I was FaceTiming with my nephew Eric, a college senior preparing to take on the world and make his mark.

Eric loves writing and has a strong sense of himself. He's bold, fun and funny.  But he scared me beyond words. 

Eric told me about his papers and professors. I'm sure he saw me twitch as he described his writing style and expression within the confines of a college classroom.  

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I told Eric point-blank: For the most part, everything you've had to write in college—style, formats and opinions.—will all go out the window.

The writing most of us have learned in school and have been using in business all these years is rarely effective these days.

Why? 

Long, dry and stuffy writing is equivalent to a sleeping pill. People want personality and pizzazz.   

Please don't ...

“If you want to attract media attention, think like a reporter.”

It’s something many professionals who want to be more visible must learn. But what does it mean? How do reporters think? And why do you need to be privy to this information?

You can’t effectively pitch stories to anyone in traditional or social media if you don’t understand how their minds operate.

How do journalists, bloggers and podcasters decide what is newsworthy and what gets tossed?

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I was a news reporter. Please, allow me to share these five common rookie mistakes small business owners should avoid when looking for publicity:

Rookie Mistake #1. I can sell my products and services with an article, post or interview. It’s all about me! When pitching a self-serving story that fails to connect with a specific audience, you’re missing an...