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The M?bius Strip of Trial & Corporate Communications: I used to think I left trial consulting. Turns out, I was just moving along a continuous surface, where every experience, corporate messaging, stakeholder strategy, digital storytelling, flows right back into the courtroom. After eight years away, I’m back in war rooms and courthouses, but with an entirely new arsenal. The skills that shape persuasive corporate narratives are the same ones that win over juries. The difference? Just the venue. Read more on how trial and corporate communications are two sides of the same M?bius strip: #TrialConsulting #CorporateCommunications #PersuasiveStorytelling #BDegreeCreative #trials #litigation #digitalmarketing #strategicommunications #courtroom #presentation

Technology is outpacing our ability to use it well and use it responsibly. There are too many tools to keep up with. We'll catch up, but that takes time. Meanwhile, some companies are reducing headcount while agencies and consultants are losing clients. So what now? #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Leadership #Communications #AIReadiness Here are five ways to find peace amid AI anxiety and chaos:

?? Marketers, meet the unfiltered truth on PR KPIs ???? When talking to a prospective PR pro, who has never worked on your specific brand before, the best answer you can receive when asking what results you can expect is: ?? ?? I don’t know what I don’t know…but let’s find out TOGETHER ??♂? ?? I know, ?? right?! No, using your current results from a PR pro or agency you’re unhappy with (hence the prospecting) is not a good benchmark. Their success or lack thereof cannot serve as a barometer effectiveness of another PR pro. ?? They are case-by-case, campaign by campaign. And I need to get my hands dirty under the hook and some campaigns under my belt to see what KPIs DO make sense moving forward. There is no blanket KPI barometer. Here are some questions you may be tempted to ask but WON’T be effective: - This is my brand…okay, so what KPIs are achievable over the next 6 months? - I haven’t even reviewed your proposal yet and assume I say ‘yes’ to everything, what can you secure and where can you secure it? - We don’t have a strategy or comms approach nailed down, but this is my brand…okay, so what can you get us? - We’re talking to other PR pros to keep our options open, before you send us a proposal, what results can you guarantee for this budget? If someone has told you otherwise, I’m sorry to say that you’re being taken for a ride. And NOT in a Rolls Royce! NOT in a Maybach… ??♂? The BEST PR is a partnership, not a transaction, which means we can work - together - on what stories to tell and how we can work - together - to shape them. Let’s build the house - together! See a pattern here? ?? Not everything will ‘hit,’ and if we’re doing our jobs right - together - we’ll push the boundaries to the point they not always will! ?? Collaboration is KEY! ?? Trust is KEY! ?? Supporting them and them supporting you and leadership is KEY! Now, being solutions-oriented, here ARE some KPIs that I can help measure: - Share of Voice (SOV): a snapshot of your brand vs. the competition, captured on a regular cadence to identify trends - Formation of new media and influencer relationships (and trend lines) - Deepened relationship with existing ones (and what that leads to over time) - Qualitative evaluation of coverage (to what extent is the brand featured vs. story as a whole) - Earned vs. organic coverage ratio (though I’ll die on the hill that organic can actually be considered ‘earned’) - Trend line on how often the brand is seeked out for story support by media DON’T look for KPIs inside a vacuum as the end-all, be-all differentiator of PR pros. DO look for someone who admits not having all the answers, but will collaborate with you - together - to the ends of the Earth to uncover them! And also what measurements matter to leadership ?? PR is the looooong game, and this extends to KPIs too. Now, raise your hand ??♂? if your leadership needs to hear this! #PR #Marketing #Communications

Want a hot tip for seamlessly embedding videos in your presentations? One of my professional guilty pleasures is creating great stories through the art of the presentation. Creating the mix of the visual communication with the overarching story is a puzzle of sorts that I get immense gratification in solving. That being said, I hate depending on links to videos in a deck when I'm giving a presentation. There are too many things that can go wrong and not just disrupt the flow overall, but also impact the intended message. 4K Video Downloader was a life changing discovery for me. It allows you to download YouTube videos so you can embed them in your presentations. Over the years they've evolved their suite of offerings to include other popular online video sources as well as providing image compression, slideshow creation, and more. Plus, their tools are easy to use and cross platform compatible. So next time you need to add a video to your presentation, give 4K Video Downloader a try. You won't regret it. NOTE: I am not being paid for this recommendation, I'm simply sharing great tools that I've come across with my network.

How can we keep up? Focus on posting multiple times a day… Focus on posting multiple times a week… Focus on impressions… Focus on followers… Focus on engagement…. Focus on multiple other details… I am exhausted just from thinking about that list. And yet, it’s hard to figure out what do focus on... let alone chasing elusive LinkedIn’s algorithm. The advice you read can be very confusing. Should we even care about the algorithm? (I know that touches a nerve for some.) We actually should care to a degree. Here's why: ?? Fact: it motivates us to be creative. ?? Fact: it sets a benchmark for realistic goals. ?? Fact: social platform algorithms change, frequently. ?? Fact: social media’s unique proposition value is 2-way interactions. ?? Fact: while social platforms change, connection opportunities are constant. I’ve been trying various posting approaches and here’s what I learned… What has always worked for brands and individuals still works today: ?? Get to know your audience and their interests ?? Listen and add value in content and comments shared ?? Pilot approaches, formats, messages ?? Track metric trends and note types of posts and content that resonates ?? Focus on a few topics rather than a lot ?? Be authentic and build trust with audiences ?? Leverage your advocates to expand brand presence and reputation And I also learned… ?? Focus on progress over time versus fast drastic shifts in results ?? Be patient as there’s working in the waiting ?? Post and interact consistently? ?? Reply to comments in a timely manner? ?? Monitor what others are doing and incorporate what works for your brand It takes work on LinkedIn, just like anything else we do. It can be so rewarding to make new connections and to deepen existing ones. What’s your perspective on LinkedIn’s algorithm? How are you making it work for you? ? Interested in more social media tips and strategies? DM or comment below.