This last Thursday in PRSSA Shane Haggerty shared information about public relations and going mobile. He gave us so many interesting facts about the number of users, how often we use these and what we use it for. This really got me thinking about this new up-and-coming area of PR.
Check out this link for great statistics on smart phones. Over a billion are in use today and that number keeps growing. This could be a huge resource for PR practitioners and understanding how target audiences are using their phones could change the way we do campaigns and promotions.
Most of what these phones are used for is social networking, which is a great way to build relationships. Content should be closely monitored in these social media sites. Websites must also be easily transferable to smart phones as well. This design and content must be done well or credibility will be lost. Having special mobile applications for your company is also a great way to utilize this new area!
I am so excited to see where this field goes, what more I can learn about it and how I'll be able to use it myself!
10.31.2011
10.30.2011
Why measure?
This week in social media class we began reading Katie Paine's Measure What Matters. I'm very excited to learn about measurements in social media because this is an area of social media that I do not know very much about. In Paine's first chapter, she explains why we should measure at all. Here's what she says:
1. Data-driven decision making saves time and money. Results will save time and money along with boosting credibility. If you have concrete data to support decisions, your business will support your decisions.
2. It helps allocate budget and staff. Measuring each part of social media shows which parts worked well, which did not, which need more effort and which efforts were most successful and should be continued. With this, you can decide how much of a budget and how much staff each section needs.
3. Gain a better understanding of the competition. Businesses always compete and knowing how a business compares to its peers and rivals will help determine strengths and weaknesses.
4. Strategic planning. Data provided through measurement helps guide decisions and improve business.
5. Measurement gets everyone to agree on a desired outcome. Without an agreed upon goal, measurement has no direction. Deciding what your organization wants to achieve lets you know what you want measured and if your social media strategies are successful.
6. Measurement reveals strengths and weaknesses. Measurements lets your company know what works and what does not work. Knowing strengths and weaknesses helps with planning, and will prevent unnecessary resources from being used.
7. Measurement gives you reasons to say "no". Results provide data that supports decisions and can help operations. When something is not providing the desired results, businesses will have reasons to say no to that function or find ways to improve it.
1. Data-driven decision making saves time and money. Results will save time and money along with boosting credibility. If you have concrete data to support decisions, your business will support your decisions.
2. It helps allocate budget and staff. Measuring each part of social media shows which parts worked well, which did not, which need more effort and which efforts were most successful and should be continued. With this, you can decide how much of a budget and how much staff each section needs.
3. Gain a better understanding of the competition. Businesses always compete and knowing how a business compares to its peers and rivals will help determine strengths and weaknesses.
4. Strategic planning. Data provided through measurement helps guide decisions and improve business.
5. Measurement gets everyone to agree on a desired outcome. Without an agreed upon goal, measurement has no direction. Deciding what your organization wants to achieve lets you know what you want measured and if your social media strategies are successful.
6. Measurement reveals strengths and weaknesses. Measurements lets your company know what works and what does not work. Knowing strengths and weaknesses helps with planning, and will prevent unnecessary resources from being used.
7. Measurement gives you reasons to say "no". Results provide data that supports decisions and can help operations. When something is not providing the desired results, businesses will have reasons to say no to that function or find ways to improve it.
10.29.2011
Boo to you!
One holiday I have grown to love even more while at ONU is Halloween. I can't decide if it's the black and orange of ONU, the fact that I can pick multiple costumes because of several events on campus, or the fact that I can eat incredible amounts of candy without judgement. Either way, I love Halloween and it doesn't just seem to be October 31. It seems to be a month-long celebration. Decorations, candy, festivities and everything else are around all 31 days!
I went to a Halloween/house warming party while at home and I was hippie. I was proud to sport my ripped jeans, converse, black glasses and flannel shirt to be Garth from Wayne's World one night. My other half Kelsey was my Wayne. I'm sporting converse, suspenders and those glasses plus a little white tape to be a nerd another night. That's the great thing about Halloween lasting long--I can dress up in as many things as I want!
Aside from dressing up, I got to do another one of my favorite fall and Halloween prep activities: visiting Patterson's Fruit Farm. This a farm is near my hometown and has amazing apples, pumpkins, kettle corn, pastries and cider! I tried a maple and bacon donut and I must say, it was quite delicious! I bought a small pumpkin and gourds for a centerpiece for my table along with a gallon of cider. Not only does this place have great fall grub, it has amazing scenery with gorgeous color-changing trees. I love fall!
I went to a Halloween/house warming party while at home and I was hippie. I was proud to sport my ripped jeans, converse, black glasses and flannel shirt to be Garth from Wayne's World one night. My other half Kelsey was my Wayne. I'm sporting converse, suspenders and those glasses plus a little white tape to be a nerd another night. That's the great thing about Halloween lasting long--I can dress up in as many things as I want!
Aside from dressing up, I got to do another one of my favorite fall and Halloween prep activities: visiting Patterson's Fruit Farm. This a farm is near my hometown and has amazing apples, pumpkins, kettle corn, pastries and cider! I tried a maple and bacon donut and I must say, it was quite delicious! I bought a small pumpkin and gourds for a centerpiece for my table along with a gallon of cider. Not only does this place have great fall grub, it has amazing scenery with gorgeous color-changing trees. I love fall!
10.24.2011
The Future of Media
Last Thursday in Social Media, our class watched a webinar titled The Future of Media: Radical Integration. Fifteen questions were asked to thirty professionals in one hour. The topics covered were social media, paid, earned and owned media, content, engaging customers and creating conversations.
My favorite part of this webinar were there questions about PR people, marketers and journalists and what each knew that the other didn't. I found this very interesting because these are three sets of people who interact constantly and to know what the other thinks you should know can help this relationship grow stronger.
Here's what I learned:
1. What do PR people know that other marketers don't?
The professionals said that PR people use stories to support business objectives and our campaigns are in it for the long haul. We have long-term goals. We also use dialogue and two-way communication instead of monologues used by marketers. This conversation helps tell real stories.
2. What do marketers know that PR people don't?
Marketers use the landscape approach. To them, relationships should be profitable and are not always two-way in nature. The biggest part of this relationship is making the customer complete a call to action. Marketers don't always have big picture thoughts.
3. What do journalists understand that PR people and marketers don't?
Journalists are great storytellers. They have the tools to emphasize what they want to share in a particular story. The are also very aware of recent changes in their field and know how to adapt content to stay relevant.
Sharing this information in the webinar will be helpful for all PR practitioners, marketers and journalists. They can now understand what the other wish they knew and hopefully learn new skills to help them better relate to the other!
My favorite part of this webinar were there questions about PR people, marketers and journalists and what each knew that the other didn't. I found this very interesting because these are three sets of people who interact constantly and to know what the other thinks you should know can help this relationship grow stronger.
Here's what I learned:
1. What do PR people know that other marketers don't?
The professionals said that PR people use stories to support business objectives and our campaigns are in it for the long haul. We have long-term goals. We also use dialogue and two-way communication instead of monologues used by marketers. This conversation helps tell real stories.
2. What do marketers know that PR people don't?
Marketers use the landscape approach. To them, relationships should be profitable and are not always two-way in nature. The biggest part of this relationship is making the customer complete a call to action. Marketers don't always have big picture thoughts.
3. What do journalists understand that PR people and marketers don't?
Journalists are great storytellers. They have the tools to emphasize what they want to share in a particular story. The are also very aware of recent changes in their field and know how to adapt content to stay relevant.
Sharing this information in the webinar will be helpful for all PR practitioners, marketers and journalists. They can now understand what the other wish they knew and hopefully learn new skills to help them better relate to the other!
10.23.2011
The Golden Rules
While at PRSSA National Conference, I attended a break out session called "Building Trust and Inspiring Passion: Keys to Success in Both the For-Profit and Non-Profit World" with Joe Hice and Les Landes. This was my favorite session and I particularly liked Joe Hice's Golden Rules of Communication. These were not only great for public relations practitioners, but for anyone who communicates, which is everyone! Here they are:
1. Always approach people as the source of the solution--not the cause of the problem.
This is a great rule for anyone in any conflict resolution situation. Humans are quick to put the blame on someone else, but this offers a refreshing perspective on this situation. Approaching others to help solve problems will make conflict resolution much easier and will help keep negative feelings out of the mix.
2. The only terminal communication breakdown is disengagement--so keep the dialogue going.
Keeping your public involved and engaged is the best way to build relationships and start conversations. This is something we speak of often in our Social Media class, and something I've come to appreciate as a PR major. PR is about two-way communication, and if it doesn't involve both sides, it's not communication!
3. Communication is too important to be left in the hands of professional communicators, so share the know-how and build connections and relationships.
A brand will only be as strong as it's weakest representative. That said, we must share knowledge to allow everyone to communicate that brand in the best way. If connections are built by everyone in the company and all supporting that brand, relationships will be much stronger.
4. Be a champion of trust!
Joe described PR professionals as "Champions of Trust" instead of PR people. I loved this! I strongly believe if you don't have trust in a relationship, you have nothing. As communicators, we need to make sure we are building that trust between our target audiences in a credible, continuous and transparent way.
I will keep these four rules close as I start my career as a champion of trust!
1. Always approach people as the source of the solution--not the cause of the problem.
This is a great rule for anyone in any conflict resolution situation. Humans are quick to put the blame on someone else, but this offers a refreshing perspective on this situation. Approaching others to help solve problems will make conflict resolution much easier and will help keep negative feelings out of the mix.
2. The only terminal communication breakdown is disengagement--so keep the dialogue going.
Keeping your public involved and engaged is the best way to build relationships and start conversations. This is something we speak of often in our Social Media class, and something I've come to appreciate as a PR major. PR is about two-way communication, and if it doesn't involve both sides, it's not communication!
3. Communication is too important to be left in the hands of professional communicators, so share the know-how and build connections and relationships.
A brand will only be as strong as it's weakest representative. That said, we must share knowledge to allow everyone to communicate that brand in the best way. If connections are built by everyone in the company and all supporting that brand, relationships will be much stronger.
4. Be a champion of trust!
Joe described PR professionals as "Champions of Trust" instead of PR people. I loved this! I strongly believe if you don't have trust in a relationship, you have nothing. As communicators, we need to make sure we are building that trust between our target audiences in a credible, continuous and transparent way.
I will keep these four rules close as I start my career as a champion of trust!
10.22.2011
ONU PRSSA meets Disney World
Going to Disney World, even for just a day, this past week was one of the highlights of my fall. I love hanging out with my ONU PRSSA friends and adding Disney to the mix just makes everything a little sweeter.
We arrived in Disney World Wednesday night. Thanks to my parents' Disney Vacation Club, we stayed in Disney's Old Key West villa. This villa was two stories and slept 12! The first floor had a full kitchen, living room, balcony, two bathrooms and a room with a king-sized bed. The second floor had two rooms with two queen beds and bathrooms. It was amazing! After walking around our place in awe, we finally got some rest for the next day of park hopping.
Thursday was the big day. Over half of group our of 10 had never been to Disney World. Being a frequent vacationer to this spot, it was my duty to make this the best day possible. We started in Magic Kingdom. We walked around all the themed lands there, starting with Tomorrowland. We hit all the necessary rides, including Space Mountain. We finished the park in Adventureland, with Pirates of the Caribbean.
Next, we headed to Animal Kingdom. Expedition Everest, the best roller coaster in Disney World, was sadly not running. We went to Dinosaur, a ride that scared even our 21-year-old selves, and finished with the 3D show, It's Tough to be a Bug. This was the first of many 3D shows that day.
We finished with Hollywood Studios, previously known as MGM. We walked all around the park, seeing all the sights and riding all the rides we wanted to, and of course watching several 3D movies. My highlight of the day was meeting Mater and Lightning McQueen!! I love Lightning! We also found some grub, and finished the day by riding Tower of Terror and Rock-n-Roller Coaster three times each.
After a long day of magic and memory-making, we took our tired feet home. I know my group had a blast, even if Epcot didn't make the cut on our day trip. I can't wait to go back!
We arrived in Disney World Wednesday night. Thanks to my parents' Disney Vacation Club, we stayed in Disney's Old Key West villa. This villa was two stories and slept 12! The first floor had a full kitchen, living room, balcony, two bathrooms and a room with a king-sized bed. The second floor had two rooms with two queen beds and bathrooms. It was amazing! After walking around our place in awe, we finally got some rest for the next day of park hopping.
Thursday was the big day. Over half of group our of 10 had never been to Disney World. Being a frequent vacationer to this spot, it was my duty to make this the best day possible. We started in Magic Kingdom. We walked around all the themed lands there, starting with Tomorrowland. We hit all the necessary rides, including Space Mountain. We finished the park in Adventureland, with Pirates of the Caribbean.
Next, we headed to Animal Kingdom. Expedition Everest, the best roller coaster in Disney World, was sadly not running. We went to Dinosaur, a ride that scared even our 21-year-old selves, and finished with the 3D show, It's Tough to be a Bug. This was the first of many 3D shows that day.
We finished with Hollywood Studios, previously known as MGM. We walked all around the park, seeing all the sights and riding all the rides we wanted to, and of course watching several 3D movies. My highlight of the day was meeting Mater and Lightning McQueen!! I love Lightning! We also found some grub, and finished the day by riding Tower of Terror and Rock-n-Roller Coaster three times each.
After a long day of magic and memory-making, we took our tired feet home. I know my group had a blast, even if Epcot didn't make the cut on our day trip. I can't wait to go back!
10.20.2011
Stuck in a Crisis
I am a firm believer in the power of hands-on learning. Reading and studying various topics can help you form an understanding of that topic, but you really won't know until you experience or witness it personally.
While ONU PRSSA was at Disney World for the day before our conference began, three of our members witnessed a crisis while at Disney's Hollywood Studios. I was lucky enough to be one of them, and surely I took notes to learn from this experience.
While riding Toy Story Mania, the ride broke down and we were stuck in the middle of this 3D arcade game attraction. I thought that the workers handled this crisis well and there were three things in particular I noticed they paid attention to while handling this. I'll call them the "Three S's".
1. Safety. With any situation or crisis, safety should be the number one concern. As soon as the ride broke down, an announcement was made to sit and wait patiently in the cars. Of course, this is to ensure no one leaves their car and could get hurt walking around unassisted. The workers came to each car, unlocked the doors and helped us out. They also lined us up against the wall to keep us in order and away from the tracks, where someone could potentially trip and fall.
2. Speed. We did have to wait for all riders to get unlocked and out of their cars, as we formed one large line, but I didn't think this took very long. I would say we were inside during the crisis for about 15-20 minutes. I think the speed and responsiveness of the workers was efficient, not to mention they all remained calm as they unlocked the ride as quickly as possible.
3. Sign. It's important to offer a gesture by which you express apologies to those involved in the crisis. Disney did this by offering a Fast Pass to any ride in the park. This is a pass that allows you to jump the line and avoid waiting. Our pass didn't expire that day either, which I thought was great because it didn't limit how we could use this. This was a small gesture, but it was still something that helped ease our negative experience with the ride.
Next time you're in a crisis or dealing with one, remember the "Three S's" and see if these tips help make the experience better!
While ONU PRSSA was at Disney World for the day before our conference began, three of our members witnessed a crisis while at Disney's Hollywood Studios. I was lucky enough to be one of them, and surely I took notes to learn from this experience.
While riding Toy Story Mania, the ride broke down and we were stuck in the middle of this 3D arcade game attraction. I thought that the workers handled this crisis well and there were three things in particular I noticed they paid attention to while handling this. I'll call them the "Three S's".
1. Safety. With any situation or crisis, safety should be the number one concern. As soon as the ride broke down, an announcement was made to sit and wait patiently in the cars. Of course, this is to ensure no one leaves their car and could get hurt walking around unassisted. The workers came to each car, unlocked the doors and helped us out. They also lined us up against the wall to keep us in order and away from the tracks, where someone could potentially trip and fall.
2. Speed. We did have to wait for all riders to get unlocked and out of their cars, as we formed one large line, but I didn't think this took very long. I would say we were inside during the crisis for about 15-20 minutes. I think the speed and responsiveness of the workers was efficient, not to mention they all remained calm as they unlocked the ride as quickly as possible.
3. Sign. It's important to offer a gesture by which you express apologies to those involved in the crisis. Disney did this by offering a Fast Pass to any ride in the park. This is a pass that allows you to jump the line and avoid waiting. Our pass didn't expire that day either, which I thought was great because it didn't limit how we could use this. This was a small gesture, but it was still something that helped ease our negative experience with the ride.
Next time you're in a crisis or dealing with one, remember the "Three S's" and see if these tips help make the experience better!
Chicago!
One reason I absolutely adore being an ONU student is all the places I get to travel to. Through a few organizations I'm involved in or with the contacts I've made by being here, I've ventured to so many cities and states just in the past year. Places I've never been and places I never thought I'd go to. And with the semester transition giving me a fall break, what did I choose to do with this time off? Travel some more.
Kelsey (my roommate, friend and DZ sister) and I left the cornfields of Ada and spent three days and two nights in Chicago with our sorority sister, Janet. She graduated from ONU last spring and was an amazing host. We toured her neighborhood, spend a day in the city seeing all the sights (being as touristy as possible) and went to the Sara Bareilles concert at the Riviera Theatre. What a great way to spend fall break!
This wasn't my first trip to Chicago. I went for the first time in April with PRSSA for firm tours. This second trip just affirmed that I love this city. I'm so lucky to know so many great people there. And who knows, maybe some day I'll join them as a resident of the city myself!
Kelsey (my roommate, friend and DZ sister) and I left the cornfields of Ada and spent three days and two nights in Chicago with our sorority sister, Janet. She graduated from ONU last spring and was an amazing host. We toured her neighborhood, spend a day in the city seeing all the sights (being as touristy as possible) and went to the Sara Bareilles concert at the Riviera Theatre. What a great way to spend fall break!
This wasn't my first trip to Chicago. I went for the first time in April with PRSSA for firm tours. This second trip just affirmed that I love this city. I'm so lucky to know so many great people there. And who knows, maybe some day I'll join them as a resident of the city myself!
10.09.2011
Real-Time Technology
While flipping through David Meerman Scott's Real-Time Marketing & PR, I found a graphic I really enjoyed about real-time technology on page 189. From a business side, we pay attention to real-time news and commentary, real-time social web, and real-time web site traffic. These are all things we need to be sure to manage.
To do this, we tap into our three databases: customer, journalist and prospect. A customer database includes all existing customers and their purchasing history, plus records of who has contacted them, when and about what. Journalist database is a database of known journalists and analysts, including bloggers and other citizen journalists. A prospect database is potential customers with information on how they found your company, which salesperson is in charge of the relationship and status of discussions.
We also watch customer relationship management, web site analytics, social site analytics and marketing automation. These databases and tools to manage help us create real-time playbooks, which are best practices we develop in our organization to engage buyers for maximum growth.
Managing all of these things help with real-time dashboard and mobile applications. This also influences marketers, salespeople, customer service, public relations and management. All of these inputs and outputs help support real-time business and are a part of the technology infrastructure.
To do this, we tap into our three databases: customer, journalist and prospect. A customer database includes all existing customers and their purchasing history, plus records of who has contacted them, when and about what. Journalist database is a database of known journalists and analysts, including bloggers and other citizen journalists. A prospect database is potential customers with information on how they found your company, which salesperson is in charge of the relationship and status of discussions.
We also watch customer relationship management, web site analytics, social site analytics and marketing automation. These databases and tools to manage help us create real-time playbooks, which are best practices we develop in our organization to engage buyers for maximum growth.
Managing all of these things help with real-time dashboard and mobile applications. This also influences marketers, salespeople, customer service, public relations and management. All of these inputs and outputs help support real-time business and are a part of the technology infrastructure.
10.07.2011
Lessons in Event Planning #2
So here's yet another blog about event planning. This is a skill that I'm working on honing here in my last year in college. Being involved in multiple organizations across campus helps because most of these organizations host events. But these lessons I learned in event planning came from my very own sister's wedding this past weekend.
1. Expect the worst. Ohio weather can be quite awful at times. It rained Thursday for the rehearsal dinner and Friday for the actual rehearsal. The reports also called for rain Saturday. Because of this, I drove around to four different stores to find five purple umbrellas. Purple was important because that was one of the colors in the wedding and we wanted them to match if we had to take a few pictures outside. An umbrella picture could have been cute anyway! Thankfully the ceremony and reception was indoors so we didn't need a plan B for that. This just taught me to have a backup plan when hosting events, especially when being outside is involved.
2. Hope for the best. We kept saying if we bought the umbrellas it wouldn't rain, and it didn't! It was cloudy and a little chilly, but we stuck it out and the pictures were gorgeous. It's important to have multiple plans if something goes wrong, but it's also important to be optimistic. If you're the one running the event, your workers or volunteers are relying on you to guide them through their tasks. You need to have answers if questions arise, but you also need to have a positive attitude.
3. Just go with it. Things will go wrong. The ceremony required multiple songs for the entrance and exit of the wedding party. The night before we cut the tracks together into one song to play. We timed each entrance at the rehearsal the day before and we were fairly confident that it would run smoothly. Of course, two groomsmen had trouble rolling out the isle runner, and the music had to be paused. The bridal party walked down too fast for their section, but the song was beautiful and the suspense was built up for the entrance of the bride. Then at the exit, the wrong song was played. It wasn't a bad song, and was actually fit well, but the party just went with it. And does anyone remember these hiccups? Probably not. It's best to just go with the flow and everything will work itself out.
1. Expect the worst. Ohio weather can be quite awful at times. It rained Thursday for the rehearsal dinner and Friday for the actual rehearsal. The reports also called for rain Saturday. Because of this, I drove around to four different stores to find five purple umbrellas. Purple was important because that was one of the colors in the wedding and we wanted them to match if we had to take a few pictures outside. An umbrella picture could have been cute anyway! Thankfully the ceremony and reception was indoors so we didn't need a plan B for that. This just taught me to have a backup plan when hosting events, especially when being outside is involved.
2. Hope for the best. We kept saying if we bought the umbrellas it wouldn't rain, and it didn't! It was cloudy and a little chilly, but we stuck it out and the pictures were gorgeous. It's important to have multiple plans if something goes wrong, but it's also important to be optimistic. If you're the one running the event, your workers or volunteers are relying on you to guide them through their tasks. You need to have answers if questions arise, but you also need to have a positive attitude.
3. Just go with it. Things will go wrong. The ceremony required multiple songs for the entrance and exit of the wedding party. The night before we cut the tracks together into one song to play. We timed each entrance at the rehearsal the day before and we were fairly confident that it would run smoothly. Of course, two groomsmen had trouble rolling out the isle runner, and the music had to be paused. The bridal party walked down too fast for their section, but the song was beautiful and the suspense was built up for the entrance of the bride. Then at the exit, the wrong song was played. It wasn't a bad song, and was actually fit well, but the party just went with it. And does anyone remember these hiccups? Probably not. It's best to just go with the flow and everything will work itself out.
This just goes to show that you can learn from any experience in life!
The Sad-mester Change
Well, I've given it seven weeks and I've officially decided that I do not like semesters. And here's my top three reasons why:
1. Ugly schedule. I am a public relations major in the Arts and Sciences college with a business administration minor in the Business college. My major courses are on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and my minor courses are on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This means I have class every day. I don't really mind this, but many people love that they do not have class but two or three days a week. I would love to have this schedule so I could take on an internship or volunteer, but my schedule is just not flexible. It is making me miss out on opportunities. I also disliked the fact that my last summer break was cut short because of the semester transition.
2. More projects. Being a senior, I have larger projects and tasks in my courses. This is something I am fully capable of handling, and depending on the course, are even projects I enjoy completing. But on semesters, I feel like all the professors are handing out more large assignments, projects or papers. Do they think because we have 17 weeks that we can take on so many more? I had three due yesterday and I did complete them all, but I'm afraid that with this tremendous workload that I won't be able to give 100% to each project. This is the first semester in the transition for ONU, so hopefully professors will tweak what they assign next time.
3. Less classes. What I mean by less classes is that I am taking a third less classes than I normally would. I only have two sets of classes in a year instead of three. I love being able to take courses outside my major because I strongly believe this makes me a well-rounded student. I love the scheduling process and being able to have more options. Taking a religion or philosophy course helps feed my mind and I love that taking these types of classes gives me a break from the business or communication courses I take all the time. I love trying something new and taking these outside courses can help me discover new interests and lead me down new paths.
Is it too late to switch back to quarters?!
1. Ugly schedule. I am a public relations major in the Arts and Sciences college with a business administration minor in the Business college. My major courses are on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and my minor courses are on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This means I have class every day. I don't really mind this, but many people love that they do not have class but two or three days a week. I would love to have this schedule so I could take on an internship or volunteer, but my schedule is just not flexible. It is making me miss out on opportunities. I also disliked the fact that my last summer break was cut short because of the semester transition.
2. More projects. Being a senior, I have larger projects and tasks in my courses. This is something I am fully capable of handling, and depending on the course, are even projects I enjoy completing. But on semesters, I feel like all the professors are handing out more large assignments, projects or papers. Do they think because we have 17 weeks that we can take on so many more? I had three due yesterday and I did complete them all, but I'm afraid that with this tremendous workload that I won't be able to give 100% to each project. This is the first semester in the transition for ONU, so hopefully professors will tweak what they assign next time.
3. Less classes. What I mean by less classes is that I am taking a third less classes than I normally would. I only have two sets of classes in a year instead of three. I love being able to take courses outside my major because I strongly believe this makes me a well-rounded student. I love the scheduling process and being able to have more options. Taking a religion or philosophy course helps feed my mind and I love that taking these types of classes gives me a break from the business or communication courses I take all the time. I love trying something new and taking these outside courses can help me discover new interests and lead me down new paths.
Is it too late to switch back to quarters?!
10.03.2011
Don't underestimate the power of social media!
Our social media class finished Real-Time Marketing & PR by David Meerman Scott this past week. I particularly like how the last chapter highlights how communication has changed over the past several years and that we need to relearn how to communicate with our target audiences. Communication is no longer one-sided. Consumers have a voice, that we must listen and respond to. Listening is key and it's important for your consumers to know that you are listening to them.
I particularly like the part in this last chapter about being "prepared to step forward and say, 'Just a moment, here's proof that we mean what we say.'" It's important to back up what you say with action because it brings more meaning to your words.
All of the information from this book has helped me with my personal social media sites and I'm sure one day when I work for an organization, it will benefit them too!
I particularly like the part in this last chapter about being "prepared to step forward and say, 'Just a moment, here's proof that we mean what we say.'" It's important to back up what you say with action because it brings more meaning to your words.
All of the information from this book has helped me with my personal social media sites and I'm sure one day when I work for an organization, it will benefit them too!
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