In the days before the Internet and email, some peoples’ biggest problem was having a thought, speaking it, and then wishing they could take it back. In those days, while others could repeat what you said, there was no permanent documentation that you had said something embarrassing or otherwise damaging to your reputation.
And then came the Internet. The new pattern: Think it … type it … hit send. I would have thought that somewhere between “type it” and “hit send” folks would take two seconds to take a breath and think about what they’ve typed before sharing it. Yet, it almost seems as if the disease has worsened. We write and send emails in haste when we should write them, let them sit, and then re-read them before we hit send. Or, wait until we have cooled off before even drafting the email. And that’s the beauty of email. You can get your thoughts out immediately and then pause to be sure you want to permanently document what you are about to say. Let’s be honest, in today’s times of archiving, mirroring and everything else, it’s nearly impossible to fully delete what we share over the Internet.
Now social media is playing an even bigger role in peoples’ inability to censor themselves. Apparently, the drive to share all of ones thoughts with the rest of the listening world is much stronger than the need to use a little discretion. I recently read Jeff Bulla’s blog entry, “11 Ways to Lose Your Job on Facebook,” and I am surprised that even though use of the Internet has been widely popular for about 20 years (giving us about 20 years worth of examples for blog posts on this topic), people are still not using caution when posting to sites such as Facebook or sending emails.
Even so, here are a few of my tips for using discretion with the Internet:
1. If you wouldn’t print it in the newspaper or in a magazine, you shouldn’t post it on the Internet. Why? Because even though you may protect your accounts, it is still likely that it could be read by an audience larger than if you did actually print it in the newspaper. And, as mentioned above, it’s just as permanent. Maybe more so.
2. Take a moment to consider if the time of day you are posting is appropriate. Is there anyone who could read your post who knows you should be doing something besides spending time on Twitter or Facebook (like your boss)?
3. Take a moment to consider if anyone could read your post whom you do not wish to share the information with. You may not be friends with your boss on Facebook, but you may be friends with a co-worker who is friends with your boss. If your co-worker comments on your post, your boss will likely be able to read what you posted. Also, take a moment to consider what you post on a friend’s wall. For example, if you work in a doctor’s office, you probably don’t want to post on a friend’s wall, “Hey, I noticed you have an appointment with Dr. So and So tomorrow.” (This is a fictitious example.) This is a violation of HIPAA and you could lose your job. And possibly lose your friend if your friend didn’t want to share that he had a doctor’s appointment.
4. Pause long enough to re-read (maybe even aloud) what you are about to post after you type it. I have typed many status updates into Facebook only to backspace when I realize I don’t really want mass people to know what I am about to say. If there are a few people I still want to share the information with, I opt for Facebook’s email feature or a text message. And if the information is really sensitive, I use the phone to make a phone call or two. There are just some things that shouldn’t be put in writing because you never know when software may glitch, you may be hacked, or a site such as Facebook will decide it owns your data.
All of this brings me to say that while it would be nice if we could separate our personal and professional lives, it’s an unreasonable expectation in these times of using social media. If you share yourself publicly (Facebook may offer some privacy protection, but really, it’s still sharing in a fairly public way), then it’s fairly unreasonable to expect that a) your boss won’t find out and b) your boss can’t use it in determining if you are a fit employee. In fact, by the very nature of the word private, I don’t think it has any place in the term social media.
Do you have a personal experience you wish to share involving a social media faux pas?
Just this morning I realized my vocabulary must be slim because I haven’t learned a new word, well, since my first one. In needing inspiration, I did a quick Google search for a random word. Guess what I found! (In case you’re like my husband, I will give you a moment to guess.)
I found a Random Word Generator! It’s awesome! I can generate a random word, a random phrase, a random sentence, or a random paragraph. Just think how interesting you could make your writing by sneaking in a random paragraph and working it into your story, article, or essay.
Since a random word is on my agenda, let’s see the tool in action. First, I will choose a word type. I think I will go with adjective. You can never have too many adjectives to choose from. Next, I will choose complexity. I will go with uncommon in the hopes of getting a word I’m unfamiliar with. Generating …
My random word is “Ridgy.” Cool. Let’s use it in a sentence.
Ruffles potato chips, which I am craving, are ridgy.
In the beginning I thought it was cute, what funny message will some spammer send me today that almost looks like a real message? I even considered a blog post, posting my favorite spam messages, so I chose not to employ any spam fighting tools on my blog in order to collect messages.
What happened?
Today, I officially became fed up on Spam, and I don’t even like canned meat. After a quick search for WordPress plugins, I chose to employ WP-SpamFree. It’s a back-end tool that causes no inconvenience to my readers (assuming you have javascript and cookies enabled) and is supposed to have virtually zero false positives. According to the literature, it is difficult for bots to deal with either javascript or cookies, so this tool uses both to keep auto-spam from hitting my blog comments. Supposedly I should now receive virtually no spammed comments. I look forward to letting you know if it works well.
What do I know about spam?
Quite a bit, actually. During my employment with a Web hosting company, I was referred to as the “Postini Queen.” We were a reseller of Postini services (which my current Web host, Hostmonster.com, also offers to its customers), and I learned everything Postini my mind could absorb over the course of a year and a half. I’ve seen more tricks used by spammers than I ever saw from my dad (previously known as The Great Austinini. He was great at card tricks.) Which is why I was a bit surprised that a couple of spammers are so good, I nearly thought a couple of their comments were real.
How do I determine spam versus non-spam?
First I look at the message. Many are easy to spot. But some say, “Great article, i hope i can know much information About it!” Ok, so maybe this guy isn’t a native English speaker. Maybe this comment is real. This takes another step. I look at the name and email address of the commenter. Hermes Handbags at some unpronounceable email address from gmail? I doubt that’s real. Then comes the comment that’s almost convincing, “Thanks for this very informative article.” The English is correct. It fits the subject of my blog (to inform). The name and email address look fairly believable. This time I pull out the big guns. I go to http://dnsgoodies.com and copy/paste the commenter’s IP address into the IP field and let the results judge the validity of my comment. The IP address belongs to a server that resides in some uknown city in Mexico? Spam? You got it.
So, why don’t I just employ a Captcha or a math equation? Because I find the Captchas difficult to use and, in general, annoying. The math equations are ok, but I wanted to give WP-SpamFree a try before taking further measures. I’ll keep you posted.
When a brand has a great product that I can’t live without, I consider it a KandiKreatives PR Winner. Strip away the advertising, the relationship building, the customer service – when you strip it all away, if you don’t have a great product, your customers are still on the open market. Here’s the trick – I have to know your product is out there to try it.
Growing up, I did not know the meaning of product loyalty. I couldn’t afford to understand the concept. Since my mom struggled to make ends meet, I made sure I had few needs and just used whatever she happened to buy – which changed each time she went to the store.
When I was on my own for the first time, I still could not afford product loyalty. Though I had discovered a few brands of makeup, soap or shampoo I liked, I could rarely afford to buy them with any consistency. I certainly did not get my hair cut with any consistency. I would go maybe twice a year and always to a different salon – anything from Ross the Boss to Wal-Mart (I know, I know.)
And then I met my husband.
The whole world of product loyalty suddenly opened up to me. Talk about a gender role reversal, my husband loves to shop. And he understands that paying more is not only worth it, but may actually save money in the long run because quality tends to last longer (ok, except for haircuts, but you just can’t put a price tag on feeling beautiful.)
Burt’s Bees
The first brand I became addicted to was Burt’s Bees products. As a redhead, I am a chapstick fiend, and I have found that Burt’s Bees really is the best. But my loyalty does not end with chapstick, I also use the Orange Essence Facial Wash and the Carrot Nutritive Day Cream. And when I used toner, I was an avid fan of the tomato-based toner. One time, when I had run out of toner, I couldn’t find the toner at any Burt’s Bees retailers, so I stopped by a “natural” women’s products boutique. Surely they would have it, right? When I asked the sales person if she had Burt’s Bees products, she let me know that they did not carry products that you could also purchase at a local hardware store. Understandable, I said, however, this particular product is not so easy to find. Then I asked her if she had anything comparable that I may want to try from her store. You’re gonna love this part. She actually told me that since she was unfamiliar with Burt’s Bees products, she wasn’t sure if she would have anything I would like, that I had beautiful skin so the products obviously worked well for me, and good luck. Talk about strengthening my loyalty to Burt’s Bees and any store that sells the products. Too bad I still couldn’t find the toner. So, after research on using toner, I decided to delete it from my daily regimen.
Natural Aveda Salon and Spa
I have also found a hairstylist at Natural Aveda Salon and Spa that I am 100 percent loyal to. Not only do I go only to him but I also go with somewhat regularity. Besides the fact that he makes my hair look fabulous (I would never suggest to him how to cut my hair, I just let him have free rein), he brings me good luck. The first time I went to him, my husband proposed two days later. When I needed to get my hair cut for the wedding (I had a short engagement), my husband suggested I go back to him because I knew he would do a good job. So, after my second visit, I was married. After a visit a little more than a year later, I got a long-awaited job interview, and then I found out I was pregnant.
Bare Escentuals
The third thing I am now faithful to is makeup. One night I came home from a girlie event and found my husband watching an infomercial for Bare Escentuals (did I mention reversed gender roles?) A few days later, my first starter kit arrived in the mail. The makeup is light on my face, better at hiding facial flaws than any concealer I’ve ever used, and has actually improved my complexion (and I never wash my face before bed.)
Fekkai Glossing
And the latest product I am shouting about from the rooftops is Fekkai Glossing shampoo, conditioner and glossing cream. I tried, I tried so hard to love the shampoo and conditioner from Aveda that my hair guy uses on my hair (I love the products when he washes my hair). But even though I used Aveda at home for nearly three years, my hair never felt salon fresh when I used it. I can’t remember exactly when, but I was at Bath and Body Works and was given a free sample of Fekkai Glossing shampoo and cream. I placed it in my shower planning to try it “someday,” and then forgot about it. A couple of weeks ago (and probably nine months after receiving the sample), I finally tried it. And for the first time, even though I am overdue for a haircut, my hair felt salon fresh. It was a humid day and I had zero frizz. I purchased the set: the shampoo, conditioner and cream. (They also offer a shine mist.) After using it for two weeks, I must say, though expensive, I have never been less frustrated over my hair. Thank you Frederic Fekkai.
PR Pros: The Next Step
To the PR pros out there, I must say, free samples still go a long way. And to companies in the health and beauty business, I want to recommend an idea that I used during my ninth grade civics class advertising campaign: include a travel size of your product with a full-size purchase. Better yet, include a sample or travel size of a complimentary product, like a sample conditioner with the shampoo purchase. In an era when people traveling by plane must take travel sizes on flights, what better way to build a little product loyalty?
What products do you love? How did you discover them? PR pros want to know.
So, the journey to a wider writing vocabulary begins. My first word of the day is (cue drum roll)
bedizen
\bih-DY-zuhn\ , transitive verb;
1.To dress or adorn in gaudy manner.
I love this word – it’s already got me thinking about my current favorite movie, The Blind Side, which I watched for the first time Sunday night … “I will not wear that gaudy orange!”
And now for my first sentence:
Sports fans unfamiliar with Vol-Nation probably think Vol fans bedizen themselves for football games.
What sentence have you thought of using bedizen?
Do you have a word you think I should learn for my Word of the Day expedition? Be sure the share it with me!
The word impromptu popped in my head this morning as I was driving to work (I love that word!) which prompted me to consider ways to expand my vocabulary. I have been writing news for 10 years, and news writing is all about simplified words. While I like simple, I love words. When I am writing, I get energized when I find a word that has the exact meaning I wish to convey. Sometimes these words do not work well for news and I have to opt for a simpler synonym, but now that I am an academic news writer in the medical arena by day, I find that using perplexing words is widely accepted. While thesaurus.com and dictionary.com are two of my best friends, I think it’s time to begin some vocabulary exercises.
As I follow @dictionarycom on Twitter and (almost) always read the word of the day, I realize I need a way to get new words to stick. Just reading a “word of the day” is not getting the job done. In high school, I found that I typically learn best by writing something down. So, I have decided that in addition to discovering a new word, I will plan to write a couple of sentences using my new word and then at the end of each week, I will write a paragraph using all of my new words from that week or month. (Writing exercises … bonus!) This should be interesting; definitely stay tuned.
What exercises do you do to expand your vocabulary? Better yet, which words do you like that I should learn? Submissions will be happily accepted via the comments section or on Twitter @kandikreatives.
When I was in middle and high school, studies regarding the effects of watching too much tv revolved around attention span issues. Today, microblogging (ahem, Twitter)Â is considered a tool designed for folks with short attention spans. Give me lots of news, give it to me fast, and then let me move on.
Today, I discovered StatusNet, “the WordPress of microblogging,” according to TechCrunch.com. My first thought was, great too many short attention spans are degrading writing and leading to mass microblogs. Just what the Internet needed. And then I thought about my own blog. I haven’t exactly been a faithful blogger. In fact, I have several draft ideas in queue, but I can’t stay focused long enough to write a decent entry before I realize my idea is old news. (Is that an effect of my short attention span or an issue with the super-fast information highway?)
Giving this microblogging business one more second of thought before moving on, I realized why I think the service StatusNet offers will be a big hit for social media. It actually ties right in with one of my blog entries that hadn’t moved beyond the brainstorming stage yet.
When I was working on my undergraduate degree in mass communications as an aspiring public relations pro, my professors often asked why we wanted to work in PR. While my answer was that I liked the variety it offered, from writing to event planning to creating publications, my classmates often answered that they enjoyed working with “the public.” Wrong. Ten years ago public relations didn’t exactly involve working with the public. It was more about managing your public, or more specifically, managing your image within your publics. PR was a one-way relationship. You spoke, the public listened.
If I taught a PR class today and one of my students said she wanted to be a PR pro because she enjoyed working with the public, I would say she is in the right profession. From the Internet, to blogging, and now microblogging, PR has become a conversation between you and your publics. While you still manage your image, you don’t manage your publics. Instead, you work with your publics and they assist you in managing your image.
So, true, while a boom in microblogs may signal mass destruction in attention spans, I think it’s the next step for PR pros. Corporate blogs are just one more way for a company to talk a lot about “me” and hear a little bit from you (in the form of a comment.) Using a microblog will not only even the playing field, it also will create a conversation between you and your target publics – not the mass public.
Is a KandiKreatives microblog coming soon? Stay tuned.
Is my attention span at risk? Well, considering a tweet by @markraganceo turned into research, brainstorming, a blog entry, and several future tweets, I think I will keep “focus” in my vocabulary.
This morning I decided my creative muscles need a good stretch, so I am celebrating Word Play Thursday today, and I decided to go Haiku style. I’m going to start with a word and do word association for a minute or so. Then, using the words I have available, I’m going to write a Haiku. Won’t you join in the fun?
I received an email yesterday for help with a cover letter to apply for an entry-level position. The proposed cover letter prompted a tweet:
A tip on writing cover letters: don’t use exclamation points. I can’t even do it here for effect. Not professional.
As I considered the tweet this morning, I thought of a follow up tweet:
Cover Letter Tip 2: Express excitement for a job through your words, not your punctuation.
However, I wanted to provide an example, so tweet 2 remains untweeted and this blog post is in progress.
I am passionate about service work and have applied for PR-related jobs with several non-profit organizations. Since I always like to express my desire to support the work of an organization I am applying to, I could include this sentence in my cover letter:
I think the work you do in the community is really important!
However, that’s a fairly general statement, doesn’t tell the prospective employer much about my passion, and ends a bit harshly with the !
So, instead, I recommend revising the sentence to use words, not punctuation, to express my interest in working for the organization.
I attended a multi-cultural high school and did not often see victims of discrimination; however, in college I learned that integration issues are still alive and well. I think the work you do to educate the community on issues of race and discrimination and to promote understanding can make a difference. I hope to use my skills in public relations to promote your timely programs.
Ok, so now that I’ve reworked that exclamation point into a few sentences, let me analyze my work.
1. I turned a sentence with only one use of “I” into three sentences with four uses of “I.” I consider that a con, so I will likely want to rework the sentences to remove a couple of “I”s.
2. Instead of saying, “the work you do,” I used words that are either in the organization’s mission or very similar, including “race” “discrimination” “understanding.” This tells the employer I know about the organization and the work being done. Using detailed words also tells the employer this cover letter was written specifically for this position. Double pro.
3. I turned one sentence into three fairly long sentences. This is a con. Since this cover letter is for a PR job, I should consider using shorter sentences. Shorter sentences are easier for the reader to understand and retain.
4. I let the employer learn a little bit about me without going into more detail than I think is appropriate. Hopefully I now stand out from the other applicants and the interviewer wants to meet me to learn more about me. This would be a pro.
5. I used words like “you” and “your.” This is a pro.
6. I mentioned my skills in PR to let the employer know I understand this is an application for a PR job and not a position to implement anti-racism programs. This is a pro.
7. I did not go into detail on my PR skills because I will mention these briefly in a different paragraph. I will not, however, detail all or any of the skills the employer will learn by reading my resume. This is a pro. A cover letter should not be your resume in paragraph form. A cover letter is your opportunity to introduce yourself and tell the employer something s/he will not learn from your resume. This typically means you should tell the employer why you want to work for that company using the tips I already mentioned.
Also, especially in the case of applying for a job in public relations, I think the cover letter is the most important part of your application. Why? Because if you can’t brand yourself, how can the employer trust you to brand the company?
So, can my new paragraph improve? Sure. But with six pros and two cons, I think I’ll keep it.
What are your cover letter writing tips and examples?
I was sitting on the couch in my pajamas on New Year’s Eve watching the Vols get whipped and laughing at the Chick-Fil-A cows when a commercial came on that seemed so familiar, I thought it was de ja vu. Someone was eating fast food and had experienced dramatic weight loss. Are you picturing Jared? Then let me introduce you to Christine, the new face of Taco Bell‘s drive-thru diet which advertises you can lose weight by ordering items off the Fresco menu.
When I recovered from the de ja vu experience, my next thought was gross. Maybe you can eat fast food and lose weight, but get real, fast food diets are not healthy. So I complained … to my husband … who was a victim of being the only person sitting in the room.
Two days later I was at a comedy show being entertained by Karen Fitzgerald when I found myself laughing at her bit on the Taco Bell diet. And then the lightbulb flashed. Taco Bell is a PR Winner. The company’s ad campaign is a 100% gimmick targeted to women on the go, and I disagree with it.
Yet, it’s stirred a national conversation. See what was reported by ABC News.
So, Taco Bell, while I think your food should be an occasional treat (hey, just because I’m not a fan of the concept of fast food doesn’t mean I don’t like the food) instead of a daily food staple, I do think you are a PR Winner. You got my attention, you made me emotional, and I am one of the people talking about it. Well done.
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I was sitting on the couch in my pajamas on New Year’s Eve watching the Vols get whipped and laughing at the Chick-Fil-A cows when a commercial came on that seemed so familiar, I thought it was de ja vu. Someone was eating fast food and had experienced dramatic weight loss. Are you picturing Jared? Then let me introduce you to Christine, the new face of