Catriona Pollard Articles

Guest post by: Catriona Pollard
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What makes a great website

What are the essential traits of a great web site? After you visit a site and you browse through it for a while, what makes you stay? Great design helps. Amazing graphics are eye catching. But the fundamental trait that makes a website work is the content. The content or copy of your website is critical. This is where you hold the attention of your audience and your word choice and grammar are critical. Misspellings and poor grammar are a quick turn off. If your content isn't easy to read people will go to other site to get information and buy. Copy writing is often one of those jobs that people think they can do themselves but probably shouldn't. We often help clients with their web copy to assist them in the creation of a professionally written website.

How to produce an Enewsletter that gets read

We thought we would share our tips on what makes a great enewsletter. Enewsletters improve communication channels with clients, share good news stories, share expertise through tips and also assists in building a database of potential clients. Not only is it a great way to share your stories, it can also be a powerful marketing tool providing useful information to the reader while indirectly promoting your services.

Is it time you Facebooked your business?

If you thought Facebook was just for keeping contact with friends and family, think again. It can be a great way of building an online community, or simply reaching another audience online. With a Facebook Page you create a public profile that helps you to share your business and products with Facebook users. You ask people to become a ‘fan' and you can engage with them by posting videos, photos, company news, promotions and discounts and by starting discussion groups. Also, you can make your page viewable by everyone, whether they are members of Facebook or not.

Networking for women- what's the point?

Most business women are familiar with the term "old boy's network," an exclusive network of business men who can call in a favour from their exclusive group to help close a deal, get new business or progress in their career. There is no reason why women can't do the same. They can achieve this by making it part of their career strategy to join networking groups that can further their career or connect with the right business people. From specific association networks to broad business groups, there are so many opportunities for business women to network, but does networking actually work? In my experience, the answer to that question is a resounding YES.

Maximise the power of public speaking

Public speaking is a fact of life, whether we like or not. Whether you are doing a speech at a seminar or conference, or a pitch to clients at a workplace, somewhere along the line we have all done public speaking. It is a known fact that the fear of public speaking ranks higher than the fear of death. This means most people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy at a funeral! However public speaking doesn't have to be a traumatic experience; in fact when done right, it can often be to the most effective form of communication. It is so powerful we build speaking opportunities into the PR strategies we do for clients.

Get the LinkedIn advantage

Unlike Facebook and Twitter where you can mix personal with professional, LinkedIn is specifically for business and professionals. There are over 25 million registered users from virtually every industry and profession. LinkedIn is a non intrusive way of staying in touch with business contacts. And even better, it's an easy entry point for small businesses looking to get into social media because doesn't take much time and it's pretty easy to use.

Does Networking really work?

From specific association networks to broad business groups, there are so many opportunities for business owners to network, but does networking actually work? In my experience, the answer to that question is a resounding YES. But just turning up isn't enough. And it isn't just about getting new business either.

Create buzz with social media competitions

Last year we saw Twitter go mainstream and despite reports that it might not remain popular, it appears to be stronger than ever. People (and businesses) realised it was so much more than updating your followers with what you had for lunch. Take your twitter and Facebook strategy one step further by including competitions to engage and reward your followers. CP Communications has been exploring and implementing social media competitions for clients and gaining remarkable results.

Are you sharing your successes through case studies

Case studies provide ideal opportunities to leverage business successes and can be used to reinforce your core messages through "story telling". They provide audiences, including journalists, with a picture of the benefits your business provides its clients.

Aligning your brand with a charity, more than just PR

Let's face it, people like to associate themselves with businesses and brands that support causes. When embarking on a charity initiative, consider the sort of giving that you'd like to be involved in and why you're doing it. If corporate charity is undertaken as an obligation or as a means of self-promotion, this will show through in your efforts, and no matter how great your giving, it will be seen as less than sincere.

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About the Author: Catriona Pollard

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Catriona Pollard believes that PR is an essential element to the success of any business – large or small or micro. She established her PR company, CP Communications to drive business success by using the power of PR and marketing. CP Communications provides specialist media, traditional and online PR strategies that achieve positive media coverage, increased brand awareness and improved sales results. . For more information go to http://www.cpcommunications.com.au or more PR tips go to http://www.PublicRelationsSydney.com.au
Click here to visit Catriona's website.

More from Catriona Pollard
Do you have effective key messages
Use PR to get into the spotlight
Are you sharing your successes through case studies
Blogging the essential PR tool
Maximise the power of public speaking

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