Blog Archive — Rough Draft Solutions

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

CommentPost a comment

Moment of truth: I had no clue what content marketing was when I started working at Rough Draft Solutions (RDS).Thankfully, after a year of working at RDS, I’ve got an idea of what content creation strategies businesses should be using.

The amount of advertisements we see each day is excessive. Businesses are striving to show off their brands and attract potential customers, but if they are strictly relying on self-promoting ads, they are missing the mark. If companies want to make a meaningful impact on their customers and extend their reach, they need to produce value-focused, authentic, and hard-hitting content.

PostedJuly 5, 2016

Author

CategoriesCustomer Relations, Food for Thought, Content Marketing, Strategic Communication

TagsContent Marketing, Customer Persona, Customer Relationships

CommentPost a comment

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

1 CommentPost a comment

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

CommentPost a comment

The purpose of your business’s website is to provide your customers with information about your company’s products, services, and brand, but is that all it should be doing? Your website has the power to entertain, educate, and delight your customers. Your business may be open 9 to 5, but your website is available to the public 24/7. Are you confident it is working for you? The key to ensuring your potential customers understand how you can help them and are interested enough to contact relies on one simple thing. Your website content.

Today we will explore how to write engaging website content that will captivate your customers and impact your business in a positive way.

PostedJanuary 20, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesWebsite content, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions, Strategic Communication

TagsWebsite content, Content marketing, writing

CommentPost a comment

Before hiring a new employee, there are dozens of factors to consider. Businesses want employees to have a positive attitude, strong loyalty, and compelling creativity. However, it is arguable that the number one asset companies are looking for in candidates is effective communication and writing skills. Why is this so necessary for the job market you may ask? Today, we will explain why your ability to write and communicate effectively in business will never be obsolete.

PostedJanuary 13, 2016

Author

CategoriesCustomer Relations, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions, Strategic Communication

CommentPost a comment

As an avid writer, you systematically double check your commas, intently review your grammar usage, and triple proofread your content. Once these tasks are complete, what is the next step? There are many similar tips that float around the Internet of how to become better writers and how to improve your editing processes, but what do you do if you want to refine yourself as a writer on a daily basis? Writing clear messages, staying professional, and captivating your readers with descriptive language is a strong start, but how can you make sure your skills are as sharp as possible?

PostedDecember 2, 2015

Author

CategoriesWriting, Strategic Communication, Tips, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsWriting tips, Small business, Grammar, Professional communication

CommentPost a comment

The first blog post in our Pinterest for Business Series, “Why Your Business Needs to Be on Pinterest,” discussed the two major reasons why Pinterest is beneficial for your business:

#1 It generates sales

#2 It drives traffic to your website

While our hope is that our first post inspired you to create an account for your business, you may be scratching your head as to what to do next. How should you brand your page? How do you gain a steady following? Which resources can help you create eye-catching pins? And most importantly, what is the secret to creating a successful Pinterest page for your business?

PostedOctober 8, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesPinterest, Social media, Strategic Communication, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsPinterest, Social Media, Social media tips, Pinterest tips, Lansing Copywriter, Small business

CommentPost a comment

As we work to provide insightful and informative content on our blog about different aspects of business and content marketing, we wanted to take a moment to share more about what goes on here at Rough Draft Solutions!

The focus of our business is creating content worth reading. We strive to empower businesses to communicate with their customers in an effective and authentic way. In today’s world, businesses are communicating with their customers through websites, blogs, and newsletters. The challenge is knowing how to produce content effectively, how to write professionally, and realistically, how to get it done!

PostedSeptember 9, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesContent Marketing, Writing, Strategic Communication, Trusted Partner, Rough Draft Solutions

CommentPost a comment

The English language is arguably the most complicated language of them all. It has a structure that is vastly different from many foreign languages and rules with the logic that states, “Just because.” With a language like this, it’s almost too easy to make a mistake. There are those of us who catch these mistakes quickly and others who aren’t as tuned-in to the depths of language. For any writer, it’s hard not to become frustrated with the ins and outs of English grammar.

PostedJuly 27, 2015

Author

CategoriesWriting, Strategic Communication, Communication, Blogging, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsGrammar, Writing tips

CommentPost a comment

For someone who doesn’t consider themselves much of a writer, the writing process can be fairly intimidating. But writing doesn’t have to be unbearable and scary. And more importantly, writing plays kind of a large part in creating content for your business and is an ideal way to connect with your customers.

Here are a few tips that will help you become a better business writer and improve the way you communicate with your customers.

PostedJuly 23, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesWriting, Strategic Communication, Rough Draft Solutions, Communication

TagsWriting, Writing tips, Content Marketing

CommentPost a comment

Writing for business is simple! You combine words together in sentences to communicate your thoughts and concepts and you're good to go, right? We wish!

If the goal is to inform, engage, and excite customers with our content, we must take it a step further. Just as a rookie athlete needs to practice to achieve perfection, we as business writers need to practice the skills it takes to connect with our readers. We need to be intentional in order to provide the value they're looking for, and ultimately, present interesting content they will rely on!

Today we will share 6 aspects of writing you can work on to gain the skills to produce polished and appealing content for your business.

PostedJuly 6, 2015

Author

CategoriesBlogging, Content Marketing, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions, Strategic Communication

TagsContent Marketing, Writing tips

CommentPost a comment

How many businesses can you think of that communicate well about the unique solutions they offer? Sure, being able to tell your customers about the products and services you sell is pretty mandatory. But what about sharing what makes you tick? What about creating content that adds value to your customers’ lives? Can you think of any businesses you know that communicate in that way?

While at the heart of many business owners is a burning passion for what they do and a clear reason they went into business, it’s not always easy for them to communicate these purposes with their customers. And yet, this is what consumers are desperately looking for.

PostedMay 29, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesContent Marketing, Strategic Communication, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsQuality content, Lansing Marketing, Lansing Business, Writing tips

CommentPost a comment

We are so excited to share with you a wonderful article that was written about Rough Draft Solutions by Capital Gains. As a small business owner, it is fantastic to be supported by such a great organization. We hope you enjoy the article!

Amanda Washburn understands what a blank screen is all about. She's a writer.

Armed with that core knowledge, Washburn decided she would help others fill the void and fine-tune what they had started. So in January 2014, she filled her virtual red pens and sharpened her cyber pencils and set in motion a business that provides strategic writing, editing and marketing solutions for small businesses.

PostedMay 4, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesStrategic Communication, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsWriting Lansing, Editing Lansing, Small business

CommentPost a comment

You may or may not be familiar with content marketing, but it is high time that you get to know it a little better.

In a world where we are inundated with advertisements, emails and social media updates every waking minute of our day, it is hard to imagine how businesses can successfully connect with their customers in a meaningful way.

I will be honest, even in my profession, I find myself ignoring the many corporate email newsletters and social media promotions I see. There are, however, posts that I take the time to read and pay attention to - and you know what they have in common?

PostedJanuary 30, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesContent Marketing, Strategic Communication, Writing, Digital media, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsContent Development, Content Marketing, Writing, Marketing Tips

CommentPost a comment

Opportunities come from places that you least expect them. Professional relationships are one of the many elements that influence how you come across these opportunities. There are many different tips out there that explain how to maintain these relationships, but we know networking is a definite path that can lead you to creating those great connections. Several people have mixed feelings about networking, but fear not! Networking doesn't have to be as scary as you might make it out to be.

Today we will provide you with 5 unique networking tips that can take your connections to the next level.

PostedOctober 17, 2014

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesMarketing, Strategic Communication, Networking

TagsLansing Networking, Jackson Networking, Copywriter

CommentPost a comment

am currently reading the book Epic Content Marketing by Joe Pulizzi. While I am not very far into the book, I wanted to share some interesting thoughts from it.

Discerning the difference between content marketing and traditional marketing, may be a challenge for some. In an early part of the book, Pulizzi pulls together several definitions of content marketing, one of my favorites was the “Content Marketing: For Practitioners:”

“Content Marketing is about delivering the content your audience is seeking in all the places they are searching for it. It is the effective combination of created, curated and syndicated content.* Content marketing is the process of developing and sharing relevant, valuable, and engaging content to a target audience with the goal of acquiring new customers or increasing business from existing customers.**”

PostedSeptember 18, 2014

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesCustomer Relations, Strategic Communication, Content Marketing

TagsEpic Content Marketing, Joe Pulizzi, Communication, Customer Engagement, Content marketing, Content Development

CommentPost a comment

When faced with making the decision of starting an email newsletter or blog, a person experiences something much like coming to a fork in the road. Ultimately, you need to know what your ideal destination is. In marketing speak, you need to know what your top priorities are and what your goals are. Blogs and newsletters work well for creating engaging content and for communicating with your current and potential clients. They are very different mediums and do serve unique purposes. For today, let's focus on email newsletters... tune in next week for our take on blogs!

Email Newsletters 101:

Who receives it: Emailed directly to a list of current and potential clients that you have acquired. You have been given approval to add them to your distribution list. *Be very careful to not send out newsletters to lists you have purchased.

PostedJune 19, 2014

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesStrategic Communication, Newsletter, Rough Draft Solutions, Blogs, Writing

TagsBlogs, Email Newsletter, Credibility, Customer Engagement

CommentPost a comment