The first tip, “Steal content and ideas. If you’re flat-out exhausted and out of ideas, then get them from somebody else — either content, or ideas, or both.” Huh, I said, “Well, I guess I’m on the right track.”

However to make it mine, I really wanted to own it. So the following are my top 5 tips for creating content.

1. Relax.

Don’t feel pressured to find the perfect article, resource or original idea. If it’s your idea, it’s already uniquely yours. Have you ever had a difficult time recalling someone’s name or that restaurant you love at the precise moment you needed it? Yet a few hours later out of the blue, you snap your fingers and say, “I got it!” That’s because your mind continues to work for you, even though you’ve moved on. The same thing with creating content. I find the more I pressure myself to find that idea, it doesn’t happen. Ideas typically don’t come on demand. However, much like this post, the ideas came to me after I determined this was my topic and I stepped away from it. So pick up a book, go for a walk, watch a movie or just grab a coffee and people watch. The ideas will start flooding in.

2. Be curious.

We’ve all seen those unique ads or videos show up in our friend’s feed on Facebook. Or you’ve seen an interview or commercial on TV and it piqued your interest. If you find one that’s interesting, click on it and then go deeper. For instance, I was watching an interview on NBC’s Rock Center with the creators of the viral videos, “Sh*t Girls Say.”  The two creators have become Internet sensations with three videos. Well, I’d only seen one so I decided to check out the series while the interview was taking place. Not only did the videos make me laugh out loud, they gave me an idea. You see, the reason the videos are successful is because women can relate to it and men know someone like that. It crosses all boundaries. From there I became curious about why that is and after a few videos learned more about a topic that I haven’t even thought of and now have increased my knowledge and feed the content machine. You’ve got to be willing to go the next step and be curious. I swear if I was a cat I would have gone through my nine lives by now.

3. Go to your reader.

If you don’t have a reader, then the first thing to do is set one up. I’m a big skimmer (which also means I probably miss more than I catch, but I’m okay with that) so I can quickly search out titles or topics and determine if I want more. I usually always find the one gem that makes it worth it. There’s a wealth of information out there so go out and get it. After reading a handful of posts, you’ll feel energized and ready to tackle your project.

4. Coffee with someone in your same profession.

As a public relations professional, I’ve learned that there’s no point in explaining what I do to my family and friends. Typically after such an explanation, the first question is, “so who have you done ads for?” I just hope that at that point my eyes aren’t visibly rolling. However having coffee with someone in your same profession can be very empowering. We understand what we’re up against. We understand wins. We can talk about industry trends and how we’re using it. We can talk about our crazy days and all the caffeine we need to make it through it. And we can talk about what we do for fun. Typically following such a discussion, I walk away feeling energized and with a handful of new ideas…and that leads to more. See number two above.

5. Go to Facebook and Twitter.

With the greatest crowdsourcing at your fingertips, why not? What’s interesting is that during the day, there are groups of topics that rise to the top. Much like conversations, the hot topics get the most attention. For instance, check out Twitter trends and then click on topics that might interest you. Skim and find other topics or individuals that look interesting and then click, click and click. Before you know it, you’ll find something that has sparked your creative juices. With the new Facebook feed it’s easy to see what topics everyone is talking about because it groups similar topics together. Today in Reno-Tahoe for instance, the main topic was snow and the coming series of storms with everyone either playing in it or excited for more. It gave me an idea for a new client blog, “online excitement builds on prospect of more snow.”

I hope you’ve found these tips helpful. And if all else fails, steal it…figuratively, of course.

My must-do events this summer included Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure” at the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, “Broadway Night” at the Lake Tahoe Music Festival, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet at Artown and Tommy Castro at the Reno-Tahoe Blues Fest.  But amongst the planned activities a few more crept in, like Salsa Celtica during Artown’s World Music Series. The performance was great, but the experience was unforgettable, picnicking in the park with a new friend, watching couples salsa dance on the sidewalk, seeing cultures merge together through music and audience interaction. I also witnessed a bit of the Perseids meteor shower before the sun bathed the sky in shades of pink and gold during an early morning news interview at Rancho San Rafael Park, something I would never have risen for if not for work.

It’s one thing to check items off of an activities “to-do list” and quite another to just get out and experience life. This summer art was my catalyst for the latter, and I couldn’t be more grateful to my career and clients for having provided that opportunity. I’ve always believed that life becomes more saturated when you surround yourself with art—the sun shines brighter, nature’s colors are more vibrant and crickets chirp louder. Now I’m convinced.

A twitter user is looking for the best driving route from Point A to Point B.  A discussion begins with another user noting that flying is best because the drive is a bore.  I respond noting all of the beauty along the drive. The other counters my recommendation because I happen to work with several tourism clients that are along the route. 

Sure, I do have clients along the route, but I’ve also driven it many times when my husband was living at Point A and I was at B.  We’ve driven it on vacations since then, and yes, I’ve driven it for work.  And every single time it’s been fascinating.  And I’m entitled to this opinion, whether it aligns with my goals at work or not. 

I have yet to come across a client that I’m not truly excited about. That’s because we believe in our clients and are genuinely interested in them—who they are, what they do, what they’re about.  We don’t just take on clients because it’s business.  We take them on because we WANT to. Then we immerse ourselves, learning as much as possible about them.  We visit their location, attend their events or test their products.  I like to think that our work reflects that enthusiasm.

Often that enthusiasm spills over into our personal lives (or stems from it).  But if I’m passionate about something, I’ll talk about it, on my own time and in my own space, regardless of whether they’re a client.  I’m an independent with my own likes and dislikes.  I’m also a credible, trustworthy and honest person—and public relations professional. 

For instance, one client’s fans on Facebook shot up to more than 800 in just over a week due to the viral nature of the joiners. Reminds me of the days when I recognized most of the members on the list.

With many of our clients now embracing social from a business perspective there comes with it an obvious ability to speak directly to your customer…someone interested in your product or service…as well as fueling their desire to see it grow. 

A recent Small Business Blog post summarizes a top Twitter blogger’s remarks during the Search Engine Strategies conference in New York City this week.  Guy Kawasaki puts it quite simply, “Bubble Up” marketing.  It’s worth the read.  

Thanks also to @Rebecca_Rose, here’s a great piece in Newsweek about America’s first viral eatery. Both aptly answer the question, “Yes, there is a place for businesses on Twitter.”

So in an effort to help stoke the fire a bit, the following lists our clients that are new to Facebook and Twitter.  Check it out and see if something strikes you.  If so, you know what to do…and if not, you know what to do too. 

Artown:  http://tinyurl.com/dcfoh5 and http://twitter.com/artown

Lake Tahoe Music Festival:  http://tinyurl.com/c5styb

Lake Tahoe North:  http://tinyurl.com/cxlzy2 and http://twitter.com/TahoeNorth

Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival:  http://tinyurl.com/daeyb5 and http://twitter.com/tahoebard

Rock-N-River Marathon:  http://tinyurl.com/cczhrx and http://twitter.com/RocknRiver

Save Nevada Tourism:  http://tinyurl.com/cgbmm3

Media visits come in all shapes and sizes, from 5-day tours for 25 people to weekend trips for just one journalist.  We work on media visits on an ongoing basis for tourism and festival clients bringing the media in to tour the entire region, or just to check out one festival performance.  Seeing a location, enjoying its attractions and amenities and just feeling what it’s like to be there can speak volumes about a client’s product that no press release or YouTube video could ever convey.

This week we have a journalist coming in from New York City on a winter tour of Reno-Tahoe.  Her 6-day trip (which includes two travel days) has her dining at two of Tahoe’s finest restaurants, skiing two days at premier Tahoe ski resorts, dog sledding, snowmobiling, touring Reno’s arts and culture scene and getting an exclusive spa treatment at the area’s newest spa.  The trick to a media visit is this: plan it as if it’s your vacation.  If you treat it strictly as a sales opportunity for your product (using site tours, meetings or demonstrations to fill your itinerary) then you’re doing yourself, your product and the media person a disservice.

It’s a whirlwind trip for sure, but the thing is if I could’ve planned a vacation to Reno-Tahoe this is the itinerary I would choose.  And it’s an itinerary full of activities her readers and viewers might choose too.  That means the potential for great coverage and a pleased journalist who’ll remember Reno-Tahoe the next time winter travel enters the discussion.

Don’t get me wrong there are days when it’s really tough.  We can put in long hours nitpicking every last detail of a 25-person, 5-day tour of Reno-Tahoe.  We wake up at the crack of dawn to drive artists to a TV station for interviews.  We get back press releases that we’ve slaved over with so many edits a re-write is often the only option.  And yes, the media do ignore us sometimes.  But if you weigh all of these things against all of the fun things we also get to do, they’re really not that bad.  Secretly, I even like those early morning TV interviews!

I regretfully admit that I thought it was a little silly that an internship was required in order to receive my B.A. in Journalism.  I thought to myself, “Why do I have to register and pay for a class when in all reality I am going to work rather than sitting in a classroom and learning?”  That is a thought I threw out of my mind after my first day interning at RKPR.

In the month I have been here I have gained and learned so much more hands on experience than I have or could in a classroom.  If anyone is reading this and has the same thought I did about interning, my advice would be, DO IT!  It is definitely worth it. And yes, you still write a lot of press releases, but they are actually fun when you are doing them for real, not mock clients.J

Back in December, RKPR took advantage of an opportunity. Honestly, I keep thinking that anyone would have done what we did.  I’m also naïve enough to believe that all communications professionals call journalists back, but I know that’s not true (ssshhh, I know because the journalists tell).  But the truth of the matter is we did step up while others watched. We seized the opportunity.   

In January, I received a “D” message from @nvbob asking what I thought about co-presenting with him on real-life social media strategies using RKPR’s December case study as an example. Absolutely! 

On March 7, Bob Conrad, APR and I will be leading a workshop during the inaugural Nevada Interactive Media Summit titled, “Unconventional PR Strategies:  How Social Media Has Changed Communications.”  And trust me, it has changed. 

As a 16 year communications professional, I’ve had the privilege of seeing technology soar. Fortunately for me, I love technology and, even though math still provides me challenges, I can quickly grasp new tech concepts, applications, etc.  The one area I find completely fascinating is social networking, especially its implications on businesses, brands, organizations and individuals.

It seems as though on a regular basis I hear myself saying, “today media changed.”  One such instance that’s quite vivid was when US Airways Flight 1549 landed in the Hudson River and the first shot that appeared on all the major news sites was from a ferry boat passenger (@jkrums) via his mobile phone posted to Twitpic. The photo was everywhere and for the next several hours @jkrums was being interviewed by all the major networks. What amazed me even more was that his first-person account was news and the media wanted to hear his story. He seized the opportunity.  

During our presentation, we’ll talk about the changing face of communications and that a solid strategy, strong goals and realist objectives are as foundationally critical to a social media campaign as they are to a traditional program.

I feel quite honored to be included with such knowledgeable presenters.  I’ll be attending the entire day and I hope to see many others attending as well. 

Details / Registration $25 (register by Wednesday), $40 Walk-in.    

Growing up I was always the talker, and if you know me now you’re aware that’s still the case.  But there are stories to be told and I enjoy doing so.  Frankly, everyone that works in public relations should enjoy telling stories, and if they don’t they may be in the wrong field.  We learn as much as we can about our clients, the environment they’re operating in and their clientele or audience so we can tell their story—share it with the world. 

When you’re talking stories and media it’s easy to visualize the article in the newspaper or the two-minute segment on the news.  And yes, that’s something we like to see. But the story we share goes way beyond. Our job is provide information while also shaping the way the public perceives the client.  For example, what is Nevada Silver Trails?  Well, we can easily say that it’s a 38,000-acre section in the south-central third of Nevada that includes more than 20 towns and several state parks.  We can also tell you about the territory’s special events, activities and attractions.  But the real story is that a visit to Nevada Silver Trails can change your life.  It’s an opportunity to experience a landscape like you’ve never seen or reconnect with yourself through adventurous activities or complete solitude.  We talk about the people, places and history you’ll encounter that makes Nevada Silver Trails more than just a boundary on a map or a sentence in a guidebook.

And once we share that story, the one that goes beyond facts and delves into the heart of who or what a client is, we pass the torch.  It’s then time for those who’ve listened to enjoy that experience then share their own story.