|
PIC Newsletter - October 2015
|
|
| |
Hope you enjoy the latest edition of The Buzz!
|
|
|
|
|
A message from the PIC chair, Sharon Aschaiek
|
 As most of you likely know, October 13 was International Plain Language Day. Earlier this month, the topic popped up on my radar multiple times through blog posts and on social media. I also participated in an Oct. 14 tweet chat on the subject held by IABC/Toronto. For those who couldn't make it, you can check out the Storify of that conversation. While the day has come and gone, we communicators know it's never too late to talk about the advantages of plain language. Whether it's for our clients or for our businesses, using plain language can make the difference between getting read and getting understood, and between attracting clients and keeping clients. While communicating clearly and concisely is important for new communicators to learn, it's a skill that even seasoned communicators need to refresh. Lately, I've been collecting useful plain language resources, including ones that have cropped up through plain language discussions this past month. I thought I would share a few of them here: Plain Language Association InterNational (PLAIN): Co-founded by B.C.-based communicator Cheryl Stephens, one of the earliest plain language advocates, this Canadian non-profit for plain language supporters and practitioners worldwide works to promote clear communication in any language, and is the organization behind International Plain Language Day. It has useful information on its website about the key areas to consider when drafting a plain language text: audience and purpose; structure; design; expression; and evaluation. Public Works and Government Services Canada: The provider of services for federal departments and agencies has its own detailed plain language guide to ensure its communication with the public and between public servants is clear, simple and easy to understand. It addresses topics such as focusing on the reader, text organization, vocabulary, and layout and design of documents. Plain Language Advocates: This LinkedIn group, also established by Cheryl Stephens, is for consultants, writers, editors and other professionals who promote plain language in business, government and the law. Members can discuss plain language strategies in subgroups focused on topics such as health literacy, research reports, and plain language training. Patricia Davies: A communicator with 20 years of writing, editing and consulting experience and a long-time member of PIC, Pat specializes in developing content with an emphasis on clarity, brevity, focus and interest. She shares tips on writing this way through her monthly e-newsletter, WordClips.
Continued success,
Sharon
|
|
 |
Newsletter archives
| Find back issues of The Buzz here.
|
We want your talents!
| Interested in writing, editing or contributing ideas for PIC's The Buzz or IABC/Toronto's Communicator? We'd love your help. Let us know!
|
PIC 2015-2016 Executive
| Contact any of us with questions, comments and ideas for speakers or topics:
Chair: Sharon AschaiekCommunications: Sue Horner
Membership & Events:
Sohini Bhattacharya
Programming: Susan Nakhle and
Social Media: Jacqui d'Eon |
|
|
|
Nov. 5: The Ultimate Brainstorming Session
|
Metro Hall, 55 John St., Toronto
Thursday, November 5, 2015, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Business development and planning. Finding new and ideal clients. Social media. Managing priorities. These are some of the challenges PIC members shared in our recent survey about professional development. We heard you, and we're planning a series of PD events this year to meet your needs, starting with "The Ultimate Brainstorming Session."
Please join us for a facilitated roundtable discussion with fellow PIC members on Thursday, November 5. The discussion will help you start tackling challenges and developing strategies to kick it up a notch and take your indie business to the next level.
There's no charge for this session to encourage as many members as possible to attend. Please let us know you're coming, or highlight a challenge or question you'd like addressed at the session, by contacting Susan Nakhle, Co-Director of Programming, at snakhle@dynamicpr.ca or 289-992-8555. PIC likes to switch it up between professional development meetings and social gatherings. If you have a suggestion for a hot topic you'd like covered, or you have a tip for an interesting venue you'd like to try, let Susan know.
|
|
Thanks to you, PIC program planning for 2015/2016 is well underway
| by Susan Nahkle and Heather West
Thank you to everyone who completed the PIC professional development survey. Your input has been extremely helpful in our planning of the 2015/2016 program. The challenges and topics of greatest interest were business planning and development, marketing and sales coaching and social media. So, with this in mind, we've themed this year's program Kick it Up a Notch: Taking your indie business to the next level.
- We started things off in September with a great session on podcasting presented by Donna Papacosta.
- We had our first social of the season at the O&B Canteen in early October.
- On November 5, we'll gather at Metro Hall for the Ultimate Brainstorming Session -- a facilitated roundtable discussion with fellow PIC members to help you start tackling the challenges you identified in the survey.
- On December 3, we'll celebrate the season with our annual holiday social.
- In January, PIC member Jane Langille will help us get back to business after the holidays with tips for managing time and boosting productivity.
We're in the process of lining up professionals who will help you as an entrepreneur bring your business to the next level. We are also exploring opportunities to help you network and generate new client leads.
As you requested, we're also investigating alternate formats for delivery. And we'll be exploring new ways to engage more members and share resources between meetings.
We're excited to be planning on your behalf. We have big shoes to fill; PIC has a long history of providing great programs for indies, most recently led by Jane Langille. We look forward to seeing you at these events.
If you haven't yet responded to the survey (Tsk! tsk! Call yourself a communicator?), take the survey now!
|
|
Other places to learn and grow
|
(1) Content Marketing: Writing the Message to Pull Your Market
Monday, Nov. 2, 2015, 7 p.m.
Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre, Room R318, 750 Spadina Ave., Toronto
Do you want to write content to attract your clients' target market? Can you apply the same marketing principles to increase client demand for your own business? The Toronto chapter of the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) has sponsored this panel discussion about the content marketing trend and its opportunities for you and your clients.
Admission is free for PWAC members and students. Members of PIC and other associate writers' groups pay $10 online or $20 at the door. Non-members pay $15 online or $20 at the door. Register now
(2) Podcasting workshop with Donna Papacosta
Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Thornley Fallis boardroom, 21 St. Clair Ave. E., Toronto
Are you excited by the prospect of podcasting for yourself or your clients, but don't know where to start? If so, Donna Papacosta has a workshop for you. In it, she will share what podcasting is all about, why good sound matters, how to record, edit and produce audio clips and podcasts and more.
Coffee, tea and lunch are included. You'll also receive a copy of The Business of Podcasting, co-authored by Donna and Steve Lubetkin, valued at $32.97 Cdn. PIC members receive a 10% discount with the code iabc2015. Register today(3) Beyond ESL: Writing with impact when English is your second language
Toronto Airport: Friday, Nov. 27, 2015, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Hampton Inn and Suites, 3279 Caroga Drive, Mississauga and Toronto Downtown: Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Novotel Toronto Centre, 45 The Esplanade, TorontoMany professionals who learn English abr  oad struggle to communicate when they land a job in Canada. For some, the perceived language weakness creates a lack of confidence that becomes a major roadblock. But it shouldn't be this way -- you don't need perfect English to be influential. "Beyond ESL" is a fun, one-day journey into psychology, culture, and communication. IABC Toronto member Geoff Weinstein invites you to join him at this brand new workshop, with a special discount for you and your network. Promo Code: BEYONDIABC. Register for Toronto AirportRegister for Toronto Downtown
(4) Editors Toronto seminar series
Editors Toronto offers a number of seminars in November of interest to more than just editors. Visit editors.ca to find out more about sessions on Creating and Marketing a Personal/Small Business Website, Search Engine Optimization and more. Note: If you hear of a communication-related course or workshop we should share with PIC members, please let Sue Horner know. Thanks! |
|
PIC wants YOU...to be a mentor or mentee
|
Some of us are new at the communications game, while others have been on the playing field for a while. Wouldn't it be great to get the newbies and the veterans together for some mentorship? That's what we thought when we kickstarted PIC's informal mentorship initiative last year. Essentially, we're helping connect seasoned communicators who want to share their expertise with up-and-comers who could benefit from that knowledge and experience. We do the matchmaking; the rest -- when, where and how often to connect, what to discuss, etc. -- is up to you. If you fit either category and want to participate, let us know. Email PIC chair Sharon Aschaiek at sharon@cocoamedia.ca.
|
|
Writers wanted for the Indie Scene and IABC/Toronto Communicator
|
|
|
PIC Personalities
| |
Meet Sheila Gregory
by Sheila Gregory and Heather West
Sheila Gregory is a marketing and communications professional focusing on content marketing and digital communications. She helps marketing agencies with their overflow assignments by writing web pages, blogs, e-blasts, social media posts and more. Find her online on Sensational Writers, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter (@sgregory727). Email her at sheilagregory727@gmail.com or call/text 289-926-7069.
When did you launch your independent business?
I registered my business about 10 years ago, but I was working full time, and it sat dormant for years. My business just became active this year when I started providing services to a few digital marketing agencies.
What's your background?
I spent many years in direct marketing agencies serving a variety of industries, especially not-for-profits. After I left the agency life, I took online courses in social media marketing. That's when I created a blog, Direct Mail Production Canada, for marketing people who want to know more about production. I became addicted to blogging, so I started another blog about social media marketing.
I wanted to learn more about digital marketing/communications, so I went back to school for the Corporate Communications and PR Certificate at Seneca College.
What type of work are you doing these days?
I'm focused on all things digital, and have immersed myself in content marketing. This includes writing/creating web pages, social media posts, articles, e-blasts, proposals, videos, podcasts, presentations, images, keyword research, tags and meta-descriptions. I'm also interested in analytics and search engine optimization strategies.
I'm excited by all the online tools available. I use Canva for creating posters or social media images and banners. I like Buzzsumo for discovering influencers and widely shared articles -- it helps me with ideas. Paper.li is a cool online tool for curating content. It links with social media and helps develop new contacts when authors see their articles posted. Soundcloud is great for podcasts and Slideshare is handy for sharing PowerPoint presentations.
What do you enjoy most about being an indie?
I love the freedom of working whatever hours I choose. When I get really involved in a project, the time flies and I might work on it for 10 or 12 hours. I wouldn't want to work that many hours in a corporate setting, but in my own business, it energizes me. I also like that I can go out for a walk or coffee any time and work later.
What don't you like about being an indie?
I want to connect and belong to communities. In the agency world, team members slugged it out together and accomplished what seemed like the impossible. That kind of atmosphere can create lifelong friendships. It's ironic that now I'm focused on digital communications, I actually value human contact more. I miss the daily exchange with co-workers, but overcame this drawback by doing a lot of networking.
The other problem is the inability to scale the business. As an indie, you're limited to the number of hours you can work. You're not going to get rich freelancing in corporate communications, so you have to love what you do.
What advice would you give someone new to independent life?
Network, network, network! Meet new people, hear new ideas and make lasting business connections. Attend PIC events, join Meetup groups, go to Chamber of Commerce breakfasts, and offer yourself as a guest speaker. Ask questions and never stop learning. Create business alliances. For example, maybe you develop websites, and I write blog posts -- can we team up to serve clients together? Would you like to be a guest author on Sensational Writers?
If you're just out of school, try to get some business experience before you go it alone. You'll make contacts and learn what you like or dislike before taking the risk of operating a small business.
How long have you been a PIC member?
I've been an IABC member for about two years but just discovered PIC recently. I thought I was attending just another IABC event and didn't realize I had something in common with the PIC members. I feel like this sub-section of IABC is the right community for me.
What value do you get from your PIC membership?
I've been to a social and that one PIC event, and both were terrific. I met a nice group of people, and the workshop exercise forced me to rethink my elevator speech. I came up with a doozy -- "Hello, I'm the mistress of ideas." Unfortunately, I haven't had the guts to use it on anyone yet. I think I'd better get a little more independent experience under my belt before making such a claim!
We count more than 160 members in PIC, offering a range of talent from coaching and media relations to video production and writing. Do you know everyone? Our PIC Personalities feature introduces new members and randomly profiles existing members. Let Sue Horner know if you'd like to be profiled and she'll be in touch to set it up! You can find previous PIC Personalities in The Buzz archives and on IABC/Toronto's CommVersations blog.
|
|
Are you on the PIC member list?
|
As a member of PIC, you can promote yourself at no charge in the PIC directory, located on the IABC/Toronto website. Yes, it's f-r-e-e! Make sure you're taking advantage of this chance to share key details about your services.
If you want to add to your existing profile, or create a completely new one, email PIC's Director of Membership & Events, Sohini Bhattacharya. Sohini keeps a running list that she shares with IABC/Toronto every quarter. Send Sohini your name, company name, location, email address, telephone, website, blog and a brief description of your business (up to 35 words).
|
|
PIC is a special interest group of IABC/Toronto. 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. Connect with us on the web at pictoronto.com.
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.
|
Director, Communications - PIC
|
|
|
|
|
|
