Best Practices

This semester, our class has taken a look at the PR world outside the textbook. Our class had opportunities to work with Heal magazine on blog concepts, attend a press conference kicking off Sheryl Crow’s Stop Global Warming College Tour, and participate in a trend challenge for Look-Look. We’ve also heard from several guest speakers in public relations about various communications practices and reality of the field.

I would like to say thank you Professor Flournoy for taking the time to seek out practitioners and bring them to our classroom. It has been a valuable experience. To our guests, thank you for your time and sharing knowledge and advice with us.

Some of the top best practices I have learned are discussed below:

1. Keep up with new solutions and how to use them.

“New rules require new solutions. You need to know everything about the tools people are using today” –Kathryn Smith, Visible Technologies

It’s not just “ok” to learn Marketing 101. You need to learn the digital world and how to protect a client or company from blog scandals. Visible Technologies has developed resources to track blogs and respond in record time. Check it out.

When you find out whose talking about your client, you must respond quickly in order to maintain reputations. You can’t tell a blogger to take down negative posts about your client. You must learn how to put out a fire quickly. "No comment" is simply unacceptable. With such little control over digital media today, a journalist can say the same thing as a blogger and yet, journalist will be fired. The blogger won’t.

2. Research“Research is absolutely crucial,” says Stacy Gaswirth, executive vice president of the Shelton Group. You must research everything: your client’s industry, media channels and who will realistically be interested in news about your client, what key experts and analysts you need backing you up, what the competition is doing, foreseen opportunities and threats to both the client and industry, and the latest ways to drive message through the clutter.

3. Think internationally
As technology has grown in every major market, information is accessible to a much broader audience than ever before. “Clients are also demanding a global presence,” said Gaswirth. You need to know how to grow your client’s business outside the immediate and expected market. As a pr practitioner, it is your job to have the network to make it happen. If you don’t know how to do business in Asia, find someone who does and learn. You cannot afford to be lazy, distributing the same message in the US as you would in another country. Not understanding important cultural differences will send your client in an uproar if he gets bad press.

4. Build media relations and industry analyst campaigns
One thing a pr practitioner can’t survive without is great media relation’s skills. You must know how to build and maintain a strong network, be strategic and selective in channel distribution, and be credible. Last week Gaswirth stressed the importance of building a strong industry analyst campaign, something often overlooked. The people who will help you support your claim are vital to your credibility.

5. Get a mentor!
Among the advice Gaswirth gave for entering the PR field, one major point she made was the importance of having a mentor. Going into this industry, especially if you are working for a large company, it is important to have someone giving you advice and guiding you along the way. The best companies will have a mentorship program. If they don’t, ask! Gaswirth says, “asking will not only impress employers, it will show a desire to really learn.”



A Final Note
I believe all college communications departments should be offering courses like this if they are not already. Yes, it is important to hone traditional writing skills, but equally important after a strong foundation is staying on top of the changing landscape. Keep filling your marketing toolbox with new strategies and strengthen your ability to use them. If you don’t, the next up and comer will.