Communicate | |
Any good writer will tell you that the difference between good and poor writing is about more than spelling, punctuation and grammar. Good writing must also be attuned to the needs and interests of its intended reader. With decades of experience reaching a wide variety of readers—from low literacy audiences to academics, and from average work-a-day folks to managers and government policy makers—K. K. Biersdorff Consulting has the skills to meet your writing or editing needs. K. K. Biersdorff Consulting starts any new communication project by asking about the intended audience:
Then come the questions about the key messages you and your organization want to get across. K. K. Biersdorff Consulting crafts the message to address the concerns and information needs of your audience. We support your message with an attractive and professional layout, so people want to get it. And, yes, it will have accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar. |
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Newsletters & Feature ArticlesYou've got a story to tell about dedicated staff or volunteers, a community initiative or partnership, a special project or discovery. Now you need someone to convey your excitement. K. K. Biersdorff has written, designed and produced feature articles for websites and newsletters for internal and external audiences of a variety of organizations. We will interview key people or use notes from speeches, check facts and get consents for use of names and photos. K. K. Biersdorff Consulting will produce lively and engaging features or news articles that deliver your key messages to their intended audience—whether it be your staff, clients, customers, families, funders or community members. Examples include articles on
K. K. Biersdorff Consulting has decades of experience in newsletter production for a variety of audiences. Typically working with small or "no" production budget, K. K. Biersdorff incorporates graphical elements and crisp photographs to balance the informational elements of features, news items and event notices. Examples of newsletters K. K. Biersdorff has produced include
Manual & Report ProductionK. K. Biersdorff Consulting will work with your content specialists to take their ideas and turn them into inviting and informative prose. Or, we will provide the research to discover the state of the art, best practices and/or current law related to the subject, and write materials that meet your specifications. Examples include
Editing Others' WritingK. K. Biersdorff Consulting can give a unified and coherent voice to books, manuals, reports and proposals drafted by committee members with diverse writing styles and skill levels. We will apply our keen eye for detail to ensure that font types and sizes are applied consistently and spacing and graphic elements are where they should be. Examples of our work include
Annual Reports for Non-ProfitsUnlike annual reports for corporations, annual reports for non-profit organizations focus less on financial reporting to investors and more on the organization's story. How has the organization made a difference in people's lives? What challenges have been faced and overcome? What makes the organization unique? What innovations have its staff developed? Annual reports of non-profit organizations are not simply intended to inspire investor confidence, they are intended to inspire...period. An excellent annual report can be an effective tool for fund-raising, developing corporate partnerships, obtaining volunteers who are committed to your mission, and raising community awareness. K. K. Biersdorff Consulting understands the needs of the non-profit world and will work with your organization to identify the key messages you want to communicate to stakeholders with your annual report. These key messages will be woven throughout the report's information to create a cohesive image of your organization to be used for fund-raising and friend-raising. Examples of our work include 
Websites & Social Media
K. K. Biersdorff Consulting offers fast-loading and easy-to-navigate web design and upkeep. K. K. Biersdorff Consulting tests its web designs on Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Safari platforms, the browsers most likely to be used by the average web surfer today. Images are optimized for speedy loading. And information about upcoming events is flagged at our office for removal (or replacement by information about what happened at the event, if you prefer). K. K. Biersdorff Consulting can also work with existing web site designs or with your designer to provide illuminating and inspiring content. Our recording facilities can also add audio to your website so visitors can hear what the text says. We can also manage your social media strategy, so that social media works for you instead of you working for it. Examples of our website work include
K. K. Biersdorff Consulting also participates in the following social media conversations: 
 
Event PlanningK. K. Biersdorff Consulting can co-ordinate large or small special events from staff or customer appreciation parties to conferences, from annual general meetings to sporting events. We will work with volunteers from your organization to make and implement event plans, or just carry out the nuts and bolts of communication about the event. Event co-ordination requires attention to the details and time lines that must be met for everything to come together on the event day. Making the right lists and tracking actions are a must. The event theme and colour(s) direct decisions about venue, decoration, catering, program and entertainment to communicate your key message to their intended audience. Examples of events K. K. Biersdorff has co-ordinated include
Media Packages Organizations rely on media (including social media)to inform the community about their organization and its activities. In turn, media rely on organizations to inform them about events of interest to the community. The key to success is developing news releases, public service announcements (PSAs) and media packages that highlight the newsworthiness of the event to your community. K. K. Biersdorff Consulting can develop news releases, backgrounders and PSAs that get media attention. Follow-up is part of our service, so you will have evidence of the outcome of our media communications efforts. Example of successful media packages K. K. Biersdorff has produced include
Invitations & Programmes Invitations should not only provide the who, what, when and where of an event; they should motivate readers to make time in their busy schedule to attend. Invitations subtly convey information about the organization's values and creativity, in addition to information about the nature of the event (e.g., golf tournament, business meeting, celebration). The theme and key messages established in the invitations should be continued in other communications related to the event, such as posters, flyers and event programmes. K. K. Biersdorff Consulting has extensive experience in developing clear and effective themed communications for all kinds of special events. Examples of event invitations and programmes K. K. Biersdorff has produced include
Volunteer Co-ordination Volunteer co-ordination goes beyond simply finding people who are willing to contribute their time to an event's success. It also involves training those volunteers to do their job at the event and put a positive public face on the organization. It means keeping volunteers happy and well-fed, arranging coverage for breaks, connecting regularly with those working alone (e.g., parking cars), and ensuring that volunteers feel their efforts on behalf of the organization are truly recognized and appreciated. K. K. Biersdorff has a long history of volunteering at events and understands the value that volunteers can provide to an organization. That's why K. K. Biersdorff Consulting goes the extra distance to make sure your volunteers don't let you down. An example of an event where K. K. Biersdorff has co-ordinated volunteers is the Junior National Judo Championships (1996), where she trained and co-ordinated more than 40 volunteers in hospitality room, timing and scorekeeping and other positions over 2 days. 
Media ReleasesMedia releases are a tool that organizations can use to raise the visibility of the organization and its successes in the community—and they are an essential first step in controlling communications in the event of a perceived crisis or disaster. News releases let the media know about special events that the public may wish to attend. They also announce awards and achievements of the organization and its members, or scientific breakthroughs and technical or service innovations. Like social media in general, they can also be used to position an organization as having quotable expertise on a hot topic. Knowing what the media think the public is interested in makes the difference between positive press and no press for your organization. K. K. Biersdorff Consulting can help your organization develop greater media visibility through effective traditional and social media releases. Examples of media releases K. K. Biersdorff has produced include
Presentation & Public Speaking Supports.K. K. Biersdorff Consulting can develop PowerPoint presentations with speaker notes and handouts, as desired, to support you and other members of your organization to provide consistent messages when giving multiple presentations. Examples include presentations on
Marketing VideosIf a picture is worth a thousand words, just how much more is video worth? Video reaches audiences for whom the printed word has limited value and, let's face it, we all understand a product or service better when we can see it in action. K. K. Biersdorff Consulting offers video production services that can help people understand what you do and how it is unique. We can work with existing video, still photos and graphics, or use our own digital SLR and video camera equipment to gather new, dynamic material that will bring your message home to your key audiences. K. K. Biersdorff Consulting has applied the same computer-based technology we already use to provide audio for accessible websites to create or edit voice-overs for video. Footage is edited together using programs such as Windows Movie Maker, allowing you to incorporate video into your marketing presentations via computer or DVD technology. Examples of K. K. Biersdorff videography include Leadership Today: The Journey to Self-Advocacy (2006) and the video on this webpage. 
Information & Marketing BrochuresBrochures need to give people the information they need in a very limited amount of space. A poorly designed marketing brochure tells potential customers either that you don't know what you're doing or that you don't know how to communicate—neither of which is a message you want to send. Information must be easy to understand, clearly organized and concise. Informational brochures are designed to give people the information they need to know in order to make good decisions. If intended for a professional audience, the language may include technical jargon. If intended for people in crisis, plain language is a must. K. K. Biersdorff Consulting will work with your organization to identify the target audience for the information and what needs to be communicated. In the case of informational brochures, K. K. Biersdorff Consulting can research and develop accurate content that meets your audience's needs. Examples of brochures K. K. Biersdorff has produced, in addition to the company brochure, include
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