#*emphasis on 'often' -- some are writing things that are the bane of my existence

[child-of-hurin]

fic writers. often heroes*

[heliza24]

I have always been fascinated by the way that disability has been portrayed in this show (short version: I love it, esp Daniel), and after ep 3 I am thinking specifically about how the show addresses issues of eugenics.

The decision to set the Paris storyline in post WWII means eugenics is in the air. The coven members can criticize Louis and Claudia’s past burning of victims as “kind of German” and make a point to eat ex Nazis on stage (the victim this ep has a German name), but they themselves live by a code of conduct based around eugenics, a very Nazi ideal. It's right there in the rules: "never give the dark gift to children or cripples". (As a proud crip, all I can say to that is "FUCK YOU Santiago"). The coven is concerned with keeping the vampire species “pure” and “strong”, whatever the hell that means.

But I think it’s important to note the difference between flawed characters embracing an ideology and a work as a whole embracing it. The show tells us, over and over again, that the coven’s logic is wrong. It tells us this in the way that we are shown Claudia’s mental strength and power of endurance. (Delainey’s monologue this ep? Omg) despite her age when she was turned. It tells us that in the way that Daniel is able to sometimes best Louis and Armand, two supposedly all-powerful beings despite being medically fragile. (As Armand says to Louis, “those with the most power are often the weakest.”) Armand is also constantly becoming disillusioned with these eugenics rules he enforces, in the 1790s and again in the 1940s. Even the juxtaposition of the coven rules with reminders of Nazi practices is a reminder that *these are not good rules to live by*. They are the reason that Claudia and Louis’s story are heading towards tragedy.

This is another reason it is SO important that this show doesn’t erase the pandemic, and therefore rejects the most prevalent modern day version of eugenics (the belief that the pandemic is over, even though Covid is still killing disabled people and further disabling others) The waiter in an N95 mask this ep was a reminder of that, and a reminder of how the pandemic affects people (and vamps) of different classes differently. And all this makes me *very* interested in how the show will address Daniel’s diagnosis in coming eps, as well as the idea of the great conversion, which is as yet undefined but definitely feels like it has eugenics undertones.

(As a little side note, I was pretty interested in one of the coven members claiming allergies this ep combined with the emphasis on not converting disabled people into vampires. Those two things together seem to imply that disabled vampires could exist, or rather that accepting the dark gift might not immediately provide a magic cure to all disabilities, which would make me as a disabled viewer very happy. A magical cure erasing all disabled rep from speculative genre stories is the bane of my existence. I would LOVE it if the show proceeds with Devil's Minion (pretty please) and modern day Daniel does eventually get turned, he gains immortality and some sick ass powers, but doesn't lose all of the symptoms of his disease. Regardless I will be writing this into a fic!)

So in conclusion, at least for now, as much as it stinks to see Claudia become ensnared in this eugenicist trap, the way the show is framing it is very very smart.

[goodboyaudios]

Hello! My name is Grim, and I fancy myself a bit of a researcher. Now, this is not for anything important or extremely serious. Instead, this is mostly for my own pure enjoyment and something I have in the works that is to be posted on Tumblr. You are not obligated to answer any or all of these questions I have posed. I know it’s a bit much. Take your time, but don’t feel obligated to do anything. Feel free to add any additional input! Thanks for your consideration!

1. How different do you think your work would be, in terms of getting across a point, in a different medium thats not Audio RP?

2. How do you think your work would be different if it more reflected main stream industry forms of storytelling where you as a creator would be more separate? (ex. movies, tv shows, games, etc.)

3. How important do you find the voice acting in your work?

4. You are the primary voice of your works. Would you consider taking a step back from voice acting in your work to focus on narrative work?

5. Do you believe your own individual ability to voice characters enhances the story overall?

6. Do you enjoy the idea of a “Listener character” or would you better prefer to not have one?

7. As a writer, how does the writing of the Listener take you out of your comfort zone? (ie their effect in relationships, plot movements, etc.)

8. Is Audio RP your favored form of art?

9. How do you believe Audio RP differs from main stream forms of art/entertainment?

10. Do you believe that your work has over arching themes that relate to you personally? (very optional)

Sure! I'm happy to answer some questions!

I think with the addition of a visual medium it would most definitely be significantly easier, yes.

Well, I can't say for sure. I could explain for hours about how mainstream media forces a creative to conform their work within often-times hostile parameters. Nevertheless, I'd be blessed with the opportunity to try. That being said, I have a lot more creative freedom here on Youtube than anywhere else, at least by my standards.

I think it's very important. Conveying enough emotion without the added visuals means that it is ALL DOWN to vocal performance.

I am typically the primary voice, yes, but I must admit this is a very difficult question. I love to write stories of scifi and fantasy, I love to take concepts and ideas, pieces of dialogue and conveyed emotion and put them into an all expansive list of things to try, but I personally love bringing those emotions and ideas out myself. I find it fun! I suppose...I wouldn't! Writing is fun, don't get me wrong, but being able to perform it is part of my joy in creating what I make. If I stopped doing one, I'd have to find it elsewhere and that would take me away from doing the other thing.

I like to believe that, yes. It only makes sense that the writer knows the exact feeling to convey in a script, but you could call me vain for that if you like lol!

Listener characters are the bane of my existence lol! Okay, that was too dramatic. It's very difficult to write a character that doesn't talk, but represents...basically everyone! How do you compensate for that? And echoing dialogue is not something people do on a regular basis. No one talks like that, but we need to in order to get across what the listener is thinking at any given time, because if you don't, everyone is confused. It's quite frustrating and a hell of a dilemma in the scripting process.

Well, like I said earlier, I have to try and accommodate for everyone which is a challenge all on its own. It's VERY easy for the listener to become a talking head and I try my best to avoid it. Alas, I imagine even the greatest xlistener writer has fallen into that trap lol

No, it is not. I like 2D animation and RPGs.

Money? Budget? A lot more emphasis on visuals? When you start out as a content creator, you start with nothing and are tasked with making something, but with mainstream media, the network hands you a budget to make something. Granted those things might not be great given the parameters of the network, but hey! At least you can say you made something!

Very much so, yes. Zed is directly related to my insecurities and fears of not being enough as a person. Makkaro is related to my need for a work/life balance so that I might enjoy the little things while still giving my all. Albus is a toxic form of what I wanted to be when I grew up, a man who can fight through anything, but inside is deeply broken. Yargwynn is my running away from my problems in hopes that it'll all just go away. Mortallous is those problems always chasing me, always catching up. One day, I will tell a story of Zed realizing who he wants to be. That story will show that the man I really want to be, is myself. I will no longer be Good Boy Audios, but Good Man Audios. Yeah, it's cheesy as fuck, but hey, I like cheese.

Thank you for your questions. I really appreciate the time you took to ask me them. And I hope you enjoy my stories moving forward too!

[slashingdisneypasta]

Inkubus x Vampire!Fem!Reader || Oneshot

Title: Always There

Notes:

I think outta all Englund's characters on this blog, I like writing for Inkubus the most. Which is criminal seeing as I write for him the least. I need to change that haha.

Plot: You meet up with a very old friend of yours and you spend some time catching up. And he's so clearly in love with you, its unbelievable and torturous to him that no matter what he does, you don't notice.

Warnings: A very unreliable narrator (In terms of particular other peoples clear feelings for her), BLOOD, DRINKING BLOOD, DRAINING SOMEONE OF BLOOD (But in a sort of polite way? Hah), MENTIONS OF AN ABUSIVE EX PARTNER, vampires and incubus'.

The smell of iron and petrichor fills your nostrils, disgusting and refreshing and also, just... relieving... in equal measure filling you up as you kneel by the victim - the man you'd chosen, - for tonight; A needle and tube attached to a blood bag between your fingers and digging into the poor mans neck.

You hate doing this, knowing this guy will be weak and sick feeling for the next day - maybe two depending on how much you take from him, - without understanding why. But, its for sure better then the alternative- which is just digging in right here and now with your teeth. That's messy, and the marks you leave behind aren't easy to explain away as 'animal attacks' anymore.

You need the blood, but you aren't a savage, jeez. You always catch any new vampire movies or shows together with your daughter and watch those actors with blood all over their chins, and think... How old are these vamps supposed to be?? 300 hundred years old!?

And they don't know how to eat without getting it all over their face?

Pfft! Rolling your eyes, you gently shake your head at the memories of bloody Edward Cullen and Lestat and Damon Salvetore swimming around in your head as watch the man's breathing. To be fair, you love them all - Twilight, Interview with a Vampire, The Vampire Diaries, Nosferatu, Vampires Vs the Bronx, etc, - but that's just because its more fiction then truth- and that's coming from an honest to goodness bloodsucker.

Finally deciding you've taken enough without truly hurting the man, you put pressure on his neck and pull out the needle, carefully wipe away any mess with a cotton ball from your bag and put a band aid on him.

"Now," You talk firmly, softly, as you look into his eyes - which are dull, almost sleeping. A nice touch to the docile state you put your victims, in so they can at least not feel any pain or fear while you're collecting your feed, - , hands on his shoulders. "You're not going to remember this, or me. You're going to get a taxi home," You tuck some money in his shirt pocket, a thank you for his service; Its the least you could do. "Then get into bed and have a wonderful sleep with lots of lovely dreams. Thank you so much."

After you watch the man get up, still in a bit of daze but shaking it off - and not even noticing your presence, crouched down by where he's standing, - and leave the alleyway, you carefully pack away the blood bag and the tube and needle (In a separate plastic bag, for you to clean and sanitise when you get home) in your satchel and finally get back up, wrapping the strap over your head and resting it on your shoulder.

Brushing a hand through your hair, you turn to leave the alleyway and go home- when a familiar voice speaks up from the very back of the alley- and immediately your hopes rise.

"You look even more beautiful every time I see you."

You smile, peering into the darkness. "Oh, that's very sweet... but you and I both know I look like trash. I haven't eaten for a week!" When he just chuckles back, you tilt your head and waive him over. "Come out here so I can see you!; When did you get into town?"

Gracefully - more so then even you can manage, being a goddamn vampire, - Inkubus slips out of the darkness and you're happy to see he looks well. Its been forever since you say him last - 40 years? 70? - and you always have it in the back of your head for some reason that next time you see your friend, it'll be the last time. So its always lovely when he turns up and looks just as healthy as he always does.

"Oh I just got here; Thought I would come see you immediately. Otherwise you might nag at me." This time you chuckle, rolling your eyes. His eyes flicker to your satchel. "Collecting our dinner our we?"

"Yep! Smells like A Negative, my favourite. When was the last time you ate?"

"Ohh, a couple weeks ago. I'm due for my next fill soon, though... any suggestions?"

"No," Scrunch up your nose, you put a lot of emphasis on your response; See, you don't subscribe to the notion that monsters like the two of you have to act all blasé and cocky about the terrible things they must do. Apart from these night time trips to find breathers to bleed, you live a... mostly... normal life! So no- you definitely don't know anyone he can make his next victim.

And Inkubus knows this, which is why he laughs and you roll your eyes again at him, fixing the satchel on your shoulder. "So- " Again his eyes flicker to your bag, this time with meaning. A cheeky grin flits across his lips. "Want to get a drink?"

Smiling, you turn on your heel, you loop your arm through his and lead the way. "So have you been?"

___TIME SKIP___

4 hours later and the two of you are still stewing at a 24-Hour-Diner you frequent - seeing as you don't really sleep that much, - and are onto your 9th drinks at this point. You two may not see each other too often since the 1400's and went your separate ways in the world, but you never go longer then a hundred years - preferably 80 maximum, - without seeing each other and when you do- you have a lot to say. Filling each other in on what you've missed in each others lives is always a... disorientating experience, at times, but you must do it. You couldn't survive in a world where you didn't know what was happening in your best friends life. That would just be too lonely.

See, Inkubus is the only one you know - still, to this day, - who knew you when you were human, aside from the man referred to very nearly exclusively as 'Dick for brains' - being your daughters father, - and while having human friends who can make you feel normal again, is wonderful... so is feeling normal, in what you actually are currently. And that's not human. That's thousands and thousands of years old and a mystery to scientists. And, seeing as he's a literal demon... that's a very easy service for him to provide.

A waitress walks by to pick up you empty glasses and looks oddly at your personal tumbler. You clearly weren't meant to notice, but you do of course, and unassumingly shrug. "Bloody Mary... don't tell." You give her a conspiratorial wink, and she chuckles, walking off.

When you look back to Inkubus, he looks ready to make a joke so you give him a timid shrug. "Well, there is vodka and Tobasco sauce in it!... " He smirks, but lets it go- seeing as your words were funny enough.

"And how is Bethany? Has she seen her father lately...?" Your eyebrows arch, hearing Inkubus ask about him; Dick for Brains, Beth's father and the bane of your long, long existence. Obviously, seeing as the bastard impregnated you with his literal spawn of hell causing you to die during childbirth at age 26 so he could then turn you into a vampire, made you raise your daughter alone- and then returned 20 years later just to turn Beth into a vampire as well and claim that you can all be a 'proper family now'... you aren't a huge fan of the guy. And talking about him you don't do often, as it causes a horrible clenching feeling in your stomach and heart. Luckily, Inkubus is one of the few people who is allowed to make you feel that way. Him, and Beth.

You sigh, taking a slow sip of your drink through the matching metal straw and metal tumbler set Beth got your last mothers day (So as to hide the fact that its blood inside), you wonder what to say... "Beth's great, as always... she's fallen in love with a human, though. That can only end brilliantly." Shaking your head, you look to Inkubus to see his reaction and catch him rolling his eyes, smirking. Yep. "Um, and... yes. There has been contact with Dick for Brains... He recently, like... 20 years ago? turned up at her place in Egypt, and wouldn't leave till I had to fly down there and shoo him away." You grit your teeth. There is so much wrong with that man- you do honestly with you had never met him sometimes. That's horrible, you know, as if you hadn't met him you wouldn't have had Beth and she's the light of your life, but... at times like that instance? When he troubles her?

Its hard to not wish his existence away.

"Do you want me to speak with him?... Again... ?" Your gaze returns to Inkubus again, feeling at ease the moment your minds back in the diner with him and not in your head with Dick for Brains; Eyes softening. The idea is tempting, unbelievably tempting... And it would keep your friend around awhile longer. "That always seems to win you a couple hundred years of reprieve."

Taking a deep, needless breath - an anxious habit, - you set down your tumbler and shake your head. "No, that's okay... thank you for the offer, though. He seems to be giving up, slowly, finally. But damn, its taken him long enough to get the hint, huh?"

"Far too long." Inkubus' voice is bitter and dark, talking about your ex- and his eyes are reading much different. You know if you let him, he would kill Derek... but you cant do that. If anyone's going to kill him, it would be you or Beth, and neither of you are there yet. Inkubus takes a deep breath, relaxing again like a chameleon changing its colours. "Anyway, love; Onto prettier business. How did that thing go, that you had with that Djinn half a century ago. You seemed quite optimistic about that one."

A fluttering of laughter immediately comes out of you and Inkubus' truly cheers up at the sight of it, and you just look at him and shake your head; An awkward toothless smile on your lips. Ha! No.

His brows arch, laughter in his eyes. "Didn't end well?"

"That ended up being the shortest affair I've ever had and that's saying something." Brushing hair back from your face, you chew on your bottom lip. "You'd think after nearly 10 centuries, I'd learn... Oh- wait- make that 10 and nearly a half, centuries... Boy, am I clueless."

"Clueless about what, love?" You're just breathing in to respond, when a cheeky look crosses Inkubus' familiar face. "I mean, you are quiet clueless- about plenty of things. But specifically, this time."

You scrunch up your nose at him in response, grinning, before once again chewing on your bottom lip. "... I'm just not the woman that gets proposed to." You shrug, as if its no big deal; Even though your heart bleeds saying it out loud for the first time, to someone that matters and not just your ex-therapist, Julie. Setting your drink on the table in front of you, you idlily twist it. "Obsessed over and stalked, yes." You grin, a tinge of sadness to it. "Fucked, yes. Dated even, yes. But married?... Ha, no... "

His eyebrows climb up his forehead even more, before he softly smiles and pats your hand. "I asked you to marry me, all those years ago, sweetheart. Remember?" He reminds you gently, and you cant help giving a soft smile back at your well-meaning friend.

"Oh, yes of course I do. That was very sweet, but... I mean for love, you know? Not because I'm pregnant and alone."

Inkubus sighs, slightly frustrated, and leans back in his seat. "Mhmmm... " Rubbing a finger under his nose, he quickly clears his throat. Then he reaches his hand further up your arm to lay it on your forearm, running his thumb comfortingly across your skin. "Love, I'm sure that you'll find someone. Perhaps multiple someone's. Or, maybe, you don't need to find anyone new."

A little smile twitches at your lips as you pick up his hands and hold it on the table in both of yours. "... Maybe." For a split millisecond, your friend smiles. Sighing wistfully, you shrug. "Maybe I can learn to be happy alone. I mean, I like my life. I like my daughter, I like my job, I like my patterns... Maybe I don't need a man." Immediately his smile disappears and he rolls his eyes.

"You definitely don't need a man." He sighs, frowning. "But one can be good for a few things, no?"

"Hey." You set him with a stern look. "I thought we were making me feel better, about not having one?"

"Oh, you're right. I rescind my comment."

"You better." A cheeky grin crosses your face.

He looks back at it, the cheeky grin of yours, and the smile returns to his face.

~

The sun is warming up when you're on your way home, Inkubus beside you with his arms folded carefully behind his his back and your hands stuffed in your leather jacket pockets; One arm linked affectionately through his. You're an odd sight, you're sure, to any early morning commuters. You, and your barely-out-of-college looking self walking so close - and so domestically. A fact that is lost on you but not on the smug demon walking beside you, - to a man that currently looks to be in his 60's-70's age-wise.

Not that either of you care.

"Well, this is my place! Whatdaya think?" You ask, letting him go in order to unlock the door or the townhouse apartment and push open the door. He walks on in past you, looking around and you watch a soft smile grace his handsome features. "You like it?"

"Much better then the hole in the wall you thought was a good idea to show me in Transylvania- took everything in me not to sweep you away somewhere safer... with fewer mould spores... " He turns to look at you over his shoulder, a mischievous smirk on his mouth as you scrunch up your nose at him, before smiling.

"Well then, Mr Judgmental... I guess you don't want to know, that I chose this wallpaper cuz of you."

That definitely catches his attention, more then anything else you've said. He turns around in a full 360, assessing the wallpaper before looking curiously at you. "You... you chose this wallpaper because of... me? How so?"

You shrug, still leaning back against the open front door- sunlight filtering through the doorway. "The colour is very you. Its got 'Inkubus' vibes. You know," Raising your brows at him, you smirk. "Eccentric, full of itself." At that cheeky remark, he says 'Ha ha', sarcastically. "And, I guess, I missed you. Sooo... yeah... wallpaper."

"Hm... " Looking really far too pleased about this, looking a lot more engrossed by the home then before- but mostly the wallpaper. "This place is looking better, suddenly... "

"Like I said- Full of itself." You roll your eyes, laughing. Then you push off the door, push it closed with your foot and then go to pass by Inkubus to hit the livingroom. "Oh! The book! The one we were talking about at the diner- I'll find it for you! Come on- "

"Y/N." A hand curls gently around your arm, at the perfect moment so that you don't get yanked back with the force of your travelling and instead you just coat to a careful halt at Inkubus' side.

Blinking up at him curiously, wondering what he needed you for so suddenly, you tilt your head to the side. "Yes?"

For a good moment, he just looks at you whilst you become worried. What is happening? Every second that passes by, more and more ridiculous ideas cross your mind.

Finally, the man tilts his head slightly in sincerity.

"Sweetheart, are you ever going to see how ridiculously in love with you I am?"

And... for all of the disastrous and ridiculous possibilities that came to mind when he was saying nothing, you had a response. To this, you just stand their dumbly, your shoulders dropping and just looking at him in total shock. "... wel- uh- um... a few more hundred years?" You feel like a ton of bricks has just been dropped on top of you. "Maybe?" You squeak. You actually squeak.

And of course, you squeaked. You'd be surprised if you had managed to keep your composure after a confession like that. Here's this beautiful man, who against all foreseeable odds understands you, and cares about your kid, and whom you love... and somehow he's telling you that he loves you? That, for some reason, he wants you?

Is there something wrong with him?

There must be. Something terribly, horrible, irreversibly offensive that you aren't already aware of.

But you rack your brain and theirs nothing. Nothing, at all, that you can figure that would make you turn away from him right now.

He smiles a little bit at your awkward reaction, and lets go of your wrist in favour of tucking some hair back behind your ear. "Do you quite mind if I kiss you now?"

Your breath hitches, it actually hitches, like a tiny shy anime girl who's giant crush just got down on his knees in front of her for whatever reason, and you have to fight to pull yourself together; Rolling your shoulders back, hands on your hips. Totally, and translucently fake confident. "Um- you know? I don't?"

God, you are a centuries old vampire; Your vernacular should be yards better then this.

And then kisses you.

Oh god- And then he kisses you.

Because you're suddenly struck hard in the face with a million words and phrases, from current to boomer-speak to old fashioned to forgotten, to describe it but mostly you're just wondering why in the world you hadn't been doing this the whole damn time. Your hands find the sides of his coat in order to steady yourself, and pull him closer as you carefully tilt your head into the kiss. It comes so naturally, the kissing does. Between you and him. Its like, despite the bounds of your relationship never having reached this level before, you know exactly how to kiss each other. There's no awkwardness or searching. You just fit.

When finally, you slowly end the kiss, you fail to open your eyes for a good moment, before cracking them open slightly, half lidded and flickering up to his eyes.

And you take a deep, unnecessary breath and step away, torturously out of Inkubus' personal space. "... holy shit." You have so many questions... None of which touch on how exactly you're feeling because you get that much, at least.

But you cant help but wonder why- and for how long this has been brewing and how long exactly that you missed it- and how the hell this is going to work-

He follows you, thank god, a roguish yet soft look on his face. "Maybe we should take this to the livingroom, love. I promise, I can explain everything to you."

[xurkitips]

On Conveying Personality Through Chatroom-style Dialogue

A friend of mine shared screenshots of a roleplay he was having via a Discord server, wherein the style was chatroom/texting based. Each character would have a different style of typing completely unique to their person. Though unfamiliar with all of them, I could see what their personalities were like

Like real human beings, a character very much so has a “voice”. I mean that both in the literal sense, through their manner of speaking and what they say, but also through their self expression, interests, and actions. This carries over into the digital realm in ways we may not even notice. Text messages may not be verbal, no, but there are ways to show inflection.

There are many, many ways to show meaning through text. Here are some that I’ve picked up and utilized with my own characters:

Sentence structure

all lowercase sentences VS Grammatically correct

Lowercase gives off the feeling of someone familiar with others or willing to become familiar. It lacks the tension of formal writing, complete with its capitalization and proper periods ending sentences, and feels very casual and approachable. It may also be a sign of someone who doesn’t care much about perfection, a lazy person, or an easy going individual. Seems like a lot of internet regulars prefer this kind of typing style.

“im dying

‘deafening horrorcore rap’ ok i listen to literal noise and idk what this even is”

Using a properly capitalized and punctuated style is very formal, like one would see in a book, an official email, etc. It’s more serious and stern than lowercase is and may imply an older, more mature person typing...or maybe just someone trapped on their phone at the mercy of autocorrect. 

"I am always happy to see you, even if you are not feeling your best.“

“It's nice here.

Quiet.”

There’s a certain respectful steadiness to it as well. It can be calming to read at times.

Punctuation VS Lack of punctuation

End-stopped lines come with both a pause and a bit of a pointed and direct feeling. It strengthens both lowercase and grammatically correct styles, but in different ways. In conjunction with “proper” writing, it’s less noticeable, merely giving the reader a moment’s pause. In conjunction with lowercase, especially if the one typing isn’t keen on using periods, it can come off as stern, serious, passive-aggressive, or angry.

“whatever.

it's less excruciating than it would be without it.”

Removal of punctuation is a different story. Typically just shown with lowercase, it leaves it with that casual feeling intact, or like one’s sentences are more like quick thoughts or questions. Removing them from grammatically correct sentences does ease off some of the tension, implying someone with a more neutral-positive tone while still being more mature. 

“I’m not terribly good with conversation”

And then there’s the run-on sentences from those who type small novels per response. Usually complete with multiple and’s. It’s a sign of nervousness, enthusiasm, or oftentimes a younger character...

“actually i don't know much about it i just happened to see something online and it's apparently only manufactured overseas exclusively for this one particular shop and they made the original design and initial product i guess”

Oof.

Proper spelling (or lack thereof)

The better the spelling, the more the likelihood of the person being older, calmer, or neutral. There’s also a sense of being well educated or careful about one’s typing. Perhaps a confident air may exude from what they say, too.

“Can you come help me for a moment?”

Those who make a lot of mistakes will simply confuse words for other words, forget apostrophes, or type too fast to notice things missing or in the wrong location. Some just don’t really care enough or are too tired to deal with it. Too much focus and people know what they mean anyway. Probably.

“i laug hso hard hes come runin

he thougt i aws dyin”

It can also happen in very emotional situations, in bouts of laughter, crying, rage, or when one is drowsy, medicated, or sick. It tends to stand out when one’s style is suddenly very, very different and tips others off to something being wrong.

Younger characters, especially kids, also make spelling mistakes all the time depending on their age, whether due to sounding out words or just in a hurry to reply.

Short sentence fragments, single words, and lengthy paragraphs

Sometimes people with rapid-fire thoughts, who are excited, busy, stressed, or angry, will take to quick and short responses (sometimes of many fragments in a row). These show a similar feeling as do lines of poetry. Stacking small fragments on top of one another adds emphasis. The reader has to read them one by one rather than as a straight sentence. On its own, the word or fragment stands out and becomes more important.

"well

yeah thats

what i was tryina do

but i mean”

I’ve seen it used used for storytelling from one person to another in larger chunks of things, quick responses, for poetic value, and in irritation or passive-aggressiveness.

In full sentence conversations sent in short bursts, it’s also allowing the reader pause to read each comment without it feeling like a novella. Though it can also feel like someone is obnoxious, rambling on and on as the notifications keep coming, or has a lot to talk about and keeps thinking of more.

Then there are those who type rather large responses all at once instead of hitting the enter key with every sentence:

"Whoever did it was quite thorough; either the power in that area of the lab was cut while we were distracted or they tampered with the security cameras, because that footage is missing. But, we have some theories now. It had to have been someone with direct access to the laboratory. I hesitate to place blame on any of my coworkers...they're all my trusted companions and friends! And yet...”

It’s concise and a solid, complete story in one spot. Could be someone who loves to talk, could be someone who didn’t want a response before they were done talking. It’s also commonly seen by middle-aged texters who want to say everything they can all at once.

Exclamation points and Question marks

Simple one here. Question mark for a question or confusion, exclamation point for emphasis or an exclamation. But when a person adds multiple to a sentence it can convey more of the person’s feelings; 

“are you okay??”

Here is someone who is very concerned. Multiple question marks can imply things such as worry, stress, disbelief, and shock. There’s a sense of hurry and tension. Perhaps the person on the other end is frightened, easily afraid, or tends to have an overwhelming reaction to things.

“oh!!! it’s nice to see you!!!”

"! 

!!! 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Meanwhile, multiple exclamation points convey much more friendlier, happier tones. Often such things as surprise, excitement, happiness, friendliness. Users typing !! as a punctuation (like I tend to do) may do it as an assurance or to show how thrilled they are to talk. Occasionally !!!! is tacked onto an angry statement to be more of a shout, but I see it less and less.

Chatspeak and Internet habits

Shortenings of words have been a regular thing for ages. It’s easy, convenient, and gets the point across quickly. But the internet has taken it to a new extreme, where sentences can be almost entirely compromised of them.

“wtf r u talkin abt?? gdi man idk wuts even happening rn”

A character wanting to be quick to respond, always on the ball, always involved, may be more likely to utilize and understand chatspeak. They’re the social butterfly of the group. It’s also a sign of a long-time internet lurker who’s aware of what the lingo is, and how to use it. A complete lack thereof points toward either an older user or someone who’s unused to social media.

The more memes, the harder someone is trying to fit in. Or maybe they’re easily amused or just absorbed things from their friends without thinking about it. The comedian of the group is going to know the best ways to use them.

Smilies and Emojis

:D D: :DDD // :3 3: >:3 :3c // :o :O O:<

These kinds of smilies have always struck me as the most friendly. Whether used in devious ways or with genuinely heartwarming intentions, the playful, lightheartedness of the user really shines through these. 

"not a bad way to spend a lazy day :D”

“it's also my birthday :3″

It’s got just the right vibe to punctuate a sentence that’ll leave the reader feeling that the person likely means no harm or wants to be friendly, positive, or encouraging. I’ve met a lot of people that use these and turn out to be very kind or considerate people.

:), ;), ((((: and related

A long time positive, friendly smiley. 

"You said you've known them a long time? I think they would understand. :)”

And yet these days I tend to associate it with passive aggressive statements, plotting, slyness, devious behavior, or anger. Older users may be inclined to use :) as a means to show their emotional state, but newer users seem more inclined to do the opposite. The more parentheses there are, the more upset the person, it seems.

“man don’t u love it when the power’s out in the middle of the night it’s just (((: really great thanks (((((:”

Then the ;) smiley comes off more specifically flirty and a bit playful. Doesn’t seem to change much there.

“if i find a good chance 2 hook u up ill do my best ;)”

XD

The bane of my teenage existence. It’s a more old school sign of laughter, rarely seen in today’s world due to falling out of favor and becoming associated with, “LOL Rawr XD Tacos I’m So Randoom,” culture. But time to time you do see it. Mostly with sarcasm but sometimes with genuine intentions.

“xDddddDDD

It was a good joke. XD”

A character using it genuinely comes off more playful, and to me, personally, as an older person who’s genuinely unaware of the associations with the smiley itself trying to show how they laughed without using LOL. 

Letter/Character smilies

Y’know, things like .w. and ._. or owo, where the letters or symbols make a face. These are fairly popular, it seems. I don’t like using them myself, but know a few who do use them.

"I'm sorry that they can be mean qmq”

It’s a different feel from the others. There’s something soft to it, almost a gentleness. When these or Japanese characters are used, there’s more whimsy. It’s cute and almost a bit feminine. It may convey an open person or give the impression that said person is easier to talk to.

Though honestly I can’t see uwu and owo as anything but heavily sarcastic. I’ll be honest with you.

Emojis

The first rule of Xurkitips club is that we don’t talk about Emoji Movie. Just putting that out there riiight now.

Used sparingly by most for fun and for emphasis. Characters may use them to be lighthearted, aesthetically, joke, or to make a conversation more flavorful. The use of emojis may determine a character’s personality; I find that characters who use hand emojis like 👌 are rather laid back, those who use 🙃 do it passive aggressively, and we all know what kind of person uses 🍆.

Then there’s what in common terms known as, “The DudeBro”:

[MFKNSTARBOI]: the thing i never undstood about hair is why people buy shampoo like regular soap not good enough for you LMAO 😂😂😂

[gostones]: .

[BIGDICKTOYOTA69]: what the fuck man

[ahogekun]: do... you not use shampoo

[MFKNSTARBOI]: aaaah you guys got sucked into big shampoo as well 😔

[MFKNSTARBOI]: When it comes to horses 🐎  the stars in the sky ✨ or just man to man no bullshit advice 👬 IM youre guy 😤😂

I think this one speaks for itself.

[samuelpboswell]

Less Is More: Time to Cut Content Bloat & Create Content Connections

When it comes to the craft of writing, my favorite luminary is the late William Zinsser. His book, On Writing Well, is — in my opinion — the definitive work covering its stated subject. On Writing Well is an essential read for anyone who wants to elevate their prose. Zinsser’s primary focal area is word economy. “Look for the clutter in your writing and prune it ruthlessly,” he implores. “Be grateful for everything you can throw away. Reexamine each sentence you put on paper. Is every word doing new work?” That last question is especially pertinent to B2B marketing writers. The reader should always be our top concern when penning copy, but in this case, the stakes are even higher. Attention is at a premium with business professionals, so wasted words are especially costly. Content bloat leads to audience abandonment.

via GIPHY In the spirit of Mr. Zinsser, we’re offering up tips on trimming down your writing to make it more punchy and concise. And to do so, we’ll curate advice from top wordsmiths in the marketing game, with a key emphasis on overcoming the most prevalent pitfalls for today’s content creators.

3 Keys to Concise and Compelling B2B Marketing Copy

Rigid formats, giant blocks of text, and unnecessary filler words are banes of succinct writing. Here are some pointers from the experts on conquering them.

#1 - Nix Stringent Word Counts

So many writers are at the mercy of word counts, and it’s a tragedy. We’re told we need to produce at least 1,500 words, so we inject a bunch of unnecessary filler to get there. Does this serve our audience in any way? Hell no. The conundrum is that numerous studies show higher word counts correlating with higher SERP placements. However, this is misguided thinking. Long-form content is fantastic and it’s certainly part of our mix here at TopRank Marketing, but it needs to be valuable. Don’t take my word for it; here’s what Rand Fishkin — co-founder of Moz, and one of the planet’s top authorities on SEO — has to say: “700 more words will not help you reach your goals any more than 7 more words. Create content that helps people. Do it efficiently. Never write an ultimate guide where a single image could more powerfully convey the same value. Trust me; your audience and your bottom line will thank you.” [bctt tweet="700 more words will not help you reach your goals any more than 7 more words. Create content that helps people. Do it efficiently. @randfish" username="toprank"] According to SEMrush’s hierarchy of ranking factors, content length falls below time on site, pages per session, bounce rate, and backlinks in SEO importance. In other words, if excessive wordiness is turning readers away, the number doesn’t really matter all that much. Delivering a quality experience is vastly more valuable. To see what high-performing short-form content looks like in action, check out these examples from IFL Science, courtesy of BuzzSumo.

#2 - Use Every Bit of Space Intentionally

It might not be a writer’s first instinct, but visualization is a helpful practice. Take a step back and look at your content — how it really appears on the page. Are you making the best use of your digital real estate? Ann Handley suggests we take a page from the lead character in Charlotte’s Web, who she says might be the best content marketer in the world: “Think of how Charlotte was able to save a life with just [a few] words,” Handley said during a session at Content Marketing World a couple years back, as relayed by our own Caitlin Burgess. “How can we use our words more intentionally? How can we make a difference?” [bctt tweet="How can we use our words more intentionally? How can we make a difference? @annhandley @MarketingProfs" username="toprank"] Think of each page on the worldwide web as a finite spider web. You only have so much space, and so much thread, to get your points across. Make it count. You might not be saving the life of a radiant pig, but you will be more likely to delight and connect with your audience.

#3 - Banish Buzzword Banality

To celebrate the NCAA Tournament earlier this year, our friends and clients at LinkedIn Marketing Solutions* put together a lighthearted marketing madness bracket, calling out the most overused jargon in the profession. If you find yourself leaning too heavily on any terms listed there, you might want to rethink. It’s not just marketing buzzwords that drag down our copy, though. Content Marketing Institute (CMI)* recently published a rundown of 25 words and phrases to avoid. “Stuffing your sentences and paragraphs with filler and fluff — words and phrases that add zero meaning to what you’re trying to say — is the opposite of clear writing,” author Julia McCoy writes. Many of the items she includes are extremely common, and the types you’re likely to summon out of sheer habit and routine. For instance:

In order to

Really

That

Then

Just

They seem harmless on the surface, barely taking up space. But this is exactly what makes them so insidious. Most often, you can make the exact same point while deleting these words, and you’ll provide a much more crisp and efficient experience for the person on the other end. Here’s an example: In order to write great copy, you’ll really want to avoid using words that you don’t need. If your goal is to be efficient, then it’s just the best choice. We can pare that down to: To write great copy, you’ll want to avoid using words you don’t need. If your goal is to be efficient, it’s the best choice. Six words removed, zero substance lost. Over the long haul, you’ll save readers a lot of time — and keep them more engaged — by adhering to this mindset.

Writing Well (Usually) Means Writing Less

To be clear, long-form writing isn’t always unnecessarily drawn out. In many cases, exploring the full breadth of a subject requires it. Recently I wrote about the example of Backlinko’s Brian Dean, who puts together massive power pages spanning thousands of words. These posts rank and perform so well not because of their word counts, but because of what those words accomplish: they comprehensively break down important topics and provide credibility-building best-answer content for his audience. If you scan through one of these pages, you’ll find the copy is actually quite sparse in its arrangement, divvied into small chunks and broken up by plenty of visuals.

The Final Word

Forget word counts — maximum or minimum. Write as much as it takes to deliver a satisfying best answer, and no more.

Be mindful of space on the page. Keeping in mind that a majority of users don’t make it very far into online articles, consider leading with your most critical points, or even offering a brief summary atop each new piece of content.

And before you hit publish, challenge yourself to delete every single word throughout that isn’t tied to a specific, tangible purpose. You might even consider printing out the jargon lists from LinkedIn and CMI as references for your cleaning.

The three guiding principles above might sound simple, but they don’t come naturally to even the most seasoned writers. And overthinking word economy during the drafting process can badly hamper creativity and productivity. Focus first on getting your thoughts on the page, clearly and coherently. Later, you can go back and — as Zinsser puts it — prune ruthlessly. “Writing is hard work,” says Zinsser. “A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. Remember this in moments of despair. If you find that writing is hard, it’s because it is hard.” Indeed it is. But in the immortal words of Jeff Bezos, “You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.” You also earn trust, authority, and — ultimately — business. So, grab your shears and let’s get to work. Pruning and optimizing your content can happen post-launch, too. Check out our piece on why refreshing existing content is great for your audience and results. * Disclosure: LinkedIn and CMI are TopRank Marketing clients.

The post Less Is More: Time to Cut Content Bloat & Create Content Connections appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

from The SEO Advantages https://www.toprankblog.com/2019/05/writing-concise-compelling-b2b-content/

[vidmktg30245]

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With)

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With)

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With) written by Guest Post read more at Duct Tape Marketing

As marketers, we’re all doing two things:

Writing with the intent to sell something. Maybe it’s a product description in an e-commerce store, maybe it’s a landing page trying to generate a lead, or maybe it’s a blog post (like this one!) that’s trying to sell you an idea.

Writing phrases and clichés that turn off our audience.

The point of copywriting to make somebody feel something, which causes action. You’ve likely seen tons of examples of emotion at work in copywriting:

Fear – fear of missing out (FOM) is a common motivator for companies marketing to Millennials.

Pity – Look no further than the success of the ASPCA commercial featuring Sarah McLachlan. Or don’t.

Hope – Nothing gets somebody to open their wallet faster than the hope of fixing his problem.

These are just a few examples. Making our audience feel something by using emotional triggers in our copy helps us sell. But what you don’t want your audience to feel is annoyance, or worse, outright anger, that you wasted their time.

The marketing industry is producing more online content than ever, and there will be more tomorrow! If you want to stand out, do your audience a favor by respecting their time and intelligence by banishing the following clichés and filler phrases from your copy.

1. Industry leader, industry-leading

You can find this phrase on a huge percentage of About pages for companies everywhere. It usually looks something like this:

“With more than 20 years of experience, [Company X] is an industry-leader in [industry]…”

Yawn…

Not only is this a self-centered way to introduce your company or brand to a web visitor generous enough to grant you a click, it tells him nothing about your company! Why should he care if your company is an “industry leader?” Does that mean lower prices or better service?

This phrase contains no value, is hyperbolic, and its ubiquity means it’s become a complete throwaway phrase.

Replace with: The reason your company is a leader in the industry!

Does your product or service help start-ups get to market faster? Explain that with a numerical anchor. Does your company have a mission it’s trying to accomplish? Lead with that, but make sure to write it in context of the audience.

2. Relatable

This phrase has gained massive popularity for the past several years as a standalone adjective. For example, take a look at this Google search results page.

We get it—Anna Kendrick is adorable and quirky; just like all Millennials, right!? Insert eyeroll here.

The word relatable causes us to skip out on all the wonderful adjectives available to describe the person more accurately and paint a picture for the audience.

It’s worth noting, however, that “relatable” has become fodder for click bait headlines—it might be able to get you that click, but at what cost to your reputation?

Replace with: A description of the quality that makes the person relatable to a specific audience or niche. Further reading on the origin of our current use of the phrase.

3. Actually/Basically/Seriously/Really

Ah yes, conjunctive adverbs—possibly the only thing worse than regular adverbs. When somebody uses one of these words he’s usually trying to establish a tone, emphasize a point, or create humor. There’s nothing wrong with that so long as it doesn’t come at the expense of your audience’s patience or your own credibility.

If you have more than three of these words in an 800-word blog post, you should go back and drop the grammar hammer before publishing your draft.

Replace with: A fact that proves the emphasis.

For example:

“I’m basically/seriously/really broke.”

Becomes:

“I’m broke—my bank account is in the single digits.”

4. In order to

This phrase is an example of needlessly adding words to a sentence—90% of the time, you don’t need “in order” to get your point across. I’ve singled out this phrase because I see it used far too often.

Replace with: This is an easy one—just use “to” instead.

5. In today’s world

If you’re looking for a quick way to waste screen space and sound old-fashioned at the same time, look no further than this tired qualifier.

For the record, we’re all aware of what year it is, and you’re probably reading this on a smartphone! Unless you’re directly comparing some part of modern civilization to Mesopotamia, you’re better off omitting this altogether. Synonymous and equally useless phrases include: in modern society, in today’s fast-paced world, etc.

Replace with: Consider omitting entirely or restructuring your sentence. What is the point of comparing to the past? Is it relevant to your argument or persuasive to your readers? If not, just get to your point.

BONUS ROUND – Filler phrases galore

The filler phrase—helping high school students achieve word count since word processing was invented. Once you reach a certain level of clientele, filler phrases become the bane of your existence.

Every filler phrase, which says nothing, is an excuse for your reader to get bored and leave your site. Here are a few examples:

For all intents and purposes

With that in mind

The fact of the matter is

When all’s said and done

These words literally mean nothing. People include them in their writing because they feel they enhance the flow and readability of an article, but what they do instead is to make it sound like you have nothing of substance to say.

Be extremely cautious with filler phrases.

Replace with: NOTHING! Eschew filler phrases completely—your audience will thank you.

Is there a right or wrong way to conduct copywriting for your business? Of course not—if it works, go with it. Cormac McCarthy, one of the greatest American authors, is famous for his lack of punctuation.

The difference between Cormac McCarthy and your business, however, is that when somebody is reading his writing, they’ve already bought what he’s selling.

About the Author

Logan Mayville is a content strategist with bonus skills in copywriting, SEO, and digital marketing. He partners with clients who share his strategic, analytical, and creative style. Connect with him on Twitter or LinkedIn.

http://ift.tt/2vmJIpp

[bathrem22032]

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With)

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With)

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With) written by Guest Post read more at Duct Tape Marketing

As marketers, we’re all doing two things:

Writing with the intent to sell something. Maybe it’s a product description in an e-commerce store, maybe it’s a landing page trying to generate a lead, or maybe it’s a blog post (like this one!) that’s trying to sell you an idea.

Writing phrases and clichés that turn off our audience.

The point of copywriting to make somebody feel something, which causes action. You’ve likely seen tons of examples of emotion at work in copywriting:

Fear – fear of missing out (FOM) is a common motivator for companies marketing to Millennials.

Pity – Look no further than the success of the ASPCA commercial featuring Sarah McLachlan. Or don’t.

Hope – Nothing gets somebody to open their wallet faster than the hope of fixing his problem.

These are just a few examples. Making our audience feel something by using emotional triggers in our copy helps us sell. But what you don’t want your audience to feel is annoyance, or worse, outright anger, that you wasted their time.

The marketing industry is producing more online content than ever, and there will be more tomorrow! If you want to stand out, do your audience a favor by respecting their time and intelligence by banishing the following clichés and filler phrases from your copy.

1. Industry leader, industry-leading

You can find this phrase on a huge percentage of About pages for companies everywhere. It usually looks something like this:

“With more than 20 years of experience, [Company X] is an industry-leader in [industry]…”

Yawn…

Not only is this a self-centered way to introduce your company or brand to a web visitor generous enough to grant you a click, it tells him nothing about your company! Why should he care if your company is an “industry leader?” Does that mean lower prices or better service?

This phrase contains no value, is hyperbolic, and its ubiquity means it’s become a complete throwaway phrase.

Replace with: The reason your company is a leader in the industry!

Does your product or service help start-ups get to market faster? Explain that with a numerical anchor. Does your company have a mission it’s trying to accomplish? Lead with that, but make sure to write it in context of the audience.

2. Relatable

This phrase has gained massive popularity for the past several years as a standalone adjective. For example, take a look at this Google search results page.

We get it—Anna Kendrick is adorable and quirky; just like all Millennials, right!? Insert eyeroll here.

The word relatable causes us to skip out on all the wonderful adjectives available to describe the person more accurately and paint a picture for the audience.

It’s worth noting, however, that “relatable” has become fodder for click bait headlines—it might be able to get you that click, but at what cost to your reputation?

Replace with: A description of the quality that makes the person relatable to a specific audience or niche. Further reading on the origin of our current use of the phrase.

3. Actually/Basically/Seriously/Really

Ah yes, conjunctive adverbs—possibly the only thing worse than regular adverbs. When somebody uses one of these words he’s usually trying to establish a tone, emphasize a point, or create humor. There’s nothing wrong with that so long as it doesn’t come at the expense of your audience’s patience or your own credibility.

If you have more than three of these words in an 800-word blog post, you should go back and drop the grammar hammer before publishing your draft.

Replace with: A fact that proves the emphasis.

For example:

“I’m basically/seriously/really broke.”

Becomes:

“I’m broke—my bank account is in the single digits.”

4. In order to

This phrase is an example of needlessly adding words to a sentence—90% of the time, you don’t need “in order” to get your point across. I’ve singled out this phrase because I see it used far too often.

Replace with: This is an easy one—just use “to” instead.

5. In today’s world

If you’re looking for a quick way to waste screen space and sound old-fashioned at the same time, look no further than this tired qualifier.

For the record, we’re all aware of what year it is, and you’re probably reading this on a smartphone! Unless you’re directly comparing some part of modern civilization to Mesopotamia, you’re better off omitting this altogether. Synonymous and equally useless phrases include: in modern society, in today’s fast-paced world, etc.

Replace with: Consider omitting entirely or restructuring your sentence. What is the point of comparing to the past? Is it relevant to your argument or persuasive to your readers? If not, just get to your point.

BONUS ROUND – Filler phrases galore

The filler phrase—helping high school students achieve word count since word processing was invented. Once you reach a certain level of clientele, filler phrases become the bane of your existence.

Every filler phrase, which says nothing, is an excuse for your reader to get bored and leave your site. Here are a few examples:

For all intents and purposes

With that in mind

The fact of the matter is

When all’s said and done

These words literally mean nothing. People include them in their writing because they feel they enhance the flow and readability of an article, but what they do instead is to make it sound like you have nothing of substance to say.

Be extremely cautious with filler phrases.

Replace with: NOTHING! Eschew filler phrases completely—your audience will thank you.

Is there a right or wrong way to conduct copywriting for your business? Of course not—if it works, go with it. Cormac McCarthy, one of the greatest American authors, is famous for his lack of punctuation.

The difference between Cormac McCarthy and your business, however, is that when somebody is reading his writing, they’ve already bought what he’s selling.

About the Author

Logan Mayville is a content strategist with bonus skills in copywriting, SEO, and digital marketing. He partners with clients who share his strategic, analytical, and creative style. Connect with him on Twitter or LinkedIn.

http://ift.tt/2vmJIpp

[constructionsworkr3053]

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With)

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With)

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With) written by Guest Post read more at Duct Tape Marketing

As marketers, we’re all doing two things:

Writing with the intent to sell something. Maybe it’s a product description in an e-commerce store, maybe it’s a landing page trying to generate a lead, or maybe it’s a blog post (like this one!) that’s trying to sell you an idea.

Writing phrases and clichés that turn off our audience.

The point of copywriting to make somebody feel something, which causes action. You’ve likely seen tons of examples of emotion at work in copywriting:

Fear – fear of missing out (FOM) is a common motivator for companies marketing to Millennials.

Pity – Look no further than the success of the ASPCA commercial featuring Sarah McLachlan. Or don’t.

Hope – Nothing gets somebody to open their wallet faster than the hope of fixing his problem.

These are just a few examples. Making our audience feel something by using emotional triggers in our copy helps us sell. But what you don’t want your audience to feel is annoyance, or worse, outright anger, that you wasted their time.

The marketing industry is producing more online content than ever, and there will be more tomorrow! If you want to stand out, do your audience a favor by respecting their time and intelligence by banishing the following clichés and filler phrases from your copy.

1. Industry leader, industry-leading

You can find this phrase on a huge percentage of About pages for companies everywhere. It usually looks something like this:

“With more than 20 years of experience, [Company X] is an industry-leader in [industry]…”

Yawn…

Not only is this a self-centered way to introduce your company or brand to a web visitor generous enough to grant you a click, it tells him nothing about your company! Why should he care if your company is an “industry leader?” Does that mean lower prices or better service?

This phrase contains no value, is hyperbolic, and its ubiquity means it’s become a complete throwaway phrase.

Replace with: The reason your company is a leader in the industry!

Does your product or service help start-ups get to market faster? Explain that with a numerical anchor. Does your company have a mission it’s trying to accomplish? Lead with that, but make sure to write it in context of the audience.

2. Relatable

This phrase has gained massive popularity for the past several years as a standalone adjective. For example, take a look at this Google search results page.

We get it—Anna Kendrick is adorable and quirky; just like all Millennials, right!? Insert eyeroll here.

The word relatable causes us to skip out on all the wonderful adjectives available to describe the person more accurately and paint a picture for the audience.

It’s worth noting, however, that “relatable” has become fodder for click bait headlines—it might be able to get you that click, but at what cost to your reputation?

Replace with: A description of the quality that makes the person relatable to a specific audience or niche. Further reading on the origin of our current use of the phrase.

3. Actually/Basically/Seriously/Really

Ah yes, conjunctive adverbs—possibly the only thing worse than regular adverbs. When somebody uses one of these words he’s usually trying to establish a tone, emphasize a point, or create humor. There’s nothing wrong with that so long as it doesn’t come at the expense of your audience’s patience or your own credibility.

If you have more than three of these words in an 800-word blog post, you should go back and drop the grammar hammer before publishing your draft.

Replace with: A fact that proves the emphasis.

For example:

“I’m basically/seriously/really broke.”

Becomes:

“I’m broke—my bank account is in the single digits.”

4. In order to

This phrase is an example of needlessly adding words to a sentence—90% of the time, you don’t need “in order” to get your point across. I’ve singled out this phrase because I see it used far too often.

Replace with: This is an easy one—just use “to” instead.

5. In today’s world

If you’re looking for a quick way to waste screen space and sound old-fashioned at the same time, look no further than this tired qualifier.

For the record, we’re all aware of what year it is, and you’re probably reading this on a smartphone! Unless you’re directly comparing some part of modern civilization to Mesopotamia, you’re better off omitting this altogether. Synonymous and equally useless phrases include: in modern society, in today’s fast-paced world, etc.

Replace with: Consider omitting entirely or restructuring your sentence. What is the point of comparing to the past? Is it relevant to your argument or persuasive to your readers? If not, just get to your point.

BONUS ROUND – Filler phrases galore

The filler phrase—helping high school students achieve word count since word processing was invented. Once you reach a certain level of clientele, filler phrases become the bane of your existence.

Every filler phrase, which says nothing, is an excuse for your reader to get bored and leave your site. Here are a few examples:

For all intents and purposes

With that in mind

The fact of the matter is

When all’s said and done

These words literally mean nothing. People include them in their writing because they feel they enhance the flow and readability of an article, but what they do instead is to make it sound like you have nothing of substance to say.

Be extremely cautious with filler phrases.

Replace with: NOTHING! Eschew filler phrases completely—your audience will thank you.

Is there a right or wrong way to conduct copywriting for your business? Of course not—if it works, go with it. Cormac McCarthy, one of the greatest American authors, is famous for his lack of punctuation.

The difference between Cormac McCarthy and your business, however, is that when somebody is reading his writing, they’ve already bought what he’s selling.

About the Author

Logan Mayville is a content strategist with bonus skills in copywriting, SEO, and digital marketing. He partners with clients who share his strategic, analytical, and creative style. Connect with him on Twitter or LinkedIn.

http://ift.tt/2vmJIpp

[vidmarket32514]

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With)

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With)

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With) written by Guest Post read more at Duct Tape Marketing

As marketers, we’re all doing two things:

Writing with the intent to sell something. Maybe it’s a product description in an e-commerce store, maybe it’s a landing page trying to generate a lead, or maybe it’s a blog post (like this one!) that’s trying to sell you an idea.

Writing phrases and clichés that turn off our audience.

The point of copywriting to make somebody feel something, which causes action. You’ve likely seen tons of examples of emotion at work in copywriting:

Fear – fear of missing out (FOM) is a common motivator for companies marketing to Millennials.

Pity – Look no further than the success of the ASPCA commercial featuring Sarah McLachlan. Or don’t.

Hope – Nothing gets somebody to open their wallet faster than the hope of fixing his problem.

These are just a few examples. Making our audience feel something by using emotional triggers in our copy helps us sell. But what you don’t want your audience to feel is annoyance, or worse, outright anger, that you wasted their time.

The marketing industry is producing more online content than ever, and there will be more tomorrow! If you want to stand out, do your audience a favor by respecting their time and intelligence by banishing the following clichés and filler phrases from your copy.

1. Industry leader, industry-leading

You can find this phrase on a huge percentage of About pages for companies everywhere. It usually looks something like this:

“With more than 20 years of experience, [Company X] is an industry-leader in [industry]…”

Yawn…

Not only is this a self-centered way to introduce your company or brand to a web visitor generous enough to grant you a click, it tells him nothing about your company! Why should he care if your company is an “industry leader?” Does that mean lower prices or better service?

This phrase contains no value, is hyperbolic, and its ubiquity means it’s become a complete throwaway phrase.

Replace with: The reason your company is a leader in the industry!

Does your product or service help start-ups get to market faster? Explain that with a numerical anchor. Does your company have a mission it’s trying to accomplish? Lead with that, but make sure to write it in context of the audience.

2. Relatable

This phrase has gained massive popularity for the past several years as a standalone adjective. For example, take a look at this Google search results page.

We get it—Anna Kendrick is adorable and quirky; just like all Millennials, right!? Insert eyeroll here.

The word relatable causes us to skip out on all the wonderful adjectives available to describe the person more accurately and paint a picture for the audience.

It’s worth noting, however, that “relatable” has become fodder for click bait headlines—it might be able to get you that click, but at what cost to your reputation?

Replace with: A description of the quality that makes the person relatable to a specific audience or niche. Further reading on the origin of our current use of the phrase.

3. Actually/Basically/Seriously/Really

Ah yes, conjunctive adverbs—possibly the only thing worse than regular adverbs. When somebody uses one of these words he’s usually trying to establish a tone, emphasize a point, or create humor. There’s nothing wrong with that so long as it doesn’t come at the expense of your audience’s patience or your own credibility.

If you have more than three of these words in an 800-word blog post, you should go back and drop the grammar hammer before publishing your draft.

Replace with: A fact that proves the emphasis.

For example:

“I’m basically/seriously/really broke.”

Becomes:

“I’m broke—my bank account is in the single digits.”

4. In order to

This phrase is an example of needlessly adding words to a sentence—90% of the time, you don’t need “in order” to get your point across. I’ve singled out this phrase because I see it used far too often.

Replace with: This is an easy one—just use “to” instead.

5. In today’s world

If you’re looking for a quick way to waste screen space and sound old-fashioned at the same time, look no further than this tired qualifier.

For the record, we’re all aware of what year it is, and you’re probably reading this on a smartphone! Unless you’re directly comparing some part of modern civilization to Mesopotamia, you’re better off omitting this altogether. Synonymous and equally useless phrases include: in modern society, in today’s fast-paced world, etc.

Replace with: Consider omitting entirely or restructuring your sentence. What is the point of comparing to the past? Is it relevant to your argument or persuasive to your readers? If not, just get to your point.

BONUS ROUND – Filler phrases galore

The filler phrase—helping high school students achieve word count since word processing was invented. Once you reach a certain level of clientele, filler phrases become the bane of your existence.

Every filler phrase, which says nothing, is an excuse for your reader to get bored and leave your site. Here are a few examples:

For all intents and purposes

With that in mind

The fact of the matter is

When all’s said and done

These words literally mean nothing. People include them in their writing because they feel they enhance the flow and readability of an article, but what they do instead is to make it sound like you have nothing of substance to say.

Be extremely cautious with filler phrases.

Replace with: NOTHING! Eschew filler phrases completely—your audience will thank you.

Is there a right or wrong way to conduct copywriting for your business? Of course not—if it works, go with it. Cormac McCarthy, one of the greatest American authors, is famous for his lack of punctuation.

The difference between Cormac McCarthy and your business, however, is that when somebody is reading his writing, they’ve already bought what he’s selling.

About the Author

Logan Mayville is a content strategist with bonus skills in copywriting, SEO, and digital marketing. He partners with clients who share his strategic, analytical, and creative style. Connect with him on Twitter or LinkedIn.

http://ift.tt/2vmJIpp

[seo90210]

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With)

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With) written by Guest Post read more at Duct Tape Marketing

As marketers, we’re all doing two things:

Writing with the intent to sell something. Maybe it’s a product description in an e-commerce store, maybe it’s a landing page trying to generate a lead, or maybe it’s a blog post (like this one!) that’s trying to sell you an idea.

Writing phrases and clichés that turn off our audience.

The point of copywriting to make somebody feel something, which causes action. You’ve likely seen tons of examples of emotion at work in copywriting:

Fear – fear of missing out (FOM) is a common motivator for companies marketing to Millennials.

Pity – Look no further than the success of the ASPCA commercial featuring Sarah McLachlan. Or don’t.

Hope – Nothing gets somebody to open their wallet faster than the hope of fixing his problem.

These are just a few examples. Making our audience feel something by using emotional triggers in our copy helps us sell. But what you don’t want your audience to feel is annoyance, or worse, outright anger, that you wasted their time.

The marketing industry is producing more online content than ever, and there will be more tomorrow! If you want to stand out, do your audience a favor by respecting their time and intelligence by banishing the following clichés and filler phrases from your copy.

1. Industry leader, industry-leading

You can find this phrase on a huge percentage of About pages for companies everywhere. It usually looks something like this:

“With more than 20 years of experience, [Company X] is an industry-leader in [industry]…”

Yawn…

Not only is this a self-centered way to introduce your company or brand to a web visitor generous enough to grant you a click, it tells him nothing about your company! Why should he care if your company is an “industry leader?” Does that mean lower prices or better service?

This phrase contains no value, is hyperbolic, and its ubiquity means it’s become a complete throwaway phrase.

Replace with: The reason your company is a leader in the industry!

Does your product or service help start-ups get to market faster? Explain that with a numerical anchor. Does your company have a mission it’s trying to accomplish? Lead with that, but make sure to write it in context of the audience.

2. Relatable

This phrase has gained massive popularity for the past several years as a standalone adjective. For example, take a look at this Google search results page.

We get it—Anna Kendrick is adorable and quirky; just like all Millennials, right!? Insert eyeroll here.

The word relatable causes us to skip out on all the wonderful adjectives available to describe the person more accurately and paint a picture for the audience.

It’s worth noting, however, that “relatable” has become fodder for click bait headlines—it might be able to get you that click, but at what cost to your reputation?

Replace with: A description of the quality that makes the person relatable to a specific audience or niche. Further reading on the origin of our current use of the phrase.

3. Actually/Basically/Seriously/Really

Ah yes, conjunctive adverbs—possibly the only thing worse than regular adverbs. When somebody uses one of these words he’s usually trying to establish a tone, emphasize a point, or create humor. There’s nothing wrong with that so long as it doesn’t come at the expense of your audience’s patience or your own credibility.

If you have more than three of these words in an 800-word blog post, you should go back and drop the grammar hammer before publishing your draft.

Replace with: A fact that proves the emphasis.

For example:

“I’m basically/seriously/really broke.”

Becomes:

“I’m broke—my bank account is in the single digits.”

4. In order to

This phrase is an example of needlessly adding words to a sentence—90% of the time, you don’t need “in order” to get your point across. I’ve singled out this phrase because I see it used far too often.

Replace with: This is an easy one—just use “to” instead.

5. In today’s world

If you’re looking for a quick way to waste screen space and sound old-fashioned at the same time, look no further than this tired qualifier.

For the record, we’re all aware of what year it is, and you’re probably reading this on a smartphone! Unless you’re directly comparing some part of modern civilization to Mesopotamia, you’re better off omitting this altogether. Synonymous and equally useless phrases include: in modern society, in today’s fast-paced world, etc.

Replace with: Consider omitting entirely or restructuring your sentence. What is the point of comparing to the past? Is it relevant to your argument or persuasive to your readers? If not, just get to your point.

BONUS ROUND – Filler phrases galore

The filler phrase—helping high school students achieve word count since word processing was invented. Once you reach a certain level of clientele, filler phrases become the bane of your existence.

Every filler phrase, which says nothing, is an excuse for your reader to get bored and leave your site. Here are a few examples:

For all intents and purposes

With that in mind

The fact of the matter is

When all’s said and done

These words literally mean nothing. People include them in their writing because they feel they enhance the flow and readability of an article, but what they do instead is to make it sound like you have nothing of substance to say.

Be extremely cautious with filler phrases.

Replace with: NOTHING! Eschew filler phrases completely—your audience will thank you.

Is there a right or wrong way to conduct copywriting for your business? Of course not—if it works, go with it. Cormac McCarthy, one of the greatest American authors, is famous for his lack of punctuation.

The difference between Cormac McCarthy and your business, however, is that when somebody is reading his writing, they’ve already bought what he’s selling.

About the Author

Logan Mayville is a content strategist with bonus skills in copywriting, SEO, and digital marketing. He partners with clients who share his strategic, analytical, and creative style. Connect with him on Twitter or LinkedIn.

from FEED 9 MARKETING http://ift.tt/2vmJIpp

[seo75074]

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With)

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With)

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With) written by Guest Post read more at Duct Tape Marketing

As marketers, we’re all doing two things:

Writing with the intent to sell something. Maybe it’s a product description in an e-commerce store, maybe it’s a landing page trying to generate a lead, or maybe it’s a blog post (like this one!) that’s trying to sell you an idea.

Writing phrases and clichés that turn off our audience.

The point of copywriting to make somebody feel something, which causes action. You’ve likely seen tons of examples of emotion at work in copywriting:

Fear – fear of missing out (FOM) is a common motivator for companies marketing to Millennials.

Pity – Look no further than the success of the ASPCA commercial featuring Sarah McLachlan. Or don’t.

Hope – Nothing gets somebody to open their wallet faster than the hope of fixing his problem.

These are just a few examples. Making our audience feel something by using emotional triggers in our copy helps us sell. But what you don’t want your audience to feel is annoyance, or worse, outright anger, that you wasted their time.

The marketing industry is producing more online content than ever, and there will be more tomorrow! If you want to stand out, do your audience a favor by respecting their time and intelligence by banishing the following clichés and filler phrases from your copy.

1. Industry leader, industry-leading

You can find this phrase on a huge percentage of About pages for companies everywhere. It usually looks something like this:

“With more than 20 years of experience, [Company X] is an industry-leader in [industry]…”

Yawn…

Not only is this a self-centered way to introduce your company or brand to a web visitor generous enough to grant you a click, it tells him nothing about your company! Why should he care if your company is an “industry leader?” Does that mean lower prices or better service?

This phrase contains no value, is hyperbolic, and its ubiquity means it’s become a complete throwaway phrase.

Replace with: The reason your company is a leader in the industry!

Does your product or service help start-ups get to market faster? Explain that with a numerical anchor. Does your company have a mission it’s trying to accomplish? Lead with that, but make sure to write it in context of the audience.

2. Relatable

This phrase has gained massive popularity for the past several years as a standalone adjective. For example, take a look at this Google search results page.

We get it—Anna Kendrick is adorable and quirky; just like all Millennials, right!? Insert eyeroll here.

The word relatable causes us to skip out on all the wonderful adjectives available to describe the person more accurately and paint a picture for the audience.

It’s worth noting, however, that “relatable” has become fodder for click bait headlines—it might be able to get you that click, but at what cost to your reputation?

Replace with: A description of the quality that makes the person relatable to a specific audience or niche. Further reading on the origin of our current use of the phrase.

3. Actually/Basically/Seriously/Really

Ah yes, conjunctive adverbs—possibly the only thing worse than regular adverbs. When somebody uses one of these words he’s usually trying to establish a tone, emphasize a point, or create humor. There’s nothing wrong with that so long as it doesn’t come at the expense of your audience’s patience or your own credibility.

If you have more than three of these words in an 800-word blog post, you should go back and drop the grammar hammer before publishing your draft.

Replace with: A fact that proves the emphasis.

For example:

“I’m basically/seriously/really broke.”

Becomes:

“I’m broke—my bank account is in the single digits.”

4. In order to

This phrase is an example of needlessly adding words to a sentence—90% of the time, you don’t need “in order” to get your point across. I’ve singled out this phrase because I see it used far too often.

Replace with: This is an easy one—just use “to” instead.

5. In today’s world

If you’re looking for a quick way to waste screen space and sound old-fashioned at the same time, look no further than this tired qualifier.

For the record, we’re all aware of what year it is, and you’re probably reading this on a smartphone! Unless you’re directly comparing some part of modern civilization to Mesopotamia, you’re better off omitting this altogether. Synonymous and equally useless phrases include: in modern society, in today’s fast-paced world, etc.

Replace with: Consider omitting entirely or restructuring your sentence. What is the point of comparing to the past? Is it relevant to your argument or persuasive to your readers? If not, just get to your point.

BONUS ROUND – Filler phrases galore

The filler phrase—helping high school students achieve word count since word processing was invented. Once you reach a certain level of clientele, filler phrases become the bane of your existence.

Every filler phrase, which says nothing, is an excuse for your reader to get bored and leave your site. Here are a few examples:

For all intents and purposes

With that in mind

The fact of the matter is

When all’s said and done

These words literally mean nothing. People include them in their writing because they feel they enhance the flow and readability of an article, but what they do instead is to make it sound like you have nothing of substance to say.

Be extremely cautious with filler phrases.

Replace with: NOTHING! Eschew filler phrases completely—your audience will thank you.

Is there a right or wrong way to conduct copywriting for your business? Of course not—if it works, go with it. Cormac McCarthy, one of the greatest American authors, is famous for his lack of punctuation.

The difference between Cormac McCarthy and your business, however, is that when somebody is reading his writing, they’ve already bought what he’s selling.

About the Author

Logan Mayville is a content strategist with bonus skills in copywriting, SEO, and digital marketing. He partners with clients who share his strategic, analytical, and creative style. Connect with him on Twitter or LinkedIn.

http://ift.tt/2vmJIpp

[seo53703]

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With)

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With)

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With) written by Guest Post read more at Duct Tape Marketing

As marketers, we’re all doing two things:

Writing with the intent to sell something. Maybe it’s a product description in an e-commerce store, maybe it’s a landing page trying to generate a lead, or maybe it’s a blog post (like this one!) that’s trying to sell you an idea.

Writing phrases and clichés that turn off our audience.

The point of copywriting to make somebody feel something, which causes action. You’ve likely seen tons of examples of emotion at work in copywriting:

Fear – fear of missing out (FOM) is a common motivator for companies marketing to Millennials.

Pity – Look no further than the success of the ASPCA commercial featuring Sarah McLachlan. Or don’t.

Hope – Nothing gets somebody to open their wallet faster than the hope of fixing his problem.

These are just a few examples. Making our audience feel something by using emotional triggers in our copy helps us sell. But what you don’t want your audience to feel is annoyance, or worse, outright anger, that you wasted their time.

The marketing industry is producing more online content than ever, and there will be more tomorrow! If you want to stand out, do your audience a favor by respecting their time and intelligence by banishing the following clichés and filler phrases from your copy.

1. Industry leader, industry-leading

You can find this phrase on a huge percentage of About pages for companies everywhere. It usually looks something like this:

“With more than 20 years of experience, [Company X] is an industry-leader in [industry]…”

Yawn…

Not only is this a self-centered way to introduce your company or brand to a web visitor generous enough to grant you a click, it tells him nothing about your company! Why should he care if your company is an “industry leader?” Does that mean lower prices or better service?

This phrase contains no value, is hyperbolic, and its ubiquity means it’s become a complete throwaway phrase.

Replace with: The reason your company is a leader in the industry!

Does your product or service help start-ups get to market faster? Explain that with a numerical anchor. Does your company have a mission it’s trying to accomplish? Lead with that, but make sure to write it in context of the audience.

2. Relatable

This phrase has gained massive popularity for the past several years as a standalone adjective. For example, take a look at this Google search results page.

We get it—Anna Kendrick is adorable and quirky; just like all Millennials, right!? Insert eyeroll here.

The word relatable causes us to skip out on all the wonderful adjectives available to describe the person more accurately and paint a picture for the audience.

It’s worth noting, however, that “relatable” has become fodder for click bait headlines—it might be able to get you that click, but at what cost to your reputation?

Replace with: A description of the quality that makes the person relatable to a specific audience or niche. Further reading on the origin of our current use of the phrase.

3. Actually/Basically/Seriously/Really

Ah yes, conjunctive adverbs—possibly the only thing worse than regular adverbs. When somebody uses one of these words he’s usually trying to establish a tone, emphasize a point, or create humor. There’s nothing wrong with that so long as it doesn’t come at the expense of your audience’s patience or your own credibility.

If you have more than three of these words in an 800-word blog post, you should go back and drop the grammar hammer before publishing your draft.

Replace with: A fact that proves the emphasis.

For example:

“I’m basically/seriously/really broke.”

Becomes:

“I’m broke—my bank account is in the single digits.”

4. In order to

This phrase is an example of needlessly adding words to a sentence—90% of the time, you don’t need “in order” to get your point across. I’ve singled out this phrase because I see it used far too often.

Replace with: This is an easy one—just use “to” instead.

5. In today’s world

If you’re looking for a quick way to waste screen space and sound old-fashioned at the same time, look no further than this tired qualifier.

For the record, we’re all aware of what year it is, and you’re probably reading this on a smartphone! Unless you’re directly comparing some part of modern civilization to Mesopotamia, you’re better off omitting this altogether. Synonymous and equally useless phrases include: in modern society, in today’s fast-paced world, etc.

Replace with: Consider omitting entirely or restructuring your sentence. What is the point of comparing to the past? Is it relevant to your argument or persuasive to your readers? If not, just get to your point.

BONUS ROUND – Filler phrases galore

The filler phrase—helping high school students achieve word count since word processing was invented. Once you reach a certain level of clientele, filler phrases become the bane of your existence.

Every filler phrase, which says nothing, is an excuse for your reader to get bored and leave your site. Here are a few examples:

For all intents and purposes

With that in mind

The fact of the matter is

When all’s said and done

These words literally mean nothing. People include them in their writing because they feel they enhance the flow and readability of an article, but what they do instead is to make it sound like you have nothing of substance to say.

Be extremely cautious with filler phrases.

Replace with: NOTHING! Eschew filler phrases completely—your audience will thank you.

Is there a right or wrong way to conduct copywriting for your business? Of course not—if it works, go with it. Cormac McCarthy, one of the greatest American authors, is famous for his lack of punctuation.

The difference between Cormac McCarthy and your business, however, is that when somebody is reading his writing, they’ve already bought what he’s selling.

About the Author

Logan Mayville is a content strategist with bonus skills in copywriting, SEO, and digital marketing. He partners with clients who share his strategic, analytical, and creative style. Connect with him on Twitter or LinkedIn.

http://ift.tt/2vmJIpp

[seoprovider2110]

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With)

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With)

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With) written by Guest Post read more at Duct Tape Marketing

As marketers, we’re all doing two things:

Writing with the intent to sell something. Maybe it’s a product description in an e-commerce store, maybe it’s a landing page trying to generate a lead, or maybe it’s a blog post (like this one!) that’s trying to sell you an idea.

Writing phrases and clichés that turn off our audience.

The point of copywriting to make somebody feel something, which causes action. You’ve likely seen tons of examples of emotion at work in copywriting:

Fear – fear of missing out (FOM) is a common motivator for companies marketing to Millennials.

Pity – Look no further than the success of the ASPCA commercial featuring Sarah McLachlan. Or don’t.

Hope – Nothing gets somebody to open their wallet faster than the hope of fixing his problem.

These are just a few examples. Making our audience feel something by using emotional triggers in our copy helps us sell. But what you don’t want your audience to feel is annoyance, or worse, outright anger, that you wasted their time.

The marketing industry is producing more online content than ever, and there will be more tomorrow! If you want to stand out, do your audience a favor by respecting their time and intelligence by banishing the following clichés and filler phrases from your copy.

1. Industry leader, industry-leading

You can find this phrase on a huge percentage of About pages for companies everywhere. It usually looks something like this:

“With more than 20 years of experience, [Company X] is an industry-leader in [industry]…”

Yawn…

Not only is this a self-centered way to introduce your company or brand to a web visitor generous enough to grant you a click, it tells him nothing about your company! Why should he care if your company is an “industry leader?” Does that mean lower prices or better service?

This phrase contains no value, is hyperbolic, and its ubiquity means it’s become a complete throwaway phrase.

Replace with: The reason your company is a leader in the industry!

Does your product or service help start-ups get to market faster? Explain that with a numerical anchor. Does your company have a mission it’s trying to accomplish? Lead with that, but make sure to write it in context of the audience.

2. Relatable

This phrase has gained massive popularity for the past several years as a standalone adjective. For example, take a look at this Google search results page.

We get it—Anna Kendrick is adorable and quirky; just like all Millennials, right!? Insert eyeroll here.

The word relatable causes us to skip out on all the wonderful adjectives available to describe the person more accurately and paint a picture for the audience.

It’s worth noting, however, that “relatable” has become fodder for click bait headlines—it might be able to get you that click, but at what cost to your reputation?

Replace with: A description of the quality that makes the person relatable to a specific audience or niche. Further reading on the origin of our current use of the phrase.

3. Actually/Basically/Seriously/Really

Ah yes, conjunctive adverbs—possibly the only thing worse than regular adverbs. When somebody uses one of these words he’s usually trying to establish a tone, emphasize a point, or create humor. There’s nothing wrong with that so long as it doesn’t come at the expense of your audience’s patience or your own credibility.

If you have more than three of these words in an 800-word blog post, you should go back and drop the grammar hammer before publishing your draft.

Replace with: A fact that proves the emphasis.

For example:

“I’m basically/seriously/really broke.”

Becomes:

“I’m broke—my bank account is in the single digits.”

4. In order to

This phrase is an example of needlessly adding words to a sentence—90% of the time, you don’t need “in order” to get your point across. I’ve singled out this phrase because I see it used far too often.

Replace with: This is an easy one—just use “to” instead.

5. In today’s world

If you’re looking for a quick way to waste screen space and sound old-fashioned at the same time, look no further than this tired qualifier.

For the record, we’re all aware of what year it is, and you’re probably reading this on a smartphone! Unless you’re directly comparing some part of modern civilization to Mesopotamia, you’re better off omitting this altogether. Synonymous and equally useless phrases include: in modern society, in today’s fast-paced world, etc.

Replace with: Consider omitting entirely or restructuring your sentence. What is the point of comparing to the past? Is it relevant to your argument or persuasive to your readers? If not, just get to your point.

BONUS ROUND – Filler phrases galore

The filler phrase—helping high school students achieve word count since word processing was invented. Once you reach a certain level of clientele, filler phrases become the bane of your existence.

Every filler phrase, which says nothing, is an excuse for your reader to get bored and leave your site. Here are a few examples:

For all intents and purposes

With that in mind

The fact of the matter is

When all’s said and done

These words literally mean nothing. People include them in their writing because they feel they enhance the flow and readability of an article, but what they do instead is to make it sound like you have nothing of substance to say.

Be extremely cautious with filler phrases.

Replace with: NOTHING! Eschew filler phrases completely—your audience will thank you.

Is there a right or wrong way to conduct copywriting for your business? Of course not—if it works, go with it. Cormac McCarthy, one of the greatest American authors, is famous for his lack of punctuation.

The difference between Cormac McCarthy and your business, however, is that when somebody is reading his writing, they’ve already bought what he’s selling.

About the Author

Logan Mayville is a content strategist with bonus skills in copywriting, SEO, and digital marketing. He partners with clients who share his strategic, analytical, and creative style. Connect with him on Twitter or LinkedIn.

http://ift.tt/2vmJIpp

[realestate63141]

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With)

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With)

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With) written by Guest Post read more at Duct Tape Marketing

As marketers, we’re all doing two things:

Writing with the intent to sell something. Maybe it’s a product description in an e-commerce store, maybe it’s a landing page trying to generate a lead, or maybe it’s a blog post (like this one!) that’s trying to sell you an idea.

Writing phrases and clichés that turn off our audience.

The point of copywriting to make somebody feel something, which causes action. You’ve likely seen tons of examples of emotion at work in copywriting:

Fear – fear of missing out (FOM) is a common motivator for companies marketing to Millennials.

Pity – Look no further than the success of the ASPCA commercial featuring Sarah McLachlan. Or don’t.

Hope – Nothing gets somebody to open their wallet faster than the hope of fixing his problem.

These are just a few examples. Making our audience feel something by using emotional triggers in our copy helps us sell. But what you don’t want your audience to feel is annoyance, or worse, outright anger, that you wasted their time.

The marketing industry is producing more online content than ever, and there will be more tomorrow! If you want to stand out, do your audience a favor by respecting their time and intelligence by banishing the following clichés and filler phrases from your copy.

1. Industry leader, industry-leading

You can find this phrase on a huge percentage of About pages for companies everywhere. It usually looks something like this:

“With more than 20 years of experience, [Company X] is an industry-leader in [industry]…”

Yawn…

Not only is this a self-centered way to introduce your company or brand to a web visitor generous enough to grant you a click, it tells him nothing about your company! Why should he care if your company is an “industry leader?” Does that mean lower prices or better service?

This phrase contains no value, is hyperbolic, and its ubiquity means it’s become a complete throwaway phrase.

Replace with: The reason your company is a leader in the industry!

Does your product or service help start-ups get to market faster? Explain that with a numerical anchor. Does your company have a mission it’s trying to accomplish? Lead with that, but make sure to write it in context of the audience.

2. Relatable

This phrase has gained massive popularity for the past several years as a standalone adjective. For example, take a look at this Google search results page.

We get it—Anna Kendrick is adorable and quirky; just like all Millennials, right!? Insert eyeroll here.

The word relatable causes us to skip out on all the wonderful adjectives available to describe the person more accurately and paint a picture for the audience.

It’s worth noting, however, that “relatable” has become fodder for click bait headlines—it might be able to get you that click, but at what cost to your reputation?

Replace with: A description of the quality that makes the person relatable to a specific audience or niche. Further reading on the origin of our current use of the phrase.

3. Actually/Basically/Seriously/Really

Ah yes, conjunctive adverbs—possibly the only thing worse than regular adverbs. When somebody uses one of these words he’s usually trying to establish a tone, emphasize a point, or create humor. There’s nothing wrong with that so long as it doesn’t come at the expense of your audience’s patience or your own credibility.

If you have more than three of these words in an 800-word blog post, you should go back and drop the grammar hammer before publishing your draft.

Replace with: A fact that proves the emphasis.

For example:

“I’m basically/seriously/really broke.”

Becomes:

“I’m broke—my bank account is in the single digits.”

4. In order to

This phrase is an example of needlessly adding words to a sentence—90% of the time, you don’t need “in order” to get your point across. I’ve singled out this phrase because I see it used far too often.

Replace with: This is an easy one—just use “to” instead.

5. In today’s world

If you’re looking for a quick way to waste screen space and sound old-fashioned at the same time, look no further than this tired qualifier.

For the record, we’re all aware of what year it is, and you’re probably reading this on a smartphone! Unless you’re directly comparing some part of modern civilization to Mesopotamia, you’re better off omitting this altogether. Synonymous and equally useless phrases include: in modern society, in today’s fast-paced world, etc.

Replace with: Consider omitting entirely or restructuring your sentence. What is the point of comparing to the past? Is it relevant to your argument or persuasive to your readers? If not, just get to your point.

BONUS ROUND – Filler phrases galore

The filler phrase—helping high school students achieve word count since word processing was invented. Once you reach a certain level of clientele, filler phrases become the bane of your existence.

Every filler phrase, which says nothing, is an excuse for your reader to get bored and leave your site. Here are a few examples:

For all intents and purposes

With that in mind

The fact of the matter is

When all’s said and done

These words literally mean nothing. People include them in their writing because they feel they enhance the flow and readability of an article, but what they do instead is to make it sound like you have nothing of substance to say.

Be extremely cautious with filler phrases.

Replace with: NOTHING! Eschew filler phrases completely—your audience will thank you.

Is there a right or wrong way to conduct copywriting for your business? Of course not—if it works, go with it. Cormac McCarthy, one of the greatest American authors, is famous for his lack of punctuation.

The difference between Cormac McCarthy and your business, however, is that when somebody is reading his writing, they’ve already bought what he’s selling.

About the Author

Logan Mayville is a content strategist with bonus skills in copywriting, SEO, and digital marketing. He partners with clients who share his strategic, analytical, and creative style. Connect with him on Twitter or LinkedIn.

http://ift.tt/2vmJIpp

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5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With)

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With)

5 Phrases To Banish From Your Copywriting (And What To Replace Them With) written by Guest Post read more at Duct Tape Marketing

As marketers, we’re all doing two things:

Writing with the intent to sell something. Maybe it’s a product description in an e-commerce store, maybe it’s a landing page trying to generate a lead, or maybe it’s a blog post (like this one!) that’s trying to sell you an idea.

Writing phrases and clichés that turn off our audience.

The point of copywriting to make somebody feel something, which causes action. You’ve likely seen tons of examples of emotion at work in copywriting:

Fear – fear of missing out (FOM) is a common motivator for companies marketing to Millennials.

Pity – Look no further than the success of the ASPCA commercial featuring Sarah McLachlan. Or don’t.

Hope – Nothing gets somebody to open their wallet faster than the hope of fixing his problem.

These are just a few examples. Making our audience feel something by using emotional triggers in our copy helps us sell. But what you don’t want your audience to feel is annoyance, or worse, outright anger, that you wasted their time.

The marketing industry is producing more online content than ever, and there will be more tomorrow! If you want to stand out, do your audience a favor by respecting their time and intelligence by banishing the following clichés and filler phrases from your copy.

1. Industry leader, industry-leading

You can find this phrase on a huge percentage of About pages for companies everywhere. It usually looks something like this:

“With more than 20 years of experience, [Company X] is an industry-leader in [industry]…”

Yawn…

Not only is this a self-centered way to introduce your company or brand to a web visitor generous enough to grant you a click, it tells him nothing about your company! Why should he care if your company is an “industry leader?” Does that mean lower prices or better service?

This phrase contains no value, is hyperbolic, and its ubiquity means it’s become a complete throwaway phrase.

Replace with: The reason your company is a leader in the industry!

Does your product or service help start-ups get to market faster? Explain that with a numerical anchor. Does your company have a mission it’s trying to accomplish? Lead with that, but make sure to write it in context of the audience.

2. Relatable

This phrase has gained massive popularity for the past several years as a standalone adjective. For example, take a look at this Google search results page.

We get it—Anna Kendrick is adorable and quirky; just like all Millennials, right!? Insert eyeroll here.

The word relatable causes us to skip out on all the wonderful adjectives available to describe the person more accurately and paint a picture for the audience.

It’s worth noting, however, that “relatable” has become fodder for click bait headlines—it might be able to get you that click, but at what cost to your reputation?

Replace with: A description of the quality that makes the person relatable to a specific audience or niche. Further reading on the origin of our current use of the phrase.

3. Actually/Basically/Seriously/Really

Ah yes, conjunctive adverbs—possibly the only thing worse than regular adverbs. When somebody uses one of these words he’s usually trying to establish a tone, emphasize a point, or create humor. There’s nothing wrong with that so long as it doesn’t come at the expense of your audience’s patience or your own credibility.

If you have more than three of these words in an 800-word blog post, you should go back and drop the grammar hammer before publishing your draft.

Replace with: A fact that proves the emphasis.

For example:

“I’m basically/seriously/really broke.”

Becomes:

“I’m broke—my bank account is in the single digits.”

4. In order to

This phrase is an example of needlessly adding words to a sentence—90% of the time, you don’t need “in order” to get your point across. I’ve singled out this phrase because I see it used far too often.

Replace with: This is an easy one—just use “to” instead.

5. In today’s world

If you’re looking for a quick way to waste screen space and sound old-fashioned at the same time, look no further than this tired qualifier.

For the record, we’re all aware of what year it is, and you’re probably reading this on a smartphone! Unless you’re directly comparing some part of modern civilization to Mesopotamia, you’re better off omitting this altogether. Synonymous and equally useless phrases include: in modern society, in today’s fast-paced world, etc.

Replace with: Consider omitting entirely or restructuring your sentence. What is the point of comparing to the past? Is it relevant to your argument or persuasive to your readers? If not, just get to your point.

BONUS ROUND – Filler phrases galore

The filler phrase—helping high school students achieve word count since word processing was invented. Once you reach a certain level of clientele, filler phrases become the bane of your existence.

Every filler phrase, which says nothing, is an excuse for your reader to get bored and leave your site. Here are a few examples:

For all intents and purposes

With that in mind

The fact of the matter is

When all’s said and done

These words literally mean nothing. People include them in their writing because they feel they enhance the flow and readability of an article, but what they do instead is to make it sound like you have nothing of substance to say.

Be extremely cautious with filler phrases.

Replace with: NOTHING! Eschew filler phrases completely—your audience will thank you.

Is there a right or wrong way to conduct copywriting for your business? Of course not—if it works, go with it. Cormac McCarthy, one of the greatest American authors, is famous for his lack of punctuation.

The difference between Cormac McCarthy and your business, however, is that when somebody is reading his writing, they’ve already bought what he’s selling.

About the Author

Logan Mayville is a content strategist with bonus skills in copywriting, SEO, and digital marketing. He partners with clients who share his strategic, analytical, and creative style. Connect with him on Twitter or LinkedIn.

http://ift.tt/2vmJIpp