A sharable moment.

I was in the grocery store the other day when something that caught my eye. My oldest son had found a kid-sized display at Piggly Wiggly where a child could put his face in and “be” the pig. At the bottom, they suggested you take a photo and share it on Facebook. In other words, they created a sharable moment within the everyday confines of a trip to the grocery store. Pretty smart.

What a smart thing to think about when planning an event or even an annual marketing calendar. What can you do to create sharable moments for your customers or guests?

The Terrapins won twice.

Pretty sure I have the first ever college football tag on the Riggs Partners R Blog today. Talking about the one-two punch of the weekend. Maryland beating up on the ‘Canes and then setting the college football world on fire with their spiffy new uniforms. Read all about it, here!

Brevity is bravery.

When I heard Teresa say that during a conference call the other day, I wrote it down. She credits it to Doyle Dane Bernbach founder Bill Bernbach, but no matter who said it the message is clear.

Marketing is not cheap. Unless it’s CreateAthon, where, in that case, it’s free for nonprofits. There’s a temptation to speak to everyone and tell everything all in one sitting. Don’t let your communications fall prey.

Speak to one audience.
You probably have multiple audiences, but your audiences have very different needs, varying interests. Make your work resonate by speaking to your most important audience. Don’t forget your other audiences if they are important, too, just speak to them in another way.

Make one point.
In some cases, bullet points are perfectly fine. Just because we have them doesn’t mean we need to use them. If your main message cannot be stated in one sentence, you haven’t worked hard enough on it. Editing is one of the sharpest tools communicators have. Wield it like a hungry pirate.

Make it fast.
Today’s communications move quickly. Audiences are bombarded with messages. Get in, get out and give yourself a chance at being remembered.

DDB has a wonderful recap of the many keen insights of Mr. Bernbach here. The next time you’re at a meeting where everyone is stuck on the fence, prod the herd for the good of all. That’s what Mr. Bernbach would have done.

 “If you stand for something, you will always find some people for you and some against you. If you stand for nothing, you will find nobody against you, and nobody for you.”

Nobody says it better. What motto would you share with Mr. Bernbach?

“Handwrite” for more meaningful digital interactions.

When I came back from SocialCrush I had a letter on my desk from Lisa Gergely of Emulsion Arts. The address on the envelope was handwritten and inside was a handwritten note card thanking me for having lunch with her last week. It’s a tangible reminder of a company I enjoy working with. It punctuates the fact that they are talented people who care about their craft and their customers.

It’s ironic that I have just come back from a fantastic, two-day onslaught of social media training and education only to blog about a handwritten letter. But this is what all that social hub-bub is all about. Relationships and meaningful interaction.

Many scoff at social media saying it’s a way to avoid contact and conversation. And they will continue to say just that. My mindset is different. For me, social media is another door to get to know more people and gain exposure to new information and ideas. While at SocialCrush I met people I already “knew” on Twitter: @colacitygirl, @techherding, @egw74, @ryalcurtis, @nicolebcurtis, @RickCaffeinated, @willimac and others. I had many face-to-face conversations that were made possible by Twitter.

Nurturing personal relationships with customers, clients and co-workers is far better for business than starting a Facebook page or a blog. Trust, attention to detail and simple interactions like this letter are the ultimate plug-ins.

Be sure they are part of your business strategy.

A small gift.

I have a lot to do this morning but I got sidetracked by my coffee mug. Not so much the need to fill it but how much I love this mug that was a college graduation gift 19 years ago. When I graduated from the University of SC, this was my gift from Burgin and Mark Riley. We’d been friends throughout high school and college. Back then, I was clearly in a cow phase. The cow phase has passed but my love for this mug has not.

When a saw them last week, they couldn’t remember the coffee mug. Their only recollection is that every time I have seen them over the past 10 years, I thank them for my college graduation gift and take great delight in letting them know I start every workday with it in hand.

It just goes to show you, some gifts and thoughts have real staying power. A gift that seems cursory to you may touch the recipient’s heart. So much so that 19 years later, they’ll still talk about it.