Mrs. Halverson taught my fourth grade class. I fell in love with writing that year. And I am pretty sure it was because of the way she made writing and story telling come alive.
When I think back to the lessons I learned that year, three stand out that remain just as relevant now for me and my work. And because so many of us must write, blog, communicate and create content, these three things are great reminders for almost all of us grown-ups (who know a lot but sometimes forget the basics we learned in the first place.)
So, next time you need to create content or write something, take some tips from Mrs. Halverson and do these three things:
Start with a topic sentence
When you use a topic sentence to start each paragraph, it helps you write the rest of the paragraph. Here’s how you do it: Pick the one idea you want to get across in that paragraph. And then summarize it. That becomes the topic sentence. It is most convenient as the first sentence. Like the CEO of the paragraph, the topic sentence sets the tone, the direction and tasks of the other sentences in the paragraph.
A topic sentence helps readers, too. A good topic sentence directs the focus of a paragraph and signals what’s coming. It prepares the people reading your work for the information the rest of the paragraph gives. That means readers don’t have to work as hard to grasp the meaning. Why? Because all of the thoughts in a paragraph relate to each other and flow coherently from the main thought that started it.
(By the way, both of the paragraphs above start with a clear topic sentence that makes one point. And the rest of the sentences support that point with additional detail. Easier to write. Easier to read!)
Spot barks
Nothing is simpler in writing English than using this construction: subject/verb. Grass grows. Children play. Sun rises.
Even with an object that says what the subject did to (or with or about) something, it’s still joyfully simple. I cut the grass. The children played outside. The sun rose today.
When you get tangled up in a sentence and don’t know how to make it better, break it into more than one sentence. Then start each one with a subject followed by a verb. I promise you that doing this will let you make your point. It will also let your readers understand your point.
Here’s an example (with a topic sentence)
Fear hides sometimes. We dread change. We avoid new things. We form habits. And we like routines. We prefer what we know. Fear lurks in the unknown. We don’t always admit our fears. But our fears govern us, nonetheless. Sometimes we know it. Other times we don’t. Things that stay in the shadows stay scary.
Make it fun
Kids write stories for fun. They use their imaginations. They dream up amazing characters. And they love to tell people about their ideas. Remember that? Part of what made me love writing in Mrs. Halverson’s class was that it was just so darn fun.
We can all choose to reclaim some of that joy. Shake off some of the weight about writing that’s piled on top of many of us. Create like you can’t wait to show somebody. And have some fun.
Here’s another post about what to do when you get stuck for ideas.
Let me know if these three lessons help. I blog and Tweet about creating good content, among other things. So if you liked this post, please follow me for more ideas. I’m on Twitter here.
In researching material for a project, I came across this wonderful video by Jason Silva about optimism.
It offers real inspiration about the influence we each have on our own path through life.
We can’t control what happens. But we can control how we deal with what happens.
What are you going to choose to do today? Or tomorrow?
As Jason says: “We have the capacity to turn our lives into a work of art. Why shouldn’t we?”
A recent post of mine offered clear, simple and powerful words to substitute for jargon. Some of the comments and people who shared the post on Twitter and other social media sites questioned whether replacing jargon with shorter, more straightforward words would dilute meaning or even undercut the credibility of a company’s message.
I disagreed. But, I figured I should back up that assertion with examples drawn from real life.
So I trawled real corporate press releases sent out last week. Quickly, I found several examples that crossed my eyes and muddled my brain. (And I spent more than a decade as a financial journalist.)
Below, I’ve reprinted snippets from eight of those media releases. In each case, I rewrote the wordy phrases and trimmed the jargon and extra stuff. I used active verbs and shorter sentences. Each example is different, but the concept is the same.
The idea is to show how to strip away unneeded or fuzzy words and distill meaning. And this isn’t relevant for just PR professionals. This habit is essential for bloggers or others who want people to share their posts, buy their services or products or do something else they urge. In today’s economy, that’s pretty much all of us.
If our audience has to spend much time figuring out what we mean, they will move on and we will lose out. Why make it hard for them? And that’s what the eight press releases had in common: it was harder than it should have been to get the message. Great content is easy to read.
Sentences from real press releases
In these eight examples, the original phrasing from the release appears first, in gray italics. Then my rewrite appears below that, in black.
I kept each rewrite to just one phrase or sentence. For some of the rewrites, adding another short sentence might have helped convey the meaning more precisely. Nonetheless, the rewrites are definitely clearer. And they are jargon-free.
You can judge for yourself whether you think anything gets diluted.
1. Original: “The website is now fully operational with the ecommerce functionality all set up.”
1. Rewritten: The company has launched its website.
2. Original: “We are continuing our efforts that we began last fiscal year to pursue patent infringers in an effort to monetize the value of our extensive patent portfolio.”
2. Rewritten: To protect our many patents and the income they bring, we pursue violators.
3. Original: “In the fourth quarter we paced our promotional activities to avoid the holiday season promotion clutters in the market.”
3. Rewritten: We ran holiday promotions earlier this year to increase their effectiveness.
4. Original: “The new company and its management team has invested a substantial amount of their time and effort in laying the groundwork for the company’s unique value proposition to its potential customer base while setting the stage for developing its brand of products.“
4. Rewritten: The new company is developing its marketing plan.
5. Original: “We believe the confusion associated with our warrant accounting has caused some potential investors to eschew the company due to the complexity of our earnings calculations.”
5. Rewritten: Investors want simpler accounting for our warrants.
6. Original: “The company’s customer-centric business model provides a strong value proposition to consumers.”
6. Rewritten: Customers like the company’s prices and service.
7. Original: “We are cognizant that we must address our debt situation and our pending line of credit maturity but we ultimately believe striving to improve our core business is a fundamental component of a solution for all parties in this regard.”
7. Rewritten: We will cut the company’s debt as we build business.
8. Original: “Questions may be poised* to management by participants on the call and in response the company may disclose additional material information.” (* yes, the release used the word poised instead of posed)
8. Rewritten: Executives will answer questions during the call.
This phrase is just two words long, but what do they mean? Not to mention how, and why?
Here’s another post about how to make writing clearer and more direct.
Two pointers to keep in mind whether you are writing or editing:
- Avoid phrases and prepositions wherever possible
- Use active, strong verbs
Often, legal or other executives will resist simple language. It’s as if they take comfort in the convoluted. If you find yourself feeling that pressure, show this list to the jargon-pushers. Ask them which version they’d rather read. They might be surprised. You might get more cooperation in your quest for clarity.
Like any habit, scouting for extra words and jargon that clutter writing takes practice. Yet, it is a skill that can be learned. And mastering it will help you sell, persuade, reach and prompt action.
If you liked this post, please follow me on Twitter and through this blog. I’d like to hear your comments, too.
Not long ago, groups planning a festival or other large event had few effective ways to spread the word. And even fewer cost-effective ones.
Social media, and Twitter in particular, have changed that.
Based on work I just finished for a client that involved marketing, public relations and outreach for a major event, this post summarizes 10 steps any group can use to promote an event with Twitter.
These 10 steps lay out some solid basics for Twitterers unaccustomed to these tactics. And they would also make a good check list for those more familiar with using Twitter and related tools on the social web to influence and draw attention.
You need at least 3-4 weeks before the event, if possible.
Step 1. Prepare
In this phase, scout for the partners and people connected to the event who have the most influence online. Good indicators are the numbers of engaged and active followers they have on Twitter, as well as their scores from Kred or Klout. (I’m a fan. But both have detractors — however, that’s another post. )
The point is, you need to swiftly identify the folks to pull into the social campaign who will have the biggest impact as they promote the event on Twitter and through apps that work well with Twitter. Once those people are identified, contact them and make sure they are involved in planning the event promotion from the start.
Step 2. Pick a hash tag
This is not as easy as it might seem. The hash tag for the event is important because it will let you monitor Tweets about it and let fans and participants follow the Twitter conversations about the event.
The hash tag must:
- be short
- be easy to use/type
- make sense
And the hash tag must not:
- be used yet (check by searching options on Twitter)
- be an acronym that is, or could be construed to be, profane (checking an urban dictionary is a good idea)
My suggestion isn’t just to monitor the Tweets using the hash tag, but also to track Tweets with the name of the group or event. When responding to those Tweets, you can add the hash tag for the event to spread awareness of it. Tweetdeck is handy for monitoring those mentions, as it allows several searches to be set up in columns right next to each other.
3. Start to Tweet
Now that you’ve got your most influential partners on board and a great, effective hashtag to use in all Tweets and mentions, you’re ready to start Tweeting. This could happen about two weeks before the event. Using a tool that lets you schedule Tweets is helpful. I really like Bufferapp and Hootsuite.
4. Create conversations
Automation can be helpful — you don’t want to swamp followers with Tweets at one time. But don’t rely only on that. Engage and interact with those who Tweet about the event or share the Tweets that you and your partners send. Create catchy Tweets that refer to the event’s highlights. Mention some of the influencers, and the event hash tag, of course. This encourages responses, sharing and interaction.
5. Keep it interesting
Sending out the same Tweet (or very similar versions) will bore followers, at first, and then annoy them. Mix it up. Send out some Tweets that offer a countdown to the day. Send others that tease highlights. Send others with a map or other interesting info. Send some with a question, like “What are you doing on ____?” (fill in the date of the event) and link back to a website with all of the details.
6. Use tools to drive more influence
The technology and apps that exist now to turbocharge the effectiveness of Twitter and enable smooth, frequent sharing are amazing. Twylah is a fabulous tool for amplifying Tweets and dressing them up so they are curated and presented in a magazine style. Scoop.it is also a great site for creating a customized magazine of links and Tweets. As traditional media cover the event, links to those articles could be added through Scoop.it. Make sure to mention the Twitter handles of partners, in addition to the event hash tag, when posting to encourage sharing.
7. Use art
As you send out a mix of Tweets, include art, such as the event’s graphic or logo. A pretty easy way to create art to Tweet is to make a tag cloud of words that characterize the event, using the logo for the shape of the cloud. Here is an example I did for this client’s event. Maps, guides to transportation (or street closures, if relevant) or the lineup of bands or other highlights can also work well.
8. Build promotion to a peak
The wonderful site Storify, which makes stories from Tweets and other social posts, is often used after an event to summarize it. However, it can also be used very effectively just before the event. Here’s the one I made the day before this client’s event. With Storify, you can gather the promotional Tweets that have been sent about the event. It can concentrate the excitement. And the Storify story can be easily shared, which also ramps up the social sharing. So make sure you mention others who can ReTweet.
9. Monitor and stoke engagement
On the day of the event, keep monitoring the hash tag associated with it and the names of the group hosting the event as well the name of the event. Respond to Twitterers who are talking about the event. Keep the conversation going by asking those folks to Tweet about their favorite aspect of the event. Then share those. Monitoring also alerts you to trouble spots. Are lines too long? Are the bathrooms unkempt? People will often Tweet about that. Deal with any complaints, proactively. You can acknowledge and respond through Twitter.
10. Afterwards, take stock
Assess what worked and what to improve upon for next time. Hashtracking is a great site for providing information about impressions on Twitter that specific hash tags received. For the 24 hours surrounding Discover Gordon Square Arts District Day on June 9, there were more than 128,000 impressions of #GordonSquare!
I’d love to hear the ways you’ve used Twitter to promote an event.
This post breaks down the steps for promoting an event on Twitter, making them easier to digest. But if you’re new to Tweeting, it might still feel overwhelming. If so, pull in someone more seasoned in social media to help. You can find me on Twitter here.
The advice to avoid jargon in writing is age-old and common. But it’s also smart.
We send out press releases, blog posts or content aimed at audiences because we want people to actually read and grasp the information and act on it in some way. That can’t happen if they have to struggle, even a little bit, to understand the message.
Knowing we’re supposed to banish jargon is the easy part. Doing it, though, can be excruciatingly hard – especially when a deadline looms.
So, here are 15 of the worst culprits from corporate communication, in my view. These words and phrases should never appear in a press release, email or other tool used to convey information.
Here, too, are suggestions for replacements for each one. The substitutes are not exact synonyms, in many cases. But, they are simple and clear words that could work in place of the jargon. Next time you get stuck and can’t find a way around “mission-critical” just take out this list and try to swap that phrase with something clearer.
Kill Use
- leverage ➙ get, gain, use, pull, win, do, take
- utilize ➙ use, show, fill, take, apply, push, work
- end-user ➙ client, customer, audience, shopper, buyer
- synergy ➙ team, powerful, effective, stronger, more, together
- strategic ➙ smart, sharp, strong, vital, savvy, wise, clever
- best-practice ➙ successful, prime, proven, winning, tested, solid
- mission-critical ➙ main, big, major, central, chief, crucial
- win-win ➙ good, smart, strong, clear, sound, skillful
- value-added ➙ worthwhile, effective, better, helpful, ahead
- ideate ➙ create, think, craft, whir, plan, test, solve
- operationalize ➙ make, do, put, carry, finish, use, see, work
- scalable ➙ grow, expand, wide, more, big, spread, include
- champion ➙ support, push, press, sell, do, spread, lead, guide
- deliverables ➙ results, value, outcome, change, effect
- outside the box ➙ different, bold, striking, unique, brave, exciting
Let me know if these work for you. Also, if jargon isn’t tripping you up as much as writer’s block is, here’s another post to help you break free and get unstuck.
I’m always looking for fun new ways for clients to spread their messages through social media. It is powerful because it is direct, so easy to share and very cost effective. A client in Cleveland, the Gordon Square Arts District, has a fabulous event coming up. At the Discover Gordon Square Arts District Day, tens of thousands of visitors will:
- sample locally grown food
- enjoy beer gardens and restaurants
- wander through galleries
- watch performances at Cleveland Public Theatre’s outdoor stage
- walk by spiffy streetscapes and store fronts
- mingle with other art, food, fashion lovers
- see exhibits on sustainability and art
- be dazzled by a Latin festival that’s part of the day
- laugh and relax with the family fun and entertainment at the Near West Theatre’s outdoor stage
- shop, tour, dance, groove and learn
- and hop on and off a trolley (for free) as they explore the more than 30 city blocks the celebration spans
A couple of days ago, I took the group’s logo and used it as the basis for a word cloud with key words and phrases from its website.
The idea was to blend the messages around the Arts District and the celebration. And to get more attention for the group by spreading those upbeat, fun concepts while also drawing attention to its strong logo. The group and several of its partners shared it on social media, mostly through Twitter, where it was ReTweeted.
Partners will be able to send out more Tweets and messages with the logo word cloud, as well.
(It could also be used for print materials, for other collateral, clothing or many other items.)
This approach has numerous marketing and communication possibilities, especially on social platforms. I used Tagxedo to make this one.
The site’s tools allow users to pull in an image as the basis for the word cloud’s shape. In this case, the shape I imported was the logo for Gordon Square Arts District. Tagxedo also lets users choose which source to tap to generate the words for the cloud — such as a URL, a Twitter handle or even a Twitter hashtag.
Here’s how to make a word cloud shape with a logo:
Once on the Tagxedo site, go to “Create”- Then, to “Options”
- Then, to “Shape”
- It looks like this ~~>
- Import the logo art.
Then play around with the options for fonts, colors, layouts and other elements until you like the results. Try it yourself. And let me know what you think of it — and of the one created for the Discover Gordon Square Arts District Day. If you’re near Cleveland on June 9th, stop by!
There’s another post here on how to use Tagxedo to see the messages your own brand on Twitter sends to your followers and others who come across it. Various shapes can be used for these word clouds, too. This might be an interesting assessment for you.
As well, this approach can be presented to a client, using its Twitter handle (or website) in conjunction with a communications audit or assessment of its social media presence and effectiveness in terms of goals and objectives. Give it a try! I’m interested to hear what you think.
