Plain English Copywriting What good is exclusive jargon or management mumbo-jumbo in emergency situations? Not a lot, when it affects the clarity and efficiency of communication between individuals and groups trying to protect property and people. But it does provide an irrefutable case for removing silly and frustrating ambiguity from language. And not just in... Read more
De-dum de-dum de-dum de-dum, de-deum de-dum de-dum de-dum. De-dum de-dum de-dum de-dum, de-deum de-dum de-dum de-dum… Having several consecutive sentences the same length can really suck the life and pace out of your writing. It’s like talking in monotone. That’s why rhythm is so important when you write. Read more
Any copywriter with any sense, and someone they can ask, will get a second opinion on their work before they expose it to the client. Even the most detail-obsessed scribes need a quality control safety net. But a second pair of eyes will see much more than typos – especially if it belongs to another... Read more
Writing for social media is a bit like fishing. You need a juicy worm to lure your readers away from all the other hooks. Of course, writing clear, compelling, relevant copy with a strong call to action is no different from writing for websites, brochures or direct mail. But the big difference with social media... Read more
Words have the power to influence our behaviour, our beliefs, our ideas. This beautiful short video shows what a difference the right choice of words can make… Read more
As a veteran writer of more annual reports than I care to think about, I’m often asked how best to write one. I find it helps to keep in mind at all times the four basic questions below. Here I’m talking about companies traded on a stock market, though much of what I say relates... Read more
“We’ve got this website, but we just need to make it more… engaging.” Nine times out of ten, our copy briefs ask us to make the copy more engaging. We’ll pretty much assume this as a given really, because if it doesn’t engage the audience it’s not likely to persuade them to take action. Engaging... Read more
Teaching people to become better business writers seems to be something of a growth industry. Most copywriting companies – including ours – offer writing courses, and many training specialists do the same. Add in all the books, articles and blogs on the subject, and you’d be forgiven for assuming that everyone’s thirsty for copywriting knowledge. Read more
