The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is seeking industry leaders to deliver intriguing, educational and insightful presentations at the 2011 International Conference.

As Conference presenters, public relations and communications professionals have a unique opportunity to showcase their expertise and enhance their profile in the public relations community by leading workshops at the most dynamic gathering of public relations professionals in the world.

Presenters can help the Society advance the value of public relations and the ways it delivers measureable business benefits and outcomes. PRSA seeks presentations that demonstrate the following:

• Strategies and value propositions (with measureable outcomes).
• Solutions for organizational challenges (trust and reputation protection, staff development and internal communications, corporate social responsibility and social media strategies).
• Key drivers of critical business functions (crisis communications, customer relations, issues management, stakeholder engagement and research, legislative compliance, media relations, and shifts in behavior and perception).
• Organizational positioning (integrated marketing communications, brand identity and risk management).
• Core career competencies (ethics, leadership, collaboration, networking and influence).

Thought leaders are invited to share their theories, ideas, research and results with mid- and senior-level public relations professionals by submitting presentation proposals to PRSA by Feb. 18, 2011.

The 2011 International Conference will be held at the JW Marriott Orlando Grand Lakes in Orlando, Fla., Oct. 15-18.

Contact:
Diane Gomez
(212) 460-1437
diane.gomez@prsa.org

"You Don't Know What You Don't Know, Until You Take A Test," says Charlotte Donn, PRSA Miami Chapter member, in a recent post on Comprehension, the national PRSA blog.

Her post on how the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations will make you a better PR professional was featured earlier this week.

After first hearing about the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations at her local PRSA Miami Chapter, she chronicles her journey through the APR process and how it has helped bring her a "deeper understanding of all the public relations covers." (And she's added "APR" to her business cards.)

Read Charlotte's post on Comprehension and show your support in a reply.

The end of the year always seems to bring with it an "out with the old" and "in with the new" mentality. ‘Tis the season where it's not uncommon to see political cartoons where 2010 goes out the exit door as a battered, old gray and balding dude and the new born 2011 comes crawling in with a bit of naiveté, diapers and a 2011 banner. Many of us are glad to see 2010 end and are ready for the optimism a new year brings with it.

The last two years have been challenging. All of us have faced the "Great Recession" either personally or professionally, and it appears like we have somehow made it through the worst of it.

We've also had some challenges this year at PRSA's Miami Chapter as well.

We had three Chapter Treasurers in 2010; one resigned due to a transient neurological malady, the second was injured after she fell off a cliff during a hiking trip and is still going through physical therapy. It was a true challenge, but we somehow got through it, and, thankfully, so did they. In case you're wondering, our present Treasurer is doing well and plans to stay that way.

Our membership numbers dipped a bit due to some members switching careers or moving from the area, as the ripple effects of a bad economy and a high unemployment rate were finally realized. But now at year's end, things are turning around, as we seem to be having less attrition and more growth.

We also saw fewer members and PR professionals attend our "Food for Thought" luncheons. It appears many organizations are doing more with less. This resulted in less free time, for some, to break away and participate in these mini-seminars.

On the good side, we have in place for 2011 a hard working group of new leaders, many of whom are first time officers, board members and committee chairs. Led by Annabel Beyra, our 2011 President, they are poised for growth and ready for any challenge that may come their way.

Annabel is an amazing individual, who I have grown to admire and respect. She was a constant source of support for me this year and has the skills, personality and intelligence to be a great President.

Our incoming President for 2012 is FIU professor Fernando Figuerdo, whose resume includes almost every high profile PR job in South Florida.

As a Chapter, we are very fortunate to have such capable, high-caliber people leading us in the coming years.

I must admit though, the real satisfaction for me this year was the inclusion and development of the young, bright and excited new leadership of this Chapter. With the constant membership turnover due to the economy, these young professionals not only seamlessly transitioned into leadership roles, but did so with a sense of purpose and enthusiasm that made this Chapter better as the year progressed.

As we begin this New Year, this Chapter does so with a new sense of optimism and an enthusiasm which has spread to all of us.

Happy 2011 everyone, may this year bring success to you on every level and the wisdom to appreciate it!

Florida Memorial University made history by winning six awards at this year's National Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Conference's "Inaugural Ball", which was hosted at the Wardman Park Marriott in Washington, D.C. this past October. More than 1,000 students, advisers, and professionals were in the audience as four students from Florida Memorial University's PRSSA Chapter accepted the awards for their dedication to public relations studies, community initiatives, and career development.

The awards presented to Florida Memorial were as follows:

Teahan Award for Chapter Development
Florida Memorial University's PRSSA Chapter

Teahan Faculty Adviser Award
Dr. Mary-Angie Salvá-Ramírez

Star Chapter Award
Florida Memorial University's PRSSA Chapter

Gold Key Awards
Talithia Carter-Henri and Terrance Davis

National President's Citation
Chantale Stewart

Though Florida Memorial University's PRSSA Chapter works with limited resources, the members have accumulated several awards and recognitions at the National PRSSA Conference throughout the years. However, this year's conference marked the first time that the organization has won six awards in one year. Chantale Stewart, president of Florida Memorial's chapter of PRSSA, received the National President's Citation Award after submitting a one page essay, list of activities, and a letter of recommendation from a faculty or professional advisor. Stewart said, "We can look forward to the FMU Chapter of PRSSA to continuously win big at the PRSSA National Conference. The goals of the chapter for this academic year are to recruit students from other majors in addition to public relations, retain new members, help the community and University through service initiatives, and advance the profession while advancing the future professional." A month before the national conference, Chantale and PRSSA executive board member Nicole Bailey were both awarded $1,500 scholarships at the annual PRSA Miami Chapter's Ev Clay Luncheon for their academic excellence and dedication to public relations.

The University's PRSSA Chapter also took home the Teahan Faculty Adviser Award. Out of all PRSSA advisers across the country, Dr. Mary-Angie Salvá-Ramírez was recognized for serving as the chapter's committed leader. Dr. Salvá-Ramírez is very familiar with PRSSA and the parent organization, Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). She was the PRSSA chapter president when she was a graduate student and joined PRSA in 1997. Salvá-Ramírez stated, "I did not think I would be considered for such an award until I was much older. The fact that the kids nominated me every year was sweet and, well, good enough for me. I was shocked and obviously pleasantly surprised."

Back in the days of fax distribution lists and beat reporters, who had only one beat, a Public Relations practitioner's world was in some semblance of order. There were formulated news neleases that were written and went out, maybe a graphic package to the print media, b-roll and Video News Releases to TV stations and on air statements that were read for radio interviews. Now, things are in the media are a bit different.

PR folks knew who they were, as well, primarily because they usually were the ones that had a reference of "Public Relations or Communications" somewhere in their title.  They were also the ones that were in charge of communicating something to someone. Now, things in the public relations industry are a bit different.

Along with new ways of communicating, come new expanded roles in the ever expanding field of PR. Some bloggers are now considered members of the media while webmasters and those who monitor and respond to corporate focused social media are considered part of the PR group. 

Lately, department consolidations, brought on by a sour economy, have caused corporate bosses who were solely in charge of departments like community relations; advertising or marketing to now be in charge of external communications and media relations function.

Keeping up with the times, PRSA's national leadership has expanded its definition of who is eligible to be a member of this organization, which means if you work in one of those newly created communications related areas, you too might be considered a public relations professional. The advantage of being a part of PRSA is our constant quest to stay abreast of the newest trends in the industry. We also stress the importance of ethics. We know that working in a profession that is evolving so quickly, it's important to never lose sight of the rules we should follow to keep relevant and credible.

This is an exciting time for anyone working in the communications field.   The last time we've gone through a transition in the way people receive information this radical was in the 1940's when television replaced radio as the main source of news and entertainment. The media is slowly adjusting and waiting patiently to see where all these changes will finally end up.  PR professionals are also adjusting and trying out different ways of communicating effectively with gatekeepers and the public.

Before this new communication model is done morphing from what it was to what it will be, we'll see more changes and new jobs created that are classified as being a part of the PR profession.  For those who find themselves in a new role, seek us out, we'll educate you on how to be more proficient at your job, regardless how different and unique it may be.

On Wed, Nov 10, 2010 from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST the PRSA Miami Chapter and the Hispanic Market Committee presented and hosted the first online webinar as a professional development 1 hour long interactive session titled: Maximizing Your Hispanic PR Initiatives through Spanish SEO: Reaching Latinos and Hispanics Online.

As a Board Member of the Miami Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and Leadership Chair of the Hispanic Market Committee Maribel Ferrer and I were responsible for putting together an educational and professional development program focused for today's Hispanic PR and marketing professionals. Last year, PRSA Miami and the Hispanic Market Committee was honored by PRSA National with the Chapter Diversity Award for our Hispanic Media 3.0: Social, Bilingual and Ready to Mingle, a professional development workshop for our chapter's commitment to advancing diversity in the PR and communications profession.

We hope to have done it again and that all of our attendees learned and were able to take in good information from our wonderful of presenters that can be applied for yourself, company, or cause !

On behalf of PRSA Miami and the Hispanic Market Committee, I want to thank all those that joined and especially our experts Jose Villa @jrvilla from Sensis Agency and Sebastian Aroca @HispanicMarkets from Hispanic Market Advisors, Ann Marie Herrera from Fleishman-Hillard @FHHispania, Sarah Skerik from PR Newswire and our sponsors Business Wire LatinoWire @BWLatinoWire, Fleishman-Hillard and PR Newswire @LatinoMarketing for their support and knowledge.  I enjoyed moderating the webinar and spending time with industry peers.

Here are some of the resources that have been provided by our speakers and sponsors that can help you on your way to improving your Spanish SEO knowledge, implementing and executing your next campaign!

SEO in Spanish Reaching US Hispanics Audiences Online - Sarah Skerik - PR Newswire

Jose Villa - Sensis Agency - November 10, 2010 PRSA Spanish SEO Webinar Presentation

Sebastian Aroca - Hispanic Market Advisors November 10 2010 Spanish SEO Webinar Presentation

Spanish SEO Case Study for Telecomm Client - Ann Marie Herrera - Fleishman Hillard

COMING SOON: Spanish SEO Webinar Audio & Presentation (we need to edit...come back!)

Thank you Sponsors!!

Additional Resources & Takeaways from Speakers:

5 Requirements for an Effective Spanish SEO Friendly Press Release
Hispanic SEM Search Engine Marketing Case Study for BuscaTuFranquicia

Spanish SEO Resources and Articles on Search Engine Optimization

Still confused between Hits, Pageviews, Impressions, and Visits? This article on may can clarify: http://bit.ly/bsDNuz

MediaPost Article 09/30/2010 by Sebastian Aroca, Hispanic Market Advisors: Look For Surge In Spanish SEO Demand
Blog Post 10/11/2010 by Sarah Skerik, PR Newswire: SEO en Español: Integrating SEO and PR to Reach the US Hispanic Audience

Sponsor Resources & Tools:

Business Wire LatinoWire Spanish SEO Press Release Distribution

Business Wire EON: Enhanced Online News Press Release Writing Tips for Reporters

Business Wire: Seven Traits of Highly Effective Press Releases

Hispanic PR Wire: Hispanic MEDIAbase - a Hispanic Media Database with over 5,000 US Hispanic media contacts

PR Newswire Hispanic Press Release Distribution and Outreach Packages

PR Newswire Hispanic Digital Network (HDN) - an online advertising network that targets Latinos online

Thank you for joining us and we look forward to your feedback for future webinars!

Industry experts from Hispanic Market Advisors, Fleishman-Hillard, Sensis Agency and PR Newswire and will lead the one-hour interactive webinar on November 10

MIAMI - November 5, 2010 - There are close to 50 million Hispanics in the United States, and almost 30 million are Internet users. Also, Spanish is the third most used language online after English and Mandarin. To help marketers realize the potential of reaching Hispanics online, the Hispanic Marketing Committee of PRSA Miami will host a webinar to discuss best practices in Spanish SEO strategies targeting Hispanics online on November 10.

According to industry statistics and recent research, many Hispanics consume digital content in English, but now that more Spanish language content is available and accessible, understanding search behaviors-in either language-- is key to a strong digital strategy.

Join industry experts Jose Villa from Sensis Agency and Sebastian Aroca from Hispanic Market Advisors during this one-hour webinar, with examples of best practices presented by Ann Marie Herrera from Fleishman-Hillard and Sarah Skerik from PR Newswire. Silvia Prado from Logos PR will moderate.

Date: Wednesday November 10, 2010
Time: 2pm-3pm (EST) / 11am - noon Pacific Time
Cost: $15 PRSA Members / $25 Non-Members
Register Now

During the interactive one-hour webinar, participants will learn:

• How to get better search engine results
• How to choose which keywords to use in your content
• 5 Steps for Effective Spanish SEO-friendly Press Releases

The webinar is sponsored by BusinessWire LatinoWire, Fleishman-Hillard and PR Newswire and is open to the public. Registration is required through PRSA Miami website. Space is limited to 100 attendees. A leave behind for SEO strategies in Spanish will be provided to attendees following the webinar. For more information about the event, contact prsamiami.org or call Silvia Prado, 305-505-4793 or Maribel Ferrer, 305-933-9081.

Register for the webinar.

The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce is currently soliciting proposals from public relations agencies to provide strategic counsel and media relations through the Chamber year-end of June 30, 2011. Details on the Greater Miami Chamber, its brand and the desired services the organization is seeking are available by email request to Lorraine Reigosa at lreigosa@miamichamber.com.

If your agency is interested in being considered, please notify us on your intent to respond either via email to lreigosa@miamichamber.com or by telephone, 305-577-5420 by Nov. 10, 2010.

The Public Service committee is currently seeking PRSA members to provide professional advice for local non-profits during the chapter's 2010 Non-Profit Workshop and Seminar. The event, which takes place November 10, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at FIU's Biscayne Bay Campus, will host four sessions throughout the day tailored to the non-profits' needs.

Specific expertise in social media, writing effective press releases, working with the media and marketing your mission, are a plus. A commitment of two hours is requested and lunch will be provided to all participants and professional volunteers. If you are interested in giving back or learning more about the event, please email hradi@fiu.edu.

I know we're still in 2010, but I've already made a New Year's resolution for 2011 - and that is to attain my APR!

For those of you who are not familiar with what an APR is; it's short for Accreditation in Public Relations and is the defining certification from PRSA that you are a public relations professional. Of course you don't need an APR to work in the PR industry; just like you don't need a CPA to be an accountant, but it does serve as a confirmation to the public and your peers that you've reach the top level of your profession.

Just recently - with the help of our South Florida Assembly delegates; Tim Dodson, Georgina Gonzalez-Robiou and Mike Gibaldi, delegates across the country, attending the PRSA national convention in Washington DC, reaffirmed the inclusion of only those who have become APR's to serve at the organization's national level. This was a measure the Miami Chapter Board unanimously supported. Why? Because we want to encourage all our chapter members to become APR's; and allowing it to be an optional goal for PRSA national office holders would diminish the value of the APR seal. Apparently PR professionals from around the country felt the same way about the value of attaining this level of professionalism.

Is it a tough test to pass? Yes, but it's very doable! Charlotte Donn from the YMCA passed the test a few months ago, becoming our latest APR from the Miami Chapter - joining 33 others, but we want many more. We want to promote the worth of an APR and make it goal for all our Miami Chapter peers.

In 2011 we are making it easier for you to pass the APR test. Our accreditation committee has patterned our Miami Chapter APR track after the successful one that produces about 10-12 new APR's a year in Tampa. It'll be more of a "hands on" approach and there will be more involvement from those who have passed the APR test, so those who will be taking the test will have a frame of reference of what they can expect.

If you want an APR, this is the year to do it!

Having an APR after your name will make a difference for you professionally. In so many ways it's well worth your time.

If you haven't made a New Year's resolution to enter into the quest for an APR in 2011, join me; it's the best thing we can do as PR professionals to further our careers and tell everyone that we are at the top of our game.

Become your own Client

Transitioning into my senior year, I realized that I needed to brand myself as the perfect candidate for any internship or employment opportunity. The economic climate not only requires job seeking students to search high and low for open positions, but also requires students to further differentiate themselves from other candidates.  

Sherrie Bakshi wrote in PRSA’s Blog, ComPRhension, about building your own personal brand by marketing “your skills and qualifications to your internal and external clients, as well as your peers.” I agree with her advice and created my own list of personal branding tactics.  

Create a website showcasing YOU. The internet has a global reach, which can be an amazing tool in showing potential employers what you have to offer. When I was looking for a summer internship, I bought a domain name and created a simple website displaying my portfolio, résumé, biography and contact information.  When professionals asked for samples of my work, I just sent over the link in an e-mail. It is easy to do, shows that you are proactive and is more effective than attaching several documents to an e-mail.

Utilize social media in PR terms. Instead of updating your status with college drama or tweeting about last night’s wild party, utilize your accounts like a professional. Retweet interesting PR news or pose questions to your followers initiating a dialogue. A potential employer will be impressed if they find your Twitter account and see that you pay attention to changes in the field and current events.  They would also trust you to manage their social media accounts after seeing the fantastic job you have done with yours.

Freelance work is the key. After working with a non-profit client in one of my PR classes, I sought out other opportunities to hone my skills and add to my résumé. I created some promotional materials for businesses in the area, wrote press releases for a jazz production company and worked at some interesting events. Some were paid and some were not, but the point is to gain as much well-rounded experience as possible.

Network. Network. Network. In Miami there is an endless amount of Tweet ups, networking events and communication professionals mixers. This summer I attended a couple of them and made so many new contacts. The professionals were surprised and glad to see me take initiative. I asked for business cards, distributed mine and followed up with an “It was so nice meeting you” e-mail the next day. Thanks to a PRSA Communicators event, I landed another paid freelance job.

This guest post was submitted by Alexa Ferra. She is currently a senior at the University of Miami. She is majoring in public relations and sociology with a minor in marketing. Alexa is the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) President for the University of Miami Chapter. You can find her on Twitter here and view her website here.

Congratulations to PRSA Miami’s Newest APR!

Charlotte Donn, Associate Vice President, Marketing and Communications for YMCA of Greater Miami

Here’s what Charlotte has to say about the process. She offers some practical advise for professionals who are interested in obtaining their APR:

How important for you was it to obtain your APR?

It was important to me personally so I could prove to myself that I actually do know something about Public Relations. I am not university trained, and joined PRSA 8 years ago on the advice of my CEO when I admitted I didn't know anything about PR. He suggested PRSA as a way to learn. Between PRSA, working in PR for the Y, and working together with some great PR firms, I final felt I had the experience necessary to sit for the exam.

What was the experience like?

I waited a long time to consider it. As I am a "client" I didn't think APR was intended for me. It seemed it was for people in PR firms. So I went to the orientation and asked, and was assured that it was appropriate for me as well. Sandra Fine, APR was there, and offered to help anyone who needed it. I did reach out to her on several occasions through the process, from the Readiness Review and Panel Presentation, to how much to worry about the book study. I also posted a couple questions to the PRSA's national web site and accreditation groups. I did not do the online study course, instead using the free resources, 2 books on the list I purchased used on Amazon.com, and one book from the library. You don't have to spend a lot of money, just be resourceful. From start to finish, I took about 6 months. I took the week off from work before the exam to do intense study after several months of reading and note taking. I finished the exam with plenty of time, and they give you initial results as soon as you complete it. The whole process was reassuring, and I learned a lot about the planning for and scope of public relations.

Any tips and recommendation for anyone interested in pursuing their APR?

Take it seriously, and take your time. Don't count on the books for the digital / technology parts of the exam. Books are very outdated on this subject. Use the Readiness Review as your learning process for the bulk of the exam. If you nail that, you are half way home. In a professional world where jobs are still being lost, take every opportunity for an edge on your competition. APR is one was to put yourself ahead of the rest.

If there wasn’t work to get back to, I think everyone at last week’s Food for Thought panel discussion could have easily stayed all afternoon.

The panel of local social media experts included Alex de Carvalho, co-founder of a host of web-based startups and professor of a social media course at the University of Miami School of Communication, Murray Izenwasser, senior interactive strategist at Biztegra, and Jay Berkowitz, founder and CEO of the strategic online marketing consulting businesses TenGoldenRules.com.

The resounding theme throughout the lunchtime discussion was how to best manage and build your brand across all web-based outlets. Though it may seem daunting to make sure you have a grip on your brand across the dozens of major outlets on the web these days, the panel shared a slew of techniques to help brands make it happen.

One of the most interesting topics that came up during the discussion was the idea of “cascading content.” While it sounds like a new idea, it’s actually something most of us already do with our content, whether we know it or not. Utilizing the “cascading content” technique is as simple as taking a press release, posting it on your website, posting a link to it on Facebook, tweeting about it on Twitter, maybe filming a short one-minute video on the topic for your YouTube channel and getting the word out to your LinkedIn followers. It’s this “cascading content” that can help carve out your brand and make you stand out in the online arena.

The panelists also brought up how there is such a surprisingly small number of brands utilizing YouTube, even though it now stands as the number two search engine in the world. At one point during the discussion, Murray turned on his Flip camera and recorded a quick clip of the audience, just to show everyone how simple it was to create content for YouTube.

Video not only helps the public connect with brands on a human level, it also gives the public an intimate, first-hand look at what your brand is really all about. Just one short video clip can also become a piece of “cascading content” by sharing that video on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and everywhere else your brand has a presence online. 

Jay Berkowitz said it best toward the end of the discussion - “there is no excuse for not protecting your brand.” By getting your content out there on all social media outlets, whether it’s a short video clip from a panel discussion or a detailed white paper, you’re taking the first steps to protecting your brand online. Continuing to protect that brand requires an ongoing effort to create and distribute compelling content regularly.

Expert advice on how to take our social media strategy to the next level, the best way to utilize and maximize video as part of that strategy and how to protect your brand online -- like I said, we could have stayed all afternoon.

This guest blog post was submitted by Chelsea Duran, the interactive media coordinator at United Way of Miami-Dade, responsible for managing online communities and connecting with constituents using various web-based outlets including Facebook (facebook.com/unitedwaymiami) and Twitter (twitter.com/unitedwaymiami). You can find her writing regularly on her personal site at CopybyChelsea.com and tweeting at twitter.com/chelsead .

If you would like to submit a guest blog post please contact Jess Jurick, PRSA Miami Web Chair, at webchair@prsamiami.org.