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Indie pro’s best business tips
azICCT indie pros, L to R: Lindsay from City of Peoria, Stuart Robinson, Andy Ptacek, Sherry Butler, Mariane Maffeo, Ann N. Videan, Charlotte Risch Shaff, Mike Shaldjian, Peter Faur, Christine Marek, Laird Brown - Oct. 2010 ©Ann Videan
Hi, fellow independents, I run the Arizona Communicators & Creatives Tribe (azICCT, pronounced “AZ Iced Tea”) in Phoenix. We’re a group of indies who meet twice a month to connect and support one another.
Indie Tip: Involve an Advisory Board
Do you know one of the most important word-of-mouth marketing tactics is simply to create and advisory board?
Pick a small group of ardent supporters: clients, friends, family, industry leaders, or others. Feed them information about your business and what you’re doing. Meet with them consistently: once a quarter, once a month, once a week. Over lunch, at happy hour, or in a conference room. Whatever works. Solicit their input, ideas, and criticisms. Listen to them and act on what’s appropriate.
Hoodwinked by LinkedIn?
Thought his might be of interest to fellow IPA indies whose clients, like mine, show reluctance about using social media like LinkedIn. (Cross-post from my BizTribe blog.)
- Networking time savings. Think about it. What’s your best use of time? Attending a two-hour association luncheon where you never know who you’ll meet? Or, two hours on LinkedIn where you search out exactly the type of people with whom you choose to rub elbows?
Social Media as a Tool for Professional and Business Development
I first dipped my toes into the social media waters a few years ago, with the idea that I needed to stay abreast of how they affected public relations. If clients were to ask about incorporating social networking into their marketing efforts, I wanted to have a foundation of information and insight so I could answer any basic questions. There’s a balance between being a know-it-all and answering questions like Sgt. Schultz from Hogan’s Heroes, whose famous phrase was “I Know Nothing.” I didn’t want to transform into a social media consultant, but I do want to be viewed as a PR professional with a solid understanding of the tools, the technology and the trends that impact my clients. Just like with other aspects of my consulting business, I knew I could outsource to a specialist if necessary.
Social Media Categories/Descriptions
I recently gave a “Social Media Made Easy” presentation to the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC) in Phoenix. As a handout for the participants, I compiled this list of popular social media sites, categorized by best uses, which might be of help or interest to PR indies or your clients. (The descriptive blurbs next to the site names are direct quotes from the Web- or Wikipedia-site addresses noted.)
Feel free to add other social media sites you use successfully in a comment below.
– Ann Videan
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Social Media
Categories/Descriptions
Compiled June 2010
by Ann N. Videan, APR (videanunlimited.com)