This year, Syracuse University’s W.P. Ehling Chapter of PRSSA was chosen to host the PRSSA regional conference, thus dubbed CuseCon.

On March 1st and 2nd, an amazing speaker line-up filled the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications with some great tips for using social commerce and the future of public relations. I wanted to share the main points from the speakers that I saw during the conference with you.

Bob Pearson, W2O Group: Social Commerce and Your Career – How to Thrive in a Connected World

• The media landscape has completely changed
• 1, 9, 90: 1% create the content, 9% share the content, 90% absorb the content
• There are 5 drivers of content: Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Video, Mainstream Media
• Since media has been redefined, old media plans are obsolete
• You must know the patterns of those you are trying to reach
• You must know your target audience’s influencers
• Targeting is the only way to beat the mass amounts of data
• Build mountain ranges, not skyscrapers, of online conversation
• Storytizing will replace advertising: Give people a story and watch them run with it

Immy Khan, Creative Director at Google: Creative Storytelling

• Technology makes things endless
• Digital is real: digital experiences are enhancements, not diversions, in our everyday lives
• There is no clutter: we filter in what we want and out what we don’t
• Technology is the tool for people to start their own ideas and create their own content
• You can’t just push information out at people, you must challenge them to educate and participate on their own
• Use story engines: aim at something bigger than an ad and maybe even bigger than your brand
• Ask a question that you don’t know the answer to
• Erase the boundary between marketing and real life
• Mobile is eating the world
• Amazing is always on the other side of yes

Bill Jasso, Professor of Public Relations: Taking Every Last Penny

• On negotiating for your first job:
• What is negotiable? Salary, bonus, insurance (maybe), 401K/pension, start date, performance review date, relocation expense, education/seminars, vacation, computer/laptop, cell phone service, signing bonus
• How do I negotiate? Do your homework!
• Research the company
• Research the salary: by position, by location, by skills
• Don’t be afraid of them taking #2 because you negotiate. You are #1, and they want YOU

Fred Cook, GolinHarris: Unconventional Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO

• Expose yourself: Get experience and take yourself out of your comfort zone – prepare for the “real world”
• Hit the Road: Americans are afraid to travel, but you learn so much through traveling
• Ask the Captian: Make an impression and meet the senior people in the office that can make a difference in your career
• Find a way past “No.”
• Enlist an Entourage: Behind every famous person there’s a group of professionals working to keep them that way
• Assemble your Team: Friends, family, teachers and coworkers
• Work for Tips: Customer service is at the heart of business
• Don’t be afraid to fail: Even if you fail, you gain great experience
• Guide a Tour: Improvisation takes skills and practice, but a little preparation and a lot of creativity can convince anyone
• Substitute: Teach yourself in every job that you do, whether it’s where you want to be or not
• Make the Rules: Ask for opportunities and promotions will follow
• Courage is built by experience, so don’t be afraid to walk you own path

Panel Discussion: Career Advice for the PR Professional
with Imran Khan, Creative Agency Lead, Google;
Craig Radow, Media Relations, 20th Century Fox;
Kristine Weise, Global PR, SoundCloud

• Try some stuff out – don’t always do the conventional
• Take some time to be young
• Find your passion and make that your North Star
• Be patient, show enthusiasm, and go to work like it’s your first day every day
• Don’t be concerned about getting the big names on your resume – use the experience you get whether big or small
• Don’t be afraid to make a change if you are in a space that doesn’t fit you
• Be able to articulate your ideas, both through writing and speaking
• Always continue to learn

Joe Cohen, APR, National Chair of PRSA & SVP of MWW: Social Commerce for You – Building your personal brand

• The Human Brand: you feel like you know who they are
• Define your brand with characteristics, voice, style and values. Show what you stand for.
• Navigating the social ecosystem: What’s on your social media pages? What does it say about you? Does it connect with what you would show in an interview?
• Do: be authentic, be consistent, be active, stay current, be protective of your brand
• Don’t: be unprofessional, engage in rants, be too relaxed when it comes to sharing personal information, be too trusting of privacy settings

Matt McLernon, Communications Manager at YouTube: 8 Things I wish I knew before starting Agency Life

• Have perfect grammar
• Use “we” generously and “I” sparingly
• It’s okay to not start working right away
• It’s okay to switch agencies based on your clients or prospective clients
• Titles and promotions are often used in place of compensation: don’t fall for it
• The best PR people are a little crazy. Only a little.
• The thing PR people hate the most is being surprised. Even if it’s a good surprise.
• Treat everyone the same: like a person. (Admins make the world go round.)
• Bonus: Your own life needs to be a priority

Joe Cohen, PRSA National Chair: Leading the Way – Fearless Future for PR

• 2012-2013 was a transformative period for PR: Social media, blurred lines of who is posting, increased perceived value of PR
• PR is a profession poised for growth: it is one of the fastest growing business categories, business leaders increasingly view strategic communications skills as vital, and budgets are rising and will continue to do so
• PR has a heightened role in the strategic process with greater leadership opportunities
• PR sits at the convergence of Paid/Owned/Earned/Shared media

Seven Deadly Sins of PR:

1. Thinking like a journalist, but not like a marketer
2. Suffering from an inferiority complex
3. Getting a cheap thrill from deadline pressure
4. Chasing shiny objects
5. Hatred of math
6. Failure to measure
7. Fearing to admit failure