Copywriting – Fredricks Communications

Graphic showing a fix for a common copywriting mistake

Orwellian Copywriting

October 26, 2022/in Copywriting /by admin

Less is more.

Why so many advertising and public relations copywriters do this (see above) is a mystery.

We copywriters should always follow George Orwell’s third Rule for Writing –

If it is possible to cut a word out,
always cut it out.

I grabbed this screenshot from a company that wants my business and emailed me about its new and “improved” website. I kind of wish the company would hire me to help with its communication…

Purists argue the noun, impact, should never be insulted by turning it into into the verb, “impacting.” They would evoke Orwell’s sixth rule:

Break any of these rules
sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

These grammarians argue “impacting” is simply another example of the base, coarse, disgusting habit of “verbifying” nouns, suggesting it’s the purview of hoodlums who are too lazy to come up with what they see as a “true verb.” “Verbifying… can get a bad reputation for sounding potentially too informal…,” notes twinkle.com, a resource for teachers.

However, in the case of impact, Merriam-Webster points out people were using it as a verb a couple of hundred years before there’s evidence of its use as a noun. So, yeah, verbifying the word is absolutely acceptable.

The purists also fail to acknowledge one of the greatest aspects of language: its evolution and resulting enrichment. “Impacting” is a common and correct usage, regardless of whether grammarians are ready to put their stamps of approval on it. If not, I wouldn’t be able to write “emailed me,” above, either. Besides, we’re talking advertising, marketing and public relations here; informality, a.k.a. familiarity, is a plus.

But enough about the sticklers.

Let’s take a look at all six of Orwell’s rules from his essay, “Politics and the English Language.” Following them will improve any copywriter’s work, or anyone’s writing, for that matter.

Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
Never use a long word where a short one will do.
If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
Never use the passive where you can use the active.
Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

Barbarous. What a great word.

Which is where I started this short essay, with words. Writing fewer, that is. Full stop.

Cropped image of Foot-to-Soil program flyer

Trails Please Foundation & Foot to Soil Copywriting

February 29, 2020/in Copywriting /by Martin Fredricks

Take a (healing) hike.

Fredricks Communications is proud to be working with Foot to Soil and the Trails Please Foundation, both of Franklin, Tenn.

A significant percentage of families in our nation, including many led by single mothers, can’t afford a vacation, even a one-night camping trip. And a lot of them don’t have transportation in the first place. Foot to Soil is working to change our communities one family and one person at a time by taking them to the outdoors for a unique camping and hiking experience. The Trails Please Foundation is a 501(C)(3) that raises funds for the program.

Fredricks Communications helped the organizations’ founder to develop the organizations’ messaging, developed website content and wrote copy for a program introduction/fundraising flyer.

Thank you, Glenn Sweitzer for taking a chance on a copywriter hundreds of miles away.

Please consider making a donation to the Trails Please Foundation today.

Click to view full e-blast.

Screenshot of Trails Please Foundation website copy, copywriting Fredricks Communications

Click to visit full Trails Please Foundation website.

Image of woman thinking. Words next to her are: "5 Keys to Effective PR Writing"

5 Keys to Effective Public Relations Writing

October 10, 2018/in Copywriting, Marketing, Public Relations /by Martin Fredricks

If you work in public relations, or if PR responsibilities fall to you by default in your company, it’s a good idea to keep these keys to effective PR writing in mind.

Think First, Write Later

Ideas should precede expressions. Let yours bang around your brain a while before putting anything on paper. Answer these questions:

How does this relate to members of my audience?
Why is it, or should it, be important to them?
How can I grab and hold their attention?
How can I best engage and persuade them to be concerned or take action?

Develop a “Creativity System”

A lot of creativity – some would argue most creativity – is the result of building on an idea that’s been around a while or combining two existing ideas to make something new. Borrow systematically and keep files of good materials. Make notes when ideas hit you and so on.

There’s a caveat here.

Creativity for the sake of creativity is not only wasted time and effort, but could actually detract from your message. Your idea might be amazing, awesome, never before seen, but if it rubs your customers’ or your clients’ customers the wrong way, it could have exactly the opposite effect from what you intended. If it’s bad enough, and if you’re a PR service provider, you could lose your client. I’ve seen it happen.

Be creative, but only in the context of what appeals to the target market, and make sure the creative complements the overall communication strategy.

KISS

Keep It Simple, Stupid.

It’s amazing how hard it can be to adhere to this rule, especially if you have a boss or client who insists on including every last nitty-gritty detail in the ad, press release, video, e-blast, social media post… whatever. I call that kitchen-sink marketing. When you throw everything, including the kitchen sink, into the ad, press release, video, e-blast, social media post… whatever… your main message is lost. And there goes its effectiveness.

Another part of this involves the most basic of basics. Understand what motivates the members of your target audience, write to them, cut out unnecessary words and paragraphs, avoid industry jargon, off clarifying examples and so on.

Love the Draft/Comp

As much as we’d like to believe we’re the best communicators in the world, that the first draft or comp is right on the money, we’re not. No one is perfect; it’s not likely any of us gets it exactly right the first time. Perfection is achieved through the process of retakes, revisions and rewrites. So write, shoot, design, then revise, revise and revise, then revise again.

Less is More

Keep it short, sweet and to the point. The public relations materials you produce will be stronger and more memorable. Most importantly, they’ll communicate your message more effectively and spur more people to the action you and your boss or client desire.

* Based on “4 steps to better PR writing,” by Fraser P. Seitel.

Old-style ink pen writing "Tip Tuesday" on paper

Tip Tuesday – Work Without With

October 9, 2018/in Copywriting, Tip Tuesday /by Martin Fredricks

Some rules are made to be broken.

Sometimes rules are made to be broken. That’s often the case when you’re talking about “proper” grammar vs. advertising, marketing and public relations copywriting. And it’s definitely the case when using “proper” will undermine “effective.”

Consider these two sentences:

I will provide Fredricks Communications with access to my Google drive.
I will provide Fredricks Communications access to my Google drive.

Get rid of that proposition, “with,” and nothing really changes. People still get it, and the sentence is shorter. And those who pay any attention to this blog know I push brevity as Rule #1 for clarity and keeping hold of readers’ short attention spans.

According to several “proper” grammar sources like the English learning website VOA, “with” is necessary:

With is a preposition, and the verb provide has two different subcategorization frames:

Provide somebody with something. – The recipient of the thing (Fredricks Communications) is the indirect object.
Provide something (to somebody). – The thing provided (access) is the indirect object.

Subcategorization frames? Recipients? Prepositions? Indirect objects?

Clear as mud in the eye to your average Joe.

Here’s the important point – nobody cares, except your former English teachers. And, with all due respect, they never had to sell a widget.

You and me and our bosses and clients care about selling that widget, and we know we need lively, engaging copy to do it. So keep your copy clear, keep it brief and work without with in your advertising, marketing and public relations copywriting.

Oct. 9, 2018

BankNorth in South Dakota: Values-Based Banking

September 17, 2018/in Advertising, Copywriting, Marketing, Project Management, Public Relations, Television /by Martin Fredricks

For the first time in its nearly 115-year history, BankNorth has moved beyond the borders of its home.

Click image to watch TV spot.

Today, First State Bank of Warner, S.D., opened its branches in Aberdeen and Warner, S.D. with its new name, BankNorth. The acquisition announcement is supported with print, radio and television ads, media relations and direct mail. Fredricks Communications provided connecting, scriptwriting, art direction and project management services.

The message –

“First State Bank of Warner is Now BankNorth, and we’re excited about the direction we’re headed. We’ve been First State Bank of Warner for a long time, and over the years, honesty, loyalty and integrity have been our guide. We’re still the same people in the same locations, and those same values still drive how we work with you every day.”

The acquisition announcement is part of a larger rebranding campaign for BankNorth, which was formerly First State Bank of North Dakota. Check out additional campaign elements and the new BankNorth website.

Thank you to BankNorth for allowing Fredricks Communications to be part of this project, and to all Fredricks Communications partners who helped pull everything off so beautifully: Bock’s Office Transformational Consulting, Creative Monke, Kelner Communications, Knight Printing, Midco, Solberg Design and Video Arts Studios.

Tip Tuesday – It’s Not Literally Dangerous in Copywriting, But…

May 29, 2018/in Copywriting /by Martin Fredricks

First, to be absolutely clear, no limbs will go flying when you use the word “literally” in your copywriting. Never in the history of the world has a written word literally caused an explosion. Except when terrorists or members of militaries write notes to each other.

Nevertheless, beware of using the word in your advertising and marketing content. Literally means something is fact, so using it to intensify a word or statement that follows is almost always incorrect.

“Our service will literally blow you away,” indicates your customers will, in fact, be lifted from their feet and tumble down the highway like so many tumbleweeds in a bad old Western when they experience your service. Or they will, in fact, be thrown back dozens of feet by a bomb blast.

Let’s be clear again. No one is going to take you seriously and expect to be lifted off of their feet, by wind, explosion or anything else.

But here’s the thing. What you’re trying to say, in a figurative way, is that your company’s service is incredible and your customers will be highly impressed and pleased.

Unfortunately, “Our service will figuratively blow you away,” doesn’t carry quite the same punch.

You just need to find a way to work that into your copy without resorting to literally or being insufferably dull.

Saying suspects, prospects or customers literally will be blown away isn’t dangerous – it won’t cause cancer and no one is going to get electrocuted – it’s just absurd. Your company won’t just look less than professional, it’ll look silly, like a company that really shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

If you see literally in your copywriting, a rewrite is in order. Seriously.

Tip Tuesday – In Order to Achieve Greater Impact…

April 24, 2018/in Copywriting /by Martin Fredricks

To be more concise and effective, always edit out “in order” and simply leave “to” in your advertising, marketing and public relations writing.

You’ll improve the impact, the POP!, of your writing without changing meaning almost every time.

Example:

In order to achieve invigorating writing, use active voice.
To achieve invigorating writing, use active voice.

Example:

We provide technical training in order to increase your efficiency and reduce overall costs.
We provide technical training to increase your efficiency and reduce overall costs.

But what about that pesky “almost” above?

Purists will spew some grammar mumbo-jumbo about how “in order to” is a subordinating conjunction. Huh? They’ll also say that when you drop “in order” you lose the underlying meaning of the phrase, which more clearly conveys intent than “to” alone. Your intent is to achieve invigorating writing, they’d say, and “in order to” conveys that more clearly. Same goes for the desire to increase efficiency.

They’re right. After all, they’re purists; being right is their job.

But who the heck even knows what a subordinating conjunction is. Right? Plus, here’s the thing –

Randomly ask 100 people which is more correct in those situations – “to” or “in order to” – and I’ll bet 99.99 percent of them won’t know the difference. Or give a rat’s patootie.

Which brings us back to Rule #2 for marketing writing: brevity.

(Rule #1 is to answer the Golden Question of Marketing – What’s in it for me?)

Dropping “in order” keeps your copy shorter, punchier.

It might not seem like much, but over the course of a longer brochure or training video, dropping the two extra words makes a difference.

If you’re writing a novel or an in-depth assessment of foreign affairs, by all means, write “in order to.” I don’t want you starting any wars because the intent of your sentences wasn’t absolutely clear.

Otherwise, go with “to,” especially in advertising, marketing and public relations.

Tip Tuesday – In Copywriting, “Up” Gets the Thumbs Down

March 20, 2018/in Copywriting /by Martin Fredricks

Old-style ink pen writing "Tip Tuesday" on paper

Elevate your copywriting – down with “up.”

All due respect to Mick and the rest of The Stones, but I do not want you to start me up. More specifically, I don’t want to see the phrase “start up” in any advertising, marketing or PR materials. In Mick’s words, it’s enough to “…make a grown man cry.” (Well, this one, anyway.)

For some reason, we Midwesterners love to add “up” to “start whenever we can:

I wandered over to start up a conversation. / I wandered over to start a conversation.
We started up deliveries in the southern part of the city about a month ago. / We started deliveries in the southern part of the city about a month ago.
There’s a dude in a mask with a chainsaw coming! Start up your car and let’s get aych-e-double-toothpicks outta here! / There’s a dude in a mask with a chainsaw coming! Start your car, and let’s get aych-e-double-toothpicks outta here!

In each case, dropping the “up” makes the sentence shorter. (We’ll tackle the overuse of exclamation points in another Tuesday Tip, mmmmmmm-k?) The only time “start” and “up” should show up as a pair is when they form a compound adjective – “It’s a start-up venture.” And, let’s face it, the only place it has to go is up.

There’s no downside to dropping “up” from your advertising, marketing and public relations copywriting. I’d lose that if I were you.

Graphic icon for Fredricks Communications

Tip Tuesday – You Might Be Fortunate to Read This Communication Tip on Writing…

March 6, 2018/in Copywriting, Tip Tuesday /by Martin Fredricks

Old-style ink pen writing "Tip Tuesday" on paper

But it is not fortuitous.

When writing copy, be careful with the words fortuitous and fortunate.

Fortuitous events happen by chance, randomly. While they need not be fortunate events, they often are, e.g., “It was purely fortuitous that the meter reader came along less than a minute after I returned to my car.”

Although fortunate events may be fortuitous, they might not be, e.g., “I was fortunate to return to my car just before the meter reader came around on his top-of-the-hour pass.”

When you mean random and unlucky, write random or one of its synonyms – accidental, haphazard, arbitrary, unplanned, unintentional. When you mean random and lucky, write fortuitous. When you mean lucky, write fortunate. Better yet, just use plain ol’ lucky to be sure everyone knows what you mean.