JCOM 2160: Branding Yourself

In the journalism world of today, branding yourself on the web can be one of your best tools. I recently started this blog and am working to collaborate entries about my thoughts and knowledge about public relations. When I am writing, I often times find myself double checking my work and making sure it sounds just the way I want it to. Posting your work makes it a lot more serious than just turning it in to a professor. It is crazy to think that anyone who wanted to could be viewing my profile. Alfred Hermida wrote, “With journalism shifting toward an era of the personal, rather than the institutional, brand, students need to consider how they are going to stand out as the expert in a knowledge-based economy.” I personally feel that blogging is a great way to showcase your skills and talents as a public relations student. Although I am not interested in becoming a journalist, I can still display my writing skills as well as blog about my event planning and media relations skills.

Here are ten tips I found to develop a personal brand:

1. People in your field should know who you are.
2. Someone who Googles your first and last name should be able to find out who you are.
3. Your online self-representation should demonstrate that you are a serious, ethical journalist.
4. Samples of your best work should be linked to your home page or online (HTML) resume.
5. Your real work experience should be easy to find and easy to scan quickly. People will want to check this for verification, so dates should be clear, not obfuscated. Example: “June – August 2006″ is clear and honest. “Intern” is honest when “reporter” might not be. Consider “correspondent” or “stringer” too, when accurate. Lists of dodgy freelance work make you appear dodgy. Links to work add credibility. (Use PDFs for work that has been locked behind a pay wall or deleted.)
6. Make sure your online pages can be read easily on various cell phones, including the iPhone.
7. If you supply a link to a PDF of your resume, make sure the pertinent job or freelance-experience information is also available via simple HTML (not exclusively in the PDF). Word Docs are not good for online resumes. A Google Doc would be better.
8. People who might want to hire you need to be able to find your contact info EASILY. Don’t make them hunt all over for it. If you supply an e-mail address, make sure you check mail at that address just about daily, if not more often.
9. You need to be around, to be visible, to be seen — people should see your name in comments, retweets, etc.
10. People online should point to you from time to time, as I have pointed to Joe, Dave, Ryan, Greg, and Lauren in this post. This confers authority on you. Brands rest in part on authority, in part on name recognition.

JCOM 2160: Internet Tug of War

Another interesting behind the scenes Internet battle is the control of the web by telecommunication groups. Within just a few years, telecommunication companies may have the potential to alter the flow of information on people’s computer screens. For a price, companies like Google and Yahoo are going to compete for “time” on the web. Throughout Internet history, we have become accustomed to the Internet being a neutral space where every company had equal opportunities. Companies are lobbying their views on both sides, each arguing that one way will help better support and market their company. Alan Davidson, Washington policy counsel for Google comments, "If carriers are able to control what consumers do on the Internet that threatens the model of Internet communications that has been wildly successful.” Overall, the neutrality of the Internet is a heated battle that keeps on getting hotter.

JCOM 2160: The Truth about Google

Most of us go about our day using Google to search for anything and everything. What most people don’t realize is that Google keeps a personal history of what everyone searches for on the Internet. Recently, a North Carolina man was found guilty of murder based on words he had searched for on Google prior to his wife’s death. As a Google user myself, I first found this information to be extremely shocking. However, thinking about it more fully I don’t believe people should have anything to hide under their search terms. Overall, I believe Google’s power will provide more good than harm. People who are innocent will not be affected by the lack of privacy. The only time this issue will really affect people is when a crisis happens, like a crime, and Google’s power can help solve the case.

JCOM 2160: Netiquette.

Netiquette. It is not a word that most of us hear very often, but simply put it is the set of rules for behaving properly online. Cyberspace is its own culture, and with each new culture comes a different and unique set of rules. Luckily, netiquette consist of ten basic rules, that when followed, will provide you with the skills to behave appropriately.

These ten rules are as follows:

1. Remember the human.
2. Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you would follow in real life.
3. Know where you are in cyberspace.
4. Respect other people’s time and bandwidth.
5. Make yourself look good online.
6. Share expert knowledge.
7. Help keep flame wars under control.
8. Respect other people’s privacy.
9. Don’t abuse your power.
10. Be forgiving of other people’s mistakes.

In my opinion, the most important of all these rules is to remember the human. When you communicate on cyberspace it is important to remember that you don’t see the person face-to-face, you only see the computer screen. Therefore, you need to realize that people can’t see gestures or facial expressions. Sometimes what you might mean to say sarcastically will only come off cold and mean. Also, remember that if you wouldn’t say something to someone’s face don’t say it online. It can often times be easy to say whatever you feel like when you are only looking at a computer screen, but manners are important, especially when it comes to people’s feelings.

Overall, following these ten rules will help you represent yourself better and keep the culture of cyberspace a happy and professional one.

JCOM 2160: Email Etiquette

Often times I believe that people underestimate the power of the written word. In the professional world, one of the most important tools an employee can have is to possess high-quality writing skills. One of the areas that most people lack writing skills is in electronic communication. A section from “Writing Effective Email” states, “By requiring employees to use appropriate, businesslike language in all electronic communications, employers can limit their liability risks and improve the overall effectiveness of the organization's e-mail and Internet copy in the process.”

With the new wave of technology so much of our communication, business and personal alike, is handed through email. Looking at email etiquette from a business standpoint, a company needs to implement etiquette rules in order to achieve professionalism, efficiency, and protection from liability. If employers take the time to construct high-quality work, then it is going to tell the clients that the company they are working with is professional and cares about them as a client. Emails that get to the point are not only more professional, but are much more efficient and beneficial. Lastly, if employees use etiquette when communicating electronically, then they are potentially saving the company from costly law suits.

An article discussing email etiquette gives these 32 rules to follow when writing an email:

1. Be concise and to the point
2. Answer all questions, and pre-empt further questions
3. Use proper spelling, grammar & punctuation
4. Make it personal
5. Use templates for frequently used responses
6. Answer swiftly
7. Do not attach unnecessary files
8. Use proper structure & layout
9. Do not overuse the high priority option
10. Do not write in CAPITALS
11. Don't leave out the message thread
12. Add disclaimers to your emails
13. Read the email before you send it
14. Do not overuse Reply to All
15. Mailings > use the bcc: field or do a mail merge
16. Take care with abbreviations and emoticons
17. Be careful with formatting
18. Take care with rich text and HTML messages
19. Do not forward chain letters
20. Do not request delivery and read receipts
21. Do not ask to recall a message.
22. Do not copy a message or attachment without permission
23. Do not use email to discuss confidential information
24. Use a meaningful subject
25. Use active instead of passive
26. Avoid using URGENT and IMPORTANT
27. Avoid long sentences
28. Don't send or forward emails containing libelous, defamatory, offensive, racist or obscene remarks
29. Don't forward virus hoaxes and chain letters
30. Keep your language gender neutral
31. Don't reply to spam
32. Use cc: field sparingly

In order to enforce these rules in a company, a written email policy must first be established. Not only should the policy outline the do’s and don’ts of professional email communication, but the employees should also be trained on the rules to make sure they fully understand them. As long as these procedures are followed and the policies implemented, then the company will not only function better, but hold a higher image.

JCOM 2160: The Basics of HTML

Until I started my Online JCOM class I had only every heard of HTML. On our second day of class we learned the basic codes that allow you to begin creating webpage. At first, I was nervous to start using HTML because in my mind it was simply a bunch of dashes and codes that seemed far too confusing. However, once I started practicing, it was a lot easier and more exciting than I expected.

In an article that discusses the basics of beginning XHTML it defined the practice as: “…a way of describing how a set of text and images should be displayed to the viewer, similar in concept to a newspaper editor's markup symbols." This definition helped me to better understand HTML and think of it as the overall blueprints and layout of what you want your webpage to look like.

As a PR major, I have realized the importance of learning at least the basics of HTML. Being able to tell a future employer that I know how to construct a webpage is going to give me an advantage over my competitors. This ability also lets your employer know that you are technologically savvy and comfortable using tools and resources that could help the business.

Another note to add is that like all technology, HTML will eventually infiltrate throughout society and eventually be used and understand by the vast amount of people. Realizing this, it is important to get ahead and master HTML concepts now so you can already be ahead for the future.

Final Press Release 1: Announcement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 15, 2009
Contact: Preston Parker
President of the Social Media Club of Cache Valley (SMCCV)
Phone: 661-772-7537
Website: http://www.smccv.net/

Social Media Club Comes to Cache Valley
New organization provides social media networking and knowledge

LOGAN, UT- The Social Media Club of Cache Valley (SMCCV) is a new organization in Logan that allows members to learn more about the concepts of social media through guest speakers and panel discussions.

Preston Parker, president of the organization, said, “The goal of our organization is to inform people about social media and create a network of like-minded individuals.”

The club meets on the second Thursday of every month at different locations around Logan. Businesses that are willing to offer a venue receive free publicity since members of the group Facebook, blog, and tweet about their experiences.

Individuals of all knowledge and experience levels are welcome to attend meetings and become a member of SMCCV. When talking about the target market of the club, Parker said, “It’s for anyone that wants to learn about social media.” He also said that the organization is a great opportunity for students at Utah State who want to learn more about social media and expand their knowledge of public relations.

The next meeting will be held Thursday September, 10 at 6:30 p.m. at Club New York, located at 359 N. Main St. in Logan. Loralle Choate will be speaking about being discovered by the White House based on her personal blog entries on health care. Choate will be taking questions and discussing how to improve a blog. Approximately 50 to 80 people are expected to attend.

The Social Media Club of Cache Valley is a local chapter of a global organization that began three years ago and is headquartered in San Francisco. Parker and three colleagues started the Cache Valley chapter in July 2009 after attending a Salt Lake chapter meeting in Jan. 2009. The club began with three members, but has expanded to 27 official members according to the SMCCV website at http://www.smccv.net/.

For more information contact:

Shaelee Barker

PR Specialist

Shaelee.b@aggiemail.usu.edu

Phone: 303-903-7336

-END-