The other day as I was reviewing a new client’s web copy, I saw the header, “We Think Outside the Box” – big and bold on the About page.

Turns out, the copy had been there for many years without being updated (the reason I was reviewing it in the first place). It happens.

But still. Oy!

Seeing those words inspired me to make the following public service announcement: If you have the words “think outside the box” anywhere on your company website or in any of your old (or, God forbid, new) marketing materials, or if you ever use the phrase in conversations or presentations . . . or at all, ever—I implore you to cease and desist.

The once-inspired phrase has run its course. At this point, saying it simply proves the opposite.
 It’s like posting on all your social media accounts, “I’m incredibly humbled to announce I’ve been named Greatest Person on Earth!!!” 

It’s verbal hypocrisy.

Borrowing a nice turn of phrase isn’t a bad thing (unless there are trademark/copyright issues). In marketing, we all do it.

I read an interesting article on NPR’s All Songs Considered about whether all the great song ideas have already been used up. I think the analysis applies to marketing, too (strange as that may seem). Here’s a snippet:

"Depending on how you define newness, everything and nothing qualifies . . . As much as novelty can excite and inspire, so can familiarity; so can universal truths; so can old things said in unexpected ways, by newly amplified voices with fresh perspectives."

I’m always on the lookout for a great turn of phrase. The Notes app on my iPhone is full of words and phrases that I see or hear and may want to use at some point (either for my work or just to throw nonchalantly into conversation).

The problem, of course, is that a particularly catchy catchphrase can catch on fast—especially in the marketing world. And once everyone starts using it, it loses its oomph.

The trick is being able to understand when a trendy “new” word/term/phrase has been so overused that it’s lost its potency. “Think outside the box” is an extreme and obvious example. But not all instances are so easy to determine. As with milk, that expiration date can really sneak up on you!

Here are three examples of worn out marketing terms I’m trying to stop using:

• Game changing
• Next generation
• Disruptive (it was a perfect word, but enough is enough already)

They served me well, but it’s time to move on.

It's tough to create a strong white paper on the cheap. The writing phase often requires research, SME interviews, and strategic planning—and copywriting fees can reflect that. Once you add in graphic design and layout, you’re looking at what might seem like a big investment for a single piece of content.
 
But for tech companies and other businesses that sell high priced solutions and services, the return on that investment can be huge. 

A well-researched, well-written white paper (on a relevant and important business issue!) can help convince scrupulous prospects to make big purchases. It can give IT teams the ammo they need to get leadership buy-in. It can help differentiate your company and position your leaders as experts. And at the top of the marketing funnel, a white paper can alert and educate prospects about an emerging business issue they should be looking to address.

A good white paper is a terrible thing to waste; milk it for all its worth*.

Rather than developing a white paper as a standalone piece, why not surround it with a powerful posse of complementary content? Develop accompanying content that promotes your white paper; dives deeper into key themes; highlights experts; and sparks new discussions. Here are six examples:

1. Create a high-converting landing page that makes it easy to grab the white paper (i.e. non-gated or painless opt-in).
2. Record short video pieces with any SMEs, partners or clients that contributed to the research—and add a link to the white paper at the end. Consider sharing your videos on LinkedIn and other social media channels.
3. Repurpose your white paper into a multi-part blog series—and link to it from within the blog posts.
4. Host a webinar on the same topic as the white paper. Offer a free download of the white paper as incentive for signing up for the webinar (or include a link to the white paper at the end of the webinar).
5. Create an infographic that relates to your white paper (include a link to the white paper at the bottom). Promote your infographic on social media (share it on LinkedIn; link to it on Twitter; pin it on Pinterest; post it on Facebook)
6. Create a “light paper”--a bite-size handout that summarizes the key takeaways of the white paper (and whets readers' appetite for more). Include a CTA to download the white paper.
   

*What's the correct way to write this phrase? Is it "for all it's worth" (contraction: milk it for all it is worth) or "for all its worth" (possessive: milk it for the inherent worth within it)? There doesn't seem to be a definitive answer, and now I can't stop obsessing about it. Which way do you think is correct?

"I want to be a B2B technology copywriter when I grow up!" -- said no kid ever. Not many adults think of copywriting as a dream job, either. At a cocktail party, the conversation generally goes something like this:

Random party guest: “What do you do for a living?”

Me: “I’m a freelance copywriter, and I work mainly with technology companies.”

RPG: “Wow! You must see so many cool futuristic inventions. Where’d you go to law school?”

Me: “Sorry -- no, I’m not a copyright lawyer. I’m a marketing writer.

RPG: “Oh… so you write ads and stuff?”

Me: “Not exactly. Most of my clients are technology companies, and I work with them to create all types of content to help them market their products and servi ---.”

RPG: “Zzzzzzzzzzzzz….”

I know. I should come up with a more “attention-grabbing” explanation of what I do. Believe me, I’ve tried. I keep telling myself that next time the opportunity arises, I’ll just say, “I’m an ice sculptor.” And see where that takes the conversation.
 
If you’re reading this blog, however, you already understand what a copywriter is. With that part out of the way, I can finally cut to the chase and explain WHY being a “copywriter-that-specializes-in-tech-marketing” really is a great career that kids should aspire to be when they grow up.
 
5 reasons to be a copywriter-specializing-in-technology-marketing:

1. Avoid Alzheimer’s. Due to the fast pace of the tech industry, technology copywriters (and especially freelance copywriters working with multiple clients) are constantly tasked with writing about products and services they know very little about. Which means you need to be willing and able to dive in and learn new things—fast. And the more you do it, the better you get. Lifelong learning keeps the brain in shape. This job lets you work out your brain on the daily! 
2. Feel loved. Being a tech marketing writer is not an easy job. And it’s most definitely not a glamorous job. There’s a lot of time spent sitting on your butt at a keyboard or poring through documents. But if you do the job well, clients will appreciate and value your work. You may not get the fan mail you would if you were a writer for TV or movies, but you still get warm, fuzzy, adoring messages from your clients. Like this one:                               <input type=”copywriting” name=”white paper project” value=”10” />Nice work, we are all doing a happy dance.<br />
3. Keep up with the kids. I may be the dorky mom to my budding teen, but I’m no Luddite. I can still “tech” my daughter under the table.
4. Stay flush. Because technology companies typically sell higher priced products with relatively long sales cycles, they often need a steady flow of marketing materials and content. If you can create effective copy that helps your clients attract more customers and sell more products, you’ll generally be well compensated for the value you deliver.
5. Keep on truckin’. As a writer, you can keep working until the day you die. Or as long as your brain holds up (but as noted in point #1 above, that shouldn’t be a problem). Not that you have to work until you die, but it’s nice to know you can thrive in your career until you decide you're done. 

I launched my “90-Second Newsletter” last year, figuring it would be a nice, unobtrusive way to stay in touch with my clients and other professional contacts.

At the one-year anniversary of my first newsletter publication, I decided to review the stats.

Turns out, not all of my subscribers are reading my newsletter consistently (36.4% average open rate). I get that. In fact, when it comes to emails, I consider the “Trash” button one of my most effective productivity tools.

But here’s what surprised me.

Despite the fact that only a third of my subscribers actually opens my newsletter each month, my client relationships have blossomed. In 2017, I had more consistent work from my regular clients and more new work from dormant clients and prospects than ever before.

I’m confident my newsletter had a lot to do with that. Here are two things I think are at play:

1. When clients and contacts see my newsletter in their inbox every 4-6 weeks, my name becomes more familiar them. So when they need a copywriter, they think of me without having to search through files and old emails.

Translated into marketing lingo: Newsletters increase brand awareness.

2. When subscribers actually open (and possibly even read) my newsletter, our relationship grows. With each newsletter, my clients and professional contacts get a glimpse into who I am—as a person and as a writer.

Translated into marketing lingo: Newsletters build relationships and trust with customers and prospects.

 HIGH-LEVEL TAKEAWAY: When it comes to marketing tactics, newsletters don’t get nearly the credit they deserve*.

*Clearly, my one-newsletter sampling does not provide rock solid data for this conclusion, but I’m sticking with it nonetheless.

Believe it or not, copy written about technology CAN be easy to read and understand. Here's the key: Use words people know, and kick the geek-speak and marketing mumbo-jumbo to the curb (notice I didn't say, "Laymanize the manuscript").

Of course, the main thing is to know your audience. If you're writing a brochure to promote all the killer iPhone games your company has created, and you'll be handing it out at YodaCon2017: The Mobile App Design and Development Expo, feel free to mention objective-c and XCode; talk about your adherence to scrum methodology; or explain how your engineers use plists to make your games more data driven and flexible. Otherwise, stick to plain English.

How many times have you read the homepage of a company's website and come away without understanding what, exactly, it is they do? Cloud computing companies come to mind, but it happens all the time, in every industry imaginable. Often, the problem stems from a desire to come across as a smarty pants ... I mean ... a thought leader. But heavy use of industry jargon and highfalutin language isn't smart; it's distracting. 

If your fiscal year ends on December 31, you may be suffering from one of the following marketing maladies:

1. Vanishing Budget Stress Disorder: You’re running extremely low on 2017 marketing dollars—and fretfully counting down the days until January 1, when you’ll be flush once again. In the meantime, you need to make the most of the limited money you have left.
2. Marketing Budget Surplus Blues: You have a surprising amount of money left in your 2017 marketing coffer—and are now scrambling to figure out the best ways to use it before you lose it. Come January 1, 2018, any unspent dollars will slip from your grasp. Even worse, you’ll have a very hard time justifying your desired budget for the coming year. In fact, you could see your 2018 budget reduced as a result.

Either way, you’re under pressure to make the most of your remaining budget. Here are 9 year-end projects to consider:

1. Google Adwords: Simple to budget, easy to measure, and quick to deploy, Google Adwords is a great choice for year-end spending. Before you run an ad, set the budget according to how much—or how little—you want to spend.
2. Low-key Nurture Email: Send a thoughtful year-end email to your database. Include something of value that’s not at all “salesy.” Like a third-party industry article or report, an exceptional client success story (emphasis on “story” – this should not read like a marketing case study), a cheat sheet of helpful tips, a roundup of relevant stats from 2017, or industry predictions for 2018.
3. Infographic: Invest time and resources to research, design and publish a valuable industry infographic.
4. Newsletter: If you’ve been thinking about starting up a weekly, monthly, or quarterly newsletter, now is the perfect time to get the back-end processes in place, set up your template, and create an opt-in box on your website. If time and budget permits, consider mapping out your editorial calendar and creating the content for your inaugural issue.
5. Upcycle: Create a white paper based on a series of existing (and complementary) blog posts. To go a bit bigger, publish a comprehensive eBook, based on 3-5 of your existing white papers and/or reports.
6. Holiday Cheer: Get more creative with your holiday card and/or gift this year. Throw a small appreciation party for your marketing team, or a holiday shindig for your customers.
7. Content Library: Lighten your load for 2018 by planning out your editorial calendar and creating a handful of pieces that are ready to go. 
8.  Martech Planning: Invest extra time and resources to prioritize your marketing technology stack. Attend martech events, research more solutions, and read industry analyst reports to weigh the pros and cons of various vendors.
9. Website Refresh: Conduct a comprehensive and meticulous review of your website. Improve the content structure to boost click through. Tighten up the writing. Update old messaging. Evaluate your resources page, and look for different ways you might use your existing content to create new lead generation opportunities.

A couple months ago, I noticed a typo on a storefront sign in a strip mall. It struck me as hilarious at first, so I snapped a photo (see above). But I kept thinking about it on my drive home.
 
By the time I got to my house, I was feeling bad for Bev.

I’m guessing she must have become aware of the typo at some point over the years (I mean, the sign was definitely not new), but just didn’t have the money to get a new one. Why else would it still be up there, all lit up?
 
For a learning center, misspelling any word—and in particular, the word “learning”—can’t be good for business. Especially when the word is part of the business name. It doesn’t help that the misspelling sounds like “Leering.” Not a word you want to associate with Little Tots.
 
But you know what they say: Nothing is certain but death and taxes. And typos. (Happy Tax Day, by the way.)
 
As a copywriter, I wish I had a foolproof system for avoiding typos. But I don’t.

Many of my clients have a proofreader in-house. Others use third-party proofreading services. But if you’re creating content and proofing it yourself, I’ve got a 4-step process that works pretty well. Check it out:
 
Step 1: After you’ve finished writing the copy, walk away from it for at least 2 hours before proofreading. If you can put a full day between yourself and the copy, that’s even better.
 
Step 2: Enlarge the text to grandma size (like a 15 pt. font), and read the copy one time through on your computer – aloud.
 
Step 3: Print out a hard copy of the text, and read through it again—word by word—using a pen to physically touch every single word and punctuation mark as you read.
 
Step 4: Take a 15-minute break, and then read the copy one more time – aloud, at normal speed.

Did you know 2017 has been dubbed “The Year of Video Marketing”?

I have to admit, although I'd noticed more and more companies jumping on the video bandwagon, I didn’t realize the tactic had captured the “Year of…” crown.

So I did some investigating.

And I found a plethora of stats—in blogs, articles, reports, and (in total meta fashion) videos—all abuzz about the power of video as a B2B marketing tool.

Here’s a smattering of what I found:

• 96% of B2B organizations are engaged in video content marketing —Web Video Marketing Council
• 74% of B2B marketers say video converts better than any other medium  —Demand Metric
• 75% of business executives watch work-related online videos every week —Forbes Insights
• 70% of B2B buyers watch videos throughout their path to purchase —Google/Millward Brown
• Including video in a landing page can increase conversion by 80% —Hubspot

Wowza! 

As a copywriter, I couldn’t be happier about the potential this brings for more fun projects. Because I've been into scripts and scriptwriting since back in the day.

Long, long ago, before B2B copywriting was even a twinkle in my eye, I spent a couple freewheelin’ years of my youth as an actress and scriptwriter in Hollywood.
 
Okay, I’m making it sound way more romantic than it was. But as a card-carrying member of the Screen Actors Guild, I understand the importance of good scripted dialogue. And I did spend a year under the mentorship of a successful screenwriter, writing the screenplay for a romantic comedy, which tragically never got made, thanks to Madonna! But that's a story for another time.  

For now, I’ll just leave you with one final statistic: Using the word “video” in an email subject line boosts open rates by 19% and increases click-through rates by 65%.