The Art of Messaging

Bridget MeadeOnline content developer, ThisisReno.com monkey

bridgetmeade.combmeade@gmail.com

@frogthrower

Words. Feelings. Connection.

Public relations messaging:

“… very terse communications that pair a product or a company with a strong positive emotion or feeling. They can be expressed in very few words, but they communicate a great deal.” – Doug Richards, School for Startups

You should care.

• Business objective• Marketing

• (psst… this includes social media)

• Crisis communication• News and events• Funding

You have 15 seconds.

• Services and/or products offered

• Ideal potential customers’ needs

Crafting your message.

“Substitute ‘damn’ every time you want to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing

will be just as it should be.” – Mark Twain

Keep it simple.

• Brevity is better.• Too much text is truly terrible.

• Use language everyone will understand.• Avoid acronyms and industry jargon. • Big words don’t necessarily make you sound smarter.

There, they’re, their.

• Proper spelling, grammar and punctuation.• Active vs. passive voice

» Active: “We serve Blue Bottle coffee.”» Passive: “We will provide hot coffee.”

• Resources:» Grammar Girl (http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com)» Google » AP Style Guide (on and offline)

• SCREAMING.• Don’t.

Proofread!

• Visual aid• Read it backwards• Read aloud • FLAG ALL ERRORS• Have a friend?

Remember:

• Your message goes everywhere.• Proofread.• Writing mechanics matter.

Thank you!

• Case studies? (Progressive has a doozy.)• Messaging problems? Let’s talk.

Progressive’s regression

• What happened• Matt Fisher’s sister Katie (a Progressive customer) was killed in a

car accident• Other driver was underinsured• Progressive refused to pay out on her policy• Fisher’s family sued the other driver in order to take Progressive

to court• Progressive appeared in court to defend the other driver but

denied it• When Fisher started tweeting at them, their response was

canned, unemotional. He responded publicly. So did others.• Main problem: failure to respond

immediately, appropriately, or effectively