Browsing Category: "content"
In working with a new client on a direct mail piece, I was reminded of a tried-and-true creative technique for capturing the attention of your audience: the P.S.
Use the P.S. (literally postscript) to summarize your key point and call-to-action. This single sentence is your opportunity to restate your proposition in a way that will grab your reader’s attention.
And, more importantly, the P.S. will be read by up to 90 percent of those who open the mailing. Enough said.
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The year was 1989. I was a newlywed armed with a degree from Otterbein in Speech Communications when I started working at Ohio Magazine. My first day on the job they gave me a stack of magazines and said, “Here. Read these.”
Read these? Read all day long and you’ll pay me???
I thought I’d won the lottery.
But read I did. I studied the written word, the turn of a phrase, the crafting of a story.
But because I’m, um, gregarious and outspoken, and because my boss was sharp enough to put people where they would thrive, he dubbed me Ohio Magazine’s first-ever promotions manager.
I traveled the Buckeye State, rallying small towns from here to there in celebration of various cover stories. And although I become the defacto spokesperson, I still yearned to stretch my editorial wings.
(Somewhere there’s video of a thinner, younger me dressed head-to-toe in cream-colored business attire in front of an outhouse. Oh, how, OMag loved the unusual angle.)
I adored my job as promotions manager — until they published my first article.
I simply could not contain my joy at my very first byline and promptly quit to pursue a freelancing career.
In the 17 years since, I’ve been fortunate enough to combine both loves — writing and communications — to a highly rewarding career.
I’m one of the few writers I know who has deep experience in interactive and print communications, as well as in marketing communications and feature writing.
In my consultancy, I bring everything I’ve learned in 20+ years of writing, speaking and communications to clients who want to create and deliver an impactful message. My sweet spot is cutting through the clutter and helping people find their true voice and message.
Of course, I continually look for new ways to service my clients, so last December when friend, mentor and genius collaborator Ruth Milligan approached me to explore her re-ignited passion for helping people with their presentation style and substance, I was in, hook, line and sinker.
Together, we could take all that we knew and learned through decades-long careers in the field and deliver something useful and radical.
Together, we could serve an under-served contingency, elevating people’s ability to communicate beyond what they think they’re capable of.
Together, we could help people find their voice and deliver their worthwhile and worthy ideas in ways that are meaningful and memorable.
And with that, we’re beyond thrilled to announce the launch of ar.tic.u.la.tion. (Read Ruth’s post for her story.)
I won’t be giving up my copywriting, content and communications practice; rather, I’ll be extending my offerings through ar.tic.u.la.tion.
The creative, strategic and collaborative work I do will continue. I’m simply expanding it to include public speakers and presenters and tapping a bit more into the coach I’ve been all along.
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Regardless of who the copywriter is on your next project — you, a colleague, a subordinate or a freelancer — make a vow to get or give proper feedback. Note that I said feedback, not criticism.
Feedback, according to Merriam-Webster, is “the transmission of evaluative or corrective information.” Criticism, on the other hand, is “the act of criticizing unfavorably.” (Isn’t that a typical dictionary definition?!) Criticism, in my opinion, does nothing to move the copy forward like feedback does.
Before learning how to use feedback to get great copy, you have to understand that copywriting is never done well when it’s done in a vacuum. Taking the time to get and give feedback — and then using that feedback to refine the copy — always leads to better results.
A couple of years ago I worked on a video script for a major pharmaceutical company. My first draft was solid, however, feedback from the project team really helped me streamline and sharpen the final copy. I’m grateful that the client provided clear and appropriate feedback; some of which was related to things surrounding the brand that I, as a consultant, could not possibly have known.
Here’s how to give the kind of feedback that promotes great copy:
- When possible, allow the writer to briefly present the copy. Writers make a lot of decisions throughout the copywriting process and likely have a reason for why they wrote what they did. If you go into the feedback process with insight into the copy process, you’ll at least be able to determine whether or not the writer succeeded in achieving what they said they would.
- Read the copy to yourself. Not skim. Not scan. Not skip. Read the entire copy through once; then read it again, this time out loud.
- On the third read-through, put yourself in the reader’s shoes. Ask yourself if the main message is presented early, clearly and succinctly. The copy should always address the benefit(s) to the reader in a way that’s both memorable and easy to understand.
- Make note of the copy’s positives and start the feedback process there. You or your writer will be more open to hearing and receiving feedback that starts with the positive.
- Conduct a SWOT analysis, looking for the copy’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. During your SWOT analysis, look for common copy mistakes such as vagueness, redundancies and overuse of jargon. Identify any potentially confusing areas, looking to see if the overall flow of the copy makes sense.
- Watch for your own biases. If you prefer the word “prior” over the word “before,” don’t sweat it. Unless it changes the meaning of the message or is completely off-brand, let it go. Limit your feedback to the messaging of the copy rather than word-for-word commentary. That being said, be as specific as possible in your feedback. Instead of saying, “The copy is boring,” explain the ‘why’ behind your feedback, such as “The copy lacks an emotional connection. Use a success story to illustrate the point.”
So even if you choose to call feedback constructive criticism, make use of these six tips for giving good feedback. Your writer will thank you. But, more importantly, your reader will.
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I’m doing a site audit for a client of mine and naturally it includes a few thoughts on web copy.
While looking for some small business sites within her industry as good examples to share, I was shocked at the number of poorly done web sites from Boston to Seattle.
There were plenty of hideously designed and whiz-bang-whistle, super-flashy sites that took too long to load, but the biggest thing I noticed was how rotten much of the copy is out there. Seriously. Stinky. Rotten.
A good share of it started with something like this:
As a ______ specializing in _______, I know _______. Our well-trained, highly competent staff will _______. We take every measure to ensure that ___________. As a leading ________, we’re proud to offer ___________.
Aargh.
Investing time and money into a new web site is a challenge, especially for small businesses. I know, it’s something that challenges me, too, as I work to do great work for my clients and have work-life balance. (Finding the right WordPress partner has been a nightmare, but I digress.)
At the very least, though, schedule a semi-annual review of your content. Do an honest assessment of it. Better yet, have someone else do a more objective evaluation. What content should stay? What should go? What should be refreshed? How can you make it happen with your internal teams or an outside partner, such as a freelance web copywriter.
Remember that the web is a significant channel for reaching, communicating and transacting with your customers and potential customers. Strategic, optimized, consistent, on-brand copy will help you leverage the web’s inherent power to influence and persuade. And that, dear readers, is priceless.
P.S. I’m planning my own web site makeover in 2010. Are you?