Hit the Ground Running
My first week of interning at Curator has already been chock full of new adventures and experiences. This is the first time I have spent any real time in Seattle, apart from visiting the traditional tourist sites, and so far I love it, though I am still paranoid about missing my train in the mornings.
This week I was looking for inspiration, not just for my first blog post, but for my career in general. I found it in the form of an article in the Ragan newsletter titled 15 Shakespearean Quotes for PR Pros. I have always been a Shakespeare fan, but I was curious to see how someone could apply the Bard to PR. A few of these really spoke to me, so I thought I would share them:
An honest tale speeds best, being plainly told. - King Richard III, Act IV, Scene IV
In PR it's one thing to craft elegant messages, it's quite another to create news or hard facts where none readily exist. The best PR practitioners don’t make stuff up.
Nothing will come of nothing. - King Lear, Act I, Scene I
You can't build a solid program or campaign until you've done your research, and know what measurable objectives you're trying to reach. In PR, you need to be mindful of the best ways to reach your key audience and get them to engage. Without taking the time to do research into, this your campaign tactics are simply shots in the dark and will not deliver the results you need.
Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them. - Twelfth Night, Act II, Scene V
There's nothing wrong with starting your PR program modestly. Some of the best campaigns start out small. The main thing is to keep on going.
One example of this is starting a Twitter hashtag campaign. In 2011, Edge Shave Gel started the Twitter hashtag campaign #soirratating where they encourage people to share what irritates them and then try and to find a solution to that irritation. In a matter of months Edge gained 1,500 followers on Twitter and the hashtag had had been used over 6,800 times!
Brevity is the soul of wit. - Hamlet, Act II, Scene II
Articulate and intelligent communication should use few, but wisely chosen words. This has become especially true when writing for social media channels. If you can’t tailor your messages to a few sentences or under 140 characters, then social media is not the place for them.
While I am still in the process of familiarizing myself with all of the Curator clients and getting to know everybody in the office, I’ve already been included in a number of meetings, written blog posts and created media lists. Work has been fast paced, and I am sure that soon I will be taking on even more responsibility, which I am looking forward to. Keeping organized and on top of my work will be critical, but so long as I abide by the immortal words of Shakespeare, “Better three hours too soon than one minute late,” I will have no problems. - Elizabeth Glavish, Curator Intern