Laura Christianson is available to teach, train, and speak at: entrepreneurial events conferences corporations small businesses universities and continuing education programs civic groups

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Laura’s Speaking Topics

SOCIAL MEDIA WORKSHOPS

Shaping Your Company’s Social Media Strategy

Social media is the new word-of-mouth. Learn what online communities can and can’t do for you; strategies for delivering customer-centric content; time-management techniques for using social media productively, and tips for linking intelligently among your social networks.

This workshop can be adapted to fit time slots from 1-to-2 hours

 

Social Media Mania for Writers

Word-of-mouth sells more books than all other methods of book promotion combined. And social networking is the new word-of-mouth. During this hands-on course, you’ll shape a strategy that integrates your website, blog, and social media accounts. You’ll learn to engage professionally with your followers and position yourself as the go-to resource in your niche. You’ll also create and customize your own Facebook Page and Twitter account. If you describe yourself as “technologically challenged” and are tired of asking teenagers for help, this is the course for you. Bring your laptop–we’re going (crazy) online!

8 hours of instruction

Social Networks for Readers and Writers

Whether you’re an avid book reader or an author, you’ll want to join social networks geared specifically for you. Learn how to use the cool features at Amazon Author Central, BookTour, GoodReads, and three more networks.

1-1 ½ hour workshop

FACEBOOK WORKSHOPS

Facebook Pages for Business

Use the world’s largest social networking site to promote your business. During this hands-on workshop, you will create and customize your Facebook Business Page and learn how to publish enticing updates that help you build your business. Participants must already have a personal Facebook profile set up.

This workshop can be adapted to fit time slots from 1-to-3 hours

 

 

Facebook 101 for Business or Pleasure

Establish yourself as an expert resource on the world’s most popular social networking site. Learn how to:

• Create and customize your personal Facebook profile and business page
• Engage with friends and fans
• Integrate your blog and Twitter feed
• Promote your page
• Budget your networking time

If you describe yourself as “technologically challenged” and are tired of asking teenagers for help, this is the course for you!

This workshop can be adapted to fit time slots from 1-to-6 hours

BLOGGING WORKSHOPS

Business Blogging Basics

Nearly 60% of consumers research online before purchasing a product or service. Those people don’t want to do business with a brand; they want to get to know the person behind the brand. Your business blog plays a critical role in helping prospects and customers get to know you and learn to trust you. You’ll learn:

• The best places to find topics to blog about
• Creative ways to carve out time for blogging
• How to create blog posts that lure readers and keep them coming back for more
• How to repackage your blog content for real estate blogging networks, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media

2-hour workshop, can be customized for various industries

Boggled by Blogging?
Weblog Basics for Novices and Non-Techies

Have you debated whether you really need a blog? Wondered whether you have the computer savvy to set one up? This information-packed workshop will equip you with the know-how and inspiration to successfully launch your blog.

This 1-1 ½ hour workshop can be expanded to a ½-day or full-day hands-on course in which participants create and launch their own blog

12 Types of Blog Articles

Learn how to write a dozen major types of blog articles, including a calendar article, how-to, case study, review, roundup, and seven more. Attendees get a free take-home e-book.

1-1 ½ hour workshop

20 Tips for Increasing Your Blog’s Readership

Are you already blogging and want to take your blog to the next level? You’ll learn 20 easy strategies that will help you increase readership and generate income via your blog.

1-1 ½ hour workshop

INTERNET MARKETING WORKSHOPS

Build a Sturdy Platform… on the Internet

Your best friend snaps a photo of you wearing a sandwich board with a picture of your book cover on it. You e-mail the photo to five friends, who forward it to five of their friends. Those folks blog and tweet about it, and post the photo on their Facebook and Flickr pages.

Sandwich board author just experienced viral marketing – a powerful force that’s infecting everyone from solopreneurs to mega-corporations. During this course, we’ll explore how online relationship-building helps writers and speakers:

• Boost visibility and credibility within your niche
• Build anticipation for your book or product launch
• Forge positive, long-lasting connections with your fans
• Connect with industry experts
• Collect hard statistics to show an editor or agent
• Attract new clients

Participants in this interactive, hands-on course are strongly encouraged to bring a laptop configured for wireless Internet.

8 hours of instruction

What’s In it For Me?
Creating WII-FM Social Media Content

Relevant, reputable, riveting content is the hallmark of successful social media marketing. You’ll practice building a WII-FM (What’s In It For Me) promotional campaign that showcases your area of expertise.

1-1 ½ hour workshop

Profiles With Pizzazz

Hi! Welcome to my site!

A humdrum opening line is the kiss of death for blogs, Web sites, and social media profiles. Learn why an attention-grabbing profile is critically important to your brand, and craft a profile with pizzazz that you can tweak for your Web site, social media accounts, and other marketing materials.

1-1 ½ hour workshop

22 Cool Google Tools for Writers

You know Google as a search engine. But it’s so much more! Learn how to access and use 10 essential Google tools for writers, including Alerts, Feedburner, Docs, Gadgets, Local Business Center and more. Workshop participants get a take-home bonus document with 10 additional Google tools.

1-1 ½ hour workshop

How to Make Search Engines Love Your Website (and Blog)

Learn how – and where – to add basic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to your website or blog so you get noticed by Google, Bing, and Yahoo and steadily move up in the search engine rankings.

1-1 ½ hour workshop

Essential Online Resources for Writers

The sheer volume of Internet resources is overwhelming. To help make your writing life easier, we’ve selected the best style guides, references, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) helps, and Amazon features for authors. Workshop participants get a take-home bonus document with links to additional resources.

1-1 ½ hour workshop

BRAND DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS

Branding Yourself for Maximum Impact

A Utah mother had the name of a casino tattooed on her forehead in inch-tall block letters to raise funds for her son to attend private school. The publicity stunt garnered her—and the casino—worldwide media attention.

While you won’t be auctioning off space on your forehead, you do need to understand why branding is the central first step in expanding your writing or speaking career. Branding doesn’t have to be painful, either. During this hands-on course, you’ll CRAFT a Consistent, Relevant, Attractive, Frequent, Targeted brand message that sears itself into your audience’s memory.

6-to-8 hours of instruction

 

What’s Your Story?
Identifying your core values

A strong brand reflects the values you hold most dear. We’ll discuss what branding is—and isn’t—and you’ll pinpoint unique qualities about yourself that you can begin developing into a stellar brand.

1-1 ½ hour workshop

Bullseye
Aiming for your target audience

Your audience is finicky, fickle, and narcissistic at heart; before they “buy” your story, they want to know, “What’s in it for me?” You’ll learn how to identify your target audience and how to build a brand that meets their needs and desires.

1-1 ½ hour workshop

Satisfaction Guaranteed
Crafting your brand’s promise statement

Similar to a 30-second “elevator pitch,” your brand’s promise must engage your audience. You’ll learn how to avoid muddling your message and you’ll prepare a promise with pizzazz.

1-1 ½ hour workshop

Group Hug
Building brand loyalty

People bond with your brand when you promote it compellingly. You’ll learn how to guide and influence your brand so it makes a consistent emotional connection with your target audience.

1-1 ½ hour workshop

The Essential Brand Identity Kit, Part 1
Designing dynamic marketing materials

Your marketing materials must reflect and promote your brand. You’ll learn how to enhance your brand with a logo, business card, stationery package, sales brochures, and other print pieces.

1-1 ½ hour workshop

The Essential Brand Identity Kit, Part 2
Optimizing your brand on the Internet

Your Web site will likely serve as the hub for all your branding efforts. You’ll learn how to solidify your brand via a Web site, blog, and social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

1-1 ½ hour workshop

Speaking Calendar

Social Media For Business Series

Expand Your Brand, One Tweet at a Time

Thursday, March 1, 2012
6-8 PM
Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center East County Campus
Tye 303, Monroe, WA
Fee: $69

Known as a micro-blog, Twitter is ideal for building your brand reputation, 140 characters at a time. During this workshop, you’ll learn how to craft tweets that provide value, how to cross-promote your Twitter updates on other social networks, and how to entice your followers to pass on your brand message.

To register for this course, click this link: http://www.campusce.net/Everett/Course/Course.aspx?c=734

 

Broadcast Your Business With a YouTube Channel

Thursday, March 15, 2012

6-8 PM
Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center East County Campus
Tye 303, Monroe, WA
Fee: $69

Forty-eight hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. It’s no wonder that YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine. With users who range from 18 to 54 years old, YouTube is an ideal medium for local businesses to broadcast product launches, interviews, tutorials, ads, and more. Learn how to create, customize, and optimize a YouTube channel that will increase your company’s reach.

To register for this course, click this link: http://www.campusce.net/Everett/Course/Course.aspx?c=735

 

Spring Quarter

Sign up for all five classes during Spring Quarter and save $45. Fee $300
For information on how to get the series discount, contact Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center (425) 267-0150

 

Facebook Pages for Business

Thursday, April 12, 2012
6-9 PM
Everett Community College, WA

Shuksan Hall, Room 227
Fee: $69

Use the world’s largest social networking site to promote your business. During this intermediate level hands-on class, you will create and customize your Facebook Business (Fan) Page and learn how to publish enticing updates that help you build your business. Participants must have a personal Facebook profile set up prior to enrolling in this class, and should have basic proficiency with Facebook.

To register for this course, click this link: http://www.campusce.net/everett/course/course.aspx?C=598&pc=14&mc=&sc=

 

  Business Blogging Basics

Thursday, April 26, 2012
6-8 PM
Everett Community College, WA

Shuksan Hall, Room 227
Fee: $69

If you want to build your business online, blogging can give you a very good return on investment. Learn to identify blogging topics and blogging strategies to increase your company’s visibility and credibility. We’ll evaluate several blogging platforms, and you’ll learn how to create blog posts that lure readers and keep them coming back for more. This class meets at the East County Campus in Monroe.

To register for this course, click this link: http://www.campusce.net/everett/course/course.aspx?C=687&pc=14&mc=&sc=

 

Boost Your Business With LinkedIn

Thursday, May 10, 2012
6-8 PM
Everett Community College, WA

Shuksan Hall, Room 227
Fee: $69

Learn how LinkedIn can help you network with other professionals, attract new customers, and discover job opportunities. We’ll discuss how to craft an enhanced profile and solicit recommendations. You’ll learn techniques for growing your network through Groups, applications, and a Company Page.

To register for this course, click this link: http://www.campusce.net/Everett/Course/Course.aspx?c=733

 

Expand Your Brand, One Tweet at a Time

Thursday, May 24, 2012
6-8 PM
Everett Community College, WA

Shuksan Hall, Room 227
Fee: $69

Known as a micro-blog, Twitter is ideal for building your brand reputation, 140 characters at a time. During this workshop, you’ll learn how to craft tweets that provide value, how to cross-promote your Twitter updates on other social networks, and how to entice your followers to pass on your brand message.

To register for this course, click this link: http://www.campusce.net/Everett/Course/Course.aspx?c=734

 

Broadcast Your Business With a YouTube Channel

Thursday, June 7, 2012
6-8 PM
Everett Community College, WA

Shuksan Hall, Room 227
Fee: $69

Forty-eight hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. It’s no wonder that YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine. With users who range from 18 to 54 years old, YouTube is an ideal medium for local businesses to broadcast product launches, interviews, tutorials, ads, and more. Learn how to create, customize, and optimize a YouTube channel that will increase your company’s reach.

To register for this course, click this link: http://www.campusce.net/Everett/Course/Course.aspx?c=735

 

Social Media Basics for Non-Profits

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 (tentative)

9-11 AM
Stillaguamish Senior Center, Smokey Point (Arlington), WA
FREE

Sponsor: Greater Everett Community Foundation

*Note: This workshop is NOT part of the “Social Media For Business” series offered by Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center

Online relationship-building can boost your non-profit’s visibility and credibility. Explore how a website, blog, and social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube will help you communicate and connect with clients, donors, and community ambassadors.

You’ll learn how to:

• Select the right social tools to reach your target market
• Create a social media policy
• Engage professionally with your fans and followers
• Manage your social networking time

 

Past Speaking Engagements (2010-12):

• Greater Everett Community Foundation (Monroe, WA) – “Social Media Tips for Non-Profits” (2-hour workshop)
  
• Focus on Farming Conference 2011 (Comcast Arena, Everett, WA) – “Simple Social Media Strategies” (Workshop)
• The Trick to Getting Published Radio Show (click to listen to the MP3 file)
• Everett Community College Corporate & Continuing Education Center (Everett & Monroe campuses) – “Facebook Pages for Business” (3-hour course)
• Practice Share Retreat 2011 (Leavenworth, WA) – “Using Social Media Effectively in your Veterinary Practice” (2-hour workshop)
• Northwest Christian Writers Association monthly meeting –
  • “The Wonders of Google’s Wonder Wheel” (Write Start)
  • “22 Cool Google Tools for Writers” (Workshop)
  • “Getting Published” (Expert Panel)
• Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference 2011 (near Santa Cruz, CA) -
  • “Social Media Mania” (8-hour course)
  • “12 Cool Google Tools for Writers” (workshop)
  • “Build Your Writing Business With a Facebook Page” (workshop)
• North Sound Development Association – “Social Media Strategies for Non-Profits” (Keynote Speaker)
• Christian Writers Seminar 2011(Castro Valley, CA)
  • 2011 Conference Keynote Speaker
  • “Boggled by Blogging” (workshop)
  • “Build Your Writing Business With a Facebook Page” (workshop)
• Northwest Christian Writers Renewal (Bothell, WA) – “Social Media Mania” (4-workshop series, co-taught with Christopher Miller)
• Write on the Sound Writers Conference (Edmonds, WA) – “Shaping Your Social Media Strategy”
• First American Title and Escrow (Snohomish County, WA) – “Blogging for Real Estate Agents” (sponsored by Kristine Jameson)
  
• GROW Washington & City of Snohomish, WA – “Social Networking on a Shoestring for Small Business Owners”
• Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference 2010 (CA) – “Build a Sturdy Platform On the Internet” – Major Morning Track (8-hour course)
• Florida Christian Writers Conference 2010 (Leesburg, FL) – “Branding Yourself for Maximum Impact” (6-hour course)