#rightontarget

This upcoming summer, both of us (Kathryn and Allyson) are participating in internships at Porter Novelli, a global public relations firm known for its extensive work in social media. We will not be in the same office this summer, for I will be in New York City and Allyson will be in Washington D.C., but we will be sharing a lot of company procedures and tools along the way.

One tool we are most excited to learn about is called TrendingTarget. This was created by Porter Novelli to help gather information about what audiences care the most about in real-time. Using keywords from tweets and hash-tags,  TrendingTarget shows popular topics that people are tweeting about. This tool helps Porter Novelli get into their clients minds and further understand their wants and needs.

Porter Novelli has even made a video about this tool, describing it in more detail.
Click HERE to watch it!

As budding public relations practitioners, we hope to get experience using this tool first-hand this summer. We believe that TrendingTarget has the potential to become a leading analytic tool in social media marketing. Not only does it give you visuals of the statistics, but it also helps organize the actual tweets creating them.
This is only the beginning stage of TrendingTarget, but with time and revisions, it could become something used across the public relations spectrum.

What are your thoughts on TrendingTarget?




Until next time, sweet tweets!

-Kathryn and Allyson-

Content Strategy for Social Media

      As the semester winds down, I've been thinking about what I learned most this semester regarding content and my future profession. We all have social media for personal use but in recent years, social media has become necessary for companies who wish to stay relevant. Therefore an understanding of social media is more than necessary, it is VITAL for today's PR practitioners. 


Let's face it... 
     Whether you're using Twitter, which makes content short and simple, to Facebook posts (a little longer but still simple) or blog posts, which are undoubtedly more complex and involved but not rocket surgery...content can be confusing.


      Click here to download this basic "Content Rationale Worksheet", a great first step to defining the type of content you want to create and giving you a nice direction for your content once you know the answers.

created by: Jay Baer

When you're developing a broad social media content strategy for larger organizations, you have to ask yourself many more questions, of course. Tune-in next week (cliffhanger, alert!) as I discuss some of these organizational, audience and content-related questions that may be helpful as you craft content in the future. 


Love in content,
Austin and Zach

Austin Wildmann

Be a YouTube Superstar:Tips for musicians on the rise

The word on the street is that the music industry is
changing, proof? Find someone who hasn’t heard of the blonde Canadian that has
taken over the music scene.

Yes ladies and gentleman, Beiber-Fever is proof of social media’s impact on the music industry. Back in the day if an artist wanted to be discovered they auditioned for talent search TV shows like Star Search such as Usher did when he was discovered. They are still shows for scouting talent on national television, America’s Got Talent, American Idol and The Voice to name
a few but for a quick burst into the industry newcomers are looking to YouTube as the platform to get famous.

The world had no idea how much social media impacted music
until the unconventional impact of little Justin Beiber. Justin’s mother posted
videos of his school and local performances on YouTube and by accident caught
the attention of Scooter Braun, a manager from Atlanta who introduced him to Usher.
Since his discovery in 2008, Justin has been burning up the charts like pop/
R&B artists such as Justin Timberlake and Usher that came before him.
These days it’s looking like more and more talent scouts are
turning to social media to point out the next big thing so how does an artist
become the next big thing on YouTube?

These tips can help:
Top Tips for YouTube Music Marketing:
*Post Compelling Videos on a Regular Basis
Give viewers something worth watching and a reason to keep watching.
*Optimize Titles and Descriptions for Findability
Important for searchers on both YouTube and search engines.
*Create Custom Thumbnails for Your Videos
This is your first look but try to entice without misleading.
*Use All Analytics/Metrics, Not Just Views
It doesn't matter how many views you have if they're only a few seconds long.
*Interact With & Include Your Fans
Engage your fans in the comments and create ways to include them in your videos.
*Collaborate With Other Artists
Working with others can extend your fanbase while leading to new ideas.
*Create Playlists for Different Sets of Videos
Some folks will want to see behind-the-scenes, others just want finished product.
*Customize and Optimize Your YouTube Channel
It's not just about individual songs or videos but about creating a
following for your channel.
http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2011/08/tips-youtube-music-marketing.html

So if you are an artist looking to make a splash or you represent and artist make sure YouTube viewers know the brand name, the next Justin Beiber is out there and it might as well be you.
Play it loud til next week!
Lauren and Brittany

Be inspired.

People love quotes, always have. There are days where we spend hours upon hours searching for the perfect quote, the perfect song lyrics, the perfect inspiration. 


As PR professionals, inspiration is critical to survival. Between blogging, managing a client's Facebook page, sucking down that third cup of coffee and catching up on the news, it is important to stop and smell the roses. It is important to stay inspired-inspired to write the perfect news release, the best headline and the meaningful blog post. 


So, take some time. Take some time out of your hectic day to be inspired. Brad Phillips, a writer for PR Daily shares 20 quotes to inspire PR professionals. 

Media interview quotes

1. “Does anyone have any questions for my answers?” —Henry Kissinger 

2. “It is always a risk to speak to the press: They are likely to report what you say.” —Hubert H. Humphrey

3. “The most guileful amongst the reporters are those who appear friendly and smile and seem to be supportive. They are the ones who will seek to gut you on every occasion.” —Ed Koch, former mayor of New York

4. “The questions don’t do the damage. Only the answers do.” —Sam Donaldson

5. “No word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause. —Mark Twain

6. “An orator or author is never successful till he has learned to make his words smaller than his ideas.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

7. “This business of saying the same thing over and over and over again—which to a lot of Washington insiders and pundits is boring—works.” —Michael Deaver, deputy chief of staff to President Reagan

Message development quotes
8. “I am sorry for such a long letter. I didn’t have time to write a short one.” —Mark Twain (also attributed to others)

9. “Short words are the best, and old words, when short, are the best of all.” —Winston Churchill

Crisis communications quotes

10. “By the time you hear the thunder, it’s too late to build the ark.” —Unknown

11. “It takes a lifetime to build a reputation and only a few seconds to destroy one.” —Unknown

12. “If it’s going to come out eventually, better have it come out immediately.” —Henry Kissinger

13. “Always acknowledge a fault frankly. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you opportunity to commit more.” —Mark Twain

14. “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” —Theodore Roosevelt

Public speaking 

15. “A mediocre speech supported by all the power of delivery will be more impressive than the best speech unaccompanied by such power.” —Quintilian, Roman rhetorician

16. “Three things matter in a speech: who says it, how he says it, and what he says —and of the three, the last matters least.” —John Morley, British politician

17. “It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” —Mark Twain

18. “According to most studies, people’s No. 1 fear is public speaking. No. 2 is death. Death is No.2! Now, this means to the average person, if you have to go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” —Jerry Seinfeld

Body language and delivery

19. “What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

20. “It is better to speak from a full heart and an empty head than from a full head and an empty heart.” —Dublin Opinion magazine (h/t Dianna Daniels Booher) 

Click here for the full article.

Be inspired.

-Abigail & Tia

The Knowledge gained from Google Analytics

Have you ever wondered exactly who and how people benefit from Google Analytics? Google Analytics is a great tool to use that allows you to see where your visitors come from and if they engage with your content or leave immediately. Here are a few examples of the valuable knowledge people can gain from analytics that can help with the success of their business:

Executives can learn:

*Which marketing initiatives are most effective.

*Accurate website traffic patterns/trends.

*Which customer and customer segments are most valuable.

 Marketing Professionals can learn:

*Where visitors come from and what do they do on the site.

* How can the website convert more visitors into customers.

* Which keywords resonate with prospects and lead to conversions.

* Which online ad or creative is the most effective.

 Content & Developers can learn:

*Where people leave the site.

*Which pages retain visitors the longest.

*What search terms people use to find the site.

 What YOU can learn:

*Tracking multiple websites.

*Tracking your blog, Twitter, or Facebook pages.

*Tracking visits from RSS feeds.

*Using Analytics with other web analytics solutions.


Analytics are becoming very popular in businesses across the world. Success of their social
media and website(s) can be determined by how well they understand the data and use it
to their advantage. Use Google Analytics to YOUR advantage. Find out how much you can
learn from this FREE tool!

Bye for now!

Cory and Lindsey

Your PR Future

Three Phases for a Successful Job Interview
  By: Lizzy Fillback & Robin Ezell

Have you ever wondered why you cringe when you learn you have to go to an interview?

The other day I was sitting in class and overheard some students discussing an interview they had just attended. Many of them seemed frustrated about the whole interview process.

One of the students said “I hate interviews; they are so nerve-racking and make me feel so uncomfortable.” Another student said she went for an interview and thought she did great. The only problem was the company never called her back.

For so many of us, the hardest and most important part of landing our dream job is passing the interview stage. This stage is often times the reason we either land a job or never receive a call back.

In a recent blog post, Bob McIntosh reviewed a Forbes.com is reporting that described the three simple phases to land the job offer. These phases include:  

1. First, explain to the employer you know you have a grasp on the skills required to do the job.

You can do this by doing a rundown of the most crucial requirements for the position, explaining how you meet them and more. As the article suggests, doing your homework on the job is critical in answering this phase of the questions.

2. Secondly, let the employer know you are committed and can do the job you are interviewing for.

The employer wants to know if he/ she hires you, that you will be able to work hard and that will not you slack off after a few months on the job. Will you be motivated is the question. Are you dedicated, or do you simply want a job any job?

The interviewer wants to know is what you think about the company you are interviewing with. You can do this by commending the company’s overall mission, praise it for the outstanding products it develops/services it provides, and show your admiration for its fine reputation in the industry.

3. Lastly, show the employer you are the best fit for the job.

You can do this by bringing examples of your individual work as well as other projects you have done with teammates.

This shows the employer you are a well-person who is both a team player and a "go- getter" that is prepared.

Being prepared for the interview is the best advice we can give you. Always bring your resume and copies of your work with you to show your potential employer your professionalism.

We hope that all three phases will help you to land that job!!

Love in PR,

 Lizzy & Robin

Creating and Managing Amazon Reviews

   

    Amazon.com is one of the largest review sites on the Internet. Millions of opinions are posted each day. Amazon is a site for consumers of all kinds to purchase whatever their heart desires. The "perk" of this website is that it allows you to give the product feedback by posting reviews on its product page.

   

   Before you are able to post a review, however, you are required to have an Amazon.com account that has successfully been charged for the purchase of an item. 

   

How to Create a Review:

1. Visit the product detail page for the item you are reviewing.
2. Click the "create your own review" icon in the Customer Reviews section.
3. When prompted, login to your account.
4. Enter the required information
5. In the "share your opinion" section, click on the type of review you wish to publish.
6. For written reviews, enter the text in the given box.
7. Preview and publish your review.

    Amazon.com encourages all customers to review the products they have purchased, whether they favor the product or not. All they ask for is the customer to follow their simple guidelines. 

What's not Allowed in a Review:

• Obscene material
• Promotional content
• Inappropriate content
• Off-topic content

    Also, when writing a great review, here are some helpful hints to keep in mind. 

1. Include the "why": Feel free to explain your opinion on the product, and remember to explain why.
2. Be Specific: When writing a review, you should focus on the specific features of the product.
3. Not too short, Not too long: Written reviews must be at least 20 words and not exceeding over 5,000 words.
4. Be Sincere: Amazon.com welcomes all honest opinions -- positive or negative.
5. Full Disclosure: If you received a free product in exchange for your review, please clearly state that you received the product free of charge.

    Keep in mind, you are also able to delete any review you have submitted! 

Keep Reviewing!

Until Next Time

~~Abby and Meng