In my last blog, I talked about content management and my personal theory – nay, heart’s desire – that the concept can get us back to basics and good writing.

As noted, many of the fundamentals of this “new” phenomenon are very familiar. Among them is the emphasis on “know thyself.” That is, understanding who YOU – as a business or organization – are before working to understand who THEY – your audiences – are. And not only who you are, but what makes you different and better than others trying to reach those audiences.

With our clients, this often starts with an inventory of existing messaging. You know, seeing what a company is saying about itself and what others are saying about it.  In the process, we usually find a lot of outdated and incorrect information that has to be addressed.

And, often, we find that the messaging is all over the board, with different people, departments and marketing collateral and other materials saying different things.

Most importantly, it is not uncommon to find that a business has outgrown its messaging – that they’re talking about who they were, not who they are, that is, who they’ve become since someone’s little brother built their first web site.

And that can be a rude awakening.

This corporate or organizational soul-searching is valuable in another way, forcing enterprises to take hard looks at their businesses and practices – and maybe even face up to hard facts.

And THAT can make you sorry you woke up at all.

More later.

Are your public relations skills not as accurate as you would like? Listed are seven common mistakes made in the PR world.

Reading these should help you limit your inaccuracy and start developing a more professional approach. These are also known as the “Seven deadly sins,” according to Dorothy Crenshaw of the PR Daily.

1. Overpromising.

Most of the time it’s easy to predict the return on an investment but sometimes it can be tough. These cannot be predicted with 100 percent accuracy. Discuss the expectations and this can be avoided.

2. Missing deadlines.

A deadline is one of the most important things in public relations. By not meeting one, you are setting yourself up for expulsion from the business. Next time your proposal is emailed too late, I would take it to heart.

3. Spamming.

This is an extreme case of being unprofessional. Giving a personal approach will always wok better. Most people who receive this don’t even look at it; moreover, your message will become irrelevant.

4. The on-and-off approach.

Public relations are most efficient when used as a long-term branding tool. Not to be confused with sales promotions and direct marketing. There are some corporations who see public relations like a television set they can turn on-and-off as business conditions dictate. This is a major error.

5. Using (or abusing) ad clout.

The majority of public relations pros have a story about a client who insists on trying to influence an ad buy to produce editorial coverage, or who threaten to pull a schedule if a story isn’t as positive as they would like. Sometimes this works, but it could potentially cost you your relationship with the media.

6. Thinking PR = press release.

A paid SEO enhanced news stream is not equivalent to a public relations program. Buyers are selling themselves short.

7. Confusing language

This topic isn’t limited to amateurs. Writing and speaking in simple, powerful words is much more efficient then using large confusing vocabulary. This will help make your communication crystal clear.

If you are challenged by management of your public relations plan, give us a call, we can help!

Today, I had an opportunity to speak before the Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association, which, I admit, initially came as a shock.

To be honest, I’m always a little baffled when writers such as myself are asked to speak. I mean, there’s a reason we’ve chosen to spend our working lives sitting in little rooms making up quotes for other people or scuttling in the shadows, sneaking them words to say. Or, as I have been known to do, taping talking points to my chest so a Congressman could read them over my shoulder to the press.

The point is that people like me are quite content with being the man or woman behind the curtain, leaving the visual and vocal wizardry to others.

(And, seriously, if we had any presence, we’d be in broadcasting.)

All that said, I was truly honored to be with them today and have the opportunity to share a little of what I’ve learned during a lifetime in Oz, talk about something I hold most dear:  good writing – and even get a few pet peeves off my chest.

My presentation was dedicated to the writers out there, those people who care about words and the power of words and having power over words. The people who love finding the right words at the right time to say to the right people for the desired result.

I came bearing good tidings of great joy, as I truly believe that our time has come – again.

As a writer who has been writing for a loooooong time, I admit to some recent moments of despair – starting with the initial tsunami of digital communication when immediacy trumped message, and it was apparently critical to know every thought that passed through Ashton Kutcher’s head.

And when I found out that the Aflac duck, who can barely talk, much less write, has way more Facebook friends than I do.

But something more recently has given me hope for the future of writing.

And that something is the current emphasis on content marketing, which is being touted as THE road to developing brand trust, leadership and loyalty.

Is content management the answer to today’s marketing challenges or – more importantly – my prayers?

We’ll talk more later.

Something appears to be missing in marketing to 20-somethings. And that something is empathy.

For many years, they were the demographic everyone wanted to be – having few responsibilities and money to spend. They also were a very lucrative target market for many companies, easy prey for every new shiny object.

Now, they’re almost pariahs. They’re the boomerang generation that keeps coming back home. They’re the lackluster generation that can’t find jobs in their fields. They’re the spoiled generation that expects too much. They’re the foolish generation that paid mightily – and will continue to pay mightily – for educations they can’t use. They’re the hapless generation that doesn’t have the grit to get ahead.

Some – maybe even most – of that may not even be true, but stereotypes are quick to build and hard to demolish.

What is true is that they, like the rest of us, are a generation that needs solutions to problems. And they do have them.

For instance, a recent Pew Research Center found that employment rates among young people between the ages of 18 and 24 are at an all-time low, at 54 percent, and those who are employed full-time have experienced a bigger drop in weekly earnings than any other age group.

And research from the Yale School of Management asserts that students who graduate into a recession are likely to continue to face the negative effects from that recession, including higher unemployment rates and lower incomes, in some cases even 15 years after graduation.

Still, there are rosier views, such as that of financial advisor Zac Bissonnette, who says that 20-somethings can be better off, as long as they make smart financial decisions – spending wisely and avoiding debt.

Whatever’s on the horizon, however, the current landscape has changed. And, as marketers, we have to change, as well. That is, we must look at 20-somethings as they are, in comparison to no one, with understanding for the plight of those for whom pain points exist.

Only then can we begin to create a dialog that incorporates the entire demographic and a relationship they’ll value.

In a word, Marketing is Dynamic!  Marketing is full of life and there is little room for marketing activities that do not embody the life of your business.  Beyond all of the new technologies and tools to support the growth of your business, the basics still apply.  The following list provides insight into everyday marketing strategies for your business.

1. Remember to “Sharp Shoot.”

Know the segment you are targeting and build your marketing programs to specifically meet the needs of that segment.

2. Relationships, Relationships, Relationships.

The three keys to marketing success – no matter what your product, business today is based on strong productive relationships. Whether it is a strategic partner, client, competitor or vendor relationship – strong relationships can drive business growth.

3. Get “Up-close and Personal.”

Direct Marketing, including direct mail, tele-sales and Internet strategies, places you closest to your prospect. Incorporate these tools into your marketing strategy.

4. Experience the “Joy of Referrals.”

Referrals are the fuel of business today.  A client who is referred to your business is more likely to make purchases and maintain a long-standing productive relationship with your business.  Remember always ASK for referrals from your customers, prospects, colleagues and even competitors!

5. Love Your Competitors

Your competitors may be your greatest resource for learning about success and failure.  Track their products and services and routinely leverage that information for decision-making. There is lot to be learned from your competitor’s successes and failures. (Continued on Side Two)

6. Publicity is Free.

Public Relations is an invaluable tool at a community, national and even international level. Work hard to get a third party to tell your story in any form of media.  Remember, most publicity is free and available to those who ask.

7. Perception Is Truth.

Perception is the way we receive and translate our experiences – how and what we think about them.  When we discover how we are perceived, we gain invaluable insight into others’ truths. Work hard to transcend the limitations of perception and begin to address others’ truths.

8. Overcome the “Fluff Factor”.

Don’t underestimate your prospects or customers, they know when it’s “Fluff” and when it’s Real. Remember you can’t hide behind an inferior product or flawed service; instead focus on making your product or service superior and eliminate the need for fluff!

9.  Recognize the Power of Words.

Can you deliver what you say you can? The words you use to express your value proposition will endure.

10. Celebrate Your Failures!

Don’t be afraid to Celebrate Your Failures. Our failures will always have more information than our successes.  Never be afraid to re-address why you failed and what lessons you learned in the process. What will you do different the next time around?

In this “new” economy,  these marketing communications themes continue to trend on a routine basis:

• “Thought Leadership” – Are you in a thought leadership position in your respective industry? If so, how are you positioned?
• “Collaboration” – Businesses are looking to find new ways to grow in a cost-effective way without adding staff.  How are you collaborating with complementary partners to add value and stimulate growth?
• “Analytics” – Whether it’s a marketing research project or business analysis, businesses are more focused than ever before on fact-based decision-making with quantifiable metrics.  What marketing metrics are you tracking on a routine basis?

In the past seven years since the founding of Next-Mark, we have seen an unprecedented range of economic cycles and business trends impacting the growth of our clients.  Our goal remains the same: To be a steward on behalf of your business through each challenge focusing on your distinct needs.  We continue to offer individualized marketing, communications and business strategy solutions to meet your unique needs.

For truly effective business writing, your message should be formed with clear and simple words that can be understood immediately by as broad an audience as possible. So for those of you currently working on a sales letter or some other marketing piece, I’ve listed a few basic rules you can follow to improve any business-to-business or business-to-consumer communication.

Keep it brief: Try not to use more words (and sentences) than are necessary to convey your message.

Use familiar words: Avoid using cryptic jargon with which your audience may not be familiar. Sure, when you know that everyone who will read your message will understand the term(s), jargon can help you come across as someone who understands the readers’ industry. But it’s still a good idea to explain the term as, many times, messages are forwarded to others who may have input on buying decisions, but who may not be as familiar with your terminology as the original addressee.

Be definitive. The use of definitive words (e.g., bank, chair, telephone, etc.) can help form a clear, sharp image in any reader’s mind. Meanwhile, abstract words such as “performance” and “inconsistency” can leave readers needing more information (in a bad way).

Avoid long sentences: Longer sentences create room for misunderstanding. Especially when rushed, readers can easily lose a long sentence’s intended point by the time he or she comes to its end.

Use strong (“power”) words: Strong words not only drive sentences forward but also grab the reader’s attention and help to create interest.

Use active verbs: Active verbs make your business writing more direct and informative, as well as easier to understand.

Avoid idioms or “figures of speech.” While idioms such as “back seat driver,” “feeding frenzy” and “right off the bat” are in common use, they typically are not specific to the situation and can make your marketing message come across as cliché and untrustworthy. (Extreme case in point: A marketing firm I once worked with created a football theme for a campaign based on the idiom “the whole nine yards.” What’s wrong with this picture?)

The above list includes a few good practices to help ensure the message you need to convey is clear and captivating. However, if you feel you could use some assistance in writing a brochure, web site or any other marketing piece, give us a call. Working together, we can put power behind your communications and maximize your lead potential.