by Miriam Hara | Oct 27, 2015 | Business Success, Communications, Latest, Management
A company without a social media presence is almost unheard of today. Consumers expect brands to be on social media. New Social Media Research Shows What People Expect from Brands. Are you prepared for the commitment? Are you making the time or do you begrudge the time spent on creating and maintaining a social media presence? Think your social media commitment is killing your company’s overall productivity?
Control your productivity: It’s about managing the day instead of the day managing you.
I run an advertising agency. Every day has priorities but within those priorities there are continuous moving parts that must be addressed in a timely manner. A social media presence is one of those moving parts. Business is not always about multitasking, it’s also about fluidity, responding smoothly and appropriately to situations and not being bottle necked by the myriad of details. It’s about making split-second decisions on whether to expedite, deal with, or delete. It’s about managing the day, instead of the day managing you. Within that framework comes managing your social media commitment.
You have to make time for social. You have to assign the people. If you begrudge the time it takes to create and maintain your social media presence then you have to change your thinking. If you can’t be joyous, then at least be jovial about this social investment. Approach it in the spirit of good fellowship. Social media is not a tangible asset; it’s intangible, but just as important as all of the other intangible assets that make up your business’s identity — your brand, your logo, your reputation. In today’s business climate social media is about social good will. It’s the warm and fuzzy aspect of business. A business without good will? We all know what happens to businesses that don’t nurture good will.
It helps to think of social media as a customer.
It helps to think of social media as a customer. Would you allow a relationship with one customer to suffer because you were spending all your time on another customer? What would happen? Would you ignore your Accounts Receivable because you didn’t have the time to follow up? Would you forget about Accounts Payable? Would you put pitching for new business on the back burner because you’re too busy servicing the customers you already have? This last is a common problem with small businesses — finding the time to get out there and land new accounts! Same with social media, for many of you it’s a question of time and how to manage your social media commitment.
Social is a demanding customer. It vies for your attention. It sucks up your time. It expects creativity. It costs you money … so plan for productivity!
Yes, social is a demanding customer. It vies for your attention. It sucks up your time. It expects creativity. It costs you money — you’re paying someone on staff (maybe more than one person) to deal with it and often those people have other responsibilities, too. Their productivity suffers. Maybe you’re dealing with social media activity yourself and as the business owner your own productivity is suffering. So how do you deal with demanding customers? Every so often in business you get one. A customer has hired you as the expert, to help them, but they’re just not listening to you. You’re putting extensive time and effort into the relationship, but the payback currently isn’t there. You see no promise or value in the long-term proposition. No business wants to lose a customer, but sometimes you have to let one go. But not social media. That’s one customer you can’t afford to let go … so plan for productivity!
Like many things in life, changing your thinking can change the outcome.
Like many things in life, changing your thinking can change the outcome. Try thinking about social as a customer. Accept that it’s a time-gobbling client, but worth the effort because the rewards are there. Accept that the return on your investment won’t be felt immediately, but when done right, it will be felt. Be patient. Remember, the currency you’re dealing in is good will. Do what you do with all other aspects of your business — plan for it. A good social media presence doesn’t require an enormous budget and if you plan for it, the time spent on it becomes purposeful.
While good will can’t be quantifiably measured, it won’t be difficult to measure your productivity, and ultimately the success of your business, without it.
While good will can’t be quantifiably measured it won’t be difficult to measure your productivity, and ultimately the success of your business, without it. Social media is about creating good will. Without good will, productivity issues will be the least of your worries. Repeat customers, new customers, brand loyalty and affection for your brand. Good will plays a role in all of it.
For more about productivity, read our previous blog, ‘Productivity: Write this Down’.
Get tips on building your social media presence and great content with two of our free downloadable e-books, ‘Social Media Understood’ and ‘Content Creation Understood’.
Keep in touch! #SharedWisdom
by Joyce Turner-Gionet | Oct 9, 2015 | Communications, Content, Latest
Typo: Abbreviation for typographical error. AKA fat-finger syndrome.
Typos are not necessarily the same as spelling errors.
In marketing and advertising, we often refer to a spelling error as a typo, but typos are not necessarily the same as spelling errors. The term “typo” originated with the mechanical process of typesetting. You may know how to spell a word correctly, but your finger hits the wrong key. Sometimes we transpose letters, and it’s a case of our brain moving faster than our fingers. Either way, when a typo or spelling error shows up in content, it’s not pretty.
Poor grammar can steal the thunder from that brilliant thought you were eager to share.
Too many typos or spelling errors in a piece can compromise your credibility. Poor grammar can steal the thunder from that brilliant thought you were eager to share. Punctuation rules the rhythm and flow of your piece, so keep it in mind.
What’s the difference between grammar and punctuation?
Once upon a time, writers and editors lost sleep over typos and spelling errors. Nowadays, we sleep easier because much of our content is online. When working with an online publishing platform (e.g., WordPress), corrections are simple: We edit the existing document and then hit the Publish button. Presto, the mistake disappears. One caveat: If the social media content you’ve published has been been picked up by another site before you’ve had a chance to correct the mistake, there’s not a lot you can do other than fixing the root file.
If your piece is going to a printer, go mad with proofing. If a typo makes it into a printed piece, you’ll be left cringing over it for the life of the piece.
Write the way you speak.
Write the way you speak. This piece of advice is particularly relevant for social media. Social media is about conversations and making connections, so a casual tone works well. Slang is acceptable only in certain contexts — use common sense here. We’re definitely more casual in much of our writing today, but …
Spelling, grammar, and punctuation remain important; they’re every bit as important as in formal business writing.
Before you hit Publish …
- Spellchecks are helpful, but … 8 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Just Rely on SpellCheck.
- Proofread your content more than once.
- Have someone else proofread your content. Even the best writers benefit from a proofreader or editor. What’s up with that: Why it’s so hard to catch your own typos.
- Don’t guess! When you’re not sure, look it up.
- Walk away from your content and go back to it later. You return to it with a fresh eye and may see typos or other errors that you missed on your first go-round. Walking away also provides an opportunity to mull over additional ideas that could make your content richer.
- Don’t let grammar rule you! Grammar has rules, but they can be broken occasionally. Just make sure that if you are going to break the rules, you do so intelligently, with style, and for a purpose.
- Major newspapers (online and in print) often have errors in copy, and they have an entire staff of proofreaders. Errors happen! If you notice one, and it’s too late to fix it, relax. World peace probably isn’t at stake. I’ve included a few funny proofreading blunders, later in this post.
Imagine! Years ago, punctuation didn’t exist. The mysterious origins of punctuation.
While creating content, it’s helpful to have a few authoritative resources nearby. Here are a few of my favourites:
Reference Books (in print):
A Canadian Writer’s Reference
The Associated Press Style Book
These two are particularly fun to browse:
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
Miss Nomer’s Guide to Painfully Incorrect English
Websites:
Oxford Dictionaries
Merriam-Webster
Thesaurus.com
Grammar Girl
Grammarphobia
Apps:
Using a good spelling, grammar, and punctuation app? Let me know and I’ll update this post.
A touch of serendipity …
While writing this post I received an email ‘funny’ about proofreading blunders. (I’d give credit where credit is due but no sources were provided.) A little proofreading would definitely have spoiled the giggles …
Sign in a public washroom: “Toilet out of order. Please use floor below.”
Sign in a department store: “Bargain basement upstairs.”
Sign in an office: “After tea break, staff should empty the teapot and stand upside down on the draining board.”
Outside a second-hand shop: “We exchange anything — bicycles, washing machines, etc. Why not bring your wife along and get a wonderful bargain?”
Notice in a farmer’s field: “The farmer allows walkers to cross the field for free, but the bull charges.”
In a Safari park: “ELEPHANTS, PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR.”
In a Laundromat: “Automatic Washing Machines: Please remove all your clothes when the light goes out.”
In a newspaper: “Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers.”
Also in the news: “Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over.”
(Thanks to Yellowknife Girl for proofreading this post before I hit Publish. Any errors after the fact are not her fault.)
by Miriam Hara | Oct 6, 2015 | Content, Interactive, Latest, Social Media
When someone comments on content in your Social Media post, your response to that comment is as important as the original content you posted. Tread carefully! Your Social Media responses are content too!
Sharing expertise, providing information and responding are at the core of Social Media.
Sharing expertise, providing information and responding are at the core of Social Media. Good social media initiatives create value. Great content = Great Value. So what makes for great content? Useful, thoughtful and thought-provoking ideas that resonate with your core group. Great Content = introductions to people. Introductions lead to engagement and the start of beautiful business ‘friendships’.
… the essence of Social Media is not about selling, it’s about sharing.
Social Media is the gifting of expertise or information with no expectation of a return. Yes, Social Media helps you develop and cultivate brand awareness, so there’s a big return on that, it’s true. But the essence of Social Media is not about selling, it’s about sharing. It’s about giving back, or if you will, paying it forward. So give back!
When a reader responds to your Social Media post, that reader is engaged. Conversation is now flowing two ways. Congratulations. Your Social Media effort was successful. But you can’t stop there. You must give those responses the respect they deserve. Remember, you’ve started a friendship and friendships must be nourished and nurtured. So respond!
Ignore Social Media responses at your peril!
Ignore Social Media responses at your peril! Content is King, but royalty can still get into trouble. Remember what happened when the British Royal Family was slow to respond after Lady Di’s tragic death. Public opinion turned against them and for a long time! People want responses, emotion, authenticity; they wanted to feel the love. When your brand takes the time to respond to comments on a post it shows a little business love and a lot of respect. So respond.
Great content without follow up?
Great content without follow up? Save your money and don’t even bother starting the process! Posting or tweeting and then not responding to questions, messages, thoughts, the sharing of ideas. What’s the point?
Building Identity Loyalty Through Social Media
Social Media takes effort, even after you’ve created content. You need to spread the word, create buzz and add to buzz. You need to search out like-minded people and see what they write about and introduce yourself. You need to respond to them too. Everything on social media is a conversation, including Social Media responses.
… people are often as interested in responses to content as they are in the content.
It’s also important to remember that people are often as interested in responses to content as they are in the content. They like to see how brands respond. So when you do respond, remember that it’s your brand speaking. Answer thoughtfully, honestly and respectfully.
A community isn’t built on one-way interaction.
Social media is about being part of a community. A community isn’t built on one-way interaction.
- Be prompt with your responses, answer in a timely manner.
- Not every comment will require a response, but be discerning. Read closely to see if it does.
- Not everyone might agree with your Social Media Posts. That’s okay. Social Media is a conversation. Agree to disagree. But like mom taught you … be nice about it!
- Feel free to ignore obnoxious commentary and truly obnoxious commentary can be deleted. It’s about respect — and it runs both ways — if someone is being truly disrespectful, with nothing valuable to say, then there’s simply no room for a real conversation.
- Responses can also be an opportunity for learning? Is there something to be learned from the comment? A point of view, idea or suggestion that you’ve never thought about?
Bottom Line.
Bottom Line: Social Media responses are content too. Put thought into each response.
Had a unique experience with comments or your response to a comment on a Social Media Post? Share it with us!
For a quick review or a primer on creating content, download our free e-book: Content Creation Understood. In it, we share a little content expertise and some suggestions, including a few do’s and don’ts, for content creation.
by Joyce Turner-Gionet | Sep 30, 2015 | Business Success, Interactive, Latest, Marketing
“On the Journey of Learning.”
I saw this tagline (above) on a big yellow school bus passing me on the highway through Toronto. It’s a beautiful line.
Learning is a journey. If we’re open to it and up for the adventure, it can be a tremendously satisfying lifelong learning journey, with plenty of personal benefits, besides the knowledge we gain.
… when’s the last time you went out of your way to learn something?
The kids have been back in school almost a month now, but what about the rest of us? Are we still on the journey of lifelong learning or did we hop off the bus somewhere en route? When’s the last time you learned something new? More precisely, when’s the last time you went out of your way to learn something?
I’m not talking strictly about job-related learning here, although that’s a wise pursuit that can pay off in spades. I’m also talking about lifelong learning for the sheer joy of it.
Some of us embrace learning? For others, it’s a chore! As kids we naturally love to learn. Think of the number of times you’ve heard a child ask the question: “Why?” Why are there no more dinosaurs? How big is the tooth fairy, why can’t I see her and what does she do with all the teeth? Why are the neighbours’ kids allowed to stay up later than me? Why? Why? Why? Somewhere along the way, many of us lose this ravenous curiosity. Obviously, it’s not because we know everything. Mostly it’s because we get busy. Other, equally important things take up our time: our families, our friends, our jobs, our outside commitments, keeping up with the demands of the day-to-day, our health, even our worries. In our quiet times, learning something new is not often high on the priority list.
Many creative types embrace lifelong learning; it’s part of their nature …
If you’re from a family of learners, it helps. If, as a child, your curiosity was encouraged and your questions respected and answered, it sets you up to be eternally curious and lifelong learning follows naturally. Many creative types embrace lifelong learning; it’s part of their nature — they’re open to new experiences, they think outside of the box, they ask questions, they’re naturally curious.
18 things highly creative people do differently
If you work in the marketing field, you will fully appreciate just how critical it is for you to be open to lifelong learning. Take a year, 6 months or even a few weeks off and something changes, updates, evolves or a completely new social media platform arrives on the scene! Blink and you miss it! Look at the rapid evolution that has taken place in digital marketing alone. Once upon a time, in the olden days (ooh, maybe 5 years ago) digital marketing and social media were considered specialist areas. Now ‘digital’ is a key element in any marketing and communications strategy. It’s our professional responsibility to keep ourselves up to date and relevant as much as we can in order to provide informed, educated guidance to our clients.
We’re never too old to learn and it’s never too late.
My father never touched a computer, but he read the paper, front to back, daily, until just before he died at 89. A world traveller as a young man, he continued to scour the atlas, look up facts in his beloved Pears’ Cyclopaedia and was always up for the challenge of a cryptic crossword. A few years ago, a good friend of mine was in the late stages of cancer. She too was a seasoned traveller and the most committed and eclectic lifelong learner I’ve ever met. She researched constantly for pleasure, taught herself a number of languages and like my dad, could hold an intelligent, thoughtful conversation on a great many subjects. She called me late one night from the palliative care ward in Sunnybrook Hospital: “I feel out of touch with the world. I need to research. Can you bring me a laptop.” That conversation has stayed with me; it remains inspirational. We’re never too old to learn and it’s never too late.
It’s not important what we learn. It’s not important how we learn, because we all learn differently.
The 7 styles of learning: Which works for you?
What’s important is that we continue to learn. It helps to surround yourself with people who like to learn. Lifelong learning is intensely, personally satisfying. It increases our confidence. It makes us more interesting as people; we become better conversationalists. It keeps us in touch with what’s going on in the world. It helps sharpen our thought process. Studies reveal that learning can keep us healthier; it can elevate our mood and make us happier and help stave off illness, particularly age-related illness like Altzheimer’s. 10 benefits of lifelong learning.
The greatest thinkers, people whose ideas change the world, embrace lifelong learning.
A little ‘lifelong learning’ inspiration:
“In times of change learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”
– Eric Hoffer (American moral and social philosopher)
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
– Mahatma Gandhi (Leader of the Indian Independence movement)
“The best way of learning about anything is by doing.”
– Richard Branson (Humanitarian and founder of the Virgin Group. Interesting fact: Battled with dyslexia, a reading disability.)
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
– Benjamin Franklin (A founding father of The United States of America; helped draft the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.)
This one is a particularly interesting comment on learning: “It is what we know already that often prevents us from learning.”
– Claude Bernard (French physiologist, responsible for the concept of homeostasis.)
It’s the start of a new school year for the kids. What about the rest of us? What are we going to learn this year? I’m a foodie. On a personal level, I’ve promised myself I’ll learn more about herbs and spices and which ones work best with which foods!
Tell me what you’re learning. #SharedWisdom
by Miriam Hara | Sep 25, 2015 | Creative, Design, Latest, Marketing
Are you on trend? In the creative field, being on trend or staying ahead of the trend curve is something that needs to be constantly monitored. As designers of packaging, creators of TV ads and developers of Social Media initiatives, being on trend is a must.
… being on trend really means being next to the minute or slightly ahead of the curve. That takes talent … or does it?
We hear a lot about trending these days … we can thank Twitter for that! However being on trend and trend setting are completely different things. Of course, the concept of trend is still the same. Ultimately, it’s about what people are adopting. In other words, what’s the next big thing? What are people tweeting about most right now?
Within the creative field, being on trend really means being next to the minute or slightly ahead of the curve. That takes talent … or does it?
It’s not about talent, it’s about taking the time.
There’s a subtle difference between what is popular and what is on trend or trend setting. The ability to identify what is already passé is necessary in order to understand what’s next. How do you do that? It’s actually easy. It’s about turning habits into skills. It’s not about talent, it’s about taking the time.
- Read: Read a variety of things from a variety of sources – the more unrelated the better. Of course not everything you read will take flight. But accumulating knowledge is the first step needed before assimilating the information you gather.
- Surf the Net: Look at shops, (both online and bricks and mortar) to see what it out there. When you travel, even when you’re just out for a walk, look around. See what’s happening. Look at people, cars, colours and styles.
- Be Aware: Associate similarities across different categories (i.e., fashion, food, automotive, consumer electronics, leisure, etc.). It’s important. It allows you to connect the dots in order to see what “trend” is about to explode onto the scene.
It’s been my experience that a trend usually happens in one context. If it really catches on, it’s adopted and applied to a variety of contexts across different categories. Bamboo is a great example. Think back eight years, bamboo was a real ‘on trend’ material. Think about bamboo today. It’s definitely popular, but is it still on trend? Is it next to the minute or has it become passé?
What’s your experience with identifying trends? Let me know.
Read more:
Search Insights: Spotting Category Trends and Opportunities
by Miriam Hara | Sep 17, 2015 | Advertising, Branding, Creative, Design, Latest, Marketing
Powerful product packaging. It’s not just about the product experience anymore. Today, even the packaging needs to be an experience. Powerful packaging requires more than a basic understanding of packaging fundamentals. It’s not just about being pretty and persuasive with packaging, it’s also about being practical.
… powerful product packaging design can be likened to a powerful social media initiative
As you may have guessed from previous posts, packaging design is one of my favourite aspects of marketing. I’ve written about it often. In an earlier post, Package Design: Think of it as Social Media on a shelf I spoke about how a good package design compares to a good social media initiative: it’s inherently social, stands out from its neighbours, starts a conversation and gets people to connect with it. I promised a follow-up to that post with 7 quick tips for creating better package design. Here goes …
Product Packaging: 7 tips to get it right!
Want powerful product packaging? Here are 7 things you need to know before you even begin to design:
- Know your market. Who are you designing for? Research is the foundation for all successful marketing and advertising and that includes packaging design.
- Know your competition. Take a walk down those crowded store aisles and see what your competition is doing, then do it better! Be original.
- Know your story. Every brand has (or should have!) a story. Packaging tells your brand story but in a thoughtfully scaled down version that fits the physical format.
- Know your product. Packaging copy must tell your customers what you want them to know as well as what they need to know. These two things are not necessarily the same.
- Know your personality. Is your brand/product personality serious or fun? Your packaging design (i.e. shape, size, colours, textures, imagery and type fonts) must work together to reflect that personality. Don’t be afraid to use humour!
- Know your materials. Can the design be reproduced effectively in mass and is it cost effective to reproduce? Will your materials stand up well in the retail landscape … from initial transport to life on the shelf.
- Know your responsibilities. Brands have a responsibility to be environmentally conscious. Packaging should be eco-friendly.
Read more about the fundamentals behind powerful product packaging …
Packaging: More than a pretty on-shelf face
Delivering Great Packaging Design
10 Secrets to Eye-Popping Package Designs
