FIR Podcast Network

This is the last in the PESO Model series we’ve been focused on for the past several weeks. And now it is time to learn how to measure the effectiveness of your work, prove you are an investment, not an expense—and have your team carry you out of the building on their shoulders as you celebrate your success. 

(Alright, so that might be a slight exaggeration, but we still are going to work through how to show how awesome you are after doing all of this work!)

I know this makes many of your cringe. Not my joke (though that may, too), but the idea of metrics. Don’t worry! We’re not going to do math. We’re going to look at how the data you have at your fingertips allows you to tell a story that proves the effectiveness of your PESO Model program. 

The PR industry has a bad rap—and we get no respect. The challenge is that, for the most part, what we do:

Is not trackable;

PR pros have a love/hate relationship with journalists;

There isn’t an industry-wide process for tracking results; 

For the most part, communicators don’t have P&L responsibility (there are some exceptions to that rule, of course); and

A good portion of what we do is building brand and reputation and credibility and relationships.

All of those things are incredibly challenging to measure, yet many executives expect it. The 2019 Global Communications Survey out of the Annenberg Center at USC found that, while 81% of executives find earned media one of the most valuable tools for building their brands, 69% expect it to sell.

For those of you who do earned media, you know what a challenge that is without an incredibly expensive piece of software that will track attribution from your efforts. Most organizations either won’t invest in that or can’t afford it.

So what is one to do?

On today’s Spin Sucks podcast episode, we’re going to talk about metrics, measurement, attribution, MQLs, SQLs…oh my!

PODCAST RESOURCES

* 2019 Global Communications Survey

* PR Maven

* PESO Model Overview

* Paid Media

* Earned Media

* Shared Media

* Owned Media

* PESO Model Authority

* PESO Model Certification

* Spin Sucks Community

 

 

#414: Brian Swift and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Reignite your spark by overcoming limiting beliefs and finding inner strength. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert Brian Swift (https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-p-swift-jd-7b2a8010/), the founder and president of SOAR Nonprofit, an author, speaker, and inspirational coach. His mission is to give people with disabilities the opportunity to participate in outdoor, accessible activities and provide them with accessible equipment.

Brian broke his neck when he was 17 years old, and since then, he has had one mission: to continue moving forward, regardless of being quadriplegic. He finished his college degree in four years, went to law school, and graduated. After 20 years in the corporate world, Brian developed a dream to help and inspire others with disabilities to get outdoors and exercise more. He’s been married for 30 years now and has coached athletics at the high school level in both football and basketball, showing that he is not limited in fulfilling his dreams despite his physical limitations.

If you are feeling stuck in your personal and professional life and find yourself asking, “What’s stopping me?”, reach out to Brian Swift by visiting his website, http://soarnonprofit.com/, and going to https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-p-swift-jd-7b2a8010/.

Here are a couple of AHA messages from this episode:

* Business professionals who get stuck should reach out to Brian Swift. https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-p-swift-jd-7b2a8010/

* There are so many unbelievably different reasons that people get stuck. My role is to coach you if you have a limiting mindset and feel stuck in life, and help you move forward. #GetUnstuck http://soarnonprofit.com/ @S_O_A_R_nonprof

* Everybody has different needs. I work based on what you need and what works for you, helping you understand the mindset that holds you back in life and in your career. #GetUnstuck http://soarnonprofit.com/ @S_O_A_R_nonprof

* I can provide a framework to mentor you on how to get past your limitations — around them or through them — and to guide you to keep moving forward. #GetUnstuck https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-p-swift-jd-7b2a8010/

* Even as a quadriplegic — paralyzed from the neck down — I can share my own life experience of accomplishing things that people told me I couldn’t, which gives me the credibility to talk about #GettingUnstuck. http://soarnonprofit.com/ @S_O_A_R_nonprof

To learn more about Thought Leadership and how it can help you be successful, visit https://thoughtleaderlife.com/.

 

#415: Kami Huyse and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Optimize sky-rocketing results and revenue for your business by connecting to your target audience and building an online community. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert Kami Huyse (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamihuyse/), the CEO at Zoetica Media, a social media expert, digital strategist, speaker, and author who connects people and ideas. She is passionate about building communities and driving measurable results.

Kami is an award-winning architect of numerous marketing and influencer relations programs,...

In this episode of AMP Up Your Digital Marketing, Glenn Gaudet speaks with Stephen Spector, who’s spent more than 20 years doing digital marketing and social media in the IT space. Stephen discusses strategies he’s used to successfully implement employee advocacy programs.

You’ll learn:

* Employee advocacy platforms can reap a number of benefits, including an increase in brand engagement, product feedback, and sales leads.

* Getting buy-in from executives and employees isn’t always easy, but start with a “pilot program,” a small group of people who are already social media savvy.

* It’s essential to prove the value of an employee advocacy platform, especially to executives, by presenting them with backend reporting and metrics.

It’s no secret people are naturally resistant to change, and this is often magnified at work.

So when you approach management and employees with the idea of an employee advocacy platform, you might be met with indifference, or even get some pushback.

After all, those outside the marketing and social media world might not understand the perks of these platforms — how they can establish employees as social media thought leaders, increase brand awareness and engagement, collect product insights, and boost sales.

So how exactly do you get executives and employees to buy into employee advocacy?

It’s not always an easy task. Take it from Stephen. When he joined the Edge Gravity team as the senior director of digital marketing, he discovered the company had already invested in our very own solution for employee engagement — GaggleAMP.

That’s great, but the only problem? No one was actually using it.

Stephen joined the AMP Up Your Digital Marketing podcast to discuss how he got the company’s executives and employees on board and ultimately reap the benefits of the platform.

How to Generate Excitement Around Employee Advocacy Platforms

Stephen, a self-taught marketing and social media pro, is a big proponent of employee advocacy platforms, so he understood the value of implementing an employee advocacy platform like GaggleAMP.

Unfortunately, those outside the realm of marketing and social media weren’t quite so excited.

But that’s where you can work your magic. Here’s exactly how Stephen was able to generate excitement around the program and get buy-in from both company executives and employees.

1. Pick up the Phone

Stephen was familiar with GaggleAMP, but he wanted to understand how it could specifically benefit Edge Gravity, an edge-computing company.

So he simply picked up the phone and connected with GaggleAMP reps, who walked him through the ins and outs of the tool. He had multiple calls with the team and spent time discovering new features and also gaining insight into how his company could implement the tool.

“They’re there to help you,” Stephen says. “I know sometimes we think we know everything. It’s OK to say, ‘I don’t know the answer.’”

After he gathered that intel, he was ready to share it with other employees at his company.

2. Launch a Pilot Program

Before he began trying to appeal to the masses, Stephen knew he needed buy-in from a select few, so he launched what he called a “pilot program.”

He selected a handful of people at the company who were already social media savvy and hosted training sessions. Because this group of employees already understood and used Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, it was much easier to train them and get them excited.

He spent a few months working with this pilot group before branching out.

3.

#410: Josh Elledge and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Increase your company’s sales and revenue, and earn respect and profitable partnerships by becoming an influencer. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert Josh Elledge (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshelledge/), a syndicated TV expert, newspaper columnist, and keynote speaker. He turns business pros into media celebrities and creates over 10 appointments a week with his dream clients for various B2B businesses.

Josh is passionate about spreading his own PR fairy dust, which has made him an influencer with his digital consumer advocacy, lifestyle brand, and SavingsAngel.com. He provides step-by-step tools, coaching, and PR hacks for entrepreneurs to dramatically increase their sales and revenue. He is determined to attracting the perfect audiences without spending as much as they would on traditional PR services.

If you’re a high-tech company with a start-up growth and are wondering how other companies get the records and press the easy button, reach out to Josh Elledge by going to his website at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshelledge/.

Here are a couple of AHA messages from this episode:

* Profitable growth stage startups that are just not getting recognized in their niche should reach out to Josh Elledge. https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshelledge/

* Our main thing is that we help our clients go from invisible to being seen and celebrated because when you grow your authority and influence, life is just easier. https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshelledge/

* When you sprinkle that cred dust, you can grow your authority and your influence. https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshelledge/

* I’ve gone to events where I’ve been another face in the crowd, and I’ve gone to events where I’ve been a keynote speaker, and it’s a completely different experience. I want that keynote experience for everybody. https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshelledge/

* Sales gets easier, rate conversion goes up, and inbound and partnership opportunities increase when you communicate to clients so they can follow suit. if you just do this, you will make more money. https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshelledge/

To learn more about Thought Leadership and how it can help you be successful, visit: https://thoughtleaderlife.com/.

 

#411: Philippe Bouissou and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Grow top-line revenue and build sustainable growth by aligning your business with your target market. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert Philippe Bouissou, Ph.D. (https://philippebouissou.com/), a bestselling author, speaker, growth expert, venture capitalist and entrepreneur. He has 30 years of experience in Silicon Valley, where he became instrumental in growing and running businesses to maximize shareholder value creation.

Philippe is passionate about helping companies build sustainable revenue growth and capturing new business opportunities with a unique and effective methodology referred to as the “A4 Precision Alignment™.” This is the application of precise, fact-based discovery to identify customer-facing and internal misalignments that hinder growth and success.

If you are a CEO who dreads waking up on a Monday morning because you don’t know how to thrive and grow your business, reach out to Philippe Bouissou by visiting his web...

In this episode of AMP Up Your Digital Marketing, Glenn Gaudet speaks with Karin Aviles, Head of Demand Generation and Field Marketing at Centrica Business Solutions, which offers sustainable energy alternatives for businesses. Karin discusses how her team’s lead generation strategies have shifted during COVID-19. You’ll learn:

 

* Lead generation without face-to-face events forces companies to explore new ways to reach their target audience.

* With tighter budgets, marketing teams should look for ways to optimize their ROI through paid media channels.

* People’s behaviors have drastically changed over the past few months, so it’s important to keep tabs on these trends and follow your customer.

 

 

 

Face-to-face interactions are traditionally an integral part of lead generation. A handshake, an elevator pitch, a conversation, an exchange of business cards.

But in the wake of COVID-19, marketing teams no longer have this advantage.

In January, if you’d asked Aviles to list her top lead-gen strategies for the year, she would’ve rattled off an impressive list of in-person events and trade shows.

But in March of 2020, that all changed. As we know all too well, the world shut down, and events were canceled. Karin’s marketing strategy was essentially torpedoed.

“We’ve had to shift our marketing strategy quite a bit,” Karin says. “It definitely wasn’t something we did overnight per se, but we have had to move pretty quickly to make some changes.”

So what exactly changed? And what does the future of lead generation look like? Karin joined the AMP Up Your Digital Marketing podcast to discuss how her marketing team has shifted in the wake of COVID-19.

Lead Generation and COVID-19: Pivoting Your Marketing Strategy

What happens when a large portion of your marketing strategy disintegrates? Karin, like many marketers, has been forced to pivot. And she doesn’t suspect this will be a short-term pivot, either. 

“I think what has happened and transpired through COVID is going to change everything about how we work going forward,” she says. “So I don’t think we come out of COVID, and everything goes back to the way it used to be.”

In light of COVID-19, here are a few steps Karin and her team have taken to preserve lead generation without face-to-face events.

1. Host Events Digitally

As soon as events began getting canceled in March, Karin quickly started thinking about how to host them digitally. Whereas she’d initially planned to host approximately one webinar a quarter, she decided to amp that up. Now, her team has been doing about five each quarter.

“It’s really just taking those dollars we had planned on investing in something face-to-face and bringing it online,” she says.

She’s been pleasantly surprised with how engaged virtual attendees have been — probably because they’re at home and don’t have as many distractions in their lives. They’re asking questions and sticking around until the end of the sessions.

And because Centrica already uses the online events platform Webex, making the move to this digital format hasn’t cost them anything extra.

2. Optimize Your Paid Traffic Channels

During this time, Karin has been safe-guarding her budget,

#406: Holly Duckworth and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Navigate rapid change in the business environment with mindfulness. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert, Holly Duckworth (https://www.linkedin.com/in/hduckworth/), who is the CEO of Leadership Solutions International.

Holly is the founder of the C-Suite Network Mindful Leadership Council which is the premiere community for mindfulness and leadership connections. She is also a producer and host of the Everyday Mindfulness Show and has provided training programs on applied mindful leadership around the world.

If you are a CEO who is trying to navigate the rapid pace of change in the business environment, you should consider reaching out to Holly Duckworth by visiting her website https://leadershipsolutionsintl.com and going to https://www.linkedin.com/in/hduckworth/

Here are a few AHA messages from this episode:

* CEOs navigating the rapid pace of change in business culture should reach out to Holly Duckworth. #Mindfulness https://leadershipsolutionsintl.com @HDuckworth

* As we transition from the industrial age to the social age, there are rapid changes. Many companies are going to disappear and those that need to stay have to navigate the changes. #Mindfulness https://leadershipsolutionsintl.com @HDuckworth

* My expertise is in the area of #Mindfulness. Mindfulness is ancient wisdom that’s now being applied to the business environment because there are so many changes that are happening. https://leadershipsolutionsintl.com @HDuckworth

* The volatility of today’s business world can bring about fear and uncertainty for a CEO. Those feelings then trickle down throughout a business culture. I help CEOs to bring about positive change through #Mindfulness. https://leadershipsolutionsintl.com @HDuckworth

* I work with CEOs so that they understand the power and sense of #Mindfulness. That is a centered place where they can go to create powerful and profitable business cultures. https://www.linkedin.com/in/hduckworth/

To learn more about Thought Leadership and how it can help you be successful, visit: https://thoughtleaderlife.com/.

 

#407: Rosemary Coates and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Navigating the global supply chain in uncertain times. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert, Rosemary Coates (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosemarycoates/), who is the president of Blue Silk Consulting and the Executive Director of the Reshoring Institute.

Rosemary is an expert witness for Chinese manufacturing and a global supply chain management consultant. With an MBA, Rosemary has over 25 years of experience in management consulting. She is also a bestselling author and a witness for legal cases that involve global supply chain matters.

If you recognize that the global supply chain is currently in a state of anxiety for many people, you should consider reaching out to Rosemary Coates by visiting her website https://reshoringinstitute.org and going to https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosemarycoates/.

Here are a few AHA messages from this episode:

* #GlobalSupplyChains that are in a panic mode should reach out to Rosemary Coates.

The last piece of an integrated PESO Model program, before you get to measurement, is authority—or thought leadership or reputation or expertise. Whatever the heck you want to call it, it’s what happens when you’ve built a reputation for an individual or an organization—and that people inside the industry know of them. 

If you integrate the PESO Model as has been discussed the last several weeks (and you learn how to implement it through the certification), you’ll inevitably build authority for your organization and its executives. You do have to put some work into it, but some of it will happen organically, too.

There isn’t a single piece of content out there about marketing that doesn’t extol the virtues of thought leadership. In fact, it’s so prevalent, thought leadership, itself, has become a word most marketers hate to hear.

Test it out. Tell a marketing friend that you want to be a thought leader and watch their eyes roll back into their head.

Even though most hate it, thought leadership is a very important part of a content strategy in today’s business world. But what does that mean? How can it be effective?

According to research by Edelman and LinkedIn, 58% of 1,200 respondents read one or more hours of thought leadership per week. 

Additionally, 55% said they use thought leadership to vet the organizations they may hire. The research continues to prove that thought leadership is one of the most valuable tools when it comes to making purchase decisions—and that it drives growth with existing customers. 

The challenge is that not everyone can be a thought leader, nor can they pretend to be.

And that is what we discuss on this week’s Spin Sucks podcast episode.

Podcast Resources

* PESO Model Overview

* Paid Media

* Earned Media

* Shared Media

* Owned Media

* PESO Model Certification

* Spin Sucks Community

 

The July 2020 episode of The Hobson and Holtz Report features Neville and Shel discussing…

* Emotional Intelligence as an Internal Communications focus

* AI avatars as a new tool for training and marketing

* The latest TikTok news

* What a better social network might look like

* The rise of Virtual and Augmented Reality

* The staggering jobs challenge the world is facing

Dan York reports on making video calls better, apps that keep copying each other, Amazon’s new live-streaming for influencers, new ways to get the analytics you need, and something nice to look at while we’re all stuck inside..

We are hosting an FIR Communicators Coffee Break on Zoom each Thursday during the stay-at-home period at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to [email protected]. Spread the word to your communications community.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog.

Links from This Month’s Episode

* 5 Reasons Why Emotional Intelligence Is the Future of Work

* In An Era Of COVID-19 Disruption, Brands Must Rethink Marketing As Empathetic Customer Experiences

* Deepfakes Are Becoming the Hot New Corporate Training Tool

* Deepfake used to attack activist couple shows new disinformation frontier

* This Person Does Not Exist

* As TikTok grapples with weightier topics, journalists are tuning in to deliver the news

* Meet the Creator of a Viral TikTok Who Caught the Attention of Disney’s Boss

* Trump Administration Reviews TikTok for National Security Risks

* Byte, the Reboot of Vine, Surges After Trump Claims He Could Ban TikTok

* What Is Byte, the App That Just Passed TikTok on App Store Charts?

* Facebook readies global launch of its TikTok competitor

* Snapchat tests TikTok-style navigation for exploring public content

* What a Better Social Network Would Look Like

* Virtual Reality to recover in 2021 after falling to COVID-19

* Covid-19 is pushing AR forward with three major trends

*

#402: Jason Kanigan and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Increase profitability and ROI by getting funded and using services and products made in space. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert, Jason Kanigan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkanigan/), founder of Cold Star Technologies. He is passionate about the growth of space business. He envisions making space “boring” so that investors and the public would view space manufacturing and space jobs as normal and expected rather than exciting and scary.

Jason is a process specialist for small satellite (smallsat) manufacturers. He is committed to helping companies overcome the unexpected challenges of scaling businesses and issues in manufacturing in academic or commercial environments. He is also instrumental in doubling revenues and increasing the conversion rates by over 100 percent of his clients with sales training, referral systems, prospecting activities, SEO content writing and operations management projects.

If you are interested in the space field and you’ve got an idea but you still need to get funded, consider reaching out to Jason Kanigan by going to https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkanigan/.

Here are a few AHA messages from this episode:

* Companies that are new to the space field and are still not funded should reach out to Jason Kanigan to more fully understand that industry. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkanigan/

* Agencies opening up as a commercial field should understand businesses, processes and systems. They need help to get a structure into place and installed. Find an expert who can guide you in the process! https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkanigan/

* I had to get to know people in the space industry in order to have the credibility to do what I do. I interact with people in the industry and they educate me about their area of space. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkanigan/

* Fixing processes with the help of specialists allows smallsat manufacturers to prevent disasters and mission failures from happening. Have you worked with the right people? You should! https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkanigan/

* Smallsat manufacturing companies may encounter unexpected challenges and issues in both academic or commercial environments. There is so much to learn and there are experts who can help you! https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkanigan/

To learn more about Thought Leadership and how it can help you be successful, visit: https://thoughtleaderlife.com/.

 

#403: Danny Hadas and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Drive profitability by creating a winning employee experience. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert, Danny Hadas (https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielhadas/), who is a bestselling author, employee experience innovator and advisor to the world’s most iconic brands. His work has impacted millions of people across more than 500 companies worldwide including Disney, BMW and AT&T.

Danny is the founder of The Emovation Project. He shares the innovative power of intentionally crafting experiences in the context of emotions. Danny leads master classes all around the country empowering people to innovate with emotions and transform their workplace culture. He teaches how to create a winning employee experience.

If profitability is a challenge in your business and you recognize tha...

What does it take to launch a communications consulting practice? What should communicators who have never been entrepreneurs know about going solo? Should they bring aboard partners? Staff? Most importantly, how do they become trusted advisers, delivering value, and helping clients drive business results?

Four Fellows from the International Association of Business Communicators gathered on July 16 for a live streaming conversation about entrepreneurship and how to be a successful consultant.

The next Circle of Fellows is scheduled for noon ET on Thursday, August 20.

About the panel

Kellie Garrett, based in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, Kellie is a speaker, coach, and strategist, as well as an associate professor at Royal Roads University. Before launching her own business, Kellie was Senior VP of Strategy, Knowledge, and Reputation for Farm Credit Canada.

James E. Lukaszewski, America’s Crisis Guru ®, is a bestselling author, national speaker, and trusted strategic advisor to FPO and NPO business operators and leaders during crises, disasters, reputation attacks, contentiousness and when the boss’s future is at stake. Corporate Legal Times listed him as “one of 22 crisis counselors to have in your speed dial when all hell breaks loose.” For more than 30 years, he has confidentially guided hundreds of company leaders thru tough, touchy, sensitive situations. Lukaszewski’s strategies inspire constructive, ethical problem resolving management behavior. A powerful and inspirational speaker, he teaches executives and managers the lessons he has learned. A prolific author, he is quoted and interviewed often as one of the most recognizable leaders in his profession. Lukaszewski is on the web at www.e911.com.

Jim Shaffer is a business adviser, leadership coach, author, and speaker. As leader of the Jim Shaffer Group, he helps organizations accelerate results through superior strategy execution. The Jim Shaffer Group creates hard business results by translating the business strategy to the people who need to implement it, aligning systems, processes, and culture to make the gains sustainable. The firm has improved quality, service, sales, safety, turnover, productivity, speed and costs with some returns exceeding more than 1,600 percent. He designed and produced the IABC Academy courses, “Managing Communication to Drive Results and Value” and “How to Add Value as a Strategic Adviser”. Some of his clients have included: Hallmark, ConAgra Foods, FedEx, IBM, Marriott, Mayo Clinic, Verizon, Owens Corning, Pfizer, and Toyota.

Jennifer Wah, MC, ABC, has worked with clients to deliver ideas, plans, words and results since she founded her storytelling and communications firm, Forwords Communication Inc., in 1997. The company operates as a strategic alliance of hand-picked professionals; all renowned for work in their areas of specialization. This approach means the right team is assembled for each project; no more, no less.   With more than two dozen awards for strategic communications, writing and consulting, Jennifer is recognized as a storyteller and strategist. She has worked in industries from healthcare to financial services to academia, and is passionate about the opportunity for stories to inspire actions and reactions within organizations.In 2013, Jennifer was named Associate Faculty of Royal Roads University, and in this capacity, continues to teach, coach and mentor others with an interest in business communication.