Dawn Doty: “My fav is Facebook – it’s a great way to stay connected to people whom I’d love to see every day – dear family and friends – but don’t because not many of them live in Colorado. With Facebook, I get to see photos of my nieces and nephews and hear fun, quirky day-to-day stories that Facebook makes it easy to share.

In addition to following all of our clients, I follow some of my passion brands – Graeter’s (the best ice cream in the world) and Ben & Jerry’s. Hmmm. On second thought, maybe I should start to follow my gym’s page given my ice cream obsession!”

Kat Buxton: “My social media flavor of the month is currently Pinterest – big surprise! Why, you may ask? Well, the obvious reasons – I’m planning to start planning (ha!) my wedding soon and have started scouring the internet for inspiration and ideas for budget friendly and creative nuptials. Also, embarking on the journey of home ownership in the not so distant future has encouraged me to start thinking about how to organize and decorate a more personal and permanent space.”

Ashley Frost: “My favorite is Facebook and my top brand to follow would be Glee because they post performances before the new episode runs. Total Gleek.”

Noel Runkle: “I love Twitter. It’s my constant stream of what’s going on in the world and it works really well on my computer, my phone and my tablet. It’s incredible how much 140 characters can say and how much I have come to rely on Twitter in my everyday life.”

Kelly Williams: “My favorite channel is definitely Pinterest. I have eight boards including recipes, clothes that I like, projects I want to make and decorations for my house. I love getting to plan things before I do them so Pinterest is a great way to plan what you want to wear, what you want your bedroom to look like, or even what craft you want to do. I love following Lauren Conrad because she is a great personal stylist and I love recreating her ideas.”

Quinn Kelsey: “Facebook. It’s not always the perfect choice as a strategic tool, but for me, it’s just a classic. I’ve moved around a lot—from South Dakota to Italy to Missouri to finally Colorado—so I have friends from all over. It’s a great way to stay in touch with them.”

What are your favorite social media sites and why?

We invited three students from universities in Colorado to shadow our employees and learn what a day at Linhart PR looks like. This year, we were joined by Kyla Feeney, a senior at Colorado State University, Caroline Pierce, a junior at University of Denver, and Holly Lieberman, a junior at the University of Colorado. Kyla has previous experience in PR, but she said her expectations of the field were far exceeded by our firm. Caroline said she values our strong and committed relationship to our clients, and Holly felt she gained knowledge during her time with us that will help guide her career.

We asked them to team up and tell us about their time with us. Here’s what they wrote:

As a group of college students just skimming the surface of the public relations field, those of us who participated in the PRSA Shadow Day at Linhart Public Relations never expected to learn as much as we did during the day we spent in the office, discovering the professionalism and innovative spirit of Linhart PR.

We were instantly greeted with enthusiasm and warmth from the Linhart PR family as we received daily tasks as if we were a part of the team.

While we are all aware of the many facets of the communications field, shadowing at Linhart PR expanded our curiosity and passion for the field.

We all quickly discovered that Linhart PR is a fast paced, continually changing environment that embraces many aspects of the PR world and allows all employees to take an active role in the company’s success. We are all considering pursuing a career in public relations, and Linhart PR has captured our hearts.

Inside Scoop will be held this Wednesday, May 16 from 4-5 p.m. at our office in downtown Denver (1514 Curtis St., Suite 200.)  It will be hosted by a trio of Linhart PR talent: Sharon Linhart, Anna Lindsey and intern Kelly Williams. Make sure to bring your resume and your questions about PR careers and the Denver PR market.

If you’d like to attend, please register on the Contact Us page of the Linhart PR website. If you can’t join us this week, Inside Scoop is held the third Wednesday of each month.

We look forward to “dishing” over ice cream soon!

Linhart PR won the grand Gold Pick award for its “Culture Matters at Linhart Public Relations” campaign, as well as five more golds and two silvers. Pure Brand won four golds and seven silvers. Webb PR picked up three gold and two silvers.

When it comes to the people-side of the equation, I had the opportunity to host a roundtable session on “Three Ways Employees Can Help Build and Live Your Firm’s Culture.” The discussion focused on establishing (or entrenching) an organization’s values to create a more vibrant workplace culture, as well as attract and retain the best talent. Here are three ideas we talked about:

• Define your values – and put it in writing. Your organization’s culture is a set of shared values, beliefs and attitudes. In simple terms, it’s “how we do things around here.” A starting point is defining your values. Some organizations may have unspoken values; others may not have reviewed their values statements in years. Either way, it’s a good exercise to get everyone on the same page and agree on your core values. The outcome may be a set of values or belief statements (in jargon-free terms). Ask yourself:
  • What’s our philosophy in how we work together as a team? With clients?
  • How do we interact with and support our community?
  • What behaviors do we model?
• Align and engage employees around your values. Ask what employees think about the written or proposed values. For example: what resonates with them, what’s missing, how do they see the values being put into action today, and what other ideas do they have for putting them into practice? Seeking their input gets them involved in the process, gives you the chance to share why the values are important to the organization’s culture and success, and helps ensure the values statements are meaningful.
• Go beyond words. Your organization’s values are inherent in what you say and do. With your values in writing, it’s time to start connecting the dots for employees and recognizing, reinforcing and rewarding positive behaviors. Ask yourself and your team how the values are reflected in your current business practices and how the values can be incorporated into other areas. This could include performance reviews, regular staff meetings or ongoing recognition programs. In addition, sharing a set of written values also can be a powerful way to establish (or re-establish) workplace expectations. You can measure your progress along the way based on your goals.

At Linhart PR, we recently went through a similar process, which is detailed (along with our stated values) in a blog post by my colleague Kelly Janhunen. It’s no quick fix or employee-program-of-the-month. Our values reflect our culture and how we strive to do business and treat our team and clients every day. What are you doing to help employees live your organization’s culture?

Peters joined Linhart PR in April 2011 as an account associate, providing media relations, research and video production support to clients, including WhiteWave Foods and UnitedHealthcare. He will continue those communications services in his new position.

Peters started his public relations career in 2010 as an intern in Linhart PR’s JumpStart internship program. He received his bachelor of arts degree in public policy from The College of William and Mary.

“We’re pleased to recognize Andy’s work, well-grounded research and results on behalf of our clients,” said Sharon H. Linhart, APR, managing partner and founder of Linhart PR. “It’s our goal to provide an environment where Andy and our other team members can continue to grow their careers and talents.”

In addition to his work at Linhart PR, Peters is also a national and Colorado chapter member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). He is co-chair of PRSA Colorado’s community outreach committee.

The Grand Gold Pick award not only acknowledges our workplace practices and culture, but it shows we practice what we preach with a comprehensive employee engagement program that recognizes and motivates our team – and attracts the best and brightest talent. You can read about our other awards here including our work with the Boulder International Film Festival, Chipotle, Comcast, Crocs, FirstBank and UnitedHealthcare.

We were also delighted that one of our interns, Ashley Frost, won the chapter’s Joe Fuentes Rookie of the Year Award.  She was recognized for being an outstanding young member of the PRSA Colorado chapter and our profession, as well as her volunteer service.

The evening made me proud of our Linhart PR team and culture that shapes the way we serve our clients, our community and each other.

DENVER, Colo., May 4, 2012 – Linhart Public Relations, a national public relations, digital media and corporate communications counseling firm based in Colorado, won the best program of the year award and seven other honors from the Colorado Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

The PRSA Colorado Gold Pick Awards, which recognize outstanding public relations programs and practitioners from the past year, were presented last night during an event at the Denver Art Museum.

The firm’s internal communications program – Culture Matters at Linhart Public Relations – won the highest honor, the Grand Gold Pick Award, meaning it received the best score among all other award winners and entries. In the past year, Linhart PR expanded its employee engagement program to help attract and retain team members, including using employee feedback and the firm’s 15^th anniversary as a touchstone to celebrate its culture, people and workplace practices. The result was nearly 100 percent retention, high employee satisfaction and national recognition for the firm’s team member engagement program.

The awards recognized the firm’s work and results with clients, including the Boulder International Film Festival, Chipotle, Comcast, Crocs, FirstBank and UnitedHealthcare. Linhart PR’s eight awards and categories are:

• Grand Gold Pick and Gold Pick:  Culture Matters at Linhart Public Relations (Internal Communications)
• Gold Pick: Publicizing Chipotle’s “Boorito” Halloween Fundraiser to Drive Awareness, Donations for Family Farm (Media Relations/Consumer Products)
• Gold Pick: Bridging the Digital Divide – Comcast (Media Relations/Consumer Services)
• Gold Pick: FirstBank Bucks the Big Bank Trend With Free Checking Services (Media Relations/Consumer Services)
• Gold Pick: Shining the Spotlight on an (Boulder) International Film Festival (Pro Bono Projects)
• Silver Pick: These are Crocs?  New Styles Change Perceptions of Iconic Clog Footwear Brand (Marketing/Consumer Products)
• Silver Pick: Serving the Underserved: UnitedHealthcare Supports Coloradans in Rural Communities (Media Relations/Consumer Services)

In addition to these program awards, Linhart PR intern Ashley Frost won the chapter’s Joe Fuentes Rookie of the Year Award.  The annual award recognizes an outstanding new member of the PRSA Colorado chapter and the public relations profession, who also volunteers with the chapter and/or community.  Frost, a Colorado State University graduate and former president of her alma mater’s student chapter of PRSA, joined Linhart PR as an intern in January.  In the past year, Frost volunteered during the PRSA Western District Conference and served on the social media and fundraising breakfast committees.

1. Talk like a human being – Bloggers don’t mind being marketed to, they just don’t want to know it. Use language that is people and search friendly; think about how you’d explain something to a friend and use that language, not marketing speak.
2. Talk with human beings – Approach blogger outreach like you’re starting a relationship. Don’t talk at bloggers or ask for everything you want right away. Show that you care and want to make this a mutually beneficial relationship. Ask what they need and want and how you can help.
3. Get personal – Really get to know each blogger you’re conducting outreach to. Do they have kids, do they love going to concerts and cooking for friends? Make a real connection to what matters to them in all of your communications and, when possible, take the conversation offline and meet face-to-face. Also, offer bloggers giveaways, recipes and content that makes sense for them—be flexible with your offers so they can be customized the fit each blogger’s needs.
4. Feed egos – Many bloggers have egos and get a high from knowing people are reading and appreciating their content. Compliment their work and genuinely comment on posts that aren’t tied to your company or brand to let them know you’re paying attention and respect the value they’re providing their readers. Also, find other social channels the blogger is active in and engage with them in that space. For example, if they have a Twitter handle, retweet or comment on some of their posts. Let them know you care and are paying attention.
5. Don’t leave them hanging – Do your best to respond to each blogger email, comment or request within 24 hours. If they’re taking the effort to reach out to you, don’t frustrate them by having them wait for days, weeks or months for a response. Let them know they’re important by responding as quickly as possible.
6. Integrate, integrate, integrate! – When bloggers post about your brand, integrate their content into your social channels – link to their post on Facebook or Tweet with a link to their blog – to show your appreciation and provide value to the blogger by spreading their content to your fans and followers.
7. Dedicate the time – Blogger engagement doesn’t happen overnight; it takes dedicated time and it’s worth the effort. Spend time upfront researching each blog you’re going to reach out to in order to make sure you’re offering content that makes sense. For instance, you wouldn’t offer a giveaway to a blogger that only posts recipes. Once you’ve built your outreach list, read your top bloggers’ posts everyday and really get to know them so that you continue to engage in a genuine way.
8. Blogger engagement doesn’t stop – Blogger outreach shouldn’t stop because a campaign ends. It’s most important to continue to engage with bloggers in between campaigns so you have a solid foundation to leverage when you need a blogger to tout a specific program. By consistently continuing the conversation, you’ll be more apt to get what you want when you need it.
9. Measure – Help bloggers by sending them feedback on how many site visits or clicks they helped generate for your brand, product or event; they want to know that they’re making a difference.
10. Be thankful – Always thank bloggers for posting about you by sharing a comment on the blog post that mentions the brand, as well as sending a personalized email. When appropriate, you may also want to send a surprise package with product, coupons and other swag to simply say thanks to show your appreciation – and no request for additional mentions.