TCC 15: Six recommendations for communicators in 2023
/First things first: Happy New Year!
I know many of you are in a reflection/resolution state of mind this week so I thought I would use today's newsletter to share/recommend some tactics I've used to ramp up my communications skills over the past few years (and a few I'm planning to start for 2023). You may already be doing some or all of these. But if not, I can tell you these activities have been game-changers for me and I hope they bring you success as well.
1. Speak at a conference
There are so many reasons to get yourself booked as a speaker at an industry conference. Sharing your knowledge with an audience can be exhilarating. It can be great for business. It can open doors to new partnerships, opportunities and friendships. It can help you establish or enhance your personal brand. And if you're good enough at it, you can actually get paid real money for delivering your talks. I made the decision to pursue conference speaking opportunities in 2014. And while it took a while to build traction, once I figured out the ropes, the opportunities started rolling in. Doing these conference presentations has been like adding rocket fuel to my business. And on top of that, I find it really enjoyable. If you've already done conference presentations like this, I'd like to challenge you to set your sights on a larger conference - something mildly scary - to take your game to the next level. And if you've never done it before, go outside your comfort zone and give it a try. And to save you some time and effort, here's a LinkedIn piece I wrote a few years back that will serve as a road map for anyone who wants to speak at a conference.
2. Fix up your LinkedIn profile
C'mon people, it's 2023! There are still a lot of 2005-looking LinkedIn profiles out there! When someone Googles your name (before a meeting, etc.) your LinkedIn profile is probably the first thing they're going to see. And if you're applying for a new job, your LinkedIn profile is arguably as important as your resume. Taking your LinkedIn profile to the next level won't require a ton of time or effort. An hour or two can transform it from average to exemplary. Here's where I'd suggest you start:
Add a great head shot
Add a compelling backdrop/banner image
Write a bio Ernest Hemingway could be proud of
Spend a few minutes each week liking, commenting and engaging with posts from people in your network
Create a short post related to your work
Add multimedia content to your profile
Connect with every person you know (and every person you meet)
Personalize each invitation request with a short note
3. Walk at least 10K steps a day
Ok, this might seem a bit outside the realm of communications but hear me out. At the risk of sounding like Tony Robbins, I would like to encourage you to try this for a week and see what a difference it can make. After about a decade of a very sedentary life (I used to spend most of my days at a desk doing writing for clients), I started a hardcore walking habit on Father's Day of 2016. Before that, I was in awful shape, both physically and mentally. My kids got me a Fitbit for Father's Day and I have logged more than 29 million steps since then. I sort of expected the physical results (I lost a bunch of weight, my resting heart rate went from the high 70s to the high 50s, I was sleeping better, etc.). What I didn't anticipate were the positive impacts this walking habit would have on my career. I started to use my time on the trails to listen to podcasts and audiobooks. I was pouring literally dozens of hours of communications, marketing and business content into my head every week. I also found that walking puts me into a mental state where creative ideas and solutions to problems tend to pop up in my mind. I'm not a fan of running. But pretty much everyone can walk. You don't need any fancy equipment. Just a good pair of shoes.
4. Give a freelancer a chance
This is not a marketing plug for myself. My dance card is already pretty full. This is a marketing plug for all those freelancers out there who could deliver significant value to your organization if only they had the chance. Writers, translators, social media content creators, podcast producers, trainers, photographers, videographers, etc. I know a lot of companies are in the habit of using the big PR firms, but when you find a great freelancer, you're getting someone who, in my humble opinion, will provide you with excellent results and great customer service at a more cost-effective rate than the big PR firms. One of the best ways to find a great freelancer is to ask your network on LinkedIn. Or good old word of mouth.
5. Harness AI to help you work smarter
I've already written this year about tinkering with AI for image creation (it's what I use to create the images for these newsletters) and content (ChatGPT). Seeing what these technologies can do has been mind-blowing this past year. While it's not clear what role AI will have in our profession or what impact it will have on peoples' jobs over the long term, it's clear that AI isn't going away. One of my personal objectives for this coming year is to figure out how to use AI to help me work better, stronger, faster (any Six Million Dollar Man fans out there?). You can use AI to create royalty free images for social media posts. Or use it to crank out a solid first draft of a news release that you can then refine. The possibilities are truly endless. So this is one of the things I'm going to be spending my time on in 2023.
6. Level up your communication skills
This last recommendation borrows a little bit from each of the previous five. The business environment is more competitive than ever out there. It's also a very tough job market for anyone looking for their next communications gig. Whether you run your own communications business or you're a communications professional working for an organization, you should always be on the lookout for ways to ramp up your communications skills. Sharpening your skills and learning new ones is going to enhance your professional value, benefit your employer (or your business) and boost your career. A few ways to level up your communications skills are to attend or participate in communications conferences, read books on crisis comms, social media, media relations, etc. or listen to communications-related podcasts or audiobooks. One of the best ways to upskill these days is with online courses. There are tons of online, on-demand courses you can take to level up your communications skills in 2023.
That's it for this week. Thank you very much for reading Taking Care of Comms. If your inbox is anything like mine, it's an absolute zoo, so I truly appreciate you taking the time to click on this thing and give it a read each week. I hope 2023 is a truly exceptional year for you and your loved ones and that it brings you health, happiness and prosperity.
P.S. While you're looking for ways to level up those communications skills, pls consider my online, on-demand media training course, The Art of the Great Media Interview. We have more than 300 participants and a long list of 5-star reviews. It's everything you need to prepare for your next media interview and the content never expires.