"Facing" the facts about Facebook and music

        It's time to face the facts: The music industry is not the same as it was 10 years ago.

        Is this good news or bad?

        It may be both. While music retailers like Circuit City and Peaches may have lost their share of the market, technology and social media are making it easier to connect the music industry to its publics.

         For years, as Napster caused record labels to lose profitability, music executives feared that the ability to share music online would be the death of the recording industry.

         They may have been right to some extent...but for every death there is a new birth. In this case, the convergence of social technology and the music industry has spawned new markets.
         Facebook is among the first social networks to take the initiative in the aftermath of the Napster war. Facebook CTO Bret Taylor said, "Music was destined to be a big part of Facebook's strategy because it is tied to people's identities."

             Facebook's vision was to create a space where people can learn things from their friends and sharing the music they love was always part of the vision.

            Despite the resistance from record labels, newer music companies are now scrambling to attract as many Facebook fans and users as possible.

           Steven Levy offered his insight in, "Facebook, Spotify and the Future of Music" at Wired.com. For a look at the full article, click HERE. Thanks for tuning in to this first chapter in Facebook's historic impact on this industry. 

What Can You Do with Music on Facebook?

           Not only can users express interest in their favorite artists on Facebook but the network has partnered with 16 different music services (including Spotify, Rhapsody and VEVO). On Facebook users can stream music, listen with their friends, and artists can create pages to showcase, sell and share their own music with other fans.
          How is this changing the job of publicity managers? PR practitioners can more easily target each artist's audience through social media. Facebook is the largest social network which means it reaches more music consumers than some traditional PR tactics.  
        Social media tools like Facebook provide platforms where consumers and musicians come together in the cloud. Facebook is now linked to tools we've discussed in past posts -  Reverbnation, Spotify and even  Myspace has a music app on Facebook.
         Let's face it - Facebook is quickly becoming a one-stop-shop for content and the music industry lie many others needs to take advantage of every opportunity to keep its publics engaged.

Until next week, keep rockin' n rollin'!

Lauren & Brittany

LinkedIn vs. Facebook - The Showdown!

Social media offers a variety of networks and it’s important to know the differences between them all. While they all share similarities, each network site utilizes a few diverse functions that focus on specific functionalities. Two of the most influential and successful sites today are Facebook and LinkedIn. The list below emphasizes the substantial differences between the two networks.

1. Focus on building a professional community - LinkedIn: LinkedIn provides features that allow individuals to follow company pages - just like Facebook. However, LI is technically more relevant since individuals associated in an industry tend to also be professionals who carry higher credibility in their recommendations of products and services.                                                                
2. Better page management tools - LinkedIn: Facebook is somewhat limited in its specific business page features while LinkedIn is more flexible, allowing page administrators access to multiple modification tools.                                                                                                                              
3. More interactive conversations - LinkedIn: Individuals on LinkedIn actually have greater access to group discussions since they are not limited to simple status updates as with Facebook.

Remember, Facebook is a social networking site, while LinkedIn is a professional networking site. Determine what you want to accomplish online and socially before choosing the best network for you!

Stay connected!

- Kelly & Mandy 

#twittersurvivalguide

Do You Have What It Takes?

If you're a Twitter "newbie," launching a campaign might be a scary thing. If you watch reality television, you already have significantly more knowledge than you know. The hit series Survivor has taught viewers (and us) a very important lesson for social media in the tagline: "outwit, outplay, outlast." Understanding the importance of these three things gives you an edge as you compete against other companies in the "Twitterverse."
1. Outwit: 
With the millions of messages being sent through Twitter daily, it is important to make your tweets stand out. People visit Twitter to be entertained, to learn and to interact. Creating smart messages attracts more followers and encourages real conversation. Not to mention, anyone armed with a sharp wit can achieve better interaction, increased social traction and greater credibility.
2. Outplay: 
One of the best strategies we've learned from Survivor is the importance of forming alliances. Being a team player has numerous benefits for anyone trying to make it in Twitter. Replying and retweeting others shows your acknowledgement and support. Once your audience feels appreciated, they will return the favor and spread your message. Remember, Twitter is about relationships.
3. Outlast:
Like Rome, your amazing Twitter account can't be built in a day. Don't let a lack of immediate gratification blow out your tiki torch. When you feel discouraged, the worst thing you can do is step away and leave your Twitter account unmanned. You will quickly lose contact with followers. Real online relationships depend upon two-way conversation and no one likes to be left in the dark.

Until next time, sweet tweets! 
-Kathryn & Allyson- 

Studying PR Has Taught Us EVERYTHING!

By Lizzy Fillback and Robin Ezell

College. 

    There are so many definitions for the word - college.

    According to Merriam-Webster, college is defined as a  board, brotherhood, chamber, club, association, congress, consortium, council, fellowship, fraternity, guild, institute, institution, league, order, organization, society, sodality, sorority
    For us college, has been all of these things and so much more. As sorority sisters, public relations majors and dear friends, our college life has been about learning life lessons, reaching goals and discovering our true selves. 

    As young PR practitioners, the path to attaining our degree has been no different. College has been the learning experience we needed to become who we are today.

    As we reflect on the last four years, we remember long nights spent preparing for presentations and projects that we filled with our "blood, sweet and tears."
    Our dreams seemed like unreachable goals in the beginning, but we're so thankful we had then. Because of the support we have received from professors and mentors, we now know that our goal of becoming polished PR professionals is close to becoming reality.

     Upon graduation this May, our paths that were once appeared the same will become different. Our lives are now much more than simple presentations and learning experiences. Our futures appear more complex - and exciting. As we spend our time applying for jobs, waiting to hear from potential employers, searching for apartments, debating whether or not we are old enough to handle caring for a pet, waiting for that big proposal (BTW: congrats to Lizzy, who recently became engaged), we can't help but smile.

     As we prepare to graduate, we look back on college and realize it has taken on new meaning. Thank goodness for college. Without it, we would have never become who we are today.

    Hopefully, you're asking yourself now...are you ready to become what you want to be?

Love in PR,

Lizzy & Robin

Rules of Engagement

Hello Forum Fans!

               Forums are a lot like the social networks we use on a daily basis but they can be even more personal. You can meet new people on Forum sites and build relationships that last for years. Everyone on the forum is likely to share your same interests or seek the same information about a topic or type of product that you were hoping to find.   

  Keep these tips in mind when interacting on Forum sites (like Amazon, CNET, and others). 

• Be helpful and stay on topic. As you type commentary or chat inside your forum, remember the topic of that forum and stay on point. It's not always about you wither. All comments and answers should stick to the subject at hand. 

• Get to know the message board, chat room or forum's style. Is the particular forum or board more "text speak" style or grammatical? Communicating within a group requires an understanding of the group's culture and reading other's posts before you comment can help you seamlessly fit into the group.  

• Respect specificity. Treat others as you wish to be treated, and be specific in your shared opinions. Be yourself, but be courteous and respectful of others.  

• Be transparent. Increase your credibility. If you represent a brand,  organization or client, put that information in your bio. It's even proper online etiquette to add a short disclaimer to your answers and responses (to remind others of your affiliation). 

• Don't feed the trolls. You can find all types of troublemakers on forums. Do take the time to differentiate between what the industry calls a "troll" and participants with legitimate complaints or concerns. By definition, a troll can never be satisfied.

        By following these guidelines, you can master the art of forum participation or management in no time!

Until next time!
~~ Abby and Meng  

  

Release the Content!

Hello, content lovers...

Zach and I are back and rested after a much needed Spring Break.

This week's exciting installment about "content" will delve into the very heart and soul of the public relations industry - and the press release. Press (or news) releases are one of the oldest, most common and most effective forms of PR practice. The thing we've noticed among our classmates is a general sense of fear when it comes to being assigned a press release writing project. The only cure for this, of course, is practice. However, the "content" of any press release is what makes or breaks it.

Tips for crafting great press release content:

1. Remember that your goal is to inform, not sell or promote. This actually takes some of the pressure off the writer.
2. Be sure your news is actually newsworthy. Be certain that you have a real subject to write about. A new offer? An event? A new product or service? Relevance is key.
3. Start strong. Remember to engage the reader within the lead paragraph - the crucial first few sentences must make an impression.
4. End strong. Press releases don't have to be long to be super effective. Write well and give all the necessary information in a clear, concise manner.

Beyond these few simple tips, we can only say PRACTICE, practice and then practice some more. That's how we learn best.

If you're a beginning writer, click here for a link to the basic contents of the press release.  

See you next week right here!

-Austin and Zach

iTunes... the here and now

Can you remember when you had to go out and buy CDs, cassette tapes, eight-tracks or even record albums when you wanted to hear your favorite music?

Many people still purchase vinyl records as collectibles today but the rest of the products on that list are a thing of the past. In fact, it is predicted that within the next five years there won’t even be hard copy CDs produced or distributed.

It’s a digital world we live in and the biggest digital distributor of music right now is iTunes, an affiliate of Apple, Inc. Created by Steve Jobs in the early 2000s, iTunes has become the best LEGAL way for consumers to get music, and they are getting it for less than the $18.99 we used to pay per CD.

So why is this so important to artists? It’s simple.

* As a consumer, 98% of the time you only want one or two songs offered on an album; iTunes allows you the freedom to purchase only what you want.

* Labels are happy about this because they get close to 70% of the sale proceeds; the artist receives 12% of each sale (which is better than the artist receiving nothing because his or her music has been pirated via Napster, LimeWire or some other file-sharing site).

* It’s free to download iTunes software. If you don’t have it already, download it now right here!

The iTunes platform is a big help to artists who need publicity, too. Anyone can create an iTunes account as an artist and place songs there for people to buy. Usually, for well-known artists like Eminem, Katy Perry, Blake Shelton, etc., it costs about $1.29 to download a single song. For artists who are not so well-known or even those not signed to a label, the music is only $0.99 to download one song.

If you want to work in artist management or the recording industry, or in the public relations end of the music biz, it is advisable to create an iTunes account. Do so by clicking here.

It's a fact - iTunes is "here and now" and it's not going anywhere. Distribution for music online and as promotion of that music for public relations practitioners has gotten easier with digital distribution. In our opinion, it’s a wonderful application from Steve Jobs that keeps artists and record labels happy and allows both to profit from their talent and hard work. It's also great for consumers who can spend their money only for songs they want.

Bottomline: iTunes has truly changed the music industry and invented real digital distribution.

Let the good "tunes" roll!

Keep Listening!
Brittany and Lauren

#gotcreativity?

Now that you know the basics about using Twitter 

for PR, it's time to get to the nitty gritty! 

              This video provides an excellent example of how to use Twitter for more than just promotions, but also as an opportunity to participate in and receive benefits from projects that other companies and agencies are doing. This public relations tactic establishes interaction between consumers and companies, thus helping to form stronger long-term relationships.

             As consumers and budding PR professionals, there are three main reasons why we love the campaign featured above:
1. Not only does this campaign encourage interaction, but it shows appreciation for those who participate. When users show support for the agency, the agency gives back with musical gratitude.
2. It's a personalized method of promotion. Depending upon where the tweet is sent, a specific and unique musical note is played. This gives the message to the consumer and tells them their unique messages are important.
3. This shows Twitter users that a company can be more than just the "suits" that want to sell them products. Twitter allows us to appreciate creative minds and companies as well as music and the arts.

Until next time, sweet tweets!
- Kathryn and Allyson-

8 Excellent Twitter Analytics Tools to Extract Insights from Twitter Streams

1. Twitalyzer - Provides analysis of Twitter users' activities based on social media success. Its metrics include (A) Influence score - popularity, (B) signal-to-noise ratio, (C) the user's likelihood of ‘retweeting' or passing along others' tweets, (D) velocity - the rate of updates and (E) clout - based on how many times the user is cited in other tweets. 

2. Microplaza - Makes sense of Twitter streams by organizing links shared by those you (or your client) follow, and displays them separately as a new stream. 

3. Twist - Offers trending keywords and product names based on what people tweet about. You can see the frequency of keywords or product names mentioned over a week or a month - all displayed in graphs. You can also view the graph to see all tweets posted at a specific time.

4.Twitturly - Tracks popular URLs on twitter. This Digg-style interface displays the 100 most popular URLs shared on Twitter over the last 24 hours.

5.Tweetstat - Reveals the tweeting behavior of all users and consolidates/collates Twitter activity data for presentation in colorful graphs.

6. Twitterfriends -  Focuses on conversation and information contained of Twitter users. Two key metrics are Conversational Quotient (CQ) and Links Quotient (LQ). CQ measures how many tweets are replies to other tweets while LQ measures how many tweets contain links.

7. Thummit Quickrate - Offers sentiments analysis, based on conversations on Twitter. It also identifies the latest buzzwords, actors, movies, brands, products etc.

8. Tweeteffect - Matches the tweet timeline with gain/loss of followers timelines to determine which tweets gain or lose followers.

For more information on social media, check out this website: ttp://socialmediatoday.com

Racer Pride!

Lindsey & Cory

4 Reasons Your Press Release Is Terrible

                                            
Good Morning Friends,

It’s a beautiful day in Murray, Kentucky. Campus is electric as the #6 seeded Murray State Racers kick off the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at 11:15 a.m. (CST).

As excited as I am, I am at work with a press release deadline looming over my head. And, we’ve all heard the disheartening fact that the majority of press releases sent to the media today wind up in the Recycle Bin. 

According to this article by Mickie Kennedy, there are four reasons most press releases are terrible:

1) Too many links: Writers are too focused on overloading their news releases with links; they end up lacking real content.

2) Too much detail: Every little detail is not necessary. You provide the reporter with your contact information, so they can contact you for more detail.  Only include the most important facts in your release.

3) Industry jargon: Every industry has its own buzzwords, but reporters don’t want to decipher them for readers. Cut the jargon.

4) Fit the mold: Worry less about producing a news release that fits the traditional business mold, and instead, get creative.

          Keep these tips in mind the next time you sit down to write a press release. And keep me in mind too, I still have this deadline!

Love in PR,

Lizzy

P.S. Look for a great post from Robin next week!

5 Steps to Populate Your Profile

Do you ever wonder how people get so much traffic to their profiles, while you barely get  views in a month? Here are a few simple steps to populate your profile and increase awareness to potential connections.

1. Complete your LinkedIn profile: Make sure you update and customize your profile to reflect your personal image. List all your past and current positions. Once you do this, your profile will be considered “complete” making it easier for others to connect with you.
2. Use keywords to increase your Search Engine Optimization (SEO): By using keywords such as advertising, public relations or marketing, people in those fields are more likely to be relocated to your profile. Avoid using jargon, and make sure your keywords reflect how you can help potential clients.
3. Create consistent and relevant status updates: Try and update your status two to three times a day for optimum visibility.
4. Organize your network: There are several ways to find connections through the LinkedIn “See who you already know” tab. First, you can send an invite to existing contacts. Next, you can search for past and present colleagues as well as classmates. Finally, review the suggestion engine for people you may know.
5. Participate in LinkedIn groups: Focus on being apart of three to five groups. In these groups join the discussions to increase your awareness of targeted publics and build new connections. 

These steps can help you build new connections and make your profile more visible than it was before.

For more information check this out.

Until next time...

-Mandy&Kelly

Are brands ruining Facebook?

According to the PR Firm C&M and TolunaQuick, more than 50% of users felt overwhelmed by the brands promoted on social media. More than 3,000 respondents participated in the survey. 


Findings included the following:

• 40 percent of respondents felt that brand promotions are too complex to enter;
• 20 percent felt incentives are not worth the effort;
• 75 percent said that one or two Facebook messages per day is too much to receive from a brand;
• Nearly 40 percent do not want to share brands interactions with friends
• 20 percent proactively post messages to brand pages.

So what does this mean for your brand?
Yes, over half of the users are sick of your brand and may think that all the effort companies put into branding is a waste of time on Facebook, however, there are some good news.

• 45 percent of people do choose to interact with brands on social media. While many may feel overwhelmed by the promotions and specials branding promotes, a large amount do give in.

• 80 percent will go to a brand on Facebook and "like" it. While a like is a simple click of a button  which may compliment a brand, friends of these users will see their current activity and possibly follow suit. 

• Nearly 50 percent check out a brands Facebook page to look for deals and other offers. Keep this in mind when updating special offers and new arrivals. 

          Even though 20 percent of respondents felt the time and effort companies put into their brands on social media was a waste, many have admitted to keeping up with some of the latest posts and "liking" more than not brands that they enjoy. With social media growing and the public more aware of trying to keep from getting sucked in, this business is only going to demand more creative tactics to engage consumers. What can your company do to make your brand snap, crackle and pop?


For more information, please click here


Tia and Abigail 

Take advantage of Facebook Insights

Facebook is constantly changing, and hopefully, improving, especially when it comes to the effedctiveness of business pages. The latest updates to Facebook Insights provides an easier way to understand exactly what draws fans to interactions with brands on Timelines. Consider this breakdown of three new twists:

1.   REACH: Businesses can now track how specific posts affect "reach" and increase conversations about  brands.

2.   VIRALITY: You can now monitor the level of "virality," the total extension of each status update and all specific content (video, photos, links).

3.   SHARING: Learn how many fans are ‘sharing’ your page and exactly where those shares are going.

Facebook Insights allows page administrators to view how many fans interact with their pages in real time now. This helps businesses and brands to recognize social media success - or Return on Investment (ROI).

Another new feature of the Timeline format - 'Talking about This' -  helps businesses see what Facebook users are responding to. In some cases this shows page owners what they need to change in order to trend higher. Here's how Facebook has described the purpose of this new Insight feature:

“Insights provides Facebook Page admins and app developers with metrics on the performance of their Page or app. By understanding and analyzing trends within user growth and demographics, consumption of content, and creation of content, admins and developers are better equipped to improve their business with Facebook.”

Facebook Insights Snapshot

Thanks for visiting our post! Perhaps we've all gained a better "insight" into how Facebook tools for measuring interaction can work for us.

Until next week...
Cory and Lindsey

Have You Spotted Spotify Yet?

          If you haven’t heard of Spotify, What are you waiting for? A world of music is waiting for you. Spotify is like your CD collection online but with millions of songs to download!  Need a few reasons to check it out? You can get it for FREE! It’s versatile for Mac, PC and Mobile, and even Mark Zuckerberg (co-founder of Facebook) says "Spotify is so good."

          Now more than ever people are using social media to share, listen to and buy music, so another great reason to jump on the Spotify bandwagon is that it’s an incredible way for artists to reach their target markets. We’ve been talking about social media tools and the music industry so today's post is dedicated to the Spotify "spot" of fame.
              If you’re a new artist trying to make break into the music scene or if you're a PR practitioner who manages new artists, the first thing you have to do is gain a following.  Many big labels are already using Spotify to draw more than just the attention of fans by uploading their music to Spotify. One of its best features is that independent artists don’t have to have a record deal to have their music on Spotify.
            Want to start a Spotify account? It’s easy! Whether you are an artist trying to find roadies or a fan who wants to jam to a favorite band, Spotify makes it simple. Just go to Spotify and the site will tell you exactly what you get when you create your account. You can choose a Free account, an Unlimited account or a Premium account. Regardless of which account you choose, the possibilities for great music will be at your fingertips.
                    Happy listening!
               Lauren & Brittany

The Magic Review Site = YouTube

YouTube has been ranked second largest search engine in the world. Its videos run the gamut - from commercial to educational to music to homemade clips of nearly anything. Many people love YouTube and rely on it as a way of keeping up with popular culture. Videos go "viral" when viewers share clips they like.

YouTube is popular with people of all ages, and many spend large amounts of time on the site. YouTube now suggests video clips and new "channels" based on what users have watched previously, which is increasing time spent on the video-sharing social network.

People can - and do - post comments under YouTube videos. There are no-restrictions and the conversation is free-flowing. There are four types of comments you'll find on YouTube: short comments, advertisements, negative criticism and rambling arguments. Short comments consist just of 1 to 3 syllables or words and most are positive, or just plain silly.
        Advertisements within comments usually include the links to other videos or YouTube channels. Negative criticism isn't always a bad thing in a YouTube comment, but the highest levels of criticism usually consist of commenters insulting other commenters' sexuality. Irate,  rambling arguments are also common under religious and political videos; most are against whatever ideology is being espoused in the particular video.

Freely expressing opinions is a great thing. However, there are negatives to getting a bad reviews on YouTube, where we can see some comments containing racist language, defamatory allegations and hate speech.  One such case is attached to Susan Boyle’s audition video from Britain’s Got Talent. The girl who rolled her eyes on film at 00:45 showing her disdain for Boyle became a national laughingstock. There are thousands of negative comments toward the woman including plenty of "hate speech," like the words "ugly, stupid and useless." 

      The Susan Boyle video has run for three years and received more than 86 million hits. The comments are never-ending. To review the performance visit HERE.  

Some companies use YouTube for stealth marketing, which means customers do not realize that they are being targeted for marketing messages. The spread of these videos and the number of views actually help companies develop awareness campaigns and promote products. For example, over 37 million people have now watched the Darth Vadar Super Bowl Ad on YouTube.

According to ________________________, 90% of consumers trust peer recommendations while only 14% trust advertisements. YouTube can be a useful tool for marketers and PR professionals. We also recommend that users exercise caution with their comments. As YouTube raises the fame quotient for video posters, it can also crash and trash a reputation overnight.

Until next week!

Meng and Abby

Facebook Timeline for Brands

v3im.com

          Facebook Timeline. Did you squirm or smirk when you read those words?  Love it or hate it, Timeline is here to stay (for now). Facebook’s recent switch to the new Timeline for brands is making waves and news.
          All those companies who spent thousands of dollars building the perfect welcome tab are kicking themselves.

         Sorry, it’s now time to spend all that money generating that perfect cover photo.

         Here are a few things brands need to know to perfectly embrace its new Timeline.

         Kevin Allen, a contributing writer at PR Daily offers this short list of steps you can take now:

1. Plan first for aesthetic changes
2. Tell the brand's story (or less sexy, the corporate history)
3. Know that how you interact with fans is changing
4. Prepare for the ways Timeline will affect your current tabs

For more information click here or go to PR Daily News!

Tia & Abigail

#140charactersorless

Twitter poses a challenge for many of us with its limited character count - 140 characters or less everytime you use the micro-blogging network. As soon-to-be professional writers, many students and bloggers find the restriction a difficult one to meet as we try to craft powerful messages. Still, Twitter is a most effective tool for disseminating information and it may pay to establish a clearer, tighter style of prose.

Solutions to the 140-character dilemma:

1. Reduce phrases to one word - Sometimes, we find ourselves writing as we would speak. We include words that (like most adjectives) that can easily be eliminated.
   For example:   "The students who are experienced at drumming may win many scholarships." A Twitter version of the same sentence might read like this: "Student drummers win scholarships."
2. Eliminate empty openers -  "There is" and "There are" often prove unnecessary. They add no value to most sentences other than taking up valuable character space.
   For example:   "There is only one chairman of the department," is grammatically correct, but " The department chair," is more concise.
3. Minimize Modifiers -  Using words like "very" and "really" are ingrained habits for many young writers, but breaking the habit will allow your writing to be more cohesive. Most modifiers are unnecessary, have little value and only lessen the impact of more powerful word choices.  For example:  "The man was very happy to see his kids." Sure, that's a proper sentence, but one written more effectively as, "He was happy to see his kids."

For more tips, visit the Owl Purdue Writing Lab!

We'll Tweet you here again next week!
-- Kathryn and Allyson --

5 tips for writing better and faster

www.boostability.com

Writing: We all do it and we all need tips!                                      

 By: Lizzy Fillback and Robin Ezell 

Have you ever wondered why you chose a career field that focuses so much on AP style, punctuation and using the correct flow in a sentence?

For the majority of us writing doesn’t come naturally. When it comes to creating blog posts, press releases or other marketing materials, we need help. 

So how can you compose unlimited amounts of   flawless content without agonizing for hours over editing? Here are a few simple tips from Mickie Kennedy for writing better and faster.

5 tips for writing better and faster

1.     Always start with a plan.

       Start your plan by brainstorming on a few bullets with your main points, or even a flow map that shows you where to start and where you should end up. When you start with a plan you will avoid the long hours spent staring at an open a Word document with no words on the screen.

2.     Skip the complex sentences.

        Use short straightforward sentences. They keep you from crafting long, scholarly sentences that no one has time to read. Instead, keep your audience in mind. Write with direct and easy to read language. Sticking to simple sentences will help you write faster and make your content more effective.

3.     Make your main point obvious.

       Don’t be repetitive. Make sure your reader can easily grasp the message. Make sure they know what action you want them to take next—especially if they’re just skimming your piece.

4.     Let it sit before you edit.

      This is the most important step, so pay attention!

      Even with a time crunch, editing immediately after you finish a piece doesn't work. After you've spent all day writing a paper, you’re tired and want to move on. Don’t wear yourself out. Instead, revisit it once you’ve cleared your head and rested. You’ll notice a number of things that may have slipped past you the first time. Also, having a classmate or a friend look over your edits is a great idea. Having a second set of eyes helps catch those mistakes that most of us can't. 

5.     Be yourself.

       You should always write in your own style. For most writers finding your style takes time, hard work and many failed editing attempts. But eventually you will get the hang of it, and you will discover your “rhythmic style” in writing. You’ll produce a better pieces of writing and you may actually begin to enjoy writing again.

We hope that these 5 simple tips will help put you on the road to successful writing!

Love in PR,

Robin & Lizzy  

LinkedIn Essentials: Recommendations

One of the most important aspects of a great LinkedIn profile is recommendations. This shows future employers that influential peers, co-workers and clients have supported your work.

When asking for a recommendation, there are a few key steps to consider:

First, ask for recommendations from people who hold higher positions. For example, one from your CEO or manager is more beneficial than five recommendations from co-workers. You are considered more qualified when you have substantial recommendations.

After establishing some initial credibility, the best way to garner more recommendations is by actually writing them for others. If you write an honest recommendation, others will be inclined to return the favor for you.

Finally, every truly successful LinkedIn profile has at least 10 recommendations. This may take a few weeks; so, start now and stick with a regular schedule!

Following these simple steps can help you establish a real presence on LinkedIn. For more tips and tricks to improve your LinkedIn profile with recommendations, click Here!

Stay tuned for more about LinkedIn. 

- Mandy & Kelly

I Need to What?
By Lizzy Fillback and Robin Ezell

So you think this is it? You’ve taken all of the classes, completed the capstone project, written countless press releases and received your diploma. You are ready to start your first PR job.

You put on your dry cleaned suit. You get in your car and arrive over an hour early. You set up your desk and patiently wait for your first task.

…I need to what? There is no way this is part of my job. Well future PR pros, guess what? Chances are it is.

We want you to be prepared. This week we’re sharing an article called “14 essentials for PR newbies” by Amy Howell.

This article lays out exactly what you need to know when entering the PR world. The comments below the article also have some great tips from readers so be sure to check those out.

We hope you find value in this article and ultimately realize, you’ll need to do quite a bit to succeed in the world of PR.

Love in PR,

Lizzy&Robin

Here, content! Good, content!

Greetings content maniacs, from Zach and Austin! 

Today we will discuss pirates, ninjas and puppies. Not really, but now that we have your attention, let’s talk about “good” content… and how to get it.

It’s true that if you pack a website or blog with keywords, it will increase your SEO but that doesn’t necessarily mean that your content is any good. So once you get them to your site, how do you keep them there? Here is what we’ve learned about creating good content.

Good content has to be created, crafted even. You can’t just “write”. Your readers want to be engaged. So engage them! 

• Write about things that are relevant- make sure you don’t have gobs of information on your site that has nothing to do with your site.
• Write with passion and conviction- write what you love to write about because you love to write about it. There’s no way it won’t be interesting.
• Write with structure and proper grammar- We cannot stress this enough! If you write well and with detail, there will be no doubt that your writing will be understood.
•  Write with accuracy- Make sure you are not giving false information. Take a little extra time to do the research. You won’t regret it. And readers will appreciate it.
• Add photos! Blogs and pictures go together like peanut butter and bananas. (Hey, if Elvis said its OK, its OK.)  Allow readers to become further engaged, a (relevant) photo gives that little something extra that they sometimes need to get through the post.

These are just a few things that we’ve learned about “good” content. Zach and I (Austin Wildmann) look forward to continuing this adventure with you into the magical world of content. Join us next week, when we will examine BAD content!!! *bloodcurdling scream*

- Austin and Zach

Austin Wildmann (left)

&

Zachary Peacock (right)

Reverbnation Can Lay the Foundation

As the top leading site of online artist promotion, Reverbnation.com is a great way to make a break into the music industry.

Reasons to use Reverbnation:

• It is a music-marketing platform used by over 2 million artists.
• It's Free!
• It is available to artists, artist managers, recording labels and venues.
Any artist wanting to build a reputation should be using Reverbnation right now. Users can create profiles and upload music for potential fans to enjoy. Streaming is quickly growing to be the fastest way to market a new artist or group.

Not only can music be uploaded but also biographies, press clippings, photos and show dates. All this info can  be publicized making it easier for fans to find out when an artist is coming to a city nearby.

Reverbnation.com is truly the leading social media site in the music industry today.

When trying to book “gigs” most booking managers at venues want and EPK or electronic press kit, which is basically a press kit in the electronic form. Reverbnation has a tool where EPKs can be sent out to the venue of your choosing.

It’s a trustworthy site that is revolutionizing the world of streaming music, fan to artist relationship managment, concert booking and promotion.

As an artist, it may worry you how people find you on Reverbnation. It’s easy to link your Reverbnation account to your Facebook and Twitter pages, so that updates to shows and new music become available in your Twitter and Facebook feeds. You can also find venues that are holding events, festivals or have openings for a specific date with the search tool. There are also contests you can enter and have displayed on your Facebook and Twitter pages that your fans can vote for.

The email marketing strategy can also be used. Fans who have previously subscribed to MySpace and Reverbnation pages are included in one list so an artist or manager can send a single email to hundreds of fans with one click. This is the most common way artists are sharing valuable information contests, festivals and new music.

Have you checked out one of 2012's free and easy-to-use tools yet? 

Peace out.

- Lauren and Brittany