pop your (web) copy

Hi, I’m Tiffani.

I like to read and write.

Friday, June 26, 2009

I’m here to talk to you about your (web) copy.


(my boss)


Community Specialist and Account/Project Manager Blue Flavor

M.A in Ethics & Philosophy University of Chicago

Lived a block from Barack Obama

Ran a vegan restaurant

B.A.’s in Psychology Religious Studies Indiana University

Studied Wolof in Senegal

A little more about me


Disclaimer:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.noob.no/noob-kid.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.noob.no/&usg=__ReP5lYrAQ07A1QMhty6DpiQ4xRg=&h=470&w=500&sz=22&hl=en&start=7&sig2=kzue5KcaIjXcQ5hHV3wTsw&um=1&tbnid=D4JjcMr5g0MkSM:&tbnh=122&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnoob%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DG%26um%3D1&ei=yBlBSpfLOJTYswOgsNCfCQ

I’m still a new kid.








What is Copywriting?


Brain dump. Journalism. Magazine writing. Diary. Self expression.

Making yourself laugh. Writing an email. Tricking people.


Not just pretty pictures. Or grids. icons. colors.


Copywriting is a user experience problem!

http://www.websiteoptimization.com/secrets/seo/1-13-honeycomb-morville.jpg




Copywriting is using words to sell

stuff.

products, businesses, opinions, ideas.

http://www.claudehopkinsaudio.com/oglivy2.jpg




Copywriting is using words to create

tribes.

(of people who like you and your biz)

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/09/bloggers/image/sethgodin.jpg




"Getting across the perfect message, with the perfect

words."- Rob Nightingale


This is copywriting.


Good copy addresses a very important

question.


WIFMIt’s business!


What really persuades consumers to buy or not to buy is the content of your advertising, not its

form. - David Ogilvy


Some Basics.


Be a good writer. (like, generally)


Get these books.

Don’t know how?


The Four Big’ns

Brevity. Simplicity. Clarity. Humanity.


Brevityten words, not thirty.


http://www.braintraffic.com/what-we-do/




Simplicity

http://www.charlesknobloch.com/hvra/2007-11GLImages/I4.jpg




Clarity


Jargon

Write plainly where possible. Everyone can understand plain language. You can be taken seriously

without jargon.

Use it when it matters.


The Acme Defense Systems strategy is to understand the enduring needs of customers and provide value-added solutions to meet their requirements. The strategy includes understanding the art of using current and emerging technologies to improve the capabilities of existing products and delivering new solutions.

We care about customers. We make our products better

by using new technology.

Actual Sentence Translated

The strongest defense system in

the world.

Copywritten


Humanity

your Self, in writing.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/3066025100/




What does a lie sound like? How do we decide to trust? There’s a reason why you can figure out in an instant whether a mail is spam or not. It’s not a single, measurable thing, but a whole set of small, invisible variables with which you can instantly make a judgment — I do not trust this mail.

You have a complex set of analytical mental muscles that help you make critical snap emotional judgments. Whether it’s a mail, a website, or a person, your brain can instantly look at 12 imperceptible aspects of a thing to determine how you should feel.

Rands in Repose


Experimentation leads to great new things.

http://www.hss.state.ak.us/gcdse/history/Images/section%2003%20-%20renaissance/3e-early-surgery.jpg




“Hard writing makes easy reading. Easy writing makes hard reading.”

- Zinsser

Good writing takes work and patience.


Writing to sell.


Do your homework. Know your position. who’s your

audience? what does your product

do? what does your audience

want?


Be clear and direct.

orange juice from Uwajimaya


Show benefits and features.minimal design!

friendly, confident

benefits listed

Navigation ties in perfectlyasks question

free!


Get specific (wifm)


Grab peoples’ attention.


Rock the visuals.

(From Kind Company)http://kindcompany.com/

sexy!


http://kindcompany.com

http://kindcompany.com

The good news is that anyone who touches copy can make a difference by

insisting that every chunk of text on the site is doing something concrete.

“Selling” is a muzzy, undefined process, so you can’t tell if you’re doing it

properly just by looking. Copy needs specific goals to accomplish.

- Erin Kissane

But remember:

http://www.alistapart.com/articles/writingcontentthatworksforaliving/




Web Copy is Special.Why?


It’s about helping people do stuff.(plus all of the above)


It’s interactive, silly.


Find. Understand. Act.From homepage to contact form.


Copy in direct proximity to an action must be insanely clear.


Your Audience

who are they?


Goal-driven, page-scanning, self-interested creatures...

in a hurry.Friday, June 26, 2009

Dealing With Scanners

• use bullet points• highlight important words • few words• chunk sections •one idea per paragraph

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/03/Gort_Firing.jpg




Invert the Pyramid.

main point

support

history

title

end

http://www.radiantdaggers.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/inverted-pyramid.jpg




Finesse Headings.

http://media2.moma.org/collection_images/resized/343/w500h420/CRI_7343.jpg




be conversational.

whassup?chillin.


Imperative statement:

Passive voice: The CMS was built with scalability in mind to facilitate ease of use by you.

Active voice: We built a scalable, easy-to-use CMS.


Cut the Crap.Throw out what doesn’t work.


Tell a story.

http://museum.msu.edu/museum/tes/talltale/talltale02.jpg

with your copy, visuals, and brand.




More Special Considerations for

Web Writers.


Designers and Writers“Ideally, you should work with a writer from day one to design the voice of the copy in conjunction with the visual language of the site. And getting a writer involved early can help you solve lots of other problems—from content strategy issues to information architecture snags. ”

- Bronywn Jones, A List Apart

http://www.alistapart.com/articles/betterwritingthroughdesign/




You’ll need a plan.(a content strategy)

Kristina Halvorson, of Brain Traffic

Content Strategy Queen

Content strategy plans for the creation, publication, and governance of useful, usable content.


Who will make it? Who will publish it? How often? For what audience? Who will be responsible for overseeing it?

What are our key themes?

This is why some copy sucks.


Know technology.(nothin’ fancy)


You’re in business.

http://www.earlyofficemuseum.com/IMagesWWW/Equitable_Bldg_NYC_Largest_Business_Bldg_in_World.jpg




Business’ Goals User’s Goalsyour job.


Pop Your (Web) Copy.

http://www.obfuscated.org/static/images/douchebag.jpg




Readings

The Copywriter’s Handbook, Robert W. BlyContent Strategy for the Web, Kristina Halvorson

Killer Web Content, Gerry McGovernContent Critical, Gerry McGovern and Rob Norton

Ogilvy on Advertising, David OgilvyThe Art of Writing Advertising, Ogilvy, Bernbach, etc.

Letting Go of the Words, Ginny RedishWhen You Catch an Adjective, Kill It, Ben Yagoda

On Writing Well, William Zinsser


I hope I made you happy.

[email protected] [email protected]

twitter: ticjones

Feel free to hire me.


mailto:[email protected]




pop your (web) copy

Business

simplicity http

hard writing

easy writing

good copy

zinsser good writing

new solutions

good news

good writer