Since the earliest recorded history, stories have been utilized to teach the younger generations values, beliefs and behaviors. Stories were passed from father to son, mother to daughter, generation to generation. Over time, these stories were transcribed from word of mouth into written words as societies advanced. Today, those same stories are recreated and broadcasted through television, computers and even social media. The notion of teaching values conveyed through stories can be used to communicate with today’s audiences.
It’s through storytelling that I will educate the conference attendees on how to communicate with today’s culturally diverse, educated, and technology connected audiences. Stories derived from 30+ years of communicating with consumers through traditional mass media outlets to various digital channels. Stories pulled from experiences working with start-ups and small businesses, not-for-profits, public universities, and fortune 50 companies. Positive, uplifting stories that hit their messaging marks to stories that fell flat with the audiences and generate less than flattering social commentary. Stories that the audience can learn from.
Below is a sample of subjects I have spoken on.
Building Trust Within Communities Through Storytelling
Traditional communication channels are becoming ineffective in capturing and engaging the attention of today’s perpetually connected community residents. This, in turn, is making it increasingly difficult to communicate with them, to keep the community informed on upcoming elections, filing deadlines, fee increases, as well as changes in policies and ordinances. Additionally, today’s “fake news” generation does not trust information from traditional channels, only 6% of millennials consider traditional communications even to be credible. Today’s municipalities must adapt their communication strategies in an effort to be heard in the face of the consumers’ rapidly changing media consumption landscape. To get out ahead of traditional media channels with the facts. And most importantly, become the trusted source of information within their communities.
In this session, attendees learned
- How to identify a topic to write about from the questions your community is asking but not talking to you about.
- Strategies for transforming those topics into informational and persuasive “storified” content.
- How to utilize those stories in blogs, infographics, social media posts, and videos that connect with the community and ensures they are informed
- How to deliver those stories through a content marketing strategy that builds mindful scheduling habits.
- Discover tracking methods to understand which stories, types of content are being read by your communities and use that information to develop future stories.
Through strategic, engaging content, you can stay connected with your community to keep them informed on your ever-changing community. Build a trusted relationship with them to ensure your messages are received and understood. And become an unmistakable and essential community partner in their eyes.
A presentation at the Institute of Municipal Clerks 2019 Conference in Birmingham, AL.
Developing Engaging Content
Today’s businesses must adapt their marketing strategies in an effort to build a brand advantage in the face of the consumers’ rapidly changing media consumption landscape. Additionally, today’s millennial generation does not trust traditional advertisements, only 6% of millennials consider advertising even to be credible. In this class, you will learn how to develop, promote and take advantage of branded content delivered through a strategic social media plan that will allow your business to engage today’s generation, building a trusted relationship, and become unmistakable and essential in their eyes.
In this session, you will learn how to create content based on your strategic plan for your content marketing and social media efforts.
A presentation to the 48 in 48 conferences, serving non-profits.
Social Tips for Kids
Online safety is a concern for many parents. Join us as we learn some of the current dangers, discuss ways to reduce risks and develop the understanding it takes to start the conversation at home to keep our teens safe.
Part of the BN Parents Speakers Series.
Strategies for Creating Interesting, Engaging, and Effective Social Media Content
Thanks to the proliferation of social media, brands are no longer competing against each other. They are competing against every form of messaging.
Consumers (particularly Millennials) know when they are being marketed to, and anything that sounds like a pitch will be ignored. Peer opinions, in fact, are considered two to three times more reliable than brand messaging.
A presentation at @Midwest, 2017
Breaking Through the Social Clutter
Thanks to the proliferation of social media, brands are no longer competing against each other, but against every form of messaging bombarding consumers every hour, every day. In addition, consumers (particularly Millennials) know when they are being marketed to, and anything that sounds like a pitch will be ignored. Peer opinions, in fact, are considered two to three times more reliable than brand messaging. In this session you will learn how to deliver your brand’s message through engaging stories that capture the brand’s persona, breaking through the social clutter.
A presentation for The Association for Women in Communications.
The Age of Digital Transformation
Today’s businesses are in a constant state of flux, ever changing to address the needs of the customer. Join SVP and Director of Digital Operations, Ahzer Ahmed to the stage for an engaging fireside chat with State Farm’s Brian Huonker, an innovative marketer responsible for leading a range of digital transformation initiatives around content marketing and more for one of our leading national brands.
A presentation at CDX Chicago, 2015.