The Perks of Tweets

In today’s advertising and public relations field about 90 percent of one’s day is spent on the computer. Specialists in this field probably spend more time with the Internet than they do their children. What better way for a rising Ad/PR student to get noticed by these specialists than to make a name for yourself on the Internet?

As a beginner in this field you probably find yourself thinking “Well I already have a Facebook, isn’t that a Web presence?” Unfortunately what these experts want to see doesn’t have to do with football tailgates or girl’s night’s out. The best way to develop your brand image (other than deleting all those racy Facebook pictures and putting your Facebook on extreme privacy settings) is the use of a Twitter.

What is a “Brand Image”?

You are probably wondering what a brand image even is, and why you need one. Successful companies like McDonalds, Facebook, and Nike have created brand images for their companies. As soon as you see the golden arches you can expect the smell of hamburger to reach your nostrils. A single swoosh mark on your shoe reinforces that “This must be a good, comfortable shoe.”

These companies have created an image that can be associated with instant thoughts about them. This is what you, as an ad/pr student must do as well. Use descriptors, blogs, followers, and examples to create an image for yourself that future employers will remember.

How do I make This Image?

The first step in this image is starting from scratch and creating a Twitter. This tool is not to write your every step in life about what you are eating and where you are going, it’s to create intelligent thoughts and an online presence.

Twitter connects you with the things you are actually interested in. If you love penguins (like myself) and would someday love to be a part of the public relations team for SeaWorld, make that known. Show them what your passions are. Create a bio and a background that really says a statement about who you are.

What most people don’t realize about Twitter is that you actually can get an internship from it. The moment I joined twitter and began making my brand image geared towards advertising I had marketing, advertising, and public relations companies following me with Tweets such as email j@newyork.com if you are interested in New York City Marketing internships.

Twitter is the newest most effective way of networking. It’s not always realistic to run into someone on the street and get a job, but you sure can tweet about them.

Tweet away young Ad/PR students. Remember to stay professional and keep the focus on creating a professional brand for yourself. You never know who you could meet through a tweet.