1. Online Communications Research &
Strategy
What are the benefits of changing the way we distribute our ideas?
Goals:
more consistency and activity on the blog
wider distribution for our best content
more eficient use of our time and energy
make our content more accessible
better support for personal brand
Constraints:
don’t increase resource requirements
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

2. Where to start?
Where did those questions come from?
Reports seems to have fallen by the wayside.
Podcasts go out unannounced to our blog subscribers.
Essays are sometimes used in the newsletter and sometimes not.
Essays don’t get highlighted on the blog, and are in a backwater of our
site.
The newsletter is a digest, but is that enough of an added value?
How to make
sense of this
tangle of
messages and
communications
channels?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

3. Two perspectives
The Condensing Funnel
we pour content into the top, and see how
far it can travel through a variety of
channels.
The newsletter is the most condensed
message.
The Formality/Frequency Meter
here we see how channels that oer a
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

4. It’s like we need a mixing board
The messages mixing board
DJ knows where to plug in specific types on content.
DJ can adjust the levels according to his/her taste
DJ can get the message out on each channel with the right
tone
little happenings
project launches
news
press releases
essays
conferences
virtual seminars
interviews
slideshares
podcasts
blog posts
ideas
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

5. Some #’s for context
Survey Results
The Stats
}
Newsletter subscribers: XXXXX (approx. XXXX opens per issue)
XX% overlap
Blog subscribers: XXXX (unknown reads)
Twitter subscribers: XXXXX
News subscribers: XXXX (unknown reads)
Essay subscribers: XXXX (unknown reads)
Alum list: XXXX
Facebook fans: XXXX
Podcast subscribers: XXXX (unknown plays)
LinkedIn Group: XXX
results based on all survey participants.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

6. More insight
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

7. More insight
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

8. More insight
I would be more likely to subscribe to a newsletter if I knew I
would get a significant piece of content before the general public.
2%
7%
Strongly Agree
17% Agree
37% Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
38%
filtered by non-newsletter subscribers
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

9. More insight
I would be more likely to subscribe to an e-mail newsletter if I
knew I would get discounts for conferences, and books that I
wouldn't get elsewhere.
8%3%
Strongly Agree
24% Agree
Neutral
24% Disagree
Strongly Disagree
42%
filtered by non-newsletter subscribers
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

10. More insight
If available, I would read an __________ e-mail newsletter with
the following frequency:
6%
Every Week
22% Every other week
Once a month
37% Quarterly
No Preference
Not at all
35%
filtered by current newsletter subscribers
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

11. More insight
Which of these subjects would you like to see in the _________
e-mail newsletter?
Methods Practices
Research Findings
Case Studies
A digest of what we’re reading
Short Form Ideas
Info about AP conferences
Info about industry conferences
Interviews
A digest of blog posts
Discounts
A digest of company news
Job opportunities
0 25 50 75 100
all survey participants
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

12. More insight
I would prefer the ___________ newsletter to contain an entire article, essay, interview, or other content that I can read OFFLINE.
I would prefer the ___________ newsletter to offer summaries of articles essays interviews or other content that I can read ONLINE.
No preference
22% 18%
60%
filtered by current newsletter subscribers
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

13. More insight
I would be most likely to read a significant piece of content, such
as an essay, case study, or white paper in:
an e-mail newsletter
A blog post
Online group discussion board
A PDF download
No Preference
0 12.5 25.0 37.5 50.0
all survey participants
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

14. More insight
If you subscribe, or contribute, to an online community such as an
industry group, please indicate how you prefer to participate in
group conversations:
through a mailing list
35% of total
(that comes to my inbox)
through an online thread
47% of total
(that can send me comments
on my posts if I choose)
17% of total
I don’t do this
10 20 30 40 50 60 10 20 30 40 50 60
current Alum subscribers currently NOT Alum subscribers
55 of 341 (16%) 210 of 341 (61%)
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

15. More insight
“less regular, higher quality + easier for me to find time to read”
“I'm a big fan of your essays, journals and studies. It would be good to
make them more accessible.”
“You asked how I would best read important articles, and I said a
download as well as a blog post, and want to elaborate on that point. If
I bring a blog post to some folks, it is sometimes perceived as lacking
credibility. After all, it's quot;just a blogquot; and everyone can have one of
those. Now, if I bring in some fancy-smancy downloaded quot;literature,quot;
then bang! it's got more credibility with some folks.”
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

16. An Initial Question
What should distinguish an essay from a newsletter?
Related issues:
linked distribution
potential added value opportunities
scheduling impacts
eects on website
eects on the essays RSS feed
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

17. Essay Newsletter Exercise
Linked Sometimes Not
Together Together Linked
Improves newsletter quality. Flexible. Newsletter feels special and
Greater audience for essays. exciting, not redundant for
More eficient use of people who subscribe to both
resources. the newsletter and the blog.
Increased value of
communication raises the
Benefits value of other content in the
channel (i.e. events, news, etc)
By putting essays on a
schedule it is easier to
manage them (i.e. there are
deadlines).
Timing of the newsletter could Become confusing when trying Newsletter content dies or
slow ideas (though there is to find content. becomes old once it’s
always the blog). Lack of consistency. archived.
If the essays are posted on the Ineficient and prone to last More demanding of
blog as well, then the minute changes. practitioner time.
newsletter feels less special. Too much content could lead
to less quality.
Losses Perception that we’re
rehashing stu?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

18. Essay Newsletter Exercise
Linked Sometimes Not
Together Together Linked
Improves newsletter quality. Flexible. Newsletter feels special and
Greater audience for essays. exciting, not redundant for
More eficient use of people who subscribe to both
Improves newsletter quality.
resources. the newsletter and the blog.
Increased value of
communication raises the
Greater audience for essays.
Benefits value of other content in the
channel (i.e. events, news, etc)
More eficient use of resources.
By putting essays on a
schedule it is easier to
Increased value of communication
manage them (i.e. there are
deadlines).
Timing of raises the value of when trying content in or
the newsletter could Become confusing other Newsletter content dies
slow ideas (though there is to find content. becomes old once it’s
always the blog). channel (i.e. events, news, etc)
theposted on the Lack of consistency. to last archived.
If the essays are Ineficient and prone More demanding of
By less special. minute changes. on a schedule it islead
putting essays
blog as well, then the practitioner time.
newsletter feels Too much content could
easier to manage them (i.e. there are to less quality.
Losses Perception that we’re
rehashing stu?
deadlines).
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

19. Essay Newsletter Exercise
What is the Where Which other Other
How Frequent?
content? do they live? channels? ideas?
Anytime. No Limit. A complete POV or They should be Twitter it! Ideas come before
At least as often as “how to” available through Announce on social channels.
newsletter. An edited and the blog with a network (Facebook). This is not just about
Once a month. reviewed - fully special header Announce on sharing, but being
The website says baked - content. Somewhere where LinkedIn. able to debate!
“twice a month” Prose Plus - video, folks can comment! Collected work - an Use to encourage
images, audio. Topic based archive AP annual newsletter sign up.
Essay NOT and interview. more prominent. communication.
1500-3500 word PDF format so we can
fully formed ideas. sent to clients.
On blog is ok but
there needs to be a
better way of finding
them.
Monthly. Essays and other A newsletter archive? BaseCamp or some Drive engagement
Bi-Weekly curated content. Not at all if the other client with other AP
alternative between More formal than content is touchpoint? touchpoints (we do
essays and other blog. elsewhere. This is Twitter it! this now)
content? Digest of other more of a reference Rotating authors vs.
channels. for us than our one or two who write
Curator’s ideas/voice. community. on the blog.
Newsletter Emphasis on tools/ Time based archive. It’s not about
methods/practices. reserving ideas to
incentivize
subscriptions, but
about speading the
ideas as far as
possible.
We should make
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

20. Essay Newsletter Exercise
What is the Where Which other Other
How Frequent?
content? do they live? channels? ideas?
Anytime. No Limit. A complete POV or They should be Twitter it! Ideas come before
At least as often as “how to” available through Announce on social channels.
Monthly newsletter. An edited and the blog with a network (Facebook). This is not just about
Once a month. reviewed - fully special header Announce on sharing, but being
The website says baked - content. Somewhere where LinkedIn. able to debate!
“twice a month” Prose Plus - video, folks can comment! Collected work - an Use to encourage
images, audio. Topic based archive AP annual newsletter sign up.
Essay NOT and interview. more prominent. communication.
1500-3500 word PDF format so we can
fully formed ideas. sent to clients.
On blog is ok but
there needs to be a
better way of finding
them.
Monthly. Essays and other A newsletter archive? BaseCamp or some Drive engagement
Bi-Weekly curated content. Not at all if the other client with other AP
alternative between More formal than content is touchpoint? touchpoints (we do
essays and other blog. elsewhere. This is Twitter it! this now)
content? Digest of other more of a reference Rotating authors vs.
channels. for us than our one or two who write
Curator’s ideas/voice. community. on the blog.
Newsletter Emphasis on tools/ Time based archive. It’s not about
methods/practices. reserving ideas to
incentivize
subscriptions, but
about speading the
ideas as far as
possible.
We should make
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

21. Essay Newsletter Exercise
What is the Where Which other Other
How Frequent?
content? do they live? channels? ideas?
Anytime. No Limit. A complete POV or They should be Twitter it! Ideas come before
At least as often as “how to” available through Announce on social channels.
Monthly edited newsletter. An edited and the blog with a network (Facebook). This is not just about
Once a month. reviewed - fully special header Announce on sharing, but being
The website says baked - content. Somewhere where LinkedIn. able to debate!
“twice a month” Prose Plus - video, folks can comment! Collected work - an Use to encourage
images, audio. Topic based archive AP annual newsletter sign up.
Essay NOT and interview. more prominent. communication.
1500-3500 word PDF format so we can
fully formed ideas. sent to clients.
On blog is ok but
there needs to be a
better way of finding
them.
Monthly. Essays and other A newsletter archive? BaseCamp or some Drive engagement
Bi-Weekly curated content. Not at all if the other client with other AP
alternative between More formal than content is touchpoint? touchpoints (we do
essays and other blog. elsewhere. This is Twitter it! this now)
content? Digest of other more of a reference Rotating authors vs.
channels. for us than our one or two who write
Curator’s ideas/voice. community. on the blog.
Newsletter Emphasis on tools/ Time based archive. It’s not about
methods/practices. reserving ideas to
incentivize
subscriptions, but
about speading the
ideas as far as
possible.
We should make
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

22. Essay Newsletter Exercise
What is the Where Which other Other
How Frequent?
content? do they live? channels? ideas?
Anytime. No Limit. A complete POV or They should be Twitter it! Ideas come before
At least as often as “how to” available through Announce on social channels.
Monthly edited newsletter. An edited and the blog with a network (Facebook). This is not just about
Once a month. reviewed - fully special header Announce on sharing, but being
The website says baked - content. Somewhere where LinkedIn. able to debate!
“twice a month” Prose Plus - video, folks can comment! Collected work - an Use to encourage
images, audio. Topic based archive AP annual newsletter sign up.
Essay NOT and interview. more prominent. communication.
1500-3500 word PDF format so we can
fully formed ideas. sent to clients.
blog archived with comments
On blog is ok but
there needs to be a
better way of finding
them.
Monthly. Essays and other A newsletter archive? BaseCamp or some Drive engagement
Bi-Weekly curated content. Not at all if the other client with other AP
alternative between More formal than content is touchpoint? touchpoints (we do
essays and other blog. elsewhere. This is Twitter it! this now)
content? Digest of other more of a reference Rotating authors vs.
channels. for us than our one or two who write
Curator’s ideas/voice. community. on the blog.
Newsletter Emphasis on tools/ Time based archive. It’s not about
methods/practices. reserving ideas to
incentivize
subscriptions, but
about speading the
ideas as far as
possible.
We should make
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

23. Essay Newsletter Exercise
What is the Where Which other Other
How Frequent?
content? do they live? channels? ideas?
Anytime. No Limit. A complete POV or They should be Twitter it! Ideas come before
At least as often as “how to” available through Announce on social channels.
Monthly edited newsletter. An edited and the blog with a network (Facebook). This is not just about
Once a month. reviewed - fully special header Announce on sharing, but being
The website says baked - content. Somewhere where LinkedIn. able to debate!
“twice a month” Prose Plus - video, folks can comment! Collected work - an Use to encourage
images, audio. Topic based archive AP annual newsletter sign up.
Essay NOT and interview. more prominent. communication.
1500-3500 word PDF format so we can
fully formed ideas. sent to clients.
blog archived with comments
On blog is ok but
there needs to be a
better way of finding
them.
Monthly. Essays and other A newsletter archive? BaseCamp or some Drive engagement
Bi-Weekly curated content. Not at all if the other client with other AP
alternative between More formal than content is touchpoint? touchpoints (we do
essays and other blog. elsewhere. This is Twitter it! this now)
content? Digest of other more of a reference Rotating authors vs.
and available in pdf
channels. for us than our one or two who write
Curator’s ideas/voice. community. on the blog.
Newsletter Emphasis on tools/ Time based archive. It’s not about
methods/practices. reserving ideas to
incentivize
subscriptions, but
about speading the
ideas as far as
possible.
We should make
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

24. Communication Channel Exercise
*these channels are unique in that they are value added benefits to being a client.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

25. Communication Channel Exercise
Channel Twitter Blog Podcast Essay Newsletter Facebook LinkedIn* Mailing List* CrowdVine*
*these channels are unique in that they are value added benefits to being a client.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

26. Communication Channel Exercise
Channel Twitter Blog Podcast Essay Newsletter Facebook LinkedIn* Mailing List* CrowdVine*
*these channels are unique in that they are value added benefits to being a client.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

27. Communication Channel Exercise
Channel Twitter Blog Podcast Essay Newsletter Facebook LinkedIn* Mailing List* CrowdVine*
jobs /
interviews / fully baked jobs / conversation /
Content thoughts ideas digest + social conversation /
talks ideas conversation networking
networking
*these channels are unique in that they are value added benefits to being a client.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

28. Communication Channel Exercise
Channel Twitter Blog Podcast Essay Newsletter Facebook LinkedIn* Mailing List* CrowdVine*
jobs /
interviews / fully baked jobs / conversation /
Content thoughts ideas digest + social conversation /
talks ideas conversation networking
networking
Unique O the cu Conference Recording Build Promote Outside of Make Resource for Resource for
Social Stu info of our personal events work professional asking asking
Values Links Build hosted brand Build connection connections community community
Breaking personal events Reliable personal s Resource for questions questions
news brand Recording scheduled brand Promote asking Post
Quick Whenever I of our Communica Reliable events community conference
community want it. presentatio ting scheduled Register for questions networking
questions. ns valuable events? Automatic Lead follow
Price clis Our ideas blog/news up
interview feed.
and those
of others
*these channels are unique in that they are value added benefits to being a client.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

29. Communication Channel Exercise
Channel Twitter Blog Podcast Essay Newsletter Facebook LinkedIn* Mailing List* CrowdVine*
jobs /
interviews / fully baked jobs / conversation /
Content thoughts ideas digest + social conversation /
talks ideas conversation networking
networking
Unique O the cu Conference Recording Promote Promote Outside of Make Resource for Resource for
Social Stu info of our events events work professional asking asking
Values Links Build hosted Build Build connection connections community community
Breaking personal events personal personal s Resource for questions questions
news brand Recording brand brand Promote asking Post
Quick Whenever I of our Reliable Reliable events community conference
community want it. presentatio scheduled scheduled Register for questions networking
questions. ns events? Automatic Lead follow
Price clis Our blog/news up
interview feed.
and those
of others
Notes Opportunity for regular Essays will benefit from Can we use LinkedIn Groups allows Planned
content features the removal of reports. Facebook members to start group integration
Essays Newsletter is a condensed to place conversations with all past with LinkedI
Signposts digest featuring the latest Upcoming? alums.
There may be more value essay. CrowdVine limits
simply posting in the blog conversations to those
attending a specific event.
The Alum mailing list allows
all conference attendees to
consolidate
consolidation opportunity consolidation opportunity consolidation opportunity
upgrade
*these channels are unique in that they are value added benefits to being a client.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

30. One Possible Message Pathway
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

31. One Possible Message Pathway
44% read
on _.com
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

32. One Possible Message Pathway
REGULAR
FEATURES
44% read
on _.com
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

33. One Possible Message Pathway
REGULAR
FEATURES
WEEKLY
review of what
we’re reading
44% read
on _.com
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

34. One Possible Message Pathway
REGULAR
FEATURES
WEEKLY
review of what
we’re reading
44% read
on _.com
MONTLY
insights and
ideas essay
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

35. One Possible Message Pathway
REGULAR
FEATURES
WEEKLY
review of what
we’re reading
44% read
on _.com
MONTLY
insights and
ideas essay
MONTHLY
podcast
interview
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

36. One Possible Message Pathway
REGULAR
FEATURES
WEEKLY
review of what
we’re reading
44% read
on _.com
MONTLY
insights and
ideas essay
MONTHLY
podcast
interview
monthly alternating
newsletter content
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

37. How can folks find stu on our
site?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

38. How can folks find stu on our
site?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

39. How can folks find stu on our
site?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

40. How can folks find stu on our
site?
Add section
headers to
navigation
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

41. How can folks find stu on our
site?
Add section
headers to
navigation
Add banners
to distinguish
content
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

42. Recommendations
Blog (weekly monthly features) Social Networks QUESTIONS
add regular features navigation to blog continue to build out community through
how does this impact archives?
add RSS feeds to section headers the Alum list, CrowdVine, and LinkedIn.
what happens to ideas page?
add PDF downloads for essays
LinkedIn can we use this as an
consolidate essay archive into blog
send invitations to join to all conference
delay feature blog posts by one week opportunity to give the ideas
attendees (build into events template)
page a greater RD focus?
start discussions to follow up newsletters
Newsletter (every other week)
and blog topics
send out essay summaries once a month
use as a mechanism to solicit brown bags
send out podcast summary once a month
pursue opportunities with CrowdVine
alternate content
give greater presence to events in layout
increase discounts to 15%? Facebook
start using Facebook for in house events
registration
Podcast
create a monthly podcast interview -
these can be broken into two groups to Alum List
avoid new content creation needs, pre- continue as is
event audio interviews, and post event
videos. this is also offset by the reduction
of writing for newsletters.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009