A new key Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) membership benefit grants members free access to the 50 live and on-demand online public relations training webinars that are planned for this year, and now, there is a more user-friendly way for you to find them.

We have been working behind the scenes on the PRSA Calendar of Events to make virtual programming and in-person training easier and faster for you to locate. You can browse training sessions by date, or fine-tune your search by selecting a category to find a session by category.

Click Narrow By Category to see the categories available.

To access the free live and on-demand online training webinars or pay the member rate for in-person training seminars, first log in to your MyPRSA account and then complete the registration.

Expanded program categories, which are defined on each category page, now include:

• Accreditation Preparation & Maintenance
• Communication Strategy
• Crisis & Reputation
• Leadership & Management
• Measurement & ROI
• Media Relations
• Social Media
• Techniques & Tactics
• Writing

Continue reading " A New Look for the New Year: The PRSA Events Calendar "

As is customary at the start of a new year, many communications professionals are seeking ways to stay current with the latest trends for the upcoming year and yearning for professional development opportunities to further their skill set. I am no exception. But the task can be a bit daunting, stressful and, let’s be honest, usually comes with a price tag.

So for 2012, in addition to the plethora of professional development that cost moola (and are well worth it), like luncheons, workshops, conferences, etc., I’m excited about public relations training that is now FREE.

PRSA members now have access to more than 50 free live and on-demand online training webinars ($200 value each). No need to rush to a workshop. No need to request additional professional development funding in my budget. No need to pick one topic over another.

Continue reading " Perk for 2012: Access to Free Online Public Relations Training for PRSA Members "

Join David Rockland for his online training session, “Demonstrating the Value of the Work You Do — Part 1,” on Feb. 21, 2012 3–4 p.m. EST.  This public relations measurement training sesssion is free to PRSA members.  

Jessica, a promising new assistant account executive with our firm, requested a meeting due to an “emergency client issue.”

She said that she didn’t understand what went wrong. 

“We had this incredible launch of the new Loved Ones Alarm Clock.  Jon Bon Jovi played.  There were 80 journalists at the party,” she said.  “After it was over, I did a media analysis that showed we had gotten 500 hits and 10 million impressions, worth at least $20 million in Advertising  Value Equivalents (AVEs). I sent the report to the client. He said that he had just gotten back from a big measurement meeting in Barcelona, had taken a look at the media analysis, and told me if he ever saw something like this again, we would lose the account.  What went wrong?”

I asked what she was trying to do with the launch.

“We wanted to throw a great party to get journalists there and create buzz.”

“The client didn’t hire you to throw a great party,  Jessica.  They hired you to make people aware of this new alarm clock, generate sales and make sure that consumers know the special features of this product.  And, when you say ‘buzz,’ do you mean the sound the alarm clock makes?”

Continue reading " Four Public Relations Measurement Tips To Ensure A Satisfied Boss or Client "

With thoughts (and client budgets) turning to the New Year, PRSA continues our tradition of an annual PR industry forecast. This year, we feature contributions from 12 creative thinkers in public relations. We asked for insight into trends they believe will fundamentally change the PR industry in 2012.

Below is a compilation of their thoughts. Starting Jan. 3, 2012, and running for 12 consecutive business days, PRSAY will publish each trend as a full blog post.

We hope you find value in reading these predictions. Please add your own in the comments below or by using the hashtag #PRin2012. We’ll capture the best contributions and publish those in a special baker’s dozen post in late-January.

Related: Read the top-11 PR trends for 2011 in this Dec. 22, 2010, PRSay blog post..

Continue reading " 12 Trends to Watch: 2012 Public Relations Forecast #PRin2012 "

Join Ken DeSieghardt for his online training session, “Take the Mystery Out of Market Research: Learn to Better Understand Your Clients and Prospects,” on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011. 

If you are currently sitting on a communications budget that is as big — or bigger — than the one you had five years ago, you can stop reading now. (Thank you for visiting this blog, Mr. Gates. Have a nice day.)

For the rest of us, the challenge to build and nurture relationships with those who are important to the success of our company (or our clients’ companies) continues to grow as our budgets continue to shrink. Add into the mix the ever-expanding platforms demanding the attention of your key stakeholders, and it’s enough to cause even the most seasoned public relations pro to throw up his or her hands and exclaim, “It can’t be done without more budget!”

Actually, it can. And the people who can tell you how to build and field a successful communications plan are those very stakeholders you are trying to reach.

Continue reading " Research Makes Your Communications Plan Work Smarter, Harder and More Frugally "