The world is all atwitter about social networking as Twitter has grown its member community a whopping 1382% between February '08 and February '09, according to NielsenWire.
I am not a Twitter enthusiast, but I have made my peace with it, believing it is here to stay and, when used properly, effective. You could say I hold a jaded opinion, after spending last summer, nearly an hour each day, seven days a week, tweeting and building up a community of followers. I was doing that for a very specific reason. I'll tell all in my January 2010 EWA. In the final analysis, if you're in business, and if you're smart about it, and if have something to say, Twitter can bring business to you. It is just another marketing tool. As more people become inured with Twitter, choosing not to use it becomes idiosyncratic, if not downright counterproductive. As I said, it's here to stay.
What is Twitter all about? The fantasy may be that Twitter is all about telling your thousands of followers in one 140-charcater tweet that you're getting on a plane and you just had the most horrid time weaving through traffic in a taxi to the airport. The reality is far different. Twitter is about branding. Twitter is a tactical-level tool you can use to communicate your brand to a specific community of "followers."
What is a brand? It is a public identity, something that resonates with clients, customers, partners and/or consumers. It's what people think of when they think of you. Businesses have brands, but so do rock musicians, fine artists, building contractors, rocket engineers, novelists, scientists, owners of janitorial services, journalists, symphony conductors and analysts of every stripe. Everyone who is in business and wants to be known for what they do should have a clearly articulated brand that helps them attract business on the web. Twitter can help define that brand and make it available to large numbers of people who can become potential consumers of the brand.
After using Twitter for about a year, and listening to smart, well informed people talk about Twitter, I've come to the conclusion that even those who use Twitter to have water-cooler type conversations about last night's Madmen or Lost episode, or those who comment on "trending topics" like Tiger Woods' debacle, are using Twitter to broadcast their brand. Your tweets are your brand, and that's perfectly okay. Twitter is about trending topics. It's about public unrest in Iran that was beamed outside Iran thanks to Twitter. It's about the guy who runs the corner service station giving car repair advice and sending customers links where they can download discount coupons. It's about an analyst tweeting quick impressions from the floor of a trade show. Twitter is about all that stuff and more. It's about whatever the users of Twitter want it to be about.
Once you become a Twitter user and establish your profile, you'll find a question that appears above the window where you type your 140-character messages: "What's happening?" To be effective writing tweets, you have to imagine the question reading, "What can you tell your followers that will add meaning or substance to your brand?"
People ask me, "How can you shoehorn everything you want to say into 140 characters?" The answer: Don't. Set up a blog for the content. Then write a short, provocative question or statement and place the link to your blog directly after.
In my case, most of the time, I don't tell my followers what's happening with me. Instead, I give them writing advice. Or to put it another way, given my brand identity, writing advice is what's always happening for me. My brand ExcitingWriting stands for writing excellence. My tweets help people improve their writing. More often, they are teasers designed to cause people to jump on the link to my ExcitingWriting blog (which has content identical to these e-mail newsletters). So the question isn't how to shoehorn everything you want to say into 140 characters. It's how to get people to click on a link.
Here are three examples of promotion-tweets I've used in recent months:
• 13 things you can start doing today to become a better writer. Sept issue of my blog at…
• Six principles that underlie everything going on with social networking. August issue of my blog at…
• Ever notice that non-profits usually ask you to make a pledge? Why is that? Read "commitment" in my Aug. blog entry at…
Another approach to writing tweets is to write a wise-sounding aphorism, for example:
•
Confused about when to stop researching and start writing, it's probably time to start writing. Read my blog at…
Most people tweet links to articles that are interesting to them and, they hope, to their followers. That's all they do most of the time. They're serving a helpful role by spreading news. Thanks to these tweets, last summer, when I spent about an hour a day on Twitter, I was being exposed to very interesting content I would have never run across anywhere else.
Generally, the helping, "advice giving" model works well in Twitter and is effective at building your brand. If you're out to help someone else, explain the ropes, make life easier, you can't go wrong. It makes you the expert.
A landscaper can give landscaping advice. A mechanic can give car care advice. A technologist can talk about technology trends. A marketer can give marketing advice.
Many enjoy tweeting positive, inspirational quotes, which, I guess, makes them an expert on the meaning of life.
Of course, there are times you will want to join the on-going conversation and then, as I said earlier, it's similar to water-cooler conversations in a workplace. People comment on the show they watched last night—whatever. Often, people give other people encouragement. You get to know some very interesting people that way. Do some of that, if you like. Sometimes you really do want to tell people what's happening in your life at this very moment. (For example, in my case, I could send out a tweet that says I'm nearing completion of a novel I've been working on since May of 2002. It's the truth!) You might throw in some crazy tweets designed to get a laugh, too. For example, "Just took the Aston Martin in for an oil change. $75, they wanted. I raced over to the competition."
Twitter is a fantastic platform for spreading breaking news. And that's where it can be effective in business—if you think of your advice as a form of news, or if you can tie in your expertise with an on-going news story.
Next month: The six steps I followed in building my Twitter following from 1 to 450 in three months, and, more importantly, my purpose in doing so.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
25 Things You Can Start Doing Today to Become a Better Writer
This piece was inspired by Mary Jaksch's ''73 Ways to Become a Better Writer.'' (You can find her piece on the ''copyblogger'' blog. She got it right!)
1. Write more. Increase the number of words you write. Start writing every day.
2. Write faster. Don't worry about sentence structure and all the junk they drummed into your head in school. Give yourself permission to stream words faster than you can think. Just get them down. Revise later.
3. Start writing a blog today. Express yourself! Go on record. Say what you need to say! (That's a song and a way of life.) It doesn't matter what you write about. This is public writing, so tell your friends you are writing a blog. (Go to www.blogspot.com now and start your blog.)
4. Write on deadline with specific word limits.
5. Go to wordsmith.org and subscribe to ''Word A Day.'' You will receive a word and its definition in your inbox every day. Learn that word. Use it. Words are a writer's tools. The more tools you have, the better.
6. As Julia Cameron suggests in her Artist's Way book, write Morning Pages every day. Write privately about your deepest fears in your morning pages. As Mark Twain said, ''Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.'' We all have our demons. One way to face them is to write about them.
7. When you're stuck, get out. Do some Yoga. Stretch. Roll a dowel under your feet. See a movie. Bridget Foley says, ''Writing is physical.'' It takes body and mind working together. Getting out can free up the mind to get in touch with your body.
8. Write about your grandest aspirations in your Morning Pages. Inspire yourself. Fill your mind with your dreams. Indulge yourself. Think of your dreams as awe-inspiring powerful clouds that can take you anywhere you want to go.
9. Go on ''Artist Dates.'' Let yourself be inspired by all kinds of artistic expression: dance, art, music, magazines, television dramas and talk shows. Take it all in.
10. Challenge your assumptions. Write a short story in ten minutes. Write a novel over a weekend. Write a story in future tense. Write a story in second person. Stretch. If you're bored, move on.
11. Revise more carefully. Raise the bar. If it doesn't sound right, it is not right. Correct yourself before anyone else does.
12. Improve your interviewing skills. Ask questions that entice people to reveal themselves and tell their deeper stories.
13. Become a collector of stories. Understand how and why stories work. (Read Story by Robert McKee.)
14. Become more observant. Watch how people dress, how they walk, how they express themselves, how they shop. Watch how they relate to and talk about everything from their religion to their children to the make of their car.
15. Ask for a writing critique from a professional writer. Submit a piece and see what that person says. Ask the person to use track changes so you can see specific suggestions. See what you can learn.
16. Read books, blogs and essays more carefully. Learn new ways to expand your methods of writing. Become a vacuum cleaner, taking in all the ways people express themselves and all the subjects they express themselves about.
17. Notice your writing ''crutches,'' the methods you routinely use to express yourself. Notice the ways you can break out and leave those crutches on the sidewalk. Learn to use new sentence structures. Learn new ways to attack sentences.
18. Read more widely. Be adventurous. Read outside your comfort zone. Pick up kinds of books you'd never be caught dead reading until now. And give yourself permission to love, hate or be disgusted by what you read.
19. Find ways to say things in fewer words. Condense. Work at this. It's an invaluable talent.
20. Write with passion. First, settle on something you feel really passionate about. Then write about it. (Writing with passion is the best way to quickly improve your writing skills.)
21. Buy a book of grammar and use it. Don't try to read it from cover to cover. Use it as a reference when you're stuck or not sure about something. I like The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers by Anson & Schwegler. And don't forget to read the ever popular Elements of Style by White and Strunk.
22. Copy the writing of a favorite writer into a word file. I know it sounds crazy and it's obviously illegal if you try to pass it off as your writing. That's not what I'm suggesting. Take a passage of a favorite writer of yours. Type the words yourself. See if you can learn anything from immersing yourself in the syntax and subtext of the writing by doing that.
23. Join a writer's group. If you live in Dallas, visit The Writer's Garrett and see what's going on. Show up for readings of writers your admire.
24. If you happen to lve in Dallas, be sure to attend meetings of the First Friday Book Synopsis. Visit www.firstfridaybooksynopsis.com. Randy Mayeux and Karl Krayer present two business books every session. Read their handouts very carefully.
24. Become an active watcher of movies. Dissect stories. (Read Story by Robert Mckee.) Discover how the story is told.
25. Tape record yourself reading your writing aloud. Listen to it. This technique helps some writers improve. It's helped me.
One Client's Recommendation of ExcitingWriting Communications
''Chuck is a top-flight business writer, up there with the very best. He has insight into the businesses and business processes he is writing about that sometimes amazes me. He expresses concepts in a way that is extremely clear, compelling, easy to read and persuasive. He can write effectively in a wide variety of styles, everything from white papers to direct response. And Chuck is so much more than a writer. He is a strategist, an effective communicator and the source of thought leadership. He is an excellent project manager, and multi-tasking writer, and has never missed a deadline.''
--PJ Hoke, VP Marketing, Thomas Group
1. Write more. Increase the number of words you write. Start writing every day.
2. Write faster. Don't worry about sentence structure and all the junk they drummed into your head in school. Give yourself permission to stream words faster than you can think. Just get them down. Revise later.
3. Start writing a blog today. Express yourself! Go on record. Say what you need to say! (That's a song and a way of life.) It doesn't matter what you write about. This is public writing, so tell your friends you are writing a blog. (Go to www.blogspot.com now and start your blog.)
4. Write on deadline with specific word limits.
5. Go to wordsmith.org and subscribe to ''Word A Day.'' You will receive a word and its definition in your inbox every day. Learn that word. Use it. Words are a writer's tools. The more tools you have, the better.
6. As Julia Cameron suggests in her Artist's Way book, write Morning Pages every day. Write privately about your deepest fears in your morning pages. As Mark Twain said, ''Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.'' We all have our demons. One way to face them is to write about them.
7. When you're stuck, get out. Do some Yoga. Stretch. Roll a dowel under your feet. See a movie. Bridget Foley says, ''Writing is physical.'' It takes body and mind working together. Getting out can free up the mind to get in touch with your body.
8. Write about your grandest aspirations in your Morning Pages. Inspire yourself. Fill your mind with your dreams. Indulge yourself. Think of your dreams as awe-inspiring powerful clouds that can take you anywhere you want to go.
9. Go on ''Artist Dates.'' Let yourself be inspired by all kinds of artistic expression: dance, art, music, magazines, television dramas and talk shows. Take it all in.
10. Challenge your assumptions. Write a short story in ten minutes. Write a novel over a weekend. Write a story in future tense. Write a story in second person. Stretch. If you're bored, move on.
11. Revise more carefully. Raise the bar. If it doesn't sound right, it is not right. Correct yourself before anyone else does.
12. Improve your interviewing skills. Ask questions that entice people to reveal themselves and tell their deeper stories.
13. Become a collector of stories. Understand how and why stories work. (Read Story by Robert McKee.)
14. Become more observant. Watch how people dress, how they walk, how they express themselves, how they shop. Watch how they relate to and talk about everything from their religion to their children to the make of their car.
15. Ask for a writing critique from a professional writer. Submit a piece and see what that person says. Ask the person to use track changes so you can see specific suggestions. See what you can learn.
16. Read books, blogs and essays more carefully. Learn new ways to expand your methods of writing. Become a vacuum cleaner, taking in all the ways people express themselves and all the subjects they express themselves about.
17. Notice your writing ''crutches,'' the methods you routinely use to express yourself. Notice the ways you can break out and leave those crutches on the sidewalk. Learn to use new sentence structures. Learn new ways to attack sentences.
18. Read more widely. Be adventurous. Read outside your comfort zone. Pick up kinds of books you'd never be caught dead reading until now. And give yourself permission to love, hate or be disgusted by what you read.
19. Find ways to say things in fewer words. Condense. Work at this. It's an invaluable talent.
20. Write with passion. First, settle on something you feel really passionate about. Then write about it. (Writing with passion is the best way to quickly improve your writing skills.)
21. Buy a book of grammar and use it. Don't try to read it from cover to cover. Use it as a reference when you're stuck or not sure about something. I like The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers by Anson & Schwegler. And don't forget to read the ever popular Elements of Style by White and Strunk.
22. Copy the writing of a favorite writer into a word file. I know it sounds crazy and it's obviously illegal if you try to pass it off as your writing. That's not what I'm suggesting. Take a passage of a favorite writer of yours. Type the words yourself. See if you can learn anything from immersing yourself in the syntax and subtext of the writing by doing that.
23. Join a writer's group. If you live in Dallas, visit The Writer's Garrett and see what's going on. Show up for readings of writers your admire.
24. If you happen to lve in Dallas, be sure to attend meetings of the First Friday Book Synopsis. Visit www.firstfridaybooksynopsis.com. Randy Mayeux and Karl Krayer present two business books every session. Read their handouts very carefully.
24. Become an active watcher of movies. Dissect stories. (Read Story by Robert Mckee.) Discover how the story is told.
25. Tape record yourself reading your writing aloud. Listen to it. This technique helps some writers improve. It's helped me.
One Client's Recommendation of ExcitingWriting Communications
''Chuck is a top-flight business writer, up there with the very best. He has insight into the businesses and business processes he is writing about that sometimes amazes me. He expresses concepts in a way that is extremely clear, compelling, easy to read and persuasive. He can write effectively in a wide variety of styles, everything from white papers to direct response. And Chuck is so much more than a writer. He is a strategist, an effective communicator and the source of thought leadership. He is an excellent project manager, and multi-tasking writer, and has never missed a deadline.''
--PJ Hoke, VP Marketing, Thomas Group
Monday, October 12, 2009
In These Difficult Times, I Hope this Example of ExcitingWriting Inspires You.
I began issuing my monthly EWAs more than seven years ago. The opt-in list now includes more than 1,900 people. Never once have I made the content of an EWA the actual copy that I wrote for a client until today. Whenever I read the copy below, which I wrote in the late 1980s for Exhibition Dynamics, it inspires me to believe that, although times can be tough, we have the capacity to be tougher than we think we can. Tell me if these words affect you in the same way. (Bill Reed, now of MarketGarden, was the designer on the brochure and referred me to the client.) My brochure copy for Exhibition Dynamics began:
''In 1933, in the depths of the Depression, a young man opened a sign painting shop in a Texas town. A few brushes and some cans of paint were all he had. The odds of his business lasting out the year were against him. But this man, Bob Powell, had a talented hand, a will to succeed and a vision that overcame all odds.
''You would see his work at county fairs, trade expositions and in showrooms. His business lasted out that year, and the next, even the Depression itself. The exhibit industry grew up around him. And gradually Bob Powell acquired a reputation and an organization and a list of clients second to none in the Southwest.
''Today that thriving business--now called Exhibit Dynamics--is national in scope, run by seasoned executives, and widely acknowledged to be on the cutting edge of design, construction technology and logistic services.
''What accounts for over a half-century of uninterrupted success at Exhibit Dynamics? Ask us. You'll experience the Exhibit Dynamics attitude.''
It's a shame that Exhibit Dynamics no longer exists, but I believe the spirit of its founder and organization live on.
In next month's EWA, I will finish up my list to 25 things you can do to become a better writer (the last 13). Promise!
''In 1933, in the depths of the Depression, a young man opened a sign painting shop in a Texas town. A few brushes and some cans of paint were all he had. The odds of his business lasting out the year were against him. But this man, Bob Powell, had a talented hand, a will to succeed and a vision that overcame all odds.
''You would see his work at county fairs, trade expositions and in showrooms. His business lasted out that year, and the next, even the Depression itself. The exhibit industry grew up around him. And gradually Bob Powell acquired a reputation and an organization and a list of clients second to none in the Southwest.
''Today that thriving business--now called Exhibit Dynamics--is national in scope, run by seasoned executives, and widely acknowledged to be on the cutting edge of design, construction technology and logistic services.
''What accounts for over a half-century of uninterrupted success at Exhibit Dynamics? Ask us. You'll experience the Exhibit Dynamics attitude.''
It's a shame that Exhibit Dynamics no longer exists, but I believe the spirit of its founder and organization live on.
In next month's EWA, I will finish up my list to 25 things you can do to become a better writer (the last 13). Promise!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
13 Things You Can Start Doing Today to Become a Better Writer
Let's get obsessed about writing. Let's get passionate about writing. Let's raise the bar and make writing our life's work like nothing else mattered (even though, let's face it, lots of things matter way more, for example, integrity, loyalty, friends and loved ones).
This piece is my take on Mary Jaksch's "73 Ways to Become a Better Writer." (on the "copyblogger" blog. She got it right!) This month, I'll list my first 13.
1. Write more. Increase the number of words you write. Start writing every day.
2. Write faster. Don't worry about sentence structure and all the junk they drummed into your head in school. Give yourself permission to stream words faster than you can think. Just get them down. Revise later.
3. Start writing a blog today. Express yourself! Go on record. Say what you need to say! (That's a song and a way of life!) It doesn't matter what you write about. This is public writing, so tell your friends you're writing a blog. (Go to www.blogspot.com now and start your blog.)
4. Write on deadline with specific word limits (Notice my EWA comes out on the 23rd of each month. Right now, as I'm writing these words, I'm writing on deadline.)
5. Go to wordsmith.org and subscribe to "Word A Day." You'll receive a word and its definition in your inbox every day. Learn that word. Use it. Words are a writer's tools. The more tools a writer has, the better.
6. Write privately. As Julia Cameron suggests in her Artist's Way book, write Morning Pages every day.
7. Write privately about your deepest fears in your morning pages. As Mark Twain said, "Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain." We all have our demons. One way to face them is to write about them.
8. Write about your grandest aspirations in your morning pages. Inspire yourself. Fill your mind with your dreams. Indulge yourself. Think of your dreams as awe inspiring beautiful clouds that can take you anywhere you want to go.
9. Go on "Artist Dates." Let yourself be inspired by all kinds of artistic expression: dance, art, music, magazines, television dramas and talk shows. Take it all in.
10. Challenge your assumptions. Write a short story in ten minutes. Write a novel over a weekend. Write a story in future tense. Write a story in second person. Stretch. If you're bored, move on.
11. Revise more carefully. Raise the bar. If it doesn't sound right, it's not right. Correct yourself.
12. Improve your interviewing skills. Ask questions that entice people to reveal themselves and tell their deeper stories.
13. Become a collector of stories. Understand how and why stories work. (Read Story by Robert McKee.)
This piece is my take on Mary Jaksch's "73 Ways to Become a Better Writer." (on the "copyblogger" blog. She got it right!) This month, I'll list my first 13.
1. Write more. Increase the number of words you write. Start writing every day.
2. Write faster. Don't worry about sentence structure and all the junk they drummed into your head in school. Give yourself permission to stream words faster than you can think. Just get them down. Revise later.
3. Start writing a blog today. Express yourself! Go on record. Say what you need to say! (That's a song and a way of life!) It doesn't matter what you write about. This is public writing, so tell your friends you're writing a blog. (Go to www.blogspot.com now and start your blog.)
4. Write on deadline with specific word limits (Notice my EWA comes out on the 23rd of each month. Right now, as I'm writing these words, I'm writing on deadline.)
5. Go to wordsmith.org and subscribe to "Word A Day." You'll receive a word and its definition in your inbox every day. Learn that word. Use it. Words are a writer's tools. The more tools a writer has, the better.
6. Write privately. As Julia Cameron suggests in her Artist's Way book, write Morning Pages every day.
7. Write privately about your deepest fears in your morning pages. As Mark Twain said, "Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain." We all have our demons. One way to face them is to write about them.
8. Write about your grandest aspirations in your morning pages. Inspire yourself. Fill your mind with your dreams. Indulge yourself. Think of your dreams as awe inspiring beautiful clouds that can take you anywhere you want to go.
9. Go on "Artist Dates." Let yourself be inspired by all kinds of artistic expression: dance, art, music, magazines, television dramas and talk shows. Take it all in.
10. Challenge your assumptions. Write a short story in ten minutes. Write a novel over a weekend. Write a story in future tense. Write a story in second person. Stretch. If you're bored, move on.
11. Revise more carefully. Raise the bar. If it doesn't sound right, it's not right. Correct yourself.
12. Improve your interviewing skills. Ask questions that entice people to reveal themselves and tell their deeper stories.
13. Become a collector of stories. Understand how and why stories work. (Read Story by Robert McKee.)
Monday, August 24, 2009
Writing for the Web - 4
This month I cover the seminal work of Dr. Robert B. Cialdini, the social scientist at Arizona State University and author of Influence: Science and Practice, which Fortune Magazine lists as one of "75 Smartest Business Books." From his thirty years of researching human behavior, Dr. Cialdini has distilled six principles of persuasion; he says one or more of those principles are at work in the background whenever an individual influences another to declare a preference, identify with a cause, make a purchase, or even just to "connect" with someone on LinkedIn or to "follow" someone on Twitter. (A big thank you goes to Michael Egan for introducing me to Dr. Cialdini's work years ago.)
Dr. Cialdini's six principles of ethical influence apply to the basic principles at work when business gets done over the web; they also apply to person-to-person selling, selling via direct mail, traditional advertising, personal communications or business communications via any other media. They say more about us as social animals than they do about the technology we use to socialize.
When Dr. Cialdini speaks of "ethical influence," he means the exercise of persuasion that derives from a legitimate company or person working for legitimate ends. In his words, "The ethical use of influence means: being honest; maintaining integrity; being a detective, not a smuggler or bungler." He speaks of himself as being a "detective of influence."
Here in brief are Dr. Cialdini's six "weapons of influence," which he says "are the subtle, yet powerful 'gears' capable of transforming virtually any interaction…[to obtain] measurable results."
1. Reciprocation. When people realize someone is doing something nice for them, they will be motivated to return the favor. I ask you: Why do pharmaceutical companies give out free samples? Tequila companies give out free shots? Restaurants give "2 for 1s" on certain nights? And why does Chuck Lustig give free writing advice. The answer is reciprocation. If a business-to-business company wants to assemble a list of prospects, it might "give away" a white paper, but not until interested parties fill in and submit a registration page. Why do they do this? Reciprocity. The moral? When on the web, always be the first to give service, information and concessions. You will be rewarded.
2. Commitment & Consistency. Have you ever noticed that non-profits usually ask you to make "a pledge," which they later bill you for? Why is that? Why don't they just send you a bill, let you fill in the amount you want to give and ask you to pay it straight away? The reason is simple: Researchers have found people are willing to commit to more money in an environment where they don't actually have to part with money. Dr. Cialdini found that once you get people to make a commitment, even if it is just a matter of filling in and sending in a pledge card, people are far more likely to honor their commitment, even if, as they are writing out the check, they are saying to themselves, "Too much! What could I have been thinking when I pledged that much?" Have you ever purchased a car or a home and found that, as you were working out the financing, the loan or mortgage turned out to have higher monthly payments than you first thought? Why did you not just walk away? Because you were committed; and being consistent with your commitment is a powerfully persuasive principle of ethical influence. After you've shopped online at a new website, the retail chain will typically begin e-mailing specials to you. Have you noticed that the "specials" are in the same price range and product category as the product you just purchased? Is that a coincidence? As you become a regular customer, the e-mail "specials" will be more expensive. Why is that? Think of it as a corollary to Dr. Cialdini's commitment and consistency principle: When you are building a relationship, start with small commitments and build. Why do you think automobile salesman begin by asking, "What color do you like best?"
3. Social Proof. People will do things they see others doing. Why were sophisticated investors hoodwinked by Bernie Madoff? Because Madoff was already doing business with their friends who were also sophisticated investors. In a famous experiment of Dr. Cialdini's, one or more people who were in on the experiment would stand around looking up at the sky. That's all they would do: Stand around looking up. Passersby would invariably look up to see what the others were seeing. Once, when this experiment was performed, so many people were looking up, it blocked traffic in an intersection. "Social proof" is the reason why websites use client or customer testimonials and case studies—to give the impression "everyone is doing it." It's the reason why certain people Twitter certain opinions or their approval of certain products. Let's face it: Were social animals. And isn't this the basis of political correctness as a trend?
4. Authority. People obey authority figures. This is the reason why credentials are so important; also why professionalism and industry knowledge are so crucial. On the web, it is apparent the way each company puts across its authority in areas that are key to its business. Companies will pay analysts to perform research and write white papers so they can position themselves at the forefront of thought leadership. Companies position themselves as authorities by fielding research. The news networks partner with newspapers and news magazines to field opinion polls. The American Automobile Association tracks the price of gasoline nationwide in order to position itself as the authority on auto travel in the U.S.
5. Liking. People like to buy from people who they sense are just like them. The success of Tupperware home parties and other home-party businesses are a result of people buying from people they like—where the walls between "salesman" and "customer" melt away. It is because of "liking" that social networking sites are so persuasive today. I think this principle is behind the success of the entire social networking craze. People want to "connect" with people they like.
6. Scarcity. Offers are available "for a limited time only," or available to "one family only." Movies open in LA and NYC to spread the buzz before opening elsewhere. This principle explains the shortage of "Beanie Babies" in the 1980s as well as iPhones and tickets for various rock and country acts. It's the law of supply and demand, after all.
If you look closely at every aspect of what is happening on the web today, you will see one or more of Dr. Cialdini's principles at work. If you are planning a website, campaign or any kind of social networking initiative, it pays to factor in all six weapons of influence.
An EWA-reader testimonial:
"I gave Chuck the challenge of writing a two-paragraph value proposition for a new company I was founding with a number of partners. The other partners and I sat with Chuck for a little over an hour and answered his well thought-out questions. About a week later, Chuck sent us two paragraphs that I was very impressed with. They not only summed up who we are and what we offer; they gave prospects extremely persuasive reasons whey they should contact us. That's ExcitingWriting."
John Ball
Managing Partner
SeatonHill
Dr. Cialdini's six principles of ethical influence apply to the basic principles at work when business gets done over the web; they also apply to person-to-person selling, selling via direct mail, traditional advertising, personal communications or business communications via any other media. They say more about us as social animals than they do about the technology we use to socialize.
When Dr. Cialdini speaks of "ethical influence," he means the exercise of persuasion that derives from a legitimate company or person working for legitimate ends. In his words, "The ethical use of influence means: being honest; maintaining integrity; being a detective, not a smuggler or bungler." He speaks of himself as being a "detective of influence."
Here in brief are Dr. Cialdini's six "weapons of influence," which he says "are the subtle, yet powerful 'gears' capable of transforming virtually any interaction…[to obtain] measurable results."
1. Reciprocation. When people realize someone is doing something nice for them, they will be motivated to return the favor. I ask you: Why do pharmaceutical companies give out free samples? Tequila companies give out free shots? Restaurants give "2 for 1s" on certain nights? And why does Chuck Lustig give free writing advice. The answer is reciprocation. If a business-to-business company wants to assemble a list of prospects, it might "give away" a white paper, but not until interested parties fill in and submit a registration page. Why do they do this? Reciprocity. The moral? When on the web, always be the first to give service, information and concessions. You will be rewarded.
2. Commitment & Consistency. Have you ever noticed that non-profits usually ask you to make "a pledge," which they later bill you for? Why is that? Why don't they just send you a bill, let you fill in the amount you want to give and ask you to pay it straight away? The reason is simple: Researchers have found people are willing to commit to more money in an environment where they don't actually have to part with money. Dr. Cialdini found that once you get people to make a commitment, even if it is just a matter of filling in and sending in a pledge card, people are far more likely to honor their commitment, even if, as they are writing out the check, they are saying to themselves, "Too much! What could I have been thinking when I pledged that much?" Have you ever purchased a car or a home and found that, as you were working out the financing, the loan or mortgage turned out to have higher monthly payments than you first thought? Why did you not just walk away? Because you were committed; and being consistent with your commitment is a powerfully persuasive principle of ethical influence. After you've shopped online at a new website, the retail chain will typically begin e-mailing specials to you. Have you noticed that the "specials" are in the same price range and product category as the product you just purchased? Is that a coincidence? As you become a regular customer, the e-mail "specials" will be more expensive. Why is that? Think of it as a corollary to Dr. Cialdini's commitment and consistency principle: When you are building a relationship, start with small commitments and build. Why do you think automobile salesman begin by asking, "What color do you like best?"
3. Social Proof. People will do things they see others doing. Why were sophisticated investors hoodwinked by Bernie Madoff? Because Madoff was already doing business with their friends who were also sophisticated investors. In a famous experiment of Dr. Cialdini's, one or more people who were in on the experiment would stand around looking up at the sky. That's all they would do: Stand around looking up. Passersby would invariably look up to see what the others were seeing. Once, when this experiment was performed, so many people were looking up, it blocked traffic in an intersection. "Social proof" is the reason why websites use client or customer testimonials and case studies—to give the impression "everyone is doing it." It's the reason why certain people Twitter certain opinions or their approval of certain products. Let's face it: Were social animals. And isn't this the basis of political correctness as a trend?
4. Authority. People obey authority figures. This is the reason why credentials are so important; also why professionalism and industry knowledge are so crucial. On the web, it is apparent the way each company puts across its authority in areas that are key to its business. Companies will pay analysts to perform research and write white papers so they can position themselves at the forefront of thought leadership. Companies position themselves as authorities by fielding research. The news networks partner with newspapers and news magazines to field opinion polls. The American Automobile Association tracks the price of gasoline nationwide in order to position itself as the authority on auto travel in the U.S.
5. Liking. People like to buy from people who they sense are just like them. The success of Tupperware home parties and other home-party businesses are a result of people buying from people they like—where the walls between "salesman" and "customer" melt away. It is because of "liking" that social networking sites are so persuasive today. I think this principle is behind the success of the entire social networking craze. People want to "connect" with people they like.
6. Scarcity. Offers are available "for a limited time only," or available to "one family only." Movies open in LA and NYC to spread the buzz before opening elsewhere. This principle explains the shortage of "Beanie Babies" in the 1980s as well as iPhones and tickets for various rock and country acts. It's the law of supply and demand, after all.
If you look closely at every aspect of what is happening on the web today, you will see one or more of Dr. Cialdini's principles at work. If you are planning a website, campaign or any kind of social networking initiative, it pays to factor in all six weapons of influence.
An EWA-reader testimonial:
"I gave Chuck the challenge of writing a two-paragraph value proposition for a new company I was founding with a number of partners. The other partners and I sat with Chuck for a little over an hour and answered his well thought-out questions. About a week later, Chuck sent us two paragraphs that I was very impressed with. They not only summed up who we are and what we offer; they gave prospects extremely persuasive reasons whey they should contact us. That's ExcitingWriting."
John Ball
Managing Partner
SeatonHill
Friday, July 24, 2009
Writing for the Web - 3
In this ExcitingWriting Advisory, I present a vision for how on-and-off-web marketing programs can work in synergy to give companies a competitive advantage. Assisting me once again is Andrew Szabo, principle "conductor" of Marketing Symphony, a results-oriented, full-service integrated marketing agency. He is also "The Marketing Chef," author, speaker, strategist and commentator.
The key thought this month: Most companies' on and off-line marketing efforts are not integrated; if they were, those companies could significantly improve their return on marketing. Other thoughts we'll be covering: There is a "bifurcation" going on that is limiting productivity. (More about that later. Listen up, Twitter fans!) And this: Many companies are in a rut when it comes to their marketing activities. (More about that later, too.)
Let's begin: Relatively few companies are tapping into the business-building synergies of integrated on- and off-line marketing instruments.
Andrew has found that the way people respond to traditional media is in a state of flux. This is supported by a Direct Marketing Association study, which found that when people receive direct mail (letters, brochures, mailers, etc.), 42 percent now prefer to respond online. Organizations must be prepared to communicate effectively through this channel and not pass these leads off to generic websites.
Here is an integrated approach Andrew has had success with (and it's based on the results of that DMA study): Prospects receive a postcard, letter or email that asks them to go to a "personalized URL," a web address that contains their name along with the campaign name.
When recipients enter in their PURLs, they are presented with an eight- to 20- second video that brings the static direct marketing piece to life. The "look," theme and creative approach is unified, from the teaser direct mail piece through to the landing page and beyond. The landing page contains specific and relevant offers, discounts or coupons which entice prospects to participate in a short opinion poll that takes no more than twenty seconds to fill out. They next read a message that is dynamically altered according to their survey responses. The final step is an immediate trigger email back to the respondent that again is dynamically driven based on the survey responses.
This approach gives a high-technology twist to an old-fashioned, off-line approach (direct mail), and integrates it with on-line techniques for added success. Using personalized URLs often double response rates, as users are intrigued to interact with what appears to be a personalized website. And thanks to the PURL, the company can immediately identify who the respondent is.
A 2008 MIT Sloan School of Management study found that when a salesperson or call center agent telephones a respondent within five minutes of that person visiting your web page, it improves the chance of that agent helping the customer or selling something by 100 percent over waiting thirty minutes to make that phone call.
Of course it's not only about booking sales. Selling it is also about giving service. When an agent calls within five minutes, that person is in a position to engage and be far more helpful—because the prospect is engaged and the WOW factor cannot be underestimated.
So, imagine going on line to your PURL, receiving a coupon, submitting answers to a simple three-question survey, and then, within a matter of minutes, receiving a phone call from the company. Again you have old technology (a call center) enhanced with new technology, automatically generated e-mails that trigger agents to call customers when they are more likely to purchase. It works.
This is what we mean by integrating on- and off-line techniques. Corporations with B2B models can use the same approach. Within five minutes of someone downloading a white paper or a software sample, the person could receive a phone call from customer service. The agent has an opportunity to be helpful. Perhaps a new customer relationship is born!
How often is on- and off-line integrated marketing being used by companies today? It's rare. But integration can improve bottom-line results. Don't ignore the opportunity!
A few related observations:
There seems to be a "bifurcation" going on today: Some companies are effective online but forget to experiment with old-fashioned marketing models. Others give a nod to the web (with a website) but are stuck in traditional marketing techniques, and show no great interest in using online marketing tools or social networking media for branding and marketing purposes.
Despite what some say, social networking is providing some companies with powerful business platforms:
Dell is raking in $2 million in additional business due to special twitter-only offers via @DellOutlet. It currently has 888,000 followers. Read more. (LINK: http://blogs.usatoday.com/technologylive/2009/06/twitter-isn't-making-money-but-delltwitter-is.html)
The return on investment is tremendous; the company is hardly spending an additional penny to mount the campaign. Interestingly, Dell has users going from Twitter to FaceBook to actually pick up coupons.
JetBlue has also had early success on Twitter with @JetBlueCheeps. More than 10,000 people are "followers" and get the Twitter-only airline specials.
Social networking is also giving companies opportunities to field surveys and polls in new ways via LinkedIn and Twitter. Of course, there is still a place for traditional quantitative studies and focus groups.
Despite these successes and opportunities, most companies stick to doing whatever's working.
Andrew has created a list of 166 possible "marketing instruments." The list includes everything from outdoor billboards to social media such as Twitter and FaceBook. Just drop an email to 160plus@TheMarketingChef.com and Andrew will give you the full list plus a method to select and prioritize those that are best for your business. The point is not to use all 166; rather that most companies stick to a few proven marketing instruments, which they have a modicum of success with. They don't experiment because, as Andrew is fond of saying, "the good is ever the enemy of the great." (The more success most people have, the less adventurous they typically are about trying new things.)
Out of the 166 possible marketing "instruments," how many has your company ever used? How many are you testing? Do you have a process in place to test new approaches? Try it!
The key thought this month: Most companies' on and off-line marketing efforts are not integrated; if they were, those companies could significantly improve their return on marketing. Other thoughts we'll be covering: There is a "bifurcation" going on that is limiting productivity. (More about that later. Listen up, Twitter fans!) And this: Many companies are in a rut when it comes to their marketing activities. (More about that later, too.)
Let's begin: Relatively few companies are tapping into the business-building synergies of integrated on- and off-line marketing instruments.
Andrew has found that the way people respond to traditional media is in a state of flux. This is supported by a Direct Marketing Association study, which found that when people receive direct mail (letters, brochures, mailers, etc.), 42 percent now prefer to respond online. Organizations must be prepared to communicate effectively through this channel and not pass these leads off to generic websites.
Here is an integrated approach Andrew has had success with (and it's based on the results of that DMA study): Prospects receive a postcard, letter or email that asks them to go to a "personalized URL," a web address that contains their name along with the campaign name.
When recipients enter in their PURLs, they are presented with an eight- to 20- second video that brings the static direct marketing piece to life. The "look," theme and creative approach is unified, from the teaser direct mail piece through to the landing page and beyond. The landing page contains specific and relevant offers, discounts or coupons which entice prospects to participate in a short opinion poll that takes no more than twenty seconds to fill out. They next read a message that is dynamically altered according to their survey responses. The final step is an immediate trigger email back to the respondent that again is dynamically driven based on the survey responses.
This approach gives a high-technology twist to an old-fashioned, off-line approach (direct mail), and integrates it with on-line techniques for added success. Using personalized URLs often double response rates, as users are intrigued to interact with what appears to be a personalized website. And thanks to the PURL, the company can immediately identify who the respondent is.
A 2008 MIT Sloan School of Management study found that when a salesperson or call center agent telephones a respondent within five minutes of that person visiting your web page, it improves the chance of that agent helping the customer or selling something by 100 percent over waiting thirty minutes to make that phone call.
Of course it's not only about booking sales. Selling it is also about giving service. When an agent calls within five minutes, that person is in a position to engage and be far more helpful—because the prospect is engaged and the WOW factor cannot be underestimated.
So, imagine going on line to your PURL, receiving a coupon, submitting answers to a simple three-question survey, and then, within a matter of minutes, receiving a phone call from the company. Again you have old technology (a call center) enhanced with new technology, automatically generated e-mails that trigger agents to call customers when they are more likely to purchase. It works.
This is what we mean by integrating on- and off-line techniques. Corporations with B2B models can use the same approach. Within five minutes of someone downloading a white paper or a software sample, the person could receive a phone call from customer service. The agent has an opportunity to be helpful. Perhaps a new customer relationship is born!
How often is on- and off-line integrated marketing being used by companies today? It's rare. But integration can improve bottom-line results. Don't ignore the opportunity!
A few related observations:
There seems to be a "bifurcation" going on today: Some companies are effective online but forget to experiment with old-fashioned marketing models. Others give a nod to the web (with a website) but are stuck in traditional marketing techniques, and show no great interest in using online marketing tools or social networking media for branding and marketing purposes.
Despite what some say, social networking is providing some companies with powerful business platforms:
Dell is raking in $2 million in additional business due to special twitter-only offers via @DellOutlet. It currently has 888,000 followers. Read more. (LINK: http://blogs.usatoday.com/technologylive/2009/06/twitter-isn't-making-money-but-delltwitter-is.html)
The return on investment is tremendous; the company is hardly spending an additional penny to mount the campaign. Interestingly, Dell has users going from Twitter to FaceBook to actually pick up coupons.
JetBlue has also had early success on Twitter with @JetBlueCheeps. More than 10,000 people are "followers" and get the Twitter-only airline specials.
Social networking is also giving companies opportunities to field surveys and polls in new ways via LinkedIn and Twitter. Of course, there is still a place for traditional quantitative studies and focus groups.
Despite these successes and opportunities, most companies stick to doing whatever's working.
Andrew has created a list of 166 possible "marketing instruments." The list includes everything from outdoor billboards to social media such as Twitter and FaceBook. Just drop an email to 160plus@TheMarketingChef.com and Andrew will give you the full list plus a method to select and prioritize those that are best for your business. The point is not to use all 166; rather that most companies stick to a few proven marketing instruments, which they have a modicum of success with. They don't experiment because, as Andrew is fond of saying, "the good is ever the enemy of the great." (The more success most people have, the less adventurous they typically are about trying new things.)
Out of the 166 possible marketing "instruments," how many has your company ever used? How many are you testing? Do you have a process in place to test new approaches? Try it!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Writing for the Web - 2
I usually give writing advice; however, this month's EWA covers some marketing basics. In business, writing serves marketing, not the other way around. If the marketing plan is flawed, the writing will be, as well, no matter how "creative" it may seem. When the marketing strategy and plan are right and when the writing is both on strategy and empowered with emotion, there is no more powerful marketing tool any company can have. Assisting me this month is Andrew Szabo, principal "conductor" of Marketing Symphony, a results-oriented, full-service integrated marketing agency. (LINK TO MARKETING SYMPHONY WEB SITE) Andrew is a thought leader in this area; he is writing a book on the subject, as well he should!
Although I have entitled this EWA ''Writing for the Web -2,'' I do so with the belief that business success always begins with marketing, which for most companies today includes on- and off-line marketing techniques, tools and channels.
I have always liked Andrew's definition of marketing:
''Marketing is everything you do and everything you do not do; because everything you do and do not do sends a message.''
The way a company answers its telephone is marketing.
The way its customer-facing employees dress is marketing.
The way a company sends out a proposal to a prospect is marketing.
You get the idea.
I like the inclusiveness of the definition because it forces one to a pretty radical conclusion: A lot of a typical company's marketing is not directly under the control of its marketing department; it is part of a company's culture.
What is the purpose of marketing? Andrew says, ''The strategic objective of all marketing is to have your clients, prospects, referral sources and other stakeholders think of you first, often and well.''
''First'' means that the purpose of a marketing campaign must be to promote the company to top-of-mind awareness among prospects. Marketing experts say in any given niche there is room for three competitors, at most. Andrew's definition sets a simple goal: Be the first organization that comes to your prospect's mind for your specific niche.
''Often'' means marketing must be a regular, ongoing business process; you cannot have people thinking of you often if you market to them sporadically.
''Well'' means there must be an element of product or service superiority and customer preference, otherwise no one would ever recommend a company to anyone else.
Andrew goes on to posit that your positioning, the space you stake out in the marketplace, must be:
When you have these four attributes working for your company, you discover that ''the thing being marketed'' is your unique niche in the marketplace.
What follows may seem preposterous, but I swear it is the absolute truth: Over the last fifty or more years, since the development of ''marketing'' as a discipline, nothing has changed about it. I know, I know: You probably expect me to say everything has changed since the arrival of the web, and particularly since the social networking craze with everybody going gaga over Twitter, Face Book, LinkedIn, et al. Regardless, I rest my case: Nothing has changed. The reason: It is always about inducing a defined audience to find value in, and, ultimately, consume something, and it always will be. Twitter and Face Book are merely new tools marketers may choose, or choose not, to use.
Experts have done research proving that turning a prospect into a consumer requires many ''touch points.'' I am not surprised. I am a relatively late adopter, so I need a lot of touch points before I will act. Ask yourself: Back in the 1980s (if you were alive then), how many times did you have to hear positive messages or commercials about or from Federal Express before you entrusted a valuable package to the company and paid their (at the time) exorbitant price? That just speaks to the need for a consistent marketing program over time.
My approach to growing a business is as old as the hills. (My parents were retailers and provided a good example.) If you mind the business, the business will take care of you. Andrew agrees with me. He takes a process view of marketing and the way to win new customers:
For Andrew, when it comes to attracting a new customer, a business must be interruptive in order to gain the customer's attention. Once it has distinguished itself, it can become informative in order to establish credibility. Then it can become interactive in order to build an ongoing relationship. Finally, it must inspire a customer to take that leap of faith as it closes the sale.
Andrew sees this process like a relay race: By that he means that if any link in the customer-creation process is broken, the sale falters. (For example, if a company is good at being interruptive, interactive and inspirational, but is not good at being informative, it cannot win customers.)
Andrew has identified seven essential and immutable principles of marketing every successful organization must follow if it intends to ensure success:
Next month: Andrew contributes thoughts on how to integrate on-line and off-line marketing strategies.
Although I have entitled this EWA ''Writing for the Web -2,'' I do so with the belief that business success always begins with marketing, which for most companies today includes on- and off-line marketing techniques, tools and channels.
I have always liked Andrew's definition of marketing:
''Marketing is everything you do and everything you do not do; because everything you do and do not do sends a message.''
The way a company answers its telephone is marketing.
The way its customer-facing employees dress is marketing.
The way a company sends out a proposal to a prospect is marketing.
You get the idea.
I like the inclusiveness of the definition because it forces one to a pretty radical conclusion: A lot of a typical company's marketing is not directly under the control of its marketing department; it is part of a company's culture.
What is the purpose of marketing? Andrew says, ''The strategic objective of all marketing is to have your clients, prospects, referral sources and other stakeholders think of you first, often and well.''
''First'' means that the purpose of a marketing campaign must be to promote the company to top-of-mind awareness among prospects. Marketing experts say in any given niche there is room for three competitors, at most. Andrew's definition sets a simple goal: Be the first organization that comes to your prospect's mind for your specific niche.
''Often'' means marketing must be a regular, ongoing business process; you cannot have people thinking of you often if you market to them sporadically.
''Well'' means there must be an element of product or service superiority and customer preference, otherwise no one would ever recommend a company to anyone else.
Andrew goes on to posit that your positioning, the space you stake out in the marketplace, must be:
- Unique, or at least differentiated from other choices
- Defendable, so no one else can easily lay claim to the same positioning
- Credible, which means you have the facts to support your position; it is not based on fluff
- Sustainable, which means it lends itself to an ongoing, integrated, rationalized marketing effort that will work today, next week and six months from now. (Changing your positioning every year only creates confusion in the marketplace.)
When you have these four attributes working for your company, you discover that ''the thing being marketed'' is your unique niche in the marketplace.
What follows may seem preposterous, but I swear it is the absolute truth: Over the last fifty or more years, since the development of ''marketing'' as a discipline, nothing has changed about it. I know, I know: You probably expect me to say everything has changed since the arrival of the web, and particularly since the social networking craze with everybody going gaga over Twitter, Face Book, LinkedIn, et al. Regardless, I rest my case: Nothing has changed. The reason: It is always about inducing a defined audience to find value in, and, ultimately, consume something, and it always will be. Twitter and Face Book are merely new tools marketers may choose, or choose not, to use.
Experts have done research proving that turning a prospect into a consumer requires many ''touch points.'' I am not surprised. I am a relatively late adopter, so I need a lot of touch points before I will act. Ask yourself: Back in the 1980s (if you were alive then), how many times did you have to hear positive messages or commercials about or from Federal Express before you entrusted a valuable package to the company and paid their (at the time) exorbitant price? That just speaks to the need for a consistent marketing program over time.
My approach to growing a business is as old as the hills. (My parents were retailers and provided a good example.) If you mind the business, the business will take care of you. Andrew agrees with me. He takes a process view of marketing and the way to win new customers:
For Andrew, when it comes to attracting a new customer, a business must be interruptive in order to gain the customer's attention. Once it has distinguished itself, it can become informative in order to establish credibility. Then it can become interactive in order to build an ongoing relationship. Finally, it must inspire a customer to take that leap of faith as it closes the sale.
Andrew sees this process like a relay race: By that he means that if any link in the customer-creation process is broken, the sale falters. (For example, if a company is good at being interruptive, interactive and inspirational, but is not good at being informative, it cannot win customers.)
Andrew has identified seven essential and immutable principles of marketing every successful organization must follow if it intends to ensure success:
- Your organization should consistently communicate your key message across all touch points. Everyone in your organizationtop to bottomshould know your key message. Why? Because marketing is everything you do, and everything you do not do, and because everything you do and do not do sends a message.
- Your message must include a strong reason for selecting your company to do business with over your competitors; you must be consistentnot sporadicabout your marketing. Why? Because the strategic objective of your marketing is to have your clients, prospects, referral sources and other stakeholders think of you first, often and well.
- Your brand must sum up who you are and differentiate your organization from your competition. Remember, your brand is the essence of who you are and how you are represented in the marketplace; it is the assimilation of all the messages your target audience receives about you.
- Intelligent marketing is executing the right tactics right. Right tactics are derived from strategy. In the absence of a codified marketing strategy, your tactics will end up dictating your strategy, which will result in chaotic marketing. Remember, strategy is as important to marketing as marketing is to copywriting.
- Continuous, incremental improvement is the name-of-the-game. The efficacy of your tactical execution is maximized through strategy, integration and measurement, and iterative incremental improvement.
- Every organization has a story to tell. Find your core story, ensure it is relevant, memorable and persuasive. When it is right, it will move the heart, mind and soul.
- Relationship building is central to marketing; as in any relationship, to be thought of first, often and well requires constant listening, patience and positive intention.
Next month: Andrew contributes thoughts on how to integrate on-line and off-line marketing strategies.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Writing for the Web - 1
Because the influence of the web and social networking media are so pervasive, today I embark on a series of EWAs devoted to writing for the web. In this essay (Essay comes from the French word for try.) I cover a few fundamental writing principles. In future months, I will cover writing effective tweets and direct response web writing, among other topics.
My comments here apply to business-to-business and corporate websites that describe capabilities and product offerings for the purpose of driving business.
Include key words but don’t get carried away. On the home page, make sure your copy includes relevant key words, but also make sure your desire to inject key words doesn’t keep the copy from being helpful and sounding authentic. Mentioning key words and phrases prominently on your home page is important because search engine spiders go out on the web and capture key words. Search engines then deliver up your URL when someone searches for key words that happen to be on your website. Some would say, ''Well, then, let’s just make our home page a string of key words. Stack 'em deep! Sell 'em cheap!'' If that sounds like a used car salesman, it is no coincidence. Today’s search engine spiders are intelligent enough to reject those URLs. So be aware of key words, but put the key-word list away when you write.
Write with authority and clarity to project trustworthiness. Your copy should be simple in structure and authoritative in tone. It should always be in active voice. It should sound natural so it inspires confidence. Make sure it tells visitors exactly what your company does and what they will get out of doing business with you. As with all copy, features and benefits must figure prominently.
Think usability first. Try thinking of your website as both an information utility and as the essence of your brand. Is there a contradiction there? How can a website give visitors useful information and still be the brand? There is no contradiction. The essence of a brand is not what we are; it is what we do for others. For example, there is no need for my ExcitingWriting brand to claim superior writing skills; my brand gives useful advice that demonstrates mastery. On the web, you walk the talk by doing for others.
See your home page the way your visitors see it. The corollary of the think usability first principle is this: See your home page the way your visitor sees it. When you are planning your website, make sure you take into account each audience segment and the information that segment will be looking for when it visits your website. Then design your navigation so your audiences can find what they want with as few clicks as possible.
Make sure your website gives useful information. Remember, sometimes visitors are looking for answers to simple questions that might not occur to you: What is the name of your CEO? What is your postal address? What is your physical address? What business are you in? Why do customers/clients choose to do business with you? When it comes to content, make certain each page is short and to the point. The maximum words on each page: 250 to 300. People scan when they read on the web. They don’t want a tome. It’s fine to attach longer PDFs, but make sure navigation and content are thought out in terms of what users want to know.
Do not be afraid to use the same key words more than once. When you were in school your English teacher might have taught you that you should never to repeat words in close proximity. She taught you to use a thesaurus and synonyms to avoid repeating. That’s over. In web writing you are allowed, even encouraged, to repeat, but be careful. Make sure the web writing sounds natural. For example, it’s okay to repeat some of the same concepts and key words on the About page that you use on the Why Choose page. Make sure you create a balance between usability of content and your use of repeated key words.
Think short and simple. I have already mentioned a maximum of 300 words on each page. Make sure each sentence is short and to the point. Make sure each paragraph doesn’t have too many sentences. The copy should not look too dense on the page. Use bullets and bold subheads to make the copy easy to scan. And make sure you are respectful in your writing and take a business point of view.
Use standard buttons. Websites today routinely use About, or About us, Why choose? Partners, Contact, Press, Investors, Services, Products, Blog, Bios, etc. People are accustomed to seeing those buttons and similar ones in websites. They feel comfortable using them. So make sure they are a part of your website.
What one client wrote about Chuck Lustig
After I wrote copy for her website, Clivia Bettelli Baskin wrote:
''It has been a real pleasure working with you. You have a wonderful grasp of how to present the information, and I like the way you talk through and review changes. Looking forward to another session/project.
All my best,
Clivia
My comments here apply to business-to-business and corporate websites that describe capabilities and product offerings for the purpose of driving business.
Include key words but don’t get carried away. On the home page, make sure your copy includes relevant key words, but also make sure your desire to inject key words doesn’t keep the copy from being helpful and sounding authentic. Mentioning key words and phrases prominently on your home page is important because search engine spiders go out on the web and capture key words. Search engines then deliver up your URL when someone searches for key words that happen to be on your website. Some would say, ''Well, then, let’s just make our home page a string of key words. Stack 'em deep! Sell 'em cheap!'' If that sounds like a used car salesman, it is no coincidence. Today’s search engine spiders are intelligent enough to reject those URLs. So be aware of key words, but put the key-word list away when you write.
Write with authority and clarity to project trustworthiness. Your copy should be simple in structure and authoritative in tone. It should always be in active voice. It should sound natural so it inspires confidence. Make sure it tells visitors exactly what your company does and what they will get out of doing business with you. As with all copy, features and benefits must figure prominently.
Think usability first. Try thinking of your website as both an information utility and as the essence of your brand. Is there a contradiction there? How can a website give visitors useful information and still be the brand? There is no contradiction. The essence of a brand is not what we are; it is what we do for others. For example, there is no need for my ExcitingWriting brand to claim superior writing skills; my brand gives useful advice that demonstrates mastery. On the web, you walk the talk by doing for others.
See your home page the way your visitors see it. The corollary of the think usability first principle is this: See your home page the way your visitor sees it. When you are planning your website, make sure you take into account each audience segment and the information that segment will be looking for when it visits your website. Then design your navigation so your audiences can find what they want with as few clicks as possible.
Make sure your website gives useful information. Remember, sometimes visitors are looking for answers to simple questions that might not occur to you: What is the name of your CEO? What is your postal address? What is your physical address? What business are you in? Why do customers/clients choose to do business with you? When it comes to content, make certain each page is short and to the point. The maximum words on each page: 250 to 300. People scan when they read on the web. They don’t want a tome. It’s fine to attach longer PDFs, but make sure navigation and content are thought out in terms of what users want to know.
Do not be afraid to use the same key words more than once. When you were in school your English teacher might have taught you that you should never to repeat words in close proximity. She taught you to use a thesaurus and synonyms to avoid repeating. That’s over. In web writing you are allowed, even encouraged, to repeat, but be careful. Make sure the web writing sounds natural. For example, it’s okay to repeat some of the same concepts and key words on the About page that you use on the Why Choose page. Make sure you create a balance between usability of content and your use of repeated key words.
Think short and simple. I have already mentioned a maximum of 300 words on each page. Make sure each sentence is short and to the point. Make sure each paragraph doesn’t have too many sentences. The copy should not look too dense on the page. Use bullets and bold subheads to make the copy easy to scan. And make sure you are respectful in your writing and take a business point of view.
Use standard buttons. Websites today routinely use About, or About us, Why choose? Partners, Contact, Press, Investors, Services, Products, Blog, Bios, etc. People are accustomed to seeing those buttons and similar ones in websites. They feel comfortable using them. So make sure they are a part of your website.
What one client wrote about Chuck Lustig
After I wrote copy for her website, Clivia Bettelli Baskin wrote:
''It has been a real pleasure working with you. You have a wonderful grasp of how to present the information, and I like the way you talk through and review changes. Looking forward to another session/project.
All my best,
Clivia
The Semicolon, Semi-explained
This month we continue our journey down punctuation road for a discussion of that little understood and oft-feared mark, the semicolon. Yes, feared! I once feared it because I could not fathom why anyone would ever want to use it! Show offs, I thought! Once I found enlightenment, I became semi-confident about my semicolon use.
Once upon a time, a period married a colon and gave birth to a semicolon. The semicolon had some of the characteristics of a period because it usually came at the end of a clause that could stand on its own as a sentence. It had some of the characteristics of a colon because it caused the reader to slow down and nearly come to a full stop. It also resembled its uncle the comma because it gave a sense of flow to two clauses locked in a love embrace. When little Miss Semicolon grew to adulthood, she said, ''I'm all about relationships.''
The function of the semicolon is in bringing two clauses together in a relationship but not necessarily specifying what the relationship is. The relationship happens in readers' heads; that is the beauty of the semicolon.
Consider this sentence:
The credit markets are reeling over the sub-prime debacle; more economists are predicting a credit crunch, if not a recession.
The causal relationship is implied. I like semicolons because they enable a writer to use those relationships to weave subtext; they also make careful reading more rewarding.
For a moment, allow me to digress and comment on something called ''comma splices.'' When I taught writing at the college level, students seemed to be hooked on comma splices. What is a comma splice? Here's an example:
When my father was a boy, Studebakers were the cars everybody loved to hate, they would overheat in traffic and mechanics were hard to come by.
Comma splices are grammatically incorrect and annoying to read. They give me the impression that the writer does not know where one clause ends and the next begins.
Look at the difference a semicolon makes:
When I was a boy, Studebakers were the cars everybody loved to hate; they would overheat in traffic and mechanics were hard to come by.
My point: Those of you who love shaking comma sprinkles on your ice cream should try sprinkling semicolons for a refreshing change of pace.
I often see semicolons used with transition words such as however, on the other hand, moreover, thus and therefore.
I saw him at the store; however, he didn't see me.
Transition words ruin what I love about semicolons by making the relationship between the clauses obvious. On the other hand, those transition words can be very useful in business and technical writing because they contribute to readability.
Some punctuation guides say you must always place the semicolon before the transition word; however, Leslie Bivens points out that such a rule is misleading. All three of the examples below are correct:
Example #1: I saw him at the store; however, he didn't see me.
Example #2: I saw him at the store; he, however, didn't see me.
Example #3: I saw him at the store; he didn't see me, however.
Notice how the linking words can be placed at various points in the second clause, yet the semicolon is always placed between the first and second clause.
The second major semicolon use is in a complex series where the semicolon is used to keep hierarchies correct.
Examples of American Gothic architecture can be found in Lenox, Massachusetts; Hampton Roads, Virginia; and Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
When not every item in a series has a modifier, don't let that throw you. Use the semicolon between all the items in the series.
The group included Bert, IT manager; Sandra; and Jennifer, corporate comptroller.
And now a little bit about the history of the semicolon. First used by a London printer in 1560, Shakespeare's sonnets employed them regularly. For example, two couplets from one humorous sonnet:
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
And there you have it! My semi-humorous, semi-complete ode to semicolons.
Once upon a time, a period married a colon and gave birth to a semicolon. The semicolon had some of the characteristics of a period because it usually came at the end of a clause that could stand on its own as a sentence. It had some of the characteristics of a colon because it caused the reader to slow down and nearly come to a full stop. It also resembled its uncle the comma because it gave a sense of flow to two clauses locked in a love embrace. When little Miss Semicolon grew to adulthood, she said, ''I'm all about relationships.''
The function of the semicolon is in bringing two clauses together in a relationship but not necessarily specifying what the relationship is. The relationship happens in readers' heads; that is the beauty of the semicolon.
Consider this sentence:
The credit markets are reeling over the sub-prime debacle; more economists are predicting a credit crunch, if not a recession.
The causal relationship is implied. I like semicolons because they enable a writer to use those relationships to weave subtext; they also make careful reading more rewarding.
For a moment, allow me to digress and comment on something called ''comma splices.'' When I taught writing at the college level, students seemed to be hooked on comma splices. What is a comma splice? Here's an example:
When my father was a boy, Studebakers were the cars everybody loved to hate, they would overheat in traffic and mechanics were hard to come by.
Comma splices are grammatically incorrect and annoying to read. They give me the impression that the writer does not know where one clause ends and the next begins.
Look at the difference a semicolon makes:
When I was a boy, Studebakers were the cars everybody loved to hate; they would overheat in traffic and mechanics were hard to come by.
My point: Those of you who love shaking comma sprinkles on your ice cream should try sprinkling semicolons for a refreshing change of pace.
I often see semicolons used with transition words such as however, on the other hand, moreover, thus and therefore.
I saw him at the store; however, he didn't see me.
Transition words ruin what I love about semicolons by making the relationship between the clauses obvious. On the other hand, those transition words can be very useful in business and technical writing because they contribute to readability.
Some punctuation guides say you must always place the semicolon before the transition word; however, Leslie Bivens points out that such a rule is misleading. All three of the examples below are correct:
Example #1: I saw him at the store; however, he didn't see me.
Example #2: I saw him at the store; he, however, didn't see me.
Example #3: I saw him at the store; he didn't see me, however.
Notice how the linking words can be placed at various points in the second clause, yet the semicolon is always placed between the first and second clause.
The second major semicolon use is in a complex series where the semicolon is used to keep hierarchies correct.
Examples of American Gothic architecture can be found in Lenox, Massachusetts; Hampton Roads, Virginia; and Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
When not every item in a series has a modifier, don't let that throw you. Use the semicolon between all the items in the series.
The group included Bert, IT manager; Sandra; and Jennifer, corporate comptroller.
And now a little bit about the history of the semicolon. First used by a London printer in 1560, Shakespeare's sonnets employed them regularly. For example, two couplets from one humorous sonnet:
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
And there you have it! My semi-humorous, semi-complete ode to semicolons.
Who Knows Where the Period Goes?
''Who knows where the period goes in this case?'' ''I do, Mr. Lustig,'' said the eager student. This month we review use of periods; it's a cross check between use of quotes and parentheses which we've covered in recent months. Then, farther below, read a short homily on the divine nature of business writing. Yes. The divine nature of business writing.
I noticed a curious contrast between the use of parentheses and the use of quotes: The quote always encloses the period at the end of a sentence, but a parenthesis sometimes has a period hanging out there, exposed at the end of a sentence. Examples:
Use of quote:
Mr. Jake Lancer, Dallas entrepreneur, said, ''I know most will disagree, but I believe the economy is fundamentally sound.''
Notice that the quote sign always goes to the right of the period at the end of the sentence.
Use of parentheses:
You can place an aside at the end of the sentence (as I have done here).
Notice that you place the period to the right of the parenthesis when (and only when) the parenthetical expression comes at the end of the sentence. When a parenthetical expression encloses the entire sentence, you put the period to the left of the final parenthesis.
Example:
(When the aside is a complete sentence, you put the period to the left of the final parenthesis like this.)
So now (in the case of quotes and parentheses) you know where the period goes.
On the Devine Nature of Business Writing
If you ever give yourself the gift of reading Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, you will notice that the divine nature of creativity is one of the most fundamental principles of her book. ''Creativity is the natural order of life. Life is energy: pure creative energy,'' she writes. And this: ''When we open ourselves to our creativity, we open ourselves to the creator's creativity within us and our lives.'' And this: ''Creativity is God's gift to us. Using our creativity is our gift back to God.'' To Cameron (and to me) the process is highly spiritual.
I think it is generally accepted that higher forms of art are inspired by a higher power while lower forms, for example, advertising, marketing communications, architecture and product design, are not. I disagree. Why should other work, for example, the design of a circuit board, a semiconductor, or the writing of a software manual, be excluded from this cavalcade? When we produce anything positive in this world, even if it is work as lowly as taking out the garbage, we can do it while connected to our divine creator and be inspired as a result. A piece of business writing can be as informed by this inspiration as a novel or a play. It is only up to each of us to supply the connection.
I noticed a curious contrast between the use of parentheses and the use of quotes: The quote always encloses the period at the end of a sentence, but a parenthesis sometimes has a period hanging out there, exposed at the end of a sentence. Examples:
Use of quote:
Mr. Jake Lancer, Dallas entrepreneur, said, ''I know most will disagree, but I believe the economy is fundamentally sound.''
Notice that the quote sign always goes to the right of the period at the end of the sentence.
Use of parentheses:
You can place an aside at the end of the sentence (as I have done here).
Notice that you place the period to the right of the parenthesis when (and only when) the parenthetical expression comes at the end of the sentence. When a parenthetical expression encloses the entire sentence, you put the period to the left of the final parenthesis.
Example:
(When the aside is a complete sentence, you put the period to the left of the final parenthesis like this.)
So now (in the case of quotes and parentheses) you know where the period goes.
On the Devine Nature of Business Writing
If you ever give yourself the gift of reading Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, you will notice that the divine nature of creativity is one of the most fundamental principles of her book. ''Creativity is the natural order of life. Life is energy: pure creative energy,'' she writes. And this: ''When we open ourselves to our creativity, we open ourselves to the creator's creativity within us and our lives.'' And this: ''Creativity is God's gift to us. Using our creativity is our gift back to God.'' To Cameron (and to me) the process is highly spiritual.
I think it is generally accepted that higher forms of art are inspired by a higher power while lower forms, for example, advertising, marketing communications, architecture and product design, are not. I disagree. Why should other work, for example, the design of a circuit board, a semiconductor, or the writing of a software manual, be excluded from this cavalcade? When we produce anything positive in this world, even if it is work as lowly as taking out the garbage, we can do it while connected to our divine creator and be inspired as a result. A piece of business writing can be as informed by this inspiration as a novel or a play. It is only up to each of us to supply the connection.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
For the Love of Writing
This is my song to writers who straddle two worlds, people who are commercial writers by day and artistic writers by night. And this is my paean to people who work by day, whether as mother and homemaker, shoe salesman, CEO, or waitress, and who in their free time turn to their true passion whether that be writing a novel, poem, children's book, opera, short story or song lyric. You may feel privileged that you've given yourself this second job of making art. And I'll bet it sometimes feels as though you are cursed. Your second shift begins after dinner, after the children have quieted down. That is when you begin anew because the artist inside beckons and you must answer; because you know you can do this, and because it is something you must do to nourish your soul.
I know something about being a commercial writer by day and a novelist by night. I'm now in the final stages of a novel I started writing in May 2002. Below are a few strategies that might help you live the life of a part-time artist with grace and equanimity (when you're tempted to give leave of your senses).
Trust. It takes time. It's a journey. Trust yourself that you will never quit until you get it right. Trust that the forces of the universe will align to give you exactly what you need, exactly when you need it. Trust that you'll know when its done and you will give it up to the world when it is at its best. Trust that all this will happen in its own time.
Take out the trash. (Courtesy of Dan Millman's The Way of The Peaceful Warrior.) By this I mean take the trash out of your mind. Examples of trash: Boy, that's great writing! This is dreck! My readers will close the book on me! I'm brilliant! I'll never get this right! I've got this knocked! Damn, this is good! I can't write! I'll never finish! That's so flatfooted! No one could possibly understand this, no less love it! (In fact, when you're in this place, thinking these thoughts, you may be on the verge of the most universal stuff; it can go from ''nobody will understand this'' to ''everyone can and will understand this'' in an instant, if only you take out the trash, simplify and stick with it.)
Don't talk about it too much. Just write it. Writers have talked themselves out of stories by telling the story to too many people before they write it. Don't tacitly ask for permission to write your story. No one but you can give yourself permission to write it. Just write it.
Stay in the moment. (Courtesy of Dan Millman's The Way of The Peaceful Warrior.) There are no ordinary moments. Something important is always happening. Be part of it what is happening around you. Turn off the observer-artist that wants to stay aloof and only observe and write about what is happening. As much as possible, be part of what is happening around you.
Don't hold onto your artistic writing too tightly. Avoid getting all your identity from your artistic writing while, to yourself, you trash your commercial writing or your day job. Find the love in what you do. Every day I write, I swim in an ocean of creativity. I think we all do. We're creative in our day job; we're creative in our night job. I believe my artistic writing informs my commercial writing and the other way around. So it's not: I'm an artistic writer who happens to be writing marketing communications. It's: I'm both the artistic writer and the commercial writer. I get enjoyment and identity from both.
Don't forget to have a life. Enjoy the journey. That is all there is. (Courtesy of Dan Millman's The Way of the Peaceful Warrior.) Sometimes I won't write at night to give myself a break. That way, I'll be less likely to get burned out. Sometimes the best thing you can do to finish your story is to go see a movie.
Note: Last month's EWA brought e-mail from Kim Kaminski who wrote, ''This is absolutely your best newsletter thus far... I see a new dimension to your writing and I love your essay 'On Love of Little Words.'''
And from Gloria Rosenstock who wrote that her son ''mentioned he enjoys reading your EWAs. He finds them helpful tutorials for improving his daily business writing! A huge compliment from a young man resistant to slowing down for details.''
And from Katy Barrilleaux who wrote, ''I enjoy your emails and love this topic. Are you going to put it up on your blog?'' (Yes, you will find this an other EWAs on my blog at http://excitingwritingblog.blogspot.com)
And from Susan Mardele who wrote, ''Excellent advisory. One thing I've used to get unstuck is to envision that my higher self, guiding principle, God, whatever, already has the piece written. All I have to do is start it, and it will 'channel' through me.'' (I find this to be a deeply moving thought.)
I know something about being a commercial writer by day and a novelist by night. I'm now in the final stages of a novel I started writing in May 2002. Below are a few strategies that might help you live the life of a part-time artist with grace and equanimity (when you're tempted to give leave of your senses).
Trust. It takes time. It's a journey. Trust yourself that you will never quit until you get it right. Trust that the forces of the universe will align to give you exactly what you need, exactly when you need it. Trust that you'll know when its done and you will give it up to the world when it is at its best. Trust that all this will happen in its own time.
Take out the trash. (Courtesy of Dan Millman's The Way of The Peaceful Warrior.) By this I mean take the trash out of your mind. Examples of trash: Boy, that's great writing! This is dreck! My readers will close the book on me! I'm brilliant! I'll never get this right! I've got this knocked! Damn, this is good! I can't write! I'll never finish! That's so flatfooted! No one could possibly understand this, no less love it! (In fact, when you're in this place, thinking these thoughts, you may be on the verge of the most universal stuff; it can go from ''nobody will understand this'' to ''everyone can and will understand this'' in an instant, if only you take out the trash, simplify and stick with it.)
Don't talk about it too much. Just write it. Writers have talked themselves out of stories by telling the story to too many people before they write it. Don't tacitly ask for permission to write your story. No one but you can give yourself permission to write it. Just write it.
Stay in the moment. (Courtesy of Dan Millman's The Way of The Peaceful Warrior.) There are no ordinary moments. Something important is always happening. Be part of it what is happening around you. Turn off the observer-artist that wants to stay aloof and only observe and write about what is happening. As much as possible, be part of what is happening around you.
Don't hold onto your artistic writing too tightly. Avoid getting all your identity from your artistic writing while, to yourself, you trash your commercial writing or your day job. Find the love in what you do. Every day I write, I swim in an ocean of creativity. I think we all do. We're creative in our day job; we're creative in our night job. I believe my artistic writing informs my commercial writing and the other way around. So it's not: I'm an artistic writer who happens to be writing marketing communications. It's: I'm both the artistic writer and the commercial writer. I get enjoyment and identity from both.
Don't forget to have a life. Enjoy the journey. That is all there is. (Courtesy of Dan Millman's The Way of the Peaceful Warrior.) Sometimes I won't write at night to give myself a break. That way, I'll be less likely to get burned out. Sometimes the best thing you can do to finish your story is to go see a movie.
Note: Last month's EWA brought e-mail from Kim Kaminski who wrote, ''This is absolutely your best newsletter thus far... I see a new dimension to your writing and I love your essay 'On Love of Little Words.'''
And from Gloria Rosenstock who wrote that her son ''mentioned he enjoys reading your EWAs. He finds them helpful tutorials for improving his daily business writing! A huge compliment from a young man resistant to slowing down for details.''
And from Katy Barrilleaux who wrote, ''I enjoy your emails and love this topic. Are you going to put it up on your blog?'' (Yes, you will find this an other EWAs on my blog at http://excitingwritingblog.blogspot.com)
And from Susan Mardele who wrote, ''Excellent advisory. One thing I've used to get unstuck is to envision that my higher self, guiding principle, God, whatever, already has the piece written. All I have to do is start it, and it will 'channel' through me.'' (I find this to be a deeply moving thought.)
Sound-alike Words: Do You Hear What I Hear?
Let's begin with two definitions:
A homonym denotes two or more words spelled and pronounced alike that have different meanings, for example, ''a quail,'' a game bird, and the verb ''to quail,'' to wither.
A homophone denotes two or more words pronounced alike but different in meaning, derivation or spelling, for example, ''two'' and ''too.''
These technical distinctions do not interest me. What interests me is helping people who struggle to become better writers by confronting the intricacies of ''sound-alike words.'' That is how I will refer to these word pairs and triads:
Factious, given to forming parties or factions in opposition to governments
Fractious, tending to cause or make trouble
Facetious, jocular or witty in an inappropriate or silly manner
Complacent means pleased or satisfied with the way things are, with how they affect one's self. It also means self-satisfied or smug.
Complaisant means attempting or eager to please or satisfy, obliging or affable.
Thus, complacent refers to a satisfied state of mind. Complaisant refers to a disposition
to behave or conduct oneself in a way that pleases or satisfies others, not yourself. They almost have opposite meanings, yet they sound virtually the same.
Discrete means separate or distinct. The scientists isolated five discrete viruses that they believe are responsible for causing the medical condition.
Discreet means showing good judgment, especially in terms of holding one's tongue. The best butlers are discreet. It can also mean modesty and unpretentiousness. For example, the discreet elegance of an interior décor, or a discreet neighborhood where no one puts on airs (affects an upper crust accent) and goes about his (or her) business. The word discretion is first cousin to discreet. It means displaying the quality of being discreet. Everyone confided in him because he was the height of discretion.
Allude means to hint at or refer to in passing. He alluded to the effects of a strong Euro and a relatively weak dollar. She alluded to the wide-spread aspirations created by a burgeoning middle class.
Elude means to escape, get away with. He went through security with more than an ounce of water and somehow managed to elude detection. The trio managed to elude police despite a high-speed chase.
Gorilla is an ape.
Guerrilla (1 U, 2Rs and 2Ls) is a kind of soldier or warfare.
An eminent person is someone who is well known. A cardinal in the Catholic Church is sometimes called his eminence, meaning someone who is revered or well known.
Immanent means staying within, inherent. It also means taking place only in the mind, not outside it. This word also has a theological meaning, dwelling in the universe or dwelling in time. Making matters more complicated, imminent means something that is about to happen.
Abstract means difficult to understand, theoretical or detached. It also means a short synopsis or summary of an article's main points. Oddly enough, abstract also means ''to steal,'' as in, ''He abstracted the attention of the professor.''
Abstruse means difficult to understand or dense.
Would you like more sound-alike words next month? Send me a note and allude to your favorites.
A homonym denotes two or more words spelled and pronounced alike that have different meanings, for example, ''a quail,'' a game bird, and the verb ''to quail,'' to wither.
A homophone denotes two or more words pronounced alike but different in meaning, derivation or spelling, for example, ''two'' and ''too.''
These technical distinctions do not interest me. What interests me is helping people who struggle to become better writers by confronting the intricacies of ''sound-alike words.'' That is how I will refer to these word pairs and triads:
Factious, given to forming parties or factions in opposition to governments
Fractious, tending to cause or make trouble
Facetious, jocular or witty in an inappropriate or silly manner
Complacent means pleased or satisfied with the way things are, with how they affect one's self. It also means self-satisfied or smug.
Complaisant means attempting or eager to please or satisfy, obliging or affable.
Thus, complacent refers to a satisfied state of mind. Complaisant refers to a disposition
to behave or conduct oneself in a way that pleases or satisfies others, not yourself. They almost have opposite meanings, yet they sound virtually the same.
Discrete means separate or distinct. The scientists isolated five discrete viruses that they believe are responsible for causing the medical condition.
Discreet means showing good judgment, especially in terms of holding one's tongue. The best butlers are discreet. It can also mean modesty and unpretentiousness. For example, the discreet elegance of an interior décor, or a discreet neighborhood where no one puts on airs (affects an upper crust accent) and goes about his (or her) business. The word discretion is first cousin to discreet. It means displaying the quality of being discreet. Everyone confided in him because he was the height of discretion.
Allude means to hint at or refer to in passing. He alluded to the effects of a strong Euro and a relatively weak dollar. She alluded to the wide-spread aspirations created by a burgeoning middle class.
Elude means to escape, get away with. He went through security with more than an ounce of water and somehow managed to elude detection. The trio managed to elude police despite a high-speed chase.
Gorilla is an ape.
Guerrilla (1 U, 2Rs and 2Ls) is a kind of soldier or warfare.
An eminent person is someone who is well known. A cardinal in the Catholic Church is sometimes called his eminence, meaning someone who is revered or well known.
Immanent means staying within, inherent. It also means taking place only in the mind, not outside it. This word also has a theological meaning, dwelling in the universe or dwelling in time. Making matters more complicated, imminent means something that is about to happen.
Abstract means difficult to understand, theoretical or detached. It also means a short synopsis or summary of an article's main points. Oddly enough, abstract also means ''to steal,'' as in, ''He abstracted the attention of the professor.''
Abstruse means difficult to understand or dense.
Would you like more sound-alike words next month? Send me a note and allude to your favorites.
Words We Can Do Without: All, Even, Just and That
So many people say the key to happiness is finding your mission in life and living out its essence every day. I'm lucky enough to know my mission is writing and educating others on its finer points. That's why I'm so happy to be issuing my monthly ExcitingWriting Advisories. Let's get started with four little words I suggest you use sparingly: all, even, just and that.
The other day, I found myself thinking about all the ways we use words. Scratch ''all!'' Let me start over: The other day, I found myself thinking about the ways we use words.
Is the word ''all'' necessary?
Consider:
How do I love thee? Let me count all the ways.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Would we find Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem as memorable with ''all'' in the first line?
Consider these:
Arrest all people who break laws.
Arrest people who break laws.
Color in all the blank squares below.
Color in the blank squares below.
All people have their good and bad sides.
People have their good and bad sides.
The above sentences without ''all'' are stronger and more respectful of the reader. Their attitude is calmer, less preachy and more appealing because they're missing one little word. Notice I chose not to write ''all because.''
Look: There may be a place for ''all,'' for example, when you're giving instructions and you want to make certain the person understands: Color in all the blank squares below. However, if I wanted to be emphatic, I would write, Color in the blank squares below. Check your work and make sure you don't miss any. I think it's far more respectful when you use a separate sentence to express that thought.
Getting even with ''even.''
Even you have faults.
You have faults.
Everyone is trying harder. Even he is.
He is trying harder, just like everyone else.
He collects everything, even pennies.
He collects everything, including pennies.
Even when Jim applied himself, his output was average.
When Jim applied himself, his output was average.
Even if you're extremely lucky, your chances are not very good.
If you're extremely lucky, your chances are not very good.
My point? ''Even'' is another one of those words that act as the moral equivalent of a blinking neon sign. Yes, it can be used to express surprise about an unlikely event; however, invariably, I prefer alternative sentences that avoid using the word.
Delete ''just''
I want just the facts!
I want the facts!
Just because you're intelligent doesn't mean you shouldn't try hard.
You're intelligent. Does that mean you shouldn't try hard?
We got there just in time.
We got there in time.
You get the point.
Write without ''that''
I think that you're intelligent.
I think you're intelligent.
I say that a person is only human.
I say a person is only human.
I believe that all men are created equal.
I believe all men are created equal.
This is the gift that we give each other, the gift of love.
This is the gift we give each other, the gift of love.
Some sentences require the word ''that;'' however, it is often unnecessary. When it is, leave it out!
''All,'' ''even,'' ''just'' and ''that:'' I am not suggesting you never use those words. I am suggesting that each time you want to use them, you see if you like the sentence better after you rewrite it without that word. Give it a try!
It's just better writing.
Scratch that. It's better writing!
The other day, I found myself thinking about all the ways we use words. Scratch ''all!'' Let me start over: The other day, I found myself thinking about the ways we use words.
Is the word ''all'' necessary?
Consider:
How do I love thee? Let me count all the ways.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Would we find Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem as memorable with ''all'' in the first line?
Consider these:
Arrest all people who break laws.
Arrest people who break laws.
Color in all the blank squares below.
Color in the blank squares below.
All people have their good and bad sides.
People have their good and bad sides.
The above sentences without ''all'' are stronger and more respectful of the reader. Their attitude is calmer, less preachy and more appealing because they're missing one little word. Notice I chose not to write ''all because.''
Look: There may be a place for ''all,'' for example, when you're giving instructions and you want to make certain the person understands: Color in all the blank squares below. However, if I wanted to be emphatic, I would write, Color in the blank squares below. Check your work and make sure you don't miss any. I think it's far more respectful when you use a separate sentence to express that thought.
Getting even with ''even.''
Even you have faults.
You have faults.
Everyone is trying harder. Even he is.
He is trying harder, just like everyone else.
He collects everything, even pennies.
He collects everything, including pennies.
Even when Jim applied himself, his output was average.
When Jim applied himself, his output was average.
Even if you're extremely lucky, your chances are not very good.
If you're extremely lucky, your chances are not very good.
My point? ''Even'' is another one of those words that act as the moral equivalent of a blinking neon sign. Yes, it can be used to express surprise about an unlikely event; however, invariably, I prefer alternative sentences that avoid using the word.
Delete ''just''
I want just the facts!
I want the facts!
Just because you're intelligent doesn't mean you shouldn't try hard.
You're intelligent. Does that mean you shouldn't try hard?
We got there just in time.
We got there in time.
You get the point.
Write without ''that''
I think that you're intelligent.
I think you're intelligent.
I say that a person is only human.
I say a person is only human.
I believe that all men are created equal.
I believe all men are created equal.
This is the gift that we give each other, the gift of love.
This is the gift we give each other, the gift of love.
Some sentences require the word ''that;'' however, it is often unnecessary. When it is, leave it out!
''All,'' ''even,'' ''just'' and ''that:'' I am not suggesting you never use those words. I am suggesting that each time you want to use them, you see if you like the sentence better after you rewrite it without that word. Give it a try!
It's just better writing.
Scratch that. It's better writing!
Monday, March 23, 2009
On love of little words.
I love little words, don't you? You'll come upon a flock of these spirit-fairies in a forest of words, carpeting the forest floor. They are iridescent beauties, these sub-atomic particles of ideas, and they are breathtakingly beautiful. They dart here and there, fleet and colorful. Little words are so familiar; you think you know them. If one word takes notice of you, it will stop in its tracks, hyperventilating, trembling with fear. Standing beside them, you are a huge hulking creature from a alien planet. But if you stand very still, eventually the little word will regain its composure and alacrity, swirling around your head with gleeful cries like a child on an amusement ride. Yes, you think you know them, but you can't begin to know what they can become when you conjure them into necklaces and bracelets, adornments for your beloved.
Advice for those who are stuck in writing projects
A former co-worker, Tiffany Francis, asked me to issue an EWA on what to do when you're writing something and you get stuck. Read below for suggestions. I thank John Wise, Andrew Szabo, Dan Hardy, Triche Guerin and Dan Sturdivant for recommending me on my LinkedIn profile. If you would like to connect with me on LinkedIn.com, send me an invitation. I would be delighted to return the favor. Below the ''How to Get Unstuck'' article, you will find my essay, ''On Love of Little Words.'' If there are back issues you would like to read again, e-mail me and I will add them to this blog.
--Chuck Lustig
HOW TO GET UNSTUCK
When it comes to writing projects, I used to spend a lot of time being stuck, so let me begin by claiming expert status. This is my Unified Field Theory of Writing Project Stuckness, meaning it applies equally to all writing projects: columns, short stories, theses, articles, poems, novels, brochures, operas, manuals, songs, musicals, business plans, sales presentations, speeches, product descriptions, screenplays, plays, video scripts and non-fiction books. Below I've listed the four reasons people get stuck and strategies for getting yourself unstuck.
1. Reason one: You don't know where to start.
Consider the doctoral candidate who cannot stop researching a thesis and begin outlining (there's so much more to know!), or the novelist who doesn't know where to start a story. Not knowing where to start often comes from being overwhelmed. The subject is so vast; you struggle to find the perfect entry point. Often you have so many facets you want to cover, you are unable to actually begin organizing how you will cover the subject or how the story goes, i.e., what happens first, second, etc. You're stuck.
When you don't know where to start, try this:
Remind yourself that there are two phases to practically any writing project. First, you ''dig up the clay,'' you research, even if it's emotional research. Second, you ''play with the clay.'' Whether it's an historic novel or doctoral thesis, there will come a time when you must stop digging and start playing. The truth is you will always want to dig more; you will feel regret; there will always be more to know! But you must shift from one phase to the other if you want to finish. (And doesn't ''playing'' sound like fun?)
List on paper all the places you could start. Then prioritize them. Decide what's most important to you about the subject, second most important, etc. The number-one item may be your starting place. Then go one step further: Consider that what may be important to you might be boring to your audience, or not as interesting. So, list on paper the topics that, as best as you can tell, are the most interesting to your audience. In each case make sure you are clear on why they are the most interesting. Then prioritize those topics. See if there are differences between the two lists. Perhaps the top ''interest'' item is your starting place.
If your piece is written from one character's point of view, try telling it from another character's point of view.
Or, accept that you won't find a perfect entry point, so stop looking for it. Just find the best entry point and begin. As Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, ''Whatever you do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.''
To sum up, when you're having this kind of difficulty, try slicing and dicing it in a new way. Then you may be able to find your way forward.
2. Reason two: You don't have enough information or insight.
Sometimes I would struggle for hours before realizing I didn't have enough information. Lack of insight can also stop you in your tracks.
When you don't have enough information or insight, try this:
Decide the people you want to ask for help, and the questions you want to ask them.
Begin thinking about it at a higher level. For example, you may be writing about a merger between two companies when the higher-level issue might be the trend of consolidation in a specific industry or in business in general. Or, you might be writing about the breakup of a marriage without realizing that the higher-level issue is freedom and independence. As when you're gazing at a painting, try squinting your eyes and taking the longer view. Sometimes it helps.
Insight can be gained by seeing how others have handled the same subject or a similar subject. It may be time for a Google search or two, reading other books, watching other movies, or listening to other songs, etc.
3. Reason three: You don't have permission to finish.
By this I mean you have not psychologically given yourself permission to finish the project. Perhaps you don't feel you deserve to finish yet. Finishing is tantamount to achieving success. There are many reasons why people do not feel they are ready to achieve success.
When you don't feel you have permission to finish, try this:
Talk to yourself and listen carefully to what you say about the project and all the reasons you can't finish it, or why it doesn't come up to your standards. Then analyze what you're saying: This may help to give you permission to finish it or insight into how you can finish it.
And consider this: You don't want to bring something to market before it is ready. Doing so could be self-destructive. So, if you wait until you feel more confident, you may be giving yourself a tremendous gift. For the last few months I have made a point of actively manifesting, ''It will be done as soon as it is ready.'' If you live your life believing and manifesting this, it will relieve the pressure of finishing. Oddly, you may wind up finishing a project sooner than if you keep the pressure on. Obviously, self-imposed pressure can be detrimental; it can also cause illness.
4. Reason four: You don't have a clear conception of what the finished piece will sound or feel like.
This is self-evident: If you don't know what you're going for in a scene, a thesis, a chapter or an article, you will have no way of knowing if you've achieved it.
The key thought: Start with the end in mind.
When you don't have a clear conception of how the finished piece will work, try struggling. When nothing else works, give yourself permission to struggle. Give yourself permission to get it wrong, to write drafts that don't work. Struggle, if you must.
Sometimes I don't know how to write the next sentence, but I know how to write the sentence after that or the one after that. So I write what I know and then I go back and fill in what I don't know. You can do the same.
Again, reading or viewing similar works completed by others can be helpful. They may have left a trail of crumbs for you to follow.
Now that you know how to get yourself unstuck, give it a try!
--Chuck Lustig
HOW TO GET UNSTUCK
When it comes to writing projects, I used to spend a lot of time being stuck, so let me begin by claiming expert status. This is my Unified Field Theory of Writing Project Stuckness, meaning it applies equally to all writing projects: columns, short stories, theses, articles, poems, novels, brochures, operas, manuals, songs, musicals, business plans, sales presentations, speeches, product descriptions, screenplays, plays, video scripts and non-fiction books. Below I've listed the four reasons people get stuck and strategies for getting yourself unstuck.
1. Reason one: You don't know where to start.
Consider the doctoral candidate who cannot stop researching a thesis and begin outlining (there's so much more to know!), or the novelist who doesn't know where to start a story. Not knowing where to start often comes from being overwhelmed. The subject is so vast; you struggle to find the perfect entry point. Often you have so many facets you want to cover, you are unable to actually begin organizing how you will cover the subject or how the story goes, i.e., what happens first, second, etc. You're stuck.
When you don't know where to start, try this:
Remind yourself that there are two phases to practically any writing project. First, you ''dig up the clay,'' you research, even if it's emotional research. Second, you ''play with the clay.'' Whether it's an historic novel or doctoral thesis, there will come a time when you must stop digging and start playing. The truth is you will always want to dig more; you will feel regret; there will always be more to know! But you must shift from one phase to the other if you want to finish. (And doesn't ''playing'' sound like fun?)
List on paper all the places you could start. Then prioritize them. Decide what's most important to you about the subject, second most important, etc. The number-one item may be your starting place. Then go one step further: Consider that what may be important to you might be boring to your audience, or not as interesting. So, list on paper the topics that, as best as you can tell, are the most interesting to your audience. In each case make sure you are clear on why they are the most interesting. Then prioritize those topics. See if there are differences between the two lists. Perhaps the top ''interest'' item is your starting place.
If your piece is written from one character's point of view, try telling it from another character's point of view.
Or, accept that you won't find a perfect entry point, so stop looking for it. Just find the best entry point and begin. As Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, ''Whatever you do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.''
To sum up, when you're having this kind of difficulty, try slicing and dicing it in a new way. Then you may be able to find your way forward.
2. Reason two: You don't have enough information or insight.
Sometimes I would struggle for hours before realizing I didn't have enough information. Lack of insight can also stop you in your tracks.
When you don't have enough information or insight, try this:
Decide the people you want to ask for help, and the questions you want to ask them.
Begin thinking about it at a higher level. For example, you may be writing about a merger between two companies when the higher-level issue might be the trend of consolidation in a specific industry or in business in general. Or, you might be writing about the breakup of a marriage without realizing that the higher-level issue is freedom and independence. As when you're gazing at a painting, try squinting your eyes and taking the longer view. Sometimes it helps.
Insight can be gained by seeing how others have handled the same subject or a similar subject. It may be time for a Google search or two, reading other books, watching other movies, or listening to other songs, etc.
3. Reason three: You don't have permission to finish.
By this I mean you have not psychologically given yourself permission to finish the project. Perhaps you don't feel you deserve to finish yet. Finishing is tantamount to achieving success. There are many reasons why people do not feel they are ready to achieve success.
When you don't feel you have permission to finish, try this:
Talk to yourself and listen carefully to what you say about the project and all the reasons you can't finish it, or why it doesn't come up to your standards. Then analyze what you're saying: This may help to give you permission to finish it or insight into how you can finish it.
And consider this: You don't want to bring something to market before it is ready. Doing so could be self-destructive. So, if you wait until you feel more confident, you may be giving yourself a tremendous gift. For the last few months I have made a point of actively manifesting, ''It will be done as soon as it is ready.'' If you live your life believing and manifesting this, it will relieve the pressure of finishing. Oddly, you may wind up finishing a project sooner than if you keep the pressure on. Obviously, self-imposed pressure can be detrimental; it can also cause illness.
4. Reason four: You don't have a clear conception of what the finished piece will sound or feel like.
This is self-evident: If you don't know what you're going for in a scene, a thesis, a chapter or an article, you will have no way of knowing if you've achieved it.
The key thought: Start with the end in mind.
When you don't have a clear conception of how the finished piece will work, try struggling. When nothing else works, give yourself permission to struggle. Give yourself permission to get it wrong, to write drafts that don't work. Struggle, if you must.
Sometimes I don't know how to write the next sentence, but I know how to write the sentence after that or the one after that. So I write what I know and then I go back and fill in what I don't know. You can do the same.
Again, reading or viewing similar works completed by others can be helpful. They may have left a trail of crumbs for you to follow.
Now that you know how to get yourself unstuck, give it a try!
Friday, March 20, 2009
How to make everything sound better than it is.
I began my career in advertising where I was paid to put a marketing spin on everything I touched. I turned it into a minor art form. Very minor. In this EWA, we'll review the various marketing-spin claims and examine how they work. As you will see, you, too, can develop a knack for making everything sound better than it is.
Let's cover parity claims, self-referential claims and superiority claims.
Parity claims
The word ''parity'' means roughly equal, yet parity claims sound as though they are superiority claims. How is that possible? All I can tell you is that by a quirk of language, it is not only possible, it is an everyday accomplishment. Have you ever heard?
No other toothpaste fights plaque better.
It sounds like a superiority claim, doesn't it? But in fact, it's a parity claim. It simply says that no brand of toothpaste can do a better job. In truth, it is saying, ''Our brand of toothpaste fights plaque about as well as all the rest.'' But how much toothpaste do you think they would sell if they stated it that way in their advertising?
Other parity claims include:
You can't find a better (Fill in the blank).
There's no better (Fill in the blank).
And how often have you heard this encomium for public figures?
Many people have given back to this community, but no one has done more for the people than (Fill in the blank).
All that statement is saying: This person has done about as much as any other community leader, certainly not more! That's all it is claiming. But most people, upon hear those soothing words, have the impression they're hearing a superiority claim for dedication to public service. Not so!
Self-referential claims
Self-referential claims give the impression of claiming superiority by referring to themselves as the standard. How many times have you heard or read these claims?
Only (Fill in name of store) has (Fill in name of store) prices.
Or:
Only (Fill in name of store) can give you the (Fill in name of store) price guarantee.
Well, of course, only Circuit City can give you the Circuit City price guarantee. Then again, only Best Buy can give you their price guarantee.
Here are two classic self-referential claims. I'll bet you never even thought of them as such:
Are you strong enough (or good enough or smart enough) to (Fill in the name of an action, for example, to drive a brand of car).
That is what I call the self-referential challenge claim. Clever, huh?
What kind of (man, woman) drives a (Fill in name of car)?
Here the claim for a product is being made self-referentially, based on the people who already own it or use it. Logic: Customers who use these products are appealing, so the products or services they use must be also. This is the logic that led so many wealthy people to invest with Bernie Madoff. Makes sense to me. Doesn't it make sense to you?
Superiority claims
Even when one product is truly better than another or an entire field of products, it is rare that advertisers just come out and say it:
The Mavs are better than the Spurs!
Our language allows us to paint shades of meaning in a single stroke. Consider the gradations captured in the following statements:
Only we can make that statement.
No one else can make that claim.
Few can match that achievement or make that statement.
And consider this oft-used and rarely-apologized-for slam at the competition:
(Fill in the name) is the complete solution.
If (Fill in the name) is complete, everything else must be incomplete, right?
Stronger still:
Only (Fill in the name) is complete; everyone else's solution falls short.
So now you can claim to know a thing or two about claims. And the next time you hear one little girl say to another little girl, ''My dolly is better than yours because it's mine,'' you'll know she is uttering a self-referential superiority claim.
Now go forth and make everything sound better than it is. Please.
Let's cover parity claims, self-referential claims and superiority claims.
Parity claims
The word ''parity'' means roughly equal, yet parity claims sound as though they are superiority claims. How is that possible? All I can tell you is that by a quirk of language, it is not only possible, it is an everyday accomplishment. Have you ever heard?
No other toothpaste fights plaque better.
It sounds like a superiority claim, doesn't it? But in fact, it's a parity claim. It simply says that no brand of toothpaste can do a better job. In truth, it is saying, ''Our brand of toothpaste fights plaque about as well as all the rest.'' But how much toothpaste do you think they would sell if they stated it that way in their advertising?
Other parity claims include:
You can't find a better (Fill in the blank).
There's no better (Fill in the blank).
And how often have you heard this encomium for public figures?
Many people have given back to this community, but no one has done more for the people than (Fill in the blank).
All that statement is saying: This person has done about as much as any other community leader, certainly not more! That's all it is claiming. But most people, upon hear those soothing words, have the impression they're hearing a superiority claim for dedication to public service. Not so!
Self-referential claims
Self-referential claims give the impression of claiming superiority by referring to themselves as the standard. How many times have you heard or read these claims?
Only (Fill in name of store) has (Fill in name of store) prices.
Or:
Only (Fill in name of store) can give you the (Fill in name of store) price guarantee.
Well, of course, only Circuit City can give you the Circuit City price guarantee. Then again, only Best Buy can give you their price guarantee.
Here are two classic self-referential claims. I'll bet you never even thought of them as such:
Are you strong enough (or good enough or smart enough) to (Fill in the name of an action, for example, to drive a brand of car).
That is what I call the self-referential challenge claim. Clever, huh?
What kind of (man, woman) drives a (Fill in name of car)?
Here the claim for a product is being made self-referentially, based on the people who already own it or use it. Logic: Customers who use these products are appealing, so the products or services they use must be also. This is the logic that led so many wealthy people to invest with Bernie Madoff. Makes sense to me. Doesn't it make sense to you?
Superiority claims
Even when one product is truly better than another or an entire field of products, it is rare that advertisers just come out and say it:
The Mavs are better than the Spurs!
Our language allows us to paint shades of meaning in a single stroke. Consider the gradations captured in the following statements:
Only we can make that statement.
No one else can make that claim.
Few can match that achievement or make that statement.
And consider this oft-used and rarely-apologized-for slam at the competition:
(Fill in the name) is the complete solution.
If (Fill in the name) is complete, everything else must be incomplete, right?
Stronger still:
Only (Fill in the name) is complete; everyone else's solution falls short.
So now you can claim to know a thing or two about claims. And the next time you hear one little girl say to another little girl, ''My dolly is better than yours because it's mine,'' you'll know she is uttering a self-referential superiority claim.
Now go forth and make everything sound better than it is. Please.
Word Love
I warn you: Don't fall for words. Word love is unrequited. It's nearly as bad as falling in love with a statue or a spreadsheet! But, I must admit, I am a sucker for word love. I can't help myself. I love the sounds some words make when you put them together, like "A Hymn to Homonyms," a recent EWA. As you'll see below, despite my best efforts to take my own advice, a few words have warmed their way into my heart. I am uplifted by them. Then crushed by them when they make it clear they couldn't care less about my affections. Below: A few words I love:
Evanescent: Vanishing, fading away, fleeting
(''The evanescent glow of fireflies…'')
Diaphanous: Sheer, transparent or translucent
Aggress: To commit the first act of aggression
Caress: An embrace, a light stroking
(I particularly like ''aggress'' and ''caress'' used together. ''Shall I aggress or caress?'')
Lumpen: Dispossessed, displaced people who have lost social status.
(I see lumps of clay. ''These are the lumps of the lumpen.'')
Agon: A conflict, a struggle
(''Job had an agon with God.''
Parse: To examine critically, to break down in component parts
(''How could I begin to parse the sentiment behind that look?'')
Doleful: Sorrowful, mournful
Wayworn: Fatigued by travel
Coruscate: Give off or reflect flashes of light
(''They pulled up at the farthest end of a loop path that looked out over the great basin of the Gio Grade under brilliant, coruscating stars.''Bill Roorback, ''Big Bend'')
Swoon: To enter a state of ecstasy
Rapture: Joyful ecstasy
Confabulation: Easy, unrestrained conversation
Evocative: Tending to evoke
(''The fragrance was evocative of languid summer afternoons.'')
Sere: Dry, withered
Wizened: Shriveled, aged, white with age
Languid: Slow, listless
Rheumy: A mucous discharge from eyes or nose (sometimes snot)
Phantasmagoric: Deceptive appearances in a dream or created by the imagination
Languish: To become weak or feeble
Dear Reader: e-mail me your favorites.
Evanescent: Vanishing, fading away, fleeting
(''The evanescent glow of fireflies…'')
Diaphanous: Sheer, transparent or translucent
Aggress: To commit the first act of aggression
Caress: An embrace, a light stroking
(I particularly like ''aggress'' and ''caress'' used together. ''Shall I aggress or caress?'')
Lumpen: Dispossessed, displaced people who have lost social status.
(I see lumps of clay. ''These are the lumps of the lumpen.'')
Agon: A conflict, a struggle
(''Job had an agon with God.''
Parse: To examine critically, to break down in component parts
(''How could I begin to parse the sentiment behind that look?'')
Doleful: Sorrowful, mournful
Wayworn: Fatigued by travel
Coruscate: Give off or reflect flashes of light
(''They pulled up at the farthest end of a loop path that looked out over the great basin of the Gio Grade under brilliant, coruscating stars.''Bill Roorback, ''Big Bend'')
Swoon: To enter a state of ecstasy
Rapture: Joyful ecstasy
Confabulation: Easy, unrestrained conversation
Evocative: Tending to evoke
(''The fragrance was evocative of languid summer afternoons.'')
Sere: Dry, withered
Wizened: Shriveled, aged, white with age
Languid: Slow, listless
Rheumy: A mucous discharge from eyes or nose (sometimes snot)
Phantasmagoric: Deceptive appearances in a dream or created by the imagination
Languish: To become weak or feeble
Dear Reader: e-mail me your favorites.
Friday, March 6, 2009
You need a great copywriter, even if you're blind to it now.
Have you seen the YouTube video that opens with a disheveled man begging on a busy street while holding up a sign that says, ''Blind?'' He's not receiving any donations from the people passing by. His tin cup is empty. Then, by chance, one person looks down and notices the beggar's dilemma. He asks the blind man if he could have his sign for a moment. He turns the sign over and writes on it in big letters, ''It's a beautiful day but I can't see it.'' He returns later that day to find the blind man's cup overflowing with money.
The principle of abundance is that each and every one of us can attract what we really want if we manifest our desire. I contend that having the assistance of a great copywriter helps.
''Freelance writing that creates an urgency to buy'' has always been the motto of ExcitingWriting Communications. I admit those words may give the impression that I am a specialist in direct response copywriting. More than most writers, I am able to vary the style of my writing so that it is also effective for TV and radio commercials as well as for web, video, brochure, training, sales presentation, white paper, technical, and many more kinds of business writing assignments. I happen to have a lot of experience writing about healthcare and high technology topics.
More than anything, I am an effective conceptual writer. It was an idea in a passerby's mind to suggest, ''It's a beautiful day but I can't see it.'' An idea, properly phrased, can spark a tremendous response and change a life or a business.
Please call me at 214-685-9555 with freelance writing opportunities. Or e-mail me at clustig@excitingwriting.com, I am dedicated to assisting you and your contacts with writing that gets results. You can expect fresh ExcitingWriting Advisory (EWA) blogs to appear in your inbox on the 23rd of each month.
The principle of abundance is that each and every one of us can attract what we really want if we manifest our desire. I contend that having the assistance of a great copywriter helps.
''Freelance writing that creates an urgency to buy'' has always been the motto of ExcitingWriting Communications. I admit those words may give the impression that I am a specialist in direct response copywriting. More than most writers, I am able to vary the style of my writing so that it is also effective for TV and radio commercials as well as for web, video, brochure, training, sales presentation, white paper, technical, and many more kinds of business writing assignments. I happen to have a lot of experience writing about healthcare and high technology topics.
More than anything, I am an effective conceptual writer. It was an idea in a passerby's mind to suggest, ''It's a beautiful day but I can't see it.'' An idea, properly phrased, can spark a tremendous response and change a life or a business.
Please call me at 214-685-9555 with freelance writing opportunities. Or e-mail me at clustig@excitingwriting.com, I am dedicated to assisting you and your contacts with writing that gets results. You can expect fresh ExcitingWriting Advisory (EWA) blogs to appear in your inbox on the 23rd of each month.
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