Monthly Archives

December 2014

Dec 29
Love0

What You Read in 2014 on the Change the Conversation Blog

By Social Media

I like to take a peek at the Google Analytics of this site for the full year overview toward the end of each year. Looking at what visitors read the most helps shape what I decide to publish in the coming year. In 2014, the most visits were to posts about creating good LinkedIn summaries — something it seems most of you still struggle to complete.

The first post of its kind shared six good examples of summaries.

This post was the second collection of good summaries.

After that, the most visits were to posts about crisis communications, particularly around the social media surge that happened with the disappearance of Hannah Graham from Charlottesville, Va.

Another popular post in 2014 took a look at news values — what they are, and how to make sure your business is paying attention to them before posting, pitching, engaging media.

What was the most popular content your blog produced in the past year?

 

Dec 09
Love0

Putting Pen to Paper: Can We Return to a Lost Art?

By Communications

I’ve written about how tired I am of e-mail. It has its uses, but fails in many ways. Phone calls are great, when needed. Texting is fantastic for a lot of quick communication. I’ve been thinking, though, of doing more writing by hand starting with the end of this year.

No, no: I don’t just mean holiday cards. I mean letters. Not a lot. Just a few.

My friend Amanda is very, very good at this. She sends the best birthday cards and handwritten “thinking of you” notes I’ve ever received.

A little secret? I keep them all. I keep all the handwritten, mailed notes I get. I have a rather large drawer full of them. When I’m having a particularly crappy day, it is really nice to open that drawer and read the words of dear friends and family.

So why haven’t I returned the favor? I get hung up on the lack of awesome stationery and an available pen. (Pretty sure I can remedy that). I get hung up on the fact that my fingers are near a keyboard or a smartphone all of my waking hours.

I’m going to give it a whirl, though. I have two very special people to start writing to, and I’ll see where it goes from there.

Do you write by hand? Do you like it when you get something handwritten in the mail?