Kaitlyn Chock

Public Relations Enthusiast. Proud Duck. Social Media Aficionado.

December 13, 2013
by kchock@uoregon.edu
0 comments

Breaking Into Tech Public Relations

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Bailey Koharchick, the marketing manager for Palo Alto Software. Palo Alto Software is based in Eugene and is one of Oregon’s leading software companies. The company distributes tools for small businesses worldwide, striving to empower small businesses and the Eugene community.

A snapshot of Bailey
Bailey graduated from the University of Oregon with a major in public relations in June 2012. During her senior year, Bailey was inspired by a local professional who spoke during one of her public relations classes. Bailey reached out to this woman and secured an internship at RealLead for part of her senior year. Bailey was with the company for three months before it was sold and was eventually brought on at Palo Alto Software by her former boss. At Palo Alto Software, Bailey started off as an intern and worked her way up to marketing manager.

When we met, Bailey gave me insights about the tech industry and advice about succeeding in the professional world. Here is what she had to say.

Aim to work for a company that wants you to learn
When Bailey noticed that she would be able to better help Palo Alto Software if she knew how to code, Bailey approached her boss with a proposal. Bailey explained that a coding class would enable her to better serve the company, so the company paid for her class. Bailey explained to me that it is important to work for someone who understands the importance of empowering and enabling employees to grow and learn. Palo Alto Software gave Bailey the opportunity to learn to code and because of it, Bailey saved the company time and resources.

Your boss matters more than your job
When you are first starting off in your career, whom you work for matters more than the job itself. Your first few positions are about forming relationships and connections. The people you work with directly influence your growth as a professional; if you work for someone who empowers you, you will advance in the industry, but if you are incompatible with your boss, you will struggle.

Be a linchpin
At the beginning of your career, you should be a generalist. Do a little of everything for your company because if you are proficient in a variety of tasks, you become a more valuable asset. Absorb all you can about the industry and use this knowledge to fill any voids your company may have. Look for weak points on your team and figure out how you can strengthen these weaknesses. You will stand out if you are able to go above and beyond your role.

Get a mentor
Connect with someone who will invest time in you. Find someone who wants to see you succeed and build a relationship with that person. The better you do, the more the company benefits. Find the person who is willing to help you succeed.

Be friendly and nice
It is hard to fire someone who is nice. Although being nice will not prevent you from ever being let go, kindness still goes a long way. Your job will be more enjoyable if you are friends with your co-workers. So, be friendly and helpful. If someone asks you for a favor, do not turn that person down. Later on that person will repay you.

Do not be a doormat
Know your role and make sure everyone else in the company knows it, too. Do not be afraid to turn down work if it will not benefit you. Do not let the employees think of you as an intern. Have respect for yourself and your work, and treat yourself like a professional.

December 11, 2013
by kchock@uoregon.edu
0 comments

5 Tips for Designing an Infographic

In one of my public relations classes, I created an infographic about the history of
e-learning. The infographic is currently shared on OpenSesame’s blog. OpenSesame is an online training provider. While designing this infographic, I picked up a few design tips that I will detail in this post.

Simple is better
When designing an infographic, stick to two fonts and three to five colors. In regards to fonts, I recommend choosing a serif font and a sans-serif font that complement each other. I used Optima as my sans-serif font and Didot as my serif font for my infographic. I chose Didot because it has a intellectual feel, and my infographic details the history of e-learning. Helvetice Neue and Garamond are another popular combination. All four of these fonts come standard with InDesign.

Have a focus
To avoid overwhelming your audience, narrow your focus to one topic. Once you choose your topic, sketch out your ideas on paper. Start off with a wire-frame before you take your ideas to a computer. Know exactly what you want to do before you start designing. This will help to streamline the designing process.

Embrace white space
There is no need to fill up every inch of your infographic. Let your information and images breathe. It is hard to read infographics that are overloaded with words and images. Make it easy on your audience and take a minimalistic approach to design. Remember, infographics are visually oriented so the fewer words, the better.

Come prepared
Complete all of your research before you start designing your infographic. The process of designing can be frustrating, so make it easier on yourself and break your infographic into a two-step process. Your research will also help you to better understand your topic, which will make designing easier.

Tell a story
Ensure that all of your images and text relate. Make it easy for your viewers to understand the message you are trying to convey. Your infographic should flow from left to right and top to bottom. Use lines or arrows to direct your audiences’ eyes down the page.

What design advice can you add?

The History of E-Learning Final

December 11, 2013
by kchock@uoregon.edu
1 Comment

5 Tips for an Effective Social Media Presence

My group and I pose with CAWOOD employees after our presentation.

In one of my public relations classes, I teamed up with three students to conduct a social media audit for a local marketing agency. We analyzed the agency’s and its top three competitors’ Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube accounts. We used Edelman’s TweetLevel and Twitonomy to help us with our analysis. While conducting the audit, my team and I learned the importance of a strategic social media approach. Here are our top five takeaways from this assignment.

You are not a robot
Give your brand a personality. You should establish a certain tone and voice for your brand that matches the personality of your company. The content you post should be casual and conversational. People will connect with content that they can relate to and understand. If your tweets, posts or comments are dry, these posts will not encourage interactions from your followers. Make your content interesting and relevant to your audience.

Interact with others
Always respond to your customers’ replies, comments and questions. Engaging with other Twitter users will make your brand more approachable and will encourage other users to follow you. Current and potential consumers often think of brands that interact with others more favorably.

Do not underestimate hashtags, mentions and relevant links
Hashtags, mentions and links can increase your reach. Hashtags turn certain phrases into a searchable links. This allows you to organize content and track discussions based on your keywords. Mentions can encourage interactions with other Twitter users, and posts or tweets with links are more likely to be shared.

Visuals increase your reach
Posts or tweets with images have the highest interaction rates and are more likely to be shared whether the platform is Facebook or Twitter. Posts with pictures, infographics or other visuals are popular and successful. Even though these images are effective, do not overload your followers with the same content. Keep posts and tweets interesting and fresh to keep your followers interested.

Prove your worth
In social media, you need to measure your reach. You need to show your supervisors or clients the results of your social media efforts to prove your work is worth their money. Furthermore, analyzing your various social media platforms can help to inform a strategic plan. Analytics and metrics tools can help you determine which posts are more effective for your target audience.

What is your favorite social media advice? Please share it in the comments below.

 

October 8, 2013
by kchock@uoregon.edu
0 comments

Welcome

Image Credit RunTimmy via Flickr

Hello, I’m Kaitlyn Chock and I’m a senior at the University of Oregon. I am majoring in public relations, media studies, and humanities. I am on track to graduate in June 2014, and I plan to start my professional career at a boutique agency on the West Coast.

I am an ambitious and curious undergrad with a passion for social media and brand management. I am in the process of researching my thesis, which will focus on the relationship between social media and brand perception. I will be looking at Oregon Athletics’ and how its social media use impacts its relationship with students at the University of Oregon.

In my university, I serve as the director of communications for Allen Hall Public Relations, the student-run firm, and as the junior scholars chair and the recruitment chair for Mortar Board, a senior honors society. Additionally, I am a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America, a member of the Student Alumni Association’s social media team, and a social media ambassador for the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

I have started this blog for one of my public relations classes and will be blogging here for the next three months.

Feel free to email me at kchock@uoregon.edu or follow me on Twitter at @thtwhtkatiesaid.

Thank you for stopping by.

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