June 23, 2009

Finding a balance.

Nice to see you again. Follow me, @SydneyOwen. Thanks for being here!

After a conference call last night about our plans for SXSW 2010, Ryan Paugh, Nisha Chittal, Elysa Rice, Ben Smithee and I were talking about how we’ve all used social media to get to where we are today. Ryan posed an interesting question, “okay, so social media helped you get the job, but now what?” 

Ryan asked a question that has been slowly shaping how I use social media over the past couple of months. I set out on this journey because I realize the value and power of everything that is social media. I also knew that being well-versed in this form of communication, come graduation, would set me apart from my classmates. And it did. But like Ryan said, now what?

I am still active on Twitter. I still write (obviously). But it’s true, the way I use it has changed. I don’t know that it’s necessarily because I met my goal of finding a position before I graduated. I’m trying to add more value than just pimping my blog posts. Truth be told, nobody probably reads this thing, besides my parents. So I’ve never cared how many people subscribe, and I never cared about how many people follow me. I’m doing this to explore what’s out there, where it’s taking the PR industry, and to reach out to people who have been where I’m sitting right now.

Someone, after introductions at the agency yesterday, said “wow, you’re the social media maven we’ve been so excited to have”. Maven? A compliment no doubt, but I hardly consider myself a maven. Sure, I want to be one some day, touted as someone who really gets it, but I’m still learning. I have a long way to go before I deserve such a title. (But thank you, because it definitely made my day.)

But back to my use of social. Now it’s more about establishing myself as someone who has an insatiable appetite for learning the ropes of this industry. It’s about showing how I can add value to whatever company opts to bring me on board full time. 

Ben asked later what do I bring to the table if you take social out of everything I do. This shook me. At first I was thinking, “ohmigod, that would totally take me out of the running for anything in the agency world”. I panicked, thinking that if If I subtract social from everything I have to offer, then I’m no different from every other PR grad looking for a job. Then I woke up. Taking social out of my experience box would surely decrease demand for my skills, because I wouldn’t have them (duh). But I’m still crazy passionate about what I do, about learning how to do it, and about building relationships with people. So I think I’d be okay if social was subtracted from my equation (but I’d much rather keep it in there).

There’s no doubt that my experience is what helped land the internship at Weber Shandwick. I know that. And that’s good. Now I’m working to find a balance. How do I add social media value to traditional PR without coming off as the “know-it-all” intern, but how do I establish myself as someone who can offer a POV on social if I’m keeping quiet? A wise man told me the fact that I’m even concerned about it is a good thing. But I couldn’t sleep last night. 

I want so badly to do well here. I want to infuse everyone with the passion I get when I think about the power of social media and it’s role in public relations. But I don’t want to piss anyone off in the process. I’d like to stick around for as long as they’ll have me, so finding that balance is what’s keeping me up at night.

I like waking up early and writing (and my view is outstanding). It’s a productive way to start my day. Getting into a new routine, after college, is a completely different post in itself. :)

Have you changed the ways you use social media now that you’ve got the job/internship/freelance work/your company started? If so, what has changed? Content? Frequency? Have you ever started in a position with some authority on a subject and struggled with how to deliver a POV without being a know-it-all?

  • I think there is a clear shift in mindset once we're working full time (at a job that we love). Whether that be an internship at a bad-ass agency or finding our true calling to lead the life of an entrepreneur - once our search has 'ended' or at least come to a halt for the time being - our 'personal pimpage' often takes a backseat to promoting and enriching the lives of others. We may only send one tweet our about our new blog post instead of 10. We may use a resource like Twitter to drive business instead of random chit-chat. It's all constantly evolving. Just as our lives do, so does our social media identity and presence.

    Congrats on finding your way Sydney. Hopefully I'm not too far behind.
  • Hi Sydney,

    I believe Sophia said it best: "focus on what you need to learn rather than what you already know." This helped me achieve that balance at my internship with Fleishman Hillard last summer. It's funny because I thought my knowledge of social media helped land me the internship, but a vice president later told me it was a traditional PR campaign I launched for USF's Student Government that got me the position. Um, what? I had no clue! My point is: your interest in social media has helped you network, write better, analyze and communicate ideas, and teach you about industry trends. All of those are valuable skills in traditional PR, too. If you use these as a foundation for all the new things you're going to learn at your internship, you'll most certainly be on the right path toward success! Basically, keep on keepin' on...

    Also, as for how you'll use social media in the future, you'll figure it out. Many people realize I don't write on my blog anymore, but I'm still active in the blogosphere through comments. My Google Reader provides a continuous education about trends in PR, social media, and the entertainment industry (where most of my clients are) and this level of engagement works for me, and I always comment either on the blog or through Twitter to ensure I'm still participating in the conversation. If blogging remains your passion, keep on doing it! But, if you find it to be too stressful as you balance your new career and social life, don't be afraid to take cut back.

    Your friends, family, and fans will be here regardless.
  • Dad
    Yes, your parents do read this. Thanks for cleaning your room. "Know-it-all" is a matter concerning the perception of others. Nobody goes around saying "Hey, look at me, I'm a know-it-all!" Often the difference in perception is subtle but most always stems from how one interacts with others.
  • Sydney,

    I think for us recent grads, the uneasy feeling of not measuring up in certain aspects of our profession tends to bog us down. Having conversations with seasoned pros and reading their blogs has shown me that I will not have the most polished skills when I start my job. Instead, we should continue to hone our strengths, but spend more time addressing our weaknesses and find ways to balance out the two so that we are well-rounded in our approaches to communication.

    I'm now working to improve my media relations skills and to stray away from the poor strategies that have led to journalists despising our existence. The more we learn to listen, learn and communicate, the better we'll be. You are awesome at SM--no big secret--what's next for Sydney to conquer?

    Good luck in Chicago!
  • Hey Sydney gal! Missing you over here in Tampa. As far as addressing the know-it-all issue, I believe it's a mindset. You won't come off as a know-it-all if you don't believe you are one. I have found there's a fine line between confident and cocky. However, your responsibility is to focus on your task at hand and do the best job you can. Understand that you can bring knowledge and insight to the table but your experience makes you no better than anyone else. If you focus on what you need to learn and where you need to grow, rather than what you know already, you will remain humble. That's my thought chica.
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