eureka…

Earlier in my blog I presented the question: “What can blogging be used for?”  I didn’t realize, at the time, the benefits of blogging.  Now, I know.

I have been able to find so much information about how educators use public relations.  I never realized that there are so many blogs that are dedicated to educators who believe in the power of communication as a tool to improve their schools.  It seems that social media is gaining more recognition in the sphere of education.

Recently, while browsing various blogs I ran across Paul Baker’s EducationPR blog.  His blog discusses the working relationship between communications and education.  I learned a valuable lesson from his site: education communicators are, in essence, business communicators.  Most people don’t think of educational institutions in terms of being businesses.  However, they should be considered as such.  Just think of the number of students across the country and around the world who are attending colleges and universities.  Let’s not forget about K-12 institutions.  They also play an integral role in the country’s economy.  Educational institutions are complex bodies that function the way many top businesses do.

In summary, I feel like I have found my niche.  For an upstart public relations practitioner, that’s a wonderful feeling!

As you may already know, I am quite interested in public relations in the education setting. Often, it is a topic that is seldom covered in my required course work. Well, thanks to blogging, I happened across the website for the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA).

This organization provides training for people interested in communicate in the educational setting. I also have an interest in Adult Education. This organization also provides professional development for educators who are interested in incorporating new communication technology into their work.

On the NSPRA website , there is even information for education administrators who are interested in started PR programs for their respective schools.  I think this would be a wonderful source of information for communicators in the education field.
I must say that I was surprised to realize that there is a group dedicated to assisting educators who aspire to strengthen the role communications plays in their schools.  Keep up the good work NSPRA!

Students at Northeastern University have been participating in a blog that focuses on their Organizational Behavior course.  This is a new and very interesting concept to me.  This particular blog affords the students the opportunity to explore the many uses of blogging in the academic setting.  Furthermore, the students have a forum where they can exchange information and ideas outside of the classroom.

I think that this model can be used as a tool to promote individual classes that are offered by the various departments of a university.  Students who are not enrolled in the Organizational Behavior course are given an up close glimpse of the ongoings of the class.  This would be a tremendous help to those departments that often have trouble with underenrollment.  The blog would give students within the department a chance to learn about the concepts of the class before they even enroll.  This may encourage them to actually sign up for the class during a later term.

Individual class blogs are also a great way for students and their professors to form a strong dialogue that can continue throughout the entirity of the course.  Just think of how successful class discussions could be.  The professor and students are constantly able to ask questions, create discussions, exchange ideas and more.

You can find their posts at www.http://cmnu531.blogspot.com

Blogs have recently taken on lives of their own.  It seems that everyone has jumped on the blog bandwagon.  Recently, even colleges and universities have looked at blogs in an entirely new light. 

Auburn University and the University of Alabama, for example, both have blogs.  These blogs are used as part of their respective recruitment tools.  Auburn University has the “Tiger Tales” blog and the University of Alabama has the “Bamalog.”  Both schools effectively use the blogs to give their publics a more personal glimpse of campus life. 

Included on the blogs is information about each schools’ campus, recruiting office, admissions and more.  These blogs provide information that can be used by prospective students. Even more importantly, parents can also use the blogs as a way to ensure their future college student is choosing the best school possible.  What better source is there to provide this information than the people who work and attend the university everyday?

I expect that more colleges and universities will also establish blogs to not only in their recruitment offices, but also in their public relations offices.  I’d like to know what other schools across the country have taken advantage of this great PR tool?

Recently I visited the Camp ASCCA blog. I didn’t quite know what to expect of the site because I know very little about Camp ASCCA. However, upon reading the various entries I became more intrigued about what actually goes on at the camp. I think that is a very important objective for anyone who uses blogs as a PR tool. You definitely want to generate interest. It’s important that whoever reads your blog, leaves it with a newfound interest in what it is that you have to say. The Camp ASCCA blog gave information about a variety of topics. Basically, they updated the public on the various activities that occur from day to day. These updates would be valuable information for someone interested in the types of services that the camp provides. Not only will the audience learn about the activity, but they can also see them firsthand via podcast. The podcasts are nice added touch because they stimulate the readers’ senses and therefore, create more…INTEREST! There was one entry that really caught my attention. It details some of the activities used to create a bond between the camp’s program staff and counselors. It even includes video of the activities. This would be perfect for someone in staff development or employee relations. So, not only has the camp provided the necessary information for its target publics, it has also provided some extra information for someone who may not have been an intentional target.

Recently I have been introduced to the world of social media, via blogging. Honestly, I’m not really sure where to start. However, I have been given a few questions about blogging to use as a guide to become a savvy blogger.

First, what makes a blog a blog? In my opinion a blog can be used as a tool to generate social commentary about any subject. Although this platform may seem similar to that of an internet chat room, I believe they are different. In a chat room, there may not be a set subject to discuss. It’s basically an open forum for people to discuss whatever they want. However, the blog is a bit more organized. Generally,the administrator can tailor the discussions to specific topic areas. Also, the administrator can use the blog to focus on one organization, product, client, etc. This option is not readily available with a chat room.

How does corporate blogging fit into a PR plan? The blog can be a valuable promotional tool to use in a PR plan. Our society has become permanently affixed to computers. What better way to generate buzz about your client or product than by creating an online site that allows the public to discuss your client/product. This technology allows your client to have an international audience very easily.

Blogs can be a great tool for key stakeholders to use. The blog instantly provides them with both positive and negative feedback about their product/organization. This is a luxury that has not always been easy to come by. The stakeholders can then make necessary changes based off of the commentary from their publics.

How can the company measure the return on investment that is put into blog technology? Well, I would think that once the blog is set, you can follow the blog posts. Here you can see the volume of posts. This will indicate wether or not people are interested in your client. Also, blogs often create buzz in other media outlets. You can follow the amount of media coverage your blog has generated.

Blogs, whether you love them or hate them, can have a great impact on public relations. You can find more of the questions that helped me at http://overtonecomm.blogspot.com.

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