Yes, I know, moving is a pain. Juggling the culling, the packing (the culling, the packing) with living and working isn’t an art I have any desire to master. And our move (from Greenville, SC, all the way down the yellow brick road to Kansas City, Kansas) was even more eventful than it should have been. But I’m still writing a post about why I love moving.
Why? Because I’m overly fond of my comfort zone. I’ve been living within the same lines for more years than I care to think about. And moving has effectively pushed me to color way, way, way outside the lines!
I’m not comfortable. I’m adjusting to a new town, a new job and new responsibilities while still trying to keep up with all my old responsibilities and interests. But I’m also dreaming. Still thinking big. Thinking differently than I did before. Seeing new opportunities where before I saw only obstacles.
So I’m thankful for this move. Despite feeling an intense sense of insecurity at least once a day, I’m more confident than ever that this move was the right move to make.
I would love to hear how you’ve managed moving. Any tips on meeting new people and getting to know a new town? Please pass them my way!
Posted in SZC Communications.
Tagged with Greenville, Kansas, Kansas City, moving, Olathe, Overland Park, South Carolina.
By Sarah Z. Cordell
– September 1, 2010
In its broadest sense, all marketing is content marketing, because all marketing involves content. However, most users of the phrase “content marketing” mean something a little different.
Back in the day, marketing was often synonymous with advertising. You ran an ad in this paper or that magazine and hoped to see the results in your bottom line. While advertising is still a big part of marketing, the scope of marketing has expanded to include many different types of content with many different aims.
Content marketing, as the phrase is used now, is the attempt to create a strategy for the content brands publish in support of specific marketing goals, typically brand loyalty, awareness and support.
As content marketing has grown in popularity, so have the resources available for using and understanding it. One of my favorites is Junta42. In addition to being a great resource in and of itself, it’s a portal for connecting with other content marketing professionals. I always learn a lot when I visit this site!
So I’m curious… what does content marketing mean to you?
Posted in Communications.
Tagged with content marketing.
By Sarah Z. Cordell
– July 9, 2010
As you’ve probably noticed, I’ve been a little bit scarce around The Pink Pen Blog lately. Yes, I’ve had a lot of stuff going on (moving, growing a business, all that fun stuff!), but those are just excuses. The reason I haven’t been writing as much as I should is that I haven’t been taking my own advice. Up until about two weeks ago, I didn’t have an editorial calendar for this blog.
Why should that matter, you ask? Editorial calendars can make fulfilling your commitment to a long-term project, like a blog, much easier. If you’ve ever sat down at a blank page and come up with just that — a blank — then you should spend some time developing an editorial calendar.
OK, great, you want an editorial calendar. So now what?
- Create your frame. Have fun with this part (the brainstorming, strategizing, dreaming big dreams part). Need help getting started? Try writing down the answers to these questions:
- Who is your target audience?
- What are you trying to achieve?
- Where are you going to publish?
- How often are you going to publish?
- How far out will your editorial calendar go?
- Develop your topics. I decided in my Pink Pen brainstorming session that I wanted to write about communications (kind of makes sense, right?) as well as the industries that I do a lot of writing for. I also decided that I’m going to update this blog twice a week. From there, it was an easy leap to say I’ll write one point a week on communications and one post a week on an industry topic. I chose specific communications topics for each month (July is all about planning your writing) and specific industries for different weeks (this week is content marketing).
- Be as specific as you need to be. Many writers are content with an editorial calendar as detailed as what I’ve just described. Others, like myself, like to do a bit more planning, which is why my Pink Pen editorial calendar includes an actual topic for each post. If your work involves contributions from others, more detail — an outline, word lengths, photo requirements, etc. — can help you keep your project on track and elevate the quality of the work you receive.
Posted in Communications, SZC Communications, Writing.
Tagged with Communications, editorial calendar, writer's block, Writing.
By Sarah Z. Cordell
– July 6, 2010
I don’t personally know anyone with Alzheimer’s disease. I do, however, know a lot about it, as I’ve been writing about the disease for almost a decade now. Patti Davis, daughter of Ronald Reagan, called it “The Long Goodbye,” a poetic description for a disease that gradually robs its sufferers of their livelihood and lives.
So the statistics quoted in a recent Alzheimer’s Association publication, “Changing the Trajectory of Alzheimer’s Disease: A National Imperative,” are very striking to me. By 2050, as many as 13.5 million Americans older than 65 will be suffering from Alzheimer’s disease; the cost of caring for those 13.5 million could be as much as $20 trillion.
Twenty trillion is a number I have a hard time fathoming. But I know that number is small in comparison to the suffering Alzheimer’s disease causes, which we have no way to quantify.
But in contrast to these grim statistics, the publication cites a ray of hope. We can reduce the number of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease by 1.6 million by 2020. To do so, however, we must find a treatment that delays the onset of the disease by five years. And we have to find that treatment fast; to achieve that reduction in Alzheimer’s sufferers, this as-yet undiscovered treatment must be in effect by 2015.
The challenges in finding these effective therapies, though, are many:
- Challenge 1: Scientists aren’t sure what causes Alzheimer’s disease. The prevailing theory blames amyloid plaque within the brain that causes neurons to die. But I’ve read at least one challenging theory that asserts that these plaques are actually the brain’s attempt to protect itself from a different, destructive pathology.
- Challenge 2: Doctor’s can’t currently diagnose Alzheimer’s disease with any certainty. The most accurate diagnosis you’ll receive is “probable Alzheimer’s.” Designing an effective therapy would be greatly aided by the ability to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease with certainty.
- Challenge 3: Alzheimer’s disease, for a long time, is silent. By the time symptoms begin expressing themselves, the brain has already suffered extensive damage. Therapies that might be effective at delaying the onset of the disease may be ineffective against the damage symptomatic sufferers have already experienced.
Does this mean the fight against Alzheimer’s is hopeless? Anything but. I continually read study synopses that promise hope by shedding a small ray of light on the mystery that is Alzheimer’s disease. And one of my greatest hopes is that, one day, I’ll be able to write about the test, therapy or treatment that will effectively eradicate this disease from our world.
For that reason, and for the millions of AD sufferers and their families, the charity I’ve chosen to support this quarter is the South Carolina Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Posted in Alzheimer's disease, SZC Communications.
Tagged with Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's disease, Changing the Trajectory of Alzheimer's disease, charity, giving back.
By Sarah Z. Cordell
– July 1, 2010
I like the exclamation point. This delightfully designed piece of punctuation says, “Action! Excitement! Movement! Thrills! Laughter!” When used too much, though, the exclamation point also says, “Lazy writing! Unprofessional comments! Over-the-top enthusiasm bordering on mania! Annoying!”
I’ve found that the exclamation point is easy to overuse, especially in casual communications. Am I trying to be funny? Send in the exclamation point: Eating, for a toddler, is a whole-body experience! Am I trying to muster enthusiasm? Here comes that exclamation point: Getting ready for my morning run! Woo-hoo!
Why You Shouldn’t Over Use the Exclamation Point
The exclamation point is most effective when used sparingly. When you use it excessively, you actually achieve the opposite effect that you want. Instead of helping your readers feel your excitement by varying the tone of your writing, you flatten that tone by trying to artificially elevate it. You also run the risk of just being annoying.
I can’t give you a definitive rule for when to use an exclamation point. However, I don’t think you should see much more than one or two in a given text. I’ve already exceeded my quota, so I guess that means I better stop now!
Posted in Punctuation, The Basics.
Tagged with exclamation point, Punctuation, Writing.
By Sarah Z. Cordell
– June 29, 2010
