Where to send comments: Email donna AT Trafcom DOT Com or go 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 Music Alley
In edition 108 of the Trafcom News Podcast, you’ll hear an interview with Sue Johnston of Waterloo-based It’s Understood, who explains how she categorizes communication styles into four personas: artisan, guardian, idealist and rational. Both in the workplace and in your personal life, it pays to know your type!
03:00 Sue Johnston’s explanations of the four communication style personas: artisan, guardian, idealist, rational; see her website for more information and tools
09:55 After you’ve discovered your own style, how can you determine someone else’s style?
Why is content curation a hot topic, and why should you care? This 19-minute podcast explores what curation is, how individuals and brands can use it, which tools make it easy, and how to get started. Much of the content in this discussion originated with presentations in November 2011 to the IABC Western Region conference in Whistler, British Columbia, and the IABC/Toronto west end group.
Listen now or listen later. You can download the MP3 file here, subscribe through iTunes, or listen right now with the player below.
01:36 What comes to mind when you hear the word curation? Museums? Good analogy! Curation defined: finding, organizing, categorizing, describing and sharing content
02:22 Why is curation a hot topic? Fast Company says so.
03:00 Information overload or filter failure? Clay Shirky says it’s filter failure.
04:00 Finding, grouping and sharing the best of relevant content
04:20 Why curate? As an individual, you can be seen as an important industry resource. Example of Dave Williams in e-publishing with his nascent site, Ebooksdecoded.com
06:10 Use of social bookmarking tool Delicious in content curation. Donna’s video about how to use Delicious; slightly out of date but still relevant; benefit of adding multiple tags; easy to share bookmarks
07:45 Brands and curation: especially important in the B2B sector with its long sales cycle; essential to be seen often in front of your prospects as a trusted source of information.
08:20 Examples of businesses using curation in this way: CMO.com from Adobe; Intel Free Press; these are not marketing or advertising sites. They are vendor-neutral.
09:30 What’s the difference between aggregation and curation? The human factor.
10:02 Select the best of relevant content, add own opinion and then share.
10:21 Fire hose of information: Lots of tools available to help you. Storify.com makes it easy to collect tweets and other information, particularly from events, and tell a story with them, adding your own thoughts. Scoop.it lets you put stories together easily.
11:30 Example of Smartbrief.com, curating content in hundreds of topics.
13:10 Other ways to share curated content: blog, enewsletter, widget, microsite. Example of Donna’s blog post on GooglePlus.
14:05 Curata example: Green Data Center News from Verne Global.
15:25 More on curation tools: Curation Station, Diigo, Pealtrees, Storify, Paper.li, Scoop.it, Mangify.net and more.
15:55 Developing a curation strategy: what role does content play in your overall strategy?
16:12 Industry news, expert tips and advice, presentations, case studies, event and book reviews, infographics, photos, podcasts, videos, etc. Anything that can be communicated can be curated.
16:30 Important to be discerning, discriminating
16:40 Company news, industry news, competitor news, etc. – curation in internal communications.
17:02 Curation best practices: understand your market and your place in it; what are you trying to achieve? What does your audience care about? Pick a curation platform or a curation tool. Keep your information organized; use tags. Add your own flavour; tell a story with your content. Share content and make it easy for others to share.
17:45 Always link to the original source!
18:00 Think like a curator and you’ll be a curator; be consistently helpful.
18:21 Please send your curation stories or other comments to donna AT trafcom DOT com. Visit 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
In this conversation with Barb Sawyers, we explore some of the ways in which organizations can use storytelling to engage employees and communicate important messages.
Apologies for the audio issues during part of the conversation.
00:01 Intro; about Barb
01:23 People remember stories; in organizations, you particularly need stories for the tough sell
02:20 Recap of Barb’s blog post; keep the story concise; don’t bore people
03:44 Keep it real, admit to conflict (stories need conflict); identify heroes and villains
05:22 In some organizations, leaders fear conflict; maybe the villain is a problem solved, not a villain in the traditional sense of the word
06:40 You can’t engage employees if you’re not being real; use real language
07:02 We are emotional beings; people are naturally afraid of new things at work, such as change
07:33 Develop your characters; they should be likable
09:45 It’s important to warm people up before you interview them
10:44 Make sure your story has a point, just like fables always have a moral
12:00 Role of emotion in corporate storytelling; story without emotion does not resonate with people. People won’t relate to “just the facts”
14:02 Remind people that they can review the story before publication, to ease their mind and get better stories
16:20 Be sure you share with transparency and respect; find common ground
18:00 What to do when they say: “We have no stories!”
21:00 Put on storytelling hat to uncover employee stories; employees appreciate hearing stories about themselves
22:44 Classic storytelling establishes characters, builds toward a climax, then resolves; must have a conflict or challenge to be overcome
23:30 Pitfalls of corporate storytelling: thinking you have no stories; wanting to gloss over negatives; talking only about the CEO and other senior leaders; standing in the way of truth
29:00 Fear of the very word “story”
30:20 Day-in-the-life stories can be effective if it’s not a boring day; look for conflict or challenge to be surmounted
NOTE: Next Trafcom News Podcast will feature an interview with Steve Clayton, senior director of storytelling at Microsoft
36:00 Your comments are welcome; where to send comments.
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
If you’ve been within shouting distance of me within the last six months or so, you’ll know that my hot topic is storytelling in organizations, for both internal and external communications. In this quick 10-minute podcast, I talk about why storytelling matters.
04:27 Storytelling is one of the best ways for organizational communicators to actually reach people and get their point across
05:09 The human brain is hard-wired for stories
05:55 Stories must have a point, but you don’t have to start at the beginning
06:15 For storytelling to be successful, your organization and its products don’t have to be fun or sexy
06:40 Future episodes of Trafcom News Podcast will talk about the HOW of organizational storytelling
06:48 There is no excuse for not sharing stories. In Social Marketing to the Business Customer, Eric Schwartzman and Paul Gillin tell us about Indium Corporation, a company that makes solder paste, successfully using stories to talk to customers and to generate leads and sales.
09:18 Your comments are welcome; where to send comments. Email: donna AT trafcom DOT com; show blog: http://trafcomnewspodcast.com
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
Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. I did, until I came down with the flu. I’m grateful my voice is back; I’m sure my energy level can’t be too far behind.
Many of you enoyed the interview on show 100, with Ann Handley and CC Chapman, authors of Content Rules. If you’re looking to publish content for your marketing efforts this year, I highly recommend their book.
I’ve been doing lots of podcast interviews for clients recently, which led to the topic of today’s podcast: being a terrific podcast guest.
You can download the MP3 audio file for this podcast if you wish by clicking here. Or you can subscribe to the Trafcom News Podcast in iTunes. Or you can listen by clicking below.
Here are the shownotes:
00:01 Intro and welcome
01:32 If you've written a book or ebook or you are a consultant or speaker, chances are you'll be a podcast guest. Here are some tips to make the experience worthwhile.
02:00 Do your research. Is the podcast a good fit for you? Ask what the angle is. Don't expect all questions in advance. Do not write out and read your answers.
03:45 Sounding great: Don't talk too fast. Get the technology out of the way early. If you need to learn to use Skype, do so well before the interview.
05:24 Get the gear you need. Buy a microphone and headphones. Learn to use them.
06:55 Remove ambient noise, including pets.
07:56 Tell stories, but be sure they're not too long.
08:24 Don't worry about pauses. Breaks between questions and answers will help the podcaster to edit the file.
08:45 Follow up with the podcaster. Link to the finished podcast.
Comments are welcome! Email donna AT trafcom DOT com.
Here's something special for the 100th edition of this podcast: an interview with Ann Handley and CC Chapman, authors of the newly released book, Content Rules.
You can download the MP3 file for this podcast directly by clicking here, or you can subscribe through iTunes. Or you can listen with this player below:
02:55 The content rules are actually guidelines; you need content to differentiate yourself online; WHY and HOW to develop compelling content – that’s what the book is about
04:00 The 11 rules are a great starting point for understanding content
04:44 Book also features a how-to section and case studies (or ideas to steal)
04:55 What about people in organizations who say that have no interesting or sharable content?
06:10 Content curation; find content you think your customers will like; you become the filter; add your own insights; ask questions of your customers
06:42 Ask customer service; talk to your customer-facing people to get content within your organization
07:00 You have to get out of your office; show, don’t tell
07:50 Your customer’s story is your story
08:01Content Rules devotes a separate chapter to B2B; everyone always asks about B2B
10:00 Case studies in book are pulled from all walks of life; you can make content on any budget
10:40 More about curation within the organization
13:25 About the book tour; check the Content Rules site for details
14:42 Let the authors know if you want them to come to your city
16:42 In their book, CC and Ann point readers to other resources, such as Steve Garfield’s Get Seen, etc.
18:00 Donna asks you a favour: What topics would you like to hear on the next few editions of the Trafcom News Podcast?
18:27 Comments are always welcome! 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
Do you struggle with writing? Do you find it hard to get your thoughts on paper? Or are your readers struggling with your writing? In either case, you’ll want to hear this conversation with Barb Sawyers of Sticky Communication, author of Write Like you Talk , Only Better.
You can download the MP3 file for this podcast directly by clicking here, or you can subscribe through iTunes. Or you can listen with the player right here:
Here are the show notes:
00:01 Intro and welcome; what would you like to hear in Trafcom News Podcast 100?
01:58 Why do we complicate our writing with dense jargon? It starts in public school.
03:00 What is the solution? Write like you talk.
04:58 Barb reminds people to think through what they’re going to say; be sure to appeal to your audience; make your writing interesting, short. Look for your common errors.
06:08 The value of simple, clear writing.
06:48 If you write like you talk, your job will be easier and more fun.
07:08 Bonding with your reader.
08:00 Some people insist on indulging in corporate-speak.
08:45 Is it possible to go too far and be too casual? Yes. It depends on the audience.
10:00 Barb’s book is an invaluable tool for bloggers, who really need to show their personality in their writing.
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.
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.
