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.

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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...

6 Essay Contests for High School Students

As I remember it, the rub with essay contests for high school students was that first, there are a lot of crappy ones so the good ones are hard to find, and second, it takes a lot of time and discipline to write a solid, thoughtful essay for those worth entering. Here are five I think are worth the time. Good luck, all! 

1. SPJ (Society of Professional Journalists) is accepting entries into its essay contest for high school students until February 16, 2016. The topic, Why is it important that we have news media that are independent of the government?' is both timely and near and dear to my heart. Write on, young citizens.

2. With a hefty $2,000 prize at stake, the Ayn Rand Anthem Essay Contest is open to 8th - 10th grade students. The deadline is March 25, 2016. Other essay contests related to Rand's books are also offered.

3. The 11th Annual DNA Day Essay Contest, sponsored by the American Society for Human Genetics, has set its deadline for March 11, 2016. This year, students are asked to either defend or refute the Society's position on genetic testing for adult-onset diseases and conditions. 

The organization's website offers a rubric as well as pitfalls to avoid when participating in the contest.

4. Hiram College has announced its second essay writing contest. The theme is "Borders," and the contest (with cash prizes) is open to 10th and 11th graders. Entry deadline is January 7, 2016.  

5. We The Students essay contest is accepting entries until February 7, 2016. Hosted by the Bill of Rights Institute, the contest is open to students ages 14-19 in grades 8 - 12. 

This year, students are asked to discuss in writing to what extent, in in what ways, our government has compromised individual liberties for the sake of general security or welfare. 

6. Profiles in Courage Essay Contest - read winning essays from recent years and get writing tips directly from students (and contest winners) on the organization's Facebook page.

Speaking of writing tips, the organization posted one from JFK, circa 1955.

Don't Be THAT Guy on LinkedIn

Shortly after publishing my first post on LinkedIn, I received a message from a Hubspot rep who had been pursuing my employer as a client.

First came the connection request, which I approved because we had a connection or two in common, so I thought there could be a legitimate reason we should connect. On the heels of that approval came a long and silly introductory note that began with the following.

"I have been reading your Linkedin posts for a while now and I think we might share a psychic 6th sense because literally ALL of your posts are verbatim my thoughts regularly. Especially the one about these sensationalist headlines the world has been completely swept by."

I do not make this stuff up.

In case you haven't had your morning cuppa, I'll repeat: it was my first, and only, post on LinkedIn, at least to this date.

Obviously, I'm pretty sure we don't share that 6th sense, because if we did, she'd know I wondered if she was accusing me of plagiarism. You know, because ALL of my posts "are verbatim" her thoughts.

Scary stuff. And snarky, on my part, I'll admit.

The takeaway:
Don't be that guy on LinkedIn. And if you know that guy on LinkedIn, remember, severing a connection is easy.

Cheers!

What Do Your Images Say? What Do You Want Them to Convey?

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, you really need to choose your pictures carefully. Below, two examples I came across this week.

This one is good, because it's believable. 

And borderline great, because it's funny. 

This one is not so good. Because, we were never that close. 

Whether words or pictures (or both) are your tools of choice, communicate what you want to communicate, people.

If your business communication need an infusion of straight talk (or a little snark, even), get in touch. I'm a writer who gets business...and I can help you get your message across.

Stunners: People Like to Share Pictures and LinkedIn Will Publish Just About Anyone's Post

Fridays! I like to use them as a social media catch-up day. Because a metric ton of MUST READ articles appear every minute, I try to be selective. And I hate clickbait.

So when I was drawn in with the great headline WHAT DO PEOPLE LOVE TO SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA? I was miffed that the answer was....
...wait for it...

...pictures!

I took my rant to a new (to me) venue and created my first LinkedIn post.
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What did you write today? And where?

If you're a freelance copywriter and would like to use this space for a guest post, I'd love to hear from you. Let me know in a comment on the LinkedIn post, or find me on Twitter.

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.

Where Do You Find Writing Jobs?

"Our focus is building tomorrows business leaders," said the ad. Apparently, they're not focused on using apostrophes. 


As a writer, I have mixed feelings about a job posting like this. The organization has a real need! But who proofs its ads? Third graders? 

Where do you find writing jobs? 

Craigslist has had its share of bad press, but is still a good place to look for jobs (or "gigs," which, at least to Craigslist folks, are not the same thing). 

Linkedin certainly seems to have lost its focus re: jobs lately. 

I'd like to see more boutique placement firms like 10-til-2 leading us to great opportunities, but I'm not seeing it happen as fast as I'd like. 

I am seeing a general increase in content-, marketing- and PR job opportunities here as summer wanes. What about you? Where do you find writing jobs? 

I'd love to hear from you! Contact me here or on Twitter. Yep, I tweet, when I'm not writing. Or looking for a job...