Do you have what it takes to be a writer?

From an offline LinkedIn conversation with an aspiring writer:

Them: “I'm not a writer, it's not my job, and I didn't even take English in high school. And I don't know what the rules of writing are.”

Me: “Not taking English in high school and not knowing  the rules of writing can keep you delightfully unencumbered for true communication.”

The Bottom Line: The rules of grammar and punctuation are important. But the ability to communicate the message in a clear, concise, and compelling way is more important.

We’ve had it educated out of us in grammar school, university, and god help you if you’ve been to a business school. You end up writing in a way no one can understand. – Nick Usborne

When a thought takes one’s breath away, a grammar lesson seems an impertinence. – Thomas W. Higginson

Like authors, creative copywriters have a license to do whatever the hell they want with grammar. They’re well within their rights to spell things wrong if it makes a point, abandon grammar altogether when necessary, and even make the grammar worse for the sake of a catchy line. – Clare Barry

Copywriting is about broad strokes and the linking of strategic and persuasive ideas, not minutia grammar or spelling. – Alexandra Cattoni

When people ask me if I went to film school I tell them, ”No. I went to films.” – Quenton Tarantino

Shameless Plug

If you're a copy or content writer and liked this post,
you'll really like my book: 

Available on Amazon

Email Branding Done Right

This email popped into my inbox last night:

I don’t know this person. I expressed interest in their product by opting in to one of their offers (exchanging my email address for their information).

Already I’m feeling positive about the potential relationship, even though I know they want to sell me something.

This simple response to an inquiry checked a lot of important boxes:

1. My expectations have been managed: I won’t be annoyed if I don’t hear back immediately (although I sorta did with this message)
2. I don’t feel ignored … in fact, I feel respected
3. I feel like I’m part of a conversation, not being talked at, with a real person
4. I kinda like this guy … seems like a decent, trustworthy sort

Strong branding.

Good salesmanship.

Lots of power in a few well-chosen words.

Every contact with a prospect or customer set you up for future success or future failure. 

Are you maximizing every opportunity to move your personal and/or company branding in the right direction?

Thomas Edison – Candy Butcher

We are all familiar with the amazing Thomas Alva Edison.

We know about the light bulb and other patents (1093 of 'em). He's lauded as a great inventor, but he was also an incredibly shrewd promoter with a keen, opportunistic eye.

 

Let me tell you a story about Edison that you might not know.

 

As a teenager, Edison had a job as a “candy butcher” selling candy, fruit, sandwiches, newspapers and magazines to passengers on the Grand Trunk Railroad.

 

In April 1862, when Edison was at the Detroit Free Press picking up newspapers, he took special notice of that day's front page. The lead story was about the battle of Shiloh. The battle was still going on and 25,000 were wounded or killed.

 

This was at the beginning of the US Civil War and people were eager for news; so instead of his typical 100 newspaper purchase, Edison bought 1,000 and paid a telegraph operator in Detroit to send news of the battle to all the stops on the train line. 

When the train arrived at the station, there were so many people crowed for papers that he raised the price to 10-cents a copy and by the time he got back to Port Huron, the price was 25-cents.

 

Here are 15 of my favorite quotes attributed to “the Wizard of Menlo Park” who was described in The Heroes of The Age: Electricity and Man as being “... more responsible than anyone else for creating the modern world .... No one did more to shape the physical/cultural makeup of present day civilization.... Accordingly, he was the most influential figure of the millennium...." 

“Anything that won't sell, I don't want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success.” 

“Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.”

“Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

“I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun.”

“I never did anything by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work.”

“Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” 

“The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are: Hard work, Stick-to-itiveness, and Common sense.” 

“The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” 

“Unfortunately, there seems to be far more opportunity out there than ability…. We should remember that good fortune often happens when opportunity meets with preparation.” 

“Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless.” 

“Your worth consists in what you are and not in what you have.” 

“What you are will show in what you do.” 

“I find out what the world needs. Then I go ahead and try to invent it.” 

“If we all did the things we are really capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves….”

Hmmmm. 

This blog is about copy and content writing and so far, nothing about writing. 

What's up?

OK ... maybe it's not focused on writing, however, if you use it as an example, there are some lessons to be learned:

1. Name dropping, such as Thomas Edison, can get attention and interest
2. An unusual word combination, such as "candy butcher" can get attention and interest
3. Storytelling, such as Edison's newspaper marketing, can hold interest and sell a concept, such as Edison was a promoter as well as an inventor
4. Along with getting attention and interest, quotes can build credibility
5. Reading material other than material about writing is good for writers

There are also some messages in the quotes for writers. For example, when Edison says, “I find out what the world needs. Then I go ahead and try to invent it,” it parallels the copywriting advice of targeting a specific audience with a benefit they want.

My point? 

Read and you will be a better writer.

Earworms Test

Music can evoke memories. 

Not just popular songs, though.

When I think back on the sound track of my youth, a good proportion of that music is jingles from ads.

When shown the words below, I immediately hear the music that accompanied them ... I also associate these words and music with their product or company. If you are an American of a certain age, you can, too.

Can you match the "jingle" in the first column to the product/company in the second (I mixed 'em up)?

            I don't want to grow up                                                State Farm

            Gimme a break,
            gimme a break                                                            Alka Seltzer

            My bologna has a first name                                      Folgers

            Sometimes you feel like a nut                                    Big Red 

            They're magically delicious                                        Oscar Meyer

            Plop, plop, fizz, fizz,
            oh what a relief it is                                                    Toys R Us

            The best part of waking up                                        Lucky Charms

            I'm a big kid now                                                        Coca-Cola

            I'd like to teach the world to sing                                Almond Joy 

            So kiss a little longer,
            hold hands a little longer                                            Huggies

            Like a good neighbor                                                 McDonalds

            You deserve a break today                                        Kit-Kat

How'd you do? Scroll down if you want to test your score.

I didn't want to post a dozen videos, so here are two videos that cover 30 commercial jingles. Some that aren't on the list above, but you'll recognize 'em:

Missing one you're dying to hear? You can probably find it on YouTube.

Speaking of YouTube, that's also where you can find Barry Manilow's VSM (Very Strange Medley). 

Manilow, a pop sensation in the 70's was a prolific jingle writer before he became famous as a singer songwriter with hits like Mandy, I Write the Songs", Can't Smile Without You, and Copa Cabana. He wrote jingles for McDonalds, Band-Aid, State Farm, KFC, Dr. Pepper, and others.

In concerts, he would often play his VSM which was a medley of his most famous commercial jingles.

OK, if you need some help, here are the jingles matched to their products/companies:

I don't want to grow up                                            Toys R Us

Gimme a break, 
gimme a break                                                          Kit Kat

My bologna has a first name                                    Oscar Meyer

Sometimes you feel like a nut                                  Almond Joy

They're magically delicious                                     Lucky Charms

Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, 
oh what a relief it is                                                 Alka Seltzer

The best part of waking up                                      Folgers

I'm a big kid now                                                     Huggies

I'd like to teach the world to sing                            Coca-Cola 

So kiss a little longer, 
hold hands a little longer                                         Big Red

Like a good neighbor                                              State Farm

You deserve a break today                                      McDonald's