I submitted planning permission for an extension to my house, and almost immediately received three letters, each headed: ‘Successfully submitted planning application’. But they’re not from the council. They’re from local builders. Here are the opening paragraphs: I’m reaching out to you with regards to my observation of a submitted Read more…
Imagine a kitten. You decide if it’s black and white, ginger or another colour, and how fluffy it is. What is it doing? Is it curled up asleep, or walking about, sniffing? Listen very quietly… what can you hear? Is it purring? Meowing? Can you hear its little claws scratching Read more…
As a business, are you a generalist or a specialist? Both can work. My first Saturday job (way back in the 1980s) was in a department store. A one-stop shop where anyone could buy anything. We’ve since witnessed the rise of specialist shops, starting with brands such as Knickerbox (just Read more…
Meet Domino, my new ten-year-old rescue cat. After a couple of weeks, I noticed he was unusually twitchy. He had these episodes every couple of evenings for a few minutes where he licked frantically, his back muscles rippled and he kicked his back legs uncontrollably. So I turned to Dr Google, Read more…
I woke up at 4am. “Oh no, the bath is the wrong way round, the lights are in the wrong place, I’ve ordered the wrong vanity unit and the feature wall needs to be on the opposite side!” I lay awake for an hour, convinced that every decision I’d made Read more…
Do you promote your brand, product or service to other businesses? If yes, you’re in B2B rather than B2C (business to consumer). There is a rumour that B2B copywriting should be more formal. Also, that B2B copywriters are hard to find. I disagree with both those statements. B2B clients are Read more…
I co-hosted Steve Bustin’s ‘Speech Club’ last night, where he deconstructed Michelle Obama’s 2016 Democratic National Convention Speech. One of the things she said was that the Obamas teach their daughters to ‘go high’ when other people ‘go low’. She didn’t mention Trump by name, but it was obvious who Read more…
You may have noticed what divisive times we’re living in. Extremes of opinion are splitting families and friends. Here are just a few examples: Trump v Clinton Brexit v Remain Masks v No masks Vaccination v Non-vaccination Russia v Ukraine We’re living in an age of fake news, anger and Read more…
I spoke to Shelle Rose Charvet, author of Words That Change Minds, about how to use the language of influence in your copywriting. Watch the 20-minute recording here, with my added commentary in the titles to enhance your viewing pleasure.
I’ve never been comfortable with the second definition of ‘toolkit’, below. As someone who rarely picks up a hammer, it seems too macho to me. I’ve always wanted to find a more gender-neutral alternative. Sewing basket? Recipe book? I find it even more unnerving that so many marketing expressions are Read more…