If you’re wondering about who, what, when, where, why and how, then you only need to look to Mark Zuckerberg. No one gets it better than Mark.

By investing heavily in Facebook products such as Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp and Instragram, he’s created an ecosystem where millions of people get to connect and share their stories online every day.

But enough about Mr Zuckerberg, let’s get back to the Wow.

Facts Speak For Themselves

With more than 700 active million users per month, Instagram offers a large gathering of followers that can benefit your business. These followers could very well become your customers, so they’re worth pursuing. Especially since Insta users have shown that they’re ready to engage with businesses within and outside of the app.

More than 80 percent of users follow at least one business, and over 120 million users visit a website, get directions, call, email or direct message a business every month from the app.

Instagram is all about being seen. Which business wouldn’t want to increase their visibility, right? More visibility means new users finding, following and engaging with you, and yes – eventually buying from you. The key to increased visibility is to expand your reach.

Three Keys For Stronger Instagram Game

There are three basic elements to bear in mind when looking to increase reach and promote growth: content, caption, time.

It’s all about creating a voice behind the brand, producing engaging content, and building a relationship with your followers.

Engagement on Instagram is not so easy as it’s a rather isolated space, compared to other platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter, where interaction happens publicly. If someone were to comment on an Instagram post, chances are you won’t see it unless you’re following that brand or if they tag you.

If you’re planning to use Instagram to grow your brand or business, it’s important to develop a good marketing strategy that will help keep you on track along the way. You will soon realize that follower engagement plays a vital role in growing your Instagram account as well as your brand.

While there’s no magic formula to getting more followers, here is a list of tactics that will be helpful along the way.

• If you want a massive Insta following, you need to be posting high quality content (photos and video) ALL of the time – not just post randomly or once every week or so.
• Write descriptive captions. Storytelling will help generate engagement and sharing.
• Interact with top influencers; aim to become one of their favourite people or brands.
• Promote your dedicated hashtag on your other social media profiles, on your website, and your email blast.
• Get creative with your hashtags. Be funny, be outrageous. Be different but not boring!
• Scan for relevant topics and trending hashtags. Join these conversations to get in front of more people.
• Emojis are becoming a universal mode of expression. Nearly 50 percent of all captions and comments on Instagram now have an emoji or two. Make sure you use the right emoji to convey your message.
• Cross-promote your Instagram account and content on other social channels.
• Use your weblink to drive traffic to your newest or most popular content.
• Use the call-to-action buttons such as Shop Now and Install Now, as people will be able to learn about a product or service and take action directly from an ad to sign up on a website, buy a product, or download an app.

Many businesses still struggle on Instagram or avoid it entirely, because they don’t find the site intuitive and they aren’t sure how to actually build a list of active, engaged followers.

Not utilizing the network could be a huge mistake for a business as an established Instagram profile with a lot of followers can open up opportunities to establish your brand as a trusted authority within your industry, promote your business and increase sales.

So give it a shot!

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For us, it’s been quite a ride! New challenges, new opportunities, new clients, new friends – we feel very blessed to be able to help our clients with creative ways to communicate their brand(s) and grow their business – by simply doing what we love!

But enough about us! Now, it’s all about getting ready for a brand new year. For most of us in the business, it’s communications planning season! Before you hit the road, en route to the month-long festivities and merriment, here are some end-of-the-year tips to make sure your new year plan hits the mark – and we will keep this short!

1. Future-Proof Your Strategies

The one thing to remember is that while your plan may not be broken, change is necessary to keep up with evolving trends. Revisit old competitors. Explore emerging channels. Consider new technologies. Evaluate your processes and performance.

Even small shifts in your communications strategy can benefit your business in a big way.

2. Listen To Social Conversations

Social media offers easy access to people’s opinions and behaviour. By intently following what your ideal customers are talking about and who they are interacting with on social media, you can gather a plethora of knowledge, such as how they perceive your brand, what qualities they look for in products and services.

Social listening allows you to go to the heart of the discussion to hear what people are saying and what they are thinking.

3. Target Your Audience

Knowing the audience that you intend to communicate with is important. You can communicate until you’re blue in the face, but if your message falls on deaf ears, you’re just wasting your time, energy and effort. Research your market regularly.

Start with the question “Who is my company’s ideal customer?” Be realistic – your customer can’t be everyone.

4. The Right Messaging

Today’s customers are just not into “buying things.” They are buying into solutions, e.g. expert advice, knowledge, experience, guidance. Your messaging should reflect this mindset. Are you solving problems with what you’re selling? Are you satisfying your client’s needs?

Focus on what differentiates your brand from the competition and you will increase engagement with prospects, strengthen relationships with existing customers, and improve market value.

5. Set Realistic Goals

Prioritise and hone in on the two to three goals that must be achieved in a year that will contribute to your business growth and success. Resist the pressure to list anything that is immaterial, cannot be realistically achieved or accomplished.

Remember, reality trumps aspiration!

Once you’ve developed your “buyer personas” you can then build your communications plan with purpose and direction, knowing who your target audiences are and how to reach them. Not only will this make your plan an easy sell to your team, it will make the entirety of your year much simpler and successful.

With your ideal buyer in mind, crafting content, monitoring social media, conducting media outreach and implementing other communications tactics is streamlined and results-oriented.

After all, that is the kind of value you need to deliver, right?

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Join Connected Women, it’s free!

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Sometimes, what you least expect turns out to be exactly what’s right for you. Irene Gomez considers herself an “accidental entrepreneur”; but with her talent, her skills, and her drive, it’s no wonder that she’s built a successful empire in the world of communications.

As women continue to be a driving force for change around the world, this series aims to highlight those who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to creating an impact.

In this exclusive interview, Connected Women caught up with Irene Gomez, Chief Inspiration Officer at Corporate Media Services. This is her story.

The Beginning Of Her Journey

I started my communications agency 25 years ago with a friend. It was a natural progression: In my previous jobs, I was always involved in writing, editing, and organizing seminars; when Corporate Media officially opened, we focused on desktop publishing; then came conference organization for a non-profit scientific group with offices around the world. In 2010, I added public relations to the business, and rebranded the company as The Total Communications Company.

I consider myself an “accidental entrepreneur”. As much as I enjoyed my previous work, the last of which was with an American organization, I had reached a glass ceiling. It’s not about the money; but in a way, everything had become routine and I was bored. With two of my best bosses (who are also my mentors) moving to China and Japan respectively, there was really very little reason to stay. I called them up and shared my plans, and they both gave me their blessings – one even said“it’s about time!”

Be Prepared For The Unexpected

I guess at the back of my mind, I always knew I wanted to do something in communications. I love writing, I am a good organizer, and I am a people person – like the Nokia ad, I am always connecting people!

A chance work trip to a US Embassy regional printing office in the Philippines sealed the deal. I was mulling about my career path. During this trip, I was taken around the printing offices, met with the creative team, and was introduced to my first Mac (I love Steve Jobs!).  The editorial consultant gave me a quick lesson on desktop publishing – and the rest is history.

I will always be grateful to these folks. If there’s one lesson I’d like to share, it would be this: Always be prepared for the unexpected. I didn’t have many supportive people around me when I first started; I had to drown out the voices of negativity and my business partner had to leave within the year. It was daunting.  It came down to absolute survival.  Fight or flight? I chose to march on.

My advice: In life, whether it’s personal or professional, know your passion, then pursue it by all means. Always research, talk to as many people as you can, and learn to discern and digest the information you receive before you come up with a good business plan.

With Business Comes Challenges

Running your own business can appear exciting and inspirational. Realistically speaking, starting and running a business takes more than hard work. It takes energy and sacrifice. If you’re in a creative business like mine, your mind is always spinning – it’s really hard to switch off!

I, more often than not, lie awake thinking about creative ideas and strategies to get my clients’messages across. And when I wake up, or when I’m on the train, I’m always glancing through news on the phone or looking around for inspiration. But that said, I am where I want to be – right smack in the sphere of communications.

But running your business comes with unexpected challenges.  Sometimes, it gets so hard that you want to quit –that’s the time to take a step back and allow yourself to revisit, regroup, refresh.  Talk to people, talk to close friends – don’t suffer in silence. If you’re burnt-out or just feel you’re running on empty, step out for a bit! – Take a walk, go to a movie, take a load off your mind – and disconnect with the business and just enjoy some “me” time.

Look For Motivation Within

As an entrepreneur, the biggest worry is about the uncertain future – and the fact that you’re dependent on many external factors, like the economy, change in your client’s organizational structure, etc. You worry about overheads, staff salaries – these are real problems that you can’t run away from. I worry constantly and I won’t lie. I tend to go inward, usually for three days or so. Then I pick myself up, say “Enough is enough!” and get going. At the end of the day, look for motivation within. This will always drive you forward, no matter the circumstance. You are allowed your “down days”, but don’t get bogged down and stay frustrated to the point of paralysis.

Make it a point to do something about it. – Always keep moving forward – even the smallest steps matter.

It’s A Privilege To Be Able To Give Back

The greatest joy is the recognition I receive from my clients for a job well done. To cite an example: We received international awards for two fundraising cookbook projects we developed on behalf of Temasek Polytechnic and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. A technical manual we did for Tetrapak, a packaging company, was met with great appreciation from our client, who sent us a huge gift basket to recognize our contribution.

In my line of work, I come across different people, including interns who are still in university. It’s always a privilege to share my experience and mentor young people. They are our future. I take great pride and pleasure in being able to give back, by sharing my experience (in terms of both setbacks and successes).

A Working Capital Is Essential

Would I do it all over again? The simple answer is YES! Would I do it differently? The answer is YES! When I first started, I didn’t have any business experience. I should have done more in this area –it’s not just about formal education, it’s about learning from the right people and getting the right tools.

Finance was not my forte – I should have invested more time and energy in this area before starting my business. I had my own savings as start-up capital but soon learnt within the first two months that I was running out of funds. I didn’t anticipate all the extra expenses – the additional equipment, marketing expenditure, etc. Fortunately, when it came to taking a business loan to purchase equipment, I met with a bank executive who listened, saw me as a determined woman, and believed in me – and I got the loan.

So always remember this: A working capital is essential to starting any business. Get your numbers right. You have to first invest in yourself.

A Quote To Live By

“Seasons change, people change; You have to stay true to yourself.”

Work With Irene

If you’re looking to connect with people (your target audience and the media), connect with me.

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The post #ConnectedWomen: Irene Gomez, Chief Inspiration Officer, Corporate Media Services appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

Humans have long corralled themselves into generational categories with the belief that your social, economic time-period and environment will effectively shape you into individuals with similar interests and behavior.

Baby Boomers were conceived in the muddled post-World War II canvas and groomed into non-conforming liberals, whilst Generation Xers alternated between their divorced parents’ homes apathetically.

Online marketers in recent years have short-sightedly been clamouring for the attention of Millennials, aka Generation Y, who represent the highest proportion of online spending compared to any other cohort. As pioneers of the most disruptive invention of all, the Internet, they were the ones who moulded it, and in return, it ultimately moulded them.

With the spotlight trained on the founders, many have missed the opportunity that lies in the hands of the next generation, the same smartwatch-clad hands dexterously juggling a tablet and a mobile phone while taking a selfie. When companies start recruiting 19-year-olds as the foremost experts on this outspoken generation, we know that we are witnessing the dawn of a new age. Gen Y slowly incorporated the web into their lifestyles, but Generation Z (Gen Z) was born, fully submerged into the assimilation of notifications. Eighty-one percent of these aptly named “digital natives” are on social media at least three hours a day, making success more contingent on competent digital marketing than ever.

Gen Y slowly incorporated the web into their lifestyles, but Generation Z (Gen Z) was born fully submerged into the assimilation of notifications. Eighty-one percent of these aptly named “digital natives” are on social media at least three hours a day, making success more contingent on competent digital marketing than ever.

Gen Z is rapidly becoming a critical audience for marketers and brands to understand. Even if they aren’t your target group at the moment, they soon will be. In a couple of years, nearly 4 in 10 consumers will be from Gen Z, and their purchasing power will rise exponentially over the next five to seven years as they grow to be the single largest group of consumers worldwide. They are forming their spending habits now which can influence their habits into adulthood. Appealing to this group can have a huge impact in a company’s long-term customer retention and brand loyalty.

So what does it take to really capture the attention of Generation Z?

Let’s Take A Closer Look:

Snap, Swipe, Share

Gen Z thrives on the edge of fast communications. Six-second videos, 140-character tweets, emojis and Snapchats – tapped once and gone into the ether. For brands, this means creating bite-sized, visual content that Gen Z can quickly digest and process. The more bite-sized pieces of information you can get to Gen Z, the further along their path to purchase you can push yourself.

The one thing Gen Z appreciates more than succinct communications is curating their own content. As a form of self-expression, these individuals enjoy taking charge and personalising their own content. Additionally, brands that utilise or acknowledge these consumer creations portray themselves as active listeners, genuinely caring about their customer’s wants.

Purchasing Power

Gen Z may not have a lot of its own money (yet), but this doesn’t necessarily mean they lack purchasing power. According to brand strategy firm, Sparks and Honey, the average upwardly mobile Gen Z receives an allowance of $16.90 per week, which collectively adds up to $44 billion a year.

In addition to pocket money, they exert considerable influence on household purchases and family spending compared to previous generations.

What this means is that marketers need different approaches to gain the attention of Gen Z. In the past, most ad dollars were spent on TV, radio stations, and newspapers. But to reach Gen Z, companies will need to spend more to create videos and other content that provides useful information, entertains and otherwise impresses them enough that they share with families, friends, and followers.

Making CSR The Norm

“An Inconvenient Truth” opened the eyes of unsuspecting Millennials, but Generation Z grew up in an already unstable world of conflict.

Fuelled by current events, they seek to create value and social change for the world through the products they purchase. This group places a higher priority on the quality of a product and how environmentally friendly it is rather than being blindly loyal to a brand.

As most Gen Z research products and services prior to purchase, they become privy to the company’s practices, history, and reputation.

After too many lapses in safety and accounting, businesses must now prove themselves by being transparent and relatable. One way is to allow real customers themselves to create content, feedback, and reviews as a means of advertising the company authentically.

Following in the footsteps of TOMS Shoes, businesses must start incorporating a social aspect to their business whether it be employee community service or through the triple bottom line approach in order to penetrate these increasingly knowledgeable and ethical customers.

Embrace Diversity

Gen Z is expected to be the most racially diverse generation.

While Millennials in their own right are a pretty diverse group, Gen Z will view the increasing diversity in a more positive light. With more friends from different ethnic backgrounds than older generations, brands will have to amp up their multicultural marketing strategies to make their brands relevant to a wider range of ethnic groups.

Gen Z is growing up in a post-9/11 world and in a global economic recession, resulting in a demographic that is very socially conscious. They will expect nothing less from brands.

Brands that can form a connection with this diverse group will have the most success. To do this, brands will have to incorporate various, yet consistent, messages that highlight diversity across a variety of platforms.

Point to Note: Gen Z’s everyday lives blend seamlessly with their lives on social channels, and many of their defining characteristics stem from this continuity.  Marketers will have to try harder than ever to interact authentically with this generation of consumers, but if they do, they’ll be rewarded by an audience that loves engaging with brands and championing their products.

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Social media has taken over our lives!!! That’s right; every day, millions of conversations take place over social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Skype, forums, etc. These conversations are not just happening with friends and families but are also influencing companies. Social media interaction continues to rise as more people use it in both their personal and professional lives, and brands are responding by continually looking for new and innovative ways to engage with them.

All these conversations comprise pools of data, but “listening to the talk” can be challenging. How can companies make sense of this endless data to determine how and where to listen, identify what consumers are talking about, classify the types of content they are posting, and understand the behaviours they are engaging in?

Brand loyalty, customer engagement, qualified traffic, and backlinks are not easy to come by. To get more, you need to give more. When it comes to social media, success comes from listening to your consumers and providing them with the content they need – at the right time, and at the right place.

Embrace Technology

Those who don’t or have yet to embrace digital technology risk falling behind the needs of their customers. They also risk falling behind in the international marketplace where brands are rapidly ramping up their digital spend. Today’s consumers are digital, mobile, and tech-savvy. They are empowering themselves, instead of allowing brands to dictate to them. Leading digital brands like Facebook and Google are redefining the market by creating new benchmarks for customer experience and personalization – so much so that customers today expect personalized services that address their immediate needs.

In short, unless brands can integrate digitally across channels and services, i.e. website, marketing, IT, sales, etc., they will not meet the rising expectations around the customers’ experience. To drive the integration of channels and deliver a seamless, coherent experience at every touch point demands that senior executives (CEOs, CTOs, CIOs, CMOs) get involved – to rally all the departments (marketing, IT, call centres, sales) to execute a digital strategy that reorients the whole business around the needs of the customer.

Mapping Strategy with Good Data

The next wave of marketing is all about providing a one-to-one customer journey for each customer – with highly contextual and personalized marketing messages. It is important to understand the interconnectivity between various platforms and the roles that the different parts of the business play in the customers’ journey.

By tapping into data from a range of different touch points and systems, we can understand and shape the customers’ journey to achieve maximum engagement, conversions, and ultimately brand loyalty. By capturing customer data at every touch point – from mobile phones and websites, to call centres and membership programs, we will be able to get a 360° view of our relationship with each customer.

Key Points To Remember:

• Provoking real conversations between your brand and target consumer begins with an understanding of your audience’s desires, online behaviours and their perception of your brand
• Listening to what your audience and industry has to say allows us to craft and apply a unique, authoritative voice to content that establishes trust and invites consumer engagement with your brand
• Identifying trends, shared issues, and gaps in online coverage drives the creative process while ensuring you deliver content that adds and not distract from the conversation
• Social media moves at the speed of light. For brands that can keep up with sharing content, exchanging ideas, and actively engaging in real-time conversations, the rewards are tremendous

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Behind every successful event is the ultimate vision to deliver value to a target audience from start to finish. This usually begins before the marketing campaign kicks off, and continues well after the exhilaration surrounding the occasion has subsided and the dust has settled. Event marketing may make for an arduous journey, but nevertheless can bear fruits when done right – be it in fostering brand awareness, generating leads, or establishing market positioning.

Embracing the efficacy of social media, marketers are increasingly bringing their events closer to their audience by taking the dialogue online. In centring takeaways around engagement and empowerment, they’re letting members access as well as share content with minimal effort. Shareable assets from blog posts and clips, to media updates and infographics, enable online users to tell others about you – usually in the quickest way possible.

Make It Buzz-Worthy
Set up a website? Check. Send out the requisite promotional flyer or email? Check. Time to sit back? Not just yet. As American entrepreneur and marketer Seth Godin points out – long gone are the days when the mantra for marketers was “Build it and they will come.” Instead, sustained nurturing of community on social media is essential to create truly buzz-worthy events.

Sure, there’s nothing wrong with good old direct mail. But publicity is best done on platforms which your audience frequents and actively circulates content, especially the ones that you put out. Engaging prospective attendees with visually stimulating and interactive material is likely to keep the hype around your event lasting for much longer, seeing as how each re-tweet, like, or download is an invitation to discover, discuss, and disseminate news about your event.

Sneak peeks and teasers (articles, videos, audio, photos, etc.) posted on your social channels also build anticipation, helping to publicise event highlights, key speakers, or unique offerings, while not being viewed as pesky or harassing reminders. Regularly update your promotional material and make sure your content is interesting, shareable, and of value to individuals who have signed up, as well as to those who remain undecided (and might need a little convincing!).

In short, potential participants value being given a heads-up on what they can expect. Nothing beats letting them feel like they’re making an informed decision before committing themselves to the event. Add a little intrigue to the mix, and you’re on your way to building and growing a community that readily tunes in, and feels like it has a stake in your event.

“Great Execution Is The Ultimate Differentiator”
Beyond drumming up hype, attention should go into providing quality experiences during the event as well. Among these, real-time social updates are important, not only in capturing the excitement of a live event, but also in sparking and keeping conversations going. By publishing thought-provoking questions online, the space for substantive exchanges is no longer limited to the event floor, program book, or website – instead, your wider community of followers is now included in the discourse, bringing with them more perspectives and more of their own audiences.

Make joining the conversation easy by using hashtags that are created specifically for the event and used across all social platforms. These go a long way to help your audience search for information that you are sharing, and at the same time allow you to monitor mentions from attendees or affiliates. Having your ear close to the ground keeps you in the loop of what’s being said, and allows you to be more responsive to the suggestions, comments, or enquiries being made.

Meanwhile, featuring and tagging participants in your visual updates will boost emotional connection with those present, letting them know that you acknowledge and appreciate their attendance. A gallery of photos or a series of video clips can also serve as a recap of each day’s activities and highpoints, effectively encapsulating the core message and spirit of the event – all of which can be shared repeatedly with various groups of friends and followers online.

Harnessing Word-Of-Mouth
Even as the curtain closes on your event, your work isn’t done yet! Capitalise on the high of your attendees and have them continue the dialogue by drawing them to platforms where they can further share their experiences. A good example would be a blog post that nicely summarises the event, provides worthwhile (and downloadable) content, and encourages participants to leave their inputs or feedback.

Captured statements about particular programs, presenters, or your event in general – accompanied by compelling visuals – can also be shared on your social channels. These testimonials (duly attributed, of course!) help lend credibility to your event, and provide positive word-of-mouth for your brand. Quite simply, by empowering and giving a voice to your community at each stage of event planning and management, immense opportunities for engagement and exposure are to be had. Event success lies in your hands, as much as it does in the conversations of your followers!

Quite simply, by empowering and giving a voice to your community at each stage of event planning and management, immense opportunities for engagement and exposure are to be had. Event success lies in your hands, as much as it does in the conversations of your followers!

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You can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time. Every business that provides a service will no doubt encounter a few disgruntled personalities along the way. As public relations professionals, we’ve all had that experience: Some clients are a breeze to work with, while others can be extremely difficult – the kind that makes you cringe every time their number lights up on your mobile. You know the ones – those who drain your energy, criticize and complain incessantly about something you’ve worked on diligently (and see real value in), or an overly needy client who calls at least twice a day to find out why they aren’t in that society magazine yet!

PR is difficult at times. You’re in the middle of everyone, the diplomat between the client and the marketing spiel and between the journalist and the story. So suddenly having to deal with someone being nasty or unreasonable is just one thing that you don’t need. But how do you handle it when the client is paying the bill?

Dealing with difficult people is essential to our success. When dealing with difficult people, specifically a client, it might seem that keeping peace and our sanity is a tough, if not impossible, task. So how do you find the right balance?

Bottom Line: You bend over backwards when appropriate but you also learn to put your foot down when needed. Even though you may be holding the phone on one end, biting your tongue and stabbing that notepad with your pen, you can turn this around!

Here are some helpful tips on how to deal with difficult clients:

Be Open, Be Clear

When dealing with a client, it is better to be clear about expectations at the start of the new business relationship. This is your opportunity to share what type of reporting, results, and communication your new client can expect from you. Have an honest conversation about the amount of communication that is most comfortable to your client – and what your agency can provide. However, even clients who appear pleasant, understanding, and accepting in the beginning can become challenging once the contract is signed. It is important to know that while you should aim to be a valued partner, not all requests are feasible. Don’t be afraid to tell your client no – but with good reason. Explain why their request is not realistic or possible. You cannot please everyone all of the time, and that’s a fact.

Worth The Trouble

Some clients will send a rude email – out of the blue! Or you may get a harsh tone on your voice mail on a weekend. Then it’s time to ask yourself this question: “Is it me?” If not, it’s worth your while to check in on your client. Ask probing questions to find out what is really bothering him. It could be that he’s going through something that is affecting his personal life, or it could be a trickle down “telling off” from his boss that has nothing to do with you or your work. Be kind, lend your ears, and see if there’s anything you can do to help. Sometimes it does have everything to do with you. If this is the case, have an honest conversation with your client, and with yourself. Perhaps, you need to assess and amplify your own efforts.

You Are The Expert

For clients that call for constant updates or to give you their own PR ideas (ridiculous as they may seem), remember: You are the expert hired to do the job. Don’t be arrogant – you can either take the ideas into consideration (if worth exploring), or politely give your views as to why they cannot be executed, for e.g. it would end up in the editors’ trash. Explain why you were hired in the first place – because of your specific expertise. Perhaps this is also a good time to share more information and updates on what you’ve been doing, to assure your clients that you’re on top of things and have their best interests at heart. More importantly, assure them that you know what you’re doing.

Be Proactive And Supportive

It’s quite common for some of my clients to reach out to me for advice on matters not related to the work we’re doing. Don’t turn away. If you can help with some input to a web design or business question, become an ally and take the time to problem-solve with them. Or refer them to someone who’s in a better position to help. By offering a solution and assisting with other tasks, you show that you care about their business. This not only builds rapport but also trust – and this goes a long way in building a good, long-lasting relationship with your client.

Time To Let Go!

Unfortunately, the client is not always right. If your client is consistently being difficult and your personalities just don’t mesh, then it may be time to take the “D” out and let difficult clients go. While it’s important to do whatever it takes to keep a client within reason, you, as the expert in your field, get to define what is or isn’t working.  If your client is making your team miserable, taking up a lot of time better spent working on clients who do respect your work, it might be time to set you both free.

Whatever you decide, always be professional and polite. Be as honest as you can without getting too personal.

For the most part, PR pros love their clients and probably spend more time with them than they do their family. A PR agency should act as an extension of the client’s team. Your interactions with your client should build on one another – after all, you’re ultimately interested in a long-term relationship with your clients, and that is what you should strive for.

Powering success, happiness, and work-life balance.

^{This article was originally published in Corporate Media PL blog and has been reposted on Connected Women with the permission of the author.}

^{Edited by Michelle Sarthou
Image credit: Shutterstock}

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In our experience, most people think good listening comes down to doing three things:

• Not talking when others are speaking

• Letting others know you’re listening through facial expressions and verbal sounds (“Mmm-hmm”)

• Being able to repeat what others have said, practically word-for-word

In fact, much management advice on listening suggests doing these very things – encouraging listeners to remain quiet, nod, and “mm-hmm” encouragingly, and then repeat back to the talker something like, “So, let me make sure I understand. What you’re saying is…” However, recent research that we conducted suggests that these behaviors fall far short of describing good listening skills.

We analyzed data describing the behavior of 3,492 participants in a development program designed to help managers become better coaches. As part of this program, their coaching skills were assessed by others in 360-degree assessments. We identified those who were perceived as being the most effective listeners (the top 5%). We then compared the best listeners to the average of all other people in the data set and identified the 20 items showing the largest significant difference. With those results in hand we identified the differences between great and average listeners, and analyzed the data to determine what characteristics their colleagues identified as behaviors that made them outstanding listeners.

We found some surprising conclusions, along with some qualities we expected to hear. We grouped them into four main findings:

• Good listening is much more than being silent while the other person talks. On the contrary, people perceive the best listeners to be those who periodically ask questions that promote discovery and insight. These questions gently challenge old assumptions, but do so in a constructive way. Sitting there silently nodding does not provide sure evidence that a person is listening, but asking a good question tells the speaker the listener has not only heard what was said, but has comprehended it well enough to want additional information. Good listening is consistently seen as a two-way dialog, rather than a one-way “speaker versus hearer” interaction. The best conversations are active.

• Good listening includes interactions that build a person’s self-esteem. The best listeners make the conversation a positive experience for the other party, which doesn’t happen when the listener is passive (or, for that matter, critical!). Good listeners make the other person feel supported, and convey confidence in them. Good listening is characterized by the creation of a safe environment in which issues and differences can be discussed openly.

• Good listening is seen as a cooperative conversation. In these interactions, feedback flows smoothly in both directions with neither party becoming defensive about comments the other made. By contrast, poor listeners are seen as competitive — listening only to identify errors in reasoning or logic, using their silence as a chance to prepare their next response. That might make you an excellent debater, but it doesn’t make you a good listener. Good listeners may challenge assumptions and disagree, but the person being listened to feels the listener is trying to help, not wanting to win an argument.

• Good listeners tend to make suggestions. Good listening invariably includes some feedback provided in a way others would accept; feedback that opens up alternative paths to consider. This finding somewhat surprised us, since it’s not uncommon to hear complaints like “So-and-so didn’t listen, he just jumped in and tried to solve the problem.” Perhaps what the data is telling us is that making suggestions is not in itself the problem – it may be the skill with which those suggestions are made. Another possibility is that we’re more likely to accept suggestions from people we already think are good listeners. (Someone who is silent for the whole conversation and then jumps in with a suggestion may not be seen as credible. Someone who seems combative or critical and then tries to give advice may not be seen as trustworthy.)

While many of us have thought of being a good listener akin to a sponge that accurately absorbs what the other person is saying, what these findings instead show is that good listeners are like trampolines. They are someone you can bounce ideas off of — rather than absorbing your ideas and energy, they amplify, energize, and clarify your thinking. They make you feel better, not by merely passively absorbing but by actively supporting. This lets you gain energy and height, just like someone jumping on a trampoline.

Of course, there are different levels of listening. Not every conversation requires the highest levels of listening, but many conversations would benefit from greater focus and listening skill. Consider which level of listening you’d like to aim for:

Level 1: The listener creates a safe environment in which difficult, complex, or emotional issues can be discussed.

Level 2: The listener clears away distractions like phones and laptops, focusing attention on the other person and making appropriate eye-contact.  (This behavior not only affects how you are perceived as the listener; it immediately influences the listener’s own attitudes and inner feelings.  Acting the part changes how you feel inside. This in turn makes you a better listener.)

Level 3: The listener seeks to understand the substance of what the other person is saying. They capture ideas, ask questions, and restate issues to confirm that their understanding is correct.

Level 4: The listener observes non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions, perspiration, respiration rates, gestures, posture, and numerous other subtle body language signals. It is estimated that 80% of what we communicate comes from these signals. It sounds strange to some, but you listen with your eyes as well as your ears.

Level 5: The listener increasingly understands the other person’s emotions and feelings about the topic at hand, and identifies and acknowledges them. The listener empathizes with and validates those feelings in a supportive, nonjudgmental way.

Level 6: The listener asks questions that clarify assumptions the other person holds, and helps the other person to see the issue in a new light. This could include the listener injecting some thoughts and ideas about the topic that could be useful to the other person.  However, good listeners never highjack the conversation so that they or their issues become the subject of the discussion.

Each of these levels builds on the others; thus, if you’ve been criticized (for example) for offering solutions rather than listening, it may mean you need to attend to some of the other levels (such as clearing away distractions or empathizing) before your proffered suggestions can be appreciated.

We suspect that in being a good listener, most of us are more likely to stop short rather than go too far. Our hope is that this research will help by providing a new perspective on listening. We hope those who labor under an illusion of superiority about their listening skills will see where they really stand. We also hope the common perception that good listening is mainly about acting like an absorbent sponge will wane.

Finally, we hope all will see that the highest and best form of listening comes in playing the same role for the other person that a trampoline plays for a child. It gives energy, acceleration, height, and amplification. These are the hallmarks of great listening.

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Successful social marketing depends on planning. Planning ahead leads to higher quality content by allowing adequate time for research and execution, and ensures that you’re engaging your audience consistently and effectively.

Using a content calendar provides numerous benefits beyond basic scheduling. A calendar can be used for all aspects of your marketing strategy, including identifying your target audience, planning and goal setting, and tracking resources. Think of it as a shareable resource that marketing teams can use to plan all the content marketing activity. The benefit of using the calendar format, rather than a long list of content to be published, is that you can visualize how your content is distributed throughout the year. This allows you to plan content around key events in your industry or important dates; identify and fill gaps in your marketing plan; and make sure you have your content ready way before it’s published.

Well, the first quarter of 2017 is almost over. But don’t despair – it’s still not too late to start planning for the rest of the year.

Here are some tips to get you started:

Develop A Solid Strategy

A content marketing calendar should organize the way you curate and create content, and help develop your editorial strategy. The calendar cuts extra time out of your marketing strategy and helps you allocate your resources wisely, to help ensure your brand consistently publishes high-quality, well-written, high-performing content pieces.

Before you build a content calendar though, bear in mind that it is more than just a schedule with deadlines. As with any marketing plan, you need to identify your target audience – which can include existing and potential customers. Knowing your audience will help determine what social media channels and types of content are most appropriate for your business. You can also get a sense of your audience by evaluating which of your social profiles are receiving the most traffic.

Key question: Who do you want to sell your product or service to? Your calendar should map out content that factors in the big picture, and how your efforts can drive real results.

Build Your Content Team

The success of implementing your content strategy hinges on an important, but often overlooked group of people: Your content team. These people will be responsible for the successful ideation and execution of your content needs.

You should identify at least three key players in the group:

Content Strategist – Someone who is able to see the big picture and develop the script, including editorial strategy tasks like writing brand stories and/or style guidelines. A good content strategist (in-house or external) will always begin with an audit of your current content marketing efforts, then compare those to what you want to achieve and create a strategy to fill in the gaps.

Writers – Ah, the creative force behind the content team! They’re the ones you rely on to conjure up creative ideas and capture the magic of storytelling through your brand voice.

Coordinators – A good coordinator can be your key to scaling content. This is the person who keeps track of all the details, from vetting and managing freelancers to making sure that someone really did add the alt text to all those images!

Peaks And Troughs

When developing a content marketing calendar, be sure to consider major events that fall within the publishing cycle, and reserve slots for disseminating relevant content coinciding with these dates. For example, you may have ideas for e-blasts or blog posts that the team can publish to help create publicity for a conference that your company is organizing. Incorporating these into your schedule makes sure that you flesh out your calendar with targeted and timely content that matters to your business.

Identifying peaks and lulls, meanwhile, helps you create and distribute content appropriately. Instead of overstretching your resources or being idle during gap periods, it commits you to producing a consistent cache of content that continues to build on your brand’s expertise.

Repurpose, Redistribute, Repromote

As you source for great content, don’t forget about the materials that are readily available, yet underutilized. For instance, presentation slides from past workshops could be refreshed and repurposed into multimedia posts, and data from company white papers could be adapted into infographics. Pumping your calendar with unexploited assets would certainly ease the strain of having to frequently brainstorm for novel ideas. You can also redistribute relevant content to new and existing audiences to help attract attention. It could be quality information that may not have broken through initially; or perhaps it needed another context.

Check out time-saving curation tools like Scoop.it and Feedly that can aggregate all the topics and publications that resonate best with your brand, and help facilitate your content discovery process.

Without question, having everyone on the same page can improve productivity and help keep track of the different timelines for various assignments. With a dedicated content calendar, marketing teams can strategically align content with business goals, and anticipate the adjustments needed to meet benchmarks.

Powering success, happiness and work-life balance.

^{This article was originally published in Corporate Media PL blog and has been reposted on Connected Women with the permission of the author.}

^{Edited by Michelle Sarthou
Image credit: Shutterstock}

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