Trafcom News Podcast

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You've come to the right place if you're interested in communicating better with employees, customers and prospects. In this audio podcast, you'll hear interviews and discussions about topics that are important to people in the business of communicating. It might be writing, speaking, marketing, social media or something interesting in the news.

Within this site, you can download each audio file directly by clicking on the link that says "download here" or you can listen with the Blubrry player on the right side of the screen. If you want to be sure to catch every edition of the Trafcom News Podcast, you can subscribe through iTunes or email using the links provided.

If you have questions about this podcast, feel free to comment.

And thanks for stopping by!

Trafcom News Podcast 97: Professional Blogging for Dummies

In this 15-minute podcast, you’ll meet Susan Getgood, author of Professional Blogging for Dummies, as she shares practical tips for starting a blog and keeping it going.

You can download the MP3 file for this podcast directly by clicking here, or you can subscribe through iTunes. Or you can listen via the Blubrry player on the right side of this page.

Here are the show notes:

00:01 Intro and welcome
00:45 About the new Jump Start series of workshops on digital and social media; visit TrafcomDigital for details and to register.
02:11 About Susan Getgood; Marketing Roadmaps blog
03:15 Blogging seems to be surging in popularity; Susan’s advice for starting a blog
03:58 What blogs are best at; why they have to fit your marketing strategy
04:45 Bloggers need a niche
05:45 Pick the communication tool that fits your personality or company culture; it might not be blogging
06:30 Which tool is best for your goal and your audience?
07:00 Advice from Susan on blogging frequency; mix long and short form; keep your commitment to your readers
08:20 Value of an editorial calendar
08:55 Why not stockpile posts?
09:20 How have Twitter and Facebook affected blogging?
11:12 There are 500 million people on Facebook: Fish where the fish are
11:37 Susan’s book shows you how to use the various social media tools
12:44 Always keep in mind WHO you’re writing for
13:40 Achieving your blogging dreams
14:36 Comment on Trafcom News Podcast 96 on LinkedIn from Will Norman.
14:57 Where to send comments: email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT com, call the comment line at 212-624-0209 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog
Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com.

Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network.

Trafcom News Podcast 96: LinkedIn tips from Chuck Hester

In this 17-minute podcast, LinkedIn maven Chuck Hester shares advice for making the most of LinkedIn as a business network.

You can download the MP3 file for this podcast directly by clicking here, or you can subscribe through iTunes. Or you can listen via the Blubrry player on the right side of this page.

Here are the show notes:

00:01 Intro and welcome
00:57 About Chuck Hester
02:35 Chuck’s advice for getting more value out of LinkedIn; using Groups and Answers
03:25 Conversations in Groups; setting up a listening post
04:38 Biggest mistake? Lack of personalized invitations
06:30 Books by Chuck: LinkedIn to Pay it Forward and Social Media for the Rest of Us; visit Chuck’s Web site for more info
08:05 Feature that many of us don’t take advantage of: Answers
10:20 Donna wants to know: Can you answer too many questions?
11:30 Advice for using LinkedIn to your advantage
13:05 Podcast Listener Preference Survey with Adele McAlear
13:54 Comment on Trafcom News Podcast 95 on internal podcasting from Francis Wooby
16:26 Where to send comments: email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT com or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog.

Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com.
Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network.

Trafcom News Podcast 95: Internal podcasting

In this half-hour podcast, you’ll learn about podcasting inside organizations. I first reported on this subject in March 2007 in Trafcom News Podcast 53. Today’s episode is bigger and better!

You can download the MP3 file for this podcast directly by clicking here, or you can subscribe through iTunes. Or you can listen via this player:





Here are the show notes:

00:01 Intro and welcome
02:15 Podcasting defined as an audio or video file that can be distributed over the Internet via syndication. Can be listened to or watched on a desktop or laptop computer or portable device. No iPod required.
03:17 RSS syndication is what separates a simple audio or video file from a podcast. You can produce very effective audio or video communication pieces that are not podcasts.
04:18 Reminder that podcasting is a tactic, not a strategy.
04:45 Organizations can use podcasts to build employee engagement, reach employees on the road, and more.
05:25 Podcast will never replace the employee newsletter but it can be an effective channel.
05:30 Intimate act of listening via ear buds.
06:43 Employees can listen to podcasts at their own pace and at their convenience.
07:00 One organization replaced its “one-to-many” conference calls with podcasts; easier for employees in distant time zones.
08:00 How to record a podcast: recording in the same place or remotely.
09:15 Can record straight to computer, but you’re tethered. Consider a portable digital recorder.
10:00 Do not buy a cheap recorder. Quality counts.
11:01 Tip: Buy podcasting gear at a music store.
11:45 You can hire a podcast producer if you don’t want to do it yourself.
12:00 To edit a podcast, you need software such as Audacity, Amadeus Pro, Adobe Audition (for audio) or iMovie, Sony Vegas Pro or Final Cut (for video), among many others.
13:40 Content drives your podcast; start with an editorial plan.
15:09 Consider a limited series of podcasts to take the pressure off.
16:45 Podcast measurement: feedback from employees; download and subscription statistics; measuring against the goals you set for the podcast.
19:50 Pitfalls: learning curve, pushback from the IT department, security. Some organizations host externally.
21:45 Where to learn more: Listen to different podcasts, including For Immediate Release: The Hobson and Holtz Report, Inside PR, and podcasts related to your personal interests. Read such books as Podcasting for Dummies and How to do Everything with Podcasting. Visit Social Media University - Global.
23:55 Ideas for internal podcasts: peers interviewing peers; leadership podcasts; sales meeting and conference content; training and learning; news.
25:17 Editing is important with video too. To learn more about video podcasting, read Get Seen by Steve Garfield.
26:10 You still need good sound with video!
27:10 Does your audience like to listen or watch?
28:00 Where to send comments: email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT com, call the comment line at 212-624-0209 or post a message to the Blubrry.com.

Other helpful links:

• Trafcom News Podcast 53: Podcasting inside the organization (2007)
• Trafcom News Podcast 55: Audio is not the poor cousin of video, with Donna Papacosta and Victoria Fenner
• Trafcom News Podcast 78: An interview with Robin Maiden
• Trafcom News Podcast 85: Internal podcasting at Hawaiian Airlines – an interview with Paul Barton
• Trafcom News Podcast 46: How to make the most of the voice you have: Voiceover tips from Joe Cipriano
• Article on how to create a secure channel for internal podcasting
• The Podcaster’s Checklist
• Podcasting inside the corporation: based on an article by Donna Papacosta for the Journal of Employee Communication Management
• PodcastYourConference.com, a site dedicated to conference podcasting

Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network.

Trafcom News Podcast 94: Which gear are YOU in? An interview with Dave Howlett, Real Human Being

In this podcast, you’ll hear Dave Howlett of RealHumanBeing.org explain the three gears of life and of work. It’s a fascinating take on what motivates us and why we sometimes act the way we do. Of course we steer the conversation into the area of employee engagement: An engaged employee is a true RHB.

You can download the MP3 file for this podcast directly by clicking here, or you can subscribe through iTunes. Or you can listen via the Blubrry player on the right side of this page.



Here are the show notes:
Comment line: 212-624-0209

00:01 Intro and welcome
00:58 About Dave Howlett and RealHumanBeing.org: what it means, why it’s important; the three gears
04:32 RHB and employee engagement
05:28 First gear, second gear, third gear; how the way you act behind the wheel reflects the way you behave at work
22:00 Check out the resources at RealHumanBeing.org and the RHB Facebook page
23:45 Dave Howlett’s new RHB e-course
25:00 Comments on Trafcom News Podcast 93 and 92 from Robin Maiden, Dave Guerra, Will Norman
27:02 Where to send comments: email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT com, call the comment line at 212-624-0209 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog
Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com. Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network.

Trafcom News Podcast 93: An intranet that works: An interview with William Amurgis at American Electric Power

 
 
In this 28-minute podcast, you’ll hear how American Electric Power keeps its 22,000 employees connected through its award-winning intranet.

You can download the MP3 file for this podcast directly by clicking here, or you can subscribe through iTunes. Or you can listen via the Blubrry player on the right side of this page.

Here are the show notes:
Comment line: 212-624-0209
00:01 Intro and welcome
01:05 Donna met William Amurgis at the IABC Employee Communication Conference in Toronto in October 2009, where he spoke about their intranet to a rapt crowd. Donna says that William and Steve Crescenzo were the best speakers at that event. Read Donna's recap of this event here.
02:06 About AEP or American Electric Power: in business 103 years; one of the largest electrical utility companies in the U.S.; 22,000 employees; 5.2 million customers in 11 states.
03:00 Challenge: make the intranet a meeting place; four purposes of the intranet: (1) enhance employee productivity; (2) reinforce corporate messages; (3) provide a place to meet and a shared experience; (4) convey a personal tone.
06:12 Tools and capabilities.
07:01 Intranet (called AEP Now) started in 1996; owned by Communications.
08:15 Photographs inspire a sense of belonging.
08:17 Corporate performance on the first page.
08:50 Social media aspects of the intranet: interaction; employees respond to news and photos; personal profile pages.
10:00 Around one million page views per week; about 14,000 to 15,000 employees access the intranet daily.
11:00 The intranet is the company’s primary communications channel.
11:09 Mobile version available; many employees are in the field.
12:30 William envisions a day when all employees can see the same intranet on their mobile devices.
16:27 The company will soon implement an internal Twitter-like client called The Current.
Key challenge: provide more opportunities for employees to share knowledge; build a data base that can be queried.
19:33 Value of the intranet is understood at AEP.
20:10 Complete redesign of the intranet is under way.
21:29 William’s own measure is audience intimacy; he cares about how to best serve employees.
22:00 The AEP Now intranet won an international honour called the Intranet Innovation Award for its Ideas Now effort, which resulted in a cost savings of $8 million over two months, thanks to employee suggestions.
25:00 Comments from Bob Crawshaw, Sue Horner, Martin Buckland and a student-intern who shall remain nameless.
27:12 Where to send comments: email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT com, call the comment line at 212-624-0209 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog.
Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com. Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network.

Note: You can meet William Amurgis in person at the IABC world conference in Toronto in June.

Trafcom News Podcast 92: Five communication tips for 2010

In this 13-minute podcast, you’ll hear five tactics that may help you to communicate better in the new year. No bold predictions, just practical advice. You can download the MP3 file for this podcast directly by clicking here, or you can subscribe through iTunes. Or you can listen via the Blubrry player on the right side of the Trafcom News Podcast home page.

Here are the show notes:
Comment line: 212-624-0209

00:01 Intro and welcome

02:01 Tip #1: Get social. This is the year to get on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, if you haven’t already. Refer to the many resources online to help you get started, including:
LinkedIn Guide for New Users
33 Ways to Use LinkedIn for Business
Mashable Guide to Twitter
Mashable Guide to Facebook

04:02 Tip #2: Bookmark smartly. Try using Delicious, which lets you tag, save and share bookmarks. See my own bookmarks at http://delicious.com/trafcom.

06:32 Tip #3: Think mobile. What does your Web presence look like on a smart phone? If your site is on Wordpress, you can try the Mobile Press plug-in. I use this for my PodcastYourConference blog.

More and more people are accessing the Web via mobile devices; this trend will grow in 2010.

07:43 Tip #4: Learn online. Take advantage of the generosity of communication leaders who freely share their knowledge, such as Shel Holtz, Todd Defren, Mitch Joel, BL Ochman, Joe Thornley and others.

09:01 Remember that podcasts are another way to learn. My favourite is For Immediate Release: The Hobson and Holtz Report.

09:45 Tip #5: Keep creating content. Remember multimedia as one way to execute your communication strategy – photos, audio and video in addition to text.

11:05 Upcoming IABC events in Toronto:
January 21, 2010 Engaging Employees panel discussion

January 27, 2010 Secrets of Successful Freelancers (not on the IABC site right now; will be soon at http://toronto.iabc.com/events/default.asp).

12:00 Where to send comments: email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT com, call the comment line at 212-624-0209 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog.

Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com. Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network.

Trafcom News Podcast 91: Social media and product marketing: A chat with April Dunford

 

In this 15-minute podcast, you’ll hear noted product marketing specialist April Dunford talk about social media and product marketing. The interview took place at ProductCamp Toronto in October 2009.

You can download the MP3 file for this podcast directly by clicking here, or you can subscribe through iTunes. Or you can listen via the Blubrry player on the right side of the Trafcom News Podcast home page.

Here are the show notes:
Comment line: 212-624-0209

00:01 Intro and welcome
00:55 About ProductCamp Toronto
01:22 About  April Dunford
01:52 Interview with April begins
02:28 What’s great about ProductCamp Toronto: facilitated discussions.
03:28 In her session, April shared stories of product management within IBM and Nortel and other organizations.
04:00 Steps to using social media in product marketing; start with monitoring and listening (from Google Alerts to Radian6).
05:30 Next step is putting your toe in the water with broadcasting (one-way communications).
05:51 Now you’re ready to interact and engage, have conversations.
06:15 April’s pet peeve: People on Twitter who don’t converse and who follow you before they’ve even said anything.
07:00 Who should blog about products? Product people or PR people? April’s view on this.
09:55 Strong, effective collaboration between PR and product people would be communication utopia (is that URL taken?).
11:15 Toronto has lots of events, but ProductCamp is the only place for product marketers to confer like this.
12:29 Donna’s comments on the IABC Employee Communication conference in Toronto in October. See the blog post.
14:00 IABC world conference coming to Toronto in June 2010
14:29 Where to send comments: email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT com, call the comment line at 212-624-0209 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog.

Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com.
Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network.

Photo of April Dunford by Calum Tsang. For more of Calum’s photos from the event go to Flickr.

Trafcom News Podcast 90: An interview with Mitch Joel

Meet the author of Six Pixels of Separation

In this 23-minute podcast, you’ll hear Mitch Joel, president of Twist Image, talk about Six Pixels of Separation, the first book to integrate digital marketing, social media, personal branding and entrepreneurship, all in a very accessible way. You will find Mitch Joel’s Six Pixels of Separation blog here and podcast here.

You can download Trafcom News Podcast 90 right now by clicking here, or you can subscribe through iTunes, or you can listen via the Blubrry player on the right side of this page.

Here are the show notes:
Comment line: 212-624-0209

00:01 Intro and welcome
02:30 Funny that a new media guy is getting a lot of attention with a printed book.
02:55 This is a WHY book, not a HOW book, about new media, social media and personal branding, from a business person’s perspective.
03:20 Mitch Joel wrote this book to focus on WHY; strategy tied to business goals. As the author, he was a business guy, not a marketing guy.
06:00 In praise of slow: a ripple, not a splash.
09:45 What would Mitch say to someone who is looking for a short cut? The answer: When did it not become a business owner’s responsibility to engage with customers?
13:00 Six Pixels of Separation ends with practical advice.
13:45 Start with small steps like setting up alerts in Google Reader.
16:44 Mitch’s next book may be about the great un-tethering; what does freedom from wires really mean?
19:00 Six Pixels of Separation is also a roadmap of how Mitch built his business.
20:00 Mitch thanks Donna for introducing him to podcasting. BONUS: Here is that first interview.
21:27 Comment from Grizzly Smith on Trafcom News Podcast 89.
22:00 Where to send comments: email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT com, call the comment line at 212-624-0209 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog.

Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com.Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network.

Trafcom News Podcast 89: Managing your career online

This is not your father’s résumé; an interview with Martin Buckland about managing your career online

If you want to really take charge of your career, you need a powerful online presence. In this 23-minute podcast, Master Résumé Writer Martin Buckland talks about how to establish this presence using a variety of tools. Martin, who runs Elite Resume, is one of Canada’s leading authorities on highly effective résumés and cover letters, successful job-search strategies, and interviewing. Martin’s certifications elevate him to a rarefied group of career professionals in North America. Among his designations are: Master Resume Writer, Certified Professional Resume Writer, Co-Pilot Executive Coach, Certified Job & Career Transition Coach, Certified Job Search Trainer, Certified Professional Branding Strategist and Certified Employment Interview Professional.

You can download the MP3 file for this podcast directly by clicking here, or you can subscribe through iTunes. Or you can listen via the Blubrry player on the right side of the Trafcom News Podcast home page.

Here are the show notes:
Comment line: 212-624-0209

00:01 Intro and welcome
03:40 Start with LinkedIn, the most valuable tool in your job search. Be sure to add your LinkedIn link to your résumé. For more information about LinkedIn, see the LinkedIn Blog and  LinkedIn Tips, Tricks and Tweaks from Amit Agarwal.
05:55 Write articles to position you as an expert; experts land jobs.
06:15 Plaxo and Facebook, even for senior executives
06:55 Be careful who you link to.
09:10 Get a Google profile too.
09:40 Twitter as a career management tool
11:10 Do you still need a résumé?
11:41 The new trend: the visual CV
12:55 Question for Martin via Twitter: Can people with more than 20 years’ experience have a résumé of two or three pages?
14:00 Your résumé is a business document; don’t list your hobbies.
15:00 Using a blog to enhance your career and personal brand
17:30 Always monitor your Google presence.
17:55 Find Martin at Elite Resume on the Web and on LinkedIn or Twitter 
19:12 One place to submit articles: Ezinearticles.com
19:40 Comments from Bob Crawshaw  about two recent editions of Trafcom News: the interview with Oakville Mayor Rob Burton; the interview with photographer Peter West
22:38 Where to send comments: email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT com, call the comment line at 212-624-0209 or post a message to Trafcom News Podcast blog.

We are part of the Blubrry network.
Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network.

Trafcom News Podcast 88: Oakville Mayor Rob Burton talks Twitter

The microblogging site called Twitter is becoming a popular communications medium. In this 40-minute podcast, Oakville Mayor Rob Burton talks about how and why he uses Twitter and other social media tools. Perhaps his experience with Twitter and Facebook will help him to meet his goal of being the most accessible and engaging mayor in the history of Oakville.

Read the Newbie’s Guide to Twitter to learn more.

Find Rob Burton on Twitter here.

Want to listen? You can download the MP3 file for this podcast directly by clicking here, or you can subscribe through iTunes. Or you can listen via the Blubrry player on the right side of the Trafcom News Podcast home page.

Here are the show notes:

00:01 Intro and welcome; definition of Twitter
01:38 A little about Rob Burton.

Photo of Oakville Harbour courtesy Town of Oakville

02:15 Rob defines Oakville as a city that calls itself a town and acts like a village; population of 175, 000 makes it the second largest town in Canada. 04:30 Rob talks about his own use of Twitter and what it means to him as a leader; found it confusing at first; watched a few people including Mayor of Minneapolis R.T. Rybak  and Donna Papacosta.
06:22 Rob had dinner with Toronto Mayor David Miller last year; discussed Twitter and suggested mayors should be in tune with it. Miller jumped in right away.
07:32 Rob likes to retweet (RT) and pass along interesting information.
09:10 Rob tweets about local activities and events, with photos; easy to send pictures via Blackberry; adds an extra dimension; experimenting with video.
11:19 Twitter is a very plastic tool; Oakville real estate agents are using it like crazy.
13:20 What’s the value for the citizens of Oakville? No single communications medium can ever each everyone. There’s a bit of a media vacuum in Oakville, and we’re the suburb of a very large metropolitan area. Twitter is one more presence point in the communications mix.
15:29 Rob’s goal is to get the message out about what the town is to as many people as possible and to hear from as many people as possible as to what they want the town to do.
16:04 Rob’s bold goal: At the end of his time in office, to be remembered as the most accessible and engaging mayor in the history of Oakville.
16:22 As mayor, you have to listen and hunt for ideas.
17:45 Rob wants to make big changes to the Town of Oakville Web site to increase accessibility to him and the other members of Town Council.
18:02 People will start to expect a high level of accessibility to government leaders.
18:40 Rob works hard at being approachable.
18:48 Oakville is full of people who aim high in life and achieve goals. Sometimes being Mayor of Oakville is like being the concierge in a very high-end private hotel. The patrons are not shy about asking for what they want.
20:20 Rob uses Facebook mostly to communicate with family and friends. Moves at a slower pace than Twitter. Example of Mattamy Homes on Twitter; conflict draws followers.
22:43 Rob can automatically update his Facebook status from Twitter.
23:30 Facebook is the people that you used to know; Twitter is the people that you want to get to know. Twitter can be compared to a cocktail party.
24:00 What would Rob say to someone in government who is not convinced of the value of Twitter? He says the time investment is negligible. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
25:00 Mayor Rybak is now in election mode; he is using Twitter tweets to point people to content on his Web site.
27:00 Email is less formal than a postal letter; a tweet is even less so. And shorter. Twitter lends itself to casual commentary.
29:20 Rob’s most valuable piece of advice: The 140-character limit on Twitter is approximately 25 words. You’re learning to speak in sound bites! A great skill for someone in government.
30:00 Rob and Donna first discussed this podcast interview at the Oakville Midnight Madness festival, then arranged the whole thing on Twitter very simply and quickly.
31:20 Twitter is becoming a very valuable tool. Rob is trying to find other places to embed it. Online visitors like content that is updated frequently.
34:50 Funny story about how one mayor uses her blog to get the attention of local media.
36:00 Town of Oakville site will eventually incorporate social media and more interactivity.
38:30 Town Council has four-year strategic work plan; core value is devotion to continuous improvement. Rob likes to hear about opportunities for improvement.
39:30 Thanks to Rob; he says he is feeling good about Twitter and it has a huge potential.
40:00 Where to send comments: email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT com, call the comment line at 212-624-0209 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog.
Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com. Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network.