Embrace every opportunity to promote your insights.

Imagine someone heard about your business or nonprofit organization yesterday. Naturally, they visited your website to learn more about you.

As the reader scans the home page . . . Look! A popup window appears; it asks her to subscribe to your newsletter by entering her email address.

The site visitor has only begun an acquaintance with you. How does she know she wants to receive your newsletter?

Help her connect with you by posting your most recent newsletter issue on your website. When you feature it there, she will:

• learn what is new at the company or organization;
• gain insights into trends in your sector;
• read about a client success story.

Now she has a basis for deciding to subscribe.

A potential subscriber who signs up in July may want to read the issues dating back to March, or perhaps even earlier, before submitting her email address to hear from you monthly.

When your previous newsletters are not accessible on your website, you’re actually hiding content valuable to your site visitors.

How does that gap promote your business and solicit new subscribers?

Recently, I visited the website of a Public Relations professional; within a minute, I was invited to subscribe to her newsletter. Even though no issue was available for review, I signed up. I had read some informative articles she had published elsewhere and thought her newsletter would be worthwhile.

Next, I emailed this colleague to ask why her newsletter was not on the website. Here is the reply:
I don’t keep an archive, as the newsletter content is exclusive. If anyone can access it, I don’t know if there’d be an incentive to sign up.

With all due respect, why does this writer think non-subscribers will remember to re-visit her website month after month?

You may have noticed my approach is the complete antithesis of exclusive content:

• all newsletters are posted on my website;
• related content from previous newsletters is cross-referenced and linked;
• teasers of the discussion are actively promoted on social media (see below);
• a link to the newsletter section of the website makes it easy to read prior issues.

For the other writer, only those who signed up for the newsletter at inception will be able to read the entire run of issues.

This is an enormous missed opportunity for these reasons:

• Posting your newsletters on your website, and making all that content accessible, will engage readers, clients, referral sources and collaborators more deeply.
• Your newsletters court potential customers and induce them to subscribe.
• Posting is easy to do and can even help boost SEO, with the addition of new content every month.

Note also the opportunity to cite and link to the articles you have published in industry magazines, media outlets and elsewhere, as well as news stories where you are quoted.

Don’t lock up your insights in a vault where only a select few will see them.

Don’t scatter your thought leadership articles to the winds of chance.

Turn your website into a library with ALL your published work.

This Month’s Tip

Use several social media platforms, relevant to your target audiences, to promote the content of your email newsletter, now that you have posted it on your company’s or nonprofit’s website:

• put a one-sentence summary and a link to that page of the website as an update on your LinkedIn profile;
• tweet a question, to which your newsletter is the answer, with its website link on X (Twitter) and re-post it multiple times;
• ask that question in a LinkedIn discussion group and post the website link;
• post a teaser with the link on your company or nonprofit’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages;
• put the newsletter link on your website in your email signature.

Helen may be a loyal subscriber, but that does not mean she reads every issue of every newsletter that arrives to her Inbox. Your subscribers’ attention waxes and wanes. By posting links to your newsletter on LinkedIn and other social media platforms, you give your current subscribers (and potential readers) two opportunities:

• you increase the likelihood that they will encounter and read your timely ideas;
• you make it easy for them to share your insights on those same platforms.

Contact

Ready to distribute your current newsletter to a wider audience? Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com , set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770, to post and promote your newsletter. Let’s open up the archive of all your writing so more people can read your terrific ideas.

And, if you do not have a newsletter, let’s discuss why you should have one and how to launch it.

Click here to read prior issues of this newsletter.

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Image credit: Claudio Scott via Pixabay

Ensure images retain their meaning amid current events.

A picture is worth 1000 words. What happens when the outside world changes and your picture might convey an unintended allusion?

A nonprofit organization that promotes dialogue among disparate — and usually opposing — stakeholders used images on its website to highlight issues it was tackling.

One picture, unwittingly, referred to a hot-button topic. It is a cement-brick wall; a ladder leans against it, suggesting the wall is rather high.

(This image from Pixabay.com is similar, but not the one used; no attribution is required.)

Given the recent, hotly contested discussions of political relations with Mexico, this image appears to reference immigration issues.

Actually, the subject is economic mobility.

Another image: a group of smiling girls running towards the reader. This referred not to women nor exercise, but to re-thinking education, yet there were no teachers, classrooms, books nor computers.

In our discussion about the website and images, the nonprofit’s Director of Communications noted my comments on the gap between the images and the intended context of the subjects.

These two images have since been changed. One is now a graph that is more explicitly aligned with the theme of economic mobility. The other shows children engaged in using a mechanical contraption as an example of a non-traditional way that students learn and explore.

Clearly, selecting an image for a website is fraught with issues of perception, at the surface and in the context of internal and external references.

Here are some guidelines:

1. Make sure you own the image or have properly licensed it. Respect the work of the artist or photographer and negotiate the terms of usage and credit. If you prefer to use stock photographs, search the copyright-free or royalty-free websites.
2. Have a person in a photograph, even if viewed from behind or at a distance. If you are promoting a destination, you are asking visitors to put themselves in the photo, similar to those pictured. To pull heartstrings for an emotional appeal, display a person or animal in need.
3. Ask people outside the organization what the image says to them — without the benefit of a caption. Take note of how closely their ideas correspond to the intended theme.
4. When you compose the caption, make it underscore the message more than Person consulting a representative or professional.
5. The people in all photographs should appear authentic and contemporary. Within a group of four or more, aim for diversity by gender, ethnicity and age, when possible and appropriate.
6. Search the internet to see where else the image may have been used. Readers may sense it is familiar and conflate the two uses.
7. As with any written content, let the image percolate for a day; consider it again, to ensure it still matches and resonates.
8. Finally, review the image on a scheduled basis to ensure its relevance to both the nonprofit’s mission and the external environment. In addition to the photos and context cited above, references to pop culture, for example, can become outdated and reflect poorly on the organization.

This Month’s Tip

There is a difference between copyright, licensing, rights-managed images and royalty-free stock images. The company that owns the image may place limitations on the medium or format where an image is used (website, advertising, brochure), geography (domestic or international) and time frame (one year or unlimited). Here is a basic primer. A stock agency sales rep or graphic designer will advise you.

Contact

Ready to take a fresh look at your website’s images? Call me at 212.677.5770, set an appointment here or email at janet@janetlfalk.com. Let’s see what story they tell when separated from the caption.

Click here to read prior issues of this newsletter.

Click here to subscribe to this monthly newsletter and make sure you don’t miss the next issue.

Thanks to Susan Rosenberg Jones regarding use of rights-managed and royalty-free photography and also to these excellent graphic designers and colleagues for their thoughtful suggestions: Christina Hagopian, Rya Kaufman, Brandie Knox, Peter Levinson, Meryl Randman and Daniella Van Gennep.

Summarize and refresh the proceedings as evergreen insights.

Your company or nonprofit organization convened a large event. Speakers delivered presentations; attendees asked questions and gave feedback. All in all – there were stimulating and productive discussions.

How can you build on that momentum to keep the conversation going?

A follow-up email is sent to participants thanking them for their role in the successful conference.

This email highlights the benefits of the conference: access to the speakers and their materials, whether handouts or their PowerPoint presentations.

There are occasions when, post-event, organizers and attendees might like to share this information with a colleague.

Plus, what about those who did not attend the conference? People who were unable to travel, individuals who have subsequently become interested in the issue, new customers, vendors, elected officials and prospects? How can these newcomers tap into the discussion from an event that concluded months ago?

Here are ideas to keep the past conference current for attendees and newcomers.
Start with a summary description of the speakers’ remarks along with abbreviated versions of their presentations. Make these available for download, upon submission of an email address.

As new trends emerge, as regulations change, as legislation is enacted, these summaries may be updated to reflect the dynamics of the situation.

Revise the conference web page to incorporate a banner or sash across the top, with a link to the event summary and the condensed presentations.

Share elements of the summary and conference highlights in blog posts and via other online platforms.

Consider establishing an online forum or LinkedIn group for speakers, attendees and newcomers to keep the discussion going.

These post-event activities should be part of the overall conference plan.

Considerable effort went into preparing the event; once over, strategize so that the conference still remains relevant. Undoubtedly, the issues addressed will persist. Treat the conference as a launch pad or a way-station in the extended conversation and cultivate future exchanges for fruitful follow-up and action.

This Month’s Tip

Designate two people as recipients of the speakers’ presentations, as well as recorders of the discussion and breakout sessions. Of course, video recordings and transcriptions are also helpful. These colleagues will prepare a summary by a given deadline. Then set a recurring day, perhaps the second Tuesday of the month, for periodic updates to the conference webpage or website. Notify attendees and other interested subscribers of significant revisions and additions.

Contact

Are you prepared to keep a past event from becoming passé? Contact me at 212.677.5770, set an appointment here  or email me at janet@janetlfalk.com. Let’s review ways for it to remain evergreen.

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Plan ahead to strengthen six relationships.

Photos have always been a central element of special events. In the digital age, these images are available almost immediately and can be distributed through various promotional outlets, as well as informally through social media.

Part of the process of taking photos is to integrate the RSVP list of the attendees with the post-event action.

Whether you host an Open House, fundraiser, concert or conference, become familiar with the names on the RSVP list beforehand. When the event begins, be flexible and alert to spontaneously capture moments that convey the activities of the company, as well as the relationships that the organization nurtures with its many partners and allies.

At a recent event for IMPACCT Brooklyn, a nonprofit focused on affordable housing, a guest asked me how the photos being taken at the evening reception might be used.

In addition to the organization’s own promotional brochures and website, plus social media activity, I identified some key opportunities for cultivating relationships with attendees and their respective audiences.

1. Elected officials: The Assemblymember and City Councilmember who spoke at the event will likely include the photos of their attendance in their constituent newsletters.
2. Partners: Real estate developers and bankers work with the nonprofit to develop and finance apartment buildings with affordable housing. They may place the photos in their marketing literature and other external communications to document their Community Reinvestment Act activities and relationships with the nonprofit sector.
3. Allied organizations: Like-minded nonprofits, neighborhood associations and local merchant groups could share the photos in their member newsletters as an update of activities and changes in the community.
4. Funders of the nonprofit: Photos that record how the group has expanded its operations, thanks to the support received from a foundation, are a confirmation that the grant is being deployed effectively.
5. Media outlets: Reporters who were unable to attend a public event, such as IMPACCT’s ribbon-cutting at its new office, might use a photo in their news coverage.
6. Clients, employees, Boardmembers and donors: Photos of workshop participants, staff and supporters could be included in the organization’s own newsletters, marketing literature, website — even on the walls of the offices. These shots underscore the personal connection the organization builds with clients, similar to the snapshots of celebrities who dined at a restaurant.

Of course, the attendees might eventually add your photos to their websites and re-distribute them through their social media presence.

In sum, photos document the event and ultimately may be shared to strengthen the relationships between the host, event participants and their respective organizations. That bonding process became my goal when I accompanied Deirdre Scott, Executive Director of Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA), to an event held at Hostos Community College. I noticed a Hostos photographer taking photos; I asked if he would like to take a shot of a small group that included a Director from Hostos, who is also a Boardmember at BCA.

That Hostos connection compelled him to agree to take the photo. Later, the photographer and I exchanged business cards. When he emailed me the group photo, I replied and identified the BCA Boardmembers in the group, so that he might include their names in any future publication of the photo.

This Month’s Tip

Make a list of photos to be taken at an event, as if you plan a wedding. Prepare to stage photos with the management team, Boardmembers, key staff and special guests. Hover near the principals, with the photographer ready to aim and shoot. Keep groups to a maximum of five people. Note the name of anyone who is not immediately familiar, to identify the person for a caption and perhaps share the photo with the attendee later.

Contact

Ready to work with a photographer at your next event? You’ll have a bigger smile when you’ve anticipated how to use the photos in the weeks after the reception. You might enjoy the event even more if I direct the photographer for you. Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770.

Click here to read prior issues of this newsletter.

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Make sure elected officials know how you contribute to your community.

Nonprofits and small businesses can improve their visibility in the community by establishing a connection with local elected officials and telling their story.

Once these politicians are acquainted with you, they’re able to advocate for you and help you secure funding or assistance. But they can only do so if they know who you are.

Your goal might be requesting or keeping discretionary funds allocated by a city councilmember or state legislator, being invited to participate in community projects or gaining access to information and in-kind resources, such as staff training. Clearly, it’s vital to be on a first-name basis with the elected officials who serve your neighborhood — and especially with their staff.

On Memorial Day Weekend, East Harlem Block Nursery hosted a block party and celebration of its 50th anniversary. Government leaders from the state, city and community were invited to mark the occasion.

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and State Senator Bill Perkins joined in the celebration. Each spoke to the attendees and read a congratulatory proclamation. In addition, Mayor Bill de Blasio sent greetings and a representative of Comptroller Scott Stringer presented a commendation. And, an aide of Public Advocate Letitia James and an administrator from the Department of Education also attended.

In sum, four of the top four leaders of New York City and Manhattan (and their respective staffs) were apprised of the existence and success of this nonprofit, and its remarkable 50-year track record.

Here are photos of the politicians and aides who participated in the momentous day.

The opportunity for the Executive Director, teachers, parents and students to speak with these officials and administrators, plus give them a personal tour of the school, was invaluable. In this first year of New York City’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten, funding for the program at the nursery is precarious, so building relationships with various arms of city government is a priority.

The fact that several officials sent their aides was not necessarily a disappointment. These public servants are likely to run for office themselves someday, so it makes sense to start connecting with them now. As an example, New York City Councilmember Vincent Ignizio, who once was an aide representing a Staten Island councilmember at an event, was later elected to serve that very district. From staffer to elected official — a lesson to remember.

Are your local officials acquainted with your business or nonprofit group? Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. Let’s consider how best to introduce you and get the attention of the appropriate elected leaders.

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One Degree of Separation from the King of Spain

Everyone knows someone worth knowing.

It’s true. I know someone who was in daily contact with a future king.

Years ago, Maria, a teacher at the Madrid, Spain elementary school the young prince attended, placed a newspaper ad for a roommate and I needed a place to live. Voila! Today, she would have used Craigslist or another online networking site that helps people with shared interests and needs make connections.

The Executive Director of a nonprofit where I performed pro bono work introduced me to a colleague, Greg Cohen of Cause Effective, who advises nonprofits on strengthening communities and fundraising. He later referred me to his contact, Nancy Goldhill; he thought my experience working with attorneys and my knowledge of Staten Island, where I had worked in Public Relations, would be helpful to draft a newsletter for Staten Island Legal Services (SILS).That project bloomed into media outreach and news coverage for the SILS fundraising luncheon.

Networking does work, when you work with it. If the traditional networking at events does not appeal to you, review these tips. Also, try reaching out to connections in the virtual sphere. Whether in person or online, networking may not lead directly to someone you want to meet. It does, however, put you closer to their circle of contacts and referrals.

Consider your own many connections and who might stand in their circles. Because you know me, you’re already only two steps away from el Rey Felipe VI; you’re also one step from a technology start-up’s CEO and from a musician who plays viola da gamba.

Together, let’s brainstorm how to reach out to someone who knows someone who knows that person. Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. Let’s bring you one contact closer to that potential connection.

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It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Time to Send a Holiday Card.

You send a greeting card in December to clients, vendors, supporters, colleagues, VIPs and others.

Is your card having maximum impact?

Would the recipient notice if the sender was changed to Megabucks, Inc. or United Nonprofits?

Plan now to send a holiday greeting card that reinforces the brand and qualities that make your group distinctive.

Find a visual, design an image or take a photo that captures what is unique about your company or organization. Ideally, no one else could appropriate that creation and call it their own.

Use that image as the centerpiece of your holiday greeting, whether a printed card or an email message.

In January, when your recipient removes all the holiday cards taped to the office door, you can imagine her saying, “This is the card from the folks at DEF,” without opening the card to confirm the sender.

Or you may get an immediate email reply, in thankful appreciation of your distinctive note.

As a writer, I send an email with a Holiday Haiku. Most recipients recognize the difficulty of composing a 17-syllable seasonal poem and they remember reading it.

May I offer you some help creating a memorable visual or message for your holiday card, or your own haiku? Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. Let’s brainstorm some ideas that align with your group and your successes.

Click here to read prior issues of this newsletter.

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