Jane Anderson explains how to communicate more effectively

Jane Anderson is a strategic communications expert who runs the website janeandersonspeaks.com. Her business, Jane Anderson Strategic Communications, helps leaders to craft their messaging. Jane has worked with several high-profile business figures and is able to assist them in connecting with their target audience.

Jane, how did you become a strategic communications expert?

I undertook a marketing degree and worked for several personal brands. Following this, I moved into Human Resources and Learning and Development for 10 years.  As a result, I built my skillset around helping people and organisations to improve their performance through helping them reposition their brand, increase the amount of leads as well as attract better talent pools and their recruitment processes. I then went on to write 6 books and deliver workshops and training programs about Linkedin, leadership communications, lead generation and personal branding. My next book will be focused on content creation for both internal and extremal communications to drive change.

Do you help both individuals and brands?

Yes, the individuals I help are usually leaders who want to become more confident in creating content in their intranet platforms. They know they need to create more but are often unsure about their message, what to say or trying to find time to create it.

I also work with individuals who are experts in their field and looking to build their personal brand, share their ideas and leverage their expertise by creating content that motivates, engages and inspires their audiences.

What will people learn through your workshops?

We all have a personal brand whether we like it or not. Most of us need to be creating content, even if we’re an employee and a leader in an organisation. In the programs I run, I help people gain clarity about who they are and who they’re trying to become. From there, I look to identify the relevant communication strategy to make your vision come to life. Your content strategy is about having a plan about your future, creating the right content and then distributing it effectively. We also talk about the fear of standing out, what people think of you and overcoming self-doubt.

What do you mean when you talk about influence as a leader or brand?

We all have the ability and need to persuade each day. Whether you need to ask your kids to pack the dishwasher to pitching to an investor. We’re all in the business of influence, however, for some they have not always felt like they have had a voice. When team members are building their leadership capabilities, they need to find their voice to motivate their teams. As a brand, you can’t just have a logo and a website, you need to find ways to connect with your customer through communication. Today that can mean social media, digital platforms and other high touch human connection. Influence is all about building trust and connection first. When people trust a brand, they come back again and again.

You have one of the most viewed profiles on LinkedIn – how did you achieve this?

There are three key ways that this worked:
1. The profile is written using a high level of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). This ensures people can easily find me based on the words they would type into both Google as well as in LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a search engine, so it’s important to be easily found.

2. The next step was to ensure you’re sharing content, whether original or curated. I write a blog most weeks and it is both shared as both an article and a post to maximise visibility for the 25,000+ connections I have on LinkedIn.

3. There’s no point having a profile if you’re not social. LinkedIn rewards people who comment, like and share others content. It’s important to engage and be involved on any social platform, but especially on LinkedIn. I tend to comment most on posts from those people I know and who have insightful commentary on their area of thought leadership.

What is the most important thing for a leader or brand to know about communicating?

Don’t be afraid of saying the wrong thing. Focus more on intent more than the content itself. Sharing your ideas in the world can be a scary and vulnerable place, but you’ll also be admired for your courage and leadership. You can provide a sense of confidence and purpose to those who don’t have a voice, as well as motivate and inspire change in your organisation, especially for those who are afraid of change and need to trust you.

Thank you Jane for sharing your thoughts with us!
You can follow up with Jane Anderson at https://janeandersonspeaks.com

Mike Smith
Mike Smith
Executive Editor at Best in Australia. Mike has spent over a decade covering news related to business leaders and entrepreneurs around Australia and across the world. You can contact Mike here.
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