The Secret to Online Copywriting? Make it Look Like a Kid’s Book You’ve likely heard that people generally don’t read websites or blogs word for word. Rather, they scan, “picking out individual words or sentences.” It’s a short leap of logic to assume that readers prefer short copy. That assumption would be wrong. In fact,…
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7 Important Principles Of Media Coverage Every Business Needs To Know We’ve all seen the power of media coverage to change attitudes, build businesses and bring corporations to their knees. A few years ago, a media frenzy surrounded Royal Bank of Canada’s (RBC) plans to use foreign workers to replace 45 people in their IT…
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The Business Blogging Editorial Calendar: How to Post Like a Pro Think like a publisher. Marketers around the world are embracing this concept, planning and writing content at an unprecedented pace. But what does it really mean to “think like a publisher?” Magazine and newspaper publishers—online and off—are responsible for the bottom line. They make money…
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Every business, every organization and every cause needs to understand – and implement – plain language. However few need to adopt plain language as much as financial services and financial advisors. Just ask the Securities and Exchange Commission’s chief accountant. You may have heard this advice before but decided to ignore it after asking yourself…
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A Simple Formula for Writing Blog Posts in 8 Painless Steps Unless you happen to be a gifted writer, there is nothing simple or painless about writing blog posts. Finding an idea, collecting your thoughts and then communicating them in an interesting way that someone will actually read feels like childbirth for most of us.…
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10 Annoying Grammar Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Just About Anything I’m not actually that good with grammar. I certainly don’t consider myself a stickler or anywhere near the level of an expert when it comes to the finer points of the English language. I often refer to Grammar Girl (or my handy Canadian Press…
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Use “Smartcuts” to Build Your Business and Improve the World Did you ever wonder why one YouTube sensation is able to turn a viral video into a sustainable business while most others flame out after a one-hit wonder? Or how incredibly young entrepreneurs achieve success quickly, sometimes cashing out for billions of dollars after a…
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DIY or Pro Video: Which One is Best for Your Business? Almost anyone can shoot a video with a smartphone. Yet if you work for a company with an upscale image, should you? After all most of us have iPhones so why can’t we just do it ourselves? I asked Tom Symes, senior vice president…
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Landing Page Design: 10 Rules of Thumb For Financial Marketers A landing page is a webpage that encourages visitors to your site to download a digital offer (an eBook, tip sheet or white paper) or sign up for a free trial, a webinar or an e-newsletter—all in exchange for leaving their contact information. While it…
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Why Your Writing Sucks: Business Writing Skills for the Digital Age [book review] When it comes to writing, lawyers are notoriously loquacious. Just ask Kate Erickson, a former lawyer turned human resources professional. “Lawyers are the first to admit their writing is ridiculously wordy,” Kate told me in a phone conversation. “If a comma is…
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