Crafting Messages for Electronic Media

*Choosing electronic media for messages
- Many delivery options for brief messages- the challange is to figure out which delivery method is best: social networking and user generated content sites, emails, instant messaging, text messaging, blogs, podcasts, or online video
-More beneficial to use printed messages: create a more formal impression, when legally you are required to do so, to stand out from electronic messages, for a permanent/ secure record

* Cresting content for a social media
- writing for social media requires a different approach that traditional busniness media
--- remember that it is a conversation
--- write informally
--- create consise, sepecific, and informative headlines
--- get and stay involved
--- if you need to promote, do so indirectly
--- be transparent and be honest

* Creating effective email messages
--- approach email as a professional communication media
- Treating email as a professional communication meduim
--- expectations of writing quality is higher and consequences of poor writing is worse
--- many companies have formal email policies- restrictions on using compny email for personal or objective messages
--- email hygiene: all efforts that companies are making to keep email clean and safe
- Adapting the 3 step process for successful email
--- Planning email messages
----- attention to etiquette is vital
----- make sure you dont spend unnecessary messages or "cc" people who don't really need the message
----- be sure to check the chain of command
--- Writing email messages
----- well crafted messages show professional and respect for your audience
----- careless writing can save you time but cost your readers time
----- writing effective subject lines-> a prooly written one can lead to an email being deleted or ignored
----- keeping your emotions under control-> flaming emothions can damage relationships and reputations
--- Completing email messages
----- proofreading can save toyr audeince hours
----- take advantage of your emails signature option
----- do not send urgent messages unless it is truely a priority
The following site includes 10 important steps for email messaging:
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/e-text/e-mail.htm

* Creating effective instant messages and text messages
--- taking the place of email for routine communication with companies
--- phone- based text messages are fast and portable but not as versatile as computer based IMing
-Understanding risks/ benefits of IMing
--- benefits: rapis response, low cost, ability to mimic conversation, and wide availability
---risks: security problems, need for user authentication, challenge of logging and archiving messages, and imcompatabitlty between IM services
The following site speaks about effective business messaging:
http://www.tmcsms.com/sms-references/creating-an-effective-text-messaging-sms-campaign-14-07-08.aspx

- Adapting the 3 Step process for Successful Instant Messaging
1. Planning => view every IM exchange as a conversation, think the more successful and effective way to state a question
2. Writing => use appropriate writing style for business being more formal and avoid using acronyms
3. Completing => qucikly scan the message to proofread in the usual sense before sending
--- be aware of potential for interruptions and wasted time
--- understand how to be successful before you begin to use it

*Creating effective business blogs
--- Play close attention to several elements:
1. communicating with personal style and an authentic voice
2. delivering new information quickly
3. choosing topics to peak audiences interests
4. encouraging audiences to join the conversation
-Understanding the business applications of blogging
--- include internal and external communications; including:: project management and team communication, company news, customer support, public and media realtions, recruiting, policy and issue decisions, crisis communication, market research, brainstorming, viral marketing, email replacement, news syndication, and community building
The following is a site about writing effective business blogs:
http://webbiquity.com/business-blogging/how-to-write-an-effective-business-blog/

- Adapting a 3 step process for successful blogging
1. Audience=> defining can be challengine and make sure you understand what your target audience wants
2. Purpose=> must be business related and important to your company and audience; mus drive content for months or years
3. Scope=> can be tricky; borad enough to keep discussion for years but narrow enough to have an identifiable focus
--- write in a comfortable style but not careless
--- evaluate content and readability before publishing

* Creating effective podcasts
--- can be use to deliver a wide range of audio and visual messges
- Adapting the 3 Step process for successful podcasting
--- make sure your podcast has "legs"- enough interesting topics to sustain ongoing effore
--- use of previews, transactions, and reviews helps pod cast audiences follow the thread of your reading
--- plan podcast content carefullly as edits are mor difficult to make
- Assembling a podcast system
--- your PC has more of the hardware needed, just download rcording software
--- for higher quality podcast, need extra hardware and software
The following give us choices of many business podcasts:
http://www.ibizradio.com/

* Distributing Blog and Podcast Content
- Syndicating your content
--- syndicating: distribution process for blogs and podcasts
--- feed: file that contains info about the items you have written or recorded
---RRS: really simple syndication
---aggregator: automatically collects info about new blog poss and podcasts
---podcatchers: aggregators specifically for podcasts
- Connection with audiences
--- adding feed capability is the most important step in staying connected with your blog or podcast audiences
---tagging: involves assigning descriptive words to each post or podcast

Interesting Sites:
http://www.iblogbusiness.com/
This website is one of the most dominent on the internet when it comes to technological media that help communications grow in business.