{quick tips}

Semi-random tips on a variety of subjects as I remember or discover them.

_{internal communications}
Use word clouds to visualise the results of staff surveys and encourage seior management buy-in and sponsorship of internal comms programs. See the example below, taken from a survey I carried out regarding the satisfaction levels of staff with internal communications.

_promotion
Personalised M&Ms. Novelty, maybe, but distinctive, and that's what counts.

_{word of mouth, viral}
Have a look at spreadfirefox.com to see a great example of word of mouth marketing in action.

_presentation

• Always remember to put black gaffer tape over the IR receivers on your displays at a trade show / event. Otherwise this may happen!

_{presentation, PowerPoint, design}

• If you're giving a presentation on a machine different to the one the presentation was created on, try not to use video, audio, or non-standard fonts (stick to Arial, Verdana, Times or Georgia).

_CRM

• Try using a free CRM system such as Zoho to manage your contacts. It's better than a folder full of business cards …

_copywriting

• Always check your content for typos, and remember that means proofreading as well as running a spellcheck. Relying solely on spellcheck can lead to some very embarassing mixups.

_design

• Rather than using boring old Lorem Ipsum (if I had a cent for every time I've had to explain what that is used for …), try out Male Vole. Guaranteed to confuse just as much, if not more. On a serious note, the ridiculousness of it may make it easier for clients to understand that they are looking at the layout, not the content.

_{presentation, PowerPoint, design}

• Looking for relevant icons to spice up a presentation? Instead of reaching for the ClipArt button, try IconFinder.