When it comes to advice, generating retweets on Twitter is up there with losing weight and making money. Plug [how to generate retweets] into Google, and you can access around 500,000 pieces of content on this social media topic: Include links Leverage hashtags Tweet at the right time Leave room for retweets Use inspiring quotes …more
Here’s my second grab bag this year. I use these posts to cobble together three takes that don’t have enough depth to stand on their own. Steinbeck Writing Tips for Business Communications While John Steinbeck offers six tips to assist aspiring novelists, there were a couple worth highlighting for communicators: Write freely and as rapidly …more
I attended the Communicator’s Conference in Portland last week where keynote speaker Jim Olson shared Starbucks’ commitment to storytelling in its communications. When asked how Starbucks measures the impact of storytelling, he explained that it’s still early days. I’d like to answer the question, but before doing so it’s useful to dust off the axiom, …more
I gave my Mom plenty of storytelling fodder as a youngster. It’s not like the trajectory of my youth marked me as a potential felon. But I did prefer to ignore rather than test parental boundaries which caused some heartburn from the Mom. With Mother’s Day around the corner, I thought it was the perfect …more
You can find a gazillion books, trainers and gurus all geared to make you a better public speaker. Don’t read your slides. Stop jingling those pesky coins in your pocket. Use visuals, not bullets. Practice in front of a mirror. Etc. For the right price point, there are even experts out there who can get …more
You would think every company would prefer to communicate in a way that connects with the audience. Yet, business writing often comes off as mechanical or at best perfunctory. The crazy part is that it doesn’t take true expertise to write with a touch of warmth. It’s more of an attitude. Do you want …more
The couple looked so happy after the big day. Now as the “sausage making” behind the Omnicom/Publicis merger makes its way to public view, you might want to close your eyes. It’s not pretty. The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that “battles over power and position” threaten to torpedo the merger. Sounds like the …more
. The Pew Research Center’s annual State of the News Media should be required reading for PR professionals. While I took issue with last year’s study – struggled to make sense of the overlap between journalism and business storytelling – the 2014 report is back on track. I’ve highlighted six points with relevance to …more
That’s right. The same folks who publish “the molecule of the week” and find humor in the periodic table have cracked the mainstream with storytelling techniques worthy of a big brand. Before jumping to the tactic, it’s useful to rewind the tape to Nov. 27, 2013. That’s when the Los Angeles County court sided with …more
