Copywriting Blog

Party City’s New Commercial Makes Local Mom Cry

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Scene: Two 30-something women stand behind a table of party food, in a Party City commercial. And … action! Mom 1: This is incredible! Mom 2: Right. Mom 1: Yes! Mom 2: What is that? (pointing to a lone plate of crackers a few feet away) Mom 1: Those are some gluten-free options. Mom 2: […]

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Case Study: Writing Website Copy for Newfire Partners

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Outsourced software development gets a bad rap in many circles, and justifiably so. A big part of the problem is those firms that underpay their talent and don’t care enough about the quality of the code they crank out. Stephen S. Hau, a long-time technology executive and entrepreneur, believes there’s a better way to do […]

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Blockchain 101: A Primer on the Technology Behind Bitcoin

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Time for a guest post! Here, our friend John MacKenna explains something I’ve been wondering about lately: What the heck is blockchain anyway? Take it away, John … Blockchain is seen by cognoscenti as the next great technology disruptor, but if you don’t understand it — or haven’t even heard of it — don’t worry. […]

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The Hired Pens Plays ‘Rate the Spam’

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Who loves getting spam? Not me. But it’s inevitable that the occasional spam will slip through the filter, so why not have a little fun with it? In that spirit, let’s take a look at some actual spam I’ve received this month. I’ll give each an Awfulness Score between 1 and 10 (with 10 being […]

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

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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 […]

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Plagiarism? Come on, You’re Better Than That.

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What do Joe Biden, Melania Trump, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and countless disgraced journalists have in common? They’ve all been accused of plagiarism. With the Internet at our disposal, stealing someone else’s words has never been easier. If you don’t have any moral qualms about doing that, I can’t help you. But plenty of people […]

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Meet Eric Twardzik, The Hired Pens’ Style Writer

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When you have a last name like “Twardzik,” you have to do some early grappling with the pain and beauty of letters. But once you’ve triumphed? Spelling all other words is child’s play. And thus Hired Pen Eric Twardzik began his writing career at the tender age of four-and-a-half. What did you want to be […]

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Case Study: Refreshing the SynDevRx Website

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You could say the same thing about a lot of professions, but I’ll say it anyway: As a copywriter, the most challenging projects are often the most rewarding ones. Yes, it’s satisfying when you nail a tagline or marketing email without breaking a sweat. On the other end of the spectrum are those projects that […]

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Anna Gives Copywriting Workshop to Startups, Changes Lives

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Last month, I gave a copywriting workshop to the eight startups selected for this year’s  Accelerate NH program. In case you’re wondering, Accelerate NH was created to support “the next generation of innovative, growth-oriented companies in New Hampshire” (i.e. tax-paying businesses). Through Alpha Loft accelerator program these fledgling startups get free coaching, work space and, […]

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How to Sound Like an Interesting Person: Tips for Writing Your Company Bio  

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We know. Company bios are so boring, right? Just a long paragraph of facts about Person X, maybe with a final throwaway line about how they like yoga and spending time with their family. (Yawn.) Writing a great company bio is difficult for a couple reasons. First and foremost, we’re taught from a very young age […]

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