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rkevent · 4 years

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IT’S TIME TO SPEAK UP!

The announcement of Samsung’s new project has been spread to the public, and everybody is invited to participate in its grand start event!

On the weekend of May 29th to May 31st, anyone interested in the arts is invited to the project opening event location for a guaranteed educational and fun time. Experts and celebrities have donated their time to offer classes and lectures on important aspects of the arts and entertainment world. To help the Speak Up! Project prosper, the entry fees will be clothes and toys that are in good state but that you do not need anymore. You must donate a different thing each day to attend the event.

Starting at noon on the 29th, people will be free to roam around the area and visit the different stalls while they wait for their classes to start. The different stalls offer delicious foods from local businesses, as well as content from smaller artists who’ll sell their pieces for a fair price. Not only does Samsung wish to help those in need, but the event will help spread the word of aspiring artists who still haven’t managed to find their place under the spotlight.

Anyone who wishes to attend classes other than just appreciate the free-to-roam event area must sign-up beforehand on the official Speak Up! Project website. All information on the different lessons and the singing-up option will be available IC starting on May 3rd.

For each day, a different and very diverse roster of activities will be available for you to participate in. This also means that some classes will have times that overlap. You cannot attend more than one class at the same time. A list of every class available can be seen below the cut and, for easier visuals to some, they have also all been organized on this spreadsheet.

If you’d like to participate in this event, you’ll have to submit a sign-up form to the rkevent inbox telling which activities your muse will partake on. The form is only a base, and you may edit it to fit more activities or less, depending on your preference. Your muse does not need to go to the event every single day. A list will can be found here with the names of which muse will be attending which class, so there is no need to post this form to your blog. There is no deadline to submit this form, and any new muses accepted through the duration of this event may join.

TITLE: MUSE FULL NAME

MAY 29TH:

ACTIVITY 1 - (name of the activity) ACTIVITY 2 - (name of the activity) ACTIVITY N - (name of the activity)

MAY 30TH:

ACTIVITY 1 - (name of the activity) ACTIVITY 2 - (name of the activity) ACTIVITY N - (name of the activity)

MAY 31ST:

ACTIVITY 1 - (name of the activity) ACTIVITY 2 - (name of the activity) ACTIVITY N - (name of the activity)

To be awarded points, each class will have rewards of their own, as they’ll be listed below the cut. To collect each of those rewards, you must write two 250+ words solo or two four-post threads with someone taking the same workshop as your muse (or one of each) per day.

This means you’ll have to complete two requirements (a solo or a thread) per day your muse will attend the event. If they’ll only take classes on May 29th, then you only need to write two requirements. If they’ll attend all three days, then they need to write six requirements. For each one day requirement that is completed, you may also award your muse with 1WK of a relevant achievement.

Please tag all related posts as #rkspeakup and have them up before midnight EST at the end of June 10th.

In order to verify your points, you’ll have to send a copy of the form below to the points verification blog. Simply copy the entire form, attach your solo/thread links to the X next to each activity, and submit it to the submission box. Make sure to erase anything that doesn’t apply to your muse, and to title your submission accordingly! Forms can only be submitted after the activity check on June 17th.

[ MUSE’S FULL NAME ] - SPEAK UP! VERIFICATION FORM

MAY 29TH

PROOF OF ACTIVITY [ X + X ]

+? POINTS IN [SKILL]

+1WK IN [RELEVANT ACHIEVEMENT] (NUMBER OF TIMES TAKEN + CURRENT LEVEL)

MAY 30TH

PROOF OF ACTIVITY [ X + X ]

+? POINTS IN [SKILL]

+1WK IN [RELEVANT ACHIEVEMENT] (NUMBER OF TIMES TAKEN + CURRENT LEVEL)

MAY 31ST

PROOF OF ACTIVITY [ X + X ]

+? POINTS IN [SKILL]

+1WK IN [RELEVANT ACHIEVEMENT] (NUMBER OF TIMES TAKEN + CURRENT LEVEL)

TEACHING IDOLS: All of those whose class was accepted will be awarded an extra +3 POINTS ON THE CLASS’S SKILL, +3 DEBUT POINTS, and +1WK RELEVANT ACHIEVEMENT. To collect these rewards, you must write one 300+ words solo or one four-post thread with someone taking the workshop. Please tag all related posts as #rkspeakup and have them up before midnight EST at the end of June 3rd.

Forms can only be submitted after the activity check on June 10th.

[ MUSE’S FULL NAME ] - SPEAK UP! CLASS INSTRUCTOR FORM

PROOF OF ACTIVITY [ X ]

+3 POINTS IN [SKILL]

+3 DEBUT POINTS

+1WK IN [RELEVANT ACHIEVEMENT] (NUMBER OF TIMES TAKEN + CURRENT LEVEL)

NEW DEBUT POINTS TOTAL:

MAY 29TH

1.1 OPENING SPEECH

12-12:30PM — A representative of the Speak Up! Project will thank all the people present for their donations and give a rundown of how the project will work starting from today. She’ll also thank all the professionals who donated their time to be there and will explain the start event simply.

REWARDS: +2 TO DISTRIBUTE AS YOU WISH

1.2 SINGING FOR BEGINNERS

1-2PM — Gyeoul from AND*ROMA has already shown her singing teacher skills before, and will now offer a beginner-level class. Those attending will learn the basics of singing and get tips from those with more experience. The end of the class is a fun noraebang session.

REWARDS: +2 SINGING

1.3 BALLET CLASS

1-3PM — Reno from DE:CODE will give a brief description on the genre of ballet, show examples of professional ballerinas and ballerinos, the different types and methods, and then go into practicing and demonstrating some of the moves and techniques, allowing the audience to follow the instructions along with him.

REWARDS: +4 DANCING

1.4 AEGYO 101

2-3PM — Learn how to make people either cringe so hard they want to punch you or make people do what you want: learn how to unlock your inner adorable squeaky sounding monster and use your newfound talents in variety or to piss off your friends. Chojin from K.ARMA is a master and will teach you all the secrets by herself.

REWARDS: +2 CHARISMA

1.5 AN INTRODUCTION TO VOICE ACTING

2-4PM — The first half of the workshop will be lecture-like, with an instructor showing a simple story of voice acting, how it can impact a project, and good/bad examples of it. On the second half, everybody will get to try it out and receive pointers on how they can improve.

REWARDS: +4 CHARISMA

1.6 BODY PERCUSSION

3-5PM — Junju from PER_SE will show how to make music, but using only your body as an instrument. Body percussion may be performed on your own or in groups. He’ll show how you can make music together with your friends, and how it’ll sound when you bring different sounds together.

REWARDS: +4 DANCING OR CREATIVITY

1.7 HOW TO IMPROVISE

4-5PM — An instructor will give a one-hour lecture on how they mastered the art of improvisation. He started with small roles as an actor and points out how important improvising can be even if you don’t have that many lines in a piece.

REWARDS: +2 CHARISMA

1.8 FREESTYLE HIP-HOP DANCE WORKSHOP

4-6PM — The workshop will be focusing on creativity, flexibility, and execution under time pressure. Sehun from CONVEX will give the first moves of a choreography and the attendees will have to come up with the rest of it by themselves separated into groups.

REWARDS: +4 DANCING OR CREATIVITY

1.9 GUITAR FOR BEGINNERS

5-6PM — To teach you the basics behind playing the acoustic guitar, Haseul from ECLIPSE will be your teacher. She’ll give a simple run-down on learning how to get started and how to deal with frustration while practicing.

REWARDS: +2 CREATIVITY

MAY 30TH

2.1 DRINKS FOR VOCAL CORDS UPKEEP WORKSHOP

12-1PM — A nutritionist, Dr. Kim Yeonhee, will show what are the best drinks you can have to ensure your vocal cords stay healthy and prepared for the next time you wish to sing. She’ll show the scientifics behind her choices and also teach easy drinks to prepare at home.

REWARDS: +2 SINGING OR +2 CREATIVITY

2.2 BEATBOXING FOR BEGINNERS

1-2PM — While beatboxing can look challenging or look like nothing at all hidden by a mouth-covering hand, starting on this skill is as hard as starting any other. An instructor will go through basic beats anyone can do and, if anyone shows promise, maybe even a few more challenging ones for attendees to try.

REWARDS: +2 RAPPING

2.3 SKINCARE AND MAKEUP WORKSHOP

1-3PM — from her current skincare routine to her favorites regimens, Cheri from LUXE will reveal all! Includes samples of an old endorsement sponsor ( Mamonde ) that she kept and will hand out and how to keep your skin looking nice while getting less than 5 hours of sleep.

REWARDS: +4 CREATIVITY

2.4 POSING FOR PICTORIALS

2-3PM — Idols have pictures of them taken all the time by fans, media outlets, and actual photographers, and they often have to be part of photoshoots for magazines and album jackets so it’s important to feel comfortable and know how to carry yourself. In this workshop, Doyeon from the girl group K.ARMA will use her experience with modeling to teach them some posing techniques and angles for photo editorials. A small photo session will happen to help them improve their skills in front of the camera.

REWARDS: +2 CHARISMA

2.5 FILMING TECHNIQUES & TOPIC BRAINSTORM

3-4PM — Kaeun from girl group AND*ROMA was a beauty and lifestyle influencer before becoming an idol, so she’d like to share some ideas on filming, thinking of topics, how to curate content for videos, and also a little hands-on filming with simple set up. Those attending should bring their own camera and tripod.

REWARDS: +2 CHARISMA OR +2 CREATIVITY

2.6 THE BASICS OF CREATIVE WRITING

3-5PM — An instructor will help all those present with tips and examples on how to get your creative juices working and then use those to create written stories. These tips include proper writing help as well as ways to avoid procrastination and making good use of your productive time.

REWARDS: +4 CREATIVITY

2.7 INSTAGRAM WORKSHOP

4-5PM — This workshop is to teach people how to take their best Instagram pictures! Anna from ECLIPSE will show how to spot backgrounds for pictures and good picture composition, the best angles for pictures, as well as editing and choosing a theme for your Instagram.

REWARDS: +2 CHARISMA OR +2 CREATIVITY

2.8 SONGWRITING WORKSHOP

4-6PM — Jinwook from CONVEX will host a songwriting workshop. He’ll prepare part of a simple song, and talk about his composing process and experiences. The group is encouraged to provide ideas as Jinwook talks through writing the first verse. Then the workshop will break into small groups to “finish” the song however they see fit, by adding lyrics and a chorus section. Jinwook will be ready with a few complete ideas in case people get stuck!

REWARDS: +4 CREATIVITY

2.9 HOW TO JUGGLE SCHOOL WORK AND CHASING AFTER YOUR DREAMS

5-6PM — Sinjae from DE:CODE got a good school record, and does well academically. He’ll talk about sacrifices he had to make along the way and give tips on how to fulfill your dreams without letting go of your studies, as well as sharing personal stories he had to go through himself.

REWARDS: +2 CHARISMA OR +2 CREATIVITY

MAY 31ST

3.1 YOGA

12-1PM — This workshop would be focusing on yoga, relaxation, and meditation. Jennie from girl group ECLIPSE can do some pretty amazing things with her body, even a split! From showing proper ways to stretch the body and keep it fit, she’ll show some basic yoga poses that help unwind especially after a hard day or to start well and relaxed into the morning. it will include all her favorite beginner poses that are easy to remember and do alone at home! And as a finish, she’ll show a quick but efficient meditation afterward.

REWARDS: +2 DANCING

3.2 THREE PILLARS OF RAP

12-2PM — An instructor will give a rundown on the three pillars of rap: flow, delivery and lyrical content. It’ll start as a talk about what each thing means and entails, and will then turn into a full workshop. Any aspiring rappers should make sure they know everything that is said.

REWARDS: +4 RAPPING

3.3 INTRODUCTION TO FASHION DESIGN

1-2PM — As a fashion major, Zoe from girl group LUXE has some experience with designing outfits. For this workshop/lesson, Zoe will be giving an intro on what fashion design entails to complete beginners, understanding fabrics, drawing a fashion sketch, breakdown of LUXE’s fashion, and have a talk with them about fashion, designing and any questions the students have.

REWARDS: +2 CREATIVITY

3.4 CONTEMPORARY HIP-HOP CLASS

1-3PM — For the first half of the class, Kil from girl group K.ARMA will explain the intricacies of contemporary hip-hop and how different it is from other dance genres. She will talk about getting in touch with emotions and understanding the piece you will be performing first before you dance to it. Afterward, she will teach a self-made choreography.

REWARDS: +4 DANCING

3.5 DON’T BE A ONE-TRICK PONY: A LECTURE

2-3PM — Darae from girl group AND*ROMA will give a class discussing how while it is essential to be good in one skill, it is beneficial to master another. How sometimes leaning into a main skill can be more of a weakness than an advantage at times if you lean on it too much. Also discussing what are some unique secondary skills that aren’t tied to main stage performances but can also benefit for variety.

REWARDS: +2 CHARISMA OR CREATIVITY

3.6 HOSTING WORKSHOP

3-4PM — To give tips on any who want to try to enter MCing or hosting, whether it be for the small screen, radio, or events. It can also help to improve confidence in public speaking/diction as a daily skill. Hyun from CONVEX will cover voice projection, professionalism, personal presentation, and different energies for different kinds of events. He’ll give activities for participants to do to help with learning.

REWARDS: +2 CHARISMA

3.7 AERIAL SILK CLASS

2-4PM — A few members of a circus will teach the secrets behind aerial silk acrobatics. Attendees will learn the basics of climbing and maintaining control of oneself while up in the air, as well as some simple yet impressive poses for you to post on Instagram.

REWARDS: +4 DANCING

3.8 PIANO FOR BEGINNERS

3-5PM — For those who never played the piano, or only got the chance a few times in their life. An instructor will give you the run-down of the basics you should know and teach you an easy song to impress whenever you go somewhere that has a piano.

REWARDS: +4 CREATIVITY

3.9 SELF-DEFENSE

4-6PM — It’s a class about learning some basic self-defense moves; because it’s always good to be able to defend yourself in any kind of situation! B.Mil from boy group DE:CODE has practiced hapkido since childhood and he can demonstrate some techniques and practice them with those who are part of the workshop.

REWARDS: +4 DANCING

#rkspeakup

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randomidiocyncrazies · 4 years

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Hong Kong May 27, 2020

寧為玉碎，不為瓦全 “Rather die on one’s feet than live on one’s knees.”

Today is the 2nd reading of the National Anthem Bill in HK LegCo—if passed, the bill require attendees at events to stand up straight "solemnly" when the anthem plays. Violators who "do not show proper respect" (incl modifying lyrics or playing it at "inappropriate" occasions) to the anthem will face criminal prosecution, with jail time of up to 3 years.

As you can see, the wording is extremely vague: what constitutes as a "proper" level of respect? What are considered "inappropriate occasions"? How “solemn” does one have to be to reach the "sufficient” level of respect? Just like the proposed Article 23, there are no concrete answers to be found. These legislation are tools for the mainland Chinese government—and pro-establishment sycophants—to stamp out dissent and brainwash HK citizens (which is funny, considering the pro-establishment camp threw a hissy fit over a Liberal Studies exam question, claiming it had “hurt the feelings of Chinese people”... classic CCP 玻璃心 rhetoric.)

(Chief Executive Carrie Lam went on to say Liberal Studies is “too free” [無掩雞籠], lament over “anti-government radicals infiltrating schools to brainwash students” and then misquote Mandela. A curriculum designed to encourage students to pay attention to current events and develop critical is apparently “brainwashing” because it's "too free"... logic who? Don't know her.)

As of now, more than 300 protesters—including junior high students and younger—have been arrested en masse today. Police have shot pepper spray at ppl’s faces at point blank range, and targeted journos with pepper ball guns. (They have switched to pepper ball guns as it looks less dramatic than cloud of smoke, even though it irritates and chokes just as badly in an attempt to curate public/intl image of HKPF.)

(And remember: the National People’s Congress of China is drafting the “HK National Security Law” at this moment. This law is aimed at criminalizing "subversion, secession, foreign interference and terrorism". Should the law go forward, and it most likely will, people who disagree with government policy online, attend protests and rallies, or advocate for HK independence can be prosecuted.

The draft decision would “bypass the local legislature” (meaning it would not be voted on in LegCo and only voted on at NPC) and there is “no assurance of any public consultation” on the law. The pro-establishment camp have pledged unwavering support of their Beijing masters' upcoming draft. This effectively breaks the promise of "50 years unchanging" as stated in the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and the promised 50 years of Hong Kong as a Special Administrative Region under '1 Country 2 Systems' will be officially over.)

It's ironic that the Chinese national anthem begins with the rally of “起來，不願做奴隸的人們！[Rise up, ye all who refuse to be slaves!]" The biggest offenders of the National Anthem Bill, the people who disrespect their precious national anthem the most, are the Chinese govt and pro-establishment camp themselves. They are cracking down violently and trying their damndest to wipe out the people who refuse to be their brainwashed puppets.

So much for rising up to reclaim human dignity and autonomy as a national value huh.

#stand with hong kong #hong kong protests #national anthem bill #national security bill #hong kong

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sickwomantheory · 5 years

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Hedva’s Disability Access Rider

August 22, 2019

Over the last few years, I’ve received more and more invitations to speak and/or perform at arts and literary institutions (often internationally). In doing these events, I’ve learned a lot about my own capacity and how working with institutions tends to go. So that we can work together better, now, when I am invited somewhere, the first thing I do in response is send my Disability Access Rider.

Accessibility is just starting to take root in how institutions understand and work with disabled artists and communities. They’ve often never heard of “access intimacy” before, or if they have, they don’t know what it means in actual practice. I’ve found that my access rider is often the first of its kind that they've seen.

I decided to make my access rider public because many people have asked to see it, and I’ve heard from a range of folks—from other crip artists, to abled curators who want to work with us—that this document has been a useful model for them.

I welcome anyone who wants to use this as a template for your own rider, or to share with institutions who invite you to do stuff. And I invite anyone working within the institution to use it too. Please copy/paste and circulate!

—

Hedva’s Disability Access Rider

Thank you for inviting me to contribute to your event! I am disabled, so for me to be able to participate, I need support from my hosts. I also require the events I’m part of to be accessible to the disabled community.

This means that we’re going to have to embark on access intimacy together (if you don’t know what that is, please click here to read this article by Mia Mingus). Before I can commit to that process with you—and honey, it is a process!—please take a moment to read the below, and let me know how you can support each item. If you need more specifics about any component, ask me. I’m happy to clarify and assist where I can. If you can’t provide something on this list, let’s have a conversation about it. I am more interested in accessibility as something for which we work together, rather than a punitive standard I measure you against.

Below my requirements is a list of references that give more insight to where I’m coming from.

0. Money—

Access should not be funded solely by me, the disabled individual (e.g., taken out of my fee or production/materials/travel budget), but shared with the institution, and/or city, state, and/or federal funding. The fact that it is often funded by me, in more ways than just financial, signals how inaccessible the world is. Please join me in carrying this weight.

1. For scheduling—

I require all of the below to be confirmed and agreed upon by contract at least three weeks before the event takes place. Trust me, the more time there is to work out all the logistics, the better. Accessibility takes a really long time and it’s messy af!

(For the commission of new work, or an event that requires a more long-term relationship, we’ll need to have a conversation about time.)

I require at least 48 hours after arriving to acclimate before I can participate in any public events. I’ll need to fly home the day after the event.

2. For the entirety of the trip—

I require a care person to assist me. I cannot travel alone. I prefer to bring a care person with me, because we will already have a relationship and they will know what is needed. Their travel, lodging, food, and transportation must be paid for by the host, as mine are.

3. For air travel—

The flight cannot depart before 15:00. The airport cannot be more than one hour away from my house. Nonstop is preferred. If a layover must happen, it cannot be longer than two hours. I need to be picked up from, and taken to, the airport. I must have an aisle seat on the flight, because I use a cane. This has to be booked in advance. On transatlantic flights, I require an economy seat with extra leg room, premium economy, or business class. Depending on my health, sometimes I require wheelchair assistance at the airport. Please check with me about this before booking flights.

4. For lodging—

I require my own room, bed, and private bathroom in a non-smoking room that has a window. I prefer hotels to air bnbs. The lodging has to be a reasonable distance from where the event will take place. I require an elevator if there are more than two flights of stairs. I require meals to be paid for by my host. My food allergies/intolerances are: no nuts, seeds, shellfish, cephalopods.

5. For the event itself—

I cannot participate in anything before 16:00. I, and my audience, cannot sit for longer than 90 minutes without a 15-minute break. I require a dressing room/backstage area, and would not be bothered if fresh flowers appeared there. On the stage, I require a cushioned chair with a back for the entire event; I cannot stand.

6. For the accessibility of the event—

I require that the event take place in a wheelchair accessible space, no exceptions. I require every effort be made to provide both CART and sign language interpretation for the event; at least one of these has to happen. I require all-gender restrooms at the space. I require spaces to be as scent-free as possible (see reference below for more info). If someone makes an access request, I require that the hosts make every effort to provide it.

If you can’t provide what’s been requested, tell me with enough time before the event so that we can find a solution.

7. For the publicity of the event—

I require that the accessibility information of the event be posted with all materials that include my name. This includes information about parking, elevators, wheelchair and all-gender accessible restrooms, CART, and ASL interpretation during the event. Best practice is to be transparent and as detailed as possible about how the space is, and is not, accessible.

For example, if there is one step, anywhere in the space, say so and where it is, and if there are any additional routes. For example, if only CART is being provided and not ASL, say so. For example, if the parking is a five-minute walk, or a fifteen-minute walk, from the space, say so. For example, if the space must be kept at a noticeably cold temperature, as it is in most archives, say so (in this case, I’ve seen an institution provide blankets: a good idea!).

A contact email and/or phone number must be posted with all materials that include my name, in order for people to request specific access items.

8. For the documentation of the event—

I require open/closed captioning of all video documentation. I require textual image descriptions (alt text) for all photos posted online. I reserve the right to approve all final language published that includes my name. NOTE: I use they/them/their pronouns.

9. In case—

Because I have chronic illnesses, I may have to cancel the trip at the last moment if I have a flare. This doesn’t happen often, but it has happened. If there’s a way that I am able to participate remotely, I will.

10. For the future—

It would be so cool, and you’d make me and my friends and many others very happy, and you’d increase the attendance of your events by a lot, and you’d become a working part of building the kind of world that needs to be built, if you would follow this document not just for me, but for all your work in the future.

References—

Accessibility in the Arts: A Promise and a Practice, by Carolyn Lazard

Access Intimacy, and Crip Solidarity, by Mia Mingus

Access Docs for Artists website, by Leah Clements, Alice Hattrick, and Lizzy Rose (the resources listed there are for the UK)

Fragrance Free Femme of Colour Genius, by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

Thank you to Neve Mazique Bianco, Carolyn Lazard, Park McArthur, Constantina Zavitsanos, Amalle Dublon, and Jordan Lord for their support and feedback.

#johanna hedva #disability access

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musingsofahistorymajor · 7 years

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My Museum Tales part 1

(Part 2)

People get angry when you don’t know everything about everything in the museum. “What year did this random event that has nothing to do with the exhibit happen? Why don’t you know? You should know!”

Guest: “What mileage does this car get?” Points at a car made in 1902. Me: “I have no idea but probably not a lot?” How the fuck should I know?

Guest: “What are the odds of you letting me sit in that DeLorean?” Me: “0 to -100.” Guest: “Why not?” Me: “Cause you could damage it. Only the curators and specialists are allowed to touch the artifacts. That car is an artifact.” Guest: *Surprised* “Oh.”

Guest asks me what sort of food the dining room sells. I am confused. We have no dining room in the museum. Guest points at the the map. He’s pointing at the dining room of the 1900s Mansion (the museum I work at has two mansions on the property). I have to tell him that that room isn’t a place to eat. It was the dining room for the family that used to live in the Mansion. He is still confused. Nothing I say helps.

Coming back from break to hear my relief hang up the help phone (which is connected to the parking) lot say, “The system isn’t broken, your brain is broken” in such a defeated voice.

Executive staff: “Can you put our events on other organization’s online calendars when you have a free moment?” No? Cause that’s not how the internet works. Its not possible unless they have a public calendar.

The most common question we get: “Where are the dinosaurs?” Across the street at the NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM! It’s the building with all the dinosaur topiaries, the stegosaurus statue out front, and the dinosaurs painted all over the parking garage.

Came across a woman changing her babies diaper on the floor of the kids play room. A) GROSS! B)There’s a restroom with a changing table around the corner.

Me: “I’m sorry sir you can park there. It’s a fire lane.” Guest: “I’m not parked.” Me: *looks at the guest who is no longer in their car and already in the building.The car has been there for at least 15 mins.* Me: Are you going straight back to your car then? Guest: No I’m here to visit the museum Me: *looks at the camera like I’m on the office* At what point does a car become “parked”

The time a catered event tried to have Cherries Jubilee, a dessert which requires it to be SET ON FIRE. The cooks didn’t understand why they couldn’t make it after we explained that it’s dangerous for the artifacts and it would set the fire alarms off. They light it up anyway. Fire alarm went off. Building had to be evacuated.

Radio Conversation: Me: Are we selling tickets at the door for tonight’s event and what methods of payment are accepted? Employee 2: Yes and cash. Credit card. Check. Employee 3: Wampum Employee 2: Barter and trade

That time my boss called and said she was looking for someone creative to help her come up with an idea for centerpieces for big annual fundraising event that night because it completely slipped her mind. The event was that night! She asked if I could come up with something cheap and quick to make but also looks nice. Using random art supplies and things we have lying around the storage rooms, I came up with some flower vase with photos around it type of thing (looked better than this sounds). Took all day but I made seven centerpieces out of nothing .

Guest: “Why are you only open on Wednesday?” Me: “We’re not?”

Guest: “Aren’t you always free on Saturdays?” Me: “No?”

Guest: “How far of a drive is it to the Mansion” They were standing in the Mansion….

Guest: “What’s the Hay House?” Me: “……It’s a house? Belonging to the Hay family? That you can tour?”

Guest comes in and reads the sign with our admission prices listed. Guest: “So these are the suggested prices?” Me: “No ma’am. The are THE prices. They’re not suggestions” Guest: “No these are the suggested prices.” Me: “….No. These are the prices. If you’d like to see the museum you have to pay the appropriate admission price.” Guest: “So these are the suggested prices then.” Me: “NO. You HAVE to pay the admission we have listed here or you can’t come in. They are not suggestions.” She left.

Local police called us to say that people are walking through some dog poop and were spreading it all over the sidewalk by our museum. She wanted us to go powerwash the sidewalk. The sidewalk is city property not the museums. Its’ technically not our job to do that. She got furious when we said we couldn’t do it and they actually came over and yelled. Our boss had to tell her no. Eventually the head of security went out to look and said there was no poop anywhere so he didn’t know what their problem was anyway.

People ask to see objects or exhibits we haven’t had in 40 years or that we have never had period and get angry when I tell them they’re either aren’t here or are no longer on display. The most common ones are: “Where’s the Fabergé egg?” (never had one in the museum ever) “Where’s the mummy?” (we are not a natural history museum nor do we have anything to do with egypt) “Where are the dollhouses?” (the dollhouses were on exhibit 35 years ago) “Where are the dinosaurs?” (again. not a natural history museum)

Guy complained because when he went to our living history site (an old farm) and his newly washed car got dirty, the walk was “dangerous” because it was not paved, there were a lot of people and no exhibits. ……..It’s a farm. Of course it’s dirty and you walked on grass. And there were tons of people because you attended one of the biggest events of the year there. And the exhibits are the buildings and trades you see. What did you expect?

Guest: “The carousel isn’t moving, is it open?” Me: “Yes it’s open.” It’s not moving because no one is there to ride it right now. It’s not always moving. Be kind of hard for new riders to get on.

The employees had a training session for customer service and one of the sections was on service animals. Once the speaker told us a miniature pony could be a service animal we all latched onto it and could stop talking about how much we’d love to have a pony in the building. This went on for days after the training session ended.

Guest comes up to me and tells me that a couple of the women’s stalls are “quite nasty”. I go and tell my boss and the head of maintenance. HofM comes out of the restroom and says, “Why did you make me do that?! Who does that to a toilet!” Turns out someone ahem…missed. I refused to “investigate” for myself. Later he walked by my desk again, said “apparently someone doesn’t know how to use the bathroom correctly”, shuddered and left.

Guest once spent 10 minutes telling me about his toothache

The joke every elderly man tells when they buy admission: “I’d like one child ticket please!” [insert fake laugh here]

Guest: “I’d like to renew my membership.” Me: “Awesome! Just fill out this form and what level are you renewing?” Guest: “Idk can you look it up?” Me: “Well it depends on how long ago you had your membership” Guest: “Let me look on my old card” The membership cards tell you what the level is.

The many children who run under the barriers, climb into the antique cars, and move the steering wheel like it’s a toy as the parents watch and take photos.

The grown adults who reach over the barriers and touch the tires or honk the horns. HONK THE HORNS! The whole museum can literally hear you doing that. It’s a car horn!!!

One of the brides who rented the Mansion garden for her wedding wanted to bring a live horse into the museum so she could ride it out after the ceremony.

Questions asked by drunk people on the carousel: “Which horse is fastest?”, “Can you make it go backwards?”, *reaches out into my booth* “Let me use the microphone”, “Can you make it go faster?”

I once had to kick a guest out of the carousel pavillion during a party because she was so drunk she couldn’t walk a straight line, lost her shoes, and was spitting on the floor. Guess who had to clean up her saliva…

Each admission has a brick hidden somewhere under it. We call it a “Security Brick”

Birds get inside the museum all the time. We now have a club for anyone who manages to catch one. I’ve caught one myself. It’s always fun watching newbies freak out when another one comes in. I want to get shirts made.

One client who rented the museum was so offended by the “naked” cherubs on the carousel that we had to figure out a way to cover up their “boobs”. We draped rainbow scarves over them.

Here’s to all the wonderful guests who have given me some interesting conversations, hugs, thank you’s, patience, and the opportunities to leave my admission desk and give them short tours full of enthusiasm. I treasure those moments

#stephs stuff #museum life #working in a museum #working gal

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ywematter · 7 years

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Advocacy: A trip to Washington, D.C. for Arts Advocacy Day

By Beth Ireland

In March, I had the personal pleasure of joining Western New York representatives and advocates from across the country for Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C.

Every year, Arts Advocacy Day brings together a broad cross section of America's cultural and civic organizations, along with more than 500 grassroots advocates from across the country. While in D.C., they meet with Senators and Representatives to underscore the importance of developing strong public policies and appropriating increased public funding for the arts.

The purpose, unchanged for the past three decades, is to provide a platform for arts advocates to gather and speak to local and national political leaders, sharing with them our personal stories and experiences and vision for the arts in our nation. But the mood this year was one of renewed urgency. The event fell just days after Donald Trump’s first federal budget proposal, which included the proposed elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and the Corporation for National and Community Services (AmeriCorps), among other federal agencies.

Following a training session on Monday, advocates of arts institutions, small and large, spent the day cycling through congressional offices to make the case for public arts funding.

Representing New York State were nearly 100 advocates, all in different arts disciplines. The group heavily ranged from lawyers and arts educators to dancers and entrepreneurial/independent artists, to those working in arts councils, initiatives and foundations - to name just a few. Split into 8 teams, I found myself partnered with seven like-minded individuals whose passion for the arts, their organizations, their craft, and who they serve was inspiring.

Together, we emphasized that the NEA, which has an annual budget of $148 million, is not only a nice thing to have, but also an economically sound investment. At .004 percent of the federal budget and at .47 cents per capita annually, its grants play a significant but low cost role in supporting the nonprofit arts and culture industry.

Here are a few other facts from Americans on the Arts that we used to make our argument and for you to have when you make yours:

* The nonprofit industry supports 4.13 million jobs in the arts and related industries. The Bureau of Economic Analysis and the NEA together calculated the arts and culture sector’s contributions to the gross domestic product at 4.2%, which amounts to an impressive $729 billion.

*Nationally, 702,771 businesses are involved in the creation or distribution of the arts, and they employ 2.9 million people-this represents 3.9 percent of all U.S. business and 1.9 percent of all U.S. employees. This demonstrates that the arts are a formidable business presence and broadly distributed across our communities.

* It's assumed that for every dollar the NEA gives, an additional $9 is donated from other individuals

* With passing of the Every Student Succeeds Act, and authority for educational goals returning to states, it is critical that we involve our local leaders in conversations about keeping arts as a core and critical part of our children’s education.

*Nationally, the nonprofit arts industry alone generates $135 billion in economic activity annually that generates $22.3 billion in government revenue.

*Cultural tourism accounts for 78% of U.S. travelers-that’s 118 million tourists.

* Elected officials are often unaware of the critical role that the NEA may play in supporting a beloved institution in their district. They only know when we tell them, invite them, and show them the great learning experiences of our children when they engage in the arts. It is up to us to keep them informed and involved.

While Arts Advocacy Day saw a record number attendance this year, there is still work to be done. It will be up to us to remind our representatives on a federal, state and local level that all arts matter. Here are some tips on how you can continue to advocate for the arts and culturals in your own backyard:

1. Stay familiar with your local newspaper listings. They will almost always list the arts and cultural events happening each week.

2. Purchase tickets or donate when possible, even if the events are free, and invite your friends and associates to attend with you.

3. Talk to the owners, the musicians, the actors, the curators, and the people directly involved in any arts events. Volunteer for them. Get to know these arts leaders. Your involvement is more than a statement - you will see exactly how hard everyone in the arts and cultural sector works to bring these programs to you, and the value they bring.

5. Be aware of when your local schools and community centers are at risk of losing funding for arts programming. Write, call, and demand of your community leaders that funding and support are not only granted, but increased - so that the whole community can benefit from the arts services in your area. Make sure to tell them that you support the arts. It’s vital to speak up to support the arts.

6. Lastly, talk about and share your experiences. Talk about seeing your favorite band over the weekend. Talk about your niece’s performance with the community theater troupe. Identify for your friends and neighbors just how important the arts are to you. Help them recognize how active the arts are in their community.

Get out and get involved. Talk about the arts, share with our leaders the experiences of your children, and let US know too! I am proud to work hands-on with the young people in our community, and our political leaders should feel pride too.

This is the best way to be a supporter of - and an advocate for - our precious and important artists, arts and cultural institutions!

#americans for the arts #artseducation #artsadvocacyday #savethenea

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ladystylestores · 4 years

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Launchmetrics CEO on Amplifying Online Paris Shows – WWD

https://pmcwwd.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/shutterstock_editorial_10528093at-2.jpg?w=640&h=415&crop=1

PARIS — A new frontier for almost all fashion brands, digital shows present a host of challenges, including how to amplify the impact of the collection unveiling. Fashion weeks, meanwhile, must showcase an array of content from Davids and Goliaths, each seeking attention.

The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode has tapped Launchmetrics, the data research and insights company for fashion, luxury and beauty, to create the digital hub for its virtual Haute Couture Week and Paris Fashion Week Men’s, running back-to-back from July 6 to 13.

The general public will be able to access brand videos and collection imagery alongside editorial content such as interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and commentary from a curated list of media, brands, organizations and cultural institutions. Professionals will have access to gated resources such as virtual press rooms and showroom sales tools.

“We’re now at the height of the digital revolution, which has only been accelerated by the COVID-19 crisis. The digitization of Fashion Week will never replace in-person events but it will largely enrich and amplify creative expression and communication,” said Pascal Morand, executive president of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode.

“We’ve proudly chosen to partner with Launchmetrics because of their undeniable industry expertise and technical knowledge. However, innovation processes require even more: a proactive attitude, openness, mutual understanding, and a willingness to bring likable novelty. All these qualities are essential for achieving demanding and quick innovation; I’m pleased to say that Launchmetrics has been the right partner for this ambitious project,” he added.

Michael Jaïs, chief executive officer of Launchmetrics, sat down with WWD to discuss its approach:

WWD: How is this platform different to the tools you were already offering to partners such as Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid and ModaLisboa?

Michael Jaïs: [What] we were promoting so far [was] about having a back-end solution for the images of the brands, to manage the images and visual assets in order for a brand to push it after that to the right community. We also had the GPS Radar tool.

Here, what we are doing for the fashion week is a step beyond, because we’ve been developing a front-end workplace. Of course we’ll be integrating the back-end with it and also trying to develop access for professionals in order to really manage the amplification of it.

The idea is really to offer our customer a whole digital experience from the front-end, to the amplification part and the measurement of the impact of it.

WWD: What does this change for brands participating in Paris Fashion Week?

M.J.: It will be even more complicated for the brands.

People are going to connect, but it doesn’t mean that because they’re going to connect, they’re going to amplify it. If you’re attending a show, you post a video or a picture — that’s fine, that makes sense. But if you are on your couch and you just pick up your laptop, of course you will not amplify it in the same way.

Brands need to produce content dedicated to each audience on each channel.

That’s where having a global platform really makes sense, because it’s not only about having the big live show, very creative, with virtual reality or augmented reality or very nice detailed production. It’s also about making sure that after the show, you can share the right content with the right audience.

That’s the purpose of it: having the front-of-house, then the back-end tool that will help the brand to propose look books, social media-ready content, content for the buyers — everything.

WWD: What was the most challenging part of developing the platform?

M.J.: What was really interesting was to see, in terms of how to develop the front end, what was really attractive to the audience and also what were the requirements of the federation: how to deal with a federation that represents the interests of companies that are so different and brands that are so different, from the large LVMH brands to emerging designers.

WWD: Is there a consensus emerging in terms of content creation, or is everyone doing their thing?

M.J.: Everyone is doing their thing.

What will be super interesting is because we will be hosting all this content, we’ll have great data on what works and what doesn’t. Today, we hear and we see a lot of things, from augmented reality to gaming, so it’s hard to really understand what they want to produce. I get the feeling that this fashion week will be a test for the next one.

WWD: Will this platform be proprietary to Paris Fashion Week, or will you be free to offer it to other partners?

M.J.: We really want to try it with Paris. Obviously, the idea is to also offer it to the brands after that but of course, we are also open to working with fashion weeks.

WWD: Going forward, should we expect a mix of digital and physical events?

M.J.: It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen in September.

I think there will be a lot of changes. I don’t see 50,000 people traveling from one city to another during these crazy months.

But in terms of amplification, we’re not quite sure that you can create the same overwhelming Big Bang during these fashion weeks if they are entirely digital.

Outside of entertainment, fashion is the only industry where moments like fashion week are so important. I think that brands will need to re-create this type of moment, so that’s the reason why I think that in September there will be a big push to have both physical and digital, even if the physical is not the physical it was before. But I think that longer-term, brands will try to think how to re-create some very special moments where the audience will be really listening and seeing the content of the fashion world.

If we just think about reproducing exactly what are fashion weeks today in a different format, I think that would lose a lot of the excitement and the uniqueness of it. So the question for me is how to reproduce this type of moment, maybe with different types of actors or with different combinations. I think that media has a real role to play in that: organizing moments for the brand to share their collection with the rest of the world.

See Also:

Paris Fashion Week Unveils Tech Partners for Online Shows

London’s Digital Showcase Underlines Importance of the Live Runway

Tipping Point: Fashion Weeks Tilt Toward Coed, Buy-Now Formats

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ralphlayton · 4 years

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25 B2B Influencer Marketing Campaign & Engagement Ideas for 2020

In the business world, you don't have to look far to see that the number of B2B companies engaged with influencer marketing is growing. As more companies are moving beyond experimentation to conducting pilots, sequential campaigns and always on programs, there is an increasing desire to expand how brands engage with business influencers. To help B2B marketers solve that problem, I'm going to share a swipe file of sorts of different business influencer campaigns and engagement opportunities. Implementing just a few of these could help a company with a substantial amount of influencer program activity. Of course just because you can, doesn't mean you should! As with all effective marketing, it's important to match up the campaign approach with the criteria for your customers and how they want to engage with influencer/brand content. Check out the list below and hopefully some good ideas will spark and ignite your 2020 B2B influencer marketing to new levels.

25 B2B Influencer Marketing Campaign and Engagement Ideas for 2020

1. Conduct a series of video interview with influencers - Pick a theme and topics you want your brand to be influential about, then interview the top experts. The Break Free B2B interview series is a good example of that. The great thing about video is that you can repurpose as a podcast or even as text for social shares and quotes for related blog posts, presentations, reports and newsletters. 2. Engage an Influencer host on a brand podcast - @TamaraMcCleary does an amazing job for the SAP Tech Unknown podcast, interviewing other influencers and executives from SAP. 3. Invite Influencers to provide content for an interactive content experience - Of course we've been specialized in this form of content collaboration for many years and have numerous examples. The interactive content format is engaging for your audience and also for contributing influencers because it elevates their status and visibility. One of my favorite examples of this is this microsite featuring 10+ influencers and a simulated voice assistant named Penny, who helps you navigate the world of finance, machine learning and AI. 4. Publish a list of top influencers in each industry vertical where you operate - Many companies want to begin developing an influencer program but have no meaningful connections with influencers yet. One of many ways to get on influencers' radar is to publish a qualitative list of who is leading the field. Then reach out to share the honor followed by an invitation to collaborate. Go beyond one-off lists and make it an annual event like the list we've been publishing each year for the past 10 years of women who rock on digital marketing. 5. Add influencer reactions and expertise to a research report - When IT Service Management leader, Cherwell Software released their research report on Work Process Integration and Digital Transformation, they engaged a group of relevant influencers including Dr. Sally Eaves, Tim Crawford and Ray Wang to share their expertise. 6. Enlist influencers as judges in a contest - This is exactly what Alcatel Lucent Enterprise did with their IT Vanguard Awards. Industry influencers were invited to review nominations for IT network and communications professionals. The program created great exposure for the winners, the judges and for ALE, resulting in multiple six figure leads. 7. Engage influencers to interview brand executives either online or in real-time at a conference - The influencer marketing team at SAP engaged multiple influencers to interview SAP executives during the SAPPHIRE conference, an ideal time to connect industry pros with in-house thought leadership like this interview I did with Oliver Betz, General Manager, Innovative Business Solutions at SAP, on innovation. 8. Invite influencers to an event at brand HQ: tours, executive meet and greets, education, social content creation - Adobe does a great job with this kind of B2B influencer activation and hosted 18 industry marketing, design, tech and business influencers to San Jose for a deep dive into topics like CDP, CXM and of course, Adobe's solutions. The bonus was a fun visit to the company store for Adobe swag. Here's a fun video from Ross Quintana documenting the experience. 9. Invite influencers to write a series of articles published on the brand site - Brands that answer buyer questions provide a valuable service. Inviting 3rd party experts to answer those questions through useful content is even more valuable. Keep in mind, in most cases a commitment to writing on a regular basis is a paid engagement with the contributing influencers. 10. Engage influencers to keynote or workshop at your brand's user conference - Another common form of paid influencer engagement is as a featured speaker at a company event. These engagements can elevate the performance of an event when a talented performer that also has deep industry expertise can inspire the audience. 11. Partner influencers with your customers to interview each other for a web video series - Customer trust in brands is not high but trust in peers and experts is. Creating conversation opportunities between credible industry experts and your clients can inspire truly meaningful dialog that resonates with potential customers. 12. Invite influencers to an event to livestream and document their experience - I have been invited by multiple B2B companies to attend events and share my impressions using whatever media I was comfortable with including Adobe, SAP, IBM, and Oracle. A small number of influencers experiencing a brand event can have a big impact. At SAP's annual conference, 15 influencers drove 25% of all social media impressions. 13. Invite influencers along with clients and prospects to VIP dinners where your brand presents, sponsors or attends industry events - This is one of my favorite things about attending industry conferences: connecting our clients with top industry influencers. There's no selling, just an experience and connection that everyone involved remembers - and that top of mind effect is priceless. 14. Create an ebook featuring brand thought leadership accentuated by relevant industry influencer insights - Oracle Dyn created the Cybersecurity Intelligence Report featuring a combination of respected influencers and practitioners as well as an Oracle executive, building credibility by association. 15. Run a webinar or series of webinars featuring an influencer as host or guest and a brand executive - Featuring an industry expert in a webinar is a fairly common influencer activation and the reason is, it works! So why not create a series of webinars to build audience, momentum and a body of content that can be repurposed? 16. Engage influencers to contribute expertise to content that advances a key brand theme - It sounds pretty basic, but I can't tell you how many B2B brands produce content without any 3rd party credibility. Adobe engaged multiple influencers to provide insights around customer experience management in this interactive infographic in support of the Adobe Summit conference. 17. Feature quotes from a group of influencers for a roundup blog post or landing page - Dell Outlet Small Business added commentary from multiple small business influencers about the value of refurbished computers on this landing page to drive awareness and engagement. 18. Curate quotes from influencer contributions and repurpose them as social shares throughout the year - Modular content means planning repurposing by using templates with influencer interviews and content capture. This makes it easier to create a library of influencer quotes organized by topic for social shares, use in contributed articles, newsletters, blog posts and presentations. Not only does reposting influencer quotes add credibility to brand content, but they also give the influencer ongoing exposure, which they will appreciate. 19. Engage influencers with a blog network, or podcast network to come up with a creative campaign for your brand - The notion of "creator" is most often associated with B2C influencers. But more B2B influencers are adapting and acquiring media creation savvy. Better yet is when influence creators and media publishers bundle themselves together. 20. Invite influencers to an executive meeting or retreat to discuss topics of mutual interest, then publish a summary - Guided discussions amongst industry experts and internal subject matter experts can generate a goldmine of ideas. The Digital Marketing Institute has formed the Global Industry Advisory Champions with representatives from major brands Google, Facebook, IBM, CocaCola, The Economist, LinkedIn and even TopRank Marketing :) to share insights around the state of digital marketing and education. Summaries of conversations are released along with industry research. 21. Engage an influencer to be an Emcee or digital correspondent during a brand conference - A few people I know do this really well. First, Jay Baer and Katie Martell are excellent emcees and influential in their unique ways. Sarah Evans is an amazing digital correspondent that can cover a conference with interviews and commentary to really level up the brand. 22. Make your influencer community available to a publication - 12 influencers including Dion Hinchliffe, Tamara McCleary, and Ronald Van Loon were interviewed by The New Economy publication during the SAPPHIRE conference for this video focused on a key topic of interest to SAP: The Experience Economy. 23. Create a series of blog posts featuring author influencers and their books - The team at LinkedIn Marketing Solutions has published a series of posts honoring top marketing authors that have been well received by their readers and inspiring for authors to share. Even better, is when authors recommend other authors to be featured. 24. Have a tech influencer do an "unboxing video" of a server or other hardware from your tech brand - Many B2C influencer tactics could be cleverly applied to B2B products. Go ahead and search for "server unboxing" on YouTube and you may be surprised at how many there are. Maybe a "haul" video from an office supply store isn't such a bad idea? 25. Publish a list of the most influential speakers at conferences relevant to your industry - Of course this is something we've been doing here on our blog for several years including Content Marketing Influencers / Speakers and B2B Marketing Influencers / Speakers. Publishing influencer lists before the conference can open up conversations while attending the event and complement other outreach afterwards. BONUS! (Thanks to Debbie Friez @dfriez and Jack Fitzpatrick @fitzJackrick from our Influencer Marketing team) 26. Invite influencers to do software walkthroughs and post them to IGTV, Facebook, and YouTube. They could could also be live-streamed on platforms like Twitch. 27. Host a networking happy hour with influencers and your key customer contacts during a conference or in your city. 28. Co-create a series of podcasts on the influencers channels that include supporting content like blogs, twitter chats/polls and cross-channel amplification. 29. Create an ask-the-expert video series on your brand YouTube channel where influencers join a brand co-host to answer top questions. While there's a variety of solid and actionable ideas in this list, it's really important to lay the groundwork and strategy for an influencer marketing program in terms of understanding what kind of influencers and topics make the most sense for your brand and customers. Influencers are not magic, but when you develop strong relationships with a relevant group of influencers, the impact on your marketing across the customer lifecycle can seem magical. If you would like to learn more about influencer marketing for B2B, see these resources and be sure to check out the following list of upcoming conferences where I will be sharing strategies, best practices and case studies featuring B2B brands of all sizes: February 24-25, 2020 - B2BMX - Scottsdale, AZ How to Optimize ABM Results with Influencer Marketing March 19, 2020 - Convergence Summit - Minneapolis, MN In Search of Trust: How Authentic Content Drives Customer Experience March 24, 2020 - Pubcon - Miami, FL B2B Influencer Marketing Workshop April 20-22, 2020 - Content Tech - San Diego, CA How to Optimize Content Performance with Influence April 22-23, 2020 - Content Marketing Conference - Boston, MA Be Best Answer for Your Customers with SEO and Influence May 27 -28, 2020 - B2B Ignite USA - Chicago, IL In Marketing We Trust: How to Build Influence with the C-Suite and on the Street I hope to see you there!

The post 25 B2B Influencer Marketing Campaign & Engagement Ideas for 2020 appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

25 B2B Influencer Marketing Campaign & Engagement Ideas for 2020 published first on yhttps://improfitninja.blogspot.com/

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samuelpboswell · 4 years

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25 B2B Influencer Marketing Campaign & Engagement Ideas for 2020

25 B2B Influencer Marketing Campaign and Engagement Ideas for 2020

The post 25 B2B Influencer Marketing Campaign & Engagement Ideas for 2020 appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

from The SEO Advantages https://www.toprankblog.com/2020/02/b2b-influencer-marketing-ideas/

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topicprinter · 5 years

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Hey - Pat from StarterStory.com here with another interview.Today's interview is with Ellie of Money Therapy , a business that does financial consulting.Some stats:Product: Financial consulting.Revenue/mo: $5,000Started: December 2017Location: Washington, DCFounders: 1Employees: 1Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?Hi! I’m Ellie and I’m the founder of Money Therapy Consulting. Money Therapy Consulting is an online consulting company that educates individuals and founders about their finances. In addition to the consulting, I host seminars, write informative articles, and curate personalized financial plans for businesses and individualsSo, what does Money Therapy really do? Money Therapy sells peace, not financial advice. When someone leaves the conversation, they feel assured they are taking the appropriate steps with their money.My main service is my one-on-one sessions. During those sessions, we speak about what you are really struggling with financially. Or, if you don’t know where to even start (which is ok!), I will guide you with a list of questions. What I love about the one-on-one sessions is that there is always a plan. I leave you with a to-do list and we set goals before our next meeting. My clients never feel like they are going at it alone.Today, I am doing anywhere between 10-20 sessions a month. I’ve actually had to scale back due to the fact that Money Therapy is a side business. I work with people who are really struggling and ready to make a change. Money Therapy isn’t about convincing you to make a change in your financial life, it is ready to help when you are.Money Therapy generates about $5,000 per month and I’m incredibly happy with that number. I could sell more sessions but the quality would not be there for my clients if I did. What I love about Money Therapy is that it proves that if you have a skill, some time, and a will, you can start a business with your talents. Everyone has a way of making money with what they already have in their toolbox.What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?I started Money Therapy as an accident!My background was in finance. I worked for a top financial company and then moved to DC working for a finance startup.My ultimate goal was to start a company. So, when I quit my job in finance and started a company called Venyou, I realized the financial skills I had acquired during my finance years were invaluable. Instead of guestimating my monthly expenses, I knew what they were going to be down to the penny. Instead of spending money I didn’t have, I created a barter system with friends to keep costs down. Instead of being anxious in investor meetings, I was able to walk in with confidence and discuss how my company was going to seek profitability in a specific time frame and how much money was needed to do that. In fact, my finance skills kept my company afloat where others may have failed.There are so many brilliant ideas and talented founders but if you don’t know anything about money, your chances of your business failing are nearly 100%.Other founders heard about my finance background and were approaching me about how to best manage their money. They would ask me questions like; “What insurance can I afford? What business systems do I need to pay for? How do I pay my rent and my developers? Should I be investing and how much?”I did this pretty regularly for free but once I gave a speech on finance for founders during startup week, the inquiries exploded. Startup week, for those who are not aware, is a week long event where founders and those supporting the startup ecosystem give speeches and network with each other. I highly recommend attending if you aren’t quite sure what you want to start/aren’t aware how you are going to do it.After my speech, I no longer could sit with people for free, I knew I had to make Money Therapy a real business.At first, Money Therapy was just word of mouth. One founder would recommend another founder and then those individuals would recommend their friends in normal 9-5 jobs. I expanded my services to include everything under the sun. If you had a financial question about it, I could answer it.Now, I’m in such a cool space with the business. My clients range from 19-55 and I have helped them invest over $500,000 and pay down over $200,000 worth of debt. Those numbers motivate me.Take us through the process of getting started.Money Therapy started organically and it changed organically. Before I charged for my time, I was answering one-off financial questions. I would get calls, emails, requests for coffee, you name it, just to pick my brain about money. The fun part was that I didn’t know what type of questions I was going to get. I loved that variety but it was also mentally taxing. If I didn’t have the answer to their question I would have to look it up and get back to them or decipher something for them, which ate into time for myself and my other business. I knew I needed to put structure around my time.I started putting my clients in silos; founders, employees, advisors, etc. This way, I could prepare for the types of questions they most likely had. I would “group” these people into one day. Instead of taking 3 meetings about various topics, I would hold 3 meetings in one day about similar types of questions. This way, it was less taxing on me and more beneficial to my clients.I also had to do my due diligence and tell them what I was legally able to advise them on and what I could not advise them on. Finance is a heavily regulated business and if you make a misstep you could be in serious trouble. I can give you my opinion on your finances and options that I think might be appropriate for you but I can’t move the money for you. This is a blessing instead of a curse because it forces my clients to truly understand how to manage their own financial life.Today, I have a very easy but manageable process for my clients. They have to sign up on a great app called Personal Capital. I have to look at it before we meet to determine where I think you may have gaps in your financial life. We set goals on what you would like to get out of the session and then we meet. Easy!Describe the process of launching the business.I was hesitant to formally launch the business because things had been going so well without any online presence. However, one of my clients moved and still wanted to interact with me. So, instead of doing our normal one-on-one meetings in person, we moved to Zoom. This was not an isolated incident. I started getting referrals outside the DC metro area and knew I couldn’t keep it offline.So, during the spring of last year I launched moneytherapy.co and offered online signups via calendly and payment via square. I worked with a squarespace template and did everything under $100.If you have a good business model that people are willing to pay for, you don’t have to spend a ton of money acquiring clients or on your website contrary to popular belief. I sent out a quick facebook blast on my personal page, set up a pinterest account, and Money Therapy was launched!It was a rough go at first because I immediately wanted to do everything online. I got frustrated balancing online clients with my in-person ones and screwed up my calendar a few times. I felt like I had put too much on my plate and didn’t know if the business was ever going to regulate itself. However, I stuck to my system, made my offline clients schedule time with me on one portal so I wouldn’t get my calendar confused, only took on clients who were serious about working with me and eventually everything streamlined.Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?Since launch, what has worked and still works is word of mouth. Everyone talks! If you did a great job your clients will tell other people. This my preferred way of attracting new customers. After all, Money Therapy still is a service business.In addition, I have also gotten passionate about writing blogs. This is a huge attraction to potential new clients. If someone has a quick question, I direct them to one of my blog articles. This saves them money and saves me time. If they have a deeper question, we schedule a session.Another unforeseen method of attracting clients is Pinterest! Never in my wildest dreams would I think Money Therapy’s pinterest would have over 1 million views per month but it does and has been one of the main generators to my site. Pinterest has connected me with clients over the country. How did I learn pinterest was such a great marketing strategy? Youtube. If you don’t know it, youtube it. Hint: Tailwind is the ticket to this growth as well as consistent creation of new pins. At least 2 new pins a week.imageNone of these would work without a system. You have to have a system for attracting and retaining new clients. Here’s exactly what I do:First, I set a time at the beginning of every month and come up with topics that I will write about for my blog. I record the subject, date, and if I stuck to the pubished date or not. I try to have the article written a few days before to I can edit it, add pictures, and think about how I will market it. The tabs below refer to the month so I can see where I am slacking and where I’m doing well. I try for at least one article a week.imageNext, I look at HARO everyday. HARO stands for help a reporter out and it has helped me get into publications like Forbes, NBC News, TheStreet, Girbloss, Bustle, you get the idea. Writers are always looking for help with articles and if you fit the bill they will feature you in publications. This has helped me legitimize my brand.Finally, I create assets like pinterest pins to help aid in my new article and market it. I use canva to do this and upload it directly to pinterest. I also use a service called tailwind so that it can automatically repin it.Lastly, I follow up with my clients! I send them emails to see where they are on their goals and if they are ready to meet again. That’s it.One piece of advice I have is understand where your brand shines. For me, it’s pinterest. I’m not going to spread myself thin trying to go after facebook ads or be the most followed on instagram. That is not where my brand does best. Realize that not all brands NEED to be everywhere. Find out where you perform best and stick to it.How are you doing today and what does the future look like?Today, I’m in a good, consistent place with my business. It costs me almost nothing to run my business. Squarespace renews at about $200 every year and I don’t pay for any advertising or ads. The only thing I truly have invested is my time which is the most valuable of all. So, my $5,000 per month is almost pure profit.I would like to stay at this level. It is manageable while I run my other business. However, what keeps me up at night is the people I’m not able to serve. My goal is to create an online course for different sectors; creatives, founders, employees, and college-aged individuals. I find the most similarities financially are within similar life cycles and goals. All though circumstances may be different for all, concerns are usually the same. With an online course I can serve so many more people. Scalability is always a concern with service-based businesses and I’d like the course to solve that.Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?The list would be too long to include everything helpful and advantageous I have learned but a few key things come to mind; consistency, reliability, and relationships. If you have these 3 things you have a very high likelihood that your business will be successful.On consistency, it is important to not only be consistent with your business but also consistent with yourself. If you have an internal deadline that no one knows about, keep it. The most important person you should be consistent with is you. If you are consistent with yourself you will be consistent with your business. If you are consistent with your business you will be consistent with your messaging in your business. Consistency is the key to long-standing clients and customers.On reliability, it is important you keep your word. If you said you will be somewhere or do something, be there and do it. If people know you are reliable, opportunities and doors will open up for you. I can’t tell you the amount of times that I was invited somewhere or asked to speak at an event because someone else was not reliable. Be the reliable person and watch your business flourish.On relationships, they are the building blocks of all things. Treat everyone as you wish to be treated and remember that the customer really is always right. Network with people you actually care about getting to know. Ask people you aspire to be like to get coffee. Keep people in your circle that you trust and will give you honest advice. If you have good relationships, you have everything.What platform/tools do you use for your business?Anything that you can do to automate your business that will make your life easier, do it. I try to do as few things possible in a day which means I use a lot of tools to make it happen.Squarespace - A website, especially if you are providing a service, should be beautiful and simple. With website builders today, you should be able to get a website up and running in a half hour. Squarespace is pretty, it’s user-friendly, and it’s reasonably priced. I highly recommend using it. They also added a new feature to send emails so I stopped using mailchimp and started using their service.Square - I use this for all my invoicing. It has a simple dashboard and I use the chip reader if I have a face-to-face consulting meeting.Calend.ly - I use this for new inquiries and bookings - it is free!Tailwind - I use this to automate and repin my pinterest pins. This has been my #1 growth tool this past year.Combin - I use this to auto-like and follow ideal instagram accountsCanva - I use this to create marketing materials and pinterest posts. Also free!Go check out my post - it is appropriately titled “Everything I Use to Run My Business”What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?My influences have changed over time. At the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey, I wanted to attack and attack quickly!I read all the old faithfuls like the Lean Startup, Zero to One, #askgaryvee, and the $100 startup. I listened to podcasts about founders and joined facebook groups. They were informative and necessary at the time. However, you can’t live your life at that pace. That energy is needed at the beginning of your venture but you can’t sustain a life at that pace.Today, I have a more holistic view of what I feed my brain because quite frankly, I got burned out.Now, I listen to mainly financial news such as Jim Cramer and WSJ. Financial news gives you all the information you need to know without all the drama. If I need a kick in the ass I listen to Eric Thomas on Youtube. If I need to calm down I go to church. If I need to cry about business I go to my mom. If I need to get through a problem I go to work. Keep your influences simple.Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?My advice would be that it is okay if your journey doesn’t mimic someone else’s journey. Just as people are individuals, so are businesses. Listen to your intuition with your business, it will guide you down the right road. Lastly, only take advice from people you want to be like.Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?I am always looking for partnership opportunities and contractors. I purposely keep my business employee-free. I want the people I work with to have their own businesses!At the moment, I don’t need any new contractors but if you have a talent in video editing, illustration, or course-making please reach out at [email protected] can we go to learn more?Visit Money Therapy everywhere @moneytherapyco! Reach out directly [email protected] you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!Liked this text interview? Check out the full interview with photos, tools, books, and other data.For more interviews, check out r/starter_story - I post new stories there daily.Interested in sharing your own story? Send me a PM

#/r/entrepreneur #reddit

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robinsoncenter · 5 years

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[Qsc_asuw] Week 7 Newsletter

Welcome to Week Seven! <3 QTBIPOC Artist Spotlight of the Week: Kendrick Daye: harlem based artist and designer burdened with glorious purpose.

The Queer & Trans People of Color Alliance (QTPOCA) will be meeting this Friday in the ECC Asian room!

Queer NAPI Narratives is an open mic night centering queer Native, Asian, & Pacific Islander voices and stories through poetry, spoken word, singing, dance, and more! It seeks to explore the intersections of our identities, build solidarity, and ultimately provide a space to heal through art and community.

(Wednesday, February 20, 2019) 6 PM - 8 PM @ Parnassus Cafe and Gallery University of Washington - Basement of the Art Building, Seattle.

Sign-up form here: https://goo.gl/y2ytV6 OR at the event! This event is done in collaboration between the Queer Student Commission, the Asian Student Commission, the Pacific Islander Student Commission, & the American Indian Student Commission. ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION:

We ask that you do not wear scented/fragranced products or clothing in order to make the space accessible to those with chemical injury or multiple chemical sensitivity.

Gender-neutral bathrooms are on the 1st floor, Room 111; Basement, one near Stair #4 and one near Room 9.

To request a disability accommodation, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 (voice), 206-543-6452 (TTY), 206-685-7264 (fax), or [email protected] preferably 10 days in advance.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], and/or [email protected].

11TH ANNUAL EVERYBODY EVERY BODY FASHION SHOW! (Tuesday, February 19, 2019) 6 - 9 PM @ Both HUB Ballrooms FREE to students & the public. The ASUW Student Health Consortium's 11th Annual, Everybody Every Body Fashion Show aims to create dialogue around the discourse of bodies and identities. After 10 great years of showcasing the multitude of students that attend this school, your peers and deconstructing what health looks like in different bodies, we are excited to continue this tradition of destigmatization! - Keynote Speaker: Jes Baker - Caricature artists from 5:30-7:30pm (HUB 2nd floor) - Photo gallery - Refreshments provided - Photo booth & props - DJ live music - Fashion Show Starts at 7 PM - Performances by Hip Hop Student Association and UW Kahaani Keynote Speaker: Jes Baker is a positive, progressive, and magnificently irreverent force to be reckoned with in the realm of self-love advocacy and mental health. Jes is internationally recognized for her books, writing on her blog, The Militant Baker, the “Attractive and Fat” campaign, and her dedication to shifting social paradigms into a place where all people are offered the opportunity to love themselves just as they are. The "Attractive and Fat" campaign drew coverage from CNN, the Today Show, the BBC, and many other national and international media networks. ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION:

Event venue is mobility aid accessible.

HUB Ballrooms are on the second floor, with elevator access.

An all-genders restroom can be found on the 3rd floor, down the hallway from the Q Center. Gender binary bathrooms with multiple stalls can be found on each floor of the HUB.

The Husky Union Building is near landmarks such as Allen Library, Padelford and Sieg. For a map, search HUB on the campus maps: http://www.washington.edu/maps/.

Short Talks: Love (Thursday, February 21, 2019) 7 PM - 9:30 PM @ KEXP Gathering Space Seattle, Washington 98109

When the personal is political, love makes all the difference. In celebration of the Q Center at the University of Washington’s 15th anniversary, four recent alumni will share their personal stories of love — of themselves, for the community and as a catalyst for change. $7 UWAA members / $10 public Featuring speakers Selma Al-Aswad, ’09, ’10, Helen "Hel" Gebreamlak, ’18, Jaimée Marsh, ’09 and Casey Wynecoop, ’16, with moderator Randy Ford. ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION:

How to get here: KEXP is located at the northwest corner of Seattle Center's campus just north the Seattle Arena project and a short walk from the Space Needle, MoPop, Chihuly Garden and Glass, McCaw Hall, Seattle Center Armory and more. The main entrance is on 1st Ave N between Harrison and Republican, and all public entrances are accessible.

From I-5 - Take the Mercer Street Exit and follow the signs to Seattle Center. Turn left on Warren Avenue North.

Metro busses northbound #1, 2, 8, 13, 32 and RapidRide D Line stop at our front door. To find bus routes, visit www.tripplanner.kingcounty.gov

The Monorail can bring you from downtown to Seattle Center campus, a short walk from KEXP.

Lyft car share has a drop-off point near KEXP at Warren and Republican streets.

Parking: KEXP has no dedicated parking. There is paid street parking surrounding Seattle Center and Seattle Center parking garages are located around the campus. There is bike parking available within the courtyard to the east of our building.

Let's Talk About Inspiration Porn with Rooted in Rights @ HUB Room 334 (Thursday, February 21, 2019) 2:30 - 4:30 PM)

Re-telling disabled stories. Challenging 'Inspiration Porn' and Celebrating the Stories of Disabled People

Join Rooted in Rights and the D Center for an afternoon of storytelling and disability culture. In this workshop, we will discuss the topic of 'Inspiration Porn' and why its harmful messaging perpetuates ableist narratives that denigrate the lives of disabled people. As well we will facilitate a safe and creative space for attendees to share and celebrate their stories.

"Disability is not a 'brave struggle' or 'courage in the face of adversity'... disability is an art. It's an ingenious way to live." - Neil Marcus PLEASE RSVP ON EVENTBRITE IF PLANNING TO ATTEND: http://www.bit.ly/inspoporn-workshop ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION:

Standard platform ASL and CART captioning will be provided.

Event venue is mobility aid accessible.

Please arrive scent free or wash off at the provided station. For other access needs or inquiries please email [email protected].

An all-genders restroom can be found at the 3rd floor, down the hallway from the Q Center. Gender binary bathrooms with multiple stalls can be found on each floor of the HUB.

The Husky Union Building is near landmarks such as Allen Library, Padelford and Sieg. For a map, search HUB on the campus maps: http://www.washington.edu/maps/.The HUB’s front entrance is wheelchair accessible and the common area is to the right of the main desk.

Winter Quarter Social Justice Film Series (Wednesday, February 20, 2019) 6:30 PM

The Kelly ECC is back with another social justice film series for winter quarter!

Each Wednesday evening at 6:30, we'll be screening a film in the main lobby! We hope to see you there!

February's Focus: Black History Month March's Focus: Women's History Month ------ FILM LINE-UP: • February 20: The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross • February 27: Dark Girls • March 6: Ladies First • March 13: Neerja ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION:

The Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center is near landmarks such as Alder Hall and Lander Hall.

For a map, search HUB on the campus maps: www.washington.edu/maps

The ECC’s front entrance is wheelchair accessible. There is an elevator in the building.

There are universal, all-gender bathrooms in the building, as well as gender binary bathrooms with multiple stalls.

The ECC is not kept scent-free, but we ask that you do not wear scented/fragranced products (e.g. perfume, hair products) or essential oils to/in the event in order to make the space accessible to those with chemical injury or multiple chemical sensitivity.

University District Metro Bus Routes can be found here: metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/bus/neighborhoods/university_district.html

Alchemy Poetry Featuring Christopher Diaz and Amy Lp with Dayana (Tuesday, February 19 2019) 7 PM - 9:30 PM @ Alchemy Poetry 1408 E Pike Street, Seattle, Washington 98122

Alchemy is a curated performance art space that elevates voices that are often silenced. Performers in our community focus on the brilliance of storytelling by offering personal stories and reflections that are socially relevant. We are powerful artists and our space allows our audience to witness the craft at its highest form. We believe that art is a divine power to create community.

Every first, third and sometimes fifth Tuesday of the month at 7pm, we call on two featured performers and a showcase mic at Lovecitylove.

Limited Showcase Mic Spots ALL AGES, $5 Admission

ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION:

Entry door to LoveCityLove is at least 32 inches wide

Restroom is single stall.

There is a grab bar installed in this restroom, clearance measures TBD.

There are 2 couches, and 20 folding chairs available in the space. We ask that the audience prioritize folks that need to be seated during the show.

Parking is paid street parking, or there is a paid lot on the east side of the building.

We are located near bus routes 11,12, and 2 and 0.4 miles away from the Broadway and Pike Streetcar stop.

That We Should Be Heirs Writing Workshop (Friday, February 22, 2019) 2:30 PM - 4 PM @ Student Union Building (HUB) room 332 A call to immigrant and refugee families to participate in a collaborative arts project from our colleagues at the Southeast Asia Center at the University of Washington:

Refugees and immigrants are invited to contribute handwritten letters about their experiences as a method of alleviating burden and promoting healing. UW visiting artist Trinh Mai will then roll and bind these letters with string, forming a small scroll enclosing and concealing the words. These will be displayed as part of an art exhibit at Seattle's Gould Gallery from April 3 - May 3.

UW Faculty members Linh Nguyen and Jenna Grant will lead the workshop where you can write your story in a supportive, communal space. All are welcome to take part in this collaborative project for empowerment and voice, then view the exhibit. Paper and pencils will be provided.

ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION:

Event venue is mobility aid accessible, the HUB’s front entrance is wheelchair accessible.

Please arrive scent free or wash off at the provided station. For other access needs or inquiries please email [email protected].

An all-genders restroom can be found at the 3rd floor, down the hallway from the Q Center. Gender binary bathrooms with multiple stalls can be found on each floor of the HUB.

The Husky Union Building is near landmarks such as Allen Library, Padelford and Sieg. For a map, search HUB on the campus maps: http://www.washington.edu/maps/.

The HUB is not kept scent-free, but we ask that you do not wear scented/fragranced products (e.g. perfume, hair products) or essential oils to/in the event in order to make the space accessible to those with chemical injury or multiple chemical sensitivity.

Generifus • Flying Fish Cove • Izumi (Wednesday, February 20, 2019) 7:30 PM - 10:30 PM @ Timbre Room

1809 Minor Avenue #10, Seattle, Washington 98101

$8 • Doors at 7:30 • Music begins at 8pm sharp Generifus • Intricate and magnificent legendary rock pop from Olympia, WA https://generifus.bandcamp.com Flying Fish Cove • Mythical melodies and dreamy moods, and they bop Izumi • Modern folk that is pure heart and magic spun into song https://izumi.bandcamp.com

How The Body Hold's It's Stories (Thursday, February 28, 2019) 7 PM - 9 PM

Hugo House 1634 11th Ave, Seattle, Washington 98122

How do our bodies hold onto experiences? How do generations of people of color, queer and trans people, and others who have experienced marginalization carry those stories over generations? Join writers Jordan Alam and Tessa Zeng for a reading and conversation on feeling a story in your bones and translating it to the page. Musician Lex Gavin will also perform. ABOUT THE PERFORMERS: Jordan Alam is a queer Bangladeshi-American writer, performer, and social change educator based out of Seattle. Her work engages with moments of rupture and transformation in the lives of people on the margins. Jordan’s work is heavily engaged in community, and she is a current Kundiman Pacific Northwest co-chair and 4Culture Artist Grant recipient. Her short stories and articles have appeared in The Atlantic, CultureStrike Magazine, The Rumpus, and AAWW’s The Margins; she has spoken at events including the Aspen Ideas Festival and the Eyes on Bangladesh exhibition. She is also the founder of the Asian American social justice publication, Project As [I] Am (http://www.project-as-i-am.com). Most recently, she has completed a fellowship with Town Hall Seattle to create collaborative performance pieces about stories of the body and been editing a draft of her debut novel. Lex Gavin is a multidisciplinary artist living in Seattle. Their brain (and thus their work) grapples with paradox, perception, nuance, and the failures of identity. They are interested in magic, neuroscience/somatics/epigenetics, and human systems. When they are not neglecting their creative pursuits, they work in the youth development field and play in the kitchen. Tessa Zeng is a writer, systems change advocate, and co-creative maker. She has been published in various poetry anthologies and journals, and received an Individualized BA from Goddard College for her work on social misrecognition. With their work, they hope to create beautiful experiences of interconnection and recognition that can heal traumas caused by oppressive structures.

ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION:

The new Hugo House is fully ADA-compliant. If you require specific accommodations, please contact us so that we may assist you.

There are gender-neutral bathrooms.

Public transportation: The new Hugo House is a short walk from the Capitol Hill light rail station and the First Hill streetcar (Broadway & Pike-Pine stop) and within a half-mile of many buses, including routes 8, 10, 11, 43, 49, and 60.

Parking: A pay parking lot is available nearby at the Greek Orthodox Church at 13th and Howell, or at Seattle Central College’s Harvard Garage at 1609 Harvard Avenue. Street parking is also available but not guaranteed. The garage beneath Hugo House is for tenants only.

Free, rapid HIV Testing and PrEP counseling provided by Lifelong. First come, first serve, walk-in appointments available on the last Monday of every month during Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters! Other Times Offered (All times at Q-Center from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM) :

Monday, February 25th

Monday, March 25

Monday, April 29

Monday, May 27

ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION:

An all-genders restroom can be found at the 3rd floor, down the hallway from the Q Center. Gender binary bathrooms with multiple stalls can be found on each floor of the HUB.

The HUB IS not kept scent-free but we ask that you do not wear scented/fragranced products (e.g. perfume, hair products) or essential oils to/in the Q Center in order to make the space accessible to those with chemical injury or multiple chemical sensitivity. To request disability accommodation, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 (voice), 206-543-6452 (TTY), 206-685-7264 (fax), or [email protected] preferably 10 days in advance.

Let’s Talk is a free program that connects UW students with support from experienced counselors from the Counseling Center and Hall Health Center without an appointment. Counselors hold drop-in hours at four sites on campus:

Mondays, 2-4 PM, Odegaard Library Room 222

Tuesdays, 2-4 PM, Ethnic Cultural Center Room 306

Wednesdays, 2-4 PM, Q Center (HUB 315)

Thursdays, 2-4 PM, Mary Gates Hall Room 134E

Let’s Talk offers informal consultation – it is not a substitute for regular therapy, counseling, or psychiatric care. To learn more, visit letstalk.washington.edu. ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION:

The HUB’s front entrance is wheelchair accessible and the common area is to the right of the main desk.

An all-genders restroom can be found at the 3rd floor, down the hallway from the Q Center. Gender binary bathrooms with multiple stalls can be found on each floor of the HUB.

The ECC has single-stall gender-neutral bathrooms on each floor, near the gender-binary bathrooms to which signs are indicated.

Odegaard Library is not ADA accessible nor scent free.

All rooms in Mary Gates Hall are wheelchair accessible. Please contact the Disability Services Office at 206.543.6450 or [email protected]. MGH is not scent free.

Thank you for being a part of our community <3

We are so glad that you are here, and we are so glad to get to know you!

Have questions about the QSC? Just want to get involved? Find our office hours online at hours.asuw.org. To hear more from the QSC be sure to like us on facebook, and follow us on twitter & instagram to stay up to date with all queer and trans related happenings on campus and in Seattle!

With love,

Mehria Ibrahimi, Outreach & Engagement Intern.

#events #qcs #qpoca #let's talk #hugo house #lifelong

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zipgrowth · 5 years

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7 Days of Education Conference Fever Across the Pond

The last week in January is action-packed, with four education events in London for people across the whole spectrum of education—from those who run the ministries to those who supply the tools, from those who teach to those who want to reform the system.

With so many education stakeholders in one city, there should have been opportunities for ideas to cross-pollinate, for people of different hats to forge connections. In terms of their programming and target audience, the series of consecutive events covers the entirety of the education spectrum:

Education World Forum (Jan. 20-23): the people who run education politically;

Bett (Jan. 23-26): the companies who supply the tools, and the educators who use them;

The Education Show (Jan. 23-26, co-hosted with Bett): the educators focused on pedagogy and implementation;

Learnit.World (Jan. 24-25): the “thought leaders” who want to revolutionise education.

Perhaps one of the few areas of overlap was that three of the four conferences featured the similar talk by Andreas Schleicher, OECD’s education lead, who shared snippets from his team’s latest “Trends Shaping Education” report. Beyond that though, each show catered more or less to its own niche audience.

It starts with the Education World Forum, an event that brings together over 170 ministers of education and their delegations from more than 90 countries. Now in its 11th year, the EWF provides a forum for those who run most of the world’s governmental education systems. This year’s agenda spanned a broad range of topics, from education policy development and implementation, to models of collaboration and results-based approaches for financing education.

How closely the conversations held true to the agenda, however, has always been a bit of mystery. EWF is a closed shop to the public and to most of the press, offering few opportunities for coverage or outside participation. Many of the ministers hop on over to Davos’ annual meeting afterward. Perhaps the only outsiders who could participate are vendors with large sponsorship budgets. (The lowest sponsorship tier still runs $118,000 for a 2-year deal.)

Next up was Bett, Europe’s biggest education trade show with 40,000 visitors from over 100 countries and 900 exhibitors squeezed into a conference venue on the outskirts of London. At 34 years old, Bett is younger than ISTE (considered the U.S. counterpart), but attracts more visitors and a different audience. Bett is primarily about the business of education; this means that outside the keynotes, presentations and seminars (of which there are many), most of what goes on are meetings and events for vendors and their distribution partner ecosystems.

Teachers have always been part of Bett’s target audience, but it’s not been an easy strike the right balance between educators and entrepreneurs. In the past the show has skewed roughly 60-40 in favor of teachers, but their attendance has fallen in recent years. To try and bring educators back into the mix, ITE Group, Bett’s current owners, moved another of their events, The Education Show, into the same venue. The Education Show started in 1991, and used to attract upwards of 7,000 teachers.

Vendor booth at Bett. (Photo credit: Richard Taylor)

Moving this established, educator-focused event that emphasized professional development and exhibits from smaller traditional classroom materials suppliers from Birmingham to London (about the same distance between Philadelphia to New York) was a risky move. Teachers from the British Midlands who supported the event over the past 28 years were unlikely to travel to London; those from London would probably spend most of their time at the far larger Bett.

Did it succeed? One teacher described The Education Show as “a ghost town for companies who can’t afford Bett.” (A vendor booth at Bett cost roughly twice as much.) The event maintained its spirit, featuring teachers’ classroom practices, professional development and where to find free digital tools. However, by trying to fold a regional show into an already-packed expo, the organizers risked alienating the audience who built The Education Show. It would not be surprising to see competitors try to build smaller, localized education events in the future.

Back at Bett, U.S. companies have always had a strong presence, and this year was no exception with Microsoft and Google having the largest stands. Others range from emerging corporate giants like Instructure to startups like BrainCo. Export opportunities to other markets was also a major theme, as countries from Egypt to Russia and Singapore sported pavilions.

Bett’s show floor includes a “Futures Zone” spot, typically reserved for early-stage edtech companies (although older ones like Manga High, founded in 2008, were there.) Created in 2015, the Futures Zone was initially run by a third-party partner that curated a series of debates and panel discussions that attracted educators and students to policymakers, incubators and investors. But since Bett took the programming organization in-house last year, those conversations have been remiss.

Still, there was plenty to admire, including:

BETT’s new after-hours “Lates” programme, which started with an “unconference,” where educators from across the world shared 2- and 7-minute presentations about practice, practical innovations and personal insights in teaching. No product or commercial pitches were allowed. There was also an “edtech surgery” where startups could seek advice from experienced educators.

Pi-Top’s launch of its pi-top4 device, a small, rugged “go-anywhere” modular computer that can power contraptions including a photo booth, weather balloon, humanoid robot, quadcopter drone and even a hydroponic farming tool—all of which were on display.

A “Streaming Zone” where exhausted visitors could watch presentations on big screens while sitting in comfortable seats with headphones supplied. Like an edtech silent disco, this was a simple but genius idea for an event that’s noisy and crowded.

Bookending the busy week was Learnit.World, the newest of these conferences, which came together in just 18 months. With around 600 attendees, the event was the brainchild of Katy Fryatt, who previously held a senior role at BETT. Curiously enough, ITE Group (the owners of BETT and The Education Show) invested $1 million in the event, whose website pitches itself as “the catalyst for the education revolution.”

Learnit panel on AI in language learning. (Photo credit: Richard Taylor)

Compared to the earlier shows, this conference was much more future-looking. A good number of conversations covered research in learning sciences, and many were framed around the preparing students for future jobs. (That debunked statistic that “85 percent of future jobs don’t exist yet” was referenced multiple times.)

This discussions veered toward the esoteric at times, when exploring trends like educating “Generation Alpha” and envisioning learning spaces in 2025. But other presentations, such as Busuu CEO Bernhard Niesner explaining how his company’s 3 billion data points in their artificial intelligence programs was transforming language learning, brought fresh insights that connected abstract ideas to practical solutions. And AJ Crabill, the deputy commissioner at the Texas Education Agency, challenged the audience with his mantra: “Student outcomes don’t change until adult behaviors change.”

AJ Crabill (Photo Credit: Richard Taylor)

It’s a common refrain in education (or any industry) to hear about the need to remove silos. While these four events each catered to separate education groups—political leaders, business leaders, teachers and futurists—the opportunities for cross-pollination were present. Together these events cover a huge swath of education stakeholders who could be better linked, to create something where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. With three of the week’s four events controlled by ITE Group, this is a possibility.

7 Days of Education Conference Fever Across the Pond published first on https://medium.com/@GetNewDLBusiness

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siliconwebx · 5 years

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11 Online Places To Learn WordPress Inside And Out (Paid And Free Options)

WordPress runs over 30% of internet, and it shows no sign of slowing. People list it as a job skill on resumes, WordPress Professional is now a job listing, and it’s used by the technical and non-technical to have a quality online presence. Blogs, news sites, ecommerce stores, portfolios, even full web apps are using WordPress these days. Whether you are looking to learn WordPress for the very first time, or if you’re a veteran who wants some refresher WordPress training, we’ve curated some of the top WordPress classes and resources that you can use to hit the ground running.

1. Lynda (LinkedIn Learning)

Lynda.com (now LinkedIn Learning) is one of the best online learning spots around, and that’s no different when it comes to how to learn WordPress. While there are many courses on the platform by wonderful teachers, the ones by Morten Rand-Hendriksen are some of the top. He takes you step-by-step through his WordPress classes, and by the end, you will have a real grasp on what the CMS is capable of. Morten was involved heavily in the creation of the new WordPress editor released on 5.0, so you know he knows his stuff.

In terms of teaching style, Morten is not one of the rapid-fire talking heads. Instead he breaks things down to their constituent pieces and takes advantage of the platform to make sure you comprehend the material. And if you never thought about WP child themes like playing with Legos, you will after this.

Whether you’re just beginning or coming to WP with a lot of background, Lynda/LinkedIn Learning has some of the best tutorials around. While it is a subscription service, you can work with a free trial, and many public libraries have a subscription that patrons can use on-site. So that eliminates the cost for you, which may be the biggest barrier for some.

Price: $29.95 per month | More Information

2. Team Treehouse

Team Treehouse offers WordPress classes online like many others, but where they differ is that they designed their platform to accomodate in-sync coding and interaction. They want you to be as hands-on as possible, which happens less often than it should with online courses. But if you want to learn WordPress, you need to get your hands dirty, figuratively speaking.

In general, Treehouse’s WP courses are broken down into tracks, and each of them is labeled as either beginner, intermediate, expert, or so on. You get quizzes to make sure you comprehend the material, and they have apps that you can use that are fully functional for on-the-go learning. This is top-tier WordPress training, and their instructors are amazing. Zac Gordon, specifically, has made a name for himself in WordPress training circles, and he does not disappoint here, either. You can easily grasp what he’s talking about because he presents the topics and individual lessons logically and straigthforward.

The UI is also spiffy, and it’s hard to get lost. The community forums are incredibly helpful, and if you have a question about a lesson, either the student or instructor will respond to help. It’s pretty useful.

Price: $25 – $49 per month | More Information

3. WPBeginner

As their name says, if you’re a WP beginner, the content here is for you. They cover topics that almost everyone can benefit from, but they cater to simple and easily implemented solutions that don’t require a lot of code. So if you Google how do I do this and that with WordPress, one of the results will probably be a plugin that WPBeginner found that can do the job well…for beginners.

Veteran WP users may not get as much out of this resource, but that’s okay. They’re not the target demo. The blog is totally free, and they offer videos, guides, regular content with lots of links, and tons of resources. The only real catch is that their video content is behind a members wall. You don’t have to pay, only give them your email address. Which seems fair, given the quality of the tools you can use to learn WordPress with.

Price: FREE | More Information

4. WP Apprentice

WP Apprentice can really take you from Zero to Hero in no time flat. If you’re not technical, no worries. They have a quick-start course you can access for free, essentials, and various courses that go down as deep as SEO marketing and ecommerce website blueprints. WP Apprentice wants you to succeed.

This is absolutely not an advanced resource to learn WordPress. It is, however, a great option for people who want to know what in the world WordPress is and does without a lot of jargon or extraneous information. The WordPress classes can get into more intermediate topics like theme mechanics and how they work under the hood, but you’re not generally going to be diving into the Core files and editing PHP. Most of the resources deal with the WP software that you see and walks you through it in such a way that you can even be comfortable taking notes without having to pause the video over and over again.

Price: Free intro course, then from $29 and up | More Information

5. WP101

Just like a 101 course at a university, WP 101 offers classes for you to take that break down the fundamentals of the platform so that you can be sure that you are learning WordPress in exactly the right way. As a premium service, the WP 101 plan is affordably priced: just $49 per year. In fact, this is a resource that developers and designers could use to send their clients to. Most people have handed off sites to clients who call with very basic questions because they’ve never used the platform before. This is ideal for people who need the basics in WordPress training.

They’re not the slowest videos, either. They are paced well, but are easy to understand. In fact, they have a plugin available so that you can send the videos to your clients through your own subscription. Even the intermediate courses are over topics like RSS and permalink functionality, so you won’t learn how to make WordPress sites here, but you will absolutely learn how to use them from the backend.

If you’re coming from a platform like Blogger or hosted website service and are a bit overwhelmed by what WP has to offer, head over to WP 101. You will be creating content in no time.

Price: $49 per year. | More Information

6. WordPress.tv

WordCamps are amazing conferences put on by Automattic and the WordPress community. Hundreds of talks and lessons are given each year across the world, and they’re all recorded. And made available for you here. From WordCamp Europe, WCUS, or the Camp in a small down halfway across the globe, you can learn from the best and brightest WordPress Professionals just like you were in the room with them. Somtimes, there are even livestreams of the events on WordPress.tv where you can tune in and see the interaction as it happens. It’s not quite like being there, but it’s the next best thing.

Also, because each and every conference session is recorded and posted, it’s not nearly as big a deal to pick which panel to attend when you are at a WordCamp. Whatever rooms you miss are going to be posted up soon, so you won’t miss out on anything at all. Ever.

The content at WordCamps vary from place to place, but generally there are design tracks, beginner tracks, advanced development tracks, business tracks…lots of things. So everyone can find something for their skill level here.

Price: FREE | More Information

7. iThemes Training

You probably know iThemes because of their awesome plugins. iThemes Security and BackupBuddy, specifically. They also provide WordPress training for folks, and their webinars knock it out of the park. And by it, we mean your WordPress knowledge. If you’re a designer, they have stuff for you. If you’re a developer, you’re in luck. Are you a marketer and need SEO help? They have you covered there, too.

The webinars are interactive and live, which differs from platforms like LinkedIn Learning and Treehouse. Instead of recorded lessons and support forums, you get direct feedback from the instructors and presenters right then and there. That’s what makes the iThemes Training so special. Now, on the other hand, you might get frustrated if you watch of the sessions that’s recorded at a later date because the presenter will be interacting iwth folks through the live chat, which you also have to follow. It’s included, thankfully.

That nitpick aside, the iThemes Training folks know their stuff and strive to make sure the content they’re putting out is top-tier. Oh, and did we mention they’re free? Well, they’re all free. Just sign up and show up. Easy peasey.

Price: Free | More Information

8. WP Sessions

WP Sessions updates their content on a monthly basis, and their content tends to be skewed more toward the intermediate developer than total beginner. How to create your first plugin and using WP-CLI and the command line are not topics that you tackle with your first installation, but they are topics that you will want to learn as you dive deeper into the WordPress platform. The content that comes monthly feels a lot like conference presentations, and some of the most beneficial professional development comes from that kind of panel. For just $15 per month, you can access their archives and check out what’s constantly being added.

Price: $15 per month | More Information

9) WP the Podcast

Podcasts are awesome. WordPress is awesome. That means that WP the Podcast has to be awesome, too. Well, outside of that terrible logic that just doesn’t work, WP the Podcast really is a great resource to learn WordPress or to just brush up on particular topics. Whether you sit and listen actively or let it play while you do housework, drive, or exercise, you will pick up lots of nuggets as you hear the speakers discuss the plugins they love, the pitfalls they’ve fallen into over the years, or whatever else may be worth mentioning.

The episodes come out regularly and the hosts, David Blackmon and Tim Strifler, know their stuff when it comes to WordPress. They’ve worked in the field long enough that we all probably have something we could learn from them. So hit the subscribe button and get those headphones on.

Price: FREE | More information

10) Udemy

Udemy has a lot of WordPress content. This platform works a lot like Lynda or Treehouse, except that anyone can create their own course here. While that can be dangerous to an extent, the reviews tend to keep the true gems up top so we can all see them shine. If you’re a beginner, there are tons of courses for you. Same for advanced developers wanting to get that extra bit of performance out of their code. And as WordPress updates, most teachers update their courses, too. You can check the reviews to see which instructors do this so you know where to spend your money.

The platform itself is intuitive, and you won’t feel overwhelmed as you watch the course material. And while the courses may seem expensive at times, Udemy often runs sales that are up to 70-90% off the entire site. I have personally snagged courses that retail for hundreds of dollars for a fiver. That means that you won’t be out a lot if you find that the teacher isn’t your style. While the open platform can be scary to invest in, the content that you can find on Udemy is so wide-ranging that it’s worth looking through to see if there’s something you can learn. Because there is. The sheer number of WordPress classes here prove that.

Price: varies course to course | More Information

11. Smashing Magazine

I tend to think of Smashing Magazine as The Atlantic of the tech space. The articles are thought-provoking, and the editorial quality is through-the-roof. They run their own conference, host a job board, and put out premium and free content that breaks down the topic better than some instructors I had in college. Their WordPress content is some of their best work, if you ask me. But I may be biased, working in WordPress and all.

Sometimes they post a think-piece on what we can learn from a snafu that happened during Gutenberg development. While others, they give a step-by-step breakdown of how to use the WP-REST API to run the backend of your mobile app. It can vary day to day, but their WordPress training is some of the most consistent out there. Rarely does it rehash content that you’ve seen elsewhere, and the best part is that it’s all free. Smashing does offer books and ebooks on wider topics than WordPress than can be applied to the platform, however (UX, web design in general, digital adaptation, etc.), and they’re all premium products.

Additionally, their non-WP content is often WordPress-adjacent because of how closely it’s tied to either PHP development or various JavaScript libraries that we’re using each and every day as WordPress grows and expands. As a free resource to learn WordPress, Smashing Magazine might be the last on our list, but it is certainly not at the bottom.

Price: FREE with premium publications | More Information

Conclusion? Learn WordPress Any Way You Want!

Do you prefer free blogs? You can learn WordPress that way. Like step-by-step instruction? There are WordPress classes with that. Want to talk with your teacher live? Yep, once again, there’s WordPress training where you can do just that. And it’s all available, free or paid, just depending on where you look. So whether you’re new to WordPress or completely invested and just need a few refreshers, there is something out there for you. Now, get to clicking on those links above, sample what you can, and find out which ones of these work the best for you. And good luck!

How did you learn WordPress? What can you share about your process?

Article thumbnail image by 0beron / shutterstock.com

The post 11 Online Places To Learn WordPress Inside And Out (Paid And Free Options) appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

😉SiliconWebX | 🌐ElegantThemes

#Silicon Web Design #Ahmedabad #India #Web Development #WPBeginner #Silicon URL #Web Site #Cloud Host

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mariathaterh · 6 years

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50 Ways to Get Quality ‘White Hat’ Backlinks

50 Ways to Get Quality ‘White Hat’ Backlinks was originally published on BruceClay.com, home of expert search engine optimization tips.

Obtaining “white hat” SEO links is really only in part about the link itself. It’s also about serving the audience and community of the site that links to you … and real relationships.

People should link to you because you have earned the link, not because you bought or bartered for it.

It is our opinion that link building is less about the number of links and more about the number of linking domains from within your industry. Quality over quantity always.

Our list of 50 ways to get quality SEO backlinks is different from other link-building-idea lists in one important way. We stay focused on how you can add value for your ultimate audience through your website.

Then, with a little extra effort, you can get a link from other sites serving that same audience.

The List: 50 Ways to Get Quality Links to Your Site 1. Ask — It Sometimes Works

When it boils down to it, links are about relationships. The business you run may be of service to another business and its audience.

Think about link building first in terms of building a library of helpful content resources to link to.

Then think about people in your network that could use the resources you have to offer. It can be as simple as asking another business if a link on their site to yours might benefit their audience.

Example: A music website might have a great collection of music and articles on a particular singer or band. Form relationships with the artist’s fan clubs. Some may accept articles, and some will simply link to your great content. This would be a relevant link, and a win-win. Fan clubs love free information for their audience.

As another note here, if they just mention your site, maybe asking for a link to be added to that mention will make it more useful for you both.

Think about link building first in terms of building a library of helpful content resources to link to. Click To Tweet

2. Do Some Blogger Outreach

Since a big part of links is relationships, think about who you know.

Who in your industry would benefit from knowing about your website content and sharing it with their readers?

Some bloggers like to link out and some do not. Some will gladly curate and some need to write for themselves. Some are influencers and some are not.

Choose what is most appropriate for your content, and work with the bloggers as best fits your industry and content.

Forge relationships with those people. Face time could be an important part of this.

Do you attend the same industry events? Send a note ahead of time and plan to meet there. A few minutes over a drink or coffee could pay dividends for your content and link-building efforts.

3. Approach Colleagues Gently

Think of your current business network as a gold mine for getting links. However, depending on the industry you’re in, you want to tread lightly when asking for a link. A mere mention of the content you’re working on that might be a fit for their audience could work.

Example: If you publish a research report, even a competitor’s audience would appreciate reading it. This type of content is almost always attractive to others in your space.

And remember, never compensate anyone in your industry — even if they are influencers and you’d really like the link. This is against Google’s guidelines.

4. Write for Your Audience’s Audience

Your audience will be more likely to share your content if it helps expand their audience reach.

What would make your audience want to share your content with their audience?

An example is a newspaper journalist. When trying to get in front of the journalist, your content should be less about what things they (the journalists) like and more about what their readers like. This approach (what their readers like to read) is very powerful.

5. When You Have a Link, Stay Engaged

You might be surprised at which sites are linking to your site.

Do the research. Find the relevant domains that link to your site, and forge a relationship. If they have a quality site that’s relevant to your industry, stay in touch with them.

This is especially important if they are well connected and/or the site’s owner is an influencer within your industry. They might need guest bloggers, and you could potentially offer useful content to their audience. In your author biography, you can also include a link to your site.

6. Host a Contest

Recently I visited our Bruce Clay India office. The team took the opportunity to run a contest in which private consulting time with me was the prize. The content generated a lot of mentions and shares, drawing attention to Bruce Clay India and the contest page itself.

If you do something like this, your website might receive links from your social media followers (see No. 28 for why social links/mentions matter) and from your colleagues’ blogs and websites.

7. Host an Event

Think of ways you can enrich your local community with an event.

Example: You might host a business luncheon in the community to divulge some of your business-success secrets.

Then, tell people about your “mini-conference” through an events page. You will get some links to the page (and maybe some clients as well). Once the event has passed, consider doing a 301 redirect from that event’s page to your main events landing page.

8. Join Local-Focused Organizations

Your business is part of a local community. Being listed in directories, like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Chamber of Commerce, secures a link. Local listings also help your potential customers find and learn more about you.

And if you’re in good standing with organizations like the BBB, it can lend credibility as well. Also, is there a significant attraction in your area (such as a local kids camp) that gets a lot of links? Sponsor them and get a link on their website (see No. 10 for more).

9. Speak at Events and Have Something for the Audience

If you speak at community or industry events, offer something useful for your audience to download after the talk. Provide a link to the resource and encourage them to share.

Example: You may have the results of an informal survey, an ebook, or some other content on your website that would be helpful to the audience in some way. Create a shortened link that they can remember (for example, a Bit.ly link) and drive traffic to the page. They may, in turn, share it with others.

10. Do a Sponsorship

Do you want to make an impact on your community?

Sponsorships can do that and get your name out. Moreover, you can obtain links to your website from the organization you’re sponsoring, as well.

Think local softball teams, not-for-profit activities (like a beach cleanup), school scholarship funds and so on.

11. Reference an Industry Leader

Write content that references an opinion of someone in the Top 10 in your industry.

You may not even need to interview them. You can draw upon previous statements they made elsewhere (with attribution).

Identify the influencers in your industry who tend to either link to articles mentioning them on their site or share such posts on social media. These are the ideal targets.

12. Create/Review Case Studies

Write case studies that your audience can learn from.

You could identify major blunders that were turned around. Or hot breaking news stories (that involve terrible losses or even massive wins). This idea ties well into the “unicorn” approach we will discuss in No. 14.

Example: In the digital marketing community, a popular journalist who wrote a lot about Google for many years ended up joining Google as an employee.

Also remember that, similar to the nightly news, “dirty laundry” types of headlines are always read and quoted with links (narrative on society omitted).

13. Start a Blog

Having a blog is one of the basic tenets of attracting links. After all, the content you’re blogging about focuses on your business and brand. While a blog is essential to your SEO, it doesn’t stop there.

Blogs that tend to do best express strong opinions about matters in their industry, things that their clients care about and so on. That doesn’t mean every post is controversial. Every now and then, plan to tackle a topic that matters to your industry or business with gusto.

Example: Say you have a casino in Las Vegas. Every so often, you might tackle the topic of gambling safely, or express an opinion on the changing regulations you face.

14. Create Great “Unicorn” Content

“Unicorn” content is any article that strikes a community’s chord. You’ll know a unicorn article by the high level of traffic, comments, shares and backlinks it generates.

You’ll want to latch on to a unicorn. For example, take note of what your competitor’s unicorns are, and write your own unique content on that same topic.

A unicorn article stands out from the competition, meaning it’s better than other articles on the topic.

Take best advantage of each of your unicorns. Publicize them well within the community.

This content should ideally be published on your website. If you publish this type of content on a third-party website, include embedded links to your site. This includes useful “find-out-more-on-the-topic”-type content (in moderation).

One approach similar to this is creating “skyscraper content.” This is similar to unicorn work, except it’s on the level of an entire website. Find a great website, mimic it, do it better, add engagement, then see if links to that other site can be switched to links to your site instead (see No. 34 for more on this).

15. Consolidate Landing Pages

Do you have a handful of similar landing pages on your website that garner a lot of traffic and links?

Assume you have two great pages, one page on how to choose the right microscope for your job, and the other page on how to choose a microscope for your specific needs. You should consider combining the content from those two landing pages and 301 redirecting the page(s) to the chosen URL.

The popularity of those landing pages now combined gives you one powerful webpage that reaps the benefit of aggregate traffic and links. See: https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+do+a+301+redirect.

16. Help a Reporter Out

If you’re short on money for public relations, you can take matters into your own hands.

HARO (Help a Reporter Out) connects you with reporters who are looking for subject matter experts in your field. If you get interviewed for a story that will run on the web, it’s likely you’ll get a link to your website when you are cited.

17. Be Interviewed by Bloggers

Creating quality content these days means citing credible sources. One way that bloggers like to cite sources is through interviews.

Find out who the writers and bloggers are in your industry, and become top of mind for them.

Engage with their content online. Add value by commenting or resharing, and you’ll start to build a relationship.

Ask them what they’re working on, and let them know you’re available to offer quotes or interviews on “X” topics whenever they might need it. This will almost always guarantee a link to your website when you’re cited in the article.

18. Interview Experts

A great way to attract links and traffic to an article is to interview experts yourself.

People like to be recognized for their expertise, and every expert has their own audience. The people you interview will usually share and link to the article on your website.

Try an in-depth article interviewing just one or two experts, or a “roundup” that features quotes from many. The more experts you can pull together in a roundup post, the better! For example, you might write an article on “What the Top 10 Digital Marketers Predict Will Be Most Successful in [X Year].”

19. Educate, Educate, Educate

Part of building your business into a brand involves thought leadership. You do indeed have a specialization and unique insights. Share those with your audience on your website to help them do something or understand a topic better.

This act of creating unique, quality, educational content benefits your website’s search engine optimization, too. Google wants to feature high quality webpages in its search results, and its ranking algorithm is designed to find them.

You do indeed have a specialization and unique insights. Share those on your website to build your brand. Click To Tweet

20. Offer a Webinar

As part of a low-key, educational approach to sales, webinars are great. People love free training.

You can embed the recorded webinar on a webpage with the transcript. This engaging content can drive traffic and links.

Consider partnering with someone in your industry who has a large audience. You can tackle different aspects of a topic together, and you’ll benefit from the partner’s wide reach.

21. Do Original Research on a Topic

Creating standout content that people want to link to and share takes time. Put your journalist hat on and take a deep dive into a topic to create a long-form webpage. Consider topics that have burning questions in your industry, or timely topics as well.

22. Create a Whitepaper

A whitepaper is a great way to demonstrate your expertise. Use them to show you’re aware of the challenges facing your clients and can offer solutions.

Example: Maybe you are selling a revolutionary new cleaning system. In a whitepaper, you could show how it is more cost-effective and friendlier to the environment than other systems. You can use this content asset to gather emails in exchange for the download.

Aside from gathering email addresses for drip email campaigns, whitepapers can rank on their own merit. A useful whitepaper also gathers links.

23. Create a Graphic

Graphics are big wins in the link world.

People like easy-to-digest visuals, and if you do it right, these can spread like wildfire.

One example is an infographic that shows trends in an industry, like the types of jobs available, their salaries, employment rates and so on.

To facilitate a link, make it easy for people to share by offering a link for attribution, and add your logo or company name to the image. Make sure that you take the same care creating visuals as you would with text content. That means everything is fact-checked and quality.

24. Create Videos

YouTube is the second largest search engine, aside from Google’s web search engine. In all cases, the power of a video link is massive and it must be a priority.

You can create a video, host it on YouTube, for example, and then offer a link for more information from the video that leads viewers to a page on your website.

Example: Let’s say you have a style-focused YouTube channel. You might create a video reviewing a new beauty product and include a link to a full review on your site within the video. That would let people learn more (and even buy the product with your affiliate link attached).

25. Be Mentioned in a Podcast

Consider putting your useful content in front of podcast creators. They, in turn, may mention that content in one of their episodes as a resource on the topic.

Example: Say there’s a podcast that tackles psychology issues, and you have an ebook on overcoming anxiety. A mention of the tips in your ebook on a podcast is like a verbal testimonial. It could carry a lot of weight with listeners and lead to people visiting your site and linking to your content.

26. Create and Promote Web Tools

Create useful tools that people can access on your site.

Example: Here on BruceClay.com, we offer some of our popular tools for free, integrated into our SEO Tutorial.

Use the tool’s name as the anchor text for the link when you link to the tools yourself.

27. Get a Mention in Wikipedia

Obtaining a link from Wikipedia does not pass link juice since all their links are nofollow. However, it CAN give your site a huge boost in traffic, and probably expert status.

Since the community at large maintains Wikipedia, obtaining a link may not be too difficult if you are truly worthy.

Example: Say you are a thought leader when it comes to software development. You might identify Wikipedia articles that talk about your involvement in software development. Or your thought leadership content could be a reference.

But be aware that Wikipedia frowns on self-promotion. Editors will likely reject any links that you try to insert on behalf of you or your business. Worse yet, if you are too persistent about adding links to your site, your website can be added to a spam list.

The key is in your approach. Focus on adding value with content, not links. For more information, read Wikipedia’s general guidelines for links.

28. Get Mentions in General

Online mentions (such as in social media or reviews) are important, too. They help search engines determine that people have an interest in what a brand is about.

Social mentions may not generate valuable links to a site. However, social mentions signal to the search engine how people are talking about a brand.

Example: Pizza Franchise-A may be mentioned more often and more favorably than Pizza Franchise-B.

29. Create Quizzes and Puzzles

People just love to take quizzes, and that engagement is an important step. Create a quiz that you can run on social media, where a click to the webpage for the right answer gains traffic. And as they finish your quiz, be sure to give them social icons to easily share your quiz with others.

If it is fun, then word may spread and links can be generated.

Example: If you run a dating website, you might create a quiz on “Your Perfect Soul Mate.”

30. Attract Links from the Right Neighborhood

Links from spammy sites can harm your website. Keep this in mind as you’re link building.

If your link profile has a fair amount of these types of links (think “Viagra”), it’s risky business. Google devalues these types of links in general (so no value to your site) and in some cases, penalizes them.

31. Get Listed in Online Directories

For getting listed online, think geography-specific directories that would be relevant to your business. Add your business link there.

Examples: YellowPages.com or Angie’s List, to name just a couple. In many cases, this may also include the BBB (remember No. 8 on this list), but there are many others you should consider.

32. Get a Link Audit

An SEO vendor or a consultant that is savvy in link building will have all the tools and data needed to decide if your backlink profile needs cleaning up. This will point you in the right direction on what to do next.

These audits can typically cover things like:

Link analysis from Google Search Console link reports.

Link analysis utilizing our proprietary tools.

Anchor text analysis.

Identification of links that need to be pruned, general link-pruning guidelines, and recommendations for how to submit for reconsideration.

Checking for any other possible “Penguin”-related problems, such as the “cupcake effect” or over-optimization

33. Buy a Competitor

A merger or acquisition has the potential to give you some great (or bad) links.

Suppose there’s an opportunity to purchase a competing and popular website in your same industry. If you buy it, then you will have the option to either consolidate the sites, thus combining links, or generate new link prospects from having an additional site.

Tip: We highly advise SEO services such as a link audit as part of your due diligence when acquiring a new domain (see No. 32).

34. Perform a Competitor Backlink Analysis

Find out the quality sites that are linking to your competition and try to hijack those links.

This is not as nefarious as it sounds, especially if your resource on a given topic surpasses the competitor’s page.

Contact the webmaster and ask them to consider your page as a more relevant source for their readers. Hijacking links is fair competition.

35. Reanimate Links on a Competitor’s Site

When your competitor has websites linking to them but the competitor’s page returns a 404 error, it creates an opportunity for you.

Example: Let’s say your competitor had an article on how to create a custom wood table, step-by-step, but it has been moved. Now that page looks broken to visitors. You are a furniture maker who has a great article on this (or you can whip one up).

Contact the webmaster and offer them a better link — to your relevant webpage — instead. Also remember to keep your links updated so that this doesn’t happen to you.

36. Evergreen Your URLs

Without changing your URLs, you can replace old content with newer, more relevant content. That way, any links to the existing page still benefit the site.

Example: If you have a page on Ford Mustangs with data from 2017, you might replace the content with the current year’s data. Do this each year.

37. Fix All 404s

A 404 “not found” error occurs when a user reaches a page URL that doesn’t exist. As we mentioned in No. 35 on this list, this creates a bad user experience.

A 404 error is especially problematic if the broken page has a lot of inbound links.

Just as you can find dead links to competitors and “hijack” them, your competitors can do the same to you.

Routinely run reports to identify any 404s. Then 301 redirect each 404 URL to its most relevant equivalent live page (if the page returning a 404 truly no longer exists).

In the interim, create a custom 404 page that can direct users to helpful content. This is recommended in Google’s guidelines.

38. Fix Your Site’s Quality

Another reason to address 404s and have good content is to raise the quality of your site. This is an indirect link-building technique.

The publishers of quality websites and the people in charge of building links for those websites will not link to a site that is not maintained. A low-quality website cannot be considered a link-worthy subject matter expert.

Again, the reason is user experience.

39. Link Prune

If your..

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#50 Ways to Get Quality ‘White Hat’ Backlinks

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lindasharonbn · 6 years