There are methods to creating a great business name. A certain amount of creativity is also needed to arrive at something truly memorable. It’s good to sit down and capture every idea, because you never know what you may be able to build from or what will inspire you. You can look through books and go online for ideas. But keep in mind your brand and the person that is buying your product or service. What type of image do you want to project? Are you trying to convey trust, adventure, comfort, experience, convenience or other qualities? What will resonate most with your customers? Keeping that in mind, here are some good guidelines to follow when creating a name that will stick. While you’re name likely won’t reflect all of these criteria, I find these are useful to stay true to brand.

1) It’s easy to remember, easy to spell and easy to pronounce. Crate & Barrel and Target are much more memorable and easier to spell on a Google search than Ligne Roset Boutique.

2) It doesn’t require an explanation of its meaning. The pharmaceutical companies may prefer vagueness, but names like Syrgis and Sirtris could also be the latest Toyota car model. Sometimes if you get too clever, people just don’t get it and give up.

3) It describes your business. Lush could be a cosmetics boutique or a wine bar. Would you know that AimClear was an SEO Internet marketing firm? Your name will appear on signage, online and in advertising, so it’s a good idea to use that valuable space to remind people what it is that you sell.

4) It describes the benefit. What does the consumer get out of this relationship? Comfort Inn.  Bliss MedSpa. Or my all-time favorite, ToyJoy.

5) It describes your unique difference in the marketplace. What is the spark that will be noticed by your customers? Look at your competition and determine your top three strengths that set you apart. Perhaps it’s service, cost, prestige, trust, skill, quality or a unique experience. Can you translate these into your name? Meridian Plastic Surgery Center conveys reaching one’s pinnacle in health and vigor, an excellent quality when looking for a surgeon.

6) It isn’t limited it by geography. Think big! If your business expands, you won’t want a name that limits you to a certain area or that implies you only serve a certain region. Also, if you’re planning to expand in a multilingual area, make sure your name translates well into other languages and doesn’t have any negative connotations.

While some consumers are willing to pay a premium for green products because they place a priority on good health or leaving a small ecological footprint, the majority of green buyers are still motivated mainly by saving money. Green spending is on the rise and is quickly becoming mainstream, despite the economy. According to the Shelton Group’s Eco Pulse 2009 Report, 60% of American consumers  say they are seeking out green products. But they are also confused about what is green. And who can blame them, when everywhere you turn you see the words “organic,” “eco-friendly” and “energy efficient” slapped onto products from fluorescents to fluoride.

That’s just the start. Your all-natural, custom koozies are also competing with “recyclable,” “renewable” and “locally grown” alternatives. But while people may realize that it’s important to reduce their energy consumption and be kinder to the environment, this isn’t the driving force behind most green purchasing decisions. It still usually comes down to what’s in it for me. And that is cost and personal health.

This is evident, too, in types of green purchases. According to the Eco Pulse Report, the #1 product category that people are searching for in greener products is home cleaning at 75%. This is followed by food & beverage at 65%, personal care at 55%, appliances at 47%, home improvement at 46% and automobiles at 32%. Knowing that mainstream consumers are interested in saving money, creating a healthier lifestyle and value convenience over the environment, it would be wise to market these products not simply as “eco-friendly” but as economical and healthy. These are the benefits that answer the question…’What’s in it for me?’ Of course, if you’re targeting the more engaged, green-minded individuals it’s worth addressing the additional environmental benefits that will appeal to them as well. But know your market, and know the benefits that will drive them to you. It’s all about them.

We all seem to be more value-conscious these days. But as advertisers we can’t just stick the word “value” onto our products and promotions. We need to define what that value actually is for the consumer. Is it more bubbles for the same price? Quality workmanship that you can rely on for years of stability? More time to be able to spend doing what you love? Knowing the true benefits of your product requires knowing your consumers and what they deem as value. For some it may be price, but others may make purchasing decisions based on convenience, comfort, prestige, compassion or simply brand recognition and the consistent expectation it brings with it. No matter how cheap the Jiffy brand becomes, it will never be the best value in my eyes because of the additives it contains. But then, I’m not their market. The brand I choose can charge more and still deliver a great value if the quality is high.  A healthier snack — now with more nuts! That’s great value.

The rise in smartphones is also driving more email use. With easier access to email, 43% of Blackberry users and 42% of iPhone users say they’re using email more often over the past six months, compared to fewer than 3% who are using email less often.

My inbox has become a cluttered mess, so apart from personal and client messages, the only sales messages that draw my attention are from my favorite brands or those with an interesting subject line. To keep your email program effective, you should to take full advantage of the information you have collected on your customers which allows you to personalize messages and keep them relevant. Whether it’s personal data you collect online, including profile pages and preferences, or customer history from transactions, it’s important to create messages that reflect your customers’ interests and needs. Rather than sending a mass email offering 25% off shipping, try sending your customers special promotions based on their previous purchases. Better yet, if a person tends to order frequently, send your email just prior to when he typically places an order. Do certain people on your list love to travel? Tie that back in to your sales approach. By anticipating customer needs based on previous interactions and personalizing the message to their unique preferences, you can stand apart from the inbox clutter.

I love writing. Each word is carefully chosen like a jewel that radiates its own special meaning. But the spoken word carries its own effect.  Whether it’s a comforting word, a lengthy pause, or a curse at the opportune time, your words can speak volumes. Sometimes it’s knowing when not to speak, but more often it’s about being capable and competent. I think a healthy respect for language comes when there is also true enjoyment in the experience. Rather than work, it becomes play. It’s no longer a hurdle, but a window that opens up to other adventures. Here are a few thoughts on how to appreciate the pure pleasure of words:

1) Read for pure enjoyment. Whether it’s about traveling though Ireland or baking a souffle, pick up a book and escape. Read online and offline and stay curious.

2) Journal. It can be your random thoughts, your nightly dreams or your observations. Just make sure it’s not your to-do list.

3) Do a crossword puzzle. Challenge your mind and enjoy the subtle variances in the meaning of words.

4) Think before you speak. We’ve all found ourselves in trouble for saying things we wished we had not. While our words may not be written, they can still carry weight.

Ultimately, your goal is to generate sales or modify behavior, so be sure to include a specific call to action in your marketing materials — tell your customers what you want them to do. Help them take that next step. Call now. Click-it or ticket. Go online and register today!

Don’t forget the free gift. You’ll increase your response rate by offering an incentive, such as a free gift, an upgrade or a chance to win. Keep in mind your audience so you’re offering something of real value for their response. Be sure to include a deadline as well, or advise of a price increase in the coming weeks as added incentive.

Take names, among other things. Whether they visit you online or in person, capture as much information as possible without alienating your visitors so you can continue the conversation. You can stay top of mind in far less expensive and more personalized ways once they have made the initial contact and shared some background information with you. This is also extrememly useful for tracking your best referral sources, a benefit for future ad planning.

Be obvious. If your call to action encourages shoppers to visit your webpage, be sure to include the URL (preferably a special landing page for easier tracking). It sounds obvious, but often the contact information is hidden and becomes a hurdle for your customers. Make it clear and easy to respond with a visible website, a toll-free number or a map that accompanies your address.

The best marketing draws on the strength of your brand, so be sure to remain consistent in all of your messages and stay true to the identity and expectations your brand creates. Nike wants you to just do it and feel like a winner….I imagine their direct marketing does as well.

Keeping statements in the positive asserts authority and directs your readers, depending on where we place the focus. I work with a cosmetic surgeon who uses many new technologies in his practice, such as ultrasonic scalpels and pain pumps, to alleviate pain for his patients. Instead of promoting these advances by saying he is able to “reduce pain,” it’s much better to completely remove the word “pain” and instead say “minimize discomfort.” While it’s important not to mislead, you should focus on the benefits as much as possible.

As another example, instead of saying that a cleaner “leaves no unpleasant odor,” how about it “leaves a fresh scent.” Rather than identifying the product or service with a negative association, we can make positive connections and images in our readers’ minds. Depending on the words we choose, we can soothe the senses or repel and alarm. Lead your readers down a straight path and show them the roses along the way.

“I write as straight as I can, just as I walk as straight as I can, because that is the best way to get there.” – H.G. Wells

Now imagine you’re having  this conversation with a potential customer. Instead of talking with just one person, your message may now be reaching thousands. Most may never have met you and have no first impression of your company or your products and services. While your ultimate goal may be to increase sales, it’s important to begin the conversation with an introduction. Using various methods of outreach, you create brand familiarity and gain their trust. While sales goals are no doubt important, setting goals to increase online searches of your brand, raise favorable dialogue in online forums and blogs, generate positive press coverage and add to your lead bank are equally valuable. Extend the handshake and move these potential customers into the camp of people who already know and like you. Then you can expand the conversation and talk about your miracle cure for their feet.

Finding this fine line between bending and breaking the rules is the subject of a new book, “The Lexicographer’s Dilemma,” by Rutgers English professor Jack Lynch. Salon contributor Laura Miller offers an interesting review of the book, pointing out the two schools of thought on proper English usage. The prescriptive belief is that language experts should dictate how to read and write, while the descriptive thought leans more toward giving guidance.

Apparently Lynch agrees more with the descriptive camp, but sees value in mastering the language because it gives one access to power. 

According to Miller, “To protest that the language police are only protecting the accuracy, precision and clarity of our tongue, Lynch lifts a skeptical eyebrow. Many of the most roundly deplored “debasements” of English are nevertheless perfectly comprehensible…The only truly unbreakable rules of grammar and usage are the ones that, when broken, result in a genuine failure to communicate. The rest is a form of covert class warfare, and today’s usage reproofs constitute a status-protecting thump on the head delivered by the upper middle class to uppity members of the lower middle. Thinking of the grammar wars in this light helps explain why they provoke such rage. Much as some people might detest seeing the noun “impact” used as a verb, if a lot of people say it and almost everybody understands it when it’s said, then a coup has been effected. The “verbing” of nouns (or the creation of “nerbs”) has been a flashpoint for the past four or five decades with the growth of business management lingo. Complaints about this point to a particularly American social fissure: between the cultured sensibility of the liberally educated and the can-do utilitarianism of striving MBAs.”

So how much guidance do we need? Before beginning any writing project, it’s important to think about the audience that you want to reach with your message. Obviously, the tone and word selection will vary if you’re writing for 18 to 24-year old men entering college versus Baby Boomers buying a second home. And while the language is flexible, some rules should never be broken. Laughing slyly, the story ended while she typed. Confused yet?