The opening line of any piece of copy is crucial. Here's a simple tip. Read more
If there’s one thing us writers can’t stop harping on about, it’s the importance of thinking about your reader – of writing for them, not yourself. It’s a common theme on this blog, and in most advice on writing. Read more
Tone of voice. Verbal identity. Brand language. Whatever you call it, each has the same aim: to bring character, coherence and consistency to the way an organisation expresses itself in words. Why? Because adding character helps distinguish you from everyone else. Being coherent provides a richer, more meaningful experience. And being consistent helps build trust... Read more
Writers’ MD, Richard Owsley, wrote these wise words for Design Week in 2008. Oh, how little has changed… Read more
The first one went to market. There were others, some eating/not eating roast beef/staying at home, I vaguely remember. For most people, though, it was all about the last one, which went ‘we, we, we’ all the way home. My word, I’ve stumbled upon an allegory for successful business communication! Read more
Some 2,500 years ago Confucius said: Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. He could easily have been talking about today’s business communication. Read more
As author Terry Pratchett said, “There’s no such thing as writer’s block.” Or, perhaps more accurately, there’s no need for it. 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
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
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
