PR and marketing

Last week I was interviewed about mentoring. I was asked about the reasons why we need a mentor. Over my career I have mentored numerous business people and graduates and I see this as part of my contribution to the business community.

Here are the reasons why I believe mentoring is important:

Create a learning culture in your life – I think we’re responsible for our own learning. By seeking a mentor you are creating an opportunity to grow, which is what you need if you really want to be successful.

A source of support and advice – recently I had to deal with a difficult situation with a ex-business associate. The first place I went to for advice was my group of business friends. Informal mentoring is very invaluable so seek out people you trust and admire to provide you with support and advice.

Formal goal setting – mentoring is a great way to help you set a clear career path and set goals for yourself. It also makes you accountable for your own career goals.

Inspiration and a different perspective – spending time with a mentor that you admire can assist with your own perspective and can lead to better decision making.

Expanding your network – I can’t stress how important networking is for your career and business. A mentor can open up new networks with people outside your own sphere of influence. This can lead to new career opportunities you otherwise wouldn’t have access to.

Million Paws Walk – We are participating in the Million Paws Walk 2012 to help raise money for the RSPCA. We hope that by participating in the Million Paws Walk we can raise money and awareness to help neglected animals, but we need your help.

Please support our team and the RSPCA by donating to our CP Communications fundraising page. Help us achieve our (very achievable) fundraising target of $250!

Learn how to do your own PR – My next one day workshop – PR and Media Releases that get Results – is on 24 May. Learn how to construct a PR strategy including how to develop media angles, pitches, media releases, articles, case studies and editorials. You will also learn how to strategically use these tools to maximise your chance of achieving your PR objectives. This event is held at the Sydney Writers’ Centre. Register here.

I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter.
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How to write great content for the internet

Studies have shown that most people only spend 10 – 20 seconds viewing individual websites, which is hardly any time at all. So how do you get people to spend more time on your website and actually read your content?

The answer is to write valuable content that will appeal to your target audience and is presented in a clear format.

The way that we read internet content is different to how we read print text. People read slower on the internet and tend to scan the page, skimming over large chunks of content and focusing on subheadings and summaries. This means that you need to adapt your content for the internet to make it easier for people to read content on a computer screen.

• Make it brief: Cut down your print content by half .
• Break up the text: Small paragraphs of 40 – 70 words in length. Use subheadings, bullet points and empty space.
• Use links: Use hyperlinks to draw your reader’s attention to other articles that support your research or main points.
• Use inclusive language: Write content that will engage your reader by using the word ‘you’ instead of impersonal words such as ‘users’ or ‘consumers’.
• Create a catchy headline: Write a headline that will grab the reader’s attention and quickly convey the articles main point.

Read the full article on the CP Communications website.
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What you need to know before joining social media

Before you dive into social media there are a few things to consider.

Where is your target audience? Before you join a social media platform stop and think about where your target audience is. What social media sites are they using and which ones are they avoiding?

Which platforms suits your business? You don’t have to join all the social media platforms at once. Start by choosing the top two platforms that are right for your business.

Who will manage your social media accounts? Social media can be very time consuming. You need to consider who will manage your social media accounts and who is able to devote enough time to each site.

How will you use social media? You need to develop a strategy about how your business will use social media. This strategy should include what information you will post, how often it will be posted, how your brand will be represented and how you respond to positive and negative comments.

Are you prepared for a long relationship with social media? Social media is not just a onetime thing. It takes a long time to build a following on social media and to position your business as a valuable member of an online community.

Read the full article on our Public Relations Sydney blog.
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Upcoming events
Here are some events coming up that we thought you might be interested in:

The business of blogging – made easy!
Blogging is an essential social media tool for any business because it allows clients to get to know your business. It also demonstrates your business’s expertise and improves your search engine rank on Google. At this event you will learn about the type of content that your readers are looking for. You will also gather ideas for your first 10 blog posts.
3 May – North Ryde

How to write a business book with Valerie Khoo
This Sydney Writers' Centre seminar shows you how to turn your expertise into a best-selling business book. You will gain practical advice on how to position yourself as an expert and gain instant credibility by authoring a best-selling book. You will learn about how to how to keep your reader interested, the basics of publicity, how to structure your book and how to use it as a lead generation tool.
4 May – Sydney

Women in Banking and Finance Business Series Luncheon – Ita Buttrose and Oroton Group CEO Sally MacDonald
This event will host a lively discussion between Ita Buttrose and Sally MacDonald about their careers and the future of women in leadership positions. They will also explore the strategies that worked for them to achieve successful careers. Ita Buttrose is a businesswomen, media editor and bestselling author. Sally MacDonald is the CEO and Managing Director of Oroton Group.
9 May – Sydney

LinkedIn: How to build great personal and professional profiles
This She Inspires event will discuss how to use LinkedIn to promote your personal brand and your business. You will learn how to integrate LinkedIn into your social media strategy and how to complete your online profile. Friends of CP Communications (that's you!) receive 25% off when they book with this code CP05lisb
16 May – Sydney

Professional development program: Magnetic writing
This course will teach you how to improve your text, sharpen your writing skills and keep your readers engaged with your writing. You will be shown how to grab and hold an audience’s attention while communicating your message clearly and simply. You will be given skills to make composition easier, no matter what level of writing you are at.
16 May – Perth

Leaders with a life conference
This annual business event will provide attendees with the energy, ideas and inspiration to take their leadership style from good to great. National and international speakers will provide their tips and personal leadership experiences. This conference is perfect for anyone who dares or dreams of taking the lead.
21 – 22 May – Adelaide

When was the last time you day dreamed? Did you know that day dreaming helps with creativity and innovation? It helps your brain notice new connections, to see the overlaps that we normally overlook.

I’m reading Imagine: The Science of Creativity, which is all about how the brain ‘has a creative impulse built into its operating system’. It’s about how we imagine.

You don’t have to be an artist or naturally inventive to be creative. As the book says, we tend to assume that some people are simply more creative than others, that originality is a predetermined personality trait.

However, by merely sitting in a blue room or spending time looking at the blue ocean or the sky you can double your creativity.

Productive daydreaming (where you’re not letting your mind wander so far away it gets lost) can lead to great insights. When you are struggling with seemingly impossible problems, find time to unwind.

Rather than relentlessly focusing, take a warm shower or walk on a beach. Do a little day dreaming.

As the book says, it’s not until you let yourself relax and indulge in distractions that you will discover the answer; the insight arrives only after you stop looking for it.

So maybe it's time to stop looking and start day dreaming.

Million Paws Walk - We are participating in the Million Paws Walk 2012 on Sunday 20 May to help raise money for the RSPCA. We hope that by participating in the Million Paws Walk we can raise money and awareness to help neglected animals, but we need your help.

Please support our team and the RSPCA by donating to our CP Communications fundraising page. Help us achieve our (very achievable) fundraising target of $250!

I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter.
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How to respond to negative tweets
Responding to a negative tweet can be tricky, especially since you don’t want to escalate the problem further. So how do you respond to a negative tweet and resolve the issue quickly while still maintaining a good reputation for your business?

The worst thing you can do is to ignore the tweet or respond in a negative way. This could escalate the issue and lead to a major crisis situation if other followers join the conversation.

Here are some tips to help you respond to a negative tweet.

• Tweet a polite public reply in response to the negative tweet and offer a clear process to resolving the issue. For example you could explain the issue better or offer them a discount on their next product.
• If you are following the person who wrote the negative tweet than you can send them a polite direct message explaining in further detail how to resolve the issue or asking them to explain the issue further.
• If you’re not following the person who wrote the negative tweet then send them a public reply and start following them. Ask them to follow you back so you can then send them a direct message.
• Deal with the issue on a more personal level by asking for their contact details. Send them an email or call them on the phone. This will be easier to resolve the issue when you can write more than 140 characters.
• Remember to address the problem quickly.
• Always stay calm and do not aggravate the situation further by getting angry or responding negatively.
• You can also research the person’s profile who wrote the tweet to understand their personality. This will help you to communicate better with them and help to meet their needs.

It is important to maintain good customer service while using twitter, which means responding to complaints quickly, being helpful, treating customers with respect and always being friendly and polite.

Read the full article here.
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How to use evergreen stories to your advantage
There are heaps of events that occur every year that the media will always publish stories about such as Christmas or Valentine’s Day. These stories are called evergreen stories.

Evergreen stories are kind of like ground hog day. They come around every year and from a media perspective, they remain interesting and newsworthy every year.

Journalists are always looking for a new angle for an evergreen story because they don’t want to publish the same story as last year. You can use this to your advantage and gain publicity for your business by coming up with a fresh new angle.

An example of an interesting evergreen angle is around New Years Eve when there are always hundreds of stories about New Year’s resolutions – quit smoking, get fit or get a new job. You could add a new twist to this angle such as: What are your New Year’s business resolutions and how to achieve them.

You could even write a success story about how your business achieved last year’s resolutions and the amazing result that occurred.

Read about how evergreen stories can benefit your business on our Public Relations Sydney blog.
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Upcoming events
Here are some events coming up that we thought you might be interested in:

Social Enterprise Unconference
At this event you will learn about the social enterprise, what it is and what it means for your business. You will also learn how the social enterprise impacts social innovators. This event offers the opportunity for you to network with other like-minded people to build your network and drive social innovation in Australia.
14 April 2012 – Paddington, NSW

6 Steps to a Better Business
At this free workshop you will learn how to make you business work more effectively so you don’t have to work so hard. Learn how to turn your advertising into an investment instead of an expense, leverage your time to maximise your profits and efficiency and learn how to recruit and retain the best employees for your business.
17 April 2012 – Crows Nest, NSW

Social Media Management
This conference will teach you how to create a sustainable presence for your business on social media. You will learn how to handle negative issues on social media and how to develop the best community on social media for your business. You will hear practical advice from a number of social media and marketing experts.
17-18 April 2012 – Sydney, NSW 

SEO for Beginners
Learn how to make your website Google friendly with search engine optimisation (SEO). You will learn about the definition of SEO and how to use it to get your business to appear on the first page of Google searches. Marketing expert Dave Chaffey of Netreach will provide practical advice and tips on SEO and how to find your own SEO consultant.
18 April 2012 – Sydney, NSW

Think Women Think Business
This one day conference is for women who want to invest in their future and receive a tool kit of ideas to grow their business. There are six available workshops to attend on the day and you can choose to attend any three that best suit your needs. You can also network with like minded women from a range of professional backgrounds. The conference concludes with a keynote presentation.
20 April 2012 – Perth, WA

Social Media Live! - Sydney
Attend this interactive workshop and learn how to use social media strategically and effectively for your business. At the end of the day you will have created your own Twitter account, LinkedIn profile and company page, a Facebook Business page and a social media strategy to manage these new sites. You will be given a workbook and instructions, which explain how to use these sites.
30 April 2012 – Sydney, NSW

We are very excited to be participating in the Million Paws Walk 20th May 2012 to help raise money for the RSPCA.

We love animals and we believe that they should be protected, which is why we are supporting this very worthwhile cause.

The RSPCA NSW cares for and protects neglected, abused, injured and strayed animals. Last year 46,558 animals went to the RSPCA for help. The RSPCA provides new homes for neglected animals, educates the community, responds to animal cruelty complaints and so much more.

The Million Paws Walk aims to inform, entertain and educate the community about animal welfare to help stop animal cruelty in Australia.

We will be walking the 4km track around Olympic Park in Sydney on Sunday 20th May 2012.

We hope that by participating in the Million Paws Walk we can raise money and awareness to help neglected animals, but we need your help.

Please support our team and the RSPCA by donating to our CP Communications fundraising page.

Help us achieve our fundraising target of $250!

Donate here.

Meet Leiah

Leiah is a fluffy 18 month old spoodle who will be joining us on the Million Paws Walk. She’s a photogenic teddy bear that loves a good play. Leiah regularly visits our office and acts as a guard dog when the mail man arrives. She is very friendly and can’t wait to attend the Million Paws Walk with us.

On Sunday I went to an event that kicked off a week of celebrating International Women’s Day called the F word with Germaine Greer and Naomi Wolf. These women shared their views on feminism in the global context, as well as what it means in today’s society.

Both women have formidable intellects and raised really interesting and valuable issues. Some of which I agreed with, and others I didn’t.

I was very aware of the privilege of sitting and hearing them.

As Germaine said, “In some countries feminism is a matter of life and death” quoting a situation where a woman was killed because she wore lipstick.

As an educated woman living in the western world, I do have choices. Many choices. I realised it’s how I act on those choices that makes the difference.

One of the comments made by both women got me thinking. Germaine said “I’m going to get in trouble for saying this but I’m going to say it anyway”. That’s what people love about her (and why others hate her).

On International Women’s Day this Thursday 8th March 2012 maybe it’s time for all of us to 'say something anyway'! Maybe it’s time to act in a courageous way that will help the women around you, or women in the global community.

There are so many events to celebrate International Women’s Day. Here is a list of events you might be interested in.

Join me:
International Women Day: I'm a panelist for Women as Entrepreneurs event WE WIN, Women Empowering Women In Need. It’s an awareness and charity event, a celebration of the successes of women with a focus on enabling change for women as entrepreneurs, both here and in the third world. Special price tickets for our friends $45, register here using "CPComm".

Step into the spotlight with PR and social media: Join me on 28 March 2012 at the Women’s Network Australia’s lunch where I’ll be talking about Stepping Into the Spotlight Using PR and Social Media – both from a business and personal perspective. Register here.

Learn how to do your own PR: My next one day workshop – PR and Media Releases that get Results – is on 30th March 2012. Learn how to construct a PR strategy including how to develop media angles, pitches, media releases, articles, case studies and editorials. You will also learn how to strategically use these tools to maximise your chance of achieving your PR objectives. This event is held at the Sydney Writers’ Centre. Register here.

I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter.

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How to create a media list
Do you want to generate publicity for your business with a media release? Then you need to create a media list and start pitching your release to the right journalists.

A media list documents the key media contacts in your industry that would be interested in your media release. These contacts can include journalists, producers, bloggers, freelancers and editors.

A media list allows you to create a targeted approach to the distribution of your information. By targeting the right journalists you can gain coverage in the publications that your target audience views. This means that the right audience will see your media release at the right time.

Here are some steps to creating a media list.

1. Find your audience: The purpose of a media list is to gain coverage in publications that your target audience uses or views. This means that you need to write a list of all the publications, blogs and TV programs that appeal to your target audience.
2. Identify contacts: Once you have a list of publications you now need to identify the appropriate contact person to send your information to. Usually the most appropriate contact is the reporter or editor who covers the topic in your media release. You can find their email address or phone number on their publication’s website or call the publication directly. Try to avoid sending your media release to the email address for general enquires or “editor@” because it usually will not reach the right contact person in that publication.
3. Create a Database: Organise your media list into a database such as excel document, with separate columns for the name of the publication, the contact person, their job title, email address and phone number.
4. Categorise your list: You should categorise your list into different sections for each media outlet. For example you could create a section for all your newspaper contacts and another section for all your magazine contacts.
5. Update your list regularly: Media professionals often change their career or areas of expertise, which means you should constantly update your media list. Remember to update your list if your contact person changes or if you find new contacts.

Read the full article here.
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Why your business should start pinning on Pinterest
Have you heard the saying a picture paints a thousand words? Well your business can do just that on Pinterest.

Pinterest is a new social media site where you can create online bulletin boards and ‘pin’ your favourite images to it.

You can create a variety of bulletin boards in any category imaginable. Your followers can then view your images, like them, add a comment and re-pin them to their own boards. Each image represents a link to its original website, which makes sharing images and websites easy.

It isn’t a broadcast mechanism and doesn’t encourage product pushing, so you need to be creative and take a different approach to Twitter and Facebook.

The images on Pinterest can quickly convey their messages to the audience with just a glance, instead of users reading through long lists of text on Twitter and Facebook.

There are also a number of sharing options. Each image can be shared on Facebook and Twitter, you can embed it so the pin can be shared on blogs and external sites (which is great for link building) and the URL can be shared via email.

Read how Pinterest can benefit your business on our Public Relations Sydney blog.
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Upcoming events
Here are some events coming up that we thought you might be interested in:

International Women’s Day: Reception, Expo, Lunch and Seminar
Celebrate International Women’s Day and hear the success stories of three inspirational women. During the expo a wide range of businesses and women’s organisation will showcase their community work. You then have the opportunity to network with other like-minded women during the included lunch.
8 March – Rockingham, WA

Strike a Pose for International Women’s Day
Get involved in a professional flashmob to promote the global recognition of International Women’s Day! The event will be held at 2pm at Martin Place in Sydney where participants will strike 10 pre-prepared poses over 5 minutes. You will be given the poses weeks in advance and anyone can participate.
8 March – Sydney, NSW

Women Empowering Women In Need
WE WIN, Women Empowering Women In Need, a celebration of International Women’s Day, presented by Women as Entrepreneurs. This is an awareness event – a celebration of successes of women with a focus on enabling change for women as entrepreneurs, both here and in the third world. Speakers include Catriona Pollard, Angela Vithoulkas, Orsi Parkany, Lisa Messenger, Kim McGuinness, Nicole Kersh, Hannah Schwartz and Maria Padisetti.
8 March – Sydney, NSW

Social Media Women
Online presence, e-commerce and social media are now necessary in every retailer’s marketing strategy. At this networking event Nancy Georges, “the Retail Miss Fix-it”, will give you the information to get you started in e-commerce and social media to increase your online presence.
13 March – Sydney, NSW 

Start your own business
This free seminar will provide you with the information you need to start your own business. You will learn about the legal and insurance requirements, the different options for a business structure and learn about what it takes to run a successful business. You will be given resources and a checklist to help you start your own business.
14 March – Newcastle, NSW

Creating successful social media strategy+ crisis management, measurement and evaluation (B2C)
This two day workshop will show you how to evaluate your social media activity using the latest social media monitoring, measuring and evaluating practices. Learn how to manage your own social media campaigns and gain actual ROI results. Learn how to prepare for social media crisis situations.
15 – 16 March – Brisbane, QLD

Do you want to generate publicity for your business with a media release? Then you need to create a media list and start pitching your release to the right journalists.

A media list documents the key media contacts in your industry that would be interested in your media release. These contacts can include journalists, producers, bloggers, freelancers and editors.

A media list allows you to create a targeted approach to the distribution of your information. By targeting the right journalists you can gain coverage in the publications that your target audience views. This means that the right audience will see your media release at the right time.

Here are some steps to creating a media list:

1. Find your audience: The purpose of a media list is to gain coverage in publications that your target audience uses or views. This means that you need to write a list of all the publications, blogs and TV programs that appeal to your target audience.
2. Identify contacts: Once you have a list of publications you now need to identify the appropriate contact person to send your information to. Usually the most appropriate contact is the reporter or editor who covers the topic in your media release. You can find their email address or phone number on their publication’s website or call the publication directly. Try to avoid sending your media release to the email address for general enquires or “editor@” because it usually will not reach the right contact person in that publication.
3. Create a Database: Organise your media list into a database such as an excel document, with separate columns for the name of the publication, the contact person, their job title, email address and phone number.
4. Categorise your list: You should categorise your list into different sections for each media outlet. For example you could create a section for all your newspaper contacts and another section for all your magazine contacts.
5. Update your list regularly: Media professionals often change their career or areas of expertise, which means you should constantly update your media list. Remember to update your list if your contact person changes or if you find new contacts.

If creating your own media list sounds too hard then you can get help from an online media guide such as Margaret Gee’s Australian Media Guide. These sites provide an online database of contact information for media professionals.

Another alternative is to hire a PR agency because they have an extensive list of media contacts and know how to create a perfect media list.

Once you have created your media list you can start contacting journalists to gain coverage in the most appropriate media that will reach your target audience.

Do you want to see you and your business profiled in the media but don’t know where to start?

Have you sent out media releases and received no response?

When you get the right media coverage, your sales can double (or triple), you gain new customers and you can position yourself as a leader in the market place.

However, if you don't know the tactics of a publicity/public relations (PR) strategy or how to write an effective media release, you won’t get the results that will make a difference.

You'll learn the science behind an effective PR strategy including writing media releases that get results, how to approach journalists, how to write articles and case studies for the media as well as clever online tactics.

In one day, you'll discover the secrets to getting good publicity that you can use for your own business.

This seminar covers:
• the elements of a typical PR strategy
• how to determine your target audiences
• how to structure media releases and what you must include
• who you should quote and what they should say
• how to deal with journalists
• online distribution strategies
• contributing articles to publications
• how to approach bloggers as part of your PR strategy

This seminar is ideal for:
• Business owners, coaches, speakers, entrepreneurs who want to promote their business
• Professionals who have been given PR or marketing responsibilities but who may not have had formal training in this area
• People who are relatively new to a public relations role

This seminar covers all the issues you need to consider before you even put pen to paper - or fingers to the keyboard! Once you have these issues covered, you will have a strong framework that will guide how you write the release.

About Catriona Pollard
This seminar is presented by Catriona Pollard, director of CP Communications. Catriona has 18 years experience in developing and managing public relations and marketing programs.

Prior to establishing CP Communications in 2001, Catriona set up the marketing communications department for a leading software company and managed a diverse range of accounts within PR agencies. She also has extensive experience in managing public affairs and marketing in federal and state governments.

Catriona's blog Public Relations Sydney was shortlisted as media & marketing blog of the year 2009. She is a co-founder of Social Media Women, a formal online and in person networking group that encourages and assists women to participate more prominently in social media.

This seminar is held at the Sydney Writers' Centre.

PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
Thursday 15 September 2011 9.00am - 5.00pm
Fee: $495 (includes GST)

Book now! Click here.

Sydney Writers Centre
Ground Floor
55 Lavender Street
Milsons Point NSW 2061

Parents looking for fun, exciting and challenging activities these Easter school holidays can encourage their children to enter the National LEGO® Building Competition.

LEGO Australia in conjunction with Toyworld stores are searching for the nation’s best LEGO builder, with entries being accepted in Toyworld stores during the month of April.

Now in its second year, the competition gives Australian children the opportunity to use their creativity and imagination to build the LEGO model of their dreams for the chance to win a family trip to LEGOLAND® California.

LEGO Certified Professional Ryan McNaught said, “The National LEGO Building Competition is a great activity for kids to participate in these school holidays. LEGO is both fun and educational; it encourages children to keep their minds active while they are away from school.”

“The competition provides kids with the chance to use their creative skills to come up with the best model possible. I suggest they take inspiration for their models from all around them, from the world they live in, TV shows and the books they have read.”

“Building the perfect model will provide hours of entertainment. To get their model just right they should not just build one thing, but  build lots of different things and then choose their favourite one to enter,” said Mr McNaught.

All children interested in entering are required to build a LEGO model, take a photo of the model and present it with a completed entry form to their local Toyworld store. Entries can be submitted to any Toyworld store from 1st to 30th April 2011 and will be on display for the duration of the competition.

The Grand Prize winner will receive return flights to Los Angeles for four people, five nights accommodation in the luxurious Grand Pacific Palisades Resort and Hotel, admission for four people to LEGOLAND California theme park for four days, and $1,500 spending money. 

There will also be the chance to win store and state prizes with winners receiving $50RRP and $100RRP worth of LEGO toys respectively. All entrants will receive a Junior LEGO Master Builder Certificate.

Start building now!

Visit www.toyworld.com.au or visit your local Toyworld store for more details.

-Ends-

Notes to the Editor
Since 1932, when Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from Billund, Denmark, began making wooden toys in his workshop, the name LEGO has been synonymous with creativity and learning through play.  LEGO is proud to carry on its historic tradition of learning through fun and creative play by announcing the National LEGO Building Competition.

About the LEGO Group
The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company, based in Billund, Denmark. It was founded in 1932 and today the group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of play materials for children, employing approximately 7,000 people globally. The LEGO Group is committed to the development of children’s creative and imaginative abilities. LEGO products can be purchased in more than 130 countries.

Rural and regional Australians are unprepared for the impact a faster internet service will have on their businesses and everyday lives when the National Broadband Network (NBN) is introduced – with many seeming confused about what the changes will mean for them.

These are the findings of a recent survey of 1040 rural and regional Australians conducted by OurPatch, a community web portal. The survey revealed confusion over the NBN with contradictory opinions surfacing about whether any impact will even be noticeable, especially to their businesses.

Almost a third of those surveyed believe the NBN will not impact or improve their business, despite over half believing they will actually receive better service from other businesses.

Director of OurPatch, Simon Van Wyk said, “Regional and rural Australians don’t seem to understand the incredible potential of the NBN. Many business owners don’t believe their customer numbers or orders will increase, which shows a real lack of education about what the NBN can actually lead to.”

The survey showed that while 65 percent of those surveyed believe the NBN will have a significant and positive impact upon everyday life, 61 percent are unwilling to pay for faster internet.

“The NBN will not only impact everyday life, but also bring fantastic opportunities and the potential for increased revenue in business, with faster internet improving productivity and bringing a much wider scope for business services. Yet many Australians are unwilling to pay for it,” said Mr Van Wyk.

Rural and regional Australians were surveyed about the effects of major issues on their town including job availability, quality of life and cost of resources.

-ends-

About OurPatch and the survey
OurPatch is network of websites covering most of rural and regional Australia. OurPatch is the civic centre for the internet age with business and community information, local news and events and community engagement. They aim to deliver local news to rural and regional Australia.

The survey of 1040 rural and regional Australians over the age of 18 was carried out in late December 2010, covering all states and territories of Australia and representing all demographics. http://www.ourpatch.com.au/