Social Media Planning

One of my favourite tasks during my experience as an intern was to develop social media plans. I created one for the event Perth Kilt Run and one for the company itself, Event & Conference Co.

I loved how this task gave me some room to be creative in my work and I could see how my ideas were used in the future.

I also learnt a few things in this process about creating social media plans that I would like to share…

1. Choose your social media platforms: Decide which social media platforms you will use (or which already exist for your company that need improving) and plan your content accordingly.

2. Gather inspiration: From competitors, industry professionals or clients. Pinterest is also a great platform to gather inspiration from.

3. Create the plan in the form of a calendar: Ensure that your posts are regular and consistent. A calendar also assists in creating timely posts (I.e around certain times of the year such as Christmas)

A few articles that I found interesting on this topic:

(Article One) 

(Article Two) 

What were some of your favourite tasks as an intern?

-Kodee

Putting Theory into Practice: Writing a Media Release

Although up until this point I have completed many varied tasks including risk management plans and social media plans, the one I have not yet attempted is writing a media release. Although I have written countless releases for university assignments, the thought of producing a piece for a real-life company and event was very daunting for me. Today was the day that I completed this task and after some hesitation, it ended up giving me the confidence boost that I very much needed.

My supervisor asked me to write a release that would promote an exhibition on the Scottish culture. After creating a rough draft I presented this to my supervisor who seemed quite impressed, I then went on to fine tune this and conquer one of my fears.

This situation was one that really tested whether or not my knowledge from university could be applied to ‘real life’, such as the following points I have learned regarding media release writing:

-Newsworthy: Ensure your media release is current and of interest to your target audience. Product launches, current issues and trends are great examples of newsworthy topics

-Unique: Highlight a unique aspect in your release which could increase interest for readers

-Person of Interest: Using celebrities or other high profile people may also increase interest in your story

-Relevant: Pitching your release to relevant outlets is important in achieving success (i.e local or national, newspaper or radio, etc.)

-Timely: Relating your release to a specific point in time may make it more newsworthy (i.e christmas stories in late November or December)

These were great points to begin with, but I also learned more when putting it into practice. For example, the format you use in university isn’t always the same as what is used in business. You have to be able to adapt your knowledge to suit your company’s procedures and preferences.

If you would like some more tips on writing media releases, here are a few links that have helped me:

(Article One)

(Article Two)

(Article Three)

Did anyone else conquer a task that they found daunting? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time,

Kodee

Risk Management: A Necessity

Currently one of the major events that Event and Conference Co. is involved in is Homelessness Prevention Week . With Shelter WA as a client, Event and Conference Co. has been assisting with the event management for the week long event. 

This morning my first task of the day was to create a risk management plan, something I had not yet attempted. Throughout the event week, a car was to be driven into the city and parked each morning as a part of a display. My job was to develop a risk management plan for this simple activity. 

I found this task to be quite tedious as the likelihood for many of the risks to occur was relatively low. Although, as no one can predict what will happen in the future, it is extremely important for all organisations to have risk management plans in place in order to minimise or even eliminate negative impacts. Negative implications of risks can involve reputation, financial impacts or even health and safety concerns. Risk management plans are especially necessary in events as attendees and the general public could be affected.

Here are some more links that discuss the necessities of having risk management plans in place:
(Article One)
(Article Two)

Did anyone else complete tasks that they found to be tedious, but necessary? Let me know!

Until next time, 
Kodee

Day One: Expectations Vs. Reality

Hi everyone, welcome to my blog! My name is Kodee and I will be reflecting on my experiences at my internship; Networking WA/Event & Conference Co. 

As I searched for an internship to complete for this unit, I opted for an events management company. I am studying a double major of Events Management and Public Relations so I thought an internship focusing on events would complement my studies and interests.

I was feeling quite nervous leading up to my first day on the job, my interview with the director of the company was quite brief and I didn’t quite know what to expect. I was picturing fast paced, stressful and challenging work. Although after day one, reality seemed to be quite different from my expectations. 

At the company, there are several interns working at once, with only a couple of paid employees. In a way, I did feel a little more at ease as I was surrounded by others in the same boat, I even saw some familiar faces from class! As an intern at Networking WA you log in to a database each day, which has a list of tasks that need to be completed. Once finished, you simply email your work through to the supervisor and move on to your next task. This means that you have quite a lot of independence but also have to speak up if you want feedback or more instruction.

I’m thinking I will have to make the experience more challenging for myself by making sure that I am not just selecting tasks that I see as being ‘easy’. I will try to aim to attempt new things and receive as much feedback as I can.

How did everyone else feel on their first days?

Kodee