The first best teacher I ever had
I don’t normally break character on our blog, but this warranted something from the heart: Ihor Pelech, my Grade 9 English teacher, passed away. I was deeply affected by this news because of how deeply...
Copywriting Techniques — Writing Inside Out vs. Outside In
Among the first lessons you’d learn in a copywriting techniques course is that consumers want to know what’s in it for them. This article looks at how to frame that “what.” Need vs. Want Ultimately,...
What is a Split Infinitive? And why is it forever associated with Star Trek?
“To boldly go where no one has gone before.” Powerful. Rhythmic. Iconic. And grammatically incorrect because of the split infinitive. If you ever choose to boldly go deep into the rules of grammar...
3 Keys to Having a Professional Bio that Instills Immediate Confidence
A professional bio is one of the most powerful marketing tools you have because you can pretty much guarantee that visitors to your site are going to read it. According to Hubspot, other than the Home...
Hyphen vs. Dash — Getting Your Short Lines Straight
Those little horizontal lines cause more headaches than any other character. So we thought it might be easier to understand the “hyphen vs. dash” deal if it was broken down with examples of how to...
Thinking Before You Write: A Guide to Effective Brainstorming
Great writing starts with a great idea. It’s true of novels and plays and movie scripts. It’s true of newspaper articles, opinion pieces and theses. And it’s definitely true of copywriting. But copywriting...
As you reintroduce your brand, copywriting should be your first investment
You made difficult decisions this year, but you made it through. The engines are rumbling again, and the race is on to re-establish brands in markets with short memories at the best of times. Restart =...
How to Write a Value Prop: A Different Approach
Your value proposition is the one thing you offer your potential customers that your competitors can’t. It’s what generates the first bit of prospect interest and informs whether or not they...
Everyday writing tips: How to drop the hammer in an email
Imagine going your whole life without having to write a scathing email. Everyone would be doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing. You’d be walking around satisfied with everything. And there’d...
Advice for marketers, parents and marketers who are parents
Get to know kids’ jokes. This is good advice for marketers because kids’ jokes clearly demonstrate the process of creating interest, delivering a payoff and being remembered. It’s good advice for...
How to write a home page — 1 template, 3 examples
We had a tech client come to us this week with a specific problem: his home page’s bounce rate is too high. This means too many people are landing on it and leaving without getting past it. This tells...
Why High-Quality Copyediting is So In-Demand
The US Department of Labour statistics paint a less-than-rosy picture about the future of high-quality copyediting. They say the number of available jobs in the industry is going to shrink by over three...