Better webinars from the audience’s perspective
Photo: Stephan Ridgway (CC)
I’ve attended quite a few webinars lately. Most gave good information and ran smoothly. But I find with presentations of any type, we always have room for improvement.
I’d like to do more webinars down the road, and having one under my belt, I’d like to share my tips on making webinars as stellar as they can be.
Webinars can be an excellent way to present ideas and demonstrations, to connect with an audience yearning to learn and to generate qualified leads. They can also turn off a lot of visitors quickly, so let’s work to make them compelling and easy to follow.
• Keep the interface simple. I know some presenters are stuck with whatever enterprise solution the brand uses. One webinar I watched had five or six separate windows in one screen. It’s sufficient to have a single window for the presentation, with an optional second window to chat or send questions to the speaker.
• Put a microphone on the speaker. And if multiple speakers, panelists and moderators are on deck, each one should have her own microphone. Audio is the main vehicle, so why skimp on this critical channel?
• Be sensitive to the audience’s limited time. Most webinars I attended this past month didn’t give the most critical piece of information in the promotions or the introduction: the end time. I want to know if I’m signing up for a 30-minute commitment, 1 hour or longer. Pick a time limit, and stick to it.
• Answer the most important audience questions up front. That means in the promotion, in the registration, in the confirmation email or in the first 60 seconds live.
- Will the slides be posted?
- Will the video replay be posted?
- Will the speaker have a Q&A session? At what point?
- What is the speaker’s contact info? Include URL, email and Twitter account.
- What is the schedule? This can be a rundown of speaker start times or topics to be covered.
• Employ a producer. This person is critical to the success of a webinar. She keeps the speakers on schedule, handles the technical aspects, monitors audience questions and problems and frees up the speaker to shine. The producer runs at least one practice session in advance of the actual webinar to work out transitions, technical issues and flow. She should have a private channel to all speakers to guide them during the event.
• Use more slides or more demonstrations. Each new slide is a new opportunity to sustain an audience’s attention. The longer the screen remains static with a slide (no matter how lovely), the easier it is for an attendee to check his phone or email. That’s the hazard of webinars: We can’t see the audience. Combat the stillness with lots of slides and a brisk pace, or a live demonstration. (Personally, I’m not a fan of videos in webinars or onstage talks.)
Taking the time to make webinars better not only makes the speaker look better, but the brand, too. It gives the attendees incentive to sign up for the next webinar and to share what they learned with colleagues.
Don’t use the slides to hide poor preparation and lackluster presentation skills. Make the webinar the highlight of each guest’s day.
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More posts on holding better events.
For WordPress admins, a dangerous default setting
Photo: Lisa Risager (CC)
I’ve used WordPress for 11 years, with few headaches or hiccups.
It’s a great content management system and blogging platform, if properly maintained. But it has security vulnerabilities like any popular platform. Users with self-hosted WordPress sites should pay close attention.
For example, this open source software has regularly occurring updates, but like locks left unlocked, they’re no good unless actually implemented. I know that updating carries its own potential problems, namely breaking the site or a plugin or a theme. (I have survived these uncommon but still possible events.)
But one of the biggest vulnerabilities is a default setting on new installs (as I recall: It’s been a while since having a tech put in a new site from scratch). It’s the given suggested username, “admin.”
Tens of millions of sites are self-hosted WP sites, and I imagine many of them still have admin has a user, perhaps the only one. This user has full access to the entire site.
This gives potential hackers one less hurdle to overcome in seizing vulnerable sites. Combine that with weak passwords (such as “password” or “123456”) and it’s a huge security hole.
Do what I and millions of other users have done: Change from admin to a unique username. This requires creating a new account and deleting the admin account: Use the steps in this video.
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This WPBeginner post has two alternate methods.
Take a few minutes and fix this security hole today. The site you save could be your own.
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More posts on using WordPress.
The mommyblogger who dared speak her mind
A few weeks ago, popular mommyblogger Josi Denise published a 4,000-word rant that went viral.
The subject of her rant? Mommyblogging. Specifically, sponsored posts.
She explains the sheer misery of pumping out reviews of products and services on behalf of sponsors for her site, the American Mama, then calls out other blogs for also participating in the echo chamber of nonsense.
It’s a compelling read, one worth careful consideration, whether you’re a blogger, a brand manager or a marketer.
I’ve always admired mommybloggers (whether they use that label themselves or not) for their creativity, their communities and their time management. The moms I know are juggling so many things simultaneously that to produce a blog on top of all that is miraculous.
Denise’s essay imparts nine lessons for bloggers and brands:
- Nobody is reading your shit. And that is true for most bloggers, most authors and most journalists. Don’t go into blogging to be a famous writer.
- There’s no way in hell you are actually that happy. I’ve been accused of negativity on occasion. But I have never been enamored of the “all positive all the time” trend in blogs and social media. God bless Denise for maintaining this artiface while suffering postpartum depression and navigating a divorce.
- Your goals are just as confused as you. Pretty much the first question I ask of anyone asking my help is “What is your goal?” If only I could be paid by the blank stare …
- You are wasting your money. She refers specifically to blogging conferences and Web designers. I take no offense as a blogging conference organizer: Lots of conferences are mediocre to awful, and do little to actually empower bloggers. She’s right: Save your money.
- PR friendly = “I have no soul.” Coming from a journalism background, this enabling of brands through a positive-only approach is foreign to me. I understand why bloggers do it, but I couldn’t live with myself. At the very least, bloggers should clearly define their boundaries, rather than let them be defined for them, one soul-sucking post at a time.
- Building your own prison with copycat guards. Denise takes bloggers to task for acting as shills for corporations. I don’t have a problem with sponsorships, partnerships and other brand collaborations, but I can understand why she thinks the deck is stacked in favor of the big companies. It is.
- Sunshine and fucking daisy reviews. She writes, “This shit would never fly in traditional journalism.” Have I got some bad news for her …
- Giveaway entries are not real fans. Aligning incentives with goals is a challenge, but not impossible. But it’s certainly a common mistake.
- You are wasting your time. Nothing is a waste of time if we learn and grow from it.
Her bracing honesty makes me wonder two things: First, where was this Josi Denise all this time? And second, would readers and subsequently paying sponsors have embraced her as readily?
I’m glad she escaped a lifestyle that was ruining her life and that she could share her experiences with all of us. Fortunately, she’s still blogging and sticking to a new tactic, radical honesty.
- More about Josi Denise’s exit from mommy blogging in this New York Post story.
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Brand-blogger partnerships can work for all sides.
Let me help …
How to conduct a social media audit
Photo: Joe Hall (CC)
Social media has the power to wreck our reputations in a single update. Why are we so careless when it comes to managing these properties?
Let’s ensure we’re doing right by our companies and our organizations with a social media audit.
Administrators
- Who has access to accounts? To metrics? To advertising? Be sure to remove people who have left the company!
- Is everyone set at the proper access level? Do interns really need full administrator privileges?
- Are all users’ email and other contact info up to date? Social media channels can’t notify anyone of problems or outages if their emails bounce.
- Compile a list of authorized users, including ways to alternate ways to contact them in case of emergency.
Security
- Is everyone storing their usernames and passwords securely? Hint: A sticky note on a monitor is not secure.
- Are passwords strong? Some suggestions.
- Have users activated two-factor authentication?
- What apps have access to social media channels? For example, Hootsuite, Tweetbot and many similiar apps can allow colleagues, agencies and outsiders to use company social media channels without the original user passwords. It may be time to revoke access to specific apps and users.
Channels
- Compile a list of all corporate social media accounts (URLs or apps, usernames, passwords, credit cards, authorized users, etc.). This will require searching on Google and individual social media channels.
- For the list, include any unauthorized social media accounts using the company name. Are they internal or external?
- Getting control of externally created accounts may involve contacting the social media channel’s help desk, the user directly and possibly an attorney.
- Does the company site have the correct links to social media profiles?
- Does the company’s various social media profiles have correct links to the main site and other channels?
Policy
- Does the company have an approval process before posting on social media? Does everyone know the process?
- Does the company have a formal social media policy? Has everyone been trained on it?
- What’s the chain of command for managing social media?
- Have users activated the “ask-before-sending” feature? For example, Twitter has this option.
Repeat the audit once every 6 to 12 months.
This social media audit is the first step in securing a company’s important tools and taking good care of them.
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Need help with your company’s social media?
Bring me in today …
It’s always Peak TV in blogging and social media
A monitor on the set of “Mr. Robot”
It’s insane how much television is on television right now. And even off television.
I thought the expansion in reality shows and sports programming alone was crazy. Reality TV is cheap and easy to produce, while sports draws a consistent, desirable audience.
But the number of scripted programs has doubled to 409 from 2009 to 2015. Who has time to watch that many shows?
Apparently, the entire world.
Fortunately, we can watch some great stories in Peak TV: “Mr. Robot,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “Casual,” “Transparent.” And we can watch a lot of mediocre programming.
Veteran showrunner Carlton Cuse (“Bates Motel”) compares it to what would happen if the National Football League suddenly expanded to 90 teams. “You would have a lot of football available to you, but the quality of it would be diluted,” he says.
What I find interesting is what talk show host and producer Conan O’Brien once said (I think) about the business: It takes as much effort to create a middling TV show as it does a hit. He’s referring to the army of people it takes to put a half-hour of television together: writers, directors, actors, costumers, set designers, carpenters, makeup artists, lighting crew, sound crew, editors, publicity and marketing staffers, casting directors, production designers, producers, directors of photography, camera operators, showrunners and more.
Multiply that by 400 shows in production. That’s a tremendous effort to make content competing for our limited attention.
Many of us feel that strain of producing content for consumption by audiences pulled in all directions. The number of blogs, social media channels, podcasts and YouTube/Vine/Twitch stars has always forced us to be creative and provocative in our output. Plus, the barrier to entry in the digital world is far lower than television.
The explosion of television is a reminder that the audience is always in control. The better we cater to audiences, the more likely we succeed in accomplishing our goals, whether to inform, to entertain or to sell.
Audience members always have the option to change channels, to pause, to recommend or criticize what they see. Whatever we create, we must keep them in mind and how we want to help or provoke them.
The competition never ends, nor should our commitment to content that enriches our audience’s lives.
- This 10,000-word Vulture story on Peak TV explains how the business has radically changed in the last few years.
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Video: The Power of Digital Storytelling
I haven’t given a talk for Alabama Media Professionals in a couple of years, so last week, I sat in on the May meeting in Homewood.
My presentation, “The Power of Digital Storytelling,” gave insights on how we can easily adapt our storytelling skills for online channels. I fielded some great questions and comments from the attendees.
Watch the 42-minute video, and leave me some questions in the comments.
Thanks to Alabama Media Professionals for having me.
Contact me if you want the outline and worksheet that accompany this presentation.
This week marks the last of my spring talks, and I’m ending here at home on a high note.
I’ll be the featured speaker at the Alabama Media Professionals May meeting on Thursday. The topic is “The Power of Digital Storytelling.”
The official summary:
Marketing has evolved rapidly with the rise of digital outlets. But what can cut through the din of commercials and crass come-ons? Stories. We are natural storytellers, but we must strive to improve our skills for our online audiences.
Wade Kwon, conference director for Y’all Connect Presented by Alabama Power, will guide you through the options and strategies behind compelling storytelling. His work as a writer, journalist and storyteller has helped companies reach audiences quickly and effectively. Learn the three questions that will transform your brand’s story into a saga worth sharing.
The meeting is at 11:30 a.m. at Homewood Public Library. Tickets are $5 and available online.
I hope you can join us.
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Book me for your event, conference or workshop today …
Video: The Absolutely Essential Social Media Tools
I’m so glad to have had several opportunities to give this new talk.
“The Absolutely Essential Social Media Tools” debuted this year as a 60-minute presentation on apps and sites that help social media managers. I’ve given it to various groups across the South.
On Thursday, I gave a 20-minute version to PRCA West Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Here’s a chance for you to learn about the apps I use every day to schedule social media for my company and for clients.
My thanks to PRCA for having me at the April meeting.
Contact me if you want the slides and worksheet that accompany this presentation.
Video: The Absolutely Essential Social Media Tools
It’s fun to be on the road, but it’s nice to be back home sharing my ideas and insights.
I spoke to the Birmingham chapter of the American Marketing Association on Wednesday. It was my first time in front of this group, plus my first talk in Birmingham in more than a year.
I gave a shortened version of my new presentation, “The Absolutely Essential Social Media Tools,” with info on Bitly, Hootsuite, Buffer and more.
Take a look at the 30-minute video, and holler if you have questions.
Thanks to the AMA for having me at the April lunch meeting.
Contact me if you want the slides and worksheet that accompany this presentation.
Audio: The Power of Digital Storytelling
I returned to Nashville to speak at Craft Content Nashville last week. And I have the video to prove it, sort of.
Rather than subject you to a full half hour of terrible camera work, here’s my presentation on “The Power of Digital Storytelling” with audio only. Not to worry, I don’t have slides for that talk.
My 30-minute session explains how to define your brand story and how to tell it.
If you have a question, let me know in the comments.
My thanks to the organizers at Craft Content Nashville for a fun conference.
Contact me if you want the outline and resources that accompany this presentation.
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More videos? Visit my YouTube channel.
Speaking gigs: PRCA West Alabama, April 2016
My spring road trip is winding down, but not before I make a couple stops in my home state.
On April 28, I’ll be in Tuscaloosa for the monthly meeting of the West Alabama chapter of the Public Relations Council of Alabama.
The topic will be my new presentation, “The Absolutely Essential Social Media Tools.” The official summary:
Social media is much more than hashtags and apps. It’s about interaction and reach, about conversions and sales.
Crafting a solid social media marketing plan begins with the right tools. Let Wade Kwon, one of the Poynter Institute’s 35 Influential People in Social Media, point you to the best free and paid apps to maximize engagement and minimize stress.
The meeting is at 11:45 a.m. at the University Club. Tickets are $25 and available online.
Looking forward to the event, and I hope to see you there.
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Book me for your event, conference or workshop today …
Video: The Absolutely Essential Social Media Tools
Video: The Absolutely Essential Social Media Tools
I had a lot of fun sharing my new presentation, “The Absolutely Essential Social Media Tools” on Thursday. I gave my talk at the 2016 state conference for the Public Relations Association of Mississippi.
The hourlong talk covered many apps from Hootsuite to Tweetbot to Bitly to Socialoomph. Plus, I fielded tough questions from the audience on specific challenges and networks.
If you have a question, let me know in the comments.
My thanks to PRAM for allowing me to speak at this terrific event.
Contact me if you want the slides and worksheet that accompany this presentation.
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See more live tweets from this session
on my Storify post.
I’ve been an admirer of the American Marketing Association’s Birmingham chapter, so I’m honored that they’ve asked me to speak at the April lunch meeting. This is also my first talk in Birmingham in more than a year.
The topic will be my new presentation, “The Absolutely Essential Social Media Tools.” The official summary:
Social media is much more than hashtags and apps. It’s about interaction and reach, about conversions and sales.
Crafting a solid social media marketing plan begins with the right tools. Let Wade Kwon, one of the Poynter Institute’s 35 Influential People in Social Media, point you to the best free and paid apps to maximize engagement and minimize stress.
The meeting is 11:30 a.m. April 20 at the Harbert Center downtown. Tickets are $30 and available online.
Looking forward to the event, and I hope to see you there.
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Book me for your event, conference or workshop today …
Speaking gigs: PRAM Conference, April 2016
Speaking at the PRAM Conference in 2012
I’ve given two presentations to PRAM chapters this year, but the biggest one is coming up in April. I’ll be a speaker at the Public Relations Association of Mississippi annual conference on April 7 in Jackson.
The 3-day event runs from April 6 to 8 at the Hilton.
I’ll do an hourlong breakout session on “The absolutely essential social media tools,” a brand new presentation! The official summary:
Social media is much more than hashtags and apps. It’s about interaction and reach, about conversions and sales.
Crafting a solid social media marketing plan begins with the right tools. Let Wade Kwon, one of the Poynter Institute’s 35 Influential People in Social Media, point you to the best free and paid apps to maximize engagement and minimize stress.
This is my first time to speak at the PRAM Conference since 2012, so it’s a pleasure to see my old friends again. If you want to learn all aspects of public relations in a great setting, register by Friday. Tickets are $185, $175 for members.
I hope to see you at the conference!
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Book me for your event, conference or workshop today …
Video: A Guide to Getting Started on LinkedIn
Video: A Guide to Getting Started on LinkedIn
For my third talk in Mississippi this week, I changed it up a bit and discussed LinkedIn. Lots of people have profiles on the social network, but they may not be using them to their maximum potential.
I presented “A Guide to Getting Started on LinkedIn” at the AAF Jackson meeting on Thursday. The members had terrific questions about profiles, company pages, ads and more.
Take a look at my 39-minute video from the event.
If you have a question, let me know in the comments.
My thanks to AAF Jackson for a great meeting.
Contact me if you want the slides and worksheet that accompany this presentation.
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More videos? Visit my YouTube channel.
Video: The Art of the Brand [Pine Beach PRAM]
Video: The Art of the Brand: What Your Blog Needs and Deserves
I made the most of my trip to Mississippi with a swing up to Hattiesburg Tuesday for the Pine Belt PRAM meeting.
For the attendees, I have a 38-minute version of my talk, “The Art of the Brand: What Your Blog Needs and Deserves.” Watch it at your convenience.
If you have a question, let me know in the comments.
My thanks to the PRAM attendees and organizers for having me at their luncheon.
Contact me if you want the slides and worksheet that accompany this presentation.
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More videos? Visit my YouTube channel.
Video: The Art of the Brand [PRAM Beach]
Video: The Art of the Brand: What Your Blog Needs and Deserves
I love visiting the Gulf Coast. And it was a terrific spring day when I stopped in Monday for the PRAM Beach meeting.
I gave a 25-minute version of my talk, “The Art of the Brand: What Your Blog Needs and Deserves.” Hope you’ll check it out.
If you have a question, let me know in the comments.
My thanks to the attendees and organizers in Gulfport for having me at their luncheon.
Contact me if you want the slides and worksheet that accompany this presentation.
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More videos? Visit my YouTube channel.
Video: My philosophy of customer service
I spoke in Hattiesburg last month about digital storytelling. At the end, I took questions from the Pine Belt Entrepreneurs, including one on the state of customer service.
While I’ve been less successful selling my philosophy to colleagues, I have reaped success in implementing it in my own ventures.
Watch the video, and share your ideas on customer service in 2016.
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More videos? Visit my YouTube channel.
Speaking gigs: Mississippi times three, March 2016
Photo: Ken Lund (CC)
Jackson, Miss., outside the Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church
I have three talks in Mississippi this month, and they’re all next week! I hope to see y’all at (at least) one of them.
1. Public Relations Association of Mississippi Beach Chapter, March 14. I’ll present “The art of the brand: What your blog needs and deserves” at the monthly luncheon, Gulfport location TBD. $25. Check the PRAM Beach site for more info.
The official summary:
Your blog stands for something. It represents your values and your personality, even if unintentionally. Branding might be more buzz word than tactic, but you must make it meaningful.
Join Y’all Connect conference director Wade Kwon as he explains how he turned a campaign launch with a so-so logo into a juggernaut. And how his online dating profile made him invisible. And how his adventures in branding helped his clients create and maintain standout brands.
2. Pine Belt PRAM, March 15. Again, I’m giving “The art of the brand” at the monthly luncheon, starting at 11:30 a.m. at the Lake Terrace Convention Center. $15. Details on the Facebook event, RSVP online on the PRAM site.
3. American Advertising Federation — Jackson chapter, March 17. I have a brand new talk, “A Guide to Getting Started on LinkedIn,” to present at the lunch meeting. It starts at 11:30 a.m. at the Fairview Inn. $30.Details on the Facebook event, RSVP online on the AAF site.
The official description:
LinkedIn can be your starting point for networking, leads and more. Make the most of this professional social network with strategies and tips from consultant Wade Kwon.
I can’t wait to hit the road again. Mississippi, here I come!
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Book me for your event, conference or workshop today …
How to embed Facebook video in blog posts
A couple of weeks ago, OK Go released its latest music video. The band is known for its elaborate eye-catching work.
And for the first time, the group posted its video on Facebook instead of YouTube.
But what really surprised me is how many news sites failed to include the video for “Upside Down and Inside Out” in their online coverage.
It’s so easy.
All I did was paste the URL of the original video on a line by itself in my WordPress post:
https://www.facebook.com/okgo/videos/vb.7112765682/10153210535420683/
As shown above, the video is automatically embedded at the correct width, thanks to oEmbed. It’s a feature that allows instant embedding of media (videos, songs, slides, photos) by pasting the appropriate URL in a post. No other work required.
Maybe some of those news sites don’t have oEmbed capability — Facebook has an alternate method.
Below each Facebook video is an option to “Embed Video.” Clicking on it provides the embed code, which can be pasted into a blog post while in HTML/Text mode.
That’s it.
Why is this important? Facebook appears to give the edge to videos imported to its platform (as opposed to sharing videos from other sites such as YouTube). Import your videos, then share them on your Facebook page to gain more viewers and to take advantage of the silent autoplay function.
OK Go has nearly 50 million views on its first Facebook music video in 2 weeks, compared to 27 million views for its last YouTube music video for “I Won’t Let You Go” in 2014.
Apples and oranges? Maybe. But as you use original video content to engage fans and customers, it never hurts to use each platform to the fullest.
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Learn more about using video content:
Birmingham Blogging Academy 