Join me at JRM Comm for a new blog!
Good day, friends! It’s a new year… heck, it’s February already. Last year, though, I re-launched my brand and, with the help of Ashley of Little Leaf Design, have a brand new website. This means I’m going to be posting on the blog at the new site.
So, join me at JRMComms.com/blog, scroll to the bottom of a post and sign up for updates by clicking the “Notify me of new posts by email” box. You’ll be able to get fresh content and more.
My latest post on “Why Understanding the Media Matters Today” is live, NOW. Thanks for your readership and passionate comments here for the last five years. I look forward to the same at the new blog site.
A “Spark” for social content
New ideas get me excited. It doesn’t matter if the idea is mine or that it comes from someone else. New ideas should excite everyone because it is a chance to see what the future could be like. NewsSpark, a new social content hub, is one of those ideas that I’m excited about.
I’ve known NewsSpark founder Chris Ehrlich for over five years now, mostly over social media. However, when I started JRM Comm, Chris chatted with me via phone and gave some incredibly encouraging and kind words that stay with me to this day.
Because of this, Chris has been kind enough to open the private beta of its digital PR and marketing channel to readers of my blog.
Original content
NewsSpark is a digital hub where creators publish original content through their favorite mediums. Creators can publish original news, blogs, updates, photos, videos and audio (soon) on every topic — or Sparks. The hub also features catalogs of content creators, brands and groups. The freemium model NewsSpark is planning to implement paid features, such as branded Content Galleries.
Chris Ehrlich
“Looking at the marketplace, we believe we’re the first digital channel dedicated to publishing and consuming original content,” said Chris, whose content career has included stops at LEWIS PR and the San Francisco Chronicle. “Some may argue the claim, but the hub’s makeup and utility are clearly distinct when compared to other digital channels.”
NewsSpark plans to exit its private beta and launch in June. The hub is made in East Grand Rapids, Mich. and metro Los Angeles.
Initial partners
After testing the hub with family and friends, NewsSpark has set up member benefit and/or content partnerships with several organizations during its private beta: the West Michigan Public Relations Society of America, or WMPRSA; stock video production company Uberstock; early stage venture capital fund Start Garden; urban business incubator GR Current; and Michigan State University Spartan Innovations, the university’s startup innovation division.
User-rated content
Sparks can be published by “anyone with great original content,” Chris said. Creators increase or decrease a Spark’s stoke count — and hub-wide rank — when they “stoke it,” “douse it” or mark it as a “firestarter.” The hub of user-ranked content is organized by a set of filters and designed to be “a meritocracy and front-line source for anyone who consumes digital content.”
“Right now, the community is in its infancy,” he added. “It will naturally grow as we grow.”
Private beta access
Here’s where you can get in on the fun. Chris is now opening up NewsSpark’s private beta to me, “a long-time tweep,” and readers of One Guy’s Journey. Readers can access the private beta hub and “stake claims to their industry categories” via my referral link, keeping “JasMollica” in the referer field. Readers can also use the hub’s invite-a-friend feature to invite others into the private beta.
Content marketing problems
NewsSpark is designed to be an open and organized hub where creators can complete their content marketing cycles. “The hub lets their content burn and work for them in ways it can’t at other digital channels,” Chris said. He explained that
almost immediately after it’s posted, original content functionally disappears from other digital channels, where he said content is an ad unit, fleeting, disorganized, unfindable, isolated or in a closed network.
“There’s all this great content being created that gets lost online — as a fleeting mention, one-time broadcast or on a virtual island,” Chris said. “We wanted to create a hub where original content can be planted, judged on its merit and work as an ongoing catalyst for creators — in real-time and long-term.” The hub is also a platform for creators to package, consolidate and digitally present their complete range of content to their audiences in a professional-grade user interface, such as a plug-and-play social Content Gallery, newsroom or web presence.
“A brand’s content is diluted when it’s only fragmented across channels — and never unified in a single user experience for ongoing discovery,” Chris said.
Sparks flying
The hub is designed to potentially increase multiple near- and long-term content marketing metrics: brand awareness, SEO and social search, audience, engagement, web traffic, coverage by bloggers and media outlets, inbound leads and sales. “We’re simply engineered from the onset to deliver returns to creators who market their content,” Chris said. The hub is also designed to deliver cost and staff savings on managing and sharing digital content. “Trying to manage and use de-centralized content is hugely inefficient for teams,” Ehrlich said. “And when they turn to platforms to package and centralize the content, they often run into technical or pricing obstacles.”
Bigger picture
I’m a big believer in paying it forward and NewsSpark is doing just that, in a huge way. The company will donate 5% of its income to The NewsSpark R. D. Ehrlich Communications Scholarship at colleges across the country, beginning with UCLA and Denison University.
Check it out and tell me what you think of NewsSpark!
The Four Pillars of Personal Branding
They say you can’t go “home” again; I say that’s dead wrong. On March 21, I went back to a place I called home for my college days, Temple University. Walking around the campus, which has changed by leaps and bounds since I was there, brought back lots of great memories and emotions.
The reason for being on campus was the second annual TU Invitational, hosted by the university’s outstanding PRSSA chapter. I’ve been lucky to get to know many members, both past and present, over the last few years. They make me incredibly proud to be an alum and to now call public relations my career. I spoke at this year’s 
event on being the “CEO of You.”
When I was at Temple in the mid-1990s, I had no clue about personal branding. However, I always tried to uphold the traits that I now speak about when giving talks around the country. Those traits are the pillars of my CEO of You sessions. If you want the best out of your brand, online and off, you need to embrace these four pillars.
Trust– There isn’t a brand around, personal or otherwise, that can survive without having trust. Never put your brand in a position where you sacrifice the trust you’ve built. I would rather you be last and right, than first and wrong. Do it right the way first!
Honesty– Being honest about the expectations of your brand. Never oversell something you aren’t able do, or be something you can’t. You also need to be honest with yourself. How many times have we met people who try to be someone else, or something else? That isn’t honesty. Never over inflate your abilities.
Transparency– We often ask clients to be open and transparent. That means, there is no way someone can look at you and not know who you are or what you represent. Being transparent also helps if you are in a crisis. CEO’s that hide are believed to be keeping something important a secret. Don’t hide behind secrecy.
Responsibility– You need to take responsibility for who you are and what you do in person and as a professional on social networks. Having a Twitter account, Facebook page, Instagram account, and a blog should be handled with great responsibility. You have the power to enact change as well as lead with these tools. Use them smartly and wisely.
At the end of the day, your personal brand needs to be real and have passion. If you can’t or don’t want to be real, you are wasting your time on social networks. Your brand will be fake. It’s harder to correct your brand than it is to be real from the start.
People gravitate toward passion. They can see through your BS a mile away. If you aren’t passionate about the work you do – or if you try to fake it – those you lead will pick up on it immediately. To truly inspire others and establish yourself as an expert, you have to love what you do. The drive to be the best is fueled by passion, without it, you may tend to view your work or activities as something you have to do, rather than something you get to do.
How are you upholding these four pillars? Let me know in the comments!
Who is your PR Inspiration?
The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best– Epictetus
We (hopefully) get inspired by many things in life. A big promotion, getting your degree, or even starting your own business. However, in many cases, it is the people in our lives who inspire us to be more and do more. Over the last few weeks, I’ve had an opportunity to think about those who have inspired me to be more as a public relations professional.
Folks like Larry Litwin, Deirdre Breakenridge, Shonali Burke, and, of course, my wife, have had an indelible impact into my PR career. Every day, I am inspired by something they have done. It is why I love what I do and why I enjoy working with future and current pros to make our industry great.
Now, I ask you. Who is your PR inspiration? Why do we need to let our networks know they are great? What have they done to inspire our industry?
Let me know on Twitter, Facebook and in the comments below. I’ll then shout them out on Twitter. Be inspired by what you have learned and pay it forward!
The Next Step for Communications Pros
To go back to school or to not go back to school: that is the question.
And this is the very question Jason blogged about recently — one that almost every working professional grapples with at one time or another. Especially in the communications field, if you’re already gainfully employed, you wonder how anything learned in a classroom could possibly trump real-world experience.
And then there’s the prospect of giving up said job to go back to school for two years, or, better yet, having to relocate to chase a master’s degree from your dream school on the other side of the country. Online education, however, has been a complete game-changer in terms of flexibility, and we’ve seen the quality of the experience elevated to meet — and in some ways exceed — the on-campus one.
I’m totally biased on this front because I work on behalf of an online program. Newhouse School recently announced a new Master of Science in Communications delivered online: Communications@Syracuse. Specializations include public relations, journalism innovation and advertising, taught in live classes by Newhouse faculty. But this post isn’t about me.
Looking Ahead
It’s a great time to be in this field — employment of PR specialists is projected to grow 12 percent through 2022 (from 2012).
And let’s face it: communications and public relations are constantly evolving. Tactics that worked for PR pros even five years ago may seem antiquated today. Attention spans are short and competition for real estate on the web and in print is more intense than ever. Creative storytelling and unique content is paramount to separating your client from its counterparts.
“It’ll be back to the future for PR in 2015,” says Ellen Ryan Mardiks, vice chairman, Golin. “As the PR business grows and expands its remit, we’ll keep doing more, better. Clients will turn to us at an even greater pace for compelling content delivered across all forms of media.”
As a modern-day professional, you want to remain grounded in the fundamentals, while also staying up-to-date with new strategies and tools. To stay competitive, in some cases, advancing your degree, online or otherwise, is the next logical step to help hone your skills and position yourself as a leader who gets results for clients. But, as Jason wrote, you have to ask yourself if continuing your education will be worth the inevitable sacrifices you’ll have to make. It’s not a decision to be made lightly, nor should it be made based on what anyone else thinks — “do it for you.” Other things to consider:
- Accreditation: Is the institution accredited? This is something employers care about and, if it’s not, could hinder your chances to advance.
- Credit-transfer policies: Make sure the previous credits you’ve earned and the work experiences you have are taken into consideration.
- Faculty and student support: Are your professors invested in your success? Will you have access to the resources you need?
Bottom line: There are pros and cons of on-campus versus online — both offer a unique set of challenges. The key is to prioritize what’s important to you (staying put versus relocating, etc.) and commit to the decision 100%. Success in today’s public relations environment will require innovation, adaptability and greater accountability — it’s up to you how you get there.
Erica Moss is the community manager for Communications@Syracuse, a masters in communications online program, offered from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. In her free time, she enjoys all things pop culture and connecting with people on Twitter @ericajmoss.
The Grad School Debate
For years, we’ve heard the steady drumbeat of those that say it’s imperative to get your Master’s Degree if you want to move up in the public relations or marketing field. There are also many that disagree, saying it’s not at all necessary. I disagree with both schools of thought. It’s not imperative, but it’s also wrong to say it isn’t necessary. Let me explain.
Late last month, I was accepted into Purdue University’s Brian Lamb School of Communication for its online master’s degree program. I’m beyond excited to get started and continue to better myself as a professional from a great university. My internal debate about grad school started with a simple question: “Do I WANT to go or do I NEED to go?” And that is the question you should ask yourself if you are considering the same.
The argument that it isn’t necessary, or that you shouldn’t go is silly and antiquated. This isn’t me 
saying to you that you MUST go for your MBA, Master’s in Communication, etc. This is me telling you that it is YOUR CHOICE and not someone else’s to make.
I went back and forth for years about whether to get a higher degree. After I received my undergraduate degree from Temple University (yes, I’m #TempleMade), the thought of going back to school was not something I was keen on. However, as I got older, the idea of challenging myself to be more than what I am now became exciting.
Here’s what my thought process was:
1. Research– It’s one of the pillars of public relations, right? Well, I researched a ton of schools and spoke with a number of trusted colleagues and friends. My wife is a professor and she just attained her Ph.D. in July of 2014. So, I had plenty of good information about what direction to go in.
2. How will it help me- Look, it’s ok to be selfish here. You aren’t just going to get a higher degree because it would be great fun. You’ll work hard so that it can help YOU in the long run. Not anyone else. Do it for you. Not for what your boss thinks, your friends, or anyone else. Your name will be on the diploma.
3. Online or on campus- Since going to campus would be tough with two kids and two parents working, I sought out the highly reviewed online programs. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check out what the “brick and mortar” programs offer. I will say that distance programs no longer come with the “Oh, you are doing online?” stigma. My wife earned her Ph.D from the Medical University of South Carolina’s online program , save for a yearly residency week on campus in July.
4. Time- If you can’t commit the time to put in the work, don’t go for your degree. We budget time for clients, social postings, and more. You need to do the same for that Master’s Degree. Once I was accepted, I went into planning mode and created calendar dates. The more you plan, the more time you’ll have to study and focus.
5. Believe- Can you do it? Of course you can. I’ve used this quote from Robert F. Kennedy for years. “There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why… I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?” From the moment I committed to applying for my Master’s Degree at Purdue, I asked “why not?” Why couldn’t I do this? Why not now? Believe in your talents, skills, and determination and you’ll succeed.
Remember, you don’t HAVE TO get a Master’s Degree, or any higher degree for that matter. What you do have to do is listen to what you WANT TO do. That’s what is most important.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Better Social in 2015
So, we are on the verge of a new year (already?!). It’s a time to celebrate accomplishments and the good things we’ve done. It’s also a time to take a hard look at ways to improve for the year to come. I’m sure that whether you are a business or an individual, there are things you’d like to do better in 2015. Maybe it’s improving your bottom line or re-packaging your current brand.
In December, I love to take stock of where I stand, personally and professionally. It gives me a chance to take a critical look at how I’ve served my clients and whether I’m growing. I want to be better, as a business owner, a person, and a professional. These improvements also include social media.
There’s been good social and bad, just like every other year. However, I hope that in 2015 we see social media improve. Here’s five ways to do that:
1. Be smarter with your posting– Far too often this year, we’ve seen mistakes by brands and individuals. There are more “gotcha moments” (see Franco, James) and hitting the send button before a post is really looked at closely (see U.S. Airways). Don’t rush to update your Facebook page or that Instagram photo because you want to be funny or beat another brand to the punch. Think your posts through. You’ll be better off in the long run.
Generation Labels: Limiting or Limitless?
On Oct. 21, I posed this question on Twitter:
I’ve been thinking a lot about the labels that are placed on generations. I don’t hear much about the tags on Generation Y or Generation X, and when I did, it wasn’t hammered home like the Millennial label is now. I accept the Millennial tag, but I often wonder whether it really is a badge of honor or a label that is unnecessary. Many in the millennial generation, however, embrace the tag. So, I left it to the Twitterverse to see what they felt. I received some really great answers.
You’ve heard some of the thoughts from Twitter. Now, what do you REALLY think about generational labels. Are they a hinderance to your success? Do they make you feel more confident? Let me know in the comments!
