Born to Socialize: My Boss Living the PR Dream

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For one of my classes at TCU, I had to write a personal profile on a professional. I chose to write about my boss.

When companies are looking to hire a Public Relations director, they usually are not looking for someone with a bachelor’s degree in German and a minor in Classical Studies. This was not the case for Katherine Rose Watson. After graduating from Texas Christian University in 2011, Watson began her successful career as a Director of Public Relations.

Currently working at Anchor Marketing and Design located in Fort Worth, TX, Watson is the Director of Public Relations and Social Media. Watson makes sure her clients are seen positively by others. Her acting experience allows her to offer media training for her clients, which is often overlooked. “I absolutely love everything about Anchor and what we stand for and what we do,” she said. Watson had always dreamed of becoming an actress or even an author; she never realized that public relations is where she always belonged.

It all started when Cynthia Shearer, Watson’s freshman year English professor and published author, inspired Watson to write and publish her first book entitled Little Gabby Meets Her New Family. After publishing her book about her own puppy Gabrielle, Watson worked hard to promote her book. She created a Little Gabby Books website, Facebook, Twitter and even YouTube videos that she films and edits herself. This promotional experience served her well during college and she is now able to bring well-behaved Gabby to work with her. Gabby’s job at the office is to make sure everyone is smiling, which she excels at.

While acting on set for an industrial training video for one of Anchor’s clients during her last semester at TCU, Watson met BJ and Amber Caldwell, the co-owners of Anchor Marketing and Design. Mr. Caldwell was immediately impressed with Watson when she managed to memorize 60 pages of medical dialog in one night when no one else had their lines memorized. The Caldwells friended Watson on Facebook and her positive, eye-catching posts kept her on their adar. Two weeks after Watson graduated, Mrs. Caldwell asked her over Words with Friends what she was doing post-grad. When Mrs. Caldwell repeated Watson’s reply (“I’m looking for a job”) to Mr. Caldwell, he said, “She’s hired.”

Even though there was no position available at Anchor, they knew that Watson could do great things for them and brought her on. In July of 2011, Watson officially started working at Anchor. She started off as only a Social Media specialist; however, it did not take long for Watson to move up within the company. In just one year, Watson was made Director of PR & Social Media. Although her position is not sales, she even brings in new clients. What is her secret? “It’s all about who you know; you never know who you’re going to meet,” said Watson.

One of Watson’s favorite parts about working as a the Director of Public Relations is the social aspect of it all. She has made tons of friends in the media. “They aren’t just work friends whom I see only for business; I’ve met so many friends in the media whom I adore,” said Watson. Although she loves public relations, Watson admits that being so social for work can be draining. This has made her truly appreciate her free time.

Whenever Watson has any free time, she loves to ride her two horses. Watson had always loved riding horses, but now that she is older she appreciates it much more. “After working on a computer all day, it’s so wonderful to be outside,” said Watson. Riding horses is not the only activity she enjoys. She also loves having picnics, walking her dog, wake boarding, kayaking and boating. Above all of these things, Watson’s all-time favorite thing to do is baking and cooking, which she even blogs about. It works out perfectly because Watson does social media for the Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival.

Watson suggests that having a positive attitude is the key to finding a good job. “I was so tired the morning that I met Amber and BJ, but instead of being cranky, I chose to be positive, and look where it led me!” said Watson. If it were not for her positive attitude, Watson would not be the happy, hard-working Director of Public Relations and Social Media she is today.

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9/11 and Business

Posted on September 13, 2012 by bcaldwell

On September 11, 2001, our country fell under an unexpected terrorist attack. It was one of the darkest days our generation has ever seen and a day that will live in history forever. We lost family members, good friends, acquaintances, and strangers. No matter where you were, from New York to California, whether or not you knew someone in the towers or on a plane, you could feel the pain of an entire nation.

America got knocked down.

Briefly.

It was a catastrophic attack. We saw the smoke, we witnessed planes, we called those close to us…we were scared. You remember where you were when it happened and I’m sure you’ll never forget; we all have our stories. I recall that my father was on a plane that day and I spent hours trying to get a hold of him before my fears were eased.

Why do we keep reviewing the tapes? One reason is that we let our curiosity get the best of us. What could we have done differently? How could we have prevented this? Whether we know it or not, we’re studying. The CIA/FBI/ETC study the scenario in attempts to take extra measures for the safety of our citizens. You and I study and think about what we would have done in those moments on the plane, we study the tears and smoke, and we study the resilience of a nation.

There is a lot that we can learn about this tragedy as it applies to our businesses.

First of all, it’s important to take as many precautions and you know to take. When you engage in business, make every effort to protect yourself. Use past experiences of others and yourself for improvements.

Look towards the future. What elements can impact the success of your business? How can you control those elements or have a “plan B” prepared?

Businesses can often be impacted by the decisions of others. Sometimes things seem like they are going well but then you are blind-sided. It’s important to always be on your feet and be ready to act so that you’re not caught off guard in any situation.

But if you do get knocked down, don’t stay down.

Just like the United States of America did following the attacks of September 11, you have to dust yourself off and rebuild. Sometimes getting knocked down is just the beginning of something great. If you’ve been knocked down, turn it into something better than you had before. Today, New York is rebuilding to be better, safer, and bigger than it was before. You can too, you just have to be able to see through the smoke.

Get back up. Determine what you could have done differently. Do it better

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Twitter: There’s More Than Meets the Eye.

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Before becoming an intern at Anchor Marketing & Design, I never realized how much went into maintaining an effective Twitter account. It is so much more than just a simple status update.

Timing is Everything: One thing that is often overlooked when it comes to tweeting is the time each tweet should be posted. Originally, I thought it would be best to deliver tweets between the times of 5-10 P.M., thinking most people are busy during the day. I also thought that the weekends would receive the highest reach level because many people are off from work. I had it all wrong. According to new data released by bit.ly, the peak traffic time for Twitter is usually 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. Monday-Thursday. In the morning, Friday is still a decent time to tweet, but anytime after 5 P.M. is not as affective. Research shows that posting links after 8 P.M. on any day do not get as much traffic. However, it should be noted that each brand should know its audience in order to find the best times to reach those people.

Mastering the Hashtag: I have also noticed that many people use hashtags (#) on anything that they please. The purpose of the hashtag is to categorize tweets. Tweets including a common hashtag are grouped together in a thread that becomes a bit of an evolved chat room. For instance, if I composed a tweet for my business trying to promote people to remodel their kitchen, #kitchen would be a great. Before using a hashtag, it’s a good idea to search for it on Twitter first. If you search for #kitchen, and no one is talking about it, then it probably isn’t a good hashtag to use. It’s also smart to keep up on trending topics in case something relevant to your business trends.

Encourage Retweeting: Research shows that when you type out the word ‘Retweet’ instead of writing RT or simply hoping to be retweeted, you will actually have higher engagement rates. Of course, if you want your audience to retweet something and can’t fit the whole word in, you can still use RT. If someone retweets something, thank them! Make them feel appreciated because, well, you appreciate them!

Be Visible: If you are trying to promote yourself or your business on Twitter, tweets absolutely must be visible for all to see. Tweets do not have a long shelf life, meaning if you only tweet once per day, not many people will see it. You don’t want your audience to become overwhelmed by how much you tweet, but you also want to give them enough information to keep them interested. On average seven to ten tweets a day is prime.

Tell Them Who You Are: On your profile, you should include the link to your website or blog. Be sure to have a profile picture – your company logo works well – and a clear bio. Throughout your tweets, make your audience aware of the type of business that you do and why you are on Twitter, but be sure to entertain them as well! Ask questions and share industry news, relevant articles, and company photos and videos.

Be Yourself and Know Your Audience: Stay true to your company’s voice and brand. You want to reveal your personality, but also remain professional. Get to know your target audience and what they like. What is the age range of your audience? What do they like to do? Are they active adventure seekers, college students, busy moms, or successful businessmen and women? Know their interests and share information you know they’ll be interested in. In general, only talk about yourself 20% of the time. The remaining 80% of tweets should be about sharing interesting, relevant, sharable information.

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Custom Web Agencies vs. Template Based Agencies

Posted on September 6, 2012 by marnold

Knowing what a great business asset a successful website can be for your company, it is important you find the right web agency to take on your project. There are generally two types of agencies offering services; template based agencies and custom agencies.

Template based agencies start your project by purchasing pre-made templates from other designers; modify graphics and present you with a cookie-cutter site. Just like all other companies who simply purchased this template; your site will probably “work”. Not only are they not taking the time on your project to make it ultimately successful, they are charging the price as if they did.

Custom web agencies take pride in the development process, resulting in a customized product for your specific needs. Your project is taken on by a team; which extensively researches, brainstorms, and develops a successful game plan from the beginning. Custom designs are created and developed specifically for your company. If your site needs an application or database, they are built from scratch. There is no need to depend on third-party providers or having to work with software that has been hacked together to try to meet your needs.

As a developer, I know the effort and time that goes into developing and creating web projects through the custom process. It’s important to me that I can take pride in the finished product. Don’t get cheated on your next web project; find a custom agency.

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Case Study: Dallas TNT

Posted on August 28, 2012 by krwatson

The Dallas remake on TNT wrapped a strong first season earlier this month. Let’s take a look at their innovative social media campaign:

Facebook Voice
Many television shows have standard Facebook pages through which they share actors news, quotes from the show, promo videos, et cetera. Dallas TNT has taken their Facebook page up a notch through the use of JR Ewing’s voice. Every Facebook post is written as though JR himself is posting, the wording remarkably in stride with his character’s distinct way of speaking. This gives the Facebook page a personal feel and better connects Facebook users to the show when it’s not on the air.

Facebook Timeline
We applaud Dallas TNT’s use of Facebook timeline. Few brand pages have really warmed up to the actual Timeline part of Timeline, but Dallas has added events from 1978 to the present, including marriages, divorces, births, and deaths. This helps play up the JR voice, as the Timeline reads like his own scrapbook. Each life event includes a photo and is written in the first person as the news relates to JR.

@Dallas_TNT Tweets
Dallas TNT encourages fans to tweet during the show using the hashtag #DallasTNT. Dallas often retweets their actors and fans, providing a constant stream of content. They also use their Twitter to promote their Rise to Power game and their characters’ Twitter handles.

Character Twitter Handles
Most notably, Dallas has created verified Twitter accounts for their characters to tweet in first person. Twitter handles include:

@RealJREwing
@TheOneJohnRoss
@TheChrisEwing
@TheBobbyEwing
@RealSueEllen
@TheAnnEwing
@TheElenaRamos
@RebeccaSutter

These accounts have between 5,000-18,000 followers each. The characters even tweet with each other in real-time during the show, occasionally arguing with one another and creating their own hashtags. Each Twitter page is impressively written in the appropriate voice for each character.

Rise to Power Interactive Game
This game is housed on the Dallas TNT website where fans declare their allegiance to characters each week. The game gives fans the opportunity to win prizes through Game Entries, which are obtained through tasks such as tweeting the character handles, posting about Dallas on Facebook, and checking in on Get Glue. This is a clever way for TNT to boost their social media presence and reward their fans for essentially advertising for them. After all, there’s no better way to reach a new audience than to have your existing audience voluntarily sing your praises.

We anxiously await what social media campaign is in the works for season two.

@krwatson

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Know what is bad so you can be good

Posted on August 24, 2012 by randerson

What is the worst movie you’ve ever seen?

For me it was “Disaster Movie”. I’ve never walked out of a movie before I saw that.
The movie was trying to fit in as many pop culture references as they could instead of making a parody of the genre of “disaster” movies.

It is very important to know what you like and don’t like about a movie and more importantly be able to articulate what it is.

The reason I’m bringing this up because as a filmmaker you need to be able to dissect films that you see in theaters for it’s strengths and weaknesses. If you see a movie that you like, take note of the things that you’d want to do similar in your film. If you see a film that you don’t like, then notice the elements that you would want to avoid in making your film.

This may seem obvious but many people will bad talk a film and just say things like “You know it was just bad.” But if your goal is to make films in the future you need to know what things could have been changed to make the movie better or even to try and understand what it is the writer or director was trying to convey thought the movie.

In order to make a good video, you need to know what is a bad video. Next time you go out to see a film take note of why you liked it or why you didn’t.

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Audit My Website: A Regular Website Consultation

Posted on August 16, 2012 by bcaldwell

Do you ever wonder why your website isn’t performing as expected? Are you not receiving enough leads or sales? Do you think your product or service should be in higher demand online than it currently is? You could benefit from a professional website audit of your company site.

Too often, websites are built that brag about customer service, product innovation, educated employees, or bold company personalities. At first look, it’s a great idea so that the consumer can log on and see how great the company really is, but how does this directly impact the consumer?

So your company is great, what now? How does that really help me (your customer)? Where does it say on your website how you are going to directly impact my life or the life of my company? If I can’t find this information, I’m probably going to leave your website and not give your company a second thought.

A website audit and performance evaluation may be exactly what you need to enhance the flow of your visitors. A report can give you great insight into how visitors are browsing or leaving your sight. After careful review, you can develop a plan to determine how to improve on the results and have a website that works for you and your customer.

The bottom line is that performance evaluations help us evolve our websites in a way that show our customers that we are focused on them, not us. Because it is thanks to them that we are even in this business in the first place. Websites probably give us the most insight we could ever have into the mindset of our consumer, so we need to take advantage of that. Step one begins with your site audit.

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PR/Social Media Internship: What I Learned

Posted on August 14, 2012 by hayley

“Love what you do and you will not work a day in your life,” is something I have heard for as long as I can remember, but being told something is much different than actually experiencing it for yourself. As my last week as an intern for Anchor comes to an end, I find myself thinking back to three months ago when I first started this amazing internship. This opportunity has provided me not only with knowledge and experience and relationships that I value, but also has shown me what passion and love for a job actually feels like.

From attending PR events and news segments with shows such as GMT and CW’s Eye Opener, to writing press releases and helping social media campaigns flourish, I have had the opportunity to learn what PR in the real world is all about, not just what a text book or professor says about public relations. I have learned that the key to any PR, marketing, or advertising strategy is to know your audience and how to engage with said audience. I have learned that in order to be successful in this profession you must build personal, mutually beneficial relationships and be the type of person that when people think of you they say, “I can count on [her or him] to be there when I need them.” My boss’s actions showed me how important these qualities are and she receives many opportunities because of her dedication to be readily available, flexible and willing to find other help if she was not able.

I enjoyed coming into work every day knowing that I was going to be greeted by cheerful good mornings, energetic music, people who love working as much as they love laughing, a dog who would do just about anything for a belly rub, and of course the guarantee that if I sneezed, I would receive a thoughtful “bless you!” I was always excited to be at work and was eager to know what the next day had in store for me, what I would learn and get to experience next. I know I am lucky for that. What I take away from my Summer at Anchor is 100% more valuable and relevant than any textbook could teach me.

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Extraordinary Events & Design on CW’s Eye Opener

Posted on July 26, 2012 by krwatson

Our client, Julie Eastman (owner of Extraordinary Events & Design), was featured on CW’s national morning show, Eye Opener, this morning. We had a blast filming with host Danielle Vollmar and loved how the segment came together. Julie never disappoints on camera, benefitting from our media training and consultation PR services.

Watch the feature here:

Here are a couple of snapshots of the final room:

: Julie added throw pillows, a larger lamp to anchor the corner, coffee table books & candles, and simple DIY artwork over the couch: fabric over cork board!

: Julie decluttered, rearranged, added a throw rug, pillows, art, candles, and books in the living room. For a simple dining room centerpiece, she spray painted vases, grouping them together over a mirror atop a scarf.

Don’t forget to “like” and follow Julie!

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How to Land an Internship in PR and Social Media:

Posted on July 24, 2012 by meghan

Anchor recently hired new Fall interns and after observing the interview process from this side, it got me thinking – how exactly did I get this internship?

Know your audience: This is the most important part of working in PR, so naturally it should be the most important part of your application and interview process. Know who is interviewing you, what they do for the company and how your skills can help them.
Be a good writer: You can have all the people skills in the world, but if you can’t write you can’t really succeed in PR or Social Media. Make sure you have relevant writing samples available for your potential employer to review.
Know yourself: recognize your own strengths and weaknesses and don’t be afraid to discuss them; you have to make sure the job is a good fit for you. Working in Social Media sounds like tons of fun (and it is) but it also requires hard work and intuition, so make sure you’re up to the task. A favorite interview question of employers is “what’s your biggest weakness?” Have a good answer to this and phrase it in a pleasant way. For example, instead of saying “I’m a perfectionist,” say something more along the lines of “I tend to spread myself to thin.”
Be flexible: we all have a dream internship in mind. This happens to be pretty close to my ideal job, but no matter what, you’re going to have to make sacrifices. Whether it be that it doesn’t fit into your ideal schedule or you have to do a little bit of tedious work, just be flexible and you will be much happier and really be able to appreciate the experience. No two days are the same in the PR world, and I have to accommodate for after-office-hours events at least once a week.
Most importantly: show that you’re a fun, happy person who is easy to get along with and willing to work hard for something that you’re passionate about. The right attitude can work wonders in an interview situation.

Remember, PR is all about how you present yourself, and your resume and interview are your opportunity to show the company what you’re about. Look put-together, smile, and be professional and you could be lucky enough to have as great a job as we do.

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