Katasha Brown

Katasha here! I am a Florida native and am currently obtaining my Master's Degree at Full Sail University. I am a writer, blogger, and dreamer! If you'd like to know more about me, please feel free to follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Katasharenee Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katasha_renee/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katasharenee/

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Public Relations Final Project & Thesis (Month 12)

Before entering my last course of my Public Relations program, I was skeptical. I knew there would be a lot of writing in this course, but I didn’t know what to expect. This class involved research at a professional level and APA formatted assignments.

This class exceeded my expectations each week due to the style and set up of the assignments. I enjoyed this class because it challenged me to rethink my methods and research. It wasn’t just about the writing or research from other Public Relations Specialists. It was about my own views and theories as well as the work I had completed throughout the program. This class has taught me how to rely on myself when analyzing clients.

One assignment that I enjoyed working on was the “Capstone Project Thesis Paper Development and Audio/Video Component” assignment. In this assignment you had to compile work that was completed in a previous class. The appendix section included elements like the press release, event flyer, infographics, and other elements that we worked on within our program. This assignment allowed me to reflect on all I had done in the past year. I was amazed to see how many different elements I had and how my thesis began to come alive.

The most challenging assignment I had during this course was the Week one discussion post. This post consisted of the situation analysis that we had to complete in a previous class. I found this one most challenging because I had to sit down and re-evaluate the core message in these sections. A lot had changed from when I had first completed the assignment up until this point.

This whole program has prepared me for different situations and outcomes throughout my Public Relations career. This specific class taught me how to utilize every tip and tool and tie it altogether. I can enter into a career, knowing that I have all the tools necessary to be a successful Public Relations Specialist.

Overall, it was an amazing experience and I grateful for the instructors who took the time to craft each assignment in order to help us better understand the material. I would not be as knowledgeable as I am without the help of the instructors from the Public Relations Program. It has been a wonderful journey and I intend on using each and every tool given to me.

“Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality.” -Nikos Kazantzakis

[katasharenee]

Online Media Room (Month 11)

The Online Room – Month 11

Before beginning this class, I was unaware of what an Online Media Room (OMR) was. My general thoughts about it were that it was a page on a website that included photos and videos of companies. I was not sure what to expect in this class, although I knew the central assignment would be along the lines of creating an OMR. But the first week of class, I was introduced to fairly quickly by having to complete an assignment titled, “Create Portfolio/Project Page.”

The months prior to this class were spent creating content about my Capstone Client, Alexus Brown. We were to create Press Releases, SWOT analysis, webinars, and keynote presentations. These content items were then used for the Online Media Room. It was challenging to figure out how to incorporate each media content item onto the website, but once I was finished, everything came together nicely.

One topic I learned about was Inbound Marketing. The PDF provided in Week two helped me better understand how inbound marketing benefits companies through the tactics used to promote brand awareness and how you can communicate your message through an online media room. The reading material helped assist with the week two discussion post where we had to analyze two different companies’ media room. It was important to look for key indicators like the overall message, tone, and aesthetic of the online media room. I was able to distinguish the difference between a well-executed page and a poorly designed page.

This class has taught me how to develop and update my online media room. It has also explained why having an online media room is important to any company or individual. This class has also prepared me to establish my target audience build an online media room that caters to that audience.

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Crisis Management Strategies (Month 10)

Upon entering my Reputation Management Strategies class, I did not know what to expect. The name of the class was self-explanatory, but I knew there was going to be in-depth material to help with my future in Public Relations.

A goal I considered achieving while in this class was to gain as much understanding as I could about reputation management strategies by studying the material and implementing ways to incorporate it into my career. Another goal was to focus on how building a good reputation will affect my career long-term. I find it important to develop a mission statement and continue to build off of good principles. The last goal was to prepare myself for a potential disaster or crisis. Regardless of what could possibly happen, it is better to be prepared than to scramble around for clearance. The material in the class helped me understand the meaning of good reputation and how easily a reputation can be broken.

When a professional reputation is involved, it is imperative to continue focusing on the foundation and build a sustainable image (Smalls, 2017). While in the class, we worked on a Crisis Communication Plan. I learned how to create and implement the crisis communication plan. Within this plan, we were to create a plan that would be set in motion in the event a crisis occurs. This helped me gain better understanding of why preparation should always be considered when starting your business (Clark Communications, 2018). I learned the importance of focusing on business review sites. Although it is just research, monitoring review sites relevant to your company can help determine what needs to be done within your company according to consumer reviews. Learning about dark websites was a pleasant surprise. I was unaware of there being such a site. I was amazed to find out the uses of a dark website and how it could help a company considerably when crises occur (Lynch, 2015). These dark websites can hold press releases, statements, content, and photos that will allow the company to get ahead of the media.

Upon learning all of this information about reputation management strategies, I found the information crucial to my public relations career. This class has prepared me for the necessary steps to take in preparation for a crisis and the development of having and maintaining a good reputation. Moving forward, the goal is to continue educating myself on crisis management.

References:

Clark Communications, (2018). The Importance of Crisis Communication Planning. Clark Communications. Retrieved from http://clarkcommunication.com/the-importance-of-crisis-communication-planning/

Lynch, M. (2015, November 25). Preparing a Dark Website for Crisis Management.LinkedIn. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/preparing-dark-website-crisis-management-matt-lynch/

Smalls, J. (2017, March 21). Why is Reputation Management Important for My Business? Forward Marketing. Retrieved from https://www.fwd-mktg.com/why-is-reputation-management-important-for-my-business/

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Events Marketing and Production (Month 9)

Before beginning this class, I expected to learn about how to market events and how to create materials for the event. This was a generalized thought of what the overall course would entail. I was amazed to see how much goes into the planning and execution stage.

This course involved lessons on event planning. One assignment focused on pitches for a webinar and an event. Both assignments were complex and required extensive research. The discussion posts were equally informative. One discussion post in particular focused on the webinar outline. In this discussion, we were prompted to create a full outline of what the webinar would include. That required me to first understand how this would support my client’s brand without actually promoting her. Then I researched the topic I chose to incorporate as a general topic.

My favorite assignment was the crowdfunding discussion post. This assignment required us to search for a crowdfunding proposal and evaluate whether or not the proposal was effective enough based on the criteria of or reading material. I thoroughly enjoyed reading and searching through proposals. I also found a lot of information within the reading material that would help me in the future.

An assignment that was tough for me was creating an actual webinar. I had never created a webinar before this course so learning the dynamic on how to write, create, and edit a webinar was exciting yet terrifying. The webinar required between 10:00-20:00 of runtime and we had to incorporate a slide presentation within the webinar. I managed to record and edit the webinar and was quite amazed to see the turn out. I certainly need a lot of work in the area, but I am glad the necessary tools were provided in this course.

Moving forward, I plan on using the information I received from this course to create effective and creative events for future clients.

[katasharenee]

Media Relations (Month 8)

    Prior to entering Media Relations, I was not sure what to expect in this class. I was aware that it involved extensive amounts of media research but did not know to what extent. This class challenged my research skills throughout the whole course and has opened my eyes to a new outlook on the term, Media Relations.

    The beginning of the course focused on research. We were to put together three different lists that consisted of journalists from multi-platform outlets. We were to use Twitter, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Word to document our findings. It was a tedious assignment that required thorough research.

    The assignment I enjoyed the most was our week three assignment, Preparing for News Conferences. This assignment required us to create a list of FAQs and talking points discussing our client. This assignment forced me to question both my client and myself when it came to hard-hitting questions to ask. I enjoyed making the list by envisioning myself as a reporter covering this press conference.

    A few details I’ve learned from this course is research skills, creating elevator pitches as well as target pitches that cater to a specific journalist, learning how to handle a crisis prior and during a press conference, and how to create a media kit. I am entering into a new journey with more knowledge pertaining to my career field. With the techniques I have learned in Media Relations, I will be able to address the public about my client without hesitation because of the tools that were available to me in this class.

    Overall, I enjoyed both the instructor and the material in Media Relations. The work challenges you to re-think your strategies and come back to your layout to rearrange items. The instructions for each assignment were very clear and concise, which forced me to realize how important it is to be thorough.

[katasharenee]

Market and Consumer Research Analysis (Month 7)

    Before entering Market and Consumer Research Analysis, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I had an idea of the course being related to an audience but was unaware how detailed the course would be. It was interesting to see how the course exceeded my expectations as well as pushed me out of my comfort zone and challenged me to re-evaluate my approach on how I market my client for the Capstone project.

    In the beginning of the course, we had to complete multiple sections of our Capstone Thesis paper. This assignment had pushed me to really think about the strategies I had planned for my client, Alexus Brown. She is an Author and was having trouble with reaching her audience and gaining followers through her social media accounts. This assignment helped begin the process.

    My favorite assignment this month was working on a promo video for my client. I was able to meet up with my client and record clips of her as well as having her record herself reciting a poem from her book. We also met up and I wrote interview style questions for her to answer. Everything was then compiled and placed into iMovie for the assembly of the video. It was an amazing experience and I am excited to have such a willing Client who trusts my creative judgement.

    With this being the last week in this class, I can honestly say it was all worth it. I’ve learned that consumer analysis is such an important element to Public Relations. Without it, there would be no set understanding of your target audience, which will lead to loss of sales. You wouldn’t know how to promote or advertise without the knowledge of your consumers. According to Jure Klepic (2014), businesses need to culturally understand why each group is different.

    Overall, this month has helped me push my own agenda to pay more attention to my followers. Building relationships and making every encounter memorable is what makes a loyal follower. I will strive to bring a better experience to my consumers by studying them more often.

References: 

    Klepic, J. (2014, November 04). The Importance of Consumer Insights in Today’s Marketing Strategies. Huffington Post. Retrieved from, https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jure-klepic/the-importance-of-consume_b_6083324.html

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Social Media Metrics and ROI (Month 6)

This month I learned about Social Media Metrics and ROI (Return on Investment). I wasn’t sure what to expect this month. I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t be able to grasp the concept of metrics, but to my surprise, I did.

One of my favorite assignments in this class was assignment one: Using Google Analytics. At first glance, I was lost but I caught on quickly after thoroughly reading the directions. This assignment was about reading Google Analytics. The report showed items like:

·      Site visits

·      Unique visits

·      Page views

·      Sessions per user

·      Average time spent on the site

·      Bounce rate

·      New users

The reports were either shown by percentage or in the form of a graph. It was easy to read and navigate through. Learning how to use Google Analytics allows me to focus on weak areas within my site. This assignment helped me break down the different metrics that make up the traffic of my site. Before doing this assignment, I thought it was all about visiting a site and that was the end. But it is much deeper than entering a site. You have to be able to engage with the user and provide content that will continue to peak their interests.

My least favorite assignment was Assignment Two: Keyword Research and SEO. For some reason, I kept drawing blanks when it came to choosing AdWords. I also found it quite difficult to navigate through the Google AdWords site. I ran a campaign but did not have much luck on the words I chose. It is going to take a bit more research to fully comprehend Google AdWords.

This month surprised me. I didn’t think I would be able to take in so much information in so little time. I will be able to utilize everything I learned from this class in my future business endeavors.

[katasharenee]

Innovative Public Relations Tools and Resources (Month 5)

Before attending this class, I didn’t know what to expect. The class consisted of reading analytics, media strategy, branding, and social media marketing. I was unaware of the many factors that play into marketing. This was the first time I had ever read analytics for social media. 

My favorite assignment in this class was creating a brand video. I had to come up with a concept and execute it by following my own written script and record different scenes. After shooting a few scenes and voice recording my script, I had to put everything together through iMovie. We had to incorporate b-roll as well. After completing the video, we then had to share it on four different social media platforms. I chose to share it on YouTube (which was a requirement), LinkedIn, Facebook, and Tumblr. It was a great way to see the public’s reaction to content I release.

My least favorite assignment at the time was the “Pro Social Media Audit”. Trying to understand different tools in a week rendered difficult at the time. Now that I have used them throughout the remainder of the course, it became easier. Also, scheduling was confusing at first. The concept of figuring out peak times and monitoring how each social media platform responds to certain content was interesting. A time that worked well for me was Eastern Standard Time between the hours of 1pm-8pm.  I also learned to post different content for various social media. It took some time to adjust to the constant change between platforms.

One thing I did learn was to utilize my writing skills by writing content directly into the platforms like Facebook and Instagram. I’ve noticed that people are more inclined to read it rather than click on a link sometimes. I happen to be one of those people.

Overall, it was a learning experience that I enjoyed. I plan to use the skills and tools I learned from this month on my personal brand.

[katasharenee]

Check out the branding story for 31(thirty)

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Legal Aspects of Media- Mastery Journal Assignment Month 4

After taking Legal Aspects of Media this month, I have found so many new tools to use. I have a few assignments that I really enjoyed. I learned how to create a Freedom of Information Act request, I also learned how to register and search the copyright office database, and I was able to create a press release for an event. If I had to choose one assignment I enjoyed this month, it would have to be creating the press release. I had the freedom to write about any event I wanted and learned how to effectively put the content together.

 The topics covered this month consisted of copyrights, commercial speech, freedom of information act, defamation, deceptive advertising, and press releases. I find each topic helpful because they all cover the legal aspect of Public Relations. There are laws that need to be followed and as a communications professional I need to be aware of the rules and laws that take place when releasing content. It is important to make sure every piece of information that is posted or said is 100% true and you have evidence to back up your claims.

 This month has taught me how to effectively research content. Looking at the week two assignment, New York Times v. Sullivan and Gertz v. Welch, both cases were centered around information that was considered defamation allegations. Avoiding issues like that would require research, accurate information, interviews from reliable sources, and unbiased content that does not come off as judgmental. Situations like this can be avoided if I am releasing truthful reliable information.

  I learned so much this month and I look forward to utilizing all the information I consumed this month. Every week was a learning experience and I was able to identify cases or stories from a different perspective by using the tools that were given to me this month.

[katasharenee]

Writing fo Interactive Media - Mastery Journal Assignment Month 3

This month’s class consisted of crafting our own stories, planning and editing our stories, and promoting them as well. The material provided for this class was helpful and informative. I didn’t know what to expect in the class besides writing, but I was surprised to find out that there is more to just writing a story. A great story has to be planned, researched, then drafted. There are many steps that went into just two stories. I was challenged to figure out the five W’s in each story I wrote which consist of who, what, when, where, and why.

One assignment I enjoyed working on was the about me research assignment. Looking at other professionals about me pages pushed me to want to write a creative about me page. Each about me page was written to fit both the individual’s personality and profession. The materials that help aid in the research were equally influential. The materials were detailed and easy to follow.

 Another assignment that helped me was the content plan that we had to complete on the second, third, and final week. It helped me visualize the “Big” picture. Going into writing the story has become easier because I now have a plan to execute the story with a well thought out drafted plan.

Overall, I have learned so much in this class. Moving forward, I plan on using the techniques I have learned in this class like having a content plan before each story I write and finding similar professionals I look up to and study their execution plan when it comes to the content they release. One thing I will always take with me is always establishing the five W’s. Finding the five W’s will strengthen my story because I have reason behind the content. I look forward to the rest of my journey while using each tool and technique I had learned from this class.

[katasharenee]

Public Relations in a Digital World. - Mastery Journal Assignment Month 2

After taking the “Public Relations in a Digital World” course, I have gained new insight to how the world portrays Public Relations. There were many things I can utilize in this class but one assignment that stuck out to me the most was the week 3 assignment, “Public Service Announcement Commercial.” This assignment took me out of my comfort zone and put me into a place of unfamiliarity. I had to learn how to create a script, record it, and place each piece into a short segment while creating a powerful message. Although it was hard, I have to admit, it was one of my favorite assignments. 

With everything I’ve learned this month, I believe the most helpful information I have received would be, “Analyzing the Principles of Persuasion.” This will help in my profession of Public Relations because it included the many key points like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the Six principles of Influence, and the Asch Conformity Experiment. With this information, I can navigate through what works and what doesn’t when it comes to PR campaigning. The power of persuasion has led me to believe emotions and marketing can coincide with one another.

The knowledge I have gained this month will prepare me by understanding the digital world of Public Relations. I now have knowledge of how emotions play key parts to PR work. This class has also given me reason to network with professionals who have the ability to teach me hands-on PR work. In the first week of class, our assignment was to research PR firms. Researching different firms allowed me to catch a glimpse of the multiple tools I can utilize within this career field. Working alongside with professionals using the information I have gained could help strengthen my professional work and give me the confidence I need.

[katasharenee]

Mastery Journey Timeline

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My inspirational post for this week is a spoken word piece by one of my favorite poets/rappers, Propaganda. He takes his love for Jesus and mixes it with his passion to spread his words to communities. In this piece he talks about an incident where an employer had told him he was “too creative”. This caused him to reflect on who he truly was and understand that it was not him who was “too creative” but it was them who was afraid to be more than they were.

This inspires me to be more! To take my visions and dreams and make them come to life. God gave me a gift and I intend to use it. 

[katasharenee]

After years of trying to decide what I wanted to do with my life, I finally decided to take a risk and follow my dreams. It took a lot of tears and second-guessing, but by God I made it! This inspires me to keep pushing and to never give up. I am the only person in my family (extended as well) to graduate high school and hold a college degree. I’m not only doing this for myself, but I am doing it for my husband, children, parents, and siblings to let them know it is possible. You have to believe in your future despite how things may look in the present. This is my inspiration post for this week. Its never too late to follow you're dreams!

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Logo! 

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A screenshot of the first board I’ve made using Papaly. I have listed three creative writing articles and two public relations articles to help guide me through this mastery journey.