public comment policy

Why You Need a Public Comment Policy

I work with governments and organizations that must be transparent. These are just the types of entities that must have public comment policies. You may need one as well. Take a look at some of the most common questions I hear on this topic.

What’s the purpose of public comments?

The ability for the public to comment on government activities is central to a constitutional democratic republic. We see this in open public meetings that allow time for oral public comments usually about issues being discussed that day. This tradition goes back to early American town halls and is associated with the rejection of closed government decision making.

Now you may not be a government entity but if you receive funding from sources that maintain transparency, you may want to follow these guidelines for transparency. Continue reading →

How to stay focused in the age of social media

How to Stay Focused in the Age of Social Media

As a business owner, I don’t have anyone to tell me what to do day in and day out. The fun part is I can take a long lunch (or a nap) if I fancy it. The hard part is to keep myself on task. As a consultant, I get very little time at my desk or in one place. Eight hour workdays in one place are like unicorns for me so I must pack in a lot of work in a short period of time whenever I can sit still. You’d think that because I spent years as an efficiency specialist, that I would have it all figured out. I’m no superwoman but I’ve figured out how to stay focused in the age of social media. Continue reading →

Why Your Brand Needs To Be On Instagram

“Instagram is for teenagers.” “It isn’t designed for business.” “Instagram isn’t a money maker for us.”

These are the myths I hear every day. It’s time to think outside of the box, look toward the horizon, and engage your audience where they are at. Don’t assume that traditional channels (did I just say “traditional” in a social media context?) such as Facebook and LinkedIn are where your customers prefer to learn about you. You may say, “Our company is B2B and we really don’t deal with B2C or ever talk to consumers.” You are forgetting that the line between business and consumer melted with the advent of social. Every day all day, we are online seeing, experiencing, and learning about your brand whether it’s on purpose or by accident. Your B2B targets are consumers on their days off and they could be seeing your brand messages all the time. Don’t live in the silo of B2B/B2C as it simply doesn’t exist any longer.

Look at the numbers

Here are just some of the reasons why your brand needs to be on Instagram: Instagram posts get 3 times the engagement as a regular post on Twitter. Brands such as Red Bull have seen up to 30k more interactions on Instagram than they did on Facebook when posting the same video. Of course, as brands flock to the wide open spaces of Insta, the field will get more crowded. All the more reason to get there now.

Here are ways to take advantage of Instagram to engage your audience: Continue reading →

Secret to My Success

My business Kerry Rego Consulting celebrated eight years this September. I’ve been asked many times what I did to reach the level of success and respect I’ve achieved but I didn’t have an answer beyond “hard work” until just recently. Now that I’ve put my finger on one of the the most important elements, I want to share with you the secret to my success.

There’s a journey here

You may have heard of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). As part of the federal government, this department is designed to support small businesses. “Since its founding on July 30, 1953, the U.S. Small Business Administration has delivered millions of loans, loan guarantees, contracts, counseling sessions and other forms of assistance to small businesses. SBA provides free individual face-to-face, and internet counseling for small businesses, and low-cost training to nascent entrepreneurs and established small businesses in over 1,800 locations throughout the United States and US territories.” Your local branch of the SBA is called the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Find your local branch here.

I don’t remember how I learned about the SBDC though it was most likely an internet search for business services. After launching my organizing business in 2006, I had questions about how to expand my business intelligently and I went in for assistance. I was amazed to learn that the services I received were FREE. Yes, really. Free. Continue reading →

The Social Media Starter Kit

The Social Media Starter KitWhy did I write this book?

I wrote The Social Media Starter Kit to guide you and your team through the process of setting up a successful social media campaign and to be an ongoing resource for you. You may be a sole proprietor, small business owner, marketer, or large organization. Whether you are from a for-profit, non-profit, educational body, government, or otherwise, I believe anyone can use the information. (See more books by Kerry Rego.)

For years my clients and students have been asking for “the book,” Continue reading →

Kerry Rego Consulting Google Street View

The Most Powerful Social Media Action To Take

If you only do one thing….

One of the smallest actions you can take that will have the biggest impact on the success of your business is to claim your Google+ Local listing.

What is that?

It’s the address and information that Google serves to people when they type in the name of your business.

Don’t think it’s important?

This business information is put into Search, Maps, and Google+. You probably already have a listing. Go type your business name into Google’s Search, I’ll wait. Continue reading →

Always 900 People In Line | Social Customer Service

Redwood Credit Union Social Media Customer Service

I deal with a lot of banks in my life, just like you do, I’m sure. Let me list the ways: checking accounts, business banking, mortgages, car payments, HSA, college funds, credit cards, and only a few of mine are housed under the same roof. I regularly drop off a payment or walk into a branch when I need to get a payment in on time. Here’s an example of great service in unexpected places.

A few months ago, I walked into my local branch of Redwood Credit Union that I experienced to have very long lines. To be honest, I’m never in the best mood when I go into this credit union because they held the note for my car (not their fault and I’ve since paid it off). But on this day, the line was at ridiculous proportions and I was upset. I almost never check-in on Facebook but I had so much extra time on my hands, I couldn’t resist. Continue reading →

LSR Class 30 graduation

Leadership Santa Rosa

You may or may not know that I’ve been very involved in the Leadership Santa Rosa program offered at the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce. I graduated from Class 26, have been on the Alumni Board for four years (two of which I was president – a leader of leaders), sit on the Steering Committee, and have been a presenter. It is one of the longest running leadership programs hosted by a chamber of commerce in the country.

This program has had a huge impact on my life – both personally and professionally. I’ve grown leaps and bounds as a result of my involvement and simply would not be the same without it’s influence.

Last week I had the honor of attending the graduation ceremony for Class 30. I am proud of what LSR stands for and have a warm feeling of brotherhood for all the people that have taken the journey before me, with me, or since.

Cheers to the Best Class!

Get Those Social Media Keys Back!

When anyone with access to your digital assets or social media accounts leaves your organization, make sure you change your passwords and remove all of their points of access. Just like you’d get back their keycards and keys to the building, make sure you are protected.

If you are firing or laying them off, remove their access BEFORE you have that conversation with them. A lot of damage can be done before you know it.

What Do I Do With My Passwords?

In response to the major internet threat that is Heartbleed, there are quite a few passwords that you need to change RIGHT NOW. Take a look at the grid that Mashable has prepared so you know what services you use that you need to protect.

I get asked a lot about password protection. This is what I do:

I save mine in an Excel spreadsheet (I make a practice of never using the word “password” in documents) listing all the services in my personal and business life. When I change something, I update the list at the same time. This document is password protected. My estate manager knows where this document is on my computer (it’s not on the cloud) and how to access it for when I pass away.

Take a look at this blog I wrote about other ways you can protect your business and assets. #legacymanagement

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