As Baudville’s copywriter, I am painfully aware of the number of themes we have that relate to making a difference (if you’ve ever had to write repeatedly about the concept of making a difference without saying making, a, or difference, then you know what I’m talking about).

But there is a very good reason we have so many themes of this nature. There are so many ways that a person can make a difference, whether it’s volunteering for a non-profit, working as a caregiver, or having significant impact in a business setting. All people in all situations have the power to affect the world around them in a positive way, which means our customers need to have choices when it comes to thanking these folks.

So, we have Making the Difference, You Make the Difference, Making a Difference, You Make a World of Difference, and You Made the Difference. We also have one called The Power of One that has a "you make a world of difference" tagline.

Inside these four walls, we giggle about the redundancy (or maybe it’s just me alone in my cubicle); but it’s actually very serious business. When you think about it, it’s pretty profound that there is such demand for this sentiment. In fact, this Saturday is National Make a Difference Day—a whole day dedicated to (here it comes) making a difference! The organization that instituted this holiday focuses on the philanthropic aspect, but since we know that making a difference can take so many forms, we like to promote them all.

Wondering how you can get involved? One way is to participate directly in volunteer efforts in your community. The Make a Difference Day web site has a project finder for activities already going on in your neighborhood. Or, you can organize your own project and use their idea generator to help you get started.

You can also consider every day Make a Difference Day, and focus on the little things you can do all the time to create positive change. At work, in your neighborhood, at school, for the environment, on the political front, on the other side of the world, or even by smiling at the right person at the right time—there are opportunities everywhere!   

Finally, possibly the most significant way you can do your part is to encourage (and thank) those who make a difference. That’s not why they’re doing it, but that doesn’t mean we all don’t appreciate the efforts any less. And guess what? We have just the thing…

  

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Allison is Baudville’s one (and only) Copywriter. She’s been writing for a variety of media for more than eight years, so if she tells you she has been there and done that, she probably has. Before embarking on a career in writing, Allison worked as a department manager where she used Baudville products to motivate her team. She’s what we call a true believer!

Last week we conducted a poll on our blog asking visitors if they use social media to give recognition. Here were the responses:

- 11.1% make sure every post has recognition
- 22.2% occasionally tweet a shout out
- 66.7% believe Facebook is a foreign entity

Our poll shows that 33.3% of respondents are using social media to express recognition and appreciation. I predict it will continue to grow as communication continues to be shaped by social media.

Social media has become a valuable tool for marketing, recruiting and sharing information. As more people jump on the social media bandwagon, giving feedback and praise will also become a common practice in these forums.

Today, many employees create and maintain personal “feel good files.” You may have given it another name, but I think you likely have a spot in your desk where you stash past thank you notes and cards of appreciation.

Every once in a while you even review your file for a little pick me up.

The words of thanks and appreciation remind you of past great performances and contributions to the organization. Every time you add another note to the file, you feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

Imagine if your feel good file were on your online profile or your Twitter page. Not only would you be able to read through your feel good file when you needed a morale booster, but co-workers, managers, friends and recruiters could, too.

How would you respond if your boss gave you some props on your Facebook page? Or if someone contacted you about a job because of all the good things they’ve read about you?

Imagine your social media, loaded down with recognition...

On another note…

Did I mention that we now have a poll on our blog? Be sure to check back each week as it changes to give your two cents worth. For each poll, we’ll have a little write up (like this one) interpreting the results. Be a part of it!

You can receive updates from all of our blog entries, too, by subscribing to our blog email list on in the right hand navigation…right…over…there. Don’t miss any of the recognition updates!

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Cori is a Certified Recognition Professional at Baudville and a member of the Millennial generation. In addition to writing for the Baudville blog, she’s taking on the task of flooding the Twitterverse with positive mojo. Find out more - and join her cause! - at www.Twitter.com/Baudville using the hash tag #positivemojo.

Working with graphic designers, I often get printouts of their artwork with placeholder text where my copy will go. Typically, this text says “clever headline goes here” or “some kind of interesting copy goes here.” We’ve all heard of writer’s block and that typing that first word can be the hardest obstacle to overcome. But it’s nothing compared to the pressure to come up with words that are also clever or interesting. I see those prompts and I literally break out in a sweat. What if I am simply not witty today? What then?

Anxiety aside, I have to admit it’s really good for me. I inherently know that I am expected to write clever and interesting copy, but I wonder if, in the absence of those prompts, I might not. If the placeholder just said “headline goes here” would I simply write a headline and not be motivated to do more than that?

The truth is, we all have (and need) prompts that motivate us to excel. Recognition and appreciation can be powerful ones. Looking around at the cards, trophies, certificates, and personalized gifts that decorate my and my coworkers’ desks, it’s obvious that these items serve a purpose. They inspire us; they make us smile; they say, “Hey, you were fabulous at least once, so there’s a really good chance you can do it again!”


One of our customer service superstars let us photograph her display. Wow, that Cool Beans plant is really taking off!

As a manager, when you say thank you or give employees recognition for a job well done, you’re reinforcing the positive behavior that you want to see repeated. Being recognized feels good, so your recipients will try harder to do the things that get rewarded. When that recognition is tangible, it also serves as a constant reminder to push a little harder.

It’s as simple as that!

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