- Press release and press kit for a client participating in a global trade show
- Media relations programs to expand publicity for two clients
- Final touches on content for a major overhaul of an existing website
- Title and subhead for a training manual
- Kick-off meeting for a new client for a marketing firm that partners with me
- Rework existing web content for major website update
Current Ducharme Writing Projects
Here are a few things that I'm working on for the week of February 28:
You Don't Have to Be an Expert to Write Great Copy
A prospective client asked me today about how I could write web content about a subject that I had never written about before. It's a question that comes up a lot.
The reality is that I rarely write about topics that I really know well. Take today: I started today writing about weddings, transitioned to more business-like copy for an operations consulting company, interviewed a client about her gymnastics facility and ended the day writing an email about savings on torque screwdriver accessories. I'm not an expert on any of these topics, although I was a pretty good gymnast in junior high and did plan my own wedding.
How do I write about something unfamiliar? I do what journalists do. I research, I read, I ask questions. I learn enough to know what a particular audience cares about and what they need to know.
A fresh viewpoint from an industry outsider is often a wonderful thing. We root out jargon and simplify language until the message is clear. Of course, there are also times when a writer needs to know all the ins and outs of a particular subject. In those cases, a writer who specializes in the subject area is the only solution. The rest of the time, look for good writing and marketing sense rather than an exhaustive knowledge of the subject. A good writer will learn quickly.
The reality is that I rarely write about topics that I really know well. Take today: I started today writing about weddings, transitioned to more business-like copy for an operations consulting company, interviewed a client about her gymnastics facility and ended the day writing an email about savings on torque screwdriver accessories. I'm not an expert on any of these topics, although I was a pretty good gymnast in junior high and did plan my own wedding.
How do I write about something unfamiliar? I do what journalists do. I research, I read, I ask questions. I learn enough to know what a particular audience cares about and what they need to know.
A fresh viewpoint from an industry outsider is often a wonderful thing. We root out jargon and simplify language until the message is clear. Of course, there are also times when a writer needs to know all the ins and outs of a particular subject. In those cases, a writer who specializes in the subject area is the only solution. The rest of the time, look for good writing and marketing sense rather than an exhaustive knowledge of the subject. A good writer will learn quickly.
The importance of authenticity in copywriting
Recently I did work for a company who wanted to "overpromise" in its marketing materials. The company CEO had read an article or a book that touted the virtues of using superlatives in copy, so everything was "the best", "incredible", "largest" etc.
I must respectfully disagree with this approach. Today, more than ever, authenticity is the name of the game. People are no longer being "marketed to". Instead, the most effective marketing in this social media age involves engagement and interaction with potential customers. This takes trust. It means being honest, authentic, forthright and respectful of your customers' intelligence.
The best copy speaks directly to potential customers and doesn't so much sell to them as point out how the company's products or services meet their needs. It expresses a personality and engages. It does not, I believe, "overpromise" in the hope of luring a customer in.
Check out this video from Dr. Jennifer Aker, Stanford Graduate School of Business, on the virtues of authentic communication:
http://vimeo.com/4803475
I must respectfully disagree with this approach. Today, more than ever, authenticity is the name of the game. People are no longer being "marketed to". Instead, the most effective marketing in this social media age involves engagement and interaction with potential customers. This takes trust. It means being honest, authentic, forthright and respectful of your customers' intelligence.
The best copy speaks directly to potential customers and doesn't so much sell to them as point out how the company's products or services meet their needs. It expresses a personality and engages. It does not, I believe, "overpromise" in the hope of luring a customer in.
Check out this video from Dr. Jennifer Aker, Stanford Graduate School of Business, on the virtues of authentic communication:
http://vimeo.com/4803475
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