Oral in the Underground 2 is Tonight!

Back by popular demand, Temple PRSSA is hosting its second spoken word event, Oral in the Underground 2, tonight from 7-9 p.m. in the Howard Gittis Student Center. Temple talent will be showcased in the form of poetry, singing and rapping. Special guests include members of Temple's own poetry collective Babel and PRSSA past President and published poet Meredith Avakian.

Doors open at 6:30 and tickets are only $4 for PRSSA members and $5 for others at the door. Come out and support Temple PRSSA at one of our best fundraisers of the semester!

20 Things You Should Share on Social Media

People share all kinds of things on social media, but how many people question if they are sharing the right things? I found this article posted today on Ragan.com. It's a post from Jeffbullas's blog about things that you should share on social media. Here are some examples of things he says to post. Do you share any of these things?

-Webinars
-Podcasts
-Music if you are a musician
-Text format of your video blog posts
-Microsoft Office Documents
-Notes displaying keypoints from your power point presentations
-Newsletters
(Taken from this article)

What are some things that you think people should post on social media? Let us know!

Address criticism online!

In a recent article on Business Week by Joseph Hughes and Chris Boudreaux, the authors explain that "many companies are being victimized by social media rather than capitalizing on it because they're too slow and ill-equipped to react to negative comments that can damage their brands."

To avoid this potentially negative backlash associated with having a social media presence, the authors recommend six steps. To see all six recommendations, you'll have to read the article. In the meantime, here is one step that any business--no matter how big or small-- can put into practice:

"Reduce the time it takes to respond to Web postings from weeks to hours, or even minutes," the authors said. Taking a simple step like this one shows customers that you are interested in what they have to say, that you hold your company accountable to its customers and that you are aware of your brand.

"Would you ignore a customer who called you and complained by telephone? Probably not. Then why ignore customers complaining about your firm through social media that's instantly accessible to others? Companies shouldn't depend on customers to write positive things about them," the authors said, illustrating how important it is to properly address criticism on social media sites.

Have you ever had to deal with negative comments about your company or organization on social networking sites? What are your recommendations?

Internal relations are important too!

As I near the end of my junior year as a public relations major at Temple University, I am trying to learn as much as possible about the different opportunities within the industry. One area that has recently caught my attention--and is often neglected in discussions of the overall PR industry--is internal relations.

This past week, the beginning of a new fiscal year was observed at the company for which I work. One neat thing that my boss--the company owner--did to keep the company moving forward into the new year was to have all employees write a list of the top ten goals they have for the company (a jewelery store) for 2010.

We then had a meeting at which employees were encouraged to share their goals/ideas with the rest of the work force. Goals and suggestions were then discussed amongst the other employees and managers, as well as the company owner. This discussion served several important functions:

• It helped employees understand the reasons for why some things are done the way they are.
• It helped management gain insight into problems and glitches that are happening on the ground level.
• It brought forth several new ideas that could benefit the company in the long run.
• It made employees feel as if they had a voice and a hand in the direction of the company.
• It helped address and clear tension stemming from unaddressed problems within the company.
  

This meeting really drove home the importance of internal and employee relations for me. After all, happy employees that feel appreciated are more likely to strive to make customers happy, too. They are also more likely to stay with the company for the long haul.

Have you ever been asked for your open and honest feedback? I think that more companies would thrive and would develop a more loyal work force if they adopted a feedback system like this one.

Especially after this experience in my own life, I am really interested in learning more about internal and employee relations.

Alternatives to the Traditional Press Release

With social media, the Internet and technology in general changing the ways we do almost anything, the days of the standard press release may be behind us. Here is a look at the latest trends being used to deviate from the traditional press release.

Social media release: There are various Facebook applications, such as pressreleasepoint, that are used to distribute news and press releases to the media. The same is true for Twitter, where designated Twitter accounts, like PR PressAbout, offer free posting of press releases. This allows reporters to access such sites for story ideas, and for PR professionals to publicize their client to a vast audience and for free. Posting releases on blogs are another idea and allow reporters and readers to make comments and ask questions.

Video release: Videos work well for a client, product or event that deals a lot with imagery, such as fashion.

Bulleted release: Using bullets gets your points and message out quickly. Using bold, underlined or quoted words can help highlight text as well.

Infographic release: Infographics are visual representations of information, knowledge and data. Used as releases they stand out from print news.

Website release: There are many websites that are solely for the distribution of press releases. Some include 24-7 Press Release, 1800PressRelease, Business Wire, Express Press Release, and i-Newswire.

Picture release: Sending a picture with just a caption or blurb can entice reporters to want to know more.

Not directly promoting the client: The “alternative” press release announces a service and an accomplishment, but then goes a step further to create value by explaining what tactics were used and why they were successful, and how the audience can replicate them. This is especially important with social media because social media is all about sharing and interaction!

Following a 10 second rule: People are bombarded by textual information everywhere and are too busy to read lots of information. You must grab their interest in the first 10 seconds they begin reading, otherwise you will be skipped over and ignored.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member, Trish Wyatt.

PR Isn't Just for Health Care: It's for Bankers too!

The new health care bill isn't the only one getting some public relations love these days. Wall Street is also about to start a public relations campaign, and it seems it is much-needed. A new Bloomberg National Poll found that almost two thirds of Americans said they have an unfavorable opinion of business executives. According to the Bloomberg.com article, Wall Street is undertaking an "image-improvement campaign aimed at showing the financial industry as trustworthy and a positive force after more than a year of being chastised in Washington."

The campaign is set to begin as the mid-term election season gears up, and is led by APCO Worldwide, Luntz Maslansky Strategic Research and advertising agency DDB (owned by Omnicom Group Inc.).

"The financial services industry is dedicated to earning back the trust of the American people, and is engaging in a comprehensive effort to communicate directly with them," says the board of the Financial Services Roundtable.

Scott Talbott, chief lobbyist for the Roundtable says "Our focus is two things- one, to have a conversation with our customers and two, to demonstrate the positive benefits the industry brings to the economy and consumers' lives."

Although the specific tactics of the campaign have not been finalized, it is planned to initially focus on setting up a Web site and using various forms of social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

When I read this article on Bloomberg yesterday I thought "What in the world are they going to talk about on Facebook or Twitter?" As someone who is interested in pursuing a career in Investor Relations I was intrigued by the thought of the financial services industry using new media to communicate. Ironically enough, when I opened my "PR Daily Newsfeed" e-mail today I saw a post about a social media conference for financial communicators.

According to the site, attendees will learn the following:

• Build a community of evangelists and promote your organization to a broader online audience
  
• Monitor conversations about your organizations and react quickly during a crisis
  
• Pitch financial journalists and and bloggers using Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
  
• Create "YouTube-like" videos, blogs and podcasts to engage your employees and turn them into your best brand ambassadors
  
• Navigate the legal issues surrounding online liability, content control and copyrights - and be aware of all the new regulatory requirements for using social media in your organization
  

As I have found in my research on investor relations (IR), one of the main priorities for IR professionals is to disseminate financial information about their organization timely and fairly. One investor should not have access to financial information before another. Mass media and investor relations Web sites are typically their main tools for this, but adding social media to the kit (if done correctly) can only help improve the efficiency of financial communicators.

Do you agree?

SlideShare and Hootsuite

There are so many sites which offer great services and helpful tools! Well here is a great site to share your presentations! If you haven't heard of it already, SlideShare is "the world's largest community for sharing presentations." Check out this "tour" of the site.

Here are some things you can do on SlideShare:
-Embed slideshows into your own blog or website
-Share slideshows publicly or privately
-Sync audio to your slides
-Join groups to connect with SlideShare members who share your interests
-Download the original file

One great thing I like about this site is the endless topics of slideshows. Take this great slideshow for example, which is a tutorial on managing multiple twitter profiles on Hootsuite. Last week in our PRowl meeting, we talked about managing social media and sites we enjoyed using. Hootsuite was a site some of our members used (I personally use it too), which allows scheduled tweets, as well as organizing multiple social media accounts (like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn) all so they are easily and simultaneously accessible.

We'd love to hear about other sites you use to help stay organized? Leave a comment and share!


*UPDATE: Just read this article after @MarkReganCEO of PR Daily and Ragan.com. Offers 5 more tools which make social media easier to manage! Read about sites like Threadsy, Evernote, NustshellMail, Posterous and AlertRank.

White House Launches Post-Healthcare Reform PR Campaign

The news of the passing of healthcare reform through Congress broke late Sunday night to completely mixed reviews. Some news stations praised Obama for completing a task begun a century ago while others shared harsh criticisms of a Congress that pushed legislation through without listening to the people. Personally, I was confused about the details of the 2,700+ page bill and how it would effect me and other Americans. I spent Monday morning reading article after article in a handful of publications and finished my search for information only slightly less confused.

After being kicked off of my mother's health insurance at age 19 (even though I am still a full-time student at Temple University) I'm excited to see that the bill will allow people like me to stay on their parents health insurance through age 26. That was one of the only details that I could clearly make out in the several articles that summarized the legislation, however.

Considering this, I was excited to hear in a PRWeek article by Jaimy Lee posted on Monday that the White House will launch a three phase, post-healthcare reform informational public relations campaign to answer the important question, "what's in it for me?" The campaign will aim to cut through all of the opinionated media noise surrounding this historic legislation to provide Americans with factual information about the bill in an attempt to change public opinion.

The first phase of the campaign will focus on the immediate aftermath of the legislation, the second will handle the seven months leading up to the crucial November midterm elections and the third will handle the years after as the legislation begins to take effect.

I'm excited to see the campaign play out in the next few years and I'm hopeful that it will remain informational without being tainted by propaganda. It will also be interesting to see how oppositional groups communicate their messages against the bill. How do you feel about the White House's new PR campaign? What would you like to see them do?

Face-to-Face Communication

Last night was Philadelphia Public Relations Association's Careers 101. Attendees learned great tips from local professionals, won prizes, and had the opportunity to try our their networking skills. One tip that stuck with me from the panel discussion was the importance of being able to communicate well on an interview and on the job. I know that so much of my time in my classes is spent talking about being a social media guru and a great writer, but rarely do we talk about the importance of face-to-face communication.

The following are some tips from Ragan.com (one of my favorite websites to read) about face-to-face communication:

-"Start small. If your organization is new at using face-to-face, don’t jump into the deep end. Start with informal opportunities such as walkarounds or small-group dialogues."
-"Ease into it. Especially in an organization that has never offered a face-to-face session, employees might be reluctant to ask questions. Give participants a chance to submit questions in writing before and during the meeting."
-"Provide training if necessary. One of the primary concerns business leaders have about face-to-face communication is that they feel inadequately skilled or prepared for it. Even the most seasoned executives can use a refresher on presentation skills and how to handle difficult questions."

*All information taken "7 ways to use face-to-face communication" on Ragan.com.

Do you have other tips for effective face-to-face communication? Let us know!

Engaging Fans on Facebook

I came across a great article on Mashable today (with the help of Ragan's PR Daily Newsfeed) outlining four great tips for engaging fans on Facebook. I found this article especially relevant, because we at PRowl Public Relations were just recently discussing ways to use Facebook to effectively engage fans.

Leyl Master Black, the author of the article, recommends the following tips for engaging fans:

1. Ask their opinion
2. Test their knowledge
3. Pair promotions with content
4. Thank them

Be sure to check out Black's full post to learn more information on making these tips work for you.

Which of these tips do you employ? What tips would you add? We'd love to hear from you, as we at PRowl Public Relations continue to seek new ways of engaging fans on Facebook.

Cleaning Up Your Social Media this Spring!

Spring is finally here! After an incredibly long, cold, and bitter winter full of way too much snow, I think we can all agree that the change of weather is definitely appreciated. With the arrival of spring comes the arrival of spring cleaning- weekends full of dusting, mopping, and reorganizing for a fresh new start. While I was Googling spring cleaning tips I stumbled across a really great blog post, Social Media Spring Cleaning Tips, written by Kevin Dugan. The post really grabbed by attention because I had never really considered the need for “cleaning up” your social media sites. However, the post offered some really insightful and useful tips for dusting off the cobwebs and putting your best foot forward with sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Here are just a few of the tips:

Profile Consistency:

Many of us make the mistake of wanting to constantly update and change our profile picture, however using only one to two pictures allows for others to easily recognize you.

Additionally, make sure you are using the same keywords for your interests and activities throughout all of your online profiles because this makes it easier for like-minded people to find you in relevant searches.

Lastly, by dedicating one email address for all profile email alerts you are able to stay more organized and responsive when people contact you.

Register at Directories, Create Lists:

It can be pretty difficult to find people on Twitter sometimes. However, for a few social media sites there are directories where you can be registered and more easily searched and found.

Also, sites like TweepML and Listorious make it easy to create your own lists. Creating lists allows you to increase your follower traffic and your success on Twitter.

With great tips like these, I plan on dedicating a weekend to cleaning up and reorganizing my Facebook and Twitter accounts to ensure that I get the most from them. So make sure that in between all of the dusting and mopping you take time to clean up all of those social media sites so that you can kick off spring with a fresh new start!

Make sure you check out the rest of Kevin’s “spring cleaning” tips here! http://prblog.typepad.com/strategic_public_relation/2010/02/social-media-spring-cleaning-tips.html

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member, Niki Ianni.

Chatroulette: A Call for Change in Social Media?

Recently, discussions of Chatroulette have come up in several of my classes. Some classmates admitted trying the new form of social networking, while others were skeptical or unaware of it.

In a video posted on Vimeo.com, filmmaker Casey Neistat explores the Chatroulette phenomenon. Neistat spent a Thursday afternoon clicking through 90 people on Chatroulette to collect data about the users. He divided the users into three categories: boys, girls and perverts. Of the people he encountered on the site, 71% were males, 15% were females and 14% fell into Neistat's "pervert" category. As a subcategory, he found that 83% were young people and 17% old people.

Through his experiment on Chatroulette, Neistat discovered the concept of being “nexted,” which is when the stranger immediately clicks the “next” button upon seeing you. Neistat was nexted 19 out of 20 times in an average time of 2.9 seconds. After the initial disappointment of being nexted so frequently, Neistat realized that he would probably next himself too. Once he became comfortable with the service and its nexting option, he only stopped on pretty girls. Neistat's experience with Chatroulette raises the question: besides giving boys a place to surf in the hopes of chatting with pretty girls and offering a place where perverts are free to be perverts, what is the value of Chatroulette?

Chatroulette may be a call for change in social media. After all, the service was created by a 17-year-old Russian teen seeking a more entertaining form of social networking. The entertainment value of Chatroulette may lie in the element of surprise it has introduced. As Neistat stated in his video, “It’s like gambling; you can never predict what you might roll. Maybe you meet an interesting girl, maybe it’s a fat Asian guy in a pink bra.” The allure that people have to this element of surprise might be something for social media professionals to consider.

To watch the video and read more about what PR professionals could learn from Chatroulette, visit the Strategic Public Relations blog: http://prblog.typepad.com/strategic_public_relation/2010/02/chat-roulette-the-element-of-surprise-discovery.html

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member, Michelle Voli.

Pitching & Twitter Workshop

In the upcoming weeks PRowl Public Relations will be conducting media relations for our clients the Rebecca Davis Dance Company and Casa Papel as well as managing social media sites daily. As students, it is important that we make sure all members are comfortable completing their tasks and are gaining knowledge and experience by being in PRowl. Instead of holding our normal general staff meeting yesterday we decided to hold a workshop. Account executives Tristin Fabro and Brianna Fisher each tackled a topic: Pitching the media and managing Twitter.

Highlights from Tristin's discussion on pitching the media:

Do's:

• Do your homework and research the outlet you are pitching to; know who covers what beat as well as the writing style of that reporter.
• Make sure you are using an updated media list.
• Spell and grammar check once, twice and a third time! Along these lines, make sure you include the reporter's correct name - Kirsten looks similar to Kristen but is definitely not the same.
• ALWAYS include your contact information, including your mobile number. You want to be easily accessible in case a media outlet has any questions regarding your story.
• Follow-up the next day with a phone call but do not be overly pushy. Never just ask "Did you get my press release?" Also, after introducing yourself always make sure they're not on deadline and you're interrupting them. This shows that you have an understanding of their job and are respectful of their time constraints.
• If you are mass-pitching (which is not always recommended), use "BCC." Do you really want the media outlet to know that you pitched 50 other people the same story?
• If you're pitching or following-up with print & TV media, the best time to contact them is around 10 a.m.

Don'ts:

• Never make up any information regarding your pitch. If you are not sure of something, be honest and tell them that. Find out when their deadline is and get back to them with the information they are requesting.
• Don't be annoying, but don't give up. If you leave a message the first time you follow-up, you can continue to call but do not leave a message every time. They got the message and are most likely working on something else.

Highlights from Brianna's discussion regarding managing Twitter:

Getting started:

• All posts must be 140 characters or less.
• Be professional - networking on Twitter can really pay off.
• Try not to tweet selfishly. Use Twitter to learn new, interesting things and share that knowledge with others.
• Proofread tweets before hitting send! Even though the forum is more casual, it is still a reflection on you.
• If you're ever stuck, "Google it!" Tons of "Tweeps" blog about Twitter tips

How to build a network:

• Follow people of interest.
• Search for something you're interested in and then follow the people who are tweeting about it.
• Follow people who your favorite Tweeps are following.
• Always be polite, professional and respectful.
• Tweet often (at least daily).
• Tweet relevant, useful information - this helps you become a resource for other Tweeps and builds your follower base.
• Retweet relevant tweets often.

These are just some highlights from the workshop we had, which included an open discussion and a Q&A between members. Do you have any other pitching or Twitter tips? As students we are constantly searching for more information to build our skill set. We'd love to hear your insight!

Find our clients on Twitter: @CasaPapel and @RDDanceCo

Fighting Crime With Social Media

Ok, so social media has come a long way and its no surprise when you hear the latest, greatest thing happening... but what about law enforcements utilizing social media sites like Facebook and Twitter? Check out this article on Masahable which highlights six ways law enforcement agencies are fighting crime.

1) Police Blotter Blogs
2) The Digital "Wanted Poster"
3) Anonymous E-Tipsters
4) Social Media Stakeout
5) Thwarting Thugs in the Social Space
6) Tracking and Informing with Twitter

It seems there are many police departments embracing social media, but they're are still apprehensions. For one thing, concerns about security of information and the possible liabilities could be issues. However, I think social media is a great tool to assist all institutions. Police departments and law enforcing organizations can only benefit. What do you think?

PPRA Careers 101 Event

"PRomoting the PRoduct when the PRoduct is You" is the theme of Monday's PPRA Careers 101 event. It is open to college students and young professionals in the Philadelphia area, giving them a chance to meet and hear from a group of top PR pros who will discuss their jobs and the industry. Panelists will also share their advice for navigating this difficult job market and applying your education in the work world. Attendees will have the chance to network with professionals, have their resumes reviewed and enter to win a shadowing day with one of the panelists.

Confirmed panelists include Ashley Berke, PR Director at the National Constitution Center; David Brown, Principal and President of BrownPartners; Ike Richman Vice President of PR for Comcast-Spectacor; Deb Rinaldi, Business Communications Coordinator for the Philadelphia Phillies and more.

PPRA Careers 101 will take place this Monday, March 22, 2010 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Energy Hall at the PECO Building at 2301 Market Street in Philadelphia.

The cost is $10 per person and the deadline to register is this Friday, March 19.

March Madness

March Madness is an exciting time for basketball fans everywhere. Even if you're not a regular basketball fan, you may enjoy cheering on your favorite team during the tournament. This year March Madness fans can keep up with all the games using many online applications. Here are some of the top ones, found in this article on Mashable.com:

1. Facebook Fast Break
2. Mobile Madness
3. Web-based Winners
4. Video Slam Dunk

This year I'll be cheering on Atlantic 10 champs, the Temple Owls! Who are you cheering for?

Getting Acquainted with the Social Resume

A few days ago, Brazen Careerist released a new feature on its website that showcases its new tool, the social resume. What is a social resume, you ask? According to the site, a social resume "is a one-of-a-kind, interactive showcase of your top ideas from around the web." This tool, the site explains, can help you "organize the most important things you have to say so employers, colleagues and friends know how smart you really are."

With this tool, you can showcase your online activity by importing blog posts, highlighting network conversations and #Brazen tweets and displaying creative and professional content.

Click here to check out Brazen Careerist's "social resumes 101" website. The site is a great resource for learning more about social resumes and how to make them work for you. It also contains a video to help you get acquainted with the social resume.

As the importance of social media continues to snowball, it will become increasingly important to be able to demonstrate your activity and proficiency in social networking communities. For this reason, Brazen Careerist's social resume feature and other similar online tools will likely prove invaluable--particularly for those interested in becoming part of the public relations world.

Obama Proposes Education Overhaul

Although Spring Break has been so wonderful for us Temple students, here's a little something to get your minds back into the swing of school (don't all jump up at once!):

Reporter Richard A. Serrano from the LA Times wrote an article about President Obama giving the "No Child Left Behind Act" an extreme makeover. Obama conveyed his concern for our country’s standard of education in his weekly address. He said,"The nation that out-educates us today will out-compete us tomorrow." Obama claims that the US has "lost ground" over the past decade or so and that our high schools are no longer the top producers of college graduates among other top nations in the world. Obama's reforms will push the states to do more to make sure that high school students are prepared for college by 2020 and "stress academic achievements beyond what were called for under President George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind program."

While many universities have increased standards every year for prospective students, what will this new plan do for students who are simply “average” academically? Will they get left behind in the midst the increasing competition of college admission and graduation? The Teachers Union is afraid of this factor exactly, and according to the article, is skeptical that Obama’s proposal may only reward the top 10 percent of schools nationwide. Also, many also fear that this plan is good in theory but will have a delayed start due to budget cuts and teacher layoffs that resulted from the recent recession.

I have high hopes for Obama’s education reform. What do you think?

To learn more about Obama’s education reform and to read the full LA Times article click here.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member, Michele Reilley.

Blogging: It’s your voice… isn’t it?

As all of us know, blogging has become a widespread phenomenon in which anyone with Internet access can spread opinion across the world for free. While many of us use blogs for personal use, companies all over the world are beginning to utilize the benefits of shaping public opinion via blogs. However, perhaps the motives behind some bloggers “opinion” pieces have been hidden.

In a recent New York Times article, it was revealed that certain bloggers have been posting about Wal-Mart, the world’s largest private company, in a way that suggests their support for all of Wal-Mart’s actions. These blogs, many of which opposed Wal-Mart’s corporate behaviors at one time, seem to be directly representing Wal-Mart. They all make statements that mirror ideals of the corporation or emails sent by Wal-Mart’s PR Firm, Edelman.

The company has voiced its goal of using social media to its advantage, but perhaps it is abusing them. Head of Edelman, Marshall Mason, sends out regular e-mails to a number of individual bloggers containing information about the corporation’s jobs, their stance on employee health care, etc. Fragments from these emails can be seen on influential blogs across the nation, but each blogger insists that the information is their own and has no affiliation with Wal-Mart. Mr. Mason has declined to comment… interesting for a PR person, huh?

When I Googled “PR Ethics,” almost all of the pages advocated fair and honest communication on a blog. The PRSA Code of Ethics states one of its guidelines as “reveal sponsors for represented causes and interests.” Bloggers have the ability and responsibility to shape public opinion. Thus, the audience must have all of the facts in order to truly be educated on a subject. It is only right to give credit where credit is due and let the audiences know the origin of this Wal-Mart information.

As a PR student myself, I know that signing my name to any piece of writing means that I am confident in the validity of every word I write. I would never try to take anyone else’s thoughts as my own. When reading blogs, it is important to be an analytical reader and be careful that all information is accurate and not being screened to the author. Blogs are not advertisements or commercials, so make sure when you blog you represent yourself. Say exactly what you mean, and mean what you say.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Meagan Prescott.

The iPad: A Preliminary Success!

Remember my post in January regarding the naming of Apple's "iPad?" If not, click here for a refresher.

Well, it seems that the laughable name has not deterred Apple fanatics from purchasing the latest gadget in mass quantities. According to an article posted today on Mashable.com by Christina Warren, approximately 51,000 iPads were sold within two hours this morning, when the product officially became available for pre-order. There are some caveats that may account for some false number reporting, though. Click here to read more about the calculations.


Are any of you surprised with the excessive demand for the iPad? I can't say I am...

25 Tips from 25 PR Experts

The other day, Mark Regan of Ragan Communications tweeted a link to this article. It offers 25 tips from 25 different public relations experts. I found the tips to be helpful and insightful so I wanted to share them with you! Also, some of the tips were taken via twitter, which is just another reason to get on Twitter if you're not already!

Here are some highlights I pulled from the list (it was hard to pick a few, they're all great advice):

3. Brian Solis - PR Tips for Startups: No Two Bloggers or Journalists are Created Equal

4. Rafe Needleman - Tip #131 Lullaby: If you’re pitching me on the phone, talk to me. Don’t read me the flippin’ press release. It puts me to sleep.

14. Rob Bailey via Twitter: If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t - never lie, exaggerate or mislead just to get coverage, big mistake.

19. Lizz Harmon via Twitter: Whenever possible, use specifics in releases - instead of “heavy” say “500 lbs”.

20. Amy Mengel via Twitter: Companies should “favorite” positive tweets about them. Great way to assemble 3rd-party endorsements.

21. David Mullen - Five Tips for Media Relations Success: Before calling a reporter, look at the last five stories she’s written. What does she cover? Is your story relevant to her? Is it relevant to her readers?

Do you have any great tips to share? We love hearing from you, leave a comment!

Gowalla vs. Foursquare: The SXSWi Showdown

As the South by Southwest Interactive Festival, or SXSWi, begins this Friday, March 12 in Austin, Texas, the spotlight is locked on a hot new trend in social media: geolocation. Sites Gowalla and Foursquare, both started less than two years ago, will be competing to be the geolocation social networking front runner by the end of SXSWi. Both sites allow users to 'check in' at locations that they visit and follow their friends movements around the globe. For example, attendees of the SXSWi festival can 'check in' on their preferred site as soon as they land in the Austin airport and can use their friends posts to develop an up-to-the-minute itinerary.

Gowalla and Foursquare seem to combine features of other popular social networking sites. Users can update their geolocation (similar to Facebook status updates), follow their friend's updates (similar to Twitter feeds) and upload videos (YouTube) and photos (Picasa, Flickr) depicting their current location. Companies can utilize these sites to encourage business by offering users rewards for checking in at their sites and users benefit from each other by swapping information about new countries, cities and businesses. The sites are convenient for travelers because they're available in mobile versions on iPhones, Blackberrys, smart phones and PDA's.

Twitter was launched into the technology spotlight at SXSWi's 2007 festival and has grown in leaps and bounds since. Their success at the festival has proved its importance in hooking SXSWi attendees, a prime audience of early technology adopters, to choose a favorite and run with it. The SXSWi front runner will generate quite a buzz that will grow its base of users dramatically. Read a full CNET News article on the competition here.

I'm excited for this new development in social networking, but a little weary as well. I'm not sure that I'm ready to divulge my location to thousands of users globally. I'm still waiting and watching the impact of these new sites before I take the plunge myself. Are you checking in on Gowalla or Foursquare? What are your thoughts?

Twitter on TV!

It feels so good to be on spring break! I am currently visiting my family, and it I'm really enjoying being home. With as busy as I am during school, it is awesome to have time for even simple things like watching TV.

While watching TV with my parents Saturday night, I saw a commercial for CBS's show, "The Good Wife." During the commercial, which was a preview for an upcoming episode, one of the characters asked another dramatically, "are you tweeting about me?"

I thought this ad was a really good example of how pervasive social media has become in our everyday lives. I thought it was especially interesting that the ad referenced Twitter, as this speaks to the amount of growth the social networking site has experienced of late. Even one year ago, many people had never even heard of Twitter, let alone it being mentioned in mainstream pop culture.

What other examples have you seen of the growing pervasiveness of social media? What are some new areas that social media has popped up in your life?

Tips on Becoming a Networking Super Star

Since we have some great networking opportunities coming up this semester I thought it would be helpful to list some networking tips. As a senior I have attended many networking events and in the past have found it helpful to seek tips from my peers before the event. The tips listed below can be found on the website " Business Know How":

1. First make sure to remember that networking is about being your self. It is about developing relationships so being genuine is very important.
2. Look the part! Make sure you look professional. First impressions are key.
3. Make sure that you know what your goals are! This will help you make decisions during the event and will help you choose who you want to network with.
4. Make sure that you do your research! If you know you want to speak with a certain company make sure you're up to date with the company news!
5. Ask open-ended questions, questions that ask who, what, where, when and how instead of those that can be answered with a simple yes or no.
6. Be an individual! Networking events are about standing out! You want them to put that star on your resume. Bring something to the table that makes you different from everyone else at the event.
7. Be ready to answer any questions they may have for you! Review your resume before the day of the event. You should be able to tell them about everything on your resume without ever looking down!
8. Email the people you meet who may benefit from what you do and vice versa. Express that you enjoyed meeting them, and ask them to keep you in mind for future opportunities.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Josie Fox.

Twitter: Weather at Your Fingertips

New to the “tweeting” world, I hadn’t a clue what exactly the purpose of a Twitter was. It wasn’t until the fateful February snowstorm that I learned of its capabilities.

Snow was falling hard that second week in February, and I was ironically snowed in with a broken television. I had only my laptop and one small window to provide entertainment for the rest of the night. I figured there was no time like the present to create my Twitter account. Once I made my log in, I was instantly lost on what to do and wanted to delete it. Instead, I decided to put the site to the test. If it could perform miracles, I would rethink deleting my account.

My skepticism was put to rest when the 6abc’s Twitter page informed me of the miracle I had hoped for: the exact accumulation that day, the fact that I’d be snowed in the next, and that I’d be seeing sunshine in the near future. I was officially sold. Who needs TV with its commercials when you have an instant weather forecast with the click of a mouse? All I need to know is the basics: boots or sandals? Jacket or tank top? Umbrella or sunglasses? All in 140 characters or less.

Follow the 6abc page as well as all other news station Twitter pages for your instant weather update without leaving your computer chair.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Elizabeth Offner. Follow her on Twitter @elizabethoffner.

To Cross-Post or Not?

Yesterday at our PRowl general staff meeting we were discussing cross-posting between Twitter and Facebook for one of our clients. Coincidentally, today on Ragan’s Daily Headlines an article appeared in my inbox reading “Should You Cross-Post Updates to Facebook and Twitter?”

The main question the article asks is: Do you target different audiences with each social media platform? If the answer is “yes,” cross-posting probably isn’t the best idea since you may be trying to communicate different messages to each audience. Further, our style of writing is adapted for each platform we use, and one might not be conducive for the other. For example, on Twitter you tend to write in abbreviations because let’s face it - you only have 140 characters to get the message across. If the message is cross-posted to Facebook, readers may be confused and not understand why you’re writing in practically a different language.

If you are targeting the same audience with all of your social media tools, then your choice is a little easier. Ultimately though, “it's up to the individual whether to cross-post. With social media being such a new conduit, there’s no proven right or wrong way to do things—yet” (Adler).

PRowl has delayed utilizing cross-posting so far, but it is something that we have discussed for the future, based on our client needs.

What do you think? Do you think NOT cross-posting is a missed opportunity to further engage “friends” and “fans,” or do you think Facebook should be left to Facebook and Twitter to Twitter? Let us know!

And to all you Temple folks - Happy Spring Break!

Twitter!

Have you heard of the website twitip.com? Well if you haven't you must check it out! Its a website dedicated to offering everything and anything about twitter!

If you're not on Twitter yet (I don't know what you're waiting for) here is a post listing reasons why you should be! Some highlights are:

-Build a network of contacts within your industry that you never had access to or knew about before, not just locally, but globally.
-Discover new opinions and thoughts from like minded people in your industry, locally and globally.
-Listen, watch and learn. You don’t have to contribute 24/7, there is great learning to be had just by watching your feed sometimes.
-It's FUN!

There are some really great posts on the site, like this one about how to strategically increase your followers, or learn more about retweeting here, or how about this post about which website to use for future/scheduled tweets.

This is a great resource for those of you tweeting out there. It really has tons of information and you can even add your own tips and share them with others!

P.S.
A few weeks ago I posted about Google's Buzz; check out this post on which further compares Google Buzz and Twitter.

My HAPPO Resume Review

As you may know, I participated in the first ever HAPPO Day last month where PR pros helped their unemployed colleagues and entry level graduates network and find new job opportunities via Twitter. I spent four hours monitoring HAPPO tweets and, luckily, my diligence paid off. I met a few great peers, a Philadelphia area PR pro offered to help me with my job search and I was one of 10 participants to win a HAPPO resume review.

HAPPO paired me with reviewer Jessica Smith, veteran blogger and VP and Digital Integration Specialist at Fleishman-Hillard in Sacramento, California. Jessica graciously took time out of her weekend to thoroughly review my resume and provide me with some great advice. Having her fresh eyes take a look at a document that I've been revising myself for quite a long time was an amazing opportunity. As someone who has already been successful in the industry her insight gave me a great new point of view.

The first thing that Jessica made me realize is that my resume should act as my ambassador to a company. I originally thought of it simply as a way to convey my credentials and have always used a cover letter to communicate more directly with a prospective employer. Jessica suggested that I think more deeply about what my resume alone can communicate. She made me realize that I should tailor my resume to every job opportunity just as I would with a cover letter.

She suggested that I think about what my strengths are and what my dream job would be, and then generate a list of corresponding attributes that will set me apart from other candidates. The purpose of this list is to help me stop and think about what I want from a job, how my skills can fulfill the requirements of the position and, ultimately, how I can personalize my resume for a specific job opportunity so that I stand out in a sea of applicants.

The second important thing that Jessica's review taught me was that yes, I have experience from internships, my work with PRowl Public Relations and my education at Temple University, but that is only the foundation of a great resume. The icing on the cake comes from the results that are attained from that experience. For example, I have media relations experience that I've gotten from my work with PRowl Public Relations, so I need to take my resume a step further and explain what news coverage I've generated for PRowl's clients. Another example comes from my work as an special events intern at the National Kidney Foundation. I list event planning experience on my resume, but could take it a step further by listing how many people came to the event and what steps I took after the event to ensure their repeat participation.

Working with Jessica has allowed me to see my resume from a different point of view. I know that after considering all of her advice and making revisions to my resume I'll be able to send it to prospective employers with confidence. I hope that this advice will help you as well! Do you have any other resume writing tips to share?

Facebook Fan Page Tips

When I came across this list today I immediately wished I read it over winter break. The list is called "26 Facebook Fan Page tips for business users. Or the Fan Page cheat sheet." Over winter break, PRowl Public Relations' executive board took on a client for a mini-project. We helped the client to engage with fan page members and to attract new fans. We ran into a couple problems, but produced some great results. We definitely could have used this list as a jumping off point though! Here are some highlights from the list:

7. Facebook should only part of your online presence. Use it to capture fans and then drive them to deeper content on a blog, connect on Twitter, and promote video on YouTube. But, most importantly, they need to be moving toward business goals.
8. Use other online vehicles to recruit Facebook fans including links on your homepage, ads, promotions and other social media sites.
9. You are only a small reason your fans are on Facebook. Be respectful and don’t over-promote or you risk losing them.
10. Put fans first. Consider what is valuable to them and link to it or post about it.
11. Consider promoting others on your page who have done something significant in your area.

Do these things help you? Or are they just reminders? Have you created your own tip sheet for social media? Let us know!

The Tiger Saga Continues

Despite the fact that Tiger Woods finally came out on February 19 and made a statement about the personal decisions that tainted his public image, the worst may not be over for him.

On Friday, Gatorade announced that it "no longer see[s] a role for Tiger in [their] marketing efforts and have ended the relationship." Gatorade's decision to part ways with Tiger marks the third sponsor to end their endorsement deal with Tiger.

Accenture and AT&T ended partnerships with Tiger earlier this year, while Nike, EA Sports and Tag Heuer remain on board as sponsors. According to CNBC, Gatorade's sponsorship of Tiger was especially significant because the deal "was structured unlike any in the brand's history, as Woods got paid a licensing fee on sales of his drink."

It remains to be seen if Tiger's other sponsors will stay with him and if he will acquire new sponsors when he begins to golf again. Gatorade's decision to end their relationship with Tiger, though, poses important questions about if and when Tiger will be able to put this scandal behind him.

Do you think Tiger would have been able to keep more of his sponsorships if he had spoken out sooner? Where should Tiger go from here?