• The 5 Mistakes You’re Making When Writing Your Content

      Come on, writing copy can’t be that hard, right? After all, you’ve read all the advice from the copywriting greats, you keep up to date with the latest thinking, so you’re right on it. If that’s the case, how come you’ve been looking at that blank screen for the last 10 minutes? The problem […]

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  • Is Plain English Dying in the Workplace?

      This is something I come across more and more when I meet clients. During meetings, the initial plain English is replaced by an incomprehensible babble of nonsensical words and phrases that meld to create a language that only a few seem to understand. Usually I am the only person who has to interrupt and […]

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  • How to Brief a Copywriter

      Do you know the single most important golden rule that you should always follow when briefing a copywriter? It’s quite obvious really, but often gets overlooked. If you’re not sure, let me tell you a story. First thing on Monday you’re called into your line manager’s office. “There’s a bit of restructuring happening at […]

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  • Copywriting – How to be Natural and Authentic

      This is longer than my usual stuff, so you might want to grab a coffee while you read. Recently, I was asked to talk at a local business event. The topic I chose was the human face of copywriting – how to be natural and authentic. Why? Mainly because of the tonnes of bad […]

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  • Simple Copywriting is Not For Dummies

      Pretty much every new project I work on with a new client includes the same conversation. It goes something like this. Me: “The message we write for our prospects must be simple, concise and to the point.” Client: “Our customer base is very educated so we expect you to use language that reflects this. […]

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  • The Easy Way to Write Great Content Every Time

      On the face of it, writing content should be the easiest thing in the world. You have a product or service to write about, so surely all you have to do is tell the reader what it does and you’re there. Unfortunately it doesn’t work like that, which is why you usually end up […]

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  • How to Make Your Company a Zebra Among Sheep

      How do you decide on the approach your marketing content will take? Do you look at your business, its ‘personality’, the way you want to be viewed by your customers? Or do you take a peek at what your competitors are up to and base your decision on that? If you fall into the […]

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  • Writing By Numbers Will Ruin Your Reputation

      How long should my content be? That’s the biggest headache most business owners have, in terms of boosting the effectiveness of their website. It’s not something that’s kept me awake – here’s why. First of all there is a lot of conflicting advice out there. Some articles tell you the optimum number of words […]

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  • Why You Need One Chief and a Cast Iron Copywriting Brief

      Every business needs content. That’s a given. Whether it’s for your website, brochures, newsletters, emails or case studies, the voice and words you use will have a huge impact on your brand image and bottom line. For most companies, finding the right voice and approach is quite easy. You know your customers well, you […]

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  • The Formula For Winning Content

      As a copywriter my heart sinks when I get an enquiry from a potential client (usually an agency) asking for x number of words on a specific subject with x% of keywords in it. Really? It doesn’t matter whether its website copy or articles, that kind of approach will only lead to one thing […]

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