Twitter Chats. Thanks PR.

In February, I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with the ladies at Geben Communication. President Heather Whaling discussed some social media channels that I was unfamiliar with during my visist. After listening to the PR pro elaborate, I could tell that she knew a thing or two about social media.

Today, I was shuffling through Twitter and the 2011-12 National PRSSA Vice President of Public Relations Lauren Gray tweeted the link to this article. I browsed through the interesting article and then discovered that Ms. Whaling herself was the author. "The PR Pro's Guide to Twitter" focuses on the benefits of Twitter, and how we as public relations practitioners can utilize the resource effectively.

Heather touches on how the public relations industry can be held responsible for the advent of Twitter chats. As part of one of her initiatives, 2010-11 National Vice President of Chapter Development Kim Ciesla created the monthly PRSSA Twitter Chats. Members of the society have raved about how beneficial and fun the Twitter chats have been. The 2011-12 National Committee is excited about continuing these monthly chats and is open to any feedback or topic suggestions.

The aspect of Twitter that I enjoy the most is how much I continue to learn about the social media site. It seems like new tools and trends are evolving each day. I was extremely skeptical about Twitter when I first established my account. I NEVER imagined that it would have the impact on my personal and professional life that it has. Heather makes a great point at the beginning of the article when she says "140 characters can go a long way." She could not be more right. Professionals have been fully utilizing those 140 characters over the past three years, making Twitter one of the best channels for organizations to reach their publics.

PRSSYAY!

This weekend, I attended the 2011 PRSSA National Assembly with Catherine Clampitt in Seattle, a leadership conference highlighted by the election of next year's national committee. I joined PRSSA my freshman year and became a dues paying member last year. I NEVER imagined that this preprofessional society would have the impact on me it has. 

We heard from several professional speakers and ONU graduates, who discussed the incredible impact that PRSSA has had on their lives. As a freshman, I admired them, but always saw my passion for volleyball being the focus of my college career. Sitting here today, I cannot emphasize enough how unbelievably proud and honored I am to be a leader and member of PRSSA.

PRSSA is the largest preprofessional society in the world with more than 10,000 members. The society provides public relations' students with the opportunity to develop and grow as professionals through invaluable networking experiences. I have met some of the most incredible professionals and people, who have served as wonderful role models. 

Members receive unconditional support from the PRSSA mentors and PRSA members. Their dedication to the practice is admirable, and their passion for public relations is contagious. This weekend, I spoke with several professionals who confirmed the value of our practice and the reason why I have dedicated so much energy toward PRSSA.

I have the PRSSA bug, and I am proud to say so. My experience thus far has been nothing short of amazing. For those students who are not involved with PRSSA and are passionate about the practice, I HIGHLY encourage you to join PRSSA! You have nothing to lose and absolutely EVERYTHING to gain. Joining PRSSA was the best decision I have made in college, and I could not be more grateful to all of the mentors who have supported me along the way.

PReparation

In our Introduction to Public Relations courses, Dr. Iseman and Dr. Agozzino frequently discuss the importance of the RESEARCH function within the RACE model. So many times, we have heard as students that we will not be able to practice public relations effectively or be competitive within the market unless we develop into strong public relations researchers.

Today, I learned first hand the importance of strong research and great PReparation as a public relations practitioner.

I'm currently in Seattle for the 2011 PRSSA National Assembly. For those who don't know, National Assembly is a leadership conference for PRSSA members, highlighted by the election of next year's national committee. I was a candidate for the PRSSA Vice President of Internships/Job Services. Each candidate delivered a five minute speech, followed by a 15 minute Q&A when voting delegates have the opportunity to ask questions.

Over the past four months, I have done some serious research to prepare for today's election. I have talked to several current committee members, several past committee members and ONU alum who have assembly experience. In addition to talking to several helpful resources, I thoroughly navigated through the Internship Center. I listened to the advice of my mentors who said you have to be PRepared and perform all of the appropriate research. Man was I happy that I did.

I ran against an exceptional candidate, who is a great representative of the society. Had I not done the research I had, she would have wiped me up. The delegates asked thought provoking questions that challenged candidates running for all positions.

Today, I've never understood more about the importance of research and PReparation. Especially within the field, your fellow practitioners expect you to go above and beyond in terms of research.

The delegates elected me to serve as 2011-12 Vice President of Internships/Job Services. I am so incredibly excited and appreciative. Being part of the national committee was extremely important to me, and I know it wouldn't have happened if I wasn't as PRepared as I was.

Today has inspired me to speak to the Introduction to Public Relations course and preach to young public relations' students about the importance of research. I didn't have the appreciation when I was younger, and hopefully I can reach out and connect with them about the vitality of PReparation within the PR practice!