More than one way to skin a catfish – Video vs. Web Copy

It’s dangerous to generalize especially when it comes to trends on the web. It’s even more dangerous to assume you know what all your customers want and the form they want that delivered in OR that someone else knows what your customers want. A generalization is that video kicks text to the curb–so why give […]

Engineering or Writing?

The action of writing web copy can sometimes feel too much like engineering as opposed to writing– a natural language flow…. Any discussion of SEO can quickly sound as if there is less writing going on and much more “building” and “integrating” and “stuffing” and  attachment to measurables like keyword density. Let me grab my […]

Share Your Story…

Stories can sell or teach or inspire. Which is why books that tell a great story get read and go viral. Why some of the most successful sales copy starts with a story. If I tell you how I learned to do something that you want to learn how to do–you may begin to imagine […]

Getting Customers to Convert: Weave Fear Into Web Content

Most web customers and site visitors are going through the motions with eyes glazed over. Little about the content and copy stands above the crowd. It’s all so vanilla and … nice and positive. Upbeat. The eternally positive and upbeat web copy may suffice for informational and educational content, but if you’re expecting a customer […]

CIA’s Secret Spy Writing Documents are Link Bait-o-rama

The CIA’s not so dry and crusty after all. The website is likely racking up the hits with it’s publication of 6 formerly classified “secret writing documents.” PDFs open to reveal copies of handwritten and typed spy letters– detailed instructions for making invisible writing ink and how-tos for expertly opening sealed envelopes and resealing them […]

Are You Listening to THIS Web Content Advice? DON’T

The Google Panda/Farmer algorithm update that was installed in late February, did have an effect on web content. That’s a fact that cannot be disputed. How much of an affect will only be measured over time and once we shut up about it or stop obsessing over it. (one of the biggest effects has been […]

Content Consumers: The Head Game

Interesting tid-bit I stumbled on early this morning in Seth Godin’s book, Poke the Box. It has me wondering this: Can we dive dreamily into our site/content consumers enough to have a deep knowledge of “where they are” between the pages? Sounds odd, I know and a little out of body-ish. But here’s this bit […]

Micro-Script Rules: the book

If word gets out on this book, it’s going to sail off shelves. Bill Schley’s The Micro-Script Rules is a $16.95 branding, identity marketing, business marketing guidebook. It puts to shame the gurus hawking their high-priced courses and info products that sell for hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars. These “rules” pertain to ANYONE working […]

Too Many Calls to Action: Possible?

Without a doubt, calls to action are key content components on a website or webpage. And today’s web sites typically have a LOT going on–sometimes a bit too much. But when do a lot of calls to action become too many? Just a thought, but I was just checking out one of my regular news […]

Words are Sharks and Clown Fish and Stingrays, (oh my!)

Almost two years ago, I wrote a post about “powerful words.” The problem with that post? I talk about verbs and adjectives– action versus description, but I offer no examples–I frustrated even myself. What inspired the look back, though, is the number of visitors I get to this blog searching for “words with powerful meaning” […]