US Chamber of Commerce Follows Up on Successful Social Media Program

The Topic This Time ~ Social Media: Investment & Return

Wednesday, September 30, 2009
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce
1615 H Street, NW ~ Washington, DC
Registration is $95 - lunch included.

I don't usually post programs this far in advance, and yes the Chamber has a large venue, but the first program on social media co-sponsored by the US Chamber of Commerce and The Communication Center was standing room only and I don't want Capital Buzz readers to miss out on one of the rare programs that will actually talk about measurement in social media.

In this second panel discussion on New and Social Media the panelists will discuss the emerging trends and how to use these tools to further your agenda and achieve your communications goals.

At this time the information about the panel only says:
• Facebook- With more than 250 million users, this tool is fast becoming a communications must have.
• Adfero Group- this D.C.-based firm integrates online and traditional tactics in clients' PR strategies to make the most of constantly evolving communications tools.

I promise to update you with any additional information that comes in between now and the luncheon, or for more information call The Communication Center at (202) 463-0505. If you already know you want to be there, though, reserve your place now.

Capital Communicators Invade the Voice of America HQ

Contributed courtesy of fellow Capital Communicator Group (CCG) Member and Guest Blogger Deborah Brody of Deborah Brody Marketing Communications.

All Photos: Michelle D. Harris, VOA Public Relations

Even though most people have never actually heard the Voice of America as it is prohibited from broadcasting in the United States, nearly 50 people crowded into a meeting room at the VOA headquarters yesterday for the monthly Capital Communicators lunch.

The VOA is the largest U.S. international broadcaster, transmitting its signal to about 134 million people worldwide each week, in 45 different languages. Headquartered here in D.C., the VOA was started in 1942, and transmits news via radio, television and the Internet.

Executive Editor Steve Redisch (pictured above) started by dispelling the commonly held notion that the VOA is a propaganda machine. In fact, the VOA takes pride in a charter and journalistic code that direct it to be a reliable and objective source of news and information.

In the past month, VOA has played a significant role in transmitting news about Iran’s uprising to the Iranian people. Redisch says that even though the Iranian government tried to jam the VOA signals, the broadcaster was able to get around it. Additionally, Iranians were able to access VOA’s website (http://www.voanews.com/) to upload their own photographs and video clips of the demonstrations. The VOA then worked to confirm their accuracy before posting them.

Vafa Mostaghim (addressing CCG members in photo at right), an Iran native, hosts VOA’s daily hour-long Persian-language news program on the Persian News Network. He described his own experience growing up in Iran after the 1979 revolution as being shut in a small room with no outside information. Mostaghim is convinced that the VOA plays a critical role in delivering unbiased news to Iranians.

Joan Mower, VOA’s director of development and public relations, (photo below right) reminded everyone that VOA has a large worldwide reach for global new stories (this was definitely noted by the media relations people in the room).

After lunch, about half the group went on a quick tour of the VOA facility, which includes the largest television broadcast studio in the United States. Outside the studio, are beautiful Ben Shahn murals, which he painted using egg yolks (!).

We’ll have to go back for a longer tour. Tours are free and are available from noon to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays (you can reserve online at www.voatours.com).

register now for WWPR 7/27 workshop

Registration is now open for the July 27 Washington Women in Public Relations professional development workshop I'll be leading on "Step Up Your Speaking: Be an Eloquent Woman." I'll share an overview of the issues women face when they want to speak up, whether in large venues or small meetings, and then we'll let the audience set the agenda--so bring your questions about how to handle public speaking skills from gestures and wardrobe to messaging and handling Q&A. The workshop will be from 12 noon to 2 p.m. at the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, 25 Massachusetts Ave., NW, in Washington, DC, close to the Union Station Red Line Metro stop. This is a bring-your-own brown-bag lunch that should be full of great networking, tips and ideas--I look forward to seeing you there!

Free Stuff -- Find What's Useful for You

Free Business Wire Webinars from "the Press Release Experts"

Business Wire is all about press releases and offers a free webinar series throughout the year in which industry professionals take you through interactive discussions that deal with the latest trends in the business as well as questions about press release strategy.
Coming up: Thursday, July 30 – Press Releases, Public Companies and Social Media: What to Do? 1:00-2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
Register now, and for more info on this and upcoming webinars visit BusinessWire.com.

New-Found Impact of PR on Advertising: Free VMS White Paper

As all of us trained in PR know that bad news coverage can cancel out the positive effects of advertising and great news coverage is more powerful than paid advertising. If you need to get something to help make that case where you work or for your clients, VMS outlines the research to show that earned media coverage integrated with advertising produces the best result of all. For a summary of the research, register to receive their new white paper, "The New-Found Impact of PR on Advertising", as well as other free reports.

Do You Know the 10 Tips for a Successful "Twitterview"? Free White Paper from BurrellesLuce

If you know Debbie Friez of BurrellesLuce you know there is no more Twitter savvy pro or enthusiast.

Now you can download a free copy of the BurrellesLuce white paper, "From Twitterviews to Tweetups: Putting the Social in Media" to learn 10 tips for holding a successful Twitterview, 5 tactics for hosting a Tweetup, and 5 rules of etiquette for attending a Tweetup! Download this white paper before your next Tweet!

A Moment of Silent Reverence, Please.....

Many Capital Buzz readers will have no real recollection of Walter Cronkite, who just died at age 92. After all, he retired in 1981 before many of you were born. For others of us, though, this sad day marks the end of an era in journalism even more surely than the folding of so many venerable newspapers.

As as a child I listened to him describe the excitement of the first space launches, the shock and horror of President Kennedy's assassination. As a college student I gathered each day with other journalism and political science students in a lounge to share the news we received from "Uncle Walter", the only man over 30 we really trusted!

In 1972 a poll found that Walter Cronkite was "the most trusted man in America" and that label stuck while presidents and vice presidents, members of Congress and so many others failed to live up to simple standards of honesty. He took us through Vietnam and Watergate. In 1977 he interviewed Egyptian President Anwar El-Sadat who told Cronkite that, if invited, he’d go to Jerusalem to meet with Prime Minister Menachem Begin. The next day Begin invited Sadat to Jerusalem for talks that eventually led to the Camp David accords and the Israeli-Egyptian treaty.

When Cronkite announced he would retire and make way for the next generation, one commentator said it was like "George Washington leaving the dollar bill." For many of us he was -- and still is -- an American hero. Now the news is different; more opinion, less fact, more popular topics, less what we ought to know. And that's the way it is.

August Tea at the Willard!

The coolest thing about Washington in August is hot tea and scones at AWC-DC’s annual August Tea at the Willard!

Wednesday, August 12th
4:00-6:00 p.m. in the Nest Lounge
Willard InterContinental Washington
1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
(Metro Center, Red, Blue and Orange lines)

$40 Members, Students and Retired
$50 Non-members

This is my favorite networking venue and always attracts a sociable crowd of members and non-members. In fact, to celebrate AWC's 100th anniversary and PRofessional Solutions' 15th anniversary I plan to bring a camera and take a picture with all of those who join me in wearing a stylish chapeau and posting it on The Capital Buzz!

So don't be left out ~~ wear your favorite topper! ~~ and come mingle with me and other communications professionals in the elegant ambiance of this beautiful landmark hotel. Register online at http://www.awcdc.net/, and for more information contact D'O Dillard at infoawcdc@aol.com.

A Couple of Interesting Items for Job Seekers and Independents

Did you know there was a Freelancer's Union?


I was happily surprised to find this group -- and they share a logo element with The Capital Buzz!

Freelancers Union is a national membership organization that's free to join, offers products like insurance and retirement to members and provides political advocacy for all independent workers. Cool!


Unpaid Internships for Grown-ups Can be Career Boosters

Sometimes when interviewing candidates for temporary public relations assignments here at PRofessional Solutions, LLC I recommend to someone that he or she try to get a "professional" internship, i.e., one that isn't just for college students.

Yesterday I was happy to read a great article on just this topic in The Wall Street Journal, titled "Starting Fresh With an Unpaid Internship". Several of the people mentioned and quoted are professional communicators, downsized and taking advantage of the learning and contact perks of internships.

Good points from the "Success Tips for Older Interns" sidebar:

• Be modest ~ recognize that you're there to learn.
• Leave age out of it ~ treat younger intern colleagues as equals.
• Play it cool ~ don't try to sell your ideas or secure a permanent job until the internship is about to end.

save the date to step up your speaking

I'm delighted that I'll be speaking at Washington Women in Public Relations' next professional development brown-bag lunch, Monday, July 27 from 12 noon to 2pm. Our topic: "Step Up Your Speaking: Be an Eloquent Woman." In this session, we'll conduct a lively, hands-on workshop based on your questions and training priorities--yes, the audience will help set the agenda. And I'll be talking about the skills, confidence and opportunities you need to succeed as a public speaker, as well as why women have traditionally had fewer speaking opportunities and say they fear speaking more than men do. As author of The Eloquent Woman, a blog on women and public speaking, I hope you'll use this session to get ready to enter our contest "15 Weeks to Step Up Your Speaking," and win a Flip HD camcorder and 15 weeks of speaker coaching. Want to learn more? Become a fan of The Eloquent Woman on Facebook to join ongoing discussions and tips. Stand by for an update on the location for this session, and registration details. I'm looking forward to learning about your top priorities for improving your speaking skills!

ABC News' Claire Shipman Discusses Her Book, Womenomics: Write Your Own Rules for Success

Thursday, July 16 ~ 11:30am - 2:00pm
Woman's National Democratic Club
1526 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC
Metro: Dupont Circle (red line) One block northeast of DuPont Circle, 2 blocks from the Q Street exit of the DuPont Circle metro stop.

11:30 Bar Opens; tours of Club
12:15 Lunch
1:00-2:00 Presentation

AWC and WNDC members $25; Nonmembers $30

To register, contact Patricia Fitzgerald at reservations@democraticwoman.org or call (202)232-7363 and identify yourself as an AWC member to receive the discounted member price.

AWC-DC is teaming with the Woman's National Democratic Club for a speaker's lunch with journalist Claire Shipman, author of Womenomics: Write Your Own Rules for Success. Shipman is currently the Senior National Correspondent for "Good Morning America" and a regular on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." She also has served as the White House correspondent for NBC News and as a reporter for CNN in Moscow.

Written in collaboration with BBC News anchor Katy Kay, Womenomics looks at how women can take advantage of their new power in the labor market to balance their professional lives with their personal ones. Through anecdote, Shipman and Kay share their experiences and those of professional women across the country. Claire Shipman is currently the Senior National Correspondent for "Good Morning America" and a regular on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." She has also served as the White House correspondent for NBC News and as a reporter for CNN in Moscow.

IABC Inaugurates Monthly LinkedIn Group Bulletin; Reveals Surprising News on Social Media From Research Foundation

IABC has introduced a new monthly bulletin for members of IABC's LinkedIn group to share updates about what's new and noteworthy at IABC. This has a fresh, user-friendly aspect that I prefer to the group's Linked In discussion board.

But reading it I was surprised (amazed?) by a couple of the items:

• A recent online poll that received more than 450 responses conducted by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Research Foundation, 67 percent of respondents said Twitter will not continue to be as popular two years from now, 64 percent said Twitter will still be around, but less popular while 36 percent said Twitter will fade away. Only 28 percent of respondents said Twitter will continue to be popular, more than half of whom said the micro-blogging service would be used even more frequently.
• In another survey released earlier this month by the IABC Research Foundation and Buck Consultants, nearly 1,500 communication professionals commented on their use of Twitter for employee engagement and reported that 52 percent of respondents were not currently using Twitter nor did they plan to use it in future,
  27 percent do plan to use Twitter in future, and only 21 percent of respondents said they are currently using Twitter.
  The survey also asked respondents about their use of blogs, podcasts and other social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Yammer.
  Facebook: 18 percent using, 19 percent plan to use, 63 percent not using nor plan to use
  Yammer: 20 percent using, 29 percent plan to use, 51 percent not using nor plan to use
  LinkedIn: 5 percent using, 5 percent plan to use, 89 percent not using nor plan to use

Full survey results are at http://bit.ly/xI2sB. I'd love to hear from Capital Buzz readers about their thoughts on these results.

Boss Ladies Return from Miraval Ready to Take on the World!

We are back. What a year it was! We had robust business discussions, lots of laughs, took lots of great classes, challenged ourselves, and relaxed. Miraval truly has it all.

This is a photo of our last night at Miraval. From left to right, we have Sherri Core, Jennifer Collins, Kate Perrin, Lynn Medcalf, Susan Apgood, Heathere Evans-Keenan, and Tracey Wood. We all look so relaxed, and will keep these glows as long as we can.

We're Off!

The Boss Ladies have packed our bags and are on our way to Miraval Resort outside of Tucson, AZ for the week for our annual retreat!

We'll talk shop, share ideas, soak up the sun, hike, do yoga, discuss a business book and indulge in marvelous spa treatments. Look for some photos of our exciting time when we return, along with tidbits from our nightly business conversations.

PRSA Program: “How to Get Big Media Hits in a Social Media World”

Wednesday, July 29, 8:00 - 10:00 a.m.
8:00-8:30 a.m.: Networking, registration and continental breakfast
8:30-10:00 a.m.: Program

U.S. Navy Memorial & Heritage Center
701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC (Metro: Navy Memorial/Archives, green/yellow lines)

Cost: $35 PRSA members/$55 non-members/$10 students/retirees
$10 surcharge at the door REGISTER here.

It's not all about Twitter -- you still need blockbuster results that traditional media provides. How do you get big-time hits that move the needle? Need to know how to develop lasting relationships that transcend "the pitch?" Find out what gets the attention of top TV, radio, newspaper, magazine and wire service journalists, how to talk to them like equals and learn how to become a trusted source.

PRSA's panelists promise to share:
• How to develop a story idea that top journalists will like
• How to concisely articulate your story idea and still do your client justice
• What it takes to become a trusted source
• How to pitch traditional media as social media ascends

Speakers:Joe Johns, CNN, Capitol Hill Correspondent
John Carey- BusinessWeek, Senior Correspondent
Susan Heavey, Reuters, Health Reporter
Jim Snyder, The Hill, Business and Lobbying Editor
Marilyn Geewax, NPR, Senior Business Editor
Fernando Pizarro, Univision, Washington Correspondent

Moderator: Aaron Cohen – Vice President, Media and Digital Communications, MS&L

IABC/Washington July Program: Publications Management

WHEN: Thursday, July 9 5:30 - 8:00 p.m.
WHERE: Hilton Arlington, 950 North Stafford Street, Arlington VA
(Adjacent to Ballston Metro Station/Orange Line ~ Hotel parking $8.)
COST: $40 for members; *$45 for guests accompanying members; $55 for nonmembers; $30 for students (Note: Add $10 to registrations made online July 8, $20 for event-day registration and walk-ins.)
REGISTER online

Trade magazine publisher John Maisel from Electrical Contractor magazine will offer strategies, tips and best practices for those who manage any and all print and/or online publications. The discussion will focus on best practices that improve publication efficiencies, enhance the aesthetics and increase overall sales and revenue – particularly helpful in today's challenging economic environment.

Maisel's has over 25 years of B-B magazine publishing experience in sales, sales management and as publisher of numerous magazines with McGraw-Hill, Cahners, and Lebhar-Friedman. His areas of expertise include publishing/management, developing new publications, advertising sales and publication design/redesign.

* Sorry! I know that several Capital Buzz readers have thanked me in the past for letting them take advantage of first-time member guest priveleges as a way to try out IABC (and two of you told me you joined!). But, as you will note above, I can no longer offer this discount unless I will be at the meeting, too, and I will not be there in July.

BOASTS AND TOASTS: Barks to be PRSA Assn/NonProfit Conference Speaker

Our colleague Ed Barks will be the featured luncheon speaker on Friday, July 31 at the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) 2009 Association/Nonprofit Conference.

His presentation, entitled “Can We Talk Off the Record?”, is based on his recent report, “Can We Talk Off the Record? Resolving Disagreements, Increasing Understanding Between Reporters and Public Relations Practitioners.”

The overall conference theme is “Show Me the Money! (And the Members!) Donors, Dollars and Dealing With the New Economy.” You can get more information or register here.

The T.E.M.P. Report 2.0™ for JULY 2009~ Exclusive to The Capital Buzz

A brief update on the current Washington area PR employment scene based on the view from PRofessional Solutions, LLC, the Washington market’s only PR temporary staffing agency.

Last month (June ’09): Slow
Last year (June’08): Fair

Ratings:
Bust - virtually no hiring for jobs, freelancers or temps
Slow - a few, mostly low-level, positions being filled; fewer jobs for freelancers or temps
Fair - existing jobs are being filled and moderate work for freelancers and temps
Strong - organizations are hiring at all levels and good work for freelancers and temps
Boom! - virtually everyone who wants work is finding it

Kate’s Overview: Despite hiring freezes and additional reductions in staff at area associations and non-profits, I still see hiring at all levels going forward. Cream rises, and the people who present the total package – great presentation of resume, interesting and targeted cover letter, personable and intelligent interview connection – are the ones who are getting hired, often without too much delay. This is true from entry level through seasoned pros.

With fewer openings up the hiring pyramid, however, seasoned communicators need to make all the right moves and really work and rely on a wide network of personal contacts to let them know where the openings are, when they occur, and make personal introductions to open the door.

Tough Talk for Hard Times: seminar

Speechwriter Jeff Porro will lead a Washington Network Group seminar, "Tough Talk for Hard Times" July 22. Subtitled, "How Corporate Leaders Can Use the Spoken Word to Rebound during an Economic Downturn," the seminar will focus on how to best reach key audiences that may be anxious about current economic conditions and how your company will fare, from customers to shareholders. The seminar, which takes place from 4:30 to 6:30 pm at the Merrill Lynch Conference Center at 1152 Fifteenth Street, NW (6th Floor) in Washington, costs $20 for WNG members or $40 for non-members who register online in advance. A $10 surcharge will apply to walk-in registration.