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    • Posts Tagged ‘Copywriting’

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    Make Your Message A Weekend One

    Friday, February 20th, 2009
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    A lot of our clients are tourism based.  If you are too (or even if you’re not), ask yourself:

    -Do you have a lot of fun things to do, or do you Provide A Wide Range Of Options?

    -Do you throw a party, or Celebrate An Event?

    -Do you play outside, or are you a Recreation Affiliate?

    O.K., that last one is a little extreme, but you get the point.

    When people get to the weekend, they want to unwind.  The less there is to do with the 9-5 weekday world, the better.  That includes listening to messages.  Even yours.  Be there for them.

    How?  Think about how you talk on the weekend.  What do you talk about?  Who do you talk to?  Those things should all be apparent when someone sees your website, or opens your newsletter, or gets your tweet.

    If you’re marketing recreation in any way, shape, or form, make your message part of the weekend instead of the weekday.

    It’s less subtle than you think.  There are a lot of business out there with fun products that completely miss the boat when they talk about them.  It’s done out of a sense of importance, which isn’t entirely misplaced; your business is important. But the place to talk about that is in the meeting room, not in your marketing.

    It can take a lot of different forms.  Not everyone has to use humor.  Or familiarity.  Or any number of different devices that give your copy the tone of taking a break.

    But you should use something- yourself.  Putting your voice, the voice of your business, into your marketing works.  It’s genuine.  People really like that.

    If you’re marketing something to do with time off, make sure that your business is using words and phrases that are relaxing.

    And not just describing relaxation.

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    Posted in Copywriting, Marketing | No Comments »

    Ben Curnett Is An Expert On Everything. What?

    Wednesday, February 18th, 2009
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    I was asked by a friend yesterday how copywriters are able to write authentically.

    It was a great question, one of those plain-as-the-nose-on-your-face moments.  It went right to the core of what I do.  How are copywriters able to write authentically?  How is copywriting better than writing that comes from the source?

    Strangely, I don’t think I’ve ever tried to explain it before.  I’ve talked about process.  I’ve talked about tone.  But never about how I’m in a position to sound authentic about a subject that I’m not an expert on (there are actually quite a few of those).

    I flubbed the answer, giving an expansive version of, “That’s just what I do.”   I gave examples.  I talked about how I gather information, and re-assemble it in different ways.  But I didn’t say why I can do that and someone else can’t.  “Because I’m a good writer” gets to the base of it, but it doesn’t go much further.

    I think that the question is based on the following premises:

    1. Websites require useful content.
    2. Useful content must come from a reliable source to be valuable.
    3. A non-expert has a tough time sounding like a reliable source.

    Everyone can agree on those points.  Now more than ever, content is what makes things move online.  You can’t just throw writing at a template and expect results.  It has to be worthwhile.  If you’re not helping someone gather information or perform a task, you’re bounced.  And you’ve got about a half of a second to prove it.

    As a copywriter, you are intimately aware of this with every word.  It all has to count.  There is no filler.  It is poetry in the form of a landing page.

    So you study.  And you prepare.  And you play by the best practices you can find.  You create authenticity by assuming the voice, the vernacular, the viewpoint of your audience.

    Copywriting is technique, too.  It’s creating words in a way that people will read them.  Expert writing can be very brief, assuming the audience already knows a lot about what they’re saying.  It can also be protracted, assuming all details are equally important.  Copywriters find the kernel, and then use structure, space, and timing to say what needs to be said.  It’s balanced.

    My friend who asked the question is a climber, so I thought about a real answer last night using climbing as an example:

    Climbers come to a route with tools and technique.  Both are only as valuable as the experience with which they’re used.  As the climber ascends, she uses different methods to link moves together.  Maybe a stem, a mantle, protection here or there, whatever the rock calls for.

    But the real thrill comes when she gets to the spot that’s calling for something else, something unique.  She has to think, to imagine, to invent a move that’s different.  It works, because she created it for that specific purpose, that moment on the rock.

    That’s how I try to use words.

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    Posted in Copywriting, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

    How To Write Like a Jedi

    Wednesday, February 11th, 2009
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    “Do, or do not.  There is no try.”  -Yoda

    I’m a big Star Wars fan.  Not a standing-in-line-with-a-costume fan, but still.  I like the movies.  Good versus Evil is always worth checking out, in my book, especially if it’s set in space.  I know- geeky.

    But think about this:  Geeks are only geeks because they’re raving fans of the highest order. Evangelists.  They’re excited about something that someone has created, and they are willing- no, eager- to tell the world.

    So what will it take to get someone to geek-out on what you’re offering?

    It’s a lot more than just writing, for sure.  But what your copy says about you, and how you say it, is hugely important.  After all, the entire Star Wars opus starts with the words, “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….”

    Those words are never spoken; they’re written.  And still, everyone knows them.  Writing is powerful stuff.

    First, to write something powerful, you’ve got to have focus.  Focus brings power.  Careful- it’s easy to write a message that sounds powerful.  TV ads do it all the time.    So much of that kind of marketing is full of cliche, and shouting, and the info is just packed in there.

    Those messages just bounce off most people.  It’s not focused.  And they certainly don’t create geeks. If anything, they repel geeks.  They’re not focused; they’re not powerful.

    Second, use the space around your message to draw attention to it.  It’s why most titles are set the way they are.  But you don’t have to stop there.  Space and structure allow your message to become powerful, and not jumbled up with other information.

    Let’s go back to our “A long time ago…” example.  What did that sentence look like? Thin blue letters, surrounded by, um, real space.  But you get the idea.  Designers can help with this, but you can do it in a Word document while you write, too.  Stand out.

    Third, tell the truth.  Bold.  Plain.  The more you tell the truth, strangely enough, the more “edgy” your marketing is going to appear.  The more you “jazz it up”, the closer to plain you get.  Can you afford to just be plain? Let your writing be who you are.

    So, that’s the Jedi version of writing content: focus, create space, and find truth.  It doesn’t make much sense out of context.  But if you think about how to write messages with those attributes, you’ll be a hell of a lot closer to meeting a bunch of geeks.

    And we’ll thank you for it.

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    Posted in Copywriting, Marketing | No Comments »

    How To Say Everything, Briefly

    Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009
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    If silence is golden, brevity is platinum.  That might be an overstatement, but here’s a good rule for your marketing content:  If you can’t say anything brief, don’t say anything at all.

    Think about it:  When you talk to customers, do you shout at them?  Do you go on and on about yourself?  Do you keep them from speaking?  Of course not.  People wouldn’t listen to you.

    The way you write your marketing should be the same as the way you talk to customers.  Allow for pauses.  For space.  Writing is your voice.  Make it sound like you.

    If you must say less, it follows that what you do say needs to be important.  So brevity also gets you thinking about your message.  When you’re thinking hard about what you’re going to say, chances are it will be worth listening to.

    I was thinking about the reasons I give people to be brief when they’re writing content.  Sometimes, people still trust it, and I understand.  I get all the reasons people think they want to fill a page with words.  And the intentions are good. But it still works against them

    I found a good example of what I’m talking about: it’s the Maui page on Hawaii’s official tourism site.

    Now, why would I be thinking about Maui as I sit in the West Virginia mountains in February?  Who knows.  What’s interesting is the strong example they provide on how brevity works in web copy.

    Maui is one of the most famous vacation destinations in the world.  There’s no end of interesting things to do or see on a two week trip.  The economy is driven almost exclusively by tourism.  They’ve got a lot to say, right?

    And when you land on the site you see:  Two paragaphs and five bullets.

    It’s not because the writer assumes you know everything.  You wouldn’t be at the site if that were true.  It’s because she’s allowing the reader to participate.  The reader wants information, not the sales pitch. The more good information he can get, the more likely he’ll be to, in this case, go to Maui.

    Being brief invites readers to explore, not wade through piles of stuff.  By just writing what counts, you give someone searching for tourism information exactly what they’re looking for: a visit.

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    Posted in Content Creation, Copywriting, Web Design | No Comments »

    Patience Wins

    Sunday, February 1st, 2009
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    One Quick Football Metaphor

    With 2:37 left on the clock in the fourth quarter, Kurt Warner threw a 64 yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald to put the Arizona Cardinals ahead by 3, poised to win the 43rd Superbowl.

    If you’re patient, 2:37 is plenty of time to turn things around.

    Football metaphors aside for the moment, it’s worth thinking about how time relates to perspective.  Many of us look for quick results, immediate returns.  But good marketing doesn’t work that way.  It takes time.

    How To Measure Your Results

    A lot of that has to do with the end results.  Shouting a message is a fast way to make yourself heard.  Creating a message and inviting people to hear it takes patience.  You have to think about what to say, how it might be said.  Where you say it makes a difference, too.

    And you have to wait for people to hear you.  They won’t hear you unless you build their trust, which takes even longer.  And you won’t build their trust without a continuous effort, creating content regularly that people can use.

    So, you can move quickly with little effort and be heard, or you can move deliberately with hard work and be listened to.  Both methods can create conversion: the goal depends on your perspective.

    Building Something

    Are you getting a sale or making a customer?  Which is more important?  That’s where perspective comes in.  If you’re after sales, there will never be enough time.  Your metrics won’t move fast enough.  You’ll have to jump to the next big push before you know much of anything about your last one.

    If you’re after customers, perspective changes.  Because you’re inviting people to get useful information from you, you’ll develop relationships with them.  They appreciate what you’re doing.  Getting to know your listeners becomes a really cool, useful part of your job.  Time works for you.

    The Steelers worked all year on getting 2:37 to work for them.  It was all the time in the world.

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    Posted in Web Design | No Comments »

    5 Ways To Make Your Website Easier To Read

    Monday, January 26th, 2009
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    Is your website readable?  Think: Do your customers want to use it to find information?  The answer is important.  Because, most often, people are going to your site for two reasons:  (1) to find information and (2) to perform tasks.

    A lot of our customers are making a transition from shouting to content marketing (we’re proud of you!)  Content marketing places a premium on good info, whether you’re telling a story or explaining your prices.

    One compliments the other, and vice-versa.  Good content is informative.  And information is good content.  Like cereal and milk.  Like nooks and crannies.  Like George and Weezy.  They go together.

    Good info- it’s clear.  Concise.  Crisp.  Just the facts.  Don’t bury it in long paragraphs.  Don’t hype it up.

    Recognize that a lot of your customers are just looking for information.  Here are some good ways you can let them do just that on your website-

    •    Use Active Space (the blank areas between the text).  Passive space rests in the margins, allowing readers to focus on the page.  But active space is found inside the main content area.  Your active space helps readers group and separate information.

    •    Less Is More Better.  Be able to separate content that’s important to you from the content readers can use.  Before you write, go back to the reasons your customers come to your site, and ask:  Is this informative?  Will this help them perform a task?

    •    Cut.  Cut Again.  Then Cut Some More.  Most web users don’t want to read- they just want information.  Focus on the facts, and cut the fat.

    •    Make Your Point At The Beginning.  Traditional writing makes its point at the conclusion.  On the web, most readers won’t get to the end.  Put your conclusion first.

    •    Use Bullets.  They’re nice.  They’re easy to read.  People like them.  Bullet it up.

    So, can you censor yourself?  It’s the hardest thing about writing.  But I think your customers will thank you.

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    Posted in Content Creation, Copywriting | 1 Comment »

    2 Writing Tips: Principle And Process

    Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
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    The (Same) Scenario

    You’re sitting in front of your computer, staring at a blank screen.  You know you need to write.  An email blast, a newsletter, a blog.  New content.  But you are not writing.  Not a word.

    You bury your head in your hands- it’s hopeless.  You decide to call your insurance agent to shoot the breeze about coverage plans.  You start browsing QVC…

    Chin Up, Lil’ Buckaroo

    Take heart.  Writing takes effort.   Just because you’re not flying through pages doesn’t mean you can’t write.  In fact, it’s probably a good thing- if you’re churning out content, it’s going to read like spam.  Think about this:  would you want to read what you’ve just written?

    So make your work count.  After all (and here’s the big upside), content marketing is writing about your favorite subject:  you.

    Write about what you like, what you don’t like, cool things that you’ve come across, a great idea that you’ve got.  Especially write about people that you love (read: your customers).  What made you get into the business in the first place?  Write about that.

    Planning:  The Principle

    Two things to think about before you start writing something:  Principle and Process.  Write them down, before you start, every time.  I guarantee you, it will make writing much, much easier to do.  And when it’s easier, it’s better.

    The Principle is whatever idea you want to get across.  Want people to see the new cabins?  Fine.  Principle:  You sleep-tested the new cabins and here are your findings.  Getting a bunch of new logo items in the store?  Principle: Your favorite T-shirts and why.

    The Principle is a guide.  It’s the point. You’re the point.  Whenever you’re stuck, go back to the Principle.   It’s the reason you’re writing what you’re writing.

    Doing:  The Process

    So, you’ve defined your Principle.  Now it’s time to think about the Process.  The Process is all the different ways you can explain the Principle.  The Process can be limitless, as long as it points to the Principle.

    Let me explain:  Process can be an account about what you did yesterday.  Process can be a list of cool things about your customers.  Process can be an letter to a river, or a mountain.  Process can be your favorite customer story from ten years ago.

    The Process is the fun part.  Tell your story.  Teach someone something.  Be not boring.  Even if what you’re writing is unfamiliar, it’s okay.  Acknowledge that; there’s really no way to hide it, anyway.  Does your style (Process) fit your goal (Principle)?  It should.

    Practice

    Here’s something cool:  Principle and Process work for everything, not just writing.  Teaching someone to ski, raking leaves, splitting atoms.  It can all be broken down into those two things.

    The next time you come across something that you need to write about- an event, or a new facility, or product-  think about it in those terms.  Break it down. When you sit down to write about it, map it out first.

    You’ll be surprised.  It’s a clear way to point yourself in the right direction, to create a base to work from, instead of just staring at the screen.  After all, that page isn’t going to write itself.

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    Posted in Content Creation, Copywriting | 3 Comments »

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