Keep it PRofessional on Social Media

As we know, social media is the perfect medium for networking and staying in contact with peers and colleagues. While we continue on the social media wave, I cannot stress enough on the importance of keeping it professional on your accounts. With the advancement of technology you have to be wise and careful on what you choose to share to the world.

Last week I attended a job interview and midway through the interview, the interviewer asked me to pull up all my social media accounts. Yes, this is a common request in interviews nowadays especially if you are in the Communications/PR field.

Wondering how to keep it professional on your social media accounts? The following are a few tips you can follow:

• Refrain from writing short hand- This tip goes particularly to Twitter seeing that it only permits us 140 characters for each tweet. Yes, its difficult to get your point across in such limited terms, but you can make every word count. Try rephrasing your words and get straight to the point. P.S stay away from writing"2" in place of "to." 

• Post with thoughtfulness- Be it Facebook, Instagram or Twitter you should post with care. With the screenshot features on smartphones nowadays this causes posts on social media to be permanent. As the saying goes "Prevention is better than Cure." So if you are hesitant on posting a picture or tweet, don't post it.

• Watch your language- Using obscenities or indecent language on your social media is not a good look; therefore be careful on your choice of words and expressions. 

As we work on capturing our dream jobs and goals, don't let social media be the cause of not receiving that aspiration. Including your personality and having humor on your social media are excellent qualities, but don't forget to keep it PRofessional. 

Brand Integrity: Tumblr + Yahoo!

My personal Tumblr feed went crazy over the weekend when rumors of Yahoo! Buying the popular micro blogging site first hit the web. Monday morning, Tumblr user’s worst fears were realized and the buy became official; Yahoo! Is now the new owner of Tumblr. The deal is expected to close towards the end of 2013, and David Carp the current Tumblr CEO will maintain his position.

Tumblr users were outraged, some even threatening to delete their blogs and leave Tumblr for good. Tumblr, because it is such a small and personal blogging community, is known for being a haven for creatives. The liberal use of movie and television clips to make GIFS and the posting of explicit images are definitely a few of Tumblr's trademarks that many fear will disappear under Yahoo!’s supervision. Many Tumblr users fear that, their favorite blogging site will never be the same again.

Do users have the right to feel this way? Absolutely! Time and time again we have watched larger, more lucrative brands come in and completely makeover a smaller brand. When the focus becomes less on maintaining the integrity of the brand and more on dollar signs and advertising gains, it is easy for a once popular brand to become unrecognizable to previous users. Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer has promised “not to screw it up” when it comes to the acquisition, and says that Yahoo! plans to grow and brand Tumblr separately of itself. While this hasn't been Yahoo!’s way of doing things in the past, it seems like Mayer has learned from past mistakes, and that Tumblr won’t be turing purple anytime soon.

Do you have a Tumblr blog; will the Yahoo! acquisiton impact you at all? Do you think Yahoo! will maintain the integrity of Tumblr’s brand? Share your thoughts!

How to Quit Your Job

Maybe you're moving.  Maybe you're ready for bigger and better things.  Maybe you're just ready to stop emptying trashcans, taking lunch orders, or fetching coffee and start making a career for yourself.  Whatever the case may be, there comes a time when you're going to have to quit a job. It doesn't have to be as difficult as it might seem.  Here are some tips on respectfully resigning from a position:

• Give appropriate notice.  Quitting on a whim isn't going to benefit you. Two weeks notice is the traditional time frame.
• Tell the right people at the right time.  Don't discuss your plans to resign with your coworkers before your boss.  The grapevine is a powerful thing.
• Be mindful.  You are probably leaving a lot of work behind for other people.  Offer to stick around and help train your replacement.
• Give good reasons.  Don't be vague when you talk to your boss.  They will respect you more if you are honest with them about why you want to leave.
• Don't burn bridges.  While you might have some complaints you've been waiting to get off your chest, it's best to maintain positive relationships.  You never know when you'll cross paths again.

If you go about quitting a job maturely and professionally, you'll find that the majority of the time your coworkers will be supportive.  It's exciting to start a new chapter in your life and it's even better when you close the previous one on a positive note.

Share your tips and tricks for leaving a job the right way!

From Mentee to Mentor

When is it that you go from being a mentee, to becoming a mentor in your own right? I have recently gone through this transition myself and to be honest, there are no clear cut signs. As PR students, it is easy for us to get caught up in our work, head down and full speed ahead. What we have to remember is that sometimes we need to look up and look around us. Oftentimes we'll find that we have accomplished much more than we realized. We get appointed to executive boards of different organizations on campus, land a great summer internship, or even just ace a really difficult PR course. No matter what the accomplishment, we need to slow down long enough to appreciate them, not just for ourselves, but for other students around us.

With those accomplishments come experience that can be shared with others. Questions that you used to ask, you now have the answers to. "How do I apply to E-Board, what should I bring to my internship interview, and how on Earth did you pass that class?!" You now have first-hand experience that can help another student achieve the same goals or inspire them to strive for some of their own.

I know it may feel a bit intimidating or awkward mentoring someone close to your own age, but you simply have to get over it! If you have the answers that another student is searching for, wouldn't it behoove you to help them? Through your mentorship, you could potentially foster a future E-Board member or encourage them to go after an amazing opportunity. After all, at one point you were the mentee that needed guidance. It is important for us to pause long enough to recognize when it is time to return the favor. 

What experience have you gained in the past year? Have you shared it with others? We want to know!

Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance

“Prior planning prevents poor performance” is what one of my high school teachers told me in class one day about three years ago. This quote was drilled into my head and has been in the back of my mind ever since. I never truly understood the importance of what he was telling me until college. I live by these 5 P’s because they have yet to let me down. With planning, I have succeeded in everything I’ve put my mind to because I took the time to think of the steps that were needed to get the outcome I desired. Without the practice of planning, life would be disorganized and difficult. 

Not sure how to plan? Here are a few tips that may help!

1. Have a clear idea of what you want to achieve- In order to plan something, you need to know exactly what you want to accomplish in order to take the correct steps to make it happen.
2. Visualize your goal- This is the most simple, yet most beneficial thing you can do. Just by closing your eyes and picturing yourself reaching your goal, will help you get to it. This small exercise will provide you with the self-confidence and motivation you need because you “see” yourself reaching your goal. 
3. Map out, or make a list of what needs to happen- Lists are essential in planning. Simple daily, or weekly, “to do” lists will help you stay organized and on track. Just remember, always jot ideas down when they come to you!
4. Be specific- Break down the steps you need to take so there is no confusion and so you have a clear understanding of what you need to do. Every detail makes a difference.
5. Always remember deadlines! - People make deadlines for a reason…for you to meet them! It might be helpful to even put deadlines next to each step of your plan to make it even more structured. 

Making a plan is the most effective way to achieve a goal. Yes, it takes time to plan something but it will be extremely beneficial, and you will thank yourself in the long run. It is important to stay positive and always keep in mind what you want to happen. Keeping your goal in mind will give you motivation and that extra push to get to what you want. Believe me, if you don’t stop when the plan gets tough, keep focused, and have your “eye on the prize,” you’ll see progress! 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Public Relations Staff Member Amanda White.

Social Media Savvy for the Summer

The time has finally come! Finals are over and all of your grades are almost in. You're ready to hit the beach and begin your summer vacation but before you start packing your suit, step back and think about how you are going to stay relevant in the public relations realm this summer break.

If you are an aspiring PR pro, the summer is a great time to build up your social media presence. Most likely you will have more time to think and plan out posts. You'll have more time to catch up on those PR blogs and find out what's going on in the PR industry to get in on the discussion.

Here are some things to keep in mind while posting on your social media networks this summer:

Find a voice & stick to it: Creating a "voice" for how you want to be portrayed on your social media is key for any brand but it's importance is often forgotten when it comes to personal social media accounts. Being able to be consistent with the way in which you craft posts gives you a voice. The most vital aspect of creating a certain social media personna is to stick to it so your followers don't get confused.

Post about recent news: This is a no brainer. Keep everything you post about relevant and use hashtags that relate to recent news and current events.

Incorporate your real life events: Summer is a time to have fun and relax. If you are on vacation and your vacation city's tourism, find their Twitter handle and tweet to them or find their Facebook page and post on their wall. Be sure to also post photos whenever you see fit because visuals are very powerful on social media outlets.

How will you stay relevant this summer through social media? We want to know!

By Bloggers, For Bloggers

In this day and age, it seems that everyone has or wants to start a blog. As a young blogger, it's hard to imagine that my small contribution to the web will ever go on to making a major impact on an industry. As a PR student, I blog to control my online image and reputation, and to generate a positive image of myself.

Because blogging is becoming so popular, more and more applications are being created to help blogs become that much better. From the development of the "Pin it" button which allows readers to add content from blogs to Pinterest, to websites like Click to Tweet, developers are going crazy trying to meet the numerous needs of today's blogger. These applications are great, and allow bloggers to use multimedia resources and easily integrate social media. But of all of these applications, the best ones seem to be the ones created by the bloggers, for other bloggers.

Image Source

The popular DIY/creative blog A Beautiful Mess (ABM) has decided to take development into their own hands and is releasing an app made especially for other bloggers! The application takes into account the creative and social media needs, Instagram in particular, into mind. The team at A Beautiful Mess has worked hard to develop tons of filters, frames, and add-ons to help Bloggers make their images pop and give life to posts. The app will be available soon for iOS for $0.99 fully loaded, and hopefully development will start for Android too!

The creation of the app by bloggers is a great example of taking your niche to the next level. When the bloggers at ABM first started their site, I doubt they knew they would go on to become major developers. Through careful observation of the needs of consumer , they were able to make a huge impact!