Presented to COMM 311: Public Relations Writing at the University of Delaware; November 2012

1. The power of a picture & 140-characters:
What aspiring PR pros should know
about social media
COMM311: Public Relations Writing
Presented by Abby Ecker
November 13, 2012

2. Feel free to “get social” with me!
(Live tweeting encouraged.)
@abbynicole1204
www.pinterest.com/abbynicole1204
www.linkedin.com/in/abbyecker
“PR and Political Communication Commentary”
www.abbystollar.com
“Levels: A Journey through Food & Fitness”
www.levelupfood.wordpress.com

3. Our three focuses:
1. Developing a personal social media brand
2. Developing a business social media brand
3. Resources to help manage and improve your
social media branding

4. What is social media?

5. Part 1: Developing
a personal social
media brand

6. Learning Social Media
- Be realistic.
- Be proactive.
- Be curious.

7. Advance your career in 140
characters or less.

8. Twitter Tips
1. Establish a professional handle. (Anything with “xo” in it
doesn’t count!)
2. Pay attention to your Twitter bio. (Include school,
graduation year, interests, and link to your online portfolio)
3. Make it public.
4. Be a resource & get involved in the conversation.
5. Always be gracious, not greedy.

9. #Useahashtagtherightway
Try out these great PR, job searching, and
young professional communities:
#prstudchat
#prssa
#udcommpr
#internpro
#jobhuntchat
#pr20chat
#likeablechat

10. Advance your career with a
digital resume.

11. LinkedIn Tips
1. Treat it like your 8 ½ x 11 resume – it matters more.
2. Claim your profile address.
1. Ex. www.linkedin.com/in/abbyecker vs.
www.linkedin.com/in/3285876324781267864
3. Aim for at least two to three recommendations.
4. Utilize student-friendly features to highlight your
accomplishments.
5. Challenge yourself to make connections (use Linkedin
groups).

12. Advance your career with a
blog or digital portfolio.

13. Blogging/Portfolio tips
1. Commit. If you can’t commit to regular blogging, that’s okay – stick
with an online portfolio, NOT a blog format.
1. Topic: If you are establishing a blog, establish a theme, and
dedicate yourself to writing valuable content around that
theme.
2. Showcase your skills. Include your resume, writing sample, digital
media samples (guest blogs, videos, etc.), and contact information.
3. Find a platform.
1. Blog: Wordpress, Blogger
2. Website: Weebly, Google
4. Upload work samples. (Use Scribd, DocStoc for easy imports.)
5. Promote!

14. Part 2: Developing
a business social
media brand

15. 1. Survey the social media landscape
Ask…
• Why am I joining this network?
• Who is my audience?
• What is my purpose?

16. 2. Listen before engaging.
“It’s not something that you apply once at the
beginning of an engagement. It is something we
do throughout the process ad infinitum.” –
Chuck Hemann

17. 3. Develop a strategic plan.
- Ask two questions…
- Who are you communicating with?
- Why are you communicating?
- Develop goals & measureable
objectives.
- Differentiate goals for various networks.

18. Case Study: ATI’s Pinterest Page
- Pre-planning
- Understanding the core Pinterest audience
- Understanding our ATI brand (education)
- Strategic plan development
- Flexibility/adaptability

19. Case Study: ATI’s Pinterest Page

20. 4. Evaluate and measure.
- Social media ROI
- Ask…
- What are you trying to accomplish?
- How can this be measured?

21. 5. Remember, content is king.

22. Best Practices - Content
(Brand Social Media)
1. Be human. Have a personality.
2. Two things play well on social media: humor & charity.
(So do gratefulness and playfulness.)
3. Ask questions.
4. Use visuals. Photos get the most engagement, followed
by video.
5. Ask yourself this question before hitting send: Would I
engage with this?

23. Part 3: Resources to help
manage and improve
your social media
branding

24. Social Media Management Tools

25. Sites to share…

26. Books

27. Websites