The days of businesses saying, ‘I am the best’, ‘You must have my product’, ‘This is all you need’ are gone. People want a conversation, a connection problem solved. If your customers are meeting you online for the first time, or catching up on the latest news, turn your About page into a story that will connect, create interest and build commitment. Tell them your story. It’s seen as the number one way to market. But, like any great marketing writing, you have to have a plan that focuses on your audience. Here are some tips and examples to get you going.
 
Making a connection
 
This Forbes magazine article highlights how storytelling is the best marketing tool to make an “emotional connection”, which is what many clients want, after more than two decades of virtual buying and selling.  Top takeaway tip is to ‘be authentic’. Be honest. Be respectful.
 
Focus on audience
 
Today’s audiences are well-informed, well-traveled (including virtually) and focused. They know what they want, or at least what questions they want answered. And, they are interested in being entertained. Ask yourself what your clients want, why this story matters to them. As I share in my Writing Your Business Story workshop, it’s your client’s story, not yours. And, you want it to be so memorable so they share it with others. 
 
Take a look at the image and content on Lamplighter Brewery’s About page. Doesn’t it make you want to work there, hang out there, buy their product? I’m sure those were their goals. Another key part of writing your business story is having clear goals, linking stories to your mission statement and tracking results.

Focus on emotions
 
Check out how Toms shoes took a one-off in-house event, 
One Day Without Shoes, and turned it into a global story. Can you just imagine it? They used people, an activity everyone could participate in, and got to the ‘soul’ of it. The visual use of social media, and easy inclusivity, helped take this story, and the charity, to the world.
 
On a global level, Dove’s Mission: Care video tackling the issue of men who miss their families is extreme, storytelling, with emotion, lots of emotion. 
 
You can do it too. Critical components: real people, relatable situations, making connections. It shows you can go outside of your core market, you can target fringe interest and create new connections, all through storytelling. But, you don’t have to be a global business to have success.
 
Focus on local
 
BC’s Kootenay based Elevation Industries has an About page that will make any outdoor enthusiast want to go in and see what’s there for themselves. They are very motivational, connect with target audience’s emotions, and use humour. These are all key components of great story-telling.
 
Nelson-based Kootenay Mountain Culture takes you on the journey of their successful magazine and website. They don’t tell you what they do: they weave an image of their passion to sharing their environment, the people who influence them and their connection to the adventure and culture. If you didn’t know who they were when you visited their site, you’ll know when you leave.  
 
Whether your local is a few feet from your office, or an online social community or a global initiative or enterprise, narrow down your story’s scope. Know your audience profiles, so you can talk directly to them. Global is accessible, but making your business local is powerful. Always make your ending come alive. The best way to do that is to collaborate with your audience from the start to the finish of telling your—I mean ‘their’—story.

Read the earlier Key Advice Blog on Getting Attention with Your About Web
page.

Do you have a great business story to share? 

If you think having a #Facebook page is the best place for your business to be, you might want to think again. Until last week, I thought the same thing. But, when delivering my Making Every Word Count - Using Clear Communication to Connect with Clients workshop to new entrepreneurs, I learned some key information. Millennial entrepreneurs prefer #Instagram to #Facebook. They have good reasons. This was promptly supported by an online article.

This Red Website blog post, from the day after my workshop, caught my eye. 5 reasons you should ditch Facebook and concentrate on Instagram instead  put it in #plainlanguage. Facebook has plateaued and without paid for ads your chances of getting conversions are declining. Instagram is just getting started. And, the filtering process used on the platforms makes a huge difference (See 3. below).

In a colourful poster, Red makes the numbers sing.
1. Since 2013, Facebook's organic marketing reach has declined 63%. Instagram's has grown 115%.
2. Only 32% of Facebook users engage with brands. 68% of Instagram users engage with brands.
3. Only 6% of Facebook brand followers are reached. While, Instagram reaches 100%.
This information is definitely worth exploring.

'One of the reasons I love to train, is what I learn from my students. Technology and entrepreneurial millennials are pushing the boundaries. They have experience across all platforms, curiosity and confidence, and want to be able to do things better. The words status quo - or leave as is -  are not in their vocabulary. Read this article. Read more articles. Consider a small change in direction for
your online marketing. And, definitely consider updating your social media marketing strategy for 2016.

Special thanks to Kootenay Street.com, UpUpPlayTower.com, KootenayStyle.com and soon to be online 'RealGoodFoodNelson;.

Yes, you are on vacation. Yes, you are enjoying a time out. Yes, you left work at the office. Well, that is the ideal. However, in reality, particularly for entrepreneurs, marketers and customer service leaders, social media never sleeps. Time management is the key to successfully blending beach chair time  and social media time. Here are tips on how to max out your social media and vacation activities.

Timing is everything

When do most people post?  When do most people read? A little research can go a long way to taking the stress off. You can lie by the pool, plan your content, map out the promotion strategy, and when there's calm between the social storms, post wisely for top ROI. Early morning is one of the worst times to post. Late afternoon works best across most platforms. And, weekends, rather than weekdays have some great advantages. Social Marketing Writing's research is a great resource on when is the best time for each social media platform.

Which platform when

When planning any business activity - a meeting, a conference, an announcement - you want to pick the perfect time. This also applies to posting on social media. Qucksprout recommends you follow users' leads:

• Facebook users peak on Fridays.
• Tweets on the weekend generate the best B2C activity.
• LinkedIn users love Tuesday mid-morning to lunch.
• Pinterst pinning is most popular Saturday 8pm-11pm.
• Instagram interaction is tops on Mondays and off-peak hours (evenings).
  
  

However, I've had excellent luck with LinkedIn on a Sunday!

Follow in Richard Branson's Footsteps

Voted the best social media CEO, Richard Branson likes to keep things simple. He completes the social media circle: posting, reading comments, and using feedback to generate new posts. People love a story, and a little humour can go a long way. And, today's audiences are pretty savvy: be truthful, sincere and clear.

There's a reason social media browsing is called 'surfing'. And it's most successful if you follow the ebb and flow of your clients. Everyone gets the most out of the experience, and we can all be 'happy campers'. Set that beach chair up just how you like it and relax.

Excerpt from Successfully Integrating Plain Language — How Literacy, Essential Skills, Communications and Training Professionals Use Plain Language Panel
Presented at PLAIN2013 Conference, Vancouver, BC 

See full presentation and others from PLAIN2013 at SlideShare.net/plain2013conf

By Kate Harrison Whiteside, Key Advice
Panel Chair and Presenter

I can confidently say we have 'come a long way' in the field of plain language over the last 20 years. But, we need to take plain language to the next level. It is at a pivotal point and with the global energy from this Conference, I hope to see it gain even more power through integration.

  Plain language is gaining strength as it builds partnerships:
·      across sectors, 
·      across government levels, 
·      across the globe. 

Plain language often gets hidden in the complex function that is communications – especially in today's 
·      chaotic, 
·      changing and 
·      challenging technological environment. 

We have made great strides – it is recognized, organizations are asking how do I do it (not what is it). 

Key Questions

·      How do we keep this exciting momentum going? 
·      How do we make sure plain language is built into all agendas? 
·      How do we promote the power of plain language – and get heard? 

The answer is simple – integration.

Amanda Lang - The Power of Why: Simple Questions that Lead to Success. 

I was quite inspired by Canadian CBC business correspondent Amanda Lang's book: The Power of Why: Simple Questions that Lead to Success. 

Lang says innovation is all about making small, but important, changes that improve existing things – it's not about being an inventor. 

Lang also goes on to say innovation is really about common sense. 

I'm seeing plain language here.

Richard Branson, Virgin

My entrepreneurial hero, Virgin's, Richard Brandson, has broken down many business barriers, and achieved huge success. 

In a recent column he wrote in Canadian Business Magazine on the dire state of today's organinizational mission statements, Richard pleads with writers to create a simple, say it once, 'motto'­ – instead of a mantra. 

He challenges his readers to try the Twitter 140 character rule when writing a mission statement! 

Only plain language can help you achieve such greatness!

Social Media

Plain language advocates are embracing social media to connect and share ideas and success stories – and discuss best practices in the best way possible – online.

Cheryl's LinkedIn Plain Language Advocates members and PLAIN's Forum members are busy sharing and questioning. Hash tag 'plain language' in Twitter. This is not idle chitchat. These are professionals sharing ideas, moving plain langauge forward, sharing best practice, integrating it with social media platforms for global impact. 

Three Keys to Success

Over the last two decades I have worked on variety of plain language projects. 

·      a pan-European educational website
·      a newspaper advert explaining property taxes
·      a provincial driver's handbook
·      a municipality strategic plan.

These projects all had plain language practices in common. And, as I grew with plain language, three keys to success kept re-surfacing: 

The three keys are:

1. always work with a cross-organizational team – strength in numbers
2. include a training component – share the wealth
3. encourage investment in user testing – user feedback speaks volumes.

Combine these three strategies – and you will find integration – and your project – are more successful.

Panel speakers: Cindy Messaros, AWES; Terri Peters, tlp consulting; Diana Twiss, Decoda Literacy Solutions. Read what people had to say on the PLAIN2013 blog.

Participation is the key trend theme for 2013 according to trendwatching.com. People - clients, consumers, colleagues - are now pro-active in social media, technology and want to be leaders, not followers. Businesses of all sizes need to integrate inclusion into their marketing strategies. Here are some things to consider.

People are taking control. Trendwatching calls them 'custowners' and 'presumers'. This growing segment wants to be at the front of the pack. Do you have a place for them?

If you are in the global marketplace, watch out. The children of the emerging markets are growing up - and catering to their own needs (good, services). Is this a boost or a backlash to your bottom line? 

The mobile market is going myopic. 'Mobilists' want to use their phones for everything. And they want it now. But data protection issues will continue to make headlines. How do you meet both scenarios?

Branding together - producers and consumers - will go on a new, strengthened journey of sustainability. And transparency is going to be the top corporate goal. Find out what your public want.

Participation is expanding, exploding and exploring new avenues. Find out which trends will be most important for you to research, adapt to and show leadership in. Trendwatching.com's Top 10 Trends for 2013.

In the last week I have had the brilliant opportunity to participate in two community awareness and fundraising events. One was local to BC, the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy (CBAL) and Black Press Reach-A-Reader Day literacy campaign. The other was International Plain Language Day Oct 13, iplday.org, a virtual, global celebration. They may seem worlds apart - but really they are very close in many ways - and we can all learn from them.

CBAL's local literacy awareness and fundraising campaign involved partnerships, promotions, and people - volunteering time to shout about it on street corners in their towns. They raised funds that stay in their communities - by taking donations and handing out local newspapers. It was energizing to see the support live. And, the results will be felt in these communities as the funds stay with them to support local programs.

International Plain Language Day, Oct 13 celebrations involved the global community - Canada, US, UK, South Africa, New Zealand, and more - supporting this cause with local meetings; a virtual conference using YouTube, SlideShare, their website; and, social media - LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook. Donated presentations made up the content, volunteers promoted it, and hundreds watched, listened, posted and tweeted about plain language. It was motivating to be part of it. And, the results wil be felt far and wide, as the plain language global community opens its doors and invites everyone in.

These two events may seem totally unrelated - but they both had common themes: increasing people's access to and understanding of - education opportunities; health and legal information and services; workplace training and learning opportunities; community support and participation. They were both led by passionate professionals and supported by committed volunteers - and followed on an idea someone felt was important. There is a lot of powerful energy that comes from these types of events. Harness it, learn from it, and put it to work in your community.

Social media is changing the way we communicate. It is increasing inter-personal communications and making us speak in shorter, plainer language. It is creating communities and empowering users. This new phenomenon is catching the eye of social researchers. Here is what they are saying.

Reports from the UK have Marie Claire, Plain English Campaign, saying social media conversations are seeing women being more blunt than before. If this trend continues, are today's workplaces ready for new employees who speak clearly, briefly and without jargon? Are we ready to hear it straight?

Earlier this year Forbes published an article on 5 ways the Gen Y - the BYOD (bring your own device)  generation - is changing the face of our workplaces - forever. They are forging the way ahead in social communications. Never before has a generation of employees (and consumers) been so connected. Are we equipped to harness this energy?

The YEC (Young Entrepreneurs Council), an invite only, non profit for the world's hottest young entrepreneurs, goes a step further. The article 3 Things Your Gen Y Employees Want Besides Money highlights the opportunity for two-way (not one-way) communication, sense of community and spiritual energy. This may be new to many employers - but it is the way of the future.

A common thread to all these articles is social media + young people = new ways to connect. We can learn from Gen Y. Let them
'teach an old dog a new trick'.