• Internet Traffic Tracking Tool
• Some Important Points on the Use of the Internet in Education

More are linked on my samples page on the static site. Stay tuned for more to come.

Lately, I’ve gravitated toward computer and business writing, which is reflected in the topics I pick from the Demand Studios articles pool. That may change in time, or depending on what writing requests I get.

Since I read that eHow has taken to deleting some of the duplicated content, I have to check on mine to be sure they’re still there. I don’t know where mine fall in their selection process.

For that reason I’m checking somewhat regularly, right now. I don’t want to have a link to an error page or something. If you come across a bad link, I’d appreciate it if you let me know.

Just like there’s an inside voice and outdoors voice, there is also an optimal voice for copywriting. It’s active voice. Active voice means you write about doing things, as opposed having things acted upon. Active voice lets you breathe life into your message.

• Read on to learn more.
• Ideas and information will be gained by reading further.

See the difference? It’s subtle sometimes, other times more pronounced. You may have noticed too, active voice is a more precise use of words.

It makes a difference, so it’s important to know and use it where it counts. You need to use active voice to write effective copy for web and print. Sometimes things just come out of my head in a passive voice. So, in the revising and editing stages, I rev up my copy to make sure it grabs the reader’s attention.

You can do this too by using your action verbs and moving adverbs. There are two parts to writing effective, engaging, action-grabbing copy.

1. Show what you offer.

You want to get people’s attention when you’re explaining things to them. You’re goal with copywriting is to draw in readers and engage them with what great benefits they will get from using your goods, services, or ideas.

Active voice is how you say “This is what I can do for you and here’s why you should let me.”

You don’t need crazy claims of supernatural abilities. You don’t need to be in possession of the only device in existence that can literally turn any substance into gold—in a matter of seconds. You have a great product or service. Tell it like it is. And be done with it? Not quite.

2. Invite what you want.

After your powerful, enticing description, your next step is to present a reasonable call to action. Not a DO IT, DAMMIT call to action, even though those have been used from time to time. (Remember the Godfather’s Pizza commercials?) Use active voice to be persuasive not a bully. Simply invite your readers to act with urgency, to rescue themselves, make their work or personal lives easier, better, more fulfilling.

Think of it like this: once you effectively state the value of your goods or services, it’s only fair to let your readers know how they can take advantage of what you offer. A call to action is a matter of closing the deal.

Let your readers know how, where and when:

• How they can take advantage of the services you offer; contact you with their needs.
• They can sign here to read more of your great how-to guides, sign up for your newsletter.
• The time to act is now if they what to take part; time to sign up ends on [date].

Whatever it is you want from your audience, spell it out (forgive the pun). It’s the last step to insure that your readers know how they can get your assistance, product, information.

When you’re looking for someone to write that copy for you, contact me; I can help you.

• Sensationalism
• Euphemism
• Fanaticism

These three can backfire pretty good if not wielded properly. This post addresses sensationalism. Something that can be really useful and fun to read when it’s used well.

Yourdictionary.com defines sensationalism as:

a. the use of strongly emotional subject matter, or wildly dramatic style, language, or artistic expression, that is intended to shock, startle, thrill, excite, etc.

b. preoccupation with or exploitation of what is sensational in literature, art, etc.

This definition works for the most part. Defining a word with a variation of the word is not generally useful, but it is passable here.

Sensationalism

Sonia Simone wrote the following in one of her lessons about writing headlines.

If your headline fails, you may as well go home

Prominent web savvy social media (non writer) guy wrote this next phrase.

…words are just fluff

Which attention grabber would you buy into?

Rings True

Simone makes a viable time tested point in this statement. It’s more than just her opinion or feeling about headlines. She goes into explaining the job of headlines and how they can cost you the attention you’re writing for. Generally, headlines are your first contact with readers. If you can’t catch them there, they may not read further.

Think about your own web surfing experiences. How many times do you scroll through a blog reading through the headlines to see what catches your eye? To see what the blog is about?

You can get a lot of information from scouring headlines. You learn some things about the blog’s consistency, versatility, viability and if it interests you. My favorite headlines are the ones that seem far-fetched and precede a strong supporting post. It’s nice too when it ties in nicely with the overall theme of the blog or website. But, there are times…

Nonsensical

The second quote comes from an article titled “5 Reasons  Copywriters Need to Get Data…Or Get Out of the Game”

Way harsh, right? Overkill is not necessarily a bad thing. If you think you need that to make your point, give it a shot. Warning: this is not a tactic that you want to use if the rest of your information is comparatively flat. Certainly it’s not necessary if your position is strong without it.

Following that title with the sample phrase, writing is just fluff, aimed at writers, was downright off-putting. It put the article in an unnecessarily negative light. It is unnecessary because the valid point, copywriters need to get data, is salient, important and timely. No need for hitting.

5 Things wrong with Nonsensical Writing?

It’s ultimately an issue of credibility. If you want to be taken at your word, (I know I do), you need to offer good, reliable words that look true at first glance. Words that can then stand up under close scrutiny.

1. It detracts from otherwise acceptable writing about good ideas.
2. It could put your writing in a negative light .
3. It makes your authority on a give topic suspect.
4. When you can’t back it up, you leave your readers wanting something more.
5. It blocks you from your goal of becoming the penultimate in copywriting practices.

Words = Fluff

The author of the words = fluff claim stated that he wouldn’t hire a writer who could not illustrate the impact of his writing by using another company’s data.

That’s good information, letting writers know a potential downfall of not getting data. Learn to get the numbers to attract that audience requiring data. Two questions come to mind for writers:

1. Do you see a possible downside to writing for a man who writes the statement that words are just fluff?
2. Does any copywriter not know that numbers are important in attracting clients?

In the comments, I learned other writers knew too that data is important. He was preaching to the choir a little bit. That’s fine because what is reinforcement to some is news to others. I didn’t know that numbers were out-performing words.

Still, I can’t rationalize the oxymoron of writing 1200 words to explain how words are fluff. He actually made a simply ridiculous claim and stuck with it. In considering writing for this person, a major concern of mine would be that he expects this kind of rhetoric from his writers.

One thing that could ease my mind: I’d likely look at the whole thing differently if he’d delivered his message without words.

Words matter, period.

Really it’s only logical. Consider this fictitious conversation:

Person A: Obfuscate?! What is that? What does that mean?

Person C: Obfuscate? You don’t know what that means? Man! It’s a verb–you know, to obfuscate…the act of obfuscating? Dang! Don’t you know anything?

Writing copy is an important endeavor. The smart writer knows this and knows enough not to underestimate their readers or disrespect their clients by trying this. It takes time to make your point and it makes all the difference to your clients and your reputation. And if you do a shabby job, be grateful if someone takes the time to let you know you suck!

Be Clear

Getting your point across can be a lot like the above fictitious exchange, if you’re not careful. You’ve seen them. You know the articles that leave you saying What!? In your copy, you’re generally teaching or persuading. To do it effectively, you need to be clear and detailed. And don’t define your topic with the topic. So, how do you make yourself clear? Just—be clear.

Kidding.

It’s good to be ordered in your delivery. Go step by step when you’re explaining how a product or service works. What you’re going to explain to your readers is what they really need to know. You need to explain what what your client offers, how it works for some, what the benefit is to your readers, and why your client is the best choice.

Get into Character

One way to get clear is to get into the heads of your groups, your clients and your audience. Become the client. As the client you offer the great selling points of your product or service. You list the attributes in the best words to clearly explain your fine item. You may discuss the development of the product, the years of development and revision to come to your latest services procedures. How you know it works. You discuss the trail and error, because people learn a lot from the holes that were plugged as well as the successes your client has had.

Then, become the potential client. In your best audience stance, you ask the questions: Why do I need this? What will it benefit me? Who’s using this? Who is the best provider I should do business with? This is the back and forth that’s good and productive. Clearly, it’s not the stuff that makes ambivalence, but has the potential to clear it up. Answer these questions to your satisfaction as a buyer and you will likely have a good article.

Close with what hits home. Deliver the client’s key selling point that fills the customer’s key needs. One not-so-hard-fast rule: be thorough in articles and a little less rigid in blog posts. The rationale behind the blog rule is that you want to engage your readers. You want to leave room for your readers add or ask something, to encourage sharing.

Thank you for visiting my blog. So, what did I miss? How do you make your points to your readers? I’d love to read your ideas.

Particularly when you are writing about a new topic, you need to ask the questions to fill in the wholes in your knowledge base. It’s helpful to know the questions that are important to your subject matter. Being inquisitive is a big help when you need to find answers. Another thing that helps is knowing what points will resonate with your target audience. With these two traits present, you are well on your way to cranking out your assignments.

Once you write a few articles for your client, and read what good things they’re already using, you begin to get a feel for the writing that works for them. Your goal isn’t to ghostwrite unless that’s what you’ve discussed. You do, however, want to maintain the flow of the site by delivering a document that strikes a tone similar to the other good quality articles that are on the site. You can develop a writing routine to easily deliver documents that are in keeping with your client’s favored means of communication. And you can make them as uniformed or different as suits your need.

Build your Skeleton

• Match the Tone: You just need to match the tone in the client’s other documents, or has directed by your client.
• Match the Tempo: This is accomplished by using sentence and paragraph lengths similar to what is present in related documents.
• Tie in with other Documents: You can refer to other documents in the website by linking to the related content.
• Create your Outline: It can be really helpful to write within an outline when you’re cranking out articles in a short period of time. Some clients may even give you a template to write to.

Be sure, when you review the other documents, that you review like genres. Your posts should align with the client’s posts, and web content with like content, and so on.

Finally, there is often overlap in writing to different formats and genres. If there is any question about which are the appropriate documents for you to emulate, be sure to have it clarified by your client.

You see how this is quick, right?

If you think that’s really structured, you’re right. But there is art in organization, as well as in the freedom that organization allows. Developing a routine for laying the ground work makes things go smoothly and that means you reach the  halfway mark fairly quickly. New topics and longer documents will affect the time each phase takes.

Conduct your research or interviews as you need, and begin to shape your document. Start by filling in the areas of your outline with all the information you know or unearth. Then just flesh it out so that your sections flow smoothly. It really is quicker to build the body of your article, post, letter, ad, press release, and more when you have a solid clear skeleton.

Remember to always note any reference materials you use. If you’re responsible for the article image, make sure you have the proper permissions to use it.

Do you take advantage of the benefits of writing routines? What writing routines make your work flow smoothly?

• Do you understand SEO
• Is good SEO more important than good content
• You get the by-line, but can you keep the company voice
• What do you know about my company
• How do you develop content for my site
• Will you hear ideas from me
• Will you get me original content
• Can you get me noticed without black hat tricks

What Information will the Client Provide?

• How long in business before you got the website
• Do you have any brochures or fliers
• To know more about what you do, can you give me any companies in your field
• What question(s) do your clients ask most often
• Do you have repeat or unique clients most often
• What are the qualifications of the person who takes your customers’ questions
• What are the conditions under which you will take a phone call or query email requesting help
• Describe the personality of your company, what is your company’s image
• Who are your competitors
• Who are you complimenting in business

This is Where We Collaborate

• After reading everything I can get on your business from you and independent research, I’m going to draft a couple of documents and about fifty (50) topics that may interest you. These topics will have brief summaries to make you see where I’m going with each.
• I’ll ask you for feedback on each one before I write them up. It can be the whole set or only some at a time.
• I’ll ask you for any thoughts you might have on something that might be missing from the list.
• Together we’ll work up a time-line for when each should go live

Doing the Work

Social Media is Where it’s At

Your Content Really Matters