Social media: the beginning of a new era?

I just finished reading “Facebook Era” by Clara Shih. While I would consider myself relatively knowledgeable when it comes to social media, this book opened my eyes to a lot of things I hadn’t even heard of before.

One thing I never really thought about with the advent of social media is the universality of the trend. Shih’s book is great about giving a history of social media and explaining the uses and audience for the most popular networking sites and applications.

Something else that really stuck out to me was her explanation that, while social media is criticized for taking away personal connection, it actually allows us to communicate more. Shih discusses “fringe” relationships and explains that social networking sites let us keep in touch much easier than ever before. We can connect with people we’ve only met once or twice, or maybe even never at all, with very little effort.

The most valuable lesson I took away from the book was that social media in all forms is not for everyone or every business. Shih gives awesome advice on how to figure out a social media model that works best for your company or simply the brand Y-O-U.

Communication is the best policy

Communication is such a vital part of life, especially in the world of PR. This is easy to forget when going through the everyday motions in a PR firm of event planning, media contacting, tweeting, crisis management and other client needs.

This quarter has been a whirlwind for the Backdrop account. Between collecting survey results to measure awareness of the magazine on campus and helping to promote the launch of the latest issue, my team and I have been going non-stop.

But even with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is important to take as step back and remember that communication is the number one ingredient to a successful PR campaign.

Not only is it imperative to keep open doors of communication with your client, but with your team as well. If everyone is not on the same page with the campaign, then it will ultimately be doomed for failure.

To make sure we are communicating effectively, we have created individual positions for each member of the account so that tasks are divided up and each person can focus on a specific specialty. At each weekly meeting, each position is responsible for bringing up any issues or concerns regarding his or her assignments.

To further our organizational and communication skills, we are implementing the use of Google Docs to create our PR plan and to keep track of the details of all of our jobs and deadlines. We keep in close contact throughout the week when we have a lot going on and support our client in any way we can.

While the mediums of communication have multiplied in recent years, I still find that the best medium is face to face. Your words simply cannot make the same impact in a tweet or text or e-mail or even phone conversation as they can in person.

In a 2.0 world, my advice is this: take the time to really, truly communicate, whether it’s with a friend, a boss, a colleague or a client. There is so much to gain from effective communication, and it should be a priority for all aspiring public relations professionals.

From my post for the ImPRessions blog

Expect the unexpected

For a communications person, planning is everything. We have timelines, public relations and marketing plans, agendas, mile long to-do lists, scheduling and planning events and everything in between. We even plan for things that are unplanned, which is crisis communications 101.

I admit that I fall under this category of the overeager planner, even scheduling a hair appointment weeks in advance just to make sure I have every aspect of my life under control. I keep a written planner and my desk is consistently covered with post-it notes.

As fall quarter draws to a close and I have a chance to reflect on the past couple months, I’m beginning to realize how unpredictable life can be. As hard as all the Type A journalism students try (and I include myself in this category) some things will just not go along as planned, and we must learn to be ok with this fact.

I’ve grown up with a “Disney” view of the world, thinking everything will turn out the way you want it to and that there will always be a “happily ever after.” As I’ve gotten older, though, I realize that, while it is still something to strive for, perfection is not possible, and life will throw you curveballs when you least expect them.

The best insight I have gained from the past nine weeks is this: take chances, make mistakes, and just live your life. If things work out the way you want them to, great. If they don’t, you can always try again.

Blowin' in the wind

As I began my junior year at Ohio University, I thought I was completely adjusted to college. I was so excited to move back to Athens into an apartment with three of my best friends, to start classes and my new internship. I could handle anything.

Wrong. I was not prepared for cooking, cleaning, rent, utilities, and basically being an adult. I mean, how on earth do people have full-time jobs and still have time to do the laundry and throw something together for dinner and pay the bills? It floored me how difficult growing up can be.

Change is always difficult, even if it’s for the best. That has taken me a long time to figure out. I am so thankful for friends and family, and have realized what things are truly important in my life.

I try to look at new things in my life as adventures. There is always an opportunity to learn something, even if things don’t work out the way you want them to. Every experience I have had, personal or career-related, good or bad, has made me who I am, and I don’t regret any of it.

I also would not be able to advance in my career without my mentors. The amount of knowledge I receive simply from talking to them is something I will be forever indebted to them. I am so lucky to have them as my backbone, supporting me in all I do. I hope one day I will be able to offer the experience and advice that my mentors have so graciously given me.

I have to admit, I’m still afraid of growing up. It is inevitable, but that doesn’t make it any less scary. Even with my doubts, I’m excited about what the future holds. I love PR more and more every day, and I’m happy to have found something I am so passionate about. This year is going to be extremely busy, but I’m already loving every minute of it.

My summer internship experience

I have successfully completed over 200 hours interning at CAMC Marketing and Public Affairs. As I sit here thinking about the past three months, I have nothing but good memories from my summer internship. Not only did I gain more experience than I could have imagined, but I made a lot of great friends (who also happen to be my new mentors!)

I got tons of experience; more than I ever could have imagined. I wrote, edited, observed, assisted with social media research, sat in on meetings, and helped develop advertising campaigns. I even got to head up my own design project!

Something that really stood out to me this summer was how close the marketing team is and how well they work together. I’ve been spoiled working with them and I know it will be difficult to find another team like this one.

I can’t wait to start this school year and all my activities and I will take everything I learned this summer with me.

Let the sunshine in

This whole summer I’ve been going non-stop. Since the day I got home from Athens, I’ve had two days off. Monday through Thursday I intern at CAMC Marketing and Public Affairs. Friday through Sunday I work at Cracker Barrel. Throw in a few hours of babysitting every other week and you have one busy summer.

While I love my internship and the added bonus that it’s teaching me to be a morning person and I like the paycheck I get from the restaurant, I realized how much I’ve missed having time to simply do nothing.

This week I’m on vacation with my family and it’s the first time in a long time that there isn’t anything that I have to do. I can sleep as late as I want, lie on the beach the whole day and soak up the sun.

On the island we’re staying on there is limited cell phone service. While this of course disappointed me at first as I am an avid text messager and like to be connected at all times, I think it’s been good for me. I’ve been forced to simply forget about everything else and focus on the here and now.

I think this is a lesson I need to take back to West Virginia after the week is over. I seem to always be on Facebook, Twitter, e-mail or texting and there isn’t a minute in my day where I sit and do nothing. While there is so much pressure from the fast-paced society to go, go, go, I think there is value in taking time to kick back, relax and enjoy life. Maybe if I do that, the rest of the summer won’t fly by so fast.

Hospital intern without the MD

After a month of working at CAMC Marketing and Public Affairs, I cannot believe how much I’ve been exposed to. I’ve attended countless meetings, sat in on phone calls and written press releases for media and various other writing assignments.

It never ceases to amaze me how much goes into a PR plan or a communications campaign or even the way the talent says the words in a radio spot. But the most valuable experience I’ve received so far is simply getting to talk to so many different professionals. Simply getting opinions about how to send press releases or how to contact people for interviews is invaluable stuff.

Even though I’m only the intern, I still feel like a part of the team. I am asked my opinion and it actually counts! I get constructive criticism that I wouldn’t trade for the world. I simply cannot say enough about how amazing this experience has been.

The best part about my internship is that I actually enjoy going to work. I’m not usually a morning person, but when my alarm goes off at 7 or 7:30 a.m. I actually want to get up. (My office loves coffee as much as I do, so that’s an added bonus!) Sometimes I go in early and stay late so I can be a part of every experience possible.

I still have one month left as an intern and I will be sad when summer ends, but I know this experience is a great foundation for building my career.

First week in hospital communications

I just completed my first week as a public relations intern at the Charleston Area Medical Center Public Affairs and Marketing office. I’ve already gotten to do so much. I’ve attended a photo shoot, several meetings and an event with pediatric oncology patients. I have a few projects of my own to start working on and am getting to know everyone in the office.

Growing up, I always wanted to be a doctor, specifically a pediatric oncologist. Of course, my dream changed after I took chemistry and had not interest in it whatsoever, but I still have a secret love for the medical field. I’m an avid consumer of Grey’s Anatomy and reruns of ER. This internship is letting me get as close to the field as I can without actually picking up a scalpel.

I love the connection of putting what I learn in school into use. I’m still getting used to all the rules and regulations of working in a hospital, but I think I’m going to really enjoy my experience this summer.

The Tonys take on Twitter

Anyone who talks to me for five minutes knows that I am a huge Broadway fanatic. I would estimate that 90 percent of my iPod is devoted to showtunes. I spent 15 years of my life performing, so everything musical has become my passion.

As the Tony Awards are a little more than 24 hours away, I feel the need to celebrate The Great White Way’s use of social media. While there have been many Facebook and Myspace groups devoted to the love of the stage, larger things have emerged, such as BroadwaySpace.com, a social networking site for theater fans, actors, dancers, techies, producers, and more.

This year the Tony Awards created a Twitter account to inform fans about everything from leading up to the nominations to live tweeting from Tony night rehearsals. Many of the nominated shows started Twitter accounts and have been taking fans along for the ride on the way to the night of June 7.

While the demographic of Broadway fans may be smaller than that of American Idol or America’s Got Talent, the theater companies and shows have definitely found their niche in social media.

It has also opened up the opportunity for social activism. Broadway Impact, a movement to achieve marriage equality, has used social media as a tool to inform the public as well as recruit volunteers.

So: bravo, Broadway! I applaud you for taking social media into your own hands and spreading the love.

Wedding bands, not wedding bans

Yesterday was a big day for not only the LGBT community but as a nation. With recent advances nationwide in gay marriage legislation, we were all hoping for the best in California with the decision to uphold or overturn Prop 8. Sadly, the Senate voted against equal rights.

While sitting at my desk working on homework, I read through my Twitter feed. The responses from everyone were amazing. Not only were people in San Francisco speaking out, but people from all across the country shared their disappointment with the decision.

Through Twitter, I was able to follow what was going on in West Hollywood with the rally but also a protest that was happening in my hometown of Charleston, WV.

I am continually amazed by our country’s ability to organize. We have such a unique opportunity in that we have the freedom to petition, freedom of speech, and freedom to assemble. And hopefully by taking advantage of these rights, we will soon legalize gay marriage.

I don’t want to go on a tirade about my beliefs, but I challenge lawmakers, senators, governors, and the general populace to think strongly about the decisions you make regarding equal rights. Read a blog, a news story, or watch footage from the West Hollywood rally, but make sure you are 100% informed before you take away basic rights of Americans.

Everyone needs "Milk"

Last night I finally made the time to sit down and watch “Milk.” I was worried I would be disappointed because of all the hype, but I was amazed. Not only was the acting phenomenal, but the story was so inspiring. This movie is especially important when considering the incredible advancements in equal rights made in just the past few months.

I am so proud of the progress our country is making. There are now five states that allow gay marriage and several more look promising to pass legislation. This is such a great time for my generation because we actually feel that we CAN make a difference. The election of Barack Obama was a huge step, and now we are finding our voice and speaking out against all inequalities.

I’m the first to admit that change scares me, but not this kind. I hope we continue to push ourselves and our fellow Americans to take action, even in the smallest ways.

I’ll end with one of my favorite lines from the movie: “Because it's not about personal gain, not about ego, not about power... it's about the "us's" out there. Not only gays, but the Blacks, the Asians, the disabled, the seniors, the us's. Without hope, the us's give up - I know you cannot live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living. So you, and you, and you... You gotta give em' hope... you gotta give em' hope.”

Broadway meets Twitter

If you follow me on Twitter or know me personally, you know I have an obsession for anything musical. I also have a passion for social media. I was attending a student performance of "The Last Five Years" last week and, as usual, during the director's speech, he asked everyone to turn off their phones. I followed suit, of course, but I know many people probably didn't.

With the advent of Twitter, a trend of live "tweeting" events was born. While I readily partake, especially during American Idol, I can't help but think that there are some times when you should just let your fingers rest and enjoy the art that is in front of you.

As a performer, I know how annoying, distracting, and disrespectful it is when people are texting or taking pictures while you are onstage. People may try to tell you that when you are on stage you can only see the first five rows, but I can tell you from personal experience that you can see way past that. Why come to the theater and potentially pay money when you could just sit at home doing the same thing?

My feeling on this is that it just is not the time or place to be linked to social media while at a play or concert or dance performance. The Arts provide an escape from reality, one much appreciated in such a fast-paced, on-the-go society.

Busy, busy, busy

I don't think I've ever been this busy in my life. In high school I was the student body president and thought that job was intensive, but now I'm actually having to limit myself on my activities so I don't have a nervous breakdown.

I'm the kind of person that almost never says no to an opportunity to either help someone or to help me grow as a person. Although it's been hard, I've had to say no to opportunities in college, and that's been a difficult adjustment for me.

I think I had this idea coming into college that I needed to do as much as possible as not to miss anything. I'm beginning to see that maybe focusing one a few things that I really love is the best way to go. By limiting myself, I've been able to throw myself into everything I do and have been able to gain a lot of experience this year.

This summer I'll be interning at the Charleston Area Medical Center in the Marketing and Public Affairs department. I'm thrilled to work on one project instead of three or four and I hope my devotion to this internship will show through my work.

Meanwhile, I'm crossing my fingers for warm weather and a great end to sophomore year!

My first professional interview

Yesterday I had my first 'real' interview. Yes, I interviewed when I got my job at Cracker Barrel three years ago and when I was elected as PR Director for the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, but this was my first professional interview.

I have to admit, I was very nervous going in to the interview, especially for such a well-known company in the Charleston area. But, once I got going, it wasn't as bad as I thought.

I got a lot of great advice from my parents, friends, and fellow Scrippsies: be yourself, be honest, make it a conversation. These things made me feel better going into my interview, and now I can add a few of my own to the list.

Don't be afraid to admit you don't know something. It shows you are willing to learn.

It's ok to tell stories that will showcase your skills and abilities.

Ask questions, even if they don't directly relate to your interview. It shows you've taken the time to learn about the company and that you are truly interested.

Now all I can do is wait to see if I'll be chosen for the position, but either way it was a great experience for me and will better prepare me for future interviews.

Growing up

I feel like I'm in sort of a weird place right now. I just got home for Spring Break and had dinner tonight with a friend from high school. Hearing her tell stories about show choir and teachers and people I grew up with put a nostalgic ache in my heart. Some teachers I loved are retiring, a good friend that is graduating this year is pregnant, and my show choir won their first grand championship.

While part of me wishes that I were there to experience these things, I know I'm creating a new life in Ohio. I've made so many great friends since freshman year and have exponentially expanded my network. I've become wiser and more naive over the past two years, but I still feel I'm moving forward to something great.

The problem lies in how to balance these two connections and how to know when to move on. I by no means want to return to high school, but I am saddened by the fact that I wasn't there to see my friends accomplish great things or to be a shoulder to cry on. There are only so many hours in the day, and while I've somewhat mastered balance in my professional/educational life, I've yet to get there emotionally.

So where do I draw the line? I only keep in close contact with a few people from high school, but I still care about so many more and only want the best for them. How can you possibly make the decision to leave an old life behind for a possibly better but unknown one?

I know this is a little more personal than my usual posts, but I felt it needed to be said.

Twitterviews and other social media

This is seriously insane. I'm sitting in my dorm room in little ol' Athens, Ohio, and I'm watching George Stephanopoulos interview John McCain live on Twitter. I can't believe how far technology has come just since I've been alive.

I remember being 3 years old and playing computer games on our Apple desktop complete with floppy discs. When I was in 6th grade I learned PowerPoint and Excel, and in 8th grade I made my first website.

I think I was 12 when I first got an Instant Messenger account, and I thought it was the coolest thing. I got an email account around the same time and it made me feel so grown up! Now with Facebook, Myspace and Twitter, e-mail and IM are almost outdated.

Social media allows instant communication but on a different level than email or IM ever could. It's seriously amazing that I can get updates from my professor, best friend and Ellen Degeneres all at the same time.

My dad always tells me that it's all about networking, and as I start to understand the importance of that, social media is making it so much easier to connect with professionals than it was even ten years ago.

I'm intrigued to see what will be the "next big thing" in social media, but for now I still have a lot of catching up to do on all of it that already exists.

Reflecting on winter quarter

It's been a long haul for the past ten or so weeks. Last year I had an almost perfect GPA and I thought college was going to be a breeze. I think this quarter was my wake up call. Emotionally and physically this year has been way more difficult than last.

I've had to tell myself that it's ok not to get straight A's and that I don't have to be perfect.

This quarter I've also become more independent. I flew without my parents for the first time, and to a big city to boot! I make most of my decisions for myself now and I think I'm finally trusting myself to make them.

I've met a lot of great people this quarter and many that I hope to keep in contact with throughout my college career and beyond.

I know I have a long way to go, but I think I'm coming into my own and figuring out who I really want to be. I'm getting more involved and trying to figure out what I like and don't like as far as my career goes.

I've learned that I can be OK on my own and that I should let things come as they may.

The Windy City

As I sit in the O’Hare Airport waiting for our flight back to Columbus, I feel the need to reflect on my first visit to Chicago. Besides some interesting experiences getting here, the trip was amazing.

We couldn’t have asked for better weather: the first two days were sunny and exceeded 50 degrees. The city is fast-paced, but not overwhelming like New York. The atmosphere itself motivated me to take every extra step I can to achieve my goals.

The agency visits were very impressive. Each company had its own way of organizing and working together, but all seemed to run seamlessly. Ruder Finn gave me great insight on how to be a great intern and how to get the internship in the first place. Weber Shandwick stressed the importance of advocacy and building relationships. Fleishman Hillard talked about branding yourself and how to stand out, whether in an internship or as you grow in your career.

I met some amazing people and got to know many more from PRSSA. The trip confirmed for me that I’m pursuing the right career.

Chicago, I’m sad to leave, but I know I’ll be back soon!

Post-It addict

I think I've become the Queen of the Post-it. Currently, I have five Post-It notes on my desk, all reminding me of different things I need to do. I've also been known to be halfway asleep, remember something I need to do, and ask my roommate, (who's still awake), to write a Post-It for me.

I think the whole obsession with Post-It notes started when I came to college. My mom got me a Post-It holder that alternates the colors of the notes. It also has a suction cup on the bottom to secure it to my desk. Since then, I probably have averaged around five notes a day, some of which stay on my desk for several days.

Since I love the real Post-It notes so much, I thought I would like the Stickies application on my Mac, but that has not been the case. I just don't get the same satisfaction from dragging my Sticky to the trash on my computer desktop as I do when I crumble up my completed Post-It and throw it in the trashcan under my desk.

So to whomever created the square piece of paper with a strip of adhesive to the back, I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Communication

I just got e-mail confirmation that my business cards have been shipped. I guess that makes me one step closer to achieving my goals. Recently, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to what I truly what out of all aspects of my life. One of the things I’ve come up with that is the most important to me is communication. Whether it be in a relationship or a job or even with yourself, I have come to see how imperative it is that you get across the correct message, or at least correctly portray the one you want to send. And being honest is usually a good thing as well. I’m slowly learning how difficult this can be at times and how much thought must go into every aspect of communicating. As we are getting deeper into our PR plan for ImPRessions, it amazes me how one word can change the impact of what your message says. I have a new-found love for my thesaurus and I finally understand the term “power words."

To sum all of this up, I think I’m finally starting to grow up and I guess I’m listening to myself more then I ever have in the past. And once you start communicating, it’s so much easier to continue the conversation.

Going to CHICACO!

I just bought my plane ticket for the PRSSA networking trip in Chicago. I'm not really sure if I can describe how excited I am. This trip will mark a lot of firsts for me. First, I've never been to Chicago, just being in the city will be an amazing experience. I've also never flown without my parents or been on such a big trip without them. Although it's a little scary, this is just another step toward my independence, which I have been working on ever since I got to college.

Every day I become more and more passionate about what I've chosen for my career path. I feel blessed that I actually know what I want to do with the rest of my life at a relatively young age. I'm hoping that this trip will only deepen that passion, and probably give me some good connections for the future.

Change

Something I really need to work on is accepting change. I know it happens all the time and without it, we would never get anywhere in life, but I still have a rough time with it.

Getting used to being home for six weeks was difficult, especially when I was working 30 hours a week at a restaurant. Then, coming back to school and getting used to being away from my family again was even more difficult then freshman year.

Even the weather changes from Charleston, WV, to Athens, OH. I have a new appreciation for those who live here all the time and deal with wind 24/7.

I know college is a time where the most change will probably happen in my life, and part of my experience will be learning how to deal with anything life throws my way. I guess you could say this is my New Year's resolution: deal with change as it comes and realize that change is not always a bad thing.