You know networking is important, but it's also a little intimidating!

Wishing you could benchmark your internal communications measurement against those of other organizations?

The free white paper, “Internal Communications Measurement” will give you a rare chance to compare satisfaction, roadblocks, and measurement standards. It might even provide data useful for dealing with bosses and budget-cutters.

This guide, drawn from a survey of 776 communicators, reveals that:

• Internal takes a backseat to external. Of those communicators who measure internal communications, 64 percent don’t receive the same attention or budget that PR, marketing, and sales get. 
• Most measure less than half their programs. Thirty-eight percent said they measure 20 percent or less of their internal communications efforts.
• Dissatisfaction with measurement is high. Fifty-six percent said they were either unsatisfied or very unsatisfied with how they measure internal communications; only 16 percent said they were satisfied. 
• The biggest roadblock to measurement is lack of tools. Fifty-four percent of communicators who measure said their biggest challenge was the lack of tools, followed by lack of time and manpower. 
• A key weakness in tools is measuring outputs instead of outcomes. Sixty-two percent said that the lack of outcomes measurement is one of the top weaknesses of their measuring tools. 
• Budgets are slim. Thirty-two percent of communicators said their internal communications budget is between $0 and $4,999; only 15 percent said they have budgets of more than $100,000. 

Find out more about this and other data by downloading this FREE white paper from PoliteMail and Ragan Communications called “Internal Communications Measurement.”

A few weeks ago I started testing out a new product called Bitbelt, a product that promises to ease your worries about losing your fitness tracker bands.

Bitbelt, a company started in 2013 during the rise in consumer wearable wrist fitness trackers such as the FitBit, that promises to answer the prayers of anyone who fears losing their wrist trackers. The goal of Bitbelts is to protect people from losing their costly fitness trackers due to weak or flawed fasteners or from snagging and falling off. Bitbelt makes safety belts for in sizes for both Fitbit Flex and Force, Samsung Gear Fit, Vivofit, and the Disney Magic Bands.

I've been wearing my Bitbelt for almost a month and I can't image wearing Fitbit without it now!


The two rubber materials of the Bitbelt and the Fitbit band don't slide well against each other making it near impossible for the Bitbelt to come lose. It might be a little difficult to get on but that makes it just that much harder for it to accidentally fall off.

There's not more worrying that my Fitbit is going to snag on my coat or sweatshirt when I'm taking it off and loosening the clasp, allowing for the band to fall off and get lost later.

Thanks to Bitbelt, I now have the peace of mind when wearing my wrist fitness tracker that I won't lose it! It also doesn't hurt that they come in a bunch of fun colors (some even glow in the dark) and they're offered at a great price so there's no excuse not to have at least one.


I love Bitbelts so much that I want to give away a few to some of my loyal readers!
I've giving away two Bitbelt JRs, which can be used to protect the Fitbit Flex, Samsung Gear Fit, and the small/junior-sized Disney Magic Band. To enter, fill out the form below: a Rafflecopter giveaway
The giveaway will be open starting on May 19, 2014 at 12:00 p.m. EST and will end May 30, 2014 at 12:00 p.m. EST. Entrants can enter once per day.

Things you may have missed if you weren't paying attention!

• Apple Said To Be Planning Split-Screen iPad Multitasking In iOS 8 - A new report from 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman, who has a strong track record in predicting the future of Apple’s software, says that Apple will be building split-screen multitasking into iOS 8, the next major update for its mobile devices. This split-screen functionality will resemble these features as seen in recent Samsung tablets and the Microsoft Surface, the report claims.

Here's what you may have missed:

• LinkedIn's 200 Million International Users Will Now See Tailored Ads - The company on Tuesday announced new targeting filters for advertisers that includes the ability to surface ads based on a user's preferred language. Companies will also be able to specify the audience for each post in their feed, meaning they can identify which users will see which updates or ads.
• Amazon Opens Wearable Technology Store - The company on Tuesday launched a storefront dedicated to wearable technology. Customers can compare wearable tech devices within specific categories like smartwatches, fitness trackers and wearable cameras.
• Report: Fingerprint Sensor Coming to iPad Air and iPad Mini - The latest Apple rumor seems almost obvious: The iPhone 6, iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 will all feature Touch ID fingerprint sensors. The information comes from a report out of China that claims the first batch of Touch ID sensors for the next-generation of Apple phones and tablets are already complete.
• NBCUniversal Drops $7.7 Billion to Broadcast Olympics Through 2032 - NBCUniversal has reached an agreement with the International Olympic Committee for the U.S. broadcast rights to the Winter Games and Summer Games through 2032. The price tag is $7.65 billion, along with a $100 million signing bonus, according to the International Olympics Committee (IOC).
• What Fresh Statistics Tell Us About Twitter’s Decline - A recent article on CNNMoney cites Twitter’s lack of user growth as a reason for a recent decline in the company’s stock price. Another widely-read article in The Atlantic, A Eulogy for Twitter, speculated that the service was entering its “twilight.”

A producer at an ABC affiliate in upstate New York occupies a different niche in the media ecosphere from that of a London-based editor at Reuters News. But when it comes to pitching reporters, their advice is similar.

Journalists are swamped. Their inboxes are overflowing. They don’t have time for off-topic pitches or information-choked emails. Cut to the chase.

“Just tell me what you want,” says Larissa Hall, digital content manager at 13WHAM in upstate New York. “‘I want this guest on your morning show. I want this big opening covered. I want you to send cameras to this place at this time.’”

Adds Mark Jones, the London-based Reuters global communities editor: “The thing that really gets journalists’ goat is the kind of unsolicited and irrelevant media release plugging up their inbox. ... You can see from Twitter what [journalists] are interested in. It takes a few seconds. It allows you the option to focus your distribution list on people who are most likely to run with the story.”

It can be a humbling experience to promote a story angle you know is great but can’t get reporters to look at. It gives you a leg up if you act like a pro.

 Here’s how to reach out to media outlets, interact with journalists, and ace that interview.

Click here to download this free ebook from Ragan Communications.