April-May 2008

Welcome to PRactically Speaking, a way for you to gain practical insights and perspectives about business communications for the real world.

Share this with your friends and colleagues too, and let us know what you think.
Enjoy!

Blogging For Business
 Is it for you?

Check out the recent business column written by Cheryl Hall at The Dallas Morning News. Hall talks with Richard Edelman about the Trust Barometer. CEOs still don't get high ratings.

Richard is president of Edelman, one of the largest public relations agencies in the world. And he's a blogger-a guy who takes the time to write his thoughts, ideas, convictions, directions and opinions, online. He writes a Web diary-a blog. His latest entry on April 8 is 522 words, with at least 20 links to other stories or sources. It's short and sweet, and full of links.

So, why don't you and your company have a blog? And should you?

Here's why more companies are blogging:

• It provides a platform for narrative discussion-and is often perceived as less rehearsed, massaged and corporately approved
• It allows you to more frequently "touch" key audiences since a blog depends on timely, frequent content updates.
• It can instantly alert interested readers of new information and updates, thanks to RSS feeds (basically a Subscribe option)
• It serves as a "personality platform"-an extension of your corporate or personal branding.
• It invites comments and feedback from readers
• It complements your overall communications
• It helps build relationships, loyalty and like-ability.
• It serves as a supporting sales tool.

One marketing blogger says this: "If a company wants to build valuable relationships, engage with their customers, extend their reach, become more findable and improve their bottom line in the process (and in this order) - they will probably find value in blogging." But it's NOT for everybody.

Get a complete Q&A on business blogging and more
Find out:
--Why have a blog?
--Do businesses really blog?
--Who reads blogs?
--RGM's 4Ps to Effective Business Blogging
--The costs of blogging
--A Recommended Reading List

News Release: It's BYOB! "Build Your Own Blog" Services from RGM Communications  


TAX-ing Times for Small Businesses


A Classic Before & After
Before Tax Day 2008 ...

... After Tax Day 2008


Tax-ing Insights & Information

Top 10 Tax Tips for Small and Growing Businesses

Avoid the top small-business tax mistakes

News: Fighting to scuttle tax proposals (news article)

Taxes and presidential candidates

Poll insights, Americans and taxes

Taxes and Growth, insights from the National Center for Policy Analysis

• Media coverage for FigDesign, one of Dallas' best graphic designers
  
• Media coverage, feature story for Resource Link
  
• Writing project for an accounting executive recruiting firm
  
• Writing a news release for a Cincinnati POS software provider
  
• Media relations project involving SMU and a local engineering services firm
  
• Promoting a new sales book, The Field Guide to Sales, by Debbie Mrazek
  
• Spoke to approximately 70 professional communicators at the Dallas/IABC April luncheon. Topic was "Spin to Win," PR insights, tricks and truths

Thank you for reading this issue of PRactically Speaking.

We want YOUR FEEDBACK, thoughts, ideas, questions and constructive criticism. Share those now.

(c) Copyright 2008 Roy G. Miller