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
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
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
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
Why? Because if you don’t, people will ask you what you actually mean, and then you’ll have to explain yourself the way you should have done first time around. Which can be embarrassing and time-consuming. Read more
In recent years, have you ever seen the word ‘sparingly’ anywhere other than on a tube of skin cream or ointment? It’s almost become medical jargon. Read more
There’s a great running joke in 1987’s cult romantic comedy ‘The Princess Bride’. The good guy relentlessly pursues the bad guys, and every time they fail to shake him off the ringleader says it’s “inconceivable”. Eventually one of his sidekicks says, “You keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think... Read more
