MAPRenee's Blog Critique

Roses & Lemons Blog Critique

New Media Strategies PRL-540

California Baptist University 

August 2015

It's been interesting reading your blogs and I want to lead with this concerning critiquing others:

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 

Ephesians 4:29 

So my Roses & Lemons Blog Critique is intended to build you up and give you grace. My scale of Roses and Lemons (and lemon related treats) is based on the following criteria:

• Content: How did I like your subject matter and the # of posts .
• Layout: I'm a visual person, so I like appealing looking blogs with pictures, links and video.
• Overall: Would I follow your blog?

Before I go in I want to comment on writing as I will not mention it again in my critique. Writing is a critical skill in PR. I continuously labor over my writing and always seek feedback on grammar and punctuation. I strive to actively and accurately express my point and in public relations writing can take your career far. I hope everyone keeps writing and keeps working to perfect this important PR skill. (I know I will.)  I recommend this book as a quick read and tutor on the importance of grammar, punctuation and use of the active voice --it's funny too! Eats, Shoots & Leaves is a best seller and writer's favorite.



Toressam333
https://torressam333.wordpress.com

Sam, your personality shows through your work. Your style is likable, sincere and believable. I give you a dozen Roses on that point alone.   Early on you made it clear of your interest in the corporate side of public relations and I believe your blog remained true to that interest. The articles you blogged about were interesting and I actually found myself getting involved with your content. Roses again on content. I think if you had a blog on corporate PR issues, I would follow. I actually like the template style of your blog, but wished for pictures and video links.

I can't give you any lemons, because anything lacking was made up with sincerity and focus, so I'm giving your blog: 

 25 Roses and a tall glass of sweet Lemonade! 



Hotdoglifestyle
hotdoglifestyle.blogspot.com

Kai, I can't say I understood upfront where you were coming from following the Donald. Politics isn't my favorite subject, but I do love reality TV and I am sad that Donald isn't sticking to the Apprentice franchise. However, following your blog helped me see that Donald Trump's direct, aggressive and sometimes arrogant style is very consistent. Donald's political persona is the same in politics as it is on reality TV -- entertaining but short on substance.  I give you Roses on sticking with a topic and forcing me to pay attention!  I would have loved to see some video and or photos (lemon here)--but you deserve Roses for the brilliant way you set yourself up for success in the semester by using the blog in your critical assignment! Your blog gets: 

30 Roses, 1 Lemon & a Key Lime Pie! 

Cvanvorce
http://cvanvorce.blogspot.com/


Christina, this class really placed a lot of demands on our time and posting 5 times a week was tough.  I wish you had the opportunity to post more often. I'd have more to consider:) I'm not too fond of stories of death, murder and kidnapping, so I don't think I'd follow your blog. However, I do appreciate you using the same blog design template. It shows me you have a good eye and I love that you used photos. That's worth 2 dozen Roses in my book.  

24 Roses, 2 Lemons and Lemon Bars!

Now Finish the Work

This is the last and final post required by class. I started this blog with a scripture from the book of Joshua about new adventures.  I am still on that journey and 2 Corinthians 8:11 reminds me to finish what I started with the same eager willingness to complete it as I had at the start.  This is an important encouragement for me at this time as I dive into final projects.  I did start with a lot of 'eager willingness' and I am certainly still eager and willing to be finished! God also calls me to finish according to my means.  How wonderful it is that the Word of God is in season for moments like these, reminding me to give it what I have and not to 'skate.'

Here is to finishing strong, giving my best and the new land on the horizon!

Peace, love and blessings,

Renee
Blogger, www.maprenee.blogspot.com

Take Me to the King

I love the lyrics to this Gospel hit from 2013.  It certainly represents the way I feel sometimes.  I love gospel music and the people this form of worship springs from.  I often find great peace at church when the music and words of a gospel song pierce my heart.  So I'm sharing it with you as I have throughout this blog experiment -- to reveal to you more about me and to hopefully encourage you today.

Take me to the King
I don't have much to bring
My heart is torn in pieces
It's my offering
Take me to the King

Truth is I'm tired
Options are few
I'm trying to pray
But where are you?
I'm all churched out
Hurt and abused
I can't fake
What's left to do?

Truth is I'm weak
No strength to fight
No tears to cry
Even if I tried
But still my soul
Refuses to die
One touch will change my life

Lay me at the throne
Leave me there alone
To gaze upon Your glory
And sing to You this song
Please take me to the King

Truth is it's time
To stop playing these games
We need a word
For the people's pain

So Lord speak right now
Let it pour like rain
Oh, yeah, we're desperate
We're chasing after you

No rules, no religion
I've made my decision
To run to You,
The healer that I need


Take me to the...

Lord we're in the way
We keep making mistakes
The glory's not for us
It's all for You

Emoji Soap Update: Project Incomplete!

Several weeks ago my 10-year old daughter "K" and I  started a project to make emoji shaped soap... I called the blog post, "Project Complete", but the project isn't complete yet.  While the video was less than 7 minutes long, it took us much longer to gather up the supplies and get our project off the ground.  In fact, we are now waiting for a mail delivery of the soap coloring we need to color the soap.  Here are a few shots of what we have  completed so far:

So sorry you won't get to see the final project, since this blog will end this week and we won't complete it until the coloring come in (in about 1 week)....

A Logo Re-Fresh!

     My work as Director of Public Relations at Los Angeles Christian Health Centers is always in motion.  I shared with you that we are launching a new website and that I formed a special task force of internal colleagues to help.  Well, I am also working on re-branding the organization and this is the approved 'refreshed' logo for the organization.  This is my first experience with re-branding an organization and being in class has been such a great support.  This new logo is an important next step in the new website too --- MAPRenee's Blog will be done by the time the new website launches, but I welcome you to visit www.lachc.com again in fall to see how things change.


     We will officially launch the logo at the end of this month at a staff retreat.  I'm working on the style guide and the production of new promotional items for the clincs.  Re-branding on a budget is the way of the nonprofit sector, so our process might differ from other commercial rollouts, but I am hoping to make a splash through new t-shirts, social media, letterhead, bloggers, LACHC testimonies, annual report and our electronic newsletter and of course the website.

     For reference here is the old logo.  We feel the new logo is just meant to be a 're-fresh' and updates our look and eliminates a few problems we had with the old one.  It was a group process that required the board of directors approval.  The tagline, "serving all, with open hearts" will now be just that, a tagline and not a part of the logo.  This was important to address as the organization moves into it's 20th year of operations. 

MAPRenee's Blog coming to a close...

My time on this blog and my first semester at Cal Baptist is coming to a close.....Whew! There are still a few hills to climb (final projects, reports, etc.) But I have enjoyed it.  I think my favorite part of the New Media Strategies has actually been this blog. I had the opportunity to practice old journalist skills in new media and actually felt like a 'producer' again.

My next best experience was live tweeting! Keeping up with the reading, critiques and discussion boards was the biggest challenge, but also the place where I was challenged to process and learn the most.

I hope you have enjoyed my blog...there will be only 4 more posts till the final sunset on MAPRenee's Blog!

Sunday Sanctuary: A Meditative Walk with Jesus

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Psalm 19:14 

I walked this labyrinth a few weeks ago.  It was a surprise treat at a location I visited for a bridal shower. The location included the labyrinth and a meditation garden.  It was a rainy afternoon and I walked and prayed and meditated on the goodness of God.  I'm grateful for the rain and the sun and the storms and the valleys and grateful for Jesus.

Happy Sunday!

Sara Bessey posted about her summer and tackling finishing writing her book .  I loved her post and could use the mems she used to describe her process this summer to also describe my first 6-weeks in Graduate school. 

I looked like this:

With just a bit of this:

And a little bit of this:

And one time there was this:

Now it’s all done and into production so I feel more like this:

and this:

And this:

Social Media Post of the Week: My Cousin Charmane O.

Facebook Post by Charmane Olson:

If you want to share your bigotry/ignorance on fb, take no offense if I unfriend you & please by all means un-friend me as well. And while I'm on the topic of friendship we no longer need to be friends in the real world, I'm sure neither of us will miss the other. I have made the decision to no longer be passively tolerant. Peace out.
 — feeling disappointed.

This is my cousin Charmane and her mother my Aunt Suzy. Charmane lives in Dudas, Minnesota with her husband and two children. Her parents are a biracial couple who adopted her as an infant when her birth mother could not take care of her. Charmane and I have always had a special connection, she is sweet, sassy, smart and beautiful. This post is pretty exemplary of who she is and how she lives her life.  I'm so proud of her choosing to no longer be passively tolerant  on FB. It encouraged me, gave me hope and helped me to see how God's light is all around.

It also caused me to think about how I handle posts from 'FB Friends" that hint to or reflect shades of bigotry, ignorance and intolerance.  While I may not go so far as to unfriend, I do pray for the wisdom and words to speak up as God leads me to share His love, truth and way of life to the best of my ability.

I know Charmane's parents are looking down from heaven with pride. I know I am proud too of my family and this cousin who I love and am giving my Social Media of the Week prize!  Congrats Charmane!

Earned Media Hub Strategy is the Social Media Fix for PR!

Last week I pulled an article from the ShiftPR Blog that declared that Social Media Broke PR.Well I read the report and understand better. Very quickly, I want to let you know that there is a fix for this very real problem. Simply put, it's Earned Media Hub Strategy. The schematic above is a visual representation of the strategy.

In the old days exposure was based on 'pitching' or selling your story/ad to media gatekeepers. I'ave mentioned before that new media is democratizing our media and it certainly has an impact on pre-internet publicity strategies focused on placing your client,product, campaign or new idea in front of the right people in a trusted media outlet. The major media was a small group and social media's popularity means anyone can be a publisher and anyone is! The man at Starbucks sitting in front of you could be more influential to you than an LA Times reporter in this new media era. In this era, earned media is key ( i.e, the new gatekeeper.)

Here is the strategy aimed at generating as much core social media behavior (voting, engaging and sharing) as possible to grow your audience and reach exponentially.

1. Research what content is appealing and compelling(Shift PR uses: Google Trends, Google+ Explore, trending topics on Twitter.)
2. Figure out your messaging and leverage it to intersect with your research and your objective.
3. Get creative not only about content, but angle, design and approach. 
4. Analyze each attempt, approach and revise, refocus and repeat again! (Shift PR recommends handing this off to marketing, but in my office that's me too!)

Now this is a really abbreviated version of the report. Click Here for a link to download and read the full report for yourself!

Happy Monday!

It's week 6 of the first semester of  graduate school and right now, I'm doing a happy dance. It hasn't been 'easy', but by God's grace I am so happy to still be here standing strong. I'm even more delighted that I am learning new relevant things. So even though it's Monday I'm going to do my happy dance and be grateful.

No I haven't figured it all out, but I know that God want's us to mark the places of His grace in our lives and this is such a time for me. I do pray you pause to celebrate this milestone we have all crossed today (even on a Monday!)

Sunday Sanctuary: Speak Life!

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Proverbs 18:21(ESV)

This has been a challenging week for me. I became ill Sunday and have been feeling poorly all week. I have a practice of daily prayer and meditation that truly helps me connect with God who restores me, heals me and provides for me. I'm so grateful for that.  I am so grateful that I can speak life into my situations, I can speak God's promises and know that they will not return to me void.  I am on the mend now, and the miracles that unfolded before me this week are astounding. 

TobyMac's song reminds me and I hope it reminds you of the power of your words and the power of our God!
Happy Sunday!

So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:11 (ESV)

CBU Master's of Public Relations Program Ranked #3!

Whoo! Hoo! Browsing CBU Online today I learned that CBU's Masters in Public Relations (Online) Program is ranked as the #3 program by Best Colleges.  Just behind George Washington and Webster Universities. I did consider George Washington University, but the price tag of the program just didn't make since to me.  I also considered Kent State University (ranked #4 on the list), but decided to go with CBU because it was Christian and in California.  Looks like we all made a good choice.  From the coursework so far I am impressed.  I feel that Lancer Pride setting in! Click on the link at the top of the blog to see the article at CBU online and the Best Colleges rankings. 

The Corporate Hobbyist Blogger

Right now I am a student blogger, and I am honestly having a ball with it.  I know since I am a student, not many people look or read these, but this woman has dreams of blogging from beachfront villas; city-view rooms; my bed, my favorite corner of the back yard, tennis matches, volleyball tournaments and PTA meetings too!  LOL -- You know just blogging from wherever I am about two things  (1) Fundraising Communications and (2) My Journey through this life .

I'm thinking after class I'll launch two blogs one called FundRaiserRenee and the other called KokoKnows.   (See a little sample logo I made myself in my spare time:) The first as a professional blog and the second for friends & family.  I wonder if I will be able to get any followers? Ok, this is where I realize I need to learn about how to get followers (Yikes! How do I do that?) My dream is to build an online community based on the things I enjoy ---I'd love to include vlogs of my adventures....it's like publishing my own periodical.

Well maybe you know by now that I am a dreamer. My name is Renee and many of my friends call me Koko (it's a nickname since birth.)

That's all for now!

Blog Explorer Update #2: Social Media Broke PR!

http://www.shiftcomm.com/blog/

Following ShiftPR Blog is enlightening!  I just downloaded this book...I'll follow-up and let you know what all the hoopla is about!  Social Media Broke PR! Wow! That's news to me and maybe all of you too (since we are all in a Master's of PR program!)  I do hope it's just a gimmick!  Nonetheless, keep reading my blog to get the scoop on how ShiftPR recommends we fix things! Or use the link to get the report and learn about it first-hand!

Website Task Force Update

The website task force that I plan to convert to a new media standing committee at work met last week. I assembled a team representing different areas of the Clinic in order to engage and provide great input on the new website project at Los Angeles Christian Health Centers (LACHC.) It went well and everyone was so energized and excited to sit at the table to help me and the CEO make good decisions about the new website.  I am certain the because of their involvement the site will be excellent.  I started with an explanation of the purpose of the task force and what I hoped to accomplish by convening the group , we spent some time looking

at sites we liked and then went through the sitemap. the greatest idea came from a member who suggested that we adjust the header buttons to connect better  with the particular audience we reach e.g. patients, potential patients, volunteers, potential provider or contributors. 

Love is in Need of Love Today

Couldn't Help but post this today.....

Social Media Post of the Week

Most of my FB Friends post positive messages. Oftentimes there are also commentary posts about current events or personal events in their lives (a birthday, a trip, a new job, kid's activities, etc. ).  A post this week from my friend DeeDee really sums it up for me when it comes to Facebook.  I do love the sentiment of the post and for that reason it's my Post of the Week!  Connect, Love & Inspire.....

Reflection on Youth & The Future

I recently had the chance to meet with a group of teens interested in the field of medicine during a tour of the clinic. They were touring to learn and to create ways to volunteer. During open conversation about the clinic we landed on social media.  The teens commented (mostly college freshmen) that they were interested in helping the clinic to use social media to raise awareness of the clinic in the community and to raise visibility to improve fundraising.

These kids were so smart -- they began to devise and discuss events to create and tweet and engage others.  It came so naturally. The conversation about Snapchat posts and twitter and Facebook , go fundme..all part of everyday vocabulary.

It just made me consider how different things will be when they hit the workforce -- certainly  more organizations will have been transformed by the new media revolution.

It's also encouraging to see my work in graduate school and public relations around me everyday.

Blog Explorer Update #1 : Flops & Philosophies

CCHF &  The AfroHispanic Review are a bit of a bust as far as blogs are concerned.  As a blogger follower I am learning a few things about what keeps me following -- 

1. You must post entries often!
2. Have links and make sure they work -- if you are offering to buy something, then make sure I can by it!
3. Have some new news to share, or introduce/update on a new idea or perspective.

While I love CCHF and AfroHispanic Review, there is really no reason for me to follow these blogs. I can keep up with CCHF through the quarterly newsletters they send and I'll check in every 2 months of so for the next AfroHispanic Review. 

This Blog Explorer expedition has me thinking about how blogs fit into an organization's overall online profile, communications and presence.  What's appropriate, or more effective where, or worth repeating across media?  Is there a rule or guide about how different audiences use different media, or do the groups overlap? Yikes! What's an explorer to do? Furthermore, what's a PR Practitioner to do in a 1-woman PR shop to answer these questions in order to best fill the organizations needs and strategic objectives. (Going to Graduate School for Public Relations might be a good start to figuring it out!) 

While each of these organizations have a great perspective and offerings to share,Hey if you have some info to share on this do tell, I'm all ears!  Here are my thoughts about how CCHF & AfroHispanic Review Blogs could reach me....

1. CCHF -- is a movement that touches christian medical provider, why not invite different members to write a blog post monthly on their work, challenges and victories.  The founder of the movement is an iconic leader who speaks often and always inspires and enlightens about the journey, why not feature a monthly video from one of his sessions. In addition it's important to have some ongoing update on the progress toward the movement from the leadership. All that being said, I certainly know it's more than a notion to shift ideas like this into motion with no staff or volunteers dedicated to it....maybe its something I can offer to the group once I finish my MAPR?

2. AfroHispanic Review -- The current Dominican/Hatian citizenship issue is an opportunity to share literature about the subject of the history of 'colorism' in Latino/Carribean culture. These are the times when and literature can be a balm or spark conversation toward reconciliation. This publication is actually way ahead of things, the 2013 issue was filled with essays about the Dominican/Hatian cultural experience. 

The PR Internal Collaborator Goes to Work!

I'm starting a New Media Task Force at work in line with what we are studying in New Media Strategies at California Baptist University. According to Deirdre Breakenridge, The PR Internal Collaborator is one of the 8 new practices for the PR Professional when it comes to Social Media. And collaborate is exactly what I am aiming to do with this assembled team.

Okay, well my task force is really just a website task force for now .  No one has time to join an ongoing work committee at LACHC.  Especially when you don't really know how it can impact your work or even know what new media is. That's why I'm starting with the Website.  So many co-workers have come to me about the website with issues already, I believe that most staff are keenly aware that improving the website is good for business at the Clincs.

I recruited a team from different parts of the agency  (IT, Nursing, Patient Navigators, ECW Administrators, etc.) to participate . We are working with a great integrated marketing and public relations firm called Reveille.  Our process started with a review/audit of the current site and research of other sites. Now we are ready to tackle the sitemap for the new website.

In my eyes it's the beginning of my role as an internal collaborator in new media. It's an opportunity to show the best about why and how this new media can really impact business and agency wide objectives and outcomes.

The first meeting is Friday --- I will let you know how it goes. The goal with the first meeting is simple, define the task force and it's role and then dive into a review of the proposed site map.  I am hoping that website map will be greatly improved as a result of the task force's participation and also that once this project is complete that we will morph this committee into a new media task force!

Sunday Sanctuary: Love is the Key

Sunday Sanctuary: July 19, 2015

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

Do you know how much your love means
Do you know how many hearts you've lifted?
Did you know your love was healing?

Such a beautiful feeling

Did you know your love was precious
It warms me like the shining sun
Keep shining through the darkest season
Your life has such a perfect reason

Chorus:
In a world of sadness and strife
You could help change somebody's life
If love has made a difference to you
Help somebody else believe that it's true

Love is the key
Take it from me
Show your love

#loveisthekey

Project Complete: Emoji Soap, YouTube and a Mommy & Me Project

This is the weekend!  My 10-year old and I are making soap.  Not ordinary soap, but soap shaped like emojis! This is the YouTube we are using to guide us. We visited the local Michael's  to get supplies, searched the web for our favorite emoji's and are all set. I'm doing the happy face with the heart eyes, and she is doing the one with the winking eye. We have watched the video at least 6 times.  I'm still not sure I trust the perky hostess.  Her make-up is flawless, but somehow I feel we may miss a step. Oh, well I will let go of doing it perfectly and allow the time to be about connecting with this precious gift of a young girl who God has made my daughter.

I named her Kinaya, it's a word that means complete.  I gave her that name after carrying her to full term.  Carrying her to full term was a first for me ( I lost my first baby and my oldest daughter was born more than 2 months premature.)

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:6

I attach this scripture to her birth, life and her name. Every time I call her name, I am affirming this promise in her life and even in my own.  And this weekend, Emoji soap is the object of our Project Complete.  I'll post a follow-up soon on how the soap turned out.

Social Media Post of the Week

#OurNewBison

My favorite social media post this week goes to Howard University and the unveiling of a new logo.  

The posts were simple. The logo and the words, "Better. Bolder. Bluer #OurNewBison" posted across platforms for Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and the website hit in unison.  The Bison Alumni Nation rose in support and my FB feed was filled with celebration. I stood a little taller, felt pride and appreciation for the response to my Alma mater's news. 

I'm so proud that I went to Howard University(HU).  It would take up too much of this blog to tell it all. I owe a debt of gratitude to HU, I learned so much in those undergraduate years, most importantly what it meant to be 'young, black and gifted.' It was sitting under professors like Offield Dukes, a public relations visionary and pioneer, and Barbara Hines, an awesome mentor,  that I accepted the responsibility of the gifts God gave.  

I know it was a long time ago, but I still have that Bison Pride.  I am looking forward to being a Lancer and contributing the best I have to my new university and to feeling the Lancer pride based on the work I am doing now to earn a Masters in Public Relations. But for today, My HU gets the prize, MAPRenee Social Media Post of the Week.

#HAHN Live Tweet Adventure!

Blog Explorer Mission: Operation Follow!

For the next five weeks I will follow a few interesting blogs and share with you what I learn about blogging and the topics. I'm hoping this will be a better experience than reading the newspaper in undergraduate school. Back then I knew I couldn't cut it as a print journalist because the newsprint paper made my skin crawl and I wasn't too interested in the words on the paper either! I was young and optimistic about life and becoming a 'news junkie' just didn't fit. I know now that God had other plans for me! I am having fun blogging and perhaps there is a new media journalist opportunity in my future? 

Click on the blog title to visit the site.

Shift Agency PR
Shift is an international integrated communications agency with clients like McDonald's and SalesForce. They also helped to launch Yelp!  Their blog is cutting edge and easy to read. I'm hoping to elevate my PR Game by keeping up with they have to say. 

CCHF Blog
Christian Community Health Fellowship is a partner organization for hundreds of christian community clinics around the country.  The mission of CCHF is to educate, encourage and equip Christians to live out the gospel through health care among the poor. I attended my first conference in Atlanta this year and love the message, movement and fellowship. 
Sarah Bessey
I found this blog through Blogger.com and like that she's a mom, writer and christian.  I also love the look of her site.


The Stewards Journey
I have actually been following this blog for a few months.  It's part of my journey in ministry work as a fundraiser.  It's always encouraging and enlightening. 

WITNESS Book Club
This is the blog of the book club I joined last year.  It's a wonderful fellowship of christian women devoted to growing in faith, fellowship and relationship with Christ. 

Afro Hispanic Review
I studied Afro-Hispanic literature in college and am always looking for ways to engage on this topic.  I studied under Ian Smart and always enjoy a good challenging read and stimulating thinking about the experience of African people in Spanish speaking countries. 

Sunday Sanctuary: Be Still and Know that I am God

"Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Psalm 46:10 (NASB)

It's Sunday and this is my mood.  So many storms of life in a season, in a week, in a day in a moment. Today I will be still and know He is God -- the one who provides for me, heals, shows his grace and mercy and loves me soooo much.  He is with me every moment, I am not alone.  I will not be consumed. I can stop striving and know....

No striving for perfection I believe his strength is made perfect in my weakness.  No striving to win, to get ahead, be heard....just be still and know.  God will be exalted.

I live an ordinary life, am an ordinary woman with hopes for better days for my family, community, country and world.  Today I am a wife, mother, worker, public relations practitioner, member and student.  I'm grateful that's all, grateful and handing it all over to God.

Responsibilities of the #PR Policymaker

When it comes to social media and public relations there is a lot to learn for this 'seasoned' fundraising professional. Social Media and Public Relations: Eight New Practices for the PR Professional (Breakenridge, 2012), breaks it down well, beginning with the role of  the PR Policymaker. I have already started to build the Social Media Core Team.  I'm still looking for the company policy to review (Next week I promise to give an update on what I find.)

I found this neat wheel to remind me of just what's involved with this role.... I love that it is a wheel with lots of balls.  Mostly because I love to think of my work as a juggler, just tossing things up and keeping it in motion, trying not to drop anything.  I wonder do others in PR roles feel like jugglers too?

Up for discussion next: Internal Collaboration Generator and PR Technology tester.  I can already imagine how these new PR Roles relate to establishing a solid new media program and am looking forward to sharing.

Momentarily I thought I'd implement all of these in some way each week at work. Now I know that was a bit ambitious --I must have time to digest all of this new information and think strategically about how to put my new theoretical knowledge to the test?  Right? ...

Stay tuned on that....
Responsibilities of the #PR Policymaker

Top 10 Tips to Rapid-Fire Weekly Blog Posts

I'ave been a blogger all of 10 days!  So I have 10 tips to share with you that also serve to encourage myself  to keep pace and step out in faith into this new media world of communications! 

1. Make up working blog titles for the week(s) ahead.
2. Create/keep a list of editorial topics you'd like to cover.
3. Decide on the amount of content:  text,links, video, photos.
4. Use class reading assignments as inspiration and a guide. 
5. Decide on the 5 days you will post, create a theme for one or all (eg. Throw Back Thursday.)
6. Check your spelling and grammar (?) -- have a friend, classmate, coworker read and correct.
7. Explore the world of popular blogs and follow what interests you.
8. Get involved! Reply to other bloggers, connect.
9. Invite colleagues,friends and family to follow-your blog. They can be a source of encouragement and content.
10. Have fun, be fearless and let your light shine!

Social Media Revolution 2015

We are part of a revolutionary age...

The age of Social Media REVOLUTION. 

It really is a revolution.  Marketing isn't the same, business operations are changing, the structure of organizations are changing and we, the consumers are adjusting too.  This video shares evidence and makes a prediction about how important peer-to-peer communications (reviews, likes, posts) are to making buying decisions.  It really helps as a PR Practitioner and manager to consider this when making plans to impact the goals of my department. ......

As a Christian working for a Christian organization it causes me to think more about the importance of sharing the best of my faith in social media.  Honestly, if people are making decisions based on their online friends comments and recommendations, then I really ought to recommend Jesus more often. Furthermore it makes sense to develop a manner to personally connect with people through social media...really connect and share.  'FaceBook Friends' takes on a new meaning.  For many now and others in the future an FB Friend/Fan is a friend, friend not a 'fake-friend'.  

Welcome to the revolution! This revolution will be televised, media-vised, on blast everywhere.....

A Rocky Start!

It was a rocky start in Grad School for me.  It's been #$!?? years since I've been in school, had homework, called anyone 'Professor', read a syllabus, talked to financial aid, had a student ID card or wrote a paper for class!!! By the way what is a rubric??? But it was a start indeed!

This blog is for my New Media Strategies course and already I'm learning new things (like what a rubric is!) I'm clammoring to incorporate what I'm learning. Specifically I want to recruit a Social Media Core Team per Deirdre's recomendation in Social Media and Public Relations: Eight New Practices For the PR Professional. Right now, my Social Media Core Team consists of me, a new media producer volunteer and bits and pieces of my CEO and grants manager colleague. My goal has been to increase activity, attract fans and tell stories about our work at Los Angeles Christian Health Centers. Now I'm snooping around for our organization's policy and to find some 'dedicated professionals' to join the team. I'm also reeling to incorporate a personal touch in our social media program.  I found myself studying Facebook(FB) for ways to communicate and interact with our fans. A prime example is that there are a few patients who use the FB Check-In when they go to the Joshua House Clinic. At this point I do nothing to acknowldege or follow-up.  Now I see that this is an opportunity to interact and need some input from a team of AWESOME, SMART classmates to suggest what we could do to interact with patients who check-in on FB. Welcome to my Ad-Hoc Social Media  CoreTeam. Your recommendations are welcome!

As for now I'll continue reading, writing, learning, expanding and moving forward to do all these new things that are springing up in my path.   It's wonderful, even with the rocky start and I'm still encouraged. 

Here is to Peace, Love, New Media Mash-ups and Student Bloggers Everywhere!!!!

Journey to a New Land!

WELCOME to MAPRenee!

Well here it goes...Renee's journey with California Baptist University towards a Master's in Public Relations.

Joshua 1:9 reminds me to be strong and courageous and so I will.  I know the Lord is with me every step of the way and will keep me and help me to grow and reach the high calling of God in Christ Jesus!

I am excited to start this journey to update my PR skills for the projects that I face at work and in civic, social and church groups. My plate is full  -but it is tasty and satisfying to my soul!  I'm a wife and mother of 2 daughters (10 & 15) and full-time Director of Individual Giving and Public Relations at Los Angeles Christian Health Centers. I was drawn to get a master's in Public Relations after realizing that while I have devoted lots of energy to keeping my fundraising skills up to date, the skills in journalism and public relations that early on propelled my career in the non-profit arena have been neglected:( or may be stale?:) I'm up for the challenge and excited to learn more.... My first semester includes 2 classes: New Media Strategies and History & Theory of Public Relations!!!

So after 24-years, I am a student! A graduate student in a new land at CalBaptist!