We have now updated our schedule of half day Social Media Overview and Getting Started Workshops and half day Audio and Video Podcast Production Workshops for Q1 2012.

The Overview and Getting Started Workshop aims to give everyone a good understanding of when and why social media started to grow as rapidly as it has done (and continues to do so), what the usage patterns are across Europe and review a number of case studies to understand how other organisations – public and private sector – are using the various tools successfully.  The second half of the session focusses on setting up and developing content for Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and blogs. We will also look at the value of LinkedIn for online community networking. The Workshop is kept small – no more than 4 people – to ensure that the needs of each attendee and their organisations can be addressed.

The Audio and Video Podcast Production Workshops are also kept to a maximium of 4 people so that we spend the maximum amount of time in the studio working on planning, recording, editing and producing a podcast and then learn how social media can help promotion to maximise audience engagement. In the Workshop we will cover the use of audio and video for e-Learning and for internal and external communication.  We will look at case studies of organisations that are sucessfully using podcasts, web video and webinars.

The dates for the next workshops are:

Date                                                                                                                                

February 21st 2012                       Overview and Getting Started Workshop                          10.00 – 13.00

February 21st 2012                      Audio and Video Podcast Production Workshop               14.00 – 17.00

March 13th 2012                           Overview and Getting Started Workshop                           10.00 – 13.00

March 13th 2012                           Audio and Video Podcast Production Workshop                14.00 – 17.00

Details of each workshop are are shown below:

Overview and Getting Started Workshop

Using a mix of case studies and practical examples delegates will learn how to:

• Develop a business case for senior management and boards
• Prepare a social media strategy and plan
• Provide usage guidelines/training for employees
• Maximise the value of communities for employee recruitment, retention and skills development
• Understand the dynamics of online communities
• About the role of influencers and ‘crowd sourcing’ ideas and content
• How to use key tools effectively to engage with online communities (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Flickr, and Podcasts)
• How to generate regular content to attract and retain audiences
• How to integrate social media communication with traditional marketing campaigns
• How to set and measure ROI
• How to track and analyse what people are saying about you and your industry and 3rd party organisations/competitors

The session will be interactive with exercises, use of internet resources and examination and exploration of case studies and practical examples from a range of public and private sector organisations.

All delegates will gain enough knowledge and understanding to either start or improve their organisations use of social media.

Who should attend?  Marketing managers, customer service managers and others involved in talking to and engaging with customers and prospective customers and influencers.

Lasts 3 hours.  Refreshments provided.

Cost – £75 plus VAT

Audio and Video Podcast Production Workshop 

Using the technical facilities in the studio as well as practical examples you will learn

• How to plan and organise podcast production
• How to script, prepare and conduct interviews
• How to develop ideas for a series to help maximise the opportunity for community growth
• How to prepare to be interviewed and conduct interviews*
• The practicalities of audio and video production in offices, studios and on location
• The value of audio and video in e-learning (internal and external) and employee communication
• About audio and video recording equipment
• How to editing and finalise audio and video
• Post production – the power of music, voice-overs and advanced editing techniques
• Publishing online – YouTube, iTunes and self hosting
• Engaging with the audience and crowdsourcing content
• How to use social media to help establish and grow communities
• The value and use of webinars and web video

(* Note:  For details of our Advanced Presentation Skills course please see here)

During the session extensive use will be made of the recording and editing facilities in the studios and in-house technical resources.  All delegates will be actively involved in the production of an audio podcast about their organisation. This will be post-produced and hosted by Focus free of charge for 12 months so providing organisations with a way to help promote their business and evaluate the value of podcasts.

Case studies and practical examples will also be used throughout the session.

All delegates will leave with enough knowledge to be able to plan and start scripting audio and video content and to evaluate the value of web based video and webinars to their organisations.

Who should attend?  HR specialists with a responsibility for employee communications and training/skills development, communications and CSR specialists, marketing and customer services managers.

The Workshop lasts 3 hours.  Refreshments are provided.

Cost – £145 plus VAT

All are held at our studios in Southampton where we have ample parking in our onsite car park or free on the local roads.

Did you know that Agencies and Producers in the South of England use Focus studios in Southampton? 

Everything you need to make great audio and video content is right here – no need to travel to London.  Great news for Clients, Talent, and Budgets.

But don’t take our word for it!  Just this week Fred Dinenage was in the studio, recording Voiceovers for  Fred Dinenage’s Murder Casebook which Talent South are producing for the Crime and Investigation Network.  Fred’s links were recorded direct to our SADiE audio workstation, and edited right away.  From start to finish the session took less than 2 hours, far less time than it would have taken to commute to London and back …

Dervla Kirwan has been in to record Commercial Voiceovers for Agencies in London and Dublin … Louise Minchin and Nick Knowles recorded Voiceovers here for BBC1′s ‘Real Rescues’ for Topical Television … and Chris Packham pops in every now and then.

Our studio is great for Voiceovers, Interviews or as a TV Presentation Studio. It has a lighting grid and green or blue screen backgrounds for video work, and with ISDN audio links to connect with Studios, Clients and Voices worldwide.  Clients can record to picture, syncing with tape or video files, we ‘top and tail’ all audio files so they can be used directly in an edit.  We usually deliver final audio files by email or FTP.

Try Focus for your next audio or video studio session.  Contact us right away.

Presenting to an audience can be a challenging experience for many people.  Even for people who do it often!

Getting the right message, ensuring it is delivered with maximum impact and then understood and reacted to positively by the audience is a skill. In my 20 year career in marketing and corporate communications I presented to audiences all over the world and was interviewed live on TV and radio.  After all that time and literally thousands of presentations I still get ‘butterflies’ before I have to speak publicly.  The trick is to control the nerves and use them in a way that adds value to the message communication and hence benefits the audience.

The same is true when recording video and audio podcasts except you do not have an audience in front of you to interact and engage with.  Some people will see having no audience as a positive but actually it isn’t. An audience can be interacted with and so provide feedback and energy as well as being able to refine the message in real time and check if it has been received.  You can see that best illustrated in a comedy routine where a top entertainer can reach a different level because of the rapport and engagement achieved between them and the audience.

So how can you enhance your performance and impact and actually enjoy the experience at the same time?

We run coaching courses for people who want to excel at presenting and communicating to audiences via the internet. We run podcast and webinar presentation and communication skills training in our Southampton studios – making full use of the audio and video recording and editing suites we have available to assist with review and feedback.  Whilst the coaching is targeted at audio and video over the internet the coaching is just as valuable when working with a live audience rather than a virtual one.

What will you learn?

Based upon our own experience of presenting to audiences as well as many years recording audio and video content and messages for our clients in Europe we have developed a comprehensive coaching session covering the following:

• The key elements of a successful presentation
• How to plan a presentation
• How to structure a message and use variable pace
• Preparing presentation and interview scripts
• How to evaluate and work any audience (including those you cannot see!) 
• The best type of language and phrases to use to maximise impact
• How to develop rapport and empathy with any audience
• How to manage nerves to enhance performance
• The power of body language (even when the audience cannot see you)
• Posture and stance to help maximise voice projection and impact
• How to occupy a space and project yourself
• How to work with props and Powerpoint slides

The course lasts a day.  Refreshments and lunch will be provided.

The course is limited to a maximum of 4 people to ensure everyone gets maximum chances to practice and review all audio and video recordings made.

Cost is £375 plus VAT.

Note:  This course is usually run in association with the Audio and Video Production Workshop held at our studios in Southampton.  In the Workshops delegates learn how to script, record, edit and produce audio and video podcasts.  The Advanced Presentation Skills coaching is aimed at helping people perfect their presentation skills in front of the camera or microphone

The Workshops are deliberately kept small – only up to 4 people – so that we spend the maximum amount of time in the studio working on planning, recording, editing and producing audio podcasts and then evaluate how using social media can help promote them to maximise traffic.  We will cover the use of audio and video for e-Learning and for employee as well as external customer communication.  We will look at how to develop content so allowing a series of podcasts to be produced.  We will look at case studies of organisations that are sucessfully using podcasts, web video and webinars.

Using the technical facilities in the studio as well as practical examples you will learn:

-          How to plan and organise podcast production

-          How to script, prepare and conduct interviews

-          How to develop ideas for a series to help maximise the opportunity for community growth

-          How to prepare to be interviewed and conduct interviews*

-          The practicalities of audio and video production in offices, studios and locations

-          The role of audio and video in e-learning (internal and external) and employee communication

-          What audio and video recording equipment to buy

-          How to editing and finalise audio and video

-          Post-production – the power of music, voice-overs and advanced editing techniques

-          Publishing online – YouTube, iTunes and self-hosting

-          Engaging with the audience and crowdsourcing content

-          How to use social media to help establish and grow communities

-          How to create video from audio and still images (including Powerpoint)

-          How to plan and produce webinars and maximise audience attendance

*  For details of our Advanced Presentation Skills course please see here

During the session extensive use will be made of the recording and editing facilities in the studios and in-house technical resources.  All delegates will be actively involved in some part of the production – planning, participation,  production and promotion.

Case studies and practical examples will also be used throughout the session.

All delegates will leave with enough knowledge to be able to plan and start scripting audio and video content and to evaluate the value of web based video and webinars to their organisations.

Who should attend?

• HR specialists with a responsibility for employee communications and training/skills development
• Marketing and Communications specialists responsible for sales and marketing campaigns
• Customer Service specialists with a responsibility for ensuring customer satisfaction

The Workshop lasts 3 hours.  Refreshments are provided.

Cost – £145 plus VAT

Briefing sessions are kept small – no more than 6 people – so that the case studies and practical side of using social media can be reviewed and discussed with every delegate relevant to their own organisations need.

Using a mix of case studies and practical examples delegates will learn how to:

• Develop a business case for senior management and boards
• Prepare a social media strategy and plan
• Provide usage guidelines/training for employees
• Maximise the value of communities for employee recruitment, retention and skills development
• Understand the dynamics of online communities
• About the role of influencers and ‘crowd sourcing’ ideas and content
• How to use key tools effectively to engage with online communities (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Flickr, and Podcasts)
• How to integrate social media communication with traditional marketing campaigns
• How to set and measure/track ROI

The session will be interactive with exercises, use of internet resources and examination and exploration of case studies and practical examples from a range of public and private sector organisations.

All delegates will gain enough knowledge and understanding to either start or improve their organisations use of social media.

Who should attend?  Marketing managers, customer service managers and others involved in talking to and engaging with customers and prospective customers and influencers.

Lasts 3 hours.  Refreshments provided.

Cost – £75 plus VAT

The dates for the next workshops are:

February 21st 2012 Overview and Getting Started Workshop 10.00 – 13.00

March 13th 2012 Overview and Getting Started Workshop 10.00 – 13.00

Presenting to an audience can be a challenging experience for many people.  Even for people who do it often!

Getting the right message, ensuring it is delivered with maximum impact and then understood and reacted to positively by the audience is a skill. In my 20 year career in marketing and corporate communications I presented to audiences all over the world and was interviewed live on TV and radio.  After all that time and literally thousands of presentations I still get ‘butterflies’ before I have to speak publicly.  The trick is to control the nerves and use them in a way that adds value to the message communication and hence benefits the audience. 

The same is true when recording video and audio podcasts except you do not have an audience in front of you to interact and engage with.  Some people will see having no audience as a positive but actually it isn’t. An audience can be interacted with and so provide feedback and energy as well as being able to refine the message in real time and check if it has been received.  You can see that best illustrated in a comedy routine where a top entertainer can reach a different level because of the rapport and engagement achieved between them and the audience. 

So how can you enhance your performance and impact and actually enjoy the experience at the same time?

We run coaching courses for people who want to excel at presenting and communicating to audiences via the internet. We run podcast and webinar presentation and communication skills training in our Southampton studios – making full use of the audio and video recording and editing suites we have available to assist with review and feedback.  Whilst the coaching is targeted at audio and video over the internet the coaching is just as valuable when working with a live audience rather than a virtual one.

What will you learn?

Based upon our own experience of presenting to audiences as well as many years recording audio and video content and messages for our clients in Europe we have developed a comprehensive coaching session covering the following:

• The key elements of a successful presentation
• How to plan a presentation
• How to structure a message and use variable pace
• Preparing presentation and interview scripts
• How to evaluate and work any audience (including those you cannot see!) 
• The best type of language and phrases to use to maximise impact
• How to develop rapport and empathy with any audience
• How to manage nerves to enhance performance
• The power of body language (even when the audience cannot see you)
• Posture and stance to help maximise voice projection and impact
• How to occupy a space and project yourself
• How to work with props and Powerpoint slides

The course lasts a day.  Refreshments and lunch will be provided.

The course is limited to a maximum of 4 people to ensure everyone gets maximum chances to practice and review all audio and video recordings made.

Cost is £375 plus VAT for the day.

Note:  This course is usually run in association with the Audio and Video Production Workshop held at our studios in Southampton.  In the Workshops delegates learn how to script, record, edit and produce audio and video podcasts.  The Advanced Presentation Skills coaching is aimed at helping people perfect their presentation skills in front of the camera or microphone

We have now updated our schedule of half day Social Media Overview and Briefing Session and half day Audio and Video Podcast Production Workshops for the rest of 2011.

The Podcast Workshops have been designed to complement the half day Social Media Overview and Briefing Sessions by focussing on the practical side of producing audio and video podcasts, webinars and web video.

The Overview and Briefing Sessions aim to give everyone a good understanding of when and why social media started to grow as rapidly as it has done (and continues to do so), what the usage patterns are across Europe and review a number of case studies to understand how other organisations – public and private sector – are using the various tools successfully.  The objective is that by the end of the session everyone will have enough knowledge to go back into their organisations and advise their management on what strategy (or not!) they should adopt.  We also ensure that practical experience is gained on how to use some of the most popular social media tools – Facebook, Flicker, Blogs, Podcasts and Twitter.

Briefing sessions are kept small – no more than 6 people – so that the case studies and practical side of using social media can be reviewed and discussed with every delegate relevant to their own organisations need.

The Audio and Video Podcast Workshops are kept even smaller – only up to 4 people – so that we spend the maximum amount of time in the studio working on planning, recording, editing and producing audio podcasts and then evaluate how using social media can help promote them to maximise traffic.  We will cover the use of audio and video for e-Learning and for employee as well as external customer communication.  We will look at how to develop content so allowing a series of podcasts to be produced.  We will look at case studies of organisations that are sucessfully using podcasts, web video and webinars.

Details of what each session covers are detailed below:

Social Media Overview and Briefing :

Using a mix of case studies and practical examples delegates will learn how to:

• Develop a business case for senior management and boards
• Prepare a social media strategy and plan
• Provide usage guidelines/training for employees
• Maximise the value of communities for employee recruitment, retention and skills development
• Understand the dynamics of online communities
• About the role of influencers and ‘crowd sourcing’ ideas and content
• How to use key tools effectively to engage with online communities (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Flickr, and Podcasts)
• How to integrate social media communication with traditional marketing campaigns
• How to set and measure/track ROI

The session will be interactive with exercises, use of internet resources and examination and exploration of case studies and practical examples from a range of public and private sector organisations.

All delegates will gain enough knowledge and understanding to either start or improve their organisations use of social media.

Who should attend?  Marketing managers, customer service managers and others involved in talking to and engaging with customers and prospective customers and influencers.

Lasts 3 hours.  Refreshments provided.

Cost – £75 plus VAT

Audio and Video Podcasts – Studio based workshop

Using the technical facilities in the studio as well as practical examples you will learn:

-         How to plan and organise podcast production

-          How to script, prepare and conduct interviews

-          How to develop ideas for a series to help maximise the opportunity for community growth

-          How to prepare to be interviewed and conduct interviews*

-          The practicalities of audio and video production in offices, studios and locations

-          The role of audio and video in e-learning (internal and external) and employee communication

-          About audio and video recording equipment

-          How to editing and finalise audio and video

-          Post production – the power of music, voice-overs and advanced editing techniques

-          Publishing online – YouTube, iTunes and self hosting

-          Engaging with the audience and crowdsourcing content

-          How to use social media to help establish and grow communities

-          How to create video from audio and still images

-          How to maximise audience attendance at Webinars and produce them

(* Note:  For details of our Advanced Presentation Skills course please see here)

During the session extensive use will be made of the recording and editing facilities in the studios and in-house technical resources.  All delegates will be actively involved in some part of the production – planning, participation,  production and promotion.

Case studies and practical examples will also be used throughout the session.

All delegates will leave with enough knowledge to be able to plan and start scripting audio and video content and to evaluate the value of web based video and webinars to their organisations.

Who should attend?  HR specialists with a responsibility for employee communications and training/skills development, communications and CSR specialists, marketing and customer services managers.

The Workshop lasts 3 hours.  Refreshments are provided.

Cost – £145 plus VAT

Dates for Briefings and Workshops in 2011:

September 27th – Social Media Overview & Briefing

October 11th -  Audio & Video Podcasts Workshop

November 1st (AM) – Social Media Overview and Briefing session

November 1st (PM) – Studio Audio & Video Podcasts Workshop

December 6th (AM) – Social Media Overview and Briefing session

December 6th (PM) – Studio Audio & Video Podcasts Workshop

To book call 023 8044 8822

Overview and Briefing Sessions cost £75 + VAT

Studio Audio and Video Podcast Workshops cost £145+ VAT each

All are held at our studios in Southampton where we have ample parking in our onsite car park or free on the local roads.

Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Bucks -The Learning Ladder (01865 893354)

London - Digital Marketing Institute -  module as part of a digital marketing training - 5 day full time course and 12 week evening course. (+353 1271888 – Dublin)

Variety Events has organised a follow up Social Media conference to the previous one in Feb.

The next one will again be in the Blue Mountain Golf Centre in Bracknell on June 17^th.

Booking details are here.

Debra Mann of Variety Events has invited some additional speakers who will be running Workshops on specific social media tools so answering the feedback previous delegates had requested.

The full line up of speakers and Workshop Leaders during the day is as follows:

You can listen to Debra explain what the feedback was from people who attended the event in February and what will be happening this time and why she has chosen additional people to run Workshops and present.

You can also listen to podcast interviews with the following presenters at the same place here:

I asked them about their background and what they will be sharing with delegates in June. So check them out….

-         Graham Jones

-          Paul Allen

-          Dave Griffin

-          Susan Arrow

Over the next week or two I hope to catch up with some more of the presenters and Workshop Leaders and get their input on what they will be covering in their sessions.

We will be running half-day social media training courses for The Learning Ladder at their Oxfordshire training facilities in Chalgrove.

We will cover the history of social media and why human pyschology and behaviour means this is not simply a passing fad. We will look at the key steps an organisation can take to evaluate and deploy a social media communications strategy and study a range of case studies on what others have done successfully.

The objective is that at the end of the session delegates will be able to go back to their organisation and have enough knowledge and confidence to start to plan their own strategy.

For more information call The Learning Ladder on 01865 893 354

The courses will run on 23rd March, 14th June and 7th July.

Before I joined Focus in 2005 I worked for 2 years for one of the UK’s top Communication and Presentation Skills Training companies in the UK – The Aziz Corporation. My academic qualifications in Psychology, Counselling and NLP were sharpened considerably by working not only with some great fellow Consultants but also top management and executives from the FTSE 250 in the UK. I even worked on assigments in with global organisations in Germany and the US.

I always liked to feel I brought personal and practical experience to my clients as I had been a senior executive and board member of a Fortune 500 IT company (Director of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations in Europe) prior to my time at Aziz.  Before to that I had spent many years in sales and marketing in start-up businesses and business divisions on both the client and marketing agency side.

Over the last few years I have worked in Social Media. Helping organisations and senior managers make good use of what has grown into a powerful communication medium. For many this ‘brave new world’ of social media is rather daunting. Others find it easy as they are natural communicators.  They take to blogging, Twittering, podcasting and webinars as if it is simply another way to talk to customers, prospects and employees and other stakeholders. Which is all it is really….

Other managers and executives need more support to refine their techniques. They are so used to ‘managing the business’ via spreadsheets and meetings that they have lost the ability to ‘network’ and ‘converse’ with their stakeholder community easily. To be honest some others think it is beneath them. That is a shame. They probably come from the  ‘I have my e-mails printed out so I can write a reply and have my PA e-mail it back’ school of management I would guess.

It is interesting to work with senior executives and help them find their ‘social media’ voice especially when using webinars, audio and video podcasts. It is a new skill as many senior managers give energy to an audience and take it back. That is not possible in a studio – faced with just a camera or microphone – and a technical crew. They need help projecting the energy, passion and clarity  they have when communicating ‘face-to-face’.

If I also look back at how we used to distribute messages and learning content to customers and employees via audio and video tape and then CD/DVDs I shudder to think of the time, money and effort that went into it. In one company every product launch needed thousands of kits and major training events in multiple European countries to support their pan-European offices and network of dealers and distributors. We spent hundreds of thousands of pounds making and distributing materials. Now much can done by webinars and podcasts plus e-Learning tools for probably less than just the shipping costs! What is even better – in the old days if an employee or channel partner missed the roadshow they had to catch up as best as they could – but now if they miss a webinar there will be another one along soon or it will be available as a ‘podcast on demand’.

Fast forward to 2011 and I am going to be mentoring Executives again witn a training company!

We are teaming up with The Learning Ladder in Oxfordshire to bring Executive Coaching and Mentoring to their clients. I will be running a series of ‘one-on-one’ and small team sessions covering Communication and Presentation Skills. These skills will be invaluable for use with both live audiences and also for use in podcasts and webinars if required. 

We are also running Social Media training courses with them on 29th March, 14th June and 7th July.

If you want to find out more information about the Executive Mentoring program or Social Media training courses give them a ring on 01865 893 354.

We have been asked to present the Social Media session at the Digital Marketing 5 day bootcamp in London starting 21st Feb. Details are here

The Bootcamp – and a 12 week evening course starting in April – are being organised by the Ditital Marketing Institute of Ireland.

I will be running a morning and afternoon session on Social Media Thursday 24th Feb. In the morning I will look at the history and trends of social media and looking a variety of case studies to show what others have done.

 In the afternoon we will move into a workshop session where will look at the 3 phases of creating and running a social media campaign and get some practical experience of using tools like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Flickr plus using podcasts and webinars to create and sustain online communities.  

It is being held at The Hatton which is a great looking conference and training facility.

I am presenting at a Social Media workshop in Bracknell, Friday 18th February at the Blue Mountain Golf and Conference Centre. It is organised by Variety Events.

Click here for a link to the details and booking form.

The agenda looks good (and not because I am on it) as it covers most of the key Social Media topics that everyone would want to learn about.

It covers:

• YouTube
• Blogging
• Podcasting (yep – that’s Focus)
• The App Economy
• SEO
• Community Building

In the afternoon there are three seperate streams – Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

I am not sure which stream I will go to. Even though I have been using all these tools for a few years I always pick up some neat ideas.

The only topic missing is ‘Social Media Measurement Tools’. This is an area growing in importance as it not only can help identify and quantify Return On Investment but also provide valuable market and business intelligence and help manage an organisations online brand reputation. There are many free tools as well as paid for ones in the market place today.  With ever greater numbers of people being online and using social media to talk about brands and share their thoughts and feelings on sites such as TripAdvisor and other Forums it is critical companies use tools to monitor the publics sentiment and comments about them.

In the podcasting session I will be talking how the internet allows all SME’s and micro-businesses to compete on a level footing with the global brands as the internet provides a free media delivery service. I will be talking about how well prepared, presented and delivered audio and video content can help build an online audience at a fraction of the cost and effort of traditional TV or radio ads. Even better many companies have shown how they can use podcasts to develop and support subscribers and online communities. In the session I will be looking at some case studies that show what is possible and sharing our experiences of producing podcasts for a variety of clients.

Over the last 2 years our average delegate satisfaction score has been between 4.5 and 5 out of 5.

The latest group of delegates gave these comments:

‘Nice to have case studies and tutor with lots of knowledge and experience so we can relate to’

‘Great briefing – very informative and easy to follow!’

‘Very good insights, lots of ideas and practical examples’

To hear what other delegates from one of the Workshops had to say listen here to an audio podcast discussion.

The Workshops were developed to meet the needs highlighted by delegates at the Briefing sessions who said they wanted help to put the learning into practice.

The Workshop series aims to take people from an overview of social media and an undersanding and appreciation of the possibilities to a point where they are participating and measuring ROI.

The Workshops are small – with a maximum of 4 people. Delegates are encouraged to bring their own laptops. Internet access is provided. Full use will be made of the studio facilities in Workshop 3 – Podcasting & Beyond.

Sessions will be open from 1.45pm for a 2pm start. The Workshop will end at 5pm. The dates of the Workshops and Briefing sessions are here.

For more details on cost, to book or answer any questions please call us on 023 8044 8822.

Workshop 1 – Planning

The topics covered will include:

• Strategies and deployment of social media
• Employee training programs
• HR policy and guidelines and ‘best practice’ to protect an organisations reputation.
• Reviewing how organisations have used social media behind ‘the firewall’ to improve team work, internal communication and effective learning.
• The value of developing and supporting user communities
• Looking at social media use by R&D, marketing and sales, customer service and support, investor relations and corporate communications.
• How to identify internal content generation sources
• Identifying  key words to be used to maximise web site SEO
• The key role of a Web 2.0 site
• How to ‘curate’ content to maximise ROI

Workshop 2 – Participation

Topics covered:

• Getting started with Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, Twitter and blogs
• An overview of other useful tools
• How to use free tracking and reporting tools like Google Alerts together with paid tools from Radian6 and Meltwater News to both track and analyse online conversations.
• How to use internal resource to generate and ‘curate’ content
• Analysing the practical issues of developing and supporting social networked communities.
• We will look at how to segment and service different types of people within community networks

Workshop 3 – Podcasting & Beyond

Topics covered:

• We will look at the rapid rise of on-demand audio and video content (the BBC iPlayer now exceeds 145m downloads per month)
• We will look at audio/video web and podcasting – what makes a good program, the value of voice-overs and captions, the power and use of music.
• We will consider the roles of the producer, director and technical people – how to plan and manage a recording session
• We will look at techniques to maximise audience reach and enhance listening figures
• We will look at the practical steps to make and promote a webinar

We have been running Introduction to Social Media Briefings at our Southampton studios for 10 months now. During 2008 and 2009 we were helping a major UK IT company run social media courses and consultancy projects for their public and private sector clients in the UK, Northern Ireland and Eire. In just under 3 years we have trained over 700 people in 200 organisations - helping them understand what social media is all about, how it can work in their organisation and the practical steps to start using it.

During that time we have also run social media communication programs for Government Agencies, the NHS, major commercial organisations, Not For Profits and many small and medium sized businesses. Our audio and video podcasts and webinar productions for clients are listened to by many thousands of people each month. That level of practical experience through working with such a wide range of clients means that our Briefings are always fresh and grounded in reality. No mere text book theory but theory and practical blended to maximise the value to you and your organisation.

Based on the feedback from all those who attended our Briefing Sessions we have developed a series of ‘hands-on’ Workshops that take you from the classroom to the reality of setting up and using social media within an organisation. In the Workshops we look at all aspects of deploying and using social media tools.

The Workshops are delivered in a series of 3 with a maximum of 4 people in each Workshop. The 3 modules are Planning, Participation and Podcasting & Beyond. The hands-on nature of the Workshops perfectly compliment the Briefings. The Workshops build on what is learnt in the Briefings to show you things such as how to create a HR and Company Policy on Employee Use of Social Media tools and look at how others are doing it, how to identify content and create it from within the organisation, how to set up Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and other accounts and use Measurement and Analysis Tools to track your online brand reputation as well as how to create and produce podcasts and webinars and measure ROI.  The idea is to put into practice what is learnt in the Briefings and give you and your organisation the practical skills to deploy social media. Rather than cram it all in over a day or two we decided a ‘learn and apply’ format was better so the modules are delivered over a 3 month period –  a month apart from each other – giving you time to practice after each session and bring your learning to share with the others at the next session.

We held the first series of those Workshops late last year. To listen to the podcast made by delegates on the course talking about what they learnt and the value to them and their organisations click here.

The dates for 2011 Briefings and Workshops being held in our Southampton studios are:

For more infornmation or to book call 023 8044 8822.

‘Think! FIRST’ is one of a series of twelve short training films designed to encourage crew to think about their own safety while they’re going about their work. Each scenario looks at a specific task or risk area and our trainer goes through the most basic precautions necessary to prevent an injury or accident.

Presented by a Trainer (actor Brian Bowles), the presentation is kept deliberately brief as an aid to memorising three key safety points. The film can be used as a standalone training aid or as a discussion starter for a training session with the onboard Safety Officer, where the subject can be covered in more detail.  Each film has 3-4 memorable learning points.

Production of these short films took the Focus crew on location in Liverpool and aboard ships crossing the Irish Sea.

MORE INFO …

The objective is to help you understand social media and its potential value to your own organisation and decide what sort of social media strategy and programs you could implement.

The sessions will last 3 hours. You can choose from either a morning or afternoon session.

 The morning session will be from 9.45am for a 10.00am start and finish at 1pm.

 The afternoon session will be from 1.45pm for a 2pm start and finish at 5pm.

 Each briefing will be divided into three sections.

• An overview of social media, its history and its current state

• A review of case studies from a range of organisations

• A discussion on practical issues associated with using social media

We limit the numbers in each session to only 6 as it generates maximum interactivity and time to discussing everyones thoughts and feedback on what they have learnt and how it may impact their own organisation.

We now have arranged additional dates for the 2011 program. The Briefings will be on: 

• February 8th

• March 8th

• April 5th

• May 10th

• June 14th

Morning sessions will be from 10am – 1pm.

Afternoon sessions from 2pm – 5pm.

Refreshments, coffees and teas will be provided.

We have  off-road car parking and there also plenty of free on-road parking around the studios.

The cost of the Briefing is £35 plus VAT.  

Call us on 023 8044 8822 to book your place.

When Headland Media Ltd, owners of Walport maritime training DVD library, wanted to produce a new series on Risk Assessment they asked Focus to tender for the work.  This was our second commission for Headland, the first being about Lifeboat Drills.  One reviewer of that programme commented that ‘training doesn’t have to be boring’.  But the real success was the fact that it sold extremely well to shipping companies and operators.

This first new title in the Risk Assessment series made by Focus is ‘Slips, Trips and Falls’, and not surprisingly it wasn’t an easy commission.  Demonstrating how a seafarer can be seriously injured or killed through a slip, trip or fall wasn’t easy.  Focus considered everything from using stuntmen to animation or puppetry.  In the end the programme makes its point in a variety of ways, and hopefully will also sell well for Headland.

Crucially though, in the end, what really matters is that injuries are reduced and lives are saved among seafarers.

We still have a few places left on our Social Media training session on July 6th at our audio/video production studios in Southampton.

There are morning and afternoon sessions. These last 3 hours.

The morning session starts at 10am and the afternoon one at 2pm.

The cost is £30 plus VAT.

The sessions have a maximum of 6 places to allow us time to look in more detail at how other companies experiences and case studies can be applied to the attendees own organisation. After the session we can spend time discussing matters further – if people want to!

Over the last few months we have had a variety of businesses and organisations attend our sessions including car dealers, accountants, solicitors, recruitment agencies, PR and marketing agencies, local councils, manufacturers, management consultants, tourist boards and publishers. All have been able to see how social media can help them.

During the case study section we look at our own experiences of helping clients use social media tools internally and externally. This has included blogging, Twitter, podcasting, photo-blogging, webvideo and webinars plus creating a presence on social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn and helping them build their own personal communities.

What top 6 things will you learn?

1. The origins and growth of Social Media and Social Networking
2. Academic research into human behaviour and our need to socialise (no – this is not a ‘fad’ that will go away!)
3. Latest business research on the growth and trends
4. The rise and rise of the Club Penguin generation – those 8 – 15 year olds who will be tomorrows employees and customers (or maybe they already are customers!)
5. Case studies on what other people and organisations have done, why and what they found works (including some of our own) – the really practical and valuable bit!
6. How to integrate social media communications alongside traditional tools and the added value that this brings

Depending on time and interest by attendees we can spend a few minutes in the editing/production control room so you can see the technical side of things and talk to one of the staff about recent webinar and podcast production projects.

If you want to book a space please contact

Nicky Anderson on 023 8044 8822

One place is still available on the May 26th afternoon session at 3.45pm for a 4.00pm start. Ends 5.30pm.

Sorry. The morning session is full.

The additional dates:

June 10th – morning 10.00am for a 10.15am start with refreshments and ends at 11.45am.

June 10th – afternoon session will be from 2.00pm for a 2.15pm start with refreshments and end at 3.45pm.

July 6th – morning session will also start at 10.00am for 10.15am and refreshments. Ends at 11.45am.

July 6th – afternoon session from 2.00pm for 2.15pm with refreshments. Ends 3.45pm.

What will the sessions cover?

In the session we will share our knowledge and experience of working on social media campaigns with our clients as well as case studies from other companies active in this space.

It will mix the latest academic and business trend research together with a background overview.

What will you learn?

•  The origins and growth of Social Media and Social Networking
• Academic research into human behaviour and our need to socialise (no – this is not a ‘fad’ that will go away!)
• Latest business research on the growth and trends
• The rise and rise of the Club Penguin generation – those 8 – 15 year olds who will be tomorrows employees and customers
• Case studies on what other people and organisations have done, why and what they found works – the really practical and valuable bit!
• How to integrate social media communications alongside traditional tools and the added value that this brings

The objective is to share our practical experience and knowledge so you are better able to understand the real value and use of social media to your own business.

Refreshments will be provided. Choose the time that best suits you.

Each session will last 1.5 hours.

Cost? £15 (including VAT)

The studio has ample car parking. 

Book early as places are limited to 6 people per session to maximise the value to attendees and allow a quick tour of the studios.

To book your place please call Nicky Anderson on 023 8044 8822 or email her at nicky.anderson@focusbiz.co.uk

This edition of the monthly MCA Video News Podcasts explains why membership of the UKSR is such a benefit for ship owners.

‘Training doesn’t have to be boring’ is the message behind a new DVD that aims to increase safety during lifeboat operations.”

“The film will grab seafarers’ attention about a complicated subject“, Walport’s maritime training producer, Jill Tinsley told SASI.  The film certainly makes an impact. The opening narration takes place over footage of a familiar scenario: a lifeboat being recovered following a drill.  Then the lifeboat plunges suddenly and terrifyingly into the sea, showing just how badly operations can go wrong.

Focus producer Ian Ward said:

“This was one of the most challenging projects we have undertaken.  Many seafarers’ lives have been lost during lifeboat drills in recent years, so we had to be sure our crew could work safely within a lifeboat being deployed from a container vessel.

“But even more importantly we simply had to produce a DVD for seafarers that would help ship owners prevent more loss of life.  Time will tell if we have achieved that.

“Walport is a great client to work with and we were delighted with their professionalism and commitment to achieving high standards of production.”

When we were asked by Headland Media in Liverpool, new owners of the Walport Training Library to produce the first of a new series of safety training DVDs, our brief was to work with Headland to make a programme about safety during Lifeboat Drills.

The awesome truth is that 16% of the fatalities among seafarers on commercial vessels happen during lifeboat drills.  And 80% of the deaths are caused by one thing – failure of the hooks from which Lifeboats hang.  All too often Lifeboats, with men in them, have plunged 20 metres or so to the sea causing terrible injuries and death.  One rescue attempt led to a rescuer being lost from the hull of the upturned lifeboat as it floated away on the high seas.

Filming the deployment of real lifeboats from a ship presented not just real hazards for our crew but logistics problems in finding a ship available to film on.  What we eventually found was in a most unlikely location – on the River Fal near Truro in Cornwall.  Laid-up sister container carriers Santa Giuliana and Giulietta tower over the Thatched Cottage Tea Rooms at Tolverne , although laying up ocean-going ships has been going on in the Fal for many years.

Our crew, including presenter Hugh Kirby, cameraman Andrew Goode, soundman Rob Lacey, editor Ian Williamson and director Ian Ward, all had to climb aboard from the small boat that took us across to the Santa Giuliana.  All our kit had to be hauled aboard by rope using the ubiquitous Hippo Bag!

The solution to the hazards of deploying lifeboats appears to be a fairly simple strop arrangement known as a Fall Prevention Device or FPD (naturally!), evangelised by Capt Dennis Barber of Marico Marine, and about to be accepted by the international shipping safety body, the IMO.

The programme is due to be launched imminently and can be obtained from Walport Training.