Facebook helps companies seem more personable and easy to reach.

The world is fast changing and developing. As people often say, it is becoming a "global village." Several trends and practices stand out to me in today's worlds especially in the field of marketing, advertising and public relations. One trend that stands out to me especially is social media whether it be Facebook, Twitter, You tube, or blogs.

According the Facebook Web site under "press room," there are more than 400 million active users worldwide. Companies often use Facebook groups to generate friends and a public to target. On a smaller scale, campus organizations use Facebook groups and events to promote an event, and It also helps to estimate the amount of people that will attend the event.

Facebook helps companies seem more personable and easy to reach.

Another social media tool that I think is becoming more and more efficient is Twitter. It is amazing how status updates create awareness about an issue and motivate people to do a certain thing. Just like most social media aspect, status updates are really personable which is an important aspect in getting people to take action.

Another aspect of social media that can help a PR professional with a successful campaign is its flexibility. Social media messages can easily be changed if need be without worry of any confusion or miscommunication. More information can always be added if needed. An example is if a company releases a new product, and announces the wrong date, it can always go back to announce a change in the product release date if needed.

Another trend I am seeing more and more of lately is the videos on You Tube specifically make up and apparel videos. Companies are hiring young and energetic individuals to make videos talking about their products. I think the videos are very effective judging from the feedback and comments that people leave in the "comment section." Its is important for PR professionals to know how to use social media to a specific target public.

Is There Something New?

Is There Something New?

By: Matthew Wilson

Oh, life in the world of public relations. We are always searching for that new communication tool to draw the public towards your client. Whether it be your client’s website, Facebook or Twitter account or using new social media like Foursquare (hmm…Dr. C), there is never a lack of trying something new.

But why do organizations try to find the next thing to catch the attention of the consumer? It is trying to catch that next popular communication tool and tap into the rush of usage in relation with your client.

The next three sections are trends that could be on the horizon for the PR community, if not already.

1. Social Media: According to a Brigham Young University PRSSA newsletter, one of the top trends in the PR profession is social media. The development of social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter will drive out some of the old techniques.

“The importance of print media and classic channels of public relations are soon at an end,” says Stephanie Hunt, a writer for the BYU newsletter.1

2. Searching for PR: According to the ProActive Report, the Google search for public relations has been declining for years now. In 2009, the searches for social media and networking surpassed searches for public relations on Google.

“It will become an integral part of PR programs in 2010. And PR people have to master social media and use it strategically to be effective,” says Sally Falkow, a contributing writer for the ProActive Report.2

3. Transparency: One of the knocks on PR is that there is a lot of trash that goes into the communications to the public. According to Small Business Trends, “With the advent of transparency, open communication and the integration of social media into everything that we do, our industry can’t help but weed out the good from the bad.”3

The new way to reach the public is through short and sweet messages that will not try and waist the public’s time. With the new trend of being open and transparent, a PR organization should not try and sugar coat their messages.

There are quite a few options to choose now in this day in age but a company need to watch out for over-stimulation of the public. In the search for something new a company could alienate someone who likes the old ways.

1Hunt, Stephanie, The Professional, http://www.byuprssa.org/uploads/1/4/7/0/1470586/december_newsletter_final.pdf

2 Falkow, Sally, The ProActive Report, http://www.proactivereport.com/

3 Perkett, Christine, Small Buisness Trends, http://smallbiztrends.com/2010/01/public-relations-trends- for-2010.html

Writing and research are important skills needed in Strategic Communication

After graduating, many Public Relations majors are opportune to work in various industries practicing PR. Such industries include hospitals, agencies, government and schools. One of such individuals who chose to stay in a school to practice PR is Amanda Toohey.

After graduating from OU in 2007 with a B.A. in Journalism-Public Relations, she obtained a job at OU working as a PR specialist for various departments one of which was University of Oklahoma’s Housing and Food Services. She currently works at the Physical Plant department on the OU campus. While working, she is also currently pursuing her masters in Public Administration. As the PR professional at the Physical Plant, Amanda currently focuses on internal communication, customer relations, brand management, assessment and sustainability marketing.

Amanda shared that to be successful in the world of strategic communication, a young professional must be proficient in both writing and research. A positive attitude, storing work ethic and also creative thinking are crucial characteristics for every young professional.

While working with Amanda, I have learned many things about design and how to use software’s like Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator. Every design should have its own story and look. A lost and found ad for instance should not be too fancy or extravagant. It should be straight to the point and catch the viewers eye. It wasn’t until working with Amanda that I gained all these skills in design. Amanda also believes that design skills are a plus for hiring PR professionals.

“Design skills give applicants an edge, but writing and research are the most important,” Said Amanda.

Amanda advised that doing your homework prior to interviewing with a company is a good way to stand out. She said that researching the company's work, mission and goals is something that will help an individual before interviewing with the company. Also, writing a thank you note after an interview shows appreciation and enthusiasm for your work.

From Student to Professional

Diana Rogers is a communications specialist for the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, a non-profit organization that is a public trust that helps to place people in homes. Rogers is an alumna of the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College, where she was active in Public Relations Student Society of America and wrote for the Oklahoma Daily. She also has a Master’s of Education from OU. Rogers has spent her entire professional career with OHFA, working there since 2005. Her college experiences were very important for her future career. “It got me pretty prepared for writing, especially considering how much I do now,” she says. She also interned with OHFA during her time at OU, a move which later turned into her career.

As a communications specialist for OHFA, Rogers writes press releases, plans events, produces internal and external communications like newsletters, and oversees production of OHFA’s annual report. Public relations, especially for a smaller non-profit, is not limited to simply producing media tactics such as these. Rogers says the true value of public relations for any organization is its management and long-term planning functions. “It’s strategic, not just tactical,” Rogers says.

Experience during college is crucial to a public relations student’s future. “It’s so important to have internships. It’s a way to get your foot in the door and to get experience for your career later on.”

Roger’s advice for success as a public relations professional is to know your organization and know your audience and their needs. “We try to find out what the media needs are, and make sure that our communication plan tries to align with what our business objectives are,” she says of OHFA’s PR philosophy.

As with any career, drive, passion and intelligence are also vital.

“You have to be passionate and involved. It’s all about thinking critically and strategically.”

Graduating Student Seeking Employment in Public Relations

By: Jayse Nelson

With the end of the semester coming to a close my thoughts of life after college have begun to consume my daily life. I have visited The University of Oklahoma’s career service Web site and their office. I have searched Craigslist.com and different hospitality and non-profit career search engines. However, my efforts are not yielding satisfactory results.

I feel like every position I look into is seeking someone with experience of more than 1 or 2 years. I have had experience in Public Relations, but nowhere near 1 or 2 years worth of experience. During my first PRSSA meeting my freshman year of college, I was instructed to get at least one internship before I graduated. I did get an internship. In fact, I had two very good internships. However, both of my internships were only for the duration of the summer and one of them was shortened due to my prolonged semester abroad.

Adding to the stress of finding a job is the recession our country is currently facing. According to information I’ve recently discovered, PR professionals need not to worry about employment possibilities. This is true, if the individual has sufficient experience and skills that can set them apart from the pack. Last year, Time magazines ranked PR jobs 19th on their list of recession proof jobs. In 2006, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is still hope for us graduates seeking employment in the PR industry. Of the 243,000 PR jobs in 2006 the majority were in service providing industries mostly in major cities. Although there is a high rate of job competition in this industry, the BLS states that college students with a degree in PR and work related experience should exceed the competition. Maybe there is still hope for me to find a job after May.