Young Professional Twin Cities Communicators: Potential Networking Group?

This post is primarily directed towards the 20-somethings in the Twin Cities working, or trying to work, in communications. I’d love your feedback on this so please feel free to comment or shoot me an e-mail.

I’ve been on a major networking kick recently and started to think about how many awesome connections I’ve made in the last few months.  I’ve met and talked with people from a wide range of industries that have helped me both professionally and personally. I really wish I had started to do this sooner.

So it got me thinking about groups of people that I want to meet but haven’t yet. And the biggest group I could think of were people like me. People who work in communications and are in the beginning stages of their careers. It seems to me that there isn’t really a venue to connect with other young professionals in the Twin Cities who are interested in public relations, journalism, marketing, advertising, or communications.

I know there are groups like PRSA and IABC – both hugely popular associations that I hope to be a part of real soon. But the thing with those are that they aren’t cheap to join and they aren’t directly focused on the young professional. Don’t get me wrong, being a part of a group with seasoned vets in your industry is wildly appealing and beneficial on so many levels.

But right now, I’d love to hear how others my age are doing professionally when it comes to job searching, dealing with timely issues, learning about agency vs. corporate life, etc.

What could be the benefits of a group like this? Meeting people, of course. But also learning about the different corners of communications. Public relations, journalism, marketing, and advertising people work together all the time in the real world. Wouldn’t it be nice to establish relationships with people in those fields now and make our lives easier in the future?

So my question to all you young Twin Cities communicators: Would a group with a focus like this be appealing to you?

Maybe there’s a group already out there that I’ve completely missed. If that’s the case – please let me know!

But if not, would people be interested in figuring out a time and place to meet? I’m thinking on a weekday for a happy hour-ish thing?

If there’s enough interest, I’m willing to organize something and get back to those people. So please comment, tweet, or e-mail me any feedback, ideas, or suggestions! 

Thanks, peeps.

BOTW: The Minneapoline

This Blog of the Week post is going to take you off the social media/PR beaten path a little bit. I’ve been feeling all-business this past week so I feel it’s time to talk about something a little more light-hearted.

If you’re a fan of fashion, photography, or Minneapolis culture, Ellen Dahl’s blog The Minneapoline combines all three and gets me all sorts of excited whenever she posts. I absolutely love this blog.

The Minneapoline gives a look at Twin Cities street fashion from a very organic perspective. People with a certain unique style are photographed by Ellen as they are going about their everyday lives. They aren’t models. Their clothes aren’t put together by a stylist. They are real people, doing real things, with real fashion sense. It’s simply fabulous. 

I would hardly call myself a fashionista. But I do love clothes…and shoes…and jewelry…and purses. The Minneapoline provides a glimpse at how different people in the Twin Cities interpret style and thus giving me lots of ideas whenever I hit the shops.

I couldn’t choose just one post to share, so here are a few of my favorites:

getting ready for fall 

at dusk 

vita.mn party 1 

*smile*

Twitter Lists: A work in progress

I know Twitter lists have been out for a minute now, but I’ve finally worked with them enough to develop an opinion on them worthy of a blog post (hopefully, at least!).

My overall thought: Their intention is good, but they’ve got a little ways to go before I’d consider making any more of my own.

For starts, had I known it was going to take me an hour to compile a list of Twin Cities folks I probably wouldn’t have started it in the first place. As of right now, there is no search or filter option to put together a list quickly. And when you’re following around 1,200 people, clicking through each profile one-by-one to see if they belong on your list is extremely tedious and time consuming.  

Once I completed that list, I told myself I wouldn’t do it again until some changes were made. So why I decided to make another one for PR folks is beyond me. But once I started I couldn’t stop. Maybe it was my mild OCD that took over. Who knows.

So far, I haven’t really referred to my lists that much. I think mainly because I already have a good sense for who it is I’m following. But I have taken a look at a number of lists that belong to people I find interesting. The value I’ve found in that is I’ve been able to connect with people I didn’t know were out there.

I can see how lists would be really helpful for those who follow 10,000+ people. Having a way to organize all those different tweets is probably a relief. I’d just like to know who and when they find time to create them!

But thank you to Twitter to creating this feature. I can’t knock them for being innovative. Chances are they’ll update lists to be more user-friendly very soon. Until then, I’ll be holding off on creating any more of my own.

There has been a lot of talk about Twitter lists in the blogosphere. Here are a couple posts I found particularly helpful in understanding their value and potential:

10 Ways You Can Use Twitter Lists by Sarah Evans on Mashable

Twitter Lists As A Networking Tool by MN Headhunter, Paul DeBettignies

This must’ve been what it was like in 1995

I am currently without the Internet. While my life isn’t exactly horrible without it, it’s definitely not as nice.

For instance, I can’t check my e-mail every 2 minutes like I’m used to. Logging into my Gmail to find 15 new messages from the past hour is so overwhelming.

If someone tags an unflattering picture of me on Facebook, it’s available for all to see until I get a hold of someone’s laptop or iPhone to de-tag it. How horrifying!

Twitter is not nearly as fun without my TweetDeck. I forgot how much it sucks to have to constantly use the refresh button on a Web browser to get updates. It’s exhausting.

Okay, so I know there are worse things that could happen to me. Afterall, there was a time when I didn’t even have the Internet in my life. And once I did, I was perfectly happy with that ungodly slow AOL dial-up connection we used to have. Remember that? My life will go on. But I know there are some other Internet addicts out there that feel my pain, right?

Until then, I might use this time to catch up on some reading, spend some time outside, or maybe do some arts and crafts. Now I really feel like it’s 1995 again…

Thank you’s and more to come…

I’m holding off this week from posting a Blog of the Week. I’ve been crazy busy the past few days with work, projects, meetings, etc. A good thing, I suppose, but it has left me no time to devote to this little blog of mine. And I’m not too keen on just tossing up a blog post because it’s Friday. Making sure it has content is kind of important, right?

But I do want to thank all of you who have taken the time to stop by and comment or give me feedback. It’s been really great to see that there are people other than my mom who read my posts (Hi, Mom!). I started this thing with a lot of hesitation so the support means a lot.

And as I continue to figure things out around here I’d definitely welcome any suggestions for how to make it better. I have my own ideas for what I plan to write about down the line, but are there any topics you’d especially like to see covered? Send them my way. 

Until then…Happy Freaky Friday the 13th!

BOTW: Communications Conversations

The world of PR and social media is evolving everyday. And when it comes to giving the latest on new trends, innovations, and issues, Arik Hanson’s Communications Conversations definitely serves it up.

Arik is Principal of ACH Communications in Minneapolis and has an extensive background in PR, social media, and digital communications. You can usually depend on him to be in attendance at most of the industry events around the area and report back on them in his blog. He knows his stuff.

There’s a feature on Communications Conversations that I absolutely love called PR Rock Stars. There, Arik interviews people from across the country that are basically killing it in the communications world. He’s talked with PR pros, journalists, and media folks about what makes them great, their take on certain issues, and advice for other professionals out there.

Aside from the great content on his blog, I have to give him props for incorporating all kinds of interactive media into his posts. You’ll often find photos, videos, and other widgets that make his blog a lot more engaging and interesting to read. There are a lot of blogs out there that have yet to take that extra step to attract and retain readers (including mine!).

A little more about Arik:

• Founded PR Reader’s Choice Awards in 2009
• Founded Behind the Firewall chat with Rick Mahn. Held Thursday evenings from 8-9 p.m.
• Founded Top 20 MN Social Media Innovator list.
• Co-founded B2BVoices.com blog with Allan Schoenberg, director of corporate communications for the CME Group

Great post: Everything I learned about social media, I learned from Barry Manilow

SMBMSP20 – Social Media and Journalism

I spent last Friday morning in a brewery. By 8 a.m. I had an ice cold Pilsner in my hand. No, I was not reliving my college days in Milwaukee. I was just at the 20^th Social Media Breakfast held at Summit Brewery in St. Paul!

Even though things like free beer and Carmex are exciting (seriously – what was with the Carmex?), I was really pumped to meet some cool people and listen to a panel discussion on a topic I spend a lot of time reading about: the role of social media in journalism. Sounds thrilling, right? It was!

The discussion was facilitated by Julio Ojeda-Zapata from the Pioneer Press and author of the book Twitter Means Business.

The panel members were a mix of both journalism and media people:

• Jason DeRusha, investigative reporter, WCCO-TV
• David Brauer, media reporter, MinnPost.com
• Drew Woods, managing editor, Minneapolis Business Magazine
• Gene Rebeck, senior editor, Twin Cities Business Magazine
• Julia Schrenkler, Interactive Producer, Minnesota Public Radio
• Dirk DeYoung, editor, Business Journal

Lots of good stuff was discussed. Here are a couple points that really stood out to me:

1. It’s hard to teach someone how to effectively use Twitter. The people that are good at it integrate it into their daily life.
2. Every journalist doesn’t need to use social media. In the words of Jason DeRusha, “If you suck at it, please don’t do it.” Amen.
3. The 3 uses for social media: engaging, crowd sourcing, promotion
4. Good social media/journalistic practices put personality behind their messages. Link to your story, but also give a sense for who you are. No one likes to follow a Twitter bot. Make sure people know there’s a real person behind those tweets.
5. Don’t be surprised if Twitter becomes the new medium for pitching to journalists. 

 Were you at SMBMSP #20, too? What were some points that stood out to you?

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On November 17, 2009 I’ll be attending Arts Midwest: arts learning Xchange panel presentation event. The topic is Technology and Engaging Audiences. From the event site:

The panel will discuss the latest technologies they use to bring audiences into their venues, create “on-line only” audiences, and develop creative content, both in conjunction with and independent of marketing.

Find more information and register here. And let me know if you’ll be there, too!

BOTW: Minnesota Public Relations Blog

If you live in or around Minnesota and have an interest in anything PR, marketing, or social media, Minnesota Public Relations Blog is a complete no-brainer. And I find it absolutely fitting to have it featured as my first Blog of the Week.

Written by Ryan May of Risdall McKinney Public Relations, MNPR covers everything from local industry news, internal agency news, job postings, and events.

Ryan started MNPR in February of 2003 when it was one of only 10 public relations blogs in the world. Since then, it has become a local industry staple and a fantastic representation of Minnesota as a hub for public relations.

If you are just starting out in PR, I would recommend checking this blog daily. It’s great not only for the PR content, but also for staying on top of how different agencies are shifting and taking on new clients. I love this blog because it makes a point to highlight the actual people that make a company successful. While you may not know everyone that gets recognized on MNPR (it’s cool when you do!), the information is still great to have in the back of your head.

Great post: Online Reputation Management and Social Media

Why tweet?

Soon after I made my blog public last week, I naturally told my family and friends about my little side project and encouraged them to check it out. It quickly became apparent that a lot of what I wrote about went completely over their heads. Most of them don’t use social media or don’t understand Twitter and why I find it to be so great.

So for anyone reading this that has never used Twitter, I’d highly recommend taking a trip to this blog post: Web Designer Depot – The Ultimate Guide for Everything Twitter. It does a good job of breaking everything down with screen shots and defining lots of commonly used terms.

{Bonus points to anyone who can spot how yours truly is incorporated into that post!}

Aside from how Twitter can be useful in a public relations sense, I thought I’d explain how it has helped me in my personal life.

The main thing that got me completely hooked on tweeting is the instant connection to an entire community of people who share my interests. The majority of people I follow are from the Twin Cities or have a hand in PR, marketing, or communications. Of course, I’ll admit that I’m also one of the 2 million plus people that follows P. Diddy. (I love that celebrities use Twitter just like the rest of us!) 

With this community so readily accessible at my fingertips, I’ve been able to meet tons of great people I probably would have never met otherwise. Actually, there’s a chance I could have met them at some point, but most likely not as many or as easily as I have through Twitter.

And since it’s always easier to prove a point with examples, here’s a short list of different things I’ve been able to exchange as a result of connections made through Twitter: 

• Job search advice
• Restaurant recommendations
• HTML tips for a project I was working on
• Articles upon articles (a great way to learn and stay on top of what’s going on in your industry – people like to share the good stuff out there!)
• Retail and food discounts
• Book reviews
• Networking event invites

The list could keep going, but the point is that Twitter is more than just telling the world you’re headed to the grocery store or your dog just ate an entire box of crayons. It’s about interacting, engaging, and offering advice where you can. It’s really cool to watch people actively helping other people out – one of my favorite things about Twitter. I think many people have an initial fear of making connections and getting to know those outside of their initial circle. To really make use of Twitter, you need to get over that fear and just start talking. There are so many people ready to exchange ideas and pass along information you actually want that ANYONE can find value in Twitter.

For my fellow tweet addicts, how has Twitter made an impact on your everyday life? And how do you explain why you tweet?

Blog of the Week

These days, there are millions upon millions of blogs (probably more) floating around the Internet on virtually any topic imaginable. You can find blogs about bacon, photography, weight loss, the pope, or even mullets. Anyone can be a writer, critic, or thought leader with just a few clicks of a button. Hey, that’s what I’m doing right now.

So with so much out there to choose from it’s safe to say the majority of it is crap. But if you take some time to sift through the loads of “experts” who cannot decipher the difference between there/their/they’re, you might find that smart, intelligent, witty people actually exist within the blogosphere.

With that said, once a week (probably Friday) I’ll give a shout out to a blog I find especially stellar and relevant. They’ll most likely have some kind of focus on PR, social media, or marketing because that makes up most of my current reading list. But don’t be surprised if I decide to write about something off topic because, well, I do have other interests!

Know of a blog you think I shouldn’t be missing out on? Send it my way!

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{Side note…}

A couple days ago I asked for links to cool, local photographers that I could include up there in the first paragraph. I got some great suggestions and wanted to recognize two more:

• fleur de leigh photography : Notice her Twitter section
• Sarah Beth Photography : I’m obsessed with dogs so this one won me over real quick