MEMOS

MEMOS Records information of immediate importance Brief, informal, but can contain official announcements Used in-house Format can be used with reports and proposals Must follow company’s protocol Timely Send to the right people only Follows audience, style & tone

FUNCTIONS OF A MEMO Make an announcement Provide instructions Clarify a policy, procedure or issue Changes a policy or procedure Alerts employees to a problem or issue Offers general information Provides a brief summary Makes a request Offers a suggestion or recommendation Provides a record of an important matter Confirms an outcome Calls a meeting

MEMOS: EMAIL vs. HARD COPY Hard copy should be sent when the memo contains

confidential information that you do not want to risk being seen by the wrong person.

Memo Protocol and Company Politics Reflect a company’s image Must be timely Must always be timely, professional and tactful Most companies have their own memo protocol Don’t send a memo to someone who doesn’t need it

MEMO FORMAT• Must include the following fields• TO line• FROM line• Date line

• Always write out the date. July 1, 2010 NOT 07/01/10.• Subject line

• Be as accurate and specific as possible• Do NOT include a greeting or closing

SAMPLE MEMO HEADERMEMORANDUM

TO: Ashley SupinskiFROM: John SmithDATE: July 1, 2010SUBJECT: Parking Privileges for Seniors

Questions Your Memo Must Answer When? Who? Where? Why? Costs? Technology? What’s next?

Style & Tone Audience will determine the memo’s style and tone Co-Worker: Casual, Conversational, Friendly & Cooperative Manage: More formal. Respectful, even official, posture

Memo Organization Introduction Body (Discussion) Conclusion

Organizational Markers Headings Numbered/Bulleted Lists Underlining/Boldfacing

Blogs

What They Are/Do Evolving website or daily newspaper Managers and employees write short articles Posts are short, conversational articles giving readers

current and relevant news/information Posts are generally only a few paragraphs long and written

2-3 times a week

Blogs are Interactive Allow for a group conversation Interaction is the key to the blog’s success Blogs need to:

Attract readers Build relationships Promote and market products or services Respond to suggestions

Types of Blogs Internal

Designed exclusively for use in-house External

Essential marketing and public relations tools in the world of e-commerce

Guidelines for Writing Business Blogs Use the right tone to attract readers Follow the company protocol Target your audience Make your blog persuasive Write concisely and sincerely Document your sources, including visuals