Don't stop advertising!
McGraw-Hill Research looked at 600 companies between 1980 and 1985 and found that businesses that maintained, or increased their ad spending during the 1981-1982 recession had significantly higher sales post-economic slump. In fact, companies with aggressive advertising had 256% higher sales than companies that did not advertise.

E-Mail Ettiquitte. 32 Rules To Follow

It's amazing to find that in this day and age, some companies have still not realized how important their email communications are. Many companies send email replies late or not at all, or send replies that do not actually answer the questions you asked. If your company is able to deal professionally with email, this will provide an important competitive edge. Moreover, by educating employees as to what can and cannot be said in an email, you can protect yourself from awkward liability issues. Here is a compiled list of rules and advice on how you can ensure that your policies are effective:

1) Be concise and to the point 2) Answer all questions, and pre-empt further questions 3) Use proper spelling, grammar & punctuation 4) Make it personal 5) Use templates for frequently used responses 6) Answer swiftly 7) Do not attach unnecessary files 8) Use proper structure & layout 9) Do not overuse the high priority option 10) Do not write in CAPITALS 11) Don't leave out the message thread 12) Add disclaimers to your emails 13) Read the email before you send it 14) Do not overuse Reply to All 15) Mailings > use the bcc: field or do a mail merge 16) Take care with abbreviations and emoticons 17) Be careful with formatting 18) Take care with rich text and HTML messages 19) Do not forward chain letters 20) Do not request delivery and read receipts 21) Do not ask to recall a message. 22) Do not copy a message or attachment without permission 23) Do not use email to discuss confidential information 24) Use a meaningful subject 25) Use active instead of passive 26) Avoid using URGENT and IMPORTANT 27) Avoid long sentences 28) Don't send or forward emails containing libelous, defamatory, offensive, racist or obscene remarks 29) Don't forward virus hoaxes and chain letters 30) Keep your language gender neutral 31) Don't reply to spam 32) Use cc: field sparingly

Social Networking, or Online Business Communities

Social media is the new term for one of the oldest human activities... communication.

For individuals, the term is completely intuitive; connecting and sharing through online technologies. And when platforms like MySpace and Facebook were built, the digital natives (part of Gen X and all of Gen Y) strapped this latest craze to a rocket and blasted into the pop-culture stratosphere.

But, for a business, a social media strategy isn't about being intuitive, it's about return on investment. Consequently, the term can be a stumbling block for businesses on two levels.

1) Decision makers older than the digital natives, not appreciating the time and resources spent on something called "social" might say; "if you want to visit, go see your grandmother. I need you to sell something today".

Indeed, even this industry's leaders have yet to produce anything but red ink for their fish-eyed bankers and long suffering investors.

2) The bloom is already falling off the public relations rose of the popular social media sites as the mainstream media shifts from ga-ga over popular culture fruit of the month to more critical reporting on business viability, security, privacy and other issues. Therefore, business owners and managers may, unfortunately, associate the challenges of the social media industry with the importance of building and serving online communities dedicated to their own customers.

So, what's the answer? Here are two thoughts:

1) In a business application let's replace "social-media" with the more accurate term "business networking online", or how about "building online communities"? This isn't, as Shakespeare would say, a rose by any other name. Any business activity that is as essential as building online communities is becoming, deserves it's own name.

2) Businesses large and small should focus appropriate resources on the essential 21st century marketing strategy of creating and nurturing online communities where they connect with customers and prospects who they hang out there because they agree with the values of the hosting business and benefit from the value they find there.

As eBay became just another marketplace in the clouds, social media will morph into just another wrench in your marketing tool-box. But, the online communities your business builds will increasingly be the way you establish and maintain quality relationships with customers.

In the future, more customers will connect with your business through online communities you build and serve than from any other marketing source!

As always, we appreciate your comments