By Robin Rectenwald and Eric Winkfield

On Tuesday, March 28th, PRSA members Robin Rectenwald and Eric Winkfield made a trip to CCAC Boyce Campus in Monroeville to speak to a public relations class.

The class had just returned from Spring Break and finished reading a chapter on the internet and social media. Eager to share our insights as PR professionals, Eric and Robin jumped in once the class started at 12:45 p.m. and began sharing insider knowledge on social media tactics.

We first asked the class if anyone has a social media account and every hand shot up. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and even MySpace were a few of the platforms that students said they use.

Next, Eric gave a step-by-step overview on how to select a platform and start creating content. He proposed to the class to imagine their goal is to market McDonalds to women ages 25-30 years old. Eric asked which platforms these women might be using and the topics they might like to read. Together, the students came up with the following list of content to post on social media:

• Low calorie meals
• Nutrition
• Budget-friendly products
• Products for children and their families

At this point, the students sat up in their chairs and began firing out questions. One student mentioned that he is helping a business sell paints by utilizing social media and asked how he could be more conversational as opposed to sell, sell, sell.

Robin gave the students a very important tip to remember while working in PR: treat your audience like your friends. If you want to share with someone why they should try a new salad at McDonalds or why they should consider buying paint from a certain company for a DIY project, Robin suggested going about it the same way you would when speaking to a friend. Give reasons why and connect with them on a personal level as opposed to a salesman level. In PR, this is also known as the golden rule of getting to know your audience.

Robin and Eric were feeling good about all of the insider secrets they were sharing with these students until one bright student put them on the spot and asked the dreaded PR question – how to handle a social media crisis. We joked about the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, Justin Bieber and Kanye West, but we hope that we were able to get across how important it is for an organization to have a crisis communication plan in place.

Carol Howard, the professor teaching this class, chimed in and asked how the students could apply what they learned to their class project. The class is currently helping The Youth Project, a nonprofit based in New Kensington, plan and fundraise for an opening at a new location.  The last half hour of the class was a group brainstorming session on how to pitch this story to the media and items to include in a media kit.

The PRSA Pittsburgh Chapter is full of board and chapter members who are passionate and knowledgeable about the field of public relations. If you’re interested in inviting a PRSA member to speak in your classroom, at your next meeting or event, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.