10/26/2007
Do you know how and where to set up a blog?
Then don't miss our next chapter meeting! Thursday, November 1, 2007 Featuring "Five Tips to Get Blogging (Or Jump-Start Your Existing Blog) Today" Presented by: Allison Nazarian President, Get It In Writing, Inc. Copywriting & Marketing Expert/Consultant Networking begins at 6:15 pm Dinner and Program at 7:00 pm Cost: $30 Members with reservations $35 Guests and Walk-ins R.S.V.P. By October 26, 2007 Call 954-255-3456, option 1 Location: Carolina Club 3011 Rock Island Margate www.abwacoralsprings.org |
10/24/2007
Contextual Advertising Mistakes
Unfortunate Outdoor Ad PlacementsAs copywriters, one of our most important responsibilities is to fully research our clients' industries.When writing for another company, it is essential to write knowing that the voice and approach are fully in line with the interests and goals of the client company. Similarly, the advertising industry also has to contend with this issue, although there are instances when misrepresentations are outside their realm of control. In the following outdoor advertising ad placement examples, the inability to choose your next closest neighbor has made for some unfortunate, but funny, "branding issues."
Unfortunate Online Contextual AdvertisingFor online advertisers, the technology of contextual advertising has done wonders for helping match advertisers with interested audiences. However, this technology is far from perfected. The following are examples of the content matching technology not working out in quite the way it was intended.
And finally, even television advertising suffers from this issue. |
10/23/2007
What do water slides and marketing have in common?
| I just came back from a vacation in the Bahamas with my family and some friends. We had a great time at Atlantis (the kids went crazy with all the water slides!). What I realized though, for the umpteenth time, is that there is no such thing, at least not for me, of truly getting away from it all. While I was able to relax and "chill" more than usual, I was not able, nor do I think I have ever been able, to turn my brain off. I thought about current client projects, solved problems, came up with new ideas and even gave free marketing advice (all in my head, mind you) to the resort I stayed in, shop owners, restaurants and even local taxi drivers. While I am grateful for the expertise I have gained over the years, I used to worry that I had some sort of brain-can't-turn-off-disorder. (And chances are that I do!) But you know what? I wouldn't trade the passion and excitement I feel for my clients and for marketing for anything. I love working with small businesses and entrepreneurs. I get a rush (not the Atlantis water slide kind of rush, but close) from knowing that the right words can change the course of someone's business - their dream and their passion - for the better. How's that for some deep vacation ruminations? |
10/21/2007
Do you know how and where to set up a blog?
10/18/2007
E-mail Marketing: Dos, Don'ts and Musts
Ever wonder if your e-mails are ending up top of mind or in cyber-trash land? Here are a few copy solutions to help get your e-mails where you want them to go.
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10/10/2007
Is your business newsworthy?
| I get asked all the time about press releases and publicity. While I am not a publicist and would refer a client who needed media pitching and related P.R. services, as a copywriter I know a lot about how to write, develop, compile and distribute the press materials you need, whether you are a small business, entrepreneur or consultant. Since this issue is all about press and press releases, I wanted to share my insights with you. Writing these materials is much like writing your sales copy. You need to ask yourself what your prospects need and want and how you can communicate to them that your product or service is the solution. Even though you are looking for coverage and attention, it is still about them, not about your business. That means that while an internal promotion, upcoming event or new product are all legitimate press release fodder, you need to tie the content into a solution- or benefit-oriented approach that is consistent with your marketing efforts. Otherwise, the press, the online community and your prospects will see through your self-serving release and interpret it to be the shameless promotion that it is. It's a fine line, but a very significant one. Writing your press release as a marketing and not a promotional document will go a long way in attracting the new customers and coverage you sought in the first place. |
10/07/2007
Grammar tips courtesy of The Red Pen Editor
| Karen Reddick is a great editor based on Colorado. She sends out a weekly e-mail with Grammar Tips that I highly recommend subscribing to (you can do so here). Some recent installments had titles like: Particularities of the Possessive; Italics, Capitals, and Quotation Marks for Emphasis; and Capitalizing Popular Names. Here is a recent example entitled: Making a Bold Overstatement A hyperbole [pronounced "hy-PER-buh-lee"] is a figure of speech that adds exaggeration to your writing. Hyperboles are often confused with similes and metaphors because they sometimes compare two objects. Hyperbole statements are not literally true, but people use them to sound impressive and to emphasize something, such as feelings, efforts, or reactions. The tall tales your grandfather told you about that 20-pound trout that got away is an example of hyperbole. Here are some other examples: Her feet were as big as skis. I nearly died laughing. I'm so hungry I could eat a horse. He's as big as a house. I've heard that joke a thousand times. Whether you love this stuff or it makes you break out in a cold sweat, you need it to write well! Check out more of Karen's expertise at The Red Pen Editor. Labels: grammar tips |
10/05/2007
Optimized Press Releases: The Publicity & Search Engine Gift That Keeps On Giving
Get It In Writing's Allison Nazarian (i.e., me) was recently quoted in a column on WomenEntrepreneur.com entitled Optimizing Your Online Press Release. Online press releases can help your business attract attention and publicity. And a keyword-optimized press release is the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to search engines. Boiled down, what do you need to include and remember to be successful with optimized press releases?:
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