Completed Projects & New Clients

Hello!

Happy Friday! It has been raining all morning and all I want to do is go sit in front of the fire with a hot cup of coffee. Ah, coffee. I haven’t had any in two and a half weeks! (If you know me well, you know I used to drink at least 3 cups a day.) I won’t get into it but I have been on an awesome detox directed by Back to Basics Healthy Living and no caffeine is allowed (amongst many other things). It is quite a feat considering all we have accomplished here at Rough Draft Solutions without any coffee involved! Despite over extending my will power during this detox, I am feeling better than ever. -- All joking aside, this weekend we are headed out of state and it is threatening to snow. Way. Too. Early. If it snows, I am definitely going to give in and have a nice hot cup of jo.

Anyhow, how was your week? What was your biggest accomplishment so far? Around here we have been having fun finishing up some great projects.

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AuthorAmanda Washburn
CategoriesFood for Thought, Marketing, Writing, Customer Relations, Communication
TagsEntrepreneurs, Networking, Video, Blogs
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3 Ways to Make Proofreading Worthwhile

In the last few months I have noticed that one of people's biggest fears of writing content about their business is the fear of publishing something with embarrassing errors.  All too often, when we are faced with the responsibility of writing something official about our business - whether it is a newsletter, a brochure or maybe even a presentation, we become paralyzed by the sheer thought of writing something incorrectly. We also fear writing something boring. Sometimes we push the project aside and never write it, or we write it, cringe, close our eyes and push "Print" - hoping for the best. Here are two important tips to help ensure that your content is accurate and also appeals to your audience.

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AuthorAmanda Washburn
CategoriesRough Draft Solutions, Content Marketing, Writing, Internal Communication
TagsEditing, Internal communication, External Communication
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A Key to Customer Engagement: Consistency

Consistency is key. This topic has been coming up repeatedly the last few weeks. When companies are struggling to create a strong brand or to effectively engage their customers, a lack of consistency is usually the root of the problem.  Being consistent is important in two core areas of your business.

First, it is imperative that you are consistent with what you are saying about your company. While it is important to share different information about your organization, your customer needs to be able to quickly identify that the content is coming from you. Whether you are posting on a blog, publishing a newsletter, or simply posting on Facebook, can your reader easily identify what your values are as a company? Is your identity clear? Do you use one tone for all of your content? 

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AuthorAmanda Washburn
CategoriesBlogs, Communication, Customer Relations, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions
TagsBrand, Consistency, Content Development, Customer Engagement
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Recent Projects & Light Reading

Happy Friday!

How has your week been? It is hard to believe that we are halfway through August! The project list has been pretty full over here at Rough Draft Solutions – but that is a wonderful thing! In the time that I have been a business owner I have learned one thing for sure - there is an ebb and flow to the number of projects that come to fruition. It seems the art of business success is in managing those ups and downs and establishing systems to help create a balance between actual project work and the effort to find work for the future.

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AuthorAmanda Washburn
CategoriesFood for Thought, Marketing, Newsletter, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions
TagsBusiness owner, Business, Marketing, Articles
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4 Ways to Take Your Content to the Next Level

Writing can be tough. Especially if you are editing your own work. But creating new and fresh content is essential to making your marketing and communication efforts successful. When you are writing and wanting to make sure that your content is up to snuff, check your content to see if it is:

  1. Clear: Can the reader quickly understand your message and grasp the value of what you are sharing? If they have to read the text twice, it is not clear enough. Make sure that your grammar is correct and your sentences flow well. Your writing should be crystal clear and should be written with your audience in mind. If your audience is likely not as technical as you are, make sure to write in a manner that that leaves them craving more information, not confused and frustrated. 
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AuthorAmanda Washburn
CategoriesWriting, Rough Draft Solutions, Content Marketing, Communication
TagsWriting, Tips, Editing, Content Development
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How to Engage Your Customers with Relevant Content

Well, it is officially June. I am not quite sure how we got here, as it seems like we totally skipped spring.  As our routines often change during the summer months, I want to take a moment and remind you of the value of ramping up your business's communication efforts. Whether you have a manufacturing business, a retail shop or maybe even an insurance agency, your customers are out and about and may have a little more time on their hands. We have all experienced the drudgery of the winter months and it is a good idea to break out of our comfort zones. This means challenging yourself to proactively engage your customers and let them know what is new with your business. Here are a few ideas of topics you could discuss with your customers and ways you could reach out to them.

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AuthorAmanda Washburn
CategoriesRough Draft Solutions, Strategic Communication, Writing, Communication
TagsEffective Communication, Customer Relationships, Newsletters
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