Posts Tagged ‘SPRF’
One of the hot topics requested most by members of the Southern Public Relations Federation is public relations measurement and evaluation. Simply documenting media coverage or providing the boss with a list of your completed projects isn’t enough anymore. Senior management is asking how the money spent on communication directly correlates with business outcomes — how it increases revenue or reduces expenses.
SPRF presents a 60-minute professional development program, “Calculating the ROI on Your Communications,” with specific tips and examples to help you effectively evaluate the impact of your PR programs, in a way that matters to your boss, your board or your clients.
SPRF brings nationally known measurement expert Angela Sinickas, ABC, to your office via an interactive live webinar at 10 a.m. CT, Tuesday, March 19. She’s been measuring the effectiveness of communication since 1981, and her clients include 23 percent of the Forbes global 100 largest companies. During the webinar, she’ll discuss how to plan communications in a way that ties to behavior change, how to put a financial value on the resulting behavior change and how to calculate the return on investment for a campaign or communication channel.
With a $99 member rate, the webinar represents a convenient and affordable professional development opportunity. It’s a great way to share the high-level content offered at SPRF’s annual conference with your entire team. You can choose to participate in the live event March 19 or access the recording later to share unlimited viewing with your colleagues for a full 30 days.
To register, visit www.sprf.org/webinar/roi.
The Southern Public Relations Federation wants to help PR students “Get to the Point” at our annual conference in Point Clear, Ala., October 2-4, 2011. To do so, we’re offering discounted student rates to the full conference and special student-only sessions on Sunday scheduled to not interfere with classes.
These pre-conference, student-only sessions are led by experienced and accomplished public relations professionals who will provide tools and direction to create a professional network, as well as equip you to be the consummate professional that will set you apart as you begin your career.
It all begins on Sunday afternoon, October 2, 2011, followed by the SPRF annual conference. Other registration options include an opportunity to network with public relations professionals at the opening reception or attend the full conference.
Find out more at the conference website.
Make a point to be one step ahead of the crowd as you look forward to your career and “Get to the Point.”
The Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF) is currently soliciting proposals for the design, CMS development/recommendation and site maintenance for its website, including membership database and records archive, at www.SPRF.org.
Download the Request for Proposals for more information.
RFP
Proposals are due via email to SPRF VP/Communications Kristie Aylett, APR, by Friday, Sept. 23, 2011, and a vendor will be selected by Oct. 5, 2011.
This year’s SPRF conference Oct. 2-4, 2011, in Point Clear, Ala., is sure to be the premier professional development event for communications professionals and students throughout the South. Hear from nationally acclaimed speakers, learn tangible tools to get results, and network with colleagues from across SPRF’s four-state region. Examine best practices and case studies and get on camera with interactive media training.
Eric Morgenstern, APR, Fellow PRSA, will be the opening speaker for the conference. As CEO of Morningstar Communications in Kansas City, Mo., he established a philosophy of “Think Excellence, Not Difference” to enable employees and clients to become leaders. He is one of only 15 SAGE (Strategic Advisors for Growth and Excellence) Counselors, within the Counselors Academy section of the Public Relations Society of America. Eric frequently delivers keynote presentations to national, regional and local audiences on the topics of leadership, marketing and communications.
A popular workshop leader and mentor to many SPRF members, Joe Trahan III, PhD, APR, Fellow PRSA, returns to the SPRF conference after an absence of several years to offer the keynote session Tuesday morning. Dr. Trahan has nearly 30 years of public relations/affairs experience in governmental, association, and educational and non-profit public relations. Dr. Trahan is retired Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army Reserve (USAR), and a former Commander of the 314th Public Affairs Operations Center located in Birmingham, Ala. Since 1998, he has superbly trained more than 3,500 people yearly in media relations throughout almost all of the United States. England, Norway, France, Belgium, Paraguay, Mexico and the Netherlands.
In addition to speaking at the general sessions, Morgenstern and Trahan will lead break-out sessions to help conference attendees further hone your skills.
Early bird rates are only $275 for SPRF members and $300 for non-members, if you register by July 31. Wait until August and those rates are $25 more. Those who wait until September pay the full registration rate of $350 for members and $375 for non-members. Students can attend the full conference for only $150.
Click here for more information and to begin the registration process.
Let’s get to the point about this year’s Lantern Awards. Point Clear, Ala., that is! The Marriott Grand Hotel in Point Clear is the site of this year’s Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF) conference and Lantern Awards program. Enter your work in the Lantern Awards program and join us in Point Clear this fall! You’ve done the work and it’s time for you to get the recognition.
The 2011 Lantern Award program is now open for entry submissions! Visit http://www.sprflanterns.org to enter your outstanding work and hopefully be recognized, with professionals from around SPRF’s four-state region.
Your entries for the SPRF Lanterns must have appeared (published, printed, presented, etc.) between May 1, 2010, and April 30, 2011.
Lantern award entries are $55 per entry or $50 per entry if you are submitting three or more. Pay using PayPal or by check.
All entries must be submitted online by visiting www.sprflanterns.org. The deadline for entries is July 1 (binders must be received on or before this date in Kiln, Miss.)
Don’t forget to register for the conference by visiting www.sprf.org. For more information, please email lanterns@sprf.org or ronbarnes@coastepa.com.
Is Print Dead?
That was one of the questions to answer with the SPRF Social Media and Web Technology Survey. Thanks to more than 300 respondents, the survey provides a 90% confidence rating and a true feel for how PR professionals in the South are using social media, search engines and the Web in general.
Nationally, eight of the country’s 50 largest newspapers could be going out of business in the next 18 months, according to Time magazine. Associated Construction Publications, which offered 13 regional monthly publications, closed its doors in April after more than 100 years. With all this turmoil in the media industry, public relations professionals must stay abreast of all the changes to remain effective. SPRF will continue this discussion at its upcoming annual conference, “PR at the Crossroads,” in Tunica, Miss., Oct. 4-6.
With static, informational Web sites of the 1990s being replaced with robust online communities and real-time conversations that are raising issues, making sales, educating the public and so much more, the world is changing fast. This survey was developed to provide members more information about this new media landscape and the details necessary to help them make strong, strategic decisions for their organizations.
To answer the question “Is print dead?,” look at the following survey results:
According to the survey, practitioners still read trade magazines and newspapers. Only 8% or less reported that they rarely or never do so. However, 31% reported that they rarely or never consult a printed phone book—a startling figure for that industry.
20% plan to drop or decrease newspaper and magazine display advertising, while 54% plan to increase their use of e-mail marketing and blogs within the next two years.
96% feel communicating online with customers during the workday is important and 62% feel it important to communicate online during off hours. Phones were used by 78% and e-mail by 63% as method used to communicate with customers. These statistics show that a majority placed a high priority on the instant communications of phone, e-mail, and the Web. But with 62% reporting they rarely use a fax, according to this survey, facsimile machines may be soon become an obsolete piece of office equipment.
How social networking sites ranked was also of interest. The social networking site Facebook was popular among survey respondents, with 55 percent logging in at least once a day. Other sites, such as MySpace and LinkedIn, were used infrequently, if at all. The trendy site, Twitter, has not caught on with many respondents. Twenty percent answered that they were not interested in the site.
Despite the usage response, when asked how useful these sites were, PR professionals found the following sites useful or extremely useful: Facebook (59%), YouTube (42%), Linked In (39%) and Twitter (34%).
As a SPRF member, you can simply click here to access the entire survey results. The following are just a few of the interesting comments provided anonymously by members that provide additional food for thought:
• We have made a number of good business connections all over the world on Linked In and use Facebook and Myspace for clients whose target demographics fit with the social media sites. Discussions with other professionals in the marketing, advertising and public relations field have helped us with strategies for our clients and also helped us measure what is happening with the economy.
• My fear is that we as communicators will allow—or enable—social media to wipe out traditional communications tools, such as newspapers, periodical publications, and books.
• Social Media is just a new a method of distributing information. Therefore, clients should be told they must get their message in order first, then they can decide on the distribution method. Get that right, then you can decide if social media is an appropriate tool to use. But if the decision is made to use social media, clients need to agree to not just broadcast their information, they must also get in on the conversation.
• A realty company owner says his beach rental division started a Facebook page against his better judgment. Much to his surprise, every time he posts a special on the page he gets numerous responses and rents rooms because of it. He never expected it to work, but it does.
• Facebook has been a great way to reach a younger demographic for charitable support of our non-profit organization.
• Our nonprofit organization’s Facebook page has been in existence about 6 months and we have about 100 members. This is with virtually no effort (I sent an email to a small mailing list to tell them about it). This membership has grown through word of mouth (or email). They are largely a different group than we reach through other media.
• I love social media/social marketing. It is the best new trend. It is a great way to talk about your business and reach different people than before. It is a great tool for journalists!
The survey was co-authored by SPRF members Deborah York Geiger, APR, and Kristie Aylett, APR. Geiger is a member of PRCA and owner of Content Fresh LLC. Aylett is a member of PRAM and owner of The KARD Group PR/marketing.
Social Media and Technology Survey Results
