7 Reasons to Review the (Writing) Basics

April 29, 2013 on Content Marketing by Erin Feldman

7 Reasons to Review the (Writing) Basics

April 29, 2013 on Content Marketing by Erin Feldman

One of my hobbies is dancing salsa. It’s a dance based on a seven-beat, hence the “seven reasons” found in the title. The trick with dancing salsa, as with any dance, is never to forget the basic. No matter how complicated a turn or shine (also known as footwork) is, it’s based on the basic.

Why You Need an Editorial Calendar

March 29, 2013 on Social Media by Erin Feldman

Editorial calendars aren’t for everyone. I recognize this fact, yet I still urge people to consider using them, especially people who are new to blogging for their businesses or who are determining the best way to lay out the components of their marketing strategy. Having an editorial calendar brings order to content that may or [...]

Personal Branding, Reputation Management, and Character

February 28, 2013 on Social Media by Erin Feldman

I haven’t written about personal branding because I haven’t felt equipped to do so. I’ve read posts about it, listened to arguments from both sides, and tried to figure out my own sense of the concept. Both sides provide compelling arguments, but I find myself falling more often on the side that says it doesn’t [...]

Your E-Letter Content Matters

January 29, 2013 on Social Media by Erin Feldman

A few weeks ago, I overheard two women in a coffee shop talking about e-letters. One of the women said, “I don’t care all that much about the content in my business’ e-letters. It’s the touch point that matters. You know, keeping the business’ name in front of people.” I was more than a little [...]

Ten signs a company is on the brink of a communications disaster

December 28, 2012 on Social Media by Erin Feldman

The longer I work as an editor and writing coach, the more I seem to focus on internal communications before external ones. The reason? The inner workings of a company have to be in order before a cohesive and united message can be shared externally. A vision has to be set. The players need to [...]

How to handle conflict in the workplace

November 29, 2012 on Social Media by Erin Feldman

I am, by no means, the best person to give advice about handling confrontations and conflict. I don’t like conflict. I avoid confrontations if at all possible. Having to confront someone makes me feel ill. I imagine how horrible the confrontation will go. I envision how flustered I will become.

How to communicate your vision

October 29, 2012 on Social Media by Erin Feldman

Communicating a vision is problematic because it has to be easy to grasp by others, yet it has to have a depth to it. A vision expressed in fifty words should have, in its background, a full-blown vision of however many words it takes to express it. A vision is both an abstract and a [...]

How to become better at what you do

September 29, 2012 on Social Media by Erin Feldman

A lot of emphasis is put on practicing – think of Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours maxim or something similar – in order to become better at what you do. Such emphasis is not without precedent; practicing is a necessary and essential component of becoming better at what you do. It is not, however, the only [...]

How to be an effective leader within your organization

August 29, 2012 on Social Media by Erin Feldman

“Leaders aren’t born; they’re made.” Or so the saying goes. It has some truth to it. While many leaders are natural leaders – i.e., they have inborn leadership qualities – most leaders have to develop those qualities. Even if they have them, they still have to work on them. Talent and inherent ability only go [...]

How to be a better communicator

July 29, 2012 on Social Media by Erin Feldman

Everybody has some tip or trick for how to become a better communicator. Take a class. Join an organization like Toastmasters. Speak more often. Set up some sort of strategy when attending a networking event. All those tips and tricks are beneficial – they usually work – but I think the heart of being a better [...]