Goodbye PR Pro in Training!!

So you might have noticed that I haven’t blogged here for a while. About nine months in fact. And here’s why…

My wonderful other half bought me my own domain for my birthday. I’d been on about setting up a new site for ages, ‘umm’-ing and ‘ahh’-ing about buying this domain, trying to decide what I wanted to do. So he made the choice for me and my shiny new website was born – http://arianneonline.com/

It totally feels like the right decision already. This blog has followed my journey as a PR student, shared advice, experiences and thoughts as I found my feet in the world of PR. And now I feel it’s time to start afresh with a new page.

It’s still a work in progress, but I hope my new site will develop into a project that makes me think a little differently, explore new ideas and share my thoughts, just as this site has done.

Thank you to all who have read, contributed to, supported and helped me with this site. It is truly, truly appreciated. I never thought when I started blogging (mainly as a portfolio for my CV) back in June 2015 that I’d get so much from it. I never dreamed I’d achieve some of the things I have – most of all being named Britain’s best PR student blogger 2016 by Behind the Spin!!

I’d love for your support of my new blog!

Goodbye PR Pro in Training!!

Writing a blog that nobody reads

Blogs are everywhere these days, propelling your ‘average Joe’ to influencer and maybe even celebrity status through some words on a website, some damn hard work to get noticed and a passion for blogging.

But how about those blogs which, in the grand scheme of things, nobody really reads? What if you’re one of them?

I’m part of a few different groups and pages on Facebook for bloggers and it’s not uncommon to see downbeat posts from people who are struggling to get views, who haven’t ever had a comment on their blog and who are questioning if blogging is still worthwhile. And some days I feel all ‘what is the point’ too.

But let me tell you, it is worth continuing.

I’ll be honest, some days my blog gets no views. Some weeks I can’t find the time, motivation or content to write. Sometimes it seems like extra work that I’m giving to myself for no reason.

But all of that is vastly outweighed by the positives. There is nothing quite like seeing views on your post rocket or pehaps getting just one comment from someone on whom the blog has had a huge impact. I’d go as far as saying it can sometimes feel like an honour that that person has read / shared / liked my blog. 

I guess this is a message to all those bloggers who perhaps feel like they aren’t doing well, who are wondering how on earth those amateur-turned-professional bloggers did it, or who are feeling like giving up.

Remember why you started in the first place.

Creating a blog was a choice you made for a reason. For me, I wanted a place where I could keep myself thinking about the PR industry, share my views on industry affairs and try and build a network of people who might be interested in what I have to say. And I just really love writing.

What I’m trying to say is…

So what if your views don’t reach your target?

So what if you write a post that’s a bit of a flop?

So what if your blog is really just something for you?

Remember why you started and think about what really matters to you.

Liked this? Why not have a read of…

3 tools to make blogging easy or where can you find blogspiration?

 

My views on State of the Profession 2017

I spent my weekend finally getting round to reading the CIPR State of the Profession 2017 report. 

As a recent graduate and someone who is just beginning what will hopefully be a long career in public relations, I was interested in seeing how the industry is changing and how I might brush up on certain skills to try and stay ahead of the game.

Here are a few points that I found of particular interest:

Why don’t PRs PR? 

I just finished this post and have come back up here to warn you now that it’s basically just a bit of a rant, sorry…

***

Public Relations is about reputation. Or as the CIPR say the result of what you do, what you say and what others say about you.

And with that, I believe that PRs have a responsibility to demonstrate the skills that they advise clients on. To practice what they preach and to show the expertise that they have by demonstrating it on themselves or their agency. So why don’t all PRs PR? 

3 tools to make blogging easy

I love a good tool to help me out with blogging (or with anything, come to think of it) and there are a few that I’ve used that I couldn’t blog without these days. 

Want to know more? Check them out…

Canva

Pretty much anything and everything that I’ve designed for this site has been done on Canva – there, secret is out, I’m not that incredible designer I know you all thought I was! (ahem)

If you’re looking for something to design social media graphics, blog headers, CVs, I’ve even begun designing my wedding invitations on there … Canva is for you. Just pick your template, get some text and designs on there and you’re away.

3 things PRs can learn from La La Land

Before I start, spoiler warning. Don’t read this if you don’t want some bits of the film ruined for ya….

How to survive your final semester

Uni is hard. There’s no question about it. And yes, I understand some degrees are ‘harder’ than others, perhaps require more contact hours or more exams, but getting a degree is kinda a big deal to those doing so.

And that very final semester is probably the worst because the pressure finally feels real. Just a few weeks left until you can do no more. (Am I making this dramatic enough for you?)

If you’re looking for a bit of a pep talk whilst your in the midst of your final year breakdown, you’ve come to the right place as that exactly what I’m about to give you…

Make your blog PR friendly

More and more PRs are looking to bloggers to provide a new platform for their client or product. And the great part is it can often provide exciting and engaging content for the blogger involved too, if the right partnership can be found. 

Well, having spoken to a number of bloggers on behalf of clients for work, there are a few things that I’ve noticed that would make life easier for both parties. Here’s my tips to bloggers on making your blog more PR friendly…

I went AWOL…

Hi people that read my blog! 

You might have noticed that I went AWOL and it’s been over a month since I last posted… a month! As much as I love my little corner of the internet, blogging has had to take a back seat over a few things. It’s been a crazy month full of exciting things! (If you’re feeling nosey and want to know exactly what, see my Twitter feed, I will have almost certainly tweeted about everything!)

This certainly isn’t the end of PR Pro in Training, I have lots, lots more that I want to share. But I do think I need a brief hiatus until I find I have a little more spare time!  

So, have a wonderful Christmas & New Year, see you in 2017! 

Advice for soon-to-be PR graduates

If you’re a Newcastle, Sunderland or Northumbria university PR student, you might have heard my talk as part of the ExPRience masterclass earlier this week. (If so, I’d love to hear what you thought of the event in the comments!)

Alongside some other recent PR graduates and industry professionals, I shared some tips on how I got my first job as a graduate (at ramarketing … and there’s my little character!) and some key pieces of advice that I wish I had known before starting.