When I joined PeopleSoft in 1991, we were a startup with 100 people and ten or 15 customers.  And a young software product.  So a key goal was to make the company seem established and older than it actually was.  One of my favorite—and slightly embarrassing—lines, penned for our first corporate brochure, was that PeopleSoft had been delivering software “for nearly half a decade.”  The software was about three years old at that point.  I felt good about using the word “decade”, thinking it might convince prospects that our products were mature and bug-free.  It was sly and manipulative, too—but truthful.  Three years—that’s nearly half a decade, right?

You have to tell the truth when you’re writing marketing copy.  I distinguish between writing marketing copy and ad copy because ad copy can break any rule.  Ad copy can be truthful, but it can also lie, cheat, and deceive, and often does.  Marketing writing can exaggerate but must stick to facts.  As marketing writers at PeopleSoft, we were lucky because we had a good product, our customers loved us, and we had a good story to tell.

Kind of like the environment nonprofit I currently support: Save Mount Diablo, a copywriter’s dream client.  SMD’s goal is to “preserve, defend, and restore the natural lands on and around the mountain.” Easy. Who doesn’t want to preserve natural lands?  Who’s against restoring oak trees and native grasses?

Doing marketing writing is a simple matter of telling the truth, eloquently.  Try this description of Mangini Ranch in Concord:

Mangini Ranch’s 208 acres swirl with importance, winding sinuously through history, biology, and geography much like Galindo Creek, the green-lined, blue thread whose headwaters spring up there… There are several hidden springs and creek branches, beautiful groves of flowering buckeye, and increasing numbers of wildlife, some of them quite rare.

Yum.   Don’t you want to read more?

There’s a “language of conservation”—what works and what doesn’t when we talk about conservation and environmentalism.

To identify what that language is, a few years ago The Trust for Public Lands and The Nature Conservancy commissioned a research firm, Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates to do opinion polling. Among their many findings:

• “DO talk about water FIRST and foremost…voters closely link land conservation with protecting water.”
• “DO NOT say ‘open space’…DO say ‘natural areas’ instead.  In the focus groups, “natural areas” brought to mind images of trees, mountains, or water, such as streams or waterfalls.”  (That’s why SMD’s tagline refers to “natural lands on and around the mountain.”)

Marketing writing—truthful, but sly and manipulative too.

By former client David Ogden

Walnut Creek, California

There I was on vacation, catching up with a not-so-new publication called San Francisco Panorama. The issue I was reading—Vol. 1, No. 1, December 8, 2009—is the only issue ever published. Like the big fat Sunday papers we old-timers cherish, Panorama has a glossy magazine, a hefty book review, droll funny pages, a sports section, and several news and op-ed sections printed on rather nicer stock than your average newsprint. Throughout every piece of the newspaper, the writing is sharp and timely, the journalism penetrating, the design snappy. But it’s not really a newspaper—it’s the one-time-only brainchild of McSweeney’s Quarterly, a literary journal published by a happy band of energetic literati supported by some best-selling deep pockets. It can afford to be the greatest newspaper ever for a small and select audience—for one issue only. It’s kind of a Eulogy Edition. The irony made me depressed, even though I thoroughly enjoyed Panorama and the spirit behind it.

The gloom was not dispelled by an article in the glossy magazine: a roundtable panel discussion about independent film and—guess what—its demise. In yet another sad irony, filmmaking has become a vastly cheaper endeavor, thanks to the digital revolution. There are floods of independently-produced films out there, many awful, some good, a very few of which make it to film festivals, and a tiny, tiny proportion of which ever make it to movie theaters. Conversely, the online world is awash in films distributed by plucky innovators such as Joost, IndiePix, and Mubi, as well as on mega-sites like YouTube and Hulu. But no one has figured out how to make any money off them, except…

Here comes the uplifting part –

Hypernichers! The assembled film pundits cite the successful case of Gary Hustwit, a filmmaker whose feature-length documentaries include Helvetica, about graphic design and typography, and Objectified, described on the film’s website as “about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them. It’s a look at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets.” According to panelist Scott Kirsner, a journalist who focuses on the ways new technologies are changing the entertainment industry, “Filmmakers like him are early successes because they look at a niche audience that is very tech-savvy (in Gary’s case, graphic designers), and they’re making films that really appeal to a specific audience in a powerful way.”

So take heart, marketers! That’s what we all want—to appeal to a specific audience in a powerful way. No matter the twists and turns, there will always be a new and innovative route to that shining goal, be it through niche marketing or old-school newsprint. Keep dreaming!

Don’t be dull: We almost always expect radio and TV commercials to entertain us. In fact, we only pay attention for a scant few seconds. If it doesn’t pique our interest, the button gets pushed. It’s not that different during the first few seconds of reading a white paper, case study, brochure, or other marketing collateral. If you bore ’em right away, you’ve lost ’em forever.

So how do you grab the elusive reader’s attention in print copy? It starts well before the writing stage, by honing your marketing message. Focus on your prospect. What are the pain points? How does your product solve them? Clear marketing messages make for clear, compelling copy. State your case up front in an interesting way, and you’ve got a good chance of getting—and keeping—the reader’s attention.

Have a strong voice: When the copy called for a warm, loving “mom,” I could pretty much nail it. That was my most bankable voice. Other actors I knew got hired specifically to do “sexy” or “sassy and sarcastic” reads.

Having a distinctive voice also pays off in corporate communications. Think of it this way: every newsletter, white paper, or brochure that your company produces is a continuing conversation with your customers and prospects. You want to keep them engaged. Having an authentic corporate voice communicates your company’s identity and culture and sets you apart from the competition.

Clearly, radio and print are two vastly different media animals. But no matter how your customers get your message, the 60-second rule applies. A compelling voice, backed by a well-executed marketing strategy, keeps the audience from pushing the button.

It seems like such a small thing, but it’s wreaking havoc with my writing: I have no control over the hyphen. This is particularly bad because I have just accepted a new job as marketing manager for a technology start-up. Startup? Start up? I’m supposed to be a decision-maker. Or decision maker. You see what I mean. Please help.

My dear Subject,

I agree—the hyphen can be quite difficult to use correctly, especially in business writing. Its effects are subtle, and some of the rules are not rules at all but stylistic preferences. Nevertheless, a hyphen can possess power far beyond its size, as illustrated in Anthony Lane’s recent New Yorker piece on the decades-old Eurovision song contest. Lane writes of one contestant, “This is a woman, after all, who, according to the official program, has already been voted ‘Golden Voice of Rostov,’ ‘Miss Pearl of Don,’ and, with a carefully placed hyphen, ‘Vice-Miss of the Caucusus.’”

One hesitates to even form a mental picture of her hyphenless doppelganger; what a Vice Miss might do sans hyphen is best left to the imagination of hardier souls than I.

But fear not. Just as, with practice, one may distinguish Waterford from ordinary cut crystal with a simple touch, you too can tune your eye and ear to the subtle heft of the hyphen.

First, a few general points:

•  A hyphen is not a dash. The hyphen ( – ) joins two or more parts of a hyphenated word. In contrast, the longer em or en dash ( – or — ) is a piece of sentence punctuation that indicates a sudden pause or shift in the text.

•  Hyphens are used in several very particular cases—in written out fractions (three-fourths), with prefixes when their absence might create confusion or make the resulting word difficult to pronounce (re-press vs. repress, anti-ordination, doll-like, etc.). Such situations are best handled on a case-by-case basis with a quick visit to Webster’s or the Chicago Manual of Style.

•  The aspect of hyphenation most difficult for most of us to parse is actually resolved by two simple rules:

When two words make up a compound that modifies a noun, if the words fall before the noun, use a hyphen. If they come after, don’t. So: The hunting scene was well displayed in a hand-carved frame.

Don’t use a hyphen with -ly. The exquisitely framed piece was given pride of place over the mantelpiece; unfortunately, the painting itself was less than exquisite, containing as it did a horse with five carefully drawn legs.

And now for the art of the thing:

•  In general, hyphens can help readers distinguish among multiple grammatical forms of a word. For example, start up is a verb: Tiring of her court duties, Felicity decided to start up an adorable little business.

Start-up is most often used as an adjective (the hyphen gives us a clue to this form): Her start-up company would produce custom tiaras for dogs, plus the occasional special-occasion canine bonnet for weddings and garden parties. And startup is a noun of relatively recent coinage: The startup really took off when the Social Register website featured a little amethyst number worn by the editor’s Bichon Frise.

•  Hyphens are also used when new words are first coined or become popular, then disappear as words become familiar (e-mail becomes email, on-line becomes online, etc.). The venerable Chicago Manual of Style, in its most recent 15th edition, allows for “occasional exceptions when the closed spellings have become widely accepted, pronunciation and readability are not at stake, and keystrokes can be saved.” Quite generous, yes?

•  Even though it can be useful in complex or technical text, English is moving toward less hyphenation—due in part to coinage of so many new words. It once took decades for motor-car to become motor car, then simply car; now we go from e-mail to email in a few short years. (Be sure to keep your social secretary up to date on such trends; one should never appear stodgy!)

•  Even where the presence or absence of a hyphen does not change the meaning of a sentence, your organization should develop a consistent hyphenation style linked to overall voice and detailed in the company style guide. Include a list of product names and industry terms for which hyphenation may be an issue. If you continue to build your list each time you encounter (and resolve) a question of hyphenation, the grail of clarity and consistency will be yours.

Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?

Yours precisely,

The Grammar Queen

Being a writer is not something one can just turn off at 5 p.m. It’s an all-encompassing desire to analyze and edit all the verbiage one encounters in daily life.

If I’m at a concert, play, or football game, I invariably end up proofreading the program. Now, I tend to go easy on high school choirs, especially if they don’t know any better than to print on canary yellow paper. But if it’s a college or professional event, I become visibly and audibly disgusted by typos, sentence fragments, and apostrophes used with simple plurals.

In shopping centers, I scan the signage for unnecessary quotation marks. Apparently, I’m not alone. There’s a whole blog devoted to this practice.

When the mail comes each day, I like to comb through business letters from banks, public utilities, and insurance agents and read the clunkiest sentences aloud to my wife. She’s always riveted.

I can’t stop.

And this obsession doesn’t just apply to the printed word. It affects how I hear speech, too.

The airport is always a good spot for flabby talk: “And a very pleasant good evening to you as we begin service for Flight 86….” Can a good evening be unpleasant? Can a pleasant evening be anything but good?

“This is your last and final call for flight 86.” Last and final? Had it been only my last call, I would have stopped to eat another Cinnabon.

Don’t even get me started on athletes. I once heard a football player say in an interview that today’s game was vindicative [sic] of his team’s talent. I suppose that’s like “indicative,” but with a dash of bloodlust.

And then there’s the overuse of certain adverbs: “Well, basically, we’ve just been trying to go out and play our game. We’re basically ready for anything that comes our way. And we’re basically proving ourselves every time we take the field.”

How ironic that this blog post appears in the Off Hours category. The truth is, for a professional writer there are no Off Hours.

So, now that I’ve shared my neurosis, what about you? Can you “turn it off,” or has your job become a part of everything you do?

Gilbert was understandably upset. Cleveland is James’ hometown, and the city expected a bit more loyalty. He pulled no punches in his very public letter to Cavs fans, posted front and center on the team page on nba.com. Except when he chose to typeset his post in the most mocked font of all time: Comic Sans.

Forget about what Gilbert actually wrote. No one cares; they’re all too fixated on the font everyone loves to hate. Comics Sans was actually higher up on Twitter’s list of Trending Topics than Lebron James himself. The last time a font generated so much mainstream interest was when IKEA decided to typeset its entire catalog in (gasp) Verdana.

I think the lesson here is pretty obvious: Comic Sans demands a bit more sensitivity. Think Canadian collector coins. For my money, nothing says online tirade like Papyrus. Did I mention it’s also great for subtitles?

Southwest’s shtick is all about providing highly customer-centric service at good value, but making sure that employees and customers have a good time while they do so. Southwest’s blog, Nuts About Southwest, is one of those rare company blogs that successfully mirrors the brand attitude. It’s fun to read, it’s got (gasp!) real-live employees who write posts (just like the Content Bureau’s blog!), and it actually addresses criticisms of the company in an open, honest manner.

Take the 2006 spat over Southwest’s proposal to eliminate open seating, in favor of the assigned seating typical of most other airlines. CEO Gary Kelly weighed in with a post acknowledging customer concerns (most loved open seating), and explaining the rationale behind the proposed change. Of the dozens of commenters weighing in, nearly all mentioned how delighted they were that the CEO took time to talk directly to customers via the blog.

If you’re part of a corporate blog team and you’re trying hard to make sure the posts maintain an authentic tone and echo brand messages—and don’t bore readers to tears—here are more reasons why Nuts About Southwest is a great model:

Diverse voices: It’s nice to hear from bloggers outside the corporate PR department—like a Southwest compliance analyst who attended a travel writers conference, or a Dallas-based pilot who blogs about pets that are up for adoption from employees who provide foster care. Posts from various departments can provide different perspectives on corporate messages, and simply make for a livelier read.

The personal touch: Southwest bloggers are allowed to talk about their personal lives in a way that’s relevant to their airline jobs. Personal tales add to the “realness” that’s so sorely lacking in many corporate blogs. When you read about multimedia specialist Steve Heaser’s love of floating in an inner tube on a Texas river for the 4^th of July, or office administrator Jon Shubert’s story of how he met his wife 29 years ago courtesy of Southwest, you really do start thinking about applying for a job with these guys. The smart thing about these personal posts is that they still come back around to the airline’s brand messages about service, community, and connections.

Fun features: To build an audience, you need regular features—and if they’re enjoyable to read, so much the better. “Flashback Fridays” is the Southwest blog’s regular feature on the airline’s history, such as pictures of the first 737s being towed to Love Field in Dallas, and images of the airline’s first inflight drink menus from the 1970s (cocktails were called “Love Potions”). These blog features are a nice way to bring both employees and customers a little closer to the company, and make for a refreshing change from nonstop posts about the latest product launch or executive announcement.

Why? In a tough economy, it’s only natural that smart marketers are placing more emphasis on field and channel marketing with sales playbooks. Just as a coach would outline strategic plays for a sports team, sales playbooks give the field recommended options (plays) for selling your company’s products and services. But to be effective, sales playbooks need to capture the attention of a busy sales force. And let’s face it—sales veterans can be a tough audience. The solution is simple: Make sure your sales playbook gets even the most jaded sales pro excited at first glance. Many of our clients are doing just that by creating and writing sales playbooks that combine highly targeted information with an intuitive, interactive interface.

While playbooks are internal documents, one of our clients has generously agreed to let us share a few (intentionally slightly fuzzy) images that help illustrate one approach to developing a successful playbook.

One of the most striking aspects of this playbook is its format: interactive PDF—or iPDF. iPDF playbooks use tabs and links to make them as easy to navigate as a website. Any individual page is never more than two clicks away. Contrast that with the unwieldy paper binders that are more typical of sales playbooks, and you can easily see why sales people like this more interactive approach. Marketers love iPDF playbooks because they deliver as much impact as a print piece, but are much easier and less expensive to distribute. Let’s look more closely at the plays.

Each play in the iPDF playbook helps sales people target likely customers, zero in on the customers’ challenges, and refine a message to suit the customers’ needs. The plays consist of several well-defined components, each with its own page. Similar to an effective web page, the copy is concise and easily scanned. The appealing navigation draws sales people into the playbook—and then the content wins them over. After spending just a few minutes with the playbook, sales people see that by following the plays they can save time as they win more sales.

So as you develop your sales playbook, consider more than just what you want to convey—focus on keeping it concise and presenting the message in a novel, highly engaging format. Your effort will go a long way toward engaging your sales force to carry the message to potential customers.

Add variety: Rather than settle for a long, tedious paper in your usual template, shake things up with a new format. You can still define a problem, offer a solution, outline the benefits, and draw a conclusion—but deliver this content in a tantalizing new way. Spice up your paper with a Cosmo-style self-rating quiz, create urgency with a list of top five mistakes to avoid, or open with a high-impact customer story. For instant wow, use interactive PDF (iPDF), the ultimate nav-friendly layout, for any paper 12 pages or longer.

Dress it up: Keep your customers’ eyeballs on your content with irresistible charts, information graphics, photography, and other design elements. Visual aids make the paper more agreeable to the eye, and give your reader a short break from processing page after page of your gripping text. We suggest liberal use of sidebars, call-out quotes and customer stories, plus information graphics, charts, and graphs to illustrate statistics. Don’t underestimate the power of even the most basic chart to aid retention of key concepts, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: how to create a sexy white paper

Be assertive: Even with variety and visual interest, a white paper will fall short of expectations without ultra-compelling content. Be the first to write about a new issue or problem just flashing onto your customers’ radar. Boldly describe a new approach or concept. Take your customers out of their comfort zones –and keep them reading—by detailing best practices from other industries or regions. Take a strong stand and back it up with a list of brief, consistent bullets. Honestly, is there anything sexier than bullets that

• Are easy to scan
• Break up otherwise bulky copy
• Convey multiple concepts economically
• Generate pleasing white space in layout?

Say goodbye to mind-numbing rambles. Bring passion and enthusiasm to your white papers by giving your readers the variety, visual clues, and boldness they desire.

Now I’m upping the ante by calling in the biggest of big guns. One of our favorite clients is Autodesk, whose stock in trade is the visual interpretation of information (in so many ways it boggles the mind).  Tom Wujek, an Autodesk information guru (his title is “Fellow” which implies that his activities require more breathing room than a job description) was recently featured in a New York Times article called Merely Human? That’s So Yesterday in which high-tech visionaries and futurists got together at the “Singularity” conference and jawboned about the merging of humans and machines and A.I. and other stuff that made me feel nervous and obsolete. Tom Wujek was depicted as the chronicler of the conference, master of the white board, and keeper of the multi-colored markers:

Tom Wujek of Autodesk at the Singularity conference

I see a lot of strenuous visual interpretation of information in this image: line graphs, curvy and jaggedy; bubble and bar graphs; cleverly ambiguous catch-all phrases like Web 2.0, Globalization, and The Long Tail; and—is that a pie chart at top center? I say no—it’s not a pie chart, it’s a clock, and it’s marking the dwindling hours till we wordy humans merge with brainy data-interpretive machines.