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Key Learnings in #COMM4333 Writing for PR Spring 2011

Image Credit: "New Zoo Review"

It’s hard to believe the semester is almost over, but it most certainly is — at least if we can trust our calendars.

As a way of reviewing what we covered and learned in COMM 4333 (Writing for PR and Advertising), each student will:

  • Choose a toy animal from a basket in class.
  • Name the animal.
  • Write the letters of the animal’s name down the left margin of a paper.
  • Come up with something we discussed in COMM 4333 that starts with each letter.
  • Reply to this blog post with a comment including the animal’s name & what they learned. Put a star/asterisk in front of the most important thing learned. (NOTE: Copy the comment before you submit it, and save it in a Word doc.)
  • Send a tweet with the most important thing learned and the class hashtag (#COMM4333)

After each student is done with this, we’ll go around the room and each student will share his/her starred item — the key learning.

Any why is  “New Zoo Revue” in the title of this post? It was among my favorite childhood TV shows. (It’s a little painful watching the production values in the show now, but I loved it as a child.)

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Writing a Public Service Announcement

Echoes From Another Time by drp.One way that nonprofit and government associations get the word out is through public service announcements.

For our PR Writing class, create a 30-second public service announcement or radio news release for your client. (If you have a nonprofit or gov’t client, write a PSA. If you have a for-profit client, write a radio news release.) Review the information in Chapter 9, especially pages 208-222 for tips on how to write.

Things to keep in mind:

  • Thirty seconds is not very long, approximately 75 words. You’ll need to get to the point quickly.
  • You’re writing information that will be spoken, not read silently. There’s a BIG difference between the two. Ask a friend or two to read your PSA or radio news release aloud. Edit and adjust as needed.
  • Write conversationally.
  • Use the same standard header that you have used on previous news release assignments (for contact information, etc.)
  • Feel free to write on the same topic as you have in previous releases, as long as the topic can fit this assignment.

Additional resources:

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Creating a Media Advisory

Image Credit: "Exclamation Point (!)" by Gabriel Millos

As a public relations writer, one of the collateral pieces you are likely to be writing is a media advisory. A media advisory (or media alert) is designed to encourage a reporter to come and cover an event.

Chapter 6 in your Public Relations Writing & Media Techniques textbook provides a good overview of the contents of a media advisory. See pages 144-146 for details.

That said, with your client in mind, create a media advisory for an upcoming event. Though it’s ideal if this is for a real event, if your client does not have one planned in the near future, you can use your creativity to write about an imaginary event. (Be sure to let me know if it is not a real event.)

When structuring your media advisory, make it as simple as possible for the reporter to find the details. Keep these things in mind:

  • Use letterhead from your client for the media advisory (just like you would for a news release)
  • Include pertinent contact information (just like you would for a news release)
  • Write a catchy headline (just like you would for a news release)
  • Provide a brief opening paragraph with your story idea
  • Create headings including the 5 W’s & a P:
    • Who
    • What
    • Where
    • When
    • Photo Ops
    • Why (Tip: this one is perhaps the most important. This is where you will use your persuasive writing abilities to convince the reporter that the story is newsworthy. It should explain why the reporter should come, not why someone in the community should come, to the event.)

REMEMBER: This Media Advisory is written for a reporter, not a community member.

Check your syllabus for the due date for this assignment.

(NOTE: You can see many, many sample media advisories online by Googling “media advisory sample” or “media alert sample.” I cannot vouch for the content of all of them, but it would be good for you to see them to get a feel for how they look and read.)

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A College Student’s Guide to Getting Started with Twitter

Image Credit: "Montreal Twestival 2009 Cupcakes" by Clever Cupcakes

During Week Seven of our Spring Semester, I have the opportunity to attend the Social Fresh Conference in Tampa. (Thank you, HubSpot, for the free ticket that I won!)

So instead of class on Monday/Tuesday, spend some time learning on your own about using Twitter. Here are a few ways to learn. We’ll talk more about Twitter either right before or right after Spring Break (depending on which class you are in). Be sure to follow the directions in Step 4 so you “take attendance” for the class; you can send the required tweet/message anytime before midnight on Tuesday.

Step 1: Watch

If you haven’t seen it already, watch Twitter in Plain English, made by the folks at Common Craft:

Step 2: Watch

Then watch the Inbound Marketing University webinar titled “Twitter for Business,” led by Laura Fitton (@pistachio on Twitter) OR “Twitter for Business” led by Paul Gillin (@pgillin on Twitter). You don’t have to watch both, unless you’d really like to see two different perspectives on using Twitter.


Twitter for Business from Paul Gillin on Vimeo.

Step 3: Read

Read my post 10.5 Ways for PR Students to Get the Most Out of Twitter.

Step 4: Subscribe

Set Up Your Twitter Account

  1. Go to Twitter. Click Get Started, and sign up. I prefer it if you use some version of your first and last name as your Twitter ID. (Avoid putting numbers in your Twitter ID, or you may appear like a spammer.)
  2. Upload a photo or avatar.
  3. Write a brief (160-character or fewer) bio. It’s good to mention that you’re a PR student. Consider mentioning your university.
  4. Send a tweet saying “I’m a student in @barbaranixon’s #COMM2322 /#COMM4333 / #COMM4633 /#SPC4350 class”. (Use the correct number for your class.) Be sure to include the #xxx1234 indicator, with no spaces between the hashtag (#), letters and numbers. It is by you sending this tweet that I will “take attendance” on Monday/Tuesday.

Step 5: Follow

Follow the people I recommend in my Starter Pack for PR Students list:  — at least for the duration of this semester. I will also create lists for students in each of my classes (but I cannot do this until I have all your Twitter IDs.)

Additional Information

  1. If you already have a Twitter account that you use primarily for social (not educational or professional) reasons, you may wish to create a fresh, new account for this class and professional reasons.
  2. Review my tips on Choosing Whom to Follow on Twitter: My Strategy.
  3. Review Prof. Sam Bradley’s College Student’s Guide: Twitter 101.
  4. Review The Anatomy of a Tweet: What Do All Those Symbols Mean?
  5. I find using the web interface for Twitter to be clunky. I prefer using TweetDeck, a free Adobe Air app that works great on PCs and Macs. TweetDeck makes it really easy to send URLs via Twitter, as it automatically shortens them for you.
  6. I’ll occasionally post information on Twitter and use the hashtag for your class (#COMM2322, #COMM4333, #COMM4633 or #SPC4350).By using this hashtag, I’m indicating that I want students in this class to pay special attention to the tweet.
  7. If you’d like to publicize your blog posts via Twitter, you can it automatically in WordPress.

If you’re a college student, especially a college student majoring in public relations, I’d love to hear how you have benefitted by using Twitter.

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A Dozen FAQs About Blog Assignment, Spring 2011


Image Credit: "street art vienna" by a_kep

Students have been asking lots and lots of questions this spring as they get started with their blogs. Virtually all of their questions are answered here in my Public Relations Matters blog.

How do I know what I am supposed to blog about?

How long are my blog posts supposed to be?

Where are we supposed to find lists of other blogs to comment on?

I still don’t understand what to do to track the comments I write on other people’s blogs.

I don’t know how to do something in WordPress. Where should I look to find the answer?

I created all the categories you told me to, and they still don’t show up on my blog. Why?

  • The categories will show up in your category widget once you have at least one post written in the category.

So I just have to have all the right amount of posts and comments before the end of the semester, right?

  • That’s part of it, but there are also weekly deadlines for the Topics of the Week (that’s why they’re called Topics of the WEEK). And you have interim deadlines as well, so that you can evenly space out your posts throughout the semester. Your Blog Editorial Calendar will help keep you on track. It’s not overwhelming if you keep up with it every week.

What’s this Blog Editorial Calendar that is due, and how to I create one?

  • See Creating a Blog Editorial Calendar. You will create the Blog Editorial Calendar in Excel, then submit it in BlackBoard by the due date. (NOTE: If you already maintain another calendar to help you keep organized during the semester, you can add in the elements that go in the Blog Editorial Calendar into that. Then photocopy it, highlight the Blog elements and turn it in in class on the day it is due.)

What do I need to have done for the Blog Checkpoints?

Where am I supposed to get ideas for the PR Connections?

  • These can be about any aspect of PR that you would like to discuss. Some students like to choose a theme based on their interests: nonprofit, entertainment, sports, fashion, etc. Others read Ragan’s PR Daily and find ideas in there. If you’re stuck for an idea, ask a classmate, then ask me. (I’d much prefer for you to come up with your own ideas, but I can assign some if necessary.)

How will you evaluate the overall blog at the end of the semester?

  • See the draft of the rubric. (The points may be different in my different classes, but the categories of what I am evaluating are the same for each class. I will have the proper rubric available for each class by the middle of the semester.)

Can I see some examples of outstanding blogs from your previous semesters?

Other questions? Just let me know.

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COMM 4333 Student Blogs, Spring 2011

Students in my COMM 4333 Writing for PR and Advertising class have started blogging. They will be adding to their blogs weekly throughout the Spring semester.



If you are a student in this class and your name does not show up on this list, please be sure you have at least one post on your blog, then complete this Google Form; it’s a manual process to build the blogroll, so your name will not show up immediately.

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Everything I Need to Know About Blog Post Length I Learned at Starbucks

Students in my PR classes have been asking the age-old question “How long does my assignment (blog posts, in this case) need to be” in the last few weeks. Though I’ve described it in class orally, and wrote about it here in my blog, it wasn’t until I made a Starbucks analogy that it finally clicked with many of them. I made a low-tech infographic with chalk (remember chalk?), and snapped a picture of it before I left class today.

So here it goes: Everything I Need to Know About Blog Post Length I Learned at Starbucks.

Image Credit: "Starbucks and Blog Posts" by Barbara Nixon

Trenta-Size

The Trenta is Starbucks’ newest cup size, designed for iced drinks only. It’s huge. (Well, not really. It’s 31 ounces. It’s slightly smaller than the size of a Big Gulp.) For my students’ blogs, their Topics of the Week should be the longest posts in their blogs. They need to be 300 words minimum.

Venti- or Grande-Size

Venti and Grande are Starbucks’ medium sized cups. (But don’t order a “medium” at Starbucks. The baristas will look down on you if you do. Trust me.) The PR Connections (commentary about of PR-related topic of their choosing) don’t have a specific length, but somewhere between the 300-word minimum of the Topics of the Week and the 50-word minumum of the Blog Comments is a good place to aim.

Tall-Size

This is the Starbucks’ size that has always baffled me. In whose measuring cup is the smallest size made the “Tall”? Anyhow . . . Students will be writing comments on a variety of blogs (from their peers and from PR pros) throughout the semester. In previous classes, they didn’t like that I told them that the comments needed to be substantive. They wanted a number. So here it is: For Blog Comments to “count” for a grade in their classes, the comments need to be 50 words minimum.

So in a nutshell, or a Starbucks cup, there should be a variety of lengths of posts in my students blogs, ranging from the Trenta (Topics of the Week) to the Tall (Blog Comments), with Venti or Grande (PR Connections) snuggled nicely inbetween.

Hope this helps!

(PS — This is a Trenta-sized post, for what it’s worth.)

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Creating a Blog Editorial Calendar

Image Credit: "Fondo de escritorio. Calendario del mes de abril" by Trinamita

Just like with most publications, blogs should have Editorial Calendars. Why? Editorial calendars will do the following:

  • Fulfill a requirement for the Blog assignment in my classes 🙂
  • Help you realize the scope of your work on the Blog
  • Keep you on track for deadlines
  • (And once this class is over), Editorial Calendars help ensure that your readers are receiving fresh and relevant content on a regular basis.

To create your calendar, use the template provided: Blog Editorial Calendar Spring 2012. Be sure to see the second tab of the calendar for an example of a few weeks of what your calendar might look like. The more detail you include in your calendar, the better. Submit the calendar using BlackBoard.

Some tips:

  1. Be as specific as you possibly can in your descriptions for the posts. For example, rather than just saying TOW #1, type in the actual topic after you type TOW #1. With PR Connections, you can be general for now by indicating when you need to post them, but update the calendar for yourself when you choose the specific topics.
  2. For your Blog Comments, put in reminders to yourself to include a certain number of comments by specific dates.
  3. Though your blog has specific due dates for most posts, you can post them before they are due. Take a look at your OWN calendar, and schedule your blog writing so that it fits around other assignments and commitments.
  4. Include the due date for your entire blog.
  5. If it helps you, feel free to color-code this editorial calendar. Put TOWs in one color, PR Connections in another, etc.
  6. See 5 Benefits of an Editorial Calendar for additional tips.