Mind Your Ands

We are always told to mind our Ps and Qs, but what about our ands? Shouldn’t we also be minding those as well?

It sure seems like many of today’s writers and content creators set out to cram every possible thought into a single paragraph-length sentence. But, this can easily confuse readers and force them to reread sentences over and over to determine which of the writer’s thoughts are joined by which and.

Why do they force so many words into each sentence? I was recently reading a report that got me thinking about this subject when I came across a sentence very similar to the one below:

We reviewed the infrastructure and networks that made up the wireless guest networks and the filtering and segmentation between the wireless guest networks and the wired corporate network and the encryption and authentication in use on both networks.

Look at all those ands in one sentence! Six ands!

When you are writing, be sure to count the number of times you use ‘and’ in each sentence. You should rarely have more than one or two, though in the right context, three ands can still make sense. But, once you approach the fourth, fifth, sixth (or even more) and in a single sentence, it is time to split that sentence up into multiple sentences and perhaps use some other conjunction or phrase.

As an example, see what I have done to our ‘six-and’ sentence example:

We reviewed the infrastructure and networks that made up the wireless guest networks, as well as the filtering and segmentation between the wireless guest networks and the wired corporate network. We also reviewed the encryption and authentication in use on both networks. 

You can see by changing one of the ands to ‘as well as’, and splitting the sentence into two sentences, I’ve essentially removed two of the ands. Also, neither sentence has more than three ands. The paragraph is now much easier to read.

So, when you are writing, please remember to limit the use of ‘and’ to no more than three instances per sentence. Your readers will thank you!

Graphic by William L. Savastano

The 5 Items You Should Actually Capitalize

I know You might Think the Capitalization in this Sentence is a Little Off, but I can Tell you that I See sentences Just Like this every Single Day.

I believe the cause of most of this unnecessary capitalization stems from the fact that a lot of content creators use capitalization for emphasis when they are writing. But that doesn’t mean those content creators are correct. In fact, I would argue littering a piece with all that erroneous capitalization actually draws emphasis away from its overall message.

Before you capitalize a word, ask yourself why you are capitalizing it. Is the word at the beginning of a sentence? Then go right ahead and capitalize that word.

Is the word a proper noun? If it truly is, then go ahead and capitalize the word or words that make up that proper noun. If you are uncertain if something is a proper noun or not, you can conduct a Google search with the word or words both capitalized and not capitalized, and you’ll most likely quickly find your answer.

Is the word part of a headline or subhead? If so, and it is not one of the words that should not be capitalized in title case, then capitalize that word. A quick search on ‘title capitalization’ should yield some great tools that can help guide you with proper title case. 

And, of course, don’t forget to capitalize the pronoun ‘I’ and the days of the week, months, and holidays.

But if a word is none of these five things – at the beginning of a sentence, a proper noun, part of a headline or subhead, I, or one of the date-related items we capitalize – then it should not be capitalized. It really is that simple.

In addition to capitalizing for emphasis, another common error content creators make is to capitalize concepts like ‘business analysis’ or services like ‘report editing for enterprises’. Many of these same content creators will also capitalize industries like finance, education, and manufacturing, as well as business areas like human resources, sales, or marketing. But, none of these things need to be capitalized.

Before you capitalize any of these terms, consider whether they should really be capitalized, or if they are simply a company term, an industry term, or just a term you wish to call out in your content. Do not capitalize that word, or group of words, unless they fall under one of the five capitalization rules above.

Remember, you have tools like making words bold or italicized to create emphasis – or putting the words inside a sentence separator like this – but do not capitalize these words just to give them emphasis or to call out your company or industry terms.

Content creators should try hard not to break these capitalization rules. But, if you must break the rules and capitalize words that you really shouldn’t, at least capitalize consistently. If you capitalize Marketing as a concept or a department in the first sentence of a paragraph, then you should capitalize it as a concept or department in the fourth sentence of the paragraph, and when used throughout the rest of your article or document.

Content creators should also be mindful that if they capitalize subheads, table content, figure content, or any other items in an article or document, those items should be capitalized consistently. Special care should also be given to using consistent title case as well. Create a list of title case words that should be capitalized and apply it consistently as well. You can do a Google search to find these terms and also customize it for your particular style, company, and industry.

By simply applying capitalization consistently and only in the five necessary instances above, you can declutter your pieces and save your editorial staff hours of unnecessary de-capitalization.

Photo by Tom Eversley via ISO Republic 

How I Come Up With What To Write

I once was asked how I come up with the topics for these musings which you have all been so gracious to take the time out of your day to read, and let me tell you, there is nothing particularly laborious about it, other than the fact that where I differ from you is that when I have some prevailing thought enter my brain while doing something like walking, riding my stationary bike, brushing my teeth, etc., while you may laugh a little at your interesting thought and move on with your day, I am forced with the chore of either having to find something to write with, grabbing the nearest laptop, or as happens most often, quickly pulling out my pocket screen and typing out the idea into a memo application or self-addressed email.

Case in point, just a few minutes go, I was riding my stationary bike and in popped to my head the idea that if one person is wondering how I come up with these topics, then maybe more people are wondering, and maybe I should write a musing that explains how I come up with all these ideas. Luckily for me I had just finished writing a musing that came into my head while reading a newsletter and still had the laptop nearby.

So, as you can see, it is a pretty easy process. I go about my day and while my mind is occupied doing something very routine, all of the sudden, an idea pops in my head and I record that idea via some means as quickly as I can. This is a must because nothing is worse than losing one of these ideas when I don’t react quickly enough. I am assuming that everyone out there has these ideas pop in their head, too, but because I write for a living, my first instinct is to turn those ideas into a written piece. If I were a painter or cartoonist, maybe I would turn these ideas into paintings or some funny drawing. Thank goodness I’m not a sculptor because the ideas just come too quickly for me to actually sculpt them all in a lifetime!

If I have the time right then and there, like on a night or a weekend or while watching TV, a lot of times I can just grab the laptop and belt out the entire article in one fell swoop. I write as far as the words take me and then will go back to beginning, read what I have written and repeat – read then write, read then write, read then write – until the piece is done. I then save it, set it aside and edit it a few days later until it is ready for you to read. Sometimes I have to revisit a piece multiple times for it to get there, and sometimes, like Mozart (just using him for reference, not comparing), I write one draft and it’s ready to go. If I’m on a walk, at an event, or doing something that does not allow me to actually write at that time, I usually will record the idea and them come back to it when I can. Sometimes it seems having to revisit the piece later to actually write it hinders the quality of the piece, but such is life, and other times it seems the exact opposite is true – some pieces are better after being revisited and rehashed multiple times. It really is a case-by-case basis.

Either way, I try to get these musings out of my head and down in words as quickly as I can. And like any artist who tries to keep up the appearance of a regular production pattern, I tend to store these and let them go a little at a time. The marketer in me wants to keep you looking for these pieces, not getting bored because I put one out every single day. And don’t be fooled, while sometimes I have an excess hoard of these pieces sitting, waiting to be let free, other times I am trying hard to think of an idea because it’s been a while and the reserves are running low. I can end up writing three musings on a single Saturday, and then, there will be none for a week or two. It definitely is very feast or famine at times.

Either way, I will say this: I can easily explain that the ideas come, but I cannot explain why or how they materialize. And while I can also explain how I keep my notes and how I manage producing, storing, and releasing these musings to you, I definitely cannot explain how each of these words appear on the screen in precisely the order I need them to explain my thoughts. I can only describe it as a flow – I have to sit down and type and try to keep up with the words that are appearing in my brain, especially when it is one of the pieces that flows all at once, just like this one did, in all of about ten minutes or so.

I believe how the words materialize and flow from my brain down on to the page are what scientists refer to as the spark of intelligence – not the smarts kind, but the ability to think and reason kind. And since we have been trying to explain how that works since the dawn of humans, I will save you from us trying to figure that out here and now. Just know that it is something magical, and regardless of its origins, we should all endeavor to cultivate this capability in all of us, all of the time, whatever that capability might be.

So, there you have it, loyal reader; an explanation of how I come up with the ideas for these musings. And yes, I have been peddling away on the bike this entire time. Now to shut down the laptop, close the lid, keep peddling, and wait for the next idea to materialize…

Photo by Nikolay Frolochkin via Pexels

Do We Really Need Swear Words In Business Headlines?

Now, don’t get me wrong  - I swear all the time – especially when I’m driving, as I am sure a lot of my fellow Southern Californians do, but I recently found myself put off by the use of a certain four letter word used to describe excrement. Why? It was in a slide presentation featured in an email from Slideview that claimed to be able to show me how to build better marketing content.

Being an avid content marketer, I am definitely interested in any presentation that claims to be able to show me how to build better content. But, there I was, on the third slide of the presentation, and sure enough, there in the headline was the word “shit” where you might have just as easily found a more appropriate word.

Again, not opposed to swearing, but when you are about to teach me how to build better content, the last thing I think you should show me is that you lack the creativity or vocabulary to grab my attention without using an expletive. I can’t be the first to notice this trend of trying to shock-jock business readers with the words “shit” and “fuck” to get their attention. To all of you business writers and content creators out there, I ask, is this really necessary? Is this really where we want to go?

I get that we’re not in the schoolyard anymore and can hear some of you referencing big boy panties in your rebuttal, but again, I would argue it is not that these words offend me, it is simply that I believe they do not, and should not, have a place in our business writing because I also believe we can do better than trying to grab attention with words that would make children gasp, point and giggle.

As business writers, it is our job to take the time to create messaging that actually garners attention on its merit, not on its juvenile showmanship. We should take the time to do the job right and earn our clients’ or employer’s money with solid messaging, not simply by putting a swear word in the title and calling it a day.

Combatting Content Lengthiness: Why I Take My 15-Minute Walks

If you work with me, you’ve probably noticed that I disappear for 15 minutes a couple times a day. Sometimes I am just taking a break and stretching my legs, but most of the time, I am out giving one of my content pieces a length test.

We all know that content is king when it comes to marketing these days, but I also feel that much too often, I find myself nodding off due to the length of some of the pieces that find their way to my inbox.

It is my belief that 15 minutes is long enough for us content marketers to clearly and concisely get our point across, no matter what our message might be. If it takes our audience longer than 15 minutes to read and understand a piece of content, it is either too long, covers too many topics, or is just too plain wordy.

Hence, you can find me a couple times a day, out on a 15-minute walk with a piece content in my hand, ensuring that my reading doesn’t outlast my walking.

My goal is to make sure that I can read the piece completely and thoroughly and understand each word in the time it takes to walk my 15-minute-long route. But if by chance, I am back from my walk and find myself still reading, it is a clear signal that I either need to do some serious editing or break the piece down into smaller chunks.

Not that you need instructions on how to walk, but if you’re thinking of following in my footsteps to give your own content pieces a length test, here’s what I did:

First, I timed myself on a walk near the office that not only provides quiet, but is also safe enough to traverse while really only partly paying attention to the actual act of walking.

I found a mostly level route with some cover for those too-sunny or too-rainy days, though I will readily admit you will see me out there with an umbrella on rainy days because as they say in the marketing biz, the content must go on.

I also made sure my route did not cross any stoplights or intersections that cause me to stop and wait because that would throw off my time and impact my results.

Once I had my route planned and timed, confirming it was 15 minutes from start to finish, I printed out my piece of content, grabbed my pen and went on my first length-test walk. I have repeated as necessary for many months now.

If you are thinking of giving my length-test method a try, please do. You can choose to review your piece electronically, pick a route with no cover at all, or modify my guide as you wish, as long as you ensure that your route is exactly 15 minutes and that you are done reading your piece by the time your walk is done.

Just think, if every content creator out there adheres to this inexpensive, easy-to-set-up, easily repeatable length test, all of the content in our inboxes will be so much better! 

Photo by Jordan McQueen via Pexels