Immersed in the World of Social Media

Drawing closer to the end of my placement at 32dsg, I was quick to learn the reality of social media as the future of public relations. But why is such importance placed on a medium that may not exist in 10 years? Concluding what has been an exhausting week at the office, I have come bearing the gift of ‘social media wisdom’.

The first surprise of the week came as I discovered  the importance that government organisations placed on social media, with 32dsg being contracted by the Department of Commerce to manage the social media component of the Western Australia Innovator of the Year Awards. However, this led to a more startling revelation… since when did social media become so prominent that a consultancy firm would be contracted to work solely on a client’s social media needs? Whilst producing PR plans throughout university, I often dedicated one strategy or tactic to social media activities – however I had now been given the task of working on a lengthy social media strategy that required vast attention (my role: the production of a portfolio of Facebook posts and Tweets). In a short amount of time, I fully embraced the significance placed on social media in the real world.

Furthermore, having previously used social media for personal use, I considered it a forum that embodied freedom, creativity and power, however where there is a government agency involved, this was a far cry from reality. When developing my portfolio, everything I had produced required approval by the Department of Commerce prior to it being published online. This taught me that even when a PR consultancy is provided with social media responsibilities by a client, they may not always receive the flexibility and creativity needed to meet their own aspirations. In my opinion, social media is current and if nothing else, the two to three day deferral required for confirmation would prove detrimental in maximising social media effectiveness.

In three days I had accumulated over 100 Facebook posts and Tweets ready to reach a substantial following of innovators, corporations and sponsors. Although this experience was surprisingly demanding, I believe it equipped me with enough knowledge to guide many of the social media tasks I will experience throughout my career. Here are the key lessons I will recall when faced with similar tasks in the future;

§  Firstly, when asked to draft a large quantity of tweets and posts, it is important to plan.  Rather than creating individual posts on anything that springs to mind, develop categories which guide research and maximise logic for the client. My categories included; information on sponsors, information about past winners, current news stories on innovation in WA and nationally, quotes and more.

§  Secondly, it is important to have a solid understanding of the communications purpose and therefore who the target audience is. In my instance, the target market for the WA Innovator of the Year Awards was mature adults, with past winners often in medical and other professional fields. As a result, my portfolio required a professional and informative approach, rather than adopting a casual language style.

 

§  Thirdly, communication has to be regular. Whilst working on the project, Tweets and posts were often updated two to three times a day. This ensures that awareness and recognition is maximised. With any frequent communication, planning and relevant content is essential, so much so that 32dsg has just hired a part time social media manager to oversee a number of social media projects.

 

§  Lastly, information must be accurate. Despite the laid back approach to social media that many adopt, nothing reduces credibility like information that is incorrect. Therefore, even when publishing one sentence, ensuring the accuracy of either the source or article is critical.

In my opinion, social media will acquire greater significance throughout the public relations profession in the very near future, but why? Social media encompasses the ability to create impact. It is timely, to the point and engaging; three attributes essential to public relations. With busier schedules and hectic lifestyles, accompanied by evolving technologies with smart phones and tablets, individuals look to social media, and businesses must respond.

Although I have learnt a lot on social media over the past few days, I am looking forward to discovering different areas of public relations over my final days at 32dsg.

Sorry, can you please repeat that in English?

Delving deeper into my role as a public relations Intern at 32dsg, life isn’t all smooth sailing. In a matter of hours my expectations of work experience had transformed in to a desperate desire to simply prepare coffee and tea for my superiors. But how did I get to this point…?

It was nearing the end of the working day when I was asked by the event director to complete a social media strategy for the Omnivore World Tour. I was familiar with the French culinary festival after previous work on a media release; however I had limited experience with social media. Despite this, with a good brief and a reasonable amount of time, I had the utmost confidence in my ability to produce a solid strategy.

The issue: The director has only recently located to Perth from France, where he was born and raised. With the directors basic grasp on the English language, the brief was found to be less helpful than originally anticipated. I was reassured when I was handed a two page social guideline, only it was in French… and I had three hours to research and complete the strategy ready for the 32dsg Project Manager.

In one afternoon, I was equipped with lessons that would guide the entirety of my professional career. So what were these lessons?

1.      Perseverance is key

I have discovered that within the workplace there will always be obstacles that enhance the challenge (in my case, communication), though it is in these situations that your true character is tested. Despite an overwhelming feeling of pressure, it was essential that I remain focused on the task at hand without giving into insecurities. Completion was imminent, and perseverance was a key element to success.

2.      Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines

Deadlines are a fundamental component of professional practice, proving to be both unforgiving and testing. Despite the onset of fatigue at the end of a long day, I had been given a task and its completion was immutable. In those few hours, I thought back to my university studies. In reality you are given hours, not weeks to produce work; minutes, not hours to respond to a crisis; and notes, not ‘project extension’ forms when given instructions. As a result, my ideal of deadlines has changed, resulting in an enhanced sense of urgency in all that I do.

3.      No more hand holding

In the real world there is no one to hold your hand. During those hours, I was forced to recall everything I had learnt during my PR studies, as well as personal and work experience. I could not ‘phone a friend’ or ‘pass’. I had been given a task, and it was my responsibility to complete it. Although confronting, surprisingly this lesson exhilarated me the most. I have always been an independent worker – I enjoy focusing on the task at hand and getting it done. This experience gave me the opportunity to test my work ethic, and thankfully, I excelled.

Moving forward, I look back on this experience fondly, and will instil these lessons not only throughout my professional career, but also in life.

 

If I have any chance of making it big, I need to get out of here

“How am I supposed to reach my full potential in the most isolated capital city in the world? I need more challenges, greater opportunities and rewarding experiences that go beyond what lies in front of me here.”

-          Marli, a once naïve public relations student living in Perth
 

I began my placement at Perth based communications consultancy 32 Degrees South (32dsg) with a skewed outlook of the public relations profession in Western Australia. Not once did I consider Perth as a destination that would enable me to work on a national or international scale. To my delight, I was wrong.

With no previous experience in a professional workplace, my first day was far from what I expected. Slightly overdressed, and eager to put my best foot forward, I entered the contemporary office of 32dsg – a small consultancy firm focused primarily on innovation and strategic thinking. I was welcomed by a team of three consultants, each with over 10 years’ experience in the international field of public relations and events.   

 

 

During my first week, the knowledge I had accumulated during my years of study was quickly thrown in to practice. With no more than a short brief and a website address, I was responsible for drafting a media release that would be disseminated on a national scale. Not to mention, the release was for the Omnivore World Tour, an international food festival that has visited cities such as New York, Paris, Shanghai, Moscow and Montreal and was set to be arriving in Sydney.

Reflecting on the media release I produced during my first week, I was shocked to learn that what I had exercised during university was not necessarily practical in reality. One sentence paragraphs, with a seven to 10 maximum and straight forward language was not the style of media release my supervisor sought. She desired detail. I quickly found myself adapting the media release style to which I had become accustomed and was obliged to demonstrate creativeness and depth.

A media release was however only the beginning. During the week I produced several news articles for an array of clients including Omnivore, Mai Tai, D&AD, the Department of Commerce and the OZAPP Awards. As the week progressed I was given more complex tasks including producing a media strategy and newsletter, as well as various social media activites. In one week I had accomplished more than I thought was possible during my entire placement.

My time so far has been demanding, engaging and above all gratifying. I no longer consider Perth as a stepping stone, but instead an opportunity to fulfil my passion close to family and friends.

To find out more about my placement organisation 32 Degrees South, please visit their website www.32dsg.com.

If anyone is curious to discover more about the clients I came in contact with during my first week, below is a list of websites:

http://www.omnivore.com

http://www.maitaiglobal.org

http://www.dandad.org

http://innovation.wa.gov.au/programs-resources/273-2/

http://ozapp.com.au/