Corporate Communications – Page 3

Article, Corporate Communications, Digital Marketing, Marketing, Public Relations, Publicity, Strategy

Article: Brand Appraisal

Posted on August 2, 2021October 9, 2021 by @bravepublicity

Appraisal is a very important phase for strategy improvement and implementation in the field of corporate communication and public relations.

It helps publicists and communications specialists define accurately action steps and improvement opportunities required for a brand or business to achieve certain milestones or success.

In light of the present-day communication assets and innovations, a number of things define brand appraisal for Corporate Communications and Public Relations.

Present-day Communication Assets Utilized.
Growth Strategies and Impact of Communication Assets.
Relevance of Communication Assets and sustainability.
Ranking and Search Engine (Optimization and Marketing).
Brand Name, Brand Positioning, and Impression.

Let’s explore some more, these five (5) areas:

Present Day Communication Assets Utilized.

One of the first steps for towards “Brand Appraisal” is identifying the current communication assets being utilized by the brand. You’re most likely to find the following:

Zero utilization of present day communication asset. This is so, for those who just love to do things the old fashioned way and are averse to change, new methods and trying new things. Such brands most likely have a physical outlet and marketing is done through word of mouth and physical exchange of products or services.
Some utilization of present day communication assets. This is so for some brands who have some level of exposure to the importance of establishing some communication assets such as an official email, an online presence for the brand or a simple website.
Full utilization of the present day communication assets. This is the case for brands that recognize the importance of establishing communication assets and strongly utilizing them.

The appraisal here means determining for each of these three categories, if the chosen communication assets are suitable and relevant for the brand. As this affects greatly the growth and impact of the brand, leading us to the next point.

Growth Strategies and Impact of Communication Assets.

The second step towards “Brand Appraisal” is assessment for growth and impact.
In terms of communication and public relations, one needs to determine how strong an online presence is and how visible the brand is to the public.

Things like the online presence across key communication assets, the follower count, the visibility of the brand, and the level of engagement for created content etc. All are important aspects to consider.
Rich engagements ultimately determine the reach for brand awareness and potential of great content going viral.

In terms of communication, this determines if a brand is doing well enough to reach the target audience.

So you need to ask growth and impact questions like:

How strong is the brand’s online presence?
Is the brand well represented across the relevant and key communication channels?
Is there more awareness of the brand presence, growing across the key communication assets?
What’s the follower count across the key communication assets, in relation to the time of brand takeoff?
What’s the level of engagement by people across the key communication assets? Inquiries, Collaborations, Comments, Shares, Saves etc.
What percentage of sales can be attributed to communication, advertising and marketing efforts across the communication assets?

Relevance of Communication Assets and Sustainability.

The third step towards “Brand Appraisal” is assessment for relevance of the selected communication assets. This is based on the brand focus, the uniqueness of each communication asset and it’s use by the brand.

Case Study: A Fashion Brand

Take for instance, a fashion brand, a great communication asset for great publicity would be one that aids visualization and ease of purchase. Some options for communication assets that would be a good fit for such a brand should be one that enhances clarity, simplicity and aesthetics.

A good match would be a website and social media platforms like Instagram for great images/ videos and TikTok for videos which showcases the variety of fashion items.
The choice of content presentation would often vary for fashion brands.

A brand’s budget often determines the approach. Sometimes, brands operating on a cost effective budget may rely on great “Design” (graphics, animation and videos) and “Marketing” using actual products and mockup designs of same. Another popular option with a wider budget for marketing and advertising is the engagement of influencers and models who showcase such fashion pieces or items.
So the Short videos on Instagram, Longer Videos on IGTV, Instagram reels and TikTok videos become instrumental for content creation in this regard.

Of course, other communication assets such as Facebook and Twitter and other internal communication platforms for email conversations and email marketing may be useful in the long run, however prioritization should be for the most relevant asset that aids publicity and gives the fashion brand better awareness that ultimately drives growth and sales.

This also implies that relevance and choice of communication asset for brands across different sectors will vary. This is a choice that needs to be carefully decided when prioritizing the relevance of a communication asset for a brand.

Ranking and Search Engine (Optimization and Marketing).

The fourth step towards “Brand Appraisal” is assessment for ranking and search engine optimization for the brand. How often does the brand show up on the web while surfing the web for key things pertaining to the brand’s industry, niche or area of focus?

To address this, it’s important to ask the following questions:

How optimized is the brand’s website?
Can the brand be easily found when searched for on the web?
Is the website adapted for both mobile and web, thus aiding the user experience?
Is the brand’s web content crafted to include relevant keywords for its line of business, including Broad Match keywords, Phrase Match keywords and Exact Match keywords that ultimately aids search for the brand’s industry?
How often do Search Engines recognize that the website has relevant content for search?
How high up in terms of ranking, does the brand’s website appear in search?
Does the brand need to drive some search engine marketing efforts for better visibility?
Are there any local listings that aid search for the brand’s visibility?

These are questions that need to be answered in view of appraisal for Ranking and Search for the brand.

When a brand/business is willing to set aside a budget for Search Engine Marketing (SEM) / Advertisement efforts, then visibility for search can be worked upon.
What ultimately drives the success of visibility for search is the “Bid” (maximum amount an advertiser is willing to pay for a click on an ad) for SEM efforts and the “Quality” of content on websites.
So, search engines look at these two things before prioritizing content they show to users; those they think are most relevant to the search in question by users.

Optimization efforts and local listings on platforms like “Google My Business” can also be very useful for small businesses/ brands that can’t afford a budget for SEM efforts and advertisements to aid search.

However, it’s very possible to achieve great visibility with Search Engines over time for a niche, an industry or a line of business. This is achievable when relevant content/details are shared often and consistently regarding the area a brand intends to dominate or become relevant.

Brand Name, Brand Positioning, and Impression.

Finally, the fifth step towards “Brand Appraisal” is an assessment for brand’s name, brand positioning and impression.

Some questions to ask for this include:

Is the brand name reflective of what they do (the core area of focus, niche or industry)?
Is it memorable and easy to pronounce and recognizable amongst other brands?
Does it stand out from similar brands?
What do we (brand owners/ strategists/ publicists) want people to know this brand for (for new brands)?
What have people come to know this brand for, or what area, industry or niche do people associate this brand with?
Are people’s interpretation of what the brand stands for accurate?
Are those impressions positive?
What are people saying about the brand?
What does analytics for the existing communication assets say about the brand?
How can we work on the improvement opportunities based on the data obtained from these assessments or analytics?

These are some of the questions that can be addressed to decipher if a brand has the right name, impression and is positioned accurately in the market place.

Remember, data driven decisions are always relevant for growth and improvement for brands, and when one is willing to listen and learn from the information obtained from the appraisal of brands, then a great strategy can be drafted; aimed towards growth, development, brand visibility, brand reach, engagement, impact and ultimately sales.

Thank you for reading.

Article by Opeolu Adeyemi.
Corporate Communications and Public Relations Consultant
Founder, Brave Publicity Ink!

Article, Autobiography, Boss Shoes, Business, Career, Entrepreneurship, Risk, Startups, Women

Boss Shoes – How It’s Going, Two Years and Counting…

Posted on February 25, 2021February 28, 2021 by @bravepublicity

Two years and eight months (2 years and 8 months), seems like only yesterday when I began, but on some days, if also feels like a very long time spearheading my young company, Brave Publicity.

It’s been an enjoyable experience that has birth much growth and progress, even though I’ve had my share of slow days and days when I felt tired, but, I wouldn’t have it any other way, because it’s all working together for my good, and has brought me here.

So I’ll be sharing seven (7) key things about this journey so far and hopefully, you learn some useful things, that can help you walk better in your own BOSS Shoes.

Motivation

I’ll start off with motivation.
As a young business owner, one of the things I’ve learnt to do is encourage and push myself.
There are days when I don’t feel like doing anything, getting up from my bed and moving to my workstation.
There are days when I don’t get any form of external encouragement, but I still choose to get up every day to put in the work required. That has made a whole lot of difference, because I can literally observe my progress and the depth of improvement I’ve had over the years.

The field of Corporate Communications, Public Relations and Publishing is one that requires a lot of creativity, attention to detail and hands-on experience.

So you may not notice all of your improvements within a short period, but over time, you’d definitely observe much progress.

Remember, CONSISTENCY is KEY.

The Work Place

My work station has been my home for most of the time, except for periods when I need to visit a Work-Hub or go print out my in-house projects/ products by Brave Publicity or projects for clients.

I’ve learnt that having a defined work station even at home is very important. It helps you keep things in perspective and makes you take more seriously your work at your company.

So just like everyone else, when I’m not out at my day job, I’m at home at my work station. Being at home can be distracting sometimes, especially when you live with others, but when you put boundaries in place, others will respect it and understand that you’re at work and not really at home with them.

I will admit that being at home is sometimes lonely, but I try to stay cheerful.
Calm and soothing music helps sometimes, and then catching up with what others have been up to online, also helps.

So, when the Pandemic for COVID-19 happened, resulting to series of global lockdown episodes, it wasn’t so hard to adjust, as it had become a routine to work from home. The only difference was, there were more folks at home and it felt more like a work hub on some days, as everyone was working remotely and having virtual meetings right from home.

I do look forward to a time when this changes soon, but for now, a remote work station from home and occasional Work-Hub visits will have to do. It’s called process, so don’t be in a hurry.

Leverage on the things that you can and invest only in the things that matter most. The early stage requires being very prudent and investing wisely.

If you’re privileged to have better, that’s also great. Just embrace your own process, it defers for everyone.

Structures

If there’s anything I’m grateful for, it’s structure. Vision precedes structure, before content. As a young visionary, with God’s help, I’ve been able to gradually map out structures that has helped make running the business much easier.

From Communications Structures, to Corporate Structures or Financial Structures. Some have not been so easy to execute, but I take each day at a time and do what I can every day to make things better, until they become the global standard of excellence and sustainability.

When you have the end in view, I believe that all of your action steps when taken intentionally, eventually align towards accomplishing the end result.

It has required much studying and learning from those who are way ahead of me or those well established in my industry or business in general. Attending trainings, personal coaching sessions, seminars, webinars, reading etc., to learn.

I’ve also learnt to not be ashamed to ask questions or ask for guidance from others ahead of me or even my peers sometimes.

I understand my areas of strength and the things I’m very great at, but I also try not to take on the stance of knowing it all, or being the “Top Professional”, because there is always room for improvement and much to learn.

I also know that there is an abundance of wisdom that can only be found in those who have had years of experience in any career path and this should never be taken for granted.

There is still a lot to figure out, but I’ve definitely made progress.

Respect

I’ve also learnt to respect my young company and that has meant walking away from certain offers that come in the guise of work. Especially from those who see the value you bring to the table, yet choose to overlook that, and approach you as a person and not your company. All because they think you are young.

This really undermines the work and value of any young business owner and the importance of their young business.

If you don’t put some respect on your work, especially in the early stages, I believe that people will abuse it. I’ve see it done to others and I have experienced a bit of that myself. Working alone in the early stage does this, but you’ve got to draw the line and be intentional about what you take up as a consultation for your business.

Respect for my work and young company has also meant saying no to familiar folks, who just want things done for free or below the asking price or value as stated.

It still remains surprising sometimes, when I know that they would never in their wildest dreams approach another business that offers the same services for such.

I’ve also discovered that sometimes, my services are much better, but because of such familiarity, they would rather bid for lower, than pay you what it’s worth or the asking price.

So when turned down, they would rather go elsewhere, paying more to someone else, sometimes for even less value and excellent delivery. Sad, but this happens.
Familiarity in business is no joke and should be watch out for and that could sometimes include family and close friends.

Brain Picking

The most annoying part of being a young business owner, who knows her onions is those who approach you in the guise of interest in your services or person, just to pick your brain for ideas or to get answers to questions they have.

Sometimes, these are people in your industry as well, who may need to know some things to revert to their own clients or to make progress themselves.

So they come around and try to be friendly and are very strategic about picking your brain to get answers, without actual consultations, or being willing to pay you for such services, or even willing to undergo proper trainings themselves to do well, without resorting to tricks.

It’s a sad place to be, and when you discover such folks, it can be quite painful, but you’ve got to learn to create healthy boundaries.

Just like a young child, a 2year old is still a baby that needs protection, in the same vein, you can’t afford to mishandle your young business or let others take advantage of you.

There is no harm in helping a colleague when they come clean and you both have mutual understanding and some form of agreement, but tricks are very hurtful and its simply plain manipulation that should not be tolerated.

On the flip side, this also happens when you’re out sourcing for clients.

Some folks don’t really want to work with you, they only engage you long enough to pick at your brain for ideas.

Some go as far as requesting for a mapped out strategy/ proposal. Then they thereafter dismiss your work.

More often than not, you would later discover that those ideas proffered to them in a bid to secure a project or consultation are being implemented in your absence, right after they have dismissed your proposals or they just simply stayed mute and non-responsive to any on-going conversation.

Very sad, but that’s a down side to the early stages of spearheading things in business.
Mistakes would happen, and you will sometimes learn the hard way. Working remotely also causes this sometimes.

It’s almost like a power game, because you seem to be at their mercy and in need of clients.

But with structures like a standard portfolio, a website, and evidence of successful and past projects already executed, you can turn things around in your favor, securing good clients, and also avoid being taken advantage of by people who really don’t mean well or have any intention of engaging you for profit.

Clients

Working with clients across various industries has taught me a lot and has helped my business grow faster in terms of quality and speed of delivery.

Every client is different and understanding their needs, expectations and limitations helps you know how to serve them better. What makes one client excited and satisfied, may not necessarily make another happy.

One has got to be patient with them and be willing to point out areas that need their attention. As the professional, you often know better, even though you must pay attention to their needs, and map out a strategy and custom solution that fits and works just for them.

I’ve also learnt that compromising on the asking price for a service to a client is always a bad idea. Sometimes, those who pay less are the ones who are more demanding and expect leaps in delivery for a small budget for their work.

Never compromise on the asking price, especially when it affects your profit margin.

The question that helps set things in perspective when this happens to me is I ask myself:

“If I compromise on the price for this project, would I also need to compromise on the volume of work, time and value that would be put into this project for this client?”

The answer is always “NO”.

Because I love to do excellent work, I know that I would feel bad for delivering less value than promised or less than what I know my business is capable of delivering.

Some folks do it I guess, but I can’t because of my core values of integrity and excellence.

The few times when I have compromised on the price, I have always regretted it, as I seemed to be giving so much more for so much less. A very stressful experience that left me very dissatisfied, that I eventually walked away.

So weigh your options when it comes to asking for your value when engaging a client.

Compromise always breeds regret. You deserve better and deserve to be paid what you are worth, even though your business may be young.

Lastly, understand that not all of your friends or family members will be your clients.
It is what it is, so don’t take things too personal or feel too bad if they don’t patronize you or choose to work with you when the opportunity presents itself.

Yes, some may support you doggedly, while at other times, some may not. Not because they don’t want to, sometimes, it’s because they can’t afford to, it all depends on the kind of services and products you offer.

So you must weigh things carefully, so that your friendships don’t go down as a result of their non-participation or support for your business.

Yes, you may hope that they become your clients one of these days, but if they don’t, move on.

Sometimes, you need to look beyond your circle for those who really need your services and products and trust that the right people will stick with you for the long haul, especially when what you offer or bring to the table is of great value and remains relevant to the needs of people.

Balance

By spearheading things at the early stages of my business at Brave Publicity, I’ve discovered from my own experiences as well as from listening to others, that, it’s normal to do a lot at the beginning. Including running multiple roles.

It’s a tiring experience sometimes, but it is through these experiences that one grows and gains mastery of their craft and industry. Making you a better leader when you eventually bring others onboard to work with you.

There are days when I feel absolutely tired, like the work for the day would never end.

So I just simply rest or take a break or take some days off, not too long, because I know progress requires consistency, but enough rest that brings back some normalcy and balance into my life.

Juggling a flexible day job with a full time business is not easy, but when you experience those small wins, the trill of all of the sacrifices you make becomes totally worth it.

I still fight for balance, but I know this is only temporary and may only surface in some stages of business, when growing or trying to scale.

So, that’s a summary of how it’s been going so far.
If you’re like me, on your own adventure in business, I hope you’re encouraged.

Don’t let the deceit of “The Instagram Life” or the glam social media and lit pictures weigh you down.

The truth is, a lot of grit, grind and hard work goes on behind the scenes.
The thing is, some folks only wear their crowns gracefully, even though it may be very heavy.

So believe in yourself. Enjoy your process of becoming. Embrace all seasons, including the slow seasons and celebrate your mile stones, big or small. They make the journey worth the while.

As a believer in God and Christian, I also trust God for His timely help, favor and guidance, as He continues to open the right doors to me and shut the wrong ones.
When I feel discouraged, I know who to turn to for strength and help, and that has kept me going.

I hope you’re encouraged young one, as you walk gracefully in those “Boss Shoes”.

I look forward to sharing some more with you in the times ahead.
Thank you for reading.

Article by Opeolu Adeyemi.
Corporate Communications and Public Relations Consultant
Founder, Brave Publicity Ink!

Article, Business, Corporate Communications, Digital Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Public Relations, Startups

Article: Startup Visibility

Posted on January 18, 2021October 9, 2021 by @bravepublicity

As a consultant, one of the most common question I get asked often is how I can achieve visibility for a startup or young business. This is an important question that most clients want to know and it’s often a test to know if you as a professional have the knowledge and capacity required to achieve their campaign goals.

I would like to state that Visibility for any business, (including startups and established businesses) is simply about the ‘value’ that can be derived.
Value sells and is most sustainable, especially when your target audience come to understand that you are a consistent brand or business.

So here are some highlights of solutions I would often proffer, cutting across the inorganic approach to getting things done, as well as the organic approach.

Visibility for any startup takes time, but with consistency of publicity efforts, you can achieve a lot.
An inorganic approach would be to:

1) Drive promotions (paid ads) for content created across the communication assets for the organization or business.

2) Engage with influencer marketing across industries, relevant for your campaigns, where your target audience can be easily reached.

3) Drive Google ad promotions, which helps greatly with search efforts for such a company and its website.

4) Work on press releases regarding your business/ organization, request for magazine profiling / Interviews, as well as place ads in such publications/ Magazine prints, which aids with publicity efforts.

5) Radio jingles is another way to go, but consistent and effective ad placement comes at a very high cost. Depending on the quotes for the chosen radio stations and the number of times such ads will be aired.

To achieve these for quick and high publicity, greatly depends on how much one is willing to spend on ads and campaigns, as well as bids for search phrases and keywords for optimization and visibility of the business.

An organic approach (which is slower, but effective) would be to do some of the following:

1) Drive publicity consistently across the communication assets, taking into consideration digital marketing strategies, branding efforts and excellent content creation.

2) Create Content for company profiling for projects accomplished, projects in the pipeline as well as the company’s service offerings.

3) Content for client projects can be crafted as case studies, as well as consistent development of insightful articles. These two are always a good idea, thus demonstrating mastery of that industry the business belongs to.

4) Driving engaging, consistent and strategic social media publicity efforts, as well as strategic email marketing efforts to contacts (who may be potential clients), your target audience and already converted paying clients helps with visibility. It also helps client or those who have benefited from your services, remember your business when the need arises, as well as recommend your business to others who may need it.

5) Flash sales/ discount sales of complimentary products can become a market penetration strategy, especially at the MVP stage of a business or product by a startup, as well as during festive periods in efforts to stand out of the already saturated market.

6) Lastly, if a website exists, to drive Search Engine Optimization – SEO and Search Engine Marketing – SEM efforts for search relevance and ranking, articles focused on the core areas of services rendered, need to be developed consistently.

This greatly aids search, website ranking and relevance, helping establish the organization as an authority in its field.

The bottom line is being able to project the “Value” that will be derived from the services and products rendered by your business or organization.
Value is what sells and when you’ve got quality to offer, as well as great feedback from those already engaged as testimonials, great visibility can be achieved.

Even while pushing for sales at a good price (via the existing communication assets, campaigns, as well as one-on-one engagement with people) can help a startup find its footing and visibility amongst other existing and well established businesses.

At Brave Publicity Ink, we can always get you started with great visibility, we offer excellent services and products that are deeply satisfying and capable of meeting and exceeding your campaign goals.

Visit bravepublicity.com to get started!
Thank you for reading.

Article by Opeolu Adeyemi.
Corporate Communications and Public Relations Consultant
Founder, Brave Publicity Ink!

Article, Business, Career, Leadership, Self development

Article: Effective Communication

Posted on July 16, 2020October 9, 2021 by @bravepublicity

Friendships, relationships, businesses and communities are built on communication. Without the ability to communicate, the world will be in disarray, filled with much misunderstanding, breeding loneliness and possibly the exasperation of being misunderstood or judged wrongly.

Effective communication is what makes systems, structures and our relations with others work out smoothly. It is an essential factor for long lasting relationships.
It is such a powerful skill that aids conflict resolution, strengthens bonds between nations, people, and changes the perspective of long standing disputes and disagreements between people or communities.

Life circumstances become better as a result of effective communication. However, the application of this very essential soft skill is based on established understanding and relevance, a skill not many have mastered.

When the value of a skill is established, only then does it appeal to those in need of it. This is so about effective communication.

Does it really hold that much value?
Can it be obtained and mastered by all?
Does it really have the power to resolve conflicts and end long standing wars?

What does “Effective Communication” really mean?

To put to rest some of these questions, let’s explore the definition and attributes that make up the phrase, “Effective Communication.”

Let’s begin with the word ‘Communication’.
‘Communication’ means to exchange information through speaking, writing or some other form of medium. It is also the act of conveying meanings from one entity or group to another, through the use of mutually understood signs, symbols, and semiotic rules.

‘Effective’ means to reach an optimal level, a peak of excellent delivery or performance.

In order words, ‘Effective Communication’ means, exchange of information between parties at an optimal level, where the entities or groups involved have mutual understanding of what is being conveyed and can respond accordingly.

So, effective communication is only established when all parties involved are able to create mutual, accurate and clear understanding of what is conveyed.

Some defining attributes make this possible and without them, it is often impossible to have effective communication and they include these four broad features: Conversation, Sound, Cues and Action.

Let’s examine each of them for more insight.

Conversation

To establish excellent or effective communication. The conversation or message being conveyed needs to be understood by both or all parties involved.
A conversation that is one sided with decisions being set in motion by one party, is an enforcement, not a mutual agreement. Both or all involved must have mutual understanding of the dialogue.

When this is absent, effective communication cannot be achieved and this involves active and attentive listening. This means, listening to respond accurately to the message being conveyed, not just listening to speak in turn.

This is a challenge for many people and organizational leaders, and so the result is, effective communication is never established, breeding dissatisfaction with all involved in the conversation.

In a dialogue, the focal point, challenge or objective must be identified and acknowledged by all involved and then satisfactory solutions and actions can be established.
This is only possible when attentive and active listening is put in play, when conversations and meetings are held.

Sound

Sound gives meaning to a message and strengthens conversations. It is essential in establishing excellent or effective communication, when used appropriately. Sound in terms of the ‘Voice’ and ‘Tone’ of a message, whether spoken, written or conveyed via art or creativity.

The established tone or voice can ultimately determine the meaning of the message being conveyed. It could be deciphered as either compassionate, hostile, mild, suggestive, derogatory, exhilarating, cheerful, gloomy, heated, commanding, weak, strong, assertive, guarded and the list goes on.

Many people, institutions, nations or communities have been able to establish excellent or poor communication, hence developing amazing or terrible relationships as a result of the choice of voice and tone.

This is very critical factor, as interpretation of conversations are often made based on the perceived tone or voice by the conveyor of any message.

Also many great writers have gained mastery of this very important skill in the act of communication, artistically infusing the appropriate voice and tone with their words, creating excellent publications across a genre of books that have stood the test of time and have attracted great readership and rewards.

The ability to identify the appropriate tone or voice for use in various dialogue circumstances or deduce what is being received from others, ultimately helps one understand accurately any conversation. It also helps one identify improvement opportunities for effective communication in active discussions or feedback.

Cues

Cues are so essential in communication and they include verbal and non-verbal cues. These can be easily decrypted from time lapses and body language.

Time lapses, a pause in a conversation, verbal or written (a presence of silence for a period or a written symbol for a dialogue expressed in written words) is often indicative of something, usually an impression or meaning the conveyor wants one to decipher.

Such time lapses could mean disinterest, disregard, a plea for understanding and reconsideration, fear, anger, permission to hear out the other person or party, a gentle nudge towards reflection or appraisal, etc. regarding an already established dialogue or an on going conversation.

Time lapses are typically applied to strengthening an impression regarding information that has already been laid bare by a conveyor. That pause or silence often carries a weight and has meaning in an ongoing conversation.

In the same vein, the body language of a conveyor or the parties involved also expresses and strengthens the meaning of a message, often combined with or without voiced expressions.

The body language may express, pain, weariness, passion, anger, joy, excitement and a variety of emotions that eventually makes a conveyed message more accurately deciphered.

The entire context and content of such conversations enables one to identify differences and the real meaning that should be deduced from such a dialogue.

Actions

For effective communication, one of the most credible ways of deducing if a dialogue has reached a point of mutual understanding by both parties is by the actions that follow.

If the actions that follow are satisfactory and correspond with the resolutions and agreement by all parties or the conveyor of a message in a dialogue, then one can say that effective communication has been established. If not, what may ensue is a lot of friction and resistance.

Many times, individuals pay attention to only what is being said, without paying close attention to the actions that follow as well. In corporate environments as well as social circles, this plays out all the time. When one pays close attention to actions that follow any conversation, then one can understand accurately what is being communicated.

However, it is important to note that these four (4) highlighted features work in harmony and the application or interpretation of just one or some from an active discourse may lead to wrong conclusions regarding a message or due to poor communication.

But when all of these features are applied in sync, it helps in accuracy, clarity, mutual agreement and ultimately, effective communication.

I hope you found this article to be insightful and helpful.
Thank you for reading.

Article by Opeolu Adeyemi.
Corporate Communications and Public Relations Consultant
Founder, Brave Publicity Ink!

Article, Business, Career, Corporate Communications, Entrepreneurship, Public Relations, Strategy

Article: Working Virtually.

Posted on August 2, 2019October 9, 2021 by @bravepublicity

Organization and a well rested mind is key to achieving success as a virtual worker or coordinator.

Today’s jobs no longer entail just physical coordination, but also a handful of virtual responsibilities, since a lot of job roles are beginning to get more automated and entail a lot of digital tools and applications for successful operations.

For a person whose sole work entails virtual coordination or for a person who has a mix of both virtually responsibilities and physical responsibilities, some ground rules and balance have to be established in order to achieve success.

Here are seven (7) things to consider:

Structure:

Just like a physical workplace, your virtual work place also needs to be well structured to function optimally.

From the devices needed for your execution, to the resources and tools such as the internet, power supply, your work space and furniture, applications and software that are required to get the work done.

The state of all of these determines if you will experience less stress while working. If these are all in good condition, it influences and enhances the mind’s productivity and reduces the number of hitches that may be experienced.

Coordination and Prioritization:

To stay organized virtually implies good organization and coordination.

From proper naming of files to grouping of relate items or files, to effective and clear communication about tasks to your virtual team, to prioritizing on the urgent and important tasks that need to be attended to before others, etc.

When all of these are properly aligned, it enhances greatly the success and speed of execution of tasks that you may have for each day. Creating a “To-Do-List”, scheduling tasks and setting reminders for your activities will certainly help you achieve better coordination and prioritization.

Automation and Activities:

Working virtually can be a very huge task, especially when multiple minute tasks are lined up for execution daily.

Many of these monotonous tasks would be more enjoyable if they were automated.

It is very easy to fall into the trap of thinking these things would take very little of our time, however after a while, it can become tiring, especially with others physical tasks that need our attention come our way. It is also very easy to lose interest in the monotonous ritual and we find that some crucial details in communication may become mixed up often or lost when working virtually.

All of these can be avoided when software, applications or structures that aid automation or reduces the daily stress or responsibilities are used. Some of them include cloud services such as (Google Drive, Dropbox etc.), file sharing applications (WeTransfer, Google Drive), Content automation Services (MailChimp, Hoote Suite, Buffer etc.) and any other applications that enhance your workflow virtually.

Third parties and Team work:

Having a strong and reliable team, that understands the work process, the purpose of a project, the urgency of various task and the cooperation required for execution, is very important.

It also helps greatly if the team members are equipped with the relevant hard skills for execution.

This is very important especially for rainy days, when you need the total support of the team or their assistance in getting some things done on your behalf.

To achieve this will require effective communication, sometimes training and a lot of patience as the team grows. In the long run, time with a steady team helps you understand each member, their strengths and weaknesses.
This eventually leads to the establishment of a workflow that empowers you all to work in sync without too many corrections, back and forth conversations or confusion on how to get things done virtually.

Activity follow-up:

Working virtually can many times entail multiple communication platforms and tasks with a variety of people.

As an enabler or driver of a task, it is important to do a regular follow up regarding diverse responsibilities assigned to the people you work with virtually.

This is because as humans who have other needs that require our attention daily, we sometimes forget virtual conversations that require our input or feedback.

So, it won’t hurt to do a follow up or send a subtle reminder regarding tasks and responsibilities. This way, you would be able to meet the timeline assigned to various projects or responsibilities.

Boundaries and the close of business:

It is easy to fall into the “Superman” and “Wonder Woman” trap.

Meaning, getting caught up totally in work without adequate breaks or short walks instead of long hours sitting and other self-care routines.

Many times, we find ourselves working late into the day or night and this could sometimes be a strategy for urgent projects for short periods, but the long run effect of such a work culture is “Burn-Out” and “Ineffectiveness”.

So it is important to draw the line without guilt and set some boundaries and switch off from the work mode, like you would for a physical work place. Effective virtual work requires that these rules and boundaries be adhered to achieve success.

Some of them could include: having a check-out time from work without taking work home virtually and creating a system that accommodates your lunch breaks and other rest periods as required.

Relaxation and mental health:

Sometimes working virtually or remotely can be hard and lonely, especially when your team is located in a different geographical location or if you work alone as a consultant or an entrepreneur.

This sometimes affects your motivation to keep working effectively and consistently. So a leave from work or a period of long rest is always welcomed after a long sessions of work, because it is really important to get refreshed and get the necessary rest required for the long haul.

This time off virtual work, creates room for you to bond with friends, catch up with colleagues or with other more relaxing and fun activities. This certainly is a good investment for sound health (physically and mentally) and enhances productivity at work.

In conclusion, working virtually at optimal performance can be achieved, but not without the required efforts to ensure your virtual work experience and that of your team becomes enjoyable and effective.

The above highlights are only guides that can enhance this process, however, what counts most, is being able to have clarity of purpose and establish a virtual structure that works for you, one that is sustainable and can be replicated.

Thank you for reading.