The Problem with Pop-Ups

As public relations professionals, we often become so passionate about our clients and work that we can’t wait to find some way to share it with the masses. From television to the blogosphere, we are always looking for a new medium to share information. Unfortunately, our goal to gain readership and increase awareness can often cause us to place our content in the wrong areas. The case in point: pop-ups.

We are all familiar with websites that, upon visiting their homepage, load a pop-up asking us to join an email subscription list or like an external Facebook page. We are even more familiar with, after scoffing and feeling annoyed, clicking ‘no thank-you’ or leaving the site all together. While the point of having the content appear in this fashion is to drive consumers to content, it often goes too far, making the consumer less inclined to interact. Here are a few issues I have with pop-up content:

• Pop-ups force the user to commit, via an email subscription or Facebook like, before they are even able to engage in the content. Let the user see what you have to offer before shoving a commitment at them.
• When users are greeted with a pop-up, it makes them more likely to leave the site before reading anything. While your goal was to commit them to receiving more content, you push them away from your brand completely.
• Pop-ups are normally associated with things like spam and computer viruses. You never want your brand to be associated with things that can bring harm to consumers – even their computers!

In a social media savvy world, of course we want users to sign up for email subscriptions and follow our social media accounts, but there are other ways to achieve this goal:

• Include links to social media profiles in a sidebar or after a post. Including clickable images after content allows the user to make an informed decision instead of being coerced.
• If you posts contain a lot of images, consider adding a ‘Pin It” button feature so that users can easily share your content to Pinterest. If you have one, be sure to add a link to your Pinterest account as well!

How do you feel about pop-up content on websites? Share your thoughts!

What Does Non-Profit Healthcare PR Mean?

As PR student and a member of two of Temple's largest PR organizations, I've heard of many of the different areas of PR one can get into: sports, lifestyle, fashion, non-profit, corporate, etc. One that I haven't heard very often is non-profit health care.

For the past three years I have played with the idea of going to medical school. I love medicine, learning about it, hearing about people's stories, and everything in between. But I'm not the brightest bulb in the box when it comes to math and science, and so I've put medical school on the back burner for the moment. Instead, I looked into different hospitals and health organizations. All of them have PR teams. On Friday, I had lunch from the PR manager at Shriners Hospital for Children to learn more about what exactly non-profit healthcare PR is. And I fell in love.

Part of what the PR department at a hospital does is learn about patients. Through telling the story of a patient, the PR rep can then tie-in a mention of the hospital, e.g. a new machine that allows for John Doe to walk for the first time in 20 years, etc. Just like any other industries, you will pitch reporters, create internal newsletters, and the like. But you get to talk to people every day who you are directly helping. By spreading the word about your hospital, more people will be interested and inclined to seek help at your hospital or donate.

For someone who has been struggling about their career for forever now, it feels so relieving to finally find my place in the world, a place that I'm passionate about. I would encourage anyone out there struggling to find their path to just dabble in everything, it may take awhile but you'll find your place too :)

So, you’ve mastered networking. Now what?

We all know that Public Relations is all about networking.  But once you’ve connected with a PR professional, it’s sometimes difficult to maintain a relationship with them.  Thankfully, there’s an easy solution: informational interviews.  

What are informational interviews?

Informational interviews are short meetings in which students ask industry experts for career and professional advice.  The best way to request a meeting with a contact is to merely ask.  Send them a short email explaining your interest in the field and inquire if they would be willing to meet with you to discuss their experiences within the industry.

Most professionals will be flattered that you considered them a mentor of sorts.  At the same time it’s important to be mindful that, by agreeing to the informational interview, they are doing you a favor.  Though it can be as simple as a 30 minute meeting over coffee, you are not exempt from traditional interview etiquette.

How to prepare:

Like any other interview, it’s important to do your homework.  Come with well-prepared questions that identify the information you are most interested in seeking.  Ask what you genuinely want to know about the industry or their specific position; chances are if you’re just repeating memorized questions, they will be able to tell.  Remember, this is not a chance for you to ask for job opportunities but to gain insight into the industry from a PR professional.

Be sure to ask open-ended questions like “What are the most challenging/rewarding aspects of your career?”, “What has been your career path from college to the present?”, and “Where do you see the future of the industry going?” Make a note to ask if you have missed any important points that they would care to mention.

Despite a casual setting, you will still be expected to conduct yourself as a professional.  This includes dressing like one. 

The Follow-up

Finally, who doesn’t love a thank you note?  Hand-writing a personalized thank you note within 24 hours of your meeting will not only let the professional know how much you valued the interview, but also leave a positive and memorable mark. 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Jaime Martorana.

Networking: PRowl & PRSA Philadelphia

Networking is essential in the public relations industry. Effective networking goes well beyond introducing yourself and shaking hands. The ability to make valuable connections with industry professionals well before your job search begins is crucial in today's world. 

Get to know local organizations within the field that plan events in which networking can take place. Subscribe to their free emails newsletters so you can be notified about upcoming networking opportunities. Create business cards so you are always ready to give a new connection your contact information. 

PRSA Philadelphia put on their annual Spring Sunset Happy Hour this past week and members from PRowl PR and Temple University's PRSSA chapter were lucky enough to attend. This event allowed us students to meet public relations professionals who work right here in Philadelphia! Held at the Waterworks Restaurant and Lounge, we were able to enjoy food and drinks while taking in the gorgeous views of the establishment, the Delaware River as well as Boathouse Row. 

PRowl PR members from left to right: Samantha Wanner, Emily Storz, London Faust, Amanda White, Jessica Mancuso, Kaitlyn Sutton & Gregg Fesitman, Faculty Advisor

Rebrand, Rebuild, Regroup

When people develop companies, their dream is to make to the list of top recognized and respected brands but every once in awhile brands take a hard hit. And these hits can have a lasting impression. It took most of these companies’ years to build up their brand name, but only a short time to put a permanent mark on their record.

1. Martha Stewart: Currently in a legal battle between Macy’s Inc. and J.C. Penny Co. Inc., on which retailer has the rights to sell her brand items.

2. Apple: Sales for apple products are down because of the creation of Galaxy SIII and the Galaxy S4, which many are reporting are better than the iPhones.

3. Hyundai: Fabricated information lead to the recalling of many cars. This car company falsely reported the miles per gallon (MPG) on some of their cars, which resulted in dissatisfied customers.

4. Boeing: The delay of the reveal of this airplane has many concerned for the safety of this spacecraft. This spacecraft has not been given permission to take flight, which puts major concern in the eyes of the passengers.

5. J.C. Penney: With the end of major discounts, constant sales and low advertising, this company’s revenue has dropped substantially. Customers are not purchasing items at full price and the lack of discounts deters people from making purchases.

6. Best Buy: This company is having trouble competing with Amazon. Sales have decreased within the year and due to circumstances that were revealed about the CEO, the reputation of this company is faltering as well.

7. Groupon: Facing difficulty keeping up with the competition. Current revenue is at a low 0% to 9%.

8. BlackBerry: Because of the creation of smart phones, this company has not been able to fight off competitors. Their customers continue to leave because of the high interest in the other phones, which causes sales to decrease drastically.

9. J.P. Morgan: After a trade lost this bank millions of dollars, many began to question the integrity of the company. There was concern over how well the situation was handled and began to be investigated by the federal government.  

So, what exactly went wrong? Customers began to loose trust within these businesses. Consumers do not want to see the products they buy plastered on front-page news with headlines revealing unknown information about such products. With the economy still trying to rebuild itself, corporations are still looking to make money. The best way to make money and keep customers coming back is to be honest. Unfortunately, for these brands, rebuilding their image will be an uphill battle. 

Exposing Myths About Virtual Internships

Last Summer, after securing one internship at a local public relations agency, I was offered another position as a virtual intern. The internship required me to log a certain amount of hours working from home, completing various projects, and being available for conference calls with supervisors and clients. Having one in-office internship and a work from home internship was a great way to gain two very different types of experiences. Many of my friends assumed that my virtual internship was less work, and didn't require much time or dedication, but this was absolutely not the case! That is only one of the myths about virtual internships or working from home.

Here 4 disproved myths from Ragan's list of work from home myths.

Myth: Working from home means you can relax more and not take work seriously.

FALSE! While telecommuting does mean you can often be more flexible about your hours, you still have to dedicate a set amount of time to getting work done.

Myth: If you aren't surrounded by other employees, you will not be as motivated to get work and assignments done.

FALSE! During my virtual internship, I had to communicate with other interns via email, Skype, and phone calls to discuss or progress with certain projects. Knowing that I would have to bring something to the table always motivated me to get my work done!

Myth: It is harder to find time to communicate with the client when you work from home.

FALSE! When I first accepted my position as a virtual intern, I also had to submit my availability  and commit to remaining available at those times. Knowing that I had to be around to be reached at certain times meant that my virtual internship always knew when they could get in contact with me.

Myth: Virtual interns aren't involved with brainstorming and planning.

FALSE! Many of the phone and Skype meetings that we would have were strictly about brainstorming new ideas and planning new projects. One of the major benefits of have virtual interns is that you can find people from many different walks of life to provide fresh ideas!

Have you ever heard of or had a virtual internship? Share your experiences with us!

An Afternoon With NBC-10

As I previously mentioned, I attended PPRA's Careers 101 event a few weeks back. During a raffle, my name was called for a "Networking Session with Adam Dvorin." I expected to grab a cup of coffee and have a chat with Adam, but instead he set up a tour with Denise Nakano of NBC-10 for today and KYW next month!

I have never been in a TV studio, much less met an anchor/reporter. Denise was gracious enough to take us through every aspect of a news production, from the news room to the actual studio (see photo below). Along with Denise's co-anchor Chris Cato, I learned a few tips about broadcast news and pitching reporters.

• When you're working with a reporter or cameraman, don't order them around and tell them what to do. No one likes to be told what to do, but especially reporters. 
• When pitching a story, find some kind of local tie or tie-in with a current event.
• It is invaluable to have connections to reporters, because they will be more inclined to cover your stories in the future, and put a face to the name.
• However, if a reporter covers your story once, don't expect them to cover your client every single time. There is always breaking news or other stories to cover, choose which stories to pitch to your personal contacts wisely.

A special thanks to Denise Nakano and Chris Cato for inviting me to come tour NBC-10!