How I became a public relations blogger

My name is Raianne Mason. I’m a junior public relations major with a minor in management from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. I’m a member of the track and field team and run the hurdles. I work as a Residential Assistant in a freshman dorm on campus, which basically means I fill the position of “mom” to 26 freshman girls.

I mention these three things in particular because they are very central to who I am. I love to run, I love being able to encourage my girls and the more I get into the public relations field, I’m loving it too.

In fact, there’s a lot of things that I love. For example, I’m a huge fan of goldfish crackers, Jesus, the oxford comma, and hot tea with cream and sugar. Anyone who knows me can tell you that I’m also a big fan of laughter. I love to laugh. I love to smile. I love to read and write and encourage others. It’s this love for people and their stories that has led me to the realm of public relations.

This blog is one I’ve started with my public relations tactics class, and it’s given me a taste of what it’s like to write and publish a real blog. Upon receiving my first blog assignment, I thought to myself, “piece of cake, I love writing.” The problem was my first assignment was to write about a Bronze Anvil winner. Not only did I have no idea who had won one of those, I also had no idea what the award was even for.

However, public relations is all about information: who has it, who gets it first, and what happens with it once it’s known. Keeping that in mind, I began to research, and I began to learn and to write. Blogging is a learning process. I don’t panic when I get prompts anymore. I actually get a little excited.

If you’re looking for a good blog to follow or want to learn what a Bronze Anvil is, or if public relations piques your interest, feel free to check out my blog!

What makes an effective blog: Akron Children’s hospital knows

As a native Ohioan, state pride runs deep in my blood. Knowing this, it should come as no surprise that when I opened the list of 2016 Bronze Anvil winners, one immediately stuck out to me. Akron Children’s hospital, located in Akron, Ohio, won a Bronze Anvil for its blog,  Inside Children’s.

Upon visiting the blog, I immediately took note of its use of photographs. Every blog post on the homepage was linked with a smiling face. Right off the bat it was making a statement: Akron Children’s hospital is a positive place. Including pictures of actual patients and doctors not only increased the likelihood of people reading the pieces, but also gave the hospital a human voice.

The blog features several categorized pages of posts accessible from a drop down menu. These include health and parenting, patient experiences, staff and construction updates on the hospital. The homepage cycles through posts from all five sections.

The blog also has a photo series called “In the Moment” that features pictures of patients and events from the hospital. Each picture is captioned and linked to an accompanying story. The homepage includes links to all three of the hospital’s social media platforms, a place to sign up for a personalized newsletter, and an invitation for readers to send in their own stories.

I feel this blog was successful because it did more than give facts about Akron Children’s hospital, it gave a look Inside Children’s. I feel it was successful in creating a positive blog that pandered perfectly to its desired audience: parents.

There was a sense of cohesion to the entire blog. The main goal was to create trust in Akron Children’s hospital. This began with the color scheme. The use of blue throughout created a sense of calm and increased trust in readers. Every post was upbeat, included hyperlinks to the hospital’s main page and ended with a photo strip of suggested stories.

I felt the blog also effectively combined various types of media. Readers are drawn to the photographs, and upon reading the summary in the caption, are directed to where they can read more on the subject. I felt it was also effective to include a variety of different topics to generate interest from a more diverse group.