Sitting. Staring. Cursor flashing.
Almost nothing is more intimidating than a blank page and an equally blank mind.
Which is why I employ one of my favorite shortcuts … the nano-brainstorm. This shortcut is especially good for short, pithy bits of copy, headlines and taglines.
Try this nano-brainstorm to get past writer’s block:
1. Open a blank document and save it. (I’m a frequent saver.)
2. Open a browser window to Google.
3. Set a timer for 5 minutes. No more. No less.
4. Google the keyword(s) of your topic “+ quotes poems songs” and press enter.
5. Quickly click in and go through some of the results. When you see something that inspires you, toggle to your document and copy the text over or type the words in. Continue until you hear:
* DING * Time’s up.
1. Reset the timer for 5 minutes. No more. No less.
2. Now start typing variations of your own. Keep going until you hear:
* DING * Time’s up.
Start a fresh document and continue with your writing project. Make sure to keep your filled up nano-brainstorm document just in case there are some reusable ideas.
No CommentsI’m a creative communications opinionator. I tell people what I think of their marcom, newsletters, press releases and web content based on my 23 years of professional experience in featuring writing, PR and interactive copywriting.
Which is why I was thrilled to be asked my opinion for this year’s Web Marketing Association WebAwards. I gave a critical eye and honest opinion of more than two dozen interactive sites.
Some were for well-known brands. Some were not. But throughout the judging process I saw the good, the bad and the ugly.
So where did the bad and the ugly go wrong? Many in design and navigation, but most with content.
Although I’ve blogged about content mistakes before, let’s look at the top three things that make web content suck – and how to avoid them.
Mistake #1 – Not Being Conversational
Although brochureware sites are oh-so-1997, some companies still employ the technique. Or, worse, they write as though they are some kind of 1970s esoteric marketer:
“Welcome to our virtual oasis on the worldwide web, where you are free to browse at your leisure from the comfort of your home or office.”
Who talks like that? Nobody.
The whole idea behind “conversational” is that it’s an informal exchange of dialogue. You say something. They say something. See how it works?
Of course, your site visitor won’t talk back (well, they may on Twitter or Facebook) but you can act as if you’re having a real conversation. You can approach your content as though you’re talking to real people about things that matter to them.
Mistake #2 – Being Too Wordy
This isn’t a long vs. short copy question. No, too wordy, simply means using more words than you have to in order to say something.
My husband is famous for being, um, shall we say a bit windy? He’ll say something. Then say it again. And again. And yet again.
Unfortunately, the punch of what he originally said (which is usually quite smart) gets lost in the retelling.
Say what needs to be said. Then stop. This goes for the home page as well as the FAQs.
Mistake #3 – Not Being Relevant
I already wrote a six-part series on relevant content, so let me remind you that great web content (i.e., non-sucky web content) has to mean something to the reader.
Web content should answer all the questions a site visitor could have – and then some. I call these the unarticulated needs.
Lose the fluff and tell the reader what they want to know.
No CommentsFrom pseuddictionary to unword, the web is replete with sites dedicated to made-up words. TV personalities and sitcoms are famous for them, too. (Think Rachael Ray’s “fantabulous” and Archie Bunker’s “groinocologist.”) Made-up words have no doubt helped define pop culture for the better part of the last few decades.
Using made-up words is especially fun among family and friends. Our favorite is “musharoni pizza,” short for half mushroom, half pepperoni. It came about purely by accident, but it stuck and is now a standard at our house most Friday nights.
But take heed: made-up words have little to no place in your web copy. Words like “customerization,” and “dimensionalize” are not so much clever as cute and do little in the way of optimizing search or helping customers understand who you are and what you have to offer.
And, while you’re at it, be wary of overused words such as “solutions” and “optimized.” Best way to do that is to speak to the benefit of the customer … not to yourself or your company.
No CommentsTake a look at this B2B web site. Awful, isn’t it?
It’s a typical homegrown web site done by an in-house team of inexperienced digital marketers who probably had the best of intentions and a next-to-nothing budget.
Unfortunately, there’s no SEO strategy, the design is flat, and the content is not only lacking, it’s wholly and completely internally focused with “we” this and “we” that at every turn.
The truth is, this web site would be a lot more interesting – and a lot more effective – even without a lot of money if it had been approached more as a consumer site, than a B2B site.
Studies show that B2B web sites lag light years behind B2C sites and that visitors to poorly executed B2B web sites have less trust of those companies and their offerings.
So here’s the secret truth for B2Bs …
Businesses are made up of people who are consumers … so treat them like consumers. And, just like B2C web sites, create a web site that’s less about you and more about your customer.
No CommentsThe all-time favorite question of kids everywhere is, “But, why?”
Every mom, dad, aunt, uncle, babysitter or neighbor who’s been inundated with “But, why?” will invariably answer (usually out of sheer frustration), “Because.”
But when it comes to branding, marketing and strategic communications, asking “But, why?” is not only important, it’s essential.
Talk to any of my clients, and you’ll quickly find that I like to ask questions. A lot of questions. (I consider it a badge of honor that in my former life as a corporate communicator, I got kicked off a strategic planning team for being “too enthusiastic” and “generating too many ideas” with my questions!)
For me, asking questions is absolutely necessary for me to do my job. I typically ask more questions than a lot of my clients expect, and certainly more than they have answers for.
I don’t expect them to know the answer to every question I ask. That’s part of what we work through together. It’s the thinking part of strategic communications.
We ask questions, explore various answers, and then come up with the best solution to the problem.
When it comes to marketing and communicating your business or product, become a bit childish by continually ask “But, why?” – and do so without settling for the pat answer, “Because.”
“Because” may get you a pretty brochure or a new web site, but, I promise it will never get you more sales leads, new customers or top-of-mind name awareness.
For that, dear readers, you must ask, “But, why?” until you can ask it no more.
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