You can handle the truth

Do you believe everything you read? Do you trust statistics? Do you casually accept the interpretation of surveys and those that report them as unbiased?

Me either.

Why is that? Could it be because we’ve been mislead too often; burned too many times?

I suspect so. We’ve all come to understand that individuals and groups with a particular agenda choose to dissect data or select certain portions of a study that supports their philosophy and present that information as the complete picture. Generally, what they fail to convey is the numbers are only a slice of the pie. They’ve skewed the truth in their favor.

It’s disingenuous and it fosters mistrust.

Consider the damage it does to your company and your brand when you ask a copywriter to make an unsubstantiated claim to close a gap or secure a competitive advantage. The truth will eventually emerge, and your reputation will be smeared. Customers may walk. Partners too.

So why risk your reputation? Take the high road. Win because your product or service is superior and your customer service puts your competitors to shame. You’ll protect your honor and the dignity of all, including copywriters, who are working vigorously to ensure your product and company succeeds.

Disclosure: this post was originally published on 10/20/2011

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Take my word for it

Vituperative.

Seemingly out of nowhere, the word popped into my head this morning. I wasn’t angry or lashing out at someone. Nor was a verbal undressing given or received being replayed in the theater in my mind.

Nope.

In fact, there was nothing spectacular, inspirational or provocative coursing through my brain when the word sprung from the depths of my memory.

vi·tu·per·a·tion [vahy-too-puh-rey-shuhn], noun
  - verbal abuse or castigation; violent denunciation or condemnation.

Huh? Where did that come from, and why? I haven’t used or thought of the word in ages.

Wonderful word, though. It slithers off the tongue like a deadly snake. It’s bite venomous.

Take my word for it, in my line of work I’ll never be presented the opportunity to use vituperative. It breaks too many rules of writing today.

Fortunately, I have this blog where these rules don’t apply. Furthermore, I have dedicated and appreciative readers like you.

Thank you!

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Rain on me

It rained all day and that’s about as exciting as it gets when it comes to the weather here in Austin, Texas. Adding to the giddiness was the incredibly cool 70° F high temperature. It hasn’t been that chill in Central Texas since March.

We need a drought buster and this system could be it. A low pressure system near the four corners is trudging east at a snail’s pace. As a consequence, more precipitation is predicted through Friday.

Folks were seen dancing in the rain. It’s a bit pitiful, really.

Rain of a different cloud

It continues to rain on my copywriting parade. I’m tasked with crafting product briefs and videos. The instructions are always the same: make the copy brief and not too technical. People have little patience and short attention spans. If they have to think too hard about the features and benefits of our solutions, they’ll seek out our competitors.

Pitiful. Isn’t it?

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Tennis anyone? Copywriting anyone?

I love tennis, especially doubles. There’s something about the creativity that’s required when there are two imposing players opposite you covering most of the real estate that appeals to me. You work angles, depths and speeds to develop advantages and openings.

Between points, I talk to my partner about the ebbs and flows of the match. They happen. When the momentum seems to be squarely on the other side of the net, I strive to keep a calm and positive demeanor as we work to turn the tide in our favor.  Unless we are just flat out overmatched, invariably, we regain the upper hand. Fortunately, more often than not, we have a positive final result.

So where’s the parallel to copywriting?

The ebbs and flows.

When writing, I have bursts of creativity and I ride the wave until it crashes. Many times, that coincides with project completion. But not always, and when that’s the case, I stop writing and move on to other tasks.

While I’m relaxing and recharging, the thoughts are still formulating and flowing into place.

Eventually I return to writing and the creative energy begins as a stream. As I gain momentum, ideas burst forth like rains coursing over an arroyo. I write until the project is completed, I’m exhausted, or the river runs dry.

Ebbs and flows. Like tennis, they are part of copywriting. Fortunately, I know how to work through them and produce a positive final result for the client.

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Hear ye! Hear ye! Come one, come all

What is the most important skill for a copywriter to possess? Sweet writing skills are obvious, and they are certainly near the top of the list. A strong command of the language is paramount. A broad vocabulary is advantageous. Yet all of these fall behind the skill nestled in the number one spot.

The best copywriters are superb listeners.

What say you?

In order to craft the brand narrative, it is imperative that the writer hears how the stewards of the brand express their passions for the company or product. As I wrote in yesterday’s post, the copywriter must probe for insight into the character of the company, it values, and how employees express their views and passions. Within their answers will be the key messages and differentiators that help you craft the brand message.

To elicit the insights a copywriter seeks, she or he needs to be a smart interviewer and ask open-ended questions:

• Why are they believers in the brand?
• How did they make believers out of their first customers?
• What were their early challenges?
• How did they slog it out with their competitors?
• Why did (and do) they win?
• Why are they excited to come to work every day?
• What are their aspirations for the brand and their association with the brand?

What was heard

A careful listener will recognize common themes in the answers given by employees and executives. The adroit copywriter will transform these gems into the brand messages that attract customers and strengthen bonds.

Listen. Learn. Cogitate. Create.

And from there the story will unfold. It will inspire. It will motivate. It will set the brand apart.

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There’s a story in there somewhere

Every small business has a story to tell.

Somewhere within the inspiration that lead to creating a business is the message that embodies the company’s value proposition and differentiation. It is incumbent upon the marketing copywriter to extract that information to serve as the basis for a communications strategy.

Keep asking questions. Dig for details. Draw out the tales from the early days as the company was formed. Within these narratives are nuggets of gold. The savvy copywriter will recognize a unique selling proposition, a positioning statement, key messages and possibly even a slogan.

Listen. Learn. Cogitate. Create.

The content the copywriter crafts will be original, genuine and a mirror characterization of the small business owner’s vision and values when she or he opened the doors and served the first customer.

And from there the story will unfold. It will inspire. It will motivate. It will set the company apart.

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It’s in their ad, it must be true

Exaggerated claims. Demand created by playing on insecurities and false perceptions.

In advertising and marketing communications, I find nothing more distasteful. I’ve written a few posts taking companies to task on misleading statements in their ad copy.

It’s a fine line

How about it copywriters, content creators and product marketing managers? Where do you stand?

Is your copy sprinkled with puffery or glittering generalities that may produce warm fuzzies but no market benefits?

Are there little white lies here and there in your content? Are the product performance numbers you publish theoretical and based on conditions that customers have no shot of realizing?

Have you published data or claims that made you cringe? Were you suspicious, but unwilling to question your client, boss or colleague?

A line in the sand

At the 4A’s confab the final week of March, industry leaders asked themselves and attendees if they stood for anything, or were they simply doing the bidding of others without conscience or remorse.

The introspection was under the umbrella of advertising and sustainability, but the self-evaluation is worthwhile regardless of the motivation.

The content we produce must be above reproach. All claims should be verified and approved by legal with supporting data on files.

We owe it to the public, to our profession and to ourselves to be 100% forthright and honest with our words. Our employer’s or client’s credibility, not to mention our own reputation and integrity, is on the line.

Be vigilant. Never compromise.

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A slow news day? There isn’t an app for that

I spend a fair amount of time each day on the web reading content on news portals, publications, blogs and discussion groups. I scan social media feeds multiple times a day seeking something interesting to read. Oftentimes, an article, editorial, blog post or discussion will inspire me or spark on idea that leads to a blog post.

That didn’t happen today.

I don’t know if that says something about the content or something about me. Probably both. It clearly exposes the fact that I don’t adhere tightly to an editorial calendar to drive this blog. My posts tend to be spontaneous.

There’s still plenty of buzz around “The Acquisition” yesterday. I guess I could add my voice to the noise. The price tag alone delivered caused a webquake. I’ve a bit of Facebook Fatigue though, and frankly, I didn’t know a thing about Instagram until the announcement (cut me some slack, I’m a writer).

Actually, my Instagram ignorance has more to do with the fact that I’m not much of an apps guy. I don’t scour the Android market for productivity, finance, entertainment, business or communication apps for my HTC Incredible smartphone. I do have a few of the popular apps, but put a big bold accent mark on few. I pay a visit to Google Play a couple of times a month just to see what’s trending. On occasion, I’ll download something to trial.

Maybe if I had a tablet my “apptitude” would change. That wouldn’t alter the fact that I didn’t find anything interesting to share with you today.

Or did I?

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Can I pique your Pinterest?

I participated in a Pinterest workshop today.

Really? Pinterest for a writer? I know,  I haven’t quite come to grips with the concept myself.

How does a writer leverage Pinterest to express himself and his craft? Pinterest is all about images that tell stories. I’m all about written stories that might be augmented by a few images.

Still, I’m a visual guy, so I decided to give it a try.

Today,  I learned many of the fundamentals for beginners.  I now have an account. I am following a handful of other Pinterest members, and I set up some boards.

Image is everything

But now I’m stuck. What do I add to the boards? I can’t write a poem and publish it on a board. I apparently have to seek out images that captivate me and pin them to the appropriate board. I am then permitted to pen a few words about the image.

A few words? This could be a more significant challenge than writing a headline, subject line or tweet.

Is this writer a glutton for punishment? Perhaps, but I have no one to blame but myself. You see, I decided on the topic and found the Pinterest expert. Was it weird that I was the only male in the room?

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Difficult work beats hard labor every time

On Monday, I compared and contrasted the nouns chance and opportunity. I argued that in many circumstances, opportunity is the smarter word choice, unless you intend to imply an element of luck as part of the expression.

Today, it’s a quick look at the words hard and difficult.

Taking the hard road

Hard is a powerful word with fabulous flexibility. As an adjective, dictionary.com lists 41 definitions. As an adverb, add another 9 definitions. Now I’m a writer who happens to be pretty good at math; that’s 50 different meanings.

That’s astounding!

That’s absurd!

That also makes the word fraught with peril. Okay it’s a bit of an overstatement, but the term hard is massively over-used and it lacks elegance.

Making your life difficult

Difficult, on the other hand, sports a mere seven definitions. Compared to hard, the word is an underachiever. It’s also underutilized.

Another attraction for this writer is it’s polysyllabic. And as I’ve written in the blog before, there are occasions when a noun deserves more than one syllable to modify it.

You are so hard to please.  NOT!
You are so difficult to please.  YES!

It’s not a hard and fast rule, but nor is it a difficult decision. Wherever possible, meaning when the two terms are synonyms, I will opt to use the word with more syllables.

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Colorful content captures customers

In my USTA doubles match on Sunday, my partner made a wonderful shot to win a critical game. “Yea,” I exclaimed, “great shot!”

I almost immediately rescinded that compliment and replaced it with a grander kudos. “I take that back. That shot deserves more than a one syllable adjective,” I explained. “Spectacular shot!

My partner beamed.

Vitalize your brand

Crafting prose that accurately communicate the beauty, character and unique benefits of your company and its products or services is a valuable skill. 

Writers have a firm command of the language and an extensive vocabulary. With a professional wordsmith on the job, you can be confident your product, service or achievement will be judiciously lavished with the appropriate polysyllabic descriptors it deserves. And the market will respond.

Make your product beam

Color your content. Hire a copywriter.

512 903 9503

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You take chances, I’ll take opportunities

He has a chance to win the title.

The chance to see her mentor and hero again before she moved across the country was too good to pass up.

Give him the chance to prove he has the chops to be a leader.

At first blush, all three of the sentences seem perfectly acceptable. True? Do you have any issues with them? Are you satisfied with chance as the noun word choice? Does it provide the strength and the sense of control the speaker’s intended?

Probably not.

Take the opportunity

The better word choice is opportunity. Why?

Opportunity suggests the individual has some level of influence, if not outright mastery over the result. That is much preferred, wouldn’t you agree?

Opportunity knocks   NOT   Chance knocks
Opportunity cost   NOT   Chance cost

Which sentence sounds more empowering:

This is the chance of a lifetime; seize the moment.
This is the opportunity of a lifetime; seize the moment.

Crossover meanings

Returning to the first three examples, you may argue that the second sentence presents a scenario where there is the risk that she won’t meet her hero. This is true, however, this is a mentoring relationship, so there is a commitment and a bond that reduces, if not eliminates, much of the risk.

And that’s the underscores point with the noun chance: chance conveys a sense of little to no personal control over the outcome. (see Chance definition #1 below) It implies luck.

Here are three appropriate uses for chance:

Chance meeting   NOT   Opportunity meeting
As chance would have it   NOT   As opportunity would have it
By any chance   NOT   By any opportunity

There are circumstances where opportunity and chance are synonyms (see Chance definition #4 below), however, I maintain that in most cases, opportunity is the wiser word choice.

Take a chance

Chance is a far more fluid word with many other interpretations. As a writer, this is magical, but it also drastically elevates the potential for confusion if improperly used. Precision in communication calls for eliminating inferences, assumptions and conjecture.

Unless you intend to imply an element of luck, select opportunity.

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DEFINITIONS

chance  [chans, chahns] noun, verb, chanced, chanc·ing, adjective

1. the absence of any cause of events that can be predicted, understood, or controlled: often personified or treated as a positive agency: Chance governs all.

2. luck or fortune: a game of chance.

3. a possibility or probability of anything happening: a fifty-percent chance of success.

4. an opportune or favorable time; opportunity: Now is your chance.

5. Baseball . an opportunity to field the ball and make a put-out or assist.

6. a risk or hazard: Take a chance.

7. a share or ticket in a lottery or prize drawing: The charity is selling chances for a dollar each.

8. chances, probability: The chances are that the train hasn't left yet.

 

op·por·tu·ni·ty [op-er-too-ni-tee, -tyoo-], noun, plural -ties.

1. an appropriate or favorable time or occasion: Their meeting afforded an opportunity to exchange views.

2. a situation or condition favorable for attainment of a goal.

3. a good position, chance, or prospect, as for advancement or success.

Weekend work

A good day of copywriting ends an excellent week that included some superlative RISE Austin sessions.

With the arrival of the weekend I abandon my desk for a day of physical labor and a day of physical activity.

Spring is in full throttle and I have plenty of work outdoors this weekend beginning with mowing the lawn. I need to put down some fertilizer and I have some weed pulling and dirt turning to do in my gardens.

Saturday evening I’ll watch the men’s 2012 Final Four. Three of the four teams are in my brackets (I picked Florida State out of the east), so I have a reasonable shot at the finals matchup I chose at the beginning of the NCAA Tournament.

Sunday afternoon I’ll be on the tennis court competing in a USTA doubles tennis match. The remainder of the afternoon and evening I’ll actually try to relax. Maybe I’ll get some pleasure reading done and add to my list of unfamiliar words.

On Monday morning I’ll be back at the computer working on content for a client website.

Be safe all, have a relaxing weekend and thank you for reading my blog.

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I’ll lend you my ear synonym girl

Words escape me.

It happens to us all from time-to-time. Some people can quickly think their way to the right phrase or word choice, adeptly filling the void with a quip or reference that keeps the listeners engaged.

I’m not one of them – yet.

Say what I mean

Grasping for words is more likely to occur for me when conversing. I suspect it is caused by flawed pacing and a bit of anxiety. Slowing down and being more deliberate in my oral delivery is a technique I am implementing to moderate success.

It’s definitely a growth area for me.

Write what I mean

As a writer, when I am searching for the perfect word to accentuate a concept or drive a point home, I comb all corners of my brain. On occasion I do come up empty or unsatisfied. It is at these times that I turn to my synonym girl.

She is the word queen and she never fails me. She is always waiting in the wings, prepared to aid me. She speaks to me in terms I understand, imparting words I can use.

My synonym girl and me, our relationship goes way back.  Earlier this year I gave her props in a post. It was small gesture. But words alone don’t do her justice, although my synonym girl seems satisfied with words alone.

Ironic, isn’t it?

Know what I mean

If only a device for the ear canal could be developed that digitally stored all of the wise words of my synonym girl. She’d listen to me speak and when I was in need of a particular word, she’d whisper the top two or three options to me.

This device would give a whole new meaning to a voice in my ear. Words might never escape me again.

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You mustn’t be the Etch A Sketch messenger

Politics is great theater. It also delivers priceless lessons on the importance of clarity, consistency and authenticity of message.

For example, during a conversation on messaging with a CNN reporter today, senior adviser Eric Fehrnstrom juxtaposed moving into the general election campaign with the Etch A Sketch children’s toy proclaiming, “you can kind of shake it up and we start all of over again.”

Tell me he didn’t honestly say that.

Oh, but he did, and his Republican opponents and Democrats jumped all over the statement. They are getting a lot of mileage out of it and are mercilessly pummeling the Romney campaign.

I have to ask: where is the discipline in the Romney camp? These kind of bonehead statements seem to come out of Mr. Romney’s or a spokesperson’s mouth with regularity. It’s alarming and disturbing.

I wonder if the Romney campaign’s theme song is The Cars hit “Shake it up”.

Abject lesson for business

It’s also another prime example of how talking off script can burn you. One slip-up can decimate months, if not years, of work and instantly destroy credibility.

Business and marketing communications professionals know this all to well. The best of us are on the straight and narrow at all times when publishing content for, or speaking on behalf of, our clients.

Precision in communication requires focus and mental acuity. Spokespersons must always be on message, tuned to what they are saying and how it will be received and perceived. If what we convey is true to the brand’s value proposition and the customer experience, all is well.

Unanticipated windfall

One organization that is undoubtedly thrilled with all the buzz Fehrnstrom generated is the Ohio Art Company, the manufacturer of the Etch A Sketch. Headquartered in Bryan, Ohio, which is my home town, I suspect folks there are positively giddy about the blue bird Romney’s senior advisor threw them.

"Happy to see Etch A Sketch, an American classic toy, is DRAWING attention with political candidates as a cultural icon and important piece of our society," said Nicole Gresh, spokeswoman for the manufacturer. "A profound toy, highly recognized and loved by all, is now SHAKING up the national debate. Nothing is as quintessentially American as Etch A Sketch and a good old fashion political debate.”

Who would have thought national politics would put the spotlight on little old Bryan, Ohio?

There are probably a lot of people in my home town with big grins on their faces. I’m happy for them.

del.icio.us Tags: Etch A Sketch,Eric Fehrnstrom,Mitt Romeny,Ron Santorum,Newt Gingrich,CNN,political campaign,The Ohio Art Company,Bryan Ohio,messaging,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writer,ad copy,freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogging,blogger

A well scripted day

I just spent a long day revising two software training video scripts and writing the first draft of the ninth installment in the series for a client.

One would think that with six approved scripts (the seventh was approved mid-afternoon today), a formula would be in place and the initial draft development would be straightforward, quick and simple.

Not.

Training the writer

Each script deals with a unique capability of this robust piece of software. I have to fire up the product and familiarize myself with the capability in preparation for developing the first draft. Then, I refer to a PowerPoint presentation on an earlier version of the software the client provided me. It is very helpful and enables me to put some shape to the script outline.

While writing the script, I find myself bouncing back and forth between the software, the presentation and my draft. The software is a resource hog that can be a serious drag on my laptop’s performance, especially when I toggle between applications. The screen refresh can take so long. This slows everything down, which is frustrating.

Something’s amiss

Every once in a while, as I verify that my description of a step in the software’s process is accurately described, I trip on an apparent bug or anomaly in the product. I add a Comment in the script, and then get back to writing.

Eventually, I have a reasonable facsimile of a script that flows and describes how the software capability performs and how the viewer can leverage it to be more effective. I read the script aloud, make a couple of adjustments, and save it.

Client communication

My email message to the client is formulaic, straightforward, quick and simple:

Dear John,
Attached is the first draft of script #X, “How to blah, blah, blah”.

Please note the Comment on page 2 about a possible bug.

I look forward to your feedback.

Kindest Regards,
Brian

Attach script and send.

A deadline is met and my work for today is done. That feels good.

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Can you picture this?

I led a discussion on infographics for a bloggers group today. As a copywriter, the topic is a bit of a stretch for me. I’m biased, you see. I prefer an abundance of words complimented by a few visuals. Infographics seems destined to limit words in favor of an abundance of graphics.

There’s a dichotomy at play here.

A commitment is your word, though, so I put aside my personal views on the matter, conducted some additional research and crafted a presentation entitled “The Rise and Fall of Infographics”. I patterned a fair portion of it after a blog post of the same title I wrote back in December on infographics. A necessary addition to the presentation, however, was a brief (very brief) discussion on the history of infographics.

In addition, it was important to update some of my examples, since many infographics are on issues of the day. Therefore, some are stale after 30 days, and a significantly higher percentage are very dated after three months.

The upshot

The discussion went very well. Attendees were very engaged and asked some excellent questions. As is always the case in a professional organization, I learned some things from my audience. I will incorporate these data points into my presentation in the next few days.

This topic remains very popular, it seems. I’m thinking I may need to be careful here. If my presentation is too well received and word spreads, I may be invited to speak to other organizations.

I’m already scheduled to present on the topic at the Austin Marketing Syndicate on Thursday and at a RISE Session on Tuesday, March 27.

I may gain a reputation as a knowledge authority on infographics. Imagine that: a copywriter who can barely draw stick figures, an expert on infographics.

Can you picture this?

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A little bit of work & a lot of live music

What a day!

Sure, there was a spate of copywriting work in the morning. I finished up a video script and sent it to my client. I then did a bit of project administration and housekeeping before shutting down the work week.

It was time to go play.

Off to Maria’s Taco Xpress and some live music, courtesy of Sin City Social Club. What a lineup! My wife and I arrived around 2:45 p.m. and The Record Company was on stage. What a wonderful band, and they just kept getting better as the afternoon gave way to the evening.

We stayed for six hours and saw the following performers:

2:45 The Record Co. (Los Angeles, CA)
3:15 Ken Stringfellow - (The Posies, Big Star and REM) - (Paris, FR)
3:45 Ponderosa (Atlanta, GA)
4:30 Deadman (Austin, TX)
5:15 Mike Farris (Nashville, TN)
5:45 Deadstring Brother (Nashville, TN)
6:15 Shurman (Austin, TX)
6:45 Mike Stinson (Houston, TX)
7:15 Jesse Dayton - (Austin, TX)
7:45 Two Hoots & A Holler (Austin, TX)
8:15 The Whiskey Sisters (Austin, TX)

It was a superb mix of musical styles delivered with tremendous verve and passion. I love live music and these bands and musicians only made me crave for more.

I have to admit, I was a bit distracted from 6:00 p.m. until Jesse Dayton finished his raucous set. I had one eye on my smartphone tracking my alma mater, Ohio University, in the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Their first round opponent was Big Ten co-champion, Michigan Wolverines. The Ohio Bobcats, a so-called mid-major team from the Mid-American Conference (MAC), pulled off the upset victory, 65-60.

A little bit of work. A lot of live music in Austin, Texas in the company of good friends. And my Ohio Bobcats knock of a Big Ten power in the NCAA Tournament.

As I expressed in the first sentence of this post…what a day!

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