You've probably heard a thousand times that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a valuable and essential digital marketing tool. But do you know how it works and how your organization can reap its benefits? In this episode of Messaging on a Mission, we dive into the importance of SEO and how to implement best practices to make your brand more discoverable than ever online.

Key Takeaways

Who your audiences are, where you can find them, and how to get your brand in front of them are the aspects of digital marketing that everyone in charge of an organization should know about. Do your research to understand who your audiences are and the best way to reach them.

Keyword, search phrase, or query is whatever you're searching on Google. It can be as many words or as few words as you like. The longer the keyword is, the better it is, but the fewer people search for it.

Knowing the right things to do, how to get started, where to go, and staying up to date with SEO best practices are the challenges small organizations have when they think about SEO.

There are several digital marketing strategies to get traffic to a website. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is advertising running paid ads, while SEO (organic, free listings) is a way to get free traffic.

Not-for-profit organizations should spend some time thinking about SEO optimization to avoid missing out on potential eyeballs that could be seeing their organizations and learning more about them.

When thinking about SEM, determine how much you're willing to spend to make a profit. Then play around and test it all out to see what works. Push more money into that and pull money away from what's not working.

Some of the best practices to implement when optimizing your website for SEO include: (1) adding more text to every page on your website, (2) writing for the readers and not for Google, (3) keeping the content original, (4) including keywords naturally, (5) getting quality backlinks, and (6) improving visibility by placing your content at the top of the page

Be patient, and don't try to be deceptive. Digital marketing takes time, so don't expect immediate results. Also, be very careful with backlinks. Build backlinks from sites related to you and avoid building the wrong type of backlinks, as they can harm your SEO.

To get backlinks, invest in an SEO tool, research your competitors, find the ones that are authoritative and relevant to your brand and figure out what they do to get the backlinks. If you've got a list of places where you'd love them to link to your site, reach out to them.

You need Google Analytics to know how traffic behaves on your website and what happens after it leaves and gets to your website. However, since google algorithm updates change constantly, you may need to click and look everywhere on Google Analytics to learn about all the information you need.

About Our Guest

Brandon Leibowitz is the founder of SEO Optimizer - a digital marketing company that focuses on helping small and mid-sized businesses get more online traffic, which converts into clients, sales, leads, etc. He got his start in digital marketing in 2007 after graduating from college with a degree in Business Marketing. since the past 14 years, he has been helping websites rank higher on Google using SEO strategies. I am certain that he has plenty of expertise in the business world that we can apply to any organization, whether they are for profit or not for profit.

Useful Links

https://seooptimizers.com/

https://seooptimizers.com/gift

Kim Sorrell discusses her book, Love Is, which is about her year-long quest to figure out the true meaning of love. She talks about that journey and what she’s learned about leading with love and incorporating it into your message. 

Episode Guest(s):

Kim Sorrelle is an entrepreneur, director of a humanitarian organization, a popular speaker, and the author of two books. Her first book, Cry Until You Laugh is about her breast cancer experience and her husband's battle with pancreatic cancer after being diagnosed four months apart. Her second book, Love Is, chronicles her year-long quest to figure out the true meaning of love, a sometimes funny, sometimes scary, always enlightening journey that led to life-changing discoveries found mainly on the streets of Haiti. 

Key Takeaways:

Love is walking, talking, breathing, living, and giving. It is all-encompassing. It is part of your being. It is your being. So when you understand that love is so much more than a feeling that you get, I think that's when you can start to understand what love truly is.

Instead of WWJD (What Would Jesus Do), what if it was WWLD (What Would Love Do?), then you might come up with a different answer than what you think because love is 100% authentic.

To get love into your message, focus on people, not the numbers. The numbers don't mean much if there's no love involved.

For your message to sound authentic, you and your organization need to be authentic. When you love, authentically, when you truly care about people.

When messaging during the holidays, first look at your own space in your own life and what holidays mean to you, and where those triggers are that maybe you can get rid of. Then think of your campaign and what you want to project. What is the message that you want to deliver? Everybody's looking for dollars, but you want the right dollars. If you do it the right way, they come. It is a struggle, but making it real and being love, showing love in your message, separates you really from the past.

Useful Links:

Company website: https://www.kimsorrelle.com

Email: kim@kimsorrelle.com

https://www.facebook.com/Kim-Sorrelle-392015434145527

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-langlois-sorrelle-11079523/

https://www.instagram.com/kimsorrelle/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/Kim_Sorrelle

https://www.facebook.com/ksorrelle

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa097sxQXqa9Oafbay9FCiw

Book(s):   

Love Is

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Yearlong-Experiment-Living-Corinthians/dp/0825446740/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1640388089&sr=8-2

Cry Until You Laugh

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=cry+until+you+laugh+kim+sorrelle&crid=33PTBPU1QIXXV&sprefix=cry+unti%2Caps%2C104&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_8

For many, the topic of today’s episode ranks right up there with having a root canal, attending a party filled with multiple exes, or fighting city hall. Yet, speaking in public about the work of your organization is one of the most powerful tools for getting your message out in the world.  Our guest today gives us lots of concrete steps we can take to get better at public speaking.

Episode Guest(s):

Brenden Kumarasamy is the founder of MasterTalk; he coaches ambitious executives & entrepreneurs to become the top 1% of communicators in their industry. He also has a popular YouTube channel called MasterTalk, with the goal of providing free access to communication tools for everyone in the world.

Key Takeaways:

Origin of the fear of public speaking.

For most of us, school presentations are where we learn to speak in a formal setting, but we see it as a chore rather than a means of communication.

How to become comfortable speaking in public: 

You must understand that you cannot eliminate fear completely when it comes to presentations; instead, it is a dichotomy to manage. When you prioritize the message you want to convey over the fear you have, the whole process becomes easier.

Communication exercises to improve your game:

Pick a random word and create a presentation out of thin air. This helps you to think fast on your feet.

Think about a question you think the world would ask you about your expertise.

Make a list of about ten of your loved ones and send them a video of you appreciating them.

Reasons Introverts are better at communication than they realize:

They are better at pausing.

They are great listeners.

They are accessible.

Advice for people who aren’t comfortable with being the center of attention:

Practice having small conversations and getting instant feedback from people; this will help you build up toward being with a bigger audience.

Speaking to a camera is a lot different than speaking to an audience in person. You don’t have the energy from the audience when you’re presenting online, nor is there a need to alternate eye contact with the audience. You have to consciously keep your energy up to grab the attention of your listeners online.

Finally, prepare yourself every day by answering random questions; doing this helps you solve the problem of content and gives you time to focus on delivery.

Useful Links:

Company website: mastertalk.ca

Email: kumarasamy.brenden@gmail.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendenkumarasamy

YouTube: youtube.com/c/mastertalks

Crises occur when they're least expected, which is why crisis communications are necessary for every organization. Although life would be so much easier if emergencies arrived with a fair warning, you and your organization would be better off having an effective plan to help avoid catastrophe and permanent reputation damage.

In this episode of Messaging on a Mission, David Oates, a renowned Crisis PR expert, sheds light on how individuals and organizations can avoid potential PR disasters and reveals the best things to do during pre-crisis, crisis, and post-crisis situations.

Episode Guest(s):

David Oates has  more than 25 years of strategic public relations experience dealing with a wide array of adverse public events. Starting as a U.S. Navy Public Affairs Officer and later as a corporate Chief Marketing Officer and non-profit President, he excels in expertly addressing a myriad of crises spanning military, government, corporate, charity, and start-up environments. His crisis communications experiences include handling employee and executive misconduct, cybersecurity attacks, product recalls, mass layoffs, large-scale accidents, criminal investigations, and civil litigation matters.

Dave has authored three Amazon e-books and co-produced two LinkedIn Learning courses: Crisis Communication for HR and HR Communication in Today’s Fluid Workplace. He is an accredited PR specialist (APR) who received his MBA from San Diego State University in 2004 and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland in 1991.

Key Takeaways:

The biggest common mistakes organizations or individuals make during a crisis are: (1) being the last person to know when somebody's chattering about you online; (2) providing an inadequate response, such as responding angrily, overly emotionally, or not responding at all; (3) not following up.

Two cardinal rules in any crisis communication response are empathy and following up with action. Don't expect one statement, tweet, post, or press release is going to solve the matter.

Oftentimes, there's an element of truth in an accusation. You and your organization may become less credible, and restoring your reputation will become challenging when you don't address the element of truth in the accusation. However, with empathetic responses and regular follow-ups, you can quickly rectify the misunderstanding or repair a lot of damage.

Respond proactively during a pre-crisis state if the damage will hurt more when you hold back information or delay your response. During a crisis, deal with any negative media mentions immediately and consistently, as the damage it causes will only increase as time lapses.

Your employees can make or break anything you say publicly. Prioritize them during a crisis and convey the same empathetic and action-oriented message to empower them, as they can become powerful messengers for you.

If you're guilty as charged, own up to your mistake, be empathetic, take actions to fix the error, and avoid reoccurrence because you won't get to have a second chance to restore your reputation. Lawsuits may come regardless of whether you state an apology or not. However, apologizing will reduce your legal liability risk more often than not.

When you have to respond to a crisis but can't disclose certain information for legal or security reasons, tell them why you can't and what you're doing to support the event.

Always be prepared for a crisis. To do this: (1) figure out your top inherent risks and develop communication scenarios that align with your disaster recovery plans; (2) delegate responsibilities and minimize miscommunication; (3) train people who will be involved in the crisis management process; (4) occasionally go through disaster recovery drills and make crisis communications part of that.

Learn from the crisis, and make necessary adjustments to avoid recurrence. Monitor media outlets for potential risks so you won't be the last to know when your reputation is being called to question online.

Useful Links:

http://www.publicrelationssecurity.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidoates/

The idea of the annual report fills people with yawns, dread, and thoughts about practically anything else. It doesn’t have to be that way! In this episode of Messaging on a Mission, an expert explains why the annual report can not only be a powerful tool for telling your story and building your brand, but it can also supply your organization with great content to last you throughout the year!

Episode Guest(s):

Katharine Ramsden has helped leading organizations and their leadership teams tell their stories for over 30 years. Her career began as a research analyst at a consulting firm and, after earning a master's degree from the Columbia University School of Journalism, her career continued with positions in public relations, corporate communications, and executive communications for three Wall Street firms.

Following eight years as managing director of a boutique marketing research and communications consulting practice, she joined Thomson Reuters, where she served in a range of senior corporate communications, executive communications, thought leadership, and publishing roles for nearly a decade. Most recently, she has been an independent consultant serving a variety of clients in corporate, academic, and nonprofit organizations.

Her award-winning work has spanned annual reports, speechwriting, and the creation of thought leadership vehicles (white papers, publications) to build and enhance the reputation of organizations and their executives.

In addition to her master's degree from Columbia, she has a bachelor of arts in European studies from Mount Holyoke College.

Key Takeaways:

The best annual reports show, not tell. For example, use compelling infographics.

Tell real stories, by incorporating real people who are impacted or involved in the work. Use any combination of testimonials, case studies, client stories, or video interviews.

Highlight your mission and goals. Make the connection for your audience by weaving your mission and goals throughout the report.

Professional, custom photography and design elements and videography matter. Stock photography has its merits, and it can be cheaper, but custom imagery paints a more compelling and engaging branded experience.

Release your annual report in line with your calendar of events.

The best digital annual reports are virtual brand ambassadors. When your annual report is interesting, tells your story, and is user-friendly, it has the added benefit of adding validity to your overall brand credibility.

Less is more. Copy should be well written, with tight short paragraphs, well divided by headlines.

Do not over-emphasize your leadership and the board. Rather, focus on the work, the people who do the work, the people who benefit from the work.

Don't miss the opportunity to use and reuse annual report content across all your channels and throughout the year. Rather than thinking of it as a one-and-done, think about it as an opportunity to create content that can go the distance for you. It's more efficient, it's less expensive, and it's way more effective.

Useful Links:

Katharine Ramsden

https://www.linkedin.com/in/katharineramsden/

Great examples of annual reports

https://www.digdeep.org/annual-report-2021

https://annualreports.machildrensalliance.org/

For organizations to thrive, they have to have intergenerational teams and constituents. With that, however, can come to some unexpected communication challenges. Understanding how to speak to everyone based on their specific needs is the hallmark of good communication. In this episode of Messaging on a Mission, we hear about ways to make intergenerational communication clear and effective.

Episode Guest(s):

Peter Yawitz (peteryawitz.com) is the President of Clear Communication (clearcommunication.net) and founder, host, author, and advice columnist at Advice from Someone Else’s Dad (someoneelsesdad.com). He has been a communication coach, consultant, teacher, and facilitator for global organizations for over 30 years. For ten years before that, he was an eager young employee in fast-paced American workplaces wishing for advice on how to make smart work decisions and fit in. Today, he trains C-suite executives, managers, juniors, and teams around the world, helping them understand how to communicate, manage upward and sideways in a company, and navigate the personalities, priorities, and peculiarities of their workplaces.

The second edition of his award-winning book Flip-Flops and Microwaved Fish: Navigating the Dos and Don’ts of Workplace Culture (Greenleaf Book Group) was released and contained every piece of practical advice imaginable about how to communicate in a hybrid workplace. He won the Bronze Medal at the Axiom Book Awards and was a finalist at the Foreward Indies.

A native New Yorker, he received an undergraduate degree from Princeton University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Peter also won the 2005 Nightlight Award for Outstanding Musical Comedy Performance from the New York City cabaret, jazz, and comedy critics and the Backstage Magazine Bistro Award for comedy writing.

Writing Intentionally

Episode Summary:

Writing is an essential aspect of our lives since we learned our ABCs. We write every day; whether we’re drafting a document for our colleagues at work, writing an email to a client, or texting a loved one on Instagram, it is a unique skill.

However, it should be done purposefully. How do you pass your message with clarity if you’re writing for a group of people? This episode of Messaging on a Mission reveals insights from Erin Lebacqz – an expert in writing intentionally. She sheds light on how people can communicate clearly and gain confidence through their writing.

Episode Guest(s):

Erin Lebacqz helps people write with clarity, confidence, and emotional intelligence. Erin’s curriculum and book, High-Value Writing, captures Erin’s 25 years of experience working with business and academic writers worldwide. Her interactive sessions engage learners in purposeful discussions that respect learners’ desire for intellectual growth while also providing practical strategies they can immediately apply in the workplace.

Erin has trained and taught in the United States and Asia in the finance, manufacturing, trades, non-profit, higher education, healthcare, and public sectors. Clients have included the U.S. Forest Service, the European Commission, UC Davis, DeGorontalo Independent Media Outlet in Indonesia, Wuhan University in China, CalHR, city and county governments throughout California, and international customs agencies.

Erin developed her expertise in both the theory and practice of learning through twenty years of instructional and administrative service in public higher education in California, New Mexico, and abroad. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from UC San Diego, a Secondary Education Teaching Credential with an emphasis on intercultural and multilingual learning from San Jose State University, and a Master of Arts degree in Professional Writing from the University of New Mexico. She is a certified ICBI Intercultural Global Coach and a Master Trainer in workplace ESL using ELTS’ Peace Corps-endorsed Color Vowel Chart system and has won awards such as Inspirational Teacher of the Year. Erin is functionally bilingual in Spanish/English.

Key Takeaways:

Writing is situational. Your writing should be based on the reader and the situation, not on some random rules and norms.

There is not one correct way to write. You should implement different writing for different scenarios or circumstances.

You can have more impact on your voice when you write confidently and flexibly. Be the authority over your writing and analyze the situation to determine the purpose.

When you're writing to someone, you've got your reader or listener receiving your words in two ways with two different types of meaning. First, they'll get the informational meaning, and secondly, the emotional meaning.

If you’re writing to a large group of people, your writing should be clear, simple, and concise to remove ambiguity.

If your point might be contentious or unpleasant to the recipient, try longer, emotional writing to convey they message. You should opt for shorter, more concise writing when addressing other matters.

Useful Links:

Erin Lebacqz - High-Value Writing - https://www.highvaluewriting.com/

https://www.instagram.com/leebacks/?hl=en

https://www.cpshr.us/consultants/erin-lebacqz

When we think of the messages we send out in the world, we always think about the words. But how often do we think of photography? Not enough. Your message is more than what you say with vowels and consonants. It’s also about the story you tell, the emotions you show, and the authenticity you create with photography. In this episode of Messaging on a Mission we speak with renown photographer Joel Benjamin on how to think about photography when telling your story.

Episode Guest(s):

Joel Benjamin is a commercial and editorial photographer, known for his bright, authentic and energetic images and ideas.

A former advertising creative director, Joel has been shooting for over 25 years and has a busy studio in the Fort Point section of Boston.  Joel draws on his sense of style, color and honesty to compose striking images that capture the essence of the people and things he is shooting. Known for his ability to make everyone he works with comfortable, Joel works in a relaxed and collaborative way, ensuring images that tell a story and capture a moment.

His clients run the range from Drizly to Sara Campbell fashion from Biogen to Brown University.

Key Takeaways:

Compile a library of ideas to help inform current and future campaigns and keep everyone visually on the same page.

Always start with a shot list. If you budget eight minutes per shot, that can give you a sense of how long the day will run as well as help you prioritize.

At events, get all your photos done in the first few hours. No need to pay a photographer for the last hour, because one wants to see what happens toward the end!

If you use employees in your photoshoots, you must have them sign release forms, because employees move on and they don’t always leave their goodwill behind. 

If you have to use stock, seek out smaller stock agencies or really find a style of photography that you like and really pursue that, such as natural daylight.

When selecting from a group of similar shots, first weed out the ones that are not usable, then look for something special in the ones that are. Remember that there is rarely just one shot that will work better than all the others. Don’t worry about finding the perfect one every time.

During headshots, involve the subjects with the photographer’s work so they feel part of the process and are more at ease with the photographer’s work.

When looking for a photographer (if it’s not our guest Joel!), ask other people recommendations, look at websites and Instagram accounts.  It’s always good to have a meeting or phone call with the photographer to make sure you're all on the same page.

During a photoshoot, be open to where the day takes you.  Maybe there's going to be things more brilliant you haven't thought of, and that's really always a joy for everybody when you end up with something way more than you anticipated.

Useful Links:

Joel Benjamin

https://joelbenjamin.com

https://www.instagram.com/joelbphoto/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-benjamin-4734614/