Monday, February 15, 2010 |
posted by Sue Heuman |
"The medium is the message"
Marshall McLuhan uttered those famous words in 1964, and although much has changed, this dictum remains true (perhaps even more relevant) today.
Mr. McLuhan was indeed a visionary. He understood that the way in which a message is delivered is as important as the message itself. As social media opens up ever-expanding platforms and technology, his words are prophetic, indeed.
But beyond those famous words, Mr. McLuhan also said, “The new electronic interdependence recreates the world in the image of a global village” (1962). Hard to believe that was nearly 50 years ago! He died in 1980, so he didn’t have the chance to experience the full realization of his words through platforms like Twitter and Facebook, and technology such as iPad and Blackberry.
If he were alive today, I wonder what he would say about the incredible opportunities that we now enjoy to connect with friends and strangers alike; at home, work or on a city street. What message is the new medium telling us?
We are more connected now than at any stage in human existence. We “meet” people through tweets; discuss ideas and opinions through blogs. We answer online polls and contribute comments through a range of forums.
We can agree, or disagree, on every topic imaginable. If social media is the new medium, I believe the new message is connectedness.
What do you think Marshall McLuhan would say today? I welcome your thoughts.
10 tips for great communication
Wednesday, February 3, 2010 |
posted by Sue Heuman |
Companies and organizations in today’s global economy work very hard to convey information, capture the audience’s attention and inspire behaviours or attitudes to support their business objectives.
In reaching out to their customers and audiences, however, most organizations are too focused on what they want to say, not what the audience needs to hear. Many employees write from a ‘we’ perspective – ‘we do this’ and ‘we do that.’ And, despite their best efforts, it’s very difficult for employees to change this approach even if they are aware that there is a better way.
Why? Because employees are the organization, and as much as they try to put themselves in their customers’ shoes, they know too much. They have too much background knowledge, and the links and connections that hold meaning inside an organization are meaningless outside. This deep knowledge of the product or service usually leads to them trying to say too much. We call it “telling everybody, everything, all the time.” And it fails every time, because people just don’t care as much as you do about your stuff.
One of the best things writers can do is to turn their perspectives around so that they start with the answer to the question, ‘so what?’ Write interesting, compelling text that provides enough to engage the reader without overwhelming.
Here are some tips to help you communicate what your audiences need to hear:
- Do identify what you are trying to achieve, and tailor your message to the audience.
- Do start with WIIFM – what’s in it for me – from the audience’s perspective, not the company’s. Find out what’s important to your audience and address it first.
- • Do outline the basic information in short, punchy sentences. Avoid long, complicated sentences filled with jargon. Generally, any sentence with more than two commas is probably too long.
- Do write in the third person. Not “We are a Fortune 500 company...” which just begs the question, “who is ‘we?’” Instead, write “ABCDEF Corporation is a Fortune 500 company...”
- Do add some excitement! When writing, ask yourself, “is this something I would want to read?”
- Do include clear steps that the audience can take. Make it easy for your audience to buy/support/donate/whatever... right away.
- Do include charts, graphs, diagrams and other visuals to enhance and support your text. Supporting visuals should add value, not just be a pretty picture to occupy space.
- Don’t get bogged down in the details. Keep information clean, clear and succinct.
- Don’t re-create the history of the project/product/initiative – no one cares. Provide just enough background for context only.
- Don’t leave the reader asking more questions than you’ve answered. Make sure the information is complete and offers a rounded view of the topic.
And, of course, it’s critical to include a link or contact coordinates for more information.
It’s difficult to gain and sustain people’s attention these days. When you do have their eyes, ears and hearts – even for just a few brief moments – be prepared to make the most of the opportunity.
What does the future hold?
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 |
posted by Sue Heuman |
Many people smarter than me have already made predictions for 2010 and beyond. Still, as we begin a new decade, I can’t help but contemplate the next 10 years. So, here are some things I’d like to see:
Moving beyond the written word – our current preoccupation with the written word (newspapers, articles, blogs, tweets, etc) will give way to interpersonal dialogue on a common level. “Chats” will actually involve speaking with other people. Simultaneous language translation and video links will allow these conversations to take place around the world.
Everything on the computer – you know that 50” TV screen you just bought? In the near future, it will connect directly to your computer and traditional broadcasting as we know it will cease. All shows will be pay-per-view, downloaded so that you can watch them when you want. That also probably means the end of TV advertising. The shift toward individual control will continue in a big way, and I believe consumers are willing to pay for it.
Journalists will have a different role – Instead of working for newspapers, TV and radio, journalists will be independent contractors posting stories to their own websites, and people will subscribe directly to the journalists covering news and issues important to them. Again, this is a shift toward consumer control (my news, my way); a change from organizational control (traditional media) where editors decide what news appears each day, and the prominence given each story. Again, provided on a subscription basis, will this mean the end to advertising?
Ok, so the point of this wasn't to actually try and see through the crystal ball. (And, apologies if some of this stuff is actually under development!) The point is to try and imagine the future for media and communications, given that I believe we are just at the beginning of a revolution in how, when and where information is shared.
What do you think the future holds? And, what will it mean for companies and organizations who are trying to get their messages out?
The magic of social media
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 |
posted by Sue Heuman |
So here we are, firmly entrenched in a new age of social media and instant communication. Write a blog, get immediate feedback. Post a tweet and watch it get retweeted far and wide. Tweet using LinkedIn or Facebook. It seems like the possibilities are endless.
The ‘instantness’ of social media connections is very appealing. But because social media is still really in its developmental phase, we can only include its use as part of an overall communications or marketing program. Yes, there are more people tweeting and blogging every day. But are they the right demographic for your topic? Are people using social media for personal reasons, in which case they may not be in the right ‘space’ to deal with your organization’s information.
In many ways, social media is still a shotgun approach. Despite having 300, 3000 or 30000 fans or followers, we are not selecting our audience so much as accepting it. It’s difficult to recruit followers, especially on a scale that would make a difference. Social media is very much a ‘pull’ technology in that people have to find you and your topics interesting in order to want to follow along.
Once you have an audience, it’s tough to imagine that the same group of followers will be interested in the diverse topics you may wish to communicate. Will they be equally enamoured with information about laundry soap, power tools, art galleries, and football? It’s possible, but not probable.
The reality, of course, is that we need to remember social media is just another tool; just another way to reach people and engage them in a dialogue about topics or organizations that matter to them.
Despite all the emerging best practices, worksheets and templates, effective communication still comes down to the same basic questions:
• Who are you trying to reach?
• What do you want them to know or do?
• What is the best way to make this happen?
Yes, social media can play a role. But it isn’t the magic answer to all communications and marketing needs.
Middle Managers = Corporate Translators
Monday, December 14, 2009 |
posted by Sue Heuman |
As media and communication methods change, some things in organizations remain constant. Tweeting, blogging, staff meetings, memos – no matter the method, it’s the content that’s key when supervisors communicate with staff.
Often, middle managers are stuck as the go-between, with little support or training to help them dialogue effectively with their staff. Senior management provides broad direction – often in abstract terms – and leaves it to the middle manager to figure out how to talk to his/her staff, and how to implement changes. At the same time many employees, tired of constant change and re-engineering, just want to be left alone to do their jobs. Problem is, there is now a gap between what the employee is doing, and what senior management wants.
To communicate the new direction to staff, it is important to define what is expected from managers and how to measure how well they're doing. The need for effective, two-way internal communication has never been more clearly defined. But few managers and professionals know what to do to better engage and motivate their staff.
Critical for success is a strong understanding of the ‘translator’ role that managers play within organizations. For example, if senior management sets new sales goals of 10%, middle managers are often left to figure out how to achieve those goals. This means taking the broad direction from senior management, explaining it to staff, and then engaging staff in a discussion about how to achieve the targets. This ‘translation’ of broad corporate direction into day-to-day reality is critical to changing behaviour in order to achieve the new goals. Managers need to understand that this role is part of their jobs, not a nice-to-have that gets shuffled to low priority.
Measuring the effectiveness of communication needs to focus on information shared, ideas generated and changes implemented - real, tanglible results of the interaction between the manager and his/her staff.
Training and supports can help managers do a better job and achieve the results that the company needs. The end result will be a better engaged workforce that understands not only the corporate goals, but the hands-on tactics needed to achieve them. Focus Communications offers half-day training for middle managers - see our Training webpage for more information.
It's NOT about what you had for breakfast!
Thursday, December 3, 2009 |
posted by Sue Heuman |
No I don’t want to know what you had for breakfast...
I still get this all the time. “Why would I want to be on Twitter? I don’t want to know what people are eating.”
Sigh.
The value of any endeavour is directly proportional to the effort you put in. In the case of Twitter, understanding first which topics interest you is the key to a rewarding experience.
It’s all about the people you follow. Interested in football? Follow your favourite team, NFL or CFL. Want to learn about social media? Follow @mashable, @tdefren, or @guykawasaki. Practically everyone’s on Twitter these days, so finding someone that interests you isn’t hard.
The point is that is starts with you, and your interests. Follow people with similar interests, and then follow the people they follow. Very few people talk about breakfast cereal. Lots of people, however, discuss current events and trends, pose questions, or test theories. It’s a conversation, so jump in!
In praise of newspapers
Thursday, November 26, 2009 |
posted by Sue Heuman |
When I was in high school the Edmonton Journal was delivered every afternoon, except Sundays. (Morning editions and seven day coverage would come later, as I recall. In fact, for a time the Journal had two editions daily – morning and afternoon. Double the fun! But I digress...)
I would arrive home from school and eagerly await the afternoon edition, anxious to keep in touch with the news of the day. My brother and I would trade the sections back and forth until all was sufficiently read.
My need for print news has continued over the last 30 years, and even though I am active in electronic communication – Twitter, this blog, other blogs and online news – I still can’t break my addiction to the printed newspaper.
Every morning, I eagerly bounce to the front door to see the day’s edition. Chances are, I’ve already heard or read the news electronically the night before, but there’s something about lingering over the paper with my morning coffee that I look forward to each day. There’s a familiarity, and a sense that, upon reading the paper, I am now fully informed about current events (and, well, the daily comics to be honest!). I’ve tried reading the paper online, and I do check the Journal’s website throughout the day for news updates, but it’s not the same.
Sadly, the newspaper is becoming thinner and thinner. On most Mondays, in fact, it’s more like a newsletter than a newspaper. Advertisers are turning to other means, it seems, or not advertising at all as we continue to recover from the recession. And, although the Journal still devotes attention to local news, more wire stories appear now. I have thought about cancelling my subscription – surely it’s more convenient/better for the environment/timely if I just read the paper online? – but I just can’t. Reading the paper is a comforting routine that I can’t shake, despite all my online connectedness.
Much is being written about the decline of newspapers across North America. Know, however, that there is more to reading the newspaper than getting the news. It’s an experience. So, I would like to thank my local paper for its dependable continuity in news reporting, for being a regular and reliable friend, and part of my daily routine for 30 years.
I’ll be looking for tomorrow’s edition, with coffee in hand.
Measuring communication
Monday, November 9, 2009 |
posted by Sue Heuman |
The age-old debate continues – how to measure PR/communications/social media. I’ve never been sure why this is such a difficult subject, and then in a great Twitter discussion today with Shel Holtz (@shel) it occured to me.
We’ve been looking for the perfect one-size-fits-all yardstick. (ROI has become the recent, but incorrect, favourite.) After all, you can measure weight in pounds, distance in miles, flour by the cup, and cinnamon by the teaspoon (or their metric equivalents). Why is there no standard measurement for communication?
Certainly if there were, we would be able to articulate the value of the communications’ effort eloquently and succinctly in front of our friends in the C-suite.
“Why based on a measurement of 11.2 smackaroons, compared with 9.3 smackaroons when we started, we’re a hit!”
Sigh. Life’s just not like that.
Why, why, why?
Simple. It’s because 11.2 smackaroons is not the answer for every communication issue or opportunity. As varied as the challenges that present themselves, so are the potential measurements.
As usual, the best answers lie in the questions.
What problem/issue/opportunity are you trying to impact? Who are you trying to reach? How is the best way to reach these people? Are you just advising people of something (Fresh bread on sale)? Do you want input (Vote for your favourite fresh bread today!)? Do you want collaborative involvement (Join our Saturday workshop to create new bread flavour)?
Once you have the right questions, the correspondingly right measures will present themselves. Demonstrating the value of your efforts toward achieving the business objectives will win in the C suite every time.
Smackaroons not required.
Twitter is not email
Thursday, November 5, 2009 |
posted by Sue Heuman |
Yo, tweeps. If you need to meet someone for dinner, discuss a private family matter, or get an opinion on your latest hair colour, please do not tweet this!
Twitter is not email. Twitter is meant to disseminate thoughts, ideas, and information...not book a date with your pals.
Why does this bother me? Well, mostly because I am not invited; neither can I share in the private joke. But also, it clogs up my Tweetdeck with back-and-forth arrangements that don’t have any relevance for those of us not involved.
Twitter is a great way to learn new things, generate ideas, discuss theories and generally engage in 140 character conversations. And, it can be a great place to promote an upcoming event to which everyone can attend.
For one-to-one conversations, however, email your friend, or better yet pick up that old-fashioned device and dial a number! My Tweetdeck thanks you!
Canadian spelling, eh?
Monday, November 2, 2009 |
posted by Sue Heuman |
Last week there was a news story about the use of American spelling in Alberta classrooms. Naturally, most of the people interviewed for the story felt that Canadian spelling should taught in schools. After all, language is an important part of our culture. Besides beavers, moose and Mounties, nothing is more Canadian than our own version of the English language.
We maintain our identity through language, such as our pronunciation of the last letter of the alphabet (always zed, never zee), our quirky way of saying “aboot” instead of “abowt” and writing cheques (not checks) to pay bills. As we speak with, and write to, one another we recognize those words that separate us from other English-speaking countries. There may not be many, but those words and spellings are significant distinguishing factors that help reinforce our "Canadian-ness."
So if you have school-aged children, and this issue is important to you, talk to the teacher. Let him or her know that you want your child to learn Canadian spelling. You’ll be doing us all a favour, neighbour, by maintaining our labour of love for Canadian spelling, eh? Colour me red and white!
