Members of a UW-Madison club vote on passing an amendment. Jake Piper/The Daily Cardinal
Sarah Donohue
Bianca Cherry sees public relations as a way to bring people together and form a community. As a sophomore studying journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Cherry serves as the Public Relations Student Society of America’s (PRSSA) public relations officer while continuing her journalism education. Her duties include managing PRSSA’s social media accounts, sending weekly emails they call Monday mailers, and handling correspondence and other outreach tasks.
Cherry, who handles PRSSA’s visibility at UW-Madison and through social media, understands how hard it is for students to locate appropriate opportunities at a big university. “A big part of clubs on UW-Madison’s campus is that there are so many of them, and it’s hard to find one that matches your specific interests,” said Cherry.
To make PRSSA stand out, Cherry takes a reliable approach to outreach. Graphics announcing anything from a guest speaker, to meeting schedule updates or club requirements are regularly posted on their Instagram page. Which is then reposted by the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, amplifying the club’s reach to various audiences. That ongoing partnership is key in attracting new members who might otherwise miss the club during their initial search for involvement. It’s one of several ways the club tries to extend its presence beyond its regular members and reach a wider campus audience.
Aside from social media strategies, they also gain student engagement through the student org fairs and participating in J-School-sponsored events throughout the year. Still, she admits that member retention can be challenging. While the first few semester meetings often draw large crowds, maintaining that energy throughout the year takes planning. When asked, “How do you keep current members engaged and active in the club throughout the year?” Cherry said, “We have some pretty engaging meetings, like our professional developments, resume workshops, crisis management workshops and things that people would want to go to.”
Even with everything PRSSA offers, Cherry believes getting involved on campus could be made easier and more personalized. That’s where she sees potential in ClubCrush, a student-created app that matches users with campus clubs based on their interests, availability and goals.
“Having a database that had every single information for every single club, and if they had an obligation or not, would help students narrow things down,” said Cherry.
ClubCrush enables students to discover their options through a structured platform rather than depending on word-of-mouth or accidental encounters at the organization fair. ClubCrush would help PRSSA reach more students and strengthen its current programs, not take their place.