Brand U

I was recently given the opportunity to give my first presentation as a communications professional. I spoke to an Electronic PR class at Northern Kentucky University (my alma mater) on the importance of self-branding.

As social media plays an ever-increasing role in the importance of PR, students HAVE to learn to use these tools effectively. I wanted to share a few easy to remember points about Twitter and LinkedIn. These are 2 social networking sites where every PR professional should have an active presence.

Twitter (I'm @Andrew_ShipPR)

• Make sure your profile explains exactly why you're on Twitter ~ "A PR student in _________ looking to develop relationships with PR pros that will help me learn and develop as a communicator"
• Put your LinkedIn web address or personal blog into the "web" section of the profile
• DO NOT protect your tweets ~ That doesn't exactly scream transparency...
• Interact with industry leader's ~ Check out one of my previous posts that goes more in-depth: "Building Relationships with PR Pros through Twitter"
  

LinkedIn

• Pick a vanity URL ~ Ex. http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewshipPR
  
• Have a professional picture
  
• When inviting people to connect, personalize the message ~ It takes less than a minute, it will set you apart, and it will open up communication
• Make sure you fill your profile out to 100% completion ~ Remember the more robust your profile the higher likelihood your profile will come up in search results.

Feel free to check out all the presentation slides ~

The most important thing to remember, above all else, is to be yourself. Nothing can replace The Human Factor.

Do you have any additional suggestions? I would love to hear them ~

Until next time, whether its B2B or B2C, it's all Business to Person

~Andrew

What is Public Media

Public Media is the combination of two vital resources all companies have to utilize to be competitive in their market: Public Relations and Social Media. Traditional PR has been a staple of any successful company for years, but social media is the relative "new kid on the block". These two working in unison is the best way to reach publics.

Oxford, the word experts, deemed "unfriend" the word of the year in 2009. If this isn’t a sign of the extreme rise of social media, then I don’t know what is. It is an amazing tool to build relationships with people all over the world. Building relationships is at the core of any PR professional's skill set. However, some practitioners don’t fully understand how to use social media effectively to build relationships.

Almost every PR pro has a Facebook profile, Twitter handle, and LinkedIn profile. These are all great, but simply having them does not ensure you will reach, and more importantly, affect people. Social media is all about involvement, so you have to get involved.

This means taking steps to connect to people, not profiles. Sending direct messages via Facebook or Twitter is a great way to connect a profile with a person. Whenever you "friend" someone on any of these social media sites, send a personalized message and introduce yourself. This further reinforces the personal touches that are essential to relationship building.

Unfortunately, all of these social networking devices have given people the ability to interact on a surface level. It doesn’t illicit real human interaction. Public Relations professionals have to add the human element. This is now the best way to reach publics in the personalized manner they want.