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PIC Newsletter - March 2016
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Hope you enjoy the latest edition of The Buzz!
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A bit about blogs from PIC chair Sharon Aschaiek
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 At PIC's March seminar, accomplished communications and social media consultant Donna Papacosta shared tips for driving your business with social content. She emphasized the importance of having a blog as your content hub, and then using different social media channels to promote that content. (More details on her talk are further down in the newsletter.) 
The seminar made me curious about how PIC members are using blogs to advance their businesses. Poking around different members' blogs, I was impressed by the many examples of valuable, relevant information being shared, and by the fresh approaches being used. Here are a few posts by PIC members you might enjoy:
Priya Bates is a seasoned and award-winning communication executive and independent communicator who runs Inner Strength Communication, which consults on internal communication strategy. She recently published a post on how asking questions -- the right ones, and lots of them -- helps you deal more effectively with clients. As she writes, asking questions is essential to letting your client know you're listening and better understanding a project, which allows you to offer more informed guidance. It also shows you're not just an order taker, but a problem-solver. I like how Priya chose a timeless topic with wide appeal, and how she hammers home the message concisely and using storytelling. Irene Bakaric is principal of MediaPrep, which provides media relations strategy and training and crisis communications consulting services. She recently blogged about her experience joining a team of international volunteers on a two-week medical mission in Bolivia. Irene worked as a Spanish-English interpreter at a clinic providing subsidized vision care to economically disadvantaged citizens. In the post, she describes how helping the patients reminded her of the key principles of communicating effectively, including knowing your audience and using clear and concise messaging. Irene uses a powerful personal story to share useful communication insights, and her message is strengthened by the use of several, often-poignant photos of her experience. An independent brand consultant, John Krissilas helps companies with brand and content strategy, trend analysis, market research and more. Recently, he blogged about a topic that matters to business owners of every stripe: maintaining customers' loyalty. He shared tips from a presentation by renowned business coach, retailer and manufacturer Donald Cooper. The post shares Cooper's tips in areas such as identifying what you do best, clearly explaining how you provide value and creating joy for your clients. John's post resonates not only for the usefulness of its content, but also because of his use of tight and bright language, humour and relevant imagery. Continued success, |
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Newsletter archives
| Find back issues of The Buzz here.
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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!
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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 |
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March 10 recap: Get known, get remembered, get business -- with social content
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By Julia Morgan
How do you get known to get business? According to Donna Papacosta of Trafalgar Communications, content marketing combined with social media can be a powerful strategy to do just that.
Donna defines content marketing as "creating and publishing relevant, valuable material that attracts and engages a clearly defined audience."
Such content also must have an objective, she advised PIC seminar attendees on March 10. "And it is not sales-y material."
The key is thinking like a publisher. Content marketing involves a different mindset than the one you use when directly marketing your services on your website. You need to think about the topics your audience cares about and the problems they want to solve, and then help them connect with information and solutions they need.
Your blog is a great way to share such content, acting as a hub for your content marketing online. Adding to your blog will also boost your website's SEO rankings, since search engines love fresh material. And most importantly, your blog is a way to publish and get known as an expert.
Tips for blogging like a pro:
- Blog consistently, with your goals in mind.
- Write for humans, but think of SEO. What words would people use to describe your topic?
- Use photos, graphics and other multimedia to go along with written blog posts. This gets people's attention.
- Make it easy for your blog visitors to share content and subscribe.
- To keep it interesting, use different types of content on your blog. Include podcasts, videos, infographics and other visuals, case studies, webinars, guest posts, syndicated content, and news items that you comment on or introduce.
Donna recommends Todd Defren's "70/30 rule" when figuring out your content mix: 70% should be content you curate, and 30% is created -- i.e., your content.
So how do you find great content as a curator? Besides online publications and your social networks, here are some ideas:
- Set up Google Alerts for your own name, your company name, clients, and topics you -- and they -- care about.
- Try RSS aggregators such as Feedly.
- Check out Newsle (it looks at your networks in Twitter and sends email aggregates of links where those people are mentioned).
Once you've found great content, use social media to share and expand your reach, build relationships with influencers, and grow your list of potential clients and colleagues.
There are so many places to share. In addition to the usual suspects (Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and more), Donna suggested Buffer (a scheduling tool), Paper.li (helps you quickly create a daily or weekly e-newsletter of curated content), SlideShare and Medium. She's a fan of using lists and TweetDeck to manage Twitter.
Of course, all this effort should be measured and tweaked as you go.
"We get hung up on page views, shares and likes," says Donna. "What really matters is lead generation." Downloads, form completion, email and blog subscription, referrals, inquiries, speaking and blogging invitations (a measure of thought leadership) and actual sales are great outcome-focused indicators.
So, how do you do this and not end up spending all day on Facebook? The key is streamlining your workflow:
- Keep your objectives in mind; always ask, is what I'm doing important?
- Scan feeds and searches in the a.m.; use TweetDeck and Feedly.
- Schedule tweets and other content throughout the day (but not when you won't be around to answer).
- Engage with others on social media only during quick breaks from regular work.
See Donna's blog post with useful resources related to content marketing, and learn more about her hands-on social media workshop below.
Thanks to new PIC member Julia Morgan for writing this issue's meeting recap. Julia, principal of Evoke, specializes in writing about health, mental health, disabilities, research, First Nations and child development. If you're interested in writing up a future meeting, let editor Sue Horner know at Sue@GetItWrite.ca. See photos from the session and other PIC events on our Flickr page.
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April 6 (webinar): How to develop a high-impact prospecting action plan
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Wednesday, April 6, 2016, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. (online webinar)
There's no silver bullet when it comes to landing more and better-paying clients. In the end, a big part of your success as a freelance writer boils down to:
- How much prospecting you do
- The prospecting strategies you use
In this nuts-and-bolts session, copywriter and business-building coach Ed Gandia will show you how to develop and use an effective prospecting plan you can actually follow. You'll discover:
- The "Core Four" business development strategies and how to pick the ones that are best suited for you
- Effective ways to make your prospect outreach
- How to get better referrals more consistently
- Concrete tips and ideas for making your plan doable
- And much more!
Learn more about the session and how you can prepare for it in this conversation between Ed and Donna Papacosta.
Ed Gandia is a founding partner of International Freelancers Academy and co-author of the bestselling and award-winning book, The Wealthy Freelancer (Penguin/Alpha). He is also a co-founder of International Freelancers Day, the world's biggest online educational conference for solo professionals, held in September.
An expert on the topic of successfully transitioning from employee to self-employed, Ed took his part-time freelance business from zero to a six-figure income in only 27 months.
Registration fees:
IABC members: $21 ($23.73 with HST)
Non-members: $31 ($35.03 with HST)
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Don't miss the opportunity to kick your prospecting up a notch
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When Ed Gandia agreed to present the webinar How to Develop a High-Impact Prospecting Action Plan for Your Freelance Business to PIC members, I was thrilled. Not just because the topic fits so beautifully with this year's programming theme or because Ed is co-author of The Wealthy Freelancer and an expert on building a successful freelance business. I was thrilled because I knew how much value PIC members would receive in the hour-long session.
The webinar is based on The 2X Project, a group consulting program Ed launched two years ago to help independent communicators double their revenue. I was one of the freelancers that Ed invited to pilot the program.
Twice a month for four months, I joined Ed and 15 other indies from Canada, the U.S. and abroad for information sessions and live group discussions on prospecting, positioning, pricing and selling. In between, we connected on Facebook, in one-on-one phone calls, and private coaching sessions with Ed.
It was a significant investment of money and time, but it was worth it. I haven't doubled my revenue yet, but I learned a lot, and I came away with a wealth of resources. The program affected my negotiations with clients, prospecting and business planning. I refer to the training materials and handouts often and sometimes go back to listen to the recordings of our sessions.
Here's what some of the other participants in my group had to say.
"I've learned that the only way I can grow is to shrug off the old. So I've let go of about four non-productive 'small deal' clients, and I've started pursuing much larger clients with much deeper projects. I started quoting higher rates just by signing up for the class, and I anticipate that using the tools I've learned in 2X that my income will double by this time next year."
"The 2X Project has given me a practical marketing system and a solid network of peers. Thanks to 2X, I'm marketing every day in ways I never did before. And my outbound marketing now includes prospecting to a target market across North America."
"One of the main reasons I joined was to be around more experienced writers, and watching, listening to and learning from all of you just pushes me to do better and to do more."
On April 6, PIC members will have the opportunity to sample the content Ed delivered in The 2X Project in a special webinar. (See the details above.) I hope you'll join us. For a small investment of time and money, you'll get practical tips and resources that you can use right away to boost your business.
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April 12: PIC Tweetchat on tips and tricks for new independent communicators
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If you are a new independent communicator, you need to know a few essentials about injecting momentum into your business. New or seasoned, please jump in to share your thoughts on a one-hour Tweet chat (our first!) at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12, when we'll cover a few important basics regarding successfully running a communication business:
- Home in on a specialty: a service, type of client and/or sector
- Network like a pro: through professional associations, networking groups and LinkedIn
- Strengthen your digital presence: with a website with portfolio, a blog and social media
- Access key communication and business resources: top blogs, publications and organizations
PIC member Bill Smith will moderate the Tweetchat with Sharon Aschaiek, chair of PIC, posing questions about the must-knows and must-dos when starting a new communication business. Join in the conversation following the hashtag #PICTorontochat.
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Other events that may be of interest to PIC members
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April 1, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Get know, get remembered, get business with content marketing and social media Toronto Board of Trade, 1 First Canadian Place, 77 Adelaide St. W., Toronto
Knowing how to tweet or post to Facebook is not enough. To achieve success, you need a vibrant personal brand, a strategy and a process for producing and sharing great content. This hands-on workshop with presenter Donna Papacosta goes beyond the quick overview you heard on March 10 and gets right into the weeds. PIC members save 15% with promotional code iabc2016. Learn more and register (it's already last minute so don't delay)
(2)
April 5, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Digital Writing Demystified
Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre, Room R318, 750 Spadina Ave., Toronto
Are you up on the best practices for writing corporate websites or digital editorial? Do you know how to use Google Analytics to improve your writing? From SEO basics to website must-haves for writers, this seminar from our colleagues at PWAC will cover the essentials of writing for the web.
Find out more and register(2) May 13, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Social Media 101 Workshop Toronto Board of Trade, 1 First Canadian Place, 77 Adelaide St. W., Toronto Are you tired of trying to figure out social media on your own? Would you like to get your burning questions about the WHY and HOW of social media answered? Then come to this hands-on workshop with Donna Papacosta, where you'll learn about the benefits of a social media presence, the importance of strategy and details about blogging, Twitter, LinkedIn and more. PIC members save 15% with promotional code iabc2016. Learn more and register (reduced fee if booked by March 31)
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Apologies to Susan
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Sincere apologies to Susan Nakhle, whose name your asleep-at-the-switch editor misspelled in the February issue of The Buzz. Susan, your name will forever after be double- and triple-checked.
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PIC Personalities
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Meet Chris Davies
by Sue Horner
Chris Davies is a senior communication strategist and founder of Switch Strategic Communications Inc. The agency drives tangible change with expertise in internal and leadership communication strategy, messaging and execution, reputation management and change communications. Reach Chris on LinkedIn or Switchcomms.ca, follow @davies_switch on Twitter, call 647-298-8856 or email chris@switchcomms.ca. 
When did you launch your independent business?
On April 27, 2015, so I'm coming up on my first year.
How did your business come about?
I had wanted to go on my own for about five years but never felt I could do it. Then in my last corporate job, at Rogers, I had a wonderful opportunity to onboard the new CEO and work through his business plan, which included restructuring. As part of that, I had the opportunity to "step off." With the runway right in front of me, I decided to take it.
What's your background?
I have been a communicator from the beginning of time! My first job, right after grad school, was the best introduction to PR: I drove the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. It was a one-year internship where my entire job was to get publicity.
From there, I landed a job with a PR agency in Chicago, where I did everything under the sun. I moved back to Toronto and stayed on the agency side. One of my clients was McDonald's, and they hired me to run their external communications team. Over 10 years, I ran that team, built and shaped an internal comms team, then ran both. From there, I went to Rogers to lead corporate comms.
What type of work are you doing these days?
My work is primarily focused on internal comms, almost 100% in and around change. There is so much change happening in big business -- leadership transitions, restructuring, mergers, manufacturing closures, new plant launches and more.
What do you enjoy most about being an indie?
So many things. The top one is the variety. I get bored easily. I enjoy that every day is different, in the variety of work, the types of interactions, the things I get exposed to.
What don't you like about being an indie?
I must still have a bit of Vaseline on my glasses because I find being an indie is fabulous. Okay, I do miss the camaraderie of an office team. I get intellectual stimulation from clients, but I'm never really part of the team; I miss that. That's why I reengaged with IABC and joined PIC.
What value do you get from your PIC membership?
One benefit for sure is that camaraderie. There are seminal moments in your life when you form great friendships. It happens when you're growing up, when you're in university, when you have a new baby. I almost feel like that's happening again. Here's this community of people, so giving of their time, knowledge, experience. I know this is a group of people I can turn to for help, guidance or thinking through a client challenge.
What advice would you give someone new to independent life?
Here's the great advice I was given: There are no dumb questions. Meet as many people as you can those first couple of months and ask what they did when they started. It's a great time to do it when you aren't overwhelmed by client work.
I asked and asked. How did you do your taxes? How do you spend your day? What about websites? Then I could take how someone else did it and plug that into my reality, as opposed to stumbling around in the dark. I really feel my learning curve was incredibly short because I took an intense approach to connect and learn.
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.
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Feedback...Feedback...Feedback
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"Another great newsletter [February]. You might be interested in knowing that ALL the judges for this year's COTY [IABC/Toronto's Communicator of the Year] were PIC members."
-- Gary Schlee
"Another excellent edition [January]. This is one of the few newsletters I read every word of!"
-- Donna Papacosta
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Get your LinkedIn profile link on the PIC member list
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You may not have a website to include in your profile in the PIC Member List on the IABC/Toronto website, but you do have a LinkedIn profile, don't you? Send the link to PIC's Director of Membership & Events, Sohini Bhattacharya. Sohini keeps a running list that she updates with IABC/Toronto every quarter.
Not on the list yet? What are you waiting for? As a member of PIC, you can promote yourself at no charge in the directory. Simply send Sohini your name, company name, location, email address, telephone, website, blog and a brief description of your business (up to 35 words).
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Find extra value in PIC's LinkedIn group
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You'll find useful information about building and managing a small communications business when you visit PIC's LinkedIn group: IABC Toronto Professional Independent Communicators (login required). Recent posts have included links to advice on scope creep, tips for getting referrals, content marketing and more, along with notices about upcoming PIC events. If you want to be in the know, join the Linked In group and set your notifications to at least weekly to keep up with the latest developments. You are welcome to post articles or ask questions that will help other members grow and manage their businesses. PIC's Social Media Director Jacqui d'Eon moderates the group.
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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 and LinkedIn.
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.
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Editor and Director, Communications - PIC
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