Blog Archive — Rough Draft Solutions

Yesterday was one for the books. I, along with three other business leaders in the Lansing area, spoke at the Branding and Marketing Bootcamp facilitated by RING (Lansing's Innovation Network) and powered by LEAP (Lansing Economic Area Partnership.) Speakers included Laurie Lonsdorf with the Lansing SBDC, Melissa Meshke with Michigan Creative and Amber Shinn with the MSU Innovation Center.

34 local business entrepreneurs and professionals came together to learn about the basics of branding, strategic ways to use social media and video, public relations 101 and the power of content marketing. The bootcamp was in an ideal location at the 300 Room which is next to The Hatch Incubators and the Technology Innovation Center. With comfy chairs, state of the art technology, Bloom coffee and delicious pastries, we were spoiled! Ah, what a day!

PostedFebruary 20, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesContent Marketing, Marketing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsContent Marketing, Content Development, Marketing Lansing

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Ta-da! I am so excited to share our new marketing piece with you! While I may be biased, I am thrilled to have a leave-behind that clearly articulates what we do and how we can help you as a small business owner.

It's funny, even though I help businesses craft messages that showcase what they do and the value they provide on a daily basis, it was hard for me to do it for my own business! I suppose it was good for me to see what my clients experience. :)

PostedFebruary 6, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesContent Marketing, Communication, Rough Draft Solutions, Writing

TagsContent Marketing, Content Development, Marketing

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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

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Did you survive the first full week of work after the holidays? I hope so! My family rang in the New Year in Florida and I couldn't be more thankful for the restorative and much-enjoyed break. But now it's go-time. And if my inbox full of emails wasn't enough to bring me back to reality, the more than 80-degree change sure did! ;)

So, it's really 2015 huh? We all have a clean slate and 2015 is just waiting for us to do what we want with it. Let's put the seemingly required "work out" resolutions aside for a moment and think about real goals and aspirations that you want to work toward and changes you want to make a reality for your business this year. Here are a few questions to help you start brainstorming (Don't feel bad, while it may be the second week of January, it's always better to start late than never!).

PostedJanuary 9, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesCommunication, Tips, To Do Lists, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsBusiness Goals, Business owner, Tips

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Words matter. The way we talk about our business matters. The way we write about our business matters. The way we communicate with our customers matters. While people may not remember exactly what we say, it is a well-known fact that they will remember how we make them feel. Here are a few important questions to ask yourself as you consider how you make your customers feel with the way you communicate with them about your business.

Do you try to make your customers feel like a valued part of your business community? Do they know you care about their opinions? Do they hear from you consistently enough to feel remembered?

PostedDecember 12, 2014

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesCustomer Relations, Content Marketing, Food for Thought, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsCommunication, customer relationships, Writing

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Thanksgiving is less than a week from now. The last few days I have been consumed with thoughts of gratefulness and happiness about owning my own business. I can't explain the value of the freedom that it brings to my life. I wanted to share a few of these little bits of happiness with you. What are you most thankful for professionally?

8 things I am thankful for (in no particular order):

The ability to own a business and the creative opportunities available to me. Working with such a variety of small businesses and helping them share their stories is so rewarding. One of my favorite parts is sitting down with a customer and hearing their story and helping them articulate it in a way that will engage their customers.

PostedNovember 21, 2014

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesCommunication, Content Marketing, Getting Started, Food for Thought

TagsThankful, Jackson Marketing, Lansing Marketing, Business owner, Work Life Balance

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"The truth is, what you do matters. What you do today matters. What you do every day matters. Successful people just do the things that seem to make no difference in the act of doing them and they do them over and over and over until the compound effect kicks in.”
― Jeff Olson, The Slight Edge: Secret to a Successful Life

I love this idea. You can apply this concept to whatever element of life is most relevant to you at the moment. Whether you are trying to lose weight, save money or start a new business, you need to do things over and over and over again before there will be any sign of growth or improvement. What you do matters. What you do today matters.

PostedNovember 7, 2014

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesCommunication, Content Marketing, Customer Relations, Rough Draft Solutions, Tips

TagsMarketing Tips, Jackson Marketing, Lansing Marketing, Blogging Tips

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Email marketing and social media have been a focus of our project work lately, so today we have created a round-up of interesting articles for you to read. So many business owners are faced with the feeling that they have to be on social media and they need to be sending out emails. Instead of being deliberate and planning things out, they often post or email haphazardly. Not necessarily a recipe for success.

These articles offer unique and relevant tips that you can start implementing today! Enjoy!

PostedOctober 24, 2014

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesTips, Email Marketing, Social Media, Rough Draft Solutions, Writing, Newsletter

TagsEmail Marketing, Social Media, Copywriter Lansing, tips, Email Marketing Tips, Social media tips, Article roundup

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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

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As promised, I am trying to add some more personality to this little website of mine - and what better way to do it than a video? :) This Monday I met up with Cooper Spaulding from Cold Box Films in Okemos, MI. It was a chilly morning, but the sun was perfect and after scoping out a few locations, we found the perfect place.

I will admit, I was a little nervous about how I would act once there was a camera in my face. (Why is it that we make such weird facial expressions and come up with strange phrases as soon as the record button has been pressed?) After a few encouraging words from Cooper and a couple takes, we called it a wrap! Honestly, the entire filming process only took 30 minutes! And because Cold Box Films is so awesome, I had the video the same day!

PostedOctober 10, 2014

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesContent Marketing, Digital media, Technology, Video, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsVideography, Communication, Video Tips, Copywriter

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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.

PostedOctober 3, 2014

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesFood for Thought, Marketing, Writing, Customer Relations, Communication

TagsEntrepreneurs, Networking, Video, Blogs

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Hello!

How are you doing on this fine Friday afternoon? I hope it finds you doing well and enjoying the beautiful weather we are having here in Michigan. What are you up to this weekend? I have family coming into town and we are going to spend as much of it outside as possible! Whatever you are up to, I hope you get the perfect balance of relaxation and adventure.

To switch gears completely... I must apologize for something. The mistake I have made is something I advise my clients against and that I always thought I understood.

PostedSeptember 26, 2014

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesBlogs, Communication, Food for Thought, Customer Relations

TagsRough Draft Solutions, Personality, Blogs, Professional Communication, Authentic Communication

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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

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I know we are well into the year, but I thought this video was a neat look into the current trends and what is to come in 2015. Often it is a challenge to keep up with all of the social media trends and demands, but I don't think small business can get away from it. This video was created by InfoGraphicsDesign. What are your thoughts on these trends? What are you doing to stay active on social media?

PostedSeptember 11, 2014

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesMarketing, Social media, Digital media, Trends, Rough Draft Solutions, Video

TagsDigital media, Trends, Video, Social Media, Marketing

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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.

PostedSeptember 3, 2014

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesRough Draft Solutions, Content Marketing, Writing, Internal Communication

TagsEditing, Internal communication, External Communication

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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?

PostedAugust 20, 2014

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesBlogs, Communication, Customer Relations, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsBrand, Consistency, Content Development, Customer Engagement

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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.

PostedAugust 15, 2014

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesFood for Thought, Marketing, Newsletter, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsBusiness owner, Business, Marketing, Articles

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Today marks the first day of August. As many of you probably can relate, I feel like the summer is just speeding by. July was filled with meeting a lot of great business owners and starting some new and exciting projects. August looks very promising in terms of taking on challenging projects, building strong relationships and taking this business to the next level. Throughout the past few weeks I have become more aware of how thankful I am to be a business owner. There is so much creative freedom and fulfilling responsibility that comes with owning a business. I'd like to start the month by creating a list of a few things that I am thankful for in terms of this company. What are you thankful for in your job?

PostedAugust 1, 2014

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesCommunication, Food for Thought, Rough Draft Solutions, Small Business Owner

TagsThankful, Marketing, Communication, Business owner, New Beginning

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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:

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.

PostedJuly 23, 2014

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesWriting, Rough Draft Solutions, Content Marketing, Communication

TagsWriting, Tips, Editing, Content Development

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Technology is a wonderful, beautiful and very useful element of our everyday lives. It is also completely consuming and addictive. Up until a year ago I defiantly held out on buying a smart phone. My husband and I were actually proud to still have "dumb phones." We felt empowered to simply enjoy the moment we were in and to abstain from having to take a picture of even the most mundane dinners. We didn't understand the world of hashtags and we reveled in the freedom that we experienced from our jobs. I often thought, "No, I will not be checking my email every five minutes when I am away from the office, thank you very much." We may have even been a little (or in my case, very) judgmental of the people playing Candy Crush at the dinner table or texting while with friends.

PostedJuly 11, 2014

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesCommunication, Technology, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsTechnology, Technology addiction, Smart Phones, Laptop, Staying connected

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