After a five-month campaign, aptly named “PR Defined,” which included hundreds of submissions, abundant commentary and nearly a year of research that ended with 1,447 votes during an official voting period on February 13-26, the professional verdict for the modern definition of PR is:

“Public Relations is a strategic communications process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

A complete scope of the national PR Defined campaign can be found online at PRDefined Resources Page. 

This took five months. Really?

Of course when any ‘change’ is implemented, there is always some push-back to be expected. Dissenters of the new definition vocalized their views throughout the campaign. The amplified criticism was loud enough to elicit the following response from Corbett and published in The New York Times:

“Like beauty, the definition of ‘public relations’ is in the eye of the beholder.”

At APR, we believe the new definition is truly just a starting point for an important ongoing conversation between two key parties – our team and our clients. Effective PR today is not about giving ROI’s anymore. It’s about setting realistic Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and hearing what the customer wants in order to help them best. At APR we know that there was a reason why God gave us TWO ears and ONE mouth….so we can listen more than talk! After we listen, then we strategize for best results. What a concept!

We are a part of the future movement to insure PR professionals are viewed as invaluable strategic partners with any business. It’s why smart clients hire us. APR will continue to mold and change to adopt to our clients.  What a fun ride!!!

People feel comfort when they see hometown news, review the obituaries and seek out the successes of our local teams. Let that be a lesson for those who promote others. Sometimes the best news all day is the call from home.

APR is particularly well-connected with statewide business leaders and government officials, as well as creative designers and successful entrepreneurs. Our firm specializes in key business introductions, networking strategy and prospect development, helping connect clients with appropriate contacts within the local business community.

We pride ourselves in our ability to serve as area experts in community relations, helping clients find the best partners to benefit each party and making sure clients gain proper publicity for their community outreach efforts.

An example of our community relations at play can be seen in the relationship building we have accomplished for our client Hardball Capital and for the campaign to bring a new, multi-purpose stadium to Savannah’s beautiful riverfront.

What these women do is nothing short of amazing, in and out of the office environment. Their ability to come together cohesively and work as a team on a myriad of tasks, jobs and projects for our seemingly endless list of clients can easily be summed up with one descriptive term, synergy. What you see is what you get with these public relations professionals.

Take this creative work environment at ThincSavannah and add in the fact that I get to work with these inquisitive minds on a third floor building suite with an incredible view overlooking beautiful, historic downtown Savannah and what you get is possibly the best internship experience one could ask for. I feel I have gained so much in so little time over these past few months.

Each task I completed was beneficial and constructive to helping me build my public relations resume. From writing press releases for clients such as Nightingale Services and Bethesda Academy to promoting Parker’s “Fueling the Community” fundraiser to area schools, my internship experience has been exciting and worth every hour of work.

Whether in or out of the office, my work experience as an intern is something I will always cherish and be glad that I was able to be a part of. Not many college students have the chance to intern during or after their college years and so I feel lucky to have had this opportunity to get a leg up on other students as we all will soon be competing for the same or different jobs in the workforce.
Overall, I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. This company breeds success and brings out the best in its employees, revealing their creative and inspirational sides of their personalities. I feel like I have grown up some and matured during my internship, leaving my college days behind me and looking forward to what is next on my journey.

I came into this office not knowing what to expect and am leaving it expecting everything.

“As expected, social media monitoring and participation have significantly increased and can now be considered a mainstream responsibility of [PR and communications],” the study noted.

Social media is on the rise as a “core responsibility,” indicating the increased demand for social media strategy and tactical execution in today’s public relations arena. When asked about their chief responsibilities, respondents said corporate communications, executive communication, internal communication, crisis management, social media management and social media participation take up the bulk of their time.

This landmark study indicates that the PR industry is currently transitioning from an “old school” approach to a “new school” approach, largely due to the impact of social media on the PR landscape.

“Companies that embrace ‘new school’ best practices are more likely to be associated with success variables,” the report stated.

At Abshire Public Relations, we’ve been riding the social media wave for quite some time. We dove into the deep end head first several years ago and offer continuing social media education opportunities for our entire team to ensure that everyone stays up-to-date on the latest technology trends.

Today, we successfully manage Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media accounts for a wide range of clients. We develop social media strategy, organize Facebook contests and post items regularly for corporate as well as non-profit clients.

APR combines the best of “old school” and “new school” public relations, offering high-profile media placements as well as social media buzz. We understand that traditional media and new media are most effective when used in connection with one another.

After all, social media serves as an ideal way to share media placements with a larger audience and to offer an important venue for expanding key marketing messages, encouraging engagement, reinforcing branding and sparking dialogue with customers.

Whether your company is social media savvy or just beginning to explore this brave new world, APR can help develop a smart strategy to help maximize your market share and raise your profile in the eyes, minds and wallets of the target audience that matters most to you.

One great example is the recent CNBC article we lined up for Hannah Byrne of rappidApp, a Savannah-based mobile app development company. We pitched Hannah as an expert on the growing mobile app trend and were able to secure national media coverage showcasing her expertise. The article quotes Hannah, in part, as saying:

“The last thing [customers] look at before they go to bed is their smartphone and the first thing they look at is their smartphone. The best way to market to them is through the smartphone,” said rappidApp co-founder and CEO Hannah Byrne.

As mentioned in a previous blog post, public relations helps strategically position you as an expert in your field and as a leader in your industry. It’s a whole lot easier for a neutral third party to pitch you (and your company) to a key editor than it is to brag on yourself, which is why the services we offer can be so invaluable.

We understand the power of connection and have the relationships with the media to garner solid national, regional and local coverage on behalf of our clients. Over the years, we’ve scored ink for APR clients in Southern Living, Coastal Living, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and many other national media outlets.

Our firm may be based in Savannah, but we’re proud that our reach extends well beyond the Creative Coast.

What makes public relations such a powerful business tool? Unlike advertising, public relations serves as a critical way to build credibility, which helps underscore the importance of your company’s brand. A strategic public relations campaign offers a cost-effective, targeted multi-media opportunity to share your key marketing messages with your target customers.

A well-placed article about a particular product in the pages of a national magazine like Coastal Living or a well-timed interview with a client on the local television news can be a lot more effective than an expensive ad campaign. Ultimately, credibility forms the basic foundation of any company’s success. Without credibility, there can be no brand loyalty, no meaningful connection between companies and customers.

Effective PR helps build a positive image for a company, which can boost sales and fuel customer loyalty. A positive image will also come in handy during times of crisis.

At APR, we have strong ties to the media and the proven ability to showcase our clients as experts in their field. We work behind the scenes to secure media coverage in print, electronic and social media, raising our clients’ profiles and keeping their companies top-of-mind among consumers.

Every day, we are honored to represent our clients in a professional, responsible manner. We know building credibility means that everything we do for our clients — from media relations and business development to managing social media campaigns and event planning –has to be done effectively. That’s because we understand that, in the end, credibility is truly priceless.

And that’s the real reason Bill Gates would spend his last dollar on PR.

Social Media: Generation Y’s Addiction

In today’s tech-savvy world, social media is boss.  It influences and commands the attention of our world’s population, linking and allowing us to communicate with each other in ways never thought possible in recent global history.  From social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace to social blogging sites such as Twitter and even video-sharing sites like YouTube, social media is growing and expanding at highly prolific rates.  It controls much of how we get our news, entertainment and even operate our businesses in today’s fast paced global economy.  Because of this, social media has many different audiences and followers whose lives revolve around this new-age phenomenon.  However, no age group has been more influenced or impacted by this modern technology marvel than that of Generation Y.

Those of us born during this period of time, in the 1980s and 1990s, have had the opportunity to grow up with, experience, learn about and embrace social media in school and our daily lives.  In turn, this has given us a strong technological advantage over our baby-booming parents and their limited to no experience with computer-based technology that they had while growing up.  Our generation is so immersed in social media that we can’t imagine life without it.  Social media sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Flickr, and even Google command how we socially interact, learn, do business, build relationships and even entertain ourselves from a web-based technological communication standpoint.

Social media’s success in today’s world is largely due to the importance that Generation Y places on socializing and communicating with each other on a daily basis.  Yet, it wouldn’t be what it is today without members of other generations catching onto this social media craze and realizing how beneficial it is and can be to their business and social lives.  In professions such as public relations, journalism, marketing, advertising and business in general, social media is being used time and again and more often to bridge the gap between companies and their target audiences. Its capability to forge powerful and intimate relationships between people solidifies just how vital this modern day communication tool is in each of our lives and our advancing world. 

Creating fresh content on a regular basis serves as an important way to share your key messages with your target audience. Many media outlets now welcome “free” content, which means if you can provide a timely, newsworthy story – ideally, with photos – you can increase your visibility and expand the reach of your messaging power.

Whether you’re developing content for your own web site or to share with traditional or interactive media, here are five ideas to keep in mind to develop high-quality content:

1. Always search engine optimize your web copy.  Include keywords that will drive customers to your web site. Remember that good SEO writing performs well in search engines while providing helpful, up-to-date, accurate information.

2. Consider writing a blog. Blogs are among the most frequented sites on the web, making them a great way to attract visitors to your web site. Write interesting, relevant  blog posts that position you as an expert in your field. You’ll be amazed how many people may follow you online.

3. Make it easy to read your copy. Use bulleted or numbered lists whenever possible to enable readers to scan for information that is important to them. Remember that readers often scan text instead of reading every word.

4. Stay focused. Avoid digressions or off-topic meanderings. If a sentence, paragraph or section of your copy doesn’t relate to or add to the topic at hand, hit the delete button.  When you start wandering, your readers will tune out as well.

5. Proof and spell check. There’s nothing worse than disseminating information that is incorrect, misspelled and grammatically questionable. Ask one of your co-workers to proof behind you, verify all facts presented and be sure to spell check your work.

At APR, we excel at developing fresh copy for our clients using a wide range of tools including social media, blogs, videos and web copy. We even ghostwrite blog copy for our clients, enabling them to share their expertise without having to sit down and do the “dirty work” of writing.

However you choose to share your messages with your target audience, remember that we live an age when content truly is king.

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Jennifer Abshire is the founder and Chief Creative Officer at Abshire Public Relations. She can be reached at jennifer@abshirepr.com or 912-695-7881.