by Morgan Lewis | Apr 14, 2021 | Blog
Writing is drudgery for many people, which is part of the reason our clients let us do some of that writing for them. Often, the hardest part is just getting started, even if you write for a living.
As I’ve described before in this blog, at the start of a writing project we may become overwhelmed by all the information we want to include in our written content, or unsure of how we want to start, and it leads to procrastination and more stress. We end up either missing a deadline or we rush to put something out that could have been better.
The best recent advice I’ve seen about overcoming writing procrastination comes from an anecdote in the irreverent best-selling self-improvement book, “The Subtle Art of Not to Giving a F*ck: The Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Better Life.” In the book, author Mark Manson recounts a story of a novelist who had written more than 70 books. The novelist’s advice for how he is so prolific, according to Manson: “200 crappy words per day, that’s it.”
Of course, Manson points out, the novelist rarely stops at 200 crappy words because the action of generating those first few paragraphs motivates him to keep going. Even non-professional writers get in a rhythm and it can be as difficult to stop as it was to get started. The 200 crappy words almost serves as a warmup to the real workout of writing 1,000 or 2,000 words.
How to Get Started
Sometimes, however, even getting those first 200 words down is challenging; that is where research can be a big help. Simply going online to research the topic, even if it is something you are already very knowledgeable about, can be highly motivating because you will likely learn new information that will help support your content. Other times, research can reveal that a competitor or other thought leader has already written pretty much the same article or other high-value content. Don’t despair. You can read similar articles or content and then look for gaps in their information or it can inspire a different, fresher angle for your article, white paper or eBook.
The opposite dilemma can also occur. Sometimes there will be so much research and information, and so many topics you want to cover, that you cannot imagine how you will assemble it all into a coherent whole. Here is where outlining can help to get you started and keep moving.
The outline doesn’t need to be the precise order of the final draft; it is just to get ideas down. Simply list the topic heading you want to cover in a section, such as COVID-19, and under that heading list all the relevant ideas you want to include (e.g., effect on elective/preventive care, growth of telehealth, reimbursement changes from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, etc.). Once you begin the bare-bones list, you will find that you want to add more and more detail and can begin to envision how the finished content will be structured.
From Outline to Draft
As opposed to writing an article from beginning to end, an outline lets you preview if the finished piece flows logically, if there are potential gaps of information, or if sections should be shortened. Recognizing these deficiencies in the outline stage saves writing, cutting and rearranging time in the long run. Once the outline is completed, writing the full draft simply means expanding each item in the list to full sentences and paragraphs. Depending on how detailed the outline is, writing the full draft may take much less time than expected.
With the full draft completed, the real hard part of writing begins: editing. Reading and re-reading what you wrote, cutting and rewriting for clarity is not as much fun as putting all the words together, but is perhaps the most important part of the process. Since editing means you are close to the finish line, that may motivate you to keep going.
Everyone Needs an Editor
Have you ever heard of Maxwell Perkins? Me neither. I found him through a Google search. Have you heard of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway or Thomas Wolfe? Me too. It turns out Maxwell Perkins edited all of these authors, and even convinced Wolfe to cut 90,000 words from the final draft of one of his novels.
I mention Perkins to point out that even the best writers need editors. Editing is not just for proofreading for typos, grammar and misspellings, either. Rather, an editor’s value is providing high-level, constructive feedback about the content, structure and readability of the content. Most importantly, the editor needs to look at the content through the eyes of your intended reader. Is it relevant to them? Will it make sense? Does one idea flow logically to another?
Just Write
So the next time you need to write, gather your information and just start writing. Whether it is full sentences or just a list of topics and ideas you want to include in the content, the act of getting 200 lousy words on the screen will save you stress and time in the long run – and likely result in a higher-quality finished project.
by Philip Anast | Mar 31, 2021 | Blog
Michael J. Gerhardt’s book, “Lincoln’s Mentors,” teaches us about the thirst for knowledge and ambition of our 16th president. While Abraham Lincoln was an imperfect human being, we learn about the ways this self-made man educated himself and drew courage and insights from others during his lifetime. It is a model from which we can learn how to intentionally seek out others to become “better angels of our nature” – in the workplace and in our personal lives.
The University of North Carolina professor traces Lincoln’s humble beginnings and perseverance to make something of himself – to be esteemed by his countrymen.
Of particular importance is how Lincoln sought out various mentors in life. They came from three groups:
- Books
- Historical figures
- People he met and from whom he solicited counsel
Books
In his early life, Lincoln struggled to access books. Yet, he never wasted an opportunity when he did get his hands on one to read and re-read it. For Lincoln, the Bible, “Aesop’s Fables,” Shakespeare, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and “The Pilgrim’s Progress” were ones he cherished. They influenced not only his character but also his oratory and the way he commanded language in his writings. They also influenced his relationships, leadership and vision for the country.
Historical figures
In this camp, Lincoln counted figures like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson and Chief Justice John Marshall as mentors who shaped his vision for life and for his country. With Jackson, in particular, he saw a figure who sought to preserve the Union at all costs, even as South Carolina threatened to secede as early as 1832.
Personal mentors
This last group of individuals were those with whom Lincoln had relationships of varying degrees – people like John Todd Stuart and Orville Browning of Illinois, and Whig Party stalwarts Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, as well as Zachary Taylor. Clay had the most influence on Lincoln’s political philosophy, one could argue, as Lincoln was first a member of the Whig Party. Lincoln built his case for the Emancipation Proclamation based, in part, on what he learned from his mentor Clay over many decades.
An important note about mentorship: Lincoln was not best friends with all the aforementioned. With some, there was affinity and later distance. But mentorship does not necessarily translate to friendship. His mentors provided him different points of view to consider as he learned to compromise when it made sense and when to hold his position unfettered.
Secondly, Lincoln did not parrot his mentors. He learned from their successes and mistakes and made their substance his own.
For 21st Century individuals like ourselves, it would seem that our digital age presents us with no shortage of mentorship opportunities.
While we can connect with people on LinkedIn and other social networks, it takes concerted effort to build mentorship relationships and nurture them.
Here are three suggestions for successfully building and nurturing mentor relationships:
- Take mentorship relationships seriously. Be respectful of a mentor’s time and make the most of the encounter
- Come prepared for meetings. Do your homework to make conversations thoughtful and meaningful
- Mentor others. While gleaning the insights of experienced individuals can advance your career and broaden your personal strengths, “paying it forward” provides its own rewards.
While digital tools like e-mail, texting and Zoom are great, my hope is that in our quasi-post-COVID-19 world, we will once again have more opportunities for face-to-face encounters with individuals who inspire us to be “better angels of our nature.” By investing in mentor relationships, we can take a page from Lincoln’s playbook, and take the chance to listen, learn and grow.
by Margaret Kelly | Mar 17, 2021 | Blog
Amendola Communications specializes in healthcare, health IT, and life sciences PR and marketing. A benefit of my employment is that my day is filled with reading interesting innovations.
I research articles for social media, locate editorial calendars from trade publications, and proof press releases before I set them up on the wire. My knowledge in the field has grown substantially over the eight years I’ve been at Amendola Communications.
It’s only in the past two years or so, however, that I’ve been able to experience these healthcare innovations on a personal level. While most of our clients are B2B, meaning businesses selling to other businesses, I’m starting to see several of the products have real meaning in my personal life.
This is a great lesson for marketers. Because the more we can see them from the patient’s side, the better we’ll be able to focus on what’s important to both patients and physicians.
Here are some of the technologies I’m pleased to say are turning out to be everything we’ve said they are.
PMDP – prescription drug monitoring programs: These programs allow my clinicians – either primary care, in the ER or in an urgent care setting – to pull in all current prescriptions from not only the large chain drug store I use, but also a compounding pharmacy for one special prescription. I’m handed a printout of medications pulled from the PMDP and I simply verify.
Electronic prescribing: I can’t remember the last time I had to take a printed prescription to the pharmacy to be filled. Physicians can simply send my prescriptions or refills electronically and I’m sent a text message when they are ready to be picked up.
Mobile health applications: Like so many Americans, I suffer from migraines. My neurologist suggested a mobile app called Migraine Buddy. It allows me to track my migraines, symptoms, medications taken, possible triggers, sleeping patterns, and much more. There are reports that I can pull to give my neurologist necessary information about the number and severity of attacks. There are so many mobile health apps out there; it’s nice when your physician works with you to identify one that not only works for you but works for them as well.
Remote patient monitoring: Not long ago, my father was in the hospital and a cardiologist gave him a heart loop monitor. It is designed to monitor the heart’s function and report it back to the cardiologist via a wi-fi transmitter kept in the bedroom. Each night while my father slept, the day’s cardiac activities were sent to the doctor’s computer. In my father’s case, it was discovered that while he slept, his heart would stop beating several times a minute. He had a pacemaker installed which regulated his heartbeat.
Telemedicine: Especially in 2020, most patients probably got to experience at least one telemedicine visit with a doctor. I used it a few times before COVID-19 as it was convenient and free of charge with my health insurance. But during 2020 and so far into the start of 2021, almost all my care providers are opting for virtual care. Indeed, the industry has seen over 8,000% growth based on insurance claims.
Patient portals: My primary physician’s group, including my neurologist, has a patient portal in which I can request an appointment, send a private message to any member of staff, or save medical documents. For me, it’s an easy way to communicate with my care givers. It’s like a secure email system and I get answers more quickly than playing phone tag.
There are even more innovations that will be coming soon. The Centers for Medical and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued interoperability rules that will make it so hospitals and health systems, through updates from their electronic health records vendors, will allow patients to download their medical records onto their smartphones.
This was supposed to be in effect already, but physicians have enough stress handling the pandemic. So CMS is extending the deadline for the healthcare system to comply.
Reading about our clients’ innovations through bylined articles, press releases and social media is intriguing. However, it’s also exciting to be experiencing these advancements in the real world.
by Chris Nerney | Mar 3, 2021 | Blog
Podcasting has entered the mainstream. More than one-third (37%) of Americans age 12 and over listen to podcasts at least every month and 24% listen weekly, according to Edison Research. Given that this data is from a report published last March, you can be assured the numbers today are higher.
My colleague Brandon Glenn wrote an excellent post in May 2018 offering tips to healthcare professionals who may be appearing as guests on a podcast. While that advice still stands, these days your company may be considering launching a podcast of its own.
That’s what one of Amendola’s clients recently did. And that client, the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP), has done an outstanding job! F4CP is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about the benefits of chiropractic care.
Its podcast, Adjusted Reality, debuted in late December and had 1,000 downloads in the first five days. In a world where most podcasts don’t survive past seven episodes, that’s an extremely successful launch.
So what did F4CP do right? A bunch of things.
They have an engaging, upbeat host in Dr. Sherry McAllister. They settled on a format that works for them (interview). They snagged high-profile guests for their first three episodes, including Dr. Deepak Chopra.
And they have a clever name for the podcast. (Actually, Amendola VP Tara Stultz gets credit for coming up with the title Adjusted Reality, while an F4CP intern came through with the equally clever tagline, “Trusted by the Adjusted.”)
There are other things F4CP did well, including a smart launch strategy and effective promotion. But what I want to focus on in this post is the most important element of all in ensuring your podcast can attract and build an audience: quality content.
Podcasts are no different than any other medium of communication. If you have nothing to say, or don’t know what to say, you are doomed to failure.
The good news is that your business already should know what it wants to communicate, and it also should know its target audience. Both of those will help you devise a winning content formula for a podcast.
It’s also critical to tie your podcast content strategy to your business strategy. That should be easy.
You want to raise awareness of your brand in your target audience. You want to position your company as a thought leader and trusted source of information.
And you want to establish a relationship with your target audience. All of these eventually will pay off in revenue and business growth.
Podcasts are particularly effective in helping establish relationships and positioning yourself as a thought leader because they are a very human form of communication. The voice is a powerful instrument for connecting with other people.
We’ve all been drawn in by charismatic speakers, whether we heard them in person, on the radio, or television. Podcasts also leverage the power of the human voice.
But only if that voice has something to say that resonates with your intended audience! Which gets back to your content.
Your podcast can’t be a sales pitch. All that will accomplish is to drive away listeners.
Instead you want to address their needs and concerns in a way that is helpful to them. In other words, provide value. That’s the same strategy you would use in crafting a thought-leadership piece or an op-ed.
Podcasts are a dynamic way to reach your target audience. They can be a lot of work, but there’s a real payoff when you realize you’re making a connection with people and building a reputation as a trusted authority. But it all starts with your content strategy.
by Brandon Glenn | Feb 17, 2021 | Blog
Of all the deliverables we routinely encounter in public relations, none presents as much of a challenge as the humble byline.
Press releases are necessarily to-the-point and formulaic. Blog posts are often quick-and-dirty shorter pieces that are meant to quickly touch on a specific topic, rather than delve in deeply. (White papers don’t qualify as “routine” as they should be employed sparingly; once per quarter, at most, and even that may be pushing it.)
Bylines, however, are altogether different. To craft a coherent, well-reasoned, nonpromotional 800 to 1,000-word article that offers background, explanation and possible solutions on a pressing industry issue is difficult for a writer to do even in his or her own voice. Add to it the PR writer’s challenge of crafting the piece using the client’s thoughts in the client’s voice and the exercise becomes significantly more arduous.
In that spirit, following are three quick tips for writing a better byline.
Develop a written plan before any phone calls: To make the best use of subject matter experts’ (SMEs) time, start planning your byline long before any phone calls. What’s the major theme or “angle” you’re looking to convey to the reader? Start by brainstorming potential headlines, and then after you have a few, write out what could be the first couple sentences of the article. If you’re unable to get this far, it’s a strong sign your plan for the article isn’t solid enough, and it’s time to refine or rethink the angle.
Do your research: It’s fairly rare to find an idea that is completely new. In other words, whatever you’re planning to write about, it’s likely someone else has written about the same, or a similar, topic previously. Do a few variations of Google searches around the topic you’re planning to write about to evaluate what’s been said before. This will provide an idea of the well-trodden ground that’s been discussed ad nauseum and is better avoided, as well potentially spark ideas for new angles. Further, avail yourself of the research that other writers have performed. Good reporters will “show their receipts” in their articles with links to studies, surveys, data and other articles that can provide helpful background. Save time and boost efficiency by taking advantage of the work that’s already been done.
Come up with a targeted list of questions: Also filed under, “Don’t waste SMEs’ time.” Draw up a list of targeted questions for call participants to review prior to the call. In my experience, the top reason byline intake calls go off-the-rails is lack of preparation. Following a list of predetermined questions enables participants to remain focused and helps keep the call running smoothly. If you’re lucky, the SME will even read over the questions prior to the call and ponder potential responses, which generally helps immensely to boost a byline’s quality in the end.
Due to the nature of what we’re trying to accomplish with bylines, they’ll always be challenging to write. But there is a formula for success. Follow the three tips above to craft better bylines.
by Morgan Lewis | Jan 20, 2021 | Blog
COVID-19 left no industry unscathed in 2020 (well, except maybe Wall Street). One of the hardest-hit industries was healthcare, which is Amendola’s specialty. Throughout the year, we posted blogs with helpful advice about adjusting to the massive changes occurring in the economy and how to steer your organization when so much was uncertain.
Well, judging from the most-read blog posts from the year, it seemed our readers were more interested in writing tips than survival tips. This unexpected outcome, we hope, is a positive indicator that most of you coped well with working from home, virtual meetings and travel restrictions in 2020, and were simply trying to sharpen your written communication skills with the additional time on your hands.
So, without further ado, the following are the top 5 most read Amendola blog posts of 2020 in descending order.
5. The New Normal in Public Relations and Marketing
Our only post written in 2020 to crack the top 5 describes how various brands have responded to the pandemic and how there is likely no returning to a 2019 version of normal. As the post points out, while the world may have changed, the vision and mission of your organization should remain the same. Maintaining the status quo, however, is not an option and neither is giving up. Communicating strategically, i.e., not ignoring the seismic disruption caused by COVID-19, is essential and can help your company weather (and even grow) during this catastrophic time.
4. Simple Language and Communication Success
As a professional writer for more than 20 years, I can attest to how difficult it is to write with simplicity, especially about complex topics like healthcare and IT. As this post from 2017 reminds us: simplicity is often better. Keeping sentences short, avoiding jargon and using an active voice are important tips to remember for everything we write and across all forms of writing. It is no wonder that this post was among our most-read posts again.
3. The Importance of Feedback in PR From Media, to Writing to Client Relationships
Feedback, when appropriately delivered, makes us better at whatever we do, as this post written in 2018 reminds us. Feedback takes on an added dimension in PR because we need it from clients and colleagues, but also editors and other members of the media where we have deep professional relationships. Seeking feedback can certainly provoke anxiety in all of us, but, as the post assures us, it can motivate, improve performance and keep us focused on the right targets.
2. Health Care or Healthcare? Here’s the Answer You Won’t Find in an AP Stylebook
As a journalism major in college, the Associated Press Stylebook becomes your bible. Since Amendola has so many former journalists on our team (including yours truly) many of the manual’s terminology, abbreviation, punctuation and other rules are hardwired into our brains and fingers. (I still often write the word “percent” even though the AP ruled in 2019 that the “%” symbol is now preferred.) Publications and organizations often have their own style rules for content that differ from the AP, which is what this blog post from 2019 is about. At Amendola, for example, we write healthcare as one word, although the AP uses two. Curious readers (and writers) clearly wanted to learn more about the secrets of this vaunted manual, which is why it was in the top 5 most read for the second year in a row.
- Going in AP Style
Sheltered-in-place during the pandemic, many of us turned to self-improvement activities – exercise, healthy cooking, reading more books, learning a new professional skill — and were seeking online content and classes to help guide those activities. That is my highly non-scientific explanation for why four out of the five most-read blog posts from 2020 were about personal development, mostly improving your writing chops. Yet this blog post from 2018 was also the most read post of that year, as well as 2019, which makes me wonder if readers are on a self-improvement kick or they just don’t want to shell out $27 for an online subscription to the stylebook. Either way, this post is filled with helpful nuggets for writing a press release, blog post or any type of content.
Whether it is writing tips, strategic branding guidance, media relations best practices or any of the other many PR and marketing topics we cover, we hope that you’ll continue to visit our blog throughout 2021. Who knows… maybe we’ll even write about AP style again.
