We’ve all heard it before: “Twitter … what’s the point?” While the site has been rapidly expanding since it began in 2006, there have always been people skeptical of what its true purpose is. Time and time again I’ve heard the argument that Twitter is just another ad campaign for businesses or organizations to reach more customers. As a former ‘anti-tweeter,’ I was amongst those who argued that Twitter is just a collection of Facebook status updates, and who really cares that much about other random people’s thoughts and opinions? Most of these ‘anti-tweeters’ simply don’t understand how to use Twitter, or where to even begin. It’s been called the new online fad, and as with most fads, some people are slow to catch on. In fact, as with many social media aspects, those in marketing and public relations were some of the first to understand and reap the benefits of Twitter.

Twitter is much more than a 15 minutes of fame online social fad, and when used correctly, it has serious benefits for individuals, businesses and organizations. Because it’s the first site of its kind, starting a Twitter account can be like taking a leap of faith – you’re not really sure where to begin, what to do with it or where it will lead you. But rest assured you will hit the ground running if you’re willing to learn, and ready to spend the time necessary to see the benefits. Like it or not, Twitter’s not going away any time soon; so you can choose to understand and embrace it, or be like my grandma and wait 10 years to make sure cell phones aren’t just a passing fad. Here’s a quick list of 10 reasons why you should welcome Twitter with open arms:

10. Connecting with people you know. I’ve learned quite a bit about some of my professors, co-workers, friends and even family through Twitter.

9. Customer service. If you’re a business, this one’s obvious. Connect with customers on a whole new level, and show them you care. I recently had an issue with my cable and direct messaged @Comcastcares with my problem. I got a response almost immediately, and it’s the only time I have ever felt remotely satisfied with a cable company.

8. Thought leaders and influencers. Follow the current thought leaders in whatever you’re interested in. They’re loaded with information that will only add fuel to the fire of whatever you’re passionate about.

7. Personalized news. Twitter is news with a heartbeat, and if you follow the right people, your finger’s right on the pulse. Not only did I hear about Michael Jackson’s death via Twitter, I saw a ton of the different reactions to it at the same time.

6. Exposure. Have a blog? Twitter is the perfect place to share it with the world. Own a business? Show people what it’s all about, and why it’s great.

5. Connecting with people you don’t know. It’s so easy to find interesting people to follow, or people who have similar interests as you on Twitter. If you’re tweeting for a business, it’s a great way to reach your target audiences and customers effectively.

4. Sharing your passion. Love sports? Tweet about it. Politics junkie? Tweet about it. Fashionista? Tweet about it. It’s all out there already, but the more voices on any topic the better. Who knows, maybe you’ll find a niche topic to talk about and become the top tweeter in that area.

3. Expanding your knowledge. Twitter is so much more than just status updates. With the constant sharing of knowledge and information, learning more about the world around you is only a click away. A great way to help spread information on Twitter is to share links to things you find interesting or intriguing.

2. Networking. Getting a job through Twitter may seem like a stretch, but showing potential employers your interests, expertise and personality in a professional manner can only help. Additionally, connecting with other professionals in your field is easily done on Twitter, and can be very beneficial.

1. The world awaits you. The world is at your doorstep, listening to you on your soapbox. Take advantage of it.

Brooke Brown, Account Supervisor

Cross-posting from Confessions of a PR pupil

One of the unique aspects of working for AHPR is the opportunity to work directly with clients. This experience provides young PR pros the chance to build skills and practice handling the challenges of client service. Leo Bottary, author of the Client Services Insight Series, was asked by Kelli Matthews last year to give her PR Campaigns class, the capstone course of the PR sequence at the University of Oregon, some tips on client services. I recently Skyped with Leo to discuss the importance of client services and how PR students can start building the skills necessary for client service success. In part one of my podcast, we focus on how passion, listening and curiosity are the keys to successful client services.

Check out part 1 of the interview: Podcast

Thanks for listening! Do you have any additional client services tips for student? Students: what were some of the most useful and most surprising tips?

Leo Bottary recently did a terrific series of posts about client service for my students in J4/554 PR Campaigns. Because AHPR (and many student-run firms) work with clients directly, I want to share these tips with you.

University of Oregon Doesn’t “Duck” Client Service started the series with the best tips for working with clients.

Part 1: Learn Everything You Can, Then Ask Great Questions

Part 2: What’s Your Client’s Motivation?

Part 3: The Definition of Success

Part 4: Dig Deeper

Part 5: Never Stop Bringing New Ideas to Your Clients

Part 6: Conference Reports

Part 7: Keep Your Eye on the Ball

Thanks again to Leo for putting these together.

- Kelli Matthews, Adviser

You can’t do it all!

It is impossible for you to get your fingers in everything! So be selective. PR professor Kelli Matthews suggests that students pick a few social media tools they want to invest time in and select a few more to check once or twice a week. Subscribing to RSS feeds to your favorite or influential blogs will also help you keep up! Personally, I enjoy Facebook, Twitter and reading and writing blogs. I spend a couple hours a day conversing on Twitter and Facebook. I also spend a few hours each week working on the two blogs I contribute to and a couple more hours reading the various blogs I follow. Once you establish your priority list, you can slowly integrate these tools into your daily schedule.

Don’t let it take over

Ever log into Facebook just to check your wall and browse through a few photos only to find yourself an hour in looking at photos of someone you don’t really know? It is easy to get sucked into the social media blackhole that seems to go from link to link, on and on. Jason Falls, director of Doe-Anderson and active social media participant, says that he sets a time limit for himself when checking Web sites like Twitter. Jason reserves the majority of his social networking for his spare time. Checking it after hours allows him to enjoy the time he has on various social media networks without having to worry about it taking away from his productivity. Kelli says that she has learned to replace her old media tools with social media ones. Instead of reading the newspaper, she gets her news on Twitter, news feeds, blogs and other social media tools.

Be Efficient

Just as you should be selective with what social networks you want to participate in, you should also be selective in what you do on those media tools. Only share information that is valuable and adds to the conversation. You do not need to follow everyone on Twitter who is following you. Follow those whom you have engaged in conversations with or who add value to your field. Take time to grow your network. Learn how much activity you can manage and then decide how many people you can actively follow. Utilize social media tools to help make your networking more efficient, not more distracting. I like using TweetDeck because I can be notified when someone has directly replied to my tweet versus when someone makes a general update. I can use these pop up messages to determine the importance of checking or responding to these comments in a timely fashion.

Do you have any tips to add? How do you manage your social media activity as a college student?

Amanda Ip
Assistant Firm Director of Internal Communication

In the new year, we’ve made a lot of exciting changes.  Our firm has doubled in size since 2008, as has our client roster.  In the same vein, we’ve rolled out this new Web site to give our firm a more adequate and exciting public face.

On our home page, you’ll find frequent updates on our firm, clients and the work we’re doing together.  We’ll discuss the pros and cons to being a PR student and our aspirations for the future.  These posts will be diverse, thoughtful and inventive — much like our firm.

So, be sure to check back early and often to learn more about what we’re doing.  In the meantime, click around and explore the new AHPR.