Spotlight on Marketing

So You Want to Write a Media Release and Influence a Journalist? Part 6

Posted on 30 July 2010 | No responses

This is Part 6 of a list of resources I’ve compiled about how to write effective media releases and how to influence journalists and bloggers (with integrity, of course) so you get the publicity you want. (See also Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5.)

1. “The Most Overused Buzzwords and Marketing Speak in Press Releases” by Adam Sherk (@adamsherk on twitter)
2. “Media Relations 2.0: What Journalists Really Want from PR” by Tressa Robbins (@tressalynne)
3. “Throwing Bricks At Some PR ‘Professionals’” by Gail Chiasson (she’s not active on twitter) on the DailyDOOH” (@DailyDOOH) site
4. “How To Write A Social Media Press Release” by Sarah Hartshorn (@Mindsprout) on Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day)
5. “Old School Media Relations: The way of the past or a lesson for the future?” by Crystal Macaulay (she’s not on twitter) on PerketPRsuasion (@PerkettPR)
6. “Successful PR Pitches: Don’t Be a Goofus” by Paige Worthy (@paigeworthy) on the blog of Gini Dietrich (@ginidietrich)
7. “Practical, doable PR tips for small businesses” by Jackson Wightman (@Jaxx09)
8. “How to Get the Media Interested in You: You May Be Newsworthy Without Even Knowing It” by Marsha Friedman (@marshafriedman)
9. “An interview with Seth Godin – PR not publicity” by Philip Sheldrake (@Sheldrake)
   Quote by Seth: “Are you crafting services and products that are WORTH talking about?”
10. “Does My Company Really Need a Media Kit?” by Mickie Kennedy (@ereleases)

Would you like to recommend any other good resources? Let me know by posting a comment, and if I like them I’ll include them in a future list.

Kay Ross
http://twitter.com/kayross

Twitter Tips and Resources - Part 26

Posted on 26 July 2010 | 1 response

This is Part 26 of an ever-growing series of blog postings, each one featuring links to 10 useful, funny and/or provocative articles/lists/blog postings/videos/sites I’ve come across about how to use twitter more effectively (and how NOT to use it).

Here are the latest 10:

1. “8 Easy Twitter Monitoring Ideas” by Cindy King (@CindyKing) on Social Media Examiner (@smexaminer)
2. what the hashtag?! website - the user-editable encyclopedia for hashtags found on Twitter
3. “150+ Ultimate Round-Up of Helpful Twitter Articles” by Diana Adams (@adamsconsulting)
4. “Twitter Strangers” by Jonah Lehrer (@jonahlehrer)
5. “Top Ten Ways Authors Can Use Twitter to Promote Books” by Dana Lynn Smith (@BookMarketer)
6. “10 Ways Twitter Can Make You A Better Writer” by Orna Ross - no relation to me, as far as I know (@OrnaRoss)
7. “7 Ways to Bring Sunshine to Your Twitter Followers” by Diana Adams (@adamsconsulting)
8. “Be careful what you tweet” by Bill Thompson (@billt and @bbcbillt) on BBC News
9. “5 Tips to Grow Your Twitter Presence” by Darren Rowse (@problogger)
10. “Don’t Sell in Social Media Unless You Want to be Ostracized!” by Eric Silva (@ericEsilva)

See also Part 1 (May 19, 2009), Part 2 (July 16), Part 3 (October 13), Part 4 (October 20), Part 5 (October 24), Part 6 (October 29), Part 7 (November 8 ), Part 8 (November 18), Part 9 (December 4), Part 10 (December 21), Part 11 (January 28, 2010), Part 12 (March 1), Part 13 (March 23), Part 14 (April 15), Part 15 (April 21), Part 16 (April 29), Part 17 (May 6), Part 18 (May 15), Part 19 (May 18), Part 20 (May 31), Part 21 ( June 2), Part 22 (June 14), Part 23 (June 25), Part 24 (July 13) and Part 25 (July 19).

Would you like to recommend any other good twitter resources? I certainly don’t list EVERY article about twitter that I see – I might recommend an article that I disagree with, if it contributes something useful to the debate, but I won’t recommend an article that I think is badly written.

Happy tweeting!

Kay Ross
http://twitter.com/kayross

How NOT to Write a Marketing Message

Posted on 22 July 2010 | 2 responses

I just spotted a horrible, cringe-inducing phrase on the website of a professional service provider - she promises that her communication with her clients “is conducted in a facilitative manner”.

Yuck! Would you ever SAY that in a face-to-face conversation with a client? No? Then don’t WRITE that!

I don’t dare re-write that marketing message for her, because I don’t know enough about her business, her clients or her brand. But if she did hire me, I’d ask her to tell me how exactly she communicates with her clients, and why that’s important. I’d ask her: What does “in a facilitative manner” look, sound and feel like, for you and for your clients? And what’s the benefit of that for your clients?

Twitter Tips and Resources - Part 25

Posted on 19 July 2010 | 4 responses

This is Part 25 of an ever-growing series of blog postings, each one featuring links to 10 useful, funny and/or provocative articles/lists/blog postings/videos/sites I’ve come across about how to use twitter more effectively (and how NOT to use it).

Here are the latest 10:

1. “Why I Care About Grammar (and Why You Should Too)” by me, Kay Ross (@kayross) - it’s about grammar, spelling and punctuation on twitter (and elsewhere), and it includes links to some other interesting articles
2. “Should We Care About Grammar and Spelling on Twitter?” by Anne Trubek (@atrubek) on the GOOD website (@GOOD)
3. “7 tips for launching successful Social Media Campaigns” by Dimitris Zotos (@dimitriszotos)
4. “How To Become Popular on Twitter Without Actually Being Useful” by Mark Aaron Murnahan (@murnahan)
5. “What REALLY happens when you use the at symbol in Tweets?” by Dave Larson (@QuantumGood) on the TweetSmarter site (@TweetSmarter)
6. “10 Twitter Tips: How to Get Asked to the Dance?” by Jim Arnold (@jimwarnold)
7. “Social Media Marketing: It’s a Conversation, Silly” by Charles Herbert Brown (@charbrown)
8. “10 ways I plan to become a better Twitter user” by Robin Houghton (@eggboxrobin)
9. “Twitter, Twitter, Little Stars” by Felix Gillette (@felixgillette)
10. “10 Reasons Not To Block Someone On Twitter” by Diana Adams (@adamsconsulting)

See also Part 1 (May 19, 2009), Part 2 (July 16), Part 3 (October 13), Part 4 (October 20), Part 5 (October 24), Part 6 (October 29), Part 7 (November 8 ), Part 8 (November 18), Part 9 (December 4), Part 10 (December 21), Part 11 (January 28, 2010), Part 12 (March 1), Part 13 (March 23), Part 14 (April 15), Part 15 (April 21), Part 16 (April 29), Part 17 (May 6), Part 18 (May 15), Part 19 (May 18), Part 20 (May 31), Part 21 ( June 2), Part 22 (June 14), Part 23 (June 25) and Part 24 (July 13).

Would you like to recommend any other good twitter resources? I certainly don’t list EVERY article about twitter that I see – I might recommend an article that I disagree with, if it contributes something useful to the debate, but I won’t recommend an article that I think is badly written.

Happy tweeting!

Kay Ross
http://twitter.com/kayross

Twitter Tips and Resources - Part 24

Posted on 13 July 2010 | 2 responses

This is Part 24 of an ever-growing series of blog postings, each one featuring links to 10 useful, funny and/or provocative articles/lists/blog postings/videos/sites I’ve come across about how to use twitter more effectively (and how NOT to use it).

Here are the latest 10:

1. “Angpang’s Twitter Follow Back Formula” by Angela Montague @angpang)
2. “10 Tips To Build Meaningful Relationships on Twitter” by Diana Adams (@adamsconsulting)
3. “The 10 Commandments of Twitter” by Jay Adams (@JayAdams70)
4. “The Journalist’s Guide to Twitter” by Leah Betancourt (@l3ahb3tan)
5. “How to Promote on Twitter Without Pissing People Off” by Laura Roeder (@lkr)
6. “Twitter: The 7 Rules of Business Engagement” by Douglas Idugboe (@douglasi)
7. “Social Media Etiquette: 20 Dos and Don’ts to Avoid Looking Like an Ass” by Jennifer Mattern (@queryfreewriter)
8. “12 Tips for developing a Successful Twitter Campaign” by Vasilis Vryniotis (@bbriniotis)
9. “10 Reasons You’re Not Getting Followers on Twitter” by Paul Sutton (@thepaulsutton)
10. “Twitter: A Social Networking Phenomenon” by Jeanie Marshall (@JeanieMarshall) [This article is aimed at professional consultants and coaches]

See also Part 1 (May 19, 2009), Part 2 (July 16), Part 3 (October 13), Part 4 (October 20), Part 5 (October 24), Part 6 (October 29), Part 7 (November 8 ), Part 8 (November 18), Part 9 (December 4), Part 10 (December 21), Part 11 (January 28, 2010), Part 12 (March 1), Part 13 (March 23), Part 14 (April 15), Part 15 (April 21), Part 16 (April 29), Part 17 (May 6), Part 18 (May 15), Part 19 (May 18), Part 20 (May 31), Part 21 ( June 2), Part 22 (June 14) and Part 23 (June 25).

Would you like to recommend any other good twitter resources? I certainly don’t list EVERY article about twitter that I see – I might recommend an article that I disagree with, if it contributes something useful to the debate, but I won’t recommend an article that I think is badly written.

Happy tweeting!

Kay Ross
http://twitter.com/kayross

Why I Care About Grammar (and Why You Should Too)

Posted on 8 July 2010 | 16 responses

The effort the writer does not put into writing, the reader has to put into reading.
- Toulmin’s Law of Composition, by British philosopher, author and educator Stephen Toulmin (1922-2009)

On twitter, I recently came across a tweet and a blog post in which the writers both suggested that grammar isn’t important.

It’s a common enough opinion. I happen to disagree with it. As a marketing consultant and a professional copywriter and editor, I care passionately about words and grammar – they’re the tools of my trade.

“On Twitter, spelling, grammar & punctuation don’t really count…”

I recently spotted this tweet: “On Twitter, spelling, grammar & punctuation don’t really count as long as we convey something of value.”

“What?!”, I spluttered. I say spelling, grammar and punctuation are important in ANY written communication, whether on twitter or anywhere else. They help us to convey “something of value”, and they make a crucial difference to the message and how it’s received, understood and acted upon by the recipient. (Compare “Let’s eat, Grandma.” with “Let’s eat Grandma.”)

Most (although certainly not all) tweets and twitter accounts, whether for an individual, a company, a non-profit organisation, a city…, have an explicit marketing purpose. The tweeter’s goal is to attract followers and influence readers to change their attitudes, change their behaviour, support a cause, join a tribe, buy a product, recommend a service, visit a tourist destination…

I expect marketing communications material to be well written and compelling, and to present a professional image. Why should it be any different on twitter? Just because there’s a 140-character limit, that’s no excuse for poor writing. Whether you like it or not, every written message does communicate something about you, your values and your brand, even while you’re sleeping (see my article, “Every Document is a Marketing Document”).

Sure, the occasional mistake is forgivable (“Well, barely,” she said, gritting her teeth), but consistently poor spelling, grammar and punctuation undermine your credibility and damage your brand.

I called on grammar geeks on twitter to comment on that “On Twitter, spelling, grammar & punctuation don’t really count…” tweet, and Marci Diehl responded: “I say spelling, grammar & punctuation are a reflection of your quality, credibility and care in your business. Anywhere.”

Amen, Marci.

“Why I Don’t Care About Grammar (and Why You Should Stop Worrying)”

Someone I follow on twitter, Jane Friedman, tweeted a link to her blog post, “Why I Don’t Care About Grammar (and Why You Should Stop Worrying)”. 

In that blog post, Jane wrote: “…if I have a pet peeve with writers (both beginning and published), it’s their unrelenting obsession & unforgiving attitude toward errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.” She continued: “…I hate to see a new/beginning writer worry about grammar, or even apologize in advance that their grammar isn’t perfect. I really don’t care as long as the language isn’t getting in the way of understanding and enjoying the story.”

I posted this comment: “I disagree. I’m certainly not saying that perfect grammar (or even reasonably good grammar) automatically means the story is well told. And of course it’s sometimes completely valid, artistically, to bend or even break the rules of grammar (the best writers know how to do that effectively). However, poor grammar definitely does get in the way of my understanding and enjoyment of a story (or even of a tweet). Grammar IS important in communicating a compelling, meaningful message; it adds to clarity. I think writers need to know how language works; they need to be able to diagnose what works and what doesn’t work in a sentence, and they need to know how to fix it. Too often, publishing companies do not devote the necessary editing resources to fixing poor writing, so writers shouldn’t depend on them to do that.”

If you want your readers to understand, enjoy and be convinced by your writing…

By the way, check out my recent blog post, “Grammar Tip: Catch That Dangling Clause!”, in which I wrote: “Good grammar and spelling don’t magically, all by themselves, make a piece of writing good, but poor grammar and spelling make it hard for readers to understand, enjoy and be convinced by your writing.”

And in related news, see “60 Embarrassing Ways to Butcher the English Language: Isn’t Spelling Important Anymore?” by Jackie Tithof Steere.

What do YOU think?

Grammar Tip: Catch That Dangling Clause!

Posted on 6 July 2010 | No responses

Maybe I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to grammar and spelling, but I think they’re important. Good grammar and spelling don’t magically, all by themselves, make a piece of writing good, but poor grammar and spelling make it hard for readers to understand, enjoy and be convinced by your writing. Sure, we all make occasional grammar and spelling mistakes, but consistently poor grammar and spelling undermine your credibility and damage your brand.

One kind of bad grammar that particularly annoys me is the misuse of introductory clauses in a sentence. I’m not going to get all technical with terminology such as “dangling participles” and “adjectival clauses” and “adverbial clauses”; I’ll simply give you some examples that I hope will be clear (I found them in the pages of my local newspaper):

• “The son of a British Airways pilot, travel has always been a way of life for Wheeler.”
  Why it doesn’t work: TRAVEL is not “the son of a British Airways pilot”, WHEELER is.
  Suggested improved version: “For Wheeler, the son of a British Airways pilot, travel has always been a way of life.”

 

• “Widely loathed by his people, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s days in power may be numbered…”
  Why it doesn’t work: Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s DAYS IN POWER were not “widely loathed by his people”; HE was.
  Suggested improved version: “Widely loathed by his people, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom may find that his days in power are numbered…”

 

• “Emerging from the church into the sunlight, two storks wing their way across the sky…” (from an article by a writer who is describing his travels with a friend)
  Why it doesn’t work: The STORKS aren’t emerging from the church; two tourists are.
  Suggested improved version: “As we emerge from the church into the sunlight, two storks wing their way across the sky…”

 

• “Now a graduate student at Columbia University, her wedding will be an interfaith affair as the Clintons are Baptists while Mezvinsky is Jewish.” (from an article about Chelsea Clinton’s upcoming wedding)
  Why it doesn’t work: Her WEDDING is not “now a graduate student at Columbia University”; CHELSEA is. (Another problem is that the two halves of the sentence have no logical connection with each other; they should be two separate sentences.)
  Suggested improved version: “Chelsea is now a graduate student at Columbia University. Her wedding will be an interfaith affair, as the Clintons are Baptists while Mezvinsky is Jewish.”

 

• “After being repeatedly punched, thrown against walls and dragged around by her hair, Papadopoulos suddenly smashed a large concrete brick onto Yu’s head…” (from an article about a man, surnamed Papadopoulos, who murdered a woman, surnamed Yu)
  Why it doesn’t work: PAPADOPOULOS wasn’t “repeatedly punched, thrown against walls and dragged around by her hair”; YU was!
  Suggested improved version: “After repeatedly punching Yu, throwing her against walls and dragging her around by her hair, Papadopoulos suddenly smashed a large concrete brick onto her head…”

The solution

Ask yourself: Who or what is being described in the introductory clause? Is that the same as the grammatical subject of the sentence? If necessary, re-arrange the sentence completely.

Here are some examples of sentences (from the same newspaper) that use introductory clauses correctly:

• “…reached by phone in Chicago earlier this month…, the soft-spoken composer, 44, acknowledged that he might have been slow off the mark to capitalise on the momentum with a world tour.”
  Why it works: Yes, it was “the soft-spoken composer” who was “reached by phone in Chicago earlier this month”, and it is the phrase “the soft-spoken composer” that is the grammatical subject of the sentence.

 

• “Born into a musical family, Chloe had a good ear even while she was in the womb…”
  Why it works: Yes, it was Chloe who was “born into a musical family”, and it is the noun “Chloe” that is the grammatical subject of the sentence.

 

• “Illegal but often tolerated, caning is rife in India’s school system…”
  Why it works: Yes, it is caning that is “illegal but often tolerated”, and it is the noun “caning” that is the grammatical subject of the sentence. 

 

• “Prized for its tender, marbled texture, Kobe beef is a delicacy…”
  Why it works: Yes, it is Kobe beef that is “prized for its tender, marbled texture”, and it is the phrase “Kobe beef” that is the grammatical subject of the sentence. 

Good grammar makes a difference, doesn’t it?

So You Want to Write a Media Release and Influence a Journalist? Part 5

Posted on 30 June 2010 | No responses

This is Part 5 of a list of resources I’ve compiled about how to write effective media releases and how to influence journalists and bloggers (with integrity, of course) so you get the publicity you want. (See also Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.)

1. “How to Pitch Bloggers – Make it a Win/Win/Win Situation” by Darren Rowse (@problogger on twitter)
2. “When CEOs speak: How execs’ quotes doom your pitches” by Tripp Frohlichstein (@tfrohl)
3. “The Do’s and Don’ts of Pitching Your Small Business to a Reporter” by Joe Pompeo of Business Insider (@joepompeo)
4. “When THAT Story Runs” by Kevin Dugan (@prblog)
5. “More on ‘When THAT Story Runs’ - part two” by Kevin Dugan (@prblog) 
6. “Some fabulous advice on Media Releases by PR Specialist, Sue Papadoulis from Home Biz Chicks” (@homebizchicks) 
7. “Your Copy Sucks: The Press Release Mad-Lib” by TJ Dietderich (@tjdietderich)
8. Lots of great articles on the “Buzz, Not Buzzwords” blog by Dave Haynes (@pressdoohpr)
9. “Break Free from the Basic Press Release Template” by Mickie Kennedy (@ereleases)
10. “Eight ways to befriend journalists via e-mail” by Christine Kent (sorry, I couldn’t find her on twitter)
11. “How to Write a Press Release?” by Jeremy Porter (@jeremyporter)
12. “Media relations basics still apply” by Deborah Zanke (@DZanke)
13. And here’s a bonus item that I just spotted: “How You Can Use The Internet To Find The Influencers Series – Seek & Ye Shall Find” by Ken Yeung (@thekenyeung)

Would you like to recommend any other good resources? Let me know by posting a comment, and if I like them I’ll include them in a future list.

Kay Ross
http://twitter.com/kayross

Twitter Tips and Resources - Part 23

Posted on 25 June 2010 | No responses

This is Part 23 of an ever-growing series of blog postings, each one featuring links to 10 useful, funny and/or provocative articles/lists/blog postings/videos/sites I’ve come across about how to use twitter more effectively (and how NOT to use it).

Here are the latest 10:

1. “Twitter Interviews (The Twitter 20 Interview Series of Social Media Leaders)” by Jay Baer (@jaybaer)
2. “How to Create a Custom Twitter Background Design” by Cindy King (@CindyKing)
3. “5 Simple Steps to Getting Your Business on Twitter” by Cindy King (@CindyKing)
4. “How do I search within my Twitter followers?” by Nikki Pilkington (@nikkipilkington) 
5. “Twitter 101: Seven Tips for Effective Marketing” by Robert Gourley (@rgourley) on the MarketingProfs site (@MarketingProfs)
6. “50 Power Twitter Tips” by Chris Brogan (@chrisbrogan)
7. “Tweet! Tweet! Tweet!” by Roger Ebert (@EbertChicago)
8. “3 Steps to Ethical Social Media Marketing” by John Moore (@BrandAutopsy) on Social Media Examiner (@smexaminer)
9. “10 Reasons Why PR Should Embrace Twitter” by Rachel Leamon of March Communications (@MarchPR) 
10. “Don’t Share Sterile, Boring Updates – Keep Your Network Interested!” by Bernadette Doyle (@bernadettedoyle)

See also Part 1 (May 19, 2009), Part 2 (July 16), Part 3 (October 13), Part 4 (October 20), Part 5 (October 24), Part 6 (October 29), Part 7 (November 8 ), Part 8 (November 18), Part 9 (December 4), Part 10 (December 21), Part 11 (January 28, 2010), Part 12 (March 1), Part 13 (March 23), Part 14 (April 15), Part 15 (April 21), Part 16 (April 29), Part 17 (May 6), Part 18 (May 15), Part 19 (May 18), Part 20 (May 31), Part 21 ( June 2) and Part 22 (June 14).

Would you like to recommend any other good twitter resources?

Happy tweeting!

Kay Ross
http://twitter.com/kayross

Why I Don’t Want Affiliate Fees, Thank You

Posted on 16 June 2010 | 4 responses

I see them everywhere. Affiliate links in tweets, e-mails, e-newsletters, sales pages… And I’m often asked to recommend someone’s product or service, with the promise that I’ll receive an affiliate fee or commission if the recipient of my message uses my unique affiliate link to buy the person’s product or service.

I’ve come to the conclusion that the whole affiliate system leaves an icky feeling in my gut, and I don’t want anything to do with it.

Why? Because if I genuinely believe that a product or service is good (usually because I’ve used it myself or I know and respect the seller), I will happily recommend it to my friends, followers and subscribers, with no expectation of payment. I’m a connector, so I LOVE sharing useful information with people. And I hope (perhaps naively) that others will do the same for me, if they genuinely think my products or services are good. What goes around comes around.

Another reason I feel so uncomfortable with the whole concept of affiliate fees is that if you’re offering to pay me for recommending your stuff to my friends, it feels like you’re saying that my friendships are for sale. They’re not.

When I recommend something, my reputation and credibility are on the line. If people think I’m recommending something only because there’s a financial benefit for me, why would they trust my recommendation? After all, if I know that someone’s using an affiliate link to promote something, I find their recommendation less than trustworthy.

I recently became even more disillusioned with the whole affiliate system when I heard about the practice of “link cloaking”. I saw a tweet saying: “Link cloaking is an essential action if you ever hope to make money from being an affiliate.”

What is “link cloaking”? I Googled the phrase and found these two explanations:
”Link cloaking is basically when you show search engine bots one thing and humans another.”
and
“To be as plain as possible, cloaking affiliate links is the art of showing your visitors an internal link when they mouse over an affiliate link so that the visitor doesn’t think they are leaving your site.” The goal is “so you make more money”.

It’s about deception. Deliberate deception, for the sole purpose of making money. And that makes me want to vomit.

OK, so maybe I’m not very business-minded or entrepreneurial. Some people are great at negotiating deals, putting sellers in touch with buyers and taking a cut; I’m just not like that, and I don’t want to be.

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