Recent worldwide public relations reactions by Goldman Sachs and British Petroleum are examined by Tim ‘Gonzo’ Gordon and Roger Pike.

Is Print Dead? Tim and Roger look back fondly at the days of ink-covered fingers from reading the Sunday newspaper and wonder how print fits into today’s digital world.

photo credit: Eivind Z. Molvær

Looking to land a new job? Want to put your best foot forward as you compete for that big promotion? Need to add a management employee, or fill a position that requires customer contact? If so, then chances are you’re going to be involved in social media.

For the job seeker, Social Media is where it’s happening. Most people are familiar with the fact that positions offered externally (not just to employees inside the company) have been showing up on on-line job boards, like Monster and CarreerBuilder. In fact, it is now the case that jobs show up in very few other places at all. Classified and “want ads” are all but disappearing. Even more importantly, the application process for jobs, from entry level to middle management, now almost always begin with an on-line process. While most potential employers will allow you to fax, Email, or even (bleh) snail mail an application, the vast majority prefer you submit your app online.

That’s not all. The importance of the social media in today’s job market extends well beyond the job board / application process. Now, your Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter account help you to network your way into finding openings in the hidden job market. The average Facebook user, for example, has about 130 friends. That’s a lot of people who ALSO have friends…and who might be willing to use those contacts to help you land that next position. LinkedIn offers an even greater networking opportunity as it’s tailored for business people to stay in touch with one another, build professional relationships and post resume’s and success stories.

And don’t think potential employers aren’t using the interactive Internet to check out potential employees. Surveys report that more than half of employers now look on-line. They will look at your social network sites; your Facebook and LinkedIn page. Never, ever, post anything to these sites you wouldn’t want an employer (or potential employer) to read.

Human resource experts, though, aren’t just going to the Internet to “dig up the dirt.” Recognizing the importance of social media, employers increasingly want to make sure candidates are savvy; keeping up with the latest developments in on-line marketing. They want to know you understand what social media is and how to use it. So, even if you have a job but want to grow in the company, it’s wise to make sure you have a Facebook page and your blog is up to date and professional.

Remember, your services are a marketable commodity…like any other. You must protect your “brand name.” Establish your professional credentials by creating and maintaining a blog. That blog will also make you show up more often in searches. Make sure your LinkedIn page is complete; that your profile is up to date, your accomplishments are highlighted and that your page includes the latest resume. It doesn’t hurt to make sure Facebook sells you too. And Twittering in your profession gets you “rep” as well. In all of these places, you should make sure you tell people what you want; where you want your career to go.

Don’t let your “brand” be tarnished. Pay attention to what’s being said online about YOU…or about anybody whose name sounds like yours. Free social media search engines exist to help you track what others are saying about you. Use them.

Finally, of course, update things routinely. Post at least twice a week to your blog. Get those cute family photos on your Facebook page; and don’t be shy about touting your achievements on LinkedIn. It doesn’t hurt to participate regularly in LinkedIn forums either.

Social Media has revolutionized the way jobs are advertised and filled. It has also provided employers with a powerful tool for evaluating job applicants. Both these things are relevant to YOU. Understand what’s going on and take advantage of it. That could be the difference when the decision is made about who get’s that new corner office.

photo credit: Robert S. Donovan

Our ‘summer break’ continues – in a sense – as we sit down and reminisce about our radio days – how we got in and made our mark, however large or small that might have been! We also touch on how you might break into radio if that is your desire.

photo credit: mnsc

What does your business card look like? Is it communicating important information? Or does it lack pizazz? Tim and Roger take a look at a critical piece of your communication.

photo credit: iris_birka

Five or six years ago, to rank high in Google and other search engines, you had to cross your i’s and dot your t’s when it came to metatags, titles, keywords and more. Yes, those are still important – but not as important as one more item. What is that? Tim ‘Gonzo’ Gordon and Roger Pike discuss SEO.
photo credit: FindYourSearch

From a corporate or business point of view, how do you respond to a negative blog post or comment? Well, of course there are right and wrong ways to do that – and we’re here to tell you the right ways to respond.

photo credit: adreson

I just ran across a new online presentation tool – in a way. It’s called My Brainshark and it allows you to narrate slide shows, make a narrated photo album, post a video demo and more. Yeah, a number of these tools are readily available, but MyBrainshark is attractive because it is easy to use, easy to embed those presentations elsewhere and is oriented mostly towards the business user.

During my tour of the site I came across a short but effective presentation called ’3 Things Presenters Should Know About Webinars‘…let’s take a look:

(if the embedded presentation doesn’t show in your browser, here’s a link to the file…)

What newsletters do you feel compelled to read regularly? Tim and Roger take a look at six newsletters that keep pullin’ ‘em in. Interesting and compelling stories and articles keep us coming back.

In no particular order, they are… (you may click while listening to our podcast: all links open up a new tab or window):

• BNET
• Paul Castain’s Sales Playbook
• Valeria Maltoni’s Conversation Agent
• Michael Stelzner’s Social Media Examiner
• LinkedIn (Groups)
• SpeakerNet News

Where’s the best place to finish your sales pitch and close a deal?  Well, for a company looking to sell to Tim and I recently, the “best place” was a classroom; an online classroom.

Tim and I were looking at several tools to help us “datamine” the social media for a new client.  We wanted something that would give us a comprehensive look at the clients presence in social media: if and how their company was represented there, what was being said about them, and whether the on-line conversation included talk of a specific area of the clients operation.  Later, we would use that tool to track how our efforts were changing that conversation.

The Internet offers a lot of different ways to begin “datamining” for that kind of information.  And, some of digging tools are free.  But we wanted sophisticated results; and, because of that, were looking at high-end products we’d have to buy or rent.  One of those products was a tool called Radian6.  Tim’s initial research indicated it might be just what we were looking for.  But, we weren’t certain.  At least, we weren’t until we sat down in front of our computers; Tim and I across town from each other, and went on a virtual tour together.  Radian6 hosted a “webinar” for Tim and I to teach us what their product could do, and how we would use it.

A webinar, short for “web based seminar” would allow a representative of the company to talk to us about the product, show us how it would look on our computer, actually allow us to see it in action and answer our questions.  All from the privacy of our own offices.

The day of the webinar arrived and Tim and I were looking forward to the tour.  Tim had no problem logging on to the webinar “host.”  I had a glitch.  It wouldn’t let me in.  A phone call to the company fixed it quick though.  The rep sent me a new link, via email, that worked perfectly.  Once the computers were all logged in, we used our phones to dial into to the audio portion of the presentation.  Phones on “conference” and sitting in front of us, and with Ben, from Radian, controlling what we’d see on our screens, we were ready to begin.

The webinar went like clockwork.  Ben opened Radian6, showed us how it would look, and how we’d use it to begin to find the information we’d need.  Before our eyes, he plugged in our search parameters and search terms, and we sat back while his product began browsing the known cyber-universe for the information we wanted.  Seconds later, the results were in, and Ben showed us how his tool would organize the data for analysis.

The on-screen portion of the presentation was slick.  What’s more, the webinar format allowed Tim and I to ask questions and get immediate answers since the three of us were “conferenced in” via phone.  After about 45 minutes, we’d seen what the tool could do and had our questions answered.  And Radian had made a sale.

Of course, not every product can be sold this way.  But this experience is a superb example of how the interactive internet can help your company make sales and develop clients.  Reaching your prospective customers in their offices, at their convenience, with a representative who can address their questions, is a powerful sales device.  Through the “webinar” all the decision makers can be brought together at once.

Radian6 turned out to be just the tool we need to provide a wealth of information, and real value, to our client.