Why Social Media is a PR Tool and Not Just a Place To Look at Cats

It’s no secret that the public relations industry has been irreversibly changed since social media became an integral part of everyday life. It has become impossible to ignore social media’s impact and role in the industry, from media relations to campaign strategy. And while social media might just be a fun way to find cute cat videos for some, it is also essential  for public relations professionals to understand its greater potential. Luckily, we’re here to share our expertise with four ways that social media can most effectively be used as a PR tool! 

1. Hashtags

Incorporating a relevant hashtag into a public relations campaign is arguably the best way to create brand awareness, promote campaigns, and quantify user-generated content. The increased use of hashtags has allowed PR professionals to produce quantifiable results from campaigns and easily analyze content. Hashtags should be short, consist of 2-4 words, and connect back to the campaign in some way. Not just bound to Twitter, hashtags can be used across multiple platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and even LinkedIn. The only limit with hashtags is your own imagination! 

2. Developing Relationships

Creating and maintaining relationships with journalists, influencers, and media outlets is a great way to reach out beyond a press release or pitch. Social media is the perfect way for professional relationships to develop by sharing relevant articles, replying to posts, and providing value. On some social platforms like LinkedIn, PR professionals can expand their network through professional groups dedicated to connecting them with journalists and media outlets. In a completely digital age, it’s important to venture out and make relationships on multiple social platforms. In fact, at Eleven Eleven, we’ve formed valuable relationships with reporters and editors through Instagram and Twitter! As they say, it’s not what you know but rather who you know.

3. Crisis Management in Real Time

Hopefully, a client will never need to utilize this social media tool. But, if the last seven months of this pandemic have taught us anything it’s that communicating quickly and effectively is key.  If a public relations crisis occurs, social media platforms allow brands to immediately reach their customers in real time about a developing situation. While this is generally considered a benefit of the digital age, the instant nature of social media means that PR professionals must always be ready to tackle a problem. Make sure to double check for misspelled words!

4. Consistency Within Content Creation

The best way to provide content to a target audience with a public relations campaign is through sharing on social media. By releasing content from a brand’s Twitter or Instagram account, PR professionals can have complete control and consistency over the messaging. The sharing culture on social media platforms increases the chance that a campaign will reach the maximum number of feeds. Plus, content creation and sharing can also establish a brand as a thought leader within their community. Long gone are the days of billboard advertisements and full page ads in the newspaper!

Work From Home Diaries – A Day in the Life of a (Mostly!) Productive Publicist

Right alongside the rest of the world, Covid-19 has shaken my life up in more ways than one. I have to laugh when I think of my last day in the office with the rest of the Eleven Eleven team – we put a plan in place for the following two weeks, waved goodbye to each other, and left everything, completely untouched, sitting on our desks. Little did we know that nearly six months later we’d still be working from the privacy of our own homes. And while I’m incredibly grateful to be able to work each day from the safety of my own little bubble, I’ll admit – it’s been a struggle!

If you asked me before the pandemic hit, whether or not I considered myself someone who might enjoy working remotely, I would have said absolutely not. I thrive in a collaborative environment, chatting with my colleagues over cups of coffee and bouncing ideas off one another during Monday morning brainstorm meetings. Plus, there’s something to be said about getting ready each morning and setting out to a destination other than your living room (What even are jeans? Eyeliner? I don’t know her…).

That being said, I’ve surprised myself in my solitude! From the first few weeks in quarantine, learning to navigate the ups and downs of the pandemic itself, alongside the realization that working from home could very well be my “new normal” (yep, I said it.), I’ve built a schedule for myself that’s kept me on track and my mind clear (as clear as it can be!) in the process ––

7:30am – Feet on the floor, coffee in my hand. 

At the beginning of quarantine, I’ll admit – I pushed my wakeup time back a bit! That’s one of the best perks to working from home, right!? A little extra time to doze in the morning! But after a week or so, I already found that the extra hour of sleep made a big difference – and not in a positive way. I was feeling sluggish and having trouble focusing. So I moved my alarm back to it’s usual wake up call. I typically get up, come downstairs, make a cup of coffee, and open all my windows to let some sunshine in. It’s become the perfect, most peaceful way to ease into my day. I usually spend my extra time reading a book or calling my mom to say hello before I dive into the workday.

9:00am – Log on and let’s go.

While it’s easy to be more lackadaisical with time while you’re on your own, I’ve found that keeping my hours of operation the same as they were in the office has helped me to maintain structure. Right at 9am, I open my planner, turn on my laptop, and check my inbox. Our team has daily check-ins at 9:30, and this extra 30 minutes helps me to set the tone – and my schedule – for the day. I spend this early part of my morning answering any time sensitive emails that may have come in overnight, peeking at my calendar to see what calls and deadlines I have on the horizon, and checking my to-do list to see what’s on the day’s agenda. Even if I don’t get too much done, preparing my mind for the day ahead allows me to feel on top of the items I know I need to tackle.

12:00pm – Lunch break (what’s that!?).

Something I have been guilty of throughout my entire professional career is skipping a lunch break! Now don’t misunderstand me – I have never missed a lunch in my life! But hunching over my computer while I mow down a salad is usually my M.O. During quarantine though, I’ve found it’s been important for my mental health – and my productivity overall – to truly step away from my computer throughout the day. Whether it’s just moving to the living room or sitting outside to eat my lunch, taking a pause for a walk with my husband, or getting a 30 minute workout in, lunch breaks have become a crucial part of my daily routine. When I log back on after, I find myself feeling refreshed and ready to take on the next part of the day.

5:00pm – Log the eff off!

Okay, this one is important. While PR is almost always an around-the-clock job, and I am always an email or call away for any client who might need me, logging off when the day is done (if you can!) is absolutely key! It can be very easy to let work bleed into every other aspect of life when you’re working from home. But work/life balance is essential, even more so when work and life are so intertwined –– I am after all working in my dining room! That being said, I try to shut my laptop at five on the dot whenever I can. While I always keep tabs on my inbox (I am far too type-A to ignore that bad boy!), unless it’s time sensitive, I’ve learned that anything that comes in after five can typically wait until the next day –– and will be right there waiting for me when I log on again in the morning! 

While these tips might not work for everyone, they have truly kept me sane during the shift to kitchen table workdays! Other gems I’m picked up along the way? ––

• Limit your intake of news! It’s not changing that fast, people – turn CNN off, close out of Twitter, put down the New York Times. All the important information will be waiting for you when you come back, and for me, it’s been helpful to keep my news ingestion to a minimum.

• Stay active! Focusing on keeping my body healthy – whether it be through nourishing food, intense workouts, or calming yoga – has really aided in keeping my mind healthy as well.

• Feng shui all day! My house has become my office, my coffee shop, my movie theater, my everything – and staring at the same four walls, day in and day out, has inspired me to refresh my space! Buying a few new candles, maybe some prints to add pops of color to the wall, or an actual desk if you have the space, can make you feel like a brand new person!

• BREATHE! Read a book, make a cup of tea, go for a walk, give your pet a head rub – whatever helps you to zen out and feel a little more peace in your day, do that! We’re all going through a lot right now. Do whatever it is you need to do to carve out space for calm in your day, and make sure you do it regularly!

The Art of the Virtual Internship by Gabrielle Economos

Amid the chaos of the year 2020, for most college students like myself, going into this summer was a mad scramble to re-arrange schedules, fill calendars, and make decisions on how to use this time productively. Although many internships have been cancelled, some companies (including Eleven Eleven!) moved their interns online for a virtual experience instead. Sometimes going with the flow and diving into the unknown can reap the best benefits, and I want to share with you how I’ve been making the most of my virtual internship experience. 

Open lines of communication over everything

Not being in an office where you have constant access to your co-workers and fellow interns for advice, help, or just conversation, can be extremely challenging. At home, it's super important to identify your supervisor or main point of contact that can be your go-to whenever! I’m extremely grateful to have such an amazing supervisor who I have weekly check-up calls with and I’m not afraid to come to her with any questions or concerns I have. I also have found it beneficial to be in close communication with any other interns that are working for the company! They can be an easy support system since you’re both in it together, and a nice person to bounce ideas off of. 

Organize your life 

I have three forms of organization that have become my staples in day-to-day organization. First is my dry erase monthly calendar. This is perfect for writing in bigger-picture deadlines on the horizon to keep in mind. Second is Google Calendar, which most companies use pretty religiously! Here I can keep track of any meetings I have, as well as calendar blocking time in my schedule to complete specific tasks. Lastly, is my paper planner, which is on my desk at all times. This is where I keep my running list of tasks to be completed throughout the day, organized by work and personal, and ordered from most to least time-sensitive. 

This might be complete overkill for you, so pick and choose a method that works best for you! This is how I’ve mastered my time management skills and not feel overwhelmed when a busy work day rolls around. It's easy to get distracted working from home, so setting parameters and keeping track of obligations can help you stay on task. 

Create your WFH sanctuary

We are definitely all guilty at some point of just rolling straight out of bed to grab our laptop and lay back down to listen in to whatever work call we have. But creating a dedicated space in your house that is reserved for work makes a much more productive environment. I prefer to be near a window for natural light to keep me alert, and a clear desk helps me focus. Maybe even light a candle or play some music in the background— whatever ‘sanctuary’ means for you! 

Don’t be afraid to take some ‘me time’ 

This is something I definitely struggle with, especially once I get in the zone doing my work. But I try my best everyday to take at least an hour out of my work day to take some ‘me time’. I don’t always take a consecutive hour, sometimes it's 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon. Whether that’s watching some TV, reading a book, grabbing a cup of coffee with a friend, getting outside for some exercise, or just hanging out with my family. It’s a great way to recharge your brain after being stuck in the house staring at your computer screen for hours!

Bond with your team! 

As cliche as it is now, a classic Zoom happy hour is a fool-proof way to get connected with your team ‘outside’ of the office. If you’re in an industry like PR where there is a constant flow of email chains with your coworkers, it can be such a breath of fresh air to hear some voices and see some faces every once in a while! I’ve found those Zoom calls to be some of my favorite so far this summer and have made me feel like an integral member of the team; it’s nice to just chat about non-work things sometimes.

Even though this is not the summer that many of us hoped for, virtual internship experiences can still provide real value to our resume and build confidence in our own abilities to work remotely and still be successful! I’ve been loving every part of my internship so far— how have you been making the most of your virtual internship? 

Donate, March, Sign, Educate, Read, Vote. Repeat. By Tara Shepherd

We have entered a time in history where we can no longer be silent and complacent with the injustice that is surrounding us. Mass demonstrations all across the country, and now the world, have erupted to protest the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others. These protests demand our attention and acknowledgment of the systemic issue of police violence and racial injustice all over the United States.

While many of us feel helpless, there are many ways that we can spread the message and get involved within our own communities. I have compiled a list of resources that our team has found helpful, educational, and powerful during this time as we try to understand the best ways to support the Black Lives Matter Movement. I encourage you all to take a look into different organizations, consider donating, educate yourself on this topic, and above anything else, make a vow to yourself to do better so we can strive for a brighter future.

Donate:

Equal Justice Initiative: The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.

The Loveland Foundation: Loveland Foundation is committed to showing up for communities of color in unique and powerful ways, with a particular focus on Black women and girls. Their resources and initiatives are collaborative and they prioritize opportunity, access, validation, and healing.

The Innocence Project: This organization helps continue the fight for criminal justice reform, and exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals.

The Black Visions Collective: Provides money to general campaigns and initiatives supporting Black Lives Matter.

George Floyd Memorial Fund: Covering expenses for George's funeral, taking care of his family's bills, and putting funding aside to send his daughter to college.

This is just a short list to the endless organizations that are demanding social justice, to help community organizers in their fight against racial inequality and to offer solidarity to the black community. For more places to donate click here.

Get Informed:

Read:

“Just Mercy” (book, by Bryan Stevenson)— A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice.

Letter to My Son (article, The Atlantic) — extremely emotional article from 5 years ago, that has not lost its timeliness whatsoever. 

"White Fragility" (book, by Robin DiAngelo)— A super informative book on why it is so hard for white people to talk about racism and a great way to educate yourself on oppression and what you can do/the conversations you can have for a better human race.

Watch:

When They See Us (TV show, Netflix) — This powerful 2019 dramatized series about the famous Central Park 5 case dares you not to pause and reflect on what you thought you knew — and what real-life antagonists were sure they had pegged — about this case, black, and minority youths, criminal justice, and American dreams. 

How Can We Make Racism A Solvable Problem and Improve Policing: (Ted Talk) —When we define racism as behaviors instead of feelings, we can measure it —and transform it from an impossible problem into a solvable one. This Ted Talk explores Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff’s work at the Center for Policing Equity, an organization that helps police departments diagnose and track racial gaps in policing in order to eliminate them.

Listen:

Code Switch (podcast, NPR)—  Black journalistsDemby and co-host Shereen Marisol Meraji talk through how race impacts everything(and I mean literally everything), from politics, education, parenting, pop culture, sports, gender disparities, history — you name it and they’ve probably covered it at some point. 

Take Action:

The “Justice for George Floyd” petition on Change.org already has 16 million supporters. That sends a big message. 

To demand justice for Breonna Taylor, the Black emergency medical technician who was fatally shot in her apartment by the Louisville Metro Police Department, sign the petition: #JusticeForBre

Color of Change— Sign a petition to end violent policing against black people

Pressure the Ahmaud Arbery prosecutors by signing this petition and pressing District Attorney Durden’s efforts to fully prosecute the case.