The demands for coming up with something creative and interesting on a regular basis has increased tremendously in recent years. The race to keep up can seem like an uphill battle sometimes, but the question remains:

Where do good ideas come from?

They don’t always come out from thin air, and they could take months or years in order to develop, but for now: look at the world around you.

Find inspiration from others and find inspiration from within yourself. Have a crazy idea? Right it down; who knows when it might come in handy later.

Good ideas become great with maturity. They need time to grow into what they were meant to become.

Do you have a good idea?

We talk about it and we do it all the time, but every now and then we get a little reminder about how powerful social media really is.

This is one happy tale; about how social media transformed a Canadian city from backwater to celebrity. On Facebook, the city has racked up thousands of likes and on YouTube the city’s videos have been viewed in the tens of thousands.

Their success is so much so that officials have been asked ‘The city has racked up those numbers in just under three years of having a social media presence. Its success has been so stunning that officials have been asked to write about their experiences in Municipal World magazine and have spoken at national conferences for city administrators.’

It all started as an experiment – one that asked if they could get more people involved…and it worked.

Isn’t social media beautiful?

We’ve all witnessed a number of TV interviews where celebrities and spokespeople have lost their cool and stormed off set, particularly when asked questions about their personal life that is completely irrelevant to the topic at hand. Of course, there is certain etiquette to handling high-pressure situations like this – while we may not always have control over the questions we are asked, we can keep check of how we react to them. As difficult as it may be to not let your emotions get in the way.

Remember, there are times when it is appropriate to let your emotions shine through as it can add a genuine touch, but under the wrong circumstances it can simply make your audience uncomfortable. Brad Phillips gives us some quick and easy tips on how to regain your composure when put under the spotlight, such as during an interview or a speech. Continue reading »

Ah, interviews: sweaty palms, racing heartbeats and for me personally, never knowing what to do with my hands. You’d think you were getting ready to meet your mate to an arranged marriage for life. But if you think you’re the only one that’s nervous, think again. Have you ever stopped to consider what the interviewer is feeling? If you think all of the pressure is on you, well think again, because a lot of it is on the person sitting behind the desk as well. Not only do they have to pick and choose from quite a few candidates, but determine if you are their one and only (like mingling, dating and getting married all at a speed faster than light), and that’s quite a feat to take on.

So, let’s give a shout out to all you interviewers and discuss the hardships you face, because it definitely isn’t easy. As an interviewer, your job is to play psychologist to uncover the interviewee’s personality, abilities and capabilities (without the help of a degree in psych), and while you may think you’re on track by asking weird questions like, ‘If you were a fruit, which one would you be?’, there has to be sound reasoning behind what you ask. That is because the job interview is the most critical step in the process of hiring new people for a company. It’s an important opportunity for both the interviewer and the interviewee to evaluate the potential business relationship.
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A reporter’s job is to get the most interesting angle out of a story. If there’s something scandalous, confidential or even remotely fascinating, we guarantee it will be brought up. Preparation is the ultimate word of wisdom on the matter; predicting the questions is critical for preparing great answers.

A stamp and a print showing 'confidentia'

These are some tough issues that may present themselves in an interview.

It’s Personal
Nothing is personal anymore. Your business is everybody’s business, particularly if you’re a public figure and especially since the explosion of social media. When answering these delicate questions, it’s important to acknowledge the point, and then direct the answer towards your favour. You should always have prepared and rehearsed responses when you know there is an issue that will surface, like a recent divorce or scandal of some sort.
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Media interviews are an important part of any public relations campaign. They are a great way to promote a company by highlighting its products, services, and successes. Because any size company, from entrepreneur to holding group, can benefit from media interviews, being prepared will boost confidence and help your company get the most from its media experiences.Array of microphones

Here are a few tips on how to prepare for a media interview:

Understand the Publication

Ask your PR agency to send some information about the publication including the topics it covers, it’s target audience and circulation. Ask for sample articles that have been published for another company within the same industry. This will help you understand their style so that you can direct your tone accordingly.
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TelephoneOf the many types of interviews in todays rushed world, telephone interviews are becoming increasingly popular (they tend to be over much quicker than in-person interviews, and they require less down-time for traveling). However, although you may not meet the journalist in person, it remains vital that you prepare for a telephone interview just as thoroughly as you would for any other form of questioning by a reporter.
Here are some survival tips on how to get ready for a telephone interview:
Change your clothes
Believe it or not, studies have shown that people who dress professionally for a phone interview will perform better than those dressed casually.

Make sure it’s quiet
It goes without saying that you should turn off the TV, the radio and even put your mobile on silent (if you are conducting the interview from your landline – which is preferable), and make sure the kids are not running around and shouting in the room. This is no time for distractions.
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In this post, our English writer Reem Heather Dabbas discusses the dos and don’ts of dressing for public appearances.

When it comes to making a television appearance, what you have to say could be a ‘bestseller’ but people will be judging the ‘book’ by its cover before they decide to read one.

It only takes a couple of seconds to make a firstImage of woman wearing a really bad outfit impression, because beauty really is ‘skin deep’ when you initially say hello. That’s why when getting ready for a TV appearance your first question should be “What will I talk about?” but the second, and crucial, question will be “What am I going to wear?” No, this isn’t vanity, this is science. Psychological studies have shown the power of persuasion when it comes to the way we dress and how it influences people’s perceptions of us. In order to be the authority on the message you are trying to deliver, people must be receptive to your message in the first place. If you look like an expert on the matter, people will listen. On the contrary, how are people going to take you seriously if they’re too focused on the busy designs or outrageous colors of your outfit?

We’ve all heard the advice to dress for the position you want, so why would it be any different for the image you want to project for your company? It’s always important to look your best, as you are actually selling your company every time you make an appearance. As a professional organization that others can rely on you need to perpetuate this image in every encounter.
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