When it comes to video content, a TED Talk sets a high standard. A combination of great ideas, inspiring speaking style and sticking to an 18 minute time limit makes it some of the most shared (and smart) online content around. Read more
To be effective, a company strapline – and the words that immediately follow it, perhaps on your website’s landing page, the side of your van, or in the introduction to your brochure – should follow three simple rules: Read more
Paste the sentence below into Google and you’ll find the exact text on tens of thousands of US accountancy firms’ websites. We take pride in giving you the assurance that the personal assistance you receive comes from years of advanced training, technical experience and financial acumen. Read more
The more words you use, the fewer people remember. And the greater the chance of confusing or boring your reader, too. But achieving brevity takes time and effort. The only way to shorten your work is to edit ruthlessly. Then edit again. Read more
How many marketing messages do you think you’ve been exposed to today? A few dozen? A few hundred? Way back in 2007 the NY Times reported we see about 5,000 ads every day. Given the surge in digital marketing spend, I’m sure that figure has only increased – it’s no wonder we’re oblivious to most... Read more
For years, we (and countless articles and radio features) have been ranting about the misuse or overuse of words like ‘innovative’, ‘solutions’ and ‘going forward’. But we still see them everywhere, so we sometimes wonder whether we’re fighting a losing battle. Read more
There’s only one rule: grab the reader’s attention. Your headlines or subject lines need to interest or intrigue a reader – and in most cases, tell them what the text is about. The headline’s job is to signpost information, or to stop the reader moving to another page or hitting delete. Read more
A friend has just sent me a link to a great article. I assume it’s because I continually correct his poor spelling and grammar. While I do it for fun more than out of frustration, I’m glad he retaliated, because the article makes several very good points… Read more
