All Communications Articles
  • Don’t like snooping? Follow these 5 steps to move off the grid

    Randall Craig Science & Technology

    With so much discussion about privacy, confidentiality and government snooping, is it any wonder that some people have decided to move off the grid, and become "Web invisible"? Others more closely monitor their Web profiles, and either partially or completely remove themselves. And what about those who choose to remove themselves as a matter of principle? They may see their personal information as personal — and view corporate or government use of this information as exploitation.

  • Will we take our Facebook addictions to the grave?

    Suzanne Mason Science & Technology

    ​It's hard to escape social media in the 21st century. In fact, it has become such a part of our lives that now we need to worry about what happens after we're gone. Facebook recently announced it was adding a new feature that would allow users to choose a legacy contact who would manage their account after their death. Is this a tell-tale sign of our addiction to Facebook?

  • 4 tips to making a positive first impression

    Anne Rose Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

    Much has been written about executing amazing customer service, but let's focus today on one aspect that's immediately implementable: first impressions. You've heard the axiom, "First impressions count." They do! So why do so many people pay so little attention to how they first greet or interact with a potential client? It takes a few seconds to properly impress a new client, and it takes days or weeks (or never) to undo a negative first impression.

  • The rapid rise of video in content marketing

    Mayur Kisani Marketing

    Online video is quickly becoming the primary way for people to consume content. With that in mind, small businesses should include video in their Internet marketing strategies or risk falling behind.

  • Stay ahead of the competition with 4 new social features

    Emma Fitzpatrick Marketing

    Just within recent days, four of the biggest social platforms rolled out new features. Seize these new social tools immediately to stay one step ahead of your competition. Learn what’s new on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter while seeing how your brand can harness the power of Snapchat.

  • Forget empowerment! What you need are self-directed employees

    Hank Boyer Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    Remember when the latest buzzword was empowerment? The premise was that employees who were empowered would be more committed to successful outcomes because they had the ability to make decisions, commit resources, own the decision, etc. As someone was empowered, they also became more accountable for results. What's wrong with empowerment? Plenty!

  • Managing your online reputation

    Christina Thielst Communications

    Social channels provide tremendous opportunities to use your voice and find others with similar interests. Being on key social channels also makes it easy for customers, networkers and recruiters to find you and see if your education, skills, interests and goals match with their needs. However, careful consideration and management of one's reputation is imperative.

  • Words can boost or block your business

    Fred Berns Marketing

    "To be successful, you have to be unique," Walt Disney once said. "You have to be so different that, if people want what you have, they have to come to you to get it." Establishing your uniqueness, and differentiating your company depends a lot on the words you choose to use. How you describe your services and yourselves may well determine the quality and quantity of clients you attract.

  • How to keep your fire burning

    Anne Rose Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

    You probably remember why you went into the travel business in the first place — your love of travel and your commitment to helping others. But it’s a travel business, which means there are many operational elements that might not be quite so thrilling: business owner, manager, subordinate, peer, adviser, accountant, marketer, writer, webmaster and IT guru, to name just a few. How do you motivate yourself to tackle the necessary, but not-so-fun aspects of your travel business?

  • Music streaming services continue to emerge as album sales slump

    Suzanne Mason Communications

    Streaming music was a huge component of the music industry in 2014. While album sales saw an 11.2 percent decline, streaming music saw a 32 percent increase from the previous year. The ongoing dominance is now getting the attention of musicians who are seeing another way of getting their songs to play.