Just came across this interesting article written by Thursday Bram on using Twitter for job hunting to see whole article http://www.lifehack.org/articles/money/taking-your-job-hunt-to-twitter.html
In summary:
Twitter can offer a quick way to learn about who actually has a job to fill and perhaps even help you get your application on the top of the pile.
It’s All About the Hashtags
There are three hashtags that can come in handy to someone on a search for a new job. Keeping an eye on #rtjobs, #jobangels and #jobs can give you a look at who’s looking to actively recruit on Twitter. Even recruiters from companies like AT&T have started posting job listings, often labeling them with #jobs.
To connect with me on Twitter visit http://twitter.com/Commscoach
Cheers
Heidi Alexandra Pollard
The Communicators' Coach
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Social media as a business tool
An article by SMH/Age reporter Paul McIntyre recently suggests that with the Prime Minister of Australia on Twitter, blogging his way to the next election, that it's about time business sites up and gets more serious about harnessing the power of social media as a business tool.
All the evidence suggests it will be impossible to ignore.
Twitter, a micro-blogging venture in which users post views, or "tweets", to a maximum of 140 characters, is still tiny. But numbers are up more than 500 per cent this year in Australia, says Hitwise. And the time Twitterites spend with the application is greater than MySpace, Facebook and any of the big five online publishers, including ninemsn and Yahoo!7.
Twitter is just one emerging social media application, but combined with others (and there are hundreds) it is creating a boom for the PR industry because someone's got to interpret what's being said about companies and brands online.
However while technology may be helping media audiences gather news from sources outside the mainstream - eg blogs, social networks, podcasting, vodcasting, video-sharing sites, it can't deliver what companies need: automated insight about consumers.
Companies around the world over are starting to dabble with social media - and they have to or they will be left behind.
Here are some of its statistics on online users gathered this year:
Bloggers globally: 184 million;
Those who watch video clips online: 82.9 per cent;
Those who say they have joined a social network: 57 per cent;
Those who have uploaded photos to a network: 55 per cent;
Those who have uploaded videos to a network: 22 per cent;
Those who have uploaded a video clip to a video sharing website: 8.5 per cent.
These are global figures, but UM breaks out some numbers for Australian users: 62 per cent say they have read a blog, up from 21 per cent in 2006 and 55 per cent last year.
Most important point for companies: 34 per cent of bloggers say they post opinions about products or brands!
So the challenge for those of us in PR is not only to monitor these forums for information and discussions around our products or brand but how we engage and participate in the discussion.
Join in the Professional Communicators' Network Online Forum
The Professional Communicators' Network Online Forum is a global networking site connecting professionals from around the world and providing a platform to share what works. Joining is F.R. E.E. so get connected with like minded professionals and actively participate in the discussion.
Let us help you become a more effective communicator. http://affiliate.kickapps.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4554367&as=80679
To read Paul McIntyre's original article visit http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/biztech/using-social-media-for-commercial-gain/2008/12/04/1228257189521.html
All the evidence suggests it will be impossible to ignore.
Twitter, a micro-blogging venture in which users post views, or "tweets", to a maximum of 140 characters, is still tiny. But numbers are up more than 500 per cent this year in Australia, says Hitwise. And the time Twitterites spend with the application is greater than MySpace, Facebook and any of the big five online publishers, including ninemsn and Yahoo!7.
Twitter is just one emerging social media application, but combined with others (and there are hundreds) it is creating a boom for the PR industry because someone's got to interpret what's being said about companies and brands online.
However while technology may be helping media audiences gather news from sources outside the mainstream - eg blogs, social networks, podcasting, vodcasting, video-sharing sites, it can't deliver what companies need: automated insight about consumers.
Companies around the world over are starting to dabble with social media - and they have to or they will be left behind.
Here are some of its statistics on online users gathered this year:
Bloggers globally: 184 million;
Those who watch video clips online: 82.9 per cent;
Those who say they have joined a social network: 57 per cent;
Those who have uploaded photos to a network: 55 per cent;
Those who have uploaded videos to a network: 22 per cent;
Those who have uploaded a video clip to a video sharing website: 8.5 per cent.
These are global figures, but UM breaks out some numbers for Australian users: 62 per cent say they have read a blog, up from 21 per cent in 2006 and 55 per cent last year.
Most important point for companies: 34 per cent of bloggers say they post opinions about products or brands!
So the challenge for those of us in PR is not only to monitor these forums for information and discussions around our products or brand but how we engage and participate in the discussion.
Join in the Professional Communicators' Network Online Forum
The Professional Communicators' Network Online Forum is a global networking site connecting professionals from around the world and providing a platform to share what works. Joining is F.R. E.E. so get connected with like minded professionals and actively participate in the discussion.
Let us help you become a more effective communicator. http://affiliate.kickapps.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4554367&as=80679
To read Paul McIntyre's original article visit http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/biztech/using-social-media-for-commercial-gain/2008/12/04/1228257189521.html
Friday, January 16, 2009
The Secret to Setting Powerful Goals in 2009
Do you set goals or make resolutions at the beginning of each year? With 2009 upon us now is the time to whip out a pen and paper or your Blackberry and make some plans before another digitally enhanced year speeds by!
Want to know the secret to setting goals that you will achieve? It's all to do with your unconscious mind and the way you frame your goals. You see when you talk about accomplishing something in the future, it will stay in the future in your mind.
For example here are some typical goals:
"I aim to increase my profits per client by 50%."
"I plan to delegate more and take more holidays in 2009."
Instead write them in the following manner:
"I increased profits per client by 50%."
"I outsourced all the administrative and operational functions of my business and took 6 weeks of holidays to travel."
See the difference? When you write your goals as accomplishments, you trick your subconscious mind into believing they've already happened.
Instead of thinking about all the obstacles between now and reaching your goals, visualize yourself already where you want to be. This minor shift in language will make a huge shift in setting up the mindset you need for success.
If you want 2009 to be more successful than 2008, you need to think differently and plan differently. You may need fresh ideas and different skills; to find new partners or associates, better ways to organize your business and even a coach or mentor.
Make a list of your accomplishments for this coming year. The act of writing them down and sharing them tricks your brain into making a commitment to reach them. Define what you'll have achieved 12 months from now written in the past tense, as if you'd already achieved them.
My secret weapon in ensuring my goals are powerful is to write them in the form of a gratitude letter. So each year I write my goals down in the form of a Gratitude Letter because as an author and communicator I find this narrative, descriptive form most powerful as it makes it tangible and gets my creative juices flowing.
I recommend you review your goals and plans regularly, daily if not weekly so as you reread them you can track your progress. It's easy to make resolutions. But it's hard to make them come true.
No wonder so many people make the same resolutions every year, without ever achieving them. Don't let yourself fall into this trap. This year 2009, right now, resolve to put your goals onto paper and, if you need to, hire a coach or find an accountability buddy to keep you on the track to success!
If you would like to download and read a copy of my special gratitude letter simply visit www.leadingvalue.net
Want to know the secret to setting goals that you will achieve? It's all to do with your unconscious mind and the way you frame your goals. You see when you talk about accomplishing something in the future, it will stay in the future in your mind.
For example here are some typical goals:
"I aim to increase my profits per client by 50%."
"I plan to delegate more and take more holidays in 2009."
Instead write them in the following manner:
"I increased profits per client by 50%."
"I outsourced all the administrative and operational functions of my business and took 6 weeks of holidays to travel."
See the difference? When you write your goals as accomplishments, you trick your subconscious mind into believing they've already happened.
Instead of thinking about all the obstacles between now and reaching your goals, visualize yourself already where you want to be. This minor shift in language will make a huge shift in setting up the mindset you need for success.
If you want 2009 to be more successful than 2008, you need to think differently and plan differently. You may need fresh ideas and different skills; to find new partners or associates, better ways to organize your business and even a coach or mentor.
Make a list of your accomplishments for this coming year. The act of writing them down and sharing them tricks your brain into making a commitment to reach them. Define what you'll have achieved 12 months from now written in the past tense, as if you'd already achieved them.
My secret weapon in ensuring my goals are powerful is to write them in the form of a gratitude letter. So each year I write my goals down in the form of a Gratitude Letter because as an author and communicator I find this narrative, descriptive form most powerful as it makes it tangible and gets my creative juices flowing.
I recommend you review your goals and plans regularly, daily if not weekly so as you reread them you can track your progress. It's easy to make resolutions. But it's hard to make them come true.
No wonder so many people make the same resolutions every year, without ever achieving them. Don't let yourself fall into this trap. This year 2009, right now, resolve to put your goals onto paper and, if you need to, hire a coach or find an accountability buddy to keep you on the track to success!
If you would like to download and read a copy of my special gratitude letter simply visit www.leadingvalue.net
Friday, January 9, 2009
The 'Embargo' argument
Last year, Chris Anderson of Wired magazine made news with the controversial decision to publish the email addresses of PR practitioners who consistently bombarded him with irrelevant pitches. Now, Michael Arrington of the TechCrunch blog has fired an opening salvo at companies that fail to enforce embargoes.
The latest article from Marketing Profs outlines his new approach:
"We've never broken an embargo at TechCrunch," he writes at a post titled "Death to the Embargo." "Not once. Today that ends. From now our new policy is to break every embargo. We'll happily agree to whatever you ask of us, and then we'll just do whatever we feel like right after that. We may break an embargo by one minute or three days. We'll choose at random."
In the last year, argues Arrington, companies desperate for attention have become especially aggressive in their pitching methods, for instance by providing embargoed announcements to just about anyone with a URL. While reputable outlets like TechCrunch hold the news until the embargo date, it looks as if they're being scooped on a regular basis by less scrupulous competitors. "The benefits are clear," he says. "[S]ites like Google News and TechMeme prioritize them first as having broken the story. Traffic and links flow in to whoever breaks an embargo first."
What do you think of Arrington's policy?
Cheers Heidi Alexandra Pollard, The Communicators' Coach
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Using the power of the mass media
Hi everyone,
this is Heidi Alexandra Pollard, The Communicators' Coach from picturesque Lake Macquarie and I thought I would share with you a story from a well known US PR guy Paul Hartunian.
Here's what Paul had to say about the power of mass media:
"When I sent out my press releases about the Brooklyn Bridge, I knew I was onto something big. I knew I had a great story and I was sure that the media was going to pick it up and run with it.
What I didn't know was just how big the publicity was going to be!
I didn't just get calls from newspapers and radio stations in New Jersey and New York. I was doing interviews with news organizations around the world.
I spoke to reporters at outlets I'd never heard of.
I only knew two things knew about these media organizations:
1 - they were going to give me sales - and I certainly hadn't sent them a press release.
2 - That second point made me think.
If I hadn't sent them a press release how did these newspapers and radio stations get hold of me?
The answer was obvious: they'd seen the story on the news, just like everyone else!
Without a doubt, one of the most amazing things about publicity is that when you have a good story for the media, there's no telling where you'll end up. You could send out a fax release to your town newspaper and the next day, you could get a call from Oprah Winfrey inviting you on her show.The reason is simple. Reporters are desperate for stories.
They have to put out their publication or show every day or every week without fail. And each edition has to be packed with interesting information. They can't just say, "Well heck, it's been a quiet week this week, let's cut twenty minutes from the show."
It just doesn't work that way. Whatever happens - or doesn't happen - reporters and editors have to produce exactly the same amount of information in each edition or each program.
That's why the story on that press release can end up circling the world before you know it.
"You can read all about Paul's Brooklyn Bridge adventure at:
http://www.Hartunian.com/bridge.htmlHappy New Year everyone
Cheers and Happy New Year from
Heidi Alexandra Pollard
The Communicators' Coach
www.leadingvalue.net
this is Heidi Alexandra Pollard, The Communicators' Coach from picturesque Lake Macquarie and I thought I would share with you a story from a well known US PR guy Paul Hartunian.
Here's what Paul had to say about the power of mass media:
"When I sent out my press releases about the Brooklyn Bridge, I knew I was onto something big. I knew I had a great story and I was sure that the media was going to pick it up and run with it.
What I didn't know was just how big the publicity was going to be!
I didn't just get calls from newspapers and radio stations in New Jersey and New York. I was doing interviews with news organizations around the world.
I spoke to reporters at outlets I'd never heard of.
I only knew two things knew about these media organizations:
1 - they were going to give me sales - and I certainly hadn't sent them a press release.
2 - That second point made me think.
If I hadn't sent them a press release how did these newspapers and radio stations get hold of me?
The answer was obvious: they'd seen the story on the news, just like everyone else!
Without a doubt, one of the most amazing things about publicity is that when you have a good story for the media, there's no telling where you'll end up. You could send out a fax release to your town newspaper and the next day, you could get a call from Oprah Winfrey inviting you on her show.The reason is simple. Reporters are desperate for stories.
They have to put out their publication or show every day or every week without fail. And each edition has to be packed with interesting information. They can't just say, "Well heck, it's been a quiet week this week, let's cut twenty minutes from the show."
It just doesn't work that way. Whatever happens - or doesn't happen - reporters and editors have to produce exactly the same amount of information in each edition or each program.
That's why the story on that press release can end up circling the world before you know it.
"You can read all about Paul's Brooklyn Bridge adventure at:
http://www.Hartunian.com/bridge.htmlHappy New Year everyone
Cheers and Happy New Year from
Heidi Alexandra Pollard
The Communicators' Coach
www.leadingvalue.net
Sunday, December 28, 2008
When's the last time you wrote a press release?
A new social marketing and information network (SNOBS) started by a Novacastrian colleague of mine from Australia is powering along on the world wide web.
This recent article titled "When's the last time you wrote a press release?" will be of interest to this blog community. The article includes a simple step by step how to guide for writing a release.
Oh and its a good reminder for those of us in the industry to remember to use this mechanism ourselves - too often we forget to promote our own company and work too!
To read more visit
http://www.snobs.com.au/2008/12/28/whens-the-last-time-you-wrote-a-press-release/
Cheers
Heidi Alexandra Pollard
The Communicators' Coach
www.thecommunicatorscoach.com.au
This recent article titled "When's the last time you wrote a press release?" will be of interest to this blog community. The article includes a simple step by step how to guide for writing a release.
Oh and its a good reminder for those of us in the industry to remember to use this mechanism ourselves - too often we forget to promote our own company and work too!
To read more visit
http://www.snobs.com.au/2008/12/28/whens-the-last-time-you-wrote-a-press-release/
Cheers
Heidi Alexandra Pollard
The Communicators' Coach
www.thecommunicatorscoach.com.au
Monday, November 24, 2008
Bring on the warmer weather and a healthy dose of optimism
Boy hasn't this year has flown by faster than ever!
It has certainly had its challenges with stock market fluctuations, interest rate rises and the retail sector experiencing the strain of consumers reigning in their spending. However I truly believe that the businesses that succeed in the long run take an optimistic attitude to the economy. I am confident that this is a wonderful time to be alive and those that triumph through the difficult times and continue marketing and use this opportunity to highlight their benefits to potential clients and customers will continue to flourish and prosper.
I am reminded of a story…
A shoe factory sends two marketing scouts to a region of Africa to study the prospects for expanding business. One sends back a telegram saying,
“Situation hopeless. Stop. No one wears shoes.”
The other writes back triumphantly,
“Glorious business opportunity. Stop. They have no shoes.”
To the marketing expert who sees no shoes, all the evidence points to hopelessness. To his colleague, the same conditions point to abundance and possibility.
It is in times of doom, gloom and budget slashing that we as marketing and communication professionals, by taking a strategic approach, can help our organizations progress in leaps and bounds. After all you become what you think about most of the time, so focus on where you are going and the strategic vision ahead.
Personally I am feeling very excited about the possibilities and opportunities that the 2009 will bring.
How are you remaining focused and positive? I would love to hear your stories – email me at Heidi@leadingvalue.net
It has certainly had its challenges with stock market fluctuations, interest rate rises and the retail sector experiencing the strain of consumers reigning in their spending. However I truly believe that the businesses that succeed in the long run take an optimistic attitude to the economy. I am confident that this is a wonderful time to be alive and those that triumph through the difficult times and continue marketing and use this opportunity to highlight their benefits to potential clients and customers will continue to flourish and prosper.
I am reminded of a story…
A shoe factory sends two marketing scouts to a region of Africa to study the prospects for expanding business. One sends back a telegram saying,
“Situation hopeless. Stop. No one wears shoes.”
The other writes back triumphantly,
“Glorious business opportunity. Stop. They have no shoes.”
To the marketing expert who sees no shoes, all the evidence points to hopelessness. To his colleague, the same conditions point to abundance and possibility.
It is in times of doom, gloom and budget slashing that we as marketing and communication professionals, by taking a strategic approach, can help our organizations progress in leaps and bounds. After all you become what you think about most of the time, so focus on where you are going and the strategic vision ahead.
Personally I am feeling very excited about the possibilities and opportunities that the 2009 will bring.
How are you remaining focused and positive? I would love to hear your stories – email me at Heidi@leadingvalue.net
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
