We’re plowing through May in hurricane fashion.

Before you know it, June will arrive, and we’ll be halfway through the year.

Unbelievable.

Before you plow on, here is a recap of this week’s posts. I wouldn’t want you to miss out.

Simply Stated Business

A Goldilocks View of Business Marketing Advice 

A recent quiz of a so-called marketing whiz was the inspiration behind this post.

I’m not sure how Goldilocks fits in. But, then I have a strange mind.

Goldilocks weighs in on what’s just right in marketing advice.

Let us know in Comments if you agree.

7 LinkedIn Rules You Still May Not Know Plus More 

A recent banner across my LinkedIn Home page announced a new privacy and User Agreement.

The notice reminded me of a post I did a few years ago about some of the hidden jewels in the LinkedIn User Agreement.

I decided to revisit the old to see if the rules were still around. I also explored what’s new (at least to me).

Somehow, as with most User Agreements, there is a gap between reality and what is meant to be.

Check out the post and see how many rules you may be breaking.

Simply Stated Health Care

Skin Cancer Gets Personal 

Over at my health care blog, I share my latest health issue that’s been helping me satisfy my huge insurance deductible.

This getting old is, well, getting old.

I also attempted my first infographic. See what you think.

On the Personal Side

Dark Fun at Creative Copy Challenge 

As many of you know, Creative Copy Challenge (CCC) is a particular passion of mine.

My health issues, and life in general, has kept me away from the word prompt site more than I like.

At my personal blog, I share my latest entry from CCC. Try the 10 words yourself and see what you come up with.

It’s fun – really.

That’s a Wrap

As we chug into the close of May, remember to take some time to smell the roses – if they haven’t been frozen by crazy weather patterns.

I hope you enjoy your weekend and that you remember to come back this way next week.

Take care.

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Helping you Keep it simple, clear & uniquely yours – contact me for help with your business writing needs.

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Did you see LinkedIn’s banner about a new User Agreement?

If you read the agreement, you know you agreed that LinkedIn could use the banner.

That and a few other details.

In 2011, 7 LinkedIn Rules You May Not Know reviewed the agreement that was in place at the time.

The post focused on rules that escaped the average member.

Let’s revisit those 7 rules and see if they are still around.

The Old is New Again

#1 – You can maintain only one account at a time.

That one is still there under C. Service Eligibility, number 4.

I think members know this now, but in the past there were accounts set up with personal names and business names.

Number 5 in that same section states you must use your “real name.”  The recently expanded Company Page is where you can set up your business profile.

#2 – Your user profile must be for a “natural person.”

That one exists under Section 10, LinkedIn “DOs” and “DON’Ts.”

So, no profiles for your dog, Fluffy – or imaginary girlfriends. (Sorry, Manti, I couldn’t resist).

#3 – Do not use a cartoon, drawing or non-photo for your profile.

I could not find this wording; however, it appears to be replaced by number 6 of the DON’Ts.

Don’t undertake the following.
6. Upload a profile image that is not your likeness or a head-shot photo;

I suppose members could argue cartoon drawings are their likeness. But, don’t you wonder about those who use cartoons for their head-shot? Or is that just me?

#4 – Do not abuse, harass or harm another LinkedIn member.

There may be times you thought that rule never existed.

LinkedIn includes sending unwelcomed communications to others using LinkedIn;

Ah, let me count the ways.

#5 – Do not invite people you don’t know to your network.

Yes, this rather humorous rule is still present.

Define know.

• What if you know them, but they don’t know you?
• Does one comment in a Group constitute know?

One thing’s for sure. There are a lot of people in the know on LinkedIn.

#6 – Cannot send any unsolicited advertising or promotions.

LinkedIn expanded on this one, under DON’T number 8f, to include any unsolicited or unauthorized (emphasis by me), and includes the following.

• Advertising
• Promotional materials (hello? Can you spell webinars?)
• Junk mail
• Spam
• Chain letters
• Pyramid schemes
• Or any other form of solicitation

If that was not enough, LinkedIn offers the following examples.

• LinkedIn invitations used for sending messages to people who don’t know you or who are unlikely to recognize you as a known contact
• Connecting with people who don’t know you and then sending unsolicited promotional messages to those direct connections without their permission
• Sending messages to distribution lists, newsgroup aliases, or group aliases

Do you think LinkedIn has received a few complaints?

#7 – You cannot share non-user information without their consent.

Other than changing the word non-user to non-Member, this provision is unchanged.

I’m not quite sure how LinkedIn would know. I mean is a non-Member going to complain to LinkedIn?

How could they send a complaint without registering for the site?

Ah, the conundrum.

Some New Fun Rules

The following are other rules I found interesting. I’m not sure if I missed them the first time or if they are new.

• You cannot be a Member if you are a competitor of LinkedIn – wonder if they agree to pay for a Premium account if that changes the rule…hmm…
• You are okay with LinkedIn providing you with important notices on the website, mobile apps, or email – and if we say no?
• You cannot add information to a field that is not intended for that field – like your email address next to Social Media Goddess?

I imagine the LinkedIn User Agreement is a lot like a blog’s Guest Post Policy.

The main target of spammers and annoying marketers ignore them anyway, so, what’s the point?

How many of the above rules did you know?

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Have you ever thought Goldilocks was a tad self-centered?

• First, she breaks into the three bears’ home
• Then she complains about too hot or too cold porridge
• Next, she breaks the baby bear’s chair

How rude.

You’d like to think that your customers are not so self-centered. However, although most are pleasant, your clients typically base their decisions on a single question.

What’s in it for me?

Think about it. Imagine you are the customer and now decide if any of the following rings true.

• How will this solve my problem?
• Will this make me look good to my boss?
• Can I find a better (or cheaper) solution someplace else?

We are bombarded with marketing advice – every single day. Some welcomed. Some, not so much.

Makes you wonder what Goldilocks would have to say about all the advice.

Okay, so maybe it only makes me wonder. I never said my brain was normal.

It’s Too Hot

Remember when the phrase – that’s hot – meant something positive? Then along came Paris Hilton who dumped that phrase on its ear.

Marketing can be too hot, too. And not in a good way.

Hot It’s Not

Some marketing advice is about as hot as that same tired phrase.

Self-professed gurus exclaim they have the answer.

• You’re doing it all wrong
• Do it this way
• And I’ll – oops, I mean – you’ll get rich

Not only are they gurus, but psychics. They are able to give this hot advice without ever talking to you about your business.

Recently, I had a ludicrous example of hot marketing advice.

This Helpful Hanna offered a quiz to determine if you were setting up your business for failure.

Apparently, you fail if ~

• Your desk is ever cluttered
• You don’t have a newsletter (oh, there’s a hot idea)
• You don’t get over 100 new subscribers to your newsletter every month

That is a small sample of all the ways you set your business up for failure. If your response did not match Helpful Hanna’s hot marketing tip, your entry was marked Incorrect.

What if ~

• My desk is sparkling
• I send a newsletter monthly
• I get 1,000 new subscribers – daily

And NOT a single subscriber buys even one of my services or products.

Sure sounds like success to me. Good thing I was offered a 15-minute (you read that right) free consultation.

Not so hot after all.

It’s Too Cold

Marketing advice that leaves customers cold may do more damage than just being ignored.

There are multiple ways to chill a business relationship.

• Offering robotic, cookie-cutter advice
• Exhibiting a superior, know-it-all attitude
• Never asking questions about a customer’s business

What are we communicating to a customer when we declare we have the answer when we don’t even know the question?

• You are all the same
• There’s nothing unique about your business
• Oh, by the way, I accept all major credit cards

You’ll have my business when hell freezes over.

Cold enough for you?

It’s Just Right

I love writing case studies. It’s like having two clients in one.

• My client who got it right
• And their customer who is happy to tell their story

With each case, my client got it right. How?

1. They understood their customer’s problem
2. They customized a solution that fit their customers’ needs
3. My client took the time to learn their customer’s business so they got it right

Perhaps what’s in it for me is self-centered, but your customer’s business is personal.

When you take the time to customize your marketing advice to the needs of your customer, you’ll get it just right.

And that makes Goldilocks smile.

What marketing advice have you received?  Good or bad – share why you think so in Comments.

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No, this week’s posts are not about mothers, but I do know my mother would love these.

Not because she read them. Because, hey, she’s my mother and she loves everything I do – right or wrong.

So, you’ll have to make your own decision on whether or not you love this week’s posts. In case you missed any, here is a quick recap.

Simply Stated Business

How You Makes You a Better Business Writer 

Whether you are a professional business writer or a business owner who writes for your business, we all occasionally slip in our business writing.

We sometimes forget to write for you.

Confused? Hop over to this post and hopefully, it will all become clear.

Can the Business Writing Purist and Texist Get Along?

I bet you know both types. You may be one or the other – the purist who loves rules and the texist who speaks shorthand.

Two very different writing styles. Can these unique wordsmiths get along?

Check out the post for some ideas and share a few of your own in Comments.

Simply Stated Health Care

Health Plan Sponsors: HIPAA Rears Its Head – Again!

If you are not an employer who sponsors health benefits for your employees, you may not know what HIPAA is – or care.

HIPAA is privacy legislation related to health care. You know, that form you sign in your U.S. health provider’s office. Unless, of course, you don’t receive care in the U.S.

Trust me, a decade ago, HIPAA was a very big deal to human resource professionals. Now, it’s back with new rules.

This post at my health care blog offers some non-legal guidance on this latest legislation.

On the Personal Side

Attitude Addiction

I am reading an interesting book that brought out the Miller Muse at my personal blog, MillerCathy.com: A Baby Boomer’s Second Life.

Are you addicted to a certain attitude? This post gives you a peek into mine.

That’s a Wrap

If you are fortunate (as I am) to still have your mother with you, I hope you share Mother’s Day with her.

We wouldn’t be here without her – in so many ways.

And, if you are a mother, bless you for all you do.

Enjoy your weekend and I hope to see you all – mothers and non-mothers – back here next week.

Take care.

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Helping you Keep it simple, clear & uniquely yours – contact me for help with your business writing needs.

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Business writing purists draw a line in the sand of words.

Texists kick that sand in the face of purists.

There is no doubt business writing has changed.

Epic battles defending what has always been versus a give me a break attitude rage on in the written world.

Channeling Rodney King ~

Can we all get along?

Or are we hopelessly disconnected?

Just Different

Perhaps my middle child of seven status motivates me to balance opposing views.

I often express that there is no right or wrong – just different. And in the world of business writing, we sure have different views.

The Purist

The business writing purist loves rules.

• Grammar rules
• Punctuation rules
• Rules of writing style – think AP vs Chicago

The purist does not have much tolerance for a breaking of the rules. I’m sure my use of the made-up word – texist – is enough to inflame some.

However, even among the purists, the rules vary.

• Each defends the AP or Chicago writing style to the death
• Differences in punctuation styles are debated endlessly
• Adverbs are either embraced or strangled

The arguments prove my point.

It’s not right or wrong – just different.

The Texist

The committed texist has not found a word he or she cannot shorten.

Text shortcuts have become such a way of life, they creep into business writing.

Lynn Gaertner-Johnston shared an amusing example at her Business Writing blog of an email she received from an investment firm.

The following is a small excerpt.

U are the fiduciary we will need ur social

I imagine even avid text lovers could see the problem in that business email.

Finding Balance

Before I receive threatening, grammatically-correct emails and angry text messages, I recognize the above elevates generalization to an art form.

• Not all purists freak out over a misplaced comma
• And not all texists use their special language in business writing

However, it is not uncommon to discover the purists and texists have different ideas on what is acceptable business writing.

My view is there is room for compromise.

• I respect writing rules as they organize my writing
• But, I am not adverse to bending a rule or two (as evidenced in this post)
• I enjoy the more personal approach to business writing
• But, I hate needing an urban dictionary for translation

At times, I still struggle with my purist training versus today’s casual style. I seek balance.

The following are my guidelines (I won’t call them rules).

1. Consider the communication vehicle

My writing style for a blog post is more casual than it is for white papers.

That does not mean white papers have to be boring, but when writing for certain niches, citing sources is critical.

I welcome the rules of a style manual for white paper sourcing. I often ask clients for their preferred style manual – e.g., AP or Chicago.

If you own your own business and have a marketing department or multiple writers, style guides bring consistency.

Adjust your writing style to your communication vehicle.

2. Consider the reader.

I know. It’s writing 101.

In the interest of us all getting along, why would I do “old school” when I know that style turns the reader off?

Nor would I want to tick off a CEO who insists on traditional forms of communication.

You don’t have to like that text-loving reader or that overly rigid CEO, but if you want to connect, you should respect their differences.

Communication connects people.

3. Find the good and compromise.

Rarely do I find that one method is all good or all bad.

Typically, you find good in the yin and the yang of the different styles.

• A causal style keeps your message simple
• A structured approach keeps your message clear
• A compromise of both keeps your message uniquely yours.

Keep it simple, clear & uniquely yours. I like that.

What do you think?

After all, there is no right or wrong – just different.

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Helping you Keep it simple, clear & uniquely yours – contact me for help with your business writing needs.

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Somewhere in the grammar guardian world, a purist has fainted over that headline.

I promise if you hang in there with me, you will understand.

• Today’s business writing is not your father’s business writing
• Okay, maybe that should be your grandfather’s
• As my dad used to say – everything’s relative

One huge benefit about this era of blogs and social media is business writing has become more personal.

Business writing done right is personal.

Professional writer or business owner who writes – writing for you makes you a better business writer.

Connect with you and you win.

Let’s explore why.

Why Do Your Write?

What is the reason you create business writing?

• To develop leads?
• To generate sales?
• To educate others?

Regardless of why you write, you need the reader to read it.

You do want readers to read your business writing, right?

Put a face on that reader and speak to your reader.

Imagine you are speaking to your reader directly. Ask your reader ~

• What grabs your attention?
• What keeps you reading?
• What motivates you to take action?

I know, writing for your reader is nothing new.

You’re right.

But, then why do articles like Why Is Business Writing So Awful? go viral?

Because most of the time, we forget to write for you.

Tips on Writing for You

#1 – Get literal.

One simple tip for remembering to write for your reader is literally use the word you.

Recently, I wrote a resource document for a health care organization. The targeted reader was a hospital executive.

• The original copy was in third person – think the impersonal they
• They do this – they do that
• In other words – boring

Replacing the impersonal third person with the second person you made a huge difference.

• Instead of hospital executives discover proven success strategies
• Replace the copy with as a hospital executive, you discover proven success strategies

That simple change makes the writing personal.

If I’m a hospital executive, I’d like to discover proven success strategies. Especially before they do.

#2 – Picture this.

So, you’ve heard the advice before about putting a face on your reader. But, do you do that?

Pick up your latest business writing and share with us the name of your reader. Can you do that?

How can you get personal if you do not know the person you are writing for?

• Is there an elusive prospect you’d give you right arm to land as a client? There’s your picture.
• Is there a trusted mentor you could share your writing with? Would you be confident in sharing it? Think of your mentor when editing your writing.
• Is your reader a figment of the ideal client? Create a lead character and make that the picture of your ideal client.

Then when you are reading your writing aloud, picture that person standing in front of you.

I guarantee you’ll reach for the edit pencil a time or two.

#3 – Take it personally.

We all get busy. Professional writers know we do not always practice what we preach.

I’d love to tell you that the edits on that health care document started with my own editing process.

The truth is my long-time client said the copy seemed to be lacking something. It wasn’t bad. She just wasn’t as excited as she usually was to release it.

Talk about a wake-up call. 

No matter what a writer tells you, we do take it personally when we receive that kind of feedback.

I am thrilled I have the kind of relationship with my client that offers honest, constructive feedback. It makes me a better business writer.

Think about the person you picture reading your business writing.

Get inside the head of your reader where honest reaction goes unchecked.

• How does that person respond?
• How do you feel about his or her response?
• Take it personally

Better Business Writing

When your reader becomes real, your business writing becomes more personal.

• You want to grab your reader’s attention
• You work to keep your reader engaged
• You want to understand your reader’s motivation

You write better when you write for you. 

What tips do you have for better business writing?

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Helping you Keep it simple, clear & uniquely yours – contact me for help with your business writing needs.

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One of my posts this week shares that Sunday is World Laughter Day.

I had no idea, but what a wonderful idea. As my good friend, Sharon Hurley Hall, expressed ~

You can never have enough laughter

We may not have endless rounds of laughter, but hopefully the posts are entertaining in some form.

If you missed any, the following is a brief recap.

Simply Stated Business

Is Too Much Automation Clobbering Your Stock? 

A single tweet had a dramatic impact on the stock market. What made it even more disturbing was its bogus nature and the automated response.

Never one to left a good analogy pass me by, this post explores what happens when automation goes wild in your business world.

Share any stories you have in Comments.

How to Keep it Simple When We Want More

Have you heard the AT&T commercial – we want more, we want more?

More sure can complicate your life and business. Learn how to keep it simple to achieve business success.

How do you keep it simple?

Simply Stated Health Care

Laugh Out Loud Healthy Moments 

Here is the acclaimed post (okay, acclaimed in my mind) that provides you with a bit of information on World Laughter Day and the healthy benefits of laughter.

I also shared one of my favorite Ellen clips. I hope it has you rolling on the floor – in a good way.

The Personal Side

A Father’s Influence 

May 2 was my dad’s birthday. This post at my personal blog, MillerCathy.com; A Baby Boomer’s Second Life, gives you a peek inside to the tremendous influence Dad had on my life.

I am truly blessed.

That’s a Wrap

I hope you find laughter not only on World Laughter Day, but every day.

After all ~

You can never have enough laughter

Enjoy your weekend and I hope to see you back here next week.

Take care.

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Helping you Keep it simple, clear & uniquely yours – contact me for help with your business writing needs.

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Do we think more is better?

• Is that the problem?
• Is more truly better than less?
• Is that why we struggle to keep it simple?

For some of us, more defines success.

• More wealth
• More fame
• More everything

To quote the adorable little girl in the AT&T commercial ~

We want more. We want more. If you really like it, you want more.”

• Does our quest for more bury our business success?
• How do we keep it simple when we want more?

We control more by starting with simple to redefine more for success.

Control More

You often hear disaster stories of lottery winners or college athletes who turn pro. The instant cash and fame overwhelms them, and they lose everything.

• They failed to keep it simple
• They allowed more to define their life
• They failed to achieve success

We do the same in business. We allow more to define our business.

• More followers
• More traffic
• More content

More is not the culprit. The problem is when we allow more to define us or our business.

Start With Simple

In a recent post by fellow writer, John Soares, at Productive Writers, I shared my motivating question that applies to both my professional and personal life.

How can I keep it simple?

Let’s start with your business.

What is your vision?

If you were to sell your business tomorrow, what defines its success that made others want to buy it?

Who is your customer? 

What do they want? Where do they hang out? Ask questions — and listen.

What is your plan?

How do you get the customer? Does the action promote your vision?

Then ask three simple questions.

• What went well?
• What needs improvement?
• What’s next?

My favorite mantra about plans ~

The best thing about plans is you can always change them.

Redefine More

When we start with simple, we redefine more as a measurement of our business success.

• More followers defines success when more supports our vision, reaches our customers, achieves our plan
• More traffic has the same measurements for success
• More content buries our message when we forget our measurements of success

When you keep it simple, you redefine more to achieve success.

Do you need to redefine more for business success?

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Helping you Keep it simple, clear & uniquely yours – contact me for help with your business writing needs.

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If you doubt the power of social media, the recent phony tweet that sent stocks plunging could change your mind.

Hackers pilfered the Associated Press’ (AP) Twitter handle long enough to send a fake tweet about explosions at the White House.

• Investors dumped stock to the tune of $134 billion
• But, most were not your human variety investors
• Most of the dumpers were computers on autopilot

Apparently, the lack of human brain cells could not stop the computers’ little algorithms from creating automated sales based on the fake tweet.

Good to know there is still a need for human brain cells.

That got me thinking about other automated processes and what it could be doing to your stock.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Not since HAL attempted to commandeer the spacecraft in 2001: A Space Odyssey has the potential risk of too much automation received such a grand stage.

Automation in business has many pluses.

• Repetitive tasks are streamlined
• Businesses become more productive
• Programmed correctly, errors are diminished

We love our shiny, new toys, but this incident demonstrates that automation without controls backfires.

The following are my examples of automation gone wild.

Automated Tweets

Why not start with the star platform of the AP story.

There are multiple tools for automating tweets.

• Hootsuite
• AutoTweeter
• TwitterFeed
• TweetDeck
• FutureTweets

That list barely scratches the surface.

Many of the tools allow you to manage other networking sites as well. You can tweet updates to blog posts, schedule future tweets, send event reminders.

All good uses – when you don’t go wild.

Tweets Gone Wild

Who hasn’t experienced some of the following?

• The same tweets with the same message sent on the hour
• A bombardment of nothing but self-serving tweets

Use some of those human brain cells to find a happy balance.

Email Marketing Responder

We seem to have more newsletter subscriptions or email marketing solicitations than we could ever read.

However, email marketing continues to be a powerful tool.

Well-crafted automated responders customize your message to various readers.

But, what happens when automated responders go wild?

• Readers receive daily (or more) reminders that time is running out on the latest offer
• There is no Unsubscribe link or instructions for removing your name from the sender’s list
• Canned responses are addressed to [NAME]

If you have ever been caught in an endless loop of inane auto responses, think about that the next time you set your auto-responder.

Email Out-of-Office Responder

The cousin of the automated responder for email marketing is one used when you are unable to immediately respond to emails.

I love my automated out-of-office email responder.

• Clients are reminded of extended absences (e.g., vacations)
• Messages set expectations for response
• Emails receive acknowledgment

Email Responder Gone Wild

There are ways automated responses go from informing your customers to infuriating them.

• Response per message instead of per sender –  when settings are selected that send the response for every email sent by the same person in the same day
• Forgetting to turn off the responder - the message says the email recipient will not be back in the office until Monday – and that was three days ago
• Out-of-office overload – do we really need to know you are away from the office for an hour? Or how about when it seems all we receive are out-of-office messages?
• The “I’m busy” response – we all understand there are times you may be working on a deadline, but an automated message that infers you are too busy to respond to your customer could come off as rude – or worse

Keeping customers informed is good business. However, you don’t want to send an unintended message that your customers’ needs are secondary.

Taking Stock

If you are like me, you’ve had more than your fair share of automated annoyances.

• You work hard at your business
• You craft your message carefully
• Remember to check your automation
• It could be destroying your stock

What advice do you have regarding automated tasks?

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Helping you Keep it simple, clear & uniquely yours – contact me for help with your business writing needs.

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Okay, when did May sneak up on us?

Seriously? We are nearly half-way through 2013 and some of us remember the winter holidays.

Before the latest blog posts sneak by you, too, here is a brief recap.

Simply Stated Business

The Social Media Question: To Pay or Not To Pay 

If it’s not free, many of us walk the other way.

We have free social media network sites, free blogging tools, and free content – everywhere.

But, is there ever a time when it makes sense to pay?

I think so. See if you agree with these tips for knowing when To Pay or Not To Pay.

Paid Slideshare Version of To Pay or Not To Pay 

The post didn’t do it for you? Maybe the Slideshare version will work better for you.

This is your opportunity to find out.

I also share why I went with a paid version of Slideshare. Do you have a Slideshare account? Do you pay for a premium account or ride with the freebie? Let us know in Comments.

Simply Stated Health Care

Employment-based Health Insurance in Decade Decline 

Here in the U.S., health reform is the big elephant in the room of health insurance.

Lots of people have plenty to say about health reform. This is one time, however, you cannot blame health reform for a decline in employment-based insurance.

Well, I suppose you could blame health reform, but it actually started long before the law was passed.

The Personal Side

Shouldn’t Technology Mean Better Communication? 

Over at my personal blog, MillerCathy.com: A Baby Boomer’s Second Life, I’m musing about all our technology.

We are more connected than ever, yet we still seem to struggle with communication.

Why is that?

Share your thoughts in Comments.

That’s a Wrap

So, as we kiss April and tax season good-bye, we spring into May with renewed hope.

Hope for better weather – so far so good.

And the hope that you get out there this weekend and enjoy yourself.

And the eternal hope that you remember to come back here next week.

Enjoy and take care.

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Helping you Keep it simple, clear & uniquely yours – contact me for help with your business writing needs.

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