Blog Archive — Rough Draft Solutions

If your business publishes blog posts on a regular basis, then you probably have a well-oiled routine. You put your last period on the end of another great post, hit publish, and reap the benefit of short-lived excitement before it is lost in an archive along with dozens of other posts and is forgotten. Kind of sad, but it’s true, right?

PostedDecember 9, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesBlogging, Writing, Video, Blogs, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsBlogging Tips, Blogging Lansing, Video, Infographics, Marketing, Quotes

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As an avid writer, you systematically double check your commas, intently review your grammar usage, and triple proofread your content. Once these tasks are complete, what is the next step? There are many similar tips that float around the Internet of how to become better writers and how to improve your editing processes, but what do you do if you want to refine yourself as a writer on a daily basis? Writing clear messages, staying professional, and captivating your readers with descriptive language is a strong start, but how can you make sure your skills are as sharp as possible?

PostedDecember 2, 2015

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CategoriesWriting, Strategic Communication, Tips, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsWriting tips, Small business, Grammar, Professional communication

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Thinking about all we have to be thankful for is a good way to do a reality check and inspire us to tackle the end of the year deadlines with smiles on our faces. This year has been one for the books, and I am humbled by all the wonderful things that have happened. My team has grown from one to three, we have surpassed our strategic goals, and most importantly, we have had the privilege of working with more than 30 talented businesses. In honor of Thanksgiving, we wanted to take a moment to share what we are most thankful for.

PostedNovember 23, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesFood for Thought, Rough Draft Solutions, Interview

TagsThankful, Rough Draft Solutions Team, Interview

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You know the feeling when you get a new outfit and you can’t wait to parade around showing everybody because it gives you the kind of confidence that makes you feel like you can take on the world? Well, that’s kind of how we feel about our new About Us video. Which is why we couldn't be more excited to share it with you!

Here is an inside peek at what goes on at Rough Draft Solutions!

PostedNovember 23, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesTrusted Partner, Video, Rough Draft Solutions, Customer Relations

TagsVideo, Rough Draft Solutions Team, Rough Draft Solutions, Small Business, Lansing Marketing, Lansing Business

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Calling your brochures boring and ugly may be a little harsh, but it is the wake-up call that many of us need. Today, more than ever, it is important to have brochures that not only inform your potential customers of how you can help them but are also pretty to look at!

The problem is that revamping your brochure or even more daunting, an entire series of brochures, requires time, effort, and money. Three things that often run in short supply! Here are a few of our favorite tips to share with our clients on how to take your brochure from snooze-fest to a stimulating pamphlet your customers will actually read (and enjoy!).

PostedNovember 11, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesContent Marketing, Writing, Brochures, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsBrochures, Graphic design, Marketing Tips, Marketing

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There are countless business articles and blogs circulating the Internet that focus on the clear-cut methods you should follow to reach your goals. They provide a list of steps to take to help your business achieve success. What many businesses don’t talk about, however, are the mistakes they made along the way.

Awhile back, the Business Machine podcast featured Rough Draft Solution's own Amanda Washburn in their series “Learning from Our Mistakes.” Hear the interview for yourself or read on to learn why Rough Draft Solutions was started, what our future looks like, and what mistakes we’ve made along the way. Here is a sneak peek!

PostedNovember 4, 2015

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CategoriesInterview, Getting Started, Small Business Owner, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsPodcast Interview, Small Business Owner, Internal communication

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“Avoid using the word very because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired; he is exhausted. Don’t use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason, for boys to woo women--and in that endeavor laziness will not do.” - Robin Williams.

Even though our main goal as business owners and content writers is not to “woo women,” we believe Robin Williams was onto something here.

In writing, each word plays a crucial role in portraying your message. When you write, you lose the power of gestures, facial expressions, and body language. The strength of the words you choose is directly correlated with the message you convey to the reader. If you want to create a powerful and engaging piece, you must use language to its full potential.

PostedOctober 21, 2015

Author

CategoriesWriting, Communication, Content Marketing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsWriting tips, Content Development, Quality content

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Every day the Rough Draft Solutions team meets with clients, writes content, and manages our social media platforms, but what are we like outside of work? Our backgrounds and experiences influence the work we do, so we thought you may enjoy an inside look into our personalities! Who are the writers behind the content, you ask? Amanda, Tracey, and Emily answer the questions you’re curious about.

PostedOctober 14, 2015

Author

CategoriesEmployee Morale, Trusted Partner, Interview, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsInterview, Rough Draft Solutions Team, Writers, Editors

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The first blog post in our Pinterest for Business Series, “Why Your Business Needs to Be on Pinterest,” discussed the two major reasons why Pinterest is beneficial for your business:

#1 It generates sales

#2 It drives traffic to your website

While our hope is that our first post inspired you to create an account for your business, you may be scratching your head as to what to do next. How should you brand your page? How do you gain a steady following? Which resources can help you create eye-catching pins? And most importantly, what is the secret to creating a successful Pinterest page for your business?

PostedOctober 8, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesPinterest, Social media, Strategic Communication, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsPinterest, Social Media, Social media tips, Pinterest tips, Lansing Copywriter, Small business

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As a business owner, your journey begins with a vision, and you develop an idea of what needs to happen and how you want things to be done. While you may have an impressive vision, the challenge is making it happen. Many times, you cannot do it on your own and will rely on employees to help you complete the work and represent your company’s mission. Once you have a team in place, the next hurdle is setting them loose to do their work. You will do your best to lead your employees in the right direction, but at what point does the directing become too much? How much managing can you do before it becomes micromanaging?

PostedSeptember 29, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesEmployee Morale, Internal Communication, Rough Draft Solutions, Business Leadership

TagsEmployee Morale, Employees, Micromanaging, Leadership, Small business

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Employers daily receive an abundance of resumes, and whether yours pops up via e-mail or gets shuffled amongst a database, you’ve only got a few seconds to grab their attention. With such a short time span and fierce competition, finding ways to make your resume stand out amongst the pack is the key to getting an interview.

But creating the perfect resume is a bit of a tricky and (sometimes) confusing process. How should you design it? And which content is important to include and which isn’t? What is the secret to creating a resume that will actually get your hired?

PostedSeptember 23, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesWriting, Resume, Tips, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsResumes, Editing, Writing, Resume Tips

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You may provide outstanding products and services, but if you don’t treat your customers right, they will find another way to get what they need. It is important to show your customers they are respected, valued and appreciated by your company. There are many simple ways to give your customers excellent service, but you want to be the business that goes above and beyond to keep your customers coming back.

Here are seven ways you can better serve and support your customers. The goal is to keep them happy and coming back for more!

PostedSeptember 16, 2015

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CategoriesCommunication, Customer Relations, Employee Morale, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsCustomer Relationships, Customer Service

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As we work to provide insightful and informative content on our blog about different aspects of business and content marketing, we wanted to take a moment to share more about what goes on here at Rough Draft Solutions!

The focus of our business is creating content worth reading. We strive to empower businesses to communicate with their customers in an effective and authentic way. In today’s world, businesses are communicating with their customers through websites, blogs, and newsletters. The challenge is knowing how to produce content effectively, how to write professionally, and realistically, how to get it done!

PostedSeptember 9, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesContent Marketing, Writing, Strategic Communication, Trusted Partner, Rough Draft Solutions

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Chances are if you clicked on this article you’re not new to the idea of social media marketing. With 74% of the adult population active on a variety of social networks it’s evident something is working when it comes to connecting with customers online. That’s basic marketing 101 - be where your customers are.

Picking the right social media platform to connect with your customers is a bit subjective. As I am sure you can guess, most businesses invest the bulk of their energy into the more obvious platforms like Facebook. But there is one network in particular that deserves a lot more attention—Pinterest.

PostedAugust 31, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesPinterest, Tips, Social Media, Marketing, Rough Draft Solutions, Popular Post

TagsPinterest, Social Media Tips, Small Business, Marketing Tips

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For some business owners the phrase, “Marketing strategies” causes them to cringe and quickly shield their wallets. However, developing strong marketing tactics doesn’t have to be difficult nor break the bank. Here are several inexpensive, effective ways to market your business that you could easily implement today.

PostedAugust 26, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesCommunication, Content Marketing, Social Media, Blogging, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsDigital media, Blogs, Original Content, Networking

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This past week, we had the opportunity to sit down with Cooper Spaulding, the owner and operator of film production company, Cold Box Films. His company writes, films, and produces high-quality videos for the small business market primarily in the greater Lansing area.

During our conversation, we discussed why videos are an essential component to successful businesses and how they can help companies flourish. Check out all of the helpful insight Cooper shared with us!

PostedAugust 18, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesDigital media, Marketing, Technology, Video, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsVideography, Digital media, Small Business Owner

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Being a solo-entrepreneur definitely has its benefits - getting to do what you want when you want it and having the freedom of not managing others barely scratches the surface. But when it becomes apparent that your business needs help and you want to add people to your team, how do you know who are the right people to hire? Do you pick those with the most education? The most experience? The best personality? Which qualities are most important to look for in a new employee and which qualities should you look out for as warning signs in interviews?

PostedAugust 7, 2015

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesBusiness Leadership, Employee Morale, Internal Communication, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsHiring Tips, Interview Tips

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