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Mark Time: Try a Chronological Structure

Posted by Ann Wylie in March 10th 2010  

The work I’m doing on a client’s new Web site has me thinking about navigational structure.
Whether you’re organizing a Web site or a magazine article, a museum exhibit or your family’s letters and memorabilia, there are only five ways to structure information. Richard Saul Wurman, author of Information Architects, uses the acronym LATCH to define them:

  • Location
  • Alphabet
  • Time
  • Category
  • Hierarchy

For your Web site’s structure to work, each navigational component should fit one of these approaches.

Take time.

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under: Corporate Communications and Public Relations, Professional Development and Training, Techniques & Tactics, Writing
Tags: creative+writing, social+media+writing
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What Does Tweaking Cost Your Company?

Posted by Ann Wylie in January 29th 2010  

Develop a business case for reining in approvals.

First there was “DBT,” or “Death by Tweakage”: When a brochure or newsletter “fails due to unnecessary tinkering or too many last-minute revisions.” (BuzzWhack.com)

Then came “nanomanagers”:  “Bosses who have taken micromanaging to a whole new level of  nitpicking.” (BuzzWhack.com)

Then it was “death by redlining”: “Redlined documents [are] like a theatre director giving line readings to actor[s] rather than helping them explore the character and give a stronger performance …‘when you say this line, raise your right eyebrow.’” (Matthew Stibbe, writer-in-chief for Articulate Marketing)

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under: Corporate Communications and Public Relations, Professional Development and Training, Techniques & Tactics, Teleseminars, Writing
Tags: copywriting+tips, writing, writing+tips
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Readers Want Less

Posted by Ann Wylie in December 3rd 2009  

Establish copy length limits

“Brevity is the sister of talent.”
— Anton Chekhov, Russian playwright

Size does matter. All things else being equal, your readers would rather read a short piece than a long piece.

In writing — as in eating, imbibing, reality TV viewing and so much else in life — it’s good to set limits. In other words, establish an appropriate length limit for each piece you write. Here are some ideas for inspiration:

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under: Corporate Communications and Public Relations, Professional Development and Training, Techniques & Tactics, Teleseminars, Writing
Tags: copy+length+limits, copywriting+tips, reducing+copy length, social+media+writing, writing+tips
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How to Build Buzz

Posted by Ann Wylie in October 19th 2009  

Dan Zarrella drills down on the science of retweets

How do you create a message that goes viral on Twitter?

Just ask Dan Zarrella. The HubSpot viral marketing scientist spent nine months analyzing five million tweets and 40 million retweets to find what makes some messages travel the world while others just stay home on the couch.

In his new report, “The Science of Retweets,” he shares these tips:

  1. Make it all about me. The most retweeted words in the English language, according to Zarrella’s research: “You.”
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under: 2009 International Conference: Delivering Value, Corporate Communications and Public Relations, Professional Development and Training, PRSA Conferences, PRSA International Conference, Seminars, Social Media
Tags: re-tweet, Social Media, social media pr, social media ROI, viral marketing
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Writing Online Releases: Five Tips to Help Google Find Your Web Site

Posted by Ann Wylie in August 31st 2009  

These days, news releases can do more than just get your story reported in news outlets. Online releases can get posted on news portals and other Web sites; be seen directly by customers, clients and other stakeholders; and even boost your search engine rankings.

In fact, the number of times the release gets published on portals and other Web sites is the No. 1 measure of success for today’s communicators, according to “ROI of Online Press Releases” (PDF), a study of professional communicators who use press releases by the Society for New Communications Research.

  1. Place anchor text next to important URLs. Anchor text (it looks like this: one-on-one writing coaching) is important because it tells Google and other search engines what your link is about. That increases your inbound link “credit” for search engine optimization (SEO).However, according to HubSpot, the inbound marketing experts, many portals don’t publish anchor text. So add a URL next to your anchor text, like this: one-on-one writing coaching (http://www.wyliecomm.com/consulting/coaching.shtml).Even if the portal doesn’t publish live URLs, the portal’s readers will see your link: “one-on-one writing coaching (www.wyliecomm.com/consulting/coaching.shtml).”
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under: Corporate Communications and Public Relations, Media Relations, Professional Development and Training, Teleseminars, Writing
Tags: online+communications, optimized+press+release, public relations, social+media+writing, writing
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