Myth #1: More questions equal more information.

Lengthy questionnaires often have weak response rates, which leads to poor sample sizes and incomplete results. Put simply, customers don’t want to take the time to fill out a wordy survey. In addition, lengthy surveys are more expensive to write, conduct and analyze.

Myth #2: If respondents are unbiased, the results will be too.

Even if you’ve taken the time to put together an objective sampling of people to give your survey to, how you conduct the survey can lead to biased results. For instance, phone surveys using land line numbers will exclude a younger demographic that only uses cell phones. A survey sent to houses will speak to a different audience than one sent to apartments. In addition, how you word a question can have a significant impact on the response it generates. For example, “Scientists believe that eating chocolate is healthy. Do you agree?” is a lot different than “Do you feel that eating chocolate is healthy?”

Myth #3: If you survey them, the answers will come.

Businesses often conduct a survey to find out how their customers truly feel, but traditional surveys seldom give customers a true means of expressing themselves. If a traditional survey is not written and evaluated properly, the resulting data may be worthless – or even worse, misleading. Initiating open communication with customers is more likely to lead to meaningful information.

Traditional surveys have been around forever, but as technology changes, our means of collecting data may also need to evolve. Keep surveys short. Keep questions clear. Make the survey meaningful. That’s what we’re doing here at Anchor for our clients, and it’s working out well for everyone. Give us a call, and let us tell you all about it.

As I said before, a lot of my day-to-day activity revolves around the management of projects once they leave our building. My job is to make sure that the newspapers, the TV stations, the web media, the printers, etc. have what they need to get our client’s work done right and on time. Working with vendors is like putting together a puzzle. There are many different pieces that come into play: the artwork, the press schedule, the printing quote or media buy, the communication, the final piece, shipping, etc. But one of the most important pieces is the hard copy proof.

For those who don’t know what a hard copy proof is, here are a couple of things that I love about them.

1. They will protect you. A hard copy proof is your last line of defense from critical errors making their way into the world at your expense. If it wasn’t on the proof that you approved, and it ends up on the final product, it’s not your fault and you’re entitled to having it fixed accordingly.
2. They are dependable. You can almost always count on the hard copy proof to give you the best representation of your final product. It will show you things like whether your specific spot color is printing (fairly) accurately or if the pictures in your magazine look crisp and clear.
3. They offer you peace of mind. Whether your hard copy proof tells you that the newspaper is running the correct ad or that your brochure is folded properly, you can feel good knowing that you took every step to ensure that the final product was a good one.

It’s worth mentioning that with the popularity of new media, a hard copy proof is not always an option. However, that doesn’t mean you have to skip a proof altogether. Simply request a digital proof (usually a PDF). It’s better than nothing, and most vendors will be happy to oblige.

Whenever possible, don’t forget a hard copy proof (or any type of proof for that matter). Better yet, let Anchor take care of it for you. After all, the hard copy proof and I are definitely on a first name basis.

For the unfamiliar, advertising guru Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase in his book Understanding Media: The Extensions Of Man published in 1964. To me,  “The medium is the message” means that how you distribute your message (TV, newspaper, social media, direct mail, etc.) can be just as important as the message itself. I don’t believe McLuhan is saying that one is more important than the other, just that they are both important things to consider when communicating.

To go in a slightly different direction (and to be more accurate to the phrase’s literal meaning) how you communicate (i.e. what medium you use) says something about your brand. Here’s an extreme example: for years people have said that marketing on television implies that you have a premium brand. It may even imply that your brand must be successful (since TV is typically more expensive to buy). However, I’m not sure this is true in the same way anymore, or that we should count on a medium’s “halo effect” to sell our products. Rather, I think it’s a smarter plan to choose a medium because it will be efficient, effective and increase the likelihood that your message will reach the correct target.

It is true, however, that your message can be lost if you don’t choose the right way to present it to your audience. This is something we constantly keep track of here at Anchor. We’re known for our creative marketing messages, but we’re also known for our strategic thinking. We work hard to ensure that the medium is just as important as the message. At Anchor the message is powerful and it is delivered accurately to your target audience. That’s what planned communication is all about.

To explain, I was enlightened by the notion of “strengths-based” leadership. The concept goes like this: our weaknesses only have so much potential to be improved. On the other hand, our strengths have unlimited promise. Think about it. Let’s say you’re a talented writer (we have a few here at Anchor), but when it comes to singing, you fall short. You can take singing lessons, hire a vocal coach and practice for hours everyday, but you’ll more than likely only become slightly better at singing. Basically – you’ll never be great at it. Sounds a bit negative, I know, and it hurts me to say that because I’m an extremely positive person, but it’s true. It’s because the wall of potential to improve your singing is not very far from where you’re standing at the moment.

Now, if you were to put the same training and effort into improving your writing, it’s likely that you’d grow tremendously as a writer. That’s because the wall of potential when it comes to improving your writing is way across town, maybe even in another state. That’s how strengths and weaknesses work. If you’re not good at something, you’ll probably never be great at it. If you’re great at something, you have the potential to be amazing at it.

How does all of this relate to your brand? Whereas it’s good to consider all of the possible ways to diversify your brand (maybe introducing new products or services, finding new uses for existing products, etc.), you should never turn your back on what you do best. Ultimately, focusing on what you do best puts your energy where you have the most room to grow.

Here at Anchor, one of our strengths is helping our client’s to identify what they do best, and it’s something that we do better and better every day. Give us a call and we’ll show you how.

As one of the main proofers at Anchor, my eye has been trained to automatically hone in on them. I almost can’t help it. I won’t even be at work, and my typo radar is on high alert. Checking out the grocery ad, “there’s a typo.” Reading the newspaper, “look at that typo.” Scanning the weather alerts across the bottom of the TV, “typo!” Every time I see one, I think a little less of whoever is tied to it.

Not all typos are glaring. In fact, many never get noticed. However, no matter the size, a typo’s impact is never in a positive direction, and if you want to make a good impression, I’d suggest you do everything in your power to avoid them. I do.

I think it’s worth clarifying that the word typo is usually defined as a misspelled word, but it’s much, much more. Those that think spell check is a proper safety net when it comes to typos will be sadly mistaken. A typo can be an inconsistency, like abbreviating a company’s name one time and not the next. Doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it hinders brand awareness and confuses (and frustrates) readers.

A typo can be a misused word. Have you ever felt the affects of a typo? No, you haven’t, because affect is a verb and effects is the plural noun you want to use. A typo can be a formatting error. Ever see those paragraphs in which the last line only has only one word on it? It’s called an orphan (or a hanger), and yes, it’s definitely a typo.

As you can see a typo is much more than a matter of correct spelling, and it can make you look incredibly silly. Even if it’s one that people find humorous, don’t think for a second that in the back of their minds they’re not questioning your attention to detail. That’s why proofing is so important. At Anchor, we check, double check and triple check everything so that our clients look far from silly. In fact, we send all of our work to professional proofers to quadruple check. It’s not paranoia (well maybe a little), it’s smart business.

Some good news is that, to many people’s surprise, it doesn’t take long to proofread. It’s much quicker to catch a typo up front then it is to go back and fix one in the end. So the lesson here is: Save yourself the time, money, hassle and embarrassment of a typo and check your work. Then have someone else check your work. Finally, double check your work again. Or, simply have Anchor do it for you. We’d be happy to help.

For a quick read, check out this short article on common proofing mistakes.

1. Cut the boring parts
I try to leave out the parts that people skip. ~Elmore Leonard
Unless you’re writing for personal reasons alone, you need to consider the attention of your readers. There’s no point in publishing content that isn’t useful, interesting or both.

2. Eliminate unnecessary words
Substitute “damn” every time you’re inclined to write “very;” your editor will delete it, and the writing will be just as it should be. ~Mark Twain
Some people feel that using words like “really”, “actually”, or “extremely” make writing more forceful. It doesn’t. They only get in the way. Cut them and never look back.

3. Write with passion
Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. ~William Wordsworth
It’s not hard to realize that unless you’re excited about your writing no one else will be.

4. Keep it simple
Vigorous writing is concise. ~William Strunk Jr.
It’s more difficult (and effective) to express yourself in the simplest possible manner.

5. Learn to thrive on criticism
You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance. ~Ray Bradbury
Writing means putting yourself at the mercy of anonymous hecklers and shameless sycophants. Learn to make the most of the insults and distrust the praise.

6. Write what you know … or what you want to know
Learn as much by writing as by reading. ~Lord Acton
Successful writing is all about trust and authority. It makes sense to write about your area of expertise. If you don’t have an expertise, reading and writing is the best way to develop one and put it on display.

7. Be unique and unpredictable
I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite. ~G.K. Chesterton
Following what works will only get you so far. Experiment with new styles, even if it means taking criticism. Without moving forward, you’ll be left behind.
Check out the blog in its entirety at http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/art-of-writing/.
(Source: September 6th, 2007 by Editor, Pick The Brain)