July 2015 - Konnect Agency

Team Bonding at Konnect!

July 31, 2015 by konnectprdaily

On Thursday afternoon we stepped away from our desks for a fun day of team bonding, with our ENTIRE Konnect staff! It was a blast having the LA, Austin and New York offices all together at the same time! It doesn’t happen every often, but when it does, there are memories to last a lifetime.

Our awesome CEO Sabina graciously opened up her home to us for a relaxing day of fun in the sun! We swam in the pool, laid out on the beach, enjoyed a BBQ lunch and ice cold drinks, and played round after round of games, just hanging out and getting to know each other better.

Konnect PR Konnect Interactive — Konnect PR and Konnect Interactive busy bonding with each other

konnect3 — From sunglasses, to beach balls to the games, everything was Konnect-themed! Pink for days.

We had an amazing, relaxing day and I was reminded again of how great it is to work for a place like Konnect! Every single person here is a hard-working, inspiring individual and I feel lucky to be able to call them my colleagues. Work hard, play hard, live well.

-Heather

P.S. To see more of what goes on at Konnect PR/Interactive, follow us on Instagram! @konnect_pr and @konnectinteractive is always being updated with our latest activities.

Aerial Yoga Adventures!

July 30, 2015 by konnectprdaily

Being a recent hire, I really appreciate the fun team building activities our wonderful PR agency hosts! As the NYC office continues to grow, Erin and I embarked on quite the adventurous team building activity- aerial yoga- at Om Factory NYC! As far as exercise classes go, this one takes the cake in terms of uniqueness. What other Public Relations firms do you know who have done aerial yoga?

It was a super cool way to both get to know one another outside the office better and also get in an awesome workout. Although I felt like a clumsy and unbalanced gymnast for a good portion of the class, I’m glad I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and attempted all the extreme arial yoga positions I could! I definitely recommend the class to anyone bored of their workout routine. However, Erin and I will both attest to the fact that this class could very well make you a little queasy!

New Hire Training 2015

July 29, 2015 by konnectprdaily

This past week has been a whirlwind of excitement with both our wonderful Austin and New York offices in town. It has been such a pleasure to meet these phenomenal people who make up the Konnect PR family, both near and far. We’ve chatted on the phone and emailed constantly for months, and now we are all finally at the same place at the same time! As a part of our time together, all new hires joined forces for a training session. While I started as an Intern in March and have been an Assistant since June, I still greatly appreciated having this day dedicated to discussing Konnect’s vision, team, and work procedures. Our mantra at Konnect is “inspiring the discovery of the extraordinary in the every day.” I definitely take this to heart. Konnect Public Relations fosters an amazing (and growing!) team who is committed to producing quality and creative work for our extraordinary clients. Overall, I left our training day feeling inspired and ready to get to work!

Some topics covered in our training were:

General office protocol
Client relations
Media relations
How to pitch like a pro!
Working and “werking” events and trade shows
The amazing work of Konnect Interactive

Photo courtesy of our Konnect Interactive social media mavens

Want To Be A Better Publicist? Move Across the Country!

July 24, 2015 by konnectprdaily

“You’re crazy!” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that. Not always in a bad sense, but when I told a lot of my long-time friends and family I was packing up my things and moving across the country to a city where I didn’t know anyone, I heard it a lot more.

Sometimes it bothered me, sometimes it made me afraid or anxious and sometimes I was just plain excited.

I’ve been at Konnect now for about three weeks and honestly, working here is a dream come true. The company culture is unparalleled, my co-workers are amazing and being in Austin is well…priceless.

Having said that, I think moving across the country (from Indianapolis to Austin to be specific) taught me so much in regards to being a publicist.

Be Organized. Yes, if you know me, you know it’s something I struggle with on a daily basis. My attention span is sometimes half a second
long. Wait… Squirrel! But really, when you move 16 hours away you need to make sure that you have everything in order. Here at Konnect, organization is key. I’ve learned that taking a little extra time to make sure everything is in order is definitely worth it in the long run. Not only for my clients but for my own sanity.
Be Bold. Moving across the country to a city where you don’t know anyone, you’ve never lived on your own and you’ve always had a support system can be terrifying. But guess what… so are a lot of other things. The same goes for being a publicist. Definitely do your research on your market or your outlet and do your best to get some coverage, but don’t’ be afraid to take it a little further, pick up the phone, push the envelope just a little. In the end, we never know unless we try.
Be Persistent. Let me say this, I called and followed up with the team here so much, I thought they blocked my email address before I got hired. I was borderline annoying. I WANTED this job. I wanted to be a part of the magical place with pink walls, pencil pens and pink business cards. The same is true for publicity. Get that coverage for your clients. Follow up with those reporters, get them information on time. Don’t give up after one pitch or angle. Try, try again. It will pay off.
Be a Team Player. Even though I moved here alone, it really taught me a lot and showed me how much my family and friends mean to me. They are my team, my support and my constant encouragement. Even 1500 miles away. They got my back. The same can be said about the Konnect team. Everyone here, since day one has been super supportive of me and my fellow coworkers. We pick up some slack for other team members if they are swamped, have the best brainstorm sessions ever (did someone say guac slip and slide?) and are constantly encouraging each other. Konnect really is a family.

Moving here was by far one of the scariest and best decisions of my life both personally and professionally. As I continue to go out and explore this awesome new city and experience Austin life, I also plan on expanding my horizons as a publicist and I know Konnect is the right place for me to do that. I am grateful every day to be a part of the team. The best is yet to come.

How To Write A Creative Pitch

July 23, 2015 by konnectprdaily

As a public relations professional, your goal is to get the attention of key editors with your amazing pitches. But we have to remember-editors receive countless pitches per day. So how can we make ours stand out? Creativity is key when it comes to crafting a great pitch. I’ve included three tips below that can help you take your pitch to the next level.

1. Pull out your notebook and a pen!

Though it sounds antiquated, sometimes the best ideas can come to you when you’re taking notes. To visualize your pitch, it can help to highlight, draw and just scribble! By jotting down the first ideas that come to your head, you can oftentimes come up with clever angles that editors will love!

2. Think like a reader

What makes YOU click on a story? Oftentimes readers are interested in overall trends as well as pieces that center on things they love-like holidays! (Who DOESN’t love cookies?) So when you’re crafting your pitch, think-would I want to read this story? If not, you’re probably better off with a new angle.

3. Read your pitch to a colleague

I’ve had experiences where I thought a pitch was PERFECT-only to get valuable feedback that my angle wouldn’t resonate with editors. Speaking with experienced colleagues can give you insight into how certain editors think-and can give you potential new ideas for even BETTER pitches!

Do you have any tips on how to create great pitches? Let me know in the comments!

How to Have a Productive Monday Morning

July 21, 2015 by konnectprdaily

The first day of the work week is always the most dreaded of days. After a relaxing weekend, we are thrust right back into the world of endless emails and meetings. Mondays don’t always have to be so bad though; here are some tips to keep in mind for a productive Monday morning in the office:

Make your to-do list. Effectively plan out your week by prioritizing which tasks need to be down immediately and which ones can wait. On that note, allocate a good amount of time to each. Some tasks can be knocked out in 5 minutes while others will take a couple of hours.
Have your morning coffee. Nothing like combating the Monday morning grogginess than with a delicious cup of Joe. Take a minute to brew a cup as soon as you get in. It’ll give you a minute to clear your head as the calm sets in.
Talk to your colleagues. A little bit of socializing before work can get in some quick laughs, useful advice, or an interesting note-worthy tidbit to brighten up your morning and help you get through the day. “How was your weekend?” is a popular one.
Don’t stress out. Take breaks when needed and don’t forget to breathe!

Once you get back into the flow of things, you’ll soon have check marks next to each item and before you know it you’re welcoming the weekend once again. Pat yourself on the back for a week well done.