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There are more anxiety-producing things than attending a networking event. Sometimes, though, it seems that list is short. On the other hand, networking works, according to five senior PR pros who shared their wisdom during a recent event in Dallas. Similar to most endeavors, it’s best to have a plan before you begin networking, the communicators said, and being yourself and following-up are musts.

The social media platform Pinterest went big time on April 18, announcing its initial public offering at the New York Stock Exchange. ‘PINS’ are now not only being traded between user boards, but investors as well. Pinterest serves as the fourth most popular platform for U.S. adults, only surpassed by Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Kanye West played an opportunistic set at Coachella 2019’s second weekend, held on Easter morning and branded #SundayService. Seeking to repair the problematic year he’s had alienating his audience, Ye’s set was largely received as rushed, opportunistic and appropriative. The overpriced merch didn’t help either. That said, communicators can learn from Kanye’s disastrous #SundayService, particularly about when branding is inappropriate and how poor visual storytelling can drastically hurt a brand’s reputation.

The media often points to examples of large brands failing to observe crisis-response best practices. The incident at the Topeka Zoo on Saturday (April 20) showed a small nonprofit conducting crisis PR at very high levels. The Zoo not only communicated quickly and transparently, it did so with sensitivity. Some large brands and organizations should take note.

Go big or go home does’t necessarily apply to innovation, says Scott Steinberg, author and business consultant. Armed with knowledge about their customers, communicators can advocate for brands to make small, tactical changes to products and services that can yield significant results. Steinberg discussed his ideas about thinking small to go big during PRNEWS’ Measurement Conference in Washington, DC.

One of the most difficult pieces for public relations professionals to measure is the return on investment of earned media and relevance. How much is the CEO’s picture worth on the cover of Wall Street Journal? Did that influencer wearing a brand’s jeans increase mentions on social? Is it about sales or leads or growing community? Or is it about sentiment and reputation? What goals should an organization shoot for?

Yelp may not always come up in conversation as a social network the likes of Facebook or Instagram, but for small businesses and their customers, Yelp is a godsend. Yelp’s senior manager of business outreach, John Carroll, will be speaking at The Social Shake-Up as part of a “Tying Social Media to the Bottom Line” session on May 7. We spoke to Carroll about his tips for social monitoring, brand evangelism and on-camera storytelling in 2019.

Some PR pros may find it difficult to know exactly what constitutes a crisis. Calls may increase at your customer service center. A company may appear on Google Trends. Or, as Margaret Standing, director, corporate communications at Designer Brands, put it, “you can watch your Apple watch, and see the increase of beats per minute. That’s when you know there is a crisis.” After that, you must decide how to respond. See how crisis experts advised attendees during PRNEWS’ Crisis Management Workshop.

Adidas and Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) used Apple’s AirDrop to distribute free sneakers at Coachella. To those who accepted Glover’s AirDrop invitation, it was a highly personalized experience that ended with free Adidas. For others, it was a creepy use of an app designed for people who actually know each other.

PR pros often focus on the “fun” side of social: the stories, images and conversations that bring a brand to life. Unfortunately, darker forces also exist. Brands face a number of adversaries; from account hacks to bot attacks. Sometimes, brands are their own worst enemy, violating federal regulations that a communicator may not have even been aware of.