Technical Communication Professionals in Southwest Michigan | Prima Communications, Inc.

Social Networking 101 for Professionals Q&A

Posted on 14. Oct, 2009 by Jeremy in Prima Communications Blog

Download the Social Networking 101: A Primer for Professionals webinar (free) and let us know what you think!

Prima Virtual Triathlon 2009: Escape the Heat!

Posted on 01. Oct, 2009 by Jeremy in 2009 Prima Virtual Triathlon, Prima Virtual Triathlons

Prima Virtual Triathlon 2009 - Escape the Heat!

We’re headed north to Hudson Bay and the world’s southernmost year-round polar bear population.

The team is small but the goals are the same. Get out, get active, and make the most of our summer weather. We will keep track of the actual miles we travel, translating walking, running, cycling, skating, and swimming miles into virtual progress along our route toward the arctic.

We will encounter some rough going in the northernmost part of our trip, where there are no roads. We will use railroad grades where possible, but we will also travel over some rough, rocky terrain. Because of this, we will want to log some other exercise points in order to translate the easy paved miles of our regular exercise into virtual travel over rocks and muskeg.

Primas who keep track of exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, indoor cardio sessions, or weight training, should record their time or repetitions and send these results to the triathlon tabulator in addition to the usual mileage reports. We can’t use these stationary minutes for mileage, but we will offer point credits toward the individual goals below:

Individual Standards

Gold star participation: 60 or more points (equivalent of walking to Grand Rapids)

Silver star participation: 45 or more points

Bronze star participation: 30 or more points

Point Values

Walking or running 1 mile = 1 point
Roller skating 2 miles = 1 point
Bicycling 3 miles = 1 point
Swimming 1 mile = 9 points
Canoeing, kayaking:
- Flatwater 1 mile = 1 point
- Downriver miles = 0
Other exercise modes = TBD (negotiate with Triathlon Tabulator)

Newsletters: Define Your Purpose First

Posted on 28. Sep, 2009 by Jeremy in Prima Communications Blog, Writing & Marketing

A newsletter can be a great communications tool for various kinds of companies. If you’re thinking of starting one (and, if you don’t have one already, you almost certainly should be), it’s important to first determine your purpose:

Do you want your newsletter to be more informational, with news from your field or industry—or more sales-oriented, with news about your products or services?
Is your audience likely to respond better to an electronic newsletter, or a more traditional paper one? Should you do both?
How will you appeal to both current and prospective clients or customers?
What should the newsletter’s tone and look be—and what should they accomplish?

There’s a lot to settle on even before you start to draft content. But if you do this initial work, you’ll likely find you’ve laid the foundation for a well-thought-out and successful newsletter.

Check out our newest published article

Posted on 17. Sep, 2009 by Jeremy in Prima Communications Blog

We were thrilled to be invited to contribute to Corp! magazine as one of the 2009 winners of 101 Best & Brightest. This article is particularly relevant to anyone in management or HR.

Strong Internal Communication Benefits Employees and Employer