OK, so I know this story doesn’t quite merit an entire blog post, but I just had to share.
A fellow colleague and I made a goal to go running on our lunch breaks a few times per week, so we thought we’d start today.
I was super excited to get out of the office for a bit, which rarely happens, so we agreed to change real quick then meet outside for our first run together. I hurried down to my car to grab my running cloths... only to find that I forgot my running shoes! Silly me… But I was determined to go on this run, so I noticed a pair of flip-flops in my trunk and decided, “hey, these’ll do.” (You can only imagine my colleague’s reaction when I showed up at our meeting location wearing my running cloths and a pair of flip-flops.) Of course she laughed at me for a second, but I assured her I would be fine as long as we jog slowly, so we embarked on the first leg of our run.
I was doing great in the flip-flops, and after about the first 3 minutes of our run my colleague asked, “how are your flip-flops working out? Are you sure you’re okay to run in them?” I responded with, “Of course, they’re actually really comfortable. These are working great!” Apparently I forgot to bring my slab of wood with me because 3 steps later the shoe on my right foot snapped in half. Whoops.
I hobbled for a second before we decided we should probably end our run (did we really have a choice? I guess I could have gone bare-foot.) Fortunately, we had run in a big loop so we were right behind the office when my shoe mishap occurred. The only thing separating us from the office was a small grass field. I proceeded to hop across the field when, on my very first hop, my left foot sank into about 6 inches of mud. I finished running across the mud (it was either that or backtrack across the rocky road we came on – big ouch!) and straggled back into the office - muddy, shoeless, and definitely not relaxed. Looks like we are off to a great running start!
Moral of the story? Don’t run on your lunch breaks, but if you do, wear running shoes.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
If you like social networking...
Then you'd love this fun little tool! It's an online Q and A forum where members can ask questions and post answers to others, vote on their favorite answers, and accrue points for amount of activity. There is a list of "superstars," or people who have accrued the most points (Lisa-007, the top Live Q and A superstar, has accrued 10456 points just this month!) In a nutshell, this service is like a mini online community. Lips even posted the question, "Has something been happening here? I haven't been able to sign in for 20 hours!!!! I missed you!"
So if you have a burning question you would like to get others' opinions on, go try out this service and join the conversation. Tell me what you think!
So if you have a burning question you would like to get others' opinions on, go try out this service and join the conversation. Tell me what you think!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Tip for Young Bloggers: Find Your Niche
Do you want to create your own public blog, but just have no idea know where to start? This is something I struggled with when I first started my own blog – I didn’t have a solid direction of where I wanted to go with my ideas. I knew I wanted to have a blog, and one that related to PR since that is my main area of expertise (heck, I spend 40+ hours per week doing it, might as well blog about it), but other than that I really didn’t have a clue as to what I wanted to write. After my first few posts, I began to lose interest fast. Blogging started to feel more like a chore as opposed to something I liked to do. Why? Because I didn’t have any direction in my writing or where I wanted to go with my blog or who I wanted to see it.
After taking a break from blogging I began to reevaluate my goals and asses what I wanted to get out of it. Then it dawned on me – I needed to find something about PR I was interested in, something I could provide a fresh but interesting perspective on, and *stick to it*.
So what about me? I like PR, and I like giving advice. Ok, so… how do I combine the two? In other words, what’s my niche? There are plenty of blogs that provide advice to young professionals from an expert perspective. I am by no means an expert, so what do I have that sets me apart? Answer? I AM a young professional, and who better to share PR experiences with PR students and young professionals than someone who can relate?
There we go. I FOUND it. So what's my advice for you soon-to-be bloggers?
There we go. I FOUND it. So what's my advice for you soon-to-be bloggers?
Find Your Niche
It seems simple, right? I mean, that was my original intent. I was just so focused on writing posts from an expert perspective (which I obviously am not) that I lost sight of my unique characteristics – the fact that I am a new professional on my first PR journey. See, there are dozens of blogs that provide expert advice to young PR people, but not many that provide advice as they are currently learning it. (You would have thought this would be a no brainer – duh, have a target audience! And yes, this does apply even to blogs.)
Stick To It
Once you find something you are interested in, make sure you constantly revisit the topic in your posts. An analyst blog I read for work daily and have really come to enjoy, The Kelsey Group blog, is a great example. Kelsey Group analysts write on topics that relate to local (national products that are localized, such as the yellow pages online, national advertisers that go local, and local search). Their blog posts explore a wide range of topics but always come back and revisit one, central question - "what about local?" This is important, one, because readers can always know what to expect, and two, because it helps give the blog posts a direction to follow. How can I apply this tip to my blog? Well, since we decided that I will have a PR blog focused toward young professionals, each post I write will always ask the question "how does this topic apply to the new professional?"Develop Your Own, Unique Voice
This is perhaps one of the most important pieces of advice. Blogs are meant to be conversational (which is probably why they are the most trusted source of information out there), therefore you should speak as if you are having a conversation with someone. Aka, if you aren't an expert on the topic you are writing, don't pretend to be. If you don't always speak using a report-writing tone, then don't. Remember how you learned to write in Writing 101? Remember how your teachers told you to have a thesis and always take out the likes, ums and totallys? Well you can throw all that out the window. Your blog should be unique and reflect your own personal style.
This is perhaps one of the most important pieces of advice. Blogs are meant to be conversational (which is probably why they are the most trusted source of information out there), therefore you should speak as if you are having a conversation with someone. Aka, if you aren't an expert on the topic you are writing, don't pretend to be. If you don't always speak using a report-writing tone, then don't. Remember how you learned to write in Writing 101? Remember how your teachers told you to have a thesis and always take out the likes, ums and totallys? Well you can throw all that out the window. Your blog should be unique and reflect your own personal style.
So, now that you have found something you are interested in and want to blog about, make sure that you always tie your posts back to your topic and target audience, stick to it, and develop your own voice. Happy blogging!
The World's 50 Most Powerful Blogs
Great post in The Guardian today on the world's 50 most popular blogs and descriptions of what each covers. Below, I have listed out the top 10 but if you would like to read the full article (which you should, because as PR professionals it is our job to know the media landscape, which now includes the blogosphere, inside and out) you can find it here.
Top 10
1. The Huffington Post
2. Boing Boing
3. Techcrunch
4. Kottke
5. Dooce
6. Perezhilton
7. Talkingpointsmemo
8. Icanhascheezburger
9. Beppe Grillo
10. Gawker
One last word: I was surprised at how many of these blogs were international. Perhaps my awe stems from the fact that I am simply naive, but it raised a good flag for me that I should begin to research and evaluate the media landscape in other countries to see what others are reading. I also found it interesting that Perezhilton ranked #6 in the world. Don't get me wrong, definitely a great blog, but I think it says something about where the interest of our culture lies :)
Top 10
1. The Huffington Post
2. Boing Boing
3. Techcrunch
4. Kottke
5. Dooce
6. Perezhilton
7. Talkingpointsmemo
8. Icanhascheezburger
9. Beppe Grillo
10. Gawker
One last word: I was surprised at how many of these blogs were international. Perhaps my awe stems from the fact that I am simply naive, but it raised a good flag for me that I should begin to research and evaluate the media landscape in other countries to see what others are reading. I also found it interesting that Perezhilton ranked #6 in the world. Don't get me wrong, definitely a great blog, but I think it says something about where the interest of our culture lies :)
Friday, March 7, 2008
The Generation That's Simply Misunderstood
After reading Kelli’s blog post in her blog PRos in Training (one of my favs!) and the somewhat defensive responses from 3 of her students, I felt compelled to also join the conversation.
In his article Getting To Know Gen Why, Marshall Goldsmith marks us as the “What’s in it for me” generation. My initial reaction to Mr. Goldsmith’s article was, naturally, one of disappointment. After all, I am a proud Gen Y’er and I believe we are hard-working, compassionate and eager to learn as ever. It always disappoints me when people are quick to classify the younger generation as lazy, immoral, and disrespectful, because obviously there are exceptions to every stereotype.
However, through his rant about the kids who “don't want to pay their dues, play by the rules, or give their best to any project unless they are sure it will get them a promotion, a raise, or some kind of recognition;” I admit that some of his points are spot on.
We Gen Y’ers have been raised in a society where “anything is possible.” Therefore, it is hard when we graduate from college and immediately find ourselves in, as Alexandra Levit best describes it in her book They Don’t Teach Corporate in College, a ‘quarterlife crisis.’ (aka, the realization that, “hmm, maybe not quite everything is possible… yet”) We graduate from college with a kick-a** degree and a few professional internships under our belt, only to find ourselves thinking, “now what?”
Eileen’s blog response to Mr. Goldsmith’s article points out that our generation is more hard-working, active and dedicated than ever, but perhaps that’s one of the qualities Mr. Goldsmith’s slightly negative opinion stems from. We are hard working, we are busy, we are determined – and that’s why we believe that we deserve better. In other words, we don’t quite fit into the corporate hierarchy. “I mean, come on, I graduated top of my class with 3 majors and 2 minors, not to mention the 4 internships I held and 7 student groups I was a part of… Why should I have to start from the bottom?!” We have dreams, goals and life plans, and it is quite the reality check to graduate and move onto that amazing job… at the bottom of the totem pole.
But is that necessarily a bad thing for corporate America? This is where my opinion differs from Mr. Goldsmith’s. Yes, it’s probably true that the typical college graduate is more likely to do their time for 6 months then move on to the next best job. Although I personally chose to follow the typical Baby Boomer approach to my first job (which I am quite content with; I was one of the lucky ones to land a great job), I believe that it is important for recent college graduates to dip around a bit and see what else is out there. (Plus, as an employer, you'll find that these entry level employees will have a well-rounded perspective to bring to your company). I had several internships throughout college before I settled into my current company, and I’m very glad I did because I believe I learned important, vital skills at each and every one of them. When Mr. Goldsmith says that managers will need to change their approach when dealing with Gen Y direct reports, he is correct. My manager, for example, does a great job of this. She constantly asks what my goals are and makes sure that I am working on projects I feel I will benefit and learn from, while offering constructive feedback along the way. As a result, I am continually growing and learning, and although I do get stuck with the occasional media list every now and then, I am more apt to do a good job because I know that her ultimate goal is to make sure that I am always growing. If managers enter into an “I’m your boss, you do what I say, and oh, by the way, get over yourself” relationship with their direct reports, then yes, they will be “toast.”
So perhaps we Gen Y-ers are just misunderstood. I once asked during a 401K training how long we had to be with the company to be 100% vested, and I cannot tell you how many awkward stares, gasps and open jaws the question received from the room full of baby boomers. Hey, I was just askin’!
Let’s face it – times are changing. Are we lazy? No, we’re just bored and we come into jobs expecting to use the high-level skills we learned in our PR campaigns and planning classes… only to find we’re doing the media lists. Do we want recognition? Yes, but not because we want more money or ‘the next big promotion.’ We want to know that our work on the team is truly valued because we genuinely care about the well-being of our companies and clients. Will we bolt for the next job when we’re not happy? Probably. But not because we’re not happy, but because it’s one step closer to the job of our dreams.
So, what is my advice to my generation? Reach for your dreams (trust me, I’m a big advocate!) but don’t get ahead of yourself. You might have a fresh perspective to bring to a company with your pretty college degree and knowledge of new media, but you’re not going to start out as the company’s VP. If you pay your dues and prove yourself as an entry-level employee, trust me, you will be noticed and become one step closer to reaching your dream.
In his article Getting To Know Gen Why, Marshall Goldsmith marks us as the “What’s in it for me” generation. My initial reaction to Mr. Goldsmith’s article was, naturally, one of disappointment. After all, I am a proud Gen Y’er and I believe we are hard-working, compassionate and eager to learn as ever. It always disappoints me when people are quick to classify the younger generation as lazy, immoral, and disrespectful, because obviously there are exceptions to every stereotype.
However, through his rant about the kids who “don't want to pay their dues, play by the rules, or give their best to any project unless they are sure it will get them a promotion, a raise, or some kind of recognition;” I admit that some of his points are spot on.
We Gen Y’ers have been raised in a society where “anything is possible.” Therefore, it is hard when we graduate from college and immediately find ourselves in, as Alexandra Levit best describes it in her book They Don’t Teach Corporate in College, a ‘quarterlife crisis.’ (aka, the realization that, “hmm, maybe not quite everything is possible… yet”) We graduate from college with a kick-a** degree and a few professional internships under our belt, only to find ourselves thinking, “now what?”
Eileen’s blog response to Mr. Goldsmith’s article points out that our generation is more hard-working, active and dedicated than ever, but perhaps that’s one of the qualities Mr. Goldsmith’s slightly negative opinion stems from. We are hard working, we are busy, we are determined – and that’s why we believe that we deserve better. In other words, we don’t quite fit into the corporate hierarchy. “I mean, come on, I graduated top of my class with 3 majors and 2 minors, not to mention the 4 internships I held and 7 student groups I was a part of… Why should I have to start from the bottom?!” We have dreams, goals and life plans, and it is quite the reality check to graduate and move onto that amazing job… at the bottom of the totem pole.
But is that necessarily a bad thing for corporate America? This is where my opinion differs from Mr. Goldsmith’s. Yes, it’s probably true that the typical college graduate is more likely to do their time for 6 months then move on to the next best job. Although I personally chose to follow the typical Baby Boomer approach to my first job (which I am quite content with; I was one of the lucky ones to land a great job), I believe that it is important for recent college graduates to dip around a bit and see what else is out there. (Plus, as an employer, you'll find that these entry level employees will have a well-rounded perspective to bring to your company). I had several internships throughout college before I settled into my current company, and I’m very glad I did because I believe I learned important, vital skills at each and every one of them. When Mr. Goldsmith says that managers will need to change their approach when dealing with Gen Y direct reports, he is correct. My manager, for example, does a great job of this. She constantly asks what my goals are and makes sure that I am working on projects I feel I will benefit and learn from, while offering constructive feedback along the way. As a result, I am continually growing and learning, and although I do get stuck with the occasional media list every now and then, I am more apt to do a good job because I know that her ultimate goal is to make sure that I am always growing. If managers enter into an “I’m your boss, you do what I say, and oh, by the way, get over yourself” relationship with their direct reports, then yes, they will be “toast.”
So perhaps we Gen Y-ers are just misunderstood. I once asked during a 401K training how long we had to be with the company to be 100% vested, and I cannot tell you how many awkward stares, gasps and open jaws the question received from the room full of baby boomers. Hey, I was just askin’!
Let’s face it – times are changing. Are we lazy? No, we’re just bored and we come into jobs expecting to use the high-level skills we learned in our PR campaigns and planning classes… only to find we’re doing the media lists. Do we want recognition? Yes, but not because we want more money or ‘the next big promotion.’ We want to know that our work on the team is truly valued because we genuinely care about the well-being of our companies and clients. Will we bolt for the next job when we’re not happy? Probably. But not because we’re not happy, but because it’s one step closer to the job of our dreams.
So, what is my advice to my generation? Reach for your dreams (trust me, I’m a big advocate!) but don’t get ahead of yourself. You might have a fresh perspective to bring to a company with your pretty college degree and knowledge of new media, but you’re not going to start out as the company’s VP. If you pay your dues and prove yourself as an entry-level employee, trust me, you will be noticed and become one step closer to reaching your dream.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
The Online BOOM
Interesting data from eMarketer that found not only that more people are spending time online, but also that people are spending more time online.
From the article: "According to the USC Annenberg School Center for the Digital Future, on average US Internet users spent 15.3 hours a week online last year, and that is up from 8.9 hours in 2006."
Wow, that's a lot of time! Proof that PR professionals should consider using online tactics to connect with target audiences.
The USC study also breaks down time spent online into specific demographic categories. For example, "children ages 8 to 14 are online nearly two hours a day, and 45% of young adults ages 18 to 24 spend three or more hours a day online... By contrast, African Americans represent nearly 13% of the general population, but make up just 11.2% of the online population, and Hispanics (who can be of any race) are about 15% of the general population compared to just 10.4% of the online one."
When deciding whether or not to incorporate social media and online PR tactics into your PR plan, it is important to first take a step back and consider your target audience. It might be tempting to add these fancy online tactics to show clients we "get" Web 2.0 and are ahead of the curve, or because "PR is trending that way," but it is equally important to know when not to use these tactics. For example, with USC's study in mind, it might not be the best idea to use online tactics as means to engage with the African American audience, whereas if you are targeting the young adult audience it would be a fantastic addition.
From the article: "According to the USC Annenberg School Center for the Digital Future, on average US Internet users spent 15.3 hours a week online last year, and that is up from 8.9 hours in 2006."
Wow, that's a lot of time! Proof that PR professionals should consider using online tactics to connect with target audiences.
The USC study also breaks down time spent online into specific demographic categories. For example, "children ages 8 to 14 are online nearly two hours a day, and 45% of young adults ages 18 to 24 spend three or more hours a day online... By contrast, African Americans represent nearly 13% of the general population, but make up just 11.2% of the online population, and Hispanics (who can be of any race) are about 15% of the general population compared to just 10.4% of the online one."
When deciding whether or not to incorporate social media and online PR tactics into your PR plan, it is important to first take a step back and consider your target audience. It might be tempting to add these fancy online tactics to show clients we "get" Web 2.0 and are ahead of the curve, or because "PR is trending that way," but it is equally important to know when not to use these tactics. For example, with USC's study in mind, it might not be the best idea to use online tactics as means to engage with the African American audience, whereas if you are targeting the young adult audience it would be a fantastic addition.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
When the past comes back to haunt you
A reminder to us that our past times can have serious consequences. Just something to think about as we're planning to enter the corporate world.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Should you be LinkedIn?
Good blog post in the Kelsey Group blog on the uses and benefits of LinkedIn. The author, Michael Taylor, points out the growing significance of LinkedIn.
In a nutshell, Michael describes LinkedIn as "a powerful and growing business network that recently reported topping the 17 million-member mark, making it one of the world’s largest business networks on the Internet. With a large base of business-focused members, finding ways to share vendors and service providers seems like a natural extension with the possibility of enhancing its revenue generation and profitability."
What really struck me as interesting about Michael's post, though, is that he points out ways that business professionals can use the service to create their own professional networks.
In fact, in another blog post I recently read on Pro PR, the author writes, "I do not hire entry level people without looking at their blog, following their twitter stream and checking their Facebook presence. I want a sense of who they are over time, not just when they are in my office. I want to know what they think on the issues they care about and how they express themselves. I want to see whether and how they connect with others. And I can find out all those things from their social media presence."
This post really put the first blog into perspective for me. It is interesting to think that now even employers (not just already established business networks) are even catching on to the Social Media phenomenon. In a sense, they are creating new networks, thus opening up a realm of possibilities for new business professionals and making it easier to build professional networks.
My take away from these LinkedIn posts? Definitely a good idea to get involved in the social media conversation - start your own blog, update your Twitter, and definitely register for LinkedIn. It's not enough, though, to simply create a profile. You must also get involved, and stay involved. In a sense, don't forget to join the conversation. Tips from me later :)
Side note, feel free to visit my professional network:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/andreanowack
In a nutshell, Michael describes LinkedIn as "a powerful and growing business network that recently reported topping the 17 million-member mark, making it one of the world’s largest business networks on the Internet. With a large base of business-focused members, finding ways to share vendors and service providers seems like a natural extension with the possibility of enhancing its revenue generation and profitability."
What really struck me as interesting about Michael's post, though, is that he points out ways that business professionals can use the service to create their own professional networks.
In fact, in another blog post I recently read on Pro PR, the author writes, "I do not hire entry level people without looking at their blog, following their twitter stream and checking their Facebook presence. I want a sense of who they are over time, not just when they are in my office. I want to know what they think on the issues they care about and how they express themselves. I want to see whether and how they connect with others. And I can find out all those things from their social media presence."
This post really put the first blog into perspective for me. It is interesting to think that now even employers (not just already established business networks) are even catching on to the Social Media phenomenon. In a sense, they are creating new networks, thus opening up a realm of possibilities for new business professionals and making it easier to build professional networks.
My take away from these LinkedIn posts? Definitely a good idea to get involved in the social media conversation - start your own blog, update your Twitter, and definitely register for LinkedIn. It's not enough, though, to simply create a profile. You must also get involved, and stay involved. In a sense, don't forget to join the conversation. Tips from me later :)
Side note, feel free to visit my professional network:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/andreanowack
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
My blog... REINTRODUCED!
August 22… August 23… February 12?! In my very first summer of blogging I have already broken the first cardinal rule – Update your blog Promptly and FREQUENTLY! You would think that as a PR student born in the age of Web 2.0, I would have my blog on the top of my radar. My bad :) (I blame it on the “oh so busy” holiday season) BUT, I have many great topics in mind and many fabulous stories to share, so you can consider this post the “reintroduction” of my blog (which will hopefully have a new, much more interesting title shortly!) and I give you my sincere resolution to post more often. I will give you a full update on the Fabulous Life of Andrea shortly!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
My First Big Project!
It was a big week for me at work! Which may be a reason for my lack of posts recently (sorry! I'll try to post more often!) Anyway, I helped own a project this week - a mobile partnership announcement - and let me just say that it was quite the experience! Although I can't disclose full details of the project, I did learn a few things along the way:
- Communication with your team and other players is key. You must be clear and lay out exactally what you want them to do. Then, you just need to let trust take it from there.
- You must also communicate well with clients.
- Work fast and respond quickly. In PR land, you could extrapolate this point to fit just about any project you are working on.
- Be prepared to answer lots of questions.
- Send out reminders or other useful tid bits of information to people who are helping you work on the project.
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