Everyday Public Relations Has Moved!

Don't get left behind. Everyday Public Relations has moved to Wordpress. Check out the new digs at www.everydaypublicrelations.org !

Tailgate Trash Should Ashame UGA Fans

In recent months with the addition of the new TATE center and the increase in recycling programs on campus, The University of Georgia has been proudly promoting their efforts at "greening" up the well known southern party school. This weeks press however completely wipes away any good they may have come of those efforts unfortunately.

As an avid supporter of the BullDawg nation at the University of Georgia it pains me to see my beautiful campus trashed by unthinking and apparently uncaring tail-gating fans. I was unable to attend the home opener against South Carolina, so I was shocked to see the photos on the front cover of the Red & Black when I got back to campus this week. Is there ever a better time to say WTF!!!! 70 TONS of trash was removed!

Not only do fans trash the campus, the University then spends around $44,000 for EVERY home game to clean up afterward. Ridiculous. With every state-run institution suffering mightily from slashed budgets it is inconceviable that this kind of money should be spent because football fans can't clean up after themselves.

Now that the story has been picked up and displayed prominently on the front page of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, maybe UGA fans will put a little more thought into how hard they party, and what kind of legacy they want to leave behind.

The University was even chided by popular Athens publication Flagpole about their trashy habits saying "it's too bad the UGA Athletic Association has had to be shamed into providing recycling opportunities by the student volunteers who started the Gameday Recycling program on fall Saturdays, but hey: whatever works." Ben Emanuel, pg. 5 - in regards to efforts by the UGA Ecology Club.

Want to keep giving UGA some bad press? Keep on throwing your trash on the ground. If not then remember this basic axiom - your mama don't live here, clean up after yourself!

Photo Credit: Tom Ritch, AJC

The Learning Process

A few days ago @mattchevy completed an awesome review of my blog. I loved his advice and as I mentioned in the last post, you will begin to notice a few changes around here. In case you missed the video, you can check it out here.

Here is a brief summary of what I took from his review:

1. MOVE TO WORDPRESS - this was his number one bit of advice, and one I am keen on following...soon. On that note, Everyday Public Relations will be moving on October 1st so make sure you check back soon. The URL will NOT change, but the look and feel will be different. so please be free to share your feedback.
   
2. Make sure your traffic is all going to the same place. When I merge both EPR blogs this problem hopefully will solve itself.
   
3. JUST SAY NO - to Google ads.They clutter up your blog and provide such a tiny bit of revenue (none in my case) that they are really unnecessary.
   
4. JUST SAY YES - to affiliate advertisers that promote and complement your niche. I happen to promote Green PR and sustainable development so ads by We Add Up are relevant and fit in nicely.
5. Be Consistent with posts. - This has been the hardest thing for me since I have such a busy schedule. What I love about Wordpress is that I can write several posts at once and then schedule them for later.
6. Make New Friends - I have been on Twitter for a while, but have not taken advantage of all the tools that are available that can help my network and blog grow. By completing a search for a few key terms within my niche I can develop new relationships with others who would gladly support my efforts.
   

Hope these tips will help you the way they helped me. For more information, or to get your own blog review, check out The Amazing Five Minute Blog Review or swing by Life Without Pants to see what other things @mattchevy is up too.

The Amazing Five Minute Blog Review

Not long ago I came across a blog with one of those titles that just makes you smile. Intrigued I continued reading and then came back the next day...and then the next day, and then the next. What I quickly realized was that I had once again found a blog that compelled me to keep coming back, the true sign of success that all of us bloggers strive for.

After following Life Without Pants for a while I had the opportunity to network a little with Matt Cheuvront, (@mattchevy) the man behind LWP, (I assume he is normally fully clothed however if his profile picture is accurate.) Turns out he has a lot of good advice about blogging, web site marketing, design and being young and in business for yourself in general.

I have been blogging for a while, nearly three years, but although I have been featured on various web sites and received numerous compliments about both my writing style and my niche (using social media for wildlife conservation) the followers just were not there. I didn't want to stop blogging so I knew I needed a little help.

Naturally I looked to On Simplicitybloggers I respect, people who have a proven track record and sucessful blogs: Milena at Quiet the Thunder, Tiffany at PersonalPR, and Holly at WorkLoveLife . And since I am naming awesome bloggers who have willingly answered questions and provided advice I can't forget Dorie at Dorie Morgan's Rising Up , Karen at TeachingPR and of course Matt at Life Without Pants.

Matt offers a very helpful service called the "Amazing 5 Minute Blog Review". I know good stuff when I see it and I figured that if anyone could help me do what I do, but better, he would be able to, so I signed up.

Check out his review here, and then check back soon to see how I am incorporating his advice. Big changes are coming and I am excited!

Follow my progress as Everyday Public Relations gets a make-over: on Twitter @kristinasummer or see my Facebook fan page Thursday Green .

The New and Improved Brazen Careerist!

A couple years ago I received an email from a person I'd never heard of who asked me to be a part of a site with a concept that was totally foreign to me. That person was Ryan Paugh and the site, Brazen Careerist. He told me that as an important part of the gen-y blogging community, I would make an excellent addition to the team of bloggers he was putting together for a new kind of online social community.

My only experience with the whole gen-y movement up to that point was that I had read Penelope Trunk's (co-founder of Brazen) book, "The Brazen Careerist" and had listed it on my fledgling blog (still a class assignment at the time) as one of the best resources for new bloggers and newbies to the career world in general. I received a nice response from her and thought I'd hit the big time, getting a response from a real live author!

I agreed to be a part of this new venture and have never regretted it. When the site launched I was proud to be on those early email blasts full of the most interesting posts. I made contacts and considered myself among elite company as I came to know and respect many of the contributors through their blogs.

So much has changed since that day. My blog grows all the time, and I have become a person who is proud to be referred to as a blogger. As Brazen has grown as well I now consider it a challenge to remain at the top of my game, to get a mention in that weekly email. Both my writing quality and my self-confidence have also grown.

None of that would be possible without Brazen Careerist and their online network of wonderful bloggers. Because of the exposure I have received through the syndication of my blog, I have developed a professional reputation as a blogger and social media consultant. I have been asked to speak at conferences, and had my blog picked up by more than a dozen different web sites. Pretty cool.

Now, Brazen is changing, for the better. Tomorrow Brazen Careerist will launch with a whole new look and feel but will continue the excellent service known well by all who have used the site for networking, career advice or simply putting forth an opinion.

Make sure to check out the changes! I know I will!