionally misquoted) in print. Her name is well known in the industry, and she earns every glamorous moment she experiences.
When she finally left to go home, after about 8 hours of work, I was notified of an incident - I began gathering more information to see if she would be needed, and when I called to tell her about it, she turned around and started driving back, "just in case." Thus - she left work for the second time, two hours after she left the first time - and still had her long commute and a sick child.
My friend is great at her job and takes it very seriously. She is also, I must add, a fabulous mother. However, as illustrated above, her job is not always (or is rarely) glamorous. She is occasionally on TV, often quoted (and occasionally misquoted) in print. Her name is well known in the industry, and she earns every glamorous moment she experiences.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Black Friday on Thursday?
Seriously. At one time we could wait until the sun had set on Thanksgiving before we worried about Christmas. It's always been a big deal to check the ads on Thanksgiving Thursday, make a Christmas shopping list and map out the early morning shopping route for BLACK FRIDAY. Which used to start around 4 a.m. But now? Now we start Black Friday on Thursday. Thursday at 10 p.m. Actually - even before that. I received an e-mail from Amazon.com on Monday, with their "early Black Friday deals."
So, is it just me? Or have we forgotten the days of the week? Is ANY special Christmas sale labeled "Black Friday?" Can we not have "shop this Tuesday and save?" What's the big buzz with Black Friday? Yes, it's been around a while. People have been getting knocked down and trampled for some years. Black Friday does have a special meaning ..... biggest deals of the year, right? So I get the PR in that - maintaining the whole "Black Friday-dom" of before-Christmas sales. It has a ring to it - but can we let Black Friday be Black Friday, and anything before that be an "early-bird sale" or something?
When I'm in charge of holiday PR, Black Friday will go back to the day after Thanksgiving. And it won't start at midnight - that's absolute madness. There is no reason to start the sales until the semi-reasonable hour of 6 a.m. We'll enjoy Thanksgiving Day - I won't even let newspaper ads be delivered before 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving, so people will enjoy their families and their dinners before worrying about shopping lists.
It will simply be, Thanksgiving.
So, is it just me? Or have we forgotten the days of the week? Is ANY special Christmas sale labeled "Black Friday?" Can we not have "shop this Tuesday and save?" What's the big buzz with Black Friday? Yes, it's been around a while. People have been getting knocked down and trampled for some years. Black Friday does have a special meaning ..... biggest deals of the year, right? So I get the PR in that - maintaining the whole "Black Friday-dom" of before-Christmas sales. It has a ring to it - but can we let Black Friday be Black Friday, and anything before that be an "early-bird sale" or something?
When I'm in charge of holiday PR, Black Friday will go back to the day after Thanksgiving. And it won't start at midnight - that's absolute madness. There is no reason to start the sales until the semi-reasonable hour of 6 a.m. We'll enjoy Thanksgiving Day - I won't even let newspaper ads be delivered before 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving, so people will enjoy their families and their dinners before worrying about shopping lists.
It will simply be, Thanksgiving.
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