Category

Communications

Jan 11
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Kickstarter and the Trend of Crowdsourcing Funding for Creative Projects

By Communications, Social Media

Kickstarter was big news last year — I mean, $272 MILLION raised for projects is incredibly significant. That trend should continue in 2013, and we’re seeing a lot of segmentation with other crowdsourced funding platforms popping up to serve specific niches.

I talked with Coy Barefoot on Newsradio WINA about the trend and three local projects that are using crowdsourced funding to get projects off the ground. One I want to send you to today — my young friend Victoria Tamberrino has launched a site to sell her artwork and photography — with the goal of raising $1,300 so she can participate in her church’s mission trip to Haiti. What a great, enterprising idea — and great, talented artwork, as well. Here’s her site:

http://tamberrinoartandphotography.weebly.com/

And here’s where you can listen to the radio broadcast: http://www.wina.com/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=6193494

 

Dec 19
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Another Stellar Example of Great Customer Service

By Communications

It’s Christmas, so if you’re a retailer with a customer service department, you’re probably slammed. If you’re a customer, you’re probably VERY stressed about making sure all your online purchases are going to get where they need to go in time. I know I am. So there’s a really good chance that somewhere on either side of that equation some really amazing things might happen–good or bad.

I’d like to share another example of some really GOOD customer service.

As some of you know I’m a musician and take it pretty seriously when I’m not working on PR and social strategy. I also have some pretty musical kids and try to enable that obsession whenever they ask. So when my middle son asked for an unusual instrument called a cajon, I was all in. So I went to the Guitar Center web site to order one. Easy peasy, done in 3 minutes, order confirmed. Until the next day.

I subsequently received an email informing me that the item was backordered with an uncertain delivery date. What WAS certain about the date was that it would be sometime in January. It was getting pretty late in the game for canceling and searching elsewhere, so I was more than bummed. I called their 800 number and was told that yes, these were backordered and there was nothing they could really do short of canceling the order.  Then something really cool happened. It’s called integration.

I decided to call the closest Guitar Center I could find, in Richmond, VA. I asked whether it was possible to fulfill a national web order at a local store, expecting to get the usual answer–NO. A nice guy named Tim then asked me for my order number, which he plugged into a computer where he was. Up came my cajon, still on backorder. He then said “I think we have a few of these in stock, and by the way, you might want to consider the next size up, that’s more popular. Either way, I would be happy to send you what I have from here. It would get there by Friday.”

Done.

See, their system is integrated. An order placed one place can be fulfilled somewhere else with no friction, no hassle, no disappointment. The warehouse may be empty, but the stores aren’t. I am thrilled, Carter gets what he wants under the tree, and everybody wins.

Now, was that so hard? EVERY retailer with multiple locations and a web store should integrate like that. Good job, Guitar Center–I’m now a loyal buyer and evangelist!

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Dec 17
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Four Rules for Communicating in a Crisis: Handling the Aftermath of the Newtown, CT Shooting

By Communications, Crisis Communications

Schools and news organizations are struggling to manage communications following the tragic school shooting late last week in Newtown, Conn. We’re inundated with content about the shooter, the victims, and the ensuing battle over second amendment rights.  Friends finding the news difficult to handle are staying away from news sites, keeping the TV off and, let’s all hope, steering clear of Facebook.

If you’re in a role, however, that necessitates addressing this kind of tragedy (certainly school administrators, educators, leaders and managers of public, and presumably safe places and media) keep in mind these four guidelines for communicating in a crisis.

  1. First and foremost, express empathy for those affected.
  2. Recognize victims and those who came to their aid. At a moving vigil, our president read the names of the children killed at the elementary school.
  3. Affirm for the audience that steps will be taken to prevent this kind of incident in the future. Explain how that will happen or be addressed. Reassure the audience that safety comes first, and that the commitment to that effort is ongoing and strong.
  4. Make sure that resources are available, and how to obtain them is widely published.

These are four items anyone needing to communicate in a crisis must follow. Furthermore, it’s important to note that HIDING FROM YOUR CONSTITUENCY in the time of a crisis is perhaps the worst step to take. The NRA has taken down their Facebook page, rather than defending its position. 

Be available. Answer questions. Provide value.

Especially in a time of crisis.

Dec 13
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Pie Down Today: Marijean Jaggers vs. Baron Schwartz

By Communications

The other day, I was minding my own business, getting a cup of coffee on the downtown mall at Mudhouse. I ran into some friends, who introduced me to a fellow I later learned is the world’s expert in MySQL. Rather quickly thereafter, we followed one another on Twitter, and connected on LinkedIn.

(I have since decided that all new friends of mine will be pre-qualified by their Wikipedia entry).

By the afternoon of that very same day, my new friend had challenged me to a pie down. Which is today. (The first Pie Down was in 2009, when I challenged The Food Geek in the first-ever such event. The love of pie and the community that came together over a passion for flaky crusts and spectacular fillings led to the annual Charlottesville Pie Fest).

We’re looking for people to judge pie and enjoy free coffee today at 1:30PM sharp. For more information, to RSVP and gain location information, clickety.

Nov 28
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How to Create a Good LinkedIn Summary; Four Great Examples

By Communications, Social Media

I get that it’s hard to write a good LinkedIn Summary, but I also know what a difference it makes when someone has a good one. It’s easy to understand where they’re coming from, and the direction they believe their career to be headed. It’s nice to see what someone is about, what they want from connecting with others in business and what drives their ambition as a professional.

I combed my contacts for a few more good examples to share, since this post of other good LinkedIn summaries has gotten so much attention. I like the diversity among the candidates I’ve chosen below, representing engineering, software development, publishing and science-based business.

 

Brian Geiger uses a short and simple solution to the summary:

Project manager, systems designer, and developer on a variety of technical and creative projects and fields including video games, newspapers, and robotics. Interested primarily in making people the best at what they can be, from art and programming to learning to cook. Always looking for interesting problems to solve.

          Specialties

Finding clever solutions to complex problems in a variety of different realms. Using automation to reduce drudgery in employees work and enable them to do the things they do best. Completing projects.

 

Michael Prichard takes the third-person approach to the LinkedIn Summary, one which allows for cross-posting on several platforms:

Michael founded WillowTree Apps, Inc., a boutique apps and mobile web development company, in June 2007. WillowTree Apps is based in Charlottesville, VA and currently has an in-house team of 28+ including designers and developers. They have released over 100 apps and currently work with a wide variety of companies including Game Show Network, Johnson & Johnson, and the University of Virginia. WillowTree works with Android, Blackberry and Windows Mobile 7 as well as Mobile Web technologies.

Prior to WillowTree Apps, Michael founded, grew and sold an email archiving software business and worked as a development consultant for many large companies including IBM, State Street, and Adobe. He has the unique ability to understand business needs, communicate effectively with executive management and then guide a group of technical staff to deliver an enterprise solution.

Jennifer Bryerton takes the first-person approach, and summarizes her career and aspirations:

For more than 10 years, I have been a publishing partner in Ivy Publications, best known for our Charlottesville Family Living magazine and website (formerly Albemarle Family). As a small start-up company, everything from editorial to putting magazines out on stands could be part of my day. Now, with a fabulously talented team of employees, my partner Robin Bethke and I are able to specialize more. As art director, Robin keeps our award-winning design strong while I supervise content including the work of our editorial team as well as advertising sales. I am a firm believer, especially with a strong niche like ours, that ads are content and we work for the best fit for readers and businesses alike. The quarterly Charlottesville Welcome Book has led us further into the tourism market with another hot and targeted niche magazine. Locally Charlottesville, a series of directories for Family, Home and Women, focuses on promoting the local businesses that make our area so unique. And our newest publication, the Charlottesville Welcome Book Wedding Directory, is a multi-media planning tool for destination weddings in Charlottesville. My background in education administration, as a teacher and as the owner of a consulting business, helps to give us an edge when we launch new projects, driving the company forward with research and enthusiasm. Robin and I are famous for having new ideas percolating and we look forward to implementing new design, editorial and even new publications and events in the years to come.

 

Crystal Icenhour takes an approach that blends the purpose of her company and statements about her professional goals:

Phthisis Diagnostics recently launched a novel nucleic acid extraction kit that is fast, easy, and simple. The E-Sphere Simple NA Kit takes the complexity out of extractions. http://phthisisdiagnostics.com

My professional goal is to develop business and scientific skills, bridging the translational gap between these two worlds. In Phthisis Diagnostics, my goal is to make modern, easy, and cost-effective diagnostic tests for a variety of infectious diseases. Long-term, these diagnostic tests will be modified for use in developing countries, resulting in a profound impact on global health.

Each of these provides a good example for you to follow when crafting your own LinkedIn professional summary.