by Sue Horner | Sep 27, 2018 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
When I first went out on my own, I cold-called my way through a battered copy of The Canadian Writer’s Market. Although the effort eventually resulted in some freelance writing work, the experience was painful, as I recently recounted. The tactic is unlikely to...
by Sue Horner | Sep 6, 2018 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
People are interested in launching their own businesses, but a little nervous about it, too. That’s the not-so-surprising conclusion I took away from this week’s panel discussion about starting an independent business. We had a great turnout, lots of information from...
by Sue Horner | Jun 28, 2018 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Content may be king, but relationships are royalty, according to Dan Tisch, APR, of Argyle Public Relationships. In a talk at IABC/Toronto’s annual general meeting, Dan noted that public relations and communications people should let others focus on churning out...
by Sue Horner | May 17, 2018 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
This American Life. Canadaland. CBC’s Quirks and Quarks. For Immediate Release (FIR). Reply All. WNYC Studios’ Death, Sex & Money. Members and friends of IABC/Toronto’s Professional Independent Communicators called out the podcasts they listen to – are maybe even...
by Sue Horner | Apr 5, 2018 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Just the word “video” in email subject lines boosts open rates, Cyrus Mavalwala, ABC, told a group of professional communicators this week. Using video makes it 10 times more likely people will share or comment on your posts. Video increases the chances you’ll end up...
by Sue Horner | Feb 28, 2018 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Gini Dietrich knows about the highs and lows of small business, and persisting through them. During a recent webinar, the founder and CEO of PR firm Arment Dietrich walked members of IABC/Toronto’s Professional Independent Communicators through the story of her...
by Sue Horner | Sep 28, 2017 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a fancy way of describing how to get you or your business in front of search engines like Google. The ideal is that someone searches for your name, of course, but SEO helps if the searcher doesn’t know you or have your name in mind....
by Sue Horner | Sep 14, 2017 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
(Updated April 30, 2018) If you run a small business, you want to be found for both your company name and the products or services you offer. At a meeting of IABC/Toronto’s Professional Independent Communicators this week, speaker Ray Litvak shared some tips for doing...
by Sue Horner | Jun 15, 2017 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
“Are you just a really amazing note-taker or great with shorthand to get the info you need?” That’s what a colleague asked me recently, wondering how I take down the notes I turn into event summaries (recaps). Shameless flattery accepted. I do often recap events for...
by Sue Horner | Jun 1, 2017 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Who doesn’t want to be recognized for knowing your stuff? For many professions, certification gives you unbiased recognition that you know what you’re doing. Accountants, engineers, Human Resources professionals, financial planners and more have certifications. Now,...
