5 bad habits to give up for Lent
This Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season. Lent is a period of 40 days that some Christians say represents the time Jesus spent wandering the desert, enduring temptations and reflecting on his life’s purpose. In modern times, it has become a time for Catholics and others to give up their own temptations or, better yet, add good habits to fulfill their own personal goals and purpose.
Most of my friends, when polled, have decided to give up their bad habits – everything from too much meat and Diet Coke to chocolate and alcohol. Two of my friends are giving up Facebook. More on that in a minute…
This got me to thinking. What if we communications professionals gave up our bad habits for as well?
1. One size fits all press releases. Long gone are the days of writing a press release and just pressing send to a 1,000 person media list. Actually, this has always been a bad idea.
With staff cutbacks at traditional media outlets, media types have to produce more content than ever in less time. That means you need to know 1) who you are pitching a story to, 2) what they traditionally cover, and 3) how they cover it (column, briefs, feature, news, online, etc.). The press release should only be the start of your media relations efforts.
2. Twittering during meetings. I’ve recently started following Jonathan Fields’ Awake @ The Wheel, and his recent post about banning twitter at events resonated with me. As I commented to him, my new mantra is “We’re All Right Here.” Live tweeting means less listening. Respect your presenter. Unless it is explicitly encouraged, put your cell phone away and reflect on what is being shared.
3. Chasing technology fads. Facebook. Foursquare. Twitter. Buzz. Wave. YouTube. Yelp. PhotoBucket. Flickr. LinkedIn. Friendster. Digg. Ning. Grapevine. Newsvine. There are more ways to be social than ever before. That doesn’t mean you have to use them all. Make strategy the first tool in your communications arsenal. Your clients will thank you with their loyalty.
3. Mass e-mails. See item #1 above and add a CC: list of everyone in your contact book. Sometimes, it pays to treat everyone as a special contact. If you must contact all of your colleagues at once, put their e-mail addresses in the BCC column to respect their privacy.
4. Poor account coordination. Account management is an often overlooked skill. Even at a small firm and especially for freelancers who sub out bits and pieces of projects, meet as a team. Compare notes. Make sure everyone is working toward the same goal, on the same timeline. This will help you avoid the mistakes – missed deadlines and billing for unrequested work being two biggies – that often give consultants a bad reputation.
There are so many positive ways communications specialists can build a company brand. So, why not wipe out some of the less-than-positive habits in the next 40 days.
Is there a bad habit you are giving up for Lent? Do share.
