Not every part of your business is glamorous. Am I right? Some of it (or a lot of it) is probably boring, frustrating, or unflattering. We’ve all been there. As you created your list of experiences in Part II of What Do I Blog About, I encouraged you to include these – even if they’re sensitive.

Did this make you nervous? If so, I understand. Perhaps some of the experiences were sensitive in nature, either because they mention names you don’t want to disclose or moments in your businesses you’d rather not highlight. How then can you discuss these times in a way that benefits you? These are three tips to discussing sensitive material on your blog:

Get Transgender
If you are recapping a story about an individual or individuals that could be sensitive in nature, changing the gender of your subjects is a great way to protect their anonymity. Why does this work? In general, once our minds are introduced to the idea of one sex associated with a story, placing a different gender in the same role is difficult.

Tell it Straight
While I wouldn’t tell you to air your dirty laundry unnecessarily, sometimes it is a vital step to ending a PR nightmare. If you run into a situation where your company made a mistake, owning up to it is the best way to get back in the good graces of your clients and the public eye. State the facts without embellishing them or trying to hide details. Honesty will always earn you respect.

Show Your Learning Curve
Owning up to your mistakes is a great way to win the battle. Sharing what you have learned from them is how you win the war. Be forthcoming about what new protocols you are putting into place, how you are reimbursing your customers or what personal reflections you have had.

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To you things about your job may seem commonplace, obvious, and uninteresting. To others they aren’t. You’re starting a blog so you can share your wealth of knowledge, display your expertise, and answer frequently asked questions (FAQs). This means every day at work you’re experiencing something about which you can blog.

Begin by creating a list of FAQs. For example:

in the Mortgage Industry
How long will it take to complete my loan?
Why do you have to run my credit?
What documents do I need to have my credit run?
What kinds of loans should I consider?
What should I look for in a loan officer?

in the Apparel Industry
Where can I find your clothes?
Who wears your clothes?
What’s your return policy?
How should I wash my new shirt to keep the color vibrant?

in the Restaurant Industry
What specials do you offer?
Where can I park?
Do you deliver?
Do you offer takeout?
How do I make a reservation?

Over time, this list will grow. Your answers may change. Your services may expand. All of these are new blog post topics. Beyond the FAQs, create a list of industry jargon. These are terms thrown around between colleagues and other likeminded professionals which the rest of us might not know. For example:

in baseball
Five Tool Player
Around the Horn
Double Clutch

in writing
Periodic Sentence
Contractions
Rule of Three

in Social Media
@Mention
Tag
Newsfeed

Now that you’ve identified your FAQs and industry jargon, we get to the fun part. Start a third list detailing your experiences. What type of phone calls do you field? What’s something a client has done to make the process better or worse? What have you observed that you really agree with or don’t?

At this point, one of the main concerns I often encounter is: I don’t want to talk about that. This may be because it’s sensitive material. That’s completely understandable. Right now, we’re just creating lists. These are between you, your pen, and paper. Nothing is public until you publish it.

The longer your lists, the more material from which you can pull. Perhaps you won’t share some of the sensitive stories, but they could spark ideas for different posts. So write them down with a few brief notes.

In the next post, we’ll discuss a few techniques for handling sensitive stories.

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Did you just chuckle? A little? Be honest.

Is this a topic about which I’d generally tell you to blog? No. But, the principle behind it, the chuckle worthy, slightly edgy, engaging content is exactly what I’d steer you towards. Blogging, posting Facebook statuses, and Tweeting is all about sharing content people want to read – content people ENJOY reading.

What do people enjoy reading? It’s no longer news in the traditional sense. The doom and gloom which ruled 10 years, 20 years, forever years or so ago – has taken a back seat. People want emotion. While they’ll take anger and anxiety, it’s happiness and humor they crave.

Research shows good news can spread faster than bad. “The ‘if it bleeds’ rule works for mass media that just want you to tune in,” says Jonah Berger, a social psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania. “They want your eyeballs and don’t care how you’re feeling. But when you share a story with your friends and peers, you care a lot more how they react. You don’t want them to think of you as a Debbie Downer.”

Think about yourself. What do you gravitate towards in your Facebook feed or blog reader? What do you share with your friends? Do you call them about the latest shooting in the Bronx? Or do you forward them a snapshot of a smiling, swearing baby?

As you consider creating a Social Media presence, you might wonder: “What do I blog about?” “What do I put on my Facebook page?” “What do I tweet about?”

These are completely normal questions. I hear them often. The first steps are identifying your audience and asking yourself, “What would they want to read?”

Learn more about identifying your audience here. In the next post we’ll discuss how your business is rich with blog content.

The post What do I blog about? (Part I) appeared first on Making Language Count, LLC.

Here’s the problem, and it’s a two fold one – the best creativity is sparked by real world experiences and the strongest relationships are made face-to-face. These two things feed off one another. They make you a better, sharper worker.

Am I a huge advocate for the web? Yes. Do I think relationships can be built using Social Media? Definitely. However, the best things in life leave the web. They are not found on our computers, tablets, or smart phones. They are personal and hands on.

What do I mean by this? Take my food blog for example, Baguette Taste – Wonder Bread Budget. I’m connected with a fantastic group of bloggers. We share recipes, kibitz about grocery prices, and shout about the newest restaurants. But the end goal isn’t just writing notes back and forth. It’s making the recipes, eating the food, and sharing it with another person.

I also blog for Kenmore Air. I talk about the crazy fun places they fly, and the fantastic people who work there. The stories people have shared with me about flying are exciting and touching. But again, the end goal isn’t just story telling. It’s action. It’s getting people flying again.

Why do people, including me, get so attached to being plugged in? I could give any number of excuses. The bottom line is, we need to find time to unplug. In a recent Forbes article titled “14 Things Successful People Do On Weekends,” Laura Vanderkam, author of What Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, said:

You need to hit Monday ready to go. To do that, you need weekends that rejuvenate you, rather than exhaust or disappoint you. Cross-training makes you a better athlete, and likewise, exercise, volunteer work, spiritual activities, and hands-on parenting make you a better worker than if you just worked all the time.

As an athlete her analogy hit home with me. But, it’s also more than that. I’ve found lately I’m too attached to my phone. On weekends, it’s like an extension of me. I feel almost naked without it. Being so attached limits my creativity. It keeps me from operating at my full potential. So, I have selected times to unplug. I’ve started small with hour-long stretches on Saturdays. These are times when I put my phone on silent and turn off my computer. (Sorry if you’ve tried to get in touch.)

Are you addicted to the web? Do you ever unplug? How are you cross training your mind?

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But, I’ve found “person time,” getting around other people, is also very important. It constantly sparks new ideas and gives me things on which to dwell. For example, I was at Starbucks the other day and overheard a conversation I still can’t get out of my head. (I wasn’t eavesdropping, I promise! Those tables are just so close.)

Two businesswomen were discussing how they interact with clients, specifically what helpful tips they choose to share and not share. 

The general consensus between the two was even if it was best for the client to share all of their expertise, they were not going to. They were worried this would make them irrelevant. In essence, they wanted to make sure they got paid.

As a new business owner, I understand the dilemma. I can relate. Getting paid is important. But the idea of not putting my client first makes my stomach churn.

I am committed to always making the best decision for my client, even if that means losing their business hopefully only for a short time.

Why? Because it’s the right thing to do. And, because anyone who is successful knows that even if a client understands what you do, they normally can’t do it nearly as well or as efficiently. They are a professional in a different field.

What do you think? Do you hold all the how-to’s close to your chest or do you give them to your clients and help them succeed?

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Here’s a little food for thought – words have power.

The saying, “A picture’s worth a thousand words,” has stuck for a reason. Giving readers both a descriptive and visual message consistently proves more effective than only one or the other. Take cigarette warnings for example: in 1966, warning labels first appeared on cigarette package stating: CATION: CIGARETTE SMOKING MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH.

Was this enough? No. Last September, cigarette packaging began delivering a harsher reality. Statements like: SMOKING CAN KILL YOU and CIGARETTES CAUSE CANCER is now boldly placed on packages.

Additionally, anti-smoker advocates are also pushing for graphic photos to be added to packaging, such as diseased lungs or a man exhaling smoke through a hole in his neck.

Give your words more power by engaging your reader on two fronts–clear descriptions and visual images.

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A few months ago, a new phonebook arrived on my front porch. Just as quickly, it landed in my recycling bin with a resounding thud. So many businesses have online listings that looking up a number in the phonebook has become archaic.

The idea of not having a website in today’s world is like not hanging a sign outside your storefront. Mass marketing e-mails have replaced mass marketing direct mail campaigns. Ads and coupons now pop up in your web browser. Print is dying. Or is it?

While we all can contend advertising has changed, print is, and forever will be, useful. Why? Because people like to hold and hold onto things. To retain current and gain new customers, you need to be easily memorable. Frequent touches don’t just happen over the web. People want to know you before they invest in you. Integrating your business’ presence into multiple different formats is vital.

Your website, social media presence, and print material should streamline your brand and message. Promoting your business in just one format limits your impact. Utilize all three to maximize results.

I integrate all three by using the same slogan on the cards I mail, emails I send, and social media platforms I use. How are you streamlining your communications?

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I believe good writing is conversational, fun, and persuasive. No matter the industry, company or client, the goal is to engage and inform your reader. Sometimes achieving this means breaking the rules.

It’s OK to be a rebel on purpose. Unfortunately, some grammatical mistakes are like sticking your foot in your mouth or falling flat on your back. We’ve all been there, but we’d rather not taste shoe leather again.

I keep a running list of grammatical mistakes. These are eight I frequently see. Keep this reference handy and avoid another embarrassing moment.

Affect and Effect
Affect is a verb.
Effect is normally a noun.
Remember: things or events “affect” you. You “effect” things or events.

Than and Then 
Than is a comparison.

Then refers to time.
Remember: there’s an ‘E’ in both time and then.

Your and You’re
“Your” is a possessive pronoun such as: “your writing” or “your shoes.”

“You’re” is a contraction meaning you are. If you’re uncertain which to use, read the sentence out loud using you are. If it sounds funny, “your” is most likely correct.

It’s and Its
“It’s” is a contraction of it is or it has.

“Its” is a possessive pronoun as in, that cat had its hair shaved. Say your sentence out loud using it is. If it sounds off, “its” is likely correct.

Their, They’re, and There
There refers to a place. A helpful hint, “here” is hidden within there.
Their refers to a person.
They’re is a contraction of they are.

Use the same “out loud” trick as you do with it’s and its.

“Could of,” “Should of,” “Would of”
Could’ve, should’ve, and would’ve are verb contractions meaning could have, should have, and would have. Often when they are spoken they sound like they end in “of.” They do not. They end in have.

Compliment and Complement
Compliments are nice things said about you. An example would be, your writing inspires me or your blog is fun and informative.

A complement is something which adds or supplements something else. A great blog will complement your company’s website.

Lose and Loose
Loose girls lose it fast.

The post 8 Embarrassing Grammar Mistakes to Avoid appeared first on Making Language Count, LLC.

What are terrible words? They’re the ambiguous ones.Why? They’re easy. They’re safe. They don’t really say anything. No matter what you’re writing about or to whom you’re writing, communicating is paramount.

I spend a lot of time creating original copy, editing, and reading for both clients and myself. From the everyday Joe to the business professional and even, heart be still, the established writer, I see writing killed by extra and ambiguous words.

Here are my four least favorite words. You’re not always going to able to escape using them and sometimes they’re necessary. Keep in mind however, used improperly or too frequently they’re a death trap.

That
“That” is my biggest pet peeve. It is used as a writing word filler in the same way, “like,” “um,” and “you know,” are used in speech. It’s often not needed and frequently overlooked during the editing process. Recently I read, Getting Naked by Patrick Lencioni. It’s a fantastic book about selling without selling and it’s incredibly well written. Still, Lencioni has his hiccups. Look at this passage for example.

I know a consultant at Lighthouse who told his client that he needed to move his son out of a leadership position because he was incompetent. Another guy I know recently told a CEO that he doesn’t hold his staff accountable. And last week I had to tell a guy that I thought he talked too much during meetings. But remember the ‘kind’ part. We give them that sort of feedback with a level of empathy and concern that you would normally reserve for a friend. (158)

Each unnecessary “that” was crossed out. Did you read them anyways? If not, did you miss them?

Delicious
“Delicious” means something tastes good, but it says nothing about why. People want to know what it tastes, feels, smells, and looks like. Give them the nitty gritty. Don’t settle for a something so vanilla as, delicious. Here are two examples describing the same lunch. Which one would you choose?

Example 1
My steak salad was delicious.

Example 2
My steak salad was a meat lover’s leafy filled dream.

Got
“Got” means obtaining something. It can also be used in place of words such as have. More often than not, “got” can be replaced with a word which actually describes a situation.

“I got up,” could mean, “I stood up,” or “I woke up.”

“I got a doll,” might mean, “I was given a doll,” “I have a doll,” “I earned a doll,” “I won a doll.”

So, won’t you be a doll and stop using “got?”

Really
“Really,” is commonly used to emphasize something such as: “A really great idea” or “A really big man.” Instead use descriptive words such as: “A fantastic idea” or “A huge man.”

These are my top four. What are some of your least favorite words?

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Right now, all around the country, people are prepping their Super Bowl Sunday menu; party planners are purchasing beer in mass quantity; and coaches are reviewing game film, devising strategies, and drafting inspirational pre-game speeches. What in the world does this have to do with writing?

I’m so glad you asked.

As a writer, you need to know what is currently happening in the world. Time and again, businesses and professionals have pre-written and pre-scheduled their letters, emails, tweets, and Facebook updates.

Is this a horrible idea? No. Planning is great. But, it’s important to review your publishing plans before they go live. No matter what you’re writing and no matter where it is showing up, the point is to get your reader to care about what you have to say.

People don’t care about computers. They care about other people who care about them. Just like coaches who revise their game plan, make sure you evaluate each thing you send or publish to ensure it’s appropriate for current events.

On a somewhat different note – who are you rooting for this Sunday?

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