(3565,4,'2017-09-14 10:00:32','2017-09-14 14:00:32','','kaboompics_Rows of different colorful books lying on the shelves in the modern urban bookshop','Bookstore picture courtesy of Kaboompics','inherit','open','open','','kaboompics_rows-of-different-colorful-books-lying-on-the-shelves-in-the-modern-urban-bookshop','','','2017-09-14 10:01:01','2017-09-14 14:01:01','',3562,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/kaboompics_Rows-of-different-colorful-books-lying-on-the-shelves-in-the-modern-urban-bookshop.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(3566,4,'2017-09-14 10:01:36','2017-09-14 14:01:36','Yesterday, I was browsing through books in my favorite used bookstore (where you can get most soft cover books for $2 each, a real bargain, and most books are in great shape to boot). As I was making my way through the Fiction section, I came across Diane Ackerman\'s <em>The Zookeeper\'s Wife</em>, which is the <em>real</em> life story of a Polish woman who saved Jews during World War II, thus making it a non-fiction book. I came across a Denise Mina book that should\'ve been housed in the Mystery section. I came across memoirs and biographies. In short, there were a lot of books that were not classified correctly and therefore shelved in the wrong place.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3565\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"200\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/kaboompics_Rows-of-different-colorful-books-lying-on-the-shelves-in-the-modern-urban-bookshop.jpg\"><img class=\"wp-image-3565 size-medium\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/kaboompics_Rows-of-different-colorful-books-lying-on-the-shelves-in-the-modern-urban-bookshop-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"bookstore shelves\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" /></a> Bookstore picture courtesy of Kaboompics[/caption]\r\n\r\n<strong>Being in the wrong place makes it hard to be found.</strong>\r\n\r\nThe used bookstore is volunteer-run, and it may be too much to ask volunteers  to know what each book is or where it belongs. Since books are donated, there is no inventory. On the other hand, in a regular bookstore, books are shelved by ISBN numbers and inventories are computerized. It\'d be rare that book was shelved in the wrong place, unless a customer put it back where it didn\'t belong. If you were looking for a particular book, you could ask someone to look it up to see if it is available and if so, where it is located.\r\n\r\n<strong>Classification is important, especially on the internet.\r\n</strong>\r\n\r\nThe internet is more like the used bookstore than it is like the organized world of Barnes &amp; Noble. The internet is pretty much volunteer-run and the volunteers are each website\'s owners. In other words, on the internet you self-classify—you put yourself on the right (or wrong) shelf.\r\n\r\nAs the website owner or manager, you choose how you want your site to look, what content to include, and what keywords to use. You choose whether you will optimize your site to be found on search engines (SEO) and whether you will do it well  (use the right tools, or hire a professional) or not.\r\n\r\nWhen  you want to be found, especially online,  you have to know how to describe yourself and where people would look for you. You have to know how you are classified and what keywords people use to find you.\r\n\r\n<strong>You must understand yourself and your market.</strong>\r\n\r\nIn the used bookstore, there are some volunteers who are avid readers, some who are aces as alphabetization and organization, and some who just want to help but have no clues. The volunteers who can alphabetize, organize <em>and</em> know books well what are the ones who know the right place to shelve a book.\r\n\r\nYou have to understand exactly what to do, and how the world classifies you. You may think that you do one thing (like Mattress Firm thinks it sells \"sleep solutions\") while  most customers see you differently (customers shop for mattresses not sleep solutions). It may be tempting to figure out some fancy description to help you stand out, but unless you classify yourself correctly and use the more common keywords searchers would use, you will not be found.\r\n\r\n<strong>Don\'t be the memoir languishing in the fiction section. Classify your website correctly and use the right keywords.</strong>','When you want to be found','','inherit','open','open','','3562-revision-v1','','','2017-09-14 10:01:36','2017-09-14 14:01:36','',3562,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/09/3562-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3568,4,'2017-09-14 10:03:50','2017-09-14 14:03:50','Yesterday, I was browsing through books in my favorite used bookstore (where you can get most soft cover books for $2 each, a real bargain, and most books are in great shape to boot). As I was making my way through the Fiction section, I came across Diane Ackerman\'s <em>The Zookeeper\'s Wife</em>, which is the <em>real</em> life story of a Polish woman who saved Jews during World War II, thus making it a non-fiction book. I came across a Denise Mina book that should\'ve been housed in the Mystery section. I came across memoirs and biographies. In short, there were a lot of books that were not classified correctly and therefore shelved in the wrong place.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3565\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"600\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/kaboompics_Rows-of-different-colorful-books-lying-on-the-shelves-in-the-modern-urban-bookshop.jpg\"><img class=\"wp-image-3565\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/kaboompics_Rows-of-different-colorful-books-lying-on-the-shelves-in-the-modern-urban-bookshop-682x1024.jpg\" alt=\"bookstore shelves\" width=\"600\" height=\"900\" /></a> Bookstore picture courtesy of Kaboompics[/caption]\r\n\r\n<strong>Being in the wrong place makes it hard to be found.</strong>\r\n\r\nThe used bookstore is volunteer-run, and it may be too much to ask volunteers  to know what each book is or where it belongs. Since books are donated, there is no inventory. On the other hand, in a regular bookstore, books are shelved by ISBN numbers and inventories are computerized. It\'d be rare that book was shelved in the wrong place, unless a customer put it back where it didn\'t belong. If you were looking for a particular book, you could ask someone to look it up to see if it is available and if so, where it is located.\r\n\r\n<strong>Classification is important, especially on the internet.\r\n</strong>\r\n\r\nThe internet is more like the used bookstore than it is like the organized world of Barnes &amp; Noble. The internet is pretty much volunteer-run and the volunteers are each website\'s owners. In other words, on the internet you self-classify—you put yourself on the right (or wrong) shelf.\r\n\r\nAs the website owner or manager, you choose how you want your site to look, what content to include, and what keywords to use. You choose whether you will optimize your site to be found on search engines (SEO) and whether you will do it well  (use the right tools, or hire a professional) or not.\r\n\r\nWhen  you want to be found, especially online,  you have to know how to describe yourself and where people would look for you. You have to know how you are classified and what keywords people use to find you.\r\n\r\n<strong>You must understand yourself and your market.</strong>\r\n\r\nIn the used bookstore, there are some volunteers who are avid readers, some who are aces as alphabetization and organization, and some who just want to help but have no clues. The volunteers who can alphabetize, organize <em>and</em> know books well what are the ones who know the right place to shelve a book.\r\n\r\nYou have to understand exactly what to do, and how the world classifies you. You may think that you do one thing (like Mattress Firm thinks it sells \"sleep solutions\") while  most customers see you differently (customers shop for mattresses not sleep solutions). It may be tempting to figure out some fancy description to help you stand out, but unless you classify yourself correctly and use the more common keywords searchers would use, you will not be found.\r\n\r\n<strong>Don\'t be the memoir languishing in the fiction section. Classify your website correctly and use the right keywords.</strong>','When you want to be found','','inherit','open','open','','3562-revision-v1','','','2017-09-14 10:03:50','2017-09-14 14:03:50','',3562,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/09/3562-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3567,4,'2017-09-14 10:02:31','2017-09-14 14:02:31','Yesterday, I was browsing through books in my favorite used bookstore (where you can get most soft cover books for $2 each, a real bargain, and most books are in great shape to boot). As I was making my way through the Fiction section, I came across Diane Ackerman\'s <em>The Zookeeper\'s Wife</em>, which is the <em>real</em> life story of a Polish woman who saved Jews during World War II, thus making it a non-fiction book. I came across a Denise Mina book that should\'ve been housed in the Mystery section. I came across memoirs and biographies. In short, there were a lot of books that were not classified correctly and therefore shelved in the wrong place.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3565\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"682\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/kaboompics_Rows-of-different-colorful-books-lying-on-the-shelves-in-the-modern-urban-bookshop.jpg\"><img class=\"wp-image-3565 size-large\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/kaboompics_Rows-of-different-colorful-books-lying-on-the-shelves-in-the-modern-urban-bookshop-682x1024.jpg\" alt=\"bookstore shelves\" width=\"682\" height=\"1024\" /></a> Bookstore picture courtesy of Kaboompics[/caption]\r\n\r\n<strong>Being in the wrong place makes it hard to be found.</strong>\r\n\r\nThe used bookstore is volunteer-run, and it may be too much to ask volunteers  to know what each book is or where it belongs. Since books are donated, there is no inventory. On the other hand, in a regular bookstore, books are shelved by ISBN numbers and inventories are computerized. It\'d be rare that book was shelved in the wrong place, unless a customer put it back where it didn\'t belong. If you were looking for a particular book, you could ask someone to look it up to see if it is available and if so, where it is located.\r\n\r\n<strong>Classification is important, especially on the internet.\r\n</strong>\r\n\r\nThe internet is more like the used bookstore than it is like the organized world of Barnes &amp; Noble. The internet is pretty much volunteer-run and the volunteers are each website\'s owners. In other words, on the internet you self-classify—you put yourself on the right (or wrong) shelf.\r\n\r\nAs the website owner or manager, you choose how you want your site to look, what content to include, and what keywords to use. You choose whether you will optimize your site to be found on search engines (SEO) and whether you will do it well  (use the right tools, or hire a professional) or not.\r\n\r\nWhen  you want to be found, especially online,  you have to know how to describe yourself and where people would look for you. You have to know how you are classified and what keywords people use to find you.\r\n\r\n<strong>You must understand yourself and your market.</strong>\r\n\r\nIn the used bookstore, there are some volunteers who are avid readers, some who are aces as alphabetization and organization, and some who just want to help but have no clues. The volunteers who can alphabetize, organize <em>and</em> know books well what are the ones who know the right place to shelve a book.\r\n\r\nYou have to understand exactly what to do, and how the world classifies you. You may think that you do one thing (like Mattress Firm thinks it sells \"sleep solutions\") while  most customers see you differently (customers shop for mattresses not sleep solutions). It may be tempting to figure out some fancy description to help you stand out, but unless you classify yourself correctly and use the more common keywords searchers would use, you will not be found.\r\n\r\n<strong>Don\'t be the memoir languishing in the fiction section. Classify your website correctly and use the right keywords.</strong>','When you want to be found','','inherit','open','open','','3562-revision-v1','','','2017-09-14 10:02:31','2017-09-14 14:02:31','',3562,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/09/3562-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3569,4,'2017-09-15 09:39:29','2017-09-15 13:39:29','In case you\'ve missed a newsletter, just check this archive:\r\n\r\nSeptember 2017\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/45625a\" target=\"_blank\">June 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/75c3f9\" target=\"_blank\">April 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/792b39\" target=\"_blank\">December 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/a051e8\" target=\"_blank\">October 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"August 2016 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/359a88\" target=\"_blank\">August 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/d841f7\" target=\"_blank\">June 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"March 2016 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/a50a67\" target=\"_blank\">March 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/d7ed27\" target=\"_blank\">January 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/987fe6\" target=\"_blank\">November 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"September 2015 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/2f17a6\" target=\"_blank\">September 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/f0dc46\" target=\"_blank\">June 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/83c206\" target=\"_blank\">March 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"January 2015 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/594ec5\" target=\"_blank\">January 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/p/9a6295?fe=1&amp;pact=26384901049\" target=\"_blank\">November 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/f95d35\" target=\"_blank\">September 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/c3e405\" target=\"_blank\">July 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://mad.ly/3625c4\" target=\"_blank\">April 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"February newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/dc2584\" target=\"_blank\">February 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"December 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/bb9454\" target=\"_blank\">December 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"October 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/f27424\" target=\"_blank\">October 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"July 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/eb30f3\" target=\"_blank\">July 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"May 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/9003c3\" target=\"_blank\">May 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"March 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/d82a93\" target=\"_blank\">March 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"January 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/a12873\" target=\"_blank\">January 2013</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Newsletters','','inherit','open','open','','2509-revision-v1','','','2017-09-15 09:39:29','2017-09-15 13:39:29','',2509,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/09/2509-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3570,4,'2017-09-15 09:40:34','2017-09-15 13:40:34','In case you\'ve missed a newsletter, just check this archive:\r\n\r\n<a title=\"September 2017\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/391dca\" target=\"_blank\">September 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/45625a\" target=\"_blank\">June 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/75c3f9\" target=\"_blank\">April 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/792b39\" target=\"_blank\">December 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/a051e8\" target=\"_blank\">October 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"August 2016 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/359a88\" target=\"_blank\">August 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/d841f7\" target=\"_blank\">June 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"March 2016 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/a50a67\" target=\"_blank\">March 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/d7ed27\" target=\"_blank\">January 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/987fe6\" target=\"_blank\">November 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"September 2015 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/2f17a6\" target=\"_blank\">September 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/f0dc46\" target=\"_blank\">June 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/83c206\" target=\"_blank\">March 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"January 2015 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/594ec5\" target=\"_blank\">January 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/p/9a6295?fe=1&amp;pact=26384901049\" target=\"_blank\">November 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/f95d35\" target=\"_blank\">September 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/c3e405\" target=\"_blank\">July 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://mad.ly/3625c4\" target=\"_blank\">April 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"February newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/dc2584\" target=\"_blank\">February 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"December 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/bb9454\" target=\"_blank\">December 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"October 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/f27424\" target=\"_blank\">October 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"July 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/eb30f3\" target=\"_blank\">July 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"May 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/9003c3\" target=\"_blank\">May 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"March 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/d82a93\" target=\"_blank\">March 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"January 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/a12873\" target=\"_blank\">January 2013</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Newsletters','','inherit','open','open','','2509-revision-v1','','','2017-09-15 09:40:34','2017-09-15 13:40:34','',2509,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/09/2509-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3572,4,'2017-09-27 10:16:43','2017-09-27 14:16:43','Have you ever read something that left you shaking your head, where you wondered what exactly the writer was trying to say? That\'s what happens when the writer of what you are reading  lacks the ability to communicate clearly.\r\n\r\nIt\'s important for your communications to be clear, to be easily understood, and not to confuse your audience. How do you achieve this type of clarity? Following are four suggestions:\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Know what you are trying to say before you start writing.</strong> Remember in high school when you were taught about a thesis and its supporting points? That lesson should be ingrained in any writer\'s head. Always have a thesis (your premise or argument) and why you support it. It\'s helpful to jot down your thesis (for this piece—clarity is essential to communication) and then your top reasons for supporting it  (for this piece I jotted down too many words, not knowing what you really want to say).\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Balance your assumptions.</strong> Don\'t assume your audience knows too little or too much—find the middle ground that works for your specific audience. To be able to find the middle ground, you must know who is in your audience. Are they insiders? Are they the general public? How much do they know? Have you ever watched <em>Washington Wee</em>k on PBS? I watch it practically every Friday. One quirk they have is that they insist on spelling out every reference. If a journalist on the panel simply says \"McConnell,\" the host quickly adds: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. This assumes the audience won\'t understand the reference to McConnell and yet most people who watch <em>Washington Week</em> are fairly informed and interested in all things political.\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Write simply.</strong> Often, clarity is compromised by wordiness or jargon or big words when smaller words would do just fine. It\'s tempting to stuff articles and blog posts with fancy words, and office speak, but what you end up doing is alienating the audience who may not be conversant in your world. So work to eliminate extra words and jargon, and use plain language instead (e.g., if you see the word \"utilize\" substitute \"use\").\r\n\r\n<strong>4. Reread and edit everything before you make it public.</strong> Sometimes we write something and then look it over quickly before we hit \"publish.\" It may make sense to us at that moment, but does it make sense to others? Taking the time to read something slowly, copy edit it, and make sure it says what you want it to say will go a long way in making sure it is clear to <em>others. </em>If possible, get another person to read your copy (a copy editor and/or proofreader)<em>.</em>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Always aim for clarity. If your audience doesn\'t get what you are trying to say, then you haven\'t communicated at all.</span>','Always aim for clarity','','publish','open','open','','always-aim-for-clarity','','','2017-09-27 10:16:43','2017-09-27 14:16:43','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3572',0,'post','',0),
(3573,4,'2017-09-26 10:38:57','2017-09-26 14:38:57','Have you ever read something that did not make sense to you? That\'s what happens when the writer of what you are reading  lacks clarity or the ability to communicate clearly.\r\n\r\nIt\'s important for your communications to be clear, to be easily understood, and not to confuse your audience. How do you achieve this type of clarity? There are a few ways.\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Know what you are trying to say before you start writing.</strong> Remember in high school when you were taught about a thesis and its supporting points? That lesson should be ingrained in any writer\'s head. Always have a thesis (your premise or argument) and why you support it. It\'s helpful to jot down your thesis (for this piece—clarity is essential to communication) and then your top reasons for supporting it  (for this piece I jotted down too many words, not knowing what you really want to say).\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Write simply.</strong> Often, clarity is compromised by wordiness or jargon or big words when smaller words would do just fine. It\'s tempting to stuff articles and blog posts with fancy words, and office speak, but what you end up doing is alienating the audience who may not be conversant in your world. So work to eliminate extra words and jargon. Instead, use plain language (for reference check the Center for Plain Language website).\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Reread and edit everything before you make it public.</strong> Sometimes we write something and then look it over quickly before we hit \"publish.\" It may make sense to us at that moment, but does it make sense to others? Taking the time to read something slowly, copy edit it, and make sure it says what we want it to say will go a long way in making sure it is clear to <em>others. </em>If possible, get another person to read your copy (a copy editor and/or proofreader)<em>.</em>','Always aim for clarity','','inherit','open','open','','3572-revision-v1','','','2017-09-26 10:38:57','2017-09-26 14:38:57','',3572,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/09/3572-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3574,4,'2017-09-27 10:16:43','2017-09-27 14:16:43','Have you ever read something that left you shaking your head, where you wondered what exactly the writer was trying to say? That\'s what happens when the writer of what you are reading  lacks the ability to communicate clearly.\r\n\r\nIt\'s important for your communications to be clear, to be easily understood, and not to confuse your audience. How do you achieve this type of clarity? Following are four suggestions:\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Know what you are trying to say before you start writing.</strong> Remember in high school when you were taught about a thesis and its supporting points? That lesson should be ingrained in any writer\'s head. Always have a thesis (your premise or argument) and why you support it. It\'s helpful to jot down your thesis (for this piece—clarity is essential to communication) and then your top reasons for supporting it  (for this piece I jotted down too many words, not knowing what you really want to say).\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Balance your assumptions.</strong> Don\'t assume your audience knows too little or too much—find the middle ground that works for your specific audience. To be able to find the middle ground, you must know who is in your audience. Are they insiders? Are they the general public? How much do they know? Have you ever watched <em>Washington Wee</em>k on PBS? I watch it practically every Friday. One quirk they have is that they insist on spelling out every reference. If a journalist on the panel simply says \"McConnell,\" the host quickly adds: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. This assumes the audience won\'t understand the reference to McConnell and yet most people who watch <em>Washington Week</em> are fairly informed and interested in all things political.\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Write simply.</strong> Often, clarity is compromised by wordiness or jargon or big words when smaller words would do just fine. It\'s tempting to stuff articles and blog posts with fancy words, and office speak, but what you end up doing is alienating the audience who may not be conversant in your world. So work to eliminate extra words and jargon, and use plain language instead (e.g., if you see the word \"utilize\" substitute \"use\").\r\n\r\n<strong>4. Reread and edit everything before you make it public.</strong> Sometimes we write something and then look it over quickly before we hit \"publish.\" It may make sense to us at that moment, but does it make sense to others? Taking the time to read something slowly, copy edit it, and make sure it says what you want it to say will go a long way in making sure it is clear to <em>others. </em>If possible, get another person to read your copy (a copy editor and/or proofreader)<em>.</em>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Always aim for clarity. If your audience doesn\'t get what you are trying to say, then you haven\'t communicated at all.</span>','Always aim for clarity','','inherit','open','open','','3572-revision-v1','','','2017-09-27 10:16:43','2017-09-27 14:16:43','',3572,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/09/3572-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3577,4,'2017-10-10 09:06:57','2017-10-10 13:06:57','I do a lot of research online, and I am definitely not alone. Most people conduct internet research on companies before they choose to do business with them. And this is the reason most organizations have websites, right?\r\n\r\nAnd yet, how many times have you gone searching for something specific, found a few websites, visited them, only to find that few, if any, have the information you need?\r\n\r\nDo you agree that the main point of your business website is to provide potential customers with information they need to make a buying decision? If you do agree , then you should have these two items on your business website:\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Pricing</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>2. A real description of the company and its key personnel (aka \"about\" page)\r\n</strong>\r\n\r\nLet\'s discuss each point.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Pricing information is necessary because cost matters in making buying decisions.</strong></em>\r\n\r\nThis is a no-brainer, or should be, and yet most consulting/service industries do not list prices on their website. For example, last month I was looking for a cleaning service.  Since there are many in this area, reviews and referrals matter (you don\'t want a cleaning service that has a track record of breaking stuff or of not dusting your chandeliers), and <em>so does cost</em>. Some cleaning services I found listed specific pricing on their sites, but many did not. Instead, some want you to call to get the estimate, and some want you to fill out online or email forms to provide you a quote.\r\n\r\nBy making pricing information difficult to obtain, you are losing potential customers. People have budgets in mind. They may be able to afford a monthly cleaning service of $150, but not one that costs $200. Why make those customers waste their time, <em>and yours</em>, by having a conversation about something that you can easily post on your website?\r\n\r\nI know for many consultants there is a fear of pricing yourself out of a potential job. However, you know what you want to make from your work, don\'t you? Why would you want a client/customer that is not willing to pay what you think the value of your work is?\r\n\r\n<em><strong>People do business with people, not with vague or non-existent descriptions </strong></em>\r\n\r\nJust yesterday, I was checking out a website designer/developer\'s website, and guess what was missing? An \"about\" page. There was no bio on the designer, no information about when he started his company, or what his experience has been. Not. One. Word. Yes, he included a portfolio of websites that (supposedly) he has designed. But there is no clue as to what sort of person he is, how long he has been doing this work, and why he does it. In other words, by not having an about page, this designer left many questions about his own ability and experience unanswered. Perhaps the one question he did answer is his philosophy on openness and transparency (apparently, not a high priority). And this is yet another reason why you need an about page: you want to build trust and credibility by showing exactly who/what you are.\r\n\r\nBut an about page has to provide real information, not the generic and jargon-filled pile of words one finds on many websites. If you are wondering what to include on your about page, think like a journalist. That is, try answering the 5Ws: <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">w</span>hy, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">w</span>here, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">w</span>hen, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">w</span>ho, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">w</span>hat, and throw in the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">how</span> too.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>What kinds of information, beyond these two points, do you need in order to make a buying decision? Please let me know in the comments.</strong></span>','Two must-haves for your business website','','publish','open','open','','two-must-haves-for-your-business-website','','','2017-10-10 09:06:57','2017-10-10 13:06:57','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3577',0,'post','',0),
(3578,4,'2017-10-09 15:21:52','2017-10-09 19:21:52','I do a lot of research online, and I am definitely not alone. Most people research on companies  before they choose to do business with them. And this is the reason most organizations have websites, right?\r\n\r\nAnd yet. How many times have you gone searching for something specific (for example, I am currently looking for a headshot photographer), found a few websites, visited them, only to find that few if any have the information you need?\r\n\r\nDo youagree that the main point of your business website is to provide potential customers with information they need to make a buying decision? If you do agree, then you should have these two items on your business website:\r\n\r\n1. Pricing\r\n\r\n2. A real description of the company and its key personnel','2 must-haves for your business website','','inherit','open','open','','3577-revision-v1','','','2017-10-09 15:21:52','2017-10-09 19:21:52','',3577,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/10/3577-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3579,4,'2017-10-10 09:06:04','2017-10-10 13:06:04','I do a lot of research online, and I am definitely not alone. Most people conduct internet research on companies before they choose to do business with them. And this is the reason most organizations have websites, right?\r\n\r\nAnd yet, how many times have you gone searching for something specific, found a few websites, visited them, only to find that few, if any, have the information you need?\r\n\r\nDo you agree that the main point of your business website is to provide potential customers with information they need to make a buying decision? If you do agree , then you should have these two items on your business website:\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Pricing</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>2. A real description of the company and its key personnel</strong>\r\n\r\nLet\'s discuss each point.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Pricing information is necessary because cost matters in making buying decisions.</strong></em>\r\n\r\nThis is a no-brainer, or should be, and yet most consulting/service industries do not list prices on their website. For example, last month I was looking for a cleaning service.  Since there are many in this area, reviews and referrals matter (you don\'t want a cleaning service that has a track record of breaking stuff or of not dusting your chandeliers), and <em>so does cost</em>. Some cleaning services I found listed specific pricing on their sites, but many did not. Instead, some want you to call to get the estimate, and some want you to fill out online or email forms to provide you a quote.\r\n\r\nBy making pricing information difficult to obtain, you are losing potential customers. People have budgets in mind. They may be able to afford a monthly cleaning service of $150, but not one that costs $200. Why make those customers waste their time, <em>and yours</em>, by having a conversation about something that you can easily post on your website?\r\n\r\nI know for many consultants there is a fear of pricing yourself out of a potential job. However, you know what you want to make from your work, don\'t you? Why would you want a client/customer that is not willing to pay what you think the value of your work is?\r\n\r\n<em><strong>People do business with people, not with vague or non-existent descriptions </strong></em>\r\n\r\nJust yesterday, I was checking out a website designer/developer\'s website, and guess what was missing? An \"about\" page. There was no bio on the designer, no information about when he started his company, or what his experience has been. Not. One. Word. Yes, he included a portfolio of websites that (supposedly) he has designed. But there is no clue as to what sort of person he is, how long he has been doing this work, and why he does it. In other words, by not having an about page, this designer left many questions about his own ability and experience unanswered. Perhaps the one question he did answer is his philosophy on openness and transparency (apparently, not a high priority). And this is yet another reason why you need an about page: you want to build trust and credibility by showing exactly who/what you are.\r\n\r\nBut an about page has to provide real information, not the generic and jargon-filled pile of words one finds on many websites. If you are wondering what to include on your about page, think like a journalist. That is, try answering the 5Ws: <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">w</span>hy, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">w</span>here, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">w</span>hen, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">w</span>ho, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">w</span>hat, and throw in the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">how</span> too.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>What kinds of information, beyond these two points, do you need in order to make a buying decision? Please let me know in the comments.</strong></span>','Two must-haves for your business website','','inherit','open','open','','3577-revision-v1','','','2017-10-10 09:06:04','2017-10-10 13:06:04','',3577,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/10/3577-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3580,4,'2017-10-10 09:06:57','2017-10-10 13:06:57','I do a lot of research online, and I am definitely not alone. Most people conduct internet research on companies before they choose to do business with them. And this is the reason most organizations have websites, right?\r\n\r\nAnd yet, how many times have you gone searching for something specific, found a few websites, visited them, only to find that few, if any, have the information you need?\r\n\r\nDo you agree that the main point of your business website is to provide potential customers with information they need to make a buying decision? If you do agree , then you should have these two items on your business website:\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Pricing</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>2. A real description of the company and its key personnel (aka \"about\" page)\r\n</strong>\r\n\r\nLet\'s discuss each point.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Pricing information is necessary because cost matters in making buying decisions.</strong></em>\r\n\r\nThis is a no-brainer, or should be, and yet most consulting/service industries do not list prices on their website. For example, last month I was looking for a cleaning service.  Since there are many in this area, reviews and referrals matter (you don\'t want a cleaning service that has a track record of breaking stuff or of not dusting your chandeliers), and <em>so does cost</em>. Some cleaning services I found listed specific pricing on their sites, but many did not. Instead, some want you to call to get the estimate, and some want you to fill out online or email forms to provide you a quote.\r\n\r\nBy making pricing information difficult to obtain, you are losing potential customers. People have budgets in mind. They may be able to afford a monthly cleaning service of $150, but not one that costs $200. Why make those customers waste their time, <em>and yours</em>, by having a conversation about something that you can easily post on your website?\r\n\r\nI know for many consultants there is a fear of pricing yourself out of a potential job. However, you know what you want to make from your work, don\'t you? Why would you want a client/customer that is not willing to pay what you think the value of your work is?\r\n\r\n<em><strong>People do business with people, not with vague or non-existent descriptions </strong></em>\r\n\r\nJust yesterday, I was checking out a website designer/developer\'s website, and guess what was missing? An \"about\" page. There was no bio on the designer, no information about when he started his company, or what his experience has been. Not. One. Word. Yes, he included a portfolio of websites that (supposedly) he has designed. But there is no clue as to what sort of person he is, how long he has been doing this work, and why he does it. In other words, by not having an about page, this designer left many questions about his own ability and experience unanswered. Perhaps the one question he did answer is his philosophy on openness and transparency (apparently, not a high priority). And this is yet another reason why you need an about page: you want to build trust and credibility by showing exactly who/what you are.\r\n\r\nBut an about page has to provide real information, not the generic and jargon-filled pile of words one finds on many websites. If you are wondering what to include on your about page, think like a journalist. That is, try answering the 5Ws: <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">w</span>hy, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">w</span>here, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">w</span>hen, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">w</span>ho, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">w</span>hat, and throw in the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">how</span> too.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>What kinds of information, beyond these two points, do you need in order to make a buying decision? Please let me know in the comments.</strong></span>','Two must-haves for your business website','','inherit','open','open','','3577-revision-v1','','','2017-10-10 09:06:57','2017-10-10 13:06:57','',3577,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/10/3577-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3582,4,'2017-10-20 10:58:05','0000-00-00 00:00:00','In the past couple of weeks, I\'ve been noticing a disturbing trend: many organizations/individuals, who are looking for supporters/customers/clients, are not thinking about what that target audience needs or wants.\r\n\r\nIt\'s as if they\'ve forgotten what they are trying to do.\r\n\r\nClueless business card\r\n\r\nHow about the business card of a company that doesn\'t explain what it is or does. Some businesses have a clue in their name (Bank of So-and-So or So-and-So Real Estate) but some don\'t (So-and-So, Inc.). They give you a card, and you get back to your office and look at it and can\'t figure out what it is they do. Here\'s how you fix it: add a line under the business name.\r\n\r\nSo-and-So, Inc.\r\n\r\nThe best home cleaning solutions\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Are you overlooking your target?','','draft','open','open','','','','','2017-10-20 10:58:05','2017-10-20 14:58:05','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3582',0,'post','',0),
(3583,4,'2017-10-20 10:58:05','2017-10-20 14:58:05','In the past couple of weeks, I\'ve been noticing a disturbing trend: many organizations/individuals, who are looking for supporters/customers/clients, are not thinking about what that target audience needs or wants.\r\n\r\nIt\'s as if they\'ve forgotten what they are trying to do.\r\n\r\nClueless business card\r\n\r\nHow about the business card of a company that doesn\'t explain what it is or does. Some businesses have a clue in their name (Bank of So-and-So or So-and-So Real Estate) but some don\'t (So-and-So, Inc.). They give you a card, and you get back to your office and look at it and can\'t figure out what it is they do. Here\'s how you fix it: add a line under the business name.\r\n\r\nSo-and-So, Inc.\r\n\r\nThe best home cleaning solutions\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Are you overlooking your target?','','inherit','open','open','','3582-revision-v1','','','2017-10-20 10:58:05','2017-10-20 14:58:05','',3582,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/10/3582-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3585,4,'2017-10-25 16:19:40','2017-10-25 20:19:40','Today, on my way to the Metro, I walked past where a Mediterranean cafe has been located for the past five years. It was closed, and in the window was a sign saying that \"Amai Japanese Crepe\" was coming soon.\r\n\r\nBy the way, anybody know what the hell a Japanese crepe is?\r\n\r\nWhen I got back to my office, I checked on the web to see if I could figure out what happened. I first went to the cafe\'s website. It\'s still there. Same address. No update on the situation. Then I went to Yelp, and I noticed it said the place was \"temporarily\" closed but  a five-star review had just been posted yesterday. Hmm. Stranger and stranger. I went back to the cafe\'s website, and clicked on their Twitter feed. Last post there was from 2015. Not useful at all. Then I went to the Facebook page. I clicked on \"posts,\" and found one from September 22, which says this:\r\n<blockquote>Thank you everyone for your loyalty and support these past 5 years. We opened in Feburary 2012 and strived to bring a little taste of Isreal and classic Italian espresso to our customers. Now, it\'s time to look to the future. XXX will be closed as of September 22 for renovations. We will be closed for two weeks to improve and update the cafe. We look foward to showing the improved us when we reopen.</blockquote>\r\nErrors above appeared in the original post. I just x\'ed out the name of the restaurant. There was also a picture of the sign about the Japanese crepes. That\'s it. No more information. But now we know the restaurant is changing name and changing focus. What we don\'t know is when this will happen, or what the hell a Japanese crepe is supposed to be.\r\n\r\nTo me, this is a classic and stupid communications failure. Why a failure? Here are the mistakes I see:\r\n\r\n1. Failure to use their website to provide updated information.\r\n\r\n2. Failure to provide complete information on the actual site (something like: XX cafe is transforming. We aim to re-open on [date]).\r\n\r\n3. Failure to use social media appropriately. The Twitter feed should be deleted, and they could provide updates about the renovation, some information about what they will become. Not to mention that Facebook post was from a month ago, where they claim they would re-open in two weeks.\r\n\r\n4. Failure to consider what customers need to know. Maybe this is the biggest problem. Nowhere do you really know what is going on.\r\n\r\nIt\'s hard to say what will happen here. People who came to this place looking for Israeli food are not necessarily going to feel good about a Japanese crepe (whatever that may be). Passersby will think that the old place is gone, and will not necessarily think the new place is associated with the old.\r\n\r\nAs with any change, clear and precise communication is necessary. It seems that to this restaurant, communication with customers is an afterthought.\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;','Closed, or just changing names?','','publish','open','open','','closed-or-just-changing-names','','','2017-10-25 16:19:40','2017-10-25 20:19:40','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3585',0,'post','',0),
(3586,4,'2017-10-25 16:18:19','2017-10-25 20:18:19','Today, on my way to the Metro, I walked past where a Mediterranean cafe has been located for the past five years. It was closed, and in the window was a sign saying that \"Amai Japanese Crepe\" was coming soon.\r\n\r\nBy the way, anybody know what the hell a Japanese crepe is?\r\n\r\nWhen I got back to my office, I checked on the web to see if I could figure out what happened. I first went to the cafe\'s website. It\'s still there. Same address. No update on the situation. Then I went to Yelp, and I noticed it said the place was \"temporarily\" closed but  a five-star review had just been posted yesterday. Hmm. Stranger and stranger. I went back to the cafe\'s website, and clicked on their Twitter feed. Last post there was from 2015. Not useful at all. Then I went to the Facebook page. I clicked on \"posts,\" and found one from September 22, which says this:\r\n<blockquote>Thank you everyone for your loyalty and support these past 5 years. We opened in Feburary 2012 and strived to bring a little taste of Isreal and classic Italian espresso to our customers. Now, it\'s time to look to the future. XXX will be closed as of September 22 for renovations. We will be closed for two weeks to improve and update the cafe. We look foward to showing the improved us when we reopen.</blockquote>\r\nErrors above appeared in the original post. I just x\'ed out the name of the restaurant. There was also a picture of the sign about the Japanese crepes. That\'s it. No more information. But now we know the restaurant is changing name and changing focus. What we don\'t know is when this will happen, or what the hell a Japanese crepe is supposed to be.\r\n\r\nTo me, this is a classic and stupid communications failure. Why a failure? Here are the mistakes I see:\r\n\r\n1. Failure to use their website to provide updated information.\r\n\r\n2. Failure to provide complete information on the actual site (something like: XX cafe is transforming. We aim to re-open on [date]).\r\n\r\n3. Failure to use social media appropriately. The Twitter feed should be deleted, and they could provide updates about the renovation, some information about what they will become. Not to mention that Facebook post was from a month ago, where they claim they would re-open in two weeks.\r\n\r\n4. Failure to consider what customers need to know. Maybe this is the biggest problem. Nowhere do you really know what is going on.\r\n\r\nIt\'s hard to say what will happen here. People who came to this place looking for Israeli food are not necessarily going to feel good about a Japanese crepe (whatever that may be). Passersby will think that the old place is gone, and will not necessarily think the new place is associated with the old.\r\n\r\nAs with any change, clear and precise communication is necessary. It seems that to this restaurant, communication with customers is an afterthought.\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;','Closed, or just changing names?','','inherit','open','open','','3585-revision-v1','','','2017-10-25 16:18:19','2017-10-25 20:18:19','',3585,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/10/3585-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3587,4,'2017-10-31 14:30:40','2017-10-31 18:30:40','You know what is (a bit) scary? When you say or write something that you don\'t mean. You don\'t intend to do it, but you do it anyway.\r\n\r\nWhy would you  do something spooky like that?\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000; text-decoration: underline;\">First</span>, it\'s because you use words that you don\'t understand, or you misuse words.</span> This is more common in spoken than in written communications, since we don\'t have the luxury of having a dictionary available when we talk. This type of scary mistake seems to happen a lot in television/cable news.\r\n\r\nHere are two examples:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">A political analyst/journalist who said <strong>nonetheless </strong>(which Webster\'s defines as \"in spite of that\") when she really meant <strong>never mind </strong>(which means much less or let alone).</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Someone who said \"from the <strong>outset </strong>(which means beginning or start, and can be used alone, without a modifier, such as,<em> from the outset</em>) <strong>of...</strong>\" when he/she should have said the <strong>onset of </strong>(which also means beginning or commencement, and is usually used in conjunction a phrase, such as in the <em>onset of winter</em>).</p>\r\nIt\'s easy to mess these up. They are very similar in meaning, and similar sounding, but yet are different words with slightly different usages and meanings.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000; text-decoration: underline;\">Second</span>, it\'s when you use words that are spelled similarly to what you meant to say, but are not the right word.</span> This happens mostly in written communications, and it mostly happens because you rely on spellcheck, and you don\'t proofread.\r\n\r\nHere are a couple I have seen recently:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">A sentence that used <strong>neatly</strong> instead of <strong>nearly</strong>.</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">And even more weird, a sentence that used the word <strong>bong</strong> instead of <strong>bond</strong>.</p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nDon\'t be ghoulish—use your words carefully—and go ahead, have a happy Halloween!\r\n\r\nI\'ve started collecting these, and I intend to publish them once a month. I invite you to share any you find by sending me an email at info@deborahbrody.com.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Be very scared (of poor word choice)','','publish','open','open','','be-very-scared-of-poor-word-choice','','','2017-10-31 14:30:40','2017-10-31 18:30:40','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3587',0,'post','',0),
(3588,4,'2017-10-31 11:15:55','2017-10-31 15:15:55','You know what is scary? When you say or write something that you don\'t mean. You don\'t intend to do it, but you do it anyway.\r\n\r\nWhy?\r\n\r\nFirst, it\'s because you use words that you don\'t understand, or, simply put, you misuse words. This is more common in speech than in written communications, since we don\'t have the luxury of having a dictionary available when we talk. This type of scary mistake seems to happen a lot in television/cable news.\r\n\r\nHere are two examples:\r\n\r\nA political analyst/journalist who said <strong>nonetheless </strong>(which Webster\'s defines as \"in spite of that\") when she really meant <strong>never mind </strong>(which means much less or let alone).\r\n\r\nSomeone who said <strong>outset </strong>(which means beginning or start, and can be used alone, without a modifier, such as,<em> from the outset</em>) when he/she should have said <strong>onset </strong>(which also means beginning or commencement, and is usually used in conjunction a phrase, such as in the <em>onset of winter</em>).\r\n\r\nIt\'s easy to mess these up. They are very similar and similar sounding, but yet are different words with slightly different usages and meanings.\r\n\r\nSecond, it\'s when you use words that are similar to what you meant to say, but are not the right word. This happens mostly in written communications, and it\'s because you rely on spellcheck and you don\'t proofread.\r\n\r\nHere are a couple I have seen recently:\r\n\r\nA sentence that used <strong>neatly</strong> instead of <strong>nearly</strong>.\r\n\r\nAnd even more weird, a sentence that used the word <strong>bong</strong> instead of <strong>bond</strong>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI\'ve started collecting these, and I intend to publish them once a month. I invite you to share any you find by sending me an email at info@deborahbrody.com.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Be very scared','','inherit','open','open','','3587-revision-v1','','','2017-10-31 11:15:55','2017-10-31 15:15:55','',3587,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/10/3587-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3589,4,'2017-10-31 11:18:48','2017-10-31 15:18:48','You know what is (a bit) scary? When you say or write something that you don\'t mean. You don\'t intend to do it, but you do it anyway.\r\n\r\nWhy?\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">First, it\'s because you use words that you don\'t understand, or you misuse words.</span> This is more common in speech than in written communications, since we don\'t have the luxury of having a dictionary available when we talk. This type of scary mistake seems to happen a lot in television/cable news.\r\n\r\nHere are two examples:\r\n\r\nA political analyst/journalist who said <strong>nonetheless </strong>(which Webster\'s defines as \"in spite of that\") when she really meant <strong>never mind </strong>(which means much less or let alone).\r\n\r\nSomeone who said <strong>outset </strong>(which means beginning or start, and can be used alone, without a modifier, such as,<em> from the outset</em>) when he/she should have said <strong>onset </strong>(which also means beginning or commencement, and is usually used in conjunction a phrase, such as in the <em>onset of winter</em>).\r\n\r\nIt\'s easy to mess these up. They are very similar and similar sounding, but yet are different words with slightly different usages and meanings.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Second, it\'s when you use words that are spelled similarly to what you meant to say, but are not the right word.</span> This happens mostly in written communications, and it\'s because you rely on spellcheck and you don\'t proofread.\r\n\r\nHere are a couple I have seen recently:\r\n\r\nA sentence that used <strong>neatly</strong> instead of <strong>nearly</strong>.\r\n\r\nAnd even more weird, a sentence that used the word <strong>bong</strong> instead of <strong>bond</strong>.\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nHappy Halloween!\r\n\r\nI\'ve started collecting these, and I intend to publish them once a month. I invite you to share any you find by sending me an email at info@deborahbrody.com.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Be very scared','','inherit','open','open','','3587-revision-v1','','','2017-10-31 11:18:48','2017-10-31 15:18:48','',3587,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/10/3587-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3590,4,'2017-10-31 14:25:42','2017-10-31 18:25:42','You know what is (a bit) scary? When you say or write something that you don\'t mean. You don\'t intend to do it, but you do it anyway.\r\n\r\nWhy would you want to do something spooky (hey, it\'s Halloween) like that?\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000; text-decoration: underline;\">First</span>, it\'s because you use words that you don\'t understand, or you misuse words.</span> This is more common in speech than in written communications, since we don\'t have the luxury of having a dictionary available when we talk. This type of scary mistake seems to happen a lot in television/cable news.\r\n\r\nHere are two examples:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">A political analyst/journalist who said <strong>nonetheless </strong>(which Webster\'s defines as \"in spite of that\") when she really meant <strong>never mind </strong>(which means much less or let alone).</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Someone who said <strong>outset </strong>(which means beginning or start, and can be used alone, without a modifier, such as,<em> from the outset</em>) when he/she should have said <strong>onset </strong>(which also means beginning or commencement, and is usually used in conjunction a phrase, such as in the <em>onset of winter</em>).</p>\r\nIt\'s easy to mess these up. They are very similar and similar sounding, but yet are different words with slightly different usages and meanings.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000; text-decoration: underline;\">Second</span>, it\'s when you use words that are spelled similarly to what you meant to say, but are not the right word.</span> This happens mostly in written communications, and it\'s because you rely on spellcheck and you don\'t proofread.\r\n\r\nHere are a couple I have seen recently:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">A sentence that used <strong>neatly</strong> instead of <strong>nearly</strong>.</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">And even more weird, a sentence that used the word <strong>bong</strong> instead of <strong>bond</strong>.</p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nDon\'t be ghoulish—use your words carefully, but go ahead, have a happy Halloween!\r\n\r\nI\'ve started collecting these, and I intend to publish them once a month. I invite you to share any you find by sending me an email at info@deborahbrody.com.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Be very scared','','inherit','open','open','','3587-revision-v1','','','2017-10-31 14:25:42','2017-10-31 18:25:42','',3587,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/10/3587-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3591,4,'2017-10-31 14:29:56','2017-10-31 18:29:56','You know what is (a bit) scary? When you say or write something that you don\'t mean. You don\'t intend to do it, but you do it anyway.\r\n\r\nWhy would you  do something spooky like that?\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000; text-decoration: underline;\">First</span>, it\'s because you use words that you don\'t understand, or you misuse words.</span> This is more common in spoken than in written communications, since we don\'t have the luxury of having a dictionary available when we talk. This type of scary mistake seems to happen a lot in television/cable news.\r\n\r\nHere are two examples:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">A political analyst/journalist who said <strong>nonetheless </strong>(which Webster\'s defines as \"in spite of that\") when she really meant <strong>never mind </strong>(which means much less or let alone).</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Someone who said \"from the <strong>outset </strong>(which means beginning or start, and can be used alone, without a modifier, such as,<em> from the outset</em>) <strong>of...</strong>\" when he/she should have said the <strong>onset of </strong>(which also means beginning or commencement, and is usually used in conjunction a phrase, such as in the <em>onset of winter</em>).</p>\r\nIt\'s easy to mess these up. They are very similar in meaning, and similar sounding, but yet are different words with slightly different usages and meanings.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000; text-decoration: underline;\">Second</span>, it\'s when you use words that are spelled similarly to what you meant to say, but are not the right word.</span> This happens mostly in written communications, and it mostly happens because you rely on spellcheck, and you don\'t proofread.\r\n\r\nHere are a couple I have seen recently:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">A sentence that used <strong>neatly</strong> instead of <strong>nearly</strong>.</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">And even more weird, a sentence that used the word <strong>bong</strong> instead of <strong>bond</strong>.</p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nDon\'t be ghoulish—use your words carefully, but go ahead, have a happy Halloween!\r\n\r\nI\'ve started collecting these, and I intend to publish them once a month. I invite you to share any you find by sending me an email at info@deborahbrody.com.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Be very scared (of poor word choice)','','inherit','open','open','','3587-revision-v1','','','2017-10-31 14:29:56','2017-10-31 18:29:56','',3587,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/10/3587-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3592,4,'2017-10-31 14:30:40','2017-10-31 18:30:40','You know what is (a bit) scary? When you say or write something that you don\'t mean. You don\'t intend to do it, but you do it anyway.\r\n\r\nWhy would you  do something spooky like that?\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000; text-decoration: underline;\">First</span>, it\'s because you use words that you don\'t understand, or you misuse words.</span> This is more common in spoken than in written communications, since we don\'t have the luxury of having a dictionary available when we talk. This type of scary mistake seems to happen a lot in television/cable news.\r\n\r\nHere are two examples:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">A political analyst/journalist who said <strong>nonetheless </strong>(which Webster\'s defines as \"in spite of that\") when she really meant <strong>never mind </strong>(which means much less or let alone).</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Someone who said \"from the <strong>outset </strong>(which means beginning or start, and can be used alone, without a modifier, such as,<em> from the outset</em>) <strong>of...</strong>\" when he/she should have said the <strong>onset of </strong>(which also means beginning or commencement, and is usually used in conjunction a phrase, such as in the <em>onset of winter</em>).</p>\r\nIt\'s easy to mess these up. They are very similar in meaning, and similar sounding, but yet are different words with slightly different usages and meanings.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000; text-decoration: underline;\">Second</span>, it\'s when you use words that are spelled similarly to what you meant to say, but are not the right word.</span> This happens mostly in written communications, and it mostly happens because you rely on spellcheck, and you don\'t proofread.\r\n\r\nHere are a couple I have seen recently:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">A sentence that used <strong>neatly</strong> instead of <strong>nearly</strong>.</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">And even more weird, a sentence that used the word <strong>bong</strong> instead of <strong>bond</strong>.</p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nDon\'t be ghoulish—use your words carefully—and go ahead, have a happy Halloween!\r\n\r\nI\'ve started collecting these, and I intend to publish them once a month. I invite you to share any you find by sending me an email at info@deborahbrody.com.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Be very scared (of poor word choice)','','inherit','open','open','','3587-revision-v1','','','2017-10-31 14:30:40','2017-10-31 18:30:40','',3587,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/10/3587-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3605,4,'2017-11-29 16:49:57','2017-11-29 21:49:57','This is a post about unintended and negative consequences, based on two separate experiences yesterday.\r\n\r\n<strong>Last minute deal—get in at no cost!</strong>\r\n\r\nLast night, I attended an event on trends in digital marketing. I signed up for it a couple of days ago, and paid $11.84. Yesterday, about two hours before the event was due to start, there was an email from the organizer to a listserv I am on saying that she didn\'t have enough attendees, so if anyone wanted to attend <em>for free</em>, they could.\r\n\r\nI felt like a sucker. Why had I bothered to pay anything at all for an event that wasn\'t garnering enough attention to the point that the organizer was begging people to come by offering free admission?\r\n\r\nAnd the real question is, why would I ever pay this organizer for any event when it may be more advantageous to wait until the last minute?\r\n\r\nThe unintended consequence of this poor decision is to effectively make people decide to not sign up in advance, to not pay at all, because there\'s a likelihood that if too few people sign up in advance, the organizer will be desperate enough for warm bodies and offer free admission to all.\r\n\r\n<strong>Ask and ask and ask again—until they don\'t want to be asked again</strong>\r\n\r\nUnless you were not online, or checking email, you know yesterday was Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday was developed (supposedly) as an \"antidote\" to Cyber Monday/Black Friday. In theory, Giving Tuesday is a chance to support charities instead of, or in addition to, shopping like mad for the holidays.\r\n\r\nA lot of hoopla has developed around this \"holiday.\" Case in point: Every organization that I have ever supported sent me emails the week before, the day before and the day of, to beg me to give them money on Giving Tuesday. Some organizations sent multiple emails on Tuesday in addition to multiple emails on the days before. My inbox was flooded with requests, and then so were my social media feeds.\r\n\r\nSome organizations were getting matching funds on Giving Tuesday, so giving on this day automatically meant more money in the coffers. But the level of pushiness these organizations reached around Giving Tuesday in order to get these extra funds may have had the unintended consequence of reducing the number of people opting in to enewsletters. I unsubscribed to at least two, and was seriously considering unsubscribing from all of them.\r\n\r\nThe intensity of the effort made it seem as if this was your one chance to give, as if you couldn\'t give any time of the year, and <em>as if giving at any other time was just not as good. </em>The other unintended consequence of this extreme focus on Giving Tuesday, I believe, is to reduce year-round giving.\r\n\r\nOrganizations make lots of decisions to fulfill short-term goals (get lots of donors on Tuesday), but which neglect to take into consideration long-term goals (develop good relationships and donor opportunities year-round). In other words, before you make a snap decision that only affects one event/day, think about what your overall goals are, and whether this decision furthers those goals or not.','Decisions with unintended consequences','','publish','open','open','','decisions-with-unintended-consequences','','','2017-11-29 16:49:57','2017-11-29 21:49:57','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3605',0,'post','',0),
(3597,4,'2017-11-14 14:24:17','2017-11-14 19:24:17','As has happened every November for the six years I\'ve lived in my current home, I received this on my doorstep:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/20171113_100754.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3598 size-medium\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/20171113_100754-e1510671700977-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"20171113_100754\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>It is given by a local real estate agent who also sends a magnetic calendar in the mail and places quarterly sales updates on my doorknob. He includes a card with his contact information along with the jar of apple butter.\r\n\r\nHere\'s the problem: I don\'t really eat apple butter. I am not opposed to it, but it is not something I eat regularly. I have three unused jars from the past few years, and I don\'t really know what to do with them. It\'s a shame to throw them out, but it\'s not something I feel counts as food to be taken to the food pantry. In other words, it has become clutter and something that puts the burden on me. For me, this is not a welcome gift.\r\n\r\nI am not sure why this real estate agent keeps doing this. Perhaps he has found there is a return on investment, or he wants to be known as the apple butter guy. I am not sure, but in my opinion, his is an example of how not to do corporate gift giving.\r\n\r\n<strong>Gift giving can be a good marketing tactic, as long as there is some thought and strategy behind it.</strong>\r\n\r\nMany large companies regularly give customers a gift that costs them very little but is very effective in getting people to the door: a free visit,  a $25 coupon toward your purchase, discount cards, VIP seating, and so on. Others send Christmas gifts to ongoing customers Some take hold monthly birthday lunches for clients. These companies and organizations have budgeted a certain/set amount toward corporate gifts, and have instituted these as regular marketing effort.\r\n\r\nIn order to have a<em> successful</em> gift giving campaign. you should think about the following two things:\r\n\r\n<strong>1. What are you trying to accomplish?</strong>\r\n\r\nPerhaps you are thanking customers for their business during the year, or perhaps you want to entice new customers. Either way, if you don\'t know why you are giving, there is absolutely no point to doing it.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Who are you giving to?</strong>\r\n\r\nThis is crucial information. If you are giving to a client you\'ve known for years versus giving to a potential customer, you will be spending different amounts of time and effort. For a long-term client, you probably will need to find a personalized gift, and for a potential customer, you want to encourage them to check  you out.\r\n\r\n<strong>But not just any gift will do.</strong>\r\n\r\nOnce you\'ve decided what you are trying to do and to whom you are giving, you can choose the gifts that make the most sense. Some attributes that you may want to consider are these:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Memorable</li>\r\n	<li>Useful</li>\r\n	<li>Linked to your brand identity</li>\r\n	<li>Stand out from the crowd</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>Remember: what makes a a good gift is something the recipient appreciates or wants.</strong>\r\n\r\nWhat are your thoughts on gifts as a marketing tactic? Have you received or given a particularly good or bad gift? Please let me know.','To gift or not to gift...a marketing question','','publish','open','open','','to-gift-or-not-to-gift-a-marketing-question','','','2017-11-14 14:24:17','2017-11-14 19:24:17','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3597',0,'post','',1),
(3598,4,'2017-11-14 10:00:51','2017-11-14 15:00:51','','20171113_100754','','inherit','open','open','','20171113_100754','','','2017-11-14 10:00:51','2017-11-14 15:00:51','',3597,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/20171113_100754.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(3599,4,'2017-11-14 10:11:48','2017-11-14 15:11:48','As has happened every November for the six years I\'ve lived in my current home, I received this on my doorstep:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/20171113_100754.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3598 size-medium\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/20171113_100754-e1510671700977-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"20171113_100754\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>It is given by a local real estate agent who also sends a calendar and places quarterly sales updates on my doorknob. He includes a card with his contact information along with the jar of apple butter.\r\n\r\nHere\'s the problem: I don\'t really eat apple butter. I have three unused jars from the past few years, and I don\'t really know what to do with them.','To gift or not to gift...a marketing question','','inherit','open','open','','3597-revision-v1','','','2017-11-14 10:11:48','2017-11-14 15:11:48','',3597,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/11/3597-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3600,4,'2017-11-14 14:17:31','2017-11-14 19:17:31','As has happened every November for the six years I\'ve lived in my current home, I received this on my doorstep:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/20171113_100754.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3598 size-medium\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/20171113_100754-e1510671700977-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"20171113_100754\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>It is given by a local real estate agent who also sends a magnetic calendar in the mail and places quarterly sales updates on my doorknob. He includes a card with his contact information along with the jar of apple butter.\r\n\r\nHere\'s the problem: I don\'t really eat apple butter. I am not opposed to it, but it is not something I eat regularly. I have three unused jars from the past few years, and I don\'t really know what to do with them. It\'s a shame to throw them out, but it\'s not something I feel counts as food to be taken to the food pantry. In other words, it has become clutter and something that puts the burden on me. For me, this is not a welcome gift.\r\n\r\nI am not sure why this real estate agent keeps doing this. Perhaps he has found there is a return on investment, or he wants to be known as the apple butter guy. I am not sure, but in my opinion, his is an example of how not to do corporate gift giving.\r\n\r\n<strong>Gift giving is absolutely a good marketing tactic, as long as there is some thought and strategy behind it.</strong>\r\n\r\nMany large companies regularly give customers a gift that costs them very little but is very effective in getting people to the door: a free visit,  a $25 coupon toward your purchase, discount cards, VIP seating, and so on. Others send  Christmas gifts to ongoing customers Some take hold monthly birthday lunches for clients. These companies and organizations have budgeted a certain amount toward corporate gifts, and have instituted these as regular features of their marketing efforts.\r\n\r\nIn order to have a successful gift giving campaign you should think about the following two things.\r\n\r\n<strong>1. What are you trying to accomplish?</strong>\r\n\r\nPerhaps you are thanking customers for their business during the year, or perhaps you want to entice new customers. Either way, if you don\'t know why you are giving, there is absolutely no point to doing it.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Who are you giving to?</strong>\r\n\r\nThis is crucial information. If you are giving to a client you\'ve known for years versus giving to a potential customer, you will be spending different amounts of time and effort. For a long-term client, you probably will need to find a personalized gift, and for a potential customer, you want to encourage them to check  you out.\r\n\r\nOnce you\'ve decided what you are trying to do and who you are giving, you can choose the gifts that make the most sense. Some attributes that you may want to consider are these:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Memorable</li>\r\n	<li>Useful</li>\r\n	<li>Linked to your brand identity</li>\r\n	<li>Stand out from the crowd</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>Remember: what makes a a good gift is something the recipient appreciates or wants.</strong>\r\n\r\nWhat are your thoughts on gifts as a marketing tactic? Have you received or given a particularly good or bad gift? Please let me know.','To gift or not to gift...a marketing question','','inherit','open','open','','3597-revision-v1','','','2017-11-14 14:17:31','2017-11-14 19:17:31','',3597,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/11/3597-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3601,4,'2017-11-14 14:24:17','2017-11-14 19:24:17','As has happened every November for the six years I\'ve lived in my current home, I received this on my doorstep:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/20171113_100754.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3598 size-medium\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/20171113_100754-e1510671700977-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"20171113_100754\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>It is given by a local real estate agent who also sends a magnetic calendar in the mail and places quarterly sales updates on my doorknob. He includes a card with his contact information along with the jar of apple butter.\r\n\r\nHere\'s the problem: I don\'t really eat apple butter. I am not opposed to it, but it is not something I eat regularly. I have three unused jars from the past few years, and I don\'t really know what to do with them. It\'s a shame to throw them out, but it\'s not something I feel counts as food to be taken to the food pantry. In other words, it has become clutter and something that puts the burden on me. For me, this is not a welcome gift.\r\n\r\nI am not sure why this real estate agent keeps doing this. Perhaps he has found there is a return on investment, or he wants to be known as the apple butter guy. I am not sure, but in my opinion, his is an example of how not to do corporate gift giving.\r\n\r\n<strong>Gift giving can be a good marketing tactic, as long as there is some thought and strategy behind it.</strong>\r\n\r\nMany large companies regularly give customers a gift that costs them very little but is very effective in getting people to the door: a free visit,  a $25 coupon toward your purchase, discount cards, VIP seating, and so on. Others send Christmas gifts to ongoing customers Some take hold monthly birthday lunches for clients. These companies and organizations have budgeted a certain/set amount toward corporate gifts, and have instituted these as regular marketing effort.\r\n\r\nIn order to have a<em> successful</em> gift giving campaign. you should think about the following two things:\r\n\r\n<strong>1. What are you trying to accomplish?</strong>\r\n\r\nPerhaps you are thanking customers for their business during the year, or perhaps you want to entice new customers. Either way, if you don\'t know why you are giving, there is absolutely no point to doing it.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Who are you giving to?</strong>\r\n\r\nThis is crucial information. If you are giving to a client you\'ve known for years versus giving to a potential customer, you will be spending different amounts of time and effort. For a long-term client, you probably will need to find a personalized gift, and for a potential customer, you want to encourage them to check  you out.\r\n\r\n<strong>But not just any gift will do.</strong>\r\n\r\nOnce you\'ve decided what you are trying to do and to whom you are giving, you can choose the gifts that make the most sense. Some attributes that you may want to consider are these:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Memorable</li>\r\n	<li>Useful</li>\r\n	<li>Linked to your brand identity</li>\r\n	<li>Stand out from the crowd</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>Remember: what makes a a good gift is something the recipient appreciates or wants.</strong>\r\n\r\nWhat are your thoughts on gifts as a marketing tactic? Have you received or given a particularly good or bad gift? Please let me know.','To gift or not to gift...a marketing question','','inherit','open','open','','3597-revision-v1','','','2017-11-14 14:24:17','2017-11-14 19:24:17','',3597,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/11/3597-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3602,4,'2017-11-16 10:11:34','2017-11-16 15:11:34','In case you\'ve missed a newsletter, just check this archive:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/4dd82b\">November 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"September 2017\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/391dca\" target=\"_blank\">September 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/45625a\" target=\"_blank\">June 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/75c3f9\" target=\"_blank\">April 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/792b39\" target=\"_blank\">December 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/a051e8\" target=\"_blank\">October 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"August 2016 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/359a88\" target=\"_blank\">August 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/d841f7\" target=\"_blank\">June 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"March 2016 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/a50a67\" target=\"_blank\">March 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/d7ed27\" target=\"_blank\">January 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/987fe6\" target=\"_blank\">November 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"September 2015 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/2f17a6\" target=\"_blank\">September 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/f0dc46\" target=\"_blank\">June 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/83c206\" target=\"_blank\">March 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"January 2015 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/594ec5\" target=\"_blank\">January 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/p/9a6295?fe=1&amp;pact=26384901049\" target=\"_blank\">November 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/f95d35\" target=\"_blank\">September 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/c3e405\" target=\"_blank\">July 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://mad.ly/3625c4\" target=\"_blank\">April 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"February newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/dc2584\" target=\"_blank\">February 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"December 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/bb9454\" target=\"_blank\">December 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"October 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/f27424\" target=\"_blank\">October 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"July 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/eb30f3\" target=\"_blank\">July 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"May 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/9003c3\" target=\"_blank\">May 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"March 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/d82a93\" target=\"_blank\">March 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"January 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/a12873\" target=\"_blank\">January 2013</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Newsletters','','inherit','open','open','','2509-revision-v1','','','2017-11-16 10:11:34','2017-11-16 15:11:34','',2509,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/11/2509-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3606,4,'2017-11-29 11:29:20','2017-11-29 16:29:20','This is a post about unintended and negative consequences, based on two separate experiences yesterday.\r\n\r\n<strong>Last minute deal—get in at no cost!</strong>\r\n\r\nLast night, I attended an event on trends in digital marketing. I signed up for it a couple of days ago, and paid $11.84. Yesterday, about two hours before the event was due to start, there was an email from the organizer to a listserv I am on saying that she didn\'t have enough attendees, so if anyone wanted to attend <em>for free</em>, they could.\r\n\r\nI felt like a sucker. Why had I bothered to pay anything at all for an event that wasn\'t garnering enough attention to the point that the organizer was begging people to come by offering free admission?\r\n\r\nAnd the real question is, why would I ever pay this organizer for any event when it may be more advantageous to wait until the last minute?\r\n\r\nThe unintended consequence of this poor decision is to effectively make people decide to not sign up in advance, to not pay at all, because there\'s a likelihood that if too few people sign up in advance, the organizer will be desperate enough for warm bodies and offer free admission to all.\r\n\r\n<strong>Ask and ask and ask again--until they don\'t want to be asked again</strong>\r\n\r\nUnless you were not online, or checking email, you know yesterday was Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday was developed (supposedly) as an \"antidote\" to Cyber Monday/Black Friday. In theory, Giving Tuesday is a chance to support charities instead of, or in addition to, shopping like mad for the holidays.\r\n\r\nA lot of hoopla has developed around this \"holiday.\" Case in point: Every organization that I have ever supported sent me emails the week before, the day before and the day of, to beg me to give them money on Giving Tuesday. Some organizations sent multiple emails on Tuesday in addition to multiple emails on the days before. Many organizations also used social media to encourage more giving.','Decisions with unintended consequences','','inherit','open','open','','3605-revision-v1','','','2017-11-29 11:29:20','2017-11-29 16:29:20','',3605,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/11/3605-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3607,4,'2017-11-29 16:49:57','2017-11-29 21:49:57','This is a post about unintended and negative consequences, based on two separate experiences yesterday.\r\n\r\n<strong>Last minute deal—get in at no cost!</strong>\r\n\r\nLast night, I attended an event on trends in digital marketing. I signed up for it a couple of days ago, and paid $11.84. Yesterday, about two hours before the event was due to start, there was an email from the organizer to a listserv I am on saying that she didn\'t have enough attendees, so if anyone wanted to attend <em>for free</em>, they could.\r\n\r\nI felt like a sucker. Why had I bothered to pay anything at all for an event that wasn\'t garnering enough attention to the point that the organizer was begging people to come by offering free admission?\r\n\r\nAnd the real question is, why would I ever pay this organizer for any event when it may be more advantageous to wait until the last minute?\r\n\r\nThe unintended consequence of this poor decision is to effectively make people decide to not sign up in advance, to not pay at all, because there\'s a likelihood that if too few people sign up in advance, the organizer will be desperate enough for warm bodies and offer free admission to all.\r\n\r\n<strong>Ask and ask and ask again—until they don\'t want to be asked again</strong>\r\n\r\nUnless you were not online, or checking email, you know yesterday was Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday was developed (supposedly) as an \"antidote\" to Cyber Monday/Black Friday. In theory, Giving Tuesday is a chance to support charities instead of, or in addition to, shopping like mad for the holidays.\r\n\r\nA lot of hoopla has developed around this \"holiday.\" Case in point: Every organization that I have ever supported sent me emails the week before, the day before and the day of, to beg me to give them money on Giving Tuesday. Some organizations sent multiple emails on Tuesday in addition to multiple emails on the days before. My inbox was flooded with requests, and then so were my social media feeds.\r\n\r\nSome organizations were getting matching funds on Giving Tuesday, so giving on this day automatically meant more money in the coffers. But the level of pushiness these organizations reached around Giving Tuesday in order to get these extra funds may have had the unintended consequence of reducing the number of people opting in to enewsletters. I unsubscribed to at least two, and was seriously considering unsubscribing from all of them.\r\n\r\nThe intensity of the effort made it seem as if this was your one chance to give, as if you couldn\'t give any time of the year, and <em>as if giving at any other time was just not as good. </em>The other unintended consequence of this extreme focus on Giving Tuesday, I believe, is to reduce year-round giving.\r\n\r\nOrganizations make lots of decisions to fulfill short-term goals (get lots of donors on Tuesday), but which neglect to take into consideration long-term goals (develop good relationships and donor opportunities year-round). In other words, before you make a snap decision that only affects one event/day, think about what your overall goals are, and whether this decision furthers those goals or not.','Decisions with unintended consequences','','inherit','open','open','','3605-revision-v1','','','2017-11-29 16:49:57','2017-11-29 21:49:57','',3605,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/11/3605-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3609,4,'2017-12-06 13:28:40','2017-12-06 18:28:40','Personnel announcements used to be one of the most reliable and easy forms of publicity for  a company. In the years I worked at PR firms, we always sent out these type of announcements, usually including a headshot.  Eventually, most of them would end up in the business section of the local newspaper, or within specialty newspapers or magazines.\r\n\r\nGetting personnel announcements in print was a good way to keep companies in the public eye, and also served as a morale boost to the new or promoted employee. Even 20 plus years later, I still have the clipping from <em>Adweek</em> showing my appointment to Boston ad firm Houston Effler (now defunct).\r\n\r\nApparently, those days of easy publicity are coming to an end. A few weeks ago I noticed that the <em>Washington Business Journal</em> changed its personnel announcement page (called \"People on the Move\") to show the words \"paid advertising\" at the top. Effectively, the <em>Business Journal</em> had started charging companies in order to publish these announcements. <a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171010_142654.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3610\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171010_142654-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"20171010_142654\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAs someone who has worked in communications for more than 20 years, I am not surprised that this is happening in 2017, but I am disheartened, and pessimistic about the future of media relations.\r\n\r\nIt\'s not surprising simply because print publications are struggling with declining subscriptions and reduced advertising, and they are looking for additional revenue. Charging for personnel announcements seems harmless, and if companies want to highlight their new hires, perhaps they won\'t hesitate to spend a few hundred dollars  (the Business Journal is charging $350 for an \"enhanced\" profile that will appear online and in print).\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171205_141928.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3611\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171205_141928-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"20171205_141928\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\nIt\'s disheartening because it has further blurred the line between advertising and editorial content, and opens the possibility up that companies will be willing to \"pay to play.\" If there is money to be made from charging for what was previously known as earned media, then there is no incentive for publications to cover any press release or announcement unless it is major (e.g., new iPhone).\r\n\r\nThe pressures on print journalism  have been covered before. We know that people are not buying or subscribing as much to print, and we know that publications are asking fewer reporters to produce more content, more often, and with fewer resources. Most publications have a digital presence, and many struggle with instituting a pay wall for readers to access their content.\r\n\r\nIt may seem trivial for a publication to charge for personnel announcements, but it points to a much larger problem and also to serious consequences for editorial integrity. It\'s not only happening in print. Broadcast also seems to require more revenue than what it is getting from traditional advertising. More people are getting news from websites and social media sites, and fewer are watching the evening news. Over the past several weeks, I\'ve noticed a trend in which national restaurants are getting local news to cover food and drink specials, not only on air, but on social media channels.\r\n\r\nFor a specific example, just last Friday, I noticed that WJLA (the ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C., owned by Sinclair Broadcasting) re-tweeted one of its local reporters, Kevin Lewis, discussing a special on a drink offered at Applebees, the national restaurant chain. Lewis included a link to the \"news\" about this special on the WJLA website, which then linked to a press release directly on Applebees website. At no point did the words \"sponsored\" or \"paid advertising\" show on the tweets or on the press release. If the WJLA news team thinks that sharing drink specials from a restaurant is actual news, they are not familiar with real journalism.\r\n\r\nIn this era where journalism is being called \"fake news\" whenever it digs up inconvenient information for a politician, it is not a good look to get money to run publicity, without even acknowledging that it is paid.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Publications\' need for revenue threatens public relations efforts','','publish','open','open','','publications-need-for-revenue-and-pr','','','2017-12-08 08:41:51','2017-12-08 13:41:51','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3609',0,'post','',1),
(3610,4,'2017-12-06 13:02:42','2017-12-06 18:02:42','','20171010_142654','','inherit','open','open','','20171010_142654','','','2017-12-06 13:02:42','2017-12-06 18:02:42','',3609,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171010_142654.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(3611,4,'2017-12-06 13:03:31','2017-12-06 18:03:31','','20171205_141928','','inherit','open','open','','20171205_141928','','','2017-12-06 13:03:31','2017-12-06 18:03:31','',3609,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171205_141928.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(3612,4,'2017-12-06 13:26:50','2017-12-06 18:26:50','Personnel announcements used to be one of the most reliably and easy forms of publicity for  a company. In the years I worked at PR firms, we always sent out these type of announcements, usually including a headshot.  Eventually, most of them would end up in the business section of the local newspaper, or within specialty newspapers or magazines.\r\n\r\nGetting personnel announcements in print was a good way to keep companies in the public eye, and also served as a morale boost to the new or promoted employee. Even 20 plus years later, I still have the clipping from <em>Adweek</em> showing my appointment to Boston ad firm Houston Effler (now defunct).\r\n\r\nApparently, those days of easy publicity are coming to an end. A few weeks ago I noticed that the <em>Washington Business Journal</em> changed its personnel announcement page (called \"People on the Move\") to show the words \"paid advertising\" at the top. Effectively, the <em>Business Journal</em> had started charging companies in order to publish these announcements. <a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171010_142654.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3610\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171010_142654-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"20171010_142654\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAs someone who has worked in communications for more than 20 years, I am not surprised that this is happening in 2017, but I am disheartened, and pessimistic about the future of media relations.\r\n\r\nIt\'s not surprising simply because print publications are struggling with declining subscriptions and reduced advertising, and they are looking for additional revenue. Charging for personnel announcements seems harmless, and if companies want to highlight their new hires, perhaps they won\'t hesitate to spend a few hundred dollars  (the Business Journal is charging $350 for an \"enhanced\" profile that will appear online and in print).\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171205_141928.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3611\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171205_141928-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"20171205_141928\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\nIt\'s disheartening because it has further blurred the line between advertising and editorial content, and opens the possibility up that companies will be willing to \"pay to play.\" If there is money to be made from charging for what was previously known as earned media, then there is no incentive for publications to cover any press release or announcement unless it is major (e.g., new iPhone).\r\n\r\nThe pressures on print journalism  have been covered before. We know that people are not buying or subscribing as much to print, and we know that publications are asking fewer reporters to produce more content, more often, and with fewer resources. Most publications have a digital presence, and many struggle with instituting a pay wall for readers to access their content.\r\n\r\nIt may seem trivial for a publication to charge for personnel announcements, but it points to a much larger problem and also to serious consequences for editorial integrity. It\'s not only happening in print. Broadcast also seems to require more revenue than what it is getting from traditional advertising. More people are getting news from websites and social media sites, and fewer are watching the evening news. Over the past several weeks, I\'ve noticed a trend in which national restaurants are getting local news to cover food and drink specials, not only on air, but on social media channels.\r\n\r\nFor a specific example, just last Friday, I noticed that WJLA (the ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C., owned by Sinclair Broadcasting) re-tweeted one of its local reporters, Kevin Lewis, discussing a special on a drink offered at Applebees, the national restaurant chain. Lewis included a link to the \"news\" about this special on the WJLA website, which then linked to a press release directly on Applebees website. At no point did the words \"sponsored\" or \"paid advertising\" show on the tweets or on the press release. If the WJLA news team thinks that sharing drink specials from a restaurant is actual news, they are not familiar with real journalism.\r\n\r\nIn this era where journalism is being called \"fake news\" whenever it digs up inconvenient information for a politician, it is not a good look to get money to run publicity, without even acknowledging that it is paid.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Publications\' need for revenue threatens public relations efforts','','inherit','open','open','','3609-revision-v1','','','2017-12-06 13:26:50','2017-12-06 18:26:50','',3609,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/12/3609-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3613,4,'2017-12-08 08:41:51','2017-12-08 13:41:51','Personnel announcements used to be one of the most reliable and easy forms of publicity for  a company. In the years I worked at PR firms, we always sent out these type of announcements, usually including a headshot.  Eventually, most of them would end up in the business section of the local newspaper, or within specialty newspapers or magazines.\r\n\r\nGetting personnel announcements in print was a good way to keep companies in the public eye, and also served as a morale boost to the new or promoted employee. Even 20 plus years later, I still have the clipping from <em>Adweek</em> showing my appointment to Boston ad firm Houston Effler (now defunct).\r\n\r\nApparently, those days of easy publicity are coming to an end. A few weeks ago I noticed that the <em>Washington Business Journal</em> changed its personnel announcement page (called \"People on the Move\") to show the words \"paid advertising\" at the top. Effectively, the <em>Business Journal</em> had started charging companies in order to publish these announcements. <a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171010_142654.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3610\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171010_142654-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"20171010_142654\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAs someone who has worked in communications for more than 20 years, I am not surprised that this is happening in 2017, but I am disheartened, and pessimistic about the future of media relations.\r\n\r\nIt\'s not surprising simply because print publications are struggling with declining subscriptions and reduced advertising, and they are looking for additional revenue. Charging for personnel announcements seems harmless, and if companies want to highlight their new hires, perhaps they won\'t hesitate to spend a few hundred dollars  (the Business Journal is charging $350 for an \"enhanced\" profile that will appear online and in print).\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171205_141928.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3611\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171205_141928-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"20171205_141928\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\nIt\'s disheartening because it has further blurred the line between advertising and editorial content, and opens the possibility up that companies will be willing to \"pay to play.\" If there is money to be made from charging for what was previously known as earned media, then there is no incentive for publications to cover any press release or announcement unless it is major (e.g., new iPhone).\r\n\r\nThe pressures on print journalism  have been covered before. We know that people are not buying or subscribing as much to print, and we know that publications are asking fewer reporters to produce more content, more often, and with fewer resources. Most publications have a digital presence, and many struggle with instituting a pay wall for readers to access their content.\r\n\r\nIt may seem trivial for a publication to charge for personnel announcements, but it points to a much larger problem and also to serious consequences for editorial integrity. It\'s not only happening in print. Broadcast also seems to require more revenue than what it is getting from traditional advertising. More people are getting news from websites and social media sites, and fewer are watching the evening news. Over the past several weeks, I\'ve noticed a trend in which national restaurants are getting local news to cover food and drink specials, not only on air, but on social media channels.\r\n\r\nFor a specific example, just last Friday, I noticed that WJLA (the ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C., owned by Sinclair Broadcasting) re-tweeted one of its local reporters, Kevin Lewis, discussing a special on a drink offered at Applebees, the national restaurant chain. Lewis included a link to the \"news\" about this special on the WJLA website, which then linked to a press release directly on Applebees website. At no point did the words \"sponsored\" or \"paid advertising\" show on the tweets or on the press release. If the WJLA news team thinks that sharing drink specials from a restaurant is actual news, they are not familiar with real journalism.\r\n\r\nIn this era where journalism is being called \"fake news\" whenever it digs up inconvenient information for a politician, it is not a good look to get money to run publicity, without even acknowledging that it is paid.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Publications\' need for revenue threatens public relations efforts','','inherit','open','open','','3609-revision-v1','','','2017-12-08 08:41:51','2017-12-08 13:41:51','',3609,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/12/3609-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3614,4,'2017-12-12 10:54:06','2017-12-12 15:54:06','Last night, at a happy hour for the Washington, D.C. chapter of the ASBPE, I got a chance to meet the managing editor of the <em>Washington Business Journal</em>, Vandana Sinha. I asked her about the change I discussed <a title=\"Publications’ need for revenue threatens public relations efforts\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2017/12/publications-need-for-revenue-and-pr/\">here last week</a>, where the <em>Business Journal</em> is now charging for personnel announcements in their  \"People on the Move\" section.\r\n\r\nSinha told me that companies are actually very happy about the change, because they can now be assured that their announcements will be printed. Companies feel they\'ve gained control over the process.\r\n\r\n<strong>Paid vs. earned</strong>\r\n\r\nThat reaction points to the advantage of advertising over public relations, and it\'s the difference between paid and earned media. If you pay for ad space, you get it. You can place whatever ad or information you choose (within certain limits).\r\n\r\nWhen you rely on media relations efforts to obtain coverage for your organization, you are not assured of success. It will depend on whether what you are trying to get out there is deemed \"newsworthy\" by the editors/journalists at the media outlet you are targeting. If you get coverage, you\'ve \"earned\" it.\r\n\r\nIf we are at a point, due to limited resources and dwindling subscriptions, where reporters and editors are stretched to the point that they no longer can entertain pitches and read press releases, what is the future of media relations? Furthermore, if media outlets are searching for more ways to bring in revenue,  by seeking various sponsorships and now charging for announcements (and in effect making something that was previously earned into paid), where does that leave a media relations practitioner?\r\n\r\nClearly, if you pay for your media (advertising), you are guaranteed not only coverage, but coverage that you like. What is the incentive for organizations to hire anybody to do media relations?\r\n\r\n<strong>Media relations is a tactic</strong>\r\n\r\nFor many years, public relations practice seems to have been more focused on media relations than on strategy and image management. It was easier to do publicity than it was to counsel clients on other ways to improve their public standing.\r\n\r\nIn my opinion, the practice of media relations has to evolve (or even disappear), if it hasn\'t already. No longer can agencies simply churn out press releases, pitch editors, and earn media for their clients. That is become increasingly unproductive and difficult to achieve. Additionally, the way people consume news has changed dramatically. There are few true mass media outlets left, and many more targeted, specialty channels.\r\n\r\n<strong>The media landscape has changed</strong>\r\n\r\nBecause of the new media landscape, public relations, where the practice is about managing perceptions of an organization, has to re-focus its efforts away from media relations.  It\'s important to recognize that media relations is just <em>a tactic</em> to help PR achieve its objectives.\r\n\r\nMany PR agencies are already turning away from media relations. Today\'s PR agencies are doing much more social media, marketing, crisis communications and other practices in order to help organization manage their public presence.\r\n\r\n<strong>Bring back integrated marketing communications!</strong>\r\n\r\nPR is not advertising, but both are essential components of any communications plan. Perhaps the future will bring us <strong>communications agencies</strong>, where PR and advertising are integrated. Yes, I know this is not a new concept, but it\'s one that needs to revisited now that times have changed.\r\n\r\nWhat are your thoughts on media relations practices? Is it something that is still worthwhile? Should PR evolve? Please share your comments.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','If advertising is better, why bother with PR?','','publish','open','open','','if-advertising-is-better-why-bother-with-pr','','\nhttp://deborahbrody.com/2017/12/publications-need-for-revenue-and-pr/','2017-12-12 10:54:06','2017-12-12 15:54:06','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3614',0,'post','',0),
(3615,4,'2017-12-12 10:53:42','2017-12-12 15:53:42','Last night, at a happy hour for the Washington, D.C. chapter of the ASBPE, I got a chance to meet the managing editor of the <em>Washington Business Journal</em>, Vandana Sinha. I asked her about the change I discussed <a title=\"Publications’ need for revenue threatens public relations efforts\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2017/12/publications-need-for-revenue-and-pr/\">here last week</a>, where the <em>Business Journal</em> is now charging for personnel announcements in their  \"People on the Move\" section.\r\n\r\nSinha told me that companies are actually very happy about the change, because they can now be assured that their announcements will be printed. Companies feel they\'ve gained control over the process.\r\n\r\n<strong>Paid vs. earned</strong>\r\n\r\nThat reaction points to the advantage of advertising over public relations, and it\'s the difference between paid and earned media. If you pay for ad space, you get it. You can place whatever ad or information you choose (within certain limits).\r\n\r\nWhen you rely on media relations efforts to obtain coverage for your organization, you are not assured of success. It will depend on whether what you are trying to get out there is deemed \"newsworthy\" by the editors/journalists at the media outlet you are targeting. If you get coverage, you\'ve \"earned\" it.\r\n\r\nIf we are at a point, due to limited resources and dwindling subscriptions, where reporters and editors are stretched to the point that they no longer can entertain pitches and read press releases, what is the future of media relations? Furthermore, if media outlets are searching for more ways to bring in revenue,  by seeking various sponsorships and now charging for announcements (and in effect making something that was previously earned into paid), where does that leave a media relations practitioner?\r\n\r\nClearly, if you pay for your media (advertising), you are guaranteed not only coverage, but coverage that you like. What is the incentive for organizations to hire anybody to do media relations?\r\n\r\n<strong>Media relations is a tactic</strong>\r\n\r\nFor many years, public relations practice seems to have been more focused on media relations than on strategy and image management. It was easier to do publicity than it was to counsel clients on other ways to improve their public standing.\r\n\r\nIn my opinion, the practice of media relations has to evolve (or even disappear), if it hasn\'t already. No longer can agencies simply churn out press releases, pitch editors, and earn media for their clients. That is become increasingly unproductive and difficult to achieve. Additionally, the way people consume news has changed dramatically. There are few true mass media outlets left, and many more targeted, specialty channels.\r\n\r\n<strong>The media landscape has changed</strong>\r\n\r\nBecause of the new media landscape, public relations, where the practice is about managing perceptions of an organization, has to re-focus its efforts away from media relations.  It\'s important to recognize that media relations is just <em>a tactic</em> to help PR achieve its objectives.\r\n\r\nMany PR agencies are already turning away from media relations. Today\'s PR agencies are doing much more social media, marketing, crisis communications and other practices in order to help organization manage their public presence.\r\n\r\n<strong>Bring back integrated marketing communications!</strong>\r\n\r\nPR is not advertising, but both are essential components of any communications plan. Perhaps the future will bring us <strong>communications agencies</strong>, where PR and advertising are integrated. Yes, I know this is not a new concept, but it\'s one that needs to revisited now that times have changed.\r\n\r\nWhat are your thoughts on media relations practices? Is it something that is still worthwhile? Should PR evolve? Please share your comments.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','If advertising is better, why bother with PR?','','inherit','open','open','','3614-revision-v1','','','2017-12-12 10:53:42','2017-12-12 15:53:42','',3614,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/12/3614-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3617,4,'2017-12-19 09:41:55','2017-12-19 14:41:55','I got this postcard last week from a real estate agent who is selling a townhouse near me:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/img046ed.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3619 size-large\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/img046ed-1024x639.jpg\" alt=\"img046ed\" width=\"1024\" height=\"639\" /></a> Seems this lovely townhouse costs more than $51 million.\r\n\r\nYes, it is an error, but that\'s what happens when you don\'t bother to proofread your work. Numbers are especially tricky, and in this case, comma placement (and lack of periods) makes a several <em>million</em> dollar mistake.\r\n\r\nWould you trust a real estate agent who doesn\'t bother to check details on a listing before she prints hundreds of postcards and mails them out? Would you want someone like this reviewing your contract for a home? Putting in an offer in your name?\r\n\r\nDon\'t lose millions and your credibility. Take a few minutes to proofread your work. And if you can\'t, hire someone who can.\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Happy holidays to our Caffeinated Ideas readers! We\'ll be back with more great content in 2018. </span></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','What\'s a comma worth?','','publish','open','open','','whats-a-comma-worth','','','2017-12-19 09:41:55','2017-12-19 14:41:55','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3617',0,'post','',0),
(3619,4,'2017-12-19 09:31:45','2017-12-19 14:31:45','','img046ed','','inherit','open','open','','img046ed','','','2017-12-19 09:31:45','2017-12-19 14:31:45','',3617,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/img046ed.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(3620,4,'2017-12-19 09:39:12','2017-12-19 14:39:12','I got this postcard last week from a real estate agent who is selling a townhouse near me:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/img046ed.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3619 size-large\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/img046ed-1024x639.jpg\" alt=\"img046ed\" width=\"1024\" height=\"639\" /></a> Seems this lovely townhouse costs more than $51 million.\r\n\r\nYes, it is an error, but that\'s what happens when you don\'t bother to proofread your work. Numbers are especially tricky, and in this case, comma placement (and lack of periods) makes a several million dollar mistake.\r\n\r\nWould you trust a real estate agent who doesn\'t bother to check details on a listing before she prints 100s of postcards and mails them out? Would you want someone like this reviewing your contract for a home? Putting an offer in your name?\r\n\r\nDon\'t lose millions and your credibility. Take a few minutes to proofread your work. And if you can\'t, hire someone who can.\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Happy holidays to our Caffeinated Ideas readers! We\'ll be back with more great content in 2018. </span></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','What\'s a comma worth?','','inherit','open','open','','3617-revision-v1','','','2017-12-19 09:39:12','2017-12-19 14:39:12','',3617,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/12/3617-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3621,4,'2017-12-19 09:41:55','2017-12-19 14:41:55','I got this postcard last week from a real estate agent who is selling a townhouse near me:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/img046ed.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3619 size-large\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/img046ed-1024x639.jpg\" alt=\"img046ed\" width=\"1024\" height=\"639\" /></a> Seems this lovely townhouse costs more than $51 million.\r\n\r\nYes, it is an error, but that\'s what happens when you don\'t bother to proofread your work. Numbers are especially tricky, and in this case, comma placement (and lack of periods) makes a several <em>million</em> dollar mistake.\r\n\r\nWould you trust a real estate agent who doesn\'t bother to check details on a listing before she prints hundreds of postcards and mails them out? Would you want someone like this reviewing your contract for a home? Putting in an offer in your name?\r\n\r\nDon\'t lose millions and your credibility. Take a few minutes to proofread your work. And if you can\'t, hire someone who can.\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Happy holidays to our Caffeinated Ideas readers! We\'ll be back with more great content in 2018. </span></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','What\'s a comma worth?','','inherit','open','open','','3617-revision-v1','','','2017-12-19 09:41:55','2017-12-19 14:41:55','',3617,'http://deborahbrody.com/2017/12/3617-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3624,4,'2018-01-04 14:09:56','2018-01-04 19:09:56','We are only four days into the new year, and there is plenty of time ahead to re-calibrate or re-focus your marketing efforts to achieve maximum success in 2018. You can also use this time and planning to create a completely new marketing strategy. To help you make the most of this opportunity, I am offering you four steps to get you on the right track.\r\n\r\n<strong>Step 1: REVIEW</strong>\r\n\r\nLook back at your marketing efforts in 2017. What did you do? Social media marketing? Content marketing?  List all your marketing activities, such as newsletters, blog posts, video, social media promotions, advertising, etc. Be sure to include specifics, such as what vendors and technology you used (e.g., Constant Contact or MailChimp, Hootsuite or Tweetdeck, etc.) You may also want to incorporate how much these activities cost you, for example, how much you spent on subscription-based services, video production, content production, and so forth.\r\n\r\n<strong>Step 2: BENCHMARK</strong>\r\n\r\nHow do you know how far you\'ve come if you don\'t know where you started? Benchmarking at specific intervals or times of the year is a great way to measure your progress (or lack thereof).  To do this, create a simple table in Excel or in Word. The first column will list the indicators you want to track.  Input the numbers for the indicators you are tracking under a second column headed with the date you collected the information. Add another column for the next date you will revisit these numbers. You could do this on a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis, depending on your business plan.\r\n\r\nTo figure out what to benchmark, think about the different components of your marketing plan you reviewed in the first step: content marketing, digital/social media marketing, print, etc. What are some key performance indicators (KPIs) within those components?\r\n\r\nSome possible indicators are:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Revenue</li>\r\n	<li>Social media likes/followers (broken down by channel)</li>\r\n	<li>Newsletter subscribers/open rates</li>\r\n	<li>Website conversion rate</li>\r\n	<li>Number of visitors to the website</li>\r\n	<li>Number of customers/clients served</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>Step 3:  ANALYZE AND ASSESS</strong>\r\n\r\nLooking back at your efforts in 2017, where did you spend the most time and effort? What worked the best? What worked the least? Where was the biggest return on investment (ROI)? What vendors were worth it? Did you have trouble using certain technology? Is there a better way to do what you have been doing?  In terms of social media/digital strategy, what tactics earned the most attention/engagement?\r\n\r\nYour aim here is to recognize patterns, successes, and failures.\r\n\r\n<strong>Step 4: CREATE YOUR 2018 ROADMAP\r\n</strong>\r\n\r\nNow that you know what you did and whether it worked or not, you can decide what to continue and what to eliminate. Perhaps you want to add more budget/time to your email marketing. Perhaps you want to scale back your efforts on social media channels.  Looking at your benchmarks, what numbers do you want to change? How will you get there? Perhaps you want to increase your website conversion rate. What activities will achieve the results you want?  Are there areas you want to explore? Perhaps you\'ve heard that voice search will be big in 2018 (it will). What do you need to do to make your SEO responsive to these new challenges?\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI\'d love to hear what you are planning for 2018 and where you will be spending your marketing dollars. Please share in the comments or email me. I may include your responses in a future blog post.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Happy New Year and good luck with your 2018 planning!</strong></span>','4-step plan to achieve marketing success in 2018','','publish','open','open','','4-step-plan-to-achieve-marketing-success-in-2018','','','2018-01-04 14:09:56','2018-01-04 19:09:56','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3624',0,'post','',0),
(3625,4,'2018-01-04 11:35:40','2018-01-04 16:35:40','We are only four days into the new year, and now is a good time to re-calibrate or re-focus your marketing efforts to achieve maximum success in 2018. To make the most of this opportunity, I am offering you four steps to get you on the right track.\r\n\r\n<strong>Step 1: BENCHMARK</strong>\r\n\r\nHow do you know how far you\'ve come if you don\'t know where you started? Benchmarking at specific intervals or times of the year is a great way to measure your progress (or lack thereof).  To do this, create a simple table in Excel or in Word. One column should be the indicators you want to track. Some possible indicators are:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Revenue</li>\r\n	<li>Social media likes/followers (broken down by channel)</li>\r\n	<li>Newsletter subscribers/open rates</li>\r\n	<li>Website bounce rate</li>\r\n	<li>Website conversion rate</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nInput the numbers for the indicators you are tracking under a column with today\'s date. Add another column for the next date you will revisit these numbers. You could do this on a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis, depending on your business plan.\r\n\r\n<strong>Step 2: REVIEW</strong>\r\n\r\nLook back at your marketing efforts in 2017. What did you do? List all your marketing activities, such as newsletters, blog posts, social media promotions, etc. Be sure to include specifics, such as what vendors and technology you used (e.g., Constant Contact or MailChimp, Hootsuite or Tweetdeck, etc.) You may also want to incorporate how much these activities cost you, especially with subscription based services.\r\n\r\n<strong>Step 3:  ANALYZE AND ASSESS</strong>\r\n\r\nLooking back at your efforts in 2017, what worked the best? What worked the least? Where was the biggest return on investment (ROI)? What vendors were worth it?\r\n\r\n<strong>Step 4: SET 2018 GOALS</strong>\r\n\r\nNow that you know what you did and whether it worked or not, you can decide what to continue and what to eliminate. Perhaps you want to add more budget/time to your email marketing. Perhaps you want to scale back your efforts on social media channels.  List  your g','4-step plan to achieve marketing success in 2018','','inherit','open','open','','3624-revision-v1','','','2018-01-04 11:35:40','2018-01-04 16:35:40','',3624,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/01/3624-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3626,4,'2018-01-04 14:06:48','2018-01-04 19:06:48','We are only four days into the new year, and there is plenty of time ahead to re-calibrate or re-focus your marketing efforts to achieve maximum success in 2018. You can also use this time and planning to create a completely new marketing strategy. To help you make the most of this opportunity, I am offering you four steps to get you on the right track.\r\n\r\n<strong>Step 1: REVIEW</strong>\r\n\r\nLook back at your marketing efforts in 2017. What did you do? Social media marketing? Content marketing?  List all your marketing activities, such as newsletters, blog posts, video, social media promotions, advertising, etc. Be sure to include specifics, such as what vendors and technology you used (e.g., Constant Contact or MailChimp, Hootsuite or Tweetdeck, etc.) You may also want to incorporate how much these activities cost you, for example, how much you spent on subscription-based services, video production, content production, and so forth.\r\n\r\n<strong>Step 2: BENCHMARK</strong>\r\n\r\nHow do you know how far you\'ve come if you don\'t know where you started? Benchmarking at specific intervals or times of the year is a great way to measure your progress (or lack thereof).  To do this, create a simple table in Excel or in Word. The first column will list the indicators you want to track.  Input the numbers for the indicators you are tracking under a second column headed with the date you collected the information. Add another column for the next date you will revisit these numbers. You could do this on a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis, depending on your business plan.\r\n\r\nTo figure out what to benchmark, think about the different components of your marketing plan you reviewed in the first step: content marketing, digital/social media marketing, print, etc. What are some key performance indicators (KPIs) within those components?\r\n\r\nSome possible indicators are:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Revenue</li>\r\n	<li>Social media likes/followers (broken down by channel)</li>\r\n	<li>Newsletter subscribers/open rates</li>\r\n	<li>Website conversion rate</li>\r\n	<li>Number of visitors to the website</li>\r\n	<li>Number of customers/clients served</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>Step 3:  ANALYZE AND ASSESS</strong>\r\n\r\nLooking back at your efforts in 2017, where did you spend the most time and effort? What worked the best? What worked the least? Where was the biggest return on investment (ROI)? What vendors were worth it? Did you have trouble using certain technology? Is there a better way to do what you have been doing?  In terms of social media/digital strategy, what tactics earned the most attention/engagement?\r\n\r\nYour aim here is to recognize patterns, successes, and failures.\r\n\r\n<strong>Step 4: CREATE YOUR 2018 ROADMAP\r\n</strong>\r\n\r\nNow that you know what you did and whether it worked or not, you can decide what to continue and what to eliminate. Perhaps you want to add more budget/time to your email marketing. Perhaps you want to scale back your efforts on social media channels.  Looking at your benchmarks, what numbers do you want to change? How will you get there? Perhaps you want to increase your website conversion rate. What activities will achieve the results you want?  Are there areas you want to explore? Perhaps you\'ve heard that voice search will be big in 2018 (it will). What do you need to do to make your SEO responsive to these new challenges?\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI\'d love to hear what you are planning for 2018 and where you will be spending your marketing dollars. Please share in the comments or email me. I may include your responses in a future blog post.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Happy New Year and good luck with your 2018 planning!</strong></span>','4-step plan to achieve marketing success in 2018','','inherit','open','open','','3624-revision-v1','','','2018-01-04 14:06:48','2018-01-04 19:06:48','',3624,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/01/3624-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3628,4,'2018-01-11 14:23:47','2018-01-11 19:23:47','Today, I got an email about a six-week communications leadership seminar. It sounds interesting, except it takes place in Chicago and I live near Washington, D.C. The target audience for this seminar is business professionals who live in the greater Chicago are yet this email was probably sent to the whole list.\r\n\r\nEmail marketing is great because it is relatively inexpensive, and because it is highly customizable. Say you are a retailer with stores across the country. You could send emails to your customers in specific locations announcing the opening of a new store or a change in hours, or perhaps a change in location.\r\n\r\n<strong>In other words, with email marketing you can send targeted email messages that are relevant to their recipients at a relatively low cost.</strong>\r\n\r\nYet the email I received about the Chicago seminar is not relevant. It is just clutter in my inbox. Why did I get this email? I\'d venture to say it is because the list owner did not either a) segment the list, or b) gather enough information from the recipients to allow for segmentation, or c) both.\r\n\r\nMost email marketing programs allow for list segmentation. If you are marketing to a diverse audience, you will have to gather some relevant information to be able to segment your list or to be able to personalize it. If you don\'t gather information that will allow segmentation and/or you have an email provider that doesn\'t allow for segmentation, you need to make some changes ASAP. That is, unless you are trying to get your email deleted or generate a few unsubscribes.','You do know you can segment your mailing list, right?','','publish','open','open','','you-do-know-you-can-segment-your-mailing-list-right','','','2018-01-11 14:23:47','2018-01-11 19:23:47','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3628',0,'post','',0),
(3629,4,'2018-01-11 14:23:47','2018-01-11 19:23:47','Today, I got an email about a six-week communications leadership seminar. It sounds interesting, except it takes place in Chicago and I live near Washington, D.C. The target audience for this seminar is business professionals who live in the greater Chicago are yet this email was probably sent to the whole list.\r\n\r\nEmail marketing is great because it is relatively inexpensive, and because it is highly customizable. Say you are a retailer with stores across the country. You could send emails to your customers in specific locations announcing the opening of a new store or a change in hours, or perhaps a change in location.\r\n\r\n<strong>In other words, with email marketing you can send targeted email messages that are relevant to their recipients at a relatively low cost.</strong>\r\n\r\nYet the email I received about the Chicago seminar is not relevant. It is just clutter in my inbox. Why did I get this email? I\'d venture to say it is because the list owner did not either a) segment the list, or b) gather enough information from the recipients to allow for segmentation, or c) both.\r\n\r\nMost email marketing programs allow for list segmentation. If you are marketing to a diverse audience, you will have to gather some relevant information to be able to segment your list or to be able to personalize it. If you don\'t gather information that will allow segmentation and/or you have an email provider that doesn\'t allow for segmentation, you need to make some changes ASAP. That is, unless you are trying to get your email deleted or generate a few unsubscribes.','You do know you can segment your mailing list, right?','','inherit','open','open','','3628-revision-v1','','','2018-01-11 14:23:47','2018-01-11 19:23:47','',3628,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/01/3628-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3631,4,'2018-01-24 13:32:02','2018-01-24 18:32:02','<strong>This is not the Spam that comes in a can</strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">On the telephone</span>\r\n\r\nHave you received multiple calls on your landline and/or cell phone that are in the same area code and start with the same three digits as your phone number? Chances are high that you have. Spammers are hoping that you will think that this a local number and therefore will answer. However, when they keep using this technique over and over and over again, and when caller ID shows you names of people you don\'t know, you learn pretty quickly that this is a spam call and you don\'t answer.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">On email </span>\r\n\r\nIf you are a website owner, have you received emails telling you that you have problems on your website and that the emailer can fix these \"fatal\" errors so that your website can function? After the second or third one, chances are good you figured out that this is a scam and you deleted the email and/or added it to your junk list and/or reported it.\r\n\r\nor\r\n\r\nHave you gotten an email like this one I have already received twice (word for word) from \"Tina Richardson:\"\r\n<blockquote>Hello Deborah,\r\n\r\nI just came across the Mad Mimi piece, \"<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/922a47%3cbr%20/%3ehttps:/madmimi.com/s/913837%3cbr%20/%3ehttps:/madmimi.com/s/15fdf6\">Dyscalculia and MLD Newsletter</a>.\" Nice job! As a heads up, your site is not WC3 accessible for people with physical disabilities related to dyscalculia. I get it: your website can\'t be accessibility compliant without sacrificing design, interactivity and general user experience for visitors without disabilities (paying 50% more for designers and coders might help, but would still fall short).</blockquote>\r\nThe very red flag here is that there is no \"Mad Mimi\" piece that I wrote about dyscalculia.\r\n\r\nThese are real examples. I get these calls and emails, several times a day. Apparently, the idea here is that I am going to believe that the call is from someone I know, or that my website has a ton of problems, or even that I wrote something that I didn\'t. In short, all these \"marketing\" pieces depend on my naivete or stupidity or lack of common sense. They are designed so that a trusting or uninformed person falls for them.\r\n\r\n<strong>What differentiates spam marketing from real marketing</strong>\r\n\r\nHow you view your target audience determines what kind of marketer you are. If you view your audience as naive, easily swayed or just plain stupid, chances are you are a spammer/scammer. If, on the other hand, you view your audience as knowledge-seeking and perhaps even sophisticated, chances you are a real marketer (and therefore probably more successful).\r\n\r\nReal marketing seeks to give potential customers fact-based information on which to base a buying decision. Spam/scam marketing often uses fear-mongering or the assumption that the target does not have enough information.\r\n\r\nIf you want to be taken seriously, do not view your target audience as stupid, gullible, uniformed, unsophisticated. Instead, view your target as smart and then your marketing will also be smart and successful.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How do you view your target audience?','','publish','open','open','','how-do-you-view-your-target-audience','','','2018-01-24 13:32:02','2018-01-24 18:32:02','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3631',0,'post','',0),
(3632,4,'2018-01-23 13:05:54','2018-01-23 18:05:54','How you view your target audience determines what kind of marketer you are. If you view your audience as naive, easily swayed or just plain stupid, chances are you are a spammer. If, on the other hand, you view your audience as knowledge-seeking and perhaps even sophisticated, chances you are a genuine marketer (and therefore probably more successful).','How do you view your target audience?','','inherit','open','open','','3631-revision-v1','','','2018-01-23 13:05:54','2018-01-23 18:05:54','',3631,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/01/3631-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3633,4,'2018-01-24 13:32:02','2018-01-24 18:32:02','<strong>This is not the Spam that comes in a can</strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">On the telephone</span>\r\n\r\nHave you received multiple calls on your landline and/or cell phone that are in the same area code and start with the same three digits as your phone number? Chances are high that you have. Spammers are hoping that you will think that this a local number and therefore will answer. However, when they keep using this technique over and over and over again, and when caller ID shows you names of people you don\'t know, you learn pretty quickly that this is a spam call and you don\'t answer.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">On email </span>\r\n\r\nIf you are a website owner, have you received emails telling you that you have problems on your website and that the emailer can fix these \"fatal\" errors so that your website can function? After the second or third one, chances are good you figured out that this is a scam and you deleted the email and/or added it to your junk list and/or reported it.\r\n\r\nor\r\n\r\nHave you gotten an email like this one I have already received twice (word for word) from \"Tina Richardson:\"\r\n<blockquote>Hello Deborah,\r\n\r\nI just came across the Mad Mimi piece, \"<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/922a47%3cbr%20/%3ehttps:/madmimi.com/s/913837%3cbr%20/%3ehttps:/madmimi.com/s/15fdf6\">Dyscalculia and MLD Newsletter</a>.\" Nice job! As a heads up, your site is not WC3 accessible for people with physical disabilities related to dyscalculia. I get it: your website can\'t be accessibility compliant without sacrificing design, interactivity and general user experience for visitors without disabilities (paying 50% more for designers and coders might help, but would still fall short).</blockquote>\r\nThe very red flag here is that there is no \"Mad Mimi\" piece that I wrote about dyscalculia.\r\n\r\nThese are real examples. I get these calls and emails, several times a day. Apparently, the idea here is that I am going to believe that the call is from someone I know, or that my website has a ton of problems, or even that I wrote something that I didn\'t. In short, all these \"marketing\" pieces depend on my naivete or stupidity or lack of common sense. They are designed so that a trusting or uninformed person falls for them.\r\n\r\n<strong>What differentiates spam marketing from real marketing</strong>\r\n\r\nHow you view your target audience determines what kind of marketer you are. If you view your audience as naive, easily swayed or just plain stupid, chances are you are a spammer/scammer. If, on the other hand, you view your audience as knowledge-seeking and perhaps even sophisticated, chances you are a real marketer (and therefore probably more successful).\r\n\r\nReal marketing seeks to give potential customers fact-based information on which to base a buying decision. Spam/scam marketing often uses fear-mongering or the assumption that the target does not have enough information.\r\n\r\nIf you want to be taken seriously, do not view your target audience as stupid, gullible, uniformed, unsophisticated. Instead, view your target as smart and then your marketing will also be smart and successful.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How do you view your target audience?','','inherit','open','open','','3631-revision-v1','','','2018-01-24 13:32:02','2018-01-24 18:32:02','',3631,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/01/3631-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3635,4,'2018-02-02 12:08:54','2018-02-02 17:08:54','I just came back from a mini-vacation to visit family in New York City. It was lots of fun--there was lots of walking, and lots of eating. But great time aside, I noticed that different vendors/organizations set expectations differently. Setting customer expectations early and clearly helps ensure your customers have a good experience with your organization.\r\n\r\n<strong>Either put those jackets back on or tie them around your waist</strong>\r\n\r\nMy cousin and I visited the Jewish Museum in New York. It was warm in the building and once we got to the floor for the special exhibit we were there to see, we had removed our winter coats and had them draped over our arms. Within seconds, a guard was telling us we had to put the coats on or tie them around our waist. It was too late to go back down to the coat check so we both put the coats around our shoulders. But we were uncomfortably warm. The woman at the admissions desk could have told us to check our coats. She could\'ve given us a map of the museum or some (any) information. She did nothing but take our money and give us tickets. She, and the museum itself, did not set expectations properly.  (P.S.:  Directly after the Jewish Museum, I went to the Met. The guards there do not care if you carry your coat.)\r\n\r\n<strong>Wagamama knows how to do it</strong>\r\n\r\nWagamama is a British chain of Asian-style food. They\'ve only recently expanded to the United States with a couple restaurants in New York City. Most Americans are probably not familiar with the chain, and the first question my server asked was whether I had dined at Wagamama before (I have). Since Wagamama has a quirky way of serving—they mark your order on your placemat and then bring out food as it\'s ready—the waiter wanted to set my expectations. Like I said I have dined there, but I appreciated the reminder (it\'d been a long time).\r\n\r\n<strong>Vamoose is confuse(d)—and uneven</strong>\r\n\r\nI\'ve taken Vamoose before, and I thought I knew how they operate.  For example, I know that when you get to the designated pick up stop, there will be a line to get on the bus. Obviously, the closer to the front of the line you are, the more likely you will be able to sit where you prefer. On the trip from DC to New York, the bus attendants gave out water and newspapers. But after getting on the bus, there was not a word from anybody. Nobody told us about WiFi, lights, bathrooms/rest stops, how long the trip was expected to take, nothing. The driver did not utter a word until about two and half hours into the ride, and that was <em>after</em> he stopped at a rest stop and then all he told us was that we had fifteen minutes to use the facilities.\r\n\r\nOn the return trip, when I got to the stop in New York, I wanted to make sure there would be water, and I asked the attendant if they would give it out. He didn\'t know. Based on my experience and expectation, they would hand out water, but I decided not to take any chances and went to buy some. Good thing I did because there was no water to be had from Vamoose. In other words, they did not meet an expectation, nor did they set it appropriately.\r\n\r\nOnce I got on the bus, one of the attendants gave a detailed announcement about the WiFi, travel time, bathroom availability, and also, telling people to keep conversations short and phones on mute. That was a plus and something that had not been done on the trip there. It was a good thing the attendant gave that information, because for the rest of the trip, there was not one word from the driver. He did not stop at all. He did not even announce that we had arrived at the first stop in the DC area, or how long the bus would be there to offload passengers.\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNone of these experiences changes my opinion on the  organization/business. I would still attend the Jewish Museum in the future,  still eat at Wagamama, and still ride the Vamoose to New York. I chose these organizations for specific reasons—interest in the exhibit (museum), type of food and ambiance (Wagamama), and convenience and price (Vamoose).\r\n\r\nEven though you choose to do business with companies and organizations in spite of any shortcomings,  those that are able to set, manage, and most importantly, meet customer expectations will provide a more enjoyable customer experience.','Setting customer expectations ','','publish','open','open','','setting-customer-expectations','','','2018-02-02 12:08:54','2018-02-02 17:08:54','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3635',0,'post','',0),
(3636,4,'2018-02-02 10:06:56','2018-02-02 15:06:56','I just came back from a mini-vacation to visit family in New York City. It was lots of fun, lots of walking, and lots of eating. But great time aside, I noticed that different vendors/organizations set expectations differently.\r\n\r\nWagamama knows how to do it.\r\n\r\nWagamama is a British chain of Asian-style food. They\'ve only recently expanded to the United States with a couple restaurants in New York City. Most Americans are probably not familiar with the chain, and the first question my server asked was whether I had dined at Wagamama before. Since Wagamama has a quirky was of serving-they mark your order on your placemat and then bring out food as its ready--the waiter wanted to set my expectations. I have dined there, but I appreciated the reminder.\r\n\r\nVamoose is confuse(d) --and uneven\r\n\r\nI\'ve taken Vamoose before, and I know how they operate....but only because I\'ve gone to New York with them before. When you get to the designated pick up stop, there will be a line to get on the bus. Obviously, the closer to the front of the line you are, the more likely you will be able to sit where you prefer. On the trip from DC to NYC, the bus attendants gave out water and newspapers. But after getting on the bus, there was not a word from anybody. Nobody told us about WiFi, lights, how long the trip was expected to take, whether there would be any stops, nothing. The driver did not utter a word until about two and half hours into the ride, and that was after he stopped at a rest stop. He told us we had fifteen minutes.\r\n\r\nOn the return trip, I got to the stop and there was a line snaking down the block. I asked the attendant if they would give out water. He didn\'t know. I decided to take no chances and went to buy some. Once I got on the bus, which was full, one of the attendants gave a detailed announcement about the WiFi, travel time, and also, telling people to keep conversations short and phones on mute.','Setting customer expectations ','','inherit','open','open','','3635-revision-v1','','','2018-02-02 10:06:56','2018-02-02 15:06:56','',3635,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/3635-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3637,4,'2018-02-02 11:16:47','2018-02-02 16:16:47','I just came back from a mini-vacation to visit family in New York City. It was lots of fun, lots of walking, and lots of eating. But great time aside, I noticed that different vendors/organizations set expectations differently. Setting customer expectations early and clearly helps ensure they have a good experience with your organization.\r\n\r\nEither put those jackets back on or tie them around your waist\r\n\r\nMy cousin and I visited the Jewish Museum in New York. Once we got to the floor for the e\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWagamama knows how to do it.\r\n\r\nWagamama is a British chain of Asian-style food. They\'ve only recently expanded to the United States with a couple restaurants in New York City. Most Americans are probably not familiar with the chain, and the first question my server asked was whether I had dined at Wagamama before. Since Wagamama has a quirky was of serving-they mark your order on your placemat and then bring out food as its ready--the waiter wanted to set my expectations. I have dined there, but I appreciated the reminder.\r\n\r\nVamoose is confuse(d) --and uneven\r\n\r\nI\'ve taken Vamoose before, and I know how they operate....but only because I\'ve gone to New York with them before. When you get to the designated pick up stop, there will be a line to get on the bus. Obviously, the closer to the front of the line you are, the more likely you will be able to sit where you prefer. On the trip from DC to NYC, the bus attendants gave out water and newspapers. But after getting on the bus, there was not a word from anybody. Nobody told us about WiFi, lights, how long the trip was expected to take, whether there would be any stops, nothing. The driver did not utter a word until about two and half hours into the ride, and that was after he stopped at a rest stop. He told us we had fifteen minutes.\r\n\r\nOn the return trip, I got to the stop and there was a line snaking down the block. I asked the attendant if they would give out water. He didn\'t know. I decided to take no chances and went to buy some. Once I got on the bus, which was full, one of the attendants gave a detailed announcement about the WiFi, travel time, and also, telling people to keep conversations short and phones on mute.','Setting customer expectations ','','inherit','open','open','','3635-revision-v1','','','2018-02-02 11:16:47','2018-02-02 16:16:47','',3635,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/3635-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3638,4,'2018-02-02 12:03:40','2018-02-02 17:03:40','I just came back from a mini-vacation to visit family in New York City. It was lots of fun--there was lots of walking, and lots of eating. But great time aside, I noticed that different vendors/organizations set expectations differently. Setting customer expectations early and clearly helps ensure your customers have a good experience with your organization.\r\n\r\n<strong>Either put those jackets back on or tie them around your waist</strong>\r\n\r\nMy cousin and I visited the Jewish Museum in New York. It was warm in the building and once we got to the floor for the special exhibit we were there to see, we had removed our winter coats and had them draped over our arms. Within seconds, a guard was telling us we had to put the coats on or tie them around our waist. It was too late to go back down to the coat check so we both put the coats around our shoulders. But we were uncomfortably warm. The woman at the admissions desk could have told us to check our coats. She could\'ve given us a map of the museum or some (any) information. She did nothing but take our money and give us tickets. Her one instruction was to be sure to put the sticker on our clothes. She, and the museum itself, did not set expectations properly.  (P.S.:  Directly after the Jewish Museum, I went to the Met. The guards there do not care if you carry your coat.)\r\n\r\n<strong>Wagamama knows how to do it</strong>\r\n\r\nWagamama is a British chain of Asian-style food. They\'ve only recently expanded to the United States with a couple restaurants in New York City. Most Americans are probably not familiar with the chain, and the first question my server asked was whether I had dined at Wagamama before (I have). Since Wagamama has a quirky was of serving—they mark your order on your placemat and then bring out food as it\'s ready—the waiter wanted to set my expectations. Like I said I have dined there, but I appreciated the reminder (it\'d been a long time).\r\n\r\n<strong>Vamoose is confuse(d)—and uneven</strong>\r\n\r\nI\'ve taken Vamoose before, and I thought I knew how they operate.  For example, I know that when you get to the designated pick up stop, there will be a line to get on the bus. Obviously, the closer to the front of the line you are, the more likely you will be able to sit where you prefer. On the trip from DC to New York, the bus attendants gave out water and newspapers. But after getting on the bus, there was not a word from anybody. Nobody told us about WiFi, lights, bathrooms/rest stops, how long the trip was expected to take, nothing. The driver did not utter a word until about two and half hours into the ride, and that was <em>after</em> he stopped at a rest stop and then all he told us was that we had fifteen minutes to use the facilities.\r\n\r\nOn the return trip, when I got to the stop in New York, I wanted to make sure there would be water, and I asked the attendant if they would give it out. He didn\'t know. Based on my experience and expectation, they would hand out water, but I decided not to take any chances and went to buy some. Good thing I did because there was no water to be had from Vamoose. In other words, they did not meet an expectation, nor did they set it appropriately.\r\n\r\nOnce I got on the bus, one of the attendants gave a detailed announcement about the WiFi, travel time, and also, telling people to keep conversations short and phones on mute. That was a plus and something that had not been done on the trip there. It was a good thing the attendant gave that information, because for the rest of the trip, there was not one word from the driver. Not one stop, nothing. He did not even announce that we had arrived at Bethesda  or how long the bus would be at that first stop in the DC area.\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNone of these experiences changes my opinion on the  organization/business. I would still attend the Jewish Museum in the future,  still eat at Wagamama, and still ride the Vamoose to New York. I chose these organizations for specific reasons—interest in the exhibit (museum), type of food and ambiance (Wagamama), and convenience and price (Vamoose).\r\n\r\nEven though you choose to do business with companies and organizations in spite of any shortcomings,  those that are able to set, manage, and most importantly, meet customer expectations will provide a more enjoyable customer experience.','Setting customer expectations ','','inherit','open','open','','3635-revision-v1','','','2018-02-02 12:03:40','2018-02-02 17:03:40','',3635,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/3635-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3639,4,'2018-02-02 12:08:54','2018-02-02 17:08:54','I just came back from a mini-vacation to visit family in New York City. It was lots of fun--there was lots of walking, and lots of eating. But great time aside, I noticed that different vendors/organizations set expectations differently. Setting customer expectations early and clearly helps ensure your customers have a good experience with your organization.\r\n\r\n<strong>Either put those jackets back on or tie them around your waist</strong>\r\n\r\nMy cousin and I visited the Jewish Museum in New York. It was warm in the building and once we got to the floor for the special exhibit we were there to see, we had removed our winter coats and had them draped over our arms. Within seconds, a guard was telling us we had to put the coats on or tie them around our waist. It was too late to go back down to the coat check so we both put the coats around our shoulders. But we were uncomfortably warm. The woman at the admissions desk could have told us to check our coats. She could\'ve given us a map of the museum or some (any) information. She did nothing but take our money and give us tickets. She, and the museum itself, did not set expectations properly.  (P.S.:  Directly after the Jewish Museum, I went to the Met. The guards there do not care if you carry your coat.)\r\n\r\n<strong>Wagamama knows how to do it</strong>\r\n\r\nWagamama is a British chain of Asian-style food. They\'ve only recently expanded to the United States with a couple restaurants in New York City. Most Americans are probably not familiar with the chain, and the first question my server asked was whether I had dined at Wagamama before (I have). Since Wagamama has a quirky way of serving—they mark your order on your placemat and then bring out food as it\'s ready—the waiter wanted to set my expectations. Like I said I have dined there, but I appreciated the reminder (it\'d been a long time).\r\n\r\n<strong>Vamoose is confuse(d)—and uneven</strong>\r\n\r\nI\'ve taken Vamoose before, and I thought I knew how they operate.  For example, I know that when you get to the designated pick up stop, there will be a line to get on the bus. Obviously, the closer to the front of the line you are, the more likely you will be able to sit where you prefer. On the trip from DC to New York, the bus attendants gave out water and newspapers. But after getting on the bus, there was not a word from anybody. Nobody told us about WiFi, lights, bathrooms/rest stops, how long the trip was expected to take, nothing. The driver did not utter a word until about two and half hours into the ride, and that was <em>after</em> he stopped at a rest stop and then all he told us was that we had fifteen minutes to use the facilities.\r\n\r\nOn the return trip, when I got to the stop in New York, I wanted to make sure there would be water, and I asked the attendant if they would give it out. He didn\'t know. Based on my experience and expectation, they would hand out water, but I decided not to take any chances and went to buy some. Good thing I did because there was no water to be had from Vamoose. In other words, they did not meet an expectation, nor did they set it appropriately.\r\n\r\nOnce I got on the bus, one of the attendants gave a detailed announcement about the WiFi, travel time, bathroom availability, and also, telling people to keep conversations short and phones on mute. That was a plus and something that had not been done on the trip there. It was a good thing the attendant gave that information, because for the rest of the trip, there was not one word from the driver. He did not stop at all. He did not even announce that we had arrived at the first stop in the DC area, or how long the bus would be there to offload passengers.\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNone of these experiences changes my opinion on the  organization/business. I would still attend the Jewish Museum in the future,  still eat at Wagamama, and still ride the Vamoose to New York. I chose these organizations for specific reasons—interest in the exhibit (museum), type of food and ambiance (Wagamama), and convenience and price (Vamoose).\r\n\r\nEven though you choose to do business with companies and organizations in spite of any shortcomings,  those that are able to set, manage, and most importantly, meet customer expectations will provide a more enjoyable customer experience.','Setting customer expectations ','','inherit','open','open','','3635-revision-v1','','','2018-02-02 12:08:54','2018-02-02 17:08:54','',3635,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/3635-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3641,4,'2018-02-08 11:13:42','2018-02-08 16:13:42','But I don\'t ever buy Doritos. I also never drink Mountain Dew. I certainly do not drink Bud Light. Or Michelob Ultra. I don\'t use Tide. And I am not about to go get life insurance from Mass Mutual.\r\n\r\nIf you prefer real beer to Bud Light, no amount of clever/funny/slick ads will change your mind. If you, like me, avoid sugary sodas, having Morgan Freeman appear in an ad drinking one, is not going to make you run out and buy a case.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>They are memorable</strong></em>\r\n\r\nAs a marketing communications person, I\'ve been closely watching Super Bowl ads for the past 20 years. When I worked at an ad agency in Boston in the 1990s, we had time set aside to view the Super Bowl ad reels, and discuss. If you study Super Bowl ads, you can see that many are memorable, and are often discussed for years after they aired. Here, check out this<a href=\"http://admeter.usatoday.com/2015/01/13/all-time-greatest-super-bowl-commercials/\" target=\"_blank\"> list</a> of the top spots from the last 30 years and see how many you remember.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>They cost a lot</strong></em>\r\n\r\nSuper Bowl ads are very expensive: expensive to produce (how much do you think Morgan Freeman got paid to swill the Dew?) and expensive to place. They are very high profile, and are seen by millions of people. Most of these ads are what the industry calls \"image ads.\" That is, these ads promote a brand\'s image more so than making a sale. They raise \"brand awareness.\" And yet, any advertiser that has the budget necessary to run ads on the Super Bowl already has brand awareness. So why bother?\r\n\r\n<em><strong>But do they have a good ROI?</strong></em>\r\n\r\nTo use an industry term, what exactly is the ROI (return on investment) on a Super Bowl ad? What do you think? Do you think the high investment provides the returns to justify doing so?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','I really liked that Super Bowl ad for Doritos','','publish','open','open','','i-really-liked-that-super-bowl-ad-for-doritos','','','2018-02-08 11:13:42','2018-02-08 16:13:42','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3641',0,'post','',0),
(3642,4,'2018-02-08 11:12:42','2018-02-08 16:12:42','But I don\'t ever buy Doritos. I also never drink Mountain Dew. I certainly do not drink Bud Light. Or Michelob Ultra. I don\'t use Tide. And I am not about to go get life insurance from Mass Mutual.\r\n\r\nIf you prefer real beer to Bud Light, no amount of clever/funny/slick ads will change your mind. If you, like me, avoid sugary sodas, having Morgan Freeman appear in an ad drinking one, is not going to make you run out and buy a case.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>They are memorable</strong></em>\r\n\r\nAs a marketing communications person, I\'ve been closely watching Super Bowl ads for the past 20 years. When I worked at an ad agency in Boston in the 1990s, we had time set aside to view the Super Bowl ad reels, and discuss. If you study Super Bowl ads, you can see that many are memorable, and are often discussed for years after they aired. Here, check out this<a href=\"http://admeter.usatoday.com/2015/01/13/all-time-greatest-super-bowl-commercials/\" target=\"_blank\"> list</a> of the top spots from the last 30 years and see how many you remember.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>They cost a lot</strong></em>\r\n\r\nSuper Bowl ads are very expensive: expensive to produce (how much do you think Morgan Freeman got paid to swill the Dew?) and expensive to place. They are very high profile, and are seen by millions of people. Most of these ads are what the industry calls \"image ads.\" That is, these ads promote a brand\'s image more so than making a sale. They raise \"brand awareness.\" And yet, any advertiser that has the budget necessary to run ads on the Super Bowl already has brand awareness. So why bother?\r\n\r\n<em><strong>But do they have a good ROI?</strong></em>\r\n\r\nTo use an industry term, what exactly is the ROI (return on investment) on a Super Bowl ad? What do you think? Do you think the high investment provides the returns to justify doing so?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','I really liked that Super Bowl ad for Doritos','','inherit','open','open','','3641-revision-v1','','','2018-02-08 11:12:42','2018-02-08 16:12:42','',3641,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/3641-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3647,4,'2018-02-11 11:14:50','2018-02-11 16:14:50','<table class=\"homemain\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">\r\n<table class=\"homeleft\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>How I Can Help You\r\n</strong></h4>\r\nIf you\'re a small to medium size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.\r\n\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n<td>\r\n<table class=\"homeright\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>Why Choose DBMC</strong></h4>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won\'t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n\r\nWhat\'s new:\r\n\r\nBook a free 15-minute consultation\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n<div id=\"contacthome\"><a style=\"color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold;\" href=\"contact\">Contact us</a> today to learn how to improve your marketing and communications.</div>','Home','','inherit','open','open','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-02-11 11:14:50','2018-02-11 16:14:50','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3643,4,'2018-02-09 11:31:42','2018-02-09 16:31:42','<table class=\"homemain\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">\r\n<table class=\"homeleft\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>How I Can Help You\r\n</strong></h4>\r\nIf you\'re a small to medium size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.\r\n\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n<td>\r\n<table class=\"homeright\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>Why Choose DBMC</strong></h4>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won\'t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n\r\nBook a free 15-minute consultation\r\n\r\n[10to8booking organisation_id=\"8ac2d0e7-2f0e-4c54-aaa5-1fe51d379a75\"]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n<div id=\"contacthome\"><a style=\"color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold;\" href=\"contact\">Contact us</a> today to learn how to improve your marketing and communications.</div>','Home','','inherit','open','open','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-02-09 11:31:42','2018-02-09 16:31:42','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3649,4,'2018-02-11 11:17:02','2018-02-11 16:17:02','<table class=\"homemain\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">\r\n<table class=\"homeleft\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>How I Can Help You\r\n</strong></h4>\r\nIf you\'re a small to medium size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.\r\n\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n<td>\r\n<table class=\"homeright\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>Why Choose DBMC</strong></h4>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won\'t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n\r\n<strong>What\'s new:</strong>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Booking\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/events/booking/\">Book a free 15-minute consultation</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n<div id=\"contacthome\"><a style=\"color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold;\" href=\"contact\">Contact us</a> today to learn how to improve your marketing and communications.</div>','Home','','inherit','open','open','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-02-11 11:17:02','2018-02-11 16:17:02','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3653,4,'2018-02-11 11:28:23','2018-02-11 16:28:23','<table class=\"homemain\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">\r\n<table class=\"homeleft\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>How I Can Help You\r\n</strong></h4>\r\nIf you\'re a small to medium size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.\r\n\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n<td>\r\n<table class=\"homeright\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>Why Choose DBMC</strong></h4>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won\'t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n<h4><strong>What\'s new:</strong></h4>\r\n<a title=\"Booking\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/events/booking/\">Book a free 15-minute consultation</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n<div id=\"contacthome\"><a style=\"color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold;\" href=\"contact\">Contact us</a> today to learn how to improve your marketing and communications.</div>','Home','','inherit','open','open','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-02-11 11:28:23','2018-02-11 16:28:23','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3654,4,'2018-02-11 12:56:25','2018-02-11 17:56:25','<table class=\"homemain\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">\r\n<table class=\"homeleft\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>How I Can Help You\r\n</strong></h4>\r\nIf you\'re a small to medium size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.\r\n\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n<td>\r\n<table class=\"homeright\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>Why Choose DBMC</strong></h4>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won\'t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n<h4><strong>What\'s new:</strong></h4>\r\n<a title=\"Booking\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/events/booking/\">Book a free 15-minute consultation!</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n<div id=\"contacthome\"><a style=\"color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold;\" href=\"contact\">Contact us</a> today to learn how to improve your marketing and communications.</div>','Home','','inherit','open','open','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-02-11 12:56:25','2018-02-11 17:56:25','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3663,4,'2018-02-12 15:50:22','2018-02-12 20:50:22','We work with clients to create or improve marketing and communications materials. In order to do so, we provide the following services:\r\n<h2><a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\">NEW! Brand Identity Kit</a></h2>\r\n<h2><a title=\"Writing/Copywriting\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/writing/\">Writing</a></h2>\r\n<h2><a title=\"Copy Editing\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/copy-editing/\">Copy Editing</a></h2>\r\n<h2><a title=\"Communications Consulting\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/communications-consulting/\">Communications Consulting</a></h2>\r\n<h2><a title=\"Training\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/training/\">Training</a></h2>','Services','','inherit','open','open','','14-revision-v1','','','2018-02-12 15:50:22','2018-02-12 20:50:22','',14,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/14-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3664,4,'2018-02-12 15:52:00','2018-02-12 20:52:00','We work with clients to create or improve marketing and communications materials. In order to do so, we provide the following services:\r\n<h2><a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\">NEW! Brand Identity Kit</a></h2>\r\n<h2><a title=\"Writing/Copywriting\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/writing/\">Writing</a></h2>\r\n<h2><a title=\"Copy Editing\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/copy-editing/\">Copy Editing</a></h2>\r\n<h2><a title=\"Communications Consulting\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/communications-consulting/\">Communications Consulting</a></h2>\r\n<h2><a title=\"Training\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/training/\">Training</a></h2>\r\nIf you need further information, or want to discuss how we can work together, please <a title=\"Booking\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/events/booking/\">book a free 15-minute consultation</a> with me.','Services','','inherit','open','open','','14-revision-v1','','','2018-02-12 15:52:00','2018-02-12 20:52:00','',14,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/14-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3665,4,'2018-02-12 16:59:52','2018-02-12 21:59:52','<table class=\"homemain\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">\r\n<table class=\"homeleft\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>How I Can Help You\r\n</strong></h4>\r\nIf you\'re a small to medium size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.\r\n\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n<td>\r\n<table class=\"homeright\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>Why Choose DBMC</strong></h4>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won\'t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n<h4><strong>What\'s new:</strong></h4>\r\n<a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\">Brand Identity Kit</a> (the five-part marketing message kit to help you communicate better)\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Booking\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/events/booking/\">Book a free 15-minute consultation!</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n<div id=\"contacthome\"><a style=\"color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold;\" href=\"contact\">Contact us</a> today to learn how to improve your marketing and communications.</div>','Home','','inherit','open','open','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-02-12 16:59:52','2018-02-12 21:59:52','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3666,4,'2018-02-13 13:30:59','2018-02-13 18:30:59','This morning, I came across an article on <a href=\"https://dc.eater.com/\" target=\"_blank\">EaterDC</a> about the new Isabella Eatery food hall at Tyson\'s Galleria in McLean, Virginia: <a href=\"https://dc.eater.com/2018/2/12/17004800/isabella-eatery-good-news-bad-news\" target=\"_blank\">Gargantuan Isabella Eatery is Confusing Customers</a>.  It seems  that although some of the elements of the food hall get good reviews for quality and design, customers don\'t know what to make of  the whole thing.  It seems that Isabella Eatery is offering so much that its customers no longer know what Isabella stands for.  (Some background: Mike Isabella was a contestant on Top Chef. Later he went on to open up Graffiato, an Italian restaurant in Washington, DC and later a Italian sandwich shop called G by Mike Isabella. He then expanded into Greek food with three Kapnos restaurants, and then into Spanish food with Arroz. He heads up a company called Mike Isabella Concepts, which also operates a French restaurant, a Mexican restaurant and the aforementioned food hall.)\r\n\r\n<strong>Something for every one?</strong>\r\n\r\nAnd then there\'s the local pizza chain  with the catchy jingle that says it offers \"something for every one.\" The place is called [name] Pizza, and its current TV commercials show pictures of a burger and fries. Because, of course, if you want a burger and fries you\'d call a pizza delivery place, right?\r\n\r\n<strong>Jack of all trades, master (brander) of none</strong>\r\n\r\nWhen you seek to please everyone by offering tons of choices, you end up pleasing no one.\r\n\r\nIn terms of branding and marketing, when you offer so many choices (and in Isabella\'s case, cuisines and restaurants) you are violating the first two of <em>The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding</em> by Al Ries and Laura Ries. The first law says that your brand loses its power when you expand your scope, and the second, which really is the inverse of the first, is that having more focus strengthens your brand.\r\n\r\nA strong brand is focused, a weak brand is not. It seems to me that Mike Isabella is expanding at the expense of his brand. And the pizza place? Well I don\'t think it would be anyone\'s first choice for pizza <em>or</em> for burgers.\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYour brand is your mark of distinction. How well are you communicating it? If you need help with your branding, check out my new<a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\" target=\"_blank\"> Brand Identity Kit. </a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','When your customers don\'t know who you are','','publish','open','open','','when-your-customers-dont-know-who-you-are','','','2018-02-13 13:30:59','2018-02-13 18:30:59','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3666',0,'post','',0),
(3667,4,'2018-02-13 10:37:40','2018-02-13 15:37:40','This morning, I came across this article on EaterDC about the new Isabella Eatery food hall at Tyson\'s Galleria in McLean, Virginia:\r\n<a href=\"https://dc.eater.com/2018/2/12/17004800/isabella-eatery-good-news-bad-news\" target=\"_blank\">Gargantuan Isabella Eatery is Confusing Customers</a>\r\n\r\nAlthough some of the elements of the food hall get good reviews, customers don\'t know what to make of it. This is a classic example of offering so much so that your customers no longer know what you are.\r\n\r\nAnd then there\'s the local pizza chain  with the  catchy jingle: \"something for every one.\" The place is called [name] Pizza and the commercials on TV featuring the jingle show pictures of a burger and fries. Because, of course, if you want a burger and fries you\'d call a pizza delivery place, right?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIt is a \"violation\" of the Al Ries and Laura Ries\' 22 laws of branding.','When your customers don\'t know who you are','','inherit','open','open','','3666-revision-v1','','','2018-02-13 10:37:40','2018-02-13 15:37:40','',3666,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/3666-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3668,4,'2018-02-13 13:26:23','2018-02-13 18:26:23','This morning, I came across an article on <a href=\"https://dc.eater.com/\" target=\"_blank\">EaterDC</a> about the new Isabella Eatery food hall at Tyson\'s Galleria in McLean, Virginia: <a href=\"https://dc.eater.com/2018/2/12/17004800/isabella-eatery-good-news-bad-news\" target=\"_blank\">Gargantuan Isabella Eatery is Confusing Customers</a>.  It seems  that although some of the elements of the food hall get good reviews for quality and design, customers don\'t know what to make of  the whole thing.  It seems that Isabella Eatery is offering so much that its customers no longer know what Isabella stands for.  (Some background: Mike Isabella was a contestant on Top Chef. Later he went on to open up Graffiato, an Italian restaurant in Washington, DC and later a Italian sandwich shop called G by Mike Isabella. He then expanded into Greek food with three Kapnos restaurants, and then into Spanish food with Arroz. He heads up a company called Mike Isabella Concepts, which also operates a French restaurant, a Mexican restaurant and the aforementioned food hall.)\r\n\r\nAnd then there\'s the local pizza chain  with the  catchy jingle: \"something for every one.\" The place is called [name] Pizza, and its current TV commercials show pictures of a burger and fries. Because, of course, if you want a burger and fries you\'d call a pizza delivery place, right?\r\n\r\nWhen you seek to please everyone by offering tons of choices, you end up pleasing no one. Or as the famous saying goes, jack of all trades, master of none.\r\n\r\nIn terms of branding and marketing, when you offer so many choices (and in Isabella\'s case, cuisines and restaurants) you are violating the first two of <em>The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding</em> by Al Ries and Laura Ries. The first law says that your brand loses its power when you expand your scope, and the second, which really is the inverse of the first, is that having more focus strengthens your brand.\r\n\r\nA strong brand is focused, a weak brand is not. It seems to me that Mike Isabella is expanding at the expense of his brand. And the pizza place? Well I don\'t think it would be anyone\'s first choice for pizza <em>or</em> for burgers.\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYour brand is your mark of distinction. How well are you communicating it? If you need help with your branding, check out my new<a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\" target=\"_blank\"> Brand Identity Kit. </a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','When your customers don\'t know who you are','','inherit','open','open','','3666-revision-v1','','','2018-02-13 13:26:23','2018-02-13 18:26:23','',3666,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/3666-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3669,4,'2018-02-13 13:29:04','2018-02-13 18:29:04','This morning, I came across an article on <a href=\"https://dc.eater.com/\" target=\"_blank\">EaterDC</a> about the new Isabella Eatery food hall at Tyson\'s Galleria in McLean, Virginia: <a href=\"https://dc.eater.com/2018/2/12/17004800/isabella-eatery-good-news-bad-news\" target=\"_blank\">Gargantuan Isabella Eatery is Confusing Customers</a>.  It seems  that although some of the elements of the food hall get good reviews for quality and design, customers don\'t know what to make of  the whole thing.  It seems that Isabella Eatery is offering so much that its customers no longer know what Isabella stands for.  (Some background: Mike Isabella was a contestant on Top Chef. Later he went on to open up Graffiato, an Italian restaurant in Washington, DC and later a Italian sandwich shop called G by Mike Isabella. He then expanded into Greek food with three Kapnos restaurants, and then into Spanish food with Arroz. He heads up a company called Mike Isabella Concepts, which also operates a French restaurant, a Mexican restaurant and the aforementioned food hall.)\r\n\r\n<strong>Something for every one?</strong>\r\n\r\nAnd then there\'s the local pizza chain  with the  catchy jingle: \"something for every one.\" The place is called [name] Pizza, and its current TV commercials show pictures of a burger and fries. Because, of course, if you want a burger and fries you\'d call a pizza delivery place, right?\r\n\r\n<strong>Jack of all trades, master brander of none</strong>\r\n\r\nWhen you seek to please everyone by offering tons of choices, you end up pleasing no one.\r\n\r\nIn terms of branding and marketing, when you offer so many choices (and in Isabella\'s case, cuisines and restaurants) you are violating the first two of <em>The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding</em> by Al Ries and Laura Ries. The first law says that your brand loses its power when you expand your scope, and the second, which really is the inverse of the first, is that having more focus strengthens your brand.\r\n\r\nA strong brand is focused, a weak brand is not. It seems to me that Mike Isabella is expanding at the expense of his brand. And the pizza place? Well I don\'t think it would be anyone\'s first choice for pizza <em>or</em> for burgers.\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYour brand is your mark of distinction. How well are you communicating it? If you need help with your branding, check out my new<a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\" target=\"_blank\"> Brand Identity Kit. </a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','When your customers don\'t know who you are','','inherit','open','open','','3666-revision-v1','','','2018-02-13 13:29:04','2018-02-13 18:29:04','',3666,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/3666-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3670,4,'2018-02-13 13:30:59','2018-02-13 18:30:59','This morning, I came across an article on <a href=\"https://dc.eater.com/\" target=\"_blank\">EaterDC</a> about the new Isabella Eatery food hall at Tyson\'s Galleria in McLean, Virginia: <a href=\"https://dc.eater.com/2018/2/12/17004800/isabella-eatery-good-news-bad-news\" target=\"_blank\">Gargantuan Isabella Eatery is Confusing Customers</a>.  It seems  that although some of the elements of the food hall get good reviews for quality and design, customers don\'t know what to make of  the whole thing.  It seems that Isabella Eatery is offering so much that its customers no longer know what Isabella stands for.  (Some background: Mike Isabella was a contestant on Top Chef. Later he went on to open up Graffiato, an Italian restaurant in Washington, DC and later a Italian sandwich shop called G by Mike Isabella. He then expanded into Greek food with three Kapnos restaurants, and then into Spanish food with Arroz. He heads up a company called Mike Isabella Concepts, which also operates a French restaurant, a Mexican restaurant and the aforementioned food hall.)\r\n\r\n<strong>Something for every one?</strong>\r\n\r\nAnd then there\'s the local pizza chain  with the catchy jingle that says it offers \"something for every one.\" The place is called [name] Pizza, and its current TV commercials show pictures of a burger and fries. Because, of course, if you want a burger and fries you\'d call a pizza delivery place, right?\r\n\r\n<strong>Jack of all trades, master (brander) of none</strong>\r\n\r\nWhen you seek to please everyone by offering tons of choices, you end up pleasing no one.\r\n\r\nIn terms of branding and marketing, when you offer so many choices (and in Isabella\'s case, cuisines and restaurants) you are violating the first two of <em>The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding</em> by Al Ries and Laura Ries. The first law says that your brand loses its power when you expand your scope, and the second, which really is the inverse of the first, is that having more focus strengthens your brand.\r\n\r\nA strong brand is focused, a weak brand is not. It seems to me that Mike Isabella is expanding at the expense of his brand. And the pizza place? Well I don\'t think it would be anyone\'s first choice for pizza <em>or</em> for burgers.\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYour brand is your mark of distinction. How well are you communicating it? If you need help with your branding, check out my new<a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\" target=\"_blank\"> Brand Identity Kit. </a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','When your customers don\'t know who you are','','inherit','open','open','','3666-revision-v1','','','2018-02-13 13:30:59','2018-02-13 18:30:59','',3666,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/3666-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3672,4,'2018-02-15 09:53:11','2018-02-15 14:53:11','In case you\'ve missed a newsletter, just check this archive:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/51a8bb\" target=\"_blank\">February 2018</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/4dd82b\">November 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"September 2017\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/391dca\" target=\"_blank\">September 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/45625a\" target=\"_blank\">June 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/75c3f9\" target=\"_blank\">April 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/792b39\" target=\"_blank\">December 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/a051e8\" target=\"_blank\">October 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"August 2016 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/359a88\" target=\"_blank\">August 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/d841f7\" target=\"_blank\">June 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"March 2016 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/a50a67\" target=\"_blank\">March 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/d7ed27\" target=\"_blank\">January 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/987fe6\" target=\"_blank\">November 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"September 2015 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/2f17a6\" target=\"_blank\">September 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/f0dc46\" target=\"_blank\">June 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/83c206\" target=\"_blank\">March 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"January 2015 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/594ec5\" target=\"_blank\">January 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/p/9a6295?fe=1&amp;pact=26384901049\" target=\"_blank\">November 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/f95d35\" target=\"_blank\">September 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/c3e405\" target=\"_blank\">July 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://mad.ly/3625c4\" target=\"_blank\">April 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"February newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/dc2584\" target=\"_blank\">February 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"December 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/bb9454\" target=\"_blank\">December 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"October 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/f27424\" target=\"_blank\">October 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"July 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/eb30f3\" target=\"_blank\">July 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"May 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/9003c3\" target=\"_blank\">May 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"March 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/d82a93\" target=\"_blank\">March 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"January 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/a12873\" target=\"_blank\">January 2013</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Newsletters','','inherit','open','open','','2509-revision-v1','','','2018-02-15 09:53:11','2018-02-15 14:53:11','',2509,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/2509-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3675,4,'2018-02-22 10:39:05','2018-02-22 15:39:05','Are you a spy or a spying organization? If so, this post does not apply to you. You definitely want to keep secrets, and be known for your secrecy.\r\n\r\n<strong>Secretive is <em>not</em> a great attribute for non-spy organizations</strong>\r\n\r\nHowever, in general, most businesses should not aim to be known as secretive. And let\'s be clear, I am not talking about being known as an organization that keeps its customer information private and confidential. That\'s a good attribute. I am talking about organizations that don\'t tell you stuff you need to know, like how much things cost or whether pricing has changed. Or what the return/refund policy is. Or who to contact if something is wrong.\r\n\r\n<strong>Changing prices is not something you should be secretive about</strong>\r\n\r\nThere\'s a yoga studio I had been going to most of last year. I was taking a noon class (perfect for my schedule) known as \"value vinyasa\" because it cost $12 instead of the usual $20 (perfect for my budget). I missed a couple classes due to vacation, and when I went to check the schedule when I returned, I noticed that the noon class I had been taking is now known as \"vinyasa flow.\" In the pricing section of the studio\'s website there\'s no mention of the \"value\" classes. The studio sends a weekly newsletter and there was no mention of the change. The value classes had been very quietly (secretively) eliminated.  Does the studio owner think we won\'t notice?\r\n\r\nThere\'s a hiking group I belong to on Meetup.com. The group had been charging $2 for each hike as a way to ensure attendance (people tend to show up for something they\'ve paid for), and to cover the costs of running the group. Without any announcement, the group began charging $5 per hike. There was a lot of questions and outrage posted by  members on the Meetup\'s discussion boards. There was an answer saying that this hiking group is really a nonprofit that now supports various causes, and that the fees were going to be used to raise money for said causes. That was the end of the discussion, and the discussion boards were disabled. The group leader could have easily sent a note to all the members explaining the price hike and the reason for it, but chose to be secretive and not forthcoming. She also chose to shut down discussion, to tamp down discontent with the sudden, unexplained policy change. This is not a good luck for this group, and I have noticed that where hikes used to get filled up really quickly, there are now several spots open.\r\n\r\n<strong>Being secretive, and imposing changes without notification, could backfire.</strong>\r\n\r\nIf your organization is planning to make a change that will affect  your customer\'s interaction with you, you must make sure to announce it. Being secretive may seem like a good way to avoid customer discontent, but it actually increases it. Being secretive communicates to your customer that you are hiding something, or not being upfront, or just don\'t care to keep your customer up to date.\r\n\r\nIn my case, I have stopped going to that yoga studio because I want to pay less than $20 per class, and because I think the studio is not well run. I usually don\'t do hikes until the weather is warmer, but I think I will look for other hiking groups that are more upfront about their policies.\r\n\r\nBeing secretive can cost you customers. Most people value transparency and honesty. If you are being secretive, you are not being transparent or honest. You are hiding something or perhaps you are just being thoughtless in not letting your customers know your policies, costs, etc.\r\n\r\n<strong>Here\'s the bottom line: when you are being secretive, you are not communicating.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Secretive is a good brand attribute for a spy','','publish','open','open','','secretive-is-a-good-brand-attribute-for-a-spy','','','2018-02-22 10:39:05','2018-02-22 15:39:05','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3675',0,'post','',0),
(3769,4,'2018-04-27 10:26:59','2018-04-27 14:26:59','','','','inherit','open','closed','','linkedin','','','2018-04-27 10:27:08','2018-04-27 14:27:08','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/linkedin.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(3697,4,'2018-03-28 10:17:48','2018-03-28 14:17:48','Do you always start your day with a extra-big mugful of coffee like I do? If so, you\'ll appreciate just how terrible it is to start your day with a bad cup of coffee. A cup of coffee that lacks the delicious aroma of perfectly roasted coffee beans. A cup of coffee that just tastes awful.\r\n\r\nA bad cup of coffee just gets your day off to a bad start, and for that I blame myself. You see, I had just finished a package of coffee and needed a replacement ASAP (it is a DEFCON 5 situation around here if there is no coffee).  Normally, I buy my coffee at  Trader Joe\'s but I had forgotten to do so during my weekly shopping trip.  And so I found myself shopping in a gourmet store for something else, and thought I would pick up  a brand of coffee that I enjoy (and for which I am willing to pay a little extra).  Apparently, this store no longer carries that brand. They did have another brand that I have tried in the past, but I didn\'t feel like paying the gourmet store price for it.\r\n\r\nSo I made a very big mistake:  I grabbed a bag of coffee simply because it was cheap. It was not a brand I knew or recognized or had even seen before, but I figured a bag of medium roast Costa Rican coffee from a gourmet store can\'t be all that bad. Well, I figured wrong. It was the worst coffee I have ever bought in my life. It tasted horrible. It had no coffee aroma. It was so bad I actually threw what was left out.\r\n\r\nThen I hustled over to Trader Joe\'s and bought my go-to coffee. Now, my mornings are back to normal.\r\n\r\nA bad cup of coffee taught me never to buy an unknown brand. And it\'s really not about the cost.  You can get very good yet cheap  store-brand coffee like I do at  Trader Joe\'s or at stores like Target,<em> where you trust the brand</em>.\r\n\r\nBrands are quite literally markers that serve to identify. They let you separate one product from all the others like it.  Once you\'ve experienced a brand, you can then look for it if you liked it or avoid it if you didn\'t.  <em>Brands provide a shortcut</em> that consumers can use to know what to buy quickly and without much research.\r\n\r\nRemember this the next time you are out of coffee: Unless it\'s a brand you know already, buying just anything based on price alone will get your morning started on the wrong foot.\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo you know what your brand stands for? Are you communicating it well enough? If not, perhaps you should invest in my new <a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\">Brand Identity Kit</a>. Check it out!','What a bad cup of coffee can teach you','','publish','open','open','','what-a-bad-cup-of-coffee-can-teach-you','','','2018-03-28 10:17:48','2018-03-28 14:17:48','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3697',0,'post','',0),
(3678,4,'2018-02-27 11:22:02','0000-00-00 00:00:00','','Hispanic marketing is not just having materials in Spanish','','draft','open','open','','','','','2018-02-27 11:22:02','2018-02-27 16:22:02','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3678',0,'post','',0),
(3679,4,'2018-02-27 12:19:35','2018-02-27 17:19:35','A few weeks ago I shared with you a <a title=\"What’s a comma worth?\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2017/12/whats-a-comma-worth/\" target=\"_blank\">picture of a postcard</a> that advertised a townhouse for sale at more than $51 million. It was an error that would have been caught by a copy editor but likely not by a proofreader. That\'s because a proofreader seeks and corrects mistakes such as typos, misspellings, extra words, repeated words, and other errors. A proofreader does not look at the content, and rarely queries the accuracy of amounts. A copy editor, on the other hand, goes beyond checking for mistakes, and also verifies that sentences are clear and accurate (e.g., the correct address, the right day of the week, the correct amount, etc.).\r\n\r\nSadly, there are many examples of printed materials that needed a copy editor, or at the very least, a proofreader, to check them, and did not get either. My goal is to find these examples and share them with you.\r\n\r\nToday, I was looking at the back of a Sunsweet Prunes package:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/20180227_114313.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3681\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/20180227_114313-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"20180227_114313\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\nCan you spot the mistake? Here\'s a hint: it\'s subject-verb agreement.\r\n\r\nA grammatically correct sentence would read:\r\n\r\nWe believe making good food choices<strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> is</span></strong> critical to treating your body right and living life to its fullest.\r\n\r\nSubject-verb (dis)agreement is a very common mistake. The subject should always match the verb, that is, a singular subject needs a singular verb, and a plural subject needs a plural verb. Lots of people have problems identifying the subject. In this case, the writer is not correctly identifying the subject, <em>and</em> is thrown off because he/she sees that a plural word (\"choices\") goes right before the verb.  In this sentence, the plural \"choices\" is not the subject, rather the singular <em>phrase</em> \"making good food choices\" is the subject.\r\n\r\nI am a bit shocked that a large international company would make this type of mistake in its packaging. Perhaps it should hire a copy editor!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Why you need a copy editor (a new series)','','publish','open','open','','why-you-need-a-copy-editor-a-new-series','','','2018-02-27 12:19:35','2018-02-27 17:19:35','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3679',0,'post','',0),
(3692,4,'2018-03-13 13:48:24','2018-03-13 17:48:24','Last week, I had an urgent need to get my roof repaired. We\'d had a severe windstorm in the Washington area that blew off several shingles off my roof, and rain was in the forecast. In order to prevent further damage, I knew I had to get someone to fix this right away.\r\n\r\nFirst, I contacted several friends to ask for their recommendations. This way, I got three names. Then, I went on Consumer Checkbook to check ratings and get more names. I wrote down a few names, and noticed that a couple of the names my friends had provided were on the Checkbook site, and had good ratings. First thing on Monday (I noticed the damage over the weekend), I called all the names I gathered. This is how it went:\r\n\r\n1. Call to roofer listed as good value/good quality in Consumer Checkbook. I spoke to an office person, who added me to a list, with no guarantee or timeline for when I would get someone to fix it. She told me that there were several other calls ahead of me, so she could not tell me when someone would be available, but she did provide me with pricing.\r\n\r\n2. Call to another qualified roofer listed in Consumer Checkbook.  I left a detailed message, which was never answered.\r\n\r\n3. Call to roofer (who was highly rated in Consumer Checkbook), referred to by a close friend. There was no answer and the voice mailbox was full, so I had no way to contact this contractor or leave a message.\r\n\r\n4. Call to roofer referred to by my neighbor who recently had her roof replaced. When I called, I got a message saying that they were overwhelmed with calls, to either leave a message or send an email. I sent an email, to which I received an answer more than a week later, explaining pricing, etc.\r\n\r\n5. Call to handyman referred by a friend. He referred me to a contractor friend of his, a jack of many trades, who answered immediately. This contractor offered to come by to give me an estimate, and then was able to complete the repair the same day.\r\n\r\nNow, this was an unusual situation. Many, many people had damage to their roofs from a strong and unusually long-lasting windstorm. Roofers were slammed.  Yet, their responses showed a lot about how their businesses are run and how they deal with customers.\r\n\r\nI am sure I will have a need for a roofer in the future. Based on my interactions here, I would contact the first and the fourth roofers because they were responsive and I got the sense of professionalism. As to the contractor who actually fixed my roof, I know I have found someone who is punctual and reliable, but he is not primarily a roofer and I would not ask him to do more than repair shingles.\r\n\r\nNot being responsive and not even having a mechanism to leave messages is the sign of a business that is overwhelmed and incapable of dealing with emergencies and not very professional and customer-centric. It\'s better to get a late reply than no reply at all.\r\n\r\n<strong>No response leads to no business.</strong>\r\n\r\nWhat can a small, one-person business do to be more responsive? There are several options.\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Have a website that explains how you respond in emergencies, and which also provides a phone number, email, and contact form to get in touch (in other words, many ways to get in touch).</li>\r\n	<li>Have an online booking system. There are several paid and non paid options out there that allow your customers to book time with you, either for a consultation or a full-fledged appointment.</li>\r\n	<li>Consider having an answering service, virtual assistant, or in-house administrative person so that customers can talk to a person in real time.</li>\r\n	<li>Make time to answer every email, contact request or phone call that you receive, even if it is to say we can\'t help you at this time.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nNo amount of marketing or beautiful website design is going to overcome a lack of responsiveness. If you want business, you have to respond to inquiries. If you don\'t respond, you will not get that business now or in the future.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','No response = no business','','inherit','open','open','','3691-revision-v1','','','2018-03-13 13:48:24','2018-03-13 17:48:24','',3691,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/03/3691-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3681,4,'2018-02-27 11:56:35','2018-02-27 16:56:35','','20180227_114313','','inherit','open','open','','20180227_114313','','','2018-02-27 11:56:35','2018-02-27 16:56:35','',3679,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/20180227_114313.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(3682,4,'2018-02-27 12:08:25','2018-02-27 17:08:25','A few weeks ago I shared with you a <a title=\"What’s a comma worth?\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2017/12/whats-a-comma-worth/\">picture of a postcard</a> that advertised a townhouse for sale at more than $5 million. It was an error that would have been caught by a copy editor but likely not by a proofreader. That\'s because a proofreader seeks and corrects mistakes such as typos, misspellings, extra words, repeated words, and other errors. A proofreader does not look at the content, and rarely queries amounts. A copy editor, on the other hand, goes beyond checking for mistakes, and also verifies that sentences are clear and accurate (e.g., the correct address, the right day of the week, the correct amount, etc.).\r\n\r\nSadly, there are many examples of printed materials that needed a copy editor, or at the very least, a proofreader to check them, and did not get either. My goal is to find these examples and share them with you.\r\n\r\nToday, I was looking at the back of a Sunsweet Prunes package:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/20180227_114313.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3681\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/20180227_114313-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"20180227_114313\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\nCan you spot the mistake? Here\'s a hint: it\'s subject-verb agreement.\r\n\r\nA grammatically correct sentence would read:\r\n\r\nWe believe making good food choices<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> <em>is</em></span> critical to treating your body right and living life to its fullest.\r\n\r\nSubject-verb (dis)agreement is a very common mistake. The subject should always match the verb, that is, a singular subject needs a singular verb, and a plural subject needs a plural verb. Lots of people have problems identifying what the subject is, and further, they are thrown off  when they see a plural (\"food choices\") that goes right before the verb.  In this sentence, the plural \"food choices\" is not the subject, rather the singular \"making good food choices\" is the subject.\r\n\r\nI am truly astounded that a large company would make this type of mistake in their packaging. Someone should hire a copy editor over there!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Why you need a copy editor (a new series)','','inherit','open','open','','3679-revision-v1','','','2018-02-27 12:08:25','2018-02-27 17:08:25','',3679,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/3679-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3683,4,'2018-02-27 12:10:07','2018-02-27 17:10:07','A few weeks ago I shared with you a <a title=\"What’s a comma worth?\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2017/12/whats-a-comma-worth/\" target=\"_blank\">picture of a postcard</a> that advertised a townhouse for sale at more than $51 million. It was an error that would have been caught by a copy editor but likely not by a proofreader. That\'s because a proofreader seeks and corrects mistakes such as typos, misspellings, extra words, repeated words, and other errors. A proofreader does not look at the content, and rarely queries the accuracy of amounts. A copy editor, on the other hand, goes beyond checking for mistakes, and also verifies that sentences are clear and accurate (e.g., the correct address, the right day of the week, the correct amount, etc.).\r\n\r\nSadly, there are many examples of printed materials that needed a copy editor, or at the very least, a proofreader to check them, and did not get either. My goal is to find these examples and share them with you.\r\n\r\nToday, I was looking at the back of a Sunsweet Prunes package:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/20180227_114313.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3681\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/20180227_114313-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"20180227_114313\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\nCan you spot the mistake? Here\'s a hint: it\'s subject-verb agreement.\r\n\r\nA grammatically correct sentence would read:\r\n\r\nWe believe making good food choices<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> <em>is</em></span> critical to treating your body right and living life to its fullest.\r\n\r\nSubject-verb (dis)agreement is a very common mistake. The subject should always match the verb, that is, a singular subject needs a singular verb, and a plural subject needs a plural verb. Lots of people have problems identifying what the subject is, and further, they are thrown off  when they see a plural (\"food choices\") that goes right before the verb.  In this sentence, the plural \"food choices\" is not the subject, rather the singular \"making good food choices\" is the subject.\r\n\r\nI am truly astounded that a large company would make this type of mistake in their packaging. Someone should hire a copy editor over there!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Why you need a copy editor (a new series)','','inherit','open','open','','3679-revision-v1','','','2018-02-27 12:10:07','2018-02-27 17:10:07','',3679,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/3679-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3684,4,'2018-02-27 12:18:10','2018-02-27 17:18:10','A few weeks ago I shared with you a <a title=\"What’s a comma worth?\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2017/12/whats-a-comma-worth/\" target=\"_blank\">picture of a postcard</a> that advertised a townhouse for sale at more than $51 million. It was an error that would have been caught by a copy editor but likely not by a proofreader. That\'s because a proofreader seeks and corrects mistakes such as typos, misspellings, extra words, repeated words, and other errors. A proofreader does not look at the content, and rarely queries the accuracy of amounts. A copy editor, on the other hand, goes beyond checking for mistakes, and also verifies that sentences are clear and accurate (e.g., the correct address, the right day of the week, the correct amount, etc.).\r\n\r\nSadly, there are many examples of printed materials that needed a copy editor, or at the very least, a proofreader, to check them, and did not get either. My goal is to find these examples and share them with you.\r\n\r\nToday, I was looking at the back of a Sunsweet Prunes package:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/20180227_114313.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3681\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/20180227_114313-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"20180227_114313\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\nCan you spot the mistake? Here\'s a hint: it\'s subject-verb agreement.\r\n\r\nA grammatically correct sentence would read:\r\n\r\nWe believe making good food choices<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> <em>is</em></span> critical to treating your body right and living life to its fullest.\r\n\r\nSubject-verb (dis)agreement is a very common mistake. The subject should always match the verb, that is, a singular subject needs a singular verb, and a plural subject needs a plural verb. Lots of people have problems identifying the subject. In this case, the writer is not correctly identifying the subject, <em>and</em> is thrown off because he/she sees that a plural word (\"choices\") goes right before the verb.  In this sentence, the plural \"choices\" is not the subject, rather the singular <em>phrase</em> \"making good food choices\" is the subject.\r\n\r\nI am truly astounded that a large company would make this type of mistake in its packaging. Perhaps it should hire a copy editor!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Why you need a copy editor (a new series)','','inherit','open','open','','3679-revision-v1','','','2018-02-27 12:18:10','2018-02-27 17:18:10','',3679,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/3679-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3685,4,'2018-02-27 12:19:35','2018-02-27 17:19:35','A few weeks ago I shared with you a <a title=\"What’s a comma worth?\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2017/12/whats-a-comma-worth/\" target=\"_blank\">picture of a postcard</a> that advertised a townhouse for sale at more than $51 million. It was an error that would have been caught by a copy editor but likely not by a proofreader. That\'s because a proofreader seeks and corrects mistakes such as typos, misspellings, extra words, repeated words, and other errors. A proofreader does not look at the content, and rarely queries the accuracy of amounts. A copy editor, on the other hand, goes beyond checking for mistakes, and also verifies that sentences are clear and accurate (e.g., the correct address, the right day of the week, the correct amount, etc.).\r\n\r\nSadly, there are many examples of printed materials that needed a copy editor, or at the very least, a proofreader, to check them, and did not get either. My goal is to find these examples and share them with you.\r\n\r\nToday, I was looking at the back of a Sunsweet Prunes package:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/20180227_114313.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3681\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/20180227_114313-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"20180227_114313\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\nCan you spot the mistake? Here\'s a hint: it\'s subject-verb agreement.\r\n\r\nA grammatically correct sentence would read:\r\n\r\nWe believe making good food choices<strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> is</span></strong> critical to treating your body right and living life to its fullest.\r\n\r\nSubject-verb (dis)agreement is a very common mistake. The subject should always match the verb, that is, a singular subject needs a singular verb, and a plural subject needs a plural verb. Lots of people have problems identifying the subject. In this case, the writer is not correctly identifying the subject, <em>and</em> is thrown off because he/she sees that a plural word (\"choices\") goes right before the verb.  In this sentence, the plural \"choices\" is not the subject, rather the singular <em>phrase</em> \"making good food choices\" is the subject.\r\n\r\nI am a bit shocked that a large international company would make this type of mistake in its packaging. Perhaps it should hire a copy editor!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Why you need a copy editor (a new series)','','inherit','open','open','','3679-revision-v1','','','2018-02-27 12:19:35','2018-02-27 17:19:35','',3679,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/02/3679-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3691,4,'2018-03-13 13:49:02','2018-03-13 17:49:02','Last week, I had an urgent need to get my roof repaired. We\'d had a severe windstorm in the Washington area that blew off several shingles off my roof, and rain was in the forecast. In order to prevent further damage, I knew I had to get someone to fix this right away.\r\n\r\nFirst, I contacted several friends to ask for their recommendations. This way, I got three names. Then, I went on Consumer Checkbook to check ratings and get more names. I wrote down a few names, and noticed that a couple of the names my friends had provided were on the Checkbook site, and had good ratings. First thing on Monday (I noticed the damage over the weekend), I called all the names I gathered. This is how it went:\r\n\r\n1. Call to roofer listed as good value/good quality in Consumer Checkbook. I spoke to an office person, who added me to a list, with no guarantee or timeline for when I would get someone to fix it. She told me that there were several other calls ahead of me, so she could not tell me when someone would be available, but she did provide me with pricing.\r\n\r\n2. Call to another qualified roofer listed in Consumer Checkbook.  I left a detailed message, which was never answered.\r\n\r\n3. Call to roofer (who was highly rated in Consumer Checkbook), referred to by a close friend. There was no answer and the voice mailbox was full, so I had no way to contact this contractor or leave a message.\r\n\r\n4. Call to roofer referred to by my neighbor who recently had her roof replaced. When I called, I got a message saying that they were overwhelmed with calls, to either leave a message or send an email. I sent an email, to which I received an answer more than a week later, explaining pricing, etc.\r\n\r\n5. Call to handyman referred by a friend. He referred me to a contractor friend of his, a jack of many trades, who answered immediately. This contractor offered to come by to give me an estimate, and then was able to complete the repair the same day.\r\n\r\nNow, this was an unusual situation. Many, many people had damage to their roofs from a strong and unusually long-lasting windstorm. Roofers were slammed.  Yet, their responses showed a lot about how their businesses are run and how they deal with customers.\r\n\r\nI am sure I will have a need for a roofer in the future. Based on my interactions here, I would contact the first and the fourth roofers because they were responsive and I got the sense of professionalism. As to the contractor who actually fixed my roof, I know I have found someone who is punctual and reliable, but he is not primarily a roofer and I would not ask him to do more than repair shingles.\r\n\r\nNot being responsive and not even having a mechanism to leave messages is the sign of a business that is overwhelmed and incapable of dealing with emergencies and not very professional and customer-centric. It\'s better to get a late reply than no reply at all.\r\n\r\n<strong>No response leads to no business.</strong>\r\n\r\nWhat can a small, one-person business do to be more responsive? There are several options.\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Have a website that explains how you respond in emergencies, and which also provides a phone number, email, and contact form to get in touch (in other words, many ways to get in touch).</li>\r\n	<li>Have an online booking system. There are several paid and non paid options out there that allow your customers to book time with you, either for a consultation or a full-fledged appointment.</li>\r\n	<li>Consider having an answering service, virtual assistant, or in-house administrative person so that customers can talk to a person in real time.</li>\r\n	<li>Make time to answer every email, contact request or phone call that you receive, even if it is to say we can\'t help you at this time.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nNo amount of marketing or beautiful website design is going to overcome a lack of responsiveness. If you want business, you have to respond to inquiries. If you don\'t respond, you will not get that business now or in the future.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','No response = no business','','publish','open','open','','no-response-no-business','','','2018-03-13 13:49:02','2018-03-13 17:49:02','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3691',0,'post','',0),
(3694,4,'2018-03-21 15:55:28','2018-03-21 19:55:28','So many times, people think that by using big words, they sound smarter. After all, people might need to go get a dictionary to look those words up.  Yet, people who do this, often think they know exactly what a word means, when they don\'t. Take for example Chris Cillizza, a political commentator for CNN. Last night, on the Don Lemon show, Cillizza was discussing some of the latest news regarding Donald Trump and adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Cillizza thought that the salacious details wouldn\'t matter much to Trump supporters, because, as he put it, \"Trump has never been a model of <em>moral turpitude</em>.\" Nobody corrected him even though what he said was actually the exact opposite of what he meant.\r\n\r\nCillizza was back on the air this morning, talking about the same subject, and repeated the phrase he had used last night, that Trump isn\'t a model of moral turpitude. This time, one of the other panelists questioned the word, but couldn\'t quite find the correct word to use instead.\r\n\r\nWhat Cillizza meant to say is that Trump is not a model of <em>moral rectitude</em>.\r\n\r\nRectitude means righteousness, while turpitude means depravity. They sound similar, and that\'s what tripped Cillizza up. Sadly, nobody else seems to have understood that Cillizza was contradicting himself by using a big word that he clearly did not know.\r\n\r\nNobody can go back and correct the spoken word. However, you can and should fix written work. You can avoid sounding stupid just by getting someone to copy edit your work, and check that the big words you are using are being used correctly.\r\n\r\nP.S. I did tweet Chris Cilizza the correction. I don\'t know if he read it, or whether he cared.','If you want to sound smart, don\'t use big words','','publish','open','open','','if-you-want-to-sound-smart-dont-use-big-words','','','2018-03-21 15:55:28','2018-03-21 19:55:28','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=3694',0,'post','',0),
(3695,4,'2018-03-21 15:55:28','2018-03-21 19:55:28','So many times, people think that by using big words, they sound smarter. After all, people might need to go get a dictionary to look those words up.  Yet, people who do this, often think they know exactly what a word means, when they don\'t. Take for example Chris Cillizza, a political commentator for CNN. Last night, on the Don Lemon show, Cillizza was discussing some of the latest news regarding Donald Trump and adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Cillizza thought that the salacious details wouldn\'t matter much to Trump supporters, because, as he put it, \"Trump has never been a model of <em>moral turpitude</em>.\" Nobody corrected him even though what he said was actually the exact opposite of what he meant.\r\n\r\nCillizza was back on the air this morning, talking about the same subject, and repeated the phrase he had used last night, that Trump isn\'t a model of moral turpitude. This time, one of the other panelists questioned the word, but couldn\'t quite find the correct word to use instead.\r\n\r\nWhat Cillizza meant to say is that Trump is not a model of <em>moral rectitude</em>.\r\n\r\nRectitude means righteousness, while turpitude means depravity. They sound similar, and that\'s what tripped Cillizza up. Sadly, nobody else seems to have understood that Cillizza was contradicting himself by using a big word that he clearly did not know.\r\n\r\nNobody can go back and correct the spoken word. However, you can and should fix written work. You can avoid sounding stupid just by getting someone to copy edit your work, and check that the big words you are using are being used correctly.\r\n\r\nP.S. I did tweet Chris Cilizza the correction. I don\'t know if he read it, or whether he cared.','If you want to sound smart, don\'t use big words','','inherit','open','open','','3694-revision-v1','','','2018-03-21 15:55:28','2018-03-21 19:55:28','',3694,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/03/3694-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3698,4,'2018-03-28 10:17:04','2018-03-28 14:17:04','Do you always start your day with a extra-big mugful of coffee like I do? If so, you\'ll appreciate just how terrible it is to start your day with a bad cup of coffee. A cup of coffee that lacks the delicious aroma of perfectly roasted coffee beans. A cup of coffee that just tastes awful.\r\n\r\nA bad cup of coffee just gets your day off to a bad start, and for that I blame myself. You see, I had just finished a package of coffee and needed a replacement ASAP (it is a DEFCON 5 situation around here if there is no coffee).  Normally, I buy my coffee at  Trader Joe\'s but I had forgotten to do so during my weekly shopping trip.  And so I found myself shopping in a gourmet store for something else, and thought I would pick up  a brand of coffee that I enjoy (and for which I am willing to pay a little extra).  Apparently, this store no longer carries that brand. They did have another brand that I have tried in the past, but I didn\'t feel like paying the gourmet store price for it.\r\n\r\nSo I made a very big mistake:  I grabbed a bag of coffee simply because it was cheap. It was not a brand I knew or recognized or had even seen before, but I figured a bag of medium roast Costa Rican coffee from a gourmet store can\'t be all that bad. Well, I figured wrong. It was the worst coffee I have ever bought in my life. It tasted horrible. It had no coffee aroma. It was so bad I actually threw what was left out.\r\n\r\nThen I hustled over to Trader Joe\'s and bought my go-to coffee. Now, my mornings are back to normal.\r\n\r\nA bad cup of coffee taught me never to buy an unknown brand. And it\'s really not about the cost.  You can get very good yet cheap  store-brand coffee like I do at  Trader Joe\'s or at stores like Target,<em> where you trust the brand</em>.\r\n\r\nBrands are quite literally markers that serve to identify. They let you separate one product from all the others like it.  Once you\'ve experienced a brand, you can then look for it if you liked it or avoid it if you didn\'t.  <em>Brands provide a shortcut</em> that consumers can use to know what to buy quickly and without much research.\r\n\r\nRemember this the next time you are out of coffee: Unless it\'s a brand you know already, buying just anything based on price alone will get your morning started on the wrong foot.\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo you know what your brand stands for? Are you communicating it well enough? If not, perhaps you should invest in my new <a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\">Brand Identity Kit</a>. Check it out!','What a bad cup of coffee can teach you','','inherit','open','open','','3697-revision-v1','','','2018-03-28 10:17:04','2018-03-28 14:17:04','',3697,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/03/3697-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3783,4,'2018-05-10 09:29:08','2018-05-10 13:29:08','If you watch as much TV/cable news and commentary as I do, chances are good that you\'ve seen an advertisement for something called Domo. It\'s been running a lot over the past couple months. In case you\'ve missed it, here it is:\r\n<div style=\"position: relative; width: 100%; padding-top: 56.25%; padding-bottom: 40px;\"><iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; right: 0; left: 0; bottom: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https://www.ispot.tv/share/w31b\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe></div>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo you understand what Domo is from this commercial? Apparently it\'s something that allows you to \"connect with anything in the company\" and gives you the \"company data in one place.\" And let\'s not forget, it will help Jeanne, who is always cold (huh?). The tagline on the commercial is Domo: For the good of the company.\r\n\r\nThis commercial is successful in making you wonder what Domo is, and maybe, like me, you go search it out on the web.\r\n<h5>Take it to the internet</h5>\r\nSome internet research into Domo reveals that it is a software company that deals in \"business intelligence\" and \"data visualization.\"  A visit to Domo\'s website has the description \"connecting your data, systems and people\" in the navigation bar. The home page has a tagline/descriptor that says: \"Everybody on the same page, all the time. Run the  business from your phone.\"\r\n\r\nHere you do learn more about it. When I scroll down there is a part of the home page called product benefits where I learn that Domo is \"the fully-mobile, cloud-based operating system that unifies every component of a business. Data becomes decisions, ideas turn into action.\" Someone needs to explain to Domo that this is not a listing of benefits, but rather an actual description of the product.\r\n\r\nThen I click on \"product\" on the navbar. I get this content:\r\n<div class=\"content-container\">\r\n<div class=\"section-title-container content-max text-center pad-sides\">\r\n<div class=\"copy-pod\">\r\n<div>\r\n<blockquote>Domo creates a truly digitally-connected organization.\r\n\r\nThe sum of Domo\'s parts deliver a virtuous cycle of business optimization. Everyone knows more, works together better, and gets more done, faster.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;</blockquote>\r\n(And here we find a new contender for unintelligible business jargon: \"A virtuous cycle of business optimization.\")\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n<h5>But what is it? And why do I care?</h5>\r\nI don\'t know about you, but I am still confused.  I am confused because at no point does the ad or the website explain what exactly we are talking about and  why being connected to all your data and systems in one place (apparently your phone) makes things run better.\r\n\r\nThere are so many issues both with the website messaging and with the TV commercial. The website and the commercial feature taglines, descriptors, slogans, product benefits, a product description--and none of them match up. The website prominently features a phrase that tells you you can get to everything from your phone. Is this the main selling feature?\r\n<h5>Who should hear about it?</h5>\r\nIt\'s clear that the target audience for the TV commercial is a CEO or a COO of a company. We know this because we have the self-effacing female administrative assistant who starts by saying she\'s not the \"c-anything o,\" and ends by saying that the CEO, to whom she is writing the email suggesting the company get Domo, is really the one who runs things.\r\n\r\nHow is it then that the lowly admin knows about this amazing product?  And what I really don\'t get is how having data visualization on your smartphone is going to help Jeanne who is always cold?\r\n<h5>The bottom line</h5>\r\nDomo, with its short and easy to remember name, has succeeded in building brand recognition and perhaps even increasing its website traffic. What is less clear is if has succeeded in getting customers. There\'s a lot of explaining that needs to be done about what Domo actually is, how it works, and why you need it. To be successful in your branding, you need clear and consistent messaging and a strong selling proposition.\r\n\r\nDomo has many messages and several reasons (maybe too many) for you to consider getting it.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Do you understand Domo? Do you need Domo?\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nYou may have noticed that the DBMC website has been spruced up a bit. During the \"remodeling\" I refrained from blogging so that there would be no new content to migrate to the new site. But now I am back! Let me know what you think of the new website.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','What the heck is Domo and why should you care?','','inherit','closed','closed','','3778-revision-v1','','','2018-05-10 09:29:08','2018-05-10 13:29:08','',3778,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/05/3778-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3704,4,'2018-04-03 21:25:55','2018-04-04 01:25:55','','astra-child','','publish','closed','closed','','astra-child','','','2018-04-04 21:25:08','2018-04-05 01:25:08','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/astra-child/',0,'custom_css','',0),
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(3707,4,'2018-04-03 21:28:38','2018-04-04 01:28:38','.site-title a, .site-title a:focus, .site-title a:hover, .site-title a:visited {\n    color: #b31106;\n}','astra-child','','inherit','closed','closed','','3704-revision-v1','','','2018-04-03 21:28:38','2018-04-04 01:28:38','',3704,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/3704-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3709,4,'2018-04-03 21:29:14','2018-04-04 01:29:14','.site-title a, .site-title a:focus, .site-title a:hover, .site-title a:visited {\n    color: #b31106;\n}\n.site-header .site-description {\n    color: #b31106;\n}','astra-child','','inherit','closed','closed','','3704-revision-v1','','','2018-04-03 21:29:14','2018-04-04 01:29:14','',3704,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/3704-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3782,4,'2018-05-10 09:26:49','2018-05-10 13:26:49','If you watch as much TV/cable news and commentary as I do, chances are good that you\'ve seen an advertisement for a thing called Domo. It\'s been running a lot over the past couple months. In case you\'ve missed it, here it is:\r\n<div style=\"position: relative; width: 100%; padding-top: 56.25%; padding-bottom: 40px;\"><iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; right: 0; left: 0; bottom: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https://www.ispot.tv/share/w31b\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe></div>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo you understand what Domo is from this commercial? Apparently it\'s something that allows you to \"connect with anything in the company\" and gives you the \"company data in one place.\" And let\'s not forget, it will help Jeanne, who is always cold (huh?). The tagline on the commercial is Domo: For the good of the company.\r\n\r\nThis commercial is successful in making you wonder what Domo is, and maybe, like me, you go search it out on the web.\r\n<h5>Take it to the internet</h5>\r\nSome internet research into Domo reveals that it is a software company that deals in \"business intelligence\" and \"data visualization.\"  A visit to Domo\'s website has the description \"connecting your data, systems and people\" in the navigation bar. The home page has a tagline/descriptor that says: \"Everybody on the same page, all the time. Run the  business from your phone.\"\r\n\r\nHere you do learn more about it. When I scroll down there is a part of the home page called product benefits where I learn that Domo is \"the fully-mobile, cloud-based operating system that unifies every component of a business. Data becomes decisions, ideas turn into action.\" Someone needs to explain to Domo that this is not a listing of benefits, but rather an actual description of the product.\r\n\r\nThen I click on \"product\" on the navbar. I get this content:\r\n<div class=\"content-container\">\r\n<div class=\"section-title-container content-max text-center pad-sides\">\r\n<div class=\"copy-pod\">\r\n<div>\r\n<blockquote>Domo creates a truly digitally-connected organization.\r\n\r\nThe sum of Domo\'s parts deliver a virtuous cycle of business optimization. Everyone knows more, works together better, and gets more done, faster.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;</blockquote>\r\n(And here we find a new contender for unintelligible business jargon: \"A virtuous cycle of business optimization.\")\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n<h5>But what is it? And why do I care?</h5>\r\nI don\'t know about you, but I am still confused.  I am confused because at no point does the ad or the website explain what exactly we are talking about and  why being connected to all your data and systems in one place (apparently your phone) makes things run better.\r\n\r\nThere are so many issues both with the website messaging and with the TV commercial. The website and the commercial feature taglines, descriptors, slogans, product benefits, a product description--and none of them match up. The website prominently features a phrase that tells you you can get to everything from your phone. Is this the main selling feature?\r\n<h5>Who should hear about it?</h5>\r\nIt\'s clear that the target audience for the TV commercial is a CEO or a COO of a company. We know this because we have the self-effacing female administrative assistant who starts by saying she\'s not the \"c-anything o,\" and ends by saying that the CEO, to whom she is writing the email suggesting the company get Domo, is really the one who runs things.\r\n\r\nHow is it then that the lowly admin knows about this amazing product?  And what I really don\'t get is how having data visualization on your smartphone is going to help Jeanne who is always cold?\r\n<h5>The bottom line</h5>\r\nDomo, with its short and easy to remember name, has succeeded in building brand recognition and perhaps even increasing its website traffic. What is less clear is if has succeeded in getting customers. There\'s a lot of explaining that needs to be done about what Domo actually is, how it works, and why you need it. To be successful in your branding, you need clear and consistent messaging and a strong selling proposition. Domo has lots of messages, and several reasons for you to consider getting it.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Do you understand Domo? Do you need Domo?\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nYou may have noticed that the DBMC website has been spruced up a bit. During the \"remodeling\" I refrained from blogging so that there would be no new content to migrate to the new site. But now I am back! Let me know what you think of the new website.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','What the heck is Domo and why should you care?','','inherit','closed','closed','','3778-revision-v1','','','2018-05-10 09:26:49','2018-05-10 13:26:49','',3778,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/05/3778-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3716,4,'2018-04-03 21:36:40','2018-04-04 01:36:40','.site-title a, .site-title a:focus, .site-title a:hover, .site-title a:visited {\n    color: #b31106;\n}\n.site-header .site-description {\n    color: #b31106;\n}\nh4 {\n	color: #b31106;\n}','astra-child','','inherit','closed','closed','','3704-revision-v1','','','2018-04-03 21:36:40','2018-04-04 01:36:40','',3704,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/3704-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3824,4,'2018-06-22 15:30:08','2018-06-22 19:30:08','There are thirty (that is 3-0) people running for Montgomery County, Maryland Council. Voters are allowed to vote for up to four. There are also eight candidates running in the Democratic primary for Maryland Governor (the incumbent, Larry Hogan, is a Republican and is unopposed). Voters also get to vote for County Executive (six Democrats running), U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, State Delegates, Judges, even for the Clerk of the Circuit Court. In short, there are a lot of people competing for votes in Montgomery County, Maryland. And with so many people running, it’s a real challenge to stand out.\n\nAnd it’s because of the crush of candidates that every registered party voter in Montgomery County (where I live) has been inundated with campaign literature. (Read today’s Washington Post story,<a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/so-many-candidates-so-much-mail/2018/06/19/80549d08-732d-11e8-b4b7-308400242c2e_story.html?utm_term=.509ea3aff044\"> In Montgomery County, voters face a deluge of campaign literature mailings</a>, about it).  And that is all in addition to the countless political commercials that have been airing on both the local TV stations and the political talk shows on cable TV. And the many sponsored ads on Twitter and Facebook. And the ubiquitous lawn signs and placards placed throughout the county.\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_3818\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\"]<a href=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/20180616_112036.jpg\"><img class=\"wp-image-3818 size-large\" src=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/20180616_112036-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" /></a> Placards outside Silver Spring Early Voting Center[/caption]\n\nI know because I have received dozens of door hangers and flyers on my doorstep, dozens of flyers in the mail, tons of emails, and even personalized texts to my cell phone (I am still trying to figure out how they got the number).  The most notable piece of campaign literature that I got was a form letter from a candidate stuffed inside a handwritten envelope.\n\n<strong>The name of the game</strong>\n\nWhen a race is so crowded, you have to really fight to stand out. When you are running against 29 other candidates, name recognition matters. And so you spend a lot of money to make sure people know and remember your name.\n\n<strong>So you need money to succeed in politics</strong>\n\nThere are two big problems with making name recognition a priority. The first is that you need a lot of money to be able to make people remember your name, which means candidates with the deepest pockets have a big (unfair?) advantage. And indeed, in Montgomery County, two self-made millionaires (David Trone, who is running for U.S. Congress, and David Blair, who is running for Montgomery County Executive) are leading in the amount of money spent. Both these guys are saturating the market with flyers, TV commercials, placards and so forth.\n\n<strong>And a stand voters agree with</strong>\n\nThe second problem is that we don’t vote on name recognition alone. Serious voters (and primary voters tend to be serious) vote on where candidates stand on issues they care about. Name recognition is helpful for sure, but it doesn’t inform voters sufficiently. If voters care about issues, it becomes incumbent on them to research the candidates’ positions. Thankfully, the League of Women Voters publishes a Voters’ Guide. And most candidates have websites.\n\nIn the end, you vote for people who reflect your priorities and values, not for the person with the most lawn signs or door hangers. To really stand out in a crowded field, candidates need to be able to communicate who they are, what they stand for, and why they are the better choice. That takes a lot of money, great communications know-how, and superb political skill.\n\nMay the best candidates win! And if you live in Maryland, don\'t forget to vote on June 26th.\n\nUPDATE: Today, I received an additional five pieces of campaign literature in the mail, three of those promote ONE candidate, and the other is the tenth or so piece I have received from another candidate. Sending three pieces of mail about one candidate strikes me as overkill, and could backfire. Certainly the other candidate, who clearly has very deep pockets, has shown he will spend (waste?) as much money as he can. There\'s no added advantage to sending a piece of campaign literature every day. It is literally clutter\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','How do you know who to vote for when there are so many candidates?','','inherit','closed','closed','','3817-autosave-v1','','','2018-06-22 15:30:08','2018-06-22 19:30:08','',3817,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/3817-autosave-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3724,4,'2018-04-04 21:25:08','2018-04-05 01:25:08','','astra-child','','inherit','closed','closed','','3704-revision-v1','','','2018-04-04 21:25:08','2018-04-05 01:25:08','',3704,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/3704-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3718,4,'2018-04-03 21:37:12','2018-04-04 01:37:12','.site-title a, .site-title a:focus, .site-title a:hover, .site-title a:visited {\n    color: #b31106;\n}\n.site-header .site-description {\n    color: #b31106;\n}\nh4 {\n	color: #b31106 !important;\n}','astra-child','','inherit','closed','closed','','3704-revision-v1','','','2018-04-03 21:37:12','2018-04-04 01:37:12','',3704,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/3704-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3781,4,'2018-05-10 09:24:55','2018-05-10 13:24:55','If you watch as much TV/cable news and commentary as I do, chances are good that you\'ve seen an advertisement for a thing called Domo. It\'s been running a lot over the past couple months. In case you\'ve missed it, here it is:\r\n<div style=\"position: relative; width: 100%; padding-top: 56.25%; padding-bottom: 40px;\"><iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; right: 0; left: 0; bottom: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https://www.ispot.tv/share/w31b\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe></div>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo you understand what Domo is from this commercial? Apparently it\'s something that allows you to \"connect with anything in the company\" and gives you the \"company data in one place.\" And let\'s not forget, it will help Jeanne, who is always cold (huh?). The tagline on the commercial is Domo: For the good of the company.\r\n\r\nThis commercial is successful in making you wonder what Domo is, and maybe, like me, you go search it out on the web.\r\n<h5>Take it to the internet</h5>\r\nSome internet research into Domo reveals that it is a software company that deals in \"business intelligence\" and \"data visualization.\"  A visit to Domo\'s website has the description \"connecting your data, systems and people\" in the navigation bar. The home page has a tagline/descriptor that says: \"Everybody on the same page, all the time. Run the  business from your phone.\"\r\n\r\nHere you do learn more about it. When I scroll down there is a part of the home page called product benefits where I learn that Domo is \"the fully-mobile, cloud-based operating system that unifies every component of a business. Data becomes decisions, ideas turn into action.\" Someone needs to explain to Domo that this is not a listing of benefits, but rather an actual description of the product.\r\n\r\nThen I click on \"product\" on the navbar. I get this content:\r\n<div class=\"content-container\">\r\n<div class=\"section-title-container content-max text-center pad-sides\">\r\n<div class=\"copy-pod\">\r\n<div>\r\n<blockquote>Domo creates a truly digitally-connected organization.\r\n\r\nThe sum of Domo\'s parts deliver a virtuous cycle of business optimization. Everyone knows more, works together better, and gets more done, faster.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;</blockquote>\r\n(And here we find a new contender for unintelligible business jargon: \"A virtuous cycle of business optimization.\")\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n<h5>But what is it? And why do I care?</h5>\r\nI don\'t know about you, but I am still confused.  I am confused because at no point does the ad or the website explain what exactly we are talking about and  why being connected to all your data and systems in one place (apparently your phone) makes things run better.\r\n\r\nThere are so many issues both with the website messaging and with the TV commercial. The website and the commercial feature taglines, descriptors, slogans, product benefits, a product description--and none of them match up. The website prominently features a phrase that tells you you can get to everything from your phone. Is this the main selling feature?\r\n<h5>Who really cares about it?</h5>\r\nIt\'s clear that the target audience for the TV commercial is a CEO or a COO of a company. We know this because we have the self-effacing female administrative assistant who starts by saying she\'s not the \"c-anything o,\" and ends by saying that the CEO, to whom she is writing the email suggesting the company get Domo, is really the one who runs things.\r\n\r\nHow is it then that the lowly admin knows about this amazing product?  And what I really don\'t get is how having data visualization on your smartphone is going to help Jeanne who is always cold?\r\n<h5>The bottom line</h5>\r\nDomo, with its short and easy to remember name, has succeeded in building brand recognition and perhaps even increasing its website traffic. What is less clear is if has succeeded in getting customers. There\'s a lot of explaining that needs to be done about what Domo actually is, how it works, and why you need it. You need clear and consistent messaging and a strong selling proposition. Domo has lots of messages, and several reasons for you to consider getting it.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Do you understand Domo?\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nYou may have noticed that the DBMC website has been spruced up a bit. During the \"remodeling\" I refrained from blogging so that there would be no new content to migrate. But now I am back! Let me know what you think of the new website.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','What the heck is Domo and why should you care?','','inherit','closed','closed','','3778-revision-v1','','','2018-05-10 09:24:55','2018-05-10 13:24:55','',3778,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/05/3778-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3751,4,'2018-04-10 11:21:45','2018-04-10 15:21:45','<h4>How I Can Help You</h4>\r\nIf you\'re a small to medium size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.\r\n\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).\r\n\r\n<h4>Why Choose DBMC</h4>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won\'t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n\r\n<h4>What\'s new:</h4>\r\n<a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\">Brand Identity Kit</a> (the five-part marketing message kit to help you communicate better)\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Booking\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/events/booking/\">Book a free 15-minute consultation!</a>','Home','','inherit','closed','closed','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-04-10 11:21:45','2018-04-10 15:21:45','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3728,4,'2018-04-05 20:48:45','2018-04-06 00:48:45','<h3>If you\'re a small to medium-size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.</h3>\r\n<br>\r\n<table class=\"homemain\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">\r\n<table class=\"homeleft\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>How I Can Help You\r\n</strong></h4>\r\nIf you\'re a small to medium size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.\r\n\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n<td>\r\n<table class=\"homeright\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>Why Choose DBMC</strong></h4>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won\'t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n<h4><strong>What\'s new:</strong></h4>\r\n<a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\">Brand Identity Kit</a> (the five-part marketing message kit to help you communicate better)\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Booking\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/events/booking/\">Book a free 15-minute consultation!</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n<div id=\"contacthome\"><a style=\"color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold;\" href=\"contact\">Contact us</a> today to learn how to improve your marketing and communications.</div>','Home','','inherit','closed','closed','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-04-05 20:48:45','2018-04-06 00:48:45','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3729,4,'2018-04-05 20:49:07','2018-04-06 00:49:07','<h4>If you\'re a small to medium-size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.</h4>\r\n<br>\r\n<table class=\"homemain\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">\r\n<table class=\"homeleft\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>How I Can Help You\r\n</strong></h4>\r\nIf you\'re a small to medium size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.\r\n\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n<td>\r\n<table class=\"homeright\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>Why Choose DBMC</strong></h4>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won\'t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n<h4><strong>What\'s new:</strong></h4>\r\n<a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\">Brand Identity Kit</a> (the five-part marketing message kit to help you communicate better)\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Booking\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/events/booking/\">Book a free 15-minute consultation!</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n<div id=\"contacthome\"><a style=\"color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold;\" href=\"contact\">Contact us</a> today to learn how to improve your marketing and communications.</div>','Home','','inherit','closed','closed','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-04-05 20:49:07','2018-04-06 00:49:07','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3732,4,'2026-02-12 15:05:38','2026-02-12 20:05:38','<h2>How I Can Help You</h2>\nMy mission is to help you create clear, concise, and accurate communications materials\n<h2>Why Choose DBMC</h2>\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\n\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\n\n<strong>You won’t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Home','','inherit','closed','closed','','2-autosave-v1','','','2026-02-12 15:05:38','2026-02-12 20:05:38','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/2-autosave-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3761,4,'2018-04-24 10:16:59','2018-04-24 14:16:59','','Homepage photo','','publish','closed','closed','','acf_homepage-photo','','','2018-04-25 12:26:15','2018-04-25 16:26:15','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?post_type=acf&#038;p=3761',0,'acf','',0),
(3747,4,'2018-04-07 21:37:28','2018-04-08 01:37:28','<h4>If you\'re a small to medium-size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.</h4>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<table class=\"homemain\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">\r\n<table class=\"homeleft\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>How I Can Help You\r\n</strong></h4>\r\nIf you\'re a small to medium size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.\r\n\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n<td>\r\n<table class=\"homeright\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>Why Choose DBMC</strong></h4>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won\'t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n<h4><strong>What\'s new:</strong></h4>\r\n<a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\">Brand Identity Kit</a> (the five-part marketing message kit to help you communicate better)\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Booking\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/events/booking/\">Book a free 15-minute consultation!</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n','Home','','inherit','closed','closed','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-04-07 21:37:28','2018-04-08 01:37:28','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3734,4,'2018-04-05 21:20:51','2018-04-06 01:20:51','<h4>If you\'re a small to medium-size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.</h4>\r\n<br>\r\n<table class=\"homemain\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">\r\n<table class=\"homeleft\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>How I Can Help You\r\n</strong></h4>\r\nIf you\'re a small to medium size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.\r\n\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n<td>\r\n<table class=\"homeright\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>Why Choose DBMC</strong></h4>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won\'t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n<h4><strong>What\'s new:</strong></h4>\r\n<a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\">Brand Identity Kit</a> (the five-part marketing message kit to help you communicate better)\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Booking\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/events/booking/\">Book a free 15-minute consultation!</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n<div id=\"contacthome\">\r\n<a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" href=\"contact\">Contact us</a> today to learn how to improve your marketing and communications.\r\n<table>\r\n<tr><td><h4><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\"><br />Sign up to receive free marketing and communications insights.</span></h4></td>\r\n<td><form action=\'https://madmimi.com/signups/subscribe/35996\' method=\'post\'>\r\n<div><label for=\'signup_name\'>Name</label><br /><input id=\'signup_name\' name=\'signup[name]\' type=\'text\' /><br />\r\n<label for=\'signup_email\'>Email</label><br /><input id=\'signup_email\' name=\'signup[email]\' type=\'text\' /><br /><input name=\'commit\' class=\'button\' type=\'submit\' value=\'Sign Up\' /></div>\r\n</form></td></tr></table>\r\n</div>','Home','','inherit','closed','closed','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-04-05 21:20:51','2018-04-06 01:20:51','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3733,4,'2018-04-05 21:19:46','2018-04-06 01:19:46','<h4>If you\'re a small to medium-size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.</h4>\r\n<br>\r\n<table class=\"homemain\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">\r\n<table class=\"homeleft\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>How I Can Help You\r\n</strong></h4>\r\nIf you\'re a small to medium size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.\r\n\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n<td>\r\n<table class=\"homeright\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>Why Choose DBMC</strong></h4>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won\'t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n<h4><strong>What\'s new:</strong></h4>\r\n<a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\">Brand Identity Kit</a> (the five-part marketing message kit to help you communicate better)\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Booking\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/events/booking/\">Book a free 15-minute consultation!</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n<div id=\"contacthome\">\r\n<a style=\"color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold;\" href=\"contact\">Contact us</a> today to learn how to improve your marketing and communications.\r\n\r\n<h3 align=\"center\" style=\"color:#535353;\">If you’re a small to medium-size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you’ve come to the right place.</h3><br />\r\n<table>\r\n<tr><td><h4><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\"><br />Sign up to receive free marketing and communications insights.</span></h4></td>\r\n<td><form action=\'https://madmimi.com/signups/subscribe/35996\' method=\'post\'>\r\n<div><label for=\'signup_name\'>Name</label><br /><input id=\'signup_name\' name=\'signup[name]\' type=\'text\' /><br />\r\n<label for=\'signup_email\'>Email</label><br /><input id=\'signup_email\' name=\'signup[email]\' type=\'text\' /><br /><input name=\'commit\' class=\'button\' type=\'submit\' value=\'Sign Up\' /></div>\r\n</form></td></tr></table>\r\n</div>','Home','','inherit','closed','closed','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-04-05 21:19:46','2018-04-06 01:19:46','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3735,4,'2018-04-05 21:26:56','2018-04-06 01:26:56','<h4>If you\'re a small to medium-size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.</h4>\r\n<br>\r\n<table class=\"homemain\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">\r\n<table class=\"homeleft\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>How I Can Help You\r\n</strong></h4>\r\nIf you\'re a small to medium size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.\r\n\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n<td>\r\n<table class=\"homeright\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>Why Choose DBMC</strong></h4>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won\'t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n<h4><strong>What\'s new:</strong></h4>\r\n<a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\">Brand Identity Kit</a> (the five-part marketing message kit to help you communicate better)\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Booking\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/events/booking/\">Book a free 15-minute consultation!</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n<div id=\"contacthome\">\r\n<a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" href=\"contact\">Contact us</a> today to learn how to improve your marketing and communications.\r\n<table>\r\n<tr><td><h5><span style=\"font-weight:bold;\"><br />Sign up to receive free marketing and communications insights.</span></h5></td>\r\n<td><form action=\'https://madmimi.com/signups/subscribe/35996\' method=\'post\'>\r\n<div><label for=\'signup_name\'>Name</label><br /><input id=\'signup_name\' name=\'signup[name]\' type=\'text\' /><br />\r\n<label for=\'signup_email\'>Email</label><br /><input id=\'signup_email\' name=\'signup[email]\' type=\'text\' /><br /><input name=\'commit\' class=\'button\' type=\'submit\' value=\'Sign Up\' /></div>\r\n</form></td></tr></table>\r\n</div>','Home','','inherit','closed','closed','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-04-05 21:26:56','2018-04-06 01:26:56','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3780,4,'2018-05-10 09:21:09','2018-05-10 13:21:09','If you watch as much TV/cable news and commentary as I do, chances are good that you\'ve seen an advertisement for a thing called Domo. It\'s been running a lot over the past couple months. In case you\'ve missed it, here it is:\r\n<div style=\"position: relative; width: 100%; padding-top: 56.25%; padding-bottom: 40px;\"><iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; right: 0; left: 0; bottom: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https://www.ispot.tv/share/w31b\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe></div>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo you understand what Domo is from this commercial? Apparently it\'s something that allows you to \"connect with anything in the company\" and gives you the \"company data in one place.\" And let\'s not forget, it will help Jeanne, who is always cold (huh?). The tagline on the commercial is Domo: For the good of the company.\r\n\r\nThis commercial is successful in making you wonder what Domo is, and maybe, like me, you go search it out on the web.\r\n\r\nSome internet research into Domo reveals that it is a software company that deals in \"business intelligence\" and \"data visualization.\"  A visit to Domo\'s website has the description \"connecting your data, systems and people\" in the navigation bar. The home page has a tagline/descriptor that says: \"Everybody on the same page, all the time. Run the  business from your phone.\"\r\n\r\nHere you do learn more about it. When I scroll down there is a part of the home page called product benefits where I learn that Domo is \"the fully-mobile, cloud-based operating system that unifies every component of a business. Data becomes decisions, ideas turn into action.\" Someone needs to explain to Domo that this is not a listing of benefits, but rather an actual description of the product.\r\n\r\nThen I click on \"product\" on the navbar. I get this content:\r\n<div class=\"content-container\">\r\n<div class=\"section-title-container content-max text-center pad-sides\">\r\n<div class=\"copy-pod\">\r\n<div>\r\n<blockquote>Domo creates a truly digitally-connected organization.\r\n\r\nThe sum of Domo\'s parts deliver a virtuous cycle of business optimization. Everyone knows more, works together better, and gets more done, faster.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;</blockquote>\r\n(And here we find a new contender for unintelligible business jargon: \"A virtuous cycle of business optimization.\")\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\nI don\'t know about you, but I am still confused.  I am confused because at no point does the ad or the website explain what exactly we are talking about and  why being connected to all your data and systems in one place (apparently your phone) makes things run better.\r\n\r\nThere are so many issues both with the website messaging and with the TV commercial. The website and the commercial feature taglines, descriptors, slogans, product benefits, a product description--and none of them match up. The website prominently features a phrase that tells you you can get to everything from your phone. Is this the main selling feature?\r\n\r\nIt\'s clear that the target audience for the TV commercial is a CEO or a COO of a company. We know this because we have the self-effacing female administrative assistant who starts by saying she\'s not the \"c-anything o,\" and ends by saying that the CEO, to whom she is writing the email suggesting the company get Domo, is really the one who runs things.\r\n\r\nHow is it then that the lowly admin knows about this amazing product?  And what I really don\'t get is how having data visualization on your smartphone is going to help Jeanne who is always cold?\r\n\r\nBottom line:\r\n\r\nDomo, with its short and easy to remember name, has succeeded in building brand recognition and perhaps even increasing its website traffic. What is less clear is if has succeeded in getting customers. There\'s a lot of explaining that needs to be done about what Domo actually is, how it works, and why you need it. You need clear and consistent messaging and a strong selling proposition. Domo has lots of messages, and several reasons for you to consider getting it.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Do you understand Domo?\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nYou may have noticed that the DBMC website has been spruced up a bit. During the \"remodeling\" I refrained from blogging so that there would be no new content to migrate. But now I am back! Let me know what you think of the new website.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','What the heck is Domo and why should you care?','','inherit','closed','closed','','3778-revision-v1','','','2018-05-10 09:21:09','2018-05-10 13:21:09','',3778,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/05/3778-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3762,4,'2018-04-24 10:17:43','2018-04-24 14:17:43','<h2>How I Can Help You</h2>\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).\r\n<h2>Why Choose DBMC</h2>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won’t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n<h2>What’s new:</h2>\r\n<a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\">Brand Identity Kit</a> (the five-part marketing message kit to help you communicate better)\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Booking\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/events/booking/\">Book a free 15-minute consultation!</a>','Home','','inherit','closed','closed','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-04-24 10:17:43','2018-04-24 14:17:43','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3745,4,'2018-04-06 09:32:38','2018-04-06 13:32:38','<h4>If you\'re a small to medium-size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.</h4>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<table class=\"homemain\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">\r\n<table class=\"homeleft\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>How I Can Help You\r\n</strong></h4>\r\nIf you\'re a small to medium size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.\r\n\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n<td>\r\n<table class=\"homeright\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>Why Choose DBMC</strong></h4>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won\'t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n<h4><strong>What\'s new:</strong></h4>\r\n<a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\">Brand Identity Kit</a> (the five-part marketing message kit to help you communicate better)\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Booking\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/events/booking/\">Book a free 15-minute consultation!</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n<div id=\"contacthome\">\r\n\r\n<a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" href=\"contact\">Contact us</a> today to learn how to improve your marketing and communications.\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h5><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">\r\nSign up to receive free marketing and communications insights.</span></h5>\r\n</td>\r\n<td><form action=\"https://madmimi.com/signups/subscribe/35996\" method=\"post\">\r\n<div><label for=\"signup_name\">Name</label>\r\n<input id=\"signup_name\" name=\"signup[name]\" type=\"text\" />\r\n<label for=\"signup_email\">Email</label>\r\n<input id=\"signup_email\" name=\"signup[email]\" type=\"text\" />\r\n<input class=\"button\" name=\"commit\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Sign Up\" /></div>\r\n</form></td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</div>','Home','','inherit','closed','closed','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-04-06 09:32:38','2018-04-06 13:32:38','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3776,4,'2018-05-08 16:33:33','2018-05-08 20:33:33','In case you\'ve missed a newsletter, just check this archive:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/33be2c\">May 2018</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/51a8bb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">February 2018</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/4dd82b\">November 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"September 2017\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/391dca\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">September 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/45625a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">June 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/75c3f9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">April 2017</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/792b39\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">December 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/a051e8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">October 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"August 2016 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/359a88\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">August 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/d841f7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">June 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"March 2016 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/a50a67\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">March 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/d7ed27\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">January 2016</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/987fe6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">November 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"September 2015 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/2f17a6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">September 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/f0dc46\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">June 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/83c206\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">March 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"January 2015 newsletter\" href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/594ec5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">January 2015</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/p/9a6295?fe=1&amp;pact=26384901049\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">November 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/f95d35\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">September 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://madmimi.com/s/c3e405\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">July 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://mad.ly/3625c4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">April 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"February newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/dc2584\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">February 2014</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"December 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/bb9454\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">December 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"October 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/f27424\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">October 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"July 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/eb30f3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">July 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"May 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/9003c3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">May 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"March 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/d82a93\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">March 2013</a>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"January 2013 newsletter\" href=\"http://mad.ly/a12873\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">January 2013</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Newsletters','','inherit','closed','closed','','2509-revision-v1','','','2018-05-08 16:33:33','2018-05-08 20:33:33','',2509,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/05/2509-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0);
INSERT INTO `wp_posts` VALUES
(3779,4,'2018-05-10 08:30:35','2018-05-10 12:30:35','If you watch as much TV/cable news and commentary as I do, chances are good that you\'ve seen an advertisement for a thing called Domo. It\'s been running a lot over the past couple months. In case you\'ve missed it, here it is:\r\n\r\n&lt;div style=\"position:relative;width:100%;padding-top:56.25%;padding-bottom:40px;\"&gt;&lt;iframe style=\"position:absolute;top:0;right:0;left:0;bottom:0;width:100%;height:100%;\" src=\"https://www.ispot.tv/share/w31b\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"\"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;\r\n\r\nDo you understand what Domo is from this commercial? Apparently it\'s something that allows you to \"connect with anything in the company\" and gives you the \"company data in one place.\" And let\'s not forget, it will help Jeanne, who is always cold. Huh?\r\n\r\nI really dislike this commercial for many reasons, not the least of which is the self-effacing female administrative assistant who starts by saying she\'s not the \"c-anything o,\" and ends by saying that the CEO, to whom the commercial is directed is really the one who runs things.','What the heck is Domo and why should you care?','','inherit','closed','closed','','3778-revision-v1','','','2018-05-10 08:30:35','2018-05-10 12:30:35','',3778,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/05/3778-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3914,4,'2019-01-24 09:57:54','2019-01-24 14:57:54','Best practices are the ones that are the most effective in providing results you want.  And every industry has its own best practices. Your organization might have its own best practices, which include administrative and managerial tasks (e.g., how to invoice, how to handle hiring and firing, how to establish budget priorities).\r\n\r\nIn other words, best practices are guidelines. They serve as a map in getting things done.\r\n\r\nTake an administrative task like invoicing, for example. Do you follow a rule about invoicing? Perhaps you invoice every time a project is completed, or you invoice every two weeks, or once a month. You probably understand that unless  you invoice regularly, you may not get paid regularly. I once worked at a communications agency where the invoicing was handled by the very disorganized president (who was a horrible micro-manager and could/would not delegate these types of tasks). She invoiced clients whenever she got around to it. And guess what? That affected cash flow for the agency, and even angered clients who were getting billed for work done months earlier.  This agency president was not following invoicing best practices, and it was making her agency suffer financially.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Do you follow best practices?','','inherit','closed','closed','','3913-revision-v1','','','2019-01-24 09:57:54','2019-01-24 14:57:54','',3913,'https://deborahbrody.com/2019/01/3913-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3778,4,'2018-05-10 09:32:12','2018-05-10 13:32:12','If you watch as much TV/cable news and commentary as I do, chances are good that you\'ve seen an advertisement for something called Domo. It\'s been running a lot over the past couple months. In case you\'ve missed it, here it is:\r\n<div style=\"position: relative; width: 100%; padding-top: 56.25%; padding-bottom: 40px;\"><iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; right: 0; left: 0; bottom: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https://www.ispot.tv/share/w31b\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe></div>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo you understand what Domo is from this commercial? Apparently it\'s something that allows you to \"connect with anything in the company\" and gives you the \"company data in one place.\" And let\'s not forget, it will help Jeanne, who is always cold (huh?). The tagline on the commercial is Domo: For the good of the company.\r\n\r\nThis commercial is successful in making you wonder what Domo is, and maybe, like me, you go search it out on the web.\r\n<h5>Take it to the internet</h5>\r\nSome internet research into Domo reveals that it is a software company that deals in \"business intelligence\" and \"data visualization.\"  A visit to Domo\'s website has the description \"connecting your data, systems and people\" in the navigation bar. The home page has a tagline/descriptor that says: \"Everybody on the same page, all the time. Run the  business from your phone.\"\r\n\r\nHere you do learn more about it. When I scroll down there is a part of the home page called product benefits where I learn that Domo is \"the fully-mobile, cloud-based operating system that unifies every component of a business. Data becomes decisions, ideas turn into action.\" Someone needs to explain to Domo that this is not a listing of benefits, but rather an actual description of the product.\r\n\r\nThen I click on \"product\" on the navbar. I get this content:\r\n<div class=\"content-container\">\r\n<div class=\"section-title-container content-max text-center pad-sides\">\r\n<div class=\"copy-pod\">\r\n<div>\r\n<blockquote>Domo creates a truly digitally-connected organization.\r\n\r\nThe sum of Domo\'s parts deliver a virtuous cycle of business optimization. Everyone knows more, works together better, and gets more done, faster.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;</blockquote>\r\n(And here we find a new contender for unintelligible business jargon: \"A virtuous cycle of business optimization.\")\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n<h5>But what is it? And why do I care?</h5>\r\nI don\'t know about you, but I am still confused.  I am confused because at no point does the ad or the website explain what exactly we are talking about and  why being connected to all your data and systems in one place (apparently your phone) makes things run better.\r\n\r\nThere are so many issues both with the website messaging and with the TV commercial. The website and the commercial feature taglines, descriptors, slogans, product benefits, a product description--and none of them match up. The website prominently features a phrase that tells you you can get to everything from your phone. Is this the main selling feature?\r\n<h5>Who should hear about it?</h5>\r\nIt\'s clear that the target audience for the TV commercial is a CEO or a COO of a company. We know this because we have the self-effacing female administrative assistant who starts by saying she\'s not the \"c-anything o,\" and ends by saying that the CEO, to whom she is writing the email suggesting the company get Domo, is really the one who runs things.\r\n\r\nHow is it then that the lowly admin knows about this amazing product?  And what I really don\'t get is how having data visualization on your smartphone is going to help Jeanne who is always cold?\r\n<h5>The bottom line</h5>\r\nDomo, with its short and easy to remember name, has succeeded in building brand recognition and perhaps even increasing its website traffic. What is less clear is if has succeeded in getting customers. There\'s a lot of explaining that needs to be done about what Domo actually is, how it works, and why you need it. To be successful in your branding, you need clear and consistent messaging and a strong selling proposition.\r\n\r\nDomo has many messages and several reasons (maybe too many) for you to consider getting it.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Do you understand Domo? Do you need Domo?\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nYou may have noticed that the DBMC website has been spruced up a bit. During the \"remodeling\" I refrained from blogging so that there would be no new content to migrate to the new site. But now I am back! Let me know what you think of the new website.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','What the heck is Domo and why should you care?','','publish','open','open','','what-the-heck-is-domo-and-why-should-you-care','','','2018-05-10 09:32:12','2018-05-10 13:32:12','',0,'https://deborahbrody.com/?p=3778',0,'post','',0),
(3787,4,'2018-05-16 11:09:01','2018-05-16 15:09:01','Your privacy is very important. DBMC follows these fundamental principles to protect your privacy:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>We don’t ask for nor gather any personal information unless we truly need it.</li>\r\n 	<li>We don’t share your personal information with anyone except to comply with the law, develop our products, or protect our rights.</li>\r\n 	<li>We don’t store personal information on our servers unless required for the on-going operation of our site.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>Website Visitors</strong>\r\n\r\nLike most website operators, DBMC collects non-personally-identifying information of the sort that web browsers and servers typically make available, such as the browser type, language preference, referring site, and the date and time of each visitor request. DBMC’s purpose in collecting non-personally identifying information is to better understand how visitors use this website.\r\n\r\n<strong>Gathering of Personally-Identifying Information</strong>\r\n\r\nCertain visitors to this site choose to interact with DBMC in ways that require collection of personally-identifying information. The amount and type of information that DBMC gathers depends on the nature of the interaction. For example, we ask visitors who comment on our blog to provide a username and email address. We collect email addresses from those who wish to receive DBMC updates and newsletters via email. In each case, DBMC collects such information only insofar as is necessary or appropriate to fulfill the purpose of the visitor’s interaction with this site. DBMC does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below. And visitors can always refuse to supply personally-identifying information, with the caveat that it may prevent them from engaging in certain website-related activities.\r\n\r\n<strong>Aggregated Statistics</strong>\r\n\r\nDBMC may collect statistics about the behavior of visitors to its websites. However, DBMC does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below.\r\n\r\n<strong>Protection of Certain Personally-Identifying Information</strong>\r\n\r\nDBMC discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only to those of its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations that need to know that information in order to process it on DBMC’s behalf. DBMC will not rent or sell potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information to anyone other than to its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations, as described above. DBMC discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only in response to a subpoena, court order or other governmental request.\r\n\r\n<strong>Comments</strong>\r\n\r\nComments, unless approved and published, and other content submitted to Akismet anti-spam service are not saved on our servers.\r\n\r\n<strong>Privacy Policy Changes</strong>\r\n\r\nAlthough most changes are likely to be minor, DBMC may change its Privacy Policy from time to time. Your continued use of this site after any change in this Privacy Policy will constitute your acceptance of such change.','Privacy Policy','','inherit','closed','closed','','3786-revision-v1','','','2018-05-16 11:09:01','2018-05-16 15:09:01','',3786,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/05/3786-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3786,4,'2018-05-16 11:09:49','2018-05-16 15:09:49','Your privacy is very important. DBMC follows these fundamental principles to protect your privacy:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>We don’t ask for nor gather any personal information unless we truly need it.</li>\r\n 	<li>We don’t share your personal information with anyone except to comply with the law, develop our products, or protect our rights.</li>\r\n 	<li>We don’t store personal information on our servers unless required for the on-going operation of our site.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<strong>Website Visitors</strong>\r\n\r\nLike most website operators, DBMC collects non-personally-identifying information of the sort that web browsers and servers typically make available, such as the browser type, language preference, referring site, and the date and time of each visitor request. DBMC’s purpose in collecting non-personally identifying information is to better understand how visitors use this website.\r\n\r\n<strong>Gathering of Personally-Identifying Information</strong>\r\n\r\nCertain visitors to this site choose to interact with DBMC in ways that require collection of personally-identifying information. The amount and type of information that DBMC gathers depends on the nature of the interaction. For example, we ask visitors who comment on our blog to provide a username and email address. We collect email addresses from those who wish to receive DBMC updates and newsletters via email. In each case, DBMC collects such information only insofar as is necessary or appropriate to fulfill the purpose of the visitor’s interaction with this site. DBMC does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below. And visitors can always refuse to supply personally-identifying information, with the caveat that it may prevent them from engaging in certain website-related activities.\r\n\r\n<strong>Aggregated Statistics</strong>\r\n\r\nDBMC may collect statistics about the behavior of visitors to its websites. However, DBMC does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below.\r\n\r\n<strong>Protection of Certain Personally-Identifying Information</strong>\r\n\r\nDBMC discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only to those of its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations that need to know that information in order to process it on DBMC’s behalf. DBMC will not rent or sell potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information to anyone other than to its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations, as described above. DBMC discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only in response to a subpoena, court order or other governmental request.\r\n\r\n<strong>Comments</strong>\r\n\r\nComments, unless approved and published, and other content submitted to Akismet anti-spam service are not saved on our servers.\r\n\r\n<strong>Privacy Policy Changes</strong>\r\n\r\nAlthough most changes are likely to be minor, DBMC may change its Privacy Policy from time to time. Your continued use of this site after any change in this Privacy Policy will constitute your acceptance of such change.','Privacy Policy','','publish','closed','closed','','privacy-policy','','','2018-05-16 11:09:49','2018-05-16 15:09:49','',0,'https://deborahbrody.com/?page_id=3786',0,'page','',0),
(3756,4,'2018-04-11 12:03:07','2018-04-11 16:03:07','<h2>How I Can Help You</h2>\r\nIf you\'re a small to medium size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.\r\n\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).\r\n<h2>Why Choose DBMC</h2>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won’t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n<h2>What’s new:</h2>\r\n<a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\">Brand Identity Kit</a> (the five-part marketing message kit to help you communicate better)\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Booking\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/events/booking/\">Book a free 15-minute consultation!</a>','Home','','inherit','closed','closed','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-04-11 12:03:07','2018-04-11 16:03:07','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3757,4,'2018-04-16 16:02:35','2018-04-16 20:02:35','Mis servicios:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Escritura y producción de materiales de mercadeo (marketing), ya sea un folleto, comunicados de prensa, o el contenido de un sitio Web.</li>\r\n	<li>Redacción de materiales.</li>\r\n	<li>Traducción de materiales  ingles/español.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nPuede contar con trabajos hechos con creatividad y experiencia, y con la confianza de que hare el trabajo en el tiempo adecuado y a un precio justo.\r\n\r\nDependiendo de las exigencias del cliente, trabajo por proyecto o a largo plazo. En todo caso, el precio se dará por escrito.\r\n\r\n<strong>Biografia</strong>\r\n\r\nDeborah establecio su compañia en 2002. Cuenta con una carrera que abarca veinte años de trabajo en las industrias de relaciones públicas y de publicidad. Deborah obtuvo una Maestría en Comunicaciones en Boston University.\r\n\r\n<strong>¿Como le puedo ayudar? Mandeme un mail:</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"mailto:info@deborahbrody.com\">info@deborahbrody.com</a>','Español','','inherit','closed','closed','','20-revision-v1','','','2018-04-16 16:02:35','2018-04-16 20:02:35','',20,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/20-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3766,4,'2018-04-25 16:54:03','2018-04-25 20:54:03','','','','inherit','open','closed','','copywriting-laptop','','','2018-04-25 16:54:13','2018-04-25 20:54:13','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/copywriting-laptop.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(3763,4,'2018-04-24 10:23:12','2018-04-24 14:23:12','<h2>How I Can Help You</h2>\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).\r\n<h2>Why Choose DBMC</h2>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won’t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n<h2>What’s new:</h2>\r\n<a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\">Brand Identity Kit</a> (the five-part marketing message kit to help you communicate better)\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Booking\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/events/booking/\">Book a free 15-minute consultation!</a>','Home','','inherit','closed','closed','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-04-24 10:23:12','2018-04-24 14:23:12','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3764,4,'2018-04-24 10:52:14','2018-04-24 14:52:14','<h2>How I Can Help You</h2>\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).\r\n<h2>Why Choose DBMC</h2>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won’t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n<h2>What’s new:</h2>\r\n<a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\">Brand Identity Kit</a> (the five-part marketing message kit to help you communicate better)\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Booking\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/events/booking/\">Book a free 15-minute consultation!</a>','Home','','inherit','closed','closed','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-04-24 10:52:14','2018-04-24 14:52:14','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3765,4,'2018-04-24 10:58:20','2018-04-24 14:58:20','<h2>How I Can Help You</h2>\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).\r\n<h2>Why Choose DBMC</h2>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won’t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n<h2>What’s new:</h2>\r\n<a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\">Brand Identity Kit</a> (the five-part marketing message kit to help you communicate better)\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Booking\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/events/booking/\">Book a free 15-minute consultation!</a>','Home','','inherit','closed','closed','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-04-24 10:58:20','2018-04-24 14:58:20','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3770,4,'2018-04-27 10:35:43','2018-04-27 14:35:43','<h2>How I Can Help You</h2>\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with me, an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nI will work with you to find the best, most effective solution to your marketing challenge.\r\n\r\nLet\'s create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish).\r\n<h2>Why Choose DBMC</h2>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a <strong>reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll find that my services are a more <strong>focused and personalized</strong> alternative to the traditional advertising, marketing or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won’t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n<h2>What’s new:</h2>\r\n<a title=\"Brand Identity Kit\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/services/brand-identity-kit/\">Brand Identity Kit</a> (the five-part marketing message kit to help you communicate better)\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Booking\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/events/booking/\" class=\"button\">Book a free 15-minute consultation!</a>','Home','','inherit','closed','closed','','2-revision-v1','','','2018-04-27 10:35:43','2018-04-27 14:35:43','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/2-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3771,4,'2018-04-27 16:59:55','2018-04-27 20:59:55','','Blog','','publish','closed','closed','','acf_blog','','','2018-04-27 17:01:37','2018-04-27 21:01:37','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?post_type=acf&#038;p=3771',0,'acf','',0),
(3772,4,'2011-06-07 09:03:34','2011-06-07 09:03:34','','Blog','','inherit','closed','closed','','22-revision-v1','','','2011-06-07 09:03:34','2011-06-07 09:03:34','',22,'http://deborahbrody.com/2011/06/22-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3773,4,'2018-04-27 17:01:17','2018-04-27 21:01:17','','Blog','','inherit','closed','closed','','22-revision-v1','','','2018-04-27 17:01:17','2018-04-27 21:01:17','',22,'http://deborahbrody.com/2018/04/22-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3806,4,'2021-10-12 15:09:31','2021-10-12 19:09:31','<div><img style=\"margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 40px;\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/picture.jpg\" alt=\"\" align=\"left\" />Deborah Brody is a writer and consultant with more than 25 years of public relations, advertising, and marketing experience. Her firm, Deborah Brody Marketing Communications (DBMC), provides high-level writing, copy editing, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses and nonprofits.</div>\n<div></div>\n<div>Prior to launching DBMC in 2002 and helping organizations refine marketing materials, write blog posts, create website content, and generate press releases, the bilingual (English/Spanish) Deborah worked at several leading South Florida-based agencies, including Everett Clay Associates (public relations), The Jeffrey Group (public relations focused on Latin America), and  Peter Nasca Associates (corporate communications). In 2001,  Deborah taught Advanced Public Relations Writing at Florida International University.</div>\n<div></div>\n<div>Upon her move to the Washington, D.C. area in 2005, in addition to running DBMC, Deborah worked as the interim Media Director at B\'nai B\'rith International. She also worked with Communications Resources, a communications consultancy, and served as writing tutor at the Kogod School of Business at American University. In 2012, Deborah launched a series of  blogging workshops to teach effective blog writing techniques.</div>\n<div></div>\nDeborah is a graduate of Brandeis University (B.A., Politics) and of Boston University\'s College of Communications (M.S., , where she earned a Master\'s degree in Mass Communication. She lives in Rockville, Maryland where when not writing, she enjoys cooking, following current events and politics, going on hikes and long walks, and doing yoga.\n<div></div>\n<div></div>\n<div>\n\n<img src=\"https://static.licdn.com/scds/common/u/img/webpromo/btn_viewmy_120x33.png\" alt=\"View Deborah Brody\'s profile on LinkedIn\" width=\"120\" height=\"33\" border=\"0\" />\n\n&nbsp;\n\n</div>','About','','inherit','closed','closed','','18-autosave-v1','','','2021-10-12 15:09:31','2021-10-12 19:09:31','',18,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/18-autosave-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3797,4,'2018-05-31 09:29:41','2018-05-31 13:29:41','It happened at least twice this week (and it\'s only Thursday of a short work week): I came across two different digital marketing mistakes. One involves email marketing and the other involves content marketing. And I see different organizations making the same mistakes every single week.\r\n\r\nThese two digital marketing mistakes are common, and yet easily fixable. Take the time to make these fixes today, and I can promise you almost instant results.\r\n\r\n<strong>Big digital marketing mistake #1: Sending an all-image/graphics email</strong>\r\n\r\nEven though email marketing is one of the oldest and most useful forms of digital marketing, there are still lots of organizations that make the mistake of sending out emails that are completely image/graphics-based. I just got one last night. It was made up of several images that provided information about promotions at different locations. And I couldn\'t see any of the information.\r\n\r\nThe big problem with these emails is that in most email clients (Outlook, Gmail, etc.)  you have to download images in order to see them. So, if your email is made up exclusively of images, your recipients will not see anything unless they specifically click on \"download images.\"  And unless your email subject line is extremely compelling and/or descriptive, your recipients may not take that extra step, and your email marketing campaign will be a waste.\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy fix: </strong>Use images in email sparingly, and make sure the important information (i.e., dates, costs, location, etc.) is <em>text-based.</em>\r\n\r\n<strong>Big digital marketing mistake #2: Not having a sharing mechanism on your content</strong>\r\n\r\nJust this week, a lawyer I know shared a link to a blog post his firm created regarding GDPR (the new European data regulation that went into effect on May 25). I checked it out, and thought it would be useful to my network, but when I went to share it, I found that there were no sharing buttons of any type. In 2018, more than ten years into Facebook and Twitter, and 15 years into LinkedIn, there is simply no excuse for not having sharing buttons. Sharing buttons allow your readers to easily share  your content to their preferred social media network (mine are at the very bottom of this post if you\'d like to share this content).\r\n\r\nSocial sharing is key to content marketing because it amplifies the reach of your blog post or article or microsite.\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy fix:</strong> Add sharing buttons to your blog and to any other page on your website that a reader may want to share (for example, your contact page). There are many different plug-ins available to do this work for you (ShareThis, AddThis, etc.). You can also read Hubspots\'s useful cheat sheet: <a href=\"https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/29544/the-ultimate-cheat-sheet-for-creating-social-media-buttons.aspx\">How to Create Social Media Buttons for All the Top Social Networks.</a> Or simply search \"social sharing buttons.\"\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nHave you seen these digital marketing mistakes? Are you making these digital marketing mistakes? I am interested in your experiences. Please comment to let me know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','2 big digital marketing mistakes with easy fixes','','publish','open','open','','2-big-digital-marketing-mistakes-with-easy-fixes','','','2018-05-31 09:29:41','2018-05-31 13:29:41','',0,'https://deborahbrody.com/?p=3797',0,'post','',0),
(3789,4,'2018-05-17 10:51:19','2018-05-17 14:51:19','If you were canvassing for a political candidate, would you place a paper brochure or flyer promoting the candidate outside in the rain? I hope you wouldn\'t, but that\'s just what happened around here today.\r\n\r\n<strong>The forecast called for lots of rain</strong>\r\n\r\nThis morning, when I opened my front door to get my morning paper, I found a soggy brochure on my doorstep. The brochure was for a guy running for county executive in Montgomery County where I live. I couldn\'t tell you much about this candidate because the brochure was practically dissolving from all the rain we\'ve been getting. I am not sure when the brochure was placed there, but I do know the forecast called for rain every single day this week, to the extent we are under a flash flood warning. And even if you didn\'t hear the forecast, all you had to do is step outside, feel the rain drops and look at the gray skies and know that the weather didn\'t look good.\r\n\r\n<strong>But you have to care to know the forecast</strong>\r\n\r\nA whole lot of effort and money was wasted here, seemingly because people didn\'t know it was raining. Or perhaps they just didn\'t care. I don\'t know which it is but if you are doing marketing, it pays to be informed.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/blogging-blur-business-261662.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3790 size-large\" src=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/blogging-blur-business-261662-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<strong>The solution is simple: Do your research</strong>\r\n\r\nIn this case, whoever was in charge of the canvassing, should\'ve looked at the weather and scheduled it for a day when it wouldn\'t be raining. Or perhaps, should have considered alternative means to get the brochure out.\r\n\r\nIf you were planning an event, you\'d want to check the calendar to see if there was a holiday or other big event on the date you were considering.\r\n\r\nIf you were planning to launch a product, you\'d want to make sure production is on schedule.\r\n\r\n<strong>You have to ask the right questions</strong>\r\n\r\nYou always have to ask questions...but you have to know what to ask about. In order to do this, you may have to do some research, talk to experts, ask other people. In short, you need to gather information so that  you can ask the right questions.\r\n\r\nFor example, you may have heard  that the EU\'s General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR is going into effect on May 25, 2018. Some questions you may have are these:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>What exactly is GDPR and does it affect me?</li>\r\n 	<li>What do I have to do (if anything) to be in compliance?</li>\r\n 	<li>Why is this important?</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you don\'t ask these questions, you may not be in compliance with GDPR when it goes into effect next week.\r\n\r\nFor any marketer or communicator, information is the key. So do your research and ask the right questions before you undertake any action.','It\'s all about being informed','','publish','open','open','','its-all-about-being-informed','','','2018-05-17 10:51:19','2018-05-17 14:51:19','',0,'https://deborahbrody.com/?p=3789',0,'post','',0),
(3790,4,'2018-05-17 10:46:22','2018-05-17 14:46:22','','blogging-blur-business-261662','','inherit','open','closed','','blogging-blur-business-261662','','','2018-05-17 10:46:22','2018-05-17 14:46:22','',3789,'https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/blogging-blur-business-261662.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(3791,4,'2018-05-17 10:47:38','2018-05-17 14:47:38','If you were canvassing for a political candidate, would you place a paper brochure or flyer promoting the candidate outside in the rain? I hope you wouldn\'t, but that\'s just what happened around here today.\r\n\r\n<strong>The forecast called for lots of rain</strong>\r\n\r\nThis morning, when I opened my front door to get my morning paper, I found a soggy brochure on my doorstep. The brochure was for a guy running for county executive in Montgomery County where I live. I couldn\'t tell you much about this candidate because the brochure was practically dissolving from all the rain we\'ve been getting. I am not sure when the brochure was placed there, but I do know the forecast called for rain every single day this week, to the extent we are under a flash flood warning. And even if you didn\'t hear the forecast, all you had to do is step outside, feel the rain drops and look at the gray skies and know that the weather didn\'t look good.\r\n\r\n<strong>But you have to care to know the forecast</strong>\r\n\r\nA whole lot of effort and money was wasted here, seemingly because people didn\'t know it was raining. Or perhaps they just didn\'t care. I don\'t know which it is but if you are doing marketing, it pays to be informed.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/blogging-blur-business-261662.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3790\" src=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/blogging-blur-business-261662-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<strong>The solution is simple: Do your research</strong>\r\n\r\nIn this case, whoever was in charge of the canvassing, should\'ve looked at the weather and scheduled it for a day when it wouldn\'t be raining. Or perhaps, should have considered alternative means to get the brochure out.\r\n\r\nIf you were planning an event, you\'d want to check the calendar to see if there was a holiday or other big event on the date you were considering.\r\n\r\nIf you were planning to launch a product, you\'d want to make sure production is on schedule.\r\n\r\n<strong>You have to ask the right questions</strong>\r\n\r\nYou always have to ask questions...but you have to know what to ask about. In order to do this, you may have to do some research, talk to experts, ask other people. In short, you need to gather information so that  you can ask the right questions.\r\n\r\nFor example, you may have heard that May 25th is the day that GDPR (the EU\'s General Data Protection Regulation) is going into effect. Some questions you may have are these:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>What exactly is GDPR and does it affect me?</li>\r\n 	<li>What do I have to do (if anything) to be in compliance?</li>\r\n 	<li>Why is this important?</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you don\'t ask these questions, you may not be in compliance with GDPR when it goes into effect.\r\n\r\nFor any marketer or communicator, information is the key. So do your research and ask the right questions before you undertake any action.','It\'s all about being informed','','inherit','closed','closed','','3789-revision-v1','','','2018-05-17 10:47:38','2018-05-17 14:47:38','',3789,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/05/3789-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3792,4,'2018-05-17 10:50:33','2018-05-17 14:50:33','If you were canvassing for a political candidate, would you place a paper brochure or flyer promoting the candidate outside in the rain? I hope you wouldn\'t, but that\'s just what happened around here today.\r\n\r\n<strong>The forecast called for lots of rain</strong>\r\n\r\nThis morning, when I opened my front door to get my morning paper, I found a soggy brochure on my doorstep. The brochure was for a guy running for county executive in Montgomery County where I live. I couldn\'t tell you much about this candidate because the brochure was practically dissolving from all the rain we\'ve been getting. I am not sure when the brochure was placed there, but I do know the forecast called for rain every single day this week, to the extent we are under a flash flood warning. And even if you didn\'t hear the forecast, all you had to do is step outside, feel the rain drops and look at the gray skies and know that the weather didn\'t look good.\r\n\r\n<strong>But you have to care to know the forecast</strong>\r\n\r\nA whole lot of effort and money was wasted here, seemingly because people didn\'t know it was raining. Or perhaps they just didn\'t care. I don\'t know which it is but if you are doing marketing, it pays to be informed.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/blogging-blur-business-261662.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3790 size-large\" src=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/blogging-blur-business-261662-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<strong>The solution is simple: Do your research</strong>\r\n\r\nIn this case, whoever was in charge of the canvassing, should\'ve looked at the weather and scheduled it for a day when it wouldn\'t be raining. Or perhaps, should have considered alternative means to get the brochure out.\r\n\r\nIf you were planning an event, you\'d want to check the calendar to see if there was a holiday or other big event on the date you were considering.\r\n\r\nIf you were planning to launch a product, you\'d want to make sure production is on schedule.\r\n\r\n<strong>You have to ask the right questions</strong>\r\n\r\nYou always have to ask questions...but you have to know what to ask about. In order to do this, you may have to do some research, talk to experts, ask other people. In short, you need to gather information so that  you can ask the right questions.\r\n\r\nFor example, you may have heard  that the EU\'s General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR is going into effect on May 25, 2018. Some questions you may have are these:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>What exactly is GDPR and does it affect me?</li>\r\n 	<li>What do I have to do (if anything) to be in compliance?</li>\r\n 	<li>Why is this important?</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf you don\'t ask these questions, you may not be in compliance with GDPR when it goes into effect next week.\r\n\r\nFor any marketer or communicator, information is the key. So do your research and ask the right questions before you undertake any action.','It\'s all about being informed','','inherit','closed','closed','','3789-revision-v1','','','2018-05-17 10:50:33','2018-05-17 14:50:33','',3789,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/05/3789-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3798,4,'2018-05-31 09:25:44','2018-05-31 13:25:44','It happened at least twice this week (and it\'s only Thursday of a short work week): I came across two different digital marketing mistakes. One involves email marketing and the other involves content marketing. And I see different organizations making the same mistakes every single week.\r\n\r\nThese two digital marketing mistakes are common, and yet easily fixable. Take the time to make these fixes today, and I can promise you almost instant results.\r\n\r\n<strong>Big digital marketing mistake #1: Sending an all-image/graphics email</strong>\r\n\r\nEven though email marketing is one of the oldest and most useful forms of digital marketing, there are still lots of organizations that make the mistake of sending out emails that are completely image/graphics-based. I just got one last night. It was made up of several images that provided information about promotions at different locations. And I couldn\'t see any of the information.\r\n\r\nThe big problem with these emails is that in most email clients (Outlook, Gmail, etc.)  you have to download images in order to see them. So, if your email is made up exclusively of images, your recipients will not see anything unless they specifically click on \"download images.\"  And unless your email subject line is extremely compelling and/or descriptive, your recipients may not take that extra step, and your email marketing campaign will be a waste.\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy fix: </strong>Use images in email sparingly, and make sure the important information (i.e., dates, costs, location, etc.) is <em>text-based.</em>\r\n\r\n<strong>Big digital marketing mistake #2: Not having a sharing mechanism on your content</strong>\r\n\r\nJust this week, a lawyer I know shared a link to a blog post his firm created regarding GDPR (the new European data regulation that went into effect on May 25). I checked it out, and thought it would be useful to my network, but when I went to share it, I found that there were no sharing buttons of any type. In 2018, more than ten years into Facebook and Twitter, and 15 years into LinkedIn, there is simply no excuse for not having sharing buttons. Sharing buttons allow your readers to easily share  your content to their preferred social media network.\r\n\r\nSocial sharing is key to content marketing because it amplifies the reach of your blog post or article or microsite.\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy fix:</strong> Add sharing buttons to your blog and to any other page on your website that a reader may want to share (for example, your contact page). There are many different plug-ins available to do this work for you (ShareThis, AddThis, etc.). You can also read Hubspots\'s useful cheat sheet: <a href=\"https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/29544/the-ultimate-cheat-sheet-for-creating-social-media-buttons.aspx\">How to Create Social Media Buttons for All the Top Social Networks.</a> Or simply search \"social sharing buttons.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','2 big digital marketing mistakes with easy fixes','','inherit','closed','closed','','3797-revision-v1','','','2018-05-31 09:25:44','2018-05-31 13:25:44','',3797,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/05/3797-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3799,4,'2018-05-31 09:29:41','2018-05-31 13:29:41','It happened at least twice this week (and it\'s only Thursday of a short work week): I came across two different digital marketing mistakes. One involves email marketing and the other involves content marketing. And I see different organizations making the same mistakes every single week.\r\n\r\nThese two digital marketing mistakes are common, and yet easily fixable. Take the time to make these fixes today, and I can promise you almost instant results.\r\n\r\n<strong>Big digital marketing mistake #1: Sending an all-image/graphics email</strong>\r\n\r\nEven though email marketing is one of the oldest and most useful forms of digital marketing, there are still lots of organizations that make the mistake of sending out emails that are completely image/graphics-based. I just got one last night. It was made up of several images that provided information about promotions at different locations. And I couldn\'t see any of the information.\r\n\r\nThe big problem with these emails is that in most email clients (Outlook, Gmail, etc.)  you have to download images in order to see them. So, if your email is made up exclusively of images, your recipients will not see anything unless they specifically click on \"download images.\"  And unless your email subject line is extremely compelling and/or descriptive, your recipients may not take that extra step, and your email marketing campaign will be a waste.\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy fix: </strong>Use images in email sparingly, and make sure the important information (i.e., dates, costs, location, etc.) is <em>text-based.</em>\r\n\r\n<strong>Big digital marketing mistake #2: Not having a sharing mechanism on your content</strong>\r\n\r\nJust this week, a lawyer I know shared a link to a blog post his firm created regarding GDPR (the new European data regulation that went into effect on May 25). I checked it out, and thought it would be useful to my network, but when I went to share it, I found that there were no sharing buttons of any type. In 2018, more than ten years into Facebook and Twitter, and 15 years into LinkedIn, there is simply no excuse for not having sharing buttons. Sharing buttons allow your readers to easily share  your content to their preferred social media network (mine are at the very bottom of this post if you\'d like to share this content).\r\n\r\nSocial sharing is key to content marketing because it amplifies the reach of your blog post or article or microsite.\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy fix:</strong> Add sharing buttons to your blog and to any other page on your website that a reader may want to share (for example, your contact page). There are many different plug-ins available to do this work for you (ShareThis, AddThis, etc.). You can also read Hubspots\'s useful cheat sheet: <a href=\"https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/29544/the-ultimate-cheat-sheet-for-creating-social-media-buttons.aspx\">How to Create Social Media Buttons for All the Top Social Networks.</a> Or simply search \"social sharing buttons.\"\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nHave you seen these digital marketing mistakes? Are you making these digital marketing mistakes? I am interested in your experiences. Please comment to let me know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','2 big digital marketing mistakes with easy fixes','','inherit','closed','closed','','3797-revision-v1','','','2018-05-31 09:29:41','2018-05-31 13:29:41','',3797,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/05/3797-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3800,4,'2018-05-31 15:21:45','2018-05-31 19:21:45','Email marketing is still an incredibly effective marketing tool, <em>if</em> you are doing it correctly. Sadly, that\'s a big if. Often, marketers make the following five mistakes. Are you?\r\n\r\nHere are five email marketing mistakes that may be affecting your campaign\'s performance.\r\n<h3>1. Not getting permission</h3>\r\nAre you sending out your email marketing that haven\'t signed up for it? Then not only are you making a crucial mistake, you are also running afoul of the CAN-SPAM law.  This is huge mistake that you must stop right away.\r\n<h3>2. Sending image-only emails</h3>\r\nDid you know that Outlook and many other email programs do not show images until the use authorizes their download? This means that if your email is all images, and no plain text, your recipients will not see anything except a bunch of red xes. Don\'t make your recipients work so hard! Send both text and images.\r\n<h3>3. Sending too frequently or too many emails</h3>\r\nWhen people sign up for your email marketing, they are indicating interest in getting information from you. However, they are not indicating they want their email box to be flooded with your stuff. And yet, some marketing feel that reach is not enough to cut through the clutter, and frequency is needed. Excessive frequency will not cut through the clutter, instead it may get you cut off entirely.\r\n<h3> 4. Not checking your analytics</h3>\r\nHow many people open your emails? How many click on links? How many bounces are you getting? If you don\'t know the answers to these questions, you aren\'t checking your analytics. You are missing out on valuable information that can help guide your future email marketing efforts.\r\n<h3>5. Not cleaning up your list</h3>\r\nPeriodically, you should go through your list. You should pay special attention to recipients that are not opening your email. If they\'ve been on your list for a long time, keeping them on does not improve your email marketing. You could try sending them an email asking them if they wish to remain on your list or whether there is information that they need from you and aren\'t getting. If you get no response, then delete them from your list. Getting rid of these users will actually help increase your open rate.\r\n\r\nHow many of these email marketing mistakes are you committing? Which mistakes would you add?','5 Email Marketing Mistakes You Need To Fix Right Now','','inherit','closed','closed','','3431-revision-v1','','','2018-05-31 15:21:45','2018-05-31 19:21:45','',3431,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/05/3431-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3802,4,'2018-06-06 11:22:38','2018-06-06 15:22:38','Last week, I went to a panel discussion about user experience (UX) design. The whole idea behind UX is that websites should be designed with the users/readers in mind, so that they can easily find what they are looking for.  One of the panelists said this:\r\n<blockquote>It\'s easy to notice bad design.</blockquote>\r\nWhy? She went on to say that if something is easy to use, then you don\'t notice it.\r\n\r\nRight.\r\n\r\nThe same is true for writing. If something is written well, you don\'t notice anything wrong. You understand what is being said. Conversely, when something is written poorly, then you don\'t understand what the writer is trying to communicate.\r\n\r\nOn Friday, I got a very odd email from a local brew-pub with this subject line: Curtain Call--[XX] Brewhouse\r\n\r\nThe body said this (although I have redacted the name and location of the brew-pub):\r\n<blockquote>We are honored to have been a part of <em>your </em>community and <em>your </em>history.\r\n\r\nWhen we opened [XX] Brewhouse in March of last year, we sought to give a piece of [city]’s history a home in the West End and provide a community gathering place to relax and enjoy the company of friends and family. While this chapter in [XX] brewing history may seem short-lived, it will remain with us for the entirety of our lives.\r\n\r\nIn realizing the changes to the surrounding landscape, we pushed for appropriate changes to our lease agreement, which were temporarily provided by the landlord. However, permanent change could not be achieved. We did everything in our power to sustain the company it for as long as possible, which is why we are sharing the conclusion to this chapter with you today.\r\n\r\nWhatever the future holds, keep us in your thoughts, drink really great beer and hold family dear.</blockquote>\r\nWhen I read this email, I was confused. Had the brew-pub closed? If so, when would they stop serving? What would happen to the employees, the beer, the brand? And that last sentence, about holding family dear, gave me a sense of dread. Did someone die? (Plus, the use of the word curtain the subject line made me think of Agatha Christie\'s book Curtains, in which her main character, Hercule Poirot, dies.)\r\n\r\nWhy am I so confused? Because this email is poorly written. It lacks basic information, creates more questions than it answers, and makes too many assumptions about the reader\'s knowledge. I am left wondering what changes were they trying to make? Why were those changes not implemented? Why do they mean about a short-lived chapter? Does it mean there are more chapters coming?\r\n\r\nAnd then, there are the mixed metaphors. The subject line talks of a curtain (I assume, as in a theater\'s curtain call) but the body of the email talks about chapters as in books, and not about acts in a play.\r\n\r\nIn sum, this email is a mess. You notice how bad it is because it was not written for the reader. It did not take into consideration what the reader may or may not know about the brew-pub. It doesn\'t even spell out the basic news, which is that they are closing. The reader does not know if this has already happened or will happen, since no date is given for the closure.\r\n\r\nIf I were to rewrite this email I\'d start with a clear, unambiguous subject line: XX Brewhouse will close on [DATE] or XX Brewhouse has closed.\r\n\r\nThen, I would write something like this:\r\n\r\n<em>It\'s with heavy hearts, that we are writing you, our supporters, today to let you know that we will be closing XX Brewhouse as of [DATE].  We thank you for your support, and we are honored to have been part of the [city\'s] community and history.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>We are closing because we could not reach a permanent agreement with our landlord regarding our operations. Our location needed [whatever this was]. Without permanent arrangement, we weren\'t able to operate the way we needed to continue to bring you our high-quality beer and food.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>For now, we do not have plans to re-open in a different location, but please stay tuned. </em>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nBefore you write anything, think of your readers. What do they need to know? Why are you sending them this information?\r\n\r\n<strong>Make your communications easy to use and understand. If you do that, you will be noticed for what you say, and not how you said it.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','It\'s easy to notice bad writing','','publish','open','open','','its-easy-to-notice-bad-writing','','','2018-06-06 11:22:38','2018-06-06 15:22:38','',0,'https://deborahbrody.com/?p=3802',0,'post','',0),
(3803,4,'2018-06-06 10:52:48','2018-06-06 14:52:48','Last week, I went to an event about user experience  (UX) design. The whole idea behind UX is that websites should be designed with the users/readers in mind so that they can easily find what they are looking for.  One of the panelists said this:\r\n<blockquote>It\'s easy to notice bad design.</blockquote>\r\nWhy? She went on to say that if something is easy to use, then you don\'t notice it.\r\n\r\nThe same is true for writing. If something is written well, you don\'t notice anything wrong. You understand what is being said. Conversely, when something is written poorly, then you don\'t understand what the writer is trying to communicate.\r\n\r\nOn Friday, I got a very odd email from a local brew-pub with this subject line: Curtain Call--XX Brewhouse\r\n\r\nThe body said this (although I have redacted the name and location of the brew-pub):\r\n<blockquote>We are honored to have been a part of <em>your </em>community and <em>your </em>history.\r\n\r\nWhen we opened XX Brewhouse in March of last year, we sought to give a piece of [city]’s history a home in the West End and provide a community gathering place to relax and enjoy the company of friends and family. While this chapter in XX brewing history may seem short-lived, it will remain with us for the entirety of our lives.\r\n\r\nIn realizing the changes to the surrounding landscape, we pushed for appropriate changes to our lease agreement, which were temporarily provided by the landlord. However, permanent change could not be achieved. We did everything in our power to sustain the company it for as long as possible, which is why we are sharing the conclusion to this chapter with you today.\r\n\r\nWhatever the future holds, keep us in your thoughts, drink really great beer and hold family dear.</blockquote>\r\nWhen I read this email, I was confused. Had the brew-pub closed? If so, when would they stop serving? What would happen to the employees, the beer, the brand?\r\n\r\nWhy am I confused? Because this email is poorly written. It lacks basic information, creates more questions than it answers, and makes too many assumptions about the reader\'s knowledge. I am left wondering what changes were they trying to make? Why were those changes not implemented? Why does that mean they are \"closing this chapter?\"\r\n\r\nAnd then, there\'s the mixed metaphors. The subject line talks of a curtain call (theater), but the body of the email talks about chapters (book).\r\n\r\nIn sum, this email is a mess. You notice how bad it is because it was not written for the reader. It did not take into consideration what the reader may or may not know about the brew pub. It doesn\'t even spell out the basic news, which is that they are closing. No date is given for the closure.\r\n\r\nIf I were to rewrite this email I\'d start with a clear subject line: XX Brewhouse will close on [DATE]\r\n\r\nThen, I would write something like this:\r\n\r\n<em>It\'s with heavy hearts, that we are writing you, our supporters, today to let you know that we will be closing XX Brewhouse as of [DATE].  We thank you for your support, and we are honored to have been part of the [city\'s] community and history.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>We are closing because we could not reach a permanent agreement with our landlord regarding our operations. Our location needed [whatever this was]. Without that, we weren\'t able to operate the way we intended to. </em>\r\n\r\n<em>Right now, we do not have plans to re-open in a different location. Please stay tuned.</em>\r\n\r\nBefore you write anything, think of your readers. What do they need to know? Why are you sending them this information? Make your communications easy to use and understand. If you do that, you will be noticed for what you say, and not how you said it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','It\'s easy to notice bad writing','','inherit','closed','closed','','3802-revision-v1','','','2018-06-06 10:52:48','2018-06-06 14:52:48','',3802,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/3802-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3804,4,'2018-06-06 11:12:03','2018-06-06 15:12:03','Last week, I went to an event about user experience  (UX) design. The whole idea behind UX is that websites should be designed with the users/readers in mind, so that they can easily find what they are looking for.  One of the panelists said this:\r\n<blockquote>It\'s easy to notice bad design.</blockquote>\r\nWhy? She went on to say that if something is easy to use, then you don\'t notice it.\r\n\r\nRight.\r\n\r\nThe same is true for writing. If something is written well, you don\'t notice anything wrong. You understand what is being said. Conversely, when something is written poorly, then you don\'t understand what the writer is trying to communicate.\r\n\r\nOn Friday, I got a very odd email from a local brew-pub with this subject line: Curtain Call--[XX] Brewhouse\r\n\r\nThe body said this (although I have redacted the name and location of the brew-pub):\r\n<blockquote>We are honored to have been a part of <em>your </em>community and <em>your </em>history.\r\n\r\nWhen we opened [XX] Brewhouse in March of last year, we sought to give a piece of [city]’s history a home in the West End and provide a community gathering place to relax and enjoy the company of friends and family. While this chapter in [XX] brewing history may seem short-lived, it will remain with us for the entirety of our lives.\r\n\r\nIn realizing the changes to the surrounding landscape, we pushed for appropriate changes to our lease agreement, which were temporarily provided by the landlord. However, permanent change could not be achieved. We did everything in our power to sustain the company it for as long as possible, which is why we are sharing the conclusion to this chapter with you today.\r\n\r\nWhatever the future holds, keep us in your thoughts, drink really great beer and hold family dear.</blockquote>\r\nWhen I read this email, I was confused. Had the brew-pub closed? If so, when would they stop serving? What would happen to the employees, the beer, the brand? And that last sentence, about holding family dear, gave me a sense of dread. Did someone die?\r\n\r\nWhy am I so confused? Because this email is poorly written. It lacks basic information, creates more questions than it answers, and makes too many assumptions about the reader\'s knowledge. I am left wondering what changes were they trying to make? Why were those changes not implemented? Why does that mean they are \"closing this chapter?\" Does this mean there are more chapters coming?\r\n\r\nAnd then, there are the mixed metaphors. The subject line talks of a curtain call (theater), but the body of the email talks about chapters (book). And then there is the darkness of using the word curtain in the subject, which made me think of Agatha Christie\'s book Curtains, in which her main character, Hercule Poirot, dies.\r\n\r\nIn sum, this email is a mess. You notice how bad it is because it was not written for the reader. It did not take into consideration what the reader may or may not know about the brew-pub. It doesn\'t even spell out the basic news, which is that they are closing. The reader does not know if this has already happened or will happen, since no date is given for the closure.\r\n\r\nIf I were to rewrite this email I\'d start with a clear, unambiguous subject line: XX Brewhouse will close on [DATE] or XX Brewhouse has closed\r\n\r\nThen, I would write something like this:\r\n\r\n<em>It\'s with heavy hearts, that we are writing you, our supporters, today to let you know that we will be closing XX Brewhouse as of [DATE].  We thank you for your support, and we are honored to have been part of the [city\'s] community and history.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>We are closing because we could not reach a permanent agreement with our landlord regarding our operations. Our location needed [whatever this was]. Without permanent arrangement, we weren\'t able to operate the way we needed to continue to bring you our high-quality beer and food.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>For now, we do not have plans to re-open in a different location, but please stay tuned. </em>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<strong>Before you write anything, think of your readers</strong>. What do they need to know? Why are you sending them this information?\r\n\r\nMake your communications easy to use and understand. If you do that, you will be noticed for what you say, and not how you said it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','It\'s easy to notice bad writing','','inherit','closed','closed','','3802-revision-v1','','','2018-06-06 11:12:03','2018-06-06 15:12:03','',3802,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/3802-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3805,4,'2018-06-06 11:22:38','2018-06-06 15:22:38','Last week, I went to a panel discussion about user experience (UX) design. The whole idea behind UX is that websites should be designed with the users/readers in mind, so that they can easily find what they are looking for.  One of the panelists said this:\r\n<blockquote>It\'s easy to notice bad design.</blockquote>\r\nWhy? She went on to say that if something is easy to use, then you don\'t notice it.\r\n\r\nRight.\r\n\r\nThe same is true for writing. If something is written well, you don\'t notice anything wrong. You understand what is being said. Conversely, when something is written poorly, then you don\'t understand what the writer is trying to communicate.\r\n\r\nOn Friday, I got a very odd email from a local brew-pub with this subject line: Curtain Call--[XX] Brewhouse\r\n\r\nThe body said this (although I have redacted the name and location of the brew-pub):\r\n<blockquote>We are honored to have been a part of <em>your </em>community and <em>your </em>history.\r\n\r\nWhen we opened [XX] Brewhouse in March of last year, we sought to give a piece of [city]’s history a home in the West End and provide a community gathering place to relax and enjoy the company of friends and family. While this chapter in [XX] brewing history may seem short-lived, it will remain with us for the entirety of our lives.\r\n\r\nIn realizing the changes to the surrounding landscape, we pushed for appropriate changes to our lease agreement, which were temporarily provided by the landlord. However, permanent change could not be achieved. We did everything in our power to sustain the company it for as long as possible, which is why we are sharing the conclusion to this chapter with you today.\r\n\r\nWhatever the future holds, keep us in your thoughts, drink really great beer and hold family dear.</blockquote>\r\nWhen I read this email, I was confused. Had the brew-pub closed? If so, when would they stop serving? What would happen to the employees, the beer, the brand? And that last sentence, about holding family dear, gave me a sense of dread. Did someone die? (Plus, the use of the word curtain the subject line made me think of Agatha Christie\'s book Curtains, in which her main character, Hercule Poirot, dies.)\r\n\r\nWhy am I so confused? Because this email is poorly written. It lacks basic information, creates more questions than it answers, and makes too many assumptions about the reader\'s knowledge. I am left wondering what changes were they trying to make? Why were those changes not implemented? Why do they mean about a short-lived chapter? Does it mean there are more chapters coming?\r\n\r\nAnd then, there are the mixed metaphors. The subject line talks of a curtain (I assume, as in a theater\'s curtain call) but the body of the email talks about chapters as in books, and not about acts in a play.\r\n\r\nIn sum, this email is a mess. You notice how bad it is because it was not written for the reader. It did not take into consideration what the reader may or may not know about the brew-pub. It doesn\'t even spell out the basic news, which is that they are closing. The reader does not know if this has already happened or will happen, since no date is given for the closure.\r\n\r\nIf I were to rewrite this email I\'d start with a clear, unambiguous subject line: XX Brewhouse will close on [DATE] or XX Brewhouse has closed.\r\n\r\nThen, I would write something like this:\r\n\r\n<em>It\'s with heavy hearts, that we are writing you, our supporters, today to let you know that we will be closing XX Brewhouse as of [DATE].  We thank you for your support, and we are honored to have been part of the [city\'s] community and history.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>We are closing because we could not reach a permanent agreement with our landlord regarding our operations. Our location needed [whatever this was]. Without permanent arrangement, we weren\'t able to operate the way we needed to continue to bring you our high-quality beer and food.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>For now, we do not have plans to re-open in a different location, but please stay tuned. </em>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nBefore you write anything, think of your readers. What do they need to know? Why are you sending them this information?\r\n\r\n<strong>Make your communications easy to use and understand. If you do that, you will be noticed for what you say, and not how you said it.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','It\'s easy to notice bad writing','','inherit','closed','closed','','3802-revision-v1','','','2018-06-06 11:22:38','2018-06-06 15:22:38','',3802,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/3802-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3807,4,'2018-06-13 09:48:49','2018-06-13 13:48:49','<div><img style=\"margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 40px;\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/picture.jpg\" alt=\"\" align=\"left\" />Deborah Brody is a writer and consultant with more than 20 years of public relations, advertising, and marketing experience. Her firm, Deborah Brody Marketing Communications (DBMC), provides high-level writing, copy editing, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses and nonprofits.</div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div>Prior to launching DBMC in 2002 and helping organizations refine marketing materials, write blog posts, create website content, and generate press releases, the bilingual (English, Spanish) Deborah worked at several leading South Florida-based agencies, including Everett Clay Associates (public relations), The Jeffrey Group (public relations focused on Latin America), and  Peter Nasca Associates (corporate communications). In 2001,  Deborah taught Advanced Public Relations Writing at Florida International University.</div>\r\n<div>Upon her move to the Washington, D.C. area in 2005, Deborah worked as the interim Media Director at B\'nai B\'rith International. She also worked with Communications Resources, a communications consultancy and served as writing tutor at the Kogod School of Business at American University. In 2012, Deborah launched a series of  blogging workshops to teach effective blog writing techniques.</div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div id=\"testimonial\">Deborah is a graduate of Brandeis University (B.A., Politics) and of Boston University\'s College of Communications, where she earned a Master\'s degree in Mass Communication. She lives in Rockville, Maryland where when not writing, she enjoys cooking, following current events and politics, going on hikes and long walks, and doing yoga.</div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://static.licdn.com/scds/common/u/img/webpromo/btn_viewmy_120x33.png\" alt=\"View Deborah Brody\'s profile on LinkedIn\" width=\"120\" height=\"33\" border=\"0\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n</div>','About','','inherit','closed','closed','','18-revision-v1','','','2018-06-13 09:48:49','2018-06-13 13:48:49','',18,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/18-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3808,4,'2018-06-13 09:49:32','2018-06-13 13:49:32','<div><img style=\"margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 40px;\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/picture.jpg\" alt=\"\" align=\"left\" />Deborah Brody is a writer and consultant with more than 20 years of public relations, advertising, and marketing experience. Her firm, Deborah Brody Marketing Communications (DBMC), provides high-level writing, copy editing, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses and nonprofits.</div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div>Prior to launching DBMC in 2002 and helping organizations refine marketing materials, write blog posts, create website content, and generate press releases, the bilingual (English, Spanish) Deborah worked at several leading South Florida-based agencies, including Everett Clay Associates (public relations), The Jeffrey Group (public relations focused on Latin America), and  Peter Nasca Associates (corporate communications). In 2001,  Deborah taught Advanced Public Relations Writing at Florida International University.</div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div>Upon her move to the Washington, D.C. area in 2005, Deborah worked as the interim Media Director at B\'nai B\'rith International. She also worked with Communications Resources, a communications consultancy and served as writing tutor at the Kogod School of Business at American University. In 2012, Deborah launched a series of  blogging workshops to teach effective blog writing techniques.</div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n\r\nDeborah is a graduate of Brandeis University (B.A., Politics) and of Boston University\'s College of Communications, where she earned a Master\'s degree in Mass Communication. She lives in Rockville, Maryland where when not writing, she enjoys cooking, following current events and politics, going on hikes and long walks, and doing yoga.</div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://static.licdn.com/scds/common/u/img/webpromo/btn_viewmy_120x33.png\" alt=\"View Deborah Brody\'s profile on LinkedIn\" width=\"120\" height=\"33\" border=\"0\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n</div>','About','','inherit','closed','closed','','18-revision-v1','','','2018-06-13 09:49:32','2018-06-13 13:49:32','',18,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/18-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3809,4,'2018-06-13 09:51:01','2018-06-13 13:51:01','<div><img style=\"margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 40px;\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/picture.jpg\" alt=\"\" align=\"left\" />Deborah Brody is a writer and consultant with more than 20 years of public relations, advertising, and marketing experience. Her firm, Deborah Brody Marketing Communications (DBMC), provides high-level writing, copy editing, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses and nonprofits.</div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div>Prior to launching DBMC in 2002 and helping organizations refine marketing materials, write blog posts, create website content, and generate press releases, the bilingual (English, Spanish) Deborah worked at several leading South Florida-based agencies, including Everett Clay Associates (public relations), The Jeffrey Group (public relations focused on Latin America), and  Peter Nasca Associates (corporate communications). In 2001,  Deborah taught Advanced Public Relations Writing at Florida International University.</div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div>Upon her move to the Washington, D.C. area in 2005, in addition to running DBMC, Deborah worked as the interim Media Director at B\'nai B\'rith International. She also worked with Communications Resources, a communications consultancy, and served as writing tutor at the Kogod School of Business at American University. In 2012, Deborah launched a series of  blogging workshops to teach effective blog writing techniques.</div>\r\n<div></div>\r\nDeborah is a graduate of Brandeis University (B.A., Politics) and of Boston University\'s College of Communications, where she earned a Master\'s degree in Mass Communication. She lives in Rockville, Maryland where when not writing, she enjoys cooking, following current events and politics, going on hikes and long walks, and doing yoga.\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://static.licdn.com/scds/common/u/img/webpromo/btn_viewmy_120x33.png\" alt=\"View Deborah Brody\'s profile on LinkedIn\" width=\"120\" height=\"33\" border=\"0\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n</div>','About','','inherit','closed','closed','','18-revision-v1','','','2018-06-13 09:51:01','2018-06-13 13:51:01','',18,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/18-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3811,4,'2018-06-15 09:04:41','2018-06-15 13:04:41','Have you ever bought something because it was on \"special\" promotion pricing? Have you bought a product to get a \"free\" gift? Have you rented a car because of  a \"discount\" rate? If so, you may have been a victim of deceptive marketing tactics designed to boost sales.\r\n\r\nSome marketers seek to entice customers by offering what seem to be great deals. Usually, it\'s a special \"one-time only\" price or a discount or a \"bonus.\" What they fail to mention is that you may have to pay extra for the bonus (many cosmetic brands do this) or that the special price doesn\'t include something else that you are required to pay.\r\n\r\nRecently, I fell for a \"special rate\" from Thrifty. I was planning a trip to Boston, and researching rental cars when I got an email from the car rental company offering a 30% discount. This made the base fare for a rental car in Boston much better than the competition. It seemed like a no-brainer.\r\n\r\nLast Friday, after landing in Boston, I got to the counter at Thrifty to find out that in addition to my discounted rate, I would be forced to pay an $11.99 per day toll charge for each day I rented the car. Massachusetts has joined other states in getting rid of toll booths (and jobs for tollbooth collectors, but I digress) and instituting an all-electronic system. You need an E-Z Pass to pay, or else the toll authority will take a picture of your plates and send you a bill (with an extra fee to boot).\r\n\r\nAt no point in the reservation process, nor in any confirmation email, did Thrifty tell me that Boston was a place that has all electronic tolls and that I would be required to pay an additional toll pass fee. They also did not disclose the amount of the fee for the toll charge, which they add on for <em>all</em> Boston renters.  Had I known, I could have brought my own E-Z Pass and avoided the extra charge. And had I known that tolls would be an issue, I could have researched the toll charges at other car rental companies,  and may have chosen one of them instead.\r\n\r\nThis situation could and should be avoided. Thrifty has permanently damaged its reputation with me because it chose to be deceptive. It could have done the following:\r\n\r\n<strong>Tell me the true cost of my rental--including <em>all</em> taxes and fees.</strong>\r\n\r\nThrifty used a special rate to entice me to use its services. The company never mentioned the additional toll pass charges, which effectively increased the total amount of my rental by $48. Thrifty also charges much higher toll pass rates than its competitors.\r\n\r\n<strong>Provide enough information for me to make an informed decision.</strong>\r\n\r\nThrifty knew I was renting in Boston, and it knew that Boston requires electronic toll collection. But Thrifty did not include that information anywhere on its website when booking. The first I learned of it was after I was already at the rental counter.\r\n\r\n<strong>In the end, deceptive marketing tactics will backfire.</strong>\r\n\r\nDeceiving your customers just to get them to buy from you may generate a <em>short-term increase in sales,</em> but it will create a<em> long-term decrease in your credibility and trustworthiness</em>, which will mean a loss of future sales.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Deception is not a good marketing tactic','','publish','open','open','','deception-is-not-a-good-marketing-tactic','','','2018-06-15 09:04:41','2018-06-15 13:04:41','',0,'https://deborahbrody.com/?p=3811',0,'post','',0),
(3812,4,'2018-06-13 13:51:11','2018-06-13 17:51:11','Have you ever fallen for \"special\" promotion? Have you bought a product to get a \"free\" gift? Have you rented a car because of \"discount\" rate? If so, you\'ve been a victim of deceptive marketing practices.\r\n\r\nSome marketers seek to entice customers by offering something that seems really good. Usually, it\'s a special price or a discount or a \"bonus.\" What they fail to mention is that you may have to pay extra for the bonus (many cosmetic brands do this) or that the special price doesn\'t include something that you are required to pay.\r\n\r\nRecently, I fell for a \"special\" from Thrifty. I was planning a trip to Boston, and researching rental cars when I got an email from the car rental company offering a 30% discount. This made the base fare for a rental car in Boston much better than the competition. It seemed a no-brainer.\r\n\r\nLast Friday, after landing in Boston, I got to the counter at Thrifty to find out that in addition to my discounted rate, I would be forced to pay a $11.99 per day toll charge for each day I rented the car. Massachusetts has joined other states in getting rid of toll booths (and jobs for toll collectors, but I digress) and instituting an all-electronic system. You need an E-Z Pass to pay, or else the toll authority will take a picture of your plates and send you a bill.\r\n\r\nDeception 1: Not telling me the true cost of my rental\r\n\r\nDeception 2: Not providing enough information\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd I have an E-Z Pass but did not know the situation in Boston (I haven\'t been there in several years). And at no point in the reservation process did Thrifty tell me that Boston was a place that has all electronic tolls. They also did not disclose the fee for the toll charge. And so I was doubly deceived. Had I known, I could have brought my own EZ Pass. And given the charge is lower at other car rental companies, I may have chosen one of them..\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Deception is not a good marketing tactic','','inherit','closed','closed','','3811-revision-v1','','','2018-06-13 13:51:11','2018-06-13 17:51:11','',3811,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/3811-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3813,4,'2018-06-14 12:28:35','2018-06-14 16:28:35','Have you ever bough something because  \"special\" promotion pricing? Have you bought a product to get a \"free\" gift? Have you rented a car because of \"discount\" rate? If so, you\'ve been a victim of deceptive marketing practices.\r\n\r\nSome marketers seek to entice customers by offering something that seems really good. Usually, it\'s a special price or a discount or a \"bonus.\" What they fail to mention is that you may have to pay extra for the bonus (many cosmetic brands do this) or that the special price doesn\'t include something that you are required to pay.\r\n\r\nRecently, I fell for a \"special rate\" from Thrifty. I was planning a trip to Boston, and researching rental cars when I got an email from the car rental company offering a 30% discount. This made the base fare for a rental car in Boston much better than the competition. It seemed a no-brainer.\r\n\r\nLast Friday, after landing in Boston, I got to the counter at Thrifty to find out that in addition to my discounted rate, I would be forced to pay an $11.99 per day toll charge for each day I rented the car. Massachusetts has joined other states in getting rid of toll booths (and jobs for toll collectors, but I digress) and instituting an all-electronic system. You need an E-Z Pass to pay, or else the toll authority will take a picture of your plates and send you a bill.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAt no point in the reservation process, nor in any confirmation email, did Thrifty tell me that Boston was a place that has all electronic tolls and that I would have to pay an additional toll pass fee. They also did not disclose the amount of the fee for the toll charge, which they add on for <em>all</em> Boston renters.  Had I known, I could have brought my own E-Z Pass and avoided the extra charge. And had I known that tolls would be an issue, I could have researched the toll charges at other car rental companies,  and may have chosen one of them instead.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDeception 1: Not telling me the true cost of my rental\r\n\r\nThrifty used a special rate to entice me to use their services. Thrifty also charges higher toll pass rates than other companies.\r\n\r\nDeception 2: Not providing enough information\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Deception is not a good marketing tactic','','inherit','closed','closed','','3811-revision-v1','','','2018-06-14 12:28:35','2018-06-14 16:28:35','',3811,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/3811-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3814,4,'2018-06-14 16:27:15','2018-06-14 20:27:15','Have you ever bought something because it was on \"special\" promotion pricing? Have you bought a product to get a \"free\" gift? Have you rented a car because of \"discount\" rate? If so, you may have been a victim of deceptive marketing practices.\r\n\r\nSome marketers seek to entice customers by offering what seem to be great deals. Usually, it\'s a special \"one-time only\" price or a discount or a \"bonus.\" What they fail to mention is that you may have to pay extra for the bonus (many cosmetic brands do this) or that the special price doesn\'t include something else that you are required to pay.\r\n\r\nRecently, I fell for a \"special rate\" from Thrifty. I was planning a trip to Boston, and researching rental cars when I got an email from the car rental company offering a 30% discount. This made the base fare for a rental car in Boston much better than the competition. It seemed like a no-brainer.\r\n\r\nLast Friday, after landing in Boston, I got to the counter at Thrifty to find out that in addition to my discounted rate, I would be forced to pay an $11.99 per day toll charge for each day I rented the car. Massachusetts has joined other states in getting rid of toll booths (and jobs for toll collectors, but I digress) and instituting an all-electronic system. You need an E-Z Pass to pay, or else the toll authority will take a picture of your plates and send you a bill.\r\n\r\nAt no point in the reservation process, nor in any confirmation email, did Thrifty tell me that Boston was a place that has all electronic tolls and that I would be required to pay an additional toll pass fee. They also did not disclose the amount of the fee for the toll charge, which they add on for <em>all</em> Boston renters.  Had I known, I could have brought my own E-Z Pass and avoided the extra charge. And had I known that tolls would be an issue, I could have researched the toll charges at other car rental companies,  and may have chosen one of them instead.\r\n\r\nThis situation could and should be avoided. Thrifty has permanently damaged its reputation with me, because it chose to be deceptive. It could have done the following:\r\n\r\n<strong>Tell me the true cost of my rental--including <em>all</em> taxes and fees.</strong>\r\n\r\nThrifty used a special rate to entice me to use its services. The company never mentioned the additional toll pass charges, which effectively increased the total amount of my rental by $48. Thrifty also charges much higher toll pass rates than its competitors.\r\n\r\n<strong>Provide enough information for me to make an informed decision.</strong>\r\n\r\nThrifty knew I was renting in Boston, and it knew that Boston requires electronic toll collection. But Thrifty did not include that information anywhere on its website when booking. The first I learned of it was after I already at the rental counter.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Deception is not a good marketing tactic','','inherit','closed','closed','','3811-revision-v1','','','2018-06-14 16:27:15','2018-06-14 20:27:15','',3811,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/3811-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3815,4,'2018-06-15 09:00:45','2018-06-15 13:00:45','Have you ever bought something because it was on \"special\" promotion pricing? Have you bought a product to get a \"free\" gift? Have you rented a car because of \"discount\" rate? If so, you may have been a victim of deceptive marketing practices.\r\n\r\nSome marketers seek to entice customers by offering what seem to be great deals. Usually, it\'s a special \"one-time only\" price or a discount or a \"bonus.\" What they fail to mention is that you may have to pay extra for the bonus (many cosmetic brands do this) or that the special price doesn\'t include something else that you are required to pay.\r\n\r\nRecently, I fell for a \"special rate\" from Thrifty. I was planning a trip to Boston, and researching rental cars when I got an email from the car rental company offering a 30% discount. This made the base fare for a rental car in Boston much better than the competition. It seemed like a no-brainer.\r\n\r\nLast Friday, after landing in Boston, I got to the counter at Thrifty to find out that in addition to my discounted rate, I would be forced to pay an $11.99 per day toll charge for each day I rented the car. Massachusetts has joined other states in getting rid of toll booths (and jobs for tollbooth collectors, but I digress) and instituting an all-electronic system. You need an E-Z Pass to pay, or else the toll authority will take a picture of your plates and send you a bill (with an extra fee to boot).\r\n\r\nAt no point in the reservation process, nor in any confirmation email, did Thrifty tell me that Boston was a place that has all electronic tolls and that I would be required to pay an additional toll pass fee. They also did not disclose the amount of the fee for the toll charge, which they add on for <em>all</em> Boston renters.  Had I known, I could have brought my own E-Z Pass and avoided the extra charge. And had I known that tolls would be an issue, I could have researched the toll charges at other car rental companies,  and may have chosen one of them instead.\r\n\r\nThis situation could and should be avoided. Thrifty has permanently damaged its reputation with me because it chose to be deceptive. It could have done the following:\r\n\r\n<strong>Tell me the true cost of my rental--including <em>all</em> taxes and fees.</strong>\r\n\r\nThrifty used a special rate to entice me to use its services. The company never mentioned the additional toll pass charges, which effectively increased the total amount of my rental by $48. Thrifty also charges much higher toll pass rates than its competitors.\r\n\r\n<strong>Provide enough information for me to make an informed decision.</strong>\r\n\r\nThrifty knew I was renting in Boston, and it knew that Boston requires electronic toll collection. But Thrifty did not include that information anywhere on its website when booking. The first I learned of it was after I already at the rental counter.\r\n\r\n<strong>In the end, deceptive marketing tactics will backfire.</strong>\r\n\r\nDeceiving your customers just to get them to buy from you may generate a <em>short-term increase in sales,</em> but it will create a<em> long-term decrease in your credibility and trustworthiness</em>, which will mean a loss of future sales.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Deception is not a good marketing tactic','','inherit','closed','closed','','3811-revision-v1','','','2018-06-15 09:00:45','2018-06-15 13:00:45','',3811,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/3811-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3816,4,'2018-06-15 09:04:41','2018-06-15 13:04:41','Have you ever bought something because it was on \"special\" promotion pricing? Have you bought a product to get a \"free\" gift? Have you rented a car because of  a \"discount\" rate? If so, you may have been a victim of deceptive marketing tactics designed to boost sales.\r\n\r\nSome marketers seek to entice customers by offering what seem to be great deals. Usually, it\'s a special \"one-time only\" price or a discount or a \"bonus.\" What they fail to mention is that you may have to pay extra for the bonus (many cosmetic brands do this) or that the special price doesn\'t include something else that you are required to pay.\r\n\r\nRecently, I fell for a \"special rate\" from Thrifty. I was planning a trip to Boston, and researching rental cars when I got an email from the car rental company offering a 30% discount. This made the base fare for a rental car in Boston much better than the competition. It seemed like a no-brainer.\r\n\r\nLast Friday, after landing in Boston, I got to the counter at Thrifty to find out that in addition to my discounted rate, I would be forced to pay an $11.99 per day toll charge for each day I rented the car. Massachusetts has joined other states in getting rid of toll booths (and jobs for tollbooth collectors, but I digress) and instituting an all-electronic system. You need an E-Z Pass to pay, or else the toll authority will take a picture of your plates and send you a bill (with an extra fee to boot).\r\n\r\nAt no point in the reservation process, nor in any confirmation email, did Thrifty tell me that Boston was a place that has all electronic tolls and that I would be required to pay an additional toll pass fee. They also did not disclose the amount of the fee for the toll charge, which they add on for <em>all</em> Boston renters.  Had I known, I could have brought my own E-Z Pass and avoided the extra charge. And had I known that tolls would be an issue, I could have researched the toll charges at other car rental companies,  and may have chosen one of them instead.\r\n\r\nThis situation could and should be avoided. Thrifty has permanently damaged its reputation with me because it chose to be deceptive. It could have done the following:\r\n\r\n<strong>Tell me the true cost of my rental--including <em>all</em> taxes and fees.</strong>\r\n\r\nThrifty used a special rate to entice me to use its services. The company never mentioned the additional toll pass charges, which effectively increased the total amount of my rental by $48. Thrifty also charges much higher toll pass rates than its competitors.\r\n\r\n<strong>Provide enough information for me to make an informed decision.</strong>\r\n\r\nThrifty knew I was renting in Boston, and it knew that Boston requires electronic toll collection. But Thrifty did not include that information anywhere on its website when booking. The first I learned of it was after I was already at the rental counter.\r\n\r\n<strong>In the end, deceptive marketing tactics will backfire.</strong>\r\n\r\nDeceiving your customers just to get them to buy from you may generate a <em>short-term increase in sales,</em> but it will create a<em> long-term decrease in your credibility and trustworthiness</em>, which will mean a loss of future sales.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Deception is not a good marketing tactic','','inherit','closed','closed','','3811-revision-v1','','','2018-06-15 09:04:41','2018-06-15 13:04:41','',3811,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/3811-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3817,4,'2018-06-21 10:38:55','2018-06-21 14:38:55','There are thirty (that is 3-0) people running for Montgomery County, Maryland Council. Voters are allowed to vote for up to four. There are also eight candidates running in the Democratic primary for Maryland Governor (the incumbent, Larry Hogan, is a Republican and is unopposed). Voters also get to vote for County Executive (six Democrats running), U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, State Delegates, Judges, even for the Clerk of the Circuit Court. In short, there are a lot of people competing for votes in Montgomery County, Maryland. And with so many people running, it’s a real challenge to stand out.\r\n\r\nAnd it’s because of the crush of candidates that every registered party voter in Montgomery County (where I live) has been inundated with campaign literature. (Read today’s Washington Post story,<a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/so-many-candidates-so-much-mail/2018/06/19/80549d08-732d-11e8-b4b7-308400242c2e_story.html?utm_term=.509ea3aff044\"> In Montgomery County, voters face a deluge of campaign literature mailings</a>, about it).  And that is all in addition to the countless political commercials that have been airing on both the local TV stations and the political talk shows on cable TV. And the many sponsored ads on Twitter and Facebook. And the ubiquitous lawn signs and placards placed throughout the county.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3818\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\"]<a href=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/20180616_112036.jpg\"><img class=\"wp-image-3818 size-large\" src=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/20180616_112036-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" /></a> Placards outside Silver Spring Early Voting Center[/caption]\r\n\r\nI know because I have received dozens of door hangers and flyers on my doorstep, dozens of flyers in the mail, tons of emails, and even personalized texts to my cell phone (I am still trying to figure out how they got the number).  The most notable piece of campaign literature that I got was a form letter from a candidate stuffed inside a handwritten envelope.\r\n\r\n<strong>The name of the game</strong>\r\n\r\nWhen a race is so crowded, you have to really fight to stand out. When you are running against 29 other candidates, name recognition matters. And so you spend a lot of money to make sure people know and remember your name.\r\n\r\n<strong>So you need money to succeed in politics</strong>\r\n\r\nThere are two big problems with making name recognition a priority. The first is that you need a lot of money to be able to make people remember your name, which means candidates with the deepest pockets have a big (unfair?) advantage. And indeed, in Montgomery County, two self-made millionaires (David Trone, who is running for U.S. Congress, and David Blair, who is running for Montgomery County Executive) are leading in the amount of money spent. Both these guys are saturating the market with flyers, TV commercials, placards and so forth.\r\n\r\n<strong>And a stand voters agree with</strong>\r\n\r\nThe second problem is that we don’t vote on name recognition alone. Serious voters (and primary voters tend to be serious) vote on where candidates stand on issues they care about. Name recognition is helpful for sure, but it doesn’t inform voters sufficiently. If voters care about issues, it becomes incumbent on them to research the candidates’ positions. Thankfully, the League of Women Voters publishes a Voters’ Guide. And most candidates have websites.\r\n\r\nIn the end, you vote for people who reflect your priorities and values, not for the person with the most lawn signs or door hangers. To really stand out in a crowded field, candidates need to be able to communicate who they are, what they stand for, and why they are the better choice. That takes a lot of money, great communications know-how, and superb political skill.\r\n\r\nMay the best candidates win! And if you live in Maryland, don\'t forget to vote on June 26th.\r\n\r\nUPDATE: Today, I received an additional five pieces of campaign literature in the mail, three of those promote ONE candidate, and the other is the tenth or so piece I have received from another candidate. Sending three pieces of mail about one candidate strikes me as overkill, and could backfire. Certainly the other candidate, who clearly has very deep pockets, has shown he will spend (waste?) as much money as he can. There\'s no added advantage to sending a piece of campaign literature every day. It becomes junk mail, quite literally. Direct mail does not benefit from frequency as does radio/TV.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How do you know who to vote for when there are so many candidates?','','publish','open','open','','how-do-you-know-who-to-vote-for-when-there-are-so-many-candidates','','','2018-06-22 15:31:08','2018-06-22 19:31:08','',0,'https://deborahbrody.com/?p=3817',0,'post','',0),
(3818,4,'2018-06-21 10:32:25','2018-06-21 14:32:25','','20180616_112036','Placards outside Silver Spring Early Voting Center','inherit','open','closed','','20180616_112036','','','2018-06-21 10:33:02','2018-06-21 14:33:02','',3817,'https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/20180616_112036.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(3819,4,'2018-06-21 10:33:27','2018-06-21 14:33:27','There are thirty (that is 3-0) people running for Montgomery County, Maryland Council. Voters are allowed to vote for up to four. There are also eight candidates running in the Democratic primary for Maryland Governor (the incumbent, Larry Hogan, is a Republican and is unopposed). Voters also get to vote for County Executive (six Democrats running), U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, State Delegates, Judges, even for the Clerk of the Circuit Court. In short, there are a lot of people competing for votes in Montgomery County, Maryland. And with so many people running, it’s a real challenge to stand out.\r\n\r\nAnd it’s because of the crush of candidates that every registered party voter in Montgomery County (where I live) has been inundated with campaign literature. (Read today’s Washington Post story,<a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/so-many-candidates-so-much-mail/2018/06/19/80549d08-732d-11e8-b4b7-308400242c2e_story.html?utm_term=.509ea3aff044\"> In Montgomery County, voters face a deluge of campaign literature mailings</a>, about it).  And that is all in addition to the countless political commercials that have been airing on both the local TV stations and the political talk shows on cable TV. And the many sponsored ads on Twitter and Facebook. And the ubiquitous lawn signs and placards placed throughout the county.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3818\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\"]<a href=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/20180616_112036.jpg\"><img class=\"wp-image-3818 size-large\" src=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/20180616_112036-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" /></a> Placards outside Silver Spring Early Voting Center[/caption]\r\n\r\nI know because I have received dozens of door hangers and flyers on my doorstep, dozens of flyers in the mail, and even personalized texts to my cell phone (I am still trying to figure out how they got the number).  The most notable piece of campaign literature that I got was a form letter from a candidate stuffed inside a handwritten envelope.\r\n\r\n<strong>The name of the game</strong>\r\n\r\nWhen a race is so crowded, you have to really fight to stand out. When you are running against 29 other candidates, name recognition matters. And so you spend a lot of money to make sure people know and remember your name.\r\n\r\n<strong>So you need money to succeed in politics</strong>\r\n\r\nThere are two big problems with making name recognition a priority. The first is that you need a lot of money to be able to make people remember your name, which means candidates with the deepest pockets have a big (unfair?) advantage. And indeed, in Montgomery County, two self-made millionaires (David Trone, who is running for U.S. Congress, and David Blair, who is running for County Executive) are leading in the amount of money spent. Both these guys are saturating the market with flyers, TV commercials, placards and so forth.\r\n\r\n<strong>And a stand voters agree with</strong>\r\n\r\nThe second problem is that we don’t vote on name recognition alone. Serious voters (and primary voters tend to be serious) vote on where candidates stand on issues they care about. Name recognition is helpful for sure, but it doesn’t inform voters sufficiently. If voters care about issues, it becomes incumbent on them to research the candidates’ positions. Thankfully, the League of Women Voters publishes a Voters’ Guide. And most candidates have websites.\r\n\r\nIn the end, you vote for people who reflect your priorities and values, not for the person with the most lawn signs or door hangers. To really stand out in a crowded field, you need to be able to communicate who you are, what you stand for, and why you are better than others. It takes a lot of money, great marketing communications know-how, and political skill.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How do you know who to vote for when there\'s so many candidates?','','inherit','closed','closed','','3817-revision-v1','','','2018-06-21 10:33:27','2018-06-21 14:33:27','',3817,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/3817-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3820,4,'2018-06-21 10:35:59','2018-06-21 14:35:59','There are thirty (that is 3-0) people running for Montgomery County, Maryland Council. Voters are allowed to vote for up to four. There are also eight candidates running in the Democratic primary for Maryland Governor (the incumbent, Larry Hogan, is a Republican and is unopposed). Voters also get to vote for County Executive (six Democrats running), U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, State Delegates, Judges, even for the Clerk of the Circuit Court. In short, there are a lot of people competing for votes in Montgomery County, Maryland. And with so many people running, it’s a real challenge to stand out.\r\n\r\nAnd it’s because of the crush of candidates that every registered party voter in Montgomery County (where I live) has been inundated with campaign literature. (Read today’s Washington Post story,<a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/so-many-candidates-so-much-mail/2018/06/19/80549d08-732d-11e8-b4b7-308400242c2e_story.html?utm_term=.509ea3aff044\"> In Montgomery County, voters face a deluge of campaign literature mailings</a>, about it).  And that is all in addition to the countless political commercials that have been airing on both the local TV stations and the political talk shows on cable TV. And the many sponsored ads on Twitter and Facebook. And the ubiquitous lawn signs and placards placed throughout the county.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3818\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\"]<a href=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/20180616_112036.jpg\"><img class=\"wp-image-3818 size-large\" src=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/20180616_112036-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" /></a> Placards outside Silver Spring Early Voting Center[/caption]\r\n\r\nI know because I have received dozens of door hangers and flyers on my doorstep, dozens of flyers in the mail, and even personalized texts to my cell phone (I am still trying to figure out how they got the number).  The most notable piece of campaign literature that I got was a form letter from a candidate stuffed inside a handwritten envelope.\r\n\r\n<strong>The name of the game</strong>\r\n\r\nWhen a race is so crowded, you have to really fight to stand out. When you are running against 29 other candidates, name recognition matters. And so you spend a lot of money to make sure people know and remember your name.\r\n\r\n<strong>So you need money to succeed in politics</strong>\r\n\r\nThere are two big problems with making name recognition a priority. The first is that you need a lot of money to be able to make people remember your name, which means candidates with the deepest pockets have a big (unfair?) advantage. And indeed, in Montgomery County, two self-made millionaires (David Trone, who is running for U.S. Congress, and David Blair, who is running for County Executive) are leading in the amount of money spent. Both these guys are saturating the market with flyers, TV commercials, placards and so forth.\r\n\r\n<strong>And a stand voters agree with</strong>\r\n\r\nThe second problem is that we don’t vote on name recognition alone. Serious voters (and primary voters tend to be serious) vote on where candidates stand on issues they care about. Name recognition is helpful for sure, but it doesn’t inform voters sufficiently. If voters care about issues, it becomes incumbent on them to research the candidates’ positions. Thankfully, the League of Women Voters publishes a Voters’ Guide. And most candidates have websites.\r\n\r\nIn the end, you vote for people who reflect your priorities and values, not for the person with the most lawn signs or door hangers. To really stand out in a crowded field, candidates need to be able to communicate who they are, what they stand for, and why they are the better choice. That takes a lot of money, great communications know-how, and superb political skill.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How do you know who to vote for when there are so many candidates?','','inherit','closed','closed','','3817-revision-v1','','','2018-06-21 10:35:59','2018-06-21 14:35:59','',3817,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/3817-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3821,4,'2018-06-21 10:38:55','2018-06-21 14:38:55','There are thirty (that is 3-0) people running for Montgomery County, Maryland Council. Voters are allowed to vote for up to four. There are also eight candidates running in the Democratic primary for Maryland Governor (the incumbent, Larry Hogan, is a Republican and is unopposed). Voters also get to vote for County Executive (six Democrats running), U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, State Delegates, Judges, even for the Clerk of the Circuit Court. In short, there are a lot of people competing for votes in Montgomery County, Maryland. And with so many people running, it’s a real challenge to stand out.\r\n\r\nAnd it’s because of the crush of candidates that every registered party voter in Montgomery County (where I live) has been inundated with campaign literature. (Read today’s Washington Post story,<a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/so-many-candidates-so-much-mail/2018/06/19/80549d08-732d-11e8-b4b7-308400242c2e_story.html?utm_term=.509ea3aff044\"> In Montgomery County, voters face a deluge of campaign literature mailings</a>, about it).  And that is all in addition to the countless political commercials that have been airing on both the local TV stations and the political talk shows on cable TV. And the many sponsored ads on Twitter and Facebook. And the ubiquitous lawn signs and placards placed throughout the county.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3818\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\"]<a href=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/20180616_112036.jpg\"><img class=\"wp-image-3818 size-large\" src=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/20180616_112036-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" /></a> Placards outside Silver Spring Early Voting Center[/caption]\r\n\r\nI know because I have received dozens of door hangers and flyers on my doorstep, dozens of flyers in the mail, and even personalized texts to my cell phone (I am still trying to figure out how they got the number).  The most notable piece of campaign literature that I got was a form letter from a candidate stuffed inside a handwritten envelope.\r\n\r\n<strong>The name of the game</strong>\r\n\r\nWhen a race is so crowded, you have to really fight to stand out. When you are running against 29 other candidates, name recognition matters. And so you spend a lot of money to make sure people know and remember your name.\r\n\r\n<strong>So you need money to succeed in politics</strong>\r\n\r\nThere are two big problems with making name recognition a priority. The first is that you need a lot of money to be able to make people remember your name, which means candidates with the deepest pockets have a big (unfair?) advantage. And indeed, in Montgomery County, two self-made millionaires (David Trone, who is running for U.S. Congress, and David Blair, who is running for Montgomery County Executive) are leading in the amount of money spent. Both these guys are saturating the market with flyers, TV commercials, placards and so forth.\r\n\r\n<strong>And a stand voters agree with</strong>\r\n\r\nThe second problem is that we don’t vote on name recognition alone. Serious voters (and primary voters tend to be serious) vote on where candidates stand on issues they care about. Name recognition is helpful for sure, but it doesn’t inform voters sufficiently. If voters care about issues, it becomes incumbent on them to research the candidates’ positions. Thankfully, the League of Women Voters publishes a Voters’ Guide. And most candidates have websites.\r\n\r\nIn the end, you vote for people who reflect your priorities and values, not for the person with the most lawn signs or door hangers. To really stand out in a crowded field, candidates need to be able to communicate who they are, what they stand for, and why they are the better choice. That takes a lot of money, great communications know-how, and superb political skill.\r\n\r\nMay the best candidates win! And if you live in Maryland, don\'t forget to vote on June 26th.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How do you know who to vote for when there are so many candidates?','','inherit','closed','closed','','3817-revision-v1','','','2018-06-21 10:38:55','2018-06-21 14:38:55','',3817,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/3817-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3823,4,'2018-06-21 11:10:25','2018-06-21 15:10:25','There are thirty (that is 3-0) people running for Montgomery County, Maryland Council. Voters are allowed to vote for up to four. There are also eight candidates running in the Democratic primary for Maryland Governor (the incumbent, Larry Hogan, is a Republican and is unopposed). Voters also get to vote for County Executive (six Democrats running), U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, State Delegates, Judges, even for the Clerk of the Circuit Court. In short, there are a lot of people competing for votes in Montgomery County, Maryland. And with so many people running, it’s a real challenge to stand out.\r\n\r\nAnd it’s because of the crush of candidates that every registered party voter in Montgomery County (where I live) has been inundated with campaign literature. (Read today’s Washington Post story,<a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/so-many-candidates-so-much-mail/2018/06/19/80549d08-732d-11e8-b4b7-308400242c2e_story.html?utm_term=.509ea3aff044\"> In Montgomery County, voters face a deluge of campaign literature mailings</a>, about it).  And that is all in addition to the countless political commercials that have been airing on both the local TV stations and the political talk shows on cable TV. And the many sponsored ads on Twitter and Facebook. And the ubiquitous lawn signs and placards placed throughout the county.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3818\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\"]<a href=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/20180616_112036.jpg\"><img class=\"wp-image-3818 size-large\" src=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/20180616_112036-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" /></a> Placards outside Silver Spring Early Voting Center[/caption]\r\n\r\nI know because I have received dozens of door hangers and flyers on my doorstep, dozens of flyers in the mail, tons of emails, and even personalized texts to my cell phone (I am still trying to figure out how they got the number).  The most notable piece of campaign literature that I got was a form letter from a candidate stuffed inside a handwritten envelope.\r\n\r\n<strong>The name of the game</strong>\r\n\r\nWhen a race is so crowded, you have to really fight to stand out. When you are running against 29 other candidates, name recognition matters. And so you spend a lot of money to make sure people know and remember your name.\r\n\r\n<strong>So you need money to succeed in politics</strong>\r\n\r\nThere are two big problems with making name recognition a priority. The first is that you need a lot of money to be able to make people remember your name, which means candidates with the deepest pockets have a big (unfair?) advantage. And indeed, in Montgomery County, two self-made millionaires (David Trone, who is running for U.S. Congress, and David Blair, who is running for Montgomery County Executive) are leading in the amount of money spent. Both these guys are saturating the market with flyers, TV commercials, placards and so forth.\r\n\r\n<strong>And a stand voters agree with</strong>\r\n\r\nThe second problem is that we don’t vote on name recognition alone. Serious voters (and primary voters tend to be serious) vote on where candidates stand on issues they care about. Name recognition is helpful for sure, but it doesn’t inform voters sufficiently. If voters care about issues, it becomes incumbent on them to research the candidates’ positions. Thankfully, the League of Women Voters publishes a Voters’ Guide. And most candidates have websites.\r\n\r\nIn the end, you vote for people who reflect your priorities and values, not for the person with the most lawn signs or door hangers. To really stand out in a crowded field, candidates need to be able to communicate who they are, what they stand for, and why they are the better choice. That takes a lot of money, great communications know-how, and superb political skill.\r\n\r\nMay the best candidates win! And if you live in Maryland, don\'t forget to vote on June 26th.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How do you know who to vote for when there are so many candidates?','','inherit','closed','closed','','3817-revision-v1','','','2018-06-21 11:10:25','2018-06-21 15:10:25','',3817,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/3817-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3825,4,'2018-06-22 15:31:08','2018-06-22 19:31:08','There are thirty (that is 3-0) people running for Montgomery County, Maryland Council. Voters are allowed to vote for up to four. There are also eight candidates running in the Democratic primary for Maryland Governor (the incumbent, Larry Hogan, is a Republican and is unopposed). Voters also get to vote for County Executive (six Democrats running), U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, State Delegates, Judges, even for the Clerk of the Circuit Court. In short, there are a lot of people competing for votes in Montgomery County, Maryland. And with so many people running, it’s a real challenge to stand out.\r\n\r\nAnd it’s because of the crush of candidates that every registered party voter in Montgomery County (where I live) has been inundated with campaign literature. (Read today’s Washington Post story,<a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/so-many-candidates-so-much-mail/2018/06/19/80549d08-732d-11e8-b4b7-308400242c2e_story.html?utm_term=.509ea3aff044\"> In Montgomery County, voters face a deluge of campaign literature mailings</a>, about it).  And that is all in addition to the countless political commercials that have been airing on both the local TV stations and the political talk shows on cable TV. And the many sponsored ads on Twitter and Facebook. And the ubiquitous lawn signs and placards placed throughout the county.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3818\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\"]<a href=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/20180616_112036.jpg\"><img class=\"wp-image-3818 size-large\" src=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/20180616_112036-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" /></a> Placards outside Silver Spring Early Voting Center[/caption]\r\n\r\nI know because I have received dozens of door hangers and flyers on my doorstep, dozens of flyers in the mail, tons of emails, and even personalized texts to my cell phone (I am still trying to figure out how they got the number).  The most notable piece of campaign literature that I got was a form letter from a candidate stuffed inside a handwritten envelope.\r\n\r\n<strong>The name of the game</strong>\r\n\r\nWhen a race is so crowded, you have to really fight to stand out. When you are running against 29 other candidates, name recognition matters. And so you spend a lot of money to make sure people know and remember your name.\r\n\r\n<strong>So you need money to succeed in politics</strong>\r\n\r\nThere are two big problems with making name recognition a priority. The first is that you need a lot of money to be able to make people remember your name, which means candidates with the deepest pockets have a big (unfair?) advantage. And indeed, in Montgomery County, two self-made millionaires (David Trone, who is running for U.S. Congress, and David Blair, who is running for Montgomery County Executive) are leading in the amount of money spent. Both these guys are saturating the market with flyers, TV commercials, placards and so forth.\r\n\r\n<strong>And a stand voters agree with</strong>\r\n\r\nThe second problem is that we don’t vote on name recognition alone. Serious voters (and primary voters tend to be serious) vote on where candidates stand on issues they care about. Name recognition is helpful for sure, but it doesn’t inform voters sufficiently. If voters care about issues, it becomes incumbent on them to research the candidates’ positions. Thankfully, the League of Women Voters publishes a Voters’ Guide. And most candidates have websites.\r\n\r\nIn the end, you vote for people who reflect your priorities and values, not for the person with the most lawn signs or door hangers. To really stand out in a crowded field, candidates need to be able to communicate who they are, what they stand for, and why they are the better choice. That takes a lot of money, great communications know-how, and superb political skill.\r\n\r\nMay the best candidates win! And if you live in Maryland, don\'t forget to vote on June 26th.\r\n\r\nUPDATE: Today, I received an additional five pieces of campaign literature in the mail, three of those promote ONE candidate, and the other is the tenth or so piece I have received from another candidate. Sending three pieces of mail about one candidate strikes me as overkill, and could backfire. Certainly the other candidate, who clearly has very deep pockets, has shown he will spend (waste?) as much money as he can. There\'s no added advantage to sending a piece of campaign literature every day. It becomes junk mail, quite literally. Direct mail does not benefit from frequency as does radio/TV.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How do you know who to vote for when there are so many candidates?','','inherit','closed','closed','','3817-revision-v1','','','2018-06-22 15:31:08','2018-06-22 19:31:08','',3817,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/3817-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3826,4,'2018-06-27 13:17:19','2018-06-27 17:17:19','Not a week goes by that I don\'t get several unsolicited emails from people/businesses who think I need financing, or a direct marketing list, or help with my website, or (just got this today)think I may want voice over talent (!).  Almost all these emails are personalized to me, or at least to my website (as in \"Dear Deborahbrody.com\"). Some get my name from my website (presumably after doing a search) and some from LinkedIn.  Others, I don\'t have the foggiest idea of where or how they found me (or even why they are contacting me). Very few seem to know much about my business, and none are companies I have done business with in the past. In short, lots of businesses reach out via email to try to drum up sales or generate cash.\r\n\r\n<strong>Is it legit, is it spam, or is it a scam?</strong>\r\n\r\nBut how many of these are legit, and how many are scammers/spammers? Where do we draw the line between an honest attempt to generate a lead based on internet research, and spam?  There are probably a few indicators of spam/scams:\r\n\r\n1) Using the same pitch over and over and over, sometimes from different names within the \"company.\" In other words, more than one inquiry.\r\n\r\n2) Adding, without permission, your name to an email marketing list, and putting the onus on you to unsubscribe (this is a direct violation of the CAN-SPAM rules and can/should be reported as such).\r\n\r\n3) A sketchy sounding proposition (financing with no credit check, for example).\r\n\r\n<strong>Is this company a legit spammer?</strong>\r\n\r\nFor the past several weeks, I have been getting emails from something called Imparture about social media marketing classes in Washington, DC.  I was getting about three emails a week, every week. They all had the unsubscribe feature, and finally, this week, I unsubscribed (not that I had subscribed in the first place). Then yesterday, I got a personalized email from \"Elliot.:  Here it is:\r\n<blockquote>Hi Deborah,\r\n\r\nDid you get a chance to consider my last email?\r\n\r\nCheck out our upcoming <a href=\"https://prospector.cognism.com/api/tracking/campaigns/5b277a1646e0fb00017881f1/sequences/5b27879646e0fb0001efacb3/leads/5b277a8c46e0fb0001788256/steps/5b27879646e0fb0001efacb35b277a8c46e0fb00017882561/linktracking?track=https://www.imparture.com/course/training-workshops/google-analytics-immersive/washington-dc?utm_source=cognism&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=cognism_outbound-workshops/custom\">Google Analytics training course</a> taking place in Washington DC.\r\n\r\nThere are only a few spots left so sign up if you are interested.\r\n\r\nAll the best,\r\n\r\n<strong>Elliot Jay</strong>\r\nClient Relationship Manager\r\n<strong>Imparture</strong>\r\nLondon / New York / San Francisco</blockquote>\r\nNow, I don\'t know Elliot, and as I said, I had already unsubscribed from these emails. I wrote him and told him I would be reporting him for spam. Then, today, I got this email from \"Noah\":\r\n<blockquote>Hi Deborah,\r\n\r\nI came across your profile and saw that your skill set contains Social Media Marketing, and wanted to reach out with an opportunity.\r\n\r\nWe have only a few spots remaining in our upcoming <a href=\"https://prospector.cognism.com/api/tracking/campaigns/5b302f5d46e0fb0001afd9bd/sequences/5b302fc146e0fb0001402c10/leads/5b3295c346e0fb00015dd898/steps/5b302fc146e0fb0001402c105b3295c346e0fb00015dd8980/linktracking?track=https://www.imparture.com/course/training-workshops/social-media-marketing-immersive/washington-dc?utm_source=cognism&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=cognism_outbound-workshops/custom\">Social Media Marketing Immersive course</a> in Washington DC.\r\n\r\nThis course will give you an advanced level of understanding regarding Social Media Marketing, and add significant value to your skillset - might this be something of interest?\r\n\r\nYou can find out more about the course, as well as sign up, <a href=\"https://prospector.cognism.com/api/tracking/campaigns/5b302f5d46e0fb0001afd9bd/sequences/5b302fc146e0fb0001402c10/leads/5b3295c346e0fb00015dd898/steps/5b302fc146e0fb0001402c105b3295c346e0fb00015dd8980/linktracking?track=https://www.imparture.com/course/training-workshops/social-media-marketing-immersive/washington-dc?utm_source=cognism&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=cognism_outbound-workshops/custom\">here</a>.\r\n\r\nPlease do not hesitate to reach out with any questions.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll the best,\r\n\r\n<strong>Noah Kelsey</strong>\r\nClient Relationship Manager\r\n<strong>Imparture</strong>\r\n\r\n\r\nLondon / New York / San Francisco</blockquote>\r\nI looked up Imparture and the company does have a website, a LinkedIn profile, and even a Twitter account (with only 500 or so followers), which look legit enough. On the other hand, I did find a review stating that the company had scheduled a class, cancelled it, and didn\'t issue refunds (sketchy!).\r\n\r\nThis company may indeed be legitimate (albeit with questionable customer service), but its marketing practices are definitely spammy. As I said before, <em>I have never signed up for a class or to get these emails.</em> And I have \"unsubscribed\" and have since gotten two more emails. Any legitimate marketing effort would ask for permission to add you to a list, and would respect an unsubscribe request. This company has failed on both ends. It added me to an email list without my express consent (and again, I am not sure where/how they got my email address), and it has ignored my unsubscribe request, twice so far.\r\n\r\n<strong>Do not be a spammer!</strong>\r\n\r\nIf you are a legitimate business, do not follow the scammer\'s playbook. Sending unsolicited mail is against CAN-SPAM rules. Want to learn more? Check out the FTC\'s  <a href=\"https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business\">CAN-SPAM Act: A compliance guide for business.</a>\r\n\r\nHave you had a similar experience? What is your take on the legit versus spam discussion?','Legit or spam?','','publish','open','open','','legit-or-spam','','','2018-06-27 13:17:19','2018-06-27 17:17:19','',0,'https://deborahbrody.com/?p=3826',0,'post','',1),
(3827,4,'2018-06-27 13:14:08','2018-06-27 17:14:08','Not a week goes by that I don\'t get several unsolicited emails from people/businesses who think I need financing, or a direct marketing list, or help with my website, or (just got this today)think I may want voice over talent (!).  Almost all these emails are personalized to me, or at least to my website (as in \"Dear Deborahbrody.com\"). Some get my name from my website (presumably after doing a search) and some from LinkedIn.  Others, I don\'t have the foggiest idea of where or how they found me (or even why they are contacting me). Very few seem to know much about my business, and none are companies I have done business with in the past. In short, lots of businesses reach out via email to try to drum up sales or generate cash.\r\n\r\n<strong>Is it legit, is it spam, or is it a scam?</strong>\r\n\r\nBut how many of these are legit, and how many are scammers/spammers? Where do we draw the line between an honest attempt to generate a lead based on internet research, and spam?  There are probably a few indicators of spam/scams:\r\n\r\n1) Using the same pitch over and over and over, sometimes from different names within the \"company.\" In other words, more than one inquiry.\r\n\r\n2) Adding, without permission, your name to an email marketing list, and putting the onus on you to unsubscribe (this is a direct violation of the CAN-SPAM rules and can/should be reported as such).\r\n\r\n3) A sketchy sounding proposition (financing with no credit check, for example).\r\n\r\n<strong>Is this company a legit spammer?</strong>\r\n\r\nFor the past several weeks, I have been getting emails from something called Imparture about social media marketing classes in Washington, DC.  I was getting about three emails a week, every week. They all had the unsubscribe feature, and finally, this week, I unsubscribed (not that I had subscribed in the first place). Then yesterday, I got a personalized email from \"Elliot.:  Here it is:\r\n<blockquote>Hi Deborah,\r\n\r\nDid you get a chance to consider my last email?\r\n\r\nCheck out our upcoming <a href=\"https://prospector.cognism.com/api/tracking/campaigns/5b277a1646e0fb00017881f1/sequences/5b27879646e0fb0001efacb3/leads/5b277a8c46e0fb0001788256/steps/5b27879646e0fb0001efacb35b277a8c46e0fb00017882561/linktracking?track=https://www.imparture.com/course/training-workshops/google-analytics-immersive/washington-dc?utm_source=cognism&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=cognism_outbound-workshops/custom\">Google Analytics training course</a> taking place in Washington DC.\r\n\r\nThere are only a few spots left so sign up if you are interested.\r\n\r\nAll the best,\r\n\r\n<strong>Elliot Jay</strong>\r\nClient Relationship Manager\r\n<strong>Imparture</strong>\r\nLondon / New York / San Francisco</blockquote>\r\nNow, I don\'t know Elliot, and as I said, I had already unsubscribed from these emails. I wrote him and told him I would be reporting him for spam. Then, today, I got this email from \"Noah\":\r\n<blockquote>Hi Deborah,\r\n\r\nI came across your profile and saw that your skill set contains Social Media Marketing, and wanted to reach out with an opportunity.\r\n\r\nWe have only a few spots remaining in our upcoming <a href=\"https://prospector.cognism.com/api/tracking/campaigns/5b302f5d46e0fb0001afd9bd/sequences/5b302fc146e0fb0001402c10/leads/5b3295c346e0fb00015dd898/steps/5b302fc146e0fb0001402c105b3295c346e0fb00015dd8980/linktracking?track=https://www.imparture.com/course/training-workshops/social-media-marketing-immersive/washington-dc?utm_source=cognism&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=cognism_outbound-workshops/custom\">Social Media Marketing Immersive course</a> in Washington DC.\r\n\r\nThis course will give you an advanced level of understanding regarding Social Media Marketing, and add significant value to your skillset - might this be something of interest?\r\n\r\nYou can find out more about the course, as well as sign up, <a href=\"https://prospector.cognism.com/api/tracking/campaigns/5b302f5d46e0fb0001afd9bd/sequences/5b302fc146e0fb0001402c10/leads/5b3295c346e0fb00015dd898/steps/5b302fc146e0fb0001402c105b3295c346e0fb00015dd8980/linktracking?track=https://www.imparture.com/course/training-workshops/social-media-marketing-immersive/washington-dc?utm_source=cognism&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=cognism_outbound-workshops/custom\">here</a>.\r\n\r\nPlease do not hesitate to reach out with any questions.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll the best,\r\n\r\n<strong>Noah Kelsey</strong>\r\nClient Relationship Manager\r\n<strong>Imparture</strong>\r\n\r\n\r\nLondon / New York / San Francisco</blockquote>\r\nI looked up Imparture and they do have a website, a LinkedIn profile, and even a Twitter account (with only 500 or so followers). Looks legit enough, but I found a review stating that the company had scheduled a class, cancelled it, and didn\'t issue refunds (sketchy!).\r\n\r\nThis company may be legitimate (albeit with questionable customer service), but its marketing practices are definitely spammy. As I said before, <em>I have never signed up for a class or to get these emails.</em> And I have \"unsubscribed\" and have since gotten two more emails. Any legitimate marketing effort would ask for permission to add you to a list, and would respect an unsubscribe request. This company has failed on both ends. It added me to an email list without my express consent (and again, I am not sure where/how they got my email address), and it has ignored my unsubscribe request, twice so far.\r\n\r\n<strong>Do not be a spammer!</strong>\r\n\r\nIf you are a legitimate business, do not follow the scammer\'s playbook. Sending unsolicited mail is against CAN-SPAM rules. Want to learn more? Check out the FTC\'s  <a href=\"https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business\">CAN-SPAM Act: A compliance guide for business.</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Legit or spam?','','inherit','closed','closed','','3826-revision-v1','','','2018-06-27 13:14:08','2018-06-27 17:14:08','',3826,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/3826-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3828,4,'2018-06-27 13:17:19','2018-06-27 17:17:19','Not a week goes by that I don\'t get several unsolicited emails from people/businesses who think I need financing, or a direct marketing list, or help with my website, or (just got this today)think I may want voice over talent (!).  Almost all these emails are personalized to me, or at least to my website (as in \"Dear Deborahbrody.com\"). Some get my name from my website (presumably after doing a search) and some from LinkedIn.  Others, I don\'t have the foggiest idea of where or how they found me (or even why they are contacting me). Very few seem to know much about my business, and none are companies I have done business with in the past. In short, lots of businesses reach out via email to try to drum up sales or generate cash.\r\n\r\n<strong>Is it legit, is it spam, or is it a scam?</strong>\r\n\r\nBut how many of these are legit, and how many are scammers/spammers? Where do we draw the line between an honest attempt to generate a lead based on internet research, and spam?  There are probably a few indicators of spam/scams:\r\n\r\n1) Using the same pitch over and over and over, sometimes from different names within the \"company.\" In other words, more than one inquiry.\r\n\r\n2) Adding, without permission, your name to an email marketing list, and putting the onus on you to unsubscribe (this is a direct violation of the CAN-SPAM rules and can/should be reported as such).\r\n\r\n3) A sketchy sounding proposition (financing with no credit check, for example).\r\n\r\n<strong>Is this company a legit spammer?</strong>\r\n\r\nFor the past several weeks, I have been getting emails from something called Imparture about social media marketing classes in Washington, DC.  I was getting about three emails a week, every week. They all had the unsubscribe feature, and finally, this week, I unsubscribed (not that I had subscribed in the first place). Then yesterday, I got a personalized email from \"Elliot.:  Here it is:\r\n<blockquote>Hi Deborah,\r\n\r\nDid you get a chance to consider my last email?\r\n\r\nCheck out our upcoming <a href=\"https://prospector.cognism.com/api/tracking/campaigns/5b277a1646e0fb00017881f1/sequences/5b27879646e0fb0001efacb3/leads/5b277a8c46e0fb0001788256/steps/5b27879646e0fb0001efacb35b277a8c46e0fb00017882561/linktracking?track=https://www.imparture.com/course/training-workshops/google-analytics-immersive/washington-dc?utm_source=cognism&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=cognism_outbound-workshops/custom\">Google Analytics training course</a> taking place in Washington DC.\r\n\r\nThere are only a few spots left so sign up if you are interested.\r\n\r\nAll the best,\r\n\r\n<strong>Elliot Jay</strong>\r\nClient Relationship Manager\r\n<strong>Imparture</strong>\r\nLondon / New York / San Francisco</blockquote>\r\nNow, I don\'t know Elliot, and as I said, I had already unsubscribed from these emails. I wrote him and told him I would be reporting him for spam. Then, today, I got this email from \"Noah\":\r\n<blockquote>Hi Deborah,\r\n\r\nI came across your profile and saw that your skill set contains Social Media Marketing, and wanted to reach out with an opportunity.\r\n\r\nWe have only a few spots remaining in our upcoming <a href=\"https://prospector.cognism.com/api/tracking/campaigns/5b302f5d46e0fb0001afd9bd/sequences/5b302fc146e0fb0001402c10/leads/5b3295c346e0fb00015dd898/steps/5b302fc146e0fb0001402c105b3295c346e0fb00015dd8980/linktracking?track=https://www.imparture.com/course/training-workshops/social-media-marketing-immersive/washington-dc?utm_source=cognism&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=cognism_outbound-workshops/custom\">Social Media Marketing Immersive course</a> in Washington DC.\r\n\r\nThis course will give you an advanced level of understanding regarding Social Media Marketing, and add significant value to your skillset - might this be something of interest?\r\n\r\nYou can find out more about the course, as well as sign up, <a href=\"https://prospector.cognism.com/api/tracking/campaigns/5b302f5d46e0fb0001afd9bd/sequences/5b302fc146e0fb0001402c10/leads/5b3295c346e0fb00015dd898/steps/5b302fc146e0fb0001402c105b3295c346e0fb00015dd8980/linktracking?track=https://www.imparture.com/course/training-workshops/social-media-marketing-immersive/washington-dc?utm_source=cognism&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=cognism_outbound-workshops/custom\">here</a>.\r\n\r\nPlease do not hesitate to reach out with any questions.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll the best,\r\n\r\n<strong>Noah Kelsey</strong>\r\nClient Relationship Manager\r\n<strong>Imparture</strong>\r\n\r\n\r\nLondon / New York / San Francisco</blockquote>\r\nI looked up Imparture and the company does have a website, a LinkedIn profile, and even a Twitter account (with only 500 or so followers), which look legit enough. On the other hand, I did find a review stating that the company had scheduled a class, cancelled it, and didn\'t issue refunds (sketchy!).\r\n\r\nThis company may indeed be legitimate (albeit with questionable customer service), but its marketing practices are definitely spammy. As I said before, <em>I have never signed up for a class or to get these emails.</em> And I have \"unsubscribed\" and have since gotten two more emails. Any legitimate marketing effort would ask for permission to add you to a list, and would respect an unsubscribe request. This company has failed on both ends. It added me to an email list without my express consent (and again, I am not sure where/how they got my email address), and it has ignored my unsubscribe request, twice so far.\r\n\r\n<strong>Do not be a spammer!</strong>\r\n\r\nIf you are a legitimate business, do not follow the scammer\'s playbook. Sending unsolicited mail is against CAN-SPAM rules. Want to learn more? Check out the FTC\'s  <a href=\"https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business\">CAN-SPAM Act: A compliance guide for business.</a>\r\n\r\nHave you had a similar experience? What is your take on the legit versus spam discussion?','Legit or spam?','','inherit','closed','closed','','3826-revision-v1','','','2018-06-27 13:17:19','2018-06-27 17:17:19','',3826,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/06/3826-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3848,4,'2018-08-21 12:44:28','0000-00-00 00:00:00','When we research anything, from doctors to nail salons, to cars, electronics, whatever, we do it on the internet, and generally by using Google. Your website is essential if you are trying to get customers for your small business. But not all small business websites are alike. And not all of them work as well as others.','Make your small business website work for you','','draft','open','open','','','','','2018-08-21 12:44:28','2018-08-21 16:44:28','',0,'https://deborahbrody.com/?p=3848',0,'post','',0),
(3849,4,'2018-08-21 12:44:28','2018-08-21 16:44:28','When we research anything, from doctors to nail salons, to cars, electronics, whatever, we do it on the internet, and generally by using Google. Your website is essential if you are trying to get customers for your small business. But not all small business websites are alike. And not all of them work as well as others.','Make your small business website work for you','','inherit','closed','closed','','3848-revision-v1','','','2018-08-21 12:44:28','2018-08-21 16:44:28','',3848,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/08/3848-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3833,4,'2018-07-19 10:07:54','2018-07-19 14:07:54','<strong>What is the one thing in marketing that guarantees results?</strong>\r\n\r\nIs it your website? Your social media marketing? Your strategic, forward-thinking marketing plan? Your market research? Your promotions?\r\n\r\nWhile all of the above help you to generate leads and close sales, there is one thing that  you have that will guarantee those leads convert and make those sales happen.\r\n\r\n<strong>It\'s your credibility. </strong>\r\n\r\nIf I can\'t believe what you are selling, then I am not going to buy it. In other words, without credibility, you are nothing.\r\n\r\nCredibility means trust. If you are credible, your product or service is trustworthy. It\'s really that simple.\r\n\r\nLet me illustrate with the tale of an unnecessary car repair:\r\n\r\nA couple of months ago, I took my car in for a tire rotation and alignment to the tire shop where I had bought my tires. The rotation is free for the life of the vehicle, and the alignment costs $99. After a few minutes, one of the salespeople came out to tell me there was a problem. The shop could not do the alignment because the front end arms needed to be replaced. This repair would cost $600 (or six times what I had been planning on). The mechanic showed me what he was talking about, but my instinct (and pocketbook) said to decline this expensive repair.\r\n\r\nWhen I walked out of the shop,  I felt highly uneasy about what had happened. I felt that the salesperson was trying to upsell me and I did not trust her or the mechanic\'s assessment. Also, there had been a change in both the appearance and atmosphere of the shop. Previously, it had a homey (and more trustworthy) appearance. The people were friendly, and seemed honest. Now, things had been spiffed up, and the front desk was manned by two fairly surly people that barely had a smile for me. I got the sense the shop had been sold and was under new management, and that the management was looking to squeeze more profits from its customers. After all you are not going to make a lot of money off free rotations, are you?\r\n\r\nThis week, I took my car in for routine maintenance to my regular (trustworthy) repair shop. I asked them to check out this front end problem.  And, no surprise really, they said it did not need the repair. So either the mechanic at the tire shop did not know what he was talking about, or the salesperson was indeed upselling me something just to generate more money. Either way, the credibility of the tire shop has completely evaporated for me. I can\'t think of taking my car there, because I don\'t believe they will act in my best interest. I don\'t believe anymore in what they are selling.\r\n\r\n<strong>You can\'t manufacture credibility</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou have it or you don\'t. Credibility derives from your actions, from the substance of your product or service. However, you <em>can</em> <em>promote</em> your credibility. You can highlight what makes you credible. When you communicate with your audience, you show credibility by your honesty. You can use customer testimonials and ratings. If you\'ve gotten third-party reviews (like a product review in magazine), these are earned media mentions that help promote credibility.\r\n\r\nThe bottom line is that you can only promote your credibility if you act credibly. Otherwise, all your marketing efforts will be for naught.\r\n\r\nThoughts? Drop me a line in the comments.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','True marketing gold that guarantees results','','publish','open','open','','true-marketing-gold-that-guarantees-results','','','2018-07-19 10:07:54','2018-07-19 14:07:54','',0,'https://deborahbrody.com/?p=3833',0,'post','',0),
(3834,4,'2018-07-19 10:07:54','2018-07-19 14:07:54','<strong>What is the one thing in marketing that guarantees results?</strong>\r\n\r\nIs it your website? Your social media marketing? Your strategic, forward-thinking marketing plan? Your market research? Your promotions?\r\n\r\nWhile all of the above help you to generate leads and close sales, there is one thing that  you have that will guarantee those leads convert and make those sales happen.\r\n\r\n<strong>It\'s your credibility. </strong>\r\n\r\nIf I can\'t believe what you are selling, then I am not going to buy it. In other words, without credibility, you are nothing.\r\n\r\nCredibility means trust. If you are credible, your product or service is trustworthy. It\'s really that simple.\r\n\r\nLet me illustrate with the tale of an unnecessary car repair:\r\n\r\nA couple of months ago, I took my car in for a tire rotation and alignment to the tire shop where I had bought my tires. The rotation is free for the life of the vehicle, and the alignment costs $99. After a few minutes, one of the salespeople came out to tell me there was a problem. The shop could not do the alignment because the front end arms needed to be replaced. This repair would cost $600 (or six times what I had been planning on). The mechanic showed me what he was talking about, but my instinct (and pocketbook) said to decline this expensive repair.\r\n\r\nWhen I walked out of the shop,  I felt highly uneasy about what had happened. I felt that the salesperson was trying to upsell me and I did not trust her or the mechanic\'s assessment. Also, there had been a change in both the appearance and atmosphere of the shop. Previously, it had a homey (and more trustworthy) appearance. The people were friendly, and seemed honest. Now, things had been spiffed up, and the front desk was manned by two fairly surly people that barely had a smile for me. I got the sense the shop had been sold and was under new management, and that the management was looking to squeeze more profits from its customers. After all you are not going to make a lot of money off free rotations, are you?\r\n\r\nThis week, I took my car in for routine maintenance to my regular (trustworthy) repair shop. I asked them to check out this front end problem.  And, no surprise really, they said it did not need the repair. So either the mechanic at the tire shop did not know what he was talking about, or the salesperson was indeed upselling me something just to generate more money. Either way, the credibility of the tire shop has completely evaporated for me. I can\'t think of taking my car there, because I don\'t believe they will act in my best interest. I don\'t believe anymore in what they are selling.\r\n\r\n<strong>You can\'t manufacture credibility</strong>.\r\n\r\nYou have it or you don\'t. Credibility derives from your actions, from the substance of your product or service. However, you <em>can</em> <em>promote</em> your credibility. You can highlight what makes you credible. When you communicate with your audience, you show credibility by your honesty. You can use customer testimonials and ratings. If you\'ve gotten third-party reviews (like a product review in magazine), these are earned media mentions that help promote credibility.\r\n\r\nThe bottom line is that you can only promote your credibility if you act credibly. Otherwise, all your marketing efforts will be for naught.\r\n\r\nThoughts? Drop me a line in the comments.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','True marketing gold that guarantees results','','inherit','closed','closed','','3833-revision-v1','','','2018-07-19 10:07:54','2018-07-19 14:07:54','',3833,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/07/3833-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3836,4,'2018-07-26 09:47:58','2018-07-26 13:47:58','Take a look at your browser right now. You should see that the web address starts with https, and that that there is an icon to the left of that that shows a closed lock (and in Chrome, it says \"secure\"). This means that my website has its SSL certificate in order, and that this website is safe.\r\n\r\nSSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, and it is basically an authentication protocol that establishes a secure connection for your website.\r\n\r\n<strong>It is better to be safe than sorry</strong>\r\n\r\nBy having that \"secure\" label, you are creating a safe experience for your readers/users. This helps build trust. But more importantly, starting this year, Google will penalize websites that don\'t have the SSL certificate by labeling them as unsafe or \"not secure.\" Would you want to visit a site that is flagged as \"not secure?\" Probably not.\r\n\r\n<strong>SSL certicates may be free with your hosting package</strong>\r\n\r\nGetting SSL on your website should be a number one priority. If you (like me) manage your own website, check with your host. Most hosts provide free SSL certificates, and can deploy them on your site in a matter of minutes. Just give your website host a call, and follow instructions. If your host does not provide a free SSL certificate, there are plenty of places that will sell you one. Here\'s a how-to guide on setting up SSL: <a href=\"https://sucuri.net/guides/how-to-install-ssl-certificate\">https://sucuri.net/guides/how-to-install-ssl-certificate</a>\r\n\r\nThere may be a few more steps that you need to take to make sure your site is secure. In my case, the browser was telling me some images on my site were not secure. Thankfully, there was an easy and free fix in the form of a WordPress plugin. If  you are using a site that is not WordPress based, you may have to check with a website developer to get some technical help.\r\n\r\n<strong>Bottom line</strong>\r\n\r\nIn a world that has become rife with cybercrime, it is important to have provide a safe browsing experience. It is free to very low cost to deploy basic SSL on your website. And if you care about Google rankings, you need to do this now.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Better safe than sorry (or why you need SSL)','','publish','open','open','','better-safe-than-sorry-or-why-you-need-ssl','','','2018-07-26 09:47:58','2018-07-26 13:47:58','',0,'https://deborahbrody.com/?p=3836',0,'post','',0),
(3837,4,'2018-07-26 09:46:47','2018-07-26 13:46:47','Take a look at your browser right now. You should see that the web address starts with https, and that that there is an icon to the left of that that shows a closed lock (and in Chrome, it says \"secure\"). This means that my website has its SSL certificate in order, and that this website is safe.\r\n\r\nSSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, and it is basically an authentication protocol that establishes a secure connection for your website.\r\n\r\n<strong>It is better to be safe than sorry</strong>\r\n\r\nBy having that \"secure\" label, you are creating a safe experience for your readers/users. This helps build trust. But more importantly, starting this year, Google will penalize websites that don\'t have the SSL certificate by labeling them as unsafe or \"not secure.\" Would you want to visit a site that is flagged as \"not secure?\" Probably not.\r\n\r\n<strong>SSL certicates may be free with your hosting package</strong>\r\n\r\nGetting SSL on your website should be a number one priority. If you (like me) manage your own website, check with your host. Most hosts provide free SSL certificates, and can deploy them on your site in a matter of minutes. Just give your website host a call, and follow instructions. If your host does not provide a free SSL certificate, there are plenty of places that will sell you one. Here\'s a how-to guide on setting up SSL: <a href=\"https://sucuri.net/guides/how-to-install-ssl-certificate\">https://sucuri.net/guides/how-to-install-ssl-certificate</a>\r\n\r\nThere may be a few more steps that you need to take to make sure your site is secure. In my case, the browser was telling me some images on my site were not secure. Thankfully, there was an easy and free fix in the form of a WordPress plugin. If  you are using a site that is not WordPress based, you may have to check with a website developer to get some technical help.\r\n\r\n<strong>Bottom line</strong>\r\n\r\nIn a world that has become rife with cybercrime, it is important to have provide a safe browsing experience. It is free to very low cost to deploy basic SSL on your website. And if you care about Google rankings, you need to do this now.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Better safe than sorry (or why you need SSL)','','inherit','closed','closed','','3836-revision-v1','','','2018-07-26 09:46:47','2018-07-26 13:46:47','',3836,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/07/3836-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3838,4,'2018-08-02 09:17:23','0000-00-00 00:00:00','How long do bad experiences linger? Probably a lot longer than businesses realize.\r\n\r\nThink about a bad experience you\'ve had. Perhaps it was an airline who lost your luggage, or a meal in a restaurant that was served late/cold/bad tasting, or rude salesperson who refused to help you. Have you gone back to that business? Do you give those places a second chance?\r\n\r\nBad experiences create bad feelings. And bad feelings are near impossible to forget.\r\n\r\nThere\'s a quote attributed to Maya Angelou that goes like this:  <em>People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.</em>\r\n\r\nBad feelings include anger, disappointment, frustration, shame.','Long memories for bad experiences','','draft','open','open','','','','','2018-08-02 09:17:23','2018-08-02 13:17:23','',0,'https://deborahbrody.com/?p=3838',0,'post','',0),
(3839,4,'2018-08-02 09:17:23','2018-08-02 13:17:23','How long do bad experiences linger? Probably a lot longer than businesses realize.\r\n\r\nThink about a bad experience you\'ve had. Perhaps it was an airline who lost your luggage, or a meal in a restaurant that was served late/cold/bad tasting, or rude salesperson who refused to help you. Have you gone back to that business? Do you give those places a second chance?\r\n\r\nBad experiences create bad feelings. And bad feelings are near impossible to forget.\r\n\r\nThere\'s a quote attributed to Maya Angelou that goes like this:  <em>People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.</em>\r\n\r\nBad feelings include anger, disappointment, frustration, shame.','Long memories for bad experiences','','inherit','closed','closed','','3838-revision-v1','','','2018-08-02 09:17:23','2018-08-02 13:17:23','',3838,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/08/3838-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3842,4,'2018-08-06 15:00:09','0000-00-00 00:00:00','Events are a time-honored way for organizations to either celebrate or commemorate something, or to gather potential supportersnform their audien','Get more bang from your event','','draft','open','open','','','','','2018-08-06 15:00:09','2018-08-06 19:00:09','',0,'https://deborahbrody.com/?p=3842',0,'post','',0),
(3843,4,'2018-08-06 15:00:09','2018-08-06 19:00:09','Events are a time-honored way for organizations to either celebrate or commemorate something, or to gather potential supportersnform their audien','Get more bang from your event','','inherit','closed','closed','','3842-revision-v1','','','2018-08-06 15:00:09','2018-08-06 19:00:09','',3842,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/08/3842-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3845,4,'2018-08-10 11:49:41','2018-08-10 15:49:41','We are long past the time where having a website is optional for any type of organization. If you want business or support, you<em> need</em> a website, full stop.\r\n\r\nBut having any old website won\'t do. If you are a serious organization that is seriously looking to get donations, or to increase sales, or to advocate for a cause, or whatever your <em>raison d\'etre</em> is, you have to have a <strong>credible</strong> website.\r\n\r\nTo make sure your website has credibility, there are three areas you must address:\r\n\r\n<strong>Safety/security</strong>\r\n\r\nCredible websites are first and foremost <strong>safe and secure</strong> to use. As I wrote before, <a href=\"https://deborahbrody.com/2018/07/better-safe-than-sorry-or-why-you-need-ssl/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">you must have an SSL</a>. You should also be hosted on a trustworthy web host. There are many shady (and many times, cheap) web hosts out there. If your site is hosted on a shady web host, you are in fact, guilty by association. This happened to me a few years ago, when my website was hosted on a large, inexpensive web host that also hosted spammers and other questionable organization. Because I was on a blacklisted server, my emails would not be accepted by Yahoo and who knows what other email services. I changed hosts, and the problem has been resolved.\r\n\r\n<strong>Up-to-date</strong>\r\n\r\nI just came across a Washington, DC public relations agency that supposedly hosts industry learning events on a regular basis. The website has a tab for these events, and when I clicked on it, it took me to an event that took place in March. I happen to know this agency is hosting an event in August, so it is very clear it has not updated the website in several months.\r\n\r\nIf you are wondering what you should be updating on a regular basis here\'s a non-comprehensive list: your blog, your events calendar, your personnel pages, your address, your social media links.\r\n\r\nThere is no excuse for not keeping your website up to date. If you use something like WordPress, updating is fairly simple. If you use something complex, you should have an IT person or a website developer who can do these things for you.  And yes, it is worth the time or money investment because having an outdated website showcases many negative traits: disinterest, laziness, not prioritizing the website (and by extension your audience).\r\n\r\n<strong>Design and UX</strong>\r\n\r\nIf you were around in the 1990s when websites first started getting launched, you know what an old-fashioned website looks like. It\'s pretty ugly. If you have a 1990s design, you probably haven\'t kept up with the times. It\'s like sporting a feathered Farrah Fawcett hairdo from 1978, and it\'s now 2018.\r\n\r\nDesign is important, but so is user experience (UX). How easy is it for people to use your website and find what they need? If people are having trouble finding what they need, then they will not use your website and go elsewhere.\r\n\r\n<strong>Don\'t undermine your organization\'s credibility. Give your website some attention right now!</strong>','Is your website undermining your credibility?','','publish','open','open','','is-your-website-undermining-your-credibility','','','2018-08-10 11:49:41','2018-08-10 15:49:41','',0,'https://deborahbrody.com/?p=3845',0,'post','',0),
(3846,4,'2018-08-10 11:48:02','2018-08-10 15:48:02','We are long past the time where having a website is optional for any type of organization. If you want business or support, you<em> need</em> a website, full stop.\r\n\r\nBut having any old website won\'t do. If you are a serious organization that is seriously looking to get donations, or to increase sales, or to advocate for a cause, or whatever your <em>raison d\'etre</em> is, you have to have a <strong>credible</strong> website.\r\n\r\nTo make sure your website has credibility, there are three areas you must address:\r\n\r\n<strong>Safety/security</strong>\r\n\r\nCredible websites are first and foremost <strong>safe and secure</strong> to use. As I wrote before, <a href=\"https://deborahbrody.com/2018/07/better-safe-than-sorry-or-why-you-need-ssl/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">you must have an SSL</a>. You should also be hosted on a trustworthy web host. There are many shady (and many times, cheap) web hosts out there. If your site is hosted on a shady web host, you are in fact, guilty by association. This happened to me a few years ago, when my website was hosted on a large, inexpensive web host that also hosted spammers and other questionable organization. Because I was on a blacklisted server, my emails would not be accepted by Yahoo and who knows what other email services. I changed hosts, and the problem has been resolved.\r\n\r\n<strong>Up-to-date</strong>\r\n\r\nI just came across a Washington, DC public relations agency that supposedly hosts industry learning events on a regular basis. The website has a tab for these events, and when I clicked on it, it took me to an event that took place in March. I happen to know this agency is hosting an event in August, so it is very clear it has not updated the website in several months.\r\n\r\nIf you are wondering what you should be updating on a regular basis here\'s a non-comprehensive list: your blog, your events calendar, your personnel pages, your address, your social media links.\r\n\r\nThere is no excuse for not keeping your website up to date. If you use something like WordPress, updating is fairly simple. If you use something complex, you should have an IT person or a website developer who can do these things for you.  And yes, it is worth the time or money investment because having an outdated website showcases many negative traits: disinterest, laziness, not prioritizing the website (and by extension your audience).\r\n\r\n<strong>Design and UX</strong>\r\n\r\nIf you were around in the 1990s when websites first started getting launched, you know what an old-fashioned website looks like. It\'s pretty ugly. If you have a 1990s design, you probably haven\'t kept up with the times. It\'s like sporting a feathered Farrah Fawcett hairdo from 1978, and it\'s now 2018.\r\n\r\nDesign is important, but so is user experience (UX). How easy is it for people to use your website and find what they need? If people are having trouble finding what they need, then they will not use your website and go elsewhere.\r\n\r\n<strong>Don\'t undermine your organization\'s credibility. Give your website some attention right now!</strong>','Is your website undermining your credibility?','','inherit','closed','closed','','3845-revision-v1','','','2018-08-10 11:48:02','2018-08-10 15:48:02','',3845,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/08/3845-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3850,4,'2018-08-23 09:52:18','2018-08-23 13:52:18','<strong>Vacation time!</strong>\r\n\r\nHere we are in the last few days of August. Summer is waning, and perhaps you want to go to the beach or go visit your family or travel to Alaska to see the glaciers while we have them. And why not? You\'ve worked hard the rest of the year, and you should be able to take time off.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/beach-beverage-cocktail-68672.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3851\" src=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/beach-beverage-cocktail-68672-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<strong>But...</strong>\r\n\r\nBut before you take off, think about your customers. What do they need to know about your schedule and availability? If they need something, can it wait until you get back or is there somebody else who can help them?\r\n\r\n<strong>You could lose business by failing to communicate</strong>\r\n\r\nIt seems fairly obvious to me, but some people just don\'t think they need to communicate. For example, I was trying to make an appointment. I texted, and several days later, no answer. I left a message, and several hours later, no return phone call. I decided to look for a different provider, and I found one. I got a belated message from the first provider telling me she was in West Virginia with poor cellphone connectivity. Apparently, she has never heard of changing her outgoing message or updating her website.\r\n\r\n<strong>It\'s your responsibility to communicate your availability to your customers.</strong>\r\n\r\nIf you are an employee, you might email your contacts telling them you will be unavailable on certain dates, and tell them who to contact instead.  You may create an auto-responder on your email saying that you are not currently checking email.\r\n\r\nIf you are a business owner and have a website and/or online booking, you can update those to reflect your schedule. You can make note that your office is closed and you are not taking appointments. On your phone or answering service, you can update your outgoing message to reflect your situation.\r\n\r\n<strong>Here\'s a template</strong>:\r\n\r\nThanks for contacting [name]. If you need to [reach me/make an appointment/other business], please be advised that our office is closed from [insert date] to [insert date]. We look forward to [seeing/serving/talking to] you then. If you need immediate assistance, please contact [insert name and number].\r\n\r\nSo go on, take your vacation, relax and enjoy. Just make sure you\'ve communicated with your customers.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How to go on vacation and not lose customers','','publish','open','open','','how-to-go-on-vacation-and-not-lose-customers','','','2018-08-23 09:52:18','2018-08-23 13:52:18','',0,'https://deborahbrody.com/?p=3850',0,'post','',0),
(3851,4,'2018-08-23 09:44:51','2018-08-23 13:44:51','','beach-beverage-cocktail-68672','','inherit','open','closed','','beach-beverage-cocktail-68672','','','2018-08-23 09:44:51','2018-08-23 13:44:51','',3850,'https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/beach-beverage-cocktail-68672.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(3852,4,'2018-08-23 09:48:52','2018-08-23 13:48:52','<strong>Vacation time!</strong>\r\n\r\nHere we are in the last few days of August. Summer is waning, and perhaps you want to go to the beach or go visit your family or travel to Alaska to see the glaciers while we have them. And why not? You\'ve worked hard the rest of the year, and you should be able to take time off.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/beach-beverage-cocktail-68672.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3851\" src=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/beach-beverage-cocktail-68672-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<strong>But...</strong>\r\n\r\nBut before you take off, think about your customers. What do they need to know about your schedule and availability? If they need something, can it wait until you get back or is there somebody else who can help them?\r\n\r\n<strong>You could lose business by failing to communicate</strong>\r\n\r\nSeems fairly obvious to me, but some people just don\'t think they need to communicate. For example, I was trying to make an appointment. I texted, and several days later, no answer. I left a message, and several hours later, no return phone call. I decided to look for a different provider, and I found one. I got a belated message from the first provider telling me she was in West Virginia with poor cellphone connectivity. Apparently, she has never heard of changing her outgoing message or updating her website.\r\n\r\n<strong>It\'s your responsibility to communicate your availability to your customers.</strong>\r\n\r\nIf you are an employee, you might email your contacts telling them you will be unavailable on certain dates, and tell them who to contact instead.  You may create an auto-responder on your email saying that you are not currently checking email.\r\n\r\nIf you are a business owner and have a website and/or online booking, you can update those to reflect your schedule. You can make note that your office is closed and you are not taking appointments. On your phone or answering service, you can update your outgoing message to reflect your situation.\r\n\r\n<strong>Here\'s a template</strong>:\r\n\r\nThanks for contacting [name]. If you need to [reach me/make an appointment/other business], please be advised that our office is closed from [insert date] to [insert date]. We look forward to [seeing/serving/talking to] you then. If you need immediate assistance, please contact [insert name and number].\r\n\r\nSo go on, take your vacation, relax and enjoy. Just make sure you communicated with your customers.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How to go on vacation and not lose customers','','inherit','closed','closed','','3850-revision-v1','','','2018-08-23 09:48:52','2018-08-23 13:48:52','',3850,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/08/3850-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3853,4,'2018-08-23 09:52:18','2018-08-23 13:52:18','<strong>Vacation time!</strong>\r\n\r\nHere we are in the last few days of August. Summer is waning, and perhaps you want to go to the beach or go visit your family or travel to Alaska to see the glaciers while we have them. And why not? You\'ve worked hard the rest of the year, and you should be able to take time off.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/beach-beverage-cocktail-68672.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3851\" src=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/beach-beverage-cocktail-68672-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<strong>But...</strong>\r\n\r\nBut before you take off, think about your customers. What do they need to know about your schedule and availability? If they need something, can it wait until you get back or is there somebody else who can help them?\r\n\r\n<strong>You could lose business by failing to communicate</strong>\r\n\r\nIt seems fairly obvious to me, but some people just don\'t think they need to communicate. For example, I was trying to make an appointment. I texted, and several days later, no answer. I left a message, and several hours later, no return phone call. I decided to look for a different provider, and I found one. I got a belated message from the first provider telling me she was in West Virginia with poor cellphone connectivity. Apparently, she has never heard of changing her outgoing message or updating her website.\r\n\r\n<strong>It\'s your responsibility to communicate your availability to your customers.</strong>\r\n\r\nIf you are an employee, you might email your contacts telling them you will be unavailable on certain dates, and tell them who to contact instead.  You may create an auto-responder on your email saying that you are not currently checking email.\r\n\r\nIf you are a business owner and have a website and/or online booking, you can update those to reflect your schedule. You can make note that your office is closed and you are not taking appointments. On your phone or answering service, you can update your outgoing message to reflect your situation.\r\n\r\n<strong>Here\'s a template</strong>:\r\n\r\nThanks for contacting [name]. If you need to [reach me/make an appointment/other business], please be advised that our office is closed from [insert date] to [insert date]. We look forward to [seeing/serving/talking to] you then. If you need immediate assistance, please contact [insert name and number].\r\n\r\nSo go on, take your vacation, relax and enjoy. Just make sure you\'ve communicated with your customers.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How to go on vacation and not lose customers','','inherit','closed','closed','','3850-revision-v1','','','2018-08-23 09:52:18','2018-08-23 13:52:18','',3850,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/08/3850-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3857,4,'2018-09-13 11:18:05','0000-00-00 00:00:00','','It is personal','','draft','open','open','','','','','2018-09-13 11:18:05','2018-09-13 15:18:05','',0,'https://deborahbrody.com/?p=3857',0,'post','',0),
(3858,4,'2018-09-14 10:21:58','2018-09-14 14:21:58','Doctors don\'t seem to do much marketing. Most doctors\' offices have websites, but besides that, they don\'t actively engage in marketing. The communications they have is generally one on one, although the more savvy medical offices send out health alerts (e.g., it\'s flu season and you should get a flu shot) and maybe even health newsletters.\r\n\r\nSince most people go to a doctor only when they are sick, it would be better for public and individual health for medical professionals to encourage annual visits. Annual visits would catch potential issues before they become critical. And of course, having a relationship with a doctor makes emergency situations easier to deal with.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/appointment-appointment-book-blur-40568.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3859 size-large\" src=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/appointment-appointment-book-blur-40568-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSome doctor\'s offices do encourage annual visits, and they do it by sending reminders. Some reminders are phone calls, some are emails, and I have even seen printed and mailed letters.\r\n\r\n<strong>Bad (no contact at all, ever)</strong>\r\n\r\nOne doctor\'s office I used to go to never sent any reminders at all. Even though they had my email address, I never once got an email from them regarding anything. No calls about annual appointments. No reminder to get an annual flu vaccine. Nothing. Ever. I no longer go to that doctor.\r\n\r\n<strong>Better (well after the year passed)</strong>\r\n\r\nAn eye doctor I went to for several years called to remind me that I had not had my annual eye exam since November of 2016. It took them more than eight months to realize that I had not been there for more than a year. Of course they had no idea that I had changed eye doctors because of staffing issues.\r\n\r\n<strong>Best (before the year is up)</strong>\r\n\r\nThe new eye doctor I went to called me in early September to remind that in October it would be a year since my last appointment, and did I want to schedule one now.\r\n\r\nReminders are an opportunity to touch base with patients. They can be a way to schedule an appointment right there and then. There is no down side to medical reminders. They also serve to show patients that doctors want to see them, and that they are not just one more person in a database.\r\n\r\nIf doctors are not going to do any other marketing, they should at the very least, have a process to remind patients about annual visits.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Simple reminders help market doctor\'s offices','','publish','open','open','','simple-reminders-help-market-doctors-offices','','','2018-09-14 10:24:04','2018-09-14 14:24:04','',0,'https://deborahbrody.com/?p=3858',0,'post','',0),
(3859,4,'2018-09-14 10:20:13','2018-09-14 14:20:13','','appointment-appointment-book-blur-40568','','inherit','open','closed','','appointment-appointment-book-blur-40568','','','2018-09-14 10:20:13','2018-09-14 14:20:13','',3858,'https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/appointment-appointment-book-blur-40568.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(3860,4,'2018-09-14 10:21:05','2018-09-14 14:21:05','Doctors don\'t seem to do much marketing. Most doctors\' offices have websites, but besides that, they don\'t actively engage in marketing. The communications they have is generally one on one, although the more savvy medical offices send out health alerts (e.g., it\'s flu season and you should get a flu shot) and maybe even health newsletters.\r\n\r\nSince most people go to a doctor only when they are sick, it would be better for public and individual health for medical professionals to encourage annual visits. Annual visits would catch potential issues before they become critical. And of course, having a relationship with a doctor makes emergency situations easier to deal with.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/appointment-appointment-book-blur-40568.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3859 size-large\" src=\"https://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/appointment-appointment-book-blur-40568-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSome doctor\'s offices do encourage annual visits, and they do it by sending reminders. Some reminders are phone calls, some are emails, and I have even seen printed and mailed letters.\r\n\r\n<strong>Bad (no contact at all, ever)</strong>\r\n\r\nOne doctor\'s office I used to go to never sent any reminders at all. Even though they had my email address, I never once got an email from them regarding anything. No calls about annual appointments. No reminder to get an annual flu vaccine. Nothing. Ever. I no longer go to that doctor.\r\n\r\n<strong>Better (well after the year passed)</strong>\r\n\r\nAn eye doctor I went to for several years called to remind me that I had not had my annual eye exam since November of 2016. It took them more than eight months to realize that I had not been there for more than a year. Of course they had no idea that I had changed eye doctors because of staffing issues.\r\n\r\n<strong>Best (before the year is up)</strong>\r\n\r\nThe new eye doctor I went to called me in early September to remind that in October it would be a year since my last appointment, and did I want to schedule one now.\r\n\r\nReminders are an opportunity to touch base with patients. They can be a way to schedule an appointment right there and then. There is no down side to medical reminders. They also serve to show patients that doctors want to see them, and that they are not just one more person in a database.\r\n\r\nIf doctors are not going to do any other marketing, they should at the very least, have a process to remind patients about annual visits.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Simple reminders help market doctor\'s offices','','inherit','closed','closed','','3858-revision-v1','','','2018-09-14 10:21:05','2018-09-14 14:21:05','',3858,'https://deborahbrody.com/2018/09/3858-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),
(3861,4,'2018-09-18 10:49:25','2018-09-18 14:49:25','a:7:{s:8:\"location\";a:1:{i:0;a:1:{i:0;a:3:{s:5:\"param\";s:9:\"page_type\";s:8:\"operator\";s:2:\"==\";s:5:\"value\";s:10:\"posts_page\";}}}s:8:\"position\";s:6:\"normal\";s:5:\"style\";s:8:\"seamless\";s:15:\"label_placement\";s:3:\"top\";s:21:\"instruction_placement\";s:5:\"label\";s:14:\"hide_on_screen\";a:0:{}s:11:\"description\";s:0:\"\";}','Blog','blog','publish','closed','closed','','group_5ba1107551447','','','2018-09-18 10:49:25','2018-09-18 14:49:25','',0,'https://deborahbrody.com/?post_type=acf-field-group&p=3861',0,'acf-field-group','',0),
