PRSSA National Conference '11: Dream Jobs

This year Missouri State University sent six people from our PRSSA Chapter to the PRSSA National Conference in Orlando, Florida. From getting funding to driving 18 hours to networking with professionals, it was definitely an adventure for the #vantasy crew.  

Chelly Harrison attended one of the sessions at conference about fashion PR. Here is what Chelly learned from her session.

Emily Pyles, Susan Venker, Doug Gaehle, Sara McClendon, Brooke Doerhoff, and Chelly Harrison

I attended a fascinating forum while in Orlando for the PRSSA National Conference just a short week ago. A 50-minute long lecture/Q & A with one of the fashion insdustry's leading public relations influencers, Margaux Caniato spoke with us about her involvement across the globe with fashion. I found it most interesting that she received her degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in NY and now works on some of the largest fashion campaigns in the world, most recently the Moussy project. 

The Moussy project is a Japanese inspired line that aims to accentuate personality while setting and defining new trends. Moussy was brought to the US., and Contelli gave a run down of her PR tactics and plans to launch this new line into the public eye head first. I won't go into detail of how she planted publicity stunts and staged appreances in downtown New York, but I will expand what I learned from her stories.

I took away from this forum that in order to land a dream job or an exciting assingment in fashion (or any PR for that matter) it takes a lot of networking and understanding of the audience you are working for and the people around you. I have never studied fashion, but I gained a great respect and passion for it. I know now I need to learn everything I can about industries and companies I am interested in to eventually land my dream job.

For more information regarding the I'm Moussy campaingn and the clothing itself, follow them on Twitter @ImMoussyNY. 

Michelle Harrison is a senior PR student at Missouri State University and a proud sister of Alpha Chi Omega Women's Fraternity. Her true passion lies in entertainment PR and is currently interning for Silver Dollar City's publicity deprtment in Branson, Missouri. After graduation, Michelle hopes to leave Missouri and head west in the pursuit of happiness and a career in Public Relations.

My First #PRSSA Twitter Chat

Last night, I joined in the #PRSSA Twitter Chat for the first time via TweetChat.com. The topic was PRSA/PRSSA Relationship Month, and the discussion was so lively and informative, I thought I would share a bit of what I learned.

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PRSA/PRSSA Relationship
We talked a lot about how to get PRSA members and PRSSA members more involved with each other. One idea tweeted by @PRSSA_UD was to hold a "Happy Hour" with PRSA pros and upper classmen looking to enter the workforce. Would that not be so fun?! I would love to hang out with professionals at Fedora or something like that.


@AmyL_Bishop, editor-in-chief of FORUM, reminded everyone that most PRSA Chapters have a social media presence, and it is important as members to follow them. Our Southwest Missouri PRSA Chapter has some social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Delicious and website. Check out all of their social media sites; you never know where the networking could take you!


Some Chapters mentioned having a PRSA/PRSSA liaison be a part of the historian's job description. That's a great idea! Another Chapter said the PRSA liaison would meet frequently with the PRSSA liaison from PRSSA. Now, we just need a historian. Who's up for the task?


Reflection on Participating in the Tweet Chat
Another great thing about last night's chat is that there were three other MoState PRSSA members representing our Chapter proudly: @DougGaehle, @SaraMcC120 and @DanOrtegaPR. We all had a blast just chatting together via Twitter.

In a nutshell, it was just fun! I met new students and learned a lot. Not to mention, I have four new Twitter followers and one new Facebook friend from Argentina, who wants to help me with my Spanish! You never know what one hour spent with passionate public relations students from around the world could do for you even through Twitter!

If you want to read more about what happened in last nights Tweet Chat, check out PRSSA National's blog post recapping the conversation. If you want to join in the next PRSSA Tweet Chat, it is November 14 at 8pm Central Time. 

Bethany Parry—Vice President: Bethany is a senior at Missouri State University studying Public Relations and Spanish. As Vice President, she promotes professional development, manages communications, and supports the president in anyway needed. You can contact her at Bethany08@live.missouristate.edu or follow her on Twitter at @bparry08.

#PRSSANC Recap Via Twitter

Missouri State sent six people to National Conference this weekend. They are driving back to Missouri today. If you were following the hashtag #PRSSNC, you could read everyone tweeting about the conference and get a taste of the conference without being there.


We took the liberty of gathering some tweets that we particularly liked. So here is #PRSSANC recapped via other people's tweets. It is if we brought Orlando to you!

If you want to learn more about conference, look for upcoming posts or check our National's blog. And do not forget about the Next Top Blogger Contest!

6 Tips to Writing a Killer Blog Post

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Let’s face it, for communication professionals today, blog-writing is almost as common as writing press releases. However, that doesn’t mean that everyone can write a good blog.  For those of you just getting started or brushing up on your skills, here are a few tips to writing a killer blog.

1.     Keep It Quick

Online readers are not the right audience for novels. So, keep your blogs limited to a length appropriate for the content. No one needs 1,500 words about your cat’s birthday. With that said, there is still a possibility that your dense topic requires an in-depth blog. So, longer blogs might be necessary and useful in some situations.

2.     Avoid Complex Words and Sentences

The typical blog audience is seeking something more personal and vibrant than a news article. Don’t muddy your voice or message with complex words or sentences that will trip readers up and possibly annoy them. If it helps, read your blog post aloud to make sure that it flows smoothly.

3.     Formatting Matters

The way in which your blog is presented is the first thing most readers notice. Use white space to frame different areas of content and use bullet points whenever appropriate. Headings, sub-headings, bold text and italicized text should be used for organization and emphasis. Don’t go overboard though!

4.     Link, Link, Link

Because it’s the blogosphere and everyone knows that the Internet is limitless, blog readers expect links. They help readers gain background and contextual information, it gives your blog credibility and it shows that you did your research. Instead of forcing readers to leave your blog for further information, embed it through links and keep your traffic strong.

5.     Find Your Voice and Keep It

Whether it be liberal, moderate or conservative, give your blog a voice. After all, a blog is only worth reading if it has something to say. Be opinionated, respectful and consistent in your posts. Presenting contradictory views throughout your blog will only make your readers question your credibility and motives.

6.     Have a Sense of Humor

In an online atmosphere, writers must have a very tough skin because anyone can say anything. Responding to negative comments in a respectful way and establishing an individual sense of humor will make handling these situations much easier.

With the rise of popular sites like Tumblr and Blogspot, many businesses have begun requiring their employees to maintain blogs for various purposes. With these tools, writing a killer blog should be much less daunting. Considering your blog posts’ length, complexity, formatting, link usage, voice and sense of humor will help the blogosphere for both readers and writers. 

This blog post was submitted by Justin Letts. Letts is an undergraduate student at Missouri State University majoring in public relations and minoring in French. He is a member of the Communication Committee of the Public Relations Student Society of America in addition to numerous honor societies.

4 Social Media Tips from COM Week

After attending this year’s Social Media Seminar for COM week, I learned some valuable info about LinkedIn and Twitter that I would like to share with those of you who are new-ish to the social media world. I’m by no means am I a social media guru, but I’m on my way to learning the tricks and the trades of different social media platforms. I know most of the basics, just like everyone else, but I feel like there’s something new to learn every week! 

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Here are a few pointers that I took away from the seminar last week:

1)     You can upload your resume on LinkedIn!  

One part about this social media platform that intimidates me is the tediousness of entering ALL my work/school/extra curricular information. I kept procrastinating on updating my LinkedIn page due to lack of time to sit down and type everything in. But, who knew, all you have to do is click “Upload resume” and voilà! There it is. All your important info automatically revised in LinkedIn form. Wonderful.

2)     LinkedIn users can also register for events.

Through your LinkedIn page, you can create events and have them open for registration. This section is located at the very bottom of your profile. Prior to learning this, I thought Facebook was the only social media platform that allowed users to create and “attend” events. I thought this little tidbit of information was pretty interesting as well.

3)     RT=Retweet, which is important for getting your name out there on Twitter.

Before the social media seminar I understood “retweeting” simply as clicking on someone else’s tweet for it to appear on your own Twitter. During the seminar, I learned that the retweet is important in order for people to recognize you on Twitter. It helps others get their Twitter handle out there. Every time you retweet, that person can now be seen by all of your followers. Therefore, your followers can now follow the person whom you have retweeted. #prettysweet.

4)     Use a handle at the beginning of a tweet for the tweet to go directly to that user’s profile.

If you use a Twitter handle as the very first part of a tweet, that tweet will go directly to his or her Twitter page and notify that person that someone has tweeted at them. However, if you tweet and use a handle in the middle of the tweet (or anywhere besides the first word), the person will be notified that they have been mentioned, but it will not go directly to their personal page. Interesting!

I hope this helped a few of you get more acquainted with LinkedIn and Twitter. Social media is an ongoing process that is constantly changing. It’s difficult to keep up with all the new information. As public relations students, we should try our best to keep ourselves updated with all aspects of new social media. Good luck and keep it up!

This post was submitted by Lauren Harris. Lauren is a junior Public Relations major with a minor in Ethics and Social Policy. As the Director of Administration, Lauren is responsible for recording minutes for each meeting, coordinating social events, finding volunteer opportunities in the Springfield community, and contacting local professionals to speak at meetings. You can contact her via email at lfh90@live.missouristate.edu or follow her on Twitter @Lo573.

Updated: PRSSA's Next Top Blogger

Missouri State Public Relations Student Society of America presents the first ever:

"Next Top Blogger" Contest.

We want know who has a gift for blogging even if YOU don't realize it yet.

It is a chance for you to get a byline and be published online!

So that the next time you 'google' your name something good will pop up for future employers. 

We have a new development in the contest to share.

The Prizes:

1. The top 4 blog posts will be published: 2nd, 3rd and 4th will be published on the Missouri State Blog during the last week of October with maximum social media and print promotion of each post. The Top Blogger will be published on the PRSSA National's Blog. :)
2. The top 2 bloggers will be given the opportunity to work one on one with a PR professional in the area (Claire Faucett or Andrea Harp) for one hour getting specific tips on writing and such. 
3. The Top Blogger will be published on PRSSA National's Blog and receive a $15 gift certificate to The Coffee Ethic as well as having a blog post featuring them appearing the last week of October linking to their post on National's blog. 

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How to Enter:

1. Write a blog post between 100 and 500 words in either a word document or body of an email. Please follow the PRSSA Style Guide and AP Style.
2. Email post to prssa.mostate@gmail.com. 
3. Deadline is November 1 at midnight.
4. Pictures/video or additional website information is welcomed. Please attached desired photos in email with clear directions of where you want them to appear in the post as well as the source of the image.
5. The theme to follow is what you have learned during an internship or outside a classroom setting. The content must be unpublished work. No re-purposing content from other blogs.

Anyone can enter member or nonmembers!
You could be published NATIONALLY!

This is YOUR chance to shine because

Everyone is a publisher!