The source wasn’t attributed.

NEVER USE

• Access
• At this point in time
• Define
• Despite the fact that
• Due to
• Etc.
• The fact is
• For (instead of because)
• Frankly
• Has got/have got
• However
• I mean,
• Impact
• Importantly
• Indeed
• In terms of
• Meaningful
• Muchly (didn’t even know that was a real word myself!)
• Needs
• Prioritise
• Remember,
• Thusly (is that a word?)
• Utilise
• What’s more
• Wise
• You know

AVOID USING

• Available
• The fact that
• In fact,
• Feature
• One of the most
• Quality
• Receive
• Value

1. Is there a letter?
2. Does it read like a letter?
3. Does it look like a letter?
4. Does it waffle?
5. Is it simple?
6. Does it use boring jargon?
7. Are there too many words?
8. Can you edit?
9. Is it active (not passive)?
10. Is it complete?
11. Are you worthy?
12. Is it warm and friendly?
13. Is there proof?
14. Does it ask for action?
15. Is it idiot-proof?

This is a useful checklist to run through prior to sending out those thousands of marketing letters.

I was very pleased when the course convenor approached me during a break and asked whether I was the one who had been blogging about the course the previous week.  He said that a prospective client had seen the blog posts on the web and had engaged him in discussions about running the same courses in Victoria and New South Wales.  The power of blogs!  A great case study.

The second workshop was all about producing great letters and copywriting.  Research shows that letters are the best medium for direct mail because they look and feel very much like personal letters and there is a greater chance that the recipient will read mail if it is enclosed within an envelope.  So the first lesson is: always use letters!

Your letters need to be REAL:

• Relevant
• Easy to read
• Australian
• Logical experience

Why Australian?  Well, Australians are culturally and socially different.  Most Americans receive 8-10 times as much direct mail as we do here in Australia, so they suffer from cognitive overload.  Australians enjoy reading mail and we enjoy stories and scenarios that we can relate to – that said, Australians are also generally more sceptical (less gullible?) than our friends from the US of A.  Our letters need to nuanced especially for Australians if they are to be read and achieve ‘cut through’.

Copywriting is all-important.  David Barratt identified some of the leading figures in copywriting and I have provided some links to there here:

• Siimon Reynolds – he’s the guy who created the award-winning Grim Reaper ads in the late 1980s
• Drayton Bird
• Herschell Gordon Lewis

Here are some of the lessons that came out of the seminar in relation to copywriting:

• Always write to ’somebody’, not ‘everybody’ (Drayton Bird)
• Organisations don’t write letters, individuals do – make your communications personal
• Use clarity, benefit and versimilitude (Herschell Gordon Lewis).  Verisimilitude is the appearance or semblace of truth – that is, your copy should include stories that may not be 100% factual, but which seem to be so.
• Pretend you are writing to a person you know – that way you will ensure that the copy is appropriately worded.
• Use you, you, you – not I or we
• Use active voice, not passive voice – subject verb object, rather than object verb subject (eg. ‘you get a money back guarantee’, rather than ‘a money-back guarantee is provided’
• Ask yourself what you want the reader to do?  The follow-up action needs to be clear, apparent and easily actionable
• Get rid of the big words – replace them with simpler words
• Use serif fonts (fonts with ‘feet’, like Times New Roman) – studies prove that serif fonts are more comprehendable – see this book by Colin Wheildon
• Younger audiences are more visual and can cope with ‘busy’ creatives
• Include a response device (eg a mailback coupon) and reduce the amount of work for the recipient)

• WebEquity – a community site bringing together entrepreneurs with business ideas and anyone willing to work on an equity and/or revenue share basis to make them a reality.
• Templates and examples for planning, analysing, designing and testing a website
• How Twitter can help at work
• Copyscape – a tool for finding plagiarism of your content on the web
• A list of niche social networking sites
• And another list of social networking sites on Wikipedia
• How to write for the web by Jakob Nielsen and John Morkes – written over 10 years ago but still pertinent
• Mofuse – create a mobile version of your website or blog
• Google gears down for tough times - For much of its 10-year history, Google spent money at a pace that was the marvel of Silicon Valley. It hired by the thousands and dished out generous perks, including three free meals a day, free doctors, ski trips and laundry facilities, and subsidized personal trainers.  But now the GFC is taking its toll.
• Tubemogul.com - distribute online video to multiple websites
• How to Friend Mum, Dad and the Boss on Facebook - Oh no! Your mom just joined Facebook and what’s even worse, she wants to be your friend. More and more people are finding themselves in this situation today and unsure of what to do. Friending mom and dad, the boss, or other work colleagues opens up the details of your private life for the whole world to see – and you might not be entirely comfortable with that. What’s to be done?
• AddThis explanatory video
• 20 great online image editors
• Mypunchbowl – free e-cards for Christmas, Valentines, etc.
• Kiva – Loans that change lives. Loan money to African entrepreneurs.

Buy Don’t Make Me Think! by Steve Krug here…

It’s difficult to write your own copy.  No matter how many times you go over the text you have written, there always seems to be areas that you don’t quite like or wish to refine.  It’s doubly hard to write copy for the reader, rather than writing about ‘you’.  The first rule of copywriting is that the text needs to be tailored for the audience – it’s not all about you.

Here are some tips for writing good copy:

1.  Heard of the acronym WIIFM?  It stands for ‘what’s in it for me?’.  This the attitude that your website visitors will have when they read your copy – you need to write from this perspective.  What benefits will I get from using this product or service?

2.  Know your audience.  You can only hope to write good copy once you have established an excellent understanding of the customers that frequent your website.  What types of people are they?  Male or female?  Young or old?  Each demographic group is different and will respond to different tones in your copy.

3. Write in a conversational tone.  Don’t fill your text with big words.  Write as if you are conversing with your visitor in plain, simple English.  Read your text back to yourself and punctuate it as if you are talking to a prospective customer.

4. Keep it short.  It’s proven that most people only skim websites for key words, rather than reading the whole text.  Your copy should be short, succint, to the point, and arranged in bite-size chunks (short sentences and small paragraphs) so that it can be easily absorbed by visitors.

5.  Convey key messages.  Identify up to three key messages that you want to put across to your visitors – and no more.  Most people can’t absorb any more than 3 messages and any attempt to convey more information will result in confusion or indifference on the part of the visitor.

6.  Don’t use weasel words.  These are words that don’t mean anything or are ambiguous – my favourite one is ’synergy’.  Use plain English and tell it how it is, rather than using fluffy, flowery ‘motherhood statements’ or long, technical words.

7.  Change the subject of your sentences from ‘we’ or ‘us’, to ‘you’ – instead of ‘we offer’, use ‘you’ll receive’.  Remember, WIIFM!

8.  Make sure your grammar and spelling are correct – get someone to check for you.  Nothing will turn off customers more than poor spelling.

9.  Use a call to action at the end of your copy asking the visitor to respond in some way – eg. ‘Buy the book now…’

10. Use humour in your text – Australians particularly enjoy humour and this may serve to endear them to your website and brand.