Does anyone have a question? It’s a question speakers routinely ask at the end of any session. In my experience, it kills the conversation. An irony, because it’s designed to do the opposite. And I understand that. When I go to conferences, I never want to speak up first. It takes me back to the… Read more
It’s OK to get carried away. What I learned from my SiteVisibility interview.
Last week I was unnerved. I was a guest on the Internet Marketing Podcast. Produced by Site Visibility, it is one of the most popular internet marketing podcasts around. It’s been going since 2006, gets around 500-700 downloads every day and the total number of downloads has passed the 1 million mark. Turning the tables…. Read more
Yes, images can speak a thousand words. But you need the right photographer.
They’re used to being parachuted into any situation. They size it up in seconds and take shots that quickly capture the story. There’s no fuss. There’s no wavering. Blink and you’ll miss them – although they miss nothing, of course. Reading this back, I make them sound like a creative version of the SAS. And… Read more
Give your website a distinctive voice. Learn from the wireless. Part 2.
Got a degree? Forget everything you’ve learned about writing! At the time I was a bit put out. Yet the rule held good throughout my radio career. It’s still useful now, when I’m shaping companies’ stories for their websites. I’ll rewind. I’d started working at a BBC radio station. I’d just left university and was… Read more
Give your website a distinctive voice. Learn from the wireless. Part 1.
Good as far as it goes but remember your listener is just one person. It was the late 80s. The World Wide Web was only a twinkle in Tim Berners-Lee‘s eye. I was writing scripts for various BBC radio presenters. It was an early lesson that I had to learn quickly. My experienced colleague continued:… Read more
Brilliant Storytelling. Be Yourself
Whether they’re your clients or shareholders, colleagues or volunteers, audiences spot insincerity very quickly. If you worry that ‘being yourself’ means letting your guard down and forgetting the party line, don’t. Your audience will warm to you, and your organisation, when they see you speaking from the heart. Forget scripts. Be spontaneous. Tell a story… Read more
