Content strategy – the emerging discipline focused on helping organizations effectively create, maintain, and manage content – is suddenly all the rage. But, why now and what’s the web got to do with it? Attend the Women@Work Workshop to learn why content strategy is necessary; how to deliver useful, usable content online, where and when your customers need it most; what you can do to get (and keep) your online content in control.

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Content is King: From Web sites to social media, keeping your online content in control

Ten years ago, an integrated campaign was one in which advertising and public relations worked in concert. Today, integration is often more about the convergence of online strategies and tactics with traditional, offline communications, an approach we call “Inline.” Please join us for a group discussion on creating and managing Inline campaigns facilitated by Andy Keith, B2B Account Director in Weber Shandwick’s digital communications practice, Aaron Pearson, SVP of Weber Shandwick’s technology practice and Ben Maurer, a member of the agency’s Inline team.

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Weber Shandwick – Invitation to B2B Roundtable: Managing Integrated Campaigns

Having great ideas for how to help your business is one thing, but without being able to demonstrate certain success, it’s difficult to convince others that your marketing strategy is worth implementing. To address this key issue, the Minnesota chapter of the Business Marketing Association ( BMA-Minnesota ) will host “Building a Better Business Case for Marketing” on November 17, 2009. Sponsored by Online Marketing Connect and led by Pat LaPointe, managing partner at MarketingNPV , the session will explore how to build a solid business case for marketing programs and enhance the credibility of your recommendations

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BMA-Minnesota Event Explores Building a Better Business Case for Marketing

Minnesota Women in Marketing Communications (MWMC) announces it’s 2009-2010 board of directors: as president Nora Hayes, account supervisor at Weber Shandwick; as president-elect, Shannon M. Novotne, marketing communications specialist at Boston Scientific CRM; as past-president, Sara Masters, director of communications at Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA; as Finance VP, Sandy Syfko, marketing manager at GE Commercial Finance; as marketing VP, Susannah Prochazka, technical marketing specialist at Bonestroo; as marketing chair; Tricia Mathews, marketing communications specialist II at HR Green; as professional development VP, Sara Cziok, marketing communications manager at LaBreche; as professional development chair, Katie Fisher, marketing coordinator at Verisae; as networking VP, Bethany Bierman, leadership giving officer at Luther College; as membership VP, Michelle Josephson, director of international services at Cenveo; and as secretary, Laurie Klepinger, virtual assistant at LK Business Services, Inc

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Minnesota Women in Marketing Communications Reveals New Board of Directors

Sue Kraus, Senior President-SMK Marketing & Communications and Joyce Lorenz, Communications Manager-City of Eden Prairie have earned the Accredited Business Communicator (ABC) designation by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). IABC’s accreditation process measures the strategic abilities and technical skills of a communicator, and is a critical step in a communicator’s career growth. “Accreditation validates the individual and the communication profession as well,” said Donna Vincent Roa, PH.D, ABC

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Two Local IABC Communication Professionals Earn Accreditation Designation

This has been a challenging year for professionals across all industries and, despite the relative resilience of the public relations field, PR executives also experienced their fair share of obstacles. Whether it was deflated budgets, scaled-back client accounts or necessary layoffs, the effects of the downturn were unavoidable—which is why the winners of PR News ’ first annual “Top Places to Work in PR” competition are all the more laudable. Nominations submitted to PR News by industry professionals were divided into three categories—agency, corporate department and nonprofit—and were reviewed by a panel of external judges as well as PR News editors, who considered everything from the organization’s turnover rate and opportunities for growth, to employees’ candid descriptions of the intangibles that keep them happy and driven.

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Just announced: PR News’ 2009 Top Places to Work in PR

The PR industry is in a state of flux with increasing emphasis on the digital and social side of communications.   In the context of digital PR, social media and search engine optimization can work together to compound results.  As PR efforts continue to emphasize content publishing, digital and social communications, the opportunity to keyword optimize content for search is low hanging fruit. Forward thinking companies would do well to assess the SEO and social media readiness of their marketing and PR resources.  Is the current digital PR effort leveraging improved visibility through search engines? Do current PR and Marketing staff or vendors possess the digital PR tools they need to offer competitive consulting in a “PR 2.0” world

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Testing SEO & Social Media Readiness: 6 Questions

This post is a preview to the presentation that TopRank Online Marketing CEO Lee Odden will be giving at the upcoming Media Relations Summit , New York, NY May 17-19 on Search Engine Optimization Tips for Media Relations. Many public relations practitioners have warmed in recent years to the power of search engine optimization for growing the impact of pull based PR efforts. Journalists, bloggers and industry influentials use search engines to find subject matter experts, research companies, locate past media coverage and track topical trends.

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Media Relations Guide to SEO

While marketing budgets are being cut or shifted, many companies are holding on to public relations — especially B2B companies.  A recent story in BtoB Magazine, “ Marketers stay in the conversation with PR ,” tells the story of a company that relies on case studies as part of their public relations efforts. Since many of their customers conduct research as part of the sales process, the case studies promoted via public relations efforts are an instrumental part of their ability to attract new customers. Public relations is more than press releases and media relations efforts to pitch journalists stories about companies.

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Digital PR in a Recession is About Building Relationships