Storytelling: Sparking Imagination in Your Business Writing

Thank you to Hired Pen Manya Chylinski for sharing this post. Take it away, Manya …  Storytelling is one of the big buzzwords in content marketing and thought leadership these days. For good reason. Rather than just stating facts or advertising your product or service, why not use words and images to simplify concepts, evoke […]

An Open Letter to Oui Yogurt From Moms Like Me

Dear Oui French Style Yogurt from Yoplait, Is it okay that I addressed you by your formal name? I’m not sure on the proper etiquette when writing to dairy-based products. Anyway, I don’t know what kind of crazy market research you did. But since you’re owned by Yoplait, I suspect it was extensive and expensive. […]

If We Can’t Eliminate Homework, Can We at Least Rebrand It?

Do I even need to say it? Do I even need to talk about all the research that suggests homework — especially on the elementary-school level — doesn’t “extend learning,” but just stresses out our already stressed-out kids even more? Is there anyone who wants to argue that a stopwatch and a math worksheet count […]

5 Questions to Ask Before You Commit to a Name

5 Questions to Ask Before You Commit to a Name Like almost nothing else, coming up with the right name can give your company or product a real boost. As anyone who has tried it knows, however, it’s really hard to do well. That’s why big brands pay naming companies upwards of $100K to do […]

Getting to Know the Target Customer When Your Client Has No Money for Research

In our last blog, we talked about the often overlooked audience you really need to please with your copy: the one who’s paying your invoice. In this blog we’ll turn our attention to the audience they care about: the customer. Their customer. Myth: At the start of any content project, a client will give you […]

The #1 Mistake Copywriters Make — Especially the Really Great Copywriters

What’s the biggest, most common, most job-eliminating mistake copywriters make? It’s not bad writing. In fact, the better the copywriter, the more likely he or she is to make this mistake. Answer: It’s not getting to know the audience. But wait, you’re thinking: In this age of content marketing, doesn’t everyone know how critical it […]

Tackiness, Thy Name Is Peyton Manning

Urban Dictionary defines a corporate shill as “A person engaged in covert advertising. The shill attempts to spread buzz by personally endorsing the product in public forums with the pretense of sincerity, when in fact he is being paid for his services.” Well said, Urban Dictionary. Now is it possible to add a photo of […]

Digital Portsmouth Recap + Those Branding Questions I Mentioned

Last night I was honored to be a speaker — along with Quiana Agbai and Crystal Paradis — at Digital Portsmouth‘s event, “The Art of Copywriting.” Now if you regularly give talks to large crowds, speaking in front of 100+ of your peers is probably no big deal. But what I regularly do is sit […]

Did You ‘Leak Guard’ Your Company?

Like all three-year-olds, mine wants to do everything “by hisself.” Among other things, this means getting ready for bedtime. Alex mastered taking his clothes off a long time ago and has just recently managed to pull on his top and bottoms (provided there are no snaps, zippers or buttons to contend with). But the night […]

My Grudging Admiration for Geico’s Advertising

As a consumer who is also a marketer by profession, a brand’s advertising can sometimes inspire conflicting emotions in me. Case in point: Geico. In my day-to-day life, I’m assaulted by Geico’s advertising ad nauseam. “Fifteen minutes could save you 15 percent or more on car insurance,” my TV, radio, phone and laptop remind me […]