Modern Communication: Professional Writing for Your Business, and Why it Matters, presented by April Finnen, Frederick Chamber EXPO, September 27, 2011

1. MODERN COMMUNICATION:
PROFESSIONAL WRITING FOR YOUR
BUSINESS, AND WHY IT MATTERS
September 27, 2011
April L. Finnen, MBA
@AprilFin

2. FIRST IMPRESSIONS – THEN
2

3. FIRST IMPRESSIONS – NOW
www.
3

4. WHAT’S CHANGED?
Then Now
Reporters decided the news Everyone reports “news”
Print/mail/fax press releases One-click publishing
Print anything (brochures, Online everything
newsletters, memos)
Yellow pages Google
Word-of-mouth (literally) Online reviews
DIGITAL
IS
FOREVER 4

5. THE NEW MARKETING DOS AND DON’TS
Don’t Do
Broadcast Interact
Spam Opt in
Cold call Be helpful
Hide your identity Be transparent
Take shortcuts Build over time
Auto-post / auto-DM Tailor your message
= 5

6. DON’T FORGET THE OBVIOUS
Customer service still rules
The ways customers expect
to reach you are changing
In-person and phone
interactions still important
Spelling and grammar
matter
Use built-in spelling and
grammar tools (Word, Tip: Professional
blogging platforms) doesn’t have to sound
No: ☺, BRB, L8R, LOL in stuffy. Write like you
business writing are talking with your
customer.
Your writing is your
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business résumé – no typos!

7. BEFORE COMMUNICATING ANYTHING
Ask the big question, from your audience’s
perspective
What’s
In it
for me?
7

8. BEFORE YOU WRITE:
NOT-SO-GENTLE REMINDERS
“You” (not “I”)
What’s in it for your customer?
Don’t be fancy
Write like you talk. Cut the long sentences. On the
screen, less is more.
Kill the jargon
Acronyms don’t make you sound smart; they confuse
your potential customers. And they look elsewhere.
It’s OK to have some fun
Show your (business) personality
Be human
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Learn more (source for above):
How Better Writing Gets You Better Treatment

9. REVIEW YOUR OWN WRITING:
THE 4 CS
Clear
Is this precisely what I mean?
Is it clear what action my reader should take?
Concise
Does every single word matter?
Coherent
Does this make sense?
Do I only have to read it once to understand?
Consistent
Does this match my other materials, messages?
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Tip: PROOFREAD EVERYTHING!

10. USE THE RIGHT TOOL
What Ways to Publicize Tips
Happened
New website Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn Don’t issue a press release;
– invite comments, votes the newspaper doesn’t care.
New business With client’s permission: Think about it from a larger
$$$, or client press release, case study, perspective (jobs created,
milestone blog post impact, etc.). Be sure it’s
really news for press release.
Job openings Social media, your website Include how to apply.
Charity event Social media, blog Include information on how
others can give.
Sale/discount Social media 40% of Facebook users follow
companies because they
want discounts*
Any of the Email newsletter (opt-in, of Your newsletter should offer
above course) educational value—not just
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marketing fluff. Keep that
last, and minimal.
*Source: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/study-reveals-why-consumers-fan-facebook-pages/

11. AND THEN THERE’S EMAIL
Consider alternatives
If you must use email for
lists, BCC the addresses
Be clear and concise
Specific subject line
Make it clear what action
your reader should take,
and by when
Proofread!
Be responsive
Tip: Use an email marketing service to manage your 11
customer mailings. Many have free small business plans.
Tools: MailChimp, iContact, ConstantContact

12. CAN-SPAM ACT OF 2003
Hate spam? So does
Congress.
Unless they opt in, it’s
spam, and it’s ILLEGAL
All messages must include a
valid postal address
You must offer a way to
unsubscribe in every message
You must honor unsubscribe
requests within 10 days
Each separate email in
violation of the law is
subject to penalties of up to
$16,000
You are not exempt if someone
else is doing your email
marketing – you are both liable
Learn more: 12
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/spam/business.htm

13. Learn more:
OTHER LEGAL THINGS http://www.copyright.com/
If it’s on the Internet, assume it’s copyrighted
You cannot use Google Images search to find
graphics
You cannot use photos without permission
Creative Commons licenses rarely allow business use
Snap your own, hire a photographer, or use stock
photos
Limited free options: http://office.microsoft.com/en-
us/images/
Flickr.com – many photographers allow free use with
attribution/link back
Affordable stock photo sites: iStockPhoto, Photos.com,
Shutterstock (cheaper than a lawsuit)
Web accessibility Learn more: 13
Ex: ALT tags http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG/

14. TIME-SAVERS
Hire a professional to design your website
Add Frequently Asked Questions (and the
answers) to your website
Write standard responses for common customer
inquiries
This keeps everyone consistent and on message
Add to the list as you answer new questions
Use a web-based tool for your email newsletter
Auto-responders, opt-in and spam checkers will keep
you legal, and remove the hassle of manual
unsubscribes
Think of a few words/phrases to describe your
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business “persona”
Examples: helpful, efficient, experienced, fun

15. ADVANCED TIME-SAVERS
Filter your email inbox(es)
Auto-sort to folders by priority
Read the low-priority stuff once a day
(newsletters, conferences, etc.)
Go digital – do you need paper files?
Make an editorial calendar for your
social media
Blog posts, tweets, etc.
Purpose is not to automate, but to ensure
your activity supports your strategy
Have a social media strategy
Why spend the time without a purpose?
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Resource: Your Social Media Road Map,
by Beth Schillaci

16. FURTHER READING
“Both your customers and your employees have
started marching in this burgeoning social media
multitude, and you’d better get out of their way—
or learn to embrace them.” – Forbes
Unmarketing, by Scott Stratten -
http://www.unmarketing.com/
Mashable.com – basic and advanced how-tos on
everything social media
Frederick Chamber member directory
For web design help, also look in the marketing and
graphics/design categories
The Business Writer’s Handbook by Gerald J.
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Alred, et al (now in 9th edition)

17. QUESTIONS?
April Finnen, MBA
Associate Director, Communications, DynPort
Vaccine Company LLC
Email: afinnen@csc.com or aprilfinnen@gmail.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilfinnen
Twitter: @AprilFin and @dynport
Blog: OnePersonShop.com
Opinions in this presentation and on my
personal blog and social media profiles are
solely my own, and do not necessarily 17
reflect the views of my employer.