The best way to write a headline is to first take the time and effort to learn about the subject so you gain enough perspective on the key elements of the content. This applies to press releases just as much to advertising and marketing material. Legendary copywriter and advertising guru, David Ogilvy, did exactly this, as he explained: I spend a long time studying the precedents. I look at every advertisement which has appeared ...
Read moreHeadlines are the most important part of any written content. Advertising legend David Ogilvy pointed this out decades ago, and his words are still quoted. Ogilvy said in his classic book Confessions of an Advertising Man in 1963: "On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy.” But Ogilvy’s often-quoted comment related only to advertising – and he died in 1999, before the internet really got going. ...
Read moreFrames provide a quick and easy way to process information to interpret a message. Developing an overall frame for messaging in a campaign gives you enormous power to focus attention and to influence the message receiver. This article contains practical guidelines and examples on developing effective frames. The article is available to you in a special Kindle collection of 12 top articles on communication campaigns for only $11.99 including tax. Click here to buy.
Read moreWhen you are developing a large communication campaign, you need to form an overarching message as well as supporting messages and ‘proof points’ that offer backup and more detail. This article details how you can do this, listing helpful examples from real life. The article is available to you in a special Kindle collection of 12 top articles on communication campaigns for only $11.99 including tax. Click here to buy.
Read moreWhen you write a proposal to win approval from senior management or a client for a communication campaign, you will benefit from using this formula to persuade decision makers. It’s quite a simple, but effective way to make your writing more persuasive. The article is available to you in a special Kindle collection of 12 top articles on communication campaigns for only $11.99 including tax. Click here to buy.
Read moreThe business environment has become more complex. Issues and ideas are now more complex. We have to find strong ways to communicate complex concepts and ideas. This article details 10 astute ways you can do this to break through to more effective communication. It is available to you in a special Kindle collection of 12 top articles on communication campaigns for only $11.99 including tax. Click here to buy.
Read moreReviewing my business email signature block recently, I realized proper consideration is needed to capitalize on the impression it gives. Some email signatures look professional; others look like an afterthought. I find it discourteous when people don’t bother to use their name to sign off an email – they just use their signature block or template, which means in effect they don’t bother signing their emails. Many tools and apps are available, paid and ...
Read moreMessaging is the key to achieving impact with communication. Key messages create focus, control, and intensity in influencing your target audiences. Key messages are the foundation of your communication strategy and should be used in all communication activity. They are not taglines. Key messages aren’t appropriate to be memorized and repeated word-for-word, but should be used as guidelines so they can be included naturally into conversations. So what are key messages? They are the ...
Read moreBy Jessica Henderson, Account Executive at Painted Dog Research, Perth, Western Australia. Every day we are bombarded with information from television, the internet, social media, radio, and from people we talk with. We accept a lot of information from these sources as true unless we have a reason not to. However, occasionally (and perhaps less occasionally in election campaigns – shades of Donald Trump!), information we have accepted as being true turns out to ...
Read moreBy Rob Biesenbach As communicators, we are constantly reminded of the power of stories, and urged to incorporate more storytelling in our work. I find people are either totally intimidated by the notion of telling a story or they’re overly confident, passing off mere “happenings” as full-fledged stories. So allow me to demystify and clarify the storytelling process so you can learn to find, shape, and tell better stories. What is a story? I ...
Read moreBias may seem a vague concept for business, but people's biases cause massive errors in business decisions, including communication decisions.
Testimonials are a classic way to create perceptions of authentic value to customers and clients. Sample testimonial: Other thoughts for
Presenting to senior executives is a daunting proposition. They are extremely busy and have to make many decisions under