Taste of PR - Kick-off Dinner for PR Conference

Last Wednesday night, I had the opportunity to attend Taste of PR, the kick-off to the PR conference coming up in a couple of weeks. The guest speaker for the event was KSL Social Media Director, Natalie Wardel. She gave some really good tips that I wanted to note that are important for anyone interested in getting better with business or even personal social media outlets. She talked about different things that would classify public relations in the past that included writing and sending press releases as well as calling and kissing up to media. Public relations now (which I am SO grateful for), are more about managing your own message. This includes event planning, managing web content, listening and responding, marketing, blogging and media pitching just to name a few. This is a chance to have diverse opportunities and bypass the newsrooms. This Live News Week Instagram photo brought up another discussion on how social media is starting to be a huge part of our lives. Corporations can be a trusted voice when social media can live on it’s own 50% of the time. One of my favorite things she said last night was that social media is the ingredient and not the solution. Many companies or those not familiar with social media and what it can do think it’s the end-all. This is the driving point that will take them where they need to be. Social media is simply a tool that when combined with other great marketing and promoting effects, can take businesses or your own personal reputation to the next level. When it comes to trust and investing in a business, studies have shown that it’s usually through a friend’s mouth that recommendations are spread. Marketing Sherpa said that 87% trust a friend’s opinion over a critic’s review. Bzzagent, along the same lines, said that one word-of-mouth conversation has the impact of 200 T.V. ads. That is huge when it comes to social media and that it’s not just put out by professionals. WE have the chance to say what we feel and give our own opinions! Natalie also said that the goal is not to be good at social media but rather to be good at your job BECAUSE of social media. She gave 10 signs that let you know you are involved in public relations and the one I connected with the most was, “You find yourself performing other duties not assigned the first week of your new job.” I could relate to that because I LOVE doing the out-of-the-ordinary. Going above and beyond to do what you need to do to help a business or company be effective. Can't wait for the conference first weekend of March!