With technological advancements at an all-time high, there are plenty of useful applications that you can use in your business. 

Can You See Me Now?: Instead of conference calls, look to the Apple app FaceTime to provide face-to-face chat sessions. Since it is available through multiple technologies, like your computer, iPad or iPhone, this feature can be utilized in either a stationary setting or on the go making it convenient for a modern businessperson. For those who do not own an Apple device, the Skype app is always a useful tool, or the Google+ feature Hangout that allows you to video chat with up to nine people!

Pencil Me In: With the ability to text notifications about your schedule, Google Calendar is a nifty way to keep your agenda in check. It also hosts organizational features such as a tasks list. Plus, if your business uses the Gmail service an option to view other calendars or add a friend’s calendar to your inventory is also available.

Write That Down: The iPad application Noteshelf allows users to take notes, sketch and even create scrapbooks among other features. By purchasing a smart pen or stylus you are able to write directly on the screen of your I-Pad, but if you happen to misplace your writing utensil you may also write with your finger.  It also allows you to organize your work into separate notebooks and arrange them on a virtual shelf. Watch a video here.

Swipe N’ Go: You no longer have to worry about whipping out your wallet because you can now pay by using your phone. Near field communication, or NFC makes this possible. It is used to make payments, scan and provide information, and share media via bumping phones together. Popular food chains such as Starbucks are utilizing this handy method through the system Square, which enables you to make mobile payment transactions.

Technology is ushering in a virtual workspace by simplifying every day business processes and making them digital. Making these procedures easier allows for a more functional workspace that will create a more effective business setting for you and your colleagues.

As a 21-year-old college student studying communications at SUNY Fredonia, I have had my fair share of professors both helpful and not so helpful. I’ve found that the teachers who had the most impact on me were those who exhibited passion, respect and effective communication, which are three traits that define any good mentor.

PASSION: If you believe in your message and you are passionate about it, you will consequently evoke passion in others. As Forbes contributor Matt Myatt puts it, leaders “might talk about their ideas, but they do so in a way which also speaks to your emotions and aspirations.” My freshman year I took a philosophy course and, although I had no previous interest in philosophy, my professor was so excited about the material and eager to teach us that he made me want to learn more. He always had fun anecdotes that would relate to the material and examples that were comical without missing the point. It was by far my favorite class that semester.

RESPECT: There should be a certain level of respect between a student and a teacher, but the most revered professors are those who treat communication as a two-way street. I appreciate it when, instead of intimidation, a professor or advisor speaks with me as a peer. I understand that this respect has to be earned, but I believe that when a professor interacts with a student in a non-judgmental manner, it fosters a better learning environment.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION: A good mentor recognizes that everyone communicates differently. In a mass media class I took my sophomore year, our professor assigned us readings that explained the subject matter in a scholarly fashion. But once we were in class he used examples from relevant media such as YouTube videos, movies, television shows and blogs as well as his own sense of humor. He talked with us and not at us, and that is what made the difference.

When one thinks of a leader the first adjectives that might come to mind are assertive, a “go-getter,” or focused. While those are great attributes, I believe that a good leader is an excellent communicator and that is what sets him/her apart. Without passion there is less incentive to be respectful of those listening to your message, and without that respect effective communication is problematic.

These qualities can be applied to college professors and also to mentors in the workplace. The most effective mentors are the ones who are courteous, enthusiastic and mindful of their interactions.

The next wave of marketing technology is here – and moving quickly. Mobile marketing continues to evolve and become an efficient way to reach your target audiences.

How can you incorporate mobile marketing into your brand? There are three main components of mobile marketing: text messages, mobile websites, and mobile apps. Let’s explore the different ways mobile marketing is used, beginning with the most budget-friendly.

1.     Text Messages – Text message campaigns are a great and affordable way for your business to develop mobile marketing outreach. The mega retailer Target uses text messages to send consumers weekly coupons. Once users sign up to receive offers, Target sends a teaser text of the weekly coupon offerings. Those who are interested reply “offers” and receive a text back with a link to the coupons that they can redeem in stores.

An additional benefit of text messages is that users generally sign up to receive them. This provides an opportunity to also gather a customer’s name, email and phone number when they sign up for text messages. This data can be collected and stored for greater insight into user performance and demographics.

2.     Mobile Websites – Mobile websites are scaled down versions of a full website since most full version websites are not user friendly on a mobile device. What’s key with mobile sites is to provide users the information most accessed on your website.

One of the biggest advantages of having a mobile website is allowing customers to contact your business easier through the use of click-to-call phone numbers and hyperlinked email address. Also, providing functioning maps allows users to find your business easier.

If opting for a mobile website, we suggest trying to find ways to incorporate videos instead of text. Keep in mind that text-heavy web pages are hard to navigate on a smaller screen.

View several examples of great mobile sites here: http://www.webdesignersblog.net/mobile/20-stunning-mobileiphone-website-designs/

3.     Apps – Mobile apps are a combination of your website and mobile site in a format that allows users to access your content without having to directly visit your site. Apps are the most complex, and most expensive, type of mobile marketing, but they provide a great deal of freedom and creativity.

One great interactive app is ESPN Score Center. This app not only provides news and video, but also up-to-date scores for fans. Users can even opt to receive score notifications before, during and after a game for the team of their choice.

What’s great about apps, as opposed to mobile sites, is the ability to gather information about who is using the app. A simple survey, “enter to win” contest or contact page can gather names, emails, addresses, phone numbers and age demographics.

Check out this list of the most popular apps from 2011: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-12-21/tech/30541566_1_popular-apps-platform-interesting-mix

Mobile marketing may seem daunting at first, but it’s important to explore what your business can do to reach consumers on a mobile level. Consider how you use your smartphone, or how those around you use theirs. Take all of this into consideration and try it out. The future lies in digital, so what can you do to establish a presence?

I distinctly remember the day my boss told me to prepare a speech for the company CEO. In 15 minutes.

I laughed. But when I saw beads of perspiration form on his brow and spied another executive hovering anxiously outside my office door, I knew he wasn’t kidding. Mr. CEO was flying in from corporate headquarters and due to land within the hour. Apparently he didn’t have time to prepare a speech to present at an employee meeting.

“Well,” I said dismissively. “I can probably come up with an opening paragraph, and then he can ad lib the rest.”

“No, he can’t do that,” my boss countered. “He always reads from a prepared speech. Always.”

I channeled my inner reporter and reluctantly hammered out a prepared speech (on a typewriter!) for Mr. CEO. It wasn’t spectacular, but it was passable, which was all that was expected of a corporate speech in the 1980s. And, yes, my boss did recover from his panic attack.

So when I read about a new study of CEOs and their perspectives about the communications function, I recalled my harrowing speechwriting experience and how the importance of communications was pretty much reduced to routine speeches and bland corporate news.

How times have changed – and what a relief from the “corporate speak” of just a few decades ago.

According to a new study by the IABC (International Association of Business Communicators) Research Foundation, CEOs view communications as a key leadership skill. Many assume the position of chief communications officer with the attitude that it is a necessity in today’s business world.

Contrast this finding with an IABC study conducted in 1988 that found only 17 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs took an active role in the communications functions or considered it important to their day-to-day routine.

Twenty-five years ago, communications was a soft discipline. Today, it is a C-suite must-have, often found at the top of the business agenda.

The CEO who embraces communications leadership is:

1. Adept in communicating with all stakeholders, including employees on every level, board members, investors (or donors), and customers. That means CEOs need to have messages down pat for each stakeholder group, plus deliver those messages in a sincere and genuine manner.

2. An active listener of all audiences mentioned above, plus someone who encourages a culture of research to continually measure the company’s effectiveness and to keep a finger on the marketplace pulse.

3. A confident executive who welcomes criticism, especially in terms of presentation skills and speaking to the media. CEOs need to surround themselves with people who aren’t afraid to tell them how to be better.

4. Willing to embrace change, to see how new communications tools might pose an advantage to the organization as well as accepting of today’s demand for information delivered quickly and honestly.

We at Carr Marketing Communications would add a fifth quality:

5.   Prepared to take on a crisis. A CEO who can anticipate a crisis and who can guide his/her organization through a terrible public ordeal is a true leader.

One of the many roles today’s executive has to juggle is communications. It takes articulation, confidence and a willingness to share information to be worthy of the title, Communicator in Chief.

As a public communication major at Buffalo State College, I’ve taken several public relations courses. This knowledge, combined with my recent internship at Carr Marketing Communications, has given me great insight into the future of public relations.

The key to building a successful PR career will always be the same – you need to have sharp writing skills, and the ability to articulate a message clearly and effectively. Writing must demonstrate the three C’s: It must be clear, concise, and correct. Good writing is critical to every communicator’s success.

A major trend right now in PR is the web and digital revolution. Having a website that is user-friendly and interactive is an industry standard. The visual presence of a website attracts viewers, so PR practitioners are expected to have a sense of graphic design and how it can enhance the written word. Social media and blogs are evolving as additional PR tools in the digital communications world, along with search engine optimization.

PR practitioners must be prepared to think critically and understand the essentials of business dynamics. Analyzing data, recognizing trends and proving results with measurement will continue to be a big focus as well as demonstrating how communications affects the bottom line.

Another change on the horizon is more focus on integrated marketing communications. Organizations will continue to blend the disciplines of PR and advertising together for a more cohesive marketing approach.

Finally, with a changing media landscape, it will be crucial for PR professionals to adapt to the media’s new needs. Smaller news staffs and backpack journalists will require PR to package and pitch materials in different ways than before.

A public relations practitioner in the future will need to wear many hats. The fundamentals of the field will always stay the same, but changing times may call for new skills, and a few more hats.