Posted By Amanda Collins on September 29, 2010

While I was attending the Scottsdale Society of Women Writers meeting tonight, the members went around and introduced themselves. A few people said they had been writing since they were 10 or 12, which is what I always say because when I was in fifth grade I wrote this great story about the last moments of a piece of gum (At least I thought it was fun when I was a kid). But one member mentioned that she had been writing in a journal since she was 10—and that got me thinking. Although I ditched my old journals years ago, I started keeping a diary when I was 7 or 8. I used to write all kinds of crazy things about my friends, school, and my life. So, by that account, I’ve been a writer for more than 30 years.

It’s funny when things don’t hit you until they nearly knock you out of your chair. Well, at least that’s the way it is with me. Within the last few months I realized that what I say I do (corporate communications strategies and implementation) is what I did for years at both Prescott College and Arizona State University. In my first week at PC, my boss told me to create the full communications strategy, which is what I spent the next 4 1/2 years implementing. But I didn’t really see that until this summer, five years after I left that position.

So tonight I was hit so hard that I fell out of my chair one more time. I have three decades of experience as a writer doing at least one aspect of what I do for my clients: blogging. I’ve also been published and I’m currently working on a book. I’m not sure why it takes me so long to figure these things out, but in case anyone else was curious … I’m a writer.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on September 28, 2010

Recently, I attended a networking event specifically for attorneys. As I was sitting with a group of “seasoned” counselors, I had the opportunity to share what I do in marketing communications. One lawyer noted, “I write well, but I find that what I write doesn’t make much sense to non-lawyers. Can you translate for me?” It may sound like a funny question, but it’s definitely something I do—and something any professional within a specific industry should consider.

When you do something all day every day, you tend to learn jargon: acronyms, short-cuts, and other words the general populace may not know. That’s all fine and well when you’re speaking to your colleagues, but what about when you want to reach out to your prospective and current clients? That’s where you might need some translation services to convert your English to everyone else’s English.

When writing anything for clients, consider your audience. If you’re an attorney, it’s likely that 95% of your clients won’t have a J.D. hanging on their walls. However, be sure not to talk down to your audience either. That’s a big mistake some professionals make when trying to make sense to their clients. The goal of any good marketing communications campaign is to engage readers and move them to action. You also want to position yourself as an expert—and you can’t do that by speaking down to people and coming across as condescending.

Start somewhere in the middle and see what happens. Although newspapers are written to a sixth-grade level, when you’re writing your website or e-mail newsletter, assume your readers are at least high school educated. So share your knowledge and leave out the jargon. Oh, and if you need a good translator, I may know someone….

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Posted By Amanda Collins on September 13, 2010

Whether you’re a little addicted to social media or just starting to dip your toe in the pool, you may wonder why you need to be on both Twitter and Facebook. It’s a valid question and one I hear often. Nowadays, you can even cross post to both through their respective sites or by using an outside application like TweetDeck or Ping. But, whether you put unique or the same content on both Twitter and Facebook, I believe you should have a presence on each. Here are some of my reasons why:

You Can Reach More People
Typically, you don’t have the same followers on Facebook as you do on Twitter. Most people I know have their personal Facebook pages closed down so only friends can see the information, whereas Twitter is an open network. You may have an open Facebook fan page (I do), but still it’s only seen by your followers. Twitter has hashtags and users can search by keywords, so you have the capacity to reach people around the globe, in addition to those in your network.

It’s the Start of a Conversation
Although people seem to have started using Twitter as an instant messenger, there are so many Tweets going out that you pretty much have to be online at the same time to connect. It’s great when you are, and you can have a conversation that others will see and in which they too can engage. Typically, though, Twitter is a bit of a radio delay in this realm. Facebook, on the other hand, sits for a bit. When you go to your homepage, you can look at posts from hours and days ago without having to go to each person’s page one by one. Also, when someone comments on your post, it stays with it and then others can comment on that. You can end up with a 15-person conversation—which is much more challenging on Twitter.

Different Strokes for Different Folks
There are Facebook people, Twitter people, and those who run in both circles. On Twitter, you can reach entrepreneurs and the Average Joe; Facebook puts you in touch with old friends, business associates, and family. Whom do you want to reach? If it’s just your clients and people you know, Facebook will be great. However, if you’d like to expand your horizons, Twitter allows you a bit broader reach. There will be a bit of overlap, but it’s more likely you’re going to have two completely different audiences.

So get out there and get social. You may be surprised at the results you see from Tweeting and Facebooking.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on September 4, 2010

If you’re not on Twitter, you definitely should be. The application I use, TweetDeck, just launched an upgrade that now allows me to post-date tweets. That means, even if I’m not on Twitter, I can still look like I am. But what do you tweet to be an effective communicator and not drown out everyone with inane non-information?

Some social media experts will suggest a breakdown of tweets, usually in the 60%, 30%, 10% range. The biggest number is always for starting conversations or retweeting, the mid number is for what you’re doing and daily updates, and the smallest number is for blatant self-promotion. It’s a good idea, if you need a launch point, but what if you’re already addicted to Twitter and wanting to say something to engage people?

Of course, you can always build a small cohort with whom you converse and share in the promotion of each other. In the Phoenix area, it’s almost incestuous how our Follow Fridays go; we nearly always mention the same people week after week. The good thing about that is that we all get increased followers each week as well. And there’s built-in conversation as well as listeners who’ll support our blog posts and comments with retweets.

If you don’t have that group, though, you might as well be tweeting to a wall. As I explain it to older folks, tweeting is like using a CB radio; you can talk, but you’re never quite sure who’s tuned in. So, instead of leaving it to chance, engage people. On TweetDeck, you can run keyword searches. Then you can comment on what those people are saying, thereby meeting new folks. You can also see what your circle is saying and comment or retweet them. Ask questions or feedback on issues in your business. People like to help. Also, say something funny or personal from time to time. I get a lot of comments back when I share a cute saying from my son; everyone likes to know a bit about you outside of business.

Remember that social media is very much a conversation. Don’t act like a speaker; be a listener. You’ll definitely see your interactions—and followers—grow.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on September 3, 2010

This week I attended the NetworkingPhoenix.com Signature Event, along with nearly 1,500 of my closest friends and business colleagues. Typically, I’m a pretty extroverted person, but about an hour in, I was looking at my watch. In that time, I had seen people I knew, met a few new folks, and ended up exhausted. I have the kind of voice that blends in with the hum of many, so I had to yell to be heard—even in close proximity.

So my question is: can a networking event be too big?

I’m beginning to think yes. There’s no possible way to meet everyone in the room, and how can you possibly have a strategy for meeting new people with so many there? I can certainly understand why some of my introverted counterparts choose to avoid these events altogether; if an outgoing, social person like me is worn out, how will they fare?

I think that 30-50 people is the optimal number, and even 100-200 works for me. I may continue to attend these large events to see people I know and remain visible, but I’m thinking I need to limit my time to about an hour. What is your favorite type of networking event and how do you manage the large events?

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