Social Networking Newbie!

The shoemaker’s kids have been going barefoot as I wasn’t able to get in to post here for quite some time though busy writing projects for others! I’ve been enmeshed lately in exploring and learning the power of social networking–specifically making some incredible connections via Facebook and putting a toe in the Twitterworld! The free Tweetdeck software has been a nice find, though! Regardless where you are located, check to see if there are Tweetups in your area. These free gatherings that allow those of us who connect on the Web to actually meet each other are a fabulous way to meet people you’ve already connected with electronically but to meet lots of others you might not have otherwise known about. Thanks to the local Tweetup organizers Scott Nicholson and Kevin Wilson for their efforts–if you want to put one together in YOUR city you might want to consider what they did as they made name tags for those of us who RSVPd in advance that had our little photo from Twitter  plus our @Twitter name. A bit like a high school reunion! I’ve also found some people who have been off my radar for decades on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter and now we can tweet away and build new connections. With the turbulent times posing challenges for so many–this is a great way to humanize the Web whether as a business-building tool or just for some new friends and connections! While my experience with it is primitive compared to many others, I’ve enjoyed “paying it forward” a bit and getting some other associates and friends a bit of help to get started with building an online presence for themselves…

The typo vigilantes… the Typo Eradication Advancement League (TEAL) AND SPELL

Hi. I found myself partly amused and pleased to read about the recently arrested typo vigilantes… I certainly don’t condone their defacing public monuments and signs in national parks, etc., but in some ways it affirmed the fact that even our younger, up-and-coming communicators who may be used to abbreviating and making up words, initialisms (acryonym-style abbreviations that are pronounced letter by letter rather than as a word), and acronyms for testing with texting in mind DO care about proper grammar, punctuation–and, above all else–the importance of clear and accurate communication. Just in case you miseed it, the Typo Eradication Advancement League (TEAL) has been seeking to correct typos on a typo hunt across America, and they defaced (by marking it up to correct) a historic sign as the multiple typos offended them. They felt compelled to try to clean up the errors on this sign (I’ve had that temptation myself on occasion but have restrained from doing so–though sometimes wrestle with when to tell someone that there is an error in their signs, materials, Web content.) That type of feedback is not always welcome!! Much has been written to say that this era of texting and other quick, fast, abbreviated communication will lower the bar on communication, but apparently it’s too soon for the death knell!

If you care about such things, you may wish to check out the venerable SPELL (Society for the Preservation of English Language and Literature). It’s not expensive to join and you can even get a copy of their Goof Proofer book–small but mighty and also available on Amazon (you canclick through to Amazon from my site’s Resources page). More info on the organization is available at http://www.spellorg.com/. Members also are provided with Goof Cards, which they can use with grace to let someone know that a typo or grammar issue has been identified. There are lots of ways to help contribute to an upgrade in the use of the language without being offensive or breaking any laws. If anyone has had some experiences with graceful ways to let someone know about an error without causing offense, please feel free to share.

Nancy

The blog is in the house… and the power of press releases in down times!

Just a quick note to celebrate that after an absence of many months due to my site being moved to a new URL and being SEO optimized, a period in which I was advised not to make any site changes or updates, we’re back at full strength at www.gordongroupidaho.com.

Watch this space for an updated posting, and thanks for stopping by!

BTW, one of the less-expensive yet effective things you can do to increase awareness of your business with the economy in a shaky place is to take full advantage of the power of public relations with specific emphasis on getting into the habit of having press releases written and distributed to the right markets for you, whether those are geographic or industry specific… I have an increasing number of clients beginning to make press releases a part of their marketing and communications mix, and they may have me write them and they handle the distribution themselves or they have me handle that aspect, as well, freeing up their time to do what they do best. To do it right, care needs to be taken to meld marketing sensibilities with the mechanics of getting releases out to the right places rather than just taking a scattershot approach. Publication editors are generally happy to run them, and it is definitely to your advantage to include a head shot photo. It captures attention and humanizes you! We build press releases in a fashion that makes them work even if they’re cut or truncated due to lack of column inches… become known for what you’ve done. You do need to have a story to tell about something new that will be of genuine interest to the audience, e.g., a new certification that better qualifies you to do what you you do or a new approach that may benefit business owners, rather than just making it a sheer advertisement, so now is not the time to be shy!

Nancy@gordongroupidaho.com

The New Year… Time to Revisit and Refresh Your Message?

This is a bit of an extended musing on why the end of the year is so full of potential for businesses to revisit and refresh…

The holidays are abuzz with activity, much of it focused around commercial enterprise while it still is regarded by many as the one time each year they relax their boundaries a bit and reach out to others a bit more… Or, perhaps they contact someone who they feel a connection with from a business or personal contact yet it’s started to fade away a bit. Some might call a little contact under such circumstances as sort of a “ping” or follow-up—a gentle prompt. Regardless, it’s a grand time to reconnect by refreshing and renewing as networking with others is where many of us find satisfaction, knowledge, and sometimes even new business. With that in mind, perhaps the close of the year is a perfect time to take a look at how our businesses communicate… not just the means or media, but the quality of the message. Are the messages getting stale? If you truly do a “challenge review” of your brochures, Web content, prospecting letters, collateral materials, and advertising can you truly say that it would intrigue you if you were your own prospect? We usually remember to put up the lights, take down the lights, send out a greeting card. We sometimes forget to look closely at how our businesses are communicating to our prospects and existing clients and whether it really is in harmony with our business plans (which we should also be revisiting and updating often!).

The Geography Issue—Is it Clear Where You Are?

If your business has a product or service that would appeal to a more-extended area either because you can ship it or deliver it via the Web, are you sure that your materials are written in such a way that they would make sense to someone from outside the area and that you’ve provided enough information for them to contact you if they happen to see it while just visiting the area? This might be as simple as putting the city name in your ads. Even in the burgeoning Boise Metro area, where advertising may cover not only Boise but go to Meridian, Eagle, Kuna, Star, Nampa, Caldwell, Middleton, and beyond—it’s important to not assume that everyone knows where your street is especially if you have a brick-and-mortar storefront they’ll need to visit. Even in an ad just limited to Boise, merely having your street name and address often isn’t enough. Just giving the name of the office or retail complex isn’t enough, such as Black Eagle Center. Most of us are creatures of habit and prowl our own neighborhoods and the pathways we’ve established to go to the places that we already know–yet, as new business develop, often on the outskirts or farther out than the original five-mile or so radius from which many businesses draw, you may need to help your prospective client find you. Have a map on your Website, add information such as “on the northeast corner of XX and XXX.” If you’re going to refer to your location as next to another business, make sure 1) it’s a business that will reflect well on yours and 2) that you get their name right! Sounds simple, but it’s amazing how often it seems one business butchers the name of their neighbor’s business. At the end of the day, it doesn’t end up reflecting well on either of you!

Seek Some Objective Input

If you have a professional associate who does not work with you, consider asking him or her to give you some 100% honest and objective input after looking at your Website or brochures or other materials. It might be a great time to freshen up the message or clarify or even fix typos or inconsistencies and other mechanical issues with the content.

 

New Year, New Message?

The closing of one year and embarking on another is perhaps a perfect time to reevaluate and revisit with a positive intent for feeling more in alignment with our own messages. Think about the advertising that appeals to you and words that resonate or capture your attention. Consider adding aspects of that to your own materials as appropriate. Hire a professional to help you either write it or at least edit and proof for you letting them know clearly what your intended result is… and perhaps 2008 will bring mo’ betta business and exciting new potential. Happy New Year!

The Editorial Itch… Are You Lucky Enough to Have It?

Just a quick note about a concept called “the editorial itch,” as it may be little known but as soon as people hear about it, it resonates for them if they have it or know someone who does. It’s that almost-indescribable reaction some of us have to a typo, a misused word, or–horrors–a malapropism (defined as 1 : the usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase; especially : the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in the context), with the last often turning up when someone is speaking or writing to impress using language that he or she doesn’t fully comprehend. If you have it, you can almost feel the wrong word or punctuation or spelling pulsate at you. What a boon to those of us who love to proofread! For others, a commitment to studying and using great grammar and usage resources can end up being their editorial safety net instead. I believe a sense for such things can be cultivated, though for some it just comes more naturally, as with many other aptitudes. Just to loft a question out there in case it’s of interest to anyone with that editorial itch: How often do you forgo (the preferred spelling!) mentioning what you’ve noticed to someone as you’re not sure the input is welcome? Virtually everyone I’ve talked to who thrives on editing and/or proofreading has shared a tale of things he or she had to not mention out of concern that it would not be well received. That’s it for now… Nancy

The Joys and Drawbacks of Using and Being a Freelancer!

Just a bit of a thought contribution on the joys and drawbacks of using and being a freelancer! For clients, having access to one or even a diverse stable of freelance professional talent for an array of projects makes great sense as your workload fluctuates and so does your need for professional (often higher-paid) staff. There are other benefits, though, and one that I firmly believe in is the ability to source new voices and new talents so that your company’s work doesn’t all sound the same with what amounts to, in essence, parroting of words and wording used elsewhere in almost everything else you’ve published. Please don’t misunderstand, though, as it IS critical to have a consistent voice and style to your work–but finding new things to say and new ways to say it while still resonating as “you” keeps your message and products or services fresh. Of course, I may be biased, but there are no drawbacks to using great freelance talent if they know you and understand you and your needs and they LISTEN!

; - )

From the perspective of being a freelancer, there are distinct benefits and potholes in the road… On the benefit side, the ability to work with multiple clients and wear lots of hats is a huge plus (for me, anyway) though there is some inherent financial insecurity compared to someone who has a predictable, 40-hour job. I am fortunate in having had some fabulous clients and would always prefer to have just a few great ones than lots and lots of occasional client connections. With freelance, if the fit or feel isn’t right, you can tweak or make adjustments to find situations and ways to approach them that do work. Sometimes, it’s just a case of finding a new way to connect with an existing client based upon what you’ve learned about them. For me, I love having the ability to work on a broad range of projects with different objectives and voices—but on the downside, I also have an exorbitantly high health-insurance premium to pay particularly as I am based in a state that precludes most professional groups and organizations from writing insurance here—so that makes it extremely expensive… my medical insurance, not even counting my dental insurance, costs MORE THAN MY MORTGAGE! That’s daunting and scary for sure. No one is putting aside profit sharing for you either, so it’s incumbent on us to plan and try to be like the proverbial squirrel and store supplies for the winter (read: future). I commit to working efficiently and with integrity and choose to affiliate with those who do the same. Finding just a few more great clients who do creative, well-considered work who are proud of being ethical in their dealings is about as good as it can get from my view!

Nancy

 

The power of great language resources and consistent style…

Just some quick thoughts about the balancing act between expressing your voice in your business (and even personal) communications yet still needing to recognize that there are grammar, punctuation, and style rules to follow AND that they’re worth following! While many people seem to feel that following rules smacks of grade school and may even inhibit their style, the fact of the matter is that people DO notice errors and inconsistencies, even if just on a visceral level. I’ve listed some of my favorite print resources on the www.connotation.biz Website, with the awesome Gregg Reference Manual 10th Edition being the “must have,” go-to resource… Then, ensure that you have a style guide that will keep you consistent, even in your quasicasual correspondence, be it an e-mail or blog entry. This is where you’ll keep track of whether you’re using series commas before and and or in a series (still the recommended option for a number of reasons though there was a dalliance for a time with not using them), how you handle your headlines and titles in ad copy and other documents (capping ALL words in titles that are 4+ letters is the recommended rather than using the 5+ alternative as this lets you cap “with” and “from” and similar words that would normally be LC based on the part of speech. Looks better and flows better! This nitty-gritty stuff may seem unimportant to some, but it actually helps ensure a more-positive impression and helps streamline things even when working on a deadline. I definitely feel that in ad copy and other circumstances there are some times when certain rules can be relaxed, but others done for the sake of “design” actually look like mistakes, such as leaving out an apostrophe in the name of a business that is clearly supposed to be possessive, such as Richards Bistro instead of Richard’s… please don’t let your designer convince you that it looks better without… it just looks wrong. Sorry! We’re really here to help you look your best, and mistakes or wondering if something is a mistake resonates with a surprisingly large number of your readers and prospects–more than you think! : – ) Ciao for now!

Helping you create effective communications…

The intent of this blog is to assist anyone who wants to get the message out about a product or service and knows how critical it is to do it the right way. Capturing attention is key, yet what you do (and HOW you do it) once you’ve got the attention of your target audience is often even more important. In this age of electronic new media, there are some who believe that close is good enough, yet the fact is that most humans still are ultimately seeking for ways to rule out the inappropriate and validate credible sources… Mistake-laden copy or inconsistent style resonate with most readers. Thinking “they know what I mean anyway” is a dangerous and cavalier approach, especially when it’s not nearly as hard to do it right the first time than to do damage control later.

Check back soon to learn more about why doing it right is well worth it–and perhaps pick up a few tips along the way.