3 Business Tips that don't involve Marketing Content

As content marketing professionals go, I've been told I'm...different. (OK; the word "weird" has come up a time or two.) I'm perfectly happy to play to that crowd.

While I'm a BIG fan of (good) content, there are many other pieces of the puzzle to making your organization a whole and happy one. Here are three to consider:

Find out how working with other organizations can help yours (and theirs). In other words, talk to other people. It's painfully obvious and simple, and there's absolutely no guarantee of immediate payback. Try it anyway. A meeting about your business and someone else's can lead to wonderful opportunities for both of you. Be straightforward about wanting share ideas and learn from each other. Start by asking: "Any chance you're free to discuss areas of potential collaboration?"


Require your employees to use good manners with each other and with everyone who interacts with your business or organization. I wrote about HR and employment law for 12 years. Trust me, there are a lot of things you can't require of employees. Making it mandatory to say "thank you" and generally be helpful and courteous while they're representing your company is still TOTALLY legal. If you'd like, I'd be happy to help you write it into your employee manual.



When you buy promotional items, buy good ones. Cheap pens! Thin t-shirts! Ugly mugs! In a word, NO. If you're putting your logo on it, it should work - and look good.

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Looking for a writer who "gets" business? I'm that kind of different. 

DianeStresing.com

What Ghostwriters Write (Hint: Everything)

A lot of titles in the business world are misunderstood. Most of them, I would argue. That said, if you ever meet a copywriter with a big chip on his or her shoulder, I hope you'll cut her (OK, me) some slack. 

Most copywriters could also be called "ghostwriters," and although neither is a particularly lofty title, in our information-laden world, writers of all ilks* deserve some more…consideration, for starters. (More compensation, too - but I'll leave that topic for another day.)

What Do Ghostwriters and Copywriters Write? Everything

In the past year or so, I've written about employment placement services, OSHA regulations, e-parking apps, replacement windows, agricultural dust control products, hand-crafted jewelry, landscaping services and bulk mulch products, mobile pet grooming services, PeopleSoft implementations, escape room games, marketing automation, keratin hair straightening processes, online accounting services, floral arrangements, appointment-setting software, lead paint remediation products, snow plowing and ice management techniques and a variety of medical conditions, surgeries and treatments, and reimbursement systems affecting both patients and providers. 

Over approximately the same time period, my work has also appeared in three Forbes blogs, The Huffington Post, and a couple of other places I can't mention.

Do Ghostwriters Create Policies and Procedures? Some Do

I've written policies and procedural manuals for employees of companies where I've never been employed. And by written, I don’t mean wrangled someone else's words, but written meaning created and developed the policy (after discussions with several company principles or department head) and then re-written, for stakeholder approval. I have not written public policy but many a hired-gun copywriter has. Sorry if that ruins your romantic notion about politicians and other public servants but hey, they're busy people. (Do you have any idea how much time it takes to raise enough money to run for office?)

My point? Information is a tricky thing. Regardless of the expert's name on an article or the name of the publication, it's quite possible the piece you're reading was written by a copywriter with a basic journalism degree in his (or her) back pocket, an unimpressive balance in his (or her) bank account, and a whole lot of secrets. 

Professional Ghostwriters are Not in the Fake News Business

This rant about ghostwriting/copywriting is absolutely not intended to be a jab at journalism, public relations, corporate information, business blogs or any other form of writing. Quite the contrary. Journalists are trained to research, investigate, interview and quickly disseminate information - real, helpful information. Not "just the facts," but the facts plus context. 

When you need to provide accurate, clear, helpful information to a particular audience, you need a professional communicator. Now, maybe you won’t be afraid to say “ghostwriter.”

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*Like copywriters, ilk is a word that doesn't get a lot of respect. (While many modern spell-check programs don't recognize it, Merriam-Webster does.) I love how internet retailer Woot uses "ilk" in an ad for a bag that's definitely not elk. 

As long as I'm using Woot's image, I should point out that the company appears to "get" copywriting and all forms of marketing/communications. Kudos to Woot, Ghostwriters, and Elks everywhere.  

Employee Communication 101 - Think Like a Customer Service Manager

An article recently posted on LinkedIn by David Ward, a risk management advisor, struck a chord with me. 

In the post, Ward pointed out that safety procedures - and therefore safety communications - are too important to be left open to interpretation. 

Ward used some specific examples related to roofing professionals, many of whom spoke English as a second language. (For what it's worth, some of Ward's post was related to a specific OSHA regulation.)

Certainly, there's no room for error in a roofing operation or myriad other occupations that are physically demanding and potentially very dangerous. Proper instruction and clear communication, of course, is vital. 

In one example he shared, Ward put it like this: "In practical terms, this means that an employer must instruct its employees using both a language and vocabulary that the employees can understand."

But I argue, why do we need regulations to specify that employee instruction must be clear and understandable? 

Improved Safety Communications = Better Results

Why don't  we view employee training (which necessarily includes employee manuals and other communications) as critical to the customer service function? 

Because, of course, it is. 

The better your safety communications, the safer your workers, the more productive the team, the better results for customers ... 

Oh, don't get me started. 

Great Examples of Internal Communications

Instead of citing dozens of examples of how not to handle employee communications and training, l'll just say this: Offering clear and understandable communications to employees (AND CUSTOMERS) will position a company heads-and-shoulders above most of the competition. Any company, any industry. I believe communication is THAT important. 

I'm sorry it still needs to be said. 

Rather than offering a lot of bad examples of communication, I'll ask you - do you have any examples of great communication that has helped your company stand apart from the crowd (in a good way)? 

I'm all ears! 
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Feel free to leave a comment here, or Tweet it out. 

3 Basic Business Communication Tips

Super easy things you can do to improve your business communications, now. Oh, and they're free.


How to Close an Email Message

If you spend more than a nanosecond thinking about how your email will be received when your intended recipient reads it, you're my kind of person.

Hence, I enjoyed this article and agreed with most of its message.

Bonus points if you spot the typo/grammatical error in the list.

               Read before you send. 

                          'Nuff said.

                                     Keep the content coming. 

Blog. Post in forums. Update your website. Email your customers. Ask for (and share) referrals and testimonials. 

Leads from inbound marketing cost WAY less than those generated by traditional advertising/outbound marketing. 

I'm not making this up; it's 62% less if you ask Mashable. HubSpot says companies that increase their blogging from 3x-5x/month to 6x-8x/month see leads double and B2B companies that post 1x-2x/month get 70% more leads than those that don't blog. 

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What do you mean you don't have time to post to your blog? This didn't take long! If you'd rather spend time on your business instead of managing your website or blog, ask somebody* for help. 

*somebody like me :D

Speaking Opportunities: Content Gold Mine!

While it is hard to deliver a speech that garners praise from wildly different audiences (thank you, Michelle Obama) most public speaking opportunities fall in the "preaching to the choir" column.

Generally, a public speaking gig is gift. Typically, your audience wants you to be there and they want you to do well.

Exception: when you are presenting dissenting opinions in a public/civic meeting. 

In which case, practice deep breathing and take a friend along for moral support!

GREAT BOOK!

No one likes public speaking. Or at least, virtually no one will admit to enjoying it. But speaking opportunities are excellent lead-generation activities - it's old-fashioned, effective marketing at its best. And, while you might find it uncomfortable, making a good impression during a live presentation is actually pretty simple.

Plan Out Your Talking Points

Your audience wants you to do well, but they also want you to be prepared. There are oodles of different methods. I prefer to write a rough draft of what I want to present. That usually takes the form of a narrative - in the "letter to a friend" style. Then I read it out loud.

Yes, out loud. Practice makes prettier presentations.

Practice Doesn't Make Perfect

But it sure helps! Take that rough draft, or outline, or list of things you want to say and just say them. To a friend, your cat, the mirror. Just say it. Out loud. You can't deliver a speech without speaking practice.

This isn't brain surgery, folks. Practice OUT LOUD. Edit your message, revise, and practice your talking points again.

I say "talking points" rather than "speech" because most people think a speech is something you memorize, and memorizing your talking points will almost always backfire. You'll go on autopilot, then forget what you said and repeat something...or leave something important out.

So practice your message, refer to your talking points, but don't memorize a speech.

DO outline your talking points. (Outlined in a slide presentation is ideal, if you're using slides, of course.)

What Should I Talk About? And How is Speaking a "Content Gold Mine?"

Time to deliver on the headline! Public speaking opportunities really are a content gold mine. 
Here's how you can come up with great material and make the most of your public speaking opportunities:

As you prepare for the speaking event, dig into your own mine of content about your business or organization. Reading a blog post verbatim isn't a great idea, but gathering your primary talking points from some of your most popular blog posts, web pages, even FAQs is smart. In fact, it's kind of silly not to do that. (Why reinvent the wheel?)

The person, organization or event that has engaged you to speak is also a rich source of information. Ask your contact what he or she would like you to speak about. Ferret out as much information as you can about the people in the audience. Where will they come from? Why do they want to hear from you? What matters are most pressing to them? As you review your existing content pull what is most likely to be helpful and interesting to your audience.

Once you're prepared to deliver a dynamite presentation, get ready to learn more while you're there! The people you're speaking with are not only a "captive audience" but something of a focus group. As a speaker, it's completely fine to ask questions of your audience and gather information from them. (So record the presentation or take notes.)

Maybe they love your company. Hate your latest product release. Have a wish list of things they'd like to see next season... whatever feedback they offer is truly gold, and should be helpful as you market (and work to improve) your business or organization.

Maybe Public Speaking Isn't So Bad...

Try these practical tips the next time you have an opportunity to speak to a group, staff a booth at a trade show, or even as you just work the room at your local Chamber of Commerce meeting. You might find that you're soon looking for more public speaking opportunities, and even enjoying them!

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PS: When you're speaking, make sure that what you're saying makes sense. Go easy on the industry jargon and Corporatese. Want help preparing for your next presentation? I can work with you to make sure you get your message across, and make the most of the information you collect at your next speaking engagement! 

Your Website, Communication, and Customer Service

Customer service tip: If your website displays incorrect information, it's not your customer's fault. 
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Communication and customer service are intricately linked. When mistakes on your site make it difficult to find your business or work with you, customers will find someplace else to shop or someone else to help them. Below, three simple tips to make sure your website is working for you, not against you. Following the tips are some real-life examples to file under "don't be that guy."

3 Tips: Communication,  Customer Service, and Your Website

1. Don't tell customers that they have the wrong information when they got it from you. 

"I'm sorry, let me give you the correct information," is a much better response.

2. When a customer (or anyone) points out that your website, business card, or other business communication contains incorrect information, or that it is difficult to find something on your website, fix it. If they had trouble finding your phone number, hours, prices, or products, and took the time to tell you about it, that's a gift.

Say "thank you." Then fix it!

3. Do review your website regularly (I recommend on the first of every month) as if you have never seen it before. Review it from a user interface and design standpoint, pretending you are a customer or prospect in the market for what your company offers, and compare your site to others in your industry. Does it work?

It's hard to see your site with fresh eyes. Need help? Ask me about a Website Reality Check. 

Don't Be That Guy! 2 Companies, 2 Cities, 2 Days

I had an appointment in Akron on Monday. The office address was wrong in the footer of (every page of) its website. Fortunately the firm had moved just a few blocks, the receptionist who answered the phone was great, gave me the new address, and I arrived on time. When I met with the Chairman of the organization, he asked, "Did you have any trouble finding the place?"

Great, a chance to bring it up, I thought.

I said, "Well actually, I went to <location> and found out you had moved, but your receptionist gave me the address, so no worries."

He laughed and said, "We haven't been there for years."      

I said, "Well, I should have confirmed your address when we spoke. But I just took it from your website."

He said, "Really? Where is that address on our website?"

I explained the footer on each page of a website usually contains the same information; it's like a template...a template you should update when you move.

Before proceeding with our meeting, he logged on to his computer and looked for himself. He pointed out that the address was listed correctly on the About Us page. And it sure was -  in the third paragraph on the page describing the organization's past 20 years or so. Unfortunately, that's the only place it was listed correctly.

The site's Contact Us page consisted of a form for email contact, but did not list an address or phone on the body of the page. (Which is fine for companies that don't rely on customer foot traffic, but not so good for businesses expecting real, live visitors to walk in off the street.)

When the organization moved - as described in a lengthy paragraph on the About page, where the new location was buried in the middle of the copy - information in the footer wasn't changed to reflect the new address.

So while the Chairman was right, the correct address was listed on the organization's site, it wasn't easy to find. And the footer of each page listed the wrong address. (Note: it has since been updated.) Errors like that can lead to miscommunications, and cost you money.

Here's another "Don't Be That Guy" story:

How to Communicate When You Don't Want New Business Referrals

Last Friday, I met with a Columbus-area business owner who handles sensitive matters for his clients. He asked me to email a document to him, and since his email address wasn't on his business card, I asked, "Should I send it to the email address on your website?"

He said yes.

On Monday, I sent the document with the message, "please call me when you receive this."

On Tuesday, I called him because I hadn't called me. Our conversation:

Me: Hi, Jack? This is Diane Stresing. I wonder if you got the email I sent last week. I sent it to <email @ company>."

Him: "You have the wrong address. You need to send it to <another email address @ different ISP >."

I waited a moment, expecting the absurdity to occur to him. When it didn't, I said, "Ok. Thanks."

The absurdity apparently hasn't sunk in yet.

How likely would you be to do business with, or recommend, either of these organizations?
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Your website isn't your whole business, but in 2016, it's vital to your business communication.  I can help you get it right. 

Content Marketing World - May Common Sense Be With You

YAY, I love content. I love content marketing. And I love Star Wars.

Now can you help me understand what Mark Hamill can teach me about the first two?

Disturbance in the Marketing Force? 

Content Marketing World 2016 comes to Cleveland this fall, and I'd love to go. But it would be a little bit like overdosing on ice cream: Sweet, sure. But a love affair with content can really pack on the pounds and bog down your marketing efforts.

I know that sounds weird, coming from a content marketing type like me.

But as I've said before, I'm a big believer that content marketing is really just marketing, and marketing communications is really just communication.

If you're going to Content Marketing World, by all means, I hope the Force is with you (and Mr. Hamill). Send me a post card, brochure, link to your landing page...and if you figure out why Luke Skywalker should headline the event, please let me know.

#ThingsThatMakeMeSayHm

#CommonSenseContent

Hello Common Sense Content

I'm not a huge rule-breaker but I question "the rules" constantly.

• Who made them? 
• What purpose do they serve? and my favorite question: 
• WHY?

So imagine my joy (and mild confusion) when I discovered some common-sense content rules I really don't question much or want to break.

Without further ado, here they are:

Mad Pow - Best Practices When Writing for the Web

Integrating Marketing Content

On the other hand, here is how you take a simple concept and wayyyy over-complicate it:

Sorry, MMC Learning, I just call that marketing. Horizontal, vertical, any-which-way you slice it, the point of marketing communications (and even Marketing Communications) and all business writing is....communication.

I have to admit I have a few clients who have been slow to realize just how important it is to market to your employee first. For heaven's sake, if your own employees don't know what your company is trying to market (communicate) how are they going to do a great job for you?

<steps off soapbox>
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Are you and your organization ready for some common sense content?
Contact me. I'd love to help.