Think you’re unique? Great! Think you’re very unique? You’re not. That’s because there’s no such thing as being “very” unique, or “somewhat” unique, or “more” unique than the other folks. The word “unique” is powerful because it has one meaning. Something that’s unique is “singular” or “one of a kind.” Only one. No others. No […]
One of the best copywriters I know has few pet peeves about the craft of writing but makes an exception when it comes to exclamation points. She believes we should all be allotted a limited number of them at birth, and once we’ve exhausted our supply, we can’t use any more. It’s her way of […]
“Our primary objective for our new website is to have a cool design that will catch people’s eyes.” That’s a bad idea. “How can you say such a thing? We want to stand out.” No, you don’t. You want to connect. “What do you mean?” Tell me why you have a website. “Excuse me?” Why […]
Years ago, a hospital decided to open a walk-in clinic to compete with local freestanding clinics. The hospital’s leadership team chose to call it an “ambulatory” clinic, because to medical folks, “ambulatory” means that an individual is capable of walking under his or her own power. Patients failed to show up, and the hospital didn’t […]
A local magazine’s article about a coworking space included a number of amusing typos, but my favorite had to be when the author described the floorplan, noting “… comfortable booths and couches and desks with partisans to offer privacy.” Neither the writer nor the editor caught that one. Obviously, the author meant “partitions,” as in […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. Content Begins with a Conversation
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 […]
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 […]
