How to Maximize Your Public Relations and Communications Internship – Part 2
Part two of a continuing series
We have just kicked off our spring internship session—it’s amazing to see how doe-eyed and raw a new intern can be. It’s natural to be timid and shy in a new setting, but to make the most of your public relations and communications internship, you’ve got to have presence.
Got moxie?
A PR Intern’s Perspective: 3 Things I Learned in 3 Weeks
At Calypso Communications we offer internships to local students who are interested in gaining real-world experience in PR and marketing. At the culmination of the internship, we ask our interns to share what they’ve learned, and how the experience will help them in the future. With that, I’ll turn it over to Susan Bradford, our January intern from Endicott College…
Forget you: What Are the Klout scores of Top Public Relations, Advertising & Digital firms?
I’ve written about Klout before, and it got me thinking about organizations, as opposed to individuals, that would seemingly benefit the most from having high numbers. I’m talking about marketing, branding, public relations, social media and advertising firms.
After all, a tweet from an elite influencer on Klout lives up to 67 times longer than does a tweet from an under-networked Twitterer. And if these firms all purport to foster deeper engagement with key audiences, it stands to reason that, as we move into 2012, their respective Klout rankings might be become check-box items for prospects evaluating partners. Read more
The Power of Pinterest
Hi, my name is Sarah and I’m a Pinterest addict. [Hi, Sarah!]
I’ve been sucked into the social media site for more hours than I’d like to admit combing through images for fashion, home décor and style inspiration. And I’m not alone.
Experian Hitwise reports that Pinterest “received nearly 11 million total visits during the week ending December 17, 2011, almost 40 times the number of total visits versus just six months ago.” To put that in perspective – it’s growing at the rate that Facebook was back in 2006.
Haven’t tried Pinterest yet? It’s basically an interactive, shareable scrapbook. Users can “pin” any images that they like to themed “boards” with a very brief description and a link back to the original source. With each pin users also have the option to share their find on Twitter and Facebook – thereby endorsing a product or brand to their entire social network. The website is simple, beautifully designed and constantly changing – it’s crack for the visually-inclined.
So what does this have to do with your business? Even though Pinterest is still in its infancy, it has the potential to be an incredible marketing tool and in-the-know PR firms are already helping clients maximize the benefits. Savvy brands are starting to use Pinterest to build their reputation by pinning and sharing not just their own products, but images related to their company identity. Check out West Elm, Whole Foods and Real Simple Magazine to see great examples of brands using the website to engage with consumers. It’s also great for SEO and link building. When someone pins an image from your website, both the image AND the link are pulled. That means every time a user repins that image, your link will be repined as well – building up a great amount of backlinks.
Ready to get started? Blueglass recently laid out five helpful tips for brands building a presence on Pinterest:
1. Follow, Repin & Like others As with any other social network, you need to share the love. This is also the best way to zero in on influencers and encourage them to follow you back and repin your pins by frequently sharing their pins.
2. Encourage employees to set up their own accounts Build clout as an industry authority by letting your staff showcase how passionate they are about your field. For example, this Kate Spade graphic designer has a few pins of her company’s products, but more importantly she demonstrates she’s a tuned in part of the fashion community by being active on this network.
3. Create boards BEYOND your products and your brand… …yet still related to your industry. For example, a home decor company could pin do-it-yourself books and a bakery could pin some favorite kitchen gadgets.
4. Add a Pinterest icon Let your audience know you’re here by adding a Pinterest icon to your other on-site social buttons.
5. Incorporate a “Pin It” button Even if you aren’t going to set up a profile on Pinterest, you can still get your brand involved by including a “pin it” button on your product pages or blog posts. You can also add the button to blog posts using the WordPress Pinterest plugin.
Happy pinning!
Making the Most of Your Public Relations or Communications Internship – Part 1
How to Dress for Success
Part 1 of a continuing series
Your public relations or communications internship may be the first time you’ve worked in a professional setting. The rules are different among firms, so you must figure out the appropriate code of conduct—from dress, to culture, to formal company policies and reporting.
Public relations, advertising, and marketing, is all about perception. What you wear determines how others see you and help others determine how you see yourself. And believe it or not, your attire will help determine your career success.
93 percent *of public relations managers polled said a person’s style of dress at work influences his or her chances of earning a promotion; among them, 33 percent said on-the-job attire “significantly” affects an employee’s advancement prospects.
This is important for public relations or communications interns hoping to move into a full time job with the internship provider.
There are three levels of business attire: Traditional Business Attire; Business Formal; and Business Casual. First and foremost, ask what the dress expectation is and then look to your mentors and supervisors to set the standard.
A good guideline: follow what your peers wear. Never be the least casual dresser and always dress better at the beginning of your internship until you get an idea of the office climate.
Most firms from Boston to Portsmouth NH to Portland Maine have moved to Business Casual.
So what is Business Casual?
The definition varies significantly across companies. The word “business” is still the primary focus. Casual as it relates to apparel merely means “informal”. Being too casual in business can sabotage your career.
While ties are usually not required for men, the range for business casual includes suits worn with dressy sport shirts or dressy collared sport shirts that do not require a tie to khakis, chinos, and knit golf shirts. To command respect, wear all-leather belts and shoes; sandals and sneakers do meet a true business casual standard.
Business casual is harder to define for women–tailored separates, such as skirts, slacks, blouses, sweaters, sweater sets, and jackets. A complete accessorized look is encouraged, including closed-toe/closed heel shoes or slingbacks to maximize the businesslike aspect.
Other considerations:
- Think comfort. While you want to look professional, those high heels might have you limping by the end of the day.
- Think about the jewelry you wear –both traditional and non-traditional (body piercings, etc.).
- Tattoos should also be covered up whenever possible.
- Keep in mind hair styles and facial hair in the work place.
So when you start your internship this month, be sure to inquire—please comment below with tips to encourage our readers and interns on how to dress for success!
*National Association of Colleges and Employers, 2007
Primal Words. Primary Colors.
As 2011 winds down it can be either exhaustion or distraction, or both, that drives one to think about odd phenomena. After a busy and banner year for our boutique Portsmouth, NH public relations firm, I’ve been thinking about the Stroop effect. Clearly more distraction than exhaustion, since no one gets so tired they fret about the dominance of words over art.
Stroop describes the tendency of our minds to give more weight (technically “directed attention”) to words than to colors. For example, when we see the word ‘blue’ written in green ink, the anterior cingulate part of our brain kicks in and we quickly read ‘blue’ without stumbling. John Ridley Stroop reported this finding as part of a Ph.D. thesis in 1935 and his search of a region that lies between the right and left halves of the frontal portion of the brain. In college it helped us laser onto the word ‘beer’ despite unappetizing color palettes and gaudily cluttered downtown storefronts. Ultimately, humans are involuntary readers, constrained by evolution to put more and faster weight on meaning than presentation.
So why worry about this stuff as 2012 approaches? It’s a combination of business and politics – perennial year-end antagonists along with the Super Bowl. It’s a business focus for us because PR is a labor of words – meaning, context, syntax, and nuance. With successful clients across New England and the U.S. engaged in “clean coal,” “socially responsible development,” and “sustainable environmental practices” – not to mention a bevy of companies boasting products as “revolutionary,” “innovative,” and “value focused” – we’re strong proponents of the power of messaging. And we’re not surprised by Stroop; just challenged on behalf of Calypso’s graphic design and interactive marketing team to keep up.
Politics is another Stroop natural, with the presidential debates an example. Do red ties, flag pins, and starched white shirts gloss over drawled nonsense, memory lapses, or swirling confusion? Not likely. We heard what we heard, didn’t hear, or wanted to hear. This makes me wonder if the Stroop effect extends to reading and listening skills, and our ability to sort words from wrapping. Do words compete with each other when they’re the same color but assault the brain with moral conflict? If so, Stroop may be what helps most of us quickly sort out the non sequitur in “President Trump” or, to be bipartisan, “President Kucinich.”
Calypso has always believed that words always win and the message is key, so the Stroop task is welcome science. As 2011 closes and business and politics both struggle to keep our attention, don’t let the visual absence of snow or the gray sky backdrops of winter dampen your spirit.
Just read, “Eat, Drink, and Be Merry,” in any color, and follow your frontal lobes to seasonal cheer.
Top 10 Reasons Why You’d Suck at Public Relations
Having worked at PR and social media agencies for 12 years, first in Boston, then in San Francisco and now in Portsmouth, NH, I get my share of inquiries from college kids mulling over the idea of starting a career in public relations.
“Why do you want to get into PR?” I ask right off the bat.
“Well, I really like working with people,” is usually the first thing they fire back with.
“Okay, but you can work with people as a grocery store clerk or a tour guide,” I say. “You have to give me more than that.”
And so on. At some point I like to point out what I view to be a list of disqualifiers. If two or more of these sound like you, well, you’d probably suck at PR:
- You can’t handle rejection – in PR, you hear “not interested” far more often then you hear “tell me more!” Reporters can be a cranky bunch, particularly if you make the mistake of calling them when they’re staring down the barrel of a deadline. PR is a lot of things, but make no mistake, when it comes to pitching, we’re talking about sales. Yes, it’s highly targeted and customized sales, but sales nonetheless. Got thin skin? No? Keep reading.
- Your writing skills are suspect – if writing assignments make you sweat, head for the showers because PR isn’t for you. In my view the most important skill you bring to the table as a PR pro is your ability to write compelling, conversational prose that inspires people – reporters, clients, your colleagues – to take action. Can you improve your writing skills? Sure. But if you’re not a solid writer after completing umpteen years of formal schooling, I predict a short PR career for you. Sorry to be blunt.
- You’re as creative as a cafeteria napkin – In PR we brainstorm constantly, always trying to get our synapses firing to spark a one-of-a-kind idea that will get people talking about our clients. Of 100 ideas thrown against the wall, only one or two has the potential to stick. Does creative brainstorming in a group setting sound mortifying to you? Hmm. Something to noodle over.
- You hate collaborating – If it drives you nuts when other people try to mess with your work, PR might not be your gig. We’re constantly editing, tweaking, fiddling and massaging our teams’ work. We’re really never done refining, and it’s rare that one person is left to go rogue for a period of time. PR agency life is a team sport, sport.
- You aren’t well read – If you aren’t hungry to read all you can about your clients’ respective industries, PR will be a slog. Do you read voraciously in your personal life? No? Do you really think you’ll want to read vast quantities of copy about your client’s industry, competitors, financials, etc? Be honest with yourself.
- You have no network – Does your network consist of your cousins and home town buddies? That ain’t gonna fly in the PR world. In our business your connections are gold. They open doors to new business, media opportunities, events and other goodies. Sometimes clients need urgent favors. The seasoned PR pro can usually tap into his or her network and get one granted.
- You hate surprises – Well — SURPRISE! – things change so quickly in PR that your head will spin. Your client’s product launch will get delayed. Your co-worker will quit to travel the world. You’ll lose an account through acquisition, and you’ll be forced to learn new tools of the trade with alarming speed. If you’re a creature of habit, you might want a job doing something more predictable.
- You don’t see the point of social media – If you’re reading this blog post, congratulations: you now see the value of social media. You don’t have to use every social media tool in the world, but you do need to value its impact on business. PR professionals engage with multiple audiences across multiple platforms. Hey, you said you like working with people, right?
- You clam up in front of others – Do you feel like passing out when public speaking? You have my sympathies on this one, because after all these years I still get nervous when going to a pitch, sitting on a panel or media training a room full of executives. The good news is that, unlike writing, this problem can in fact be overcome. It takes time and guts, but it’s not a deal-breaker for me.
- You love reading cat blogs – Just kidding. I just think people who read cat blogs are lame.
What’d I miss? Let me have it in the comments section below.
INFLUENCE: The Weapon of Choice in the Social Arms Race
This post originally appeared on PR-Squared.
There is a public backlash against social influence ranking tools such as Klout, Peerindex and the myriad similar tools that are sprouting up with breakneck speed to measure your influence in social media.
It’s a slow motion riot, though, because nobody is sure exactly what these barometers will ultimately mean for themselves, for influencers and for agencies of all social stripes.
The arguments against these hierarchical tools are many, but the coherence of that message is diluted by the inconsistent gripes and grievances about said tools. Some want the algorithms changed; some want Klout killed; some are publicly renouncing their Klout citizenship.
But we do know this: much like “tax breaks for millionaires,” influential social media players benefit the most from these social rankings. For example, tweets from folks with higher Klout scores last up to 67 times longer than tweets from social commoners. Perhaps that’s why some folks like Jason Falls are coming out against the Klout naysayers. Read: Please Don’t Quit Klout. Or at Least Don’t Announce It.
“Guess what? 99.9 percent of the people you really care about in the world don’t measure you with a number,” Jason writes. “Neither do most people who have half a brain. So why be a 0.1 per center? Ignore the score.”
I think Jason (who I know a little bit and admire) makes fair points, but it’s what he doesn’t say that resonates loudest to me. As it relates social influence dominance, he’s an elite among the elites – squarely in the 0.1 percent of influencers. If social media assets were property, he’d basically own Rhode Island.
He’s winning the Social Arms Race, one blog post at a time.
Therefore, theoretically folks like Jason have the most to lose – in terms of “perks” and the dissemination and longevity of his prolific content generation machine – than do people who simply dabble in social channels.
To be crystal clear, tools like Klout didn’t do jack to make Mr. Falls successful; his brain and ambition won that battle long ago. But back to that “tax break for fat cats analogy,” Klout and similar tools are just gravy for those who already enjoy the most influence in the social sphere. While the 99 percent scrambles and scrapes for crumbs of digital recognition, the folks at the top (deservedly, IMHO) are bellied up to the buffet of social benefits.
Just like corporate titans the elite social influencers were first, best, or more determined than you or I to win at the social game, and today they reap the rewards. Just as the uber wealthy consider themselves the “job creators,” the social elite are bona fide content creators that provide the brain droppings that are the lubricant of the social sharing machinery.
Don’t hate the playa, hate the game, right?
Which brings us back to the influence ranking tools themselves. They are proliferating. They are iterating. And the net result, I’d argue, will be a dilutive effect on the prevalence of any one service.
Source: Adweek
The democratization of influence is what the anti-Klout groups are fighting for, even if the message is thinly veiled as “flaws with the tool.” The 99 percent of social media users resent the 1 percent of social media kings like Jason Falls, who wishes everyone would quit whining and ignore the disparity, because it doesn’t matter much, anyway. Wink, wink.
As for me, I have a fairly respectable Klout score that toggles back and forth around the 50 mark. I get a few perks thrown my way – a coupon to this; a free pass to that. I’m not in David Armano or Brian Solis territory by any stretch, and I’m okay with that.
But I think I’m like most people who watch the Occupy Wall Street movement with a feeling of detachment. I feel the pain of folks who think the influence game is rigged, but I’m not suffering any discernable ill consequences from the disparity between the haves and the have-nots.
No, I’m content to keep working at providing great content so that I might increase engagement with my target audiences through my humble written offerings. I’ll never be in the 1 percent (unless Justin Bieber decides to make it his life’s mission to flog my content).
I will not opt out of Klout. I will not rail against its inherent flaws, or those of its competitors. I will instead put my head down and do great work, and know that the reward is in the doing, not in the getting.
Holiday Networking – or How to Survive Party Season
December, with its abundance of holiday social events, is prime time for professional networking. Every employee at our PR agency in Portsmouth, NH has a calendar full of festive lunches, cookie swaps and client holiday events. In addition to providing a fun excuse to leave the office in the middle of the afternoon, holiday parties offer great opportunities to make new professional connections in friendly, relaxed settings.
Fueled by spiked eggnog and an overload of high-sugar goodies, Holiday parties also tend to bring out less-than-professional behavior. It’s worthwhile to remind yourself that just because you’re wearing a festive sweater and Bing Crosby is playing over the loudspeaker, the same networking rules still apply. Introduce yourself to at least three new contacts, keep your business card handy and limit your trips to the holiday punch bowl. Remember that the holiday party can be a great opportunity to make a professional connection with a new contact that could help you reach your goals in 2012 – long after the Santa hat has been packed away.
Don't be this guy.
Don’t “dis” Santa and expect me to buy your products!
I love this holiday time of year – truly everything about it makes me smile. There is rarely a Christmas carol or cookie I don’t like – and my desire for eggnog increases at a frightening pace as the big 25th approaches. The wreaths and huge decorated tree in Portsmouth, New Hampshire fill the town with a wonderful smell and I definitely do feel that old magic in the air with the reverence of almost 2000 years of Christmas celebration and the thousands of years more of winter Solstice reflections. At a youthful 40-something I still get that happy feeling of anticipation in my stomach as I wake ridiculously early on Christmas morning – my stocking and gifts calling to me throughout the night. And of course the extra effort made by just about everybody to be a little bit nicer and merrier is very welcome to me. Friends, family, traditional meals, hugs and surprises, quiet hushes under a lit tree or by a fire all take me to a wonderful place – and so I watch the marketing campaigns – particularly the TV commercials this time of year with a very keen eye to see what brands are honoring my type of holiday and who is sinking into a negative abys of pure commercialism without respect for some of the season’s greatest icons. Read more
