Category

Communications

Jan 18
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4 Reasons I Teach What I Do

By Communications

Photo credit: www.cramerphoto.com

You may have asked yourself, why is it that I teach what I do?

Why do I  give away trade secrets, processes and best practices to marketing directors, potential clients and business owners.

It’s really pretty simple, actually. I’m not crazy; I am making a living doing this, and the reason why is found in the reasons why I teach what I do:

  1. An informed client is a good client. More than 15 years of experience has taught me that a client who understands public relations, social media and communications values the service they’re engaging their firm to provide. A good client who values what you do gets results when they take counsel and pays you on time.
  2. I really like teaching other marketers and entrepreneurs and, based on all the feedback I’ve had over the years, I know I’m really good at it. It gives me a tremendous amount of satisfaction.
  3. More often than not, even while workshop participants are learning about tools and tactics, they’re thinking, great: I’d love to hire someone else to manage this for us. I have an idea of who that might be.
  4. I walk the talk as much as I can. When I talk about the element of the culture of social media that is sharing, I really believe in it. I share what I know so others can be successful.

Learn more: register for the Blogging Best Practices Workshop in Charlottesville, Va. on Feb. 24, 2011.

Jan 12
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Social Media: A Shoe Story

By Communications

SCARPA, a boutique shoe store, well-known by women in Charlottesville, Va. and beyond, understands the value of social media.

Case in point: it was New Year’s Eve when SCARPA tweeted about a silver, sparkly pair of shoes perfect for fancy evenings out.  The shoes, pictured at left, were tweeted first by the store and re-tweeted, shared, and shared again by friends on Twitter throughout the area.

The Twitter community is strong in Charlottesville, so it was only a matter of time before a group of a dozen women or so decided to do a lunchtime shoe-shopping tweet-up at SCARPA. Via Twitter, the women, all influential local business women and active users of social media let the store know they would descend en masse the following Tuesday afternoon.

Amy Gardner, founder, proprietor and online representative of the shoe store prepared for the Tweet-up providing finger foods, Prosecco and generous goody bags for the mid-day party. (Thank you Amy!)

The resulting benefits of the in-person engagement with shoe shoppers continue far beyond the event itself. First, the store was able to introduce itself to people who had previously not shopped there. Amy’s relationship with her customers is a big reason her loyal following returns again and again; meeting a new crop of potential shoppers and solidifying that relationship with a positive experience is a gift that keeps on giving. For many of the tweet-up participants, it was their first time to shop and buy at the store.

The gathering (disclosure: I created the Twitvite to invite my Twitter followers to the event) resulted in further coverage with the weekly CBS-19 feature C’ville Plugged In sharing the story of the tweet-up, a post by fashion blogger Dana Hollar and, I suppose, this blog post as well. Add that to the tweets, twitpics, Facebook updates and of course, the women wearing their new shoes around town and telling the story of tweet-up shoe shopping fun with their friends and you have a customer loyalty and satisfaction story that has legs!

Follow www.twitter.com/thinkscarpa for shoe news and sale updates.

If you have a local business, consider the power of the social media community in your region; do you know how to reach and mobilize them?

Jan 11
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Don’t Wait Till You’re Job Hunting to Engage on LinkedIn

By Communications

I have a new client (let us all take a moment for the celebratory happy dance). Part of what I will do for this client and for any client I work with is to help manage the client’s online reputation.

What does that mean? I am doing an audit of the client’s online presence and providing recommendations for updates to key elements, such as the client’s LinkedIn profile and bios. In addition, I identify opportunities to enhance that reputation. Is there an opportunity for blogging or contributing articles to key industry publications? Are there speaking opportunities? Could there be recommendations available from colleagues or customers? This is all part of giving the client an intentional path to follow in the effort to reach their personal and professional goals.

We were talking specifically about LinkedIn yesterday. I often hear that people don’t think of LinkedIn until they’re job hunting. Whole books have been written on the importance of a social network when you’re looking to make a career move.

I, however, encourage clients (and everyone, in fact) not to wait till you’re desperately seeking a new position. The time to expand your social network, manage how you appear online and take steps toward realizing your best professional self is now. Today.

What will you do today on your intentional path?

Jan 05
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The One-Time Only Plan Development Workshop

By Communications

That’s right – I mean it – I’m only offering the Digital Communications Plan Development workshop once.

Why?

It’s my way of giving back to the Charlottesville community that has been so good to me in the five years since I moved here. To celebrate that, and help area businesses and nonprofits I’m offering this affordable three-hour boot camp to jump start your social media efforts in 2011.

You will:

  • Learn how you can be using social networking and social media to benefit your career and your business
  • Walk away with the infrastructure of a 2011 integrated communications plan for your business
  • Have focused attention and access to the most experienced communicator and social media expert in Central Virginia

The workshop will be January 13, 2011 at 9am at OpenSpace – more details.

I’m limiting participants to just 10 (3 seats left at this writing) to devote enough attention to each of you.

Sign up today or forward on to someone who you know will benefit from this workshop.

Register Now!

I hope to see you at OpenSpace on January 13!

Updated 1/12/2011: This workshop has SOLD OUT. Please stay in touch for future training opportunities.

Jan 04
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A 6-step Plan for Improving your Social Network

By Communications

I can’t stress this enough: LinkedIn is an important tool to manage your social network, but only if . . .

  • You care about your online reputation
  • You are a business person who wants to be successful
  • You want to help others reach their goals

If none of that matters to you, just stick to MySpace or better yet, go to great lengths to make sure you have no online presence whatsoever.

Since you’re here, though, that says to me that you care about your social network — you recognize that you have one, that it benefits your business and you (personally and financially.)

Here’s a brief plan to get you started improving your social network:

  1. Once a week, schedule time to write a recommendation of someone in your network. LinkedIn has a built-in function for this, but other ways to do this include a blog post, a meaningful #FollowFriday recommendation on Twitter, a post on a business’ Facebook page or offering a testimonial quote to a business to use on their website.
  2. Once a month or when a project has been completed for a client, ask for a recommendation (see all the recommendation options above.)
  3. Weekly, pull the business cards you collected at that last networking event from your jacket pockets and your bag and enter those new contacts into your system. Personally, I like to enter contacts into Outlook, my main warehouse of contacts and periodically export those contacts to LinkedIn and Facebook to move my network to the virtual space. LinkedIn and Twitter have kindly integrated so you can easily discover and follow your business contacts who tweet.
  4. Once a month, find a networking event and go to it. No networking events in your area? (OK, I don’t believe you, but whatever) Start one!
  5. Twice a month, step out of your comfort zone and invite someone in your network to meet you for lunch, coffee or drinks.
  6. Every day (I mean it!) engage with your network by responding to questions, sharing content from members of your network (linking to blog posts, re-tweeting, etc.) Be helpful by introducing members of your network to one another.

Stick to a plan for improving your social network and your social network will help you improve your career and your business success.

Are we connected on LinkedIn? We should be — find me here.