01.30.07

advice on getting a job for new PR pros

Posted in General at 1:26 am by Paloma Cruz

Unsolicited Marketing Advice has a very good post giving recent college graduates advice on getting their first jobs in PR. One tip I’d like to add: get an internship. I learned more in my two internships than I did in any of the classes I took. I was very lucky to find excellent internships with real work and true mentors. When I graduated I had a portfolio full of news clips, writing samples and other work from these fabulous work experiences. This is a must, in my opinion.

Of course, tips on how to find a good internship… well, you probably want to hear something better than “luck,” but that’s what worked for me. :-)

Anyone have any tips on that?

(Found via Forward Blog.)

01.29.07

Rumbo to publish weekly

Posted in General at 1:24 am by Paloma Cruz

It’s almost old news now, but Spanish newspaper Rumbo is changing from semi-weekly to weekly publication in Houston and San Antonio. Having started out as a daily newspaper, poor sales have contributed to the decision. And that’s not all:

Rumbo Newspaper Chain Drops to Weekly Status
– reported by HispanicBusiness.com

Having already gone from publishing five times a week to three times, the Houston and San Antonio editions of the Spanish-language Rumbo newspaper chain are dropping to once a week effective immediately, the chain announced Monday.

A Rumbo paper published for the Rio Grande Valley already prints on a weekly schedule. The three well-designed tabloid weeklies are in three of the top 10 Hispanic markets in the country, with a circulation of 100,000 in Houston, 50,000 in San Antonio and 45,000 in the Rio Grande Valley. An Austin edition launched with great fanfare in 2004 stopped publishing last March.

With the switch, founder Edward Schumacher Matos, a former Wall Street Journal editor, announced he will step down as chairman and CEO of the papers but will remain an adviser and a major shareholder. Lynne Cook, the current vice president for sales, will be named publisher. In addition, Editor Carlos Puig will take on added operational responsibilities and the title of executive vice president.

[snip]

Make a note for your pitches and media contacts.

01.27.07

how much does a blogger make?

Posted in General at 7:39 pm by Paloma Cruz

HouStoned is reporting that METRO blogger Mary Sit makes $76,622 a year.

Of course, the argument is that this is a lot of money to pay someone, especially out of tax dollars, for something that anyone can do, blah blah blah. Admittedly, the blog just got started, so there’s not a lot to show right now. And, no, I haven’t seen anything extraordinary on the blog yet. But it’s a little early to determine if the blogger in question is worth her salary.

However, we come back to the usual question: do we hold salaries to the same standards in private and public organizations? i.e., why should it make any difference in what someone is paid whether they are working for the city of Houston or Exxon? Isn’t quality work the same everywhere?

I know, the question implies that people are rational. And we all know that working for a larger organization normally means making more money. But if the argument we’re using is that she shouldn’t be paid $70K+ a year because it’s tax money… sorry, there’s gotta be more to it than that. At some point the value of the person being hired, the work being done, has to be taken into consideration… whether she’s being paid in private dollars or not.

Just a rant.

(Found via blogHOUSTON.)

01.25.07

cross-posting

Posted in General at 12:04 am by Paloma Cruz

A round-up of recent links and posts throughout PalomaCruz.com:

01.19.07

Reuters opens a bureau in Second Life

Posted in General at 6:16 am by Paloma Cruz

More proof that I need to check out Second Life: Reuters has opened a Second Life bureau.

Adam Reuters is the official Reuters Second Life bureau chief and in-world reporter. Adam will apparently be living his news beat by staying close to the SL culture and its stories. According to the Reuters Second Life News Center web page, the real-life Adam Pasick and his avatar will be keeping in-world office hours in Reuters’ new sim, Reuters Atrium.

– found at Business Communicators of Second Life®

I’ve written about the growing PR implications of Second Life previously; or rather, I’ve written about the growing number of PR practitioners who are settling in in this virtual arena. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one behind the curve.

01.18.07

tips on Getting the Most From a Freelance Writer

Posted in General at 6:06 am by Paloma Cruz

Houston’s IABC Web site has a very useful list of tips to help you in Getting the Most From a Freelance Writer. A short version:

  1. Ask for recommendations and references
  2. Expect a clear estimate Hourly rates are nice, but they don’t tell you what to put in the budget. Ask the writer to include details in the estimate.
  3. Be specific about what you want Remember, the writer is an outsider. She doesn’t know your communication objectives. Take the time to tell her.
  4. Put the writer in touch with those who will approve the copy
  5. Clear the way for interviews
  6. Sit in on interviews
  7. Make time Using a freelancer can save you a lot of time—but only if you’re willing to invest a little, too.
  8. Be direct about revisions
  9. Let her edit the changes that others make
  10. Evaluate her work—and communicate with her When the project’s over, it’s not quite over.

For additional details, read the article.

01.17.07

writing groaners

Posted in General at 12:51 am by Paloma Cruz

For your reference, Newswriting.com has compiled a list of overused phrases that can make your copy seem boring:

You know ‘em. You love ‘em. But can’t we live without ‘em? Groaners are those horrible, overused, hackneyed phrases that turn news copy into boring, “same old, same old” stuff.

Example:

Allegedly - NOBODY, not even cops and district attorneys, NOBODY in real life says “allegedly” in regular conversation. Do you tell your neighbor that someone allegedly broke into your house? Do you tell your buddy that the mayor allegedly took a bribe? Why then, would you say such a thing to your television neighbors?! If you’re worried about legal protections, try these alternatives: “Police say Jones broke into the store”. “Prosecutors are claiming Smith embezzled the money”. “The U.S. Attorney says the Congressman took a bribe.”

Word of Mouth Marketing

Posted in General at 12:27 am by Paloma Cruz

What are the rules of Word of Mouth Marketing? According to VerticalResponse there are four:

  1. Be interesting, be remarkable
  2. Make people happy
  3. Earn trust and respect
  4. Make it easy for people to talk about you

For those of you who don’t already know, according to Wikipedia, “Word-of-Mouth Marketing, or WOMM, is a term used in the marketing and advertising industry to describe activities that companies undertake to generate personal recommendations as well as referrals for brand names, products and services.”

01.12.07

join Second Life

Posted in General at 3:02 am by Paloma Cruz

I’m barely on MySpace, just learning what YouTube is and have not even begun podcasting. I’m not ready for Second Life.

For those of you who are, there’s a “meeting” you might find interesting:

From Communications Overtones:

Second Thursday in Second Life has become a great way for communication professionals, both with limited and broad experience, to discuss the possibilities of virtual environments and how public relations fits into the equation.

When: Thursday January 11, 2007
Where: Crayonville (click here for the SLURL or log into Second Life and search for Crayonville
When: 8 a.m. SLT/PST (complete listing of timezones)
We will start the conversation at Crayonville then take a tour of the iVillage loft.
Crayonville’s C.C. Chapman will be our host.

Let me know how it goes.