I used to be a governor at my daughter’s school. One of the best things about it (apart from front row seats at the school play) was the chance to visit other schools and learn from them. However, one school we went to rang alarm bells with me when I saw this sign on…
What does read say to you?
If you’ve ever worked in the public sector you’ll know the amount of paperwork generated is astonishing. New policies, reports, plans, statutory guidance from endless government departments. When I worked for a local authority, everyone seemed to have a pile of reading a mile high. One day my poor boss wailed to me, “Look at…
16 words (more or less) that can change everything
Or a quick guide to writing effective headlines Everything you write hangs off your headline, wherever and however you use it. It’s the first copy your potential customer reads. The little collection of words that attracts attention and makes people want to read more. That’s all your headline has to do. Attract enough attention to…
How the right words are bringing love back to British Gas
British Gas has had its fair share of criticism over the years. Time was when I was right at the front of the queue, with plenty to complain about. I’ve experienced how painfully slow they could be to get anything done. I’ve been on the receiving end of what was their dreadful customer service. And…
Epson v Currys. Who’s more human?
Last week I had a bit of an email purge and unsubscribed from some mailing lists. Most of the automated responses were pretty standard and unremarkable. But two stood out. For different reasons. One was stiff, irrelevant and annoying. The other was warm and actually made me feel a little twinge of guilt for…
How to proofread well – because you can’t afford not to
A few years ago, I asked a colleague for his email address. “John Jones at hotmail dot com,” he said, as I wrote johnjones@hotmale.com. And then willed the ground to swallow me up as he corrected my spelling. Sometimes the translation between what you see and read, or what you hear and write, goes a…
Long live the copywriter!
“The business of the copy writer is to arrange these marks(1) on paper in such a manner as to make the world stand still for the man in the next street or a thousand miles away – to make him forget his wife and his income tax, his hobby and his business – to isolate…
Want to be a better copywriter? Get a dog.
We’ve just bought a puppy. Lots of things about her give me pleasure, but the most surprising is how she is helping me become a better copywriter. Nell is my first puppy. I’ve had other dogs, but always adults from a rescue centre. The last one was terrifically naughty and, while a joy in the…
Why you need to get some emotion in your copywriting
Emotion beats logic every time when you’re selling. So make sure you use it in your copywriting and shamelessly tug at people’s heartstrings. On Tuesday, I watched a video on Mindvalley Insights from Chris Haddad. He talked about the power of emotional copywriting, how we buy based on emotion and justify our decision later. How…