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Tip Tuesday – Work Without With

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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.

 

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Oct. 9, 2018

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

Tip Tuesday – Is Your PR Writing Overqualified?

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Like using qualifiers? A lot of them, perhaps? As professional copywriters, we need to do a little better.

That’s the advice of Stunk & White, authors of the bibles on grammar and style.

In “The Elements of Style,” William Strunk and E.B. White put it eloquently: “Rather, very, little, pretty – these are the leeches that infest the pond of prose, sucking the blood of words.”

Harsh, even without the vampire imagery. Harsh, but right on.

Besides, copywriters should always cut unnecessary words. It’s the “Less-Is-More Principle.”

Which has more life?

  • “It’s rather important to be honest. vs. “It’s important to be honest.
  • “We’re very excited about this product.” vs. “We’re excited about this product.”
  • “I’m pretty sure I gave you the right medication.” vs. “I’m sure I gave you the right medication.”

This isn’t a life vs. death deal – except maybe in that last example – but for a prospective client, neither is hiring you. Take the advice of Strunk & White for your public relations writing:  be a life-giver, not a leech; throw the qualifiers back into the mucky slough.

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

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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.

 

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Adapted from “Common Errors in English Usage,” by Paul Brians.

Tip Tuesday – Advertising Copyriting: Keep It Brief

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

Enough said.

 

Or, if you want more detail, here it is –

Like all of us, members of your target markets are bombarded by thousands of marketing messages every day. And, also like all of us, they have less than zero time to burn and are not likely to take much of it to read advertising/marketing copy.

It’s the “Get in, get out and live to fight another day” of advertising/marketing messaging:

  • Grab attention.
  • Deliver a compelling message quickly.
  • Close with a strong call to action.

So. There you have it.

As I said, enough said.

Tip Tuesday – Listen Up!

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

10 Things Your Marketing Copywriter Should Do When Learning About Your Business

 

One of the most underrated skills for a writer – especially a marketing copywriter, content creator or PR specialist – is listening.

Marketing copywriter, how can you help sell a business, organization, product, service or cause if don’t fully understand it? You can’t.

Business or organization owner, manager or leader, how can you effectively sell your product, service or cause if your copywriter, content creator or PR specialist doesn’t understand what you have to offer your target markets? You can’t, either.

You need to get down to answers to these questions, and I mean Get Down!

  • What are the benefits of working with you?
  • What pain points will your product or service solve?
  • How much time and/or money will members of your target market save or earn with your product or service?
  • Above all, how will they ever be able to answer the Golden Question of Marketing (GQM) – What’s in it for me?

To craft answers to these questions and create a messaging strategy that compels your target markets to action, your copywriter, content creator or PR specialist first needs to listen. They need to do it:

  • Closely.
  • Carefully.
  • Actively.

As for you marketing copywriters, here are 10 things you should do when gathering information:

  1. Clear your mind.
  2. Maintain eye contact with the speaker, whether it’s a one-on-one session with the CEO or a group dialogue with the leadership and sales teams.
  3. Focus, focus, focus on what is being said.
  4. Ask follow-up questions. (Coincidentally, this is where you’re most likely to find the gold for the GQM.)
  5. Request clarification. Never be afraid to say, “I don’t understand.”
  6. Rephrase what you hear and say it back to the speaker so you’re sure you fully understand, e.g., “So what you’re saying is…. Is that correct?
  7. Think about the implications of what someone says about one aspect of the business to other aspects, and ask about it.
  8. Ask the speaker to repeat something if you missed it.
  9. Never, ever spend the time while your subject is speaking thinking about what you’re going to ask next.
  10. Close with a question like, “Is there anything I haven’t I asked you but should have?” or “Is there anything we haven’t covered that you’d like to?”

So, listen…

Copywriter, content creator or PR specialist, if you aren’t doing these things, start. Business owner or organization leader, if the person crafting your messages isn’t interacting with you and your staff this way, find someone new.