Next week: “Selling Social Media to Your Boss” presentation in Pittsburgh

Posted on January 15, 2010 by Cynthia Closkey

Social media? Isn't that just kids texting what they ate for lunch?

I’ll be speaking next Thursday to the Pittsburgh chapter of the IABC (International Association of Business Communicators). My topic is “Selling Social Media to Your Boss,” an update of the presentation I gave last October at PodCamp Pittsburgh 4.

You know social media is a great tool for marketing, customer feedback and developing valuable communities. Your boss thinks it’s a waste of resources, or even a danger to the organization. How should you make your case?

In this session, Cynthia Closkey of Big Big Design will discuss what managers and top-level executives need to know about social media and online networking, highlight resources for finding examples and statistics that carry weight and show you a simple plan for helping your organization move ahead.

The event is open to the public, held in downtown Pittsburgh from 7:30 to 9:30 on Thursday, January 21, 2010. Registration information and other details are here. I hope you can join us.

“Pick 8 blogs”: how to be a better online publicist

Posted on January 14, 2010 by Cynthia Closkey

Lindsay Robertson, a freelance writer in New York, published an excellent list for publicists who want to connect with bloggers: “The Do’s and Don’ts of Online Publicity, For Some Reason.” It’s well worth reading and following this entire list of tips.

So often we emphasize what not to do when connecting with bloggers, so I love that this post highlights several things to be sure to do. If you were to do them, you’d have almost no chance of committing any of the Don’ts on the list.

Two in particular cover the majority of the advice: Continue reading →

Saying more by saying less

Posted on January 4, 2010 by Cynthia Closkey

Email is both the most useful tool I have for communicating and the most problematic.

It’s useful because it’s inexpensive to send and receive, integrated with many of my other communication and information tools (websites, phone texting, calendar and contacts), and able to work with multiple media, from text to images to video to links.

Best of all, it’s asynchronous: I can send you a message when I think of something, without worrying about interrupting you, and you can respond when it’s convenient. We don’t have to schedule the communication or stop what we’re doing to interact.

Except… email often is an interruption, even a disruption. Continue reading →