Silence is not always a sign of wisdom,
but babbling is ever a folly. - Benjamin Franklin
Newsletter: Apr. 29, 2010
Communication Connections receives entrepreneurial spirit award
Communication Connections founder, Judith Bennett, has accepted an Entrepreneurial Spirit Award from the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation (HGCF). Awardees showcased their businesses at the 2010 awards banquet held at the Log Cabin April 28. Yankee Candle founder, Michael Kittredge, was the keynote speaker.
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Newsletter: Jan. 2, 2010
Written copy is like mail-order merchandise: Packaging counts
Have you ever ordered something that arrived in a box 20 times the size of the item itself, or anxiously awaited delivery of an item that arrived damaged?
A proper shipping container uses the least amount of material to provide the greatest protection for your valuable merchandise. Using more material than necessary ups packaging and shipping costs; and, using too little increases risk for damage.
Skilled crafters of written copy are like shipping engineers, working your message into a proper package and ensuring a clean delivery. Excessive copy increases production costs, clouds intent and confuses readers; inadequate copy and your message falls short.
Properly packaged written copy saves you, and your customers, time and frustration:
- Your readers find pertinent information quickly so consider you a credible source for information and merchandise.
- The time-saving benefit costs readers nothing and builds intangible goodwill for your company.
- Efficient delivery saves you printing, air-time and Web-development costs.
For your bottom line, a well-packaged communication is as important as the right shipping container is for mail-order merchandise. Keep this in mind when you are tempted to say, “Who needs a copywriter or editor anyway?” With endless information just a click away, well-written and well-edited copy is a must for effective communication and repeat business.
For well-packaged, cleanly-delivered written copy, contact
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Blog post: Dec. 16, 2009
Real estate crisis widens?
If the current edition of a regional real estate magazine is an indication, we may have more to worry about than housing bubbles, foreclosures and market meltdowns. Check out these listing summaries:
- “What an awesome property to owe …” Sounds like a money pit.
- “Large eat-in kitchen, ample contour space …” Perfectly contoured to fit your appliances?
- Or do you prefer “barnd new hardwood floors”? A green property recycling flooring from the cows’ quarters?
- Act now; this property’s cellar boasts a feature few other homes have: a “baht.” Ensure thorough inspection and extermination before signing.
- I salute the listing agent for full disclosure with this feature: “Ceramic tile in wet areas.” Wear your galoshes.
Happy house hunting!
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Blog post: Nov. 19, 2009
Recent sightings
Whether on the lookout or not, I invariably encounter amusing typos or phrases that make me go “hmm.” Here are some recent sightings.
- In the window of a salon: “Minicure spa.” Is this a new term, or is there a miniature spa inside? Or perhaps a manicure spa?
- A newspaper photo caption cited candidates in a recent election discussing “their possessions [sic] on” issues. So, candidate A states, “My new chainsaw is critical to this election because I intend to cut waste”?
- A newspaper’s front-page teaser erroneously referring to India’s 1.2 million people caught my eye. (New York City's population in 2008 topped 8.3 million.) The full article later noted that, of the 1.2 million, 800 million are poor ... hmm. Searching for current statistics online, I read: “India is expected to become the first and only county [sic] on the planet that will ever reach a population of more than 2 billion.” India seems to generate much confusion.
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Newsletter: Nov. 3, 2009
5 steps and 2 secrets to dynamic copy writing
These 5 proven steps and (pssst) 2 secrets could be just what you need to raise your copy writing from blasé to dynamic.
Unless we work in advertising and will not miss a Super Bowl, most of us do not tune in the television or Internet to view advertisements. Google knows this and places paid ads in a column separate from its information results. This is secret number 1. You should be as courteous to your readers.
The plan below recognizes that your target audiences want information and, at times, entertainment, not a sales pitch. This secret and 5 steps to dynamic copy keep your audiences’ interests at the center of your communications while nudging their hands and cursors away from the “off” switch.
Step 1
Understand who your target audience is and what action you want your written copy to influence. This sounds basic—it is; and, if you miss this step, your written copy will miss the mark. An experience I recently had serves as an example.
Hired to produce a brochure for a non-profit, I was surprised to learn that agencies referring candidates to the non-profit were the organization’s only source for clients. The key connection I realized? Referrals to the non-profit feed the organization’s service goals; demonstrable service attracts more donors; and, donors fuel the financial viability of the organization. If I had not asked, I could have omitted a key piece of the referral-service-donor connection. No copy rework required.
Your desired action will be important in step 5. Is it a check? An order? Web site traffic?
Step 2
Write. Be creative. Do not worry about grammar at this point. Think about how you will connect with your target audiences—what is the benefit for each? Is it more durable manufacturing raw material? An opportunity for social impact? Faster processing? Rework until your copy clearly explains the connection.
You may be tempted to sing the praises of your company; but, if you haven’t connected with your audiences, your sales pitch may be irrelevant. Remember information and connection needs, and forget about selling … for now.
Step 3
Review and rewrite. Does your creative inkling work? Have you threaded an idea throughout your copy to connect with your customers, potential customers and community? Has your copy covered the information you want to convey? If not, then rewrite, rewrite, and rewrite.
Step 4
Edit. If answers to Step 3 questions are “yes,” now tighten language, correct grammar, and finesse phrasing. Then do it again, and again if necessary, and yet again. Here are some examples.
- Make wordy phrases succinct.
- Write “city” instead of “metropolis” (courtesy of Mark Twain).
- Write “to” instead of “in order to."
- Write “Click for details” instead of “For more details, click here.”
- Instead of, “In order to ensure accurate processing, please include your zip code,” write, “For faster delivery, include your zip code.” Notice the first option draws customers into your processing woes, while the second offers a benefit—fast delivery—to customers.
- One of the most effective ways to lift copy from blasé to dynamic is to change passive phrases to active phrases and quantify your statements. Instead of, “Customers were impressed with the speed of the new technology” (snooze), write, “XYZ Company’s high-speed solution reduced customer processing times by 40 percent.” That’s a wake-up call. Of course they were impressed.
If you are a copywriter, feel free to explain to your client how your ability to say more with less saves your client hourly, per-word and printing costs.
The tips in this step make up secret number 2. I know these tips are secret because I have seen professional writers with lucrative businesses marketing their services with copy and portfolio samples that clearly neglect these time-, space-, and dollar-saving tips. Absent this secret, writers are thrice shortchanging their clients.
Step 5
Ask for action. If your copy connects potential customers with your company and gives them information encouraging informed choices, they are more likely to choose the option you present. So, request the desired action you identified in Step 1. Here are some sample requests for action:
- Imagine your contribution’s impact in the community. Pledge here (link to pledge form).
- Your business deserves this time-saving technology. Place a secure order (link to order form).
- See how stronger manufacturing material leads to repeat business. Call our toll-free number: 800-xxx-xxxx.
And a couple more:
This approach builds strong, dynamic written copy and a meaningful connection with your target audiences. With modification to step 5, this process also works for scholarly papers, white papers and personal communications.
If you are a writer, you may have a similar process; and, you owe it to your clients to also implement your two new secret weapons.
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©2010 Communication Connections of New England
