Have you ever read an email (text, tweet or instant message…) and immediately scratched your head wondering what the heck that person was talking about?!?!

We’ve addressed how to Listen Up but if you’re not communicating effectively, no one is going to listen to you… Period. Perhaps because it’s SO easy to ‘drop someone a line,’ we forget just how easy it is to confuse them with it! Body language and inflection account for approximately 93% of communication (only 7% is conveyed in the actual words we use!)  So, it stands to reason, since both of those aspects are essentially eliminated from written correspondence, the margin of error increases exponentially!

Communication is our business, it’s what we do – a clear, concise message is the goal of every marketing campaign. So, how can we effectively utilize that mantra in our internal interactions as well? Here are some helpful tips for enhancing your written dialogue:

1. Read it aloud – the best way to ensure your writing is understandable is by reading it out loud, back to yourself, before sending the message.
2. All jokes aside – we are firm believers in Funny Business; however, as aforementioned, when body language isn’t part of the equation, it’s hard to know whether or not someone is serious. As a general rule, when your audience isn’t familiar with your sense of humor, leave jokes for face-to-face interactions.
3. Get to the point – I’m a big fan of long-winded, run-on sentences that paint a picture for my readers, like the time when I was seven – oh, what a magical, whimsical age was seven… (case in point;-) Just say it already.
4. Any questions? – the final paragraph is a perfect opportunity to ask the reader if they understand your message and open up the dialogue further.
5. Save a draft – one of the benefits of written communication is the ability to save your thoughts and come back to them later.  Take advantage of this option by saving your email, re-reading it for clarity, then sending it.

The bottom line is that no one wants to be misunderstood, let alone misunderstand someone else.  So remember… Be clear, be concise – be a marketing campaign!

Talk to me…

Yesterday I did something crazy… I wrote something down on a piece of paper (gasp)… WITH A PENCIL!!!  (pause for reaction)  Remember pencils?  They’re those cylindrical, wooden writing apparatuses we used before computers were invented.  In fact, it was so shocking I literally had to stop and think about the last time I put pencil to paper – and I started having flashbacks to the SAT’s!

Technology makes it so easy to add and delete things with the touch of a button – but I recall the days when you had to ERASE or use WHITE OUT for your mistakes… (do people buy white out any more? Do they even sell it?!)  It felt SO nostalgic to pick up a pencil that it took me back to a simpler time, before technology ran our lives…

If I may, I’d like to take a moment and reminisce about the good old days… When people wrote with pencils, talked to each other on the phone or even in person; before we tweeted, texted or facebooked each other… A time when Kindles were called books, iPads were called note pads and MP3 players were radios…  Were we really so ‘out of touch’ or actually more IN touch with what really matters?!  I had to wonder, are all these advances in technology making our lives easier or more complicated?!

So the next time you reach for that keyboard, I challenge you to write a letter, do a crossword puzzle or draw a sketch (with a pencil:-) and report back.  Perhaps pencils are already a thing of the past but before they end up in the Smithsonian, I hope they can remind us all that sometimes, it’s the simple things in life that give the greatest rewards.

The age old question… MAC or PC?!?!  Well, don’t look at me – I’m a PC girl in a MAC world but what I will give Apple is an A for advertising.   I  just found this hilarious commercial on Places to Yoga‘s blog.  I couldn’t get over how funny this was (probably more so since I do yoga myself;-) but either way I think it’s worth sharing!

Another feather for Apple’s cap – no wonder everyone wants to be just like them;-)

Are you a MAC or PC?

Is social media an effective medium for distributing press releases? Ironically, to answer my own question, I sought the help of Twitter and Quora where I found some very interesting information on this topic.

First and foremost, social media should be used as a complement to, not a replacement for, the traditional press release; however, there are still some challenges to effectively distributing releases on social media:

1. Twitter is the preferred push medium for distributing press releases. Journalists found Facebook annoying but still saw email as the most effective means for distribution.
2. Use social media to build relationships. When used as a relationship-building platform, the case for social media seems to be strongest. Build relationships with journalists online, and then take business offline.
3. Tweet the actual link to the article, once the release has been converted to press, thereby proving yourself newsworthy and giving due credit to the reporter.

The rules aren’t hard and fast as of yet, but when it comes to social media – people typically dislike being pitched. So make your story engaging and your audience the general public, then… start spreading the news!

What are your thoughts on social media and press releases?

The future is mobile, plain and simple. Everywhere you look people are on cell phones; iPhones, Blackberries, Droids… It doesn’t matter what brand, what network, what have you; what matters is that pretty soon, they’ll be nothing you CAN’T do from the palm of your hand.

I was amazed when I first saw the ads for check cashing from your mobile device. Now, I’m actually surprised my bank doesn’t offer this feature! You name it and there’s ‘an app for that… ‘ You can even start your car with the touch of a screen! It’s astonishing to think there ever WAS a world without cell phones… I only know it’s true because I remember when these devices were the size of Mini Coopers! And they were called “car phones” and attached to your dashboard… And Zack Morris from Saved By the Bell had one!

It’s remarkable how far the technology has come – or to think it can go even further! But whatever’s next for mobile, one thing is certain; there WILL be an app for it;-)

What’s the next app you’d like to see?

Ah, the Super Bowl… That exciting time of year when the NFL’s greatest athletes face off for one of television’s biggest events – and, perhaps, the only time commercials are as highly anticipated as the main affair (even more so if you’re not a football fan;-) So how did the commercials stack up against the game this year?

The general consensus seems to be: football good, commercials bad. The ads (at roughly $3 million for a 30-second spot) tried too hard to be outrageous and memorable, and in doing so, missed the mark entirely… Or did they? Personally, I wasn’t blown away by any ad in particular, although a few of them did make me laugh out loud (see Alicia’s Top 3) But what I DID remember, in discussing their overall lack of impressiveness, were the BRANDS themselves!

Have you ever experienced this: you’re having a conversation with a colleague about an ad you just saw and you vividly remember everything about the commercial EXCEPT the brand? The argument is further developed in this post by Social Spread Media and I do agree to some extent. However, considering one of the most important messages in advertising is brand recognition, I must say, they were done rather well. So, perhaps $3 million doesn’t buy what it used to or maybe we just expect too much out of the Super Bowl ads altogether. But either way, the commercial event of the year left much to be desired, whether you’re a fan or not;-)

Alicia’s Top 3

What was your favorite (or least favorite) 2011 Super Bowl ad?

Do you ever wonder why you’re thirsty for a Coke after watching American Idol? Or suddenly have a hankering for an Oreo during a Friends rerun? This is the power of product placement; popular shows which draw thousands of viewers promote goods as part of the plot…  Notice as your favorite characters talk on iPhones, drive Fords or email from HP laptops. Coincidence?! I think not…

Also known as embedded marketing, this tactic became popular in the 1980’s. With the rise of DVRs and demise of commercials, marketers rely now more than ever on product placement as a form of creative advertising. In fact, 90% of people with digital video recorders skip TV ads altogether.  Most commonly placed products are automobiles, consumer electronics, computers, and tobacco. The queen of product placement herself, Ms. Carrie Bradshaw of the HBO series Sex and the City, touted almost every one of these categories and single-handedly increased Jimmy Choo shoe sales for the duration of the series.  Although, the series itself, as well as Apple, are rumored to have not accepted payment for placing certain products.

Its effectiveness is often assumed as the quantification methods used to track brand integrations are variable; however, it stands to reason products placed strategically in popular prime time series are likely exposed directly to their target audience.  So next time you turn on the big game, curl up for movie night or tune in to your favorite sitcom – notice what sports drink the players guzzle, what getaway car the villain drives and what cereal the family has for breakfast.  It may surprise you that they all have a brand name.

What are your thoughts on product placement?

Digg, a social news website, is an information junkie’s dream! Thousands of articles stream through multiple channels allowing you to “digg,” comment and even create headlines. As with most social sites, having followers makes it more fun; however, as evidenced by this recent article in CNN Tech, it’s now more crucial than ever to start digging!

So here’s what’s new at Digg:

1. Site redesign – based on user feedback, Digg has gone to great lengths to reflect what its users want.
2. Profile pages/statistics – prominently displaying who dugg what, when and how often.
3. Opt-in – several options for when your stories make “Top News.”

All in all, I’d say Digg, new or old, is definitely one of my favorite sites. It’s user-friendly, manageable and informative. It may not have the influence of a Facebook or Twitter but I’ve found it a very valuable source of news which I then, of course, share my tweeps☺

You Digg?! (I do… Alidggs)