My S.M.A.R.T. discovery about strategic social media planning

During the first month of my master’s program, I identified three original expectations for the Innovative Public Relations Tools (IPR) course. They are:

1. Gain a broader understanding of which digital platforms are most effective for reaching different demographics.
2. Find the right tool or combination of tools to enhance internal messaging to keep the internal audience informed, appreciated and, in turn, boost morale.
3. Learn the art and science of digital storytelling to enhance my public relations objectives. ​

Innovative Public Relations Tools course goals were mapped out on my Mastery Journey timeline during the first month of studies at Full Sail University.

Three things I learned in IPR this month are:

1. Not all social media tools are alike. Gary Vaynerchuk makes this point very clear in his online marketing video. We must choose the right content for the context in which the information is being shared. We are disrespecting the audience if we do not.
2. Hashtags and direct messaging with Instagram are powerful techniques to garner the audience’s attention and trade expose.
3. The importance of a social media playbook and what components should be considered when creating one for a client to ensure brand consistency.  A huge mahalo (yes, I was in Hawaii during part of March) to Professor Foley for sharing the Boy Scouts of America playbook. What a gem of a resource to use for creating a playbook for my client, Comox Valley Schools.

The information learned this month will help map out an internal communications strategy based on S.M.A.R.T. goals. All the lessons learned this month will help improve the social media strategy I developed for my client, Comox Valley Schools.

As much as I did not like Vanyerchuk’s use of profanity, I found his W.H.W framework (who we are, how we’re going to talk about it, and where we’re going to talk about it) to be a handy three-step guide that I will prove to be of great value in the future with my social media activity.

Another resource I discovered from the IPR reading material that will be of great value in my learning journey is the social media marketing strategy template and eight-step guide offered by Hootsuite.

References

GaryVee. (March 13, 2017). Online Marketing Rockstars Gary Vaynerchuk Keynote | Hamburg 2017. [YouTube video] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_6yFerLNmU

LePage, E. and Newberry, C. (March 13, 2019). How to Create a Social Media Marketing Strategy in 8 Easy Steps. Hootsuite. Retrieved on March 18, 2019 from https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-to-create-a-social-media-marketing-plan/

Feature Image Source

rawpixel.com (May 2012) Retrieved from https://www.pexels.com/photo/alphabets-camera-card-desk-407294/ 

 

 

What I knew then and know now … but better

By far, the most enjoyable and fulfilling assignment in our Writing for Interactive Media was the Public Service Announcement (PSA). The process of scripting, filming scenes, and recording interviews were stimulating. More so, I felt alive in my creative space. The editing was simple and straightforward. The scenes fell into place exactly as played on the film reel in my headspace. I unleashed my “childlike spirit” all over again (Greene, 2012).

Interesting course this month. While I thought I was going to take a deep dive into Public Relations theory in today’s digital world, I found the content heavily based on practical exercises, and for which I have plenty of experience. The assigned readings reinforce much of what I already know. However, my background has primarily been in the public sector. Neal Schaffer’s Maximize Your Social was a worthwhile read and very comparable to blogs and articles I’ve combed through restlessness to keep abreast with the changing trends in PR, specifically in public education.

As a consultant in PR for more than 10 years, I have seen the introduction and implementation of digital media platforms long before companies like Hootsuite, Hubspot and Buffer came along. Before the invention of social media tools, these companies didn’t exist. Communicating digitally has given rise to new inventions, new instruction, and advanced tools to enhance the digital media experience even further.

The pace at which these digital platforms are developing is exhausting. One day shooting video on landscape setting is appropriate, the next day vertical is in, horizontal is out. Raw, authentic, unscripted video, contrary to the PSA, is cool, catchy and trendy. And that’s one of the biggest takeaways this month. Figuring out the language, style, and tone to use for social media and digital storytelling. It is quite an art. And if it weren’t for these social media expert companies, I might be somewhat naive and lacking in experience.

Late last month, I took part in a Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) conference. Among the presenters was a young employee representing Hootsuite who spoke on the topic of metrics and measuring ROI. I found her discussion informative, as well as reassuring since it will be the subject of an upcoming course in the Master’s program. More reassuring, fellow PR practitioners in attendance were frivolously taking as many notes as I during the presentation, excited to gain insightful knowledge from one of the leading companies in social media data collection. Whether a seasoned PR practitioner or a newly-minted one, there is so much to embrace and explore with the new way of communicating, and this workshop made me even more eager to jump in.

 

Still, while the art continues to evolve with the ever-changing trends, the very purpose of the public relations remains constant. Build and maintain valuable relationships with the public to garner support by managing the communications between the organization and its publics” (Grunig & Hunt. cited in Bowen et al. 2010).

Moving forward in my profession, I feel even more confident in upholding the virtues of the trade with my knowledge deeply rooted in the foundation of our profession. Equally, I have an inspired sense of direction in the tactics that keep the profession alive, relevant and necessary as traditional media struggles to stay alive. Change the narrative, lead the story. Become your own brand journalist. The PR occupation, indeed, has an exciting future.

Reference List:

Bowen, S., Rawlins, B. & Martin, T. (2010). An Overview to the Public Relations Function. Retrieved from https://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/sales-and-marketing/9781606490990

Greene, R.  (2012). Mastery [VitalSource]. Retrieved from  https://bookshelf.vitalsouce/#/books/9781101601020/

Schaffer, N. (2013) Maximize Your Social: A One-Stop Guide to Building A Social Media Strategy for Marketing and Business Success. Retrieved from https://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/web-applications-and-services/social-media/9781118756683

The Art of Being Social, Digitally

Interesting course this month. While I thought I was going to take a deep dive into Public Relations theory in today’s digital world, I found the content heavily based on practical exercises, all of which I have experience in executing. The assigned readings reinforce much of what I already know. However, my background has primarily been in the public sector. Neal Schaffer’s Maximize Your Social was a worthwhile read and very comparable to blogs and articles I’ve combed through restlessness to keep abreast with the changing trends in PR, specifically in public.

As a consultant in PR for more than 10 years, I have seen the introduction and implementation of digital media platforms long before companies like Hootsuite, Hubspot and Buffer came along. Before the invention of social media tools these companies didn’t exist. Communicating digitally has given rise to new inventions, new instruction, and advanced tools to enhance the digital media experience even further.

Thank goodness for that. The pace and rate at which these digital platforms are developing are exhausting. One day shooting video on landscape setting is appropriate.  The next day vertical is in, horizontal is out. Raw, authentic unscripted video, contrary to the scripted Public Service Announcement, is cool, catching and trendy. And that’s one of my biggest takeaways. Figuring out the language, style, and tone to use for social media and digital storytelling is quite an art. And if it weren’t for these social media expert companies, I’d still be rather naive and lacking in experience.

It’s fair to say, the practical assignments this week were the catalyst to further the learning journey. Just this week, I made my first Instagram story for my current employer, Comox Valley Schools. It’s like scrapbooking on crack, digitally!

Screenshot of Mary’s first Instagram story on the school district account. Cool!

The experience was altogether weird and exhilarating at once. Weird that these digital stories will only have a shelf life of 24 hours. Exciting that I managed to figure it out on my own. Well, okay I had help from Buffer.

“Siri, how do I make a story on Instagram that my 15-year-old daughter should be able to teach me but has lost patience because, in her eyes, I belong to the slow generation!”

“Mary, I can’t help you with your relationship with your child or demystify the Gen-Zers but here’s what I found!”

Boom up pops a link an article by Buffer! For the better part of a few hours I invested further into expanding my knowledge, comparing Hootsuite with Buffer and testing my understanding as I followed along step by step on my device.

Oddly, late last month I had the opportunity to listen to a young employee at Hootsuite deliver a presentation at a Canadian Public Relations Society workshop on the topic of metrics and measuring ROI. I found it reassuring as this is an upcoming course in the Master’s program. More reassuring, fellow PR practitioners were frivolously taking as many notes as I. We seasoned PR practitioners, as well as the newly-minted ones, have so much to embrace and explore with the new way of communicating.

Still, while the art continues to evolve with the ever-changing trends, the very purpose of the public relations specialists remains constant. Build and maintain valuable relationships with the public to garner support. I was echoing that very sentiment at the end of a long day with the school district superintendent as we finished up a meeting with a parent group. We’re trying to bridge the gap between our parent communities with district senior staff to create a culture of collaboration around student achievement. It occurred to me , or should I say, reinforced the understanding that the PR function was more than the social tools and gimmicks. It involves shaping and changing attitudes. But, as you read in my previous post, nothing that sets up the right conditions to change and shape opinions than a good storytelling experience. Digital storytelling, in 30 seconds or a few minutes has impact. I keep advising the senior staff to wait, be patient. They are coming around because we are changing the narrative with our own storytelling opportunities. My only desire now is to broaden the reach to really get into the psyche of our parents and stakeholders. That to me is where the science of the profession becomes the art.

Reference

Schaffer, N. (2013) Maximize Your Social: A One-Stop Guide to Building A Social Media Strategy for Marketing and Business Success. Retrieved from

https://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/web-applications-and-services/social-media/9781118756683