Blog Archive — Rough Draft Solutions

Public speaking is one of the most critical forms of communication in the business world. It comes in all shapes and sizes, from introducing yourself at a networking event to being the keynote speaker at workshops and seminars.

Whether the speaking engagement is small or large, it can cause us to feel extremely nervous. According to Psychology Today, most people fear public speaking more than death! That is a lot of fear.

Sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves to speak perfectly that it causes us to overthink things.

PostedAugust 23, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesPublic Speaking, Small Business Owner, Rough Draft Solutions

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Most of us recognize when it is appropriate to write emails in a formal or informal tone. At work, we are told to error on the side of being too professional when communicating with coworkers, our boss, and our clients. We’re given the impression that it’s better to be safe than sorry and to be careful not to come off as too casual or worse, disrespectful.

But once you’ve formed strong relationships with coworkers and clients, wouldn’t it feel weird to be strictly professional in your emails? Shouldn’t your communication style reflect the connection and trust you’ve built over time? So, how do you walk the line between being professional and personable in your emails?

PostedAugust 16, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesInternal Communication, Strategic Communication, Tips, Writing, Small Business Owner, Personal Branding, Communication, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsEditing, Writing, Email, Small Business Owner

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I may be a little late to the podcasting craze, but I’m hooked. I recently got a new phone because mine jumped off a cliff (figuratively, not literally). When I got my fancy-dancy new phone, I got a free pair of Beats Wireless headphones (sadly, not sponsored!). New gadgets = revolutionized morning routine.

PostedAugust 9, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesInterview, Leadership, Marketing, Personal Branding, Small Business Owner, Rough Draft Solutions

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The truth of the matter is that some of us started blogging because someone told us we had to, and others started because they wanted to talk about their products and services. But those are not the right reasons to blog.

Watch our most recent video clip and learn about the top three blogging mistakes we encourage you not to make! Businesses who make these three mistakes are simply adding to the mountains of irrelevant content online and disappointing their customers by not offering the solutions they so desperately want.

PostedAugust 2, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesBlogging, Blogs, Communication, Video, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsVideo, Blogging, Blogging Tips

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What’s your home page saying about you? As the most viewed page on your website, your homepage should leave your audience intrigued and informed. What they should not be is bored, confused, or unsatisfied. If you don’t capture your current and potential customers’ attention quickly, they will leave. Seems like common knowledge, and yet, we come across poorly executed homepages every day!

What you include on your homepage sends your audience a message about what you think is most important for them to know, your approach to customer relationships, and why they should do business with you. Your homepage should direct your audience to where they should go next on your website and how they can get more information.

Your homepage is your 24/7 sales tool. Don’t screw it up.

PostedJuly 26, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesWebsite content, Writing, Tips, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsWebsite content, content development

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Love it or hate it, blogging is here to stay. Every week I meet business owners who ask me about whether or not they should be blogging. Most times, my answer is yes, but under one condition.

Don’t be a dummy.

Okay, that may not be quite what I say, but if you’re going to write a blog you need to follow some house-rules. The rules aren’t complicated, in fact, they aren’t too different from what your 7th grade English teacher taught you in regards to writing a paper.

Awhile back, we made this blog writing checklist for a training session we did with one of our clients. This checklist is a quick and easy way to make sure you cover all the bases before you publish your blog post. Use this checklist as you get started writing and before you know it, blog writing will become second nature.

PostedJune 28, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesBlogging, Content Marketing, Tips, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsBlogging, Tips, Search Engine Optimization

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If you published a powerful piece of content without your name on it, would your customers know it is from you? If you're not sure, you've got some work to do.

One of the most important things you can do when it comes to marketing is to create a business voice that stands out and is easy to connect with. Remember, we've gotten away from just selling our products through content and are now focused on producing value and telling stories. To do this effectively you must create a style and tone for your business that can be used across all platforms and documents.

Remember, your customers probably won’t acknowledge that you have a set style in place because they will be too caught up in effortlessly reading your content (and that is what you want!). And often, if they do notice your writing style and tone it's when something is off and your cadence/approach/perspective doesn't match what they are familiar with.

Let's dig into why you need to establish your business voice (more specifically, your writing style and tone) sooner than later and lay out exactly how you're going to do that.

PostedJune 21, 2016

Author

CategoriesContent Marketing, Writing, Website content, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsWriting, Tips, Writing Style, Writing Tone

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When it comes to blogging, one crucial and often, overlooked aspects of blogging is finding the time to do it! The idea of having a thriving, popular blog sounds fantastic, but making it happen is another story. You may have a plethora of blog topics you want to publish, but it’s tricky to find the time to blog when you have a hectic schedule.

Today, I will give you tips that can help you thoughtfully plan your time and dismiss the overwhelming stresses, so you can bring your blog ideas to life.

PostedJune 14, 2016

Author

CategoriesBlogging, Getting Started, Tips, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsBlogging, Blogging Tips, Writing, Content Marketing

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Content developers and website designers go hand-in-hand. Whether your website designer is building you a brand new website, or if you’re going through a website refresh, it’s important that your website tells your story. So what does your web designer really want from you? Content.

When it comes to website content, we’re talking more than simply text and pictures. For Klimb Creative, we want to know the nitty gritty details so we know how to build and structure your website. Here are a few basic elements we want to know:

PostedMay 24, 2016

Author

CategoriesWebsite content, Tips, Technology, Strategic Communication, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsWeb Design, Website content, Technology, Strategic Communication

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While you may not want to accept the fact that your brochures are a bit boring and ugly, don’t be too discouraged. You don’t need to be a professional designer in order to create a polished piece. However, before you go all DIY crazy, there are 5 major mistakes you need to avoid.

PostedMay 17, 2016

Author

CategoriesBrochures, Digital media, Tips, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsBrochures, Design, Design tips, Business Branding

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We are excited to welcome back our guest bloggers content strategist, Allison Spooner and tech enthusiast, Jesse Flores. In today’s blog post, they will explain the steps your business should take to create a customer persona. This is an important step to take to not only improve your business and marketing strategies, but to also truly get in touch with your customers needs.

We are confident Allison and Jesse will help you master the process of creating the perfect persona for your business! Read on!

PostedMay 10, 2016

Author

CategoriesCustomer Relations, Strategic Communication, Small Business Owner, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsExternal Communication, Customer Persona

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Are you still debating whether or not your business should have a blog? We think it’s time to make up your mind - and to start blogging!

Maybe you’re hesitant to start a blog because you think “No one will read it,” or “I have nothing to say…” Don’t worry, you’re not alone in this thinking. But you are wrong! We are fairly certain that you have a lot to share in your realm of expertise - and trust us, if it is unique, valuable content, people will read it!

Before I started working for Rough Draft Solutions, I had written one… maybe two blog posts ever. Now, I write one or two posts per week! Turning a blank screen into a page filled with high-quality, appealing, and informative content hasn’t been easy, but it has been beneficial to RDS, our clients, and myself as a professional.

After writing blogs on a consistent basis for almost a year, I have learned A TON about blogging. In part 1 of Business Blogging , I will cover the 6 things your company is missing out on by not blogging and what you need to do to get started. Writing blog posts consistently is not always an easy thing to do, but the benefits blogging brings to a business makes it worth it.

PostedMay 3, 2016

Author

CategoriesBlogging, Communication, Customer Relations, Trusted Partner, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsBlogging, Business blog, Strategic Communication, Customer Engagement

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Owning a business can offer the most rewarding and most stressful experiences of your life - sometimes all in the same day! There are days where you ask yourself, why did I wait so long to do this?! And others, where you wonder, what in the world was I thinking?! The beauty of business ownership is that it is a constant learning experience, and you have the power to make the experience what you want. You have the ability to positively influence others, to make a difference for your customers, and ultimately, make your dream job a reality.

While I am all about positivity and looking on the bright side, I also value being frank and realistic. I thought it may be helpful for other entrepreneurs or aspiring business owners to hear a peer’s perspective on the good, the bad, and the ugly of owning a business. Hopefully, we can lift one another up and remember that the hard days aren’t so bad, and the good days are worth working for!

PostedApril 26, 2016

Author

CategoriesBusiness Leadership, Getting Started, Small Business Owner, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsSmall Business Owner, Entrepreneurs, Trusted Partner

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Turning a blank page into a piece of engaging and sophisticated content is a tough task. There are some days where the amount of creativity spilling out of you is utterly ridiculous, and your swift typing fingers can hardly keep up with your ideas. And then there are days where you can’t seem to think of a solid concept, let alone write it down.

Being a writer for Rough Draft Solutions has been so much fun and such a blessing, but believe me - there are days where writer’s block gets the best of me, and I stare at my laptop for probably way too long. Every writer experiences writer’s block at some point, and each person handles it differently.

Before throwing in the towel or overstressing and freaking out that you can’t get over your writer’s block, here are some tips on ways you can cope, manage, and beat writer’s block when writing for your business. Some methods may work for you and some may not, but there are plenty of different efforts you can try to beat writer’s block and make creativity your friend again.

PostedApril 13, 2016

Author

CategoriesTips, Writing, Communication, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsWriter's Block, Writing, Writing tips, Food For Thought

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I know your secret… You don’t have a marketing department, and you’re kind of embarrassed about it.

It’s okay, I promise. You’re not alone. In fact, there are more businesses than you can imagine that don’t have a marketing department. These include businesses that employ as few as five people and companies with more than 500. And it’s not necessarily because they don’t want to have a marketing team. It’s simply a result of not having the resources to put one in place, not realizing the need, or more commonly, not realizing the opportunities you’re missing.

PostedApril 5, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesContent Marketing, Getting Started, Marketing, Small Business Owner, Rough Draft Solutions

Tagsmarketing, Small business, Strategic Communication

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Since grade school, we are taught to use “Well” instead of “Good,” “I’ instead of “Me,” and “May I” instead of “Can I.” When people correct us, does our grammar become perfect? Do we implement everything we’ve ever been corrected on? No, of course not.

As a young 8-year-old, I was a patient student and a sharp listener. While my classmates were fond of math and science, I was focused on perfecting every spelling test and became fascinated by the new world of commas. My class fell silent when we discussed grammar and spelling, but I was always eager to show off my knowledge. The teacher would finally ask, “Emily, where should the comma go?” “Before the conjunction,” I would say, keeping my reserved character, of course, so my friends wouldn’t think I was annoying.

PostedMarch 22, 2016

Author

CategoriesWriting, Communication, Trusted Partner, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsWriting, Grammar, Effective Communication, Professional Communication, Writing tips

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Do you ever feel like you’ve lost your voice? That somehow in the rush of it all, you’ve lost track of your unique ideas, opinions, or perspective? As a small business owner, a writer, and a consultant, I feel like somewhere along the way I got so caught up in “building a business” that I forgot that at the heart and soul of this business was one single person…. Me.

Uffda. Losing your voice as a writer is a hard thing to admit, but I think it is important that I do. To take ownership of Rough Draft Solutions, to get back on my own two feet, and to feel proud of what I am doing, I have some owning-up to do.

PostedMarch 16, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesCustomer Relations, Small Business Owner, Leadership, Rough Draft Solutions

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