Don’t let your Twitter hashtags bite you in the @$$… do your homework!

In previous “Little Black Blog of Twitter” entries, I gave you a general overview of Twitter and helped you craft the perfect tweet. In this installment, we’ll do a deep dive into the art of slinging those Twitter hashtags with the best of them.

You say you’re not too familiar with using hashtags? Just think of them as keywords or phrases that, when combined with a pound sign symbol (#), help make your tweets easily searchable on Twitter. And by the way, never include spaces between words in a hashtag phrase, or you’ll lose everything after the first word…

Tip #1 – Before You Can Hash It Out, You’ve Got to Research: There are bountiful ways to determine the hashtag words, phrases, and abbreviations that make sense for your tweeting goals. Look at the hummingbird-like tweets chirped by professionals/peers in your industry. Observe what hashtags they use when promoting a tweet with an embedded link.

Just by looking at a one-to-two-day snapshot of  @AuthorAlliance’s Twitter feed, I gleaned the following hashtags: #readers, #books, #authors, #newrelease, #mustread, #goodreads, #suspense, #youngadult (also #YA and #yalit), #kindle, #nook, #bookparty, and more.

If your tweets relate to daily news and events, scan the Trends box on your Twitter account’s Home page for more hashtag suggestions. Other tools you can bookmark for researching hashtags include search.twitter.com, hashtags.org, hashtagify.me, and hashtag.it.

Tip #2 – The Hashtag Placement’s the Thing: I used to put my hashtags anywhere I d@mn pleased when I first started tweeting, but now I know better. I’ve observed that the most effective Twitter users place hashtags at the end of their tweets. The formula is usually: message/copy, embedded link, and then hashtag(s).

Most online articles suggest using no more than two or three hashtags so you’re not viewed as a Twitter graffiti artist. Remember, you get only 140 characters IN TOTAL – hashtags are included in your tweet’s full character count, so generate them wisely.

Tip #3 – Amplify Your Brand Equity Via Unique Hashtags: Companies like McDonald’s, Trader Joe’s,  and Hershey’s do it. Inbound marketing companies like HubSpot and Vocus do it for webinars and tweet chats. You can do it too!

To gain some traction for your strategic conversations or marketing campaigns on Twitter, consider creating a unique hashtag. For example, if I want my blog post tweets to possibly earn more Retweets and Favorites on Twitter, I could add #BAWBlogNJ or #BAWBlogSJ each time I tweet a blog post.

Before releasing your custom hashtag, it’s best to go into Twitter and search on your creation to ensure it doesn’t already exist. Once your clever hashtag clears all hurdles, you can register it via a hashtag directory site like Twubs.

Tip #4 – Beware the Dreaded Hashtag Faux Pas (#OyVey): It’s grand to use a hashtag to promote your event or product/service. Just make sure the way you format it doesn’t create a PR fiasco for you or your business. Hashtags aren’t case sensitive, but using capital letters for a multi-word hashtag can prevent embarrassing, unintentional boo boos.

Remember that nice Scottish singer Susan Boyle, who looked “hausfrau stodgy” on Britain’s Got Talent in 2009 but wowed the judges with her operatic voice? Here’s what happened in 2012 when her PR people attempted to promote her new album via #susanalbumparty.

In this instance, using all lower-case letters made the difference between a straightforward album launch and Su’s (virtual) kinky sex orgy! Read up about other outstanding hashtag mishaps you should avoid (such as the infamous #McDStories negative commenting deluge).

Engineering a lovingly-crafted word or phrase with a pound sign in front of it isn’t such a simple thing. If you use hashtags on Twitter, what positive or negative results have you encountered after some steady tweeting? What other advice or suggestions would you add to my little blog book? I’ll leave you with a final hashtag inspired by the Harry Potter books: #ConstantVigilance!

Lori Shapiro is the owner of By All Writes LLC, a business writing, editing, and research company in Marlton, New Jersey. She revels in shielding her clients from the pain of writing their own print and web marketing copy. Call her (856-810-9764) or email her (lori@byallwrites.biz) for a no-obligation project quote today!

Dave Scott of Laurel Oak Garden Center in Marlton, NJ, in his natural habitat…

Most southern New Jersey residents know Dave Scott as the owner of Laurel Oak Garden Center, a Marlton oasis of greenery conveniently located on Tomlinson Mill Road and the Marlton Parkway. I know him as the MC (Master of Comedy) at the Marlton Business Association’s monthly networking luncheons.

When Dave isn’t busy rehearsing for his pending cable-TV sitcom, he provides much-needed counseling to runaway perennials and advocates for orphaned poinsettias.

By All Writes: Why did you/your family decide to start Laurel Oak Garden Center? When did you found/start it?

Dave Scott: It all began in my mother’s womb; I couldn’t believe how dull and drab things were in there. Fast forward to sophomore year in high school, when basically, I had a “working” epiphany whilst cutting  grass in Moorestown for my employer. I knew I didn’t want to cut grass my whole life, yet I loved working outdoors. (Perhaps I was still trying to escape from “inside” the womb?)

Off I went to my guidance counselor, who proceeded to pull out the “big book of careers.” (This was before the Internet and Google, so it was an actual book.) We settled on landscape architecture as my field of study. Fast forward again to one Thanksgiving day, when my brother-in-law and I sat in my bedroom, talking. We were two young, crazy, low-wage guys with a unified vision of dispensing customer service way better than our current employers. Good times…

As we drafted our initial business plan (aka “The List”), Man on the Silver Mountain (by Richie Blackmore and Rainbow) played on my Radio Shack turntable. I wanted to be able to control my own future, and I knew being in business for myself was the only way to do it. This was November, 1985 – by March of 1986, we were in business!

BAW: What services and/or products do you offer your current and potential customers?

DS: Many people don’t realize we offer (northeastern-style) samba hot-coal dancing lessons. Beyond unique dance outreach programs, we offer other more garden-centric programs. Our fun Wee Wednesday program (the first Wednesday of every month) gives preschoolers the opportunity to learn about a gardening topic, make a craft, and enjoy a snack. For adults flying solo without the kids, we have our evening/weekend Learn at Laurel Oak seminar series.

Our Landscape Design/Build division helps homeowners create their own alfresco version of happiness – patios, water gardens, and backyard retreats are our specialties! We carry a wide selection of unique yard greenery, vegetable gardening, and flower gardening necessities. In addition to offering a full range of mulch, stone and soil products, we are a distributor of Techo-Bloc hardscape materials.

Our unique outdoor display includes an open-air kitchen – you might even catch our landscape supervisor, “Big Jon,” grilling his latest concoction on certain days. When staff members can’t agree on something, it’s often settled in an after-work dance-off (aka “battle dances”).

BAW: Who makes a good customer for you?

DS: We love both first-time gardeners and seasoned veterans of the garden wars! I especially enjoy working with “newbies” who are either first-time homeowners or folks who’ve decided it’s finally time to try wrestling with trees and shrubs. I cherish the veterans because they appreciate the unique plants we offer and Laurel Oak’s reputation for quality and value. It’s nice when a customer gets all ramped up about a plant or product the way I do – it’s a real connection.

BAW: What is your ultimate “happy moment” when working with your customers?

DS: One of my favorite moments is when customers come back, share garden success stories, and credit our staff and products as part of the happy ending. We also really love it when customers bring in a photo of a landscape we installed for them and tell us how their friends and neighbors are raving about it. When in-store customers express how amazed they are that we take our time explaining products and answering questions, I’m a happy business owner (which leads to more dancing).

BAW: If you could relocate your garden center and nursery to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

DS: I would trek across the country and relocate Laurel Oak Garden Center to the Portland, Oregon area. We visit growers out there for some of the unique nursery stock we carry; I never cease to be amazed by that whole region. Portland has a long growing season, as well as gorgeous weather and scenery. Plus, the people are really nice, and I know I could demolish a lot of them in dance-offs…

BAW: What is your favorite book (or who is your favorite author) to read and why? Please share generously!

DS: When I’m not reading books regarding Hund’s Rule of Maximum Multiplicity and its implications for interstellar physics (so many of these books!), I do enjoy Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. It’s a great book that applies well to both business and personal relationships.

I’ve probably read it at least five times by now, but I didn’t discover Mr. Carnegie’s fabulous book until later in life. Because of this, I buy each of my kids a copy of the book for their 16th birthday. So far, they’ve thanked me at least 12,643 times.

Are you in desperate need of landscaping/hardscaping help (or better dance form and etiquette tips)? Laurel Oak Garden Center has something for gardeners of every thumb color. You can reach the landscape office at 609-953-7943 and the main store at 856-596-7779. You’re also cordially invited to visit Laurel Oak’s website or Facebook page.

Send all your gardening, landscaping, or hardscaping questions to info@laureloak.net. As Dave likes to ask rhetorically, “Where else but Laurel Oak Garden Center in Marlton, NJ, can you have so much fun without getting arrested?”

Sorry, but hearts & flowers won’t do for this blog post about famous mothers from literature. Happy Mother’s Day!

In the annals of literature, no one character is as infamous as “the mother.” Perhaps yours is like no other, but according to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, hurling insults at someone’s mother is best done from atop a medieval castle (with a fake French accent). Vraiment!

Just in time for Mother’s Day weekend, I present some of the most unforgettable moms who began their lives on the printed page of a book:

Mrs. Bennet Was a Mother of “Mean Understanding, Little Information, and Uncertain Temper”: If you had five daughters, you too would be obsessed with matrimony 24/7! While author Jane Austen uses Mrs. Bennet for a good deal of Pride and Prejudice’s comic relief, this egregiously tactless mum views her social situation as dire indeed.

Mrs. B deals one of her worst blows to daughter Elizabeth when she encourages Mr. Collins (a most tepid cousin) to propose to Lizzy so Mr. Bennet’s ancestral home, Longbourn, will remain in the family. By the end of the novel, Mrs. B has managed to marry off three daughters; not too shabby a track record for a woman with “poor nerves.”

Margaret White Expressed Her Love with Serious Prayer and Punishment: Carrie White’s fundamentalist Christian mother in Stephen King’s first published novel lives in her own sinful snake pit. Mrs. White believes that “Eve was weak;” she also ignores Carrie’s pubescent education. This leads to her daughter being mercilessly taunted in the girls’ high school gym locker room after she menstruates for the first time and freaks out.

Carrie’s after-gym tampon assault inadvertently strengthens her telekinetic powers; by book’s end, she destroys most of the (fictional) town of Chamberlain, Maine. She also stops her mother’s heart during their final struggle – bam! Mommy Margaret is the mother you pray you’ll never end up with because, if you sin, the next time you pray with her will be the last time.

Margaret March Was a Progressive Mother in a Victorian World: What can I say about a mother who lectures men that the outdoors is beneficial for both girls and boys alike, supports education and critical thinking for her girls (over developing feminine wiles), and never yells at her children? Gee, I wish Marmee could be MY Marmee!

Lest you think Marmee the perfect mother, there is a point in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women when Mrs. March admits something to her writerly wildcat of a daughter, Jo. Apparently, she too used to have a volatile temper but learned to control it. Throughout the book, Marmee channels the author’s exposure and family adherence to the Transcendentalist movement of the 1800s. In other words, let your conscience be your guide…

Vivi Walker, Shaken and Stirred Ya-Ya, Louisiana Mama: The mother-daughter relationship in Rebecca Wells’s Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood launches dazzling fireworks after Viviane Joan Abbot Walker is referred to as a “tap-dancing child abuser” in a New York Times article. The friction between Vivi and her daughter Siddalee (Sidda) exists because bright, vivacious Vivi settled for marriage and kids after her true love died in WWII.

As a young mother, Vivi loved her children, but she simultaneously resented them and her “substitute” husband. She turned to alcohol to subdue and submerge all of life’s disappointments. This led to institutionalization and even shock therapy.

Sidda subsequently learns her mother’s past secrets from the collective “Ya-Ya Sisterhood” scrapbook (there are three other “Ya-Ya” friends). She ultimately realizes her mother is a flawed but compassionate human being who does love her. Tennessee Williams would have adored Vivi’s Southern Gothic sensibilities!

Marilla Cuthbert Is a “Sour Patch” Mix of Stern Disciplinarian and Plum Puff Genius: Despite first impressions, Marilla Cuthbert IS a fabulous adoptive mother in L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables. Sure, her shy brother Matthew quickly falls for orphan Anne Shirley’s hyped-up imagination and loquacious use of language.

But Marilla is a spinster who never married or had any children. She is the one who realizes that if she and her brother don’t take Anne in, she’ll end up with a woman on Prince Edward Island known for her cold, disagreeable ways. Brr!

When Marilla’s face twitches, you know she’s suppressing her dry sense of humor. She also has a soft spot – after Marilla disciplines young Anne for her many crazy mishaps, all is forgiven with a fresh batch of delectable plum puffs. Even though Marilla was “slightly distrustful of sunshine,” she proved to be a kindred spirit who altered an orphan’s life with love.

Which fictional character from literature remains at the top of your list of unforgettable mothers? Did this blog post whet your appetite to read any of the referenced novels? Whether you’re paying or receiving homage on May 12, happy Mother’s Day!

Lori Shapiro is the owner of By All Writes LLC, a business writing, editing, and research company in Marlton, New Jersey. She revels in shielding her clients from the pain of writing their own print and web marketing copy. Call her (856-810-9764) or email her (lori@byallwrites.biz) for a no-obligation project quote today!

Business clients have differing temperaments; at least a van Gogh brings you Sunflowers!

You probably categorize your clients (within your mental filing cabinet) according to degree of difficulty, don’t you? Of course you do – so do I! Just like clients, famous artists are on a sliding scale of temperament and maintenance needs. Why not join these two groups of people together for identification purposes?

For your professional use (and amusement), may I present: the Client Realistic & Artistic Protocol (aka CRAP). Just think of yourself as an art gallery owner and proceed to the next piece in your current exhibit…

A Van Gogh Is Sensitive, Soulful, and Impulsive (So Hide All the Knives): We all know that Vincent van Gogh was an emotionally unstable artist with a nervous temperament. But when he went to Paris in 1886, his somber palette lightened up. He then created some of the most breathtaking images in a short span of time before his untimely death. I’ll always be a sucker for Sunflowers…

Don’t be surprised if your van Gogh clients call or text you at off-hours with creative ideas for that website, business plan, or other project you’re working on. These peeps can be unpredictable at times, but if you demonstrate sincere kindness, they will (gratefully) use your services exclusively. Anticipate your van Gogh client’s needs by returning voicemail, text, and email messages sooner rather than later…

A Picasso Will Love You Passionately (For a While) and Then Hire Someone Else: Yes, Pablo Picasso was one of the great modern artists and Cubist painters of all time, whether or not you liked his Blue period. But here’s what he told his 21-year-old mistress, Francoise Gilot, in 1943 (at age 61):

“For me there are only two kinds of women, goddesses and doormats.”

Your Picasso clients will bond quickly with you. They will be loyal, generous and even affectionate, when it suits them. And then they’ll move on – so be ready when it happens! If from the start this breed of client abuses you either verbally or financially, don’t resign yourself to doormat status. Take Dionne Warwick’s advice and Walk On By.

A Pollock Will Leave You Unsettled (and Throw Empty Booze Bottles at You): I’m the first to admit that my eye is drawn to Paul Jackson Pollock’s spectacular, abstract expressionist drip paintings. This artist suffered for his fame as a reclusive, volatile soul who drank enough to piss off American heiress Peggy Guggenheim from time to time. Many articles and books about Pollock hypothesize he may have been bipolar (uh oh).

Because your Pollock clients don’t say much, getting feedback from them is the equivalent of asking a mime to verbally answer your questions in public. If you can handle working with this lonesome, restless cowboy (or girl), then “Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.”

A Cassatt Is a Straight Shooter Who Will Loyally Champion You: Mary Cassatt was associated with Impressionism and also good friends with Edgar Degas. At the height of her artistic abilities, she had a deep affection for painting ‘everyday’ mother-and-child scenes. To her credit, the well-off Cassatt purchased other artist friends’ paintings when they needed financial help. Given the era in which she lived, she wasn’t considered a quiet, demure gal. Just my cup of bohemian American artist tea!

While this type of client isn’t always politically correct, once convinced of your professional talents, s/he will proclaim them to all others in her universe. Keep your Cassatt clients close to your heart; they will come back to you again and again.

Which famous artists remind you of some of your own clients? If you could match up your best and worst clients with other well-known artists, who would you select and why? You don’t have to share any actual client names, so have some fun with this creative exercise…

Lori Shapiro is the owner of By All Writes LLC, a business writing, editing, and research company in Marlton, New Jersey. She revels in shielding her clients from the pain of writing their own print and web marketing copy. Call her (856-810-9764) or email her (lori@byallwrites.biz) for a no-obligation project quote today!

Never again (thumb?) wrestle with your business networking follow-up efforts!

Last night, you went to your local of-the-moment watering hole and met some new people at a business networking event. You had some lively, interest-sustaining conversations. You even encountered a true kindred spirit who lit up all your entrepreneurial core principles like an old-school pinball machine. This morning, that special new friend’s business card is at the top of the pile, beckoning you to do something. But what?

Before you paralyze yourself like an unsure business deer caught in the oncoming headlights of a speed networking event, fear not. Just do everything I suggest and it will all be rainbows for you – unicorns are optional.

Just As There Are Levels of Giving, There are Levels of Connecting:

• If you’re serious about benefiting from last night’s networking extravaganza, take action within the next 48 – 72 hours.
• If your spider senses tell you a new acquaintance will remain exactly that, file the piece of cardboard into your binder of misfit business cards.
• If you believe you made a decent connection with a new friend, decide which piece of social media candy would be the initial place to commit to an online relationship (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, etc.).
• If you had an amazing conversation, send your professional soul mate an invitation to connect on LinkedIn or become friends on Facebook, and…
• …offer some pending dates for a more intimate tête-à-tête (in a public place, of course).

Choosy Networkers Choose a Mutually Agreed-Upon Meeting Place (sorry, not Jif peanut butter):

• While you’re crafting that custom social media (or email) invitation, be sure to offer a few meeting venue suggestions.
• At the risk of reopening a heated blog post discussion from last September…
• …some usual suspects might include Panera Bread, Starbucks, a bookstore, a beloved indie diner/coffee house, or even a business like Beneficial Bank, which lets you meet at their location for free.
• Be flexible if your new friend gravitates to a meeting destination you don’t prefer.
• If you’re a solopreneur but your new friend works in a public office with multiple employees, accept the invitation to meet there (and discreetly conceal your mace spray).

Do Yourself a Favor – Do Your Pre-Meeting Due Diligence:

• While the type of due diligence you need for a job interview isn’t mandatory here, I believe in Todd Cohen’s philosophy of Sales Culture, so do it right.
• Look at the other person’s website and/or blog (if available), read their LinkedIn profile description, and don’t be shy about ‘Googling’ their name.
• Simultaneously, write some questions regarding information you sincerely want to know about this lovely person and their business.
• Transport your questions via a notebook or notepad, not just on your smartphone/iPad/iChip. (It’s okay to laugh – that last one was an iJoke…)

Ensure You Both Claim Your Time in a Fair and Balanced Manner:

• Be on time, and get a cup (or plate) of whatever you need to keep yourself steady for at least an hour.
• Find as private a table/booth/alcove/piece of real estate as possible.
• Be sure you both agree on a time limit for your meeting, especially if one of you has another appointment afterward.
• Some words of warning: If your friend is a professional who might bring a portfolio of work to the meeting, you should go first.
• If you sense the meeting is unbalanced, take control and interject with the essentials regarding your business and professional needs before the networking clock runs down.

In the Networking Afterglow, Send a Thank-You and Fulfill Your Promises:

• Whether or not the meeting fulfilled your every business networking fantasy (!), send a thank-you note either via email or your preferred social media platform.
• If you offered to make an introduction, promote your friend’s upcoming event/seminar, etc., then do it quickly, or let your friend know by when you’ll be able to help.
• By doing so, you’re pushing out some good karma and also solidifying your local reputation as a nice professional.
• According to Peter Shankman, nice businesses finish first, so work from nice; see where it takes you and your company.

Does this road map for successful business networking follow-up mesh with your modus operandi? What did I forget to mention that you deem vital to your one-on-one networking special sauce? I know a lot, but I’m certainly no Oracle at Delphi…

Lori Shapiro is the owner of By All Writes LLC, a business writing, editing, and research company in Marlton, New Jersey. She revels in shielding her clients from the pain of writing their own print and web marketing copy. Call her (856-810-9764) or email her (lori@byallwrites.biz) for a no-obligation project quote today!

If this describes you, go ahead and get creative with your blog post headlines!

Now that I’ve been blogging for one year, I feel I’ve earned the right to flout my way with words. I’ve read many of those SEO-oriented articles telling you to suck readers into your blog via “The Top Ten Ways to…” or “Three Reasons Your Business…” or even “A Surefire Solution to…” I’m not saying these strategies are wrong, but I think from a copywriting perspective, you can distinguish your blog posts far from the madding crowd.

Why not shake things up and craft blog post headlines that make people’s clicking or swiping index fingers twitch with anticipation? Here are some creative options for your future posts…

A Sense of Humor Is a Terrible Thing to Waste: By now, you’ve surmised that sly humor is my blog’s not-so-secret weapon of choice. I don’t get to inject much frivolity into my clients’ B2B copywriting projects, so this blog is my release valve. Why not use your humorous inclinations to attract readers to your blog posts? Here are some saplings I’m cultivating in the By All Writes greenhouse for spring and summer:

• The Midnight Networking Buffet Is Now Open on the Lido Deck…
• Dead Authors on Twitter – Rejected Tweets from Beyond the Grave
• Proper Business Etiquette in an Uncouth World – What Would Jane Do?

Play With Your Language, Not Your Angry Birds Star Wars App: While I cherish my decent command of the English language, there are so many other worlds and words to explore. There’s a great little book called A Certain “Je Ne Sais Quoi,” by Chloe Rhodes. In the book, the author lists and explains “the origin of foreign words used in English,” from A to Z. I’ve pulled out a few choice words or phrases for you and sprinkled them into some sample blog post headlines:

• How to Add Joie de Vivre to Your LinkedIn Account
• A Little Baksheesh Helps When Soothing Temperamental Clients
• The Secret Dolce Vita of an Indie Bakery’s Taste-Tester

Life Imitates Art, So Why Can’t Blogs Imitate Movies?: Like me, I’m sure many of you are fans of film. Some movies I can watch over and over again, even when those blasted commercials on Ovation or TBS disturb the film’s equilibrium (e.g., The Shawshank Redemption, Full Metal Jacket, Inglourious Basterds). Because movies tend to embed themselves into your mental collection, it’s fun to draw inspiration from your favorites when crafting blog post headlines. Here are some cinema-inspired headlines I’ve used and a few I’m contemplating for future online missives:

• “Whores in Ithaca?” (Hello Blogosphere)
• There’s No Crying in After-Hours Business Networking!
• “You’d Make a Wonderful Dread Pirate Roberts”
• Nobody Puts Baby in a (Networking) Corner!
• When Entrepreneurship Disappoints, It’s Time to “Wiggle Your Big Toe!”

When All Else Fails, Stir Up Some Controversy: I’m not sure how well I’ve mined this particular vein of headline gold just yet. I think I’ve made an attempt or two, but I haven’t yet gone The Full Monty. If you can grab a reader’s quicksilver attention with some words that challenge (or even tread upon) their delicate sensibility, why not? As long as your blog post content delivers on the provocative promise of your headline, don’t be afraid to experiment:

• The Reason Your Blog Is Sinking Faster Than a Lead Life Jacket
• If You’re an Email Blast Junkie, Please Stop Reading This Now!
• Why It’s Time to Hire a (Virtual) Assassin for Your Boss

If you’re a blogger, what types of headlines seem to attract the most readers or subscribers to your blog posts? Are there certain headline styles you avoid, and if so, why do you steer clear? “Go ahead, make my day” (and my blog)…

Lori Shapiro is the owner of By All Writes LLC, a business writing, editing, and research company in Marlton, New Jersey. She revels in shielding her clients from the pain of writing their own print and web marketing copy. Call her (856-810-9764) or email her (lori@byallwrites.biz) for a no-obligation project quote today!

If your company’s telecommunications system looks like this, contact Cory Communications for some 21st century help!

When I’m out and about on South Jersey’s business networking circuit for the evening, it’s always nice to be surrounded by kindred spirits. These are the people who go one step further by expressing genuine, heartfelt concern for me (or taking care of my one-glass-of-wine limit for the night).

Such a person is Jack Zoblin of Cory Communications, whom I originally met through the Jewish Business Network of Southern New Jersey. To thank Jack for his many kindnesses these past few years, I’m turning this month’s South Jersey Spotlight on him and his company. This blog post pairs well with either a semi-sweet Riesling or a crisp Chardonnay…

By All Writes: Why did you decide to start Cory Communications Inc.? When did you first found/start it?

Jack Zoblin: After a successful sales career at Qwest Communications, I started a new job with another communications company on September 11, 2001, in Washington, D.C. Two weeks later, that company lost their financing; one week after that, I was out of a job. Our country was in a tizzy (!), and my particular sector (telecommunications) had suffered embarrassing publicity from events like the MCI/Worldcom fiasco. So, I decided it was time to venture out on my own.

BAW: What services and/or products do you offer your current and potential clients?

JZ: We are a cloud-focused telecommunications sales agency. We enjoy working with business clients who want to leverage technology so their organizations will run better, faster, and smarter.

BAW: Who makes a good client for you?

JZ: We attract businesses that rely on high-speed internet, telephone services and systems, network connectivity, and cloud-based services for everyday success with their customers. We also offer our clients disaster recovery and business continuity services. Additionally, we can configure both audio and web conferencing for those clients in need of virtual/remote communications capabilities.

BAW: What is your ultimate “happy moment” when working with your clients?

JZ: My happiest moments are when prepared plans are implemented flawlessly and clients acknowledge our commitment to them.

BAW: If you could relocate your telecommunications firm to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

JZ: I wouldn’t hesitate to move our office to the Hawaiian island of Maui. Conveniently, I happen to have a friend who lives there. Maui is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited, and the weather is always nice.

BAW: What is your favorite book (or who is your favorite author to read) and why? Please share generously!

JZ: While much of my reading focuses on keeping current within my field, I am a sucker for a good self-help book. My most recent book within this genre was Good to Great by Jim Collins. For pleasure reading, I have consumed almost every Sidney Sheldon novel.

Are you tired of being treated as a “paying inconvenience” by one of those larger telecommunications carriers? Perhaps it’s time for your company to try Cory Communications and experience firsthand what reliable customer service really feels like, from consultation to installation!

To learn how Cory Communications can improve your business’s telecommunications efficiency, please visit them online. To reach out to Jack Zoblin directly, call him at 856-795-2223, or email him at jzoblin@corycommunications.com. If you’re hoping that Jack will treat you to a glass of wine, you’ll have to catch him live at a future South Jersey networking event…

Get with Lucy – never leave home without a dictionary app on your mobile device!

In a previous blog post, I offered you bookmark-worthy resources regarding online dictionaries and thesauruses. All well and good, but a tech-savvy friend gently reminded me that many peeps would prefer an app version when they’re reading (or writing) via mobile device.

I’ve taken the time to review a cross section of available dictionary apps, so I’m making these recommendations with some confidence. I have an iPhone, but I promise not to leave you Droid, BlackBerry, or Windows Phone users in dictionary app purgatory. Regardless of your smartphone’s operating system, proper spelling and word usage are important habits. Select a dictionary app and use it!

Swipe Away Your Difficult Words with Dictionary.com: I have strong preferences regarding my print reference books, but I must admit: Dictionary.com offers a great dictionary app for iPhone/iPad, Android, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry devices. Even better, it’s free! Because the thesaurus tags along for the ride (similar to the website version), you only need the one app.

Dictionary.com’s massive word bank (2 million strong) provides the expected definitions, antonyms, and synonyms. Also, if you say your troublesome word out loud, Dictionary.com will search and find it for you! This app also works offline.

Spell Out Some Appreciation for My True Love, Merriam-Webster: Yes, I am biased when it comes to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. This dictionary app is available for both iPhone/iPad and Android platforms. The Merriam-Webster (M-W) app naturally offers you a huge word bank and provides sample sentences (so you better understand how to use any word in question).

Both the Dictionary.com and M-W apps offer you a daily ‘featured word’ and the voice search tool, but the thesaurus feature is where they differ. While the Dictionary.com app includes a separate thesaurus, M-W’s version of a thesaurus merely integrates synonyms and antonyms into all the word entries. Fortunately, M-W is also a free app, so check it out!

With Urban Dictionary, Go Ahead and Sling Your Slang: Why should the regular dictionary apps get all the attention? Sometimes, you need to get down and dirty with your street language; Urban Dictionary is the most fun you’ll ever have with a dictionary app! Available for both iPhone/iPad and Android users, this collection of hip words and phrases is written by people just like you. Because you can vote up or down on the definitions, Urban Dictionary is a most democratic resource. Yep, this one is another free app…

Other Dictionary Apps for Your Thinking Caps: Another reference app available for the iOS platform is Dictionary! While this free dictionary app has a noticeably smaller word bank of about 200,000 entries, you can access it either online or offline, and its definitions are brief and easy to digest.

One more app I’ll offer to both iPhone/iPad and Android lovers is the WordWeb Dictionary. This app offers almost 300,000 words as well as a smaller subset of usage samples and text pronunciations. You can also filter your word searches by noun, verb, adjective, or adverb. WordWeb is free on both platforms and can be accessed offline.

An app version of the Pocket Oxford English Dictionary is available to BlackBerry users for download. It appears to be free, but if you’re a CrackBerry fanatic, please double check before downloading.

I’m not the sharpest tool in the gourmet knife block when it comes to mobile device apps, so any additional dictionary suggestions you have would be swell. What other word-related apps do you find handy to have in your business or personal life? As always, thanks for your reading attention.

Lori Shapiro is the owner of By All Writes LLC, a business writing, editing, and research company in Marlton, New Jersey. She revels in shielding her clients from the pain of writing their own print and web marketing copy. Call her (856-810-9764) or email her (lori@byallwrites.biz) for a no-obligation project quote today!

Grammar Girl is both online and in bookstores; stop abusing your word choices and get some help!

This week, the By All Writes blog is back to grammar tips with a seriously trippy homophone, as suggested by Tobi Schwartz-Cassell of Girlfriendz Magazine. Snappy humor, clever examples in the form of sentences, and links to helpful (and sometimes eclectic) sites all follow.

By the end of this grammar-centric blog post, you will know how to use the following words correctly: their, there, and they’re!

Their Is a Most Demonstrative and Possessive Pronoun: According to my trusty Merriam-Webster, the word their means “…of or relating to them or themselves [especially] as possessors, agents, or objects of an action.” In other words, it indicates possession of something or someone. Hopefully, their isn’t a jealous control freak!

Proper use of the word in a sentence might look something like this: Ah, chihuahuas – their collective bark is worse than their collective bite. Do you know when their Aunt Cordelia from Prince Edward Island is coming to town for her annual winter visit? Anyone in their right mind knows that the producers of  Here Comes Honey Boo Boo never watch their own show…

If There Is a Word with Multiple Personalities, It’s There: My dictionary lists four separate entries for the word there (scary)! It can represent a physical place or abstract point in time, be used as an interjection for emphasis, introduce a sentence or clause, and so on. The word there can drive you crazy, but it’s not possessive, and it most certainly isn’t a contraction.

Allow me to entertain you with this word’s onion-like layers: Once upon a time at a university in the Midwest, a gentleman once told me “you can’t get there from here” when I asked him for on-campus directions. I have blocked all the sports channels from our cable subscription; now you can only watch Turner Classic Movies, PBS and the History Channel, so there! There will be a day, “…and that day may never come, I’ll call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day…” (You do know where I’m going with this one, right?)

They Are the Proud, the Few – They’re Contractions: The word they’re is merely a blended version of ‘they are’, and therefore, a contraction. This word usually functions as a subject or object in a sentence. It gives itself away through proper use of an apostrophe to denote the wedded bliss of two no-longer-single words.

And now for some examples: I’m not sure what those people wearing Google Glass headsets are doing here, but I’ll wager they’re from Mountain View, California. They’re closing the local Apple store early today, so if you want to play with an iPad for free before dinner, you’d better get going.

There you have it – another word phobia crushed like an escapee fruit fly from your high school biology lab experiment. If you’re still a wee bit unsure of proper usage for this set of tricky homophones, here is some additional help for your bookmarking pleasure. What grammatical mountains would you like me to help you scale next? Don’t hold back – if you have the will, I have the ability to make grammar fun (and funny).

Lori Shapiro is the owner of By All Writes LLC, a business writing, editing, and research company in Marlton, New Jersey. She revels in shielding her clients from the pain of writing their own print and web marketing copy. Call her (856-810-9764) or email her (lori@byallwrites.biz) for a no-obligation project quote today!

It’s a freshly-caught birthday cod for my blog – get it? Go fish…

The By All Writes Moonlight Blog is officially one year old as of today, March 19. It seems like just yesterday I was taking my first blog post baby steps! I’ve most recently taken off the training wheels with better formatting and proper use of the block quote feature in WordPress.

Although I only blog once a week, I’m quite proud that I’ve not gotten lazy. I’ve now managed to unleash more than 52 blog posts upon you all, my unsuspecting and valued readership. Here are the highlights (and lowlights) of my Doors-inspired blog to date:

The South Jersey Spotlight Shines Brightly as a Guest Blog Post: I do a lot of face-to-face networking in the South Jersey area. Thus, it seemed natural to me to use my blog as a platform for offering business friends and kindred spirits some free online publicity. It turns out that my instincts here were correct – the SJ Spotlight is one of my most high-traffic blog posts each month!

Some of my high-traffic blog guests have included Michelle Helfrich of MH Design Company, Esther Greenberg, massage therapist, and Amelia Michael of Aikotek LLC.

Blog Posts Related to Food and Drink are Hot: I conducted a (wildly unreliable) research study last fall regarding the use of Panera Bread versus Starbucks for business networking meetings. Honestly, I didn’t anticipate much of anything. But with a fillip of serendipity, I poured myself a big, steaming mug of online activity. This blog post heated up several of my LinkedIn groups for weeks. In particular, the New Jersey networking groups played location analysis volleyball with this one!

Based on all the feedback I received, you can expect future blog posts regarding independent coffee meeting places and perhaps an analysis of South Jersey venues for networking happy hours.

My Readers Like (and Need?) Grammar Assistance, Writing Tips, and Dirty Words: These particular blog posts always elicit the most engagement and actual comments (versus mere liking). Obviously, I should craft more of these ‘bloggerly’ missives. In case you didn’t glean any grammatical wisdom the first go-around, it’s not too late to learn the difference between affect and effect. You can also revisit the perplexing world of it’s versus its and you’re versus your for more grammatical assistance.

I’ll also continue to offer help with your social media efforts regarding LinkedIn invitations, LinkedIn recommendations, and more. And naturally, if I can improve your ability to be profane in another language, no amount of merde will stand in my way…

Not Everyone Values the Wall Street Journal and Greek Mythology (and That’s Okay): I did a little due diligence and can report that some of you could care less about my fanatical devotion to the Wall Street Journal or my childhood obsession with Greek mythology. And the fact that I glean business wisdom from the movie Working Girl similar to the way some of you proselytize regarding The Godfather (I & II) films is of little consequence. I get it and respect it, but don’t be surprised if I still blog about topics that aren’t your preferred flavor from time to time…

One year in, the Moonlight Blog is thriving, and I couldn’t be more pleased. However, if y’all would just give me some concrete feedback regarding subject matter or blog features, that would be swell! Seriously now – how can I make this blog a better reading experience for you? What topics would you like me to start blogging about or continue to blog about more often? Anyone… anyone… Bueller?

Lori Shapiro is the owner of By All Writes LLC, a business writing, editing, and research company in Marlton, New Jersey. She revels in shielding her clients from the pain of writing their own print and web marketing copy. Call her (856-810-9764) or email her (lori@byallwrites.biz) for a no-obligation project quote today!