Hire A Fractional CCO Today
Does your company need a Chief Communications Officer, but not full-time? Let the team at Selsi Enterprises help your organization reach its goals by bringing in executive-level brainpower not only to achieve but also exceed your 2024 goals.
Here are a few reasons why you should hire a fractional CCO:
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Cost-effectiveness: A fractional CCO provides organizations with access to top-tier communications expertise without the burden of full-time salary and benefits. This can be particularly beneficial for smaller organizations or those with limited budgets.
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Strategic guidance: A fractional CCO can bring a fresh perspective and strategic vision to an organization’s communications efforts. They can help develop and implement a comprehensive communications plan that aligns with the organization’s overall goals and objectives.
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Expertise in specific areas: Fractional CCOs often have specialized expertise in certain areas of communications, such as public relations, crisis communications, or social media. This can be invaluable to organizations that need help navigating complex or challenging communications situations.
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Flexibility and scalability: Fractional CCO arrangements can be tailored to meet the specific needs of an organization. The CCO can provide as much or as little support as needed, and the engagement can be scaled up or down as the organization’s needs change.
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Access to a wider network: Fractional CCOs often have extensive networks of contacts in the media, public relations, and marketing industries. This can be a valuable resource for organizations that are looking to expand their reach and build relationships with key influencers.
In addition to these benefits, fractional CCOs can also help organizations:
- Improve employee communication
- Enhance brand reputation
- Manage crises effectively
- Attract and retain top talent
We know that organizations have evolving needs, and the communications landscape has changed significantly post-COVID. Set up a discovery call with one of our representatives today, and let’s assess if a fractional CCO is what your organization needs in 2024.
Spot The Story
As an advocate of your brand (be it corporate, entrepreneurial, or personal) you have to be able to spot stories that are around you. This skill may not come naturally, but you can train yourself to do it.
First understand that something in your average day may not be so average to someone else. Your shopping mall may look interesting to someone else in a different part of the world, your meal preparation techniques may be different then someone in your own neighborhood, someone may have no idea how you do what you do in your business. Each of these activities are stories that go behind the curtain (so to speak).
Spotting even the most basic story may lead to a viral push for your brand or message. Consumers are now more drawn to the story of people than a logo. Once the authentic nature of your brands story is told, then you will begin to attract an audience to you that remains loyal to your brand.
Everyone has a story….
So often we hear the complaint that I don’t have anything to share. My answer to that complaint is simply, “YES, everyone has a story and many of us tend to pass by all of the stories that are right at your fingertips.” Start with sharing your journey. How did you get to the point that you are at today. Better yet, WHY are you at the point that you are at today? When you share your WHY, you will be surprised how the right people gravitate towards you.
The obstacles that you faced and the lessons that you learned from those obstacles are all great sources for content. This is content that may find someone stuck in their journey and really help them through a tough spot.
Also, consider sharing the real benefit from what your product or service will offer along with what problem it actually solves. This will require true authenticity on why someone would need to purchase your product or service if you can clearly state what “problem” you are solving.
Additional ideas on creating content around your brand….
1. Look at sharing your milestones (i.e., your business anniversary, your birthday, a move to a new building)
2. Check the trending list on Facebook and Twitter. These list can give you an idea of what the “majority” of people are interested in. Figure out ways that you can tie in your story to stories that already have a bit of virality.
3. Share info about the people in your organization. This is a win all the way around. People love recognition and the people outside of your organization will love to learn who makes your organization tick.
The Business of Beyoncé
It seems as though Beyoncé is on top of the world at the moment. She has managed to take a very private situation between her and her husband all the way to the bank. As the saying goes…she has turned lemons into lemonade.
Let me start by stating that I am a HUGE Beyoncé fan. My bias tends to swing in her favor (admittedly).
What I do want to share in this post is the business take-a-ways that we can all learn from and apply to our businesses immediately.
TOP QUALITY PRODUCT
Before you take anything to market, you have to make sure your ducks are in order. Meaning, you have researched, tested, and reviewed each and every aspect about what you are about to share with the world. You may notice that Beyoncé releases her albums when and how she wants to. This creative control makes it easier for her to live with the success or failure of what she puts out.
Now, I want to relate this to our organizations.
There are times that I have seen entrepreneurs put out their product or service still needing work on the back end. For example, you have your product images, but you do not have a way for people to place their order. Or, you do not have any good images at all and you are simply hoping for someone to support you. It’s not about perfection, but it should be as close to perfect as you can get it.
UNDERSTAND YOUR AUDIENCE
One thing that Beyoncé knows is her audience. She understands what her audience will and will not withstand from her brand. This is the reason that she can now release a song or an album in the middle of the night and it still break records. This is also why she can put her work exclusively on Tidal for a period of time and still eventually break records. Lemonade was released on February 6, 2016 with a limited release strategy. In true genius fashion, Beyoncé used her Super Bowl time to not only make a statement, but she also announced her tour dates.
The BeyHive (as Beyoncé’s community is affectionately called) has become true brand ambassadors for Beyoncé and anything that she puts out. This is the true benefit of developing a community. Now, we are not all Beyoncé. We can not sparsely attend to our communities and think that they are going to gain any sense of loyalty to us.
Pay attention to what your community wants from you and what you want from your community. Add value to your community and it will add value right back to you.
EXECUTION
Many of us have a variety of ideas for how we would like to follow our passion and make a living. The problem is that we do not take the time necessary to bring thes ideas to life. The difference between success and remaining average is in the details of the execution.
Set goals and build a strategy of execution towards those goals. When you set measurable goals, it is much easier to line up what you need to do to get to your desired outcome.
If Beyoncé has time in her day to execute a new album, the videos, a clothing line, and a global tour, we should also be willing to put in the work necessary to bring our ideas to fruition. Beyoncé does have a team that many of us are not fortunate enough to have at the moment. But, from her interviews over the years, it’s easy to see that she has a specific routine for buckling down when it’s time to focus. The lesson here is to have laser focus when it comes to executing your ideas.
The best results come from when you are able to tune out the clutter. If you are spending hours on Facebook when you need to be focusing on your business, then it may be time to make some changes in your daily schedule. This all depends on the level of growth you desire. Focus in on what it will take to reach your goals, develop a strategy, and implement flawlessly.
THE NUMBERS
Ivy Park – Launched on April 14, 2016 and will be sold in North America in Top Shop, Nordstrom, and Hudson Bay. With items ranging from $50.00 to $265.00, Mashable reports that this is the most popular fashion brand on Instagram in terms of engagement before it even launched. The video used to launch the brand ask the question, ‘Where is your park?’
Lemonade – Beyoncé’s latest work sold approximately 200K on the first day. When it is all said and done, the album priced higher then most at 17.99, is expected to sale upwards of 600K albums.
The Formation World Tour – The tour kicked off on April 27, 2016 in Miami. Originally slated for 41 shows, Beyoncé was set to make close to 50 million dollars. Now, with the add on of the additional shows the estimated amount that Beyoncé will bring home from the concert alone could reach 75 million.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – APRIL 27: In this handout photo provided by Parkwood Entertainment, Beyonce performs during the opening night of the Formation World Tour at Marlins Park on April 27, 2016 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Parkwood Entertainment via Getty Images)
WTRMLN WTR – 10 days after Lemonade, Beyoncé announced that she was an equity partner in a 3 year old startup that makes cold-pressed watermelon water. The water was featured in the Ivy Park launch video and is also sold at the venues that Formation performances are taking place in. So, Beyoncé is not only making money from the concert, she is making money from product sales. Can you say “cha-ching?”
In 2015, Bey brought home 54.5 million and in 2014 she sat on Forbes Celebrity Top 100 at 115 million.
Take-A-Ways From Attending DIGSOUTH
This was my first time attending the DIGSOUTH conference in Charleston, South Carolina. I have attended many conferences and I have to say that this is now one of my favorites. Because I was selected to live tweet some of the sessions, I have the perspective of an attendee and staff.
This is the 4th year of the DIGSOUTH Conference and on day one, the conference opened with upwards of 1500 people in attendance. The stage was beautifully designed and the music playing in the background always kept the atmosphere fun.
POWER
The theme of the conference this year was POWER. I saw the concept weaved in and I love the idea of the power that we all posses with the support of technology, collaboration, and innovation. This is a great time to be an entrepreneur. At your fingertips, you now have access to the world.
The Venue: The Galliard Center
The Galliard Center is a new facility located in the heart of the historic district of Charleston. I was able to easily walk to King Street for lunch, catch a trolley that drove around the historic district, and find a nice hotel to stay that was within 2 miles of the venue.
The inside of the venue is what made the conference. From a ping pong table to rooms properly equipped for presentations, this venue was perfect for this style of conference. The only negative was the fact that the sponsors that participated in the Trade Show were kind of tucked away from the main elements of the conference. Because they were off the beaten path, many did not think to go visit the sponsor area.
As a side note, I was impressed with the number of sponsors that supported the conference. It may be worth considering to have a lot of small sponsors as opposed to going for just the bigger sponsors. As I put together conferences in the future, I now have a few ideas of how to add in some benefits to some sponsors that may not be able to shell out the big bucks.
Networking
Almost every person that I chatted with stated that they loved meeting the great people that are in #DIGNATION. People were exchanging information in each of the sessions that I was in, at spaces in the hall ways, and sitting outside on the benches. Those that attended this conference were a special group of start-ups, seasoned entrepreneurs, techies, e-gamers, and so much more.
Content
The comment that I heard most from attendees was, “I am now even more inspired to go after my dreams.” People left DIGSOUTH with information that they could apply to their businesses today. Many of the speakers talked about situations that they really implemented on a limited budget. All of the speakers were approachable and willing to share everything that they experienced.
Top Business Take-A-Ways from DIGSOUTH