Blogging About No-Nos

“The rise of the Internet and social media has given rise to a lot of fretting about the loss of manners and common courtesy in society,” Kate Kershner writes in “How Stuff Works”. But often, the author points out, we just don’t know if something is considered rude or perfectly acceptable. As an example, Kershner explores the question of whether it is rude to knit in public. The rule of thumb she suggests is that, if you’re in any public place – the opera or a play, for example – knitting might imply a lack of attention, so it’s best to avoid doing that.

When traveling to a new country, it’s important to learn about the taboos there, Stump & Associates tells readers. There may be food taboos, conversation taboos, tipping taboos, and even taboos concerning eye contact and how close it is considered OK to stand near another person. The point is – travelers need to be made aware of these differences in perception.

Knowing the no-nos can be important in the workplace as well, hiring.monster.com explains. People have varying tolerance for offensive language and humor, for example, and what may seem like an awkward incident to some might feel extremely hurtful to others. Common but avoidable gaffes include sending an email or text to the wrong person and discussion hot-button issues such as religion, politics, and money.

Content writers can offer positive value to readers by describing things and activities best avoided. For example, the Warby Parker Eyewear A to Z blog lists not-to-dos after eye dilation, including driving, being in the sun, and looking at digital screens. “Great copywriting compels action, so it’s no surprise fear is used in marketing,” writes Amy Harrison of Copyblogger.  Marketing messages, she Harrison explains, may be based on readers’ fear of missing out, of losing something, or of future threat.

At Say It For You, we don’t like to use fear as the motivating factor to market our services. Instead, we think of “blogging the no-nos as a way for our clients to demonstrate to their readers ways to dodge dangers.