Podcasts about shel holtz

In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss the common practice of providing free proposals and baseline ideas to clients. They argue that professional service providers should charge for these services as doing so adds value and ensures a thorough diagnosis before providing solutions. They share personal experiences and compare the situation to doctors who would never prescribe treatment without proper tests. They emphasize the importance of understanding a client’s business through a paid discovery phase and making adjustments along the way to deliver effective results. Additionally, they discuss the risks of providing overly detailed plans in early stages, the benefits of quarterly assessments, and the importance of maintaining clear communication and trust with clients. Key takeaways Chip Griffin: “You should not be in a position of having one phone call with a client or prospect and saying, yep, know what that problem is. Here’s how we’ll fix that, and here’s what it costs.” Gini Dietrich: “Quarterly planning helps build trust because it allows the client to be involved in the planning decisions and discussions and measurement to understand what’s working and what’s not.” Chip Griffin: “If you ever feel that you are in a position where your expertise is either not valued or you don’t feel comfortable delivering it, then you are in the wrong relationship and need to look elsewhere.” Gini Dietrich: “We have to create a prescription exactly for you and your business so that we can have success. And we can’t do that without spending 30 or 60 days with you and getting to know and understand your business.” Related What if agencies abandoned proposals and posted transparent pricing? The pros and cons of RFP's for agencies Understanding the cost of agency business development Common mistakes agencies make when pursuing new business View Transcript The following is a computer-generated transcript. Please listen to the audio to confirm accuracy. Chip Griffin: Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Agency Leadership Podcast. I’m Chip Griffin. Gini Dietrich: And I’m Gini Dietrich. Chip Griffin: Gini, you got me all wound up for today’s topic. And so I’m sort of frothing at the mouth here. And, I’m gonna try to control myself, but I, I’m not trying to do a funny opening ’cause I just got too amped up in the leadup. Gini Dietrich: Oh, okay, well good. Chip Griffin: And I was afraid, I was afraid of what I might say. Gini Dietrich: I like amped up Chip. That’s good. That’s good. Yeah. Chip Griffin: I’m trying, I’m trying to dial it down to keep it at a level where we don’t get kicked off of any of the platforms we’re on and my hate mail is limited to a minimum and all of that kind of stuff. Gini Dietrich: That doesn’t happen. Chip Griffin: No, that’s true. I don’t, I don’t get that. No. But Gini Dietrich: yeah, Chip Griffin: I’m surprised. I mean, I, I would think with some of the things that you and I say on this show, we would get some people who are like, I cannot believe you said that. Gini Dietrich: Maybe we do, and they just don’t report it to us. To the podcast platform. Chip Griffin: That’s true. Or maybe they include it one of the inane podcast pitches that we get that I just hit delete without actually reading. Gini Dietrich: Jeez Louise. It’s so bad. My favorite is when they pitch the FIR network and Shel Holtz forwards emails to the two of us and he is like, oh, here’s another prize. Chip Griffin: Yep. I mean, I can tell, I can tell most of them when they’re, when they’re really poorly targeted, because those usually come into my iCloud email address. Gini Dietrich: Oh, interesting. Chip Griffin: Which is what I’ve registered the podcast with for Apple Podcasts. Gini Dietrich: Got it. Chip Griffin: And, but it’s literally the only email I ever get on that account, so. Huh. So I know as soon as it comes in that they have not done any research because that email address is not published anywhere. I don’t use it for anything. Gini Dietrich: So how would they get it? Through one of the systems or through one of the platforms? Chip Griffin: I think so. It’s probably in the metadata somewhere. Yeah. Who knows? But Gini Dietrich: fascinating. Chip Griffin: Yeah. Yeah. Not, not a lot of smart podcast pitchers out there, unfortunately. Gini Dietrich: Well, unfortunately there’s not a lot of smart pitchers generally just based on my inbox and based on some of the private communities I’m in. Chip Griffin: Well, I mean, yes, and, and I do get, because of my various blogs and because I used to to have a political newsletter, I get an an insane number of actual pitches for people who think that I am proper media. Gini Dietrich: Right. Chip Griffin: But, but they are wildly, poorly targeted. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. Yeah. Chip Griffin: And I’m tempted to say, look, I, I haven’t done food and beverage reporting for 15 years now, so… I still get a lot of political pitches. Gini Dietrich: Do you? Chip Griffin: I have not had a political newsletter since 2015. Wow. So stop. Just stop. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. I get a lot of Chicago area stuff, which is fine, because I’m like, oh, well that’s cool, but I’ve literally never covered Chicago. Chip Griffin: Correct. Oh yeah. I get, I get all the New Hampshire stuff and like, oh, so and so got a grant. I don’t care. I mean, that’s Okay. Gini Dietrich: Great. Awesome. Chip Griffin: Thank you. Congratulations to them. But I don’t know what I’m gonna do with this information, so, right. Maybe go get a different list. Anyway. Alright, well now that we’ve ranted about things that have nothing to do, that have nothing to do Gini Dietrich: with, right, Chip Griffin: with, with our actual topic, what are we going to rant about today? Gini? Gini Dietrich: There was an interesting conversation in one of the groups I belong to, and it was essentially this. Have you considered charging for your proposal and baseline ideas? Most professional service providers charge to assess the situation. After all these years, we still provide the outline of an actual plan and sometimes a campaign concept absolutely free of charge. Stop doing that. The discovery part of our process generally takes time. Yes. And then the proposal is written and fine tuned, and then there’s a presentation. We do close two out of three engagements we pursue. Still, I can’t imagine a CPA or a law firm doing this kind of work. Why do we? Well, we shouldn’t. Let’s not do that. Chip Griffin: Yeah. So it is incredibly common for agencies to try to provide fairly robust plans as part of proposals, or worse as part of RFP processes. Gini Dietrich: Right. Chip Griffin: There is way too much detail included in almost all of these. And I’ll be honest, my issue is not that you’re doing it for free, not that you’re not charging for it. It’s that you’re being stupid. Because you are submitting a prescription for how to solve a problem before you really have much information. We’ve said time and time again that as part of the sales process, you have maybe a couple of hours of conversation with a prospect. That is not nearly enough time to really understand what the right approach to solving that problem is. You may know in broad brush strokes what is likely to be the case, but you don’t know enough to put together a detailed plan. So whether you’re paid for it or not, stop doing that. Gini Dietrich: Yes, please. I 100% agree with this. We stopped doing it many years ago, but I love your analogy on this, so I’m gonna let you take it because it works perfectly here. Chip Griffin: So this is, putting together a detailed proposal that includes the outline of a plan would be pretty much the same as if you walked into your doctor’s office and said, Hey, doc, I’m not feeling well today. And the doctor looks at you once and says, you know what? I’ve got the prescription for you. And they immediately write you a prescription or schedule a surgery or something like that. They can’t do that because they don’t have enough information. Right. Even when, based on their experience, they have a pretty good idea what it is. They still order tests, they do blood work. They, they do other tests. They take x-rays, whatever it may be, to confirm that what they suspect is actually what they need to treat you for. That’s right. You need to view your clients and prospects the same way. You should not be in a position of having one phone call with a client or prospect and saying, yep, know what that is. Here’s how we’ll fix that, and here’s what it costs. Gini Dietrich: And I think saying to the prospect if they’re expecting a plan or you know, detail like that, I think it’s really important for us to say, Like, we just don’t know yet. We need to, we need to know your business. Like we can, we can do some discovery and learn about you. What’s online for sure, but that’s not enough. We have to actually dig into your business and understand how the business is run. Do we have experience in your industry? Of course we do. Do we know kind of the approach we might take? Of course we do, but we have to create a prescription to write exactly for you and your business so that we can have success. And we can’t do that without spending, you know, 30 or 60 days with you and, and getting to understand, getting to know and understand your business. Chip Griffin: Right. So if we don’t think that you should be putting together these detailed plans as part of your proposals, what should you do instead? Gini Dietrich: I mean, probably, gosh, 10 years ago we started doing sort of, we have sort of a three phased approach. And the first phase is for lack of a better term, discovery. So the client is paying us to learn their business, understand their business, talk to their stakeholders, talk to their employees, talk to people that are important to them. Talk to customers, talk to former customers, do all of that work to really understand what the pain points are. And through that, we also do some things, which I would call quick wins or low hanging fruit, right? Because the client doesn’t always wanna pay for quote unquote strategy. So there are some things you can do immediately. We’ll do an audit. We’ll look at, you know, because we always do the PESO model, we look to see what’s, if they’re doing a full, If they’re doing paid, earn, shared, and owned, what’s missing, what’s not if it’s fully integrated. So we can do that as, as we go along as well. And we can do some quick wins in terms of like, oh, you know, Halloween’s coming up. Let’s do some social, some themed social media for that. You know, so give them some tangible things while we’re doing the discovery and learning the business that are easy, right? And not dependent on a strategy. Make them feel like we’re, we’re making progress, but getting the information that we need. And then once we go from that, we craft the plan, which is the second phase. They’re paying for that, and then we start to execute. So it’s sort of that three phase. And what we have found is it’s a lot easier for a prospect to swallow a three phase plan because what they’re, in their minds, they’re thinking, okay, well if this first phase doesn’t work out, first of all, it’s not terribly expensive, and if it doesn’t work out, then we don’t have to do the second and third phases. We can just take it and, and do it ourselves. Right? So they, whether or not they’re in love with you, they, that’s just human nature, what they’re thinking. And what we have found is that because they don’t feel like they’ve been roped into an annual contract where there may or may not get results. They’re, they’ve been roped into discovery or strategy building, or however you wanna call it, whatever you wanna call it, and they’re, they always, always spend more money. On the execution than they would if we went right to execution in the beginning. Always. They always do. Mm-hmm. Because they see the value and they understand now how you’re, you’ve become a partner in their business versus just, this is what we do for everybody else, so we’re gonna do it for you. Chip Griffin: Well, and, and as we’ve said before, it also gives you an opportunity to make sure that you are pricing that work correctly. That’s because now you, it’s a good relationship. Now you have more information. Yep. Including how the client is to work with. Absolutely. And how responsive they are to your information requests or approvals or feedback or all of the things that make a big difference in your profit margins as an agency in your ability to deliver effective results for them. I think the, the bottom line is that one way or another, it’s not so much that you need to get paid for it, but that it needs to be part of your process. Mm-hmm. That you do an actual diagnosis while engaged with the client and not prior to. Right. Because it, you simply can’t do it in the amount of time and with the amount of resources that you have available from the client before you’re actually working with them. And whether you do that in a formally staged process or you simply sell audits or some form of paid discovery as a standalone. You know, door opener kind of activity. Or as some of my clients do, you simply say, look, for the first month of our retainer, we are going to be focused on building a plan. Sure. And that is, that is the focus for the first 30 or 60 days. Yep. And you’re setting that expectation and it will refine the specifics as we move along. And that may require us to adjust, to come back to you and say, we need to adjust this retainer up or down based on what we find and what the, the best approach is. And if you do this effectively, you’re not only coming up with a, a better solution for the client, but you’re building trust with them for the reasons that you outline. yes. Because they are now looking at you as the expert who is trying to spend their money more effectively. Gini Dietrich: Yep. Chip Griffin: The challenge, however, of course, is that most clients say they want to plan, but they don’t like the planning process. Gini Dietrich: That is right. Yes. Chip Griffin: And because for a few reasons, the, the top of the reason is because they, they want to see results immediately. Yes. And so I think your suggestion that you find low hanging fruit that you can deliver prior to the formulation of the proper strategy. Because there are things, there are little things that we almost certainly no going into an engagement will need to be done regardless of what the diagnosis is. And so why not throw some of those into the mix for those first 30 or 60 days in order to, to start showing some progress. But that is wildly different from starting down the path of a three month project that only at the end shows a result. And maybe by the time you get halfway through, you realize, well, this doesn’t make any sense. This is not what they actually need. Right? We can’t actually get the results that we want from it. So you need to really be thinking about these things in, in the process of, of planning effectively. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. Okay. So let’s assume everybody is on board with that. Then I, I would think the next argument is, well, the way I’ve always done this, I’ve, you know, I get 70 per, I close 70% or 75% of my prospects. I don’t wanna lose that. So what’s, what’s our argument there? Chip Griffin: So, I mean, my argument there is, is, first of all, I, I believe that it is unlikely that the reason why you are closing that percentage is because you are taking so many wild stabs in the dark, right? Gini Dietrich: Yes. Chip Griffin: It is entirely probable, in fact, that they would’ve gone with you whether you had that level of detail or not. Now. If you switch to our proposed approach and all of a sudden you see your close rate plummeting, okay, now you need to take a look at what you’ve changed and, and is there a different way to go about it. However, I think it is extremely unlikely. Yeah. That you would find switching to us would have that kind of a dramatic impact on your close rate. I think the other thing to to look at is for the business that you have won, do you feel like that, that you have properly diagnosed in all of these cases in that initial plan? Gini Dietrich: Mm-hmm. Chip Griffin: Because if you find that, as I think is likely, there would be adjustments that you would’ve made along the way had you had more information. Mm-hmm. That may have also helped you adapt your pricing so that you’re more profitable. Gini Dietrich: Mm-hmm. Chip Griffin: Well, those are all arguments that even if you won the business, it was not the right way to win it. Right. And so you would’ve been better off winning it in a different way, at a different price with a different scope or what have you. So you need to look at the big picture. And finally, you also need to look at what are the costs of the ones that you create. Right? And don’t go anywhere. Yeah. Because we all, I mean, particularly when I, when I talk to people about RFPs, people, they, they talk about the, the one big RFP that they want and they say, well, I can’t give up RFPs ’cause we got this one back in, you know, 2017. And it, you know, it, it’s really, it’s been the, the driver for our business for the last eight years and blah, blah, blah. Okay, cool. But how many RFPs did you lose along the way? Right? And once you factor in the cost of responding to all of those, did it still make sense? And so you need to be looking at that and not just the two out of three that you’ve won. Honestly, if you’re winning two out of three, I would probably, you know, look at whether you’re talking to enough people, because you could probably grow even faster if you had a slightly lower Gini Dietrich: right. Yes. Chip Griffin: Close rate. Oh, it, it does depend a little bit on when you’re creating these, because, you know, we, I would say the vast majority of agencies create proposals way too early. And so, you know, they’re, they’re not taking it as far along in the process, but if you’re at least holding back until it’s almost a done deal, well then two outta three is probably a reasonable close rate. But if it’s these are all of your serious conversations, you’re not having enough. Gini Dietrich: I totally agree with that. And I was gonna say, I would 100% agree with you and would venture to guess that if you have more conversations, you will get a higher close rate. Using our process. Because there’s no risk to the client. I mean, they might be out a little a, a few bucks, you know, but they were gonna spend the money anyway. And you both learn if it’s a great relationship for you. So I actually think your close rate would be higher if you use this process and talk to more prospects. Chip Griffin: It, it certainly ought to be. Yeah. You know, obviously there’s, there’s nuances to every agency’s target audience and, and their appetite for, you know, for doing things and whether they want to be more reckless or not. You know, if you’re dealing with startups, they’re probably less inclined to, you know, to pay for some kind of planning process. Right. Because startups are notorious for wanting to just roll the dice and see what happens, right? Gini Dietrich: Right. Chip Griffin: It’s not necessarily the right approach, but it is the mentality that a lot of tech startups historically have had. And so you need to, you know, to be conscious of that. But I would say the vast majority of prospects that, that listeners are going after, will be open to this, particularly if you’re positioning it in a way that explains to ’em that you’re trying to make sure that you’re not wasting their time and money. Gini Dietrich: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Chip Griffin: Because at the end of the day, the reason why people tend to be leery of hiring agencies is because they’re worried about throwing money away. Because maybe they had bad experiences with past agencies that they feel like we paid them a lot of money and we didn’t see any results. And part of that may be because that agency gave them a proposal and a solution without information. And so, and then, then of course, you know, as, as we are, you know, we have a contract in place, we have a plan, we feel obligated to march forward on the path that we’ve given the client. Right? And so that’s the other thing I would say is even if you go through this and you do a 30 day plan or something like that, with the planning process rather with the client. Don’t feel like six months later you can’t go back and say, Hey, look, we have even more information now. We need to course correct. We need to pivot. Yes. It creates a risk because now you’re talking with the client and admitting that your diagnosis may have been either off base or not as full as it should have been or whatever, but you’re putting yourself in a position where you can actually get the results that the client is looking for. Right. And so to me, it’s worth the risk of pivoting even somewhere down the road in the relationship. Gini Dietrich: Yeah, and I know we’ve talked about this before, but one of the things that we implemented during the pandemic was quarterly assessments. So that we’re looking at the plan every quarter to to understand, okay, what worked, what didn’t work? What do we need to tweak? You know, we’re constantly doing that. And yeah, of, of course it’s risky because you are admitting that some things didn’t work. But what it does is creates even more trust because the client looks at you and goes, oh, well, they’re not just feeding me full of baloney. They’re actually being honest about what worked and what didn’t, and they’re willing to pivot and make change so that the things that aren’t working, either we’re getting rid of and not doing, or we’re tweaking it to make it more effective. So I think you build even more trust when you create that kind of cadence that allows the client to be involved in the planning decisions and planning discussions and measurement too, to understand what’s working and what’s not. Chip Griffin: Yeah, and, and you know, this is, people know that I, I like weird analogies. I think if they’ve listened to this show at all. And, and you know, if you, if you think about it, you know, if you’re in an Uber and you’re, you know that you’re going on the shortest route to the location you’re trying to get to, and it’s the, the route that you, you have endorsed and say, yeah, that’s, that’s the way we should go. We should go the West Side Highway or whatever. If the road is flooded in front of you, Gini Dietrich: right. Chip Griffin: You don’t want your Uber driver just to keep driving straight into the flood? Nope. You want them to go off and go around it? Yeah. Even though that technically takes longer because you know what? You’re not gonna drown in the flood. You should be the same way with your clients and say, Hey, look, I, I see we’ve got bad weather ahead. Gini Dietrich: I love that. Let’s, or traffic, let’s go around it. We have bad traffic ahead. Chip Griffin: Traffic, anything, right? Yes. You’ve got to, you’ve got to use judgment here. Yes. Love that. You are being paid as an expert to use your judgment at all steps of the process. And if you ever feel that you are in a position where your expertise is either not valued or you don’t feel comfortable delivering it, then you are in the wrong relationship and need to look elsewhere. Gini Dietrich: Absolutely. Yes. And that is a different discussion for a different time, but Chip Griffin: it is, Gini Dietrich: we ha I have a client right now who’s, I’m like, red flags. Let’s, let’s address the red flags. Chip Griffin: Ah, red flags. Well, maybe we’ll talk about red flags again sometime soon because I think it’s been a while since we’ve ranted about red flags. But I think we’ll draw this rant to a close before we go too far off the rails, but I think I, I think I controlled myself pretty well I think. Gini Dietrich: You did. You did. Chip Griffin: I think I got, I think I got most of the bad energy out before we hit record. Gini Dietrich: I didn’t even think it was bad energy. Chip Griffin: So that I could have a more modest rant. Gini Dietrich: You did. You did very well. Thank you. You did very well. You’re welcome. Chip Griffin: Thank you. I’ll pat myself on the head there for that. So on that note, we will draw this episode of the Agency Leadership Podcast to a close. I’m Chip Griffin. Gini Dietrich: I’m Gini Dietrich Chip Griffin: and it depends.

Send us a textIn this episode, Shel Holtz joins On Top of PR host Jason Mudd to discuss AI in corporate communications.Tune in to learn more!Our Guest:Shel Holtz leads communications innovation at Webcor, a premier commercial construction firm. As Webcor's senior director of communication, Holtz pioneers AI integration in corporate communications. He brings over two decades of Fortune 400 experience and strategic communication expertise to help organizations navigate digital transformation.Five things you'll learn from this episode:1. Strategic AI implementation in PR workflows2. Advanced prompting techniques for superior AI-generated content3. Cutting-edge AI platforms for diverse media creation, from visuals to audio4. Essential guidelines for ethical AI use in communications5. Career advancement strategies in an AI-enhanced PR landscape Quotables"AI is transforming PR fundamentally. It's not about uniform implementation but personalized workflows that enhance strategic thinking." — @ShelHoltz"The future belongs to communicators who leverage AI for enhanced productivity while maintaining human creativity." — @ShelHoltz"Strategic AI disclosure builds trust. Be transparent when AI use could influence audience perception." — @ShelHoltz"AI liberates PR professionals from routine tasks, enabling focus on high-value strategic planning." — @ShelHoltz"Success in modern PR requires mastering AI as a strategic tool, not fearing it as a replacement." — @ShelHoltz"Effective AI implementation requires understanding both technology capabilities and human communication needs." — @ShelHoltz"Tomorrow's PR leaders will be those who strategically combine AI efficiency with human insight." — @ShelHoltz"I'm definitely leading the charge of AI within my organization, showing examples and inspiring others instead of thinking the old way." — @JasonMudd9"We can produce more volume than before at a greater quality using AI. That's what makes us more valuable to our clients." — @JasonMudd9If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to share it with a colleague or friend. You may also support us through buy me a coffee or by leaving us a quick podcast review.Guest's contact info and resources:LinkedIn: Shel HoltzWebsite: holtz.comTwitter: @ShelHoltzAdditional resources from Axia Public Relations:Listen to more episodes of the On Top of PR podcast.Find out more about Axia Public Relations.Support the show On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America's Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands. On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

If you have ever attended one of Shel Holtz's presentations, you will know that, more often than not, it's standing room only. Shel has a remarkable ability to anticipate what's next for internal communication, a knack for seeing what's around the corner and an in-depth understanding of how technology is revolutionising our world of work. Since Chat GPT was made public in November 2022, AI has dominated the headlines. So, who better but Shel to talk us through the implications for internal communications? His insights are fascinating. For years at the forefront of technology and communication, Shel is currently Senior Director of Communications at Webcor, a California-based building and engineering company. He's the author of several essential communications books and the co-host of For Immediate Release, a podcast for comms professionals now into its eighteenth year. Share your thoughts on this, or any other episode of The Internal Comms Podcast, using the hashtag #TheICPodcast. Happy listening! Learn more about the opportunities for AI to transform your internal communications in a Creativity now! webinar from AB: https://abcomm.co.uk/abthinks/best-tools-for-creating-ic-audio-content/

In the ever-evolving landscape of strategic communication, Shel Holtz emerges as a guiding force, bringing knowledge and experience to the forefront. As the Senior Director of Communications for Webcor and a seasoned professional in the field, Holtz shares invaluable insights on the transformative impact of effective communication on organisational success. Join us on a journey through the intricate realms of communication strategy, technology's influence, and the significance of ethical communication. [00:34] - About Shel Holtz Shel is the Senior Director, Communications for Webcore. He is a regular speaker on topics surrounding the application of online technology to strategic organisational communication. Shel is the author of a book titled, “Tactical Transparency.” He has been recognised, felicitated and awarded several times. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tbcy/support

In this special episode of “Circle of Fellows,” meet the three IABC leaders who have been named Fellows for 2022 (and who will be formally inducted during the IABC World Conference in New York later this month). This conversation with Zora Artis, Sue Heuman, and Robin McCasland included their professional journeys and their core philosophies and beliefs about organizational communication. The conversation was moderated by Shel Holtz.Continue Reading → The post Circle of Fellows #82: Meet the 2022 Class of IABC Fellows appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this special episode of “Circle of Fellows,” meet the three IABC leaders who have been named Fellows for 2022 (and who will be formally inducted during the IABC World Conference in New York later this month). This conversation with Zora Artis, Sue Heuman, and Robin McCasland included their professional journeys and their core philosophies and beliefs about organizational communication. The conversation was moderated by Shel Holtz.Continue Reading → The post Circle of Fellows #82: Meet the 2022 Class of IABC Fellows appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Public relations is perhaps one of the segments of the marketing world that has changed most in the last 20 years or so. That's largely because the media landscape has changed and media relations is a big part of the PR world. When traditional journalists, editors and producers are no longer the gate keepers, but you're still charged with earning coverage and attention for your company, you have to shift with the market. Robert Dilenschneider has weathered the storm and guided many a brand successfully through the last 30 years or so. He founded The Dilsenschnieder Group in 1991. They not only work with many Fortune 500 companies but also provide counsel and strategic advice to leading families and individuals around the world. His new book is called The Public Relations Handbook. It's a little different approach, though. Robert has sourced the expertise presented in this book from 20 of the world's top PR thinkers, including himself, of course. He is technically listed as the editor of the book, but when you see the roster of names in this book … my pal Shel Holtz, William Adler, Donna Heiser, Virginia and Michael Kamsky, Sarah Manly Robertson … a Who's Who of smart thinkers in the industry … you know this is worth the read. And it's worth our time to talk about it. This episode of Digging Deeper is brought to you by the Marketing Podcast Network. If your company or perhaps one of your clients sells to marketers, you look for advertising channels that guarantee business marketers are paying attention, right? The Marketing Podcast Network is a network of podcasts all about marketing. On Brand with Nick Westergaard, Joseph Jaffe is Not Famous, For Immediate Release, Winfluence - The Influence Marketing Podcast, Digging Deeper and many more are there. What that means is 100 percent of M-P-Ns audience are marketers. Your brand or clients can reach them by advertising on the Marketing Podcast Network. Learn more and find our media kit at MarketingPodcasts.net. Digging Deeper is a podcast on the Marketing Podcast Network. jtmruDQMJy7MDNJUpi5E Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anyone working in communications has learned that storytelling is a vital element of influence. (An old Indian proverb proclaims, "Tell me a fact and I will learn, tell me the truth and I will believe, but tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.") There is a wealth of literature and research that supports the value of a narrative approach to reinforcing or changing behaviors and for building support for an initiative or point of view. Does it always work? In one case, in one study, it did not. In fact, using a narrative strategy in the argument presented in this study actually led some in the audience to move even further away from the desired position than they already were. In this FIR Interview, Shel Holtz speaks with Dr. Liana Winett and Dr. Jeff Niederdeppe, co-authors of "When 'Tried and True' Advocacy Strategies Backfire." There are clear lessons from this study for public relations and public advocacy professionals.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: When Narrative Strategies Fail appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Anyone working in communications has learned that storytelling is a vital element of influence. (An old Indian proverb proclaims, "Tell me a fact and I will learn, tell me the truth and I will believe, but tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.") There is a wealth of literature and research that supports the value of a narrative approach to reinforcing or changing behaviors and for building support for an initiative or point of view. Does it always work? In one case, in one study, it did not. In fact, using a narrative strategy in the argument presented in this study actually led some in the audience to move even further away from the desired position than they already were. In this FIR Interview, Shel Holtz speaks with Dr. Liana Winett and Dr. Jeff Niederdeppe, co-authors of "When 'Tried and True' Advocacy Strategies Backfire." There are clear lessons from this study for public relations and public advocacy professionals.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: When Narrative Strategies Fail appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

What’s the most important thing that a CEO needs to know about communication? The comms industry guru Shel Holtz shares his number one thing every CEO should understand about communications. Internal comms is not a one-way stream of messaging, it's not a distribution of content. To get internal comms, you need to think in a multi-directional dimension. If you are looking for a reliable communication platform to help you reach all your employees with targeted communications, check out Smarp: https://smarp.com/

Brad Whitworth continues his conversation with Shel Holtz, the communications industry guru on technology, an author, a lecturer, an IABC Fellow, and director of internal communications at Webcor in San Francisco. In today's episode, Shel shares the very best communications advice he ever received in his career — spend more time listening than talking. He also shares some practical tips on how to improve your listening skills and become a better communicator. If you are looking for a reliable communication platform to help you reach all your employees with targeted communications, check out Smarp: https://smarp.com/

How to get employees to embrace technology and become regular users of a new platform or application? Tune in to today's episode of the Comms Minute to learn two tactical approaches that will help your employees adopt a new comms platform or app. Our guest today is Shel Holtz, the communications industry guru on technology, an author, a lecturer, an IABC Fellow, and director of internal communications at Webcor in San Francisco. If you are looking for a reliable communication platform to help you reach all your employees with targeted communications, check out Smarp: https://smarp.com/

Communicators can’t do everything themselves, and we’re all looking for ways to embrace user-generated content. But how to get it done right? In today's Comms Minute, the communications industry guru on technology Shel HoltzShel Holtz shares his three practical tips for getting user-generated content right. Tune in and share this episode with your comms friends. Visit https://smarp.com/ for more unique insights on employee communication and advocacy.

You need new communication technology and you've got to sell it internally to your leadership team, but how? In today's episode, Brad Whitworth is hosting the communications industry guru on technology Shel Holtz. Shel is an author, a lecturer, an IABC Fellow, and director of internal communications at Webcor in San Francisco. Tune in as Shel shares some practical tips on how to build a relationship with the IT department and sell internally the software you need to do your best job. If you are looking for a reliable communication platform to help you reach all your employees with targeted communications, check out Smarp: https://smarp.com/

David Murray's new book, "An Effort to Understand," is a collection of essays drawn from many years of posts to his blog, Writing Boots. Addressing the challenges of communicating with one another in a polarized society, the book is structured first to define communication, then move from the personal to the organizational. Like the society on which the book is focused, not everyone will agree with everything in the book, but Murray offers sage wisdom about how to engage in conversations about these matters. In this interview, FIR co-host Shel Holtz talks with Murray about the book, including his assertion that it is not communication if you know the outcome and that communication should not be civil.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: “An Effort to Understand” Author David Murray appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

David Murray's new book, "An Effort to Understand," is a collection of essays drawn from many years of posts to his blog, Writing Boots. Addressing the challenges of communicating with one another in a polarized society, the book is structured first to define communication, then move from the personal to the organizational. Like the society on which the book is focused, not everyone will agree with everything in the book, but Murray offers sage wisdom about how to engage in conversations about these matters. In this interview, FIR co-host Shel Holtz talks with Murray about the book, including his assertion that it is not communication if you know the outcome and that communication should not be civil.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: “An Effort to Understand” Author David Murray appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Topics include Foursquare’s confusing brand announcement; the FIR (For Immediate Release) podcast with Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson; Fred Diamond of the Sales Game Changers podcast; and, Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot, who Jeff and Charlie interviewed during the early days of Practically Social and is now a candidate for Governor of Maryland.

In this FIR Interview, host Shel Holtz spent 30 minutes talking with "The Employee Experience Advantage" author Jacob Morgan about what it takes to deliver a great work experience to employees, some of the misconceptions about the idea, and the connection between experience and engagement, among other topics.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: Jacob Morgan on Creating the Employee Experience appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Jeremiah Owyang founded CrowdCompanies as a council of large businesses that stood to be disrupted by the "sharing economy," a class of businesses established based on the innovation of technology serving as the intermediary between people who have something (cars, spare rooms or apartments, free time) and people who want it (to get somewhere cheaper and faster than a cab, to stay somewhere more homey and less costly than a hotel room, to clean out a garage or scan photos, for example). Each of the members of CrowdCompanies needs to innovate to stave off disruption. They asked Owyang "to look inside of companies, to find out how they are structured to respond to disruption trends." The result is a report, "The Corporate Innovation Imperative: How Large Corporations Avoid Disruption by Strengthening Their Ecosystem" (which is available below). In this FIR Interview, Shel Holtz and Jeremiah talk about the obstacles to innovation, some of the 10 types of innovation programs the study uncovered, the metrics for measuring innovation success, and more.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: Jeremiah Owyang on Corporate Innovation Programs appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The burgeoning cannabis industry is attracting a flood of entrepreneurs in the states where it is legal. Aliza Sherman, a pioneer digital marketer, is among them. Aliza -- who founded Cybergrrl, the first woman-owned Internet company, in 1995 -- has launched a new marketing agency, Spark The Creative, which provides marketing services specifically for the cannabis industry. Concurrently, she has created Her Canna Life, an online publication focusing on women in the industry. In this FIR Interview, Shel Holtz talks with Aliza from her home in Alaska about the preparations she undertook before opening the doors of her new agency, why she's keeping it separate from her existing enterprise, some of the challenges in working in an industry that, while legal in some states still violates federal law, and what it's like working with businesses that have never considered marketing before.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: Aliza Sherman on Marketing in the Burgeoning Cannabis Industry appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

J. Kelly Hoey built a dream network and that network encouraged her to write a book about it. Within short order, "Build Y our Dream Network" went into a second printing, so her network evidently knew what it was talking about. In this FIR Interview, Shel Holtz chats with Kelly (who was a panelist on FIR #72) to talk about dream networks, how to build them, and what you'll get out of her book.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: J. Kelly Hoey on Building Your Dream Network appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this FIR Interview, Shel Holtz talks to two hard-core data geeks -- Edison Research Vice President Tom Webster and SHIFT Communications Vice President Christopher S. Penn -- about 2016's election polls and what communicators can learn from them, and how to ensure polls and surveys are used effectively in planning campaigns or using polls or surveys as elements of a campaign.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: Chris Penn & Tom Webster on polling for PR in the post-election environment appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In mid-November, PRSA unveiled its 2017-2019 Strategic Plan, "Framework for the Future." A team of Society leaders reviewed a substantial body of research before laying out the plan with a focus on membership, professional growth, and thought leadership. In this FIR Interview, host Shel Holtz discussed the plan with 2017 PRSA Chair Jane Dvorak. Among the topics addressed in the interview were the impact the research review had on the plan, how PRSA's plans accommodate the diversity of members (including those who aren't geographically situated to attend chapter meetings), and how the organization can remain relevant when so much networking and professional development is available online for free.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: Incoming PRSA Chair Jane Dvorak on PRSA’s 3-Year Strategic Plan appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Effective December 1, some 4 million salaried U.S. workers will be subject to time-tracking and overtime pay who were exempt from those rules before. It's likely that reading company news or other internal communication on a smartphone will be considered "work" under these rules -- that is, if employees in this group aren't paid for the time they spend consuming internal comms content aren't compensated for it, your company could be subject to legal action by an employee or the Department of Labor. In this FIR Interview, Shel Holtz talks with Simon Worsfold of TSheets about the new rules, who those 4 million employees are, how companies need to prepare, and what you need to consider when communicating the issue.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: Simon Worsfold on Risk of Communicating Outside Work Hours appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

This interview is the first in a series produced during a full-day workshop on podcasting for organizational communicators. The FIR Podcast Network's Shel Holtz leads these workshops, part of which includes the recording, editing, and production of a podcast on-site. In this first session, held at the Gleacher Center in Chicago on October 28, 2016, Ryan Alford of Interprose (based in Chicago) volunteered to conduct the interview while Amy Bickers of Northern Trust Corporation (also in Chicago) offered to take Ryan's questions on transformation communication, a subject in which she has expertise. The questions were generic and not related directly to her work with her employer.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: Amy Bickers on Transformation Communication appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Four IABC Fellows -- Alice Brink, Christopher Bunting, Mary Ann McCauley, and Brad Whitworth -- join moderator Shel Holtz (also a Fellow) for a conversation about how social media has changed the practice of public relations.Continue Reading → The post Circle of Fellows #14: PR in the Social Media Era appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Chris McGrath, co-founder of intranet company ThoughtFarmer, saw the the rise of chatbots coming and recognized the potential for chatbots in the enterprise. He is readying the launch of TangoWork, a platform for creating and deploying chatbots for employee communication. In this FIR Interview, Shel Holtz talks with McGrath about the rise of chatbots, how they will enhance internal communication, the categories of chatbots, how Artifical Intelligence and Natural Language Processing enhance chatbots' usability, and a variety of other topics.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: Chris McGrath on TangoWork and Chatbots for Internal Comms appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Three IABC Fellows are joined by FIR host Shel Holtz (also a Fellow) for a conversation about content marketing.Continue Reading → The post Circle of Fellows #13: Content Marketing appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

As search has evolved, practitioners of public relations and search-engine optimization (SEO) technicians have frequently founds themselves at odds with one another. Both are tasked with ensuring an organization's content can be found. Each takes a different approach to achieving that goal. As Google has shifted its priorities (and algorithms) to reward quality content over keywords, and works to punish black-hat SEO efforts, more and more PR agencies are ensuring they have SEO capabilities in-house. Threepipe, a UK PR agency, recently acquired an SEO shop, possibly the first UK-based agency to take a step that has been more common in the US. In this interview, FIR host Shel Holtz talks with Jim Hawker, Threepipe's co-founder and business development director, about why the company made the acquisition and how SEO fits into PR activities.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: Threepipe’s Jim Hawker on PR and SEO appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Josh Bernoff is on a mission: Rid the world of bullshit in business writing. Since leaving his job as a senior vice president and analyst at Forrester Research, where he worked for 20 years, Bernoff has been calling out BS in writing on an almost daily basis via his Without Bullshit blog, where he analyzes emails, reports, and other missives that fail to state clearly what they mean.  In this FIR Interview, host Shel Holtz talks with Josh about these transgressions, why business writing is so bad, some of the causes of writing that seems to get worse over time, and how to impress readers with clear, concise messages.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: “Writing Without Bullshit” Author Josh Bernoff appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

As a profession, Human Resources has been transforming from a transaction-focused activity (benefits, compensation, etc.) to a more strategic business partner. In that role, HR is facing a series of challenges from attracting the right talent from among a population that has different expectations than their predecessors to driving a culture that translates into employee engagement and delivery of tthe customer experience. HR leaders are expected to drive culture, maintain a positive employee experience, and promote trust and transparency in their companies. These challenges were identified through a series of interviews with HR leaders and outlined in a report from ROI Communications. In this FIR Interview, Shel Holtz talks with report authors Lesli Gee and Nolan Sundrud about the findings and their relevance to internal communicators.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: Lesli Gee & Nolan Sundrud on Challenges Facing HR appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Snapchat wasn't made for internal communications but that doesn't mean it can't be used for that purpose. At the MediaMath New Marketing Institute, employees are sharing content both serious and lighthearted using the popular messaging app. In this FIR Interview, host Shel Holtz talks with Elise James-DeCruise, MediaMath's vice president responsible for the Institute, about how staff came to employ Snapchat at work, how it has expanded, and what its future potential might be.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: Elise James-DeCruise on Snapchat for Internal Communications appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this FIR interview, Shel Holtz talks with Jeff Corbin, CEO of APPrise Mobile, about the origins of the company, how communicators can use branded communication apps, and what's ahead for mobile communication.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: APPrise Mobile CEO Jeff Corbin on Branded Communication Apps appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

As the Edelman Trust Barometer details, the public in general is skeptical about messages coming from PR professionals or senior leadership. However, employees and subject matter experts are trusted, according to the Edelman survey. It should therefore be incumbent on schools, centers and institutions overall to develop employee advocacy programs. Communications expert Shel Holtz discusses this topic on episode 58 of FIR of Higher Education.Continue Reading → The post FIR on Higher Education #58: Shel Holtz on Developing Employee Advocacy Programs appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Communicators tend to be inclined toward creativity. We are writers, videographers, and artists, after all. But a corporation can sometimes suck the creativity out of a person. How can communicators bring creativity and innovation to their work in an organization? What approaches work? And how can they convince senior leadership that it produces genuine results when we break out of the mundane reporting we see from so many companies? In this episode of Circle of Fellows, host Shel Holtz joins four IABC Fellows -- Pixie Emslie (from South Africa), Leticia Narvaez (from Mexico), and John Gerstner and Mark Schumann (from the US) for a deep dive into creativity and innovation in the world of organizational communications.Continue Reading → The post Circle of Fellows #9: Creativity and Innovation appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Should we whither the brand portal? Shel Holtz asks as people increasingly turn to their feeds for news, how likely is it that they'll visit a brand portal? Hear Shel's take and find out what your brand should be prepared to do. 

In this episode of the Roundtable, I'm joined by Shel Holtz, principal of Holtz Communication + Technology and co-founder of the FIR Podcast Network, home of the Roundtable, to discuss three topics: The "crap trap" that Jim VandeHei says publishers have fallen into with their digital content. The role of social sharing in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign. The value of weekly roundup emails and blog posts that curate content from third party sources, including the ones produced by Shel and Scott Monty. During the show, we also talked about Shel's upcoming webinar on chatbots.Continue Reading → The post 2016.01: Media Crap Trap, Social Sharing & Politics, and Weekly Roundups appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

What is the role of public relations and other organizational communication functions in a company's or client's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts? In this episode of Circle of Fellows, John Deveney, Tamara Gills, Amanda Hamilton-Attwell, and Mary Ann McCauley join host Shel Holtz to tackle the issues, ranging from helping leadership understand the importance of a genuine CSR effort to addressing CSR-related crises.Continue Reading → The post Circle of Fellows #7: Communications and CSR appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The Conference Board and the Society for New Communication Research announced today that they are merging. In this FIR Interview, Shel Holtz interviews SNCR co-founder and president Jen McClure and Conference Board Associate Director Alex Parkinson about the merger and the organizations' plans for the future.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: Jen McClure and Alex Parkinson on SNCR-Conference Board merger appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The collaborative (or sharing) economy is heating up, with dramatic increases in both the number of startups that employ the model and the number of consumers who use them. In its annual survey on the collaborative economy, Crowd Companies has crunched the data to identify (among other things) key opportunities for traditional companies to compete as collaborative-economy companies increasingly threaten to take market share away from them. In this FIR Interview, Shel Holtz talks with Crowd Companies founder and CEO Jeremiah Owyang about the results of the study, with a focus on the three primary ways businesses can remain competitive as the collaborative economy continues to heat up. Jeremiah and Shel also digress into related topics, including the impact autonomous vehicles will have on both traditional and collaborative companies.Continue Reading → The post FIR Interview: Jeremiah Owyang on competing in the collaborative economy appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Crisis communications is as relevant and important a comms topic today as it ever has been. While the fundamentals of crisis communications remain unchanged from the pre-Internet days, the tactics have undergone dramatic upheaval thanks to digital and social media. In this hour-long discussion, four IABC Fellows with deep experience in crisis communications join host Shel Holtz (also an IABC Fellow) to discuss these changes, along with other crisis topics, such as the role of investor relations in crisis communications.Continue Reading → The post Circle of Fellows #4: Crisis Communications appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Four IABC Fellows with extensive backgrounds in internal communication leadership join host Shel Holtz for an hourlong discussion about the need for a discrete employee comms function in today's interconnected world in which employees have access to everything the company communicates. The panel also looks at the evolving role of internal communications in supporting change, the adoption of new technologies, and communicating to define internal audiences (ranging from demographics -- like Millennials and boomers -- to executives and supervisors).Continue Reading → The post Circle of Fellows #3: The validity and role of Internal Communications appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Babbler, already a success in France, comes to the US in September as a solution to the email mess that media relations has become. Designed as a platform to connect and provide for collaboration between PR representatives and journalists who cover their clients/companies/industries, Babbler is free for journalists, while it provides a single place for brands to make their digital assets (from press releases to videos and graphics) available to the press. In this FIR interview, Shel Holtz talks with Babbler CEO Hannah Oiknine about the site and how it can improve media relations.Continue Reading → The post Interview: Hannah Oiknine, CEO of media relations solution Babbler appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this FIR interview, Netvibes CEO Freddy Mini and UX and Press Relations Director Kim Terca join FIR co-host Shel Holtz to talk about the addition of the Interent of Things to the dashboard and how communicators can take advantage of it.Continue Reading → The post Interview: Freddy Mini, Kim Terca on Netvibes’ Dashboard of Things appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Communicators struggle to build genuine online engagement among employees using the various social tools available for intranets. Study after study shows that few employees use these tools, regardless of how much they might be engaged with external social media. At Bank of Montreal, though, Julian Mills overcame the obstacles to introduce social tools employees at all levels used to advance business goals. In this interview, FIR co-host Shel Holtz talks with Mills about the impetus for the introduction of social channels, and with TemboSocial CEO Steven Green, who worked with Mills to introduce the internal social media tools that drove the interaction on the Bank of Montreal intranet.Continue Reading → The post Julian Mills and Steven Green on social intranets appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this episode of the Roundtable, I'm joined by Shel Holtz, principal of Holtz Communication + Technology and co-founder of the FIR Podcast Network, home of the Roundtable, to discuss three topics: Facebook's Instant Articles and their potential impact on the news business Twitter's elevation of its Chief Financial Officer to head marketing in the wake of disappointing earnings The prospects for live video streaming apps like Meerkat and Periscope Continue Reading → The post 2015.03: Instant Articles, CFOs leading marketing, streaming video apps appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Welcome to episode #393 of Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast. Here is the definition of Content Shock from Mark W. Schaefer: "Content Shock is the emerging marketing epoch defined when exponentially increasing volumes of content intersects our limited human capacity to consume it." In short, it's getting more and more expensive and difficult for brands to create content in a world where consumers have a finite time to consume it all. Do you believe in this or do you not? Schaefer presented this theory (something I have blogged about on countless occasions with my own spin) on his Grow Blog earlier this month. That blog post has since generated over 300 comments and tons of diverse feedback. Shel Holtz (famed communications professional and one of the voices behind the long-running podcast, For Immediate Release - The Hobson And Holtz Report) took exception to the theory of Content Shock in a blog post titled, Six Reasons There Will Be No Content Shock. It felt like this could be a very interesting three-way debate. I hope it doesn't disappoint. Enjoy the conversation... Here it is: Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast - Episode #393 - Host: Mitch Joel. Running time: 51:42. Please send in questions, comments, suggestions - mitch@twistimage.com. Hello from Beautiful Montreal. Subscribe over at iTunes. Please visit and leave comments on the Blog - Six Pixels of Separation. Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook. or you can connect on LinkedIn. ...or on twitter.  Six Pixels of Separation the book is now available. CTRL ALT Delete is now available too! In conversation with Shel Holtz and Mark W. Schaefer. For Immediate Release - The Hobson And Holtz Report. A Shel Of My Former Self. Grow Blog. The Marketing Companion. Content Shock. Follow Shel on Twitter. Follow Mark on Twitter. This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'. Get David's song for free here: Artists For Amnesty. Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast - Episode #393 - Host: Mitch Joel. Tags: a shel of my former self advertising podcast blog blogging brand business book business podcast content marketing content shock david usher digital marketing facebook for immediate release the hobson and holtz report grow blog itunes mark schaefer mark w schaefer marketing blogger marketing podcast podcast podcasting shel holtz social media twitter video podcast

Welcome to episode #230 of Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast. This past week, I wrote a Blog post titled, The Selfish Art of Podcasting. Well, if there's one episode that I can point to as an example of that kind of selfishness, this one would be it. While visiting London for less than 24-hours a few weeks back, I was thrilled to finally meet Neville Hobson in person for breakfast. I've been connected to Neville for almost six years now, but we've never met in our "protein forms" (as I like to call it). Hobson is the co-host (along with Shel Holtz) of the incredible PR and communications Podcast, For Immediate Release - The Hobson & Holtz Report. These two have been producing shows since January 2005 (they're close to publishing episode #575!). They are - without question - pioneers in the business Podcasting space, and Hobson's perspective on all things Social Media and Communications illustrate both his experience and passion for the space. This was also my first attempt at recording a conversation using the HT Recorder iPhone app (I think the results are amazing). Enjoy the conversation... Here it is: Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast - Episode #230 - Host: Mitch Joel. Running time: 36:09. Please send in questions, comments, suggestions - mitch@twistimage.com. Hello from Beautiful Montreal. Subscribe over at iTunes. Please visit and leave comments on the Blog - Six Pixels of Separation. Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook. or you can connect on LinkedIn. ...or on twitter.  Six Pixels of Separation the book is now available. Episode #37 of Media Hacks will happen soon and it might feature:  Chris Brogan - New Marketing Labs - Co-author of Trust Agents, Man On The Go, Human Business Works, Third Tribe Marketing and Escape Velocity. C.C. Chapman - Managing The Gray - Digital Dads - Content Rules. Hugh McGuire - LibriVox - iambik audio. Christopher S. Penn - Blue Sky Factory - Marketing Over Coffee. Julien Smith - In Over Your Head - Co-author of Trust Agents. In conversation with Neville Hobson. For Immediate Release - The Hobson & Holtz Report. If you're not listening to their Podcast, you are nuts. You can also follow Neville on Twitter. WCG. This week's music: David Usher (with Marie Mai) - 'Je Repars' (in French). Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast - Episode #230 - Host: Mitch Joel. Tags: advertising bite size edits blog blogging blue sky factory book oven cast of dads cc chapman chris brogan christopher s penn david usher digital dads digital marketing facebook facebook group for immediate release hugh mcguire in over your head itunes julien smith librivox managing the gray marie mai marketing marketing over coffee media hacks neville hobson new marketing labs online social network podcast podcasting shel holtz six pixels of separation social media 101 social media marketing strategy trust agents twist image wcg

Welcome to episode #131 of Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast. This was going to be a quick chat with Shel Holtz of the For Immediate Release Podcast about his latest book, Tactical Transparency, with John C. Havens. It wound up much more than that. Enjoy the conversation... Here it is: Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast - Episode #131 - Host: Mitch Joel. Running time: 52:27. Audio comment line - please send in a comment and add your voice to the audio community: +1 206-666-6056. Please send in questions, comments, suggestions - mitch@twistimage.com. Hello from Beautiful Montreal. Subscribe over at iTunes. Please visit and leave comments on the Blog - Six Pixels of Separation. Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook. or you can connect on LinkedIn. ...or on twitter. Facebook Group - Six Pixels of Separation Podcast Society. In a perfect world, connect with me, directly, through Facebook. Check out the other Podcast, Foreword Thinking - The Business And Motivational Book Review Podcast. Foreword Thinking - Episode #11 featuring Michael Gerber - E-Myth Revisited and Awakening The Entrepreneur Within. The Road to Six Pixels of Separation – The Book – coming soon. In conversation with Shel Holtz – co-author of Tactical Transparency - How Leaders Can Leverage Social Media to Maximize Value and Build their Brand with John C. Havens. Co-host of For Immediate Release – The Hobson and Holtz Report Podcast with Neville Hobson. Special offer for the book, Tactical Transparency (until December 5th, 2008). The Naked Corporation. Six Points of Separation – Six Ways To Get Started With Tactical Transparency: 1. Ask yourself, “is it safe?” 2. Figure out what you are going to share with employees. 3. Which policies are in place. 4. Who's going to say what? 5. Establish what is off the table. 6. Assess what tools you have and what you will need. Six Pounds of Sound with C.C. Chapman – Managing The Gray, The Advance Guard and Accident Hash. Chance – ‘Ambulance Chaser'. Please join the conversation by sending in questions, feedback and ways to improve Six Pixels Of Separation. Please let me know what you think or leave an audio comment at: +1 206-666-6056. Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast - Episode #131 - Host: Mitch Joel. Tags: accident hash advance guard advertising awakening the entrepreneur within blog blogging business cc chapman chance digital marketing emyth revisited facebook facebook group for immediate release foreword thinking google itunes john c havens managing the gray marketing mass media michael gerber motivational books naked corporation neville hobson online social network podcast podcasting shel holtz six pixels of separation six pixels of separation book social media marketing tactical transparency twist image web 20

Welcome to episode #79 of Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast. It seems like I've had a flurry of great conversations with the who's who of the Digital Marketing landscape, and this week is no exception. I had the pleasure of hanging out with Debbie Weil - author of The Corporate Blogging Book and Blogger over at BlogWrite For CEOs when we both presented at Webcom Montreal last week. This conversation is all about how corporations are leveraging Blogs and how far we've come in such a short period of time. The topic of online social networks, privacy and information is babbled about in two audio comments, so please feel free to add your voice and thoughts to the community. Enjoy this conversation... Here it is: Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast - Episode #79 - Host: Mitch Joel. Running time: 50:22. Audio comment line - please send in a comment and add your voice to the audio community: +1 206-666-6056. Please send in questions, comments, suggestions - mitch@twistimage.com. Hello from Beautiful Montreal. Subscribe over at iTunes. Comments are now live on the new Blog - sixpixels.com/blog. Facebook Group - Six Pixels of Separation Podcast Society - please join (we have over 1160 members). Check out my other Podcast, Foreword Thinking - The Business And Motivational Book Review Podcast - sponsored by HarperCollins Canada. Foreword Thinking - episode #7 is now live and features Ben Mezrich - author of the books, Rigged, Bringing Down The House and more. IAB Canada – Interactive To The Max. Panel discussion on Widgets. Dinner in Palo Alto with Shel Holtz of For Immediate Release and his wife, Michele. Power Within Halifax - February 26th, 2007 featuring: Anthony Robbins. Mike Lipkin. Loretta LaRoche $129 per ticket for the first 200 - this offer is for a limited time to listeners to the Six Pixels of Separation Podcast. All you have to do is call +1-866-POWER-04 extension 229 and ask for Joseph. Audio Comment – Doug Haslam – Tech PR Gems – PRobeCast - Gischeleman Blog – Topaz Partners. Audio Comment – Robin Browne – NGO 2.0. Government of Canada - Privacy Commission. Video: Privacy On Social Networks. Audio Comment – Steve Carter- Eugene, Oregon. In Conversation with Debbie Weil – BlogWrite For CEOs and author of The Corporate Blogging Book live from Webcom Montreal. The conversation lasts about 13 minutes. Six Points of Separation – Six Ways To Re-Think Corporate Blogs: Beyond products. Comments. Raise the bar. Link-baiting. The platform. The long road. Please join the conversation by sending in questions, feedback and ways to improve Six Pixels Of Separation. Please let me know what you think or leave an audio comment at: +1 206-666-6056. Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast - Episode #79 - Host: Mitch Joel. Tags: advertising anthony robbins blogging blogs blogwrite for ceos business canadian marketing association corporate blogging book debbie weil digital innovation award digital marketing doug haslam facebook for immediate release foreword thinking google government of canada iab canada interactive to the max itunes loretta laroche marketing mike lipkin motivational books online social network podcast podcasting power within privacy comission robin browne shel holtz six pixels of separation social media marketing topaz partners twist image webcom montreal widgets