Tag

business development

If You’re Going to Use LinkedIn, USE IT!

By Communications

We’re in business development mode today, and that means researching potential partners and clients to assess the opportunities we might have to help each other. One of the steps in this process is to look at the company via LinkedIn–who works there, what positions are filled, what content they share, what open positions they are advertising, what their company profile looks like. After all, there are a gazillion benefits to using LinkedIn as a company now that social marketing and social search have gone mainstream. The network has grown over 45% in the past year, and has over 150 million users! Many of those are entrepreneurs who embrace social tools as a method of connecting to new opportunities.

So why, why why would you set up a LinkedIn account and then PRIVATIZE it so potential connections can’t reach you? Maybe you don’t want the “spam” emails, or you’d rather do the finding and viewing of profiles and opportunities, thank you very much. But if you’re going to bother building a profile on this network, it is disingenuous to expect access to information on others that you’re not willing to share yourself. People are looking for ways to connect because they want to grow their businesses, and presumably you want to do the same. Sure, you’ll want to make sure the profile is set up so your time is not being wasted, but setting it to private sends a message that you’re not that interested in connecting, not really.

Is that the message you want to be sending to potential customers, clients, partners, or recruits?

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I am Jo Jo the Idiot Circus Boy.

By Communications, Social Media

For anyone who may not know, Jaggers Communications is a small business. Marijean and Rusty are very busy organizing our plans for clients and doing the actual work along with Amy while my job is to bring in the business. I am out there talking with prospective clients on an almost daily basis. We have a pretty good idea of who we work well for (mid-sized companies looking to increase their bottom line by engaging new customers and building loyalty with existing customers through the social networks).

The idea is that we like to work with companies who are also the right fit for us (often science based or educational businesses, but always forward thinking with goals in mind). I have clear idea of who I should be talking to, but I’m also interested in working with clients who I find interesting (fashion, restaurants, fitness, wine). And so, like a lot of sales, I mean, business development people, I get all excited when a prospect that I’m interested in throws me a bone and lets me talk with them. Cut to a very famous scene from Tommy Boy . . .

 

Sometimes I am Jo Jo the Idiot Circus Boy. But I’ve found out that my nerdy obsession with social media and marketing campaigns works out when the companies are also excited, when they are ready. But not all companies that I talk to are ready.

Here are some signs that eventhough your company likes the idea of starting a social media campaign/brand positioning/crisis communications plan/basically any PR initiative, you aren’t really ready:

1. Your boss is not onboard. I can’t tell you how often I see this. The marketing team wants to launch a blog where they can speak directly to clients and share product stories. The boss thinks “surfing the web is a waste of time.”

2. Your company is you and an intern. I want to give you a hug and say that in a few years when you have a bigger staff and a larger budget, we will totally work together. But I don’t want to take all your money. But I will absolutely let you know when Marijean has the next seminar because it will be useful to you.

3. You don’t see the need. Although it boggles the mind, I occasionally run into companies who are so ok with their profits that they feel like they’re fine where they are. Crazy, isn’t it? And we’re all a little jealous.

When these situations come up, I hand over my card and say something cheesy like, I look forward to being a resource should an opportunity arise. But actually, I mean it because we aren’t going anywhere and companies are ever changing and growing. So, I guess I really do hope to work with them in the future.

How about you? Had any Tommy Boy moments lately?

Jaggers Communications Adds Business Development Team Member, Erika Gennari

By Communications, Jaggers Communications News
Erika Gennari, Jaggers Communications

Erika Gennari

More than ten years ago I worked for a metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri-based eyecare company in its marketing department. Every semester we had an intern join us to support our efforts in public relations, internal communications and marketing. Some were forgettable, of course, but some stood out and left an impression of a student with great promise and a solid future in communications.

Fast forward to last year, when, out of the blue I received an e-mail from one of those outstanding interns. She was moving to Charlottesville, Va. and had heard from a mutual friend (the CFO of that eyecare company) that I had settled here. I was — and am — delighted to be reconnected with Erika Gennari. The 21-year-old student I knew then is now a wife, a mother and an experienced professional salesperson, marketer, recruiter and communicator. She’s the same organized g0-getter with boundless energy and ahead-of-her-years professionalism that I admired all those years ago, now with more than ten years’ additional work experience added to her resume.

And so, I’m delighted to share that Erika has joined the Jaggers Communications virtual firm to provide business development outreach and management. Erika will be helping manage the pipeline of prospects for the business, assisting in proposal development and conducting outreach on behalf of the firm. It’s exciting, for me, as the entrepreneur behind a ten-month-old business, to have the opportunity to institute this role in the firm and to be working with Erika again. I know that members of this community will enjoy knowing and working with Erika as much as I do.

Please say hello to Erika on Twitter @erikagennari1 and welcome her to Charlottesville! You can also reach Erika at egennari (at) jaggerscommunications (dot) com

Jaggers Communications Offers Twitter for Business Workshop

By Jaggers Communications News

*MEDIA ALERT*

For more information, contact:

Marijean Jaggers
434.973.0645
mjaggers@jaggerscommunications.com

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

WHAT: Public relations firm Jaggers Communications and nationally-recognized social media educator Marijean Jaggers offer a Twitter for Business lunch time session. The workshop offers information for businesses to help increase social networks, reach business communications goals and develop the right kind of relationships. This session will cover best practices, Twitter management tools and methods of measuring success.

 WHEN: Friday, Sept. 23, Noon to 1p.m. Fee: $49. Register online: http://twitterforbusinesscville.eventbrite.com/

 WHERE: OpenSpace, (next to ACAC downtown) 455 Second Street SE, Ste. 100, Charlottesville, VA 22902. Parking is available on Second Street or Garrett Street.

 WHO: This session is $49 to attend and is open to the public. Business owners, employees and marketers should attend.

 NOTE: Participants should bring a brown bag lunch. Drinks and dessert will be provided.

 

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About Jaggers Communications

Jaggers Communications is a strategic communications firm that provides organizations in health care, education and science-based business with social media consulting, public relations support and reputation management strategy. The firm was founded in 2011 to serve businesses and nonprofits with a need for strategic communications with effective reach. www.jaggerscommunications.com