September 2006


If you're quiet, you're not living. You've got to be noisy and colorful and lively.
Mel Brooks
 

There are only three colors, 10 digits, and seven notes; it’s what we do with them that's important.
Jim Rohn
 

Color television! Bah, I won't believe it until I see it in black and white.
Samuel Goldwyn

Bold splashes of rust, amber and gold set against a vivid blue sky. These may be the season’s typical colors, but this fall we think the predominant hue can best be described as “deep blur.” Sure the pace is fast, but we’re still taking time for:

  • The High Point annual strategic meeting, where we Celebrate, Relate, Rate and Recreate.
  • A conference in Chicago, where Kate and Melissa will garner the latest thinking on direct-to-patient strategies for medical devices.
  • A trip-of-a-lifetime this fall for Christina when she tours Vietnam, her husband’s homeland. (Follow along via her blog.)
TRY THIS

Pick Your Type
Times New Roman getting a bit old? Plain little Arial not quite the fresh-faced youth she once was? Color your world a little more interesting by putting a new face on things. A new typeface from www.MyFonts.com can be just the thing to liven things up your documents. A nice WYSIWYG feature allows you to plug in your own text to see a live sample before you buy, and their easy download and install process will have you using your new font in minutes.
NEWS YOU CAN USE

Tame Your E-mail
If you got 50 or 60 pieces of physical mail every day, you’d be buried. You would need a system to deal with it. The same is true of your e-mail. Mary’n Hallock, organizing and productivity consultant with The Painless Papercut, has some suggestions to help you deal with your electronic inbox:

  • Start your day with an e-mail sorting session. Don’t read or respond, just skim and prioritize how you will deal with these messages.
  • Stay in control. Respond on your own time and turn off e-mail sounds so they won’t interrupt you.
  • Have separate work and personal e-mail addresses.
  • Use filters to keep the spam away, but check your “junk” folder once in a while so you are sure you don’t miss anything important.
  • Save attached documents right away. Put the file in a place that makes sense and give it a logical name.
  • Back up your e-mail at least once a month and consider a record retention schedule. You can start simple. For example, delete all the attachments in your attachment file once a month and delete any outbound messages older than three months.

HOT POINT

¿No Habla Ingles?
Living in the United States, it’s easy to assume the rest of the world is speaking English. In fact, just eight percent of the world’s population of 6.5 billion people speak English as a first language, and that percentage is declining. English currently is second to Mandarin Chinese, and will likely fall into a four-way tie for second place with Spanish, Arabic and Hindi/Urdu by 2050.
Source: Copy Editor, February - March 2006
WORDWISE

Search Engine Optimization and Smart Linking
While your Web site may have dazzling content, it will only dazzle those who can find it. Because Internet users employ search engines for most online sessions, your ranking with the search engines is important.

One of the most effective ways to improve your search engine ranking and drive traffic to your Web site is to increase your linking popularity with smart links. What's a smart link? A link from an authoritative Web sites with a good search engine ranking, such as Mayoclinic.com or Wikipedia.org. While every link to your Web site is a vote for your site that will increase your search engine ranking, links from these sites to your site are much more valuable than links from less authoritative, less popular sites. We've created a short article to help you learn more.
HIGH POINT HIGHLIGHTS

Just Released
If your writing project requires research, we are ready to dig in on your behalf. High Point Creative has the resources and ability to do the required research, then craft well-written, in-depth materials. For an example, see The Law of Corporations and Other Business Organizations, 4th Edition, just published by West Legal Studies. This 800+ page textbook for paralegal students was researched and authored by our very own research specialist, Angie Schneeman.

It's All About YOU
At some point, you may need a professional profile to include in a brochure, on a Web site or as part of conference or seminar materials. High Point Creative is ready to create a bio that showcases your experience and talent. Most recently, we helped Deluxe Financial Services by writing staff bios to accompany new training materials. The bios feature details about each person's job responsibilities as well as some personal information such as family background, favorite passions and inspirational quotes.

Phone: 651-426-4012
E-mail:  newsletter@highpointcreative.com
Web: www.highpointcreative.com
About: High Point Creative delivers smart creative solutions with a focus on strategic thinking, effective copywriting and flawless execution. Look to us to provide the right words for your next project.

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