I’ll bet you’ve seen that commercial, or one similar. Every city has them, attorneys who promise big insurance payouts, and of course for them, it is all about you. Some of these guys score a 10 on the “Cheese Factor” scale and the commercials prove it!

But there is a better way to generate leads and convert prospects into loyal customers without the cheesy commercials. It’s called brand journalism. (Read Part 1 of this series on brand journalism, titled: Brand Journalism: A proper definition)

Brand journalism builds your brand by telling your organization’s story in a journalistic way. It raises questions stakeholders and customers would ask about your organization and it answers them through stories about real people. Brand journalism goes deeper than just building a customer base, it builds relationships with customers.

So, where do you begin? Here are the three questions of brand journalism to get you started:

1. Who do you need?

The “who” is somebody who can tell a story, as in a journalist or former journalist. This excludes anyone who had a Journalism 101 class 20 years ago and believes themselves to be a journalist. We’re talking somebody who has experience interviewing people, gathering facts, and crafting news and feature stories for which they’ve actually gotten paid. Think of it this way: would you hire your neighbor to rebuild your transmission because he likes to “tinker” on cars? You may get a good deal, but will you get a reliable transmission?

The effectiveness of a brand journalism strategy depends on the quality of the reporting. Money invested in finding a quality writer significantly increases the probability of success.

2. What do you gain?

Be honest, you don’t watch commercials much anymore, do you? In fact, you probably wear out the jump button on your remote switching between two channels to avoid commercials.

But guess what? That’s exactly what people are doing to your marketing and advertising efforts. There really is no way in today’s world of millions of products and services to become more “FANTASTIC, more “POWERFUL,” more “ULTRA,” more “SUPER,” or to have more “BOLD FLAVOR” than the next guy. (Unless maybe you can come up with a drink that has an “Ultra-powerful, super-duper, fantastically bold flavor.”)

Truth is, we are numb to such hyperboles. A more effective approach is simply telling your brand’s story and how it has made a difference in the lives of those who have done business with you. It doesn’t matter if your business or organization is product or service oriented, brand journalism gains for you an audience – people with whom you can share your story and with whom you can build a relationship.

And isn’t that the point of your marketing effort anyway? Instead of trying to be more super, fantastic or ultra than the next guy, why not simply be you.

If you and your organization are truly worth engaging, then let others explain through a well-written, compelling story how their interaction with you was worth their investment in time and money. 

3. Why do you need it?

That’s easy: Brand credibility. For too long brands (organizations, businesses, and people) have lived with the fallacy that they are what they say they are. That’s never been the case, but people never had the means to tell brands what they really think of them.

That all changed with the birth of social media. Brands have always been what others think about them and social media gives people the platform to broadcast those thoughts far and wide. Before, brands could get away with poor quality or poor customer service and not experience the repercussions. Now, brands decades in the making can be destroyed in an afternoon Twitter storm.

Brand journalism builds brand credibility because it puts you in the marketplace and most importantly, the conversation – in a good way!

Brand journalism seeds the opportunity for positive viral social media dissemination, giving you an opportunity to reach potential customers farther and deeper than your traditional marketing effort ever could have. What’s more, you gain credibility every time your brand journalism effort passes from friend to friend, because friends extend trust to friends. Remember, trust equals credibility.

Now, all you have to do is concentrate on being who you are, which has the added benefit of creating even more brand journalism opportunities, more good stories, more credibility, and more marketing success!

Have you answered these three questions for your organization’s brand journalism efforts?

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The above post is Part 2 of a series and is an excerpt from a forthcoming eBook on Brand Journalism by Ben Stroup and Chris Turner, 

Part 1: Brand Journalism: A proper definition

The post Brand Journalism: The who, what and why appeared first on D. Chris Turner Communications.

Many people are caught off guard when crises blindside their organizations. The interesting element is that crisis researchers have found the majority of non-natural disaster crises had been percolating for some amount of time before they escalated to “a breaking crisis.” That means something eventually disruptive to the organization’s operation and potentially threatening to its reputation took root and grew as part of the organization’s DNA until it erupted.

With the majority of crises slow in the making and preventable, here are three questions organizations should ask to reduce risks and lessen the possibility of a crisis.

1. Are we creating favorable conditions for a crisis?

Obviously there is no way to control or prevent every crisis, but a significant number of organizational crises are due to poor customer service or poor product quality – or both. Every crisis should be seen as an attack against brand identity. See crises as meters running, draining away brand equity and organizational resources the longer they continue and the worse they are handled. Unfortunately, too many organizations create self-inflicted crises because they don’t respond well or quickly to customer service issues or issues like consistently mishandled employee layoffs, poor management-employee relations, a history of environmental irresponsibility, etc. Lingering issues create petri dishes for disasters so wise organizations examine their cultures to identify if conditions are favorable for crises. (Read: How to successfully launch a crisis in three easy steps)

2. Are we paying attention to the environment in which we operate?

Too often organizations are so focused on doing their “thing” they fail to keep a pulse on the surrounding environment. This is different than keeping an eye on competitors. In the age of social media, someone within the organization needs to keep watch on what others are saying about the organization and the industry category in which the organization participates. This is to obviously identify brewing issues before they manifest into five-alarm crises. However, it is also a good litmus to know if anybody is even positively talking about the organization. If there is no chatter, it could be a sign the organization’s marketing strategy isn’t all that great. (Read: Is your social media marketer prepared to handle a crisis and Social media attacks: are you prepared?)

3. Are we reacting quickly enough when a crisis develops?

Every organization faces crises and if it hasn’t it will. Again, social media affords ample opportunity for disgruntled customers to wage an anti-brand campaign, even if it is unmerited. Crisis response time is critical. Respond quickly and effectively and an organization positively effects the conditions and trajectory of the crisis. Respond slowly and clumsily and people begin to get the impression the organization’s leaders are incompetent and not being transparent. Crisis planning and practice significantly improve response time. (Read: Social media, crises and “Who” and Social media, crisis and “Who” Part 2).

“Sudden” crises are much easier to prevent than most people believe, but it takes a willingness on the part of leadership to evaluation the overall environment of the organization to better understand if conditions are ripe for a crisis, if the organization has a high level of contextual awareness and if “flare ups” are being dealt with efficiently and effectively.

In other words, a little forethought helps keep the organizational windows up, preventing a very messy crisis.

The post Are you creating favorable conditions for a crisis? appeared first on D. Chris Turner Communications.

Unfortunately not every CEO sells a good experience when they speak and there is a long list of examples that prove it. As unfortunate, too many CEOs and C-suite executives believe they have the gift of “winging it.” Let’s be honest, often the problem is ego, and the men an women in the top seat mistakingly equate lack of preparation as a prerequisite for extemporaneous speaking. The results are often disastrous, costing companies millions of dollars and often costing the CEO his or her job.

What people may not know about Jobs’ presentations is the hours of practice and preparation he put in before ever standing before an audience. I’m convinced the excellence of his product presentations had more to do with driving Apple’s stock prices than did the products themselves. His speeches created a vision of the future…then delivered the future to us in the here and now.

Media training doesn’t guarantee a Steve Jobs caliber performance, but here are three strategic ways media training can help top leaders create good experiences through speaking opportunities.

1. Media training helps refine an organization’s primary messages.

Iconic former GE CEO Jack Welch said the primary job of the CEO is to be chief evangelist for the company. It doesn’t make any difference if the CEO is sick of listening to the message, it is his or her job to “preach” the vision so that everyone believes it and heads in that direction. Media training helps refine those messages so that they are concise and memorable. Media training also helps ensure consistency. Many CEOs have gotten themselves in trouble by communication message variations to different audiences. Inconsistency creates uncertainty, and uncertainty breads lack of trust in leadership.

2. Media training helps leaders prepare for potentially hostile engagements.

A hostile engagement could be a media interview, but it could also be a share holders’ or board of trustees’ meeting. Media training done by a competent trainer in a controlled environment leads the CEO into the hard areas everyone is hoping to avoid. However, practice and preparation build confidence. This preparation is vitally important should a crisis interrupt normal business operations. Even the most common crises threaten to damage brand equity, and it is the CEO and other leaders who should lead the charge to protect the brand. Media training equips them to effectively advocate the organization’s mission and vision.

3. Media training makes people better communicators. 

If some of the best speakers in American history saw the value in preparation then why don’t more CEOs? The future of a nation isn’t at stake (like it was for Abraham Lincoln) or the hope of a people (like it was for Martin Luther King, Jr.), but the future of a company is at stake. Too many CEOs are dismissed from their jobs before seeing their vision for a company come to fruition. Often it’s because leaders see where they want to go but are not astute at clearly communicating direction. Media training helps verbally focus a CEO’s vision which enhances his or her leadership.

The most important asset a C-level leader has in his or her arsenal is the ability to clearly communicate, but communication technique is too often the most neglected tool in the tool box because it is assumed. Even a little media training sharpens the instrument, refines clarity and increases confidence. A small investment in training can reap a significant return in the areas of influence, brand equity, shareholder confidence, employee loyalty and…the bottom line.

The post Media Training: Why the C-Suite needs it appeared first on D. Chris Turner Communications.

But that all changed when Eugene Polley of the Zenith Radio Corporation did humanity a great service and created the first wireless TV remote that could turn off the sound. In other words, he gave us the mute button.

Remotes have evolved to record live programing, allowing us to skip ahead 30 seconds at a time, or switch between programs. Bottom line: we can now avoid commercials at altogether. And that’s a beautiful thing – unless you are a person with goods or services to sell.

You now live in a world designed to avoid your marketing and advertising effort all together. One of the biggest reasons people generally hate advertising, whether broadcast or print (which includes online advertising) is because we feel we are being played; that as much as you say it is about us, we really know it is about you. The more we feel played the more we tune you out.

So how do you break through?

Easy…

Quit shouting louder than the other guy and tell us some stories about how your goods or services have benefited people.

Now you’re engaged in brand journalism.

Brand journalism builds your brand by telling your organization’s story in a journalistic way. It raises questions stakeholders and customers would ask about your organization and it answers them through stories about real people. Brand journalism goes deeper than just building a customer base – it builds relationships with customers.

Yes, brand journalism takes more effort than cranking out marketing and advertising copy, but what’s your objective: to say you had an ad campaign or generate quality leads and deepen customer loyalty?

If you truly want to be effective, start telling a story; that, in essence, is brand journalism.

How would you define brand journalism?

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The above post is an excerpt from a forthcoming eBook on Brand Journalism by Ben Stroup and Chris Turner, and is Part 1 of a series.

The post Brand journalism: A proper definition appeared first on D. Chris Turner Communications.

C-Level leaders, and especially CEOs, are elevated to their positions of leadership for a number of reasons; being a person of vision is almost always one of them. Board members, stock holders, trustees, employees and customers all have an expectation that the CEO will make the organization more successful in every way, from profitability to the quality of the customer experience and overall work environment.

Most have a vision of how they want the future to look. Getting there, however, is sometimes the challenge. As Maxwell says, the actual leading is the key. If there is a failure to lead, often it is because of a lack of ability to communicate vision and action in ways that mobilizes people. That’s where the corporate communicator can offer an invaluable assist.

Organizational communicators have a golden opportunity to be the translators if you will. They can help mobilize an entire organization by helping connect the CEO’s vision with people. Here are four ways organizational and corporate communicators can help CEOs – and thus their organizations – be successful.

1. Have a servant attitude

No, I’m not advocating being a doormat, but I am advocating that egos and agendas be checked at the door. The CEO is the star of the show; corpcomm folks are supporting players. Recognize the CEO carries a ton of pressure to perform. Ask, “How can I apply my expertise in such a way that I help this person succeed?” If the CEO succeeds, then everyone succeeds. A little humility goes a long way, and in a room where often everyone postures, humble helpfulness stands out.

2. Be competent

This applies to everything from job skills to knowing everything there is to know about the CEO. Pay attention to what he or she says and look for the larger context, because they often talk bigger picture. Know the details necessary to arrive at his or her vision.  And if the CEO mentions an article, book titles or has written either, make haste, buy and read! It is important for corporate communicators to show they “get” from where it is their CEOs are coming and to where it is they are trying to get.

3. Build trust

Corporate communicators get precious little time with CEOs so it is important to maximize those opportunities. Humility, competence and preparation get noticed and build trust. CEOs want and need people around them they can trust so every encounter should be seen as a moment of significant importance. Confidence and trust are either being built or they are being eroded, and it is the wise communicator who recognizes that.

4. Deliver

Period. The margin for error is non-existent when it comes to dealing with the CEO. Failure to deliver is not an option. Consistently deliver – and exceed expectations as often as possible – and watch the opportunities to help consistently increase. Bottom line: CEOs are judged on their performances and so too are those who serve them.

Working directly with the CEO is not for everyone, however, there is an incredible opportunity to contribute to the overall success of the organization for those who are confident in their job skills and who are willing to bridle their egos.

*Maxwell quote found in The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader

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There is a video clip of  CBS News’ Bob Schieffer, host of Face the Nation, interviewing senior presidential advisor Dan Pfeiffer. Pfeiffer is ripping through one speaking point after another and the long-time political correspondent will have no more of it. He offers a brief history lesson to his young guest, and politely admonishes him that it would be nice if the administration would lose the speaking points and tell the truth.

And that is one of the perceptions about speaking points: People don’t believe them. Often they aren’t truthful, unfortunately, giving birth to the definition of the person delivering them as a Spin Doctor: “Someone who tries to forestall negative publicity by publicizing a favorable interpretation of the words or actions of a company, political party or famous person.”

But speaking points are valid and important tools to use as part of an organizational communications strategy and are a means to earn credibility for your organization when approached the right way. The most important person to deliver them may be you, so here are four thoughts to keep in mind when crafting speaking points.

1. Speaking points flow from decisions made in relation to core values

There is obviously a leadership issue at work here. Leaders must take action according to those values organizations have stated are non-negotiables. That means making decisions based on core values. Speaking points are born from leadership decisions. If speaking points and core values don’t match, then it probably reflects a leadership issue and speaking points won’t recover credibility lost by actions that should have been taken. Remember, actions still speak louder than words.

2. Speaking points pursue organizational objectives

If you don’t communicate your organization’s objects, then who will? If you don’t direct others to the most important aspects for which you want your organization to be know, then how will they get there? Speaking points obviously need to answer questions, but they also need to support the overarching objectives of the organization. This is possible even in a crisis situation and possibly more so. Many organizations have strengthened their reputations on the other side of crises because they stuck to their core values and communicated well their larger organizational objectives.

3. Speaking points should be truthful

I know, this seems obvious but it apparently proved elusive for leaders and organizations who now find themselves on the scrap heap of integrity. How many Enrons, Worldcoms, Watergates, bicycle doping scandals, baseball steroid scandals, blah, blah ad nauseam do we have to endure before “spokesliars” stop assaulting our intellects with deceptive speaking points? The answer, unfortunately is never. However, here’s the deal: if you mess up; fess up. People are much more forgiving if you tell the truth than if you use canned responses to create an illusion that is later exposed. Don’t be a liar and an idiot.

4. Speaking points should inform (within reason) 

People want accurate information and especially when there is a crisis. Spokespeople should see their roles as opportunities to help customers, clients, potential clients, constituents, etc. grow in their understanding of the organization. Speaking points rooted in decisions guided by core values create a positive view of your organization. They provide leadership and direction and communicate confidence. This doesn’t mean your interview should become a confessional. All organizations have proprietary knowledge and legal and personnel matters to navigate so speaking points can’t – and shouldn’t – be tell-alls. Be informative, be truthful and be discreet. It is possible to accomplish all three.

Interviews are opportunities to advance your organization’s brand. Prepared speaking points are a legitimate way to ensure your organization is well represented while helping interviewers get the information they need to report accurately.

The post Four elements of effective speaking points appeared first on D. Chris Turner Communications.

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In 1943, psychologist Abraham Maslow introduced his hierarchy of needs in a paper titled, A Theory of Human Motivation.His theories are most often represented by a pyramid divided into five horizontal sections, each representing an area of human development.

That’s a good way to think about social media and the balanced use of social media. Many people try social media and get discouraged because it doesn’t seem to work for them. With constant updates through Twitter and Facebook, stepping away to get a cup of coffee can make you feel like the world has turned several times by the time you return. It’s also easy to get drawn in and spend inordinate amounts of time “Facebooking.” When people learn to balance how they use their social networks, they get more enjoyment out of it and become more effective without wasting their time.

And this is where the Hierarchy of Feeds comes in. You can define your social media activity by four actions that are ubiquitous to almost every social network. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn – it doesn’t matter. Think of these as the four food groups of social media.

1. Participate

It’s one thing to have a particular social media account, it is another to actually use it to engage other people. You have to participate if you are going to get anything out of value out of it.

2. Network

Social networking is all about, well…networking (interacting with other people online). Socialized, networked communication on the web is the substance of the social media revolution. Meeting new people or introducing other people to each other maximizes your participation in social media. Don’t just connect with a few family and close friends and leave it at that. Get out there!

3. Share

Social networking is a lot more interesting when you share what other people are doing and saying. This may be a reTweet, Facebook share, YouTube video or maybe you’ve passed along an interesting Web link to a news story you think others might find interesting. Let’s face it, people would think you are narcissistic if all you did was talk about yourself. Sharing keeps the online conversation going.

4. Create

You actually do need to talk about yourself and create some original thoughts. It’s not enough to add friends, comment on what they say and share what they post. People want to know about you. It’s okay to talk about what you are doing, what you like or don’t like, or what you think. You also have an area of expertise from which you can share that ultimately benefits the community. It may be crock pot recipes or tax tips. Just keep it in balance with all your other activity online.

If you learn to participate, network, share, and create, you will find a healthy balance and get the most out of socializing on the web. The key to the four is to set a time limit for each so you don’t wind up becoming a social media glutton.

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I am more convinced of the profundity of that statement 13 years later. Weak writing is the Achilles Heel of most communications efforts. In this age of brand journalism and content marketing, good writing is the backbone that should give organizations a lift over their competition, but poor writing torpedoes good strategy. Plainly stated, how well you write could mean the difference between success or failure.

Case in point. A client I’m working with recently read to me over the phone the executive summary of a business plan. She lost me about 40 words into the first sentence – and the period was still somewhere on the horizon. “But tech writing is supposed to sound complex,” she offered in defense. We have a great relationship so I felt free to be brutally honest. “Sorry,” I offered. “Muddled, complicated tech jargon crammed into a document full of run-on sentences does not equate to impressive-sounding writing.” Here’s a myth (especially for all the tech writers out there): If nobody can understand it, it must be important. Truth is, your readers are probably confused, not impressed.

So, if you can’t write yet are unwilling to find somebody who can help you, here are six guides to crafting copy that is easier to read and takes less of a toll on your readers.

1. Define your idea

There is nothing worse than reading copy that meanders through a number of topics making it difficult for readers to catch the point you’re trying to communicate. Define your idea, and stay on topic.

2. Organization

Decide what supporting information to include to ensure your main idea is understood and that supporting ideas flow in a logical manner. Some people outline (I do) to clarify direction. Outlining isn’t necessary, but if you struggle with organization, I recommend it. Bullet points scratched on the back of an envelop will suffice. The objective is organized copy that transports readers to your desired destination.

3. Word choice

It is impossible to know exactly how many words there are in the English language, but the Oxford Dictionary estimates around 250,000. In other words there is more than one – or a dozen – ways to say something. Pick words that clearly communicate your topic in interesting ways to the reader. Ask yourself: Is my objective to impress or inform? Your word choice provides the answer.

4. Grammar

This is straightforward. It doesn’t matter which words you choose if they are dropped into poorly constructed sentences. Grammar is the foundation for clarity. Build well.

 5. Fluency

Have you ever read copy that runs on forever or fires at you like successive bursts from a Gatling Gun? Painful, all of it. Fluency entails interesting and varying sentence structures woven together in a seamless tapestry to carry a reader through your copy like an accomplished skier effortlessly glides down a virgin slope.

6. Voice

There is only one Hemingway, one Faulkner, one George Will, one Peggy Noonan – and my personal favorite – one Lewis Grizzard. There is also only one you. If you concentrate on the first five guides it increases the probability that you’ll connect with your voice and style. No, you probably won’t infuse your personality into technical writing, but you probably don’t talk like the copy most tech writers write. Most people speak in ways to be understood. Apply that idea to writing too.

Clear writing may not prevent a global disaster, but it may very well prevent a rebellion against your organization. Give readers copy that draw them toward you and not muddled copy that sends them to your competitors. Success or failure could be one copy block away.

The post Writing: If you can’t do it find someone who can appeared first on D. Chris Turner Communications.

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You read that correctly. Everyday organizations – more specifically executive leaders – make decisions that take their organizations from normal operations to headline news at the speed of a Tweet (and leave corporate communicators in shocked disbelief!). It isn’t as difficult as you might think. Here are three ways to successfully launch a crisis.

1. Make decisions that fundamentally compromises organizational vision, mission and/or values.

At some point a group of people were told to create the perfect organizational vision and mission statements. Supposedly these statements are born from organizational values. However, crises are practically guarenteed when the vision and mission are not the benchmarks against which organizational decisions are made. It creates a condition I call “Organizational Schizophrenia.” It leaves the true personality of the organization in doubt. Employees, constituents and customers become confused, feel betrayed and the credibility of the organization is undermined.

2. Make organization-altering decisions with no intent of making them public.

Executive leaders do this all the time, and get burned for it all the time. No, I’m not saying organizations should issue a news release every time leaders make decisions, but how often do executive leaders try to slip something past employees, customers, the public and the media? “Nobody will notice,” is often the thinking, or “We’re paid to make decision, not follow public opinion.” Fair, but often the problem is perception: If somebody feels as if an organization is trying to slip something by them then it is difficult to convince them otherwise. Worse, the attempt to convince only makes it appear as if now there is now a cover up. People then believe the only reason executives are trying to explain themselves is because they got caught. Question for leaders: In the age of social media did ya really think your decision was going to stay quiet?

3. Assume you control the brand. 

Here’s a deadly mixture: Do one or both of the two above and still assume the organization can control what people think of the brand. The best control any organization ever has over its brand is when it does what it says it will do and treats its customers well. That’s it. Integrity and service – regardless of the industry – either strengthens people’s perception of the brand, or the lack of either threatens to turn your brand into a punchline. Don’t believe me? Digest this: your organization is one viral Tweet or YouTube video away from igniting a social media firestorm that could destroy in one afternoon decades worth of brand equity. I wouldn’t call that controlling your brand.

In this post- Enron, Tyco, WorldComm, HealthSouth, junk bond era of corporate scandal, organizations should assume their constituents harbor a certain level of distrust. Feeding that distrust by compromising values, making shady looking decisions and assuming there will be no consequence successfully invites and launches crises, and potentially kills a brand.

The post How to successfully launch a crisis in three easy steps appeared first on D. Chris Turner Communications.

Think about crisis prevention and management like a forrest ranger standing in a fire tower located atop the highest point in a national park. He peers through his binoculars and scans the endless timber below looking for that little wisp of smoke that triggers an action plan. Now, equate a media relations manager (or someone similar) with that ranger, and media monitoring as the scanning of the forrest. You need the right tools to successfully head off problems.

Corporate reputation does matter (as I wrote earlier), and for years Google Reader has been my go-to tool for media and reputation monitoring. However, the announcement a couple of days ago that Google is discontinuing Reader in a few months sent me scrambling for an alternative. There is an online petition circulating to urge Google to reconsider, but I have a client that needs a reliable monitoring tool right now and in the future. After hours of tinkering with one after another yesterday, I’ve decided on Feedly.

I chose Feedly for three primary reasons (and a host of lesser reasons).

1. It quickly pulls in Google Reader feeds with one click. 

This is a huge time saver, especially if you have multiple blogs and news topics you’re tracking. Some of my lists have been built over years. I also liked that it kept my lists intact, grouped under the headings I’ve developed in Google Reader.

2. The interface is clean and flexible

I don’t need to read every story every day. Sometimes, if a crisis is brewing, I scan headlines and summaries. Feedly allows me to change the interface to mirror Google’s “Gmail” inbox look, but it also allows me at least five other views that give variations of the magazine look of Flipboard or my Associated Press iPad/iPhone app.

3. Feedly has an app for both my iPhone and iPad.

Some of the Feedly alternatives I found did pull Google Reader feeds, but they either don’t have mobile apps or they are in development. The ability to check feeds frequently if crisis is brewing is imperative. The Feedly apps mirror the desktop, web-based version so I have familiarity and seamless coverage of my customized feeds at all times.

There are a number of available alternatives but one thing that made me nervous about them is that they are mostly dependent on Google Reader’s feeds, and once Reader goes away, those applications won’t work (or work as well). It is certain that developers will be scrambling between now and July to resolve that issue. My understanding is that Feedly already has.

The down side to Feedly at this point is revenue model. It is currently free (as opposed to some of the others) and I couldn’t find where there are plans to charge a fee for the service in the future. However, whereas Google has a broad revenue stream, Feedly has none so sustainability may become an issue.

Ultimately, the important point is to find a tool that works best for your situation that allows you to keep watch over your organization’s reputation. Feedly happens to be my new tool…for now.

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