How PR fits into Event Planning

Non-profit organizations and companies arrange events to promote an idea, a cause or a project that is important to the industry. Types of events can range from formal to casual and once-in-a-lifetime to recurring. Public relations practitioners use events as an occasional tool to achieve broad purposes. From a public relations perspective, when hosting an event, it is very important to keep in mind the goals and objectives for the event and the target audiences you want to reach. When surrounded in the scenery of the events, it is easy to get caught up in the hype and glamour. Don’t get carried away. Public relations practitioners who plan the events cannot lose sight of the objectives. The main purpose is to support their organization in maintaining its key relationships. Here are some tips  how PR plays an key role in planning an event:

“Public relations – through traditional and new channels – can effectively generate ticket sales and attendance, secure sponsors and advertisers, create a buzz of excitement and public awareness, and encourage media to attend and/or cover the event.”

• Develop a PR plan around the event. Have an outline of the strategies and tactics to be able to communicate the key messages to target audiences, schedule deadlines and write up responsibilities. The PR plan should include sever channels, such as social media outreach, e-mail marketing and web site updates.
• Tailor key messages for each channel. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube are perfect method to use to connect with customers, friends and/or followers. Posting photos and video content on these social media sites should build followers and drive people to your company’s page. E-mail blasts is a useful tactic to use when sending out a “Save the Date” reminder or event specifics to get people to attend.
• Plan your work and work your plan. Make and keep on hand an organized schedule with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. It is a good piece of document to track your efforts for future use.
• Know your target audience. Contact the press that will cover and attend the event and pitch it appropriately to local, business and vertical media. Hire a photographer if the event needs/wants one. Communicate with radio outlets early on the day of the event.
• Have a timeline. Start PR outreach early on in the game. First, make sure the date and venue for the event are secured beforehand. Second, contact local photographers in advance, as their schedules will fill up fast. Starting as early as possible will help with attendance and securing sponsorships with a lead time for logistical planning.
• Be creative and provide a hook. Give the audience a reason to attend the event and make that message clear. Plan ahead.

Today, the special events industry has grown to become a big business on its own. They provide an essential component to engage in conversation with others and host what a companies efforts are going towards to at the moment.

You can follow the Society for Marketing Professional Services blog here for education on networking and strategic and marketing information.

By Eveos

When Choosing a Job, Culture Matters

As I approach my senior year in college, I have been frequently thinking about my future career. How will I know what job or position is right for me? Do people just take what they can get out of college? After reading the article called When Choosing a Job, Culture Matters, by Bill Barnett, I discovered a few tips I am going to share with you.

When you first enter a company’s building, you can get a mix of emotions. With the pressure of walking into your interview, you never know whether it is all to easy to pursue a job opportunity or to accept a job offer with only having a hazy view of the organizations background. It is extremely important to investigate the culture of the institution you’re interested in applying to before you accept the position.

Tip 1: Understand the organization’s purpose. Don’t just listen to what they are doing, but pay attention to how their purpose leads to the decisions they make. Learn about how the organization operates; consider the importance of performance, how the company gets things done, the level of teamwork, communication between workers and all the ethical issues. When you understand all of these aspects of the company and how it operates, you will then need to consider how it plays into your goals. What matches and how well does it match your goals? Finding these pieces of the organizational culture is an important part of your aspirations.

Tip 2: Read everything you can find about the institution with a critical eye. All organizations have formal vision statements, but these documents are written with a purpose in mind. Discuss culture with the people who work in the association. Also talk to people outside of the organization who know it, such as suppliers, customers, partners and ex-employees. Getting different perspectives about the institution will further your knowledge on the culture in the workplace.

Tip 3: Investigate the institution at an early stage. In a job interview, you want to ask about the company’s culture. People sometimes think that bringing the culture topic up will make people uncomfortable and put the offer of the job at risk. However, the hiring managers will expect it and this topic is certainly necessary to know for future growth. Ask questions! It will show that you are learning rapidly about the organization. “Culture questions can cast you in a positive light.”

By Scott Maxwell

PR & Marketing Campaigns revolve around Social Media

It is safe to say that social media is here to stay. It is a fun, simple, and handy tool to use to drive awareness and sale to your company. Hashtags are becoming more and more popular to use in messages. They may be replacing URL’s in ads soon because the hashtags take you straight to the conversation and provide first-hand testimonials recommendations and facts. As LinkedIn becomes more favored, resumes are now considered to be old-fashioned.  As stated by LinkedIn, “job applicants will post credentials online at sites like theirs.” It is the main platform for businesses to connect with each other.

Social media has a great role in leveraging PR campaigns. It provides a platform to further publicize your brand. It can generate buzz by taking your brand image beyond television ads and radio announcements. Social media allows you to get creative. There are so many different websites to use, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, LinkedIn, and Flickr. It is an easy way to connect with famous influencers and get them to speak for an interview or “tweet” your brand.