by Joyce Turner-Gionet | Aug 24, 2015 | Business Success, Content, Interactive, Latest, Social Media
Chat slang is no longer just about the kids; it’s not even about the rest of us ‘getting down with the kids.’ It hasn’t been for quite a while!
Hard to believe, but texting has been around for 23 years
The first text message was sent in 1992 by a 22-year-old test engineer from his PC to the Vodaphone network in the US. Chat slang — the ubiquitous LOLs, TTYLs and JKs — now wraps its saucy paws around many of the 350 billion global text (SMS) messages we send monthly. According to the stats, more than 15% of those messages are in a business context.
When it comes to chat slang, we make it up as we go
Almost every text we send has the potential in it somewhere for abbreviation and/or acronym. My mum (in her eighties) has taken to chat slang like the proverbial duck to water. She signs her texts (even Christmas and birthday cards) YFM (Your Favourite Mother; not that I have another mother, LOL). She wanted a picture of my daughter, a nurse, in her hospital scrubs and sent her a text that said: “Can u take a selfie?” (aka a photograph of self).
My daughters rarely answer their phone, but they respond to text and pepper their responses with emojis. My old high school pal regularly texts just one word to me: “Chat?” She doesn’t mean shall we pick up the phone and have a conversation. She means is it a good time to have an extended catch-up session, via text? If I say: “sorry, not now,” she’ll reply: kk 2moro TTYL. A successful chartered accountant who runs her own company, she’s one smart cookie, but texting brings out her impish, casual side.
Whether — as many continue to despair — we’re killing the English language with chat slang, is a moot point. WCYD?
That’s what chat slang is: casual speak. And it is impish. Admit it! As grown ups, the impish aspect can be fun. The abbreviation of words and phrases and the use of acronyms saves time (some grammar sticklers maintain it’s a product of laziness); but necessity, as usual, is the mother of invention. Where’s the space to have a formal or in-depth conversation on a screen like that of the current iPhone, which measures 138 cm x 67 cm? This dictates pithiness in what we say. Whether — as many continue to despair — we’re killing the English language with chat slang, is a moot point. WCYD (What Can You Do)?
LOL originally meant laughing out loud, a text response to a joke. Nowadays, it’s more like the shoulder shrug in a face-to-face conversation, a sort of non sequitur. It should follow something funny. It often doesn’t. JK (Just kidding); 2 (to, or too); 4 (for); OMG (Oh my gosh or oh my god); c u soon (see you soon), are old hat. We’ve progressed. NetLingo’s list of chat acronyms and text shorthand is mind boggling.
Is chat slang good for business?
What about in a business context? Is chat slang the new business casual? I saw a professional newsletter recently that ended with: BYOD (bring your own device) to the convention. Bet a lot of those business folks had to read it twice, thinking: Is that a D or a B on the end? Should chat slang be used in formal business writing? Well, then it would no longer be formal writing. What about a business email or text?
You’re late for a meeting with a client, so you text: gtbl8. C u in 20 (going to be late, see you in twenty minutes). Is that acceptable business etiquette? Much depends on the nature of the relationship you have with your client. Mostly, it’s a common sense approach, but if you’re wondering, there are a slew of websites out there with advice on business texting etiquette (see below).
What about emojis?
We all love emojis (aka emoticons), the colourful icons that we reach for in both personal and business contexts: Want to say ‘I love you,’ then the googly eye icon, a red heart and a female sheep icon work well, whether you’re a mushy 8-year-old or a mushy 80-year-old. The sheer number of icons available for phones, tablets and computers is exploding. Obviously, someone’s seeing a need. What about in business? Seems we’re using them here too …
Emojis speak volumes in email and text. You’re angry about something: insert a mad face. Sad: insert a sad face. Embarrassed: insert the face with the bright red cheeks. Kidding about something and want your boss to know that you’re kidding (we all know from experience how easily texts and emails can be misinterpreted), insert a plain old happy face, or maybe two, for emphasis. Pleased with the job your client has done, you add a happy face in your thank you. Emojis often change the entire mood of an email.
Is proper grammar in hiding?
So where is chat slang taking us? Is proper grammar in hiding? Should we despair? Since when is OMG the appropriate response to a hangnail and the onset of a hurricane? When did my favourite mother start talking about selfies?
The experts seem to think that chat slang is simply a reflection of the more casual way we live today. Maybe we can start to worry when the president of the multinational we work for sends us a text before our presentation: DFTBA! (don’t forget to be awesome!) We should really worry when the government rejects the business expenses we reported on our tax return with an lmbo (laughing my butt off) or lshic (laughing so hard I’m crying).
Slang has always been proper grammar’s edgy cousin
Slang has always been proper grammar’s edgy cousin. Like jargon or colloquialism, slang hangs around language, a thorn in formality’s side. I can’t imagine reading an entire book or article where the content is exclusively acronyms and abbreviations. Is that even possible? (Argument enough for why we really don’t need to worry too much about where chat slang is going!) To be maddeningly esoteric: Chat slang is what it is. We no longer speak the language the way Shakespeare spoke it (the bard was a huge fan of slang). Language evolves, it changes with the times. Slang, jargon and colloquialism are always along for the ride. So, 4 now …
“2 b or not 2 b”: the future of chat slang is TBD.
What’s your opinion on chat slang? Should we use it or lose it? Does it belong in a business context? LMK (Let Me Know).
Read more …
7 Rules of Texting Etiquette Every Professional Needs to Know
Best Text Messaging Apps of 2015
Other side of the coin reading:
‘Crystal’ software: No chat slang or emojis here! A Gmail plug-in that gathers data on your personality then helps you compose formal emails in your own tone of voice: Can personality data change the way we communicate with each other?
by Miriam Hara | May 18, 2015 | Branding, Business Success, Interactive, Latest
There’s a lot of hype in today’s marketing world about owning the customer journey. With the proliferation of so many communication venues (both established and personalized), it’s a challenge for brands to be everywhere.
A mere five years ago marketers were touting the tune that brands had to be at every touch point of the customer journey. The claim was that the customer journey was no longer linear and clearly established. It had become freewheeling with a plethora of points of contact where a brand could “engage” with its customer.
Today, five years later, it seems every month (sometimes every week), there’s a new way of communicating in order to prompt the customer to ‘own’ a brand – to become an ambassador. The customer journey has evolved yet again. Reaching the tech savvy customer is not that easy, not because you can’t place brand in front of them but because the power to reach them is in the palm of their hands.
Since it’s inception, the evolution of the customer journey has morphed into being individualistic, selective and skeptical.
Customers’ paths to brand retention, consideration and selection have become increasingly disjointed and extended. More and more, companies must cast a wider net to reach as many potential customers as they can, yet they have do it in a very ‘niche’ way. Customer touch points such as websites, mobile apps, the social media sphere and customer service need to be executed in synergy and be reflective of customer expectations. Although truth be told, often they don’t accomplish this. As Gen Y’s discretional income and demographic segment become more powerful, reaching them requires originality and total engagement. It must be fluid, participatory and authentic.
Mapping out the customer journey as we all know is crucial. Brands fight to establish and maintain relationships with their customers starting from the initial connection and continuing throughout the interaction process. It’s the interaction process that is in constant evolution. Now digital ads, reminders and, dare I say, “conventional” social media channel touch points are no longer enough. The customer journey is fraught with shorter attention spans, situational delays and a lack of “pressure” to purchase. Storytelling, content creation, content marketing and advertising must be constant. With the right mix of exposure brand will be “picked up” by customers along their path, put down and and hopefully picked up again.
Managing a designed customer journey is critical to achieving results, but owning it and staying on point in today’s digital environment may very well be a myth. What are your thoughts on the ownership of customer journey? Can it be owned or only managed?
by Miriam Hara | Apr 17, 2015 | Business Success, Interactive, Latest
Website performance is often confused with how a website looks. Although user experience and responsive design are important the key objective of a website is overlooked. Not too long ago, developing websites and making them ‘live’ on the world wide web was a capability that was available only to web programmers. Today, with the phenomenal Content Management Systems, (joomla, drupla) and more specifically the ‘programming-challenged’ CMS (gotta love WordPress) availability, many business professionals mistake the ease of making a website live, with it’s effectiveness.
So what exactly is required to ensure optimal website performance:
1) A Plan: All the technology and software in the world won’t replace a good, innovative and hard working ‘plan’. A website is the first impression of any business so it must resonate with the intended target audience. It also must have a clear set objectives and strategies. The definition of success for any website can only be determined if there is a measuring point. What does the website need to do? What is its core function and what are the delivery expectations in terms of sales leads, traffic numbers and contact point? Once these questions have been answered website performance can be more easily assessed.
2) Content Strategy and Structure: What does the website have to do? Does it have to inform? Showcase the business as an expert? Be a go-to for actual sales? Is there going to be an online store? Does the site need to generate leads? Most websites have a combination of many of the list just mentioned. Providing users with good, easy to read content in a structured and user friendly environment are key elements for optimizing your website performance.
3) Connection Points: It’s important for any website to have more than one point of connection. Weaving connection points throughout the site to prompt viewers to take action and connect is critical – especially if generating leads is key for the website’s performance. Connection points need to be closely integrated to content strategy and structure. Consider providing a forum where viewers can download white papers, eBooks or register for a webinar.
4) Be Responsive: Responsive design is easier to achieve now. CMS platforms have coded their web themes to provide optimized adaptation to many devices. That’s high-tech responsiveness. But web performance means that it’s not only necessary for sites to be responsive on mobile and perform visually on any device, it’s also important to be responsive to queries from viewers who are potential clients.
5) Search Engine Optimization: The importance of analyzing and developing a keyword strategy can’t be stated enough. Website performance is dependent on a critical and well laid out SEO strategy. No site in today’s world wide web would be complete or be able to compete without it.
Getting a website up, live and looking good without taking into consideration the core components that optimize a website’s performance doesn’t make business sense. Are there any other considerations that should be included to this list? Please share them here.
by Miriam Hara | Apr 15, 2015 | Advertising, Branding, Business Success, Interactive, Latest, Social Media
Every day we see brands entering the world of brand publishing. Having a content marketing strategy is a must for any business, no matter what industry they operate in. Have you ventured in yet? If not, why not? The terminology may be different. How it gets distributed may not be the same – but brand publishing has been around for many years. It used to be called PR.
Today, with the internet (or should I say Google) being the go-to source provider of information, many purchasing assessments are started on line – and referred to time and time again during the customer journey. If you are a business owner or a marketer, that fact alone should trigger thinking about brand publishing as a viable marketing initiative.
At this time, a large part of marketing carries a component of brand publishing – whether it be a blog post of 350 words, a Facebook update of 30-50 words, or even a tweet that’s only 140 characters. Brands and businesses have entered the publishing world to develop more intimate and authentic connections with the buyers of their products or services. In order to do this effectively, developing a content marketing strategy is essential in garnering the results necessary. In fact, without rolling up your sleeves and developing a content marketing strategy you may be just spinning your wheels.
A content marketing strategy allows your business to:
- Define the objectives of brand publishing
- Establish the success metrics with specific time intervals
- Set the parameters for the scope of the content that will need to be created
- Determine what properties it will be shared to
- Timing as it relates to frequency of content deployment
- Identify the different communities that your content will resonate with most
The marketing of editorial content is exactly what your brand or business needs to be doing in order to get found. Good editorial content will resonate with your target market – and that’s what it’s all about. Establishing a content marketing strategy has become hugely instrumental towards the success or failure of brands and businesses. It is time to embrace brand publishing and truly understand the value of how creating content can impact your business in the long run. Are you there yet?
by Miriam Hara | Nov 25, 2014 | Interactive, Latest
We are all out there: surfing, posting, responding, blogging and purchasing all on our very own personal computers. Our computers are an extension of ourselves and as a result we are lulled into believing or feeling that we are all safe – that Web security doesn’t apply to us. Think about this, the last time you went online shopping, surfing, researching or downloading information onto your computer did you even stop to think about the potential risk you had exposed yourself to? If you ask yourself right now how protected the information residing on your laptop or computer is when online, would you even know the right questions to ask in order to get the answer?
In light of the not so recent event involving the photo hacking from Jennifer Lawrence, I had written a blog about online security and the expectation of security. Now, I want to explore how educated individuals are about their computer security and securing their personal information from would-be thieves. I am not quite sure if the culprit of these security breaches is a result of misinformation about Web security or a lack of know-how about Web security. Which camp do you fall into?
Here are a few statements to determine if you are savvy about Web security and keeping your computer safe from harm’s way. Do you agree with the following statements?
1) I’m no celebrity, so who would want anything on my computer? Securing your computer is a priority no matter who you are or what you do. It doesn’t matter if you’re a star or not! If you use your computer to hook up to Internet, you are as vulnerable as Jennifer Lawrence. There are programs on the net written specifically by hackers who want nothing but to get at your information and they write these programs to execute “at large”!
2) I really have nothing of importance on my computer. Okay I believe you, but that’s actually not true. Your name, address and email are all that need to be comprised to set you up for identity theft. Every email received, from financial institutions to airline tickets and boarding passes, hotel confirmations or online receipts are added clues for hackers to start building a profile – yours!
3) Any message I receive that carries sensitive information I delete, so I am good. Hasn’t it happened to all of us at some point where we inadvertently delete a file? Remember the panic? Remember the IT guy that saved your life and recovered it from the “delete universe” where the common man doesn’t go? Well, that’s the same place all your deleted information goes. Think of your computer as the Eagles’ Hotel California: You can check in anytime you like, but you can never leave! Even when you delete information, it is never really truly gone.
Computer security and Web security are one and the same. If you are the on the World Wide Web, staying on top of the potential risks you computer is subject to is important. In a society that is quickly allowing each and every one of us to be publicized, it’s important that you don’t falsely assume that your computer is safe. So how did you fare answering the questions? Let me know.
by Miriam Hara | Nov 18, 2014 | Interactive, Latest, Social Media
Is the almighty business website a thing of the past? Many are saying Social Media is where it’s at today. Actually anything social media, including content creation, content sharing, reaching out and blogging are all the new must haves for business. With all the hoopla about social media and the introduction of so many social media platforms, many businesses are questioning the point of keeping a business website. However, there is still a need for it and it all has to do with first impressions.
It goes without saying that there are many advantages to social media but there are equally if not stronger advantages for businesses to also maintain their website. This is the place where prospective clients will go to get their first impression of your business. Who are you? What do you do? What services do you provide? How easy is it to connect with a sales representative? These questions are all part of the first impression equation. Also, it’s the only place online where you have 100% control over the content and ultimately how potential clients perceive you. Additionally, your business website must be up to par with all the current methods of social sharing and sales lead generation. Gone is the static brochure business website that provided no dialogue and no potential conversation.
A business website is about making a good first impression but the new business website also needs to leverage the demands of sales needs for the evolutionary digital landscape.
In today’s very competitive digital and sales environments, it’s important to get found and it’s important to be “there” when potential clients are looking for your product or service. As mentioned previously, brochure websites are a thing of the past. Planning and SEO strategies are essential when implementing a website. Here are 3 additional simple must-dos in order to augment the performance of a business website:
1) Articulate the objectives for your business website. This is necessary in achieving ROI on the investment.
2) Establish key strategies to keep your website fresh. It’s important to provide relevant and timely content on your site so potential clients have a reason to keep coming back.
3) Facilitate dialogue and contact. Enabling several touch points for visitors to comment or reach out is essential for developing relationships and sales lead generation. Identify key pages within the site that will prompt a call to action. Also having sharing tools is key.
The business website is still necessary and very viable. The danger is placing all your energy on social media platforms while neglecting your business website. Both have to work in tandem and be supportive of one another. If created properly, the business website should act as the central point for all other digital initiatives created for social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc), eNewsletters and of course sales lead generation.
Let me know what you think. I invite you to go to our site and see how we’ve designed an integrated business website.
