Lean Writer | The Five Cs for Crisp Content

Every communicator has some version of the five Cs for effective communications. Not long ago this topic came up in a casual conversation, and I was asked to name my five Cs.

Here's my response.

Plan Now for Manufacturing Day 2017

Manufacturing Day always occurs on the first Friday in October, which is Oct 6 this year, so consider this your early warning. 

Each year since its inception, I've diligently touted its benefits for many reasons. 

Ditch the Dots

Thanks to the internet, we can easily share information, highlight new products, explain processes, and engage customers and prospects on a global scale. For better or worse, we can also see what others are doing and quickly integrate new trends into our own communications.

The rampant use of ellipses (...) is an unfortunate trend that's spreading like wildfire. These dot-dot-dots are popping up everywhere from letters and emails to blogs, websites and product descriptions.

A recent example was brought to my attention because it was from someone seeking employment in the communications field. Presumably, this person had a background related to the position they were seeking, but there it was in black and white: The applicant had visited the company website ... and was looking for work.

When the business owner saw the ellipsis, a red flag shot up and rightfully so. The rules governing ellipses are specific and quite limited. It's appropriate to use an ellipsis if you want to indicate:

1. Uncertainty
2. An abrupt change of thought
3. A pause
4. Words missing from a quotation

That's it, four simple applications.

So, back to the job applicant. Were they expressing uncertainty? A thought change? A pause? (They weren't quoting anyone, so that option isn't relevant.)

In the end, it doesn't matter what they hoped to convey. The inadequate cover letter and unread resume moved directly to the rejection pile. Why? To the business owner, those three tiny dots were a huge signal the applicant was unprepared for a professional position. 

It's your decision. You can be on trend and use ellipses with abandon, but be prepared for the fallout. 

If you're smart, you'll ditch the dots unless you're eliminating words from a quote. Otherwise, you risk being viewed as uncertain, indecisive, distracted, inconsistent or incapable of clear thought, qualities few if any employers, clients or customers find desirable.


TIP: In lieu of an ellipsis, substitute a dash (-) to indicate a thought change or pause.


For more writing tips, see:
The Great Comma Controversy
The Humble Hyphen
Pesky Periods & Parentheses
Respect the Semicolon

For more related to employment, see:
Do Writing Skills Still Matter?
What Employers Really Want

Manufacturing Day 2016

Manufacturing plays a pivotal role in the health and vitality of our local, regional and national economies. To emphasize its importance, every fall, we take time to highlight the nationwide event known as Manufacturing Day, which is slated for Friday, October 7 this year.

Large or small, if you’re a manufacturer you should find a way to participate:

• Hold an open house.
• Conduct tours of your facility.
• Demonstrate how you manufacture products.
• Design activities that offer hands-on experiences.
• Offer to speak to middle and high school classes.

If you’re an educator, do the same:

• Invite local manufacturers to speak to your class.
• Arrange a plant tour.
• Develop modules that incorporate manufacturing examples.
• Collaborate with other teachers to create multidisciplinary manufacturing activities that make STEM topics meaningful and relevant.

In states like Ohio, New York and Wisconsin, manufacturing is so important, October is designated as Manufacturing Month, which gives you plenty of latitude to make plans and schedule events in the coming weeks.

Through the years, we've explored a range of STEM, manufacturing and reshoring topics, so you might enjoy:

STEM in Action
Does Reshoring Matter?
Manufacturing | Will We Choose to Make it in America?

3 Tips for Crafting Content to Boost Your Business

Demand for original high quality content continues to grow, due to our insatiable appetite for fresh, relevant information. Because not all content is created equal, the internet is awash with material that’s inadequate at best, and inaccurate and incomprehensible at worst.

This makes it fairly easy to stand out from the crowd.

To craft content that boosts traffic, builds your brand and solidifies your reputation, implement these practical tips:

1. Target your audience. Whether you’re generating content yourself or working with a team, take time to pinpoint your target audience. Are you addressing:

• Long-term customers with experience and expert knowledge?
• Prospects from diverse backgrounds?
• Newcomers who are just learning the ropes?
• Casual readers who have little or no context for the information you’re sharing?
• Passionate followers who are informed and engaged?

2. Produce content your readers are seeking. Based on search trends, the most consistently popular categories:

• Inform. Explain products or services and describe why they’re important, useful, irresistible or valuable.
• Instruct. Demonstrate how to do something using step-by-step tutorials, process models or videos.
• Influence. Provide context that shapes opinions or helps readers make better decisions.
• Improve. Highlight products, services and processes that help readers work smarter, live better or both.
• Inspire. Deliver content that motivates, encourages, supports and stimulates.
• Impel. Provide information that prompts action such as buying products and services or making work/life changes.

3. Follow a few basic rules. At minimum, make sure every article, news blurb, blog post, product release or marketing piece has a clearly identified audience (customer, prospect, casual reader, etc.) and a defined purpose (inform, instruct, etc.). Then follow these rules:

• Keep things simple.
• Be clear, concise and compelling.
• Write in a direct and active voice.
• Avoid insider jargon.
• Revise, refine and rewrite.
• Proof, polish and perfect.

If quality content isn’t part of your marketing strategy and budget, you’re missing a critical opportunity to grow your business. Luckily, it’s an easy problem to solve. 

You can take the time to develop content on your own or work with a reliable provider like Crossbridge. Either way it's a sound investment, because you’ll have a steady flow of fresh material that attracts traffic, builds customer confidence and boosts your bottom line.