Modernize your Business English

In the past year, I wrote about phrases that no longer have modern day meanings because the referents are outdated such as in, “You sound like a broken record.” Even though LPs, vinyl, or records are making a comeback, there are many younger people for whom this has no meaning. It may be time to freshen up your language in the business setting, too. Two areas where the business writer might take a second look at the words and phrases being used are for the business letter (outdated, verbose phrases) and for business conversations (overworked clichés).

Written communication

When writing a business letter, look at the traditionally used phrases to see if there are fresher or simpler words. Business letters often take a very formal, almost legalese, approach. It’s time to use more common language and avoid being wordy. Ask yourself if you would say the same words that you type. Joan Lloyd & Associates suggests that your letter should sound like a telephone conversation. Here are some examples to get you started:

As per your request – simply say “as you requested.”

Attached herewith or Enclosed please find – this sounds too much like lawyer-talk. Try simplifying by using only “attached” or “enclosed.”

Call me – because much communication now is electronic, it would be better to say “contact me,” leaving the choice of communication up to the receiver. For many younger people, text messages are the more preferred mode.

Sincerely yours, Yours truly, Yours very truly, or Respectfully – simplification would suggest that using “Sincerely” should be enough for the complimentary closing. “Respectfully” is often attached to distressing news; just avoid it.

I am forwarding – use “send.”

Kindly – use “please” instead.

Verbal communication

In other business communication, written or oral, clichés occasionally say it best, but for the most part, the very definition of clichés says that they are overworked and overused. Again, say it simply or find a new fresh phrase to use. Here are a few that have really outlived their usefulness:

Bite the bullet – the first recorded use of this was in 1891 by Rudyard Kipling. It’s time for something new.

Game changer – this reminds me of an advertisement for Wayfair, a home goods store where the customer says, “Game changer” when he realizes shipping is free. It may work for advertising, but in other communication, it is overused.

Hit the ground running – when I parasailed off a beach in Acapulco, I definitely was running when I landed. Parachutists hit the ground running, but in other applications, it’s time for a new phrase.

It is what it is – “it ain’t gonna change, so deal with it or don’t” (Urban Dictionary). This phrase is not as old as some of the others. The oldest reference I could find for it was in a 1973 James Brown album Payback, but it is so overused that it may be an irritant now.

Low-hanging fruit – this has some sexual overtones that make it a good phrase to avoid.

Par for the course – this is a golf term meaning the score that is expected of professional golfers; as an idiom or cliché it means “typical” or “usual.”

Think outside the box – most likely this phrase came from the 1970s and means that one should think original thoughts or think creatively. Isn’t it easier just to say “think creatively?”

Of course, this list is just “the tip of the iceberg (cliché intended),” but either try to simplify and be more direct or come up with new metaphors and phrases that convey your ideas in a fresh way. Whether it is written communication in the form of a letter or oral communication, it’s time to adopt a new approach.

Plaid Swan is a women-owned marketing communications firm operating out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The firm represents clients across the United States in public relations, media planning, social and digital media, graphic design and strategic planning. Visit us online at PlaidSwan.com or on our social media channels as @PlaidSwan. Lines are meant to be crossed.

June 4, 2018

Is your website keeping up with the ever-changing times?

Life moves fast, and so should your webpage. Keep up! I know, it’s definitely not as easy as it sounds with the internet constantly evolving and new trends constantly appearing on the horizon, but if you put your best mouse forward, you can stay ahead and keep up with the times. So, are you able to keep your web presence alive by providing an experience that is accessible for everyone?

Mobile-friendly

One very quick answer to this question is to visit your site through your smartphone browser. Can you navigate or even see your website? Do you know where to look for the menu or any of your important pages?

If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” then you’re in trouble! According to recent research, website traffic via mobile devices is steadily increasing from year to year, with 57% of web traffic coming from mobile in 2016, to 63% in 2017.

Since well over half of your web traffic is going to come from a mobile device, it is extremely important to make sure your website is designed with multiple devices in mind, from desktop to smartphone or tablet. This is called “responsive” design and means that your website will detect the type of device your audience is using, and adjust accordingly.

Content

Search engines like fresh content and customers like visually appealing content. These work hand in hand if you’re checking your website regularly! If you haven’t looked at your own website in over six months, chances are you’ll need a redesign.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is critical when it comes to where your website ranks in search engine results. It is important to regularly add fresh, keyword driven content to your website in order to continue to rank on the first page of a web search for those specific keywords. A great way to address this issue is to start a blog that is updated at least monthly. (Trust me, there’s always something to write about!)

In terms of visual appeal, it’s a digital world and website creation is at anyone’s fingertips. If you have the money to spare, work with someone who specializes in web design to ensure your website is modern and functional. If not, there are plenty of resources where you can quickly build simple websites for very little cost, such as Squarespace and Wix.

Why is having a web presence important?

Having some real estate online, even if it’s just an up-to-date Facebook page, is vital to any sized business in this day and age. People yearn for instant gratification, and the web is at everyone’s fingertips at any time thanks to smartphones and tablets. We live in an era dominated by online shopping and Yelp reviews, and if you aren’t a quick Google search away from a potential customer, you’re losing business to those who are.

Additionally, having a website gives your business credibility and allows customers around-the-clock access to your information. If a customer can’t find your business during an insomnia-induced internet binge at 1 a.m., chances are they will find a competitor that will have the information and services they need.

Aside from just having a web presence, it’s important to make sure your page loads quickly. In fact, according to research, just a one-second delay in page load time yields 11 percent fewer page views, a 16 percent decrease in customer satisfaction, and a seven percent loss in conversions.

Having an old webpage is so last year!

With a little effort, you can have a web page that accurately portrays your organization and attracts the right customers. By giving it a little attention on a regular basis, you can ensure your web rankings will stay high and customers will be coming through your virtual door.

If you need help bringing your website into the modern era, or just need some help with a few things, like blogging or maintenance, send us a message!

June 21, 2017

How Your Company Can Best Utilize Snapchat

www.diply.com

Can I have a moment of your thyme, I mean time! Snapchat can be one ‘punny’ place, ahem pardon the pun, and a social media platform that is perfect for engagement. Is your company on Snapchat? If you answered no, then this is the blog for you. There are currently 100 million active users on Snapchat and more than 10 billion Snapchat videos viewed daily. With all that interaction, your business should be using it to their advantage. Want to know how? Here are some of the best ways your company can utilize Snapchat.

Take People Behind the Scenes: Ever wonder what’s going on behind the curtain? Now is your chance to get a sneak peek. Snapchat is a great tool to show clients and viewers a look at your business and operation. A picture is worth a thousand words but a video is worth a million. Snapchat can be more powerful than Instagram and Twitter. Give people a glimpse of the atmosphere at your work, employees, or projects you are working on. This gives the public a chance to get more involved on your website, as well as increase visibility, brand awareness, and gain a following.

Use Snap Ads to Your Advantage: According to Hootsuite, a Snap Ad is a 10-second, full screen vertical video ad that appears between Stories. With a Snap Ad, advertisers give viewers the choice to swipe up from the video to see the full version, learn more, or read an article that ties in to the video. According to Snapchat, the swipe-up rate for Snap Ads is five times higher than the average click-through rate on comparable social media platforms. A good example of this is Spotify. Spotify, a music service, purchased Snap Ads to promote a campaign called “Year in Music” that allowed users to see a list of all the music they listened to that year. What were the end results? Spotify earned 26 million total views and a 30 percent increase on subscriber intent. Certainly that was music to their ears. The same can be true for you and your company.

www.community.spotify.com

Create Contests or Promotions: We all love social media giveaways, promotions, and perks. A great way for your company to utilize Snapchat is to give back to your followers. Some fun and clever ideas include, offering promo codes or discounts to anyone who watches your entire Snap story. You could also ask them to take a photo with a product of yours, your logo, or your building. GrubHub did just that with a Snapchat scavenger hunt. Each day during the five-day campaign, they asked their followers to post a daily snap, whether it was a food selfie or a drawing of food. This showcased their brand and personality, as well as allowed them to communicate with their customers. This idea gets people involved and gets your name out in the public eye for all to see. What a great sight that can be.

www.socialmediaexaminer.com

Address Relevant Issues or Hot News: Did you hear about the latest Trump tweet? What the hell is covfefe? Should Tiger Woods just avoid cars in general? Did you see the new Wonder Woman movie? People love to talk. Especially when it comes to relevant issues, pop culture, and anything going on in the news. Don’t be afraid to be a part of the discussion. Be authentic. Be engaged. Be active. Make a Snapchat addressing any one of these topics and encourage viewers to express their voice. What do they think? What are their views? By being engaged, and current, people will soon realize you up to date on current affairs, you know what you’re talking about and you care about their opinions.

Use Snapchat Lenses: What’s that on your face? Ah, it’s one of the Snapchat lenses! According to Snapchat, “To activate Lenses, Snapchatters simply press and hold their finger on their faces on their phones.” Some Lenses include prompts like ‘raise your eyebrows’ to trigger an animation, adding a fun twist to the experience. Basically a lens is a selfie with goofy animations. They add animations to your face. To active a Snapchat lens, o to the Camera screen in Snapchat. Tap on a face! The lens options will appear below. Swipe left to select the lens you want to use and follow any action prompts that appear. You then tap the capture button to take a Snap, or press and hold on the capture button to record a video. When you’re finished playing, it’s easy to send Lenses to a friend or post one to your Story. On average, Snapchatters play with a Sponsored Lens for 20 seconds. As for cost, according to wallaroommedia, a general rule of thumb for Snapchat Sponsored Lenses costs is this: $450,000 per day Sunday through Thursday, $500,000 for Fridays and Saturdays, and $700,000 plus for holidays or special events (like the Super Bowl). If you’re looking for a cheaper route try a Snapchat Geofilter. According to Hootsuite, Snapchat has two types of custom Geofilters that businesses can take advantage of: On-Demand Geofilters, which start at $5, and the much pricier option of Sponsored Geofilters, which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Geofilters are small art graphics that show up on your snap. These can be a great way to bring in business.

www.snapchat.com

www.snapchat.com

So, how can you use these to your company’s advantage? Let’s say you sell tacos, make a lens that turns users faces into just that!

www.youtube.com

If your company is a bank or credit union, have money falling from the sky or have the users face turn into Benjamin Franklin. The ideas are endless. Get creative and have fun with it.

Snapchat is a great way to give your company a voice and start a conversation. It’s fun, simple, and impactful. According to Hootsuite, Snapchat had 5 million daily users in 2013, but that number has now increased to 100 million. Those numbers are only expected to grow. So get your business involved. Take people behind the scenes, use snap ads, create promotions, address relevant issues, and use those snapchat lenses to your advantage. By doing so you will increase your brand awareness, interact with viewers and potential clients in an entertaining way, and start a conversation. What are you waiting for? Snap away!

Plaid Swan Inc. is a female owned and operated marketing communications firm with multiple offices located in the Midwest. Looking to make your company’s blog stand out? Don’t have a blog, but want one? What’s a BLOG? Contact us today to see how we can bring your brand to a new stellar level!

Plaid Swan: (563) 556-1633

Email: betsy@plaidswan.com

-Haley Corkery │ Public Relations Specialist

November 28, 2016

Ramp Up Your Business by Adding a Blog

Are you frustrated your business lacks visibility and digital reach? Listen, there are many solutions people can throw at you, however, have you heard the benefits of utilizing a blog to gain visibility in the digital landscape? 45% of marketers say that blogging is their most lucrative content strategy. It is not only a great way to inform people about who you are and what is important to your business, but it keeps your site active and feeds the search engine. Let’s take a more in depth look on how this breaks down.

Higher traffic = more sales

Creating a blog provides fresh and relevant content for your customers to share. Continually posting new and interesting content inspires your followers to share your articles via their social media platforms, in turn driving new readers to your website. The more traffic to your website, the more sales your company will likely generate. Whether your company is business to business or business to consumer, there is proven success with utilizing blogs. B2B companies generate 67% more leads per month using blogs, while B2C companies generate 88% more leads. Although writing takes time, it has proven to pay off in the grand scheme of things.

Gives your business a voice

Having a blog gives your business the chance to get creative and venture from the formal nature of your website. It allows you to create content in a relatable tone your customers will feel connected to. You have free reign—to an extent—to write about topics that are important to you and the clients you work for.

You are the expert

Does your business receive frequently asked questions? It’s recommended that one of the first topics you should focus on is diving into one of those questions in depth. This allows you to showcase you are an expert in that area and in turn, draws people to your website when they search those specific questions. This also increases the likelihood that person will come back to your website for future answers and tips. For example ( internal plug J ) when we at Plaid Swan communicate about the different ways digital marketing can help your business, you’re probably going to search in the future for more advice on similar topics, such as Facebook’s Algorithm Update and why you should be split testing.

Boosts SEO

Who isn’t trying to find the newest way to boost SEO? Search Engine Optimization (SEO), in a condensed definition, is the way someone finds your website using a search engine, such as Google. The higher your company is listed on Google, the more likely it is that someone will click on your website versus a competitor’s. Google uses an algorithm that lists web pages in a specific order according to their SEO. The algorithm allows Google to crawl through every web page, on every website and rank their SEO based on keyword phrases, graphics that are used, social networking and backlinks.

Blogging helps boost SEO because it creates additional content for Google and other search party websites to keyword match and crawl through. Additionally, the post permanently exists on the internet and although it may not hit the desired number of likes and shares on the first day of publishing, it will continue to show up in readers feeds and search engine sites. This will allow other bloggers and media to cite your work, continually driving new readers and traffic to your website.

Still having trouble understanding how it works? Check out the graphic below to help:

infographic

If you have noticed traffic to your website is down or stagnant, it’s time to start writing. Blogging continues to be a key component of online marketing strategies helping drive customers to your website and in return, your bottom line.

Interested in receiving the Plaid Swan blog in your inbox each week? Subscribe here!

– Lindsay Hottovy │ Public Relations Intern

November 14, 2016

5 PR Lessons from Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and hopefully you will be spending quality time with friends and family, as well as preparing and enjoying a traditional Thanksgiving meal. When thinking about the upcoming preparations that will go into executing this holiday event, it reminded me how personal lessons can translate into business. Here are five public relations lessons you can learn from holiday events.

Relationships Matter

First and foremost, the holidays are about getting together and spending face-to-face time with family and friends. Extended families may be too busy throughout the year to see one another, yet they seem to always come together during the months of November and December. It’s easy to forget how much relationships matter. Take time to enjoy the people in your life. Not only is it good for your mental health, but it’s good for business.

In the PR world, networking and cultivating relationships are everything. It is how you gain clients, ensure your clients shine in the limelight and call in favors during a crisis. While we all get a little busy during this time of year, be sure to remember to foster both your personal and professional relationships.

Take a Risk on Something Big

Everyone loves the traditions that surround the Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, libations and football. Take a risk and shake things up a bit. Try a new recipe for the traditional stuffing, take a creative spin to the apple pie or suggest a new beverage option like a pumpkin pie martini or a hard cider cocktail. Some of the most memorable feasts happen when someone takes a risk.

In PR, it’s important to make your client stand out from the crowd and to do this, you’ll need to take risks. Go above and beyond the normal realm of work. Whether this is once a month, once a quarter or even the one campaign a year, you need to be imaginative and innovative. That doesn’t mean blow an entire budget blindly. Some of the most memorable campaigns have derived from a tight budget. Think flash mobs, street art and viral videos. When your client looks back on the year, they’ll remember this big win as the reason for investing in PR.

Solicit Help

Preparing for a large Thanksgiving feast is not an easy task and you’ll stress yourself out, along with your significant other, if you try to go at it alone. Whether you have helpers in the kitchen or recruit family members to prepare part of the meal, you’re going to need extra help.

Just as in PR, you surely can’t implement a large project by yourself. Recruit volunteers to help you, or better yet, outsource parts of the project to the experts. Know someone who’s a graphic design guru or media buying professional who can secure you the best promotional deals? Use their wisdom so you can focus on what you do best. No matter the project, you’re going to need help to ensure it’s implemented the best way possible to reach your targeted goal.

Don’t over indulge

Did you know the average person consumes 4,500 calories during a Thanksgiving meal? I’m aware you’re surrounded by bottomless food options during Thanksgiving, but don’t over indulge. 4,500 calories is twice as much as a person should consume in one day and we need to know our limit.

We also need to know our limits in PR. Don’t send out multiple pitches and press releases on every little topic. You’ll exhaust your audience and you’re emails will start to look like spam. Be sure to tailor your angle and topic to the correct medium, as well as reporter.

Plan

Having a plan in the kitchen for Thanksgiving is just as important as having a plan in the PR world. When thinking of Thanksgiving, you’ll need a plan of attack for attendance, grocery shopping and meal planning. No one wants to end up with 4 different potatoes and no dessert because someone didn’t plan ahead. Having a plan in place will make sure you don’t forget anything, or anyone, important.

Similarly, PR professionals need to have a plan for everything. You surely don’t want to be caught off guard when vendors, media, or the public don’t show up to your event. Always have a plan, a backup plan and always plan for the worst case scenario.