by Tyra Haag

Each weekday, PRSA Issues and Trends, an online publication of the Public Relations Society of America, reports top industry news related to the field of PR along with current events, professional development opportunities and job resources — just to name a few. 

Since subscribing to this national e-newsletter listserv, I’ve noticed a clear trend—it seems more than 50 percent of the top industry news stories revolve around social media, its impact on the field, controversies surrounding it and best practices.

One such news story led me to Willis Wee’s recent blog post on 30 Social Media Business Case Studies. He compiled 30 business case studies (good and bad) during the past year and how each utilized social media platforms to achieve their goals.

For non-profits, social media platforms have the potential to increase not only brand awareness but also the bottom line if utilized strategically.

How Non-Profits are Using Social Media for Real Results details how non-profit leaders from around the country are using social media to achieve business objectives.

And who would’ve thought the folks at Harvard and Northeastern University would team up and research mood trends experienced throughout the day via Twitter? Researchers from these institutions recently published Pulse of the Nation: U.S. Mood Throughout the Day Inferred from Twitter. Within their site, you’ll find a time lapse video of actual Twitter mood variations, with the happiest tweets occurring during the early morning, late afternoon and weekend hours.

Although several businesses have jumped on the social media bandwagon, it’s important to keep in mind that there’s no such thing as an “easy” button when implementing these platforms. To achieve the most effective social media campaign goals, it takes a clear plan and supporting strategy, so that effort put into utilizing these tools is time well spent—not wasted.

If you have questions related to navigating the waters of online communications, I encourage you to visit Interactive Springboard.

Starting your first job is a scary experience, and realizing what comes with the new position can be overwhelming for many.  One expectation that I did not have entering my new position was to join a non-profit board right after being hired.  I was not pressured into volunteering for the board; instead, I actually thought it would be beneficial to me as I continued to hone my PR skills. 

That thought turned out to be an understatement.  Joining the non-profit board gave me the opportunity to use my PR skills, meet new people and learn more about the community in which I live and work.  I recommend to any new PR professional not to think of volunteering for a non-profit board as part of your job, but rather as an opportunity to better yourself and your craft.  The experience on a board can be a nice addition to any resumé, and materials created while working on a board can be added to strengthen a portfolio.

The experience that I received as a member of a non-profit board was so valuable that I recently joined another non-profit board. After two years of service, I can say that I was able to work on tasks and projects that I would not have had an opportunity to manage at my job.  The experiences have enabled me to develop my skills, build new relationships and serve the community. I have found giving back to my community has been very rewarding for both my career and my personal life.  Any new PR professional eager to grow and develop his or her skills should consider joining a non-profit board as a good first step that will lead to many more.