As part of Cal State Fullerton’s Communications Week, Christa Keizer spoke to students about utilizing social media in public relations Tuesday afternoon in the Titan Student Union.
Keizer, who is an assistant account executive for Edelman Digital, graduated from CSUF last year. Edelman is the world’s largest independently-owned public relations firm and serves corporations like Microsoft and Starbucks.
“Companies have to evolve in a completely social business,” Keizer said to crowd of nearly 40 students in the TSU’s Heterbrink AB room.
Keizer said the most effective businesses use social media -including Facebook, Twitter and Pintrest- to push and pull their customers. Pushing, a traditional advertisement, is a call to action. Pulling engages consumers by getting feedback.
Starbucks uses this pulling in My Starbucks Idea, which lets customers give drink, food and location ideas and feedback.
“(As customers) we’re going to have more opportunities to talk to the brands that we love,” she said.
In addition, Keizer outlined essential steps for a social media public relations career:
1.) Establish an online presence- Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, clips
(“You want to be really human online,” she said, meaning create your brand and Tweet about your hobbies, like running.)
2.) Know the industry- read
3.) Intern- experience
4.) Network offline- meetup.com, plancast.com, eventbrite.com
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