Great Advice for College Students - Take Time for You!

By Abigail Goss and Tia Starr

Part One, "Reflections," Abigail's parting thoughts as the busy semester comes to a close... 
         I remember seeing a quote sometime during my freshman year. I can distinctly remember sitting in my dorm room, writing it down on a note card and taping it to my wall. It simply read:
         "You have four years to be irresponsible here. Relax. Work is for people with jobs. You'll never remember class time but you will remember the time you wasted hanging out with friends. So, stay out late. Go out on a Tuesday when you have a paper due on Wednesday. Spend money you don't have. Drink 'til sunrise. The work never ends, but college does."
         This really resonates with me now. When I read it as a freshman, I could not comprehend how fast four years would go by. When I read it again now, it sounds absolutely bittersweet. I have one year left. One year to waste time with my friends. One year to fully enjoy college, to enjoy being young, to enjoy my freedom. One year to make an impression. Just one year.
         So, to my little sister and every incoming college freshman, I say "please, enjoy every minute!"

         Take the lesson of my quote to heart; make great friends. Stay out late. Enjoy your four years. Most important, take your time. Take the time to find yourself. Take the time to make an impression. Take your time ...and enjoy every minute of it.

Best regards,
- Abigail
Part Two, "Accomplishments," Tia's revelations and parting words of wisdom...
           Going into my first year of college, I never thought much about what I was trying to accomplish in year one. I figured as soon as I stepped onto campus that I had became just another student trying to get by. I was another number. Little did I know that in that very first year I would actually separate myself from the pack.
          Real accomplishment seemed so far out of my reach then. I believed I had no shot at any type of special opportunity because there was always going to be someone better (translation: better than me). Of course, in  some cases, that was true. Still, in a seemingly seamless progression of days and weeks, as I took plenty of time to research and get involved in a couple of student organizations, everything changed. I found the "something" that allowed me to stand out.
          It all started when I decided to join MSU's chapter of the PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) and that was in my first month on campus. I didn't know it then, but I had taken my first step toward something much bigger.
          I started learning how to network, how to make real connections. I was also gaining knowledge, experience and confidence almost daily. I found myself working harder in my classes, and developing real opportunities - for myself. Through groups, classes and connections, I made some of the best friends of my life (yes, that includes Abigail).
            Because I worked hard and tested my skills outside of classwork, I landed an internship this summer with Cone Communications in Boston, Massachusetts, An Omnicom Group company. In hindsight, I now see how every step of my journey actually prepared me for my future and for this amazing opportunity. I "accomplished" more than I dreamed possible and I just completed my sophomore year in college.
              For any student, I cannot stress enough the importance of taking the time to research and learn on your own, to take advantage of every opportunity you can. Test your own limits. Push yourself. Yes, there will be some stressful experiences. Just remember that each situation makes you stronger. Take the time to expand your mind and your experiences. But, most important, take pride, and enjoy your results.

      Here's to a great summer!

    -Tia

Careers in Web Analytics

Analytics have become an important part of the marketing process and successfully doing business in the digital world. It is important to have someone in your company who can interpret metrics and data to learn what trends are helping the business excel (in the cyber world, at least). A career in analytics is now part of many professions. For those still in school or planning a new career, it's important to note that today's employers want to see this skill-set on resumes. Two examples of job titles which call for a proficiency in web analytics are: Analytics Engineer and Web Analyst.

A Web Analyst helps the business measure the effectiveness of its marketing effort and determine what needs to be changed in order to improve online strategies and tactics.  Here's a partial list are the responsibilities included in the job:

•Analyze traffic patterns

•Drive ROI improvements

•Improve website effectiveness

•Optimize page layouts

           Openings web analytics can be  found online by searching keywords. This new set of skills is in
high demand and should continue to grow as the Internet continues
to impact the way companies do businesses today. 


           Interested in learning more about careers in web analytics, visit this SITE!  


We hope you've learned as much as we did this semester!

Cory and Lindsey

4 Reasons Why Everyone Should Have A Hobby

By Lizzy Fillback and Robin Ezell

        Throughout the semester, we've used this space to tell you about the importance of going to college, finding a job and becoming a better student. Our post this week is all about finding something that makes you a better-rounded (less stressed)  person. This week we're talking about hobbies!

           Having a hobby is a great way to maintain your healthy, balanced lifestyle. While brainstorming ideas about why you we have hobbies, we also came across another great blog post here HERE. This article helped us get better educated about the benefits of having a pastime or a passion outside of our vocations. 

Why Have A Hobby?
           You may be thinking to yourself, "Why should I have a hobby," or "I don't have time for a hobby!" But did you know that your hobby just might save your life? Whether you are in school, working or retired, you still need an interest, or passion, or hobby to keep you sane and keep your brain in tip-top shape.

              According to our source above, there are many ways a hobby can enhance the work ethic and help someone succeed in their chosen career. When a person places too much emphasis on only one aspect of their life - at the expense of others - difficulties tend to arise. An individual, dedicated to his/her professional career, can perform phenomenally at work temporarily. Single-mindedness can help us achieve our objectives. Still, behind the façade of success, one is also prone to suffering from poor health and having dysfunctional relationships with family members, and even lacking any real intimate or interpersonal relationships.

What It Is A Hobby?
               According to dictionary.com, a hobby is any activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation.  Hobbies are credited to lower stress levels that are beneficial restorer in maintaining balance and harmony that maybe missing from your life. Hobbies can provide the outlet needed for our innate need to create. A hobby can uncover and nurture talents you didn't even know you had.
Four Steps For Choosing A Hobby

1. The first step is brainstorming. Brainstorm about what you like to do as a past time and think about what you are good at.
   Such as cooking, sewing, bead making, woodworking, painting, drawing, and crafting gifs, sculpting, playing sports such as golf or basketball and photography.
2.  The second step is  choosing a hobby is to pursue a pastime. These can be things such as a craft, club or association with people who have similar interests. By doing this you will broaden your social life with people who share a common interest in order to swap tips and stories about their passions in life.
3.  Once you narrow down your favorite past time the third step is easy. The step allows you to turn your favoite past time into a hobby. One can do this by discovering your inner talents.  By completing this step you and others around you will begin to notice a change in your behavior. This change will reduce of stress levels. When your mind is fully engaged in your hobby, the trials and tribulations of life in our fast-paced society have to take a backseat for a while. By the time you return to your life, all those problems and challenges don't seem quite so overwhelming and you find that you can handle them more effectively.
4. The last step will increase your overall health. A hobby will increase a sense of competence and accomplishment. By completing a hobby, your body is able to decrease stress levels, boost your confidence and are able to spend more time creating than thinking about your hard day at work or school. If your hobby involves creating something, there is also the satisfaction of making something special for someone special. A hand-made gift says to the recipient, in no too uncertain terms, that you care. You cared enough to take the time and make the effort to create something truly unique for them and them alone. That gesture says more than any expensive, store-bought ever could.

Hopefully, you've already got a favorite pastime. If not, there is a great wide world of choices out there. Start experimenting until you find your bliss.

Love in PR,

Robin Ezell and Lizzy Fillback

Find Great Reviews at TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is a website that assists customers in gathering travel information, posting reviews and opinions of travel-related content, and engaging in interactive travel forums. The website services are free to users, which provide most of the content, and the website is supported by an advertising business model.

TripAdvisor has extended its brand exposure to millions of people through popular third-party social networking sites, including Facebook. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the most popular and largest travel social site in the world with more than 50 million unique monthly visitors, 20 million members and over 60 million reviews and opinions. 

Here are a few of the key features at TripAdvisor that help you understand this website and plan a wonderful trip:

• Instant Personalization – This feature allows travelers to get advice and recommendations from their Facebook friends on TripAdvisor to plan their next vacation. 

• Reviews at a Glance – This feature summarizes the most common review phrases, such as “great location” and “free Internet.” It allows consumers to get a quick snapshot of the overall traveler sentiment without having to read through dozens of reviews.

• Mobile City Guides – This feature offers smartphone access to a wealth of detailed information including traveler reviews and opinions on hotels, restaurants and attractions, as well as suggested itineraries and offline-accessible interactive walking tours. 

• Vacation Rental Calculator – This feature gives travelers an easy way to compare their accommodation options, allowing them to calculate the potential savings of a vacation rental home compared to the cost of a hotel in a destination based on the number of adults and children in their travel group, the number of nights they’ll be staying, and whether they plan to eat in or dine out.

• Flights with Fees Estimator – This feature offers travelers a large inventory of flights with the best deals available and a fees estimator that calculates the entire cost of a flight, including ticket price, fees for checked luggage and even in-flight food service and entertainment based on the traveler’s needs. 

          Safe travels, fellow bloggers!

          Until next time..

         ~Abby & Meng

On Writing Awesome Press Releases for the Music Industry

Over the last several months, Lauren and I, as new public relation practitioners, have been offering our readers tips on social media outlets that work best for promoting bands and musical groups. In this final post, we want to review just how you write a great press (or news) release for this industry. The press release is the “gold standard” in PR writing. It’s the best and most often used tool for getting a message out there.

            So how do you start a release for a band? First, you MUST follow the same formatting as for any standard press release. The rules for writing for public relations promise that if the format is not followed, the story is sure to go right into the trash before it can be read. Second, make sure that whatever "angle" you’re going for is newsworthy and can catch the attention of the media gatekeeper - and readers. No one will read past the lead if it does not garner attention.

           If this sounds familiar, you're correct in assuming that these tips work for any release regardless of industry or topic. What's so different? You must interview the band or artist and get all of the information you can gather from them. You want to know most importantly the name of the band, the names of the members, what kind of music do they play and the date and time of their next show. You want to make sure you double or even triple check this information and the spelling of the names. Yourself as a writer and the publication that runs your story will lose credit faster than you can blink if there are misspellings or incorrect information in your press release.

            It’s really not that hard to write a press release concerning a band, you just have to find the right angle you want to incorporate into your story. You also want to make sure that the angle is something that readers want to know about, something compelling, interesting and will grab the reader’s attention. With press releases for bands you can also be slightly more laid back in what you write about because the music industry is more laid back than say if you’re writing a press release about St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital. The information in those press releases are extremely serious and not to be taken lightly in any way shape or form. With music it’s about having fun, things are not as stuffy and 100% by the book. Just keep in mind these few tips for writing the press release for a band or artist and you will do just fine.

              If you still have questions about writing a press release for a band or artist check out this great article at eHow.

              Keep on Rockin',             Lauren and Brittany

BlogFriendly PR

As we all know, blogs and review sites are considered the new trend in brand marketing.

BlogFriendlyPR was created to connect PR practitioners and review bloggers. On this website, PR practitioners will find a list of dedicated review bloggers. The review writers work with PR practitioners to promote a business or a product.

BlogFriendlyPR is looking to build a list of PR practitioners, business owners, journalists and others who acknowledge the importance of review blogs. The review bloggers demonstrate to their clients the power of social media and to together they will create:

• Blog Ambassador Programs

• Reviews and Giveaways

• Ad Sales

• Share a Press Release

• Share a Pitch

• Hire a Blogger

• Twitter Parties

As a PR practitioner, you must be up-to-date with ongoing trends. The power of social media has became very important. More and more consumers are turning toward online social media to read product and business reviews and/or which product they should buy. Companies must move to the digital age... NOW!

~Until next time,

Abby & Meng

LinkedIn: The Best Social Media Option

Across the Web, there are a handful of social media networks being used for various activities such as entertainment, networking and job opportunities. LinkedIn is worth your attention for these three reasons.

Networking: LinkedIn has become the most popular social media site for networking. In 2011, it has surpassed Twitter and Facebook, because it is the central place to build your business.

Usage: LinkedIn is used in every different level of business positions. For example, top-level executives use it for industry job networking, hiring and promoting their business. Middle management uses it for keeping in touch, industry networking and co-worker networking. Finally, entry-level positions generally use it for job search, co-worker networking and industry networking. If you are in a business, LinkedIn is a vital resource to develop your brand and search for potential future employers. 

Active Business Groups: No matter what your business is, there will be a group dedicated for your industry on LinkedIn. These groups will help to promote your business, build a list of contacts and increase your credibility in the industry.

As you can see, LinkedIn has made a huge impact on social media by providing professional networking, numerous job opportunities and establishing connections between businesses. 

Stay connected,

Mandy&Kelly