be bold - be different - be yourself Why am I afraid to tell you who I am? Because that’s all I’ve got. (And you might not like it.) Writing sparkling, punchy copy takes skill. And guts. It’s much easier to take comfort in ‘tried and true’ words and ... [ More ]
Did you hear the one about the honest salesman?
When I was 12, my Mum very nearly bought a set of encyclopaedias from a door-to-door salesman. Standing next to her, I took it all in – the spiel about how wonderful these encyclopaedias would be for all the family, what we could learn, how tear-proof the pages were. The colour ... [ More ]
All star and no tree
Or why promotional copywriting must be the last thing on your mind 'Hi, I’m just contacting you about the possibility of doing some promotional copywriting for our company website. Do you think that is something you could help us with?’ ‘Oh sure. Thanks for getting in touch. I’d be glad to ... [ More ]
Editing marketing copy (2): 7 tips for sharper writing
Good writing is a joy to read. You might look at the work of a particular writer and be blown away by their skill. But remember, like so much artistry, writing is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. There have been literary geniuses who were capable of pouring streams of words from their ... [ More ]
9 tips for creating effective direct mail campaigns
Although direct mail certainly diminished in popularity in recent years, it never quite went away. The digital revolution certainly pushed it to one side, but as with so much in life, things tend to swing back into balance and so it is proving here. Online and offline marketing channels can ... [ More ]