Why should communicators care about a book on Big Data? It could be argued that communicators cannot keep up with every single business trend, but I believe we need to pay attention to the major ones that will affect our work in the long run, such as social networking, mobile computing and now, Big Data. (Hey, I’ve even awarded it initial caps!)

Simon describes three dimensions of Big Data:

• Volume – the increasing amount of a data
• Variety – the increasing range of data types and sources
• Velocity – the increasing speed of data

Right now, Big Data consists mostly of unstructured bits and bytes found in blog posts, reviews, tweets, podcasts, emails and other varied sources. As our ability to harness this mountain of information grows, more and more business decisions will be based on Big Data.

In your own organization, you’ve probably heard complaints about the “information deluge.” If so, Simon offers some advice:

“If, like most learned folks, you believe that information is a business asset, then by definition Big Data inheres potentially enormous value. If you believe that data is a problem to be minimized, good luck surviving.”

Strong words.

But the book doesn’t focus on warnings; the tone is positive. Simon shares examples, case studies and his own considerable insights to help make sense of a topic that could easily overwhelm us. For most of the book, I was impressed by the readability of the prose; Simon’s use of storytelling helps to humanize what could have been a daunting tome.

This is not a technical, how-to manual about Big Data. Rather, it’s an accessible book that can help to increase your comfort level with the topic and broaden your understanding of Big Data’s possibilities in your own organization.

Who should read this book? According to the author – and I think he’s right – this volume would appeal to CEOs, CIOs and other senior leaders who want to understand the fuss about Big Data; employees at consulting firms and software vendors who need to educate clients about Big Data; and academics who want to prepare students to enter the Big Data world. I would add to the list: Communicators who don’t want to appear clueless when senior leaders bring Big Data to the table.

Too Big to Ignore: The Business Case for Big Data
by Phil Simon
John Wiley & Sons, 2013
231 pages
$50 in the United States, $60 in Canada

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book.

So how can you find great stuff as part of your content marketing efforts? Even better, how can you become a curator known for generously sharing the best of relevant content? Here are some tips for you. Of course this is not an exhaustive list, but instead shows simple steps you can start today.

First, you need to find great content.

• Subscribe to blogs and newsletters in your field; use Feedly, now that Google Reader is fading away, to keep those subscriptions up to date and in order.
• Check mainstream news sources daily (New York Times, Guardian, Mashable, etc.)
• Read LinkedIn Today for ideas.
• Sign up for updates from News.me, which gleans what it determines to be top stories from your Facebook and Twitter feeds, and delivers them to you as daily emails.
• Set up persistent searches in Twitter for keywords you’re interested in (for me, it’s podcasting, storytelling, curation and so on).
• Follow smart people on Twitter and subscribe to Twitter lists of “thought leaders” in your areas of interest.
• Get involved in Google+ Communities, where you’ll find plenty of insights and news around the niche topics you care about.
• Subscribe to “newspapers” on Paper.li; look for papers that focus on subject matter that’s meaningful to you. Here’s a quick video on Paper.li (slightly out of date but still apropos).
• Flip through Flipboard on your mobile device to find interesting stuff. You can share items directly to your social media accounts via Flipboard too.
• Sign up for Scoop.it, a publishing-by-curation platform, designed around your favorite keywords.

Next, you have to organize this wonderful content you’ve found.
My favorite tool for organizing my content is Delicious, a social bookmarking service. This slightly dated video shows you how it works. Some of my colleagues prefer Diigo or Pearltrees. Whichever social bookmarking tool you choose, be sure it allows you to add as many tags as you want, to make it easier to find content later. Do not rely on your browser bookmarks. Trust me on this!

Finally, you want to publish your great content.
Certainly there are a zillion ways to do this, but here are a few suggestions:

• Write blog posts, using the information you’re found as a jumping off point, while adding your own experience, insights and opinions.
• Tweet interesting blog posts, news items, etc., to your followers; share the content on Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ too.
• If the content is visual, consider sharing it on Pinterest.
• Publish your own “newspapers” on Scoop.it or Paper.li and share them via social media.
• Use Storify to gather up tweets around a particular hashtag (great for events!) and share them on social media or embed them in your blog.
• For an organization, consider using such paid services as Curata or Curation Station to curate content.

You’ll become a true curator when you consistently find, organize, annotate and share the best of relevant content. As I’ve mentioned, the above is not a complete list, and I’m curious to learn about your favourite ways to find, organize and share content. Please comment below.

By the way, if you’re interested in the topic of curation, you might find these presentations helpful:
Best practices for content curation
Content curation

If not, why not? Slideshare is the secret weapon in many marketers’ arsenals, especially in the B2B world. Yes, it’s the world’s most popular platform for sharing your PowerPoint or Keynote slide decks, but it’s also much more. Slideshare is a social network, too, and a way to enrich your content marketing efforts, because search engines will serve up your presentations.

A case in point: A presentation that I posted almost two years ago comes up on the first page of Google search results for “content curation best practices.” At the time I posted it, I wasn’t using Slideshare much, since I thought of it as merely a convenient place to upload slides when people wanted to refer to them after one of my presentations.

And then a funny thing happened.

Within a couple of months, my slide deck was viewed more than 10,000 times. Now the number is north of 13,000. After the sudden and unexpected popularity of that presentation, I started to think of Slideshare differently.

I should add this note, in case you look at the content curation presentation shown below: It was very well received at the conference where I presented it, but I don’t think the deck works well as a standalone piece of content. Most presentations don’t. At the time, I used a template suggested by the conference organizer. Soon after, I totally redesigned the master template for all of my presentations, with the help of a graphic designer, and purchased a proprietary font too.

Here are some suggestions for using Slideshare successfully as part of your content marketing efforts:

• If you, like me, don’t use wordy slides when you do live presentations, consider creating a second deck for use on Slideshare, so that your presentation makes sense without your narration. Avoid boring bullet points!
• Or, consider adding an audio track on Slideshare. Be sure to use a decent microphone to record your audio, something like the Blue Yeti. If you use your built-internal microphone or a cheap headset, lousy audio quality will degrade the image you’re trying to project.
• Be sure to give your Slideshare presentation a name that uses keywords people would use in search. If your title is too clever, no one will find it.
• Do be aware that the content of your slides is automatically transcribed, which will also boost your SEO.
• Upload your presentation as a PDF, not as PPT or PPTx, especially if you use a proprietary font as I do.
• Embed your Slideshare content in your blog, link to it on Twitter, and so on. In other words, be sure your followers know your content exists.

Are you having success with Slideshare? Please share your experience in the comments.

Content curation: Best practices from Trafalgar Communications

In case you’re not familiar: Affiliate links are special codes used to give commissions to people who spread the word about your product or service. If I were to review a book on my blog, and include an affiliate link, I would get a commission if you clicked through to buy the book.

Here’s the thing.

I think affiliate links are fine, as long as they’re for products and services we legitimately recommend, and the affiliate status is disclosed. For the record: I have affiliate accounts at several places, including Aweber and Amazon, but I have not yet used them.

Further, I’ve always thought that FTC regulations in the United States required bloggers to disclose affiliate links. If you’re a Canadian blogger, it seems to make sense to follow these rules, as much of your audience is likely to be in the U.S.

Recently, I heard a speaker at an association meeting here in the Toronto area say that it is ethical to include affiliate links in his blog posts and LinkedIn updates, without disclosing that they are affiliate links that will earn him money.

That just doesn’t sit right with me. And this issue is now swirling around a prominent curator and blogger who is also using affiliate links – quite successfully – to pay the bills.

Maria Popova publishes the wildly popular Brain Pickings. I started following her on Twitter last year and sometimes click through to read her blog. Her content is always interesting and beautifully presented, although sometimes too long for the time I set aside for recreational reading.

Popova refers to her site as “ad free,” even though it is supported by affiliate links. According to this post in On Advertising, Popova rakes in substantial revenue from the links while soliciting donations for her “ad free” site. I was disappointed to read this. (By the way, you can often tell when a link is affiliated; just look at the code, where you’ll often see the referrer’s name. Sometimes it’s just a number, though.)

What do you think? Is an affiliate link an ad? Would you use affiliate links without disclosing them?

In the decades since that job, I’ve tried to get better at interpersonal communications; it’s something I work on every day. Sometimes being a straight shooter can be misinterpreted as being abrupt. (Also, my mom was right about “Think before you speak.”)

Since I’d like to stay in business, I’ve learned not to say: “I’m too busy. I can’t write your case study until next Thursday.” Instead: “I’d be happy to write that case study for you. I can get a first draft to you next Thursday.” The second answer sounds more positive, less confrontational.

Here’s the list by author Deborah L. Jacobs:

1. But…
2. Don’t you think
3. Truthfully
4. Why don’t you
5. You
6. Not to be funny/sarcastic/critical, but
7. That’s (or you’re) ridiculous/stupid/idiotic/boring
8. I meant to tell you
9. Surely you jest
10. I’m pissed
11. Who do you think you are?
12. Always/never

If you read the article, you’ll benefit from the author’s explanation of why it’s best to avoid these phrases. She also suggests career-enhancing alternatives.

Since tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, it’s probably worth saying that steering clear of these phrases could enhance your personal relationships too.

Oh, and I would add one phrase to this list: “With all due respect.” In my opinion, when you utter this, the person you’re speaking to hears: “You’re full of crap.”

What would you add?

Here are a few of the tips I usually share when I’m involved in event marketing and promotion.

Tell your friends about the event
As soon as you know the date of the event, send a “Save the Date” email to your friends, family and colleagues. Let them know why you care about this event.

Like and follow the event
Take a few minutes to “like” the event’s Facebook page and follow the event’s Twitter feed. Every few days, “like” a post on the Facebook page or retweet one of the tweets, so your friends can be aware of your interest. It helps to spread the word.

Find out what the event hashtag is. Use it!
Whenever you tweet or blog about the event, use the hashtag approved by the event organizer. This helps to aggregate search results for the event and assists the organizers with measurement.

Keep your friends in the loop
Invite your friends to “like” the event’s Facebook page. As the date approaches, remind your friends of the upcoming event using Facebook posts, Twitter updates or updates on other social media platforms, such as LinkedIn or Google+. If you blog, mention the event to your readers, if this message is appropriate for your audience.

At the event
Share photos, videos, audio clips, tweets and Facebook updates at the event. Use the hashtag. Whether you use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr or other social media, you can help to build buzz, especially if the event lasts longer than a day. People may see your tweet on Friday and come out on Saturday or Sunday.

After the event
Talk about the success of the event on your blog, in your Twitter feed and on Facebook. Share photos, audio clips and videos. Sign up to volunteer next year!

1. You show the egg in your profile.
If you take the time to add a simple profile picture, you appear to be a genuine human being, which is what you are, right? People follow those they know, like and trust. It’s hard to know, like and trust an egg. Unless you’re a chicken.

2. You have no bio.
If you don’t complete your bio, the people of Twitterland don’t know who you are. Share a little about yourself and why we should want to read your tweets. Include a link to your blog or website. Twitter gives you 160 characters for your bio (vs. 140 for a tweet). Use them. Take a look at what my friend Bonnie Dean has done with her bio. (Click image to enlarge.)

3. All your tweets are in broadcast mode.
Unless you’re a Twitter superstar (hello, @GuyKawasaki), people expect to see engagement in your tweets. Try @ replying to people and retweeting others’ tweets. Your Twitter stream shouldn’t all be about you, you, you. Make it interesting.

4. Worse, you haven’t tweeted anything at all.
Don’t commit the newbie error of following people on Twitter before you’ve squeezed out a single tweet. Be sure there are at least a dozen bits of brilliance in your stream before you begin following. We want to see what you’re tweeting so we can determine whether to follow back.

5. We don’t speak Dutch.
Some of the people who follow me write exclusively in Portuguese or Dutch or other languages I can’t read, so I won’t follow back.

So how do you encourage followers?

• Add a photo and write your 160-character bio.
• Show your personality.
• Tweet interesting content; engage with people.

Do you have other reasons for not following back?

Still, in the early days, podcasting was not for the faint of heart. The technical side was tricky, and accurate information was hard to find. Today, however, we have plenty of software and tools at our disposal, as well as examples of communicators who’ve ventured into the world of podcasting before us.

What is a podcast?
A podcast is a multimedia file distributed by subscription over the Internet using syndication feeds and played back on a personal computer or mobile device. A podcast can be an audio or video file. For now, let’s stick to audio. It’s important to point out that for many internal podcasts, whether they’re produced at corporations, nonprofits or governments, a feed may not be used, and listeners are instead encouraged to stream the audio using their desktop or laptop computer at the office.

Portability, with no iPod required
Despite the name podcasting, you do not need an Apple iPod to create a podcast or listen to one. You can hear a podcast on your desktop or laptop computer or by using a portable MP3 player or smartphone. The portability of podcasting is a beautiful thing. You can “tune in” while running on the treadmill, folding laundry or commuting to work. In many vehicles, you can plug your audio player into the speaker system and listen to podcasts instead of radio.

Why should communicators care about podcasts?
The human touch of audio makes podcasting an engaging communications tool that can augment traditional face-to-face, print and online media for company news, investor relations, marketing, product announcements, employee recruitment, training and more.

That’s why such organizations as Disney, IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, Whirlpool and others have produced podcasts that inform employees, educate the public and reinforce their brands.

How to use a podcast internally
It might be easier to grasp the idea of a podcast for external marketing. However, organizations do produce podcasts to reach internal audiences, to complement the employee newsletter, intranet and other communications. At one organization in the U.S., the communications manager told me that after he started up a podcast, many employees made listening to the weekly show part of their Monday morning routine. The producers covered such topics as new business, the employee assistance program, the occasional message from the CEO, and human-interest stories (about an employee who survived breast cancer and another who rode in the junior Tour de France, for example).

At a specialty pharmaceutical company in Canada, when a new VP of sales came on board, the communications manager suggested that audio might be an effective way for him to speak with the company’s 130 sales reps dispersed around the country and spending a lot of time stuck in their cars.

The podcast caught on. In fact, the show was originally designed around the needs of the sales force, but when other employees heard about it, they started clamoring for audio reports from their colleagues in Scientific Affairs, Clinical Development, Government Relations, HR and so on. In the end, management opened the podcast up to anyone in the organization.

How do organizations benefit from an internal podcast?
Time and again, I hear that employees can be inspired by a well-thought out and well-produced podcast. It’s a source of not just information, but a sense of community as well.

Although cost-cutting is not usually an impetus for internal podcasting, it can be a result. At one global high-tech firm, switching from conference calls to podcasts saved the company more than $200,000 per year on its phone bill. In addition, employees in Asia no longer had to rise at an ungodly hour to dial in to calls originating in North America. Instead, thousands of employees across the world could time-shift and even place-shift their listening to an hour and location convenient for them.

How do you measure success?
You can count the number of downloads of your MP3 file and visits to your podcast page. More importantly, you may recognize increased employee engagement and better rapport between management and staff. One manager told me: “We’ll keep podcasting until someone tells us to stop. Both employees and leadership consider the podcast a success.” Another said: “People now know more about what’s happening in the company. We receive emails from employees asking questions that I know they wouldn’t have asked before we started the podcast.”

How is a podcast made?
You can create a basic podcast with an inexpensive headset microphone, free audio-editing software (such as Audacity on the Mac or PC, or Garage Band on the Mac) and your computer. You’ll also need a server on which to store the MP3 files, plus a feed to distribute the podcast. The easiest way to generate a feed is a blog.

Serious podcasters often invest in higher-end microphones, mixers and digital recorders, but the technique for creating a podcast is the same. Some organizations handle their own recording and editing; others outsource this job.

Overall, technology is secondary; content rules. When planning your podcast, you have to decide how to best meet the needs of your audience. Should you try a talk-show format, a more casual conversation between cohosts, a comment-driven show or a simple audio address from the CEO? You also need to decide on a publication frequency. Weekly? Monthly? Perhaps you can produce a limited series of five or 10 episodes around a particular topic, then launch a new series for another area of interest.

So what are you waiting for?
Here’s some advice before you start your podcast:

• Take a workshop, read a podcasting book or hire an expert to introduce you to podcasting techniques and technologies.
• Map out a strategy; define your goal and your audience.
• Plan the topics of your first 10 shows.
• Be sure to invite listener comments, and pay heed to them.
• Make friends with the IT department and be sure they understand what you’re doing.
• Keep podcasting. You’ll get better each time.

A few ideas for internal podcasts

• Peers interviewing peers
• Interviews with leaders
• Communicating benefits information
• Replacing the conference call and old-school CDs
• Education and training
• Recordings during or before conferences and symposia
• Helping geographically dispersed employees keep in touch with happenings at head office

Recommended communications podcasts for internal communicators

• For Immediate Release: The Hobson and Holtz Report
• Inside PR
• Trafcom News Podcast (my podcast)

Bonus: Here’s a podcast I recorded on the subject of internal podcasting back in 2010.

Are you ready for some hard truths? Please accept this well-meaning advice from someone who’s been running an independent consultancy for more than 20 years.

Here are some things to consider before you start tweeting or posting to Facebook or Google+ or even LinkedIn.

Do you know your unique selling proposition (USP)?
What makes you different? Why would I buy your products or services, whether that’s photography, public relations advice, management consulting or even home cleaning? Saying “I’m really good at what I do” is not a USP. Take the time to sit down and figure out what distinguishes you from the other businesses in your market.

Do you understand your customer?
What drives your typical client? What makes him tick? How does she make buying decisions? Do your research and write up a thorough description of your buyer persona. This will help you craft your marketing plan.

Is your website in solid working order?
If you start to tweet and then send me to a website that looks like it was designed by your 12-year-old nephew, what image does that convey? If you’re in communications and your site is riddled with typos, what are you saying about your attention to detail? Break the bank, hire help and build a site you’re proud of. Be sure to pay attention to search engine optimization.

Have you taken the time to learn about social media?
Many early adopters jumped onto the proverbial Twitter bandwagon without knowing why they were there. It was fun. It was a “community.” But Twitter – and indeed all major social networks – have progressed beyond the playground stage. Managing a Facebook page for a business is more complex than posting pictures of your cat on your personal profile. Don’t be that guy who innocently tweets one of those “Have you seen yourself in this video?” spam messages or who constantly pushes out marketing twaddle without engaging with anyone.

Invest your time and money in a course or workshop, hire a consultant, read books, study social media blogs. Listen to podcasts about social media. However you choose to learn, just do it.

What do you think?
Please share your comments. Am I on track? Off base? What do you think?

No buy-in from leadership
If your CEO thinks social media is a needless drain on employees’ time, either convince him otherwise or rethink your justification for using social media. Do you really want to engage in an activity that will put you at loggerheads with leadership?

No resources
Your management gives you the go-ahead to “do social media,” but doesn’t allocate people or dollars toward this activity. Instead, you’re expected to just add “social media” to your long list of responsibilities. Oh, and you should monitor the company’s Twitter feed 24/7 too. Sleep is for sissies.

The worst offenders of all in this category? Companies that plan to use social media for customer service, but don’t assign anyone the responsibility of actually reading and responding to customer laments.

Your website stinks
So you start posting profusely on G+, Twitter, LinkedIn and elsewhere, and you drive people to your website. What do they find there? Flash animations? A preponderance of long-winded text? If people click away in boredom or confusion, what’s the point?

No goals, no measurement
If you start using social media because everyone else is doing it, you’re unlikely to set meaningful goals and measurements. So even if you do manage to be successful, how will you know?

Let’s turn this around and focus on the positive:

• Work on getting leadership buy-in for social media. Help management to understand social media.
• Make a strong case for allocating resources to implement social media tactics intelligently; be sure your use of social media meshes with your overall communications or marketing strategy.
• Be sure your website is ready for the attention it will receive when you build a social media presence.
• Set up meaningful goals; monitor continually; and learn how to measure success.

Otherwise, you’re wasting your time.

Planning

• What is the goal of your podcast? Why do you want to do one anyway?
• Who is your intended audience?
• Does your audience have broadband access?
• How technically savvy is your audience?
• What are your competitors doing?
• Do you have the resources to produce your own podcast or do you need help?
• How long will your podcast be?
• How often will you produce your podcast?
• Will you commit yourself to a regular schedule or do a limited series instead?
• Have you researched and chosen a name and tagline? Is it easily repeatable by word of mouth?
• Have you registered a domain name for your podcast?

Publishing

• Will you integrate the podcast into your existing Web presence or build something new?
• Have you looked at WordPress and all its various podcasting plugins?
• Do you have album art and a visual identity for your podcast?
• Have you selected theme music as your auditory signature or brand?
• Do you want listeners to be able to subscribe via iTunes with one click?
• Have you provided a Flash or HTML5 player, RSS feed and download capability so your audience can listen now, subscribe or listen later?
• Will you allow listener comments? Audio and/or text?
• Will you set up a comment line so listeners can phone in?

Content

• What kind of tone do you want to set?
• Do you have any existing content that can be repackaged?
• Will you record a standard into and outro with music?
• Will you write show notes for each podcast – for the sake of your listeners and to boost search-engine rankings?
• Will you produce a transcript for each episode?
• Will your podcast sound like a radio show, a tutorial, interviews, a conversation or something else?
• Will you be recording conference presentations or seminars?
• Who is the host?
• How long will the show be?

Production

• Where will your audio be recorded? Studio? On location?
• Do you need to record over the phone or Skype?
• Have you selected software to let you record Skype calls?
• Will you script any of your content in advance?
• How much editing do you expect to do? Have you selected software for this task?
• Do you need professional voiceover talent for your intro/outro?
• Have you sourced royalty-free podsafe stingers and music for your musical signature?
• Have you evened out the volume of speech and music in your file?
• How will you generate your feed? Have you looked at Feedburner?
• Have you added proper ID3 tags so that listeners can identify your show?
• Where will your MP3 files be hosted?
• Where will you store backup copies of your files?

On recording day

• Do you have your notes?
• Have you confirmed your guest, if you have one?
• Do you have some room-temperature water to keep your throat hydrated?
• Have you shut down non-essential gadgets that make noise (phone, computer fans, etc.)?
• If you are in a remote location, do you have a portable recorder, batteries, microphone, etc.?
• Is your microphone hooked up properly? Have you done a test recording? Checked your input levels?
• Do you need a pop filter?
• Are you using headphones to monitor your recording?
• If you’re recording a Skype call, is your audio-capture software ready?
• Have you remembered to record roomtone to enable noise removal later?
• Have you backed up your uncompressed files and then your final mix?

Promotion and measurement

• How will you promote your podcast using traditional and social media?
• How will you track download statistics?
• How will you measure the success of your podcast?

Various factors affect the success of a podcast, both from a content and audio quality point of view. But you, as the interviewee, are the most important.

Here are a few tips to help you shine as a podcast guest. After all, you’re probably doing the interview to share your knowledge as an expert, to promote your business or your book, or to generate speaking gigs. So you want to be your best.

Preparation
Check out the podcast to ensure it fits your needs. Ask the host what the angle of the interview is, and about the intended audience. If your target market is mega-corporations, and the podcast is geared toward home business, you should probably decline. Do your homework so you don’t waste your time.

Ask for discussion areas in advance, but don’t expect to get every question in writing. As a podcaster, I don’t share exact questions before the interview, because some guests get a little nervous and script their answers, and then expect to read them on the podcast. Trust me on this: Unless you’re a trained voice actor, reading can be the fastest way to ruin an interview. Of course, you do want to keep relevant facts and figures at your fingertips so that you sound like the expert you are.

Get the technology out of the way early. When you’re booked as a guest, confirm the date and time (including time zone). Ask whether the interview will be conducted in person or by phone, Skype, Google+ Hangouts or some other means. If it’s by phone, please use a landline, not a mobile phone. Audio quality on a phone is less than optimal; it’s even worse on a cell phone.

Sounding great
These days, many podcasters use Skype for remote interviews. Although the popularity of Skype continues to grow, some guests are not familiar with it, and attempt to “try it out” at the time of the interview. This is not a good idea. If you’re not accustomed to using Skype, install it in advance and experiment with a friend or family member. Or use the “Skype test call” feature within the application. Learn how to start up the program, plug in your headset and/or microphone, and turn off Skype notifications so that you don’t hear annoying beeps during the interview.

The right gear will improve sound quality immensely. If you’re going to do multiple remote interviews, invest in a headset and microphone combo. Even better: a USB microphone like the Blue Yeti, which will give you very good podcast quality for under $100. The worst audio quality will result from using the internal microphone built into your PC. If you must rely on it, learn to use it properly and position yourself to capture decent (not great) sound.

Quiet on the set! Turn off all notifications that make noise on your computer. If you have a thunderous fan or air conditioner in the room, turn it off for the interview. If you have a noisy child or pet, do not do the interview if they’re within earshot, unless they’re part of the story.

Share your stories. Using a story to make a point can be very effective. But do be sure that your stories don’t run too long. Check with the podcaster; how much time do you have? Remember not to talk too fast. Sometimes when we’re excited about a topic, we speak too quickly. Slow down, and remember to breathe.

Pauses please. The interviewer might ask for pauses between questions and answers, which makes the editing process easier. So, after you say something, don’t be afraid of the silence, which will be edited out. When I do interviews, I usually warn the guest in advance about these pregnant pauses.

Have you ever been a podcast guest? What tips would you share?

My answer is this: I believe any organization can be interesting if we go to the trouble of uncovering relevant, compelling stories.

Junk. Supply chain management. Solder paste.

Do these topics sound scintillating to you? Well, guess what: In each case, organizations have unearthed interesting content despite their  “boring” industries.

On his blog, David Meerman Scott showcases the example of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, whose communication geniuses often share content linked to something in the news or a particular season. For example, in the New Year people may resolve to “get organized.”  What’s more, the JUNK people focus on customer needs, rather than pumping out bland ad copy. They also tap into the emotions that people feel when they are unburdened by the excess stuff in their lives. We can all learn a thing or two from them.

Kinaxis, a company specializing in supply chain management, employs funny videos, among other tactics, to communicate with customers and prospects. To showcase thought leadership, they publish videos of their managers discussing industry trends. If they can do it, so can you.

And finally, I give you Indium Corporation, whose bloggers, many of whom are engineers, have managed to make the topic of solder paste fascinating.

There you have it: No more excuses. No matter what industry you’re in, you can produce stories. Feel free to share your own storytelling experiences in the comments.

Let’s look at the steps you can take right now to improve the copy on your website.

Be sure you know what the goal of your site is, as well as the aim for each section or page.
“Wait a minute,” you’re thinking, “Isn’t it obviouswhat the goal of my site is? To get more business!” Sorry, but you need to be more precise. Are you trying to generate leads, create awareness of your company and its products and services, build relationships, or actually sell from the site? Make sure you understand the purpose of your site overall, as well as each page or section. Try to look at your site with the fresh eyes of a stranger, and not as someone with a vested interest.

Determine whether your copy is customer-centric.
Is your copy geared toward your needs or the needs of your clients and prospects? Make sure your site is not focused on “ME ME ME,” but instead speaks to “YOU YOU YOU.”

Check for grammatical and spelling errors, as well as random capitalization.
Some people will indeed judge your professionalism if they see its and it’sused incorrectly, or random words awarded an initial cap, or other errors. If you’re unsure of the rules of modern grammar, or if your spelling is a bit shaky, hire a copy editor or proofreader.

Link to your social media accounts.
Don’t hide your presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and other social media platforms. Be sure to include links to all your social media accounts. (Wait a minute: You’re not using social media? Let’s talk!)

Always be clear.
Because people often skim websites and don’t read word for word, be sure your copy is crystal clear. Don’t use a big word when a small one willsuffice do. While you’re working on being clear, be sure you’re not offering way too much information. Remember that most visitors don’t want to read reams of facts and figures. Keep your story short and sweet; leave them wanting more.

Share your story.
Sure, we’re in business, but we relate to each other as human beings first. Use your site to convey a sense of what your company is all about, as well as your passion for solving customer problems. Numbers and data are not enough. We think we act rationally, but most humans are swayed by emotion, so be sure to incorporate emotion into your story.

Use visuals and multimedia.
We’re living in the age of visual communication. Think about adding visuals to your site that attract people and tell your story. Audio and video can help you achieve this goal too.

Be sure your copy is fresh and inviting, not boring and out of date.
If your last “news” was posted in 2010, your site is out of date. Stale information doesn’t make you look very professional, and search engines disfavor infrequently updated sites. By adding a blog to your site, you can keep the search engines and your prospects and customers happy. In fact, a frequently updated blog is one of the best ways to boost your rankings. Don’t worry: maintaining a blog doesn’t need to be an onerous task. Write short posts about the topics your audience cares about. Include tips, frequently asked questions, links to relevant news items, product offerings, advice on how to use your products and services, plus curated links to content by others. Oh, and be sure to fix any dead links that might be lurking around your site.

Write your copy for both humans and search engines.
A website written just for search engines is unlikely to be very interesting to humans. Write for people, but keep search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. Be sure you know what your keywords are, and use them in such a way as to not violate Google’s rules, lest you taint your rankings in its search engine.

Add a clear, strong call to action.
What do you want visitors to do when they visit your site? Check out your latest products? Subscribe to your e-newsletter? Watch your how-to videos? Be sure you have clear calls to action, and make it easy for people to follow through. For example, if your call to action is to subscribe to your fascinating and useful e-newsletter, don’t ask for too many bits of information; stick to first and last name and email address. If your site contains zero calls to action, you’re missing out.

An unparalleled orator and skilled politician, Clinton enhanced his address with personal touches, making it more powerful, more emotional and – in the end – more effective, in my opinion.

Lucky for speakers and speechwriters, the good people at The Atlantic have compared Clinton’s prepared remarks with his delivered words.

Look at what Clinton did. He added repetition (“I want…”), he made verb phrases stronger (“we focus on” vs. “we are focused on”), and he added colourful phrases and stories (George Washington’s wooden teeth…).

He also inserted folksier Clintonesque elements reminiscent of his Arkansas roots: the use of “now” at the start of sentences, changing “people” to “folks,” and one of my Southern favourites, “I’m fixing to…”.

Now, I’m fixin’ to review The Atlantic article again today, and I hope you folks do too.

Today I came across two posts that had me nodding my head in approval so vigorously that I almost gave myself a headache. In the first one, my friend Sue Horner describes how a local restaurant eked out a couple of tweets about a special fixed priced menu, then apparently didn’t communicate further with potential diners, or even those already seated in the room. The owners were probably wondering why the social media magic didn’t work, and the restaurant wasn’t packed every night.

In the second post, Stanford Smith relates a “pick your brain over coffee” meeting* where a potential client believed that social media would solve all his business problems. Smith wisely advised him that: “Social media will only make your problem worse.  You have to have a compelling product first. If you don’t, social media will only pour gas on the fire that’s burning your business down.”

Because social media and social marketing seem ubiquitous today, we’re seeing these trends (among others), in my humble opinion:

• Businesses that have not used social media to date are feeling compelled to jump on the so-called bandwagon, some without forethought or goals or ways to measure success; and
• Businesses that are using social media, but who are doing so poorly, are complaining that “social media doesn’t work.”

As someone who has been immersed in communications for more than 20 years, and in social media since 2004, I feel qualified to weigh in with this unsolicited advice:

• Social media is not magic.
• Social media will not “sell” a poorly designed service or product.
• Social media in a vacuum, not integrated with a communications or marketing plan, is likely to fail big time.
• Social media is not free; you need to dedicate time and resources.

Every few weeks I receive a call or email from someone who wants to learn to “do” social media. But when I ask about their marketing plan, they often reply: “What marketing plan?”

Yes, social media may be relatively new in the world of business. But some things do not change: You need goals, you need a plan, you need resources, and you need to make sure that all the moving parts click together.

What do YOU think? Have you ever been asked to pull a rabbit out of a social media hat?

* I must write a post about the “pick-your-brain-over coffee” meeting some time. I do believe my time is worth more than the cost of a tall caffè latte.

I do not possess a green thumb. Growing up in a New York apartment, I didn’t learn a thing about planting, growing or harvesting. Fruits and vegetables originated from the market on the corner. When we visited my aunt and uncle in Pennsylvania, I was amazed that the ingredients in their salads were grown in their very own garden – luscious tomatoes, crunchy lettuce and cucumbers, flavourful dill and basil and more. Being asked to go outside to pick tomatoes was a thrill.

When I moved to a condo in Toronto in the 80s I tried my hand at container gardening on the balcony. After two weeks I had to toss the pretty pink impatiens I’d carefully planted, after they were destroyed by tiny flying creatures. Aphids, I think.

City girl goes green
Moving to a house in Oakville with a spacious backyard (by my standards anyway) gave me the opportunity to finally try gardening for real. The first year was a bust. I didn’t know that black walnut trees, which provide deep shade, also kill tomatoes and a host of other types of plants within 50 feet of their canopies. Armed with this knowledge, I found varieties that could resist the trees’ toxins. I also learned to live in the constant presence of nut-loving squirrels and chipmunks.

Over the years I was excited to grow lettuce, zucchini, cucumbers, green beans, peppers, mint, basil, oregano, parsley and a few other experiments. Each spring I would prepare for the planting season by weeding the vegetable plot, tilling the soil, putting down some black earth purchased from the garden centre, and then spreading my precious compost. Yes, throughout most of the year, except in the dead of winter, I trudged to the side of the house to deposit apple cores, egg shells, potato peels and wilted greens into a big black plastic box, which magically turned this kitchen waste into rich compost. For a city girl, this was next to miraculous.

Some summers were better than others. One year, for example, an uptick in the local rabbit population transformed my garden into a bunny snack bar. Another summer, a surfeit of travel and deadlines pulled me away from the garden too often, and the weeds got the upper hand.

The march of the earwigs
And then came the earwigs, the heat and the drought of 2012. Early in the season, I noticed that something was munching on my bok choy and Chinese cabbage. By the time I recognized the scourge of the earwigs, it was too late; the plants were decimated. I left them in the ground, hoping that the insects would confine their nocturnal snacking to these plants, and leave the others alone. They did, for the most part. My leaf and Boston lettuce did pretty well. Then Mother Nature turned off the rain and cranked up the sun and the temperature. No amount of hand watering or sprinkling seemed to help. (Perhaps plants don’t like Oakville’s super-chlorinated tap water?)

During all-too-brief thunderstorms, fat raindrops seemed to bounce off the hard soil. One zucchini plant keeled over. The cilantro withered. The basil grew spindly, the parsley browned.

By this point in the season, early August, I should be tending to knee-high zucchini plants with elephant-ear-sized leaves. I should be baking zucchini bread and begging the neighbours to take some veggies off my hands. Instead, I have one diminutive plant that has yielded two measly zucchinis. And, so far I have eaten one cucumber from the garden. The others were either yellow or rotten. I won’t be freezing a batch of fragrant pesto this year either.

Lamenting the state of the back yard to my daughter the other night, I said: “Forget it. All that work for nothing. Next year I’m just going to put down grass seed and forget about planting herbs and vegetables.”

(And yes, I’m aware that my travails are picayune compared to the plight of farmers trying to make a living off the land.)

Not ready to throw in the trowel
But today I’ve reconsidered. This city girl isn’t quite ready to throw in the trowel. I’m trying to figure out how to ensure that my garden of 2013 has a better chance of success. I’m not sure yet what the answer is. A deeper layer of compost? A rain barrel to capture whatever moisture Mother Nature bestows on us? Hardier plants? An eagle eye to spot the first incursion of earwigs?

I can’t help comparing this year’s gardening experience with owning a small business. At times, success just seems to happen, and you don’t even know how lucky you are when fortune shines. And as much as you can’t take credit for luck, you can’t take the blame for crap that’s beyond your control.

No matter how well we think we have prepared, bad stuff happens. The answer, for me, is not to quit, but to do an even better job next time of laying the groundwork and being sensitive to the environment. Giving up is not an option.

So, how’s your garden this year?

If there’s one thing life has taught me, it’s that there are no shortcuts!

(By the way, I loathe the term thought leader, but we’re pretty much stuck with it.)

Someone who curates content and never produces original content is probably not in the league of thought leaders. But I would hope that if you’re curating knowledge about a particular topic, it’s a subject that you are also passionate about. And if you’re passionate, it’s likely that you’re also creating original content.

For example, I write and podcast about communications, content marketing, content curation, podcasting, and being an independent communicator. In these realms, I produce both original and curated content.

I don’t curate anything in the world of jazz, nanotechnology or marathon running; what I know about these topics would fit in Barbie’s thimble. Since I don’t even aspire to any kind of leadership in any of these fields, I don’t curate these and I don’t create original content either.

Recently I came across this suggestion by Todd Defren: “Follow a 70/30 Rule – 70% of content curated, 30% branded. Why? Because the rest-of-the-world is at least 70% more interesting than your brand; and, promoting external content builds social capital, makes grateful fans of influencers.”

I love this because it speaks my truth: I want to curate content from others because there’s a whole universe of people smarter and more interesting than I. Why wouldn’t I want to consume their stuff and share it with others? Quoting another person on the topic of content marketing does not make me less knowledgeable on the subject. In fact, I would argue that it makes me more knowledgeable, because of the synergy that can be sparked by the confluence of ideas.

What do you think? Are curation and thought leadership compatible?

• How long have you had your own business?
• Is it hard do to?
• What qualities do I need?

The first question is the easiest to answer. In my case, it’s 25+ years.

As to the difficulty of starting a business, well, this requires a long answer, which I will cover in the book I’m writing. Today, for some reason, I’ve been dwelling on the latter question: What qualities does someone need to be a successful independent? Here’s the list I came up with:

Passionate about a niche
I don’t think you can succeed as a wishy-washy generalist. “Hey, I’m a writer and I can write anything.” “If you’re a member of the human race, you’re my ideal consulting client.” No.

The people I know who’ve established a niche – especially a niche they’re passionate about – seem to be the happiest and the busiest. They’re doing work they love and they’ve built a successful brand that people know and remember.

When you’re passionate about a topic, you’re naturally more likely to keep up to date, to connect with others in your field, and to share knowledge with clients, prospects and colleagues. Bonus: If you’re smart about publishing great content in your niche, clients will find you.

Not afraid of their own voice
This doesn’t mean that the successful independent must be a great speaker (although this can help). What I mean is that you can’t be afraid of your own ideas. People are more likely, in my opinion, to hire someone who speaks with conviction and behaves confidently, but not arrogantly.

Persistent
Especially in the early years, owning an independent business can be challenging. You have to establish your niche, find clients, keep those clients happy, and always be on the lookout for new business. It’s too easy to fold up and go home. But here’s the thing: Successful people don’t give up so easily.

Positive attitude
If you’re someone who often mutters, “Well, with my luck, it will probably rain for the picnic…” you might not be a candidate for the independent life. In my experience, the glass-half-full types who hang out with other glass-half-full types are more likely to reach the peak of their profession.

Along a related line, a recent Harvard Business Review article by my friend Kare Christine Anderson makes a brilliant point: What captures your attention controls your life. In other words, “consciously changing what you pay attention to can rewire your brain from a negative orientation to a positive one.” So if you want to be a successful independent, think like one. (Just like the advice to think like a thin person if you want to lose weight.)

Adaptability
Years ago I knew someone who was successful as a typesetter, but was not able to adapt to changing technology when his craft became as obsolete as the buggy whip. If you’re over 40, please resist the urge to say things like: “In my day, we did it this way.”

A few months ago I heard a woman (younger than I) utter: “Well, I’ll leave that social media stuff to the kids.” How many opportunities did she kiss goodbye with that close-minded statement? Plenty.

Sure, I loved what I could do with my first fax machine, but today we’re light years from 1990. Adapt or die.

I know there are other keys to indie success. Which top traits would you add to this list?

Related content: The June 2012 issue of CW Bulletin, published by IABC, features several articles on strategies for independent communicators.

Need a podcast transcript?
I used to recommend an overseas service, but I found that the quality was declining to such a degree that I had to spend way too much time editing the resulting file. Speechpad to the rescue! I’m loving this California-based service. Using their clean and attractive website, I upload my mp3 file and in 48 hours or less, receive a high-quality Word (or other format file) that needs minimal editing. They also handle rush files and offer other options. Check out Speechpad and let me know what you think.

Noisy background?
If you are using Audacity for audio editing, be sure to upgrade to the latest version, 2.0.0. Check out some of the filters and noise removal too. Of course you want to begin the podcasting process with a high-quality file, but sometimes you must remove background noise resulting from ambient sounds (air conditioning, for example). I’ve had good results with the noise removal option in Audacity. First, sample the noise (choose a few seconds of noise with NO voices on top of it), which tells Audacity what to filter out. Then select your whole file and click on OK to remove the noise.

If you don’t mind paying for software, SoundSoap is a more powerful tool for cleaning up noisy files, and I’ve had excellent results with it. By the way, whether I’m using Audacity or SoundSoap or any other audio tool, I always save my original files, and edit copies – just in case.

Add a mic to your iPhone or iPad
I admit to owning more portable digital recorders than I need, because I’m paranoid about backups. With good reason.

Recently I added an inexpensive but effective gadget to my arsenal: the iRig microphone, which turns my iPhone into a pretty decent audio recorder. Actually, I’ve found that the earbud/mic combo that came with my iPhone contains a nice microphone, but it’s awkward to use when interviewing someone. So the next time you want to grab an interview and don’t want to tote anything more than your iPhone and mic, think of the iRig. Or, if you’re like me, you’ll pack it in addition to your regular recorder.

Airplane mode
Speaking of iPhones and other smartphones, here’s a question that came up in a recent workshop: “I want to record audio on my iPhone, but keep getting interrupted by phone calls and texts.” I had two words for her: airplane mode. Putting your phone in airplane mode will stop all communication with the outside world, which is what you want when recording. In fact, whenever you are recording on any device, you should put your smartphone in airplane mode. Have you ever heard that awful scratchy stuttering sound that results from a BlackBerry or iPhone or other smartphone nearby when capturing audio? It’s caused by the transmitters within the phone. So either turn off the device completely or, if you’re using it to record, put it in airplane mode.

Happy podcasting!

• Find photos to accompany your blog posts and articles. If you don’t have your own cache of pictures, get an account at istockphoto.com. Yes, you can grab royalty-free photos on Flickr and other sites, but in my opinion, it takes too long to sift through the dross. Istockphoto.com’s easy-to-use search engine will help you to find the right photo for just a few dollars.
• Share your presentations on Slideshare.net. Without you to speak about the slides, the presentation is not as powerful, but people often do ask to see your slides. As long as there’s no proprietary content in my presentation, I’m usually happy to share it. Especially if you work in the B2B world, Slideshare can be an effective way to spread your ideas and put you in front of potential buyers. (With almost zero promotion, one of my decks on Slideshare has garnered more than 9,000 views.)
• Start using Pinterest. I admit that when I first saw Pinterest, I judged it to be a cute site for people who like sexy shoes and decorating “porn.” But now that I’ve started pinning, I’ve changed my mind completely. When you add a photo to your blog post, pin the photo with a link back to the post. Create a relevant Pinterest board title and include your pinned post. I’m amazed at how much of my blog traffic is now coming from my Pinterest boards.
• Publish a screencast. If you want to show your audience how to do something, why not make a screencast? You can take screen shots in sequence, or capture the live motion with a tool like Camtasia. Add an audio track with a snappy narration and you’ve created a useful, shareable piece of content without spending a lot of money.
• Create a quick video. I know what you’re thinking: A quick video? Seriously? Yes, seriously. The most difficult aspect of video is distilling your message down into as few words as possible. As a communicator, this probably comes fairly easy to you, right? Add some photos or graphs and put it all together with a tool like Animoto. Here’s an example I created recently to tell my own company story.

Let’s face it. Humans love to look at pictures. So satisfy their needs while telling your organization’s story visually.

During the interview, I repeatedly glanced at my gear to see the reassuring blinking lights.

At the end of the 75-minute conversation, I hit the “stop” button on my trusty Samson Zoom H4 digital recorder, and saw the words “File Error” on the tiny screen. My stomach sank to about the level of my ankles.

I put my headphones in my ears and played the first few seconds of the file. Silence.

So now we have spent an hour and 15 minutes with this fellow, and I have nothing.

Breathe.

Then I looked at my backup machine, my good old Edirol R1, the very first digital recorder I’d ever bought, back in 2006. I played the file for a few seconds, and there it was. Just fine.

If I had not packed two recorders in my bag, I would have looked pretty bad. Worse, my client would have lost face in his client’s eyes. And we would have wasted more than an hour of a senior executive’s time. Sure, we had cryptic hand-written notes, but these scribbles did not capture everything.

What happened to the file? I don’t know. Has this happened to me before with this machine? No. Might it happen again? Sure.

That’s why I carry a backup.

And what did I do in the afternoon when we interviewed another leader at the bank? I ran my Edirol, my H4, and iTalk on my iPhone, just in case.

This fear of digital failure – and my preparation for such an eventuality – probably began back in my days as a systems analyst. We backed up everything, knowing that systems fail. It’s just a matter of time.

The point of this post is to remind you that you can’t always rely on your hardware. When the mission is critical, as they say, think twice about what you would do if your main piece of equipment let you down.

As for me, I’m thinking of buying a Zoom H2 to add to my arsenal.

Here are a few tips to help you shine as a podcast guest. After all, you’re probably doing the interview to share your knowledge as an expert, to promote your business or your book, or to generate speaking gigs. So you want to be your best.

Preparation

Check out the podcast to ensure it fits your needs. Ask the host what the angle of the interview is, and about the intended audience. If your target market is mega-corporations, and the podcast is geared toward home business, you should probably decline.

Ask for discussion areas in advance, but don’t expect to get every question in writing. As a podcaster, I don’t share exact questions before the interview, because some guests get a little nervous and script their answers, and then expect to read them on the podcast. Trust me on this: Unless you’re a trained voice actor, reading can be the fastest way to ruin an interview. Of course, you do want to keep relevant facts and figures at your fingertips so that you sound like the expert you are.

Get the technology out of the way early. When you’re booked as a guest, confirm the date and time (including time zone). Ask whether the interview will be conducted in person, by phone or via Skype. If it’s by phone, use a landline, not a mobile phone.

Sounding great

These days, the majority of podcasters will use Skype for remote interviews. Although the popularity of Skype continues to grow, some guests are not familiar with it, and attempt to “try it out” at the time of the interview. This is not a good idea. If you’re not accustomed to using Skype, install it in advance and experiment with a friend or family member. Or use the “Skype test call” feature within the application. Learn how to start up the program, plug in your headset and/or microphone, and turn off notifications so that you don’t hear annoying beeps during the interview.

The right gear will improve sound quality immensely. If you’re going to do multiple remote interviews, invest in a headset and microphone combo. A USB microphone would be a step above a one-piece headset/mic combo. (The Blue Yeti gets high ratings.) Even better: a separate microphone and headphones. The worst audio quality will result from using the microphone built into your PC. If you must rely on it, learn to use it properly and position yourself for optimal sound.

Quiet on the set! If you have a thunderous fan or air conditioner in the room, turn if off for the interview. If you have a noisy child or pet, do not do the interview if they’re within earshot, unless they’re part of the story.

Share your stories. Using a story to make a point can be very effective. But do be sure that your stories don’t run too long. Check with the podcaster; how much time do you have? Remember not to talk too fast. Sometimes when we’re excited about a topic, we speak too quickly. Slow down, and remember to breathe.

Pauses please. The interviewer might ask for pauses between questions and answers, which makes the editing process easier. So, after you say something, don’t be afraid of the silence, which will be edited out. When I do interviews, I usually warn the guest in advance about these pregnant pauses.

Have you ever been a podcast guest? What tips would you share?

It can be difficult to distill your message down to a few words, using the clearest language possible. Even communicators sometimes have trouble with this task.

This week I wanted to create a short presentation for the Halton-Peel Communications Association’s “Bring & Brag” networking and showcase event. I needed something that would help people to understand my business in about a minute.

This video is the fruit of my labour.

What do you think?  Can you tell your story in less than two minutes?

P.S. If you want to see what the HPCA Bring & Brag Night was all about, watch this.