You restructured your website, can people find the old bookmarked pages?
It's so exciting to get a new website, revamp it, reorganize, clean house, but here are a few steps to take before you toss out the old structure. If you simply start fresh, or change domains, or toss out old pages, you may be missing valuable traffic. This is primarily for a restructure or switching to a new system for hosting the SAME domain. BEFORE YOU FLIP THE [...]
Your voice – the first thing that can kill your message.
Podcast editing has brought voice, verbal crutches and other hindrances to mind lately. As a member of Toastmasters, I'm learning better ways to correct it in myself and to help clients, guests overcome it. Mastering your voice allows you to be HEARD without distractions of filler words, crutches, like ya'know all those bad habits people develop. VOICE is about four things: Pace Pitch Volume Pause Even someone who [...]
Your Complete Guide to Planning a Neighborhood Parade
We live in a "Leave it to Beaver" type of neighborhood. People have lived here for over 40 years, and the next generations have taken over the parents' homes so new families are continually moving in. We have relatively flat streets and nice, albeit bumpy, sidewalks. Perfect for a parade. I have done enough event planning over the years to know preparation is everything and a neighborhood parade [...]
6 Ways to Get Your Podcast Shared By Your Team
A podcast host I help recently asked how he can increase his numbers on replays. He's part of a large software company with over 900 employees, so those are 900 potential subscribers and advocates! Here are some suggestions I gave him: 6 Ways to Get Your Team to Share Your Podcast: Make it EASY - Send out an email when the episode publishes with a link, a graphic [...]
Consistency, short tips, and a strategy other than hope.
Speaking of doing short tips, and making lists of tips, one of my clients fell off the wagon of doing it. He was doing a daily tip for his niche market. It was one nugget a day, five minutes or less. He had prerecorded so many at once that when he wanted to change something in the format, he realized he had to re-record 75 2-5 minute tips. [...]
5 Must Do’s Before You Turn on the Microphone
Heck, these are five must do's before you BUY a microphone! Decide WHY you are doing a podcast - the real goal. Truly, what is the goal? You have to be gut-wrenchingly honest. "It's to stroke the ego of my client. It's to get them off my back. It's to increase their exposure. It's to talk about their new product. It's to help them recover from a bad [...]
As a PR or Marketing Agency – why adding podcasting services makes sense.
We are in a world where industry leaders, strategists, influencers, and executives are gaining credibility, introductions, receiving earned media, and closing more deals. One way they are doing this is through podcasting. In this series, we're going to cover some lists, blunders to avoid, everything you’ll need to know in order to start a podcast, getting your show right once it’s off the ground and focusing in on [...]
How documenting procedures can add to your value on a team.
Websites are designed, launched and maintained. They also grow in content, evolve and get cluttered. Sometimes we create a process to promote a service and then we forget about it after it is launched. Heck, we may have a simple blog set up that ends up getting neglected. Recently I visited the site of an active, viable company. Their website looks clean. Ideas are clear, but their blog [...]
Audubon – Branded Infographics
Simplifying an explanation is done well with infographics. For REO agents, their processes are daunting and typical agents and buyers don't understand what's involved and can become frustrated. We created these pieces to better explain the process to help cut down on the frustrations. It's helped a lot and the buyers, as well as their agents truly appreciate the simplified, clearly explained processes.
Your logo has a lot of jobs to do – design it thoughtfully.
When I doodled the Binky Patrol logo 23 years ago, I didn't have any thoughts of it still being in use today or all the ways it would be used. I simply doodled something cute with the skills of a 12-year-old. The details would become a problem for embroidery, the eyes would become a problem to reverse out. It was a pencil drawing I photocopied and then colored [...]
Checklist to get more people listening & subscribing to your podcast
Yes, there are tons of articles on this. But there are some basic steps that a lot of newer hosts miss, which cuts into their subscriptions AND replays. The key is to test it as an outsider or get someone to do it for you. FILL IN ALL THE BLANKS . This includes your podcast channel on iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, YouTube. Get to the MEAT of what your [...]
Accessibility Formatting Tips for Experience Word Users.
Most of us have been using Word and Powerpoint longer than smartphones have existed. It doesn't mean we are using it logically and with readability in mind. This accessibility tips post will remind you of what's already in place and give you suggestions on how to personalize the ready-made templates better to ensure your branding is included AND there is no loss of readability for disabled visitors. Remember, [...]