Today's Technology: Are you controlling IT or is IT controlling you? The commercial reality will be revealed!

The October Women Network Australia lunch will feature Lisa Harvey, Tech Savvy Guru and Managing Director, Energetica who is an innovative speaker, she has a deep understanding of the value of IT in achieving the strategic objectives of an organisation.

Lisa shares her knowledge and expertise with passion and more importantly for those of us who are not tech savvy she uses simple English to express her concepts. She consults extensively to SMEs but also has a strong background and interest in the not-for-profit sector. Lisa says ?Technology has the potential of keeping costs of business operations down, whilst creating a competitive edge?.

Over lunch Lisa will explain how to use technology as a strategic component of business and how to get the most out of technology by applying simple commercial principles. Her presentation provides a framework for incorporating technology into business strategies and innovation.

Topics addressed by Lisa will include;

Getting the fundamentals of IT right
Getting control of your IT
IT is not about technology
Open source (free IT) – how useful is it for you?

Lisa will showcase innovation within the SME sector and show the process that assists organisations to create great ideas and carry them out. Lisa?s IT career began with an IT vendor in the 1980s. As IT Manager with Sydney City Mission and National IT Co-ordinator with a major trade union she became an expert in IT requirements for organisations. Lisa believes that SMEs should use innovative information and technology concepts in their service delivery. It?s all about people and outcomes, not the technology.

Networking Lunch Location: SYDNEY
Venue: The Vibe Hotel, 111 Goulburn Street, Sydney
Date: Wednesday, 24 October, 2007
Time: 11:30 am – 2:15 pm
RSVP Date: Friday, 19 October, 2007

Book here

PR case study – Freestyle Media

Freestyle Media is an online media agency specialising in driving traffic to websites and converting online customers into purchasers of products and services. Freestyle Media had grown significantly since it was established in 2001 by Fred Schebesta, but needed further work on credibility building and improved brand awareness within the media.

Using Fred’s win as ADMA Young Direct Marketer of the Year as the launch pad, CPC implemented a PR strategy initially focusing on the marketing and business media. A media release was distributed on his win, and then CPC developed a series of editorials and commentary on the industry. Key journalists and publications were targeted and the editorials were pitched into the publications.

To improve his credibility and position Fred as an online marketing expert, CPC developed a speaker’s profile and pitched him to business networks and industry associations to speak about the secrets of online marketing. As an experienced blogger, CPC also pitched Fred in that capacity.

Within days CPC had achieved media coverage in several industry publications, including B&T and AdNews. Feature case studies have been covered in Marketing Magazine and Fred now has individual blogs on news.com.au and www.SmartCompany.com.au

Extensive speaking engagements have firmly positioned him as an expert in online marketing and he has spoken at CeBit, Terrapin, IIR, Search Summit, Ad:tech, to name a few. He is regularly asked to provide industry comment from marketing journalists.

Fred Schebesta said, “Catriona is a trumpeting swan! Elegant at promoting your business to the people who make an impact to your bottom line. Before Catriona worked with our PR we had zero profile and now we are on the journey to high profile.”

Getting the most from PR

ANYONE can run a slick advertising campaign if he or she is willing to pay for it. The trick is to get that kind of exposure without breaking the bank.

Such is the allure of public relations – the discipline of shedding a benevolent light on a person, company or cause, mainly by tapping the news media.

The press is a powerful force. Clearly, Amazon.com and Google offer great services, but appearing in some 13,000 news articles around the world in the last 30 days helps get the word out too.

And depending on the outlet and nature of the story, PR offers a potentially huge benefit that advertising does not, which is third-party approval.

Choosing an agency
There are a lot of PR agencies out there and some of them aren’t great at what they do. But the good ones serve a vital function and can take your business to greater heights, or at least generate some nice buzz.

One place to start looking for help is the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA), which lists member agencies in each state and territory.

Once you’ve narrowed the field, interview them. Push them to offer a tangible strategy and try to estimate their ability to execute.

Some key questions you ask are: which publications should I be targeting? What storyline will gain the most traction with each outlet? Can I speak with other clients? Who are some of the reporters with whom you have established relationships and might I be able to speak with them?

PR types often promise more than they can deliver, so manage your expectations. Some firms trot out senior executives at initial meetings only to stick less-experienced staffers on smaller accounts. So make sure you meet the people who will be doing the actual work.

When it’s time to talk money, request a menu of services and prices. Some firms charge by the hour,and others offer a la carte services, say, for running a special event or triaging a corporate mishap.

Before you write any checks, set some performance yardsticks. While PR remains a squishy science there are ways to loosely measure progress. The most common is the number of media references to your company in a given month. But there are subtler metrics, too, such as how many of your “core messages” were expressed in each article written about you.

And remember, no matter how many times your company appears in the press, always ask your customers, either in person or through your website, how they heard about you. PR is an ongoing effort, and it needs constant tweaking.

DIY PR
Rather save the money and handle your own PR? For starters, you’ll need a press kit. Most of that material will end up in reporters’ garbage bins, but some of it might grab their attention.

The kit should include a clear description of your business and its goals, as well as a backgrounder on you – complete with compelling, relevant anecdotes worthy of a yarn.

It should also contain copies of any media coverage you have received, testimonials from important customers and awards you have won. If there is an important technical aspect to your product, include an easy-to-follow description of how it works and why anyone needs it.

Applying for a business award never hurts, either. Like positive news stories, awards confer credibility.

Article from news.com.au by Lisa LaMotta

Australian executives are reluctant bloggers

According to new research, Australians are reluctant bloggers, lagging behind the rest of the world. The SMH article by Julian Lee Executives are wary of not being in control of communications claims that despite all the talk about wanting to engage with its audience, corporate Australia is hanging back, afraid of losing control of the message.

Some interesting points from the article:
Travis Johnson, business director at media agency Universal McCann, points to a number of factors impeding adoption. “They [companies] are wary of the individual versus the company,” he says. “How much leeway do they give them? What can they be allowed to say? What is confidential? And how much does their personal opinion reflect that of the company?”

He says another factor is the need to feed the beast that is a blog. “It needs to be constantly updated. You have to make it compelling reading that people can’t find anywhere else … that they come back for time and again.”

The most inhibiting factor is the unwillingness of companies to let go of the control that they normally exert over their communications. “Are they going to want to announce new news in this way or are they sticking to the usual public relations channels?”

They are worried about how they control the whole thing. Allowing people to make comments on your blog is a big concern.

One question businesses always ask  “How can we control this?” The simple answer is that they cannot. Commentators point out that, whether companies like it or not, consumers are praising or panning companies in blogs.

Universal McCann found that Australia’s level of active blogging – which refers to people who read blogs as well as write their own – was among the world’s lowest. The number of people writing them was also among the lowest, as was the case in Britain and the US. Asia led the way, with a boom in blogs in China, Korea and Japan, Universal’s study, Power to the People , found.

However, in the past six months blogging in Australia appears to have grown fast, driven by social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Bebo. Universal expects sustained growth.

Its digital innovations director, Michael Lane, believes that companies will come to the blog party, albeit tentatively. “It seems to be the bigger the brand, the harder it is,” he says. “And then there are certain categories that are always going to generate more interest – you can’t compare xBox to Coles.”

Talk to the media

The Women in Business Growth Strategy workshop “Talking to the Media – How to Write a Media Release” is being held Tuesday, 7 August from 9.15am for 9.30am until 1.00pm.  Some seats are still available for this dynamic workshop – book now!

The right media exposure can rocket your sales, consolidate your reputation and build your brand.  Valerie Khoo, (former features director of CLEO, features writer at Girlfriend and now Director, Sydney Writers’ Centre) leads this practical workshop.  She will show you how to identify and make the most of your media opportunities. 

The workshop will give you strategies to understand what the media wants from you, work out an angle and approach a variety of media with your idea.  The workshop will also assist you to create a media release, perform well in an interview and ensure your message is heard.   For the savvy business owner and not to be missed!

Venue:  Parkes-Hamilton Room, Level 47, MLC Centre, 19 Martin Place, Sydney
For registration and information contact:  Sue Hooworth at DSRD at email sue.hooworth@business.nsw.gov.au