I’m always on the look out for great people to work alongside, so drop me a line if your great!

“This is the life”, mutters Frank as he takes view of the green fields below.

With that, both engines start to chug.

Houston, we have a problem!

Bullet points and in-flight safety?

Abandoning the cockpit, a frantic search for a parachute ensues. All Frank finds is a ruler, a half-eaten sandwich and a copy of Reader’s Digest.

7,000 feet and counting…

A bulb suddenly lights up the murky abyss of Frank’s mind. Whipping an iPhone from his trouser pocket with the precision of a gunslinger, he connects to the internet.

6,000 feet and counting…

Frank shakily thumbs the words ‘what to do when a small aircraft goes down’ into Google. Clicking on the first return, a stream of dense content clogs the screen. With time of the essence, Frank hits the back button and continues his search for more easily digestible material.

5,000 feet and counting…

Now don’t take this the wrong way, online readers generally have short attention spans. This is especially the case when aboard a light aircraft in freefall.

As such, writers of web copy are tasked with keeping readers on the beaten-path and averting any unnecessary detours. This is no easy feat to achieve.

The copywriter must unleash a furious assault on the senses of the reader. Bullet points, of course, are a crucial cudgel in the copywriters’ arsenal.

Chunking-down body copy with bullet points

4,000 feet and counting…

A quick glance out of the cockpit window informs Frank that the once distant fields below are creeping up faster than a cheetah in a Ferrari. Desperation sets in. Clicking on the next search down, Frank hits the same wall. “I don’t have time to read a book”, he screams, “where are the bullet points and lists?”

3,000 feet and counting…

Frank is of course right to suggest that the visual composition of body copy is vital to holding readers’ attention. So when tackling a dense web copy project, why not try throwing a bullet pointed list into the mix? This will break your content down faster than a snowman at a tanning shop.

Readers are partial to the odd bullet point

2,000 feet and counting…

Beside himself with anger at the uninviting content, Frank sets about writing an email to the website’s author:

Dear Sir/Madam,

This may be my final communication with the outside world, so I feel it crucial to underscore the importance of bullet points when it comes to online readability.

Web writers use bullet points for a number of good reasons:

• Readability                   – quite simply, people like lists
• Concision                     – makes for scannable web copy
• Visual                           – visual layout is crucial

In closing, bullet pointed lists must contain relevant information. They won’t work unless the list has been carefully thought-out. Bullet pointed lists need to be understood at a glance.

Regards

Frank

Ground control to major tom: we need bullet points

1,000 feet and counting…

With the end in sight, Frank makes one last ditch effort and clicks on the next website down. Hallelujah! The body copy is immaculately presented, utilising the benefits of headings, subheadings and bullet points.

Quickly scanning the content, Frank lays claim to an invaluable piece of information – ‘check the ignition’. Dashing into the cockpit with more vigour than a tooth fairy at the dentists, Frank spots that the ignition key is turned to ‘off’. Rotating the key one click to the right, the aircraft quickly jumps back to life.

2,000 feet and counting…

Ascending back to the heavens, Frank gives thanks to the bullet point which just saved his life. Dialling home, he tells his wife of the near catastrophic events. As the conversation draws to a close, Frank muses:

“Bullet pointed lists, headings and subheadings offer copywriters a fantastic method of making content visually pleasing and easy to read. Honey, we need writers to keep rocking the boat by peppering their content with appropriate page breaks. After all, to make a cake, you’ve got to crack a few eggs.”

10,000 feet and counting…

These days I see things differently. When devilish apparitions spring to mind I quickly replace them with visions of sugarplums and dancing fairies.

There is, however, one thing that still gets under my skin; one thing that makes me shudder more violently than an Eskimo in a heat wave. And that, my dear readers, is poor headline writing.

‘Man eats microwave’: a tasty headline…

Putting a cat in the oven doesn’t make it a bun. By the same extension, cobbling a few words together to sit atop your web copy does not constitute an effective headline.

Headlines are integral to the process of web copy.

Let me explain: headlines, in essence, entice your reader into the story you are about to tell them. If the headline doesn’t sing, the reader is likely to pack their bags and take the first bus out of town.

So don’t torment them. Hit the nail on the head and let the reader know what to expect.

Reading on the internet is such a particular beast. When consumers purchase a magazine, for example, they do so with the intent of reading it.

No such agreement resides between the reader and your web copy. So where possible tempt them with an enthralling headline and make a big splash.

The headline is, after all, a springboard to your body copy.

Web copy headline hints and tips…

Effective web copy headlines come in all shapes and sizes. Even so, every headline is tasked with describing the story they represent.

Here are number of approaches worth bearing in mind when engineering a headline:

1) DIRECT HEADLINES: Get straight to the heart of the matter and bypass complexity in favour of simplicity. Adopt a ‘does what it says on the tin’ mentality and inject an air of transparency into your opening message. In a world of spin, direct headlines often generate a favourable response.

2) INDIRECT HEADLINES: Spark curiosity in the mind of the reader. A degree of mystery will capture their attention and make them want to read on.

3) NEWS HEADLINES: News headlines call attention to the ‘scoop’ of the story, the central thrust. Generate interest with a catchy headline and instil a ‘read all about it’ mentality on the part of your audience.

4) THE ‘HOW TO’ HEADLINE: This headline device is capable of instilling a sense of value to the content the reader is about to devour. Prefixing your opening salvo with ‘how to’ indicates that they are about to get some useful information for free.

5) PUN HEADLINES: Puns are often used in headline writing – most notably in tabloid news media. Wordplay translates well to web copy and witty twists on familiar phrases can hook your reader in faster than a cat at a fish market.

When it comes to web copy, no headline should be incidental. Everything happens for a reason; at least that’s what I’m told.  So also optimise your page for better search engine placement by building keywords and phrases into the titles.

Headline copy, the final curtain…

A close friend imparted a string of wise words to me this morning. Musing over his coffee he turned and said: “If you’re going to make an omelette, you’ve got to break a few eggs”.

At first I was baffled. It wasn’t until later in the day when I realised what this most incisive of individuals was trying to say:

The most effective headlines are usually produced once the body copy has been finalised. At that point you’ll be perfectly placed to tailor your headline to fit the content.

Brilliant advice!

He also told me to “hit it when it’s hot”. On that, I’m less clear.

WordPress 3.0 release adds some lovely features to help run your blog / cms / publishing system – check out this great video on the new WordPress 3.0 features.

Air sea rescue mounted a desperate operation in the form of a spoon but the sodden remains of said biscuit are yet to be found.

Biscuits and writer’s block…?

As I searched desperately for the crumbly castaway in the murky abyss of my coffee cup, it occurred to me some things in life are universal.

Those who partake in the time honoured tradition of biscuit dunking run the risk of sullying their mugs with fallen biscuits. Biscuit density and quality is of course a factor. At the end of the day though, it doesn’t matter whether you are rocking McVitie’s or Tesco’s own brand, we are all prone to losing a biscuit here and there.

Superman’s Achilles’ heel was Kryptonite. Dunkers face the risk of biscuit breakage. So what is it exactly that sends a collective shiver up the spine of the copywriting community?

In a nutshell: writer’s block! There I said it. It’s not a dirty word, its nothing to be ashamed of; it’s something all copywriters must battle from time to time.

Walls are made to be broken…

As with biscuit breakage, there is no scientific formula to excavate your person from the shadows of the writing block wall.

Having worked in the writing trade for the best part of a decade, the Writing Block Monster only rears its ugly head occasionally nowadays. Even so, when the beast does transpire in all its ferocity, I still struggle getting coherent thoughts down on the page.

With web copy deadlines on the horizon, it’s easy to panic. But don’t, this is what the sharp-toothed blockish partition in your mind wants.

It feeds on a diet of fear, so make sure it goes to bed hungry.

Here are a number of methods I find useful in shepherding my mind back to the righteous path of web copy:

1) Come out with your hands up and step away from the keypad! Take a break, have a biscuit (careful if you’re dunking). It may sound overly simplistic, but give your eyes and mind a rest.

2) If your web copy deadline permits, why not leave it till the next day? Things always look different in the morning. Even though you may have temporarily stepped away from the project your subconscious will continue processing information. This will help iron out those creases in your mindscape.

3) Talk to a friend, family member or colleague. Use them as a sounding board to bounce ideas off. I often find fleshing out web copy ideas with others triggers that much need inspiration to keep the Writing Block Monster at bay.

4) Read material related to your web copy project. Not only will this count as research but it could help you view the work through a more positive prism.

5) Rearrange or rewrite the outline/draft for your web copy endeavour. Like a Rubik’s Cube, fiddling often helps the pieces fall into place.

6) Don’t bang your head against the wall. It’s hazardous to your health and you could end up chipping the paint.

7) Fuse your mind with the things you find inspirational. For me, that’s films, literature and music.

The fall of the writing block wall…

Some things are built to last, the writing block wall isn’t. How you scale the wall will depend on you. But scale it you will.

In most cases perseverance and self-belief should dissolve writer’s block faster than a biscuit in a sea of coffee. On the odd occasion, it may take longer.

Whatever the case, just stick with it and remember: unlike mermaids, submarines, goldfish and Olympic swimmers, biscuits don’t like being left in water for too long.

Marketing to Existing Communities

Facebook is the obvious place to start. Twitter next and then the rest of the social networks. After that, why not take a gander further afield? In the words of Shakin’ Stevens: “I am sure they’re will be many forums on your prospects sector, visit them and have a presence”.

Join the Conversation

If you have something to say and there’s already a blog, a news website or a Facebook group dedicated to that same topic, then its probably a good idea to join their existing conversation.

For example, why not publish a blog piece on Digg or Reddit. They already have all the readership and most of these services allow a link back to your own website too and remember, if your not into building fences, try building links.

Find the Glove that Fits

If your customer base is Start-up Businesses, go to a Start-up Business blog, forum or other channel. There you’ll find your exact audience already engaged in conversation. You can gain contacts and links back to your website, while increasing your blog’s readership and drumming up direct custom.