Emma of Normandy Twice Queen Consort of England

Emma of Normandy (~985 – March 6, 1052) was a  Viking queen of England, married to successive English kings: the Anglo-Saxon Aethelred the Unready, then Cnut the Great. She was also the mother of King Harthacnut and King Edward the Confessor. William the Conqueror claimed the throne in part through his connection to Emma.  She was also known as Aelfgifu. Much of what we know of Emma of Normandy is from the Encomium Emmae Reginae, a writing probably commissioned by Emma and written to praise her and her accomplishments.  Other evidence comes from a few official documents of the time, and from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles and other medieval chronicles. Family Heritage Emma was one of the children of Richard I, Duke of Normandy, by his mistress Gunnora. After they married, their children were legitimized.  Gunnora had Norman and Danish heritage and Richard was the grandson of the Viking Rollo who conquered and then ruled Normandy. Marriage to Aethelred Unraed When Aethelred (known as The Unready or, in a better translation, The Ill-Advised), Anglo-Saxon king of England, was widowed and wanted a second wife, he may have considered marrying  Emma, to ensure peace with Normandy. She was a daughter of the Norman Viking rulers, from where many of the Viking raids on England were originating.  Emma arrived in England and married Aethelred in 1002.  She was given the name Aelfgifu by the Anglo-Saxons. She had three children by Aethelred, two sons and a daughter. In 1013, the Danes invaded England, led by Sweyn Forkbeard, and Emma and her three children fled to Normandy. Sweyn succeeded in toppling Aethelred, who also fled to Normandy. Sweyn died suddenly the next year, and while the Danes supported the succession of Sweyn’s son, Cnut (or Canute), the English nobility negotiated with Aethelred to return. Their agreement, setting conditions for their relationship going forward, is considered the first such between a king and his subjects. Cnut, who was also ruling Denmark and Norway, withdrew from England in 1014.  One of Emma’s stepsons, Aethelred’s heir and eldest, died in June of 1014. His brother, Edmund Ironside, rebelled against his father’s rule.  Emma allied herself with Eadric Streona, an advisor and husband of one of Emma’s stepdaughters. Edmund Ironside joined forces with Aethelred when Cnut returned in 1015.  Cnut agreed to divide the realm with Edmund after Aethelred died in April of 1016, but when Edmund died in November of that year, Cnut became sole ruler of England.  Emma continued to defend against Cnut’s forces. Second Marriage Whether Cnut forced Emma to marry him, or Emma negotiated the marriage with him, is not certain.  Cnut, on their marriage, allowed her two sons to return to Normandy. Cnut sent his first wife, a Mercian also named Aelfgifu, to Norway with their son Sweyn when he married Emma.  Cnut and Emma’s relationship seems to have developed into a respectful and even fond relationship, more than just a political convenience.  After 1020, her name begins to appear more often in official documents, implying an acceptance of her role as queen consort. They had two children together: a son, Harthacnut, and a daughter, known as Gunhilda of Denmark. In 1025, Cnut sent his daughter by Emma, Gunhilda, daughter of Emma and Cnut, to Germany to be raised, so that she could marry the king of Germany, Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor, as part of a peace treaty with the Germans over a border with Denmark. Battles of the Brothers Cnut died in 1035, and his sons contended for succession in England.  A son by his first wife, Harold Harefoot, became regent in England, as he was the only one of Cnut’s sons in England at the time of Cnut’s death.  Cnut’s son by Emma, Harthacnut, became King of Denmark; Cnut’s son Sweyn or Svein by his first wife, had ruled there from 1030 until his death around the same time as Cnut’s death. Harthacnut returned to England to challenge Harold’s rule in 1036, bringing Emma’s sons by Aethelred back to England to help consolidate his claim. (The Encomium claims Harold lured Edward and Alfred to England.)  Harthacnut was frequently absent from England, returning to Denmark, and those absences led many in England to support Harold over Harthacnut. Harold became officially the king in 1037. Harold’s forces captured and blinded Alfred Aetheling, Emma and Aethelred’s younger son, who died of his injuries.  Edward fled to Normandy, and Emma fled to Flanders. In 1036, the marriage of Gunhilda and Henry III, arranged before Cnut’s death, took place in Germany. King Harthacnut In 1040, having consolidated his power in Denmark, Harthacnut prepared for another invasion of England.  Harold died, and Harthacnut took the crown, Emma returning to England.  Edward the Confessor, Emma’s older son by Aethelred, was given control of Essex, and Emma served as regent for Edward until his return to England in 1041. Harthacnut died in June of 1042.  Magnus the Noble, an illegitimate son of Olaf II of Norway, had succeeded Cnut’s son Sweyn in Norway in 1035, and Emma backed him on Harthacnut’s over her son Edward. Magnus ruled Denmark from 1042 until his death in 1047. King Edward the Confessor   In England, Emma’s son Edward the Confessor won the crown.  He married the well-educated Edith of Wessex, a daughter of Godwin who had been created Earl of Wessex by Cnut.  (Godwin had been among those who killed Edward’s brother Alfred Aetheling.)  Edward and Edith had no children. Probably because Emma had backed Magnus over Edward, she played little part in Edward’s reign. Edward the Confessor was king of England until 1066, when Harold Godwinson, brother of Edith of Wessex, succeeded him. Shortly after, the Normans under William the Conqueror invaded, defeating and killing Harold. Death of Emma Emma of Normandy died at Winchester on March 6, 1052.  She had lived mostly at Winchester when she was in England– that is, when she was not in exile on the continent – from the time of her marriage to Aethelred in 1002. Emma’s great-nephew, William the Conqueror, asserted his right to the crown of England in part through being related to Emma. Related: Women of the 10th Century,  Aethelflaed,  Matilda of Flanders, Matilda of Scotland, the Empress Matilda,  Adela of Normandy, Countess of Blois Family Heritage: Mother: Gunnora, from a powerful Norman familyFather: Richard I of  Normandy, son of  William I of Normandy  by Sprota, a captured concubine from Brittany.Siblings included: Richard II of Normandy (grandfather of William the Conqueror), Robert II (Archbishop of Rouen), Maud (married Odo II, Count of Blois), Hawise (married Geoffrey I of Brittany) Marriage, Children: Husband: Aethelred Unraed (probably best translated â€Å"ill-advised† rather than â€Å"unready†) (married 1002; king of England )He was the son of  Aelfthryth  and King Edgar the PeaceableChildren of Aethelred and EmmaEdward the Confessor (about 1003 to January 1066)Goda of England (Godgifu, about 1004 – about 1047), married Drogo of Mantes about 1024 and had children, then Eustace II of Boulogne, without offspringAlfred Aetheling (? – 1036)Aethelred had six other sons and several daughters from his first marriage to  Aelfgifu, includingAethelstan AethelingEdmund IronsideEadgyth (Edith), married Eadric StreonaHusband: Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark and NorwayHe was the son of Svein (Sweyn or Sven) Forkbeard and Ã…Å¡wiÄ™tosÅ‚awa (Sigrid or Gunhild).Children of Cnut and Emma:Harthacnut (about 1018 – June 8, 1042)Gunhilda of Denmark (about 1020 – July 18, 1038), married Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor, without offspringCnut had other children by his first wife, Aelfgifu, includingSvein of NorwayHarold Harefoot

Alzheimer s Disease Symptoms And Diagnosis - 3197 Words

Alzheimer’s Disease Zaven A. Ohanian San Joaquin Valley College Abstract This research report will provide a general overview of Alzheimer’s disease. This overview will include background and history of the disease dating back to its discovery by Alois Alzheimer in Germany. It will provide in-depth information on the anatomy and pathophysiology of the disease, specifically on the roles of beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles and on how they progress; what happens as they progress through the brain. Other topics that will be briefly covered include etiology, epidemiology, treatment, and prognosis. Alzheimer’s Disease Background and History Alzheimer’s disease is an acquired form of dementia that impairs the cognitive and behavioral functions of the patient. Impairment of these functions severely impacts the individual’s capacity to function in social and occupational settings. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease and its progression is long and steady. Alzheimer’s disease was first observed by a German psychiatrist named Alois Alzheimer in 1901. Having been intrigued by the behavior of a patient at the Frankfurt Asylum, 51 year old female Auguste Deter, Alois Alzheimer began monitoring her condition. Dr. Alzheimer observed a number of symptoms including reduced comprehension and memory, aphasia, disorientation, unpredictable behavior, paranoia, auditory hallucinations, and pronounced psychosocial impairment (Maurer, Gerbaldo Volk, 1997). WhenShow MoreRelatedSymptoms And Diagnosis Of Alzheimer s Disease2581 Words   |  11 PagesWord Count: 1840 â€Æ' It is estimated that currently 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s disease. [1] 60-70% of dementia cases in the elderly are caused by Alzheimer’s. [2] As the population ages a greater percentage of Americans will be impacted whereas between present time and 2050 it is estimated that 20 percent of the population will be in an age category that puts them at risk. [1] The disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the neurons resulting in memory loss, languageRead MoreSymptoms And Diagnosis Of Alzheimer s Disease2121 Words   |  9 PagesIn medicine, an early diagnosis can mean the difference between life and death. With today’s advancements in technology, early diagnosis is becoming a real possibility for many diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. Worldwide it is estimated that 24 million people have dementia, the majority of these people are thought to have Alzheimer’s disease. (Mayo Clinic, 2014) According to Alzheim er’s Foundation of America (AFA) (2015) Alzheimer’s disease is among the top ten leading causes of deathRead MoreSymptoms And Diagnosis Of Alzheimer s Disease3618 Words   |  15 Pagesthat by 2050 over 115 million people worldwide will suffer from some form of dementia (World Alzheimer’s Report, 2009). Dementia associated with Alzheimer’s disease is the condition that stems from Alzheimer’s disease in particular, rather than other conditions such as vascular dementia or fronto-temporal dementia for example. Earl symptoms may include problems generating people’s names or the correct names of objects, observable difficulty cognitively functioning in social situations, short termRead MoreSymptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment And Social / Economic Importance Of Alzheimer s Disease1380 Words   |  6 Pagesof the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and social/economic importance of Alzheimer’s disease A disease is a medical condition that affects a living organism either physically, mentally or emotionally. It is basically a condition involving a pathological process along with a set of various symptoms; some easily noticeable whereas others quite difficult to detect, making their treatment process slower. (Healio.com, 2012) Nevertheless, the social and economic impacts followed by the diagnosis of theRead MoreAlzheimer s Is The Greatest Known Risk Factor For The Individuals Ages919 Words   |  4 PagesAlzheimer s is a degenerative disease of the brain that causes dementia, which is a gradual loss of memory, judgment, and ability to function. It is the most common form of dementia, and may hinder an individual s performance of daily function. Sixty to eighty percent of dementia cases are caused by Alzheimer s. This disease is considered to be the greatest known risk factor for the individuals ages sixty and older. Most of the population affected by the disease with noticeable symptoms areRead More Alzheimers Disease Essay1733 Words   |  7 Pages Alzheimers Disease Alzheimer ¡Ã‚ ¦s disease is a slow, progressive, and degenerative disease of the brain. This disease is marked by a gradual loss of memory and other cognitive functions. quot;Alzheimers Disease is also known as the most common cause of dementia--a general term referring to the loss of memory and the ability to think, reason, function, and behave properlyquot; (Medina,1999). It primarily affects adults in their 60s or older and eventually destroys a persons ability to performRead MoreEarly Onset Alzheimer s Disease824 Words   |  4 PagesDistinguish Early Onset Alzheimer s From Normal Alzheimer s Disease By Dick Harkes | Submitted On August 26, 2011 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Share this article on Facebook Share this article on Twitter Share this article on Google+ Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on StumbleUpon Share this article on Delicious Share this article on Digg Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest What Is Early Onset Alzheimers If someone is diagnosedRead MoreSymptoms Of Alzheimer s Disease1006 Words   |  5 PagesAlzheimer s disease is a severe illness that affects the brain and leads to gradual memory loss, reduced intellectual ability and deterioration function of thinking. Alzheimer s disease (AD), the most common type of dementia, is a progressive neurological disorder that increasingly robs individuals of cognitive, behavioral, and functional skills (Demakis, 2007). The reason for the appearance this disease is a collection of disorders in the brain due to which its cells are dying partially. In theRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease : The Neurological Thief822 Words   |  4 PagesAlzheimer’s Disease: The Neurological Thief Ashley E. Campbell Psychology 210 October 31, 2015 Malvereen Harris Alzheimer’s Disease: The Neurological Thief It is a wicked disease that slowly steals our loved ones memories, independence and eventually their lives. While no one knows the exact cause of Alzheimer’s Disease, it is the leading cause of dementia related deaths to date. It was first described in 1906 by Alois Alzheimer, a German psychologist and neurologist. Alzheimer’s Disease is a neurologicalRead MoreDealing With Dementia Essay979 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"Ted sought a diagnosis after being terminated from his job. Little did anyone know his memory and performance issues were due to a disease. (Life with ALZ)† This disease causes the loss of brain function that occurs with certain diseases. Dementia, is one form of this disease that gradually gets worse over time. It affects memory, thinking, and behavior. (WebMD, 1995) â€Å"Changes that take place in the brains of people. These brain changes may cause the memory loss and decline in other mental

Organizations and People for International Journal of Management

Question: Discuss the concept of a leader. Is a leader born or made? Reflect in your discussion not only on B628 course material particularly chapter 7 but also on the article in hand. Reflect in your discussion on how the author sees the leader from both theoretical and personal experience. Answer: Leaders are people given the authority and power to be in charge of either an organization, company or any institution. Leaders are either appointed by people or elected. However, people cannot really tell why they entrust some of them to be leaders. However, the leaders themselves know that they are leaders and have the ability and skills required by a leader (Griffin Moorhead, 2011, NP). In todays world, leadership has become a challenge since there are two types of leaders. Leaders who are born with leadership skills appear to be aggressive, time conscious, and understanding when it comes to leading. However, leaders who acquired leadership skills through learning seem to have a problem which cannot be easily solved. These types of leaders are most likely to lead for a particular period of time, and then leave or get demoted as a result of failure to meet the set goals or target. True leaders must have interest in leadership, and must be having the urge to lead, even in charitabl e activities such as church services. These leaders feel that they have a responsibility to carry out in this world, which is leading the people towards the right directions. Leaders born with skills know how to deal with mistakes, and therefore do not require a lot of effort to solve issues in organizations or institutions. Leaders who get leadership skills through learning are also better leaders, compared to those who stay behind when leaders are being called out. There is no way someone can prove to be a true leader, other than showing up all the time when leaders are called out. True leaders are confident, punctual and willing to be recognized whenever possible. This does not require the genius part of leadership, but instead calls out for the inner feeling, which makes up a human being (Carleton, 2011, PG 459). To differentiate a worker and a leader, one has to identify some characteristics which will show that there is a worker and a leader at their presence. In a context where there are no segregated places for leaders, it is usually difficult tom differentiate between the leaders and the rest of the people. However, there are other potential leaders in the congregation who can be able to differentiate the two groups. Such people with such kinds of talents are also leaders, and have birth leaders hip skills in them. They can therefore lead without being instructed, but through observation, interaction and practice. However, we are not saying that those in leadership classes are trying to reach an unknown destination. We are only trying to say that they are leaders by acquired leadership skills. In the world, we have leaders who have made it to the top, by acquiring skills (Pak, Paroubek, 2010, NP). However, they have become leaders after struggling for a long period of time. These include the Amazon founder; amongst others who have created interest in the field of leadership, and have lead the world in the field of invention. Leading does not only mean that one has to be the head of a certain organization which has visible people. Today, everything depends on technology, and everybody has shifted from manual work to digital and online jobs. The author says that leaders are born, and others acquire skills. On my side, leaders can either be born or can acquire skills to become leaders. Acquiring skills is a type of leadership that has been taking place in many organizations (Den Ouden, 2011 NP). This has contributed much in the leadership studies, since leaders are made. The largest percentage of leaders in the world is that of leaders who are made, compared to leaders who are born. Though I agree with the statement that leaders are born, to some extent, I will part with the other statement that leaders are made. For instance, when children are born, they cannot be called leaders. They have to learn from the surrounding where they acquire knowledge. These children learn through observation, and curiosity. All leaders pass through this process (Drucker, 2016, NP). Not only leaders do pass through this stage, but also everybody in this world passed through that stage. Potential leaders then start to be seen right away after being enrolled in school. Potential leaders show their leading skills at the school-going age. At this point, we keep age constant, and consider skills, abilities and behaviors of potential leaders. For instance teachers can just appoint someone to become a leader without consulting (Holbeche. Mayo, 2009 NP). After enquiring the willingness of the student, the student would agree without hesitating. This student can be said to have leadership qualities, and skills, and therefore born to be a leader. Therefore, leaders who are born have confidence, tolerance, and are always willing to lead whenever another leader is absent. They do not wait for events to be late, but stand to fill the gap whenever possible. Leaders by birth are good problem solvers, and do not face challenges when it comes to solving problems. They solve problems in their own way, and make sure that they come up with a genuine resolution that will not part in either side. However, according to the author recommends that leaders are 80% made, and 20% born. However, leaders who are born still acquire skills through learning, observing and experience (Scott Davis, 2015 NP). The author is correct since all leaders who have the courage to lead are leaders, and have the potential to influence other potential leaders into leadership. However, there will always be a difference when it comes to leaers who are made and leaders who are born. They will never match. Considering the number of people who are influenced to be potential leaders by leaders by birth, they are too many and therefore have the largest percentage compared to those influenced by leaders who are made. Leaders who are made will always be many compared to leaders who are born. This is because; acquiring the skill is the reason as to why most aspiring leaders go to school. Therefore, as much as leaders who are born are effective, there is no way that they will dominate the world. Though they will be recognized, they will also have to get to school to have the necessary documents, which will prove their leadership qualities. Being a leader is an on-going struggle and debate. Discuss, based on your course material, how leadership s******s can be developed. Reflect on the article in this regard. Support your answer with evidence from external reference (1000 words). Leadership skills can be developed through various ways. Even those leaders who are born with the leadership skills must develop them through education, and observation. They have to practice the skills in their lives to ensure that they are on the right track (Van Tiem, Moseley, Dessinger, 2012 NP). Therefore, these are the various ways of developing leadership skills Through observation Leaders have to be observant their young age, so as to see what leaders do. They must ask questions, and be curious on whatever leaders do. We have different types of leaders, according to the institutions they lead. A teacher can be classified in the category of a leader, but in the context where there are only students and teachers. They are role models, and therefore can be emulated by the students. In our homes, we also have leaders. Our parents are leaders since we learn from them. At any age, we consider our elders to be leaders since we emulate them. However, in as much leadership is concerned, there must be a gap between the leaders and the people they lead. The leaders tend to have an extra knowledge, courage and determination in handling and solving issues, compared to the rest of the people. However, we are not saying that other people do not have these skills. They have them but this is not their talent, or field of interest (Spears, 2010 PG 28). They have to leave it for the leaders to handle issues, since they do not have the time to handle the issues. In addition, they find it interesting when the leaders themselves handle the issues at hand since they do so with some extra knowledge that portrays understanding and skill. To some extent, everybody can be a leader. Though people fear to face the challenges faced by leaders, every field has its own challenges. Leaders therefore become leaders because they choose to bear the burdens of the people, and to be their voice. For instance, leaders do not force the people to put them into position. Instead, the people force the leaders to occupy the leadership posts, so as to represent them whenever possible (Heaphy Dutton, 2008 PG 150). In a context where there is an election to elect a leader, all leaders are given the chance to convince the people that they can make it. It is therefore the choice of the people to choose who they want, according to the way they convince them. When it comes to these type s of context, and convincing, it is usually difficult to make a choice on who to choose and who not to. Leaders with acquired leadership skills can have better convincing power, compared to leaders who are born with the skill. They might overtake, and most of the time in such elections, since they have been taught how to lead. However, the case of leaders who are born is different. These leaders are differentiated from the other leaders when they secure places in organization. They are however rare, but when they appear at some point, they work to perfection and the institution, organization or company feels proud (Diefenbach, 2009 PG 900) .everybody should be conscious enough to know that not all leaders can qualify to be genius, but all genius leaders can qualify to be leaders who are made. This can easily be elaborated, since a leader is a leader, provided that they have all the required skills, and the courage to face people, congregation and tough situations. True leaders do not run away from situations, but instead face the situations with courage. They act as role models and always do their job to perfection, so as to maintain their names (Olshansky, Hopkins, Chandrasekhar Iuchi, 2009, PG 24). They are friendly to people, and do not underrate or ignore any issue brought at hand by the people. They are the greatest problem solvers, and aim at uniting the people, and not dispersing them. However, here is where the difference between leaders who are born and leaders who are made comes in In a situation where leaders are required to lead organizations, leaders of both kinds are usually involved (Lofland, 2017 NP). For instance, leaders who are born are capable of leading organizations for long period of time, compared to leaders who are made. However, leaders who are made will be many in organizations compared to leaders who are born. In another context, when leaders are asked to solve issues, especially tough issues, leaders who are born are most likely to give better resolutions compared to leaders who are made. Although all are leaders, their differences cannot be hidden since those are born have the leadership skill in them not on paper (Bolman, Deal, 2017 NP). They do not have to refer to books when it comes to handling of tough situations. They always have something to say in public even when not alerted. They are always willing to occupy a gap if when not requested. Leaders who are born know that they are leaders and therefore aware of their responsibilities. Generally, leaders are there so that operations can run smoothly. Though the differences between the two cannot be hidden, it remains that true leaders will always be known by their actions, and not word of mouth. Those who stand with the people in times of happiness and difficulties by supporting them are the leaders. Those who solve problems and give fair judgment are the leaders. Leaders are always, understanding, loving, caring, time conscious, and willing to take risks. Therefore, either by birth or by acquiring skills, it depends on the decision of a leader on how to lead the people. References Bolman, L.G. and Deal, T.E., 2017. Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership. John Wiley Sons. Carleton, K., 2011. How to motivate and retain knowledge workers in organizations: A review of the literature. International Journal of Management, 28(2), p.459. Den Ouden, E., 2011. Innovation design: Creating value for people, organizations and society. Springer Science Business Media. Diefenbach, T., 2009. New public management in public sector organizations: the dark sides of managerialistic enlightenment. Public administration, 87(4), pp.892-909. Drucker, P., 2016. The effective executive. Routledge. Griffin, R.W. and Moorhead, G., 2011. Organizational behavior. Cengage Learning. Heaphy, E.D. and Dutton, J.E., 2008. Positive social interactions and the human body at work: Linking organizations and physiology. Academy of Management Review, 33(1), pp.137-162. Holbeche, L. and Mayo, A., 2009. Motivating people in lean organizations. Taylor Francis. Lofland, J., 2017. Social movement organizations: Guide to research on insurgent realities. Routledge. Olshansky, R.B., Hopkins, L.D., Chandrasekhar, D. and Iuchi, K., 2009, June. Disaster recovery: Explaining relationships among actions, decisions, plans, organizations, and people. In Proceedings of 2009 NSF Engineering Research and Innovation Conference (pp. 22-25). Pak, A. and Paroubek, P., 2010, May. Twitter as a corpus for sentiment analysis and opinion mining. In LREc (Vol. 10, No. 2010). Scott, W.R. and Davis, G.F., 2015. Organizations and organizing: Rational, natural and open systems perspectives. Routledge. Spears, L.C., 2010. Character and servant leadership: Ten characteristics of effective, caring leaders. The Journal of Virtues Leadership, 1(1), pp.25-30. Van Tiem, D., Moseley, J.L. and Dessinger, J.C., 2012. Fundamentals of performance improvement: Optimizing results through people, process, and organizations. John Wiley Sons.

Interview With Social Media Strategist Neal Schaffer

This month we sat down with Neal Schaffer of Windmill Marketing to talk social media and how you can use your unique content with it. Read on to learn about the benefits of using social media, repurposing content for different social media sites, emerging trends and much more. CC: Neal, thanks for speaking with us today. As a social media strategist, you advocate sharing content on social media channels. Can you give our readers an example? Thanks Celeste. Sharing is as simple as retweeting content from someone that you feel is an authority or is content that you think your readers might be interested in. Twitter is a platform where this culture of sharing is deeply embedded to the point that the ReTweet is an essential part of the platform. After all, you can’t ReTweet your own tweet! CC: How did you find Constant Content? I actually found you stumbling†¦on StumbleUpon! And you know what? This is the 2nd time that I have subscribed to a new service from literally stumbling on a site via StumbleUpon. We are now living in an era where the news comes to us, whether it be from status updates on LinkedIn, the news feed from Facebook, or timelines on Twitter, or even the recommendations algorithm of StumbleUpon! CC: What is the benefit of sharing content via social media? There are many benefits of sharing content via social media, but it really comes down to your objective. On the one hand, professionals who share content via social media about job openings in their industry could be Paying It Forward just by this simple act and helping others who might be very thankful for that information. Professionals who share industry articles that they read could become â€Å"channels† that others tune into, and in doing so help establish their own professional brand. Companies can reap the same benefits and create relationships of trust that can result in greater business over the long term. We are in an era of the democratization of information, and there is no â€Å"TV Guide† for this. Should you become the â€Å"channel† that others tune into for your industry, you will reap great benefits over time. CC: How do you feel about â€Å"repurposing† content for different platforms? Just as the book publishing industry is looking at ways of splicing and dicing content for print, web, audio, and video, and then within those mediums different ways of dividing the content for different types of platforms (mobile vs. PC), repurposing your content for different platforms is a must because you have to be where your audience is and customize your content to make it easily consumed by them. CC: With so many social networking sites out there, how many should a business participate in? I think that businesses should really first try to figure out what their objective is in participating in social networking sites. Once they understand their objective, they need to understand where their audience is. It’s not a matter of being on tens or hundreds of social networking sites because each site requires an investment of time: It’s about picking a few where your audience is that you think you understand and build up your own internal success stories before expanding your efforts. CC: How do you measure a social media campaign’s effectiveness? Well, first of all, let me start by saying that social media is a commitment and not a campaign 😉 The second thing, and I hate to repeat myself, but it all depends on the objective of why the business has created a social media campaign. As for measuring the effectiveness, we need to look at what the campaign involved. Often, there are campaigns that are trying to help â€Å"spread the word† about the company, increase their social media following, or lead social media users to a landing page on a website. Direct effectiveness for each of these types of campaigns are 100% trackable and measurable, although indirect effectiveness is a bit more difficult to measure. CC: How much time should a business devote to social media? This really depends on your objective for being in social media. Once you’ve created an objective, and then your strategy, start out small and test the waters. You don’t need to hire a resource to do this: Have one of your own outward-facing employees start implementing this strategy maybe only spending 15 to 30 minutes a day. At the beginning social media will not require time because you will not have a lot of engagement. However, businesses will realize that content creation will be the place where you end up spending most of your time. CC: What type of social media content lends itself to outsourcing? As I just mentioned, businesses will quickly find that content creation will end up requiring the most time, especially when first implementing a social media strategy. While companies need to be representing their own brands by using their own employees when engaging in social media, I believe that creating some content that is resourceful to their industry could be something that is outsourced so long as the final product is â€Å"re-branded† by the company so that it is, at the end, spoken in their own words. Of course, in addition to outsourcing the creation of some content, it could also be just having industry experts or partners providing guest blog posts to give another point of view that your social media readers might enjoy and see you as more of an impartial resource for. CC: Do you have any tips for keeping a blog or social media channel focused and relevant? It all comes down to making sure your content, whether it be your own or sharing 3rd party content, passes the relevancy test: Does your target market find this information resourceful? It’s not aboutyou: It’s about them! If you have an idea for content creation, make sure that it passes this â€Å"relevancy test,† and if not, don’t get started on investing time in creating something that may not be effective in helping you reach your objective. CC: Are there specific formats that need to be followed when creating content for social media sites? I don’t think there’s any format that needs to be followed when creating content for social media, with the exception that every social media channel has its own functionality, culture, and history. Often we find ourselves making content for our blogs or YouTube channel and then sharing it in social media. In this case, as marketers we need to strive to create content that is authoritative, resourceful, and ideally â€Å"shareable.† CC: Which aspects of social media do you find difficult and time consuming? Socializing, of course! People tend to forget that it takes time to develop relationships, and this is no different online than it is offline. Professionals and businesses want to increase â€Å"engagement† in social media communities, but they don’t realize that engagement is a two-way street. Once engagement starts, you need to respond and can’t just turn it off. Yes, social media requires time, but obviously with a social media strategy in place, clear objectives, and understanding how to calculate your own ROI, it is time well invested. CC: What social media trends affect how businesses should use content? The biggest trend is that social media represents the convergence of information and communication. All of these social networks that were originally created for communication are now becoming popular sites that we go to for information. The latest political upheavals and natural disasters that have happened around the world only remind us of this. If businesses do not participate, which often involves sharing 3rd party content, as well as sharing your own content, they are completely missing out on this trend while their competitors may be exploiting the opportunity. CC: When purchasing content, is full rights the only way to go? Why or why not? I believe that purchasing full rights, which in the case of Constant Content means buying content which then you can call your own, edit, and repurpose in any way you like. The reason is that, any content that your company publishes needs to represent your company brand. Creating resourceful content often involves researching industry information and then representing it in your own way. I see no problem in sourcing resourceful content and then repurposing it in your own voice representing your own company or brand. This is only possible if full rights are purchased. CC: If you could give just one piece of advice to someone starting social media for the first time, what would it be? Listen, listen, and listen. A lot of people give the advice of simply listening for several weeks or even 3 months before doing anything in social media. I would add to that to not just listen, but find a role model that you can emulate. Look for the thought leaders in your industry and look at what they are doing on the various social media channels. How do they share content? How often do theyengage with others? If you study those that are successful in social media, you can learn a lot about how to successfully implement your own social media strategy. Neal Schaffer is recognized as a leader in helping businesses and professionals embrace and strategically leverage the potential of social media. An award-winning published authorof Windmill Networking: Maximizing LinkedIn and frequent social media conference speaker, Neal is President of Windmills Marketing, a social media strategy consulting practice that has led social media strategy creation and educational programs for companies ranging from Fortune 500 to Web 2.0 startups. How can Neal help you? This month we sat down with Neal Schaffer of Windmill Marketing to talk social media and how you can use your unique content with it. Read on to learn about the benefits of using social media, repurposing content for different social media sites, emerging trends and much more. Thanks Celeste. Sharing is as simple as retweeting content from someone that you feel is an authority or is content that you think your readers might be interested in. Twitter is a platform where this culture of sharing is deeply embedded to the point that the ReTweet is an essential part of the platform. After all, you can’t ReTweet your own tweet! CC: How did you find Constant Content? I actually found you stumbling†¦on StumbleUpon! And you know what? This is the 2nd time that I have subscribed to a new service from literally stumbling on a site via StumbleUpon. We are now living in an era where the news comes to us, whether it be from status updates on LinkedIn, the news feed from Facebook, or timelines on Twitter, or even the recommendations algorithm of StumbleUpon! CC: What is the benefit of sharing content via social media? There are many benefits of sharing content via social media, but it really comes down to your objective. On the one hand, professionals who share content via social media about job openings in their industry could be Paying It Forward just by this simple act and helping others who might be very thankful for that information. Professionals who share industry articles that they read could become â€Å"channels† that others tune into, and in doing so help establish their own professional brand. Companies can reap the same benefits and create relationships of trust that can result in greater business over the long term. We are in an era of the democratization of information, and there is no â€Å"TV Guide† for this. Should you become the â€Å"channel† that others tune into for your industry, you will reap great benefits over time. CC: How do you feel about â€Å"repurposing† content for different platforms? Just as the book publishing industry is looking at ways of splicing and dicing content for print, web, audio, and video, and then within those mediums different ways of dividing the content for different types of platforms (mobile vs. PC), repurposing your content for different platforms is a must because you have to be where your audience is and customize your content to make it easily consumed by them. CC: With so many social networking sites out there, how many should a business participate in? I think that businesses should really first try to figure out what their objective is in participating in social networking sites. Once they understand their objective, they need to understand where their audience is. It’s not a matter of being on tens or hundreds of social networking sites because each site requires an investment of time: It’s about picking a few where your audience is that you think you understand and build up your own internal success stories before expanding your efforts. CC: How do you measure a social media campaign’s effectiveness? CC: How much time should a business devote to social media? This really depends on your objective for being in social media. Once you’ve created an objective, and then your strategy, start out small and test the waters. You don’t need to hire a resource to do this: Have one of your own outward-facing employees start implementing this strategy maybe only spending 15 to 30 minutes a day. At the beginning social media will not require time because you will not have a lot of engagement. However, businesses will realize that content creation will be the place where you end up spending most of your time. CC: What type of social media content lends itself to outsourcing? As I just mentioned, businesses will quickly find that content creation will end up requiring the most time, especially when first implementing a social media strategy. While companies need to be representing their own brands by using their own employees when engaging in social media, I believe that creating some content that is resourceful to their industry could be something that is outsourced so long as the final product is â€Å"re-branded† by the company so that it is, at the end, spoken in their own words. Of course, in addition to outsourcing the creation of some content, it could also be just having industry experts or partners providing guest blog posts to give another point of view that your social media readers might enjoy and see you as more of an impartial resource for. CC: Do you have any tips for keeping a blog or social media channel focused and relevant? It all comes down to making sure your content, whether it be your own or sharing 3rd party content, passes the relevancy test: Does your target market find this information resourceful? It’s not aboutyou: It’s about them! If you have an idea for content creation, make sure that it passes this â€Å"relevancy test,† and if not, don’t get started on investing time in creating something that may not be effective in helping you reach your objective. CC: Are there specific formats that need to be followed when creating content for social media sites? I don’t think there’s any format that needs to be followed when creating content for social media, with the exception that every social media channel has its own functionality, culture, and history. Often we find ourselves making content for our blogs or YouTube channel and then sharing it in social media. In this case, as marketers we need to strive to create content that is authoritative, resourceful, and ideally â€Å"shareable.† CC: Which aspects of social media do you find difficult and time consuming? Socializing, of course! People tend to forget that it takes time to develop relationships, and this is no different online than it is offline. Professionals and businesses want to increase â€Å"engagement† in social media communities, but they don’t realize that engagement is a two-way street. Once engagement starts, you need to respond and can’t just turn it off. Yes, social media requires time, but obviously with a social media strategy in place, clear objectives, and understanding how to calculate your own ROI, it is time well invested. CC: What social media trends affect how businesses should use content? The biggest trend is that social media represents the convergence of information and communication. All of these social networks that were originally created for communication are now becoming popular sites that we go to for information. The latest political upheavals and natural disasters that have happened around the world only remind us of this. If businesses do not participate, which often involves sharing 3rd party content, as well as sharing your own content, they are completely missing out on this trend while their competitors may be exploiting the opportunity. CC: When purchasing content, is full rights the only way to go? Why or why not? I believe that purchasing full rights, which in the case of Constant Content means buying content which then you can call your own, edit, and repurpose in any way you like. The reason is that, any content that your company publishes needs to represent your company brand. Creating resourceful content often involves researching industry information and then representing it in your own way. I see no problem in sourcing resourceful content and then repurposing it in your own voice representing your own company or brand. This is only possible if full rights are purchased. CC: If you could give just one piece of advice to someone starting social media for the first time, what would it be? Listen, listen, and listen. A lot of people give the advice of simply listening for several weeks or even 3 months before doing anything in social media. I would add to that to not just listen, but find a role model that you can emulate. Look for the thought leaders in your industry and look at what they are doing on the various social media channels. How do they share content? How often do theyengage with others? If you study those that are successful in social media, you can learn a lot about how to successfully implement your own social media strategy. Neal Schaffer is recognized as a leader in helping businesses and professionals embrace and strategically leverage the potential of social media. An award-winning published authorof Windmill Networking: Maximizing LinkedIn and frequent social media conference speaker, Neal is President of Windmills Marketing, a social media strategy consulting practice that has led social media strategy creation and educational programs for companies ranging from Fortune 500 to Web 2.0 startups. How can Neal help you?