4 Reasons to Attend NFPW Conference

April 21, 2013 at 7:29 pm (NFPW)
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Four months until the NFPW conference and I’ve already booked my hotel and flight. Next I’ll register. Why I am so eager? The conference affords me many opportunities, including:

Stretching: At this conference, NFPW members applied to be speakers on various topics. I frequentlsmall_badgey speak on issues related to my profession, including on social media, branding and crisis communications. I agreed to be a panelist on crisis communications.

I also pitched a seminar on “The Brand of You.” I’m interested in coaching and decided that offering a seminar on this topic would force me to review all of my learnings, study some more and then create a presentation. My summer will be busy, and I hope it will be worth it to those who attend my session.

Networking: Our members have lots of knowledge and they’re just plain interesting. They also are always willing to share advice or simply listen. With social media, it’s even easier to stay in touch.

Learning: I’ve increased my knowledge about agriculture thanks to Jenni Latzke, Lori Potter and Barb Batie. The result is that for th2013_conf_logo-300pxe past several years I have grown my own vegetables. This summer I may try canning. I’ve learned about book publishing and video editing. At an NFPW conference I first learned about blogging and thought, “I could never do this” and now I’ve been blogging for four years.

Exploring: One of the added benefits of NFPW conferences are the tours. The affiliates that host know the places to see and often can provide access behind-the-scenes. I’m looking forward to exploring Southern Utah.

Why do you attend conference? Please share as a comment to encourage others to attend.

 

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Give Yourself the Gift of NFPW Renewal

December 5, 2012 at 5:49 am (NFPW)

It’s that time of year again. No, I’m not talking about the hustle and bustle of trying to find the perfect gift for someone else. I’m talking about the decision to renew your membership to the National Federation of Press Women.

NFPWlogoI asked members on Facebook why they choose to renew. If you’re still in doubt, perhaps their reasons will encourage you to stroke that check and give yourself the best gift for yourself – and maybe your career.

Here’s what they had to say:

Walter Brasch of Pennsylvania: “I joined because two-thirds of my J-students were women, and I thought it important that I (a) learned more of the issues that affected them, and would affect them, and (b) so they would have an organization that had woman as a majority.”

Kim Atchley of South Carolina: “I was invited by a professional friend who reached out to me as a freelancer when I had no connections at all. I’ve stayed all these years for many reasons. It’s about the connections and the strong thread of friendship that is a given within our membership.”

Sandra Latimer of Ohio: “I joined because of the contest (at the urging of my then boss). When I was asked to be the contest chair for my affiliate I went to my first conference. I met a few people and kept going back. I have also been able to travel to places I never dreamed I’d get to. And I’ve made a lot of contacts.”

Nancy Wright Beasley of Virginia: “I’ve asked many, many jounalists to join, describing how friendships run deep, careers are made and encouraged and everyone finds a way to help someone else. The hand of friendship of NFPW extends from every corner of the U. S. around the world, and I’m so thankful I’m a part of this great organization.”

Marianne Wolf-Astrauskas of Illinois: “Fabulous members who I now count as friends.”

Barb Batie of Nebraska: “By the time I switched from full-time work to freelance work so I could stay home with my young family, I appreciated the value of that membership and continued to pay the membership and convention expenses because I got such a return on the investment.”

Constance Huff of Alaska: “Great contacts made in our local chapter, some became close friends. The annual conference and especially pre- and post-tours are a highlight of my year.”

Julie Campbell of Virginia: “I like going to NFPW conferences and visiting with all kinds of interesting women who work in all aspects of communications. Most of the time, we talk less about work and more about other parts of our lives. After those conversations, whether they take place over coffee, wine, or the silent auction, I return home feeling refreshed.”

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Laughter Is the Best Medicine

October 28, 2012 at 8:29 am (NFPW)
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Dancing in the morning was a great way to introduce laughter and play into the day. (Photo by Cynthia Price)

Sometimes I take life a bit too seriously. Don’t we all? So how do we lighten up?

At the recent National Federation of Press Women conference, I learned some great tips thanks to professional speaker Steve Saffron. My day began with a morning yoga class so I already was doing something for me to lighten up and be limber for the day. Little did I know what was to yet to come.

I went to the morning session, and by 9 a.m. I had laughed until I had tears. And I had danced! What a great way to start a day.

Having the good life, is all about having the right attitude. “No one needs a course on human misery,” Steve noted. “You get that for free.”

To survive you have to have laughter and humor, and when you don’t feel like laughing, Steve says to fake it. He asked audience members to giggle for 10 seconds. Most of us hesitated for a second – or two. Then we made a half-hearted attempt. The last five seconds genuine giggles were heard.

To invite more laughter, Steve recommends keeping a collection of one liners, cartoons, puns, stories and photos that can trigger laughter. I love to read the humorous sayings on T-shirts in catalogs. I can’t help but smile when I read, “Don’t Make Me Flip My Witch-Switch.”

And Steve told this one, “What did the baby volcano say to the mother volcano?” Are you ready? “I lava you.”

Yep, you groaned, but I bet a smile started. And if you think about it for even an extra second, you will grin.

Steve also provided practical advice. Most of us have busy calendars. He asked us, “Where are you on the calendar?” It was an eye-opening moment for me. I went through my electronic calendar and noted all my fun engagements and I color-coded them using my favorite color. Now when I see a sea of meetings, I also see my favorite color in the midst and I know that I have something fun to go to. It changes my attitude. Steve recommended yellow for color-coding because it “will help you be mellow.”

As we prepared to leave the session, Steve put on some music to help pep our departure. For a few of us, it was a favorite song, so we stayed and danced. And then others stayed. And then we laughed. We were ready for the day!

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Newspapers Aren’t Dead; New Era Beckons

October 14, 2012 at 5:33 am (Newspapers, NFPW)
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My communications career began as a newspaper reporter so I will always have a great fondness for newspapers. I still receive mine each morning tossed in my.

Christofferson and Haddad

Brooke Christofferson and Richard Haddad discuss a new era for newspapers with NFPW. (Photo by Cynthia Price)

I’ve watched with sadness as reporters are laid off and newspapers fold. For years, it has been doom and gloom. During the NFPW 2012 Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., I heard a different story – one that promises a new era for newspapers.

The focus is on community. “Gannett is producing content in local markets, embracing and being part of the community fabric,” said Brooke Christofferson, vice president of marketing and business development, Republic Media and Gannett West Group marketing director.

She noted that for years subscriptions only paid for the delivery cost. Today, newspapers are offering full access subscriptions that include the print newspaper and digital, which includes mobiles, tablet and desktop.

Christofferson said Gannett is investing in content and “how we tell our story.”

For now, individuals can go to Gannett newspaper website and view a limited number of pages. “Once they reach a certain point we want to have shown them the value of the content,” Christofferson said. “We want them to subscribe.”

She added, “The print product has an important place in society but to be viable we have to rethink our business model.”

Newspapers are valuable, echoed Richard Haddad, digital director of Western News & Information, because they remain the most trusted of the media. “Part of being trusted is being there,” he said.

“The news media needs to recognize the quality of what we do is worth paying for,” Haddad said. “It’s about credibility. It’s about reliability. It’s about trust.”

He is opposed to even offering free paragraphs to view online. He urged the use of compelling headlines to lure in readers. “We need to market our value and market our content better,” he said. “Your headlines are a promise to come in and deliver.”

Both stressed that content is king. And while I was encouraged about the future of newspapers, I am still waiting to hear when media companies are going to invest in the reporters.

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Want to Get Your Story Read? Write a Good Headline

October 3, 2012 at 5:45 am (NFPW)

“How many of you have written a really good story only to have an editor throw a headline on it that has no point?” It’s a question that Richard Haddad, digital director of Western News & Information, asked participants in his workshop at the 2012 NFPW Conference.

Without a good headline, your article is not likely to be read. Haddad noted that 8 out of 10 people will read a headline, but only 2 out of 10 will go on to read the content. Making that headline compelling is the key to having content read.

In Sunday’s blog, I shared Haddad’s five tips for writing great headlines. Today, I’ll share two additional approaches to headline writing.

Haddad says that when writing headlines, there are six questions we should ask about each headline.

  1. Does your headline offer the reader a promise?
  2. What specifics can you add for more intrigue?
  3. Does it trigger a strong actional emotion?
  4. Can it present a proposition that instantly engages the reader?
  5. Can you include a proposed transaction?
  6. What element of intrigue would drive the prospect into your opening copy?

If the answer is “no” to all of these, it’s best to rewrite the headline.

He also suggests using the “U Approach.” Is the headline useful to the reader? Does it provide a sense of urgency? Does the headline convey the benefit as unique? And finally, is the headline ultra specific? This refers back to avoiding the seven deadly flag words, which add no meaning to the headline.

Since the workshop, I spend considerably longer on my headlines. I usually start with the headline before I write my copy. It’s been a challenge, but the result is that, for the most part, my headlines are stronger.

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