The Blessing of Allume

Wow. I have taken a break from my blog routine these past months because of major changes in our life at home. In May, my husband went back to work full time and I left the PR agency I thought I would be at until I retired for a new opportunity God had in store. I launched Sheran Communications with a focus on helping causes communicate and within two days I signed my first client working as a contractor 20 hours per week managing web and social communications for All About Developmental Disabilities (AADD). Now, you may know this subject is near and dear to my heart as I have a son who has Down syndrome. 

I cannot tell you what a blessing it was to spend the summer working part-time for AADD and having so much home time with my kids. As summer ended, I began to take on more clients and more responsibilities. I recently went on board as an employee with AADD as its director of marketing and communications, and with a flexible schedule, I am able to keep my business going to and have been learning to juggle my work responsibilities and all the kids activities. Needless to say, the past nine weeks have been a blur of activities, deadlines and craziness! 

I am writing a lot! But I haven't been able to nurture this blog or my business blog or quite honestly myself and my family. With change, comes chaos as we figure out how the new pieces all fit. While it seems to be coming together, I am really looking forward to next week, when I leave for a three day Christian blogger conference called Allume. It will be my third time attending and I'm really looking forward to the friendship, teaching and challenge I will experience over the weekend. 

I know I'll be refreshed, inspired, I'll meet amazing women and make new friends, I will grow in my writing, I will be challenged, I will find great causes to support. These are just some of the things I am looking forward to about Allume. This year I am attending with my friend Kristy McCarley, founder of Shazzy Fitness, a Christian Hip Hop Dance DVD series and the lead choreographer of the series Apollo Levine. I am ready to get my groove on with them and share the hospitality of fitness with the women of Allume.

For my Allume friends who are packing, here is a packing list that should help you out. And don't forget to pack your dancing shoes and follow #ShazzyFitness for pop up fitness opportunities during Allume.

Top 5 Reasons to Send an eNewsletter

In my early days in public relations, I'd spend hours writing, designing and overseeing the printing of corporate newsletters that were distributed by snail mail to the company’s staff and to our customers. As I picked up the crisp, colorful stack of freshly printed newsletters and stuffed them into envelopes for shipping, I often wondered if they were actually being read. Today, with eNewsletters, we don't have to wonder. We know.


Here are the Top Five Reasons to send an eNewsletter to your clients or employees next month:

1. Feedback. We can track how many readers open the email, which stories they read, if they watch a video, click through to your website or forward to an associate. With a traditional newsletter, this type of feedback is not available. With feedback we can gain insight into what messages resonate with your audience and if our strategy is effective.

2. Cost-effective marketing. With no printing and low delivery costs, eNewsletters are a cost–effective way to stay in touch with your customers. For a penny or two per reader, you can deliver the same message to one or a million customers, host the graphics and videos online and provide tracking reports.

3. Visibility. In a tough economy, those companies that make efforts to remain visible to clients and customers that come out on top when the market turns back around. eNewsletters are a convenient way to remain “top of mind.”

4. Accessibility. The format of an eNewsletter fits into today’s busy lifestyle. Executives can take the newsletter "on the go" to read later on smart phones, PDAs or laptops.

5. Connection. eNewsletters offer a regular connection that helps to strengthen the relationship between a company and its clients or staff.

Don't get me wrong, beautifully printed magazines, brochures and annual reports still have a significant place in the marketing mix. So when clients ask if it is better to go digital, in most cases the answer is yes.

The Challenge of Virtual Communication

With a recent report showing that time spent on social networks and blogs has tripled in the past year http://bit.ly/4rZB4n, and my own personal engagement increasing, I thought it time review the challenges I have faced with virtual communications.

While convenient, and perhaps less invasive than a phone call, relying on instant messaging, texting and emails to communicate views, discuss processes, or have a sensitive discussion can backfire on both parties.

The lack of body language and tone can completely change the direction of a conversation causing a lot of miscommunication, misunderstanding and oftentimes hurt feelings. I have been on both the giving and receiving end of a virtual communication blunder.

Virtual communication is something I face every day.  I would estimate that 90 percent of my work communication is virtual. This presents a daily challenge to be sure I am coming across professional and clear.

I find myself re-reading and editing communications several times to be sure enough sugar comes across so as not to ruffle any feathers. Even then, I am not always successful.

What is even more challenging is to be sure my instructions and requests on project assignments are very clear and make no assumptions so that my team completely understands what is being asked of them. Sometimes, I will find that I think I have communicated very clearly when in fact, I left confusion in my wake.

So how can I improve at this? Well, keep pouring on the sugar, have an email buddy who reviews the extensive emails to be sure I did not leave anything out or that my tone is as intended, and follow these tips for professional virtual communications http://thewriteessentials.com/2009/09/tips-for-good-netiquette/

Do you have any tips? If so, I would love to hear from you.