PIC Newsletter - June 2013
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Greetings!
 

A message from the PIC chair

 

It's almost summer as I write this. I hope you and your family will find time to enjoy the warmth and sunshine of this short season.    

As the PIC year draws to a close, I want to thank the people who've made our programming, communications, social media and membership services so successful:

Pat Davies: director of programming

Sharon Aschaiek: director of membership

Amy Sept: director of social media

Elizabeth Trew: director of communications

 

Thanks to their dedication, we were able to run programming with guest speakers as well as our popular networking exchanges. At the same time, we increased our visibility within IABC/Toronto, and laid the groundwork for some new initiatives next year.

 

At the helm of PIC next year will be Sharon Aschaiek as our new chair. I'm certain Sharon will do great things for PIC, with the help of the rest of the executive and the broader membership.

 

Amy Sept is staying on as director of social media, continuing to enhance our presence online with her tweets and other bons mots.

 

Elizabeth Trew is moving to the membership portfolio, ensuring that new members are warmly welcomed to PIC and included in our activities online and off.

 

I'm sorry to see Pat Davies leave the executive, but I know she will continue to come to our meetings and share her wisdom. She has been stellar as our programming director.

 

Last but not least, I want to welcome Sue Horner to the PIC executive as director of communications. She has written and edited several award-winning newsletters, and I'm sure she'll work hard to keep members up to date on PIC activities.

 

The position of programming director is still open. Please let me know if you're interested.

 

I would like to thank all the members who volunteered in various capacities over the year, by writing an article, proofreading the newsletter, or helping with meetings.

 

Thanks too, to our photographer, Alan McKenzie, who always makes us look good in pixels.

 

See you in September!

 

Donna Papacosta

PIC chair, soon to be past chair

 

[email protected]

  

In This Issue
A message from the PIC chair
May program report
June program report
Volunteer opportunity
Quick Links
Writers needed
We'd love to hear from you if you're interested in becoming a volunteer writer for PIC or IABC/Toronto's Communicator.
Tidbits of knowledge
IABC/Toronto members and non-members can visit the Professional Independent Communicators - Toronto blog and check out the content by your peers and event podcasts.
PIC's Mission and the buzz
PIC's mission is to support independent IABC/Toronto communicators through professional development, networking and marketing.
 
The buzz is PIC's e-newsletter, intended to inform independent communicators about our activities, share professional development tips from past meetings and keep us aware of what's going on.
Join Our Mailing List!
May  program report
  
Using online marketing to attract, convert and keep customers

 

It's not enough to put up a website and hope potential customers find you.

 

At the May 1 PIC meeting, Op-Ed Marketing founders Robert Clarke and Chris Barnes attracted a a large crowd eager to get tips on how to grow their customer base. They couldn't cover every online tool so they provided snippets of information about some of the most effective tools.

 

Pay Per Click (PPC)

 

PPC acts as the "Yellow Pages" for the internet. An effective PPC campaign can provide you with an inexpensive yet effective way attract customers to your site by:

  • Using keyword research by using words in your ad that customers actually use (using Google's Keyword Tool) to find to find your services
  • Linking the PPC ad directly to the relevant service page from the ad they clicked and not to your home page
  • Including a "call to action" above "the fold" on each page that stands out from the rest of the page

The great thing about PPC is you can quickly calculate your ROI by measuring every click and lead, whereas it's harder to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of other online tools.

 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

 

If PPC is a quick sprint, then SEO is a marathon. Tips to use SEO effectively to attract more visitors to your website from search engines include:

  • Avoid using Flash as search engines have trouble using it (It may look impressive but it actually hinders customers from finding you!)
  • Use keywords in title tags and throughout the text

Now that you've attracted customers to your site, you need to keep their interest by providing new valuable content and by talking to them directly using words like "you" and "we," rather than "the customer."

 

Email Marketing

 

Tips include optimizing your site for sign-up and engagement by offering to email a product or a newsletter with useful valuable content. Make sure it's obvious where and how to sign-up (use an arrow or make the text bigger). Encourage your subscribers to share your content by putting links to social media sites in everything you send them.

 

Social Media

 

Use the social media sites your customers use for business.

 

Rob told us that writing catchy headlines is the No. 1 factor in getting retweeted on Twitter, so you should add your personal touch by tweaking dull headlines before retweeting.

 

Referral marketing

 

The best time to ask for a referral is when you've "wowed" your customer. Keep and grow your audience by offering cost savings or some type of reward or loyalty program for referrals. And don't make it a one way street; help people by referring them to other businesses.

 

What's the most important thing I learned from Robert and Paul's presentation? Online marketing is not about self-promotion; it's about developing useful content for your customers.

 

And, it's essential to have an online strategy to make it easy for potential customers to find you, connect with you and stay connected.

 

For real world examples and more information about attracting, converting and keeping customers through online marketing, sign up for Op-Ed's Digital Marketing ebook.

 

  
June program report

 

Pricing, follow-up and other business tips from PIC

By Sue Horner 

 

Whether you've been in business for one month or more than 20 years, there's always something to learn from fellow independents.

 

Here are just some of the useful tips shared at PIC's networking exchange on June 5:

  • LinkedIn is a good way to stay in front of people digitally and create awareness of what you do.
  • On pricing: If you've quoted $2,000 for a project but you agree to do it for less when asked, what does that tell the potential client? That you were overcharging! Only agree to a lower price if you adjust what you will deliver. Great line: "You're not at a bazaar haggling over a carpet." 
  • Freelance writer Paul Lima is a great resource for advice on pricing your services, marketing your business, time management and more. In particular, check out Chapter 38 of his book, Everything You Wanted to Know About Freelance Writing.
  • Suggested resources included Fresh Books online invoicing and accounting software; Billings time-tracking and billing app for Mac; RescueTime time management and productivity software; and Swizzle for cleaning up your email. 
  • Ask yourself, "What's your passion?" (not necessarily what's in your past) to help you decide the focus of your new business.
  • Follow up with potential clients six times, spaced out appropriately (like once a week or once a month). Find helpful advice on this by Write to Done and Steve Slaunwhite.

Asked for comment after the meeting, new entrepreneur Betsy Chaly said, "The small group, round table format was a comfortable environment in which to ask questions that would be hard to bring up in other forums. The advice provided by participants, based on their own experiences, was invaluable."

 

Andrew Wright agreed, saying, "The PIC Networking Exchange events have been a tremendously positive experience for me. For a newcomer to Toronto and to IABC, it's been a fantastic way to meet colleagues, to discuss current strategies and skills, and an opportunity to learn from some highly talented and experienced professionals."

 

There will be more networking exchanges in the fall when PIC's regular programming picks up after a summer break - and I'll be on the PIC executive!

 

Volunteer opportunity
PIC is still looking for a director of programming for 2013-2014.

Joining the PIC executive is an excellent way to
build your profile and expand your network. 
The position entails:
  • Researching hot topics and creating an annual speaker list
  • Booking speakers and developing a back-up plan
  • Introducing and thanking speakers at meetings
  • Coordinating speaker information, equipment needs, gifts and handouts

For more information, contact Donna Papacosta at [email protected].

IABC-logo.buzz
PIC is a special interest group of IABC Toronto. As the largest chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators, IABC Toronto provides access to products, services, activities and networking opportunities in Toronto and around the world. IABC helps people and organizations achieve excellence in corporate communications, public relations, employee communication, marketing communication, public affairs and other forms of communication. For more information, visit the IABC website.

Don't forget to connect with us on the web: pictoronto.com

 

Elizabeth Trew                                                     Heather West   
Director, Communications                                     Copy editor    
PIC