E-zines: Tools to Increase E-zines: Tools to Increase Collaboration & Collaboration & Communication Communication Presentation to propose a new e-zine for BC’s Aboriginal BEST Aboriginal BEST Program

Also known as: “How e-zines can save your energy, time, money, staff and butt this year.” Thank you to the Coast Salish Peoples upon whose territory we are honoured to live, work and love.

Workshop OutlineWorkshop Outline• Spiritlink Communications Intro• Overcoming challenges with e-zines• RedWAY BC News• E-zine basics

◦ Basic terms, features & options• Direct results• Why I chose IMN Inc.• Participation: Writing an article• Sharing the spirit of e-zines & collaboration

Spiritlink Communications:Spiritlink Communications:Collaboration = Direct ParticipationCollaboration = Direct Participation

“Enhancing Sales and Marketing Strategies with Creativity and Innovation”

• Aboriginal awareness, women’s empowerment & Youth engagement strategies

• Automatically include Youth mentor & shadow opportunities in proposals, workshops, and pricing options

• Publish RedWAY BC News & an “Aboriginal Language Thank You Postcard”

Challenges Challenges wewe face in face in creatingcreating communication communication strategies strategies • Too many: roles & tasks

• Too little: time, money, knowledge of options• Shortage of: staff able/willing to contribute• Skill shortages: publishing, writing, web

design, websites; overall digital literacy

effective

• Overcoming: fear/resistance about technology, past negative experiences, bureaucracy

RedWAY BC News E-zine screenshot You design your own:

BannerTitles

HeadersColumn layout

TopicsFonts

LogosPictures

Features

E-zine basicsE-zine basicsE-zine (pronounced "EE-ZEEN") is the short version of "electronic magazine“• an on-line magazine or virtual newsletter publication• gets e-mailed to your (sub)lists of subscribers• personal e-mail - not an attachment (so allowed in by filters, very small size file)•most have pictures, text, graphics, colours and whatever content you want (stories, maps, surveys, coupons, directions).

Direct Direct ResultResultss

Continuous communication loop! •Connect internal & external communities together•Share new technologies, info & tools•Engage team members & partners in doing the work•Promotes dates, speakers, partners, & celebrations•Identify & address gaps/overlaps in services•Highlight speakers, partners, & participants •Advocate for co-opetitionco-opetition in proposals & strategies

BEST BEST (or other program,company, or org.) Funders

& Partners

People & KnowledgeResources

linklinkss GrantsGrants

Guest Speakers

ParticipantsStories

researchSector Councils

Regional Coordinato

rs &

TrainersMediaMedia

Creating our own BEST e-zineCreating our own BEST e-zine

We decide which topics/stories we want to share:• Upcoming Events – regional training programs, guest speakers,

graduations, biz events, deadlines• BEST resource section - lesson materials, tips from BEST,

participants’ success stories, business/org. profiles, speaker/trainer bio’s• Favourite Resources - websites, book reviews, reports, research• Advice sections - monthly questions to readers, “Ask an Expert”• Business news – Aboriginal focus, mainstream news• Gather and share data - Contests and surveys with prizes =)• Can choose monthly, weekly, daily publications...it’s up to US!

“The Best Place on earth” “The BEST E-zine on Mother Earth”

Terms: What I learned in Terms: What I learned in researching researching e-zine tools since 2003 e-zine tools since 2003 most important terms shown most important terms shown with awith a

Electronic magazine – e-zine provides full colour, pictures & logos, easy to read, brief introductionsE-zine beats .pdf (portable data file) reader needs only browserHTML-based - common Hyper Text Mark-up LanguageCompanion microsite – IMN hosts content (pics, articles, attachments) incredible security features, saves own webspaceDynamic (changing) - create a steady stream of relevant/timely info, update previous issues and linksImmediacy & accessibility – Gen. M “show me - I’ll learn later”Easy - no knowledge of authoring or publishing, basic editing/formatting tools, same shortcuts (control + B = BOLD)

E-zine termsE-zine terms• Permission–based - opt-in, sign up, authentic, relationships, can

have approval tool• Referral – “Tell a Friend” button, word of mouse marketing• Contact management – EASY! Plus 10 sub-lists for groups • Archival features – inside list automatically created, stored,

search box so people can search all articles published • Search engine results - keywords in titles, labeling pictures,

boosting search engine results, helps artists/org’s with no site• Robust reporting – email opens, hits (time cursor moves over

identified object), clicks into article, time, favourite articles• Podcasting – audio files like radio webcasts, saved for re-use• Blogs - Weblogs – on-line journal/log, captures growth• RSS - Real Simple Syndication, newsfeed on desktop/phone

So what does an e-zine actually look like in your inbox? Check...

Why I choose I Make News, Inc. as Why I choose I Make News, Inc. as RedWAY’s e-zine service providerRedWAY’s e-zine service provider

1. Easy to use – ready to go after 10-min. demo

2. Industry leaders + willing to give us a deal!

3. Gave us questions to ask other providers... Who has intellectual property rights? Where is content stored? How is billing calculated?

4. Oprah used them...if she trusts them, we do!

IMN Easy to use Collaboration IMN Easy to use Collaboration toolstools

• For organizations, must be:◦ Easy, fast, secure, portable, expandable, & affordable◦ Educational – internally & externally for our community◦ Flexible - levels of authoring/editing/publishing

• For readers, must be:◦ Insightful, current, relevant, easily searchable FUN FOR ALL

Collaborate NOW:Collaborate NOW:Writing an Article Together!Writing an Article Together!

6 simple steps to writing & publishing:1. Choose authors & write content

◦ What does small business development mean to you?2. Gather content (writings, pic’s, logos?)

◦ Share your written responses3. Save as Word document4. Open e-zine template & current issue

◦ www.imninc.com/spiritlink 5. Start a new article & fill in blanks

◦ Type a title, subtitle, author(s), intro, article body)◦ Upload an existing Word doc or webpage, or just type. ◦ Format – change font, size, colours, spacing,

6. Proofread, save & publish! Now just read RedWAY to see your article...

Thank you! Thank you! We look forward to sharing your stories, ideas, We look forward to sharing your stories, ideas, successes and challenges with our readers! successes and challenges with our readers!

Spiritlink CommunicationsSpiritlink CommunicationsKristin KozubackPhone: 604-783-8304Kristin@spiritlinking.com

RedWAY BC News – over 60 issues since 2003• Over 8200+ subscribers:

◦ + 950 government employees, 2000 Aboriginal organizations, 650 national media contacts

◦ Over 85% self-identify as Aboriginal, over 80% live in BC, almost 50% under age 30

www.imninc.com/spiritlink