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Friday 27 April 2012

Get people to go your way with Lenny Kravitz

Remember Lenny Kravitz's old school rock 'n' roll hit Are You Gonna Go My Way? ? Was listening to it just today and it dawned on me that in the song lyrics he gives two great pieces of advice for copywriting. So without further ado, I thought I'd share with you how he informs how to get people to go our way!

'We must engage...'
Spot on, Lenny. You're writing to persuade. You want your audience to buy your product, hire your service, subscribe to your newsletter, return to your website, etc. Unless you're hoping to lull them into a deep sleep and sell to them using the power of hypnotic suggestion - in which case, change your day job- your words have to engage. 

So keep your audience interested. Hook them with your words. The longer you hold their attention, the more likely they are to do what you want them to.

'.... And rearrange...'
Well sung again, Mr Kravitz. 

Maybe the ideas aren't coming to you. Maybe you've done your first draft but aren't particularly happy with what you've written. 

So rearrange the paragraphs. This sometimes reveals a new, better angle from which to persuade your audience. It can strengthen your copy, too, by exposing weaker paragraphs or points. You can give them the snip and, by doing so, tighten up your copy and make it more persuasive. 

Easier said than done - so how do you do it, Mr Clever Clogs!
There are any number of ways to engage with your copy:
  • Open with a strong sentence. - Remember the cliché 'SEX! That got your attention!'? Think of something that will hook the reader. It could be a question. It could be a powerful statement, such as 'How I made more money by.... ' . Tap into the reader's interests and write something that twigs them. 
  • Be original in your writing - Avoid clichés. They look lazy. If the readers feels you haven't made the effort to write for them, they won't make the effort to read for you. And why should they, says I!
  • Challenge the reader - Not to hand-to-hand combat, though! Say something like 'These are just 5 ways to engage your reader. Bet you can't think of more.' They'll be itching to defy you!
  • Break long pieces of text up -  Copy that looks like one neverending block of text looks dull to the reader. Split it into sections, with bullet-pointed or number lists or even with images. This makes copy visually more appealing. More importantly, it makes it easier to read which, you've guessed it, also holds the reader's attention easier.
  • Vary sentence length - Short sentences of 10 to 16 words work best in copy. But don't keep every single sentence to that length or your copy will become monotonous. Write longer sentences, too, to keep the text inflected.
That's engaging, but what about rearranging?
One good approach is to start at the middle. Save your first draft, delete the first few paragraphs (or place them towards the end of your text) and see what emerges. As well as revealing possible new, better or more original angles, the second benefit of this is that it can put your points into perspective. Changing the order of paragraphs can make the copy more persuasive. That's because it highlights the weaker points, which you can either leave towards the end or simply leave out. 

The third benefit is that it makes the copy stronger in general. A lot of the time, our first few paragraphs act as a warm-up, helping us to hit our stride. Delete them and you'll see how the copy suddenly seems tighter. After all, you're audience is busy and wants you to get to the point, too! 

What would you do?
So, Lenny Kravitz has spoken me to from the music studio with some helpful words of advice. Now I'm passing them on to you.

Have you got any suggestions on engagement or rearrangement for me? Are there any musicians you think have given us some sound advice on copywriting? Surely we could draw something from all those rock ballads that are out there!

Wednesday 25 April 2012

What makes a good writer?


A lot of people have said to me in the past 'I love reading your letters' or 'I love reading your emails'. In my earlier years people said I should be a writer.

I've often wondered: 'What's the secret?' Or even, what are the secrets? What am I doing that makes the words special to others? It's only now, in my adult years, that I've finally come to a few conclusions:

Show your soul
All writers have something of the romantic... of the idealist... of the dreamer in them. That's my personal belief. In all the letters and emails I've ever written, I've hardly ever held back. Some of my deepest feelings - love, joy, sorrows, fears, hopes, aspirations, wishes, regrets - have permeated the pages or the screen. I've put a lot of myself into the words. By doing it, I've connected with the reader.

Love what you do
Possibly the key to success in anything we do, not just to writing well. Enjoy what you do and you'll do it so much better. I love writing. I love it! And back in my years as a translator, some of my very best literary translations came from my passion for words, from the wish to reproduce the original text's elegance for the reader.  

Be original
This has a lot to do with personal perception. The work of the Impressionist artists was great because they painted scenes they way they perceived them, not the way artistic norms dictated. For instance, they would sometimes paint hazy grey skies instead of clear blue ones, because that was the impression they had of the sky on the day. 

And so you must be original with your words. Avoid clichés. Describe things as you perceive them. The chances are your description will be much more original. An honest description is much more rewarding both for you as a writer and for your reader.   

Be a bookworm
As well as being passionate about writing your own stuff, be passionate about other people's stuff. See how others express themselves. Find out what themes interest you. Discover new authors, new words, new ideas, new perspectives, new narrative techniques and even new worlds. Develop your own style. There's more fact in fiction than you'd imagine.

Time to spare a few thoughts?
And so I snap out of 'reflexive writer mode' now, to ask what you think makes a good writer. Do you agree wholeheartedly with me, or do you disagree violently! 

In fact, what do you think about this blog? Have I been practising what I've preached today? Or should I pick up a few more books and learn from the masters? Do tell!

Thursday 19 April 2012

Good Finds, Great Feelings

Whenever I'm back in my hometown, which isn't often, I do a tour of the charity shops. Carrying my trusty backpack on my, er, back, I stride in and out of charity shops, hunting bargain books.

And if it's not the charity shops, then it's a trip to the boot sale! Fans of Stephen King, J.K. Rowling and Dan Brown should all get themselves there!

Based up in Edinburgh, yesterday I popped into a Barnados for the first time in a few months, just on the off chance. Imagine my delight to see Gabay's Copywriters' Compendium in the Special Interest section! It's nothing short of the copywriter's equivalent to the Bible.

'Don't mind if I do,' I said to myself, after letting out an unmanly squeal at my find. Coming across such a specialist book at just 5 pounds, when it costs 17 pounds or so in the shops or online, brightened up my day. Not that it was going badly in the first place, but you know what I mean. 

Sometimes there's nothing like the lift of a good discovery. It doesn't always have to be finding money on the floor either. For instance, a friend and I discovered a quaint little coffee shop that we'd never noticed before, while strolling together down Leith Walk.

This month it's been Gabay's Copywriters' Compendium for me, but what's the best discovery you've made recently. And is it something to write home about?

Tuesday 17 April 2012

Chat-a-touille for dinner anyone?

Best chat-up line you've ever heard, or favourite chat-up line. Come on, let's be 'having 'em.

Just had a quick peep on Twitter at what's trending and, tonight, it's Harry Potter chat-up lines. Thought we could have a giggle (or a cringe!) at some of the cleaner ones:

  • Get your cloak - you've pulled
  • I didn't need the Marauder's Map to find you - I just followed my heart
  • You don't have to say 'Lumos' to turn me on
  • You must be Berti Botts - you've just turned my legs to jelly
  • Assorted unoriginal 'wand' and 'Chamber of Secrets' ones.
Chat-up lines from your trusty blogger?
Favourite one ever: If I could change the alphabet I'd put 'U' and 'I' together. Does it work? Well, chat-up lines aren't my style, so I don't know and don't care! 

Second wittiest one I ever heard: Is that a ladder in your tights or is it the Stairway to Heaven? Credit where it's due, the inventor really grafted with that one! Not sure what Plant and Page would make of people using their masterpiece like that. Who knows... maybe they use it themselves - and pull it off, to boot!

Chat me up!
Come on, it's your turn now. Would love to hear some of your chat-up lines or stories that involve chat-up lines. But please, no 'I'm not Fred Flintstone but I can certainly make your Bedrock's. That one's been around as long as the Flintstones themselves and doesn't work (or so I imagine haha)!

Thursday 12 April 2012

The Book Thieves

What do the following have in common:
  • Anything by Charles Bukowski
  • Anything by William Burroughs
  • On the Road by Jack Kerouac
  • The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster
  • Anything by Martin Amis
Well, Publishers Weekly has reported they're the five most stolen authors and books in the US. People half-inch them so much that bookshops have to keep them behind the counter.

Really?
Yep indeedy so. Apparently, people may be swiping Bukowski and Burroughs's works because these writers seek truth with their work. These booklifters feel the truth is a basic human right and, therefore, legitimises a bit of lightfingeredness in bookstores. 'Course it does! *nods sarcastically*

Then there's the Kerouac bandits. These guys must identify with On the Road, with the 'liberation' that permeates through the pages of this and of books by Bukowski and Burroughs. (They really have a lot to answer to!). They probably want to commit reckless acts like the ones they read about in these books.

And Auster? Well, no real explanation is given. Maybe they're just hankering for something different! Same goes for Mr Amis! People must just like him!

What if you just prefer to borrow books?
Well, if you want a how-to manual or information on UFOs or astrology, you may be out of luck. These seem to be the type of books which go missing most from library shelves. Oh and best learn the Ten Commandments just in case - The Bible is another popular steal!

Over to you
Supposing temptation got the better of you and there was one book you just had to have. Which would be the one book you'd risk getting locked up for? And why? And no Charles Dicken's Oliver Twist please! Too cliché!

Source: http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/PWxyz/2011/07/13/the-5-most-stolen-books/

Tuesday 10 April 2012

Raising the (Boss) Tone

A couple of weeks ago, I locked horns with the ska band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. In my post 'Lowering the (Boss) Tone', I set myself the fun and lofty challenge of increasing this blog's Google ranking when people searched for the term 'The Impression That I Get'.

To recap, here were just a few of the ways I outlined to achieve this:
  • Incorporating keywords naturally into the post
  • Displaying the music video
  • Encouraging feedback
Where did I go from there?
At the time I posted the article, my blog came up on the sixth page of Google hits. Not so brilliant. SEO is a tricky task because there are so many competing websites out there on the internet. So perseverance (and good SEO) are key.

After writing the article, I had the brainwave of revising my meta description (the website description you see in Google). This gave me the chance to slip in some more keywords. 

I took another look at related terms too - such as 'lyrics the impression that i get' and 'guitar chords the impression that i get' - in the Google keyword tool. This create the opportunity to add more keywords and bring the page up for related searches.

How did I get on?
Sounds like an episode of Blind Date, doesn't it!

The blog jumped up from the sixth page to the fourth page for 'the impression that i get'. Better still,it hits page 1 of Google if you type 'the impression that i get blog' or 'the impression that i get blogspot'.

What happens next?
Chuffed as I am with my progress, there's still a bit to go before I give myself any congratulatory pats on the back.

One of the key ways to optimise a blog or website is by providing fresh content. Having written today's post, seized the chance to repeat some of the original keywords and interlinked the two posts, it should climb even further now.

From there I'll reanalyse the post and the blog until I either topple the Bosstones or at least am up there sitting pretty with them. Sometimes if you can't beat 'em, joining 'em ain't so bad! But only sometimes...

Thursday 5 April 2012

What's my age again?

Read a Guardian article about one of my celebrity crushes, Jennifer Aniston, recently and how we'll never see her on the cover of Vogue magazine. The reason? Her demands for the right to approve and veto copy and photos of herself. 

I have to admit she was starting to look her age. Naturally, she was still beautiful with it! *cuddles up lovingly and sucks up*

For reasons even my active mind can't understand, Andy Warhol popped into my head. With his trademark white-grey hair, he looked fairly old in his time. Older than he was, I believe.

From there my mind took another random leap, this time to a photo in a book I'd read about Michel Foucalt, the French philosopher (told you it was active!). Just like Warhol wore white hair to obscure his real age, Foucalt refused to let anyone categorise his views or persona.

It all got me thinking about how we become more age conscious as we grow older. Some people like to hide their age. Some people are proud of their age. Some people look their age. Some people don't (that would be me!). Some people act their age... and some people don't (I may be guilty of that sometimes!). 

Some people long to be young again. Others long to be older. But personally, even though I'm still a whippersnapper in body and spirit, I think being older can be a good thing:
  • You've lived. 
  • You take things in your stride easier. 
  • You have stories to tell. 
  • You have the common sense that comes with life experiences.
Best of all... If you have enough fun, people will think you're younger anyway!