I was surprised to see a favorite non-profit had committed an illegal act. On the third page of a recent newsletter, they reprinted an item from Reader’s Digest. It was germane to their mission, and they kindly included a credit line. Still, they broke the law. Which law? Copyright law. Unless they formally obtained permission from […]
I don’t believe I’ve ever read anything written by a weasel, but the use of something known as weasel wording is far too prevalent in business and the public square. Many users see it as a clever way to mislead their audiences, but what it really does is diminish their credibility. Weasel wording is what […]
There’s a phenomenon I’ve long observed affecting the ability of people to write clearly and effectively. Economists and psychologists have referred to the phenomenon as the “curse of knowledge.” In simple terms, it’s what happens when we fail to recognize others don’t know what we do. When we try to communicate with them, we use […]
When presenting workshops on writing more effectively, I always tell attendees the most important advice I can offer is to eschew obfuscation. If you’re scratching your head, don’t feel bad. The two words are unfamiliar to most people. “Eschew” is a verb that means deliberately avoiding something or some act. If you’re allergic to okra, […]
Is proofreading important? Have you noticed the dramatic increase in the number of typos and other mistakes in materials produced by companies and organizations? I suspect it results from three factors: emphasizing haste over quality, relying on software spellcheckers, and unfamiliarity with spelling and language. Granted, the mistake someone at your company makes may not […]
The COVID-19 crisis led many B2B marketers to rethink how they reach out to prospects and customers. Stepping up your online presence may be a wise move, but only if you avoid some common mistakes. Whether you choose to beef up your website, expand blogging, introduce email marketing, host webinars, or take a stronger stab […]
“I hate writing!” Perhaps that should be music to my ears because it ensures a steady stream of work, but it saddens me. Many people dislike (or even fear) writing and are intimidated by knitting words into sentences and sentences into paragraphs. Nearly everyone needs to write now and again. Being able to assemble words […]
The landscaping contractor had a nice-looking pickup truck and well-kept trailer. He had invested some money in an attractive door sign. But a little detail probably cost him more business than he ever realized. Squarely in the middle of his front bumper was a license plate displaying the Confederate flag. (Before Civil War buffs jump […]
You messed up. You handled something the wrong way. Could be you just failed to handle it when you should have. So what are you going to do about it? Are you a big company? Then you’re probably going to mess up even more. Sure, you’ll spit out some kind of public apology, but it […]
What many call “fight or flight” is a quick way to describe the brain’s innate responses to stimuli. It might come as a surprise that it also offers some valuable advice related to websites and other marketing communications materials. Humans like to think we’re rational animals who don’t give in to automatic judgments about people […]
