The article discusses the increasing need for IT professionals to develop soft skills alongside their technical expertise due to the diversification of the IT sector and the rise of automation. A survey by Dimensional Research for Tripwire highlights that a majority of participants believe soft skills have become more critical over the past two years. The article suggests that IT professionals should focus on personal branding to articulate their value and become thought leaders in their field. It provides seven steps to build a personal brand, including being clear about goals, being customer-centric, adding value, polishing one's image, effective communication, and leadership. The article also promotes Francine Beleyi's book on personal branding for further guidance.

The article discusses the importance of creating consistent, thoughtful content for professionals such as entrepreneurs, CEOs, and freelancers to establish a personal brand. The author, Francine Beleyi, refers to her book 'Personal Branding in the Digital Age' and emphasizes the use of a Content Calendar as a strategic tool for planning and creating content. She offers a free Content Calendar for 2018 and encourages readers to order her book, which is available on various platforms including Amazon, iTunes, and Audible. The article also invites readers to share their key takeaways and to connect with the author on her website and social media platforms.

The article discusses the challenges women face in the corporate world and when seeking funding for their businesses, focusing on issues of confidence and unconscious bias. Debra Walton of Thomson Reuters highlighted these challenges during an International Women's Day event. Sarah Wood, co-CEO of Unruly, exemplifies a successful female tech entrepreneur, having raised significant funds and sold her company to News Corp. The event also launched Fin4fem, a course aimed at empowering women to secure financing. The article includes insights from various industry experts, such as Jenny Tooth of the UK Business Angels Association, who notes the disparity in funding between male and female-led businesses. The piece also offers practical advice for women seeking investment, emphasizing the importance of preparation, planning, pitching, decision-making, and deal-making. It concludes with a call for gender parity in entrepreneurship, which could significantly boost the global economy.

The article discusses the success of BlaBlaCar, a French ride-sharing company that connects drivers with empty seats to passengers heading in the same direction. Philippe Cayrol, the company's Growth Manager, spoke at the Entrepreneur Country forum 2016 about the company's journey to success. BlaBlaCar has managed to connect 25 million users across 22 countries by 2016. The company experimented with various business models before finding success with a platform that emphasizes trust and ease of use. The DREAMS model ensures users are declared, rated, engaged, active, moderated, and social, creating a trusted community. BlaBlaCar's growth was aided by increased consumer confidence in online transactions and the rise of smartphones. Valued at $1.5 billion, the company is seeing significant growth in emerging markets. The article is written by Francine Beleyi, a digital strategist and entrepreneurial journalist.

The article discusses the common misconception that technology alone can improve a website's conversion rate. Ivan Imhoff, a founding partner at House of Kaizen, spoke at the Performance Marketing Insights event in London, emphasizing that conversion rate optimization is more about understanding customer behavior and removing barriers to action than about technology. He suggests that a website's design should facilitate a smooth user journey, with clear value propositions and minimal distractions. Effective websites, like Amazon, guide users through a visual hierarchy to the most important content. Imhoff advises that social media share buttons should be placed at the end of the user journey, once the user has completed a purchase and is more likely to share their experience.