Jade Tostanoski Mastery Journal Full Sail University Public Relations MBA
About
Jade Tostanoski is a full-time graduate student at Full Sail University. While she has her bachelor's degree in creative writing, she is expanding her knowledge and pursuing a master's degree in public relations and digital marketing. She hopes to one day help companies in creating innovative content for their marketing campaigns. While she is not doing schoolwork, she enjoys writing, reading, and playing with her three young daughters.
Here is my Mastery Timeline video as part of my final week of the Mastery course.
Intention Statement
I started the Public Relations M.A. program at Full Sail University in February 2021. As a former Full Sail student of the Creative Writing B.F.A program, I knew the programs at Full Sail were perfect for me.
Over the next 12 months, I look forward to the classes Market and Consumer Research Analysis and Public Relations in a Digital World. I feel that these two classes are not only interesting but will teach me some great skills that will help me reach my goals after graduation. In addition to completing my classes successfully, my goal is to earn the title of valedictorian or salutatorian.
After graduation, I hope to find an entry-level job to get started in my career. My ultimate goal is to work on digital marketing campaigns for non-profit organizations. I believe that my ability to come up with viable ideas and perfect them with a team is an ideal combination to make a meaningful impact in my work.
When I am not studying, I am chasing my three young daughters around the house and helping them with their learning paths. I also love reading a variety of books from multiple genres. One of my recent favorites was Untamed by Glennon Doyle. Finally, when books are not hitting right, I enjoy writing movie scripts and creating worlds.
While I look forward to how this degree program will shape my career, I am excited to see how this experience will affect my creativity and inspire my children in the future!
Inspiration #1
Whenever I need a pick-me-up, I always listen to Lady Gaga sing or speak. Her words resonate with me deeply, so I always feel like she has a positive impact on my mood and my personality. This particular quote inspires me to believe in myself to do what I love.
A quote by Lady Gaga. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2021, from https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/406210-ignore-all-hatred-and-criticism-live-for-what-you-create
Inspiration #2
I have been trying to incorporate more affirmations in my life. During my course this week, I was able to find a concept that I reworked into a powerful aspiration.
As I wrap up this Mastery course, I reflect on one of my favorite masters, Benjamin Franklin. From his story, I learned the importance of taking a step back and expanding your knowledge. I will continually turn to Ben Franklin for inspiration throughout my mastery journey.
Public Relations in a Digital World
My original interpretation of this course was that it would teach me to build a PR plan and how the media cycle influences that, and I did get most of what I was expecting. This course was much more about social media than I expected, which is great for me because I feel like I excel at that aspect of the digital world. However, I did think that I would get an outline of what PR plans consist of, but I’m sure as the program progresses, I will understand this more.
My favorite assignment was the public service announcement. This assignment allowed me to flex all of my favorite creative muscles like writing, directing, and editing. It also didn’t hurt that my family and I had a lot of fun doing this project. In my opinion, this was my most successful project to date, and it gives me a great portfolio piece to show for future employers. I believe the PSA video will help display my versatility and capability with the skills needed to succeed in this industry.
In addition to the PSA, I believe that analyzing Volkswagen’s commercial campaigns and digging into communication through social media were assignments that honed some essential skills for the industry. Understanding how and when to post on social media is a necessity for how people take in media today. The Volkswagen commercials forced me to look deep into how commercials were created and how they incorporated the six principles of persuasion, as explained by Dr. Robert Cialdini.
Overall, this course did live up to my expectations, just in different ways. Exploring film-making and writing for a cause meant a lot to me and made me feel confident in my ability to succeed in my chosen field.
I can’t wait for the next course!
Writing for Interactive Media
As I reflect on this course, I feel like a month has been a blur. This course was difficult and honestly sucked the energy out of me like a long-dormant vampire. That being said, I feel like the assignments and resources helped me expand my knowledge of this field and delivered what I expected from this course.
Before starting this course, I thought I would learn to communicate storytelling through different mediums and audiences. That turned out to be pretty accurate! However, I did not expect to have to conduct interviews for journalism stories. At first, this was intimidating, but I found that my interview experiences were often pleasant and unexpectedly comfortable. However, relying on other people to help carry out my story was problematic at times, but it did give me confidence in my adaptability.
One thing that helped me prepare for these interviews was the article that listed 30 Tips on How to Interview Like a Journalist. The extensive research I did before my Trample Gaming interview helped me know the basics of my subjects and their organization. I also did my best to make the interviewee feel comfortable and treat the interview as more of a conversation than a formal interview (Spark, 2017).
I did not expect to struggle so much when crafting my own story for an “About Me” page. The rough draft was a decent effort but was a bit personal and structurally weak. However, with my professor’s notes and more research, I crafted a clean, professional “About Me” that still has my personal touch.
Even though this course took a lot out of me, I would not trade what I learned for anything. I gained confidence in my ability as a journalist and researcher, and I used the skills from previous classes to successfully network and adapt to difficult situations. Overall, I feel proud of what I accomplished in this course, and I am grateful for the lessons I learned.
Spark, D. (2017, September 25). 30 Tips on How to Interview Like a Journalist. Spark Minute. https://www.sparkminute.com/2011/11/07/30-tips-on-how-to-interview-like-a-journalist/
Legal Aspects of Media
In this course, I was expecting to learn about communication laws and regulations and how that can affect a PR plan. I would say that is exactly what I got from this course. In addition, I learned that these legal documents and case studies are no joke! These dense readings have made me respect lawyers and law students exponentially more than I used to!
My favorite assignment in this course was the Intrusion Case Analysis in week one. This assignment laid some solid groundwork for what was to come by outlining how privacy is protected when it comes to the media. This involved audio and video recording laws, the definition of intrusion, and how the media's actions can be viewed with the first amendment. Reading this case study was intense and helped me realize that this course would be challenging but understanding and analyzing this case gave me confidence going forward.
In true Full Sail nature, every bit of information in this course is useful. I think that this course was all about understanding how to operate ethically, no matter the situation. If I had to pick a few topics that will aid me in my public relations journey, I believe the most helpful are understanding intrusion, copyright, and defamation.
This course has not only given me the ability to understand how to read cases and media-related legal issues, but it has also shown me where to find references. I have also had a change of thinking when it comes to legal issues in this course. I think the key is being able to see situations from multiple perspectives. It is helpful to look at situations and think about what regulations lie in my way, how people and companies could perceive materials, and what any repercussions of my work could be. When it comes down to it, this course has validated me in that my ability to empathize and see other perspectives can have substantial benefits.
Overall, this course was challenging, but the information is truly invaluable. My reputation is important to me, and this course gave me resources to help me uphold the ethical and legal values that I hold.
Marcus Aurelius Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote. Retrieved May 28, 2021, from https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/marcus_aurelius_134198
Innovative Public Relations Tools & Resources
This month has been an exciting whirlwind of work that has given me a greater understanding of the field of public relations, especially pertaining to social media management. Even though some aspects did not necessarily align with the course predictions I made in the Mastery course in month one, I found every bit of information incredibly useful.
My original expectations for this class were to further explore aspects of content sharing and social media, to identify the role that different communication options have on a P.R. plan, and to understand how RSS and HTML work with everyday P.R. work. Throughout this course, I have learned in-depth about different facets of social media and how they all work together to form a successful digital marketing plan. However, I did not find out much about RSS or HTML, but I may spend some time learning more about that in my free time.
While my expectations may have been off, I learned so much throughout this month. Before IPR, I knew nothing of social media automation or how to audit social media profiles. Auditing social profiles is a great way to ensure that marketing efforts are not wasted by aligning social media goals with the overall company goals (Lanoue, 2020). Social media automation will be incredibly helpful as I begin to balance working from home, working with my Capstone client, and steadily continuing through this program. Finally, I learned the importance of focusing, planning, and executing a social media campaign.
One over-arching theme of this month that stuck in my mind is that consistency is key. No matter how small or large the campaign is, consistency when posting on social media is essential. Thanks to the techniques taught in this course, I can show off my capabilities to clients as I build my professional brand.
Resources
Lanoue, S. (2020, June 30). Social Media Strategy in 2018: How to Create an Extraordinary Strategy. Buffer Resources. https://buffer.com/resources/social-media-strategy-2017/
Social Media Metrics and ROI
While I have tackled several challenging courses over the past months, this class presented some unique challenges. Even though this course did meet my initial expectations, I did not necessarily expect to struggle with as many concepts as I did. At first, SMART goals and ROI metrics boggled my mind a bit. However, as I progressed through the month, I learned how to make my goals more specific, and I’ve learned a variety of ways to measure certain aspects to determine if a campaign’s tactics and efforts are working. On top of all that, I learned about how to communicate this information to a client so they can understand the plan and the value of executing a social media campaign.
When I first reflected on this course in February, I expected to learn several things. The first was to analyze, interpret, and explain social media metrics in relation to a PR plan, and that was the heart of this course. The second expectation I had was to research how to alter communication styles for various situations, and in a way, I did learn this. As I mentioned, I learned how to communicate a fully realized social media plan. In addition to that, I learned how to alter the wording of content and descriptions to reflect keyword searches and optimize SEO. The final expectation was to create my PR site to showcase my expertise in my field. Even though I made my site a couple of months ago, I certainly learned how to perfect and optimize it through this course.
While this course had some challenging spots for me to overcome, I feel it was one of the most important courses for learning certain aspects of the PR industry. When I look at jobs in the field, they are always looking for people who understand ROI, KPIs, and SMART goal setting. This knowledge is not only necessary for landing a job at an agency or firm, but it also comes in handy if I want to start my own PR business. Overall, I feel that the resources and assignments from this course will be bookmarked in my browser for the foreseeable future.
Resources
Salamader, G. (2020, December 7). 43 Of The Best Social Media Marketing Quotes - Eclincher. Eclincher. https://eclincher.com/43-of-the-best-social-media-quotes/
Market and Consumer Research
When I originally reviewed the course breakdown, I expected to understand all aspects of conducting and reporting consumer research, understand how aspects like content and message work together for a brand plan and explore how to further develop a brand story. I feel that this class did help me understand all of these things and so much more! This course helped me realize how to dig deep into a brand’s audience to conceptualize and create content that makes my clients stand out and make any target market feel heard and appreciated.
In addition to these expected learning goals, I better understand how to identify, communicate, and analyze a target audience. This class helped me feel like a true professional when I created market research surveys and communicated with strangers to convince them to participate in the study. This course also taught me how to construct a full market analysis research paper. While this was a tedious and overwhelming task at first, it is a fantastic skill that can help show off any research I may do in a direct and professional manner.
One thing I was not prepared for this month was the substantial workload. I am grateful for all the information, skills, and resources I learned about throughout the class, but this was one of my most difficult months yet. I found the information interesting, but I had a hard time feeling like I was keeping up with the amount of work this month! I know it will get better when I am more familiar with these concepts; I just cannot let it rattle the confidence I’ve gained so far!
I know that with the concepts and lessons I learned in this course, I can build my reputation as a public relations professional and help my clients create and carry out a fully realized and meaningful social strategy.
Media Relations
This month I took on the Media Relations course of my degree program. When I reviewed this course in the first month of this degree program, I had three specific expectations of what I would learn. The first was to understand what role PR professionals have in journalism. The second was to understand current media communication trends. And, the third was to expand my knowledge of other people in the industry to work alongside them. Overall, this course not only met my expectations but exceeded them.
While learning what role PR plays in journalism, I learned how to research and communicate with local journalists and reporters. I not only learned the current communication trends but also learned a lot of industry standards for communication. For example, creating a video news release was something I had no idea about, but having content like that available can help make a reporter’s life easier and establish a great relationship between them and my clients. Finally, I feel like I understand how to work with journalists in the field. Knowing what news professionals look for in a pitch and what materials to pitch can create valuable professional relationships.
Video News Release by Jade Tostanoski
While I will probably use all the skills from this month at some point in my career, there are a few things that I can utilize right away for my clients. One thing I love the idea of is creating press releases regularly to generate news content and local media recognition. Being a communication conduit for my clients and news outlets can make me valuable to any brand or company. Also, having the equipment and knowledge about creating B-rolls and interview soundbites elevates my skill set above others in my area.
This class was so packed with information that this month flew by. I cannot wait to see how the skills and knowledge from Media Relations can further my professional journey!
Events Marketing and Promotion
On this month of my mastery journey, I worked through the Events Marketing and Production class. When I first read the description of this course, my goals were to understand how to brainstorm and organize marketing events, understand how basic PR skills can aid in event marketing, and how to use brand storytelling to produce an event. This course is one that I felt like I knew exactly what to expect, and it did not disappoint!
Before we get into what I did expect to learn, let’s talk about the element that took me by surprise. One thing I did not expect to do was the webinar presentation. This assignment took me by surprise but was a lot of fun to do. In this presentation, I guide you around some beautiful secrets of the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. While the process of doing the webinar was a little rough, I am still proud of the presentation I put together.
I not only understand how to conceptualize and produce real-life events but also online events as well. Especially with the way the world has changed over the last two years, it is invaluable to know how to conduct both types of events. I also feel like I have a deeper understanding of how to relate a brand's story to create a perfect event for my client.
The second thing I hoped to learn was how to take the PR skills that I’ve been building and apply them to putting on an event. This is something else that was accomplished within the first half of this course when I had to create a press release for my client’s event. Knowing how to write a press release for anything regarding a brand or company is a skill that I am thrilled to have learned. I can use this skill in not only my freelance PR projects but also at jobs that I may work in the future.
The final goal I hoped to accomplish was figuring out how to use brand storytelling to put on an event. For my client, their story has a lot to do with helping people to build a thriving local community. The “Charlotte Sherman Team Open House” event uses this brand story to aid in how the event flow and various materials were developed.
Overall, I think knowing how to successfully plan, produce, and evaluate an event can come in handy with any client or job I take on in the future. Honestly, the skills I learned throughout this month can help with planning personal events as well as professional ones, so this course was more than I expected it to be!
Reputation Management Strategies
This month I took on the Reputation Management Strategies course. My original idea of this course was that I was going to learn how to respond to unfavorable situations, explore moderating conversations and content, and research successful cases where a company was able to turn around negative P.R. situations. I do feel like I learned all these concepts and even more, but I did more research on how some companies did not handle negative P.R. situations. However, I have found that it is equally beneficial to assess communication failures as it is success stories.
Out of the reputation management strategies I learned this month, a few of the most helpful include properly identifying a crisis, using SEO techniques to outrank negative stories, and putting together a comprehensive plan for when crises arise. It is essential to know when an actual crisis is happening to deal with it properly. Now, I realize that not every negative comment is necessarily a crisis; sometimes, it is a good opportunity for consumer and audience feedback! When a crisis comes around, as a public relations professional, I must know ways to help lessen the impact, and one of those ways is SEO. I love learning about SEO techniques, but I did not think of optimizing content to negate crises. Using industry connections and content that utilizes backlinks and keywords are great ways to gain control of the narrative. Finally, putting together a comprehensive crisis plan is a must for dealing with any situation in a timely, effective, and organized manner.
Overall, this course taught me more than I expected and opened my eyes to the specific type of creativity that this industry requires. While I don’t look forward to crises in my career, I do look forward to having the knowledge and ability to control any type of situation I may encounter!
References
James, G. (2020, June 3). 33 Encouraging Quotes for Times of Crisis. Inc.Com. Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/33-encouraging-quotes-for-times-of-crisis.html
Online Media Room
This month, I learned so much, but none of it was quite what I expected. In my interpretation of the course outline, I thought that I would learn to understand trends and conduct consumer research, explore how I can use Adobe products in digital asset management, and understand how to format assets for various social media platforms. Even though my predictions for this course were not accurate, I still learned just as much, if not more.
When I think about things I did learn, the top things that made a huge impact on me was learning what an online media room is, looking critically at my work and others to improve content, and understanding the details of inbound marketing. Before this course, I did not know what an online media room was or what types of content belonged in one. Now, I know how to analyze the media rooms of various companies and how to create one for my client! When it comes to critiquing websites and pages, I feel I stepped up my level of seriousness when looking at my peer’s work and my own. Everything that I critiqued my classmates on, I also reflected on for my own site so I can continually improve mine and my client’s content. Finally, understanding the inbound marketing funnel is essential to continue growing any business, large or small.
When I think about my personal and professional life, I can think of many ways that I can apply these concepts. Mostly, I think of utilizing these aspects in my professional life. Even now, I am a social media associate who is thinking of how to use an online media room to improve our companies standing. I also think that analyzing our inbound media funnel would be incredibly beneficial to my employer’s future. Even though this course was not quite what I expected, it still taught me so many valuable lessons for someone going into a communications field!
Resources
Kidadl Team. (2021, November 19). 35 Best Critical Thinking Quotes About The Analysis Of Facts. Kidadl. Retrieved December 19, 2021, from https://kidadl.com/articles/best-critical-thinking-quotes-about-the-analysis-of-facts
Public Relations Final Project and Thesis
Nearly twelve months ago, I had an assignment that required me to look through all the classes in Full Sail's public relations Master's program and predict what I would learn each month. Some months I was way off, but other months I had a good grasp of the expectations, but with this one, I had a unique experience; I met every expectation that I had for this class.
Three expectations I had for this class were to refresh my website building skills, create a website and PR plan that I could use to establish my own clients, and understand current PR and communications trends. The remarkable thing about this class was that I achieved these three goals and much more while not feeling super overwhelmed by the workload at any point.
The three aspects I learned that I can apply to my professional and personal life include understanding how to pitch to clients, how to present campaign information and results, and how to audit social profiles and websites. All these things can not only help in my personal professional endeavors but can also help in my current role as a social media associate. I plan to immediately start crafting pitches for potential clients to start my own business by helping other local small businesses and startups in their communication and branding efforts.
Even though I enjoyed this class and learned a lot from it, it was one of the harder ones to get through. I think that is just from this being the end of the program. While I feel prepared to take on any marketing or public relations challenge I may face, I am a bit anxious to build something on my own. I am a little scared, but over the last year, I have built a lot of confidence I never thought I would reach around my professional skills. Thank you to Full Sail and all the teachers that guided me here. I know there is a bright future on the next portion of my mastery journey.
References
QuoteFancy.com. (n.d.). Michelle Obama Quote: âThere is no magic to achievement. Itâs really about hard work, choices, and persistence.â. Retrieved January 29, 2022, from https://quotefancy.com/quote/867766/Michelle-Obama-There-is-no-magic-to-achievement-It-s-really-about-hard-work-choices-and