How do you guarantee the success of a pitch more times than not? Link it to a hot-button news topic. Even better, pitch a story about an emerging trend; those gems of leads that give journalists insight into something on the verge of explosion.

A sixth sense for the next hottest trend is an asset whether you make the news, report the news or want to be the news, but not a talent everyone possesses or cares to cultivate. If you’re limited to the traditional five senses, Google Insights is a tool worth bookmarking. Not only does it provide links to top stories by keyword, but you can use it to predict trends by category, season, location or time frame.

When it seems like “there’s an app for that” for just about everything, give this one a try to find the hook for your next winning pitch.

Pivot client Stephanie Klein, the President and CEO of the Boomer Group staffing firm in Denver, is making great strides by marketing herself and her company on Twitter (www.twitter.com/boomergroup).

Stephanie’s building a nice following and exchanging ideas with others in the world of staffing and HR – a field that relies heavily on networking and contacts. And she’s doing it without spending hours a week on Twitter. The plan she follows is simple.

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For people who grew up with technology, this entry may not mean much. And let me make it clear, I’m a huge fan of technology.

Twenty years ago I was a little shocked at the cost of my first fax machine, but I quickly learned how much it was really worth. My first computer cost an arm and a leg, but man, could I do some great stuff. The acceleration of the design process was amazing with technology, from layout programs to PDFs (though I staunchly believe that design is diluted by the fact that anyone, with or without an understanding, can whip out collateral, yuck). And honestly, I can’t remember how much time everything took and what I did before the internet. I love technology. Read more »

You know your customers are active on Twitter so you created an account and have even tweeted a few times. Good for you. Now, how do you build a core group of followers who are interested in your tweets and will help you build your business through their Twitter networks and good, old-fashioned word-of-mouth advertising?

Host an event (live or virtual) and publicize it. Create a Twitter hash tag for the event (something like #greatevent that people can include in all of their tweets about the event before, during and afterward). Publicize the event through all the channels you use to communicate with your leads and clients, include the hash tag and ask everyone to use it when they tweet about your event. You can set up a Twitter search for your #greatevent hash tag and watch the tweets roll in. Read more »

Any company that is trying to reach a core audience – such as members of an association that really need to know how you and your company’s solution can help them reach the next level of success – will toy with the idea of going to a trade show. For those of you who have been to trade shows, you know they can be overwhelming, massive, intimidating, draining, and costly.

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This is not a groundbreaking technique, but it will make your e-mailed press releases and other communications look more professional. Sometimes the simplest techniques are the most important!

While most professionals realize that you can send out an email to multiple people without showing every recipient’s email address to everyone receiving the email, I’m guessing (from the emails that I receive anyway) that some people don’t think about the practice. Read more »

David Letterman began his show last night by telling a story* to the audience. He told of getting into his car to find an envelop that contained evidence of his sexual relationships with female staff and a letter requesting $2 million in return for not publishing that evidence. In an awkward moment met with uncertain laughter and clapping from the audience, Letterman admitted that he has had sex with female staffers. As a result, the potential blackmailer no longer has a leg to stand on. Letterman effectively took the wind out of his sails.

Getting out in front of bad news with the truth and addressing it on your own terms is important. Whether it’s a poor quarterly performance report, employee misconduct or any other potentially damaging news, it’s vital to directly address the information with the truth. It remains to be seen whether Letterman saved his job and reputation, but the blackmailer has been caught and the threat of extortion removed.

*Go to YouTube.com and search for “Letterman Confession” to view the tape from his show.

Ever since I was legally old enough (is there such an age?) to subscribe to magazines, I’ve been a glutton. I love them and the stories, topics, trends, photos, personalities, across a huge spectrum of industries, they deliver. And they’ve always — even today — been a screaming bargain as subscriptions are a pittance of the cost of production and distribution. Read more »

A recent, potential bout of bad press for one of our clients reminded me of the importance of developing a thoughtful, clear communication plan when a “bad issue” raises its ugly head.

Our client called us because there was a criminal investigation surrounding an employee at the workplace and it was going to be picked up by the local press. It happens; many companies are susceptible to this situation. Read more »

Email newsletters–when well-written, visually stimulating and informative–are a cost-effective way to communicate with an audience. A few simple steps can help extend the life of an e-newsletter, compounding the return for your effort to create emails that people will actually open. Read more »