Posts Tagged ‘copywriting’
How to read minds (to write powerful copy)
Posted on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 at 2:39 PM by Simon Smith | Comments (0)
There’s a good chance you’ve made this mistake. (I have. Repeatedly. And for years.) If you’re like most people, you write what’s in your head. Maybe it’s an idea. Maybe it’s a description of your company or product. Well, writing from your perspective can be great for your diary. But it’s self-destructive for your marketing. Instead, you must write from your customers’ perspective.
Why calling yourself “better” is worse
Posted on Friday, September 19th, 2008 at 1:21 AM by Simon Smith | Comments (0)
As I write this, Toronto’s oppressed by overwhelming billboards for telecom behemoth Bell. They blare statements like "Internet just got better" and, beside the iPhone-like Samsung Instinct, "Way cooler." If you’re new to copywriting, your first instinct might be to copy these ideas for your internet marketing. After all, if Bell invested so heavily, it must be using proven techniques—and testing them to death. Wrong. If you follow this approach, you’re not only hurting your own business. You’re actually helping your competition.
Why all your readers are bargain hunters
Posted on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008 at 4:01 PM by Simon Smith | Comments (0)
Remember your last big purchase? You probably spent time considering your investment. Maybe you wondered whether you could find the same product—or something with similar benefits—for less. Well, keep that memory in mind as you write for the web. Because just like you, your readers want a bargain.
Raise readership by “dumbing down”
Posted on Tuesday, May 13th, 2008 at 7:22 PM by Simon Smith | Comments (0)
"More visitors!" you demand. Well, before you order your three-million-dollar Super Bowl spot, here’s a simpler, cheaper solution. It won’t get you more traffic. But it will help you capture 3 out of 10 visitors who probably bounce from your site because they can’t understand your words.
Sticky tricks for more credible content
Posted on Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 at 1:49 PM by Jebadiah Roberts | Comments (0)
For creating credible content on the cheap, Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the fascinating book Made to Stick, offer several good tricks.
How to create a more credible website
Posted on Tuesday, April 29th, 2008 at 2:43 PM by Simon Smith | Comments (0)
Why should I trust you? On the web, that’s one of the first questions visitors ask. If you don’t give a good answer, they’re gone. (No matter how great your offer.)
Make it stick: Your quick guide to an unforgettable message
Posted on Tuesday, April 15th, 2008 at 11:44 AM by Jebadiah Roberts | Comments (0)
It turns out that stickiness is a phenomenon that you can understand. And if you learn the following six principles, you won’t just determine which ideas will become sticky—you’ll create sticky messages of your own.
What’s your content pain?
Posted on Monday, March 17th, 2008 at 8:36 PM by Simon Smith | Comments (0)
See how well this list reflects your frustrations and desires, then add your own in the comments.
Got jargon?
Posted on Friday, March 14th, 2008 at 3:04 PM by Simon Smith | Comments (0)
If you love words, you know it’s true. "The ink-based writing implement has been shown to be more efficacious than the blade-centered cutting device." But only when the blade-centered cutting device is sharp enough to trim the fat. And so, to mark the launch of our new "say it smarter" positioning, we invite you to translate your own famous quotes into jargon.
Hey reader, call people by their name
Posted on Friday, January 18th, 2008 at 4:11 PM by Simon Smith | Comments (0)
Use names incorrectly—or not at all—and risk losing friends and customers. But use them properly and they work like magic to attract attention and spur action
Recent entries
- How to write for the web: New website launched
- How to create web content: Our old guide reborn as a website
- Six free tools for world-class competitive intelligence
- Secret of camp’s overnight marketing success? A complete paradigm shift
- Improve your digital marketing with Commune’s summer reading list
- Got social media? Cafe’s so successful, it ran out of milk—here’s how
- Google Analytics URL builder for multiple links
- Three ways Google Analytics can improve sharing
- Social media: An effective lead generator?
- Five ways school boards can benefit from Google Analytics
