Articles by Sara Feldman

Panel Discussion: The Nuts and Bolts on Technical Editing and Writing

TechComm
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I enjoyed joining Mark Fogg and Elizabeth Gray in this panel discussion for San Diego Professional Editors Network (SD/PEN). We answered questions about how we became technical writers and editors, the various tech industries and opportunities in San Diego, how to succeed in the field, and more.

Technically Speaking: The Nuts and Bolts on Technical Editing and Writing (March 16, 2017)

Mark Fogg, Sara Feldman, Elizabeth Gray

Discussion Highlights

  • Learn to love style guides. Technical Writers will reference various style guides, depending on the subject-matter or client. Whichever one is required should become your new best friend! A great house style guide example is the MailChimp style guide (which happens to be included in Websites I like).
  • Technical Editors vs. Technical Writers. Interestingly, my co-panelists had a much clearer distinction between these roles than I’ve encountered in my experience. I’m researching this topic and will post more about it soon.
  • Contractor vs. Full Time Employee (FTE). We all noted that contract positions appear to be more common now than FTE opportunities, at least in San Diego. Contract positions unfortunately don’t come with benefits. On the other hand, FTE positions can come with extra hours (especially around major deadlines or product releases) while contractor hours are much more consistent and predictable.
Moderator, Chris Zook

Learn More

  • SD/PEN has a mission to “To support and develop top-notch editors and to promote their services to writers, publishers, businesses, and others whose success depends on effective communication.” Check out the next SD/PEN event!
  • STC San Diego connects you with networking, educational and job opportunities so you can grow in the rewarding field of technical communication. Check out the next STC San Diego event!

An effective marketing email subject

Effective Content
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How many marketing emails go straight to the trash folder?  For me, it’s most of them. Stats from MailChimp have the average open rate as ~20% and the average click rate in the low single digits.

But a recent marketing email from my real estate agent caught my attention and motivated me to open it, because of the subject – “The Oscars weren’t the only ones to make a mistake…”

A clever marketing email subject: "The Oscars weren't the only ones to make a mistake..."
The Oscars weren’t the only ones to make a mistake…

I didn’t watch the Oscars and I have no upcoming real estate needs, so why was it so effective?

It’s human. By admitting a mistake, this email subject is a great example of Human to Human (H2H) communication, as coined by Bryan Kramer.  He wrote, “The delightful side of humanity holds with it empathy, understanding, and forgiveness, and when remembered in our communication, it ties us together as a common group.” This subject line helped a marketing communication appear as a real human communicating.

It taps into our inherent curiosity. Humans are curious, even Aristotle knew that. This email subject tells me that someone made a mistake, which I can empathize with as a human. What was the mistake? I had to open the email and actually read it to find out and I was curious enough to do so.

It’s timely. Even though I didn’t watch the 2017 Oscars, the Best Picture blunder was all over social media and this email arrived that week. If your content requires a lengthy approval process, then it won’t be timely enough to be effective.

These characteristics are important for all effective communication – even the Tech Comm world that I operate in. What makes communication effective for you?

 

P.S. Kelly Lambo gave me permission to use her name and marketing email example for this post, and she also happens to be the best real estate agent in San Diego.

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