ICYMI¹

Acronyms may be short-cutting your outreach efforts.

“In Case You Missed It” is as old as time itself.

TBH², whenever I see IMHO³, I immediately think this person is not really “humble.” I’m always Googling the meaning of the latest acronym. That’s because when I ask my son what something means, he sighs and says, “Dad, just Google it.” And I say, “But you’re right here, and you’re faster than me Googling it.” The eye-roll is enough to make me never ask him again.

My pet peeves include LOL — Does anyone really write that when they’re actually “laughing out loud”? — and JK — is your writing so unclear that you have to tell people you are “just kidding”? If you’re confused about the latest jargon, then you’re not in the know. When it comes to the acronym short-hand, if you don’t know what they mean, then you’re left out of the in-club. Is that how you want your supporters and prospects to feel?

Remember My Name

Many organizations start abbreviating their names and initiatives for expediency, and they lose track of the “insider club” mentality that this establishes. If you are trying to attract more people, you need to use inclusive language, which means your name should be clear and understandable to anyone. It’s better to spell out your name when your communications are sent out beyond the staff. You never want to alienate the people you are trying to attract.