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Join Michelle Baker, the Corporate Writing Pro, and I every other Thursday at 4pm EST for #WrMatters, the only Twitter chat for non-writing professionals to discuss the what, why, and how Writing Matters every day.
Join Michelle Baker, the Corporate Writing Pro, and I every other Thursday at 4pm EST for #WrMatters, the only Twitter chat for non-writing professionals to discuss the what, why, and how Writing Matters every day.
Friday Marketing Spotlight: Kemya Scott
Posted by Shakirah Dawud on Aug 3, 2012 in Marketing & Business | 2 comments
Kemya Scott of Phisco Marketing is a hard-working marketing strategist I’ve been glad to get to know over the past several months via Twitter and her blog. She knows her stuff and knows how to use it well, so I was excited when she shared one of her early marketing lessons at my invitation here. One of the very first lessons I learned about marketing my business is simple: you never know where your next client will come from. I’ve attended personal affairs where I wouldn’t be thinking about business at all, and wouldn’t you know it...
read moreDid You Learn Writing The “Right” Way?
Posted by Shakirah Dawud on Jul 26, 2012 in Writing & Editing, Writing Matters | 4 comments
A lot of us learned the “conventional” way: via English teacher, sentence diagrams, vocabulary exercises, and spelling tests. There isn’t much that’s conventional about me, though, and although I endured the usual classes for a few years in elementary, I largely leapfrogged the classic English lessons via gifted and AP English. This meant that for years I couldn’t point out a past participle or label subjunctive clauses in sentences. To the New York State Education Department, that didn’t matter. So what did...
read moreHow To Know Whether Your Copy Is Too Creative
Posted by Shakirah Dawud on Jul 25, 2012 in Marketing & Business | 9 comments
Can your audience spell it? I visit chief wordworker (and she really is a chief!) Nancy Friedman’s blog frequently, mainly to laugh at the gaffes other creative decision-makers have made in naming and marketing their businesses. Because I’ve never made a mistake like that, ever. One of the most frequent elements Nancy calls out is spelling. Is it too much to ask that it not be so korny we don’t remember it’s spelled that way? Deformed syllables that you want to be pronounced as if they’re normal can easily send a...
read moreFriday Marketing Spotlight: Jason Konopinski
Posted by Shakirah Dawud on Jul 20, 2012 in Marketing & Business | 4 comments
Writer and communications professional Jason Konopinski has always impressed with the deep thoughts on creativity and writing that he shares at his blog, and he did the same with the lesson he shared for us at my invitation: A recurring theme for me is always knowing your core competencies and delivering on those in everything you do. Do what you do–and only what you do–well. Simple, right? Well, I think a lot of us–especially those of us running SMBs–can run into situations that suddenly make us conflicted about what...
read moreMarketing: What You Think They’ll Think
Posted by Shakirah Dawud on Jul 16, 2012 in Marketing & Business | 4 comments
The above thought had been in my head for months before Ithe following thought arrived in my inbox from social media queen Liz Strauss’s weekly email list: I had been thinking about who I thought they were and who they thought we were. That thinking might have been translated to “What will our customers think of that?” A better thought might have been “What do I think of that?” Now when I make decisions, I make sure to consult myself in that mix. I’ll never really know what my customers think. I’ll...
read moreRead This Before Your Blog’s Bait And Switch
Posted by Shakirah Dawud on Jul 9, 2012 in Blogging, Marketing & Business, Social Media | 15 comments
I’m referring of course to Mitch Joel’s blog about something he calls the social contract. I read it while in the midst of being conflicted about the same issue of building a thriving community only to change to high-powered sales pitch. I’ve seen it advised, and I’ve seen it happen. And each time I felt as if I were missing some information. Is it cold turkey, or a kind of gradual change-over from “Take my advice” to “Buy my stuff?” Do we give advanced notice (which I see as apologetic), or do...
read moreFriday Marketing Spotlight: Samar Owais
Posted by Shakirah Dawud on Jul 6, 2012 in Marketing & Business, Social Media | 5 comments
When I met Dubai-based freelance blogger and ebook-writer Samar Owais on Twitter, I was sure she had a special recipe for success. She’s got writing talent I recognize as being natural to her, but talent alone has no bearing on the success of a business. Yet Samar’s been very successful building her business using social media. Not everyone is able to feel rhythm for marketing on social media, even after years of interacting. So I was hoping she’d stop by and share some of her best marketing lessons at my invitation here, and...
read moreWhat If Writer’s Block Didn’t Exist?
Posted by Shakirah Dawud on Jun 29, 2012 in Writing & Editing, Writing Matters | 4 comments
Yesterday was another thoughtful #WrMatters chat, during which Michelle Baker opened up a discussion about a current problem for her: procrastination and writer’s block. We all know what it is, and anyone who’s had trouble writing has tried all kinds of wacky tips to break through the wall erected by a muse that just doesn’t want to be bothered. Michelle Walkden replied: #wrmatters @corpwritingpro I don’t believe in writer’s block. But I’m an ex-journo where deadlines eliminate writers block very...
read moreA Fast-Growing Business Allegory
Posted by Shakirah Dawud on Jun 27, 2012 in Marketing & Business | 10 comments
I promised a few folks I’d post some pictures of the veggie garden I can’t seem to stop tweeting about, but it took me a minute to figure out exactly how to incorporate them into this space. I think I found a way, so let me know what you think of this very loose allegory between business and gardening. They say starting is the hard part. On the contrary, starting is as easy as can possibly be. Although I’ve always maintained a garden of some size everywhere I’ve settled, I’m far from a master gardener. But still,...
read morePersonality Doesn’t Just Mean Snark
Posted by Shakirah Dawud on Jun 25, 2012 in Marketing & Business | 19 comments
We all love it–we can’t help but relish that bite of pointy sarcasm we call snark. Online, it’s passed around like hors d’oeuvres on everyone’s retweet tray. Some of us are masters at it and spice our social interactions with it every day, leaving helpless amusement, bemusement, and sometimes even a little offense in our wake. “What a character!” everyone exclaims. It’s certainly memorable. But is it your brand? These days, offering a total experience to your customers includes giving your brand...
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