Copywriting

Content Strategy and Words for Business on the Web • • Feature Post Sales vs. Marketing

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What’s Your Ideal Writing Weekend?

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008

Image via WikipediaAbsorbing Writing, the Emma Bird/Joanna Young collaboration, asks, what is your ideal writing weekend?

Thinking back on the ideal writing weekends I’ve had (and perhaps I’m lucky to have had even one), these qualities stand out.

It starts with stimulating conversation. I’m not much good at drawing inspiration from nature, and can’t create ideas in a vacuum. But a lively exchange of ideas can open up all sorts of writing possibilities. Chemistry, that hard to define quality that makes certain conversations click, is all important. In a fifteen minute conversation with George Ajazi, an SEO specialist and occasional collaborator, I can generate enough solid ideas to keep me at the keyboard for an entire weekend or more. Most often, these conversations crystallize ideas that have been vaguely rumbling around in my head for a while. When an idea becomes clear, I like to start writing. Some writers are comfortable starting out with vaguely formed ideas — how do you do it? (more…)

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25 x 41 Words of Wisdom

Monday, July 21st, 2008

Liz Strauss just wrapped up an exciting writing project where she asked people to pass along words of wisdom in exactly 25 words. Try it. The exercise forces you to say what you mean, as opposed to just getting close. Here are the contributions. I think you’ll enjoy them for their brevity, clarity, and of course, wisdom! (more…)

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Word Gadfly, and Proud of It

Monday, July 21st, 2008

Image via WikipediaSocrates was the original gadfly. He spent his time asking Athenians annoying questions and boxing them into logical corners, exposing the fatal flaws in their thinking. Eventually they overcame his arguments by poisoning him with hemlock.

One of my fears is that someday a client is going to poison me with hemlock. Although I am not particularly detail oriented in general, when it comes to writing, I am relentless. When reviewing Web content and other messaging for clients, I have a nasty habit of pointing out the flaws and inconsistencies that usually go unnoticed, the flaws and inconsistencies nobody wants to think about, let alone correct.

And yet, to my way of thinking, these flaws and inconsistencies must be fixed, because they undermine branding and understanding. So here are some gadlfy questions - please take a swat at them, not me. (more…)

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12 Things Writing and Golf Have in Common

Friday, July 18th, 2008

The Art of Customer Golf

Originally uploaded by shorrbrad

I finally got to play some golf, and I noticed all kinds of similarities to writing. Here they are - some serious, some not so much. (more…)

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Do You Write Better Awake or Asleep?

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008

My daughter, who happens to be an excellent writer, was telling me she does some of her best writing when she’s either waking up or falling asleep.

She said for some reason, ideas come to her at those times she’d never come up with during the day. Not only that, she said these ideas often come out not as random fragments, but as well crafted, fully developed narratives which again, she could never duplicate in her waking hours. When she’s trying to fall asleep or trying not to wake up, her mind starts spinning out these narratives and she can’t stop it. She asked me if all this sounded weird.

And I said yes, it does, but not for the reason you think.

Turns out, I knew exactly what she was talking about, because the identical same thing happens to me. So now I’m wondering — do you experience this as a writer, or when you’ve got a problem to solve that’s weighing on your mind? Is there a time of day or a mental state during which you write or think at your best?

Why do some minds work at their best when you’d least expect it — when barely awake?

Photo - Morpheus and Iris, by Pierre-Narcisse Guerin

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Attract RSS Subscribers with Quality Blog Content

Saturday, July 12th, 2008

$\"Jacob Share subscriber project\"$ Jacob Share is running a BIG group project, Breeding Blog Subscribers. I’m looking forward to seeing the results - there should be hundreds of great tips.

It’s been said over and over that outstanding content attracts blog subscribers. I’ve always thought that makes sense. An attractive blog design and clever online promotion attract first-time visitors, but it’s the content that brings them back. Here are a few things you can do with your content to attract subscribers.

1. Write to encourage comments and conversation. This is a whole topic unto itself, so I’ll simply refer you to a few experts, because bloggers who are skilled in this area have lots of subscribers. Some of my favorite conversationalist bloggers are Liz Strauss, Joanna Young, Yvonne Russell, and Karen Swim. (more…)

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Warren Zevon, Mitch Albom, and Storytelling

Monday, July 7th, 2008

Image via WikipediaAt the suggestion of Karen Swim, I’m taking another look at the art of storytelling by examining the work of Warren Zevon, one of our all time great rock composers — although this time Zevon is not taking center stage.

The song is one of my favorite stories ever, regardless of genre - Zevon’s awkwardly titled Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song). The lyrics were written by Mitch Albom, author of Tuesdays with Morrie. (Incidentally, the song features spoken backup vocals by none other than major Zevon fan David Letterman.) So what can this collaborative masterpiece teach us about the art of storytelling?

The irresistible appeal of inner conflict

He was born in Big Beaver by the borderline
He started playing hockey by the time he was nine …

… Buddy’s real talent was beating people up
His heart wasn’t in it but the crowd ate it up …

…”Coach,” he’d say, “I wanna score goals”
The coach said, “Buddy, remember your role,
The fast guys get paid, they shoot, and they score
Protect them, Buddy, that’s what you’re here for …

(more…)

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Happy Birthday

Friday, July 4th, 2008

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness…

… And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

–The Declaration of Independence, 1776

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On Being a Copyunwriter

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

Image via WikipediaSometimes I think the true art of copywriting is knowing what to leave out. One of my favorite quotes is this from Blaise Pascal –

I have made this letter longer than usual, only because I have not had the time to make it shorter.

Smart man! Our tendency is to say too much. In sales, we had an expression for a long, boring, sales presentation that dwelt on product features. We called it an ‘information dump”. (more…)

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What Warren Zevon Can Teach Us about Storytelling

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

Image via WikipediaOne of the best forms of business communication is the story. Whether it’s a case study or a parable, people respond to stories intellectually and emotionally. We love to hear them, and we remember them.

Singer/songwriter/musician Warren Zevon was a master story teller. Let’s take a look at his classic Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner and see what we can learn.

Establish an irresistible character

Roland was a warrior from the Land of the Midnight Sun
With a Thompson gun for hire, fighting to be done

Every story needs a captivating focal point. Here we’ve got a mercenary from Sweden (I think), quite exotic. He’s already got you wondering where the story is going, giving it a dash of mystery which makes us curious, draws us in. (more…)

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