The upcoming Facebook for Business Boot Camp session offered by Jaggers Communications was featured on CBS-19, The Newsplex.
The weekly feature C’ville Plugged In showcases technology services, businesses, tools and tips, shared by Amy Eastlack of SuzySaid Cville.
We woke up to reports of a tornado hitting Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. It’s hard to look at footage of a place so familiar, a home-away-from-home in my former home. The devastation to the area is still being uncovered in the daylight this morning. The airport is closed, they’re saying, indefinitely. The economic impact of that is difficult to calculate but will no doubt, be years in recovering.
The footage of passengers being evacuated to the safer, lower levels of the main terminal are amazing; everyone seems calm, there’s no shoving or panic in evidence, even while in the background, it appears scenes from the Wizard 0f Oz tornado are playing through the windows. The shot of a Southwest jet moving away from the jetway in the wind is hard to believe. From an outside perspective, and based on the fact that no one was killed in the crush and damage of the storm, it appears that the airport team is to be commended. Without airport employees training for crises like these, conducting drills and managing consistently to keep up with continuing education, it would be almost impossible to manage a crisis of this magnitude with the speed and efficiency required. From all I’m seeing on TV and online, this crisis was managed as well as could possibly be expected.
I’ve been in the main terminal at Lambert many, many times. I’ve flown in and out of St. Louis probably more than 50 times. That main terminal is made of a lot of glass. Reports say that more than 50 percent of the windows are broken and blown out. It will take some time to clean up and restore the airport to safe, working order.
Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, the airport’s director, is in a role she hoped she’d never have to assume, as the spokesperson for an airport hit with catastrophic damage. I just watched her in an interview aired on CNN. She’s handling the crisis communications beautifully and very quickly had Mayor Francis Slay and County Executive Charlie Dooley on the scene. It was touching when, as the CNN reporter asked the airport’s director at the close of the interview, how she felt about the tragedy. Hamm-Niebruegge smiled but was visibly choked up and said, “It’s sad. It’s just sad.”
Our hearts go out to the people in St. Louis affected by the storms; many homes have been damaged and lost — it may be a long time before St. Louis recovers from this Easter weekend.
The last few weeks have had me teaching members of the business community in workshops and internal meetings how to use social media and specifically social networking as a method of building business relationships.
What has emerged most frequently is a demand for education and help with creating Facebook pages for business — and then, a plan and assistance with what to do with the page once it exists.
This need has led me to develop Facebook Business Boot Camp, a workshop for businesses who are new to Facebook, who need to learn about the platform and marketing uses from the ground up. Facebook has very specific guidelines for how businesses can offer promotions, run contests and communicate with fans. It’s important to understand these, and be in compliance as well as taking advantage of the potential to reach millions with your message on a site that attracts users for hours every week.
The first workshop will be May 5, 9am to 11am in Charlottesville.
This Wednesday, I’ll be heading over the mountain to teach a workshop on leveraging your social network for business growth and opportunities. I hope you’ll be there or you’ll send a friend!
This workshop is for business owners, marketers, entrepreneurs and others responsible for business development.
Participants will:
Date: Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Time: 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Location: WDDI Conference Room, 301 Main Street, Waynesboro, VA
Cost: $59.00
Click here for the WALT registration form or call WALT to register: (540) 943-4457
A few years ago, I received the best invitation to connect on LinkedIn that I have ever received, before or since.
It was so good, in fact, that I kept it, generalized it down and have used it during speaking engagements and presentations as an example of how to invite someone to connect.
Now, in the case of a mass upload of contacts when you’re just getting started, or certain contacts with whom you’re connected a dozen different ways, sometimes the standard, “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn” is perfectly OK. But often, it’s not.
If you are connecting to someone new to your network:
Here’s the “sample” invitation to connect that I’ve referred to so often. Take a look, then build your own.
As you may know, I resigned my position as [TITLE & COMPANY]. It was a rich experience and I value the privilege of access to a very high level of thought leadership during my years there.
Recently, I have begun to work with the [COMPANY] to [DETAILS OF JOB AND INDUSTRY] Using “best practice” as a baseline, we are [INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY’S GOALS AND PURSUITS].
As I value our relationship and appreciate the depth of experience you bring to your profession, please join my network so we can stay in touch on this and more.
Warm regards,
Isn’t that just lovely?
I often refer to this message when I want to set just the right tone when reaching out to a new connection. Feel free to adapt for your own needs, and of course, feel free to connect with me, as well.
