Author, Clark County School Watch blogger/writer join forces

It is indeed a pleasure to announce that Henderson, Nevada author Rosalyn Schnall and myself have joined forces.

Through my communications/PR subsidiary, ECH Communications of Las Vegas, we are launching a local PR Campaign here in Las Vegas on behalf of Schnall and her new book WHEN TEACHERS TALK: Principal Abuse of Teachers -- The Untold Story. Schnall is a retired Chicago Public Schools teacher who has conducted hundreds of interviews of teachers, documenting poor teacher working conditions and administrative misconduct. Media interviews and local book signings are to come.

My sister blog, Clark County School Watch, recently profiled Schnall's book.Visit the title's official homepage to learn more about the book and the author, and to purchase the book directly.

E.C. :)

Casino execs talk up social media (LV Sun)

Local casino executives along with area tourism experts talked up social media during a session of today's PubCon 2009 conference at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Las Vegas Sun reports area casino and tourism executives are forming a strategy to ensure their representative companies are not left out of the social media shuffle.

Sun:

With social media taking hold as a valuable marketing tool around the globe, Las Vegas tourism businesses are developing techniques to ensure they aren’t left behind.

Casino and tourism marketing executives talked Wednesday about their social media beginnings, what strategies work best for their companies and social media’s future during the PubCon 2009 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

While some adopted social media practices later than others, executives from the Luxor, Planet Hollywood, MGM Grand, Las Vegas Hilton and Vegas.com agreed they were drawn to interactive media to communicate with customers in a format that allowed for instant feedback.

“It was a way to introduce a personality or a voice for our property. It was a way of trying to develop a better relationship, a different kind of relationship with potential customers,” said Brad Goldberg, vice president of marketing for Luxor. “We didn’t know what the result would be but we knew that we had to be there.”

Luxor, which has more than 11,000 followers on Twitter (@LuxorLV), has designed a specific personality to speak on behalf of the property. The character was developed by Brandie Feuer, who now is the director of interactive marketing at Planet Hollywood.

Feuer carried the technique to Planet Hollywood (@phVegas) after leaving the Luxor. She said she recently used Planet Hollywood’s 7,000-plus Twitter followers for feedback on a room promotion idea — the Phanatic pass -- and within two days the promotion became the most successful in the resort’s history.

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E.C. :)

PR leaders discuss trust

Monty Hagler, who runs the PR firm RLF Communications in Greensboro, NC, discusses an industry conference he recently attended in New York.

For a panel discussion that centered around the subject of trust, there apparently was a good deal of mistrust among even this panel.

Public trust is a very important, very strategic part of public relations. If your public cannot trust you, then who can trust you?

Hagler:

David Gergen, former White House advisor, warned corporate America that they are not out of the woods in being held accountable to the public. With more than 10 percent of Americans out of work, a fact that will not change anytime soon, the mood is still fragile and that has implications for communications. He relayed the story about President Obama summoning nine CEO financial services executives to the Oval Office and telling them that he was the only thing that stood between them and the “mob with pitchforks.” Gergen’s point was that while the pitchforks have been put away, the mob didn’t toss them in the river. They are “in the closet, and it will not take too many missteps by corporate leaders for the mob to pull them back out if trust is not restored.”

On exactly that point of restoring trust, the head of communications for Morgan Stanley was completely out of touch. Perhaps it was just me, but his comments that “the financial crisis was caused because of irrational behavior” and that bank executives “deserve all of their bonuses despite the public bailout” came across as bitter. On the issue of bonuses, he lambasted another panel member who suggested that banks make contributions to help people in need rather than dole out all of the bonus money to executives. His response was something like “that is a cuckoo way of thinking. It’s like Bono thinking he can solve problems in Africa by just dumping money on the continent.” Does Morgan Stanley really think they have the moral high ground over Bono leading charity efforts in Africa?

Margie Kraus, CEO of APCO Worldwide, had one of the best comments of the day for leaders (and PR people). She said that we can all acknowledge that trust in institutions (corporate and political) are at all time lows, and for good reasons. She urged folks to not think this was going to change on its own accord. “If you want to earn back trust with the audiences that matter to you, then stand up and earn it. Find ways to reestablish the social compact.”

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E.C. :)

An expert's view on crisis communication

If this picture is not the poster child of crisis communication, I'm not sure what is.

When a dear, close friend ran into a total crisis at her office recently here in Las Vegas, the sheer subject of crisis communication came up. And when discussing the subject of crisis communication, I can't help but to think of US Airways Flight 1549, of which 150 passengers survived a crash landing in New York's Husdon River this past January.

Let me digress for a minute...I'm a former US Airways reservations employee in Winston-Salem, NC, moved to Las Vegas this past July. Yes, once upon a time not long ago, your humble host sold plane tickets over the phone...but I digress further.

On the afternoon 1549 went into the drink, I was on my way into the office to work my 5pm-2am shift. I was made aware of the incident through a few phone calls. As I floored my car on the expressway to run into the office, we took the family assistance calls. No amount of training can ever prepare you for taking those kinds of calls...none. And yet, keeping them calm while keeping your composure is paramount.

Of course, we all know the outcome, thankfully. And later on, I had a chance to meet hero pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger at an employee-only event.

But when something like this happens, an airline's corporate communications team springs into action, instantaneously. Similarly, when a crisis affects an office, key personnel should be prepared to execute a crisis control strategy that attempts to maintain the integrity of the office.

Morgan Durrant, a Philadelphia-based US Airways spokesman, tells CommunicationsExpress that preparation is key to any emergency.

"I'd tell you preparation is not only just key, but tantamount to everything in crisis communications. Budgeting time regularly to review plans, discuss scenarios and role play goes a long way in building that muscle memory you'll need when it's crunch time."

If your company, large or small, does not have a crisis strategy, now is the time to develop one and have it readily available, if God forbid, it needs to be executed. In these weird times, it is better to be safe than sorry.

E.C. :)

Don't be desperate when networking (CareerBuilder)

The CareerBuilder blog points us to an entry giving timely tips on how to network in this upsetting economy. It is important to note that when networking (especially at cocktail events around town--of which there are plenty of here in Las Vegas), don't appear desperate, lame of phony. People will pick up on that in a heartbeat.

An excerpt:

Let's face it: Even when you're on top of the world, chances are good that the idea of networking sounds like a big, fat drag. You can probably think of 100 other things you'd rather do -- like cleaning the blades of your ceiling fan. But if you're one of the 14.9 million people who are competing for what seems to be a handful of jobs, your confidence has probably taken a hit. So now is probably not the time to be meeting anyone new. In fact, now is not the time to get out of your pajamas.

Ah, but it is. Networking is the single most valuable thing you can do with all this free time you have now. It will help you build the relationships that will stay with you for the rest of your career. You will learn more about your profession, industry and community. It will protect you from becoming an out-of-touch doofus. And, best of all, it will put you in front of people who have leads on jobs that haven't been published yet (the hidden job market). Through active networking, you could be the only candidate who is considered for that great job. Why? Because you got there first. Networking will do that for you. So while you change your clothes, change your mind about networking, too!

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E.C. :)

Is your business blog still relevant?

Absolutely...yes it is. You shouldn't even have to question it.

I've launched six blogs since 2006, and the one thing I have learned from each one is that your blog is your voice. If it is a business blog, then it serves as your corporate voice. If it is a personal blog, then it is representative of your personal voice.

John Cass over at PR Communications discusses this subject, debating the business value of blogging. Cass gives three reasons why business blogs continue to be relevant, and continue to play a big part in the social media rectangle:

1) If you want to build a connection with other bloggers in your community you will need a blog to add credibility.

2) Twitter is good for 140 characters, but as you may have noticed with all of those retweets, you have to give people a place to go to in twitter. A blog with comments gives followers is a great landing page.

3) A blog is your website, not just a page in a social network. Think of the open web as a social network, with Google and other search engines as the tools people use to find other blogs. A corporate blog gives a place to go to in the open web that represents your company, and enables them to interact with you.

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There you go.

E.C. :)

LinkedIn, Twitter wed

Two social media sites have joined forces. LinkedIn and Twitter have teamed up, allowing users of both services to broadcast their status updates on each simultaneously. This from USA Today.

Look at this striking quote:

For LinkedIn's 50 million users, one of the obvious advantages is extending the reach of their professional contacts onto Twitter, and sharing their business acumen over Twitter, says Allen Blue, LinkedIn’s co-founder and vice president.

 All business.

E.C. :)

Elevator Speeches..."DC style"

My friend and former colleague Benet Wilson, a Washington-based aviation writer and blogger, writes about giving an elevator speech recently to CNN executives in Washington, pitching herself as an on-air aviation expert. Readers will recall an earlier post I wrote in which elevator speeches was discussed.

Wilson:

Last week, CNN did a networking/job search event in Washington, D.C. I went because I was hoping to pitch myself as an aviation expert for CNN on future stories. As such, I had a chance to watch as others chatted with the various CNN representatives at the event.

One thing that was glaringly apparent was that many job seekers did not have a good elevator pitch. Mine, at exactly 15 seconds, was simple and to the point -- I wasn't looking for a job, aviation is a big topic of interest to CNN, they needed to have some new -- and more diverse -- people speaking about the industry, and I could help with my expertise in business/corporate jet aviation, airports and airport security and the airlines, tossing in that I've also worked for 2 airlines and an engine manufacturer. I gave them my card, asked for theirs, thanked them for their time and moved onto the next person. Using this method, I was able to get 10 business cards. 

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E.C. :)

What Jon Stewart says about Fox News

I'm not taking sides here, I'm simply posting Comedy Central's Jon Stewart's recent take on the Fox News Channel:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
For Fox Sake!
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

Pew says New Media does not create isolationism

I spend too much time online. Seriously. Or so I was told, recently. When you maintain two blogs as part of a personal branding/personal marketing campaign, along with conducting online social networking as part of an active job search, the computer does become your best friend.

Here's the kicker...it's okay. Really, it is. A study from the folks over at Pew suggest "social networking and online activities does not really affect one’s sociability."

From the Blog Herald, an excerpt from a post by Arnold Zafra:

The study categorically states that Americans’ use of mobile phones and the Internet actually leads to a larger and more diverse discussion networks. This include Americans’ use of Facebook.

Other significant findings of the Pew Internet Study on Social Isolation and Technology include the following:

the use of the internet and mobile phones lead to larger and more diverse core discussion networks,

Social media activities whether online or on a mobile phone contributes to diverse discussions among people of different background,

Facebook and other social network activities do not lessen people’s social engagement,
Internet activities does not affect one’s participation in local activities,

Internet use does not make people stay away from public places

Mobile phone use does not affect people’s face-to-face interactions with other people

I can sleep better now.

E.C. :)

Social Media used to communicate during mass tragedies

With yesterday's tragedy in Ft. Hood and today's incident in Orlando, there's evidence of individuals using social media sites to communicate with the outside world when using landline or mobile phones was next to impossible.

At Ft. Hood, it was known during the height of the tragedy that cell phone signals were jammed. Emergency officials asked those to use "text messaging" to communicate. Similarly, occupants in the office tower during today's incident in Orlando used Facebook and Twitter to let loved ones know they were okay, this from a report in the Orlando Sentinel.

No longer the technological wave of the future...this is here and now.

E.C. :)

Yahoo shutters GeoCities

GeoCities is dead. The once popular portal for building basic, homemade Web sites owned by Yahoo has now been shuttered by the popular search giant. All content, links and images associated with GeoCities has also vanished.

It is transitioning its users to its Yahoo Web Hosting product.

What's interesting is the SEO impact of this. Consider these stats from Google:

• There were 7,450,000 GeoCities URLs indexed in Google
• GeoCities.com had around 10 million visitors in September
• GeoCities URLs ranked in the top 20 of Google for around 680,000 different keywords

Impressive.

E.C. :)

New focus for MySpace (L.A. Times)

Profoundly admitting defeat to Twitter and Facebook, the corporate owners of the popular social media site MySpace says it will now switch its focus to entertainment, the Los Angeles Times is reporting.

The Rupert Murdoch-owned News Corp., which along with MySpace also corporately owns several FOX properties including the Fox News Channel, says MySpace is no longer competitive with the other popular sites and will undertake a massive refocus in the coming months.

L.A. Times:

"I think we got spread a bit wide and thin and what we're focusing on is sort of the heart of our business going forward really being a social network around key content," said President and Chief Operating Officer Chase Carey. "We're not trying to compete with Facebook or beat Twitter. We're trying to create a unique experience."

Carey's comments are the most pronounced yet from News Corp. that it sees a need to change course with MySpace, a pioneer of social networking that was supposed to burnish the media giant's tech-savvy credentials. But MySpace has lost ground in recent years, and News Corp. disclosed Wednesday that it was expecting to fall $100 million short in revenue under a contract with Google Inc.

News Corp. discussed the difficulties in turning around MySpace during a conference call with analysts to discuss its fiscal first-quarter results. A strong summer at the box office and a healthy cable TV business contributed to an 11% increase in profit for the company, offsetting decreases in the media giant's broadcast television, newspaper and digital businesses.

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E.C. :)

Using Social Media for Social Change

I ran into a blog today by Allison Fine, who is an expert on social media and social change and philanthropy. Fine authors the book Momentum: Igniting Social Change in the Connected Age.

In a post yesterday, Fine discussed the relationship of social media and philanthropy and how awareness and impact are two different concepts.

Fine:

I saw a tweet today that was terrific. It was from Trevor Neilson of the Global Philanthropy Group and it read, “The inconvenient truth of social media and philanthropy is that awareness does not equal impact.”

It’s true, awareness is not the same as impact, but it never has been on land either. The question that we have yet to fully wrestle with as to what all of the clicking and friending adds up to, if anything, for social change efforts. We know that social media are very effective tools for connecting people to one another and helping them to build relationships. Social media do this between people and between people and organizations.

It is between these nodes in a network (to be super geeky) that people learn about issues and organizations. A friend asks a friend to join their Cause on Facebook. Someone’s cousin sends out a link to a video about an issue. A trusted source for news, a blogger or journalist, posts a story with a link to an organization. Awareness has been raised and we’re on the road to action, but not quite there yet.

Read the rest of her post on her blog, and it kind of makes sense.

E.C. :)

Social Media trends to watch for in 2010 (Business Week)

The good folks over at Business Week unveil six specific trends to watch for next year when it comes to social media.

To sum up, they include social media looking a lot less social, corporations more effectively leveraging social media, social media becoming more serious play, more corporations actually developing a social media policy, social media will become more mobile, and sharing may no longer involve e-mail.

Isn't technology grand?

E.C. :)

Bloodletting at Time Magazine

Via PR Daily...up to 500 layoffs are expected at Time Magazine, primarily from its news division. Terrible news.

E.C. :)

Time to have a telethon by Americans FOR Americans?

This one may be controversial and a little off the beaten path, but follow along.

If I suggest the notion that maybe it is time to have a telethon by Americans...for Americans, would that make me a socialist? After all, socialism seems to be a popular buzzword lately being thrown around the political landscape.

Yes, I may be serious here. People need jobs. People need money, cold hard cash. And it seems lately, jobs (and cash) are like gold: something to be treasured, very hard to come by.

Yesterday, I encountered three separate friends who are in desperate need of financial help.

• A Las Vegas-area single mom with two daughters, one of whom has been sick. The mother works a minimum wage job and has a tough time making rent and bills. She struggles finding sitters for her children while she works nights. One of her utilities is being shut off this week. 
• In North Carolina, a single mother of three works overnights at a call center. One month's behind on rent and facing a possible eviction, she relies on a live-in boyfriend to help financially. She is also facing surgery for cervical cancer. 
• In Atlanta, a former teacher is trying to raise $129 to get her personal belongings out of a storage facility in Raleigh, NC, stored there from a previous move some years ago. She is a month behind on the storage unit rent payment and the lot owner is threatening to auction off her personal possessions.
• In Las Vegas, a 12-year communications/PR professional and former teacher has an unusually tough time finding employment in his field.With bills piling up and a gym membership about to be suspended for nonpayment, he looks to extreme measures of raising short-term cash, such as pawning jewelry.
  

Okay, that last one was me...

But unfortunately, this is very typical of people we know across the country. Many are either unemployed or severely underemployed.

So yes, if you have a job (no matter how good or bad it is), consider yourself very lucky and very blessed. But for those who don't, and we know many people who are without work, how do we help them? Does it make us as a society bad people to help them? I'm not talking wealth redistribution here, just thinking of creative solutions to help those who are victims of a bad economy.

A telethon, perhaps?

Maybe it could work. A telethon to raise money to help average Americans. Social service and faith-based organizations such as the Salvation Army and the United Way could be the beneficiaries in being the recipients to help normal, everyday people, people who want to do the right thing by society, who just need a little boost...who need cash.

I wish I could help all three of my friends I mentioned above. I would open up my checkbook in a millisecond. But how can I help, when I need help myself?

So while this may have been more if a rant and a vent, hopefully it will turn into an urgent call for action to look at those in our circle of friends who may need an extra hand or two as the holidays get closer.

E.C. :)

More pluses than minuses for using LinkedIn

So a friend of mine who does marketing-communications-PR in North Carolina Tweeted today about his displeasure at the social media platform LinkedIn. Asking him to elaborate, here's what he told me:

In my opinion it's [sic] format is a bit archaic in terms of social media platforms. Actually, this just came to mind and I think it nails it. Every time I turn around they are suggesting I use the paid system... which I DO NOT want to do. Also, from a conversation standpoint it's always about making a sale or getting a job. Both require a pitch of some sort and aren't great starters for building long term relationships. That's just a quick thought.

Now, my experience from LinkedIn has been positive thus far. I haven't received that job offer yet from it, but it is providing welcomed networking opportunities. Of course, networking here in Las Vegas is vastly different than networking in North Carolina.

I posed this dilemma to LoriBeth Dalton, a Las Vegas-based career development expert. Her thoughts on LinkedIn contrast greatly:

Each social media platform has its place, each one is unique and different. There’s no redundancy. Linkedin is important in terms of finding key decision-makers and thought leaders in your industry. So if you are a PR person, or no matter what industry you work in, the purpose of LinkedIn is to find thought leaders, engage with them, ask questions in the groups. It is not a "job seeker website," but rather it is a site to find people in your industry and pick their brains. The real power of LinkedIn is in the groups.

Dalton adds that one would be missing a tremendous opportunity to connect with thought leaders if you're NOT on LinkedIn.

So there you go.

E.C. :)

Washington ABC affiliate does damage control in wake of breast cancer story controversy

The timing was all too perfect.

With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, WJLA-TV, the ABC affiliate in Washington, DC, aired a two-part series on the proper way to give breast self exams.

Unfortunately, it found itself on the defense as the series was designed as controversial simply because it showed two volunteers demonstrating self-exams, and the volunteers bared their breasts on television without being blocked out or pixeled.

Warnings preceded the reports, however, it was not enough for the Parents Television Council, who said the airing could create problems. In addition, charges of running the series during a ratings "Sweeps" period were also lobbed. But ABC-7 WJLA stuck to their guns.

Damage control? It probably was not warranted here. Here are the reports...you decide.

Yes,  I know..note, graphic footage in these videos.

Part I:



Part II:

Social Media strategies in business: RLF

My friend Mark Tosczak, a communications pro at Greensboro, NC-based RLF Communications, points us to a blog he wrote today discussing strategies in business.

The one thing about Social Media...there seems to be no shortage of stuff to write about and cover.

This is part I in a series...an excerpt:

Social media remains one of the biggest buzzwords in marketing and public relations. And given the trends in audience growth and engagement that sites such as Facebook and Twitter are experiencing, that’s not likely to change anytime soon. Nonetheless, most businesses are still trying to figure what they’re supposed to do with social media.
“We know it’s important, but what should we be doing?” is a question we hear a lot. And my first answer is almost always the same: Look at your goals, look at your customers and your products and your competition, and then figure out what makes sense for your business. The answer should be a little different for everyone, because every business and organization is a little different.

Nonetheless, I understand the feeling of just not knowing where to begin. So, with that in mind, this post kicks off a series of pieces on different social media strategies that companies (possibly including your competitors) are using with success.  While I’m not suggesting cloning these examples is the right thing for you, thinking about them may give you some ideas that would make sense for you.

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E.C. :)

Blogging remains integral part of social media

 

Jeff Cole over at PR-101 discusses the fact that blogging remains an integral component of social media. I couldn't agree more.

Blogging for me comes very easy because I have always liked to write. As I said last week, this is my sixth blog I've launched since late 2006.

Cole says if you're a business and you're blogging, don't brag. Instead, use it as a vehicle for customers to post comments and complaints.

Cole:

Blogging should almost always be the foundation of effective social media campaign. It is where smart companies establish that they are industry leaders. They do that by providing information that is both interesting and useful to readers – who the company should want to convert to customers. It is also place to interact with current customers. A blog is where people can post comments, debate points of information and make complaints. This is one of the best ways companies can find what the marketplace is thinking.

What blogging is not is another way to continue using the same tired marketing and sales strategies. It not a place to virtually pound your chest. You should not be bragging about what good job your company is doing. You should not be demanding that potential customers buy your products because it will make them younger, cut their bills, or help them lose weight. If I want to hear that kind of nonsense, I’ll turn on the television.

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E.C. :)

Social Media and Job Hunting

Two things to mention via Twitter (hat-tip to @CoreyJSanders)...one, I will point you in the direction of this Chicago Tribune article today referencing social media and the benefits of it in your job search.

Two, see this link to a webcast tackling the subject of creating and communicating your personal brand to make you stand out from the crowd.

These items in tandem will help you get noticed.

Of course, I'm secretly hoping this blog, combined with my social media presence will help me get noticed. As I said, I'm a solutions provider, not (just) a job seeker. But seeing as how successful of a launch Communications Express has had, I'm hopeful for positive things in the weeks to come.

E.C. :)

How start-ups play in the new media circle

My esteemed friend and former colleague Benet Wilson yesterday points us to a column in the Washington Post written by media critic Howard Kurtz. In it, Kurtz discusses start-up media ventures.

At a time where media companies are cutting back and laying off in droves, many former newspaper reporters are creating new start-up ventures aimed at keeping alive the idea of investigative journalism.

Kurtz mentions the Voice of San Diego. I had some prior interaction with one of their education reporters, Emily Alpert. In doing some investigative writing for my former blog, Guilford School Watch, I followed the story of a former local school superintendent who, then, was just hired away from central North Carolina bound for San Diego. I was also quoted as part of Alpert's investigative story.

These start-up news sites have intrinsic value. Not only that, we should applaud and support those individuals that have the sense and dedication to bring us the complete story and the inside picture of what is happening in our communities.

E.C. :)

Happy 40th Birthday to...the Internet???

Yes, that's right. The technology that you're using to read this blog is 40 years old.

CNN political commentator Jack Cafferty blogs about this today:

The system that has revolutionized almost every part of our lives turned 40 years old this week. October 29, 1969 was the first time people sent a computer-to-computer message. It was in California that UCLA Professor Leonard Kleinrock successfully connected the school's host computer to one at Stanford University.

The project had started a few years earlier: After Russia successfully launched Sputnik in the late 1950s, U.S. leaders stepped up funding to enter a technology race with their Cold War rival.

Fast forward 40 years - and It's pretty hard to imagine society without everything we're used to about the Internet...

Cafferty asks how your life would be different if we didn't have the Internet. I'll ask YOU the same question. What would your life be like today if the Internet were nonexistent?

E.C. :)

A debate on elevator speeches

For the first time in my adult life...I gave an elevator speech. In fact, only a few weeks ago, I learned exactly what one was, and how to deliver an effective elevator speech.

I must've been living under a rock.

It takes a lot of practice, much skill, and effective eye-contact to deliver a good speech. Or does it?

Career insider Keven Kermes, who publishes the blog Build the Career You Deserve, says the entire concept needs to be "re-thought." Why?

Kermes:

I agree with the concept of getting your message across quickly, succinctly and powerfully.  Where this concept loses me (as well as most people receiving it) is that it isn’t tailored for the listener.  This is particularly important in your job search, since there are a lot of “speeches” being pitched to hiring managers and you must differentiate yourself.  In my opinion, taking a more solution based approach will do just that.

In past articles, I have talked about the importance of developing Your Solution.  This is what you do best – maybe even better than anyone else.   If you think about that skill set like a product, there are things it (you) does and doesn’t do.  It only makes sense then to target hiring managers who are experiencing the pain and problems that Your Solution addresses. 

So, instead of firing off a generic pitch with what you do, take a more pinpoint approach.  Begin by asking 2-3 questions that identify if that hiring manager is experiencing problems that you can fix.   The answers will either allow you to highlight your accomplishments and what you can do for their company or help you determine that it isn’t the right job for you.  The former is just as important as the latter. 

I'm obligated to include this:


Kevin Kermes publishes the ‘Build the Career Your Deserve’ e-zine with over 21,000+ subscribers. If you are ready to empower yourself with the vital tools and information necessary to find the job you want and build the successful career you deserve, visit him now www.kevinkermes.com 

Do you think elevator speeches are effective? Let's chat about it.

E.C. :)

New Star Alliance member Continental Airlines sponsors Twitter contest

To help celebrate this week's announcement of Continental Airlines becoming an official member of the Star Alliance, the airline is holding a ticket and gift card giveaway on Twitter.

To participate, just follow @continental and tweet #StarTreatment (no registration required). Each Tweet receives an entry to win with a limit of 5 per day. For details visit http://ping.fm/l4zQr or http://twitter.com/continental .

Just another example of airlines participating in social media.


E.C. :)

More changes may be coming to Facebook (PC World)

If you're still pissed about last week's changes to the main user page of Facebook, I've got news for you. Those changes may only be the beginning.

Found an article by Tony Bradley in this week's PC World, in which he says the company has unveiled a development roadmap.

PC World:

Facebook gathered developers together to share changes and improvements it plans to roll out over the next two quarters. The event, dubbed Facebook Developer Garage Palo Alto - Roadmap Edition, was also streamed over the Web simultaneously via Ustream.

Facebook co-founder, CEO and president Mark Zuckerberg kicked things off by providing some background regarding where Facebook is now and the vision for the future. Zuckerberg began by saying "Facebook Platform is quickly becoming, along with Connect, is quickly becoming one of the most important parts of our strategy."

Plus this:

Holding an event such as this and presenting the roadmap is a great way to make the transition easier. Last Friday Facebook introduced changes to the main user homepage with little warning for users which led to frustration and complaints from many users.

Facebook could foster some goodwill with the 300 million plus users if it proactively shared upcoming changes the way it shared this roadmap with developers. It would also be nice if Facebook would borrow a page from Google's playbook and prepare little video tutorials to explain the changes and educate users about how to take advantage of them to maximize their Facebook experience.

Facebook has a link to Ustream where you can view the recorded presentation in its entirety.

===============================
E.C. :)

Check out PR-101 for lots of stuff on social media

Jeff Cole, a former reporter and current owner of the Milwaukee-based JJC Communications, authors the blog PR-101. And Cole truly preaches the gospel on social media.

Read what Cole says on which social media platforms a company should use:

The four applications that will remain on top, and therefore should always be used are: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The platform is a blog. So, why these four and a blog?

Because by using those five tools in concert, you can build a comprehensive, effective social media campaign. Sure, they are other tools that can be used – in fact; some of will make your campaign even more effective. But, think of this like learning to fly. No one starts on a jet. You start out with a single engine plane and work your way up.

The goal of a social media campaign is to demonstrate why someone should buy your product or hire your service. They days of when a company could say: “hey, I am great. Buy my product” are gone. The public won’t go for that anymore. You are using social media strategies and tactics so your company stands out. You want outsiders to give you kudos on Linked, Facebook and your blog. You want them to highly rate your products. All of this shows others that yours is a company to be trusted.

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E.C. :)

The business benefits of LinkedIn

A blog article I found today touts the business benefits of the Web site LinkedIn. The networking opportunities found on this site are tremendous. In addition, the business opportunities seem to be beneficial as well.

A friend recently asked publicly if LinkedIn had any benefits at all, even saying it was difficult to navigate. Look at this piece and you decide:

I’ll start with the biggest issue, getting business. I am quite sure that most people are not finding the networking activities on LinkedIn profitable. There is a very simple reason for this – most of them aren’t networking and don’t understand how to create non threatening situations where opportunities for business arise.

I base this on the fact that during the almost two years I have been on LinkedIn very few people have approached me using any of the methods I teach other to use. The majority of the messages I get from others actually qualify as SPAM and almost no one engages in any kind of relationship building activity.

If you aren’t focused on building valued relationships first, you are going to find it difficult to approach and generate opportunities.

Additionally, most people don’t really understand that to get business on LinkedIn in you must “attract” opportunities and to do that you need visibility. Visibility comes from the right kinds of participation and from specific promotional activities that are possible within LinkedIn.

Words to live by.

E.C. :)

Welcome to Communications Express

By now, you know that Communications Express has had a soft launch. Well, today's the day that C/Exp is officially unveiled.

This is my sixth launch of a new blog since 2006. And each launch I've done, there has been a brief welcome, then I dived right in to the focus of that particular blog. And it hasn't taken long for each of my past blogs to develop and find its niche.

This blog is different. It is unlike any of the past and present blogs I've authored, which have been political in nature.

This is a career and business-centered blog. It is not written on behalf of any business or company. And while Google's AdSense ads are found here (and I encourage you to click on the ads and support them where and when necessary), this blog is very independent of any of those advertisers. I am solely responsible for the content here.

At a time where unemployment (a subject I know all too well unfortunately) is running rampant, even here in Southern Nevada, I felt it was time to focus on how businesses are communicating in this new economy.

I'm a 12 year communications specialist. You've seen my bio. I'm a writer, a former journalist and I happen to love the field of public relations. So much so that I have actively sought out the perfect PR position for a while now...it hasn't happened yet. And in this down economy, it probably may never happen in my lifetime--maybe in the next life! And while I'm not positioning this blog as a resume or myself as a job-seeker, I am a solutions provider, and the solutions I provide is good communication on behalf of your company.

Therefore, I've taken to the blog-waves to write about trends in PR, marketing, communications and media. All of the buzz lately has been on social media. Facebook, Twitter, blogging and LinkedIn are all part of this new media companies are now trying to exploit. It seems to be working. Quite frankly, if you, as a company, are not blogging, or not participating in some form of social media, you are missing a golden opportunity to be successful.

C/Exp will post articles and links quite frequently. I encourage you to participate and comment on these issues and others. The success of C/Exp will depend on you.

Many of you who have followed my blogs will follow this one too. I'm excited about C/Exp and I look forward to its success.

E.C. :)

Good Grammar is Hot

Earlier in the month, I posted an entry on my sister blog, The Vegas Valley View, discussing proper communication in the workplace and obvious appropriate situations. I discussed the fact that me, as a former one-time high school English/creative writing teacher, it was a struggle to teach grammar and writing in a test-hungry environment such as today's public schools.

Now comes this group on Facebook named "Good Grammar is Hot." No joke. I joined today. Some of the topics du jour: making the case for passive versus active voice, when adverbs are appropriate, gerunds and overall elements of style.

For those of you on Facebook, take a look.

E.C. :)

Transitioning from Journalism to PR: Can it be done?

My friend and former colleague Benet Wilson, who has been in journalism and PR for nearly a quarter of a century, discusses how one can transition and make the switch from journalism to public relations.

On her blog, "Musings of a New Media Maven" (found on my Blogroll on the lower-left part of your screen), she says making that transition is not as easy as it can be. I would certainly agree that it may not be as easy as it seems.

Wilson:

But as journalism continues to hemorrhage jobs -- 13, 868 so far in 2009, according to Paper Cuts -- I now hear those same journalists who pilloried me for my trips to "the dark side" saying they now want to look at public relations as an option. I also heard this a lot when I attended this year's National Association of Black Journalists annual convention, and I've been meaning to do a post on this very topic. What I have to say to these journalists is -- PR is not as easy as you might think it is.

The biggest mistake journalist make is thinking that just because they can write, they can just take those skills right over to PR and smoothly transition in. No, no and NO. Some of the skills do transfer over -- writing/editing, attention to detail and curiosity.

But in the end, you are the slave to the company you're working for. If you don't believe in the company/organization, you will never last. As such, you will have to write things that you'd never write as a reporter.

==============================

E.C. :)

Tweeting twice?

I may have been a little guilty of this because I've been spreading the word (via Twitter) about Communications Express, and this week's launch of this new blog.

Now comes my friend Ryan Shell of Greensboro, NC. A marketing-PR executive at an area credit union, Shell talks about Tweeting information twice.

Shell (via his blog):

One of the great things about Twitter is the vast amount of information that can be shared and the speed at which it flows. On the flip side, couldn’t that almost be a negative for a business? For instance, let’s say that company X sends a Tweet about Y at 10 am, but you aren’t online or the speed of the stream causes you to miss the information.

To try and combat this problem Company X could send a second tweet about Y at 2 pm (times are just an example). They have now increased the chance that you, and others that may have missed the original tweet, will at least be able to see the info that is being shared.

I'll solicit comments on this too.

E.C. :)

Craigslist scammers posing as "marketers"

The current state of the economy is obviously hitting everyone very very hard. For those in the field of marketing, communications and PR, we're all watching and waiting with baited breath to see what will happen next (or which shoe will drop next).

So it is very unfortunate that scammers are taking advantage of those who can least afford to be taken advantage of. Particularly, these are scammers posing as marketers on the popular Web site Craigslist.

I received a telephone call this morning from a gentleman (I won't give his name) who responded to a letter of inquiry I sent recently. The ad was in the "Marketing/PR/Ad" category. He tells me that he runs a marketing company and he's regularly posting on behalf of another company on Craigslist, and since he can only post once a day, he's "hiring" people to post similar ads on his behalf.

Here's the s--- kicker, he wants you to cough up $25 daily, upfront, to post the ad on his behalf, then he will reimburse you that $25 on the back end, plus allegedly pay you another $25, daily, into a PayPal account.

It reeks of scam. Nothing at all involving "marketing" or anything legitimate. It stank to high heavens.

And that's not to mention the weight loss scam that's also floating around Craigslist. There's a scammer targeting people who are trying to lose weight and will allegedly pay you $1,500 as part of a weight-loss study. Easy money, right? Who couldn't use a quick $1,500?

What they don't tell you is that you have to purchase "weight-loss drugs" that have not been evaluated by the FDA, pay only the shipping and handling (which after further investigation, they continuously bill your credit card even after the first shipment for future shipments, even if you do not want the product) and no one is paid this $1,500 at all. No one.

And this one was almost easy to fall victim to because I'm in the middle of a weight-loss program (through diet and exercise), and I could use a quick $1,500 right about now.

Lessons to be learned...stay off Craiglist for one. Do not trust scammers posing as marketers. Legitimate marketing executives will hopefully shun this site so that those who are looking for legitimate employment will have a better amount of success.

E.C. :)

Tips for new Twitter users

As I provide a tease prior to this blog's grand opening this Friday, my friend Reggie Greene in Greensboro, NC (who authors the blog, http://www.theviewfromoutsidemytinywindow.blogspot.com/) points us to an article written this past Spring from K. Sean Buvala (http://www.speakersite.com/profiles/blog/list?user=3olyqvyo7qdec) in which he discusses essential tips for new Twitter users.

Like many, I'm a relative newbie to Twitter, and yet, I'm recognizing and harnessing the power of this new social medium.

Buvala:

1. Add in your photo, your location, bio and URL...
2. Frequently check the "@Replies" and "Direct Messages" for your account...
3. Use the @ feature to engage in conversations...
4. Grow your followers naturally instead of playing the "counting" game...
5. Tweet about what you know, sharing links and resources rather than trying to sell something.

E.C. :)

The State of the Valley's PR Firms: Winners and Losers

As I provide a tease prior to this blog's grand opening this Friday, there was an excellent, well-written article in a recent edition of the R-J (via the Las Vegas Business Press) which discusses the state of the Valley's PR firms, in terms of how they are doing and how they are holding up in this economy.

Of particular interest is that fact that many mom-and-pop PR shops have sprouted and multiplied as of late.

R-J:

The news is far from all bad for small and sole-proprietor PR firms; most say they expect to survive the recession. Finding a niche is the secret to success for some. Tami Belt formed Blue Cube Marketing Solutions after working in-house for St. Rose Dominican Hospital and the Las Vegas Review-Journal. She has since taken on, and retained, big clients such as 7-Eleven.

The convenience-store chain was referred to her years ago by The Firm Public Relations and Marketing owner Solveig Thorsrud, Belt recalled.

"It's really cool because all the PR firms help each other. It is more like friends," Belt said.

Even as those referrals may be getting harder to come by, professionals who can hang onto the clients they have -- and specialize -- seem to have an edge.

With Belt, that specialty is in philanthropy.

"I do the charities," as she puts it, with a slight laugh. "I try to show companies how to get involved with the community, and showcase a plan."

I was also struck by this quote:

The number of mom-and-pop PR shops continues to grow -- at least by some accounts. No formal year-over-year figures were available. The Public Relations Society of America's local chapter keeps track of its members, but that doesn't account for nonmembers.

Las Vegas is home to 14 sole proprietor or small PR agencies and 15 larger firms. "Small" in this case is defined by PRSA as three people or fewer, local PRSA President Diane Gibes said. Individual membership is 135.

She sees signs of hope and reason for caution in her industry.

"I did see one of our members get a job recently," Gibes said. "And I saw one person go out of market to get a job."

Public relations is downsizing locally, much like practically any other industry, Gibes added.

Sarah Procopio knows firsthand about consolidation. She had to cut the staff of her 4-year-old True Marketing firm almost in half a year ago, after the recession first hit. Going from 12 to six employees made her keenly aware of the industry's current fragility.

"It's challenging, but we are hanging in there," she said.

Still, True Marketing's sales are down about 40 percent from mid-September last year.

I think finding a served niche, along with social media marketing will be the ultimate key as to which firm survives and thrives in this economy, and which firm tanks. Of course, none of us in this business wants anyone to tank. 

E.C. :)

Grand Opening Friday, 10/30/09

Marketing, communications and PR takes center stage with the grand opening of Communications Express. Set to kick off Friday, 10/30/09. Stay tuned, and add this blog to your bookmarks and blog readers.

E.C. :)

Coming Soon!

Something new and unique is coming soon! Stay tuned...