This week I am focusing on perfecting my online portfolio, and decided that others like me might not know where to start or what to consider first. After research, these are the steps I used and am proud of after finishing my online portfolio (check me out here)
1. Content Preparation
It is important to decide first what type of portfolio you want to make, what you want to include (photos, resume, work samples, etc.), and the best way that this information can be displayed.
2. Display Decisions
If you're like me and do not know how to code or create a website from scratch, check out online portfolio websites. Choose the template that works best for your content, offering well organized and easy to access information. Here is a list of 10 different online portfolio websites, many of them free, offering user friendly website templates to help you create your portfolio.
3. Add Photo and Contact Info
The third step is to make sure that your online portfolio has a photo to add a professional aspect and promote your personal brand. Update contact information for general contact and job opportunities, as well as linking to social media and other professional sites. This makes you seem easily accessable and personable; it also helps promote your professional brand.
4. Add Professional Content
This portion, the bulk of your online portfolio, needs to be the most organized and complete. Offer work samples that display your full potential as an employee, but do not add so many work samples that the important and best work is lost. Keep content relevant to your career, easy to understand and organized (by type, with sections, by tabs, etc.)
5. Add Unique Elements
Create an About Me page, add unique projects or passions, community service, personal and professional blogs, hobbies, etc. A portfolio should offer a good idea of who you are professionally, yes, but it should also give an idea of the things you care about and what type of person you are. This is not the most important aspect of an online portfolio, but gives the reader an idea of who is creating the content on your page. Content grabs attention, personality keeps it.
6. Update Your Portfolio
Once your portfolio is finished, you are not done forever. Continue to upload work as you create new and better content. This includes new resumes. Just like your career, your online profile should constantly be changing and updating.
Here are some other awesome sites offering online portfolio insight. Good Luck!
Online Portfolios for College Students
Portfolios for Aspiring PR Professionals
Friday, May 6, 2016
Friday, April 29, 2016
Promote Your Brand With Social Media
Social Media is a tool that business and individuals use for multiple reasons. The first reason, obviously, is to communicate and be in the loop within social circles.The second reason, however, is to promote a brand socially and connect with consumers in today's instantaneous and demanding society.
Earlier this week I was talking to a sweet friend of mine who is being handed a million dollar company straight out of college, and he was letting me know how much he detests social media and how it does nothing for users. I tried my best to explain to him that while personally he may see no reason to have social media accounts that there are many reasons a business would have social media, and if he was going to be a business owner he needed to understand the importance of it. he wanted to hear nothing about it.
I wanted to write my blog this week about how social media can change the way people see, interact, or associate with your brand. If you want other opinions than mine, I've researched a few good sites that detail why or how to use social media to expand brand awareness and interaction. Here they are: Forbes on measuring social media impact, TopRankingBlog on social media and business and finally, the Houston Chronicle on High-level business social media.
Here are my reasons to promote your brand with social media:
Interaction in key in todays society. When people have a question they want to look up or receive an instant response to, they turn to online resources. It is better to have a website, social media accounts, or other applications where people can have their questions answered, or receive other information at their discretion. It is better for all information and answered questions to come from the source itself, in an effort to keep key messages and other info from being misunderstood or misrepresented.
Businesses and consumers having an understanding of each other is a huge factor when it comes to success of a brand or business. Organizations need to understand their target market in order to sell to them, understand what does and doesn't work, understand what they want and need, etc. When businesses have social media accounts they are connecting themselves to individuals. A business social media account that takes the time to respond to concerns and questions as well as share information is a business that shows consumers it cares.
Finally, sending key messages is an important part of any organization. Key messages include business information, product information and changes, product releases, organization goals and campaigns, etc. These key messages not only need to be spread, but in order to understand consumer responses, they need to be recorded and researched as well. Online accounts offer an opportunity for research, as well as simple feedback that might help with future company endeavors.
There are many other reasons for brands to use and measure social media, as outlined in other resources provided. But if I could give any advice to a brand wondering about getting involved with social media: do it, it's worth it.
Earlier this week I was talking to a sweet friend of mine who is being handed a million dollar company straight out of college, and he was letting me know how much he detests social media and how it does nothing for users. I tried my best to explain to him that while personally he may see no reason to have social media accounts that there are many reasons a business would have social media, and if he was going to be a business owner he needed to understand the importance of it. he wanted to hear nothing about it.
I wanted to write my blog this week about how social media can change the way people see, interact, or associate with your brand. If you want other opinions than mine, I've researched a few good sites that detail why or how to use social media to expand brand awareness and interaction. Here they are: Forbes on measuring social media impact, TopRankingBlog on social media and business and finally, the Houston Chronicle on High-level business social media.
Here are my reasons to promote your brand with social media:
Interaction in key in todays society. When people have a question they want to look up or receive an instant response to, they turn to online resources. It is better to have a website, social media accounts, or other applications where people can have their questions answered, or receive other information at their discretion. It is better for all information and answered questions to come from the source itself, in an effort to keep key messages and other info from being misunderstood or misrepresented.
Businesses and consumers having an understanding of each other is a huge factor when it comes to success of a brand or business. Organizations need to understand their target market in order to sell to them, understand what does and doesn't work, understand what they want and need, etc. When businesses have social media accounts they are connecting themselves to individuals. A business social media account that takes the time to respond to concerns and questions as well as share information is a business that shows consumers it cares.
Finally, sending key messages is an important part of any organization. Key messages include business information, product information and changes, product releases, organization goals and campaigns, etc. These key messages not only need to be spread, but in order to understand consumer responses, they need to be recorded and researched as well. Online accounts offer an opportunity for research, as well as simple feedback that might help with future company endeavors.
There are many other reasons for brands to use and measure social media, as outlined in other resources provided. But if I could give any advice to a brand wondering about getting involved with social media: do it, it's worth it.
Friday, April 22, 2016
Social Media: LinkedIn
The first blog that I wrote this semester was about gaining control of your social media. I spoke about several different social media channels and ways to be aware of your overall social media presence. Since then, I have gained a better understanding of social media and how it can actually affect your personal brand. One business tool and social media channel that I have grown a certain appreciation for is LinkedIn.
On LinkedIn: important organization or campaign information can be viewed; professional content and updates from colleagues or business friends can be shared; or employers and other business professional can search for you and your personal brand/background, as well. This is why taking complete control of your LinkedIn by understanding and utilizing all of its components can lead to online and social success. To help you on this venture, I have researched and used my own experience to create a list of the top 8 things I think you can do to harness the full power of your personal LinkedIn account.
1. Fill out your LinkedIn account completely.
2. Do not be afraid to humanize your brand.
3. Engage with other professionals, especially people in your field.
4. Post updates regularly.
5. Keep your network growing, and maintain relationships.
6. Receive and give recommendations and endorsements.
7. Blog on your LinkedIn account.
8. Update your page with new information.
On LinkedIn: important organization or campaign information can be viewed; professional content and updates from colleagues or business friends can be shared; or employers and other business professional can search for you and your personal brand/background, as well. This is why taking complete control of your LinkedIn by understanding and utilizing all of its components can lead to online and social success. To help you on this venture, I have researched and used my own experience to create a list of the top 8 things I think you can do to harness the full power of your personal LinkedIn account.
1. Fill out your LinkedIn account completely.
- This includes updating a photo, adding projects, old jobs, blog pages, links to Twitter or professional profile or portfolio pages, blogs, even courses you took in college. Updating this information allows people to get a better feel for who you are, what you can accomplish, what is important to you, and how you influence the people around you. LinkedIn is a place to share and generate ideas about business and the world, and you only get out what you put in.
2. Do not be afraid to humanize your brand.
- Do not only push out professional content. Update a profile picture, have a headline that attracts attention, blog about things that you're passionate about, prove that you are a leader in the business world and that you are a thought provoker. Show you care.
3. Engage with other professionals, especially people in your field.
- LinkedIn, like Facebook and other types of microblogging sites, give the opportunity for millions of social connections to take place. Use to your advantage the fact that you have hundreds of other like-minded professionals in your field available to you at the touch of a button. Engage with other professionals in your field, join webinars, chats and other conversations. Engagements help get your name out and your thoughts heard.
4. Post updates regularly.
- Keeping yourself relevant on LinkedIn is important. Like other social media networks, LinkedIn is fast paced and constantly updating. Be a part of this. Post content at least once a day, whether it a blog, work updates, a photo, a funny meme relevant to your business, anything.
5. Keep your network growing, and maintain relationships.
- When you meet a new professional, add them on your LinkedIn network. Join groups. Follow organizations or pages you are passionate about. Keep up relationships by congratulating people on new jobs or awesome projects. Engage with old colleagues and teammates. You never know what opportunities will arise, or who you might need to contact in the future.
6. Receive and give recommendations and endorsements.
- One way to show your personal work ethic and standing in the business world is to give and receive recommendations and endorsements to people that you have worked with. The more you give, the more you get. This adds a sense of personality and humanization to your personal brand. More times than not, what people say and think about you means more to employers than your credentials on paper.
7. Blog on your LinkedIn account.
- Employers are always looking for professionals who not only do good work in the workplace, but also are influencers outside of the workplace. Even if you work in public relations, and your passion is cooking or gardening, or whatever it may be, blog about it! Show people that you are passionate about something, and that you have something to say and interesting thoughts to contribute. This also humanizes your LinkedIn account.
8. Update your page with new information.
- Finally, continuously update your LinkedIn account with new jobs, opportunities, projects, and information. If you take a new headshot, get a new position or write a new post, share it with the professionals you are connected with. This will also open new doors for you, and help keep your page updated and relevant.
Here are a few of the links for LinkedIn optimization that I liked and that helped me create my personal brand. Good luck on your journey and I hope this helps!
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Picking the Right Communication Channels
PR, communications, marketing, advertising - these professions all rely on one thing: the ability to send an effective and clear message to a selected target market, enticing action and ultimately helping achieve company goals.
The ability to send a clear message, and the effectiveness of that message (did it change anything? did it come across the way it was intended? etc.) depends on several factors. The first factor, the message its self, is arguably the most important. I have already blogged about why only sending clear, non-cluttered, short and sweet messages is the most effective method of communication; however, I only barely touched on the second factor of sending an effective message: choosing the right communication channel.
A message can contain several key communication practices (attention grabbing content, interesting data, easy-to-understand message, concise but complete info) but if it's received by the wrong audience or misinterpreted by the receiver, it is not truly considered an effective message. This is why it is so important to choose the right channel of communication.
Internal and external communications, the two types of communications, call for different messages and messaging channels.
With internal communication, keeping stakeholders, employees and a board of directors engaged with one another and on the same page is imperative to running a successful business, but can provide several challenges. One of these challeneges is picking the best communication channel.
There are several types of internal communication channels, including (but not limited to) open forums, message boards, email or team meetings.
Knowing the best way for your specific content to be presented and received (visually, verbally, written, etc.) is important when deciding what channel of communication to choose; just as imperative to the decision though is understanding the way the audience prefers to receive content and are most likely to respond. Here is a comprehensive list of internal communication channels and considerations, as well as their strengths and weaknesses.
When considering external communication, there are also several types (some of them are outlined here). Again, understanding your message and target audience is key. Not every communication type needs to be used, and some companies may only call for one or two. That is okay! If you choose the right channels, and target your messages, they should be effective every time.
Finally, the most misunderstood external communication practice, social media, is a very important tool that has the power to either make or break a company. Again, here is a list for some social media channels and when or why your business should use them. Every social media channel is different, attracting different types of attention and sending different types of messages. Consider if the content you want to share would be best in words, on your website as a long release, as a short Facebook post, or as a sentence and link on Twitter. Will your content be received better if it is represented visually (using charts or pictographs) and where should you share that visual message; or would a photo or video do better?
There are so many ways to communicate with todays instant access information and socially integrated society; don't let your company or personal brand can go unnoticed or misinterpreted because you didn't choose the communication channel that is right for you.
When considering external communication, there are also several types (some of them are outlined here). Again, understanding your message and target audience is key. Not every communication type needs to be used, and some companies may only call for one or two. That is okay! If you choose the right channels, and target your messages, they should be effective every time.
Finally, the most misunderstood external communication practice, social media, is a very important tool that has the power to either make or break a company. Again, here is a list for some social media channels and when or why your business should use them. Every social media channel is different, attracting different types of attention and sending different types of messages. Consider if the content you want to share would be best in words, on your website as a long release, as a short Facebook post, or as a sentence and link on Twitter. Will your content be received better if it is represented visually (using charts or pictographs) and where should you share that visual message; or would a photo or video do better?
There are so many ways to communicate with todays instant access information and socially integrated society; don't let your company or personal brand can go unnoticed or misinterpreted because you didn't choose the communication channel that is right for you.
Friday, March 11, 2016
PR With No Budget
Often times, when people think about Public Relations they think about the flashy, huge productions or events that attract a ton of attention with an unrestricted or at least huge budget.
Here was my response:
2. Social Media - Social Media is a huge advantage and tool for companies, especially ones starting up or trying to gain more attention/ a stronger business presence. Some of the ways you can utilize social media is:
Well, the same goes for PR planners. When planning events or campaigns we want our campaigns to be huge and attract attention, or spark a large conversation or action. With a large budget and a supportive administrative board anything is possible, making PR one of the most exciting careers! (I'm not biased or anything.)
But, what happens when we don't have a big budget or a team thats ready to host huge events? This is a problem that I have been faced with a lot this semester in classes, with class clients, and at my internship.
This week, during a Twitter chat I was involved in (see my Storify about it here) the moderator asked about PR on a low budget.
Here was my response:
@CommsChat T5 partner w/ similar campaigns & events, utilize social media (shares, likes, reposts, contests) #Commschat— Rachel Thomas (@rachrt) March 7, 2016
After seeing very few responses, I realized that this might be something that many other PR students or professionals struggle with, and wanted to elaborate. While I am still learning, I thought that I might share my insight and what has been successful so far this semester when working on low-budget promotions.
1. Word-of-Mouth Promotions - Some companies and professionals grossly underestimate the power of word-of-mouth promotions and information. Understand that what the public thinks about your company and brand associated with it is just as important as the service, product, etc. that it actually provides. Find ways to get people talking positively about your company or cause and you will find that you get more support and success.
2. Social Media - Social Media is a huge advantage and tool for companies, especially ones starting up or trying to gain more attention/ a stronger business presence. Some of the ways you can utilize social media is:
- Pages - Have an interactive Facebook "like" page people can like, follow, and receive/share information from; a twitter page people can interact and engage with, also allowing your brand to benefit from important social trends (like hashtags or tweet chats); a youtube or blog page depending on which platform fits your content and message/target audience best; and several other social media platforms.
- Host Contests - This is a great way to get people involved in your cause
- Likes - Likes can monitor what people are interested in, and what they respond to. This is a good way to gauge if people are reading and getting involved with your content.
- Shares - Creating media that can be shared, and is likely to get shared, is a great way to get a message to a lot of people. We saw it with the "ice bucket challenge" and other competitions or giveaways. It really works!
- Videos and Blogs - Depending on your platform, informational videos or blogs might be a good way to get people interested in your topic or campaign. Do not do these if they aren't needed. Understanding your target market is important when considering these.
- Website - Finally, make sure that you have a website or some sort of informational home where people can easily find your content, messages, goals, organizational information, contact, etc. Without a central page, often times credibility is taken away and causes aren't seen as legitimate.
- DISCLAIMER: You must understand how to use social media correctly. Corporate accounts have messed up big time when creating a controversial social media message, or opening up a conversation that anyone can reply poorly to. See some of the mistakes here, and make sure you avoid them..
- Door-to-Door - Going door-to-door or street teaming is one way to do grassroots promotions, but often time grassroots campaigns can be planned around already existing groups of people, events, classes, etc.
- Street Teaming - Handing out promotional items that get people interested, hanging posters or handing pamphlets that entice people to search for more information.
- Community Events - Knowing what is going on in the community, and finding ways to get involved with the already existing events and community outreach programs.
- Business/Group Partnering - partnering with other organizations or businesses, is a good way to get started in low-cost promotions. This is easy to do with organizations that have a similar message, mission, or goal in mind.
There are plenty of other ways that you can low-cost promote! I found one article that I really liked here, outlining 32 low-cost ways to market.
Feel free to comment any ways that you can think of or that have been successful for you in the past! I'd love to hear them, and thanks for reading!
Friday, March 4, 2016
Visual PR
My "pet peeve" in public relations/marketing/advertising (okay, pretty much in any type of strategic communications) is when the message is unclear because information overload happens.
Information overload happens in strategic communications when:
A company that does no "advertising" at all through normal media channels (TV, radio, and print) still might have a website, with infographics, occasional press releases and other media content, etc.
The truth of the matter is, customers will respond better to companies that have a website which pulls up quickly on search engines (search engine optimization, or SEO) and has information that is easy to understand.
The visual aspect of PR is so important because it affects the way people receive messages. It is important in PR that your logo and images be easily recognizable; your content short, sweet and to the point; your info easy to sort through and understand; and finally, it has to draw the reader in.
I found a good article about Visual PR here if you would like to hear more about it.
Information overload happens in strategic communications when:
- There is too much text on one page, about one topic, or information is organized poorly
- The pictures or images associated with the message are confusing or misleading
- There are too many pictures, links, videos, images, etc
A company that does no "advertising" at all through normal media channels (TV, radio, and print) still might have a website, with infographics, occasional press releases and other media content, etc.
The truth of the matter is, customers will respond better to companies that have a website which pulls up quickly on search engines (search engine optimization, or SEO) and has information that is easy to understand.
The visual aspect of PR is so important because it affects the way people receive messages. It is important in PR that your logo and images be easily recognizable; your content short, sweet and to the point; your info easy to sort through and understand; and finally, it has to draw the reader in.
I found a good article about Visual PR here if you would like to hear more about it.
Friday, February 19, 2016
Honesty & Transparency in PR
Honesty & Transparency in PR is something that I touched on last blog post. I said that when considering crisis communication, all PR should aim to reach company goals while also being honest and transparent, because consumers trust companies that are straight forward and take responsibility.
From what we know about consumers, attitude towards and likability of a product or company is more important than most other selling points (like accessibility, reliability, safety, etc.)
Over the past week I saw such great honesty and transparency in PR communication, responding to and trying to prevent a company crisis, that I couldn't help but use them as an example in this weeks blog post.
Apple denied the FBI's request to create a skeleton key for all iPhone devices.
The people did not hear about this from the news, the FBI, the internet, a mole, or a liar who wanted attention. Consumers heard this straight from Apple in an open letter to all Apple customers, right on their home page.
First off, this letter in general is sort of unusual. Usually we hear from companies in general through their website or spokespeople, PR firms handling a situation, or we see a general press release. Apple decided to send this communication through a personal type letter written by none other than Tim Cook, the Chief Executive Officer at Apple.
This letter means everything, and I will explain why.
The letter started off with:
"A Message to Our Customers
The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers. We oppose this order, which has implications far beyond the legal case at hand.
After reading the entire letter, Apple's stance was clear, if we let the FBI have their technology, all consumers phones could be hacked and that is not something that Apple was willing to do.
It was the beginning though, the call for public discussion and truth about the implications of future dangers, proved that we were hearing from a company that cares about its product and users. The details helping customers understand the importance of this proves that Apple doesn't want to hurt or lie to its users. These things are what makes customers trust a company, and loyal to a brand.
Second, the public response back to Apple was incredible. While there were some people who think that Apple could simply help the FBI, most people agreed with the decision to keep all customers safe rather than put them in danger to help take one person down.
This is because, most people just don't want to be lied to. At some point, the FBI and the law might force Apple to make this product, or Apple might cave, but because they are talking about it, being honest, and communicating, people do not feel like there is anything to worry about. People feel taken care of by Apple, simply because Apple got ahead of the game and was transparent, ultimately avoiding a crisis situation had any news broken any other way.
The point is, while Apple could never make every single person happy at once, they made a decision that they thought was best, addressed their customers and explained their position, stood up against one of the scariest organizations to have angry at you, and has not budged on their position since.
You go Apple. You go Tim.
Cook, T. (2016, February 16). Customer Letter - Apple. Retrieved February 19, 2016, from http://www.apple.com/customer-letter/
From what we know about consumers, attitude towards and likability of a product or company is more important than most other selling points (like accessibility, reliability, safety, etc.)
Over the past week I saw such great honesty and transparency in PR communication, responding to and trying to prevent a company crisis, that I couldn't help but use them as an example in this weeks blog post.
Apple denied the FBI's request to create a skeleton key for all iPhone devices.
The people did not hear about this from the news, the FBI, the internet, a mole, or a liar who wanted attention. Consumers heard this straight from Apple in an open letter to all Apple customers, right on their home page.
First off, this letter in general is sort of unusual. Usually we hear from companies in general through their website or spokespeople, PR firms handling a situation, or we see a general press release. Apple decided to send this communication through a personal type letter written by none other than Tim Cook, the Chief Executive Officer at Apple.
This letter means everything, and I will explain why.
 |
| http://www.apple.com/ |
The letter started off with:
"A Message to Our Customers
The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers. We oppose this order, which has implications far beyond the legal case at hand.
This moment calls for public discussion, and we want our customers and people around the country to understand what is at stake."
After reading the entire letter, Apple's stance was clear, if we let the FBI have their technology, all consumers phones could be hacked and that is not something that Apple was willing to do.
It was the beginning though, the call for public discussion and truth about the implications of future dangers, proved that we were hearing from a company that cares about its product and users. The details helping customers understand the importance of this proves that Apple doesn't want to hurt or lie to its users. These things are what makes customers trust a company, and loyal to a brand.
Second, the public response back to Apple was incredible. While there were some people who think that Apple could simply help the FBI, most people agreed with the decision to keep all customers safe rather than put them in danger to help take one person down.
This is because, most people just don't want to be lied to. At some point, the FBI and the law might force Apple to make this product, or Apple might cave, but because they are talking about it, being honest, and communicating, people do not feel like there is anything to worry about. People feel taken care of by Apple, simply because Apple got ahead of the game and was transparent, ultimately avoiding a crisis situation had any news broken any other way.
The point is, while Apple could never make every single person happy at once, they made a decision that they thought was best, addressed their customers and explained their position, stood up against one of the scariest organizations to have angry at you, and has not budged on their position since.
You go Apple. You go Tim.
Cook, T. (2016, February 16). Customer Letter - Apple. Retrieved February 19, 2016, from http://www.apple.com/customer-letter/
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