Category: Blog

What Is Managed IT Services & Who Provides Services

Posted on by Elevate Services Group

 

 

As managed IT services have grown in popularity, you’ve probably heard the concept touted often as the answer to your business’s IT woes. Still, there can be plenty of mystery on the topic. What is managed IT services, exactly? How do organizations integrate managed IT services into their existing business and workflows? Also, who provides these services? In today’s business blog we’ll answer these questions and more.

 

What Is Managed IT Services Exactly?

 

Managed IT services is a broad term describing any scenario in which a company (that’s you) partners with a vendor, called a managed service provider (or MSP), to handle some or all IT responsibilities for the company.

 

The exact services that MPSs offer range pretty widely. Companies, too, vary widely in terms of their IT infrastructure and needs, as well as exactly which IT responsibilities they choose to outsource to an MSP. Some firms may contract with an MSP to handle absolutely everything about their IT infrastructure. More commonly, companies will outsource only certain portions of their IT workload.

 

It’s a little easier to understand the concept of managed IT services by looking at some examples of how they are currently being used in several types of organizations.

 

How Do Organizations Utilize Managed IT Services?

 

Businesses implement managed IT services in a whole host of ways. Here are a few examples.

 

Some companies look to a managed service provider to handle all or nearly all its IT needs. Growing small businesses, for example, may not have much (or any) in-house IT presence. They need capabilities that they don’t have, and they find it simpler and more affordable to contract with an MSP than to build out their own in-house IT team.

 

On the other end of the spectrum, a medium or large business with an established in-house IT team might look to a managed service provider to alleviate some stress on that team. A larger firm might outsource helpdesk-level support, for example. In doing so, the company would empower its in-house team. Free from the distractions of troubleshooting workstations and managing software installs, the in-house IT specialists can focus their attention on the higher-level tasks they were hired to do.

 

Businesses of any size can also look to an MSP to fill a specialized need. Some areas of IT have unpredictable costs, and others are simply cost-prohibitive for many smaller businesses to build on their own. Some areas can be difficult to hire for, too. Examples of specialized needs that can be met through managed IT services include cyber security, information security and compliance, and cloud services.

 

What Are Reasons to Choose a Managed Service Provider (MSP)?

 

Businesses who have embraced the managed IT services model do so for a wide variety of reasons. Some are unique to specific industries, but many are universal. Here are a few reasons it likely makes sense for your business to choose a managed service provider for your managed IT services needs.

 

Scaling for Growth

 

Scaling your IT infrastructure has real costs when you do it in house. You need additional equipment, additional floor space to house the equipment, and additional personnel to install, run, and monitor the equipment. Managed service providers, on the other hand, already have the equipment. They’re running servers for dozens of businesses, so they have automatic capacity when you need more. They can leverage the economy of scale in a way you can’t.

 

Growth isn’t just measured in headcount, either. Device count continues to increase, too. Employees expect to be able to interact with systems using their work computer, laptop, tablet, and phone—both on site and off. Your in-house team doesn’t have the time to support all these device issues. A managed service provider does.

 

The Talent Gap Is Real

 

If you have an in-house team, are you having trouble keeping it fully staffed with well qualified people? You’re not alone. One reason is that the US has reached full employment, making domestic hiring more difficult than ever before.

 

Another more serious reason is the digital talent gap. In 2017 (that’s before we reached full employment), 54% of companies were having difficulty finding workers with the right digital skills. It’s not gotten better.

 

Fill your business’s talent gap by partnering with an MSP. The right MSP will have the specialties you’re missing and will be able to work in harmony with your in-house team.

IT Managed Services

 

Who Provides Managed IT Services?

 

If your business is looking into working with a managed service provider, you may be asking who provides managed IT services. The good news is you have plenty of options. There are quite a few local providers offering managed IT services in every metropolitan area, and there are a few global players as well. We’ll get to that distinction, but first, a word on services offered and specialization.

 

Services Offered and Specialization

 

The first question businesses should ask is whether an MSP offers the services they need. Not every MSP has exactly the same offerings or experience, so don’t be afraid to ask pointed questions. Don’t just ask whether they offer a given service; ask how many clients they’ve served with it.

 

Some industries, like healthcare or finance, have developed specialized IT needs. Accordingly, some MSPs specialize in specific industries or technologies. In short, look for niche players if you’re in a niche industry.

 

Local vs. Global MSPs

 

Choosing a local firm means getting local, boots-on-the-ground support. The best local firms offer a wide spectrum of services, including extended hours, and have the infrastructure and personnel depth you need. You’ll get individualized attention and you’ll support your local economy.

 

Choosing a global firm like Amazon’s AWS gives you access to more raw power and, often, innovative technology others can’t match. Customer service, on the other hand, can be a bit impersonal, and fixing on-site problems can take time.

 

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a quality local managed services provider, we’re here for you. Contact us today to get started.

What Is The Fake DHS Phishing Email Going Around?

Posted on by Elevate Services Group

 

How Can You and Your Employees Avoid It?

 

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is warning about an email phishing scam that tricks users into clicking on malicious attachments that look like legitimate Department of Homeland Security (DHS) notifications.

 

The email campaign uses a spoofed email address to appear like a National Cyber Awareness System (NCAS) alert and lure targeted recipients into downloading malware through a malicious attachment.

 

 

CISA says that users should take the following actions to avoid becoming a victim of social engineering and phishing attacks:

 

  • Be wary of unsolicited emails, even if the sender appears to be known; attempt to verify web addresses independently (e.g., contact our helpdesk or search the internet for the main website of the organization or topic mentioned in the email).
  • Use caution with email links and attachments without authenticating the sender. CISA will never send NCAS notifications that contain email attachments.
  • Immediately report any suspicious emails to our helpdesk.

 

What Is A Phishing Attack?

 

Phishing attacks use email or malicious websites to solicit personal information by posing as a trustworthy organization. For example, an attacker may send email seemingly from a reputable credit card company or financial institution that requests account information, often suggesting that there is a problem.

 

When users respond with the requested information, attackers can use it to gain access to the accounts. Phishing attacks may also appear to come from other types of organizations, such as charities. Attackers often take advantage of current events and certain times of the year, such as:

 

  • Natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes, earthquakes)
  • Epidemics and health scares (e.g., H1N1)
  • Economic concerns (e.g., IRS scams)
  • Major political elections
  • Holidays

 

Why Can Email Attachments Be Dangerous?

 

Some of the characteristics that make email attachments convenient and popular are also the ones that make them a common tool for attackers:

 

  • Email is easily circulated. Forwarding email is so simple that viruses can quickly infect many machines. Most viruses don’t even require users to forward the email—they scan a users’ computer for email addresses and automatically send the infected message to all of the addresses they find. Attackers take advantage of the reality that most users will automatically trust and open any message that comes from someone they know.
  • Email programs try to address all users’ needs. Almost any type of file can be attached to an email message, so attackers have more freedom with the types of viruses they can send.
  • Email programs offer many “user-friendly” features. Some email programs have the option to automatically download email attachments, which immediately exposes your computer to any viruses within the attachments.

DHS Phishing

 

How Do You and Your Employees Avoid Being a Victim?

 

  • Be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls, visits, or email messages from individuals asking about employees or other internal information. If an unknown individual claims to be from a legitimate organization, try to verify his or her identity directly with the company.
  • Don’t provide personal information or information about your organization, including its structure or networks, unless you are certain of a person’s authority to have the information.
  • Don’t reveal personal or business financial information in an email, and don’t respond to email solicitations for this information. This includes following links sent in an email.
  • Don’t send sensitive information over the internet before checking a website’s security.
  • Pay attention to the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a website. Malicious websites may look identical to a legitimate site, but the URL may use a variation in spelling or a different domain (e.g., .com vs. .net).
  • If you are unsure whether an email request is legitimate, try to verify it by contacting the company directly. Don’t use the contact information provided on a website connected to the request; instead, check previous statements for contact information.
  • Ask us to install and maintain anti-virus software, firewalls, and email filters to reduce some of this traffic.
  • Take advantage of any anti-phishing features offered by your email client and web browser.

 

Get New School Security Awareness Training

 

You must train your employees to be constantly vigilant to identify attackers’ attempts to deceive them. New-School Security Awareness Training will provide the knowledge they need to defend against these attacks.

 

What Is New-School Security Awareness Training?

 

More than ever, your users are the weak link in your IT security. You need highly effective and frequent cybersecurity training, along with random Phishing Security Tests that provide several remedial options in case an employee falls for a simulated phishing attack.

 

With world-class, user-friendly New-School Security Awareness Training, you’ll have training with self-service enrollment, completion logs, and both pre-and post-training phishing security tests that show you who is or isn’t completing prescribed training. You’ll also know the percentage of your employees who are phish-prone.

 

And with the end-user training interface, your users get a fresh new learner experience that makes learning fun and engaging. It has optional customization features to enable “gamification” of training, so your employees can compete against their peers on leaderboards and earn badges while learning how to keep your organization safe from cyber attacks.

 

With New-School Security Awareness Training You’ll…

 

Have Baseline Testing to assess the phish-prone percentage of your users through a free simulated phishing attack.

 

Train your users with the world’s largest library of security awareness training content; including interactive modules, videos, games, posters and newsletters, and automated training campaigns with scheduled reminder emails.

 

Phish your users with best-in-class, fully automated simulated phishing attacks, and thousands of templates with unlimited usage, and community phishing templates.

 

See the results with enterprise-strength reporting that show stats and graphs for both training and phishing, all ready for your management.

 

New-School Training…

 

  • Sends Phishing Security Tests to your users and you get your phish-prone percentage.
  • Rolls out Training Campaigns for all users with automated follow-up emails to “nudge” incomplete users, as well as point-of-failure training auto-enrollment.
  • Uses Advanced Reporting to monitor your users’ training progress, and to watch your phish-prone percentage drop.
  • Provides a New Exploit Functionality that allows an internal, fully automated human penetration testing.
  • Includes a New USB Drive Test that allows you to test your users’ reactions to unknown USBs they find.

 

Plus, you can access Training Access Levels: I, II, and III giving you access to an “always-fresh” content library based on your subscription level. You’ll get web-based, on-demand, engaging training that addresses the needs of your organization whether you have 50, 500 or 5,000 users.

 

Keep your business from being victimized by phishing attacks.

 

We can tell you more about New School Security Awareness training for your employees.

Tech Competence and Attorneys: New Changes You Need To Know About

Posted on by Elevate Services Group

 

If you are a lawyer or if you are hiring a lawyer, technology competence, often shortened to tech competence, is a term that you should be aware of. Recently, changes have been recommended in regards to tech competence and attorneys. Here is everything that you need to know about this topic.

 

What is Tech Competence?

 

Lawyers have always had a duty to be competent in the areas of law they practice. However, in 2012, the American Bar Association made a change to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct. The change being made was to make it clear that attorneys need to take steps to be competent in regards to technology. This change stated the lawyers need to stay competent in regards to the benefits and risks associated with technology that is relevant to their firm and line of work. Each state was free to adopt or reject this change, and to date, 36 states have adopted this change.

 

What New Changes Have Been Recommended in Regards to Tech Competence?

 

A committee met and issued a report in February of 2019 that recommended revisions be made to the current Rules of Professional Conduct in regards to technology. The changes that the committee recommended making were designed to make it clear that it is an attorney’s job and legal responsibility to ensure that they are competently representing their client. The changes that are being recommended to ensure that law firms and lawyers understand that this duty reaches into the technology that they use. The committee wanted to make it clear that it is a lawyer’s duty to ensure that client information is confidential, and as such, they are responsible for protecting against unauthorized access. Unauthorized access can occur if a database gets hacked or emails are intercepted.

 

The committee designed with making changes issued its report in February of 2019. The public was given the opportunity to comment and provide feedback through April 19, 2019. Currently, the recommendation is being reviewed by the D.C. Bar Board of Governors. Ultimately, they will decide if the recommendations should be passed on to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, who ultimately sets the rules of practice within the District of Columbia.

 

IT Services Law Firms

 

How Can Your Law Firm Ensure You Are Meeting the New Guidelines?

 

While the changes in regards to tech competence and lawyers have not yet been approved, it is expected that it will be. It is also expected that many of the 36 states who adopted the tech competence changes will follow the District of Columbia’s lead and adopted these rules. As such, you may find yourself wondering what this means for you as a law firm, lawyer or individual or business looking to hire a law firm. If you are a lawyer or law firm, you need to ensure that you are taking steps to protect any personal client information. You need to ensure your website is secure, that you are sending all confidential emails in an encrypted manner, and take steps to ensure your cloud is secure. As a client, you want to ask law firms what steps they have taken to ensure the technology they use is secure.

 

As technology advances, new changes will likely be made to tech competence and the way it impacts attorneys and law firms. Being proactive and ensuring the technology you use is secure is the best way to meet your requirements under the new guidelines.

Spoofing & Hacking: What’s The Difference?

Posted on by Elevate Services Group

 

 

Most people know not to open email attachments from senders that they do not know. Unfortunately, it is not just attachments from strangers that you have to be on the lookout for. It happens quite often that people will get emails that seem to be from known senders that have malicious attachments, or that ask for confidential information. If you get such an email—or if someone gets such an email that appears to be from you but that you did not send—does that mean that your email has been hacked? Not necessarily.

 

Hacking and spoofing are two methods that bad actors use to manipulate individuals and businesses into doing things that are against their best interests. Hacking and spoofing can appear to be the same at first glance but are actually quite different. The risks of hacking, especially for businesses, are much greater than those posed by spoofing. Neither is desirable, but you want to know the differences between the two so that you and your employees can identify potential compromises to your email accounts.

 

Hacking vs Spoofing—What You Need to Know

What does it mean when your email account has been hacked?

 

A hacked email account is something you should be very concerned with. Being hacked means that a bad actor has managed to gain full access to your email account—which could mean that they have access to more than just your email account. There are a variety of ways to hack an email account, including:

 

  • Guessing your email password (seems unlikely, but you would be surprised how simple many email passwords are, such as birthdays, anniversary dates, and other information easily obtained on social media)
  • Answering your security questions correctly
  • You entered it into a website or form (it may have been a phony website, one that offered you a free gift, or a site you visited from a link in an email)
  • You used the same password on a different site and the site used it to access your email
  • You have a spyware program on your computer that recorded you typing in your password and sent it to a hacker
  • Viruses, malware or other undesirable software is on your computer and allowed a hacker to get your email password

 

If your email account has been hacked it means you need to take immediate steps to correct the situation. The risks to your system and your company information vary based on the way that the email password was obtained. A hacker guessing the password is much less problematic than having viruses, spyware or malware on your computer. A guessed password simply needs to be changed, whereas an infected computer needs to be cleaned up before more compromises occur that may be even more damaging to your business.

 

Even if the hacker guessed the password, there is a real risk that he or she could use the email account to access other information or accounts. If you suspect your email account has been hacked you need to take immediate steps to remedy the situation, including:

 

  • Check your recent email activity to see if anything was sent that you were not aware of
  • Change your password
  • Use different passwords for every account
  • Start using a password manager to generate random, complex passwords
  • Update your system to the latest OS and update your security software
  • Run your antivirus and malware detection programs

Spoofing and Hacking

 

What does it mean when your email account has been spoofed?

 

Although spoofing can look a lot like hacking, it is actually something completely different. When your email has been spoofed, it means that someone sent an email that appeared to be from your email account but was not actually from your account. You can think of it as someone sending a letter and putting your return address on the envelope. Doing this is not too complicated with the right software. The bad actor does not need access to your email account to spoof your account.

 

Your account is safe even if you have been spoofed. However, having your account spoofed can be quite concerning, especially in a business setting. A bad actor could spoof your email and send a message to an employee asking for sensitive company information. There are a few things you can do to help prevent spoofing of your email address, including:

 

  • Do not share your email address with anyone who does not need it for business purposes
  • Do not allow employees to share your email address

 

Improving Business Email Security

 

For more information about improving email security for your business, please contact our IT services team.

What Is Technology Competence

Posted on by Elevate Services Group

 

According to the LawSites blog, as of this writing, there are 36 states that have adopted the ABA’s updated Model Rule 1.1, which states that lawyers should maintain technology competence. The rule is purposefully vague to allow for the constant changes in technology that the legal industry is encountering. Unfortunately, the vagueness can create some anxiety for lawyers who want to meet the requirements of the rule. What does the ABA mean by “technology competence”, and how can lawyers achieve competence?

 

 

To better understand the expectations of the ABA and the states embracing its rules, it is necessary to take a closer look at how technology has impacted legal representation and ways that it can improve a lawyer’s practice.

 

Your main goal as a lawyer has always been to represent your client to the best of your ability. It was once enough to be knowledgeable in your legal area to ensure competent representation, but skilled representation today also means being able to use technology to improve efficiency, security and ideally the results you get for clients.

 

Technology Competence—The Basics

 

Update to ABA Model Rule 1.1

 

To get a grasp on what technology competence means for you and your practice, it is helpful to read the updated ABA rules:

 

Maintaining Competence

 

To maintain the requisite knowledge and skill, a lawyer should keep abreast of changes in the law and its practice, including the benefits and risks associated with relevant technology, engage in continuing study and education and comply with all continuing legal education requirements to which the lawyer is subject.

 

As you can see, the rule is not terribly specific about what it means to be competent in technology for a lawyer. It states that you should, “…keep abreast of changes in the law and its practice, including the benefits and risks associated with relevant technology…” However, if you consider what the relevant technologies are in law—and their benefits and risks—you can get a clearer idea of how to approach tech in your own practice.

 

Relevant Technology in Law

 

There are some technologies that are quite relevant to the practice of law and are being used by lawyers across the country and the globe. These include:

 

Electronic Discovery

 

Discovery has always been the backbone of case building, but electronic tools have increased the power and efficiency of the discovery process in numerous ways. These tools allow for more comprehensive preservation of information, more thorough review of information and faster production of information. Failing to leverage electronic tools in the discovery process is doing clients a disservice.

Law Firm Technology Competence in USA

 

Internet Investigations

 

You do not have to be a professional internet investigator to get a lot of benefit out of internet searches. Just being able to do simple internet searches for information can make the investigation process faster and more thorough than it otherwise would be. There are also numerous tools available online for conducting investigations.

 

Cyber Security

 

Considering that most of the information you obtain for clients and from clients will be digital, it is incredibly important that you take basic cyber security measures to protect that information. From hackers looking to blackmail victims to government agencies reviewing every bit of information they can get their hands on, there is a multitude of actors who can target your data and compromise your practice.

 

Understanding the Technology Used by Clients

 

The clients you represent are using technology in a myriad of ways. You need to have a basic understanding—or possibly a much more in-depth understanding—of what tech they are using and how they use it. That means educating yourself not only on legal tech but also on any tech pertinent to your clients and their legal needs.

 

Courtroom Technology

 

There are a variety of tech tools that can make you more effective in the courtroom. They can help you better organize, present and explain information to your audience. Every little advantage you can get can make a difference when presenting your case.

 

Legal Technologies that Make Business Easier and More Efficient

Many legal technology tools are fairly mundane, but that does not make them any less useful. You can leverage them to provide your legal services with less work on your end. File sharing, automated document assembly and electronic court scheduling are all useful.

 

Using Technology to Better Serve Your Clients

 

Your ability to serve your clients is improved in many different ways through technology competence. While it may take time and effort to improve your competency, the benefits of doing so can be significant for both your clients and your practice.

 

To learn more about legal technologies that might benefit your firm, please contact our managed IT services team.

Cutting These Two Corners Could Lead to Business Disaster

Posted on by Elevate Services Group

 

 

Cost-cutting measures are not unusual for organizations as they traverse the standard lifecycle of products and services. What you decide to cut during the lean times can have just as much impact as to where investments go when your business is flush with cash. Some organizations start their cuts in advertising and marketing but eventually make their way to technology projects. Managing expenses and balancing them with the associated risks is a critical task in organizations, but there are two places where the risk simply isn’t worth the savings in expense reductions: cybersecurity and proactive support for your business technology. Reducing your funds in these two vital areas could cause a negative impact on the organization that has a ripple effect felt for years to come. Here’s why these are the two places that you should never cut corners in your business.

 

Protecting Your Organization’s Business Systems and Data

 

Cybersecurity is a broad term that refers to a range of activities including hardware protection, software patches, password requirements, staff training, server maintenance, cloud-based controls and more. There is no simple definition of what can be included in cybersecurity and business requirements change on a fairly regular basis. This alone makes it difficult to set a budget and stick with it — or reduce it over time. The ever-changing nature of threats that can effectively cripple an organization in a very short period of time means that your business will need to continually invest in learning and growth opportunities to reduce the risk to your organization.

 

Data protection is another facet of cybersecurity that demands consideration. From the 2018 GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) to more recent requirements in various states, data privacy and compliance has come to the forefront of the security conversation. Businesses must first wrangle and then protect sensitive personal, health and financial data — not to mention securing their business systems from infiltration by hackers. Skimping on these critical tasks or attempting to do them in-house with limited resources can open your organization to significant fines if you’re found to be non-compliant with global or state-supported regulations.

 

Smoothing the Cost of Technology

 

It’s always tempting to cut out what could essentially be considered insurance: the ongoing maintenance and support of your technology hardware and software. When your business reverts to paying only for systems that are broken and unable to be used, you’re left with a hodgepodge of user complaints due to slowdowns that aren’t “bad enough” to be sent out for repair. Plus, you’re looking at a hefty fee for getting any break-fix work done quickly — and forget about being able to budget effectively by guessing what could potentially require repair or replacement during the year.

 

Proactive maintenance of your business systems allows business users to maintain a high level of productivity while also factoring your technology costs at a reasonable level throughout the year. It can be extremely challenging when you’ve exhausted your budget for break-fix support for the year, only to find that it’s only the beginning of the third quarter. In that case, you’re either siphoning funds from other crucial projects or trying to limp through the remainder of the year until you can reset your budget and resolve outstanding problems. Investing in proactive maintenance means you don’t have to question whether a fix is “important enough” to be resolved as long as the issue is within your service threshold.

 

Protecting your business from unnecessary risk can feel like a full-time job for busy technology leaders. Fortunately, IT managed services providers are able to help with both proactive maintenance and providing the high level of cybersecurity expertise that is needed to help protect your business from both current and emerging threats.

Is The CMO Responsible For Digital Technology Decisions Part 2?

Posted on by Elevate Services Group

 

All businesses today are faced with numerous technology decisions. The rapid rate of tech development and adoption has led to some truly remarkable transformations in the business landscape—and in the responsibilities, various professionals are expected to perform. CMOs are no exception. In fact, if you have been a CMO for very long, you have likely seen your list of responsibilities grow as new tech has arrived. It is precisely because you are expected to leverage marketing technologies to achieve business objectives that you need to participate in the decision-making process regarding digital technologies. Your perspective is vital to ensure that your company chooses the right technology and gets the maximum benefit from that technology once it is incorporated.

 

Why the CMO Needs to Be Involved in Technology Decisions

 

As the chief marketing officer, your main responsibilities are focused in the marketing segment of your business. Once, your role would have centered on building the brand, engaging customers and advertising. Now, you are still expected to ensure that these areas are seen to. But you are also expected to maximize your effectiveness by utilizing all the technology tools available to you. Your engagement with marketing technologies and your familiar with the marketing and business objectives of your company make you a unique, knowledgeable voice in the digital technology decision-making process. You do not necessarily have to be solely responsible for those decisions, but you do need to play a major role.

 

When deciding how heavily you should be involved in tech decisions, you can ask yourself two questions:

 

Does the technology decision have anything to do with marketing?

 

There are plenty of technology decisions that do not involve marketing. The IT department in your organization and the CIO, in particular, make tech-related decisions every day, many of which have nothing to do with the marketing department. From servers to power supplies, password resets to OS installs, the IT team has plenty on its plate that falls squarely within the realm of technology. It would be a waste of your time and of theirs if you were involved in decisions that did not relate to your field of expertise.

 

Of course, there is an increasing number of technology decisions that do involve marketing or affect marketing. The spending on marketing technologies is expanding at a rapid rate across most businesses because it offers so many possibilities and is often required to remain competitive. Any technology decisions that relate to customer engagement, customer data, advertising, or anything to do with marketing or achieving marketing objectives should have your input.

 

Does the technology decision have anything to do with customer interaction?

 

Customer interaction does fall under the marketing umbrella, but it has become more of its own area as companies have embraced social media platforms and CRM technology. Your company needs to collect customer data and it needs to maintain a constant presence for customers, all of which can benefit from the deft touch of marketing professionals. You can help other decision-makers understand what works and what does not when it comes to engaging customers and keeping them engaged.

 

Make Your Job Easier by Partnering with the CIO

 

As fast as you can learn marketing technologies and incorporate them into your business, there will always be a lot you do not know. When approaching such a massive subject as digital technologies, it makes sense to combine your abilities with others in your organization to ensure the best possible results. The CIO is the perfect partner in your efforts. While you focus on achieving marketing objectives, the CIO can focus on ensuring that the technology your business uses to achieve those objectives is functional and that nothing slips through the cracks. The work of the CIO makes sure that all the marketing technologies you rely on are there when you need them.

 

Developing a relationship with the CIO benefits both of you in a myriad of ways. You can learn more about how the different technologies in your organization function and support one another—which allow you to make clearer decisions about what tech you want to use moving forward. By working with you, the CIO gets a better grasp of how you use technology to achieve marketing objectives. Ultimately, the CIO should be able to offer suggestions that would not have been possible without the familiarity gained by working hand in hand with the marketing department.

 

Choose Your Role in Technology Decisions

 

Every organization is unique and requires a customized approach to tech decisions. You are the best person to determine where your role fits within the framework of tech decisions for your company. It may be best for you to head the decisions, or it may be better to serve a support role. What is important is that you take firm steps into the realm of marketing technology and apply your marketing knowledge to the decision-making process. The business will benefit from it, and your role as CMO will only get more interesting and engaging as a result.

How CEOs Can Use Their Blog To Communicate With Staff & Customers

Posted on by Elevate Services Group

 

 

As a CEO, you have tremendous influence over your company’s brand, messaging, values and strategies. You also have a personal brand that increasingly today needs its own shaping, nurturing and feeding.

 

One powerful way to improve your personal brand and your company’s messaging is to have your own blog. Your voice, insights, opinions and news needs a vehicle that can project your thoughts across multiple channels.

 

Knowing why a blog makes sense and best practices is an ideal way to get started.

 

Why Should I Create a CEO Blog?

 

First, consider the multiple audiences to which your voice matters. There are stakeholders and in some cases shareholders that value your communication.

 

Internal blogs allow you to communicate to employees in a very different way. The benefits include:

 

  • Providing an up close and personal insider perspective on work, values and messages you want to convey
  • Promoting your internal persona
  • Promoting and reinforcing key messages
  • Building and celebrating a positive company culture
  • Fostering two-way communication between the c-suite and other employees

 

What Is the Difference Between Internal and External CEO Blogs?

 

External blogging has its own advantages. The tone and content of internal and external blogging likely will be different but the tone, themes and messaging should remain consistent. The advantages of external blogs are:

 

  • Thought leadership. Insights on industry trends, needs, challenges and transformation help establish you as a leader in your field.
  • Valued added. Customers and potential customers are more likely to choose your business if you can provide them with valuable, needed information that helps them do their business better.
  • Authenticity. Build authenticity with external stakeholders with consistent valued content, especially in challenging times or crises. That’s when your voice should be loud, not silent.
  • A face with a brand. Too often companies, especially as they grow larger, become faceless. A blog helps put a human face on your business and brand. Your blog helps keep your business front of mind, especially when they see your information popping up regularly in email inboxes and on social media.
  • Brand loyalty. Customers are going to come back when the products and services they receive are of high value. A blog can help in reinforcing your commitments to quality, customer service and continuous improvement.
  • Spreading your message. When your content is compelling, readers will like, share and forward it to others. This viral marketing, at no additional cost to you, spreads your brand and your thought leadership.
  • Beating the competition. It’s likely some of your competitors are blogging. Get ahead of them with better, regular and more valuable information.

 

In a 2016 New York Times article, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who focuses much of his energy now on his philanthropic foundation, spoke about why he blogs. “It … helps to have a platform for talking about the work I’m doing, both through the foundation and separate from it, because I find people are curious about it,” Gates said.

 

What Makes for a Successful CEO Blog?

 

The best CEO blogs are authentic. They don’t just regurgitate press releases or quarterly results. They inject humanity and persona into the work that your company does and gives you a visible, recognizable brand. Here are some other elements of a successful CEO blog:

 

  • Personalization to a point. This is not the place to talk about your son’s high school graduation. However, personalization is important. Instead, offer glimpses behind the curtain about why and how decisions were made or what you see as key issues or opportunities in the industry.
  • Design matters. You want your blog to be easily readable, especially on mobile devices.
  • Onmichannel. Content is valuable … and you and your marketing team should strategize about how to get the most out of what you provide. Longer blog posts can be followed up by other content — written by you or others — that points back to your hub information. Posts should be teased or delivered via multiple social media platforms. Depending on your business, that may include LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
  • No jargon. Inside baseball is cool, but not when no one can understand what you’re writing. If you’re going to use jargon, be sure that it commonly used within your industry. Otherwise, you could alienate existing and potential customers.
  • Focus on customers. All of your blog content should have a singular focus: What do our customers need? Whether it’s product information, industry news or company information, be sure that it is written to help customers solve problems. Ideally, those problems are those your company is uniquely qualified to address.
  • Use humor … if it’s funny. Humor is a lot harder to write than you would think. Written words cannot easily express tone, pace and intent. Humor adds a personal element to your writing, but it has to be done with care and strategically.

 

Where Can I Find Good Examples of CEO Blogs?

 

Looking for inspiration for your own blog? There are plenty of sources of great CEO blogs and leadership blogs from which to take inspiration. Here are a few examples to review:

CEO blogging can have a deep impact on internal and external messaging. With a clear understanding of goals and tips, your blog will be ready to be published.

Happy Father’s Day!

Posted on by Elevate Services Group

June 16th is Father’s Day, a great reason to spend a little quality time with the family doing a few of Dad’s favorite things.

Whatever your plans are, take some time this Sunday to let Dad know how much you appreciate everything he’s done for you over the years, and how glad you are to have him in your life.

And if this is your day? The {company} team hopes that it’s a great one!

Happy Fathers Day