by Jenifer Antonacci, director of media relations at Pfizer and PRSA Philly Membership Committee chair

You may have joined PRSA as a way to network and meet like-minded professionals; however there is a lot more to your membership. Whether you’re new to PRSA or a long-time member, you should know that your membership gives you access to world-class resources and information that can make you a more valued communications practitioner.

With your membership in PRSA, you can:

• Utilize the website. Access the PRSA members-only database of case studies, articles, and research, which includes the prestigious Silver Anvil Award winners and nominees.
• Gain professional development. Enjoy free professional development opportunities and preferred pricing for seminars, webinars, and conferences on topics ranging from social media to crisis communications.
• Be a know-it-all. Stay on top of emerging trends and industry news and get executive level insights with PRSA’s publications including, Issues and Trends, the daily email briefing; Tactics, the monthly newspaper; and The Strategist, a biannual magazine.
• Get involved. If you are looking to expand your skill set even further, you can get involved by joining your local chapter.

New this year, PRSA is offering professional development webinars free with the cost of membership! This applies to PRSA’s entire catalog of approximately 50 different professional development webinars on a variety of topics, from the fundamentals of public relations to new and emerging trends, both live and on-demand.

PRSA has dozens of online professional development sessions, which cover topics as diverse as social media, writing, measurement, and crisis communications.  Whether you need credits to maintain your APR certification, are looking for internal training material for your staff, or just want to advance your own individual knowledge, there is an excellent line-up of courses at your disposal.*

Upcoming sessions to look out for include*:

• Building Effective Crisis Plans
• Writing for Social Media
• How to Create a Social Media Plan
• Managing, Motivating and Mentoring Millennials

The full calendar of webinars is available under the “Learning” tab on www.prsa.org.

If you haven’t taken advantage of these tools, make some time to maximize your membership today. To learn more about making the most of your PRSA membership contact Jenifer Antonacci, jantonacci@verizon.net.

*Contributions from Heather Read, public affairs program manager at DuPont and member of the PRSA Philly News committee