MarketingMel

MarketingMel with firm intern ETSU PR student Sarah Williams Rowan

College students and recent college grad’s connect with me on a regular basis. Hardly a week goes by that I don’t hear from a rising public relations/communications graduate who wants to learn how to get a job in my chosen profession of communications and public relations.  I always try to make time for them. (I think it goes back to my days as an intern at WKBW-TV in Buffalo. I learned so much from my wonderful mentor there that I’ve wanted to give back ever since.) As proof, I’ve generally had an intern throughout most of my career and one of my most popular blog posts ever was “How to get a job in Public Relations: Eleven tips from a PR pro“.

This generation of 20-somethings calls themselves Generation R for Recession. They say that unlike what their baby-boomer parents had, the world is no longer a guaranteed place of hope for a brighter future. Times are tough out there. I hear it at church and as I walk my dog in my neighborhood. Just last evening a neighbor told me of his daughter, her husband and their two young children who have all been forced to move back home with him and his wife. However graduates should not despair. Just like cream quality candidates will rise to the top.

Here are a few job-seeking tips I’m providing to Generation R to help recent grad’s get there. Please share this post with others who may benefit from it.

1. A picture really IS worth 1,000 words! Have a professional photo made ( head/head and shoulders shot) and use it when connecting with others through social media channels. (If you can’t afford a photographer didn’t you have a friend who was a photography major who’s also looking for work now and who might trade services with you? They probably need a news release about themselves/their latest show.) Recently I spoke with a young female graduate whom I originally thought to be a hoax! Why? She had a man’s name and her photo showcased her in an alluring red, strapless dress…perfect for college formals but not so perfect for the hardened former journalist casting a suspicious eye upon it! When my current intern (seen in the photo above) first connected with me she had a polished, professional photo accompanying her resume. Bravo for people who recall that P.R. is arguably an image business!
2. Your name is your brand: If you have a man’s first name and you are female be sure to incorporate your middle name into your presence so that people can determine your gender. This is important because often we see men hiding behind revealing photos of women online.
3. Be there: By that I mean, meet the professional communicators in the spaces we inhabit. For example, we welcome new college PR grad’s to our #soloPR chat ever Wednesday at 1 PM eastern. Stop in, you may learn something and make some great connections. Visit and comment on our blogs and talk with us on twitter.
4. Connect with the thought leaders in your field (both online and “IRL”): Where are the thought leaders in your field? No doubt they’re online and they’re involved with various social media channels. Be sure to connect with them. Learn the fine art of impressing them with your savvy and know-how while simultaneously listening to and responding to them/ their concerns. Also, be present at business networking events in your community. Don’t bemoan and whine about where your live. Make the most of it (or move!)
5. Create Content Now! One recent Gen R grad whom I’ve advised from time to time moved to Nashville to find his fame and fortune. David Lyle Ford has done several things right along the way. 1- He connected with me and other thought leaders and gained our friendship and trust. 2- He recently started writing as a means to create his personal brand while providing a social networking service to others with his blog The Social Drifter. This also showcases his writing skills, key to any professional communicator.
6. Stay educated! Just because school’s over doesn’t mean your education is. Sign up for free webinars in your field to stay on top of the latest happenings in your profession. Read, read, read to keep up with what’s going on.  Use your library to read free books (You can even check out a Kindle at ours!) Read what the thought leaders are talking about online and then read the books they reference.
7. What’s new? Be aware of the news. Meeting people in marketing/PR who don’t keep up with current events is always a bit of a surprise to me. Know what’s going on around you and in the world.

What tips do you have to add for Generation R? Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a Gen R member yourself I’d love to hear from you!

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My friend Sandy Ratliff understands small business. Sandy’s a star marketer at the Virginia Department of Business Assistance and travels all around her state sharing her wealth of knowledge with small business owners. Here’s how she describes what she does. “I primarily focus on helping individuals launch and expand business within my 25 county service area of Southwest Virginia.   I do about 40+ workshops a year and over 200 counseling sessions with new and existing business.”

Sandy and I originally met on twitter and our friendship has blossomed to occasional lunches and regular contact through our social networks.
Recently she reached out to me to ask for my input on tips to provide small businesses who want to advertise.

It was an interesting question since the whole field of advertising has been turned on its head over the past few years with the advent of social networking for business. Clients now obtain information when, where, why and how they want it. (For more information be sure to check out David Meerman Scott’s The New Rules of Marketing and PR)

Here is the list we discussed and that Sandy presented to her clients:

1. Look at the demographics of the media source: Does it reach your target audience? Example: I used to be the executive editor of a high end regional lifestyles publication. One of our advertisers, the owner of a classy gentlemen’s clothing store, swore by his success with our publication and said the price was worth it.
2. In what markets will it run? Example: If you are a small neighborhood based gym do you really want to run a radio ad that will reach thousands? We’re moving to an era of geo and micro-marketing.
3. Be educated: Know the media source coming to meet you in advance. Know your target audience and how best to reach them.
4. How does your target audience like to hear from advertisers? Coupons? Facebook? Twitter? Daily deals? Ask them!
5. Can you do it yourself? Google and Facebook have brought advertising opportunities direct to the small business masses. Experiment with some online D.I.Y.
6. Cause marketing: Recently MarketingMel had the opportunity to sponsor a portion of the PTA night at the Johnson City Cardinals baseball game along with one of my client’s, CapTeeVation. Together we paid for the hot dog supper provided to the first 250 through the gates. What a great opportunity to support something very positive in our community; education. Look for things that your company believes in and then get behind them. You’ll reap multiple rewards!

What are some tips that you’ve used effectively in small business advertising? Please feel free to share here. I’ll be glad to add them to the list.

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I’m taking a deep breath as I begin creating this post with the knowledge that I may lose a “real” friend or two in what I’m about to write. I know this from first hand experience because I’ve already lost one “friend” over the same subject nearly a year ago. But here goes….it’s my opinion, shaped after years in professional communications with the past several of those spent immersed in the online world of communications and social media.

So here it is: I don’t want to be friends with your 8 year old on Facebook. Here’s why:

1. The Rules: Facebook states that you are supposed to be 13 years old in order to have your own account. I realize many people think rules were made for others and not for them but it’s handy to have a rule to point to when taking a position.

Granted, I know Mark Zuckerburg wants to lower the Facebook age limit (who wouldn’t when they’re selling advertising?) I did come across this excellent article from Psychology Today while researching this blog post that should help parents of tweens make informed decisions for their child as they contemplate them creating a Facebook presence.

2. Lies and Damn Lies: If you ignore Rule #1 above then you are teaching your child to create falsehoods from the start. (As you know, Facebook asks for a date of birth and the child obviously can’t use their real DOB.) OK so it may be  just a “teeny white lie” but….

3. Cognitive Reasoning: I am amazed at the number of adult friends I have on Facebook who fall for some of the scams I’ve seen going around (remember the one about Osama Bin Laden?) Well, if adults fall for these hoaxes, how easy would it be to mislead a child? Furthermore do you recall Piaget’s thoughts on logic from your Psyche. 101 class? He says children really begin to think logically around the age of 12.

4. Not everybody’s your friend: Where do I start? Anyone seen the news lately? If you have then you know what I’m talking about. My heart still aches for the parents of the eight year old who walked seven blocks to his day camp in New York only to meet his killer along the route.

5. There are bad viruses and bad people out there: It’s true. I have seen them both but I’d just as soon shield your 8 year old from them. Heaven help us if we should accidentally pass on or connect a child to a virus. Parents, in case you’ve had your head in the sand be sure to check out this article Should I Cancel My Kids’ Facebook Account?

6. Should kids really know all my business? I’ve shared this thought with friends who feel the same way. We have nothing to hide but do you always want a little kid in the room while you’re having a conversation with adults?

7. I love kids! Although some of you may think otherwise, I actually love children very much and am a parent myself. That’s why I’m writing this post. Better to err on the side of caution and keep all of our kids safe.

Finally, I had been thinking about writing this when I ran across that Psychology Today post above about the all-knowing world we now live in. What the author says to tweens and teens is spot on in my opinion. But let’s start thinking even a few years younger as little Johnny and Suzy create the profile that will follow them the rest of their lives.

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Editor’s note: This post is from guest blogger Kellye Crane, creator and founder of SoloPR.

Kellye Crane

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