Tag Archives: Writing Tips

Inject your marketing with personality in 4 easy steps

Posted by: | May 2, 2013 | Best Practices, Blogging, Branding

fishCompanies are giving their customers a more personal touch. Why? It’s simple: People want personal connections with the companies they do business with. Here are four ways to kick-start your efforts:

  1. Write a blog. Blogs give you the freedom to communicate directly with your target audience. Use an informal tone and write in first person, incorporating “I,” “me,” “you” and “your” throughout your posts. Give your staff a voice by letting them contribute to the blog. Your team will appreciate it and it will allow your customers to get to know your business on a deeper level. Online video, animated graphics and slide shows are another great way to show a human face. Bonus: Regular updates will boost your site’s ranking.
  2. Include employee profiles. Professional bios engage readers. In addition to featuring your employees’ expertise, allow the staff to have some fun and share their personalities. Customers love finding out what makes your people tick!
  3. Use real pictures. Many companies use stock photos on their websites. Although this is not a bad thing, using genuine pictures of your products and employees allows you to connect with your customers on a more personal level. Ultimately, your customers want to do business with people they like and trust. It’s easier to do this when your website contains real images.
  4. Add testimonials. Testimonials are a great way to show potential customers how satisfied past clients are. Make sure they express how clients benefited from your products and services. Try to distinguish results from before they used your products and services and after they became clients. Earn extra credibility by including a picture or video of each person who provides a testimonial.

How are you making your business more personal and human? What do you want to try next? Let us know in the comments below.

Contributing to the English language

Posted by: | January 17, 2013 | Copywriting, Creativity, Grammar

Dictionary“If he or she makes more than $250,000 annually, then his or her refund is reduced by $2,100.”

You’ve no doubt read a sentence like this and wished our linguistic forefathers had used a little more linguistic foresight before creating such a cumbersome way to describe this well-compensated, gender-neutral person who’s now out a few thousand dollars.

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8 simple ways to beat writer’s block

Posted by: | December 6, 2012 | Blogging, Copywriting, Creativity

It happens to the best of us. Whether you’re working on a presentation, a blog post or a newsletter, it can sneak up on you at any time.

Say hello to writer’s block.

Even professional writers experience moments when the words won’t come. Staring at a blank screen can be frustrating, especially when you’re on deadline. Whether you’ve got days or only a few hours to complete your project, try one or more of these winning strategies to smash through creative obstacles: (more…)

Are your e-blasts working?

Posted by: | October 4, 2012 | Copywriting, Creativity, Design

If you’re like most companies today, you send electronic communications to prospects, current customers and stakeholders.

Recent research from Monetate, an e-commerce software firm, shows that 4.25 percent of visitors who arrive at a website through an email turn into customers. Monetate’s found that only 0.59 percent of visitors who arrived via social media turn into customers.

The lesson? E-blasts – when used properly – yield significant results for your business. Misusing an e-blast can have the opposite effect, however. What are the ingredients for a winning e-blast?

  • Clean copy. Did you edit your copy carefully? Did you overuse exclamation marks? Is your point clear? Is your copy too long? These are important questions to ask yourself before you send an e-blast. A well-edited, concise e-blast will go a lot further than something sloppy. Two paragraphs of copy – a couple of sentences and maybe a few bullet points – is all you need.
  • Clean coding. Make sure whoever puts together your formatted e-blast knows what they’re doing. Be sure to remove [TEST] tags from the subject line. Eliminate sloppy HTML, which usually rears its ugly head when converting Microsoft Word to HTML. Edit the final layout with an eye toward eliminating any errant tags or other bad code that made it into the e-blast. If these types of errors show up, readers will not be impressed.
  • No gimmicks. Don’t promise the moon, and don’t write too aggressively. For example, lead sentences like, “For only $100, you can get …” usually scare people away. While you’re at it, go ahead and remove “free offer” and “risk-free” from your e-blast vocabulary as well. Show that you’re adding value, and let people know you can fill a need.
  • Don’t overwhelm. Aside from managing the content of individual e-blasts, make sure you’re not doing yourself a disservice by inundating subscribers with emails. There is no standard frequency when it comes to sending e-blasts, but a good rule of thumb is a minimum of once a month and a maximum of once a week. The worst thing a company can do is turn a loyal reader into someone who hits the unsubscribe button, and readers frequently opt out of e-communications when companies flood their inboxes.

At the end of the day, a well-crafted e-blast is good for your business and can promote products and services that help your customers. Take these steps to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.

Have any additional e-blast tips? Share them with us in the comments section below.

Don’t let spell-check make you look dumb

Posted by: | May 10, 2012 | Best Practices, due diligence, Puncutation

Spell-check is like a friend who wrecks your car and then repairs the damage to disguise the accident: It seems like she has your back, but she ultimately lets you down.

A writer sent me a draft of a magazine article he wrote recently so that he could get my feedback about the content. It was well-written and engaging, but it’s a good thing he sent it to me. He overlooked the punctuation and grammatical errors. (more…)

Homonyms 101: Don’t dye trying

Posted by: | January 31, 2012 | Best Practices, Blogging, Creativity

Homonyms are by far the most agreeable of the commonly known grammatical -nyms. Antonyms can never see eye-to-eye; synonyms are unoriginal; homonyms are a different breed. Despite their audible similarity, however, homonyms can give you the slip. They are the shifty con men of the verbal universe – just when you think you’ve figured them out, they elude you once more.

Merriam-Webster defines a homonym as, “One of two or more words spelled and pronounced alike but different in meaning.” Whether you’re composing an email or crafting an article for a trade magazine, clean copy counts, and falling victim to the phonetically fickle homonym in your professional writing is an embarrassing way to undermine your abilities. (more…)

5 must-read grammar tips

Posted by: | December 6, 2011 | due diligence, Online advertising, Puncutation

In homage to The Oatmeal’s charming illustration of the perils of 10 commonly misspelled and misused words, I present five of my very (least) favorite grammar missteps.

Enjoy some more words and phrases you or someone you know is using incorrectly, whether it’s in everyday conversation or in marketing materials and other business communications.

Let’s dive right in.

1. Champing at the bit.

While the phrase itself isn’t that sophisticated, knowing the right way to say it can elevate your grammatical street cred.

Margo: Theodore! They finally started stocking Beaujolais Nouveau at that lovely little bistro down the way!

Theodore: Thank heavens, Margo, I’ve been chomping at the bit to get another taste of that delicious wine!

Theodore’s heart was in the right place, but his words weren’t.

A truly fancy tongue turner would have said “champing at the bit.” Champing implies impatience, which is at the heart of the sentiment behind this phrase.

2. Comprise versus compose

Here’s another example of striking out on a home-run pitch. Comprise is one of those elusive words that rarely finds the right moment to pop out from underground.

How many times have you seen or heard “comprise” used this way?

The guest list is comprised of dignitaries and noblemen.

The AP Stylebook says that comprise means, “To contain, to include all or embrace.” It also notes that “comprise” is best used in the active voice, followed by a direct object. If you want to use “comprise” in this situation, say:

The guest list comprises dignitaries and noblemen.

3. For all intents and purposes

This phrase has been misused orally for so long that society has just decided to accept its mutation. Resist.

Wrong: For all intensive purposes, that cat has replaced Kathy’s oldest daughter.

Right: For all intents and purposes, that cat is spoiled rotten.

4.  Allusion and illusion

Although both words carry with them an air of the mysterious, they aren’t interchangeable.

An allusion is a reference, when something is mentioned. An illusion is deceitful – it tricks the senses by producing a false impression.

The 5-inch heels gave the illusion that Gwen was as tall as Jim.

Dave alluded to the fact that he was out of money.

5. Espresso

Just because it makes your mind race doesn’t mean you can mispronounce its name. There’s no “x” in there, people.

If you didn’t know these already, don’t sweat it – you’re not alone. That’s why we’re here.

Now hear this: Hook prospects with great radio ads

Posted by: | July 19, 2011 | Advertising Strategy, Commercials, Radio ads

What was the last great tweet, email or Facebook post that stuck in your mind? Can’t remember?

I’ll bet you do recall at least one or two jingles from radio or TV commercials, even from back in the Stone Age when you were a kid. That’s what a good jingle does; it sticks in your mind because it’s short, catchy and memorable. If you ever catch yourself humming the U.S. Army’s “Be All That You Can Be” commercial or “I’m lovin’ it®” from McDonalds, you know what I’m talking about.

Promoting your business or products in radio ads is an excellent way to reel in prospects and keep existing customers. Follow these tips for success:

1. Make your message straightforward and simple. Focus on one product or one offer. Don’t shove a size 10 foot into a size 6 shoe. People need to know who you are, what you’re offering, where they can get it and why they should get it.

2. Solve a problem. Identify a problem and offer a solution. For example, in this “stop them in their tracks” ad for the Finishing Contractors Association of Chicago (FCAC), I focused on a pain point for property managers – tenants leaving their buildings. The solution is to spruce up their spaces with professional painting, wallcovering and drywall finishing.

3. Be concise. A 30-second radio spot is about 65 to 75 words, while a 60-second commercial is about 135 to 155 words. Read the commercial aloud several times at an even, realistic pace and time it before producing it. You want to be sure the ad doesn’t run over and that the announcer doesn’t have to talk at warp speed.

4. Repeat the most important information. Repeat the company’s business name and website at least twice for a 30-second ad and four times for a 60-second spot. Use them at the beginning and at the end. Trim “www” from Web addresses. You don’t need it and it will save time.

5. Avoid phone numbers if possible. They’re too hard to remember. People typically listen to the radio in their cars, when they’re getting ready for work and while doing housework. They’re not standing by the radio with a pen in hand waiting to jot down a phone number. If you have to use phone numbers, repeat them several times in a row. “Call 800-555-1234 now. That’s 800-555-1234. 800-555-1234.”

6. Sound effects and music make ads more engaging. Production details make ads sound more professional and help attract attention to your message. Incorporate them for flourish, but don’t go overboard to the point of distraction. Remember to allow plenty of time for them, because they will require some of your run time. This low rates 30-second spot I wrote for the FCAC is a good example of how special effects can jazz up an ad.

7. Build in variety. Sixty-second ads provide the ideal forum for having more than one voice. Create a conversation between two or more people, for example. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to deliver your message and make a compelling offer. Listen to an example.

8. Include a call to action. Are you having a sale? Are you offering a two-for-one discount? Are you offering a unique product? Tell listeners what you want them to do.

So there it is in eight easy steps. Hook new business with radio ads and keep them coming back for more with these foolproof tips.

Want readers to understand you? Bring on the jargon slayers

Posted by: | January 27, 2011 | Best Practices, Journalism, Writing Tips

The next time you’re tempted to write that a court case was “dismissed with prejudice” or that your company is “conducting a needs assessment to evaluate just-in-time work flows,” back away from the word processing station. Translation: Computer.

These special or technical words, phrases and idioms are known as jargon and they are difficult for most readers to understand. Messaging should be simple and clear, especially when it comes to marketing your company. Jargon doesn’t sound more impressive or make ordinary ideas sound important – it only muddies the intended message.

The most common objection is, “Everyone in our industry knows what that term means, so it’s fine.”

I’ll let you in on a secret: Clear and concise language makes you a better communicator. Be direct and you’ll engage new readers (and thus new customers) who might not otherwise invest in your products and services. You’ll also increase the chances that your content will go “viral.” Translation: It will be popular and a lot of people will share it.