Nicholas Bruneau Digital Marketing & Communications

05/08/2024

If you're looking for an entertaining novel to read during the summer holidays, check out "This disaster loves you" by Richard Roper, the author who edited my book . I found it in my local library!

04/08/2024

If you're looking for an entertaining novel to read during the summer holidays, check out "This disaster loves you" by , the author who helped to edit my book . I found it in my local library!

23/07/2024

Should you put the link in the comments on LinkedIn?

A study by Sprout Social suggests that posts with links in the comments perform better than those with links in the post itself.

Here are the takeaways:

🎨 Design posts specifically for LinkedIn readers
✅ Include a hook in the first sentence
🗨️ Publish the link in the comments afterwards.
📈 Track your results using UTM codes.

You could also delay your comment (by one or two days) so that it is seen in the notification by all people who have already liked your post. 😉

I hope this helps! However, this is by no means a foolproof method. You should always test different post formats to see what works best for you and your audience. 🎯

17/07/2024

On , let's 🎉 with ❤️ and 🤣!!!

15/07/2024

74% say LinkedIn is the comms channel their organization is investing the most time, yet only 7% of active LinkedIn users post regularly!

These are just a few of the revealing statistics from the Communications Network's recent webinar with Tania Bhattacharyya and Sean Gibbons.

offers an untapped opportunity, says Bhattacharyya: employee posts outperform company pages by 561% in reach, and click-through rates are 2x higher when shared by an employee or volunteer than when shared by the company.

That's why Bhattacharyya's recommendation is to create a board or team of LinkedIn to share your organization's content across your community. Her top tips:

🙌 Create a culture of reflection and cross-sharing.
🥰 Humanize your content, thank your employees and volunteers.
💡 Be a thought leader: amplify events, repurpose articles and posts.
🤝 Develop new connections: strategically tag individuals and companies in your posts.

Find out more in this webinar:

While the social media landscape is always evolving, LinkedIn continues to be a steady and stalwart platform built on professional connection, conversation, ...

28/06/2024

International UN Days in July to mark in your social media calendars:

06 Jul - Day of Cooperatives
07 Jul - World Kiswahili Language Day
11 Jul - Day of Reflection on the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica
11 Jul - World Population Day
12 Jul - Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms
15 Jul - World Youth Skills Day
18 Jul - Nelson Mandela Day
20 Jul - International Moon Day
20 Jul - World Chess Day
25 Jul - World Drowning Prevention Day
28 Jul - World Hepatitis Day
30 Jul - Day of Friendship
30 Jul - World Day against Trafficking in Persons

Photo of a classroom in Indonesia by Yannis Hilt on Unsplash

25/06/2024

The wait is over: we can now schedule our Threads with social media scheduling tools like Buffer or Hootsuite:

Schedule Threads easily and grow your community with Buffer’s advanced social media toolkit. Plan, publish, and optimize your Threads content.

20/06/2024

Join me this Friday, 21 June, for a captivating discussion with Philip Weiss of ZN Consulting. We'll discuss the latest trends in communications, tips for measuring success, and the new landscape for after EU elections: https://buff.ly/4c8zWvz

07/06/2024

Making storytelling videos is tough. How do you get people to stop scrolling?

I've just watched the full Filmmaking MasterClass by Dan Mace, the Chief Creative Officer of Beast Philanthropy, and it's full of great insights that will keep your audience on the edge of their seats:

Start your business for free with Kajabi: https://kajabi.com/partner/mace BUY BRU BAR!: https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/bru Subscribe to my Channel: ...

31/05/2024

I planted a tree for every book sold!

In partnership with Ecologi, a leading climate platform, I pledged to plant a tree for every physical copy of that is purchased. This means that a new tree will be planted responsibly across Ecologi’s planting projects whenever I sell a paperback or hardback copy of my book.

Since my launch on March 18th, I have sold 27 books and gifted 50 books, for a total of 77 books. That's 77 trees that will go towards a forest restoration project in Kenya run by Eden Reforestation Projects, a nonprofit whose mission is to provide fair-wage employment to impoverished villagers as agents of global forest restoration.

Find out more about "Engage with Impact": https://buff.ly/3R2ULjh

15/05/2024

How do you break the noise on ?

How do you connect with people on a complex issue like fossil fuel subsidies?

For Boaz Paldi of UNDP, the answer was a dinosaur.

"Sometimes the best way to talk about a serious and complicated issue is to break out of that mode and do something completely different,” said Paldi in my interview for .

Listen to the audio story and find out more at https://buff.ly/3wsv98K

14/05/2024

What are your biggest communications challenges?

I asked this question in a straw poll during today's IABC Online Connect Session.

"Engaging with My Audience Online" was the top challenge, followed by "Data Analytics" and "Working with Influencers."

What are some solutions to these challenges?

To build engagement online, you could adopt community management strategies, like asking for feedback from your followers before an event or initiative, hosting live Q&A sessions, or inviting fans to co-create something with you (like Malala Fund did with its "Assembly" blog). In the long run, converting social media followers into email newsletter subscribers is essential for you to have one-on-one conversations with your stakeholders.

To leverage data analytics tools, you should set specific, measurable goals before a campaign and see what drives online traffic towards that goal (comparing social, email, and other sources). This will help you continuously improve and move towards your campaign objective.

Finally, finding influencers who are a good fit for your organisation is crucial. With the right screening and briefing process, you can ensure that the influencer aligns with your values before working on a campaign together. Another option is to find influencers within your own company or organisation!

What do you think? Let me know if you have any other ideas on these topics!

10/05/2024

Looking forward to speaking at the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) EMENA Online Connect on May 14 at 12:00 pm CEST. Join me for an interactive session on agile communications! https://buff.ly/3UzbXOn

17/04/2024

There’s nothing worse than working hard to write engaging blog posts and inspiring case studies when no one reads them!

That’s why the World Bank Group’s digital communications team has focused on improving SEO (Search Engine Optimization) across all its websites, offering training and tools for all communications colleagues to write better articles, blogs, and web pages that use search-optimized keywords to help improve the World Bank’s ranking online.

Find out more in my podcast interview with Stories & Strategies: https://buff.ly/3W8cWaC

15/04/2024

In an interview for the Stories and Strategies podcast, I explain why agility is essential to succeed in today’s digital landscape. Find out more and listen to the full episode: https://buff.ly/3W2xnWz

13/04/2024

The campaign launch meeting was set.

The Global Partnership for Education communications team was preparing to launch an ambitious advocacy campaign that would set the stage for its global replenishment summit.

Then, suddenly, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. A total lockdown emerged, and the communications team found themselves in dire straits without knowing how the restrictions would affect the campaign.

In the hope of finding new solutions, Breanna Ridsdel, Head of Communications and Advocacy at GPE, called an impromptu (virtual) meeting with her team to review all the options.

Everything was at risk.

Listen to this audio story to hear how the team pivoted and adopted a digital-first strategy to create the successful advocacy campaign.

12/04/2024

Get ready: LinkedIn is testing a TikTok-style vertical video feed, as well as the infinite scrolling tactic that encourages you to watch one video after another.

It will be a big change to the professional social media platform, and time will tell how it evolves. Hopefully, it will not become overwhelmed with mindless TikTok-style dance videos—I'm assuming that LinkedIn's algorithm will reward insights over virality.

Thankfully, this new option will make it easier than ever to experiment with vertical video, as we are already present on LinkedIn!

Adopting a vertical video strategy is a win-win since it will help strengthen your social media presence on the channels where you are already active. The trick will be to repurpose your existing content on LinkedIn and run controlled experiments to see what works with your audience.

11/04/2024

Threads API is coming! In June (or earlier), we will be able to schedule posts via social media management tools like Hootsuite or Buffer. This could be a game-changer for the platform, helping to create a lively, dynamic hub for online conversations: https://buff.ly/3TRDN8s

02/04/2024

International Days in April:
02 Apr - World Autism Awareness Day
04 Apr - Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action
05 Apr - Day of Conscience
06 Apr - Day of Sport for Development and Peace
07 Apr - Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda
07 Apr - World Health Day
12 Apr - Day of Human Space Flight
14 Apr - World Chagas Disease Day
20 Apr - Chinese Language Day
21 Apr - World Creativity and Innovation Day
22 Apr - Mother Earth Day
23 Apr - World Book and Copyright Day
23 Apr - English Language Day
23 Apr - Spanish Language Day
24 Apr - World Immunization Week, 24-30 April
24 Apr - Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace
25 Apr - Girls in ICT Day
25 Apr - World Malaria Day
25 Apr - Delegate’s Day
26 Apr - Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day
26 Apr - World Intellectual Property Day
28 Apr - World Day for Safety and Health at Work
30 Apr - Jazz Day (pictured)

02/04/2024

What's the difference between a hyphen and a dash? Here's a helpful guide to help you decide which type to use.

10/03/2024

Who would have thought you could run and plant trees at the same time? 😊 .giving

27/02/2024

Thanks to Ecologi I have been climate-positive for three years now! 🌍 That's 302 trees planted and 44 projects funded so far. This will increase soon as I pledge to plant a tree for every physical purchase of my upcoming book ! 🌳

26/02/2024

My first author copy has arrived!

It was amazing to receive the first printed copy of this week (my dog Luna was also very happy!).

This allowed me to make small changes to the final text, adding depth to the section, improving the layout, and changing the paper from white to cream (for more comfortable reading).

I look forward to sharing it with you soon! The official launch date is now set for Monday, 18 March. 🚀

07/02/2024

Third time lucky! My first cover was very simple, and the second one was too complex, but now I think I have found a happy medium. 😊 What do you think?

02/02/2024

Wetlands International is hiring a Communications Officer. What better time to join the fight for the conservation of wetlands than ?

23/01/2024

If you like to use italics, but aren't always sure when they are appropriate, this short guide by Grammarly will help! https://buff.ly/3Foopcn

17/01/2024

The countdown has started... ⏳ Soon, "Engage with Impact - Five Steps to Transform Your Digital Advocacy Communications" will be available in Amazon Kindle and paperback versions. Stay tuned!

16/01/2024

If you've always wondered if you should add a full stop on bullet point lists, this article will help!

How should you punctuate and capitalise a list of bullet points? It all depends on what you're listing! Check out our blog for some simple tips.

16/01/2024

Delightful post about the dilemma of adding a hyphen or not to when referring to new terminology. For example, in which instances should I write "Digital-first" or "digital first"?

Photo by Samanta Santy on Unsplash Compounds, words composed of two or more words, are sometimes spelled with a hyphen, as in mass-produced and go-between. Sometimes they take a space and sometimes…

13/01/2024

I'm still getting used to it, but here's the low-down by the AP Style Guide when referring to Twitter/X: On the first reference, refer to the platform as "X, formerly known as Twitter." Then use "the X platform" or simply X. Tweets are now "posts," and retweets are "reposts."

📷 Rubaitul Azad on Unsplash