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Many moons ago Robert French, a lecturer in PR over at Auburn University, decided that this new ’social media’ thingy was going to become important.
He decided to ask a few friends, also business communicators and bloggers, to help out by posting the occasional article for his students. I was fortunate and very flattered to also be asked to contribute to the Marcom blog.
His circle of contributors grew from a few friends to a global initiative and is helping a new breed of PR practitioner understand and be able to converse with clients about ’social media’.
This is what Rachel has just added as a comment to a contribution of mine from last semester, and I think it sums up all that is great about the program that Robert put together.
“I know this is an old post, left to a semester of students that may no longer be blogging, but the post is still relevant to us current marcom bloggers. When I say the learning of social media has been an experience like none other in my college career I am not joking. To have fast access to the best of the best in the business has been beneficial in so many ways. All the posts about “how to get a job, what it takes to be a great communicator, and how to communicate in the business world” have truly changed how I approach not just my blossoming professional life, but also my personal life. Social media has begun to set me and my classmates apart from other up and coming PR professionals. Being able to explain social media and the benefits of using it to potential clients has made me feel more confident in interviews.”
If you are new to ’social media’, wondering what it is all about and how it will affect your business, please wander through the contributions of a terrific collection of business communicators. Read and learn — even ’skim reading’ will be enough here for you to ‘feel’ the undercurrent of a movement in communication that may well turn out to be seismic in proportion.
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Sarah 10.10.06 at 10:19 am
I’m also a student in Robert’s class, and I agree with Rachel. We are learning more than I ever expected. I came into this class knowing nothing about blogs. It was word I heard before, but I’ll admit it…I didn’t even know what a “blog” really was. Now I’m posting work on http://www.lovelietvillage.org weekly, and reading blogs daily. Although at times the amount of work we have due weekly seems overwhelming, and the deadlines never end, I feel sure that being introduced to the world of social media now will set us apart from our peers who are graduating from other universities. Sometimes I wonder if we’ll all make it out of Robert’s class alive, but I know that the skills I’m learning in class today will prepare me for a successful career tomorrow. This course is intense, but if I wasn’t taking it I would be completely ignorant when it came to social media. Don’t tell Robert, but we really do know we’re lucky to have an instructor that is giving us an early start to set us ahead in the race of public relations graduates.
Robert French 10.10.06 at 12:08 pm
Thank you, Lee. And thanks to Rachel and Sarah, too. I appreciate your kind comments.
I would say that the real awards should go to the contributors of Marcomblog and the students posting in Loveliest Village and their student blogs. I’m thinking they put up with a lot of demands (for posts, comments, projects and articles) from me. They always come through, too.
We keep changing and trying to grow the program of practices the students experience. It is you, and the other communicators, that make it so special. I’ll say it again, “Online mentoring is one of the greatest opportunities and benefits of social media.” And, we thank you for that.
All the best, Lee. Thanks, again.
Patrick 10.11.06 at 5:56 am
As a student of Robert’s, I have come to know social media better than I would have otherwise. Yeah, I’ve seen a blog or two in my past, but I have never understood the importance of sharing these ideas of social media. Everyday, Robert asks the class some questions and we all sit there in a dull silence. One or two people give an answer that they think is right, but rarely are right. He then goes on with his lecture of the impact of social media and the spider-web effect it has on the world. He might deserve an award, but he makes us feel dumb sometimes. (laughing)
Rachel M 10.11.06 at 6:01 am
I am in Robert’s classes also and this is so true. When we first started blogging I thought that it was irrelevant and would never be useful but it has been 7 weeks and I have come to realize that it really will help. We have had a couple of wonderful speakers come to our class and tell us what blogging will do for us when we graduate and being a graduating senior I took what they said to heart. Like Rachel I am glad that I will have a working knowledge of social media and hopefully this will give me a leg up on the competition. I’m sure in a few years I will be extremely grateful for having Robert as a teacher.
MaryKneeland 10.11.06 at 2:40 pm
Often in school, I frequently found myself thinking, why do I really need to know this? I enjoy learning, so thankfully I did not become too discouraged. For one of the first times in my college career however, Robert has showed me why I really need to know what I am learning in his class. I feel so fortunate to have been able to take this class, which has provided me opportunities to network with some of the top professionals in the business. Social media is vital to the future of public relations. I feel lucky that Robert has the patience to show us this complex world of social media and give us the tools we need to suceed in the next phase of our lives. Kudos to you Lee for noticing his impact on us.
Kristin H. 10.13.06 at 1:52 am
Starting in August, I became one of the lucky students who would have the opportunity to learn from Robert.
During the first few weeks of class, I can honestly say I was overwhelmed by the social media world I was going to embrace all semester. As Robert said, his requests can be demanding, and I found myself questioning the importance of social media.
However, as the semester moved along, I found Robert’s assignments to be a part of my everyday life. I actually enjoyed spending my spare time in the blogosphere, and Robert’s assignments didn’t seem demanding anymore. I finaly understood the importance of Robert’s assignments.
His passion for the social media world shows, and this passion seems to rub off on his students. I am now eager to learn about social media, and I too have found something I am passionate about.
I find myself telling my friends and family members about the ‘cool’ things I have been learning in class. My new found knowledge in social media makes me feel as though I am prepared for life after graduation.
The skills I am learning and practicing in class will help me tremendously in my job search and in the public relations world, and I have Robert to thank.
He absolutely deserves an award and is worthy of one because of his own personal knowledge in social media. But more importantly he deserves an award because of his ability to share this information with others.
Elizabeth Wood Rodgers 10.13.06 at 3:59 am
Of course Robert deserves an award!! Lee, I think you are absolutely right and it is nice of you to recognize one of the best teachers in our PR department. I know it is rewarding for Robert to see this and it is for us too!
I have had Robert before in a class two years ago, and now I find myself blogging for him again. Robert always stresses the importance of reading and researching websites. I’ve come to find more and more students have become better at the blogging thing and we learn to appreciate articles and posts on the Internet. Who knew we could learn from blogs?
I thank Robert because he has patience, especially with me. This class has overwhelmed me, and I know it is all for a great cause. Robert has always been willing and eager to help me with all my misunderstandings and even though it takes a while sometimes (let me say a looonnggg while!), it is a great feeling knowing I can do this even though it takes me a little bit longer than other students. Robert always says, “If you take the time to just do it, you can.”
I have to tell myself this and I hope Robert doesn’t get annoyed with me, because he knows he is teaching every one of us something so influential and important to our lives. We all really do appreciate him and his time that he devotes to us everyday, or should I say every minute…
Robert is caring. He is a teacher that truly cares about his students and others around him. He communicates in a way that he wants us to understand.
I hope everyone can be able to have a teacher like Robert because like everyone has said, he certainly deserves an award. I can’t think of anyone better, and I am a little surprised he hasn’t been recognized yet! We love you Robert and everything you do for us!!
Danielle 10.13.06 at 5:13 am
Last spring, when I was required to blog twice a week for a class taught by Robert French, I honestly thought blogging was difficult and a waste of time. This summer I had the opportunity to work with Robert at Camp ASCCA, where I blogged four times a day and kept up with a Flikr account. Seeing what it could do for an organization really changed my mind about blogging.
This semester, in another one of Robert’s classes, I blog on http://www.loveliestvillage.org, along with our own personal blogs and had the opportunity to see that what I’m learning is useful and will help me get a job. Blogging is here and the technology that created this social media is here to stay.
We here at Auburn are very lucky to have Robert sharing his knowledge with us. He deserves an award and many others. Thanks Robert.