(1921,4,'2012-11-20 14:08:35','2012-11-20 14:08:35','This is a fact: if organizations fail to appeal to younger people, they will not survive. There is no growth potential in appealing ONLY to older populations. They are not the future.  And yet, how many organizations are doing nothing--communications or programming-wise--to appeal to a younger audience?\n\nLast week, I attended an event where I was the youngest person. And I am not considered young (demographically speaking, of course).  It got me thinking about what organizations will have to do to appeal to younger people. Will it suffice to change and expand their communications efforts, or will they have to revamp their program offerings? Or both?\n\nNot appealing to younger people is a mistake of epic proportions. Witness the Republican Party\'s handwringing in light of their presidential loss to the Democrats. Even Mitt Romney seems to acknowledge his party was not offering much to young people (although his assertion that Obama was offering young people \"gifts\" was misguided at best).  The GOP is now dealing with the fact that their primary target of older, white male voters is a shrinking demographic.','Kidding around: appealing to younger people','','inherit','open','open','','1920-revision','','','2012-11-20 14:08:35','2012-11-20 14:08:35','',1920,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1920-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1922,4,'2012-11-21 13:50:45','2012-11-21 13:50:45','In case you haven\'t signed up for my newsletter (the sign up is on the top right), you can read the Fall/Thanksgiving one <a href=\"http://mad.ly/a36043\" target=\"_blank\">right here</a>.\r\n\r\nWishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Happy Thanksgiving!','','publish','open','open','','happy-thanksgiving','','','2012-11-21 13:50:45','2012-11-21 13:50:45','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1922',0,'post','',0),
(1923,4,'2012-11-21 13:47:03','2012-11-21 13:47:03','In case you haven\'t signed up for my newsletter (the sign up is on the top right), you can read the Fall/Thanksgiving one <a href=\"http://mad.ly/a36043\" target=\"_blank\">right here</a>.\n\nWishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving!\n\n&nbsp;','Happy Thanksgiving!','','inherit','open','open','','1922-revision','','','2012-11-21 13:47:03','2012-11-21 13:47:03','',1922,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1922-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1926,4,'2012-11-28 21:25:41','2012-11-28 21:25:41','You learned it way back in kindergarten, remember? Show and tell was when you brought something in and you told your classmates about it. Some people\'s show and tell was boring and some was really good. I can\'t remember anything from kindergarten but I know the lesson of showing and telling is a good one for anybody trying to communicate.\n\nYou would think something as basic as show and tell would stay with most people. And yet it hasn\'t.\n\nToday, I am searching for an online task manager. There are many (and I am not really sure which one to use). Some show you screen shots of the software. Some show you video. All of them tell you what they do (but not how exactly).  One in particular does not show or tell me anything. It asks me to sign up. I don\'t know about you, but I am not signing up for ANYTHING, even if it is free, if I don\'t know what it is exactly.\n\nPerhaps this company\'s principals did not attend kindergarten.\n\nRemember, sh','Show and tell!','','inherit','open','open','','1925-revision','','','2012-11-28 21:25:41','2012-11-28 21:25:41','',1925,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1925-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1927,4,'2012-11-28 21:27:36','2012-11-28 21:27:36','You learned it way back in kindergarten, remember? Show and tell was when you brought something in and you told your classmates about it. Some people\'s show and tell was boring and some was really good. I can\'t remember anything from kindergarten but I know the lesson of showing and telling is a good one for anybody trying to communicate.\n\nYou would think something as basic as show and tell would stay with most people. And yet it hasn\'t.\n\nToday, I am searching for an online task manager. There are many (and I am not really sure which one to use). Some show you screen shots of the software. Some show you video. All of them tell you what they do (but not how exactly).  One in particular does not show or tell me anything. It asks me to sign up. I don\'t know about you, but I am not signing up for ANYTHING, even if it is free, if I don\'t know what it is exactly.\n\nPerhaps this company\'s principals did not attend kindergarten.\n\nRemember, show and tell. People need to see what they are getting and they need to understand it too.\n\nRight?\n\n&nbsp;','Show and tell!','','inherit','open','open','','1925-autosave','','','2012-11-28 21:27:36','2012-11-28 21:27:36','',1925,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1925-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1942,4,'2012-12-07 14:57:09','2012-12-07 14:57:09','Last week, I read a guest post on a popular PR blog that counseled people to spend 10 minutes a year on their LinkedIn profile and to schedule one or two tweets a day \"to maintain a presence on Twitter.\"\n\nCan you do social media in a few minutes a year? Sure you <em>can</em>.  But, the question is not whether you can, it is whether you <em>should</em>. And if you think you can achieve good outcomes by doing it the easy way, you are in for a big surprise.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"hard work 2  by idlphoto, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/idlphoto/4172394956/\"><img src=\"http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2800/4172394956_653cbf4ef5.jpg\" alt=\"hard work 2 \" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a> Photo by idlphoto from Flickr[/caption]\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>\nMarketing in general, and social media marketing in particular, are not easy tasks. In fact, to achieve results, you have to spend<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> lots of time and effort</span> (and sometimes money too). Anybody who tells you you can do it a couple of minutes a day is lying to you (or maybe just misleading you).  <strong>Just having or maintaining a presence is simply not enough.</strong>\n\nYour goal may be to just have a presence. But why would that be your goal? If you are marketing (yourself, a product, a cause, an idea), you probably have goal that involves movement (more followers, more buyers, more supporters). Just being is not going to move your goal very far forward.\n\nTake Twitter. If you schedule your tweets and then do nothing else, what exactly are you achieving? Not engagement, that\'s for sure. Twitter is a responsive platform. People comment and respond in real time. If you don\'t participate in real time, and respond quickly, I am not sure you should be on Twitter at all. Beside the fact that one or two tweets a day will likely get missed, especially if there is something else going on (and breaking news breaks on Twitter).\n\nTake LinkedIn. If you refresh your profile one time per year, and then don\'t do anything else, you aren\'t going to appear on the timeline. People will forget about you.\n\nPerhaps what the guess blogger I referenced above was trying to say is that you have to have a<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> minimum presence</span> if you are going to participate in social media channels. However, you can\'t and shouldn\'t be satisfied with the minimum. You need to MAXIMIZE your presence if you are trying to achieve goals. And perhaps you don\'t need to be on every social media channel. Perhaps you choose one or two where you can make an effort.\n\nSocial media marketing may be easy to understand, but it is not easy to achieve. It takes a lot of time, and a lot of effort. That\'s a fact.\n\nWhat are your thoughts? Do you think social media marketing can be accomplished easily? Do you think a minimum works? I would love your thoughts in the comments.','As easy as 1, 2, 3 (or not)','','inherit','open','open','','1941-revision','','','2012-12-07 14:57:09','2012-12-07 14:57:09','',1941,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/12/1941-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1929,4,'2012-11-29 16:36:17','2012-11-29 16:36:17','Yesterday, a friend posted this on Facebook:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Merry-christmas.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1931\" title=\"Merry christmas\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Merry-christmas-300x267.jpg\" alt=\"It\'s not happy holidays, it\'s merry christmas\" width=\"300\" height=\"267\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI could not disagree more. This seems to be part of a growing (and conservative) movement, which claims saying Happy Holidays is taking the Christmas out of Christmas. In my opinion, this is a completely intolerant and ignorant view and understanding of the reality of a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic world.  Christmas is celebrated by Christians, but not by Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Zen-Taoists and others.\r\n\r\nWishing happy holidays or season\'s greetings is a way of acknowledging the various holidays taking place at the end of the year: Christmas, New Year\'s, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa.\r\n\r\nWhen you wish someone a Merry Christmas, you are saying you wish him or her a happy day of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.\r\n\r\nOne is inclusive, and one is exclusive. One assumes a belief and one doesn\'t.\r\n\r\nAs a communicator, you have to be careful not to make members of your audience feel excluded.  Clearly, whether you wish Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas depends on who your target audience is.  A church, for example, has a target audience of Christian worshipers and supporters. For a church to wish its audience Merry Christmas would be completely appropriate. For a non-religious institution (like the government or your business) to wish its audience Merry Christmas, would be exclusionary.\r\n\r\nWith business communications, there\'s the additional desire to steer clear of hot topics like religion and politics. Merry Christmas is a religious statement. Happy Holidays is not.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Do you wish people Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas or something else?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is it Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas?','','publish','open','open','','is-it-happy-holidays-or-merry-christmas','','','2012-11-29 16:36:17','2012-11-29 16:36:17','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1929',0,'post','',2),
(1930,4,'2012-11-29 16:19:29','2012-11-29 16:19:29','Yesterday, a friend posted this on Facebook:\n\nI could not disagree more. This seems to be part of a growi movement, which claims saying Happy Holidays is taking the Christmas out of Christmas, is completely intolerant and ignorant of the reality of a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic world.','Is it Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas?','','inherit','open','open','','1929-revision','','','2012-11-29 16:19:29','2012-11-29 16:19:29','',1929,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1929-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1931,4,'2012-11-29 16:32:51','2012-11-29 16:32:51','','Merry christmas','','inherit','open','open','','merry-christmas','','','2012-11-29 16:32:51','2012-11-29 16:32:51','',1929,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Merry-christmas.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(1932,4,'2012-11-29 16:36:14','2012-11-29 16:36:14','Yesterday, a friend posted this on Facebook:\n\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Merry-christmas.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1931\" title=\"Merry christmas\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Merry-christmas-300x267.jpg\" alt=\"It\'s not happy holidays, it\'s merry christmas\" width=\"300\" height=\"267\" /></a>\n\nI could not disagree more. This seems to be part of a growing (and conservative) movement, which claims saying Happy Holidays is taking the Christmas out of Christmas. In my opinion, this is a completely intolerant and ignorant view and understanding of the reality of a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic world.  Christmas is celebrated by Christians, but not by Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Zen-Taoists and others.\n\nWishing happy holidays or season\'s greetings is a way of acknowledging the various holidays taking place at the end of the year: Christmas, New Year\'s, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa.\n\nWhen you wish someone a Merry Christmas, you are saying you wish him or her a happy day of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.\n\nOne is inclusive, and one is exclusive. One assumes a belief and one doesn\'t.\n\nAs a communicator, you have to be careful not to make members of your audience feel excluded.  Clearly, whether you wish Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas depends on who your target audience is.  A church, for example, has a target audience of Christian worshipers and supporters. For a church to wish its audience Merry Christmas would be completely appropriate. For a non-religious institution (like the government or your business) to wish its audience Merry Christmas, would be exclusionary.\n\nWith business communications, there\'s the additional desire to steer clear of hot topics like religion and politics. Merry Christmas is a religious statement. Happy Holidays is not.\n\nWhat do you think? Do you wish people Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas or something else?\n\n&nbsp;','Is it Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas?','','inherit','open','open','','1929-revision-2','','','2012-11-29 16:36:14','2012-11-29 16:36:14','',1929,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1929-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1934,4,'2012-12-04 15:07:20','2012-12-04 15:07:20','Chances are good that if you have a cable service,  you also have a DVR (digital video recorder).  In fact, according to a Nielsen study, quoted in Mashable.com (<a href=\"http://mashable.com/2012/03/01/nielsen-dvr-study/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>),  the use of DVRs increased five-fold from 2006 to 2011. It seems that of all the devices connected to our TV, we use the DVR the most.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"HD DVR HD by apalapala, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/apalapala/5112667364/\"><img src=\"http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1371/5112667364_89eed4bf67.jpg\" alt=\"HD DVR HD\" width=\"500\" height=\"238\" /></a> HD DVR photo by Apalapala on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nLike the VCR of yore, the DVR lets you record a show for viewing at your convenience. Perhaps you are at work during the latest episode of Dr. Phil or you have to attend a family gathering during the Oscars.  And unlike the VCR, DVRs use hard disk space, giving you hundreds of hours of recording time. A DVR would have been a tremendous help to me during the last episode of Felicity back in the 90s, which due to a VCR glitch ,did not record and I never was able to watch it (but I digress).\r\n\r\nYesterday\'s <a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/business/media/dvrs-and-weak-shows-explain-low-ratings-for-tv-networks.html?smid=pl-share\" target=\"_blank\">New York Times has an article</a> that says the networks are now blaming the DVR for weaker ratings ( although weaker shows may be more to blame).\r\n\r\nThere is no doubt that DVRs are affecting how we view TV. One immediate effect for most people is that we no longer view the commercials thanks to the fast forward button. Does this mean that advertisers should re-evaluate whether to even have TV commercials in the advertising mix? Well, yes, they should. Clearly, relying on TV commercials, especially on shows that people tend to record (perhaps daytime shows or late night shows), is a risky proposition.\r\n\r\nHowever, keep in mind that fast forward does not mean delete. You have to watch the screen while you are fast forwarding, so an intriguing commercial may actually catch your eye and make you hit play.\r\n\r\n<strong>The DVR Factor</strong> is that forgettable or boring commercials will not attract attention anymore, and will even be ignored. On the other hand, interesting and creative commercials will stand out and perhaps even be more memorable and effective.\r\n\r\nWe are surrounded by advertising--much of which we can skip or ignore. But we still pay attention to advertising messages that resonate with us, whether because they are eye-catching or interesting.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Do you watch ads at all?','The DVR Factor','','publish','open','open','','the-dvr-factor','','','2012-12-04 15:07:20','2012-12-04 15:07:20','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1934',0,'post','',0),
(1935,4,'2012-12-04 15:00:37','2012-12-04 15:00:37','Chances are good that if you have a cable service,  you also have a DVR (digital video recorder).  In fact, according to a Nielsen study, quoted in Mashable.com (<a href=\"http://mashable.com/2012/03/01/nielsen-dvr-study/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>),  the use of DVRs increased five-fold from 2006 to 2011. It seems that of all the devices connected to our TV, we use the DVR the most.\n\nLike the VCR of yore, the DVR lets you record a show for viewing at your convenience. Perhaps you are at work during the latest episode of Dr. Phil or you have to attend a family gathering during the Oscars.  And unlike the VCR, DVRs use hard disk space, giving you hundreds of hours of recording time. A DVR would have been a tremendous help to me during the last episode of Felicity back in the 90s, which due to a VCR glitch ,did not record and I never was able to watch it (but I digress).\n\nYesterday\'s <a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/business/media/dvrs-and-weak-shows-explain-low-ratings-for-tv-networks.html?smid=pl-share\" target=\"_blank\">New York Times has an article</a> that says the networks are now blaming the DVR for weaker ratings ( although weaker shows may be more to blame).\n\nThere is no doubt that DVRs are affecting how we view TV. One immediate effect for most people is that we no longer view the commercials thanks to the fast forward button. Does this mean that advertisers should re-evaluate whether to even have TV commercials in the advertising mix? Well, yes, they should. Clearly, relying on TV commercials, especially on shows that people tend to record (perhaps daytime shows or late night shows), is a risky proposition.\n\nHowever, keep in mind that fast forward does not mean delete. You have to watch the screen while you are fast forwarding, so an intriguing commercial may actually catch your eye and make you hit play.\n\n<strong>The DVR Factor</strong> is that forgettable or boring commercials will not attract attention anymore, and will even be ignored. On the other hand, interesting and creative commercials will stand out and perhaps even be more memorable and effective.\n\nWe are surrounded by advertising--much of which we can skip or ignore. But we still pay attention to advertising messages that resonate with us, whether because they are eye-catching or interesting.\n\nWhat do you think? Do you watch ads at all? Has th','The DVR Factor','','inherit','open','open','','1934-revision','','','2012-12-04 15:00:37','2012-12-04 15:00:37','',1934,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/12/1934-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1936,4,'2012-12-04 15:01:37','2012-12-04 15:01:37','Chances are good that if you have a cable service,  you also have a DVR (digital video recorder).  In fact, according to a Nielsen study, quoted in Mashable.com (<a href=\"http://mashable.com/2012/03/01/nielsen-dvr-study/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>),  the use of DVRs increased five-fold from 2006 to 2011. It seems that of all the devices connected to our TV, we use the DVR the most.\n\nLike the VCR of yore, the DVR lets you record a show for viewing at your convenience. Perhaps you are at work during the latest episode of Dr. Phil or you have to attend a family gathering during the Oscars.  And unlike the VCR, DVRs use hard disk space, giving you hundreds of hours of recording time. A DVR would have been a tremendous help to me during the last episode of Felicity back in the 90s, which due to a VCR glitch ,did not record and I never was able to watch it (but I digress).\n\nYesterday\'s <a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/business/media/dvrs-and-weak-shows-explain-low-ratings-for-tv-networks.html?smid=pl-share\" target=\"_blank\">New York Times has an article</a> that says the networks are now blaming the DVR for weaker ratings ( although weaker shows may be more to blame).\n\nThere is no doubt that DVRs are affecting how we view TV. One immediate effect for most people is that we no longer view the commercials thanks to the fast forward button. Does this mean that advertisers should re-evaluate whether to even have TV commercials in the advertising mix? Well, yes, they should. Clearly, relying on TV commercials, especially on shows that people tend to record (perhaps daytime shows or late night shows), is a risky proposition.\n\nHowever, keep in mind that fast forward does not mean delete. You have to watch the screen while you are fast forwarding, so an intriguing commercial may actually catch your eye and make you hit play.\n\n<strong>The DVR Factor</strong> is that forgettable or boring commercials will not attract attention anymore, and will even be ignored. On the other hand, interesting and creative commercials will stand out and perhaps even be more memorable and effective.\n\nWe are surrounded by advertising--much of which we can skip or ignore. But we still pay attention to advertising messages that resonate with us, whether because they are eye-catching or interesting.\n\nWhat do you think? Do you watch ads at all?','The DVR Factor','','inherit','open','open','','1934-revision-2','','','2012-12-04 15:01:37','2012-12-04 15:01:37','',1934,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/12/1934-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1937,4,'2012-12-04 15:06:52','2012-12-04 15:06:52','Chances are good that if you have a cable service,  you also have a DVR (digital video recorder).  In fact, according to a Nielsen study, quoted in Mashable.com (<a href=\"http://mashable.com/2012/03/01/nielsen-dvr-study/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>),  the use of DVRs increased five-fold from 2006 to 2011. It seems that of all the devices connected to our TV, we use the DVR the most.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"HD DVR HD by apalapala, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/apalapala/5112667364/\"><img src=\"http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1371/5112667364_89eed4bf67.jpg\" alt=\"HD DVR HD\" width=\"500\" height=\"238\" /></a> HD DVR photo by Apalapala on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nLike the VCR of yore, the DVR lets you record a show for viewing at your convenience. Perhaps you are at work during the latest episode of Dr. Phil or you have to attend a family gathering during the Oscars.  And unlike the VCR, DVRs use hard disk space, giving you hundreds of hours of recording time. A DVR would have been a tremendous help to me during the last episode of Felicity back in the 90s, which due to a VCR glitch ,did not record and I never was able to watch it (but I digress).\r\n\r\nYesterday\'s <a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/business/media/dvrs-and-weak-shows-explain-low-ratings-for-tv-networks.html?smid=pl-share\" target=\"_blank\">New York Times has an article</a> that says the networks are now blaming the DVR for weaker ratings ( although weaker shows may be more to blame).\r\n\r\nThere is no doubt that DVRs are affecting how we view TV. One immediate effect for most people is that we no longer view the commercials thanks to the fast forward button. Does this mean that advertisers should re-evaluate whether to even have TV commercials in the advertising mix? Well, yes, they should. Clearly, relying on TV commercials, especially on shows that people tend to record (perhaps daytime shows or late night shows), is a risky proposition.\r\n\r\nHowever, keep in mind that fast forward does not mean delete. You have to watch the screen while you are fast forwarding, so an intriguing commercial may actually catch your eye and make you hit play.\r\n\r\n<strong>The DVR Factor</strong> is that forgettable or boring commercials will not attract attention anymore, and will even be ignored. On the other hand, interesting and creative commercials will stand out and perhaps even be more memorable and effective.\r\n\r\nWe are surrounded by advertising--much of which we can skip or ignore. But we still pay attention to advertising messages that resonate with us, whether because they are eye-catching or interesting.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Do you watch ads at all?','The DVR Factor','','inherit','open','open','','1934-revision-3','','','2012-12-04 15:06:52','2012-12-04 15:06:52','',1934,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/12/1934-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(1938,4,'2012-12-04 15:06:58','2012-12-04 15:06:58','Chances are good that if you have a cable service,  you also have a DVR (digital video recorder).  In fact, according to a Nielsen study, quoted in Mashable.com (<a href=\"http://mashable.com/2012/03/01/nielsen-dvr-study/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>),  the use of DVRs increased five-fold from 2006 to 2011. It seems that of all the devices connected to our TV, we use the DVR the most.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"HD DVR HD by apalapala, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/apalapala/5112667364/\"><img src=\"http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1371/5112667364_89eed4bf67.jpg\" alt=\"HD DVR HD\" width=\"500\" height=\"238\" /></a> HD DVR photo by Apalapala on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nLike the VCR of yore, the DVR lets you record a show for viewing at your convenience. Perhaps you are at work during the latest episode of Dr. Phil or you have to attend a family gathering during the Oscars.  And unlike the VCR, DVRs use hard disk space, giving you hundreds of hours of recording time. A DVR would have been a tremendous help to me during the last episode of Felicity back in the 90s, which due to a VCR glitch ,did not record and I never was able to watch it (but I digress).\r\n\r\nYesterday\'s <a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/business/media/dvrs-and-weak-shows-explain-low-ratings-for-tv-networks.html?smid=pl-share\" target=\"_blank\">New York Times has an article</a> that says the networks are now blaming the DVR for weaker ratings ( although weaker shows may be more to blame).\r\n\r\nThere is no doubt that DVRs are affecting how we view TV. One immediate effect for most people is that we no longer view the commercials thanks to the fast forward button. Does this mean that advertisers should re-evaluate whether to even have TV commercials in the advertising mix? Well, yes, they should. Clearly, relying on TV commercials, especially on shows that people tend to record (perhaps daytime shows or late night shows), is a risky proposition.\r\n\r\nHowever, keep in mind that fast forward does not mean delete. You have to watch the screen while you are fast forwarding, so an intriguing commercial may actually catch your eye and make you hit play.\r\n\r\n<strong>The DVR Factor</strong> is that forgettable or boring commercials will not attract attention anymore, and will even be ignored. On the other hand, interesting and creative commercials will stand out and perhaps even be more memorable and effective.\r\n\r\nWe are surrounded by advertising--much of which we can skip or ignore. But we still pay attention to advertising messages that resonate with us, whether because they are eye-catching or interesting.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Do you watch ads at all?','The DVR Factor','','inherit','open','open','','1934-revision-4','','','2012-12-04 15:06:58','2012-12-04 15:06:58','',1934,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/12/1934-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),
(1941,4,'2012-12-07 14:57:13','2012-12-07 14:57:13','Last week, I read a guest post on a popular PR blog that counseled people to spend 10 minutes a year on their LinkedIn profile and to schedule one or two tweets a day \"to maintain a presence on Twitter.\"\r\n\r\nCan you do social media in a few minutes a year? Sure you <em>can</em>.  But, the question is not whether you can, it is whether you <em>should</em>. And if you think you can achieve good outcomes by doing it the easy way, you are in for a big surprise.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"hard work 2  by idlphoto, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/idlphoto/4172394956/\"><img src=\"http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2800/4172394956_653cbf4ef5.jpg\" alt=\"hard work 2 \" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a> Photo by idlphoto from Flickr[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>\r\nMarketing in general, and social media marketing in particular, are not easy tasks. In fact, to achieve results, you have to spend<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> lots of time and effort</span> (and sometimes money too). Anybody who tells you you can do it a couple of minutes a day is lying to you (or maybe just misleading you).  <strong>Just having or maintaining a presence is simply not enough.</strong>\r\n\r\nYour goal may be to just have a presence. But why would that be your goal? If you are marketing (yourself, a product, a cause, an idea), you probably have goal that involves movement (more followers, more buyers, more supporters). Just being is not going to move your goal very far forward.\r\n\r\nTake Twitter. If you schedule your tweets and then do nothing else, what exactly are you achieving? Not engagement, that\'s for sure. Twitter is a responsive platform. People comment and respond in real time. If you don\'t participate in real time, and respond quickly, I am not sure you should be on Twitter at all. Beside the fact that one or two tweets a day will likely get missed, especially if there is something else going on (and breaking news breaks on Twitter).\r\n\r\nTake LinkedIn. If you refresh your profile one time per year, and then don\'t do anything else, you aren\'t going to appear on the timeline. People will forget about you.\r\n\r\nPerhaps what the guess blogger I referenced above was trying to say is that you have to have a<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> minimum presence</span> if you are going to participate in social media channels. However, you can\'t and shouldn\'t be satisfied with the minimum. You need to MAXIMIZE your presence if you are trying to achieve goals. And perhaps you don\'t need to be on every social media channel. Perhaps you choose one or two where you can make an effort.\r\n\r\nSocial media marketing may be easy to understand, but it is not easy to achieve. It takes a lot of time, and a lot of effort. That\'s a fact.\r\n\r\nWhat are your thoughts? Do you think social media marketing can be accomplished easily? Do you think a minimum works? I would love your thoughts in the comments.','As easy as 1, 2, 3 (or not)','','publish','open','open','','as-easy-as-1-2-3-or-not','','','2012-12-07 14:57:13','2012-12-07 14:57:13','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1941',0,'post','',0),
(1955,4,'2012-12-19 21:50:25','2012-12-19 21:50:25','Perhaps its a sign that our social fabric is stretched too thin. Perhaps people don\'t know how to behave when they have the cover of social media. What is happening more and more is that people are expressing hate and hateful things to strangers on social media channels.\r\n\r\nOn Twitter, haters will search for ideas that they disagree with and then attack whoever tweeted those thoughts.  On blogs, people will leave nasty comments. On news sites, people will disparage others they disagree with. Social media seems rife with haters and trolls.\r\n\r\nHow do you deal with all these haters?\r\n\r\nFirst, do NOT take these comments personally.\r\n\r\nSecond, ignore the hater/troll. Most of these people are attention-seekers or enjoy getting an angry reaction from others. On Twitter, go to the hater\'s profile and block him or her. On your blog, discard the comment (you are under no obligation to provide a platform for others\' ideas, especially if they are contrary to your own and expressed in a disrespectful manner).  If feasible, delete the comments on Facebook.\r\n\r\nI am not saying to get rid of all comments that show a different viewpoint or even that question you, just get rid of comments that are obviously motivated by hate or the desire to incite argument.\r\n\r\nThird, move on. Social media is a constantly changing landscape, and what was interesting and hot five minutes ago may not be now.\r\n\r\nHow do you deal with haters or trolls? Would you add anything?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Dealing with the haters (on social media)','','publish','open','open','','dealing-with-the-haters-on-social-media','','','2012-12-19 21:50:25','2012-12-19 21:50:25','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1955',0,'post','',0),
(1944,4,'2012-12-10 15:21:06','2012-12-10 15:21:06','Everybody goes to networking events at one point or another. Some go because they feel they have to and others go because they love to network. The bottom line is that networking is an integral part of marketing, both personal and business. Opportunities always stem from personal relationships and networking is just the path to extend and strengthen your personal relationships.\r\n\r\nDecember is probably the prime networking month as there are all sorts of holiday parties and end of year ceremonies. But if you don\'t think about your networking, all you will end up doing is wasting time (and money).\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"400\"]<a title=\"handshake by B.T. Indrelunas, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/btindrelunas/4207736768/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2697/4207736768_2d21b5a225.jpg\" alt=\"handshake\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" /></a> Handshake by B.T. Indrelunas on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe inspiration for this post was a woman I \"met\" at a party last week. I didn\'t actually meet her because she was a walking networking don\'t. She approached me and a friend, greeted us, but didn\'t introduce herself. She babbled about the holidays (actually told us about her Thanksgiving dinner), and then said she wanted to get food, and turned around and left. Some time later, she sat down next to me and did not even try to make conversation. She wandered around the party aimlessly. Someone told me she was job-hunting. My impression was that she was slightly unhinged, and had no idea of how to connect with people.\r\n\r\nDon\'t be like that woman! You can make networking events a good marketing tool for yourself or your business if you follow some dos and don\'ts.\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Do this:</span></strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Have an objective in mind</strong>. You should ask yourself what you would like to get out of this event.\r\n\r\n<strong>Work on your introduction.</strong> Have a short but complete overview of who you are, something like: Hi, my name is Jane Doe, and I am a graphic designer at XZ agency, an Anytown-based advertising agency that specializes in the tech industry.\r\n\r\n<strong>Perfect your handshake, smile and body language</strong>.  A strong but not bone crushing grip, a nice smile and an open stance will help make you more likeable.\r\n\r\n<strong>Think about your appearance.</strong> Match your dress to the occasion. If it\'s a holiday party, be festive. If it is a morning business meeting, then dress in your business best!\r\n\r\n<strong>Be interested in the other person</strong>. Ask questions and be genuinely interested in the answers.\r\n\r\n<strong>Have business cards at the ready.</strong> Yes, I know people can Google you and phone tap you and whatever, but exchanging business cards is a tangible way to initiate contact.\r\n\r\n<strong>Follow up</strong>. Make sure to send an email to people you have met soon after the event to help establish the connection.  You may even suggest going to coffee or lunch and use the opportunity to get to know the person.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>But don\'t do this:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<strong>Hand out business cards indiscriminately</strong>. Exchange cards with someone only after you have spoken.\r\n\r\n<strong>Go for quantity.</strong> Some people feel they must work the room and meet everyone. I believe that quality is better than quantity, that is, it is better to meet a couple of people who will remember who you are, than a whole bunch of people than can\'t place you.\r\n\r\n<strong>Have a bad handshake.</strong> This includes the limp handshake, the overly strong handshake, the clammy handshake, and one that I experienced last week, the calloused, rough skin on the hand shake (use moisturizer!!!).\r\n\r\n<strong>Be overly self-deprecating.</strong> Don\'t diminish your accomplishments by letting your insecurity shine through.\r\n\r\n<strong>Act weird</strong>. Some people take pride in marching to the beat of a different drummer, and that is fine. But. There is personality and then there is weirdness. Some people (like the woman I mentioned above) don\'t pick up on social cues. Or then there was the guy who went to the holiday party in a kilt. Using a kilt is limited to the following occasions: when you are a schoolgirl in uniform, at your family\'s Scottish ancestral ceremony or it is Halloween.  You don\'t want to get attention for the wrong reasons.\r\n\r\nHappy networking this holiday season. You may just be a party away from meeting your next employer, project or friend!\r\n\r\nWhat are your networking dos and don\'ts?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How to make networking events a better marketing opportunity','','publish','open','open','','how-to-make-networking-events-a-better-marketing-opportunity','','','2012-12-10 15:21:06','2012-12-10 15:21:06','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1944',0,'post','',0),
(1945,4,'2012-12-10 15:18:58','2012-12-10 15:18:58','Everybody goes to networking events at one point or another. Some go because they feel they have to and others go because they love to network. The bottom line is that networking is an integral part of marketing, both personal and business. Opportunities always stem from personal relationships and networking is just the path to extend and strengthen your personal relationships.\n\nDecember is probably the prime networking month as there are all sorts of holiday parties and end of year ceremonies. But if you don\'t think about your networking, all you will end up doing is wasting time (and money).\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"400\"]<a title=\"handshake by B.T. Indrelunas, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/btindrelunas/4207736768/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2697/4207736768_2d21b5a225.jpg\" alt=\"handshake\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" /></a> Handshake by B.T. Indrelunas on Flickr[/caption]\n\nThe inspiration for this post was a woman I \"met\" at a party last week. I didn\'t actually meet her because she was a walking networking don\'t. She approached me and a friend, greeted us, but didn\'t introduce herself. She babbled about the holidays (actually told us about her Thanksgiving dinner), and then said she wanted to get food, and turned around and left. Some time later, she sat down next to me and did not even try to make conversation. She wandered around the party aimlessly. Someone told me she was job-hunting. My impression was that she was slightly unhinged, and had no idea of how to connect with people.\n\nDon\'t be like that woman! You can make networking events a good marketing tool for yourself or your business if you follow some dos and don\'ts.\n\nDo this:\n\n<strong>Have an objective in mind</strong>. You should ask yourself what you would like to get out of this event.\n\n<strong>Work on your introduction.</strong> Have a short but complete overview of who you are, something like: Hi, my name is Jane Doe, and I am a graphic designer at XZ agency, an Anytown-based advertising agency that specializes in the tech industry.\n\n<strong>Perfect your handshake, smile and body language</strong>.  A strong but not bone crushing grip, a nice smile and an open stance will help make you more likeable.\n\n<strong>Think about your appearance.</strong> Match your dress to the occasion. If it\'s a holiday party, be festive. If it is a morning business meeting, then dress in your business best!\n\n<strong>Be interested in the other person</strong>. Ask questions and be genuinely interested in the answers.\n\n<strong>Have business cards at the ready.</strong> Yes, I know people can Google you and phone tap you and whatever, but exchanging business cards is a tangible way to initiate contact.\n\n<strong>Follow up</strong>. Make sure to send an email to people you have met soon after the event to help establish the connection.  You may even suggest going to coffee or lunch and use the opportunity to get to know the person.\n\n<strong>But don\'t do this:</strong>\n\n<strong>Hand out business cards indiscriminately</strong>. Exchange cards with someone only after you have spoken.\n\n<strong>Go for quantity.</strong> Some people feel they must work the room and meet everyone. I believe that quality is better than quantity, that is, it is better to meet a couple of people who will remember who you are, than a whole bunch of people than can\'t place you.\n\n<strong>Have a bad handshake.</strong> This includes the limp handshake, the overly strong handshake, the clammy handshake, and one that I experienced last week, the calloused, rough skin on the hand shake (use moisturizer!!!).\n\n<strong>Be overly self-deprecating.</strong> Don\'t diminish your accomplishments by letting your insecurity shine through.\n\n<strong>Act weird</strong>. Some people take pride in marching to the beat of a different drummer, and that is fine. But. There is personality and then there is weirdness. Some people (like the woman I mentioned above) don\'t pick up on social cues. Or then there was the guy who went to the holiday party in a kilt. Using a kilt is limited to the following occasions: when you are a schoolgirl in uniform, at your family\'s Scottish ancestral ceremony or it is Halloween.  You don\'t want to get attention for the wrong reasons.\n\nHappy networking this holiday season. You may just be a party away from meeting your next employer, project or friend!\n\nWhat are your networking dos and don\'ts?\n\n&nbsp;','How to make networking events a better marketing opportunity','','inherit','open','open','','1944-revision','','','2012-12-10 15:18:58','2012-12-10 15:18:58','',1944,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/12/1944-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1946,4,'2012-12-10 15:19:58','2012-12-10 15:19:58','Everybody goes to networking events at one point or another. Some go because they feel they have to and others go because they love to network. The bottom line is that networking is an integral part of marketing, both personal and business. Opportunities always stem from personal relationships and networking is just the path to extend and strengthen your personal relationships.\n\nDecember is probably the prime networking month as there are all sorts of holiday parties and end of year ceremonies. But if you don\'t think about your networking, all you will end up doing is wasting time (and money).\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"400\"]<a title=\"handshake by B.T. Indrelunas, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/btindrelunas/4207736768/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2697/4207736768_2d21b5a225.jpg\" alt=\"handshake\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" /></a> Handshake by B.T. Indrelunas on Flickr[/caption]\n\nThe inspiration for this post was a woman I \"met\" at a party last week. I didn\'t actually meet her because she was a walking networking don\'t. She approached me and a friend, greeted us, but didn\'t introduce herself. She babbled about the holidays (actually told us about her Thanksgiving dinner), and then said she wanted to get food, and turned around and left. Some time later, she sat down next to me and did not even try to make conversation. She wandered around the party aimlessly. Someone told me she was job-hunting. My impression was that she was slightly unhinged, and had no idea of how to connect with people.\n\nDon\'t be like that woman! You can make networking events a good marketing tool for yourself or your business if you follow some dos and don\'ts.\n\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Do this:</span></strong>\n\n<strong>Have an objective in mind</strong>. You should ask yourself what you would like to get out of this event.\n\n<strong>Work on your introduction.</strong> Have a short but complete overview of who you are, something like: Hi, my name is Jane Doe, and I am a graphic designer at XZ agency, an Anytown-based advertising agency that specializes in the tech industry.\n\n<strong>Perfect your handshake, smile and body language</strong>.  A strong but not bone crushing grip, a nice smile and an open stance will help make you more likeable.\n\n<strong>Think about your appearance.</strong> Match your dress to the occasion. If it\'s a holiday party, be festive. If it is a morning business meeting, then dress in your business best!\n\n<strong>Be interested in the other person</strong>. Ask questions and be genuinely interested in the answers.\n\n<strong>Have business cards at the ready.</strong> Yes, I know people can Google you and phone tap you and whatever, but exchanging business cards is a tangible way to initiate contact.\n\n<strong>Follow up</strong>. Make sure to send an email to people you have met soon after the event to help establish the connection.  You may even suggest going to coffee or lunch and use the opportunity to get to know the person.\n\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>But don\'t do this:</strong></span>\n\n<strong>Hand out business cards indiscriminately</strong>. Exchange cards with someone only after you have spoken.\n\n<strong>Go for quantity.</strong> Some people feel they must work the room and meet everyone. I believe that quality is better than quantity, that is, it is better to meet a couple of people who will remember who you are, than a whole bunch of people than can\'t place you.\n\n<strong>Have a bad handshake.</strong> This includes the limp handshake, the overly strong handshake, the clammy handshake, and one that I experienced last week, the calloused, rough skin on the hand shake (use moisturizer!!!).\n\n<strong>Be overly self-deprecating.</strong> Don\'t diminish your accomplishments by letting your insecurity shine through.\n\n<strong>Act weird</strong>. Some people take pride in marching to the beat of a different drummer, and that is fine. But. There is personality and then there is weirdness. Some people (like the woman I mentioned above) don\'t pick up on social cues. Or then there was the guy who went to the holiday party in a kilt. Using a kilt is limited to the following occasions: when you are a schoolgirl in uniform, at your family\'s Scottish ancestral ceremony or it is Halloween.  You don\'t want to get attention for the wrong reasons.\n\nHappy networking this holiday season. You may just be a party away from meeting your next employer, project or friend!\n\nWhat are your networking dos and don\'ts?\n\n&nbsp;','How to make networking events a better marketing opportunity','','inherit','open','open','','1944-revision-2','','','2012-12-10 15:19:58','2012-12-10 15:19:58','',1944,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/12/1944-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(2087,4,'2013-03-04 15:58:37','2013-03-04 15:58:37','Did you watch the 2011 movie <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1598822/?ref_=sr_2\" target=\"_blank\">New Year\'s Eve</a></span>? If you spent money on it either in the theater or renting it, I am sorry for your loss.  I only watched the beginning as it was playing on one of  my cable movie channels. After 20 minutes of unbelievable situations and bad lines, I went back to reading the side of the cereal box.\r\n\r\nYou would be forgiven for thinking that this movie was worth watching. After all, it has a cast of well known (and very attractive) actors (including Michelle Pfeiffer, Hillary Swank, Robert DeNiro, Halle Berry, Ashton Kutcher, Sarah Jessica Parker and even Jon Bon Jovi, to name a few). It is directed by Gary Marshall, who brought us bastions of sitcom TV such as Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley.\r\n\r\nBut the actors and the director have to follow a screenplay, which in this case was written by <a href=\"http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0297545/?ref_=tt_ov_wr\" target=\"_blank\">Katherine Fugate</a>. Fugate\'s credits include the TV series <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Xena: Warrior Princess.</span> Fugate also wrote <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Valentine\'s Day</span>, another movie that revolves around an over-hyped holiday and which features lots of well known actors (some of the very same ones that appear in <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">New Year\'s Eve</span>).\r\n\r\nApparently, Gary Marshall saw potential in a holiday movie franchise. Perhaps we should prepare for St. Patrick\'s Day: The Movie, in which a group of well known actors would be anxiously wondering how their romantic lives will survive the drinking of green beer.\r\n\r\nMovies are the result of all of the parts working together: acting, directing and writing. You could also throw in cinematography, editing, costume design and sound.  As <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">New Year\'s Eve</span> painfully underscores, even dozens of well-known actors and a funny-guy director do not make a poorly plotted and written screenplay shine. In other words,  a good movie is greater than the sum of its parts.\r\n\r\n<strong>Communications is much the same way.  </strong>You have to have more than just pretty, shiny parts that you throw together. To make the movie analogy work here,<strong> your communications efforts need good direction (communications strategy), believable acting (execution or tactics) and a well-written screenplay ( your communications plan).</strong>\r\n\r\nLook at your communications efforts right now.  Are you getting led by pretty tactics (Let\'s go on Pinterest! Let\'s get a blog!) or are you thinking about how everything works together to achieve your goals?','Greater than the sum of its parts','','publish','open','open','','greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts','','','2013-03-04 15:58:37','2013-03-04 15:58:37','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2087',0,'post','',0),
(1988,4,'2013-01-15 18:09:43','2013-01-15 18:09:43','Last night I attended an event where the sole purpose was to get feedback on a new website from community attendees. It was fairly informal--the creators of the website asked for opinions and reactions to the website, which you did on a one-to-one basis.\r\n\r\nI  found this exercise incredibly interesting because it can be so useful. But I wonder how often it is done. My sense is that it isn\'t done often enough! The examples abound: websites that are hard to navigate, brochures that are pointless, ads that fail to entice, and on and on.\r\n\r\n<strong>Get a reality check!</strong>\r\n\r\nAs a marketer or communications person, you should seek outside opinions. This is why in-house communications often employs consultants or agencies. This is why market research exists. But even (perhaps especially) if you are a entrepreneur, you should find someone to discuss your marketing, positioning or other business-related issues. Everybody needs a reality check!\r\n\r\nThere are structured ways to get a reality check. As mentioned above, you could hire a consultant (for personal marketing, perhaps this consultant is a life coach or therapist).\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Big businesses could hire a market research firm.</li>\r\n	<li>Nonprofits can tap into their board of directors or their volunteers.</li>\r\n	<li>Entrepreneurs or solopreneurs may consider joining a peer group or create an ad-hoc advisory council of trusted people.</li>\r\n	<li>Smaller businesses can conduct informal focus groups like the one I attended.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nYou most definitely need to conduct a reality check BEFORE you launch--an idea, a product, a marketing piece or a website. Many businesses seem to be afraid of hearing that their idea/ad campaign/marketing materials may be missing the mark.\r\n\r\nHowever scary or uncomfortable it may be, getting a reality check will be immensely valuable. It\'s easier to fix something before it is out there in the public eye.\r\n\r\nDo you get reality checks? If so, from whom or how? Please share in the comments.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Getting a reality check','','publish','open','open','','getting-a-reality-check','','','2013-01-15 18:09:43','2013-01-15 18:09:43','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1988',0,'post','',0),
(1950,4,'2012-12-12 19:36:28','2012-12-12 19:36:28','Today, I can\'t use Outlook. Why? My ISP, Verizon, is not working. A colleague can\'t access her email. Why? Her web host is having server issues. So we sit and wait and pressure these service providers to fix these things because it affects our business.\r\n\r\nAlthough we can\'t control everything, on some communications-related issues, we have more control than others. I can pressure my ISP to fix my email issues, but I can\'t do a thing about Facebook and its ever changing rules and features. (<a href=\"http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-changed-edgerank-algorithm-to-hurt-advertisers-2012-10\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook has changed EdgeRank, affecting brand pages</a>) I don\'t have any control over Twitter and its decision not to play nice with Instagram (<a href=\"http://gizmodo.com/5967594/twitter-vs-instagram-ultimate-filter-battle-royale\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter will no longer display Instagram photos on its site</a>).\r\n\r\nI also can\'t do much about Google, Gmail or any number of Internet-based applications and software that we are becoming increasingly dependent on.\r\n\r\nMarketers who enthusiastically recommend having a Facebook page, or an Instagram account, or signing up for Pinterest <strong>MUST</strong> take into consideration that these are services and that as a brand, you are putting yourself at the mercy of their decisions, which do affect you, often without your input or control.\r\n\r\nMany of the most problematic outside vendors (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) are free to use. As users, we have no leverage. We are getting what we pay for.\r\n\r\nA few years ago, a local website decided to get rid of its URL and use Facebook exclusively. Guess what, that website did not survive.\r\n\r\nBe aware that by using the cloud, or using third-party services, you are agreeing to give up control. You may want more of that control than you realize.\r\n\r\nThoughts?','Depending on outside vendors: it\'s risky','','publish','open','open','','depending-on-outside-vendors-its-risky','','','2012-12-12 19:36:28','2012-12-12 19:36:28','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1950',0,'post','',1),
(1951,4,'2012-12-12 19:35:36','2012-12-12 19:35:36','Today, I can\'t use Outlook. Why? My ISP, Verizon, is not working. A colleague can\'t access her email. Why? Her web host is having server issues. So we sit and wait and pressure these service providers to fix these things because it affects our business.\n\nAlthough we can\'t control everything, on some communications-related issues, we have more control than others. I can pressure my ISP to fix my email issues, for example. But I can\'t do a thing about Facebook and its ever changing rules and features. (<a href=\"http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-changed-edgerank-algorithm-to-hurt-advertisers-2012-10\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook has changed EdgeRank, affecting brand pages</a>) I don\'t have any control over Twitter and its decision not to play nice with Instagram (<a href=\"http://gizmodo.com/5967594/twitter-vs-instagram-ultimate-filter-battle-royale\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter will no longer display Instagram photos on its site</a>).\n\nI also can\'t do much about Google, Gmail or any number of Internet-based applications and software that we are becoming increasingly dependent on.\n\nMarketers who enthusiastically recommend having a Facebook page, or an Instagram account, or signing up for Pinterest MUST take into consideration that these are services and that as a brand, you are putting yourself at the mercy of their decisions, which do affect you, often without your input or control.\n\nMany of the most problematic outside vendors (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) are free to use. As users, we have no leverage. We are getting what we pay for.\n\nA few years ago, a local website decided to get rid of its URL and use Facebook exclusively. Guess what, that website did not survive.\n\nBe aware that by using the cloud, or using third-party services, you are agreeing to give up control. You may want more of that control than you realize.\n\nThoughts?','Depending on outside vendors: it\'s risky','','inherit','open','open','','1950-revision','','','2012-12-12 19:35:36','2012-12-12 19:35:36','',1950,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/12/1950-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1952,4,'2012-12-14 16:32:22','2012-12-14 16:32:22','There are marketers out there who believe that their target audience is made up of stupid people. People who will buy anything, believe anything and do anything.\r\n\r\nThese marketers are the bottom-feeder telemarketers who tend to use robo-calls or use auto-dialers to call frequently at different times on different days. They play the CALLER ID system by using non-specific identifiers such as \"Card Services\" or \"Holiday Rebate.\" (I got a call today that had the CALLER ID as \"Important Call\"-- yes, really.) They ignore the Do Not Call List and refuse to take you off their rolls.\r\n\r\nThese marketers use direct mail with no targeting or culling of lists. They send offers that are too good to be true. They ask for sensitive information just to enter you in a drawing for a fantastic prize you have zero chance of winning.\r\n\r\nThese marketers think that by running the same TV ad or print ad over and over and over and over again you will finally be convinced to cough up three convenient payments of $19.99 plus shipping and handling.\r\n\r\nThese marketers think that by using an actor dressed as a doctor in an advertisement they are proving their miracle pill has been tested and approved by a reliable source.\r\n\r\nThese marketers think that sending spam email that says \"Secure Notification\" on the subject line will make you open an email from a bank with which you have no business.\r\n\r\nThese marketers think people are stupid and will buy anything that sounds great or will be scared by a letter that says this is your final notice (even though you haven\'t gotten any notice before or even do business with that company).\r\n\r\nPreying on people\'s stupidity or gullibility or fear is not ethical. It is not good marketing. And marketers who engage in these practices give all marketers a bad name.','Marketers who assume targets are stupid','','publish','open','open','','marketers-who-assume-targets-are-stupid','','','2013-01-10 17:56:15','2013-01-10 17:56:15','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1952',0,'post','',0),
(1953,4,'2012-12-14 16:32:12','2012-12-14 16:32:12','There are marketers out there who believe that their target audience is made up of stupid people. People who will buy anything, believe anything and do anything.\n\nThese marketers are the bottom-feeder telemarketers who tend to use robo-calls or use auto-dialers to call frequently at different times on different days. They play the CALLER ID system by using non-specific identifiers such as \"Card Services\" or \"Holiday Rebate.\" (I got a call today that had the CALLER ID as \"Important Call--really.) They ignore the Do Not Call List and refuse to take you off their rolls.\n\nThese marketers use direct mail with no targeting or culling of lists. They send offers that are too good to be true. They ask for sensitive information just to enter you in a drawing for a fantastic prize you have zero chance of winning.\n\nThese marketers think that by running the same TV ad or print ad over and over and over and over again you will finally be convinced to cough up three convenient payments of $19.99 plus shipping and handling.\n\nThese marketers think that by using an actor dressed as a doctor in an advertisement they are proving their miracle pill has been tested and approved by a reliable source.\n\nThese marketers think that sending spam email that says \"Secure Notification\" on the subject line will make you open an email from a bank with which you have no business.\n\nThese marketers think people are stupid and will buy anything that sounds great or will be scared by a letter that says this is your final notice (even though you haven\'t gotten any notice before or even do business with that company).\n\nPreying on people\'s stupidity or gullibility or fear is not ethical. It is not good marketing. And marketers who engage in these practices give all marketers a bad name.','Marketers who assume targets are stupid','','inherit','open','open','','1952-revision','','','2012-12-14 16:32:12','2012-12-14 16:32:12','',1952,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/12/1952-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1956,4,'2012-12-19 21:37:44','2012-12-19 21:37:44','','Auto Draft','','inherit','open','open','','1955-revision','','','2012-12-19 21:37:44','2012-12-19 21:37:44','',1955,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/12/1955-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1957,4,'2012-12-19 21:50:02','2012-12-19 21:50:02','Perhaps its a sign that our social fabric is stretched too thin. Perhaps people don\'t know how to behave when they have the cover of social media. What is happening more and more is that people are expressing hate and hateful things to strangers on social media channels.\n\nOn Twitter, haters will search for ideas that they disagree with and then attack whoever tweeted those thoughts.  On blogs, people will leave nasty comments. On news sites, people will disparage others they disagree with. Social media seems rife with haters and trolls.\n\nHow do you deal with all these haters?\n\nFirst, do NOT take these comments personally.\n\nSecond, ignore the hater/troll. Most of these people are attention-seekers or enjoy getting an angry reaction from others. On Twitter, go to the hater\'s profile and block him or her. On your blog, discard the comment (you are under no obligation to provide a platform for others\' ideas, especially if they are contrary to your own and expressed in a disrespectful manner).  If feasible, delete the comments on Facebook.\n\nI am not saying to get rid of all comments that show a different viewpoint or even that question you, just get rid of comments that are obviously motivated by hate or the desire to incite argument.\n\nThird, move on. Social media is a constantly changing landscape, and what was interesting and hot five minutes ago may not be now.\n\nHow do you deal with haters or trolls? Would you add anything?\n\n&nbsp;','Dealing with the haters (on social media)','','inherit','open','open','','1955-revision-2','','','2012-12-19 21:50:02','2012-12-19 21:50:02','',1955,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/12/1955-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1959,4,'2012-12-27 13:44:22','2012-12-27 13:44:22','<strong>1. Understand the basics (who you are and what you do) before doing anything else</strong>. I worked with one client this year who had launched a website, hired a marketing person and even commissioned a video without ever having examined what the company’s main message was, defined a target audience or main competitors and certainly hadn’t thought out its USP.\n\n<strong>2. You don’t have to market everywhere, just where you are likely to find your target audience</strong>. There’s no need to spread your marketing message far and wide. You can have success by focusing your efforts where you are likely to find your audience.\n\n<strong>3. There is only one content strategy (getting your target audience to read your content).</strong> <strong>Everything else is a TACTIC. </strong>I have read many articles about content marketing, all claiming to have new “strategies.” In most, if not all, cases, these strategies were really tactics.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"School Blackboard by H2O Alchemist, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/h2oalchemist/414924312/\"><img class=\" \" title=\"School Blackboard in Ghana by H2OAlchemist on Flickr\" src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/158/414924312_26809b1259.jpg\" alt=\"School Blackboard\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a> School Blackboard in Ghana by H2OAlchemist on Flickr[/caption]\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>\n<strong> 4.</strong> <strong>Acknowledge the reality on the ground</strong>. This year we have seen several advertisers (and a politician or two) who just did not get it. Like Pepco, who continued patting itself on its back about “reliability” when hundreds of thousands of customers were without power during extreme heat for several days.\n\n<strong> 5</strong>. <strong>Depending on Facebook (or any free, third-party service) as a marketing platform will cost you.</strong> Sure, you can have a Facebook page for free, but figuring out its ever changing policies will cost you in time and effort.\n\n<strong>6. Stop scheduling your tweets! </strong>Tweeting about your fun weekend ahead while people are mourning 20 dead children is tacky and preventable. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Twitter is about immediacy, engagement and responsiveness. Scheduled tweets are just the opposite.</span>\n\nWhat lessons did you draw from the year that was? Anything jump out at you? If so, please share in the comments.','6 marketing and communications lessons from 2012','','inherit','open','open','','1958-revision','','','2012-12-27 13:44:22','2012-12-27 13:44:22','',1958,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/12/1958-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1960,4,'2012-12-27 13:45:08','2012-12-27 13:45:08','<strong>1. Understand the basics (who you are and what you do) before doing anything else</strong>. I worked with one client this year who had launched a website, hired a marketing person and even commissioned a video without ever having examined what the company’s main message was, defined a target audience or main competitors and certainly hadn’t thought out its USP.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. You don’t have to market everywhere, just where you are likely to find your target audience</strong>. There’s no need to spread your marketing message far and wide. You can have success by focusing your efforts where you are likely to find your audience.\r\n\r\n<strong>3. There is only one content strategy (getting your target audience to read your content).</strong> <strong>Everything else is a TACTIC. </strong>I have read many articles about content marketing, all claiming to have new “strategies.” In most, if not all, cases, these strategies were really tactics.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"School Blackboard by H2O Alchemist, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/h2oalchemist/414924312/\"><img class=\" \" title=\"School Blackboard in Ghana by H2OAlchemist on Flickr\" src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/158/414924312_26809b1259.jpg\" alt=\"School Blackboard\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a> School Blackboard in Ghana by H2OAlchemist on Flickr[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>\r\n<strong> 4.</strong> <strong>Acknowledge the reality on the ground</strong>. This year we have seen several advertisers (and a politician or two) who just did not get it. Like Pepco, who continued patting itself on its back about “reliability” when hundreds of thousands of customers were without power during extreme heat for several days.\r\n\r\n<strong> 5</strong>. <strong>Depending on Facebook (or any free, third-party service) as a marketing platform will cost you.</strong> Sure, you can have a Facebook page for free, but figuring out its ever changing policies will cost you in time and effort.\r\n\r\n<strong>6. Stop scheduling your tweets! </strong>Tweeting about your fun weekend ahead while people are mourning 20 dead children is tacky and preventable. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Twitter is about immediacy, engagement and responsiveness. Scheduled tweets are just the opposite.</span>\r\n\r\nWhat lessons did you draw from the year that was? Anything jump out at you? If so, please share in the comments.','6 marketing and communications lessons from 2012','','inherit','open','open','','1958-revision-2','','','2012-12-27 13:45:08','2012-12-27 13:45:08','',1958,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/12/1958-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1991,4,'2013-01-17 20:17:04','0000-00-00 00:00:00','Marketing misfits are like social misfits--out of step with those around them, and not even aware of it. Like the woman I saw today at the gym, working out in (I kid you not) in a skirt, blouse and hose. Or the socially awkward guy who shakes your hand weakly and proceeds to talk about himself.\n\nSocial misfits are generally not able to pick up on societal cues. Sometimes it\'s because of a disorder like Asperger\'s and other times it has to do with lack of self-awareness. Whatever it is, those people generally stick out like sore thumbs, and not for positive reasons.\n\nSimilarly, marketing misfits','Are you a marketing misfit?','','draft','open','open','','','','','2013-01-17 20:17:04','2013-01-17 20:17:04','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1991',0,'post','',0),
(1964,4,'2013-01-08 17:13:28','2013-01-08 17:13:28','It\'s great to highlight your USP (Unique Selling Proposition). In fact, you should. You should communicate to your target audience what makes you special or different than others, especially if you are in a crowded marketplace. A couple of days ago, I came across this ad in the newspaper:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/img0761.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1966\" title=\"Carpet company ad\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/img0761-594x1024.jpg\" alt=\"carpet company ad\" width=\"594\" height=\"1024\" /></a>The ad above has numerous claims for your attention: special pricing, free pick up, new showroom, new website AND that they have vetted their employees. In short, there\'s too much. They sell rugs but they also clean rugs.\r\n\r\nBesides having too much information, the fact this company is making sure you know that all their employees are checked out--that they have no criminal background, are drug-free and authorized to work in the US--is problematic.\r\n\r\nThe problem is that this company is  bringing up a question that perhaps was not even on their customers\'  minds.  Sure, it\'s good to say employees are carefully vetted, but to highlight that they have been submitted to a \"rigorous background check\" makes me wonder if a) they have had a problem with dishonest/criminal employees before; 2) whether this particular industry has a problem with criminals (and if so, why?) or 3) is this the most important thing I need to know about this company?\r\n\r\nWhat do most customers want to know before they contract with a carpet cleaning company?  That\'s the key question. This ad does not answer that. It tells me price is important as is location. I should be enticed by free pick up and delivery, and that I should rest assured that none of the employees I deal with are \"illegal immigrants\" or druggies or have a criminal background.\r\n\r\nWhat you choose to highlight in your marketing communications pieces should be relevant to your audience\'s needs.\r\n\r\nYour thoughts?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Why would you highlight that?','','publish','open','open','','why-would-you-highlight-that','','','2013-01-08 17:13:28','2013-01-08 17:13:28','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1964',0,'post','',0),
(1965,4,'2013-01-08 16:56:06','2013-01-08 16:56:06','','USP','Carpet company ad','inherit','open','open','','img076','','','2013-01-08 16:56:06','2013-01-08 16:56:06','',1964,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/img076.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(1966,4,'2013-01-08 16:58:06','2013-01-08 16:58:06','','Carpet company ad','','inherit','open','open','','img076-2','','','2013-01-08 16:58:06','2013-01-08 16:58:06','',1964,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/img0761.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(1967,4,'2013-01-08 17:12:40','2013-01-08 17:12:40','It\'s great to highlight your USP (Unique Selling Proposition). In fact, you should. You should communicate to your target audience what makes you special or different than others, especially if you are in a crowded marketplace. A couple of days ago, I came across this ad:\n\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/img0761.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1966\" title=\"Carpet company ad\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/img0761-594x1024.jpg\" alt=\"carpet company ad\" width=\"594\" height=\"1024\" /></a>The ad above has numerous claims for your attention: special pricing, free pick up, new showroom, new website AND that they have vetted their employees. In short, there\'s too much. They sell rugs but they also clean rugs.\n\nBesides having too much information, the fact this company is making sure you know that all their employees are checked out--that they have no criminal background, are drug-free and authorized to work in the US--is problematic.\n\nThe problem is that this company is  bringing up a question that perhaps was not even on their customers\'  minds.  Sure, it\'s good to say employees are carefully vetted, but to highlight that they have been submitted to a \"rigorous background check\" makes me wonder if a) they have had a problem with dishonest/criminal employees before; 2) whether this particular industry has a problem with criminals (and if so, why?) or 3) is this the most important thing I need to know about this company?\n\nWhat do most customers want to know before they contract with a carpet cleaning company?  That\'s the key question. This ad does not answer that. It tells me price is important as is location. I should be enticed by free pick up and delivery, and that I should rest assured that none of the employees I deal with are \"illegal immigrants\" or druggies or have a criminal background.\n\nWhat you choose to highlight in your marketing communications pieces should be relevant to your audience\'s needs.\n\nYour thoughts?\n\n&nbsp;','Why would you highlight that?','','inherit','open','open','','1964-revision','','','2013-01-08 17:12:40','2013-01-08 17:12:40','',1964,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1964-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1968,4,'2013-01-08 17:14:31','2013-01-08 17:14:31','It\'s great to highlight your USP (Unique Selling Proposition). In fact, you should. You should communicate to your target audience what makes you special or different than others, especially if you are in a crowded marketplace. A couple of days ago, I came across this ad in the newspaper:\n\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/img0761.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1966\" title=\"Carpet company ad\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/img0761-594x1024.jpg\" alt=\"carpet company ad\" width=\"594\" height=\"1024\" /></a>The ad above has numerous claims for your attention: special pricing, free pick up, new showroom, new website AND that they have vetted their employees. In short, there\'s too much. They sell rugs but they also clean rugs.\n\nBesides having too much information, the fact this company is making sure you know that all their employees are checked out--that they have no criminal background, are drug-free and authorized to work in the US--is problematic.\n\nThe problem is that this company is  bringing up a question that perhaps was not even on their customers\'  minds.  Sure, it\'s good to say employees are carefully vetted, but to highlight that they have been submitted to a \"rigorous background check\" makes me wonder if a) they have had a problem with dishonest/criminal employees before; 2) whether this particular industry has a problem with criminals (and if so, why?) or 3) is this the most important thing I need to know about this company?\n\nWhat do most customers want to know before they contract with a carpet cleaning company?  That\'s the key question. This ad does not answer that. It tells me price is important as is location. I should be enticed by free pick up and delivery, and that I should rest assured that none of the employees I deal with are \"illegal immigrants\" or druggies or have a criminal background.\n\nWhat you choose to highlight in your marketing communications pieces should be relevant to your audience\'s needs.\n\nYour thoughts?\n\n&nbsp;','Why would you highlight that?','','inherit','open','open','','1964-autosave','','','2013-01-08 17:14:31','2013-01-08 17:14:31','',1964,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1964-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1969,4,'2013-01-09 16:02:21','2013-01-09 16:02:21','Nonprofits are notorious for having difficulty with communications. Many times, it has to do with lack of funds (and thus, insufficient support). What many nonprofits tend to have in spades, however, is volunteers.  Volunteers are great for nonprofit organizations. They can staff an event, or help serve lunch, or provide input, or, maybe most important, help spread the word about the nonprofit.\r\n\r\nAnd yet, some nonprofits don\'t seem to appreciate the role that volunteers play in communications.  Let me give you two examples.\r\n\r\n<strong>A chaotic, disorganized volunteer experience</strong>\r\n\r\nAround Christmas, I volunteered to do some gift-wrapping with a DC-based nonprofit. The sign-up form indicated I was to work from 10 am to 3 pm. I arrived at 10 am, only to find a bit of chaos. The volunteer director told me to go one place, where I was promptly told to go back to where I started. The volunteer manager had limited ability to organize, and ended up wasting a lot of time. Two other volunteers were grousing along with me on how disorganized the event was. We didn\'t start wrapping (in a very chaotic and inefficient manner--also lacking tape, wrapping paper, etc.) until about 11 am. One full hour was wasted. No water or snacks were offered. No guidance as to how long we were expected to stay. When I left around 12:30 pm, no one even noticed or thanked me. In fact, I never got a thank you at all. I will not be volunteering with this organization ever again.\r\n\r\nThere are two different issues at play here. One is the negative impact of disorganization on people who volunteer. People (like me) who have a bad experience volunteering won\'t volunteer with your organization again, and worse, will tell others of their bad experience.  The second issue is that volunteer leaders are not being given the tools to make sure they provide both a message and a positive experience, quite possibly because the volunteering role is not valued.\r\n\r\n<strong>Volunteers who don\'t have the right (or any) information</strong>\r\n\r\nJust this week, someone in my network invited me to attend a business networking event run by a large nonprofit. The invitation said the price of the event itself was $75, but attendees were required to donate a minimum of $500 to the nonprofit during the calendar year. I pointed out that the real cost of attending this event would be $575 to the person who invited me. He called and emailed me to tell me that the $500 was \"only if I wanted to donate\" and that the event fee was \"totally separate.\" However, the invitation clearly stated that the annual contribution was required.\r\n\r\nVolunteers need to know the facts...all of them. But more importantly, they need to know the reason for the information they are sharing. The nonprofit above SHOULD have informed my contact about the requirements for the event, but moreover, should have told him WHY this event has a minimum contribution, why it is necessary, what the contribution is for (what are the impacts etc.).\r\n\r\nImagine if this guy had come back to me and said this instead: Yes, you are right. You will be required to donate $500 during the year, which by the way, you can give in several installments, not all at once. That money will be used to fund our X initiative, which helps X number of people. Also, you will be assured of meeting some awesome business leaders at the event, and we will be having other events during the year.\r\n\r\nI suspect that this volunteer was only told to recruit people to come to the event.  He didn\'t get any additional information or a script or any other tools that would help him not only recruit attendees, but spread the message about the work the nonprofit is doing and will do with additional funds.\r\n\r\nVolunteers can help with a nonprofit\'s tasks. And volunteers help communicate the nonprofit\'s message. Are your volunteers on message?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Are your volunteers on message?','','publish','open','open','','are-your-volunteers-on-message','','','2013-01-09 16:02:21','2013-01-09 16:02:21','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1969',0,'post','',0),
(1970,4,'2013-01-09 15:21:50','2013-01-09 15:21:50','Nonprofits are notorious for having difficulty with communications. Many times, it has to do with lack of funds (and thus, insufficient support). What many nonprofits tend to have in spades, however, is volunteers.  Volunteers are great for nonprofit organizations. They can staff an event, or help serve lunch, or provide input, or, maybe most important, help spread the word about the nonprofit.\n\nAnd yet, some nonprofits don\'t seem to appreciate the role that volunteers play in communications.  Let me give you two examples.\n\nAround Christmas, I volunteered to do some gift-wrapping with a DC-based nonprofit. The sign-up form indicated I was to work from 10 am to 3 pm. I arrived at 10 am, only to find a bit of chaos. The volunteer director told me to go one place, where I was promptly told to go back to where I started. The volunteer manager had limited ability to organize, and ended up wasting a lot of time. Two other volunteers were grousing along with me on how disorganized the event was. We didn\'t start wrapping (in a very chaotic and inefficient manner--also lacking tape, wrapping paper, etc) until about 11 am. One full hour was wasted. No water or snacks were offered. No guidance as to how long we were expected to stay. When I left around 12:30 pm, no one even noticed or thanked me. In fact, I never got a thank you at all. I will not be volunteering with this organization ever again.\n\nThere are two different issues at play here. One is the negative impact of disorganization on people who volunteer. People (like me) who have a bad experience volunteering won\'t volunteer with your organization again, and worse, will tell others of their bad experience.  The second issue is that volunteer leaders are not being given the tools to make sure they provide both a message and a positive experience, quite possibly because the volu','Are your volunteers on message?','','inherit','open','open','','1969-revision','','','2013-01-09 15:21:50','2013-01-09 15:21:50','',1969,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1969-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1971,4,'2013-01-09 15:30:31','2013-01-09 15:30:31','Nonprofits are notorious for having difficulty with communications. Many times, it has to do with lack of funds (and thus, insufficient support). What many nonprofits tend to have in spades, however, is volunteers.  Volunteers are great for nonprofit organizations. They can staff an event, or help serve lunch, or provide input, or, maybe most important, help spread the word about the nonprofit.\n\nAnd yet, some nonprofits don\'t seem to appreciate the role that volunteers play in communications.  Let me give you two examples.\n\n<strong>A chaotic, disorganized volunteer experience</strong>\n\nAround Christmas, I volunteered to do some gift-wrapping with a DC-based nonprofit. The sign-up form indicated I was to work from 10 am to 3 pm. I arrived at 10 am, only to find a bit of chaos. The volunteer director told me to go one place, where I was promptly told to go back to where I started. The volunteer manager had limited ability to organize, and ended up wasting a lot of time. Two other volunteers were grousing along with me on how disorganized the event was. We didn\'t start wrapping (in a very chaotic and inefficient manner--also lacking tape, wrapping paper, etc) until about 11 am. One full hour was wasted. No water or snacks were offered. No guidance as to how long we were expected to stay. When I left around 12:30 pm, no one even noticed or thanked me. In fact, I never got a thank you at all. I will not be volunteering with this organization ever again.\n\nThere are two different issues at play here. One is the negative impact of disorganization on people who volunteer. People (like me) who have a bad experience volunteering won\'t volunteer with your organization again, and worse, will tell others of their bad experience.  The second issue is that volunteer leaders are not being given the tools to make sure they provide both a message and a positive experience, quite possibly because the volunteering role is not valued.\n\nVolunteers who don\'t have the right information\n\nJust this week, someone in my network invited me to attend a business networking event run by a large nonprofit. The invitation said the price of the event itself was $75, but attendees were required to donate a minimum of $500 to the nonprofit during the calendar year. I pointed out that the real cost of attending this event would be $575 to the person who invited me. He called and emailed me to tell me that \"\n\n&nbsp;','Are your volunteers on message?','','inherit','open','open','','1969-revision-2','','','2013-01-09 15:30:31','2013-01-09 15:30:31','',1969,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1969-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1972,4,'2013-01-09 15:50:23','2013-01-09 15:50:23','Nonprofits are notorious for having difficulty with communications. Many times, it has to do with lack of funds (and thus, insufficient support). What many nonprofits tend to have in spades, however, is volunteers.  Volunteers are great for nonprofit organizations. They can staff an event, or help serve lunch, or provide input, or, maybe most important, help spread the word about the nonprofit.\n\nAnd yet, some nonprofits don\'t seem to appreciate the role that volunteers play in communications.  Let me give you two examples.\n\n<strong>A chaotic, disorganized volunteer experience</strong>\n\nAround Christmas, I volunteered to do some gift-wrapping with a DC-based nonprofit. The sign-up form indicated I was to work from 10 am to 3 pm. I arrived at 10 am, only to find a bit of chaos. The volunteer director told me to go one place, where I was promptly told to go back to where I started. The volunteer manager had limited ability to organize, and ended up wasting a lot of time. Two other volunteers were grousing along with me on how disorganized the event was. We didn\'t start wrapping (in a very chaotic and inefficient manner--also lacking tape, wrapping paper, etc) until about 11 am. One full hour was wasted. No water or snacks were offered. No guidance as to how long we were expected to stay. When I left around 12:30 pm, no one even noticed or thanked me. In fact, I never got a thank you at all. I will not be volunteering with this organization ever again.\n\nThere are two different issues at play here. One is the negative impact of disorganization on people who volunteer. People (like me) who have a bad experience volunteering won\'t volunteer with your organization again, and worse, will tell others of their bad experience.  The second issue is that volunteer leaders are not being given the tools to make sure they provide both a message and a positive experience, quite possibly because the volunteering role is not valued.\n\n<strong>Volunteers who don\'t have the right (or any) information</strong>\n\nJust this week, someone in my network invited me to attend a business networking event run by a large nonprofit. The invitation said the price of the event itself was $75, but attendees were required to donate a minimum of $500 to the nonprofit during the calendar year. I pointed out that the real cost of attending this event would be $575 to the person who invited me. He called and emailed me to tell me that the $500 was \"only if I wanted to donate\" and that the event fee was \"totally separate.\" The invitation clearly stated that the annual contribution was required.\n\nVolunteers need to know the facts...all of them. But more importantly, they need to know the reason for the information they are sharing. The nonprofit above SHOULD have informed my contact about the requirements for the event, but moreover, should have told him WHY this event has a minimum contribution, why it is necessary, what the contribution is for (what are the impacts etc.).\n\nImagine if this guy had come back to me and said this instead: Yes, you are right. You will be required to donate $500 during the year, which by the way, you can give in several installments, not all at once. That money will be used to fund our X initiative. Also, you will be assured of meeting some awesome business leaders at the event, and we will be having other events during the year.\n\nVolunteers can help with a nonprofit\'s tasks. And volunteers help communicate the nonprofit\'s message. Are your volunteer\n\n&nbsp;','Are your volunteers on message?','','inherit','open','open','','1969-revision-3','','','2013-01-09 15:50:23','2013-01-09 15:50:23','',1969,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1969-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(1973,4,'2013-01-09 15:57:33','2013-01-09 15:57:33','Nonprofits are notorious for having difficulty with communications. Many times, it has to do with lack of funds (and thus, insufficient support). What many nonprofits tend to have in spades, however, is volunteers.  Volunteers are great for nonprofit organizations. They can staff an event, or help serve lunch, or provide input, or, maybe most important, help spread the word about the nonprofit.\n\nAnd yet, some nonprofits don\'t seem to appreciate the role that volunteers play in communications.  Let me give you two examples.\n\n<strong>A chaotic, disorganized volunteer experience</strong>\n\nAround Christmas, I volunteered to do some gift-wrapping with a DC-based nonprofit. The sign-up form indicated I was to work from 10 am to 3 pm. I arrived at 10 am, only to find a bit of chaos. The volunteer director told me to go one place, where I was promptly told to go back to where I started. The volunteer manager had limited ability to organize, and ended up wasting a lot of time. Two other volunteers were grousing along with me on how disorganized the event was. We didn\'t start wrapping (in a very chaotic and inefficient manner--also lacking tape, wrapping paper, etc.) until about 11 am. One full hour was wasted. No water or snacks were offered. No guidance as to how long we were expected to stay. When I left around 12:30 pm, no one even noticed or thanked me. In fact, I never got a thank you at all. I will not be volunteering with this organization ever again.\n\nThere are two different issues at play here. One is the negative impact of disorganization on people who volunteer. People (like me) who have a bad experience volunteering won\'t volunteer with your organization again, and worse, will tell others of their bad experience.  The second issue is that volunteer leaders are not being given the tools to make sure they provide both a message and a positive experience, quite possibly because the volunteering role is not valued.\n\n<strong>Volunteers who don\'t have the right (or any) information</strong>\n\nJust this week, someone in my network invited me to attend a business networking event run by a large nonprofit. The invitation said the price of the event itself was $75, but attendees were required to donate a minimum of $500 to the nonprofit during the calendar year. I pointed out that the real cost of attending this event would be $575 to the person who invited me. He called and emailed me to tell me that the $500 was \"only if I wanted to donate\" and that the event fee was \"totally separate.\" However, the invitation clearly stated that the annual contribution was required.\n\nVolunteers need to know the facts...all of them. But more importantly, they need to know the reason for the information they are sharing. The nonprofit above SHOULD have informed my contact about the requirements for the event, but moreover, should have told him WHY this event has a minimum contribution, why it is necessary, what the contribution is for (what are the impacts etc.).\n\nImagine if this guy had come back to me and said this instead: Yes, you are right. You will be required to donate $500 during the year, which by the way, you can give in several installments, not all at once. That money will be used to fund our X initiative, which helps X number of people. Also, you will be assured of meeting some awesome business leaders at the event, and we will be having other events during the year.\n\nI suspect that this volunteer was only told to recruit people to come to the event.  He didn\'t get any additional information or a script or any other tools that would help him not only recruit attendees, but spread the message about the work the nonprofit is doing and will do with additional funds.\n\nVolunteers can help with a nonprofit\'s tasks. And volunteers help communicate the nonprofit\'s message. Are your volunteers on message?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Are your volunteers on message?','','inherit','open','open','','1969-revision-4','','','2013-01-09 15:57:33','2013-01-09 15:57:33','',1969,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1969-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),
(1975,4,'2013-01-09 16:01:49','2013-01-09 16:01:49','Nonprofits are notorious for having difficulty with communications. Many times, it has to do with lack of funds (and thus, insufficient support). What many nonprofits tend to have in spades, however, is volunteers.  Volunteers are great for nonprofit organizations. They can staff an event, or help serve lunch, or provide input, or, maybe most important, help spread the word about the nonprofit.\n\nAnd yet, some nonprofits don\'t seem to appreciate the role that volunteers play in communications.  Let me give you two examples.\n\n<strong>A chaotic, disorganized volunteer experience</strong>\n\nAround Christmas, I volunteered to do some gift-wrapping with a DC-based nonprofit. The sign-up form indicated I was to work from 10 am to 3 pm. I arrived at 10 am, only to find a bit of chaos. The volunteer director told me to go one place, where I was promptly told to go back to where I started. The volunteer manager had limited ability to organize, and ended up wasting a lot of time. Two other volunteers were grousing along with me on how disorganized the event was. We didn\'t start wrapping (in a very chaotic and inefficient manner--also lacking tape, wrapping paper, etc.) until about 11 am. One full hour was wasted. No water or snacks were offered. No guidance as to how long we were expected to stay. When I left around 12:30 pm, no one even noticed or thanked me. In fact, I never got a thank you at all. I will not be volunteering with this organization ever again.\n\nThere are two different issues at play here. One is the negative impact of disorganization on people who volunteer. People (like me) who have a bad experience volunteering won\'t volunteer with your organization again, and worse, will tell others of their bad experience.  The second issue is that volunteer leaders are not being given the tools to make sure they provide both a message and a positive experience, quite possibly because the volunteering role is not valued.\n\n<strong>Volunteers who don\'t have the right (or any) information</strong>\n\nJust this week, someone in my network invited me to attend a business networking event run by a large nonprofit. The invitation said the price of the event itself was $75, but attendees were required to donate a minimum of $500 to the nonprofit during the calendar year. I pointed out that the real cost of attending this event would be $575 to the person who invited me. He called and emailed me to tell me that the $500 was \"only if I wanted to donate\" and that the event fee was \"totally separate.\" However, the invitation clearly stated that the annual contribution was required.\n\nVolunteers need to know the facts...all of them. But more importantly, they need to know the reason for the information they are sharing. The nonprofit above SHOULD have informed my contact about the requirements for the event, but moreover, should have told him WHY this event has a minimum contribution, why it is necessary, what the contribution is for (what are the impacts etc.).\n\nImagine if this guy had come back to me and said this instead: Yes, you are right. You will be required to donate $500 during the year, which by the way, you can give in several installments, not all at once. That money will be used to fund our X initiative, which helps X number of people. Also, you will be assured of meeting some awesome business leaders at the event, and we will be having other events during the year.\n\nI suspect that this volunteer was only told to recruit people to come to the event.  He didn\'t get any additional information or a script or any other tools that would help him not only recruit attendees, but spread the message about the work the nonprofit is doing and will do with additional funds.\n\nVolunteers can help with a nonprofit\'s tasks. And volunteers help communicate the nonprofit\'s message. Are your volunteers on message?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Are your volunteers on message?','','inherit','open','open','','1969-revision-6','','','2013-01-09 16:01:49','2013-01-09 16:01:49','',1969,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1969-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),
(1974,4,'2013-01-09 15:59:49','2013-01-09 15:59:49','Nonprofits are notorious for having difficulty with communications. Many times, it has to do with lack of funds (and thus, insufficient support). What many nonprofits tend to have in spades, however, is volunteers.  Volunteers are great for nonprofit organizations. They can staff an event, or help serve lunch, or provide input, or, maybe most important, help spread the word about the nonprofit.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd yet, some nonprofits don\'t seem to appreciate the role that volunteers play in communications.  Let me give you two examples.\n\n<strong>A chaotic, disorganized volunteer experience</strong>\n\nAround Christmas, I volunteered to do some gift-wrapping with a DC-based nonprofit. The sign-up form indicated I was to work from 10 am to 3 pm. I arrived at 10 am, only to find a bit of chaos. The volunteer director told me to go one place, where I was promptly told to go back to where I started. The volunteer manager had limited ability to organize, and ended up wasting a lot of time. Two other volunteers were grousing along with me on how disorganized the event was. We didn\'t start wrapping (in a very chaotic and inefficient manner--also lacking tape, wrapping paper, etc.) until about 11 am. One full hour was wasted. No water or snacks were offered. No guidance as to how long we were expected to stay. When I left around 12:30 pm, no one even noticed or thanked me. In fact, I never got a thank you at all. I will not be volunteering with this organization ever again.\n\nThere are two different issues at play here. One is the negative impact of disorganization on people who volunteer. People (like me) who have a bad experience volunteering won\'t volunteer with your organization again, and worse, will tell others of their bad experience.  The second issue is that volunteer leaders are not being given the tools to make sure they provide both a message and a positive experience, quite possibly because the volunteering role is not valued.\n\n<strong>Volunteers who don\'t have the right (or any) information</strong>\n\nJust this week, someone in my network invited me to attend a business networking event run by a large nonprofit. The invitation said the price of the event itself was $75, but attendees were required to donate a minimum of $500 to the nonprofit during the calendar year. I pointed out that the real cost of attending this event would be $575 to the person who invited me. He called and emailed me to tell me that the $500 was \"only if I wanted to donate\" and that the event fee was \"totally separate.\" However, the invitation clearly stated that the annual contribution was required.\n\nVolunteers need to know the facts...all of them. But more importantly, they need to know the reason for the information they are sharing. The nonprofit above SHOULD have informed my contact about the requirements for the event, but moreover, should have told him WHY this event has a minimum contribution, why it is necessary, what the contribution is for (what are the impacts etc.).\n\nImagine if this guy had come back to me and said this instead: Yes, you are right. You will be required to donate $500 during the year, which by the way, you can give in several installments, not all at once. That money will be used to fund our X initiative, which helps X number of people. Also, you will be assured of meeting some awesome business leaders at the event, and we will be having other events during the year.\n\nI suspect that this volunteer was only told to recruit people to come to the event.  He didn\'t get any additional information or a script or any other tools that would help him not only recruit attendees, but spread the message about the work the nonprofit is doing and will do with additional funds.\n\nVolunteers can help with a nonprofit\'s tasks. And volunteers help communicate the nonprofit\'s message. Are your volunteers on message?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Are your volunteers on message?','','inherit','open','open','','1969-revision-5','','','2013-01-09 15:59:49','2013-01-09 15:59:49','',1969,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1969-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),
(1976,4,'2013-01-10 14:52:28','2013-01-10 14:52:28','A great tagline will help sell your product, and when it is really great, it will also make you memorable. If I say \"just do it\" you immediately know it\'s Nike\'s tagline. Not many companies can claim a great tagline like that one.\r\n\r\n<strong>Developing a great (or even a good) tagline is no easy feat. You need to be succinct, clever and find the essence of what you are trying to communicate. A good tagline \"tags\" you--that is, it identifies you, easily and immediately.</strong>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"240\"]<a title=\"I Have Been Tagged by Jody McNary Photography, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/27999126@N05/3835622294/\"><img src=\"http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2480/3835622294_075b1311e2_m.jpg\" alt=\"I Have Been Tagged\" width=\"240\" height=\"168\" /></a> I have been tagged--photo by Jody McNary Photography, on Flickr.[/caption]\r\n\r\nAn online dating service catering to Christians, ChristianMingle.com, has come up with a really good tagline: Find God\'s match for you.  The Washington Post\'s Paul Farhi has written about it today in <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/evoking-god-has-been-good-to-christianmingle/2013/01/09/c3f28148-59dd-11e2-9fa9-5fbdc9530eb9_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Evoking God has been good to ChristianMingle.\"</a> Farhi writes:\r\n<blockquote>It might be the most audacious, and perhaps the most presumptuous, ad slogan ever devised.\r\n\r\n“Find God’s Match for You,” sayeth <a href=\"http://www.christianmingle.com/frsplash.html?prm=90121&amp;lgid=christian+matches&amp;refcd=GO4380010137s_christian_matches&amp;tsacr=GO5522432704\" data-xslt=\"_http\">ChristianMingle.com</a>, an online dating service that suggests in its advertising that its computer-generated matches are, well, made in heaven.</blockquote>\r\nFarhi then goes on to report on whether the tagline can be construed as false advertising.  Read the article to see why.\r\n\r\nBut whether or not a tagline can be accused of setting up false expectations, I think that a strong (memorable) tagline (one that immediately communicates your objective ) is one of the strongest tools in your marketing communications arsenal.\r\n\r\nTake a look at your tagline today. Is it powerful? Is it memorable? Does it identify you?','The (higher) power of a great tagline','','publish','open','open','','the-higher-power-of-a-great-tagline','','','2013-01-10 14:52:28','2013-01-10 14:52:28','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1976',0,'post','',0),
(1977,4,'2013-01-10 14:45:20','2013-01-10 14:45:20','A great tagline will help sell your product, and when it is really great, it will also make you memorable. If I say \"just do it\" you immediately know it\'s Nike\'s tagline. Not many companies can claim a great tagline like that one.\n\nDeveloping a great (or even a good) tagline is no easy feat. You need to be succinct, clever and find the essence of what you are trying to communicate.\n\nAn online dating service catering to Christians, ChristianMingle.com, has come up with a really good tagline: Find God\'s match for you.  The Washington Post\'s Paul Farhi has written about it today in <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/evoking-god-has-been-good-to-christianmingle/2013/01/09/c3f28148-59dd-11e2-9fa9-5fbdc9530eb9_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Evoking God has been good to ChristianMingle.\"</a> Farhi writes:\n<blockquote>It might be the most audacious, and perhaps the most presumptuous, ad slogan ever devised.\n\n“Find God’s Match for You,” sayeth <a href=\"http://www.christianmingle.com/frsplash.html?prm=90121&amp;lgid=christian+matches&amp;refcd=GO4380010137s_christian_matches&amp;tsacr=GO5522432704\" data-xslt=\"_http\">ChristianMingle.com</a>, an online dating service that suggests in its advertising that its computer-generated matches are, well, made in heaven.</blockquote>\nFarhi then goes on to report on whether the tagline can be construed as false advertising.  Read the article to see why.\n\nBut whether or not a tagline can be accused of setting up false expectations, I think that a strong (memorable) tagline (one that immediately communicates your objective ) is one of the strongest tools in your marketing communications arsenal.\n\nTake a look at your tagline today. Is it powerful? Is it memorable?','The (higher) power of a great tagline','','inherit','open','open','','1976-revision','','','2013-01-10 14:45:20','2013-01-10 14:45:20','',1976,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1976-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1978,4,'2013-01-10 14:45:23','2013-01-10 14:45:23','A great tagline will help sell your product, and when it is really great, it will also make you memorable. If I say \"just do it\" you immediately know it\'s Nike\'s tagline. Not many companies can claim a great tagline like that one.\r\n\r\nDeveloping a great (or even a good) tagline is no easy feat. You need to be succinct, clever and find the essence of what you are trying to communicate.\r\n\r\nAn online dating service catering to Christians, ChristianMingle.com, has come up with a really good tagline: Find God\'s match for you.  The Washington Post\'s Paul Farhi has written about it today in <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/evoking-god-has-been-good-to-christianmingle/2013/01/09/c3f28148-59dd-11e2-9fa9-5fbdc9530eb9_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Evoking God has been good to ChristianMingle.\"</a> Farhi writes:\r\n<blockquote>It might be the most audacious, and perhaps the most presumptuous, ad slogan ever devised.\r\n\r\n“Find God’s Match for You,” sayeth <a href=\"http://www.christianmingle.com/frsplash.html?prm=90121&amp;lgid=christian+matches&amp;refcd=GO4380010137s_christian_matches&amp;tsacr=GO5522432704\" data-xslt=\"_http\">ChristianMingle.com</a>, an online dating service that suggests in its advertising that its computer-generated matches are, well, made in heaven.</blockquote>\r\nFarhi then goes on to report on whether the tagline can be construed as false advertising.  Read the article to see why.\r\n\r\nBut whether or not a tagline can be accused of setting up false expectations, I think that a strong (memorable) tagline (one that immediately communicates your objective ) is one of the strongest tools in your marketing communications arsenal.\r\n\r\nTake a look at your tagline today. Is it powerful? Is it memorable?','The (higher) power of a great tagline','','inherit','open','open','','1976-revision-2','','','2013-01-10 14:45:23','2013-01-10 14:45:23','',1976,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1976-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1979,4,'2013-01-10 14:45:28','2013-01-10 14:45:28','A great tagline will help sell your product, and when it is really great, it will also make you memorable. If I say \"just do it\" you immediately know it\'s Nike\'s tagline. Not many companies can claim a great tagline like that one.\r\n\r\nDeveloping a great (or even a good) tagline is no easy feat. You need to be succinct, clever and find the essence of what you are trying to communicate.\r\n\r\nAn online dating service catering to Christians, ChristianMingle.com, has come up with a really good tagline: Find God\'s match for you.  The Washington Post\'s Paul Farhi has written about it today in <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/evoking-god-has-been-good-to-christianmingle/2013/01/09/c3f28148-59dd-11e2-9fa9-5fbdc9530eb9_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Evoking God has been good to ChristianMingle.\"</a> Farhi writes:\r\n<blockquote>It might be the most audacious, and perhaps the most presumptuous, ad slogan ever devised.\r\n\r\n“Find God’s Match for You,” sayeth <a href=\"http://www.christianmingle.com/frsplash.html?prm=90121&amp;lgid=christian+matches&amp;refcd=GO4380010137s_christian_matches&amp;tsacr=GO5522432704\" data-xslt=\"_http\">ChristianMingle.com</a>, an online dating service that suggests in its advertising that its computer-generated matches are, well, made in heaven.</blockquote>\r\nFarhi then goes on to report on whether the tagline can be construed as false advertising.  Read the article to see why.\r\n\r\nBut whether or not a tagline can be accused of setting up false expectations, I think that a strong (memorable) tagline (one that immediately communicates your objective ) is one of the strongest tools in your marketing communications arsenal.\r\n\r\nTake a look at your tagline today. Is it powerful? Is it memorable?','The (higher) power of a great tagline','','inherit','open','open','','1976-revision-3','','','2013-01-10 14:45:28','2013-01-10 14:45:28','',1976,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1976-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(1980,4,'2013-01-10 14:49:39','2013-01-10 14:49:39','A great tagline will help sell your product, and when it is really great, it will also make you memorable. If I say \"just do it\" you immediately know it\'s Nike\'s tagline. Not many companies can claim a great tagline like that one.\r\n\r\nDeveloping a great (or even a good) tagline is no easy feat. You need to be succinct, clever and find the essence of what you are trying to communicate. A good tagline \"tags\" you--that is, it identifies you, easily and immediately.\r\n\r\n&lt;a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/27999126@N05/3835622294/\" title=\"I Have Been Tagged by Jody McNary Photography, on Flickr\"&gt;&lt;img src=\"http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2480/3835622294_075b1311e2_m.jpg\" width=\"240\" height=\"168\" alt=\"I Have Been Tagged\"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;\r\n\r\nAn online dating service catering to Christians, ChristianMingle.com, has come up with a really good tagline: Find God\'s match for you.  The Washington Post\'s Paul Farhi has written about it today in <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/evoking-god-has-been-good-to-christianmingle/2013/01/09/c3f28148-59dd-11e2-9fa9-5fbdc9530eb9_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Evoking God has been good to ChristianMingle.\"</a> Farhi writes:\r\n<blockquote>It might be the most audacious, and perhaps the most presumptuous, ad slogan ever devised.\r\n\r\n“Find God’s Match for You,” sayeth <a href=\"http://www.christianmingle.com/frsplash.html?prm=90121&amp;lgid=christian+matches&amp;refcd=GO4380010137s_christian_matches&amp;tsacr=GO5522432704\" data-xslt=\"_http\">ChristianMingle.com</a>, an online dating service that suggests in its advertising that its computer-generated matches are, well, made in heaven.</blockquote>\r\nFarhi then goes on to report on whether the tagline can be construed as false advertising.  Read the article to see why.\r\n\r\nBut whether or not a tagline can be accused of setting up false expectations, I think that a strong (memorable) tagline (one that immediately communicates your objective ) is one of the strongest tools in your marketing communications arsenal.\r\n\r\nTake a look at your tagline today. Is it powerful? Is it memorable?','The (higher) power of a great tagline','','inherit','open','open','','1976-revision-4','','','2013-01-10 14:49:39','2013-01-10 14:49:39','',1976,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1976-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),
(1981,4,'2013-01-10 14:49:58','2013-01-10 14:49:58','A great tagline will help sell your product, and when it is really great, it will also make you memorable. If I say \"just do it\" you immediately know it\'s Nike\'s tagline. Not many companies can claim a great tagline like that one.\r\n\r\nDeveloping a great (or even a good) tagline is no easy feat. You need to be succinct, clever and find the essence of what you are trying to communicate. A good tagline \"tags\" you--that is, it identifies you, easily and immediately.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/27999126@N05/3835622294/\" title=\"I Have Been Tagged by Jody McNary Photography, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2480/3835622294_075b1311e2_m.jpg\" width=\"240\" height=\"168\" alt=\"I Have Been Tagged\"></a>\r\n\r\nAn online dating service catering to Christians, ChristianMingle.com, has come up with a really good tagline: Find God\'s match for you.  The Washington Post\'s Paul Farhi has written about it today in <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/evoking-god-has-been-good-to-christianmingle/2013/01/09/c3f28148-59dd-11e2-9fa9-5fbdc9530eb9_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Evoking God has been good to ChristianMingle.\"</a> Farhi writes:\r\n<blockquote>It might be the most audacious, and perhaps the most presumptuous, ad slogan ever devised.\r\n\r\n“Find God’s Match for You,” sayeth <a href=\"http://www.christianmingle.com/frsplash.html?prm=90121&amp;lgid=christian+matches&amp;refcd=GO4380010137s_christian_matches&amp;tsacr=GO5522432704\" data-xslt=\"_http\">ChristianMingle.com</a>, an online dating service that suggests in its advertising that its computer-generated matches are, well, made in heaven.</blockquote>\r\nFarhi then goes on to report on whether the tagline can be construed as false advertising.  Read the article to see why.\r\n\r\nBut whether or not a tagline can be accused of setting up false expectations, I think that a strong (memorable) tagline (one that immediately communicates your objective ) is one of the strongest tools in your marketing communications arsenal.\r\n\r\nTake a look at your tagline today. Is it powerful? Is it memorable?','The (higher) power of a great tagline','','inherit','open','open','','1976-revision-5','','','2013-01-10 14:49:58','2013-01-10 14:49:58','',1976,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1976-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),
(1982,4,'2013-01-10 14:50:01','2013-01-10 14:50:01','A great tagline will help sell your product, and when it is really great, it will also make you memorable. If I say \"just do it\" you immediately know it\'s Nike\'s tagline. Not many companies can claim a great tagline like that one.\r\n\r\nDeveloping a great (or even a good) tagline is no easy feat. You need to be succinct, clever and find the essence of what you are trying to communicate. A good tagline \"tags\" you--that is, it identifies you, easily and immediately.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/27999126@N05/3835622294/\" title=\"I Have Been Tagged by Jody McNary Photography, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2480/3835622294_075b1311e2_m.jpg\" width=\"240\" height=\"168\" alt=\"I Have Been Tagged\"></a>\r\n\r\nAn online dating service catering to Christians, ChristianMingle.com, has come up with a really good tagline: Find God\'s match for you.  The Washington Post\'s Paul Farhi has written about it today in <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/evoking-god-has-been-good-to-christianmingle/2013/01/09/c3f28148-59dd-11e2-9fa9-5fbdc9530eb9_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Evoking God has been good to ChristianMingle.\"</a> Farhi writes:\r\n<blockquote>It might be the most audacious, and perhaps the most presumptuous, ad slogan ever devised.\r\n\r\n“Find God’s Match for You,” sayeth <a href=\"http://www.christianmingle.com/frsplash.html?prm=90121&amp;lgid=christian+matches&amp;refcd=GO4380010137s_christian_matches&amp;tsacr=GO5522432704\" data-xslt=\"_http\">ChristianMingle.com</a>, an online dating service that suggests in its advertising that its computer-generated matches are, well, made in heaven.</blockquote>\r\nFarhi then goes on to report on whether the tagline can be construed as false advertising.  Read the article to see why.\r\n\r\nBut whether or not a tagline can be accused of setting up false expectations, I think that a strong (memorable) tagline (one that immediately communicates your objective ) is one of the strongest tools in your marketing communications arsenal.\r\n\r\nTake a look at your tagline today. Is it powerful? Is it memorable?','The (higher) power of a great tagline','','inherit','open','open','','1976-revision-6','','','2013-01-10 14:50:01','2013-01-10 14:50:01','',1976,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1976-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),
(1983,4,'2013-01-10 14:51:10','2013-01-10 14:51:10','A great tagline will help sell your product, and when it is really great, it will also make you memorable. If I say \"just do it\" you immediately know it\'s Nike\'s tagline. Not many companies can claim a great tagline like that one.\r\n\r\nDeveloping a great (or even a good) tagline is no easy feat. You need to be succinct, clever and find the essence of what you are trying to communicate. A good tagline \"tags\" you--that is, it identifies you, easily and immediately.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"240\"]<a title=\"I Have Been Tagged by Jody McNary Photography, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/27999126@N05/3835622294/\"><img src=\"http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2480/3835622294_075b1311e2_m.jpg\" alt=\"I Have Been Tagged\" width=\"240\" height=\"168\" /></a> I have been tagged--photo by Jody McNary Photography, on Flickr.[/caption]\r\n\r\nAn online dating service catering to Christians, ChristianMingle.com, has come up with a really good tagline: Find God\'s match for you.  The Washington Post\'s Paul Farhi has written about it today in <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/evoking-god-has-been-good-to-christianmingle/2013/01/09/c3f28148-59dd-11e2-9fa9-5fbdc9530eb9_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Evoking God has been good to ChristianMingle.\"</a> Farhi writes:\r\n<blockquote>It might be the most audacious, and perhaps the most presumptuous, ad slogan ever devised.\r\n\r\n“Find God’s Match for You,” sayeth <a href=\"http://www.christianmingle.com/frsplash.html?prm=90121&amp;lgid=christian+matches&amp;refcd=GO4380010137s_christian_matches&amp;tsacr=GO5522432704\" data-xslt=\"_http\">ChristianMingle.com</a>, an online dating service that suggests in its advertising that its computer-generated matches are, well, made in heaven.</blockquote>\r\nFarhi then goes on to report on whether the tagline can be construed as false advertising.  Read the article to see why.\r\n\r\nBut whether or not a tagline can be accused of setting up false expectations, I think that a strong (memorable) tagline (one that immediately communicates your objective ) is one of the strongest tools in your marketing communications arsenal.\r\n\r\nTake a look at your tagline today. Is it powerful? Is it memorable?','The (higher) power of a great tagline','','inherit','open','open','','1976-revision-7','','','2013-01-10 14:51:10','2013-01-10 14:51:10','',1976,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1976-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),
(1984,4,'2013-01-10 14:51:45','2013-01-10 14:51:45','A great tagline will help sell your product, and when it is really great, it will also make you memorable. If I say \"just do it\" you immediately know it\'s Nike\'s tagline. Not many companies can claim a great tagline like that one.\r\n\r\nDeveloping a great (or even a good) tagline is no easy feat. You need to be succinct, clever and find the essence of what you are trying to communicate. A good tagline \"tags\" you--that is, it identifies you, easily and immediately.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"240\"]<a title=\"I Have Been Tagged by Jody McNary Photography, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/27999126@N05/3835622294/\"><img src=\"http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2480/3835622294_075b1311e2_m.jpg\" alt=\"I Have Been Tagged\" width=\"240\" height=\"168\" /></a> I have been tagged--photo by Jody McNary Photography, on Flickr.[/caption]\r\n\r\nAn online dating service catering to Christians, ChristianMingle.com, has come up with a really good tagline: Find God\'s match for you.  The Washington Post\'s Paul Farhi has written about it today in <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/evoking-god-has-been-good-to-christianmingle/2013/01/09/c3f28148-59dd-11e2-9fa9-5fbdc9530eb9_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Evoking God has been good to ChristianMingle.\"</a> Farhi writes:\r\n<blockquote>It might be the most audacious, and perhaps the most presumptuous, ad slogan ever devised.\r\n\r\n“Find God’s Match for You,” sayeth <a href=\"http://www.christianmingle.com/frsplash.html?prm=90121&amp;lgid=christian+matches&amp;refcd=GO4380010137s_christian_matches&amp;tsacr=GO5522432704\" data-xslt=\"_http\">ChristianMingle.com</a>, an online dating service that suggests in its advertising that its computer-generated matches are, well, made in heaven.</blockquote>\r\nFarhi then goes on to report on whether the tagline can be construed as false advertising.  Read the article to see why.\r\n\r\nBut whether or not a tagline can be accused of setting up false expectations, I think that a strong (memorable) tagline (one that immediately communicates your objective ) is one of the strongest tools in your marketing communications arsenal.\r\n\r\nTake a look at your tagline today. Is it powerful? Is it memorable? Does it identify you?','The (higher) power of a great tagline','','inherit','open','open','','1976-revision-8','','','2013-01-10 14:51:45','2013-01-10 14:51:45','',1976,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1976-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),
(1985,4,'2012-12-14 16:32:22','2012-12-14 16:32:22','There are marketers out there who believe that their target audience is made up of stupid people. People who will buy anything, believe anything and do anything.\r\n\r\nThese marketers are the bottom-feeder telemarketers who tend to use robo-calls or use auto-dialers to call frequently at different times on different days. They play the CALLER ID system by using non-specific identifiers such as \"Card Services\" or \"Holiday Rebate.\" (I got a call today that had the CALLER ID as \"Important Call--really.) They ignore the Do Not Call List and refuse to take you off their rolls.\r\n\r\nThese marketers use direct mail with no targeting or culling of lists. They send offers that are too good to be true. They ask for sensitive information just to enter you in a drawing for a fantastic prize you have zero chance of winning.\r\n\r\nThese marketers think that by running the same TV ad or print ad over and over and over and over again you will finally be convinced to cough up three convenient payments of $19.99 plus shipping and handling.\r\n\r\nThese marketers think that by using an actor dressed as a doctor in an advertisement they are proving their miracle pill has been tested and approved by a reliable source.\r\n\r\nThese marketers think that sending spam email that says \"Secure Notification\" on the subject line will make you open an email from a bank with which you have no business.\r\n\r\nThese marketers think people are stupid and will buy anything that sounds great or will be scared by a letter that says this is your final notice (even though you haven\'t gotten any notice before or even do business with that company).\r\n\r\nPreying on people\'s stupidity or gullibility or fear is not ethical. It is not good marketing. And marketers who engage in these practices give all marketers a bad name.','Marketers who assume targets are stupid','','inherit','open','open','','1952-revision-2','','','2012-12-14 16:32:22','2012-12-14 16:32:22','',1952,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/12/1952-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1989,4,'2013-01-15 18:09:29','2013-01-15 18:09:29','Last night I attended an event where the sole purpose was to get feedback on a new website from community attendees. It was fairly informal--the creators of the website asked for opinions and reactions to the website, which you did on a one-to-one basis.\n\nI  found this exercise incredibly interesting because it can be so useful. But I wonder how often it is done. My sense is that it isn\'t done often enough! The examples abound: websites that are hard to navigate, brochures that are pointless, ads that fail to entice, and on and on.\n\n<strong>Get a reality check!</strong>\n\nAs a marketer or communications person, you should seek outside opinions. This is why in-house communications often employs consultants or agencies. This is why market research exists. But even (perhaps especially) if you are a entrepreneur, you should find someone to discuss your marketing, positioning or other business-related issues. Everybody needs a reality check!\n\nThere are structured ways to get a reality check. As mentioned above, you could hire a consultant (for personal marketing, perhaps this consultant is a life coach or therapist).\n<ul>\n	<li>Big businesses could hire a market research firm.</li>\n	<li>Nonprofits can tap into their board of directors or their volunteers.</li>\n	<li>Entrepreneurs or solopreneurs may consider joining a peer group or create an ad-hoc advisory council of trusted people.</li>\n	<li>Smaller businesses can conduct informal focus groups like the one I attended.</li>\n</ul>\nYou most definitely need to conduct a reality check BEFORE you launch--an idea, a product, a marketing piece or a website. Many businesses seem to be afraid of hearing that their idea/ad campaign/marketing materials may be missing the mark.\n\nHowever scary or uncomfortable it may be, getting a reality check will be immensely valuable. It\'s easier to fix something before it is out there in the public eye.\n\nDo you get reality checks? If so, from whom or how? Please share in the comments.\n\n&nbsp;','Getting a reality check','','inherit','open','open','','1988-revision','','','2013-01-15 18:09:29','2013-01-15 18:09:29','',1988,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1988-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1990,4,'2013-01-15 18:10:47','2013-01-15 18:10:47','Last night I attended an event where the sole purpose was to get feedback on a new website from community attendees. It was fairly informal--the creators of the website asked for opinions and reactions to the website, which you did on a one-to-one basis.\n\nI  found this exercise incredibly interesting because it can be so useful. But I wonder how often it is done. My sense is that it isn\'t done often enough! The examples abound: websites that are hard to navigate, brochures that are pointless, ads that fail to entice, and on and on.\n\n<strong>Get a reality check!</strong>\n\nAs a marketer or communications person, you should seek outside opinions. This is why in-house communications often employs consultants or agencies. This is why market research exists. But even (perhaps especially) if you are a entrepreneur, you should find someone to discuss your marketing, positioning or other business-related issues. Everybody needs a reality check!\n\nThere are structured ways to get a reality check. As mentioned above, you could hire a consultant (for personal marketing, perhaps this consultant is a life coach or therapist).\n<ul>\n	<li>Big businesses could hire a market research firm.</li>\n	<li>Nonprofits can tap into their board of directors or their volunteers.</li>\n	<li>Entrepreneurs or solopreneurs may consider joining a peer group or create an ad-hoc advisory council of trusted people.</li>\n	<li>Smaller businesses can conduct informal focus groups like the one I attended.</li>\n</ul>\nYou most definitely need to conduct a reality check BEFORE you launch--an idea, a product, a marketing piece or a website. Many businesses seem to be afraid of hearing that their idea/ad campaign/marketing materials may be missing the mark.\n\nHowever scary or uncomfortable it may be, getting a reality check will be immensely valuable. It\'s easier to fix something before it is out there in the public eye.\n\nDo you get reality checks? If so, from whom or how? Please share in the comments.\n\n&nbsp;','Getting a reality check','','inherit','open','open','','1988-autosave','','','2013-01-15 18:10:47','2013-01-15 18:10:47','',1988,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1988-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1992,4,'2013-01-18 13:53:41','2013-01-18 13:53:41','On LinkedIn this morning, I saw that one of my connections (whom, by the way, I have never met in person) was asking her network how many connections were they aiming for this year. It got me to thinking whether networking should be a numbers game (quantity).\r\n\r\nWe\'ve all heard of SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely). In that sense, to have a SMART networking goal, you would indeed have a number, as this would make it measurable.\r\n\r\nSo say you decide you want to make 25 new connections this year, and you only make 15, have you failed at your goal? What if from those 15 connections, you got valuable advice, a job lead and a new best friend?\r\n\r\nCan you measure networking by numbers? I don\'t think you can, and I don\'t think you should.\r\n\r\nAs a business owner, I attend my fair share of networking events. I am not someone who works the room, making sure to shake everybody\'s hand. Instead, I generally end up talking to one or two people more in depth. I understand the value in having a wide network, but I would rather get there more slowly.\r\n\r\nIf people know who I am because we\'ve had several conversations in person, isn\'t that better than trying to expand a network by sending a bunch of blind invitations \"people you may know?\"\r\n\r\nLinkedIn is a great tool and as such, many people, such as the person I referenced at the beginning of the post, tend to abuse it. Too many people think networking is all about quantity regardless of quality. In fact, successful networking is both a quantity and a quality proposition.\r\n\r\nWhat are your thoughts? What is your networking advice?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Are you aiming for quantity or quality (or both)?','','publish','open','open','','are-you-aiming-for-quantity-or-quality-or-both','','','2013-01-18 13:53:41','2013-01-18 13:53:41','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1992',0,'post','',0),
(1993,4,'2013-01-18 13:28:07','2013-01-18 13:28:07','','Auto Draft','','inherit','open','open','','1992-revision','','','2013-01-18 13:28:07','2013-01-18 13:28:07','',1992,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1992-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1994,4,'2013-01-18 13:51:32','2013-01-18 13:51:32','On LinkedIn this morning, I saw that one of my connections (whom, by the way, I have never met in person) was asking her network how many connections were they aiming for this year. It got me to thinking whether networking should be a numbers game (quantity).\n\nWe\'ve all heard of SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely). In that sense, to have a SMART networking goal, you would indeed have a number, as this would make it measurable.\n\nSo say you decide you want to make 25 new connections this year, and you only make 15, have you failed at your goal? What if from those 15 connections, you got valuable advice, a job lead and a new best friend?\n\nCan you measure networking by numbers? I don\'t think you can, and I don\'t think you should.\n\nAs a business owner, I attend my fair share of networking events. I am not someone who works the room, making sure to shake everybody\'s hand. Instead, I generally end up talking to one or two people more in depth. I understand the value in having a wide network, but I would rather get there more slowly.\n\nIf people know who I am because we\'ve had several conversations in person, isn\'t that better than trying to expand a network by sending a bunch of blind invitations \"people you may know?\"\n\nLinkedIn is a great tool and as such, many people, such as the person I referenced at the beginning of the post, tend to abuse it. Too many people think networking is all about quantity regardless of quality. In fact, successful networking is both a quantity and a quality proposition.\n\nWhat are your thoughts? What is your networking advice?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Are you aiming for quantity or quality (or both)?','','inherit','open','open','','1992-revision-2','','','2013-01-18 13:51:32','2013-01-18 13:51:32','',1992,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1992-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1995,4,'2013-01-18 13:52:49','2013-01-18 13:52:49','On LinkedIn this morning, I saw that one of my connections (whom, by the way, I have never met in person) was asking her network how many connections were they aiming for this year. It got me to thinking whether networking should be a numbers game (quantity).\r\n\r\nWe\'ve all heard of SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely). In that sense, to have a SMART networking goal, you would indeed have a number, as this would make it measurable.\r\n\r\nSo say you decide you want to make 25 new connections this year, and you only make 15, have you failed at your goal? What if from those 15 connections, you got valuable advice, a job lead and a new best friend?\r\n\r\nCan you measure networking by numbers? I don\'t think you can, and I don\'t think you should.\r\n\r\nAs a business owner, I attend my fair share of networking events. I am not someone who works the room, making sure to shake everybody\'s hand. Instead, I generally end up talking to one or two people more in depth. I understand the value in having a wide network, but I would rather get there more slowly.\r\n\r\nIf people know who I am because we\'ve had several conversations in person, isn\'t that better than trying to expand a network by sending a bunch of blind invitations \"people you may know?\"\r\n\r\nLinkedIn is a great tool and as such, many people, such as the person I referenced at the beginning of the post, tend to abuse it. Too many people think networking is all about quantity regardless of quality. In fact, successful networking is both a quantity and a quality proposition.\r\n\r\nWhat are your thoughts? What is your networking advice?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Are you aiming for quantity or quality (or both)?','','inherit','open','open','','1992-revision-3','','','2013-01-18 13:52:49','2013-01-18 13:52:49','',1992,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1992-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(1997,4,'2013-01-21 15:24:02','2013-01-21 15:24:02','Yesterday, I was watching local news coverage of the Inaugural events, and a reporter stated that Barack Obama took the oath of office using Lincoln\'s bible. Except he didn\'t. He used Michele Obama\'s family bible. Then, one of the anchors on this newscast said it was symbolic that the Inauguration taking place today (Monday, January 21) on Martin Luther King\'s birthday. Except that today is the day we OBSERVE MLK\'s birthday. His actual date of birth was January 15th.\r\n\r\nThese may seem like small mix-ups, but it points to a much larger problem. Journalists are not checking their facts, but rather parroting what they hear or repeating something they think they know. And then viewers repeat this information, and thus, misinformation is spread.\r\n\r\nMost people think that what they hear on TV or read in a newspaper is vetted, and therefore true. And yet, I have seen countless examples beyond those above, of news outlets simply failing to fact-check.  Add to this the increasingly sloppy use of grammar and spelling and you have a news media that is less trustworthy and less accurate than ever.\r\n\r\nBloggers, Tweeters and journalists need to be very careful with what they present as fact. It is pretty simple to fact check when MLK\'s birthday was (just Google it!). It is good to double-check information. If you can\'t find another source, then perhaps you should wait before you publish anything (and by publish, I mean making anything public).\r\n\r\nThoughts? Good examples? Share please!','Why fact checking is a crucial skill','','publish','open','open','','why-fact-checking-is-a-crucial-skill','','','2013-01-21 15:24:02','2013-01-21 15:24:02','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1997',0,'post','',0),
(1998,4,'2013-01-21 15:23:05','2013-01-21 15:23:05','Yesterday, I was watching local news coverage of the Inaugural events, and a reporter stated that Barack Obama took the oath of office using Lincoln\'s bible. Except he didn\'t. He used Michele Obama\'s family bible. Then, one of the anchors on this newscast said it was symbolic that the Inauguration taking place today (Monday, January 21) on Martin Luther King\'s birthday. Except that today is the day we OBSERVE MLK\'s birthday. His actual date of birth was January 15th.\n\nThese may seem like small mix-ups, but it points to a much larger problem. Journalists are not checking their facts, but rather parroting what they hear or repeating something they think they know. And then viewers repeat this information, and thus, misinformation is spread.\n\nMost people think that what they hear on TV or read in a newspaper is vetted, and therefore true. And yet, I have seen countless examples beyond those above, of news outlets simply failing to fact-check.  Add to this the increasingly sloppy use of grammar and spelling and you have a news media that is less trustworthy and less accurate than ever.\n\nBloggers, Tweeters and journalists need to be very careful with what they present as fact. It is pretty simple to fact check when MLK\'s birthday was (just Google it!). It is good to double-check information. If you can\'t find another source, then perhaps you should wait before you publish anything (and by publish, I mean making anything public).\n\nThoughts? Good examp','Why fact checking is a crucial skill','','inherit','open','open','','1997-revision','','','2013-01-21 15:23:05','2013-01-21 15:23:05','',1997,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/1997-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2017,4,'2013-01-30 18:40:31','2013-01-30 18:40:31','As anybody who knows me (or sees the theme in this website), I like coffee. I brew a huge mugful every morning. For years, I have been using  store brand (ok, cheaper) unbleached filters and thought nothing of it. However,  I hosted a brunch in December, and was out of coffee and filters, so I bought premium coffee and premium filters ( always want to treat my guests right). Brunch was great and who knew my cousin was such a huge coffee drinker (brewed three pots!).\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"I love coffee by Kristoffer Winther Balling, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/wiba/483626169/\"><img title=\"&quot;I love coffee&quot; \" src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/207/483626169_74f5319ebe.jpg\" alt=\"I love coffee\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a> \"I love coffee\" by Kristopher Winther Balling on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter I ran out of premium coffee, I reverted back to my usual (good) coffee, but still using the premium filters. And then, two days ago, I ran out of premium filters and was back to store brand. Guess what? My coffee tasted different--and not in a good way. It was more bitter.\r\n\r\nBeing a coffee lover, I had to correct this situation and promptly ran out and bought the premium filters again. Coffee this morning tasted good. The filters make a difference.\r\n\r\nThese are tough times, and many of us need to economize. But, we choose our battles and sometimes price does not win over quality.\r\n\r\n<strong>Let me rephrase that: quality can trump price.</strong>\r\n\r\nMarketing lesson here is simple: price is not the best unique selling proposition (USP). This is not the same as talking about value.  If you are betting that your target audience will be swayed by price alone, you will be disappointed. People may try a product because it is cheaper, but if the quality is not there, they won\'t buy again.  In a sense, generic brands \"get\" this. How often do you see a generic advertised? Never, because the only reason to buy a generic is because it often has a lower price. You don\'t promote generic/store brand products as being of HIGHER quality than brands, just comparable in quality but lower in price.\r\n\r\nFind what makes your product (or service) special outside of the price.  If your target values that attribute,  the target will buy it very often regardless of price.\r\n\r\n<strong>In other words, it\'s about showing value and not about discussing price.</strong>\r\n\r\nWhat say you? Are there products you buy because you think they have a higher value?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','What you can learn from coffee filters','','publish','open','open','','what-you-can-learn-from-coffee-filters','','','2013-01-30 18:40:31','2013-01-30 18:40:31','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2017',0,'post','',0),
(2000,4,'2013-01-22 15:18:15','2013-01-22 15:18:15','Yesterday, about 1.1 million tweets were posted regarding President Barack Obama\'s Inauguration ceremony. That\'s a lot of tweets! People commented on everything from Michelle Obama\'s coat to Richard Blanco\'s poem to Beyonce\'s rendition of the National Anthem.\r\n\r\nAs I watched the Inauguration ceremonies and followed my Twitter stream (using the <a href=\"http://mashable.com/category/second-screen/\" target=\"_blank\">second screen</a>), I noticed a  social media \"expert\" tweeting out content management tips. Then I noticed another marketing/social media person promoting a blog post, which had absolutely nothing to do with politics, Martin Luther King or inauguration. It struck me as dissonant.\r\n\r\nI tweeted out that I was ignoring anything not Inaugural-related, and I thought anything regarding other topics would most likely get lost. This led to an exchange with <a href=\"https://twitter.com/kathydodd\" target=\"_blank\">Kathy Dodd</a>, a Washington, DC-based marketer. It went like this:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/convo-with-kathy-dodd.bmp\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2001\" title=\"convo with kathy dodd\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/convo-with-kathy-dodd.bmp\" alt=\"Twitter conversation @dbmc and @kathydodd\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSo it wasn\'t just me. What was happening was that those tweets were not following a main tenet of marketing communications: molding your message to the audience\'s needs.  As Kathy said,<strong> the people putting out these messages were not being aware of outside events or of the timing involved.</strong>\r\n\r\nIn those tweets, there was nothing wrong with the message, but the message failed to have an impact. They came off as extraneous and irrelevant.\r\n\r\nTwitter has often been described as one big cocktail party. Can you imagine if you were at a party where everyone was talking about the how much fun they were having at this event, and somebody crashed the party and announced that bananas were on sale across town. Everyone would shake their heads and continue talking about the party, <em>no matter how much they liked bananas </em>because it was a message that wasn\'t suited to the occasion.<em>\r\n</em>\r\n\r\nPerhaps the non-Inaugural tweets from yesterday were previously scheduled, we can\'t really know. But what we do know is that they failed to achieve their goal (selling bananas if they were the party-crashers above) for one simple reason: the people tweeting were not thinking like marketers. <strong>Marketers want to make sure their messages get to the right people at the right time.</strong>\r\n\r\nHere are some tips to tweet like a marketer:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Be aware of major events (some are scheduled and some are not) that will hold a majority of your target audience\'s attention.</li>\r\n	<li>Time your tweets for when they are most likely to be well received. For example, if you are promoting your lunch specials, don\'t do it at dinner time.</li>\r\n	<li>Be human, not an automaton. Remember it is <em>social</em> media.</li>\r\n	<li>Don\'t talk at people; have a conversation with them.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nWhat are your thoughts? Agree or disagree?','How to tweet like a marketer','','publish','open','open','','how-to-tweet-like-a-marketer','','','2013-01-22 15:18:15','2013-01-22 15:18:15','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2000',0,'post','',2),
(2001,4,'2013-01-22 14:46:44','2013-01-22 14:46:44','','convo with kathy dodd','','inherit','open','open','','convo-with-kathy-dodd','','','2013-01-22 14:46:44','2013-01-22 14:46:44','',2000,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/convo-with-kathy-dodd.bmp',0,'attachment','image/bmp',0),
(2002,4,'2013-01-22 14:58:12','2013-01-22 14:58:12','Yesterday, about 1.1 million tweets were posted regarding President Barack Obama\'s Inauguration ceremony. That\'s a lot of tweets! People commented on everything from Michelle Obama\'s coat to Richard Blanco\'s poem to Beyonce\'s rendition of the National Anthem.\n\nAs I watched the Inauguration ceremonies and followed my Twitter stream (using the <a href=\"http://mashable.com/category/second-screen/\" target=\"_blank\">second screen</a>), I noticed a  social media \"expert\" tweeting out content management tips. Then I noticed another marketing/social media person promoting a blog post, which had absolutely nothing to do with politics, Martin Luther King or inauguration. It struck me as dissonant.\n\nI tweeted out that I was ignoring anything not Inaugural-related, and I thought anything regarding other topics would most likely get lost. This led to an exchange with <a href=\"https://twitter.com/kathydodd\" target=\"_blank\">Kathy Dodd</a>, a Washington, DC-based marketer. It went like this:<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/convo-with-kathy-dodd.bmp\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2001\" title=\"convo with kathy dodd\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/convo-with-kathy-dodd.bmp\" alt=\"Twitter conversation @dbmc and @kathydodd\" /></a>\n\nSo it wasn\'t just me. What was happening was that those tweets were not following a main tenet of marketing communications: molding your message to the audience\'s needs.  As Kathy said, the people putting out these messages were not being aware of outside events or of the timing involved.\n\nTwitter has often been described as one big cocktail party. Can you imagine if you were at a party where everyone was talking about\n\nWhether these tweets were scheduled or not, we can\'t really know. But what we do know is that they failed to achieve their goal for one simple reason: the people tweeting were not thinking like marketers.\n\nHere are some tips to tweet like a marketer:\n\nBe aware of major events (some are scheduled and some are not) that will hold a majority of your target audience\'s attention.\n\nTime your tweets for when they are most likely to be well received. For example, if you are promoting your lunch specials, don\'t do it at dinner time.\n\nBe human, not an automaton. Remember it is social media.\n\n&nbsp;','How to tweet like a marketer','','inherit','open','open','','2000-revision','','','2013-01-22 14:58:12','2013-01-22 14:58:12','',2000,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/2000-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2003,4,'2013-01-22 15:07:39','2013-01-22 15:07:39','Yesterday, about 1.1 million tweets were posted regarding President Barack Obama\'s Inauguration ceremony. That\'s a lot of tweets! People commented on everything from Michelle Obama\'s coat to Richard Blanco\'s poem to Beyonce\'s rendition of the National Anthem.\n\nAs I watched the Inauguration ceremonies and followed my Twitter stream (using the <a href=\"http://mashable.com/category/second-screen/\" target=\"_blank\">second screen</a>), I noticed a  social media \"expert\" tweeting out content management tips. Then I noticed another marketing/social media person promoting a blog post, which had absolutely nothing to do with politics, Martin Luther King or inauguration. It struck me as dissonant.\n\nI tweeted out that I was ignoring anything not Inaugural-related, and I thought anything regarding other topics would most likely get lost. This led to an exchange with <a href=\"https://twitter.com/kathydodd\" target=\"_blank\">Kathy Dodd</a>, a Washington, DC-based marketer. It went like this:\n\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/convo-with-kathy-dodd.bmp\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2001\" title=\"convo with kathy dodd\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/convo-with-kathy-dodd.bmp\" alt=\"Twitter conversation @dbmc and @kathydodd\" /></a>\n\nSo it wasn\'t just me. What was happening was that those tweets were not following a main tenet of marketing communications: molding your message to the audience\'s needs.  As Kathy said, the people putting out these messages were not being aware of outside events or of the timing involved.\n\nTwitter has often been described as one big cocktail party. Can you imagine if you were at a party where everyone was talking about the how much fun they were having at this event, and somebody came in and announced that bananas were on sale across town. Everyone would shake their heads and continue talking about the party, <em>no matter how much they liked bananas.</em>\n\nPerhaps the non-Inaugural tweets from yesterday were previously scheduled, we can\'t really know. But what we do know is that they failed to achieve their goal (selling bananas if the were the party-crashers for one simple reason: the people tweeting were not thinking like marketers.\n\nHere are some tips to tweet like a marketer:\n<ul>\n	<li>Be aware of major events (some are scheduled and some are not) that will hold a majority of your target audience\'s attention.</li>\n	<li>Time your tweets for when they are most likely to be well received. For example, if you are promoting your lunch specials, don\'t do it at dinner time.</li>\n	<li>Be human, not an automaton. Remember it is <em>social</em> media.</li>\n	<li>Don\'t talk at people; have a conversation with them.</li>\n</ul>\nWhat are your thoughts? Agree or disagree?','How to tweet like a marketer','','inherit','open','open','','2000-revision-2','','','2013-01-22 15:07:39','2013-01-22 15:07:39','',2000,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/2000-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(2004,4,'2013-01-22 15:08:10','2013-01-22 15:08:10','Yesterday, about 1.1 million tweets were posted regarding President Barack Obama\'s Inauguration ceremony. That\'s a lot of tweets! People commented on everything from Michelle Obama\'s coat to Richard Blanco\'s poem to Beyonce\'s rendition of the National Anthem.\r\n\r\nAs I watched the Inauguration ceremonies and followed my Twitter stream (using the <a href=\"http://mashable.com/category/second-screen/\" target=\"_blank\">second screen</a>), I noticed a  social media \"expert\" tweeting out content management tips. Then I noticed another marketing/social media person promoting a blog post, which had absolutely nothing to do with politics, Martin Luther King or inauguration. It struck me as dissonant.\r\n\r\nI tweeted out that I was ignoring anything not Inaugural-related, and I thought anything regarding other topics would most likely get lost. This led to an exchange with <a href=\"https://twitter.com/kathydodd\" target=\"_blank\">Kathy Dodd</a>, a Washington, DC-based marketer. It went like this:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/convo-with-kathy-dodd.bmp\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2001\" title=\"convo with kathy dodd\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/convo-with-kathy-dodd.bmp\" alt=\"Twitter conversation @dbmc and @kathydodd\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSo it wasn\'t just me. What was happening was that those tweets were not following a main tenet of marketing communications: molding your message to the audience\'s needs.  As Kathy said, the people putting out these messages were not being aware of outside events or of the timing involved.\r\n\r\nTwitter has often been described as one big cocktail party. Can you imagine if you were at a party where everyone was talking about the how much fun they were having at this event, and somebody crashed the party and announced that bananas were on sale across town. Everyone would shake their heads and continue talking about the party, <em>no matter how much they liked bananas.</em>\r\n\r\nPerhaps the non-Inaugural tweets from yesterday were previously scheduled, we can\'t really know. But what we do know is that they failed to achieve their goal (selling bananas if the were the party-crashers above) for one simple reason: the people tweeting were not thinking like marketers.\r\n\r\nHere are some tips to tweet like a marketer:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Be aware of major events (some are scheduled and some are not) that will hold a majority of your target audience\'s attention.</li>\r\n	<li>Time your tweets for when they are most likely to be well received. For example, if you are promoting your lunch specials, don\'t do it at dinner time.</li>\r\n	<li>Be human, not an automaton. Remember it is <em>social</em> media.</li>\r\n	<li>Don\'t talk at people; have a conversation with them.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nWhat are your thoughts? Agree or disagree?','How to tweet like a marketer','','inherit','open','open','','2000-revision-3','','','2013-01-22 15:08:10','2013-01-22 15:08:10','',2000,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/2000-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(2005,4,'2013-01-22 15:08:13','2013-01-22 15:08:13','Yesterday, about 1.1 million tweets were posted regarding President Barack Obama\'s Inauguration ceremony. That\'s a lot of tweets! People commented on everything from Michelle Obama\'s coat to Richard Blanco\'s poem to Beyonce\'s rendition of the National Anthem.\r\n\r\nAs I watched the Inauguration ceremonies and followed my Twitter stream (using the <a href=\"http://mashable.com/category/second-screen/\" target=\"_blank\">second screen</a>), I noticed a  social media \"expert\" tweeting out content management tips. Then I noticed another marketing/social media person promoting a blog post, which had absolutely nothing to do with politics, Martin Luther King or inauguration. It struck me as dissonant.\r\n\r\nI tweeted out that I was ignoring anything not Inaugural-related, and I thought anything regarding other topics would most likely get lost. This led to an exchange with <a href=\"https://twitter.com/kathydodd\" target=\"_blank\">Kathy Dodd</a>, a Washington, DC-based marketer. It went like this:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/convo-with-kathy-dodd.bmp\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2001\" title=\"convo with kathy dodd\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/convo-with-kathy-dodd.bmp\" alt=\"Twitter conversation @dbmc and @kathydodd\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSo it wasn\'t just me. What was happening was that those tweets were not following a main tenet of marketing communications: molding your message to the audience\'s needs.  As Kathy said, the people putting out these messages were not being aware of outside events or of the timing involved.\r\n\r\nTwitter has often been described as one big cocktail party. Can you imagine if you were at a party where everyone was talking about the how much fun they were having at this event, and somebody crashed the party and announced that bananas were on sale across town. Everyone would shake their heads and continue talking about the party, <em>no matter how much they liked bananas.</em>\r\n\r\nPerhaps the non-Inaugural tweets from yesterday were previously scheduled, we can\'t really know. But what we do know is that they failed to achieve their goal (selling bananas if the were the party-crashers above) for one simple reason: the people tweeting were not thinking like marketers.\r\n\r\nHere are some tips to tweet like a marketer:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Be aware of major events (some are scheduled and some are not) that will hold a majority of your target audience\'s attention.</li>\r\n	<li>Time your tweets for when they are most likely to be well received. For example, if you are promoting your lunch specials, don\'t do it at dinner time.</li>\r\n	<li>Be human, not an automaton. Remember it is <em>social</em> media.</li>\r\n	<li>Don\'t talk at people; have a conversation with them.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nWhat are your thoughts? Agree or disagree?','How to tweet like a marketer','','inherit','open','open','','2000-revision-4','','','2013-01-22 15:08:13','2013-01-22 15:08:13','',2000,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/2000-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),
(2008,4,'2013-01-24 14:17:01','2013-01-24 14:17:01','Having an organizational blog has loads of benefits, not the least which is it helps with SEO and it establishes expertise. And yet, many organizations have put off adding a blog, or have abandoned the blog they started. In my experience, there are many reasons for this, among them:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Not enough personnel or hours in the day</li>\r\n	<li>Not knowing what to write</li>\r\n	<li>Feeling overwhelmed by having to produce something consistently</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nBlogging doesn\'t have to be overwhelming or extremely time-consuming. If you don\'t have someone else to handle the blog, it is possible for you to do it. You just need to learn how to do it (and why you should).\r\n\r\nHaving worked with dozens of people who have a desire to blog but don\'t know how to start or what to say, I have developed a way to teach how to do it and it\'s my <strong>How to write your blog workshop</strong>. I am offering the next one on Thursday, February 28, at the Silver Spring Civic Building.  The workshop is limited to 10 participants, and will be intensive and participatory. We\'ll discuss why you aren\'t blogging and why you should, and we\'ll get you writing. The cost is $75, and includes materials and refreshments.\r\n\r\nTo register, visit the Eventbrite page at <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com </a>.\r\n\r\nStart or restart your blog in 2013!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How to start (or restart) blogging','','publish','open','open','','how-to-start-or-restart-blogging','','','2013-01-24 14:17:01','2013-01-24 14:17:01','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2008',0,'post','',1),
(2009,4,'2013-01-24 14:13:28','2013-01-24 14:13:28','Having an organizational blog has loads of benefits, not the least which is it helps with SEO and it establishes expertise. And yet, many organizations have put off adding a blog, or have abandoned the blog they started. In my experience, there are many reasons for this, among them:\n<ul>\n	<li>Not enough personnel or hours in the day</li>\n	<li>Not knowing what to write</li>\n	<li>Feeling overwhelmed by having to produce something consistently</li>\n</ul>\nBlogging doesn\'t have to be overwhelming or extremely time-consuming. If you don\'t have someone else to handle the blog, it is possible for you to do it. You just need to learn how to do it (and why you should).\n\nHaving worked with dozens of people who have a desire to blog but don\'t know how to start or what to say, I have developed a way to teach how to do it and it\'s my How to write your blog workshop. I am offering the next one on Thursday, February 28, at the Silver Spring Civic Building.  The workshop is limited to 10 participants, and will be intensive and participatory. We\'ll discuss why you aren\'t blogging and why you should, and we\'ll get you writing. The cost is $75, and includes materials and refreshments.\n\nTo register, visit the Eventbrite page at <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com </a>.\n\nStart or restart your blog in 2013!\n\n&nbsp;','How to start (or restart) blogging','','inherit','open','open','','2008-revision','','','2013-01-24 14:13:28','2013-01-24 14:13:28','',2008,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/2008-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2010,4,'2013-01-24 14:15:20','2013-01-24 14:15:20','Having an organizational blog has loads of benefits, not the least which is it helps with SEO and it establishes expertise. And yet, many organizations have put off adding a blog, or have abandoned the blog they started. In my experience, there are many reasons for this, among them:\n<ul>\n	<li>Not enough personnel or hours in the day</li>\n	<li>Not knowing what to write</li>\n	<li>Feeling overwhelmed by having to produce something consistently</li>\n</ul>\nBlogging doesn\'t have to be overwhelming or extremely time-consuming. If you don\'t have someone else to handle the blog, it is possible for you to do it. You just need to learn how to do it (and why you should).\n\nHaving worked with dozens of people who have a desire to blog but don\'t know how to start or what to say, I have developed a way to teach how to do it and it\'s my <strong>How to write your blog workshop</strong>. I am offering the next one on Thursday, February 28, at the Silver Spring Civic Building.  The workshop is limited to 10 participants, and will be intensive and participatory. We\'ll discuss why you aren\'t blogging and why you should, and we\'ll get you writing. The cost is $75, and includes materials and refreshments.\n\nTo register, visit the Eventbrite page at <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com </a>.\n\nStart or restart your blog in 2013!\n\n&nbsp;','How to start (or restart) blogging','','inherit','open','open','','2008-revision-2','','','2013-01-24 14:15:20','2013-01-24 14:15:20','',2008,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/2008-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(2011,4,'2013-01-24 14:15:36','2013-01-24 14:15:36','Having an organizational blog has loads of benefits, not the least which is it helps with SEO and it establishes expertise. And yet, many organizations have put off adding a blog, or have abandoned the blog they started. In my experience, there are many reasons for this, among them:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Not enough personnel or hours in the day</li>\r\n	<li>Not knowing what to write</li>\r\n	<li>Feeling overwhelmed by having to produce something consistently</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nBlogging doesn\'t have to be overwhelming or extremely time-consuming. If you don\'t have someone else to handle the blog, it is possible for you to do it. You just need to learn how to do it (and why you should).\r\n\r\nHaving worked with dozens of people who have a desire to blog but don\'t know how to start or what to say, I have developed a way to teach how to do it and it\'s my <strong>How to write your blog workshop</strong>. I am offering the next one on Thursday, February 28, at the Silver Spring Civic Building.  The workshop is limited to 10 participants, and will be intensive and participatory. We\'ll discuss why you aren\'t blogging and why you should, and we\'ll get you writing. The cost is $75, and includes materials and refreshments.\r\n\r\nTo register, visit the Eventbrite page at <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com </a>.\r\n\r\nStart or restart your blog in 2013!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How to start (or restart) blogging','','inherit','open','open','','2008-revision-3','','','2013-01-24 14:15:36','2013-01-24 14:15:36','',2008,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/2008-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(2012,4,'2013-01-24 14:16:00','2013-01-24 14:16:00','Having an organizational blog has loads of benefits, not the least which is it helps with SEO and it establishes expertise. And yet, many organizations have put off adding a blog, or have abandoned the blog they started. In my experience, there are many reasons for this, among them:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Not enough personnel or hours in the day</li>\r\n	<li>Not knowing what to write</li>\r\n	<li>Feeling overwhelmed by having to produce something consistently</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nBlogging doesn\'t have to be overwhelming or extremely time-consuming. If you don\'t have someone else to handle the blog, it is possible for you to do it. You just need to learn how to do it (and why you should).\r\n\r\nHaving worked with dozens of people who have a desire to blog but don\'t know how to start or what to say, I have developed a way to teach how to do it and it\'s my <strong>How to write your blog workshop</strong>. I am offering the next one on Thursday, February 28, at the Silver Spring Civic Building.  The workshop is limited to 10 participants, and will be intensive and participatory. We\'ll discuss why you aren\'t blogging and why you should, and we\'ll get you writing. The cost is $75, and includes materials and refreshments.\r\n\r\nTo register, visit the Eventbrite page at <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com </a>.\r\n\r\nStart or restart your blog in 2013!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How to start (or restart) blogging','','inherit','open','open','','2008-revision-4','','','2013-01-24 14:16:00','2013-01-24 14:16:00','',2008,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/2008-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),
(2013,4,'2013-01-28 14:45:40','2013-01-28 14:45:40','There are blogs with lots of good, well written and interesting information that are not succeeding. They almost always lack an element or two. Like when I find a great blog post that I want to share, and I can\'t because there are no sharing buttons.  That frustrates me because I now have to add a step or two to share the post on social media, but it also shows me that the blog post author is not looking to increase his/her audience.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"You_Must_See by kokogiak, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/kokogiak/3912439/\"><img src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/2/3912439_bab01dc601.jpg\" alt=\"You_Must_See\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a> Photo by kokogiak on Flickr.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere are the five items your blog must absolutely, positively have:\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Sharing buttons.</strong> There are so many services and plug-ins--find one you like and that shares your post to the main social networks.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Robust about page</strong>.  People want to know who is writing the content. A shady or incomplete author profile does not create confidence that your content is valid.\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Subscription capabilities</strong>. Give people the option to subscribe to your blog, either by email or by RSS feed.\r\n\r\n<strong>4. Contact information.</strong> Give your readers the ability to contact you beyond your comments.\r\n\r\n<strong>5. Print (or PDF) button</strong>. Some readers need to read things on paper, or want to print to save for posterity that amazing insight you wrote.\r\n\r\nDoes your blog have these? Why or why not? Anything you would add? Let me know! (Oh, another thing your blog should have is a way to comment!!!!)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','5 items that your blog must absolutely, positively have','','publish','open','open','','5-items-that-your-blog-must-have','','','2013-01-28 14:45:40','2013-01-28 14:45:40','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2013',0,'post','',2),
(2014,4,'2013-01-28 14:44:11','2013-01-28 14:44:11','There are blogs with lots of good, well written and interesting information that are not succeeding. They almost always lack an element or two. Like when I find a great blog post that I want to share, and I can\'t because there are no sharing buttons.  That frustrates me because I now have to add a step or two to share the post on social media, but it also shows me that the blog post author is not looking to increase his/her audience.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"You_Must_See by kokogiak, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/kokogiak/3912439/\"><img src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/2/3912439_bab01dc601.jpg\" alt=\"You_Must_See\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a> Photo by kokogiak on Flickr.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHere are the five items your blog must absolutely, positively have:\n\n<strong>1. Sharing buttons.</strong> There are so many services and plug-ins--find one you like and that shares your post to the main social networks.\n\n<strong>2. Robust about page</strong>.  People want to know who is writing the content. A shady or incomplete author profile does not create confidence that your content is valid.\n\n<strong>3. Subscription capabilities</strong>. Give people the option to subscribe to your blog, either by email or by RSS feed.\n\n<strong>4. Contact information.</strong> Give your readers the ability to contact you beyond your comments.\n\n<strong>5. Print (or PDF) button</strong>. Some readers need to read things on paper, or want to print to save for posterity that amazing insight you wrote.\n\nDoes your blog have these? Why or why not? Anything you would add? Let me know! (Oh, another thing your blog should have is a way to comment!!!!)\n\n&nbsp;','5 items that your blog must absolutely, positively have','','inherit','open','open','','2013-revision','','','2013-01-28 14:44:11','2013-01-28 14:44:11','',2013,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/2013-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2015,4,'2013-01-28 14:44:40','2013-01-28 14:44:40','There are blogs with lots of good, well written and interesting information that are not succeeding. They almost always lack an element or two. Like when I find a great blog post that I want to share, and I can\'t because there are no sharing buttons.  That frustrates me because I now have to add a step or two to share the post on social media, but it also shows me that the blog post author is not looking to increase his/her audience.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"You_Must_See by kokogiak, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/kokogiak/3912439/\"><img src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/2/3912439_bab01dc601.jpg\" alt=\"You_Must_See\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a> Photo by kokogiak on Flickr.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere are the five items your blog must absolutely, positively have:\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Sharing buttons.</strong> There are so many services and plug-ins--find one you like and that shares your post to the main social networks.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Robust about page</strong>.  People want to know who is writing the content. A shady or incomplete author profile does not create confidence that your content is valid.\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Subscription capabilities</strong>. Give people the option to subscribe to your blog, either by email or by RSS feed.\r\n\r\n<strong>4. Contact information.</strong> Give your readers the ability to contact you beyond your comments.\r\n\r\n<strong>5. Print (or PDF) button</strong>. Some readers need to read things on paper, or want to print to save for posterity that amazing insight you wrote.\r\n\r\nDoes your blog have these? Why or why not? Anything you would add? Let me know! (Oh, another thing your blog should have is a way to comment!!!!)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','5 items that your blog must absolutely, positively have','','inherit','open','open','','2013-revision-2','','','2013-01-28 14:44:40','2013-01-28 14:44:40','',2013,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/2013-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(2016,4,'2013-01-28 14:45:33','2013-01-28 14:45:33','There are blogs with lots of good, well written and interesting information that are not succeeding. They almost always lack an element or two. Like when I find a great blog post that I want to share, and I can\'t because there are no sharing buttons.  That frustrates me because I now have to add a step or two to share the post on social media, but it also shows me that the blog post author is not looking to increase his/her audience.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"You_Must_See by kokogiak, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/kokogiak/3912439/\"><img src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/2/3912439_bab01dc601.jpg\" alt=\"You_Must_See\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a> Photo by kokogiak on Flickr.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere are the five items your blog must absolutely, positively have:\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Sharing buttons.</strong> There are so many services and plug-ins--find one you like and that shares your post to the main social networks.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Robust about page</strong>.  People want to know who is writing the content. A shady or incomplete author profile does not create confidence that your content is valid.\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Subscription capabilities</strong>. Give people the option to subscribe to your blog, either by email or by RSS feed.\r\n\r\n<strong>4. Contact information.</strong> Give your readers the ability to contact you beyond your comments.\r\n\r\n<strong>5. Print (or PDF) button</strong>. Some readers need to read things on paper, or want to print to save for posterity that amazing insight you wrote.\r\n\r\nDoes your blog have these? Why or why not? Anything you would add? Let me know! (Oh, another thing your blog should have is a way to comment!!!!)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','5 items that your blog must absolutely, positively have','','inherit','open','open','','2013-revision-3','','','2013-01-28 14:45:33','2013-01-28 14:45:33','',2013,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/2013-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(2018,4,'2013-01-30 18:24:52','2013-01-30 18:24:52','As anybody who knows me (or sees the theme in this website), I like coffee. I brew a huge mugful every morning. For years, I have been using  store brand (ok, cheaper) unbleached filters and thought nothing of it. However,  I hosted a brunch in December, and was out of coffee and filters, so I bought premium coffee and premium filters ( always want to treat my guests right). Brunch was great and who knew my cousin was such a huge coffee drinker (brewed three pots!).\n\nAfter I ran out of premium coffee, I reverted back to my usual (good) coffee, but still using the premium filters. And then, two days ago, I ran out of premium filters and was back to store brand. Guess what? My coffee tasted different--and not in a good way. It was more bitter.\n\nBeing a coffee lover, I had to correct this situation and promptly ran out and bought the premium filters again. Coffee this morning tasted good. The filters make a difference.\n\nThese are tough times, and many of us need to economize. But, we choose our battles and sometimes price does not win over quality.\n\n<strong>Let me rephrase that: quality can trump price.</strong>\n\nMarketing lesson here is simple: price is not the best point of comparison (not talking about value).  If you are betting that your target audience will be swayed by price alone, you will be disappointed. People may try a product because it is cheaper, but if the quality is not there, they won\'t buy again. In a sense, generic brands \"get\" this. How often do you see a generic advertised? Never, because the only reason to buy a generic is because it often has a lower price. You don\'t promote generic products as being of HIGHER quality than brands, just comparable in quality but lower in price.\n\n&nbsp;','What you can learn from coffee filters','','inherit','open','open','','2017-revision','','','2013-01-30 18:24:52','2013-01-30 18:24:52','',2017,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/2017-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2019,4,'2013-01-30 18:38:21','2013-01-30 18:38:21','As anybody who knows me (or sees the theme in this website), I like coffee. I brew a huge mugful every morning. For years, I have been using  store brand (ok, cheaper) unbleached filters and thought nothing of it. However,  I hosted a brunch in December, and was out of coffee and filters, so I bought premium coffee and premium filters ( always want to treat my guests right). Brunch was great and who knew my cousin was such a huge coffee drinker (brewed three pots!).\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"I love coffee by Kristoffer Winther Balling, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/wiba/483626169/\"><img title=\"&quot;I love coffee&quot; \" src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/207/483626169_74f5319ebe.jpg\" alt=\"I love coffee\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a> \"I love coffee\" by Kristopher Winther Balling on Flickr[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter I ran out of premium coffee, I reverted back to my usual (good) coffee, but still using the premium filters. And then, two days ago, I ran out of premium filters and was back to store brand. Guess what? My coffee tasted different--and not in a good way. It was more bitter.\n\nBeing a coffee lover, I had to correct this situation and promptly ran out and bought the premium filters again. Coffee this morning tasted good. The filters make a difference.\n\nThese are tough times, and many of us need to economize. But, we choose our battles and sometimes price does not win over quality.\n\n<strong>Let me rephrase that: quality can trump price.</strong>\n\nMarketing lesson here is simple: price is not the best unique selling proposition (USP). This is not the same as talking about value.  If you are betting that your target audience will be swayed by price alone, you will be disappointed. People may try a product because it is cheaper, but if the quality is not there, they won\'t buy again.  In a sense, generic brands \"get\" this. How often do you see a generic advertised? Never, because the only reason to buy a generic is because it often has a lower price. You don\'t promote generic/store brand products as being of HIGHER quality than brands, just comparable in quality but lower in price.\n\nFind what makes your product (or service) special outside of the price.  If your target values that attribute,  the target will buy it very often regardless of price.\n\n&nbsp;','What you can learn from coffee filters','','inherit','open','open','','2017-revision-2','','','2013-01-30 18:38:21','2013-01-30 18:38:21','',2017,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/2017-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(2020,4,'2013-01-30 18:39:10','2013-01-30 18:39:10','As anybody who knows me (or sees the theme in this website), I like coffee. I brew a huge mugful every morning. For years, I have been using  store brand (ok, cheaper) unbleached filters and thought nothing of it. However,  I hosted a brunch in December, and was out of coffee and filters, so I bought premium coffee and premium filters ( always want to treat my guests right). Brunch was great and who knew my cousin was such a huge coffee drinker (brewed three pots!).\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"I love coffee by Kristoffer Winther Balling, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/wiba/483626169/\"><img title=\"&quot;I love coffee&quot; \" src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/207/483626169_74f5319ebe.jpg\" alt=\"I love coffee\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a> \"I love coffee\" by Kristopher Winther Balling on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter I ran out of premium coffee, I reverted back to my usual (good) coffee, but still using the premium filters. And then, two days ago, I ran out of premium filters and was back to store brand. Guess what? My coffee tasted different--and not in a good way. It was more bitter.\r\n\r\nBeing a coffee lover, I had to correct this situation and promptly ran out and bought the premium filters again. Coffee this morning tasted good. The filters make a difference.\r\n\r\nThese are tough times, and many of us need to economize. But, we choose our battles and sometimes price does not win over quality.\r\n\r\n<strong>Let me rephrase that: quality can trump price.</strong>\r\n\r\nMarketing lesson here is simple: price is not the best unique selling proposition (USP). This is not the same as talking about value.  If you are betting that your target audience will be swayed by price alone, you will be disappointed. People may try a product because it is cheaper, but if the quality is not there, they won\'t buy again.  In a sense, generic brands \"get\" this. How often do you see a generic advertised? Never, because the only reason to buy a generic is because it often has a lower price. You don\'t promote generic/store brand products as being of HIGHER quality than brands, just comparable in quality but lower in price.\r\n\r\nFind what makes your product (or service) special outside of the price.  If your target values that attribute,  the target will buy it very often regardless of price.\r\n\r\n<strong>In other words, it\'s about showing value and not about discussing price.</strong>\r\n\r\nWhat say you? Are there products you buy because you think they have a higher value?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','What you can learn from coffee filters','','inherit','open','open','','2017-revision-3','','','2013-01-30 18:39:10','2013-01-30 18:39:10','',2017,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/2017-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(2021,4,'2013-01-30 18:39:19','2013-01-30 18:39:19','As anybody who knows me (or sees the theme in this website), I like coffee. I brew a huge mugful every morning. For years, I have been using  store brand (ok, cheaper) unbleached filters and thought nothing of it. However,  I hosted a brunch in December, and was out of coffee and filters, so I bought premium coffee and premium filters ( always want to treat my guests right). Brunch was great and who knew my cousin was such a huge coffee drinker (brewed three pots!).\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"I love coffee by Kristoffer Winther Balling, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/wiba/483626169/\"><img title=\"&quot;I love coffee&quot; \" src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/207/483626169_74f5319ebe.jpg\" alt=\"I love coffee\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a> \"I love coffee\" by Kristopher Winther Balling on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter I ran out of premium coffee, I reverted back to my usual (good) coffee, but still using the premium filters. And then, two days ago, I ran out of premium filters and was back to store brand. Guess what? My coffee tasted different--and not in a good way. It was more bitter.\r\n\r\nBeing a coffee lover, I had to correct this situation and promptly ran out and bought the premium filters again. Coffee this morning tasted good. The filters make a difference.\r\n\r\nThese are tough times, and many of us need to economize. But, we choose our battles and sometimes price does not win over quality.\r\n\r\n<strong>Let me rephrase that: quality can trump price.</strong>\r\n\r\nMarketing lesson here is simple: price is not the best unique selling proposition (USP). This is not the same as talking about value.  If you are betting that your target audience will be swayed by price alone, you will be disappointed. People may try a product because it is cheaper, but if the quality is not there, they won\'t buy again.  In a sense, generic brands \"get\" this. How often do you see a generic advertised? Never, because the only reason to buy a generic is because it often has a lower price. You don\'t promote generic/store brand products as being of HIGHER quality than brands, just comparable in quality but lower in price.\r\n\r\nFind what makes your product (or service) special outside of the price.  If your target values that attribute,  the target will buy it very often regardless of price.\r\n\r\n<strong>In other words, it\'s about showing value and not about discussing price.</strong>\r\n\r\nWhat say you? Are there products you buy because you think they have a higher value?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','What you can learn from coffee filters','','inherit','open','open','','2017-revision-4','','','2013-01-30 18:39:19','2013-01-30 18:39:19','',2017,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/01/2017-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),
(2023,4,'2013-02-01 14:53:57','2013-02-01 14:53:57','You know the stakes are high when an advertiser takes out a full page ad to promote a TV commercial. Of course, it\'s not just any TV commercial--it\'s a commercial during the Super Bowl.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2024\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"212\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/cars.com-ad.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2024\" title=\"cars.com ad\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/cars.com-ad-212x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"212\" height=\"300\" /></a> Top quarter of full page cars.com ad in Feb. 1 Washington Post[/caption]\r\n\r\nSuper Bowl advertising costs are at an all-time high. According to<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/as-super-bowl-ad-prices-rise-some-decide-to-release-commercials-before-big-game/2013/01/31/2b2929a6-6bf5-11e2-bd36-c0fe61a205f6_story.html\" target=\"_blank\"> Lisa de Moraes\' TV column </a>in today\'s Washington Post, CBS is charging nearly $4 million per 30-second spot. De Moraes says that due to the high cost and the clutter, advertisers are doing what they can to promote their commercials. Some advertisers are releasing the commercial prior to the game and others are giving viewers the option of choosing the ad ending.\r\n\r\nCars.com seems to think that producing a full page ad will focus eye balls on their commercial. Notice that in addition, the ad is promoting <a href=\"http://www.cars.com/nodrama\" target=\"_blank\">this website</a>, where, in meta-fashion, they have some drama about the focus group about the impact of the ad. Let\'s see, based on this, I think we can expect a dramatic ad, or an ad with drama, or an ironic take on car buying, or an exaggeration. Or maybe the point is that we won\'t know what to expect.\r\n\r\nI am not sure this tack works. For one, the need to advertise an advertisement seems bizarre. And second, it sets up a very high expectation that this ad is going to stand out. If the commercial doesn\'t meet expectations, then no one wins. The advertiser will have spent $4 million plus the cost of producing the video about the commercial plus the cost of advertising the ad (design, placement, etc.). I would say cars.com\'s investment is a minimum of $5 million (and I don\'t know how much the Super Bowl commercial cost to produce or how many newspapers the print ad ran in).\r\n\r\nWill you be watching the Super Bowl?\r\n<h6>Want to learn to blog?</h6>\r\nIf you would like to have a successful blog (consistent, interesting, and focused on your audience) and you are in the Washington, DC metro area, check out my next blogging workshop on February 28. More details and registration <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','An ad to promote a TV commercial...','','publish','open','open','','an-ad-to-promote-a-tv-commercial','','','2013-02-01 14:53:57','2013-02-01 14:53:57','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2023',0,'post','',0),
(2024,4,'2013-02-01 14:28:21','2013-02-01 14:28:21','','cars.com ad','Top quarter of full page cars.com ad in Feb. 1 Washington Post','inherit','open','open','','cars-com-ad','','','2013-02-01 14:28:21','2013-02-01 14:28:21','',2023,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/cars.com-ad.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(2025,4,'2013-02-01 14:48:58','2013-02-01 14:48:58','You know the stakes are high when an advertiser takes out a full page ad to promote a TV commercial. Of course, it\'s not just any TV commercial--it\'s a commercial during the Super Bowl.\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_2024\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"212\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/cars.com-ad.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2024\" title=\"cars.com ad\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/cars.com-ad-212x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"212\" height=\"300\" /></a> Top quarter of full page cars.com ad in Feb. 1 Washington Post[/caption]\n\nSuper Bowl advertising costs are at an all-time high. According to<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/as-super-bowl-ad-prices-rise-some-decide-to-release-commercials-before-big-game/2013/01/31/2b2929a6-6bf5-11e2-bd36-c0fe61a205f6_story.html\" target=\"_blank\"> Lisa de Moraes\' TV column </a>in today\'s Washington Post, CBS is charging nearly $4 million per 30-second spot. De Moraes says that due to the high cost and the clutter, advertisers are doing what they can to promote their commercials. Some advertisers are releasing the commercial prior to the game and others are giving viewers the option of choosing the ad ending.\n\nCars.com seems to think that producing a full page ad will focus eye balls on their commercial. Notice that in addition, the ad is promoting <a href=\"http://www.cars.com/nodrama\" target=\"_blank\">this website</a>. Where, in meta-fashion, they have some drama about the focus group about the impact of the ad. Let\'s see, we can expect a dramatic ad, or an ad with drama, or something.\n\nI am not sure this tack works. For one, the need to advertise an advertisement seems bizarre. And second, it sets up a very high expectation that this ad is going to stand out. If the commercial doesn\'t meet expectations, then no one wins. The advertiser will have spent $4 million plus the cost of producing the video about the commercial plus the cost of advertising the ad (design, placement, etc.). I would say cars.com\'s investment is a minimum of $5 million (and I don\'t know how much the Super Bowl commercial cost to produce or how many newspapers the print ad ran in).\n\nWill you be watching the Super Bowl?\n<h6>Want to learn to blog?</h6>\nIf you would like to have a successful blog (consistent, interesting, and focused on your audience) and you are in the Washington, DC metro area, check out my next blogging workshop on February 28. More details and registration here.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','An ad to promote a TV commercial...','','inherit','open','open','','2023-revision','','','2013-02-01 14:48:58','2013-02-01 14:48:58','',2023,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2023-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2026,4,'2013-02-01 14:49:32','2013-02-01 14:49:32','You know the stakes are high when an advertiser takes out a full page ad to promote a TV commercial. Of course, it\'s not just any TV commercial--it\'s a commercial during the Super Bowl.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2024\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"212\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/cars.com-ad.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2024\" title=\"cars.com ad\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/cars.com-ad-212x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"212\" height=\"300\" /></a> Top quarter of full page cars.com ad in Feb. 1 Washington Post[/caption]\r\n\r\nSuper Bowl advertising costs are at an all-time high. According to<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/as-super-bowl-ad-prices-rise-some-decide-to-release-commercials-before-big-game/2013/01/31/2b2929a6-6bf5-11e2-bd36-c0fe61a205f6_story.html\" target=\"_blank\"> Lisa de Moraes\' TV column </a>in today\'s Washington Post, CBS is charging nearly $4 million per 30-second spot. De Moraes says that due to the high cost and the clutter, advertisers are doing what they can to promote their commercials. Some advertisers are releasing the commercial prior to the game and others are giving viewers the option of choosing the ad ending.\r\n\r\nCars.com seems to think that producing a full page ad will focus eye balls on their commercial. Notice that in addition, the ad is promoting <a href=\"http://www.cars.com/nodrama\" target=\"_blank\">this website</a>. Where, in meta-fashion, they have some drama about the focus group about the impact of the ad. Let\'s see, we can expect a dramatic ad, or an ad with drama, or something.\r\n\r\nI am not sure this tack works. For one, the need to advertise an advertisement seems bizarre. And second, it sets up a very high expectation that this ad is going to stand out. If the commercial doesn\'t meet expectations, then no one wins. The advertiser will have spent $4 million plus the cost of producing the video about the commercial plus the cost of advertising the ad (design, placement, etc.). I would say cars.com\'s investment is a minimum of $5 million (and I don\'t know how much the Super Bowl commercial cost to produce or how many newspapers the print ad ran in).\r\n\r\nWill you be watching the Super Bowl?\r\n<h6>Want to learn to blog?</h6>\r\nIf you would like to have a successful blog (consistent, interesting, and focused on your audience) and you are in the Washington, DC metro area, check out my next blogging workshop on February 28. More details and registration <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','An ad to promote a TV commercial...','','inherit','open','open','','2023-revision-2','','','2013-02-01 14:49:32','2013-02-01 14:49:32','',2023,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2023-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(2027,4,'2013-02-01 14:49:54','2013-02-01 14:49:54','You know the stakes are high when an advertiser takes out a full page ad to promote a TV commercial. Of course, it\'s not just any TV commercial--it\'s a commercial during the Super Bowl.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2024\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"212\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/cars.com-ad.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2024\" title=\"cars.com ad\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/cars.com-ad-212x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"212\" height=\"300\" /></a> Top quarter of full page cars.com ad in Feb. 1 Washington Post[/caption]\r\n\r\nSuper Bowl advertising costs are at an all-time high. According to<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/as-super-bowl-ad-prices-rise-some-decide-to-release-commercials-before-big-game/2013/01/31/2b2929a6-6bf5-11e2-bd36-c0fe61a205f6_story.html\" target=\"_blank\"> Lisa de Moraes\' TV column </a>in today\'s Washington Post, CBS is charging nearly $4 million per 30-second spot. De Moraes says that due to the high cost and the clutter, advertisers are doing what they can to promote their commercials. Some advertisers are releasing the commercial prior to the game and others are giving viewers the option of choosing the ad ending.\r\n\r\nCars.com seems to think that producing a full page ad will focus eye balls on their commercial. Notice that in addition, the ad is promoting <a href=\"http://www.cars.com/nodrama\" target=\"_blank\">this website</a>. Where, in meta-fashion, they have some drama about the focus group about the impact of the ad. Let\'s see, we can expect a dramatic ad, or an ad with drama, or something.\r\n\r\nI am not sure this tack works. For one, the need to advertise an advertisement seems bizarre. And second, it sets up a very high expectation that this ad is going to stand out. If the commercial doesn\'t meet expectations, then no one wins. The advertiser will have spent $4 million plus the cost of producing the video about the commercial plus the cost of advertising the ad (design, placement, etc.). I would say cars.com\'s investment is a minimum of $5 million (and I don\'t know how much the Super Bowl commercial cost to produce or how many newspapers the print ad ran in).\r\n\r\nWill you be watching the Super Bowl?\r\n<h6>Want to learn to blog?</h6>\r\nIf you would like to have a successful blog (consistent, interesting, and focused on your audience) and you are in the Washington, DC metro area, check out my next blogging workshop on February 28. More details and registration <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','An ad to promote a TV commercial...','','inherit','open','open','','2023-revision-3','','','2013-02-01 14:49:54','2013-02-01 14:49:54','',2023,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2023-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(2029,4,'2013-02-04 14:28:06','2013-02-04 14:28:06','Long-time readers of this blog know that I have written before about Pepco, the Potomac Electric Power Company, which serves nearly 800,000 customers in Maryland and Washington, D.C.  My posts have focused on the fact that Pepco\'s advertising does not match people\'s experiences with the power company.\r\n\r\nLast night, viewers of Super Bowl 47 were surprised to see the lights go out during the game in the Superdome in New Orleans, where the game was being played. In fact, the power was out for about 35 minutes. Entergy, the electricity provider in New Orleans said that the issue was not with them but with the stadium. As of right now, I am not sure what caused the power failure but I do know what people in Maryland and DC thought about it by their postings on Twitter: Pepco must surely be involved.\r\n\r\nPepco\'s reliability has become a joke. It has a negative perception so deeply ingrained in customers\' minds that comments like: \"Who knew <strong>Pepco</strong> was the official energy provider for the Super Bowl\" by @djrothkopf or \"Talked to <strong>Pepco </strong>and they\'re confident power will be restored to all parts of the stadium by Wednesday\" by @timothypmurphy were rampant (and often retweeted) on Twitter on Sunday night.\r\n\r\nNo amount of advertising will fix a real, on-the-ground problem. Other organizations, such as the Washington Metropolitan Transportation Authority (WMATA), need to learn this lesson too. When you have let your customers down repeatedly, they will no longer trust you. Your advertising and your public relations will not rehabilitate your image.\r\n\r\nIn order to change people\'s perceptions of your brand, you need to move beyond just communications. You need to make positive changes and be able to provide proof that you have done so. Once you have made measurable progress and you have something tangible to report, you can move forward with a communications program. Even then, bad experiences are difficult to overcome.\r\n\r\nIt will take actual reliability and good experiences with Pepco for customers to learn to trust this company.  As I have said before, you can tell me in your advertising that you are working on your reliability, but if I am sitting in the dark for days on end (like I was during last summer\'s Derecho storm), I am going to doubt you are doing very much at all.\r\n\r\nWhat are your thoughts? If you are in Maryland or DC did you also joke that Pepco was behind the power outage at the Super Bowl?','The power to recognize advertising is not enough','','publish','open','open','','the-power-to-recognize-advertising-is-not-enough','','','2013-02-04 14:28:06','2013-02-04 14:28:06','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2029',0,'post','',0),
(2030,4,'2013-02-04 14:27:19','2013-02-04 14:27:19','Long-time readers of this blog know that I have written before about Pepco, the Potomac Electric Power Company, which serves nearly 800,000 customers in Maryland and Washington, D.C.  My posts have focused on the fact that Pepco\'s advertising does not match people\'s experiences with the power company.\n\nLast night, viewers of Super Bowl 47 were surprised to see the lights go out during the game in the Superdome in New Orleans, where the game was being played. In fact, the power was out for about 35 minutes. Entergy, the electricity provider in New Orleans said that the issue was not with them but with the stadium. As of right now, I am not sure what caused the power failure but I do know what people in Maryland and DC thought about it by their postings on Twitter: Pepco must surely be involved.\n\nPepco\'s reliability has become a joke. It has a negative perception so deeply ingrained in customers\' minds that comments like: \"Who knew <strong>Pepco</strong> was the official energy provider for the Super Bowl\" by @djrothkopf or \"Talked to <strong>Pepco </strong>and they\'re confident power will be restored to all parts of the stadium by Wednesday\" by @timothypmurphy were rampant (and often retweeted) on Twitter on Sunday night.\n\nNo amount of advertising will fix a real, on-the-ground problem. Other organizations, such as the Washington Metropolitan Transportation Authority (WMATA), need to learn this lesson too. When you have let your customers down repeatedly, they will no longer trust you. Your advertising and your public relations will not rehabilitate your image.\n\nIn order to change people\'s perceptions of your brand, you need to move beyond just communications. You need to make positive changes and be able to provide proof that you have done so. Once you have made measurable progress and you have something tangible to report, you can move forward with a communications program. Even then, bad experiences are difficult to overcome.\n\nIt will take actual reliability and good experiences with Pepco for customers to learn to trust this company.  As I have said before, you can tell me in your advertising that you are working on your reliability, but if I am sitting in the dark for days on end (like I was during last summer\'s Derecho storm), I am going to doubt you are doing very much at all.\n\nWhat are your thoughts? If you are in Maryland or DC did you also joke that Pepco was behind the power outage at the Super Bowl?','The power to recognize advertising is not enough','','inherit','open','open','','2029-revision','','','2013-02-04 14:27:19','2013-02-04 14:27:19','',2029,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2029-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2031,4,'2013-02-04 14:29:10','2013-02-04 14:29:10','Long-time readers of this blog know that I have written before about Pepco, the Potomac Electric Power Company, which serves nearly 800,000 customers in Maryland and Washington, D.C.  My posts have focused on the fact that Pepco\'s advertising does not match people\'s experiences with the power company.\n\nLast night, viewers of Super Bowl 47 were surprised to see the lights go out during the game in the Superdome in New Orleans, where the game was being played. In fact, the power was out for about 35 minutes. Entergy, the electricity provider in New Orleans said that the issue was not with them but with the stadium. As of right now, I am not sure what caused the power failure but I do know what people in Maryland and DC thought about it by their postings on Twitter: Pepco must surely be involved.\n\nPepco\'s reliability has become a joke. It has a negative perception so deeply ingrained in customers\' minds that comments like: \"Who knew <strong>Pepco</strong> was the official energy provider for the Super Bowl\" by @djrothkopf or \"Talked to <strong>Pepco </strong>and they\'re confident power will be restored to all parts of the stadium by Wednesday\" by @timothypmurphy were rampant (and often retweeted) on Twitter on Sunday night.\n\nNo amount of advertising will fix a real, on-the-ground problem. Other organizations, such as the Washington Metropolitan Transportation Authority (WMATA), need to learn this lesson too. When you have let your customers down repeatedly, they will no longer trust you. Your advertising and your public relations will not rehabilitate your image.\n\nIn order to change people\'s perceptions of your brand, you need to move beyond just communications. You need to make positive changes and be able to provide proof that you have done so. Once you have made measurable progress and you have something tangible to report, you can move forward with a communications program. Even then, bad experiences are difficult to overcome.\n\nIt will take actual reliability and good experiences with Pepco for customers to learn to trust this company.  As I have said before, you can tell me in your advertising that you are working on your reliability, but if I am sitting in the dark for days on end (like I was during last summer\'s Derecho storm), I am going to doubt you are doing very much at all.\n\nWhat are your thoughts? If you are in Maryland or DC did you also joke that Pepco was behind the power outage at the Super Bowl?','The power to recognize advertising is not enough','','inherit','open','open','','2029-autosave','','','2013-02-04 14:29:10','2013-02-04 14:29:10','',2029,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2029-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(2062,4,'2013-02-13 15:49:22','2013-02-13 15:49:22','Have you ever looked at someone and wanted to make him/her over? Yesterday I saw a woman with frizzy, long and shapeless hair wearing an equally long and shapeless prairie-type dress of a circa 1982 vintage.  Perhaps vintage wines are good but dresses fade and look, well, dated. I wondered if she was aware of how she appeared: as someone who did not care about her appearance and/or hadn\'t been shopping in 30 years and/or didn\'t have a good friend to tell her she needed to update.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"338\"]<a title=\"Little Claire on the Prairie by chris_ford_uk, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/11694215@N00/817748586/\"><img alt=\"Little Claire on the Prairie\" src=\"http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1021/817748586_e6ec6ed504.jpg\" width=\"338\" height=\"450\" /></a> Little Claire on the Prairie by Chris_Ford_UK on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nWhat does this 80s refugee have to do with marketing and communications? Simple, they too can benefit from an update and a makeover. When was the last time you really examined your website? Does the design indicate that we are in 2013 or is it the same look you had when you launched your website back in 1996? When was the last time you posted something on your blog or changed your about us page? How about your logo? Still using fonts that were popular in the 1970s?\r\n\r\nBut updates don\'t only refer to outward appearance. You must also look at the back end. Is your software up to date? Have you looked at your mission statement lately? Or your target audience description? Perhaps your messaging needs an update too.\r\n\r\nMake it one your goals for 2013 to determine what needs to be updated and then get it done! Here is a list to help you:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Logo</li>\r\n	<li>Tagline</li>\r\n	<li>Website (including blog)</li>\r\n	<li>Brochure (even if it\'s a PDF/online version)</li>\r\n	<li>Business stationery (including letterhead and business cards)</li>\r\n	<li>Annual report</li>\r\n	<li>Press release boilerplate</li>\r\n	<li>Organizational mission/vision</li>\r\n	<li>Target audience description</li>\r\n	<li>Organizational description in various formats and lengths</li>\r\n	<li>Services/products list (and pricing if appropriate)</li>\r\n	<li>Social media avatars/biographies/descriptions</li>\r\n	<li>Software/hardware</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>A makeover is a chance to refresh and renew. </strong> With people, makeovers tend to make them look younger and more attractive. With organizations, makeovers make them look in touch, modern and more attractive (to potential customers/clients/donors/supporters).\r\n\r\nWhat are you going to change this year?\r\n<h3>Improve your blog/blogging process!</h3>\r\nIf you are in the Washington, DC metro area and would like to improve your blog or blogging process, sign up for my How to Write your Blog workshop today! The workshop takes place on Thursday, February 28 at the Silver Spring Civic Building.  For more details and to register, visit the <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">Eventbrite page.</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is it time for a makeover?','','publish','open','open','','is-it-time-for-a-makeover','','','2013-02-13 15:49:22','2013-02-13 15:49:22','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2062',0,'post','',0),
(2033,4,'2013-02-05 16:45:34','2013-02-05 16:45:34','Is your organization\'s blog feeling tired? Perhaps it\'s time to try  a few new things like soliciting guest blog posts, or live blogging a conference. Read <a href=\"http://www.batescreativegroup.com/align/5-easy-ways-to-invigorate-your-organizations-blog\" target=\"_blank\">the five tips to re-invigorate your blog </a>that I share as a guest blogger at <a href=\"http://batescreativegroup.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bates Creative Group</a>\'s <em>Align</em> blog.\r\n\r\nMy thanks to Director of Business Development Heather Shelton and Marketing Specialist Amanda Jennison of Bates Creative Group for including me in their blog!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Invigorate your organization\'s blog','','publish','open','open','','invigorate-your-organizations-blog','','','2013-02-05 16:45:34','2013-02-05 16:45:34','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2033',0,'post','',0),
(2034,4,'2013-02-05 16:44:46','2013-02-05 16:44:46','Is your organization\'s blog feeling tired? Perhaps it\'s time to try  a few new things like soliciting guest blog posts, or live blogging a conference. Read <a href=\"http://www.batescreativegroup.com/align/5-easy-ways-to-invigorate-your-organizations-blog\" target=\"_blank\">the five tips to re-invigorate your blog </a>that I share as a guest blogger at <a href=\"http://batescreativegroup.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bates Creative Group</a>\'s <em>Align</em> blog.\n\nMy thanks to Director of Business Development Heather Shelton and Marketing Specialist Amanda Jennison of Bates Creative Group for including me in their blog!\n\n&nbsp;','Invigorate your organization\'s blog','','inherit','open','open','','2033-revision','','','2013-02-05 16:44:46','2013-02-05 16:44:46','',2033,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2033-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2035,4,'2013-02-05 16:46:38','2013-02-05 16:46:38','Is your organization\'s blog feeling tired? Perhaps it\'s time to try  a few new things like soliciting guest blog posts, or live blogging a conference. Read <a href=\"http://www.batescreativegroup.com/align/5-easy-ways-to-invigorate-your-organizations-blog\" target=\"_blank\">the five tips to re-invigorate your blog </a>that I share as a guest blogger at <a href=\"http://batescreativegroup.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bates Creative Group</a>\'s <em>Align</em> blog.\n\nMy thanks to Director of Business Development Heather Shelton and Marketing Specialist Amanda Jennison of Bates Creative Group for including me in their blog!\n\n&nbsp;','Invigorate your organization\'s blog','','inherit','open','open','','2033-autosave','','','2013-02-05 16:46:38','2013-02-05 16:46:38','',2033,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2033-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(2036,4,'2013-02-26 17:48:28','0000-00-00 00:00:00','Yesterday, I attempted to go to a Starbucks and get some reading done.  Even before I ordered, I had a bad feeling.  The two \"baristas\" were busy arguing among themselves, about what, I am not sure. What I do know is that they were not remotely interested in the customers, the shop or anything else. I was not greeted with a smile.  My order was given to me and my money was taken and that was it.\n\nWe know that a dismissive and indifferent attitude is not good for sales.\n\nIn spite of all this, the place was packed. So much so, I was not able to find a seat and had to leave. My reading would have to wait.\n\n&nbsp;','Attitude makes a difference','','draft','open','open','','','','','2013-02-26 17:48:28','2013-02-26 17:48:28','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2036',0,'post','',0),
(2037,4,'2013-02-07 15:08:02','2013-02-07 15:08:02','Yesterday, I attempted to go to a Starbucks and get some reading done.  Even before I ordered, I had a bad feeling.  The two \"baristas\" were busy arguing among themselves, about what, I am not sure. What I do know is that they were not remotely interested in the customers, the shop or anything else. I was not greeted with a smile.  My order was given to me and my money was taken and that was it.\n\nWe know that a dismissive and indifferent attitude is not good for sales.\n\nIn spite of all this, the place was packed. So much so, I was not able to find a seat and had to leave. My reading would have to wait.\n\n&nbsp;','Attitude makes a difference','','inherit','open','open','','2036-revision','','','2013-02-07 15:08:02','2013-02-07 15:08:02','',2036,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2036-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2038,4,'2012-05-29 14:25:45','2012-05-29 14:25:45','We are located in the <strong>Washington, DC</strong> metro area:\r\n\r\n<strong>Mail</strong>:\r\n\r\n<address>Deborah Brody Marketing Communication</address><address>PO Box 1435\r\nRockville, MD 20849</address><address> </address><address> </address><strong>Call:</strong>\r\n\r\n301-424-2488 (office) or  305-336-4357  (mobile)\r\n\r\n<strong>Email:</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"mailto:info@deborahbrody.com\">info@deborahbrody.com</a>\r\n\r\n<strong>Twitter:</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://twitter.com/dbmc\" target=\"_blank\">@DBMC</a>','Contact','','inherit','open','open','','24-revision-v1','','','2012-05-29 14:25:45','2012-05-29 14:25:45','',24,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/05/24-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),
(2039,4,'2013-02-07 21:27:06','2013-02-07 21:27:06','We are located in the <strong>Washington, DC</strong> metro area:\r\n\r\n<strong>Mail</strong>:\r\n\r\n<address>Deborah Brody Marketing Communication</address><address>PO Box 1435\r\nRockville, MD 20849</address><address> </address><address> </address><strong>Call:</strong>\r\n\r\n240-803-DBMC\r\n\r\n<strong>Email:</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"mailto:info@deborahbrody.com\">info@deborahbrody.com</a>\r\n\r\n<strong>Twitter:</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://twitter.com/dbmc\" target=\"_blank\">@DBMC</a>','Contact','','inherit','open','open','','24-revision-v1','','','2013-02-07 21:27:06','2013-02-07 21:27:06','',24,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/24-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),
(2040,4,'2013-02-07 21:28:37','2013-02-07 21:28:37','We are located in the <strong>Washington, DC</strong> metro area:\r\n\r\n<strong>Mail</strong>:\r\n\r\n<address>Deborah Brody Marketing Communication</address><address>PO Box 1435\r\nRockville, MD 20849</address><address> </address><address> </address><strong>Call:</strong>\r\n\r\n240-803-DBMC (3262)\r\n\r\n<strong>Email:</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"mailto:info@deborahbrody.com\">info@deborahbrody.com</a>\r\n\r\n<strong>Twitter:</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://twitter.com/dbmc\" target=\"_blank\">@DBMC</a>','Contact','','inherit','open','open','','24-revision-v1','','','2013-02-07 21:28:37','2013-02-07 21:28:37','',24,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/24-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),
(2081,4,'2013-02-27 15:09:08','2013-02-27 15:09:08','I was reading a transcript of an online discussion regarding the benefits of blogging for business. One of the people in the discussion declared that she did not have time to blog since she was way too busy doing client work. Her blog was basically abandoned, and she was OK with that. I wasn\'t in on the conversation, but if I had been,  I would have told her she is making a big mistake.\r\n\r\nIt\'s very simple. If you don\'t do any marketing because you are busy, you will inevitably have to work twice as hard to market yourself when you aren\'t busy. And yes, blogging is a marketing effort:  It boosts your visibility. It keeps your website current. It helps with SEO.\r\n\r\nNot blogging because you are too busy is like not networking because you already have a job. If you lose your job (which unfortunately can happen from one day to the next) you will soon realize you don\'t have relationships in place to help you in a job search. You must keep networking and building relationships, whether you \"need\" them now or not, because you never know what will happen in the future.\r\n\r\nWhether you are busy or not, blogging should be a part of your business marketing routine. To neglect your blog now because you are busy working on your client\'s behalf is a rookie mistake. Those of us who have been in the business world for a while know that clients come and go. Clients can face budget shortfalls and cut you from one day to the next.\r\n\r\n<strong>Put energy into your own business, not just your client\'s business.</strong> This applies to you whether you have your own business, or you work for someone else, and even if you are concerned with developing your career. If you are a worker bee, why not have a personal blog? If you work for an organization, you should insist that the organizational should be kept up to date.  And it goes without saying that if you own your own business, you are solely responsible for keeping you presence out there.\r\n\r\nDon\'t wait! Write a blog post today!','Why you should blog even if you don\'t have the time','','publish','open','open','','why-you-should-blog-even-if-you-dont-have-the-time','','','2013-02-27 15:09:08','2013-02-27 15:09:08','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2081',0,'post','',0),
(2042,4,'2013-02-07 21:35:21','2013-02-07 21:35:21','We are located in the <strong>Washington, DC</strong> metro area:\r\n\r\n<strong>Mail</strong>:\r\n\r\n<address>Deborah Brody Marketing Communication</address><address>PO Box 1435\r\nRockville, MD 20849</address><address> </address><address> </address><strong>Call:</strong>\r\n\r\n240-803-DBMC (3262)\r\n\r\n<object type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" data=\"https://clients4.google.com/voice/embed/webCallButton\" width=\"230\" height=\"85\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://clients4.google.com/voice/embed/webCallButton\" /><param name=\"wmode\" value=\"transparent\" /><param name=\"FlashVars\" value=\"id=5e012d4bc24b62a8912b0ad9c09d5ce21e51c5e2&style=0\" /></object>\r\n<strong>Email:</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"mailto:info@deborahbrody.com\">info@deborahbrody.com</a>\r\n\r\n<strong>Twitter:</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://twitter.com/dbmc\" target=\"_blank\">@DBMC</a>','Contact','','inherit','open','open','','24-revision-v1','','','2013-02-07 21:35:21','2013-02-07 21:35:21','',24,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/24-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),
(2044,4,'2013-02-11 15:31:24','2013-02-11 15:31:24','Obvious right? If you don\'t know something, you don\'t even know you don\'t know.  But you do know that you don\'t know everything, which is why you hire experts to help you with stuff like your taxes, your computer network, your health, and so forth.  And this is why you hire people to help you with marketing, advertising, public relation, design and web development.\r\n\r\n<strong>What is tricky about hiring experts to help you with what you don\'t know, is that often you don\'t know enough to ask the right questions or even evaluate the outcomes.</strong>\r\n\r\nLet me give you a specific example. I hired someone  (who shall remain nameless) to create my website using WordPress and transfer the contents of my former blog hosted at Wordpress.com. Check and check. However, somehow people were still finding my old blog and commenting on stuff over there. The person I hired to develop my site had proven to be unreliable and has never been heard from since, so I couldn\'t ask how to fix this problem.\r\n\r\nI needed to make a few other backend changes and contacted <a href=\"http://www.kimwoodbridge.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Kim Woodbridge</a> .  I asked her how I could get people to stop going to my other blog. She told me that it was simple, all I had to do was pay Wordpress.com to redirect people to my website. (Note: it took about two minutes and $13 to get people redirected.) Once people are no longer going to the other blog, I can bring it down.\r\n\r\nI didn\'t know what I had to do or I would have done it sooner. Since the first Wordpress developer failed to do this or advise me to do this, people have been going to my old blog, not realizing it was housed elsewhere.\r\n\r\n<strong>Working with experts</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Remember: you don\'t know what you don\'t know.</strong> When hiring experts you are expecting they will have the knowledge you don\'t. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don\'t. You must start with the assumption that nobody knows everything, but they may know more than you do.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Remember:  you can question.</strong> If something seems wrong or gives you a funny feeling, question it. This is why we get second opinions from doctors. This is why if your taxes seem unusually high, you may ask your accountant to recalculate or even find another accountant.\r\n\r\n3. <strong>Think of it as trial and error</strong> (and hopefully, more trial than error). But remember that you absolutely don\'t know and the expert knows a bit more than you do.\r\n<h3>Blog Workshop on Feb. 28</h3>\r\nWant to improve your blogging? If you are located in the DC area, attend my upcoming How to Write Your Blog workshop on Thursday, February 28 in Silver Spring, MD. Details and registration are <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.','You don\'t know what you don\'t know','','publish','open','open','','you-dont-know-what-you-dont-know','','','2013-02-11 15:31:24','2013-02-11 15:31:24','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2044',0,'post','',1),
(2045,4,'2013-02-11 15:15:46','2013-02-11 15:15:46','Obvious right? If you don\'t know something, you don\'t even know you don\'t know.  But you do know that you don\'t know everything, which is why you hire experts to help you with stuff like your taxes, your computer network, your health, and so forth.  And this is why you hire people to help you with marketing, advertising, public relation, design, web development.\n\nWhat is tricky about hiring experts to help you with what you don\'t know, is that often you don\'t know enough to ask the right questions or even evaluate the outcomes.\n\nLet me give you a specific example. I hired someone  (who shall remain nameless) to create my website using WordPress and transfer the contents of my former blog hosted at Wordpress.com. Check and check. However, somehow people were still finding my old blog and commenting on stuff over there. The person I hired to develop my site had proven to be unreliable and has never been heard from since, so I couldn\'t ask how to fix this problem.\n\nI needed to make a few more backend hanges and contacted <a href=\"http://www.kimwoodbridge.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Kim Woodbridge</a> .  I asked how I could get people to stop going to my other blog. She said I had to pay to have Wordpress.com redirect people to my website. (Note: it took about two minutes and $13 to get people redirected.)\n\nI didn\'t know what I had to do or I would have done it sooner. Since the first Wordpress developer failed to do this or advise me to do this, people have been going to my old blog, not realizing it was housed elsewhere.\n\n<strong>You don\'t know what you don\'t know.</strong> When hiring experts you are expecting they will have the knowledge you don\'t. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don\'t. You must start with the assumption that nobody knows everything, but they may know more than you do. If something seems wrong or gives you a funny feeling, question it. This is why we get second opinions from doctors. This is why if your taxes seem unusually high, you may ask your accountant to recalculate or even find another accountant.\n\nIt is trial and error (and hopefully, more trial than error). But remember that you absolutely don\'t know and the expert knows a bit more than you do.\n\n&nbsp;','You don\'t know what you don\'t know','','inherit','open','open','','2044-revision','','','2013-02-11 15:15:46','2013-02-11 15:15:46','',2044,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2044-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2046,4,'2013-02-11 15:20:33','2013-02-11 15:20:33','Obvious right? If you don\'t know something, you don\'t even know you don\'t know.  But you do know that you don\'t know everything, which is why you hire experts to help you with stuff like your taxes, your computer network, your health, and so forth.  And this is why you hire people to help you with marketing, advertising, public relation, design and web development.\n\n<strong>What is tricky about hiring experts to help you with what you don\'t know, is that often you don\'t know enough to ask the right questions or even evaluate the outcomes.</strong>\n\nLet me give you a specific example. I hired someone  (who shall remain nameless) to create my website using WordPress and transfer the contents of my former blog hosted at Wordpress.com. Check and check. However, somehow people were still finding my old blog and commenting on stuff over there. The person I hired to develop my site had proven to be unreliable and has never been heard from since, so I couldn\'t ask how to fix this problem.\n\nI needed to make a few other backend changes and contacted <a href=\"http://www.kimwoodbridge.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Kim Woodbridge</a> .  I asked her how I could get people to stop going to my other blog. She told me that it was simple, all I had to do was pay Wordpress.com to redirect people to my website. (Note: it took about two minutes and $13 to get people redirected.) Once people are no longer going to the other blog, I can bring it down.\n\nI didn\'t know what I had to do or I would have done it sooner. Since the first Wordpress developer failed to do this or advise me to do this, people have been going to my old blog, not realizing it was housed elsewhere.\n\n<strong>Working with experts</strong>\n\n<strong>1. Remember: you don\'t know what you don\'t know.</strong> When hiring experts you are expecting they will have the knowledge you don\'t. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don\'t. You must start with the assumption that nobody knows everything, but they may know more than you do.\n\n<strong>2. Remember:  you can question.</strong> If something seems wrong or gives you a funny feeling, question it. This is why we get second opinions from doctors. This is why if your taxes seem unusually high, you may ask your accountant to recalculate or even find another accountant.\n\nIt is trial and error (and hopefully, more trial than error). But remember that you absolutely don\'t know and the expert knows a bit more than you do.\n\n&nbsp;','You don\'t know what you don\'t know','','inherit','open','open','','2044-revision-2','','','2013-02-11 15:20:33','2013-02-11 15:20:33','',2044,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2044-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(2047,4,'2013-02-11 15:21:33','2013-02-11 15:21:33','Obvious right? If you don\'t know something, you don\'t even know you don\'t know.  But you do know that you don\'t know everything, which is why you hire experts to help you with stuff like your taxes, your computer network, your health, and so forth.  And this is why you hire people to help you with marketing, advertising, public relation, design and web development.\n\n<strong>What is tricky about hiring experts to help you with what you don\'t know, is that often you don\'t know enough to ask the right questions or even evaluate the outcomes.</strong>\n\nLet me give you a specific example. I hired someone  (who shall remain nameless) to create my website using WordPress and transfer the contents of my former blog hosted at Wordpress.com. Check and check. However, somehow people were still finding my old blog and commenting on stuff over there. The person I hired to develop my site had proven to be unreliable and has never been heard from since, so I couldn\'t ask how to fix this problem.\n\nI needed to make a few other backend changes and contacted <a href=\"http://www.kimwoodbridge.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Kim Woodbridge</a> .  I asked her how I could get people to stop going to my other blog. She told me that it was simple, all I had to do was pay Wordpress.com to redirect people to my website. (Note: it took about two minutes and $13 to get people redirected.) Once people are no longer going to the other blog, I can bring it down.\n\nI didn\'t know what I had to do or I would have done it sooner. Since the first Wordpress developer failed to do this or advise me to do this, people have been going to my old blog, not realizing it was housed elsewhere.\n\n<strong>Working with experts</strong>\n\n<strong>1. Remember: you don\'t know what you don\'t know.</strong> When hiring experts you are expecting they will have the knowledge you don\'t. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don\'t. You must start with the assumption that nobody knows everything, but they may know more than you do.\n\n<strong>2. Remember:  you can question.</strong> If something seems wrong or gives you a funny feeling, question it. This is why we get second opinions from doctors. This is why if your taxes seem unusually high, you may ask your accountant to recalculate or even find another accountant.\n\n3. <strong>Think of it as trial and error</strong> (and hopefully, more trial than error). But remember that you absolutely don\'t know and the expert knows a bit more than you do.\n\n&nbsp;','You don\'t know what you don\'t know','','inherit','open','open','','2044-revision-3','','','2013-02-11 15:21:33','2013-02-11 15:21:33','',2044,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2044-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(2048,4,'2013-02-11 15:21:50','2013-02-11 15:21:50','Obvious right? If you don\'t know something, you don\'t even know you don\'t know.  But you do know that you don\'t know everything, which is why you hire experts to help you with stuff like your taxes, your computer network, your health, and so forth.  And this is why you hire people to help you with marketing, advertising, public relation, design and web development.\r\n\r\n<strong>What is tricky about hiring experts to help you with what you don\'t know, is that often you don\'t know enough to ask the right questions or even evaluate the outcomes.</strong>\r\n\r\nLet me give you a specific example. I hired someone  (who shall remain nameless) to create my website using WordPress and transfer the contents of my former blog hosted at Wordpress.com. Check and check. However, somehow people were still finding my old blog and commenting on stuff over there. The person I hired to develop my site had proven to be unreliable and has never been heard from since, so I couldn\'t ask how to fix this problem.\r\n\r\nI needed to make a few other backend changes and contacted <a href=\"http://www.kimwoodbridge.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Kim Woodbridge</a> .  I asked her how I could get people to stop going to my other blog. She told me that it was simple, all I had to do was pay Wordpress.com to redirect people to my website. (Note: it took about two minutes and $13 to get people redirected.) Once people are no longer going to the other blog, I can bring it down.\r\n\r\nI didn\'t know what I had to do or I would have done it sooner. Since the first Wordpress developer failed to do this or advise me to do this, people have been going to my old blog, not realizing it was housed elsewhere.\r\n\r\n<strong>Working with experts</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Remember: you don\'t know what you don\'t know.</strong> When hiring experts you are expecting they will have the knowledge you don\'t. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don\'t. You must start with the assumption that nobody knows everything, but they may know more than you do.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Remember:  you can question.</strong> If something seems wrong or gives you a funny feeling, question it. This is why we get second opinions from doctors. This is why if your taxes seem unusually high, you may ask your accountant to recalculate or even find another accountant.\r\n\r\n3. <strong>Think of it as trial and error</strong> (and hopefully, more trial than error). But remember that you absolutely don\'t know and the expert knows a bit more than you do.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','You don\'t know what you don\'t know','','inherit','open','open','','2044-revision-4','','','2013-02-11 15:21:50','2013-02-11 15:21:50','',2044,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2044-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),
(2049,4,'2013-02-11 15:22:49','2013-02-11 15:22:49','Obvious right? If you don\'t know something, you don\'t even know you don\'t know.  But you do know that you don\'t know everything, which is why you hire experts to help you with stuff like your taxes, your computer network, your health, and so forth.  And this is why you hire people to help you with marketing, advertising, public relation, design and web development.\r\n\r\n<strong>What is tricky about hiring experts to help you with what you don\'t know, is that often you don\'t know enough to ask the right questions or even evaluate the outcomes.</strong>\r\n\r\nLet me give you a specific example. I hired someone  (who shall remain nameless) to create my website using WordPress and transfer the contents of my former blog hosted at Wordpress.com. Check and check. However, somehow people were still finding my old blog and commenting on stuff over there. The person I hired to develop my site had proven to be unreliable and has never been heard from since, so I couldn\'t ask how to fix this problem.\r\n\r\nI needed to make a few other backend changes and contacted <a href=\"http://www.kimwoodbridge.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Kim Woodbridge</a> .  I asked her how I could get people to stop going to my other blog. She told me that it was simple, all I had to do was pay Wordpress.com to redirect people to my website. (Note: it took about two minutes and $13 to get people redirected.) Once people are no longer going to the other blog, I can bring it down.\r\n\r\nI didn\'t know what I had to do or I would have done it sooner. Since the first Wordpress developer failed to do this or advise me to do this, people have been going to my old blog, not realizing it was housed elsewhere.\r\n\r\n<strong>Working with experts</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Remember: you don\'t know what you don\'t know.</strong> When hiring experts you are expecting they will have the knowledge you don\'t. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don\'t. You must start with the assumption that nobody knows everything, but they may know more than you do.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Remember:  you can question.</strong> If something seems wrong or gives you a funny feeling, question it. This is why we get second opinions from doctors. This is why if your taxes seem unusually high, you may ask your accountant to recalculate or even find another accountant.\r\n\r\n3. <strong>Think of it as trial and error</strong> (and hopefully, more trial than error). But remember that you absolutely don\'t know and the expert knows a bit more than you do.\r\n[post_ender]','You don\'t know what you don\'t know','','inherit','open','open','','2044-revision-5','','','2013-02-11 15:22:49','2013-02-11 15:22:49','',2044,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2044-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),
(2050,4,'2013-02-11 15:22:57','2013-02-11 15:22:57','Obvious right? If you don\'t know something, you don\'t even know you don\'t know.  But you do know that you don\'t know everything, which is why you hire experts to help you with stuff like your taxes, your computer network, your health, and so forth.  And this is why you hire people to help you with marketing, advertising, public relation, design and web development.\r\n\r\n<strong>What is tricky about hiring experts to help you with what you don\'t know, is that often you don\'t know enough to ask the right questions or even evaluate the outcomes.</strong>\r\n\r\nLet me give you a specific example. I hired someone  (who shall remain nameless) to create my website using WordPress and transfer the contents of my former blog hosted at Wordpress.com. Check and check. However, somehow people were still finding my old blog and commenting on stuff over there. The person I hired to develop my site had proven to be unreliable and has never been heard from since, so I couldn\'t ask how to fix this problem.\r\n\r\nI needed to make a few other backend changes and contacted <a href=\"http://www.kimwoodbridge.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Kim Woodbridge</a> .  I asked her how I could get people to stop going to my other blog. She told me that it was simple, all I had to do was pay Wordpress.com to redirect people to my website. (Note: it took about two minutes and $13 to get people redirected.) Once people are no longer going to the other blog, I can bring it down.\r\n\r\nI didn\'t know what I had to do or I would have done it sooner. Since the first Wordpress developer failed to do this or advise me to do this, people have been going to my old blog, not realizing it was housed elsewhere.\r\n\r\n<strong>Working with experts</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Remember: you don\'t know what you don\'t know.</strong> When hiring experts you are expecting they will have the knowledge you don\'t. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don\'t. You must start with the assumption that nobody knows everything, but they may know more than you do.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Remember:  you can question.</strong> If something seems wrong or gives you a funny feeling, question it. This is why we get second opinions from doctors. This is why if your taxes seem unusually high, you may ask your accountant to recalculate or even find another accountant.\r\n\r\n3. <strong>Think of it as trial and error</strong> (and hopefully, more trial than error). But remember that you absolutely don\'t know and the expert knows a bit more than you do.\r\n[post_ender]','You don\'t know what you don\'t know','','inherit','open','open','','2044-revision-6','','','2013-02-11 15:22:57','2013-02-11 15:22:57','',2044,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2044-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),
(2051,4,'2013-02-11 15:23:32','2013-02-11 15:23:32','Obvious right? If you don\'t know something, you don\'t even know you don\'t know.  But you do know that you don\'t know everything, which is why you hire experts to help you with stuff like your taxes, your computer network, your health, and so forth.  And this is why you hire people to help you with marketing, advertising, public relation, design and web development.\r\n\r\n<strong>What is tricky about hiring experts to help you with what you don\'t know, is that often you don\'t know enough to ask the right questions or even evaluate the outcomes.</strong>\r\n\r\nLet me give you a specific example. I hired someone  (who shall remain nameless) to create my website using WordPress and transfer the contents of my former blog hosted at Wordpress.com. Check and check. However, somehow people were still finding my old blog and commenting on stuff over there. The person I hired to develop my site had proven to be unreliable and has never been heard from since, so I couldn\'t ask how to fix this problem.\r\n\r\nI needed to make a few other backend changes and contacted <a href=\"http://www.kimwoodbridge.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Kim Woodbridge</a> .  I asked her how I could get people to stop going to my other blog. She told me that it was simple, all I had to do was pay Wordpress.com to redirect people to my website. (Note: it took about two minutes and $13 to get people redirected.) Once people are no longer going to the other blog, I can bring it down.\r\n\r\nI didn\'t know what I had to do or I would have done it sooner. Since the first Wordpress developer failed to do this or advise me to do this, people have been going to my old blog, not realizing it was housed elsewhere.\r\n\r\n<strong>Working with experts</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Remember: you don\'t know what you don\'t know.</strong> When hiring experts you are expecting they will have the knowledge you don\'t. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don\'t. You must start with the assumption that nobody knows everything, but they may know more than you do.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Remember:  you can question.</strong> If something seems wrong or gives you a funny feeling, question it. This is why we get second opinions from doctors. This is why if your taxes seem unusually high, you may ask your accountant to recalculate or even find another accountant.\r\n\r\n3. <strong>Think of it as trial and error</strong> (and hopefully, more trial than error). But remember that you absolutely don\'t know and the expert knows a bit more than you do.\r\n\r\n\r\n[post_ender]','You don\'t know what you don\'t know','','inherit','open','open','','2044-revision-7','','','2013-02-11 15:23:32','2013-02-11 15:23:32','',2044,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2044-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),
(2052,4,'2013-02-11 15:27:29','2013-02-11 15:27:29','Obvious right? If you don\'t know something, you don\'t even know you don\'t know.  But you do know that you don\'t know everything, which is why you hire experts to help you with stuff like your taxes, your computer network, your health, and so forth.  And this is why you hire people to help you with marketing, advertising, public relation, design and web development.\r\n\r\n<strong>What is tricky about hiring experts to help you with what you don\'t know, is that often you don\'t know enough to ask the right questions or even evaluate the outcomes.</strong>\r\n\r\nLet me give you a specific example. I hired someone  (who shall remain nameless) to create my website using WordPress and transfer the contents of my former blog hosted at Wordpress.com. Check and check. However, somehow people were still finding my old blog and commenting on stuff over there. The person I hired to develop my site had proven to be unreliable and has never been heard from since, so I couldn\'t ask how to fix this problem.\r\n\r\nI needed to make a few other backend changes and contacted <a href=\"http://www.kimwoodbridge.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Kim Woodbridge</a> .  I asked her how I could get people to stop going to my other blog. She told me that it was simple, all I had to do was pay Wordpress.com to redirect people to my website. (Note: it took about two minutes and $13 to get people redirected.) Once people are no longer going to the other blog, I can bring it down.\r\n\r\nI didn\'t know what I had to do or I would have done it sooner. Since the first Wordpress developer failed to do this or advise me to do this, people have been going to my old blog, not realizing it was housed elsewhere.\r\n\r\n<strong>Working with experts</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Remember: you don\'t know what you don\'t know.</strong> When hiring experts you are expecting they will have the knowledge you don\'t. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don\'t. You must start with the assumption that nobody knows everything, but they may know more than you do.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Remember:  you can question.</strong> If something seems wrong or gives you a funny feeling, question it. This is why we get second opinions from doctors. This is why if your taxes seem unusually high, you may ask your accountant to recalculate or even find another accountant.\r\n\r\n3. <strong>Think of it as trial and error</strong> (and hopefully, more trial than error). But remember that you absolutely don\'t know and the expert knows a bit more than you do.\r\n\r\n\r\n[post_ender]','You don\'t know what you don\'t know','','inherit','open','open','','2044-revision-8','','','2013-02-11 15:27:29','2013-02-11 15:27:29','',2044,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2044-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),
(2053,4,'2013-02-11 15:30:00','2013-02-11 15:30:00','Obvious right? If you don\'t know something, you don\'t even know you don\'t know.  But you do know that you don\'t know everything, which is why you hire experts to help you with stuff like your taxes, your computer network, your health, and so forth.  And this is why you hire people to help you with marketing, advertising, public relation, design and web development.\r\n\r\n<strong>What is tricky about hiring experts to help you with what you don\'t know, is that often you don\'t know enough to ask the right questions or even evaluate the outcomes.</strong>\r\n\r\nLet me give you a specific example. I hired someone  (who shall remain nameless) to create my website using WordPress and transfer the contents of my former blog hosted at Wordpress.com. Check and check. However, somehow people were still finding my old blog and commenting on stuff over there. The person I hired to develop my site had proven to be unreliable and has never been heard from since, so I couldn\'t ask how to fix this problem.\r\n\r\nI needed to make a few other backend changes and contacted <a href=\"http://www.kimwoodbridge.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Kim Woodbridge</a> .  I asked her how I could get people to stop going to my other blog. She told me that it was simple, all I had to do was pay Wordpress.com to redirect people to my website. (Note: it took about two minutes and $13 to get people redirected.) Once people are no longer going to the other blog, I can bring it down.\r\n\r\nI didn\'t know what I had to do or I would have done it sooner. Since the first Wordpress developer failed to do this or advise me to do this, people have been going to my old blog, not realizing it was housed elsewhere.\r\n\r\n<strong>Working with experts</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Remember: you don\'t know what you don\'t know.</strong> When hiring experts you are expecting they will have the knowledge you don\'t. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don\'t. You must start with the assumption that nobody knows everything, but they may know more than you do.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Remember:  you can question.</strong> If something seems wrong or gives you a funny feeling, question it. This is why we get second opinions from doctors. This is why if your taxes seem unusually high, you may ask your accountant to recalculate or even find another accountant.\r\n\r\n3. <strong>Think of it as trial and error</strong> (and hopefully, more trial than error). But remember that you absolutely don\'t know and the expert knows a bit more than you do.\r\n<h3>Blog Workshop on Feb. 28Want to improve your blogging? If you are located in the DC area, attend my upcoming How to Write Your Blog workshop on Thursday, February 28 in Silver Spring, MD. Details and registration are <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.</h3>','You don\'t know what you don\'t know','','inherit','open','open','','2044-revision-9','','','2013-02-11 15:30:00','2013-02-11 15:30:00','',2044,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2044-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),
(2054,4,'2013-02-11 15:30:43','2013-02-11 15:30:43','Obvious right? If you don\'t know something, you don\'t even know you don\'t know.  But you do know that you don\'t know everything, which is why you hire experts to help you with stuff like your taxes, your computer network, your health, and so forth.  And this is why you hire people to help you with marketing, advertising, public relation, design and web development.\r\n\r\n<strong>What is tricky about hiring experts to help you with what you don\'t know, is that often you don\'t know enough to ask the right questions or even evaluate the outcomes.</strong>\r\n\r\nLet me give you a specific example. I hired someone  (who shall remain nameless) to create my website using WordPress and transfer the contents of my former blog hosted at Wordpress.com. Check and check. However, somehow people were still finding my old blog and commenting on stuff over there. The person I hired to develop my site had proven to be unreliable and has never been heard from since, so I couldn\'t ask how to fix this problem.\r\n\r\nI needed to make a few other backend changes and contacted <a href=\"http://www.kimwoodbridge.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Kim Woodbridge</a> .  I asked her how I could get people to stop going to my other blog. She told me that it was simple, all I had to do was pay Wordpress.com to redirect people to my website. (Note: it took about two minutes and $13 to get people redirected.) Once people are no longer going to the other blog, I can bring it down.\r\n\r\nI didn\'t know what I had to do or I would have done it sooner. Since the first Wordpress developer failed to do this or advise me to do this, people have been going to my old blog, not realizing it was housed elsewhere.\r\n\r\n<strong>Working with experts</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Remember: you don\'t know what you don\'t know.</strong> When hiring experts you are expecting they will have the knowledge you don\'t. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don\'t. You must start with the assumption that nobody knows everything, but they may know more than you do.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Remember:  you can question.</strong> If something seems wrong or gives you a funny feeling, question it. This is why we get second opinions from doctors. This is why if your taxes seem unusually high, you may ask your accountant to recalculate or even find another accountant.\r\n\r\n3. <strong>Think of it as trial and error</strong> (and hopefully, more trial than error). But remember that you absolutely don\'t know and the expert knows a bit more than you do.\r\n<h3>Blog Workshop on Feb. 28</h3>\r\nWant to improve your blogging? If you are located in the DC area, attend my upcoming How to Write Your Blog workshop on Thursday, February 28 in Silver Spring, MD. Details and registration are <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.','You don\'t know what you don\'t know','','inherit','open','open','','2044-revision-10','','','2013-02-11 15:30:43','2013-02-11 15:30:43','',2044,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2044-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),
(2055,4,'2013-02-12 14:02:41','2013-02-12 14:02:41','Yesterday, <a title=\"You don’t know what you don’t know\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/you-dont-know-what-you-dont-know/\">I wrote about the need to work with experts.</a> Nobody knows everything and many times it is imperative to hire an expert to help in the areas where you are lacking in specialized skills or knowledge.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"375\"]<a title=\"twisted reflection in the fun house mirror by Little Koshka, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/littlekoshka/6957963962/\"><img alt=\"twisted reflection in the fun house mirror\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7073/6957963962_6f3b938ec8.jpg\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" /></a> Twisted reflection in the fun house mirror by Little Koshka on Flickr[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>\r\n<strong>Keep in mind that not every expert has the same level of expertise</strong>. Let\'s take accounting. If you are someone that has few investments and a W2, you may be perfectly fine doing it yourself, using tax software or going to one of the big box tax advisers that we often see advertised around this time. However, if you are in a special situation (small business, self-employed freelancer, artist, etc.) you will NEED to find someone who understands the tax implications of your situation, and can work with you on filing the proper forms. This is an area where expertise (or lack thereof) can have tremendous financial consequences.\r\n\r\nHow do you figure out if someone has the expertise you require?\r\n\r\n<strong>First, figure out the exact problem you are trying to solve.</strong> If you are having a slump in sales, is it fulfillment, customer service or your marketing/communications?\r\n\r\n<strong>Second, start searching through your network first.</strong> Say you need someone to help you with a public relations issue, ask your network whom they recommend. Alternatively, use LinkedIn to search and see if you have connections in common. Ask your connections if they can give you some idea about the professional.\r\n\r\n<strong>Third, interview the expert.</strong> Be prepared to ask a lot of questions such as \"have you worked with this type of situation before?\"\r\n<strong>Fourth, see if the expert asks you questions.</strong> A real expert needs to get a handle on a situation. He or she should be asking you a lot of questions, including \"why do you need an expert?\" or \"why have you contacted me?\"\r\n\r\n<strong>Fifth, be wary of pat answers or 100% assurances.</strong> Nobody, but nobody can solve any problem with 100% certainty.\r\n\r\n<strong>Sixth, check with your gut.</strong> Do you like this person? Does this person seem genuine?\r\n\r\nUnfortunately, there are great many people out there who are very good at talking themselves up. And as I said in my post yesterday, you don\'t know what you don\'t know so you are unable at times to ask the right questions.\r\n\r\nFor example, I had a client who was desperate to increase his share of the market. He had hired a \"marketing expert\" to help.  The client knew next to nothing about marketing and neither did the \"expert.\" By the time I came in and asked questions like \"who is your target?\" and \"who is your main competition?\" they had already set out a marketing destination that was not aligned with BASIC MARKETING PRINCIPLES. These questions had never been asked before because the so-called expert was not a strategic thinker but was really selling a package of tactics (put up a website, use a QR code, print a postcard, make a video) without a unifying message or idea of how success would be measured.\r\n\r\nCould the client have avoided the situation above? Maybe yes or maybe no. He didn\'t know what he didn\'t know, but he also didn\'t bother to ask questions and study up on the topic.\r\n\r\n<strong>My takeaway here is the old Ronald Reagan line: trust but verify. </strong> You should do your due diligence when hiring an expert because not everything is as it seems.\r\n\r\nThoughts?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Not everything is as it seems','','publish','open','open','','not-everything-is-as-it-seems','','\nhttp://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/you-dont-know-what-you-dont-know/','2013-02-12 14:02:41','2013-02-12 14:02:41','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2055',0,'post','',0),
(2056,4,'2013-02-12 13:52:57','2013-02-12 13:52:57','Yesterday, I wrote about the need to work with experts. Nobody knows everything and many times it is imperative to hire an expert to help in the areas where you are lacking in specialized skills or knowledge.\n\n<strong>Keep in mind that not every expert has the same level of expertise</strong>. Let\'s take accounting. If you are someone that has few investments and a W2, you may be perfectly fine doing it yourself, using tax software or going to one of the big box tax advisers that we often see advertised around this time. However, if you are in a special situation (small business, self-employed freelancer, artist, etc.) you will NEED to find someone who understands the tax implications of your situation, and can work with you on filing the proper forms. This is an area where expertise (or lack thereof) can have tremendous financial consequences.\n\nHow do you figure out if someone has the expertise you require?\n\n<strong>First, figure out the exact problem you are trying to solve.</strong> If you are having a slump in sales, is it fulfillment, customer service or your marketing/communications?\n\n<strong>Second, start searching through your network first.</strong> Say you need someone to help you with a public relations issue, ask you network whom they recommend. Alternatively, use LinkedIn to search and see if you have connections in common. Ask your connections if they can give you some idea about the professional.\n\n<strong>Third, interview the expert.</strong> Be prepared to ask a lot of questions such as \"have you worked with this type of situation before?\"\n<strong>Fourth, see if the expert asks you questions.</strong> A real expert needs to get a handle on a situation. He or she should be asking you a lot of questions, including \"why do you need an expert?\" or \"why have you contacted me?\"\n\n<strong>Fifth, be wary of pat answers or 100% assurances.</strong> Nobody, but nobody can solve any problem with 100% certainty.\n\nSixth, check with your gut. Do you like this person? Does this person seem genuine?\n\nUnfortunately, there are great many people out there who are very good at talking themselves up. And as I said in my post yesterday, you don\'t know what you don\'t know so you are unable at times to ask the right questions.\n\nFor example, I had a client who was desperate to increase his share of the market. He had hired a \"marketing expert\" to help.  The client knew next to nothing about marketing and neither did the \"expert.\" By the time I came in and asked questions like \"who is your target?\" and \"who is your main competition?\" they had already set out a marketing destination that was not aligned with BASIC MARKETING PRINCIPLES. These questions had never been asked before because the so-called expert was not a strategic thinker but was really selling a package of tactics (put up a website, use a QR code, print a postcard, make a video) without a unifying message or idea of how success would be measured.\n\nCould the client have avoided the situation above? Maybe yes or maybe no. He didn\'t know what he didn\'t know, but he also didn\'t bother to ask questions and study up on the topic.\n\nMy takeaway here is the old Ronald Reagan line: trust but verify.  You should do your due diligence when hiring an expert because not\n\n&nbsp;','Not everything is as it seems','','inherit','open','open','','2055-revision','','','2013-02-12 13:52:57','2013-02-12 13:52:57','',2055,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2055-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2057,4,'2013-02-12 13:53:57','2013-02-12 13:53:57','Yesterday, I wrote about the need to work with experts. Nobody knows everything and many times it is imperative to hire an expert to help in the areas where you are lacking in specialized skills or knowledge.\n\n<strong>Keep in mind that not every expert has the same level of expertise</strong>. Let\'s take accounting. If you are someone that has few investments and a W2, you may be perfectly fine doing it yourself, using tax software or going to one of the big box tax advisers that we often see advertised around this time. However, if you are in a special situation (small business, self-employed freelancer, artist, etc.) you will NEED to find someone who understands the tax implications of your situation, and can work with you on filing the proper forms. This is an area where expertise (or lack thereof) can have tremendous financial consequences.\n\nHow do you figure out if someone has the expertise you require?\n\n<strong>First, figure out the exact problem you are trying to solve.</strong> If you are having a slump in sales, is it fulfillment, customer service or your marketing/communications?\n\n<strong>Second, start searching through your network first.</strong> Say you need someone to help you with a public relations issue, ask you network whom they recommend. Alternatively, use LinkedIn to search and see if you have connections in common. Ask your connections if they can give you some idea about the professional.\n\n<strong>Third, interview the expert.</strong> Be prepared to ask a lot of questions such as \"have you worked with this type of situation before?\"\n<strong>Fourth, see if the expert asks you questions.</strong> A real expert needs to get a handle on a situation. He or she should be asking you a lot of questions, including \"why do you need an expert?\" or \"why have you contacted me?\"\n\n<strong>Fifth, be wary of pat answers or 100% assurances.</strong> Nobody, but nobody can solve any problem with 100% certainty.\n\nSixth, check with your gut. Do you like this person? Does this person seem genuine?\n\nUnfortunately, there are great many people out there who are very good at talking themselves up. And as I said in my post yesterday, you don\'t know what you don\'t know so you are unable at times to ask the right questions.\n\nFor example, I had a client who was desperate to increase his share of the market. He had hired a \"marketing expert\" to help.  The client knew next to nothing about marketing and neither did the \"expert.\" By the time I came in and asked questions like \"who is your target?\" and \"who is your main competition?\" they had already set out a marketing destination that was not aligned with BASIC MARKETING PRINCIPLES. These questions had never been asked before because the so-called expert was not a strategic thinker but was really selling a package of tactics (put up a website, use a QR code, print a postcard, make a video) without a unifying message or idea of how success would be measured.\n\nCould the client have avoided the situation above? Maybe yes or maybe no. He didn\'t know what he didn\'t know, but he also didn\'t bother to ask questions and study up on the topic.\n\nMy takeaway here is the old Ronald Reagan line: trust but verify.  You should do your due diligence when hiring an expert because not everything is as it seems.\n\nThoughts?\n\n&nbsp;','Not everything is as it seems','','inherit','open','open','','2055-revision-2','','','2013-02-12 13:53:57','2013-02-12 13:53:57','',2055,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2055-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(2058,4,'2013-02-12 14:02:17','2013-02-12 14:02:17','Yesterday, <a title=\"You don’t know what you don’t know\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/you-dont-know-what-you-dont-know/\">I wrote about the need to work with experts.</a> Nobody knows everything and many times it is imperative to hire an expert to help in the areas where you are lacking in specialized skills or knowledge.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"375\"]<a title=\"twisted reflection in the fun house mirror by Little Koshka, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/littlekoshka/6957963962/\"><img alt=\"twisted reflection in the fun house mirror\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7073/6957963962_6f3b938ec8.jpg\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" /></a> Twisted reflection in the fun house mirror by Little Koshka on Flickr[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>\r\n<strong>Keep in mind that not every expert has the same level of expertise</strong>. Let\'s take accounting. If you are someone that has few investments and a W2, you may be perfectly fine doing it yourself, using tax software or going to one of the big box tax advisers that we often see advertised around this time. However, if you are in a special situation (small business, self-employed freelancer, artist, etc.) you will NEED to find someone who understands the tax implications of your situation, and can work with you on filing the proper forms. This is an area where expertise (or lack thereof) can have tremendous financial consequences.\r\n\r\nHow do you figure out if someone has the expertise you require?\r\n\r\n<strong>First, figure out the exact problem you are trying to solve.</strong> If you are having a slump in sales, is it fulfillment, customer service or your marketing/communications?\r\n\r\n<strong>Second, start searching through your network first.</strong> Say you need someone to help you with a public relations issue, ask your network whom they recommend. Alternatively, use LinkedIn to search and see if you have connections in common. Ask your connections if they can give you some idea about the professional.\r\n\r\n<strong>Third, interview the expert.</strong> Be prepared to ask a lot of questions such as \"have you worked with this type of situation before?\"\r\n<strong>Fourth, see if the expert asks you questions.</strong> A real expert needs to get a handle on a situation. He or she should be asking you a lot of questions, including \"why do you need an expert?\" or \"why have you contacted me?\"\r\n\r\n<strong>Fifth, be wary of pat answers or 100% assurances.</strong> Nobody, but nobody can solve any problem with 100% certainty.\r\n\r\n<strong>Sixth, check with your gut.</strong> Do you like this person? Does this person seem genuine?\r\n\r\nUnfortunately, there are great many people out there who are very good at talking themselves up. And as I said in my post yesterday, you don\'t know what you don\'t know so you are unable at times to ask the right questions.\r\n\r\nFor example, I had a client who was desperate to increase his share of the market. He had hired a \"marketing expert\" to help.  The client knew next to nothing about marketing and neither did the \"expert.\" By the time I came in and asked questions like \"who is your target?\" and \"who is your main competition?\" they had already set out a marketing destination that was not aligned with BASIC MARKETING PRINCIPLES. These questions had never been asked before because the so-called expert was not a strategic thinker but was really selling a package of tactics (put up a website, use a QR code, print a postcard, make a video) without a unifying message or idea of how success would be measured.\r\n\r\nCould the client have avoided the situation above? Maybe yes or maybe no. He didn\'t know what he didn\'t know, but he also didn\'t bother to ask questions and study up on the topic.\r\n\r\n<strong>My takeaway here is the old Ronald Reagan line: trust but verify. </strong> You should do your due diligence when hiring an expert because not everything is as it seems.\r\n\r\nThoughts?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Not everything is as it seems','','inherit','open','open','','2055-revision-3','','','2013-02-12 14:02:17','2013-02-12 14:02:17','',2055,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2055-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(2059,4,'2013-02-12 14:03:47','2013-02-12 14:03:47','Yesterday, <a title=\"You don’t know what you don’t know\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/you-dont-know-what-you-dont-know/\">I wrote about the need to work with experts.</a> Nobody knows everything and many times it is imperative to hire an expert to help in the areas where you are lacking in specialized skills or knowledge.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"375\"]<a title=\"twisted reflection in the fun house mirror by Little Koshka, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/littlekoshka/6957963962/\"><img alt=\"twisted reflection in the fun house mirror\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7073/6957963962_6f3b938ec8.jpg\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" /></a> Twisted reflection in the fun house mirror by Little Koshka on Flickr[/caption]\n\n<strong>Keep in mind that not every expert has the same level of expertise</strong>. Let\'s take accounting. If you are someone that has few investments and a W2, you may be perfectly fine doing it yourself, using tax software or going to one of the big box tax advisers that we often see advertised around this time. However, if you are in a special situation (small business, self-employed freelancer, artist, etc.) you will NEED to find someone who understands the tax implications of your situation, and can work with you on filing the proper forms. This is an area where expertise (or lack thereof) can have tremendous financial consequences.\n\nHow do you figure out if someone has the expertise you require?\n\n<strong>First, figure out the exact problem you are trying to solve.</strong> If you are having a slump in sales, is it fulfillment, customer service or your marketing/communications?\n\n<strong>Second, start searching through your network first.</strong> Say you need someone to help you with a public relations issue, ask your network whom they recommend. Alternatively, use LinkedIn to search and see if you have connections in common. Ask your connections if they can give you some idea about the professional.\n\n<strong>Third, interview the expert.</strong> Be prepared to ask a lot of questions such as \"have you worked with this type of situation before?\"\n<strong>Fourth, see if the expert asks you questions.</strong> A real expert needs to get a handle on a situation. He or she should be asking you a lot of questions, including \"why do you need an expert?\" or \"why have you contacted me?\"\n\n<strong>Fifth, be wary of pat answers or 100% assurances.</strong> Nobody, but nobody can solve any problem with 100% certainty.\n\n<strong>Sixth, check with your gut.</strong> Do you like this person? Does this person seem genuine?\n\nUnfortunately, there are great many people out there who are very good at talking themselves up. And as I said in my post yesterday, you don\'t know what you don\'t know so you are unable at times to ask the right questions.\n\nFor example, I had a client who was desperate to increase his share of the market. He had hired a \"marketing expert\" to help.  The client knew next to nothing about marketing and neither did the \"expert.\" By the time I came in and asked questions like \"who is your target?\" and \"who is your main competition?\" they had already set out a marketing destination that was not aligned with BASIC MARKETING PRINCIPLES. These questions had never been asked before because the so-called expert was not a strategic thinker but was really selling a package of tactics (put up a website, use a QR code, print a postcard, make a video) without a unifying message or idea of how success would be measured.\n\nCould the client have avoided the situation above? Maybe yes or maybe no. He didn\'t know what he didn\'t know, but he also didn\'t bother to ask questions and study up on the topic.\n\n<strong>My takeaway here is the old Ronald Reagan line: trust but verify. </strong> You should do your due diligence when hiring an expert because not everything is as it seems.\n\nThoughts?\n\n&nbsp;','Not everything is as it seems','','inherit','open','open','','2055-autosave','','','2013-02-12 14:03:47','2013-02-12 14:03:47','',2055,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2055-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(2063,4,'2013-02-13 15:43:35','2013-02-13 15:43:35','Have you ever looked at someone and wanted to make him/her over? Yesterday I saw a woman with frizzy, long and shapeless hair wearing an equally long and shapeless dress of a circa 1982 vintage.  Perhaps vintage wines are good but dresses fade and look, well, dated. I wondered if she was aware of how she appeared: as someone who did not care about her appearance and/or hadn\'t been shopping in 30 years and/or didn\'t have a good friend to tell her she needed to update.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"338\"]<a title=\"Little Claire on the Prairie by chris_ford_uk, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/11694215@N00/817748586/\"><img alt=\"Little Claire on the Prairie\" src=\"http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1021/817748586_e6ec6ed504.jpg\" width=\"338\" height=\"450\" /></a> Little Claire on the Prairie by Chris_Ford_UK on Flickr[/caption]\n\nWhat does this 80s refugee have to do with marketing and communications? Simple, they too can benefit from an update and a makeover. When was the last time you really examined your website? Does the design indicate that we are in 2013 or is it the same look you had when you launched your website back in 1996? When was the last time you posted something on your blog or changed your about us page? How about your logo? Still using fonts that were popular in the 1970s?\n\nBut updates don\'t only refer to outward appearance. You must also look at the back end. Is your software up to date? Have you looked at your mission statement lately? Or your target audience description? Perhaps your messaging needs an update too.\n\nMake it one your goals for 2013 to determine what needs to be updated and then get it done! Here is a list to help you:\n<ul>\n	<li>Logo</li>\n	<li>Tagline</li>\n	<li>Website (including blog)</li>\n	<li>Brochure (even if it\'s a PDF/online version)</li>\n	<li>Business stationery (including letterhead and business cards)</li>\n	<li>Annual report</li>\n	<li>Press release boilerplate</li>\n	<li>Organizational mission/vision</li>\n	<li>Target audience description</li>\n	<li>Organizational description in various formats and lengths</li>\n	<li>Services/products list (and pricing if appropriate)</li>\n	<li>Social media avatars/biographies/descriptions</li>\n</ul>\n<strong>A makeover is a chance to refresh and renew. </strong> With people, makeovers tend to make them look younger and more attractive. With organizations, makeovers make them look in touch, modern and more attractive (to potential customers/clients/donors/supporters).\n\nWhat are you going to change this year?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Is it time for a makeover?','','inherit','open','open','','2062-revision','','','2013-02-13 15:43:35','2013-02-13 15:43:35','',2062,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2062-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2064,4,'2013-02-13 15:44:43','2013-02-13 15:44:43','Have you ever looked at someone and wanted to make him/her over? Yesterday I saw a woman with frizzy, long and shapeless hair wearing an equally long and shapeless dress of a circa 1982 vintage.  Perhaps vintage wines are good but dresses fade and look, well, dated. I wondered if she was aware of how she appeared: as someone who did not care about her appearance and/or hadn\'t been shopping in 30 years and/or didn\'t have a good friend to tell her she needed to update.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"338\"]<a title=\"Little Claire on the Prairie by chris_ford_uk, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/11694215@N00/817748586/\"><img alt=\"Little Claire on the Prairie\" src=\"http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1021/817748586_e6ec6ed504.jpg\" width=\"338\" height=\"450\" /></a> Little Claire on the Prairie by Chris_Ford_UK on Flickr[/caption]\n\nWhat does this 80s refugee have to do with marketing and communications? Simple, they too can benefit from an update and a makeover. When was the last time you really examined your website? Does the design indicate that we are in 2013 or is it the same look you had when you launched your website back in 1996? When was the last time you posted something on your blog or changed your about us page? How about your logo? Still using fonts that were popular in the 1970s?\n\nBut updates don\'t only refer to outward appearance. You must also look at the back end. Is your software up to date? Have you looked at your mission statement lately? Or your target audience description? Perhaps your messaging needs an update too.\n\nMake it one your goals for 2013 to determine what needs to be updated and then get it done! Here is a list to help you:\n<ul>\n	<li>Logo</li>\n	<li>Tagline</li>\n	<li>Website (including blog)</li>\n	<li>Brochure (even if it\'s a PDF/online version)</li>\n	<li>Business stationery (including letterhead and business cards)</li>\n	<li>Annual report</li>\n	<li>Press release boilerplate</li>\n	<li>Organizational mission/vision</li>\n	<li>Target audience description</li>\n	<li>Organizational description in various formats and lengths</li>\n	<li>Services/products list (and pricing if appropriate)</li>\n	<li>Social media avatars/biographies/descriptions</li>\n	<li>Software/hardware</li>\n</ul>\n<strong>A makeover is a chance to refresh and renew. </strong> With people, makeovers tend to make them look younger and more attractive. With organizations, makeovers make them look in touch, modern and more attractive (to potential customers/clients/donors/supporters).\n\nWhat are you going to change this year?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Is it time for a makeover?','','inherit','open','open','','2062-revision-2','','','2013-02-13 15:44:43','2013-02-13 15:44:43','',2062,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2062-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(2065,4,'2013-02-13 15:48:15','2013-02-13 15:48:15','Have you ever looked at someone and wanted to make him/her over? Yesterday I saw a woman with frizzy, long and shapeless hair wearing an equally long and shapeless prairie-type dress of a circa 1982 vintage.  Perhaps vintage wines are good but dresses fade and look, well, dated. I wondered if she was aware of how she appeared: as someone who did not care about her appearance and/or hadn\'t been shopping in 30 years and/or didn\'t have a good friend to tell her she needed to update.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"338\"]<a title=\"Little Claire on the Prairie by chris_ford_uk, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/11694215@N00/817748586/\"><img alt=\"Little Claire on the Prairie\" src=\"http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1021/817748586_e6ec6ed504.jpg\" width=\"338\" height=\"450\" /></a> Little Claire on the Prairie by Chris_Ford_UK on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nWhat does this 80s refugee have to do with marketing and communications? Simple, they too can benefit from an update and a makeover. When was the last time you really examined your website? Does the design indicate that we are in 2013 or is it the same look you had when you launched your website back in 1996? When was the last time you posted something on your blog or changed your about us page? How about your logo? Still using fonts that were popular in the 1970s?\r\n\r\nBut updates don\'t only refer to outward appearance. You must also look at the back end. Is your software up to date? Have you looked at your mission statement lately? Or your target audience description? Perhaps your messaging needs an update too.\r\n\r\nMake it one your goals for 2013 to determine what needs to be updated and then get it done! Here is a list to help you:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Logo</li>\r\n	<li>Tagline</li>\r\n	<li>Website (including blog)</li>\r\n	<li>Brochure (even if it\'s a PDF/online version)</li>\r\n	<li>Business stationery (including letterhead and business cards)</li>\r\n	<li>Annual report</li>\r\n	<li>Press release boilerplate</li>\r\n	<li>Organizational mission/vision</li>\r\n	<li>Target audience description</li>\r\n	<li>Organizational description in various formats and lengths</li>\r\n	<li>Services/products list (and pricing if appropriate)</li>\r\n	<li>Social media avatars/biographies/descriptions</li>\r\n	<li>Software/hardware</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>A makeover is a chance to refresh and renew. </strong> With people, makeovers tend to make them look younger and more attractive. With organizations, makeovers make them look in touch, modern and more attractive (to potential customers/clients/donors/supporters).\r\n\r\nWhat are you going to change this year?\r\n<h3>Improve your blog/blogging process!</h3>\r\nIf you are in the Washington, DC metro area and would like to improve your blog or blogging process, sign up for my How to Write your Blog workshop today! The workshop takes place on Thursday, February 28 at the Silver Spring Civic Building.  For more details and to register, visit the <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">Eventbrite page.</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is it time for a makeover?','','inherit','open','open','','2062-revision-3','','','2013-02-13 15:48:15','2013-02-13 15:48:15','',2062,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2062-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(2067,4,'2013-02-18 20:21:02','0000-00-00 00:00:00','Although we tend to pay much more attention and spend much more money on marketing communications (brochures, websites, ads, etc.), we should probably be spending as much effort on everyday business communications (memos, customer contact, letters, emails, etc.).\r\n\r\nI live in a townhouse community with a homeowner\'s association and a management company, which do not do a good job with business communication. Case in point: I received a postcard on Friday informing me of very noisy and disruptive work over this past weekend. The card did not specify the nature of the work, only gave an email for contact, and never used the phrase \"we apologize for any inconvenience.\"\r\n\r\nWhen you are communicating with customers/clients/donors or other target audiences your first priority is to figure out what information THEY need to understand your message.  It may be useful to make sure you are answering the journalist\'s W\'s: why, where, what, who and how.\r\n\r\nYou may want to check that you Here\'s a list of stuff that you may be easily overlooked:\r\n\r\nHours\r\n\r\nLocation\r\n\r\nComplete contact information. An email is not sufficient.\r\n\r\nDirections\r\n\r\nDates\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIt seems basic, and yet how many letters have we all received that fail to mention crucial information?\r\n\r\nAnd remember, even though most of us look up addresses and information on the Internet, the Internet or your website can go down. You should have a analog form of communication.','Better business communication is essential','','draft','open','open','','','','','2013-02-18 20:21:02','2013-02-18 20:21:02','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2067',0,'post','',0),
(2068,4,'2013-02-18 19:35:27','2013-02-18 19:35:27','Although we tend to pay much more attention and spend much more money on marketing communications (brochures, websites, ads, etc.), we should probably be spending as much effort on everyday business communications (memos, customer contact, letters, emails, etc.).\n\nI live in a townhouse community with a homeowner\'s association and a management company, which do not do a good job with business communication. Case in point: I received a postcard on Friday informing me of very noisy and disruptive work over this past weekend. The card did not specify the nature of the work, only gave an email for contact, and never used the phrase \"we apologize for any inconvenience.\"\n\nWhen you are communicating with customers/clients/donors or other target audiences your first priority is to figure out what information THEY need to understand your message.  It may be useful to make sure you are answering the journalist\'s W\'s: why, where, what, who and how.\n\nYou may want to check that you Here\'s a list of stuff that you may be easily overlooked:\n\nHours\n\nLocation\n\nComplete contact information. An email is not sufficient.\n\nDirections\n\nDates\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIt seems basic, and yet how many letters have we all received that fail to mention crucial information?\n\nAnd remember, even though most of us look up addresses and information on the Internet, the Internet or your website can go down. You should have a analog form of communication.','Better business communication is essential','','inherit','open','open','','2067-revision','','','2013-02-18 19:35:27','2013-02-18 19:35:27','',2067,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2067-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2069,4,'2013-02-18 19:36:45','2013-02-18 19:36:45','Although we tend to pay much more attention and spend much more money on marketing communications (brochures, websites, ads, etc.), we should probably be spending as much effort on everyday business communications (memos, customer contact, letters, emails, etc.).\n\nI live in a townhouse community with a homeowner\'s association and a management company, which do not do a good job with business communication. Case in point: I received a postcard on Friday informing me of very noisy and disruptive work over this past weekend. The card did not specify the nature of the work, only gave an email for contact, and never used the phrase \"we apologize for any inconvenience.\"\n\nWhen you are communicating with customers/clients/donors or other target audiences your first priority is to figure out what information THEY need to understand your message.  It may be useful to make sure you are answering the journalist\'s W\'s: why, where, what, who and how.\n\nYou may want to check that you Here\'s a list of stuff that you may be easily overlooked:\n\nHours\n\nLocation\n\nComplete contact information. An email is not sufficient.\n\nDirections\n\nDates\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIt seems basic, and yet how many letters have we all received that fail to mention crucial information?\n\nAnd remember, even though most of us look up addresses and information on the Internet, the Internet or your website can go down. You should have a analog form of communication.','Better business communication is essential','','inherit','open','open','','2067-revision-2','','','2013-02-18 19:36:45','2013-02-18 19:36:45','',2067,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2067-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(2071,4,'2013-02-21 15:13:51','0000-00-00 00:00:00','Marketers have flocked to social media in order to cut costs. Social media is seen as a free or inexpensive way to reach lots of people. And it can be, but there are costs.\n\nYesterday, I attended a few programs for Social Media Week DC.  The first one','There is no free lunch','','draft','open','open','','there-is-no-free-lunch','','','2013-02-21 15:13:51','2013-02-21 15:13:51','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2071',0,'post','',0),
(2072,4,'2013-02-21 15:12:14','2013-02-21 15:12:14','Marketers have flocked to social media in order to cut costs. Social media is seen as a free or inexpensive way to reach lots of people. And it can be, but there are costs.\n\nYesterday, I attended a few programs for Social Media Week DC.  Th','There is no free lunch','','inherit','open','open','','2071-revision','','','2013-02-21 15:12:14','2013-02-21 15:12:14','',2071,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2071-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2094,4,'2013-03-12 15:45:35','2013-03-12 15:45:35','It is not an exaggeration to say that blogs can help change the world. Take, for example blogger (and dissident) Yoani Sanchez.  Since 2007, Yoani has been an outspoken critic of the situation in Cuba on her blog Generacion Y.  She has attracted worldwide attention and is currently on tour, <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/yoani-sanchez-dissident-cuban-blogger-behind-generation-y-goes-on-tour/2013/03/11/c505af4c-8a75-11e2-a88e-461ffa2e34e4_story_1.html\" target=\"_blank\">as reported in the Washington Post toda</a>y.\r\n\r\nAnd then there is A<a href=\"http://aiweiwei.com/\" target=\"_blank\">i Weiwei,</a> the Chinese artist  who has been using his blog (and Twitter) to document the China\'s governmental cover up of shoddy building codes that led to the the death of more than 5,000 schoolchildren in the aftermath of the devastating 2008 earthquake.\r\n\r\nBoth Sanchez and Ai Weiwei live in repressive societies where the government controls mass media. Both were able to use blogs, because they are self-published mass media outlets, to get their message and thoughts out to the world. By  providing an alternative news/opinion source, not only to their fellow citizens, but to the world, they are shining a bright spotlight that would otherwise not exist.\r\n\r\nBlogs are powerful. They allow you to communicate your thoughts to people everywhere around the world. You can use words, photos, video or even music with few barriers, at a low monetary cost (and sometimes, even free).\r\n\r\nIf you really want to make an impact, there is no better nor a more direct way than on your own blog.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Blogs can help change the world','','publish','open','open','','blogs-can-help-change-the-world','','','2013-03-12 15:45:35','2013-03-12 15:45:35','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2094',0,'post','',0),
(2074,4,'2013-02-22 16:12:27','2013-02-22 16:12:27','You may have a great offering, beautiful marketing collateral, an interactive website, a robust presence on social media and yet, you are not achieving your marketing objectives. There could be many causes for this, like a poor economy or poor pricing or too much competition, but it could also be that you are<strong> being too aggressive</strong>. You are turning people off.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"239\"]<a title=\"bullhorn by spDuchamp, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/duchamp/15296832/\"><img alt=\"bullhorn\" src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/13/15296832_d279064329.jpg\" width=\"239\" height=\"500\" /></a> Bullhorn by spDuchamp from Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\nTelemarketers are especially bad at understanding that aggressiveness does not build customer trust. Quite the opposite. It builds distrust and worse, dislike. Calling repeatedly at all times of day and night does not make a potential customer or donor enamored of your product or cause.\r\n\r\nPerhaps this is the divide between marketing and sales. In marketing, you are trying to build interest in your product and service by using tools such as the \"Four Ps\" (pricing, promotion, product, placement), whereas in sales you are trying to achieve quotas, generally measured in revenue.\r\n\r\nSay you are shopping for a new car. The marketing function will get you to consider the new XYZ hybrid sedan from the big car manufacturer. You are intrigued by the miles per gallon or the comfort or whatever other attribute. You walk into a showroom and immediately a sales representative is there, trying to get you to buy. If he or she is too aggressive, chances are good you will walk out without making a purchase. The marketing worked but the sales pitch didn\'t.\r\n\r\nBrad Phillips of Phillips Media Relations had such a thing happen to him with a PR service. He<a href=\"http://www.mrmediatraining.com/2013/02/21/come-on-vocus-help-a-busy-pr-professional-out/\" target=\"_blank\"> discussed it yesterday  on his Mr. Media Training blog</a>, and received a lot of support (read the comments).  He signed up for a service that is marketed to people like him, but then was assaulted by a too-aggressive sales person trying to sell him other products and services.  The problem was not the offering as much as the aggression.\r\n\r\nAre you being to aggressive in your pitch? Here are some instances of marketing (and sales) aggressiveness:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Calling too much/ too often</li>\r\n	<li>Sending too many emails (including enewsletters)</li>\r\n	<li>Invading privacy (such as asking Google or Facebook to scan private messages for keywords)</li>\r\n	<li>In traditional advertising, opting for frequency over reach (have you ever watched a TV program where the same ad is shown multiple times?)</li>\r\n	<li>Send enewsletters out without prior opt-in, and without an easy opt-out.</li>\r\n	<li>Loud (literally) advertising (even though it has been regulated, I am still hearing ads that have a higher volume than the programming)</li>\r\n	<li>Bait-and-switch tactics</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nWhat results from these tactics is that people feel attacked or overwhelmed or frustrated. They can\'t lower the volume and they resent it. They feel that your sales pitch is invading their private space.\r\n\r\nCan you think of other aggressive behavior? How do you react to aggressive marketing? Do you think the results justify the means?\r\n<h3>Blogging workshop next week!</h3>\r\nThere\'s still time to register for my How to Blog Workshop, which takes place next Thursday, February 28 in Silver Spring, MD. Visit <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com</a> for more details and registration.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','The one thing that will kill your marketing efforts','','publish','open','open','','the-one-thing-that-will-kill-your-marketing-efforts','','\nhttp://www.mrmediatraining.com/2013/02/21/come-on-vocus-help-a-busy-pr-professional-out/','2013-02-22 16:15:10','2013-02-22 16:15:10','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2074',0,'post','',0),
(2075,4,'2013-02-22 16:11:19','2013-02-22 16:11:19','You may have a great offering, beautiful marketing collateral, an interactive website, a robust presence on social media and yet, you are not achieving your marketing objectives. There could be many causes for this, like a poor economy or poor pricing or too much competition, but it could also be that you are<strong> being too aggressive</strong>. You are turning people off.\n\n<a title=\"bullhorn by spDuchamp, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/duchamp/15296832/\"><img alt=\"bullhorn\" src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/13/15296832_d279064329.jpg\" width=\"239\" height=\"500\" /></a>\n\nTelemarketers are especially bad at understanding that aggressiveness does not build customer trust. Quite the opposite. It builds distrust and worse, dislike. Calling repeatedly at all times of day and night does not make a potential customer or donor enamored of your product or cause.\n\nPerhaps this is the divide between marketing and sales. In marketing, you are trying to build interest in your product and service by using tools such as the \"Four Ps\" (pricing, promotion, product, placement), whereas in sales you are trying to achieve quotas, generally measured in revenue.\n\nSay you are shopping for a new car. The marketing function will get you to consider the new XYZ hybrid sedan from the big car manufacturer. You are intrigued by the miles per gallon or the comfort or whatever other attribute. You walk into a showroom and immediately a sales representative is there, trying to get you to buy. If he or she is too aggressive, chances are good you will walk out without making a purchase. The marketing worked but the sales pitch didn\'t.\n\nBrad Phillips of Phillips Media Relations had such a thing happen to him with a PR service. He<a href=\"http://www.mrmediatraining.com/2013/02/21/come-on-vocus-help-a-busy-pr-professional-out/\" target=\"_blank\"> discussed it yesterday  on his Mr. Media Training blog</a>, and received a lot of support (read the comments).  He signed up for a service that is marketed to people like him, but then was assaulted by a too-aggressive sales person trying to sell him other products and services.  The problem was not the offering as much as the aggression.\n\nAre you being to aggressive in your pitch? Here are some instances of marketing (and sales) aggressiveness:\n<ul>\n	<li>Calling too much/ too often</li>\n	<li>Sending too many emails (including enewsletters)</li>\n	<li>Invading privacy (such as asking Google or Facebook to scan private messages for keywords)</li>\n	<li>In traditional advertising, opting for frequency over reach (have you ever watched a TV program where the same ad is shown multiple times?)</li>\n	<li>Send enewsletters out without prior opt-in, and without an easy opt-out.</li>\n	<li>Loud (literally) advertising (even though it has been regulated, I am still hearing ads that have a higher volume than the programming)</li>\n	<li>Bait-and-switch tactics</li>\n</ul>\nWhat results from these tactics is that people feel attacked or overwhelmed or frustrated. They can\'t lower the volume and they resent it. They feel that your sales pitch is invading their private space.\n\nCan you think of other aggressive behavior? How do you react to aggressive marketing? Do you think the results justify the means?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','The one thing that will kill your marketing efforts','','inherit','open','open','','2074-revision','','','2013-02-22 16:11:19','2013-02-22 16:11:19','',2074,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2074-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2076,4,'2013-02-22 16:12:19','2013-02-22 16:12:19','You may have a great offering, beautiful marketing collateral, an interactive website, a robust presence on social media and yet, you are not achieving your marketing objectives. There could be many causes for this, like a poor economy or poor pricing or too much competition, but it could also be that you are<strong> being too aggressive</strong>. You are turning people off.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"239\"]<a title=\"bullhorn by spDuchamp, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/duchamp/15296832/\"><img alt=\"bullhorn\" src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/13/15296832_d279064329.jpg\" width=\"239\" height=\"500\" /></a> Bullhorn by spDuchamp from Flickr[/caption]\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>\nTelemarketers are especially bad at understanding that aggressiveness does not build customer trust. Quite the opposite. It builds distrust and worse, dislike. Calling repeatedly at all times of day and night does not make a potential customer or donor enamored of your product or cause.\n\nPerhaps this is the divide between marketing and sales. In marketing, you are trying to build interest in your product and service by using tools such as the \"Four Ps\" (pricing, promotion, product, placement), whereas in sales you are trying to achieve quotas, generally measured in revenue.\n\nSay you are shopping for a new car. The marketing function will get you to consider the new XYZ hybrid sedan from the big car manufacturer. You are intrigued by the miles per gallon or the comfort or whatever other attribute. You walk into a showroom and immediately a sales representative is there, trying to get you to buy. If he or she is too aggressive, chances are good you will walk out without making a purchase. The marketing worked but the sales pitch didn\'t.\n\nBrad Phillips of Phillips Media Relations had such a thing happen to him with a PR service. He<a href=\"http://www.mrmediatraining.com/2013/02/21/come-on-vocus-help-a-busy-pr-professional-out/\" target=\"_blank\"> discussed it yesterday  on his Mr. Media Training blog</a>, and received a lot of support (read the comments).  He signed up for a service that is marketed to people like him, but then was assaulted by a too-aggressive sales person trying to sell him other products and services.  The problem was not the offering as much as the aggression.\n\nAre you being to aggressive in your pitch? Here are some instances of marketing (and sales) aggressiveness:\n<ul>\n	<li>Calling too much/ too often</li>\n	<li>Sending too many emails (including enewsletters)</li>\n	<li>Invading privacy (such as asking Google or Facebook to scan private messages for keywords)</li>\n	<li>In traditional advertising, opting for frequency over reach (have you ever watched a TV program where the same ad is shown multiple times?)</li>\n	<li>Send enewsletters out without prior opt-in, and without an easy opt-out.</li>\n	<li>Loud (literally) advertising (even though it has been regulated, I am still hearing ads that have a higher volume than the programming)</li>\n	<li>Bait-and-switch tactics</li>\n</ul>\nWhat results from these tactics is that people feel attacked or overwhelmed or frustrated. They can\'t lower the volume and they resent it. They feel that your sales pitch is invading their private space.\n\nCan you think of other aggressive behavior? How do you react to aggressive marketing? Do you think the results justify the means?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','The one thing that will kill your marketing efforts','','inherit','open','open','','2074-revision-2','','','2013-02-22 16:12:19','2013-02-22 16:12:19','',2074,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2074-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(2077,4,'2013-02-22 16:15:04','2013-02-22 16:15:04','You may have a great offering, beautiful marketing collateral, an interactive website, a robust presence on social media and yet, you are not achieving your marketing objectives. There could be many causes for this, like a poor economy or poor pricing or too much competition, but it could also be that you are<strong> being too aggressive</strong>. You are turning people off.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"239\"]<a title=\"bullhorn by spDuchamp, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/duchamp/15296832/\"><img alt=\"bullhorn\" src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/13/15296832_d279064329.jpg\" width=\"239\" height=\"500\" /></a> Bullhorn by spDuchamp from Flickr[/caption]\n\nTelemarketers are especially bad at understanding that aggressiveness does not build customer trust. Quite the opposite. It builds distrust and worse, dislike. Calling repeatedly at all times of day and night does not make a potential customer or donor enamored of your product or cause.\n\nPerhaps this is the divide between marketing and sales. In marketing, you are trying to build interest in your product and service by using tools such as the \"Four Ps\" (pricing, promotion, product, placement), whereas in sales you are trying to achieve quotas, generally measured in revenue.\n\nSay you are shopping for a new car. The marketing function will get you to consider the new XYZ hybrid sedan from the big car manufacturer. You are intrigued by the miles per gallon or the comfort or whatever other attribute. You walk into a showroom and immediately a sales representative is there, trying to get you to buy. If he or she is too aggressive, chances are good you will walk out without making a purchase. The marketing worked but the sales pitch didn\'t.\n\nBrad Phillips of Phillips Media Relations had such a thing happen to him with a PR service. He<a href=\"http://www.mrmediatraining.com/2013/02/21/come-on-vocus-help-a-busy-pr-professional-out/\" target=\"_blank\"> discussed it yesterday  on his Mr. Media Training blog</a>, and received a lot of support (read the comments).  He signed up for a service that is marketed to people like him, but then was assaulted by a too-aggressive sales person trying to sell him other products and services.  The problem was not the offering as much as the aggression.\n\nAre you being to aggressive in your pitch? Here are some instances of marketing (and sales) aggressiveness:\n<ul>\n	<li>Calling too much/ too often</li>\n	<li>Sending too many emails (including enewsletters)</li>\n	<li>Invading privacy (such as asking Google or Facebook to scan private messages for keywords)</li>\n	<li>In traditional advertising, opting for frequency over reach (have you ever watched a TV program where the same ad is shown multiple times?)</li>\n	<li>Send enewsletters out without prior opt-in, and without an easy opt-out.</li>\n	<li>Loud (literally) advertising (even though it has been regulated, I am still hearing ads that have a higher volume than the programming)</li>\n	<li>Bait-and-switch tactics</li>\n</ul>\nWhat results from these tactics is that people feel attacked or overwhelmed or frustrated. They can\'t lower the volume and they resent it. They feel that your sales pitch is invading their private space.\n\nCan you think of other aggressive behavior? How do you react to aggressive marketing? Do you think the results justify the means?\n<h3>Blogging workshop next week!</h3>\nThere\'s still time to register for my How to Blog Workshop, which takes place next Thursday, February 28 in Silver Spring, MD. Visit <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com</a> for more details and registration.\n\n&nbsp;','The one thing that will kill your marketing efforts','','inherit','open','open','','2074-autosave','','','2013-02-22 16:15:04','2013-02-22 16:15:04','',2074,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2074-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(2078,4,'2013-02-22 16:12:27','2013-02-22 16:12:27','You may have a great offering, beautiful marketing collateral, an interactive website, a robust presence on social media and yet, you are not achieving your marketing objectives. There could be many causes for this, like a poor economy or poor pricing or too much competition, but it could also be that you are<strong> being too aggressive</strong>. You are turning people off.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"239\"]<a title=\"bullhorn by spDuchamp, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/duchamp/15296832/\"><img alt=\"bullhorn\" src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/13/15296832_d279064329.jpg\" width=\"239\" height=\"500\" /></a> Bullhorn by spDuchamp from Flickr[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>\r\nTelemarketers are especially bad at understanding that aggressiveness does not build customer trust. Quite the opposite. It builds distrust and worse, dislike. Calling repeatedly at all times of day and night does not make a potential customer or donor enamored of your product or cause.\r\n\r\nPerhaps this is the divide between marketing and sales. In marketing, you are trying to build interest in your product and service by using tools such as the \"Four Ps\" (pricing, promotion, product, placement), whereas in sales you are trying to achieve quotas, generally measured in revenue.\r\n\r\nSay you are shopping for a new car. The marketing function will get you to consider the new XYZ hybrid sedan from the big car manufacturer. You are intrigued by the miles per gallon or the comfort or whatever other attribute. You walk into a showroom and immediately a sales representative is there, trying to get you to buy. If he or she is too aggressive, chances are good you will walk out without making a purchase. The marketing worked but the sales pitch didn\'t.\r\n\r\nBrad Phillips of Phillips Media Relations had such a thing happen to him with a PR service. He<a href=\"http://www.mrmediatraining.com/2013/02/21/come-on-vocus-help-a-busy-pr-professional-out/\" target=\"_blank\"> discussed it yesterday  on his Mr. Media Training blog</a>, and received a lot of support (read the comments).  He signed up for a service that is marketed to people like him, but then was assaulted by a too-aggressive sales person trying to sell him other products and services.  The problem was not the offering as much as the aggression.\r\n\r\nAre you being to aggressive in your pitch? Here are some instances of marketing (and sales) aggressiveness:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Calling too much/ too often</li>\r\n	<li>Sending too many emails (including enewsletters)</li>\r\n	<li>Invading privacy (such as asking Google or Facebook to scan private messages for keywords)</li>\r\n	<li>In traditional advertising, opting for frequency over reach (have you ever watched a TV program where the same ad is shown multiple times?)</li>\r\n	<li>Send enewsletters out without prior opt-in, and without an easy opt-out.</li>\r\n	<li>Loud (literally) advertising (even though it has been regulated, I am still hearing ads that have a higher volume than the programming)</li>\r\n	<li>Bait-and-switch tactics</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nWhat results from these tactics is that people feel attacked or overwhelmed or frustrated. They can\'t lower the volume and they resent it. They feel that your sales pitch is invading their private space.\r\n\r\nCan you think of other aggressive behavior? How do you react to aggressive marketing? Do you think the results justify the means?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','The one thing that will kill your marketing efforts','','inherit','open','open','','2074-revision-3','','','2013-02-22 16:12:27','2013-02-22 16:12:27','',2074,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2074-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(2079,4,'2013-02-25 15:06:00','2013-02-25 15:06:00','In case you missed it, last night was the movie awards ceremony formerly known as The Academy Awards, now known simply as the Oscars. Not sure what the TV broadcast viewership was, but it was large (very large). The Oscars are one of the most viewed, most commented and most followed awards.  The #oscars2013 hashtag certainly lit up my Twitter stream last night, proving that most major televised events are having the \"second-screen\" effect.\r\n\r\nDo you know who won for Best Picture? Or for Best Director?You should, but in case you are a person who doesn\'t watch TV or movies or read a newspaper or the Yahoo! home page, it was Argo and Ang Lee for Life of Pi,  respectively.\r\n\r\n<strong> If you want to be successful in marketing communications, you need to be conversant in pop culture.</strong> You just do. Pop culture is the currency that allows you to participate in the world. It is the fodder of small talk at happy hours and cocktail receptions and what brings people together around the proverbial water cooler (even if your water cooler is Twitter). If you don\'t know Ben Affleck from Quentin Tarantino, Adele from Lady Gaga,  you are out of touch with what many people share in society.\r\n\r\nI know people that refuse to watch movies or TV shows because nothing compares to whatever they feel was the golden age of entertainment. Some people never tune in to the top 40 station on their radios. Others don\'t read current bestsellers claiming nothing worthwhile is being written today. That\'s fine. <strong>No one should have to watch, listen or read anything they find distasteful.  But they should know what it is they are not watching, listening or reading. </strong> In other words, you should know who won the Oscars last night even if you didn\'t watch the show or see any of the movies nominated.\r\n\r\nWill something evil befall you if you don\'t know? No, of course not.  You will just be out of step with what most people follow. If you see a reference to Jennifer Lawrence or Anne Hathaway, you won\'t understand why they are being talked about.  And you may also be missing out on relationship-building conversations.  The beauty of pop culture is that it is out there, available to everyone. You don\'t have to be an insider or well-connected.\r\n\r\nSo, do you know who won at the Oscars last night?\r\n<h3>Want to improve your blogging?</h3>\r\nIf you want to improve your blogging or even get your blog off the ground,  and you are in the Washington, DC metro area, check out my blogging workshop <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">this Thursday.</span> You must pre-register. More details and registration: <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">http://howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com/#</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Why you should know who won at the Oscars','','publish','open','open','','why-you-should-know-who-won-at-the-oscars','','','2013-02-25 15:06:00','2013-02-25 15:06:00','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2079',0,'post','',0),
(2080,4,'2013-02-25 15:05:10','2013-02-25 15:05:10','In case you missed it, last night was the movie awards ceremony formerly known as The Academy Awards, now known simply as the Oscars. Not sure what the TV broadcast viewership was, but it was large (very large). The Oscars are one of the most viewed, most commented and most followed awards.  The #oscars2013 hashtag certainly lit up my Twitter stream last night, proving that most major televised events are having the \"second-screen\" effect.\n\nDo you know who won for Best Picture? Or for Best Director?You should, but in case you are a person who doesn\'t watch TV or movies or read a newspaper or the Yahoo! home page, it was Argo and Ang Lee for Life of Pi,  respectively.\n\n<strong> If you want to be successful in marketing communications, you need to be conversant in pop culture.</strong> You just do. Pop culture is the currency that allows you to participate in the world. It is the fodder of small talk at happy hours and cocktail receptions and what brings people together around the proverbial water cooler (even if your water cooler is Twitter). If you don\'t know Ben Affleck from Quentin Tarantino, Adele from Lady Gaga,  you are out of touch with what many people share in society.\n\nI know people that refuse to watch movies or TV shows because nothing compares to whatever they feel was the golden age of entertainment. Some people never tune in to the top 40 station on their radios. Others don\'t read current bestsellers claiming nothing worthwhile is being written today. That\'s fine. No one should have to watch, listen or read anything they find distasteful.  But they should know what it is they are not watching, listening or reading.  In other words, you should know who won the Oscars last night even if you didn\'t watch the show or see any of the movies nominated.\n\nWill something evil befall you if you don\'t know? No, of course not.  You will just be out of step with what most people follow. If you see a reference to Jennifer Lawrence or Anne Hathaway, you won\'t understand why they are being talked about.  And you may also be missing out on relationship-building conversations.  The beauty of pop culture is that it is out there, available to everyone. You don\'t have to be an insider or well-connected.\n<h3>Want to improve your blogging?</h3>\nIf you want to improve your blogging or even get your blog off the ground,  and you are in the Washington, DC metro area, check out my blogging workshop <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">this Thursday.</span> You must pre-register. More details and registration: <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">http://howtowriteyourblog3.eventbrite.com/#</a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Why you should know who won at the Oscars','','inherit','open','open','','2079-revision','','','2013-02-25 15:05:10','2013-02-25 15:05:10','',2079,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2079-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2082,4,'2013-02-26 20:55:50','2013-02-26 20:55:50','I was reading a transcript of an online discussion regarding the benefits of blogging for business. One the people in the discussion said she did not have time to blog since she was way too busy doing client work. I wasn\'t on the conversation, but I would have told her she is making a big mistake.\n\nIt\'s very simple. If you don\'t do any marketing because you are busy, you will inevitably have to work twice as hard when you aren\'t. And yes, blogging is a marketing effort. It boosts your visibility. It keeps your website current. It helps with SEO.\n\nIt\'s like people who don\'t network because they have a job. And then they lose the job and realize they don\'t have relationships in place to help them in a job search.\n\nWhether you are busy or not, blogging should be a part of your business marketing routine. To neglect your blog now because you are busy working on your client\'s behalf is a rookie mistake. Those of us who have been in the business world for a while know that clients come and go. Clients can face budget shortfalls and cut you from one day to the next.','Why you should blog even if you don\'t have the time','','inherit','open','open','','2081-revision','','','2013-02-26 20:55:50','2013-02-26 20:55:50','',2081,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2081-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2083,4,'2013-02-27 15:08:25','2013-02-27 15:08:25','I was reading a transcript of an online discussion regarding the benefits of blogging for business. One of the people in the discussion declared that she did not have time to blog since she was way too busy doing client work. Her blog was basically abandoned, and she was OK with that. I wasn\'t in on the conversation, but if I had been,  I would have told her she is making a big mistake.\n\nIt\'s very simple. If you don\'t do any marketing because you are busy, you will inevitably have to work twice as hard to market yourself when you aren\'t busy. And yes, blogging is a marketing effort:  It boosts your visibility. It keeps your website current. It helps with SEO.\n\nNot blogging because you are too busy is like not networking because you already have a job. If you lose your job (which unfortunately can happen from one day to the next) you will soon realize you don\'t have relationships in place to help you in a job search. You must keep networking and building relationships, whether you \"need\" them now or not, because you never know what will happen in the future.\n\nWhether you are busy or not, blogging should be a part of your business marketing routine. To neglect your blog now because you are busy working on your client\'s behalf is a rookie mistake. Those of us who have been in the business world for a while know that clients come and go. Clients can face budget shortfalls and cut you from one day to the next.\n\n<strong>Put energy into your business, not just your client\'s business.</strong> This applies to you whether you have your own business, or you work for someone else, and even if you are concerned with developing your career. If you are a worker bee, why not have a personal blog? If you work for an organization, you should insist that the blog not be neglected. And it goes without saying that if you own your own business, you are solely responsible for keeping you presence up-to-date.\n\nDon\'t wait! Write a blog post today!','Why you should blog even if you don\'t have the time','','inherit','open','open','','2081-revision-2','','','2013-02-27 15:08:25','2013-02-27 15:08:25','',2081,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/02/2081-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(2088,4,'2013-03-04 15:58:21','2013-03-04 15:58:21','Did you watch the 2011 movie <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1598822/?ref_=sr_2\" target=\"_blank\">New Year\'s Eve</a></span>? If you spent money on it either in the theater or renting it, I am sorry for your loss.  I only watched the beginning as it was playing on one of  my cable movie channels. After 20 minutes of unbelievable situations and bad lines, I went back to reading the side of the cereal box.\n\nYou would be forgiven for thinking that this movie was worth watching. After all, it has a cast of well known (and very attractive) actors (including Michelle Pfeiffer, Hillary Swank, Robert DeNiro, Halle Berry, Ashton Kutcher, Sarah Jessica Parker and even Jon Bon Jovi, to name a few). It is directed by Gary Marshall, who brought us bastions of sitcom TV such as Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley.\n\nBut the actors and the director have to follow a screenplay, which in this case was written by <a href=\"http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0297545/?ref_=tt_ov_wr\" target=\"_blank\">Katherine Fugate</a>. Fugate\'s credits include the TV series <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Xena: Warrior Princess.</span> Fugate also wrote <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Valentine\'s Day</span>, another movie that revolves around an over-hyped holiday and which features lots of well known actors (some of the very same ones that appear in <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">New Year\'s Eve</span>).\n\nApparently, Gary Marshall saw potential in a holiday movie franchise. Perhaps we should prepare for St. Patrick\'s Day: The Movie, in which a group of well known actors would be anxiously wondering how their romantic lives will survive the drinking of green beer.\n\nMovies are the result of all of the parts working together: acting, directing and writing. You could also throw in cinematography, editing, costume design and sound.  As <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">New Year\'s Eve</span> painfully underscores, even dozens of well-known actors and a funny-guy director do not make a poorly plotted and written screenplay shine. In other words,  a good movie is greater than the sum of its parts.\n\n<strong>Communications is much the same way.  </strong>You have to have more than just pretty, shiny parts that you throw together. To make the movie analogy work here,<strong> your communications efforts need good direction (communications strategy), believable acting (execution or tactics) and a well-written screenplay ( your communications plan).</strong>\n\nLook at your communications efforts right now.  Are you getting led by pretty tactics (Let\'s go on Pinterest! Let\'s get a blog!) or are you thinking about how everything works together to achieve your goals?','Greater than the sum of its parts','','inherit','open','open','','2087-revision','','','2013-03-04 15:58:21','2013-03-04 15:58:21','',2087,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/03/2087-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2089,4,'2013-03-06 14:42:33','2013-03-06 14:42:33','Last night I  watched the 2003 documentary<a href=\"http://www.lostboysfilm.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> The Lost Boys of Sudan</span></a>.  The Lost Boys are a group of young men who managed to escape a brutal massacre of their people in Sudan and walked across the dessert to end up in a refugee camp in Kenya. Many of the boys lost both parents or entire families and some have no idea what happened to their families.  Some Lost Boys were repatriated to the United States, and this documentary focuses on two of them.\r\n\r\nThe documentary deals with the difficulty these boys have adapting to the United States. Nobody seems to tell them what to expect or how to navigate anything. Santino, one of the boys featured in the film, drives a car without a license or insurance and ends up hitting another car. He ends up in court where the judge tells him that it doesn\'t matter that he is in the process of getting a license, he is still responsible for not having one and driving anyway. His confusion and upset are palpable. He is earning $7 an hour, and now he has more than $500 in fines.  Nobody explained it to him and he had no way of knowing.\r\n\r\nCan you imagine being transported from a refugee camp in Africa to Houston, Texas? It must have been an extreme culture shock for these young men. And yet, they are greeted by two YMCA workers that speak to them in colloquial and fast English, even though the boys speak limited English, and it is not their primary language by far. And that is just the language gap. The film doesn\'t say much about these YMCA people, but it seems that they are clueless about the vast differences between someone from Sudan (who has survived trauma and has been living in a refugee camp) and someone who has been living in the U.S. all his or her life.\r\n\r\nIn the film, the boys are taken to an apartment, told that their rent will be paid for four months \"while they get on their feet,\" and seemingly, expected to fend for themselves without much guidance at all.\r\n\r\nThe documentary is a study in the contrasts between Americans and the Africans. Americans exhibit a very sheltered and ignorant view of the world.  The Africans quickly learn that they are different--not only from the white Americans but from the black Americans too. Their skin is darker, their culture is different.\r\n\r\nAs well-meaning as the YMCA and the others involved in the resettlement project were, they failed (miserably in my opinion) to consider how to properly communicate with the Lost Boys.  Good communication bridges differences. Bad communication forms barriers.\r\n\r\nTainted with cultural blindness, the Americans did not so much as consider how hard it would be to adjust to American society, or really, what it takes to navigate day-to-day interactions. The boys had never had jobs or earned money or paid rent or dealt with car insurance. And yet, they were left to deal with everything by themselves.\r\n\r\nWhat is worse is that the boys  came to America expecting to get an education. In the film, it seems their sponsors thought they should be grateful to get low skilled, low paying jobs.\r\n\r\nBecause expectations were not properly communicated and because the Americans did not take into consideration the needs of the Lost Boys, the film documents  a story of struggle and disaffection rather than of triumph and happiness. As hard as their lives were in Africa, it is not easier for them in the United States.\r\n\r\nTo me, this documentary illustrates perfectly how communication will fail if you don\'t consider your audience and its needs. Even the first decision of what language to use to communicate is a poor one. Communicating in English to people who barely speak the language is a recipe for failure.\r\n\r\nAre you considering your audience when you communicate? Or are you so focused on your message you are not checking to see if it is being received?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Lost in communication: the sad story of the Lost Boys of Sudan','','publish','open','open','','lost-boys','','','2013-03-06 14:42:33','2013-03-06 14:42:33','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2089',0,'post','',0),
(2090,4,'2013-03-06 14:41:59','2013-03-06 14:41:59','Last night I  watched the 2003 documentary<a href=\"http://www.lostboysfilm.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> The Lost Boys of Sudan</span></a>.  The Lost Boys are a group of young men who managed to escape a brutal massacre of their people in Sudan and walked across the dessert to end up in a refugee camp in Kenya. Many of the boys lost both parents or entire families and some have no idea what happened to their families.  Some Lost Boys were repatriated to the United States, and this documentary focuses on two of them.\n\nThe documentary deals with the difficulty these boys have adapting to the United States. Nobody seems to tell them what to expect or how to navigate anything. Santino, one of the boys featured in the film, drives a car without a license or insurance and ends up hitting another car. He ends up in court where the judge tells him that it doesn\'t matter that he is in the process of getting a license, he is still responsible for not having one and driving anyway. His confusion and upset are palpable. He is earning $7 an hour, and now he has more than $500 in fines.  Nobody explained it to him and he had no way of knowing.\n\nCan you imagine being transported from a refugee camp in Africa to Houston, Texas? It must have been an extreme culture shock for these young men. And yet, they are greeted by two YMCA workers that speak to them in colloquial and fast English, even though the boys speak limited English, and it is not their primary language by far. And that is just the language gap. The film doesn\'t say much about these YMCA people, but it seems that they are clueless about the vast differences between someone from Sudan (who has survived trauma and has been living in a refugee camp) and someone who has been living in the U.S. all his or her life.\n\nIn the film, the boys are taken to an apartment, told that their rent will be paid for four months \"while they get on their feet,\" and seemingly, expected to fend for themselves without much guidance at all.\n\nThe documentary is a study in the contrasts between Americans and the Africans. Americans exhibit a very sheltered and ignorant view of the world.  The Africans quickly learn that they are different--not only from the white Americans but from the black Americans too. Their skin is darker, their culture is different.\n\nAs well-meaning as the YMCA and the others involved in the resettlement project were, they failed (miserably in my opinion) to consider how to properly communicate with the Lost Boys.  Good communication bridges differences. Bad communication forms barriers.\n\nTainted with cultural blindness, the Americans did not so much as consider how hard it would be to adjust to American society, or really, what it takes to navigate day-to-day interactions. The boys had never had jobs or earned money or paid rent or dealt with car insurance. And yet, they were left to deal with everything by themselves.\n\nWhat is worse is that the boys  came to America expecting to get an education. In the film, it seems their sponsors thought they should be grateful to get low skilled, low paying jobs.\n\nBecause expectations were not properly communicated and because the Americans did not take into consideration the needs of the Lost Boys, the film documents  a story of struggle and disaffection rather than of triumph and happiness. As hard as their lives were in Africa, it is not easier for them in the United States.\n\nTo me, this documentary illustrates perfectly how communication will fail if you don\'t consider your audience and its needs. Even the first decision of what language to use to communicate is a poor one. Communicating in English to people who barely speak the language is a recipe for failure.\n\nAre you considering your audience when you communicate? Or are you so focused on your message you are not checking to see if it i\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Lost in communication: the sad story of the Lost Boys of Sudan','','inherit','open','open','','2089-revision','','','2013-03-06 14:41:59','2013-03-06 14:41:59','',2089,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/03/2089-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2092,4,'2013-03-08 14:25:44','2013-03-08 14:25:44','Yesterday, somebody on Twitter asked me whether she should advertise on Facebook. I asked what she was trying to accomplish. Her answer was to get more readers to her blog. Is that enough information to decide whether it is worth it to advertise? Not at all.\r\n\r\nLet me preface the following by saying that I don\'t believe that you should do advertising on a case-by-case basis. It is much smarter to look at your overall marketing communications goals and have a plan to meet them. <strong>Advertising is a tactic</strong> that you should use to bolster your strategy.\r\n\r\n<strong>Goals (measurable is better)</strong>\r\n\r\nFirst, you have to figure out what your goal really is. In this case, the blog owner could say she would like to increase her readership by 10% (that is, if she has the numbers for her current readership).  But the real question is why? Why does she want more readers? What will having more readers mean? Depending on your type of organization,  it could mean increased sales or donations or votes.\r\n\r\n<strong>Target audience</strong>\r\n\r\nSecond, you have to figure out exactly who your audience is and where you can find them.\r\n\r\n<strong>Budget</strong>\r\n\r\nThird, you have to figure out your advertising budget. Throwing a few dollars here and a few dollars there is not a budget. Advertising is an investment in your business. How much are you able or willing to invest?\r\n\r\n<strong>Trial</strong>\r\n\r\nFourth, once you have done your homework (if you know your audience, you have a target, you have budgeted a certain amount) then you are ready to try advertising.\r\n\r\n<strong>Tracking and measurement</strong>\r\n\r\nLastly, once you are running a campaign, you will need to pay special attention to your metrics.  Where are people finding you from? How will you track it?\r\n\r\nFiguring out how to do advertising is not a science. There is art to it. I know, I  was a media buyer eons ago, and I learned that some things look great on paper but don\'t work out. You can analyze CPM (cost per thousand) all you want, but sometimes, you have to let your instinct guide you.  Also, just because something is affordable, doesn\'t mean you should include it in your advertising plan. Sometimes, you don\'t know until you try it!\r\n\r\nIf you want help figuring out your advertising plan, <a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/contact/\">contact me</a>.  Advertising planning is a process, which should be part of your overall communications plan.','To advertise or not to advertise','','publish','open','open','','to-advertise-or-not-to-advertise','','','2013-03-08 14:25:44','2013-03-08 14:25:44','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2092',0,'post','',0),
(2093,4,'2013-03-08 14:25:35','2013-03-08 14:25:35','Yesterday, somebody on Twitter asked me whether she should advertise on Facebook. I asked what she was trying to accomplish. Her answer was to get more readers to her blog. Is that enough information to decide whether it is worth it to advertise? Not at all.\n\nLet me preface the following by saying that I don\'t believe that you should do advertising on a case-by-case basis. It is much smarter to look at your overall marketing communications goals and have a plan to meet them. <strong>Advertising is a tactic</strong> that you should use to bolster your strategy.\n\n<strong>Goals (measurable is better)</strong>\n\nFirst, you have to figure out what your goal really is. In this case, the blog owner could say she would like to increase her readership by 10% (that is, if she has the numbers for her current readership).  But the real question is why? Why does she want more readers? What will having more readers mean? Depending on your type of organization,  it could mean increased sales or donations or votes.\n\n<strong>Target audience</strong>\n\nSecond, you have to figure out exactly who your audience is and where you can find them.\n\n<strong>Budget</strong>\n\nThird, you have to figure out your advertising budget. Throwing a few dollars here and a few dollars there is not a budget. Advertising is an investment in your business. How much are you able or willing to invest?\n\n<strong>Trial</strong>\n\nFourth, once you have done your homework (if you know your audience, you have a target, you have budgeted a certain amount) then you are ready to try advertising.\n\n<strong>Tracking and measurement</strong>\n\nLastly, once you are running a campaign, you will need to pay special attention to your metrics.  Where are people finding you from? How will you track it?\n\nFiguring out how to do advertising is not a science. There is art to it. I know, I  was a media buyer eons ago, and I learned that some things look great on paper but don\'t work out. You can analyze CPM (cost per thousand) all you want, but sometimes, you have to let your instinct guide you.  Also, just because something is affordable, doesn\'t mean you should include it in your advertising plan. Sometimes, you don\'t know until you try it!\n\nIf you want help figuring out your advertising plan, <a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/contact/\">contact me</a>.  Advertising planning is a process, which should be part of your overall communications plan.','To advertise or not to advertise','','inherit','open','open','','2092-revision','','','2013-03-08 14:25:35','2013-03-08 14:25:35','',2092,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/03/2092-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2095,4,'2013-03-12 15:45:20','2013-03-12 15:45:20','It is not an exaggeration to say that blogs can help change the world. Take, for example blogger (and dissident) Yoani Sanchez.  Since 2007, Yoani has been an outspoken critic of the situation in Cuba on her blog Generacion Y.  She has attracted worldwide attention and is currently on tour, <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/yoani-sanchez-dissident-cuban-blogger-behind-generation-y-goes-on-tour/2013/03/11/c505af4c-8a75-11e2-a88e-461ffa2e34e4_story_1.html\" target=\"_blank\">as reported in the Washington Post toda</a>y.\n\nAnd then there is A<a href=\"http://aiweiwei.com/\" target=\"_blank\">i Weiwei,</a> the Chinese artist  who has been using his blog (and Twitter) to document the China\'s governmental cover up of shoddy building codes that led to the the death of more than 5,000 schoolchildren in the aftermath of the devastating 2008 earthquake.\n\nBoth Sanchez and Ai Weiwei live in repressive societies where the government controls mass media. Both were able to use blogs, because they are self-published mass media outlets, to get their message and thoughts out to the world. By  providing an alternative news/opinion source, not only to their fellow citizens, but to the world, they are shining a bright spotlight that would otherwise not exist.\n\nBlogs are powerful. They allow you to communicate your thoughts to people everywhere around the world. You can use words, photos, video or even music with few barriers, at a low monetary cost (and sometimes, even free).\n\nIf you really want to make an impact, there is no better nor a more direct way than on your own blog.\n\n&nbsp;','Blogs can help change the world','','inherit','open','open','','2094-revision','','','2013-03-12 15:45:20','2013-03-12 15:45:20','',2094,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/03/2094-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2096,4,'2013-03-12 15:46:41','2013-03-12 15:46:41','It is not an exaggeration to say that blogs can help change the world. Take, for example blogger (and dissident) Yoani Sanchez.  Since 2007, Yoani has been an outspoken critic of the situation in Cuba on her blog Generacion Y.  She has attracted worldwide attention and is currently on tour, <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/yoani-sanchez-dissident-cuban-blogger-behind-generation-y-goes-on-tour/2013/03/11/c505af4c-8a75-11e2-a88e-461ffa2e34e4_story_1.html\" target=\"_blank\">as reported in the Washington Post toda</a>y.\n\nAnd then there is A<a href=\"http://aiweiwei.com/\" target=\"_blank\">i Weiwei,</a> the Chinese artist  who has been using his blog (and Twitter) to document the China\'s governmental cover up of shoddy building codes that led to the the death of more than 5,000 schoolchildren in the aftermath of the devastating 2008 earthquake.\n\nBoth Sanchez and Ai Weiwei live in repressive societies where the government controls mass media. Both were able to use blogs, because they are self-published mass media outlets, to get their message and thoughts out to the world. By  providing an alternative news/opinion source, not only to their fellow citizens, but to the world, they are shining a bright spotlight that would otherwise not exist.\n\nBlogs are powerful. They allow you to communicate your thoughts to people everywhere around the world. You can use words, photos, video or even music with few barriers, at a low monetary cost (and sometimes, even free).\n\nIf you really want to make an impact, there is no better nor a more direct way than on your own blog.\n\n&nbsp;','Blogs can help change the world','','inherit','open','open','','2094-autosave','','','2013-03-12 15:46:41','2013-03-12 15:46:41','',2094,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/03/2094-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(2109,4,'2013-03-25 14:58:56','0000-00-00 00:00:00','Brands like Starbucks or Coke have thousands of followers on social media because people like their products or services. I would argue that mass appeal brands don\'t have to do much to be like-able because their offering is what people already like. However, the rest of us have to work a bit harder. People don\'t know us and they have to be convinced.\r\n\r\nLately, I have seen several small agencies practically begging for followers on Twitter. It seems to me that if these organizations were more \"like-able\" they would not feel the need to ask for followers.\r\n\r\nAre you (or your organization) like-able?\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>First, are you on social media? How can people like you on Facebook if you aren\'t there?</li>\r\n	<li>Are you sharing valuable or interesting content?</li>\r\n	<li>Are you interacting?</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nOr, are you doing the following things (these are my particular pet peeves and reasons why I have stopped following people):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Posting too little or too much</li>\r\n	<li>Using obscenity</li>\r\n	<li>Complaining all the time</li>\r\n	<li>Never responding</li>\r\n	<li>Auto posting</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nLike-ability is really about manners and common-sense.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Are you like-able?','','draft','open','open','','','','','2013-03-25 14:58:56','2013-03-25 14:58:56','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2109',0,'post','',0),
(2099,4,'2013-03-14 13:00:34','2013-03-14 13:00:34','I am sure you have probably seen Microsoft\'s ad campaign against Google, where the company claims you are getting \"scroogled\" by Google. It is clever, and has some basis in reality. If you haven\'t, one of the ads is for Outlook.com, which is being presented as an alternative to Gmail. The ad implies that Google is reading your \"private\" email to be able to target advertising to you.\r\n\r\nI am not sure Microsoft is the correct alternative to Google, but I think they are on to something with the term \"scroogled.\" Google, which is ubiquitous, is desperately trying to get more people on its (useless in my opinion) Google Plus platform. To force you to join, they are now killing the extremely useful Google Reader.\r\n\r\nI have been using Google Reader for years, and often advise attendees to my blogging workshops that they should set up a reader. I also think readers are the only way to keep up with blogs, since you may follow dozens (if not hundreds). Readers give you one place to see what is new. If you only follow one or two blogs, then getting email updates works.\r\n\r\n<strong>Alternatives to Google Reader: Get one ASAP!</strong>\r\n\r\nIn any case, Google Reader will be gone as of July 1.  Luckily, there are some alternatives out there. Here are some reviews and compilations for you to check out:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-57574201-233/google-reader-is-dying-but-we-have-five-worthy-alternatives/\" target=\"_blank\">CNET: 5 Worthy Alternatives</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://siliconangle.com/blog/2013/02/11/6-alternatives-to-the-dying-google-reader/\" target=\"_blank\">Silicon Angle: 6 Alternatives to the Dying Google Reader</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://lifehacker.com/5990456/google-reader-is-getting-shut-down-here-are-the-best-alternatives\" target=\"_blank\">Lifehacker: Google Reader is Shutting Down; Here Are the Best Alternatives</a>\r\n\r\n<strong>Don\'t get \"scroogled!\"</strong>\r\n\r\nThe lesson I draw from this is that any free service is free to let you down in the end.  Many individuals and organizations put all their eggs in the proverbial free basket, and will suffer the consequences when organizations like Google and Facebook change the rules of the road whenever they like.  My advice is to make sure you own your own website or blog (don\'t depend on Blogger or Wordpress.com), have your own email (which you can usually get when you have your own domain and web hosting) and have alternatives to the free behemoths, which after all have their own agenda to push and ultimately, don\'t care about your needs and wants.\r\n\r\nWhat are your thoughts? Do you feel that Google is treating you fairly?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Getting \"scroogled\"','','publish','open','open','','getting-scroogled','','','2013-03-14 13:00:34','2013-03-14 13:00:34','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2099',0,'post','',0),
(2100,4,'2013-03-14 12:59:52','2013-03-14 12:59:52','I am sure you have probably seen Microsoft\'s ad campaign against Google, where the company claims you are getting \"scroogled\" by Google. It is clever, and has some basis in reality. If you haven\'t, one of the ads is for Outlook.com, which is being presented as an alternative to Gmail. The ad implies that Google is reading your \"private\" email to be able to target advertising to you.\n\nI am not sure Microsoft is the correct alternative to Google, but I think they are on to something with the term \"scroogled.\" Google, which is ubiquitous, is desperately trying to get more people on its (useless in my opinion) Google Plus platform. To force you to join, they are now killing the extremely useful Google Reader.\n\nI have been using Google Reader for years, and often advise attendees to my blogging workshops that they should set up a reader. I also think readers are the only way to keep up with blogs, since you may follow dozens (if not hundreds). Readers give you one place to see what is new. If you only follow one or two blogs, then getting email updates works.\n\n<strong>Alternatives to Google Reader: Get one ASAP!</strong>\n\nIn any case, Google Reader will be gone as of July 1.  Luckily, there are some alternatives out there. Here are some reviews and compilations for you to check out:\n\n<a href=\"http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-57574201-233/google-reader-is-dying-but-we-have-five-worthy-alternatives/\" target=\"_blank\">CNET: 5 Worthy Alternatives</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://siliconangle.com/blog/2013/02/11/6-alternatives-to-the-dying-google-reader/\" target=\"_blank\">Silicon Angle: 6 Alternatives to the Dying Google Reader</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://lifehacker.com/5990456/google-reader-is-getting-shut-down-here-are-the-best-alternatives\" target=\"_blank\">Lifehacker: Google Reader is Shutting Down; Here Are the Best Alternatives</a>\n\n<strong>Don\'t get \"scroogled!\"</strong>\n\nThe lesson I draw from this is that any free service is free to let you down in the end.  Many individuals and organizations put all their eggs in the proverbial free basket, and will suffer the consequences when organizations like Google and Facebook change the rules of the road whenever they like.  My advice is to make sure you own your own website or blog (don\'t depend on Blogger or Wordpress.com), have your own email (which you can usually get when you have your own domain and web hosting) and have alternatives to the free behemoths, which after all have their own agenda to push and ultimately, don\'t care about your needs and wants.\n\nWhat are your thoughts? Do you feel that Google is treating you fairly?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Getting \"scroogled\"','','inherit','open','open','','2099-revision','','','2013-03-14 12:59:52','2013-03-14 12:59:52','',2099,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/03/2099-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2102,4,'2013-03-18 13:20:52','2013-03-18 13:20:52','There\'s no doubt that online reviews are influential. There are specialized review sites like Trip Advisor and then there\'s the seemingly all-purpose Yelp. I admit I read reviews and have been swayed about staying at a hotel or eating a restaurant because of what other people say, and that is the point.\r\n\r\n<strong>As a business, should part of your marketing efforts be to solicit reviews?</strong>\r\n\r\nLet\'s start with the fact that reviews will happen whether you solicit them or not. Sadly, because of our passive-aggressive culture, it\'s become more likely that an unsatisfied customer will take to social media to complain about your service. Which is to say, that if you give bad service, you will most likely get negative reviews.\r\n\r\nHowever, negative reviews are always balanced out by positive reviews. If, as a consumer, you are researching anything, you will read both the good and the bad reviews. Most people will be able to identify disgruntled employees or nit-picky reviewers.  If most of the reviews are positive, you will discount the few reviews that are negative. Likewise, if most of the reviews are negative, you will discount the reviews that are positive. The lesson here is that genuine, positive reviews are important.\r\n\r\nWhat generates positive reviews? Good service or product! As a business, you will need to focus most of your energy on providing positive experiences for your customers. If you don\'t, whether you solicit them or not, you will get negative reviews.\r\n\r\n<strong>There is a difference between feedback and reviews</strong>\r\n\r\nI recently had my hair cut at a salon I have gone to for a couple of years. The salon actively pursues online engagement. After my appointment, I got an email from the salon asking to provide feedback. The \"feedback\" was actually a link to give an online review.  I was in a quandary. I had a bad experience this time: the receptionist was unhelpful and confused; I was made to wait 30 minutes; and the water was cool (on a very cold day) when they washed my hair. My stylist tried to make it better by giving me a discount and comping me a bottle of shampoo. But I thought management needed to know that things were not working well.  Is the best way for me to give them a one or two-star review? Is that going to communicate to the salon something is wrong?\r\n\r\n<strong>Businesses should actively solicit feedback AND positive reviews. They are not the same.</strong> In the hair salon\'s case, they are confusing feedback and online reviews.\r\n\r\nA better way to get BOTH is to say something like:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">We are committed to providing the best possible service. If we did not meet your expectations, please contact (manager). We want to know how to improve our service!</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">If you enjoyed the service today, we\'d love if you reviewed us here (link to the site).</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Thanks for your patronage.</p>\r\n<strong>The answer then is yes, you should solicit positive reviews, but don\'t think of that as feedback. You need to be aware of what is wrong so that you can fix it.</strong>\r\n\r\nWhat are your thoughts about online reviews? Is it part of your marketing to solicit them?','Should you solicit online reviews?','','publish','open','open','','should-you-solicit-online-reviews','','','2013-03-18 13:20:52','2013-03-18 13:20:52','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2102',0,'post','',0),
(2103,4,'2013-03-18 13:19:19','2013-03-18 13:19:19','There\'s no doubt that online reviews are influential. There are specialized review sites like Trip Advisor and then there\'s the seemingly all-purpose Yelp. I admit I read reviews and have been swayed about staying at a hotel or eating a restaurant because of what other people say, and that is the point.\n\n<strong>As a business, should part of your marketing efforts be to solicit reviews?</strong>\n\nLet\'s start with the fact that reviews will happen whether you solicit them or not. Sadly, because of our passive-aggressive culture, it\'s become more likely that an unsatisfied customer will take to social media to complain about your service. Which is to say, that if you give bad service, you will most likely get negative reviews.\n\nHowever, negative reviews are always balanced out by positive reviews. If, as a consumer, you are researching anything, you will read both the good and the bad reviews. Most people will be able to identify disgruntled employees or nit-picky reviewers.  If most of the reviews are positive, you will discount the few reviews that are negative. Likewise, if most of the reviews are negative, you will discount the reviews that are positive. The lesson here is that genuine, positive reviews are important.\n\nWhat generates positive reviews? Good service or product! As a business, you will need to focus most of your energy on providing positive experiences for your customers. If you don\'t, whether you solicit them or not, you will get negative reviews.\n\n<strong>There is a difference between feedback and reviews</strong>\n\nI recently had my hair cut at a salon I have gone to for a couple of years. The salon actively pursues online engagement. After my appointment, I got an email from the salon asking to provide feedback. The \"feedback\" was actually a link to give an online review.  I was in a quandary. I had a bad experience this time: the receptionist was unhelpful and confused; I was made to wait 30 minutes; and the water was cool (on a very cold day) when they washed my hair. My stylist tried to make it better by giving me a discount and comping me a bottle of shampoo. But I thought management needed to know that things were not working well.  Is the best way for me to give them a one or two-star review? Is that going to communicate to the salon something is wrong?\n\n<strong>Businesses should actively solicit feedback AND positive reviews. They are not the same.</strong> In the hair salon\'s case, they are confusing feedback and online reviews.\n\nA better way to get BOTH is to say something like:\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">We are committed to providing the best possible service. If we did not meet your expectations, please contact (manager). We want to know how to improve our service!</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">If you enjoyed the service today, we\'d love if you reviewed us here (link to the site).</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Thanks for your patronage.</p>\n<strong>The answer then is yes, you should solicit positive reviews, but don\'t think of that as feedback. You need to be aware of what is wrong so that you can fix it.</strong>\n\nWhat are your thoughts about online reviews? Is it part of your marketing to solicit them?','Should you solicit online reviews?','','inherit','open','open','','2102-revision','','','2013-03-18 13:19:19','2013-03-18 13:19:19','',2102,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/03/2102-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2111,4,'2013-03-28 14:56:12','2013-03-28 14:56:12','I know a scholar who is very smart and informed and yet, this scholar doesn\'t ever ask for or listen to marketing advice. A few years ago, this person, who had written a couple books, decided to launch a website. I met with her after she had already done it. She wanted some feedback. I thought she should have a blog. But, she couldn\'t add one since her site had been built in Dreamweaver. I wished she had asked my opinion  before she created her site.\r\n\r\nThis scholar sends out weekly email blasts. She does not have sharing capabilities on her emails. I have advised her time and again that she could get the word out even farther if she would add the ability to share on Facebook (where she has a presence). But she either doesn\'t care or doesn\'t think my advice is worthwhile.\r\n\r\nI have stopped giving her any advice. It is clear that she thinks she knows enough about marketing herself to ask me (or anyone) for help.\r\n\r\nIn any aspect of life it is helpful to know (and acknowledge) your strengths and weaknesses.  You play to your strengths and get help in the areas you are weak. For example, say you have great ideas but can\'t spell for your life.  If you are blogging, you know you need to get an editor to read over your stuff.\r\n\r\nIn the scholar\'s case, her weakness is marketing (and social media). She should acknowledge that and get help (or at least listen to advice).\r\n\r\nWe may not know our strengths and weaknesses, but we should work to find out what they are and act appropriately. Get feedback (listen to feedback!).\r\n\r\nThoughts?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Know your strengths and weaknesses','','publish','open','open','','know-your-strengths-and-weaknesses','','','2013-03-28 14:56:12','2013-03-28 14:56:12','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2111',0,'post','',0),
(2114,4,'2013-04-01 13:43:49','2013-04-01 13:43:49','For many, April 1 is April Fools Day, and they act accordingly foolish. For others, it is Opening Day for Major League Baseball, and they make plans to attend a game.  For some, April 1 may simply be the start to a new month or the second quarter of the year.\r\n\r\nMy point is that just because for you April 1 means pulling stupid  pranks on people or going to the ballpark it does not mean other people share your views. As a communicator or marketer, you have to be sure that your target audience will get or share the prism with which you see the world.\r\n\r\nCorporations use holidays/special days in their advertising all the time. Maybe it\'s Easter or Christmas, or Valentine\'s Day or MLK Day. Those days may or may not resonate with your target audience. It is your job as a communicator to make sure that you are not losing your audience by focusing on the wrong thing.\r\n\r\nLast week, a local DC organization (which I will not name because it certainly does not deserve publicity) thought it would get a jump on April Fools, so it pranked its membership. In my mind, it made the organization look juvenile. I am sure to the organization\'s leadership it was a harmless joke--just having a bit of fun.\r\n\r\nHowever you choose to celebrate April  1, take a moment to check whether your audience understands and embraces that. The Onion is expected to make an April Fools joke, but is CNN?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','What does April 1 mean to you?','','publish','open','open','','what-does-april-1-mean-to-you','','','2013-04-01 13:43:49','2013-04-01 13:43:49','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2114',0,'post','',0),
(2107,4,'2013-03-21 15:25:48','2013-03-21 15:25:48','<strong>You must provide enough information whenever you expect an answer from someone.</strong> It seems fairly simple doesn\'t it? And yet, look at this email I received a couple of days ago:\r\n<blockquote>Deborah,\r\nHope you\'re well. We\'re looking for some freelance technical/medical writers and I thought you might be interested or might know some people. We have some general needs and a very specific need for someone in Boston.\r\n[name]</blockquote>\r\nNo email signature with contact information or point of reference here. I do not know the sender--have never met him or even heard of him. Did he find me on LinkedIn, doing a web search or what? No clue.\r\n\r\nI looked up the sender based on his email address, and found out he is the president (!!!!) of what looks to be an advertising agency (very confusing website...that is another blog post) with presence in multiple states, not around where I am located.\r\n\r\nWould you respond to this person? After looking up, I did.  I sent back an email asking for more details. Guess what? He never responded.\r\n\r\nIf you are prospecting for clients or consultants or anything else, you need to provide information, like:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Complete contact information</li>\r\n	<li>How you found or know of the prospect</li>\r\n	<li>What you are looking for specifically</li>\r\n	<li>How to respond</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDo you have an email template that you use when prospecting? What information do you provide?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Are you providing enough information?','','publish','open','open','','are-you-providing-enough-information','','','2013-03-21 15:25:48','2013-03-21 15:25:48','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2107',0,'post','',0),
(2108,4,'2013-03-21 15:24:04','2013-03-21 15:24:04','<strong>You must provide enough information whenever you expect an answer from someone.</strong> It seems fairly simple doesn\'t it? And yet, look at this email I received a couple of days ago:\n<blockquote>Deborah,\nHope you\'re well. We\'re looking for some freelance technical/medical writers and I thought you might be interested or might know some people. We have some general needs and a very specific need for someone in Boston.\n[name]</blockquote>\nNo email signature with contact information or point of reference here. I do not know the sender--have never met him or even heard of him. Did he find me on LinkedIn, doing a web search or what? No clue.\n\nI looked up the sender based on his email address, and found out he is the president (!!!!) of what looks to be an advertising agency (very confusing website...that is another blog post) with presence in multiple states, not around where I am located.\n\nWould you respond to this person? After looking up, I did.  I sent back an email asking for more details. Guess what? He never responded.\n\nIf you are prospecting for clients or consultants or anything else, you need to provide information, like:\n<ul>\n	<li>Complete contact information</li>\n	<li>How you found or know of the prospect</li>\n	<li>What you are looking for specifically</li>\n	<li>How to respond</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Are you providing enough information?','','inherit','open','open','','2107-revision','','','2013-03-21 15:24:04','2013-03-21 15:24:04','',2107,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/03/2107-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2110,4,'2013-03-25 14:58:40','2013-03-25 14:58:40','Brands like Starbucks or Coke have thousands of followers on social media because people like their products or services. I would argue that mass appeal brands don\'t have to do much to be like-able because their offering is what people already like. However, the rest of us have to work a bit harder. People don\'t know us and they have to be convinced.\n\nLately, I have seen several small agencies practically begging for followers on Twitter. It seems to me that if these organizations were more \"like-able\" they would not feel the need to ask for followers.\n\nAre you (or your organization) like-able?\n<ul>\n	<li>First, are you on social media? How can people like you on Facebook if you aren\'t there?</li>\n	<li>Are you sharing valuable or interesting content?</li>\n	<li>Are you interacting?</li>\n</ul>\nOr, are you doing the following things (these are my particular pet peeves and reasons why I have stopped following people):\n<ul>\n	<li>Posting too little or too much</li>\n	<li>Using obscenity</li>\n	<li>Complaining all the time</li>\n	<li>Never responding</li>\n	<li>Auto posting</li>\n</ul>\nLike-ability is really about manners and common-sense.\n\n&nbsp;','Are you like-able?','','inherit','open','open','','2109-revision','','','2013-03-25 14:58:40','2013-03-25 14:58:40','',2109,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/03/2109-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2112,4,'2013-03-28 14:55:28','2013-03-28 14:55:28','I know a scholar who is very smart and informed and yet, this scholar doesn\'t ever ask for or listen to marketing advice. A few years ago, this person, who had written a couple books, decided to launch a website. I met with her after she had already done it. She wanted some feedback. I thought she should have a blog. But, she couldn\'t add one since her site had been built in Dreamweaver. I wished she had asked my opinion  before she created her site.\n\nThis scholar sends out weekly email blasts. She does not have sharing capabilities on her emails. I have advised her time and again that she could get the word out even farther if she would add the ability to share on Facebook (where she has a presence). But she either doesn\'t care or doesn\'t think my advice is worthwhile.\n\nI have stopped giving her any advice. It is clear that she thinks she knows enough about marketing herself to ask me (or anyone) for help.\n\nIn any aspect of life it is helpful to know (and acknowledge) your strengths and weaknesses.  You play to your strengths and get help in the areas you are weak. For example, say you have great ideas but can\'t spell for your life.  If you are blogging, you know you need to get an editor to read over your stuff.\n\nIn the scholar\'s case, her weakness is marketing (and social media). She should acknowledge that and get help (or at least listen to advice).\n\nWe may not know our strengths and weaknesses, but we should work to\n\n&nbsp;','Know your strengths and weaknesses','','inherit','open','open','','2111-revision','','','2013-03-28 14:55:28','2013-03-28 14:55:28','',2111,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/03/2111-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2113,4,'2013-03-28 14:57:34','2013-03-28 14:57:34','I know a scholar who is very smart and informed and yet, this scholar doesn\'t ever ask for or listen to marketing advice. A few years ago, this person, who had written a couple books, decided to launch a website. I met with her after she had already done it. She wanted some feedback. I thought she should have a blog. But, she couldn\'t add one since her site had been built in Dreamweaver. I wished she had asked my opinion  before she created her site.\n\nThis scholar sends out weekly email blasts. She does not have sharing capabilities on her emails. I have advised her time and again that she could get the word out even farther if she would add the ability to share on Facebook (where she has a presence). But she either doesn\'t care or doesn\'t think my advice is worthwhile.\n\nI have stopped giving her any advice. It is clear that she thinks she knows enough about marketing herself to ask me (or anyone) for help.\n\nIn any aspect of life it is helpful to know (and acknowledge) your strengths and weaknesses.  You play to your strengths and get help in the areas you are weak. For example, say you have great ideas but can\'t spell for your life.  If you are blogging, you know you need to get an editor to read over your stuff.\n\nIn the scholar\'s case, her weakness is marketing (and social media). She should acknowledge that and get help (or at least listen to advice).\n\nWe may not know our strengths and weaknesses, but we should work to find out what they are and act appropriately. Get feedback (listen to feedback!).\n\nThoughts?\n\n&nbsp;','Know your strengths and weaknesses','','inherit','open','open','','2111-autosave','','','2013-03-28 14:57:34','2013-03-28 14:57:34','',2111,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/03/2111-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(2115,4,'2013-04-01 13:43:35','2013-04-01 13:43:35','For many, April 1 is April Fools Day, and they act accordingly foolish. For others, it is Opening Day for Major League Baseball, and they make plans to attend a game.  For some, April 1 may simply be the start to a new month or the second quarter of the year.\n\nMy point is that just because for you April 1 means pulling stupid  pranks on people or going to the ballpark it does not mean other people share your views. As a communicator or marketer, you have to be sure that your target audience will get or share the prism with which you see the world.\n\nCorporations use holidays/special days in their advertising all the time. Maybe it\'s Easter or Christmas, or Valentine\'s Day or MLK Day. Those days may or may not resonate with your target audience. It is your job as a communicator to make sure that you are not losing your audience by focusing on the wrong thing.\n\nLast week, a local DC organization (which I will not name because it certainly does not deserve publicity) thought it would get a jump on April Fools, so it pranked its membership. In my mind, it made the organization look juvenile. I am sure to the organization\'s leadership it was a harmless joke--just having a bit of fun.\n\nHowever you choose to celebrate April  1, take a moment to check whether your audience understands and embraces that. The Onion is expected to make an April Fools joke, but is CNN?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','What does April 1 mean to you?','','inherit','open','open','','2114-revision','','','2013-04-01 13:43:35','2013-04-01 13:43:35','',2114,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/04/2114-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2132,4,'2013-04-17 13:55:44','2013-04-17 13:55:44','So many people don\'t ever get their blogs off the ground because of various fears: fear of not knowing what to write, fear of not having enough content, fear of writing itself. Well, you can conquer those fears by attending my <strong>\"How to write your blog\"</strong> workshop. I cover what you should write about, how to come up with ideas and inspiration and getting the blog post written.\r\n\r\nThe next <strong>blogging workshop will take place on Friday, May 17 starting at 9:30 a.m</strong>. This time, I am traveling across the state lines Virginia to hold the workshop at <a href=\"http://linklocale.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Link Locale</a>, a co-working space in Clarendon.  Also new this time is that I am offering an discounted price for early registration of $70 if you register by May 1. After that, the price goes up to $79.\r\n\r\nMore details and registration are available at the <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">Eventbrite </a>page.\r\n\r\nHope to see you there!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Learn how to write your blog ','','inherit','open','open','','2128-revision-4','','','2013-04-17 13:55:44','2013-04-17 13:55:44','',2128,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/04/2128-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),
(2117,4,'2013-04-05 17:19:37','2013-04-05 17:19:37','This past week, I got four or five calls/messages from a guy at a car dealership saying he had the information I requested. Trouble is, I didn\'t request the information. The guy most likely had the wrong phone number. His message was not reaching the right person.\r\n\r\nIf you want to communicate a message, you have to make sure that you are reaching your target audience, whether it is a one-to-one interaction or a specific demographic group.\r\n\r\nWhat can we learn from the dealership guy?\r\n\r\n<strong>First, get the details and information that you need.</strong> In this case, the dealership guy had the wrong phone number. If you want to communicate with any audience, it is important that you know where they are and how to reach them.\r\n\r\n<strong>Second, if you aren\'t getting a response, check why.</strong> This guy left me four messages. The fact that I wasn\'t getting back to him did not seem to trigger the realization that he was calling the wrong person. For marketing communications, you may want to check the reach of the channel you are using, or whether the message is appropriate to your target audience.\r\n\r\n<strong>Third, pay attention!</strong> If the dealership guy had bothered to pay attention to my voice mail message he might have realized he was calling the wrong person. Many marketers are, like him, going through the motions. If the playbook says, contact someone three times or run an ad for a month, that is what these inattentive marketers are doing, regardless of effectiveness.\r\n\r\nAre you sure your message is getting through to your intended target audience?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is your message reaching the right person?','','publish','open','open','','is-your-message-reaching-the-right-person','','','2013-04-05 17:19:37','2013-04-05 17:19:37','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2117',0,'post','',0),
(2118,4,'2013-04-05 17:18:54','2013-04-05 17:18:54','This past week, I got four or five calls/messages from a guy at a car dealership saying he had the information I requested. Trouble is, I didn\'t request the information. The guy most likely had the wrong phone number. His message was not reaching the right person.\n\nIf you want to communicate a message, you have to make sure that you are reaching your target audience, whether it is a one-to-one interaction or a specific demographic group.\n\nWhat can we learn from the dealership guy?\n\n<strong>First, get the details and information that you need.</strong> In this case, the dealership guy had the wrong phone number. If you want to communicate with any audience, it is important that you know where they are and how to reach them.\n\n<strong>Second, if you aren\'t getting a response, check why.</strong> This guy left me four messages. The fact that I wasn\'t getting back to him did not seem to trigger the realization that he was calling the wrong person. For marketing communications, you may want to check the reach of the channel you are using, or whether the message is appropriate to your target audience.\n\n<strong>Third, pay attention!</strong> If the dealership guy had bothered to pay attention to my voice mail message he might have realized he was calling the wrong person. Many marketers are, like him, going through the motions. If the playbook says, contact someone three times or run an ad for a month, that is what theseinattentive marketers are doing, regardless of effectiveness.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Is your message reaching the right person?','','inherit','open','open','','2117-revision','','','2013-04-05 17:18:54','2013-04-05 17:18:54','',2117,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/04/2117-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2120,4,'2013-04-10 18:02:44','2013-04-10 18:02:44','<em>Note: The following applies to business or organizational blogs not personal blogs.</em>\r\n\r\nWhat makes so many blogs fun to read is that they are more personal than other forms of communication. Since there are few (or no) editorial layers, most blogs are more frank and more conversational than other types of writing.\r\n\r\nBut there is a difference between showing your personality and being personal. I am certainly in favor of showing personality. If you like to compare everything to sports or music or movies, then do it. If you talk about your passions for cooking or travel, it makes you look like a well-rounded person.\r\n\r\nThere is also room for personal stories, as long as you are using them to illustrate a point or explain a position. What there is no room for, in my opinion, is really personal stuff that you would share with family and friends, but not with business acquaintances, such as a discussion of your latest mammogram or romantic break-up or philosophical musing.\r\n\r\nYes, I know you have a right to blog about whatever you like. This is especially true if you, like me, are a solopreneur or head of a very small company. Your business is personal...but your blog can\'t be. Remember why you are blogging---perhaps it is to help with thought leadership, lead generation and/or SEO. Ask yourself if the very personal post you are writing will advance or detract from that.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Is there a line? And if someone crosses that line on his/her blog, are there consequences? I would appreciate if you shared your thoughts in the comments.','Blogging: when is it too personal?','','publish','open','open','','blogging-when-is-it-too-personal','','','2013-04-10 18:02:44','2013-04-10 18:02:44','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2120',0,'post','',0),
(2121,4,'2013-04-10 18:02:34','2013-04-10 18:02:34','<em>Note: The following applies to business or organizational blogs not personal blogs.</em>\n\nWhat makes so many blogs fun to read is that they are more personal than other forms of communication. Since there are few (or no) editorial layers, most blogs are more frank and more conversational than other types of writing.\n\nBut there is a difference between showing your personality and being personal. I am certainly in favor of showing personality. If you like to compare everything to sports or music or movies, then do it. If you talk about your passions for cooking or travel, it makes you look like a well-rounded person.\n\nThere is also room for personal stories, as long as you are using them to illustrate a point or explain a position. What there is no room for, in my opinion, is really personal stuff that you would share with family and friends, but not with business acquaintances, such as a discussion of your latest mammogram or romantic break-up or philosophical musing.\n\nYes, I know you have a right to blog about whatever you like. This is especially true if you, like me, are a solopreneur or head of a very small company. Your business is personal...but your blog can\'t be. Remember why you are blogging---perhaps it is to help with thought leadership, lead generation and/or SEO. Ask yourself if the very personal post you are writing will advance or detract from that.\n\nWhat do you think? Is there a line? And if someone crosses that line on his/her blog, are there consequences? I would appreciate if you shared your thoughts in the comments.','Blogging: when is it too personal?','','inherit','open','open','','2120-revision','','','2013-04-10 18:02:34','2013-04-10 18:02:34','',2120,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/04/2120-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2122,4,'2013-04-10 18:03:48','2013-04-10 18:03:48','<em>Note: The following applies to business or organizational blogs not personal blogs.</em>\n\nWhat makes so many blogs fun to read is that they are more personal than other forms of communication. Since there are few (or no) editorial layers, most blogs are more frank and more conversational than other types of writing.\n\nBut there is a difference between showing your personality and being personal. I am certainly in favor of showing personality. If you like to compare everything to sports or music or movies, then do it. If you talk about your passions for cooking or travel, it makes you look like a well-rounded person.\n\nThere is also room for personal stories, as long as you are using them to illustrate a point or explain a position. What there is no room for, in my opinion, is really personal stuff that you would share with family and friends, but not with business acquaintances, such as a discussion of your latest mammogram or romantic break-up or philosophical musing.\n\nYes, I know you have a right to blog about whatever you like. This is especially true if you, like me, are a solopreneur or head of a very small company. Your business is personal...but your blog can\'t be. Remember why you are blogging---perhaps it is to help with thought leadership, lead generation and/or SEO. Ask yourself if the very personal post you are writing will advance or detract from that.\n\nWhat do you think? Is there a line? And if someone crosses that line on his/her blog, are there consequences? I would appreciate if you shared your thoughts in the comments.','Blogging: when is it too personal?','','inherit','open','open','','2120-autosave','','','2013-04-10 18:03:48','2013-04-10 18:03:48','',2120,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/04/2120-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(2125,4,'2013-04-16 13:26:37','2013-04-16 13:26:37','You have probably heard of Emotional Intelligence (EI), which is defined as the ability to perceive, evaluate and control emotions. EI is the ability to figure out how to respond appropriately to a situation.  There are people that rank low on the EI scale--they lack empathy or social skills. They may laugh inappropriately or not seem saddened by a tragic moment. And there are those who have high EI and are very adept at navigating human interactions.\r\n\r\nYesterday\'s attack on the Boston Marathon got me thinking about a variation of EI--what I am terming <strong>social media intelligence</strong>. The news was just awful, and coming out in dribs and drabs. On Twitter, there was a ton of  (mis)information. There was one bomb, then there were three. Was it domestic terrorism or did this have the hallmarks of Al Qaeda? Wild speculation abounded.\r\n\r\n<strong>The people who have social media intelligence were the ones had reasonable responses and tweets.</strong> Some asked people to check their sources before tweeting and some asked others to refrain from posting exceedingly graphic images.\r\n\r\nThose with<strong> low social media intelligence are the people that appear unaware how their communications affect their followers </strong>and who were busy re-tweeting thoughtlessly,  spreading rumors and even engaging in fear-mongering.\r\n\r\nAnother variation of low social media intelligence was being unaware that a big news event was happening and tweeting/posting about mundane, unrelated stuff. Unfortunately some of these are communications folks who have automated posts to send out press releases and other announcements. There is little that is as jarring as reading about an upcoming event  (join us for a spectacular fun-filled evening!) when simultaneously finding out that the nation\'s oldest marathon has been targeted by terror. Some people (those with higher social media intelligence) called out this behavior.\r\n\r\nWhether EI is learned or you are born with it is an open question. Social media intelligence on the other hand, can most certainly be learned. In fact, in today\'s social media fueled information age, having this type of intelligence is an essential skill. Here are a few guidelines:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Be aware of what is going on and act accordingly. Don\'t post without checking your feeds.</li>\r\n	<li>Don\'t assume that everything you see on social media is true and deserving of re-posting. Double-check facts and sources.</li>\r\n	<li>Every social media network is different--post accordingly. Perhaps your personal trials and tribulations are best left to Facebook and taken off LinkedIn.</li>\r\n	<li>Remember that people can see your posts both in real-time and in the future.</li>\r\n	<li>Discussions on social media are not all about you. Remember the social in social media.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nWhat would you add? What makes someone have social media intelligence? What are examples of lacking or having social media intelligence?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Social media intelligence is an essential skill','','publish','open','open','','social-media-intelligence-is-an-essential-skill','','','2013-04-16 13:26:37','2013-04-16 13:26:37','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2125',0,'post','',1),
(2126,4,'2013-04-16 13:25:55','2013-04-16 13:25:55','You have probably heard of Emotional Intelligence (EI), which is defined as the ability to perceive, evaluate and control emotions. EI is the ability to figure out how to respond appropriately to a situation.  There are people that rank low on the EI scale--they lack empathy or social skills. They may laugh inappropriately or not seem saddened by a tragic moment. And there are those who have high EI and are very adept at navigating human interactions.\n\nYesterday\'s attack on the Boston Marathon got me thinking about a variation of EI--what I am terming <strong>social media intelligence</strong>. The news was just awful, and coming out in dribs and drabs. On Twitter, there was a ton of  (mis)information. There was one bomb, then there were three. Was it domestic terrorism or did this have the hallmarks of Al Qaeda? Wild speculation abounded.\n\n<strong>The people who have social media intelligence were the ones had reasonable responses and tweets.</strong> Some asked people to check their sources before tweeting and some asked others to refrain from posting exceedingly graphic images.\n\nThose with<strong> low social media intelligence are the people that appear unaware how their communications affect their followers </strong>and who were busy re-tweeting thoughtlessly,  spreading rumors and even engaging in fear-mongering.\n\nAnother variation of low social media intelligence was being unaware that a big news event was happening and tweeting/posting about mundane, unrelated stuff. Unfortunately some of these are communications folks who have automated posts to send out press releases and other announcements. There is little that is as jarring as reading about an upcoming event  (join us for a spectacular fun-filled evening!) when simultaneously finding out that the nation\'s oldest marathon has been targeted by terror. Some people (those with higher social media intelligence) called out this behavior.\n\nWhether EI is learned or you are born with it is an open question. Social media intelligence on the other hand, can most certainly be learned. In fact, in today\'s social media fueled information age, having this type of intelligence is an essential skill. Here are a few guidelines:\n<ul>\n	<li>Be aware of what is going on and act accordingly. Don\'t post without checking your feeds.</li>\n	<li>Don\'t assume that everything you see on social media is true and deserving of re-posting. Double-check facts and sources.</li>\n	<li>Every social media network is different--post accordingly. Perhaps your personal trials and tribulations are best left to Facebook and taken off LinkedIn.</li>\n	<li>Remember that people can see your posts both in real-time and in the future.</li>\n	<li>Discussions on social media are not all about you. Remember the social in social media.</li>\n</ul>\nWhat would you add? What makes someone have social media intelligence? What are examples of lacking or having social media intelligence?\n\n&nbsp;','Social media intelligence is an essential skill','','inherit','open','open','','2125-revision','','','2013-04-16 13:25:55','2013-04-16 13:25:55','',2125,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/04/2125-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2185,4,'2013-05-16 17:51:43','2013-05-16 17:51:43','Yesterday, I read Gini Dietrich\'s take on the state of the PR industry, <a href=\"http://spinsucks.com/communication/the-pr-industry-does-need-better-pr/\" target=\"_blank\">The PR Industry Does Need Better PR</a>, on her firm\'s blog, Spin Sucks. Basically, Gini points out that what people think they know about PR is wrong or misleading. It\'s her conclusion that what the PR industry needs is better PR.\n\n<strong>I think what the PR industry needs is better business skills.</strong>\n\nHave you been to a PR networking event lately? If you have, you\'ve probably noticed a lot of young people, mostly women. These young people often have inflated titles--including account manager, account director and even vice president--after being in the industry for three years or so. Many of these PR \"pros\" studied PR in college. Some may have even had an internship or two.\n\nYou may also have met a lot of former journalists who have decided they will have more job stability in public relations, while using their writing skills and knowledge of what is newsworthy.\n\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">What few of these PR people have is a solid understanding of business.</span> Few, if any, have gone to business school. Few, if any, understand basic marketing ideas like push-pull. Fewer still understand finance, balance sheets or even how to read and  intrepret data.\n\nLots of people are busy trying to figure out how to get the word out about an event, or how to have a great social media campaign, but what they are failing to see is the big picture--how public relations helps a company to achieve its business objectives.\n\nA big part of the disconnect that currently exists between public relations agencies and the business side of the industries served has to do with the separation between communications functions and marketing and sales roles. Even though public relations is part of marketing communications, public relations does not usually have a stake in marketing and sales processes and outcomes. Businesses may hire public relations agencies to help with image, but even then, the point usually is to increase the bottom line (i.e. sales in for profit organizations, influence or donors at nonprofit organizations).\n\nIn his article <a href=\"http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/14477.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">3 reasons to find a new PR/social media</a>, Scott Signore states quite succinctly the following as his third reason:\n<blockquote><strong>Finally</strong>, despite the evolution in the category and the number of significant changes the PR business has endured over the years, it’s still about executing a communications program that helps drive business. So, look for another PR and social media agency partner if your current group is not directly supporting your business objectives.</blockquote>\nWhat Scott is saying is that if PR agencies are not helping companies achieve <strong>business objectives</strong> ,they should be fired.  They are not doing their fundamental job.\n\nAnd yet, as I said before, too many PR professionals simply do not understand business. All public relations pros should be reading business books or articles or watching business-focused programs. Those who want to be high-level agency executives should consider going to business school.\n\nWhat do you think? Is it a PR problem? Or is it a lack of business know-how?','Is it a PR problem or is it a business problem?','','inherit','open','open','','2184-revision','','','2013-05-16 17:51:43','2013-05-16 17:51:43','',2184,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/05/2184-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2128,4,'2013-04-17 13:55:44','2013-04-17 13:55:44','So many people don\'t ever get their blogs off the ground because of various fears: fear of not knowing what to write, fear of not having enough content, fear of writing itself. Well, you can conquer those fears by attending my <strong>\"How to write your blog\"</strong> workshop. I cover what you should write about, how to come up with ideas and inspiration and getting the blog post written.\r\n\r\nThe next <strong>blogging workshop will take place on Friday, May 17 starting at 9:30 a.m</strong>. This time, I am traveling across  state lines to Virginia to hold the workshop at <a href=\"http://linklocale.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Link Locale</a>, a co-working space in Clarendon.  Also new this time is that I am offering an discounted price for early registration of $70 if you register by May 1. After that, the price goes up to $79.\r\n\r\nMore details and registration are available at the <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">Eventbrite </a>page.\r\n\r\nHope to see you there!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Learn how to write your blog ','','publish','open','open','','learn-how-to-write-your-blog','','','2013-04-18 14:57:11','2013-04-18 14:57:11','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2128',0,'post','',0),
(2129,4,'2013-04-17 13:51:38','2013-04-17 13:51:38','So many people don\'t ever get their blogs off the ground because of various fears: fear of not knowing what to write, fear of not having enough content, fear of writing itself. Well, you can conquer those fears by attending my \"How to write your blog\" workshop. I cover what you should write about, how to come up with ideas and inspiration and getting the blog post written.\n\nThe next blogging workshop will take place on Friday, May 17 starting at 9:30 a.m. This time, I am traveling across the state lines Virginia to hold the workshop at <a href=\"http://linklocale.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Link Locale</a>, a co-working space in Clarendon.  Also new this time is that I am offering an discounted price for early registration of $70 if you register by May 1. After that, the price goes up to $79.\n\nMore details and registration are available at the <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">Eventbrite </a>page.\n\nHope to see you there!\n\n&nbsp;','Learn how to write your blog ','','inherit','open','open','','2128-revision','','','2013-04-17 13:51:38','2013-04-17 13:51:38','',2128,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/04/2128-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2130,4,'2013-04-17 13:54:13','2013-04-17 13:54:13','So many people don\'t ever get their blogs off the ground because of various fears: fear of not knowing what to write, fear of not having enough content, fear of writing itself. Well, you can conquer those fears by attending my \"How to write your blog\" workshop. I cover what you should write about, how to come up with ideas and inspiration and getting the blog post written.\r\n\r\nThe next blogging workshop will take place on Friday, May 17 starting at 9:30 a.m. This time, I am traveling across the state lines Virginia to hold the workshop at <a href=\"http://linklocale.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Link Locale</a>, a co-working space in Clarendon.  Also new this time is that I am offering an discounted price for early registration of $70 if you register by May 1. After that, the price goes up to $79.\r\n\r\nMore details and registration are available at the <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">Eventbrite </a>page.\r\n\r\nHope to see you there!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Learn how to write your blog ','','inherit','open','open','','2128-revision-2','','','2013-04-17 13:54:13','2013-04-17 13:54:13','',2128,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/04/2128-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(2131,4,'2013-04-17 13:55:14','2013-04-17 13:55:14','So many people don\'t ever get their blogs off the ground because of various fears: fear of not knowing what to write, fear of not having enough content, fear of writing itself. Well, you can conquer those fears by attending my <strong>\"How to write your blog\"</strong> workshop. I cover what you should write about, how to come up with ideas and inspiration and getting the blog post written.\r\n\r\nThe next <strong>blogging workshop will take place on Friday, May 17 starting at 9:30 a.m</strong>. This time, I am traveling across the state lines Virginia to hold the workshop at <a href=\"http://linklocale.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Link Locale</a>, a co-working space in Clarendon.  Also new this time is that I am offering an discounted price for early registration of $70 if you register by May 1. After that, the price goes up to $79.\r\n\r\nMore details and registration are available at the <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">Eventbrite </a>page.\r\n\r\nHope to see you there!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Learn how to write your blog ','','inherit','open','open','','2128-revision-3','','','2013-04-17 13:55:14','2013-04-17 13:55:14','',2128,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/04/2128-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(2133,4,'2013-04-19 14:55:35','2013-04-19 14:55:35','Honored to be featured on the<a href=\"http://fletcher-prince.com/2013/04/19/a-great-business-card-is-a-powerful-budget-marketing-tactic/\" target=\"_blank\"> Fletcher Prince blo</a>g, discussing business cards as a budget marketing tactic.\r\n\r\nHave you looked at your business card lately?','Check out my guest post at Fletcher Prince\'s blog','','publish','open','open','','check-out-my-guest-post-at-fletcher-princes-blog','','','2013-04-19 14:55:35','2013-04-19 14:55:35','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2133',0,'post','',0),
(2134,4,'2013-04-19 14:55:23','2013-04-19 14:55:23','Honored to be featured on the<a href=\"http://fletcher-prince.com/2013/04/19/a-great-business-card-is-a-powerful-budget-marketing-tactic/\" target=\"_blank\"> Fletcher Prince blo</a>g, discussing business cards as a budget marketing tactic.\n\nHave you looked at your business card lately?','Check out my guest post at Fletcher Prince\'s blog','','inherit','open','open','','2133-revision','','','2013-04-19 14:55:23','2013-04-19 14:55:23','',2133,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/04/2133-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2135,4,'2013-04-19 14:56:41','2013-04-19 14:56:41','Honored to be featured on the<a href=\"http://fletcher-prince.com/2013/04/19/a-great-business-card-is-a-powerful-budget-marketing-tactic/\" target=\"_blank\"> Fletcher Prince blo</a>g, discussing business cards as a budget marketing tactic.\n\nHave you looked at your business card lately?','Check out my guest post at Fletcher Prince\'s blog','','inherit','open','open','','2133-autosave','','','2013-04-19 14:56:41','2013-04-19 14:56:41','',2133,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/04/2133-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(2158,4,'2013-05-01 13:13:37','0000-00-00 00:00:00','Any marketing communications you engage in are there to support the business\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany ex-journalists are turning to careers in PR.  After all, the journalism business is changing and demanding more from its practitioners. PR work requires many of the skills journalists have: writing, understanding (finding) the news value of a story, understanding how a newsroom works, and on. What many journalists don\'t have is a good understanding of business.\r\n\r\nPR is a function of marketing communications. Marketing communications is there to support the business, whether it is to generate sales, increase awareness, enhance a brand or other strategic business goals.','It\'s about business','','draft','open','open','','','','','2013-05-01 13:13:37','2013-05-01 13:13:37','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2158',0,'post','',0),
(2137,4,'2013-04-22 20:17:58','0000-00-00 00:00:00','Besides physics, calculus and these are a few things I don\'t understand:\r\n\r\nHaving a social media profile (especially LinkedIn) with no photograph.\r\n\r\nPeople who want to be friends on Facebook and you don\'t know who they are.\r\n\r\nPeople who want to be friends on Facebook, but who never speak to you in person.\r\n\r\nPeople who only post to Facebook when they get engaged, married or have a child.\r\n\r\nSending LinkedIn invitations to random people you don\'t know.\r\n\r\nSending out a press release because the calendar says you should.\r\n\r\nCommunications experts who don\'t use or understand social media.\r\n\r\nPR people who don\'t follow the news, at all.\r\n\r\nNot having business cards or having business cards without crucial contact information.\r\n\r\nGoing to networking events and not networking.\r\n\r\n80s inspired clothing. Didn\'t work then, definitely doesn\'t work now.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Things I don\'t understand','','draft','open','open','','','','','2013-04-22 20:17:58','2013-04-22 20:17:58','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2137',0,'post','',0),
(2138,4,'2013-04-22 20:07:16','2013-04-22 20:07:16','Besides physics, calculus and these are a few things I don\'t understand:\n\nHaving a social media profile (especially LinkedIn) with no photograph.\n\nPeople who want to be friends on Facebook and you don\'t know who they are.\n\nPeople who want to be friends on Facebook, but who never speak to you in person.\n\nPeople who only post to Facebook when they get engaged, married or have a child.\n\nSending LinkedIn invitations to random people you don\'t know.\n\nSending out a press release because the calendar says you should.\n\nCommunications experts who don\'t use or understand social media.\n\nPR people who don\'t follow the news, at all.\n\nNot having business cards or having business cards without crucial contact information.\n\nGoing to networking events and not networking.\n\n80s inspired clothing. Didn\'t work then, definitely doesn\'t work now.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Things I don\'t understand','','inherit','open','open','','2137-revision','','','2013-04-22 20:07:16','2013-04-22 20:07:16','',2137,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/04/2137-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2139,4,'2013-04-23 14:55:38','2013-04-23 14:55:38','Do you watch <a href=\"http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3032608/\" target=\"_blank\">Meet the Press</a>? If so, you have probably noticed that Senator John McCain has been a frequent guest. He\'s also been on the other Sunday shows like <a href=\"http://www.cbsnews.com/face-the-nation/\" target=\"_blank\">Face the Nation.</a> According to  <a href=\"http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_03/017520.php\" target=\"_blank\">The Washington Monthly,</a> as of 2009, McCain had been on Meet the Press 54 times. Since then, I would say he has been on many more times, making that number 60 or larger.\r\n\r\nOther people appear quite frequently too. In fact, based on Sunday show appearances, you would be excused for thinking there are only about 10 senators in the U.S. Senate. Other frequent guests are Senators Lindsey Graham, Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin. (As an aside, it seems that male senators appear more frequently than female senators...). Back in the 90s, when I first started watching Meet the Press with Tim Russert, the go-to senator was the Senator Orrin Hatch. In fact, I stopped watching MTP because it seemed like Sen. Hatch was always on!\r\n\r\nIs John McCain a more important senator than the other 99? No. What he may be is more  media savvy. And he is a proven commodity. The Sunday shows know they can count on McCain for making strong pronouncements or taking controversial views.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. by Medill DC, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/medilldc/6761048861/\"><img title=\"Sen. John McCain\" alt=\"Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6761048861_1504a05f48.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"334\" /></a> Sen. John McCain (photo by Medill DC on Flickr)[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>\r\nThere\'s a few PR lessons you can learn from John McCain.\r\n\r\n1) Be the go-to person on your areas of expertise (McCain\'s areas are mostly immigration, foreign policy and defense). Some may say this is being a \"thought leader.\"\r\n\r\n2) Make yourself available and say yes to invitations.  (My guess is that MTP knows that it can get McCain pretty much any time.) If you turn down an interview, the producer will simply go on to the next person on the list.\r\n\r\n3) Have clearly defined, strong messages and/or positions.  (MTP knows what it will get when it books McCain.)\r\n\r\n4) Once you are in, you are in. (McCain does not have to prove anything or do much to get invited on the shows.)\r\n\r\nWhat do you take away from McCain\'s frequent appearance?','What you can learn from John McCain','','publish','open','open','','what-you-can-learn-from-john-mccain','','','2013-04-23 14:55:38','2013-04-23 14:55:38','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2139',0,'post','',0),
(2140,4,'2013-04-23 14:54:58','2013-04-23 14:54:58','Do you watch <a href=\"http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3032608/\" target=\"_blank\">Meet the Press</a>? If so, you have probably noticed that John McCain has been a frequent guest. He\'s also been on the other Sunday shows like <a href=\"http://www.cbsnews.com/face-the-nation/\" target=\"_blank\">Face the Nation.</a> According to  <a href=\"http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_03/017520.php\" target=\"_blank\">The Washington Monthly,</a> as of 2009, McCain had been on Meet the Press 54 times. Since then, I would say he has been on many more times, making that number 60 or larger.\n\nOther people appear quite frequently too. In fact, based on Sunday show appearances, you would be excused for thinking there are only about 10 senators in the U.S. Senate. Other frequent guests are Senators Lindsey Graham, Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin. (As an aside, it seems that male senators appear more frequently than female senators...). Back in the 90s, when I first started watching Meet the Press with Tim Russert, the go-to senator was the Senator Orrin Hatch. In fact, I stopped watching MTP because it seemed like Hatch was always on!\n\nIs John McCain a more important senator than the other 99? No. What he may be is more  more media savvy. And he is a proven commodity. The Sunday shows know they can count on McCain for making strong pronouncements or taking controversial views.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. by Medill DC, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/medilldc/6761048861/\"><img title=\"Sen. John McCain\" alt=\"Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6761048861_1504a05f48.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"334\" /></a> Sen. John McCain (photo by Medill DC on Flickr)[/caption]\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>\nThere\'s a few PR lessons you can learn from John McCain.\n\n1) Be the go-to person on your areas of expertise (McCain\'s areas are mostly immigration, foreign policy and defense). Some may say this is being a \"thought leader.\"\n\n2) Make yourself available and say yes to invitations.  (My guess is that MTP knows that it can get McCain pretty much any time.) If you turn down an interview, the producer will simply go on to the next person on the list.\n\n3) Have clearly defined, strong messages and/or positions.  (MTP knows what it will get when it books McCain.)\n\n4) Once you are in, you are in. (McCain does not have to prove anything or do much to get invited on the shows.)\n\nWhat do you take away from McCain\'s frequent appearance?','What you can learn from John McCain','','inherit','open','open','','2139-revision','','','2013-04-23 14:54:58','2013-04-23 14:54:58','',2139,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/04/2139-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2208,4,'2013-05-30 20:01:41','2013-05-30 20:01:41','Several weeks ago, I started getting a weekly newspaper in the mail. It was a supposed to be a four-week free subscription to thank me for some volunteering I had done. The enclosed note said that they hoped I would consider subscribing.\r\n\r\nI would consider subscribing, but I haven\'t been given the chance. I keep getting this newspaper, even though it has been more than eight weeks (twice what was originally offered) and never once has a subscription card come along with it. I guess they are wishing I call them and say \"please charge me for the paper you are already sending me for free!\"\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing is not a good marketing tactic.</strong>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"450\"]<a title=\"Gran blows out her candles on her 80th birthday cake by Ben Sutherland, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/bensutherland/5800945753/\"><img alt=\"Gran blows out her candles on her 80th birthday cake\" src=\"http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3659/5800945753_ee040e1ff4.jpg\" width=\"450\" height=\"298\" /></a> Gran blows out her candles on her 80th birthday cake by Ben Sutherland on Flickr[/caption]\r\n\r\n<strong>Instead, ask for what you want</strong> or give potential customers a pathway to becoming paying customers. In this case, the newspaper could send me a card saying that they hope I have enjoyed my free trial subscription, and if I would like to continue getting this newspaper, then please send a check in the enclosed envelope or call some phone number with my credit card information.\r\n\r\nWe see this with many other situations. Another common example is failing to ask for referrals. Does your hair or beauty salon ever ask you specifically to refer people? They probably wish you did, but they don\'t make it easy or worth your while. Say they said to you when you were checking out: We hope you like your new hair do. Perhaps you know someone else who wants a new haircut. If you do, we have a referral program. Just tell your friend to call us the number on this card, and we will give you a discount on your next service.\r\n\r\nSometimes you have to ask very specifically for what you want. A few days ago, I read that the tweets that get the most traction are the ones that have an ask in them: please retweet,  please help, please donate, etc.  You can\'t wish for things to happen...you have to make them happen!\r\n\r\nThoughts?','Wishing is not a marketing tactic','','publish','open','open','','wishing-is-not-a-marketing-tactic','','','2013-05-30 20:01:41','2013-05-30 20:01:41','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2208',0,'post','',0),
(2143,4,'2013-04-26 14:15:03','2013-04-26 14:15:03','I have been training people on how to blog for nearly a year now. In that time, I have had the privilege of working with dozens of people who want to blog, but haven\'t been able to for various reasons. Among the most common reasons given are these:\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li>Don\'t have the time to blog (also phrased as blogging takes up too much time)</li>\r\n	<li>Don\'t know what to write about</li>\r\n	<li>Don\'t have sufficient ideas or material</li>\r\n	<li>Don\'t think anyone wants to read my thoughts</li>\r\n	<li>I am not a good writer</li>\r\n	<li>Don\'t know who is going to read my blog or how people will find it</li>\r\n	<li>My organization insists on a long chain of approval to publish anything</li>\r\n	<li>I don\'t have buy-in from top-level executives at my organization</li>\r\n	<li>Don\'t see the point or purpose in blogging</li>\r\n	<li>Don\'t know how to set up a blog</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nDo any of these sound familiar to you?\r\n<h3>How to write your blog workshop on May 17</h3>\r\nIf you struggle with these common blogging issues, check out the three-hour hands-on <strong>How to write your blog workshop</strong> I am offering on Friday, May 17, starting at 9:30 a.m. It takes place at Link Locale in Arlington, VA, near the Clarendon Metro stop. If you sign up by May 1, you get the early registration price of $70 (regular price is $79).  For more details and to sign up,  visit <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com</a> .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','10 reasons people don\'t blog','','publish','open','open','','10-reasons-people-dont-blog','','','2013-04-26 14:15:03','2013-04-26 14:15:03','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2143',0,'post','',0),
(2146,4,'2013-04-26 14:14:12','2013-04-26 14:14:12','I have been training people on how to blog for nearly a year now. In that time, I have had the privilege of working with dozens of people who want to blog, but haven\'t been able to for various reasons. Among the most common reasons given are these:\n<ol>\n	<li>Don\'t have the time to blog (also phrased as blogging takes up too much time)</li>\n	<li>Don\'t know what to write about</li>\n	<li>Don\'t have sufficient ideas or material</li>\n	<li>Don\'t think anyone wants to read my thoughts</li>\n	<li>I am not a good writer</li>\n	<li>Don\'t know who is going to read my blog or how people will find it</li>\n	<li>My organization insists on a long chain of approval to publish anything</li>\n	<li>I don\'t have buy-in from top-level executives at my organization</li>\n	<li>Don\'t see the point or purpose in blogging</li>\n	<li>Don\'t know how to set up a blog</li>\n</ol>\nDo any of these sound familiar to you?\n<h3>How to write your blog workshop on May 17</h3>\nIf you struggle with these common blogging issues, check out the three-hour hands-on <strong>How to write your blog workshop</strong> I am offering on Friday, May 17, starting at 9:30 a.m. It takes place at Link Locale in Arlington, VA, near the Clarendon Metro stop. If you sign up by May 1, you get the early registration price of $70 (regular price is $79).  For more details and to sign up,  visit <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com</a> .\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','10 reasons people don\'t blog','','inherit','open','open','','2143-revision-3','','','2013-04-26 14:14:12','2013-04-26 14:14:12','',2143,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/04/2143-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(2144,4,'2013-04-26 14:08:47','2013-04-26 14:08:47','I have been training people on how to blog for nearly a year now. In that time, I have had the privilege of working with dozens of people who want to blog, but haven\'t been able to for various reasons. Among the most common reasons given are these:\n<ol>\n	<li>Don\'t have the time to blog (also phrased as blogging takes up too much time)</li>\n	<li>Don\'t know what to write about</li>\n	<li>Don\'t have sufficient ideas or material</li>\n	<li>Don\'t think anyone wants to read my thoughts</li>\n	<li>I am not a good writer</li>\n	<li>Don\'t know who is going to read my blog or how people will find it</li>\n	<li>My organization insists on a long chain of approval to publish anything</li>\n	<li>I don\'t have buy-in from top-level executives at my organization</li>\n	<li>Don\'t see the point or purpose in blogging</li>\n	<li>Don\'t know how to set up a blog</li>\n</ol>\nDo any of these sound familiar to you?\n<h3>How to write your blog workshop on May 17</h3>\nIf you struggle with these common blogging issues, check out my three-hour hands-on <strong>How to write your blog workshop</strong> I am offering on Friday, May 17, starting at 9:30 a.m. It takes place at Link Locale in Arlington, VA, near the Clarendon Metro stop. If you sign up by May 1, you get the early registration price of $70 (regular price is $79). To sign up and for more details,  visit <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com</a> .\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','10 reasons people don\'t blog','','inherit','open','open','','2143-revision','','','2013-04-26 14:08:47','2013-04-26 14:08:47','',2143,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/04/2143-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2145,4,'2013-04-26 14:11:24','2013-04-26 14:11:24','I have been training people on how to blog for nearly a year now. In that time, I have had the privilege of working with dozens of people who want to blog, but haven\'t been able to for various reasons. Among the most common reasons given are these:\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li>Don\'t have the time to blog (also phrased as blogging takes up too much time)</li>\r\n	<li>Don\'t know what to write about</li>\r\n	<li>Don\'t have sufficient ideas or material</li>\r\n	<li>Don\'t think anyone wants to read my thoughts</li>\r\n	<li>I am not a good writer</li>\r\n	<li>Don\'t know who is going to read my blog or how people will find it</li>\r\n	<li>My organization insists on a long chain of approval to publish anything</li>\r\n	<li>I don\'t have buy-in from top-level executives at my organization</li>\r\n	<li>Don\'t see the point or purpose in blogging</li>\r\n	<li>Don\'t know how to set up a blog</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nDo any of these sound familiar to you?\r\n<h3>How to write your blog workshop on May 17</h3>\r\nIf you struggle with these common blogging issues, check out my three-hour hands-on <strong>How to write your blog workshop</strong> I am offering on Friday, May 17, starting at 9:30 a.m. It takes place at Link Locale in Arlington, VA, near the Clarendon Metro stop. If you sign up by May 1, you get the early registration price of $70 (regular price is $79). To sign up and for more details,  visit <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com</a> .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','10 reasons people don\'t blog','','inherit','open','open','','2143-revision-2','','','2013-04-26 14:11:24','2013-04-26 14:11:24','',2143,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/04/2143-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(2148,4,'2011-07-22 03:58:08','2011-07-22 03:58:08','Where does your brochure or website fit in with your marketing plan?  Every marketing piece you put out should be a tactic in the larger  strategy of marketing your product, service or company. Deborah Brody  Marketing Communications will give you specific, creative marketing  ideas and strategies.','Communications Consulting','','inherit','open','open','','51-revision-v1','','','2011-07-22 03:58:08','2011-07-22 03:58:08','',51,'http://deborahbrody.com/2011/07/51-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(2149,4,'2016-03-08 15:39:31','2016-03-08 20:39:31','Written materials are the cornerstone of marketing communications. Clear, concise and convincing writing will make your marketing materials and your business stand out.\n\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications writes:\n<ul>\n	<li>Website content</li>\n	<li>Blog posts</li>\n	<li>Marketing collateral\n<ul>\n	<li>Brochures</li>\n	<li>Flyers</li>\n	<li>Taglines</li>\n	<li>Ebooks</li>\n	<li>Newsletter copy</li>\n	<li>Email copy</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n	<li>Advertising copy</li>\n	<li>Public relations materials\n<ul>\n	<li>Press releases</li>\n	<li>Executive biographies</li>\n	<li>Position papers</li>\n	<li>White papers</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n	<li>Messaging materials\n<ul>\n	<li>Key messages</li>\n	<li>Company descriptions</li>\n	<li>Boilerplate</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>','Writing/Copywriting','','inherit','open','open','','49-autosave-v1','','','2016-03-08 15:39:31','2016-03-08 20:39:31','',49,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/04/49-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(2150,4,'2011-07-22 03:55:02','2011-07-22 03:55:02','Writing is the cornerstone of marketing communications. Clear,  concise and convincing writing will make your marketing materials and  your business stand out.\r\n\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications writes:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Marketing collateral (brochures, flyers, letters)</li>\r\n	<li>Website content</li>\r\n	<li>Advertising copy</li>\r\n	<li>Public relations materials</li>\r\n</ul>','Writing/Copywriting','','inherit','open','open','','49-revision-v1','','','2011-07-22 03:55:02','2011-07-22 03:55:02','',49,'http://deborahbrody.com/2011/07/49-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),
(2156,4,'2013-04-29 15:46:41','2013-04-29 15:46:41','Someone I know posted this update on Facebook:\n\n\"A real game of yuck this week.\"\n\nWho knows what she meant. I am sure you have seen similar coy or opaque statements that just beg followers to ask for more information. And that is what the poster wants...you to ask for details. This may or may not be a good tactic to get attention on Facebook. It certainly is a bad tactic to use if you are trying to get attention in your email marketing, your blog posts, and other marketing content.\n\nSay you have an email newsletter you send to your clients. You write:\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Spring is a lovely time of year. Good things happen in the spring, it is a time of renewal. Tulips are blooming and spring sales are everywhere.</em></p>\nUnless you want to get people upset at your opaqueness, there is little use for being coy in marketing communication. Instead, you should know what you want and ask for it. Instead of rhapsodizing about spring in your newsletter, why not figure out what action you want your target audience to take (this is your <strong>call to action, </strong>in marketing terms)<strong>.</strong>  Don\'t make your audience guess. Tell them, clearly and precisely. Here are a few examples:\n<ul>\n	<li>Spring means renewal! Time to renew your subscription to our newsletter</li>\n	<li>Spring classes are starting. Here is how to enroll in our next class.</li>\n	<li>Spring sales are on! Check out the reduced prices on our newest product</li>\n</ul>\nThese are all <strong>specific actions</strong> you want your audience to take.\n\nAre you being coy in your communications? Why not start being direct and asking for what you want?!\n\nHow to blog workshop on May 17\n\nSign up today to get your early registration discount to my next How to Blog workshop taking place on May 17. For more details and to register visit howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com .\n\n&nbsp;','Are you being coy?','','inherit','open','open','','2155-revision','','','2013-04-29 15:46:41','2013-04-29 15:46:41','',2155,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/04/2155-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2157,4,'2013-04-29 15:47:41','2013-04-29 15:47:41','Someone I know posted this update on Facebook:\n\n\"A real game of yuck this week.\"\n\nWho knows what she meant. I am sure you have seen similar coy or opaque statements that just beg followers to ask for more information. And that is what the poster wants...you to ask for details. This may or may not be a good tactic to get attention on Facebook. It certainly is a bad tactic to use if you are trying to get attention in your email marketing, your blog posts, and other marketing content.\n\nSay you have an email newsletter you send to your clients. You write:\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Spring is a lovely time of year. Good things happen in the spring, it is a time of renewal. Tulips are blooming and spring sales are everywhere.</em></p>\nUnless you want to get people upset at your opaqueness, there is little use for being coy in marketing communication. Instead, you should know what you want and ask for it. Instead of rhapsodizing about spring in your newsletter, why not figure out what action you want your target audience to take (this is your <strong>call to action, </strong>in marketing terms)<strong>.</strong>  Don\'t make your audience guess. Tell them, clearly and precisely. Here are a few examples:\n<ul>\n	<li>Spring means renewal! Time to renew your subscription to our newsletter</li>\n	<li>Spring classes are starting. Here is how to enroll in our next class.</li>\n	<li>Spring sales are on! Check out the reduced prices on our newest product</li>\n</ul>\nThese are all <strong>specific actions</strong> you want your audience to take.\n\nAre you being coy in your communications? Why not start being direct and asking for what you want?!\n<h3>How to blog workshop on May 17</h3>\nSign up today to get your early registration discount to my next How to Blog workshop taking place on May 17. For more details and to register visit <a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\">howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com</a> .\n\n&nbsp;','Are you being coy?','','inherit','open','open','','2155-revision-2','','','2013-04-29 15:47:41','2013-04-29 15:47:41','',2155,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/04/2155-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(2159,4,'2013-05-01 13:13:01','2013-05-01 13:13:01','Any marketing com\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMany ex-journalists are turning to careers in PR.  After all, the journalism business is changing and demanding more from its practitioners. PR work requires many of the skills journalists have: writing, understanding (finding) the news value of a story, understanding how a newsroom works, and on. What many journalists don\'t have is a good understanding of business.\n\nPR is a function of marketing communications. Marketing communications is there to support the business, whether it is to generate sales, increase awareness, enhance a brand or other strategic business goals.','It\'s about business','','inherit','open','open','','2158-revision','','','2013-05-01 13:13:01','2013-05-01 13:13:01','',2158,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/05/2158-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2160,4,'2013-05-01 14:21:24','2013-05-01 14:21:24','Most people can write, but some don\'t do it very well. That is why most people would also benefit from having an editor.\r\n\r\nI often edit other people\'s work. Most of the time, the writing is done by people whose primary job does not include writing.  There are a few things I correct over and over. Here\'s a list:\r\n\r\n<strong>Wordiness</strong>. Using too many words when fewer will do. In grad school, a professor of mine had us remove ten words from every assignment. It\'s a good exercise for everyone.\r\n\r\n<strong>Long, complicated sentences</strong>. This is somewhat related to wordiness, but also shows that people are afraid of short, direct sentences.\r\n\r\n<strong>Using I instead of me</strong>. I am not talking about a sentence like this one. People don\'t seem to want to use the word me in constructions such as \"that time works for John and me.\"  I am not sure why.\r\n\r\n<strong>Subject-verb agreement.</strong> I hear it on the news all the time, and see it, often in long, complicated sentences. If your subject is singular, then your verb should be too.  Not like this line from a pop song: \"The color of her eyes were.\" (In this case, the subject is the color, which is singular, therefore the verb should be was.)\r\n\r\n<strong>Misusing words</strong>. Often, people think they know what a word means, but they really don\'t. (I am working on compiling a list of these...)\r\n\r\n<strong>Using jargon and/or big words</strong>. The more jargon you use, the more I think you don\'t know what you are talking about. I also don\'t think using the word utilize makes you seem smarter. Read this <a href=\"http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/04/stop-jargon-pulling-plug-from-powerful-content/\" target=\"_blank\">excellent article</a> from Content Management on how to get rid of jargon.\r\n\r\nI know most people can\'t afford to get an editor. Heck, I don\'t have an editor for this blog either. Next time you write something,  look it over for the items above. If you are unsure, ask!\r\n<h3>How to write your blog workshop</h3>\r\nWhat are you doing on May 17? Why not sign up for my How to write your blog workshop? You will learn how to make your blog more effective, how to come up with blog post ideas and lots of other good stuff. Details and registration<a href=\"http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/04/stop-jargon-pulling-plug-from-powerful-content/\" target=\"_blank\"> here.</a>','Why you need an editor','','publish','open','open','','why-you-need-an-editor','','','2013-05-01 14:21:24','2013-05-01 14:21:24','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2160',0,'post','',0),
(2161,4,'2013-05-01 14:20:01','2013-05-01 14:20:01','Most people can write, but some don\'t do it very well. That is why most people would also benefit from having an editor.\n\nI often edit other people\'s work. Most of the time, the writing is done by people whose primary job does not include writing.  There are a few things I correct over and over. Here\'s a list:\n\n<strong>Wordiness</strong>. Using too many words when fewer will do. In grad school, a professor of mine had us remove ten words from every assignment. It\'s a good exercise for everyone.\n\n<strong>Long, complicated sentences</strong>. This is somewhat related to wordiness, but also shows that people are afraid of short, direct sentences.\n\n<strong>Using I instead of me</strong>. I am not talking about a sentence like this one. People don\'t seem to want to use the word me in constructions such as \"that time works for John and me.\"  I am not sure why.\n\n<strong>Subject-verb agreement.</strong> I hear it on the news all the time, and see it, often in long, complicated sentences. If your subject is singular, then your verb should be too.  Not like this line from a pop song: \"The color of her eyes were.\" (In this case, the subject is the color, which is singular, therefore the verb should be was.)\n\n<strong>Misusing words</strong>. Often, people think they know what a word means, but they really don\'t. (I am working on compiling a list of these...)\n\n<strong>Using jargon and/or big words</strong>. The more jargon you use, the more I think you don\'t know what you are talking about. I also don\'t think using the word utilize makes you seem smarter. Read this <a href=\"http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/04/stop-jargon-pulling-plug-from-powerful-content/\" target=\"_blank\">excellent article</a> from Content Management on how to get rid of jargon.\n\nI know most people can\'t afford to get an editor. Heck, I don\'t have an editor for this blog either. Next time you write something,  look it over for the items above. If you are unsure, ask!\n\nHow to write your blog workshop\n\nWhat are you doing on May 17? Why not sign up for my How to write your blog workshop? You will learn how to make your blog more effective, how to come up with blog post ideas and lots of other good stuff. Details and registration here:','Why you need an editor','','inherit','open','open','','2160-revision','','','2013-05-01 14:20:01','2013-05-01 14:20:01','',2160,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/05/2160-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2162,4,'2013-05-01 14:21:01','2013-05-01 14:21:01','Most people can write, but some don\'t do it very well. That is why most people would also benefit from having an editor.\n\nI often edit other people\'s work. Most of the time, the writing is done by people whose primary job does not include writing.  There are a few things I correct over and over. Here\'s a list:\n\n<strong>Wordiness</strong>. Using too many words when fewer will do. In grad school, a professor of mine had us remove ten words from every assignment. It\'s a good exercise for everyone.\n\n<strong>Long, complicated sentences</strong>. This is somewhat related to wordiness, but also shows that people are afraid of short, direct sentences.\n\n<strong>Using I instead of me</strong>. I am not talking about a sentence like this one. People don\'t seem to want to use the word me in constructions such as \"that time works for John and me.\"  I am not sure why.\n\n<strong>Subject-verb agreement.</strong> I hear it on the news all the time, and see it, often in long, complicated sentences. If your subject is singular, then your verb should be too.  Not like this line from a pop song: \"The color of her eyes were.\" (In this case, the subject is the color, which is singular, therefore the verb should be was.)\n\n<strong>Misusing words</strong>. Often, people think they know what a word means, but they really don\'t. (I am working on compiling a list of these...)\n\n<strong>Using jargon and/or big words</strong>. The more jargon you use, the more I think you don\'t know what you are talking about. I also don\'t think using the word utilize makes you seem smarter. Read this <a href=\"http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/04/stop-jargon-pulling-plug-from-powerful-content/\" target=\"_blank\">excellent article</a> from Content Management on how to get rid of jargon.\n\nI know most people can\'t afford to get an editor. Heck, I don\'t have an editor for this blog either. Next time you write something,  look it over for the items above. If you are unsure, ask!\n<h3>How to write your blog workshop</h3>\nWhat are you doing on May 17? Why not sign up for my How to write your blog workshop? You will learn how to make your blog more effective, how to come up with blog post ideas and lots of other good stuff. Details and registration<a href=\"http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/04/stop-jargon-pulling-plug-from-powerful-content/\" target=\"_blank\"> here.</a>','Why you need an editor','','inherit','open','open','','2160-revision-2','','','2013-05-01 14:21:01','2013-05-01 14:21:01','',2160,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/05/2160-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(2163,4,'2013-05-03 13:58:45','2013-05-03 13:58:45','There are two actions that will improve your communications efforts. These are:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Listening</strong> (really listening, not just nodding your head)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Saying what you mean</strong></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIt sounds absurdly simple, but chances are that you are not doing one or both well.\r\n\r\n<strong>Listening is crucial.</strong>\r\n\r\nYesterday, I went to a large home improvement store (I won\'t name names). I was on the search for an edger/trimmer for my pocket-sized lawn. I have never bought this item and I have no idea what I need. I flagged down an associate and I explained that I have a small lawn, and that the grass is hard to cut near the fence, and that I did not want to spend too much money. So this associate points me to the high end trimmers, starting at $100. And then he says to me: \"well, you said you wanted to cut your shrubs.\" Huh? I said NOTHING about shrubs since I don\'t have shrubs. Clearly, this associate was not listening. He was also not very qualified to talk about edgers, but that is a different story.\r\n\r\n<strong>If you don\'t listen, you are not going to \"get\" the story, whatever it may be.</strong>\r\n\r\nThe other side of the communications equation is <strong>saying what you mean</strong>. Lots of people (and organizations) say what they think the other person (or their target audience) wants to hear. Saying what you mean is not burying things in fine print or in if-thens. <strong>Be clear! And please, be sincere.</strong> People can tell when you are not saying what you mean. And then they don\'t trust you.\r\n\r\n<strong>Mattress stores don\'t say what they mean</strong>\r\n\r\nA great example of communications that don\'t say what they mean is mattress store advertisements. Having just gone through mattress shopping, I can tell you, just ignore the ads. They are designed to entice you into the store. Once you are in the store, you find out the real deal. Generally in the world of mattress sales, the enticement is free something or the other (free box spring, free delivery, free set-up, free TV, etc.). The reality is that the pricing is structured so that you can\'t compare it to other stores, and there are caveats. If you get a mattress priced over $X, then you get free delivery. If you want to price match, we have to make sure it is the same mattress (and since mattresses are made specifically for each store, there is no exact same name). If you want us to remove your old bed, then we charge you a fee. If you want the ten-year warranty, then you have to buy our overpriced mattress cover. And on and on.\r\n\r\nNo clarity. No saying what they mean. Making people distrust what you are saying. That is not communications!\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #339966;\">It is about effective communications. Effective means that something is successful in achieving the intended result. If you are intending to sell mattresses or edgers or any product, service or opinion, you should both listen and say what you mean.</span>\r\n\r\n----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\r\n<h3>How to write your blog workshop</h3>\r\nWhat are you doing on May 17? Why not sign up for my How to write your blog workshop? You will learn how to make your blog more effective, how to come up with blog post ideas and lots of other good stuff. Details and registration<a href=\"http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/04/stop-jargon-pulling-plug-from-powerful-content/\" target=\"_blank\"> here.</a>','The two actions that will make your communications more effective','','publish','open','open','','the-two-actions-that-will-make-your-communications-more-effective','','','2013-05-03 13:58:45','2013-05-03 13:58:45','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2163',0,'post','',0),
(2164,4,'2013-05-03 13:52:59','2013-05-03 13:52:59','There are two actions that will improve your communications efforts. These are:\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Listening</strong> (really listening, not just nodding your head)</li>\n	<li><strong>Saying what you mean</strong></li>\n</ul>\nIt sounds absurdly simple, but chances are that you are not doing one or both well.\n\n<strong>Listening is crucial.</strong>\n\nYesterday, I went to a large home improvement store (I won\'t name names). I was on the search for an edger/trimmer for my pocket-sized lawn. I have never bought this item and I have no idea what I need. I flagged down an associate and I explained that I have a small lawn, and that the grass is hard to cut near the fence, and that I did not want to spend too much money. So this associate points me to the high end trimmers, starting at $100. And then he says to me: \"well, you said you wanted to cut your shrubs.\" Huh? I said NOTHING about shrubs since I don\'t have shrubs. Clearly, this associate was not listening. He was also not very qualified to talk about edgers, but that is a different story.\n\n<strong>If you don\'t listen, you are not going to \"get\" the story, whatever it may be.</strong>\n\nThe other side of the communications equation is saying what you mean. Lots of people say what they think the other person (or their target audience) wants to hear. Saying what you mean is not burying things in fine print or in if-thens. Be clear! And please, be sincere. People can tell when you are not saying what you mean. And then they don\'t trust you.\n\nA great example of communications that don\'t say what they mean is mattress store advertisements. Having just gone through mattress shopping, I can tell you, just ignore the ads. They are designed to entice you into the store. Once you are in the store, you find out the real deal. Generally in the world of mattress sales, the enticement is free something or the other (free box spring, free delivery, free set-up, free TV, etc.). The reality is that the pricing is structured so that you can\'t compare it to other stores, and there are caveats. If you get a mattress priced over $X, then you get free delivery. If you want to price match, we have to make sure it is the same mattress (and since mattresses are made specifically for each store, there is no exact same name). If you want us to remove your old bed, then we charge you a fee. If you want the ten-year warranty, then you have to buy our overpriced mattress cover. And on and on.\n\nNo clarity. No saying what they mean. Making people distrust what you are saying. That is not communications!\n\nInstead, say what you mean. Say it clearly.\n\nThoughts?\n\n&nbsp;','The two actions that will make your communications more effective','','inherit','open','open','','2163-revision','','','2013-05-03 13:52:59','2013-05-03 13:52:59','',2163,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/05/2163-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2165,4,'2013-05-03 13:53:55','2013-05-03 13:53:55','There are two actions that will improve your communications efforts. These are:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Listening</strong> (really listening, not just nodding your head)</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Saying what you mean</strong></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIt sounds absurdly simple, but chances are that you are not doing one or both well.\r\n\r\n<strong>Listening is crucial.</strong>\r\n\r\nYesterday, I went to a large home improvement store (I won\'t name names). I was on the search for an edger/trimmer for my pocket-sized lawn. I have never bought this item and I have no idea what I need. I flagged down an associate and I explained that I have a small lawn, and that the grass is hard to cut near the fence, and that I did not want to spend too much money. So this associate points me to the high end trimmers, starting at $100. And then he says to me: \"well, you said you wanted to cut your shrubs.\" Huh? I said NOTHING about shrubs since I don\'t have shrubs. Clearly, this associate was not listening. He was also not very qualified to talk about edgers, but that is a different story.\r\n\r\n<strong>If you don\'t listen, you are not going to \"get\" the story, whatever it may be.</strong>\r\n\r\nThe other side of the communications equation is saying what you mean. Lots of people say what they think the other person (or their target audience) wants to hear. Saying what you mean is not burying things in fine print or in if-thens. Be clear! And please, be sincere. People can tell when you are not saying what you mean. And then they don\'t trust you.\r\n\r\nA great example of communications that don\'t say what they mean is mattress store advertisements. Having just gone through mattress shopping, I can tell you, just ignore the ads. They are designed to entice you into the store. Once you are in the store, you find out the real deal. Generally in the world of mattress sales, the enticement is free something or the other (free box spring, free delivery, free set-up, free TV, etc.). The reality is that the pricing is structured so that you can\'t compare it to other stores, and there are caveats. If you get a mattress priced over $X, then you get free delivery. If you want to price match, we have to make sure it is the same mattress (and since mattresses are made specifically for each store, there is no exact same name). If you want us to remove your old bed, then we charge you a fee. If you want the ten-year warranty, then you have to buy our overpriced mattress cover. And on and on.\r\n\r\nNo clarity. No saying what they mean. Making people distrust what you are saying. That is not communications!\r\n\r\nInstead, say what you mean. Say it clearly.\r\n\r\nThoughts?\r\n\r\n----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\r\n<h3>How to write your blog workshop</h3>\r\nWhat are you doing on May 17? Why not sign up for my How to write your blog workshop? You will learn how to make your blog more effective, how to come up with blog post ideas and lots of other good stuff. Details and registration<a href=\"http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/04/stop-jargon-pulling-plug-from-powerful-content/\" target=\"_blank\"> here.</a>','The two actions that will make your communications more effective','','inherit','open','open','','2163-revision-2','','','2013-05-03 13:53:55','2013-05-03 13:53:55','',2163,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/05/2163-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(2166,4,'2013-05-03 13:56:59','2013-05-03 13:56:59','There are two actions that will improve your communications efforts. These are:\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Listening</strong> (really listening, not just nodding your head)</li>\n	<li><strong>Saying what you mean</strong></li>\n</ul>\nIt sounds absurdly simple, but chances are that you are not doing one or both well.\n\n<strong>Listening is crucial.</strong>\n\nYesterday, I went to a large home improvement store (I won\'t name names). I was on the search for an edger/trimmer for my pocket-sized lawn. I have never bought this item and I have no idea what I need. I flagged down an associate and I explained that I have a small lawn, and that the grass is hard to cut near the fence, and that I did not want to spend too much money. So this associate points me to the high end trimmers, starting at $100. And then he says to me: \"well, you said you wanted to cut your shrubs.\" Huh? I said NOTHING about shrubs since I don\'t have shrubs. Clearly, this associate was not listening. He was also not very qualified to talk about edgers, but that is a different story.\n\n<strong>If you don\'t listen, you are not going to \"get\" the story, whatever it may be.</strong>\n\nThe other side of the communications equation is <strong>saying what you mean</strong>. Lots of people (and organizations) say what they think the other person (or their target audience) wants to hear. Saying what you mean is not burying things in fine print or in if-thens. <strong>Be clear! And please, be sincere.</strong> People can tell when you are not saying what you mean. And then they don\'t trust you.\n\n<strong>Mattress stores don\'t say what they mean</strong>\n\nA great example of communications that don\'t say what they mean is mattress store advertisements. Having just gone through mattress shopping, I can tell you, just ignore the ads. They are designed to entice you into the store. Once you are in the store, you find out the real deal. Generally in the world of mattress sales, the enticement is free something or the other (free box spring, free delivery, free set-up, free TV, etc.). The reality is that the pricing is structured so that you can\'t compare it to other stores, and there are caveats. If you get a mattress priced over $X, then you get free delivery. If you want to price match, we have to make sure it is the same mattress (and since mattresses are made specifically for each store, there is no exact same name). If you want us to remove your old bed, then we charge you a fee. If you want the ten-year warranty, then you have to buy our overpriced mattress cover. And on and on.\n\nNo clarity. No saying what they mean. Making people distrust what you are saying. That is not communications!\n\nIt is about effective communications. Effective means that something is successful in achieving the intended result. If you are intending to sell mat\n\n----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n<h3>How to write your blog workshop</h3>\nWhat are you doing on May 17? Why not sign up for my How to write your blog workshop? You will learn how to make your blog more effective, how to come up with blog post ideas and lots of other good stuff. Details and registration<a href=\"http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/04/stop-jargon-pulling-plug-from-powerful-content/\" target=\"_blank\"> here.</a>','The two actions that will make your communications more effective','','inherit','open','open','','2163-revision-3','','','2013-05-03 13:56:59','2013-05-03 13:56:59','',2163,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/05/2163-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(2167,4,'2013-05-03 13:57:59','2013-05-03 13:57:59','There are two actions that will improve your communications efforts. These are:\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Listening</strong> (really listening, not just nodding your head)</li>\n	<li><strong>Saying what you mean</strong></li>\n</ul>\nIt sounds absurdly simple, but chances are that you are not doing one or both well.\n\n<strong>Listening is crucial.</strong>\n\nYesterday, I went to a large home improvement store (I won\'t name names). I was on the search for an edger/trimmer for my pocket-sized lawn. I have never bought this item and I have no idea what I need. I flagged down an associate and I explained that I have a small lawn, and that the grass is hard to cut near the fence, and that I did not want to spend too much money. So this associate points me to the high end trimmers, starting at $100. And then he says to me: \"well, you said you wanted to cut your shrubs.\" Huh? I said NOTHING about shrubs since I don\'t have shrubs. Clearly, this associate was not listening. He was also not very qualified to talk about edgers, but that is a different story.\n\n<strong>If you don\'t listen, you are not going to \"get\" the story, whatever it may be.</strong>\n\nThe other side of the communications equation is <strong>saying what you mean</strong>. Lots of people (and organizations) say what they think the other person (or their target audience) wants to hear. Saying what you mean is not burying things in fine print or in if-thens. <strong>Be clear! And please, be sincere.</strong> People can tell when you are not saying what you mean. And then they don\'t trust you.\n\n<strong>Mattress stores don\'t say what they mean</strong>\n\nA great example of communications that don\'t say what they mean is mattress store advertisements. Having just gone through mattress shopping, I can tell you, just ignore the ads. They are designed to entice you into the store. Once you are in the store, you find out the real deal. Generally in the world of mattress sales, the enticement is free something or the other (free box spring, free delivery, free set-up, free TV, etc.). The reality is that the pricing is structured so that you can\'t compare it to other stores, and there are caveats. If you get a mattress priced over $X, then you get free delivery. If you want to price match, we have to make sure it is the same mattress (and since mattresses are made specifically for each store, there is no exact same name). If you want us to remove your old bed, then we charge you a fee. If you want the ten-year warranty, then you have to buy our overpriced mattress cover. And on and on.\n\nNo clarity. No saying what they mean. Making people distrust what you are saying. That is not communications!\n\n<span style=\"color: #339966;\">It is about effective communications. Effective means that something is successful in achieving the intended result. If you are intending to sell mattresses or edgers or any product, service or opinion, you should both listen and say what you mean.</span>\n\n----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n<h3>How to write your blog workshop</h3>\nWhat are you doing on May 17? Why not sign up for my How to write your blog workshop? You will learn how to make your blog more effective, how to come up with blog post ideas and lots of other good stuff. Details and registration<a href=\"http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/04/stop-jargon-pulling-plug-from-powerful-content/\" target=\"_blank\"> here.</a>','The two actions that will make your communications more effective','','inherit','open','open','','2163-revision-4','','','2013-05-03 13:57:59','2013-05-03 13:57:59','',2163,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/05/2163-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),
(2170,4,'2013-05-07 19:10:19','2013-05-07 19:10:19','Social media takes a magnifying lens to everything. It makes everything appear bigger and closer (kind of like your side view mirrors).\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"338\"]<a title=\"fun with magnifying glasses by matlock, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/matlocktest/861570798/\"><img class=\" \" title=\"Fun with magnifying glasses by matlock on Flickr\" alt=\"fun with magnifying glasses\" src=\"http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1059/861570798_83545b2f90.jpg\" width=\"338\" height=\"450\" /></a> Fun with magnifying glasses by matlock on Flickr[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>\r\nYou\'ve probably heard that social media serves to amplify your message. You tell your friends on Facebook, and they then share it with their friends, and so on.  I have come to realize that social media amplifies more than your message. It amplifies mistakes,  personality traits and  business smarts (or lack thereof).\r\n\r\n<strong>Mistakes</strong>\r\n\r\nYou used to be able to slip up and it would be forgotten. Not any more. Now, someone will catch your mistake, and put it on Twitter or YouTube. And then people will share that. And before you know it, everyone knows of your mistake. Perhaps forgiven, but not forgotten.\r\n\r\n<strong>Personality traits</strong>\r\n\r\nAre you an angry person? You will appear even angrier when trying to contain your ire to 140 characters. Your nastiness will be contained and then disseminated. Are you rude? Not only will the person appalled at your belching at the dinner table know about it, but everyone else will too. Self-centered? It will be evident in endless self-promotional posts.  On the other hand, if you are a connector or naturally gregarious, it will be evident because you will have 1000s of followers.\r\n\r\n<strong>Business know-how</strong>\r\n\r\nDo you answer your customer queries? If you don\'t do it regularly and quickly, it will be even more apparent on social media channels. People will complain. And since you aren\'t used to replying quickly, the problem will grow.\r\n\r\nNot sure what social media is for and ignoring it? You can be sure others will not be. You will either look like a fool or lose customers.\r\n\r\nFor example, today I was looking at service providers \"website.\" All it was a poorly formed Wordpress site. There was no contact information. None. No listing of services. No reason why I should hire. In short, it was a disaster. I found a Twitter handle, and tweeted. No response.  Better to not be on the web at all!\r\n\r\nRemember that social media gives people the ability to share the good and the bad about you. Small can become big. And that can be a good thing, or it can be a disaster. Your choice!\r\n\r\n<strong>Don\'t miss out! Sign up for the next How to blog workshop, taking place on May 17. Details and registration<a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\"> here.</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Social media amplifies everything','','publish','open','open','','social-media-amplifies-everything','','','2013-05-07 19:10:19','2013-05-07 19:10:19','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=2170',0,'post','',0),
(2171,4,'2013-05-07 19:06:51','2013-05-07 19:06:51','Social media takes a magnifying lens to everything. It makes everything appear bigger and closer (kind of like your side view mirrors).\n\n<a title=\"fun with magnifying glasses by matlock, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/matlocktest/861570798/\"><img alt=\"fun with magnifying glasses\" src=\"http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1059/861570798_83545b2f90.jpg\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" /></a>\n\nYou\'ve probably heard that social media serves to amplify your message. You tell your friends on Facebook, and they then share it with their friends, and so on.  I have come to realize that social media amplifies more than your message. It amplifies mistakes,  personality traits and  business smarts (or lack thereof).\n\n<strong>Mistakes</strong>\n\nYou used to be able to slip up and it would be forgotten. Not any more. Now, someone will catch your mistake, and put it on Twitter or YouTube. And then people will share that. And before you know it, everyone knows of your mistake. Perhaps forgiven, but not forgotten.\n\n<strong>Personality traits</strong>\n\nAre you an angry person? You will appear even angrier when trying to contain your ire to 140 characters. Your nastiness will be contained and then disseminated. Are you rude? Not only will the person appalled at your belching at the dinner table know about it, but everyone else will too. Self-centered? It will be evident in endless self-promotional posts.  On the other hand, if you are a connector or naturally gregarious, it will be evident because you will have 1000s of followers.\n\n<strong>Business know-how</strong>\n\nDo you answer your customer queries? If you don\'t do it regularly and quickly, it will be even more apparent on social media channels. People will complain. And since you aren\'t used to replying quickly, the problem will grow.\n\nNot sure what social media is for and ignoring it? You can be sure others will not be. You will either look like a fool or lose customers.\n\nFor example, today I was looking at service providers \"website.\" All it was a poorly formed Wordpress site. There was no contact information. None. No listing of services. No reason why I should hire. In short, it was a disaster. I found a Twitter handle, and tweeted. No response.  Better to not be on the web at all!\n\nRemember that social media gives people the ability to share the good and the bad about you. Small can become big. And that can be a good thing, or it can be a disaster. Your choice!\n\n<strong>Don\'t miss out! Sign up for the next How to blog workshop, taking place on May 17. Details and registration<a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\"> here.</a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Social media amplifies everything','','inherit','open','open','','2170-revision','','','2013-05-07 19:06:51','2013-05-07 19:06:51','',2170,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/05/2170-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(2172,4,'2013-05-07 19:07:53','2013-05-07 19:07:53','Social media takes a magnifying lens to everything. It makes everything appear bigger and closer (kind of like your side view mirrors).\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"> <a title=\"fun with magnifying glasses by matlock, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/matlocktest/861570798/\"><img class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"Fun with magnifying glasses by matlock on Flickr\" alt=\"fun with magnifying glasses\" src=\"http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1059/861570798_83545b2f90.jpg\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" /></a></p>\nYou\'ve probably heard that social media serves to amplify your message. You tell your friends on Facebook, and they then share it with their friends, and so on.  I have come to realize that social media amplifies more than your message. It amplifies mistakes,  personality traits and  business smarts (or lack thereof).\n\n<strong>Mistakes</strong>\n\nYou used to be able to slip up and it would be forgotten. Not any more. Now, someone will catch your mistake, and put it on Twitter or YouTube. And then people will share that. And before you know it, everyone knows of your mistake. Perhaps forgiven, but not forgotten.\n\n<strong>Personality traits</strong>\n\nAre you an angry person? You will appear even angrier when trying to contain your ire to 140 characters. Your nastiness will be contained and then disseminated. Are you rude? Not only will the person appalled at your belching at the dinner table know about it, but everyone else will too. Self-centered? It will be evident in endless self-promotional posts.  On the other hand, if you are a connector or naturally gregarious, it will be evident because you will have 1000s of followers.\n\n<strong>Business know-how</strong>\n\nDo you answer your customer queries? If you don\'t do it regularly and quickly, it will be even more apparent on social media channels. People will complain. And since you aren\'t used to replying quickly, the problem will grow.\n\nNot sure what social media is for and ignoring it? You can be sure others will not be. You will either look like a fool or lose customers.\n\nFor example, today I was looking at service providers \"website.\" All it was a poorly formed Wordpress site. There was no contact information. None. No listing of services. No reason why I should hire. In short, it was a disaster. I found a Twitter handle, and tweeted. No response.  Better to not be on the web at all!\n\nRemember that social media gives people the ability to share the good and the bad about you. Small can become big. And that can be a good thing, or it can be a disaster. Your choice!\n\n<strong>Don\'t miss out! Sign up for the next How to blog workshop, taking place on May 17. Details and registration<a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\"> here.</a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Social media amplifies everything','','inherit','open','open','','2170-revision-2','','','2013-05-07 19:07:53','2013-05-07 19:07:53','',2170,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/05/2170-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(2173,4,'2013-05-07 19:08:47','2013-05-07 19:08:47','Social media takes a magnifying lens to everything. It makes everything appear bigger and closer (kind of like your side view mirrors).\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"338\"]<a title=\"fun with magnifying glasses by matlock, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/matlocktest/861570798/\"><img class=\" \" title=\"Fun with magnifying glasses by matlock on Flickr\" alt=\"fun with magnifying glasses\" src=\"http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1059/861570798_83545b2f90.jpg\" width=\"338\" height=\"450\" /></a> Fun with magnifying glasses by matlock on Flickr[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>\r\nYou\'ve probably heard that social media serves to amplify your message. You tell your friends on Facebook, and they then share it with their friends, and so on.  I have come to realize that social media amplifies more than your message. It amplifies mistakes,  personality traits and  business smarts (or lack thereof).\r\n\r\n<strong>Mistakes</strong>\r\n\r\nYou used to be able to slip up and it would be forgotten. Not any more. Now, someone will catch your mistake, and put it on Twitter or YouTube. And then people will share that. And before you know it, everyone knows of your mistake. Perhaps forgiven, but not forgotten.\r\n\r\n<strong>Personality traits</strong>\r\n\r\nAre you an angry person? You will appear even angrier when trying to contain your ire to 140 characters. Your nastiness will be contained and then disseminated. Are you rude? Not only will the person appalled at your belching at the dinner table know about it, but everyone else will too. Self-centered? It will be evident in endless self-promotional posts.  On the other hand, if you are a connector or naturally gregarious, it will be evident because you will have 1000s of followers.\r\n\r\n<strong>Business know-how</strong>\r\n\r\nDo you answer your customer queries? If you don\'t do it regularly and quickly, it will be even more apparent on social media channels. People will complain. And since you aren\'t used to replying quickly, the problem will grow.\r\n\r\nNot sure what social media is for and ignoring it? You can be sure others will not be. You will either look like a fool or lose customers.\r\n\r\nFor example, today I was looking at service providers \"website.\" All it was a poorly formed Wordpress site. There was no contact information. None. No listing of services. No reason why I should hire. In short, it was a disaster. I found a Twitter handle, and tweeted. No response.  Better to not be on the web at all!\r\n\r\nRemember that social media gives people the ability to share the good and the bad about you. Small can become big. And that can be a good thing, or it can be a disaster. Your choice!\r\n\r\n<strong>Don\'t miss out! Sign up for the next How to blog workshop, taking place on May 17. Details and registration<a href=\"http://howtowriteyourblog4.eventbrite.com/#\" target=\"_blank\"> here.</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Social media amplifies everything','','inherit','open','open','','2170-revision-3','','','2013-05-07 19:08:47','2013-05-07 19:08:47','',2170,'http://deborahbrody.com/2013/05/2170-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
