Category: Professional Development

Top 4 Content Creation Resources

Clairemont InternBlog, Marketing, Professional Development, , , , , , Leave a Comment on Top 4 Content Creation Resources

The data is undeniable: content is still king.

Statistics show that 82 percent of consumers perceive a brand more positively after viewing custom content, 47 percent of consumers connect with three pieces of content before buying, and strategic blogging can boost website traffic by 300 percent. Need more? Online searches for “content marketing” have skyrocketed 400 percent in the last 10 years. 

Compelling content serves as the bedrock of successful marketing and PR campaigns. Whether a snappy social media post or a full brand narrative, inspiring storytelling holds the power to forge a connection that compels consumers into action.

Top 4 Clairemont Content Creation Resources

Here are four resources that will help you and your organization craft powerful and appealing copy. Warning: These tools will improve your marketing flair and finesse. 

3 Tips to Creating a Compelling Story

Whether a tweet, a blog or a presentation, leverage this problem + solution approach to weave captivating narratives that pack a punch.

6 Tips to Create Magnetic Content

Brainstorming your next blog doesn’t have to be a dreaded task. Utilize these steps to create powerful print pieces that become “must-reads” for your audience.

Boost Your Blog

You’ve written an eye-catching piece. Now what? Build your blog’s reach, spark engagement and generate more traffic to your website.

Mightier Messages

How can you guarantee that your marketing efforts aren’t falling flat? Here’s a sneak peek: sometimes less is more when orchestrating meaningful messages. 

Want more useful tips?
Explore the public relations section of our blog!


By Clairemont intern Anna Beth Adcock, a senior at NC State.

Read More

The Enneagram in Marketing

Clairemont InternBlog, PR People, Professional Development, , , Leave a Comment on The Enneagram in Marketing

What is the Enneagram?

Internal motivation is a tricky thing to comprehend. It inevitably seeps into how each person thinks, feels and acts. The Enneagram test has taken the world by storm over the past few years, using nine numbers to provide insight into our internal motivations. 

Each Enneagram number comes with its own complexities, stress points, growth spots and communication preferences. Every person has a way of understanding and adapting to the world; the Enneagram is just another tool to perceive our intricate personalities. 

Here is a quick, and by no means comprehensive, overview of each Enneagram number: 

Type Ones are purposeful perfectionists.

Type Twos are giving people-pleasers.

Type Threes are ambitious, competitive and driven.

Type Fours are emotional and expressive.

Type Fives are perceptive and creative.

Type Sixes are loyal and engaged.

Type Sevens are spontaneous, adventurous and scattered.

Type Eights are confident and confrontational.

Type Nines are receptive peacemakers. 

Business Sense With a Dash of Personality

Human connection is at the core of marketing and internal work atmospheres. Connecting with an audience drives campaigns, boosts sales and increases a company’s lasting impact. The Enneagram provides a new interpretation to “understanding the crowd,” helping leverage marketing tactics towards a specific audience.

How, you ask?

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 3ftIvNo8FEtPzbVjoiSBAmGUbSYMI5KquQpYXLz3qjUEi3zk-bcc1FoL_zRm1tEl9LJFl5P384s3iCqD67jWw6bsZFkmrq4apbSaDZxW6VfPlZRalJEva-kA7Rna80IQV6zd49OT
  1. Enhancing Human Interaction

Not only does the Enneagram help us understand ourselves, it helps us better understand how we interact with others. While the Enneagram isn’t an all-encompassing descriptor of our personalities, it certainly helps us empathize and recognize others’ thought processes and motivators that might be different from our own. 

  1. New Marketing Tactics 

Every brand and organization has to identify and understand its target market: its language, behaviors, lifestyle, opinions and preferences. Creating a buyer persona is a creative way for marketers to keep consumers at the forefront of their marketing efforts. In short, a buyer persona is a detailed description of a hypothetical member of your target market. 

A recent study from Cintell on audience personas made the discovery that “companies that exceed lead and revenue goals were 2.2X more likely to have and document personas than companies that miss these targets.”

For example, if you’re selling a home security system, consider appealing to the safety-oriented aspect of the Enneagram six’s personality when creating your buyer persona rather than the carefree nature of the Enneagram seven. If your product or service is achievement-oriented, consider the competitive and ambitious aspects of the Enneagram three in your buyer persona. 

  1. Personal Personality Growth

Everyone loves learning more about themselves. As an Enneagram seven, I enjoy reading about how sevens are spontaneous, adventurous and fun. However, the Enneagram also provides a look into blind spots and stress points. When a seven is stressed, he or she becomes critical, avoidant of negative emotions and restless. 

Using the Enneagram to take an objective look at yourself, the good and the not-so-good, contributes to an increased sense of self-awareness. A stronger sense of self-awareness helps to maximize strengths and pinpoint areas that need improvement, fostering better teammates, leaders and marketers in the long run. 

Looking for more on marketing? We’ve got great tips for you — from Disney case studies to utilizing TikTok.

By Clairemont intern Anna Beth Adcock, a senior at NC State.

Read More

LinkedIn Launches New Updates

Clairemont InternBlog, Professional Development, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , Leave a Comment on LinkedIn Launches New Updates

What is life without constant change, and what is social media without its constant revamps? LinkedIn has just announced a new assortment of changes coming over the next quarter to the business connections site. 

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is CC-Blog-Images-23-632x290.png

LinkedIn Stories

Starting with Snapchat and moving to Facebook and Instagram, the 24-hour disappearing stories trend has spread to LinkedIn. While its predecessors’ concept of stories has been casual peeks into users’ everyday lives, LinkedIn is adding a professional spin. Amidst the “new normal” of the COVID-19 world, people miss the everyday interactions at the office and small talk with co-workers at the coffee station. LinkedIn’s stories provide a different means of personalized engagements to its users. 

According to LinkedIn’s Head of Consumer Products, Pete Davies, “(Stories) spread for a good reason: they offer a lightweight, fun way to share an update without it having to be perfect or attached to your profile forever.”

Here’s how you can harness the positive potential of LinkedIn’s stories on your profile.

  1. Share quick customer and client testimonials.
  2. Post valuable Q&As with experts in your field or leaders in your organization. 
  3. Give a sneak peek into your professional life and highlight your skills and strengths.
  4. Watch your connections’ stories and engage with them.

Video Meetings

This addition is “classic 2020,” right? LinkedIn’s video update allows messenger chatting to easily switch over to a video call through Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Verizon BlueJeans. With this update, it is more vital than ever to ensure “video readiness” at the drop of a hat. 

A Simple and Sleek Site Look

The latest version of LinkedIn will be all about community and engagement. The new site design will reflect this sentiment with an efficient and streamlined appearance that makes it easy for users to find the functions they need. LinkedIn’s goal with this new design is to create a sense of belonging through its site experience. 

Searching has been simplified, too. Users will be able to seek groups, content and events, along with the original search of people and jobs. 

LinkedIn is known throughout the business world as an effective virtual tool that can be channeled to build a personal brand, engage with other professionals and seek career opportunities. This array of fresh components will continue to enhance the power of professional connection — virtually. 

Want to “connect” with more professional development tips? Check out the Professional Development section of our blog!


By Clairemont intern Anna Beth Adcock, a senior at NC State.

Read More

Professional Growth From Home

Clairemont InternBlog, Professional Development, Public Relations, , , , , , Leave a Comment on Professional Growth From Home

I’ve always had an exceedingly long list of new skills I’ve wanted to learn, books I’ve been meaning to read and writing pieces that I’ve had every purpose of finishing. More often than not, many of these well-meaning goals have never left the ground, either because I could never find enough free time or because I had no idea where to start.

Over the past few months, I’ve discovered that continuing to learn and grow can happen anytime, especially when you might be finding yourself at home with a bit of cabin fever. If you’ve had an irresistible itch to try something new, you’re in luck! With the worldwide web at our fingertips and plenty of untapped resources, time on our hands can open up the doors for growth – even if it’s when you’re plopped on the couch in your favorite yoga pants. 

Here are a few ways to get started: 

Take an Online Course

Whether you’ve always dreamed of being a whiz at coding or you’re seeking to learn a new skill, there’s an online class for that. As an aspiring full-time writer, I’ve found myself popping over to the plethora of related courses available on LinkedIn Learning more than once. SkillPop is also a fantastic resource for a wide variety of interesting and inexpensive classes. Intriguing subjects like podcasting essentials and Crayola calligraphy? Sign me up!

Master an Online Tool

Amidst the Zoom meetings and “work from your laptop” atmosphere of 2020, mastering online tools can spruce up your resume no matter your field. Canva, Google Analytics and Instagram Analytics are a few kick-off points to start fine tuning essential workplace skills. Canva offers its own courses on how to utilize tools for social media, workplace presentations and websites. Looking for more? LinkedIn Learning is a hotspot for courses on everything from Microsoft Word to Photoshop. 

Read a Book

While this might be one of the oldest tricks in the book (See what I did there?), there’s a reason why reading is a tried-and-true method of self-improvement or education on just about any subject. Want to learn a new language? Dive into the world of analytics? Develop yourself in your chosen craft? There are probably several books about it. 

Even if you’re simply seeking a thrilling page-turner or light-hearted beach read, studies show that reading consistently not only gets your brain’s creative juices flowing but also reduces stress and increases awareness of others’ feelings. That’s the good news you might have needed to hear today; rereading the Harry Potter series would be good for your health. Whether you’re reading for pleasure or immersing yourself in a nonfiction manual, diving into a book is both a fun and productive time investment. 

With apps like Hoopla, books, podcasts and audiobooks are free and abundant. Leafing around for more options? Here are a few resources for endless online book access without even having to step foot into the library.

Hone Your Personal Brand

The ability to tangibly define your goals and the steps you’re taking to reach them is valuable no matter what your career or life stage. These goals, career choices and skills all form your personal brand. Intentionally built or not, we all have one. As Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, said, “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” 

Take the time to identify what messages you are emulating and what you hope to emulate to those around you. Consider these questions:

→ What are my strengths? How do I want to use them to make my impression?

→ Which characteristics make me one-of-a-kind?

→ Who is my target audience?

→ What is my career goal?

→ What brings me joy?

For more detailed tips and tricks on developing your personal brand, give this insightful article a look or check out Clairemont’s personal branding guide.

On the hunt for more professional info? Check out the Interview Tips section of our blog.

By Clairemont intern Anna Beth Adcock, a rising senior at NC State.

Read More

Use LinkedIn Company Pages for Growth

Cherith AndesBlog, Professional Development, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , Leave a Comment on Use LinkedIn Company Pages for Growth

During our current work-from-home culture, online connections have become a vital lifeline for business growth — especially on platforms like LinkedIn. LinkedIn provides a hub for conversation, idea sharing and community in a time when in-person events are not always possible.

More than ever, now is the time for businesses to leverage their LinkedIn Company Pages to cultivate connections and foster business growth.

Why LinkedIn for Business Development?

The stats are quite compelling.

  • LinkedIn has 675 million users and gains two new members each second.
  • 63 million users are in decision-making positions, and 90 million are senior-level influencers.
  • LinkedIn is the top channel B2B marketers use to distribute content.
  • LinkedIn has 17 million opinion leaders and 10 million C-level executives.
  • Users are seeking professional and industry connections. Professional content gets 15 times more impressions than job postings.
  • More than 50 percent of all social traffic to B2B websites and blogs comes from LinkedIn.

In short, LinkedIn is a hotbed for industry connections and partners, especially those in decision-making roles.

Naturally, your LinkedIn Company Page serves as a springboard to showcase what you do, who you do it for and the results you get. It makes sense that you should maximize this channel to grow and connect with your target audience.

Grow Your Audience

Beyond organic growth, you can leverage LinkedIn’s features to cultivate and build your audience. First, invite your own connections to follow your LinkedIn company page through the Invite Connections feature. You can invite up to 50 people each day, an easy and effective way to remind your contacts where you work and what you do.

Invite your employee base to follow the page through company emails, direct messages and personal asks. Alert your employees to your most important posts through the Notify Employees of Updates functionality at least once a week. This increases engagement, triggers LinkedIn’s content algorithm and in turn surfaces your post to the top of the newsfeed for further engagement.

Host Virtual Events

One of LinkedIn’s newer features allows you to host virtual events, such as networking and sales/marketing seminars as well as webinars and e-trainings. Event organizers and attendees can send invitations to connections, and much like Facebook, you can monitor the details and converse on the event’s newsfeed. Host trainings, free seminars and virtual coffee chats in lieu of those you might have done in person.

Create Connect-Worthy Content

Maximizing your page’s newsfeed to foster connection requires a blend of traditional marketing knowledge and real-time flexibility.

1. Know Your Audience. Nothing has changed with this ground rule. To explore your page’s follower demographics, leverage LinkedIn’s Follower analytics tool that provides a breakdown by location, job function, seniority, industry and company size. Competitor audits can also provide helpful insights into content that has performed well for companies in a similar industry space.

2. Identity Your Audience’s Top Needs. In 2020’s shifting landscape, change seems to be the only constant. Use this time to provide support for your audience and offer generous, authentic solutions in any way you possibly can. Offer resources that are highly educational but low-pressure for the consumer, like free e-books, instructional videos and webinars. More than usual, prove your value and position yourself as a go-to resource, which can pay off later.

3. Pinpoint Content That Builds Your List. For higher engagement, aim to showcase visual media, such as photos and videos. According to LinkedIn itself, videos get five times more engagement, and native LinkedIn video entails an added bonus as they autoplay in members’ newsfeeds.

Things to share? Company news, staff spotlights, behind-the-scenes peeks, how-to videos or product launches. You can also link to your e-books online and prompt followers to provide an email address prior to downloading, adding subscribers to your newsletter list. Check out additional tips to maximize LinkedIn’s content algorithm.

4. Make It Manageable. Create a sustainable content calendar and utilize scheduling tools, such as Hootsuite, Sprout or Sprinklr. This will minimize the last-minute content crunch and posting fatigue. It also allows you to ensure a strong mix of high-performing content and media types.

5. Follow Up. If you see the same followers engaging with your posts, drop them a line to begin a personal conversation. Forge warmer connections by asking to learn more about what they do and what their most pressing needs are in the industry. This jumpstarts the conversation for future collaborations. In addition, you can create a rotating panel of brand ambassadors to discuss industry trends and foster relationships for future partnerships.

With its continuing evolution, LinkedIn is still leading the pack as one of our strongest virtual networking tools. Don’t miss out on these gains!

Learn how to strengthen
your personal LinkedIn presence!

Read More