#prsms

[geeber]

Will you be at PR+Social Media Summit @MarquetteU? Tickets are now on sale! go.mu.edu/prsms15 #prsms

[creative-journey]

10 principles of good content from sarahvanelzen's talk at the PR + Social Media Summit at marquetteu. 

[postmarq]

@PaulMRand and @AugieRay gave the keynote talks for the PR & Social Media Summit at Marquette University.

[marquetteu]

The Diederich College of Communication-sponsored PR + Social Media Summit comes to the Alumni Memorial Union on Oct 9th. Learn more and register HERE.

[geeber]

So many social media channels, which to choose? Find out Oct. 9 at PR & Social Media Summit @MarquetteU. #PRSMS http://bit.ly/19JiJHC

[jessszramiak-blog]

Thanks, ladies! Arlene McCrehan and Mary Henige in ADPR 2200

As I looked at my upcoming week in my planner last Monday, I started crying. I had never seen so many pink and purple marks labeling tests, papers and presentations I had to complete. But then I looked at Wednesday and I my tears dried up because I remembered that the PR+Social Media Summit at Marquette was taking place. 

Because he was the man behind the event, it was no surprise that Mr. Tim arranged for two of the Summit's guests to stop by and chat with our class. Arlene McCrehan, Senior Director of Social Media at Goodwill and Mary Henige, Social Media Director at GM stopped by before their big day on Wednesday. Both women gave amazing advice on how to succeed in the PR world and made me excited for Wednesday. 

You all know the drill. Here were my favorite things I learned from Mary Henige and Arlene McCrehan: 

When writing a press release, get your message out up front. 

I'm not gonna lie, I'm new to this PR writing style. If you haven't noticed I'm often wordy in my writing and have a lot to say. One thing I've learned in ADPR 2200 especially is to say what you mean right away. Arlene did a great job of telling us how to write a good press release. On top of making it concise, clear and a quick read she said that it was important to put the message at the beginning of the press release. Why? Because people don't have time to sit and read a 4 page release. They need the facts right away so it's important to get to the point right away. 

I'm glad I don't have PR Writing until next semester so I have some time to perfect my precise writing skills. 

"B+ Students rule the world because they work hard to get that A or A-" Mary Henige

As soon as Mary Henige said these words, a lightbulb went off in my head. It was as if my entire academic career had been understood. I've always prided myself on being a B+ student. In high school I was always pleased with my 3.4 average and when I came to college I realized how much harder I had to work to keep a 3.0. In a world where I'm surrounded by Business and PT students (seriously, my friends are ALL business or health science majors) I often feel inadequate when I don't get that A on a test and am pleased with my A/B or B. Thank you, Mary for finally making me acknowledge the hard work that I've put into my academic career and maintaining my 3.0. 

I can't wait for the next time my father is on my case about my grades. You can bet I will remind him of these words and that I am going to run the world one day with my 3.0 GPA. 

Ask good questions during an interview. 

I've always considered myself to be good at interviews, but still get the occasional interview jitters.  I was grateful when I asked the ladies if they had any advice for us seniors applying for jobs and internships. The one common thing that both Arlene and Mary mentioned was to ask be overly prepared for interviews. 

Arlene said that in an interview, its important to be vicious. I don't think that she meant to be sassy or give attitude but to ask the interviewer questions about the company and to prove that you've done your research. Making it obvious to employers that you know about the position and company will make you stand out as a candidate. 

Similar to what Arlene mentioned, Mary said that in an interview it's a good idea to make your interviewer think, 'That's a great question'. Mary stressed how important it is to do your homework before the interview, making sure that you know enough to answer questions about the company and your questions are answered. She also made me realize how important it is to be prepared for an interview, not spending the night before at Caffs or Murphs. 

I'll end with a quote that Mary said about applying for jobs. She mentioned a quote by Thomas Jefferson that goes,  "The more prepared I am, the luckier I am". The more prepared we are for an interview, the better the chances are that we will do amazing. Mary used this quote to show how we make our own luck and decide our own future. Without getting too emotional, just know that from now on I'll know a little too much about the company I applying to work at. Thanks for the outstanding advice, ladies! 

[marciakreifels-blog]

Twice the Advice About Social Media

Last week Social Media and Digital Communications Director of General Motors, Mary Henige and Senior Director of Online Media at Goodwill, Arlene McCrehan visited our class before speaking at the PR Social Media Summit being held the next day. With their experienced backgrounds these ladies were able to give great advice about social media in a professional world.

Plan Your Tweets

When representing a company or an organization on social media the goal is to keep the followers engaged with relevant and interesting content. To do this, work on developing content ahead of time, make a content calendar, and post regularly. 

Take Negative Comments Head On

When negative comments or posts about the company you work for pop up the first instinct is to avoid confrontation, but this isn't always the best thing to do. More often than not, when negative comments are taken on directly while keeping calm and sticking to the facts the comment will be neutralized, and sometimes the angry poster will turn around and reveal a positive connection or experience with the organization.

Be Careful Where You Post

Throughout the class conversation, the topic of unforgettable mistakes from social media employee posting tweets intended for a personal Twitter to a company Twitter instead kept coming up. In certain situation these were just minor laughable incidents that cost the tweeter quite a bit of embarrassment. On the other hand, some tweets, especially those involving profanity or insults, cost a company some major damage control and the tweeter usually lost his or her job. So in general, it is probably best to avoid potentially offensive tweets on a personal Twitter, but even so make sure to save some yourself embarrassment and double-check where you're posting before you tweet.