The second most popular social network, behind Facebook, is the micro-blogging website Twitter, according to eBizMBA. For some companies it’s growing in popularity among young people faster than Facebook. As a matter of fact, many believe Facebook has now hit the ceiling in the United States while Twitter still has room to grow. This is why it’s the social network to look forpublicity.
#Hashtags
#Hashtags can be started by literally any #Twitter user, however the ones that gain the most popularity are most often businesses, celebrity and world event related. This is because those garner a large follower base and are able to keep lots of people disseminating the #hashtag. When enough people to do so, the #hashtag usually ends up in the trending topics section visible to all #Twitter users on their home page of the site.
Sponsored Tweets
Companies are now able to pay money to have sponsored tweets. These tweets go into the stream of news feeds of a lot of people regardless if they do or do not follow your account. This in turn may lead to more followers for your account, which is sure to put your message in front of more eyes than before. Your publicity just might increase with the paid option.
Media Reporting
Some of the best publicity on Twitter comes from the media reporting on the things tweeted throughout the site, especially when something unusual gets tweeted. You can believe the blogs and major media outlets will pick up on it. That’s earned media and that is a win. Hopefully it’s positive and that’s good news for the company.
Contact us for more tips on how to use Twitter for publicity purposes.
It’s fairly common knowledge thatpublic speaking is at or near the top of most people’slist of fears. Some even say they fear it more than death itself. Interestingly enough, many people who fear public speaking are high-levelcorporate executives. For these individuals, some form of public speaking is a critical element of what they do.
How do you suppose they handle that?
Well, a quote I heard some years ago (I don’t recall who or where) answers the question perfectly;“Feel the fearand take action anyway.” That’s all well and good, but wouldn’t it be better, and a lot more comfortable, to go into public speaking situations without the fear? Of course it would. And that’s what executivemedia trainingcan do.
A big part of what causes people to befearfulof public speaking is they don’t feel confident. This phenomenon can be found at all levels of a company, including executives.
Someone might know the company and its products backward, forward, inside and out, but when they get in front of a prospective customer, or a group, they freeze. It’s akin to a computer freezing-up. The information is in there – it just won’t come out. A big reason for this is inadequate experience in public speaking. Executive media training provides some non-threatening ways to gain this experience and develop confidence.
Improved Relationships
Human relationships are at the center of every business. Notice that I didn’t limit that statement to just successful businesses. That’s because relationships are at the center of all businesses. If business is bad, it’s undoubtedly due, in part at least, to poor relationships. If business is good, it can be largely attributed to good relationships.
If people in the company are comfortable being themselves as they talk about the company and its products, they’ll be better able to create and maintain lasting business relationships. Executive media training will help them do that.
A vital part of public speaking of any kind is the ability to effectively extemporize. It’s one thing to just babble on about something and hope your listener knows little enough about the subject that what you’re saying sounds plausible. But that’s a gamble you shouldn’t be willing to take. The ability to speak off the cuff and have your presentation actually make sense is clearly more desirable. Executive media training helps develop this skill.
Somebusiness ownersand executives balk at the idea of making this kind of indirect expenditure. However,communications trainingin general, and executive media training in particular are more appropriately viewed as wise investments that will pay dividends for years to come.
If you’d like results-oriented help with your marketing and communications strategies, contact usonline, or call 702-434-0173.
“In the end, I keep trying to remind myself and my team what counts is that….We did something and worked very, very hard for the WOMEN, CHILDREN, and PETS who rely on the Shade Tree. Not for the approval. We are all in this to please our maker, the universe, or sense of Karma, or whatever, and it for that reason is why this PSA exists.” ~ Firdosi Wharton-Ali
It began back in July during the start of Ramadan, it was also during this time I learned about Zakāt which means charity and is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Charity is a huge deal in the Muslim culture and my friend and client Firdosi Wharton-Ali began a heartfelt campaign on Facebook to help raise money for The Shade Tree, a “501(c)3 non-profit organization providing safe shelter to homeless and abused women, children, and their pets in crisis and to offer life changing services promoting stability, dignity and self-reliance.”
This wonderful organization has been in existence for more than twenty years. On Friday, August 30, Beth Fisher (morning anchor/reporter on KTNV Channel 13) sent a camera for an interview about the project (Step Out of Your Comfort Zone) for a segment called ‘Making Las Vegas a Better Place to Live.’
As it states on The Shade Tree website, “As the only organization with an animal shelter on campus, named Noah’s Animal House, The Shade Tree brings families together with their pets and connects them with assistance and services. The Shade Tree is the largest shelter of its kind in Nevada and is the only 24-hour accessible shelter designed specifically to meet the needs of women and children in Southern Nevada. With 364 permanent beds, The Shade Tree provides more than 100,000 nights of shelter each year. To remove any barrier that might prevent a woman from accessing necessary services for she and her children, 100 percent of services are provided completely free of charge, regardless of the length of stay.”
Sue Kim, Adrienne Hester and Master Magician Lance Burton
Being an accomplished screenwriter, Firdosi’s first instinct was to gather a group of professionals and friends who believed in her mission to donate time and talent in an effort to raise awareness about the critical state of domestic violence in Nevada, and to create, then donate, a Public Service Announcement (PSA) with impact. Most PSAs are less than a minute. This PSA is just over three minutes making it more of a Public Awareness Campaign to raise responsiveness to the critical state of domestic violence in Southern Nevada, which is number one in the nation for fatalities associated with abuse; and the lasting effects it has on families, pets, the body, and mind, and the urgent need for funding The Shade Tree is currently experiencing. This powerful film short is honest and graphic and meant to encourage the public to take action and help those who feel helpless.
On Friday, September 20 at Maru Korean BBQ in Summerlin, a suburb of Las Vegas, the evening began with a film short and special Q&A with Sue Kim of the renownedKim Sisters, as she shared her experiences with domestic abuse in her professional/personal life during her career which involved her younger sister. She also shared how the Korean American Women’s Foundation, a safe haven for Korean women new to the United States, was formed in Las Vegas.
Debra Weight and Adrienne Hester after makeup
The evening ended with the début of new PSA – THE SHADE TREE: “A Story of Hope” Featuring Master Magician Lance Burton. Volunteers who also participated in filming of the PSA included Dr. Benjamin S. Lurie, Dr. Paul Wilkes, military veteran and combat PTSD survivor Jay Choi, DeAndre Esteen – director of development for The Shade Tree, and professional makeup artists Debra Weite and Cadena Laksis, Composer/ Producer David Rosen, Fremont East Studios, Paradise Seven Pictures, students from The UNLV Film Department and me in the role of an abused woman.
This event would not have possible without the support of Keizer Design, Red Carpet Moving Company, and The Neck and Back Clinics.
Before graduating from theUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegaswith a degree inCorporate Communicationswith an emphasis in journalism, I was one class away from a degree in the Department of Theatre in theCollege of Fine Arts. I never thought I would formally use that training, until I was asked to donate my professional resources and theatrical talent, to raise awareness about the critical state ofdomestic violenceinNevada, for aPublic Service Announcement(PSA) short in support of The Shade Tree and of the crisis for funding the organization is experiencing.
This facility, “is the largestshelterof its kind in the state, and is the only 24-hour accessible shelter designed specifically to meet the needs of women and children inSouthern Nevada. With 364 permanent beds, THE SHADE TREE provides more than 100,000 nights of shelter each year. On average, 33 percent of their clients are children under the age of 18. Senior citizens represent the fastest growing segment of the population.” It is also the only shelter in the state to accept pets.
The Shade Tree is a 501(c)3non-profit organization. It’s mission is to provide safe shelter to homeless and abused women, children, and their pets in crisis and to offer life changing services promoting stability, dignity and self-reliance.
Here is my interview withKTNVChannel 13. More about the PSA and a private event to come in the future.
Entrepreneurs can be divided into leaders and followers. Followers might be sufficiently competent and reliable, but leaders are the ones who command the most attention and respect. They set trends, make breakthroughs, and consistently demonstrate authority and creativity in a given field.
To promote your business and set yourself apart from the pack, you’ll need to exercisethought leadership, proving to others that you can address the pressing problems in your field, offer a unique and compelling perspective, and yield a profit from your foresight and authority. These days, many people on the Internet and other media call themselves thought leaders; to distinguish yourself from them, you’ll have to go beyond talking about how you’re a thought leader and actually give proof of it.
What are four ways to demonstrate thought leadership?
1) Engage In a Public Dialogue about the Burning Questions in Your Field
Publish articles, both in trade journals and in magazines geared towards the public, where you make predictions about where your field is headed and the issues that need to be addressed. Participate in conferences where you present ideas and receive feedback from others. Write about some of your wilder or bold plans in blog posts to attract interest and a steady following, along with some healthy debate. Your communications must be rich in substance and crafted in such a way to attract and hold attention. With time, you’ll build a body of work that proves to others you’re a thought leader in your field.
2) Promote Your Accomplishments
Don’t be modest about your achievements and credentials. You can promote your accomplishments effectively without coming across as a braggart. Send out press releases announcing creative or compelling information about your company, such as a new product or service, or a new way of doing business. Secure interviews with journalists and bloggers who can write a profile on you and help you broadcast your message and your achievements to date.
3) Listen and Learn
A good leader pays attention to other people whether they’re business colleagues, competitors, or customers. What’s important to them? What are they saying? Read and think about what’s going on in your field, and look beyond it as well; key innovations can arise when people synthesize information from multiple fields. Don’t automatically dismiss or attempt to silence those who disagree with your views. You can have your own firm opinions while still maintaining an open-minded attitude. People will respect you for this.
4) Get Endorsements
Your business will receive a significant boost if you get the endorsement of well-known figures in your field. These are people who already have a strong reputation, have broken new ground, and others look up to them. If they mentor you, collaborate with you, or otherwise endorse or spotlight your work, your own reputation as a thought leader will strengthen significantly.
Demonstrating thought leadership requires meaningful public engagement, compelling communication, and active networking. Contact us to discuss effective ways to promote yourself as a thought leader and strengthen your reputation.
Last week I wrote a post about ABC’s Shark Tank and Pro NRG owner Tania Patruno called ‘Know Your Message’ and the valuable advice she received from Barbara Cochran about an effective product message.
The other day I received a negative comment about my post pertaining to three verb tense errors which have since been revised. What brings me to publicly mention the comment, I did not approve, was due to the angry tone and inappropriate reference of a race, of which I am not a part, the person used to try to affect me mentally as if a grammar error makes me an ineffective marketing consultant.
The condescending comments were “amazing…everyone is a consultant” and “WTF,” however the unprofessional and inappropriate statement pertaining to race, which I refuse to repeat, was the main reason to not approve the comment.
I think back to the days when I was not self-employed and the number of times I encountered a coworker, an immediate supervisor, or someone outside of the organization going out of their way to put up road blocks in an attempt to thwart a successful outcome ̶ in this case trying to discredit me professionally through my writing.
Marketing is a competitive field and remarks like those can get anyone off track. The point to remember is to remain positive and use the negativity as encouragement to know you’re on the right track. Press on and meet your goal.
Whether we like it or not, thenews mediahas a lot of influence and can have a positive or negative impact on yourcompany’s bottom line with just one mention. When comments are constructive it is easy to lovemedia coverage, but when it’s not positive, it’s easy to become defensive and want to engage in pointless dialogue with the journalist or media outlet which is a no win situation for you and your company. Whether you have an amazing publicist or not, knowing some basics will help you prepare for your day in the spotlight and have a successful interview.
It’s important to remember the goal when securing a mediainterviews: 1) Clearly convey your company’s mission and message. 2) Build awareness about you and/or your company, products and/or events. 3) Sell products and/or services. 4) Influence consumer behavior.
To make the best impression the following are fundamental to your success and opens the possibility for the media outlet to seek your outlook in future articles or segments.
Be Authentic. If you don’t believe what you are saying neither will the audience. Consumers are smart and don’t forget you are still a consumer. Ask yourself, “Do I believe what I am saying?”
Be Present. Nothing is worse than trying to talk or listen to someone who distracted. Make sure you give the interview your utmost attention.
Be In Control of Your Message, Demeanor and Gestures. A) Tailor your message for the specific audience of the media outlet for which you are speaking. B) Keep your message to no more than four key points so you don’t confuse the audience. C) Don’t be the fast talking-arm throwing guest who comes across as wacky (thinkNadya Suleman, the mother of octuplets and six other children, and her appearance on ABC’s “The View.”Click hereto watch the clip.)
Do Your Homework. Check out the media outlet before your interview to get a sense of structure and style and know positions of your competitors.
Practice Makes Perfect. Rehearse out loud until it rolls off your tongue like second nature.
This is just the basics to help you prepare for an interview and successfully meet communication goals from per-interview to interview. If you would like more information on in-depth training send an email toAdrienne@2girlsconsulting.com
The second most popular social network, behind Facebook, is the micro-blogging website Twitter, according to eBizMBA. For some companies it’s growing in popularity among young people faster than Facebook. As a matter of fact, many believe Facebook has now hit the ceiling in the United States while Twitter still has room to grow. This is why it’s the social network to look for publicity.
TwoGirlsConsulting LLC (2GC) 