So how do you actually make a connection at a networking event?

First, find the events: Watch for these events so you can prepare ahead of time. One great way to keep track of them is through Celarity’s Scoop Calendar at http://www.celarity.com/celarity-scoop/. This calendar provides the dates for most of the Twin Cities area’s marketing and advertising networking events. Another great reference is our own MWMC Events Calendar at http://www.mnwc.org/mwmcevents/calendarofevents. By the way, there are some great events on both calendars coming up in February.

Another great way to network, especially if you are a member of one of these organizations, is to volunteer for these events. Not only does this get you into the event, but it also establishes a connection with the active members of the group. (As an added perk, it gives you experience for your résumé.)

Next, find the people: Start following Twitter feeds of some of these professional organizations or the companies you would like to work for in order to learn what events they find valuable. If the company is talking about events on social media, chances are they will have representatives there.

Don’t just focus on connecting yourself. Before you attend an event, flip through your established contacts. Refresh your memory on whom you know, so you can connect them to one another, if the opportunity arises. Connecting people is definitely a way to get them hooked on you.

Remember to move outside your demographic and general profession. This will help you stay balanced in your professional aptitude.

Now, find the attitude: Be positive. Do something that lifts your spirits before you attend the event. Your good attitude will not go unnoticed and you will draw positive attention to yourself.

Do a little homework, so you can keep the professional topics flowing. You don’t have to have a speech prepared. Just glean a couple of tidbits. Perhaps you remember some good advice one of your contacts gave you at an informational interview. Share this good advice and impress your listener by using it as an opportunity to name drop.

One important thing to keep in mind is that when you attend a networking event, you can gain more than just the elusive trail that leads to a job. Fellowship with professionals in your field can be so much more. You can find out about current trends and gain tips on finding life and work balance, social media tools, classes, books or certifications to make you an even shaper candidate. If you keep this positive attitude when attending an event, it will help you feel less anxious about pumping everyone for a potential job lead.

But above all, be a good listener.

Finally, find time to follow up: So you have tucked away their business cards. Next, take a minute during or after the event to write a quick note (even on the back of the business card) to remind yourself why they would be good contacts to maintain. You can use Twitter and LinkedIn if you need to jog your memory. Sometimes, all you need is a photo to remind you of who they are.

Based on how good you feel about the connection, you can follow up by requesting to connect on LinkedIn or you can follow them on Twitter. Send your new contacts a link to an article they might find useful, or even request a lunch date.

Start gearing up for the professional networking season now, so that by the time you’ve packed your snazzy new business cards into your purse, you will have so much more to share with your new contacts. Remember, don’t give up making contacts even after you land a job. Keep your contacts fresh and use your established position to help others, keeping yourself a fresh and valuable connection.

• Twitter Chat  ::  Creativity and Inspiration
• Digital Learning Webinar  ::  Using YouTube to Promote Your Business
• Women@Work Workshop  ::  Putting Creativity to Work

FEBRUARY

• Women Launching Women | Non-profit Panel Discussion
• Professional Portrait Day
• Twitter Chat  ::  TBD
• The Brown Bag Initiative  ::  Strengths Finder
• Digital Learning Webinar  ::  Content Marketing
• Learning Lunch  ::  All About Them, All the Time

MARCH

• Twitter Chat  ::  Share Your Favorite Mobile Apps
• Digital Learning Webinar  ::  Mobile Marketing
• Women Launching Women | Casual Networking

APRIL

• The Brown Bag Initiative
• Twitter Chat  ::  TBD
• Digital Learning Webinar  ::  Search Marketing
• Women@Work Workshop  ::  Brand Voice & Message Development
• New Member Breakfast

MAY

• Women Launching Women | Casual Networking
• Twitter Chat  ::  TBD
• Professional Portrait Day
• Digital Learning Webinar  ::  Email Marketing
• Learning Lunch  ::  The Latest in Content Strategy

JUNE

• Twitter Chat  ::  TBD
• Digital Learning Webinar  ::  Online Events

Jewell is an active professional and social networker; he is very involved in the Twin Cities business and social media networking communities. Jewell is proficient in the use of online and emerging recruiting tools and techniques such as LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

Below are a few key takeaways from the webinar:

What is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional social network with more than135 million members and three main goals:

1) Enable users to connect with one another.
2) Enhance career connections and business opportunities.
3) Share industry advice.  

Setting up your LinkedIn account

A photo allows people viewing your LinkedIn profile to quickly identify you. Choose a headshot that is clean and professional. Your LinkedIn photo should differ from a photo posted on Facebook or MySpace, which would be more appropriate for friends and family.

Summarize your professional experience and goals to help other users to quickly learn about your professional background and interests.

Your professional experience is displayed in chronological order. Any recommendations you have received will appear below the respective job description. Your position descriptions should briefly explain what the company does and your main responsibilities in that position. Use clear, succinct phrases when describing your responsibilities.

Your education should also be included in chronological order. Where and what you studied can open connections to alumni or those with similar backgrounds.

You can add a link to your personal blog, company website and Twitter username. You can add your personal interests and lists of professional organizations.

Using LinkedIn to find a new job

Referrals are powerful tools that will help you to get your foot in the door. Click on the “Request Referral” button to see whom in your network connects you to the job poster. You can request an Introduction, which lets you contact people through your current connections.

By connecting with someone on LinkedIn, you have the opportunity to view that person’s connections as well. Thus, the more connections you have on LinkedIn, the more opportunities you have for networking and professional growth.

Jewell stresses the important of building your personal brand via LinkedIn. He suggests updating your profile regularly and contributing to online conversations within your interest groups.

If you’re in a career transition, use you status bar to let people know you’re searching for a job. Posting a status update similar to “I’m seeking a career in communications…” will tell your connections and those searching your profile that you’re looking for a new opportunity.  

LinkedIn is also a great way to keep track of news and trends in your industry. You can find out who has recently been hired in your company. You can even contact someone who has the job you want.

Paid versus free LinkedIn accounts

Everyone can set up a free LinkedIn account. Members who choose to pay for an upgraded account are given certain perks. By paying for a LinkedIn account, you can:

• Send messages directly, without waiting for an introduction from one of your contacts (called “InMails”).
• Access the Profile Organizer that allows you to track important profiles in a dedicated workspace, organize profiles into folders and add details to contacts such as notes and contact information.
• View more profiles when you perform an advanced search (free accounts limit you to 100 search results).
• Access more specifics on who has viewed your profile. 

1. Find your passion: Diana knew she loved to write which led her to study in journalism.
2. Work hard: Initially, in her career Diana did whatever she had to do to get experience, gain knowledge which helped her get noticed and succeed.
3. Be nice: That simple, be nice to your peers. Diana has seen women driven to be successful, but end up being ugly and disrespectful in the process. This will not get you to your next step.

Other items to help become more successful:

• Professionally, find what makes you uncomfortable and do it more. Especially with marcomm field’s rapid constant change, the nature of our work needs to be flexible and strategic.
• Self-assess: This is important in order to get a plan that plays on your strengths. (See February’s Brown Bag lunch on the Strengths Finder to achieve your strengths.)
• Be authentic: Be who you are because it can be self destructive when trying to be someone you are not and being concerted with status and titles.
• Mentorship and networking: though Diana has had no formal mentorship, she has taken every opportunity to sit back and watch. It is very important to take time for people – coffee, lunch, and impromptu interviews. Make friends in the workplace and make an effort to keep in touch.
• Use your background: Diana has many different job settings that have all helped her to develop along the way. She has used these backgrounds to understand when it is time to move on, reassess priorities and help achieve a work/life balance.

Lessons learned throughout her career:

• Be honest: Be willing to acknowledge mistakes – this will give you credibility.
• Learn from others: Observe personalities and learn as much from both bad and good personalities.
• Learn to avoid getting in the middle of others issues: Tell your peers you will not get involved. Gossip can be deadly and you can set an example to others by confronting any issues. On the flip side, it is important that you practice the same and confront anyone directly with issues you have. These will create a real relationship with your coworkers.
• A good manager will help create equal opportunities, acknowledgement and support you. Also, they will define your roles to be successful.

In the end, it is important that we stick with our strengths through thick and thin. This and the tools above will create an ideal outcome where you come out on top.

Learn more about the Office Time app Diana discussed to help track your day-to-day tasks here: http://www.officetime.net/.

Sign-up for February’s Brown Bag lunch on the Strengths Finder here: http://www.mnwc.org/events/item/103.

Here are tips to help manage your time wisely:

Make a list and prioritize — and check off work when you finish it! Lists are a great way to see what tasks you need to finish in a day. If you are tired or need a mental break, work on an easier project. If you are in the zone, tackle that tough project that has been on your desk for weeks. Having a list will help you plan your day and stay on track with what needs to be done. And if something needs to be moved or priorities change, move a low-priority task to the following day to accommodate.

Create deadlines — even for daily tasks. For example, if you have a report due in the afternoon, arrange your day so you have the report finished before lunch. This ensures that it is completed on time and if any last-minute changes occur, there will be time for edits.

Leave time for flex — Some days you might need a break, have writers block or have an unexpected task land on your desk. Create your schedule knowing change is imminent, and be able to adapt when that happens. Try to arrange each day to have a variety of high- and low-priority tasks. If you have a project due at the end of the week and time on Monday or Tuesday to do it, take advantage of the free time. You never know what may happen later in your workweek. And no boss has ever been disappointed with work done early!

If you follow these tips, it will enable you to keep your day on track. Distractions and unexpected projects happen, so preparing in advance will only help you deal when changes do occur.

Not only does time management benefit you during your workday, it is a necessary skill to carry over to your home life, as well.

Maggie Theisen is a Sourcing Specialist at Celarity, Inc located in Bloomington. She can be reached at Maggie@celarity.com.

MWMC has many opportunities available to those who are self-employed and looking to expand their prospect network through their MWMC membership. Below are a few examples of these opportunities:

• Do your homework. When you join MWMC, you are granted access to our online member directory that provides short bios on each member and their contact information. This is useful in many ways; you can find other MMWC members in your industry to network with and bounce ideas off of or discover members who fit your prospect profile.

To update your own profile in the member directory, click on Member Login in the upper right corner of the MWMC website and enter your email and password. (If you haven’t registered for member access, you will need to complete the registration form first. This can be found next to the Member Login option.) Once you’re logged in, click on My Profile, enter your information and then hit Save Changes Above.

To find people in the member directory, you will need to be logged in to the member portion of the website. Navigate to the Member Directory option in the left menu. There you can do a search for people you have met or just page through the directory. 

If you have trouble logging in to the member portion of the website or navigating the member directory, please reach out to Amanda Broman, VP of Marketing, via email.

• Get noticed. Showcase your skills and knowledge by volunteering for MWMC. We have a number of volunteer opportunities each year and make sure to recognize our volunteers throughout the year. See current opportunities or email Cindy Martin, VP of Membership, with your area of expertise. Another benefit of volunteering is making personal connections with other members who are willing to refer you to their networks.

• Share your expertise. We are always looking for new speakers at our events. What better way to showcase your talents and bring in prospects than to speak about your area of expertise. If you are interested in presenting at one of our events, please email Lindsey Heffern, or Kathleen Clonts. Our spring 2012 schedule is almost full, but we are still looking for fall 2012 speakers.

Do you have other ideas for how to get the most out of your MWMC membership or other ways to expand your business? We would love to hear them below.

Absolutely. According to consultants Joanna Barsh and Susie Cranston in their 2009 book, “How Remarkable Women Lead: The Breakthrough Model for Work and Life,” research shows that building strong networks and having career mentors bring in promotions, higher wages and greater work gratification. How? A strong network offers professional advice and sponsorship, a job lead or an ideal employee for your own team.

Unfortunately, many women find networking intimidating or they feel awkward trying to form a relationship just to gain a career boost. In their book, Barsh and Cranston share that women tend to build few but deep relationships with people with whom they have something in common. But for a strong network, a wide range of relationships across age, gender, professions and career levels is essential. So how do you get around this awkward feeling or just regular dread? Remember, you will not just be taking from them, you will also be providing them with a valuable resource — you.

So where do I start?

Meet people. Attend networking events. Follow up the best connections with lunch dates. In her book, “Congratulations! You’ve Been Fired,” recruiter Emily Koltrmow explains how you can have lunch with 1,800 people by having lunch with just seven. Her logic is that these seven people each know 250 others. If you leave a good impression with them, you are actually leaving a good impression with all of their contacts.

But many of your contacts don’t have to come exclusively from networking events. I recently attended a mentoring panel in St Paul where Brian Scovil, senior vice president of product development for Boston Scientific in Arden Hills, said he is always watching for connections. He makes them with strangers who walk down the halls where he works or who eat in the break room where he eats. He also believes in making connections even with competitors, because someday they may work for the same team. At that same panel, Dr. Rahul Koranne, medical director of Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul, put it: “Look at people.” He added, “It doesn’t take much to start up a conversation.”

Once you make a connection, it is essential to maintain it. In their book, Barsh and Cranston tell a story of a woman named Amanda West who attributes her success as a chief innovation officer for a leading company largely to her network. And she works for it. She claims to spend 90 minutes a week just reinforcing her current connections

What kind of maintenance?

Choose a handful of contacts whom you really admire. Then share your resources to help them. Send them links to articles, organizations or videos they may find helpful. Listen to them and share your own experience or advice. If you know they have a job interview, send them a list of tricky interview questions with answers.

Another resource you have is your connections. As you make connections, don’t hoard them. Pass your wealth of information on. Connect your connections. Think of how much both of those individuals will value you as their connection.

So networking forms connections that could turn into resources for you career. It can be intimidating and take a lot of work, but it’s worth it. With each connection you make, you add possibilities to your career — and your life. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even make a lifelong friend.

Mary Gander is a marketing and communications professional at Boston Scientific.

“King and queen of the web is text,” says Simso Dean, a freelance copywriter and editor with more than 11 years of experience.

Writing for the web differs from writing for print because the web is interactive, she said. People click on a site, scan the page for information and, if they don’t find what they’re looking for, they’ll leave in seconds. The job of a copywriter is to capture the person’s attention.

Microblogging and social networks

The purpose of microblogging or social networking sites is to establish connections between people. These sites allow people to interact, and they are also used for marketing and entertainment purposes.

Simso Dean advises that copywriters should:

• Keep your messages short.
• Use grammar and spelling that is good enough to get your message across.
• Match your picture to your purpose (for example, if you’re writing a professional blog, don’t include a profile picture of your child; the message is confusing).
• Follow and interact with others.
• Not list endless news releases.
• Learn to write lean copy .
• Cut out obvious language, such as “This web site is about …”
• Write with contractions to keep it short.
• Rewrite passive to be active.
• Use fragments to catch people’s attention.
• Provide context with every comment made on another site.
• Be respectful of others when posting comments.
• Make a point when commenting

Blogs

Your blog needs to cater to a specific topic to keep your audience coming back week after week. Who is your audience? Do you need to explain specific terms or phrases such as “MarCom”? “ROI”? If you have a blog, you should post frequently — usually once a week

Writing for the web

Simso Dean gives the following tips when writing for the web:

• Label the page to let people know they’re in the right place.
• Write headlines and titles in three to six words, or a maximum of 10.
• Post headlines with information-carrying words first.
• Use keywords.
• Limit to two sentences to a paragraph.
• Use only words that carry information.
• Edit out marketing language.
• Format text in one narrow column.
• Use white space and standard fonts, and avoid centered text.
• Use numerals (“1” instead of “one”).
• Use blurbs to give links more heft.
• Put sources at the end.

Reading on the web

Simso Dean explains that people tend to scan a web page in the pattern of the letter F. The reader scans the first sentence, then the middle of the page and then moves his or her eyes down the page, looking for information of interest. When a person reads on his or her computer screen, they read 75 words in the same amount of time it would take a person to read 100 words of printed text. She advised that:

• Bulleted information gets more attention.
• People read slower on the screen.
• Our eyes cannot effectively read all types of text. For example, a chunk of centered text or italicized text is more difficult for our eyes to read

Suggested reading

Simso Dean suggests the following books as additional resources:

“Writing for the Web,” Crawford Kilian

“Persuasive Online Copywriting: How to Take Your Words to the Bank,” Bryan Eisenberg, Jeffrey Eisenberg and Lisa T. Davis

“The Yahoo! Style Guide,” Yahoo!

“Web Copy that Sells: The Revolutionary Formula for Creating Killer Copy Every Time,” Maria Veloso

“On the Art of Writing Copy,“ Herschell Gordon Lewis

“The Copywriter’s Handbook,” Robert W. Bly

TheChicagoManual of Style

The Associated Press Stylebook

Good grammar and punctuation books

A recent dictionary

Simso Dean will also be teaching Copywriting 101 and 102 at theLoftLiteraryCenterin May 2012. She can be reached by email at AmySimso@gmail.com or by phone at 612-508-8582.

Marketing Campaigns

To reach a target audience or generate more awareness about a brand or product, Facebook and Twitter both have substantial benefits.

On Twitter, you can categorize your followers into lists, allowing you to target a certain demographic. Another benefit is that your tweets can be expanded beyond your network when your followers retweet what you say, whether it be about a new product, a contest, or general information shared with the public. Contests can be run via Twitter as well, through hashtags, answering a specific question, or retweeting information.

Like Twitter, Facebook also provides a great platform for contests. Users can respond to questions or like a certain page in order to win a prize. The result is more traffic to your company or products website. Also like Twitter, other Facebook users can see which pages or brands their friends like, generating more awareness with just the click of a button.

Job Searching

Besides job boards, there is not a more powerful tool for online job searching than LinkedIn. This site allows you to connect with those who work in a dream role or at a company you aspire to working for. LinkedIn has its own job board updated daily.

Other benefits include LinkedIn groups. Most professions have their own group, which have their own discussions, job boards, and members with a similar interest.

There is no better way than on LinkedIn to pinpoint your industry, meet people involved in it, and learn of opportunities not posted anywhere else.

Networking

Since Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are all social networking sites there are endless benefits to using each for different networking reasons.

Facebook tends to be more personal, targeted to friends or companies and brands you particularly enjoy. Twitter lets you follow companies or people you are interested in and converse with them in an informal way; it also gets your name in front of them. And LinkedIn connects professionals to one another in various ways.

Depending on your goals, each of these sites has its benefits and they all can definitely be optimized when used together.

Social media have the power to link people together across the world. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn all provide different benefits depending on what the users target goal may be. There is no right or wrong platform to use, but taken all together, social media are powerful tool for the everyday marketer.

Maggie Theisen is a Sourcing Specialist at Celarity, Inc located in Bloomington. She can be reached atMaggie@celarity.com.

Kodzik spoke about the importance of managing a career at any stage, We tend to put our careers on autopilot, and in this global marketplace employers have developed a contingency-based workforce. An employer pays for a service and has no problem saying goodbye to its employees when they are no longer necessary. Gone are the days of working 45 years for a single company and then collecting a gold watch and a pension plan.

Kodzik defined career management as the intentional, proactive decision to manage ones career. Career management is necessary to stay competitive in the workplace amidst budget cuts and the restructuring of departments.

Kodzik explained that a professional can either be proactive or reactive in the management of her career. Are you paddling down the river or are you just floating? Kodzik asked the group. Kodzik presented both internal and external signs that one might be floating through her career. Internal symptoms include restlessness, depression, and boredom. External symptoms are a major life change, the loss of a job, or a job change.

A few members expressed their frustrations within their respective work environments. Kodzik explained that frustration with a job can often lead to a feeling of dread come Sunday evening. Dread creates stress and chronic stress is a known trigger of disease. Kodzik shared the story of a client who spent years in an unsatisfying and stressful career. Only after this client was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy did she realize that these experiences were a wakeup call for her to find a new position.

Kodzik suggested making five new connections every month. Networking tools such as LinkedIn allow professionals to connect not only with their current professional contacts, but to see the contacts of their contacts. For example, if a MWMC member applied for a marketing position at Company X and later noticed that one of her first connections knows someone who works for that company, she can request an introduction or inquire about the position through her first connection.

Kodzik reiterated the familiar adage that its not what you know but who you know. Resumes should account for 20 percent of ones job search and 80 percent should be about making personal connections.

Kodzik recommended that every professional show off her skills. A professional cannot assume that the results of a particular project will speak for themselves. All professionals need to increase their visibility within a company by making sure her fellow colleagues and even family members know her title and responsibilities within a company.

Kodzik offered several pieces of advice for professionals. Build relationships through professional groups, friends, and coworkers in order to stay connected within any industry. Likeability is crucial in hiring and in keeping a job. The current job market demands flexibility. Job descriptions change, managers move on to other companies, coworkers are laid off, and departments are now restructured in short periods of time. Change is inevitable. Stay current, especially with a career in marketing and communications where the trends and the technology are always in flux.

Kodzik coined the Heads up mentality, meaning that one should know what is happening not only in her respective company but in her field at large. A proactive professional would never let the newspaper break the news that her company is going through a merger or cutting an entire department without her prior knowledge.

Kodzik also answered questions on age and the job market with frank advice: 90 percent [of being hired] is not about your age, its about compensation. But with a positive attitude and a willingness to contribute, your age should not be a factor.

Kodzik will be joining MWMC on Friday, September 30, 2011 from noon to 1 p.m. for a Twitter Chat titled Crafting a Successful Career Plan. She can be reached for career counseling by email at info@cultivatingcareers.com or by phone at 651.387.2676. Kodziks book Navigating through Now What? The Various Career Crossroads in Our Lives is available on her website cultivatingcareers.com.

First, determine what experience the hiring managers are looking for, volunteer for that experience and then showcase it to prove you have it.

Find it: Start by reading a variety of postings for your dream job. Make a list of the experiences you still need. Do not stop there. Go to the source. Network and build relationships with the people who have the jobs you want. Set up informational interviews and find out what skills they find invaluable or a bonus in their employees. Add these skills to your list.

Get it: Once you know exactly what the relevant experiences are, find the opportunity to practice them. An excellent (and satisfying) way to do this is to volunteer. Look for these opportunities at work and in the community.

If you work for a smaller company, take on the odd jobs. Ask to improve the companys website, build the companys Facebook page or design a monthly FYI email to your department.

For a larger company, join employee groups. If your company does not have a group that interests you, build one. The possibilities are endless. You could establish a networking group for women, mentorship for new employees, tutoring at a local school, a fitness meet-up or a community garden. Get creative.

Look outside work, too. Tap your hobbies to start or co-run a meet-up group or harness your passions into helping a nonprofit organization. Join a professional organization (yes, like MWMC) and get involved.

Always be looking for opportunities. Find out if your favorite hole-in-the wall restaurant or chic boutique needs a website or is looking to improve its customer relationship through email marketing. It certainly will not hurt to ask if you can help.

Show it: Be sure to update your portfolio with samples of your work. Not only will this add to your experience, it will also showcase your accomplishments and make it clear to a potential employer what you can do. If you have printed copies of your work, compile them neatly in a portfolio and bring them with you to the interview. If you have a website, update it with links to your latest projects.

Finally, use social media to your advantage. For example, use LinkedIns new Volunteer Experience & Causes section to list your volunteer activities. Have the people you have worked with or volunteered for write reviews of your skills and strengths on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.

Relevant experience will not only boost your rsum to the top of the pile, but also will help you shine in your interview. By volunteering and always searching for opportunities to develop your skills, you can gain that essential, yet elusive, experience.

Mary Gander is a marketing and communications professional at Boston Scientific.

If you aren't familiar with Twitter chats and want to learn more, we've gathered a few resources to help you join the conversation.

What are Twitter chats?

Twitter chats are regularly scheduled conversations held on Twitter that are moderated by one or more people and often include a guest expert or industry thought-leader. Twitter users gather together on a specific day and time to answer questions and give opinions on specific topics of interest.

How can I participate in a Twitter chat?

During the discussion, participants can follow and contribute to the conversation through the use of a distinct hashtag, reading comments and questions re-tweeted by one of the moderators, and/or by using a chat tool likeTweet Chator 3rd party Twitter application such asTweet Deck.

Our first MWMC Twitter Chat will be held on Friday, September 16th from 12:00-1:00 pm CST. We'll be using the hashtag #MWMCtalkfor the discussion. The theme for this Twitter talk is "Back to School," a conversation on continuing education and life-long learning. Our featured guest for the chat will be Diana Cohen, Ed. D. academic advisor for students in the Evening MBA Program at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.

Everyone who participates in our live "Back to School" chat will be entered into a drawing to win a free certificate to attend the MWMC Women@Work Workshop being held on November 17th.

Join us to share your thoughts, gain valuable information, and discover helpful resources for staying educated and informed.

Additional resources:

Tweeting With Your Twitter Community: How to Participate in a Twitter Chat
Chirping Up Your Tweeps: How to Participate in a Twitter Chat
Twitter Chats, The Ultimate How To Guide
What is a Twitter Chat and How to Make the Most of It
How to Participate in a Twitter Chat

MWMC Twitter Chat

As part of our new programming for the upcoming year, the MWMC Special Projects and Social Media teams will be launching MWMC Twitter Chat, bi-monthly Twitter discussions held between MWMC members, guest speakers, and industry experts.

If you arent familiar with Twitter chats, they are regularly scheduled conversations held on Twitter that are moderated by one or more people. Twitter users gather together on a specific day and time to answer questions and give opinions on specific topics of interest. During the discussion, participants can follow and participate in the chat through the use of a distinct hashtag (well be using #MWMCtalk for our chats!), reading comments and questions re-tweeted by one of the moderators, and/or by using a chat tool like Tweet Chat or 3rd party Twitter application such as Tweet Deck.

MWMC Twitter Chats are free and will be open to members and non-members alike.

Not familiar with Twitter chats? Check out these helpful tips and resources.

Quick Tips Videos

Our Quick Tips Video series is designed to provide you, the MWMC member, with small bits of information that help you stay on top of trends and gain valuable knowledge to use every day at home or in the office. In 10 minutes or less youll be able to discover something new and get useful, informative how-to tips. A fresh Quick Tips video will be posted at the beginning of each month and can be viewed at your leisure. Each new video will then become a part of our Quick Tips resource library that can be accessed by members at their convenience.

The MWMC Quick Tips Videos will be a free series of video learning tools exclusively available to MWMC members.

Digital Learning Webinars

For the 2011-2012 programming year, the MWMC is launching an online learning program that will be available to both members and non-members. In its inaugural year, our new Digital Learning Webinars will consist of several live monthly webinars covering various aspects of Digital Media.

The Fall/Winter 2011 events in the MWMC Digital Learning Webinars will focus on Social Media, with each monthly webinar providing tips and guidance on one of the top social networks, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and the latest entry into the social media realm, Google+.

Our Winter/Spring 2012 Digital Learning Webinars will educate and inform attendees on various aspects of Digital Marketing through webinars exploring the topics of mobile marketing, content strategy, managing online events, and more.

The MWMC Digital Learning Webinars will be open to members and non-members for a small fee:

Non-members: $20.00 per webinar
MWMC Members: $10.00 per webinar
MWMC Students Members: $5.00 per webinar

Brandi Palecheck and Jo Roberts, both experienced in virtual events and web-based social tools, will lead the special projects team. In 2011, Brandi launched her own digital marketing consulting firm and began a career as an independent Digital Marketing Strategist. She now works within the Publishing industry to help authors and publishing companies develop and enhance their digital marketing programs. Jo Roberts is a seasoned strategist, product marketer and copywriter whose career has spanned nearly every facet of marketing, with a special emphasis on planning, analysis, promotions, and content marketing development. She currently works as a product marketing manager at the online professional development publisher MarketingProfs.

If you have ideas for the special projects team or would like to volunteer to help with any of the digital initiatives described above, please email them at brandipalechek@comcast.net and jor@marketingprofs.com.

Here are a few upcoming things to keep an eye out for:

September 2011 Quick Tips Video | Creating a Google+ Profile
Available: September 13, 2011

Have you received an invitation to join Googles new social network, but you arent quite sure what to do with it? This months Quick Tip video will teach you how to set up your profile and give you a few basic tips to help you get started on Google+.

Note: Quick Tips Videos are available to MWMC members only and can be viewed within the Member area of this website. Members will need to log in with their user name and password to access this content.

September 16, 2011 MWMC Twitter Chat | Back to School
12:00 1:00 p.m.
Hashtag: #MWMCtalk

How do you stay up on the latest trends and developments within your chosen field? What educational resources do you rely on to gain the skills and knowledge to help you advance in your career? Were kicking off our 2011-2012 programming year with a Twitter chat to discuss life-long learning and continuing education. Join us to share your thoughts, gain valuable information, and discover helpful resources for staying educated and informed.

September 27, 2011 Digital Learning Webinar |The Google+ Project
1:00 2:00 p.m.

What is The Google+ Project? Do we really need another social network? How is Google+ different from other social networks? The answers to these questions and more will be provided in the first installment of the MWMCs Digital Learning series of webinars covering the topic of Social Media.

September 30, 2011 MWMC Twitter Chat |Crafting a Successful Career Plan
12:00 1:00 p.m.
Hashtag: #MWMCtalk

Do you want to move forward in your career? Are you looking to land the job of your dreams or switch career paths entirely? Not sure where to start? MWMC is hosting a Twitter chat to discuss the topic of career planning and management. Join us to share your thoughts, gain valuable information, and discover helpful resources for crafting a successful career plan.

We will continue with our regular programming and have already planned a number of events for the last half of 2011, including Women@Work Workshops, Learning Lunches, Women Launching Women gatherings and networking happy hours. Make sure to read the eNews and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to get more information on our upcoming events.

• MWMC Fall Calendar Kick-off Event
• Twitter Chat :: Back to School
• Learning Lunch :: Managing the Business of Your Career    ::   Read event recap
• Digital Learning Webinar :: Social Media – Google+
• Twitter Chat :: Crafting Your Career

October

• Speed Networking
• Twitter Chat :: Work-Life Balance
• Digital Learning Webinar :: Social Media – Facebook
• The Brown Bag Initiative :: Work + Life = Balance
• Twitter Chat :: Mentoring – Making a Connection

November

• Women Launching Women
• New Member Breakfast
• Women@Work Workshop :: Writing for the Web  ::   Read event recap
• Twitter Chat :: Copywriting for Digital Media
• Digital Learning Webinar :: Social Media – LinkedIn

December

• Women Launching Women
• The Brown Bag Initiative  ::   Read event recap
• Twitter Chat :: Twitter Tips & Tools
• Digital Learning Webinar :: Social Media – Twitter

Make sure to check out calendar of events for more details.

Networking- Hiring managers tend to give preference to candidates referred by a co-worker or friend. The challenge in this scenario is making these connections. Events are an excellent opportunity to meet others in the industry that interests you. Minneapolis has several local organizations catering to marketing, design, interactive, and many more disciplines. When attending these events bring your business cards, talk with people, and find out what they do for a living. If they cant help you directly find a role, chances are they know someone who can.

Social Media- After meeting someone at an event, connect with them via social media! This is a great way to discover more about a potential employers background. If you dont know someone directly, networking tools such as LinkedIn help you find connections to that person through other people you know. Twitter is another great way to begin a dialogue with an industry professional, as long as the context remains relevant. Jobs, company news, and industry updates are regularly posted on twitter. Starting your own account lets you watch and listen to news until you feel comfortable participating. It is also a great way to gain attention from those you want to showcase your talents to or meet.

A Great Resume- After a connection is made and you are ready to apply for a job make sure your resume matches the role that you are applying for. Hiring managers look for relevant experience, and tailoring your resume to the role you apply for will definitely increase your chances of an interview. If you met a hiring manager or potential co-worker at an event or through social media, let them know that you will be applying. This ensures that they will keep an eye out for your resume among the many they receive.

Keeping these three elements in mind with help you make priceless connections that can help in the present and future. By foraging these connections, jobseekers make others aware of their goals and present in the minds of decision makers. Making connections to people within the industry you love is priceless.

Maggie Theisen is a Sourcing Specialist at Celarity, Inc located in Bloomington. She can be reached at Maggie@celarity.com.

Mahtab started the event by reviewing the principles of traditional marketing. Traditional marketing uses mediums such as branded marketing collateral in the form of direct mail, billboards, events, television ads and print ads to reach goals of generating awareness, increasing sales and creating customer loyalty. These have been the main marketing tools for so long because they enable control over the message, medium and frequency of appearance.

With an understanding of traditional marketing in place, Mahtab moved on to social media. She summarized the unpredictability of this new marketing medium by saying, “You show up wherever at the whim of whoever.” Your company no longer has the control over the message, medium or frequency. Rather, with social media, companies need to switch their marketing approach.

Listening, Responding and Contributing

Mahtab stressed the importance of listening, responding and contributing in order to be successful with social media. When companies listen to their consumers they gain insight and learn what people have to say about their product and brand. This can seem risky to some who fear negative publicity, but this can be countered by responding to customers when necessary. If a customer has a bad experience and they are sending it out to the world via social media, the company has a chance to address the problem and effectively manage the customer. Social media gives companies the opportunity to directly reach and interact with their various markets. They do this in the form of customer support and connecting people with others who can help answer their questions.

Measuring Social Media

Mahtab summed up what social can and can’t do, which led to the next question of “How do we measure Social Media?” Kary Delaria provided her insights by stating a few facts about social media: It is free, you make a customer commitment by entering the social media space, it takes work to maintain and not listening is NOT an option.

Kary stated that before a company can enter the social media space they need a clear goal in mind of what they want to accomplish. Once they have a goal in mind, research is the next step to deciding what mediums to use (e.g, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube). Once the goal is clear and the appropriate research has happened, strategy should be developed and implemented. Once participation in the social media space is underway, companies can then gather data to measure their success.

Tools such as Hootsuite, Tweetstats and Google Analytics can measure certain aspects of social media such as who is talking about your brand, how often and on what platform. However, it cannot accurately measure sentiment, which is why Kary stresses reading each social media mention individually to accurately report on analytics.

Once data measuring tools are in place, companies can analyze their social media interactions in relation to their goals. Kary stated that companies use social media for different reasons, so different interactions and will be measured and analyzed in a variety of ways. Examples of measurement include increased sales, Twitter followers/Facebook “likes”, and the sentiment of conversations about your brand.

The event provided attendees a well-rounded overview of how social media can be used and measured to help reach company goals. Kary and Mahtab provided a great lesson on the importance of listening to an audience and gave everyone the confidence to implement a social media plan and measurement with their own business.

Maggie Theisen is a Sourcing Specialist at Celarity, Inc located in Bloomington. She can be reached at Maggie@celarity.com.

Stay tuned for an updated event calendar in September!

Here are some great ways to bait a reader to dive into your writing:

Reel them in with your title. In a world full of skimmers, how are you going to catch your reader's eye? It's about knowing your audience and what piques their curiosity.

This tip could have been "How to write a readable article." That’s just cardboard boring. Play with words, sound, rhythm and meanings. For example, the novel "Pride & Prejudice" was changed from "First Impressions." Adding alliteration made the title much more intriguing and memorable.

Hook them with your first sentence. The novel "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens is known for its first line. Although the phrase "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." has already been used, we can learn from it. The first sentence is the place to set the scene. This is where a dash of creativity, even in a highly professional piece, can add much to set the tone and clinch the reader's attention to your trail of written words.

String them along with choice words. You don't have to be a poet to know how to conjure up fascinating words-- all you need is a thesaurus. Those basic words you have used day in and day out can be flipped into phrases with more zest. Don’t use words that will make your readers grab a dictionary, though!

Tickle them with your humor. Even with corporate writing a little humor can go a long way. Speakers use humor as a device to engage their audience. Season your wit lightly and carefully, but give it a try. If done well, your readers are more likely to read through to the end.

Try to relate. Depending on what you are writing for and the subject you are covering, adding a little bit of your own story can make your writing more accessible and memorable.

Don't be too complicated. Nothing is worse than a trail of complex sentences that don't communicate their true meaning. Our job as professional communicators is to ensure the material is clear to our audience. If they’re left confused then we’re not getting our point across.

Writing, whether for your job or for personal use, can be fun. Don’t be afraid to experiment a little bit with your style. You may be surprised at how well the readers react!

 Bio: Pam Kivi is a communications and marketing professional and founder of Pam Kivi Creations.

The MWMC Board of Directors is now accepting nominations for the 2010-2011 MWMC Board. Members are encouraged to nominate themselves or other members for a position on the Board. Open board positions include:

• Vice President of Finance
• Vice President of Special Projects (NEW)
• Vice President of Women’s Initiatives (NEW)
• Marketing Chairperson
• Membership Chairperson
• Professional Development Chairperson
• Networking Chairperson

If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else, please click here to complete the application. Nominations will be accepted until May 9th. Any questions should be directed to Sara Payne, 612.392.7602.

There is no magic wand you can wave to create the perfect e-newsletter but, with a little practice, you can send out one that engages your readers and keeps them interested—and coming back for more.

Here are some tips:

Figure out the purpose of your content and choose an appropriate template. Is it to provide informative articles, advertise upcoming events, or let them know about a new product or services you are offering? Maybe it’s a combination of all three. It’s a good idea to pick one “theme” and stick with it as much as you can. Sure, you may not always have events going on or new products to tell them about, but over time, the recipients will get used to receiving such information from you. If your content is useful and informative, your readers will look forward to receiving it.

Stick to a regular schedule.  This goes along with the first point. Your readers have opted-in for a reason—to receive information from you.  Consistency is very important because over time you will build up a loyal readership. Many companies start off strong then effort tapers off. Not sending the e-newsletter out one month then sending it out late the following month makes you seem disorganized and disinterested. Would YOU want to purchase something from a company that doesn’t fulfill a promise?

Add navigation links using anchor tags. These can be on the side or at the top and are a good idea if you have a lot of content and it requires the reader to scroll down to read it. They also allow the reader to get a preview of what content the e-newsletter contains. Many readers are reading them on mobile devices and scrolling down can be cumbersome.

Write catchy Subject lines. You can have the greatest content in the world but if they don’t open the email, they’re not going to get the chance to enjoy it. This point may seem like a no-brainer but it can be challenging to write something that draws the readers in. Not to mention getting past the strong spam filters that exist these days. State the immediate benefit to create a sense of urgency while only hinting at the content. Use words like “now” and “early.” Be careful about using excessive punctuation or including greetings such as “hello!” Spam filters are very sensitive to these and you may find your e-newsletter in with the piles of spam advertising “Cheap meds from Canada!!!!!”

These are just a few tips to get you thinking about e-newsletters and why yours may not be getting the attention and reaction they deserve. With a little practice and trial-and-error, your open rates will increase over time so stick with it because your customers want to hear from you!

Social media is about opening a dialogue with your customers. As marketing communications professionals, we’re used to communicating ideas to our clients or the end user via channels such as websites and print materials. Social media is taking that one step further and that’s what makes it so exciting because the people viewing our materials can talk back!  One of the current buzz words is “engagement” and that hits the nail on the head. But where do you even begin?

Here are a few tips:

Start off slow

Rome wasn’t built in a day, after all, so it’s not reasonable to expect that a social media marketing campaign can be devised and successfully implemented overnight. Many business owners that I encounter have this all or nothing view and that will get you on the fast track to burn out. Instead of jumping on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr at the same time, pick just one and stick with it until you’re comfortable enough to move on. But don’t worry, there are no rules saying you have to expand! The important thing is to just be out there.

Schedule time in your calendar

Time is another roadblock for many small business owners. But you don’t have to spend hours posting company updates and interesting content. Start by setting aside small blocks of time in your day, maybe 15 minutes in the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening to start. And by golly set a timer! Use that time to catch up on your feeds, respond to people who have sent you messages, post interesting content you’ve found or re-post great content that you’ve seen on someone else’s feed.  Staying on top of things allows you to reply quickly to any customer communications whether good and especially if it’s bad.

Give it a little elbow grease

You have to put the effort in. Your social media endeavors aren’t going to run themselves. Unfortunately, in this case, building it doesn’t mean they will automatically come.  Spend some of your pre-scheduled time building up your audience by searching for people to engage with. For example, if you’re using Twitter, take advantage of their robust search feature found at the top of your Twitter homepage or by searching Twellow, the Twitter yellow pages. While you’re there, list yourself under your area of expertise so others can find you.

Tackling social media for the first time can be scary for some people. After all, it’s still a fairly new kid on the block when it comes to marketing communications. But don’t worry, it’s not going anywhere. So introduce yourself and let your personality—and business shine!

Michelle Krasniak is the owner of Michelle Krasniak Copywriting & Consulting. She can be reached at michelle@michellekrasniak.com.

Our membership has grown to 140+ and continues to grow. As a result, we have had record attendance at our programming events this year. Sixteen of you volunteered your time and efforts to MWMC. We also conducted our first focus group to learn more about what our members are seeking with regard to member benefits and the overall MWMC experience. Thank you to all who participated!

In 2010, we developed a value proposition to define MWMC to our external publics and to provide confidence in our membership of what MWMC stands for:

Seeking true professional relationships? We build more than fans, followers and connections. We build lasting relationships between women and the communications community. MWMC welcomes you to join our local organization of women in the marketing and communications field, where we represent a diverse variety of communicators. MWMC offers affordable dues, relevant events with top-notch speakers, rich networking experiences, and valuable takeaways to put your career on the fast-track to success.

We also developed our strategic goals and objectives for 2010 through 2015. Below you will see each goal and its objectives followed by our achievements so far related to these goals:

1. Goal: Ensure the self-sufficiency, health, and growth of the chapter by strengthening its financial position.

Objectives

• Secure sufficient annual revenue to both sustain reserve fund and reinvest in our membership
• Increase the diversity of revenue streams
• Improve financial tracking

Achievements

• Wrote action plans for each Board area that rolled up into the strategic plan
• Conducted analysis of membership rates from competitive organizations and voted to increase membership by seven dollars in all categories (sans students). The increase was communicated to members two months prior to the increase and additionally communicated to those members renewing near the increase date of January 1st, 2011
• Instituted student member verification policy upon applying for membership.
• Conducted mid-year review of action plans to track progress against strategic plan
• Secured sponsorship through St. Thomas for Professional Development events
• Cut newsletter costs by limiting distribution frequency to provide more time for content development
• Phased out MWMC advertising and moved efforts toward sponsorship

2. Goal: Develop and sustain a diverse, active, and satisfied membership.

Objectives

• Increase membership base, comparable to that of competitive associations
• Develop processes that support membership growth and retention
• Provide amble and clear opportunities for member involvement
• Harness and celebrate the talents of our membership

Achievements:

• New membership kit developed and distributed to all members on October 1st to promote benefits of MWMC, encourage renewals, and communicate membership rate change on January 1st
• Created measurable membership promotion for events to increase membership and tie membership back to the event on a timely basis: Waived $35 admin fee for non-members that attended an event and called the office to sign up for membership within one week of event
• Converted >20% non-member event attendees to members
• Recruited a Volunteer Committee Lead, Newsletter Editor, Social Media Committee Leads, Seasoned Professional Committee Lead, Sponsorship Committee Lead, and a Website New Content Editor Volunteer
• Defined process for Pro On Hold member intake and administration of volunteer hours
• Dissolved Young Professionals group and re-purposed these events to better serve all members

3. Goal: Increase the organization’s perceived value and credibility to members and externally.

Objectives

• Strengthen most valued benefits
• Provide meaningful programming based on membership needs
• Promote organization’s value
• Increase awareness of the organization

Achievements:

• Achieved majority approval ratings for all event speakers (>75% of survey respondents saying they are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with speaker on a scale of very dissatisfied-dissatisfied-neutral-satisfied-very satisfied). (We are averaging 95-100% approval ratings)
• Achieved majority approval ratings for meeting attendee objectives (>75% of survey respondents saying they are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the topic on a scale of very dissatisfied-dissatisfied-neutral-satisfied-very satisfied). (We are averaging 95-100% satisfaction ratings)
• Provided a meaningful calendar of events that aligns with member input and considers the statistic of our diverse membership base and potential members. Event attendance is up as much as 60%. Ratings are consistently 95%+.
• Started monthly tweet log by category for easier tracking of MWMC’s external communications – included a 3% increase in followers/group members, as well as interaction with MWMC
• Developed hashtag #MWMCorg to promote events on twitter as well as live tweeting during events
• Implemented Google Analytics to help improve Website – 3 percent monthly increase in hits

4. Goal: Strengthen organizational leadership and efficiency of operations.

Objectives

• formalize feeder system for leadership positions
• With each new board year, ensure accountability to the strategic plan
• Develop a process management plan and establish reporting policies in order to sustain a successful organization

Achievements

• Developed a 5-year strategic plan for 2011–2015
• Hired a new administrative assistant, Melissa Hansen
• Created volunteer contact database to track participation
• Five out of six Pro On Hold members working to meet volunteer commitment of 8 hours per quarter
• Instituted an event cancellation procedure in case of bad weather

In addition to our achievements in 2010, we are continuing to work toward our strategic goals and objectives in 2011 by completing the following projects:

• Review of Seasoned Professionals group and how to improve offering to membership
• Mentorship Program slated for 2011–2012 programming year
• Defining and creating more volunteer opportunities and developing retention plan
• 2011–2012 Committee Lead and Board recruitment
• Planning a Member and Volunteer Appreciation Event
• Defining a program to reach out to communities and universities
• Updating website, i.e. automatic notification of renewal to members
• Adding photos to MWMC eNews and improving capabilities
• Evaluating action plans at program year end and communicate achievements to membership
• And much more!

I’d like to give a special thanks to MWMC’s Board of Directors and our committee leads for all of their hard work and dedication to evolve MWMC’s brand to new heights, and to provide best in class offerings to our membership.

And thanks to each of you for your membership and continued support of MWMC. It is my hope that each one of you finds new friends, new leadership opportunities, and greater knowledge through your membership with our organization.

Regards,

Shannon M. Novotne
MWMC President 2010–2011

Ressler and Thompson laid out their upending of the traditional office culture in their book “Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It." In short, ROWE means “each person is free to do what they want whenever they want as long as the work gets done."

Most famously, Ressler and Thompson helped institute ROWE at Best Buy's corporate campus in RIchfield. The two now run a Twin Cities-based consulting company, Culture Rx, preaching the gospel of a new way of working. “There is no more workweek. It’s literally seven days when you have control…and you decide how to spend your time,’’ Ressler says.

Among the converts to their revolutionary corporate culture are Gap Inc., manufacturer H.B. Fuller and Fairview Health Systems, which began implementing ROWE in its IT teams more than a year ago.

Ressler says companies have seen productivity increase up to 40 percent on ROWE teams. “Once ROWE is incubated in the organization, the rest of the organization gravitates to it because they see productivity rising and employees’ happiness increasing," she says. The philosophy can be contagious among employees. “You’re rewarded with your own time…and that’s very powerful,” comments Ressler.

ROWE also offers the opportunity for businesses to more effectively deal with performance problems. Once organizations make the switch to the system, non-performers also lose their cover of just putting in time. “Non-performers are exposed in a very big way—the spotlight shines on them very quickly,” Ressler says. “If they can’t step up to the plate, it’s no results, no job.”

Even high-performers suffer from drive-by judgments in traditional 9-to-5 workplaces focused on time and place constructs. For example, working moms, even on flex time systems, are often stigmatized when theyleave early to pick up the kids. “They’re seen as less dedicated and they’re judged for that,’’ Ressler says. Ressler and Thompson call this "sludge"—judgments about the dedication and performance of employees. Under ROWE, there is no more "sludge.’’ "It's all about results... no more judgment," Ressler says.

To learn more about ROWE, check out "Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It: No Schedules, No Meetings, No Joke—the Simple Change That Can Make Your Job Terrific" by Ressler and Thompson.

Kathleen Clonts is a senior copy editor for the Star Tribune. She may be reached at kmclonts@yahoo.com.