Erin Caldwell is managing editor of Forward, a new resource for those in public relations seeking to learn more about new media. As part of an interview series for HigherEd BlogCon, I recently asked Erin to share a few words about this new site.
DK: How did Forward get its start?
Well, there were two separate thoughts that lead to the big idea of Forward. Initially, it was becoming more and more clear to me how unique and ahead-of-the-times Robert French’s Style and Design class makes Auburn University’s PR program. I was realizing that very few universities were latching on to this new idea and embracing new media. I also anticipated an increasing knowledge gap between those who were exposed to it early on and those who weren’t. Forward was created to provide all PR students with knowledge and information on these new communications tools; to give them some basic skills and the confidence to start working with them themselves – even if their schools weren’t yet regarding them as worthwhile.
There is another aspect of the site that doesn’t really deal with PR issues or new media. The career advice section stems from my getting ready to graduate and realizing that there were TONS of questions that I had … and had no idea who I could ask, or I wasn’t satisfied with the answers I was getting (as in, they were just canned answers and didn’t really apply to my situation). I’m also a very inquisitive person, so the career advice area deals with discussing issues that people will face as they come to that time when they’re leaving college and entering the real world. We offer answers and discussion on some basic questions, as well as several that most people haven’t even thought to ask yet!
I should point out, however, that Forward would not exist if it weren’t for French’s class. The material he covered (i.e. introducing us to blogs and other new media tools) and the connections and relationships I made as a result are essentially what led to the creation of Forward.
DK: How did you decide on the name Forward?
That’s a good question. I wish I could remember. I believe I was actually trying to think of a new name for my personal blog and it popped in my head. I liked the word and started thinking, “But what does ‘forward’ really mean??” That train of thought eventually led to the “Forward thinking. Forward moving” tagline, and everything clicked.
Our tagline ties into our advocacy of forward thinking – we want to help people in the industry develop a forward-thinking mindset, to sharpen their skills and give them the tools and confidence to really start thinking critically. Forward thinking leads to forward moving – individuals going forward in their careers and an advancement of the industry with a focus on integrity and intellect.
DK: Why do you feel it’s important that Forward be more than a blog?
The HTML pages (the non-blog part) serve as the gateway to the blog, in a way. It was a strategic choice based on the recognition that we’re targeting individuals who haven’t necessarily been exposed to blogs and may feel more comfortable interacting with the site if there’s a buffer there to sort of introduce them to the new medium. Within the HTML pages, we try to spell things out and make navigation smooth and logical, again, to make it easy for people to embrace this resource. We also have the “About Forward Blog” page that gives a brief explanation of how to utilize that part of the site. HTML pages, by nature are more static, so the weight of content for the site is within the blog – that’s where all the conversation happens! The HTML pages are an introduction and a source of good, staple information. And of course, we’ll continue to develop that part of the site as well, to make it more thorough.
DK: What does it take to keep the site running?
Oh goodness, the first few weeks after the launch required CONSTANT monitoring. I had no idea! It was a big learning experience for me. It has settled somewhat at this point. We try to post about twice a day, but we have almost 20 contributors at this point, so that’s not hard to maintain. Only I have the permissions level, as the administrator, to publish posts. One reason for this, it allows me to manage the timing, frequency, topics and authors of the posts. I also read through, edit and give feedback on posts when needed prior to publishing. Coordinating and communicating with the contributors is also important at this early stage. I send an email to the group about once a week with notes and important news or information. I also communicate quite frequently with them on an individual basis, mostly regarding material for the site.
The contributors do a great job of keeping the conversation going on the blog. Feedback that I’ve received tells me that they’re really enjoying taking part in this and getting a lot out of the experience.
Besides all that, I also try to keep tabs on who’s talking about Forward, and I closely monitor the site’s statistics. I don’t put too much weight on the stats – I’m more concerned with posting quality material and maintaining good discussions – but it’s interesting to see where the peaks and valleys are and what affects those numbers. It’s all adding up to be quite a learning experience!
DK: In your opinion, what are the key things new PR professionals need to know in order to succeed?
Haha – that’s what I’m trying to find out! I think new PR professionals definitely need to grasp the idea that information and knowledge isn’t always going to be spoon fed to them. They need to go in search of knowledge. They need to read and research and find what really interests them and pursue it with genuine and thoughtful curiosity. Also, it’s important to really dive into and look deeply at trends, issues and new tools in PR – but never lose site of the big picture.
How can Forward help, and how will you convince people that they should pay attention?
How can Forward help … well, I hope that we’re stimulating thought. Thinking through these issues and reading all the different perspectives – I hope that that ignites an interest and gives people a little confidence to go and start looking into these things more. That’s the whole idea that this is a springboard. It’s a starting point.
How to convince people to pay attention … the PR people already involved the blogosphere certainly embraced the idea of this sort of thing, long before Forward actually. The trick is getting the folks not already acquainted with the medium to chime in. I’m still working on that. The best way, and how we’re approaching it, is contacting them through a medium they’re already familiar with, explaining the benefits of the site in terms they can relate to, and simply inviting them to take a look. This has actually been pretty successful. We did a fairly small-scale student-oriented awareness push a few weeks back and saw an increase in site traffic and blog-related stats as a direct result. Looking to expand on that strategy in the coming months …
DK: How will you know that Forward is accomplishing what you hope it will?
EC: That’s hard to say. Most likely through discussion on the blog. I can tell from our feed stats that our readership is steadily increasing (so folks are reading the material!), but I’ll have a better idea that we’re making an impact when more students are participating in the discussion. I’m expecting that to take some time, however. They have to feel comfortable enough to comment, and that essentially just takes a certain period of time of laying low in the blogosphere – just soaking it up and getting oriented.
DK: Have you received any feedback so far?
EC: Yes! We’ve received plenty of great feedback from professionals – both “good job” feedback and “here’s another idea” or “this didn’t work.” General consensus from the professionals is that they’re happy with what we’re doing and they’re enthusiastic. We’re working hard to maintain that.
We have also received feedback from students. Slowly but surely, they’re adding themselves to Forward’s Frappr map – which is an easy and fun way to see who we’re reaching. I’ve also gotten a few personal emails, and the blog has gotten comments. The feedback is very positive, and the involvement is slowly increasing. We certainly hope to see that trend continue.
DK: How do you see Forward evolving?
EC: I have thought about this question for a while, and the answer that keeps coming to mind is “However it needs to.” I realize that’s rather vague, but that’s precisely what I mean. We’re working to build a sharp team that will constantly strive to develop the site into a resource that fits the current needs and questions of our audience. We’ll continue to expand and add content to the HTML part of our site – I’d like to see that grow into a larger resource. And I think the blog will evolve naturally. Contributors will continue to write about issues and trends that are relevant and timely.
At the moment, we are developing a few podcasts. These will not differ much from the type of material found in posts, but will simply utilize the advantages of the audio medium.
We’ve also had some discussion of creating a place where PR educators from around the world can post lecture notes and other class materials. That could possibly employ the use of a wiki. We’re currently considering the logistics of such an undertaking and trying to gage interest in this sort of resource. Would educators be willing to share material (under a creative license, of course)? Would students utilize the material? We’ll see …
DK: Who would you like to reach?
EC: More students, and especially younger ones or those who aren’t necessarily in PR yet. Something interesting I’ve come across in a lot of the feedback from other students is that the site gave them a better idea of what PR is and what you can do with an education in PR. Perhaps this can help some young people determine if this is a professional area they’d like to pursue.
DK: What kind of effort do you think this will take?
EC: Really, I think it will take a massive outreach effort to develop relationships with faculty and leaders of PR programs at colleges and universities. This will take time and a lot of networking. Forward is only about a month old, so I think we’ll let the site grow a little more and then we’ll start up with this strategy.
We’re being very thoughtful about all of the choices we make and trying to take the time to do it right. This is in an effort to meticulously craft Forward into a valuable, lasting resource – not something that will just fizzle out or flop in a matter of months.
DK: Have you considered developing Forward into a business? If so, what would this look like?
EC: Honestly, I’d rather Forward not develop into a business. Several people have mentioned that, actually. Forward certainly wasn’t created with that in mind, and even after giving it some thought, I still maintain that I don’t want it to head in that direction.
Forward was created to provide a place for an exchange of ideas and information. Its focus and roots are in education. We’re sure that the relationships we form with Forward will provide benefits to all involved, without the need to try to make money from it.
As of right now, we just hope to expand the impact of our efforts and continue to develop Forward as a place where PR people – both novice and experienced – can learn and interact.
It’s not clear how many people are attending this, but I hope that it’s well attended, because there’s been a lot of practical information presented in a fashion that can be widely understood. 
