The Thin Line Between Branding and Marketing

 

Branding and marketing are two crucial words that are easily mixed up by non-industry professionals. Some have stopped trying to understand the difference between the words, and have instead settled for using them interchangeably. But there is a gulf of difference between the words, more than the thin line that the title of this article suggests. To make the terms clearer, some definitions may come in handy.

What is Branding?

Branding in its simplest form can mean a process that captures a company’s reputation in a few words. It could be a single word that gives personality to the company or that rekindles the unique attributes of the company whenever it is mentioned. When you mention a brand like Apple, it evokes certain images in the mind. The images of elite, class, chic and hip come to mind. These are attributes that sometimes make consumers of their products stand in line to buy their latest products, even at midnights, whenever there is a new release.
What is Marketing?
Marketing refers to the processes that deliver the message of the brand to consumers. While a brand remains the same, marketing evolves to deliver a brand’s core values. Marketing encompasses many activities; it deals with the advertisement, and it also tries to understand the consumer’s tastes so that it can utilize it to the brand’s benefit.

Where Branding Meets Marketing

Branding and Marketing both aim to achieve the same goal, that of communicating a unique identity to a target audience. In the process of marketing, branding is sometimes incorporated in order to win customer loyalty. On the other hand, the information gathered from the marketing process can be used in representing a brand in a certain light that appeals more to consumer’s taste.

Where Branding and Marketing Part Ways

Your branding strategy forms the bedrock of your marketing communications. Therefore, branding is strategic in that it doesn’t evolve as marketing is wont to do. Rather, it seeks to win and maintain customer loyalty on a long-term, and also counts on this to continue to thrive after marketing campaigns are over.
On the other hand, marketing is said to be tactical because it doesn’t seek to influence the consumer’s feelings towards the product on a long-term. Rather, marketing is more concerned about building awareness for the brand and not sustaining a brand loyalty. It marshals its points to convince the consumer and the campaign ends there.

Which One Should You Put Your Money into?

Branding has its own purpose, and so does marketing, and in relation to that specific purpose, they are great investments that can bring in returns. It is the knowledge of that purpose that prevents wastages. In order to carry out a successful marketing campaign to give your brand a boost, you need only the best marketing communications firm to handle your campaign. Look no further than TRW Consult, the award-winning marketing communications agency that can guarantee your brand a long-term relationship with customers. Call us now.

Why Every Consultant Needs to Write a Book

 

If you are like most consultants, you’ve thought about writing a book. You know intuitively that it will be valuable to your brand and your consulting career. Here are reasons why as a consultant, you should definitely write a book:

1. Your book is a marketing tool. A book can generate new business, close a pending deal, and remind previous clients that you are still available. Consider all the ways you can use your book to market your consulting. You can give it to contacts who will spread the word about you, your book, and your skills. You can send it to potential clients. You can send a copy to people you would like to meet or with whom you’d like to network or partner. A book can be a powerful tool to help open doors that may not have been within your reach in the past or close a deal that’s been hanging open for a while.
2. Your book helps you establish your expertise. You are probably already an expert in what you consult about, but a published book adds legitimacy to your career. When people see that you have a published book on bookshelves, they naturally assume that you are a top-notch authority—more brilliant than before you wrote your book. And actually you will be. When you write a book, you are forced to think more clearly and more deeply about your area of expertise. The content that readers can hold between the two covers in their hands boosts your credibility.
3. Your book can help you build your reputation and your brand. If you write a book about your consulting practice, it sets you apart from the rest. If given a choice of someone you would hire to solve your most pressing problem, whom would you choose? A published author or an unknown entity? Yep! Most people would choose the author. By writing about your models or the principles upon which your consulting practice is based, you help your clients and potential clients understand what you represent, what you value, and how you will be valuable to them. A book demonstrates the philosophy, skills, and tools you incorporate into your work better than any discussion can.
4. Your book can increase your name recognition. You will be viewed as a thought leader, and people will recognize your name and the name of your book. It raises both your profile and respect for your company. This can help when submitting proposals to speak at conferences or to keynote for corporate or association events. Your book generates attention, raises your visibility, and gives you multiple excuses for media coverage. A book can position you as the expert in your field.
5. Your book can help you make money. Don’t be fooled into thinking you will get rich from book sales. Almost no one does. However, your published book gives you and your consulting practice the legitimacy to increase your rates and an entrée to attract more work with less marketing investment. A book can help potential clients find you. When people look for experts, they often search for “who wrote the book on…?” Having a book helps people find you with their search. That’s one of the reasons selecting a title is extremely important. Remember, you will make more money through the business it generates than the sales it produces.

Culled from Business Writers Exchange

6 Secrets To Writing A Great Cover Letter

 

At best, a cover letter can help a job-seeker stand out from the pack. At worst, it can make a promising candidate seem like an uncreative cut-and-paster. Sadly, the vast majority of cover letters read essentially the same: Retreads of resumes that ramble on while repeating the obvious. Would you read one of these to the end if it were put in front of you? Probably not, and nor would most hiring managers.

Of course, the Internet is full of tips and tutorials on writing a cover letter, but few of them give much useful information other than the obvious ("Use good grammar!"). So I got to thinking about what cover letter tips and techniques have served me over the years. I came up with these six golden rules for writing a cover letter somebody will actually want to read.

1) Don't repeat your resume

A lot of people write cover letters as if they were paragraph-form resumes. Fact is, your letter will be stapled (or attached to the same email) as your actual resume, so you can assume that they'll at least glance at it (and probably with a keener eye than your cover letter). Instead, use your cover letter to show personality, curiosity, and an interest in the field you are applying to work in. My favorite pro tip: Google GOOG +0% around for the history of your field or company, and sprinkle some cool historical facts into your cover letter (or even use one as a lead). If I was applying for a job in tech, I might talk about how thrilling it was to see Moore's law transform technology before my eyes, and how thrilled I am to be a part of this transformation. If I were applying for a job in fashion, I might talk about how much fashion has changed since the 80s (a lot!). Everything has a hidden history. Use it to show expertise and interest.

2) Keep it short

Less. Is. More. Three paragraphs, tops. Half a page, tops. Skip lengthy exposition and jump right into something juicy.

3) Address Nobody

Sometimes, you don't know exactly who you should be addressing your letter to. Nix the generic and bland "Dear Hiring Manager" or "To Whom It May Concern". If you absolutely don't know who you should be addressing, then don't address anybody. Instead, just jump right into the body of the letter.

4) Send it as a PDF

Not every office computer can read .docx or .pages files, but virtually everybody can open a PDF file without any conversion. File conversions are bad for two huge reasons. First, they are just as likely to not bother and move on to the next applicant. And, second, conversions can introduce formatting errors. Both are bad. (Note: This story originally suggested .doc files. Definitely better than .docx, but, as the comments pointed out, PDF is surely better. It can't be easily tampered with, and you have more control over how it appears on somebody's screen.)

5) Never ever, ever use the following phrase

"My name is ___, and I am applying for the position as ____".They already know this, and you'll sound inexperienced.

6) Close strong

Finish off by quickly (and I mean quickly) explaining how your experience or worldview will help you at the job. That's key. That's the closer. And it can be done in one to two seconds. If it goes any longer, you're just rambling.

Culled from Forbes

7 Marketing Lessons We Can Learn From Politicians

If you happen to live in a state with hotly-contested races during elections, then it’s likely that no matter how hard you tried, you weren’t able to avoid being bombarded with non-stop nonsense from various contestants in the high-stakes game of running for political office.

On the positive side, here are seven marketing lessons we can learn from politicians.

1. If you use television advertising in your business, you may want to ramp it down or even suspend it altogether during the height of any political campaign, because stations routinely raise their rates during these times, to capitalize on the desperate spending of billions of dollars by various politicians and their supporters.
   
   
2. People are more motivated to take action (in this case, to vote) by fear of loss than by a possibility of gain. You don’t need me to point out all the overwhelming negativity in political advertising, as compared to the relatively small amount of positivity.
   
   
3. Political campaigns are all about one thing and one thing only: results. There’s no room in a political campaign for any nonsense like “awareness” or “getting your name out there.” Everything is geared to one purpose, and one purpose only: getting prospects to take the desired ACTION (vote). Business owners must think the same way, and focus on directing prospects to take a specific action whenever they do any marketing or advertising.
   
   
4. Because they are results-oriented, candidates always take a multi-media approach to marketing, using everything from radio and television to direct mail, email, social media, telemarketing and of course, extensive grassroots efforts. Small business owners often do the opposite — making the mistake of focusing on the cost of marketing instead of the results, and therefore often falling far short of their goals.
5. EVERYTHING is constantly tracked when it comes to political campaigns, so adjustments to strategy and tactics can be made. As a small business owner, you must track all of your marketing in detail, and constantly monitor your metrics so you can make changes and improvements based on what works and what doesn’t.
   
   
6. Politicians are fantastic at knowing everything they can about their “WHO” — their target audience — and putting together messaging precisely for them. The naysayers like to call it “pandering,” but in the super-high-stakes, results-oriented game of electoral politics, it’s very smart marketing to craft different messages to different audiences, looking for what is known as the right “message to market match.”
   
   
7. Politicians are excellent communicators. Many have Ivy League degrees, yet skillfully avoid being labeled “elitist” by speaking at a 6th- or 7th-grade reading level, which top copywriters know is the ideal reading level to shoot for to achieve maximum effectiveness in communication.

 

The last three U.S. Presidents are all masters of this skill. Who can forget Phi Beta Kappa/Rhodes Scholar/Yale Law School graduate Bill Clinton speaking in a southern drawl while professing a love of McDonald’s french fries, donuts and assorted other junk food, or George W. Bush being generally perceived as not bright despite earning a Yale degree and being the only President to earn an MBA (from Harvard Business School), or President Barack Obama routinely breaking into slang and “the language of the common man” despite his Columbia University and Harvard Law School degrees?

Of course these three presidents — and many, many other politicians — are all quite capable of speaking with big words and sounding like college professors, but they know better and almost naturally communicate at the coveted 6th- or 7th-grade reading level for maximum effectiveness.

Small business owners, entrepreneurs and sales professionals, of course, should aim to do the same.

We can all learn a lot more about marketing from politicians, of course, in addition to being thoroughly entertained by their no-holds-barred fights to the finish.

 

 

Culled from Huff Post

By The Book: Six Ways to Break into Publishing

 

Be personal when applying for work experience

If you’re looking to get experience in the industry, start by applying to publishers directly. “I recommend approaching smaller independent publishers too. They tend to receive fewer requests and the work experience process tends to be less informal,” says Harriet Birkinshaw, senior commissioning editor at Nobrow.

Literary agencies are also a great place to learn about the publishing business, adds Claire Palmer, an editor for HarperCollins. “Whatever you do, make sure that you’ve done your homework on the places you’re applying to – for example, if you know that non-fiction is your overriding passion, don’t apply to work somewhere that only deals in fiction.”

Richard Arcus, commissioning editor at Quercus Books, agrees that personalisation will help your request stand out. “There will be a number of equally passionate and intelligent people writing to those publishers at the same time, trying to get experience. So the less generic, and more tailored your approach, the more attractive this will be to publishers. For example, if you’re contacting the editor of a book that inspired you or really captured your imagination, then really sing about that in your message and show them that you’re contacting them for a specific reason.”

Is an English literature degree necessary?

The short answer is no, but a degree in any subject will help your applications. “Degrees are often useful – though Penguin Random House have dropped this as a requirement for their entry-level jobs – however degrees in English are not more sought after than any other,” says Edward Milford, development director of the Independent Publishers Guild.

Zara Markland, chair of the Society of Young Publishers, agrees that while a degree can make you a more appealing candidate to publishers, it needn’t be in literature. “Study the subject you want to learn more about, not the one you think you might need. I personally have never found any advantage to having an English degree. Instead, some dedication to publishing and your confidence and determination towards that would definitely put you in good stead.”

Many copywriting and proofreading roles are now freelance

“Publishers use both freelance and in-house copy-editors a lot, so if you’re interested in this work it’s worth checking the job-boards and also being on LinkedIn – publishers often look there,” says Spencer Williams, senior product manager at Pearson.

If you’re starting out as a freelance proofreader, consider joining the Society of Freelance Editors and Proofreaders and look into proofreading training courses that both they and the Publishing Training Centre run, adds Milford.

Be open-minded to other areas of publishing

Editorial is the most sought after area of publishing to work in, but working in other departments can be equally fulfilling. “Always be open-minded to the other areas of publishing,” says Birkinshaw.

Don’t forget that rights, sales, design, marketing, and audio all play huge roles in the publication of books, says Martha Ashby, commercial fiction editor at HarperCollins. “Find an author you love and research their team – who designs their books, who does their PR, who is their agent. And, without sounding creepy, do some online stalking and then politely send some enquiries out to different areas of publishing.”

Be passionate and persistent

Publishing can be a competitive industry to break into, and “with publishing, persistence often wins”, says Birkinshaw. “If you’ve still not heard anything within a few months, I would recommend reapplying for work experience as often it’s a question of timing. As you are still at university, I recommend becoming involved in anything that might relate to publishing such as the student newspaper. This will always look good on your CV.”

Alice Bartosinski, editor at Egmont Publishing, agrees that persistence is key to getting ahead in publishing. “If you are really passionate about a certain area of the publishing industry, you will get there in the end. If you have the right attitude and a natural aptitude for the area you’re trying to get into, just keep going. Try lots of different routes. So you need persistence, passion and dedication.”

Can publishers also be authors?

“One of the questions I get most when I talk about my job outside publishing circles is: ‘You must be a writer too, then?’ I am definitely not, but it is true that a lot of people do both in the industry,” says Ashby. “It’s hard to weigh up the benefits – you will certainly make some excellent contacts in publishing, but if you’re only getting into publishing to get a book deal you will find it incredibly hard work. This is not a nine-to-five job so you might want to think about how you would balance your writing with work.”

Milford adds that planning to write your own book may not be looked on favourably by potential employers. “Many people think of publishing as being about writing – I prefer to think of it as being about reading. An employer will want to know that you can see things from the readers’ point of view and may see a wish to write as something of a distraction.”

Culled from The Guardian

10 Grammar Mistakes that Can Keep Your Content from Spreading

 

Ever read a blog post and think, “This writer seems to have some good ideas, but the grammatical errors are driving me crazy”?

(Pro tip: If you don’t ever think this, some of your readers probably do.)

Grammatical glitches make your writing harder to read, and they turn readers off.

Content may be king, but you’ll gain a lot more respect and credibility if your writing is just as brilliant as the ideas you convey.

And by brilliant, I mean clean.

When your writing is clean, readers understand where you’re coming from. And the more your readers understand and respect where you’re coming from, the more likely they are to share your content.

 

10 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Content Writing

 

As editor of Brazen Careerist’s blog, Brazen Life, I often see the same errors in submissions for our site. If our smart contributors make these mistakes, chances are you make them sometimes, too.

So next time you write a blog post, whether it’s a guest post or for your own site, check it over for these errors:

1. Using that when you should use who

Whenever you write about people, refer to them using who, not that.

John is the guy who always forgets his shoes, not the guy that always forgets his shoes.

It’s easy to make this mistake because that has become acceptable in everyday conversations. But it’s more noticeable when it’s written down — or maybe it only jumps out to us grammar geeks?

2. Including the word currently in your bio

The word currently is virtually always redundant. (Can you tell this is one of my pet peeves?) But let’s focus on your bio, because that’s where most writers fail on this one.

Don’t write: “Tom Jones is currently a communications director.” If Tom Jones is anything, he’s that at that moment; you don’t need “currently” to clarify.

Just get rid of it.

3. Starting a sentence with There is or There are

This isn’t an actual error, but it’s often a symptom of lazy writing.

There are lots of better, more interesting ways to start sentences.

Ooops. See how easy it is to make this mistake?

Instead of starting a sentence with There is, try turning the phrase around to include a verb or start with you. For example, replace the sentence above with Start your sentences in a more interesting way.

If your copy includes a lot of phrases that begin with there is or there are, put some time into rewriting most of them.

4. Writing bullets that don’t match up

Bullet points are a popular and effective way to organize complex ideas. Just make sure your bullets correspond to one another.

For example, since this piece calls for 10 mistakes, each item needs to be something you don’t want to do. Too often, writers mix and match mistakes with what you should do or make transition to shoulds halfway through the post — which only confuses the reader.

If your piece is called 3 Career Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make, here’s a bullet point that works:

• Forgetting to tailor your resume each time you apply for a job

Here’s one that doesn’t work (because it’s not actually a mistake — the writer inadvertedly switched to what you should do):

• Make sure you tailor your resume

Likewise, if you’re offering “tips for writing while balancing on your head,” make sure the bullets are actually tips, ideas that start with an action verb, not “sitting on your head helps you think better.” That’s a reason to write while balancing on your head, not a tip for how to do it.

Often you can turn any idea into a tip by adding a verb. For example: “Remember that sitting on your head helps you write better.”

Make your bullet points consistent and your writing will read more smoothly.

5. Not using contractions

Which sounds more personable: I am heading to the market that is close to my house, or I’m heading to the market that’s close to my house?

Contractions make your writing sound friendlier, like you’re (not you are) a real person. And that makes it easier to connect with readers.

Contractions can also make your post easier to read and comprehend. So go out of your way to include them in your posts! Your editor will thank you.

6. Falling into the ing trap

“We were starting to …” or “She was skiing toward …” Whenever you see an ing in your copy, think twice about whether you need it — because you probably don’t.

Instead, get rid of were or was, then eliminate that ing and replace it with past tense: “We started to …” or “She skied toward …”

Pruning excessive “ings” makes your writing clearer and easier to read.

7. Adding a comma after that

When used as a descriptor, the word which takes a comma. But the word that doesn’t.

For example: “We went to the house that collapsed yesterday” or “We went to the house, which collapsed yesterday.”

Confused about when to use that vs. which? Grammar Girl offers a great explanation.

8. Using over rather than more than

Over 200 people did not like your Facebook page — More than 200 people did.

Of course, everyone will know what you mean if you use over. But using more than is one of those little details that will help your writing shine.

9. Forgetting to hyphenate modifiers

Whenever you modify a noun with more than one word, you need a hyphen. Lots of people don’t follow this rule, so it’s a great way to show you actually walk the walk.

That means you need a hyphen if you’re writing about full-time work. But you don’t need one if you’re working full time. Got it?

The exception: No need to hyphenate modifiers that end in “ly.” Those are OK on their own. So your newly hired employee doesn’t need that hyphen.

10. Writing could care less when you actually mean you couldn’t care less

Which is exactly how some people probably feel about this post.

But you? You’re a writer who writes clean copy. And following these suggestions, as picky as they may be, will help you create content that’s clearer and easier to read … and that makes it that much easier to share.

Culled from Copyblogger

Five Social Media Mistakes that Could Kill your Business

 

Social media is vital for big business, but an online blunder can make or break your company. Here are five mistakes to avoid.

Social media is a necessity for businesses. Whether it be for marketing, customer service, or public relations, social media is often how companies stay relevant in their customers’ lives and aware of any issues that arise. However, a wrong step on one of these platforms can work against companies, digitally tarnishing their reputations.

In 2017, the world watched the social media failures of big names like Dove, Pepsi, and Adidas. Whether it be misspellings, misconstrued images, ill-timed humor, and offensive remarks, social media mistakes are easy commit. While many social media problems start out small or happen quickly, the mark is still made, and the company still gets hurt.

“Social media is now the avenue for escalating and for overall turning the event into a much louder discussion,” said Nick Hayes, a senior analyst at Forrester. “A lot of what you have to do is start to think about how an organization has typically thought of and managed crises in the past, and start to apply that lens of social media.”

A social media faux pas doesn’t only cause problems externally, but even more so internally. Hayes highlighted the interpersonal and financial impact companies can face after such an incident. If your reputation is bruised, partners may not be as eager to work with you. The costs in and out of the business are significant as well.

Take the example of United Airlines, which faced strong criticism on social media after a video of a man being forcibly dragged off a plane by security went viral. The company tweeted a statement from its CEO, which many criticized as too cold and corporate.

This social media disaster hit United’s stock prices hard, and led to many internal issues regarding customer experience, Hayes said. With a newfound negative public perception, United found its popularity decreasing.

Protecting your company is easy, however, you just need to be aware of common social media mistakes. Here are five habits to stay away from.

1. Forgetting your brand

When constructing a social media persona, you have to know your brand. With every post, social media managers must keep in mind the company’s core values. It’s important to ask yourself before posting, “Does this post align with my company’s beliefs?”

Social media mistakes are often made when companies are trying to stand out. In an effort to gain publicity, companies may try to post something funny or eye-catching, but these types of posts also leave the most room for error. With the subjectivity of humor, companies need to be very careful that they aren’t crossing the line. If a company is considering entering a social media discussion about politics or making a joke online, they need to ask if that post would really support their company’s overall brand.

“It’s always important to, whether you’re a social media director or somebody responsible for the social voice of a brand, make sure that [a post] is aligned with the core values or mission statement of the brand, and that the tone of voice comes across in every online interaction,” said Gartner research director Jay Wilson.

2. Disregarding your audience

Going hand-in-hand with knowing your brand, you must know your audience. Businesses need to remember the personality of their customers and what social media would play well. We currently live in a very polarized country, politically and socially, Wilson said. This polarization is accompanied by an increase in vocal public opinion, which is amplified through social media platforms.

After asking yourself if a prospective post aligns with your brand, then ask if it aligns with your consumer. Both questions act as quick filters when deciding to post something out of the ordinary.

“Strategize, and really talk about and brainstorm what are the potential issues that could arise,” Wilson said. “Whether you’re taking a stand on a specific issue or you’re simply putting a campaign out there, what are the potential reactions that you might expect from this increasingly polarized audience?”

3. Plagiarism

Probably the easiest online slip-up is not giving credit where it’s due. With the amount of data and ideas floating around the internet, originality can be difficult to achieve. If a company posts a statistic or fact without attributing the information, then they can not only find themselves in a lawsuit, but also branded as a plagiarizer.

“Brands need to create playbooks and have internal processes so that their teams understand what’s fair use, what constitutes express consent, what constitutes implied consent,” said Wilson. “If you are leveraging third party content, which is something that we often recommend that brands do—finding relevant news stories or content created by partners or thought leaders on social—that’s a great source of content for brands, but you need to make sure that you’re using it in a way that’s not overly promotional, and that you have consent to use that content.”

4. Failing to prepare

Sometimes the biggest social media problem isn’t an incident itself, but the aftermath. These platforms spread information at such a fast pace that companies are given less time to respond in the event of a crisis. Hayes emphasizes creating a template for response, rather than just waiting for something bad to happen, when you won’t have time to do so thoughtfully.

“I think brands don’t drill enough,” said Wilson. “They need to be doing drills and running simulations and scenarios to make sure that their human processes, their technology, is able to quickly identify and respond to social crises.”

5. Inauthenticity

Always say sorry, and when you do, mean it. If a company is accused of a major wrongdoing, they need to apologize, and they need to do so genuinely. Referencing back to United, Hayes noted their half-hearted apologetic nature to their blunder, circumnavigating the actual consumer concerns around the event. Companies should keep an authentic voice in every message they send, but especially when it comes to apologies.

Wilson suggested creating employee advocacy programs to carry out messages to consumers. “People tend to trust front-line employees more than they do C-level executives,” Wilson said.”They want the apology from the C-level executive, but they want to listen to front-line employees and their experiences with a brand, so if you have an employee advocacy program in place, that’s a great go-to resource if you find yourself in a crisis.”

Culled from Tech Republic

How to Identify a Target Audience For Your Book Marketing

 

While marketing a book, targeting too broad an audience is a common mistake many authors and book marketers make. In an age where many readers have access to virtually any book at any time, it’s incredibly difficult to make a single book stand out. Historically, bookstores have done targeted consumer marketing by shelving books in appropriate sections and stocking their stores with content that their particular customers have enjoyed in the past. Now that more and more readers are discovering new content on their own, it’s the author or publisher’s responsibility to make sure the right books get into the hands of the right readers.

Rather than trying to market every book to every potential reader out there, it’s in your best interest to focus your marketing efforts on a smaller group of “qualified leads,” or readers who have demonstrated interest in the type of book you’re trying to sell. This will ensure your marketing dollars are better spent and the readers you reach are more likely to purchase your books.

Simply assigning your book a sub-category on retailer sites is a start, but it isn’t enough. You need to know enough about your audience to know what kinds of books they’re searching for, and to cater your marketing copy — retailer descriptions, synopsis on your website, blog posts and interviews, tweets, etc. — to these search queries to be sure they find your book and choose it as their next read.

According to Mike Shatzkin, to ensure your book is discovered by users actively searching for books online:

The key knowledge required is not so much what’s in the book as what search terms the most likely customers will use to ask the question or express the desire for which the book is the right answer or fit. And in the world of digital information, Google is the primary intermediary, not the reviewer or bookstore buyer.

So how can you define the right audience for your book to enable smarter, more targeted marketing? How can you better understand what readers are actively searching for?

1. Information you should gather about your audience

Before you start marketing your book, you should have a clear understanding of the audience you’re trying to reach. Knowing your audience will help you create content and messaging that appeals to your readers specifically, and determine the channels on which you should spend your marketing budget and time. Here are some examples of questions you should be able to answer about your potential fans:

Demographics:

• What is their age, gender, and income level?
• What do they do for a living? Are they retired? Stay-at-home moms?
• What level of education did they complete?
• Are they married? Do they have children? If so, do they still live at home?
• Where do they live? (Region, urban vs. rural, etc.)

Psychographics:

• What are their favorite books (besides yours)?
• Who are their favorite authors (besides you)?
• What genres do they read most often? Are they loyal genre readers?
• How many books do they read per month?
• Do they read mainly for work or for pleasure?
• What kinds of movies and TV shows do they watch?
• How do they spend their free time, aside from reading? What are their hobbies?
• What kind of vacation do they like best? Or do they prefer to stay home?
• What are their buying habits? Do they make impulse purchases or hunt for great deals?
• How do they choose what book to buy next? Do they rely on recommendations from friends, are they loyal to particular authors, or do they grab the best deal they find?

Online behavior:

• What publications and blogs do they enjoy reading most?
• What social media sites do they spend most of their time on?
• Where do they shop most (online and offline) for books?
• Do they visit any forums? Google groups? Reddit?

2. Collect answers from your existing audience

Instead of guessing at the answers, consider posing these questions to your existing audience, or readers of books similar to yours. While this research takes time, the information you discover will be an invaluable resource for all your future book marketing efforts. There are a few ways you can get these answers from your existing audience:

1. Surveys. Create a survey using a tool like SurveyMonkey, SurveyPlanet, or KwikSurveys. As often as you can, especially for questions on demographics or genres read most, create multiple choice questions (dropdowns, radio buttons, or checkboxes) so you can easily compile the results. If all of your questions are free-response text fields, it will take you longer to read everyone’s responses individually. Then publish a blog post with a link to the survey and send the survey to your email list, encouraging them to participate and explaining why it’s worth their time to answer these questions. You can also join forces with any author friends in your genre who publish similar books to get as many responses as possible.

2. Reader interviews. Conduct a few interviews with readers over the phone or in person. Many people love talking about themselves, so you’ll have an easier time finding participants than you’d think. Prepare a list of questions ahead of time, but anticipate going off script too. Try to dig into the reader’s rationale when you want to understand more about how they find books to read or make purchasing decisions. This will help you get a more colorful picture of your readers than analyzing survey responses in excel.

3. Focus groups. A focus group is typically a collection of 5–10 people who are guided through a discussion by a moderator. As an author or book marketer, it’s easy to discover focus groups… find someone who’s part of a book club and ask to tag along to the next meeting! First, be a fly on the wall — listen to how people discuss and respond to a book similar to yours. Then have questions prepared for the group, just like you would during a reader interview.

4. Your social profiles. If you have a Facebook page or a Twitter profile with a substantial number of fans, you can review the insights tools on each platform to understand more about the demographics of the people paying attention to you online. On your Facebook page, navigate to Insights > People to see demographic breakdowns by gender, age, geography, and language.

On Twitter, navigate to your analytics page by clicking here and click Followers in the top navigation. Here you’ll find all sorts of interesting data about your followers, ranging from demographic data to lifestyle information and consumer behavior.

3. Create a reader persona as inspiration for marketing messaging

Now that you understand more about your audience, create a reader persona that describes your core customer. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated — just a short paragraph you can refer back to whenever you’re creating an ad, designing your cover, writing a tweet, or want a refresh on what might motivate your audience to pay attention.

Here’s an example reader persona (which is 100% fake):

Debbie is a 45–54 year old married woman living in the suburbs whose children still live at home, or recently moved out. She’s college educated and works full time, and she loves traveling and laying on the beach with a good book. She’s a loyal contemporary romance reader, and reads at least one book a week. Her favorite authors are Nora Roberts and Jude Deveraux, and her favorite movies are Titanic and The Notebook. When she’s not reading romance, she peruses People and US Weekly, and is subscribed to the blog Smart Bitches Trashy Books. She spends most of her time online on Facebook and dabbles with Pinterest. She also does most of her book shopping online, and while she’ll grab a good deal when she sees it, if she loves an author’s work or series or is tempted by what’s trending, she’ll buy a book at full price.

Once you understand your audience and what motivates them at this level, you’ll be able to better target your marketing and focus your efforts where your readers live, browse, and shop each day.

Also keep in mind that your book may have multiple target audiences. For example, there are many Young Adult thrillers with crossover potential to the Thrillers & Suspense market. You can create multiple personas and different marketing strategies for each persona to reach a wider audience.

4. Know what your audience is searching for

The next step is to compile a list of search queries that your target audience is using to search for books. There are a few ways you can find these terms:

Research which keywords are trending. Google Trends can help inform you of interest levels of particular terms. You can enter a generic keyword in your niche, such as “romance novel,” for example, and see the interest over time and also what related queries are most frequently used. From there you’ll get more ideas for trending terms, giving you more keywords to look up to see how they’re trending.

Do keyword research. Similarly, you can use Google’s Adwords tool to research keywords people are searching for. Once you enter a broad keyword, Google will give you keyword grouping suggestions and show you the search volume each keyword is receiving and competitiveness — how many other websites are targeting the same search term — of the words in that group.

Once you click into any of these groups, find keywords that are relevant to your book, have a good amount of average monthly searches, and have medium or low competition. These will be your sweet spots for keywords to focus on in your marketing copy.

Blog comments. Once you know which blogs and publications your audience frequents online, head over to those blogs and search for articles about books like yours. Scroll down to the comments to see how people are talking about these books, and if they’re expressing interest in other books they’d like to read that are similar to this book. This could also give you ideas for more terms to research using Google Trends or the Adwords Keywords tool.

Culled from Book Hub

3 Ways Writers can Cripple Self-Doubt

 

Self-doubt is both positive and negative, depending on your response. It could be motivating or deleterious to one’s ability. But most times, the tendency to it being negative is high. Therefore, anyone aspiring to success or relevance in a discipline or profession must be deliberate in the effort to cripple the coated demon. Similarly, the first thing you need to master, as a writer, is self-doubt.

Jason Rose gives a reasonable analysis of what writing is. He says, “Writing is 10% skill, 40% hard work, and 50% crippling self-doubt.” In other words, if you could cripple self-doubt, you have attained an average in writing.

However, writers are feeble and self-conscious. While quality fuel the thirst to know more, to feel more, to have more, to be more, it could become a boisterous storm that can drown one’s ability. Hence, managing the emotions and feelings attached to the feebleness is primary to improving one’s writing skills.

At one point or another, the feeling gets under our skin. Like a witness to the soul, its voice scribbles on the tablets of our hearts: “You are not good enough.” “Your writing is bad.” “That sucks.” “You’re such a jerk.” The words are like seeds thrown into the field, longing for the rain and the rough and tumble of the farmer. And when it is not revved up from the farmer’s activity, it dies.

Similarly, when you doubt your power because of the lies that are crawling in your head, you give power to your doubt. The lies came, in the first place, so you could question your abilities and drop your pen.

Nevertheless, it’s a choice one must make with anything in life: to either believe in yourself or allow yourself to be sucked into self-pity and feelings of self-doubt. Here are some things that can help you trust yourself again when feeling defeated:

Ground yourself

It is the nature of winds to blow, but it is at the helm of each object not to get blown away. A tree that is not firmly rooted will bow to the storm. When you are grounded in the belief of your ability and skill, you are shielded against the gremlin of self-doubt.

You should note that doubt, in itself, is not bad, it’s your response to it that matters. Self-doubt is there to test your agility and perseverance. Most times, self-doubt springs from feedback and criticisms. These are the rewards of every writer’s piece. However, our charge is not to fight but to check our egos, absorb everything, learn from everyone, expand our way of thinking, and improve.

Take a break

If you are feeling overwhelmed by what you perceive as not going so well, take some time away from that project and focus on something totally different. Sometimes, shifting our focus away from what we are stuck on helps us take a new perspective when we come back to it.

Paul Tremblay, an American author and editor of contemporary horror, dark fantasy, and science fiction, says, “For the times when I’m still filled with anxiety that isn’t going away, I get up and walk away from the computer and go do something else; exercise or chores; something physical. It’s important to give yourself permission to bail on writing and not beat yourself up too much about it. More times than not, when I’m not actively thinking about the book, an idea or a solution to a problem in the story bubbles up.”

Damien Angelica Walters, the author of Paper Tigers and Sing Me Your Scars, also adds, “Read a lot, watch a movie, go out, do anything but write. When I do that, the negative feelings start to melt away and I remember why I write: because I love it. It isn’t about accolades or anthology invitations or even sales; it’s about telling the stories that I have inside me to tell.”

Never compare yourself with another

Self-doubt puts you in a hole where you begin to compare yourself with others as you question your identity. Success is not in comparison, but in the assurance of your identity. Never give in to comparison.

Instead, it is important to get the support you need from others. Whether this is from friends, family, or a professional therapist or coach, getting reassurance or help from others can make a big difference.

Sometimes, just the reassurance that you are not the only one who gets stuck or has moments of self-doubt can help you shift away from a “why me” attitude.

7 Bold Marketing Lessons You Can Learn From Apple

 

Not too long ago, for those of us who were born in the last century, Apple was an afterthought.

Post-2000 the company rebranded itself in a revolutionary way. Despite the fact that they’re roughly on par with other computers and devices, they enjoy a reputation for being the best and command a premium price because of it. It’s not all due to the aesthetic design, either.

Even if you’re not a fan of their products, we all know someone who is almost slavishly loyal to the brand. They proclaim them the best at every turn, and word of mouth is a powerful force.

This leaves us asking ourselves: what exactly did they do to revamp their entire image in only a few short years?

The answer is simple: downright brilliant marketing.

I wholly endorse learning from the best, and when it comes to branding and advertisements they’re definitely up there. Learning this way means one thing: we have to ask ourselves questions about the success of the company involved.

After all, if you don’t know what’s been done it’s pretty hard to replicate.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the seven best lessons I think you can take from Apple’s marketing and talk about how to adapt them to your own business.

1. Think Carefully About the Need for Advertising

Apple actually runs pretty minimal advertising despite their increasing market share.

Think about it, apart from an ad once in a while most of the stuff you hear about their products comes from those who are fans of their products. Whether it’s reviews or the friend who can’t stop raving about his new iMac, they allow their products to speak for themselves.

There is also a lot of product placement done by the company, particularly in high-budget films and TV shows.

You can take the same approach with your business, provided that you’re supplying a high-quality product.

Now, it’s unlikely that you have the budget to have Tony Stark wielding your product in the next Avengers movie. Instead, you’ll want to scale this down to the basics.

What you can do is supply a high-quality product or service that speaks for itself. Try to get major influencers within your niche to utilize it.

If you’re providing a service, then a free trial is a great way to do it if your business model can allow it. Otherwise, you might want to collect and publish testimonials from those who are using your business to succeed. Publish them high and low. See if you can convince a few to do it of their own accord.

Case studies are also a bold move in the right direction. If you increased traffic by 200% with your SEO services, or your copywriting increased conversions by 75% or whatever else you may do, you can easily format a study to show why you should be picked over your competitors.

It’s easier said than done, but the less you have to spend on traditional advertising campaigns, the higher ROI you’re going to experience.

2. Don’t Engage in Price Wars

Apple avoids price wars. They cost more than any comparable product and still manage to sell tons of products.

Price wars are always a losing proposition. Ask a freelancer some time. Anyone who’s actually succeeding will have a bottom price and won’t take anything under it, no matter how you try to haggle with them.

When you engage in price wars, you always lose.

Instead you should do what Apple does: focus on telling your customers why you cost more than the competition… then prove it. Justify the cost and it’ll get paid.

While you still need to be wary of the competition, if they start dropping their prices make your own product or service better and don’t give in to the temptation to stoop to their level.

You can also offer different levels of service or different types of products in order to make sure that those buying from you have a wide variety of options. Keep your high ticket sales, but also offer some lower priced options.

But never, ever drop your prices en masse simply because your competitors are doing so.

3. KISS: Keep it Simple Stupid

If there’s one place that Apple really shines it’s in how easy their products are to use. There’s a reason that tech nerds prefer PC and Android products: they’re more customizable and versatile for the most part.

They’re also more prone to failure due to user error.

Even their advertising is relatively straightforward and simple. When was the last time you saw any of their copy directly advertising the technical specifications behind their product?

This reduces the potential customer’s apprehension about the product. The fact of the matter is that most tech users don’t actually care about the specifications behind a device as long as it does what they want to and has a user-friendly interface.

From the aesthetic on down, Apple really is a simple company.

Try taking the same approach with your own business and you’re sure to see some pretty impressive results. Overwhelming consumers with information is exactly what you don’t want to do.

Instead, wow them with the ability to make even the hardest-to-understand principles easy. Then show them what they need and gently guide them to making the right decision: your products.

If you take any of these lessons to heart, make it this one. It’s easy to apply no matter what industry you’re working in.

4. Emotional Marketing

Building on the last lesson, the way to really reach a consumer is through their heart.

When you see an Apple ad you don’t see a bunch of technical specs, you see people sitting around and enjoying their device. After all, who cares what the resolution is? Look at all those happy people enjoying their new iPad.

Forging an emotional connection with your customers is one of the best ways to get through to them. Most people aren’t exactly rational when it comes to choosing the things they buy. Instead they buy them based largely off of their emotions.

Forging ahead and making your potential customers laugh, smile, and perhaps feel just a touch of awe when they see your marketing is one of the most important ways you can connect with them.

And if you connect properly, they’re going to be a lot more likely to buy from you instead of a competitor.

5. Take Aim at Your Audience

Apple targets a specific part of the market and they do it extremely well.

What’s more, they know how to talk to them.

As I’ve pointed out, the average Apple user isn’t likely to be the type who’s wowed with the hardware. Instead they already want an Apple product and just need to figure out which one.

Their pages are covered in large pictures of the products and simple, easy-to-understand copy about the benefits. The specifications are there, of course, but to get to them you’ll first see what amounts to beautiful ads in an old glossy magazine.

They speak directly to their customers, in language they understand.

Being able to do this is one of the keystones of any type of marketing. This isn’t unique to Apple, but they do it better than almost anyone else.

It boils down to this: know your target audience and speak in their language.

6. Nurture a Sense of Community

Apple users tend to flock together. They talk about their products, they rave about them to those who aren’t part of the “cult”, and, above all, they’re loyal to the brand.

This also means that a large part of their content marketing is done by the end consumer instead of having to be produced by the company. There are countless “unboxing” videos online, arguments emerge on social media with users of other devices, and all of this serves to keep them constantly at the top of many people’s minds.

In short, they’re a community.

While it’s not possible with all products and services, if you see the potential to develop this kind of thing with your business you absolutely should. The more people are talking about what you’re selling, the higher your profile will be.

A higher profile means more things being sold.

Engage with your customers. Subtly encourage them to share your products with their friends, and also to share their experiences. If you can tap into it properly, you can form a loyal base of customers which will drive sales beyond your wildest expectations.

7. Become “the Brand”

Apple is the brand when it comes to computers. You’ll rarely hear of people rapidly loyal to Dell or HP or ASUS for their laptops after all. The latter three are pretty much interchangeable and bought on their technical specifications alone.

But Apple users… buy Apple products. Because they’re made by Apple.

Now, not every business is going to be able to take advantage of this powerful level of branding. If you’re running a start-up, however, and you have a truly novel idea you have the potential to do exactly that.

Seven Questions To Ask When Building Your Author Brand

 

An author brand is more than just a fancy website. It goes beyond color schemes, fonts and a logo. Sure, these things are all part of the bigger picture, but they don’t reflect your brand as a whole.

But, what exactly is a brand? And how can you develop one as a writer? In simple terms, your brand is what distinguishes you from everyone else out there. It’s your values, your personality and, ultimately, the unique stories only you can bring to the literary community. All of these things should be reflected in your personal author brand, whether that be through your website, or through your social media feeds.

While it can be easy (and tempting!) to get caught up in the process of picking out color schemes, fonts, and a logo that is sure to blow everyone away, it’s important to dig deep and focus on the core questions that truly set you apart from everyone else. That’s what branding is all about.

So, as you start (or continue) to develop your own brand as an author, keep these questions in mind.

1) Why do I write?

This question lies at the heart of every brand, not just author brands. Why do you do what you do? What motivates you to sit down at your computer (or notepad) to write? These are your values as an author, the things that keep you writing day after day, even when the going gets rough. You can use your values to guide your brand forward in a way that is authentic and meaningful.

2) Who are my readers?

Understanding who you are and what you believe in is important, but so is understanding your audience, or readers. Without a firm grasp of who your readers are, you won’t know what they need and want. And if you don’t know what they need or want, how can you effectively build a brand that attracts your ideal reader?

3) What do I have to offer my readers?

I know what you’re thinking: “I offer awesome stories, isn’t that enough?” And, to an extent, it is enough! However, it’s best to get as specific as possible with what exactly you have to offer your readers. For example, if you’re a romance writer, what sets your book apart from the thousands of other romance novels out there? Why should a reader pick up your book, specifically? Again, really dig deep, and if it helps, reach out to your beta readers. What drew them into your book? For them, what sets your book apart from the rest?

4) Does this truly reflect who I am as an author and a person?

It can be really tempting to try and imitate another person’s style and brand. Especially when we view that person as being more successful than us, whether that be through more book sales, or a bigger social media following. No matter how tempting it may be, don’t be a copycat! It will only hurt you in the long run and, ultimately, it’s just not sustainable. Pretending to be someone you’re not is exhausting, so it’s best to be as authentic as possible when building your own (unique!) author brand.

5) What are other authors doing?

I know, I know, I just told you not to be a copycat. Now, I’m telling you to look at what other authors are doing. Why? For starters, it’s always a good idea to follow other authors, especially those who write in the same genre as you, because it can be an excellent source of knowledge. Maybe a fellow author blogged about a conference that you couldn’t attend. Maybe another author has valuable insight on writing and selling e-books. Ultimately, you should never ignore other authors just because they’re “competition.” More often than not, it’s the friendships that you form with other authors that push you to grow, evolve, and improve, so don’t miss out!

6) Am I willing to be consistent?

Brand consistency is key to making sure you don’t confuse your readers, or yourself. But what does it mean? On the surface, it means consistently using the same design elements, such as colors, logos, taglines, and more, across every platform you’re a part of. At a deeper level, it means that your message (i.e. who you are as an author, who your readers are, and what you have to offer) are crystal clear.  

7) Am I willing to evolve?

Authors evolve over time, and so do their brands. Maybe you’ve decided to go in a completely different direction with your writing. Maybe your values and core message have changed. Whatever the case may be, there is no shame in adjusting your brand to account for your growth as a writer. On the other hand, while it’s important to remain flexible, you don’t want to shake things up too often, as this can create confusion. It’s a good idea to reevaluate your brand once a year, and ask yourself: does this still represent who I am as an author?

Would you like to be widely-read? Let SOI Publishing bring your book to life with high-quality production services. Contact us here.

 

 

Culled from DIY MFA

How to Write for Teens Without Sounding Like an Adult Writing for Teens

 

Ask any agent and they’ll tell you the trick to nailing young adult writing is in the voice. And even though I spend my workdays with teens, I heard it countless times when I was looking for representation for my failed first YA novel. So when I finally buried that novel for good and moved on to what became DON’T GET CAUGHT, I was determined to make sure the voice was right. It took more than eight drafts and constant revisions, but ultimately I signed with an agent who sold the book in a little over a month. The trick, I’ve found, is first to get yourself back to thinking like a teenager again, and once there, writing your novel as a teenager would. Here are 10 practical tips on how to do just that.

1. Time travel.

To sound like a teenager, you need to become a teenager again. Here’s what I want you to do: Spend a week or longer solely writing out your teenage memories. Start it as a list at first—naming friends, enemies, teachers, adventures you had, successes and screw-ups, choices you had to make, etc. Next, choose the memories that stand out the most to you, and write about them. The important part here is to focus on how you felt during these experiences. This is definitely a dam-opening type of exercise of memories and feelings.

2. Relive the terror of your yearbook.

Yearbooks are essentially monsters collecting dust in your closet. Open one up and you can’t escape seeing people who didn’t want to see ever again, reliving moments it took a team of therapists for you to forget, and being filled with all of the confusing emotions high school fills you with. But it’s also a great way to get in touch with those emotions, which is essential to writing authentic voice.

3. Listen to the music.

I got this trick from fellow YA author Josh Berk who once told me when he needs to return to thinking like a teenager, all he has to listen to is Green Day’s “Dookie.” For me, I use my youthful obsession with R.E.M. To this day I can’t hear any of their songs without being transported back to my high school bedroom or cruising around in my beater of a car. Other bands also transport me to other times in my life. It’s an odd trick, but it works. If you listened to anything obsessively in high school, or if there’s a movie you watched endlessly, revisit them and see what place they take you to. Write down the feelings you get from them.

4. Contact your old high school friends.

This is a simple one: Get in touch with old friends and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll revert back to sounding like you’re a teenager again. Failing that, eavesdrop shamelessly on teenagers. It’s not hard—they’re not usually the quietest bunch! Plant yourself at the places they hangout—the mall, coffee shops, school sporting events, etc.

5. YouTube it.

Teenagers broadcast their lives these days to the nth degree. Take advantage of that. YouTube is full of videos of teens talking, giving advice, and just being plain. Tuning in is a great way to pick up the flow of their language. Search: “Teen YouTube Stars” to get started.

6. Find a picture and make it talk.

Once I have a clear image of my character, I have a good idea of how that character sounds. Do this: Image search high school photography studios. Search the results until you find your character—you’ll know him when you see him. Now, what does he sound like? Copy and paste the picture onto your document and have this person introduce himself to you. This likely won’t be the finished voice of your novel, but it’ll let you get started.

7. Write for plot first.

More so with YA writing than with other genres, I suggest writing the complete story out first, then worrying about revising the voice later. This is so you can focus on one thing at a time, instead of plotting and getting the voice right at the same time. Try to write it in a voice close to what you want, but focus on getting the story down first with no pressure of getting the voice right.

8. Loosen up.

Something about being an adult just tightens you up. To write YA with authentic voice, you need to loosen up. With Don’t Get Caught, when I knew I had the story I wanted, I revised (and revised and revised) with a relaxed, devil-may-care attitude—one that eventually helped me find my MC’s real voice. Do this: Take a paragraph you’ve written and are unhappy with voice-wise. Now, stand up, walk around the room maybe while chewing a piece of gum (always good for loosening up!), and type the idea of that paragraph again, but faster and looser, telling yourself no one will ever see it but you. When you’re finished, do it again, maybe after some jumping jacks this time, or blasting a pop radio station. (Really. Try it.)

9. Overwrite.

When you’re doing your voice revision(s), it’s the asides, apparently meaningless observations, and throwaway conversations that will help you hear your characters. Teenagers have opinions on everything, so put them into your draft. Don’t worry about word count at this point; that’s for later. You can trim back an overwritten passage much more easily than you can add voice to a sparse one.

10. Shorten It Up.

OK, so your novel-in-progress is now full of lots of teen thoughts in just the voice you’ve been looking for. It’s time to cut it way back. Because here’s the thing—teenagers don’t speak in long, drawn-out monologues (hint: Don’t use “Dawson’s Creek” as an example). They generally don’t describe things that way either. Their vocabulary is common and accessible. Before you send out the book to your critique partners, cut way back on the paragraphs, descriptions, dialogue, and change any adult verbiage to more common language.

Culled from Writers Digest

Why Writing Skills Are Crucial for All Entrepreneurs

 

I've been a writer my entire career. I love it. I also enjoy writing about what makes for good writing as well as coaching and editing others.

What's cool about being a writer is that you can always improve, and you should want to, too. You can always find a better, more succinct way to make your point, be persuasive -- and in the case of us entrepreneurs use writing to win more business. You might not be a writer, but you still have to write business proposals and emails or come up with a tagline, a mission statement or copy for your website. You still have to be able to communicate what you do and what sets you apart.

 

Recently I enjoyed catching up with fellow word and grammar nerd (a term of admiration, I assure you) Mignon Fogarty, a.k.a. Grammar Girl, who produces the podcast "Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing." By the way, if you doubt people's hunger to understand writing and grammar, consider the Grammar Girl podcast is surpassing 300 million downloads this month. Here's some of what Fogarty and I talked about.

Good writing is simple.

Think subject, verb, object, period and in that order too. No need to bog down your writing -- and the reader -- with fancy clauses, adverbs or adjectives.

"Attention spans are so short, you have to use as few words as possible," Forgarty said.

A few words on subjects and verbs. To connect with the reader or create urgency, use second person, or "you." First person and second person are the most engaging.

As for verbs, think active over passive. You'll paint a clearer picture and won't have to rely on adverbs. Also, think of the simplest, most common verbs. For example, we talk more than we converse. And utilize is an overused corporate word for use.

"A lot of times when people use those big words they sound like they might be insecure," Fogarty said.

Note that not everything you write is urgent, exciting or otherwise screaming for an exclamation point. Don't succumb to the peer pressure. The period works great 99.9 percent of the time. 

Good writing isn't formal or jargon heavy.  

"So many people feel they have to be overly formal in business writing to be taken seriously," Fogarty said. "They have to use all the jargon and buzz words." Yes, oh my goodness yes. Every day of my life in corporate communications. 

 

I have one corporate business partner who defies the mold. She lets me delete most of her adverbs and simplify her sentences. She once asked me why my writing sounded different than what she sees elsewhere in the company. What high praise. I wanted to reach through the phone and hug her. Simple sentences. Active verbs. First and second person. Limited adjectives and adverbs. No jargon. I don't have any other tricks.

Writers are on their own a lot more.

From newspapers to corporations, the ranks of copy editors have thinned. That means writers are on their own and have to be their own editors, too. What's a writer to do? To check for grammar, syntax and typos, Fogarty's number one recommendation is to read your writing aloud. I agree. It works.

I also have my go-to resources that I consult: Merriam-Webster online and The Associated Press Stylebook online. And thank goodness for Google, because I always need to look up "affect versus effect." 

Let's all calm down about texting and social media.

I asked Fogarty a question on writing and social media that I'm sure she gets a lot. Are texting and social media making us worse writers? Fogarty has an optimistic view. Social media can make us better writers, because it forces brevity, she said. I agree. It's like headline writers. Those people are poets. This is why I miss the good old days of Twitter when tweets couldn't be longer than 140 characters. I enjoyed the challenge of being ultra brief. By comparison, 280 characters feels like a book.  

As for texting, Fogarty likened it to private notes that people have passed through the ages. Always hastily written, because that's what the audience has always expected. Our parents wrote IOUs. Kids still sign yearbooks with BFF and HAGS (look it up). Heck, OK is an abbreviation for a misspelling from the mid-19th century, Forgarty noted.

Need help with your writing tasks? Let TRW Consult take the pressure off you. Contact us now!

 

 

Culled from INC