Networking For You AND Your Clients

Every so often I get emails or calls from people saying they’ve heard great things about our agency and that they’d like to get together to see if there’s a networking opportunity between our companies. More times than not I feel like I’m being fluffed up for a pitch so that I might be inclined to send that person some business when, and if, there’s an opportunity. I used to go into these get-togethers with my guard up.

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Tags: agency, Bloomington, Caribou, coffee, fundraising videos, Good Business, media relations, Minnesota, network, Networking, non profit, Starbucks, Twin Cities, Video Services

Business Etiquette on Facebook: Know Your Friends!

Could it be that the rules of engagement around social media are not yet defined?  I am quite confident that the recent social media “oops” I witnessed the other day is not an anomaly, and yes I think the landscape of social media political correctness will eventually sort itself out.

Here’s the background… For many months  I have had multiple meetings and conversations with a local non-profit (which will remain nameless)  suggesting possibilities for PR ideas around an upcoming event.  Just a few days ago, they had told me they were in the final stages of creating their vision for the video and would get back to me.  Little did I know that “their vision” meant going to a competitor!  So you can imagine my surprise when I read their Facebook update from the other day which was touting their excitement over wrapping up their video shoot for their pending event.

When you make an update whether it’s on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or any other social media community, please know you should conduct yourself in the same manner in which you would have a live conversation.  The conversation should be authentic, respectful and follow the same rules of etiquette as all other  conversations.  So to you “ABC non profit”, please know that as a professional rooted in the social media industry, that yes I do read your updates regularly so that as I consultant I am intimately aware of what is going on with your organization.  I would have even taken “Minnesota Nice” as a blow off rather than the blatant disregard of my time found worded on my Facebook feed.

Tags: Facebook, Linkedin, non profit, PR, Twitter

Hirshfield’s Partners with Second Harvest Nov. 10-28

If you’ve got some pre-Thanksgiving painting projects to knock out this weekend, swing by Hirshfield’s and bring some food. Yes, food! Working in partnership with the Second Harvest Heartland, Hirshfield’s is taking your food donations between November 10-28 and helping to re-stock our local food shelves. When you bring in your donation, you’ll receive 20% of Hirshfield’s brand paint, which by the way, is locally manufactured so you’re also helping local business!

As you know, this is a difficult time for many families so please consider helping out Second Harvest Heartland, even if you don’t need to pick up any paint.

Tags: Food Shelves, fundraising videos, Hirshfield's, media relations, Minneapolis, non profit, Second Harvest Heartland, StoryTeller Media & Communications, Thanksgiving, Twin Cities, Video Services

Are You a Thought Leader?

For the record, I’ve always disliked the phrase “thought leader,” mostly because about a year and a half ago, it was another business buzz phrase (ie. 24/7, gitter done, step it up, etc.) that was overused, abused and misused. That said, it always made me wonder, “what IS a ‘thought leader?’”

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Tags: Communications, Good Business, media, non profit, storyteller, Video Services, Wall Street Journal, YouTube videos