Public Relations Princess

What a Regular PR Flack Can Learn From South by Southwest #SXSW

There are certainly many PR pros on the ground in Austin this week, helping their companies and clients get noticed at SXSW this week. Here's a fun post by fellow flack Peter Himler. Sounds like he's working hard partying goofing off.

My reading and observing the #SWSX tweetstream and hashtag on Twitter, I've noticed that the annual mega-event is not a "must-be-there" event for most PR professionals. After all, it's hard to get away for professional development, and even harder to justify going something that looks like a drunk-fest.

What can you learn from it even though you didn't make the trip to Austin?

1. Tap into the treasure trove of information: Go to Slideshare.net and view recent SXSW presentations. Some are even downloadable. The competition to be a presenter is fierce, so only the best of the best make it. Be assured, there are new ideas and information to be discovered. Use the searchbar in the upper righthand corner of the screen and simply type in "SXSW." You can expand your search to order the results by date.
   
   
2. Learn how to follow a tweet stream (live or later) If you're on Twitter, go to the search bar and simply type in the tag #SXSW, and it will bring up the latest SXSW tweets in real time. You'll be able to hone in on sub-tags as well. Click on any one of the subtags to begin following that stream. The SXSW tweetstream goes so fast it's almost unreadable, but you can find interesting people to follow by using this technique.
   
   
3. Enter the conversation stream with additional information: If you want to comment on the SXSW tweet stream, it hardly matters if you are present at the event. Most people in Austin are tweeting each other from across town, anyway. Just be relevant, nice, and brief, and don't forget to tag your info with #SXSW. @Reply someone directly if you want to be sure to get their attention.
   
   
4. Trendspotting: Quite a few technology giants (as well as startups) launch new products and services at SXSW every year. Check out all the panels, presentations and sponsored events on the official SXSW site. Check out the official launchof SlideRocket. Pretty cool.
   
   
   
5. Plan your PR for next year: Just like a traditional trade show, pitching a journalist or a blogger starts well before the event. Do not expect to reach someone right before the next SXSW, or during the event. In fact, I've heard several journalists complain that it's too late to pitch them, and that they don't plan to answer work email until they return to the office.

Better yet, hop on a Delta flight, buy a pair of new sunglasses, and head to Austin next year to see what all the fuss is about. How about you? Have you been to SXSW? Would you go back?

The APR is Overrated. There, I Said It.

At an event the other day, a respected colleague of mine handed her business card to another person at our table. "APR," he mused. "What's that?"

Most of us in the PR and Marketing business know that it stands for "Accredited in Public Relations," and it's a respected designation in the field. Many excellent practitioners have the initials behind their name, and in some circles, it truly is the difference between your job and "your dream job."

About five years ago, I took the class my local chapter offered to prepare to take the test to obtain my APR. At the time it was a personal goal, and I'd be lying if I said if obtaining it wasn't still in the back of my mind. It is. But about that same time in my life, things in my professional life turned sideways. Social media moved across the horizon, and for me, it became my North Star. There's not much in the traditional APR exam that deals with my specialty.

This is symptomatic of PRSA's struggle as an organization to wrap its head around how social media affects both the practice and the need for public relations in our society. While I appreciate the effort to modernize, organizations like Ragan's Communications "PR Daily" and HARO are stepping into the void between the vaunted "APR, PRSA Fellow crowd" and the everyday practitioner. The cost to attend the PRSA International Conference is prohibitive and free PRSA webinars are rare. I don't know about you, but after paying my dues, I am tapped out financially. The hefty fee for the APR application itself does not help, especially for people like me who'd be paying it out of my own pocket.

Last year at PRSA Assembly, the possibility of having non-APR officers was shot down. Not surprising, since the majority of those who attend have the designation themselves. But it makes me wonder, how many could pass a truly updated and modern exam?

This morning, I had a lively conversation on Twitter with several Central Iowa PR practitioners and a student from the University of Iowa. All are successful in their own right, one even has the designation himself, but all the experienced practitioners agreed that experience is a more reliable indicator of success in the PR field. As long as the APR designation remains a job requirement for PR executives, it will remain a valid qualification, but as I tweeted this morning, none of my PR plans have started with the words, "Back in 1920, when Edward Bernays taught women how to smoke..."

My point? The history of public relations not as important as its future. What's your opinion? Please leave a comment and share. Thanks for reading.

Are Professional Associations Obligated to Help Job Seekers?

I read a great article about what PR professional organizations are (or aren't) doing to help their unemployed members. The author, Janet Falk, suggests that membership organizations have an obligation to help members find employment when they've been laid off.

I'm going to advocate for just the opposite position. I believe professional organizations like PRSA and IABC are there to educate PR professionals to learn the skills that will keep them employed, or give them the tools to keep themselves marketable in these changing times. Members deserve to get the professional development they paid for, and unemployed people are just as welcome as others to come and learn new information.

In fact, I would argue that professional associations should facilitate relationship building among members, so that an unemployed colleague might be scooped up quickly by another company. A professional mentoring program between students and professionals, or young professionals and more experienced practitioners should be a better buffer to prolonged unemployment than waiting to help after the fact. The Truth is: It's all who you know.

I found this out immediately after I lost my job in April. Colleagues from PRSA and other organizations reached out to me, putting me in touch with freelance gigs and speaking opportunities. In fact, several of my PRSA colleagues have gone above and beyond the call of duty by actively funneling business my way. Friends from all over my rolodex also called and sent leads my way. Networking while you are employed is the best way to constantly build and maintain these relationships.

If you're a member of a professional organization, here is my advice:

1. Go to the events your member organization plans. Write stuff down. Learn!
2. Network with the members who show up at the events. Move around and introduce yourself.
3. Bring business cards, and be sure to include your Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn handles
4. Join a planning committee, and find opportunities to be involved
5. Write a blog or articles for your chapter's newsletter
6. Utilize the job banks provided by most professional organizations

Keep your professional connections strong and take advantage of the opportunities that your colleagues are working hard to provide.