Make Your E-mail Work for You
You know your Web site, your business cards and your collateral are marketing tools, but what about your e-mail? I’m not talking about e-newsletter; I’m talking about day-to-day e-mailing. Here are a few things to consider:
1. Your e-mail address. Are you using an AOL or Hotmail address? If you’re trying to present yourself as a professional, consider your own domain name and an address that utilizes it.
2. How your name appears. Send yourself a test message. Does just your first name show up in a recipient’s inbox? Is it all lowercase? These are things you can fix to make sure you present yourself as professionally as possible.
3. Your signature line. Don’t forget to include a signature that includes your Web site address and phone number — resources that people find helpful when easily accessible. Plus, consider linking out to your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages. When you do this, you’ll probably notice the increase in hits and followers. You might also want to add your logo to your signature for visual appeal.
7 Ways to Ensure Your Press Release Isn’t Read
I’ve been on both ends of the press release. There have been times in my career when I’ve been the one to write and send them. At other times, I’ve been the recipient.
As a writer for various outlets these days, I’m on several media lists and receive quite a few releases. I also work with companies to write or edit their materials prior to distribution. This experience has given me a unique perspective on what makes a press release compelling. Writers and editors are all different, so I can’t pretend to speak for everyone. But if you want to make sure your release annoys its recipients, here’s what you should be sure to do.
1. Boldface the entire release. Don’t laugh. I’ve seen this. And as important as you think your message is, I promise you it does not warrant boldface body copy. At most, bold your headline for emphasis.
2. Use ALL CAPS as much as possible. It’s common to see all caps in headlines, though for me, this just makes it harder to read the headline. Al Stevens (@alstevens) recently reminded me of this one.
3. Make it really long. If you’ve been in PR for more than a day, you probably have been told (or figured it out for yourself) that people are busy. Your various audiences — whether they’re consumers, executives or reporters — are limited on time and bombarded with messages constantly. If you’re press release is longer than two pages, I’d suggest you start cutting. If you can keep it to one page, all the better. If it’s a real story, the writer will do some real reporting, meaning your release is there to spur interest.
4. Include large photos. Yes, art can sell a story. And publications like — and often even request — high-resolution photos to accompany a story. But when an e-mail comes through with high-res (read: large file size) photos along with the release, a lot of writers are inclined to delete the message to free up space in our inboxes. Let people know you have art available, and if they want it, they’ll ask.
5. Make your headline long and confusing. If the headline isn’t succinct and clear, most people won’t bother with the rest of the release.
6. Don’t put the news in the lead. It’s Journalism 101 — the first paragraph should contain the meat of the story. Starting with background information or a cute anecdote, rather than the actual news, might put off those busy writers you’re trying to appeal to.
7. Send it to nonpertinent publications. Everyone says they never do this. And I know this means that some people are lying. Sending information that doesn’t pertain to the publication or the writer’s beat is a surefire way to make sure it’s never read. When I edited healthcare magazines, I received more than my fair share of non-health-related travel and business story ideas. Usually, I didn’t have to read past the subject line to know I could delete the e-mail. And maybe you want to fire off as many rounds as possible and see what happens. That’s your “strategy.” I understand the approach, but remember, doing this too often has consequences. I have been known to set rules on my e-mail for certain individuals’ e-mails to go directly into the trash. I assume I’m not alone.
And remember — sometimes a press release is an overly formal and unnecessary tool in today’s fast-paced world. Sometimes a quick paragraph e-mailed to a writer or editor can do the trick.
Speak up — what else should people be sure not to do in their press releases?
5 Reasons to Hire a Contract Writer
There are a lot of folks out there who aren’t sure if hiring a consultant is the best fit for their company. I get that. And truly, it might not be. But if you’re on the fence, I offer these five reasons to consider a contract writer.
1. It can be cheaper than hiring new staff. Some of the companies I work with have enough work that keeping it all in-house would burn out their current staff. But it’s still not enough to justify a full-time — or even a part-time — staff member. That’s where a contractor can help fill the gap. And in a lot of cases, you don’t have to guarantee the number of hours, so if it ebbs and flows, your contractor will ebb and flow right along with you.
2. A fresh perspective is often welcome. Maybe you’ve been doing things the same way for years. “That’s just how we do it,” you’ll say. And it’s not out of laziness or a fear of change. It’s just that it’s worked, and you have plenty of other things on your plate. But what if a consultant could come in and work on your project with you for a few hours and help you see fresh, easy ways of updating language, tweaking design or waking up your creative approach. People in the trenches are sometimes too busy to search for a new angle, but a contractor can come in with a fresh perspective.
3. It’s a stopgap. When a staff member goes on maternity leave, has to take a leave of absence or even just goes on vacation, the absence can cause some unrest — even panic. If you operate at full capacity all the time, there’s not much room for weeklong vacations or disability leave. The right contractor, though, can be a temporary fix. I’ve gone into client sites for short-term assignments, and enjoyed the opportunity to change the way I work with clients — even if just for a week. And don’t think you have to pay a full 40 hours a week. You can probably identify the three of four most important projects that must be kept afloat. And a contractor can do that. So, your staff doesn’t get overloaded, and your employee doesn’t come back from vacation to a huge pile of overdue work.
4. It’s not your area of expertise. Just because you work in communications, PR or marketing doesn’t mean you have aced every facet of the field. Master creative strategists who lead teams might not be the best copywriters. And the best media relations pros might need an editor from time to time. It’s OK. We all have our strengths. That’s why I hire designers and Web programmers and accountants. I know my strengths and my weaknesses. So, if you don’t know social media, hire a social media consultant to get you started. If your copy is fraught with typos, hire an editor a few hours a month.
5. It frees you up to think about other things. A small businessowner trying to keep up the company Twitter account, get the latest enewsletter out and write press releases is spending time on marketing functions when he could be focusing on the business. I’m a small business owner, too, so I get it. You want to be in your business. You’re the face, the voice, the everything. But at some point, you can’t do the work, do the marketing, secure the new business, attend the functions, do the accounting, etc., etc. You can’t be everywhere. And if you’re trying to truly strategize how to build business and grow, you can’t be in the weeds. That might mean hiring a bookkeeper, while you focus on the big financial numbers and what they mean. Maybe you give direction on marketing strategy, but hire a writer to draft enewsletter content. As you grow, outsourcing smaller, detail-oriented tasks pulls you above the fray so you can see the big picture and work like a CEO should.
Whether a contract relationship is something you’re comfortable with is something you have to explore for yourself. Not everyone is. But if you find the right one, you just might be able to find peace of mind for you and your staff.
4 Things to Consider When Hiring a Writer
If you’re planning to hire a writer or are managing one now, here are four things to keep in mind that might help make the project go more smoothly.
1. Be specific about your needs. If you’re asking an editorial contractor to provide a quote, make sure you’re specific about what it entails — and that terms like “editing” mean the same thing to both of you. Will the writer be interviewing sources and doing research, or will you provide all the content he needs to write the piece? Do you want a heavy edit or a light copy edit? These types of specifics will help the writer provide an accurate quote — and will help ensure that you get what you’re asking for.
2. Have a style guide. Most writers will ask if your company has a style guide. A lot of marketers say no and suggest that AP is their preferred style. But it’s very common for companies to stray from some of AP’s outdated (or unattractive) modes. Even if you don’t have a style guide, start a quick reference sheet of exceptions to the rules. Not only will it help contractors better serve you, but you can also use it to train new staff and to keep your current team on the same page.
3. Provide samples of past work. If a writer requests samples, take a few minutes to dig them up. Seeing previous pieces and getting a feel for an organization’s tone is an important early step for a lot of writers.
4. Offer specific feedback. There are some circumstances where you may be working through various drafts of a piece with the writer. Even good, experienced writers don’t always nail your vision on the first try. And sure, we don’t like to hear that we aren’t perfect, but we know it’s part of the deal.So, if the first draft isn’t quite on-target, tell the writer why. And be specific. Things like “I don’t like this paragraph” or “The tone is all wrong” aren’t likely to get you the kind of second draft you want. Instead, explain what isn’t working — “We prefer a more conversational tone in our whitepapers” or “We need to include more statistics and fact-based research in this section.”
Hiring a contract writer or editor can be a great way to preserve your staff’s sanity, have more hands to get big projects done under tight deadlines and introduce a fresh voice to your collateral. Keeping these few things in mind can help make it go even more smoothly for you both.
Some Things We’re Thankful For
At this time of year, most of us are stopping to reflect on the year that’s past — and to consider what we might have learned that we can use to make 2010 even better. We’re also taking a moment to stop and be thankful.
For my part, I am thankful for the wonderful clients, talented editors and great business partners who’ve been a part of AVC this year.
And in the spirit of saying thanks — and having a little fun — I’d like to dole out a few more thank-yous.
10 of the Many Things I’m Thankful For:
1. Thesaurus.com. My editors are grateful, too.
2. Spell check. And really, who isn’t?
3. Twitter — because I really needed to know just how much time could be wasted in a day.
4. Word macros — because I needed the time back that Twitter stole.
5. Accountants. Writers need to know when to stop using spreadsheets.
6. Caffeine. Without you, my deadlines would cause panic.
7. Wine. Without you, the caffeine would keep me awake.
8. My AP Stylebook. You truly are still relevant, even though you are slow to evolve and adapt.
9. Em dashes. You are my favorite punctuation mark — you really, really are.
10. Bulleted and numbered lists.
And of course, I am thankful to all of you read the blog and comment. Have a wonderful holiday!
Regarding the Coverage of Fort Hood …
Today, I’d like to take a moment to offer up a blog you might not be familiar with. If you’re interested in media analysis, critiques and musings, check out veteran media exec’s Alan D. Mutter’s Reflections of a Newsosaur.
In today’s post, he comments on the media’s ethnic profiling in its Mt. Hood coverage. Click here to check it out.
Maybe 24 Hours of News is Too Much
By now — unless you’ve been hiding in your attic — you know of the “Balloon Boy” from Colorado. Yesterday, I received a call from my mother telling me to turn my TV to CNN for some dramatic coverage of the balloon. I obliged. And there it was — video of the family’s experimental balloon gliding to Earth … and CNN’s anchors, well, making it worse.
Night in and night out, I watch Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart mock CNN for its idiotic coverage. Then, I watch the comedian ask more pointed and intelligent questions of his guests than the vast majority of journalists. But it’s easy to assume that Stewart’s team pulls the worst CNN coverage it can find to poke fun of. But after watching yesterday’s coverage, I am led to believe that they don’t have to work that hard to find poor coverage.
Yesterday, I saw an anchor ask a “hot air balloon expert” why in the world a family would have such a thing. The expert’s response (paraphrased): For fun? Later, I watched CNN’s crack new team analyze a photo of the balloon and an indecipherable black speck. By zooming in and out on their touch screen, they repeatedly told viewers that the photo doesn’t show much … except a black speck that may or not be the boy falling from the craft, that may or may not be … anything. But they were pretty sure it WASN’T a smudge on the lens. Thank goodness for CNN.
Actually, the more I watched, the more convinced I was that it may be time to say farewell to 24-hour TV news. The coverage is not better — in fact, it may be worse. It does nothing to deepen our understanding of our world. So, sure, let’s keep Headline News on a loop … Rotate through the top stories every 30 or 60 minutes so that you can watch the news according to your own schedule. But let’s seriously re-think the value of around-the-clock news channels.
It’s All About Positioning
The airlines are at it again. As the holidays approach, it’s time for them to jack up their fees. Extra fees and rate hikes to travel during peak times — like if you want to arrive in time for Thanksgiving or Christmas — are on the horizon.
OK, let’s start with: This actually does make sense. However, from a business perspective, airlines are not traditionally companies you want to model. Given how much money they’re losing, maybe they’re not charging us enough. Still, all we as consumers can dwell on is: baggage fees, online booking fees, soda taxes, overpriced onboard snackboxes, aisle seat surcharges, convenience charges and so on.
So, what if instead of adding charges to the baseline fare of a ticket, an airline offered you discounts? Instead of the Dec. 26th Travel Rate Hike, how about the Christmas Day Travel Discount? Would you feel better if you got a credit for carrying on your luggage instead of taxed at the counter for checking a bag? What if you could get a discount for a middle seat — instead of levied a higher price for the aisle?
There are things we expect to come standard with air travel — which is why it’s so easy to mock fees for those things that we’ve deemed a part of the deal. But if we were provided with more of a choice to lower our fares by giving up some of those things, I wonder if it might make us feel better about flying the friendly skies. Or would we just focus on the higher price of tickets?
This is hardly scientific, but please take part in my informal survey. Would you feel better or not?
Selling Anger
As a one-time self-described news junkie, I may have reduced my news consumption, but am still probably more of a newshound than most. I love my Google Reader, watch multiple networks (time permitting), and I subscribe to various broadcasts on iTunes. So, it’s hard for me not to be quite simply fascinated by what’s happening in American politics today.
From where I stand, the brands of the parties have been tarnished … by a lot of things, to be sure. But mostly, by the sheer venom they spew. Likewise, individual politicians are seeing their reputations altered by the way they assert themselves at press conferences, town hall meetings … or at presidential address to a joint sessions of Congress. Ahem. Those who aren’t getting sucked into this maelstrom of anger and bitterness simply aren’t trying hard enough. But it’s as if there’s no stopping it. We have to choose sides. If not today, then on Election Day.
I started thinking … In the consumer products world, brands compete all the time: Mac vs. PC, Coke vs. Pepsi, Tide vs. All, Dawn vs. Palmolive, Bud vs. Coors. These companies go head-to-head, and they’re not afraid to expose their competitors’ weaknesses in their advertising campaigns. They swing back at each other. And let’s not pretend some don’t play dirty. But at the end of the day, there appears at least on the surface to be a level of civility and a mutual understanding for the business goals at hand.
Sure, it’s hard to get as emotionally invested in cola or dish soap as in your healthcare access or your personal rights. But how has it happened that Left v. Right has become such a fight to the death? That the business objectives in Congress have become winning vs. serving? But mostly, I wonder … how long will we let our publicly elected representatives get away with selling just one product — anger?