Marketers: Content Works; Readers: Be Smart

Consumers Can't Tell Native Ads from Editorial Content
Article or Ad...No One Knows
Native Advertising on the Rise

As a content marketing writer, you might think headlines like these would leave me gleeful. But I was a reader (and a journalist) before I was a marketing content maven, so you'd be wrong.

I'm worried.

I write content (and some real old fashioned news/ed stuff) for a living. With each assignment, I have a job to do. The content I write is intended to educate and/or persuade in order to convince you, the reader, to take action.

But the content is not intended to brainwash you; it's supposed to be helpful. I hear you snicker. But it's true - marketing content is directed at readers who are already thinking about buying (or taking the desired action). 

I'm not splitting hairs, I'm trying to draw an important distinction. And more importantly, I'm saying - readers, please learn to recognized marketing content and be smart when you read!!

(Aside: it would be great if you learned to recognize 
and appreciate good content. 

If you do, you can tweet this. 
Wink, wink.)

Is Marketing Content Intended to Be Deceptive?

I believe advertising copy is (usually) not intentionally deceptive. In 20 years I've had just one client ask me to flat-out lie about a product. (In case you're curious: the company is still in business, and is no longer my client.)

However, there's a lot of blurring of the lines in content - and that's not a new development we can blame on online content marketing practices. Advertorials existed long before the internet.

Readers need to be smart and know what they're reading. If you want to know why I'm a little wound up about this, read the articles behind the headlines above:

Consumers Can't Tell Native Ads from Editorial Content

Article or Ad? When it Comes to Native, No One Knows

Native Ads on the Rise

Facebook Blurs the Line More

If you think it's hard to categorize your marketing content (and your reading material) now, hold on tight: Facebook's latest update (F8) is sure to blur the line a bit more, and possibly obliterate it completely. 

From messenger bots to video profiles and virtual reality, the future is here. Or at least, it's in beta at Facebook. (Read Buffer's great take on F8 on Bufferapp.com.)

What's the Difference Between Editorial Writing and Copywriting? 

As a freelance business writer, content manager, and general wordsmith, I write a  w i d e  variety of "stuff."

Sometimes it's hard to categorize what I'm writing - but the label (advertising? editorial?) is far less important than the intended result. Regardless of the writing assignment, whether it's a case study, white paper, brochure, report, or feature article, my starting point is always the same question:  What should this piece do?

The result, and the intention, should be as clear to the writer (and client) as it is to the reader. That's why I made up my own category for what I do. I call it Writing that Works. 

If you're interested in getting better results from your marketing content, I'd love to hear from you.

Still Breaking the Blogging Rules (among others)

I've written recently about white papers that aren't quite white papers, and about landing pages that don't follow the rules. Crazy? Only if you think common sense is.

Folks, articles with scary headlines about content such as '5 THINGS YOU MUST DO TO GET READERS' should be taken with a grain of salt. If you know your business and your brain has had the benefit of a cup of coffee, you can make your own decisions about content marketing's MUST-FOLLOW RULES.

Below, a post I wrote about breaking the blogging rules, way back in 2014. I reviewed it and deem the info still worthy today.

The bottom line? Your content needs to work for you and your business. Consider those "rules" a list of suggestions and if you need help getting your message across, work with a writer who gets your business. < shameless plug

Excerpt from Blog Rules to Know and Break, originally published in October 2014

The Steveology Blog is always a great resource, and I found a series of interviews with Lou Hoffman was especially so. My favorite: part 3, about storytelling, highlighting some "rules" of corporate blogging that many organizations break or ignore.

And there I go again, breaking the rules. See what I did there? You and I know that you're not supposed to put an outside link in the first line of your blog. *Sigh* Go ahead, click away laughing - but know why I do this: I think writing should be more useful to readers than it is to the writer - in this case, me.

Which may explain why I don't just blog for a living. But I digress.

Engagement isn't easy, nor is it overrated

Your corporate blog needs readers and you need patience and commitment to get them.

Just because monkeys can write blogs and many blogging tools are free doesn't mean it's a good idea for monkeys to have blogs. *Ahem* Sorry, my snarkiness is showing.

If you've been charged with writing a corporate blog or any kind, don't fall into the content trap and think your task is all about writing. Blogging is copywriting, and copywriting is marketing. Or that word no one likes to say out loud anymore: advertising.

Copywriting vs. Content 

Copywriting, of course, is not just writing, or even storytelling. It's advertising. Meaning, before you write, you have to know your product (or service), your target audience, and how to reach them quickly and effectively.

Sounds a lot like content management, doesn't it?  Coincidence? I don't think so. Nor is that external link placed at the end of this post. Another rule arbitrarily broken? Or valuable content, offered in trust? It's your call.

~Diane Stresing

Customer Service Is Important to Writing Because - ?

BECAUSE YOU'RE WRITING FOR PEOPLE AND PEOPLE LIKE TO BE TREATED WELL.

There. That's the executive summary, in case you don't have time to read the rest. Here's the rest:

I've been a copywriter for -- well, a long, long time. Whether it's a service agreement, ad copy, a white paper or company return policy, there's a secret to writing it well: Remember who you're writing for.

The Secret to Good Copywriting

I started lodging service complaints when I was in first grade, so you might say my writing career started on a sour note. I prefer to say that my writing is always, always informed by my customer service bent.

In my pollyanna world then, a good copywriter must be at least part customer advocate. When approaching an assignment, I ask about a gilion questions - often digging in to customer service and operations issues. This can make new clients nervous.  (I've heard more than once, "We're not writing about that. We just want to tell them about our new product." )  What I often hear about the final copy from my clients is, "Oh, I think our customer will like that."

Ya think?

Sarcasm aside, it's business 101. Generally, my assignments are not designed to serve my clients. They're intended to serve my client's CUSTOMERS.

(Un) Common Sense & Courtesy

There's some evidence that common sense and common courtesy are not quite as prevalent as they once were. In order to keep it positive, I'll point out that some companies (like Zappos, for one) use good customer service as a differentiating factor in their marketing strategies.

It should be obvious, but it's worth stating: If "good customer service" is a key piece of your marketing message, you really need to have the service and operational chops to back it up.

Also worth noting: Providing good customer service doesn't mean you have to be a doormat. I like the way HelpScout (nice product, even better philosophy) puts it:

Help Scout is fond of the Ritz-Carlton principle, to be “Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.” We hold doors, offer a strong handshake, and will pass on the last piece of pie—unless it’s pumpkin.

As HelpScout tips often point out, there are courteous ways to resolve problems with customers that don't involve bending over, or even handing over the last piece of pie/last slice of your margin.

A little bit of respect, and a lot of questions, can go a long way in creating good business communications and delighted, repeat customers.

 -  -  -  -  -  -  -
If you need a copywriter who's a little nutty about customer service, I might be the right choice for you. If you can overlook how long it's been since I updated my website...

Picture This: in PDFs, All Over Your Site, Images Matter

Ah, pity the poor alt tag. I have championed the little bit of code for years. And the hard-working descriptors still matter.

But not as much as the images themselves.

Google's been busy (< anyone want to nominate that for shocking headline of the year?) updating its image search protocols this summer. Among other things, the search superhero is now pulling images out of .pdfs and indexing them too!

Anyway, the good news for me and my oft-overlooked alt tags is they're still mighty important.

Writing for the Web 2015

The same can be said about meta descriptions and title tags. And of course, one could argue that using the right image is the most important thing about images and your website.

But, hey, I'm talking about alt tags here. They really never got the respect they deserved, and still don't.

Speaking of respect, if you're looking for a writer who thinks talking about alt tags is interesting...you might have found her.

Full disclosure: she's extremely selective about freelance projects these days. But if you think your alt tags need a little TLC, I know how you can reach her.

Is it Time to Quit Your Job (and Freelance)?

"Most people don't quit; they wait to get fired," says Donna Nowak, a business consultant and interim executive who specializes in helping underperforming companies. Nowak has managed major organizational restructurings, many that included the loss of jobs. But leaving a job can be a win-win situation. The key is to be proactive.

5 Signs it's Time to Quit Your Job
Nowak encourages employees to take control of their careers, which sometimes means recognizing that it's time to quit.

1. The business is in (bad) trouble

If you suspect your employer is involved with any illegal or immoral activities, getting out can save you untold aggravation and potential legal liability. Is your employer out of compliance with OSHA regulations? Not honoring customer contracts?

"Ignorance of the law is no excuse, and there's always a chance that you could end up being a scapegoat. Leaving allows you to maintain your integrity," Nowak says.

When Nowak takes over as Interim CEO of a company, it's often because the business is on the verge of bankruptcy. In many cases, those companies have used financial challenges as an excuse to cut corners, legally and ethically - or maybe not so much.  When things are handled in a ... let's say less-than-honest manner, "It would have been better for employees to take a stand at the first sign of anything illegal," Nowak says.

2. Your job is a career killer, or is harming you professionally

If you are being mistreated on the job to the extent that it's harming you professionally, damaging your self-esteem, or both, it's time to quit and find an employer who will treat you with dignity and respect.

3. Your job is killing you

You don't have to enjoy every minute of your job, but since most people spend most of their waking hours at work, it greatly affects the quality of life. If your job is causing irreparable or unmanageable physical or mental harm, that's reason enough to quit.

4. You really suck at the job

Let's face it: it's possible there just isn't a good fit.

"Most employees know when they're not well-suited for a job or vice versa," says Nowak. When that's the case, the longer you stay, the more experience you'll have - doing a bad job. Get out before you make a colossal error or create a truly awful situation for your employer and/or coworkers. They may be so relieved that they'll graciously offer to assist you in finding a job that makes better use of your talents.

5. You're about to get fired

Clearly, the best time to quit a job is before you get fired. While some signs are obvious, others are subtle. Just don't overanalyze everything your boss or co-workers do or say; self-doubt makes it easy to misinterpret harmless comments.

That said, some things are meant to get your attention. Receiving multiple reprimands at work, either verbally or in writing, means your job is in jeopardy. Most corporate policy handbooks stipulate that employees will be terminated after a third written reprimand, Nowak says. 

Less obvious, but possibly just as telling: Posting something derogatory about your employer on Facebook (or LinkedIn, or Twitter, or social media tool of choice). Many employees don't recognize this as a symptom of it's-time-to-go-itis. 

"Badmouthing or disrespecting your boss, the company, or your co-workers," online or otherwise, is a clear indication that you should be planning an exit, Nowak says.

One sign that's often underestimated: Doing personal things on company time. Make no mistake, the company knows. Most employee handbooks contain policies prohibiting conducting personal business on the company dime. It also indicates that you're not fully engaged at work. Be honest about it, and find a job that really excites you.

Smart or Over-sensitive?
What if the boss stops saying 'hi' to you in the elevator? Don't freak out, but don't dismiss it. After a decision on termination is made, "quite often a boss will start feeling awkward," Nowak says. Sure, there could be many other reasons for such behavior. "But it would be something that I would look for," she says.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This article was published way back in 2012, when I was a contributor to the now-defunct Yahoo! Voices channel. Live and learn, eh?  If you're thinking about quitting and hope to freelance fulltime - or just to make ends meet for a time - get your plan in rock-solid shape before you jump ship. I don't have a magic wand, but with more than 20 years of freelancing in the bag, I can tell you it's really sweet to have a job. #Thinkitover

Wrapping Your Head Around Headlines

The Moz Blog nailed it (again) - this time, about those "mind-blowing" headlines I refer to as hype-lines. 

Clickability & SEO vs. Real Readers

Yes, I know putting an outside link in the opening line of my blog virtually guarantees readers will click away, but on the other hand, I like my writing to be more helpful to readers than it is to me. Hello, usefulness. Or as The Moz calls it, credibility. The point is, if your content matters to real readers, you have to write for them, not for click-metrics and the continually changing rules of SEO engagement.

Old School Optimization

Someday the dust may settle on the Google ranking algorithms and we'll all wake up and realize that business hasn't changed that much. Products and services still need good word of mouth and good reviews to sell. A product with an especially strong USP is a little easier to sell and easier to charge a premium for than a runner-up. And if you don't know your audience, you can't write to them, or sell to them. 

But there I go dreaming again. Until common-sense copywriting is what every client wants, do the next best thing - read The Moz blog. The latest post about headlines asks the right questions, and has quite a few smart answers. 

How to Write Short, Crop Well a Matter of Practice

I'll admit I've thoroughly enjoyed How to Write Short by Roy Peter Clark, and it's served as a great refresher course in copywriting. (Actually, it applies to all forms of writing. Copywriting just happens to be what I do the most.)

But How to Write Short isn't a breakthrough method or a new spin on anything - rather, it reminds you of the rules, and how experts employ them.

If you're a copywriter, it's a definition of the tools you use daily. Without thinking about them. Maybe, it reminds you of a few of those tools you don't use often enough. Probably, it will occur to you that you overuse a few of them. Almost certainly, it will teach you that those tools actually have names.

Whether you write novels or catalog copy or blog posts, your writing improves with practice. (I'll wait while you file that under Well-Duh or Obvi.) And the thing is, you learned by being taught in boring classrooms and by seeing your first efforts marked by a red pen. If you became a professional writer or copywriter, your practice paid off - and you forgot how you do what you do. You just do. (Hello, mastery.)

Aside: I don't want to draw the analogy out to brain surgeons and nuclear physicists; 

I'd like to think they regularly re-read all of their college textbooks. 

(Oh, the great luxuries of a Liberal Arts degree...)

And so I believe it is with photography. Practice of the basics becomes your "natural instinct." What you forget - or the rules you fail to follow - becomes your "artistic signature." Of course I'm not knocking photographers; I kinda consider myself one. I bring it up because just after I'd begun reading How to Write Short, I was sucked in (I meant that in a good way) to an article titled "How to Crop Images Like a Pro."

Honestly, I thought it would be a great example of an SEO-grabbing headline backed up by disappointing content. It wasn't. Instead, it's a solid article listing the basic tools that professionals employ in framing, cropping, and restyling images.

My point? Professional communication and writing, like photography and many other things a person is supposedly "talented in" - or not - are greatly improved by, and probably even made through, excessive practice.

So write on, my friends.

Please Don't Tell Anyone: Free Marketing/PR Advice

Hey, you do marketing/publicity/press release stuff, right? Would you have any tips for me on publicizing my crowd funding appeal? Hey, I've got a Facebook page. I could make you a manager and you could write something for it! Can you tell me how to use the 'boost post' feature? That's advertising, right? Want to help me write a grant? ...business plan? ...employee manual? 

Funny thing is, professional marketing/advertising/copywriter types are good at what they do because they stay current on industry and audience trends, write, rewrite, and practice their craft. They even attend seminars and stuff... sure, it's all available online. So is everything you'd need to drywall your basement. So, why don't you Google it and go for it?

Sorry for the snarky 'tude - I've been asked for free advice one too many times already this week. All right; if you came here to learn all the tricks of the trade, I'll dish. 

Whether you're crafting a business plan, press release, Facebook or email campaign, customer or employee newsletter, white paper or case study, here's what you need to know: they all start with the same basic ingredients.

All you need to do to write great copy

• Look at likely prospects. What do you know about them?
• Where are they, what do they read, what do they care about?
• Why would/how could you appeal to them more than competitors would?

Once you answer those questions, you have all the raw material you need to craft your message. When you have the nut of what you need to say, you go back to the first step, which is understanding your prospects. Then, just tailor the message so that it's most likely to hit the target. To do that, all you have to do is hone the message to fit into the appropriate format (structure, length, tone, etc.) and stand out just a little.

Yep. That's it in a nutshell.

Please don't tell anyone about this post. The next thing you know, everyone will be creating great copy. And pretty soon, we'll have a glut of finished basements, too.

# #

Here's another secret: good copywriting only looks easy to write because it's easy to read. Effective copywriting doesn't get noticed because its job is to get your message noticed. I specialize in writing that works. Contact me so we can start getting your message out. And yes, my Website Reality Check is still available at the posted price. You'll find it here under "Looking for a Deal" 

~Diane Stresing

Social Media Advice You Wouldn't Expect from a Writer

Google's Hummingbird is still flying high and it's made a lot of content producers sing, but it hasn't revolutionized content or search yet. And I suspect it never will. 

I've said for years, and written many times, that content rocks sales, content rules, and content matters. Or it should. But it may be more accurate (especially for small businesses) to say that it doesn't have to be good content. 

Bear with me, there are some important caveats to this assertion. 

Small businesses with loyal clients and great customer service can get by with bad content. I think it's safe to say those same small businesses - with loyal clients and great customer service - must have a good online presence to continue to flourish, but their content doesn't really have to be stellar to stay alive. 

To grow, well, that's a different matter. 

But let's say you have a single-location, bricks and mortar location in which you offer hair styling products and services. If your clients are happy, word of mouth is going to be your primary source of new business. A static, even woefully simple website and a reasonable presence on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram (yes, "or" not "and") will be plenty to keep your business healthy assuming you do everything else right. 

While I love to turn up my nose at the misspellings, bad grammar, poorly considered claims and copyright infringements I see on many small business Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, the fact is, if you have a good handle on your core business and treat your customers well, bad grammar is NBD. If you know firsthand of an example in which a small business lost a customer because of poor posting etiquette, I'd love to hear about it. 

7 AP Style Slips, 7 copywriting tips & other things I've ripped off

Of these seven common AP style slip-ups shared by Ragan.com, I think I'm guilty of #7 most often.

Social Media Today offers some very good tips here, but I'd like to pause at #1 to add another reason to keep ONE reader in mind as you write. It's voice, tone, agreement. I know, it sounds like three reasons, but it's not. When you're writing copy, your mind is spilling out all the features and what-fors and how-tos and your tendency is to want to cover all of them. Of course, that's a sure way to lose focus. (Yours, and your reader's.) So, focus - on ONE reader. Your results (and your clients) will thank you.

Still reading? Good! Here's a heads-up for J-school students looking for PAID summer internships:
Thank you SPJ! 

Another Dream Writing Job: MachinePorn

Last week, as I was killing time (trolling for a job and procrastinating on a content-farm article deadline) I stumbled on to MachinePorn, which I promptly added to my growing list of Dream Writing Jobs.

Why it is a dream job? If only to have the chance to write phrases like, "Humans for scale." 

Five Questions to Ask Before You Write

Every writing project should start with these 5 questions: 

1. Who is this directed to? 

This determines your audience. Who should read it? Who else might read it? 

What do you know/what can we assume about them?

2. Why are you talking to them? 

Why might they listen? Why might they care? 

3. What do you want them to do?

Be specific. This is the reason you're writing, after all.

4. When do you need it, and...

5. How do you want it? 

Will a Word document suffice? Can it be emailed in the body of a message, 

or should it formatted for your blog or website? 

Do you need photos or illustrations?

Save time, get the words you need 

Answering these five questions usually takes less than 30 minutes, and on the average project, having the answers will save both of us about a gazillion hours. Roughly.

Want help getting your writing project started? Let's get together, and make the words work for you.

~Diane Stresing

Beyond the Keyword Stuffing Discussion

When drafting copy for a client's site as it was in the wireframe stage* I asked what's the 'ideal' length & style for ALT image tags. Nobody seemed to have "the" answer,* so I read a few articles on the subject, many of which contradicted each other. A couple rang true, notably one by Chris Rand and another from the University of Washington.  

Alt Tags and Animal Mix-ups

While both articles were written before Google released its Pandas and Penguins (but after Apple released its Lion, oh my) I suspect (ok, guess) the advice is still pretty sound. Here's what I gleaned:

• The ALT image tag should describe the image AND what it means to site navigation (e.g., would you like to design a bookcase like this? something taller? click to use our free bookcase designer.)

• KW stuffing is bad. Very bad. 

• Accessibility readers generally agree the focus is on the first 125 characters (not counting spaces). For humans (who never agree) the tag should be a max of 7 words long, not more than 12 words long, 16 words of 7-8 characters each, and as long as it needs to be. Don't worry, there won't be a quiz later. There will, however, be infinite changes to the rules. 

• The Hobo blog is worth following. 

Definitive Word on ALT Tags? 

Anybody want to offer the definitive word on the subject? Wanna guest blog about it? I'd love to hear from you! Twitter is one of the best places to reach me. 

~Diane Stresing

*In case you're looking for a good exercise in frustration and general confusion, writing copy while a website is in the wireframe stage is a great place to start. Creativity is running high, the possibilities seem endless, and it's almost impossible for anyone to make a decision and stick to it for more than 10 minutes. At that point in the process, I find it's best to keep a "leftovers" document, full of good ideas bound to fall during the editing process. Later, that "leftovers" document is a gold mine, where you can dig up oodles of blog posts, fodder for landing pages, and other content that didn't quite fit on the site - at first. 

What to Blog About Next? How 'bout Now? part 2

I heart evergreen posts. Now and always.

Blogging got off to a suspicious start. Even auspicious, maybe. But I'm not blogging about run-of-the-mill, run-off-the-mouth blogging. I'm blogging about corporate/business/ghost/marketing content blogging.

Which means your blogging efforts will probably require meetings. Schedules. A plan. 

Yeah, I know. Borrrrr-ing. But do it right and you'll be hearing ca-ching!

Here's the good news about planning your blog posts: it doesn't have to be hard, they don't have to be long, and variety is the spice of blogging.

In other words, sometimes you can blog about what you're doing right now.

We're having a sale! is a great way to start a blog post.
Hurry to renew your contract before the price increase! works too. 

Seasonal tips make for great blog content. Got a landscaping business? Why not blog about liability as it relates to snow plowing contracts?

But wait, it's not exactly snowplow season, you're thinking. And we're not having a sale this week. So what do you mean, blog about "now?"

I mean, time is of the essence. You will have to spend some time planning and writing and scheduling your posts to make sure they're always timely. Get it? Blog about now means now, AKA your publish date. You want your content to be very timely ... or very evergreen. And sometimes, in-between.

I'll address evergreen posts (I love evergreen posts!) later, and tweeners too. Meanwhile, if you're wondering what to blog about now, I suggest you plan now to blog about something that will feel like you wrote it just now when the reader reads it... later.

Later! 

~Diane Stresing

What to Blog About? What to Blog About Next? And After That? Part 1

What to Blog About is a three- or four- or five- or 50-part series about - well, duh - what to blog about. Not sure what to blog about? or if you should blog? Please, read on

This series was inspired by and has grown out of a series of a-ha! moments I've had recently about content. See, I've been writing about writing and blogging about blogging for longer than I'm willing to admit. And of course, it's all content. So is copywriting. As are catalog listings, white papers, spec sheets, sell sheets, and tip sheets. But not satin sheets. That's slippery stuff. Anyway, downloadable games, quizzes, reviews, and surveys, heck, it's all content. The whole blogosphere brouhaha about the importance of content, frankly, is very old news to moi. 

Moi? Why Moi always knew content was king!

Now. I will not entertain any comments about how very old it might be, smartypants. Let's just say I knew Miss Piggy before she kissed her first frog, and leave it at that.

The most recent a-ha! moment bringing this to my attention was a conversation with an old friend, now the owner, founder, and a C-level bigshot at a pretty cool company that sells a very nifty bunch of software tools any design engineer would be happy to have. (Hi, Frank!) The conversation went something like this:

Me: Hey, I think I've got a blogging opp for you. (Yes, I really talk like that.) I've been working with a tech firm that's open to guest bloggers. Want me to introduce you?
Him: Thanks for the offer, but I don't know a lot about Blogging so I really don't see the value.

skreeeeeeeeeeetch!

Whether you heard nails on a chalkboard or somebody slamming the breaks on the possibility of reaching a whole lotta new customers, you're right.

So. I let Frank off easy - hey, I like to think that's why we're still friends - and decided to blog about it.

Part one in the bag. Stay tuned to find out What to Blog About Next.

Copywriter Crib Notes - this week's roundup

I have a habit of writing things on scraps of paper.

Notice I didn't say "bad" habit. The tendency can make me appear a little scatterbrained/disorganized at times, but it has some redeeming traits.

Like, having notes nearly covering my desk, I rarely have to dust it.  <BaDaDUM> Ironically, the majority of those little scraps of paper contain notes I've taken from some website or other. Yes, I know all about bookmarks and my (computer) desktop is littered with links to things to read later (or again) and I even have and use an electronic "notes" program. On my computer and my phone.

It's not that I'm a hopeless luddite. I'm not addicted to paper. I'm just an old-fashioned note-taker. I've found, when I write something down, with a real pen or pencil, on a piece of real paper, I process it better and retain it longer than when I try to absorb something from the screen.

But enough about me.

Below, some of the best writing tips I picked up - and promptly scrawled on scraps of paper - this week. I hope they're helpful to you. If they are, tweet about it, share this post or ... scribble it on a piece of note paper.

Who knows? Maybe when you clean up your desk you'll find a blog post amongst those scraps of paper.

> Use your Twitter background image to promote products!  (Thank you, @ShannonKSteffen! and hello, Whydidn'tIthinkofthat Hall of Fame.)

> The first one of these 8 tips I wrote down was #3. The other 7 are pretty good too! 

> OK I didn't exactly write any of this down - I enjoyed the article so much I printed it. And that's serious. As in, that's how you create good content serious. Kudos to Kuno. 

Hm. That's about it for writing tips on my desk this week. As I cleaned up my desk I realized that a lot of those scraps of paper are recipes and grocery lists. Food for thought, as they say. :D

How to Write About Anything (Even a Sticky Subject)

 Ha! I have a friend who has written about duct tape (yep, duct tape) for years. She could write a book on this topic: How to Write Intereting Content (on a boring topic).

How do you do it?

~Diane Stresing

PS: I find some topics interesting that others might not, so I rarely consider my subjects "boring." But then, I like to look for ways around the obvious. 

Content Rules, She Says, But Content isn't King Anymore

The crown has moved over one seat. And Roxanne Divol says it's good to be queen.

I think she's write. Er, I mean, right. But creating good content isn't all marketers need to do. (Ha! "All Marketers Need to Do" would be a pretty long list!) One thing most seem to agree on: they need to understand, be successful, in the publishing business.

Honoring Dads (through better marketing)

It's not quite Father's Day but it IS high time we (copywriters) started showing Dads a little more respect. Ashley Silverman of Playground Dad offers a well-crafted post on marketing to the "other" parent and gives us a few reasons to pay attention.

Research Before Writing: Essential to do, then stop

Would you spend a year learning to quilt or paint before writing a book about a character who quilted or painted? If you did, you might find your name on best-seller lists, like author Tracy Chevalier.

Or not. 

The trick is not just falling so hard for your story that you're willing to do the research - it's knowing when to quit researching and then having the discipline to write. (And revise, and rewrite, and revise, and rewrite...)

The History Girls' excellent blog asked Chevalier when was the right time to stop researching and her short answer was, "Never." The long answer was a bit more illuminating, particularly for fiction writers. 

But what about copywriters? How much research is enough? Unfortunately, the answer is usually determined by deadlines and budgets - neither of which, in the commercial world, have much respect for the writing process. 

Which means the writer must be a quick study, of both subject matter and of the personalities in play - who are you really writing for? The customers, about whom you have reams of data (of questionable significance) or the CEO, the sales manager, or the marketing director (who hired you)? 

While it's a conundrum and not one a blog can answer, I'll go back to Chevalier's answer, because she's right: as a writer, you'll probably never do enough research.  And I can safely say you'll never quiet all the critics - book reviewers, editors, clients or the CEO's sister, for that matter. 

It's frustrating, but the tremendous reward in this messy ball of wax is that writers are truly always learning. 

Tracy Chevalier's latest book is set in northern Ohio. She spoke at commencement to Oberlin's class of 2013 - 29 years after her own class graduated from the school - and she gave the grads a lot of advice. Five of her points were supposed to be all about writing - but they can be interpreted broadly. Most of the advice was good, for fiction writers, copywriters, and everyone. My favorite bit was this:

"Make your life one long string of punchy verbs."

Go on, now. Stop researching - and see what you can do.