This post was contributed by Taylor Britt, one of ReadyTalk’s awesome summer interns. Find out what being a ReadyTalk intern is all about.

Well, my summer internship in the marketing department at ReadyTalk is winding down, and I thought I would share a few thoughts on my experiences before I leave to start school.

Unfortunately, I feel like I will never appreciate my job in the future because I’ve been so spoiled by my time here. No dress code, flexible schedules, runs at lunchtime, a kitchen with a drawer filled with chocolate… I won’t be holding out for this anywhere else. However, besides giving me unrealistically high expectations, this company’s culture has made me an admirer of its management. The company thrives off of relationships with its customers, and I think this is only really possible at a company where its employees are authentically happy to be there. I know this sounds like a marketing gimmick, but I’m absolutely sincere, and I think that it’s great that they’ve found a niche where they can take advantage of a win-win situation like this.

I got to work on a bunch of different types of projects this summer and I think I worked on something with everyone in the department, which was cool because I got to see a wide variety of different roles people play in marketing. I doubt I can remember everything I did, but some things are: Updating ReadyTalk’s Wiki, cleaning up trash in a park in downtown Denver, researching the healthcare market, analyzing demographics on webinar attendees, doing competitive analysis on webinar series, rebranding PowerPoint slides for a company that resells our product, packing in random order 5000 coffee sleeves, folding boxes and sending out packages full of ReadyTalk swag, helping analyze ReadyTalk’s compliance with government contracts, updating ReadyTalk’s marketing collateral (Whitepapers, testimonials, and case studies), and setting up a YouTube channel for ReadyTalk.

I also got to help out on ReadyTalk’s new recruitment video (see it on YouTube) although most of the credit for that project ought to go to my fellow intern Kelly King. Never once did I make anyone coffee, which makes me worry that I may have missed out on the “full internship experience.” We also got to spend one afternoon at a Rockies game (the stadium is only a few blocks from our office.)

I think my biggest regret about my summer is that I never brought my dog to work. I would have had to drive down here instead of taking the bus, and he would have gone completely insane all day, but so many people do it here that it seems kind of shameful that I never once brought him in.

While I probably won’t miss the bus ride to work, the building that ReadyTalk’s office is in is really cool. Although it’s probably not actually this old, the worn brick walls and weird metal pipes and rivets on the walls make me think of 19th century prospectors or something like that. There’s also a really nice bookstore downstairs. The main downside of the building that the elevator frequently breaks down and traps people or the elevator door almost crushes someone, but fortunately I managed to evade this over the course of the summer. By this metric, as well as all of the interesting stuff I did and great people I got to work with, this summer was a success and I really appreciate having had the opportunity to work here.

Thanks to Taylor for all his hard work this summer. We wish him the best of luck at the University of Colorado and will let him bring his dog by the office any time.

ReadyTalk interns hard at work.

We recently kicked off the summer Webinar Series, The Evolution of Conferencing, and are excited for part two this month. We’ll be addressing the case of the multi-tasking marketer. If you’re part of a marketing team, you fully grasp the concept of ever-looming deadlines and repeat fire drills. It’s all in a day’s work. But, as the workplace continues to adapt to a changing landscape, marketers have become more efficient with their time by implementing tools that can ease the load and dovetail some of these duties into an effective work-flow. This comes as a benefit not only to the one completing the task but also the team, customer or prospect who is directly impacted by the project.

So, give me an example, you say. Well, consider your conferencing platform. You’re not just using it for remote meetings these days. It’s likely to function in a number of ways – training, demos, collaboration, web events, podcast series and more. This is what we mean by ‘multi-tasking marketer.’ Responsibilities that span a range of projects, all with the end goal of providing qualified leads to the sales organization and meaningful content to those evaluating your service or product.

Multi-tasking has become a habit for most – some are able to manage it in a productive manner, others may still need some guidance (self included). This new series is focused on how conferencing continues to adapt to the frequent advancement of the hundreds of other technology platforms we use everyday to get our work done as marketers. From social media integration to campaign monitoring tools that allow for tracking and reporting, web conferencing continues surprise many with it’s new and innovative uses. We hope you can join us for the upcoming event (we promise it will be well worth your time, plus it doesn’t cost you a thing!) In the mean time, check out this free whitepaper download with tips on choosing the best provider for your needs and tools to consider that  may help you validate your multi-tasking habits.

Remember when conference calls were a big deal? Multiple lines and access codes, oh my! And then web conferencing joined the ranks. Individuals and companies alike began to incorporate a new piece of technology into their meetings. Desktop and application sharing became the norm. A tool that allowed remote participation. A new form of training, demos, and collaboration that was cost effective and efficient.

Then we were introduced to…POLLING! And the webinar world rejoiced.  And this is just one of many in a feature set that we think has demonstrated the continual evolution of conferencing. But, even now you do business differently than you did just a few years ago. Has your conferencing software kept up the pace? Here’s how we’re contributing:

• All-in-One platform: A product that fits every meeting scenario, regardless of size or need. Internal training tool? Check. Large scale, fully supported web event? Check. Sales team demos, marketing webinars, remote office collaboration? Yes. One tool, one provider, endless uses.
• Social Media Integration: Now you’re able to seamlessly share your registration links and recorded content with your social networks like Twitter & Facebook right from your conference center interface. No separate logins required. A one stop shop to create, edit, and disseminate your content in a timely matter.
• Abundant Feature Set: From a Flash based platform, to a one-of-a-kind embeddable media player and unique campaign URL creation for trackable ROI on each event, the available feature list makes for an unmatched experience for both you and your meeting participants.

Later this month we’ll be covering this conferencing timeline and discussing it’s continual enhancements. Be sure to register for the webinar to learn about the new trends in the industry and ask yourself if your tool is keeping up with your business.

Have you been attending our Nonprofit Series? The final event is coming up this Tuesday, June 29th @ 2:00ET, and we’ve gathered some excellent feedback to address. Here is a list of questions our audiences have asked over the course of the series: SEO, WordPress, Google Grants, Facebook that our experts will be covering. Don’t miss out!

• How can you make WordPress work with e-commerce – special event ticket sales, merchandise sales, auctions, donations, etc.?
• How do you set up an organization page on Facebook, as opposed to your personal page? And then how do you link that page to and from your organization’s website?
• What is the difference between wordpress.com and wordpress.org? Which of the two should nonprofits use?
• Is there a way to customize WP to make downloading documents easier and more efficient?
• Is there an easy way to create a mobile version of your WordPress site?
• Can WordPress integrate with your membership database so you can give access to members only?
• And how do we get a free WordPress site for our nonpofit?

Have other burning questions you’d like to ask our panel? Check out the recordings above then leave a comment on this post and we’ll add your questions to the presentation.

Don’t forget to register today for A Manager’s Checklist for Online Success!

Facebook’s Jon Fougner and BlitzLocal demonstrated how Facebook Pages and Ads can powerfully  connect nonprofits with their supporters in the  ReadyTalk Webinar Series on April 28.

Fougner said Facebook is better than other online sites at generating interest because it incorporates  social context. A person is more likely to click that they “Like” a cause or support it financially if they  see that their friends already have done so.

Dennis Yu, CEO of local Internet marketing firm BlitzLocal, demonstrated one social media engagement strategy for Facebook. His firm designed a Facebook Page tab that allows those who “Like” Friends of Trees, a Portland area nonprofit, to earn a badge for their support.

Webinar attendees learned that 70 percent of non-profits already have Facebook Pages, but that only 30 percent are running Facebook ads to them.  Thus, most non-profits are missing out on a massive source of highly engaging traffic. Facebook also offered a free $50 advertising credit for the first 1,000 non-profits that sign up.

This was scheduled to be the final session of “Online Marketing for Nonprofits,” a four-part webinar series hosted by ReadyTalk. Now, due to overwhelming response, a bonus webinar appears to be in the works, according to ReadyTalk’s series manager (more later).

Fougner, Facebook’s associate for ads product marketing, said he was delighted to address the group. “Part of the reason it’s so exciting to speak to nonprofits is that the nonprofit community has been among the leaders in social marketing,” Fougner he said. “Even before Facebook existed, nonprofits have leveraged friends and loved ones to communicate a message and to build support. There’s nothing we love more at Facebook than to see our product used to effect change in the world.”

If you missed it, you can view the webinar recording  here. If you don’t have time to watch, here are some notes inspired by the event on the 7 Deadly Sins for Non-Profits on Facebook:

1. Not allowing fans to post on their page: The default wall settings show only posts by the administrator, effectively shutting out what your fans have to say.  The effect of this is to kill your viral traffic, because who wants to post on a page where comments don’t show up?

2. Not creating a custom tab: Yes, you can have a tab on your page that has video, Twitter, a donation form — many things. You can brand tabs with your logo, colors and more. Sadly, few non-profits are aware of this option, which is via the Static FMBL application.

3. Not connecting their Facebook Page with their website: Social media sites don’t live alone they need to be tied to your website.  Facebook has released Facebook Connect to allow you to do just that, so that what happens on your website can show up on your Facebook page — and vice-versa.  Best of all, it takes only minutes to implement.

4. Not taking advantage of the free $50 from Facebook: You’ll have to download the code from the presentation to be able to see it.  As a special bonus to just attendees, the first 1,000 folks to use it will get it, so don’t delay.

5. Not reserving your vanity url: Better get your name on Facebook before someone else grabs it!  Go to facebook.com/username.  Your shorter url will be easier to remember and is just nicer to have.  BlitzLocal’s is at facebook.com/blitzlocal.

6. Treating social ads like search ads: Are you guilty of copying your Google ads to Facebook and expecting it to work in the same way?  Facebook is about friends who are connecting with each other, not people who are entering in a keyword at the moment they’re interested in buying something.  Thus, on Facebook, you are generating awareness, as opposed to driving conversion at that moment.

7. Not tracking conversions: Number 6 notwithstanding, Facebook ads still drive great conversions.  Because you’re targeting the people as opposed to keywords, the window from the click to the eventual conversion can be months, instead of minutes.  Measure your conversions properly via Facebook’s new conversion tracking tool so you can determine ROI on your ads.

Simone Verhulst, who manages the monthly Webinar Series at ReadyTalk, said the response was strong. “We have had amazing feedback on the entire series, and a huge response to the Facebook presentation. The audience was highly engaged and we had a great Q&A session at the end which gave attendees some bonus material to take away,” she said. “We’ve currently got something extra in the works due to the vast response from our non-profit followers – keep an eye out for June!”

Series co-sponsor BlitzLocal wishes to thank all of its guests in the series, including Jon Fougner, Kristie Mun (Google Grants), Don Campbell (Expand2Web), Brett Meyer (NTEN) and Gillian Muessig (SEOMoz).

Should you have any questions, feel free to reach local Internet marketing firm BlitzLocal at nonprofits@blitzlocal.com.