He was a successful engineer with a nagging problem. It haunted him during his commute, in the shower, and when his golden retriever woke him up at 3:00 a.m. for a quick trip outside. Never was it far from his thoughts. It involved a process that he knew could be improved. He had a hunch … Read more
The new client and I were discussing the content he wanted me to produce. After discussing his general objectives and some thoughts about design, he handed me a brochure and said, “Everything you’ll need is in here.” Even a quick skim told me that it was an excellent, well-written brochure. The content was spot-on, and … Read more
I spend a lot of time performing research for projects, and I’ve discovered that many of the companies that have the best information do the worst job of presenting it. They have the expertise, but it’s clear that the wrong people are responsible for sharing what they know. Now, it’s not really their fault. Each … Read more
The contest wasn’t a big deal, but I thought the prize package was worth a few minutes of my time. So I obeyed the publication’s instructions and visited the website. “We’re sorry! Our new site is under construction!” What? Maybe I had an outdated publication. But no, it was dated for this week. The … Read more
You’ve been hard at work on a white paper, but it just doesn’t sound right. You wonder if a professional writer like me is ever asked to improve a white paper someone else has written. The answer is yes, frequently. Professional white paper writers like me can take your draft and improve it. Improve a … Read more
Pardon me if I sound like a broken record, but I’m about to climb up on my soapbox, so don’t touch that dial! If that sentence made sense, you probably need to adjust the way you talk with colleagues and customers. If it didn’t make sense, you’re the reason why. As with nearly every other … Read more
Back when you were in elementary school, your teacher worked hard to help you understand a concept called homophones. If you’re like most people, homophones bedeviled you then, and they probably still trip you up now and again. What are homophones? They’re those words that sound the same, even though they have very different meanings … Read more
I have overwhelming respect (and more than a little sympathy) for English teachers. But I do have to say they manage to make being an effective writer more difficult than it should be. Now, I’m not referring to all English teachers. Anyone who’s dedicated their adult lives to convincing bored adolescents to fall in love … Read more
There are many differences between today’s online marketing tools and the brochures and other printed pieces that dominated marketing for decades. Many of those differences are obvious, but one of the most important often slips right past people: a website is never complete. Think about developing a brochure, a white paper, or a publication. Most … Read more
Few people really understand the relationship between content in white papers and copyrights. When they develop a white paper, they often consider including good information they’ve seen published or posted elsewhere. However, that could involve breaking the law. About copyright law Which law? Copyright law. If you copy and use something that’s been created by … Read more