Understanding
Understanding and communicating social media’s value to the organization
As a podcaster since 2006, I’ve learned from experience what goes into making an engaging program. I’ve written and produced over 100 audio and video podcasts for commercial clients and hosted my own podcast series, FIR B2B, for seven years. I’m also an experienced webcast moderator and content consultant.
From concept to scripting to recording and production, I can handle your podcast needs from start to finish. Check out some of my work below.
Social Media Crash Course
My core Social Media Crash Course provides a comprehensive introduction to social media, an overview of technologies and tools, numerous examples of business successes and failures and an overview of standards, norms and behavioral principles for social networks. Topics include:
- Definition and background of social media;
- Key terms to understand;
- How influence works in the social media;
- Tools and products to monitor online conversations;
- Podcast and video opportunities for businesses;
- The seven applications of corporate blogs;
- Developing a content model;
- Positioning and voice;
- Analysis of top business blogs and why they’re successful;
- Tricks of the trade for generating buzz and recognition;
- How to spread the word through other social media channels;
- Which corporate applications do and don’t work;
- Social networks – concepts and constructs;
- Definitions and distinctions: social networks, social news, bookmarking, micro-blogging, meetups, photo-sharing, community applications, mashups;
- Online video resources and applications;
- Online behavioral and cultural standards;
- Decision grid: choosing which social media are right for your needs;
- Measuring results and ROI;
Training can be provided on a half-day or full-day basis and courses are customized to your needs. Optimal class sizes are 10 to 15 participants, but larger groups can be accommodated with advance notice.
Specialized and Intensive Training
Using Social Networks for Business – Focusing on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, this hands-on session provides a tutorial on the many ways to apply these applications for business benefit. Participants learn the major features of each service, apply the powerful concept of “friending,” learn how best to manage personal profiles and groups and analyze the best practices of innovative business social networks.
Intensive Blogger Training – This course introduces prospective bloggers to the culture of the blogosphere and helps them prepare for the task of expressing themselves online. It includes advice on finding voice, identifying audience, blog promotion, reciprocal links, raising visibility through direct outreach, search engine optimization for blogs and tactics for driving traffic.
Hands On: Identifying Influencers – The Social Media Crash Course touches upon the basics of finding influencers online. In this course, we go in-depth to look at alternative search techniques using tags, social bookmarking sites, blogrolls and user-generated indexes to identify advanced sources of influence. This requires Internet access for all participants and the course is tuned to specific clients and topics that are relevant to the audience.
Advanced Blogging Techniques – The Social Media Crash Course covers the seven different types of company blogs. In this two-hour course, we explore the merits of different approaches to blogging, tactics for generating awareness and traffic, creating a unique voice and tips and techniques for packaging information for maximum impact. This course is all about editorial content, from topic selection to awareness-raising tactics.
Search Optimization – Every person inside your company or associated with your company should be publishing with an eye toward search optimization. This discipline goes way beyond keywords and tagging. Writing for search involves optimizing your approach, packaging, topic selection, visuals, syndication and other factors to associate your brand with the terms your customers use.
Twitter for Business – It’s the hottest new social networking tool but also a dense and confusing mess to the uninitiated. We look at the dynamics of Twitter relationships, who should “tweet” for your company, how to choose topics, following and being followed, how to express yourself in 140 characters and the low-hanging fruit of business value.
Custom Training
I have also taught custom programs in the following areas and am happy to design a course to fit your needs.
- Webcast/Podcast Crash Course;
- Social Media ROI;
- Business Applications of Social Networks;
- Influencer Marketing;
- Secrets of Great Writing;
- 20 Tips for Successful Blogging ;
- Integrated Social Media Campaigns;
- ROI Essentials;
- Online Fundamentals for Publishing Professionals.
Samples of My Work
Presentation to Inc. Magazine small business seminar
