Many freelance writers have been watching the falling readership of newspapers and magazines and started preparing themselves for the shift of audiences online, believing that the old print medium is dying. I was one of the many eager to be ready for the millions of people expected to start arriving and adopting the internet as […]
Blogger in chief at The Copywriter's Crucible. A blog focused on helping other copywriters to enhance their skillset and be of more value to clients, and thus push up their pay grade. Also dabbles in internet marketing, cycling and jaunts abroad, in no particular order.
Bad English Costs UK Government £800 Million
Wasting £20 billion on a flawed new computer system is unfortunate. But to lose £800 million because of poorly written leaflets is simply inexcusable. A recent report has found that poor wording and incomprehensible language in UK government literature is creating a huge dent in public finances. The committee found that leaflets produced by the […]
Why Copywriters Should Prepare for the Evolution of Websites
A recent survey of British pensioners found that surfing the web is now their favourite pastime, ahead of gardening and DIY. Popular uses included email, banking, reading the news and searching for information. This is indicative of the general population as a whole. The internet is becoming a dominant platform for entertainment, organising your lifestyle […]
PR and Blogging in the Digital Age
The internet has created a global marketplace, not only for goods and services but also for thoughts and opinions. Businesses, both large and small, are becoming increasingly concerned by the proliferation of comments which can influence buying decisions. Recent research suggests that PR agencies are aware that they need to engage this online chatter, but […]
Edelman Research – A Corporate Guide to the Global Blogosphere
Edelman, ‘the world’s largest independent PR firm’, have recently released a new white paper on all things blogging. Their assessment suggests that, although the number of blogs might be peaking, their influence on mindsets is still growing. Some of its key points: Blog readers are young males who are action orientated and are influencers in […]
The Changing Language of Online Copywriting
Many commentators, myself included, have highlighted that 2007 will be the year that the ethos of engagement marketing spreads. The collapsing level of trust in traditional advertising means it is time for a rethink on how businesses talk to their customers. Both the approach and language needs to change. You now have to barter for […]
How the Internet Can Sell Snow and A Good Story
For anybody not already familiar with this story: Mary Walker is an advertising copywriter from Colorado who recently sold three bags of snow on Ebay to a family in Connecticut for $102. The story has captured the imagination of the world’s media and shown how the Internet has created a global marketplace for products and […]
Engagement Means Different Things To Different People
Internet marketers have been promoting the use of blogs and podcasts for small businesses for some time now. Discussing your passions and values in an open, transparent manner is an excellent way of building trust and confidence with your audience, and developing the sales process. Now large scale corporations and multinational advertising agencies want to […]
2007 – A Big Year for Engagement Marketing and The Write Words
The festive season is now over. I can finally check myself into a detox programme and ponder on what the new year has in store. 2006 was a fairly major year in the redirection of my career. Towards the end of 2005 I had realised that being a cog in the corporate machine was not […]
Winners of the 2006 ‘Golden Bulls Awards’ for Gobbledegook
The votes have been counted and the winners announced for the Plain English Campaign’s 2006 ‘Golden Bulls Awards’, in recognition of outstanding achievements in gibberish and gobbledegook. This year’s competition has been one of the hardest fought yet. Politicians, public offices and legal departments have been pulling out all the stops in their efforts to […]