January 2015 – University of Oregon PRSSA

January 30, 2015

6 Things You Missed at 6

Didn’t make it to our last meeting? We heard from marketing professor Jessyca Lewis on marketing yourself on Twitter.

Here are some helpful tips to consider when creating your personal brand:

Use a Professional Name for Your Twitter Handle. We know that first impressions are important, and on Twitter, your name and handle are two of the first things people will look at. You want to make sure that they convey the same kind of professionalism that you would have when meeting a potential employer in person. Also, using your real name – or as close to it as you can get – makes it much easier for people to search for you.

Provide a Professional Photo. As with your Twitter handle, the photo you use for your profile is most likely the first photo people on Twitter will see of you. Make sure it represents you in a way you are proud of and communicates professionalism.

Write a Succinct and Appropriate Bio. Your bio can include your professional and personal interests as well as a link to a blog or website if you have one.

Don’t Tweet Excessively, But Do Keep It Consistent. Posting too many tweets in a short period of time can create a negative impression, but you do want to stay consistent and current on Twitter. Jessyca Lewis suggested making a personal social media calendar so you have a schedule of what and when you will tweet.

Who to Follow: To get the most out of Twitter, follow a lot of people and a variety of people. This can include companies you’re interested in working for, UO professors, fellow students, industry experts, brands you like or organizations you’re involved in. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people on Twitter; the worst that can happen is that they don’t reply.

What Makes a Good Tweet? Tweet what you know and tweet what you love. Tell people about what you’re interested in, share interesting articles you find and try to strike a balance between being personal and professional.

Do you have any tips on how to market yourself on Twitter?

Nicola Hyland, external relations committee member, is a junior pursuing a degree in public relations and a minor in business administration. Follow her on Twitter at @NicolaMorgan_.

January 26, 2015

PR Boot Camp Preview

Whether you’re new to the PR major or about to graduate, PR Boot Camp is a great opportunity for you to gain insight in areas like social media branding, brand management, and internship advice by attending 30-45 minute information sessions with professionals. You’ll learn about social media branding and brand management, gain insight into crisis communication, receive valuable internship advice and network with industry professionals.

Event details:
Saturday, January 31
1-5 p.m.
Allen Hall First Floor
Free for dues-paying PRSSA members
$5 for all non-PRSSA members

PR Boot Camp sessions will include:

Social Media Branding
Callie Gisler, former PRSSA President and a recent graduate from the SOJC, is now an account coordinator at The Hoffman Agency. As an avid blogger and social media enthusiast, Callie will provide her insight on social media branding.

Brand Management
From Portland-based agency Grady Britton, Becky Engel will talk about brand management and how to maintain a brand’s reputation.

Crisis Communication
Dianne Danowski-Smith from Publix Northwest PR & PA will be touching base on crisis communication and how to better handle a crisis situation.

Internship Advice
Lastly we will be hosting Kylee Plummer, former PRSSA Events Director and recent grad, from Edelman Portland to provide internship advice.

Click here to register for PR Boot Camp.

Lauren Todd, Internal Events Director, plans internal events for UO PRSSA in effort to build relationships within the group. In her spare time, Lauren enjoys assisting with weddings and staying up to date on the world of pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @Lauren_Todd.

January 25, 2015

6 Things You Missed at 6

Didn’t make it to our last meeting? We heard from Heaven Lampshire, former UO PRSSA Exec Board member and current assistant account executive at Edelman Seatle. Here are six things we learned from her about internships, tech PR and more:

On going into tech PR after working in food and beverage: Food and beverage PR is intuitive because you can relate to it so easily. Going into tech PR, there’s a lot to learn about how the companies work and what they do.

The difference between being an intern and an AAE: As an intern, Heaven says she worked on one-off projects for eight different accounts and wasn’t able to deeply understand the client’s work. As an AAE, she is able to work on projects from start to finish.

Time management is critical. When asked to do something, it’s better to be honest and say you can get to it later than say you can do it now and not get it done.

Want to stand out as an intern? With every assignment you work on, ask yourself “What are two thing I can add to make it better?”

Think strategically and have a reason for everything. You need to be able to counsel your client on decisions and explain why your solution would work.

Take advantage of in-class assignments. Do things that are interesting to you, and you’ll not only enjoy your classes more, but have things you’re proud of to add to your portfolio.

Join us for our next meeting on January 28 to kick off our Workshop Wednesday series!

Hannah Osborn, Public Relations Director, is a senior pursuing a double major in public relations and magazine journalism. She manages all UO PRSSA social and digital media platforms. Follow her on Twitter at @hannahmarieoz.