Grammar Hammer- Don’t forget to use proper grammar online. Just because we all live in a fast-paced world, doesn’t mean we should throw grammar out the window. The Web is a more informal place but this is no excuse for not using the correct punctuation and spellings. There is nothing more baffling than receiving an email from a respected owner of a company and it reading like this:

“hi, good 2 see u last night. lets talk sometime over coffee. ttyl”

This doesn’t seem that professional, does it? Many successful business people send emails like this all the time. No capitalizations, periods, commas, apostrophes, etc. It makes people look less intelligent. You should always use complete sentences, spell check, punctuation, and proof your professional emails before sending them. Chances are if you are too busy to write a decent email, then you might be too busy to get a new client.

Think Before You Tweet- Alright, so your cat is sick and it’s raining outside. This doesn’t mean that the entire Web needs to know this. For business, Twitter can be a great tool but only if used in a smart way. Using Twitter to announce a press release, a new product, upcoming event is genius. Revealing to the masses what you ate last night, not so much. There are many workshops and presentations on how to use Twitter for business. If you are using Twitter right now for business and you have been tweeting about your personal life, the weather (unless that is your industry) or how jammed the Parkway East was this morning, it is time to rethink your Twitter approach.

Picture This- Once an image is on the Web, there is no way to recover it. Same goes for videos, audio files, etc. If you are a business professional, remember this rule: If you wouldn’t show it to your grandma, don’t put it online. Reputations can be tarnished by pictures and videos that reveal less than desired acts. Remember that one time you drank a bottle of wine and thought you were a butterfly? Well, the next door neighbor’s son does too because he took pictures, posted them on his Facebook page, and tagged you. Then, your boss saw it and suspended you for making the company look bad.

If you are in situations where people post images of you in comprised situations, ask them to remove them or untag yourself. If you are a young professional, make sure there are no keg party pictures of you during Rush Week floating around out there still. HR managers will find it.

For more information about social media, check out our latest presentation Social Media Revealed on SlideShare. Also, if you have a group or company that might benefit from a presentation like this, contact Heather Jewell at 724-430-0490 Ext. 204 to find out about our workshop series.

Why get Feedback in the first place?

1. Helps avoid mistakes
   1. A costly problem caught early can be fixed
2. Higher quality of work
   1. Instead of getting stuck with a less than great project you can strive to make a higher quality result
3. Keeps everybody on the same team
   1. If everybody checks in on what’s going, nobody well get a surprise with end result
4. Newer or better ideas can get implemented
   1. Sometimes great ideas come after approval of a design or project. This is a way you can get your ideas heard

General Rules

1. Get out materials in advance
   1. If everybody is prepared ahead of time, nobody is bombarded and put on the spot.
2. Keep things brief
3. Provide feedback, but not discussions
   1. Set up a time after the meeting for discussions
4. Keep a recurring order with conversation
   1. Give everybody an equal amount of time to talk

Getting Feedback

1. Start by clarifying the objective
   1. Make sure everybody is on the same page
2. Be specific with the feedback you want
3. Listen
   1. Keep an open mind, because you’re looking for a different insight in the first place
4. Invite constructive criticism
   1. Remember everybody is on the same team
   2. Don’t let your pride get in the way
5. Take the advice
   1. Not everything, but use what you get to make good changes to your project

Giving Feedback

1. Be respectful
   1. Follow the golden rule
   2. Take into consideration who you’re talking to and the situation at hand
2. Be specific
   1. Give examples with your feedback; the more specific, the better
   2. If the person can get a better understanding why you want them to change something, they may more readily accept that change.
3. Provide justification
   1. Give reasoning with your feedback
   2. If they know why you feel that way, they may understand it better
4. Balance the positives and negatives
   1. Keeping a healthy balance of pros and cons keeps everyone happy
5. “Have you Considered?”
   1. Use this phrase to gently give another opinion
   2. This gives the designer the opportunity to offer their reasoning and not feel “under attack”

Don’ts

• DON’T tell anyone what they can or can’t provide feedback on
  • By doing so you defeat the purpose of having feedback
    
• DON’T try to solve problems in the critique room – it’s too time-consuming
  • This is a chance to hear other perspectives.
• DON’T be a jerk, be constructive
  • This mostly goes without saying. You’re all on the same team.

All in all, when it comes to feedback, a respectful relationship is needed. If you respect each other’s opinions and feelings as well as keep an open mind, getting feedback on projects doesn’t have to be a nightmare.

Technology has enabled instant communication via telephone, email, instant messaging, and texting.  Texting or SMS (Short Message Service) has exploded onto the communication scene over the last few years. Over 2.4 billion use this service today.  For local businesses in need of relaying information to their patrons and prospects, texting has become a popular outlet for instant updates.  Special offers, sales promotions, and event information are all great information to relay via text messaging.

A Pittsburgh-based company, JA Interactive, has begun working with local companies to set up text messaging systems.  The administrator logs into the system and can create custom lists to send text message updates to clients, prospects, and stakeholders.  They also have the ability to change the message going out and the auto-responding message for anyone who signs up for the service.  Since this is a hosted service, it is budget-friendly.  A low monthly fee gets the business up to 2000 outgoing text messages per month.

If you have a business that could capitalize on using technology to communicate with your patrons and prospects, join in the discuss below or give us a shout at NuRelm to learn more about the latest tools to help you get the most bang for your marketing buck.