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Jason Mollica

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Join #PRStudChat for a Discussion on Beyond Graduation: Easing into the World of Communications

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What questions do you have about the transition from PR and communications student to industry professional? Jason Mollica (@jasmollica), a professor in the School of Communication at American University in Washington, D.C.  and Megan Wagner (@meganmwagner), professor of marketing at St. Bonaventure University are the hosts of the podcast, “Pints and Pizza with Professors,” where they offer up insight on life outside of college.

In this edition of #PRSTUDCHAT, we’re talking to Jason and Megan about preparing for life in your last months of school. On Thursday, October 31st at 12:00 p.m. ET, they’ll answer questions that will help you take a look beyond graduation and ease into the communications industry, such as what skills do you really need to cut it in marketing and real-world advice on careers, classes and more.

Some of the topics/questions Jason, Megan, and the #PRStudChat community will answer include:

  1. How can students best adjust to post-academic life?
  2. What classes in college (grad/undergrad) did you feel prepared you for your career?
  3. Was there a moment in your academic career that you felt you like you chose the wrong path?
  4. Are there skills that students are better off learning in college instead of an internship?
  5. How important are portfolio websites for students?
  6. How can academic changes and life changes help in guiding your career path?
  7. What is the best way to transition your social media profiles from “student” to “professional?”
  8. Is it appropriate to use academic projects as examples of your professional expertise?
  9. In the spirit of reverse mentoring, let’s share advice on how to stand out in PR and communications. Go!
  10. If there was one thing you could tell your freshman self, what would it be?

As always, you can tweet in advance to @PRStudChat, @SpinSucks, @LKPetrolino, @ValerieSimon, or @DBreakenridge with any additional questions you would like answered.

Get ready to learn the smooth transition from student to an industry pro with the #PRStudChat community. We hope you can join our Twitter chat on 31st at 12:00 p.m. ET!

PRSTUDCHAT

#PRStudChat Discusses the Secret Nuances of Media Relations in 2017

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We’re kicking off #PRStudChat in 2017, and you won’t want to miss a Twitter chat focused on the nuances of media relations and lessons learned from the field.  On Wednesday, January 25, 2017, at 8:30 p.m. ET, the monthly #PRStudChat Twitter Chat Community will gather to discuss how students and PR professionals can build better relationships with the media, from new ways to pitch to dealing with quick media cycles, journalist pressures and building trust by managing expectations and being reliable sources.

Joining us on the 25th, as special guests and co-hosts leading the discussion, will be Jason Mollica, President of JRM Comm and an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland and Ben Butler, APR, founder of Top Hat IMC.

 Here are a few of the #PRStudChat topics/questions we’ll discuss the night of January 25th:

  • How much do you need to know about the journalist and his/her community?
  • Can pitching be taught or is it an “on the job” skills you need to develop?
  • What constitutes a slam dunk pitch?
  • What are some of the new ways to capture (and keep) a journalist’s attention?
  • What is the best way to follow up on a pitch with the media?
  • What role does PR play when it comes to fake news?
  • What constitutes a real relationship today?
  • What can we do in 2017 to promote more transparency and trust?
  • What’s your #1 secret to building a better relationship in 2017?

And many more!

We hope you’ll join us on January 25th for a dynamic discussion on the nuances of media relations in 2017. As always, we welcome your questions before or during the chat session. You can tweet @PRStudChat, @ValerieSimon, @JasMollica, @BenButlerAPR or @dbreakenridge with your questions. Be sure to also visit our LinkedIn Group to share your ideas.

 Jason Mollica, President, JRM CommAbout Jason Mollica: Jason Mollica is the president of JRM Comm, an award-winning public relations and social marketing consultancy, located in a suburb of Washington, D.C. His clients range from technology to government agencies. Jason is also an adjunct professor at American University and the University of Maryland. He formerly worked in television and radio in Philadelphia and New York City.

 

 

Ben Butler, Founder, Top Hat IMCAbout Ben Butler, APR: Ben Butler, APR, is the founder and client services director for Top Hat IMC  an award-winning marketing communications firm in Pittsburgh. In his past life, he served as a public relations guy for a motorsports complex, director of inbound partnerships for an inbound marketing agency and head of communications for a software startup. He’s been named a Top Under 40 Communicator and is Accredited in Public Relations (APR)—a distinction held by less than 20-percent of all practitioners.

 

About #PRStudChat: It began with a simple question asked by Angela Hernandez, then President of PRSSA at Central Michigan University (CMU). “Is PR Right for me?” A follow-up blog post by PR 2.0 expert Deirdre Breakenridge inspired a series of direct messages on Twitter between Breakenridge and fellow PR industry pro, Valerie Simon. This was an important question and one that should be explored beyond one student or one blog post. Why not build a community to help students across the country, and even the globe, learn from the experience and perspective of industry professionals … A community where everyone can learn and grow together.

Jason-Mollica

The Importance of Building Brand Reputation in Today’s Social World

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A Guest Post By Jason Mollica

We’ve seen in recent months, and even in the last few years, just how bad things can get for brands on social media. Remember CelebBoutique’s tweet about Aurora trending on Twitter? How about DiGiorno not paying attention to a trending topic and getting in a ton of hot water? This is all part of the importance of having a concrete plan for a brand’s social networks. If you don’t have a plan, you’re going to fail on Facebook and Twitter.

On Wednesday, Nov. 5th at 8 p.m. EST, I’ll be a guest as Prof. Breakenridge moderates an NYU Public Relations and Social Media Twitter chat on the Reputation Task Force. I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of a number of great teams as we’ve built and maintained the reputation of brands on social networks. It’s not something that happens overnight, though.

For example, whenever you are looking to sustain your brand on social media, you need to find people that will stand behind you during the good and the bad. These are folks we call “champions.” They’ll be the people that will appropriately defend you when you are criticized. These followers will also be the ones that support you and talk about your brand when it’s going well.

While it’s great to have people not officially connected to your brand on your side, it’s also very important to have internal champions. They know the culture of the company and can speak to topics that an outsider would not know. For example, Marvel, the folks behind Captain America and Iron Man, have a digital media director. Ryan Penagos oversees the entire social presence for the “Marvel Universe.” However, there are people that also work at Marvel that are champions for the brand internally. These individuals tweet positive news and information. But, Marvel depends on their loyal fans to tweet, share, and post on Facebook about the latest Avengers movie or even a new comic book series.

During the chat we’ll discuss why champions are important, what are some of the ways companies can build their reputation online, and why it takes so long to build a brand, only to have it damaged by a 140-character tweet.

If you have questions before the chat, you can find me on Twitter, @JasMollica. Use your class hashtag (#NYUPRSM) when you ask. I can’t wait to “see” all of you on Nov. 5!

Jason Mollica is the president of JRMComm, a public relations and social media marketing consultancy, located in a suburb of Buffalo, N.Y. He combines knowledge of the broadcast news industry, traditional public relations expertise, and today’s new and innovative social media tools to assist client in maximizing their full potential. Follow him on Twitter and check out his blog.

 

 

 

 

 

PRStudChat

On June 25th, Join PRStudChat for a Discussion on “Building Your Brand to Land Your Dream Job”

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PRStudChatNow that school is out many of our students have started interning or they are working full-time in the field. They’ve been building their resumes and portfolios from the start of their school careers, knowing that graduation was always just around the corner.

In an effort to further help our students, as they explore their PR and communication career options, #PRStudchat invites you to join a community discussion on Wednesday, June 25th at 8:30 p.m. ET, focusing on the topic “Building Your Brand to Land Your Dream Job.” Jason Mollica, who is the President of JRM Communications, will be the host of our Twitter chat session.

Many of you may know Jason for his work with young professionals. He’s also a mentor, a blogger at OneGuy’sJourney, and he lectures frequently around the county on the topic, “CEO of You.” You can learn more about Jason here.

A few of the question that our community will discuss on June 25th include:

1. What are the qualities in a personal brand that stand out to employers?
2. How do you build a brand that recruiters, other pros, can trust?
3. What are some tools you have used to build and maintain your brand?
4. What are some red flags you need to be aware of with your brand?
5. What are the key components of personal brand management?
6. How would you personally align your brand to get your “dream job?”
7. How do you effectively maintain your personal brand?
8. What social network do you feel is most important to a personal brand?
9. What is one tip you would give someone on personal branding?
10. Share a brand of someone you follow that others should follow.

If you have any questions around the topic or thoughts you want to share, in advance of the session, feel free to DM us or post your questions in our LinkedIn Discussion Group.  We hope you’ll join us for a dynamic Twitter chat session on June 25th.  “See” you then!

A Little More About PRStudChat:

It began with a simple question asked by Angela Hernandez, then President of PRSSA at Central Michigan University (CMU). “Is PR Right for me?” A follow up blog post by PR 2.0 expert Deirdre Breakenridge inspired a series of direct messages on Twitter between Breakenridge and fellow PR industry pro, Valerie Simon. This was an important question and one that should be explored beyond one student or one blog post. Why not build a community to help students across the country, and even the globe, learn from the experience and perspective of industry professionals… A community where everyone can learn and grow together. 

 

 

 

 

from Go Leader Grow

Your Personal Brand Matters… A Lot!

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A Guest Post By Jason Mollica

You’ve probably heard that personal branding is not that important.  If you did, kindly toss that thinking out of your brain. Personal branding matters now; it matters tomorrow and it should matter the rest of your career.

In October, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Public Relations Student Society of America’s (PRSSA) National Conference in Philadelphia on personal branding. My talk was titled, “CEO of You: Creating Your Personal Brand.” To take control of your personal brand, you need to think like a CEO, overseeing how you are perceived on social networks, deciding what social networks fit your brand, and can you be transparent.

How can you understand your brand?

Screen Shot 2013-11-19 at 10.24.54 AM

As you can see, the circles intersect. This means that if you have a good balance of these three, your personal brand becomes clearer. There should never be any confusion when it comes to your brand. If you think like a CEO, you’ll understand that you have to be the boss of your brand, not someone else.

In my “CEO of You” talk, I mentioned four characteristics that are very important to your brand.

  • Trust- It takes years to build and only seconds to destroy. This should be top of mind. Do things the right way the first time. It’s better to be last and right, than first and wrong.
  • Honesty- Be honest with yourself about the expectations of your brand. Do not oversell yourself or something you represent. If you overinflate your abilities, you’ll be found out fast.
  • Transparency- We stress to clients to be open and transparent. Your personal brand needs to be the same. There should be no way someone can look at you on social networks and say they don’t know who you are and what you represent.
  • Responsibility- Your personal brand can be very powerful and you need to understand that. It’s integral that you take responsibility for who you are and what you do in person, and as a professional on social networks. These networks may be free to access, but they can cost you dearly if you don’t handle them properly.

On Nov. 12, #PRStudChat took on the topic of personal branding. Jessica Lawlor was the guest moderator and helped guide the discussion. Check out the Storify that was created to learn some other important tips.

One last tip: Make sure you are passionate about your brand. People gravitate towards passion. If you aren’t passionate, you’ll have a hard time with anyone buying into what you are posting.  Love what you do and you can truly enjoy being the CEO of You!

Jason MollicaJason Mollica is the president of JRMComm, a public relations and social media marketing consultancy, located in a suburb of Buffalo, N.Y. He combines knowledge of the broadcast news industry, traditional public relations expertise, and today’s new and innovative social media tools to assist client in maximizing their full potential. Follow him on Twitter and check out his blog.

 

 

Social Roles and Responsibilities

Five Ways You Can Be an Effective Community Manager

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A Guest Post By Jason Mollica

Let’s be honest… the title of Community Manager comes with great responsibility. You represent the online “voice” for a company or brand. One wrong Facebook post or Tweet and it could mean embarrassment for a brand or disaster for an individual.

Managing a number of Facebook and Twitter accounts requires you to be on top of your game and on the look out for positive and negative responses. It’s also necessary to make sure a solid posting plan is in place prior to any engagement. With that said, here are five steps that can really assist you and/or your brand in being an effective community manager.

1)    Understand Your Audience– If you think that because you’ve managed a retail client it means that you understand a healthcare client, think again. These are two different audiences. Research and ask questions of your client to see how they would like to be represented. Also, look at competitors to see what they are doing. No competitors? You have a chance to stand out then.

2)   Create a Posting Plan– This can’t be stressed enough. If you are Tweeting and posting on Facebook without a content plan, you will get burned. While you may post something that is off the plan, it is absolutely integral that you have this “map.” The plan keeps you focused and on message.

3)   Short and Sweet- Twitter allows for 140 characters, but don’t use all of them. Allow room for a retweeted comment or hashtags. On Facebook, just because you have more allocated space, doesn’t mean you should write a book. Make your message effective, sharable, and, most importantly, memorable. That said..

4)   Stay Away from All Caps and Too Many Exclamation Points- While they may draw attention to you, it’s not for the right reasons. All caps posts show you are doing the virtual waving of hands, saying, “Look at me!” I have seen a number of sports teams and TV networks use this practice. The combination of “LIKE THIS” with multiple exclamation points isn’t an effective post or strategy. It just shows you are begging for likes.

5)   Be Honest- This should be a no-brainer. You can’t make things up as a brand/individual. Followers WILL see through this. The more honest and transparent you are on social networks, the better you will be if/when something negative happens. People are apt to forgive you if you’ve been honest with them.

There are certainly other things to add to this list, but the five listed above should give you a good guide to community management. You may already be managing a small brand or a large company’s social networks. Take a look at your own posting and see if you have put the top five to use. It could help and enhance your social appearance.

Jason Mollica is the president of JRM Comm, a public relations and social media marketing consultancy. He can be found on Twitter, @JasMollica, his blog, One Guy’s Journey, as well as YouTube and Facebook.