This page provides slides and links for my 2010 presentations at the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts Spring Conference. If you attended my keynote address or my workshop session, thank you! If you were not able to attend, or simply found this page through search or a referral from a colleague, welcome! In either case, I encourage you to bookmark this page and share it with others.
Keynote Slides
Workshop Slides
Links
Here are some of the sites and tools referenced in each presentation:
Listening:
Before you dive in and start talking about yourself or your company, learn to “listen” to what is going on out on the Web first. Some key listening tools are:
- Google Alerts: Set up searches on your company name, yourself, key staff, and topics that relate to your market. Google will deliver the results to your inbox or an RSS reader like the free Google Reader. (I recommend using an RSS reader and treating it like a brand “dashboard.” Be sure to use quotes around phrases you enter to ensure that results come back only on the exact phrase.) See How to Get Better News Alerts for tips on how to use more advanced techniques for refining your Google Alerts results.
- Also consider using the search capabilities on Twitter to see if people are talking about you, your organization, or topics that are important to you. You can subscribe to Twitter search so that you can view them in your RSS Reader along with your Google alerts. Use the advanced search capabilities to make your searches more local or filter them in other ways. Use Twellow to find others interested in home care on Twitter.
- The following tools can be great for conducting surveys and polls:
- For other listening techniques, see my blog post 10 Tools for Monitoring Your Brand.
Case Studies
Blog Success Story: Articulate Rapid E-learning Blog
Video Success Story: WillItBlend.com from Blendtec
Facebook Success Story: Sprinkles Cupcake Bakery
Home Care Examples:
- Visiting Nurse Service of New York videos
- Healthbridge Blog
- Alzheimer’s Association, Georgia Chapter Facebook page
Web site Check-up
- http://websitegrader.com/
- http://www.usertesting.com/
- iPerceptions 4Q survey tool
- http://www.google.com/places
Content Tools
- Use recording capabilities on services like FreeConference to create audio content easily. I also recommend keeping a digital audio recorder handy. I use the Sony ICDUX70 Digital Voice Recorder and have found it to be excellent. You can upload audio files to Box.net for hosting and streaming. With both audio and video, I recommend a “one-take, no edits” approach whenever possible, but if you need an editing tool, give Audacity a try.
- For video content, consider getting a Flip Video Camcorder. The quality is very good, and it is designed to make it easy to capture video and upload it to YouTube. You can find the WillItBlend video I showed at WillItBlend.com.
- Remember that video may mean more than what you do with a video camera. Tools like Camtasia Studio and Articulate support the easy production of Flash “movies” based on capturing activity on your computer screen or transforming PowerPoint presentations.
- Also, Slideshare.net is a great tool for converting PowerPoint into Web presentations – you can even add audio very easily.
Tracking
- One of the best options out there is the free Google Analytics that can be installed just by having your Web master put a line of code in the right place on your Web site.
- Also consider using www.bitly.com to easily shorten links and then track when they are clicked on or shared.
- Remember that nearly all of the major social media tools – Facebook, YouTube, blogs, etc. – have analytical tools that go along with them. Just look for “Insights” or a similar term in your account administration for each service.
Questions? Just use the contact form to send me an e-mail or call me at 919.201.7460.