Shannon Tucker

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Through consistency, authenticity, and valuable content, executives can effectively differentiate themselves and strengthen their influence in the digital space. Showcasing a strong personal brand online can set you apart from other executives and foster valuable connections across industries. But how can you best convey your unique perspective and expertise in a way that resonates with your audience? To help you do this, the members of Fast Company Executive Board share their tried-and-true strategies for building a strong, relatable, and memorable personal brand. From sharing your authentic experiences to engaging in thoughtful conversations, here's how you can stand out from the crowd and strengthen your online influence.

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It's your delivery that truly counts. Implement these tips if you want prospective customers to take action regarding your brand. Whether you are marketing a product to build on the momentum of your latest campaign, or delivering a well-thought-out pitch to a venture capitalist for additional funding, storytelling is an essential part of the process that will elevate your company's growth potential and credibility in the marketplace. Below, 19 Fast Company Executive Board members each offer their best tip for developing a storyline that will make a strong impact and get people excited about your business enough to take a significant call to action that will reflect on quarterly growth.

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When done correctly, newsjacking is an important part of any thought leadership or brand awareness strategy.

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Here's how to stop the lies from spreading and keep loyal consumers updated on what's correct. When it comes to maintaining a positive image and authentic brand reputation, company leaders need to control their narrative before someone on the outside tries to spin their own tales about the brand in a non-appealing way. Here, 15 brand leaders from Fast Company Executive Board each share their most effective strategies to combat misinformation and ensure the integrity of information in an era of digital manipulation.

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Here's what it takes to ace your next press interview, according to experts. When preparing for an interview on a live or on-demand platform, it's important to focus on both content and delivery. Whether you’re an introvert who prefers careful planning or an extrovert who feeds off energy, preparing yourself for an upcoming interview can ensure that you're represented accurately and positively.  From refining your key messages to honing your body language, there are a few things you can do to get yourself interview-ready. To that end, Fast Company Executive Board members share tried-and-true tips to ensure you’re ready to make the most of your time in the spotlight.

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Here’s why a hybrid approach is the best-case scenario for businesses.

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These strategies can help you forge good relationships with the press and encourage positive PR for your business. Media coverage and strong press relationships are often essential for elevating your company's public-facing profile. But how do you effectively engage with the press and create a business relationship that benefits both parties? Below, Fast Company Executive Board members offer their best tips for leaders who want to connect with journalists and secure valuable media exposure. Read on for their recommendations on navigating press relations and securing positive media coverage.

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Here's how to identify, recruit, and nurture the right people to share your company's impact. As it becomes even more competitive for brands to showcase their unique ability to provide consumer value over similar products and services, storytelling continues to grow as a key component in how companies deliver their narratives to current and prospective clients.  What better way to leverage an organization's background, mission, goals, and achievements than through a dedicated affiliate program featuring brand ambassadors who are just as passionate about all the things the brand represents and how it has made a difference in their lives? If you're ready to launch an affiliate or brand ambassador program to elevate your business offerings in the marketplace here are 10 ideas to consider, courtesy of Fast Company Executive Board members.

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Companies work hard to put together time-consuming award submissions. Make it count.

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Don't sleep on yourself. Apply these brand strategies to remain diligent about pouring into your future no matter where you are in life or work.  Whether you own your own business or represent your current employer, the fluctuating marketplace continues to demonstrate that nothing is guaranteed. That's why business owners who are also thought leaders and career professionals and are trying to elevate their industry stakes are all the wiser for nurturing their personal and professional brands simultaneously.  It may mean taking up a course to update their skills or knowledge on a particular industry topic, or it could be as simple as becoming more intentional about connecting with like-minded industry peers and mentors. Either way, professionals who are proactive in ensuring they have the potential to grow outside of any one organization or business venture are more likely to set themselves on course to secure a stable outlook for their future no matter what conditions the economy is facing.  Below, 12 Fast Company Executive Board members each offer one best practice for aspiring and current thought leaders who want to strengthen their personal and professional brands successfully.

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Your target audience isn’t going out of their way to find information on your company. It’s your responsibility to serve them everything they need to know on a silver platter.

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Industry experts share top tips to make your mark in business and continue to move ahead. When your brand is competing in a saturated market, it's important to figure out how to stand out from other businesses. But it's not about being the loudest voice online or placing out-of-home advertisements. Standing out is most effective when leaders do their research to understand who they are talking to and what will resonate with their audience. Below, 20 Fast Company Executive Board members each provide one successful tactic for reaching the right audience and staying visible in a crowded market without being spammy or offensively persistent.

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Here's what makes PR agencies tick—and how you can revise your "Really Frustrating Process" request to make the experience better for all.

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The next time you’re tempted to put “PR experience required” on a job posting, reconsider. You might be alienating some up-and-coming PR rockstars simply because their journey began elsewhere.

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Here's what marketing teams are counting on to improve their client conversion rates this year. With the landscape of B2B marketing changing at a rapid pace, creative content leaders and teams need to stay ahead of the curve if they want to gain brand recognition among prospective clients in the marketplace. As we head into the new year, 19 Fast Company Executive Board members each offer one trend that they are most excited about and why other leaders should keep an eye on as well to promote their growth of business throughout the entire year.

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Preparing for interviews is a necessity, no matter how much experience you have (or think you have!). Here are four of my favorite tips for any spokesperson to keep in mind to ensure you nail the interview.

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Here's how to build product and service momentum that continues to resonate with customers.  How do you keep the buzz going about your company's new product or service when the thrill of the launch is gone? It starts by treating the initial launch as just the beginning—with no foreseeable end in sight. Brand leaders can master this strategy by creating fresh content and sourcing updated data analysis that will give current and potential customers something to talk about. Below, 15 Fast Company Executive Board members share additional best practices to keep your company newsworthy during and beyond the initial buzz.

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Here are three storytelling tips for companies looking to make an impact in their B2B market.

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It's Women's Entrepreneurship Day! This year, WEDO celebrates 10 years of its mission to empower more women in leadership.  Across a broad range of industries, women in leadership pour mentorship and guidance into developing their direct mentees or encouraging their colleagues to make sound business decisions—positively impacting the recipients' lives and future careers for the better.  However, in the marketplace, it is not uncommon for women (no matter what level they have reached in their field of interest) to experience "imposter syndrome." If left unchecked, this mindset can hinder their potential growth and success in the short and long term. Instead, the key is for them to boldly redefine their narrative and career path before someone else does. Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization (WEDO) was founded by Wendy Diamond in 2013. To mark its 10-year milestone, 20 experts from Fast Company Executive Board share the best advice they've ever received from a successful woman in business.

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Don't let your physical or mental health go by the wayside. Landing a remote career opportunity with a great company may seem like the ideal solution to help busy employees navigate their current circumstances, especially for those in need of additional resources to balance a job that they truly love with caregiving responsibilities or other challenges they may be facing at home. However,  it's more than essential to make the most of what a true work-life balance should look like when the lines begin to blur. Based on their own remote work experiences, 18 Fast Company Executive Board members offer their top suggestions for promoting the best physical and mental health possible while working remotely. To keep moving and stay engaged with others, try the following.

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I'm passionate about all things growth hacking, leadership development, and inclusion—so much so that I created a conference, developed a game, and wrote a book about the root of it all: growing deeply human connections.  So, what does it take to build a company culture that fosters those types of connections? We all know there's merit to in-person interaction, but paying for office space and asking your team to commute every day may not be the answer. Instead, the same money that some leaders may put toward rent can be used for team kickoffs, company retreats, and interpersonal events. These activities are far more thoughtful and effective in building personal relationships, connections, and a sense of belonging. The key is to make any team gathering intentional, which ultimately ends up being more productive—and less expensive.  To help other leaders cultivate a sense of belonging, I asked members Fast Company Executive Board Company Culture, an online community that I lead, for their top culture-building tips.   

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Business thought leaders weigh in on their top online marketing methods. Storytelling in the business world is essential if you want your organization to stand out in the crowd. How can business leaders become more strategic as they plan their content calendars to attract potential clients and partners through the digital marketing space? Using social media to improve a company's brand appeal is often directly linked to building genuine relationships. It's also about presentations and being more intentional about how you connect with others. By doing so, an organization is more likely to create trust and loyalty over time.  Below, 20 Fast Company Executive Board members discuss additional ways to increase brand recognition and financial growth through business engagement on social networks.

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When it comes to reputation management, not enough companies are starting with basics like their Glassdoor page. Given that this platform sees 55 million visitors monthly, it’s time to prioritize it.

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If you're thinking about creating a content resource to serve clients and customers better, consider the following points before you move forward. Whether you are building a new brand or trying to elevate the image of a mainstay product or service that has been around for years, publishing a regular newsletter can be a great way to keep clients and customers informed and excited about what your business is working on next. However, running a high-quality newsletter alongside the daily operations of a well-oiled corporation or small business is not as easy as it sounds. Before you decide to take on any additional responsibilities or add more to your team’s plate, 20 members from Fast Company Executive Board are here to offer their take on what it means to make this type of commitment to potential audience members and the staff they’ll be expecting to lean on.

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Business leaders discuss their best practices. In today's marketplace, there's no way around it, no matter what the industry—content rules. But when it comes to attracting new clients and retaining longtime customers, how do you grab their attention without losing their interest every time? Doing so can be hit or miss. It's one thing to simply create general content and it's another to genuinely engage your audience and give them something to look forward to watching and reading on a regular basis. Whether it's a brand newsletter, a company social channel, or a new business podcast, members from Fast Company Executive Board have plenty of experience. They are here to explain 20 methods to encourage your target base to read, watch, hit the subscribe button, and share.

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A successful ESG program is authentic. It must be communicated publicly in a way that is easy to understand and truthful, and PR needs a seat at the table to ensure the stories are told.

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If you don't want your team's eyes to glaze over every time they see an email from you in their inbox, then apply these internal communication strategies from leading experts. Internal communications are essential for keeping employees informed and engaged, but getting employees to read and keep up with the messages can be a challenge. That's why, as a leader, it's important to craft communications that are clear, concise, and relevant to the audience. By doing so, you can ensure that employees feel valued and informed, which can boost morale and productivity. To help you achieve this, try these expert tips for writing internal communications that employees will actually read and keep up with, as recommended by the members of Fast Company Executive Board.

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Even the most successful companies can make missteps, and when those mistakes involve leadership, the consequences can be severe. A company's reputation is a crucial asset that can take years to build but can be destroyed in an instant. Negative publicity and online backlash can quickly spread after leadership mistakes, causing irreparable damage to a company's reputation. However, there are steps that a company can take to clean up its negative business reputation online and regain the trust of its clients. To help, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members recommended some effective strategies that can help turn things around and get your business back in the good graces of potential and current clients, even after past leadership missteps.

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It starts with the right topic and a diverse group of thought leaders. The uptick in on-demand podcasts continues to attract a diverse group of audience members and spans all industries. Therefore, it's important for business leaders, who are interested in launching a brand-related or independent digital listening series to develop a smart, niche concept and then bring in the right guests. To give the people what they want through added value content, it's not a bad idea to test the waters first to ensure you are on the right track with potential clients and customers.  Below are 13 tips Fast Company Executive Board members want other leaders to consider if they are thinking about expanding their company's brand awareness through the development of a podcast series.

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There are several pragmatic strategies you can try to ensure the ROI of your marketing/PR program is front and center for decision-makers when times get tough—and you keep your job.

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Here are three tips for getting the biggest bang for your influencer bucks.

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Apply these strategies to enhance your team's performance levels and standards. To set your team up for success and the confidence to meet department expectations and throughout the company, it's critical to start the conversation early.  Providing clear context, consistently, about big-picture goals and objectives will encourage employees to stay accountable, collaborate effectively, and become even more invested as they learn more about the "why." Below, 16 Fast Company Executive Board members are sharing their tips to inspire individuals, motivate teamwork, and achieve better outcomes. 

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Is your team truly benefiting from the current paid-time-off policies in place? In a hybrid work world where place and time flexibilities are a growing priority among current and potential employees, some employers are weighing in on the topic of PTO benefits. While it's important for companies to create work-life balance options and address the needs of their people, department leaders must also have candid conversations with their teams on performance expectations and the amount of time spent away from the office to prevent any business disruption.  Trying to decide on whether to create individual policies or vacation, sick time, and other forms of leave versus offering an all-inclusive unlimited PTO package? Here are 13 details to keep in mind, courtesy of Fast Company Executive Board members.

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PR professionals and reporters all have the same goal: to do good work and tell great stories.

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Implement these methods to distribute newsworthy information, solidify manager-team engagement, and build a culture of trust. When you're responsible for leading a company, whether small or large, it's necessary to find a cohesive way to deliver the internal high points and low points through effective communications, and timing is everything to maintain employee loyalty.  In addition, leaders should learn to utilize multiple platforms for their staff members to engage in, based on their comfort level, once they receive the information. This approach enables managers to separate news that is "nice to know" from the "absolutely must know" right now. Below, 12 experts from Fast Company Executive Board share their best practices to prevent executives from missing the moment.

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Clients and customers are the lifeblood of company growth, so be willing to resolve differences amicably and meet them where they're at. In the business environment, it's impossible to please everyone all of the time. But when it comes to satisfying and dealing with your own clients and customers, they're always a way to come up with a practical solution to serve the best interest of each party. Being an active listener, who is able to keep calm and professional, no matter what customer challenge they are facing, will move the conversation forward in a positive direction and potentially help salvage the relationship.  Below, 14 Fast Company Executive Board members are sharing their best solutions to make disgruntled clients feel valued and increase satisfaction rates.

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Sometimes, the simplest daily habits can have the most significant impact on your overall productivity and mindset. Happy and healthy employees can help enhance a team's overall productivity. The more productive and collaborative your team is, the more successful your business will be. As a leader, part of your role is to model good habits to increase productivity, whether it's by making time for self-care routines or by creating the perfect organizational system that works for your team. Below, 15 Fast Company Executive Board members shared the unique habits they believe can help both the personal and professional productivity of leaders and their teams.

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Press releases by themselves are not going to result in much—if any—media coverage.

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PR is hard to do well, which is why good PR agencies and top in-house talent are expensive. If you don’t have the budget for either one, that doesn’t mean your hands are tied. You just have to get creative.

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Being a go-to source for reporters takes time, patience, diligence, and consistency.

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Every company needs a crisis plan. Let me say that again for the people in the back: Every company needs a crisis plan.