Minnesota Women in Marketing and Communications

Online Women@Work presentation a huge success!

Meghan Wilker (pictured on the right) flew solo yesterday at the second Women@Workworkshop, “Online.”  Nancy was ill and Meghan jumped in and gave a wonderful presentation.

My favorite quotes from Meghan’s presentation yesterday:

• “You can think of your social network as the external harddrive for your brain.”
• “Fact and fiction travel at the same speed.”

In addition to sharing what social networks are and aren’t. She gave great case studies and discussed strategies for leveraging networks for individuals, brands and companies. And, Meghan discussed tools to help manage the constant and overwhelming information flow in Twitter and FaceBook.

A special page has been set up on Geek Girls Guide for MWMC members featuring the links Meghan referred to during her workshop. (http://www.geekgirlsguide.com/mwmc/)

Nora Hayes
MWMC President

Reprinted with permission from http://mwmcprez.wordpress.com/ 

 

Twin Cities PR/communications pros on Twitter

Originally posted by Arik Hanson, ACH Communications. Follow his blog at communicationsconversations.blogspot.com or follow him on Twitter: @arikhanson.

Below you'll find the updated list of Twin Cities communicators online (Twitter and blogs). A number of updates this month, including two new agency accounts (Fast Horse & Colle+McVoy).

Again, standard disclaimer: This is by no means meant to be an end-all-be-all list. It's a work-in-progress and a resource for us all. So please, if you know someone I've missed, please leave a comment below and I'll add their name, Twitter handle and/or blog to the list. My plan is to update this list and re-publish every month so we have a definitive, running online catalog of all Minnesota PR/communications blogs and Twittizens.

Blogs

www.beehivepr.biz (Waxings--authored by various Beehive staffers)
www.mnprblog.com
www.samerowdycrowd.wordpress.com
www.marketingpie.risdall.com (authored by various RMPR staffers)
www.dailyaxioms.com (authored by Tim Otis and other Axiom staff)
www.fasthorseinc.com (authored by various FH staffers)
www.providentpartners.net.blog (authored by Albert Marruggi)
www.toprankblog.com (authored by Lee Odden)
www.conniebensen.com (authored by Connie Bensen)
www.getfreshminds.com (authored by Katie Konrath)
www.socialstudiesblog.com (Shandwick PR/social medial blog)
www.providentpartners.net/blog/ (authored by Albert Marruggi and Mike Keliher at Provident Partners)
http://abovethebuzz.wordpress.com (Sterling Cross blog)
http://prmoxie.wordpress.com (Sterling Cross blog)
http://mediapirate.wordpress.com (Sterling Cross blog)
http://e-strategyblog.com/ (blog by David Erickson)
http://social-media-university-global.org/ (authored by Lee Aase)
http://prchickspov.blogspot.com/ (authored by Heather Schwartz)

Twitter

www.twitter.com/graemethickins (GTA Marketing)
www.twitter.com/jenkaneco (Jennifer Kane--Kane Consulting)
www.twitter.com/stephaniesnyder (Padilla Speer Beardsley)
www.twitter.com/annehendricks (Fairview)
www.twitter.com/patrickstrother (Strother Communications Group)www.twitter.com/timotis (Axiom Communications)
www.twitter.com/aprilnel (April Nelson--Weber Shandwick)
www.twitter.com/mjkeliher (Mike Keliher--Provident Partners)
www.twitter.com/jeffshelman (Augsburg College)
www.twitter.com/albertmaruggi (Provident Partners)
www.twitter.com/katiekonrath
www.twitter.com/karyd (Kary Delaria--KD Public Relations)
www.twitter.com/asdeos (Anthony Deos--Target)
www.twitter.com/leeodden (TopRank Online Marketing)
www.twitter.com/cbensen (Connie Bensen--Techrigy)
www.twitter.com/reinan (John Reinan--FastHorse)
www.twitter.com/bskogrand (Brant Skogrand--Risdall McKinney Public Relations)
www.twitter.com/bmjewell (Bridget Jewell--Mall of America)
www.twitter.com/jasonsprenger (Xiotech)
www.twitter.com/saramasters (Minneapolis Synod)
www.twitter.com/rebeccamartin (Beehive PR)
www.twitter.com/curtisrsmith (Carmichael Lynch)
www.twitter.com/beehivepr
www.twitter.com/sleepnumbersara (Sara Ryder--Select Comfort)
www.twitter.com/prchck123 (Heather Schwartz--Weber Shandwick)
www.twitter.com/evakeiser (Risdall McKinney Public Relations)
www.twitter.com/risdall
www.twitter.com/ekdao (Erika Dao--Mall of America)
www.twitter.com/uptowngirlmpls (LeeAnn Rasachak--Select Comfort)
www.twitter.com/knegs (Keith Negrin)
www.twitter.com/terrijellman (Tastefully Simple)
www.twitter.com/kellygroehler (Best Buy)
www.twitter.com/minnesotaprsa
www.twitter.com/azemke (Ayme Zemke--Beehive PR)
www.twitter.com/perfectporridge (Greg Swan--Weber Shandwick)
www.twitter.com/joel22882 (Joel Swanson--Risdall McKinney Public Relations)
www.twitter.com/laskaroy (Jared Roy-Risdall)
www.twitter.com/mnpr (Ryan May)
www.twitter.com/melanieBB (Melanie Boulay Becker)
www.twitter.com/kaz152 (Laura Kaslow)
www.twitter.com/jbagdade (Jennifer Bagdade)
www.twitter.com/jmaustin (Jon Austin)
www.twitter.com/teddavis (Ted Davis)
www.twitter.com/dawnbryant1029 (Dawn Bryant)
www.twitter.com/bloisolson (Blois Olson)
www.twitter.com/susanbusch (Susan Busch-Best Buy)
www.twitter.com/amyLFisher (Amy Fisher-Padilla Speer Beardsley)
www.twitter.com/lizmiklya (Liz Miklya)
www.twitter.com/ngarrison (Nicole Garrison-St Paul Pioneer Press)
www.twitter.com/allinaComm (comm pros at Allina)
www.twitter.com/publicrelations (Shelle Michaels)
www.twitter.com/TCStace (Stacy Housman-Ameriprise)
www.twitter.com/haker (David Hakensen)
www.twitter.com/mcporter (Mike Porter-University of St Thomas)
www.twitter.com/roseMcKinneyPR (Rose McKinney-Risdall McKinney PR)
www.twitter.com/gabbyDNelson (Gabby Nelson-Select Comfort)
www.twitter.com/bworden (Brooke Worden-Weber Shandwick)
www.twitter.com/tkpleslie (Kaleidoscope Partnership)
www.twitter.com/MinnesotaPRSA
www.twitter.com/mhwright (Michell Wright-Padilla Speer Beardsley)
www.twitter.com/RPMaus (University of Minnesota)
www.twitter.com/ryanmathre (University of Minnesota)
www.twitter.com/DJWolter (University of Minnesota)
www.twitter.com/egiorgi (University of Minnesota)
www.twitter.com/MrChristopherL (Sterling Cross Communications)
www.twitter.com/PRMoxie (Sterling Cross Communications)
www.twitter.com/MediaPirate (Sterling Cross Communications)
www.twitter.com/DancingQueen1 (Sarah Ryder-Select Comfort)
www.twitter.com/derickson (David Erickson)
www.twitter.com/leeaase (Lee Aase-Mayo Clinic)
www.twitter.com/mariaenergia (Maria Surma Manka)
www.twitter.com/heatherwestpr (Heather West)
www.twitter.com/dloumeyer (Andrew Meyer-North Memorial)
www.twitter.com/IntervalAdam (Adam Meyer-Interval Marketing)
www.twitter.com/IntervalChris (Chris Bevolo-Interval Marketing)
www.twitter.com/kdweiland (Kellie Due Weiland-Beehive PR)
www.twitter.com/fast_horse (official account of Fast Horse)
www.twitter.com/sandralswanson (Sandy Swanson-consultant)
www.twitter.com/collemcvoy (official account of Colle McVoy)
www.twitter.com/liztunheim (Liz Tunheim-consultant)
www.twitter.com/bsaukko (Ben Saukko-Ameriprise)
www.twitter.com/candeew (Candee Wolf-Metro Dentalcare)
www.twitter.com/lulugrimm
www.twitter.com/jasondouglas (Jason Douglas-Spyder Trap)
www.twitter.com/doughamlin (Doug Hamlin-Weber Shandwick)
www.twitter.com/kristingast (Kristin Gast)
www.twitter.com/mkucharski (Matt Kucharski-Padilla Speer Beardsley)
www.twitter.com/impactmax (Gayle Thorsen-consultant)

Where Practicality Meets Planning - How to Determine and Achieve Your Goals for the New Year

By Jennifer Kane, Kane Consulting

I don’t know if you’ve noticed lately, but a lot of people are freaking out.

Poor little 2009 has been ushered in with such words as “unprecedented,” “alarming,” “contentious,” and “critical.”

Clearly it won’t be a year of “business as usual,” and most of us are struggling to figure out exactly what that will mean.

How do you make plans to navigate these uncertain times? How do you make sure you’re moving forward with your life, career or business, instead of just treading water, waiting for some hypothetical “other shoe” to drop?

 Here are some suggestions...

 1. identify a goal for 2009, but Keep it small

A lot of times planning for a new year can get bogged down with the weight of big expectations. There’s a lot going on in the world, the country and in your life and it may seem prudent to have some contingency plans to deal with all of them.

My suggestion? Don’t even try.

At the end of the year, if you want to feel like you’ve really made a difference, consider making some micro changes rather than macro ones.

Focus on one issue that’s critical or compelling to the health and success of your life, career or business, (such as expanding your top client’s marketing reach). Then, choose one project you can tackle that will have an impact on this issue, (such as learning how to develop a new media marketing campaign). Then, write down the steps needed to complete that project and get started.

2. Make sure it’s a goal, not a resolution

Now take a step back, reexamine the goal(s) you’ve picked and make sure it’s solid.

Your goal should make you accountable for your idea and be specific, measurable, relevant, and time-limited (such as, “I’m going to reduce operating costs and act more environmentally responsible by decreasing the amount of paper I use in my office in an effort to be paperless by the end of 2009.”).

Support your goal statement with some action items (such as, “remove my business from junk mail lists,” or “subscribe to online editions of business publications”) and you’re on your way.

3. Set your own timeline for implementation

Maybe you already had a goal for the New Year and, by the time you’re reading this, you’ve already stopped working on it.

Good. This is a blessing in disguise.

If you’ve already stopped, it probably wasn’t a very good goal to begin with. Maybe it was too large or too ambiguous for you (more of a resolution than a goal). Maybe your life changed so radically since you thought of it, that your goal is no longer relevant.

So take a moment right now and think of a new goal.

You can rework your old idea, come up with a new one or simply take a moment to remember why the first one inspired you in the first place – the important thing is don’t stop moving forward.

4. Write down your plan of attack

Setting a goal or two for the New Year doesn’t require that you create some sort of official written document. (My guess is you don’t have time to write one, and that you wouldn’t have time to re-read it later if you did.)

But you can, and should, jot down some notes about your goal somewhere so you can remember what exactly it is that you’re setting out to do. This will also help make your goal seem more “real.”

5. Share the plan wherever you go

You know those people at networking events who ask what you do, and then glaze over and kind of stop listening after you tell them and they realize that it’s not something that meets their immediate needs?

Well, those people are losers.

They’ve lost the opportunity to get to know you as a person and, as a result, have lost out on finding out all the other ways that you bring value to people’s lives.

You don’t know who you’re going to meet this year and how those people may be able to help you reach your goal. So take your goals out into the world and share them with some transparency and authenticity.

Whether good or bad, 2009 will likely a year of great change. But no matter what happens, we all have to get up in the morning, tackle our to-do lists and live our lives. The trick is to do it with intention: make a plan, commit to it and have faith that you will get where you need to go.

 

Jennifer Kane is the Principal of Kane Consulting, www.jenniferkaneconsulting.com. You can reach her at kaneconsulting@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter at JenKaneCo.

Will your business thrive or dive in 2009?

   

By Stacey Ackerman, MA

We're all entering 2009 with a level of uncertainty that's weighing down on us like a giant elephant. But it's during these trying times that savvy business owners can thrive as their competition takes a dive. It's a game of survival of the fittest, and those fit companies can expect great things in the coming year. Here are a few of the winning characteristics of the thrivers and some things you can consider for your business:

Carve a Niche
Don't be a commodity. Carve out your special niche in the marketplace. Understand your unique selling proposition and the value you offer to your customers.

Understand Your Customers
Know what your customers' problems are and how your product or service resolves them. Conduct e-mail surveys and talk to your key customers on a regular basis. You may also solicit feedback from your customers through social media tools.

Market in Good Times and Bad
The worst thing you can do is pull marketing efforts because of bad times. Because marketing is a series of touches that occur over time to solicit a buyer response, this is the most important time to stay in front of prospects. When they decide to buy, you'll be the company they think of first.

 

Be a Visionary
Don't lost sight of the ultimate goals for your business. Only by staying tuned into this vision can you get there.

Have a Plan and Stick to It

A well thought out marketing plan will keep you in check with your goals, budget and action items needed to achieve your vision.

By keeping these things in mind you will prepare your company to thrive - not dive in 2009.

 

Stacey Ackerman is the director of Marketing for Small Business Builders, which provides small business owners with the tools, education and inspiration to successfully grow their business and achieve long-term success. She can be reached at sackerman@smallbusinessbuilders.com or 651.783.5763.

How is your company showing value?

With the country’s financial crisis having an impact on everyone, what is your company doing to show value? While this doesn't mean you have to lower prices, it is more important than ever to show people how you can save them money.

If you've spent any time listening to commercials lately, smart companies are turning the down economy into an opportunity to market the value of their services. With proper positioning, you can turn something rotten into roses.

Seattle Sutton's, a weight loss company, is promoting diet meals for “$5 a day, less than eating out”. While in reality the actual food cost is probably much more than buying the same food at the grocery store, this chain has found a way to show value.

When gas and food prices forced gas stations and grocery stores to increase prices, Cub Foods and Holiday Station Stores found a creative way to capitalize on this problem with a joint campaign that gave grocery shoppers discounts on gas. In reality, consumers were still paying more for both services but these companies found creative, out-of-the-box ways to show value during tough times.

In the B2B sector you’ll need to focus your service business on return on investment (ROI) and deliverables. A consulting company should be able to easily demonstrate at what point in the engagement a client can expect to gain enough business to pay for the service.

If you do nothing else to grow your business this month, by answering this one question you can vastly change your company’s marketability: How are you communicating value to your product or service?

How Presidential candidates create powerful messages

By Stacey Ackerman, MA

Election time is a great opportunity to learn how to create a powerful message that causes a buzz. Our Presidential candidates are leaders in creating campaign messages that stick. After all, they only have a short period of time to convince you that they are the best. They need to deliver a marketing message that says exactly what they represent in short catchy phrases that everyone will grab on to.

Develop a slogan
When you go to market your business, develop a slogan like our Presidential candidates such as:  A Stronger Economy and Country First. When campaigning your product or service, what is the one main point you want to make? Now, put it into a slogan that will give your prospective customers the message they need to hear to hire you. Put yourself in their shoes – what is the biggest problem they have and how are you going to resolve it.

Spread the word
A slogan that only resonates in your head or your company brochure doesn’t have a lot of impact. You need to communicate your message with everyone and everywhere including:

• Communicating to your employees – everyone needs to be on board!
• Talking to your clients – they should always know what you represent.
• Meeting prospects – they must know your mission.
• Sales literature and materials – make your message clear and consistent everywhere.
• Online – utilize the Internet and social media tools to communicate your message.

By carefully observing how carefully crafted and delivered our Presidential candidates’ messages are you can learn to apply the same techniques to your business. No competitor bashing required.

Stacey Ackerman, MA, is a small business growth expert with Small Business Builders.

Embracing Our Niche - YOU!

With 225 members to date, MWMC is truly embracing our niche of successful women in the marketing and communications industry in Minnesota. How does this benefit you? Well, you have access to 225 women who are in the same profession, have been where you are today and where you want to be tomorrow. There are 225 resources to tap into when you need help on that PR campaign or re-branding effort, need some advice, want to find a new job, or when you want to become more “LinkedIn.”

It is also 225 reasons to renew your membership or join our organization in October. Think of MWMC as your professional girlfriend. One who is always trying to help you “energize your career” and keep you in the know about all things communications and marketing—the one who keeps you connected to what is important to you.

One of my goals for the next year is to make sure that this organization is accessible and accountable to all. This is YOUR organization, and only with you and all of the MWMC girlfriends participating can we make this organization what you want it and NEED it to be. Get involved. Volunteers are needed to make our events happen. Join our spring conference or networking committees. Write an article for the newsletter or blog. Become a part of our LinkedIn or Facebook groups. Go to the Young Professionals events, the
Seasoned Professionals events and Learning Lunches. The more people that are involved, the more valuable our organization is to all.

Be an MWMC advocate in your professional community. MWMC’s Board of Directors have committed to building this organization into something that we can all be proud of. We want you to be proud too. Let me know what we are doing wrong, but also what we are doing right. We need your feedback, ideas, and help.

For the 2008-2009 programming year, we want to continue to build on the success of the spring Women@Work Annual Conference and produce tools for you to add to your professional “sur-thrival-kits.” After being at an event, we want you to be able to take home at least one tangible that you can use right away. We want to make sure that your membership in MWMC fits into your career plan and will help you grow as a person, and as a leader.

As a resource to you, we are using many social networking strategies to keep members connected. We want to be a resource for aggregating the best of what’s out there. With your help, we can be this resource with links to blogs, forums and other information pertinent to our industry. Email your blog and Web site resource ideas to me at info@mnwc.org.

I hope to see your name on the membership list on November 1 and at our upcoming events. Don’t hesitate to contact me or any board member with comments, suggestions or other request. With everyone’s help, this will be a great years for MWMC!

In the age of user-generated and user-submitted content, how do you determine what's legally protected and what's fair game to share or re-purpose?

When I consider this question, I’m reminded of the several times I’ve questioned this myself, in my day-to-day practice:

• If I find the information online, can I share/use the information in press or marketing materials on my client’s behalf?
• If I submit something online, am I relinquishing legal rights to that message? 
• If my client receives coverage online, can I share a copy? Can it be posted on the client’s Web site?
• My client wants to gather information on their clients via the Web. Can we publish comments as testimonials? 

While I can’t provide any sort of legal response to any of these questions, I think, at a minimum, there are some best practices to employ to at the very least, be thinking about the information we use, share and re-purpose.

User generated content isn’t necessarily fact.
Remember those basic rules of journalism? Yeah, they are good ones. We all know that it’s easier than ever to publish online (case in point - look at me here, rambling my thoughts away on this blog!). Sometimes we know a fact/statement to be true, and just need an “expert” source to give it legs. Other times, we may be looking for that little nugget to put the extra oomph into a press release or case study. Either way, it so easy to find it online (thank you, Google). As exciting as it is when Google returns dozens of suggestions for that one fact you never thought you’d find, be sure to take a look at who, or what is putting it out there. Is it an unbiased, newsworthy source? Or, is this a passionate blogger with a strong opinion? Bloggers who are experts in their field could make for a great source or quote. If they are not already well known, check to make sure they are truly an expert and not just self-proclaimed - are they affiliated with known professional associations or a respected company?

Credit your source.
Seems like a no-brainer, yet in this digital age, it’s so easy to think that everything that’s out there is free for public sharing (further confused by sharing services like Digg, Delicious and StumbleUpon, but I'm not going to attmpt to address that here). Once you’ve found that piece of information that your piece can’t live without, cite the source, just as you would if you found the information in a printed book or newspaper (remember those?). Or, if it’s an expert who has shared the information in a blog post, it doesn’t hurt to contact them and ask permission before quoting them in your materials. Rules of proper attribution differ, so consult the appropriate style guide, but at a minimum, if you find it online, share the link and name of the Web site.

:: Poster beware.
Let’s face it. If you put it online, you lose control over it. When you become the user generating the content, you offer it up to the billions of internet surfers who are at liberty to copy, re-post, link to, comment on,and share the information you’ve published. Somtimes, this is exactly what you want, other times, it may not be such a good thing. Simple rule – don’t put anything on the Internet that you wouldn’t also put on a billboard in Times Square (the stuff on the Internet has the potential for a lot more traffic). Just because you play by the rules, that doesn’t mean everyone else is.

Now, that sounds a little harsh, and I don’t want to deter the sharing of news online. Press releases, case studies, client profiles, marketing and promotion — today’s Internet with all of its social media splendor, is a fantastic place for sharing a message quickly, and sparking a viral spread of information. Make sure you’ve got permission to share what’s being posted, and be prepared for the outcome. And, don’t cower in fear over a negative comment or two. In a recent conversation I had with Greg Swan, a whip-smart interactive marketing guy working for Weber Shandwick, he pointed out that things like negative blog posts often work very well to rally positive supporters and spark passionate debate. 

Sharing coverage.
Here’s another one that for me, sparks more questions than answers, but again, I think some basic principles can go a long way. If a client receives coverage online, there’s little harm in generating a report of links or PDFs to share with an internal team. But what happens when/if the client decides to print 1,000 copies of that post on the local newspaper’s Web site and distribute with their marketing materials, or post it on their own site? If you monitor and supply online editorial coverage to clients, consider a disclaimer like “for internal use only” and make sure that your clients understand that the materials may not be reproduced without permission from the original source. Remember, online publications are copyrighted. 

Accepting information.
A fantastic way to gather client demographics is to engage them on your Web site and ask them to submit information, including testimonials on their experience with your product or service. Great! But, don’t put the cart before the horse. If your team or client is excited about this strategy, consider the intended outcome BEFORE soliciting information. And, consider uses that may not be implemented immediately, but that you may want to consider down the road. Then, be completely upfront in your request, providing clear information on how the submission may be used. A legal disclaimer is probably a good idea. And, check with your legal team to discuss 1) how long you can legally retain the data collected and 2) if there are any uses that are prohibited. (There I go again, answering a question with more questions. I know...)

The “digital age” is far from anything new. At this point, it’s commonplace. I’m willing to bet that if you are reading this, you consult the Internet for information before print nine times out of 10, if not more. (And, if you’re checking your sources, you’ll quickly learn that I’m not an expert and you shouldn’t quote me on that as fact). As an industry, I think we’re lagging — the Internet is progressing faster than our standards for use. I know that I’m looking forward to more information and blog posts on this topic to round out my limited understanding. At a minimum, use common sense best practices. And, to be safe, consult a legal expert. 

The MWMC Women at Work Conference Experience

I’ve been to several marketing and public relations conferences where I tend to:

• spend my time keeping to myself since the idea of networking with a room full of strangers turns my stomach in knots

• walk away thinking, “Hum, that was interesting, I guess, but I didn’t learn anything that directly relates to my business.”

Sound familiar?

This common occurrence is what inspired the Women at Work Conference presented by MWMC last spring. This conference broke down these typical barriers by developing the conference from the attendees perspective. 

First, since it was tailored to the way women network and learn, the conference featured small break out sessions where participants “networked” by discussing issues with those across the table. For me, awkward encounters were replaced with time to demonstrate my skills and contribute to meaningful discussions, letting any potential clients or future partners see me for themselves. There was no need for breaking out the elevator pitch.

Second, recognizing that participants of this conference have varied levels of experience and work in different capacities within the marketing and communications industry, from the most creative designers to the most strategic thinkers and everything in between, this conference offered distinct tracks for me to pick and choose the sessions that were both within my comfort zone, and offered the most relevant information to my business.

Third, the Women at Work conference provided an even greater return on my investment by offering tip-cards for each session. Each tip card contained information on how to apply a new idea or concept to my business, so that I could implement what I’d learned at the conference when I returned to work. And, as if the tip cards weren’t enough, MWMC posted additional resources and materials online after the conference, so I could delve more deeply into the topics presented. (This was so much nicer than bringing home a bag of handouts that I’d inevitably file away and not look at again until they hit the recycling bin.) Instead, I  downloaded the resources and have them on my hard drive where I can reference them with a click. 

The MWMC conference addressed the attendee experience where other conference typically fall short — providing valuable connections with peers, content that was relevant to my business and a library of tools and resources to continue the experience long after the conference was over. It was the first time I’ve ever walked away from a full-day conference not feeling like I’d have gotten more done if I’d have stayed in the office.

LinkedIn, I love you!

Here's my dirty little secret. My concept of myself is a creative type who shuns competition in favor or collaboration. True, I know that competition is a part of life, from getting into college to getting a job, but I think of myself as being driven by my passions, not numbers in a chart. But the real truth is that I'm as competitive as a husband, a man from a sports-crazed family who was raised by two coaches (at least his family was progressive in a Title IX sort of way). But the outlet for my desire to win isn't Texas Hold 'Em, it's LinkedIn. In the past six months since Kary Delaria, past president of MWMC raved about LinkedIn, I've found myself checking the site religiously, searching for former colleagues, past classmates, neighbors, acquaintances and MWMC members to connect with. And, I've actually set secret goals for myself in terms of how many contacts I wanted to have in my list. Fifty was my initial goal (I'm up to 70, by the way). There is a smug thrill I feel when I compare my number of contacts with other people I know who may have surpassed me in other workplace accomplishments, but I know that I have more contacts in LinkedIn than they do. Okay, this is starting to sound like a "Stuart Smalley" sort of moment—"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and gosh darn it, I have more LinkedIn contacts than you do," but there is a deeper sense of satisfaction besides my little numbers game. Using LinkedIn gives me the power of a connecting people from my 19 years of working in some aspect of marketing and communications which has covered five states, four industries, several employers and two universities. And, I'm so excited that my LinkedIn addiction can reinforce my MWMC connections and give me a real-time directory of other members. Now a business card is just a gateway to see if my new acquaintance is on LinkedIn where I can really learn more about them. I've been able to find my first boss in Cincinnati, a former classmate who wrote for the "Michigan Daily" with me and is now a reporter for New York public radio, clients and colleagues who have gone on to bigger and better things. If you want to connect to me, you know where I'll be. (www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=8111164&trk=tab_pro )

Nora Hayes is an account supervisor at Weber Shandwick and serves as vice president of MWMC for 2008-2009.