Work Better, Not Harder

These are our top picks of the best guest articles from the Work Better, Not Harder newsletter during 2015, not in any particular order. Essential Elements of Storytelling Neil Everton, Podium Media and Communications Coaching The heart of storytelling is the hero-quest: Luke Skywalker and the forces of good battling Darth Vader and the forces of evil (and rescuing the princess). Any compelling story has four essential elements.  Read on... Adding Audio to Your Content Natasha Marchewka Voiceover Services Have you considered adding audio to your blog or enewsletter? Adding audio to marketing adds to the multi-media dimension, offering readers more for engagement.  Read on... The Eggnog Challenge Steve Foran, Gratitude at Work The Eggnog Challenge put an end to a hotly debated subject in our house... which eggnog is the best. I discovered a treacherous danger in comparison... a danger I've before never considered.  Read on... How to Make a ‘Thank You’ Spe...

Rushing can lead to mistakes. We all know that but still we rush. Sometimes it simply means spending valuable time redoing something. Haste can waste more than time.  It can also hurt my reputation if my mistakes are public. A little risk assessment before we start hurrying can save us heartbreak. I'll risk my time but I won't needlessly risk my reputation. Sometimes just showing up isn't enough. Click to Tweet this Article

Many people have yet to embrace the concept of content management. I'm going to show you a simple way to get your arms around it, and keep them firmly gripped. First, print or use this fillable worksheet (or draw 3 columns on a sheet of paper) and grab a pen. OK, don't overthink this - it shouldn't take any more than 10 minutes. Content for Different Places In the first column, make a quick list of all the places you have (or need to have) content. Examples of things on this list might be your website, blog, newsletter, social media posts, social media profiles, ezines, brochures, profiles on membership websites, other people's blogs/newsletters, and so on. Content for Different Purposes In the second column, capture your reasons for having content ... your goals. This is not a list where you brainstorm - it's where you focus on your main goals. Otherwise you'll be too scattered. Some examples: to be seen as an expert, to build relationships, to ha...

If your ideal customer is new to social media, your autoresponder messages might be creeping them out. At one time I had this vision of some big guy hunched over his keyboard poised to pounce on my 'Follow'. If your ideal customer is more tech savvy, they'll recognize an autoresponder immediately. (Really? You expect me to interact with a program?) I liken autoresponders on social media to email spammers . Both are giving their medium a bum rap. A recent Twitter following spree on my part resulted in 16 automated tweets (close to 10% of those I followed). At least I think they were autoresponders. There's the rub. Even if you take time to respond to people individually, now they may assume it's an autoresponder. The legitimacy of your action is lost in the sea of spammers. photo by wnstn / Flickr Click to Tweet this Article

Perhaps nothing. Using a news story or pop culture as a hook can create interest that attracts readers. Keep your subject line (or headline) relevant and appropriate, though, or you'll forsake credibility. "What will Happen to eMail Marketing on the iWatch?" is a good example, even if a horrible thought. "What will Happen to eMail Marketing during a Zombie Apocalypse ?" is not a good example. (I admit to giving it some thought but, really, there's nothing to write about.) photo by Sangudo / Flickr Click to Tweet this Article

Work is especially fun at this time of year because I'm busy putting together holiday ecards for clients. After a few, though, the messages of joy and peace start to become a tad lacklustre. And then Lea Brovedani sent me the message to go into her ecard. It wasn't till I started formatting it that I recognized it as a poem. Then I giggled because I realized Lea had written it. You see, Lea is all about teaching others to be more trusting and trustworthy. Here's the first verse (she said I could share with you): It's time for carols and some snow, Time for being on the go. Take a moment, and don't be fussed, To show thanks to those you love and trust. When I congratulated Lea on her winning message, she gave me this tip: "I went on a website for Christmas messages, found one I liked, and adapted it so it was my message on trust." "Hmm, I have to try that," I thought and started Googling. I have to say Lea's message about trust is m...

Do you get hung up over finding the perfect word? Distracted by comma placement? Or just stuck looking at a blank screen? I've told many people I'm a wannabe writer. Now, closing on 350 articles, I still feel like a wannabe. That's because I'm a much better editor than writer. I still quibble over words and have to remind myself to move on - but now that happens in 10 seconds instead of 3 minutes. If writing is what's holding you back from publishing a blog or newsletter, here's what you need to know: Write something instead of nothing. Maybe you'll change it later, but it's a start. Write when you're inspired. That might mean making time to get inspired. Don't set goals about the number of words. Write only as much as you need to , as opposed to a 500 word essay. Don't get stuck choosing words. Pick one and move on. Spend twice as much time editing as you do writing. Have a time gap between when you write and wh...

Colour has a big impact on all of the work I do so I'm always eager to see the colour trends published by Pantone. The seasonal colour schemes are based on trends in clothing design. I'm not sure what the 2016 Colour of the Year is based on but there's two of them. I wonder if someone high up at Pantone just had a baby. While I quite like the colours personally, I don't see much business application. If a new client with a baby shop comes along, I might think differently, of course. image source Pantone.com Click to Tweet this Article

Steve Foran is my hero. While he deserves that label for many reasons to do with his altruistic message and goal to make his community a better place, he’s also my hero because of his email marketing practices . First, some background. Steve works with leaders across North America to shift culture and help teams bring more gratitude into the workplace. He’s been on the leading edge of gratitude-based research, writing, and teaching for over a decade and his science-based strategy, Gratitude At Work , is a simple, yet innovative approach to business growth. When I first met Steve I was excited to talk to him because he was running an email campaign that put his name into people’s inboxes every day. To me, as an email marketer, that seemed to be the ultimate success story. I may have even disconcerted Steve a little with my enthusiasm - “You have permission to email people every single day !” Now over 4 years later I’m still receiving Steve’s daily messages reminding me to be gra...

You've just had a great experience working with another small business owner. You know how important testimonials are , but writing them is not a comfortable experience for you. So, you procrastinate. Here are some tips to get that off your TO DO list. #1. Jot down 3-4 descriptive words or phrases that immediately come to mind about the business, the product or service, the consultant, the buying process, and such. When you start writing and are stuck for a word, refer to this list. (Examples: reliable, honest, practical, creative, solid) #2. Get clear on the benefit. Before you start to write, consider your responses to these questions: What was your problem? What was the solution and how was it unique? What particularly stood out about the buying experience? #3. Start with feelings. You are really writing the testimonial for potential customers of the business. Think about how you felt and tell them how they will feel. Use comparisons, such as "It made me fee...

Has anyone really read every word of Gone with the Wind ? Be honest now. I've read it twice and I remember skipping whole pages of scene-setting descriptive text. When I read this quote by Elmore Leonard, whose books I read, it resonated with me. "I try to leave out the parts people skip." ( click to tweet this ) This is a great principle for marketing , too. Recall those bags of brochures and business cards you've thrown out after conferences. What's the practical application? Have a look at your website with a fresh eye from the perspective of your ideal client . Better yet, have one of your ideal clients take a look. Ask them to 'browse' and then find out what they skimmed over, or skipped completely. You can also do this for your brochures and bios, your articles and newsletters. You could even get carried away and do an audit of all your marketing materials . Click to Tweet this Article

It started with The Dragon's Den, or at least it did for me. Now students are learning it in school. How awesome is that? That's me in the middle at the judges' table on stage in the photo above. I was delighted to be asked to participate in this Pitch 101 competition by NSCC Entrepreneurship  on November 5, 2015. Being able to pitch a business idea has many benefits for young people, among them: These are sales skills . Young people will need to be able to sell themselves when job hunting, sell their ideas in the business world, and perhaps even sell products and services. Doing a timed pitch in front of an audience requires confidence . It might mean failure the first time, but practice leads to self-confidence. It's like networking on steroids . Pitchers have the chance to make connections with organizers, teachers, judges, students and other pitchers. A chance to test ideas before making an investment of time and money. Judges offer advice about...

You want to start strong and the way to do that is to make a personal connection with your readers . While there are many ways to make that connection in each issue, your first issue is where you set up expectations about the value you'll provide. It's often the point at which subscribers choose to stay or go. Here are some things you might want to include: Write your introduction to your ideal client . Acknowledge that this is your first issue and that you appreciate your readers' attention. Tell readers what they'll be getting and how often. Outline the benefits of staying subscribed. If you have added your customers and business contacts to your subscriber list without their express permission, acknowledge that you have done so and why you have. (For example, you might say that they have bought something from your store, or you met at a networking event.) Tell readers that it's easy to unsubscribe via the footer in this and every email. A...

Aside from having a catchy subscription process on your website, you can use calls to action on your social media platforms to attract new readers. While doing a little research recently on Twitter, here are some examples I found - bad examples first. I have no idea why I would want this newsletter - I'm not even remotely curious to know what those 'important updates' are. Aside from having no interest in 'the latest' from a stranger, these poor folks don't even have a sign up form. I wonder how many new subscribers they get. I could show you hundreds of examples like this - or you could go look yourself . Doing this is a total waste of your time. Now for the good examples: Authors generally do a pretty good job of creating interest with their calls to action. This one is short and sweet. You know it's a newsletter and you know what it's about. This seems like a pretty good reason to sign up. And you can see ...

Whether you write for your blog, newsletter or social media - or all three - there are two approaches to creating your content: on the fly or by scheduling time . They both have to do with finding time to do it well . You can spend some time daily creating content by blocking off 15-30 minutes in your schedule every day. If there's a certain time of day that you're more creative, exploit that and preserve the same time every day in your calendar. Alternately, you can set aside a block of time each week. Of course, this means more time at once, perhaps a couple of hours. Creating content on the fly is a little more haphazard, and it's what I do a lot of the time - write when I'm inspired. I might read an article I clicked on from Twitter. Or I might have a phone conversation with a new client. Or someone might ask me a question. I most enjoy writing when I drop everything and do it while the idea is fresh. Now you might be thinking that's an inefficient way...