I was gandering around on Facebook this morning and found this cool application on my friend’s page that allows you to compile your Facebook updates over the course of the year in one collage. It’s called My Year in Status. I don’t usually play with these apps, but I thought this one was fun.

Do I overshare. Some would say yes. I say no. My question: What do our status updates say about us? Are we sharing too much, too little? Are we providing value to our communities? What does yours say about you? Can this be an evaluation tool perhaps? Share below.

Technorati Tags: FAcebook status updates: too much too little, My year in status app, Random "Trish" Thoughts, What Facebook says about us? Do I Facebook too much

Yesterday I was asked by a local business professional to describe what makes me unique from my competition … in only a few words. Interesting, right? I think I squandered a bit. Bummer. Here’s the thing, the question wasn’t referenced to my employer, it was meant to me. What makes me different than other business professionals in the area?

I was in a “relationship building” meeting with one of the local businesses that I keep in touch with from time-to-time about their membership with Forward Janesville Inc., Janesville’s chamber of commerce. The meeting was to discuss membership discounts, events, community initiatives and opportunities. It ended up as a personal interview about myself. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind talking about my company or myself when the time is right. I expect that, given my profession. But I was intrigued with the question, mainly because I had never really thought about that before.

As communicators, we know how important it is to have an “elevator pitch” and to be able to explain what it is that we do for a living. I do believe it’s important to be able to describe what we (or our business) can bring to the table in a clear, concise way. I just didn’t realize I’d ever be asked in only a few words. I have prepared myself for next time. Thing is, my mentor (and teacher) in college encouraged us to do just this in an assignment. I wish I had kept that paper. I’m sure it’s on a flash drive somewhere. It would be interesting to see what I said. Have those words changed? Not sure.

So how do you come up with just a few words? I took some time to look back through my recent LinkedIn recommendations, emails and “feel good” files and looked for common themes. If you don’t have recommendations or testimonials, you could get feedback by asking people you work with for just one word to describe you.

I came up with my few words to describe me: enthusiastic, creative, leader, motivator. Have you ever pondered this? Who are you, in just a few words? Share below.

Image provided by pewresearch.org

Technorati Tags: in a few words, professional advice for communicators and business professionals, Random "Trish" Thoughts, Who are you

The photo above is a snapshot of my “clippings file” in my office. No joke. I still clip.

Public relations and advertising are two very different fields that are many times confused for the same thing, very similar or just as effective as the other. We all know that. I’m not saying advertising is the wrong way to go. I highly suggest ad placement. A well-placed advertisement can bring exposure to a brand, business or event. Absolutely. However, good publicity or media relations campaign is a far more economical way to get a very different type of media exposure. I’m a “PR gal”—which way did you think I’d go? Here’s the thing: An ad is an ad and they work, but publicity is news. And news, in my opinion, is taken more seriously.

Here are seven reasons that publicity can prove to be more effective than an ad.

1. Publicity is free while advertising can be costly
2. A media article often times asserts more credibility than a paid ad
3.  Prestigious magazines, larger newspapers, TV, radio start to cover you over time
4. You’re offered a column in a magazine or paper for your (or company’s) expertise
5. You establish yourself apart from your competitors who don’t get publicity
6. Prospects, target markets and customers recognize your brand (“I saw the article in…”)
7. Most importantly, more people pay attention to your message

That’s my list. What would you add? Write your reasons below.

Technorati Tags: customers recognize your brand, establish yourself apart from competitors, media article, media messages, PR gal, public realtions writing, Random "Trish" Thoughts, seven reasons publicity is better than ads

Many times, we get stuck in the same routine. The same song and dance. Same thing, different day. We’re all busy, overworked and probably over-tired so it becomes easier to stick to what’s worked in the past. It gets tough to look outside the box … between clients, meetings, events, research, pitching, email, etc—it’s even hard to find time for anything not work related these days. It’s easy to become so inundated in your routine that you never try to add to it. In fact, if I could give you a dollar for  every time I hear “That’s the way it’s always been done,” or “It’s just easier this way,” I’d be rich!

We all recognize it, right? With all that set aside, why are we so resistant to change? Why do we like routine so much? Why do we make excuses? I’m not saying routine is bad. In fact, routine should be your solid foundation. But you should also be willing to try new things. When it comes to creative thinking (especially if you’re in the advertising, marketing or PR industry) you should live a lifestyle or do a job that inspires you, motivates you or impacts others in a positive way. In my opinion, positive change comes easier that way.

Here’s how I challenge the norm:

If you’re stuck in an idea, open a dictionary, a magazine, newspaper or read a blog. Even if it doesn’t relate to the project.

Take a shower. Don’t think about it. Sometimes the best ideas come when you’re not thinking about them at all.

Don’t watch TV. It’s a destraction. Many of you will disagree. I think it just confuses us.

Bust out some tunes. Not death metal, but something smooth and upbeat.

Do something that you fear or doubt. The overwhelming sense of triump will leave you feeling like you can conquer anything. For me, it keeps the momentum going.

If you can’t focus, do some squats (or a walk would work). Find something that will get your muscles moving and your heart rate up.

Call up an old colleague or mentor. Or get out of your chair and chat with another colleague down the hall and shoot the breeze.

So, I pose to you, are you a change-agent or a routine- performer? Why? What helps you look outside the box at work, in life? All thoughts welcome below.

Photo courtesy of http://mediabistro.com

Technorati Tags: be a change-agent, Public Relations Writing, Random "Trish" Thoughts

February marks such an important month me. As many of you know, February is American Heart Month. Statistics show that cardiovascular disease continues to be the number one killer of both men and women in America. For me, personally, it really hits home. Heart disease is also the number one, most prevalent disease in my family, on both sides. To recognize heart month and my dedication to keeping myself and my loved ones educated about heart disease, I’m going to wear red for the remainder of February and post photos to my Facebook, and Flickr accounts. Wearing red signifies the power we have as women to come together and stop heart disease and stroke.
I’m a BIG supporter of AHA, especially AHA of Rock County, where I serve on its executive leadership planning team. This organization is near and dear to my heart and I hope its mission and vision will generate a healthy change in your life as much as it has mine. My favorite AHA initiative (and also becoming its most recognized accomplishments), is the “Go Red for Women” movement. “Go Red” works to raise awareness about women’s number one killer, heart disease. Real women from all over the country speak up about their heart experiences to help save lives. Their stories always inspire me and I hope you take this opportunity to get informed with the facts and make a positive commitment to your heart health. Join the cause by visiting its Facebook page.

I wear red in honor of my grandfather Alvin Skram, who passed away from sudden cardiac arrest in 1981. I wear red in honor of my uncles, Chuck, Jerry, Roger and Ronny, who are all strong heart survivors. I’m proud of all of you for being proactive about your heart health and maintaining healthy lifestyles. And I will always support the American Heart Association (AHA) for its dedication in keeping our communities educated about heart disease and speaking up about what we can do, today, to help prevent heart disease and stroke.

If heart disease and stroke affects your life, how do you educate the ones you love? OR better yet, how do you maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle? Please share your thoughts below.

Technorati Tags: AHA of Rock County, American Heart Month, heart health awareness, PR Gal blog, Random "Trish" Thoughts

Did you know that one-third of Americans online use social media for health information? And the number is growing. In fact, a recent study shows that there were 90 million health care consumers in 2004, and now there’s 160 million.

This blog idea sprung from a post I read from MarketingCharts.com, “One-Third of Online Americans Use Social Media for Health.” According to new data from Manhattan Research, patients and caregivers are empowering themselves in record numbers when it comes to managing their own health and the health of their families. Great data, right? The Internet is surpassing physicians as the most popular health resource. Wow. If you’re a health care marketer or public relations person, why wouldn’t you get involved?

If used correctly, the right social media tools can ensure your patients, customers, employees and stakeholders extract more brand value. There are three main reasons why my social media team at Mercy Health System decided to get involved in 2008.
•    Brand recognition
•    Stakeholder engagement
•    And well, it’s FREE.

With that said, over the course of 15 months of research, testing and engaging in online conversations for Mercy, I’ve concluded that there are five great tools that every health care PR person should know and use.

Blog
Simply stated, blogs are a great way to get timely, relevant and unique information about your organization to a mass audience. Mercy Health System launched its blogs in May 2009. So far, our three blogs are averaging over 500 clicks a month. Our Rock County blog alone has over 900 RSS subscribers. That’s almost as powerful as a costly ad in a local paper! But be careful; don’t talk at your audience on your posts. Remember, a blog is a place to encourage thoughts, ideas and most importantly, share and encourage information. Ask questions, make it personal and post frequently. Don’t use it as a news feed, that’s not what it’s for. Be engaging. Check out http://wordpress.com if you’re interested in setting up a blog. Note: These hosting sites are free.

Twitter
There are so many great uses for Twitter. For a health care PR person, it’s been an amazing opportunity to get real-time news, make connections and engage in conversation. For example, journalists, reporters and editors are increasingly getting involved in Twitter. It’s been a great resource for me to build relationships with the media and use as a pitching platform. In June, I used my Twitter account to connect with reporters when we were gearing up for our first live tweeted surgery. Our Twitter page had 1,100 followers before the surgery, and ended up with over 1,400 after the surgery. Media outlets from our area also tuned in to our live “Tweets,” blog posts and Facebook updates and we ended up with over 600,000 media impressions in two days. Many of those connections I wouldn’t have made if it weren’t for Twitter.

Facebook
Facebook is another wonderful platform to engage in conversation and share timely and relevant information with those who are interested in your organization. Build a fan page, share news articles, post photos from your last community event. Your patients and stakeholders are online. You can provide a comfortable setting for your fans and friends on Facebook to engage in conversation. You can find out a lot about your audience by listening, commenting and monitoring your fans and followers on social media networks.

YouTube
People love video. Video is powerful because it can capture true emotion. Many people prefer to watch a video than read an article. As health care pros, we have the opportunity to share patient stories and experiences. You can do that with video in such a beautiful way. Most importantly, they are extremely viral. For example, Mayo Clinic had an amazing run on YouTube when Fran and Marlo Cowan (married 62 years) played impromptu piano together in the atrium of the Mayo Clinic. Today, the video has over 5 million hits. Talk about viral marketing, folks!

Webinar/Conferencing
As mentioned above, your patients and customers are using social media. Hospitals can utilize social channels to answer health care- or illness-related questions or simply provide medical information. We’ve recently dived in to webinar conferencing for various health care topics. So far, a majority of our participants are 65 and older. Again, your patients and customers are online and they are becoming savvier every day.

If you’re in health care marketing and public relations you understand that the word, free, goes a long way. Not one of these tools (excluding our webinar hosting site) mentioned above involves a dollar amount. If you’re like most organizations, you probably pay a company to distribute your news releases. If you’re paying for those services, why wouldn’t you take advantage of a free tool like Twitter and Facebook? Think about it.

If you haven’t already, I strongly suggest you set up personal accounts with a majority of these tools. Just dive in and start making connections. You will begin to find out the benefits as you move along.

What online tools have you found worthwhile?

Technorati Tags: health care PR/media relations, Mercy Health System, Random "Trish" Thoughts

2009 HOM Charity Ball. What an enchanting evening!

Over 230 guests enjoyed the elegant festivities at the House of Mercy Homeless Center Charity Ball, held last Saturday in Janesville. And WOW was it a great time! Mercy Health System’s Charity Ball is one of the largest fundraisers in Rock County, Wisconsin AND it supports the ONLY homeless center in the area!

It’s great to know as another House of Mercy Charity Ball becomes a part of our history, it creates a new beginning for a family in need.

Me and my prince charming at the ball!

Oh, yeah! I’m also the lucky girl who purchased one of the winning jewelry tickets for the diamond pendent [pictured above]! I’m still in aww! It’s beautiful!

Oh, yeah! I’m also the lucky girl who purchased one of the winning jewelry tickets for the diamond pendent [pictured above]! I’m still in aww! It’s beautiful!

Technorati Tags: fund raising for families in need, House of Mercy Homeless Center, Janesville, Mercy Health System, Random "Trish" Thoughts

Technorati Tags: aspirations, family, friends, PR and marketing, Random "Trish" Thoughts