Zazou Marketing

Whether you are writing a website, brochure, advertisement, newsletter, or email, it’s important to look as professional as possible. That means getting your spelling, grammar, and word usage correct. So, here’s a quick reminder on a few words that we use all the time: “everyone” and “every one.” And remember that there’s a difference between them!

• Use two words when you are referring to an individual item: “We used every one of those sales tips in our pitch meeting.”

• Use one word when you are referring to all persons: “Everyone wants a bonus this year.”

Zazou Marketing

When you’re writing words like shake up, shape up or set up, do you ever wonder whether to use two words or combine them into one with a hyphen? Well, you’re not alone. Here’s a little rule to follow, use “shake up” when you need to use a verb and ”shake-up” as a noun or an adjective. Others that fit in a similar camp are:

Verb            Noun or Adjective
shape up        shape-up
speed up        speedup
set up            setup
sell out          sellout
stand in         stand-in
tie in              tie-in

Of course, the English language often makes no sense at all. For example, “second hand” is a noun, while “secondhand” is an adjective or adverb.

So, remember, next time you shape up your house, set up a garage sale and get rid of all of that secondhand clothing…

I finally feel like I have my due. Someone who is not a writer is talking about the importance of writing…

Richard Anderson, chief executive of Delta Air Lines, says over and over in a New York Times article that when he’s hiring he looks for good communication skills. And he specifically mentions writing skills. I know that everyone says that they are looking for good communication skills, the ability to prioritize, and the ability to multi-task, blah, blah, blah. But he says he’s looking for good communication skills so many times that I actually believe he means it.

Here’s his point:

“People really have to be able to handle the written and spoken word. And when I say written word, I don’t mean PowerPoints. I don’t think PowerPoints help people think as clearly as they should because you don’t have to put a complete thought in place. You can just put a phrase with a bullet in front of it. And it doesn’t have a subject, a verb and an object, so you aren’t expressing complete thoughts.

“And a lot of what we do in communication, when you write e-mail, you need to express yourself very clearly so people understand whether we’re going to L.A. today or we’re going to Boston today.”

So, there it is. Writing really is important. Well, at least according to Richard Anderson and me. Two down, how many millions to go?

Why bother hiring a writer for your brochure or website? After all, you know how to write. You’ve been writing since you were a child. You may even be pretty good at it. Here’s the thing to remember: There’s more to writing than mastering grammar and adding flare to a sentence. Marketing writers write to sell.

Let me explain. To convince your potential client to buy your product or service, you need words that do three things. You need copy to:

• Grab the readers’ attention
• Communicate a message
• Persuade the reader to act

It is only when your brochure or website, or any marketing material for that matter, does these three things, that it is effective. It is only then that your investment in your marketing materials will pay off.

So, what’s so special about a marketing writer’s prose? What gives their words such power? Marketing writers write clearly and concisely. They communicate a message. They organize text carefully. They translate industry-specific jargon. They create interest and show how the product or service is superior. And, finally, marketing writers ask the reader respond – by switching to a new company, making a call, or sending a check.

The ability to write attention-getting, communicative, persuasive copy is the key to marketing writing. It is also the key to the question – why use a professional writer? Simply put, marketing writers are experts at writing winning words to sell a product or service.