Star Choice

STAR CHOICE Issue: #5 | November - January 2020

FILMS | FASHION | LIFESTYLE

5 DANGEROUS

EFFECTS

OF SITTING TOO LONG

Copywriting

HOW TO WIN AN ELECTION

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SIDDIQUI

to T n I g n i t t Ge

CINEMA BREWERY

Fan’s Guide To Movies

he

n o i h s Fa

s s e n i s Bu

01 | January 2019

contents January 2019

15 EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATION IDEAS ................................ 03 DOS AND DON’TS-................................................................... 07 BRAND IDENTITY DESIGN .................................................... 11 USING A VIRTUAL WRITING TUTOR- .................................. 15 RECOVERY FROM DRUG ADDICTION EASIER- ................ 21 WORKING 9 TO 5- ................................................................... 23 FEEDBACK WITH EMAIL MARKETING .............................. 27 HOW TO WIN AN ELECTION- ............................................... 29 STRUCTURE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM- .............. 33 EFFECTS OF SITTING TOO LONG ....................................... 37 BUSINESS MARKETING STRATEGY ..................................... 40 4 BOOKS ABOUT ADDICTION RECOVERY ......................... 45 CONTENT MARKETING ......................................................... 47

32 25 CEO / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DESIGN & LAYOUT Kailash Kumar

STAR CHOICE MAGAZINE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR INCORRECT PRICING OR INFORMATION LISTED OR FOR THE LOSS OR DAMAGE TO UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS STATEMENTS. OPINIONS, PHOTOGRAPHS AND POINTS OF VIEW EXPRESSED BY WRITERS AND ADVERTISERS ARE THEIR OWN AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THOSE OF THE PUBLISHER. COPYRIGHT 2019 BY STAR CHOICE MEDIA – UK, USA, EUROPE, ASIA MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA, NO PART OF THE PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED, IN WHOLE OR PART WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN PREMISSION FROM THE PUBLISHER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 2019 | 02

5 SIMPLE EMPLOYEE Communication Ideas That Will Re-Energize Your Team

By Dale Harris

03 | January 2019

269 billion emails are sent worldwide every day. But busy employees are opening less than 25% of these.

There are better ways to boost employees communications in the workplace.

And it’s not by sending more emails.

Read on for 5 creative ways to communicate with employees.

1. Go Digital The office bulletin board is not what we’d label internal communication best practices. Especially when the board is crowded, full of boring text and stagnant.

But there are ways that you can improve your bulletin board with creative ways to communicate with employees.

One of them is by going digital. Digital signage can serve all sorts of functions such as highlighting company announcements, sales metrics, and job openings.

You can also use this space to display goals and various accomplishments in your workplace. Why not add in a motivational quote or two? You can add in the weather, your social media feeds, and team photos. All of this is how you can work to build a happy, positive work culture.

2. Implement Chat Software One of the best ways to boost employee communications is by setting up an internal chat. Chat software like Slack, HipChat, and Yammer work to foster internal communications. Your entire team will quickly become dependant on it to ask their peers questions, get status updates, and yes, send each other emojis.

In fact, consider creating a Slack channel for random stuff. Let employees post funny videos, silly news stories, and comments on the day. This may build your employee’s sense of team unity more than team building exercises. Just make sure that your internal communications system is cohesive with your other systems. The last thing employees want is a clunky program.

Consider Pipedrive Mailchimp sync to help your cloud apps work together.

3. Have a Way to Measure Internal Communications You may not be surprised to learn that over 60% of internal communicators don’t measure internal communications. That’s ironic, isn’t it?

But if you want to gauge how your internal communication strategies are working, you need to measure them.

4. Set up a Wiki A wiki page is an excellent resource for documenting procedures, projects, tasks and so on. There are countless ways you can use Wikis in your organization. This is one of the easiest internal communication best practices. Once you set it up, you can rely on your team to contribute.

if you implement a new system, you can set up a treasure hunt so that employees collect gems as they explore the new system. Plus, games bring a fun element into the workplace. And happy employees are good for company culture.

Bottom Line on Employees Communications There you go. 5 creative ways you can boost employees communications in the workplace. Remember to ask employees for feedback. They’ll have many ideas on what they need and how they want to get those internal communications.

5. Gamification Who doesn’t love a good game? You can use games as creative ways to communicate with employees. Game-based learning helps employees retain new information, understand objectives and be rewarded for their efforts. You can use games for individual projects, during mandatory training or workshops and even during the onboarding process.

January 2019 | 04

We’ve all had that co-worker we couldn’t stand. You may have even found yourself wishing they would just get fired or disappear entirely. They showed up late, left the microwave splattered with marinara sauce, and as far as everyone in your office could tell, only showered about once a week.

However, it’s not uncommon for co-workers to step on each others’ toes.

In fact, as far as you know, you could be that co-worker.

The problem is, when you work with multiple people with all kinds of personalities, you’re bound to rub at least one person the wrong way. However, regardless of the odds, you should do your best not to upset your co-workers.

Read on for our top 9 dos and don’ts of coworking!

The Dos and Don’ts of Coworking While it seems simple enough to respect the dos and don’ts of coworking, it may surprise you how many people you rub the wrong way throughout the day.

Sometimes, being a kind and genuine person isn’t enough. A poor coworker can ruin a good space in a single day, and well-priced coworking spaces can be hard to find!

For more information on coworking spaces in Manhatten, check out Kettle Space!

1. Do Practice Good Hygiene The is kindergarten stuff for most, but many people neglect their hygiene to the point of public concern. Even if you don’t think you need to shower every day, your co-workers may disagree. The last thing you want to do is gross people out with your funk.

2. Do Cover Your Mouth When You Cough We have all been told to cover our mouths when coughing and sneezing, but one in four people don’t!

However, it’s incredibly important that we do, as colds and more serious viruses such as the flu cans spread quickly through coughs and sneezes.

05 | January 2019

3. Do Respect Personal Bubbles You ever have a friend or co-worker who stands entirely too close while talking to you?

It’s uncomfortable, to say the least.

While it’s a societal thing that varies from country to country, we have to respect our country’s bubble standards, which is approximately two to four feet in working environments.

4. Do Follow the Rules If you want the respect of your peers, follow the rules like everyone else. If you start acting as though you’re above them, you’ll ostracize yourself from the rest of the office.

Rebel at heart or not, your job is not the place. Show good coworking etiquette, accept and follow the rules.

5. To Be Kind and Courteous This is among the most obvious of all dos and don’ts of coworking, it’s the golden rule. Treat others as you would like to be treated.

Be nice to your coworkers. First, because you are a good human being and they don’t deserve ill-treatment. Second, they will treat you nice in return.

6. Do Carry Your Own Weight When you’re working within an office full of coworkers, don’t make them car-

ry your weight. Whether in regards to important group assignments or simply cleaning up after yourself in the breakroom, carry your own weight. Your coworkers will begin to resent you if they notice you depend on them too much and won’t see you as part of the team.

7. Do Have a Tidy Desk While your desk is your own personal space, don’t leave it a mess for everyone to look at. First, right or wrong, they will judge you for it.

Second, there is a strong link between clutter and anxiety. By leaving your desk messy, you are literally stressing everyone out.

8. Do Refill Anything You Use the Last Of Is there anything more frustrating than going to the toilet only to realize someone used the last of the toilet paper and didn’t replace it?

Refill whatever you use the last of, it’s a major rule in the dos and don’ts of coworking.

9. Do Be Outgoing Personalities aside, be outgoing and friendly. You don’t need to become best friends with any of your coworkers, just don’t seclude yourself from them. Don’t be the weirdo in the corner avoiding eye-contact with everyone.

Leave it for the bar or yelling at the TV when your team is losing.

7. Don’t Go Over Schedule on Shared Conference Rooms Many shared workspaces have a shared conference or common rooms. If you are scheduled for an hour, cut it off at an hour. Don’t be selfish, every minute you go over is a minute you took from someone else.

8. Don’t Bring Bad Moods to Work While maintaining the good coworker etiquette of kindness seems like an easy one, try doing it after you’ve had a really bad day and Karen is sitting behind you chomping away on her gum.

1. Don’t Bring in Stinky Food for Lunch or Snacks It’s not your fault broccoli and Brussel sprouts stink, but you don’t need to bring them to work and heat them up in the shared microwave. Remember, just because hard-boiled eggs are appetizing to you, it doesn’t mean everyone will enjoy smelling them!

2. Don’t Leave the Bathroom Without Washing Your Hands Among the do’s and don’ts of coworking, washing your hands after using the bathroom could be listed in the top 10 do’s and don’ts of life.

It’s okay to judge someone if you watch them head straight out of the stall and back into the office without washing their hands. There’s no excuse for it.

Gross.

3. Don’t Listen to Loud Music (Even in Headphones) Most people prefer a quiet atmosphere devoid of distractions to get solid work done. However, many people prefer music.

Thank goodness for headphones!

Although, you will occasionally meat that person who wears headphones but also wants everyone to know what they’re listening to. They either crank the volume up so much it blares through, or they sing along to whatev-

er they’re listening to. Headphones are designed for personal listening. Keep it to yourself.

4. Don’t Leave Messes in Common Areas Don’t leave a trail of messes wherever you go. Clean up after yourself in the kitchen, breakroom, bathroom, etc.

Your coworkers will notice very quickly if you don’t.

5. Don’t Chew Gum Obnoxiously In a close working environment, loud gum chewers are frequent offenders of the dos and don’ts of coworking. It’s literally chewing with your mouth open with never-ending food. Don’t do that to people.

6. Don’t Use Inappropriate Language There’s a time and place for inappropriate language. It’s not at the office. Very few people tolerate racial, sexist, or profane language.

It’s not her fault you’re already annoyed, so don’t take it out on her. Keep your bad moods to yourself, fake it till you make it if you have to.

9. Don’t Try to Sell Your Co-Workers Stuff We all have friends on our Facebook that randomly fell into Thrive, Advocare, or Mary K. Every post they make becomes a sales pitch and you eventually unfollow them. Don’t be that person at your job. Your co-workers can’t unfollow you at work, but they can stop being nice to you.

The Working Life Life in an office can be wildly entertaining and exciting. Depending on your coworkers, you could find yourself really looking forward to work each day, or dreading it!

Just keep the dos and don’ts of coworking in mind so you aren’t the reason others dread great coming to work!

There are better ways to boost employees communications in the workplace. And it’s not by sending more emails.

January 2019 | 06

COWORKING

101 The Dos and Don’ts of Coworking Spaces

By Dale Harris 07 | January 2019

We’ve all had that co-worker we couldn’t stand. You may have even found yourself wishing they would just get fired or disappear entirely. They showed up late, left the microwave splattered with marinara sauce, and as far as everyone in your office could tell, only showered about once a week.

However, it’s not uncommon for co-workers to step on each others’ toes.

In fact, as far as you know, you could be that co-worker.

“A poor coworker can ruin a good space in a single day, and well-priced coworking spaces can be hard to find!”

The problem is, when you work with multiple people with all kinds of personalities, you’re bound to rub at least one person the wrong way. However, regardless of the odds, you should do your best not to upset your co-workers.

READ ON FOR OUR TOP 9 DOS AND DON’TS OF COWORKING! The Dos and Don’ts of Coworking While it seems simple enough to respect the dos and don’ts of coworking, it may surprise you how many people you rub the wrong way throughout the day.

Sometimes, being a kind and genuine person isn’t enough.

A poor coworker can ruin a good space in a single day, and well-priced coworking spaces can be hard to find!

However, it’s not uncommon for coworkers to step on each others’ toes. In fact, as far as you know, you could be that co-worker.

For more information on coworking spaces in Manhatten, check out Kettle Space!

1. Do Practice Good Hygiene The is kindergarten stuff for most, but many people neglect their hygiene to the point of public concern. Even if you don’t think you need to shower every day, your co-workers may disagree. The last thing you want to do is gross people out with your funk.

2. Do Cover Your Mouth When You Cough We have all been told to cover our mouths when coughing and sneezing, but one in four people don’t!

However, it’s incredibly important that we do, as colds and more serious viruses such as the flu cans spread quickly through coughs and sneezes.

3. Do Respect Personal Bubbles You ever have a friend or co-worker who stands entirely too close while talking to you?

It’s uncomfortable, to say the least.

While it’s a societal thing that varies from country to country, we have to respect our country’s bubble standards, which is approximately two to four feet in working environments.

4. Do Follow the Rules If you want the respect of your peers, follow the rules like everyone else. If you start acting as though you’re above them, you’ll ostracize yourself from the rest of the office.

Rebel at heart or not, your job is not the place. Show good coworking etiquette, accept and follow the rules.

5. To Be Kind and Courteous This is among the most obvious of all dos and don’ts of coworking, it’s the golden rule. Treat others as you would like to be treated.

Be nice to your coworkers. First, because you are a good human being and they don’t deserve ill-treatment. Second, they will treat you nice in return.

6. Do Carry Your Own Weight When you’re working within an office full of coworkers, don’t make them carry your weight. Whether in regards to important group assignments or simply cleaning up after yourself in the breakroom, carry your own weight. Your coworkers will begin to resent you if they notice you depend on them too much and won’t see you as part of the team.

7. Do Have a Tidy Desk While your desk is your own personal space, don’t leave it a mess for everyone to look at.

First, right or wrong, they will judge you for it. Second, there is a strong link between clutter and anxiety. By leaving your desk messy, you are literally stressing everyone out.

January 2019 | 08

8. Do Refill Anything You Use the Last of Is there anything more frustrating than going to the toilet only to realize someone used the last of the toilet paper and didn’t replace it?

Refill whatever you use the last of, it’s a major rule in the dos and don’ts of coworking.

9. Do Be Outgoing Personalities aside, be outgoing and friendly. You don’t need to become best friends with any of your coworkers, just don’t seclude yourself from them. Don’t be the weirdo in the corner avoiding eye-contact with everyone.

1. Don’t Bring in Stinky Food for Lunch or Snacks It’s not your fault broccoli and Brussel sprouts stink, but you don’t need to bring them to work and heat them up in the shared microwave. Remember, just because hard-boiled eggs are appetizing to you, it doesn’t mean everyone will enjoy smelling them!

4. Don’t Leave Messes in Common Areas Don’t leave a trail of messes wherever you go. Clean up after yourself in the kitchen, breakroom, bathroom, etc.

Your coworkers will notice very quickly if you don’t.

2. Don’t Leave the Bathroom Without Washing Your Hands Among the do’s and don’ts of coworking, washing your hands after using the bathroom could be listed in the top 10 do’s and don’ts of life.

5. Don’t Chew Gum Obnoxiously In a close working environment, loud gum chewers are frequent offenders of the dos and don’ts of coworking. It’s literally chewing with your mouth open with never-ending food. Don’t do that to people.

It’s okay to judge someone if you watch them head straight out of the stall and back into the office without washing their hands. There’s no excuse for it.

Gross.

3. Don’t Listen to Loud Music (Even in Headphones) Most people prefer a quiet atmosphere devoid of distractions to get solid work done. However, many people prefer music. Thank goodness for headphones!

Although, you will occasionally meat that person who wears headphones but also wants everyone to know what they’re listening to. They either crank the volume up so much it blares through, or they sing along to whatever they’re listening to. Headphones are designed for personal listening. Keep it to yourself.

09 | January 2019

6. Don’t Use Inappropriate Language There’s a time and place for inappropriate language. It’s not at the office.

Very few people tolerate racial, sexist, or profane language. Leave it for the bar or yelling at the TV when your team is losing.

7. Don’t Go Over Schedule on Shared Conference Rooms Many shared workspaces have a shared conference or common rooms. If you are scheduled for an hour, cut it off at an hour. Don’t be selfish, every minute you go over is a minute you took from someone else.

8. Don’t Bring Bad Moods to Work While maintaining the good coworker etiquette of kindness seems like an easy one, try doing it after you’ve had a real-

ly bad day and Karen is sitting behind you chomping away on her gum. It’s not her fault you’re already annoyed, so don’t take it out on her. Keep your bad moods to yourself, fake it till you make it if you have to.

9. Don’t Try to Sell Your Co-Workers Stuff We all have friends on our Facebook that randomly fell into Thrive, Advocare, or Mary K. Every post they make becomes a sales pitch and you eventually unfollow them. Don’t be that person at your job. Your co-workers can’t unfollow you at work, but they can stop being nice to you.

The Working Life Life in an office can be wildly entertaining and exciting. Depending on your coworkers, you could find yourself really looking forward to work each day, or dreading it!

Just keep the dos and don’ts of coworking in mind so you aren’t the reason others dread great coming to work!

Photography by Sid Siddhiqui

January 2019 | 10

11 BRAND IDENTITY DESIGN IDEAS THAT WILL RESONATE WITH CUSTOMERS

By Dale Harris

11 | January 2019

C

onsistent branding across all platforms increases revenue by 23%. In the digital age, consumers are bombarded by ads and marketing. Every time we log onto our computers, a company is attempting to get our attention. As consumers, we have learned how to block out most of these communications.

So, how can we stand out and make an impact?

One way to do this is by updating our brand identity design and branding strategy. Doing so will help us to reach the right consumers at the right time and create a loyal customer base.

Read on to discover 11 tips for enhancing your brand design identity and branding consistency.

1. Curb Your Need for Instant Gratification First and foremost, learn how to curb your need for instant gratification.

Branding and re-branding can produce results, but it doesn’t happen overnight.

Branding takes time, dedication, and patience.

The companies who do become an overnight sensation are the exception, not the rule. Even the largest companies in the U.S. had to build relationships with their customers to gain their trust. This is where consistent branding and consistent effort are key.

Why are your products needed? Why are you in business? What makes you believe in your business, products, services, and employees?

Many business owners know who they are, but they don’t fully understand what their business represents. Their customers may also not be viewing their company in the same way the company does either.

It’s well worth the effort to clearly define your business’s mission, values, and goals. Every business has a right to grow, but it’s core values need to remain consistent to make a greater impact.

2. Reflect on Your Identity

3. Get to Know Your Customers

Knowing your business’s core values and goals will help your branding to communicate more effectively and efficiently. To start, determine your “why”.

64% of consumers will trust your brand if you share the same values. Get to really know who your customers are and what they believe in. If you haven’t con-

Many business owners know who they are, but they don’t fully understand what their business represents.

ducted target audience research, then now’s a good time to do so. It’s also helpful to create biographies of your target audience to understand how they think, feel, and interact online and in-person with companies.

As a business, you want to remain true to your mission while also connecting with your customers. Of course, finding that sweet spot can sometimes be difficult. But, if you believe in your product and your business stands for something greater than just selling a product, then you’re positioning your business to create not just customers but loyalty as well.

“First and foremost, learn how to curb your need for instant gratification. Branding and re-branding can produce results, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Branding takes time, dedication, and patience. “ January 2019 | 12

“Your business’s future brand identity design is full of limitless possibilities.

Answering questions like these allow you to determine how you will connect with customers.

When crafting your identity, you’re solidifying what the face of your company will look like. Revisit your mission and values frequently to make sure that your branding is consistent with these factors.

4. Craft Your Identity

5. Brand Identity Design

Once you’ve defined your values and your customers, it’s time to craft your brand identity. Crafting your identity has many steps. To start, determine how you want to interact with the world.

What words are important to your brand? What emotions are important to evoke? What tone of voice is important to use?

Brand identity design takes the tone, voice, and values of a company and makes it visual. Your core brand identity design includes your logo, color scheme, and typography. Other brand identity design elements include your website design, video content, and photography.

Is your brand seeking to connect through laughter? Is your business rallying behind a cause that’s related to your product or service?

13 | January 2019

When creating your brand identity design, review your competition’s design elements and also other brands that your target audience connects with.

This will help you to get an idea of what

resonates with your customers. However, it also isn’t useful to create an inauthentic branding design based on this information.

Keep note of your competition and your customers, but seek to remain true to your identity as well. Your best strategy may also be to go against the grain instead of following the crowd. Or it could be to create a well-crafted brand identity design that just connects better with consumers.

6. Brand It Once you’ve created your brand identity and designs it’s time to brand everything related to your company. Consistently use your branding on product packaging, social media, your website, business cards, etc. Anything you can afford to brand, brand it.

This type of consistency is what allows your customers to become familiar with who you are and what you stand for.

For more ideas on how to brand and revamp your marketing efforts, visit this blog.

customers make sure to remain consistent with your tone, voice, and branding image.

7. Evaluate Your Website

9. Enhance Social Media

Website design is more than just the layout, color scheme, and graphic design. It also matters how fast pages load, ease of navigation, and content. Evaluate your website to make sure that your brand is consistent and that customers are receiving the best website experience possible.

Your social media’s design should be as up-to-date and crisp as your website. Use every opportunity from your profile picture to your bio to use your brand. Brand every post and make sure to use consistent design elements and filters.

This will ensure that your branding and marketing is heard loud and clear. It will also prevent customers from navigating away from your website.

10. Produce Relevant Content

8. Engage with Customers Engage with customers online and in-person. Social media is a great way to connect with your target audience by answering their questions or commenting on posts. When interacting with

Aim to produce relatable content that is useful to your consumer. This allows your brand’s voice to reach the consumer without any sales pitches. Create content just for their benefit.

For example, if your business sells beauty products, then create how-to blog posts that show consumers how to apply eye shadow correctly.

11. Be Willing to Grow Be willing to grow as a brand and a company. Customers, technology, and marketing are constantly changing. While you don’t need to conduct a complete overall re-branding on a regular basis, it’s important to be willing to improve and change what isn’t working.

Your Business’s Future Brand Identity Design Your business’s future brand identity design is full of limitless possibilities.

Always aim to be creative, transparent, and authentic. Employ marketing campaigns with your brand identity design on multiple platforms consistently, and you should expect to see results.

Interested in tracking the success of your brand identity design and consistency through email marketing and SMS campaigns? Start your free trial today to see how your branding strategy is performing.

January 2019 | 14

5 UNDENIABLE BENEFITS OF USING A VIRTUAL WRITING TUTOR

By Dale Harris

15 | January 2019

I

f you’re one of the nearly 20 million students enrolled in U.S. universities in 2019, you’re almost certainly stressed out by the number of papers you have to write.

Even if you’re in another walk of life, such as in the job market or looking at opportunities online, you’re probably realizing that the writing skills you used in school are necessary.

After all, writing follows you all throughout your adult life in some form or another. Once you realize that, you might begin to realize that you need to improve your writing skills.

After all, writing follows you all throughout your adult life in some form or another.

Once you realize that, you might begin to realize that you need to improve your writing skills.

But you might wonder, how will that work? How can I make my writing skills as good as they can be to get opportunities, jobs, and raises? What if I want to try writing creatively?

Well, you shouldn’t have to worry about any of this! Virtual writing tutors, or online sites that help with writing, are extremely effective in providing you with the best assistance possible.

So sit back, relax, and read on to learn about what a virtual writing tutor can do for you!

1. Writing Skills are Crucial Before understanding the benefits of getting a virtual writing tutor, it’s important to understand the importance of writing itself. Whether you like it or not, the fact of the matter is that everyone writes.

Whether it’s coding for a job or a personal email, you’re going to, inevitably, have to write something.

Writing is a great social tool. Because everyone needs to write at some point, doing so well can let people talk to each

other and share ideas. In fact, it can help bridge the education gap between socioeconomic classes and bring people closer together. People around the world also use writing to connect with themselves.

A huge number of people keep journals or write personal diaries. Even though these will never be published or read by others, it’s a relevant example of how writing is important to people. That’s a really abstract benefit to writing. But there are also concrete, practical benefits, too. Writing lets you express ideas and share thoughts with people across January 2019 | 16

distance. Even when writing a message to a friend in another country, you want to have some level of basic writing skill.

In these ways, writing skills are crucial for everyone in communicating with others. It’s unavoidable that you’ll need to develop these skills. So why not look to make yourself the best writer you can be?

2. Writing Comes in Many Forms One reason that virtual writing tutors are awesome is that writing comes in many forms.

These tutors can help with any and all forms of writing. Whether you’re working on an essay about the biology of frogs or trying to write the next great American novel, these sites can help.

Virtual writing tutors don’t only offer a text box where your grammar can be checked, but also provide the contact information of tutoring experts. That’s 17 | January 2019

their main purpose, in fact. These sites aim to help you hone your writing skills.

You will likely be paired with someone who shares your writing interests, but all the experts know about writing as a whole. For this reason, you can’t go wrong in contacting an expert through the tutoring site.

There are so many benefits to this! A lot of opportunities open up to you when you’re a strong writer.

For one thing, people will take you more seriously in job or school applications if your resume has strong writing.

If you’re a student, these tutors can help you to get better grades.

There are also a lot of jobs for writers that can be done from home while drinking tea in your pajamas. Talk about living the dream! But none of these jobs are possible without virtual writing tutors. Even experts need to run their work through a system before submitting!

Everyone else on the tutoring website is exactly like you: someone who wants to make their writing better.

3. Grammar is No Longer a Concern Now that you understand why the Virtual Writing Tutor is a good idea in the abstract, it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty of what it can do for you.

One of the most primary and straightforward functions that it performs is a comprehensive grammar check.

This grammar check can do many more things than you might think of right away. After all, a grammar and spelling check doesn’t even brush the tip of the iceberg for what it takes to make a paper great.

The grammar check feature also can tell you what words can be changed to improve the vocabulary of your text. It will provide a list of synonyms that you can use for more language variety.

It can also tell you which sentences are grammatically incorrect.

Even if a sentence is grammatically correct, though, it can still be too wordy and difficult for readers to grasp. The website can tell you how to shorten these sentences and make them simple while keeping them professional.

Finally, this page also provides a great tool for outlining any kind of essay you might want to write. It helps to keep your thoughts organized. Your paper will basically write itself!

This part of the writing tutoring website exists primarily to make sure that your work is easily readable and understandable. It also helps to eliminate typos and misplaced commas.

People take others more seriously when they’ve paid careful attention to the little things, so don’t overlook these errors!

4. An Extra Set of Eyes What about content, style, and structure? You might be wondering if an online writing tutor can help you with these elements of writing. The answer is a hard YES! There’s an interactive component to the Virtual Writing Tutor that makes it great. Beyond the essay checker, there is also a contact button which will hook you up with a professional. These experts are trained in assisting you with writing the best paper possible.

These sites can also pair you up with other people who are working on their writing!

Some Virtual Writing Tutor websites will let you work with a pen pal. You can revise each other’s papers and get another set of eyes before you submit your writings to wherever you want.

Having another set of eyes on your paper can help you by providing a fresh perspective. Since you’ve read your paper so many times, of course, it makes sense to you. Having a reviser lets you make sure that it makes sense to others, too.

Since online tutoring is effective when it’s done properly, signing up for the Virtual Writing Tutor is one of the best decisions you’ll ever make for your future self! Don’t wait!

5. Helps With Next Steps So you’ve written your text. You’ve looked it over, run it through the grammar checker, and had it revised. Now what?

Knowing what the next steps to take are after you think you’re done writing can be difficult. After all, getting things published takes a lot of work. Even if you aren’t planning on publishing and only want to turn in a school paper, you might have doubts about when the time is right. Virtual writing tutoring can help with this is a couple of ways. First, there is a forum you can post to when you sign up for this service. You can post in that forum to learn more about how and when you should submit your work.

If you’re trying to publish a paper or work of fiction, people in these forums can help you to discover when you’re ready to click that submit button.

Anyone who has written anything, though, can turn to these forums for a supportive community.

Everyone else on the tutoring website is exactly like you: someone who wants to make their writing better. You’re all in the same boat and know what each other are going through.

Whether you’re writing a book you want to publish or an academic essay you’re submitting for credit, online writing help is a great bet. Sign up to take a huge leap towards success!

Get a Writing Tutor Writing can be tough, but it’s necessary.

That’s why a virtual writing tutor is a good idea for anyone. With one, you can have an extra set of eyes on your paper to check content, structure, and especially grammar.

Now that you know about how to use a virtual writing tutor to become a more successful individual, check out this article for ten more tips to improve yourself in your writing.

January 2019 | 18

Photography by Sid Siddhiqui

19 | January 2019

Photography by Sid Siddhiqui

January 2019 | 20

5 On How to Make Recovery from Drug Addiction Easier

By Dale Harris

Eighty-five percent of people recovering from drug addiction relapse within a year.

How can you keep yourself from becoming part of this statistic?

You may see the negative effects drug addiction has on your life and feel hopeless about recovery. But recovery from drug addiction is necessary and it doesn’t have to be difficult. These tips can make it easier.

1. Find an Emotional Support System Having a solid support system is necessary for the recovery from drug addiction. Whether it’s people you know or people who are going through recovery, too, having people to talk to and rely on will be beneficial for your recovery.

However, you must refrain from surrounding yourself with enablers and people who might begin using again.

Disconnect from the people who led you to use drugs and find a support system that encourages recovery. Narcotics Anonymous is a 12-step program de-

21 | January 2019

signed for people recovering from drug addiction. Attending the meetings will connect you with people who are in similar situations and people who have overcome their addiction. recovering addicts. You may be expected to follow rules, help with household chores, and take periodic drug tests.

2. Exercise Exercise can be a good, healthy distraction from drugs. It can lower your stress levels, detox your body, and release hormones that make you feel happier.

Particularly, yoga for addiction recovery can be beneficial in helping you turn your attention away from drugs and focus on yourself. It can also help you cope with possible triggers.

Practicing yoga includes meditation, which helps with positive thinking and purging negative thoughts from your mind.

Meditation can help you focus on what lies ahead and the opportunities you have when you’re not distracted by your addiction.

3. Go to Rehab Rehabilitation centers are best equipped to help you handle your recovery. They can connect you to professionals and the resources necessary to get you clean.

Facilities can be gender- or age-specific as well as inpatient and outpatient.

There are a variety of facilities to ensure you stay comfortable throughout your rehab.

4. Spend Time in a Sober Living Facility Transferring to a sober living facility after completing rehab can help you learn how to live on your own. Sober living facilities will give you a place to continue your recovery alongside other

In turn, you will have help and support with staying on the path to recovery.

Some sober living facilities allow pets which can be useful during recovery.

Read more about the benefits of owning a pet during recovery.

5. Be Goal-Oriented Set post-recovery goals and do something every day to work toward them.

Keeping your goals in mind can be the push you need to stay sober.

Your goals can be professional or personal, but working toward them will help keep your mind off of drugs.

Making Recovery From Drug Addiction Easier Your journey to recovery is going to take a while, but with some dedication it won’t be difficult. During your recovery from drug addiction, you can find additional resources like books to further inspire you to change.

January 2019 | 22

Working 9 to 5: How to Relieve Back Pain at Your Desk

By Dale Harris

W

e live in a world of ever-increasing technology, where 86% of workers sit all day at their jobs. Additionally, 80% of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their life. These two facts are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are directly related. As most of us work for at least eight hours a day, sitting at our 23 | January 2019

desk, we have become quite sedentary.

A sedentary lifestyle combines with poor posture and bad habits we’ve accumulated can lead to a lifetime of back pain. However, it IS reversible! Don’t go throwing in the towel just yet!

Keep reading to learn our top tips for getting rid of nagging back pain at work!

Strength Training One of the biggest causes of lower back pain is the perpetual weakening of core muscles due to sedentary lifestyles or lack of physical activity.

When deciding how to relieve back pain, consider strength training. It’s an excellent way to strengthen up your core and all other parts of your body.

While it may not seem super appealing, strength training can be fun and can be

Relieve Back Pain done as quickly as 30 minutes two to three times a week. You don’t need to become a steroid-pumping bodybuilder! However, the benefits of strength training transcend the woes of back pain in the office.

You’ll be stronger and healthier for longer with consistent strength training.

Those who strength train are less likely to rely on wheelchairs in their old age.

In the short-term, you’ll sleep better, improve your health and metabolism, and will probably even drop a few pounds, despite adding muscle.

Yoga Yoga is another great answer for how to relieve back pain. It’s also a less intimidating approach to strengthening your body, with an emphasis on core strength.

Holding yoga poses also increases flexibility and mobility. Some people also find it incredibly relaxing and even a means of meditation.

There are varying levels of yoga, from beginner to advanced. You can look up videos online or go to yoga studios where instructors can help you every step of the way. Instructors can also give you modifications for poses you aren’t quite capable of yet.

Holding yoga poses also increases flexibility and mobility.

Some people also find it incredibly relaxing and even a means of meditation.

Just remember, everyone has to start somewhere, what’s most important is that you start!

Lose Weight Sitting at a desk all day is a major cause contributing to gain weight. The more extra weight you carry, the more painful sitting at your desk can be. It’s a vicious cycle.

January 2019 | 24

25 | January 2019

Carrying around extra weight all day can add to the physical stress of poor posture. It can also be a reason as to why we adopt poor postures.

Losing the excess weight can go a long way toward a healthier life and a great answer for how to relieve back pain!

Don’t worry about crazy fad dieting or unreasonably restricting yourself of carbohydrates or calories! There are healthier, more sustainable ways of eating with the intent of weight loss.

Get with a dietician or personal trainer to put you on the right nutrition path to help you lose weight. There’s no negative side effects of getting healthier!

Sit With Good Posture

Get an Ergonomic Laptop Stand

While it may not seem like something as simple as slouching throughout the day can cause intense back pain, it’s true.

If you’re working on how to relieve back pain but your employer won’t allow a standing desk in the office, consider an ergonomic laptop stand. This is a laptop standing desk that is a lot less intrusive, not to mention a lot less expensive, than a traditional standing desk.

Sitting with poor posture puts excess stress on certain parts of your spine.

Over time, this can lead to long term damage to discs, muscles, and joints.

Correcting your posture while you sit at your desk can be a simple solution for how to relieve back pain.

It will take time and constant awareness of how you’re sitting, but can lead to fantastic, pain-free results!

Get a Standing Desk Another way to slowly increase core strength and get rid of back pain is by getting a standing desk at work.

Hopefully, your place of employment will support this healthy and therapeutic method and provide the desk for you.

At the very least, they should allow you to move a standing desk into your workspace. If you are having trouble with management getting the go-ahead, consult a doctor and ask them for a note recommending a standing desk.

This laptop stand sits atop a regular desk and elevates your laptop to standing height. Because of its small size and incredibly reasonable price, not only will your employer allow, but they’ll probably pay for it!

Adjust Your Work Station Now that we’ve talked about the standing solutions to 9 to 5 desk jobs, let’s discuss other work station changes you can make.

Let’s face it, standing at your desk all day is not for everyone. If bad knees, hips, joints, or old injuries prevent you from standing at your desk, there are other options!

For example, your computer monitor should be about two inches higher than eye-level and about an arm’s length away. Also, your feet should be planted on the ground with your knees directly above your ankles and shoulder width apart.

Finally, make sure you’re sitting in a chair with good back support, especially in the lower lumbar region.

Take Frequent, Short Breaks When looking for ways how to relieve lower back pain, consider taking more breaks during the day. Don’t get carried away or your boss will start to question your integrity at work.

However, it’s completely reasonable to take 5 to 10 minutes every hour to get up and stretch, go to the bathroom, or just walk around for a bit.

As an added benefit, it’ll give your eyes a break from your computer screen, which can cause headaches and cause a surprising level of fatigue.

Get a Headset for Your Phone Finally, if you’re at your desk all day and spend a considerable amount of time on the phone, consider getting a hands-free device.

For people who cradle the phone between their shoulder and ear, this posture can cause a lot of pain over time.

A hands-free device will allow you to multitask or even stand up and walk around during phone calls.

January 2019 | 26

5 Winning Ways to Get Useful Customer Feedback With Email Marketing

By Dale Harris

E

mail has come a long way in its nearly 50-year history. In its journey from technical marvel to an essential part of daily life, it’s become a critical component of any successful business strategy.

With the sheer volume of emails a person receives, it can be a serious challenge to get useful feedback from your customers. Challenging but not impossible.

27 | January 2019

or the service you’re rendering. On the other hand, you might be more interested in knowing what features they’d like to see added.

1. Know Your Goals

You can also use customer feedback as part of your CRM efforts. If you just asked yourself, “what is CRM?” it’s customer relationship management. Basically, it’s collecting data that allows you to better manage your relationship with your customers and understand your demographic.

If you’re selling a good or service, your goal might be to see if customers are pleased with the product they’re getting

Understanding your demographic is always going to result in better results for your business and a happier customer.

In truth, getting useful customer feedback is just a matter of knowing how to approach the problem. Here are 5 tips on how to get meaningful customer feedback.

2. Ask Goal-Relevant Questions Now that you understand your goals, you need to ask questions that will yield the answers you want. Making your questions open-ended leaves too much room for interpretation, and therefore might not get you any useful information.

When asking for feedback, you need to lead your customers in the right direction. If you’re following up on a recent purchase, ask questions that produce direct results about that. For example, try asking, “How likely would you be to recommend our product/service to others?”

Keep your goals at the front of your mind when crafting your questions, and you’ll get the feedback you want.

3. Make it Personal The last thing your customer once is to feel like another anonymous nobody in an email chain. They want to feel valued and acknowledged, which is why your questions need to feel more personal.

In a way, this is an extension of asking goal-relevant questions. Only this time, you’re asking questions specific to the individuals.

Segment your email lists in such a way that people are getting questions that are actually relevant to them and you’ll get better results.

4. Give Them a Break This one is simple. You don’t want to bombard your customers with constant emails. That’s a surefire way to make sure they never interact with you.

While you definitely want to consistently ask for feedback, it needs to feel natural. If customers feel like they’re being pestered, they’re more likely to either not give feedback or to give negative feedback.

5. Go Mobile People use their smartphones for just about everything. This includes email.

With more and more people reading email on their phones, you need to make sure you’re optimizing your emails for that format. This means making sure your emails automatically reformat to fit themselves to any screen. Customers can’t interact if they can’t even read your emails, so don’t skip this step.

Customer Feedback You Can Use If you follow these tips, you’re sure to get customer feedback that’s actually meaningful. Knowing what your customers need can make or break a business, so don’t underestimate the power of listening. But email isn’t even half the battle. You need a well-rounded strategy. Read on for invaluable tips on how to succeed.

January 2019 | 28

How to Win an Election: The Best Marketing Strategy for Your Political Campaign

By Dale Harris

29 | January 2019

R

unning a good campaign is the difference between winning and losing an election, where only one person can be voted into office. There might be two or a handful of people seeking to win the same contest, but standing out from the rest assures a more desired outcome.

That is not an easy proposition. But if you want to learn how to win an election, here are some steps that can be taken in order to bridge the gaps between the candidate and voters.

Build Your Brand Name recognition is the first priority of the candidate. No voter will pick the person they know nothing about. Write in candidates are a form of protest by small groups, with less than a handful of successful winners in history. The real contest is among the best well known and supported individuals. Be more than a name, but a powerful brand.

Like a company selling products, a logo has the power of persuasion. It encapsulates, for the voter, the personality, ideology, and hopes placed on the desired candidate. Well-known companies such as the Nike that sells shoes, Apple that sells computers, and McDonald’s with a successful fast-food chain are each recognized by symbols.

Two-term President Obama had an O with what looked like the sun rising in a blue sky above three red stripes like farmland. The red “MAGA” hat of President Trump is simple but brings out extreme emotional reactions for both supporters and detractors. Develop a simple and easy-to-recognize symbol for the campaign.

“Name recognition is the first priority of the candidate. No voter will pick the person they know nothing about.”

Your merchandise is more than just free advertising. The profits generated from these sales can also contribute to the campaign’s coffers. You also want to create custom advertising materials for your supporters, like lawn signs, posters, flyers, or even custom Post-it notes (learn more here).

Sell Merchandise

A symbol, or a candidate, without a message doesn’t inspire others to join the movement. There will be competitors who have ideas that are in complete opposition to each other. On the other hand, during a primary many from the same political party will hold only slightly different viewpoints.

Spread the word by offering your name and logo to the masses by selling hats, shirts, and other things with your name and logo on it. This gives supporters the chance to let others know who they want in office.

Pinpoint Your Messaging

January 2019 | 30

for voters to take notice. Link shortform social media to a central online presence that can expand and further explain any information.

Create a Campaign Website Use any differences, no matter how small, as an advantage. Exaggerate them, argue insistently, and be consistent. Let the potential voters know you mean business. Directly tie your position to how it can help the everyday life of voters to be better.

Good storytelling among, and even bereft of, political jargon also helps bring potential voters closer to supporting you. No one cares about crime statistics or the amount of the national debt. But they do care about a person who was robbed at gunpoint while going shopping downtown and the chance they will be next.

Knowing eventually that taxes will be high enough to force them taking another job can bring fear.

Even better is a personal story by the candidate about how they were affected by an existing or proposed law. Make sure to have answers to the critical questions that any good reporter would ask; the who, what, when, where, and why of the stories. Put all that information in written material that can be distributed at rallies and by supporters to others.

Develop a Social Media Presence Once the message is developed and logo designed, modernize the process with various social media platforms. We don’t recommend that every platform is used at once. A blitz of information 31 | January 2019

“Remember, no stone should go unturned when running for office as a political candidate. Recognize strengths and weakness in the campaign and in your competition.” might lose the impact of a slowly leaked presentation. Interest can quickly be lost as voters are overwhelmed with all the candidate has to say. Using all the social media will cause confusion and burn out for both the intended audience and the campaign.

Pick and choose a few platforms, what to present, and when to make a post.

Modern Hollywood celebrities are masters of social media advertising for fans.

Like water from a faucet, they slowly and continually drop little bits of their personal lives.

The same can be done with views, proposals, positions, and schedules. Start with some main information and slowly explain the details. Respond to other candidates whenever they have anything to say. Make sure you don’t miss a chance to put your voice and name out

A website is essential to a modern political campaign. It acts as the place that potential voters can go to learn more about the campaign and candidacy.

Well-maintained websites are sure to have SEO (Search Engine Optimization) keywords to help people find what they are looking for. It will include a biography, political positions, press releases, rally schedules, and even some tasteful fun.

Essential to the professional website is a portal through which supporters, or potential voters, can interact with the campaign and get involved. You want visitors to join an e-mail list, join the political party or campaign, and donate to the cause.

Know How to Win An Election Now? Hopefully, this article has helped you understand how to win an election.

Remember, no stone should go unturned when running for office as a political candidate. Recognize strengths and weakness in the campaign and in your competition. Emphasize your strengths and advantages while downplaying your weakness (and work on improvement where possible).

Do the exact opposite for the opponents. Have the end goal of holding a political office in mind. If the end result is winning, don’t forget to continue following the above strategies.

Photography by Sid Siddhiqui

January 2019 | 32

How To Structure Quality Management System Documentation for Ease of Reference

By Dale Harris

33 | January 2019

W

hat is it about the terms ISO or quality management system documentation that makes people squirm? Is it just dread of “the bureaucracy”? Here’s how to fix it. The remedy: structure your organization’s QMS documentation so that everyone “gets it”. Sounds simple enough, right?

“You don’t have to go overboard with documents and records. You can reap the benefits of effectiveness and efficiency that the quality management system brings to your business.”

It’s common sense that people more readily embrace and follow policies they fully understand.

QMS provides written evidence that the structure of your business and the operations it conducts will consistently allow you to achieve measurable quality objectives and continually monitor for improvement. Again, your QMS defines what quality means to your business or organization:

You don’t have to go overboard with documents and records. You can reap the benefits of effectiveness and efficiency that the quality management system brings to your business.

Quality Management System Overview QMS documentation formally defines what quality means to your organization. It describes how your quality policy relates to the product or service you produce.

You define the scope of your QMS

ISO 9001:2015 is the international standard which lays out the criteria for a certifiable quality management system. Learn more here. ISO 9001:2015 only specifies certain mandatory documents and mandatory records that are required. There are also commonly used non-mandatory documents listed.

Dimensioning to your organization is left to you.

• You determine the interaction between processes • You document the procedures or work instructions for those processes • You define your quality policy and quality objectives and plans for achieving

Thankfully. It doesn’t make sense to cut-and-paste words verbatim from the ISO standard if your business only has a dozen employees. You’d miss the opportunity to state the scope, quality policy, and objectives that are specific to your small operation.

January 2019 | 34

“Focuses on the step sequence, tools, and methods to be used and required accuracy.”

The goal of ISO certification is to prove that your business meets internationally-recognized standards of performance with regard to quality management documentation.

Quality Management System Elements The elements of a good QMS, which will build confidence in both your employees and your customers, are: A quality manual, which includes: The scope of the QMS (including any exclusions from ISO 9001) 35 | January 2019

Quality policy Statement of commitment to quality and continuous improvement Policy defines the objectives Quality objectives Must describe how they are measured • An organizational structure • High-level org chart QMS description Should represent visually via a picture, model, flow chart, or swim lane diagram Include references to relevant documents and the process model Quality processes and procedures: • Can be narrative (i.e., described through text) • Can structure using tables • Can be more visual diagrams (i.e., flow charts)

Can be any combination of the above Each procedure should include the following elements: • Title • Purpose • Scope Responsibilities of people involved A list and definition of any required records that will result • Document control process • Description of activities • Clarifies the what-how-when-where and maybe the why of each activity) Work instructions specify details of activities to complete Focuses on the step sequence, tools, and methods to be used and required accuracy. Work instruction details are dependent on the level of trained personnel available to perform. Further internal documents as needed to sup-

port the other elements. It’s best to keep documentation for crucial processes as simple as possible. This ensures that all employees can deliver repeatable, quality outcomes for those processes. But, why are businesses so concerned with having an ISO-certified QMS? Because…

Quality Means Everything!

Stop to think for a minute about words and phrases like quality, quality control, quality management, and system documentation. These aren’t new terms, they’re not buzzwords. They’ve been in use for decades. They’re not meant to cause dread or to send a shiver up your spine! It’s all good!

I’ll bet everyone you come into contact with knows quality when they see it, no matter what product or service we’re talking about. More importantly, they can recognize a lack of quality. That will kill a product or service quickly. We all know the marketplace rewards quality and punishes lack of quality.

And while price can be a factor in consumers’ minds, price alone can’t overcome poor quality. Does anyone remember the Yugo, other than as a punchline?

How often do we hear advertisers proclaiming their product’s quality? From automakers invoking a J.D. Power quality award to a certain brand of refrigerator scoring well in a Consumer Reports product review, businesses want consumers to know and value their quality.

Increasingly, doing business online means having a blog on your website featuring quality, compelling content that helps attract more customers.

Learn more here.

Some may also remember widely-publicized failures in quality control or quality management processes, such as the Ford Pinto with its exploding gas tank problem in the 1970s, the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster in 1979, or the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill.

Building A Culture Of Quality The concern for creating a culture of quality in every process for planning, production, and service has been a top management philosophy for many years now.

Businesses and organizations of all sizes have been using the strategy known as Total Quality Management (TQM) in order to continuously improve their efficiency and effectiveness in an integrated fashion at all levels.

The principles of TQM evolved from the work of American engineer and professor Dr W. Edwards Deming (see his famous 14-point Model of Quality Management), along with Walter Shewhart’s earlier methods of statistical quality control.

Basically, TQM is a set of steps intended to integrate quality issues and concerns into the entire business or organization considered as a unit.

That single integrated unit has a unified goal of producing high-quality goods and services. For doing business online, check out these creative content marketing ideas. Your QMS is how your

business demonstrates, in a way that can be internationally recognized, that it has a culture of quality which consistently satisfies your customers.

Benefits Of Quality Management System Documentation Well-designed and implemented quality management system documentation will: • Increase efficiency and profitability • Improve the morale of employees (because they are engaged) • Improve your decision-making process • Provide control of documents and records • Improve customer satisfaction!

• It’s A Wrap!

Structuring and scaling your organization’s quality management system documentation according to your needs will make your operations easier, more efficient, and more productive! Your employees will “get it” because they understand and buy into your goals.

For some great ideas on content marketing strategy for your business’ online presence, click here.

January 2019 | 36

WRITERS BEWARE!

5 Dangerous Effects of Sitting Too Long

By Dale Harris

37 | January 2019

I

t’s 11:49 AM and you’re on a roll.

Typing, what feels like, a million words a minute, no one can stop you. Then it happens. It’s 11:50 AM and your Apple watch is telling you to stand. How many hours has it been since you’ve used your feet or since you’ve even taken your eyes off the screen? You can’t remember. Have you even had breakfast?

Not saying you’ve ever done this, but in case you have, there are some things you might want to know about the effects of sitting too long before you decide to let 5 hours pass without moving.

1. Weight Gain One of the most common effects of sitting too long is gaining weight. While you might be an exercise junkie, even if you work out an hour a day, for 7 days a week, if you sit for 7 hours at a time it will make all that gym time counterproductive. Even if it’s a lap around the room during a Netflix marathon, make sure to keep moving!

Although there are many great options that help improve your work environment in the form of chairs and standing desks, these can’t completely remove the negative effects of sitting for long periods of time. Do your part by being conscious of your posture when you sit to type and get up often to give your body a break from the writers’ slouch.

3. Anxiety and Depression

While being seated might help you be productive in your writing, prepare yourself with the best ways to break up long periods of inactivity and reduce the effects of sitting too long.

Read this useful article to get more ideas about how to treat body inflammation, which is a common effect of sedentary lifestyles and diets.

2. Poor Posture It should come as no surprise that sitting at a desk all day staring at a computer screen will destroy your perfect posture. You’ll start to hunch your back which leads to decreased mobility of your spine and plays a part in other pains you may experience through your neck and shoulders.

As Elle Woods said in Legally Blonde, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy” and this is true! When you spend all your time sitting, you miss out on the health and mood-boosting benefits that come with moving your body.

This can show up in the form of increased anxiety from too much screen time. You also might notice that you feel lonely which is a result of a Vitamin D deficiency. So if you’re looking for an excuse to go on a beach vacation, here it is!

January 2019 | 38

When you participate in regular exercise, creates an antioxidant effect within your body that can help prevent certain diseases, cancer being one of these.

How to Prevent All These Effects of Sitting Too Long

4. A Decrease in Mental Health Even though you might think you’re engaging your brain while writing, getting up and moving is the way to get your blood and oxygen pumping throughout your body and, most importantly, the brain. When you sit for long periods of time, you deprive your brain of important nutrients that it needs to function properly. Long term effects can look like permanent brain damage due to lowered brain activity and function. Even 39 | January 2019

though your brain might be getting a workout during the day, don’t forget to give your body one too!

5. Higher Risk of Cancer Why your risk of cancer increases with the amount of time you sit is not known, but there is a theory that it advances the production of insulin in your body, which encourages cell growth leading to the creation of tumors.

I know what you’re saying. Writing is your job and you have to sit to write, but there are steps you can take to stay ahead of these effects. Set a reminder on your phone every 30 minutes to get up and take a lap around your house or workspace. This will get the blood flowing and help reenergize you. You can also change up workspaces or utilize a counter where you can stand instead of being seated all day. Experiencing tension and stiffness from sitting all day?

Know how to take care of your body by learning more about different tactics that help relieve the pain you’re feeling.

Business Marketing Strategy Basics: How to Learn Copywriting

By Dale Harris

C

opywriters are one of the most essential people to add to your marketing team to help skyrocket your business and sales. But what about when you don’t have it in the budget yet or are unable to find someone to write your copy? Well, now is the perfect time to learn the skill that has made many of business owners successful over the years.

Marketers have often reported significant increases in their sales when they’ve consciously applied copywriting methods. You don’t have to be an expert for January 2019 | 40

this to work for you. Keep reading to find out how to learn copywriting to take your business to the next level.

Study Great Copywriters If you want to be great, you need to learn from some of the greatest. This is one of the best methods on how to learn copywriting. You’ll get a chance to see different philosophies, lessons and rules about learning the skill from people who have generated millions using it.

Some of the lessons may seem a little outdated because most of the best copywriters started years ago. However, most of the information still applies because human nature in marketing psychology hasn’t really changed at its core. And, there are some general rules of thumb that will never go out of style.

Here are some masters of the craft to begin your studies with: • • • • •

John Caples David Ogilvy Eugene Schwartz Gary Halbert Robert Collier

41 | January 2019

Get familiar with their work and copywriting basics then apply what you’ve learned.

Forget School Grammar Rules Yes, this is an actual fact on how to learn copywriting. The problem is when you’re writing sales copy, grammar rules aren’t the main focus of making or breaking a sale. The rule against not beginning a sentence with “but” or “and” doesn’t really matter much in the offline or online copywriting world.

And there are plenty of other grammatical rules that a lot of copywriters don’t need to worry about in order to write compelling copy. Because the whole point of writing copy is to get your readers to do, think or feel something.

It’s not for them to comb through your words with a red pen. This isn’t an excuse for unnecessarily poor grammar or spelling habits. But you can loosen up a bit to make the copy more natural and easier to read.

Find A Voice Just like everyone’s speaking voice sounds different, so does everyone’s writing voice. A way to help develop this is to focus on your brand’s tone and it means a lot when you’re writing for an audience. Your tone is essentially your writing style and it will help you to attract your tribe to your business. You may have a serious tone or a comical tone. The accumulation of your published content overtime and the way your brand interacts will help to establish a strong voice over time.

The readers will get accustomed to your voice and tone so it’s important to be consistent.

Learn Psychology Basics You don’t need a 4-year bachelor’s degree, but learning some basic psychology is a great way of how to learn copywriting. What do the two have to do with each other, you ask? The answer is- everything.

Practice, Practice, Practice This can not be stressed enough. There is no way to actually know how to learn copywriting if you don’t ever try copywriting. You need first-hand experience to see the lessons unfold in front of your eyes.

The reason why humans have certain mental and emotional responses to certain words is all psychologically-driven. Studies have proven time and time again that we’ve tapped into the inner thoughts and desires of people by using specific strategies and tricks.

Understanding human nature allows you to figure out patterns for behaviors.

Then you can apply those findings to your writing to create persuasive copy that influences and engages others. It may not always be an easy task but it’s a simple formula.

Read Books & Sales Pages You should read enough material on the skill if you truly want to know how to learn copywriting. Reading a solid variety of books will give you the opportunity to cross-reference things and become familiar with the craft in general. It’s not necessary to pick through tons of books but you should check out some common copywriting books until you have more specific questions.

Get Familiar With Storytelling Behind mostly all the great brands is some solid storytelling. This is the way the brand has crafted their words to get their background and message across to others.

This can result in strong community and lots of revenue if executed appropriately.

Study the art of storytelling so that you are able to make more impact with your copywriting efforts. This could win you the hearts and pockets of your audience.

Carve out time in your schedule to write compelling emails, headlines, sales pages and any other marketing tools you need for your business to thrive. Testing all of these will be important to your progress. And if you don’t think becoming efficient in these areas of advertising are significant, then see here for more information.

Want More Tips on How to Learn Copywriting?

You won’t be a master of copywriting overnight. It’ll actually require a lot of implementation and testing to get comfortable with it. But it’s such an invaluable skill and every business owner should at least understand the basics.

Remember not to try to reinvent the wheel. Read the blueprints that are already laid out for you and focus on getting better. Check out the marketing section for more tips on how to learn copywriting and other ways to improve your business and sales.

Visiting sales effective pages is a good practice because you can actually see the copywriting in action.

Find some of the top performing businesses in your industry (or any industry) and pay close attention to the words they choose to use. Also check out ads on social media and read through the comments section to see some real time reactions from people.

January 2019 | 42

Danielle trax Photography by Sid Siddhiqui 43 | January 2019

x a tr e l l e i n a D Photography by Sid Siddhiqui January 2019 | 44

4 Books About Addiction Recovery to Help Inspire Positive Change in Your Life

By Dale Harris 45 | January 2019

W

hen recovering from any sort of addiction, it often feels like you’re all alone. The truth is that addiction is common. More people suffer from it than most of us realize.

Something good to come from this is the fact that those experiences help us in our own fight against addiction. Instead of letting that segregated feeling consume our every thought, we read about others who’ve gone through the exact same thing.

If you’re in a dark place right now, try reading some of these books about addiction recovery. They’ll help far more than you think.

1. Black Out by Sarah Hepola This book tells the story of a woman who goes on a feminist and freedom-inspired drinking binge that doesn’t ever seem to stop. In the end, everything catches up with her and she must find a way to begin that long road to recovery.

everything the right way but needs to stay strong against all odds. Nothing worth having is ever easy.

4. Permanent Midnight by Jerry Stahl Even those who are both successful and creative struggle with addiction. This gripping memoir show this with sharp clarity.

Heroin addiction causes this writer to make many mistakes throughout his life, even against his own better judgment. It shares with the world all of the terrible side effects of some of the harshest of drugs. The way it’s presented in this book makes the entire journey both captivating and educational.

Humor, sorrow, and self-realization are only some of the starring emotions portrayed in this book. A witty writing style makes this book a quick read even though the heavy topics don’t make it easy to digest. But despite the darker tones, there’s a hint of quirk and amusement that shine in this all too familiar story.

2. How to Grow Up by Michelle Tea Coming to the realization that something needs to change is one of the most difficult parts of recovery.

This entire journey is what makes this book one of the more interesting recovery books around. It reads more like a how-to book than a memoir at times,

guiding the reader through each step.

Follow along with the story as the character finds out that their addiction isn’t what they treasure most in life.

3. Party Girl by Anna David This story focuses on the ultimate question all addiction recovery books need to ask: what do I do now?

After the protagonist breaks free of her addiction and is steady on the road to sobriety, she’s faced with obstacle after obstacle. Each one dents her new sober armor a little bit, making the next one even hard to face.

This book does a great job of showing the struggle of someone who is doing

The eventual and heart-wrenching downfall is hard to swallow. But it leads to a better life for him and his family.

Let These Books About Addiction Inspire You With these books and their experiences at your side, addiction recovery becomes a little easier. It’s always good to learn from both the mistakes and victories written upon those pages. But we all have our own stories to tell. The books about addiction recovery listed above are only a few points of view.

Your own story might help someone else in their recovery someday. So why not try your hand at writing your own memoir? Don’t forget to check out these tips on becoming a better writer to give your memoir the best start possible.

January 2019 | 46

Why Is Content Marketing Hogging the Attention? Here’s the Future of Print Advertising

By Dale Harris

Print on paper carries an inherent feel of permanence. In a digital world, it can feel like information comes and goes with a moment’s notice. Think about ancient collections of books. With proper care, print has the potential to last forever. While this is true of the digital, digital information is quickly lost beneath mountains of information.

Entice Customers to an Online Experience So far as we can tell, the best way to think about print advertising is as a complement to your digital brand. For example, you might consider getting customized stickers with your social media links printed across it. You can use your print ads to encourage potential customers to interact with your brand on an online platform.

Will Print Disappear Forever?

Of course, there is an anxiety about the future of print as a medium. Books, magazines, and newspapers face a certain uncertainty. It follows print advertising may soon lose traction. Soon, our augmented realities may overlay our present physicality. Print may soon disappear from the collective memory of humanity.

I

n 2011, the number of smartphones in the US surpassed the number of people. More people are looking at their phones than reading print. Is the future of print ad campaigns dead and gone?

If you own and operate a business, you’re always thinking about the future of advertising and marketing. You need to be able to keep up with the times if you expect to succeed in the business world. You may notice people these days talking a lot about digital marketing, SEO, and social media marketing.

While these will likely continue to be important, what about print marketing?

Continue reading about print advertising and find out if it still has a future.

47 | January 2019

Print Advertising Isn’t Dead!

Here’s a spoiler: print marketing will remain alive so long as there remains a physical customer presence. Many experts will tell you print marketing still holds incredible value alongside your digital marketing campaign. Even with the advent of computers, mobile phones, tablets, and virtual reality, even young people have an affinity for paper.

The Permanent Nature of Print Digital content is fleeting. When you design your digital marketing campaign, you need to think about constant updates to your internet content. This is true for your blog and various social media platforms.

Sound a bit like a science fiction dystopia? Already, we are seeing digital information integrate with reality in real time. The future of technology and its implications are still vague. One thing is certain, though. The future of print and print marketing is uncertain.

Live in the Present Although the future of print and marketing are uncertain, you and your business should continue to live in the present. For now, print advertising remains a valuable asset in your marketing campaign. Print can be a great complement to your digital marketing campaign as you build your brand. Always stay up to date on the business world and find out what works and what doesn’t. To find more advice on marketing and business, visit our marketing section.

January 2019 | 48