Whether you’re writing copy for a brochure, a newspaper ad, a radio announcement or a blog for your web site–or even a resume–there are some tried and true techniques that can help you make sure that your copy gets the results you’re looking for.
Think about writing copy as making a sales pitch to some target audience. Your goal is to persuade that person to do something – most likely to purchase your product or service. Here’s how: Continue reading “Copywriting Tips Anyone Can Use”
Anybody who has ever observed people–usually, but not always, teenagers–standing together, yet communicating via text messaging can recognize that sometimes technology is overused. Whether email, social media, texting or the use of mobile devices, the downfall of these practices is to minimize face-to-face or voice-to-voice contact which can be a definite drawback. In business settings, studies consistently indicate Continue reading “Are We Over-Relying on Technology for Interpersonal Communications?”
Here’s another one of those “it depends” questions: Is social media better than traditional media? Well, it depends…
A student asked me the other day what the greatest marketing challenges facing business today were and whether I think these challenges are different than they have been historically. That’s a great question and I’ve pondered it for a while.
Ultimately, what I decided is that Continue reading “Greatest Marketing Challenges Facing Businesses Today”
For those communicators who work with — or who are! — professionals who required multiple, high-level degrees to practice in their careers, there can be a tendency to “speak in lofty language.” They forget that those who are *not* members of their profession *don’t* speak in their language. They fail to realize that, rather than being impressed by their advanced knowledge, their intended audience is simply confused and disinterested. Worse, when their intended audience doesn’t “get” the message they don’t *get* the message. Continue reading “Lofty Language Fails to Connect”
It’s a question that comes up in many venues. On Twitter and in LinkedIn groups. In business meetings. In university classes. It recently came up through a journalist who was asking for input from marketing professionals – like me: “I’m looking for experts to explain, compare and distinguish advertising vs. marketing vs. branding vs. PR.”
For those of us “in marketing” the answer is deceptively simple. Continue reading “What’s the Difference Between Marketing, Branding, Advertising and PR and Does it Matter?”
A business colleague recently asked for some advice on how to handle people in meetings – in this case, strategic planning sessions – that dominate the conversation. It’s a common problem and, I’d venture to guess, that any of you reading this have been involved in a situation where this has occurred.
Here are some of the suggestions I shared: Continue reading “When They Talk *Too* Much – Facilitating Planning Sessions”
A recent study by Weber Shandwick found that 64 percent of CEOs from the world’s largest comanies are not engaging online with external stakeholders. Most telling is that less than 10 percent Continue reading “Majority of Worldwide CEOs Not Active Online”
Bristol Myers, General Mills and IBM were the Top 3 corporate citizens in 2009 according to the annual CRO 100 Best Citizens list. These are just a few of the Continue reading “Are You Community-Minded?”
