Parthenon Postings » Parthenon Post

Social Media – Not So Mysterious

Lynn Yates — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:56:13 +0000

If you're thinking about dabbling in social media, or jumping feet first into the frenzy, there's good news and bad news. The good news is -- there’s a ton of "how to" information available at your fingertips. The bad news is – there’s a ton of "how to" information available at your fingertips. A ton. Thankfully, most of it is quite helpful. There’s just so much of it to sift through. Who has the time?

Following Social Media Etiquette

Nicole Provonchee — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:48:46 +0000

As the number of people and companies participating on platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have grown, certain rules for effective communication have become clear.

Social Media: The Minimum You Should Do

Nicole Provonchee — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:27:31 +0000

While social media may appear to be ubiquitous (especially to those of us in the industry), a quick scan of usage numbers indicates there are still a large number of people on the sidelines. In the U.S., Facebook claims roughly 60 million users, LinkedIn estimates it has 21 million accounts and estimates place Twitter’s users at close to 12 million. In a country with almost 250 million people over the age of 18, that leaves a lot of room for growth.

Should you be blogging?

Laura Pack — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:00:32 +0000

Blogs are great ways to connect with customers and develop your reputation online. Slews of companies across all industries are blogging these days. A corporate blog is a great way to engage with your customers, employees and members. If you’ve decided you need to interact, that’s great, but you’ve got to know what you want to achieve.

Seven Steps to a Better Website

Nicole Provonchee — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:00:16 +0000

It is a good practice to step back from your company or association website every few months and take a good hard look. But who has the time? Enter the Parthenon Seven Steps to a Better Website checklist. Much like the checklists that promise flatter abs in just minutes a day, this checklist takes only minutes but can have a very big impact on what your audience sees and thinks about you and your brand.

Jargon be Gone!

Nancy Henderson — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:00:26 +0000

As soon as employees read the words, “synergistic opportunities” their eyes glaze over. Similarly, when customers read self-congratulatory prose about process management improvements, you’ve lost them. While the news being shared may be relevant or even critical to the intended audience, if it is masked in corporate jargon, it will never be heard. One of the most important things a CEO can do to improve his or her communication skills is to stop thinking about the audience and instead focus on the people in it.

Why are email open rates deceptive?

Kristen Steele — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:00:56 +0000

One of the most touted benefits of using email to communicate with customers is the ability to measure recipients’ interactions with the email, via extensive tracking systems. And the first statistic most companies look at is the open rate. Big mistake.

Proofing Counts

Nancy Henderson — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:00:49 +0000

Ever picked up a magazine or scanned a website and noticed a misspelled word or grammar mistake? Errors on the printed page or the digital screen can impact a reader’s impression of a publication, brand or writer. So, how do you ensure your company’s proofing process is comprehensive enough to maintain your stellar corporate image? Parthenon editors Nancy Henderson and Katie Neal offer the following advice...

Social Media 101

Nicole Provonchee — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:00:09 +0000

Still wondering how to get started on Twitter or Facebook? Resources to help people of all skill levels enter – and get the most out of – social media.

In business, silence wrecks relationships. Are you talking?

Bobby Stark — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:00:01 +0000

When it comes to employees, customers and members, mum is not the word. Why you should get strategic with your internal and external messages.

Communication is at the heart of building business relationships: top-to-bottom, bottom-to-top, peer-to-peer, internally and externally. The best relationships are two-way with active dialogue. You can have a solid plan and vision, employees with phenomenal capacity and business integrity – but not communicating to your employees, customers and members can be toxic.