The copywriter's blog » copywriting

The internet vs the Internet

AH Copy — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 06:06:55 +0000

Language evolves. Like it or not, the way we write and speak has changed over the years, and continues to do so at a rate which alarms many, and confuses others. So, rules about language usage change. What’s more, they change at a varying rate, so what is accepted in one English-speaking country may still be considered wrong in another. Some rules remain constant, invoking no debate. Those who don’t know the difference between its and it’s can quickly establish the rules. Other matters are more subjective, and for the purposes of this hopefully brief piece, capitalisation causes perhaps the most debate.

The trigger for this note was a discussion on Twitter. The Guardian Style Guide (@guardianstyle) is the Guardian newspaper’s reference point for all things written – where the paper’s journalists turn for answers on such mattes. Most major publications have their own style guide, and those that don’t will, in all likelihood follow the rules laid down by one of the big boys. I personally have two style guides so that I can cross-reference: those produced by the Guardian (see http://www.guardian.co.uk/styleguide) and the Economist (see http://www.economist.com/research/styleguide/). Each has fuller print editions available to buy.

Now while these guides are available for public consumption, their primary purpose was to ensure consistency within the authoring newspaper’s publication. Consistency within a single document or publication, as any professional proofreader will assure you, is extremely important. And that’s because the goal of any document is to communicate clearly an idea or a set of messages. Sometimes by simply missing out a hyphen we can change a meaning to a quite disastrous alternative; the example quoted by fellow freelance copywriter @TurnerInk could spark farcical fallout: extra marital sex and extra-marital sex. But even if we recognise that two different spellings, or for the purposes of this piece, two different instances of capitalisation, have the same meaning, their simultaneous inclusion within one document will give many pause for thought. And that’s a distraction from the purpose of the document: to deliver information clearly.

Back to Twitter. I’d picked up on a message from @guardianstyle saying: webpage, website, the web, world wide web, and retweeted it, along with the hopeful plea that ‘internet’ receives the same lower case treatment. Joy of joys, the guide was back to me to confirm my strongly held opinion. Soon after, several Twitter users (Twitterer? Tweeter? Should we just call ourselves Twits and be done with it? Oh, and here the capitalisation shows that (in this instance, though not precluding twittery in everyday life) we are twits on Twitter) had joined the debate, questioning this lower case judgement.

It’s understandable they would. Many reference sources still use an initial capital for internet. I’ve just read Michael Connelly’s latest book, and find that his use of ‘the Internet’ really distracts me from the otherwise flawless flow of his writing. The reality is that internet is an abbreviation of internetwork – several networks joined together – and that lots of internets exist around the world, but they’re not THE internet. Their argument therefore is that the Internet is quite different from an internet. Now that’s ok so far as it goes, and there’s no doubting the logic. I’m going to come back to that statement in just a moment. For now, let me return to the more general rule that the primary purpose of a document is to communicate with clarity.

Clarity doesn’t just mean meaning, it means readability; the flow with which that information can be absorbed without becoming a chore. The usage of language and all its tools should be there to enhance the reading experience and not to distract from it. Excessive use of capitals distracts from the message, undermines the legitimate use of capitals, and is shown by readability studies to make copy harder to read. It doesn’t diminish the importance of the words themselves. So back to the internet. Yes, there’s more than one internet. But consider the argument for Internet: that the Internet is quite different from an internet. True, but every single reader of this (and, I believe, any document using either or both upper or lower cases) will immediately recognise that the use of ‘the’ in ‘the internet’ means the reference is to the world wide web, whereas ‘an internet’ refers to a more general network of networks…and in such cases where one might be writing purely about a network of networks, the subject matter – the context – would make the more general meaning clear.

And in fact those people questioning my opinion and that of @guardianstyle had already recognised that we were referring to the web. And in this context right here, you didn’t for a moment think I was talking about a spider’s web, did you? No – because our knowledge and acceptance of such language has moved on since these terms were introduced. It doesn’t make it inherently wrong to use a capital for internet, but doing so will be a distraction for many. That’s even truer in any document that might be littered with acronyms and initialisations, so prevalent in the technology industry for example – so why add to the eye-strain?

What’s more, it may alter your readers’ perception of you. Let’s take Michael Connelly, an outstanding and successful author, whose name is on my top ten when making recommendations. I know he’s active on social media – I follow him on Facebook – and yet whenever I read ‘the Internet’ in one of his books, I imagine him picturing the internet as some great wizard or unexplained magic, or his character instantly as some comedy backwoods inbred with a grandmother who’s also his daughter. Ridiculous I know, but I can’t help it. It feels, already, like antiquated usage; a concept referenced by someone wholly unfamiliar with it.

That’s not good, is it? That’s a distraction. I still know the meaning, but I’m off doing childish ‘that-thar gud-fer-nuthin’ Innernet bin poisonin’ yer mind boy’ impersonations in my head. So get yourselves on the internet (I understand you’ll require something known as a Personal Computer) and order a style guide.

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Ten steps to being found online – an internet guide for SMEs

AH Copy — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:35:29 +0000

I’m releasing a free guide to internet marketing for companies who feel they’re rather behind the curve. Ten steps to being found online – an internet marketing guide for start-ups, SMEs and those that got left behind takes the rookie website owner through the necessary steps to rise through the search rankings, raise brand awareness and increase website visitor numbers. If your internet marketing strategy is rather wanting, this may well be worth a read.

It’s a freebie, and I’d encourage you all to share a link to the guide with anyone you feel might benefit.

It’s a work in progress, and covers only the basics at the moment, so with your suggestions of further marketing advice, links and handy hints, the internet marketing guide will become ever more comprehensive.

Download it here: Ten steps to being found online

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The jargon balance

AH Copy — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:50:34 +0000

Hmm. The corporate world is full of abbreviations and acronyms. Buzzwords abound in every industry, mystifying and exciting in equal measure.

It’s a tightrope, and one slip means the loss of potential clients.

Like the rest of this cruel and complicated world, writing and communicating isn’t just black and white. Pepper your prose with jargon and you might alienate the people in need of your expertise. And while ‘jargon-free’ is a selling point, you do have to demonstrate that you’re skilled with the tools of your trade. Want visitors to your site? Your SEO copywriter* needs to draw together a clever combination of industry keywords and plain language key phrases to give you good search engine visibility.

There’s a simple way of getting the jargon balance right.

Firstly and most importantly, consider carefully the message you want to communicate; the target readership and its level of understanding; and the image you want to convey.
Secondly use a professional copywriter. Copywriters specialise in crafting custom communications to draw, intrigue and of course explain.
Finally, work closely together to ensure that any ambiguities are cleared up, your knowledge is beyond doubt and your approach neither patronising nor superior.

Throughout this process bear in mind that every piece of writing you produce, whether advertising copy, email marketing, or even a niche newsletter, should fit your established brand. People beyond your target audience may well be reading, and therefore judging. That can have an impact on recruitment, press perception, sales and more beyond. Walk that tightrope with precision, and take no chances. Above all, write for real people.

*An SEO copywriter is one who specialises in writing search engine optimised text, which in combination with other SEO techniques will boost the website in question up the search rankings for selected words and phrases.

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How to protect your brand

AH Copy — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:01:21 +0000

Brand is not just a logo, not just a visual identity. Sure, it’s where the concept came about – branding irons marked livestock with a sign that identified each beast as the property of an individual. But brand means so much more. It’s how you want to be perceived. It includes every possible visible facet of your company. Ultimately it’s a feeling you wish to invoke. And feelings, we all know, can be volatile, unpredictable and irredeemably damaged.

So how do you maintain the brand you were aiming to create, its identity and integrity? With rules, I’m afraid. Rules and a robust system of procedures to enforce them. Above all, you need the buy-in and support of the company’s upper echelons and the support for and from a team dedicated to reputation management.

At a minimum there are four sets of rules you should have in place – a checklist of policies which ensure brand protection and reputation management.

Press policy
Social media policy
Corporate identity guidelines
Style guide

Press policy

‘No comment’ can do more damage than silence. It carries the whiff of guilt. Equally you don’t want staff, and that should include Board-level personnel, chatting to the press at will. Every company should have a press policy in place, directing all press enquiries to a PR department that’s skilled in dealing with the wiliest or most persistent of journalists.

PR gets a bad name – some regard it as spin, hiding the truth, an excuse for news, and worse besides – but without the benefit of a sound press policy your company can miss out on the chance to pass on positive news, and carry out damage limitation on negative news. Your PR department protects your brand, your investment, your clients, and the livelihood of all your employees.

Social media policy

Like it or loathe it, social media is more than a passing fad. According to a UK Global Web Index survey conducted in January 2009 people trust the opinions of their online social network, and even bloggers they’ve never met, more than television news presenters, and only marginally less than colleagues. Around 40% of UK adults use social media at least once a month, and that number is predicted to increase. Ignore it at your peril; embrace it to control it.

Quite a few companies have suffered adverse publicity through the internet. It’s word of mouth on a global and instant scale. Construction companies have had site staff film dangerous and foolish antics and published their footage on YouTube, complete with company name emblazoned on seemingly ironic safety gear. Elsewhere staff have used social media to deliver damning verdicts on their employers and colleagues. Bad news folks, on the web nothing is truly private. A zero-tolerance attitude towards social media won’t protect you and can even generate negative publicity in itself. It’s time to take social media seriously.

Corporate identity guidelines

The original meaning of brand still matters as part of a whole. Designed well, a logo and rules about its application can influence public perception. Beyond the use of such established psychology, a company’s visual identity is a statement of professionalism. Consistency is sacrosanct. Any change should be undertaken with a specific aim in mind, and carefully timetabled and introduced. Shoddy use of your visual brand smacks of a ‘don’t care’ attitude, and even at a subconscious level your customers and clients may react negatively.

Think about it – when you receive mailings from Virgin trying to convince you to take up their latest broadband offering – every word, every colour, every instance of logo is positioned just so. If global firms place such importance on corporate identity, why should you be any different? If you want clients to respect your brand, you need to do the same.

Style guide

A style guide might be built into your corporate identity guidelines, but should be available as a standalone document. It should go without saying that both style guide and corporate identity manual are distributed to every department and available to every individual. Of particular importance are bid teams, marketing, PR/comms teams, secretaries/PAs, print & graphic design departments, as well of course as any external PR, marketing, creative or design agencies you engage.

Your style guide isn’t just about when to use a capital or when an abbreviation is acceptable, although these are vital components. It outlines your corporate tone of voice and increases consistency across your communications channels. And as with visual identity, consistency is the essence of a professional image. Why would you want your clients, or even your own staff, to receive anything but the impression you wish to convey?

And why am I, a copywriter, telling you these things? Two reasons. With a background in corporate communications and public relations I’ve seen first-hand how everyone from salesman to Board member can put a foot wrong. I’ve also seen how useful an external perspective can be and how important it is to have your policies worded in such a way their contents are not just understood but embraced.

You’ve spent time and money, sweat and tears creating a brand of which you can be proud – now don’t overlook protecting it.

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Direct marketing – long copy v short copy

AH Copy — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:11:06 +0000

From time to time, as a freelance copywriter, you take a look at the websites and portfolios of other freelance writers. It’s part research, part curiosity, and ends up either ego-boosting or ego-bashing. You’re never quite sure which until you get there.

Sometimes you’re prompted by an article. I was notified of a Q&A session on LinkedIn concerning direct marketing. The question solicited opinion on how effective long copy is against short copy. Opinion, by and large, rejected long copy on a personal level but acknowledged that the received wisdom is that it ‘works’. All the statistics I’ve seen imply that this is true.

I personally, while more than capable of writing at length, don’t like reams of sales or marketing material. Just the sight of a page where I can see I’ll have to scroll indefinitely is enough to hit the tiny X at the top right of the page.

What’s more, most of the proponents of long copy in direct marketing appear that I’ve come across seem to be American. Perhaps in my eyes even the British practitioners’ websites take on that US image.

So, long copy is a turn-off for me, but I’m intrigued to know what others think. Forget the received wisdom – I’m looking at personal responses here – does long copy direct marketing get you buying, or do you break out in hives and move on?

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Why create the copywriter’s blog?

AH Copy — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:59:41 +0000

For some time I fought against the advice coming from various quarters to create a copywriting blog. The number of blogs littering the web seemed so enormous that my instinctive don’t-follow-the-herd attitude went into overdrive.

But then I came up with my Small Change charity concept, which really demanded a blog. Writing in my natural voice as opposed to the various styles required for project-driven copywriting was a breath of fresh air.

I didn’t want to create something that would become a bind or a drain on my time and neither did I want to generate so much copy that any readership disappeared as quickly as it arrived.

So…an occasional article, when I feel the urge, related to the fields of copywriting, copy editing and proofreading. I’ll discuss everything from articles to website content, style guides to substance over style.

And just because I’ve worked with and for some wise and wonderful people, authorities in their respective fields, the copywriter’s blog may from time to time feature articles from guest bloggers; topics to include branding, design, website design & build, accessibility, SEO & internet marketing, confidence & image, public relations and more.

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