basic — Sean Kopen's Advice and Ranting Blog

Don't try to sound different, try to sound authentic.

“We don’t want to sound like just another boring service provider." A small electrical company told me when discussing their website content. "We want to come across unique and appealing to homeowners, not just more corporate talk.”

My first thought was, ‘Are you just another boring service provider?’ I can understand a desire to stand out, but what would I want from an electrician? I want professionalism, collaboration and the ability to get the job done. If you pass that test, perhaps I’ll call for a quote. What’s really important to me is that what you say in your marketing matches what you deliver.

Editorial, Content Writing, Writing BasicsSean KopenMay 15, 2015content writing, article writing, basic, web contentComment

Starbucks Race Campaign - A Bad Idea From the Start

Look, I have to say first that I like the idea of the program; I just don’t like how it was done, whom it was done by or why they did it. Make sense? More discussion about racial equality is a huge hot button right now, and it needs to be brought to the forefront, but why Starbucks?

I have to question the entire thought process with my top reasons that the program didn’t make sense. Not reasons why it didn’t work, but why would you do it in the first place?

Bashing, Advertising Commentary, Funny MarketingSean KopenMarch 23, 2015marketing, advertising, fail, basic, bashComment

Don't Overthink Your Personas

I go back and forward on the value of personas. Sometimes they are super-critical to your marketing approach, sometimes it becomes a factor of analysis paralysis. Considerable time has been wasted trying to create the perfect persona, so I try to simplify my characters more into habits than details. If you’re doing product development, sure, go nuts with your finer elements, but for marketing, we’re trying to intercept people.

Editorial, Content WritingSean KopenDecember 16, 2014content writing, commentary, basicComment

Why Photos Matter...

I may be a copywriter, but I understand the power of a great photo. Grabbing our attention and instantly connecting with our emotions; you can create an entire story in one great shot. This builds the tone and sets the stage for a reader and gets them engaging with content.

I’m bringing this up to hopefully inspire people to take a long hard look at their marketing...

Editorial, VisualSean KopenOctober 9, 2014photo, visual, design, basic, beginnerComment

Dealing with Delays - The Project Horizon

Marketing, and in particular content writing, always seems like an unpredictable path. Customer’s change their minds, people go on holidays, unexpected additions creep in; and before you know it you’re a month past due and people are screaming.

It’s not like you’re slacking off, so why are people so upset?

Content Writing, Editorial, Writing BasicsSean KopenAugust 19, 2014content writing, basic, editorialComment

Crappy Music and Caffeine for Better Content Writing

I wouldn’t say I’m cornered, but there are definitely elements that help the flow of content production. Most of it comes down to focus, because we’re all creative, it’s just how we channel it into something important and stay on task. Writing is one of those interesting professions that requires a constant mental effort. The moment you go into autopilot, your content becomes mushy and uninspiring.

Content Writing, Writing BasicsSean KopenAugust 4, 2014content writing, web content, editorial, beginner, basicComment

Writing for How People Read Online

There always seems to be confusion about what makes good content for the web. The audience is more fickle, quicker to move on when something doesn’t jump out - but they’re also cunning, knowing when something has misled them.

So what really matters in online content?

Every business is different, but there are patterns to how people read and search on the web. When producing content, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind about your reader:

Content Writing, Writing BasicsSean KopenJuly 28, 2014content writing, basic, web content, marketing, editorial, beginnerComment

Writing Content for the Web - Basics

When I’ve coached customers on building their own content for websites or blogs, there is a very straight forward approach I take. It works with beginner writers who are just trying for the first time, or experienced product experts who are just getting into web writing.

1 topic per page
3-5 headers per topic
1-2 paragraphs per header
....

Content Writing, Writing BasicsSean KopenJuly 14, 2014content writing, editorial, basic, beginner, web content, article writingComment

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