• brand?
• company?
• organization?
• charity?
• cause?
• issue?
• product?
• service?
• anything that someone might like?

Then give people an opportunity to become your fan on Facebook.

With more than 200 million active users (half of whom check it daily), Facebook should be a key part of your communications strategy.

Since it’s such a great tool for reaching a targeted audience, I’m exploring Facebook as part of my job search strategy (forgive me for a little self-promotion now).

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Know anyone looking for a communications specialist?
Send them my resume! Thank you.
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Today, we’ll cover the basics of creating your first fan page. You can also check out my step-by-step guide to advertising on Facebook.

Creating a fan page costs nothing, and it allows you to connect with your audiences in meaningful ways. Facebook treats pages like personal profiles: your fans will receive updates from you on their homepage, just like they do from their friends. You can’t buy that. Obviously, you want fans.

Here’s the step-by-step guide to creating a Facebook fan page:

Step 1: Visit facebook.com/pages/manage/ and click on “+ Create Page”.

Step 2: Choose a category, name your page, and state your authority to speak on your client’s behalf.

Step 3: Now you need to add content. Add (1) a photo, (2) a blurb, and (3) some background with a link to your website. If you have other stuff to add–even better!

Step 4: Check your settings. Click “Edit Page” under your profile picture. Here you have options for gender, age restrictions, published/unpublished, and applications.

Step 5: Publish. Double-check everything first, then change “Published Status” under “Settings.”

Step 6: Get fans. Congratulations! You have a fan page. Celebrate! But don’t think that we’re going to stop there. Now you need some fans. You start. Click “Become a fan!” Then you’ll have the opportunity to suggest that your friends also become fans.

Step 7: Advertise your new page to your target audience. Follow my step-by-step guide to advertising on Facebook. If you select your fan page as an ad’s destination, Facebook will automatically include social actions: users can become your fan directly from the ad, as well as see any of their friends who are already fans.

Don’t forget to send people to your page from other places as well (like your website and Twitter).

Step 8: Update your page regularly (but don’t spam).

Continuing adding photos, wall posts, video, links, discussions, etc. Make your page valuable and worth people’s time, and your fan base will continue to grow.

You can even target updates to followers with specific demographics.

Step 9: Track metrics (Click “View Insights” under your picture). Here you can see who’s interacting with your page and how.

That’s it! You’re well on your way to Facebook success.

If you’ve developed a fan page, share your experience in the comments! How have you used fan pages? How has your brand benefited as a result? What challenges did (or do) you face?

If you’re just considering creating a fan page, what’s holding you back?

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Like it? Tweet it! A step-by-step guide to creating and promoting a Facebook fan page: http://djgpr.com/FBfan

You can also become a fan of “Helping David get a job” on Facebook!

Part I: Let’s talk ethics! The PRSA Code of Ethics (part I)

Part II: Let’s talk ethics! Truth and Secrets (part II)

The PRSA Code of Ethics and Sissela Bok’s two books provide useful guidance in specific situations where public relations professionals are likely to find their ethics challenged, perhaps on a regular basis. However, to be fully prepared for the most complex and trying ethical decisions, we need to have access to a more comprehensive ethical framework. Ideally, it should be adapted specifically to the challenges facing communicators. Sherry Baker’s paper “The Principled Advocate versus The Pathological Partisan: A Model of Opposing Archetypes of Public Relations and Advertising Practitioners” provides just such a model.

Baker, a professor in Brigham Young University’s Department of Communications, builds from the foundation of virtue ethics to give professional communicators a framework for addressing the most complex ethical dilemmas. She presents two opposing archetypes: the “Principled Advocate” and the “Pathological Partisan.” The first represents “the embodiment of virtues,” and the other represents a similar embodiment of all vices.

We can think of the “Principled Advocate” as someone perfectly ethical in his or her profession. Our understand of this person comes as we observe those we admire making good decisions and as we learn from such sources as the PRSA Code of Ethics and the writings of Sissela Bok. Our understanding of the “Pathological Partisan” stems from the examples of the least moral people in our field—and from the stereotypes mentioned earlier (“Spin doctors. Flacks. Even liars.”).

In order to make an ethical decision within this framework, we simply ask ourselves what a principled advocate would do and try to follow suit. We also ask what a pathological partisan would try, and then we avoid those actions.

The “Principled Advocate” model might not always give the most clear answer as to what to do in a given situation. However, a public relations professional with a commitment to ethics will find that a clearer and more complete picture of the ideally virtuous advocate develops as he or she practices and studies ethics and learns from the examples of others. Additionally, communicators who try to apply this model throughout their careers will find themselves gradually becoming a virtue-filled “Principled Advocate.” The principles they learned from others will become more and more part of their own characters and practices that the ethical choice will not only be clear but also natural.

The “Principled Advocate” model fills in the pieces that are missing from the PRSA Code of Ethics and writings of philosophers who focus on issues not occupations.

Baker, Sherry. “The Principled Advocate versus The Pathological Partisan: A Model of Opposing Archetypes of Public Relations and Advertising Practitioners”. Presented to the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Media Ethics Division. San Francisco, CA. 2 August 2006.

(photo from BYU Department of Communications)

Contemporary philosopher Sissela Bok was educated in Switzerland, France, and the United States. She has a PhD in philosophy from Harvard University and has taught ethics at Brandeis University, Harvard Medical School, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government.¹

Her books “Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life” and “Secrets: On the Ethics of Concealment and Revelation” provide solid, in-depth discussions of two of the most challenging moral issues facing public relations professionals: lying and secrecy.

“Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life” is Bok’s treatment of the importance of truthfulness in life. In it, she addresses a wide variety of arguments and situations to discover when it is ethically justifiable to lie and when we must tell the truth despite the temptations to do otherwise.²

Bok argues that the ethical person must always apply a “principle of veracity” to questions of whether or not to lie. Lying is assumed to be “mean and culpable” (in Aristotle’s words), and it therefore requires justification. Truth-telling, on the other hand, does not. Whenever we are faced with two equal options, one involving lying and the other telling the truth, we should always choose to tell the truth.³

Application of this principle can be difficult at times, but Bok continues in 249 pages to discuss examples of the rationalizations used for lying in various circumstances and why truth-telling is almost always the best option. Lying harms the liar, the person who hears the lie, and the fragile societal trust.⁴ The message PR professionals should take from this is to exercise extraordinary caution when tempted to lie for or to a client. In almost no circumstances could Bok be reasonably construed to support lying for the benefit of business.

With her book “Secrets: On the Ethics of Concealment and Revelation,” Bok follows her discussion of lying with a discussion of keeping things in confidence, a related but distinct subject. In it she introduces the test of publicity. Bok is much more willing to allow secrets than lying, but the principles and practices that lead us to keep things secret should be ones that can withstand rigorous public discussion and examination. If, on the other hand, we keep our rational for keeping secrets secret as well, we’re likely to fall into the trap of personal or organizational bias.⁵

Bok’s work provides a thorough and applicable discussion of two of the thorniest ethical challenges facing public relations, but we must also move beyond her writings to find a model that can address all of PR’s diverse ethical dilemmas.

1—Bok, Sissela. “Secrets:On the Ethics of Concealment and Revelation”. New York: Vintage Books. 1989. “About the Author”
2—Bok, Sissela. “Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life”. New York: Vintage Books. 1999
3—Ibid. p 22, 30-31
4—Ibid. p 20, 26, & 52
5—Bok. “Secrets”. p 112-114

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Stay tuned next week for part III.

(Creative commons photo by flickr user gotplaid?)

It’s a fact: companies who actively market during this recession can come out of it ahead. As the recovery happens, do you want to lead the pack or get left behind, struggling to keep up? Your communications plan now will make the difference.

Whether you need to reduce your internal load or want an inexpensive way to ramp up your efforts, I’m now available as a freelance communicator. For a low hourly or project rate, I will:

• Write and edit press releases, blog articles, newsletters, and other content.

• Develop multimedia materials, such as podcasts, DVDs and web videos.

• Implement social media campaigns on Twitter, Facebook, etc.

• Craft a communications strategy to help you take full advantage of your opportunities.

To discuss how to get the most out of your limited resources, just give me a call.

There’s no obligation: I’m happy to discuss your goals and ideas at no charge. If there’s a good match, we’ll strike a deal. If I can’t do your project, I’ll help you find someone who can.

I look forward to talking with you!

Spin doctors. Flacks. Even liars. Public relations professionals get called lots of names—and perhaps sometimes those names are well-deserved. PR can be an ethically-challenging line of work.

Practitioners are, essentially, paid to make their clients look good. That could mean making a company look like something it’s not. When does framing become deceiving? What level of friendship is appropriate with journalists? Is it a gift—or is it a bribe? All public relations professionals must face these questions—and many more ethical dilemmas—during their careers.

Ethical standards are becoming an increasingly vital distinguishing characteristic of the best employees within business in general and professional communication in specific. As scandals rocked the news on an almost nightly basis, trust became a precious commodity. PR professionals have a unique opportuntiy to build trust in the world.

We have a responsibility to ourselves and to the public to act with integrity. We must also remember that we’re acting on behalf of paying clients. The PRSA Code of Ethics, the writings of Sissela Bok, and Sherry Baker’s “Principled Advocate” model combine to offer help to those who desire to take the high road.

PRSA Code of Ethics

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is the world’s largest organization of public relations professionals, with more than 28,000 members organized into more than 100 chapters nationwide. PRSA is one of the most influential organizations affecting public relations not just in the United States but also throughout the world.

The PRSA Code of Ethics “is designed to be a useful guide for PRSA members as they carry out their ethical responsibilities.” It lists professional values such as advocacy, honesty, expertise, independence, loyalty, and fairness. The code also contains provisions encouraging the flow of information, competition, disclosure, protection of trust, and development of the profession.

In addition to outlining general principles of ethics, the code provides guidelines detailing specific examples of the principles. For example, underneath the heading “Conflicts of Interest,” the code reminds PRSA Code of Ethics PRSA members to put the interests of clients ahead of their personal interests, to avoid doing anything to trigger such conflicts, and to let the clients know about anything that might even appear to cause a problem. It spells out that failure to disclose financial interests in a client’s competitor would be a direct violation of this principle.

One of the strengths of this Code of Ethics is its emphasis on application. In many cases, a concerned professional can test a situation against the guidelines given in the code and see clearly whether the proposed action violates any of the principles are not. A familiarity with the code would allow someone to perform this check instantaneously. It is clear and simple in its provisions.

This strength in the code also becomes its weakness, however. By including exactly what is or is not allowable in certain circumstances, the writers of the code have limited its applicability to other circumstances. In addition, the nature of the code introduces a strong tendency for professionals without an inner ethical compass to justify living the letter of the law without living the spirit of the law. The code is not enforced, making it even easier for practitioners to stretch the limits of what might be allowable.

The ethical imperatives of the PRSA Code of Ethics should certainly be followed. Practitioners who desire to be in the clear ethically should read and follow all of its suggestions. However, to truly become the best one can be ethically, it’s necessary to look beyond the simplistic guidelines of the code to find ethical advice that can confidently address more complex dilemmas.

For more help with the tough ethical questions, stay tuned for Part II.

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Do you like this post? Then tweet it! And don’t forget to subscribe or come back tomorrow, because I’m posting new content every day this month.

(logo courtesy of PRSA Newsroom – used for illustration only, not endorsement)

Every Thursday this month (and hopefully longer), I’ll feature an interview with a communicator. If you’re at all interested in public relations, writing, publishing, broadcasting, or any other aspect of communications, you won’t want to miss these.

The first interview features my good friend, Dave Schefcik (aka @drschefcik). Dave is an account executive and social media strategist with Coltrin & Associates, a smaller public relations firm, headquartered in New York City. He previously worked for powerhouse Fleishman-Hillard as an intern and as a freelance associate. His clients include tech companies like Ericsson and Smiths Detection and quick service restaurants like Quiznos and Cold Stone.

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Thank you for your time, Dave. First, tell us about what you do at Coltrin & Associates:

I put together public relations plans, craft strategies and form friendships with the media. I also do media pitching and monitoring, as well as edit other people’s work. A lot of the job involves knowing what’s going on in your sector of expertise. If you don’t know what your competitor is doing or about a piece of news or legislation, how can you provide timely public relations counsel for your clients?

What do you like/dislike about your job?

I like that every single day is different. I like that I get to communicate with a vast variety of people. I like having a cause to advance. I like the people I work with. I like writing and suggesting ideas that end up becoming a reality. I like making a difference. I like good, persuasive conversation. And I like New York.

The downside of working at an agency is not having the time to devote to each project and having very little time to get a lot of work done. On the other hand, it teaches you about priorities and that you can really get a lot done in a short amount of time. One of the difficulties of my job is people who have made up their mind before I even talk to them. Another challenge of the job is keeping up with technology. You’re never satisfied with the level of understanding that you have. I also don’t like when the subways are behind schedule.

Now let’s talk about your background and experience before working for Coltrin & Associates: How did you first get started in public relations?

I discovered that I liked public relations in high school when I realized that I could get out of class for organizing things for clubs and organizations. Public relations wasn’t work for me. I went into college knowing I wanted to study PR. I got involved with the PRSSA chapter [he was president] and my student firm. Through that I got involved in a lot of non-profit organizations that gave me great experience in addition to the academics I was learning in class.

My internship launched my interest in agency work. I interned at Fleishman-Hillard’s digital group and worked on clients like Forrester Research and AT&T. That solidified my niche focus in social media and technology.

How did you land your internship with Fleishman-Hillard?

I got the internship through networking, alumni connections, and sending portfolio examples and a writing test–as well as luck and timing.

And how’d you get your job now?

I got my job at Coltrin through the same combination.

What prepared you most for your current position?

Having a wide variety of background experience to build on (journalism, research, building campaigns, writing, etc), topped off with a specific, focused area of expertise.

What prepared you to get the job?

Maintaining a large, yet meaningful, network of people I had met along the way. Not just digital friends, but people I had worked with and created relationships of value with.

What advice do you have for people looking for entry-level jobs in public relations?

Maintain a meaningful network. Network with public relations professionals, as well as people outside public relations. PR can be applied to every field, and you’ll be surprised about the opportunities that are out there beyond just in agencies. Connect with alumni and friends along the way. Stay actively involved in classes, campaigns and non-profits. That way you’ll be able to submit current examples demonstrating your communications skills.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Keep your resumes and your portfolio current. In terms of staying active, keep on practicing writing. Find a way to use those skills. Become an expert in something—one particular field of public relations, whether it’s corporate, non-profit, financial or tech. Find something that interests you. will let you add unique value, and separates you from the crowd. Not something crazy, but talents that will be seen as valuable by employers and clients.

And, of course, there’s always luck and timing.

Thank you again for sharing your experience and insight.

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For more about Dave, check out the comments section. He’s really a great guy.

If you like this article, tweet it! And don’t forget to subscribe or come back tomorrow, because I’m posting new content every day this month.