Guest bloggers: 2010 in review

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I’m thankful for the knowledgeable and talented professionals who have contributed guest posts to my blog this year.

Here’s a list of guest posts sorted by topic, including client communications, marketing, social media, and writing.

Client communications

Five Tips for Delivering Bad News to Clients by Kathleen Burns Kingsbury
Talking to clients about social investing by Annie Logue

Marketing

Adding Video into the Communications Mix by Samantha Allen
The Lost Art of the Thank You Card by Suzanne Muusers
My Six Best Marketing Tips for Independent Advisors by Steve Lyons
What’s a tomato got to do with getting your fund discovered? by Dan Sondhelm
Would you like to know how financial advisors are choosing products and making investment decisions in this market? by Lisa Cohen

Social media

Be Compliant When Using LinkedIn Messages by Bill Winterberg
Financial Advisors and Twitter by Roger Wohlner
Generate Quality, Low Cost Leads with Facebook Ads by Kristin Harad
How Seeking Alpha Can Build Your Professional Reputation by Geoff Considine
Investment analysts and social media by Pat Allen

Writing

Correct Grammar Errors in Your Writing Quickly and Easily by Linda Aragoni
Making Research Readable by Joe Polidoro

Forget your spell checker!

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You can’t rely on automated spell checkers. They won’t catch all of your typos.

I remember a beautiful institutional investment pitch book shared by a senior portfolio manager. I’ll call him George Miller. The front cover billed him as “George Miller, Portfolio Manger.”

Yes, that’s “manger” not “manager.”

You can use the proofreading methods in “Six ways to stop sending emails with errors” to complement your spell checker.

The letter reader who’s your biggest nightmare

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If you’re a sloppy letter writer, then my friend’s old employer is your biggest nightmare. But clean up your writing, and you can win over even this tough customer.

The impatient reader

“How do you go through your mail so quickly?” she asked after watching him flip through letters one after another without pausing.

His reply? “If it’s not in the first sentence, I don’t read it.” People who wrote flowery introductions to their letters had no hope of communicating their messages to this impatient reader.

Your solution

You can reach impatient readers by getting to your point in your first sentence. Tell your readers what you want – and why it should matter to them. For example, “Here’s a review of our recent meeting with a checklist of the actions you must take, so I can implement your plan.” Save the niceties for the end of your letter.

Some financial advisors think it’s rude to write a letter that doesn’t “make nice” for the entire paragraph. Indeed, some of your readers may prefer a leisurely, chatty introduction.

However, a letter that immediately gets to the point is kinder to your readers. It relieves them of the burden of searching through your letter to figure out what you want. You’ll benefit, too. More readers will do what you want when you’re clear up front.

Take a second look at your most recent letter. Is it direct enough?

Should you go bold?

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Bold type, which is thicker than regular type, can make it easier for readers to grasp your meaning. This happens only if you bold wisely. Go overboard with bold, and you may lose readers.

When to bold

Here are three ways I’d use bold in a blog post:

1.  Bold your headings or the first part of your numbered lists. I’m a big fan of headings as visual indicators of your main points as well as your shifts from one point to another. This goes for bolding new points on your list, but only when the bolded text is followed by plain text. A whole block of bold text is hard to read.

2.  Bold the key sentence in one or more paragraphs. Michael Katz of Blue Penguin does this well in his newsletter.

3.  Use bold for one key sentence. It could be the eye-catching content that draws readers to your blog post. Or the “call to action” that invites your readers to contact you.

Bold vs. heading format

Your choice of how to highlight your text may affect how well it is picked up by online search engines.

Some folks have told me that any bolded words are given more weight by search engines. On the other hand, Beth Graddon-Hodgson of WriteSourcing told me this only applies to text that is emphasized by a heading tag, so the text is treated as a title. However, this “subject is highly debated,” said Graddon-Hodgson. “Some people believe that ANY changes to text make a difference with SEO since they incorporate different coding.” Check with your SEO expert for the latest opinions on this debate.

Used wisely, bold can boost the impact of your writing. Give it a try!

WikiLeaks writing tip

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You can’t avoid the media’s coverage of WikiLeaks. An article in today’s New York Times focused on the high quality of the writing in the cables. Naturally, I was intrigued.

“The trick is to catch the reader’s attention,” advises Ambassador Richard Hoagland in his “Ambassador’s Cable Drafting Tips,” according to “Clinton Squeezes WikiLemons, Trying to Make Diplomatic Lemonade.” That’s a great idea. I wish more folks would think of the reader when they write.

Hoagland tells writers to get to the point in their subject lines. “The first three to five words are all they will see in their electronic queues.” He’s right. Remember this the next time you write an email.

Poll: Is the SEC’s plain language requirement for Form ADV Part 2 a good idea?

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SEC-registered advisors must rewrite Part 2 of their Form ADV using plain language. The requirement takes effect in 2011.

You won’t be surprised to learn that I favor plain language, but I’m curious to know what you think of the new requirement.

Please answer the poll in the right-hand column of my blog, asking  “What do you think of the plain language requirement for Form ADV Part 2?”

  • Bad idea
  • Okay, but will cost too much time and money
  • Good idea, but I’m not sure if it’ll be implemented effectively
  • Great idea, I’m looking forward to it
  • None of the above (please leave a comment)

By the way, the SEC’s plain English handbook is a great resource for your Form ADV rewrite, as Deborah Bosley and Libby Dubick point out in “Lemonade from legislative lemons: New ‘plain language’ rules for Form ADV give advisors a chance to stand out.” Investment News (Oct. 4, 2010, registration required).

Reader challenge: What’s the writing lesson from Physicians Mutual?

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You’re getting smarter about writing investment and financial communications, so I’m giving you a challenge: watch this video and then tell me what lesson it teaches writers.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Do the robin, the reindeer, and the building sing the same song?

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Your title, headings, and topics should all send the same message when you write a financial blog post, article, or white paper. I think of this metaphorically as “singing the same song.”

The sign that you in the photo made me think about the importance of “singing the same song.” Looking at the photo, can you tell what kind of business is represented? No?

Based solely on the sign saying “The Golden Robin” and the inflatable reindeer, I would never in a million years have guessed that this is a farm stand. Plus, a reindeer was out of season in August, when my husband took this photo on a bicycle ride.

Inspired by this mismatched image, here are some suggestions to help your writing sing:

1. It’s okay to get cute with your titles, but quickly address your real topic. After teasing you with my title, I got down to business in my first paragraph.

2. Use headings that sum up your main point.

3. Your title, headings, and content should all support your main argument. I could have blathered on about a better name for the farm or a bigger sign. But I chose instead to get to my lesson for writers.

P.S. If you enjoy bicycling, I recommend Westport, Mass., where this photo was taken. It’s very scenic. Plus, it’s nice to cool off at Horseneck Beach after a summer ride.

 

Note: edited on 12/11/20.

Blogging buddies: Financial bloggers’ secret weapons

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A blogging buddy could save your blog.

You probably know a financial planner, investment manager, or wealth manager whose blog started off strong, only to peter away after a few months. If you work well with a coach or other outsiders holding you accountable, a blogging buddy can keep you on track.

How it works: Buddies 101

You and your blogging buddy set goals. For example, your goal could be to post weekly to your blog or to draft at least five posts per month.

Next, you schedule regular check-ins with your buddy to report on your progress. You can communicate by phone, email, or whatever works for you.

Often this accountability is enough to keep bloggers on schedule. If it’s not, you can schedule brainstorming phone calls or meetings to break through your roadblocks. Sometimes talking about a problem will help you find a solution.

Taking it to the next level: Buddies 201

Advanced-level buddies give you feedback on your drafts in addition to holding you accountable.

Your buddy’s value depends on their expertise. A fellow financial professional can critique the accuracy of your content. A referral source or prospect can assess how effectively your content communicates their WIIFM (what’s in it for me). A good editor can tweak your grammar, punctuation, and writing style. If you’re lucky, you’ll find all of these skills in one person.

Potential buddy bonus

Find the right buddy, and you may gain a guest blogger in addition to accountability and editorial input. Blog posts from a non-competing financial advisor can relieve the grind of producing compelling posts week after week. The same thing goes for blog posts from professionals in allied fields. In fact, they can even draw more traffic to your blog.

Leave a comment below if you’re a financial planning, investment management, or wealth management professional who seeks a blogging buddy. Perhaps you’ll find a buddy among those who comment.

Image courtesy of Kevin Dooley via flickr

Effective writing and blogging is faster with a plan

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Effective writing takes time. This is true even for short pieces such as blog posts. So don’t beat yourself up if you feel as if you’re rowing upstream instead of kicking up wake as you speed ahead.

It took me slightly less than an hour to type, input, and proofread “Poll: “Investable” or “investible”–which spelling is correct?” my Sept. 7 blog post. That’s fast. At least for me.

I was able to write this quickly because I had a plan, which included:

  1. Clearly defining my topic as “Which spelling is correct?”
  2. Knowing where I’d do my research–I would pull references off my bookcase and do Google searches
  3. Having a structure in mind: First, the case for one spelling, then the case for the other spelling, and finally asking for readers’ opinions–This structure would work no matter what my research showed

These tips also helped me to create 31 posts for my May 2010 Blogathon. I posted daily to my blog for an entire month, including a 10-day vacation.

What plan do YOU use to speed up your writing or blogging? If you lack a plan, then sign up for “How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read.” You’ll learn a powerful process for writing blog posts.