Social Media Tips for Young Professionals

Let’s face it. Social media is great for many reasons. It allows us to keep in touch with our closest friends, share plenty of cat photos and catch up on all the latest news. Social media can also be used for other purposes as well, such as building a personal brand. When using social media professionally, here are a few tips to consider:

DO NOT FORGET THE ‘SOCIAL’ IN SOCIAL MEDIA

Don’t use your social media channels to just push out meaning-less content to your followers. Be social! Do more than just retweet and favorite posts. When trying to pitch to the media, read journal-ists’ articles and let them know what you liked. Also, do not fall into the trap of sending generic LinkedIn invitations. A generic invitation is unprofessional and communicates that you don’t even have the time to write a brief intro-duction message.

THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU POST

As much as we would like to believe that we can delete posts, tweets, etc. from the Internet, we can’t. We may think we have de-leted it, but in all actuality it may still be available. When you are ready to publish something, ask yourself, “Will this post positively or negatively impact my personal brand? Would I want my future employer to see this?” If you an-swer “negatively” or “no” to either of those two questions, don’t post it.

BE CONSISTENT

Even though every social media platform is different, you can still create a consistent brand. Start by having the same profile picture, preferably a professional headshot, on all of your social media platforms. Establish a set amount of tweets, blog posts and status updates you want to send out each week, and then stick to it. Develop a unique voice that can span across channels and a tone that doesn’t vary from platform to platform.

In closing, it is worth men-tioning the importance of being personal when developing your brand on social media. We are all human. Some people’s social me-dia accounts sound like automated machines. My advice to every-one would be to not be like those people. Instead, be personable, optimistic and unafraid to tell the world your story — on social me-dia or otherwise.

BY ETHAN PARRY PRSSA VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

This year, the nation’s capital was brimming with excitement as students and PRSA professionals from around the world came together Oct. 10–14 for the PRSSA 2014 National Conference, “Intersections: the Meeting Place of Communications and Culture.”

First-time Conference attendee Coco Lederhouse, public relations major at Pepperdine University, appreciated the energetic, welcoming environment created by the attendees and volunteers.

“It’s so incredible being surrounded by other college students that share my passion for PR,” Lederhouse said. “It’s unbelievable how smooth everything went. I was so impressed by my first Conference.”

The University of Maryland and American University co-hosted the Conference. The core planning team of four students worked diligently to prepare a successful Conference.

According to Conference Coordinator Amber Mayfield, a graduating senior at University of Maryland, the most difficult part of the planning process was balancing her responsibilities while being a student and intern. Despite the difficulty, she recognizes her team’s efforts were worth it.

“It was really rewarding to see everyone having a good time, reaping the benefits of the work,” Mayfield said.

Most days consisted of a keynote speaker followed by multiple sessions that discussed different topics that are relevant to the public relations industry. Attendees also had the opportunity to visit public relations agencies, attend the Career Development Exhibition, listen

to the PRSA general sessions at a neighboring hotel and much more. Highlights of the PRSA general sessions included “Good

Morning America” news anchor Amy Robach’s presentation about the powerful influence of social media. Facebook’s Vice President of Global Business Communication, Mike Buckley, concluded the Conference with an eye-opening session about the importance of data analytics.

Pepperdine senior Cori Hays attended the PRSA general sessions and was impressed with the caliber of speakers.

“I could not believe I was in the same room as someone as renowned as Mike Buckley,” Hays said. “We were all so lucky to learn from the best and the brightest.”

In their downtime, attendees submersed themselves in the culture of the city. From the White House, to the Capitol Building, Smithsonian museums, monuments and memorials, Washington, D.C., is full of history and wonder.

“The Conference couldn’t have been in a better location,” Lederhouse said. “It was so easy to just hop on the Metro and go anywhere. We went to Georgetown, Capitol Hill and the National Mall. I definitely liked Georgetown the best.”

The PRSSA 2015 National Conference appears promising as well, as attendees will head to Atlanta, Georgia, to experience public relations in the bustling, booming South.

National Conference in the Capital Exceeds ExpectationsBY ALANA HUTCHINSON PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY

MEGHAN CAPREZ KENT STATE UNIVERSITY

Chapter president

“Presenting a Chapter development session

with my Chapter.”

BRONZELLA CLEVELAND NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

Chapter president

“Everything! But mostly meeting new people and getting new ideas fromeveryone.”

SAM BROUGHTON UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

AT OSHKOSH

Chapter member

“The interesting and informative presentations. They gave me an

inside look [into] the PR world.”

BROOKE FEMAT GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY

Chapter vice president of programming

“Realizing we’re all in the same place and using each other as resources.”

FAIZ MANDVIWALLA TEMPLE UNIVERSITY

Director of finance for student-run firm

“Hearing from other student-run firms about best

practices.”

National Conference Round-UpBY EMMA FINKBEINER NORTHERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY

Winter 2015 Vol. 47, Issue II www.prssa.org/FORUM