Suppose you had to buy a present for a corporate communicator; what would you choose?
I know what I’d like, so here are some ideas for your own favourite corporate communicator; but I’d love to hear your suggestions – big or small!
1. For writing
We all have our favourite writing tools, and there is something special about opening a new packet: is their favourite a set of sharp pencils or a decent pen? Red pen or highlighter? Get the tool right, and the words will flow – and even those dedicated to the keyboard need pens or pencils for something. Pair it with a Moleskine, and you’ll have a friend for life.
2. For editing
The latest edition of their favourite style guide, thesaurus or dictionary – one without the coffee rings, broken spine, and turned down corners from when it got ‘borrowed’ by someone else…
I’d like The Global English Style Guide: Writing Clear, Translatable Documentation for a Global Market by John Kohl. Or how about a guide to web content?
3. For optimising
It’s got to be a subscription to ScribeSEO – I find this tool very useful to finetune text for the web, and it’s not just for bloggers. I’m using it as a WordPress plugin, but you can copy any proposed web text into the online tool, and it will come up with suggestions for improving optimisation.
4. For portable web work
An iPad. Need I say more?
5. For keeping going
Lots of coffee! Really good coffee, or a new coffee maker. Even those chocolate-coated coffee beans help, I find…
6. For keeping up with your peers
There’s so much wonderful stuff out there, it’s difficult to keep up with everyone, and it’s easy to get the feeling that you’re missing some key ideas. How about organising a newfangled mixtape: a feedreader set up with your pick of corporate communications blogs, Twitter feeds etc?
(No-one else remember mix-tapes? Oh well…)
7. For keeping up with new channels
A training course for handling social media crises, rather than handling a crisis for the first time in public. Have a look at The Social Simulator; I’m sure you’ll agree that this seems like a great idea.
8. For keeping up with industry trends
A ticket to a big conference that your favourite corporate communicator would just love to go to; get a pair, and you could go together. I’ve really enjoyed the Communicate Magazine conferences this year, but I didn’t get to the Corporate Social Media Summit. Maybe next year?
9. For keeping up with the best
I’ve got to say it: a subscription to our Corporate package, so that your best beloved corporate communicator can see just what their chosen peers and the best in class are doing with their corporate websites: up to date information available online, with gap analysis, criteria analysis and performance analysis, to measure the effectiveness of their online presence.
10. Because we’re worth it
Some time off! Because we all need to recharge our batteries sometime.
So: what’s on your wish list?
Lucy is Editor at Corporate Eye
