One of the effects of this economy on the building & remodeling industry is that people have changed their focus on what is important in home design.  Instead of building McMansions, people are more concerned with things like value, function and quality.

So if you’re building or remodeling your home in the not-too-distant future, or if you’re a builder or remodeler, you might want to get a copy of Right-Sizing Your Home, by Gale Steves (available for pre-order for 32% off cover price at Barnes & Noble until April 28).

To help spread the word about this book, I am giving away three copies, signed by the author, to randomly chosen commenters to this blog post.

All you have to do is leave a comment here about what a “Right-Sized” home means to you.  It doesn’t have to be long – just a sentence or two.  Just make sure to include a viable e-mail address (it will not be published).

I will keep the contest open until Monday, April 26.  I will then choose three winners at random*. Winners will be notified via e-mail.

Good luck!  I look forward to reading your comments.

*Prizes (signed books) are courtesy of Build Communications, LLC and have not been supplied by the author, publisher or retailer. Winners will be selected via a highly scientific drawing (printed names drawn from a baseball cap). No accounting firms will be present. Friends and family of me are not eligible – you know who you are.

HELP! Educational Blog has listed 32 words and phrases that are very often tortured, abused and misused. If you do any kind of writing, it’s a good list to have handy.

My favorites:

19. Literally- If you say “His head literally exploded because he was so mad!” then we should see brains splattered on the ceiling.

[...]

26. Unique- Something can’t be “kind of unique” or even “very unique.” It’s either one-of-a-kind or it isn’t. There is no in between when it comes to unique.

Ah the press release: the age-old staple of the public relations industry.  Some would say the press release has outlived its usefulness.  I disagree.  I think they still can be a very useful tool.

They do, however, need to be updated.  The media landscape has changed dramatically, and the press release needs to change with it.  So here are my 4 Rules of Effective Press Releases:

Rule #1: Simple format

Nothing bugs a journalist more than a complicated press release.  Keep your format simple.  Build your releases in Microsoft Word on a plain background with standard margins.  Don’t get cute with columns and text wrapping.  If you have images embedded in the release, make sure the resolution is adjusted to keep the file size down.

And keep it to one page.

Rule #2: Clear, concise information

In the old days, PR practitioners would use press releases to weave tales about the wonder and beauty of the product or service being promoted.  Those days are over.

Keep the release clear, concise and fact-based.  Start with a straightforward headline.  Follow with a lead paragraph of 100 words (200 if you must) of easy-to-understand language.  No puffery and superlatives.  If your product is the next great thing, the facts will tell the story.

Then, give additional information in five to ten bullet points.  Again, just facts that support the story.

Finally, make sure there is a date on your release.  Journalists like to know how new the news is.

Rule #3: Include multi-media

The Web has forever changed the news and PR industries.  Your press release should be optimized for the Web.

If you have low-resolution images embedded in your release, include a link to a site where high-resolution images can be downloaded, or at least to someone who can provide them (see Rule #4).  Other ideas for links:

• YouTube videos of your product, service or location
• Interesting (but germane) areas on your Web site
• Your Facebook fan page or Twitter feed
• Social bookmarking sites where people can share your news

Rule #4: List contact information

I put this last, but it should be at the top of any press release. Include the name, direct phone number (no general numbers) and e-mail of someone (a real person) the journalist can contact for more information.

Above all, make sure it’s someone who is prepared to handle media inquiries.  Requests from journalists require prompt attention, so sending them to a sales manager who has other priorities is not a good idea.

I recently read a book called The Man Who Loved Only Numbers, about the life and work of mathematician Paul Erdos. It’s a fascinating (if somewhat dry) book about genius and the search for mathematical truth.

One passage described how mathematicians do their work, usually with no practical purpose in mind. They spend all their time trying to prove some mathematical concept, which will eventually be used for things like economics or military communications coding or whatever.

But they don’t have that in mind when they’re working on the problem. They just want the answer, and are happy to let someone else figure out how to use it in the real world, if at all.

I think there is a bit of a parallel there when it comes to social media. New sites like Foursquare pop up all the time, all providing new ways for you to connect with your “friends.” They never seem to have a practical, business use. Just silly things for young people with too much free time.

Until you try them yourself. Once you dive in and start using a new tool, maybe, just maybe a new idea will present itself.

So the next time you hear of a new site that sounds silly, don’t dismiss it. Try it out. The math is already done. You just have to figure out how to use it.

In my last post, I said I would discuss some of the key elements of Branding. Here they are, in order:

First, the Customer.

In many cases, the customer is the brand. That is, when you are designing your product, it should be with a specific target customer in mind. What unfulfilled need do they have? What is important to them? Why would they choose your product or service over another?

In a perfect world, these and other questions should be answered before any product development is done. Your product, your brand should be designed around your intended customer, as much as possible.

Of course, we don’t live in a perfect world, and many of us are dealing with established brands and changing times. But we can still ask these questions to determine how well our brand fits, and if necessary, gradually make adjustments.

The Promise

Once you have established who the customer is and what they want or need, next you decide what promise you are making to them. How will you fulfill those unfulfilled needs? More importantly, how will you do it better – or differently – than your competitors?

This is the underlying benefit your product offers. It might be better prices or better service, something that enhances their lifestyles or makes them happier. Whatever it is, it should be something that you can deliver consistently and that your competitors cannot.

The Product

Now you can start designing your product. Your product is the thing that delivers on the promise, and it must do so consistently and reliably. Nothing can damage a brand like broken brand promises. For evidence of this, look no further than Toyota. Quality and reliability is their brand promise, and it was broken. It will take a lot of work to repair the Toyota brand.

The Character

Finally, this is where the designers, copywriters, PR executives and others commonly associated with branding come in. It may seem trivial compared to the elements I’ve described, but giving your brand a personality is important. It can give customers a reason to associate with your brand, or it can be what attracts people to your brand in the first place. Regardless, it should be carefully crafted and managed.