Employers should specify ‘being conscientious’ as the top skill they are looking for

If you want to be successful at work, there is one trait that you need above all others. It isn't creativity, or emotional intelligence, or people skills, or experience, or judgment or even native wit. It is conscientiousness.


All the academic studies have been saying as much for decades, suggesting that whatever line of work you are in, this is what sorts out those who do well from those who don’t.
However, now it turns out that being conscientious yourself is only a starter. What you also need is a husband or wife who is conscientious too.

According to a study soon to be published in Psychological Science, the character traits of the person you marry have an effect on how well you do at work – a fair or foul wind from him or her can determine whether you get promoted or get a pay rise and whether you find your days in the office relatively tolerable – or not.

Researchers at Washington University in St Louis have spent the past five years studying married couples – most of whom both work – and matching the success of each against five personality traits of their other halves: extroversion, openness, agreeableness, neuroticism and conscientiousness. They found that the last one had a large positive effect: people with conscientious husbands and wives simply did better.

This makes sense for three reasons. First, a conscientious spouse is more likely to remember to take the rubbish out and to make sure there is something for supper. If you marry someone like this, you don’t have to get entirely bogged down in such things yourself. Second, they set a great example. If they are organised and punctual and diligent – all those unfashionable but utterly wonderful things that conscientious people always are – it helps you to be so too. And third, if you were smart enough to marry someone like this your home will be a well-oiled machine, which means that you are going to turn up at work considerably less stressed than colleagues who arrive from a hearth that is chaotic and where bills go unpaid and parents’ evenings are forgotten.

This report adds to the pile of studies that tell us that the world belongs to the conscientious. Variously they show that conscientious kids do best, that the conscientious are happier at work, and even that they live longer.

In a way it is not surprising, given that 90 per cent of success is showing up. Conscientious people get there on time, floss their teeth, do what they are meant to do, are reasonably motivated, good at planning and good at refusing to eat that marshmallow just now. This makes them precisely the sort of people who are well suited to the twin institutions of work and marriage.

Yet what is surprising, given the considerable charms of conscientiousness, is that we keep so quiet about it. It is not something anyone ever boasts about. It is not cool and it’s certainly not sexy.

Click For Original Article
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d77f4d06-4fc0-11e4-908e-00144feab7de.html#axzz3GQY67c9v

BY Lucy Kellaway (For The Financial Times) 
Twitter: @lucykellaway 

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5 Benefits of Social Media Business Owners Need To Understand

 

 

It's more than just hype. Here are 5 stat-backed benefits of social media marketing

 

While the importance of social media marketing is generally accepted, the fact that people don't question its value is all the more reason to think about exactly what its value is. The goals of social media marketing can't be just to gain likes, fans, and retweets. These things are not ends, but means to an end. Social media marketing is far more than an online popularity contest, and the better business owners understand that, the better they can use it for their companies. Here are five benefits to social media that business owners need to understand.


1. Increase brand awareness
One of the main benefits of social media marketing is the easiest to recognize: Social media is an excellent way to introduce people to a brand. Despite the Field of Dreams notion some business owners have that "if you build it, they will come," if people are unaware of a business or a website's existence, they can't shop there (Kevin Costner was dealing with ghosts, who have a lot of free time to meander around cornfields). Because social networks are used by more than two-thirds of the country, and given the way content spreads virally to others, social media is the perfect channel to promote a brand to potential customers. Relevanza reported that 78 percent of small businesses attract new customers through social media.


Research shows just how valuable this brand awareness can be. According to Adroit Digital, 75 percent of online Americans said product information found on social media influences their shopping behavior and enhances brand loyalty. They also report that social media is the second most likely way U.S. Millennials will learn about a new product (26 percent of respondents), just 3 percentage points behind TV advertising (29 percent). In the future, social media may be even more important than TV ads for introducing new products to consumers. Similarly, research from eMarketer has shown that 33 percent of consumers cite social networks as the way they discover new brands, products, and services.


2. Legitimize a brand
Another way social media marketing helps with customer acquisition is by establishing a brand as legitimate. When Internet consumers discover a business or retailer they want to use but know little about, they often check their social media page to learn more about it. Many small businesses have static websites that change little, if at all, after being initially set up by the designer. Social media pages, on the other hand, should be constantly updated with new posts, comments, etc. A website establishes that a brand exists, but a social media page establishes that the brand is active. Similarly, the number of fans shows how popular a brand is and Facebook reviews can reassure buyers by showing them that other consumers like a business. Research from Ballihoo found that 63 percent of consumers who search for local businesses online are more likely to use businesses with information on social media sites.

It's worth noting that poor social media marketing can also delegitimize a brand. If a new customer goes to a business's social media page and finds that a post hasn't been made in a few months, that customer may assume the business is defunct. If customers are asking for help in the comments and they're being ignored, they may assume the company has poor customer service.



3. Increase sales
In the end, social media marketing needs to help increase sales and revenue. That's why it's called social media marketing and not simply social media public relations. To be fair, improving brand awareness and legitimizing a brand should, by themselves, help increase sales. But there are ways to use social media to directly steer consumers toward the sales funnel. For fans of the business, business owners can write posts that link to products, sales, etc. Marketers can also use promoted content and advertisements to sell products to target audiences who haven't become fans of a brand yet. The ability to target particular audiences is one of the greatest benefits of social media marketing. Social networks know a lot about consumer interests and demographics, so even though there are hundreds of millions of fans, marketers can accurately target the right people with the right message.

There are also a lot of ways that retailers can sell products directly from social networks. On Facebook, business owners can set up a Facebook store with apps like Ecwid or Beetailer. On Twitter, retailers with Amazon.com pages can allow Twitter users to add products to their Amazon checkout straight from their Twitter feed. There are also ways to sell products on Pinterest, YouTube, and other social networks.


4. Improve customer service
Another benefit of social media that's easy to overlook is customer service. Even if a business has a dedicated customer service department, telephone number, or email, it's important to handle issues via the method of communication the consumer prefers. The fact that people use social media to ask customer service questions is reason enough for businesses to ensure their ability to help customers through social media. This also goes back to establishing a brand. One of the key concerns of consumers when they shop online is the responsiveness of customer service. People want to be assured that if they have a problem, they can easily find help. By being receptive to customer needs, business owners can increase customer loyalty to a brand.


5. Distribute content
Social media should be a part of any content marketing distribution system. Social media accounts for a huge portion of referral traffic on the web. People are looking for content that interests them and they want to share it online. A joint study by AOL and Nielsen found that people spend more than 50 percent of their time online with content and an additional 30 percent of their time on social channels where content can be shared. Business owners who want to gain customers through content marketing need to use social media and promoted content to make that happen.


All of these points and data show that social media marketing is a huge benefit for business owners, and exactly what the benefits are. Besides increasing brand awareness and establishing the legitimacy of the brand, social media marketing can affect the bottom line of a business by increasing sales. Learning about the importance of social media for marketing should also underscore why these efforts need to be continuous and the harm it does when social media marketing isn't up to consumer expectations. Long story short, social media marketing is something that every business needs to do and needs to do well. For more statistics that show the benefits of social media,


BY Peter Roesler (@Webmarketing007) for Inc.Com

Click for Full Article

http://www.inc.com/peter-roesler/5-benefits-of-social-media-business-owners-need-to-understand.html

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Why Public Relations And Media Relations Don't Mean The Same Thing Anymore

Don't get stuck in the past. PR folks need to keep up with the ever-evolving digital world to stay relevant.

Public relations is evolving faster than an out-of-control science fiction character. Yet many PR companies in my experience are stuck in the past.

They still think of public relations as straight media relations with maybe a dollop of social media added, along with a sprinkling of branded content.

Don’t get me wrong. Media relations remains a viable part of public relations. But it’s just part of what the profession can do. Unfortunately, companies that don’t recognize that are missing a major opportunity.

“Today PR often encompasses everything from social media to content marketing and even native advertising in some cases,” says Rebekah Iliff, chief strategy officer of AirPR, the PR marketplace and technology platform.

While once the stepchild to its more glamorous sibling advertising, PR today can in fact far surpass the performance of advertising thanks to its ability to turn more traffic into leads.
For example, AirPR's data show that PR generates conversion rates 10 to 50 times that of advertising conversions.

A recent Nielsen-inPowered study showed that earned media--which is just a fancy word for PR--is more effective than branded content at all stages of the purchase funnel.
This isn’t a prescription to overdose on PR. But PR, because of its third-party endorsements, adds built-in credibility. A mistake some companies make, however, is to think third-party validation means only the media and maybe a few celebrities.

“Many people just consider industry luminaries and the ‘rock stars’ when thinking about influencers,” Sarah Skerik, vice president of strategic communications and content at PR Newswire, told me.

Skerik says she’s had better results by getting something shared on LinkedIn than by having it retweeted by big names on Twitter.

Adjusting To Today’s Digital World

The challenge today for public relations is adjusting to the constant drum of news from social media and mobile. No longer are episodic, big budget launch campaigns the ticket to success. Instead, brands must widen the net and maintain an always-on presence. This means using a combination of third-party validation, along with branded content and social.

As Heidi Sullivan, senior vice president of digital content at PR software company Cision, told me, “There is no silver bullet today. Getting mentioned in a big daily newspaper doesn’t reach your entire audience.”

At the same time that the role of public relations has morphed into a bigger job, technology is helping to transform PR into something you can measure.
No longer do companies have to rely solely on media placements as the only evidence of PR success; today armed with the right tools, they can understand the impact of PR on leads and ultimately sales.
Yet many companies in my experience would as soon measure their employees’ bathroom habits as they would their PR effectiveness.

“This is the one thing I see missing the majority of the time,” Iliff told me. “A company says to a PR pro ‘we want to see our sales go up' but then gives them no access to how to actually make that happen."

By: Wendy Marx (For Fastcompany.com)

Click For Full Article

http://www.fastcompany.com/3034498/the-future-of-work/why-public-relations-and-media-relations-dont-mean-the-same-thing-anymore

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ZanaRayTV Presents Revolt/BCG Music Producer "HYPE"

ZanaRayTV Presents Revolt/BCG Music Producer "HYPE" (@YoungHype) #KeepingYOUintheKNOW:

 

 

Click to watch

 

 

 

​Zana Ray Interviews HYPE for Zana Ray TV

In the interview I talk about how I met some of the artists I've produced for from Fat Joe, to Freeway to Fabolous, and how the Revolt TV and Bad Girls Club opportunities came about. The interview is on ZanaRayTV, which is owned and operated by Hot 97's Zana Ray, and it's also featured on UrbanInformer.com HERE:

http://www.zanaray.com/

http://www.urbaninformer.com/2014/08/15/revolttvbad-girls-club-producer-hype-talks-journey-music-business/

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR6CuLjJBHE

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Why women dominate PR

That women are so prevalent in the public relations business should be news to no one (especially frequent visitors to this site).

It’s a fact that women comprise 63 percent of PR specialist roles and 59 percent of PR management positions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, many believe that females are underrepresented at the C-level in PR.

Why? Why are there so many more women working in PR than men?

The Atlantic gave reporter Olga Khazan 3,700-plus words to answer that question in a piece that was published last week. Khazan interviewed 10 women who work in public relations to help find the answer.

It’s worth your time to chew on the whole thing, but we’ll hit a few highlights for you below:

• The media paints a glamorous picture of what comprises a female PR professional’s life. According to Khazan, “nearly every worman I spoke with mentioned Samantha Jones,” the fictional character from Sex and the City.
• Journalism is low paying and unstable. Plus, being a cub reporter is decidedly more awful than your first couple years as a PR pro. Khazan reports, “While female news reporters make $43,326, on average, (to men’s $51,578), female PR “specialists,” the lower-level job in the BLS categorization, make $55,705, while their male counterparts make $71,449.”
• In college, Khazan points to research that shows women “tend to value ‘non pecuniary,’ or non-monetary aspects of their college majors slightly more than men do, while men value their potential future earnings slightly more."
• “Studies have shown that women tend to collaborate more and prefer to work on teams, whereas men usually do better in competitive environments and prefer to fly solo. That male approach works well for journalists, while having a bit of a 'people-pleaser' gene probably attracts and/or makes it easier for women to excel in the PR environment,” Jennifer Hellickson, director of marketing at SweatGuru in Portland, Oregon, told The Atlantic.

The upshot? Khazan writes, “If there’s any takeaway from all this, it’s that the women-in-PR trend started happening for a number of reasons, and it’s not inherently bad, so it never stopped.”

By Kevin Allen

Click for Original Article

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/17090.aspx


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Former member of R&B Supergroup Project 718 Dave Al to Premiere his debut single "Have You Seen" at Play Lounge August 7th 2014

After much anticipation, David "Dave Al" Alexander's music video for his debut single, "Have Ya Seen Her", will premiere at Play Lounge on Thursday, August 7th. PLAY Lounge, one of New York City's most elegant and exciting venues that combines sports and the nightlife.
R&B singer David Alexander who goes by the name "Dave Al" has a throwback style with a new-school spin. Dave Al's music speaks to life's struggles, and celebrates its joyous times. The young crooner’s has been honing his tenor-baritone voice since he first took an interest in music and the performing arts at the tender age of 8. Dave Al, began his career as a member of the R&B Group Project 718 and subsequently signed a recording contract with Capitol Records. During his time with the group Dave Al was afforded the opportunity to tour the country and open for legendary acts such as Faith Evans, Dru Hill. And songwriting collaborations with legends like Mario Winans, Bink!, and Adonis Strophsphere. Now a Solo artist Dave Al is ready to embark on the journey to stardom. His debut single “Have You Seen Her” is a certified summer anthem that expresses a yearning for completion found when one finds their soul mate.PLAY Lounge is an upscale venue that combines the sports bar feel and the nightclub to create a unique and enjoyable experience for its patrons. PLAY Lounge offers great cocktail selections a full kitchen as well as a hot dance floor. For recreation PLAY Lounge houses four bowling lanes, eight pool tables, Ping Pong, and Foosball.This event is powered by Adante Ace & Tastemaker Events featuring an open bar for all ladies and music by the hottest new club deejay in New York City Dj Chris Dollar. Play Lounge is located at 77-17 Queens BLVD, Elmhurst, New York 11373 We invite you to come out and enjoy wonderful event. RSVP with Tastemakerevents@Gmail.com

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Sony/ATV's Martin Bandier Repeats Warning to ASCAP, BMI

Sony/ATV Music Publishing sent a letter to its songwriters in the last day, updating them on where the company stands with regards to performance rights, re-iterating Martin Bandier's intention to withdraw from the two U.S. major performing rights organizations and also reveals the news that the company is appealing both the ASCAP and BMI Pandora rate court rulings.
The major music publishers have long complained that they don't get market-share royalty rates from digital music services and, as a way to change that, began withdrawing digital rights from ASCAP and BMI. But the judges in both the ASCAP and BMI rate-setting lawsuits ruled that publishers must be either all-in or all-out.

In other words, if they want to do direct licensing for digital services, they have to do it for everyone. The judges said that the consent decrees which the two PROs operate under does not allow partial withdrawals.

After those rulings, the publishers and PROs reached out to the Dept. of Justice, asking them to review the consent decrees with the goal of having them amended to allow partial withdrawals.
Most publishers would rather not withdraw from the PROs because replicating general licensing for the hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of businesses that use music in their stores, bars, planes, hotels and clubs, would be extremely costly.

Nevertheless, Sony/ATV chairman and CEO Bandier says that, if it turns out that his appeal asking the rate courts to allow partial withdrawal or if the U.S. Dept. of Justice doesn't revise the consent decrees, then the company is "exploring other options, including the potential complete withdrawal of all rights from ASCAP and BMI."


In the letter to Sony/ATV's songwriters, Bandier wrote: "It is our hope that the DOJ and appeals process will recognize the benefits and fairness produced by partial withdrawals of performance rights."

If that occurs, then they could use ASCAP and BMI for collective licensing, where it makes sense.
"That being said, because the DOJ and legal process is not fully within our control, we may have no alternative but to take all of our rights out of ASCAP and BMI," the letter continues. "We recognize that full withdrawal is a significant step and we are carefully looking at all of the issues associated with this, including speaking with potential partners to assist us."

In an interview, Bandier said he is optimistic that the DOJ review will result in the consent decree being amended so Sony/ATV won't have to withdraw from the PROs to attain higher rates.
He pointed out that Rihanna's song "Diamonds" had 52 million streams, but the four songwriters were only paid $78,000 ($0.0015 per stream). That payment amount "doesn't make sense," he said.
With mechanical rates on the decline, and with digital streaming -- both passive and on-demand -- growing that performance rights become even more important, Bandier argued. "Sadly, the rates that are paid in that area are not equitable or adequate," Bandier said. "Its like writers' 401k's are being wiped out."


By Ed Christman

Click For Full Article

http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/publishing/6157469/sonyatvs-martin-bandier-repeats-warning-to-ascap-bmi

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5 Signs You’re Going To Make It Big One Day

We’ve all got dreams of making it ‘big’ one day, but how many of us actually follow through with those dreams? We make excuses for our lack of success, saying things like, “Life got in the way,” or “I can’t handle anymore rejection. ”But not you! You’re on the fast-track to fame and success. Or are you? Think you’ve got what it takes to make it big? Here are some signs you’re right:

1. You’ve Got A Dream (A Big One!)

What’s your vision? What do you want to accomplish? What are your hopes and dreams? Having a dream – even if it’s a little vague – is crucial for success. Before you can start your journey, you need to have a goal in mind!

In the words of Walt Disney, "If you can dream it, you can do it." (And before you can do it, you've got to dream it!)

2. You’ve Got A Road Map, But You're Prepared To Take Detours

They say success is where preparation and opportunity meet. So, when opportunity comes ‘a knockin,’ you’re going to want to have your plan already in place. Think of it as your road map to making it big!

What steps do you need to take to get where you want to be? Who do you need to know? What skills do you need to have?
But, let's be real here, nothing EVER goes exactly according to plan. You need to be able to adapt to whatever life throws at you. Think of those things as detours. They're not a huge deal as long as you figure out how to get back on the main road!

3. You’re Extremely Curious

You need to have an innate fascination with whatever it is you’re working toward. You've got to learn as much as you can about the industry, the people, the culture, and so on. You need to want to be consumed by it. You've got to understand the problems and be excited about finding solutions. You’ve got to be passionate, excited, and curious about all areas of the biz.

When Larry King made his debut in radio, he made a point to become consumed in the biz. In addition to doing his own show, he did the weather reports, the sports updates, and the news broadcasts. He even volunteered to fill in in for people who were out sick, and took on double shifts.
Why? He wanted to learn all there was to know about the biz. He wanted to practice. He wanted to be good at what he did. The only way to do that was to explore and go above and beyond what was asked of him. He called it "taking extra batting practice."

4. You’re A Little Cocky (Just A Little)

If you really want to make it, you’ve got to have confidence in yourself and your abilities. Without confidence, you can so easily get crushed by negativity and criticism – things you will have to deal with once you hit the spotlight.

You have to be confident. You have to trust yourself. And you have to have a deep understanding that you’re going to make it. For actress Jennifer Lawrence, that understanding came at a young age.
“I always knew that I was going to be famous,” she told Vogue magazine. “I honest to God don't know how else to describe it. I used to lie in bed and wonder: ‘Am I going to be a local TV person? Am I going to be a motivational speaker?’ It wasn't a vision. But as it's kind of happening, you have this buried understanding: Of course.”

5. You Realize Failure Is A Minor Setback, Not A Game Changer

If you’re even thinking about making it big one day, the word “quit” can’t be in your vocabulary. In the end, you don’t succeed because you don’t fail; you succeed because you don’t give up. The second you quit, you’ve lost.

Take Michael Jordan, for example. He has a famous quote, "I've failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed." The only reason he succeeded was because he didn't let those failures discourage him to the point of quitting. Why? Because he realized his failures were only minor setbacks - not game changers.

I guarantee you that everyone you look up to has failed at one point or another, but did that stop them from picking themselves back up and moving forward? No way, Jose. And that’s why they’re successful.

By. Ariella Coombs (http://www.careerealism.com)
Twitter: @AriellaCoombs
Click for Original Article

https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140619132958-79588522-5-signs-you-re-going-to-make-it-big-one-day


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Super Producer Walter Hype Hall to design apparel for this week’s ASCAP Awards in Los Angeles

Super Producer Walter "HYPE" Hall turns fashion designer, teams with Young Yacht Owners to design apparel for this week's ASCAP Awards


As if Walter Hype Hall’s resume wasn’t full enough, with him providing musical backdrops for today’s Hip Hop heavyweights such as Fabolous and Fat Joe. As well as producing theme music for Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs Revolt TV and Oxygen’s hit series Bad Girls Club. Hype now adds clothing designer to his ever growing list of accomplishments. Walter Hype Hall has been tapped by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and rising clothing label Young Yacht Owners to assist in designing and executing their cross collaboration effort. The custom designed shirts and hoodies will be apart of this weekend’s invite only 2014 ASCAP Music award.

“Its an honor and a privileged to work alongside such prestigious companies such as ASCAP and Young Yacht Owners. I’m excited to see my efforts come to fruition ” – Walter HYPE Hall

About ASCAP

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), a membership association of more than 500,000 US composers, songwriters, lyricists and music publishers of every kind of music. Through agreements with affiliated international societies, we also represent hundreds of thousands of music creators worldwide. We are the only US performing rights organization created and controlled by composers, songwriters and music publishers, with a Board of Directors elected by and from our membership.

We protect the rights of ASCAP members by licensing and distributing royalties for the non-dramatic public performances of their copyrighted works. Our licensees encompass all who want to perform copyrighted music publicly. We make giving and obtaining permission to perform music simple for both creators and music users.

About Walter “HYPE” Hall

Hailing from Hackensack, New Jersey via Lower East Side, NYC, Walter "HYPE" Hall has proven to not only be a multi-talented creator but a scholar of music and the arts. Getting his start on trumpet at the age of 11, HYPE matriculated through school, teaching himself the drums and the piano in the process. HYPE has played in churches ranging from local to mega-size and has worked as a drum tech for many people ranging from Lauryn Hill to Living Colour, Over the years, be has also developed HYPE-Life.TV a VLOG series that he shoots, directs, and edits himself in order to show people what he was never shown-the journey. His Journey. He also serves as President of an Indie Label based out of NYC, Hollatainment Records, currently rolling out Rapper "Tenn Stacks" projects. He also has his own company that covers everything from Studio & live Touring Teching to Video/Audio Services, HYPE Music Shop Some may say HYPE wears many hats, but if you ask him, this is' the only the beginning

About Young Yacht Owners

Young Yacht Owners supplies unique luxury lifestyle apparel. Founded in 2012, Young Yacht Owners started out as a vision to inspire ambition to those seeking wealth and success through most endeavors of life. Primarily the idea was to start a line that catered to the wealthy, through custom and quality fabric, but the intentions of Young Yacht Owners became more conscious, now catering to both the wealthy and those who aspire to become successful YYO is a brand of inspiration and elite classic apparel.

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Dame Dash and Cam’ron to Open New Restaurant in New York

Harlem natives Dame Dash and Cam’ron are partnering up outside the hip-hop world to put their business smarts to use with their latest venture to open a restaurant in Brooklyn.

Damon Dash took to his Instagram to reveal his latest project, posting pictures of the inside and outside of his new establishment Dish, which will be a Mediterranean restaurant.
While there’s no word on when the restaurant will open, the hip-hop businessman, who also owns a Manhattan art gallery called Poppington, revealed that the duo also plans to open a lounge called Dash.

In addition to expressing his excitement to expand his brand, the 43-year-old also got honest about some of the business challenges the two may face as owners and posted the below pic of the restaurant saying, “Always excited about new biz… I don’t expect it to be easy probably a cash flow problem here and there but I love the fight…it’s the life I choose I love the challenge #dishcomingsoon.”


By Courtney Connley (For Blackenterprise.com)
Click for Original Article:

http://www.blackenterprise.com/small-business/damon-dash-camron-open-restaurant-brooklyn/

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#LBIndieSongOfTheWeek: "Choosin' " By Jayy Starr

Jayy Starr is a talented hip hop artist from South Central L.A. You can definitely hear the LA influence in her music. Jayy Starr has a mean flow and is a very versatile songwriter. "Choosin'" is a great record about the ups and downs of relationships check it out..

Via Spate Magazine (@SpateMag)

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@JayyStarr


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8 questions to ask before you design your website

When clients or friends tell me they plan to design a new website, I get curious and excited. What colors are they going to go with? What are their SEO goals? What layout are they using?

Creating a personal or business website requires serious thought and attention. There’s a lot more to it than deciding what font you plan to use. To help people who are starting a business and are looking to build a public face of a new organization or those looking to redesign be a bit less overwhelmed, here are some crucial questions they can ask themselves before, and while, creating the new website design.

1. What is the purpose of your website?

It seems obvious, but knowing the true purpose of your website will determine everything that it does and how it looks. Make sure you lay out clear objectives and goals for your website before you start on the design.

2. What will your domain name be?

Your website title should be easy to remember. Also make sure you know which domain will be appropriate (.net, .com, etc.).

3. What technology will you use for your website design?

Find a platform you’re familiar with and that is easy to use. (I recommend WordPress and/or HTML5.) If you understand how to do the basic coding, then you can make minor edits without the help of a website designer.

4. What will your content be?

A personal website will usually have content that is more about blogging and personal tastes and interests. A business website will feature content about the business itself: An “About Us” page, a blog, contact information, and pages devoted to products and/or services. It’s essential to feature content that is SEO focused, such as vivid images, creative videos, and keyword-friendly copy.

5. Who is your audience?

Every website design is a little different, and you can always tell those who know their audience well and those who don’t. Website designers who understand their audience use appropriate colors, targeted SEO (keywords, images and videos perfect for that audience), and a clean, uncluttered layout. Make sure it’s immediately clear whom you’re trying to reach when your website pops up.

6. Is your website viewable in all browsers?

Your website should not become distorted depending on the type of browser someone is using. Be sure to test your new website on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer.

7. What social media channels will you promote?

Linking to your social media accounts will not only boost website traffic, it will also give you major SEO points.

8. How will you track your website traffic?

You can’t increase SEO if you’re not clear about where you have to make changes. Try using Google Analytics to see where you can improve and where you’re doing well. These are just a handful of the many questions and decisions that go into building a website, whether it’s for personal or business purposes. What other questions do you think are important?

By Paige McDaniel (For PRDaily.com)

Click for Original Article

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/16670.aspx


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7 ways to enchant your audience

Do you ever bring audience members on stage, or ask for the audience's help? Doing so could make you their new favorite speaker.

How can you go beyond the usual efforts to create a successful presentation and enchant your audience? What are the secrets to creating magic with a speech?
Here are seven ways to take your speech beyond the ordinary. Some of them will be familiar, but hopefully at least one will be new to you, and help you connect with your audience better:


1. Tell a story. "Of course I tell stories," you're thinking. But do you make your whole speech a story? You probably just drop in the occasional anecdote.
Think about the standard Hollywood three-act structure. Do you raise the ante a third of the way through your talk, and then again two-thirds of the way through? Do you introduce conflict and suspense? Do you keep the audience on tenterhooks until the final curtain?
If you don't, you're not using storytelling the way you should to create forward momentum and suspense in a speech.


2. Involve the audience. The sweetest sound just about anyone can hear is the sound of his or her name. So, bring members of the audience in as examples, testimonials, subjects, exemplars of excellence and so on. Cite them, call them out and use them as the heroes of your stories. You'll have to do your homework to make this technique work, but the results will certainly justify the effort.


3. Bring the audience on stage. The most vivid and memorable form of audience involvement is to bring someone from the group onstage and have them do something relevant and fun. This technique should always be voluntary or arranged in advance—don't drag an unwilling person on stage with you.


4. Engage the audience in a unique way.There are few greater thrills rock bands can give their audiences then to play a song for the first time, or bring someone famous on stage to jam with them. Consider what the speaker equivalent would be. What can you do to give the audience a one-of-a-kind experience?


5. Poll the audience.Audiences today expect to participate. So, let them. Ask for their help in choosing or deciding something. It's not fair to expect audiences to create something from scratch and have it be of high quality, so don't ask them to come up with a name for something unless you can get them to pick from a list.


6. Enlist the audience's help. Get the audience to sign up for your cause. Get audience members to pledge to a worthwhile effort or commit to a goal. Get them to donate time, help or work. Audiences love when you ask for their help—as long as you do it in the right way—so don't be shy. First engage them with the worthiness of the cause, and then enlist them in the effort.



7. Thank the audience. What the speaker shares with an audience is a gift, and even the dullest speaker deserves appreciation. Similarly, the audience gives the speaker the gift of attention. Thank the audience when you're done. Give them a code, coupon, discount-some kind of present to show your appreciation. Say thank you, and mean it.
Every audience is an opportunity to connect and build community in ways that go beyond the usual handouts and slides. Stretch yourself as a speaker, and figure out something unique for each audience. You and your audience will be glad you did.

By Nick Morgan (For Ragan.com)


Click for Original Article

http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/48424.aspx#


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#LBIndieSongOfTheWeek: Tifa "Bak it Up"

 

Recently named by Largeup.com among the Top 10 Reggae/Dancehall Greatest Lady Deejays, Tifa has released her latest single via Island Kings Recordsb "Bak it Up" Produced by Sean "Due" Lashley formally of MBK Entertainment & GoodthymeClick/MaxaMusic Group

This is a Hot Dancehall Tune that will be burning up the clubs this summer


Log on to www.islandkingsrecords.com
Follow on Twitter
@ItsTheTifa
@Islandkingsrec

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You Need A Social Media Manager On Your Team

There is added value in having a strategist and a communicator representing your company's brand

There are two job titles floating around the business world: social media manager and community manager. While they bear similarities, a community manager is the public face of brands, interacting with a community and generating buzz for their companies. A social media manager is a strategist and communicator, with the ability to measure and analyze effectiveness. Large companies will have both an SM and CM, while startups and small businesses are lucky to be able to fulfill even one of those positions.

Many small business owners have adopted a “do-it-myself” mentality when it comes to social media. This just leads to greater burn out. The reality is that you need someone on your team –be it a social media manager, a community manager, or a combination of the two–who represents your company on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google, etc., and who is responsible for responding to comments/questions.

Below are just a few reasons why your business needs team member handling social media:

Act As Voice of the Brand. You want to have someone who is charged with managing your brand’s social media accounts in order to generate traffic and conversations. They’re the voice of the brand and act as the brand, not as their own persona. Also, this is the person who would work to create or add to the community, by generating leads and sales.

Create and Manage Accounts. This includes developing and posting content, such as Facebook updates, Twitter messages, and Instagram photos. Also, this is about following and interacting with other social media accounts, especially “influencers” and “thought leaders” in your field.

Share Video Content. If you have YouTube, a social media manager would post videos, respond to comments, and interact with other YouTube accounts, including commenting on their content and adding their videos to your company account’s playlists.

Increase SEO. In the social media training process, a strong manager will understand what it takes to boost SEO and improve your search rank. They will be able to create unique content and be able to navigate through search engines and other social media platforms that will help your company’s productivity.

Build Campaigns. This person also should be able to develop campaigns and strategies from the ground up and to see through the company’s social media endeavors. He or she should have the proper social media training to monitor campaigns in order to see what is working or what is not working and strive to improve the company’s online presence.

Focus On Automation. You want someone on board with social media training who is well-versed in different management tools and strategies (apps and content automation tools) to maintain a strong online presence for your company.

Monitor Trends. You also want someone who can stay ahead of the game by focusing on social media trends and researching best practices. This person should be able to implement new techniques for boosting your company’s online reputation and progress.

Manage Company Reputation. In the social media world, this means monitoring location listings like Google+ Local as well as tracking and responding to mentions of your company’s name and relevant keywords and reviews on sites like Yelp and Foursquare that get pushed to Twitter. A social media manger would respond to reviews as needed.


by Carolyn M. Brown  (For BlackEnterprise.com)

Click For Original Article

http://www.blackenterprise.com/small-business/you-need-a-social-media-manager-on-your-team/


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What ‘Game of Thrones’ can teach about PR

HBO’s “Game of Thrones” provides its fans with compelling and nail-biting entertainment through intricate plotlines and diverse characters.

With the hit series winding up its fourth season June 15, it occurred to me that in their quest to claim the Iron Throne, the various groups and characters could be the subject of one big old public relations case study.

Not convinced? Consider the following groups of characters and then decide whether we all can learn a thing or two from the fine citizens of Westeros.

(Note: I’m referring to the television series and not the books so there are no spoilers here—unless you haven’t caught up with season four.)

1. The White Walkers. Like a big, ominous corporation shrouded in mystery, no one exactly knows what these guys are up to, besides riding zombie horses and building a blue-eyed infant army with Craster’s sons. Theories abound on what their role will be as the series progresses, with some even saying the White Walkers are actually the misunderstood heroes. No one is really sure, though.

Unfortunately, when you don’t communicate your group’s mission clearly and regularly, that information gap breeds fear. In the White Walkers’ case, a little friendly interaction could go a long way.

2. The Lannisters. Rich and powerful, the Lannister family gets props for having a clear-cut vision and executing it to near perfection, but they aren’t winning any People’s Choice awards, either. From pushing kids out windows to false imprisonment, the Lannisters are alienating their target audience and losing followers in their quest to control the message.

This approach works for them now because they have power and intimidation on their side, but it’s a classic case of winning the battle and losing the war. A Lannister might always pay his debts, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of turning off supporters.

3. The Starks. The noble and righteous Starks may be the antithesis of the Lannisters, but they’re not doing themselves any favors. So often ruled by emotion rather than logic, the Starks rush into situations and make rash decisions before fully weighing the consequences.

For instance, Ned Stark went to Cersei Lannister with the discovery that her kids are actually the result of conscious coupling with her brother and are not, in fact, the legitimate heirs to the throne. Catelyn Stark impulsively agreed to her son’s arranged marriage in order to cross a bridge. Then Robb Stark ignored the contract. Probably not the best ideas, guys.

4. Daenerys Targaryen. Dany got a tough start in life—what with being exiled with her jerky brother, an arranged marriage barely into her teens, and losing her unborn son and husband at the same time—but the girl’s got dragons. Talk about turning lemons into lemonade.

Dany understands she has a lot to learn if she’s going to be an effective leader and (mostly) listens to her advisors, who provide valuable information about the needs and wants of her target public. (Catapulting boxes of collars and chains from a slave kingdom she liberated to another slave kingdom? Brilliant.) This season, she wisely has chosen to focus on connecting with her audience through good, old-fashioned, two-way communication. With luck, she’ll continue to engage her target public and earn their trust.

5. The Night’s Watch. Yeah, we’ve all been there. You know there’s a lurking danger, whether it’s your brand’s competition, a grass-roots opposition effort, or even the shortcomings of your own product. You warn your superiors, but your pleas fall on deaf ears.

Jon Snow must have felt the same frustration this season when he tried to tip off his fellow Night’s Watchmen about the imminent attack led by Mance Rader and his Wilding army. Equipped with firsthand knowledge about the inner workings of the army, Jon said the Night’s Watch had better prepare for the worst-case scenario, but he was told he knows nothing.

Maybe it’s the isolating 700-foot-high wall that makes them feel safe, but ignoring warning signs while basking in the glow of smug superiority is a recipe for disaster. Always have a crisis communications plan, just in case.

By: Tara Erwin (For PRDaily.com)
Twitter: @Terwin

Click for Original Article:

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/16740.aspx

 

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#LBIndieSongOfTheWeek: Amy Lynn & The Gunshow - Don't Trip On The Glitter

Amy Lynn & The Gunshow - Dont Trip On the Glitter

 

 

Amy Lynn & The Gunshow is a seven-piece machine that blows glitter all over the traditional memphis-motown soul/rock style. At the controls is Amy Lynn, a vocal powerhouse whose unique flair of quirky, down-to-earth humor countervails against the serious musicianship of The Gunshow’s team of bari sax, tenor sax, trumpet, keys, bass, and drums. Both together and apart, members of The Gunshow draw on a range of experience playing for acts such as Roberta Flack, Spoon, Bette Midler, Red Baraat, St. Vincent, The National, Yo La Tengo, Loser's Lounge, Duffy, Antibalas, and the Radio City Orchestra.

Check them out

@AmyLynnGunshow

 

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L&B Consultation: is a full service Multimedia Marketing & Consulting
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Sean Diddy Combs is Schooling Tomorrows CEOs

Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group founder and CEO Sean “Diddy” Combs is schooling young people on entrepreneurship. Combs has partnered with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), which empowers at-risk youth through entrepreneurship education.

Combs’ brand Sean John is a sponsor of NFTE’s World Series of Innovation, an annual event that sparks young people across the globe to devise groundbreaking products and services. Last year, he supported the organization’s Dare To Dream Auction, which benefited greatly from celebrity entrepreneurs like Combs offering their expertise through a business coaching session. Combs not only mentored one of the winners but also provided feedback on the teen business from his senior leadership team across brands. Additionally, the hip-hop mogul put up his money, donating $250,000 to NFTE to help future CEOs achieve their entrepreneurial dreams.

More than 500,000 students have completed NFTE courses since Steve Mariotti founded the nonprofit in 1987. NFTE supports active programs in 18 U.S. states and 11 countries around the world.

“I believe all young people should be given the opportunity to be successful and to pursue their passions and NFTE gives all kids the tools they need to be the CEOs of their future,” said the 44-year-old Combs in a released statement. He advises youth to “hold onto your dreams because hard work pays off.” Don’t be discouraged but “be realists” when dealing in business, added Combs. “The economy is not really protective of the future and so (young people) have to deal with the reality. It’s harder out there than ever so you have to be smarter than ever have more tenacity, be relentless.”
NFTE is good at convincing inner-city kids that their street smarts can be applied in the classroom, Combs told BusinessWeek.com during an interview. “I’m the poster child for that,” he said. When asked about how well of a job the U.S. is dong teaching entrepreneurship, Combs responded “I don’t know if we’re so much teaching entrepreneurship as people are taking their futures into their own hands. It’s hard for people to find jobs out there right now, and through those rough times, you have people who are going to quit, and you have people who are going to fight. I think that what’s happening is people are discovering different opportunities in their communities and understanding that if they have a good product, or have something that people want or need, they can take responsibility and accountability for their futures.”

In response to if entrepreneurship is something that can be taught, Combs said: “I think especially with kids from the inner city, they’re natural-born entrepreneurs, because they have to figure out how to survive. So they have it in their DNA. An organization like this can show them that they have it inside of them and can show them how to relate what they’re learning in school to their street smarts and street savvy.”

What’s a lesson someone taught him as a young entrepreneur? “It’s a little cliché, but someone taught me, if it doesn’t make dollars, it doesn’t make sense,” he said. “That was after I went through a year where I had lost a lot of money—it was during the start of a recession, and I wasn’t sensitive to the economic climate. I wasn’t paying attention to what was going on in the world. If it’s raining outside, if it’s snowing—you have to know what the climate is in whatever space. I was in the retail space, I didn’t prepare for the storm. The world isn’t perfect, so plan accordingly.”

As to whether or not high school entrepreneurs better off going to college or learning through the experience of running a business, Combs said that it all depends on which business. “If you’re interested in engineering, I’d say, go to college. If you’re interested in finance, go to college. But there are other fields where you can get more value out of the experience of working. You might be better off working for free, or paying yourself,” he explained.

Combs made this year’s Forbes Five list of the wealthiest hip-hop acts with his net worth at $700 million. He reportedly is pushing ever closer to the billion-dollar mark thanks mostly to non-musical ventures. His newly-launched Revolt TV provides him with a majority equity stake that could one day make him hip-hop’s first billionaire. His other ventures include a deal with Diageo ’s Ciroc that entitles him to eight-figure annual payouts and a nine-figure windfall if the brand is ever sold.

by Carolyn M. Brown (For Blackenterprise.com)

Read Full Article

http://www.blackenterprise.com/small-business/sean-diddy-combs-is-schooling-tomorrows-ceos/

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6 PR lessons from Mr. T

I didn't know it at the time, but many of the lessons that have shaped who I am today came from the TV shows I watched as a kid. In some cases those shows taught me a bit about my future career, too.
Yes, I am saying I learned PR lessons from '80s television.
Those of us who grew up in the '80s recall our favorite sitcoms with great pleasure; they were full of heartwarming, yet humorous, life lessons. As a child growing up on an apple orchard miles from town, TV meant the five channels that came in via a rabbit-ear antenna. But it was all I needed for hours and hours of Saturday morning cartoons and an endless number of sitcoms.
Of these, one of my favorites was "Silver Spoons." Starring the great Ricky Schroder as Ricky, "Silver Spoons" began running in 1982 when I was 10 years old. During the fourth episode we were introduced to a celebrity who would become a childhood hero: Mr. T.
Here are a few PR lessons from the great Mr. T:

1. Stay on message.
"First name 'Mr.,' middle name 'period' and last name 'T'!"
Mr. T played a bodyguard whom Ricky's father hired to protect Ricky from a bully. In an inspired scene, Mr. T shows up to class to protect Ricky and has a run in with the teacher who inquires about his name. Mr. T's response was simply brilliant: "First name 'Mr.,' middle name 'period' and last name 'T'!"

There you have it: a PR lesson from Mr. T. In that statement, Mr. T exemplified the art of staying on message. Sure, he could have offered a long answer about how his real name was Laurence Tread, but as a professional bodyguard he was known as Mr. T. But that sort of explanation didn't make sense for Mr. T's character or brand. He needed a clever, terse and funny response-and he delivered.

2. Words matter.
"Love is a verb… and verbs show action."
Mr. T, let's be clear: "Love" is also a noun, but we get your point. Love is not just a word—it's an action. OK, yes, that is a life lesson rather than a PR lesson, but the PR lesson is that words matter. Mr. T had a true hold on words and used them well. While he could be brief, he was on message and usually made sense. He clearly stated his point in a manner that even children understood.

3. Don't miss a big opportunity because of cost.
"You gonna lose a deal over $35? That's chump change! My lunch cost $35!"
The PR lesson here is simple: Some things are not free, so don't lose a story or deal based on minor expenses. Sure, none of us want to pay for PR—earned media is our holy grail—but we should never think of PR as free. Earned media is earned. With that in mind, we always need to be willing to absorb a cost, whether it be it dollars or time, to get the results we want.
If something costs more than you expect but the value of the story is high, don't miss out. For example, when I was in consumer product PR, I cannot tell you how many times I rushed to FedEx to get my package into the last overnight shipment to make sure my product was in the hands of a producer or reporter the next morning. The cost was high, both in shipping fees and time spent rushing to the airport terminal, but the reward-often as awesome as a "Today Show" feature-was almost always worth the trouble.

4. Don't hate your competition.
"No, I don't hate Balboa, but I pity the fool."
This is fantastic Mr. T advice from "Rocky III." We have competition, but we should never be haters. Always take the high road.
When you are neck-and-neck with the competition for coverage, or featured side-by-side in a story, never hate. Just love them for making you a more competitive person, and then pity them because you are awesome and will obviously win.

5. Stay focused.
"I got no time for the jibba-jabba."
This is good advice, Mr. T. The life of a PR pro is very busy; we do not have time for distractions or "jibba-jabba." We need to stay focused and save the idle conversation for later. And as any good PR pro knows, jibba-jabba can often lead to over-sharing and going off message. We certainly don't want that.

6. Face your fears.
"I ain't getting on no plane, Hannibal!"
On "The A-Team" (another great TV show of the '80s), Mr. T learned one lesson time and time again: Face your fears. B. A. Baracus, his character on the show, was terrified of flying on planes, and the other characters often tricked him into flying. Every time, Mr. T realized it wasn't so bad. He didn't usually admit it when things worked out, but you could see he knew it inside. I always believed he was proud that he'd tackled a fear.
PR folks need to confront their fears every day. Our fears are wide and varied, ranging from the fear of rejection when pitching to the fear of public speaking or failing on a project. But we can, and must, overcome them. Face the fear head on.

By Marc Cowlin (for PRDaily.com)

Click For Original Article

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/16730.aspx#



About us:
L&B Consultation: is a full service Multimedia Marketing & Consulting
company focusing on publicity, radio promotion,
brand identification, brand management

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