I have a solid understanding of how plumbing works. I know how to use a pipe wrench and have wrapped Teflon tape around pipe threads. I’ve often explained the mechanics behind a water heater, and even taught a group of curious Cub Scouts how toilets flush and why they’re designed that way. But when a … Read more
Whether you think of yourself as a skilled writer or dread reaching for the keyboard, writing probably plays a critical role in your daily work. You may not be authoring articles for professional journals, but you probably have to create emails, reports, and other items that require some writing skill. Following a few simple, easy-to-remember … Read more
What’s the ideal length of copy for websites and other marketing materials? I’ve noticed a lot of people seem to view themselves as experts on the subject — although what most don’t realize is their answers are based on personal preference or learned prejudice. The simple answer is that the correct amount of copy is … Read more
Years ago, a wise boss told me that the most affordable attorney I’d ever hire is the one I called before making a decision or taking an action. I’ve since come to realize that the same holds true with writers. I’ve often seen organizations decide to tackle writing a new website, guest blog post, or … Read more
Companies and other organizations develop technical documents like white papers and blogs to explain the advantages they offer or to educate their stakeholders about situations or issues. Unfortunately, all too often, those efforts fall short of their objectives. Their target audiences come away not knowing any more, so the organization’s team has essentially wasted the … Read more
“I hate staring at that empty screen and that #%#^$% blinking cursor. I know exactly what I want to say, but I can’t get started.” No matter who you work for and no matter what your role may be, your job probably involves some writing. If you’ve faced times when the right words wouldn’t come, … Read more
Whether you consider yourself to be a skilled writer or you dread reaching for the keyboard, writing probably plays a critical role in your daily work. You may not be authoring articles for professional journals, but you probably have to create emails, memos, reports, and other items that require some writing skill. Following a few … Read more
Nobody reads copy anymore. At least that’s what everyone tells me. Nobody pays attention to the printed word, so keep it to a minimum and don’t even think about using a word with more than two syllables. Much as I hate to admit it, there’s some wisdom behind that. Couple the oversupply of information to … Read more
You can use them advertising, mailings, in email newsletters, on your website, on social media, as articles in trade magazines, in brochures — no matter how you communicate with your audiences, there are ways to incorporate case studies.
You’ve got 60 seconds to pitch your company’s most important prospect. Go! “Well, your industry is increasingly competitive and margins are shrinking, leading many of your competitors to bypass the traditional distribution network for more streamlined channels. That puts you in an unfavorable pricing environment, which is causing you to lose market share at an … Read more