Early in my career, I worked in a small startup. As the only writer in the company, I wrote nearly everything for the business, from data sheets and white papers to direct response ad copy, emails, user manuals (back when companies shipped printed manuals), and invitations to the holiday party. In retrospect, I’m pretty confident that […]
Business writing
A Field Guide to Writers in the Workplace
On any given workday, you can find countless people typing on laptops. They may be writing emails, reports, papers, advertisements, job postings, or resumes. They all have one thing in common: They are assembling thoughts into a written form, and hope that those efforts will support their careers. They are workplace writers. Workplace writers come in […]
The Perils of Worshipping the Big Idea
Raise your hand if you’ve ever worried about someone “stealing your idea” – and let that worry stop you from doing something. We’ve all done it at one point or another. But except in patent situations and other unusual cases, those worries are usually unfounded. Worse, they can hurt us as writers. Be careful not […]
Writing in the Zone: Say Hello to Flow
You know when it happens – but only after the fact. You’re absorbed in the writing, the words are pouring out, and suddenly you realize that an hour or two has passed. It’s as if you wake up from the work. Instead of feeling drained, you are energized. Performers and athletes talk about being “in […]
Is your business website a lekker?
No, that’s not a typo – “lekking” is at term in animal behavior that means self-aggrandizing behavior (usually for the purpose of attracting mates). I didn’t know that term before encountering it in Adam Grant’s brilliant book Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success. (I highly recommend the book, by the way.) by Michael Bentley […]
Content recycling do’s and don’ts
by chrissatchwell The biggest challenge that many content marketers face is creating enough content to reach prospects and customers at the right places and times. Re-purposing or recycling content is a critical strategy. When you recycle content, you can amplify your message, reaching different parts of your target audience at different stages of the decision cycle. […]
