How to get promoted

I came across this while reading Voice from the PR Maven, a blog written by Julie Rusciolli, president and founder of Toronto's Maverick Public Relations Inc. Great words of advice that still hold true more than 45 years after they were originally penned by Bill Marsteller of PR giant Burson-Marsteller.

The following is Marsteller's response to an employee who asked him how to get ahead in the company. Take note.

Date: April 25, 1963
TO: Everyone
From: Wm. A. Marsteller
SUBJECT: How to get promoted

Be loyal. Don’t just be loyal to me or to the company as a name, but to the people who make up the company.

Reserve your opinion of people, good, or bad, until you’ve observed them and lived with them long enough to be sure you’re right.

Quit worrying about your competition. The only real competitor you will ever have is yourself. Remember, I don’t pick our leaders; the followers do.

Look for the best in others and remember all of us have more weaknesses than we see in ourselves.

Be interested in the other person’s job. Make suggestions humbly. Ask advice. Build up your associates – to each other, to media reps and editors, to friends, neighbours, your family and visitors from our other offices.

Don’t waste your ability—write articles, make speeches. Stand out from the crowd or be lost in the crowd.

If you have problems, doubts or suggestions about the management of this business, go to the management with your comments, not the guy at the next desk. He can’t do anything about it.

Never quit creating. The world is run by creative people.

Other people like a compliment as much as you do.

Don’t get discouraged. Look back at your progress, account by account, job by job, person by person. Thousands of good novels were never written because the author got bored or discouraged after the first chapter.

Put a “Pride” file in your desk. This is a file of the jobs you have done that you’re really, really proud of. See how fast you can make it grow. Review it from time to time and to see if the oldest entries look ordinary to you. Great performers grow.

Never lose your sense of humour.

Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Hang on to your humility.

Remember, almost no one holds a confidence. It’s human nature to pass along stories. Be sure when you tell tales about someone else that you’re willing to have the subject get the story second-hand, credited to you.

You think you are able; I think you are able. When other people around you begin saying so, unsolicited, then you’re promotable.

PRNewswire webinar on social media

For the past several months, I've been wanting to explore social media in new ways. I was among the first to try Facebook in late 2006 (before most of my 30-something peers were on-board) and this week I've embraced Twitter, Digg and Delicious. Today, I participated in my first webinar on social media, presented by Claire Celsi (whom I'll be following on Twitter within the next few minutes.)

Among the reminders, Claire discussed the fact that like it or not social media is here and PR professionals like myself can either love it or lump it (my words, not hers.) You can either get on board or be left behind. A good social media presence can help to optimize a PR strategy by combining the new media channels with the traditional ones. It gives a PR practitioner a variety of relatively inexpensive tools that he or she can use to develop their public presence and one through which they can follow the opinions of their customers and tell their story in a transparent way.

In order to get good at this it's important to make socail media part of your day, bearing in mind that it mustn't take over your day. Slot in 45 minutes or so to bring yourself up to speed on the climate of the day's social media "opinion" and go from there.

Taking Claire's advice I plan to check out the following sites to learn more about effective blog writing and other issues pertaining to social media and public relations.

alltop.com
alexa.com
hubspot.com
theflack.blogspot.com
drewsmarketingminute.com
blog.holtz.com
chrisbrogan.com
microperstation.com

Best tip learned. To cut down a long and ugly URL (my gosh, I've seen some whoppers) go to linyurl.com and get a tiny URL, a condensed version of the URL and can be used online and in print. Long and ugly URLs be gone. Thank you Tiny URL!

Twitter jitters

Yesterday, I took the plunge and joined Twitter. After hearing so much about it and seeing Facebook status updates about twittering, I signed up to become part of a subculture in which life is lived one soundbite to the next.

In 140 typed characters or less, users tell other users what they're doing, thinking, philosophizing about at any given moment. It seems to be one of those things that could easy overtake you as you try to keep up with everything and everyone, while trying to maintain your position as an active, or overactive member. For now, I'm just another drop in the overflowing bucket of Twitter.

I did come across this link from designmeme, a user I "follow" and a person I know in the real-life world of actual real life. It's about social media, a concept I'm trying to embrace but not finding enough time to master. http://www.mpdailyfix.com/2008/12/its_fantastic_that_interest_in.html

Time to blog

For the first time in a month, I've found the time to blog. Rather, I've made time to blog. I've been a slave to conflicting deadlines at work, with freelancing, with school and with my family. Four separate priorities all pulling me in opposite directions. Many days have passed where I've asked myself whether or not I should just blog even if I don't think I have much to say or contribute to the dialogue surrounding PR. I've even questioned the value of adding another line on my to-do list by launching this blog and whether it wouldn't just be more practical to deactivate it. Who'd ever know? But I'm still here and hopefully I'll gain speed and momentum.

The use of social media releases

The use of social media releases is becoming more common as PR practitioners work to give the media better access to information and in turn tell their stories in new ways.

In addition to the common components of a traditional media release like placelines, headlines, a lead, body a closer, contact information, a social media release also includes multimedia components like photographs, video, audio and links to additional information.

Some organizations also offer options for readers to subscribe to an RSS feed or an e-mail alert, so they can get new releases send directly to their e-mail accounts. This is a huge advantage for reporters who are often pressed for time and want to be sure they get up-to-the-minute news. These releases also allow readers to easily share the release with others through e-mail and social media networking sites, like Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Del.icio.us and Newsvine.

All in all, I think it's important that PR practitioners become familiar with using this newer format because whether we like it or not people are getting their news and information from the web far more than they are from television or print. In fact, I'd go one step further an suggest that when appropriate a video clip be added as well.

The web is a wonderful tool to get our message out, but we have to know how to use it to our advantage. Right now we're a point where our potential reach is greater than any other time in history and it's foolish not to harness it.

I think that while the traditional news release hasn't entirely lost its relevancy, it certainly needs a face-lift of sorts to make it fresher and more attractive to the media that use it.

This is especially true because news outlets are evolving as well. Today, many newspapers run online versions of their papers that include a variety of multimedia components, including blogs, photo galleries, and audio and video clips. Television news has also found a home on the web, rebroadcasting news clips online so audiences can view the news when they choose, rather than when the network chooses.

We live in a climate where demands are changing. The public demands more of the media and in turn the media demands more of the PR industry. Although it takes more time to add photos, hyperlinks and audio-visual clips to news releases, in some cases these components will be critical.

Because this takes more time, talent and planning to implement on a regular basis, I wonder if this will lead to the creation of an increasing number of PR jobs in the years to come as the social media release becomes the norm. The alternative would be more work in an already time-crunched industry.

Some light reading

After learning that The Elements of Style is online, I think I'm going to curl up with a blanket and a glass of wine. I WILL become a better writer.

Facebook: an exercise in personal branding

I joined Facebook in 2005, at a time when the only people using the social networking site were those affiliated with a college or university. Today, it's captured pretty much everyone.

It's used to catch up with old friends, to share photos and exchange information and ideas, but in recent months I've been looking at the wider implications of Facebook and how it's used as a free and convenient way to market and brand you we've become and to put forth a public image of our own creation.

Branding is used in business as a way for the public to easily identify organizations. The words and images that the company puts forth in an effort to create its image are the things that remain in the public consciousness. It also determines our views of these companies. I'd argue that much in the same way it works for business, people use Facebook in much the same way. Some people have a better handle on this, while others have no problem sharing their nice, and not-so-nice moments with their public, however they've defined it.

The information people post allows them to create a public image of themselves. This image can be tailored to portray themselves as partiers, perverts, professionals or parents. It's all in the hands of the individuals.

Facebook allows users to tell readers what they're doing at the moment, change their relationship status, post photos, join groups and create events. Put them all together, and, over time, people brand yourself, whether they realize it or not. I've got a "friend" who joins "hot girl" groups and another who is working toward a career in business and updates her photos each week with images that show too much of her "business." Their personal branding forces me to judge who they are as people, even though I don't consider myself to be judgemental in my day-to-day life. In addition, I've actually dumped a "friend" (twice in fact) for his personal choice to join a group that I found particularly offensive.

Make no mistake, we do judge people by what they reveal and the affiliations they choose to align themselves with on Facebook. It's personal branding for the 21st century.

In good company

This week marks the beginning of my "Writing for Public Relations" course, and I have to say it looks like it's going to be fabulous. The homework seems reasonable, I found my textbook online for about $8 through Better World Books and the course content will definitely prove to be helpful in my job. Already, it's helped me to identify some of my big writing weaknesses, including my improper use, or lack of use, of commas and my tendency to write in a passive voice.

I'm also impressed by some of my classmates, including a professional ballet dancer, a publicist for Warner Brothers Music and someone who recently landed a great job with Thornley Fallis Communications. My former classmates include a former national TV reporter, a festival publicist, an airline marketing manager and someone who landed a job in Geneva as a regional director for the World Health Organization at the end of last semester. I think I'm in good company.

The diversity of the students should translate into some great discussions and hopefully some great contacts for all of us.

Words for a PR junkie to live by

I came across this quote tonight, and found it to be quite clever.

"Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, and a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell."

-Strunk and White's The Elements of Style

Three down, six to go

Today marks the beginning of another new semester for me at Ryerson, where I'm working toward a certificate in public relations. With three courses under my belt, I'm diving into my fourth. It's a snappy little ditty called "Writing for Public Relations."

Some of it will focus on things I've already done, like writing news releases, backgrounders and newsletters, but I know there's always room for improvement and that's why this program has become such a focal point in my life.

When I started working in PR, I was in heavy competition with candidates who had years and years of experience. I came in with nothing but a hope and prayer along with five years of writing experience, which was all done part-time. Since then I've gained tons of on-the-job experience, but I still feel a void that formal education is starting to fill.

There's a lot of talk about the value of a certificate in public relation when I've already jumped into the field. Why bother when potential employers are more interested in a candidate's job experience? Sometimes I grapple with this question as well, especially when the mid-semester crunch hits.

The answer is simple.

It makes me feel like I'm better prepared to do my job. The things I learn through my readings, assignments and discussions with my classmates have all added depth to the way I think about my profession and make me better equipped to advise the people I work with and for.

This weekend, I poured over "Public Relations for Dummies," written by Eric Yaverbaum. It was a great read that solidified some of what I know with a focus on creativity and thinking outside the box.

I now await the arrival "Public relations writing : the essentials of style and format" by Thomas H. Bivins. I found this gem, which retails for $71 at the campus bookstore for $21, including priority shipping, at Better World Books. I'll be checking this site from now on for all my junkie reading.

Confessions of a PR junkie

I have a confession to make. I'm a PR junkie.

In layman's terms I'm addicted to the field of public relations. As a kid, I thought journalism would be my path. Although I did have a brief stint as a reporter and columnist, I stumbled into public relations nearly four years ago, lured by the prospect of steady income, a 9-to-5 schedule and the opportunity to challenge myself with an exciting job and work for an organization I love. Now I can't imagine doing anything else.

With current PR trends espousing the power and value of bringing one's message online through blogs and social media campaigns, I'd be foolish to not try my hand at bringing my own experiences to life in this way. After all, how can I advise my colleagues about blogging if I haven't tried it myself?

In addition to sharing my thoughts, victories and challenges with an audience that extends well beyond the confines of my modest home office, I feel this vehicle will allow me to track my own growth as a PR practitioner. So here you have it. "Confessions of a PR junkie."

There are a number of distinct elements that make a blog successful. The first is honesty and portraying oneself as authentically as possible. That I can do. No third-party ghost-writer for me.

Next is timeliness and fostering an interested and engaged audience. One-way communication has gone the way of the dinosaurs, making way for up-to-the-minute two-way communication that will hopefully lead to some wonderful discussions.

Keeping it conversational and finding ways to measure how I'm doing through examining hits to the blog are also key. Are people reading? Do they care? We'll see.

Finally, I must pledge to be committed to this format and update my posts regularly. With a full-time job, a part-time freelance business, part-time school and two young children, this may be my biggest challenge yet. But I'm confident I can make it work. After all, I'm a PR junkie and this could well give me my greatest fix.