Weirding Word

Summer Strategy: Survey Target Audiences

When everything slows down for the hot summer season, it's the perfect time to reassess your marketing strategy, determine whether you're meeting client needs, and prepare for the busy fall.

As you review your goals and strategies, ask yourself what's working and how do you know it's working. Think about different strategies you might like to incorporate. Perhaps an e-newsletter isn't working with your target audience, but a more interactive blog is the perfect technology alternative. But how can you be sure a blog is the right step to take?

Survey your target audience.

Now, a survey can seem intimidating. You're thinking: "What questions should I ask?" "How do I write questions?" "Will my clients even do the survey?" "What's it going to cost to mail a survey?" However, it doesn't have to be intimidating or stressful. Here are some simple steps to implement your own survey:

Determine the focus. Keep the survey simple, by narrowing the focus. Don't try to find out everything about your customer's preferences all at once. Choose either satisfaction with services/products, or what they're looking for from your industry or type of business. But don't do both at once. You want to hold their attention for the entire survey.

Limit the questions. The shorter the survey, the more likely your clients are to complete it. Settle on 10 or fewer questions that zero in on your focus area. Resist the temptation to split off onto a tangent. This will also help force you to stick to the most important information.

Solicit comments. This is an excellent opportunity to get feedback. Use the last question as an invitation to write about their answers or add something not asked in the survey.

One of the best resources for developing and distributing surveys is an online survey service, such as Zoomerang or Survey Monkey. These companies allow users to develop surveys (or adapt a template), distribute them via e-mail, and even assign unique links for each survey respondent.


Gaea Honeycutt
blog@weirdingword.com


Weirding Word®, a division of G.L. Honeycutt Consulting, LLC, is a virtual publication department that provides editing, freelance writing, and publication and web design services.

Copyright 2008 Gaea L. Honeycutt. All rights reserved.

Writing To Congress: Tips for Getting Your Voice Heard

This article by Gaea L. Honeycutt was originally published in Average Girl Magazine

For many people, it’s hard to know the best way to contact a U.S. senator or representative and then feel confident that the message has gotten through. Is anyone listening? Do those e-mails from advocacy groups really count for anything? Are some types of contact more effective than others?

The answer to all of these questions is "yes". And, you may be relieved to know that the old fashioned rules of correspondence still apply in today’s high tech world -- take the time to tailor your letter to the recipient and be polite. Whether you use snail mail, send an e-mail message or make a phone call, these time-tested principles combined with relevant, persuasive arguments will bring attention to the issues that concern you most.

According to Jenny B. Levy, a former staffer on Capitol Hill and the manager of Grassroots Advocacy for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, "If you want a response, you have to take a little more time than just hitting ‘send’ or ‘reply’. You have to think about how to address your member of Congress."

For correspondence, be sure to include your contact information so that the official’s staff knows where to reach you. In the first sentence, state why you are sending the letter or e-mail message. For example, "Millions of Americans are suffering from laughing sickness, and I urge you to vote in support of HR-0000: Laughing Sickness Research Funding."

The paragraphs that follow should provide personalized examples of why the issue is important to you. In the case of laughing sickness, has it affected you or your family? What’s been the impact on your community? How will a vote in favor of the bill help the community? What will happen if the official takes no action at all? If you have them, share data, facts or figures. End the letter stating the purpose again and summarizing why this action is important.

These tips apply to phone calls as well. State the reason for your call and then say why that is important to you. And, keep a level head no matter how passionate you are about the topic. "One of the biggest mistakes constituents make is being really angry and shouting," says Levy.

However, she notes, "The most effective way to have your voice heard is to actually go to Capitol Hill or the district office. We encourage our members to send a fax requesting a meeting and follow-up with a phone call." If the matter is more personal, Levy recommends visiting the district office.

Another effective way to draw the attention is using the newspaper. "They pay attention to the news from back home and keep clips." Submit a letter to the editor of your local paper or contribute an opinion/editorial article.

And, what about those form letters that advocacy groups encourage members to send en mass? "They tally the numbers to present on The Hill," explains Levy. But, your letter won’t get read unless you personalize it. Again, take that well-written frame and edit it to convey your interest in the issue.

If nothing changes after the first letter or phone call, don’t give up. "Democracy only works if we all speak," says Levy. "And, it takes persistence."

Photo credit: Architect of the Capitol

Gaea Honeycutt
blog@weirdingword.com

Weirding Word®, a division of G.L. Honeycutt Consulting, LLC, is a virtual publication department that provides editing, freelance writing, and publication and web design services.

Copyright 2008 Gaea L. Honeycutt. All rights reserved.

Summer 2008 Issue of Beltway Poetry Quarterly

Beltway Poetry Quarterly announces it's summer volume. The Forebears Issue includes essays that celebrate individuals and locations important to their writing:

• a photo essay on DC AUTHOR'S HOUSES by Kim Roberts and Dan Vera


• Taquiena Boston and Vera J. Katz on OWEN DODSON


• M.A. Schaffner on AMBROSE BIERCE


• Grace Cavalieri on ANN DARR


• Olivia Barbee on GWENDOLYN BENNETT


• Kathi Morrison-Taylor on JOAQUIN MILLER


• Myra Sklarew on LEON-GONTRAN DAMAS


• Merrill Leffler on GABRIELLE EDGCOMB


• Elisavietta Ritchie on JOHN PAUKER


• Mark Opsasnick on JIM MORRISON and BEAT COFFEEHOUSES

This is the third issue in a series documenting the rich literary history of Washington, DC. Beltway Poetry Quarterly is also pleased to welcome a new summer intern, Alyssa Schimmel. Alyssa is serving as an editorial assistant, and has already updated one of the most popular sections of the Beltway Resource Bank, The Poet Links, which provides links to other web sites featuring individual area poets, past and current.

Finally, Beltway Poetry Quarterly annouces Maureen Thorson as co-editor of a new themed issue on the subject of museums. Poems on the theme are welcome from any poets currently living in DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia or Delaware. Entries will be read throughout the month of August. Full guidelines can be found on the journal's website.

Gaea Honeycutt
blog@weirdingword.com

Weirding Word®, a division of G.L. Honeycutt Consulting, LLC, is a virtual publication department that provides editing, freelance writing, and publication and web design services.

Copyright 2008 Gaea L. Honeycutt. All rights reserved.

Lies, Darn Lies: The Science Behind Marketing's "Repeat Rule"

Any marketing or public relations professional will tell you that one key to developing an effective brand or image is a memorable tag line, which must be repeated as many as 7 or 8 times to stick in peoples' minds. That might cause a business owner to wonder if an investment in a communications budget is wise: "Are these spin doctors effective or are they the hucksters we all suspect?"

But Sam Wang and Sandra Aamodt dispel our misgivings in their op ed, "Your Brain Lies to You", which appears in today's issue of The New York Times. Authors of the recently released Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys but Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life, they describe how easy it is to legitimize misinformation and questionable sources.

"Every time we recall [information], our brain writes it down again, and during this re-storage, it is also reprocessed," explain Wang and Aamodt. "As the source is forgotten, the message and its implications gain strength." Information -- both true and false -- is restored and remembered, but the context is eventually lost in the haze of time.

Think about some popular tag lines. "It's a good time for the great taste of..." "Have a --- and a smile." "When you absolutely, positively have to have it overnight." "Just say no to..." You can probably recall these phrases with no trouble, but don't remember where or when you originally learned them. And, there's a chance you'll mix up competitors products. You might even use a tag line all the time, but can't recall when it became a part of popular culture. For instance, "Can you hear me now?"

So, how can you make your message stick without getting stuck with a huge marketing bill? Here are a few tips:

Settle on a succinct, memorable tag line that embodies your business philosophy, distinctive characteristics, and product or service. And then, push it over and over.

List the ways you reach your target audience. How can you connect with them at least six times in six months to convey your message? A newsletter? Shopping bag? Article? Presentation? Is that tagline on all of your collateral?

Map out a strategic marketing plan that both supports your overall business plan and incorporates your message in meaningful ways. For example, jump drives are great giveaways for IT consultants, but not for garden centers. How about a small watering can or a trowel.

What? You don't know the products and services those tag lines promote? Send me a message and I'll lend you a hand. If you think you can stump me, post your favorite tag line below in the comments box and I'll respond with my best guess.

Gaea Honeycutt
blog@weirdingword.com

Weirding Word®, a division of G.L. Honeycutt Consulting, LLC, is a virtual publication department that provides editing, freelance writing, and publication and web design services.

Copyright 2008 Gaea L. Honeycutt. All rights reserved.

Virginia Protective Orders

An earlier version of this article by Gaea L. Honeycutt was published in Average Girl Magazine

On July 1, 2007 the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court joined the rest of Virginia by using detailed forms to file protective order affidavits. Until now domestic relations officers typed the affidavits based on interviews with petitioners -- a practice that began when the office first opened. However, the J&DR Court decided that the officers’ practice of typing the affidavits, while conducted ethically, walked the line between duty and advocacy.

This change likely hasn't registered with most Fairfax County citizens, who usually don’t know where to begin with protective orders. There are three types of protective orders in Virginia: 1) Emergency Protective Order or EPO, 2) Preliminary Protective Order or PPO, and 3) Final Order of Protection or PO. EPOs can be obtained 24 hours a day from either a judge or a magistrate. They’re effective for 72 hours, giving petitioners the opportunity to make it to the J&DR Court to file a PPO.

Once filed, the PPO is effective for 15 days, and a hearing is scheduled for the PO, which is effective for 2 years. When filing the PPO, there is a comprehensive list of requests a petitioner can make -- from retaining possession of a shared automobile, to barring the abuser from failing to pay utility bills, to prohibiting the abuser from taking children from school. This information is transferred to the PO.

Other changes impacted the entire state on July 1, 2007. In the past, a magistrate could choose not to issue an EPO if s/he did not believe there was a likelihood of future assault. As of last year, the law presumes that there is a likelihood of future assault unless the victim says otherwise. A magistrate must provide information to the police officer on filing for PPOs and POs. Also, vicitms who filed for PPOs used to have to re-file if the abuser couldn’t be served. Although the Sheriff tries to serve a PPO several times, it’s not uncommon for abusers to hide from the processor. The new regulations give the judge the discretion to extend the PPO for up to six months.

When asked about the most common mistakes petitioners make in filing protective orders, Jerry Rich, Assistant Unit Director of Domestic Relations Services, noted, “Their biggest mistake is coming unprepared. The process is tougher and a lot of cases are he-said-she-said.” Petitioners should be sure to bring pictures, and documents; share information on warrants or pending legal action; and supeona or bring witnesses from after the violent incident, such as police officers, friends or family.

New Virginia residents with protective orders from other states do not need to re-file in the Commonwealth, however they should carry a certified copy of the order with them at all times. “All states recognize protective orders from other states,” explained Mr. Rich. Victims of domestic violence should be sure to file for the protective order in the state where the incident occurred.

For help, resources or counseling, call the Virginia Hotline at 1-800-838-8238, and try these sites in the Commonwealth or across the country:

Family Violence Prevention Fund (www.endabuse.org): Find resources for adults, teens and immigrants.

National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-SAFE, 1-800-787-3224 (TTY), www.ndvh.org): Find information on domestic violence and options for dealing with it, and get your state’s hotline number.

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (www.ncadv.org): Find information in staying safe, policy developments, statistics and other programs in the U.S.

WomensLaw.org (www.womenslaw.org): Find legal information about domestic violence for your state, including your state’s process for filing protective orders.

Gaea Honeycutt
blog@weirdingword.com

Weirding Word®, a division of G.L. Honeycutt Consulting, LLC, is a virtual publication department that provides editing, freelance writing, and publication and web design services.

Copyright 2008 Gaea L. Honeycutt. All rights reserved.