Media Relations 101

One of the great things about working for Eisbrenner Public Relations is all the opportunities for professional development, or as it's called around here, PD.

On most Thursdays, we either have a speaker come in, or someone here in the office talks about something new and exciting they've been doing. Last week, Christine, our events manager, gave a PD on event metrics. Other PDs have ranged in topics from social media to our client evaluation process.

There are also opportunities for more "specialized" PD. Today I met with Melissa, a senior account executive, and account coordinators Ashley, Lisa and Schanel for a Media Relations 101 session.

In my first internship I had a lot of direct media contact, attempting to place stories in all types of publications. I did have some success, but sometimes felt like a stalker - calling journalists endlessly trying to get feedback.

Melissa gave us some great tips on how to work with the media successfully. I tought I would share some of them with readers out there so you don't make the same mistakes I have:

(1) Cut through the clutter. Journalists don't have time to read every press release they receive, so make sure yours is direct and to-the-point. Make sure the headline is an attention-getter.

(2) Research the outlet and the reporter. Journalists receive hundreds of e-mails from PR professionals everyday. Make sure what you're pitching is relevant to the outlet and the beat the reporter is covering. And make sure you're sending e-mails to the right person; no one likes to be bothered with someone else's job.

(3) Make it easy on the reporter. It's our job to help them write their stories. Give them all the information you can - visuals, bios, press releases. Always deliver on your promises. If you say you'll set up an interview with a spokesperson, do it.

(4) Give them time. Don't annoy journalists. Expecting to hear back on a pitch within a few hours might be a little unreasonable depending on the journalist's workload.

Mission: A New Office Wardrobe

Over the weekend, I was watching one of my favorite TV shows, How Do I Look? . A recent college graduate was preparing for life in the professional world and needed a wardrobe makeover. In my last post, I confessed my fears of graduating and finding a full-time job. After watching the fashion victim make a marvellous transformation into a stylish trendsetter, I began to think about my own wardrobe and how it would make the change from college life to the professional world.

Earlier this semester, my coworker, Ashley, lent me a book, Emily Post's The Etiquette Advantage in Business. The book had some great tips that clued me in as to what was (and was not) appropriate office behavior. Since I'd had good luck with what Emily Post had to say in that book, I decided to check out what the etiquette guru had to say on the topic of dressing for success. I visited the Emily Post Web site and found some interesting tips on many different topics, but I especially liked the College and Beyond section. All of the pointers under "Getting a Job" are great pieces of advice, but there isn't too much on dressing for success in the business world.

Not discouraged by the lack of dressing advice on the Web site, I went to Borders in search of a print copy of an etiquette book. And there I found my new bible, 21st Century Etiquette: Charlotte Ford's Guide to Manners for the Modern Age. It's only 304 pages (relatively short compared to Emily Posts's 896 pages) and easy to read. And it contains a great many wardrobe tips for the young professional as well as a list of the basic items every person new to the business world should invest in.

For instance, Charlotte says that what every young professional really needs is one good suit. After you have the suit, she says, you can mix it up by wearing different tops under it. She also gives an idea of what all the different "dress codes," such as corporate casual, corporate comfortable, dress casual, etc., entail.

Mission accomplished.

Nearing the End

Exactly 30 days from today, I will be a graduate of Eastern Michigan University . While I'd like to say that I feel great about graduating, that I'm so happy to be almost done, the truth is graduating from college is scary! When I finished high school, I knew exactly what I wanted to do - I wanted to go to college. (I wasn't sure what I would study, but I figured that I could tackle that problem later.)

Three and one-half years later, the situation is a bit different. I've spoken with a few of my professors about what I should do next, and some have advised me to continue my studies in graduate school. Others have told me to focus my efforts on trying to find my dream job now and worry about continuing my education later. Still others have only discouraged me by talking about the poor job market in Michigan.

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Despite all my stressing, I did find an interesting Web site that has given me some insight into the future of the PR field. It's called All About Public Relations and includes some great statistics about the PR field and where it's going, along with interview and job hunting tips. If you're reading this blog, then you're probably thinking about a career in PR yourself, so I highly recommend taking a look at the site. If nothing else, it might give you a better feel for what PR is all about.

Teamwork Pays Off

Earlier this week, I was watching my favorite sports team, the Detroit Red Wings, playing my favorite spectator sport, hockey. As I watched the game, I couldn't help but to think about how much the Wings relied on each other to win the game. It might be cliche to say it, but it took a real team effort.

Here at Eisbrenner PR, teamwork is important everyday. We edit each other's press releases and other documents, we share industry and client knowledge, etc. Today, however, teamwork turned out to be especially important to me. I was preparing some holiday cards for a client, and the task of labeling, stuffing and sealing envelopes was taking much longer than I had expected. Faye, our receptionist, helped me finish up and we managed to get the project done before the end of the day, something I could have never done on my own.

One of the things I like most about Eisbrenner PR is how much we rely on each other. No one goes through their workday without being helped along and helping someone else. What a great office dynamic!

Becoming Excellent in Excel

When I was in high school, I was required to take a computer skills class in which I learned how to properly use various Microsoft applications. During my sophomore year of college, I took a similiar course, again because it was required. Incredibly, within a week of final exams, I could hardly add a row in an Excel document.

This same forgetfulness also characterized my initial college writing courses. I couldn't remember many basics of AP style after my first, second and third journalism classes. I couldn't format a memo to save my life once my business writing course ended.

I attribute this phenomenon to the fact that in each of these classes, the work I was doing was not "real." It didn't go to a client, it didn't serve a real purpose. I didn't see how any of my assignments benefited me or anyone else.

Amazingly, now that I am using AP style everyday here at Eisbrenner on real press releases that go to real clients, I can actually remember which numbers to write out and which to use numerals for. Now that I use Excel almost every day to create media lists, its many functions are finally sticking in my head.