Creating a social presence

Upon entering University one of the key things that I have learnt is that social media is a must have! It is a must have because of its ability to create an instant two-way communication channel between the organisation and its stakeholders. At my internship I have discovered the need for social media is no different! I'm currently working with the Community Goals department which is basically just the community relations arm of the Fremantle Dockers, and one of my main tasks is to create a Facebook page for the Community Goals team.

The creation of a Facebook page is simple enough, the back filling of information and pictures relating to the operations of the department was time consuming but easy (pro tip; have a simple filing system). The hardest part is to gain exposure and generate a large following or 'likes' on the page, especially when the other page held by the company holds nearly 200,000 likes.

Currently the page I have created has been live for about a week and in that time has only gathered 24 likes, with future activities to be used to boost that like number to a goal of 3000. To generate this many likes there are a few options in which the page can use:

1. Let it increase as the page grows older.
2. Use the Fremantle Dockers page to 'boost' its profile.
3. Use the current Facebook tools available.

For a business in my position I believe it is best that we should go on to utilize options 2 and 3 as these will allow us to generate large amounts of exposure relatively quickly when compared to option 1, but would this 'spamming' of the page limit the likelihood of it being liked? So there are certain decisions we must make and protocols we must follow and abide by before we make a decision on how to promote and communicate this page to the relevant stakeholders and not to internet trolls.

With the AFL season finished it will make this task a little harder but I am looking forward to the challenge as well as some quieter times in the office.

Feel free to check out Fremantle Dockers Community Goals on Facebook and until next time!

Lewis.

On to New Beginnings

Reflecting back on my journey at Global Hand Charity, it has definitely been a roller coaster ride. I have had my fair share of ups and downs. Public Relations has its good and bad sides.

Interning for a not for profit organisation that has no Marketing or Public Relations department was a BIG challenge. If there was one thing I would have done differently,I would have created a PR Plan to provide more guidance and reach its goals and objectives.

Learning about how there are individuals living in third world communities that do not have the opportunities to education like Australians do. It did make me realise how lucky I am have the chance to go to school and freedom to choose my career path.

I did go through a period where I felt like my motivation and purpose interning at Global Hand charity was at a lost. Not knowing what I was doing was actually helping the charity or if the work I was completing was indeed PR.

Public Relations is something that organisations should view as a professional service.They do not understand the nature and benefits of what it can do. You can work on any budget or no budget, and get the same results if you approached an advertising or marketing agency.

This was a great opportunity to see how I could apply my theoretical knowledge to the "real world." And it is safe to say I NEED MORE EXPERIENCE. I would love to experience life in public relations consultancy.

To those who are just starting their internship enjoy every moment, even the bad times.


Thank you kindly,

Maria
15508764.