At 85, Charlotte Nushy, my favorite aunt, is “starting to get old.” The other day she was telling my sister and me that, though she’s not bedridden, she does spend a lot of time in bed because her back aches when she sits up for too long.

Then she interrupted herself to exclaim, “Shut up, whiner! Who cares?”

“Shut up, whiner! Who cares?” is my new tweeting motto. Tweeting about your late flight, awful dinner or bad service? Shut up, whiner! Who cares?

Pass the ‘Who cares?’ test

Before you hit “update” again, make sure your tweet passes the “Who cares?” test.

• Would the collection of strangers and friends following you find this information relevant, valuable and interesting? 
• Would you pick up the phone to share this info? 
• Would you invest a stamp on spreading the news?

If not, cancel the tweet. Then, instead of answering, “What are you doing?” recommend a great article or blog posting or share an insight others can use.
…..Click here to read more

My APR experience was a tumultuous one. I may be the exception because everyone always talks about the good, but then glazes over the unpleasant. Yes, becoming Accreditation in Public Relations was a career-long quest and I feel quite the sense of accomplishment. It wasn’t easy; I failed along the way (a couple different ways) and had to coach myself back. The best way to pass along what I’ve learned is a list of “do’s and don’ts.”

Do’s

• Buy three to four of the books on the short and long bookshelf; there are many budget-friendly books on Amazon — where I purchased my references.
• Actually read the books — cover to cover — more than once.
• Answer the questions at the end of the chapters. It will help you solidify the material.
• Follow the PRSA Study Guide. It is practically handing you the test.
• Join a study group. Ask your Accreditation chair who else is in the process in the area. Even long distance study partners work.
• Dedicate time weekly to study with a schedule to help you stick to it — and write that schedule down!
• Use the three hours and 45 minutes provided for the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations. Take your time thinking out the questions for the best possible answer.
• Ask your company to help pay for the process. If not the Examination, maybe the books?
• Realize what you learn will help you in your job every day!

Don’ts

• Think you can do it on your own — ask for help when you get stumped. Your local Accreditation chair is a great resource.
• Take too long after the Readiness Review to take the Examination.
• Think you can just memorize the material. The Examination is really “theory-based.”
• Get discouraged if you fail the Readiness Review or the Examination. Just pick yourself up and take them again.
• Use the feedback provided and work with your Accreditation chair. They want you to succeed in every way!

Please e-mail me at mscheuermann@thesportsmanchannel.com if you have questions on the APR process. I want you to succeed too!

Michelle Scheuermann, APR, is the director of communications for The Sportsman Channel, a national cable network based in Milwaukee, Wisc.

To learn more about Accreditation in Public Relations (APR), visit http://www.prsa.org/PD/apr/.

Recently, thought leaders in the public relations space have been spilling ink over the question of inbound versus outbound news releases (or, if you prefer, push versus pull media relations). The general question is which is more effective:

1. Using inbound efforts to gain exposure for your news stories by optimizing your online coverage via search engine optimization and syndication across multiple Web portals (hoping journalists, bloggers and consumers find you), or
2. Using outbound efforts to reach targeted journalists and bloggers to draw attention to your story in an effort to garner traditional and online coverage.

With the obvious caveat that each story is different and tactics should be adapted accordingly, I’m wondering why one has to choose between push and pull. This isn’t a game of tug-of-war folks; you are looking for the best ways to share your news with mainstream and new media, bloggers and even consumers.

I work with public relations firms, associations and businesses small and large every day on making releases more effective. My true expertise is on the “outbound” side of the equation, but we’ve long advised clients to integrate those efforts with inbound tactics and incorporate social media elements for maximum effectiveness.

I wanted to share a few facts regarding inbound and outbound tactics, some info regarding what we’ve learned from our ongoing conversations with the media, and a few tips on how you can efficiently and effectively maximize your release efforts, taking advantage of social media and the shift to digital news creation and consumption. …..Click here to read more

San Diego Mayor, Jerry Sanders, welcomes PRSA to sunny San Diego, California this year. . . It’s a not-to-be-missed event! Join thousands of communications professionals in beautiful San Diego for the PRSA 2009 International Conference, November 7–10, where you will learn how to thrive in our challenging economy. Be a part of the Conference that will rejuvenate your career and organization, and give you the knowledge you’ll need to take control of your professional future.

Be immersed in four jam-packed days of 80+ Professional Development sessions on the hottest communications topics, including social media, crisis communications, branding and sustainability. Visit http://www.prsa.org/ic2009 for a detailed list of this year’s Conference workshops and pre-Conference seminars.

On the day of my Readiness Review I woke up in a cold sweat. The idea of going into a room and presenting a synopsis of my career, neatly three-hole punched and structured into a clever slide deck, left me paralyzed. The panel of my peers may as well have been a jury — out to cast judgment and squash any hope of advancing to the next phase.

I didn’t know my panelists. Perhaps if I did, there would be less trepidation involved. Suddenly I was alone in a conference room with three strange faces looking back at me.

I felt like Dorothy, cowering before the great and mighty Oz.

But, just like in the “Wizard of Oz,” behind this curtain of uncertainty, each of these faces hid a cheerleader. Each individual, with their unique blend of experience and the firsthand knowledge of the APR process, wanted to impart a bit of guidance my way.
…..Click here to read more