The Communicate Influence Podcast

Even though the podcasting landscape is getting increasingly more crowded, the amount of people listening continues to grow too, which means that podcasts are still one of the most effective ways to get your message out there. If you’re looking to create and launch an independent podcast of your own, or even if you’re just an animal lover, today’s episode is a must-listen! Tuning in, you’ll hear from the creator and host of The Animal Guide for Curious Humans Podcast, Maureen Armstrong, as she shares invaluable insights into what it’s like to plan, create, and launch an independent podcast show. Maureen is very  busy, but she still managed to fit in creation of a podcast show. A lawyer, Maureen is also York University Ombudsperson, Toronto, and Chair of the Board of Directors of world Animal Protection Canada. We discuss what motivated her to begin podcasting, how she approaches episode planning, and her passion for connecting with guests, as well as the value of finding technical support, tips for growing an audience, and so much more! We hope you’ll join us for this fascinating conversation with animal advocate and podcast host, Maureen Armstrong.Key Points From This Episode:Insight into her inherent passion for animals and her decision to become a lawyer.Learn more about World Animal Protection Canada and Maureen’s role there.Maureen comments on animal welfare during the crisis in Ukraine.Why she chose podcasting as a platform to share practical information about animal welfare.Finding your niche; the value of researching other podcasts in the space you’re interested in.What you can expect from The Animal Guide for Curious Humans Podcast.The story behind the name of Maureen’s podcast and tips for deciding on a unique name.Maureen’s advice for artwork selection and deciding on the look and feel of your brand.More on the goals and objectives of her podcast and her vision for the future.The importance of viewing audience feedback as a learning experience.Insight into episode planning, which Maureen believes is the most difficult part of podcasting.Why she says that connecting with guests is the most rewarding part of podcasting.Advice for budding independent podcasters: find technical support and pivot as necessary.Some of the podcasts that Maureen loves to listen to herself.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Maureen Armstrong on LinkedInMaureen Armstrong on TwitterMaureen Armstrong on InstagramThe Animal Guide for Curious Humans PodcastWorld Animal Protection Canada‘Animal welfare during the Ukraine crisis’Freakonomics PodcastsAnimal Law PodcastTen Percent Happier PodcastCommunicate InfluenceSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/communicateinfluence)

This week we continue our conversation with inspiring entrepreneur Mitch Callahan, CEO of the WooCommerce web development business Saucal.Mitch shares how he and his business partner Dominik Sauter have grown Saucal in the last ten years. Both men are big proponents of remote work, because it gives people freedom. For Saucal, this means they've been able to hire from around the world and access a really large talent pool. Of course, remote teams bring their own challenges, so Mitch discusses how to manage a team when it's spread around around the world and across time zones. Mitch is a huge fan of storytelling and its power in brand building. He says that everyone launching a business today must really understand what makes them unique so that they can tell their story, carve out a niche, and work towards success.We also explore:The importance of focus time and how to avoid distractions in the age of information overload. How Saucal acquires client and how partnerships are really adding to the success of Saucal’s inbound marketing. How to counter dark days and what to do when things feel overwhelming.Two of the many books that have influenced Mitch's life are:1. Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert T. Kiyosaki2. Good To Great : Why Some Companies Make The Leap and Others Don't, Jim CollinsMitch on LinkedIn.Dom on LinkedIn.Saucal on Twitter.The podcast show mentioned in the midroll: The Animal Guide for Curious Humans. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/communicateinfluence)

Mitchell Callahan had a decent career in finance in Toronto, but turned away from it, heading west to Calgary to start a business. In a matter of months, he was seriously broke and working long days, without much of a glimmer of a break.Living in a small two-bedroom apartment with his business partner Dominik Sauter, Mitch was driven more by curiosity, tenacity, and hope than ambition. Meanwhile, he heard plenty of stories from friends who all know someone who’d  launched a business and . . . well, it had failed. This was Mitch’s life in 2012. Today, he is CEO of one of the most successful web development agencies in the world, Saucal. Dom, meanwhile, is Saucal’s CFO. Saucal specializes in WooCommerce for WordPress. They’ve worked for Amazon, Facebook, Salesforce, and a diverse range of eCommerce businesses large and small. How to move beyond fear, doubtIn this episode, Mitch shares his story and gives actionable tips on how to:Maintain focusCounter doubtEmbrace fearDeal with negativityTake advantage of the right opportunitiesNot feel overwhelmed when you have a lot going onBe curious!Mitch explains how travel is essential for his personal growth and explores his pre-Saucal career years in Toronto. His diverse experience and journey through life have laid the foundations for the company Saucal is today. Back in 2012, Mitch was just finishing off a role in finance and about to begin law school when Dom, a close friend from university days, told Mitch he was launching a web development business. “Want to join me?” asked Dom. To Mitch, this was a no brainer. Mitch knew that should the opportunity arise to be in business with Dom, the answer would be an unequivocal yes. Mitch recalls dark periods of doubt. He was mired in debt, to the point of trying to pay for lunch one day, only for his debit card to be rejected. Says Mitch: “I'll never forget when I applied for a third personal credit card, and got rejected. I knew that was a good thing, but at the time I was not sure how I'd get more money.“Looking back though, I made some of my BEST decisions here. I bought bitcoin and Ethereum when they were super cheap. In my lowest moments, I was making my smartest decisions.”In the first year or so, Mitch and Dom had little to show for their doggedness. In year two, something shifted. And on a deeper level both men always knew a day would come when the grind would pay off and they’d make money, build a team, and have the lifestyles they wanted. Saucal’s team is spread around the world. As a fully remote company, they hire globally and so can - as Dom says - pick the best of the best. Mitch and his family have just moved from Toronto to Portugal, Dom is based in Calgary.Mitch wasn’t raised in a business culture and it was only after working for the government and then in finance in Toronto that he yearned for the freedom, challenge, and responsibility that having his own business would bring. Mitch’s story is inspiring! If you don’t come from a business background and want to be in business, or have just launched a company and feel overwhelmed with challenges, this story will persuade you that it’s worthwhile and possible!Find Mitch at Saucal and LinkedIn.Here's the link to the podcast show I mentioned in the intro! The Animal Guide For Curious Humans.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/communicateinfluence)

How to create a podcast show from a weekly roundtable meeting was first published via Podmotion.co https://podmotion.co and proved a hit. So the team at Communicate Influence felt that listeners would appreciate hearing the episode. Here it is!The episode features Rob Finlay, commercial real estate (CRE) owner, operator, and expert. Rob is a thought leader, podcaster, and CEO of Thirty Capital, a provider of services and solutions to commercial real estate firms.Turning a weekly meeting into a podcastRob’s podcast, Commercial Real Estate Capital Markets Report, launched in April after he talked to a friend about a regular weekly call he has with his team of senior traders. The friend asked Rob if he could listen in to the call, and that’s when Rob realized it might be a good idea to turn the weekly roundtable discussion into a podcast show. Each roundtable episode discusses treasury rates, short-term rates, and everything related to debt and debt optimization for commercial real estate. Each episode helps CRE professionals determine if it is time to refinance, borrow, or what kind of action they should take to optimize or leverage their debt.Before the podcast show launched, the weekly call took place and Rob and his team absorbed all the information shared during the roundtable, and shared it with callers if they thought it was relevant or important.Encourage diverse discussionRob appreciates the diverse opinions that his analysts present in each episode. They are at a senior level, so of course they are opinionated. This discussion makes for a very animated conversation about how the capital markets could evolve in the coming, days, weeks, and months. Even though the meeting is now a podcast, it still has a informality about it, and listeners feel that they are right there in the meeting with Rob and his team.  They’ve been able to find the sweat spot where the informal collegial chat is absent, but it’s not super formal.Experiment with your podcast show!Rob encourages podcasters to learn and experiment as they go, and to not be afraid of the ever-evolving process. Feedback is crucial, as is room for growth. He says the best thing about doing the show is the feedback and suggestions they are receiving from the listener. They are getting questions as well as feedback, and aim to answer them in the show. They questions also play a role in shaping the content of upcoming shows. In this episode Rob also discusses:Figuring out how to slightly tweak the meeting format so it could be recordedWorking with a consultant to launch a showHow the new show has transformed Thirty Capital’s lead generation and marketingHow much his team is enjoying being involved in the showEquipment used for the showSetting up measurable goals and expectations for a podcast show.Find Rob on LinkedIn, Twitter, and at Thirty Capital. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/communicateinfluence)

It's still early days in the world of voice tech, but already PR and marketing professionals are exploring what it can do for brands and audiences.Carl Robinson, a voice tech pro based in France, explains that lots of brands are experimenting with voice technologies in different ways to determine what works, and to discover, define best practices, and share that information. Rumble StudioCarl and host Sheelagh Caygill conducted their podcast interview with Carl's Rumble Studio, an asynchronous recording platform that allows users to record and publish audio content at lightening speed!Carl explains that there are various movements, such as the Open Voice Network, which is sharing and defining standards for voice tech across many industries. Content discoveryIn the comms and marketing world, one of the most obvious examples is content and content discovery through voice search."More and more content is being found through voice search as users ask their smart speakers or phones for whatever they are looking for," explains Carl."Companies are optimizing their web content for Google Assistant and the other smart speakers so that it's surfaced as a voice search."Content can include pages created and optimized for voice which are then synthesized by the text-to-speech engine, and then read out through a smart speaker. It can also be actual audio content that a brand creates, such as a podcast or micro-cast, which is then returned by Google. There are now interactive voice response systems (IDR) with natural language understanding, and also call analysis. New technology is even able to transform heavy accents so that they are more easily understandable to customers.Smart speakers are also being used by marketers for branding campaigns. Carl cites the example of Skilled Creative in the US, which is working with Meredith Corporation to produce custom voice tech apps for branding campaigns. Proceed with cautionCarl says that agencies wanting to get into voice tech should do a lot of research first, because developing voice tech is not like building a website. Consider working with an agency, or if you want to train your staff, look to an organization such as the Conversation Design Institute, for which Carl has a discount link on his Voice Tech podcast website: Conversation Design Institute.You can also use free tools like Voice Flow, but don't under-estimate the amount of work voice tech creation can take, because it's a complex and time-consuming.Carl says that a minimum, comms and marketing pros should educate themselves about voice tech, and that means reading, listening to podcasts, and asking questions. Use the hashtag #voicefirst on Twitter for questions and conversations. Voice tech isn't a flash in the pan and it isn't going away. It's going to change the way we interact with all the devices around us. It behooves you to know what's coming up.You can find Carl on Twitter and LinkedIn, and be sure to listen to his Voice Tech podcast!Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/communicateinfluence)

Eli Schwartz is an SEO expert and the author of the new book, Product-Led SEO. Eli has more than a decade of experience driving successful SEO and growth programs for leading B2B and B2C companies. He helps clients like WordPress, Shutterstock, BlueNile, Quora, Getaround, Mixpanel, and Zendesk build and execute Global SEO strategies that dramatically increase their organic visibility at scale.In this interview with Communicate Influence, we discuss SEO from a content writer's perspective, as well as some of the important questions around SEO.Eli wrote his book to create a conversation around SEO for for executives and leaders on how to understand SEO, how to fund SEO, how to plan for SEO and how to strategize SEO. It's also for the SEO managers and the content managers in terms of how to think about SEO from a strategic and holistic standpoint, rather than just from a tactical standpoint.Eli addresses of issue of high expectations with SEO and also it's lack of business visibility."The problem—and something I've been hoping to address with my — book, is that SEO doesn't have enough business visibility. "They're focused sometimes on these myopic metrics around here's my ranking or here's the traffic I've gotten, instead of this perspective of I'm here operating a channel to grow more business or to grow more revenue in total for this business."The question businesses need to answer when it comes to SEO is: What can I do to help grow business, rather than what can I do immediately to create just traffic on this page. "It's important to have that perspective and do your best within that environment," explains Eli, encouraging SEO professionals to be a part of the holistic view in the holistic strategy of the entire business, rather than just this is what I'm going to do that's good for SEO, and that's it.What is product-led SEO? To understand product-led SEO, you really need to understand what product-led SEO is not, says Eli."Product-led SEO is not content-led SEO," says Eli. "The way most people are going to do SEO is they're going to look at their core business product, and core business, and go to a keyword search tool to discover what the keyword is that they should put around for their core product offering. The next step most businesses take is to write some content that will be their SEO."However, for Eli, product-led SEO is much more holistic than content-based SEO. With product-led SEO, a business creates a product—or an asset—for the search users. And when you're creating that asset for the search user, it's not just a blog post that you intend to rank on one keyword.Eli explains that product-led SEO involves the creation of an online product or asset that a business uses to rank according to the needs of prospective clients or audience. "I'm now thinking of who is the user, because when you create products, you want to think about who the user is, and the roadmap to launch that product."Examples of products include directories with content, or proprietary content. For some organizations such as consultancies, key issues that require questions and answers can serve as the product around which to build SEO. The next questions to ask are what resources are required to launch the product. "It's no longer just needing content because that is SEO. It's: 'Will I need a designer? An engineer to help launch that product? A content writer to write the right amount of content for that. Maybe I need some digital and visual assets'."Full show notes at Communicateinfluence.com https://communicateinfluence.com/

Imagine giving an important presentation and suddenly hearing a strange noise coming from the back of the room. It takes only moments to discover that the sound is loud snoring from a man who's dozed off. Yes, someone has fallen asleep during your presentation.Any presenter would feel badly. But only a handful would feel so affected y the experience that they'd eventually go on to write a book about storytelling, and the importance of storytelling in business.Why storytelling in business mattersColleen Stewart, author of The Story Compass: Navigating Through Uncertainty In Your Business, says that when we're at work we don't understand the power of story. "On a conscious level we don't talk about it that way. And so we don't always go to it automatically."Colleen says that in almost any setting just presenting a list of features in bullet-point form isn't going to persuade, convince, or be memorable. "It's not captivating, it's not easily remembered, and it doesn't immediately communicate meaning."To use the power of story we need to first of all "Talk about it, pull it out, open it up, and look at it for what it is and really understand how stories work. And then we can do it with more intention in business."Businesses have moved away from storytelling but are recognizing that they need to get back to storytelling, and Colleen thinks it's almost become a bit of a buzzword. "There is a gap in our knowledge now of what a story actually is. So it's fine to say, as a business, okay, we have to tell a story, we have to make an emotional connection, we're going to communicate in a way that is relatable, we're going to communicate in a way that creates mental pictures. "Wonderful, but how do you do that? And that's the answer that I think is often missing, with a lot of services and, and consulting programs and efforts by marketing teams is that they don't actually know how to do it. And that's not a criticism. It's just, I think it's the reality.Interpret what you know to give value to clientsThe mistake many consultants make in a first meeting or presentation is simply sharing all the knowledge they have. Your audience doesn't want to know everything you know. They don't have the time or the attention span for that. What they want to hear is how you interpret what you know into something meaningful for their world. How are you going to solve the problem with them and for them with what you know?Colleen StewartFour types of stories: Vision, Knowledge, Value, and JourneyWhen Colleen began working with clients on storytelling for their businesses, they'd say this is great, but that they didn't have any stories to tell. That was the seed that planted the idea for the book.She has identified four story types that every business can share: Vision stories, knowledge stories, value stories, and journey stories. "We come back out of there and to a point where we're transformed, we know something new, maybe we have a new offering as a business that we can then share with the world. "Find Colleen on Linkedin. Her business is Perfect Pitch, based near Toronto, Canada. Be sure to read The Story Compass: Navigating Through Uncertainty In Your Business.

Alain Hunkins is a leadership expert who sits at the intersection of the science and the art of leadership.He has a deep understanding of the psychology of leadership, and his new book, Cracking The Leadership Code, reveals the in valuable principles and practices that Alain has developed and refined during the 20+ years he's worked with leaders. In this episode, you will discover Alain's gift for translating complex concepts from psychology, neuroscience, and organizational behavior into simple, practical tools that can be applied on the job. Alain's definition of leadership is anytime any of us are trying to influence anyone to get something done. "That is leadership. And if you think about it, we're all leading ourselves every day. If the cornerstone of good leadership is connection, the first person that I need to connect with is myself."Leadership today is in pretty poor shape. In fact, says Alain, only 23 percent of leaders are effective. Problems Inherent In Hierarchy and PowerSays Alain: "If you look at the nature of hierarchical organizations, which most of us work in . . . it is a hierarchy for most of us. There's someone you report to. One of the challenges of hierarchy is that when people get into positions of power, power is an intoxicant. "So, when people are in these positions of power, they're not likely to say: 'I'm in this leadership role. What my job is to do is to unlock the potential in others. And the best way to do that is to ask the people I lead - and this is a servant leadership mindset they would be having - is to ask them, What can I be doing better to serve you?'.The key, says Alain, is that we learn to take feedback, and then we apply it. "But to take feedback, we have to be willing to be much more malleable with our egos. And for many of us, that's just that's too scary."Seek feedbackAlain sees the solution in managers learning to stop taking feedback so personally, or as an afront to their value as a human being. Alain says the keys are in leaders seeking feedback, coaching, and developing self-awareness.  One of my colleagues, Tasha Eurich, has this wonderful book called Insight. And she says only about 12 to 14% of the population has any real degree of self-awareness. So do things that will bump up your level of awareness so that you can be much more effective!"Alain has worked with tens of thousands of leaders in over 25 countries, and served clients in all industries, including 42 Fortune 100 companies. He delivers dynamic keynotes, seminars, and workshops covering a variety of leadership topics including communication, teambuilding, conflict management, peak performance, motivation, and change. Author of more than 400 articles, and been published in Fast Company, Forbes, Business Insider, Chief Executive, Chief Learning Officer, The Association for Talent Development, CEO Refresher, and the American Management Association. With his Master’s in Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Professional Theater Training Program, and a BA from Amherst College, Alain also serves on the faculty of Duke Corporate Education, ranked #2 worldwide in 2019 by Financial Times on its list of customized Executive Education programs. Alain has  lectured at UNC Kenan-Flagler’s business school and Columbia University. Discover Alain on LinkedIn or at AlainHunkins, where you can also read about his 30-day Leadership Challenge.Support the show

Sponsored by Podthreads.com - threads for podcast lovers! Many entrepreneurs write a book to grow their business and develop influence.When it comes to writing and publishing, a number of options exist for ghostwriting, author coaching, publishing, or self-publishing. But none offer the unique services delivered by PublishedAuthor.com.Josh Steimle, entrepreneur and author, founded Published Author to deliver the crucial missing components - thought leadership and influence. "Through my experience and talking to author-entrepreneurs, I know that a book is the best tool to help entrepreneurs educate their team on their philosophy and the culture they want to create," explains Josh. "With a book at the centre of a thought leadership system, entrepreneurs will attract attention, build authority, and grow their business."A book is something every entrepreneur needs because of the authority and credibility it brings."Josh is a speaker and coach. He used his book, Chief Marketing Officers At Work, and thought leadership to generate over $10M for his digital marketing agency, MWI. He's written three books and more than 300 articles in publications like Fortune, Time, Forbes, Fast Company, and Mashable.He says he's not just helping entrepreneurs write a book, "We're helping them to set up a thought leadership system. It might be that they also want to do public speaking, launch a course, or a membership group. Or they may want PR, or to launch their own podcast. Published Author works with entrepreneurs in different ways, depending on budget, time commitments, skill set, and interests. "With every Published Author client, the first question is: Do you want to do this yourself? Or do you want somebody to do it for you? Client's can write a book themselves, or they can hire a ghostwriter to write that book for them," says Josh. "A lot of the bestselling books out there are not written exactly by the author, but are the author's idea. The ghostwriter sits down with the author and interviews them, gathers the entrepreneur's knowledge and expertise, and turns it into a book. "Masterclass, Mastermind, or Done-For-YouFor entrepreneurs wanting to write their own book, Published Author offers a masterclass in which they get group coaching, information, the Published Author workbook, and any help and support they need.The next level is Published Author's mastermind group. "Mastermind is a smaller group of eight to 10 entrepreneurs," explains Josh. "We meet weekly, help each other out, answer each other's questions. They get one-on-one coaching,  and a lot more attention. They also get other services as part of that mastermind."The highest level is the Published Author full service, for entrepreneurs who want Published Author to managed every aspect of their book's creation. Obviously, the book contains the entrepreneur's ideas.  With the full service, Josh manages the whole process, including hiring the right ghostwriter, sourcing a publishing company, along with any other experts for the entrepreneur's needs. These could include book publicists, podcast producers, or PR and marketing pros. "At this level, we're providing many services to help them entrepreneurs get what they need to, getting them out there as a successful author with a successful book launch."Links: PublishedAuthor.com, JoshSteimle.comSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/communicateinflu

Curtis Holland is a voice over artist who narrates books, podcast ads, announcements and more. He’s been working for just over a year in voice over. And when Curtis isn’t not narrating, he is a full-time drama teacher at an international baccalaureate school in Asia.This episode is a great listen for anyone who gives presentations, does a lot of public speaking, or wants to get into voice narration work.In this episode of the Communicate Influence podcast, Curtis gives listeners tips on how to improve your presentation voice, how to warm up, and how to take care of your voice and vocal cords. Curtis got into voice over work at the start of the pandemic, and has been progressing ever since. He has his own studio at home, and is busy narrating books, ads and many other things. In this interview with Sheelagh, Curtis explores:What's involved in setting up your own studio at homeThe best kind of mic to useWarming up your voice with vocal exercisesTaking care of your voice, mouth, and vocal cordsFollowing the right diet to take care of your mouthExercising for improved lung capacity, which helps with reading aloudTaking care of your overall well-being for a better voice.Curtis regularly posts helpful videos on Instagram, and you can find him online at https://www.instagram.com/curtisvova/Podthreads.com!Podthreads is happy to sponsor the Communicate Influence Podcast. Podthreads is a new clothing brand for podcast listeners and creators. Show your appreciation for podcasts and their creators by wearing one of Podthreads' exclusive designs! Find Podthreads at podthreads.comSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/communicateinfluence)

This episode is sponsored by Podthreads - a new online clothing store for podcast fans!When regular host Sheelagh Caygill was in England last year, Karen Unland and Mack Male - both seasoned podcasters - kindly produced an episode for Communicate Influence listeners. Karen and Mack are the the co-founders of Taproot Publishing, an Edmonton-based media company whose mission is to help communities understand themselves better. Karen was a newspaper journalist; Mack was a software developer and blogger; they combined their talents and experience in 2016 to try to solve the problem of shrinking local media.In this episode, you’ll hear them outline the challenges facing local journalism, why a strong local media ecosystem is important, and what they’re trying to do about it. Here are some resources to add context to their conversation:What Killed The Newspaper? Google Or Facebook? Or…?Mind the Gaps: Quantifying the Decline of News Coverage in CanadaHere’s how some for-profit local news outlets are building subscriptionsThe media consumer’s dilemmaBusiness idea earns Taproot a LION Award nominationMack launched a podcast hosting service in 2006!Karen started the Alberta Podcast Network in 2017Taproot’s current podcasts: Speaking Municipally and Taproot Edmonton Presents: Igniting InnovationHow to support your local media startup and the ecosystem that nurtures it:Share your stuff: Put the indies on your news release list and keep them in mind for story pitches.Spread the word: Share what they publish and recommend them to others.Join or subscribe: If the outlet sells memberships or subscriptions, invest a little.Buy their services: If the outlet sells ads, sponsorships or other services, invest a little more.Wherever you are in the world, if you are interested in Spotlight or Taproot Publishing’s other B2B information services, contact hello@taprootpublishing.ca. If you are in Edmonton, see what Taproot Edmonton has to offer. You may be particularly interested in the Media Roundup.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/communicateinfluence)

In last week's episode, Kim Scaravelli discussed managing Twitter in 30 minutes a day. This week, Kim, founder of Trust Communications, looks at how to select the right social media platform for your business. That's right, you don't have to have a presence on every platform, only the ones that will perform for your organization.Kim says the first thing that you should do is consider social media as another part of your marketing, which is part of your business plan, which is part of your strategy for growth. So before you jump into all of these different platforms, ensure you really should have a solid strategy in place. And your strategy should include things like really knowing who your ideal audience is, because that's going to tell you where those folks are on social media. An example would be if you are a B2B brand, and you are selling specifically to people who are managers, HR people, or C-suite executives, then LinkedIn is a really important place for you to have a presence.If on the other hand, you are selling, say, beauty products, primarily to millennials, and you're selling them directly online. Why are you on LinkedIn? Instead, you need to be on Instagram.In this episode, Kim discusses: Thinking strategically about your social media planUnderstanding your audienceAssessing the skillset in your organization to see if you need outside resources to help manage social mediaDetermining what kind of content you'll produceBuilding authority in your nicheAssessing your results.Kim discusses a lot more in this episode, and provides examples of use on social media platforms, and why social media should be fun!Find Kim at TrustCommuncations.caSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/communicateinfluence)

In this week's episode, we have an incredibly valuable conversation with Kim Scaravelli, about how to manage your Twitter account in just 30 minutes a day.Kim, a communications pro and owner of trust communications in Halifax, Canada, is an expert when it comes to social media. She shares tremendous value in this episode. In fact, it's almost like a free Twitter management class!If you're new to social media, or feeling overwhelmed, and spending too much time on Twitter, you'll definitely get a lot out of this episode.Key points from Kim:If your ideal audience isn't on Twitter, you don't need to be thereTwitter has a voracious appetite. So there's really no point in taking your brand onto Twitter, if you are going to tweet once or twice a weekUnderstand your brand voice before tweetingUse a content calendar, such as BufferTweet at least eight times a dayOffer your followers value, don't keep tweeting ads for your product or serviceAt least four times a day, retweet something by someone else, and don't just retweet, comment on it so your followers understand why your retweeting the contentTimeless tweets often give more value.Kim also covers other points about doing impactful shoutouts, and be sure to interact with those who have interacted with you. Says Kim: "At the end of the day, it's social media, it's not torture media. If this is the most stressful part of your day, you spend, you know, two hours a day doing social media and six hours a day complaining about it, stop!"Once you actually get that hang of it, and you're actually talking to people, you're having conversations with people, then it's fun," she explains. "It's just like a coffee date. Or it's just like saying 'Hi' to somebody in the bank lineup. Relaxing is one of the keys to success on any kind of social media."You can find Kim on Twitter at twitter.com/KimScaravelli, and at Trust Communications.This episode is sponsored by the Published Author Podcast. If you're an entrepreneur who wants to publish a nonfiction book to grow your business, then this is the podcast you've been waiting for. The Published Author Podcast will help you become an author and show you how to build a thought leadership system around your book. With this, you can grow your business land speaking gigs, grow your tribe, and lots more. Go to Published Author for more details!Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/communicateinfluence)

Despite the pandemic, the podcasting industry had a good year in 2021, with lots of new content, and a record in advertising spend.Podcasting and radio industry expert James Cridland is today's guest on this episode of The Communicate Influence Podcast. He takes a look at some of the emerging trends already visible in the first few weeks of this new year, and looks at what may lie ahead. He foresees a robust year, with more exciting and diverse content on the horizon.  Key areas of focus in this episode:The impact of Amazon's purchase of Wondery Amazon will make more acquisitions in 2021Spotify's growth, and competitor attempts to keep paceWhy privacy will be a growing issue in the coming yearPodcast advertising revenue's continued growthGrowth of other revenue streams, such as pod merchThe types of shows people will probably want to listen to in coming monthsQR codes have had a resurgence in that they are a simple way of letting people subscribe to a podcast showWhy podcasts that are no longer updated aren't a concern. Known as 'podfade', this can be due to the fact that it's a limited series.Be sure to check out James' newsletter/podcast Podnews, and his new podcast show Podland.news , hosted by James and Sam Sethi.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/communicateinfluence)

The Future is Spoken isn't just the name of a new podcast, it's a phrase that illuminates the fact that voice will dominate marketing and PR in coming months and years.Voice technology is now ubiquitous. We speak to our voice assistants at home, to our smartphones, and to our vehicles. Some people talk to lighting and temperature control systems in their homes. Voice technology is the next big thing, and organizations that are early adopters are using the technology to create new opportunities for customer service.Shyamala Prayaga is a globally recognized voice technology pro and founder of the Digital Assistant Academy. The Academy was launched this month and is offering its first course, Voice Interaction Design. The course will qualify people to work with businesses and organizations as a voice designer. They will help create an organization's unique voice, with a human touch.In the Communicate Influence's latest podcast episode, Shyamala explores the rise of voice, what it means for the marketing and PR industries, and what makes the Digital Assistant Academy unique. She also discusses her new podcast - The Future is Spoken!Listen here, and be sure to share this episode with interested colleagues and friends! (SC include link)Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/communicateinfluence)

It's hard to believe that not every leader is a good communicator.Our guest Nick Meir explains that this is because we think of communication as mostly spoken. But in Nick's view, communication is essentially the "movement of information" and so body language and micro-expressions are part of that movement of information.With this definition, it's easy to see how a leader's body language can impact a workplace culture and even subjugate people.Leaders have to be aware of their blind spots and micro-expressions. Employees will notice everything about a leader, because they are always looking for information. And if there is an absence of information or a vacuum, employees will fill in the gaps."Leadership is about great communication, that movement of information, and that always has to be positive," explains Nick. "That doesn't mean it always has to be good news, but it should be a positive exchange, regardless of the message."Nick explains that this is partly due to the way the brain is wired. Humans are wired to detect subtle clues, especially from first impressions.The second important takeaway from this episode is that leaders must be aware of their audience. Everyone who has achieved success in the world has understood their audience, what makes them tick, and how to engage them. That's what successful businesses and leaders do as well. They then talk about what their audience cares about.Nick believes leaders should always ask themselves "Why should they care?" before they speak, and if they can answer that question, they will be successful. As well, be who you are, be yourself, and be pragmatic, be honest and be open.Leaders who are autocratic tend to create a culture of fear. So becoming self-aware is a process that leaders have to want to be. If leaders put on a persona when they arrive in the office, or behave differently in different situations, then employees will detect this.Blame culture is one of the worst manifestations of a dysfunctional workplace culture. "When you see hundreds of people being copied in on an email, you know that there is a real problem of fear and blame in that work environment."Being a leader is a very lonely job, Nick adds. There are only a few people who a leader will trust, and that's just part of the job. So in that sense there is a distance between the leader and their team.Communication is all about sitting back and relaxing, and delivering information in your way, in your words, and in your style. Good leaders also have to be great listeners, because again, listening is communication as it is moving information from one place to another. Bill Clinton is a memorable example of great listening, because people always remember how attentive he was when he listened.If comms people try to map a leadership style onto a leader, it often doesn't work. Leaders have to establish their own voice.About Nick Meir:Nick moved from being a journalist at the BBC into communications. He held various roles before launching his own agency, A House Called Alice, based in London, UK. Nick delivers executive coaching, training, and corporate journalism for several high-profile global clients.You can find Nick on LinkedIn.This episode is sponsored by the Digital Assistant Academy - Setting the Standard in Voice Technology LearningSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/communicateinfluence)

Every year across the world, hundreds of journalists move from the newsroom or the classroom into the world of PR, communications, or marketing.The good ones possess great storytelling skills, and know how to get information out of people. However, communications and marketing are very different worlds form journalism, and journalists must develop a whole new set of traits to succeed in these industries. For example, patience, diplomacy, likability, and teamwork are highly valued in comms and marketing.If you're a journalist thinking about making the move, Nick Meir has a lot of guidance and pointers for you in this episode. He also discusses current issues in communications, working with the c-suite, and employee engagement.Nick moved from being a journalist at the BBC into communications. He held various roles before launching his own agency, A House Called Alice, based in London, UK. Nick delivers executive coaching, training, and corporate journalism for several high-profile global clients.You can find Nick on LinkedIn.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/communicateinfluence)

Influencer marketing is fast replacing many marketing tactics. It's such a flexible option that can be used on many levels. Small and large agencies can employ it, as can businesses and individuals. In fact, the chances are that you've already used influencer marketing and don't realize it. For example, having a contact share your content with their Twitter following of thousands, or receiving a LinkedIn recommendation from someone with a greater profile than yours, are both forms of influencer marketing; in effect, you're using someone's influence to lift your profile.Neal Schaffer explores the depth and breadth of influencer marketing in his new book, The Age of Influence. Neal is a social media marketer, corporate trainer, educator, keynote speaker, and author of three other books.The Communicate Influence Podcast show connected with Neal last week to discuss his impressive new book. This is a meaty episode, running for 52 minutes. But not a word is wasted! Neal discusses so much of value in this episode, including:The role of social media in influencer marketingThe power of word of mouthEmployees as influencersEmail marketingInfluencer marketing and SEOWhy influencer marketing worksConnect with Neal at nealschaffer.com or on LinkedIn. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/communicateinfluence)

Podcasting is significantly changing journalism, which has been affected a great deal by lack of investment and a declining audience in recent years. In this episode we speak with Toronto podcast producer and journalist Kathleen Goldhar on the impact podcasting continues to have on journalism"I don't think you can do anything without a podcast anymore," Kathleen observes. "Every news organization has one, CBC has one . . . whether it's an original podcast where they do a lot of an amazing work or all the shows are sent out on a podcasting format. "So podcasting is as much a part of journalism has print, as digital storytelling, and as TV news is like, there's just no separating it now."She adds that a lot of people don't read a lot online, and so this makes podcasting an essential part of journalism.Kathleen says that there is no one thing that makes a journalistic podcast stand out. But the intimacy that a podcast allows for between host and listener is a key aspect of a good podcast. "What podcasting and what audio does is it just goes straight into your brain because it's so intimate. So it's a chance to hear the people, it's a chance to hear them interact with the journalists a lot of times, which is really nice." Kathleen says that it's essential to pay attention to your audience and think their information needs. "Most people are listening to podcasts while they are doing something else. If you make me stop and ask who's that character? or What did he do again, or Who's this person, then you've lost me. And if that happens too many times, I'm going to turn off the podcast. "So, as complicated as podcast stories can be, and nuanced and smart, they also have to be quite straightforward and simple. We're not reading, so we can't go back. We're not having the extra advantage of a visual reminder like you do in television," Kathleen explains. "I'm not going to make notes while I'm listening to a podcast. So I need the story itself to unfold in a very practical and a very simple way."She adds that this doesn't mean that a podcast has to be dumbed-down. Instead, podcasters have to really think about the listener and how prepared they are to be joining you on the story. "This is a big part of the quality for me, that's when I know that it's produced well . . . when I never have that problem (of losing the thread of the story), and the podcaster is always helping me if I do need to go back in my mind to a character that was introduced a few episodes ago," she adds. Kathleen recommends that if you want to be a podcaster or podcast producer, the best thing you can do is listen to as many podcasts as possible. "You should listen to a lot. I think there's a lot of people who don't listen to podcasts and then say they want to make a podcast," she notes. "And then when you're listening, spend some time thinking to yourself, why did that work for me? Why didn't it work for me? What are the pleat places that I can find inspiration? What do I want to stay away from? Is that kind of thing?" You can find Kathleen on LinkedIn and Twitter. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/communicateinfluence)

This episode sees host Sheelagh Caygill talk to branding pro Jack Fussell. He's worked with hundreds of businesses on brand strategy, and knows what makes a brand great.Branding is so much bigger than a logo, website, or business card. Jack says at the end of the day, the most simple version of understanding what a brand is, is what your customers feel about you."When they, when you say the name of your company, or you say the name of your brand, or you say the name of, you know, if your individual, you say your own name, what do people think?"Are they like, 'Oh my gosh. Yes. That's amazing!'."The work of brand building, the work of branding in and of itself is really just building up all of that."Visual identity is a part of that. I mean, you, there, you know, if your, if your logo looks outdated or, you know, it looks, you know, you're some cool like motorcycle company, but if you're logo looks like a tech logo from the 1990s then it changes the way people perceive you.," says Jack. Branding is very much a feeling thing. We develop our feelings about a brand based on our experiences with an organization. It's not a rational thing.  Jack says that a brand strategy session is different with every organization. He says the first thing is to understand the customers, whey they are thinking, their views, and preferences. "When that customer is sitting there looking for something online or they're searching through an app or whatever, what are they thinking? What are they feeling? What do they experience amazing?"The secret of a brand is understanding what makes the company unique and understanding what the biggest needs and values of the customers are.For companies with reputation issues, a new logo, new website, new letterhead is not going to fix this problem.Jack says empathy is actually the heart of branding. Brands that do really well - it is all about empathy. It's all about putting yourself in the place of the other person. It's understanding how they feel.  Empathy is actually like wearing someone else's emotions.  "If they're excited, we become excited. Like we really do! We really do put ourselves in the place of that customer."And, you know, one of our favorite brands is Disney. We love to go to the parks. It's just, I get to be a kid again. "You can tell that they've built their entire brand around empathy, that they understand when someone, you know, Well, just every part of it from the moment you call in to the way that they, um, you know, they just explain everything so carefully."Jack Fussell is a brand strategist with Campfire Social. Find him on Linkedin. Listen to his podcast, Onward Creatives. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/communicateinfluence)