PR boot camp July 28

The SWMO PRSA chapter is sponsoring a PR Boot Camp, featuring Maria Neider, Jonathan Groves, Joel Alexander, Zac Rantz and Mark Miller. This promises to be a strong program with practical tips and suggestions for improving media relations for businesses and non-profits. Complete information and registration is available online. See you there!

Are you ready for a digital crisis?

I'm preparing for a crisis communication presentation next week, and this Forbes post listed on today's "PRSA Issues & Trends" caught my eye. Maybe it caught yours, too.

What do you think? How prepared are you for a social media/digital crisis? Do you have a social media crisis communication plan?

Tips for a Solid Online Newsroom

Ragan's PR Daily has another great post focused on tips for the content and structure of an online newsroom. As you go down their list of 15 points, how many are reflected in YOUR newsroom?

Do any of our members have what you would consider to be an effective/successful online newsroom to share with the chapter?

Don't let these phrases suck the life out of your writing - or your readers!

In a world where you only get a minute - or more realistically, less than 5 seconds - to grab your readers' attention, learn to be succinct. While some of us appreciate flowery prose, poetry and literature, when you're talking about newsworthiness, promotion and public relations, get the extra words out of the way.

Ragan's PR Daily shares "8 terms that suck the life out fo your writing" - read the rules now!

AAF Invitation: Using Your Noodle to Promote Local Services

AAF of the Ozarks presents...Using Your Noodle to Promote Local Services
Brian Ash, Business Development Manager for ServiceNoodle.com, will explain how the company’s online database works to connect businesses and consumers with local service providers, 24/7.

Service categories include Home (such as landscaping and remodeling), Family (such as dentists and financial planners), Business (such as attorneys and IT consultants), and others.

A variety of creative and marketing-related services also are represented on the site, including photographers, graphic designers, sign and promotional products companies, and marketing consultants.

Service Noodle launched its Springfield website last summer and has set out to make “noodle” a household verb. Come and learn how the Service Noodle concept works and how you and/or your clients might utilize its services to promote your business and find the services you need.

When: Tuesday, June 14, 11:30a-1p
Where: 319 Downtown Banquet Facility, 319 W. Walnut, Springfield
Cost: $15 AAF members & first-time guests; $20 repeat guests; $10 students
RSVP: Click the Reservations button at our website by noon on Monday, June 13; sign up online and receive an email confirmation!

Pass the word to friends and associates who might be interested in this informative program!

Recognizing the Best in our Business

Mark your calendars now for the evening of Nov.17 as the local PRSA chapter is hosting a new recognition banquet to honor the best of PR in our community. The event will be held 6-8 p.m. at Wellington South, 5021 S. National. Tickets will be $25 and it is going to be open to the public. Stay tuned for details on nominations and registration.

Kick Up Those PR Skills at PR Boot Camp

It's summertime already, and you should take this time to relax, soak in some great outdoors time and sharpen your PR skills. That's right...there's never rooom to be complacent in what you know about your profession.

You (and the entire community) are invited to take part in our 2011 PR Boot Camp Thursday, July 28 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (registration begins at 8:30 a.m.) at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, 202 S. John Q. Hammons Parkway.

We have an amazing lineup - especially for those who are new to the industry or who perform multiple functions in an organization.

• 9 a.m. - How to Pitch a Story. Maria Neider, KY3
• 10 a.m. - Social Media: Why You Shouldn't be Afraid of It. Jonathan Groves, Drury University
• 11 a.m. - Inside Job: Why Internal PR and Marketing are Important, Too. Joel Alexander, City Utilities
• Noon-1 p.m. - Lunch and networking
• 1 p.m. - How Technology is Changing PR and Marketing. Zac Rantz, Nixa Public Schools
• 2 p.m. - News Releases Aren't Dead Yet (at Least Not in the Ozarks). Joel Doepker, Ozarks Technical Community College

Registration is $40 for PRSA and Chamber members, $50 for non-members. Breakfast and lunch will also be provided.

Hope to see you there!

Questioning the Media

In our local chapter, we have had a few speakers over the last couple of years address those scary moments in PR - the ones where you are on the defensive or are in desperate need of your crisis communication skills. Even this last month, we had Jeff Nene from Convoy of hope relay a great message about keeping communication lines open with all audiences during crisis mode.

Today, I found a quick article about Media Training to share - one that addresses the kinds of questions you should ask the media BEFORE responding to their questions. The author points out that this is your opportunity to get your information out there, you don't want them to have the opportunity to manipulate your words and you need to protect your organization (and your job).

Take a look and see if you have anything to add - feel free to sound off below!

May 2011 Meeting Recap

Although it was a relatively small meeting yesterday, the payoff was great. We were honored that Jeff Nene, from Convoy of Hope, was able to take time away from the Joplin efforts to speak to our group about crisis communication, strategic communication and the power of a story. He was able to easily draw on the recent examples to show how his organization works with the media and other audiences to communicate a strong message. Below are the highlights:

 

• Multi-faceted career: Started education pursuing a criminal justice degree. Decided ministry was more of what he was wanting. So he went to a bible college to pursue that. From there he went into television. Now he works for Convoy of Hope doing public relations.
• Telling the story is important
• Why did Convoy make the big push into public relations?
• Always has had a PR position but didn’t always know the value and importance of it.
• The organization was growing so fast in the past 9.5 years that focusing on PR in the beginning wasn’t made a priority.
• Past 8 or 9 months the organization decided they needed to look into how to get the word out more about their organization and the needs they help with.
• With the Haiti earthquake and the aid Convoy of Hope provided, the organization got ahold of the Jonas bothers. The brothers tweeted about Convoy of Hope’s efforts which brought national attention and crashed their website because of the volume of people.
• After the publicity from the organization’s Haiti efforts Convoy of Hope realized the value of good public relations.
• The department is split in two areas, the writing side and the relation side.
• The organization realized they needed to better their media list from their simple excel spreadsheet to a license with Vocus. The media coverage Convoy of Hope received because they reached the right reporters at the right time was astronomical.
• Shortly after they started using Vocus, March 1, the March 11 Japan earthquake hit, and they had to rush to reach the right people. With the use of Vocus the organization reached people they have never reached before. CNN, people.com and other national news outlets have spoken about the organization.
• The program also has a great back end reporting function.
• Power of a story
• The impact a story can have in pulling the audience in is important.
• If you can find a compelling story then you’ve got your audiences.
• Jeff challenged the meeting to find our story and tell it.
• Think about your organization and what makes it unique.
• Stories grab people’s attention.
• The stories of how you’re helping or of what’s going on is what brings the audience.
• Text CONVOY to 50555 to make a donation to the organization.
• For every $1 donated to Convoy of Hope $7 worth of goods is given as relief.
• Believing in what you’re talking about is important and crucial to getting the story out.
• Jeff recommends organizations develop a checklist for if a disaster or accident happens, what steps are followed. Have the plan and if you can, rehearse it.
• The plan most likely won’t be executed the way it is written but at least there is a guideline to go by.

 

 

 

 

 

Press releases still relevant

On this rainy, gloomy day in Springfield, take heart PR pros! What we all knew to be the truth has just been confirmed via research: a new survey of journalists shows that journalists still rely on traditional PR methods for the facts and much of their initial story-building. Social media and less traditional methods are still gaining credibility and popularity - and some day they may be the first thing a reporter looks at - I'm sure this depends on your market - but the journalists polled in the study still wanted a press release. Read the article here
What are the takeaways:
1. Know your audience - know which journalists want different forms of communication and how to best reach them
2. Stay up-to-date with the latest communication methods - understand the benefits, styles and needs for each type of social media
3. Integrate your communications plan to best accomodate all audiences - an integrated plan means you should never get left completely behind and that you are working with early and late adopters