It is quite mystifying to think what life would be like if I hadn’t signed on that dotted line back in May of 2005.

I could have easily skipped my university’s first PRSSA meeting to do a number of things — intramurals with friends, hit the books to better understand the differences between minocyclines and tetracyclines or maybe update my profile on this new site called thefacebook.com.

Luckily for me, I went to that meeting and established my membership, which is now approaching seven years as a PRSA/PRSSA member.

PRSSA provided me with ample opportunities to establish my confidence as a leader within my Chapter and later, on a larger scale, as a National Committee member. It also provided me the opportunity to meet my eventual employer at the PRSSA National Conference in Philadelphia.

Once a graduate, I didn’t hesitate signing on that dotted line once more to establish my membership — this time as a PRSA member — and opportunities have continued to emerge. As a young professional in my PRSA Chapter, my membership has meant a few things to me.

Continue reading " PRSA Resolutions 2012 "

As the role of the public relations professional continues to evolve and the profession continues to grow, PRSA is dedicated to providing Chapters with the resources they need to flourish in 2012.

Updated initiatives and improved benefits for 2012 include:

♦ Free Online Training Webinars: Webinars are now free with PRSA membership. This represents nearly $2,000 in annual savings for members who participate in just one PRSA webinar per month. Upcoming webinars include:

• “Digital Media and Today’s Digital News Release: Making It Easy for Journalists to Pick Up Your Story” — 3–4 p.m. EST, Jan. 19, 2012. 
  
• “How to Grow Word-Of-Mouth Movements: People Are the Killer App” — 3–4 p.m. EST, Jan. 26, 2012.
• “Creating the Online Newsroom: Develop a Centralized Information Headquarters for Your Organization” — 3–4 p.m. EST, Jan. 31, 2012.
  

♦ Revamped Chapter support: PRSA National is working toward tailored plans to make recruitment easier for our Chapters. We are developing customized programming guides and easy-to-use social media templates to make administrative tasks less time-consuming and help you better engage with your members.

Continue reading " PRSA Chapters: Updated Initiatives and Improved Membership Benefits for 2012 "

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 Debbie Wetherhead for her online training session, “Key Message Development: Building a Foundation for Effective Communications,” on Tuesday, December 6, 2011. 

It’s not sexy; it’s not fun. But, oh, so necessary. We’re talking key message development. With repeated use, such statements serve as the foundation of your branding/marketing efforts and should be reflected in all written and spoken communications.

Not a believer? Consider what business guru Tom Peters says: “In a competitive environment, only those who have a strong, unified message, who create and sell quality and value, will survive.”

So what are key messages? You can describe them as:

Continue reading " Key Message Development: Building a Foundation for Effective Communications "