People often put things in quotation marks to call attention to them or make them seem to be more prominent or important. But those quote marks actually have the opposite effect. When you surround a word with quote marks, it implies that you’re really not telling the truth. If your ads say a bracelet has … Read more
As texting becomes more prevalent, the art of letter writing appears to be disappearing. Fortunately, some people still have opportunities to send letters, even if they do so via email. When I was teaching a class about writing better business letters, one participant wondered about the best way to end her missives. Is “sincerely” the … Read more
From an early age, we’re taught to put on a happy face, no matter what happens. So when I reference something in copy that could be perceived as negative, many clients are quick to request its replacement by something with a bigger smile. Generally, that’s not a good idea. Sometimes, what’s negative is actually far … Read more
I’ve spent many years in the advertising industry, and from time to time, people ask me if there are any books about the craft of creating advertising I’ve found particularly valuable. I’ve read many, but the single most influential upon my work is a tattered 1972 paperback that still occupies a prominent place on my … Read more
What do you want people to do? If your marketing communications materials fail to tell them, how are they supposed to know? The standard term for those instructions … whatever they may be … is the “call to action.” A call to action tells the reader, viewer, or listener what action you want them to … Read more
Honored to be the guest on the current edition of Roundpeg’s “More Than a Few Words” podcast, talking with host Lorraine Ball about the importance of conversational copy. It’s about a 10-minute interview. https://roundpeg.biz/2019/04/content-begins-with-a-conversation/
From time to time, I get requests to write something that clarifies a client’s existing instructions or procedures. When I ask the reason, I’m nearly always told that the customers or other audience just doesn’t understand. They aren’t doing what we want them to do or following the steps in the order we prefer. My … Read more
Frequently, copy contains words that don’t really need to be there. A great example is “appropriate,” as in sentences such as “once we review the information, we’ll take appropriate action.” That’s because saying “once we review the information, we’ll take action” is every bit as meaningful and effective. Since it says the exact same thing … Read more
Singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain had a profound and positive impact on rock music, but I blame his band’s second album for perpetuating a spelling error that is becoming increasingly common. That album was 1991’s “Nevermind,” a title Cobain chose in part because he knew it was incorrect. How so? “Nevermind” isn’t a word. The expression is … Read more
Are you unique? That’s good. Are you very unique? Probably not. No, I’m not suggesting that individuality is a bad thing. In fact, it’s a very good thing. And the word “unique” should be a very good word. Unfortunately, it’s misused so often that it is losing its uniqueness. In simple terms, “unique” means “singular” … Read more