I love the chance to get out and network with other professionals in my community – especially through awesome organizations like PRSA. This year, I was lucky enough to have their Southeast District Conference here in Raleigh.
The pre-conference, lunch keynote and afternoon breakout sessions were packed with tons of media relations tips, tricks and best-practices from experts at SAS, NASA and more!
Check out a few key takeaways below.
- As communicators, we have to earn our “seat at the table” in decision making. Look for change as an opportunity to leverage your expertise and do so.
- The landscape is changing every day. Be aware of the “axes of convergence” – media outlets and media sources, competitors and collaborators, physical and virtual reality, “official” news and real news, and the general overlap in PR, communication, advertising and marketing.
- On the subject of real news, not everything is newsworthy, and it’s our job as PR professionals to make that distinction. A good question I learned to ask yourself is “would anyone but your momma care about this?”
- Before anything else, media are people, and relationships are the foundation to success. Embrace the “5 R’s of media relations”: be respectful, be responsive, be responsible, be realistic, be a resource.
- Right-size your communication plan for your organization – and make sure it includes quantitative and qualitative measurement of your objectives.
If you’re in the area, be sure to check out the conference and NCPRSA chapter – they’re well worth the investment!