Personal Presence on Social Media by Dianna Booher - Part 5
Channel: Dianna Booher - Communication Strategist & Author
Date: 06/07/2012

http://www.booherresearch.com  1-817-283-2333
Executive Communication Expert Dianna Booher

Ask Provocative Questions
Value comes in the form of a thought-provoking question as well as a declarative sentence. Think how many people have pondered the age-old question:  "If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to hear it, does it make a sound?" 

Granted, you won't get very far with stale questions such as that. But try tossing out a thoughtful question about a current trend, ... asking for opinions on a controversial issue or policy, ... or asking for suggestions for solving prevalent problems. 

For example, the BP oil spill generated thousands of suggested solutions---some brought significant recognition and financial reward to those who offered answers or piggybacked on other's ideas.  

Another example: Consider how the election process---whether federal, state, or local elections---produce other provocative questions in an effort to influence voters.

Make Your Writing on the Wall Clear and Crisp-and Go for Clever
Not everyone is a born novelist, poet, or rapper. So that "clever" criterion may be a stretch.... But you can learn to write clear, crisp, correct comments and questions. 

Your writing represents your face on the screen and your attention to detail on the job. I'm not talking about a typo. If you have clumsy thumbs and you're tweeting from your cell phone on a jerky elevator, you may miss a key. 

Rather, I'm talking about misused words, ...nonsensical phrasing, .... ungrammatical sentences, ... and other grammar goofs that raise eyebrows and cause confusion. Such things create an image in the minds of thousands of "friends" and "followers."