(2453,4,'2014-01-07 14:29:34','2014-01-07 14:29:34','This is not a post about religion or morality. It\'s a post about how to get things done.  It\'s the \"secret\" to accomplishing your 2014 goals and resolutions.\r\n\r\nI am sure you know the expression \"the road to hell is paved with good intentions.\"  What that means, quite simply, is that having a good intentions is not enough to keep you from perdition. You have to act. You have to behave differently, not just think about it.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2456\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"225\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/2419526768_eb970f02211.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2456\" alt=\"Bonfire by CP Sutcliffe via Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/2419526768_eb970f02211-225x300.jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a> Bonfire by CP Sutcliffe via Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis is the time of the year we are busy setting resolutions and goals for the year ahead. I think this is a great exercise. Certainly, if we take a good look at what we did in 2013, we can see what worked and what didn\'t. We can decide to change course or stay the course, depending on how things worked out.\r\n\r\n<strong>But to accomplish our resolutions and goals, just having the intent to do so is not enough. What you need is an action plan.</strong>\r\n\r\nI have a friend who has the best of intentions to get together and do a \"girl\'s night out.\" I know she has the intent because she tells me we need to do this every single time we have a phone conversation. But she never actually sets aside the time and chooses a date for this mythical get-together. Without an actual plan to go out, it is all just talk. It is meaningless. Bottom line is it ain\'t gonna happen.\r\n\r\nThe same thing happens with your communications goals. You want to blog but you \"don\'t have the time.\" You want to increase your enewsletter subscriptions, but you don\'t add a subscription button to your website or think about how to incentivize people to sign up. You want to get more publicity for your event, but you don\'t contact any media outlets. You want to re-do your website, but you don\'t conduct a survey of your current users/audience.\r\n\r\nIn other words, you have the best intentions in the world, but you are not acting. You are paving the way to get nothing accomplished.\r\n\r\nAs you survey the year ahead and you formulate your goals and resolutions, avoid having it all go to hell, and develop some action plans. Set deadlines, make dates, gather information, put things in motion.\r\n\r\nWhat are you resolving to do in 2014 and how do you plan to get there?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How to avoid going to hell','','publish','open','open','','how-to-avoid-going-to-hell','','','2014-01-07 14:29:34','2014-01-07 14:29:34','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2453',0,'post','',0),
(2412,4,'2013-11-20 15:46:53','2013-11-20 15:46:53','I just got back from a few days of vacation in Florida. During my five days off, which included the weekend, I had limited Internet access. I was able to access email on my phone, and use WiFi on my laptop a couple of times.\r\n\r\n<strong>Emails galore.</strong>\r\n\r\nEvery single day I had around 70 emails--of which only two or three were addressed to me exclusively. The rest were marketing emails, listserv stuff, and subscription emails I get every day. I deleted most of these messages without reading.<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Lots of stuff on my reader.</strong>\r\n\r\nThen, there was my Feedly to check. I had limited time to read through, so I marked a great amount of as read, and looked only at a very few items.\r\n\r\n<strong>Twitter keeps going and going and going...</strong>\r\n\r\nIf you only check Twitter once a day or so, it is impossible to keep up with what is going on. You check your @ replies and your direct messages, and what is there in the general stream at that moment.\r\n\r\n<strong>Facebook is congestion central.</strong>\r\n\r\nSome people post every once in a while and others post ALL the time (like my young cousin who posts every thought and feeling he has plus every image/story he finds interesting). Mobile Facebook reminds you of people\'s birthdays or I would have missed congratulating my friends Jordan and Dan.\r\n\r\n<strong>How did I deal with information overload? I prioritized the personal and business-related and skimmed the rest.</strong>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>What does information overload mean for your message? </em></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>It means, quite simply, that your message is very likely to get lost.</em></p>\r\nPeople are getting bombarded with information from many sources, and if they don\'t keep up with it immediately, they are forced to ignore it and/or delete it. There just isn\'t enough time in the day to get stuff done (or take a vacation) and read all your emails and other messages.\r\n\r\nHow do we, as communicators, deal with this problem?\r\n\r\n1.)  Realize that <strong>your message is competing very hard for attention.</strong>\r\n\r\n2.)  Realize that your message may need both <strong>reach and frequency</strong> with the caveat that frequency is part of the problem for the receiver. Sending the same message too many times can be annoying or part of overload...but it may break through the clutter.\r\n\r\n3.) Realize that <strong>timing is key</strong>. You will have to figure out when is the best time to reach most of your subjects, while understanding that you will never reach everyone at the same time.\r\n\r\n4.)  Realize that<strong> relevance is what is most important</strong>. If the message is not relevant to your subject, it will more easily be deleted or ignored.\r\n\r\nThoughts on this? How do you deal with information overload?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Information overload and what it means to your message','','publish','open','open','','information-overload-and-what-it-means-to-your-message','','','2013-11-20 15:46:53','2013-11-20 15:46:53','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2412',0,'post','',0),
(2413,4,'2013-11-20 15:44:25','2013-11-20 15:44:25','I just got back from a few days of vacation in Florida. During my five days off, which included the weekend, I had limited Internet access. I was able to access email on my phone, and use WiFi on my laptop a couple of times.\r\n\r\n<strong>Emails galore</strong>\r\n\r\nEvery single day I had around 70 emails--of which only two or three were addressed to me exclusively. The rest were marketing emails, listserv stuff, and subscription emails I get every day. I deleted most of these messages without reading.<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Lots of stuff on my reader</strong>\r\n\r\nThen, there was my Feedly to check. I had limited time to read through, so I marked a great amount of as read, and looked only at a very few items.\r\n\r\n<strong>Twitter keeps going and going and going...</strong>\r\n\r\nIf you only check Twitter once a day or so, it is impossible to keep up with what is going on. You check your @ replies and your direct messages, and what is there in the general stream at that moment.\r\n\r\n<strong>Facebook is congestion central</strong>\r\n\r\nSome people post every once in a while and others post ALL the time (like my young cousin who posts every thought and feeling he has plus every image/story he finds interesting). Mobile Facebook reminds you of people\'s birthdays or I would have missed congratulating my friends Jordan and Dan.\r\n\r\n<strong>How did I deal with information overload? I prioritized the personal and business-related and skimmed the rest.</strong>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>What does information overload mean for your message? </em></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>It means, quite simply, that your message is very likely to get lost.</em></p>\r\nPeople are getting bombarded with information from many sources, and if they don\'t keep up with it immediately, they are forced to ignore it and/or delete it. There just isn\'t enough time in the day to get stuff done (or take a vacation) and read all your emails and other messages.\r\n\r\nHow do we, as communicators, deal with this problem?\r\n\r\nFirst, realize that <strong>your message is competing very hard for attention.</strong>\r\n\r\nSecond, realize that your message may need both <strong>reach and frequency</strong> with the caveat that frequency is part of the problem for the receiver. Sending the same message too many times can be annoying or part of overload...but it may break through the clutter.\r\n\r\nThird, realize that <strong>timing is key</strong>. You will have to figure out when is the best time to reach most of your subjects, while understanding that you will never reach everyone at the same time.\r\n\r\nFourth, and finally, realize that<strong> relevance is what is most important</strong>. If the message is not relevant to your subject, it will more easily be deleted or ignored.\r\n\r\nThoughts on this? How do you deal with information overload?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Information overload and what it means to your message','','inherit','open','open','','2412-revision-v1','','','2013-11-20 15:44:25','2013-11-20 15:44:25','',2412,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/11/2412-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2414,4,'2013-11-20 15:46:53','2013-11-20 15:46:53','I just got back from a few days of vacation in Florida. During my five days off, which included the weekend, I had limited Internet access. I was able to access email on my phone, and use WiFi on my laptop a couple of times.\r\n\r\n<strong>Emails galore.</strong>\r\n\r\nEvery single day I had around 70 emails--of which only two or three were addressed to me exclusively. The rest were marketing emails, listserv stuff, and subscription emails I get every day. I deleted most of these messages without reading.<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Lots of stuff on my reader.</strong>\r\n\r\nThen, there was my Feedly to check. I had limited time to read through, so I marked a great amount of as read, and looked only at a very few items.\r\n\r\n<strong>Twitter keeps going and going and going...</strong>\r\n\r\nIf you only check Twitter once a day or so, it is impossible to keep up with what is going on. You check your @ replies and your direct messages, and what is there in the general stream at that moment.\r\n\r\n<strong>Facebook is congestion central.</strong>\r\n\r\nSome people post every once in a while and others post ALL the time (like my young cousin who posts every thought and feeling he has plus every image/story he finds interesting). Mobile Facebook reminds you of people\'s birthdays or I would have missed congratulating my friends Jordan and Dan.\r\n\r\n<strong>How did I deal with information overload? I prioritized the personal and business-related and skimmed the rest.</strong>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>What does information overload mean for your message? </em></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>It means, quite simply, that your message is very likely to get lost.</em></p>\r\nPeople are getting bombarded with information from many sources, and if they don\'t keep up with it immediately, they are forced to ignore it and/or delete it. There just isn\'t enough time in the day to get stuff done (or take a vacation) and read all your emails and other messages.\r\n\r\nHow do we, as communicators, deal with this problem?\r\n\r\n1.)  Realize that <strong>your message is competing very hard for attention.</strong>\r\n\r\n2.)  Realize that your message may need both <strong>reach and frequency</strong> with the caveat that frequency is part of the problem for the receiver. Sending the same message too many times can be annoying or part of overload...but it may break through the clutter.\r\n\r\n3.) Realize that <strong>timing is key</strong>. You will have to figure out when is the best time to reach most of your subjects, while understanding that you will never reach everyone at the same time.\r\n\r\n4.)  Realize that<strong> relevance is what is most important</strong>. If the message is not relevant to your subject, it will more easily be deleted or ignored.\r\n\r\nThoughts on this? How do you deal with information overload?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Information overload and what it means to your message','','inherit','open','open','','2412-revision-v1','','','2013-11-20 15:46:53','2013-11-20 15:46:53','',2412,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/11/2412-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2416,4,'2013-11-25 13:06:31','2013-11-25 13:06:31','I am an avid news follower. I have been reading a newspaper daily since I was eight years old (really). At times, I even read two and three dailies (when I was in grad school up at Boston University, I decided I should read the <em>Wall Street Journal,</em> in addition to the <em>New York Times</em> and the <em>Boston Globe</em>. The <em>Globe</em> was not owned by the <em>Times</em> then, but I digress).  Additionally, I read lots of stuff online plus I watch the CBS and/or NBC evening news broadcasts when I can.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"newspaper by zoetnet, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/zoetnet/4851547572/\"><img title=\"Reading the newspaper \" alt=\"newspaper\" src=\"http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4122/4851547572_379416cff3.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a> Reading the newspaper in park by Zoetnet on Flickr[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>\r\nWhen I read the newspaper, what I am really doing is scanning. I scan all the headlines first. If the headline is about an interesting subject, then I read the first few paragraphs (same goes for op-eds). I usually discard the sports section, but only after reading the main headline on the front page (it is important to know the results of the game, but I have no patience for the analysis of why).\r\n\r\nI don\'t read long articles--never have and never will. I don\'t have the patience or the time.\r\n\r\nEven though most people don\'t read printed newspapers, they are acting the same online: <strong>They scan. They skip long form. They only read what interests them.</strong>\r\n\r\nLessons here are:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Headlines matter A LOT.</li>\r\n	<li>Longer is not necessarily better.</li>\r\n	<li>People will always read<em> only</em> what interests them.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>In other words, keep it short and keep it interesting.</strong>','How I read the news and why it matters ','','inherit','open','open','','2415-revision-v1','','','2013-11-25 13:06:31','2013-11-25 13:06:31','',2415,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/11/2415-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2418,4,'2013-11-27 14:00:13','2013-11-27 14:00:13','It\'s Thanksgiving (and for some us, also Hanukkah, in a once in 70,000 year phenomenon!), and it\'s time to express our gratitude. It\'s amazing  that we have a holiday devoted to giving thanks, and it is too bad it has devolved into a holiday for shopping and watching football (but I digress). Hanukkah is a holiday that celebrates redemption and miracles, and it is quite lovely that it coincides with Thanksgiving this year.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"Turkeys by Boston Public Library, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/6896074240/\"><img alt=\"Turkeys\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7108/6896074240_b5465d1471.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"402\" /></a> Turkeys from Boston Public Library on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn honor of Thanksgiving, and of Hanukkah, I\'d like to thank you, my readers on the blog. I am truly grateful that you take a couple of minutes out of your day to read my musings. For those of you who have taken the time to comment and discuss, thank you too! Great comments are very rewarding.\r\n\r\nI would also like to thank my Twitter friends. Over the years, I\'ve been able to build relationships with several people on Twitter (too many people to mention, but you know who you are right?). These relationships have led to learning, discussion and camaraderie, and I am truly grateful for that.\r\n\r\n<strong>So, Happy Thanksgiving to all and Happy Hanukkah to those celebrate it!</strong>\r\n\r\nHere\'s a video from the <em>a capella</em> group The Maccabeats, for your listening (and viewing) pleasure:\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"//www.youtube.com/embed/oHwyTxxQHmQ\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"></iframe>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBonus video (and one of my favorites)\r\n\r\nThe Leevees: How Do You Spell Channukkahh\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"//www.youtube.com/embed/R7JiDBi_v4c\" height=\"315\" width=\"420\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"></iframe>','Time to give thanks','','publish','open','open','','time-to-give-thanks','','','2013-11-27 14:01:34','2013-11-27 14:01:34','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2418',0,'post','',0),
(2419,4,'2013-11-27 13:55:37','2013-11-27 13:55:37','It\'s Thanksgiving (and for some us, also Hanukkah, in a once in 70,000 year phenomenon!), and it\'s time to express our gratitude. It\'s amazing  that we have a holiday devoted to giving thanks, and it is too bad it has devolved into a holiday for shopping and watching football (but I digress). Hanukkah is a holiday that celebrates redemption and miracles, and it is quite lovely that it coincides with Thanksgiving this year.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"Turkeys by Boston Public Library, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/6896074240/\"><img alt=\"Turkeys\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7108/6896074240_b5465d1471.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"402\" /></a> Turkeys from Boston Public Library on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn honor of Thanksgiving, and of Hanukkah, I\'d like to thank you, my readers on the blog. I am truly grateful that you take a couple of minutes out of your day to read my musings. For those of you who have taken the time to comment and discuss, thank you too! Great comments are very rewarding.\r\n\r\nI would also like to thank my Twitter friends. Over the years, I\'ve been able to build relationships with several people on Twitter (too many people to mention, but you know who you are right?). These relationships have led to learning, discussion and camaraderie, and I am truly grateful for that.\r\n\r\nSo, Happy Thanksgiving to all and Happy Hanukkah to those celebrate it!\r\n\r\nHere\'s a video from the a capella group The Maccabeats, for your listening pleasure:\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"//www.youtube.com/embed/oHwyTxxQHmQ\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"></iframe>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBonus video (and one of my favorites)\r\n\r\nThe Leevee: How Do You Spell Channukkahh\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"//www.youtube.com/embed/R7JiDBi_v4c\" height=\"315\" width=\"420\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"></iframe>','Time to give thanks','','inherit','open','open','','2418-revision-v1','','','2013-11-27 13:55:37','2013-11-27 13:55:37','',2418,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/11/2418-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2420,4,'2013-11-27 14:00:13','2013-11-27 14:00:13','It\'s Thanksgiving (and for some us, also Hanukkah, in a once in 70,000 year phenomenon!), and it\'s time to express our gratitude. It\'s amazing  that we have a holiday devoted to giving thanks, and it is too bad it has devolved into a holiday for shopping and watching football (but I digress). Hanukkah is a holiday that celebrates redemption and miracles, and it is quite lovely that it coincides with Thanksgiving this year.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"Turkeys by Boston Public Library, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/6896074240/\"><img alt=\"Turkeys\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7108/6896074240_b5465d1471.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"402\" /></a> Turkeys from Boston Public Library on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn honor of Thanksgiving, and of Hanukkah, I\'d like to thank you, my readers on the blog. I am truly grateful that you take a couple of minutes out of your day to read my musings. For those of you who have taken the time to comment and discuss, thank you too! Great comments are very rewarding.\r\n\r\nI would also like to thank my Twitter friends. Over the years, I\'ve been able to build relationships with several people on Twitter (too many people to mention, but you know who you are right?). These relationships have led to learning, discussion and camaraderie, and I am truly grateful for that.\r\n\r\nSo, Happy Thanksgiving to all and Happy Hanukkah to those celebrate it!\r\n\r\nHere\'s a video from the <em>a capella</em> group The Maccabeats, for your listening (and viewing) pleasure:\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"//www.youtube.com/embed/oHwyTxxQHmQ\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"></iframe>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBonus video (and one of my favorites)\r\n\r\nThe Leevees: How Do You Spell Channukkahh\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"//www.youtube.com/embed/R7JiDBi_v4c\" height=\"315\" width=\"420\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"></iframe>','Time to give thanks','','inherit','open','open','','2418-revision-v1','','','2013-11-27 14:00:13','2013-11-27 14:00:13','',2418,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/11/2418-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2421,4,'2013-11-27 14:01:34','2013-11-27 14:01:34','It\'s Thanksgiving (and for some us, also Hanukkah, in a once in 70,000 year phenomenon!), and it\'s time to express our gratitude. It\'s amazing  that we have a holiday devoted to giving thanks, and it is too bad it has devolved into a holiday for shopping and watching football (but I digress). Hanukkah is a holiday that celebrates redemption and miracles, and it is quite lovely that it coincides with Thanksgiving this year.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"Turkeys by Boston Public Library, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/6896074240/\"><img alt=\"Turkeys\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7108/6896074240_b5465d1471.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"402\" /></a> Turkeys from Boston Public Library on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn honor of Thanksgiving, and of Hanukkah, I\'d like to thank you, my readers on the blog. I am truly grateful that you take a couple of minutes out of your day to read my musings. For those of you who have taken the time to comment and discuss, thank you too! Great comments are very rewarding.\r\n\r\nI would also like to thank my Twitter friends. Over the years, I\'ve been able to build relationships with several people on Twitter (too many people to mention, but you know who you are right?). These relationships have led to learning, discussion and camaraderie, and I am truly grateful for that.\r\n\r\n<strong>So, Happy Thanksgiving to all and Happy Hanukkah to those celebrate it!</strong>\r\n\r\nHere\'s a video from the <em>a capella</em> group The Maccabeats, for your listening (and viewing) pleasure:\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"//www.youtube.com/embed/oHwyTxxQHmQ\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"></iframe>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBonus video (and one of my favorites)\r\n\r\nThe Leevees: How Do You Spell Channukkahh\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"//www.youtube.com/embed/R7JiDBi_v4c\" height=\"315\" width=\"420\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"></iframe>','Time to give thanks','','inherit','open','open','','2418-revision-v1','','','2013-11-27 14:01:34','2013-11-27 14:01:34','',2418,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/11/2418-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2424,4,'2013-12-04 12:23:42','2013-12-04 12:23:42','When writers talk about style they are rarely talking about fashion. They are talking about editorial style. They discuss whether to use the <a href=\"https://www.apstylebook.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Associated Press Style</a> or the<a href=\"http://afterdeadline.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/the-latest-style/?_r=0\" target=\"_blank\"> New York Times Style</a> or <a href=\"http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html\" target=\"_blank\">Chicago Manual</a>. There are probably four or five major published style guides that people follow. In journalism and by extension, public relations, most people adhere to the AP Style. In government circles, people tend to follow the <a href=\"http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008/pdf/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Government Printing Office (GPO) Style.  </a>(Here\'s a<a href=\"http://www.rollcall.com/news/meet_the_captain_of_congressional_grammar_punctuation_and_style-229389-1.html\" target=\"_blank\"> great article on Roll Call</a> about the chairman of the GOP Style Board.)\r\n\r\n<strong>There is one reason to have an editorial style: consistency.</strong>\r\n\r\nConsistency helps unify your writing. Let\'s use a common example. It\'s Chicago Manual style to write Web site (two words, web is capitalized always).  It\'s AP Style to write website (one word, lowercase).  <strong>Either way is correct</strong>. But if you use AP in one press release and then Chicago on a white paper, you are being inconsistent. Worse would be to use both styles in one document.\r\n\r\n<strong>Choose one style and stick with it.</strong>\r\n\r\nOrganizations should develop style guides editorial and branding/image purposes. These written documents (in this case, the oral tradition just won\'t do!) will help to make sure everyone in the organization is on the same page, bolstering organizational consistency.\r\n\r\nEditorial guides should cover issues like:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Word usage (website versus Web site; do you say chairman, chairperson or chair?)</li>\r\n	<li>Punctuation (use em dashes or not?)</li>\r\n	<li>Preferred date and time usage (do you say April 24 or April 24th?, 6 PM or 6:00 p.m.?)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nBranding/image guides should clarify issues like:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Logo size and positioning</li>\r\n	<li>Organizational colors</li>\r\n	<li>Acceptable fonts</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nThere are a great many resources  on the web, and even templates to follow. Large organizations like the World Bank have style guides that you can download.\r\n\r\nIf you don\'t have an organizational style guide, this year-end may be a great time to develop one or make it a goal to develop one in 2014.\r\n\r\n[yop_poll id=\"3\"]','Why you need to have a style','','publish','open','open','','why-you-need-to-have-a-style','','','2013-12-05 13:16:21','2013-12-05 13:16:21','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2424',0,'post','',0),
(2425,4,'2013-12-04 12:19:39','2013-12-04 12:19:39','When writers talk about style they are rarely talking about fashion. They are talking about editorial style. They discuss whether to use the <a href=\"https://www.apstylebook.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Associated Press Style</a> or the<a href=\"http://afterdeadline.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/the-latest-style/?_r=0\" target=\"_blank\"> New York Times Style</a> or <a href=\"http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html\" target=\"_blank\">Chicago Manual</a>. There are probably four or five major published style guides that people follow. In journalism and by extension, public relations, most people adhere to the AP Style. In government circles, people tend to follow the <a href=\"http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008/pdf/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Government Printing Office (GPO) Style.  </a>(Here\'s a<a href=\"http://www.rollcall.com/news/meet_the_captain_of_congressional_grammar_punctuation_and_style-229389-1.html\" target=\"_blank\"> great article on Roll Call</a> about the chairman of the GOP Style Board.)\r\n\r\n<strong>There is one reason to have an editorial style: consistency.</strong>\r\n\r\nConsistency helps unify your writing. Let\'s use a common example. It\'s Chicago Manual style to write Web site (two words, web is capitalized always).  It\'s AP Style to write website (one word, lowercase).  <strong>Either way is correct</strong>. But if you use AP in one press release and then Chicago on a white paper, you are being inconsistent. Worse would be to use both styles in one document.\r\n\r\n<strong>Choose one style and stick with it.</strong>\r\n\r\nOrganizations should develop style guides editorial and branding/image purposes. These written documents (in this case, the oral tradition just won\'t do!) will help to make sure everyone in the organization is on the same page, bolstering organizational consistency.\r\n\r\nEditorial guides should cover issues like:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Word usage (website versus Web site; do you say Chairman, Chairperson or Chair?)</li>\r\n	<li>Punctuation (use em dashes or not?)</li>\r\n	<li>Preferred date and time usage (do you say April 24 or April 24th?, 6 PM or 6:00 p.m.?)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nBranding/image guides should clarify issues like:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Logo size and positioning</li>\r\n	<li>Organizational colors</li>\r\n	<li>Acceptable fonts</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nThere are a great many resources  on the web, and even templates to follow. Large organizations like the World Bank have style guides that you can download.\r\n\r\nIf you don\'t have an organizational style guide, this year-end may be a great time to develop one or make it a goal to develop one in 2014.\r\n\r\nDo you use a style guide?','Why you need to have a style','','inherit','open','open','','2424-revision-v1','','','2013-12-04 12:19:39','2013-12-04 12:19:39','',2424,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/12/2424-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2426,4,'2013-12-04 12:22:58','2013-12-04 12:22:58','When writers talk about style they are rarely talking about fashion. They are talking about editorial style. They discuss whether to use the <a href=\"https://www.apstylebook.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Associated Press Style</a> or the<a href=\"http://afterdeadline.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/the-latest-style/?_r=0\" target=\"_blank\"> New York Times Style</a> or <a href=\"http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html\" target=\"_blank\">Chicago Manual</a>. There are probably four or five major published style guides that people follow. In journalism and by extension, public relations, most people adhere to the AP Style. In government circles, people tend to follow the <a href=\"http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008/pdf/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Government Printing Office (GPO) Style.  </a>(Here\'s a<a href=\"http://www.rollcall.com/news/meet_the_captain_of_congressional_grammar_punctuation_and_style-229389-1.html\" target=\"_blank\"> great article on Roll Call</a> about the chairman of the GOP Style Board.)\r\n\r\n<strong>There is one reason to have an editorial style: consistency.</strong>\r\n\r\nConsistency helps unify your writing. Let\'s use a common example. It\'s Chicago Manual style to write Web site (two words, web is capitalized always).  It\'s AP Style to write website (one word, lowercase).  <strong>Either way is correct</strong>. But if you use AP in one press release and then Chicago on a white paper, you are being inconsistent. Worse would be to use both styles in one document.\r\n\r\n<strong>Choose one style and stick with it.</strong>\r\n\r\nOrganizations should develop style guides editorial and branding/image purposes. These written documents (in this case, the oral tradition just won\'t do!) will help to make sure everyone in the organization is on the same page, bolstering organizational consistency.\r\n\r\nEditorial guides should cover issues like:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Word usage (website versus Web site; do you say Chairman, Chairperson or Chair?)</li>\r\n	<li>Punctuation (use em dashes or not?)</li>\r\n	<li>Preferred date and time usage (do you say April 24 or April 24th?, 6 PM or 6:00 p.m.?)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nBranding/image guides should clarify issues like:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Logo size and positioning</li>\r\n	<li>Organizational colors</li>\r\n	<li>Acceptable fonts</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nThere are a great many resources  on the web, and even templates to follow. Large organizations like the World Bank have style guides that you can download.\r\n\r\nIf you don\'t have an organizational style guide, this year-end may be a great time to develop one or make it a goal to develop one in 2014.\r\n\r\nDo you use a style guide?\r\n\r\n[yop_poll id=\"3\"]','Why you need to have a style','','inherit','open','open','','2424-revision-v1','','','2013-12-04 12:22:58','2013-12-04 12:22:58','',2424,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/12/2424-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2427,4,'2013-12-04 12:23:42','2013-12-04 12:23:42','When writers talk about style they are rarely talking about fashion. They are talking about editorial style. They discuss whether to use the <a href=\"https://www.apstylebook.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Associated Press Style</a> or the<a href=\"http://afterdeadline.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/the-latest-style/?_r=0\" target=\"_blank\"> New York Times Style</a> or <a href=\"http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html\" target=\"_blank\">Chicago Manual</a>. There are probably four or five major published style guides that people follow. In journalism and by extension, public relations, most people adhere to the AP Style. In government circles, people tend to follow the <a href=\"http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008/pdf/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Government Printing Office (GPO) Style.  </a>(Here\'s a<a href=\"http://www.rollcall.com/news/meet_the_captain_of_congressional_grammar_punctuation_and_style-229389-1.html\" target=\"_blank\"> great article on Roll Call</a> about the chairman of the GOP Style Board.)\r\n\r\n<strong>There is one reason to have an editorial style: consistency.</strong>\r\n\r\nConsistency helps unify your writing. Let\'s use a common example. It\'s Chicago Manual style to write Web site (two words, web is capitalized always).  It\'s AP Style to write website (one word, lowercase).  <strong>Either way is correct</strong>. But if you use AP in one press release and then Chicago on a white paper, you are being inconsistent. Worse would be to use both styles in one document.\r\n\r\n<strong>Choose one style and stick with it.</strong>\r\n\r\nOrganizations should develop style guides editorial and branding/image purposes. These written documents (in this case, the oral tradition just won\'t do!) will help to make sure everyone in the organization is on the same page, bolstering organizational consistency.\r\n\r\nEditorial guides should cover issues like:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Word usage (website versus Web site; do you say Chairman, Chairperson or Chair?)</li>\r\n	<li>Punctuation (use em dashes or not?)</li>\r\n	<li>Preferred date and time usage (do you say April 24 or April 24th?, 6 PM or 6:00 p.m.?)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nBranding/image guides should clarify issues like:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Logo size and positioning</li>\r\n	<li>Organizational colors</li>\r\n	<li>Acceptable fonts</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nThere are a great many resources  on the web, and even templates to follow. Large organizations like the World Bank have style guides that you can download.\r\n\r\nIf you don\'t have an organizational style guide, this year-end may be a great time to develop one or make it a goal to develop one in 2014.\r\n\r\n[yop_poll id=\"3\"]','Why you need to have a style','','inherit','open','open','','2424-revision-v1','','','2013-12-04 12:23:42','2013-12-04 12:23:42','',2424,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/12/2424-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2428,4,'2013-12-05 13:16:21','2013-12-05 13:16:21','When writers talk about style they are rarely talking about fashion. They are talking about editorial style. They discuss whether to use the <a href=\"https://www.apstylebook.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Associated Press Style</a> or the<a href=\"http://afterdeadline.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/the-latest-style/?_r=0\" target=\"_blank\"> New York Times Style</a> or <a href=\"http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html\" target=\"_blank\">Chicago Manual</a>. There are probably four or five major published style guides that people follow. In journalism and by extension, public relations, most people adhere to the AP Style. In government circles, people tend to follow the <a href=\"http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008/pdf/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Government Printing Office (GPO) Style.  </a>(Here\'s a<a href=\"http://www.rollcall.com/news/meet_the_captain_of_congressional_grammar_punctuation_and_style-229389-1.html\" target=\"_blank\"> great article on Roll Call</a> about the chairman of the GOP Style Board.)\r\n\r\n<strong>There is one reason to have an editorial style: consistency.</strong>\r\n\r\nConsistency helps unify your writing. Let\'s use a common example. It\'s Chicago Manual style to write Web site (two words, web is capitalized always).  It\'s AP Style to write website (one word, lowercase).  <strong>Either way is correct</strong>. But if you use AP in one press release and then Chicago on a white paper, you are being inconsistent. Worse would be to use both styles in one document.\r\n\r\n<strong>Choose one style and stick with it.</strong>\r\n\r\nOrganizations should develop style guides editorial and branding/image purposes. These written documents (in this case, the oral tradition just won\'t do!) will help to make sure everyone in the organization is on the same page, bolstering organizational consistency.\r\n\r\nEditorial guides should cover issues like:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Word usage (website versus Web site; do you say chairman, chairperson or chair?)</li>\r\n	<li>Punctuation (use em dashes or not?)</li>\r\n	<li>Preferred date and time usage (do you say April 24 or April 24th?, 6 PM or 6:00 p.m.?)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nBranding/image guides should clarify issues like:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Logo size and positioning</li>\r\n	<li>Organizational colors</li>\r\n	<li>Acceptable fonts</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nThere are a great many resources  on the web, and even templates to follow. Large organizations like the World Bank have style guides that you can download.\r\n\r\nIf you don\'t have an organizational style guide, this year-end may be a great time to develop one or make it a goal to develop one in 2014.\r\n\r\n[yop_poll id=\"3\"]','Why you need to have a style','','inherit','open','open','','2424-revision-v1','','','2013-12-05 13:16:21','2013-12-05 13:16:21','',2424,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/12/2424-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2431,4,'2013-12-09 15:38:41','2013-12-09 15:38:41','A few days ago, I got an email from a \"friend\" asking me to attend one of those sales parties masquerading as a wine and cheese with friends. This person has had no interaction with me in a couple of years. Why would she think I would be interested in helping her out and attending her \"party?\"\r\n\r\nHave you experienced this? Someone reaches out to you when she or he needs something from you. Not before and not after. This person doesn\'t understand how networking works.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"256\"]<a title=\"Girl Scout Friendship Circle, even brothers are invited. So awesome. #girlscouts #troop4591 by kimberly.kalil, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimberlykalil/8700733820/\"><img alt=\"Girl Scout Friendship Circle, even brothers are invited. So awesome. #girlscouts #troop4591\" src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8555/8700733820_a965cf4af2_n.jpg\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" /></a> Girl Scout Friendship Circly by Kimberly K on Flickr[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>\r\nBasically, there are three kinds of networking:\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Networking rarely or not at all.</strong> You have an incomplete LinkedIn profile (bonus points if it is missing a photograph), you have never posted anything on Twitter or even Facebook, and you rarely, if ever, attend networking events in person.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Networking only when you need something.</strong> You lost your job, and you had not been networking at all. Suddenly, you need connections. You start networking like crazy. Or, your kid is selling cookies for a fundraiser, so you hit up all your Facebook friends for support even though you never so much as like a post or wish anybody happy birthday. (Or, like my \"friend\" above, you need to make some extra money for the holidays.)\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Networking all the time.</strong> You are conscious about keeping up with people. You actively attend events and maybe even participate in planning them. You are active in social media, and post updates to LinkedIn frequently (but not with annoying frequency). You Tweet and you connect via Facebook. You share stuff your connections post.\r\n\r\n<strong>Guess which one works the best...yes, that would be number 3,  always networking.</strong>\r\n\r\nNetworks are about relationships and relationships take time and nurturing. The only way to build a strong network is to invest time and effort. Whether you do it in person or on social media, you have to devote energy to it.\r\n\r\nIf you don\'t build relationships at all, well then you don\'t have any. If you haven\'t nurtured your relationships, why do you expect those people to help you?\r\n\r\n<strong>The lesson here is simple. Nurture your network before you need it. Don\'t abandon it, ever.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','3 kinds of networking and only 1 works','','publish','open','open','','3-kinds-of-networking-and-only-1-works','','','2013-12-09 15:38:41','2013-12-09 15:38:41','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2431',0,'post','',4),
(2432,4,'2013-12-09 15:38:41','2013-12-09 15:38:41','A few days ago, I got an email from a \"friend\" asking me to attend one of those sales parties masquerading as a wine and cheese with friends. This person has had no interaction with me in a couple of years. Why would she think I would be interested in helping her out and attending her \"party?\"\r\n\r\nHave you experienced this? Someone reaches out to you when she or he needs something from you. Not before and not after. This person doesn\'t understand how networking works.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"256\"]<a title=\"Girl Scout Friendship Circle, even brothers are invited. So awesome. #girlscouts #troop4591 by kimberly.kalil, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimberlykalil/8700733820/\"><img alt=\"Girl Scout Friendship Circle, even brothers are invited. So awesome. #girlscouts #troop4591\" src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8555/8700733820_a965cf4af2_n.jpg\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" /></a> Girl Scout Friendship Circly by Kimberly K on Flickr[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>\r\nBasically, there are three kinds of networking:\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Networking rarely or not at all.</strong> You have an incomplete LinkedIn profile (bonus points if it is missing a photograph), you have never posted anything on Twitter or even Facebook, and you rarely, if ever, attend networking events in person.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Networking only when you need something.</strong> You lost your job, and you had not been networking at all. Suddenly, you need connections. You start networking like crazy. Or, your kid is selling cookies for a fundraiser, so you hit up all your Facebook friends for support even though you never so much as like a post or wish anybody happy birthday. (Or, like my \"friend\" above, you need to make some extra money for the holidays.)\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Networking all the time.</strong> You are conscious about keeping up with people. You actively attend events and maybe even participate in planning them. You are active in social media, and post updates to LinkedIn frequently (but not with annoying frequency). You Tweet and you connect via Facebook. You share stuff your connections post.\r\n\r\n<strong>Guess which one works the best...yes, that would be number 3,  always networking.</strong>\r\n\r\nNetworks are about relationships and relationships take time and nurturing. The only way to build a strong network is to invest time and effort. Whether you do it in person or on social media, you have to devote energy to it.\r\n\r\nIf you don\'t build relationships at all, well then you don\'t have any. If you haven\'t nurtured your relationships, why do you expect those people to help you?\r\n\r\n<strong>The lesson here is simple. Nurture your network before you need it. Don\'t abandon it, ever.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','3 kinds of networking and only 1 works','','inherit','open','open','','2431-revision-v1','','','2013-12-09 15:38:41','2013-12-09 15:38:41','',2431,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/12/2431-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2433,4,'2013-12-09 15:39:46','2013-12-09 15:39:46','A few days ago, I got an email from a \"friend\" asking me to attend one of those sales parties masquerading as a wine and cheese with friends. This person has had no interaction with me in a couple of years. Why would she think I would be interested in helping her out and attending her \"party?\"\n\nHave you experienced this? Someone reaches out to you when she or he needs something from you. Not before and not after. This person doesn\'t understand how networking works.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"256\"]<a title=\"Girl Scout Friendship Circle, even brothers are invited. So awesome. #girlscouts #troop4591 by kimberly.kalil, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimberlykalil/8700733820/\"><img alt=\"Girl Scout Friendship Circle, even brothers are invited. So awesome. #girlscouts #troop4591\" src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8555/8700733820_a965cf4af2_n.jpg\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" /></a> Girl Scout Friendship Circly by Kimberly K on Flickr[/caption]\n\nBasically, there are three kinds of networking:\n\n<strong>1. Networking rarely or not at all.</strong> You have an incomplete LinkedIn profile (bonus points if it is missing a photograph), you have never posted anything on Twitter or even Facebook, and you rarely, if ever, attend networking events in person.\n\n<strong>2. Networking only when you need something.</strong> You lost your job, and you had not been networking at all. Suddenly, you need connections. You start networking like crazy. Or, your kid is selling cookies for a fundraiser, so you hit up all your Facebook friends for support even though you never so much as like a post or wish anybody happy birthday. (Or, like my \"friend\" above, you need to make some extra money for the holidays.)\n\n<strong>3. Networking all the time.</strong> You are conscious about keeping up with people. You actively attend events and maybe even participate in planning them. You are active in social media, and post updates to LinkedIn frequently (but not with annoying frequency). You Tweet and you connect via Facebook. You share stuff your connections post.\n\n<strong>Guess which one works the best...yes, that would be number 3,  always networking.</strong>\n\nNetworks are about relationships and relationships take time and nurturing. The only way to build a strong network is to invest time and effort. Whether you do it in person or on social media, you have to devote energy to it.\n\nIf you don\'t build relationships at all, well then you don\'t have any. If you haven\'t nurtured your relationships, why do you expect those people to help you?\n\n<strong>The lesson here is simple. Nurture your network before you need it. Don\'t abandon it, ever.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;','3 kinds of networking and only 1 works','','inherit','open','open','','2431-autosave-v1','','','2013-12-09 15:39:46','2013-12-09 15:39:46','',2431,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/12/2431-autosave-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2435,4,'2013-12-13 13:10:08','2013-12-13 13:10:08','We\'ve all met people who are desperately trying to make sure everybody knows how smart or how powerful or how well-connected they are. These people do things like sweep into a room and speak very loudly, making sure they become the center of attention. They may also love to name-drop. And sometimes they think that by using sentences packed with big words and jargon, you will be mesmerized into thinking they really know what they are talking about.\r\n\r\nBut the opposite always happens. The harder people try to impress you, the more you tend to see through them. Same thing happens with your written communications--blogs, websites, letters, whatever. If you try to impress, especially by filling your writing with jargon and big words, the less you are communicating.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"320\"]<a title=\"Merry Go Round by Mike Rawlins, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikerawlins/2223889360/\"><img alt=\"Merry Go Round\" src=\"http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2406/2223889360_da65cf100b_n.jpg\" width=\"320\" height=\"213\" /></a> Merry Go Round by Mike Rawlins on Flickr.[/caption]\r\n\r\nAs Mack Collier wrote in his blog post, <a href=\"http://www.mackcollier.com/you-dont-look-smarter-by-making-other-people-feel-stupid/\">\"You Don\'t Look Smarter by Making Others Feel Stupid.\":</a>\r\n<blockquote>Make your ideas more accessible and empower your audience to learn at a pace that’s comfortable to them.  Remember that if your words make the reader feel dumb then the reader might decide that you’re not an ‘expert’ after all</blockquote>\r\nSo, if you think that throwing big words around will result in you looking smarter, you are dead wrong. (P.S.:  I LOVE that quote from Albert Einstein: \"If you can\'t explain it simply, you don\'t understand it well enough.\")\r\n\r\nIt reminds me of a time when I was visiting a friend in Florida. She had a little baby at the the time, and she had another friend visiting who also had a baby with her. Both women were in the pool and both babies were naked. They asked if I wanted to get in. I said I really did not want to be swimming in baby pee. The friend looked at me and said that baby pee was sterile, and that I needn\'t be concerned. She added she knew this because she was a physician. Yes, she called herself a physician.  To which I promptly replied: \"Oh you\'re a doctor. What is your specialty?\" (I think she was a dermatologist, but I don\'t remember.) I couldn\'t get over that she thought calling herself a physician somehow made her more authoritative.\r\n\r\nIn everyday conversation we visit our doctors and have our lawyers--not our attorneys--draw up contracts. When someone asks us where we live, we don\'t say we \"reside\" in a certain neighborhood. If someone asks why we are taking night classes, we usually say we are trying to learn more about the topic, not \"augmenting our knowledge base.\" If we get a new gadget, we tell people how much it has changed our lives, not \"it is a disruptive technology.\"\r\n\r\n<strong>So, next time you want to appear like you know what you are talking about, get off your high horse and use the words most people would actually use in conversation.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Get off your high horse (if you really want to communicate)','','inherit','open','open','','2434-revision-v1','','','2013-12-13 13:10:08','2013-12-13 13:10:08','',2434,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/12/2434-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2436,4,'2013-12-16 23:58:14','2013-12-16 23:58:14','I have been a loyal <em>60 Minutes</em> viewer for years. Every Sunday night at 7:00 p.m. you\'ll find me watching CBS (unless of course there is a football game...).\r\n\r\nThis season, I barely recognize the program that I used to love. First, there was a bizarre disjointed piece ostensibly about humpback whales but I was unclear on the point. Then there was an infomercial for Lamborghini, where Scott Pelley pretty much used <em>60 Minutes</em> in order to test drive the world\'s most expensive car.\r\n\r\nA couple of weeks ago, we learned how Amazon will be using drones to deliver packages (maybe), and in the process the Internet behemoth got lots and lots and lots of publicity.\r\n\r\nThen, there\'s the political stuff. Lara Logan based her reporting on an unvetted and unreliable source to excoriate the Obama administration\'s response in Benghazi. She has since been \"disciplined.\" And last night there was a fluff piece on the NSA. CBS promoted the NSA piece as the first time journalists have ever been let into the secretive agency. In fact, the \"journalist\" in question was John Miller, a former intelligence guy.\r\n\r\nGiven the controversy surrounding the NSA and its tactics in light of Edward Snowden\'s revelations, you\'d think <em>60 Minutes</em> would want to  try to find out what is actually going on. Instead, Miller barely questioned Keith Alexander (the head of the NSA). He actually fed him lines, to the effect of \"so, you don\'t actually listen to people\'s conversations.\" There was no counterpoint to Alexander\'s assertions. No push back. No interviews with people opposed to NSA tactics. Miller seemed to agree with everything Alexander said. Both men thought it was \"weird\" that Snowden would cover himself and his computer screen when working on it at night. He probably was aware that he was being spied on by the NSA! Esquire has a great piece on it, worth a read:<a href=\"http://www.esquire.com/blogs/news/nsa-60-minutes-report?src=spr_TWITTER&amp;spr_id=1456_35507628\" target=\"_blank\"> 60 Minutes Weird NSA Propaganda Wasn\'t Even Good Propaganda.</a>\r\n\r\nIn my opinion, <em>60 Minutes</em> has failed its brand promise, that is, to provide tough investigative journalism or original reporting on interesting subjects (in fairness, Bob Simon\'s piece last night about Egypt\'s Copts was good).  Will <em>60 Minutes</em> be able to recover? If it continues on this editorial trajectory it will not. There was a lot of angry and dissatisfied chatter on Twitter about the NSA story. And there has been pushback on the Benghazi report and the Amazon piece too.\r\n\r\nNews organizations depend on trust. If you don\'t trust them, there is little point to what they are doing. You would never pick up a tabloid and believe everything you read there. You know its gossip and its meant to entertain. But when you watch <em>60 Minutes</em>, you expect well researched stories. Well, maybe not any more.\r\n\r\nThoughts?\r\n\r\n<strong>UPDATE:</strong>\r\n\r\nThe New York Times Media Equation column has an excellent look into this:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/23/business/media/when-60-minutes-checks-its-journalistic-skepticism-at-the-door.html?smid=pl-share\" target=\"_blank\">\"When 60 Minutes Checks Its Journalistic Skepticism at the Door.\"</a>','Can the 60 Minutes brand recover?','','publish','open','open','','can-the-60-minutes-brand-recover','','','2013-12-23 12:21:50','2013-12-23 12:21:50','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2436',0,'post','',0),
(2437,4,'2013-12-16 23:58:14','2013-12-16 23:58:14','I have been a loyal <em>60 Minutes</em> viewer for years. Every Sunday night at 7:00 p.m. you\'ll find me watching CBS (unless of course there is a football game...).\r\n\r\nThis season, I barely recognize the program that I used to love. First, there was a bizarre disjointed piece ostensibly about humpback whales but I was unclear on the point. Then there was an infomercial for Lamborghini, where Scott Pelley pretty much used 60 Minutes in order to test drive the world\'s most expensive car.\r\n\r\nA couple of weeks ago, we learned how Amazon will be using drones to deliver packages (maybe), and in the process the Internet behemoth got lots and lots and lots of publicity.\r\n\r\nThen, there\'s the political stuff. Lara Logan used an unvetted source to excoriate the Obama administration\'s response in Benghazi. She has since been \"disciplined.\" And last night there was a fluff piece on the NSA. CBS promoted the NSA piece as the first time journalists have ever been let into the secretive agency. In fact, the \"journalist\" in question was John Miller, a former intelligence guy.\r\n\r\nGiven the controversy surrounding the NSA and its tactics in light of Edward Snowden\'s revelations, you\'d think 60 Minutes would want to  try to find out what is actually going on. Instead, Miller barely questioned Keith Alexander (the head of the NSA). He actually fed him lines, to the effect of \"so, you don\'t actually listen to people\'s conversations.\" There was no counterpoint to Alexander\'s assertions. No push back. No interviews with people opposed to NSA tactics. Miller seemed to agree with everything Alexander said. Both men thought it was \"weird\" that Snowden would cover himself and his computer screen when working on it at night. He probably was aware that he was being spied on by the NSA! Esquire has a great piece on it, worth a read:<a href=\"http://www.esquire.com/blogs/news/nsa-60-minutes-report?src=spr_TWITTER&amp;spr_id=1456_35507628\" target=\"_blank\"> 60 Minutes Weird NSA Propaganda Wasn\'t Even Good Propaganda.</a>\r\n\r\nIn my opinion, <em>60 Minutes</em> has failed its brand promise, that is, to provide tough investigative journalism or original reporting on interesting subjects (in fairness, Bob Simon\'s piece last night about Egypt\'s Copts was good).  Will <em>60 Minutes</em> be able to recover? If it continues on this editorial trajectory it will not. There was a lot of angry and dissatisfied chatter on Twitter about the NSA story. And there has been pushback on the Benghazi report and the Amazon piece too.\r\n\r\nNews organizations depend on trust. If you don\'t trust them, there is little point to what they are doing. You would never pick up a tabloid and believe everything you read there. You know its gossip and its meant to entertain. But when you watch <em>60 Minutes</em>, you expect well researched stories. Well, maybe not any more.\r\n\r\nThoughts?','Can the 60 Minutes brand recover?','','inherit','open','open','','2436-revision-v1','','','2013-12-16 23:58:14','2013-12-16 23:58:14','',2436,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/12/2436-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2438,4,'2013-12-23 12:17:27','2013-12-23 12:17:27','I have been a loyal <em>60 Minutes</em> viewer for years. Every Sunday night at 7:00 p.m. you\'ll find me watching CBS (unless of course there is a football game...).\n\nThis season, I barely recognize the program that I used to love. First, there was a bizarre disjointed piece ostensibly about humpback whales but I was unclear on the point. Then there was an infomercial for Lamborghini, where Scott Pelley pretty much used <em>60 Minutes</em> in order to test drive the world\'s most expensive car.\n\nA couple of weeks ago, we learned how Amazon will be using drones to deliver packages (maybe), and in the process the Internet behemoth got lots and lots and lots of publicity.\n\nThen, there\'s the political stuff. Lara Logan based her reporting on an unvetted and unreliable source to excoriate the Obama administration\'s response in Benghazi. She has since been \"disciplined.\" And last night there was a fluff piece on the NSA. CBS promoted the NSA piece as the first time journalists have ever been let into the secretive agency. In fact, the \"journalist\" in question was John Miller, a former intelligence guy.\n\nGiven the controversy surrounding the NSA and its tactics in light of Edward Snowden\'s revelations, you\'d think <em>60 Minutes</em> would want to  try to find out what is actually going on. Instead, Miller barely questioned Keith Alexander (the head of the NSA). He actually fed him lines, to the effect of \"so, you don\'t actually listen to people\'s conversations.\" There was no counterpoint to Alexander\'s assertions. No push back. No interviews with people opposed to NSA tactics. Miller seemed to agree with everything Alexander said. Both men thought it was \"weird\" that Snowden would cover himself and his computer screen when working on it at night. He probably was aware that he was being spied on by the NSA! Esquire has a great piece on it, worth a read:<a href=\"http://www.esquire.com/blogs/news/nsa-60-minutes-report?src=spr_TWITTER&amp;spr_id=1456_35507628\" target=\"_blank\"> 60 Minutes Weird NSA Propaganda Wasn\'t Even Good Propaganda.</a>\n\nIn my opinion, <em>60 Minutes</em> has failed its brand promise, that is, to provide tough investigative journalism or original reporting on interesting subjects (in fairness, Bob Simon\'s piece last night about Egypt\'s Copts was good).  Will <em>60 Minutes</em> be able to recover? If it continues on this editorial trajectory it will not. There was a lot of angry and dissatisfied chatter on Twitter about the NSA story. And there has been pushback on the Benghazi report and the Amazon piece too.\n\nNews organizations depend on trust. If you don\'t trust them, there is little point to what they are doing. You would never pick up a tabloid and believe everything you read there. You know its gossip and its meant to entertain. But when you watch <em>60 Minutes</em>, you expect well researched stories. Well, maybe not any more.\n\nThoughts?\n\n<strong>UPDATE:</strong>\n\nThe New York Times Media Equation column has an excellent look into this:\n\n<a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/23/business/media/when-60-minutes-checks-its-journalistic-skepticism-at-the-door.html?smid=pl-share\" target=\"_blank\">\"When 60 Minutes Checks Its Journalistic Skepticism at the Door.\"</a>','Can the 60 Minutes brand recover?','','inherit','open','open','','2436-autosave-v1','','','2013-12-23 12:17:27','2013-12-23 12:17:27','',2436,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/12/2436-autosave-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2439,4,'2013-12-17 00:27:12','2013-12-17 00:27:12','I have been a loyal <em>60 Minutes</em> viewer for years. Every Sunday night at 7:00 p.m. you\'ll find me watching CBS (unless of course there is a football game...).\r\n\r\nThis season, I barely recognize the program that I used to love. First, there was a bizarre disjointed piece ostensibly about humpback whales but I was unclear on the point. Then there was an infomercial for Lamborghini, where Scott Pelley pretty much used <em>60 Minutes</em> in order to test drive the world\'s most expensive car.\r\n\r\nA couple of weeks ago, we learned how Amazon will be using drones to deliver packages (maybe), and in the process the Internet behemoth got lots and lots and lots of publicity.\r\n\r\nThen, there\'s the political stuff. Lara Logan based her reporting on an unvetted and unreliable source to excoriate the Obama administration\'s response in Benghazi. She has since been \"disciplined.\" And last night there was a fluff piece on the NSA. CBS promoted the NSA piece as the first time journalists have ever been let into the secretive agency. In fact, the \"journalist\" in question was John Miller, a former intelligence guy.\r\n\r\nGiven the controversy surrounding the NSA and its tactics in light of Edward Snowden\'s revelations, you\'d think <em>60 Minutes</em> would want to  try to find out what is actually going on. Instead, Miller barely questioned Keith Alexander (the head of the NSA). He actually fed him lines, to the effect of \"so, you don\'t actually listen to people\'s conversations.\" There was no counterpoint to Alexander\'s assertions. No push back. No interviews with people opposed to NSA tactics. Miller seemed to agree with everything Alexander said. Both men thought it was \"weird\" that Snowden would cover himself and his computer screen when working on it at night. He probably was aware that he was being spied on by the NSA! Esquire has a great piece on it, worth a read:<a href=\"http://www.esquire.com/blogs/news/nsa-60-minutes-report?src=spr_TWITTER&amp;spr_id=1456_35507628\" target=\"_blank\"> 60 Minutes Weird NSA Propaganda Wasn\'t Even Good Propaganda.</a>\r\n\r\nIn my opinion, <em>60 Minutes</em> has failed its brand promise, that is, to provide tough investigative journalism or original reporting on interesting subjects (in fairness, Bob Simon\'s piece last night about Egypt\'s Copts was good).  Will <em>60 Minutes</em> be able to recover? If it continues on this editorial trajectory it will not. There was a lot of angry and dissatisfied chatter on Twitter about the NSA story. And there has been pushback on the Benghazi report and the Amazon piece too.\r\n\r\nNews organizations depend on trust. If you don\'t trust them, there is little point to what they are doing. You would never pick up a tabloid and believe everything you read there. You know its gossip and its meant to entertain. But when you watch <em>60 Minutes</em>, you expect well researched stories. Well, maybe not any more.\r\n\r\nThoughts?','Can the 60 Minutes brand recover?','','inherit','open','open','','2436-revision-v1','','','2013-12-17 00:27:12','2013-12-17 00:27:12','',2436,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/12/2436-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2442,4,'2013-12-19 12:23:45','2013-12-19 12:23:45','Just a quick post this morning.\r\n\r\nMy schedule has been really tight lately and it\'s been hard to find time to go to the gym. So I decided to buy an exercise video to get a quick workout at home. This morning I popped what purported to be a dance plus cardio \"complete\" workout in 30 minutes. OK. The presenter, a \"celebrity trainer,\" says she can\'t teach us non-dancers to dance in a video, but that we should at least be burning calories. Fine. After her two minute\" intro,\" she gets right into it. No explanation, no instruction, nothing. After a few minutes of trying to follow what she is doing--again, with no cues--I gave up. So much for my idea of working out at home.\r\n\r\nWhat\'s the communication lesson to learn from this exercise video #fail? Well there\'s two:\r\n\r\n1. Don\'t assume that people understand you (especially if you are basing it on your presumed celebrity). Provide instructions.\r\n\r\n2. Don\'t fly in the face of convention, especially if it is really not necessary. Conventions are there for a reason. People expect certain things, and during exercise instruction, I expect....instruction. Just like in every exercise video and show I have ever watched, and certainly every exercise class I have taken, the instructor GIVES INSTRUCTIONS. The instructor cues the next move. The instructor counts the reps.\r\n\r\nThe bottom line is that when we are trying to teach anybody or present new information, we have to work at explaining it so people will get it.  We can\'t assume people will just get it. We can\'t assume people will just follow.\r\n\r\nNow, the question is, can I get my money back?','I can\'t follow you and that is a problem.','','publish','open','open','','i-cant-follow-you-and-that-is-a-problem','','','2013-12-19 13:06:39','2013-12-19 13:06:39','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2442',0,'post','',0),
(2443,4,'2013-12-19 12:23:45','2013-12-19 12:23:45','Just a quick post this morning.\r\n\r\nMy schedule has been really tight lately and it\'s been hard to find time to go to the gym. So I decided to buy an exercise video to get a quick workout at home. This morning I popped what purported to be a dance plus cardio \"complete\" workout in 30 minutes. OK. The presenter, a \"celebrity trainer,\" says she can\'t teach us non-dancers to dance in a video, but that we should at least be burning calories. Fine. After her two minute\" intro,\" she gets right into it. No explanation, no instruction, nothing. After a few minutes of trying to follow what she is doing--again, with no cues--I gave up. So much for my idea of working out at home.\r\n\r\nWhat\'s the communication lesson to learn from this exercise video #fail? Well there\'s two:\r\n\r\n1. Don\'t assume that people understand you (especially if you are basing it on your presumed celebrity). Provide instructions.\r\n\r\n2. Don\'t fly in the face of convention, especially if it is really not necessary. Conventions are there for a reason. People expect certain things, and during exercise instruction, I expect....instruction. Just like in every exercise video and show I have ever watched, and certainly every exercise class I have taken, the instructor GIVES INSTRUCTIONS. The instructor cues the next move. The instructor counts the reps.\r\n\r\nThe bottom line is that when we are trying to teach anybody or present new information, we have to work at explaining it so people will get it.  We can\'t assume people will just get it. We can\'t assume people will just follow.\r\n\r\nNow, the question is, can I get my money back?','I can\'t follow you and that is a problem.','','inherit','open','open','','2442-revision-v1','','','2013-12-19 12:23:45','2013-12-19 12:23:45','',2442,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/12/2442-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2471,4,'2014-01-28 13:22:06','2014-01-28 13:22:06','We are in our third straight week of sub-freezing weather here in Washington. The Potomac is frozen and so are some people\'s brains apparently. I am talking about the fashion victims. There are two major categories:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Stuck in the past</li>\r\n	<li>Too cool for school</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nThose that are <strong>stuck in the past</strong> unpack their winter coats from the time machine closet. Take for example a lady I saw on the Metro the other day. She was sporting an oversize circa 1980 LL Bean barn jacket. I didn\'t see her shoes, but I would not have been surprised to see some Bean duck boots on them. That, in conjunction with her mullet hair cut (I am totally not making this up), made me stare in amazement. I kept thinking that this woman was desperately ready for some new clothes, and a makeover.\r\n\r\nDon\'t be that fashion victim! Know when to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">refresh your image.</span> Perhaps you need a new website. Perhaps your logo colors could change. Or that Times New Roman you have been using in your print materials could be upgraded for something a bit more modern.\r\n\r\nYou know some people are totally <strong>too cool</strong> when they go out in subfreezing weather with no socks on. Apparently (and since I am not so cool) wearing socks is never fashionable, even when there is a wind chill factor of -15 and snow on the ground. I most often see young women fashion victims. They are wrapped up in their not so warm coat, no hat (that apparently is also not cool) and walking around in ballet slipper shoes with no hosiery of any type. I did also see a skinny-jean wearing dude with boat shoes and no socks...in January in Washington DC.\r\n\r\nDon\'t be so fashionable that you can\'t dress appropriately for the weather. Or in communications, don\'t do things because everybody else is doing it or because it\'s so cool. Sure, all the home decor people are crazy about Pinterest, but perhaps your law office just doesn\'t have the visuals for it. Maybe orange is the new black, but your elderly audience needs heavy, large black type to read what you are saying.\r\n\r\nThe only one that gets hurt by being a fashion victim is you...\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Don\'t be a fashion victim...you will freeze!','','publish','open','open','','dont-be-a-fashion-victim','','','2014-01-30 15:39:46','2014-01-30 15:39:46','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2471',0,'post','',0),
(2468,4,'2014-01-21 15:28:27','2014-01-21 15:28:27','It\'s easy to lose customers and very hard to get them back. Once they are gone, chances are they won\'t be back.\r\n\r\nThe reality is that there are many people and companies doing what you do. There\'s always an alternative for customers who are unhappy for any reason. Too many companies seem to lose sight of this reality, and they do little to ensure that they keep the customers they have.\r\n\r\n<strong>Here\'s how my heat/AC contractor failed to retain my business:</strong>\r\n\r\nBack in November, my schedule changed and I was not going to be working out of my home office.  In December, I generally get a home heating inspection with my heat/AC contractor. It helps to make sure all parts are working properly and that my heat will continue through the winter. This company is a family-run place where I have been a customer for three years.\r\n\r\n<strong>Strike one</strong>: I got a reminder card from the company in late November. I called right away to schedule an appointment. They had no open slots until LATE December, one month away. Mind you, I had just gotten the card.\r\n\r\n<strong>Strike two:</strong> I explained to the scheduler that I would not be home because of my situation and that I was hoping for a Saturday appointment. It turns out this company does not do inspections on Saturdays, only emergency work. Then I asked for an early weekday appointment. Again, the scheduler could not accommodate me. She told me that she could not find a technician in my area that would be available for their first appointment at 8:00 a.m.\r\n\r\n<strong>Strike three:</strong> I informed the scheduler that I would be forced to switch companies if she didn\'t try to accommodate me because I did not want to have a heat inspection later than December (remember, they were already scheduling late late December). No response and no attempt to rectify the situation.\r\n\r\n<strong>And they are out:</strong> After some research, I called another highly rated heat/AC company that not only was scheduling earlier in December (meaning they have more technicians) but would also provide guaranteed 8:00 a.m. appointments. It cost $20 more per annual contract than my previous company, but the ease of scheduling was worth it to me. Oh, and guess what, the technician came before the scheduled time...\r\n\r\nMy first heat/AC contractor lost my business not because it wasn\'t good at it what id does but because it made no effort to accommodate me. They seemed to forget that there are other contractors out there.\r\n\r\nMost heat/AC contractors do not market actively. Many have websites and most work on their ratings on places like Angie\'s List, but they mostly depend on word of mouth. This is why working to RETAIN customers should be a large part of their business model.\r\n\r\n<strong>Customers that stay are a continuing source of income AND of referrals.</strong>\r\n\r\nAgain, the reality is that keeping customers should be job one:  Losing customers is easy and getting them back is difficult. No amount of marketing will bring back a customer that has found a better alternative.\r\n\r\nWhat are you doing to retain your customers or clients? I\'d like to find out what specific actions you are taking and I will be sharing those in a future blog post.','Why customer retention should be job one','','inherit','open','open','','2467-revision-v1','','','2014-01-21 15:28:27','2014-01-21 15:28:27','',2467,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/01/2467-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2447,4,'2013-12-23 12:21:50','2013-12-23 12:21:50','I have been a loyal <em>60 Minutes</em> viewer for years. Every Sunday night at 7:00 p.m. you\'ll find me watching CBS (unless of course there is a football game...).\r\n\r\nThis season, I barely recognize the program that I used to love. First, there was a bizarre disjointed piece ostensibly about humpback whales but I was unclear on the point. Then there was an infomercial for Lamborghini, where Scott Pelley pretty much used <em>60 Minutes</em> in order to test drive the world\'s most expensive car.\r\n\r\nA couple of weeks ago, we learned how Amazon will be using drones to deliver packages (maybe), and in the process the Internet behemoth got lots and lots and lots of publicity.\r\n\r\nThen, there\'s the political stuff. Lara Logan based her reporting on an unvetted and unreliable source to excoriate the Obama administration\'s response in Benghazi. She has since been \"disciplined.\" And last night there was a fluff piece on the NSA. CBS promoted the NSA piece as the first time journalists have ever been let into the secretive agency. In fact, the \"journalist\" in question was John Miller, a former intelligence guy.\r\n\r\nGiven the controversy surrounding the NSA and its tactics in light of Edward Snowden\'s revelations, you\'d think <em>60 Minutes</em> would want to  try to find out what is actually going on. Instead, Miller barely questioned Keith Alexander (the head of the NSA). He actually fed him lines, to the effect of \"so, you don\'t actually listen to people\'s conversations.\" There was no counterpoint to Alexander\'s assertions. No push back. No interviews with people opposed to NSA tactics. Miller seemed to agree with everything Alexander said. Both men thought it was \"weird\" that Snowden would cover himself and his computer screen when working on it at night. He probably was aware that he was being spied on by the NSA! Esquire has a great piece on it, worth a read:<a href=\"http://www.esquire.com/blogs/news/nsa-60-minutes-report?src=spr_TWITTER&amp;spr_id=1456_35507628\" target=\"_blank\"> 60 Minutes Weird NSA Propaganda Wasn\'t Even Good Propaganda.</a>\r\n\r\nIn my opinion, <em>60 Minutes</em> has failed its brand promise, that is, to provide tough investigative journalism or original reporting on interesting subjects (in fairness, Bob Simon\'s piece last night about Egypt\'s Copts was good).  Will <em>60 Minutes</em> be able to recover? If it continues on this editorial trajectory it will not. There was a lot of angry and dissatisfied chatter on Twitter about the NSA story. And there has been pushback on the Benghazi report and the Amazon piece too.\r\n\r\nNews organizations depend on trust. If you don\'t trust them, there is little point to what they are doing. You would never pick up a tabloid and believe everything you read there. You know its gossip and its meant to entertain. But when you watch <em>60 Minutes</em>, you expect well researched stories. Well, maybe not any more.\r\n\r\nThoughts?\r\n\r\n<strong>UPDATE:</strong>\r\n\r\nThe New York Times Media Equation column has an excellent look into this:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/23/business/media/when-60-minutes-checks-its-journalistic-skepticism-at-the-door.html?smid=pl-share\" target=\"_blank\">\"When 60 Minutes Checks Its Journalistic Skepticism at the Door.\"</a>','Can the 60 Minutes brand recover?','','inherit','open','open','','2436-revision-v1','','','2013-12-23 12:21:50','2013-12-23 12:21:50','',2436,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/12/2436-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2448,4,'2013-12-23 19:10:06','2013-12-23 19:10:06','We are constantly learning, and ideally, making changes based on what we learn.  During 2013, I learned from clients, from professional development events, from Twitter and life in general. Following are my five big communications lessons.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe src=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/24029425@N06/6197666963/in/photolist-arEEsX-2Fh39f-8vzCpv-7jLuTp-Kc3f3-Dwe1E-8DmmpP-8dHF7A-67bnFE-ccdHPw-gvAjDL-bap7yn-79piY7-acsSBF-bapaZt-bap5Se-bap5cn-6xyaNV-bap8Fk-bapai4-5SMQhw-bap6M2-5bPuaw-6xCkpE-5StRW5-84Kkib-84GdWF-58jTJF-58jTJR-2gbzY-aESLWv-aEWAzq-7h9P7H-93z1Bw-aEWAVG-a3bZbt-fhk7KR-8GimDU-tLF2c-7vccQr-ehEemC-dNNoJi-gDqx6R-EseF7-Eseuc-3jwxm-3dvDXG-391iK5-ek2FAr-9QmFc5-391i7d/player/\" height=\"234\" width=\"324\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"></iframe></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>1. Write down communications and marketing goals and prioritize them</strong>.</p>\r\nYou have to know what you want to accomplish in order to be able to do so. You also have to realize that you may not be able to reach every goal, which is why you need to prioritize those objectives. What is the most important thing that you want to accomplish in the new year? What would be nice to get done, but is not your top priority? If you don’t prioritize, you will run around like crazy trying to juggle conflicting actions.\r\n\r\nWhere this came from: I have seen too many people/organizations that have no clear vision of what is most important and therefore, try to accomplish too much with too few resources. This is especially true at nonprofits.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Strategy should decide tactics, not the other way around.</strong>\r\n\r\nDon’t confuse tactics with strategy. You shouldn’t let the allure of a certain tactic drive your communications. This is the \"shiny object syndrome.\" Just because Pinterest is hot, doesn\'t mean it is the right place for your organization. You must think “big picture.” What are your trying to accomplish and what is the best way to get there?\r\n\r\nWhere this came from: Many people and organizations get enamored with what others are doing, even if it doesn\'t fit in with their mission or goals. A tactic is just that--a way to achieve the larger picture goal or strategy. If you haven\'t defined the strategy, you can\'t define the best tactics.\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Consider usability, SEO and content strategy before creating or re-launching a website.</strong>\r\n\r\nSearch engine changes such as Google’s new Hummingbird algorithm have made having an organized, updated and useful website non-negotiable. Spending time planning a website, and considering all the stakeholders, will pay off.\r\n\r\nWhere this came from: Every year there are some changes afoot in \"web world.\" This year was definitely one for search engines, which in turn has put more onus on usability (UX) and content strategy. A website has to reflect the larger organization and can\'t be controlled by just one small group of people. Just because IT has always handled it, doesn\'t mean that it is a good idea.\r\n\r\n<strong>4. Communications presents the entire organization.</strong>\r\n\r\nThis year I consulted with an organization that thought the blog and website should be part of the publications department and other marketing communications should be handled by the corporate communications department. And those two departments didn\'t interact. That\'s a communications failure.\r\n\r\nWhy this is important: Too many organizations fail to think about how they are perceived by the public and where that public might be. You can\'t be doing all sorts of media relations work on one end, and have an intern doing social media and not discussing what you are trying to achieve for the organization. Anything the public has access to about your organization, be it social media, your blog, your latest brochure, a press release or an interview with your company president--it is all communications. It should be unified and it should have one overarching goal--present your organization\'s best face to the public.\r\n\r\n<strong>5. Don\'t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.</strong>\r\n\r\nJust because something is not perfect does not mean it is not good. Blog posts are a perfect case in point. You can\'t spend hours perfecting a post--that\'s counterproductive. Better to post and then fix, than have the inevitable \"paralysis by analysis.\"\r\n\r\nWhere this plays in: Some organizations can\'t move forward because they are afraid of making a mistake. So they cling to the old and fail to embrace change. Sometimes you won\'t know that something is not working until you launch it (I\'d say Healthcare.gov is a perfect case in point). It\'s easier to fix something than to start from zero.\r\n\r\n<strong>What did you take away from 2013? I\'d love to hear from you about the lessons you learned from clients or from within your organization.</strong>\r\n\r\nI\'ll be back next week with some marketing/communications resolutions. Until then, I wish you all a very happy holiday!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','5 big communications lessons from 2013','','publish','open','open','','5-big-communications-lessons-from-2013','','','2013-12-23 19:10:06','2013-12-23 19:10:06','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2448',0,'post','',0),
(2449,4,'2013-12-23 19:06:03','2013-12-23 19:06:03','We are constantly learning, and ideally, making changes based on what we learn.  During 2013, I learned from clients, from professional development events, from Twitter and life in general. Following are my five big communications lessons.\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/24029425@N06/6197666963/in/photolist-arEEsX-2Fh39f-8vzCpv-7jLuTp-Kc3f3-Dwe1E-8DmmpP-8dHF7A-67bnFE-ccdHPw-gvAjDL-bap7yn-79piY7-acsSBF-bapaZt-bap5Se-bap5cn-6xyaNV-bap8Fk-bapai4-5SMQhw-bap6M2-5bPuaw-6xCkpE-5StRW5-84Kkib-84GdWF-58jTJF-58jTJR-2gbzY-aESLWv-aEWAzq-7h9P7H-93z1Bw-aEWAVG-a3bZbt-fhk7KR-8GimDU-tLF2c-7vccQr-ehEemC-dNNoJi-gDqx6R-EseF7-Eseuc-3jwxm-3dvDXG-391iK5-ek2FAr-9QmFc5-391i7d/player/\" height=\"230\" width=\"320\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"></iframe>\r\n<strong>1. Write down communications and marketing goals and prioritize them</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou have to know what you want to accomplish in order to be able to do so. You also have to realize that you may not be able to reach every goal, which is why you need to prioritize those objectives. What is the most important thing that you want to accomplish in the new year? What would be nice to get done, but is not your top priority? If you don’t prioritize, you will run around like crazy trying to juggle conflicting actions.\r\n\r\nWhere this came from: I have seen too many people/organizations that have no clear vision of what is most important and therefore, try to accomplish too much with too few resources. This is especially true at nonprofits.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Strategy should decide tactics, not the other way around.</strong>\r\n\r\nDon’t confuse tactics with strategy. You shouldn’t let the allure of a certain tactic drive your communications. This is the \"shiny object syndrome.\" Just because Pinterest is hot, doesn\'t mean it is the right place for your organization. You must think “big picture.” What are your trying to accomplish and what is the best way to get there?\r\n\r\nWhere this came from: Many people and organizations get enamored with what others are doing, even if it doesn\'t fit in with their mission or goals. A tactic is just that--a way to achieve the larger picture goal or strategy. If you haven\'t defined the strategy, you can\'t define the best tactics.\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Consider usability, SEO and content strategy before creating or re-launching a website.</strong>\r\n\r\nSearch engine changes such as Google’s new Hummingbird algorithm have made having an organized, updated and useful website non-negotiable. Spending time planning a website, and considering all the stakeholders, will pay off.\r\n\r\nWhere this came from: Every year there are some changes afoot in \"web world.\" This year was definitely one for search engines, which in turn has put more onus on usability (UX) and content strategy. A website has to reflect the larger organization and can\'t be controlled by just one small group of people. Just because IT has always handled it, doesn\'t mean that it is a good idea.\r\n\r\n<strong>4. Communications presents the entire organization.</strong>\r\n\r\nThis year I consulted with an organization that thought the blog and website should be part of the publications department and other marketing communications should be handled by the corporate communications department. And those two departments didn\'t interact. That\'s a communications failure.\r\n\r\nWhy this is important: Too many organizations fail to think about how they are perceived by the public and where that public might be. You can\'t be doing all sorts of media relations work on one end, and have an intern doing social media and not discussing what you are trying to achieve for the organization. Anything the public has access to about your organization, be it social media, your blog, your latest brochure, a press release or an interview with your company president--it is all communications. It should be unified and it should have one overarching goal--present your organization\'s best face to the public.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>5. Don\'t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.</strong>\r\n\r\nJust because something is not perfect does not mean it is not good. Blog posts are a perfect case in point. You can\'t spend hours perfecting a post--that\'s counterproductive. Better to post and then fix, than have the inevitable \"paralysis by analysis.\"\r\n\r\nWhere this plays in: Some organizations can\'t move forward because they are afraid of making a mistake. So they cling to the old and fail to embrace change. Sometimes you won\'t know that something is not working until you launch it (I\'d say Healthcare.gov is a perfect case in point). It\'s easier to fix something than to start from zero.\r\n\r\nWhat did you take away from 2013? I\'d love to hear from you about the lessons you learned from clients or from within your organization.\r\n\r\nI\'ll be back next week with some marketing/communications resolutions. Until then, I wish you all a very happy holiday!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','5 big communications lessons from 2013','','inherit','open','open','','2448-revision-v1','','','2013-12-23 19:06:03','2013-12-23 19:06:03','',2448,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/12/2448-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2450,4,'2013-12-23 19:09:05','2013-12-23 19:09:05','We are constantly learning, and ideally, making changes based on what we learn.  During 2013, I learned from clients, from professional development events, from Twitter and life in general. Following are my five big communications lessons.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe src=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/24029425@N06/6197666963/in/photolist-arEEsX-2Fh39f-8vzCpv-7jLuTp-Kc3f3-Dwe1E-8DmmpP-8dHF7A-67bnFE-ccdHPw-gvAjDL-bap7yn-79piY7-acsSBF-bapaZt-bap5Se-bap5cn-6xyaNV-bap8Fk-bapai4-5SMQhw-bap6M2-5bPuaw-6xCkpE-5StRW5-84Kkib-84GdWF-58jTJF-58jTJR-2gbzY-aESLWv-aEWAzq-7h9P7H-93z1Bw-aEWAVG-a3bZbt-fhk7KR-8GimDU-tLF2c-7vccQr-ehEemC-dNNoJi-gDqx6R-EseF7-Eseuc-3jwxm-3dvDXG-391iK5-ek2FAr-9QmFc5-391i7d/player/\" height=\"234\" width=\"324\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"></iframe></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>1. Write down communications and marketing goals and prioritize them</strong>.</p>\r\nYou have to know what you want to accomplish in order to be able to do so. You also have to realize that you may not be able to reach every goal, which is why you need to prioritize those objectives. What is the most important thing that you want to accomplish in the new year? What would be nice to get done, but is not your top priority? If you don’t prioritize, you will run around like crazy trying to juggle conflicting actions.\r\n\r\nWhere this came from: I have seen too many people/organizations that have no clear vision of what is most important and therefore, try to accomplish too much with too few resources. This is especially true at nonprofits.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Strategy should decide tactics, not the other way around.</strong>\r\n\r\nDon’t confuse tactics with strategy. You shouldn’t let the allure of a certain tactic drive your communications. This is the \"shiny object syndrome.\" Just because Pinterest is hot, doesn\'t mean it is the right place for your organization. You must think “big picture.” What are your trying to accomplish and what is the best way to get there?\r\n\r\nWhere this came from: Many people and organizations get enamored with what others are doing, even if it doesn\'t fit in with their mission or goals. A tactic is just that--a way to achieve the larger picture goal or strategy. If you haven\'t defined the strategy, you can\'t define the best tactics.\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Consider usability, SEO and content strategy before creating or re-launching a website.</strong>\r\n\r\nSearch engine changes such as Google’s new Hummingbird algorithm have made having an organized, updated and useful website non-negotiable. Spending time planning a website, and considering all the stakeholders, will pay off.\r\n\r\nWhere this came from: Every year there are some changes afoot in \"web world.\" This year was definitely one for search engines, which in turn has put more onus on usability (UX) and content strategy. A website has to reflect the larger organization and can\'t be controlled by just one small group of people. Just because IT has always handled it, doesn\'t mean that it is a good idea.\r\n\r\n<strong>4. Communications presents the entire organization.</strong>\r\n\r\nThis year I consulted with an organization that thought the blog and website should be part of the publications department and other marketing communications should be handled by the corporate communications department. And those two departments didn\'t interact. That\'s a communications failure.\r\n\r\nWhy this is important: Too many organizations fail to think about how they are perceived by the public and where that public might be. You can\'t be doing all sorts of media relations work on one end, and have an intern doing social media and not discussing what you are trying to achieve for the organization. Anything the public has access to about your organization, be it social media, your blog, your latest brochure, a press release or an interview with your company president--it is all communications. It should be unified and it should have one overarching goal--present your organization\'s best face to the public.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>5. Don\'t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.</strong>\r\n\r\nJust because something is not perfect does not mean it is not good. Blog posts are a perfect case in point. You can\'t spend hours perfecting a post--that\'s counterproductive. Better to post and then fix, than have the inevitable \"paralysis by analysis.\"\r\n\r\nWhere this plays in: Some organizations can\'t move forward because they are afraid of making a mistake. So they cling to the old and fail to embrace change. Sometimes you won\'t know that something is not working until you launch it (I\'d say Healthcare.gov is a perfect case in point). It\'s easier to fix something than to start from zero.\r\n\r\nWhat did you take away from 2013? I\'d love to hear from you about the lessons you learned from clients or from within your organization.\r\n\r\nI\'ll be back next week with some marketing/communications resolutions. Until then, I wish you all a very happy holiday!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','5 big communications lessons from 2013','','inherit','open','open','','2448-revision-v1','','','2013-12-23 19:09:05','2013-12-23 19:09:05','',2448,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/12/2448-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2451,4,'2013-12-23 19:10:06','2013-12-23 19:10:06','We are constantly learning, and ideally, making changes based on what we learn.  During 2013, I learned from clients, from professional development events, from Twitter and life in general. Following are my five big communications lessons.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe src=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/24029425@N06/6197666963/in/photolist-arEEsX-2Fh39f-8vzCpv-7jLuTp-Kc3f3-Dwe1E-8DmmpP-8dHF7A-67bnFE-ccdHPw-gvAjDL-bap7yn-79piY7-acsSBF-bapaZt-bap5Se-bap5cn-6xyaNV-bap8Fk-bapai4-5SMQhw-bap6M2-5bPuaw-6xCkpE-5StRW5-84Kkib-84GdWF-58jTJF-58jTJR-2gbzY-aESLWv-aEWAzq-7h9P7H-93z1Bw-aEWAVG-a3bZbt-fhk7KR-8GimDU-tLF2c-7vccQr-ehEemC-dNNoJi-gDqx6R-EseF7-Eseuc-3jwxm-3dvDXG-391iK5-ek2FAr-9QmFc5-391i7d/player/\" height=\"234\" width=\"324\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"></iframe></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>1. Write down communications and marketing goals and prioritize them</strong>.</p>\r\nYou have to know what you want to accomplish in order to be able to do so. You also have to realize that you may not be able to reach every goal, which is why you need to prioritize those objectives. What is the most important thing that you want to accomplish in the new year? What would be nice to get done, but is not your top priority? If you don’t prioritize, you will run around like crazy trying to juggle conflicting actions.\r\n\r\nWhere this came from: I have seen too many people/organizations that have no clear vision of what is most important and therefore, try to accomplish too much with too few resources. This is especially true at nonprofits.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Strategy should decide tactics, not the other way around.</strong>\r\n\r\nDon’t confuse tactics with strategy. You shouldn’t let the allure of a certain tactic drive your communications. This is the \"shiny object syndrome.\" Just because Pinterest is hot, doesn\'t mean it is the right place for your organization. You must think “big picture.” What are your trying to accomplish and what is the best way to get there?\r\n\r\nWhere this came from: Many people and organizations get enamored with what others are doing, even if it doesn\'t fit in with their mission or goals. A tactic is just that--a way to achieve the larger picture goal or strategy. If you haven\'t defined the strategy, you can\'t define the best tactics.\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Consider usability, SEO and content strategy before creating or re-launching a website.</strong>\r\n\r\nSearch engine changes such as Google’s new Hummingbird algorithm have made having an organized, updated and useful website non-negotiable. Spending time planning a website, and considering all the stakeholders, will pay off.\r\n\r\nWhere this came from: Every year there are some changes afoot in \"web world.\" This year was definitely one for search engines, which in turn has put more onus on usability (UX) and content strategy. A website has to reflect the larger organization and can\'t be controlled by just one small group of people. Just because IT has always handled it, doesn\'t mean that it is a good idea.\r\n\r\n<strong>4. Communications presents the entire organization.</strong>\r\n\r\nThis year I consulted with an organization that thought the blog and website should be part of the publications department and other marketing communications should be handled by the corporate communications department. And those two departments didn\'t interact. That\'s a communications failure.\r\n\r\nWhy this is important: Too many organizations fail to think about how they are perceived by the public and where that public might be. You can\'t be doing all sorts of media relations work on one end, and have an intern doing social media and not discussing what you are trying to achieve for the organization. Anything the public has access to about your organization, be it social media, your blog, your latest brochure, a press release or an interview with your company president--it is all communications. It should be unified and it should have one overarching goal--present your organization\'s best face to the public.\r\n\r\n<strong>5. Don\'t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.</strong>\r\n\r\nJust because something is not perfect does not mean it is not good. Blog posts are a perfect case in point. You can\'t spend hours perfecting a post--that\'s counterproductive. Better to post and then fix, than have the inevitable \"paralysis by analysis.\"\r\n\r\nWhere this plays in: Some organizations can\'t move forward because they are afraid of making a mistake. So they cling to the old and fail to embrace change. Sometimes you won\'t know that something is not working until you launch it (I\'d say Healthcare.gov is a perfect case in point). It\'s easier to fix something than to start from zero.\r\n\r\n<strong>What did you take away from 2013? I\'d love to hear from you about the lessons you learned from clients or from within your organization.</strong>\r\n\r\nI\'ll be back next week with some marketing/communications resolutions. Until then, I wish you all a very happy holiday!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','5 big communications lessons from 2013','','inherit','open','open','','2448-revision-v1','','','2013-12-23 19:10:06','2013-12-23 19:10:06','',2448,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/12/2448-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2454,4,'2014-01-05 21:38:19','2014-01-05 21:38:19','This is not a post about religion or morality. It\'s a post about how to get things done.\r\n\r\nI am sure you know the expression \"the road to hell is paved with good intentions.\"  What that means, quite simply, is that having a good intentions is not enough to keep you from perdition. You have to act. You have to behave differently, not just think about it.\r\n\r\nThis is the time of the year we are busy setting resolutions and goals for the year ahead. I think this is a great exercise. Certainly, if we take a good look at what we did in 2013, we can see what worked and what didn\'t. We can decide to change course or stay the course, depending on how things worked out.\r\n\r\nBut to accomplish our resolutions and goals, having the intent to do so is not enough. You need a plan of action.\r\n\r\nI have a friend who has the best of intentions to get together and do a \"girl\'s night out.\" I know she has the intent because she tells me we need to do this every single time we have a phone conversation. But she never actually sets aside the time and chooses a date for this mythical get-together. Without an actual plan to go out, it is all just talk. It is meaningless.It ain\'t gonna happen.\r\n\r\nThe same thing happens with your communications goals. You want to blog but you \"don\'t have the time.\" You want to increase your enewsletter subscriptions, but you don\'t add a subscription button to your website or think about how to incentivize people to sign up. You want to get more publicity for your event, but you don\'t contact any media outlets. You want to re-do your website, but you don\'t conduct a survey of your current users/audience.\r\n\r\nIn other words, you have the best intentions in the world, but you are not acting. You are paving the way to get nothing accomplished.\r\n\r\nAs you survey the year ahead and you formulate your goals and resolutions, avoid having it all go to hell, and develop some action plans. Set deadlines, make dates, gather information, put things in motion.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How to avoid going to hell','','inherit','open','open','','2453-revision-v1','','','2014-01-05 21:38:19','2014-01-05 21:38:19','',2453,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/01/2453-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2457,4,'2014-01-07 14:28:46','2014-01-07 14:28:46','This is not a post about religion or morality. It\'s a post about how to get things done.  It\'s the \"secret\" to accomplishing your 2014 goals and resolutions.\r\n\r\nI am sure you know the expression \"the road to hell is paved with good intentions.\"  What that means, quite simply, is that having a good intentions is not enough to keep you from perdition. You have to act. You have to behave differently, not just think about it.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2456\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"225\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/2419526768_eb970f02211.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2456\" alt=\"Bonfire by CP Sutcliffe via Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/2419526768_eb970f02211-225x300.jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a> Bonfire by CP Sutcliffe via Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis is the time of the year we are busy setting resolutions and goals for the year ahead. I think this is a great exercise. Certainly, if we take a good look at what we did in 2013, we can see what worked and what didn\'t. We can decide to change course or stay the course, depending on how things worked out.\r\n\r\n<strong>But to accomplish our resolutions and goals, just having the intent to do so is not enough. What you need is an action plan.</strong>\r\n\r\nI have a friend who has the best of intentions to get together and do a \"girl\'s night out.\" I know she has the intent because she tells me we need to do this every single time we have a phone conversation. But she never actually sets aside the time and chooses a date for this mythical get-together. Without an actual plan to go out, it is all just talk. It is meaningless. Bottom line is it ain\'t gonna happen.\r\n\r\nThe same thing happens with your communications goals. You want to blog but you \"don\'t have the time.\" You want to increase your enewsletter subscriptions, but you don\'t add a subscription button to your website or think about how to incentivize people to sign up. You want to get more publicity for your event, but you don\'t contact any media outlets. You want to re-do your website, but you don\'t conduct a survey of your current users/audience.\r\n\r\nIn other words, you have the best intentions in the world, but you are not acting. You are paving the way to get nothing accomplished.\r\n\r\nAs you survey the year ahead and you formulate your goals and resolutions, avoid having it all go to hell, and develop some action plans. Set deadlines, make dates, gather information, put things in motion.\r\n\r\nWhat are you resolving to do in 2014 and how do you plan to get there?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How to avoid going to hell','','inherit','open','open','','2453-revision-v1','','','2014-01-07 14:28:46','2014-01-07 14:28:46','',2453,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/01/2453-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2455,4,'2014-01-07 14:23:50','2014-01-07 14:23:50','This is not a post about religion or morality. It\'s a post about how to get things done.  It\'s the \"secret\" to accomplishing your 2014 goals and resolutions.\r\n\r\nI am sure you know the expression \"the road to hell is paved with good intentions.\"  What that means, quite simply, is that having a good intentions is not enough to keep you from perdition. You have to act. You have to behave differently, not just think about it.\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/25756025@N06/2419526768/in/photolist-4FNH1L-5jR6Wx-8fgc-aCfA68-5tq75m-5tkHxB-dqZJH5-5pDGZ6-5pDHWH-5pJ9jd-5pJ4KE-3R6Dr-VZTHB-6km5b-5zMT5S-8xTrHY-8xQpJD-eZt1Wj-8RoeYa-aDEUf1-bAepc3-rBbq9-rBbqb-rBbqd-z4A9Z-z4zbg-z4zRC-z4B5M-z4z99-z4zDC-6jxNyu-6jxPcE-2v2HL8-ajXDwR-8Cha3b-6UPYe8-8JwA2t-f2SKk-f2SHK-VZTEp-J7SXa-5ZusEm-4gWG25-rC2Jn-8RAiGb-dqv8WN-hdtwk9-8KepfE-8KepjS-8Kbmmt-8Kep9J/player/\" height=\"500\" width=\"375\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"></iframe>\r\n\r\nThis is the time of the year we are busy setting resolutions and goals for the year ahead. I think this is a great exercise. Certainly, if we take a good look at what we did in 2013, we can see what worked and what didn\'t. We can decide to change course or stay the course, depending on how things worked out.\r\n\r\n<strong>But to accomplish our resolutions and goals, just having the intent to do so is not enough. What you need is an action plan.</strong>\r\n\r\nI have a friend who has the best of intentions to get together and do a \"girl\'s night out.\" I know she has the intent because she tells me we need to do this every single time we have a phone conversation. But she never actually sets aside the time and chooses a date for this mythical get-together. Without an actual plan to go out, it is all just talk. It is meaningless. Bottom line is it ain\'t gonna happen.\r\n\r\nThe same thing happens with your communications goals. You want to blog but you \"don\'t have the time.\" You want to increase your enewsletter subscriptions, but you don\'t add a subscription button to your website or think about how to incentivize people to sign up. You want to get more publicity for your event, but you don\'t contact any media outlets. You want to re-do your website, but you don\'t conduct a survey of your current users/audience.\r\n\r\nIn other words, you have the best intentions in the world, but you are not acting. You are paving the way to get nothing accomplished.\r\n\r\nAs you survey the year ahead and you formulate your goals and resolutions, avoid having it all go to hell, and develop some action plans. Set deadlines, make dates, gather information, put things in motion.\r\n\r\nWhat are you resolving to do in 2014 and how do you plan to get there?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How to avoid going to hell','','inherit','open','open','','2453-revision-v1','','','2014-01-07 14:23:50','2014-01-07 14:23:50','',2453,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/01/2453-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2456,4,'2014-01-07 14:28:12','2014-01-07 14:28:12','','2419526768_eb970f0221(1)','Bonfire by CP Sutcliffe via Flickr','inherit','open','open','','2419526768_eb970f02211','','','2014-01-07 14:28:12','2014-01-07 14:28:12','',2453,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/2419526768_eb970f02211.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(2458,4,'2014-01-13 13:11:30','2014-01-13 13:11:30','Unless you are publishing something like the Huffington Post, chances are that you have a small audience for your blog. You will publish lots of blog posts that do not get comments or are not shared on social media. This isn\'t because you are a bad writer or you don\'t have something valuable to say, it is, quite simply, because <strong>people don\'t have time to read your blog.</strong>\r\n\r\nI have been blogging for years, and I have been following more than a hundred blogs for years too. In the past few weeks, I have been blogging less and reading less. Why? Because I am working on a project that has me working outside my home office for five days a week for about twelve to fifteen weeks, plus I am commuting more than two hours each day. I am no longer able to be on Twitter all day, nor can I read my Feedly very often. Even though this is novel for me, it is the reality for a great many people. There are only so many hours in a day, and something has got to give. For me, and I suspect for many people, it\'s keeping up with blogs.\r\n\r\nAs a blogger, what can you do about it? <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Here are six actions you can take to avoid being forgotten:</span>\r\n\r\n1. <strong>Keep blogging.</strong> An outdated blog is surely never going to be read, and it will not help your goals or your SEO.\r\n\r\n2. <strong>Remember your blog goals, stick to your topic and keep giving readers good stuff.</strong> Too many blogs go off topic too often or don\'t share valuable information. That causes readers to lose interest and be less inclined to stick with it.\r\n\r\n3. <strong>Ensure your readers can subscribe to your blog in many ways</strong>. It may be easier for people to read your blog if they can get an email when you publish a blog post. Some people like RSS readers. In any case, you must give them options.\r\n\r\n4. <strong>Highlight your best posts in your newsletter</strong> (you do have a newsletter?).  Whether your newsletter is weekly, monthly or quarterly, you can use it to point people back to your blog by telling them about all the great content you have there. The idea is to get your audience to remember you have a blog, and to appreciate that you share relevant information there.\r\n\r\n5. <strong>Spend more time on your headlines</strong>.  A great headline almost guarantees people will read the post (or at least, scan it).\r\n\r\n6. <strong>Share, and share again</strong>. (And encourage sharing by having sharing capabilities and acknowledging people who share stuff). Make sure that you share your blog post with all your networks. People are at different places at different times--make it easy for them to see your post.\r\n\r\nWhat would you add to this list? What makes you read a blog post even if you don\'t have the time?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Why your blog isn\'t being read and what to do about it','','publish','open','open','','why-your-blog-isnt-being-read-and-what-to-do-about-it','','','2014-01-13 13:13:56','2014-01-13 13:13:56','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2458',0,'post','',0),
(2459,4,'2014-01-13 13:11:30','2014-01-13 13:11:30','Unless you are publishing something like the Huffington Post, chances are that you have a small audience for your blog. You will publish lots of blog posts that do not get comments or are not shared on social media. This isn\'t because you are a bad writer or you don\'t have something valuable to say, it is, quite simply, because <strong>people don\'t have time to read your blog.</strong>\r\n\r\nI have been blogging for years, and I have been following more than a hundred blogs for years too. In the past few weeks, I have been blogging less and reading less. Why? Because I am working on a project that has me working outside my home office for five days a week for about twelve to fifteen weeks, plus I am commuting more than two hours each day. I am no longer able to be on Twitter all day, nor can I read my Feedly very often. Even though this is novel for me, it is the reality for a great many people. There are only so many hours in a day, and something has got to give. For me, and I suspect for many people, it\'s keeping up with blogs.\r\n\r\nAs a blogger, what can you do about it? <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Here are six actions you can take to avoid being forgotten:</span>\r\n\r\n1. <strong>Keep blogging.</strong> An outdated blog is surely never going to be read, and it will not help your goals or your SEO.\r\n\r\n2. <strong>Remember your blog goals, stick to your topic and keep giving readers good stuff.</strong> Too many blogs go off topic too often or don\'t share valuable information. That causes readers to lose interest and be less inclined to stick with it.\r\n\r\n3. <strong>Ensure your readers can subscribe to your blog in many ways</strong>. It may be easier for people to read your blog if they can get an email when you publish a blog post. Some people like RSS readers. In any case, you must give them options.\r\n\r\n4. <strong>Highlight your best posts in your newsletter</strong> (you do have an newsletter?).  Whether your newsletter is weekly, monthly or quarterly, you can use it to point people back to your blog by telling them about all the great content you have there. The idea is to get your audience to remember you have a blog, and to appreciate that you share relevant information there.\r\n\r\n5. <strong>Spend more time on your headlines</strong>.  A great headline almost guarantees people will read the post (or at least, scan it).\r\n\r\n6. <strong>Share, and share again</strong>. (And encourage sharing by having sharing capabilities and acknowledging people who share stuff). Make sure that you share your blog post with all your networks. People are at different places at different times--make it easy for them to see your post.\r\n\r\nWhat would you add to this list? What makes you read a blog post even if you don\'t have the time?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Why your blog isn\'t being read and what to do about it','','inherit','open','open','','2458-revision-v1','','','2014-01-13 13:11:30','2014-01-13 13:11:30','',2458,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/01/2458-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2460,4,'2014-01-13 13:13:56','2014-01-13 13:13:56','Unless you are publishing something like the Huffington Post, chances are that you have a small audience for your blog. You will publish lots of blog posts that do not get comments or are not shared on social media. This isn\'t because you are a bad writer or you don\'t have something valuable to say, it is, quite simply, because <strong>people don\'t have time to read your blog.</strong>\r\n\r\nI have been blogging for years, and I have been following more than a hundred blogs for years too. In the past few weeks, I have been blogging less and reading less. Why? Because I am working on a project that has me working outside my home office for five days a week for about twelve to fifteen weeks, plus I am commuting more than two hours each day. I am no longer able to be on Twitter all day, nor can I read my Feedly very often. Even though this is novel for me, it is the reality for a great many people. There are only so many hours in a day, and something has got to give. For me, and I suspect for many people, it\'s keeping up with blogs.\r\n\r\nAs a blogger, what can you do about it? <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Here are six actions you can take to avoid being forgotten:</span>\r\n\r\n1. <strong>Keep blogging.</strong> An outdated blog is surely never going to be read, and it will not help your goals or your SEO.\r\n\r\n2. <strong>Remember your blog goals, stick to your topic and keep giving readers good stuff.</strong> Too many blogs go off topic too often or don\'t share valuable information. That causes readers to lose interest and be less inclined to stick with it.\r\n\r\n3. <strong>Ensure your readers can subscribe to your blog in many ways</strong>. It may be easier for people to read your blog if they can get an email when you publish a blog post. Some people like RSS readers. In any case, you must give them options.\r\n\r\n4. <strong>Highlight your best posts in your newsletter</strong> (you do have a newsletter?).  Whether your newsletter is weekly, monthly or quarterly, you can use it to point people back to your blog by telling them about all the great content you have there. The idea is to get your audience to remember you have a blog, and to appreciate that you share relevant information there.\r\n\r\n5. <strong>Spend more time on your headlines</strong>.  A great headline almost guarantees people will read the post (or at least, scan it).\r\n\r\n6. <strong>Share, and share again</strong>. (And encourage sharing by having sharing capabilities and acknowledging people who share stuff). Make sure that you share your blog post with all your networks. People are at different places at different times--make it easy for them to see your post.\r\n\r\nWhat would you add to this list? What makes you read a blog post even if you don\'t have the time?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Why your blog isn\'t being read and what to do about it','','inherit','open','open','','2458-revision-v1','','','2014-01-13 13:13:56','2014-01-13 13:13:56','',2458,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/01/2458-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2487,4,'2014-02-11 20:08:37','2014-02-11 20:08:37','If you\'ve been to London and ridden the Underground, you are familiar with the phrase \"please mind the gap.\" It\'s a repeated warning for people to watch their step getting on and off the trains as there is a space between the train and the platform. It is posted everywhere inside the stations because people need to be reminded and London\'s transportation authority certainly doesn\'t want accidents.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2488\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/109430979_01c781cbe2_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2488\" alt=\"Mind the Gap by nikoretro on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/109430979_01c781cbe2_b-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Mind the Gap by nikoretro on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nI wish we had a similar reminder for communications managers, especially those who deal with event publicity and marketing. Instead of \"mind the gap\" it would say \"mind the details.\" Because it\'s all about the details: the where, when, how, who, why and how much.\r\n\r\nCommon mistakes, which I have seen just these past few days:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Sending an email blast announcing an event and neglecting to include the date and time (or location).</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Announcing an event and getting the dates mixed up (saying it is Tuesday, February 12 instead of Wednesday, February 12).</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Website page about an event including a \"more information\" button for an event, but not providing any information about what the cost will be.</p>\r\nDetails matter and they matter more when you are doing any type of event planning. Please mind the details. Double check them. Have somebody else check them.  Don\'t assume that people will figure things out.\r\n\r\nFinally, realize that if you don\'t provide the proper details or you provide the wrong details you are making it very hard for people to attend your event.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Please mind the details','','publish','open','open','','please-mind-the-details','','','2014-02-11 20:08:37','2014-02-11 20:08:37','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2487',0,'post','',0),
(2463,4,'2014-01-15 12:22:36','2014-01-15 12:22:36','It\'s January and chances are you are working hard to get the year off to a good start. You may be in charge of creating something--a newsletter, a flyer, an ad--that is intended to achieve a communications or marketing objective. It may be to publicize an upcoming event or perhaps to solicit support for a cause or maybe you are advocating for a policy change. We\'ll assume that this project is part of a larger strategy and will help further your overall communications goals.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/6673406227_2b9ea60f64.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2464\" alt=\"6673406227_2b9ea60f64\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/6673406227_2b9ea60f64-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></a>\r\n\r\nBefore you start any marketing/communications  project you should be able to answer these five questions:\r\n\r\n1. What is the main <strong>objective</strong> for the piece? Or ask yourself this:  What do you want the audience to do with this piece?\r\n\r\n2. Who is the<strong> target audience</strong>? Really, who is it? Be specific.\r\n\r\n3. What are the top<strong> three messages</strong> you want to convey?\r\n\r\n4. Knowing who the target is, what is the<strong> best way to communicate</strong> your message? Will you use graphics? Which ones? What kind of language will you use?\r\n\r\n5. Has this piece been<strong> done before?</strong> If so, why are you doing it again? What was it that worked or didn\'t work before? If not, why are you doing it now?\r\n\r\nThis may seem obvious to some, simplistic to others, but surprisingly, many people trying to create communications aren\'t able to answer these questions.  Why else do you think we are inundated with useless letters, flyers and brochures? Even if you are a pro, doing this exercise will help you to create a better product, guaranteed!\r\n\r\nWhat is your process for getting communications projects done? Please share!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Stop! Don\'t start on that next project until you can answer this','','publish','open','open','','stop-dont-start-on-that-next-project-until-you-can-answer-this','','','2014-01-15 12:22:36','2014-01-15 12:22:36','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2463',0,'post','',1),
(2464,4,'2014-01-15 12:18:10','2014-01-15 12:18:10','Stop by Steve A Johnson on Flickr','6673406227_2b9ea60f64','','inherit','open','open','','6673406227_2b9ea60f64','','','2014-01-15 12:18:10','2014-01-15 12:18:10','',2463,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/6673406227_2b9ea60f64.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(2465,4,'2014-01-15 12:20:27','2014-01-15 12:20:27','It\'s January and chances are you are working hard to get the year off to a good start. You may be in charge of creating something--a newsletter, a flyer, an ad--that is intended to achieve a communications or marketing objective. It may be to publicize an upcoming event or perhaps to solicit support for a cause or maybe you are advocating for a policy change. We\'ll assume that this project is part of a larger strategy and will help further your overall communications goals.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/6673406227_2b9ea60f64.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2464\" alt=\"6673406227_2b9ea60f64\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/6673406227_2b9ea60f64-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></a>\r\n\r\nBefore you start any marketing/communications  project you should be able to answer these questions:\r\n\r\n1. What is the main <strong>objective</strong> for the piece? Or ask yourself this:  What do you want the audience to do with this piece?\r\n\r\n2. Who is the<strong> target audience</strong>? Really, who is it? Be specific.\r\n\r\n3. What are the top<strong> three messages</strong> you want to convey?\r\n\r\n4. Knowing who the target is, what is the<strong> best way to communicate</strong> your message? Will you use graphics? Which ones? What kind of language will you use?\r\n\r\n5. Has this piece been<strong> done before?</strong> If so, why are you doing it again? What was it that worked or didn\'t work before? If not, why are you doing it now?\r\n\r\nThis may seem obvious to some, simplistic to others, but surprisingly, many people trying to create communications aren\'t able to answer these questions.  Why else do you think we are inundated with useless letters, flyers and brochures? Even if you are a pro, doing this exercise will help you to create a better product, guaranteed!\r\n\r\nWhat is your process for getting communications projects done? Please share!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Stop! Don\'t start on that next project until you can answer this','','inherit','open','open','','2463-revision-v1','','','2014-01-15 12:20:27','2014-01-15 12:20:27','',2463,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/01/2463-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2466,4,'2014-01-15 12:22:36','2014-01-15 12:22:36','It\'s January and chances are you are working hard to get the year off to a good start. You may be in charge of creating something--a newsletter, a flyer, an ad--that is intended to achieve a communications or marketing objective. It may be to publicize an upcoming event or perhaps to solicit support for a cause or maybe you are advocating for a policy change. We\'ll assume that this project is part of a larger strategy and will help further your overall communications goals.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/6673406227_2b9ea60f64.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2464\" alt=\"6673406227_2b9ea60f64\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/6673406227_2b9ea60f64-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></a>\r\n\r\nBefore you start any marketing/communications  project you should be able to answer these five questions:\r\n\r\n1. What is the main <strong>objective</strong> for the piece? Or ask yourself this:  What do you want the audience to do with this piece?\r\n\r\n2. Who is the<strong> target audience</strong>? Really, who is it? Be specific.\r\n\r\n3. What are the top<strong> three messages</strong> you want to convey?\r\n\r\n4. Knowing who the target is, what is the<strong> best way to communicate</strong> your message? Will you use graphics? Which ones? What kind of language will you use?\r\n\r\n5. Has this piece been<strong> done before?</strong> If so, why are you doing it again? What was it that worked or didn\'t work before? If not, why are you doing it now?\r\n\r\nThis may seem obvious to some, simplistic to others, but surprisingly, many people trying to create communications aren\'t able to answer these questions.  Why else do you think we are inundated with useless letters, flyers and brochures? Even if you are a pro, doing this exercise will help you to create a better product, guaranteed!\r\n\r\nWhat is your process for getting communications projects done? Please share!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Stop! Don\'t start on that next project until you can answer this','','inherit','open','open','','2463-revision-v1','','','2014-01-15 12:22:36','2014-01-15 12:22:36','',2463,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/01/2463-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2469,4,'2014-01-21 18:02:10','2014-01-21 18:02:10','It\'s easy to lose customers and very hard to get them back. Once they are gone, chances are they won\'t be back.\r\n\r\nThe reality is that there are many people and companies doing what you do. There\'s always an alternative for customers who are unhappy for any reason. Too many companies seem to lose sight of this reality, and they do little to ensure that they keep the customers they have.\r\n\r\n<strong>Here\'s how my heat/AC contractor failed to retain my business:</strong>\r\n\r\nBack in November, my schedule changed and I was not going to be working out of my home office.  In December, I generally get a home heating inspection with my heat/AC contractor. It helps to make sure all parts are working properly and that my heat will continue through the winter. This company is a family-run place where I have been a customer for three years.\r\n\r\n<strong>Strike one</strong>: I got a reminder card from the company in late November. I called right away to schedule an appointment. They had no open slots until LATE December, one month away. Mind you, I had just gotten the card.\r\n\r\n<strong>Strike two:</strong> I explained to the scheduler that I would not be home because of my situation and that I was hoping for a Saturday appointment. It turns out this company does not do inspections on Saturdays, only emergency work. Then I asked for an early weekday appointment. Again, the scheduler could not accommodate me. She told me that she could not find a technician in my area that would be available for their first appointment at 8:00 a.m.\r\n\r\n<strong>Strike three:</strong> I informed the scheduler that I would be forced to switch companies if she didn\'t try to accommodate me because I did not want to have a heat inspection later than December (remember, they were already scheduling late late December). No response and no attempt to rectify the situation.\r\n\r\n<strong>And they are out:</strong> After some research, I called another highly rated heat/AC company that not only was scheduling earlier in December (meaning they have more technicians) but would also provide guaranteed 8:00 a.m. appointments. It cost $20 more per annual contract than my previous company, but the ease of scheduling was worth it to me.\r\n\r\nMy first heat/AC contractor lost my business not because it wasn\'t good at it what it does but because it made<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> no effort to accommodate me.</span> They seemed to forget that there are other contractors out there.\r\n\r\nMost heat/AC contractors do not market actively. Many have websites and most work on their ratings on places like Angie\'s List, but they mostly depend on word of mouth. This is why working to RETAIN customers should be a large part of their business model.\r\n\r\n<strong>Customers that stay are a continuing source of income AND of referrals.</strong>\r\n\r\nAgain, the reality is that keeping customers should be job one:  Losing customers is easy and getting them back is difficult. No amount of marketing will bring back a customer that has found a better alternative.\r\n\r\nWhat are you doing to retain your customers or clients? I\'d like to find out what specific actions you are taking and I will be sharing those in a future blog post.','Why customer retention should be job one','','inherit','open','open','','2467-revision-v1','','','2014-01-21 18:02:10','2014-01-21 18:02:10','',2467,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/01/2467-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2472,4,'2014-01-28 13:22:06','2014-01-28 13:22:06','We are in our third straight week of sub-freezing weather. The Potomac is frozen and so are some people\'s brains apparently. I am talking about the fashion victims. There are two major categories:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Stuck in the past</li>\r\n	<li>Too cool for school</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nThose that are <strong>stuck in the past</strong> unpack their winter coats from the time machine closet. Take for example a lady I saw on the Metro the other day. She was sporting an oversize circa 1980 LL Bean barn jacket. I didn\'t see her shoes, but I would not have been surprised to see some Bean duck boots on them. That, in conjunction with her mullet hair cut (I am totally not making this up), made me stare in amazement. I kept thinking that this woman was desperately ready for some new clothes, and a makeover.\r\n\r\nDon\'t be that fashion victim! Know when to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">refresh your image.</span> Perhaps you need a new website. Perhaps your logo colors could change. Or that Times New Roman you have been using in your print materials could be upgraded for something a bit more modern.\r\n\r\nYou know some people are totally <strong>too cool</strong> when they go out in subfreezing weather with no socks on. Apparently (and since I am not so cool) wearing socks is never fashionable, even when there is a wind chill factor of -15 and snow on the ground. I most often see young women fashion victims. They are wrapped up in their not so warm coat, no hat (that apparently is also not cool) and walking around in ballet slipper shoes with no hosiery of any type. I did also see a skinny-jean wearing dude with boat shoes and no socks...in January in Washington DC.\r\n\r\nDon\'t be so fashionable that you can\'t dress appropriately for the weather. Or in communications, don\'t do things because everybody else is doing it or because it\'s so cool. Sure, all the home decor people are crazy about Pinterest, but perhaps your law office just don\'t have the visuals for it. Maybe orange is the new black, but your elderly audience needs heavy, large black type to read what you are saying.\r\n\r\nThe only one that gets hurt by being a fashion victim is you...\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Don\'t be a fashion victim...you will freeze!','','inherit','open','open','','2471-revision-v1','','','2014-01-28 13:22:06','2014-01-28 13:22:06','',2471,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/01/2471-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2473,4,'2014-01-28 13:23:36','2014-01-28 13:23:36','We are in our third straight week of sub-freezing weather here in Washington. The Potomac is frozen and so are some people\'s brains apparently. I am talking about the fashion victims. There are two major categories:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Stuck in the past</li>\r\n	<li>Too cool for school</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nThose that are <strong>stuck in the past</strong> unpack their winter coats from the time machine closet. Take for example a lady I saw on the Metro the other day. She was sporting an oversize circa 1980 LL Bean barn jacket. I didn\'t see her shoes, but I would not have been surprised to see some Bean duck boots on them. That, in conjunction with her mullet hair cut (I am totally not making this up), made me stare in amazement. I kept thinking that this woman was desperately ready for some new clothes, and a makeover.\r\n\r\nDon\'t be that fashion victim! Know when to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">refresh your image.</span> Perhaps you need a new website. Perhaps your logo colors could change. Or that Times New Roman you have been using in your print materials could be upgraded for something a bit more modern.\r\n\r\nYou know some people are totally <strong>too cool</strong> when they go out in subfreezing weather with no socks on. Apparently (and since I am not so cool) wearing socks is never fashionable, even when there is a wind chill factor of -15 and snow on the ground. I most often see young women fashion victims. They are wrapped up in their not so warm coat, no hat (that apparently is also not cool) and walking around in ballet slipper shoes with no hosiery of any type. I did also see a skinny-jean wearing dude with boat shoes and no socks...in January in Washington DC.\r\n\r\nDon\'t be so fashionable that you can\'t dress appropriately for the weather. Or in communications, don\'t do things because everybody else is doing it or because it\'s so cool. Sure, all the home decor people are crazy about Pinterest, but perhaps your law office just don\'t have the visuals for it. Maybe orange is the new black, but your elderly audience needs heavy, large black type to read what you are saying.\r\n\r\nThe only one that gets hurt by being a fashion victim is you...\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Don\'t be a fashion victim...you will freeze!','','inherit','open','open','','2471-revision-v1','','','2014-01-28 13:23:36','2014-01-28 13:23:36','',2471,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/01/2471-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2474,4,'2014-01-30 15:39:46','2014-01-30 15:39:46','We are in our third straight week of sub-freezing weather here in Washington. The Potomac is frozen and so are some people\'s brains apparently. I am talking about the fashion victims. There are two major categories:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Stuck in the past</li>\r\n	<li>Too cool for school</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nThose that are <strong>stuck in the past</strong> unpack their winter coats from the time machine closet. Take for example a lady I saw on the Metro the other day. She was sporting an oversize circa 1980 LL Bean barn jacket. I didn\'t see her shoes, but I would not have been surprised to see some Bean duck boots on them. That, in conjunction with her mullet hair cut (I am totally not making this up), made me stare in amazement. I kept thinking that this woman was desperately ready for some new clothes, and a makeover.\r\n\r\nDon\'t be that fashion victim! Know when to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">refresh your image.</span> Perhaps you need a new website. Perhaps your logo colors could change. Or that Times New Roman you have been using in your print materials could be upgraded for something a bit more modern.\r\n\r\nYou know some people are totally <strong>too cool</strong> when they go out in subfreezing weather with no socks on. Apparently (and since I am not so cool) wearing socks is never fashionable, even when there is a wind chill factor of -15 and snow on the ground. I most often see young women fashion victims. They are wrapped up in their not so warm coat, no hat (that apparently is also not cool) and walking around in ballet slipper shoes with no hosiery of any type. I did also see a skinny-jean wearing dude with boat shoes and no socks...in January in Washington DC.\r\n\r\nDon\'t be so fashionable that you can\'t dress appropriately for the weather. Or in communications, don\'t do things because everybody else is doing it or because it\'s so cool. Sure, all the home decor people are crazy about Pinterest, but perhaps your law office just doesn\'t have the visuals for it. Maybe orange is the new black, but your elderly audience needs heavy, large black type to read what you are saying.\r\n\r\nThe only one that gets hurt by being a fashion victim is you...\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Don\'t be a fashion victim...you will freeze!','','inherit','open','open','','2471-revision-v1','','','2014-01-30 15:39:46','2014-01-30 15:39:46','',2471,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/01/2471-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2475,4,'2014-01-30 18:32:23','2014-01-30 18:32:23','I am assuming your business/organization/service/product has a website. If not, well, that is another story. For the purposes of this post, you do have a website and it is functional. It may even be pretty (I mean \"well designed\").\r\n\r\nBut, and this is a big but, <strong>does it have all the information that your AUDIENCE needs?</strong>\r\n\r\nI have been working on a project that involved getting information about documentaries from various sources, including the filmmakers\' websites. The information I needed was fairly basic: synopsis of the film, year made, how long it is (running time), name of director and other people involved in production and country of origin. And guess what, even though virtually every film had a website, precious few websites had anything resembling basic information. Some listed awards or screenings. Some listed reviews. Some had blogs (not always updated) that talked about the filmmaking process. But basics--which are needed for anybody that is planning to screen a film--LACKING.\r\n\r\nAnd that is not just limited to film websites. Have you ever gone to a restaurant website looking for a menu or for hours of operation and not found either? Have you tried to find a phone number from a service provider\'s website and be forced to email or look for another provider?\r\n\r\nIt is truly astonishing how many websites lack basic, useful and needed information. Many sites get so caught up in bells and whistles (don\'t get me started on websites with flash or self-playing video) that they forget their basic mission is to provide information. Information that their target audience (read: potential customers) wants and needs.\r\n\r\n<strong>Your website is not working for you if your target cannot find the information it needs.</strong>\r\n\r\nOf course, this leads to another conversation that has to do with planning and strategy. Websites are not simply pretty things to make sure you have an internet presence. They play a big part in your communications and marketing efforts.\r\n\r\nBefore you build a website (and before you do anything communications-related)<strong>, you must be able to answer these four questions</strong>\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li>Who is your target audience?</li>\r\n	<li>Why would they visit your website?</li>\r\n	<li>What are they going to do when they are on your site?</li>\r\n	<li>What information does your target audience absolutely, positively need? (Hint: it is always the stuff that is most basic--address, hours, location (map), telephone number, contact person/people, pricing, etc.)</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nWhat do you think? And more importantly, have you checked to see if your website is working for you?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is your website really working for you?','','publish','open','open','','is-your-website-really-working-for-you','','','2014-01-30 18:35:35','2014-01-30 18:35:35','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2475',0,'post','',0),
(2476,4,'2014-01-30 18:32:23','2014-01-30 18:32:23','I am assuming your business/organization/service/product has a website. If not, well, that is another story. For the purposes of this post, you do have a website and it is functional. It may even be pretty (I mean \"well designed\").\r\n\r\nBut, and this is a big but, d<strong>oes it have all the information that your AUDIENCE needs?</strong>\r\n\r\nI have been working on a project that involved getting information about documentaries from various sources, including the filmmakers\' websites. The information I needed was fairly basic: synopsis of the film, year made, how long it is (running time), name of director and other people involved in production and country of origin. And guess what, even though virtually every film had a website, precious few websites had anything resembling basic information. Some listed awards or screenings. Some listed reviews. Some had blogs (not always updated) that talked about the filmmaking process. But basics--which are needed for anybody that is planning to screen a film--LACKING.\r\n\r\nAnd that is not just limited to film websites. Have you ever gone to a restaurant website looking for a menu or for hours of operation and not found either? Have you tried to find a phone number from a service provider\'s website and be forced to email or look for another provider?\r\n\r\nIt is truly astonishing how many websites lack basic, useful and needed information. Many sites get so caught up in bells and whistles (don\'t get me started on websites with flash or self-playing video) that they forget their basic mission is to provide information. Information that their target audience (read: potential customers) wants and needs.\r\n\r\n<strong>Your website is not working for you if your target cannot find the information it needs.</strong>\r\n\r\nOf course, this leads to another conversation that has to do with planning and strategy. Websites are not simply pretty things to make sure you have an internet presence. They play a big part in your communications and marketing efforts.\r\n\r\nBefore you build a website (and before you do anything communications-related)<strong>, you must be able to answer these four questions</strong>\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li>Who is your target audience?</li>\r\n	<li>Why would they visit your website?</li>\r\n	<li>What are they going to do when the are on your site?</li>\r\n	<li>What information does your target audience absolutely, positively need? (Hint: it is always the stuff that is most basic--address, hours, location (map), telephone number, contact person/people, pricing, etc.)</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nWhat do you think? And more importantly, have you checked to see if your website is working for you?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is your website really working for you?','','inherit','open','open','','2475-revision-v1','','','2014-01-30 18:32:23','2014-01-30 18:32:23','',2475,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/01/2475-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2477,4,'2014-01-30 18:35:30','2014-01-30 18:35:30','I am assuming your business/organization/service/product has a website. If not, well, that is another story. For the purposes of this post, you do have a website and it is functional. It may even be pretty (I mean \"well designed\").\n\nBut, and this is a big but, d<strong>oes it have all the information that your AUDIENCE needs?</strong>\n\nI have been working on a project that involved getting information about documentaries from various sources, including the filmmakers\' websites. The information I needed was fairly basic: synopsis of the film, year made, how long it is (running time), name of director and other people involved in production and country of origin. And guess what, even though virtually every film had a website, precious few websites had anything resembling basic information. Some listed awards or screenings. Some listed reviews. Some had blogs (not always updated) that talked about the filmmaking process. But basics--which are needed for anybody that is planning to screen a film--LACKING.\n\nAnd that is not just limited to film websites. Have you ever gone to a restaurant website looking for a menu or for hours of operation and not found either? Have you tried to find a phone number from a service provider\'s website and be forced to email or look for another provider?\n\nIt is truly astonishing how many websites lack basic, useful and needed information. Many sites get so caught up in bells and whistles (don\'t get me started on websites with flash or self-playing video) that they forget their basic mission is to provide information. Information that their target audience (read: potential customers) wants and needs.\n\n<strong>Your website is not working for you if your target cannot find the information it needs.</strong>\n\nOf course, this leads to another conversation that has to do with planning and strategy. Websites are not simply pretty things to make sure you have an internet presence. They play a big part in your communications and marketing efforts.\n\nBefore you build a website (and before you do anything communications-related)<strong>, you must be able to answer these four questions</strong>\n<ol>\n	<li>Who is your target audience?</li>\n	<li>Why would they visit your website?</li>\n	<li>What are they going to do when they are on your site?</li>\n	<li>What information does your target audience absolutely, positively need? (Hint: it is always the stuff that is most basic--address, hours, location (map), telephone number, contact person/people, pricing, etc.)</li>\n</ol>\nWhat do you think? And more importantly, have you checked to see if your website is working for you?\n\n&nbsp;','Is your website really working for you?','','inherit','open','open','','2475-autosave-v1','','','2014-01-30 18:35:30','2014-01-30 18:35:30','',2475,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/01/2475-autosave-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2478,4,'2014-01-30 18:35:35','2014-01-30 18:35:35','I am assuming your business/organization/service/product has a website. If not, well, that is another story. For the purposes of this post, you do have a website and it is functional. It may even be pretty (I mean \"well designed\").\r\n\r\nBut, and this is a big but, <strong>does it have all the information that your AUDIENCE needs?</strong>\r\n\r\nI have been working on a project that involved getting information about documentaries from various sources, including the filmmakers\' websites. The information I needed was fairly basic: synopsis of the film, year made, how long it is (running time), name of director and other people involved in production and country of origin. And guess what, even though virtually every film had a website, precious few websites had anything resembling basic information. Some listed awards or screenings. Some listed reviews. Some had blogs (not always updated) that talked about the filmmaking process. But basics--which are needed for anybody that is planning to screen a film--LACKING.\r\n\r\nAnd that is not just limited to film websites. Have you ever gone to a restaurant website looking for a menu or for hours of operation and not found either? Have you tried to find a phone number from a service provider\'s website and be forced to email or look for another provider?\r\n\r\nIt is truly astonishing how many websites lack basic, useful and needed information. Many sites get so caught up in bells and whistles (don\'t get me started on websites with flash or self-playing video) that they forget their basic mission is to provide information. Information that their target audience (read: potential customers) wants and needs.\r\n\r\n<strong>Your website is not working for you if your target cannot find the information it needs.</strong>\r\n\r\nOf course, this leads to another conversation that has to do with planning and strategy. Websites are not simply pretty things to make sure you have an internet presence. They play a big part in your communications and marketing efforts.\r\n\r\nBefore you build a website (and before you do anything communications-related)<strong>, you must be able to answer these four questions</strong>\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li>Who is your target audience?</li>\r\n	<li>Why would they visit your website?</li>\r\n	<li>What are they going to do when they are on your site?</li>\r\n	<li>What information does your target audience absolutely, positively need? (Hint: it is always the stuff that is most basic--address, hours, location (map), telephone number, contact person/people, pricing, etc.)</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nWhat do you think? And more importantly, have you checked to see if your website is working for you?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is your website really working for you?','','inherit','open','open','','2475-revision-v1','','','2014-01-30 18:35:35','2014-01-30 18:35:35','',2475,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/01/2475-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2480,4,'2014-02-04 15:11:28','2014-02-04 15:11:28','Have you ever been in a situation where a client (internal or external) keeps wanting to add \"news\" to a press release or material to a brochure or more stuff to the website? \"It\'s important\" they\'ll say. \"We NEED to include this. It MUST be in there.\"\r\n\r\nYou then end up with a press release that is three pages or longer; a blog post that could double as a PhD dissertation; and a website that will give readers a headache. I will bet good money that everybody out there has come across this type of thing.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2481\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/8699798577_912e0213ba_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2481 \" alt=\"Rubber Stamp by Enokson on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/8699798577_912e0213ba_b-300x51.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"51\" /></a> Rubber Stamp by Enokson on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nBut, the thing is it doesn\'t have to be that way. Most things are really not that important. The client only thinks they are, usually because someone else (a donor, a higher up, a PIA person) has some stake in that particular bit of information (or \"content\" as we are now referring to it).\r\n\r\n<strong>Here\'s the bottom line: if you include all the so-called important stuff, nothing, and I mean nothing, will stand out. And then all your efforts will be wasted.</strong>\r\n\r\nInstead of including everything and anything, as a communications person you will need to step in and do the following:\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li><strong>Prioritize.</strong> Among those important things are the ones that are extremely important, right?</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Assign different information to different areas.</strong> Perhaps one important bit is appropriate to a press release and the other should go on the blog.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Edit</strong>. And then edit again. Be ruthless. Remove excess information if you want your message to be heard.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nThoughts? How do you handle lots of \"important\" information?','If everything is important, nothing stands out','','publish','open','open','','if-everything-is-important-nothing-stands-out','','','2014-02-04 15:11:28','2014-02-04 15:11:28','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2480',0,'post','',0),
(2481,4,'2014-02-04 15:08:09','2014-02-04 15:08:09','','8699798577_912e0213ba_b','Rubber Stamp by Enokson on Flickr','inherit','open','open','','8699798577_912e0213ba_b','','','2014-02-04 15:08:09','2014-02-04 15:08:09','',2480,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/8699798577_912e0213ba_b.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(2482,4,'2014-02-04 15:09:38','2014-02-04 15:09:38','Have you ever been in a situation where a client (internal or external) keeps wanting to add \"news\" to a press release or material to a brochure or more stuff to the website? \"It\'s important\" they\'ll say. \"We NEED to include this. It MUST be in there.\"\r\n\r\nYou then end up with a press release that is three pages or longer; a blog post that could double as a PhD dissertation; and a website that will give readers a headache. I will bet good money that everybody out there has come across this type of thing.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2481\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/8699798577_912e0213ba_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2481 \" alt=\"Rubber Stamp by Enokson on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/8699798577_912e0213ba_b-300x51.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"51\" /></a> Rubber Stamp by Enokson on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nBut, the thing is it doesn\'t have to be that way. Most things are really not that important. The client only thinks they are, usually because someone else (a donor, a higher up, a PIA person) has some stake in that particular bit of information (or \"content\" as we are now referring to it).\r\n\r\n<strong>Here\'s the bottom line: if you include all the so-called important stuff, nothing, and I mean nothing, will stand out. And then all your efforts will be wasted.</strong>\r\n\r\nInstead of including everything and anything, as a communications person you will need to step in and do the following:\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li><strong>Prioritize.</strong> Among those important things are the ones that are extremely important, right?</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Assign different information to different areas.</strong> Perhaps one important bit is appropriate to a press release and the other should go on the blog.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Edit</strong>. And then edit again. Be ruthless. Remove excess information if you want your message to be heard.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nThoughts? How do you handle lots of \"important\" information?','If everything is important, nothing stands out','','inherit','open','open','','2480-revision-v1','','','2014-02-04 15:09:38','2014-02-04 15:09:38','',2480,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/02/2480-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2518,4,'2016-08-17 09:21:17','2016-08-17 13:21:17','In case you\'ve missed a newsletter, just check this archive:\n\n<a title=\"August 2016 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/359a88\" target=\"_blank\">August 2016</a>\n\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/d841f7\" target=\"_blank\">June 2016</a>\n\n<a title=\"March 2016 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/a50a67\" target=\"_blank\">March 2016</a>\n\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/d7ed27\" target=\"_blank\">January 2016</a>\n\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/987fe6\" target=\"_blank\">November 2015</a>\n\n<a title=\"September 2015 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/2f17a6\" target=\"_blank\">September 2015</a>\n\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/f0dc46\" target=\"_blank\">June 2015</a>\n\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/83c206\" target=\"_blank\">March 2015</a>\n\n<a title=\"January 2015 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/594ec5\" target=\"_blank\">January 2015</a>\n\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/p/9a6295?fe=1&amp;pact=26384901049\" target=\"_blank\">November 2014</a>\n\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/f95d35\" target=\"_blank\">September 2014</a>\n\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/c3e405\" target=\"_blank\">July 2014</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://mad.ly/3625c4\" target=\"_blank\">April 2014</a>\n\n<a title=\"February newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/dc2584\" target=\"_blank\">February 2014</a>\n\n<a title=\"December 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/bb9454\" target=\"_blank\">December 2013</a>\n\n<a title=\"October 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/f27424\" target=\"_blank\">October 2013</a>\n\n<a title=\"July 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/eb30f3\" target=\"_blank\">July 2013</a>\n\n<a title=\"May 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/9003c3\" target=\"_blank\">May 2013</a>\n\n<a title=\"March 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/d82a93\" target=\"_blank\">March 2013</a>\n\n<a title=\"January 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/a12873\" target=\"_blank\">January 2013</a>\n\n&nbsp;','Newsletters','','inherit','open','open','','2509-autosave-v1','','','2016-08-17 09:21:17','2016-08-17 13:21:17','',2509,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/02/2509-autosave-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2485,4,'2014-02-10 21:26:50','0000-00-00 00:00:00','I have been thinking a lot about interpersonal communications, and about how poorly we communicate person-to-person. Whether we are on the giving or receiving end of any message, we need to do better. As with any change, the first step is realizing that you need to change. And I believe we ALL need to change, but very few of us are even aware of how badly we need to fix stuff.\r\n\r\nHow many times have you had to re-do an assignment because you did not understand what was required? How many times have you done something only to have your client/boss/co-worker say that it is not what was expected? How many blog posts have you written that have not been shared or commented on?\r\n\r\nAll these point to a communications failure. We are not providing the right information and we are not asking the right questions.','To improve communications, start with you','','draft','open','open','','','','','2014-02-10 21:26:50','2014-02-10 21:26:50','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2485',0,'post','',0),
(2486,4,'2014-02-10 21:26:50','2014-02-10 21:26:50','I have been thinking a lot about interpersonal communications, and about how poorly we communicate person-to-person. Whether we are on the giving or receiving end of any message, we need to do better. As with any change, the first step is realizing that you need to change. And I believe we ALL need to change, but very few of us are even aware of how badly we need to fix stuff.\r\n\r\nHow many times have you had to re-do an assignment because you did not understand what was required? How many times have you done something only to have your client/boss/co-worker say that it is not what was expected? How many blog posts have you written that have not been shared or commented on?\r\n\r\nAll these point to a communications failure. We are not providing the right information and we are not asking the right questions.','To improve communications, start with you','','inherit','open','open','','2485-revision-v1','','','2014-02-10 21:26:50','2014-02-10 21:26:50','',2485,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/02/2485-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2488,4,'2014-02-11 19:58:06','2014-02-11 19:58:06','','109430979_01c781cbe2_b','Mind the Gap by nikoretro on Flickr','inherit','open','open','','109430979_01c781cbe2_b','','','2014-02-11 19:58:06','2014-02-11 19:58:06','',2487,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/109430979_01c781cbe2_b.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(2489,4,'2014-02-11 20:08:37','2014-02-11 20:08:37','If you\'ve been to London and ridden the Underground, you are familiar with the phrase \"please mind the gap.\" It\'s a repeated warning for people to watch their step getting on and off the trains as there is a space between the train and the platform. It is posted everywhere inside the stations because people need to be reminded and London\'s transportation authority certainly doesn\'t want accidents.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2488\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/109430979_01c781cbe2_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2488\" alt=\"Mind the Gap by nikoretro on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/109430979_01c781cbe2_b-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Mind the Gap by nikoretro on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nI wish we had a similar reminder for communications managers, especially those who deal with event publicity and marketing. Instead of \"mind the gap\" it would say \"mind the details.\" Because it\'s all about the details: the where, when, how, who, why and how much.\r\n\r\nCommon mistakes, which I have seen just these past few days:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Sending an email blast announcing an event and neglecting to include the date and time (or location).</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Announcing an event and getting the dates mixed up (saying it is Tuesday, February 12 instead of Wednesday, February 12).</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Website page about an event including a \"more information\" button for an event, but not providing any information about what the cost will be.</p>\r\nDetails matter and they matter more when you are doing any type of event planning. Please mind the details. Double check them. Have somebody else check them.  Don\'t assume that people will figure things out.\r\n\r\nFinally, realize that if you don\'t provide the proper details or you provide the wrong details you are making it very hard for people to attend your event.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Please mind the details','','inherit','open','open','','2487-revision-v1','','','2014-02-11 20:08:37','2014-02-11 20:08:37','',2487,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/02/2487-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2491,4,'2014-02-11 20:28:27','2014-02-11 20:28:27','<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/sunbloom.jpg\"><img src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/sunbloom.jpg\" alt=\"sunbloom\" width=\"172\" height=\"170\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2498\" /></a>\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/SB_brochure_FINAL2.pdf\">Download Brochure</a>','Brochure ','','publish','closed','closed','','brochure','','','2014-02-13 16:50:59','2014-02-13 16:50:59','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?post_type=portfolio&#038;p=2491',0,'portfolio','',0),
(2492,4,'2014-02-11 20:27:54','2014-02-11 20:27:54','','SB_brochure_FINAL2','','inherit','open','open','','sb_brochure_final2','','','2014-02-11 20:27:54','2014-02-11 20:27:54','',2491,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/SB_brochure_FINAL2.pdf',0,'attachment','application/pdf',0),
(2493,4,'2011-07-22 04:49:33','2011-07-22 04:49:33','[ts-display cat=\"Portfolio\" postperpage=\"9\" showtitle=\"yes\" showdesc=\"yes\" showmore=\"yes\"]','Portfolio','','inherit','open','open','','40-revision-v1','','','2011-07-22 04:49:33','2011-07-22 04:49:33','',40,'http://deborahbrody.com/2011/07/40-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2500,4,'2014-02-15 15:31:34','2014-02-15 15:31:34','<a href=\"http://www.slideshare.net/DeborahBrody/blog-social-media-strategy-prsamd-brody-slide-share\">Using Your Blog as a Centerpiece in Your Social Media Strategy.</a>\r\n\r\nPresentation Delivered to the PRSA Mid Atlantic Chesapeake Conference, June 26, 2013.','Presentation on Blogging','','publish','closed','closed','','presentation-on-blogging','','','2014-02-15 15:34:07','2014-02-15 15:34:07','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?post_type=portfolio&#038;p=2500',0,'portfolio','',0),
(2501,4,'2014-02-18 16:35:38','2014-02-18 16:35:38','Last week, the Washington, DC area was hit by one of the largest snowstorms we\'ve had in four years. Some areas got as much as 18 inches of snow. Me, well I only had about 14 inches. When it stopped snowing, I opened my garage door (I couldn\'t open the front door because there was too much snow) and this is what I saw:\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2502\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-before.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2502\" alt=\"Snowy driveway, February 13, 2014\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-before-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Snowy driveway, February 13, 2014[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe snow was up to my knees and it was heavy. I didn\'t know where to start.\r\n\r\nAfter three hours of shoveling, some melting and the fact the neighbor cleared his driveway, this is what my driveway looked like:\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2503\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"225\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-after.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2503\" alt=\"Snow Feb 13 after\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-after-225x300.jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a> Shoveled out driveway, Feb. 13[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">So, what can you learn about blogging from shoveling out your snowy driveway?</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">You</span> have to start.</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">You can\'t get very far if you don\'t start shoveling (or blogging). That driveway will not magically clear itself. And yes, you can wait for the snow to melt...but you aren\'t going to be able to get anywhere until it does.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>You will see results.</strong></p>\r\nBlogging, like shoveling snow, can be a hard, long process. But the results are there if you just start working at it.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>It takes as long as it takes.</strong></p>\r\nIt may take you three hours or it may take you 20 minutes. My neighbor, who is younger and taller than me, was able to dig out his driveway in about 45 minutes. He also helped my other neighbor do his. There are different levels of skill and ability, but that doesn\'t mean you can\'t do it. If it takes longer, it does.\r\n\r\nWhat is stopping you from blogging? Is it that it daunts you? Is it that it is hard? Let me know. And keep an eye out for details about my next blogging workshop, to take place in Washington, DC on April 1.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','What shoveling snow can teach you about blogging','','publish','open','open','','what-shoveling-snow-can-teach-you-about-blogging','','','2014-02-19 17:29:19','2014-02-19 17:29:19','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2501',0,'post','',2),
(2502,4,'2014-02-18 16:19:46','2014-02-18 16:19:46','','Snow Feb 13 before','Snowy driveway, February 13, 2014','inherit','open','open','','snow-feb-13-before','','','2014-02-18 16:19:46','2014-02-18 16:19:46','',2501,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-before.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(2503,4,'2014-02-18 16:24:13','2014-02-18 16:24:13','','Snow Feb 13 after','','inherit','open','open','','snow-feb-13-after','','','2014-02-18 16:24:13','2014-02-18 16:24:13','',2501,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-after.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(2505,4,'2014-02-18 16:34:39','2014-02-18 16:34:39','Last week, the Washington, DC area was hit by one of the largest snowstorms we\'ve had in four years. Some areas got as much as 18 inches of snow. Me, well I only had about 14 inches. When it stopped snowing, I opened my garage door (I couldn\'t open the front door because there was too much snow) and this is what I saw:\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2502\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-before.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2502\" alt=\"Snowy driveway, February 13, 2014\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-before-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Snowy driveway, February 13, 2014[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe snow was up to my knees and it was heavy. I didn\'t know where to start.\r\n\r\nAfter three hours of shoveling, some melting and the fact the neighbor cleared his driveway, this is what my driveway looked like:\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2503\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"225\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-after.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2503\" alt=\"Snow Feb 13 after\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-after-225x300.jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a> Shoveled out driveway, Feb. 13[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">So, what can you learn about blogging from shoveling out your snowy driveway?</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">You</span> have to start.</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">You can\'t get very far if you don\'t start shoveling (or blogging). That driveway will not magically clear itself. And yes, you can wait for the snow to melt...but you are going to be able to get anywhere until it does.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>You will see results.</strong></p>\r\nBlogging, like shoveling snow, can be a hard, long process. But the results are there if you just start working at it.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>It takes as long as it takes.</strong></p>\r\nIt may take you three hours or it may take you 20 minutes. My neighbor, who is younger and taller than me, was able to dig out his driveway in about 45 minutes. He also helped my other neighbor do his. There are different levels of skill and ability, but that doesn\'t mean you can\'t do it. If it takes longer, it does.\r\n\r\nWhat is stopping you from blogging? Is it that it daunts you? Is it that it is hard? Let me know. And keep an eye out for detail about my next blogging workshop, in Washington DC on April 1.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','What shoveling snow can teach you about blogging','','inherit','open','open','','2501-revision-v1','','','2014-02-18 16:34:39','2014-02-18 16:34:39','',2501,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/02/2501-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2504,4,'2014-02-18 16:33:41','2014-02-18 16:33:41','Last week, the Washington, DC area was hit by one of the largest snowstorms we\'ve had in four years. Some areas got as much as 18 inches of snow. Me, well I only had about 14 inches. When it stopped snowing, I opened my garage door (I couldn\'t open the front door because there was too much snow) and this is what I saw:\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2502\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-before.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2502\" alt=\"Snowy driveway, February 13, 2014\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-before-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Snowy driveway, February 13, 2014[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2502\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-before.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2502\" alt=\"Snowy driveway, February 13, 2014\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-before-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Snowy driveway, February 13, 2014[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe snow was up to my knees and it was heavy. I didn\'t know where to start.\r\n\r\nAfter three hours of shoveling, some melting and the fact the neighbor cleared his driveway, this is what my driveway looked like:\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2503\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"225\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-after.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2503\" alt=\"Snow Feb 13 after\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-after-225x300.jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a> Shoveled out driveway, Feb. 13[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">So, what can you learn about blogging from shoveling out your snowy driveway?</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">You</span> have to start.</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">You can\'t get very far if you don\'t start shoveling (or blogging). That driveway will not magically clear itself. And yes, you can wait for the snow to melt...but you are going to be able to get anywhere until it does.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>You will see results.</strong></p>\r\nBlogging, like shoveling snow, can be a hard, long process. But the results are there if you just start working at it.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>It takes as long as it takes.</strong></p>\r\nIt may take you three hours or it may take you 20 minutes. My neighbor, who is younger and taller than me, was able to dig out his driveway in about 45 minutes. He also helped my other neighbor do his. There are different levels of skill and ability, but that doesn\'t mean you can\'t do it. If it takes longer, it does.\r\n\r\nWhat is stopping you from blogging? Is it that it daunts you? Is it that it is hard? Let me know. And keep an eye out for detail about my next blogging workshop, in Washington DC on April 1.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','What shoveling snow can teach you about blogging','','inherit','open','open','','2501-revision-v1','','','2014-02-18 16:33:41','2014-02-18 16:33:41','',2501,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/02/2501-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2506,4,'2014-02-18 16:46:04','2014-02-18 16:46:04','Last week, the Washington, DC area was hit by one of the largest snowstorms we\'ve had in four years. Some areas got as much as 18 inches of snow. Me, well I only had about 14 inches. When it stopped snowing, I opened my garage door (I couldn\'t open the front door because there was too much snow) and this is what I saw:\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2502\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-before.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2502\" alt=\"Snowy driveway, February 13, 2014\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-before-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Snowy driveway, February 13, 2014[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe snow was up to my knees and it was heavy. I didn\'t know where to start.\r\n\r\nAfter three hours of shoveling, some melting and the fact the neighbor cleared his driveway, this is what my driveway looked like:\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2503\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"225\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-after.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2503\" alt=\"Snow Feb 13 after\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-after-225x300.jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a> Shoveled out driveway, Feb. 13[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">So, what can you learn about blogging from shoveling out your snowy driveway?</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">You</span> have to start.</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">You can\'t get very far if you don\'t start shoveling (or blogging). That driveway will not magically clear itself. And yes, you can wait for the snow to melt...but you are going to be able to get anywhere until it does.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>You will see results.</strong></p>\r\nBlogging, like shoveling snow, can be a hard, long process. But the results are there if you just start working at it.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>It takes as long as it takes.</strong></p>\r\nIt may take you three hours or it may take you 20 minutes. My neighbor, who is younger and taller than me, was able to dig out his driveway in about 45 minutes. He also helped my other neighbor do his. There are different levels of skill and ability, but that doesn\'t mean you can\'t do it. If it takes longer, it does.\r\n\r\nWhat is stopping you from blogging? Is it that it daunts you? Is it that it is hard? Let me know. And keep an eye out for details about my next blogging workshop, to take place in Washington, DC on April 1.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','What shoveling snow can teach you about blogging','','inherit','open','open','','2501-revision-v1','','','2014-02-18 16:46:04','2014-02-18 16:46:04','',2501,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/02/2501-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2508,4,'2014-02-19 17:29:19','2014-02-19 17:29:19','Last week, the Washington, DC area was hit by one of the largest snowstorms we\'ve had in four years. Some areas got as much as 18 inches of snow. Me, well I only had about 14 inches. When it stopped snowing, I opened my garage door (I couldn\'t open the front door because there was too much snow) and this is what I saw:\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2502\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-before.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2502\" alt=\"Snowy driveway, February 13, 2014\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-before-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Snowy driveway, February 13, 2014[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe snow was up to my knees and it was heavy. I didn\'t know where to start.\r\n\r\nAfter three hours of shoveling, some melting and the fact the neighbor cleared his driveway, this is what my driveway looked like:\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2503\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"225\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-after.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2503\" alt=\"Snow Feb 13 after\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Feb-13-after-225x300.jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a> Shoveled out driveway, Feb. 13[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">So, what can you learn about blogging from shoveling out your snowy driveway?</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">You</span> have to start.</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">You can\'t get very far if you don\'t start shoveling (or blogging). That driveway will not magically clear itself. And yes, you can wait for the snow to melt...but you aren\'t going to be able to get anywhere until it does.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>You will see results.</strong></p>\r\nBlogging, like shoveling snow, can be a hard, long process. But the results are there if you just start working at it.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>It takes as long as it takes.</strong></p>\r\nIt may take you three hours or it may take you 20 minutes. My neighbor, who is younger and taller than me, was able to dig out his driveway in about 45 minutes. He also helped my other neighbor do his. There are different levels of skill and ability, but that doesn\'t mean you can\'t do it. If it takes longer, it does.\r\n\r\nWhat is stopping you from blogging? Is it that it daunts you? Is it that it is hard? Let me know. And keep an eye out for details about my next blogging workshop, to take place in Washington, DC on April 1.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','What shoveling snow can teach you about blogging','','inherit','open','open','','2501-revision-v1','','','2014-02-19 17:29:19','2014-02-19 17:29:19','',2501,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/02/2501-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2509,4,'2014-02-21 14:11:43','2014-02-21 14:11:43','In case you\'ve missed a newsletter, just check this archive:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/33be2c\">May 2018</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/51a8bb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">February 2018</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/4dd82b\">November 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"September 2017\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/391dca\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">September 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/45625a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">June 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/75c3f9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">April 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/792b39\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">December 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/a051e8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">October 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"August 2016 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/359a88\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">August 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/d841f7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">June 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"March 2016 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/a50a67\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">March 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/d7ed27\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">January 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/987fe6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">November 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"September 2015 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/2f17a6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">September 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/f0dc46\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">June 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/83c206\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">March 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"January 2015 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/594ec5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">January 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/p/9a6295?fe=1&amp;pact=26384901049\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">November 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/f95d35\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">September 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/c3e405\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">July 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://mad.ly/3625c4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">April 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"February newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/dc2584\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">February 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"December 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/bb9454\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">December 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"October 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/f27424\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">October 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"July 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/eb30f3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">July 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"May 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/9003c3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">May 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"March 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/d82a93\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">March 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"January 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/a12873\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">January 2013</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Newsletters','','publish','open','open','','newsletters','','','2018-05-08 16:33:33','2018-05-08 20:33:33','',18,'http://deborahbrody.com/?page_id=2509',0,'page','',0),
(2510,4,'2014-02-21 14:07:53','2014-02-21 14:07:53','In case you\'ve missed a newsletter, just check this archive.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"February newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/dc2584\">February 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"December 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/bb9454\">December 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"October 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/f27424\">October 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"July 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/eb30f3\">July 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"May 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/9003c3\">May 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"March 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/d82a93\">March 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"January 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/a12873\">January 2013</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Newsletters','','inherit','open','open','','2509-revision-v1','','','2014-02-21 14:07:53','2014-02-21 14:07:53','',2509,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/02/2509-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2511,4,'2014-02-21 14:09:14','2014-02-21 14:09:14','In case you\'ve missed a newsletter, just check this archive.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"February newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/dc2584\">February 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"December 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/bb9454\">December 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"October 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/f27424\" target=\"_blank\">October 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"July 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/eb30f3\" target=\"_blank\">July 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"May 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/9003c3\">May 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"March 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/d82a93\">March 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"January 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/a12873\">January 2013</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Newsletters','','inherit','open','open','','2509-revision-v1','','','2014-02-21 14:09:14','2014-02-21 14:09:14','',2509,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/02/2509-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2512,4,'2014-02-21 14:10:03','2014-02-21 14:10:03','In case you\'ve missed a newsletter, just check this archive.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"February newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/dc2584\" target=\"_blank\">February 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"December 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/bb9454\" target=\"_blank\">December 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"October 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/f27424\" target=\"_blank\">October 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"July 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/eb30f3\" target=\"_blank\">July 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"May 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/9003c3\">May 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"March 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/d82a93\">March 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"January 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/a12873\">January 2013</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Newsletters','','inherit','open','open','','2509-revision-v1','','','2014-02-21 14:10:03','2014-02-21 14:10:03','',2509,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/02/2509-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2513,4,'2014-02-21 14:25:10','2014-02-21 14:25:10','<strong>About this blog:</strong>\n\nCuppamarcomm...well it is a play on cuppa tea (cuppa coffee), which is what the British like to drink.  Marketing communications is the term to cover all communications avenues (PR, advertising, social media, etc.) that go in to marketing and promotion. This blog is a collection of observations, ideas and information about marcomm, and its views are the sole property of its author. Comments are welcome (as long as they are not crude or rude).\n\n<strong>About the author:</strong>\n\nHi, I am Deborah Brody. I have worked in marketing communications for more than 15 years.  Currently, I am a freelance writer and strategist but before that, I worked in advertising and public relations agencies, and even taught public relations writing at the college level. I\'ve had the opportunity to work on various different projects for all sorts of clients.\n\n<strong>If you like what you see here and would like to start a blog for your company, want to learn more about social media or need help with your marketing materials, please get in touch.  Write me at info@deborahbrody.com. </strong>\n\nPlease visit my website at <a href=\"http://www.deborahbrody.com/\">www.deborahbrody.com</a> to get more info.\n\n<strong>Work Samples\n</strong>\n\nPrint Ad for Legacy Jewelers:\n\n<a title=\"leje_108_half18k_bg.pdf\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/leje_108_half18k_bg.pdf\">leje_108_half18k_bg.pdf</a>\n\nAnd a <a title=\"Portfolio\" href=\"http://www.deborahbrody.com/brochurewriting.htm\" target=\"_blank\"> link to the portfolio on my website.</a>\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_103\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/p8180834.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-103\" alt=\"Writing from the nation\'s capital\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/p8180834.jpg?w=300\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" /></a> Writing from the nation\'s capital[/caption]','About','','inherit','open','open','','1237-autosave-v1','','','2014-02-21 14:25:10','2014-02-21 14:25:10','',1237,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/02/1237-autosave-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2514,4,'2012-06-20 16:36:08','2012-06-20 16:36:08','<div id=\"aboutleft\"><img style=\"margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 40px;\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/picture.jpg\" alt=\"\" align=\"left\" />Deborah Brody is a writer and consultant with nearly 20 years public relations, advertising and marketing experience. Her firm, Deborah Brody Marketing Communications (DBMC), provides high-level writing and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses and nonprofits.Prior to launching DBMC in 2002 and helping organizations refine marketing materials, write blog posts, create website content, and generate press releases, the bilingual (English, Spanish) Deborah worked at several South Florida-based agencies, including Everett Clay Associates, The Jeffrey Group, and  Peter Nasca Associates. With these firms, she specialized in public relations in Latin America and corporate communications.  During this time, Deborah also taught Advanced Public Relations Writing at Florida International University.\r\n\r\nCurrently based in the Washington, D.C. area, Deborah is a graduate of Brandeis University (B.A., Politics) and of Boston University\'s College of Communications, where she earned a Master\'s degree in Mass Communication.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 20px;\"><a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/about/clients/\">Clients</a> | <a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/about/portfolio/\">Portfolio</a> | <a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/about/how-we-work/\">How We Work</a></p>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div id=\"aboutright\">\r\n<div id=\"testimonial\">\r\n<p id=\"testimonial\">In the media relations area, Deborah displayed great news instincts - she knew what was newsworthy and how to get coverage. She is a creative, clear, and concise writer, targeting her products to the organization and its audiences. Plus, she\'s bi-lingual and can help you reach even broader audiences.</p>\r\n<p id=\"testimonial\">Debbie Auerbach-Deutsch, former VP of Communications, B’nai B’rith International</p>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div id=\"testimonial\">\r\n<p id=\"testimonial\">Deborah wrote 8 reports on workshops that took place at the International Aid &amp; Trade Event in Washington D.C. The articles she wrote are accurate, engaging and comprehensive. They were delivered as requested and on time. I am more than satisfied with Deborah\'s work and she was a pleasure to work with.</p>\r\n<p id=\"testimonial\">Sula Bruce, Aid and Development Forum</p>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div id=\"testimonial\">\r\n<p id=\"testimonial\">Deborah is a smart, clear, and strong writer who always impresses me with her awareness of the latest marketing trends.</p>\r\n<p id=\"testimonial\">Bonnie Auslander, Office of Business Communications, American University Kogod School of Business</p>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>','About','','inherit','open','open','','18-revision-v1','','','2012-06-20 16:36:08','2012-06-20 16:36:08','',18,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/18-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2515,4,'2014-02-21 14:30:19','2014-02-21 14:30:19','<div id=\"aboutleft\"><img style=\"margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 40px;\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/picture.jpg\" align=\"left\" />Deborah Brody is a writer and consultant with nearly 20 years public relations, advertising and marketing experience. Her firm, Deborah Brody Marketing Communications (DBMC), provides high-level writing and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses and nonprofits.Prior to launching DBMC in 2002 and helping organizations refine marketing materials, write blog posts, create website content, and generate press releases, the bilingual (English, Spanish) Deborah worked at several South Florida-based agencies, including Everett Clay Associates, The Jeffrey Group, and  Peter Nasca Associates. With these firms, she specialized in public relations in Latin America and corporate communications.  During this time, Deborah also taught Advanced Public Relations Writing at Florida International University.Currently based in the Washington, D.C. area, Deborah is a graduate of Brandeis University (B.A., Politics) and of Boston University\'s College of Communications, where she earned a Master\'s degree in Mass Communication.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 20px;\"><a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/about/clients/\">Clients</a> | <a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/about/portfolio/\">Portfolio</a> | <a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/about/how-we-work/\">How We Work |</a><a title=\"Newsletters\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/about/newsletters/\">Newsletters</a></p>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div id=\"aboutright\">\r\n<div id=\"testimonial\">\r\n<p id=\"testimonial\">In the media relations area, Deborah displayed great news instincts - she knew what was newsworthy and how to get coverage. She is a creative, clear, and concise writer, targeting her products to the organization and its audiences. Plus, she\'s bi-lingual and can help you reach even broader audiences.</p>\r\n<p id=\"testimonial\">Debbie Auerbach-Deutsch, former VP of Communications, B’nai B’rith International</p>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div id=\"testimonial\">\r\n<p id=\"testimonial\">Deborah wrote 8 reports on workshops that took place at the International Aid &amp; Trade Event in Washington D.C. The articles she wrote are accurate, engaging and comprehensive. They were delivered as requested and on time. I am more than satisfied with Deborah\'s work and she was a pleasure to work with.</p>\r\n<p id=\"testimonial\">Sula Bruce, Aid and Development Forum</p>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div id=\"testimonial\">\r\n<p id=\"testimonial\">Deborah is a smart, clear, and strong writer who always impresses me with her awareness of the latest marketing trends.</p>\r\n<p id=\"testimonial\">Bonnie Auslander, Office of Business Communications, American University Kogod School of Business</p>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>','About','','inherit','open','open','','18-revision-v1','','','2014-02-21 14:30:19','2014-02-21 14:30:19','',18,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/02/18-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2516,4,'2014-02-21 14:31:41','2014-02-21 14:31:41',' ','','','publish','open','open','','2516','','','2018-02-12 10:39:33','2018-02-12 15:39:33','',18,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2516',13,'nav_menu_item','',0),
(2519,4,'2014-02-21 15:14:40','2014-02-21 15:14:40','In case you\'ve missed a newsletter, just check this archive.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"February newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/dc2584\" target=\"_blank\">February 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"December 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/bb9454\" target=\"_blank\">December 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"October 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/f27424\" target=\"_blank\">October 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"July 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/eb30f3\" target=\"_blank\">July 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"May 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/9003c3\" target=\"_blank\">May 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"March 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/d82a93\" target=\"_blank\">March 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"January 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/a12873\" target=\"_blank\">January 2013</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Newsletters','','inherit','open','open','','2509-revision-v1','','','2014-02-21 15:14:40','2014-02-21 15:14:40','',2509,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/02/2509-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2520,4,'2014-02-24 15:41:13','2014-02-24 15:41:13','There are two main types of human communication: interpersonal and mass communication. Interpersonal communication refers to communication between one person and another (or a few others) and mass communication is the relaying of information between individuals or entities to large groups of people using mass media (TV, internet, etc.).\r\n\r\nInterpersonal communication can further be broken down into written, oral and non-verbal communication.\r\n\r\nCan you be a good mass communicator if you aren\'t a good interpersonal communicator? That\'s the question I have been thinking about lately as I see people who work in communications jobs (PR, advertising, design, etc.) who seem to have issues communicating one-to-one. I believe the better your interpersonal communication skills are, the better you are able to do mass communication.\r\n\r\nHere are some red flags that I have been noticing:\r\n\r\n<strong>Passive-aggressive/indirect communication</strong>. Not saying what you mean or being underhanded is not effective communication.\r\n\r\n<strong>Jargon-laden communication</strong>. Often people think that they will impress others by using jargon. Or worse, they assume that everyone understands what they are saying. In either case, by using jargon, people are failing to communicate simply and therefore are being ineffective.\r\n\r\n<strong>One-way communication</strong>. This is a big one. It may be evidenced by constantly interrupting the other person or not listening to what he/she is saying or displaying a lack of curiosity by not asking questions.  Some people carry on monologues and don\'t seem to be aware of or  care about what others think. By not caring about or adjusting to your audience, you are not being an effective communicator.\r\n\r\n<strong>Not being \"human.\"</strong> People who don\'t acknowledge others or are incapable of social niceties (greeting people, asking about their weekend, etc.) are also communicating that they are not interested. Lack of interest in the person you are communicating with is a recipe for failed interactions.\r\n\r\nIf you come across this behavior in a communications professional (e.g., PR practitioner, a writer or an advertising executive) you should be wary. If someone is incapable of effective interpersonal communication, why should you trust that he or she can communicate on a larger scale?\r\n\r\nIn big media news, C<a href=\"http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/23/news/piers-morgan-cnn/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NN announced it will cancel Piers Morgan Live</a> after only three years. I\'m not surprised. Last week, I watched an entire episode for the first time,  and what struck me was that Piers tended to interrupt his guests many times. He continually interjected his thoughts and didn\'t allow the guests to  finish talking. It was highly annoying to watch, and I am sure, highly annoying for the guests too. Piers seems to be a master at one-way communication. Unfortunately, that doesn\'t make for effective (or interesting) TV. What a contrast from his predecessor Larry King, who was known for showing an interest in his guests.\r\n\r\nWhat red flags do you notice in interpersonal communication? Do you think there is a correlation between being good at interpersonal communication and succeeding at mass communication?','The red flags of interpersonal communication to watch out for','','publish','open','open','','the-red-flags-of-interpersonal-communication-to-watch-out-for','','','2018-09-25 14:22:51','2018-09-25 18:22:51','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2520',0,'post','',0),
(2521,4,'2014-02-24 15:41:13','2014-02-24 15:41:13','There are two main types of human communication: interpersonal and mass communication. Interpersonal communication refers to communication between one person and another (or a few others) and mass communication is the relaying of information between individuals or entities to large groups of people using mass media (TV, internet, etc.).\r\n\r\nInterpersonal communication can further be broken down into written, oral and non-verbal communication.\r\n\r\nCan you be a good mass communicator if you aren\'t a good interpersonal communicator? That\'s the question I have been thinking about lately as I see people who work in communications jobs (PR, advertising, design, etc.) who seem to have issues communicating one-to-one. I believe the better your interpersonal communication skills are, the better you are able to do mass communication.\r\n\r\nHere are some red flags that I have been noticing:\r\n\r\n<strong>Passive-aggressive/indirect communication</strong>. Not saying what you mean or being underhanded is not effective communication.\r\n\r\n<strong>Jargon-laden communication</strong>. Often people think that they will impress others by using jargon. Or worse, they assume that everyone understands what they are saying. In either case, by using jargon, people are failing to communicate simply and therefore are being ineffective.\r\n\r\n<strong>One-way communication</strong>. This is a big one. It may be evidenced by constantly interrupting the other person or not listening to what he/sh is saying or displaying a lack of curiosity by not asking questions.  Some people carry on monologues and don\'t seem to be aware of or a care about what others think. By not caring about or adjusting to your audience, you are not being an effective communicator.\r\n\r\n<strong>Not being \"human.\"</strong> People who don\'t acknowledge others or are incapable of social niceties (greeting people, asking about their weekend, etc.) are also communicating that they are not interested. Lack of interest in the person you are communicating with is a recipe for failed interactions.\r\n\r\nIf you come across this behavior in a communications professional(e.g. PR practitioner, a writer or an advertising executive) you should be wary. If someone is incapable of effective interpersonal communication, why should you trust that he or she can communicate on a larger scale?\r\n\r\nIn big media news, C<a href=\"http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/23/news/piers-morgan-cnn/\" target=\"_blank\">NN announced it will cancel Piers Morgan Live</a> after only three years. I\'m not surprised. Last week, I watched an entire episode for the first time,  and what struck me was that Piers tended to interrupt his guests many times. He continually interjected his thoughts and didn\'t allow the guests to  finish talking. It was highly annoying to watch, and I am sure, highly annoying for the guests too. Piers seems to be a master at one-way communication. Unfortunately, that doesn\'t make for effective (or interesting) TV. What a contrast from his predecessor Larry King, who was known for showing an interest in his guests.\r\n\r\nWhat red flags do you notice in interpersonal communication? Do you think there is a correlation between being good at interpersonal communication and succeeding at mass communication?','The red flags of interpersonal communication to watch out for','','inherit','open','open','','2520-revision-v1','','','2014-02-24 15:41:13','2014-02-24 15:41:13','',2520,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/02/2520-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2522,4,'2014-02-26 15:31:42','2014-02-26 15:31:42','Yesterday, an acquaintance posted a picture of an elaborate, girly birthday cake she had made for her daughter\'s birthday. She had written \"Happy 4th Birthday to my baby\" as a caption.  I commented saying \"Beautiful cake! How old is she?\" Someone, let\'s call her Jane, wrote back \"ummmm Deborah. She\'s 4.\" I then looked at the post and realized that it indeed said the little girl had turned four. I was focused one the picture and my eyes just skipped the \"4th\" and read happy birthday to my baby.\" So I responded: \"Sorry Jane. I was looking at the picture. Excuse my stupidity.\" To which Jane (someone I don\'t know and who doesn\'t know me): \"I know. I just couldn\'t resist. It just struck me as so funny!\"\r\n\r\nNow I don\'t know Jane, but it was pretty obvious that she was trying to make fun of me, a stranger, in front of our mutual acquaintance and all of her friends. If she had stopped for just a couple of seconds and asked herself if the comment was necessary, she may have opted to skip it. People reading it would have realized I didn\'t read the caption correctly or they would have ignored it.\r\n\r\nThis is pretty mild stuff, I know. But people routinely post stuff quickly and with little thought to the consequence. For a \"heavier\" example, there\'s the Virginia politician who  posted on his Facebook page that pregnant women are simply \"hosts\" for the baby. He did this to defend his viewpoint that abortion should be illegal. When people criticized him, he redacted the comment, but not before it made news as far away as England, as <a href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2567033/Virginia-Republican-claims-pregnant-women-just-hosts-angry-Facebook-rant.html\" target=\"_blank\">this article in the Daily Mail</a> shows.\r\n\r\n<strong>Social media allows people to engage in real-time conversation, but unlike in-person spoken conversation, social media posts are public, searchable and in many cases, permanent.</strong>\r\n\r\nIn person, we can say something dumb or insensitive, and then move on. Perhaps we apologize or explain ourselves. The comments we make are not visible to anybody else outside our conversation (unless perhaps they are recorded, and you don\'t know it, in which case you may have bigger problems than just saying something stupid).\r\n\r\nIn social media, we have the illusion that we are having an intimate conversation with one person or a group, but in reality, we are making our thoughts completely public.\r\n\r\nBefore we post ANYTHING to social media, <strong>we should stop</strong> and ask ourselves: Is this really necessary? Does this comment have the capacity to offend? How will people perceive this comment?\r\n\r\nNow, I am not advocating that you spend all day deciding whether to say something on social media nor am I saying you need to edit and approve every uttering. That would be counterproductive. You should simply take a moment and think about what you are saying.\r\n\r\nOn Monday, Brad Phillips wrote a post called <a href=\"http://www.mrmediatraining.com/2014/02/23/no-word-was-ever-as-effective-as-a-rightly-timed-pause/\" target=\"_blank\">\"No Word Was Ever as Effective As A Rightly Timed Pause,\"</a> on his Mr. Media Training blog. His argument is that a pause in conversation has two main effects. One is to give the person who is pausing a moment to pull his/her thoughts together instead of blurting out whatever comes to mind. The second is to give the listener the impression that the person is confident enough to pause, and thoughtful enough to give a well-reasoned response.\r\n\r\n<strong>So next time to you are going to write a comment on Facebook, respond to someone on Twitter or even compose a blog post, PAUSE and think about what you are doing.</strong>\r\n\r\n<em>In the DC area and interested in improving your blogging skills? Attend the next How to Write Your Blog  workshop on April 1. <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorgf\" target=\"_blank\">Details and registration are available on Eventbrite.</a></em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','One action that guarantees social media success','','publish','open','open','','one-action-that-guarantees-social-media-success','','\nhttp://www.mrmediatraining.com/2014/02/23/no-word-was-ever-as-effective-as-a-rightly-timed-pause/','2014-02-26 15:31:42','2014-02-26 15:31:42','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2522',0,'post','',0),
(2523,4,'2014-02-26 15:27:58','2014-02-26 15:27:58','Yesterday, an acquaintance posted a picture of an elaborate, girly birthday cake she had made for her daughter\'s birthday. She had written \"Happy 4th Birthday to my baby\" as a caption.  I commented saying \"Beautiful cake! How old is she?\" Someone, let\'s call her Jane, wrote back \"ummmm Deborah. She\'s 4.\" I then looked at the post and realized that it indeed said the little girl had turned four. I was focused one the picture and my eyes just skipped the \"4th\" and read happy birthday to my baby.\" So I responded: \"Sorry Jane. I was looking at the picture. Excuse my stupidity.\" To which Jane (someone I don\'t know and who doesn\'t know me): \"I know. I just couldn\'t resist. It just struck me as so funny!\"\r\n\r\nNow I don\'t know Jane, but it was pretty obvious that she was trying to make fun of me, a stranger, in front of our mutual acquaintance and all of her friends. If she had stopped for just a couple of seconds and asked herself if the comment was necessary, she may have opted to skip it. People reading it would have realized I didn\'t read the caption correctly or they would have ignored it.\r\n\r\nThis is pretty mild stuff, I know. But people routinely post stuff quickly and with little thought to the consequence. For a \"heavier\" example, there\'s the Virginia politician who  posted on his Facebook page that pregnant women are simply \"hosts\" for the baby. He did this to defend his viewpoint that abortion should be illegal. When people criticized him, he redacted the comment, but not before it made news as far away as England, as <a href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2567033/Virginia-Republican-claims-pregnant-women-just-hosts-angry-Facebook-rant.html\" target=\"_blank\">this article in the Daily Mail</a> shows.\r\n\r\n<strong>Social media allows people to engage in real-time conversation, but unlike in-person spoken conversation, social media posts are public, searchable and in many cases, permanent.</strong>\r\n\r\nIn person, we can say something dumb or insensitive, and then move on. Perhaps we apologize or explain ourselves. The comments we make are not visible to anybody else outside our conversation (unless perhaps they are recorded, and you don\'t know it, in which case you may have bigger problems than just saying something stupid).\r\n\r\nIn social media, we have the illusion that we are having an intimate conversation with one person or a group, but in reality, we are making our thoughts completely public.\r\n\r\nBefore we post ANYTHING to social media, <strong>we should stop</strong> and ask ourselves: Is this really necessary? Does this comment have the capacity to offend? How will people perceive this comment?\r\n\r\nNow, I am not advocating that you spend all day deciding whether to say something on social media nor am I saying you need to edit and approve every uttering. That would be counterproductive. You should simply take a moment and think about what you are saying.\r\n\r\nBrad Phillips wrote a post called <a href=\"http://www.mrmediatraining.com/2014/02/23/no-word-was-ever-as-effective-as-a-rightly-timed-pause/\" target=\"_blank\">\"No Word Was Ever as Effective As A Rightly Timed Pause,\"</a> on his Mr. Media Training blog. His argument is that a pause in conversation has two main effects. One is to give the person who is pausing a moment to pull his/her thoughts together instead of blurting out whatever comes to mind. The second is to give the listener the impression that the person is confident enough to pause, and thoughtful enough to give a well-reasoned response.\r\n\r\n<strong>So next time to you are going to write a comment on Facebook, respond to someone on Twitter or even compose a blog post, PAUSE and think about what you are doing.</strong>\r\n\r\n<em>In the DC area and interested in improving your blogging skills? Attend the next How to Write Your Blog  workshop on April 1. <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorgf\" target=\"_blank\">Details and registration are available on Eventbrite.</a></em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','One action that guarantees social media success','','inherit','open','open','','2522-revision-v1','','','2014-02-26 15:27:58','2014-02-26 15:27:58','',2522,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/02/2522-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2524,4,'2014-02-26 15:31:42','2014-02-26 15:31:42','Yesterday, an acquaintance posted a picture of an elaborate, girly birthday cake she had made for her daughter\'s birthday. She had written \"Happy 4th Birthday to my baby\" as a caption.  I commented saying \"Beautiful cake! How old is she?\" Someone, let\'s call her Jane, wrote back \"ummmm Deborah. She\'s 4.\" I then looked at the post and realized that it indeed said the little girl had turned four. I was focused one the picture and my eyes just skipped the \"4th\" and read happy birthday to my baby.\" So I responded: \"Sorry Jane. I was looking at the picture. Excuse my stupidity.\" To which Jane (someone I don\'t know and who doesn\'t know me): \"I know. I just couldn\'t resist. It just struck me as so funny!\"\r\n\r\nNow I don\'t know Jane, but it was pretty obvious that she was trying to make fun of me, a stranger, in front of our mutual acquaintance and all of her friends. If she had stopped for just a couple of seconds and asked herself if the comment was necessary, she may have opted to skip it. People reading it would have realized I didn\'t read the caption correctly or they would have ignored it.\r\n\r\nThis is pretty mild stuff, I know. But people routinely post stuff quickly and with little thought to the consequence. For a \"heavier\" example, there\'s the Virginia politician who  posted on his Facebook page that pregnant women are simply \"hosts\" for the baby. He did this to defend his viewpoint that abortion should be illegal. When people criticized him, he redacted the comment, but not before it made news as far away as England, as <a href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2567033/Virginia-Republican-claims-pregnant-women-just-hosts-angry-Facebook-rant.html\" target=\"_blank\">this article in the Daily Mail</a> shows.\r\n\r\n<strong>Social media allows people to engage in real-time conversation, but unlike in-person spoken conversation, social media posts are public, searchable and in many cases, permanent.</strong>\r\n\r\nIn person, we can say something dumb or insensitive, and then move on. Perhaps we apologize or explain ourselves. The comments we make are not visible to anybody else outside our conversation (unless perhaps they are recorded, and you don\'t know it, in which case you may have bigger problems than just saying something stupid).\r\n\r\nIn social media, we have the illusion that we are having an intimate conversation with one person or a group, but in reality, we are making our thoughts completely public.\r\n\r\nBefore we post ANYTHING to social media, <strong>we should stop</strong> and ask ourselves: Is this really necessary? Does this comment have the capacity to offend? How will people perceive this comment?\r\n\r\nNow, I am not advocating that you spend all day deciding whether to say something on social media nor am I saying you need to edit and approve every uttering. That would be counterproductive. You should simply take a moment and think about what you are saying.\r\n\r\nOn Monday, Brad Phillips wrote a post called <a href=\"http://www.mrmediatraining.com/2014/02/23/no-word-was-ever-as-effective-as-a-rightly-timed-pause/\" target=\"_blank\">\"No Word Was Ever as Effective As A Rightly Timed Pause,\"</a> on his Mr. Media Training blog. His argument is that a pause in conversation has two main effects. One is to give the person who is pausing a moment to pull his/her thoughts together instead of blurting out whatever comes to mind. The second is to give the listener the impression that the person is confident enough to pause, and thoughtful enough to give a well-reasoned response.\r\n\r\n<strong>So next time to you are going to write a comment on Facebook, respond to someone on Twitter or even compose a blog post, PAUSE and think about what you are doing.</strong>\r\n\r\n<em>In the DC area and interested in improving your blogging skills? Attend the next How to Write Your Blog  workshop on April 1. <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorgf\" target=\"_blank\">Details and registration are available on Eventbrite.</a></em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','One action that guarantees social media success','','inherit','open','open','','2522-revision-v1','','','2014-02-26 15:31:42','2014-02-26 15:31:42','',2522,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/02/2522-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2539,4,'2014-03-14 13:38:06','2014-03-14 13:38:06','On<a title=\"Is it real or is it…a robot?\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/is-it-real-or-is-it-a-robot/\"> Wednesday</a>, I wrote about how some Twitter accounts seem to be run by Rosie, the robot maid on The Jetsons. But robotic social media happens on other social networks and even on blogs. Since so many people seem to be doing it, what is the value of robotic social media?\r\n\r\n<strong>Robotic social media? That\'s a thing?</strong>\r\n\r\nFirst, what do I mean by robotic social media? I mean social media that is cursory, unengaged, formulaic, uninspired, and there because someone thought it was a good idea to be present (but not active) on social networks. It\'s the one tweet a day that announces a new blog post. Or the automated \"thank you for following me\" tweet. It\'s the blog post that has no salient point and seems written just to have some new content on your site. It\'s the LinkedIn profile that has not seen an update in three years, since it was set up.\r\n\r\nRobotic social media nearly always depends on some sort of \"social media management tool\" that usually cross posts for you, and basically handles social media by algorithm.\r\n\r\n<strong>Why would you do that?</strong>\r\n\r\nI have been thinking about why people would use social media in such a non-social way. There are probably several reasons, for example:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>For SEO purposes</li>\r\n	<li>Too busy to manage social media on your own</li>\r\n	<li>To check off social media on the communications plan tactics</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nOnly one of these could has some sort of value: SEO. Certainly, due to changes in search engine algorithms, social media has impact on search results. The theory is that being present on social media <em>helps</em> your search results. However, I believe that search engines reward influence, and being robotic (unengaged) does not lead to influence.\r\n\r\n<strong>Perhaps, it is even counteractive</strong>\r\n\r\nI wrote about the woman who admitted she uses a Twitter management tool and that she really hadn\'t known she \"knew\" me from Twitter. Now, I know that there\'s no there there. So no more interaction. Davina Brewer in the <a title=\"Is it real or is it…a robot?\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/is-it-real-or-is-it-a-robot/\">comments</a> on that post mentions something that happens every day, with big brands and regular people: no response to direct tweets/messages.  In fact, just this morning, I tweeted LinkedIn to ask a question, and still no response.\r\n\r\nWhen I don\'t get a response, I assume that person/brand/organization doesn\'t care or doesn\'t even monitor their messages. I then stop interacting.  I bet many people stop interacting or even following brands/organizations when their comments are not even acknowledged.\r\n\r\nIn my opinion, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">robotic social media is not worth it</span>. To do something just because you think you have to, and then do it by proxy, is not going to accomplish any goals other than checking something off your to-do list.\r\n\r\nAs many have said before, social media is a platform not a strategy. If you don\'t use the platform, it doesn\'t mean you don\'t have a communications strategy. Use the platform well, on the other hand, and you will further your communications strategy rather than stymie it.\r\n<p id=\"stcpDiv\"><em>Don\'t be robotic! Come learn how to blog with me in the<strong> How to Write Your Blog</strong> workshop on April 1 in Washington, D.C. You will learn what makes for an effective blog, how to come up with blog post ideas and how to connect with your audience. Details and registration <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorg\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.</em></p>','Is robotic social media worth it?','','publish','open','open','','is-robotic-social-media-worth-it','','','2014-03-14 13:38:06','2014-03-14 13:38:06','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2539',0,'post','',1),
(2527,4,'2014-03-04 16:13:23','2014-03-04 16:13:23','Twitter just reminded me that today is<a href=\"http://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/grammar-day/\" target=\"_blank\"> National Grammar Day</a> so I shelved what I was going to write (something about nonprofit communications, which I will post later on in the month) so that I could mark this momentous occasion and pay tribute to the power of grammar.\r\n\r\nProper grammar (and punctuation, usage and spelling) makes both written and spoken communication better and easier to understand. Without it, we are left wondering what was meant exactly. After all, if you\'re trying to make your point, you wouldn\'t want to mess it up by using the wrong possessive or contraction. And it would affect your writing if you didn\'t know the effect of your word choice.\r\n\r\nNow, I am no grammar queen. That would be<a href=\"http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl\" target=\"_blank\"> Grammar Gir</a>l. I recommend buying (and reading too) her very useful reference book: <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Grammar Girl\'s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. </span>\r\n\r\nAnother favorite reference is <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Eats Shoots &amp; Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation</span> by Lynne Truss.\r\n\r\nYou really need to have at least one grammar book on your shelves or in your electronic library.\r\n\r\nWho needs grammar? We all do! Oh, and by the way, March is National Reading Month. If you want to improve your grammar, reading (the more, the better) is the key.\r\n\r\n<em>Come learn to blog with me! My next How to Write Your Blog workshop takes place on April 1 in Washington, DC. Get more details and secure your place <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorgf\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Who needs grammar?','','publish','open','open','','who-needs-grammar','','\nhttp://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/grammar-day/','2014-03-04 21:20:42','2014-03-04 21:20:42','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2527',0,'post','',0),
(2528,4,'2014-03-04 16:12:39','2014-03-04 16:12:39','Twitter just reminded me that today is<a href=\"http://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/grammar-day/\" target=\"_blank\"> National Grammar Day</a> so I shelved what I was going to write (something about nonprofit communications, which I will post later on in the month) so that I could mark this momentous occasion and pay tribute to the power of grammar.\r\n\r\nProper grammar (and punctuation, usage and spelling) makes both written and spoken communication better and easier to understand. Without it, we are left wondering what was meant exactly. After all, if you\'re trying to make your point, you wouldn\'t want to mess it up by using the wrong possessive or contraction. And it would affect your writing if you didn\'t know the effect of your word choice.\r\n\r\nNow, I am no grammar queen. That would be<a href=\"http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl\" target=\"_blank\"> Grammar Gir</a>l. I recommend buying (and reading too) her very useful reference book: <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Grammar Girl\'s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. </span>\r\n\r\nAnother favorite reference is <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Eats Shoots &amp; Leave: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation</span> by Lynne Truss.\r\n\r\nYou really need to have at least one grammar book on your shelves or in your electronic library.\r\n\r\nWho needs grammar? We all do! Oh, and by the way, March is National Reading Month. If you want to improve your grammar, reading (the more, the better) is the key.\r\n\r\n<em>Come learn to blog with me! My next How to Write Your Blog workshop takes place on April 1 in Washington, DC. Get more details and secure your place <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorgf\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Who needs grammar?','','inherit','open','open','','2527-revision-v1','','','2014-03-04 16:12:39','2014-03-04 16:12:39','',2527,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2527-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2529,4,'2014-03-04 21:20:42','2014-03-04 21:20:42','Twitter just reminded me that today is<a href=\"http://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/grammar-day/\" target=\"_blank\"> National Grammar Day</a> so I shelved what I was going to write (something about nonprofit communications, which I will post later on in the month) so that I could mark this momentous occasion and pay tribute to the power of grammar.\r\n\r\nProper grammar (and punctuation, usage and spelling) makes both written and spoken communication better and easier to understand. Without it, we are left wondering what was meant exactly. After all, if you\'re trying to make your point, you wouldn\'t want to mess it up by using the wrong possessive or contraction. And it would affect your writing if you didn\'t know the effect of your word choice.\r\n\r\nNow, I am no grammar queen. That would be<a href=\"http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl\" target=\"_blank\"> Grammar Gir</a>l. I recommend buying (and reading too) her very useful reference book: <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Grammar Girl\'s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. </span>\r\n\r\nAnother favorite reference is <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Eats Shoots &amp; Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation</span> by Lynne Truss.\r\n\r\nYou really need to have at least one grammar book on your shelves or in your electronic library.\r\n\r\nWho needs grammar? We all do! Oh, and by the way, March is National Reading Month. If you want to improve your grammar, reading (the more, the better) is the key.\r\n\r\n<em>Come learn to blog with me! My next How to Write Your Blog workshop takes place on April 1 in Washington, DC. Get more details and secure your place <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorgf\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Who needs grammar?','','inherit','open','open','','2527-revision-v1','','','2014-03-04 21:20:42','2014-03-04 21:20:42','',2527,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2527-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2530,4,'2014-03-06 15:22:17','2014-03-06 15:22:17','When you read as many blogs as I do, you see a lot of really great blogs. Great blogs have interesting and relevant content and they are easy to read. But just as there are great blogs, there are many more mediocre blogs.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2531\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/6093708745_ccdb347857_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2531\" alt=\"Forehead Slap by Terry Robinson on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/6093708745_ccdb347857_b-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></a> Forehead Slap by Terry Robinson on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nWhat separates a great blog from a mediocre one? Avoiding these five mistakes:\r\n\r\n1. <strong>Being hard to understand.</strong> Perhaps it\'s the excessive use of jargon, or the spelling and grammatical mistakes, but mediocre blogs make it hard for a reader to get the point.\r\n\r\n2. <strong>Not being scannable.</strong> Web reading is different than print reading. We tend to favor shorter sentences and the ability to move down the page quickly. In short, web writing should be scannable, that is providing readers with with lots of headings, lists, bullets and short sentences.\r\n\r\n3. <strong>No dateline.</strong> I have heard the argument than by not having a dateline on your blog posts the content seems evergreen. Perhaps. But evergreen content is always evergreen--the date shouldn\'t matter. In my opinion, blogs are a way of establishing timeliness and currency. If you don\'t have datelines, readers can\'t tell when you last updated your blog (which of course is your intention). If they can\'t tell whether your last post is from last week or last year, you are basically making it very hard to judge if you are still blogging or not.\r\n\r\n4. <strong>No author information or about page.</strong> Have you ever gone to a blog and tried to figure out who the author is? Well, you shouldn\'t have to channel your inner Sherlock Holmes in order to find out. There should be an about page or an author biography somewhere that is easy to find. People want to know who is writing the stuff they are reading. Even on corporate blogs you could have an author biography for blog contributors (you can use great plugins like the one I use, Biographia) plus a corporate/organizational \"about us\" page.\r\n\r\n5. <strong>No sharing capability (or with limited sharing capability).</strong> It seems unbelievable that in 2014, when it seems all brands are begging you to follow them on Facebook and Twitter, there are blogs that lack sharing capabilities. It\'s a plugin and it\'s free! What\'s the problem? I also can\'t stand blogs that only allow you to share to only one social network, especially when that network is Pinterest.\r\n\r\nWhat mistakes do you see on blogs? Please share in the comments. I am sure there are more out there!\r\n\r\n<em>Avoid these mistakes! Come learn how to blog with me on April 1 in Washington, D.C. You will learn what makes for an effective blog, how to come up with blog post ideas and how to connect with your audience. Details and registration <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorgf\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','5 mistakes to avoid on your blog','','publish','open','open','','5-mistakes-to-avoid-on-your-blog','','','2014-03-06 18:28:33','2014-03-06 18:28:33','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2530',0,'post','',1),
(2531,4,'2014-03-06 15:20:38','2014-03-06 15:20:38','I believe Annie Liebowitz outlines the forehead slap as one of the fifteen essential portrait shots.','Forehead Slap','Forehead Slap by Terry Robinson on Flickr','inherit','open','open','','forehead-slap','','','2014-03-06 15:20:38','2014-03-06 15:20:38','',2530,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/6093708745_ccdb347857_b.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(2532,4,'2014-03-06 15:21:22','2014-03-06 15:21:22','When you read as many blogs as I do, you see a lot of really great blogs. Great blogs have interesting and relevant content and they are easy to read. But just as there are great blogs, there are many more mediocre blogs.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2531\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/6093708745_ccdb347857_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2531\" alt=\"Forehead Slap by Terry Robinson on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/6093708745_ccdb347857_b-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></a> Forehead Slap by Terry Robinson on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nWhat separates a great blog from a mediocre one? Avoiding these five mistakes:\r\n\r\n1. <strong>Being are hard to understand.</strong> Perhaps it\'s the excessive use of jargon, or the spelling and grammatical mistakes, but mediocre blogs make it hard for a reader to get the point.\r\n\r\n2. <strong>Not being scannable.</strong> Web reading is different than print reading. We tend to favor shorter sentences and the ability to move down the page quickly. In short, web writing should be scannable, that is providing readers with with lots of headings, lists, bullets and short sentences.\r\n\r\n3. <strong>No dateline.</strong> I have heard the argument than by not having a dateline on your blog posts the content seems evergreen. Perhaps. But evergreen content is always evergreen--the date shouldn\'t matter. In my opinion, blogs are a way of establishing timeliness and currency. If you don\'t have datelines, readers can\'t tell when you last updated your blog (which of course is your intention). If they can\'t tell whether your last post is from last week or last year, you are basically making it very hard to judge if you are still blogging or not.\r\n\r\n4. <strong>No author information or about page.</strong> Have you ever gone to a blog and tried to figure out who the author is? Well, you shouldn\'t have to channel your inner Sherlock Holmes in order to find out. There should be an about page or an author biography somewhere that is easy to find. People want to know who is writing the stuff they are reading. Even on corporate blogs you could have an author biography for blog contributors (you can use great plugins like the one I use, Biographia) plus a corporate/organizational \"about us\" page.\r\n\r\n5. <strong>No sharing capability (or with limited sharing capability).</strong> It seems unbelievable that in 2014, when it seems all brands are begging you to follow them on Facebook and Twitter, there are blogs that lack sharing capabilities. It\'s a plugin and it\'s free! What\'s the problem? I also can\'t stand blogs that only allow you to share to only one social network, especially when that network is Pinterest.\r\n\r\nWhat mistakes do you see on blogs? Please share in the comments. I am sure there are more out there!\r\n\r\n<em>Avoid these mistakes! Come learn how to blog with me on April 1 in Washington, D.C. You will learn what makes for an effective blog, how to come up with blog post ideas and how to connect with your audience. Details and registration <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorgf\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','5 mistakes to avoid on your blog','','inherit','open','open','','2530-revision-v1','','','2014-03-06 15:21:22','2014-03-06 15:21:22','',2530,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2530-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2533,4,'2014-03-06 18:28:33','2014-03-06 18:28:33','When you read as many blogs as I do, you see a lot of really great blogs. Great blogs have interesting and relevant content and they are easy to read. But just as there are great blogs, there are many more mediocre blogs.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2531\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/6093708745_ccdb347857_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2531\" alt=\"Forehead Slap by Terry Robinson on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/6093708745_ccdb347857_b-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></a> Forehead Slap by Terry Robinson on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nWhat separates a great blog from a mediocre one? Avoiding these five mistakes:\r\n\r\n1. <strong>Being hard to understand.</strong> Perhaps it\'s the excessive use of jargon, or the spelling and grammatical mistakes, but mediocre blogs make it hard for a reader to get the point.\r\n\r\n2. <strong>Not being scannable.</strong> Web reading is different than print reading. We tend to favor shorter sentences and the ability to move down the page quickly. In short, web writing should be scannable, that is providing readers with with lots of headings, lists, bullets and short sentences.\r\n\r\n3. <strong>No dateline.</strong> I have heard the argument than by not having a dateline on your blog posts the content seems evergreen. Perhaps. But evergreen content is always evergreen--the date shouldn\'t matter. In my opinion, blogs are a way of establishing timeliness and currency. If you don\'t have datelines, readers can\'t tell when you last updated your blog (which of course is your intention). If they can\'t tell whether your last post is from last week or last year, you are basically making it very hard to judge if you are still blogging or not.\r\n\r\n4. <strong>No author information or about page.</strong> Have you ever gone to a blog and tried to figure out who the author is? Well, you shouldn\'t have to channel your inner Sherlock Holmes in order to find out. There should be an about page or an author biography somewhere that is easy to find. People want to know who is writing the stuff they are reading. Even on corporate blogs you could have an author biography for blog contributors (you can use great plugins like the one I use, Biographia) plus a corporate/organizational \"about us\" page.\r\n\r\n5. <strong>No sharing capability (or with limited sharing capability).</strong> It seems unbelievable that in 2014, when it seems all brands are begging you to follow them on Facebook and Twitter, there are blogs that lack sharing capabilities. It\'s a plugin and it\'s free! What\'s the problem? I also can\'t stand blogs that only allow you to share to only one social network, especially when that network is Pinterest.\r\n\r\nWhat mistakes do you see on blogs? Please share in the comments. I am sure there are more out there!\r\n\r\n<em>Avoid these mistakes! Come learn how to blog with me on April 1 in Washington, D.C. You will learn what makes for an effective blog, how to come up with blog post ideas and how to connect with your audience. Details and registration <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorgf\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','5 mistakes to avoid on your blog','','inherit','open','open','','2530-revision-v1','','','2014-03-06 18:28:33','2014-03-06 18:28:33','',2530,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2530-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2535,4,'2014-03-12 14:10:30','2014-03-12 14:10:30','Imagine you\'re having a party. You invite some friends and acquaintances. You crank up some music, put out some snacks and drinks, and your guests are milling around, having a good time. There\'s a knock on the door and Rosie, the robotic maid from the Jetsons is there. She\'s been sent in place of your friend Jane Jones.  Jane is sorry she can\'t attend but she is too busy. Rosie comes in and tells you that she has been instructed to follow people she might find interesting. She then starts walking behind a couple of your friends.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2536\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"225\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/8545425914_99cf44571f_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2536\" alt=\"Rosie Love by Doran on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/8545425914_99cf44571f_b-225x300.jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a> Rosie Love by Doran on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nAt some point, a group of you are sitting and discussing your upcoming vacation plans when suddenly Rosie chimes in and says: My latest blog post is about how to maximize user engagement. One of your friends asks Rosie to share her top tip on maximizing user engagement. Rosie is silent. Everybody goes back to discussing vacation planning.\r\n\r\nThis scenario happens every single day on Twitter, as busy people try to participate in the Twitter conversation via robot (also known as Twitter management).\r\n\r\n<strong>Are you using a Twitter Management tool?</strong>\r\n\r\nLast night, I was at an event (in real life) and saw someone I follow (and who follows me) on Twitter. I went over and said hi. She looked at me blankly. I explained we follow each other on Twitter. She kind of laughed and explained that she uses <a href=\"http://commun.it/\" target=\"_blank\">Commun.it,</a> something that automatically follows people for her, and even tweets for her. So in essence, I have been interacting with a robot.\r\n\r\nIf your goal for Twitter is engagement, then having a robotic presence is a killer. I am not saying you shouldn\'t schedule some tweets or use something to let you find people to follow. But if you are not participating in it personally, and you are basically \"tweeting by proxy,\" you are nothing more than Rosie Jetson--a robot bringing nothing to the conversation.\r\n\r\n<strong>Perhaps you are too busy for Twitter</strong>\r\n\r\nMy thought is that if you are too busy for Twitter, perhaps it is not the best platform for you. Twitter is time intensive, no doubt. And if you use it well, you can develop real relationships with people all over the world. If you use it robotically, on the other hand, you get very little if anything from it. You may have a long list of followers and people you are following, but if there is no meaningful interaction, what is the point?\r\n\r\nDo you use a Twitter management tool? Why or why not? If you do, what do you get from it? Please share in the comments.\r\n\r\n<em>Looking to jump start your blogging? Join me for the next <strong>How to Write Your Blog</strong> workshop, taking place on April 1 in Washington, D.C. For more details and to register, check out the <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorg\" target=\"_blank\">Eventbrite page.</a></em>','Is it real or is it...a robot?','','publish','open','open','','is-it-real-or-is-it-a-robot','','','2014-03-12 14:10:30','2014-03-12 14:10:30','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2535',0,'post','',3),
(2536,4,'2014-03-12 14:00:43','2014-03-12 14:00:43','','8545425914_99cf44571f_b','Rosie Love by Doran on Flickr','inherit','open','open','','8545425914_99cf44571f_b','','','2014-03-12 14:00:43','2014-03-12 14:00:43','',2535,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/8545425914_99cf44571f_b.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(2537,4,'2014-03-12 14:06:46','2014-03-12 14:06:46','Imagine you\'re having a party. You invite some friends and acquaintances. You crank up some music, put out some snacks and drinks, and your guests are milling around, having a good time. There\'s a knock on the door and Rosie, the robotic maid from the Jetsons is there. She\'s been sent in place of your friend Jane Jones.  Jane is sorry she can\'t attend but she is too busy. Rosie comes in and tells you that she has been instructed to follow people she might find interesting. She then starts walking behind a couple of your friends.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2536\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"225\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/8545425914_99cf44571f_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2536\" alt=\"Rosie Love by Doran on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/8545425914_99cf44571f_b-225x300.jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a> Rosie Love by Doran on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nAt some point, a group of you are sitting and discussing your upcoming vacation plans when suddenly Rosie chimes in and says: My latest blog post is about how to maximize user engagement. One of your friends asks Rosie to share her top tip on maximizing user engagement. Rosie is silent. Everybody goes back to discussing vacation planning.\r\n\r\nThis scenario happens every single day on Twitter, as busy people try to participate in the Twitter conversation via robot (also known as Twitter management).\r\n\r\nLast night, I was at an event (in real life) and saw someone I follow (and who follows me) on Twitter. I went over and said hi. She looked at me blankly. I explained we follow each other on Twitter. She kind of laughed and explained that she uses <a href=\"http://commun.it/\" target=\"_blank\">Commun.it,</a> something that automatically follows people for her, and even tweets for her. So in essence, I have been interacting with a robot.\r\n\r\nIf your goal for Twitter is engagement, then having a robotic presence is a killer. I am not saying you shouldn\'t schedule some tweets or use something to let you find people to follow. But if you are not participating in it personally, and you are basically \"tweeting by proxy,\" you are nothing more than Rosie Jetson--a robot bringing nothing to the conversation.\r\n\r\nMy thought is that if you are too busy for Twitter, perhaps it is not the best platform for you. Twitter is time intensive, no doubt. And if you use it well, you can develop real relationships with people all over the world. If you use it robotically, on the other hand, you get very little if anything from it. You may have a long list of followers and people you are following, but if there is no meaningful interaction, what is the point?\r\n\r\nDo you use a Twitter management tool? Why or why not? If you do, what do you get from it?\r\n\r\n<em>Looking to jump start your blogging? Join me for the next <strong>How to Write Your Blog</strong> workshop, taking place on April 1 in Washington, D.C. For more details and to register, check out the <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorg\" target=\"_blank\">Eventbrite page.</a></em>','Is it real or is it...a robot?','','inherit','open','open','','2535-revision-v1','','','2014-03-12 14:06:46','2014-03-12 14:06:46','',2535,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2535-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2538,4,'2014-03-12 14:09:29','2014-03-12 14:09:29','Imagine you\'re having a party. You invite some friends and acquaintances. You crank up some music, put out some snacks and drinks, and your guests are milling around, having a good time. There\'s a knock on the door and Rosie, the robotic maid from the Jetsons is there. She\'s been sent in place of your friend Jane Jones.  Jane is sorry she can\'t attend but she is too busy. Rosie comes in and tells you that she has been instructed to follow people she might find interesting. She then starts walking behind a couple of your friends.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2536\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"225\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/8545425914_99cf44571f_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2536\" alt=\"Rosie Love by Doran on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/8545425914_99cf44571f_b-225x300.jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a> Rosie Love by Doran on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nAt some point, a group of you are sitting and discussing your upcoming vacation plans when suddenly Rosie chimes in and says: My latest blog post is about how to maximize user engagement. One of your friends asks Rosie to share her top tip on maximizing user engagement. Rosie is silent. Everybody goes back to discussing vacation planning.\r\n\r\nThis scenario happens every single day on Twitter, as busy people try to participate in the Twitter conversation via robot (also known as Twitter management).\r\n\r\n<strong>Are you using a Twitter Management tool?</strong>\r\n\r\nLast night, I was at an event (in real life) and saw someone I follow (and who follows me) on Twitter. I went over and said hi. She looked at me blankly. I explained we follow each other on Twitter. She kind of laughed and explained that she uses <a href=\"http://commun.it/\" target=\"_blank\">Commun.it,</a> something that automatically follows people for her, and even tweets for her. So in essence, I have been interacting with a robot.\r\n\r\nIf your goal for Twitter is engagement, then having a robotic presence is a killer. I am not saying you shouldn\'t schedule some tweets or use something to let you find people to follow. But if you are not participating in it personally, and you are basically \"tweeting by proxy,\" you are nothing more than Rosie Jetson--a robot bringing nothing to the conversation.\r\n\r\n<strong>Perhaps you are too busy for Twitter</strong>\r\n\r\nMy thought is that if you are too busy for Twitter, perhaps it is not the best platform for you. Twitter is time intensive, no doubt. And if you use it well, you can develop real relationships with people all over the world. If you use it robotically, on the other hand, you get very little if anything from it. You may have a long list of followers and people you are following, but if there is no meaningful interaction, what is the point?\r\n\r\nDo you use a Twitter management tool? Why or why not? If you do, what do you get from it? Please share in the comments.\r\n\r\n<em>Looking to jump start your blogging? Join me for the next <strong>How to Write Your Blog</strong> workshop, taking place on April 1 in Washington, D.C. For more details and to register, check out the <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorg\" target=\"_blank\">Eventbrite page.</a></em>','Is it real or is it...a robot?','','inherit','open','open','','2535-revision-v1','','','2014-03-12 14:09:29','2014-03-12 14:09:29','',2535,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2535-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2540,4,'2014-03-14 13:38:06','2014-03-14 13:38:06','On<a title=\"Is it real or is it…a robot?\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/is-it-real-or-is-it-a-robot/\"> Wednesday</a>, I wrote about how some Twitter accounts seem to be run by Rosie, the robot maid on The Jetsons. But robotic social media happens on other social networks and even on blogs. Since so many people seem to be doing it, what is the value of robotic social media?\r\n\r\n<strong>Robotic social media? That\'s a thing?</strong>\r\n\r\nFirst, what do I mean by robotic social media? I mean social media that is cursory, unengaged, formulaic, uninspired, and there because someone thought it was a good idea to be present (but not active) on social networks. It\'s the one tweet a day that announces a new blog post. Or the automated \"thank you for following me\" tweet. It\'s the blog post that has no salient point and seems written just to have some new content on your site. It\'s the LinkedIn profile that has not seen an update in three years, since it was set up.\r\n\r\nRobotic social media nearly always depends on some sort of \"social media management tool\" that usually cross posts for you, and basically handles social media by algorithm.\r\n\r\n<strong>Why would you do that?</strong>\r\n\r\nI have been thinking about why people would use social media in such a non-social way. There are probably several reasons, for example:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>For SEO purposes</li>\r\n	<li>Too busy to manage social media on your own</li>\r\n	<li>To check off social media on the communications plan tactics</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nOnly one of these could has some sort of value: SEO. Certainly, due to changes in search engine algorithms, social media has impact on search results. The theory is that being present on social media <em>helps</em> your search results. However, I believe that search engines reward influence, and being robotic (unengaged) does not lead to influence.\r\n\r\n<strong>Perhaps, it is even counteractive</strong>\r\n\r\nI wrote about the woman who admitted she uses a Twitter management tool and that she really hadn\'t known she \"knew\" me from Twitter. Now, I know that there\'s no there there. So no more interaction. Davina Brewer in the <a title=\"Is it real or is it…a robot?\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/is-it-real-or-is-it-a-robot/\">comments</a> on that post mentions something that happens every day, with big brands and regular people: no response to direct tweets/messages.  In fact, just this morning, I tweeted LinkedIn to ask a question, and still no response.\r\n\r\nWhen I don\'t get a response, I assume that person/brand/organization doesn\'t care or doesn\'t even monitor their messages. I then stop interacting.  I bet many people stop interacting or even following brands/organizations when their comments are not even acknowledged.\r\n\r\nIn my opinion, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">robotic social media is not worth it</span>. To do something just because you think you have to, and then do it by proxy, is not going to accomplish any goals other than checking something off your to-do list.\r\n\r\nAs many have said before, social media is a platform not a strategy. If you don\'t use the platform, it doesn\'t mean you don\'t have a communications strategy. Use the platform well, on the other hand, and you will further your communications strategy rather than stymie it.\r\n<p id=\"stcpDiv\"><em>Don\'t be robotic! Come learn how to blog with me in the<strong> How to Write Your Blog</strong> workshop on April 1 in Washington, D.C. You will learn what makes for an effective blog, how to come up with blog post ideas and how to connect with your audience. Details and registration <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorg\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.</em></p>','Is robotic social media worth it?','','inherit','open','open','','2539-revision-v1','','','2014-03-14 13:38:06','2014-03-14 13:38:06','',2539,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2539-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2571,4,'2014-04-10 15:01:41','2014-04-10 15:01:41','Being effective in social media marketing requires choosing the right social networks on which to spend time and effort (and money). And you do have to choose because a) there are too many networks and b) some will work better than others.\r\n\r\nTo choose the \"right\" social networks you should consider:\r\n\r\n<strong>Your offering.</strong> Are you a retailer or a service provider? How much explanation does your offering require?\r\n\r\n<strong>Your target audience</strong>. Who is buying your product or service? Where does the target prefer to receive information? Where is the target likely to make a decision?\r\n\r\n<strong>Your strengths</strong>. Are you visual or do you like words? Are you more likely to take and post pictures or write a 1000-word blog post?\r\n\r\n<strong>Where have you had the most traction?</strong> If you haven\'t yet been measuring response, then start right away. Google Analytics will tell you where people are coming from, and this is very valuable information. If most of your customers are coming from a particular social network, it makes sense to focus your energy and effort there.\r\n\r\nI met a blogger who writes about event planning, and she gets the most visits to her blog from Pinterest.  So she focuses exclusively on building her Pinterest presence. Then there\'s the women\'s clothing and accessories retailer who gets most of her online orders through Facebook.  She has decided to budget for Facebook ads and sponsored posts and it is really paying off.\r\n\r\nIn both cases, these people understand their product/service and where to best market it. And they have decided to really focus on the social network that provides the most bang for the buck.\r\n\r\nHow many social networks do you focus on? Are you finding some work better than others?','How to choose the best social networks for marketing','','publish','open','open','','how-to-choose-the-best-social-networks-for-marketing','','','2014-04-10 15:01:41','2014-04-10 15:01:41','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2571',0,'post','',2),
(2542,4,'2014-03-18 14:08:07','2014-03-18 14:08:07','Now, I should say upfront that I do NOT watch Mad Men, the AMC series about the advertising business in New York City in the 1960s. However, I do know that it shows the very real sexism of the time that ran rampant in advertising agencies.  Women were generally in support staff positions rather than as creatives or agency principals (come to think of it, even in the 1990s, when I worked in advertising, the agency principals were all men...).\r\n\r\nOn the radio a couple of days ago, I heard a commercial for a home security company. In the spot, a woman is narrating and telling the audience that since her husband started traveling a lot for business, she is afraid to be alone in her house. And because she wishes to retaliate against her husband for taking the job that makes him go out on the road so much, and leaving her all alone , she has decided to get a home security system so that she can feel safe. Now, if she hears a noise, she doesn\'t need to reach for the Xanax, but rather look at her computer screen and monitor all the rooms in the house. (I am not making this up, except for the Xanax part.)\r\n\r\nThe commercial makes several assumptions:\r\n\r\n1.) Women are afraid to be alone (being the weaker sex and all).\r\n\r\n2.) Only men have (big, important) jobs that require travel.\r\n\r\n3.) Women can make the decision to buy something, but the husband (who is the breadwinner after all) is the one controlling the household finances.\r\n\r\n4.) Only married people own homes that would require home security (single people always live in apartments apparently).\r\n\r\n(I could add  5.) Marriage is only between a man and a woman , but this is so ubiquitous in advertising that it\'s a topic for another day).\r\n\r\nWhen I heard it on the radio, I couldn\'t believe that a company wanted to advertise its services in this way in 2014. Women have been in the workforce for a long time and they travel for business. In fact, I found the commercial to be quite offensive. But clearly, in the mind of this sexist home security company, as a single woman who is not afraid of being in my own home by myself, I am not the target market.\r\n\r\nWhat is particularly a bad marketing decision is to be so narrowly focused when home security is something that could be sold to every home owner.  This commercial not only is <strong>too narrowly targeted</strong> <strong>but it could serve to turn off potential customers</strong> due to the various outdated assumptions it makes.\r\n\r\nOther companies are being more reflective of the reality of gender roles.  For example, a national detergent brand has a TV commercial where the dad is doing the laundry of his very rambunctious (and dirty) little girls. Or the insurance company that shows a single mother shopping for life insurance.\r\n\r\nWe are not living in the 1960s. Companies that use dated (and sexist) notions are alienating potential customers...and that is not good for the bottom line.\r\n\r\n<em>In the Washington area and looking to jump start your blog? Attend the <strong>How to Write Your Blog</strong> workshop on April 1. Sign up before March 21 to get early registration pricing. <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorg\" target=\"_blank\">Registration here.</a></em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Did Mad Men write this commercial?','','publish','open','open','','did-mad-men-write-this-commercial','','','2014-03-19 20:50:42','2014-03-19 20:50:42','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2542',0,'post','',2),
(2543,4,'2014-03-18 14:08:07','2014-03-18 14:08:07','Now, I should say upfront that I do NOT watch Mad Men, the AMC series about the advertising business in New York City in the 1960s. However, I do know that, as was rampant at the time, there was a fair amount of sexism going around then. Women were more support staff than creatives or agency principals (come to think of it, even in the 1990s, when I worked in advertising, the agency principals were all men...).\r\n\r\nOn the radio a couple of days ago, I heard a commercial for a home security company. In the spot, a woman is narrating and telling the audience that since her husband started traveling a lot for business, she is afraid to be alone in her house. And because she wishes to retaliate against her husband for taking the job that makes him go out on the road so much, and leaving her all alone , she has decided to get a home security system so that she can feel safe. Now, if she hears a noise, she doesn\'t need to reach for the Xanax, but rather look at her computer screen and monitor all the rooms in the house. (I am not making this up, except for the Xanax part.)\r\n\r\nThe commercial makes several assumptions:\r\n\r\n1.) Women are afraid to be alone (being the weaker sex and all).\r\n\r\n2.) Only men have (big, important) jobs that require travel.\r\n\r\n3.) Women can make the decision to buy something, but the husband (who is the breadwinner after all) is the one controlling the household finances.\r\n\r\n4.) Only married people own homes that would require home security (single people always live in apartments apparently).\r\n\r\n(I could add  5.) Marriage is only between a man and a woman , but this is so ubiquitous in advertising that it\'s a topic for another day).\r\n\r\nWhen I heard it on the radio, I couldn\'t believe that a company wanted to advertise its services in this way in 2014. Women have been in the workforce for a long time and they travel for business. In fact, I found the commercial to be quite offensive. But clearly, in the mind of this sexist home security company, as a single woman who is not afraid of being in my own home by myself, I am not the target market.\r\n\r\nWhat is particularly a bad marketing decision is to be so narrowly focused when home security is something that could be sold to every home owner.  This commercial not only is <strong>too narrowly targeted</strong> <strong>but it could serve to turn off potential customers</strong> due to the various outdated assumptions it makes.\r\n\r\nOther companies are being more reflective of the reality of gender roles.  For example, a national detergent brand has a TV commercial where the dad is doing the laundry of his very rambunctious (and dirty) little girls. Or the insurance company that shows a single mother shopping for life insurance.\r\n\r\nWe are not living in the 1960s. Companies that use dated (and sexist) notions are alienating potential customers...and that is not good for the bottom line.\r\n\r\n<em>In the Washington area and looking to jump start your blog? Attend the <strong>How to Write Your Blog</strong> workshop on April 1. Sign up before March 21 to get early registration pricing. <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorg\" target=\"_blank\">Registration here.</a></em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Did Mad Men write this commercial?','','inherit','open','open','','2542-revision-v1','','','2014-03-18 14:08:07','2014-03-18 14:08:07','',2542,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2542-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2545,4,'2014-03-19 20:50:36','2014-03-19 20:50:36','Now, I should say upfront that I do NOT watch Mad Men, the AMC series about the advertising business in New York City in the 1960s. However, I do know that it shows the very real sexism of the time that ran rampant in advertising agencies.  Women were generally in support staff position rather than as creatives or agency principals (come to think of it, even in the 1990s, when I worked in advertising, the agency principals were all men...).\n\nOn the radio a couple of days ago, I heard a commercial for a home security company. In the spot, a woman is narrating and telling the audience that since her husband started traveling a lot for business, she is afraid to be alone in her house. And because she wishes to retaliate against her husband for taking the job that makes him go out on the road so much, and leaving her all alone , she has decided to get a home security system so that she can feel safe. Now, if she hears a noise, she doesn\'t need to reach for the Xanax, but rather look at her computer screen and monitor all the rooms in the house. (I am not making this up, except for the Xanax part.)\n\nThe commercial makes several assumptions:\n\n1.) Women are afraid to be alone (being the weaker sex and all).\n\n2.) Only men have (big, important) jobs that require travel.\n\n3.) Women can make the decision to buy something, but the husband (who is the breadwinner after all) is the one controlling the household finances.\n\n4.) Only married people own homes that would require home security (single people always live in apartments apparently).\n\n(I could add  5.) Marriage is only between a man and a woman , but this is so ubiquitous in advertising that it\'s a topic for another day).\n\nWhen I heard it on the radio, I couldn\'t believe that a company wanted to advertise its services in this way in 2014. Women have been in the workforce for a long time and they travel for business. In fact, I found the commercial to be quite offensive. But clearly, in the mind of this sexist home security company, as a single woman who is not afraid of being in my own home by myself, I am not the target market.\n\nWhat is particularly a bad marketing decision is to be so narrowly focused when home security is something that could be sold to every home owner.  This commercial not only is <strong>too narrowly targeted</strong> <strong>but it could serve to turn off potential customers</strong> due to the various outdated assumptions it makes.\n\nOther companies are being more reflective of the reality of gender roles.  For example, a national detergent brand has a TV commercial where the dad is doing the laundry of his very rambunctious (and dirty) little girls. Or the insurance company that shows a single mother shopping for life insurance.\n\nWe are not living in the 1960s. Companies that use dated (and sexist) notions are alienating potential customers...and that is not good for the bottom line.\n\n<em>In the Washington area and looking to jump start your blog? Attend the <strong>How to Write Your Blog</strong> workshop on April 1. Sign up before March 21 to get early registration pricing. <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorg\" target=\"_blank\">Registration here.</a></em>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Did Mad Men write this commercial?','','inherit','open','open','','2542-autosave-v1','','','2014-03-19 20:50:36','2014-03-19 20:50:36','',2542,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2542-autosave-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2546,4,'2014-03-19 20:50:42','2014-03-19 20:50:42','Now, I should say upfront that I do NOT watch Mad Men, the AMC series about the advertising business in New York City in the 1960s. However, I do know that it shows the very real sexism of the time that ran rampant in advertising agencies.  Women were generally in support staff positions rather than as creatives or agency principals (come to think of it, even in the 1990s, when I worked in advertising, the agency principals were all men...).\r\n\r\nOn the radio a couple of days ago, I heard a commercial for a home security company. In the spot, a woman is narrating and telling the audience that since her husband started traveling a lot for business, she is afraid to be alone in her house. And because she wishes to retaliate against her husband for taking the job that makes him go out on the road so much, and leaving her all alone , she has decided to get a home security system so that she can feel safe. Now, if she hears a noise, she doesn\'t need to reach for the Xanax, but rather look at her computer screen and monitor all the rooms in the house. (I am not making this up, except for the Xanax part.)\r\n\r\nThe commercial makes several assumptions:\r\n\r\n1.) Women are afraid to be alone (being the weaker sex and all).\r\n\r\n2.) Only men have (big, important) jobs that require travel.\r\n\r\n3.) Women can make the decision to buy something, but the husband (who is the breadwinner after all) is the one controlling the household finances.\r\n\r\n4.) Only married people own homes that would require home security (single people always live in apartments apparently).\r\n\r\n(I could add  5.) Marriage is only between a man and a woman , but this is so ubiquitous in advertising that it\'s a topic for another day).\r\n\r\nWhen I heard it on the radio, I couldn\'t believe that a company wanted to advertise its services in this way in 2014. Women have been in the workforce for a long time and they travel for business. In fact, I found the commercial to be quite offensive. But clearly, in the mind of this sexist home security company, as a single woman who is not afraid of being in my own home by myself, I am not the target market.\r\n\r\nWhat is particularly a bad marketing decision is to be so narrowly focused when home security is something that could be sold to every home owner.  This commercial not only is <strong>too narrowly targeted</strong> <strong>but it could serve to turn off potential customers</strong> due to the various outdated assumptions it makes.\r\n\r\nOther companies are being more reflective of the reality of gender roles.  For example, a national detergent brand has a TV commercial where the dad is doing the laundry of his very rambunctious (and dirty) little girls. Or the insurance company that shows a single mother shopping for life insurance.\r\n\r\nWe are not living in the 1960s. Companies that use dated (and sexist) notions are alienating potential customers...and that is not good for the bottom line.\r\n\r\n<em>In the Washington area and looking to jump start your blog? Attend the <strong>How to Write Your Blog</strong> workshop on April 1. Sign up before March 21 to get early registration pricing. <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorg\" target=\"_blank\">Registration here.</a></em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Did Mad Men write this commercial?','','inherit','open','open','','2542-revision-v1','','','2014-03-19 20:50:42','2014-03-19 20:50:42','',2542,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2542-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2547,4,'2014-03-20 13:19:45','2014-03-20 13:19:45','Have you ever seen a blog headline that says something like this:\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>How to lose 10 lbs. fast!</strong></p>\r\nYou quickly go check it out to find that the blog post doesn\'t really exist. You will not be losing 10 pounds fast, but you may be asked to pay ten pounds (if you were in England, perhaps 10 dollars here in the U.S.).  In some cases, the blog post will consist of one line providing a bit of the information you are looking for, and then you will be hit with this: <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>click here for more</em>.</span> The \"more\" is that  you are likely being asked to buy a book, seminar, program, etc. to learn the many secrets of fast weight loss (or increasing sales, or whatever).\r\n\r\nA variation on this is the pop-up that appears before you can even read the blog post asking you to sign up for a \"free\" newsletter or sign in as a \"member\" to read more. In this case, the blog owner wants your information to add to a database as an exchange for providing information.\r\n\r\nI may not know how to lose weight fast, but I do know what makes blogs lose readers in a second:\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Tease them or try to sell them.</strong></p>\r\nReaders come to your blog to pick up some knowledge, insight, advice, tips or motivation. They do not come to your blog solely to buy something. They do not want to give you their name and email and credit card information. They don\'t want to be added to your email list.  They simply want to learn.\r\n\r\nIf you aren\'t willing to give information to your blog readers for free, with no strings attached, I suggest you forget blogging and look to other methods of content delivery.\r\n\r\nAm I suggesting you have to give away all your secrets for free in your blog? Of course not! But you must think of your blog as a way to help your readers learn something while showing them that you know your stuff.\r\n\r\nYou <em>can</em> promote your events and e-books and seminars, but not by teasing your audience or bullying them into giving you money now.  Do it like I will below, and your readers won\'t be turned off.\r\n\r\n<em>Avoid blog errors like this one. Attend my <strong>How to Write Your Blog</strong> workshop on April 1 in Washington, D.C. Early registration discount ends tomorrow at midnight, so register today to save $10. More information and registration on the <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorg\" target=\"_blank\">Eventbrite page. </a></em>','How to lose blog readers fast','','publish','open','open','','how-to-lose-blog-readers-fast','','','2014-03-20 13:19:45','2014-03-20 13:19:45','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2547',0,'post','',1),
(2548,4,'2014-03-20 13:19:45','2014-03-20 13:19:45','Have you ever seen a blog headline that says something like this:\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>How to lose 10 lbs. fast!</strong></p>\r\nYou quickly go check it out to find that the blog post doesn\'t really exist. You will not be losing 10 pounds fast, but you may be asked to pay ten pounds (if you were in England, perhaps 10 dollars here in the U.S.).  In some cases, the blog post will consist of one line providing a bit of the information you are looking for, and then you will be hit with this: <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>click here for more</em>.</span> The \"more\" is that  you are likely being asked to buy a book, seminar, program, etc. to learn the many secrets of fast weight loss (or increasing sales, or whatever).\r\n\r\nA variation on this is the pop-up that appears before you can even read the blog post asking you to sign up for a \"free\" newsletter or sign in as a \"member\" to read more. In this case, the blog owner wants your information to add to a database as an exchange for providing information.\r\n\r\nI may not know how to lose weight fast, but I do know what makes blogs lose readers in a second:\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Tease them or try to sell them.</strong></p>\r\nReaders come to your blog to pick up some knowledge, insight, advice, tips or motivation. They do not come to your blog solely to buy something. They do not want to give you their name and email and credit card information. They don\'t want to be added to your email list.  They simply want to learn.\r\n\r\nIf you aren\'t willing to give information to your blog readers for free, with no strings attached, I suggest you forget blogging and look to other methods of content delivery.\r\n\r\nAm I suggesting you have to give away all your secrets for free in your blog? Of course not! But you must think of your blog as a way to help your readers learn something while showing them that you know your stuff.\r\n\r\nYou <em>can</em> promote your events and e-books and seminars, but not by teasing your audience or bullying them into giving you money now.  Do it like I will below, and your readers won\'t be turned off.\r\n\r\n<em>Avoid blog errors like this one. Attend my <strong>How to Write Your Blog</strong> workshop on April 1 in Washington, D.C. Early registration discount ends tomorrow at midnight, so register today to save $10. More information and registration on the <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorg\" target=\"_blank\">Eventbrite page. </a></em>','How to lose blog readers fast','','inherit','open','open','','2547-revision-v1','','','2014-03-20 13:19:45','2014-03-20 13:19:45','',2547,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2547-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2549,4,'2014-03-24 13:29:59','2014-03-24 13:29:59','As has happened multiple times already, Feedly has stopped picking up the feed to this blog. My last post, which<a title=\"How to lose blog readers fast\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/how-to-lose-blog-readers-fast/\"> I wrote on Thursday, March 20,</a> has yet to appear. I am testing to see if this post will be picked up. It is a disaster when you depend on the RSS to work for your readers to be able to see your stuff. Feedly is failing me.\r\n\r\nI apologize for any inconvenience if you are getting this through email.','Is Feedly picking up the feed? Test post.','','publish','open','open','','is-feedly-picking-up-the-feed-test-post','','','2014-03-24 13:32:00','2014-03-24 13:32:00','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2549',0,'post','',2),
(2550,4,'2014-03-24 13:29:59','2014-03-24 13:29:59','As has happened multiple times already, Feedly has stopped picking up the feed to this blog. My last post, which I wrote on Thursday, March 20, has yet to appear. I am testing to see if this post will be picked up. It is a disaster when you depend on the RSS to work for your readers to be able to see your stuff. Feedly is failing me.\r\n\r\nI apologize for any inconvenience if you are getting this through email.','Is Feedly picking up the feed? Test post.','','inherit','open','open','','2549-revision-v1','','','2014-03-24 13:29:59','2014-03-24 13:29:59','',2549,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2549-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2551,4,'2014-03-24 13:32:00','2014-03-24 13:32:00','As has happened multiple times already, Feedly has stopped picking up the feed to this blog. My last post, which<a title=\"How to lose blog readers fast\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/how-to-lose-blog-readers-fast/\"> I wrote on Thursday, March 20,</a> has yet to appear. I am testing to see if this post will be picked up. It is a disaster when you depend on the RSS to work for your readers to be able to see your stuff. Feedly is failing me.\r\n\r\nI apologize for any inconvenience if you are getting this through email.','Is Feedly picking up the feed? Test post.','','inherit','open','open','','2549-revision-v1','','','2014-03-24 13:32:00','2014-03-24 13:32:00','',2549,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2549-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2552,4,'2014-03-25 12:58:30','2014-03-25 12:58:30','If there is one \"secret\" to get more blog readers (other than having a relevant, interesting, well written blog), it is this: be likeable.  That\'s it.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2554\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"294\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/4395977015_8c3e9d70e7_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2554\" alt=\"Heart doodle by findingthenow on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/4395977015_8c3e9d70e7_b-294x300.jpg\" width=\"294\" height=\"300\" /></a> Heart doodle by findingthenow on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nPeople tend to do business with companies they like. People hire people they like. And people read blogs they like.\r\n\r\nIf you\'ve ever read Dale Carnegie, you know that one of the main tenets in his teachings is to be likeable. For example, Carnegie says it is better to not to try to win an argument--let the other person be right. He also suggests disarming critics by being nice to them.\r\n\r\nSocial network behemoth Facebook knows likeability is key. After all, you are asked to \"like\" pages and status updates.\r\n\r\nHow can your blog be more likeable? Here are a few suggestions:\r\n\r\n<strong>Be easy to understand</strong>--Instead of throwing around fancy words and jargon, make sure people know what you are saying.\r\n\r\n<strong>Show your expertise without showing off</strong>--If you have to tell people you are superman, then your super powers are failing you (and perhaps you left your superhero costume at the dry cleaners).\r\n\r\n<strong><strong>Have an approachable tone</strong>--</strong> People respond positively to cheerful, casual and caring tones, among others, while sarcastic, acid and pedantic tones generally turn people off.<strong>\r\n</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Leave combativeness to soldiers at war--</strong>You can disagree with something without attacking it wholesale.\r\n\r\nWhat makes you like reading a blog? What makes you never come back? Let me know in the comments.\r\n\r\n<em>Become a better blogger! Join me for the <strong>How to Write Your Blog</strong> workshop on April 1 (one week from today!) in Washington, D.C. Details and registration <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorg\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.</em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How to get more blog readers (and customers) fast','','publish','open','open','','how-to-get-more-blog-readers-and-customers-fast','','','2014-03-25 12:58:30','2014-03-25 12:58:30','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2552',0,'post','',0),
(2553,4,'2014-03-24 21:42:35','2014-03-24 21:42:35','If there is one \"secret\" to get more blog readers (other than having a relevant, interesting, well written blog), it is this: be likeable.  That\'s it.\r\n\r\nImagine this: you are new in town, and you force yourself to go to a neighborhood barbecue. You go up to someone and introduce yourself. The person is nasty to you.','How to get more blog readers (and customers) fast','','inherit','open','open','','2552-revision-v1','','','2014-03-24 21:42:35','2014-03-24 21:42:35','',2552,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2552-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2554,4,'2014-03-25 12:56:26','2014-03-25 12:56:26','','4395977015_8c3e9d70e7_b','Heart doodle by findingthenow on Flickr','inherit','open','open','','4395977015_8c3e9d70e7_b','','','2014-03-25 12:56:26','2014-03-25 12:56:26','',2552,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/4395977015_8c3e9d70e7_b.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(2555,4,'2014-03-25 12:57:48','2014-03-25 12:57:48','If there is one \"secret\" to get more blog readers (other than having a relevant, interesting, well written blog), it is this: be likeable.  That\'s it.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2554\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"294\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/4395977015_8c3e9d70e7_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2554\" alt=\"Heart doodle by findingthenow on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/4395977015_8c3e9d70e7_b-294x300.jpg\" width=\"294\" height=\"300\" /></a> Heart doodle by findingthenow on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nPeople tend to do business with companies they like. People hire people they like. And people read blogs they like.\r\n\r\nIf you\'ve ever read Dale Carnegie, you know that one of the main tenets in his teachings is to be likeable. For example, Carnegie says it is better to not to try to win an argument--let the other person be right. He also suggests disarming critics by being nice to them.\r\n\r\nSocial network behemoth Facebook knows likeability is key. After all, you are asked to \"like\" pages and status updates.\r\n\r\nHow can your blog be more likeable? Here are a few suggestions:\r\n\r\n<strong>Be easy to understand</strong>--Instead of throwing around fancy words and jargon, make sure people know what you are saying.\r\n\r\n<strong>Show your expertise without showing off</strong>--If you have to tell people you are superman, then your super powers are failing you (and perhaps you left your superhero costume at the dry cleaners).\r\n\r\n<strong><strong>Have an approachable tone</strong>--</strong> People respond positively to cheerful, casual and caring tones, among others, while sarcastic, acid and pedantic tones generally turn people off.<strong>\r\n</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Leave combativeness to soldiers at war--</strong>You can disagree with something without attacking it wholesale.\r\n\r\nWhat makes you like reading a blog? What makes you never come back? Let me know in the comments.\r\n\r\n<em>Become a better blogger! Join me for the <strong>How to Write Your Blog</strong> workshop on April 1 (one week from today!) in Washington, D.C. Details and registration <a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorg\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.</em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How to get more blog readers (and customers) fast','','inherit','open','open','','2552-revision-v1','','','2014-03-25 12:57:48','2014-03-25 12:57:48','',2552,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2552-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2557,4,'2014-03-27 12:42:41','2014-03-27 12:42:41','Have you ever been to a networking event where you meet people, ask what they do and they give you a long rambling explanation or a very obscure description. You are then confused and ask them to clarify, and then they say this: Basically, I do [something you can understand].\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2558\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/825976939_13974ce756_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2558\" alt=\"Aha by Himmelskratzer on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/825976939_13974ce756_b-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Aha by Himmelskratzer on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nSome people can just give you their job\'s title, such as chief counsel at xyz industries, and you can understand what they do. And some people have easy to understand professions such as doctor, accountant, insurance sales or real estate development.\r\n\r\nAlso, describing yourself as the \"senior\" manager or vice president does not help explain what you do.\r\n\r\nBut take for instance someone I met recently. He started off by telling me where he works (a company with advocacy in the name, but that doesn\'t actually advocate). Then, he told me they work with individuals who are looking to ensure their access to financing (or something like that). Then he said: \"Basically, I sell insurance.\"\r\n\r\nGenerally, when you start a sentence with basically, you are about<strong> distill the essence of something to its most UNDERSTANDABLE part</strong>.  Like a structural engineer who tells you that basically, she works to make bridges safer.  Or the content strategist who tells you that, basically, he works with companies to find the most relevant information for their customers.\r\n\r\nSo before you go to your next networking event, or write your about page on your website, ask yourself: what is it that you do (or your company does), basically?\r\n\r\n<strong>If it\'s basic, it generally makes sense!</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong><em>UPDATE</em></strong>\r\n\r\nMedia trainer Brad Phillips has a great suggestion for improving your elevator pitch: start with the why. Here\'s a link to the post on the <a href=\"http://www.mrmediatraining.com/2010/10/18/dont-tell-the-media-about-your-company/\" target=\"_blank\">Mr. Media Training blog.</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','It\'s so basic, it makes sense!','','publish','open','open','','its-so-basic-it-makes-sense','','','2014-04-02 19:40:07','2014-04-02 19:40:07','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2557',0,'post','',0),
(2558,4,'2014-03-27 12:39:49','2014-03-27 12:39:49','','825976939_13974ce756_b','Aha by Himmelskratzer on Flickr','inherit','open','open','','825976939_13974ce756_b','','','2014-03-27 12:39:49','2014-03-27 12:39:49','',2557,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/825976939_13974ce756_b.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(2559,4,'2014-03-27 12:40:55','2014-03-27 12:40:55','Have you ever been to a networking event where you meet people, ask what they do and they give you a long rambling explanation or a very obscure description. You are then confused and ask them to clarify, and then they say this: Basically, I do [something you can understand].\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2558\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/825976939_13974ce756_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2558\" alt=\"Aha by Himmelskratzer on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/825976939_13974ce756_b-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Aha by Himmelskratzer on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nSome people can just give you their job\'s title, such as chief counsel at xyz industries, and you can understand what they do. And some people have easy to understand professions such as doctor, accountant, insurance sales or real estate development.\r\n\r\nBut take for instance someone I met recently. He started off by telling me where he works (a company with advocacy in the name, but that doesn\'t actually advocate). Then, he told me they work with individuals who are looking to ensure their access to financing (or something like that). Then he said: \"Basically, I sell insurance.\"\r\n\r\nGenerally, when someone starts a sentence with basically,they are about to distill the essence of something to its most UNDERSTANDABLE part.  Like a structural engineer who tells you that basically, she works to make bridges safer.  Or the content strategist who tells you that, basically, he works with companies to find the most relevant information for their customers.\r\n\r\nSo before you go to your next networking event, or write your about page on your website, ask yourself: what is it that you do (or your company does), basically?\r\n\r\nIf it\'s basic, it generally makes sense!\r\n\r\n<em>Looking to jump start your blogging? Join me next Tuesday, April 1 for t<strong>he How to Write Your Blog</strong> workshop in Washington, D.C. You will learn what to do to get your blog going and get motivated to start writing. Details and registration<a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorg\" target=\"_blank\"> here.</a></em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','It\'s so basic, it makes sense!','','inherit','open','open','','2557-revision-v1','','','2014-03-27 12:40:55','2014-03-27 12:40:55','',2557,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2557-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2560,4,'2014-03-27 12:42:41','2014-03-27 12:42:41','Have you ever been to a networking event where you meet people, ask what they do and they give you a long rambling explanation or a very obscure description. You are then confused and ask them to clarify, and then they say this: Basically, I do [something you can understand].\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2558\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/825976939_13974ce756_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2558\" alt=\"Aha by Himmelskratzer on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/825976939_13974ce756_b-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Aha by Himmelskratzer on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nSome people can just give you their job\'s title, such as chief counsel at xyz industries, and you can understand what they do. And some people have easy to understand professions such as doctor, accountant, insurance sales or real estate development.\r\n\r\nBut take for instance someone I met recently. He started off by telling me where he works (a company with advocacy in the name, but that doesn\'t actually advocate). Then, he told me they work with individuals who are looking to ensure their access to financing (or something like that). Then he said: \"Basically, I sell insurance.\"\r\n\r\nGenerally, when you start a sentence with basically, you are about<strong> distill the essence of something to its most UNDERSTANDABLE part</strong>.  Like a structural engineer who tells you that basically, she works to make bridges safer.  Or the content strategist who tells you that, basically, he works with companies to find the most relevant information for their customers.\r\n\r\nSo before you go to your next networking event, or write your about page on your website, ask yourself: what is it that you do (or your company does), basically?\r\n\r\n<strong>If it\'s basic, it generally makes sense!</strong>\r\n\r\n<em>Looking to jump start your blogging? Join me next Tuesday, April 1 for t<strong>he How to Write Your Blog</strong> workshop in Washington, D.C. You will learn what to do to get your blog going and get motivated to start writing. Details and registration<a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorg\" target=\"_blank\"> here.</a></em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','It\'s so basic, it makes sense!','','inherit','open','open','','2557-revision-v1','','','2014-03-27 12:42:41','2014-03-27 12:42:41','',2557,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2557-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2561,4,'2014-03-27 12:43:14','2014-03-27 12:43:14','Have you ever been to a networking event where you meet people, ask what they do and they give you a long rambling explanation or a very obscure description. You are then confused and ask them to clarify, and then they say this: Basically, I do [something you can understand].\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2558\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/825976939_13974ce756_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2558\" alt=\"Aha by Himmelskratzer on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/825976939_13974ce756_b-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Aha by Himmelskratzer on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nSome people can just give you their job\'s title, such as chief counsel at xyz industries, and you can understand what they do. And some people have easy to understand professions such as doctor, accountant, insurance sales or real estate development.\r\n\r\nBut take for instance someone I met recently. He started off by telling me where he works (a company with advocacy in the name, but that doesn\'t actually advocate). Then, he told me they work with individuals who are looking to ensure their access to financing (or something like that). Then he said: \"Basically, I sell insurance.\"\r\n\r\nGenerally, when you start a sentence with basically, you are about<strong> distill the essence of something to its most UNDERSTANDABLE part</strong>.  Like a structural engineer who tells you that basically, she works to make bridges safer.  Or the content strategist who tells you that, basically, he works with companies to find the most relevant information for their customers.\r\n\r\nSo before you go to your next networking event, or write your about page on your website, ask yourself: what is it that you do (or your company does), basically?\r\n\r\n<strong>If it\'s basic, it generally makes sense!</strong>\r\n\r\n<em>Looking to jump start your blogging? Join me next Tuesday, April 1 for the<strong> How to Write Your Blog</strong> workshop in Washington, D.C. You will learn what to do to get your blog going and get motivated to start writing. Details and registration<a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorg\" target=\"_blank\"> here.</a></em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','It\'s so basic, it makes sense!','','inherit','open','open','','2557-revision-v1','','','2014-03-27 12:43:14','2014-03-27 12:43:14','',2557,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2557-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2562,4,'2014-04-02 19:39:12','2014-04-02 19:39:12','Have you ever been to a networking event where you meet people, ask what they do and they give you a long rambling explanation or a very obscure description. You are then confused and ask them to clarify, and then they say this: Basically, I do [something you can understand].\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_2558\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/825976939_13974ce756_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2558\" alt=\"Aha by Himmelskratzer on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/825976939_13974ce756_b-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Aha by Himmelskratzer on Flickr[/caption]\n\nSome people can just give you their job\'s title, such as chief counsel at xyz industries, and you can understand what they do. And some people have easy to understand professions such as doctor, accountant, insurance sales or real estate development.\n\nAlso, describing yourself as the \"senior\" manager or vice president does not help explain what you do.\n\nBut take for instance someone I met recently. He started off by telling me where he works (a company with advocacy in the name, but that doesn\'t actually advocate). Then, he told me they work with individuals who are looking to ensure their access to financing (or something like that). Then he said: \"Basically, I sell insurance.\"\n\nGenerally, when you start a sentence with basically, you are about<strong> distill the essence of something to its most UNDERSTANDABLE part</strong>.  Like a structural engineer who tells you that basically, she works to make bridges safer.  Or the content strategist who tells you that, basically, he works with companies to find the most relevant information for their customers.\n\nSo before you go to your next networking event, or write your about page on your website, ask yourself: what is it that you do (or your company does), basically?\n\n<strong>If it\'s basic, it generally makes sense!</strong>\n\n<em>UPDATE</em>\n\nBrad Phillips has a great suggestion for improving your elevator pitch: start with the why. Here\'s a link to the Mr. Media Training post.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','It\'s so basic, it makes sense!','','inherit','open','open','','2557-autosave-v1','','','2014-04-02 19:39:12','2014-04-02 19:39:12','',2557,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2557-autosave-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2566,4,'2014-04-02 19:40:07','2014-04-02 19:40:07','Have you ever been to a networking event where you meet people, ask what they do and they give you a long rambling explanation or a very obscure description. You are then confused and ask them to clarify, and then they say this: Basically, I do [something you can understand].\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2558\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/825976939_13974ce756_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2558\" alt=\"Aha by Himmelskratzer on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/825976939_13974ce756_b-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Aha by Himmelskratzer on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nSome people can just give you their job\'s title, such as chief counsel at xyz industries, and you can understand what they do. And some people have easy to understand professions such as doctor, accountant, insurance sales or real estate development.\r\n\r\nAlso, describing yourself as the \"senior\" manager or vice president does not help explain what you do.\r\n\r\nBut take for instance someone I met recently. He started off by telling me where he works (a company with advocacy in the name, but that doesn\'t actually advocate). Then, he told me they work with individuals who are looking to ensure their access to financing (or something like that). Then he said: \"Basically, I sell insurance.\"\r\n\r\nGenerally, when you start a sentence with basically, you are about<strong> distill the essence of something to its most UNDERSTANDABLE part</strong>.  Like a structural engineer who tells you that basically, she works to make bridges safer.  Or the content strategist who tells you that, basically, he works with companies to find the most relevant information for their customers.\r\n\r\nSo before you go to your next networking event, or write your about page on your website, ask yourself: what is it that you do (or your company does), basically?\r\n\r\n<strong>If it\'s basic, it generally makes sense!</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong><em>UPDATE</em></strong>\r\n\r\nMedia trainer Brad Phillips has a great suggestion for improving your elevator pitch: start with the why. Here\'s a link to the post on the <a href=\"http://www.mrmediatraining.com/2010/10/18/dont-tell-the-media-about-your-company/\" target=\"_blank\">Mr. Media Training blog.</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','It\'s so basic, it makes sense!','','inherit','open','open','','2557-revision-v1','','','2014-04-02 19:40:07','2014-04-02 19:40:07','',2557,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/04/2557-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2563,4,'2014-03-27 12:47:21','2014-03-27 12:47:21','Have you ever been to a networking event where you meet people, ask what they do and they give you a long rambling explanation or a very obscure description. You are then confused and ask them to clarify, and then they say this: Basically, I do [something you can understand].\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2558\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/825976939_13974ce756_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2558\" alt=\"Aha by Himmelskratzer on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/825976939_13974ce756_b-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Aha by Himmelskratzer on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nSome people can just give you their job\'s title, such as chief counsel at xyz industries, and you can understand what they do. And some people have easy to understand professions such as doctor, accountant, insurance sales or real estate development.\r\n\r\nAlso, describing yourself as the \"senior\" manager or vice president does not help explain what you do.\r\n\r\nBut take for instance someone I met recently. He started off by telling me where he works (a company with advocacy in the name, but that doesn\'t actually advocate). Then, he told me they work with individuals who are looking to ensure their access to financing (or something like that). Then he said: \"Basically, I sell insurance.\"\r\n\r\nGenerally, when you start a sentence with basically, you are about<strong> distill the essence of something to its most UNDERSTANDABLE part</strong>.  Like a structural engineer who tells you that basically, she works to make bridges safer.  Or the content strategist who tells you that, basically, he works with companies to find the most relevant information for their customers.\r\n\r\nSo before you go to your next networking event, or write your about page on your website, ask yourself: what is it that you do (or your company does), basically?\r\n\r\n<strong>If it\'s basic, it generally makes sense!</strong>\r\n\r\n<em>Looking to jump start your blogging? Join me next Tuesday, April 1 for the<strong> How to Write Your Blog</strong> workshop in Washington, D.C. You will learn what to do to get your blog going and get motivated to start writing. Details and registration<a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-write-your-blog-a-hands-on-workshop-tickets-10592044089?aff=eorg\" target=\"_blank\"> here.</a></em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','It\'s so basic, it makes sense!','','inherit','open','open','','2557-revision-v1','','','2014-03-27 12:47:21','2014-03-27 12:47:21','',2557,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/2557-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2573,4,'2014-04-14 15:12:25','2014-04-14 15:12:25','This morning, I got an email from a networking group apologizing for scheduling a lunch during Passover (which starts tonight and runs for eight days). It offered free admission to those observing Passover since they would not be able to eat the lunch offering (people who observe Passover refrain from eating bread and other grains, among other dietary restrictions).\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2574\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/1686120391_e6e634f5e4_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2574\" alt=\"&quot;Fat-ass wall calendar II&quot; by Geir Arne Brevik on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/1686120391_e6e634f5e4_b-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> \"Fat-ass wall calendar II\" by Geir Arne Brevik on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nThere are many religious observances from various religions throughout the year. Some are more observed than others. While organizers can\'t always avoid having a conflict, they should try. For observant Muslims, attending a lunch during Ramadan is impossible. For observant Jews, attending a networking event on Yom Kippur is unthinkable. Some Christians would not attend a BBQ on Friday during Lent.\r\n\r\nUnderstanding the importance of holidays to their practitioners should be on  communicators\' and event planners\' agendas. From a practical point of view, why would you schedule and promote an event that potential participants won\'t be able to attend? From an inclusive point of view, why would you not be sensitive to different religious beliefs?\r\n\r\nBut it is not only about religious observance. It\'s about understanding what is going on when you are planning your event. Will something else affect your turnout? A competing event? A conflict? A major city-wide happening? If there is going to be a race that shuts down various city streets, for example, that might make it difficult for your attendees to get to your event or find parking.\r\n\r\nAll it takes is to check the calendar<em> before</em> you plan your event. Of course, some things will pop up after you have settled on your dates and venues, which may force you to reschedule or adapt somehow.\r\n\r\nIf you are constantly planning events, then you may wish to invest in <a href=\"http://www.mhprofessional.com/templates/chases/\" target=\"_blank\">Chase\'s calendar</a>, which lists just about everything, everywhere. Otherwise, if you use Google, you can subscribe to various calendars (religious holidays, US holidays, etc.). Or there is this <a href=\"http://www.holidayinsights.com/everyday.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Holidays Calendar</a>, which lists all major religious and US holidays for the year.  For those who prefer paper, most wall/desk calendars list major holidays. And don\'t forget to check your local resources such as newspapers, local websites, chambers of commerce and others to understand what is going on closer to home.\r\n\r\nBut having a calendar is useless unless you check it. Make it part of your event planning and promotion checklist.\r\n\r\nWishing a Happy Passover to those who celebrate. It\'s on my calendar!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Check your calendar before you do anything else','','publish','open','open','','check-your-calendar-before-you-do-anything-else','','','2014-04-14 15:12:25','2014-04-14 15:12:25','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2573',0,'post','',0),
(2568,4,'2014-04-03 13:05:48','2014-04-03 13:05:48','Those of use who work in a communications-related field have been quick to embrace and promote social media. We use social networks actively, we counsel clients to get on social media, and here\'s the kicker, some of us frown on those who don\'t do social media.\r\n\r\n<strong>But how important is it to business to be on social media?</strong>\r\n\r\nJust this morning, I read how Gini Dietrich of Spin Sucks is now a Hertz customer because her former favorite car rental company, Avis, failed her on social media. It would seem that businesses are at peril if they ignore customer complaints expressed on social media.\r\n\r\nThe book <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Groundswell</span> by Charlene Li also counsels that businesses must adapt to the reality that customers are on social media, and will talk about you whether you participate or not in the conversation.\r\n\r\nAnd yet, there are many many successful businesses that don\'t have a Facebook page, that are not on Twitter, have never heard of Pinterest---<strong>and don\'t care</strong>. For example, there\'s an accounting firm in McLean, VA that created a website seven years ago and has barely updated it since and that has absolutely no social media presence. Or the marketing firm that has a blog last updated more than a year ago. Or the many solo practitioners I have met that don\'t even have a website.\r\n\r\nThe truth is you can be in business, and even be successful, without doing social media. Social media is just a platform, like television or radio. If you don\'t use it, you may not reach a certain segment of the population, but that does not mean that you aren\'t reaching your target audience.\r\n\r\nThe big issue is that consumers take to social media to voice their complaints (not so much their compliments) about businesses. Those consumers figure that the amplification power of social media will shame businesses into fixing their problem. And in many cases, this is exactly what happens. Unlike the mass media of yore, social media allows for far more connection and interaction between businesses and consumers.\r\n\r\nBut what if your business is not a huge national brand? Does it matter? I don\'t think it does.\r\n\r\nThat said, I believe that being on social media is an asset to any business. Social media networks can help grow connections and create new relationships. Social media helps to market and grow a business, and expose it to new audiences.\r\n\r\n<strong>Businesses do not need social media to thrive, but they should consider using social media to grow</strong>.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Do you judge businesses if they aren\'t on social media?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','You aren\'t on social media??? ','','publish','open','open','','you-arent-on-social-media','','','2014-04-03 13:05:48','2014-04-03 13:05:48','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2568',0,'post','',0),
(2569,4,'2014-04-03 13:05:48','2014-04-03 13:05:48','Those of use who work in a communications-related field have been quick to embrace and promote social media. We use social networks actively, we counsel clients to get on social media, and here\'s the kicker, some of us frown on those who don\'t do social media.\r\n\r\n<strong>But how important is it to business to be on social media?</strong>\r\n\r\nJust this morning, I read how Gini Dietrich of Spin Sucks is now a Hertz customer because her former favorite car rental company, Avis, failed her on social media. It would seem that businesses are at peril if they ignore customer complaints expressed on social media.\r\n\r\nThe book <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Groundswell</span> by Charlene Li also counsels that businesses must adapt to the reality that customers are on social media, and will talk about you whether you participate or not in the conversation.\r\n\r\nAnd yet, there are many many successful businesses that don\'t have a Facebook page, that are not on Twitter, have never heard of Pinterest---<strong>and don\'t care</strong>. For example, there\'s an accounting firm in McLean, VA that created a website seven years ago and has barely updated it since and that has absolutely no social media presence. Or the marketing firm that has a blog last updated more than a year ago. Or the many solo practitioners I have met that don\'t even have a website.\r\n\r\nThe truth is you can be in business, and even be successful, without doing social media. Social media is just a platform, like television or radio. If you don\'t use it, you may not reach a certain segment of the population, but that does not mean that you aren\'t reaching your target audience.\r\n\r\nThe big issue is that consumers take to social media to voice their complaints (not so much their compliments) about businesses. Those consumers figure that the amplification power of social media will shame businesses into fixing their problem. And in many cases, this is exactly what happens. Unlike the mass media of yore, social media allows for far more connection and interaction between businesses and consumers.\r\n\r\nBut what if your business is not a huge national brand? Does it matter? I don\'t think it does.\r\n\r\nThat said, I believe that being on social media is an asset to any business. Social media networks can help grow connections and create new relationships. Social media helps to market and grow a business, and expose it to new audiences.\r\n\r\n<strong>Businesses do not need social media to thrive, but they should consider using social media to grow</strong>.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Do you judge businesses if they aren\'t on social media?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','You aren\'t on social media??? ','','inherit','open','open','','2568-revision-v1','','','2014-04-03 13:05:48','2014-04-03 13:05:48','',2568,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/04/2568-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2572,4,'2014-04-10 15:01:41','2014-04-10 15:01:41','Being effective in social media marketing requires choosing the right social networks on which to spend time and effort (and money). And you do have to choose because a) there are too many networks and b) some will work better than others.\r\n\r\nTo choose the \"right\" social networks you should consider:\r\n\r\n<strong>Your offering.</strong> Are you a retailer or a service provider? How much explanation does your offering require?\r\n\r\n<strong>Your target audience</strong>. Who is buying your product or service? Where does the target prefer to receive information? Where is the target likely to make a decision?\r\n\r\n<strong>Your strengths</strong>. Are you visual or do you like words? Are you more likely to take and post pictures or write a 1000-word blog post?\r\n\r\n<strong>Where have you had the most traction?</strong> If you haven\'t yet been measuring response, then start right away. Google Analytics will tell you where people are coming from, and this is very valuable information. If most of your customers are coming from a particular social network, it makes sense to focus your energy and effort there.\r\n\r\nI met a blogger who writes about event planning, and she gets the most visits to her blog from Pinterest.  So she focuses exclusively on building her Pinterest presence. Then there\'s the women\'s clothing and accessories retailer who gets most of her online orders through Facebook.  She has decided to budget for Facebook ads and sponsored posts and it is really paying off.\r\n\r\nIn both cases, these people understand their product/service and where to best market it. And they have decided to really focus on the social network that provides the most bang for the buck.\r\n\r\nHow many social networks do you focus on? Are you finding some work better than others?','How to choose the best social networks for marketing','','inherit','open','open','','2571-revision-v1','','','2014-04-10 15:01:41','2014-04-10 15:01:41','',2571,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/04/2571-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2574,4,'2014-04-14 15:10:27','2014-04-14 15:10:27','','1686120391_e6e634f5e4_b','\"Fat-ass wall calendar II\" by Geir Arne Brevik on Flickr','inherit','open','open','','1686120391_e6e634f5e4_b','','','2014-04-14 15:10:27','2014-04-14 15:10:27','',2573,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/1686120391_e6e634f5e4_b.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(2575,4,'2014-04-14 15:12:25','2014-04-14 15:12:25','This morning, I got an email from a networking group apologizing for scheduling a lunch during Passover (which starts tonight and runs for eight days). It offered free admission to those observing Passover since they would not be able to eat the lunch offering (people who observe Passover refrain from eating bread and other grains, among other dietary restrictions).\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2574\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/1686120391_e6e634f5e4_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2574\" alt=\"&quot;Fat-ass wall calendar II&quot; by Geir Arne Brevik on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/1686120391_e6e634f5e4_b-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> \"Fat-ass wall calendar II\" by Geir Arne Brevik on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nThere are many religious observances from various religions throughout the year. Some are more observed than others. While organizers can\'t always avoid having a conflict, they should try. For observant Muslims, attending a lunch during Ramadan is impossible. For observant Jews, attending a networking event on Yom Kippur is unthinkable. Some Christians would not attend a BBQ on Friday during Lent.\r\n\r\nUnderstanding the importance of holidays to their practitioners should be on  communicators\' and event planners\' agendas. From a practical point of view, why would you schedule and promote an event that potential participants won\'t be able to attend? From an inclusive point of view, why would you not be sensitive to different religious beliefs?\r\n\r\nBut it is not only about religious observance. It\'s about understanding what is going on when you are planning your event. Will something else affect your turnout? A competing event? A conflict? A major city-wide happening? If there is going to be a race that shuts down various city streets, for example, that might make it difficult for your attendees to get to your event or find parking.\r\n\r\nAll it takes is to check the calendar<em> before</em> you plan your event. Of course, some things will pop up after you have settled on your dates and venues, which may force you to reschedule or adapt somehow.\r\n\r\nIf you are constantly planning events, then you may wish to invest in <a href=\"http://www.mhprofessional.com/templates/chases/\" target=\"_blank\">Chase\'s calendar</a>, which lists just about everything, everywhere. Otherwise, if you use Google, you can subscribe to various calendars (religious holidays, US holidays, etc.). Or there is this <a href=\"http://www.holidayinsights.com/everyday.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Holidays Calendar</a>, which lists all major religious and US holidays for the year.  For those who prefer paper, most wall/desk calendars list major holidays. And don\'t forget to check your local resources such as newspapers, local websites, chambers of commerce and others to understand what is going on closer to home.\r\n\r\nBut having a calendar is useless unless you check it. Make it part of your event planning and promotion checklist.\r\n\r\nWishing a Happy Passover to those who celebrate. It\'s on my calendar!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Check your calendar before you do anything else','','inherit','open','open','','2573-revision-v1','','','2014-04-14 15:12:25','2014-04-14 15:12:25','',2573,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/04/2573-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2584,4,'2014-04-29 17:52:19','0000-00-00 00:00:00','','Cany','','draft','open','open','','','','','2014-04-29 17:52:19','2014-04-29 17:52:19','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2584',0,'post','',0),
(2578,4,'2014-04-21 15:09:24','2014-04-21 15:09:24','It happens to all of us. Sometimes we just can\'t/won\'t blog. We are out of ideas. Or, if we do have ideas, they don\'t gel enough to form a good blog post. Perhaps we are being perfectionists. Or perhaps we are burned out.\r\n\r\nDoes having blogger\'s block mean you should give up your blog? I don\'t think so!\r\n\r\nHere are seven solutions to deal with blogger\'s block:\r\n\r\n<em>If the problem is lack of ideas</em>:\r\n\r\n1. <strong>Revisit and update an old post.</strong> Check your archives. What post had good traction? Review it and re-use it. Update as necessary.\r\n\r\n2. <strong>Shake up your routine to inspire creativity.</strong> Creativity experts suggest shaking up your normal way of doing things -- such as taking a different route to work, brushing your teeth with the opposite hand--in order to help your brain form new ideas. Once you have, sit down and brainstorm ten different ideas for blog posts. Write them down. Revisit them as necessary.\r\n\r\n3. <strong>Create a \"compilation\" post.</strong>  Instead of writing a brand new post, compile or curate resources, articles or lists. You could do a \"round-up\" of blog posts or articles (e.g. 5 best articles on SEO) or research a list of resources (e.g. 15 upcoming tech conferences).\r\n\r\n4. <strong>Interview someone</strong>. Come up with five questions and pose them to your company president, a colleague, an industry leader or to whomever it makes sense. Alternatively, try interviewing someone via Skype, and post the video of the interview (and if possible, a written transcript).\r\n\r\n<em>If the problem is burnout</em>:\r\n\r\n5.<strong> Solicit guest bloggers.</strong> Reach out to people you know--other bloggers, professionals in your industry, friends--and ask them to write a post. Make sure to provide a topic and guidance (and a deadline).\r\n\r\n6. <strong>Try a different format.</strong> If you always write your posts, what about doing a video blog or a podcast? Or how about having a graphic post (heavy on images, light on words).\r\n\r\n7. <strong>Take a break</strong>. Sometimes you need time off to recharge. You should write a post explaining the blog is on a short hiatus or that you are on vacation. You should probably say when the blog will be back.  If you are uncomfortable not having content during your break you may want to re-post popular older posts or seek evergreen content. If you have a white paper or book, you could run excerpts.\r\n\r\nWhat do you do when you are struck with blogger\'s block? Please share your suggestions and solutions  in the comments.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','7 Solutions to Blogger\'s Block','','publish','open','open','','7-solutions-to-bloggers-block','','','2014-04-21 15:09:24','2014-04-21 15:09:24','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2578',0,'post','',0),
(2579,4,'2014-04-21 15:09:24','2014-04-21 15:09:24','It happens to all of us. Sometimes we just can\'t/won\'t blog. We are out of ideas. Or, if we do have ideas, they don\'t gel enough to form a good blog post. Perhaps we are being perfectionists. Or perhaps we are burned out.\r\n\r\nDoes having blogger\'s block mean you should give up your blog? I don\'t think so!\r\n\r\nHere are seven solutions to deal with blogger\'s block:\r\n\r\n<em>If the problem is lack of ideas</em>:\r\n\r\n1. <strong>Revisit and update an old post.</strong> Check your archives. What post had good traction? Review it and re-use it. Update as necessary.\r\n\r\n2. <strong>Shake up your routine to inspire creativity.</strong> Creativity experts suggest shaking up your normal way of doing things -- such as taking a different route to work, brushing your teeth with the opposite hand--in order to help your brain form new ideas. Once you have, sit down and brainstorm ten different ideas for blog posts. Write them down. Revisit them as necessary.\r\n\r\n3. <strong>Create a \"compilation\" post.</strong>  Instead of writing a brand new post, compile or curate resources, articles or lists. You could do a \"round-up\" of blog posts or articles (e.g. 5 best articles on SEO) or research a list of resources (e.g. 15 upcoming tech conferences).\r\n\r\n4. <strong>Interview someone</strong>. Come up with five questions and pose them to your company president, a colleague, an industry leader or to whomever it makes sense. Alternatively, try interviewing someone via Skype, and post the video of the interview (and if possible, a written transcript).\r\n\r\n<em>If the problem is burnout</em>:\r\n\r\n5.<strong> Solicit guest bloggers.</strong> Reach out to people you know--other bloggers, professionals in your industry, friends--and ask them to write a post. Make sure to provide a topic and guidance (and a deadline).\r\n\r\n6. <strong>Try a different format.</strong> If you always write your posts, what about doing a video blog or a podcast? Or how about having a graphic post (heavy on images, light on words).\r\n\r\n7. <strong>Take a break</strong>. Sometimes you need time off to recharge. You should write a post explaining the blog is on a short hiatus or that you are on vacation. You should probably say when the blog will be back.  If you are uncomfortable not having content during your break you may want to re-post popular older posts or seek evergreen content. If you have a white paper or book, you could run excerpts.\r\n\r\nWhat do you do when you are struck with blogger\'s block? Please share your suggestions and solutions  in the comments.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','7 Solutions to Blogger\'s Block','','inherit','open','open','','2578-revision-v1','','','2014-04-21 15:09:24','2014-04-21 15:09:24','',2578,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/04/2578-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2610,4,'2014-05-16 17:19:49','2014-05-16 17:19:49','I was watching the midday news today. We had a lot of rain overnight and there was flooding in some areas. Apparently, there was even flooding in Rockville, where I live. A reporter was out somewhere in Rockville telling about how a car got stuck in a flooded road. Except she never said where in Rockville this road was located. And that\'s what I really wanted (needed) to know: <strong>where</strong> <strong>exactly</strong> is it flooded so I can avoid the area.\r\n\r\nPerhaps this reporter has forgotten her Journalism 101 class, which teaches that every story should answer these questions:\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Who?</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>What?</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Where?</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Why?</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>When?</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>How?</strong></p>\r\nIn fact, the answers to these basic questions are the basis for any story, whether told by a reporter on TV or a public relations practitioner in a press release or a website copywriter. To answer those questions means to tell the most important part of any story. Everything else is additional detail and description that can make a story more compelling or interesting.\r\n\r\nAnd yet, how many press releases are missing answers to these questions? How many websites don\'t answer the why or the how of whatever product or service they are promoting?\r\n\r\nIf you want to succeed at storytelling and content marketing, you must answer each and every one of these questions. If you can\'t, you need more information. If you won\'t, you are probably trying to hide something or you didn\'t do your homework.\r\n<h2>Need to tell the complete story in your marketing materials? <a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/contact/\">Contact me</a> to see how we can work together to get beyond the basics.</h2>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Answer these basic questions','','publish','open','open','','answer-these-basic-questions','','','2014-05-16 17:19:49','2014-05-16 17:19:49','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2610',0,'post','',0),
(2581,4,'2014-04-24 13:42:55','2014-04-24 13:42:55','We all know how important headlines are.  When we are constantly scanning our devices, we need to be able to select what we want to read quickly, and headlines help us do that. So, no argument here about great headlines.\r\n\r\n<strong>However, what happens when the article associated with the great headline is not so great?</strong>\r\n\r\nCase in point: My mother happened to see a headline promising seven secrets to getting the best seats on a plane. She was intrigued as she flies quite frequently.  And as anybody who has flown in the past year knows,  comfortable seating is now a thing of the past as airlines try to cram more seats in a plane while charging fees for sitting in areas like the bulkhead and emergency row.\r\n\r\nWell, guess what the main \"secret\" to getting a better seat is? Pay for it. Seriously. This article, promising seven \"secrets\" to get better seats, had<strong> two</strong> main suggestions (a more accurate term for what the article offered): check the aircraft seating map and pay if you have to.\r\n\r\nNeedless to say, this useless article did not live up to its headline. Since the article was so poor, I don\'t even remember who wrote it. However, I do know what website this garbage was on. It makes me question whether other articles on that website are as bad.\r\n\r\nThe bottom line is that writing a great headline is not enough. If your content fails to live up to headline what you are doing is tricking your readers, and readers do not like to be tricked.\r\n\r\n<strong>Getting readers to your content is important, but if your content disappoints, you will end up with disappointed readers. That is not a strategy for growth.</strong>\r\n\r\nHave you come across articles that don\'t live up to their headlines? Did that change your behavior toward the source?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','You need a great headline...and great content','','publish','open','open','','you-need-a-great-headline-and-great-content','','','2014-04-24 13:42:55','2014-04-24 13:42:55','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2581',0,'post','',2),
(2582,4,'2014-04-24 13:42:55','2014-04-24 13:42:55','We all know how important headlines are.  When we are constantly scanning our devices, we need to be able to select what we want to read quickly, and headlines help us do that. So, no argument here about great headlines.\r\n\r\n<strong>However, what happens when the article associated with the great headline is not so great?</strong>\r\n\r\nCase in point: My mother happened to see a headline promising seven secrets to getting the best seats on a plane. She was intrigued as she flies quite frequently.  And as anybody who has flown in the past year knows,  comfortable seating is now a thing of the past as airlines try to cram more seats in a plane while charging fees for sitting in areas like the bulkhead and emergency row.\r\n\r\nWell, guess what the main \"secret\" to getting a better seat is? Pay for it. Seriously. This article, promising seven \"secrets\" to get better seats, had<strong> two</strong> main suggestions (a more accurate term for what the article offered): check the aircraft seating map and pay if you have to.\r\n\r\nNeedless to say, this useless article did not live up to its headline. Since the article was so poor, I don\'t even remember who wrote it. However, I do know what website this garbage was on. It makes me question whether other articles on that website are as bad.\r\n\r\nThe bottom line is that writing a great headline is not enough. If your content fails to live up to headline what you are doing is tricking your readers, and readers do not like to be tricked.\r\n\r\n<strong>Getting readers to your content is important, but if your content disappoints, you will end up with disappointed readers. That is not a strategy for growth.</strong>\r\n\r\nHave you come across articles that don\'t live up to their headlines? Did that change your behavior toward the source?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','You need a great headline...and great content','','inherit','open','open','','2581-revision-v1','','','2014-04-24 13:42:55','2014-04-24 13:42:55','',2581,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/04/2581-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2630,4,'2014-05-30 13:43:06','2014-05-30 13:43:06','Several months ago I attended a presentation on content marketing. The presenter has become a mini-celebrity in the field, and has even published a book on the subject. However, this person had the unfortunate tendency to let her voice lower so much you had to strain to hear her. It was completely distracting and seriously took away from the content of the presentation. I don\'t think I could sit through another presentation <em>in spite of her expertise in the field.</em>\r\n\r\nJust this morning, I came across an article from Inc. Magazine entitled  <a href=\"http://www.inc.com/jenna-goudreau/5-ways-you-might-be-hurting-your-credibility-at-work.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"5 Ways People Hurt Their Credibility.\"</a> It points out that you can seem less credible by not controlling your voice (the situation I pointed out above) or by having poor posture. <strong>Obviously, as a communicator, it\'s important to establish your credibility.</strong>  Credibility is key to convincing your  clients that your communications plan will help boost their recognition or establish their brand. You won\'t get far in pitching the media if you lack credibility.\r\n\r\nThere\'s no doubt that you must establish and protect your credibility and the trait that will allow you do so is <strong>self-awareness.</strong> If you aren\'t self-aware, you won\'t even be able to recognize any of the behaviors pointed out in the Inc. article.\r\n\r\nSo many people are blind to their shortcomings precisely because their biggest shortcoming is a lack of self-awareness. If you aren\'t able to examine your behaviors and beliefs to find areas for improvement, you aren\'t able to change. And you will continue to do stuff that may be detrimental to your career.\r\n\r\n<strong>How do you become more self-aware?</strong> You start with the knowledge that you will need to start paying close attention to what you are doing and how people are reacting to you. You can also ask for feedback to see if how people perceive you is the same as the way you perceive yourself.\r\n\r\nDo you agree that self-awareness is the most important trait any communicator should have? If not, what do you think? Let me know in the comments.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','The most important trait for any communicator','','publish','open','open','','the-most-important-trait-for-any-communicator','','','2014-05-30 13:43:06','2014-05-30 13:43:06','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2630',0,'post','',0),
(2587,4,'2014-04-29 18:15:28','2014-04-29 18:15:28','Today, on one the many social media blogs I follow, I saw yet another post on how to use LinkedIn effectively (\"5 tips to improve your LinkedIn experience\" or some such).\r\n\r\nAlso today, coincidentally, I received a generic \"let\'s connect on LinkedIn\" invitation (the third in the past week and a half) from someone I have never met, and with whom  I have no connections in common.\r\n\r\nOne of the five tips to use LinkedIn effectively was not to send generic invitations, but rather to take the time to personalize the invitation and explain why you want to connect.\r\n\r\nBy the way, the invitation today was from another writer. I know she could\'ve come up with a sentence or two on her own. But she didn\'t. Was she being lazy? Does she understand how to use LinkedIn effectively? Has she never read an article about how to use LinkedIn effectively or is that I am the only one that has seen the same five tips regurgitated in article after article after article?\r\n\r\nThis got me to thinking: can you learn how to be savvy on social media or do you have to be born that way? Or put another way, are the people who could benefit the most from the \"5 tips\" articles precisely the ones that don\'t read those articles BECAUSE they don\'t follow social media (read blogs, interact on Twitter, etc.)?\r\n\r\nIt\'s not just LinkedIn (as an aside, how many of your network still don\'t have pictures on their profiles?). It\'s Twitter. It\'s Facebook.  We see people doing stupid things all the time, the same things which get endlessly pointed out in how-to and tips articles everywhere...on social media.\r\n\r\nThere\'s an older communicator whom I know tangentially. She didn\'t understand how to use Twitter, in spite of being on it, in spite of the many resources out there. When I pointed something out to her, something so obvious, she actually thanked me. She needed to learn. She needed to be taught. But the thing is that she didn\'t know she needed to learn because she was (is) not social media savvy.\r\n\r\nIt\'s like people who use caps lock in their email. They don\'t know they are \"shouting.\"\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Can people become more social media savvy? How will they learn if they never seem to see the many resources out there? Do you share my frustration?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is social media savvy a learned skill?','','publish','open','open','','is-social-media-savvy-a-learned-skill','','','2014-04-29 22:16:35','2014-04-29 22:16:35','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2587',0,'post','',2),
(2588,4,'2014-04-29 18:15:28','2014-04-29 18:15:28','Today, on one the many social media blogs I follow, I saw yet another post on how to use LinkedIn effectively (\"5 tips to improve your LinkedIn experience\" or some such).\r\n\r\nToday, coincidentally, I received a generic \"let\'s connect on LinkedIn invitation (the third in the past week and a half) from someone I have never met, and with whom  I have no connections in common.\r\n\r\nOne of the five tips to use LinkedIn effectively was not to send generic invitations, to take the time to personalize and explain why you want to connect.\r\n\r\nBy the way, the invitation today was from another writer. I know she could\'ve come up with a sentence or two on her own. But she didn\'t. Was she being lazy? Does she understand how to use LinkedIn effectively? Has she never read an article about how to use LinkedIn effectively or is that I am the only one that has seen the same five tips regurgitated in article after article after article?\r\n\r\nThis got me to thinking: can you learn how to be savvy on social media or do you have to be born that way? Or put another way, are the people who could benefit the most from the \"5 tips\" articles precisely the ones that don\'t read those articles BECAUSE they don\'t follow social media (read blogs, interact on Twitter, etc.)?\r\n\r\nIt\'s not just LinkedIn (as an aside, how many of your network still don\'t have pictures on their profiles?). It\'s Twitter. It\'s Facebook.  We see people doing stupid things all the time, the same things which get endlessly pointed out in how-to and tips articles everywhere...on social media.\r\n\r\nThere\'s an older communicator whom I know tangentially. She didn\'t understand how to use Twitter, in spite of being on it, in spite of the many resources out there. When I pointed something out to her, something so obvious, she actually thanked me. She needed to learn. She needed to be taught. But the thing is that she didn\'t know she needed to learn because she was (is) not social media savvy.\r\n\r\nIt\'s like people who use cap lock in their email. They don\'t know they are \"shouting.\"\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Can people become more social media savvy? How will they learn if they never seem to see the many resources out there? Do you share my frustration?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is social media savvy a learned skill?','','inherit','open','open','','2587-revision-v1','','','2014-04-29 18:15:28','2014-04-29 18:15:28','',2587,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/04/2587-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2589,4,'2014-04-29 18:17:47','2014-04-29 18:17:47','Today, on one the many social media blogs I follow, I saw yet another post on how to use LinkedIn effectively (\"5 tips to improve your LinkedIn experience\" or some such).\r\n\r\nToday, coincidentally, I received a generic \"let\'s connect on LinkedIn\" invitation (the third in the past week and a half) from someone I have never met, and with whom  I have no connections in common.\r\n\r\nOne of the five tips to use LinkedIn effectively was not to send generic invitations, to take the time to personalize and explain why you want to connect.\r\n\r\nBy the way, the invitation today was from another writer. I know she could\'ve come up with a sentence or two on her own. But she didn\'t. Was she being lazy? Does she understand how to use LinkedIn effectively? Has she never read an article about how to use LinkedIn effectively or is that I am the only one that has seen the same five tips regurgitated in article after article after article?\r\n\r\nThis got me to thinking: can you learn how to be savvy on social media or do you have to be born that way? Or put another way, are the people who could benefit the most from the \"5 tips\" articles precisely the ones that don\'t read those articles BECAUSE they don\'t follow social media (read blogs, interact on Twitter, etc.)?\r\n\r\nIt\'s not just LinkedIn (as an aside, how many of your network still don\'t have pictures on their profiles?). It\'s Twitter. It\'s Facebook.  We see people doing stupid things all the time, the same things which get endlessly pointed out in how-to and tips articles everywhere...on social media.\r\n\r\nThere\'s an older communicator whom I know tangentially. She didn\'t understand how to use Twitter, in spite of being on it, in spite of the many resources out there. When I pointed something out to her, something so obvious, she actually thanked me. She needed to learn. She needed to be taught. But the thing is that she didn\'t know she needed to learn because she was (is) not social media savvy.\r\n\r\nIt\'s like people who use caps lock in their email. They don\'t know they are \"shouting.\"\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Can people become more social media savvy? How will they learn if they never seem to see the many resources out there? Do you share my frustration?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is social media savvy a learned skill?','','inherit','open','open','','2587-revision-v1','','','2014-04-29 18:17:47','2014-04-29 18:17:47','',2587,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/04/2587-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2590,4,'2014-04-29 19:29:03','2014-04-29 19:29:03','In case you\'ve missed a newsletter, just check this archive.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://mad.ly/3625c4\" target=\"_blank\">April 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"February newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/dc2584\" target=\"_blank\">February 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"December 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/bb9454\" target=\"_blank\">December 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"October 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/f27424\" target=\"_blank\">October 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"July 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/eb30f3\" target=\"_blank\">July 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"May 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/9003c3\" target=\"_blank\">May 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"March 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/d82a93\" target=\"_blank\">March 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"January 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/a12873\" target=\"_blank\">January 2013</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Newsletters','','inherit','open','open','','2509-revision-v1','','','2014-04-29 19:29:03','2014-04-29 19:29:03','',2509,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/04/2509-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2591,4,'2014-04-29 19:46:46','2014-04-29 19:46:46','Today, on one the many social media blogs I follow, I saw yet another post on how to use LinkedIn effectively (\"5 tips to improve your LinkedIn experience\" or some such).\r\n\r\nToday, coincidentally, I received a generic \"let\'s connect on LinkedIn\" invitation (the third in the past week and a half) from someone I have never met, and with whom  I have no connections in common.\r\n\r\nOne of the five tips to use LinkedIn effectively was not to send generic invitations,but rather to take the time to personalize the invitation and explain why you want to connect.\r\n\r\nBy the way, the invitation today was from another writer. I know she could\'ve come up with a sentence or two on her own. But she didn\'t. Was she being lazy? Does she understand how to use LinkedIn effectively? Has she never read an article about how to use LinkedIn effectively or is that I am the only one that has seen the same five tips regurgitated in article after article after article?\r\n\r\nThis got me to thinking: can you learn how to be savvy on social media or do you have to be born that way? Or put another way, are the people who could benefit the most from the \"5 tips\" articles precisely the ones that don\'t read those articles BECAUSE they don\'t follow social media (read blogs, interact on Twitter, etc.)?\r\n\r\nIt\'s not just LinkedIn (as an aside, how many of your network still don\'t have pictures on their profiles?). It\'s Twitter. It\'s Facebook.  We see people doing stupid things all the time, the same things which get endlessly pointed out in how-to and tips articles everywhere...on social media.\r\n\r\nThere\'s an older communicator whom I know tangentially. She didn\'t understand how to use Twitter, in spite of being on it, in spite of the many resources out there. When I pointed something out to her, something so obvious, she actually thanked me. She needed to learn. She needed to be taught. But the thing is that she didn\'t know she needed to learn because she was (is) not social media savvy.\r\n\r\nIt\'s like people who use caps lock in their email. They don\'t know they are \"shouting.\"\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Can people become more social media savvy? How will they learn if they never seem to see the many resources out there? Do you share my frustration?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is social media savvy a learned skill?','','inherit','open','open','','2587-revision-v1','','','2014-04-29 19:46:46','2014-04-29 19:46:46','',2587,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/04/2587-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2592,4,'2014-04-29 22:16:07','2014-04-29 22:16:07','Today, on one the many social media blogs I follow, I saw yet another post on how to use LinkedIn effectively (\"5 tips to improve your LinkedIn experience\" or some such).\r\n\r\nAlso today, coincidentally, I received a generic \"let\'s connect on LinkedIn\" invitation (the third in the past week and a half) from someone I have never met, and with whom  I have no connections in common.\r\n\r\nOne of the five tips to use LinkedIn effectively was not to send generic invitations,but rather to take the time to personalize the invitation and explain why you want to connect.\r\n\r\nBy the way, the invitation today was from another writer. I know she could\'ve come up with a sentence or two on her own. But she didn\'t. Was she being lazy? Does she understand how to use LinkedIn effectively? Has she never read an article about how to use LinkedIn effectively or is that I am the only one that has seen the same five tips regurgitated in article after article after article?\r\n\r\nThis got me to thinking: can you learn how to be savvy on social media or do you have to be born that way? Or put another way, are the people who could benefit the most from the \"5 tips\" articles precisely the ones that don\'t read those articles BECAUSE they don\'t follow social media (read blogs, interact on Twitter, etc.)?\r\n\r\nIt\'s not just LinkedIn (as an aside, how many of your network still don\'t have pictures on their profiles?). It\'s Twitter. It\'s Facebook.  We see people doing stupid things all the time, the same things which get endlessly pointed out in how-to and tips articles everywhere...on social media.\r\n\r\nThere\'s an older communicator whom I know tangentially. She didn\'t understand how to use Twitter, in spite of being on it, in spite of the many resources out there. When I pointed something out to her, something so obvious, she actually thanked me. She needed to learn. She needed to be taught. But the thing is that she didn\'t know she needed to learn because she was (is) not social media savvy.\r\n\r\nIt\'s like people who use caps lock in their email. They don\'t know they are \"shouting.\"\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Can people become more social media savvy? How will they learn if they never seem to see the many resources out there? Do you share my frustration?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is social media savvy a learned skill?','','inherit','open','open','','2587-revision-v1','','','2014-04-29 22:16:07','2014-04-29 22:16:07','',2587,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/04/2587-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2593,4,'2014-04-29 22:16:35','2014-04-29 22:16:35','Today, on one the many social media blogs I follow, I saw yet another post on how to use LinkedIn effectively (\"5 tips to improve your LinkedIn experience\" or some such).\r\n\r\nAlso today, coincidentally, I received a generic \"let\'s connect on LinkedIn\" invitation (the third in the past week and a half) from someone I have never met, and with whom  I have no connections in common.\r\n\r\nOne of the five tips to use LinkedIn effectively was not to send generic invitations, but rather to take the time to personalize the invitation and explain why you want to connect.\r\n\r\nBy the way, the invitation today was from another writer. I know she could\'ve come up with a sentence or two on her own. But she didn\'t. Was she being lazy? Does she understand how to use LinkedIn effectively? Has she never read an article about how to use LinkedIn effectively or is that I am the only one that has seen the same five tips regurgitated in article after article after article?\r\n\r\nThis got me to thinking: can you learn how to be savvy on social media or do you have to be born that way? Or put another way, are the people who could benefit the most from the \"5 tips\" articles precisely the ones that don\'t read those articles BECAUSE they don\'t follow social media (read blogs, interact on Twitter, etc.)?\r\n\r\nIt\'s not just LinkedIn (as an aside, how many of your network still don\'t have pictures on their profiles?). It\'s Twitter. It\'s Facebook.  We see people doing stupid things all the time, the same things which get endlessly pointed out in how-to and tips articles everywhere...on social media.\r\n\r\nThere\'s an older communicator whom I know tangentially. She didn\'t understand how to use Twitter, in spite of being on it, in spite of the many resources out there. When I pointed something out to her, something so obvious, she actually thanked me. She needed to learn. She needed to be taught. But the thing is that she didn\'t know she needed to learn because she was (is) not social media savvy.\r\n\r\nIt\'s like people who use caps lock in their email. They don\'t know they are \"shouting.\"\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Can people become more social media savvy? How will they learn if they never seem to see the many resources out there? Do you share my frustration?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is social media savvy a learned skill?','','inherit','open','open','','2587-revision-v1','','','2014-04-29 22:16:35','2014-04-29 22:16:35','',2587,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/04/2587-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2650,4,'2014-06-16 15:15:45','2014-06-16 15:15:45','Last week, for three days in a row, Feedly was targeted by hackers looking for ransom in a huge DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack. It meant that nobody was able to access Feedly.\r\n\r\nIf you use Feedly as your RSS reader, it meant that there was no way of accessing all your feeds short of going to each source. We set up RSS readers precisely to avoid having to visit dozens of separate websites and blogs. Feedly being down was definitely an inconvenience (not on the magnitude of Twitter being down, but still).\r\n\r\nIf you are a blog publisher, and you use RSS as your primary distribution channel, you were really screwed last week. Nobody saw your feed. Few people if any took the time to visit your site to read your latest posts. If they did, it\'s too bad you can\'t identify them, because they are your most loyal supporters.\r\n\r\n<strong>There\'s a big lesson here for bloggers: you must use various different channels to push out your content.</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>On social</strong>: You have to share on all of your social networks.  If you don\'t regularly post your latest stuff to LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc., you must start.\r\n\r\n<strong>On email:</strong> Perhaps this is a good time to check out newsletter providers that have the RSS-to-email feature. This feature takes your latest posts and sends them out as a newsletter to your contacts on whatever schedule you choose. You definitely want to make sure people can subscribe to your feed directly too.\r\n\r\n<strong>In person</strong>: Do your friends and colleagues know about your blog? Let them know and encourage them to visit. If you give out business cards, is your blog listed?\r\n\r\nI can almost promise you that this won\'t be the last time Feedly will be down. Chances are also good that one of the social networks will be attacked too. There\'s little you can do to avoid internet failures, but there\'s a lot you can do to avoid depending on just one channel of communication.\r\n\r\nWhere were you (and what did you do) when Feedly went down last week?','Where were you when Feedly went down?','','inherit','open','open','','2649-revision-v1','','','2014-06-16 15:15:45','2014-06-16 15:15:45','',2649,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/06/2649-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2595,4,'2014-05-06 18:41:56','2014-05-06 18:41:56','It seems that many vendors and service providers are resorting to scare tactics to get prospects to do something: renew, register, etc. They use pressure terms and frequent reminders to communicate that if you don\'t do something right at this moment you will forever be suspended, terminated, interrupted or be victim to some other dire scenario. You won\'t pass go and you won\'t collect $200 for sure.\r\n\r\nFor example, just this morning I received a renewal email from a county program I am enrolled in.  This is the first paragraph, which I have redacted to hide the sender\'s identity:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Deborah Brody,</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Your certification as a registered vendor in the XXX Program will expire within the next 90 days. If you wish to remain in this program, you must renew your registration before 08/04/2014. If you have not renewed your registration by 08/04/2014, your participation in the XXXX will be suspended until you have done so.</p>\r\nGranted, this is not the scariest email, but it is not very friendly. To say my participation will be suspended sounds a bit threatening. What if, instead, it said something like:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Dear Deborah Brody,</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">You  are currently certified as a vendor in the XXXX Program, and your certification  is due to expire August 4. We value your participation and ask that you renew your registration by August 4 so that you can remain in the program without interruption.</p>\r\nBetter no?\r\n\r\nAnd then there are the endless emails I get from Network Solutions with subject lines like: <em>Your Services Will Be Interrupted. </em>Mind you, I have more than a month until I have to renew, but yet NetSol sends me variations on this email two and three times a day! I feel harassed, and now I am searching for another registrar.\r\n\r\nPressuring your prospects can become a  turn-off. Sending too many emails is a form of pressure, and often, adds to the prospect\'s stress level. You don\'t want to stress your prospect, do you? What you want is to encourage him/her to make a decision.\r\n\r\nThink about motivations, and how people respond. Do people respond positively to a negative pitch? Perhaps some do. However, as the refrain goes, you attract more bees with honey than with vinegar. Compliments are better than criticisms.  Feeling like a hero is better than feeling like a deadbeat loser.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? How do you respond to negative emails? Do you ever feel harassed or threatened by vendors and service providers?','Are you scaring off your prospects?','','publish','open','open','','scaring-your-prospects','','','2014-05-06 18:43:31','2014-05-06 18:43:31','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2595',0,'post','',0),
(2596,4,'2014-05-06 18:41:56','2014-05-06 18:41:56','It seems that many vendors and service providers are resorting to scare tactics to get prospects to do something: renew, register, etc. They use pressure terms and frequent reminders to communicate that if you don\'t do something right at this moment you will forever be suspended, terminated, interrupted or be victim to some other dire scenario. You won\'t pass go and you won\'t collect $200 for sure.\r\n\r\nFor example, just this morning I received a renewal email from a county program I am enrolled in.  This is the first paragraph, which I have redacted to hide the sender\'s identity:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Deborah Brody,\r\n\r\nYour certification as a registered vendor in the XXX Program will expire within the next 90 days. If you wish to remain in this program, you must renew your registration before 08/04/2014. If you have not renewed your registration by 08/04/2014, your participation in the XXXX will be suspended until you have done so.</p>\r\nGranted, this is not the scariest email, but it is not very friendly. To say my participation will be suspended sounds a bit threatening. What if, instead, it said something like:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Dear Deborah Brody,</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">You  are currently certified as a vendor in the XXXX Program, and your certification  is due to expire August 4. We value your participation and ask that you renew your registration by August 4 so that you can remain in the program without interruption.</p>\r\nBetter no?\r\n\r\nAnd then there are the endless emails I get from Network Solutions with subject lines like: <em>Your Services Will Be Interrupted. </em>Mind you, I have more than a month until I have to renew, but yet NetSol sends me variations on this email two and three times a day! I feel harassed, and now I am searching for another registrar.\r\n\r\nPressuring your prospects can become a  turn-off. Sending too many emails is a form of pressure, and often, adds to the prospect\'s stress level. You don\'t want to stress your prospect, do you? What you want is to encourage him/her to make a decision.\r\n\r\nThink about motivations, and how people respond. Do people respond positively to a negative pitch? Perhaps some do. However, as the refrain goes, you attract more bees with honey than with vinegar. Compliments are better than criticisms.  Feeling like a hero is better than feeling like a deadbeat loser.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? How do you respond to negative emails? Do you ever feel harassed or threatened by vendors and service providers?','Are you scaring off your prospects?','','inherit','open','open','','2595-revision-v1','','','2014-05-06 18:41:56','2014-05-06 18:41:56','',2595,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/05/2595-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2597,4,'2014-05-06 18:43:31','2014-05-06 18:43:31','It seems that many vendors and service providers are resorting to scare tactics to get prospects to do something: renew, register, etc. They use pressure terms and frequent reminders to communicate that if you don\'t do something right at this moment you will forever be suspended, terminated, interrupted or be victim to some other dire scenario. You won\'t pass go and you won\'t collect $200 for sure.\r\n\r\nFor example, just this morning I received a renewal email from a county program I am enrolled in.  This is the first paragraph, which I have redacted to hide the sender\'s identity:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Deborah Brody,</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Your certification as a registered vendor in the XXX Program will expire within the next 90 days. If you wish to remain in this program, you must renew your registration before 08/04/2014. If you have not renewed your registration by 08/04/2014, your participation in the XXXX will be suspended until you have done so.</p>\r\nGranted, this is not the scariest email, but it is not very friendly. To say my participation will be suspended sounds a bit threatening. What if, instead, it said something like:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Dear Deborah Brody,</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">You  are currently certified as a vendor in the XXXX Program, and your certification  is due to expire August 4. We value your participation and ask that you renew your registration by August 4 so that you can remain in the program without interruption.</p>\r\nBetter no?\r\n\r\nAnd then there are the endless emails I get from Network Solutions with subject lines like: <em>Your Services Will Be Interrupted. </em>Mind you, I have more than a month until I have to renew, but yet NetSol sends me variations on this email two and three times a day! I feel harassed, and now I am searching for another registrar.\r\n\r\nPressuring your prospects can become a  turn-off. Sending too many emails is a form of pressure, and often, adds to the prospect\'s stress level. You don\'t want to stress your prospect, do you? What you want is to encourage him/her to make a decision.\r\n\r\nThink about motivations, and how people respond. Do people respond positively to a negative pitch? Perhaps some do. However, as the refrain goes, you attract more bees with honey than with vinegar. Compliments are better than criticisms.  Feeling like a hero is better than feeling like a deadbeat loser.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? How do you respond to negative emails? Do you ever feel harassed or threatened by vendors and service providers?','Are you scaring off your prospects?','','inherit','open','open','','2595-revision-v1','','','2014-05-06 18:43:31','2014-05-06 18:43:31','',2595,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/05/2595-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2598,4,'2012-10-08 18:00:12','2012-10-08 18:00:12','<table class=\"homemain\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">\r\n<table class=\"homeleft\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>How We Can Help</strong></h4>\r\nIf you\'re a small to medium size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.\r\n\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nTogether, we will create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish). Whether you want to develop a brochure, need public relations assistance, or need to create a user-friendly website, we\'ll find the most effective solution.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n<td>\r\n<table class=\"homeright\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>Why Choose DBMC</strong></h4>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner.\r\n\r\n<strong>You\'ll find that our services</strong> are a more focused alternative to the traditional advertising or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won\'t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n\r\nWe will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n<div id=\"contacthome\"><a style=\"color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold;\" href=\"contact\">Contact us</a> today to learn how to improve your marketing and communications.</div>','Home','','inherit','open','open','','2-revision-v1','','','2012-10-08 18:00:12','2012-10-08 18:00:12','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2600,4,'2014-05-12 16:03:54','2014-05-12 16:03:54','At the gym this morning, we experienced a paper towel fail. There are two automated paper towel dispensers on the main floor, and both were out of paper.  Since you are supposed to wipe your machine down after exercising (and some of us, knowing most people don\'t do that, wipe it down before), and people need the paper to do this, we could potentially be looking at many sweat and germ drenched machines.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2602\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/6860290289_a8f2ea9d27_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2602\" alt=\"Treadmills by Montage HOA on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/6860290289_a8f2ea9d27_b-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Treadmills by Montage HOA on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn any case, I got the last bit of paper out of one, and was able to wipe my machine and start exercising. After me, at least ten people walked up to the machines, waved at them fruitlessly and walked away. Most just left their machines without wiping them off. A couple of people walked over to the other room and got paper there. And then someone finally reported the missing paper to the front desk.\r\n\r\nWhat is the marketing lesson here? There are three:\r\n\r\n1. <strong>Most people will not speak up.</strong> It seems to be something about human psychology that most people will not rock the boat, even if something is wrong.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Marketers should never assume that because no one has said anything, everything is OK. That\'s why it\'s so important to measure and check!</strong></em>\r\n\r\n2. <strong>Most people will not go out of their way</strong>, even if they know they should do something. It may be laziness or hurry or something else, but most people will not take extra steps or go out of their way.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Marketers (especially of causes) have to make things as easy as possible. Too many steps will just make people give up.</strong></em>\r\n\r\n3.  <strong>People are completely self-involved</strong>. Most people don\'t notice what is going around them. If so, all those people would have seen there was no paper instead of standing there doing what another person did five seconds before them.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Marketers have to break through both the clutter and the self-involvement.</strong></em>\r\n\r\nComments are always appreciated!\r\n<h2><em>Need help with your marketing materials? If so,<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/contact/\"> contact</a> me to discuss how we can cut through the clutter and make change happen.</em></h2>\r\n&nbsp;','What my gym\'s #fail can teach you about marketing','','publish','open','open','','what-my-gyms-fail-can-teach-you-about-marketing','','','2014-05-13 13:49:23','2014-05-13 13:49:23','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2600',0,'post','',2),
(2601,4,'2014-05-12 15:38:10','2014-05-12 15:38:10','At the gym this morning, we experienced a paper towel fail. There are two automated paper towel dispensers on the main floor, and both were out of paper.  Since you are supposed to wipe your machine down after exercising (and some of us, knowing most people don\'t do that, wipe it down before), and people need the paper to do this, we could potentially be looking at many sweat and germ drenched machines.\r\n\r\nIn any case, I got the last bit of paper out of one, and was able to wipe my machine and start exercising. After me, at least ten people walked up to the machines, waved at them fruitlessly and walked away. Most just left their machines without wiping them off. A couple of people walked over to the other room and got paper there. And then someone finally reported the missing paper to the front desk.\r\n\r\nWhat is the marketing lesson here? There are three:\r\n\r\n1. <strong>People are completely self-involved</strong>. Most people don\'t notice what is going around them. If so, all those people would have seen there was no paper instead of standing there doing what another person did five seconds before them.\r\n\r\n<strong>Marketers have to break through the clutter and the self-involvement.</strong>\r\n\r\n2. <strong>Most people will not go out of their way</strong>, even if they know they should do something. It may be laziness or hurry or something else, but most people will not take extra steps or go out of their way.\r\n\r\n<strong>Marketers (especially of causes) have to make things as easy as possible. Too many steps will just make people give up.</strong>\r\n\r\n3. <strong>Most people will not speak up.</strong> It seems to be human psychology that most people will not rock the boat, even if something is wrong.\r\n\r\n<strong>Marketers should never assume that because no one has said anything, everything is OK. Measure and check!</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','What my gym\'s #fail can teach you about marketing','','inherit','open','open','','2600-revision-v1','','','2014-05-12 15:38:10','2014-05-12 15:38:10','',2600,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/05/2600-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2602,4,'2014-05-12 16:02:10','2014-05-12 16:02:10','','6860290289_a8f2ea9d27_b','Treadmills by Montage HOA on Flickr','inherit','open','open','','6860290289_a8f2ea9d27_b','','','2014-05-12 16:02:10','2014-05-12 16:02:10','',2600,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/6860290289_a8f2ea9d27_b.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(2603,4,'2014-05-12 16:02:59','2014-05-12 16:02:59','At the gym this morning, we experienced a paper towel fail. There are two automated paper towel dispensers on the main floor, and both were out of paper.  Since you are supposed to wipe your machine down after exercising (and some of us, knowing most people don\'t do that, wipe it down before), and people need the paper to do this, we could potentially be looking at many sweat and germ drenched machines.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2602\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/6860290289_a8f2ea9d27_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2602\" alt=\"Treadmills by Montage HOA on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/6860290289_a8f2ea9d27_b-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Treadmills by Montage HOA on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn any case, I got the last bit of paper out of one, and was able to wipe my machine and start exercising. After me, at least ten people walked up to the machines, waved at them fruitlessly and walked away. Most just left their machines without wiping them off. A couple of people walked over to the other room and got paper there. And then someone finally reported the missing paper to the front desk.\r\n\r\nWhat is the marketing lesson here? There are three:\r\n\r\n1. <strong>Most people will not speak up.</strong> It seems to be something about human psychology that most people will not rock the boat, even if something is wrong.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Marketers should never assume that because no one has said anything, everything is OK. That\'s why it\'s so important to measure and check!</strong></em>\r\n\r\n2. <strong>Most people will not go out of their way</strong>, even if they know they should do something. It may be laziness or hurry or something else, but most people will not take extra steps or go out of their way.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Marketers (especially of causes) have to make things as easy as possible. Too many steps will just make people give up.</strong></em>\r\n\r\n3.  <strong>People are completely self-involved</strong>. Most people don\'t notice what is going around them. If so, all those people would have seen there was no paper instead of standing there doing what another person did five seconds before them.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Marketers have to break through both the clutter and the self-involvement.</strong></em>\r\n\r\nComments are always appreciated!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','What my gym\'s #fail can teach you about marketing','','inherit','open','open','','2600-revision-v1','','','2014-05-12 16:02:59','2014-05-12 16:02:59','',2600,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/05/2600-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2605,4,'2014-05-13 13:49:20','2014-05-13 13:49:20','At the gym this morning, we experienced a paper towel fail. There are two automated paper towel dispensers on the main floor, and both were out of paper.  Since you are supposed to wipe your machine down after exercising (and some of us, knowing most people don\'t do that, wipe it down before), and people need the paper to do this, we could potentially be looking at many sweat and germ drenched machines.\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_2602\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/6860290289_a8f2ea9d27_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2602\" alt=\"Treadmills by Montage HOA on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/6860290289_a8f2ea9d27_b-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Treadmills by Montage HOA on Flickr[/caption]\n\nIn any case, I got the last bit of paper out of one, and was able to wipe my machine and start exercising. After me, at least ten people walked up to the machines, waved at them fruitlessly and walked away. Most just left their machines without wiping them off. A couple of people walked over to the other room and got paper there. And then someone finally reported the missing paper to the front desk.\n\nWhat is the marketing lesson here? There are three:\n\n1. <strong>Most people will not speak up.</strong> It seems to be something about human psychology that most people will not rock the boat, even if something is wrong.\n\n<em><strong>Marketers should never assume that because no one has said anything, everything is OK. That\'s why it\'s so important to measure and check!</strong></em>\n\n2. <strong>Most people will not go out of their way</strong>, even if they know they should do something. It may be laziness or hurry or something else, but most people will not take extra steps or go out of their way.\n\n<em><strong>Marketers (especially of causes) have to make things as easy as possible. Too many steps will just make people give up.</strong></em>\n\n3.  <strong>People are completely self-involved</strong>. Most people don\'t notice what is going around them. If so, all those people would have seen there was no paper instead of standing there doing what another person did five seconds before them.\n\n<em><strong>Marketers have to break through both the clutter and the self-involvement.</strong></em>\n\nComments are always appreciated!\n<h2><em>Need help with your marketing materials? If so,<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/contact/\"> contact</a> me to discuss how we can cut through the clutter and make change happen.</em></h2>\n&nbsp;','What my gym\'s #fail can teach you about marketing','','inherit','open','open','','2600-autosave-v1','','','2014-05-13 13:49:20','2014-05-13 13:49:20','',2600,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/05/2600-autosave-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2606,4,'2014-05-13 13:49:23','2014-05-13 13:49:23','At the gym this morning, we experienced a paper towel fail. There are two automated paper towel dispensers on the main floor, and both were out of paper.  Since you are supposed to wipe your machine down after exercising (and some of us, knowing most people don\'t do that, wipe it down before), and people need the paper to do this, we could potentially be looking at many sweat and germ drenched machines.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2602\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/6860290289_a8f2ea9d27_b.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2602\" alt=\"Treadmills by Montage HOA on Flickr\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/6860290289_a8f2ea9d27_b-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Treadmills by Montage HOA on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn any case, I got the last bit of paper out of one, and was able to wipe my machine and start exercising. After me, at least ten people walked up to the machines, waved at them fruitlessly and walked away. Most just left their machines without wiping them off. A couple of people walked over to the other room and got paper there. And then someone finally reported the missing paper to the front desk.\r\n\r\nWhat is the marketing lesson here? There are three:\r\n\r\n1. <strong>Most people will not speak up.</strong> It seems to be something about human psychology that most people will not rock the boat, even if something is wrong.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Marketers should never assume that because no one has said anything, everything is OK. That\'s why it\'s so important to measure and check!</strong></em>\r\n\r\n2. <strong>Most people will not go out of their way</strong>, even if they know they should do something. It may be laziness or hurry or something else, but most people will not take extra steps or go out of their way.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Marketers (especially of causes) have to make things as easy as possible. Too many steps will just make people give up.</strong></em>\r\n\r\n3.  <strong>People are completely self-involved</strong>. Most people don\'t notice what is going around them. If so, all those people would have seen there was no paper instead of standing there doing what another person did five seconds before them.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Marketers have to break through both the clutter and the self-involvement.</strong></em>\r\n\r\nComments are always appreciated!\r\n<h2><em>Need help with your marketing materials? If so,<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/contact/\"> contact</a> me to discuss how we can cut through the clutter and make change happen.</em></h2>\r\n&nbsp;','What my gym\'s #fail can teach you about marketing','','inherit','open','open','','2600-revision-v1','','','2014-05-13 13:49:23','2014-05-13 13:49:23','',2600,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/05/2600-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2607,4,'2014-05-15 20:40:07','0000-00-00 00:00:00','Have you ever remembered someone because he or she was nasty to you? Do you recall a business that you had a bad experience with? I bet you do. Those people and organizations are getting noticed for the wrong reasons, and with a decidedly negative outcome. Chances are good that you will avoid the nasty person and organization--and avoid doing business with them.\r\n\r\nBut you can also get noticed for the wrong reasons in other ways:\r\n\r\n-Your website could look bad (poor design, poor navigation, slow loading times)\r\n\r\n-Your content could be full of typos and/or spelling and grammatical mistakes\r\n\r\n-\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Are you getting noticed for the wrong reasons?','','draft','open','open','','','','','2014-05-15 20:40:07','2014-05-15 20:40:07','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2607',0,'post','',0),
(2608,4,'2014-05-15 20:34:16','2014-05-15 20:34:16','Have you ever remembered someone because he or she was nasty to you? Do you recall a business that you had a bad experience with? I bet you do. Those people and organizations are getting noticed for the wrong reasons, and with a decidedly negative outcome.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Are you getting noticed for the wrong reasons?','','inherit','open','open','','2607-revision-v1','','','2014-05-15 20:34:16','2014-05-15 20:34:16','',2607,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/05/2607-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2609,4,'2014-05-15 20:40:07','2014-05-15 20:40:07','Have you ever remembered someone because he or she was nasty to you? Do you recall a business that you had a bad experience with? I bet you do. Those people and organizations are getting noticed for the wrong reasons, and with a decidedly negative outcome. Chances are good that you will avoid the nasty person and organization--and avoid doing business with them.\r\n\r\nBut you can also get noticed for the wrong reasons in other ways:\r\n\r\n-Your website could look bad (poor design, poor navigation, slow loading times)\r\n\r\n-Your content could be full of typos and/or spelling and grammatical mistakes\r\n\r\n-\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Are you getting noticed for the wrong reasons?','','inherit','open','open','','2607-revision-v1','','','2014-05-15 20:40:07','2014-05-15 20:40:07','',2607,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/05/2607-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2611,4,'2014-05-16 17:18:59','2014-05-16 17:18:59','I was watching the midday news today. We had a lot of rain overnight and there was flooding in some areas. Apparently, there was even flooding in Rockville, where I live. A reporter was out somewhere in Rockville telling about how a car got stuck in a flooded road. Except she never said where in Rockville this road was located. And that\'s what I really wanted (needed) to know: <strong>where</strong> <strong>exactly</strong> is it flooded so I can avoid the area.\r\n\r\nPerhaps this reporter has forgotten her Journalism 101 class, which teaches that every story should answer these questions:\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Who?</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>What?</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Where?</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Why?</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>When?</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>How?</strong></p>\r\nIn fact, answers to those basic questions are the basis for any story, whether told by a reporter on TV or a public relations practitioner in a press release or a website copywriter. To answer those questions means to tell the most important part of any story. Everything else is additional detail and description that can make a story more compelling or interesting.\r\n\r\nAnd yet, how many press releases are missing answers to these questions? How many websites don\'t answer the why or the how of whatever product or service they are promoting?\r\n\r\nIf you want to succeed at storytelling and content marketing, you must answer each and every one of these questions. If you can\'t, you need more information. If you won\'t, you are probably trying to hide something or you didn\'t do your homework.\r\n<h2>Need to tell the complete story in your marketing materials? <a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/contact/\">Contact me</a> to see how we can work together to get beyond the basics.</h2>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Answer these basic questions','','inherit','open','open','','2610-revision-v1','','','2014-05-16 17:18:59','2014-05-16 17:18:59','',2610,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/05/2610-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2612,4,'2014-05-16 17:19:49','2014-05-16 17:19:49','I was watching the midday news today. We had a lot of rain overnight and there was flooding in some areas. Apparently, there was even flooding in Rockville, where I live. A reporter was out somewhere in Rockville telling about how a car got stuck in a flooded road. Except she never said where in Rockville this road was located. And that\'s what I really wanted (needed) to know: <strong>where</strong> <strong>exactly</strong> is it flooded so I can avoid the area.\r\n\r\nPerhaps this reporter has forgotten her Journalism 101 class, which teaches that every story should answer these questions:\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Who?</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>What?</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Where?</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Why?</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>When?</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>How?</strong></p>\r\nIn fact, the answers to these basic questions are the basis for any story, whether told by a reporter on TV or a public relations practitioner in a press release or a website copywriter. To answer those questions means to tell the most important part of any story. Everything else is additional detail and description that can make a story more compelling or interesting.\r\n\r\nAnd yet, how many press releases are missing answers to these questions? How many websites don\'t answer the why or the how of whatever product or service they are promoting?\r\n\r\nIf you want to succeed at storytelling and content marketing, you must answer each and every one of these questions. If you can\'t, you need more information. If you won\'t, you are probably trying to hide something or you didn\'t do your homework.\r\n<h2>Need to tell the complete story in your marketing materials? <a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/contact/\">Contact me</a> to see how we can work together to get beyond the basics.</h2>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Answer these basic questions','','inherit','open','open','','2610-revision-v1','','','2014-05-16 17:19:49','2014-05-16 17:19:49','',2610,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/05/2610-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2613,4,'2014-05-16 17:25:18','0000-00-00 00:00:00','We hear a lot about content marketing, engagement, optimization and a whole bunch of other buzz words. Some people seem to specialize in buzz-speak. Here\'s an excerpt from an actual description of an event:\r\n\r\nTo get the most out of your email marketing, you’ll need to <strong>optimize</strong> this <strong>channel</strong> for success. That starts with using your data effectively. This session will reveal how to <strong>leverag</strong>e your email marketing to <strong>engage</strong> your customers more effectively.\r\n\r\nI\'ve bolded the buzziest words, and note too that the word effectively is used twice in these three sentences.\r\n\r\nOf course every marketer wants to be effective. But before we can be effective, and optimize and leverage channels, we need to answer these basic questions:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThese questions are the basis for journalistic reporting. They are important because that is what we need to know.','Are you buzzing too much?','','draft','open','open','','','','','2014-05-16 17:25:18','2014-05-16 17:25:18','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2613',0,'post','',0),
(2614,4,'2014-05-16 17:25:18','2014-05-16 17:25:18','We hear a lot about content marketing, engagement, optimization and a whole bunch of other buzz words. Some people seem to specialize in buzz-speak. Here\'s an excerpt from an actual description of an event:\r\n\r\nTo get the most out of your email marketing, you’ll need to <strong>optimize</strong> this <strong>channel</strong> for success. That starts with using your data effectively. This session will reveal how to <strong>leverag</strong>e your email marketing to <strong>engage</strong> your customers more effectively.\r\n\r\nI\'ve bolded the buzziest words, and note too that the word effectively is used twice in these three sentences.\r\n\r\nOf course every marketer wants to be effective. But before we can be effective, and optimize and leverage channels, we need to answer these basic questions:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThese questions are the basis for journalistic reporting. They are important because that is what we need to know.','Are you buzzing too much?','','inherit','open','open','','2613-revision-v1','','','2014-05-16 17:25:18','2014-05-16 17:25:18','',2613,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/05/2613-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2634,4,'2014-06-05 20:51:25','2014-06-05 20:51:25','Friends, I got a spam email today that just has to be read to be believed. Here it is in its entirety, my comments below:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Ver;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Dear business owner of deborahbrody.com\r\n</span></span></p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Your <span style=\"font-family: Ver;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">deborahbrody.com</span></span> business is losing THOUSANDS of DOLLARS every year, maybe more!</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Why? How?</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Your credit card processor HIDES THEIR FEES. Don’t believe it? Check your statement, I’m sure you will be just as confused as the next business owner.</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Ver;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">DO NOT WORRY – I have the solution as I just saved a similar to your business in your street about $5700 in yearly credit card processing fees. The guy is so happy – I have the same offer for you!</span></span>\r\n\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">I’m a business consultant specialist and this offer isn’t available for everyone. Only for <span style=\"font-family: Ver;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">deborahbrody.com</span></span> – FOR FREE. Cost to you is NOTHING but 5 minutes of your time.</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">If you are interested, just let me know and I’ll provide more information for you. I apologize if this email is an inconvenience, I just know what I have done for others in your business, and didn’t want you to miss too good of an opportunity in.</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">There are only so many your type of business we can sign up though – so if you are going to do it, I’ll need to hear from you now.</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Oh yeah, I know the area where you are located, know it pretty well actually.</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Ver;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Thanks for your time!</span></span>\r\n\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Ver;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Cheers!</span></span></p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">J<span style=\"font-size: small;\">essica</span></p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Ver;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Business Consultant</span></span></p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\">This could be a textbook example of how not to send an query/pitch letter. Here\'s what\'s wrong:</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\">1. <strong>No personalization.</strong>  If \"Jessica\" can find my website, she can also find my name.</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\">2. <strong>Making (wrong) assumptions.</strong> I am losing thousands in credit card fees? Do I even do any credit card processing? And would I be confused by fees?</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\">3. <strong>Poor grammar.</strong> There aren\'t any spelling mistakes, but \"Jessica\" certainly did not get an A in her high school English class with this sentence \"didn’t want you to miss too good of an opportunity in.\"</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\">4. <strong>Being too informal.</strong> \"Oh yeah, I know the area where you are located, know it pretty well actually.\"(Also, what is that supposed to mean and why is it relevant?)</p>\r\n5. <strong>Being shady</strong>. Notice \"Jessica\" does not say what she actually does. She also doesn\'t provide any contact information, business name or anything else.\r\n\r\n6. <strong>Insulting my intelligence. </strong> Five minutes of my time is all I need to save thousands. I am sure she also has bridges in Brooklyn for sale for cheap.\r\n\r\nThe only reason I did not immediate delete this email is because I thought it would make a great blog post.\r\n\r\nHave you received these types of emails? What makes you cringe? Please share!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','The best way not to get business','','publish','open','open','','the-best-way-not-to-get-business','','','2014-06-05 20:51:25','2014-06-05 20:51:25','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2634',0,'post','',0),
(2616,4,'2014-05-20 17:07:53','2014-05-20 17:07:53','Last Friday, as I was checking my @mentions on Twitter, I found the following tweet:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Tweet.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2618\" alt=\"Tweet\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Tweet-300x178.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"178\" /></a> This tweet came from a mobile app developer and it seems to be trying to shame me into a follow. (BTW, according to its website: <em>\"Tweepdash helps you to distinguish mutual followers and people who are not sharing the love. It’s very tedious and mind-numbingly boring to sort out your Twitter list. Tweepdash gives a quick overview of your total Twitter community.\")</em>\r\n\r\nWhy haven\'t I followed this particular Twitter user, or as Tweepdash claims, why am I not \"sharing the love?\"\r\n\r\nWell, for one, I have zero interest in or love for the user\'s product and even less in the user\'s Twitter stream.  Also, this user has never, ever interacted with me on Twitter other than to follow me (meaning that he/she/it? has not ever re-tweeted anything, or asked me a question, or anything). So, in Tweepdash language, this user has not shown any love for me.  Lastly, I don\'t automatically follow anybody back.\r\n\r\nMy \"following rules\" are these:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Follow people and organizations with whom/which I have a personal connection.</li>\r\n	<li>Follow those with good content in areas that I am interested in (read my profile on Twitter if you want to see what some of those are).</li>\r\n	<li>Follow journalists who cover subjects I am interested in.</li>\r\n	<li>Follow those who have interacted with me on Twitter (other than simply following me) and with whom I have built a \"relationship.\"</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>Why do people follow specific Twitter users? Because they are getting something out of it; whether it be information, furthering a connection or sharing an interest.</strong>\r\n\r\nFollowing people just to get them to follow you is not a good Twitter strategy. It shows that you don\'t understand why people use Twitter.  It shows that you think all you have to do is show up to the party. But hey, if you\'ve ever been to a large party, you know just showing up and not talking to other people or being uninterested and/or uninteresting will lead to you being all alone.\r\n\r\nThe bottom line is if you are trying to build a Twitter following, start by understanding why people would follow you on Twitter.\r\n\r\nWhat are your thoughts? Do you automatically follow back? Would you block users you don\'t care for? And finally, what would you do with the tweet I got?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Do you understand why people follow you on Twitter?','','publish','open','open','','do-you-understand-why-people-follow-you-on-twitter','','','2014-05-21 17:58:21','2014-05-21 17:58:21','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2616',0,'post','',0),
(2617,4,'2014-05-20 16:38:08','2014-05-20 16:38:08','','DBfinal (1)','','inherit','open','open','','dbfinal-1','','','2014-05-20 16:38:08','2014-05-20 16:38:08','',2616,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/DBfinal-1.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(2618,4,'2014-05-20 16:38:30','2014-05-20 16:38:30','','Tweet','','inherit','open','open','','tweet','','','2014-05-20 16:38:30','2014-05-20 16:38:30','',2616,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Tweet.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(2619,4,'2014-05-20 17:07:53','2014-05-20 17:07:53','Last Friday, as I was checking my @mentions on Twitter, I found the following tweet:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Tweet.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2618\" alt=\"Tweet\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Tweet-300x178.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"178\" /></a> This tweet came from a mobile app developer and it seems to be trying to shame me into a follow. (BTW, according to its website: <em>\"Tweepdash helps you to distinguish mutual followers and people who are not sharing the love. It’s very tedious and mind-numbingly boring to sort out your Twitter list. Tweepdash gives a quick overview of your total Twitter community.\")</em>\r\n\r\nWhy haven\'t I followed this particular Twitter user, or as Tweepdash claims, not \"sharing the love?\"\r\n\r\nWell, for one, I have zero interest in or love for the user\'s product and even less in the user\'s Twitter stream.  Also, this user has never, ever interacted with me on Twitter other than to follow me (meaning that he/she/it? has not ever re-tweeted anything, or asked me a question, or anything). So, in Tweepdash language, this user has not shown any love for me.  Lastly, I don\'t automatically follow anybody back.\r\n\r\nMy \"following rules\" are these:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Follow people and organizations with whom/which I have a personal connection.</li>\r\n	<li>Follow those with good content in areas that I am interested in (read my profile on Twitter if you want to see what some of those are).</li>\r\n	<li>Follow journalists who cover subjects I am interested in.</li>\r\n	<li>Follow those who have interacted with me on Twitter (other than simply following me) and with whom I have built a \"relationship.\"</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>Why do people follow specific Twitter users? Because they are getting something out of it; whether it be information, furthering a connection or sharing an interest.</strong>\r\n\r\nFollowing people just to get them to follow you is not a good Twitter strategy. It shows that you don\'t understand why people use Twitter.  It shows that you think all you have to do is show up to the party. But hey, if you\'ve ever been to a large party, you know just showing up and not talking to other people or being uninterested and/or uninteresting will lead to you being all alone.\r\n\r\nIf you are trying to build a Twitter following, start by understanding why people would follow you on Twitter.\r\n\r\nWhat are your thoughts? Do you automatically follow back? Would you block users you don\'t care for? And finally, what would you do with the tweet I got?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Do you understand why people follow you on Twitter?','','inherit','open','open','','2616-revision-v1','','','2014-05-20 17:07:53','2014-05-20 17:07:53','',2616,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/05/2616-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2620,4,'2014-05-21 17:57:12','2014-05-21 17:57:12','Last Friday, as I was checking my @mentions on Twitter, I found the following tweet:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Tweet.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2618\" alt=\"Tweet\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Tweet-300x178.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"178\" /></a> This tweet came from a mobile app developer and it seems to be trying to shame me into a follow. (BTW, according to its website: <em>\"Tweepdash helps you to distinguish mutual followers and people who are not sharing the love. It’s very tedious and mind-numbingly boring to sort out your Twitter list. Tweepdash gives a quick overview of your total Twitter community.\")</em>\r\n\r\nWhy haven\'t I followed this particular Twitter user, or as Tweepdash claims, why am I not \"sharing the love?\"\r\n\r\nWell, for one, I have zero interest in or love for the user\'s product and even less in the user\'s Twitter stream.  Also, this user has never, ever interacted with me on Twitter other than to follow me (meaning that he/she/it? has not ever re-tweeted anything, or asked me a question, or anything). So, in Tweepdash language, this user has not shown any love for me.  Lastly, I don\'t automatically follow anybody back.\r\n\r\nMy \"following rules\" are these:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Follow people and organizations with whom/which I have a personal connection.</li>\r\n	<li>Follow those with good content in areas that I am interested in (read my profile on Twitter if you want to see what some of those are).</li>\r\n	<li>Follow journalists who cover subjects I am interested in.</li>\r\n	<li>Follow those who have interacted with me on Twitter (other than simply following me) and with whom I have built a \"relationship.\"</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>Why do people follow specific Twitter users? Because they are getting something out of it; whether it be information, furthering a connection or sharing an interest.</strong>\r\n\r\nFollowing people just to get them to follow you is not a good Twitter strategy. It shows that you don\'t understand why people use Twitter.  It shows that you think all you have to do is show up to the party. But hey, if you\'ve ever been to a large party, you know just showing up and not talking to other people or being uninterested and/or uninteresting will lead to you being all alone.\r\n\r\nIf you are trying to build a Twitter following, start by understanding why people would follow you on Twitter.\r\n\r\nWhat are your thoughts? Do you automatically follow back? Would you block users you don\'t care for? And finally, what would you do with the tweet I got?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Do you understand why people follow you on Twitter?','','inherit','open','open','','2616-revision-v1','','','2014-05-21 17:57:12','2014-05-21 17:57:12','',2616,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/05/2616-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2621,4,'2014-05-21 17:58:17','2014-05-21 17:58:17','Last Friday, as I was checking my @mentions on Twitter, I found the following tweet:\n\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Tweet.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2618\" alt=\"Tweet\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Tweet-300x178.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"178\" /></a> This tweet came from a mobile app developer and it seems to be trying to shame me into a follow. (BTW, according to its website: <em>\"Tweepdash helps you to distinguish mutual followers and people who are not sharing the love. It’s very tedious and mind-numbingly boring to sort out your Twitter list. Tweepdash gives a quick overview of your total Twitter community.\")</em>\n\nWhy haven\'t I followed this particular Twitter user, or as Tweepdash claims, why am I not \"sharing the love?\"\n\nWell, for one, I have zero interest in or love for the user\'s product and even less in the user\'s Twitter stream.  Also, this user has never, ever interacted with me on Twitter other than to follow me (meaning that he/she/it? has not ever re-tweeted anything, or asked me a question, or anything). So, in Tweepdash language, this user has not shown any love for me.  Lastly, I don\'t automatically follow anybody back.\n\nMy \"following rules\" are these:\n<ul>\n	<li>Follow people and organizations with whom/which I have a personal connection.</li>\n	<li>Follow those with good content in areas that I am interested in (read my profile on Twitter if you want to see what some of those are).</li>\n	<li>Follow journalists who cover subjects I am interested in.</li>\n	<li>Follow those who have interacted with me on Twitter (other than simply following me) and with whom I have built a \"relationship.\"</li>\n</ul>\n<strong>Why do people follow specific Twitter users? Because they are getting something out of it; whether it be information, furthering a connection or sharing an interest.</strong>\n\nFollowing people just to get them to follow you is not a good Twitter strategy. It shows that you don\'t understand why people use Twitter.  It shows that you think all you have to do is show up to the party. But hey, if you\'ve ever been to a large party, you know just showing up and not talking to other people or being uninterested and/or uninteresting will lead to you being all alone.\n\nThe bottom line is If you are trying to build a Twitter following, start by understanding why people would follow you on Twitter.\n\nWhat are your thoughts? Do you automatically follow back? Would you block users you don\'t care for? And finally, what would you do with the tweet I got?\n\n&nbsp;','Do you understand why people follow you on Twitter?','','inherit','open','open','','2616-autosave-v1','','','2014-05-21 17:58:17','2014-05-21 17:58:17','',2616,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/05/2616-autosave-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2622,4,'2014-05-21 17:58:21','2014-05-21 17:58:21','Last Friday, as I was checking my @mentions on Twitter, I found the following tweet:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Tweet.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2618\" alt=\"Tweet\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Tweet-300x178.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"178\" /></a> This tweet came from a mobile app developer and it seems to be trying to shame me into a follow. (BTW, according to its website: <em>\"Tweepdash helps you to distinguish mutual followers and people who are not sharing the love. It’s very tedious and mind-numbingly boring to sort out your Twitter list. Tweepdash gives a quick overview of your total Twitter community.\")</em>\r\n\r\nWhy haven\'t I followed this particular Twitter user, or as Tweepdash claims, why am I not \"sharing the love?\"\r\n\r\nWell, for one, I have zero interest in or love for the user\'s product and even less in the user\'s Twitter stream.  Also, this user has never, ever interacted with me on Twitter other than to follow me (meaning that he/she/it? has not ever re-tweeted anything, or asked me a question, or anything). So, in Tweepdash language, this user has not shown any love for me.  Lastly, I don\'t automatically follow anybody back.\r\n\r\nMy \"following rules\" are these:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Follow people and organizations with whom/which I have a personal connection.</li>\r\n	<li>Follow those with good content in areas that I am interested in (read my profile on Twitter if you want to see what some of those are).</li>\r\n	<li>Follow journalists who cover subjects I am interested in.</li>\r\n	<li>Follow those who have interacted with me on Twitter (other than simply following me) and with whom I have built a \"relationship.\"</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>Why do people follow specific Twitter users? Because they are getting something out of it; whether it be information, furthering a connection or sharing an interest.</strong>\r\n\r\nFollowing people just to get them to follow you is not a good Twitter strategy. It shows that you don\'t understand why people use Twitter.  It shows that you think all you have to do is show up to the party. But hey, if you\'ve ever been to a large party, you know just showing up and not talking to other people or being uninterested and/or uninteresting will lead to you being all alone.\r\n\r\nThe bottom line is if you are trying to build a Twitter following, start by understanding why people would follow you on Twitter.\r\n\r\nWhat are your thoughts? Do you automatically follow back? Would you block users you don\'t care for? And finally, what would you do with the tweet I got?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Do you understand why people follow you on Twitter?','','inherit','open','open','','2616-revision-v1','','','2014-05-21 17:58:21','2014-05-21 17:58:21','',2616,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/05/2616-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2623,4,'2014-05-22 15:26:18','2014-05-22 15:26:18','In communications-related professions (PR, advertising, marketing, etc.), we aren\'t really required or obligated to complete Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to stay up to date or licensed in our fields. That\'s too bad because things change all the time and you must keep up if you want to stay relevant and informed.\r\n\r\nSo yes, I think professional development is a must. Since we don\'t have a defined, structured program like CPAs or social workers trying to maintain licenses and accreditation, how and where do we get our professional development? And how much do we need to pay for it?\r\n\r\nThere is no one communications industry conference we must attend, but yet there are dozens of communications-related conferences around the country, such as Content Marketing World and PRSA International Conference and others.  Some of them are really expensive, as in nearly $2,000, not including airfare and hotel. Is professional development worth that?\r\n\r\nOf course, there are dozens of local lower-cost options, such as lunch and learns, offered to members and nonmembers by the various comms/marketing organizations (IABC, PRSA, AMA, etc.). Webinars are also becoming very popular. And then there are some free options, including various Meetups. But is low cost or even free professional development worthwhile?\r\n\r\nMy answer is that it depends. An expensive conference may be worth the cost if you learn a lot and make good networking connections. A free meetup may not be worth it if you don\'t even pick up a useful bit of information. <strong>It\'s not about cost, it is about value.</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong></strong>The trouble is that it can be pretty hard to determine the value.\r\n\r\nI have attended several lower cost professional development events that have been extremely worthwhile, and then I have gone to some that have been a complete waste of money, time and effort. It\' all depends on the quality and background of the presenters and the moderators, and also of the organization. Is the room suited for the presentation? Will you be able to hear and see OK?\r\n\r\nLast night I attended a free nonprofit/tech happy hour at a bar (in a private area) with a speaker, who spoke for about ten minutes.  I didn\'t learn anything new. But then again, he didn\'t have a formal presentation (no PowerPoint) and he was at a very informal setting. Contrast that with a free MeetUp that I attended a couple of weeks ago, in a more formal setting, where the speaker  spoke for 45 minutes or longer and had a presentation deck to refer to. I came away from that one with lots of food for thought. Both opportunities were free, both about related subjects, but one had much more value than the other.\r\n\r\nOne of my favorite, and very inexpensive, professional development opportunities is WordCamp (a volunteer-run, volunteer-led presentation on all things WordPress). I have been to three already, and am planning to attend WordCamp Philly in a couple of weeks. For the $20-$30 price of attendance, I have picked up quite a lot of useful information.\r\n\r\nThe bottom line is that as a communicator, you must budget time and money for professional development. You\'ll have to research and attend several types of events to find the ones that offer the most value. Staying current is crucial in communications.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is professional development worth it?','','publish','open','open','','is-professional-development-worth-it','','','2014-05-22 15:26:18','2014-05-22 15:26:18','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2623',0,'post','',1),
(2624,4,'2014-05-22 15:26:18','2014-05-22 15:26:18','In communications-related professions (PR, advertising, marketing, etc.), we aren\'t really required or obligated to complete Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to stay up to date or licensed in our fields. That\'s too bad because things change all the time and you must keep up if you want to stay relevant and informed.\r\n\r\nSo yes, I think professional development is a must. Since we don\'t have a defined, structured program like CPAs or social workers trying to maintain licenses and accreditation, how and where do we get our professional development? And how much do we need to pay for it?\r\n\r\nThere is no one communications industry conference we must attend, but yet there are dozens of communications-related conferences around the country, such as Content Marketing World and PRSA International Conference and others.  Some of them are really expensive, as in nearly $2,000, not including airfare and hotel. Is professional development worth that?\r\n\r\nOf course, there are dozens of local lower-cost options, such as lunch and learns, offered to members and nonmembers by the various comms/marketing organizations (IABC, PRSA, AMA, etc.). Webinars are also becoming very popular. And then there are some free options, including various Meetups. But is low cost or even free professional development worthwhile?\r\n\r\nMy answer is that it depends. An expensive conference may be worth the cost if you learn a lot and make good networking connections. A free meetup may not be worth it if you don\'t even pick up a useful bit of information. <strong>It\'s not about cost, it is about value.</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong></strong>The trouble is that it can be pretty hard to determine the value.\r\n\r\nI have attended several lower cost professional development events that have been extremely worthwhile, and then I have gone to some that have been a complete waste of money, time and effort. It\' all depends on the quality and background of the presenters and the moderators, and also of the organization. Is the room suited for the presentation? Will you be able to hear and see OK?\r\n\r\nLast night I attended a free nonprofit/tech happy hour at a bar (in a private area) with a speaker, who spoke for about ten minutes.  I didn\'t learn anything new. But then again, he didn\'t have a formal presentation (no PowerPoint) and he was at a very informal setting. Contrast that with a free MeetUp that I attended a couple of weeks ago, in a more formal setting, where the speaker  spoke for 45 minutes or longer and had a presentation deck to refer to. I came away from that one with lots of food for thought. Both opportunities were free, both about related subjects, but one had much more value than the other.\r\n\r\nOne of my favorite, and very inexpensive, professional development opportunities is WordCamp (a volunteer-run, volunteer-led presentation on all things WordPress). I have been to three already, and am planning to attend WordCamp Philly in a couple of weeks. For the $20-$30 price of attendance, I have picked up quite a lot of useful information.\r\n\r\nThe bottom line is that as a communicator, you must budget time and money for professional development. You\'ll have to research and attend several types of events to find the ones that offer the most value. Staying current is crucial in communications.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is professional development worth it?','','inherit','open','open','','2623-revision-v1','','','2014-05-22 15:26:18','2014-05-22 15:26:18','',2623,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/05/2623-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2626,4,'2012-10-01 15:04:44','2012-10-01 15:04:44','<h3>Project</h3>\r\nPerhaps you want to hire us to work on a single project. You\'ll give us all the relevant information, including target audience for the project, timelines and existing materials. Once we\'ve assessed what you need, we will provide you with a written time and cost estimate before beginning.\r\n\r\nProjects are payable with a 50% deposit to start, and the balance due once the project is complete.\r\n<h3>Retainer</h3>\r\nIf you require ongoing marketing help or know you will have many projects over two months or more, we will set up a retainer agreement. We will estimate how many hours of time you will require per month. We will agree on a cost and number of hours. Retainer agreements are payable on a bi-weekly schedule. Retainers can be dissolved in writing.\r\n<h3>Payment</h3>\r\nWe accept business or personal checks, cash and money orders. We do not provide credit card processing at this time. Our policy is 14 days net for most invoices. As a small business, we cannot afford to extend credit to our clients, and we respectfully request full payment as invoiced. All jobs require an initial 50% deposit.\r\n<h3>No work on spec</h3>\r\nFinally, DBMC does not provide spec work. If you require a sample, we will provide you with work done for previous clients. If you want us to write something specifically for you, we require payment.','How We Work','','inherit','open','open','','42-revision-v1','','','2012-10-01 15:04:44','2012-10-01 15:04:44','',42,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/42-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2627,4,'2014-05-28 12:21:32','2014-05-28 12:21:32','<h3>Project</h3>\r\nPerhaps you want to hire us to work on a single project. You\'ll give us all the relevant information, including target audience for the project, timelines and existing materials. Once we\'ve assessed what you need, we will provide you with a written time and cost estimate before beginning.\r\n\r\nProjects are payable with a 30% deposit to start, and the balance due once the project is complete.\r\n<h3>Retainer</h3>\r\nIf you require ongoing marketing help or know you will have many projects over two months or more, we will set up a retainer agreement. We will estimate how many hours of time you will require per month. We will agree on a cost and number of hours. Retainer agreements are payable on a bi-weekly schedule. Retainers can be dissolved in writing.\r\n<h3>Payment</h3>\r\nWe accept business or personal checks, credit cards via PayPal, cash and money orders.  Our policy is 14 days net for most invoices. As a small business, we cannot afford to extend credit to our clients, and we respectfully request full payment as and when invoiced. All jobs require an initial 30% deposit.\r\n<h3>No work on spec</h3>\r\nFinally, DBMC does not provide spec work. If you require a sample, we will provide you with work done for previous clients. If you want us to producec something specifically for you, we require payment.','How We Work','','inherit','open','open','','42-revision-v1','','','2014-05-28 12:21:32','2014-05-28 12:21:32','',42,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/05/42-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2628,4,'2014-05-29 13:34:39','0000-00-00 00:00:00','People always want to know how often they should post to their blogs. What they really want to know is what is the minimum they can get away with. Lots of people see the big blogs like Mashable and Huffington Post publish multiple blog posts a day, and they feel overwhelmed when thinking they\'ll need to do that too.\r\n\r\nFirst of all, you do not have to post multiple times a day. Let\'s get that out of the way.\r\n\r\nNow, let\'s deal with frequency. You have a choice of daily, a few times a week, weekly, biweekly, monthly. Yearly is not an option because if you can only post to your blog once a year, then you really shouldn\'t be blogging. Perhaps just send an annual letter to your customers or supporters. In fact, if you haven\'t blogged in years, get rid of the blog. A dusty, old blog makes you look like you are out of business.\r\n\r\nSo, should you post every day? Every week?I advise that you post only when you have something to say. If you feel you must hit a certain goal (a blog post every Wednesday, for example), and you don\'t really feel\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI recommend I advise not to post less than once a month.\r\n\r\nFirst: Only blog when you have something to say.\r\n\r\nSecond: Be consistent.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','FAQ: How often should I post on my blog?','','draft','open','open','','','','','2014-05-29 13:34:39','2014-05-29 13:34:39','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2628',0,'post','',0),
(2629,4,'2014-05-29 13:34:39','2014-05-29 13:34:39','People always want to know how often they should post to their blogs. What they really want to know is what is the minimum they can get away with. Lots of people see the big blogs like Mashable and Huffington Post publish multiple blog posts a day, and they feel overwhelmed when thinking they\'ll need to do that too.\r\n\r\nFirst of all, you do not have to post multiple times a day. Let\'s get that out of the way.\r\n\r\nNow, let\'s deal with frequency. You have a choice of daily, a few times a week, weekly, biweekly, monthly. Yearly is not an option because if you can only post to your blog once a year, then you really shouldn\'t be blogging. Perhaps just send an annual letter to your customers or supporters. In fact, if you haven\'t blogged in years, get rid of the blog. A dusty, old blog makes you look like you are out of business.\r\n\r\nSo, should you post every day? Every week?I advise that you post only when you have something to say. If you feel you must hit a certain goal (a blog post every Wednesday, for example), and you don\'t really feel\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI recommend I advise not to post less than once a month.\r\n\r\nFirst: Only blog when you have something to say.\r\n\r\nSecond: Be consistent.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','FAQ: How often should I post on my blog?','','inherit','open','open','','2628-revision-v1','','','2014-05-29 13:34:39','2014-05-29 13:34:39','',2628,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/05/2628-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2631,4,'2014-05-30 13:43:06','2014-05-30 13:43:06','Several months ago I attended a presentation on content marketing. The presenter has become a mini-celebrity in the field, and has even published a book on the subject. However, this person had the unfortunate tendency to let her voice lower so much you had to strain to hear her. It was completely distracting and seriously took away from the content of the presentation. I don\'t think I could sit through another presentation <em>in spite of her expertise in the field.</em>\r\n\r\nJust this morning, I came across an article from Inc. Magazine entitled  <a href=\"http://www.inc.com/jenna-goudreau/5-ways-you-might-be-hurting-your-credibility-at-work.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"5 Ways People Hurt Their Credibility.\"</a> It points out that you can seem less credible by not controlling your voice (the situation I pointed out above) or by having poor posture. <strong>Obviously, as a communicator, it\'s important to establish your credibility.</strong>  Credibility is key to convincing your  clients that your communications plan will help boost their recognition or establish their brand. You won\'t get far in pitching the media if you lack credibility.\r\n\r\nThere\'s no doubt that you must establish and protect your credibility and the trait that will allow you do so is <strong>self-awareness.</strong> If you aren\'t self-aware, you won\'t even be able to recognize any of the behaviors pointed out in the Inc. article.\r\n\r\nSo many people are blind to their shortcomings precisely because their biggest shortcoming is a lack of self-awareness. If you aren\'t able to examine your behaviors and beliefs to find areas for improvement, you aren\'t able to change. And you will continue to do stuff that may be detrimental to your career.\r\n\r\n<strong>How do you become more self-aware?</strong> You start with the knowledge that you will need to start paying close attention to what you are doing and how people are reacting to you. You can also ask for feedback to see if how people perceive you is the same as the way you perceive yourself.\r\n\r\nDo you agree that self-awareness is the most important trait any communicator should have? If not, what do you think? Let me know in the comments.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','The most important trait for any communicator','','inherit','open','open','','2630-revision-v1','','','2014-05-30 13:43:06','2014-05-30 13:43:06','',2630,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/05/2630-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2632,4,'2014-06-02 20:47:06','2014-06-02 20:47:06','Biz Stone is one of the co-founders of Twitter. He\'s now CEO of a new company called Jelly. The <em>Washington Post</em> ran an interview with him in yesterday\'s edition, for its On Leadership series.  You should read the <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-leadership/wp/2014/05/27/biz-stone-on-leadership-and-star-trek/\" target=\"_blank\">entire interview</a> but here is Biz\'s best Twitter tip:\r\n<blockquote>Just be authentic. That\'s the only way to go. Over and over and over it comes back to that. People try all kinds of different things, and when they just present themselves as human, that\'s when people connect with them.</blockquote>\r\nExactly. This is why <a title=\"Is robotic social media worth it?\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/is-robotic-social-media-worth-it/\" target=\"_blank\">robo-tweeting</a>, as I discussed a few weeks back, doesn\'t work. This is why humble-bragging and endless self-promotion turn potential followers off. It\'s rude and it\'s not how you would interact in person.\r\n\r\nWhen you act as you do \"in real life\" you develop real relationships and therefore get the \"engagement\" that you should be aiming for. You talk with people not at people. You help others out. You act graciously. It\'s called being human, and if you are a likeable human, you may actually get people wanting to follow you on Twitter.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Take some Twitter advice from Biz Stone','','publish','open','open','','take-some-twitter-advice-from-biz-stone','','','2014-06-02 20:47:06','2014-06-02 20:47:06','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2632',0,'post','',2),
(2633,4,'2014-06-02 20:47:06','2014-06-02 20:47:06','Biz Stone is one of the co-founders of Twitter. He\'s now CEO of a new company called Jelly. The <em>Washington Post</em> ran an interview with him in yesterday\'s edition, for its On Leadership series.  You should read the <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-leadership/wp/2014/05/27/biz-stone-on-leadership-and-star-trek/\" target=\"_blank\">entire interview</a> but here is Biz\'s best Twitter tip:\r\n<blockquote>Just be authentic. That\'s the only way to go. Over and over and over it comes back to that. People try all kinds of different things, and when they just present themselves as human, that\'s when people connect with them.</blockquote>\r\nExactly. This is why <a title=\"Is robotic social media worth it?\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2014/03/is-robotic-social-media-worth-it/\" target=\"_blank\">robo-tweeting</a>, as I discussed a few weeks back, doesn\'t work. This is why humble-bragging and endless self-promotion turn potential followers off. It\'s rude and it\'s not how you would interact in person.\r\n\r\nWhen you act as you do \"in real life\" you develop real relationships and therefore get the \"engagement\" that you should be aiming for. You talk with people not at people. You help others out. You act graciously. It\'s called being human, and if you are a likeable human, you may actually get people wanting to follow you on Twitter.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Take some Twitter advice from Biz Stone','','inherit','open','open','','2632-revision-v1','','','2014-06-02 20:47:06','2014-06-02 20:47:06','',2632,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/06/2632-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2635,4,'2014-06-05 20:51:25','2014-06-05 20:51:25','Friends, I got a spam email today that just has to be read to be believed. Here it is in its entirety, my comments below:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Ver;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Dear business owner of deborahbrody.com\r\n</span></span></p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Your <span style=\"font-family: Ver;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">deborahbrody.com</span></span> business is losing THOUSANDS of DOLLARS every year, maybe more!</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Why? How?</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Your credit card processor HIDES THEIR FEES. Don’t believe it? Check your statement, I’m sure you will be just as confused as the next business owner.</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Ver;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">DO NOT WORRY – I have the solution as I just saved a similar to your business in your street about $5700 in yearly credit card processing fees. The guy is so happy – I have the same offer for you!</span></span>\r\n\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">I’m a business consultant specialist and this offer isn’t available for everyone. Only for <span style=\"font-family: Ver;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">deborahbrody.com</span></span> – FOR FREE. Cost to you is NOTHING but 5 minutes of your time.</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">If you are interested, just let me know and I’ll provide more information for you. I apologize if this email is an inconvenience, I just know what I have done for others in your business, and didn’t want you to miss too good of an opportunity in.</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">There are only so many your type of business we can sign up though – so if you are going to do it, I’ll need to hear from you now.</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Oh yeah, I know the area where you are located, know it pretty well actually.</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Ver;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Thanks for your time!</span></span>\r\n\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Ver;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Cheers!</span></span></p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">J<span style=\"font-size: small;\">essica</span></p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Ver;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Business Consultant</span></span></p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\">This could be a textbook example of how not to send an query/pitch letter. Here\'s what\'s wrong:</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\">1. <strong>No personalization.</strong>  If \"Jessica\" can find my website, she can also find my name.</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\">2. <strong>Making (wrong) assumptions.</strong> I am losing thousands in credit card fees? Do I even do any credit card processing? And would I be confused by fees?</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\">3. <strong>Poor grammar.</strong> There aren\'t any spelling mistakes, but \"Jessica\" certainly did not get an A in her high school English class with this sentence \"didn’t want you to miss too good of an opportunity in.\"</p>\r\n<p lang=\"zxx\">4. <strong>Being too informal.</strong> \"Oh yeah, I know the area where you are located, know it pretty well actually.\"(Also, what is that supposed to mean and why is it relevant?)</p>\r\n5. <strong>Being shady</strong>. Notice \"Jessica\" does not say what she actually does. She also doesn\'t provide any contact information, business name or anything else.\r\n\r\n6. <strong>Insulting my intelligence. </strong> Five minutes of my time is all I need to save thousands. I am sure she also has bridges in Brooklyn for sale for cheap.\r\n\r\nThe only reason I did not immediate delete this email is because I thought it would make a great blog post.\r\n\r\nHave you received these types of emails? What makes you cringe? Please share!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','The best way not to get business','','inherit','open','open','','2634-revision-v1','','','2014-06-05 20:51:25','2014-06-05 20:51:25','',2634,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/06/2634-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2649,4,'2014-06-16 15:15:45','2014-06-16 15:15:45','Last week, for three days in a row, Feedly was targeted by hackers looking for ransom in a huge DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack. It meant that nobody was able to access Feedly.\r\n\r\nIf you use Feedly as your RSS reader, it meant that there was no way of accessing all your feeds short of going to each source. We set up RSS readers precisely to avoid having to visit dozens of separate websites and blogs. Feedly being down was definitely an inconvenience (not on the magnitude of Twitter being down, but still).\r\n\r\nIf you are a blog publisher, and you use RSS as your primary distribution channel, you were really screwed last week. Nobody saw your feed. Few people if any took the time to visit your site to read your latest posts. If they did, it\'s too bad you can\'t identify them, because they are your most loyal supporters.\r\n\r\n<strong>There\'s a big lesson here for bloggers: you must use various different channels to push out your content.</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>On social</strong>: You have to share on all of your social networks.  If you don\'t regularly post your latest stuff to LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc., you must start.\r\n\r\n<strong>On email:</strong> Perhaps this is a good time to check out newsletter providers that have the RSS-to-email feature. This feature takes your latest posts and sends them out as a newsletter to your contacts on whatever schedule you choose. You definitely want to make sure people can subscribe to your feed directly too.\r\n\r\n<strong>In person</strong>: Do your friends and colleagues know about your blog? Let them know and encourage them to visit. If you give out business cards, is your blog listed?\r\n\r\nI can almost promise you that this won\'t be the last time Feedly will be down. Chances are also good that one of the social networks will be attacked too. There\'s little you can do to avoid internet failures, but there\'s a lot you can do to avoid depending on just one channel of communication.\r\n\r\nWhere were you (and what did you do) when Feedly went down last week?','Where were you when Feedly went down?','','publish','open','open','','where-were-you-when-feedly-went-down','','','2014-06-16 15:15:45','2014-06-16 15:15:45','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2649',0,'post','',0),
(2685,4,'2014-07-10 17:59:07','2014-07-10 17:59:07','Starting <strong>every</strong> sentence with words or phrases such as honestly, frankly, truly or in reality.\n\nDescribing things using the <strong>same adjective or adverb</strong> every single time. You know, that show was terrific, it was fantastic, it was tremendous.\n\n(Over) relying on <strong>certain expressions</strong> (generally cliches) such as \"at the end of the day\" or \"right back atcha\" or \"takes two to tango.\"\n\nI think of these as verbal tics. We are not even aware that we are using these verbal crutches. And they can creep into our writing, especially in social media posts. They may distract readers and listeners or even make them tune out what you are saying.\n\nThe summer\'s first challenge is to rid yourself of verbal tics (or at least reduce them).\n\nHere are the three steps to take:\n\n1. <strong>Identify</strong> these verbal tics in your writing or speaking. Start paying attention to yourself and your writing. Do you find yourself saying certain things over and over?\n\n2. <strong>Figure</strong> out why you are saying this. Why do you have to preface your statement with \"honestly?\" Are you generally not honest? Is it just habit? Is there any other way to say this?\n\n3. Now, this is the hard part: <strong>eliminate</strong> the word or phrase completely. Try doing this for a day or two. If you catch yourself about to use one of your verbal tics, find another word or phrase to use instead.\n\nThis won’t be easy. We get into patterns and it’s hard to stop. And that\'s the point of this challenge: becoming aware of your patterns.\n\nWhat do you think? What is your verbal tic? Are there verbal tics that your colleagues have that drive you nuts? Tell me!\n\nUPDATE:\n\nSeems that even the New York Times has verbal tics, as the article The New York Times Lists its Crutch Words points out. Verbal tics are cructhc','Challenge #1: Tick off verbal tics','','inherit','open','open','','2683-autosave-v1','','','2014-07-10 17:59:07','2014-07-10 17:59:07','',2683,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/07/2683-autosave-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2639,4,'2014-06-10 14:06:24','2014-06-10 14:06:24','This past Saturday, I attended <a href=\"http://2014.philly.wordcamp.org/\" target=\"_blank\">WordCamp Philly</a>. There were four tracks: User, Power User, Designer and Developer. With sessions in the User/Power User tracks such as \"BuddyPress: An Enterprise Solution\" and \"How I Spent the Last 5 years playing with WordPress and building PewResearch.org\" you can tell something is up. It\'s not really new, but more and more organizations, from nonprofits to multinationals like Coca-Cola, are using WordPress not as a blogging platform, but as a Content Management System (CMS).\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2640\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/20140607_083904.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2640\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/20140607_083904-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"W shaped pretzels at WordCamp Philly\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> W for WordPress Philly Pretzels[/caption]\r\n\r\nA few weeks ago, a well known social media marketing guy posted on Twitter that the effort involved in blogging was too large in relation to the return on investment (ROI).\r\n\r\nMany organizations have BINOs: blogs in name only. They don\'t update them frequently or haven\'t even posted in the last couple of years.\r\n\r\nSo is blogging dead? Should you give up your blog and just use WordPress to be your website platform?\r\n\r\n<strong>No!!!!</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Blogging is not dead.</strong> Blogging still provides many many benefits, not the least of which is making it easier for people to find your organization when they don\'t even know it exists.\r\n\r\nHow many people don\'t know Coca-Cola? Coke doesn\'t have to do much to be known. But a small organization that works on historical restoration or a business that helps people in a specific area get organized has to work a lot harder.  Small businesses or nonprofits have to provide information that their potential customers or supporters need and want. One of the best ways to provide a constant stream of information is blogging.\r\n\r\nCall it content marketing if you must, but blogs are an easy and flexible way to provide opinions, analysis, information, graphics or even podcasts to your audience.\r\n\r\nBlogs are social. Blogs let your audience share content easily. And blogs are a way to interact with your audience through the comments. And you can extend your blog\'s reach by enlisting guest bloggers.\r\n\r\nEven though WordPress is a powerful CMS and even though <strong>consistent, quality</strong> blogging does take a lot of effort, blogging is still worthwhile.\r\n\r\nAre you still blogging? If you have given up, please tell me why in the comments. If you have seen value, give me an example.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is blogging dead?','','publish','open','open','','is-blogging-dead','','','2014-06-10 14:06:24','2014-06-10 14:06:24','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2639',0,'post','',1),
(2640,4,'2014-06-10 13:42:21','2014-06-10 13:42:21','','20140607_083904','W for WordPress Philly Pretzels','inherit','open','open','','20140607_083904','','','2014-06-10 13:42:21','2014-06-10 13:42:21','',2639,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/20140607_083904.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(2641,4,'2014-06-10 14:04:56','2014-06-10 14:04:56','This past Saturday, I attended WordCamp Philly. There were four tracks: User, Power User, Designer and Developer. With sessions in the User/Power User tracks such as \"BuddyPress: An Enterprise Solution\" and \"How I Spent the Last 5 years playing with WordPress and building PewResearch.org\" you can tell something is up. It\'s not really new, but more and more organizations, from nonprofits to multinationals like Coca-Cola, are using WordPress not as a blogging platform, but as a Content Management System (CMS).\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2640\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/20140607_083904.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2640\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/20140607_083904-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"W shaped pretzels at WordCamp Philly\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> W for WordPress Philly Pretzels[/caption]\r\n\r\nA few weeks ago, a well known social media marketing guy posted on Twitter that the effort involved in blogging was too large in relation to the return on investment (ROI).\r\n\r\nMany organizations have BINOs: blogs in name only. They don\'t update them frequently or haven\'t even posted in the last couple of years.\r\n\r\nSo is blogging dead? Should you give up your blog and just use WordPress to be your website platform?\r\n\r\n<strong>No!!!!</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Blogging is not dead.</strong> Blogging still provides many many benefits, not the least of which is making it easier for people to find your organization when they don\'t even know it exists.\r\n\r\nHow many people don\'t know Coca-Cola? Coke doesn\'t have to do much to be known. But a small organization that works on historical restoration or a business that helps people in a specific area get organized has to work a lot harder.  Small businesses or nonprofits have to provide information that their potential customers or supporters need and want. One of the best ways to provide a constant stream of information is blogging.\r\n\r\nCall it content marketing if you must, but blogs are an easy and flexible way to provide opinions, analysis, information, graphics or even podcasts to your audience.\r\n\r\nBlogs are social. Blogs let your audience share content easily. And blogs are a way to interact with your audience through the comments. And you can extend your blog\'s reach by enlisting guest bloggers.\r\n\r\nEven though WordPress is a powerful CMS and even though <strong>consistent, quality</strong> blogging does take a lot of effort, blogging is still worthwhile.\r\n\r\nAre you still blogging? If you have given up, please tell me why in the comments. If you have seen value, give me an example.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is blogging dead?','','inherit','open','open','','2639-revision-v1','','','2014-06-10 14:04:56','2014-06-10 14:04:56','',2639,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/06/2639-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2642,4,'2014-06-10 14:06:24','2014-06-10 14:06:24','This past Saturday, I attended <a href=\"http://2014.philly.wordcamp.org/\" target=\"_blank\">WordCamp Philly</a>. There were four tracks: User, Power User, Designer and Developer. With sessions in the User/Power User tracks such as \"BuddyPress: An Enterprise Solution\" and \"How I Spent the Last 5 years playing with WordPress and building PewResearch.org\" you can tell something is up. It\'s not really new, but more and more organizations, from nonprofits to multinationals like Coca-Cola, are using WordPress not as a blogging platform, but as a Content Management System (CMS).\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2640\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/20140607_083904.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2640\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/20140607_083904-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"W shaped pretzels at WordCamp Philly\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> W for WordPress Philly Pretzels[/caption]\r\n\r\nA few weeks ago, a well known social media marketing guy posted on Twitter that the effort involved in blogging was too large in relation to the return on investment (ROI).\r\n\r\nMany organizations have BINOs: blogs in name only. They don\'t update them frequently or haven\'t even posted in the last couple of years.\r\n\r\nSo is blogging dead? Should you give up your blog and just use WordPress to be your website platform?\r\n\r\n<strong>No!!!!</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Blogging is not dead.</strong> Blogging still provides many many benefits, not the least of which is making it easier for people to find your organization when they don\'t even know it exists.\r\n\r\nHow many people don\'t know Coca-Cola? Coke doesn\'t have to do much to be known. But a small organization that works on historical restoration or a business that helps people in a specific area get organized has to work a lot harder.  Small businesses or nonprofits have to provide information that their potential customers or supporters need and want. One of the best ways to provide a constant stream of information is blogging.\r\n\r\nCall it content marketing if you must, but blogs are an easy and flexible way to provide opinions, analysis, information, graphics or even podcasts to your audience.\r\n\r\nBlogs are social. Blogs let your audience share content easily. And blogs are a way to interact with your audience through the comments. And you can extend your blog\'s reach by enlisting guest bloggers.\r\n\r\nEven though WordPress is a powerful CMS and even though <strong>consistent, quality</strong> blogging does take a lot of effort, blogging is still worthwhile.\r\n\r\nAre you still blogging? If you have given up, please tell me why in the comments. If you have seen value, give me an example.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is blogging dead?','','inherit','open','open','','2639-revision-v1','','','2014-06-10 14:06:24','2014-06-10 14:06:24','',2639,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/06/2639-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2643,4,'2014-06-12 19:43:24','2014-06-12 19:43:24','<strong>UPDATE: This post is three years old and some people are still finding it. If you read the post you will see that DBMC is not affiliated in any way with Clinique\'s Gone but Not Forgotten program. I am not able to help you get your discontinued makeup. Please co</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYou may recall that a couple of years ago I was trying <a title=\"Lack of communication may cost you a sale\" href=\"http://cuppamarcomm.wordpress.com/2009/12/14/lack-of-communication-may-cost-you-a-sale/\" target=\"_blank\">to buy a foundation from Prescriptives</a>. It turns out Prescriptives had gone out of business, but I was able to order the makeup through their website. The failure was in communication--no real advertising of the closure and misinformation at the counter.\n\nWell, it has happened again. Clinique has discontinued my favorite mascara, without any notice. I went up to the counter, asked for the mascara by name, and was told they no longer carry it. That was it.  My friend and fellow WWPR board member <a href=\"http://twitter.com/#!/dfriez\" target=\"_blank\">Debbie Frie</a>z recommended calling the 1-800 number that the Estee Lauder cosmetics company has for discontinued items (you have to search really hard on the Clinique website for the \"Gone but  Not Forgotten program\").\n\nI called the Gone but not Forgotten program, and they said it could take up to two weeks to locate the product, and if they did, they would ship it out to me. After nearly two weeks, not a word. I called the program (and was on hold for 20 minutes) only to find out \"that I contacted them before they could contact me\" to tell me that the product is no longer available.\n\nWhat a massive failure from Clinique. First, they discontinued a product just so they could introduce a substitute that is not as good. Second, they failed to inform their customers.  And third, their program for discontinued items is a joke--why would it take two weeks to locate inventory? Why would you not email as soon as you knew you couldn\'t fulfill a customer\'s request? Perhaps you could give the customer a voucher to try another product for free, etc.\n\nWhy should I buy from Clinique ever again? Why would I buy a cosmetic that I like only to have it discontinued? Why would I want to deal with a company that disregards its customers? Clinique has effectively forced me into the marketplace to find another mascara that I like.\n\nA note to male readers: mascara is a product that should be replaced every three months. This made me visit the Clinique counter at least four times a year. And hey, if you are there four times a year, chances are good you will see something else you like.\n\nIn any case. the lessons here are as always: advertising alone will  not sell a product. Service will seal the deal. Personal experiences will also influence buying behavior, and in the social media world, may influence the behavior of other people too.\n\nSo, if you know of any good hypoallergenic, waterproof, non-flaking mascara, let me know. But please, make sure it is not a Clinique brand.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Another cosmetics failure','','inherit','open','open','','1183-autosave-v1','','','2014-06-12 19:43:24','2014-06-12 19:43:24','',1183,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/06/1183-autosave-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2644,4,'2014-06-12 19:43:34','2014-06-12 19:43:34','<strong>UPDATE: This post is three years old and some people are still finding it. If you read the post you will see that DBMC is not affiliated in any way with Clinique\'s Gone but Not Forgotten program. I am not able to help you get your discontinued makeup. Please contact Clinique directly.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYou may recall that a couple of years ago I was trying <a title=\"Lack of communication may cost you a sale\" href=\"http://cuppamarcomm.wordpress.com/2009/12/14/lack-of-communication-may-cost-you-a-sale/\" target=\"_blank\">to buy a foundation from Prescriptives</a>. It turns out Prescriptives had gone out of business, but I was able to order the makeup through their website. The failure was in communication--no real advertising of the closure and misinformation at the counter.\r\n\r\nWell, it has happened again. Clinique has discontinued my favorite mascara, without any notice. I went up to the counter, asked for the mascara by name, and was told they no longer carry it. That was it.  My friend and fellow WWPR board member <a href=\"http://twitter.com/#!/dfriez\" target=\"_blank\">Debbie Frie</a>z recommended calling the 1-800 number that the Estee Lauder cosmetics company has for discontinued items (you have to search really hard on the Clinique website for the \"Gone but  Not Forgotten program\").\r\n\r\nI called the Gone but not Forgotten program, and they said it could take up to two weeks to locate the product, and if they did, they would ship it out to me. After nearly two weeks, not a word. I called the program (and was on hold for 20 minutes) only to find out \"that I contacted them before they could contact me\" to tell me that the product is no longer available.\r\n\r\nWhat a massive failure from Clinique. First, they discontinued a product just so they could introduce a substitute that is not as good. Second, they failed to inform their customers.  And third, their program for discontinued items is a joke--why would it take two weeks to locate inventory? Why would you not email as soon as you knew you couldn\'t fulfill a customer\'s request? Perhaps you could give the customer a voucher to try another product for free, etc.\r\n\r\nWhy should I buy from Clinique ever again? Why would I buy a cosmetic that I like only to have it discontinued? Why would I want to deal with a company that disregards its customers? Clinique has effectively forced me into the marketplace to find another mascara that I like.\r\n\r\nA note to male readers: mascara is a product that should be replaced every three months. This made me visit the Clinique counter at least four times a year. And hey, if you are there four times a year, chances are good you will see something else you like.\r\n\r\nIn any case. the lessons here are as always: advertising alone will  not sell a product. Service will seal the deal. Personal experiences will also influence buying behavior, and in the social media world, may influence the behavior of other people too.\r\n\r\nSo, if you know of any good hypoallergenic, waterproof, non-flaking mascara, let me know. But please, make sure it is not a Clinique brand.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Another cosmetics failure','','inherit','open','open','','1183-revision-v1','','','2014-06-12 19:43:34','2014-06-12 19:43:34','',1183,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/06/1183-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2645,4,'2014-06-12 19:44:52','2014-06-12 19:44:52','<strong>UPDATE June 12, 2014: This post is three years old and some people are still finding it. If you read the post you will see that DBMC is not affiliated in any way with Clinique\'s Gone but Not Forgotten program. I am not able to help you get your discontinued makeup. Please contact Clinique directly.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYou may recall that a couple of years ago I was trying <a title=\"Lack of communication may cost you a sale\" href=\"http://cuppamarcomm.wordpress.com/2009/12/14/lack-of-communication-may-cost-you-a-sale/\" target=\"_blank\">to buy a foundation from Prescriptives</a>. It turns out Prescriptives had gone out of business, but I was able to order the makeup through their website. The failure was in communication--no real advertising of the closure and misinformation at the counter.\r\n\r\nWell, it has happened again. Clinique has discontinued my favorite mascara, without any notice. I went up to the counter, asked for the mascara by name, and was told they no longer carry it. That was it.  My friend and fellow WWPR board member <a href=\"http://twitter.com/#!/dfriez\" target=\"_blank\">Debbie Frie</a>z recommended calling the 1-800 number that the Estee Lauder cosmetics company has for discontinued items (you have to search really hard on the Clinique website for the \"Gone but  Not Forgotten program\").\r\n\r\nI called the Gone but not Forgotten program, and they said it could take up to two weeks to locate the product, and if they did, they would ship it out to me. After nearly two weeks, not a word. I called the program (and was on hold for 20 minutes) only to find out \"that I contacted them before they could contact me\" to tell me that the product is no longer available.\r\n\r\nWhat a massive failure from Clinique. First, they discontinued a product just so they could introduce a substitute that is not as good. Second, they failed to inform their customers.  And third, their program for discontinued items is a joke--why would it take two weeks to locate inventory? Why would you not email as soon as you knew you couldn\'t fulfill a customer\'s request? Perhaps you could give the customer a voucher to try another product for free, etc.\r\n\r\nWhy should I buy from Clinique ever again? Why would I buy a cosmetic that I like only to have it discontinued? Why would I want to deal with a company that disregards its customers? Clinique has effectively forced me into the marketplace to find another mascara that I like.\r\n\r\nA note to male readers: mascara is a product that should be replaced every three months. This made me visit the Clinique counter at least four times a year. And hey, if you are there four times a year, chances are good you will see something else you like.\r\n\r\nIn any case. the lessons here are as always: advertising alone will  not sell a product. Service will seal the deal. Personal experiences will also influence buying behavior, and in the social media world, may influence the behavior of other people too.\r\n\r\nSo, if you know of any good hypoallergenic, waterproof, non-flaking mascara, let me know. But please, make sure it is not a Clinique brand.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Another cosmetics failure','','inherit','open','open','','1183-revision-v1','','','2014-06-12 19:44:52','2014-06-12 19:44:52','',1183,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/06/1183-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2646,4,'2014-06-12 20:02:47','2014-06-12 20:02:47','A couple of days ago I wrote a post called <a title=\"Is blogging dead?\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2014/06/is-blogging-dead/\" target=\"_blank\">Is Blogging Dead?</a> My answer is no, emphatically, blogging is not dead. My chief reason for believing this is that blogging helps you get found.\r\n\r\nHowever, sometimes you get found for the wrong reason.\r\n\r\nIn the past week alone, two women have contacted me looking for help locating discontinued Clinique eye shadows. Why? Because three (!) years ago I wrote a post about my <a title=\"Another cosmetics failure\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2011/06/another-cosmetics-failure/\" target=\"_blank\">poor experience with Clinique\'s Gone but Not Forgotten program</a>. If you read the post, you may be able to tell it is a critique. If you read my About page or any other part of this website, I think it is fairly obvious that I am not associated with Clinique in any way. Yet these women somehow think I can help them, not just to find information about Clinique\'s program, but to actually find the eye shadows for them.\r\n\r\nThat post is one of the most visited on this blog and it has nothing to do with what I do. Perhaps I should delete it because it is clearly bringing the wrong kind of people to this blog. At the same time it illustrates the power of blogging and specifically, of tagging and keywords. I know people find the post by keying in \"gone but not forgotten.\"\r\n\r\nThe main lessons here are two:\r\n\r\n1. Blogging, and using descriptive keywords and tags, will certainly help you get found.\r\n\r\n2. What you blog about (and the keywords, tags, etc. you use) should help you be found for what you want to be found.\r\n\r\nSadly, a third lesson is that many people out there do not bother to read things closely or have poor reading comprehension.\r\n\r\nHave you had a similar experience? And, should I take that post down?','Yes, blogging helps you get found','','publish','open','open','','yes-blogging-helps-you-get-found','','','2014-06-12 20:02:47','2014-06-12 20:02:47','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2646',0,'post','',1),
(2647,4,'2014-06-12 20:02:47','2014-06-12 20:02:47','A couple of days ago I wrote a post called <a title=\"Is blogging dead?\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2014/06/is-blogging-dead/\" target=\"_blank\">Is Blogging Dead?</a> My answer is no, emphatically, blogging is not dead. My chief reason for believing this is that blogging helps you get found.\r\n\r\nHowever, sometimes you get found for the wrong reason.\r\n\r\nIn the past week alone, two women have contacted me looking for help locating discontinued Clinique eye shadows. Why? Because three (!) years ago I wrote a post about my <a title=\"Another cosmetics failure\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2011/06/another-cosmetics-failure/\" target=\"_blank\">poor experience with Clinique\'s Gone but Not Forgotten program</a>. If you read the post, you may be able to tell it is a critique. If you read my About page or any other part of this website, I think it is fairly obvious that I am not associated with Clinique in any way. Yet these women somehow think I can help them, not just to find information about Clinique\'s program, but to actually find the eye shadows for them.\r\n\r\nThat post is one of the most visited on this blog and it has nothing to do with what I do. Perhaps I should delete it because it is clearly bringing the wrong kind of people to this blog. At the same time it illustrates the power of blogging and specifically, of tagging and keywords. I know people find the post by keying in \"gone but not forgotten.\"\r\n\r\nThe main lessons here are two:\r\n\r\n1. Blogging, and using descriptive keywords and tags, will certainly help you get found.\r\n\r\n2. What you blog about (and the keywords, tags, etc. you use) should help you be found for what you want to be found.\r\n\r\nSadly, a third lesson is that many people out there do not bother to read things closely or have poor reading comprehension.\r\n\r\nHave you had a similar experience? And, should I take that post down?','Yes, blogging helps you get found','','inherit','open','open','','2646-revision-v1','','','2014-06-12 20:02:47','2014-06-12 20:02:47','',2646,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/06/2646-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(2651,4,'2014-06-17 13:24:58','2014-06-17 13:24:58','<h3>Project</h3>\r\nPerhaps you want to hire us to work on a single project. You\'ll give us all the relevant information, including target audience for the project, timelines and existing materials. Once we\'ve assessed what you need, we will provide you with a written time and cost estimate before beginning.\r\n\r\nProjects are payable with a 30% deposit to start, and the balance due once the project is complete.\r\n<h3>Retainer</h3>\r\nIf you require ongoing marketing help or know you will have many projects over two months or more, we will set up a retainer agreement. We will estimate how many hours of time you will require per month. We will agree on a cost and number of hours. Retainer agreements are payable on a bi-weekly schedule. Retainers can be dissolved in writing.\r\n<h3>Payment</h3>\r\nWe accept business or personal checks, credit cards via PayPal, cash and money orders. Paying by credit card incurs an additional 3% surcharge.  Our policy is 14 days net for most invoices. As a small business, we cannot afford to extend credit to our clients, and we respectfully request full payment as and when invoiced. All jobs require an initial 30% deposit.\r\n<h3>No work on spec</h3>\r\nFinally, DBMC does not provide spec work. If you require a sample, we will provide you with work done for previous clients. If you want us to producec something specifically for you, we require payment.','How We Work','','inherit','open','open','','42-revision-v1','','','2014-06-17 13:24:58','2014-06-17 13:24:58','',42,'http://deborahbrody.com/2014/06/42-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
