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#1 Skill Employers Want in PR & Corporate Communications

by at 1:16 pm 1 Comment


httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_-hbGobhKQ

Transcript:

I asked Mark Ragan, CEO, Ragan Communications, what piece of advice he would offer to newcomers in the Public Relations and corporate communications field?

“I tell students that if they want to get hired immediately, the best thing to do is get involved in all of the new tools and platforms. Become very adept at shooting a flip video, know how to edit video, know how to do podcasts, and of course it goes without saying, know how to create Facebook pages, know what Foursquare is, and what Tumblr is. Be on top of all of those things, because the #1 thing that employers are looking for in PR and corporate communications is someone who can handle all of these new tools and platforms.”

Mark and I invite you to visit PR Daily -a free PR, Social Media and Marketing e-zine published by Ragan Communications.

Filed Under: Blogging, Business, Communication, Creativity, media, Online Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Social Networking, Webinars Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Real Deal about the Social Media Revolution

by at 8:20 am 1 Comment

Revolutionary war generalMy take on a piece of history.

Here’s the real deal on the Social Media Revolution:

1. Yes, it takes time. All revolutions do.

2. No,  it’s really not a battle. It’s about comraderie.

3. Yes, it’s about training. Mentally, emotionally and intellectually.

4. No, it’s not about a leader with white hair named George Washington. It’s about a bald man named Seth Godin.

5. Yes, it’s about loyalty. Some things never change.

6. No, it’s not about weapons. It’s about tools.

7. Yes, it’s about colonies. Of communities, that is.

8. No, it’s not about defending our freedom. It’s about defending our brands.

9. Yes, it’s about survival in a new world.

My Dad would be proud- he’s a huge history buff. Carry on.

(Photo Credit: DBKing)

Filed Under: Business, Communication, Interpersonal Relationships, Leadership, Motivation, Online Marketing, Social Networking, Webinars Tagged With: , , , , ,

5 Tips to Building Sales & Credibility with Vocal Vitality

by at 6:15 pm 3 Comments

microphoneMaking your words come alive is an integral piece of your communication.


Many of you know I was an on-air radio news anchor and news reporter for more than 10 years. In my college broadcasting classes, my favorite professor taught me that radio is “theater of the mind.” He then showed me and my classmates the importance of using our voices and vocal vitality to capture the essence of our words so we could create mental images for our listeners. After all, on the radio, there are no visuals or body language to fall back on. It’s all in the voice. We had to give life to our spoken messages.

Your ability to use your voice to enhance your overall communication is essential. Vocal vitality is important if you are hosting a webinar or teleseminar. It’s important if you are a host or guest on BlogTalkRadio or other broadcasts. It’s important if you produce video blogs. Vocal vitality is also key on conference calls, voicemail messages, in sales, networking and presentations. You don’t have to sound like a blustery game show host to have a vibrant and energetic delivery.

A strong voice exudes confidence, authority, integrity, passion and enthusiasm. It builds instant credibility. A weaker sounding voice can diminish all of the above. The good news is that you can learn how to improve your delivery and vocal habits. Work with what you have. After all, you are the message.

Here are 5 tips to help you:

1. Avoid timidity. If you sound nervous or unsure of yourself, your professional credibility will be on the line. Be sure to lower your voice when completing a sentence. If your voice goes up at the end of the sentence, you sound as if you’re asking a question, not stating a fact. Be strong and confident.

2. Listen to yourself. For the sole purpose of learning, tape record a few casual conversations in your home and on the phone. Let your answering machine or voicemail record your conversation. Pay attention to your inflection, pacing, tone of voice and vocal habits. Critiquing yourself can be a real eye-opener.

3. Emphasize important words. By stressing a key word or phrase, you truly drive your point home. Conversely, emphasizing the wrong word can quickly confuse your  listener. A good way to polish this skill is to pay attention to TV and radio news anchors, and commercials. The announcers don’t plow through their script or newscopy. They pronounce every word carefully and slowly. It becomes an art.

4. Take advantage of silences and pauses. These are especially powerful in business and sales. Many people feel uncomfortable with silence. Silence is critical in sales meetings when you drop the gauntlet and ask your prospect the golden question, “Are you willing to give it a try?”, “Are there any concerns you have that are stopping you from signing the contract”,  or “Are you ready to get started now?” Inserting that pause and moment of silence can make or break the deal.

5. Express passion in your voice. If you sound bored, dull or monotone, the people listening will be bored as well. If you are excited and truly believe in your words and message, you have a great shot at capturing their attention. Enthusiasm is contagious.

The two cornerstones of success are excellent communication skills and self-confidence. Improving your vocal vitality will help you to succeed in these areas.


(Photo Credit: Manuel Marin)

Filed Under: Business, Communication, Interpersonal Relationships, Leadership, networking, Self-Confidence, Success, Webinars Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

13 Online Media Savvy Tips to Grow Your Business

by at 5:59 pm 3 Comments

computer plugsWhen I was growing up we occasionally had an extension cord in an outlet so we could plug in three electronic items instead of two. Take a look at your electrical outlets. Forget the fire hazard. Are they packed with surge protectors, speaker cables, hardware connections, video outputs and more? 

Like it or not, these days we are required to be media and tech savvy. After all, these two skills and talents will help to communicate your message more effectively, attract prospects,  gain new followers and in the end…make more money. 

Rewind back to 1988. Were you like me–the new microwave, VCR and boat-anchor answering machine were all flashing 12:00 —for months on end? 

OK, so I worked in radio news and had some incling as to how broadcast, DJ and stereo equipment worked, but we are in a new world with Social Media. If we want to compete  and excel, we must be able to use all the tools and gadgets that can make our lives easier and grow our business. 

Consider this checklist:

1. I have a “welcome” video on my website. 

2. I have at least 3 video segments on Youtube that showcase my expertise and how I can help people.

3. I have audio and/or video testimonials on my website.

4. I use audio and/or video to market my products, services, webinars, programs and teleseminars.

5. Speakers: I travel with a flipcam so I can get video testimonials immediately following my presentation (and I can upload them within a few hours)   

6. I produce a video blog on a regular basis that doesn’t look like it was recorded in the basement of “That 70′s Show.” 

7.  Speakers and Trainers: I have an E-video brochure on my website with snippets of “me in action”  

8. I can easily use my laptop to edit digital audio and video, insert wipes, credits, logo’s, music beds and graphics (and I don’t even work for Fox News)   

9.  I know the value of a 3-2-1 countdown before recording.

10. I can write a blog …and post it to my site…without help from my Virtual Assistant or 12-year-old!

11.  I often upload and download my presentations or tutorials for podcasts and MP3 files. 

12. I have interactive kiosks, training tools, surveys and games on my site to engage visitors. 

13. I can easily navigate my sound recording, streaming and Photoshop applications and use them in my marketing and sales campaigns. 

Ok, I admit I have some work to do. It’s time to learn. How about you?

 

(Photo Credit: Matt McGhee)

Filed Under: Blogging, Business, Communication, Marketing, Online Marketing, Social Media, Webinars Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

If You Think Writing Blogs is Hard, Try Writing Your Own Obituary

by at 9:20 pm 1 Comment

water ducksIf you think your world is tough and you suffer from angst when it comes to writing your blogs or newsletters, consider this. Have you ever written your own obituary?

Roz Savage is a 42-year-old British woman who has single-handedly rowed across the Atlantic Ocean. Now she is rowing across the Pacific Ocean. You may wonder why she’s doing it.

Nine years ago, Savage was a successful management consultant who was married and had a comfortable life. But she felt unfulfilled. She sat down and wrote two obituaries of herself. In an interview with CNN, Savage said in one she kept going with life as it was. In the other she took a jump into the unknown and did the things she’d always wanted to.

From that moment on, her life has never been the same. Her website says, “One-by-one, I shed the trappings of my old life…Little by little I began to realign my life, to put myself on track for the obituary I really wanted.”

According to CNN, she “eventually settled on the challenge that would in many ways define her: rowing the Atlantic single handed…The courage she has found, both to take on the might of the open ocean and give up safe, conventional notions of success to pursue her dreams has made Roz a hero to many people that hope to find inspiration in her life.”

She said, “I try to offer my life as an example of what can be done when a very ordinary person decides to do something out of the ordinary,” she said.

Writing, whether it’s a blog, obituary or romance novel, can be cathartic. The next time you sit down to write a new post, approach it with a fun and daring attitude and not as a gut-wrenching chore. Think extraordinary. It’s all there. You just have to get it out.

I may skip tomorrow’s post and write my two obituaries.


(Photo Credit: Sardonic G)

Filed Under: Blogging, Business, Communication, News, Webinars, Writing

Four-Letter Words to Supercharge Your Blog Posts

by at 5:36 pm 4 Comments

Nettie, Susie and Sam 1968

I was born in Brooklyn, New York and lived in New Jersey for 35 years. I know a lot of four-letter words.

Now, now…not the vulgar ones that may have popped into your mind. I’m thinking of nice words that my parents and grandparents (that’s me and my grandparents in 1968 -photo above) taught me and my two sisters when we were growing up. Words like Care, Give, Best, Help,  and Team.

Blog is another four-letter word. Let’s make it a positive one.

Here are some insights to connect these (positive) four-letter words with your blog content and writing.

1. CARE- the caps here are not a typo. To me, CARE is an acronym I use when speaking on communication. Our Communication is based on our Attitude. Our Attitude determines our Results. Our Results can be Excellent.  If you are not in a good frame of mind, don’t blog or use Social Media. In fact, don’t even go out. Poison leaks.

2. Give- I had a profound relationship with my grandparents. My grandmother, fondly known as “Mama” was born in Brooklyn in 1899 and lived to be 95 years old. She was uneducated, but she was very wise.  She always greeted people with the same five words,”What can I give you?” The woman didn’t have diamonds or bank accounts. She gave of herself. That is priceless. Blogs allow us to do that as well. Give your expertise, knowledge and insights so someone else’s world may be a bit easier and brighter. Sometimes we need to give someone a break. Don’t keep a tally sheet. Do it because it’s the right thing to do. You will be rewarded ten-fold. Just like Mama.

3. Best- Always do your best. Mediocrity is for other people. When you sit down to write your blog, take the time to find the right words, information, resources, pictures, video’s, links and approach. Go all out.

4. Stay- Stay with it.  There ‘s a learning curve in everything we attempt and (blog) writing is no different. Read other people’s posts,   participate in my weekly webinars, and ask questions of  bloggers you admire. Success leaves clues. Practice writing several posts a week so you can see progress. But don’t quit. Blogs can be a major marketing tool for you. Stay with it.

5. Team- Social media and the concept of viral marketing are based on teamwork. Consider us all one big happy viral family who is spreading our gospel. Help one another  with links, resources, valuable information, inspiration and friendship. Build rapport with your friends, connections and followers. Rapport is defined as getting people thinking, feeling, reacting and involved. Connect with others online with the mentality of a family or team. Yes, even your competition.  We all have opportunities to grow and share.

My two final four-letter words for you: Good Luck.

Filed Under: Blogging, Business, Communication, Marketing, Online Marketing, Social Media, Webinars, Writing

The 14 Commandments of Blogging

by at 9:01 pm 7 Comments

orangesunMany people are interested in blogging but are literally so stuck and overwhelmed they can’t get started. In trainings, posts, newsletters and chats, the nagging concern is that educated business and nonprofit professionals are afraid of humiliating themselves with the wrong style, vernacular, word choice and length. What to write, when to write, how to write, and into the abyss. Where did all these “rules” come from anyway?

My 14 Commandments of Blogging can help you:

1. Thou shall not expect to be a professional award-winning writer. Be conversational; be yourself.

2. Thou shall (if needed) write an outline before typing to help organize your thoughts and flow.

3. Thou shall use statistics, quotes and relevant information for openers and closers.

4. Thou shall cite your sources (see Commandment 3)

5. Thou shall  write concise and compelling words that  impact your reader, building rapport with them.

6. Thou shall not worry about word count but make every word count.

7. Thou shall write with bullet points and short paragraphs that are reader-friendly.

8. Thou shall keep your finger on the pulse of your industry, trends and news which will give you great topics and fodder for your posts.

9. Thou shall appreciate the power and influence of the written word and the Internet and not write harshly of anyone.

10. Thou shall review and rewrite, knowing the first draft is never the final.  No one is that good.

11. Thou shall write posts that are strong enough to be repurposed in the form of a book (light bulb moment!)

12. Thou shall insert pictures and videos to make the post more visually appealing and interactive.

13.  Thou shall provide valuable information that will prompt readers to share links and tweets of your favorite posts (like this one!)

14. Thou shall be aware of keywords in your title and text for SEO purposes.

Blog titles are extremely important too. Read up on key marketing words that connect with human emotions.  Your title should be a tease to entice people to read on. Learn about Search Engine Optimization but focus on content first, then SEO.


(Photo Credit: Roland)

Filed Under: Blogging, Business, Communication, Marketing, News, Online Marketing, Social Media, Webinars, Writing

Building Your Expertise and Credibility Through Social Media

by at 11:08 pm 2 Comments

social media certifI’m going out on a limb here but I am willing to bet you know a lot more than you think you know. It’s human nature to downplay our accomplishments and knowledge. We often take our successes and talents for granted.  It’s time to consider yourself someone special!

Blogging and Social Media are excellent ways to showcase your specialized knowledge and build your credibility. When you offer good tips and insights to help people, they will want to follow your posts, visit your web site and learn more about your products and services. Readers will be engaged, interested and appreciative of the value that you’re willing to share. It’s all about developing relationships and trust.

Here are 5 tips to building your expertise and credibility with Social Media:

1. Before you write your next blog post, make a list of every single skill you have. Think back on your entire career and every job you’ve ever done. Include trivial things as well as more difficult tasks, such as: answering the phone, using the fax, creating Excel spreadsheets, writing marketing materials and planning budgets. You’ll soon discover that you have been taking your skills, talents and abilities for granted. ”It’s just what I do.” Sound familiar? Now dig down into your line of work and focus on those specialized skills that you’re passionate about and truly enjoy. That will lead you to your area of expertise.

2. Offer tips. In our “crazy busy” worlds with information overload, write short, punchy tip-sheet style formats (like this) that people can quickly skim and pull good information and nuggets.

3. Solve their problem. Write from the mindset that your reader has a problem and you have the  magic pill to ease their pain. Examples include: ”5 Stress-Free Ways to Travel with Young Children”, “Quick Tips to Successful Business Conferences”, or  ”25 Essential Tips for Office Productivity.”

4. Leverage traditional publicity. When you establish yourself as an expert in your field, you should be able to get coverage in print, radio and TV news. When you have your bylined article printed or you’re interviewed by a reporter, it immediately raises your credibility because the media “validated” you. Blog about your interview, and share links and clips in your Social Media circles. Self-promote.

5. Speak. Host a webinar or Teleseminar, or if that seems too overwhelming, offer to be a “guest expert” on someone else’s program. With so many BlogTalkRadio shows and other online media, there are plenty of opportunities to participate. Target your ideal audience and contact the hosts of your favorite webcasts or programs to introduce yourself. I hosted public affairs shows in radio news for years. Hosts and producers are always looking for fresh voices and new angles. Be proactive.

Here’s the most important and final tip: Stick to what you know. When people read my blogs, and articles, and watch my TV and video clips they know they’ll get information related to my 25 years in news, PR, communication and business.  I wouldn’t dare offer tax-saving tips or great cooking recipes. I’m a newswriter and stink at numbers, and I can’t cook. Oh well.  :)


(Photo Credit: mringlein)

Filed Under: Blogging, Business, Communication, Marketing, News, Online Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Webinars, Writing

10 Ways Blogs Can Grow Your Business

by at 6:05 pm 5 Comments

flowerHaving a blog is very different than proactively using it as the vehicle to drive traffic to your website.

With the new webinars I’m hosting every Monday and Wednesday to provide content ideas and hooks for bloggers, there seems to be a lot of confusion about how important blogs are to growing your organization. I know my marketing and PR goals are twofold: create curiosity and become known. It doesn’t matter if you’re a solo entrepreneur, a professional speaker or author, a corporate marketing executive or a public relations coordinator for a nonprofit.

You don’t have to be a professional writer but you do have to be open to the 10 benefits of blogging.

1. Blogging increases your online visibility (tie your posts in with Search Engine Optimization strategies)

2. Blogs build your credibility and help to position you as an expert in your field.

3. Blogs  allow you the opportunity to showcase your knowledge and intellectual capital in a fun and  casual style.

4. Blogs give you the chance to help people solve their problems and deal with challenges.

5. Blogs give your readers a peek into your personality and help them get to know you better.

6. Blogs can be shared in Social Media. Viral marketing quickly helps spread your message.

7. Blogs create curiosity which prompts readers to visit your website and learn more about your products and services.

8. Blogs  can be interactive and engaging through comments and shared links.

9. Blogging allows you to comment on other people’s posts (go for the big ones that are well-read and well-respected). You can attract someone else’s readers to your site, blog, social media, videos, links, etc.

10. Blogs build relationships.

Consider this: Value, relationships, sharing, marketing, credibility and business growth is what blogging is all about. Still not convinced? Come on…

Filed Under: Blogging, Business, Communication, Marketing, Online Marketing, Social Media, Webinars, Writing