Over 1.56 trillion people communicate today via text messaging. We’ve even passed laws, for Pete’s sake, to dissuade (though not prevent) the most obsessed users from texting while driving!

The viral spread and committed usage of mobile media have, therefore, necessitated the need for mobile marketing applications—which encompass everything from iPhone-friendly Web sites (now a must for people on the go) to text message marketing.

Consequently, if you haven’t done so lately, now is the time to catch up to the mobile media technologies in place. Likewise, you’ll want to discern how best to apply them to your business and personal life.

I have, for instance, just adopted an application that pretty much makes paper (or plastic) business cards obsolete. Today, if I meet someone new or run into an old acquaintance who wants my contact information, I can simply instruct the person to text writelady to 90210.  In other words, the individual would use the short code, 90210, for the phone number, type writelady in the message box, and send. In response, the person would receive an incoming text message that includes my name, phone number, email and Web address.

Go ahead—text it!

By the way, if you once had my hot pink business card but lost it, from here on out, all you need to recall is writelady (for Write Lady) and 90210 to get back in touch with me. Who can’t remember 90210—the Beverly Hills zip code is the most memorable five-digit series in the world!

Eco-friendly and pretty cool, using the auto response as a business card is also rather basic in light of countless other applications available for the mobile platform. Most importantly, the texting format delivers time-sensitive information to highly targeted recipients who not only see it quickly, but also want to be in the know!

Examples of uses include act-now promotional offers, patient appointment reminders, last-minute updates, raffle participation, billboard notifications, etc.  The possibilities and customization opportunities are as extensive as anyone’s imagination!

Such technology is not intended as a spamming device. People will not tolerate spam on their phones. Therefore, if some recipients (all of whom have had to register as subscribers) decide they want to stop receiving messages from the source, they just text back one simple word: stop.

As we move into the future, rest assured that new mobile technologies and applications will continue to hit the marketplace for one key reason: 1.56 trillion people and counting!

How will you put mobile media to work for you in the future?

My best to you!

Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady

Even when I’m juggling projects, I look to summer as the season to unwind. For one thing, it’s beastly hot and humid in Georgia, so without more frequent breaks, I would turn into a pool of perspiration and simply evaporate! For another, the children are out of school, so even though we’re all busy, we still have more time together as a family.

To inspire you to replenish your mind, body and soul this summer, I offer a few of my summertime suggestions along with some of my favorite classic quotes.

Get Sleep

Close your eyes and relax. In my book, a deep sleep is the answer to 1001 ailments.  No one expresses that sentiment better than Shakespeare, especially in the words of Macbeth in Macbeth, Act II and Scene II:

“Me thought I heard a voice cry ‘Sleep no more!

Macbeth doth Murder sleep’—the innocent sleep,

Sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleave of care,

The death of each day’s life, sore labor’s bath,

Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course,

Chief nourisher in life’s feast….”

Find Solitude

Make “me” time. In contrast to loneliness, the concept of solitude conveys peace. In Walden Pond, Henry David Thoreau devotes an entire chapter to “Solitude,” making it perfectly clear that one is alive when alone in Nature:

“This is a delicious evening, when the whole body is one sense, and imbibes delight through every pore. I go and come with a strange liberty in Nature, a part of herself. As I walk along the stony shore of the pond in my shirt-sleeves, though it is cool as well as cloudy and windy, and I see nothing special to attract me, all the elements are unusually congenial to me.”

Be Social
Break from the routine and create a reason to celebrate with friends. When it comes to social gatherings, half the fun is in the planning and anticipation. Also, as in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, one never knows what might happen after the party’s started:

“When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.“

Go Seaside

Be a child again by the shore. The beach is a glorious playground like no other, a place where it’s so wonderfully easy to lose track of time. To describe the lost-and-found sensation of wandering about the water, I chose Nathanial Hawthorne’s “Footprints on the Sea-shore” from Twice-Told Tales:

“When we have paced the length of the beach, it is pleasant, and not unprofitable, to retrace our steps, and recall the whole mood and occupation of the mind during the former passage. Our tracks, being all discernible, will guide us with an observing consciousness through every unconscious wandering of thought and fancy. Here we followed the surf in its reflux, to pick up a shell which the sea seemed loath to relinquish. Here we found a sea-weed, with an immense brown leaf, and trailed it behind us by its long snake-like stalk. Here we seized a live horseshoe by the tail, and counted the many claws of the queer monster. Here we dug into the sand for pebbles, and skipped them upon the surface of the water. Here we wet our feet while examining a jelly-fish, which the waves, having just tossed it up, now sought to snatch away again. Here we trod along the brink of a fresh-water brooklet, which flows across the beach, becoming shallower and more shallow, till at last it sinks into the sand, and perishes in the effort to bear its little tribute to the main. Here some vagary appears to have bewildered us; for our tracks go round and round, and are confusedly intermingled, as if we had found a labyrinth upon the level beach. And here, amid our idle pastime, we sat down upon almost the only stone that breaks the surface of the sand, and were lost in an unlooked-for and overpowering conception of the majesty and awfulness of the great deep. Thus, by tracking our footprints in the sand, we track our own nature in its wayward course, and steal a glance upon it, when it never dreams of being so observed. Such glances always make us wiser.”

Elicit Smiles

I love finding humor in everyday people and situations, so if I haven’t gotten an updated “People from Wal-Mart” email, I look for authors who share tales that are too absurdly funny not to be real. Especially enjoying James Thurber’s description of Muggs, an ornery Airedale he had growing up, I’ve read My Life and Hard Times a few times just to chuckle:

“Nobody ever had mice exactly like the mice we had that month. They acted like pet mice, almost like mice somebody had trained. They were so friendly that one night when mother entertained at dinner…she put down a lot of little dishes with food in them on the pantry floor so that the mice would be satisfied with that and wouldn’t come into the dining room. Muggs stayed out in the pantry with the mice, lying on the floor, growling to himself—not at the mice, but about all the people in the next room that he would have liked to get at.”

I could add so many more—sweat out the impurities; slow down; sip sweet iced tea—but I hope you’re inspired by my short list and just dying to (re)read a classic!

Do you have a favorite passage and pastime?

My best to you,

Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady

When I recently came across some negative online comments about a jeweler and orthodontist in the same business directory, I stopped to write endorsements that reflected the topnotch experiences my family and I have had with both. I also added five-star ratings, which were well-earned.  Afterwards, I had to wonder why such good service providers had such poor ratings overall.  Frankly, I think it’s human nature to complain when we’re unhappy and to remain blissfully silent when we’re content.

Therefore, like many, many others in business, I strive to encourage pleasing comments and readily say: Tell me if you are dissatisfied, but please tell everyone if you are delighted. 

Consequently, in my experience, a calm presentation of the facts plus a give-and-take discussion involving reasonable expectations elicit actions and results that make everyone happy.

Certainly, there are circumstances in which consumers (and providers) have good reasons to be frustrated. Likewise, if we try to work out a major disagreement but reach a roadblock, going public can be a powerful motivator for the person with the power to make things right.  No one wants bad press.

At the same time, while I strongly advocate free speech and standing up for one’s rights, I am not a fan of using or threatening to use the Internet for vengeance–certainly not for slander.  Apparently, our legal justice system agrees.

Coincidentally, as I was preparing this article, consumer advocate Clark Howard brought up the topic of badmouthing via blogs on his radio show.  He said that instead of sitting back, companies and individuals are beginning to file lawsuits and receive judgments against those who make false statements online with the intent to damage reputations.  Some offenders, in fact, believed they were protected by anonymity, but their online accounts and connections were exposed. 

In other words, even if they think no one knows who they are, bloggers who spread untruths about others need to think twice. If the objective is to get even, they better stick to the facts.

A few questions might be worth pondering before reporting unflattering, potentially harmful criticisms, even if true:

-         Is our goal to do what is right by all?

-         Have we attempted to resolve the conflict with a human being (face-to-face, if possible) without raising voices or making defamatory, threatening comments?

-         Are we requesting what is fair, or are we demanding the sun, moon and stars?

-         Are we telling the truth—a factual account of the situation—or voicing emotion?

-      If we have presented an opinion rather than a fact, have we made that distinction clear?

I don’t claim to have the answers except to say that thoughtful discretion always applies to readers and writers of blogs and other social media. 

What do you have to say on the subject?

Sallie Wolper Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady  

My friend Laura, who grew up in Gainesville, Georgia, and I recently reminisced about our experiences of being raised in small towns.  While everyone knowing everything about everyone else could be a bit oppressive at times, there’s something to be said for the rules of etiquette that coexist with small-town living.

Let’s face it: The anonymity of living and working in big cities, as well as in conducting business online or over the phone with people we’ll never see, alters the way we interact with one another.

Unfortunately, obscurity seems to open the door for words and actions that would be appalling according to small-town standards.  

Perhaps the time has come to consider ten things you would never do if you lived in a small town:

1)      You would never honk your horn at an elderly driver for not accelerating fast enough when the light changed from red to green because the sweet older soul would turn out to be your beloved third-grade teacher.

Instead of honking, you would say, “Bless her heart,” and wait patiently.

2)      You would never loudly discuss highly sensitive, personal business on your cell phone while in public because everyone within earshot would be someone who knows you and probably the other person on the line.

Instead, you would take the conversation to a private place.

3)      You would never snap at the 16-year-old at the drive-thru for omitting your French fries because he would be the neighborhood kid who brought your puppy home safely when she escaped.

Instead of being rude, you would politely request the missing item or silently thank him for sparing you the excess fat and cholesterol.

4)      You would never leave home looking like you had just rolled out of bed because you would run into not one but several people you knew.

Instead, you would make sure you were presentable when your mother’s best friend and the acquaintance who just gave you a business referral spotted you in the produce isle.

5)      You would never promise to provide a service and then not follow through                               because the people you’d let down would be the same ones you pray alongside in your house of worship.

Instead, you would go the extra mile to do your job and follow through to make sure everyone was satisfied.

6)      You would never shout or curse in public because you would not risk behaving in ways that could cause friends and acquaintances to think less of you.

Instead, you would keep your cool and deal with the issue rationally.

7)      You would never ignore a pack of kids who were about to get into trouble because you would know that their parents would count on you to intervene.

Instead, you would break them up, send them home, and tell their parents for good measure.

      You would never attempt to get something for nothing—whether a product or a service—because you would know just how much the provider counts on the income she generates from sales to support her family.

Instead, you would pay the asking price for the product or service (or a previously negotiated amounted), taking nothing more than a legitimately offered free sample.

9)      You would never write anything in an email that you would not express to the individual face-to-face because you would inevitably meet that person at a social or business function and end up face-to-face after all.

Instead, you would choose your words wisely.

10)  You would never exaggerate your credentials or pretend to be someone you are not because your audience would already know everything about you—even how many times you fell off your bike and scraped your knees when you were little.

Instead, you would simply be yourself.

Please understand that I would never presume that you would conduct yourself in any manner that did not pass the small-town standard for gracious.  My only point is that it doesn’t hurt any of us to be reminded, every now and then, that everything we say and do has in impact—even if convinced that we will never face the recipient of our actions again.

Can you think of anything else “you” would never do if you lived in a small town? Please add to the list!

Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady

I don’t need Mother’s Day to remind me to be grateful beyond words for the relationships I have with my son, daughter and mother. For the closeness I share with them, I thank Momma, who is my role model.

Nevertheless, when interacting with my 15-year-old daughter, I sometimes shiver from a sense of déjà vu regarding the utter humiliation of being a teen in the presence of Momma. From age 13 until I left for college, I was convinced that she was put on Earth to embarrass me. Consequently, I vowed never to say or do anything that could cause my children the slightest bit of social discomfort, especially not around their friends. Despite that conviction, however, I somehow manage to mortify my daughter (and, occasionally, my son) at the drop of a hat—just as my mother sometimes did simply by breathing.

How did I become like her in that respect when I tried so hard, at least for a time, to be so entirely different?

As the old proverb says, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

It is true that as a little girl I was Momma’s shadow. My favorite outfit was a yellow checked dress that matched one of hers in the same pattern.  If given the choice to stay home with Momma or go to a friend’s to play, I’d pick being with her. For certain, she knew everything—until the day that I suddenly had all of the answers, and everything my mother didn’t know could fill the Grand Canyon! 

Mother Nature, however, had a different perspective, and she soon put me in my place.

In other words, I married and had my own children. Then, out of nowhere, my mother’s expressions—especially the ones I’d pledged never to say—began shooting from my lips like torpedoes.  My sisters and I had frantic discussions about this phenomenon (they, too, had the “disease”), but there was nothing any of us could do to stop its progression.

As time marched on, however, the less I talked and the more I sat back to observe Momma’s dignity and grace, compassion and love, wisdom and insight, I began to understand what a blessing it was to have her as my mother.  

So we’ve come full circle.

As a little girl, I wanted to be just like Momma. As a teen, I never stopped loving her, though I often wished she’d pretend we didn’t know one another in public.  As a young adult, I began to appreciate the woman she was, yet I aimed to be a totally different person.  As a young mother, I feared the worst might be happening—I was morphing into Momma!  Today, as grown up as I will ever be, I realize that I have a tremendous amount of ground to cover if I ever hope to be a fraction of the woman she is.

In honor of Momma, I dedicate this message and encourage you to extend your words of gratitude to your mother or “momma” of your heart.

Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady

I have worked with a number of clients who are engaging, fluid speakers, yet they struggle when they attempt to write an article or book. 

Why is that?

Some of the most adept speakers think quickly on their feet. When presenting, they will work from outlined notes or bullets. Rather than memorizing a script word-per-word, they speak off the cuff, often taking cues from their audience.  I have great admiration for those who can deliver that way because I so easily get tongue-tied!

When assisting great oral communicators with their writing, I start by recommending that they record their speeches, whether while talking to a sizeable audience or just to Fido and Fluffy.  I also conduct personal interviews, which are equally valuable tools.  The objective is simply to get their words on “tape” and later transcribed. A transcription service, an assistant, or even a teenager who wants to earn extra money can do the job. I then step in to edit the content so that the copy reads well.

Why would a good speech need to be edited for reading? In actuality, many don’t. Consider Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address or Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream.”  Such memorable orations, however, were written to perfection before they ever met an audience.  

In contrast, less formal speeches, which we have become accustomed to giving and hearing, will usually lose something in their translation to the written word.

Recently, for instance, I edited a book manuscript by a psychologist. In it, my client offered numerous scenarios to illustrate his points. One example, a conversation between a husband and wife, came across as uninspired.  When I offered another suggestion in its place, my client wondered why. “People always laughed” when he told the same story in person.  

When telling it, the psychologist used facial expressions, gestures, pauses, character voices and other verbal and nonverbal cues to make it all so humorous.  I had to point out the difference between hearing him tell it versus reading it before he understood the need to shake up the story or use another example.

If your spectacular speech does not translate to the remarkable manuscript you hoped it would be, keep in mind that it will serve you well as a rough draft.  Rather than writing your book or article from scratch, you are starting with a draft that can be edited.  While editing, you might also uncover ways to button up your presentation—an added bonus!

Sallie Wol.per Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady

If publishing a book is among your dreams—whether to hit the bestseller list, generate speaking opportunities, boost your professional image, expose your wit and wisdom, or release the storyteller inside—an outline is not merely an important tool; it’s your best friend.

You might remember agonizing over outlines for your high school and college term papers. Although I tried to beat the system many years ago by creating my outline from a paper I had already finished, I quickly realized the irony of trying to skip a step. If I had taken the time to organize my main ideas and subtopics in writing beforehand, I probably would have composed a better paper more efficiently with less stress.

Despite the advantages of following a proven method that works, many would-be authors share the misconception that an outline is a waste of time since they already know what they want to write. In their minds, outlines are painful assignments rather than highly constructive, insightful processes that yield invaluable results.  

Once again, a fresh perspective can be helpful in choosing how you approach your work.  

When you hear the word “outline,” don’t think of all the ways your English teacher tortured you; instead, imagine it as your opportunity to create your own writing buddy.  Your comprehensive mission statement—your book’s purpose—is its brain. Main concepts, which will become your chapter headings, fill out the body.  Subheadings and further chapter breakdowns are the details that distinguish the personality and quality of your creation.

Still, for many, the task of organizing seems too complicated. Where does each body part go?  For ease, I advise clients to choose among three basic format structures—chronological, sequential and topical:

-          Chronological order makes sense if the timing of events is intrinsic to your story.

-          Sequential order works well if you’re sharing a process.

-          Topical order can be appropriate if each chapter’s subjects are somewhat independent of one another.

You could easily end up with a hybrid structure—such as a sequential-topical format—but that will become apparent as you refine your thoughts. Be flexible and open-minded, but also remain true to yourself.  An outline will reveal everything you need to know—even things you would rather not see—so read between the lines and do what you must to make it superior.

If your outline starts to nag you or if you feel that you aren’t getting anywhere with it, figure out why.  Do you lack material? Is your topic weak? Would a new angle be more compelling? Are you holding back? Are you too close to the project? Do you need unbiased feedback? In all honesty, is this the book you want to write?

What is your outline saying that you need to hear?

In closing, I’m not here to claim that constructing a solid outline is easy. The task requires critical thought and thoughtful planning. Yes, it takes brainpower to write a book worth reading!  

Even so, the exercise and effort, I can assure you, are tremendously rewarding.

Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady

It’s no wonder that most of us dread the word deadline. Just think about what we might we say about missing one:

The deal will collapse.  My reputation will be destroyed. I will be fired.

I’ll KILL myself!

The time has come to replace that do-it-or-die mentality with do-it-and-thrive inspiration while working to accomplish the tasks that take us to our objectives.

From here on out, I’m going to think of my timelines as pathways to goals that lead to big dreams rather than as work that completes dead-end, must-do projects.  

Don’t get me wrong–I love my work!  But I will love it all the more if I continuously view each aspect of it as part of a wonderful process rather than as means to avoid the worst possible outcome.

The idea for dream line came to me a couple of weeks ago after a new client and I were discussing how she could most efficiently write the first draft of her book. With a good portion of the background in handwritten notes, she needed an action plan for organizing her material into a workable format that I could review and edit.As we talked about key elements, such as an outline and objectives, I not only stressed the importance of clear deadlines, but I also used “drop-dead date” in reference to the manuscript’s targeted completion date. 

The more I thought about my choice of words, the worse I felt about the tone I might have established for the project. My client should savor the process, not slave through it.  Along the way, she should envision her dream, not piles of paperwork.

Thus, as a tribute to my new business friend, and all she has and will accomplish to fulfill her dreams, I dedicate this blog.

How about you? What lies at the end of your next dream line?

Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady

A few weeks ago, I faced the consequence of an overcrowded mailbox. Within the next few minutes, I was expecting to get the green light to distribute a breaking news story, but my Outlook was communicating one thing and one thing only: a warning. The system had reached its capacity, and not the tiniest memo would crisscross my desk until I manually deleted enough emails to make room for more.  Frantic, I relegated a pile of sent and read files to the wastebasket just in time to send the release.

Receiving and sending thousands of messages per month, I had neglected to purge on a regular basis, but I learned my lesson. Later that night and over the next few days, I overflowed my wastebasket and had to empty that as well. Though the motions made my right hand hurt, I soon became engrossed in the process and forgot about the pain.

Reviewing my correspondences, I not only grew impressed by the sheer volume, but the variety of the communications also got me thinking about the significance of free speech.  Messages to and from me covered everything: business, politics, religion, causes, science, history, philosophy, technology.  I conducted business and handled personal affairs. I interacted with clients, prospects, associates, friends, family, acquaintances, friends of friends, fellow organizational members, politicians, contacts of contacts, etc.

My point is that examining my use of email gave me a deeper appreciation of its ultimate value: Freedom of Speech.  Without free speech, a freely flowing mailbox, no matter how active, would be akin to a muddy river that cannot support much life.

In their wisdom and foresight, our Founding Fathers named Freedom of Speech first in the Bill of Rights.  Think about it.

If you ever begin to believe that curtailing some aspects of free speech wouldn’t be so terrible or that silencing a few won’t spread to the masses, take the liberty to have some open conversations with individuals who have worked and lived in places where words are guarded or else punished.

What are your thoughts/experiences?

I encourage you to share them and wish you an abundance of self-expression in 2010.  

Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady

When My Space and Facebook first became the buzz among teens and teenyboppers, many concerned parents stepped in with ground rules for general safety (choosing online friends wisely) and general conduct (communicating responsibly). They also set usage limits to prevent their children from abusing the privilege. Now heavily involved in blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking, etc., we adults might want to consider similar commonsense guidelines as we network, conduct business, find amusement, and socialize online.  

Having made a few mistakes of my own, I’ll share what I’ve learned so far:

• Be careful before inviting strangers into your personal space.

If you use Facebook for business and personal connections, establish a separate account for each purpose.  If your personal profile is for friends and family only, you are by no means obligated to share it with business associates or mere acquaintances. Also, unless you want to give the whole wide world access to your beach photos, make sure that your privacy settings reveal only your public profile to non-friends.

• If you are a member of Linkedin or other professional networking forum, screen your potential contacts as you would anyone who might come knocking at your office door.

Invite people into your network and accept the invites of those with whom you would comfortably associate in any business setting.  That’s not to say that you shouldn’t reach out to new people or join groups that reflect your capabilities and interests, but proceed with discretion. In this type of arena, understand that both your connections and your formal profile paint your professional picture. Aim for quality, not quantity.

• Before you post anything, determine whether or not you would say or show it in person, as well as whether or not you absolutely want the words or images attributed to you.

The second you hit enter/publish/send, that’s it. Therefore, never count on your words or images being private, anonymous, forgiven or forgotten. You might have a change of heart and the opportunity to rationalize, revise or retract (to an extent), but once you’ve put yourself out there, assume that whatever you revealed will exist for all eternity.

• Screen comments made on your professional pages.

While some of the most engaging blogs include commentaries from those who disagree, the moderator has every right—and, arguably, a responsibility to loyal followers—to exclude messages, links and images that are rude, outrageous and otherwise inappropriate. If you don’t have time to review each entry as it appears, use an automated moderator and/or put a trusted source in charge of screening.

• Establish clear-cut parameters and editorial control before you hire another party to Tweet, blog, etc. on your behalf.

If you rely on an employee or promotional resource to manage your social networks, make sure that you maintain a handle on what’s going on. I might write an article for a client’s blog, for instance, but the individual remains responsible for reviewing that content before it is public.

• Make personal contact your priority and cyber communications the alternative.

If Tweeting consumes your nights and days yet you haven’t seen your friends or spoken to your clients in weeks, it’s time to reevaluate how you spend your time.

Social networking, clearly, is no longer just for kids. It’s not only exploding, but new applications are constantly reinventing the playing field. The arena can be overwhelming, so I’m grateful to have resources like my friends at Rock Paper Scissors to help me understand and prioritize my options.  Still, no matter how we connect today or in the future, it does seem that good judgment should prevail as we exchange our news and views.

What are your rules for social networking?

Sallie Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady