How to #Hashtag on Facebook

It has been a little over two months since Facebook rolled out it's hashtag feature and some brands have been utilizing as a potential tool to drive engagement. Although it hasn't gained much traction yet, Simply Measured's recent study found that brand adoption of Facebook hashtags had increased by 20% by the end of July. 

Five major brands have demonstrated strategic and effective hashtag tactics and, in turn, have been seeing major results:

1. American Express - Cross-Channel Campaign Promotion 
#PassionProject
Average Brand Engagement: 1,689
Post Engagement: 10,362
Engagement Factor: 6.1 x AVG
By creating awareness for its #PassionProject campaign using the same hashtag on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, American Express is making the campaign content discoverable across networks. 

2. Moet & Chandon - Seasonal Hashtags for Seasonal Products
#Summer 
Average Brand Engagement: 1,571
Post Engagement: 9,083
Engagement Factor: 5.7 x AVG
Seasonal hashtags allow seasonal brands like Moet & Chandon to promote #Summer products by tapping into a broad topic. 

3. Credit Suisse - News Jacking
#Wimbeldon 
Average Brand Engagement: 168
Post Engagement: 1,088
Engagement Factor: 6.4 x AVG
Credit Suisse, a multinational financial services holding company, used #Wimbeldon to highlight it's player sponsorship. Brands can use Facebook hashtags to create awareness for their pages by tapping into event discussion and providing valuable content. 

4. Loreal Paris - Already Popular Hashtags 
#ManiMonday
Average Brand Engagement: 1,012
Post Engagement: 3,387
Engagement Factor: 3.3 x AVG
Popular hashtags on other networks can be extended to Facebook. Cosmetic brands' use of #ManiMonday exemplifies that using context that has already been created for many popular tags on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram is effective. 

5. MTV - Leverage Your Largest Audience 
#BeyInspired 
Average Brand Engagement: 4,924
Post Engagement: 8,171
Engagement Factor: 1.7 x AVG
MTV has shown how brands can use Facebook hashtags to run integrated contests and promotions to encourage fans, their largest social audience, to participate on other networks. 

Four Things You Should Never Do In The Name Of PR

As upcoming professionals in the field of PR, its important you become familiar with these four things you should never do in the name of PR. While reading through the PR for dummies book, they mentioned the following don't do's:

1. Lie or Mislead- The saying "honesty is the best policy" is something us, upcoming professional, should follow. In this field being dishonest makes things worst. Whatever is in the dark always comes to light, therefore save yourself the embarrassment and never practice lying.

2. Procrastinate- In the PR world everything runs on deadlines. Therefore its advisable you prioritize and get things done, don't wait last minute to complete a task.

3. Offer a Bribe - Firstly its illegal to offer a bribe in any profession. Offering a bribe is unprofessional and should never be done. This shows that you have a low self esteem in your work; your writing should be able to speak for itself.

4.Stonewall- Don't ever say "no comment" to a reporter. Reporters will quickly assume you are guilty.

Welcome to College

We are officially less than two weeks away from the beginning of a new school year.  For myself, it will be my final year at Temple and yet I can remember being a freshman like it was just last week.  Going from being a senior in high school to a freshman in college is a huge adjustment.  Here are some things I learned over the years and would like to offer up to the incoming class at Temple and any other college or university.

1. Leave your door open.  Regardless if you're living in a traditional dorm or suite, leaving your door open is a great way to meet people as they're passing by.

2. Join clubs. Even if you don't stay in the club for more than one year or even one semester, clubs are the perfect way to meet new people.  The earlier you join, the more opportunities you will have.

3. Embrace the 8 a.m.'s. I'm a huge fan of sleeping in, but if you schedule your classes too late in the day you won't find yourself being very productive before them. You're going to have to take early classes eventually, so you should get used to an early morning routine.

4. Manage your time.  This was probably the hardest thing for me to do.  Your college classes might be shorter or longer than the ones you had in high school, but none of them are going to let you do homework during your lectures.  You need to learn how to budget your time so you're always submitting assignments completely and promptly.

5. Have fun. College is a whole new experience.  Don't let shyness or fear get the best of you.  You'll make new friends, learn new things, and have opportunities you could never have dreamed of.

What tips can you share for the incoming freshman class? Tell us!

A Checklist For Seniors

As the summer winds down, I can’t help but reflect on the fact that I will be entering my final year of college. Just as many freshman entering college for the first time set goals for getting involved, trying new things and making an impact, it is crucial for seniors to have a similar mentality. Even though time in college may be nearing its end for seniors, it is now that motivation should be at its highest! Here is a basic checklist for seniors to follow entering their final year as an undergraduate.

1.  It’s Never Too Late:

I’ve seen countless friends and peers become hesitant of joining new clubs and organizations in school simply because they will be upperclassmen and feel it is too late. It is never too late to join something new! A full school year is plenty of time to make an impact!

2.  Don’t Lose Motivation:

By now, most seniors have only a handful of classes left to take. It is easy to fall into the trap of going on “cruise control” for the final two semesters of school. Strive to do better than ever before and you will be better prepared after graduating to take the leap into the professional world!

3.  Mentor:

As a senior you have lots of offer. You’ve had a great deal of experiences socially, scholastically and emotionally during your first few years of college. Use that experience and wisdom to help underclassmen by taking on leadership positions or by simply being willing to lend a helping hand to younger students.

4.  Enjoy It!

If there is anything in college that I’ve noticed the most, it is that time will fly by. Don’t take a single day for granted in your senior year and make each day count!

For those entering senior year, enjoy the final weeks of summer and embrace this final opportunity to make a lasting impact in your school community!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Chris Krochak.

Tips For One-on-One Networking

People often say that PR is all about who you know.  And if that’s true, it’s no surprise that networking is so important!  With that, I’ve recently made it a personal goal of mine to network as much as possible.   From my experience and the advice of many others, I’ve compiled 5 important tips to successfully networking one-on-one.

1. Do the work.

When it comes to one-on-one networking, you are asking a big favor of someone: time.  So, be sure to work around his or her schedule completely.  Give them a few options of times to meet, and options for lunch or coffee, unless they insist on a specific meeting place.   The key is making it as easy as possible for them to want to give you their time. 

 
2.    It’s not about you…. Or at least that’s what you want them to think.
Never walk into a networking opportunity with a list of things that you want to get from the person.  Instead, find a way that you can help them.  How can you help grow their business?  They will return the favor.
 
3.    Be Yourself
This is too often overlooked in networking.  But it is so important to show your personality.  That is how you make connections with people, and remain memorable.  But remember, this isn’t lunch with your friends, so keep it professional too. 
 
4.    Don’t Dismiss Anything
You may find yourself in a situation where you think networking with someone will be a waste of time.  Maybe they’re not in your industry, or your not sure how you can help each other.  But don’t dismiss any opportunities.  There is always something to be gained from networking, even if you don’t see a short-term result.
 
5.    Stay in touch
Everyone knows to send the standard follow up email thanking him or her for their time and advice, but don’t stop there.  Stay in touch with everyone in your network!  Shoot them an email every once in a while to see how they’re doing, and keep up with their businesses.  Be sure to congratulate them about any recent success.  Maybe even send an email or handwritten card to everyone in your network over the holidays.

One of the most important things to remember about networking is that there is no specific formula.  And different things work for different people.  What are some things that you’ve learned from networking?  Let us know!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Chris Covone. 

Campus Rep Programs + PR Students = Perfect Match

Campus representative programs have been around for quite some time but I have noticed more recently that more and more companies are turning to college students to get their name out there. And who can blame them? We are the most connected generation, due largely in part to our social media addictions, who can reach very large audiences. So why not offer a college student a chance to promote a brand.

After attending a three day campus rep training program last week, I now fully understand why so many businesses are creating these programs. Not only is a great way to offer students an opportunity to gain real world experience, it is also a relatively inexpensive and creative way to increase profit.

The typical campus rep is an outgoing, engaged and well-connected student on campus. They work to promote a brand as a part-time job and can represent a non-profit, Fortune 500, or a start-up  The job may consist of giving out brand swag, hosting events, running local marketing efforts, and much more. Many reps are paid top dollars for their work while other reps get thousands of dollars of swag. Some reps even get full-time job offers after their part-time work! One thing is clear about the campus rep job: it gives any student great marketing experience, a great resume filler, and--most importantly--an unforgettable experience during college.

This recent explosion of campus rep programs all around the nation is especially beneficial to aspiring PR pros, even if you aren't super experienced yet. Most campus rep programs specifically seek out student majoring in PR, communications or marketing. And what student wouldn't want to help develop his or her skills in the areas of marketing, promotions, communications, sales and public relations. The program I am enrolled in will help me gain event planning experience which is something that I have been looking for in an internship during my past three years as a college student!

Are you a rep for a brand on your campus? Which one? Let us know!

Press Release Follow Up Etiquette

You developed your media pitches and press releases, sent it to various media outlets and what's next? A follow up! A follow up after sending a press release is just important as washing your hands after gardening. After you send out your releases, give the media approximately two days to read them and then proceed with a follow up.

When doing your phone call follow-ups:

1. Keep your conversation short and brief - First and foremost, when making phone follow ups, be sure to ask if its a good time to talk. Journalists and Writers are usually busy and are always on the go, therefore know exactly what you are going to say prior to making this phone call. 

2. Don't be pushy, but be assertive- This is self explanatory. When calling be sure and confident in what you're saying.

3. Be interesting and enthusiastic- Don't call to explain exactly what you included in the press release, this approach can become monotonous very quickly and journalists don't have the time. 

4. Always thank them for their time-  Common courtesy plays an important role in PR. Don't forget your manners. 

In these modern times with all the social media and different ways to contact persons via the internet, making phone calls is not usually first on the list for some persons when following up. However, it deems to be very effective so the next time you have to follow up,  pick up the phone and follow the aforementioned etiquette tips!