R&R: Relationships and Reputation

Daniel Wade

Pull out your old college textbook and the definition of public relations might say something like “managing relationships with various publics or stakeholders.” In 2012, the Public Relations Society of America revised an earlier definition from a few decades ago and stated that public relations is “a strategic communications process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” If you read this and still can’t tell your neighbor what PR is, it’s OK – there’s no quiz at the end of this post.

For the record, I’ve always maintained that public relations is who’s talking about what you are doing. Is it positive? Is it negative? Are you in the conversation at all? The word “relationships” can’t be ignored in any definition or understanding of PR. Like it or not, regardless of a particular industry, you are a representative of your business and brand in both word and deed. So, it really doesn’t matter how clever and witty your advertising slogan is when your customer service team treats a client with disrespect. Word spreads faster than ever in 2014, folks.

I was reminded of this in a recent unpleasant interaction with my property manager. When I approached this individual in a firm yet appropriate manner about an issue that had gone unresolved for nearly three weeks, I was met with a harsh, defensive reply full of misguided assumptions and highlighted by a key message of “if you don’t like it, you can leave.” We all have bad days; I’ve surely had my fair share. In an effort to see the best in people, I’m working hard on giving this person the benefit of the doubt.

The problem is that this individual is in the people business – real estate with a side of property management. Of all the industries to consider, I would have thought a person in this field would understand the importance of quality customer service and maintaining a good reputation. If the reaction I received is typical when presented with other clients who express concern, I’m shocked that the doors remain open. Like it or not, I can’t in good conscience recommend this individual/agency to others who may be looking for a trusted real estate agent for help in purchasing a home.

PR lesson for the day? Remember that you and your employees are constant ambassadors for your brand. As Obsidian’s principal, Courtney Ellett, always says, “This is a highly-valued, ever-present responsibility.”

What are people saying about you?

Desk Etiquette

Sarah Lichterman

My intention for this blog post was to write about the 10 must-have items on your desk. However, while researching that topic, I came across a more interesting subject to write about: what not to have on your office desk. 

When you think about office desk etiquette, you may have only thought about keeping a tidy, organized desk for aesthetic purposes. However, what your desk says about you is more than just a stray Post-it note or pen. Even though your desk may be the only place in your office that you can call your own, you have to realize that when you are absent, your desk is still representing you. So, beware of the items you display. Here are several items that should not be on your desk by the end of this blog post according to U.S. News & World Report.

Racy photos 
Even though your officemate is your best friend, your boss probably is not. You should strive to have your peers think of you in all aspects of your life as the classy businessman or businesswoman that you are at the office. They don’t need to see a snapshot of you at your best friend’s drunken bachelor or bachelorette party. 

Goofy figurines 
It’s OK if you love cats, Barbie dolls or snow globes, but don’t let them hinder your reputation at the office. Choose one small figurine that can serve a purpose on your desk, such as a paperweight or tape dispenser, to show your affection for your collection. Keep the rest at home.

Fan shrines 
Your office is not the place to show off your love of comic books, movie stars or sports teams. It is all right to have some memorabilia, but limit it to one or two items. Break time is not the appropriate time for a fan club meeting.

Sneak peak at Sarah's desk.

Children’s artwork 

Having a couple of small pieces of art or cards from your children is charming. Having your whole wall covered in crayon drawings is excessive. Take the remaining items and put them on your fridge at home.

Political or religious items 
The Bible or a vote-for-president pen on your desk is not what I am talking about here. You can have representation of what you believe in, but don’t display items that give off proselytizing messages or that will offend anyone.

Fragrance diffusers 
Be a good neighbor, and don’t have scented reed sticks or potpourri on your desk. A scent that you think is pleasurable may smell bad to a coworker. Also, someone may be allergic to the scent. You don’t want to be known as the smelly one, do you? 

Leftovers 
It’s common for those with a desk job to eat snacks or lunch at their desk. Just remember to clean up after yourself and take your leftovers home with you. Leftovers can cause odors, or worse, bugs. 

In my opinion, most of these items are common sense. However, with the hustle and bustle of working hard, it can be difficult to find time to take a step back from your desk and look at what it says about you.

You don’t know what you don’t know.

Kelli Eason Brignac

This month, I’ll have been in the workforce full-time for five years. And how that time has flown. I still learn something new every day. And when I look back, I realize how much of what I do didn’t even exist while I was in college. They certainly didn’t teach it in the classroom. 

This blog post is not a knock on academia. I did learn a lot from my professors at LSU. But not much can replace real world work experience. So, if you’re about to graduate (or if you’ve already graduated), and you’re looking for a job, what do you need to know? Here are a few things I value in our interns. 

Get an internship! Actually, get multiple internships.  

Last year, 62 percent of college graduates in the United States had completed at least one internship or co-op prior to graduation. That means they are entering the workforce with valuable real world experience that will give them a competitive edge over applicants without the same credentials. 

But, in my opinion, you shouldn’t complete just one internship. In many cases, you can be paid for your work, meaning you can dedicate more hours to it without having to worry about picking up shifts somewhere else. If you’re working toward a career in PR, I’d suggest interning at an agency or two, at a nonprofit and at a company or other for-profit association. Get as many internships as you can to diversify your experience. Believe me, the work is different everywhere, and more experience can only help you in the future! 

Ask questions. 

I’m not going to say there are no dumb questions. But, no matter what you’re doing or where you’re working, asking questions can only help you. This is especially true in an agency setting where clients may do things differently. 

Read. Read. Read more. When you think you’ve read enough, keep reading. 

In our business, we have to keep up with what’s going on. In fact, my husband makes a game of trying to tell me things that happened in the news. If he knows something before I do, he wins. But it doesn’t happen often, because I read SO much news! 

On top of the news, things change so rapidly that you have to keep learning. My mom, who has worked in higher education for almost 30 years, is continually frustrated by how long it takes for information to show up in textbooks. By the time something shows up on the radar, is sufficiently researched by the people writing the books and is finally printed…it’s out of date. Let’s consider social media in this example. If we relied on textbooks to teach us everything we know about it, we would probably just now be introducing college students to Xanga, AIM and MySpace, all of which are essentially obsolete for most marketers at this point. Now there’s a throwback for you. 

Adapt. 

Everyone does things differently. That’s why I recommend getting multiple internships at a variety of different companies. Working at an agency, for example, will help you learn to multi-task, balance your time and adjust to doing things five different ways for five different clients. But, working at a corporation, nonprofit or member-owned association may be different. 

Don’t assume that your way is better. You might have to change things in order to fulfill the needs of the organization you’re working for. Listen to the people around you and remember – you don’t know what you don’t know! 

The juice was definitely worth the squeeze

Kim Morrison

As I stood there in the middle of FedExForum about this time last year with my fellow University of Memphis undergrads and we all moved our tassels from the right to the left side of our caps, my eyes started to well up with tears and it hit me, “This is it!”

The road to that point was filled with oh so many obstacles for me. I chose to return to school as an older, non-traditional student. I quit a good-paying job to return to school to end up job searching for a year longer than I banked on. My father suffered a debilitating stroke. I experienced being cheated on for the first time. I had my own health issues by breaking one ankle, having a stroke, then breaking the other ankle, all in the name of roller derby. I moved three times. And, I went through it all while balancing work, school, the rebuilding of our PRSSA chapter and the joys of life in general.

All through this though, I kept my eye on the prize. I didn’t initiate this life path to be thrown off or get distracted by something else! I was ready to get my bachelor’s degree. That’s what I set out to do, and I was bound and determined to make it happen one way or another!

I wasn’t a perfect student. I worked hard, but of course, I had moments where I slacked off or I simply got overwhelmed and something had to give. However, I made sure my work and grades were in order before making such a decision.

And at the end of it all, I was so beyond stoked to be at that point, to look behind at the past several years and be able to say, “I dealt with that; I survived that; and despite life’s best efforts, I made it through.”

So, the lessons I took away from all that was: (1) Regardless of the situation, you always have a choice; (2) With perseverance, you can make it through any situation; and (3) College is hard, but in the end, it’s totally worth it!

After a year in the workforce, I look back on what I’ve accomplished and all of the wonderful clients I’ve worked with over the past year. I’ve promoted large and small scale shows; garnered morning show appearances; seen my photos appear in numerous local publications; arranged features for clients in TV, print and online outlets; and managed meetings with the heads of some of Memphis’ well-known companies and nonprofits. And, it’s all thanks in part to the degree I worked so hard for. So, I claimed it a year ago, and I’ll say it again today, the juice was definitely worth the squeeze!

Is it time for a website redo?

Lauren Hannaford

An organization’s website is oftentimes the first or second impression for a new customer, and if the site is outdated, dysfunctional or unorganized, it could be the No. 1 reason customers aren’t calling. The Obsidian team recently attended a PRSA Memphis luncheon where Amanda Mauk, digital marketing manager at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, walked attendees through the long process her team went through to develop Le Bonheur’s new website. I was amazed at the insight she provided and was impressed by the level of organization it took to complete their final website. 

That discussion got me thinking. When should a company redo their website? Well, there’s no clear or definite answer, but Amanda’s presentation gave me a few ideas. Many of our clients, new and long-term, ask us what we think about their websites and if we think it’s time for them to update. It truly depends on a number of things, like budget, goals, purpose or potential rebranding. Let’s start with a few questions:

1. Did you create your website yourself? 
2. Do you have to pay boatloads of money just to make a few content changes on your site? And, does that take forever?
3. Is your website stuck on the second page or further of Google organic results?
4. Do you have the right amount of content on your site?
5. Can you track results or leads from your website?
6. Is your website compatible with Google? (Is the platform doing its job when it comes to search engine optimization?)

If you answered “yes” to the first three questions (and you aren’t an expert web developer) and answered “no” to the last three questions, it may be time for you to redo your site. 

Jumping into a website redo is no easy task. I think one of the first and most important things to remember is that you should not rush. It’s important to get it right so that your investment does not go to waste. Amanda talked about how Le Bonheur’s website redo took a year to complete, but the end result was exactly what they wanted and needed. 

Secondly, don’t go with the cheapest company you can find to redo your website. Go with a company who has proven results and a great track record. Ask for a list of clients you can speak with about their experience before you make a decision. 

Thirdly, identify your target audience. Drill it down to exactly who you believe the primary customer utilizing your site will be. 

Then, make sure your company’s branding materials and messages are consistent across the board. Your collateral should also match your website. 

Finally, don’t do it alone if you don’t have to. Form a website committee that can work together to complete the redo. If you don’t have someone to help, ask friends or family to review your content and the proposed design before you finalize the project. 

Whether it’s the right time for you to completely redo your website or not, don’t let the site become stagnant. Take time often to update sections with relevant information. Otherwise, people will stop visiting. 

Snapchat: Join the conversation early

Ali Glemser

Snapchat, the popular social media app that allows users to send pictures and up-to-10-second videos to a controlled list of recipients, has gained exponential popularity over the last 18 months, causing consumer brands to take notice. Yet, brands have been slower to join the Snapchat scene because it offers no opportunities for advertisement, forcing them to get creative about the content and messaging they channel through the app.

In case you aren’t familiar with Snapchat, here are some statistics that prove why it is enticing for brands to capitalize on its user base. 

• Snapchat has an estimated 26 million active users in the U.S.
• About 400 million snaps (photos and videos) are sent per day.
• The core audience on Snapchat is ages 13-25.
• Women make up 70% of Snapchat’s user base.
• 18% of people who own an iPhone are on Snapchat.

These five nuggets of information alone are pretty substantial evidence that there is a large audience of the teen-to-young-adult demographic that many brands are vying after who are using the app regularly. 

To break it down, brands have used the following strategies to communicate with their targeted audiences through Snapchat.

• Host contests
• Show exclusive content
• Offer coupons and discounts
• Tell a story with the app’s Snapchat Stories feature
• Introduce new products
• Invite fans to participate

Specifically, see how companies and organizations like Taco Bell, Rebecca Minkoff, Acura and the New Orleans Saints have used Snapchat to successfully communicate with users and share their brand messages.

Although, several brands have been able to capitalize on the unique communication opportunity the app presents, there is still uncharted territory out there for other brands to discover. Share your ideas or prediction about future interaction between brands and Snapchat users below.

Pinterest – a secret shame or helpful promotional tool?

Sarah Lichterman

I am a frequent user of the social media platform Pinterest. If you are not familiar with this platform, Pinterest is a tool for collecting and organizing things you love. For more information, click here. 

This platform can be utilized in many ways for personal or business use. As a personal user, I pin photos at random, whenever the moment strikes. However, I also use Pinterest in a completely different way for a couple of my clients. As a social media tool, there should always be a strategy behind your usage for a business. 

On my own Pinterest page, you will find that I have 17 boards, 333 pins and 0 likes. Your first thought might be, “No likes? She must not be very good at this.” Due to the social norm for social media, the popularity of people and pages is determined by your following. Nevertheless, this is not the case with Pinterest because I will only receive likes if I upload a photo myself. Some personal users do this, however, I believe that the majority of pins are posted originally by companies. I use Pinterest in three ways:

1. As it was originally intended, a means of entertainment. I enjoy looking at beautiful photos, silly quotes, the latest fashion trends and cute animals. (I mean, who doesn’t?)

2. For ideas for practical uses. This includes recipes, DYI projects, fitness tips and decorations.  

3. To organize my aspirations in life. Whether my goal is to have a closet full of the hottest fashions or to own a vacation home on an exotic beach or tucked away in a mountainside castle, Pinterest has helped discover the “billionaire me” (my secret shame).

Using Pinterest for a business is very different. There are two main things that you need to consider for your company page: a strategy and original content. The main goal behind a Pinterest page is to engage with users to get them to “pin” your photo. This is where it gets a little difficult, trying to make your photo stand out. Below I have summarized a few tips from PR Daily on how to create viral Pinterest posts. 

Write your post as a list. People love lists and see value in them. It is proven that lists are pinned frequently.

Use text on your photos. This can stimulate pins because it helps users understand your photo and makes it stand out among the hundreds of photos they are scanning through. 

Use searchable tags. Similar to other social media platforms, you should try to use common key words and hashtags to show up on as many search requests that relate to your product or service as possible.

Be relevant. Be aware of the timeliness of your post. There is no reason to create post about DYI Halloween decorations in February. Be strategic in the timing of your posts, even if they don’t pertain to a holiday.

Connect to other social media platforms. If you have a Pinterest presence, you most likely have a presence on at least one other social media site, if not more. Intertwine your social pages by sharing links from your Pinterest page on other platforms.

These are just a few of the many simple tricks and tips you can use to help grow your Pinterest presence. From your personal page to a business page, always remember to have fun and be creative! 

Mothers Teach Us So Much…

Daniel Wade

Not too long ago, most of us set aside a day to honor our mothers. Depending on your life circumstances, this could have been a joyous or a difficult occasion. My perspective on motherhood up to this point in life has been almost entirely shaped by my own mother – truly a blessing from God. This is about to change due to the fact that, as I write this post, my wife is two short weeks away from giving birth to our first child. Like so many things in my life, my appreciation for mothers across the world is about to change. So, mothers, here’s hoping that this recent day in your honor was a happy one. 

Not unlike other holidays in our country, Hallmark and other popular gift spots made a killing. I purchased a Mother’s Day card for almost $8 after tax and was nearly sick. As is my annual tradition, I bemoaned the fact that some schmuck is also making a killing off holiday cards that are subpar at best. Nevertheless, I purchased cards and gifts for my mother and the mother types in my life and proceeded to do the next logical thing…that’s right…wish these wonderful ladies a “Happy Mother’s Day” via social media. Come on – it’s 2014 – don’t tell me you didn’t do the same! 

And here, fine folks, is where our public relations reminder comes for the day. PR 101: Consider your audience! It doesn’t matter how sweet or funny or witty your collection of 140 characters was on Twitter – your mother never saw it because she doesn’t use the medium. I observed (and I wasn’t the only one) many great admonitions of love and proclamations of the “best mother on the planet” titles belonging to certain people on Twitter – my social medium of choice. Here’s hoping they also wrote that card or picked up the phone. A few savvy folks in my timeline had the presence of mind to point this out, and I couldn’t agree more. 

It’s an easy parallel to your brand, your product and/or your service. Start by knowing your audience or your tribe, as renowned marketer Seth Godin calls it. Where and how do they consume their news? Who do they trust as opinion leaders in the industry? What are they passionate about? What moves the needle for them? If you don’t know your tribe intimately, how will you ever really reach them? It’s 2014, folks. The same old advertising buys and email newsletters aren’t cutting it. Build equity in the form of relationships with your tribe, invest in truly understanding them and yield the currency of trust. Yes, content matters (another talk for another day), but at this point, you’ll know where and how to effectively communicate to a tribe that is truly engaged.  

Now, go back and make sure the mothers in your life got your Mother’s Day message – the way they would understand it best!

Saying ‘Strategic’ May Be a Cliché, but Thinking Strategically Isn’t.

Thomas Whitehead

During this past holiday season, I received an email from LinkedIn with a headline saying something along the lines of, “Thomas, you have the word ‘strategic’ in your bio. More than 35,000 other people use this word. Stand out now by upgrading your account.” 

So, this got my attention. Without providing a full chart of my strengths and weaknesses as a professional, I have always prided myself on strategic thinking being a vital strength of mine. But, it made me think. If everyone considers strategy to be a strength, is it really an important trait today, or is it something that everybody has and is almost expected to know?

Then, two public incidents happened almost simultaneously that made me reconsider how common or often strategic thinking is a part of our day-to-day decision making. 

• First, Bridget Anne Kelly, the deputy chief of staff for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, was fired from her job for her direct involvement in closing traffic lanes as part of political revenge on a local politician. The closing of the lanes shut down the George Washington Bridge, causing complete gridlock and even prevented medical authorities from reaching a 91-year-old woman who had a heart attack and died. 
• Secondly, at right about the same time, Justine Sacco, the PR director for New York media conglomerate InterActiveCorp was fired after she posted a tweet right before she took off for a transcontinental flight to South Africa saying, “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Oh, wait I’m white.“ This was not the first controversial tweet she had posted. 

It really caught my attention that, within the span of a week, two highly successful communication professionals were in the middle of controversies that could have been prevented if they had utilized strategic thinking about how their actions may affect their careers. 

I am not going to stand here and proclaim that I have never made any mistakes. Both professionally and personally, there have been decisions in my life that I regretted making. The good thing about the mistakes that I have made in my life is that I took those moments to learn from them and make sure that I become a better person from them. 

And, I have to give both of these professionals the benefit of the doubt that they will learn from these highly publicized incidents and return with a sense of self-awareness as they continue their careers. 

But, in light of these incidents, I think LinkedIn may want to reconsider trying to alarm me about how many people describe themselves as strategic. Thinking in terms of long-term, big-picture focus helps us in the small decisions of our lives. Trying to decide if our actions will lead us closer to or further away from these plans is vital to being strategic, whether it is for you, your company, your family or your clients. 

Three Questions to Consider When Writing Social Media Posts

Jenn Taylor

Throughout my internship at Obsidian, I have been given various assignments. From the basic intern-type tasks, like collecting the newspapers in the morning, to the more in-depth tasks, like formulating a media contact list, there is one particular task that I feel has grown on me quite a bit. Researching content for social media posts is an assignment that I consistently do every week. While working on these projects, I have learned that there are three very important questions everyone should ask when writing these posts. 

The three questions are: 

What audience am I trying to reach? 

I believe this question is the most important of all because if we do not know to whom we are speaking, how could we possibly know what content would be of interest? For example, we would not want to write about fashion or about celebrity updates for an accounting firm. The update on the latest E! network show, “Eric and Jessie: Game On,” is probably not going to be beneficial to the firm’s current and future clients. Considering the audience not only shapes the message, but also the tone of any post we craft. 

What is relevant, and what is currently trending? 

Something that I did not think about when I first started writing social media posts was that, yes, we need to ultimately use the company’s information and updates to write the posts, but we need to also remember that important events and holidays are occurring outside of the company. This approach helps pull in your followers who may not be completely invested in the company’s everyday posts but could easily relate to a general “Happy President’s Day” post. If anything, the most basic and timely posts can help keep those followers engaged through a possible retweet on Twitter or a share on Facebook. 

What is the overall mission/message the company wants to communicate? 

We have all visited our fair share of company websites to learn more about a company. Usually, one of the first things we read about or notice on the website is the company’s mission statement. The mission statement lays out the purpose of the company or organization and its reason for existing. It is vital to understand the mission statement of the company you are writing for to ensure consistent implementation of the company’s values and beliefs into the content. This will also help connect to an audience that may be alike in those values and beliefs. 

With social media becoming a popular communication channel for businesses and organizations of all types, I believe this newfound knowledge will be useful to me in my future career in public relations.

Public Relations is like…

Daniel Wade

We begin today’s discussion with a well-known brand. Ladies, help me out here. When considering a luxury brand such as Tiffany’s, what comes to mind?

Forget diamonds – have you seen their new leather collection? 

If we must speak about diamonds, did you know you could get an 18-carat white gold brooch with “Love” written in diamonds? All for today's low price of $40,000!

Remember your “normal” watch? How about a Tiffany’s cocktail watch in 18-carat white gold lined with diamonds for a cool $75,000? Good news: it’s water-resistant up to 30 meters. 

Have you ever worn something from Tiffany’s? Dare I say owned? What do you think about Tiffany’s? More importantly, why do you feel the way you do about this established brand? 

Now, let’s move to your business’ brand. Real estate is close to home for me, so I’ll use this as an example. There’s a difference in a real estate agent and a REALTOR^®. But, as a REALTOR^®, how do you communicate this difference? What’s the advantage? There has to be something more than the trademarked symbol. For those in this industry, this is their brand…just like Tiffany’s.

Here’s where public relations comes in. [What – you didn’t expect this?] Public relations is like the elevator button. When you want to go upstairs, you go to the elevator and push the button, and when it dings, you turn and walk in it. Very Pavlov. Follow me? REALTORS^® want to brand themselves so that when someone wants to buy or sell a home, they turn to a REALTOR^® and not just any old real estate agent. Make sense? More specifically (and here’s where we get competitive), when someone wants to buy or sell a home, they call your agency or better yet…you! Public relations works to accomplish this. 

Public relations is simply who’s talking about what you are doing. I’ve used the real estate industry as my primary example here, but this concept travels. Ideally, you want people to say: “I need to _____, so I’d better call ________.” Insert your law firm, photography studio or pre-manufactured metal building company, and you get the idea.

How can you begin to do this?

• Observation No. 1: Listen. 
• Do you read The Commercial Appeal, Memphis Business Journal or Memphis Daily News on a regular basis? Your clients are hearing things about your business and industry, and you need to be able to talk about that and provide perspective. 
• Observation No. 2: Find appropriate ways/areas to communicate your messages.
• Community Involvement – What a great arena in which to communicate in a grassroots manner about what it is you want to get across.
• Make it personal and credible – Advertising is not the way to do this. The praise of another takes on new meaning and legitimacy when it’s unpaid. 

You, and your employees alike, serve as ambassadors for your business and industry, whether you like it or not. Who’s talking about what you are doing? And what are they saying? 

Ding! Your elevator just arrived…

Springtime took its time, but it’s finally here! (Unless Mother Nature decides she wants one more dose of winter at some point this week.)

Kim Morrison

When Ned Stark proclaimed that “Winter’s coming,” he sure wasn’t kidding! Memphians were treated to a colder, icier and snowier winter than normal this year, so I think everyone is glad for the warmer temperatures and opportunities to get out and about and enjoy the city. In case you find yourself wondering about what to do first, here are 20 quick tips to get you out of the house and enjoying some of the great outdoor activities the city has to offer!

A photographer buddy of mine, Ariel Antonío of AleksWorks Photography, is having a photo scavenger hunt, with new clues every Monday over the next few weeks. The prize is bragging rights for getting your photos on his blog, but more importantly, you can get out there and get some fabulous shots of this awesome city we live in! (Before it gets to be 200 degrees Fahrenheit with 500 percent humidity. Ick.) 

Get out and walk, run or bike any of the wonderful local parks we have. (Riverwalk, Tom Lee, Overton, the Greenline, Shelby Farms, etc.)

Yes, warmer weather means patio time, and there’s no shortage of them around town, so grab some buds and enjoy their company at your outdoor patio of choice!

Check out a show at Live at the Garden…

Or at the Levitt Shell…

Or at the Snowden Grove Amphitheater… 

Or at the Mud Island Amphitheater. (Yes, we have LOTS of outdoor venues, so use them!)

Go take a ride on a riverboat.

Take a historical walking tour with local historian Jimmy Ogle. 

Visit the world-class Memphis Zoo.

Check out Trolley Night on South Main. 

Check out the array of events in the Broad Avenue Arts District. 

Go to Thursday Nights Out in Cooper-Young.

Did you know we have an outdoor skate park? Check it out by Tobey Park. 

Check out the art and view from the National Ornamental Metal Museum in Downtown Memphis. 

Get the kids out of the house and check out My Big Backyard at the Memphis Botanic Gardens.

May means Memphis in May and weekends full of music, food and fun galore! Check out the Memphis in May International Festival website for all the details on the festivities surrounding the International Salute to Panama, Beale Street Music Festival, World Champion Barbecue Cooking Contest and AutoZone Sunset Symphony.

If Panamanian culture isn’t for you, what about Greek? You can get a taste of it at the Memphis Greek Festival hosted by Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church.

If that doesn’t do it for you, you can get a taste of Italy during the Memphis Italian Festival.

Think you missed all your chances for crawfish? Not quite, go check out the South Branch Lions Club second annual Crawfish Music Festival in Olive Branch, Miss.

Oh, these aren’t enough? No worries, go check out the event calendars at the Memphis CVB, Memphis Flyer, GetDown Memphis, Memphis Magazine, Memphis Parent, Go Memphis, I Love Memphis blog and tons of other outlets!

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and enjoy our town! Got some other good ideas? Feel free to share them with everyone in the comments below!

If it’s on the Internet, it MIGHT be true (according to this Internet blog post).

Kelli Eason Brignac

You’ve probably seen that commercial with the girl who believes everything she sees on the Internet. It’s a State Farm commercial, but no one talks about it for insurance. They talk about it because the poor girl believes everything she sees online. It’s funny, but it’s also sad because it frequently happens in real life! 

The Internet makes it really easy to get a lot of information. It also makes it easy for just about anyone to put information out there - whether it’s true or not – leading to more frequent incidents of people consuming untrue information as fact.

The trend now is intentionally putting content out there to see how far it gets. You’re probably familiar with Jimmy Kimmel’s elaborate pranks to keep the media honest, like the girl who set her apartment on fire while twerking. It went viral and made news headlines on several broadcast outlets and their websites. But did you know that before testing Internet gullibility was cool, I was doing it? 

Let me start by backing up. I’ve always had really cold feet and hands. My feet get so cold that even sitting on them makes the rest of my body feel the cold, rather than my feet feeling the warmth. My mom told me years ago that I just have “Durham Feet,” and it’s probably the same poor circulation she and my mamaw have. You see, Durham was my great-granny’s last name, and a lot of the women in our family have cold feet. But in 2006, after I explained my “Durham Feet” to a boyfriend, he said it sounded like a legitimate condition. Facebook was relatively new and Twitter didn’t exist, but he had recently learned how to create Wikipedia entries, so we decided to see if anyone would believe it. 

We created an entry for “Durham’s Foot, or cryopedis.” We developed a really nice, believable explanation for it. And it stayed there. It stayed there and it spread slowly across the Web for nearly five years. My mom, who was teaching college classes, used the article to show her students why Wikipedia wasn’t an acceptable source.

But apparently a lot of people seek explanations for their cold feet, because they shared “Durham’s Foot” widely. They shared it on Yahoo! Answers, wrote about it in Olympic blogs, discussed it on Reddit and posted it to other Wiki and dictionary sites. Wikipedia, as it becomes even more legitimate, is cleaning up its pages and has deleted the original entry. But “Durham’s Foot” has gone so far that I don’t even think I can get it back!

I do hope that anyone reading the article sought actual medical help if they needed it, as opposed to taking it at face value, but it does bring up an interesting question: How many people really consider the source or the content of something before they share it and believe it?

Consider these few tips when you read something online.

Who wrote it?

There are still people out there who believe a headline they read from The Onion. Even U.S. congressmen are susceptible to misinformation. That’s crazy to me, but not everyone knows that it’s satire. Know your source!

What does the whole story say?

The headline doesn’t always tell the whole story. Read the whole thing! You may find that the headline refers to one person’s opinion, not a proven fact. 

Can you verify it somewhere else?

Really big news is often reported by multiple outlets, from blogs to broadcast news networks. Sometimes news is specific to an outlet, though, and that’s OK. But if you’re really skeptical of what you’re reading, see what else you can find on the subject. Think of it like getting a second opinion if your doctor recommends a serious surgery. You want to make sure it’s right before you do it. When in doubt, there are sources like Snopes dedicated to outing hoaxes.

Are you sure you want to share it?

You may be familiar with the recent Facebook “no religion” rumor, which has spread like wildfire over the past few weeks as users bought into a hoax that their accounts would be locked if they openly discussed religion. (It’s false.) Savvy Internet users probably noticed that Mark Zuckerberg’s name was misspelled on the photo that accompanied the rumor, and critical thinkers realized it would be really bad strategy for Facebook. But many people took it at face value. Know your facts before you share it! 

Got any favorite Internet jokes or viral stories? Share them in the comments! 

How to Communicate as a Dance Coach

Jenn Taylor

Being a dance coach takes a rare breed of an individual. With an eight-month long season, November and January being the most chaotic months of the year, and typically working with more than 10 pre-teen or teenage girls at a time, it is a unique job in itself.

I have been coaching since January 2010, and I have to say that I have learned a lot of things, mostly life lessons that I attempt to put into action in other aspects of my life. One lesson that comes to mind is communication. I like to think that communicating effectively is important with any job, but after coaching, I have found that it is vital to even survive in this profession. 

Some things I struggled with, and am still working on as a coach, are remembering who I am speaking to,  thinking about how I am speaking to them, and realizing I need to say what I mean in a way that they can relate to. I also wonder how much communication is too much communication? And, do I really know what I am talking about after all?

I had to learn that these girls depend on my direction and need to know what I want and expect from them.  

WHO AM I SPEAKING TO AND HOW DO I SAY WHAT I MEAN IN A WAY THAT THEY CAN RELATE TO?

It is important to alter the word usage or form of communication when talking to different groups of people. In my case, this is the first year that I am coaching two completely different age groups, a middle school and a high school team. I would not say something to motivate my middle school team the way I would my high school team. My middle school team has to constantly be motivated and reminded of what to do, what not to do and how to do it, which is normal for any kids in that age group. On the contrary, I try to not only guide my high school team in what they should be doing, but I also try to communicate the advantages of working hard – such as landing a scholarship for a college dance team. Another thing I have to constantly do is try to take out manage the frustration that I often feel during a practice and take the time to explain why I am frustrated and show them how to fix whatever we are working on. The key to communication is being thorough and having a goal behind your message. 

HOW MUCH COMMUNICATION IS TOO MUCH COMMUNICATION?

In order to stay on task throughout the dance season and continue to have effective practices, I have to make sure that what is being said in practice is not just chatter but that it is relevant to the particular practice. I realized early on in coaching, as in any authoritative position, that you have control the conversation’s direction and overall intention. Even though it humors me to listen to my middle school ladies chat about who is going out with out who or who loves or hates Justin Bieber, we would not get anywhere with that being our only conversation at practice. I also try to say things in a direct, non-biased way, which allows the dancer to fix her personal mistake rather than worrying about other dancers around her. 

DO I REALLY KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT?

In any job setting, the team under the authoritative figure should trust and believe in what they are being taught as true and valid. This is crucial in a dance practice to maintain safety, progression of the dancer and the overall success of the program. This communication skill is highly imperative in order for them achieve their goals. If a dancer doubts my credibility or knowledge as a coach, then they are more likely to doubt my coaching methods. Overall, that would end in the team hitting a brick wall, consequently getting nowhere. 

While these three communication skills have been something I’ve learned specifically in my experience as a dance teacher, I believe they should be applied to all different types of jobs so the professional environment runs smoothly. 

Messaging? **blink, blink**

Kim Morrison

For those of us in the PR business, when we talk about messaging, we know exactly what we’re talking about, but sometimes we forget that the concept isn’t as clear to everyone else. We talk about consistency in it, shaping it for the right audiences and getting it out in a timely manner, but what exactly are we talking about when we say messaging? So, here’s a little PR 101 for you on messaging.

Messaging pretty much incorporates any communication you’re sending out to your audiences, whether we’re talking about internal audiences, external audiences and any mode of communication, whether it be a newsletter, morning show interview, elevator speech, etc. We want to make sure that our communication about our clients -- what they do, their missions, their goals, etc. -- is accurate, consistent and concise, from the wording and phrasing we use down to the color palette we use for clients various print materials. If there’s a variance in those factors, you can possibly confuse your audiences, sound unsure in your position and potentially lose audience members due to lack of consistent communication. People like consistency, people remember consistency and people trust consistency. 

The best thing you can do to ensure the quality of your messaging when reaching out to anyone is to take an extra minute to step back and look at your email, newsletter, poster, etc., from an outsider’s perspective. Does it make sense? Is it too lengthy or too short? Is it missing any information? If you didn’t already know this information, would you receive a similar level of understanding from the communication you created? Will it capture your audience’s interest, or is it boring?

With just a little extra work, you can make sure that your intended audience is receiving the best messaging possible to communicate your point. Good communication is the foundation for any good relationship, especially business ones.