The Truth About The New Rules Of Business Writing Part 13

Tie blogs to your marketing.

Track your traffic and rankings and respond to what's working. Promote your blog by identifying and incorporating keywords, just as for Web sites, and submit them to search engines; also submit your blog to one or more blog directories. Link to as many other relevant blogs as you can. To help justify the time you're investing, think about other ways to use the material you've developed for your blog.

Whether you're blogging for yourself or your business, be sure to link your blog to your Web sites, and other blogs, as appropriate. Your letterhead, print materials, and even e-mails should include your Web and blog URLs. Consider your varied marketing efforts as building blocks that create an image, or persona, that's more than the sum of its parts. If you have an e-newsletter, promote it on the blog, and the other way around. If you've issued a white paper or product catalog, promote them electronically as well. That way, you feed traffic to your own media and build an audience.

However, you also need to aim for some consistency in graphic appearance and how you present your organization. That's branding.

Truth 40. Tweeting and texting: the ultimate self-edit challenge.

It's clear that the ultra-short message, in the form of text messaging or mini-blogging like Twitter, has become a major means of interaction globally and an important business tool.

Texting (short messages sent by mobile devices that use SMS, short message service) is the medium of choice for many teens and twenty-somethings, who use it along with social media for general contact and prefer it to e-mail.

Many older people also depend on it for making plans, emergencies, and on-the-go contact, and it's gaining traction as an advertising medium as well. The real estate industry, for example, uses text messaging to contact potential buyers and deliver new listings instantly.

Twitter and similar mini-blog systems are shaking up traditional media and even the established digital channels. This is despite (or because of) the fact that it limits every message to 140 characters flat out. While many early tweets may have relayed what the writer was having for lunch, twittering is now serious business.

It's a super-efficient way to reach friends, colleagues, acquaintances, customers, prospects, and communities of like interest. And vice-versa: Large organizations are finding that an active Twitter "presence" is essential to branding and customer interface. It can be used to steer an audience to a new product or event and is an instant way to answer inquiries.

In fact, now that a problem can be brought to a company's attention immediately-for example, by a disgruntled customer at the airport whose flight was canceled-it must be resolved just as quickly, because the tweeter can broadcast his or her unhappiness to untold thousands of other people.

So if you work for a substantial organization, Twitter probably belongs in the communication toolbox. If you're an entrepreneur, a professional who wants to establish expertise, a consultant, or anyone who wants to engage with people or groups, Twitter can be great for your purposes.

So how can you effectively write for short-message media?

Don't be disappointed to hear that virtually all the tactics you're learning in this book apply. Super-speeding the delivery system does not mean you should short-shrift the writing process when you're messaging for business purposes. On the contrary: Look at texting and tweeting as the ultimate self-edit-a sort of final writing exam.

Think the 140-character limit is tough? Consider that at least one sophisticated cook is disseminating recipes via Twitter, others are reviewing movies, and some well-known writers have started to distribute stories in short Twitter bursts.

Successful tweeting needs a plan-If you tweet for business, an overall strategy is far more productive than just random messaging. Know what you want to accomplish: Promote a service? Establish your credibility? Strengthen friendships? Exchange ideas? Be part of a community?

And know the audiences you want to reach-what interests them, what works for them. As with every other writing medium, substance counts. People value information that will benefit them much more than casual entertainment, though well-delivered material always works best. So keep to what you really know.

It's useful to view Twitter as a supplement to your online presence. You can use the 140 characters to point people at your blog or Web site, which can offer more substantial information and ideas.

Make your writing as brief, clear, and conversational as you can-Use short words and simple sentences. Twittering is the ant.i.thesis of the old one-way communication approach, so try to promote dialogue. Questions are good, for example: "What do managers hate most about employee writing?" This is a good way to draw readers to an article or blog post, too, whether yours or someone else's.

Lists are effective: "4 ways to say 'thank you' for a client referral." "3 ways to roast turkey for non-cooks." These examples would all continue with the linked URL, preferably condensed through tinyurl.com, bit.ly, or another service.

Strong headlines that feel urgent or essential get your tweet read and re-tweeted. Example: "6 Rule-Breaking Ways to Pitch Creative Services." If you want readers to forward your messages, edit for clarity and directness. It's okay to use contractions, but not the abbreviations common to texting. Do use good punctuation and capitals-they cost nothing.

By the way, if you aim to be re-tweeted, stick to a maximum 120 of those characters, leaving room for the re-tweeter's message and identification.

To launch yourself in the Twitter world, as with blogging, first listen carefully to those already in a group that interests you. Ever notice how socially adept children join a game or activity? First they observe silently from the sidelines, and after a while make comments about the action. Then joining in and becoming a player seems natural.

But: Never send tweets to foster controversy that could backfire, or criticize other people in abusive ways. You might end up publicly apologizing to thousands of people. How humiliating is that?

About texting-Should businesspeople use abbreviations when they text? Fast answer: Allow for differences in levels of texting savvy. If you're not sure your audience will understand your message, spell things out more thoroughly. If there's the slightest chance of offending or confusing the recipient, try to condense your wording without using acronyms and other shortcuts. And you can text that you'll telephone or e-mail the person at a specific time.

Another question: Should constant texting by "hyper-socializing" young people be accommodated in the workplace? For that matter, should constant checking for Facebook news be condoned?

The jury's very much out on this, but the real question may become, is there a realistic way to stop such activities should a company or manager want to? What's certain is that communication channels are morphing-and in turn, are changing our business culture in profound ways.

Truth 41. E-letters focus marketing and reinforce branding.

Print newsletters are generally complex, time-consuming, and expensive to produce, but the e-revolution makes it relatively easy to create and deliver e-newsletters.

Effective e-newsletters can run anywhere from a few paragraphs to pages of copy, and well-done ones can be very productive for a business, a department, or an individual. But they must be well planned, well written, and useful in some way. Sure, it's easy to push a b.u.t.ton and distribute your communication to hundreds or thousands of people, or have a distribution service do it for you. But there's little point in bringing yourself or your company wide attention with a doc.u.ment that undercuts your professional image rather than enhancing it. If recipients feel you're wasting their time, they simply press Delete and you lose.

This means that you should not undertake an e-newsletter unless you're prepared to put time into writing it or have help. Your newsletters must have substance and be simple, direct, concise, very readable, and free of jargon. E-newsletters are worth doing for the same reason that print newsletters remain important: They build relationships. Sending periodic issues keeps your client base connected to you so that when they're in the market for your product or service again, your firm will be the first that comes to mind. For prospective customers, a credible flow of information is a superb selling tool. Further, newsletters give focus to your marketing efforts and reinforce your branding.

There are innumerable ways to approach e-newsletters. Here are some general guidelines to get you on the right track.

Know your audience and have something to say that will interest or benefit its members-The content may be timely news of your industry, advice, information on how to accomplish something they may want, or ideas. You might aim to provide a resource that connects recipients with multiple sources of information via links, or with your own in-depth resources. Brainstorm with colleagues to come up with creative ways to draw on your expertise in a newsletter your audience will value.

Know your goal-Do you want to support the marketing of a product or service? Make people feel good about your organization? Raise money? Promote recognition of your name or brand? Draw people to events or involve them?

Organize clearly-People don't read online material; they skim or scan it. To make your newsletter scannable, use bold type in your text, and prominent subheads, to call attention to major elements of your message so readers can instantly see what's of interest to them (or not). If your newsletter is longer than one online page, have a list of the articles up front linking to the content that follows.

Don't come across as promotional in all or most of the content-People will not spend time reading anything that looks like self-advertising in this format, unless they are already loyal customers or fans. Give them information they will value for its own sake, and promote your product or services in a separate section. Special offers or announcements of new products are a legitimate part of the mix. A section can be headed "The latest products from XYZ," or something similar.

Make it look good, but not glitzy-You should have a simple, clean masthead that is recognizable and connects to your organization; well-chosen, readable fonts; and good use of s.p.a.ce. It is smart to enlist a graphic designer who works with online materials to create a design for your newsletter. Don't shortchange the editing-nothing works against you more than misused words and marginal grammar. Enlist a second or third reviewer.

Issue the newsletter regularly, but not so often that you irritate people and get earmarked as spam-There's no set formula to follow on frequency; you'll have to sound that out. Once a year doesn't serve the purpose; quarterly might; monthly is better. Although they're simpler to produce than print newsletters, don't underestimate the time that the thinking and writing demand.

Make your e-newsletter save-worthy, providing material that is relatively timeless-Readers will file an e-letter to read later or store it for future reference if the information is solid. Some organizations number the issues-for example, "Jack Smith's Investment Ideas #162"-to encourage readers to collect all the issues. Archiving the issues on your own Web site so they're available to new readers is a great way to build up your original content, too, which is always a plus for search engines.

Focus-For many e-newsletters, covering one idea is usually enough, although some e-newsletters carry a range of content in each issue: news, articles, columns, reviews, opinion pieces, surveys, lists of resources, and services. Substantial newsletters are most effective when centered on a theme that relates directly to the business being intrinsically promoted. An e-newsletter issued by a garden center, for example, covers garden tips, "plant of the week," ask the expert Q&A, a guide on dealing with pests, and upcoming events and special sales.

Tie your e-newsletter to your other marketing efforts-Link it to your Web site, your blog, and other resources you can provide online. Give people a way to ask for more information about the subject or your firm. Provide clear contact information.

Make it easy for people to unsubscribe-Why annoy them if they don't want to be part of your audience? Refining your database is a critical and constant effort, and "bigger" is not necessarily better.

Find ways to make it interactive-Invite comments, share information or ideas, ask questions and get answers, find out what your visitors and customers want, and tell them how to pursue additional avenues for those more deeply interested in the subject. Ask them for ideas about where else to market your services or who else might be interested.

Make it shareable-Provide a mechanism for readers to forward an issue to other people so they can, without effort on your part, expand your database-and, of course, use that database for the rest of your marketing, with discretion.

Truth 42. Good PowerPoint is more than pretty faces: It starts with writing.

The speaker strides to the podium...turns down the lights...presses Advance...and slide by slide, his speech splashes across the screen so everyone can stare at the written words and hear an oral version at the same time. Later you get a handout that's identical to the slides. A multisensory experience? No, just a boring one.

If this scenario sounds familiar, be warned that it will become even more so. Many business schools are training students to communicate predominantly in PowerPoint. In professional communicators' circles, however, there's a growing conviction that PowerPoint is often poorly and inappropriately used.

Yes, PowerPoint can add a visual dimension to what you present. But there are major caveats: It shouldn't dominate what you want to say. It shouldn't circ.u.mscribe your presentation via its built-in limitations. It shouldn't draw attention away from you, the speaker, more than momentarily.

Begin PowerPoint as a writing project. Why? Because we think in words, even when the delivery is visual. You need to know what you want to say before you package it. If you start by creating your PowerPoint "deck," you'll focus on formatting-instead of content. You'll inevitably find yourself adapting the material to the template, adding unnecessary copy or visuals to "short" slides, and eliminating important points from over-packed ones.

Also, when you eliminate the structure that writing demands, you won't have thought through your subject farther than what's displayed on the screen. You'll miss chances to deepen your grasp of the subject and limit your ability to field questions. When everything you know is on the screen, your lack of depth shows. You're stuck with reading your slides.

So, consider developing your presentation through good old Microsoft Word, or scribbled notes, or whatever is comfortable. Then translate this thinking into PowerPoint, and when the format and content don't jibe well, juggle them till they do. This push-pull process generates good presentations. Have you seen a memorable one lately? Ask the presenter how he or she did it.

Here are ideas for making your presentation effective: Use the step-by-step strategy to plan your presentation, focusing first on goals and audience-Whom will you address, and what do they want to know? What do they already know? What's the central message you want to deliver? What's in it for them? Try to get across three or four main points and marshal your content in support.

Next, map and organize your content, the substance of your "middle section," and pinpoint any missing information. Aim to build a good lead, like an anecdote-especially appropriate for an oral presentation-and a strong close, perhaps summarizing your conclusions.

Write down your plan, whether in Word or on paper or index cards, and then build your deck.

Think of PowerPoint as a support for your in-person presence, not a subst.i.tute-For most of your presentation, the audience's eyes should focus on you, not the screen. And you, the speaker, should be looking at the audience, not the screen. People come to see and hear a speaker, live and direct. They need frequent eye contact.

Never project everything you're going to say and then say it-Bored people resist the message.

Sequence the deck logically and build transitions from each slide to the next-Start with a t.i.tle slide, followed by your agenda-what you'll talk about.

Anchor each slide with a large-type, one- or two-line heading-Use the screen to stay structured, topic by topic, while you provide fuller information, and to present relevant visuals.

Be creative in structuring the story you tell and how you use the deck-For example, you might define the subject and then head your slides as follows: What's the best process for improving...

The best research shows...

Here's what we learned ...

Here's what we learned from looking at our compet.i.tors...

Our conclusions...

Next steps...

Questions?

You might actually have only these statements on the screen, and talk to each point. The plus factor is that by shepherding people through your own process, you build buy-in.

Use visuals thoughtfully-A lot of meaningless motion and clip art can be distracting. When you must put a lot of information on a slide-charts, graphs, and other images-keep it visually simple and logical for the eye. Take advantage of the medium's potential to explain things dynamically. For example, the lines of a graph can move to show change over time, or various elements can be introduced one at a time to make comparisons easier to grasp.

Rehea.r.s.e!-As many times as you can bear it, practice your presentation aloud, along with the deck. Edit the slides to support your oral delivery and check that they flow right visually. Aim to present without looking at your notes. When you can, use humor, personal anecdotes, and stories to enliven the audience's experience.

PowerPoint as sole record-For better or worse, the medium is gaining ground as sole record of communication within various industries. Many consulting firms, for example, are using it for all in-house communications, even to communicate with clients, and have simply eliminated use of MS Word or other means of doc.u.mentation for virtually everything. If you're working in this kind of environment, how can you avoid PowerPoint pitfalls?

Don't be a slave to the template. No medium should preempt your thought processes and logic. Work through your message via Word or another traditional writing system. Then translate as necessary to PowerPoint. There'll be more substance behind the words, concise as they must become. Your ideas will connect better, and your arguments will be more convincing.

Hold on to your goal of thinking and writing well in PowerPoint, as in every medium. You need to know more about your subject than you can show on a set of slides. If you shortcut the writing, you shortchange yourself.

Part VIII: The truth about writing to self-market.

Truth 43. Strong resumes focus on accomplishments, not responsibilities.

Whether you want to advance your professional career, apply for a new job, or build your own business, getting your a.s.sets down in writing is critical. There are various kinds of resumes-a consultant may need a "functional" skills-based resume, for example, and a scientist a detailed curriculum vitae, or CV-but each should be framed to target your goal and audience.

The principle also applies to the newer social media resume, which can incorporate video, photos, podcasts, and blogs. We'll focus on traditional resumes, but you can adapt the ideas to other formats if they're better suited to your industry and highlight your strengths more appropriately.

A resume's goal is to get the interview so that you can sell yourself to the interviewer. This suggests that unless you're a physicist or professor, keep it to one or two pages maximum.

Recruiters and staffing people are on the receiving end of a lot of bad thinking. These tips are based on their suffering: Don't fool with the standard format-Stick to reverse chronological order and keep it simple. (And yes, employers still want to know what you were doing if time gaps are evident.) Use Microsoft Word or another standard word processing program-Consider creating a Portable Doc.u.ment Format (PDF) version of your resume so that it retains your formatting during e-mailing.

Don't let typos sneak in.

Don't clutter the layout-Your resume should be clean and easy for the 30-second capture, so don't vary fonts and sizes.

Don't use abbreviations that are not searchable or common outside your industry, such as "a.m." for accounts management.

Use keywords-Many recruiting firms and large employers digitize incoming resumes, so make them searchable and build in keywords that make your skills clear. To find good keywords, scour the recruiting ad, scan trade magazines, and check the Web sites of relevant companies and professional a.s.sociations.

What should be at the top of your resume? Recruiters differ about whether stating an objective works or not, but it should never be fluff. Cut out phrases such as, "I'm looking for a job that..." or "My objective in seeking this position is...."

Beginning with a brief profile-an elevator speech in print-that says who you are and what your greatest strengths are is a powerful way to open. You'll note that the examples here lean heavily on industry-specific jargon. Yes, we've advised you to stay away from jargon, but resumes are an exception to this rule. Recruiters and employers want to determine quickly how well your credentials line up with their needs, meaning you probably need to use your industry's buzzwords.

Here's an example of an opening profile: Energetic sales and marketing executive with 16+ years of successful experience in strategic planning, implementation, and leadership of multimillion-dollar marketing initiatives with profit and loss responsibility. Proven ability to a.n.a.lyze markets, target areas of highest return, and develop strategies to attain organizational goals.