e-mail or email?


How do you spell it? During a recent workshop with Twirp Communications, I was updating the keywords on my LinkedIn profile. After proudly doing the update quickly, Anita searched on one of my keywords. Immediately she spotted a disconnect. I had spelled 'email', but she had spelled 'e-mail' when she searched.

Now I have to admit, I'm prejudiced against hyphens. I don't know why, but I try to avoid them unless they're necessary. We had an 'internal communication' here at Daley Progress (Danielle and I talked) about it just a couple of days before the workshop and we had decided to standardize all our usage to the un-hyphenated versions of 'email' and 'enewsletters'.

How foolish of us to think that prospects and colleagues will use the search terms we want them to use!

Now we will have to re-visit all of our online content, with a view to making it more 'search friendly' - rather than about what we like. Who knew a hyphen could cause such havoc? (I knew there was a reason for me not to like them!)

So, I'm curious. Would you search 'e-mail' or 'email'? 'e-newsletters' or 'enewsletters'? Please leave a comment to let us know.

Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 14, 2012 at 9:07 PM

    HE HE HE...who knew one little comment would provide so much conversation!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Rider, The Elephant and The Path

Image
My business is all about making things easy for my clients. What I’ve learned is that making things easy isn’t the only secret to success. My clients need direction and motivation too. Getting the right mix of all three can be a challenge but, when it comes together, wonderful working relationships result. Chip and Dan Heath, in their new book “Switch”, use a wonderful metaphor – of riding an elephant. The book is all about creating change, in ourselves and in others. Here are 3 basic ways to do that: Direct the Rider : appeal to our brain Motivate the Elephant : appeal to our heart Shape the Path : make it easy While I’m all about shaping the path, I still have to direct the rider and motivate the elephant – both for myself and for my clients. I tend to try directing the rider first. Clear instructions should yield results… or so I think. Then I wonder why nothing happens. I have to remind myself… it is one thing to “get it” intellectually but quite another to “get it” em...
Keep reading »

Re-opt-in: a Messy Word for a Messy Process

Image
It's a word that didn't exist a few years ago... and maybe still doesn't? For those of you still on the fence about whether to ask your current mailing list to re-opt-in before July 1st, here is some information copied exactly from the Government of Canada website: Under section 66, consent to send commercial electronic messages (CEMs) is implied for a period of 36 months beginning July 1, 2014, where there is an existing business or non-business relationship that includes the communication of CEMs. Note however, that this three-year period of implied consent will end if the recipient indicates that they no longer consent to receiving CEMs. During the transitional period, the definitions of existing business and non-business relationships are not subject to the limitation periods that would otherwise be applicable under section 10 of CASL. Businesses and people may take advantage of this transitional period to seek express consent for the continued sending of CEMs. You...
Keep reading »

Content Template - How to Start

Image
Content templates can simplify your content development time by providing structure - sort of like filling in blanks. That means you can be done and onto your next task in no time. The purpose of this template is to create an awesome resource for beginners on a particular topic. This type of article will attract readers that could eventually become customers. Search engines will also like it because it will contain the common keywords people search when initially researching a subject.  Download the "How to Start" template now (pdf). Get More Content Templates If you like that one, grab our mini workbook with 15 Quick and Easy Content Templates plus some extra tips for repurposing content. Click to Tweet this Article
Keep reading »