Welcome to 2018! 'Tis the season for setting goals and preparing to rock the year with your content. Okay, maybe I added that last bit. However, this is a great time to set things straight for a successful 2018 for your business with amazing content that meets your business goals!
Let's take a look at a few essential pillars that will set you on the path toward superb storytelling this year.
Giving Tuesday is now in it's fourth year in Canada. After four years, I have to ask the question: is there something to this?
Let's look at the foundations of fundraising: a good campaign is about people helping people. Every fundraiser worth their weight will tell you that giving is all about the aggregate of the same donation equation. Giving Tuesday goes against all of that.
Last week in Canada, we experienced a great loss of an epic Canadian who shaped our fabric with his music and stories. Gord Downie is a legend in this country. He wrote songs about untold stories and helped us to better understand ourselves as a nation. Music of The Tragically Hip has a prominent place in the soundtrack of Canada.
As we mourned this loss as a nation, there were several businesses who made the brave choice to wade into the conversation - posting tributes to Gord on social media.
I read something the other day that prompted me to write this: if your communications isn’t directly serving your business goals then you’re doing it wrong.
At busy nonprofits, I know how easy it can be to lose sight of this. There’s so much going on -- requests from the leadership team, events, media requests -- I could go on and on. And with all of those daily tasks we can get bogged down and lose perspective.
Let’s take a look at some accessible and simple ways you can start measuring the impact of your work as a nonprofit communications professional.
You know the expression "different strokes for different folks". But, let's look at it from a targeted communication perspective - each segment of your audience (different folks) deserves a communication strategy that caters to their different strokes - whether that be values, tone, or content.
Let's look at a really good example of this with Knixwear's microsite for the Knixteen product line.
Transparency is more than simply showing your stakeholders the end results. Your stakeholders want to see right into your organization. With so many communication channels at your fingertips it's time to make a move on building trust with your community through greater transparency. Here are three easy and accessible ways to start building your practice and some great examples you can learn from.
Smart social: Pluck Teas takes advantage of place and circumstance to connect with their community and build relationship.
I recently had an exchange with them via social media that demonstrates how social media can help you build a tribe of ambassadors for your brand. In this case the brand was social, clever, and showed personality.
Rule number one: come hungry. Afternoon tea at The Savoy in London is a culinary commitment to multiple plates of lovely things. Start off with a flute of champagne. Tea at The Savoy is a special occasion - honour it with a glass of bubbles. It sets a celebratory tone for what will be a beautiful afternoon of indulgence.
This is an official PSA to all tea lovers in Canada. Get yourself to Westholme Tea Farm: Canada's first and only tea farm. They've been nurturing their tea plants for years and finally, they released the very first Canadian-grown tea harvest. They're now serving two beautiful teas: swallow tale oolong, and island green. I had a chance to visit the farm this month while I was on Vancouver Island.
What makes the perfect soundtrack to my summer yoga practice? This mix! The tunes in this playlist remind me of some wonderful summer moments in my life. There’s some nostalgia, with a mix of fresh grounding music.
This is your official guide to hosting the perfect picnic this summer. We’re offering up our best advice to enjoy dining al fresco with your favourite people in your favourite park. Across this great country there are so many beautiful spots to spread out your picnic blanket and bask in the sunshine. With this guide you’ll be picnicking well into autumn.
You’re a successful woman. You have meetings, dates, classes, and appointments to keep. You have relationships, jobs and hobbies to maintain. You lead an active life, and want to sustain your health as you kick butt inside and out of the gym.
These are six snacks to keep in your bag so that you don’t have to grab junk when you’re hustling to make a spinning class after work.
Tofino, British Columbia is known as ‘the end of the Canadian road’. When you’ve run out of road, you’ve arrived in Tofino. We visited Tofino recently and discovered its charm. Tofino is magical and has so much to offer. But here’s why we think you’ll love this spot. Tofino is a small town where the beaches are long, the trees are ancient, and the people are warm. Tofino will steal a piece of your heart forever. There’s a little magic in the fog and mist among the trees.
It seems the not-for-profit sector needs a good PR campaign. I work with interns and none of them want to pursue a career in the sector. I’m here to tell you: you’re missing out! NFPs are rich and exciting places to work. You get to come to work every day and create real change. That is extremely rewarding. As part of my work, I get to write the success stories of new Canadians. I hear about the very real ways that my organization has helped them find meaningful work commensurate with their experience. Pretty powerful stuff.
I’m thankful to work in the NFP sector. Perhaps you might consider it too...
Seriously, pick up this book by Glennon Melton. It's full of beautiful, messy stories of life and love, of struggles and challenges, and laughter and tears. It's a book of short stories or essays, if you will, of her living truth. She tears back the curtains on her true life and shares in all the dirty messes of life.
This is something I’ve wanted to do for some time: afternoon tea at the Library Bar. I’ve been for drinks, but never for tea. The Library Bar offered a good selection of tea. Perhaps a dozen or so on the menu (maybe more) representing a wide variety: from simple greens and whites, to spicy chai and creamy earl greys.
I work at an employment agency so in my work environment there’s a lot of talk about the value of a good elevator pitch. Typically used in interviews and networking situations, an elevator pitch is your 30-second response to “tell me about yourself.” I may work at an employment agency, but I’m here to tell you that a good elevator pitch is a good thing to have in your pocket beyond just the interview/networking. Here are three times when I regularly reach for my elevator pitch in conversation.
