Don't believe everything you read
Saturday, 20 February 2010
While I use Google searches for client and article research, I make the assumption that nothing I read is correct until I can verify the source.
I know if I read a famous person has died on BBC News that it's more than likely true. However, I would not react in the same way to a twitter update.
Anyone researching me (by typing "Sarah Addyman" into Google) could find out that I died in 1886 but still managed to get caught up in the tsunami that hit Sri Lanka in 2004.
Yes, I use jargon
Monday, 15 February 2010
It's not always my job to strip the jargon out of every piece of writing I work on – such as the technical job specs I worked on recently.
I didn't assume, just because I didn't understand it, that the people they want applying for the jobs wouldn't either.
After a simple Google search on each of the words or phrases, I found most were frequently used on a number of websites, including in other job specs from other similar companies.
This didn't surprise me.
When I'm looking for contract writing work, I often come across technical writer positions which use phrases I don't understand – and I know this usually means I can't do the job. (Although I do another Google search to make sure.)
Jargon has its place. As long as you use it at the right time, you're using the right lanuage.
Just think how long it would take to treat someone in A&E if doctors weren't allowed to say things like "BP is still 50 over 30, pulse ox 90" or "we need to do a cross table c-spine – no, he needs to go straight to the OR for an exploratory laparotomy"!
Using lanuage for effect
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
In my post below, I finished off with "For effect." – which is a sentence fragment and therefore not grammatically correct. (Naughty me.)
But then I remembered that people reading this blog might not be as nerdy about the English language as I am, and therefore wouldn't twig that I'd included an in joke.
I need to get out more.
I'm determined to allow English to grow
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
It's very difficult for me not whince inwardly when someone uses the wrong word or phrase. But the minute I feel the need to correct complete strangers in an overheard conversation is the day I put a bullet in my brain!
It's only with constant usage (and mis-usage) that the English language will continue grow and flourish.
And us copywriters are not totally innocent when it comes to breaking the rules.
Yes, when it comes to writing a guide or instructions, it's important that we use straightforward, grammatically correct language. But if I'm writing promotional copy, I'll throw the grammar book out of the window purpose. For effect.
It's NOT copy-writing
Thursday, 19 November 2009
I find it really infuriating when people call me a "copy-writer"; there is no hypen, it's a word in it's own right.
As someone who deals with words, it's annoying when the one word used to identify what you do is messed about with.
Unfortunately, I have no choice but to use the terms copy-writer and copy-writing, because I need them on my website for SEO purposes... because, rant as I might, I still need the people who call me a copy-writer to find my website.
Although I'm not sure they'll want me to work for them once they've read this blog entry!
Recruitment agencies aren't evil
Friday, 30 October 2009
I always keep in touch with recruitment agencies even though I'm a freelancer. I like turning short-term contracts into clients.
And taking the occasional four to six-week contract is a great opportunity for me to see how other people do business. I find it easier to learn by doing, so if I follow someone else's way of working and it works for me, I'll adopt it as my own approach.
Professional web article writing
Monday, 12 October 2009
It's now accepted that, while your website needs to look professional when potential clients visit, its the content of your site that gets them there in the first place.
As well as having copy on your website that's well written with a good keyword ratio, you need good copy elsewhere on the internet. Not only does this additional copy help potential clients find you, it also increases one-way links to your website, increasing the importance of you site in the eyes of a search engine.
A good commercial copywriter can write articles on any business subject and then upload them to relevant information sources to increase the coverage of your organisation on the world wide web.
A strategically placed, well-written, well-researched article of 500-600 words can increase traffic to your site as well as increasing your one-way links.
If you want to increase your internet coverage but you're not sure what to write about, my research costs can include researching your industry from scratch and finding relevant and timely subjects to write about.
Get in touch to discuss your web article requirements.
Blogging stereotypes
Friday, 9 October 2009
There are a number of different reasons why people write a blog. Having read a number of other blogs, I would say the majority are there because people want to share their views with the outside world – and love the idea of total strangers noseying through their thoughts.
I fit in the growing minority who are blogging to increase their internet profile in order to promote themselves or their wares to the public.
Both are forms of self-promotion, which allegedly goes against the traditional Englishman hiding away in his castle-like home and trying to get through the day without having to make idle chit chat or small talk.
Could it be that we're now so far removed from the stereotype that it's no longer relevant? Personally, I don't think it matters. I'm one of the (seeming) few who actually like stereotypes; I find them both helpful and amusing. And they're not at all politically correct.
My favourite is that of the blunt Northerner – which means I can't help it when I am.
Why I use Googlemail
Thursday, 1 October 2009
I've got my own snazzy website that comes with a number of webmail accounts, so why do I use Googlemail? It's simple; I know I can rely on it.
On the rare occasion that Googlemail stops working, everyone knows it, so my clients believe me when I say "I'm sorry I haven't replied to your email earlier, but Googlemail was down."
Explaining that when you're talking about your web hosting provider and there's always a hint of doubt that it's an excuse because you're not going to deliver on time.
In my business, deadlines are everything, often because of printer schedules that are extortionately expensive to move. So I need my clients to know when I can't read my emails.
That hint of doubt is enough to ruin an otherwise great client relationship. And I don't think having a lookatme@manchester-copywriter.co.uk account is worth the risk.
I do have a writing-services@manchester-copywriter.co.uk account. This is for potential clients. Psychologically, until someone has conversed with you, easily obtainable personal email accounts such as Googlemail could raise doubts about the potential abyss their email is heading into.
The end result is I have two email accounts which both exist to address the needs of my clients.
£10,000 up for grabs for new writers
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
If you've ever felt like putting pen to paper, but haven't had the initial push to get you started, then the Brit Writers' Awards Unpublished 2010 could be what you need to inspire you.
All you have to do is submit your original, well-written story, poems or song, and the judges' favourites will see their pockets lined with silver.
Find out more about entering the Brit Writers' Awards Unpublished 2010.
Who knew Blighty was from Hindu?
Friday, 14 August 2009
Well, Blighty isn't exactly a Hindu word, but it is originally from the Hindi word bilayati, which means foreign.
I love the quirky origins of the English language. And if you do, you'll love discovering more about words such as barking and cuppa.
Accidental specialisms
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
When you first start out as a writer, you get told things like "write about what you like" and "write about what you know". But in the real world, this will only keep yourself happy and won't pay the bills.
A good writer is able to do the opposite of both those things – and I pride myself in being about to research topics I have no personal connection to and write compelling copy. In fact, this is often where I produce my best work, because my views don't cloud my writing and I'm coming to the subject with a fresh pair of eyes and a fresh brain.
What can happen is that a subject you knew nothing about slowly works its way into your list of specialisms. My accidental specialisms include sustainable development and finance.
Why use a freelance copywriter?
Friday, 30 July 2009
If your agency is looking to expand its creative team but isn't ready to take on a full-time member of staff – and the overheads that go with them – a freelancer is the answer. Using a freelance copywriter means you only have to pay freelance copywriter rates for a specific job to be completed, rather than paying a full-time salary.
If you're a PR or marketing agency, occasionally you'll get a piece of work that's word-heavy and you don't have the skills in house to cope. This is when you need a freelance copywriter.
There are times when two clients – who both think they're the only important client you have – will want work completed on exceptionally tight deadlines. This is the moment when you need a freelance copywriter to slot into your team, so that you can deliver for both clients.
As a freelance copywriter works for a number of agencies on a myriad of different projects, it means they are constantly honing their skills and keeping their copy fresh.
Not always going it alone
Friday, 17 July 2009
On my homepage, I list the types of agencies I work with - marketing agencies, design agencies, web/SEO agencies, digital agencies, PR agencies, communications agencies, creative agencies and full service agencies – because I rarely work with a client alone.
The reason is that clients usually contact the agency type they require first – so if they want a website, they'll go to a web design agency – and words are often an afterthought. Many of those web design agencies won't offer SEO copywriting as one of their services, so they use someone like me to write the copy on their client's behalf.
Often, the client goes away happy, totally unaware that a freelance has been contracted to work on their project.
This type of working makes sense for many agencies because a copywriting service is something requested only on an ad hoc basis - so they couldn't afford to pay the salary of a permanent copywriter on staff. The same goes for extra designers and artworkers.
Next time you get work done by, say, a web design agency or a full service agency, there's a chance that a freelance copywriter will be one of the many freelancers working on your project.
SEO copywriting: how to write SEO copy
Monday, 11 May 2009
Search Engine Optimisation is simply "including details in your website that search engines look for". The complicated bit is finding out what these details are and how to include them in your website.
When it comes to the words, SEO copy is simply writing the words on the pages of your website in such a way that people who are looking for what you're offering can find you easily.
So for my website, I use terms such as "copywriter jobs" and "copywriter portfolio" as well as the more obvious “freelance copywriter” because SEO research shows these terms are common search engine terms that people type into Yahoo! or Google.
The words don't have to be next to each other, but the closer they are in a sentence the better. And the more frequently they appear, the higher you'll score on a search.
The biggest pitfall you can make is including so many SEO terms in your website copy that it becomes unreadable. Well-written SEO copy includes the necessary terms without the reader realising they're in there.
Your website is often the first contact a potential client has with your business. With that in mind, it makes sense to use a SEO copywriter to write the homepage of your website as a bare minimum.
Read an article on SEO copywriting and keywords
Word of the month: neologism
Thursday, 16 April 2009
Meaning: A new word entering into common usage not yet in the dictionary
Although I loathe the destruction of the English language through the use of slang and poor grammar, what I do love is how creative we are in introducing new words into our vocabulary.
The one that springs to mind is "staycation", which means holidaying at home, so that you're money can be spent on day trips to places and meals out, rather than flights and a hotel.
I believe there's no way such a word would have entered into the English language had it not been for the current global downturn. But the phenomenon has reached such proportions as to be quoted in The Times Online's feature on Hard-Up Britain.
Headlines: don't always get active
Thursday, 19 March 2009
In most cases, active language is better than passive language. But it's not always the case in headline writing.
On the whole, "the dog bit the man" is better than "the man was bitten by the dog".
The time when this isn't the case is when the man is more famous in his own right than the fact he's being bitten.
So "Brad Pitt bitten by dog" reads better as a headline than "A dog bit Brad Pitt".
Word of the month: graphophobia
Sunday, 8 March 2009
Meaning: fear of writing (or handwriting).
Very different from writer's block – which is when somebody wants to write but has is struggling creatively – graphophobia is an irrational dislike of writing. Maybe it's just a copywriter's perspective, but as each generation passes, there seems to be an increase in the number of people who don't like writing.
I think it might be related to changes in teaching practices, as a lot of what I've learned about the English language wasn't taught to me in school. As long as the fear of writing isn't followed by an acceptance of lower standards, I should be kept busy for a very long time.
Word of the month: logophobia
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Meaning: fear of words.
The word comes from the Greek "logos", which means speech, so it's a fear of talking, rather than the fear of writing or the written word. The condition can cause symptoms similar to panic attacks, and an extreme symptom is the total inability to speak... which those of you who know me would know I could never suffer from!
Getting some credit, thank you
Monday, 2 February 2009
It's rare that a freelance copywriter gets to take any credit for the work they've done, so when it does happen, we like to share it with everyone. I worked with All Words on SEO website copy for Blue Cube Media and our hard work gets a mention on their website.
Word of the month: sesquipedalian
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
Meaning: given to the overuse of long words.
Although you might find many sesquipedalian authors or the occasional sesquipedalian journalist on a highbrow newspaper, it should be the scourge of the copywriter. Our job is to do anything but alienate the reader.
Evolving language
Monday, 1 December 2008
Sometimes, correct English language usage gets left behind and stops sounding right. A good example of this is "none of them is happy" - even typing it makes me wince. The word "none" is slang for "not a single one", and "not a single of them is happy" sounds right. In spoken word, the meaning of the word "none" has changed, but the correct English usage has not kept up.
Saying that, there are times when spoken language changes and I'm glad it's rejected in written word. You shouldn't say "the amount of times that happens to me"; it should be "the number of times". (You can have an amount of time, though.) If "the amount of times" is ever accepted as correct English, I hope I'll have been long dead by then.
Website filler
Thursday, 20 November 2008
One way to quickly increase the amount of copy on your website is to use articles posted on article directories, such as Buzzle, Ezine Articles, Article Dashboard, Go Articles and the Free Article Directory. Website articles such as these need to be used sparingly and in addition to original SEO copy.
These articles can be good inspiration for blog articles – especially as writing for your own industry can be the hardest of all. Articles aimed at entrepreneurs can often be found on personal growth site SelfGrowth.com.
I publish work on sites such as these both in the name Manchester Copywriter, and in the name of my clients.
Sentences: if in doubt, keep them short
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
When it comes to sentences, it's best to keep them short – unless you know what you're doing.
Many people don't know how to use dashes, colons and semi-colons. They're excellent ways to break up sentences into bite-size chunks, but only if they're used properly.
If you don't know how to use them, then don't use them. Instead, keep your sentences short and stick to commas and full stops.
Big up the Oxford English Dictionary
Friday, 3 October 2008
Last month, a new meaning for the word "big" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary. To the delight of slag speakers everywhere, "big up" now has an entry in OED Online, meaning "to praise, promote".
Understanding what your business needs from a copywriter
Thursday, 11 September 2008
It's very difficult to let go of control and let someone else make decisions about your business. But there's no point consulting an expert and then ignoring all their advice.
First of all, you have to know what you're looking for. Copywriters usually get involved in the public relations or marketing of your business. So you could search for a PR copywriter marketing copywriter. Or you might want your coverage in the press looked after by a journalist, so you'd look for an editorial copywriter or a freelance journalist.
You might want to communicate information to your business or talk to other businesses, so you could search for a business copywriter, b2b copywriter or communications copywriter.
So which one should you look for? All you need to look for is a copywriter.
By it's very nature, copywriting is linked into PR, marketing and business communications. How good your copywriter is at all these skills depends not only on their talent and experiences, but how well the two of you communicate with each other to achieve what you want.
Writing is research, not rewriting
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
You'll hear people spout the saying "writing is rewriting" all the time. And to a large extent it is. But what's more important is the research that goes into your work – because it doesn't matter how well-written your copy is if it doesn't have any substance.
If you're writing, say, an news article on the credit crunch, you could start by typing "credit crunch" into Google. As this is a newsworthy topic, it would be worth searching for it on sites such as The Guardian or BBC News.
This would lay the foundations for your article as well as informing you of the situation so you're well-briefed before you speak to anyone. Do not plagiarise these sites – use them as information sources only.
Who you interview depends on the slant of your article. If you're looking at how the credit crunch is affecting local businesses, your local Chamber of Commerce could be a good place to start. They should be able to give you a general business quote as well as giving you contact details of companies who are willing to talk to you about how the credit crunch is affecting them.
They will probably ask for your credentials. You need to explain who you are and why you're writing the article.
If you write regularly for your local paper, give the contact details of who normally deals with you at the paper. Give the potential them the opportunity to contact the paper before talking to you as this will put their mind at rest.
If you have a business website, tell them the address so they can find out more about who you are. This can help with networking too, as you become a visual business rather than just a person on the other end of the phone.