Whoa, insurance = spam?

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Insurance can get your email tagged as spam. I never would have guessed.

I saw the following message after I ran one of my e-newsletters through a spam checker.

It looks like there are some words in this email that might send your email to a Spam folder. To make sure your email is delivered successfully, we recommend going back to change or remove the following words: insurance.



Perhaps this happened because there are too many spammer pushing shady insurance schemes.

Fortunately one iffy word isn’t enough to keep your email out of most in-boxes. Look at your overall spam rating before you panic. If it’s low, like the typical rating on my e-newsletters, you should be okay. 

The “open” and “bounce” rates for my e-newsletter mentioning “insurance” were no worse than usual. However, “insurance” was the newsletter’s only element tagged as potential spam.

____________________  
Receive a free 32-page e-book with client communications tips when you sign up for my free monthly newsletter.  

Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

Setting myself a challenge: A May Blogathon

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Am I crazy?

I’ve signed up for the 2010 WordCount Blogathon in which bloggers commit to post every day during the month of May. Yes, that means at least 31 blog posts during the month of May.

I typically post 11 to 15 times a month. So I’ve got to double or triple my output. Yikes!

One of my survival techniques is to look at unfinished drafts. I’ve got 80+. Some of them must be worth finishing. 

Please let me know if there are topics you’d like me to address this month. A little outside inspiration would help.

Meanwhile, here’s the list of my fellow Blogathoners

  • Rebecca I. Allen – 356 No More, A journey from couch to fit
  • Anjuli – bhulbhulaiyan, A complicated entanglement of zigzag pathways
  • Joan Lambert Bailey – PopcornHomestead, Gardening, place and my life in Tokyo
  • Karen Bannan – Natural as Possible Mom, Because natural isn’t always possible — or easy
  • t.a. barnhart – Left Coast Foodie, Damn, that’s good: a foodie blog by someone who knows what he’s doing
  • June Bell – Enough is enough! Advice and support
  • Athena l. Borozon – The Desert Rat Dialogues
  • Jane Boursaw* – Film Gecko, Cool movie news and reviews
  • Alisa Bowman – Project Happily Ever After, Marriage advice from a recovering divorce daydreamer
  • Carson Brackney – Carson Brackney, Consultant, Copywriter, Content Provider, Factotum
  • Sheena Brockington – Greenhouse Advertising, Cultivating ideas for small businesses
  • Danielle Buffardi – Horrible Sanity, Going into the mind of a mother and freelancer
  • Beverly Burmeier – Going on Adventures, Travel stories from near and far
  • Danielle Carter – Live and Love Life VA, Helping you do more of what you love, and less of what you don’t!
  • Fiona Chan – Candy Prison, A typical teenager
  • Bernard Chung – Green Tea World, It’s more than just a cup of green tea here
  • Caroline Clemmons – A Writer’s Life, Writing tips, interviews and miscellaneous ramblings
  • Shelley Clunie – ShelCluzo’s Blog, Healthy, wealthy and wise at 62
  • Christianne Cook – A Day in My Mind, The world through my eyes
  • Sue Dickman – Life Divided, Food, garden, books . . . and India
  • Jackie Dishner – Bike with Jackie, Using my special brand of BIKE to teach you how to turn obstacles into opportunities
  • Tracy Doerr – Tracy Doerr, A chronicle of ideas and things that inspire me
  • Ron S. Doyle* – Blog Salad, All the blog that’s fit to eat
  • Dana DuGan – Chick with a View, It’s good to live on the edge. The view is better
  • Dan Eldridge – Labor Party, A Young Pioneers Media blog for Creative and Alternative Entrepreneurs
  • Heather Faesy – Blame it on the Full Moon, My kids, writing and reading
  • R. Jill Fink – My Opera, Musings about writing, food, weight loss and other hilarious things
  • Jennifer Fink – Blogging Bout Boys, All about boys — raising them, educating them, learning with them
  • Damaris Fish – Damaris Fish on Genealogy, Researching my family history and helping others with theirs
  • Dylan Fogle – Discordianzen, The map is not the territory
  • Katie Foote – Littlefoote’s Lab, A chronicle of what the unemployed girl in NoPo is up to
  • AndreaGenevieve – Andrea Genevieve, Where social medium, technology and higher education meet
  • Alexandra Grabbe – Chezsven’s Blog, Life as a green innkeeper on Outer Cape Cod
  • Elyse Grau – My Garden to Table, Growing what you eat, eating what you grow
  • Wendy Korn Heppt – Budget Style on a Shoestring, Budget savvy fashion, beauty and related news and ideas
  • Katie Hinderer – Write Beyond the Cubicle, A freelance writer’s thoughts on the industry
  • Amanda Hirsch – Tastee Pudding, In the search for creative life, the proof is in the Pudding
  • Lisa Jaffe Hubbell – Eat, Read and Be Harried, Making it through life one book at a time
  • Nancy Mann Jackson – Growing Food and Kids, Gardening, harvesting, cooking and preserving with kids in tow
  • Robert Janelle – Without an Apostrophe, Ottawa freelance tech journalist
  • Elizabeth King Humphrey – The Write Elizabeth, Writing. Creativity. Play. Life.
  • Walter L. Johnson II – Georgia News Beat, An inside look at what’s happening in the state of Georgia
  • B.J. Keeton – Professor Beej, Pop culture commentary with an academic slant
  • Amy Kocur – AmyLizK, Maryland/ DC Metro area arts and analysis
  • Courtney Koschel – Finding My Muse: A New Writer’s Journey,
  • Sara Lancaster – No.2PenBlog, Resource for my clients and others interested in marketing communications
  • Bill Lascher – Lascher at Large, A contemplative, pondered and unrushed thought banquet.
  • Mary Dixon Lebeau – In the Boom Boom Room, Remember staying out until the street lights came on?
  • Pooja Lohana – Brown-eyed Mystic, On writing and more!
  • Sarah E. Ludwig – Parenting by Trial and Error, The learning curve in raising kids
  • Jenny Lynes – Welcome to the Good Life, A student environmentalist exploring responsible, cheap, and fun living
  • Harry Marks – Curious Rat, Chewing at the tech industry’s wires…nom nom nom…
  • Joanne Mason – English Idioms, What they mean, how we use them, where they came from
  • Kim McNeill – Kim’s Play Place, An active parent trying to make sure my kids are educated
  • Teresa Mears – MiamiOntheCheap, Discounts, deals and free events in Miami
  • Rose Medlock – RFM, Rose Flores Medlock
  • Heather Minton – Stumbling into Grace, The adventure of following God and figuring it out in Portland
  • Kathy Murray – Out and Employed, News, career advice and job resources for ex-offenders
  • Alexis Neely – Life, Business and the Pursuit of Truth, A blog about the intersection
  • Charles Newbery – Pine Tree Paradise, The life of a work-at-home writer and father of three
  • Eric Novinson – Costing a Green Future, A green business blog
  • Tracy O’Connor – I Hate My Message Board, Humor, crankiness, a museum of snack foods and the odd motivational piece
  • Andrea Parker – Autism Fundraising Guide, For parents of children with autism
  • Lilac Penafiel – What Have You Learned Today, Life lessons learned everyday…
  • Tara Phillips – Two Hands and a Road Map
  • Jennie Phipps – WalletPop, AOL’s personal finance blog
  • Ed Pilolla – Ed Pilolla, What the f*** is love?
  • Sue Poremba – I Breathe, Therefore I Write
  • Kate Reilly – Polka Dot Suitcase, Family fun through creative living
  • Meredith Resnick – The Writer’s [Inner] Journey, Bestselling authors, professional creatives and emerging voices in quirky dialogue about how they write and why it works
  • Vanessa Richardson – Way Out West Texas, City girl from California moves to Way Out West Texas, what will happen?
  • Rebecca Robinson – Rebecca Robinson, Updates on freelance projects, reflections on journalism innovation in Portland and beyond, and brainstorms from the wee hours
  • Carey Rossi – Thank You Everything, Appreciate the little things
  • Natasha Rogue – The Writing Blues, Little tips on how I find motivation to get past the difficulties of writing life and the road to publication
  • Andrea M. Rotondo – Luxury Cruise Bible, Your source for unbiased luxury cruise reviews
  • Melissa Sais – Digital Mom, Raising kids in a digital world
  • Lisa Samalonis – Single Parent Savings
  • Sami – Stonerpreneur, Stoner antics as they relate to my business and personal growth
  • Dina Santorelli – Making Baby Grand, And I thought giving birth to real babies was hard…
  • Lacey Savage – Tips and WIPS, Talking about writing fiction
  • Lilian Schaer – Food and Farming Canada, A blog about the farming side of food
  • Matthew Smith – Smidgen PC, Big news about tiny PCs
  • Michelle Smith – Law Office of Michelle R. Smith, Because it’s your life, your family and your choice
  • Stephanie Suesan Smith – Stephanie Suesan Smith PhD, Information Central
  • Claire Splan – Alameda Garden, Gardening issues in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond
  • Margarita Tartakovsky – Self-ish, {Sorta} Sage Advice on Being a Better You
  • Thinkingtoohard – Thinking too hard, This is where I empty my head
  • Blake Thompson – Black Thompson daht Net, “I’m just saying…”
  • Jodi Torpey – Western Gardeners, Your online guide to gardening in the West
  • Paul Tullis – Grim Tidings- True/Slant, My rants about politics & policy
  • Brandi-Ann Uyemura – Brandi-Ann Uyemura, Rather be freelancing: tips for the beginning writer
  • Beth VanHoose – Writing in Sand, My adventures in freelance writing, and other stuff
  • Rachel Vidoni – East Coast Musings, A humorous look at kids, family and life
  • Jen Walker – My Morning Chocolate, Writing, experiments, culture and adventure in food
  • Katie Jett Walls – One per Week, 52 posts on things that matter to me
  • Sarah Webb – Webb of Science, Connecting science and life
  • Rebecca Weber – Newstilt SAfrica
  • Susan Weiner – Investment Writing, For investment and wealth managers who want to communicate more effectively with clients and prospects
  • Rashida Williams – Really Rashida, Urban lit author blogging about my life and times
  • Jennifer Willis – Jennifer Willis, Thoughts on religion, sustainability, media and culture



    • ____________________  
    The next session of “How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read: A Five-Week Teleclass for Financial Advisors” will start in September. For more information, sign up to receive “Information on upcoming classes, workshops, and other events” as well as my free monthly newsletter. Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

    Marketing via U.S. mail still pays

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    “Don’t give up on mail,” wrote marketing consultant Libby Dubick in “Four marketing resolutions for 2010.” I agree that investment and wealth management firms should continue to use the U.S. mail.

    Letters and brochures ranked high when Dubick conducted an informal survey of how senior marketing executives would like to be introduced to a wealth manager. They came in second only to personal referrals.

    If you write a sales letter, remember these tips

    • Emphasize your prospect’s WIIFM–What’s In It For Me–rather than talking about your firm
    • Keep it short–People have short attention spans.
    • Don’t send it and forget it–Follow up with the individual.

    Related posts

    ____________________
    The next session of “How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read: A Five-Week Teleclass for Financial Advisors” will start in September. For more information, sign up to receive “Information on upcoming classes, workshops, and other events” as well as my free monthly newsletter. Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

    No more fancy-pants prose, please

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    “The writer who indulges in fancy-pants prose sometimes has too large an ego, and sometimes one that’s too small,” says Francis Flaherty, author of The Elements of Story.

    Fancy-pants prose—in other words, highfalutin, multisyllabic words—rarely serve writers well. Instead, as Flaherty suggests, they’re evidence that the author is trying to impress his or her audience.

    In the investment and wealth management world, this shows up in the use of words such as “mitigate” when “reduce” or “cut” would serve the purpose. 

    Can you think of fancy-pants words you’d like to eliminate from our industry’s publications? Please leave a comment.

    Treasurys vs. Treasuries — Which is the right spelling?

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    What’s the right way to spell the plural of Treasury, as in U.S. Treasury bond?

    Should it be “Treasurys,” following the rule that the members of the Murphy family become Murphys? Or should it follow the normal rules of creating plurals for words that end in the letter y?

    I panicked when I saw “Treasurys” in The Wall Street Journal. Eek! Have I been spelling the word wrong for 20-odd years?

    However, I quickly discovered that opinions are split. When I Googled the terms, there were 2.2 million results for Treasuries vs. only 1.5 million for Treasurys. 

    The evidence for Treasuries
    Here’s the rule that would typically apply. “…if a word ends in a -y that isn’t preceded by a vowel, the plural is formed by omitting the -y and substituting -ies…,” according to Garner’s Modern American Usage. Garner makes an exception for proper names ending in y. He agrees that Murphy becomes Murphys.

    Does Treasury qualify as a proper name? Proper names are usually personal names–such as Murphy–or geographic names–such as Washington, D.C. Following this reasoning, Treasuries makes sense.

    My friend, financial editor Harriett Magee, found that sources including the Barron’s Dictionary of Finance and Investment Terms agreed with Treasuries. Plus, her spell-checker flagged Treasurys as a mistake. 

    If you prefer Treasurys…
    You’ve got some high-powered company if you stick with Treasurys. When The Wall Street Journal spells it that way, that legitimizes it in my eyes.

    If you can’t bear not knowing what’s 100% correct, then use the workaround that Harriett Magee suggests. Refer to Treasury bonds, Treasury notes, and so on. It’s bit wordy, but correct. 

    Follow this advice, no matter what you decide
    It’s important to use your words consistently in your corporate communications. Pick one spelling and stick with it. 

    Consider creating a corporate style guide that lists preferred spellings. It’s a lot easier to have an authoritative source for your company than to try to keep the rules in your head.

    My thanks go to David Glen, senior vice president at Boston Private Bank, for raising this question.

    Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

    How to guest-blog on personal finance or investments, Part I: Your approach

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    Some financial advisors wonder if they can crank out a steady flow of compelling blog posts week after week. Before you make the commitment, consider testing your abilities by writing for other people’s personal finance or investment blogs.

    Some blogs publish their submission guidelines, so you know exactly how to apply to be a guest blogger. Others don’t. But there’s a simple process you can follow to propose a guest role.

    Step 1. Study the blog to figure out its audience and topical focus.

    Step 2. Come up with a topic. Your description of your topic should identify the main point you’re trying to make and why readers will care about it. In “How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read: A 5-Week Teleclass for Financial Advisors,” you’ll get help developing a strong topic.

    Step 3. Email the blogger to suggest a guest post. A strong proposal will include the following:

         a. Your understanding of the host blogger’s audience and focus

         b. Your topic and why it will appeal to the blog’s audience

         c. A brief bio to establish your credibility

        d. Your contact information

    It isn’t necessary to send your completed blog post right away. In fact, I think it’s better not to send it unless requested by the blog’s owner submission guidelines.

    A proposal lets the blog owner give you suggestions about how to adapt your idea to their needs. If you enroll in “How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read: A 5-Week Teleclass for Financial Advisors,” you’ll get my personalized feedback on your draft inquiry for guest blogging.

    Financial advisors, you will get names of blogs that accept investment and personal finance guest posts in Part II of “How to guest-blog on personal finance or investments.”

    Related posts

    This post was updated on June 11, 2011, and April 26, 2020.

     

    Teleclass FAQ–Answers to common questions about "How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read"

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    Are you a financial advisor with questions about whether my teleclass on “How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read: A 5-Week Teleclass for Financial Advisors” will work for you?

    You’ll find answers to common questions below. Do you have questions I haven’t answered below? Leave them as a comment or call me at 617-969-4509.


    Q. What if I can’t attend all of the scheduled class meetings? Is there a way to catch up on the content?

    A. It’s no problem if you miss a class.

    You can download an audio recording within 24 hours after the class. It’s easy to catch up with a mp3 file that you can listen to on your computer or your mp3 player.

    You can save all the audio files to give yourself a refresher course months or even years after your formal training ends.

    Register for How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read: A 5-Week Writing Teleclass for Financial Advisors in Once-a-week telephone conference call for 5 weeks, April 22-May 20 on Eventbrite

    Q. What if I don’t see myself as a “financial advisor”? Can I still take your class?

    A. I use the term “financial advisor” as shorthand for my target audience, which includes employees of investment, wealth management, and financial planning firms.
    Register for How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read: A 5-Week Writing Teleclass for Financial Advisors in Once-a-week telephone conference call for 5 weeks, April 22-May 20 on Eventbrite

    Q. Why is the class limited to 12 students?

    A. You’ll learn more when you get the personal attention that comes with a small class. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to ask questions during our telephone call. Plus, you’ll get written feedback on your homework assignments.
    Register for How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read: A 5-Week Writing Teleclass for Financial Advisors in Once-a-week telephone conference call for 5 weeks, April 22-May 20 on Eventbrite
     
    Q. How are classes taught?

    A. You dial a teleconference number to participate in your weekly teleclass. Prior to the class, you’ll download a handout so you can follow along and take notes during class. You’ll also receive weekly homework assignments, which you’ll post to a private website, so you can get feedback on them.
    Register for How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read: A 5-Week Writing Teleclass for Financial Advisors in Once-a-week telephone conference call for 5 weeks, April 22-May 20 on Eventbrite
    ____________________
    The next session of “How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read: A Five-Week Teleclass for Financial Advisors“ starts on April 22. Sign up to receive  my free monthly newsletter.
    Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

    What students say about “How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read”

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    The investment and wealth managers who’ve taken my writing class, “How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read,” have enjoyed it. Here’s a sampling of what my students have said on their evaluation forms and in phone calls with me.


    *  What was valuable for me was the structure. The handouts, the thesis statement, the rules.

    *  Your class delivered exactly what it promised.

    *  The best part for me was having my work edited and critiqued by a professional.

    *  Susan is onto something unique. There’s no one else doing exactly what she does.

    *  The class is great! I’m really getting a huge amount of value — there really is a process to writing.

    *  Any advisor who’s serious about blogging should take this class.

    *  Susan’s coaching is a classic case of “under-promise, over-deliver.” I highly recommend her as a writing coach or teacher. Her coaching has improved the quality of writing in my blog posts. My writing skills were very rusty when we started. Susan’s practical, insightful suggestions–along with her Blog Post Preparation Worksheet–have been an incredibly valuable resource.

    *  I have Susan’s checklist out on my desk to help me review my blog posts.

    *  You really helped me with how to organize my thoughts before writing.

    * I liked how you gave us outside-the-box ideas.

    * You really helped me by saying that not everyone can immediately write everything down right

    *  I would sign up for another class with you. Have you thought about offering a class about writing emails?

    Register for How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read: A 5-Week Writing Teleclass for Financial Advisors in Once-a-week telephone conference call for 5 weeks, April 22-May 20 on Eventbrite

    I’d like to thank the great students who made teaching this class such a pleasure!

    This post was updated on April 25, 2010, and June 10, 2011.

    ____________________
    Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

    Poll: Would you hire a ghost blogger for your company?

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    Investment and wealth managers have great skills. But writing isn’t necessarily one of them. So what’s a financial professional to do now that blogging is an important part of marketing?

    Some companies hire ghostwriters to write their blog posts for them. Ghostblogging can encompass everything from coming up with the ideas, doing the research, writing, formatting posts, and even responding to comments in the voice of the company. Or it can involve a much bigger contribution from the client whose name goes on the post.

    Critics say that hiring a ghostblogger is bad. In “The Ghost Speaks,” writer Michael Janofsky quotes communications consultant Shel Holtz, “I’m a huge fan of transparency. My advice to executives is: If you don’t take the time to write yourself, find another channel of communication.”

    What do YOU think? Please answer the poll that will run in the  right-hand column of this blog until I replace it with next month’s poll. I’ll report on the results in my May e-newsletter.
    ____________________
    Sign up for the next session of “How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read: A Five-Week Teleclass for Financial Advisors” starting April 22 or join the mailing list for my free monthly newsletter.
    Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

    The power of analogy: U2 and alternative investments

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    What could the band U2 and hedge fund-style investing have in common? 

    This unlikely combination came up in a March 15 presentation to the Boston Security Analysts Society by Robert Kaimowitz, CEO and portfolio manager, Bull Path Capital Management.  

    Kaimowitz asked the audience, “How many of you think U2 is an alternative band?” No hands went up. The band is mainstream now. Yet it was considered an alternative band when it first emerged.

    So-called “alternative investments” will follow a similar path, suggested Kaimowitz. They’re new and poorly understood, so they’re considered “alternative.” That will change as they become accepted. He figures alternatives will become mainstream partly because a long-only fund can’t be conservative because it’s 100% exposed to the market.

    Kaimowitz’ comments about U2 and alternative investments demonstrate the power of analogy. They stuck with me long after the details of his fund’s performance faded.

    If you’re trying to convince your clients to adopt alternative investments, consider trying this U2 analogy on them. I’d like to hear if it works for you.