
For Kids: Writing stories – are you a real-life thief?
Copywriting SkillsHow to become a real-life thief: MY GUEST BLOG FOR READING FOR AUSTRALIA - THE NATIONAL KIDS' LIT QUIZ WEBSITE Question: Your teacher announces ‘Homework tonight is a 600-word story entitled/The First Day of School/A Sinister Stranger/ Looking…

Nike v Adidas: the battle of the boots
AdvertisingThe Nike v Adidas rivalry always intensifies ahead of a World Cup, and this year has been no exception. A little known fact (and perhaps one for the conspiracy theorists out there) is that the last four finals have seen a Nike team play against…

Copywriting Tips – The Gunning Fog Index
Content & Strategy Copywriting SkillsOne of the first lessons in business copywriting is learning how to write for the reader. You wouldn’t expect to find the same type of words used for an aircraft manual, a recipe book, an online shop, and a sales email, because the audiences…

How to find inspiration for tastier copy
Content & StrategyIs your inspiration cupboard bare? Business copywriter and creative thinker, Joanna Brown, offers a few ideas on how to get going with even the driest of topics. Help! I’ve got 25 words in which to sell laminate flooring - where do…

3 Simple ways to engage your readers and keep them reading (er…scanning)
Content & Strategy Work HabitsYou’ve failed. You’ve already lost their attention. You can never get them back. You lose. They’ve gone to somebody else’s website. What to do? I hate to break it to you but this happens every single day. Someone found…

Email marketing: This copywriter’s playbook on getting emails noticed, read and actioned
Content & StrategyDoes your email marketing attract attention to the last word? I’ve been writing quite a few email marketing campaigns recently, campaigns that have ranged from directly promoting services to reaching out for referral business. And I’m…

5 hints for writing corporate documents that won’t bore your audience
Content & Strategy Copywriting SkillsIf you have been following my journey from the public sector to freelance life, you would know that one of my biggest bugbears is poorly written corporate documents that bore me to tears. You know the sort – full of jargon, long sentences…

Skills you need to be a freelance copywriter
Copywriting SkillsInterested in becoming a copywriter? Here is my take on the skills required to make a living as a freelance copywriter. This is purely the result of my experience, and it’s worth remembering that other copywriters succeed by other means,…

Is the Curse of Knowledge Ruining Your Copywriting Efforts?
Copywriting SkillsYou know that feeling of being so close to your business that you struggle to explain it to somebody else? I do. In fact, it’s one of my biggest challenges in attracting new clients. The problem is: how do we communicate our true value…

How to help your brain transform thoughts into writing
Content & StrategyThe most common complaint I hear from clients, friends and strangers whose eyes light up when I tell them I’m a marketing copywriter is, ‘I know what I want to say, I just don’t know how to say it’. If you suffer from this particular…

The Power of Simple Writing
Content & StrategyThe art of simplicity is making its mark as minimalist design principles are being seen in product design, web and even writing. Social networks such as Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram have shown us that the skill of keeping it simple can…

ABCs of Copywriting
Content & Strategy Copywriting SkillsIf your copy isn’t performing, there’s a good chance it lacks. In terms of copywriting, refers to your ability to understand the reader—to know what she’s thinking and what she needs—and to build trust based on that understanding. Here's…
