The ten secrets that make networking easy, fun and ridiculously effective

networkingsecrets

After ten years of being an entrepreneur, I’ve learned a thing or two about networking… One of the most important things I learned is that networking is a lifestyle. It needs to be worked into your DNA so that you are networking at all times…effortlessly and happily. When you treat networking as a lifestyle you don’t get anxious when you see a stranger at a conference, when the phone rings or you’re waiting in a long line. What you see and feel is opportunity. So, let me show you how to take those opportunities and turn them into profitable relationships with these ten networking secrets.

IKEA: the facebook fan sleepover

IKEA-Sleepover-007 sml

IKEA hosted a sleepover at its Essex store in the UK, giving a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for customers and fans to spend the night inside its signature furniture warehouse. The whole idea for this PR event was inspired by a Facebook group called  ”I wanna have a sleepover in IKEA.” Nearly 100,000 people have joined the group and Ikea granted 100 lucky winners their wish. The late-November event had a minimum age of 25 and a strict pajamas-only dress code. Guests were given goodie bags containing eye mask, midnight snacks, towel and slippers, and more. The sleepover also featured entertainment ranging from massages and manicures to movies and even a bedtime story reading by a reality-TV celebrity. A sleep expert was on hand with tips for getting a good night’s rest, including … Continue reading

The 8 worst twitter PR fails

Some brands deftly craft their Twitter presence. Bank of America’s @BofA_Help account, for example, has come to be seen as an effective forum where customers’ concerns are quickly addressed and solved. Other brands on Twitter have fallen victim to blunders and over-sharing, where the tweeter-in-charge hastily posts an intemperate or inappropriate thought for a large audience to read. After suffering a Twitter PR disaster, some brands assume responsibility for the controversy, while others blame interns, while still others point to saboteurs from outside the company. We’ve compiled a list of the worst Twitter PR fails to date. Offenders include non-profits, automakers, fashion designers and more. Vote for the biggest fail, and check out the worst Twitter fails blamed on interns, as well as a slideshow of tweets that got people fired. … Continue reading

Time for HR and PR to join ranks

Battle lines are being drawn in workplaces around the country, to decide who is responsible for internal comms, recruitment and social media. HR departments traditionally communicate company policy to staff and recruit new talent, but they are increasingly treading on the toes of PR departments. PR executives manage social media, promote their brand to would-be recruits and engage existing employees through internal comms. So, in this land of blurred boundaries, where does PR end and HR begin? As workplaces evolve out of silos and departments begin to work together in a coherent strategy, instead a new hybrid of HR and PR is emerging. Read more By David Woods for PR Week, 17th February 2011

Thinking Digital: How has the Internet Revolutionised Business?

Thinking Digital: How has the Internet Revolutionised Business? Last week, Econsultancy published a new report in association with digital consultancy Blue Latitude, The Impact of Digital Beyond Sales and Marketing: how Digital is Transforming Organisations.  The report examines the impact of digital across the business and, consequently, how companies are managing organisational change as  aresult of changing trends in technology and customer behaviour. It is absolutely crucial for all business functions to understand this rapidly evolving environment, and with that in mind, this post summarises and explores the impact of digital channels across a range of business functions. Read More By Aliya Zaidi for econsultancy.com, 11 October 2010

Why Apple is a Groucho Marx brand

Does Apple like its customers? You have to wonder. I’m asking this after the latest PR blunder with Steve Jobs telling an inquiring student to “Please leave us alone”. Yes, from the man himself, Jobs telling a customer to go away. Sure, I know Jobs is an uber busy CEO, but really media relations should take his phone away after the incident involving Chelsea Isaacs. Or maybe not. Isaacs a journalism undergrad at Long Island University and having tried and failed to contact the notoriously unhelpful Apple PR team (a universal experience, I think) about an article she was writing about the Apple iPad and got nowhere she emailed Jobs and got, yes, a reply (read the full exchange – its worth it). Read more By Gordon Macmillan for … Continue reading

Strategy Basics: Getting your Client’s Ducks in a Row

This is a companion post to “Strategy Basics: It’s Really all about having a Plan” from 11 March. It is a good idea to skim that post before reading this one. Otherwise the combination of the web and orange flavored milk might not make much sense. Congratulations, your client the Think Vitamin Dairy have had a few weeks to mull over what you presented and are now fully on-board. They are super excited about how you will help them sell more orange flavored milk. So exited in fact that they seem to be rushing it a bit. You always want a client to drive their project forward but sometimes you need to slow them down. Preparation and double checking every aspect of the plan is crucial. You don’t … Continue reading

UserVoice: The easiest way to turn feedback into action

Listening to your customers just got a lot easier. Start a conversation. Take action. Build raving fans. 1. You ask a question. 2. Customers share their ideas and vote up the best ones. 3. Improve your product and customer loyalty. Visit site

Track Stuff Now

This site helps you create a start page for any topic of your interest. Enter a keyword above and Track Stuff Now will find the most authoritative sources of news and present it for instant viewing. You can then bookmark the page for later use. http://www.trackstuffnow.com/