Category: Copywriting
Social Media and Journalism Converge in AP Stylebook Change
by Jan Morrison on April 19, 2010 | 1 comment
in Copywriting, Website, Writing
At the American Copy Editors Society conference on Friday, the AP Stylebook announced that it would change its standards for the term “website.” Previous editions of the Stylebook recommended that journalists use “Web site,” instead.
Known as “the Journalist’s Bible,” the AP Stylebook serves as the ultimate guide for technical writing rules in journalism. If a writer is ever unsure of how to use a comma, hyphen, state abbreviation, academic title or any other aspect of American English journalism, the AP Stylebook has the answer.
Journalists requested that the Associated Press consider changing the term from “Web site” to “website” for a variety of reasons. Here at Lovell Communications, we agree with most of the reasons other writers give for choosing one over the other and we have been using “website” as our standard for years.
The format of the word itself is not as significant as the process that initiated the change. The Associated Press made their decision based on feedback from journalists, through Twitter, blogs and every other form of instantaneous communication.
Our communications have reached a point where the public can now influence the authorities. This is an important convergence in the worlds of social media and journalism.
What else do you think the AP Stylebook should consider changing?
Eight Common Errors in Writing
by Ashley Webb on December 1, 2009 | 3 comments
in Copywriting, Corporate Communications
Writing is a large part of my job, and as a communications professional it is my job to make sure my writing is accurate and error-free. Thank goodness I have grammatical gurus as colleagues because making a few common errors in writing can hinder a great communications message!
Here are eight common errors that I hear, read and struggle with most often:
1. Confusing affect with effect. This is one the most common errors people struggle with, including myself. Remember that affect is usually a verb meaning to influence and effect is almost always a noun meaning result (usually preceded by the word the).
Examples:
- Your attitude affects the way you look at your work.
- The effect was overwhelming.
- (Effect as a verb) He will effect many changes in the company.
2. Using could of, would of, should of. These phrases are born from sloppy speech patterns using would’ve, could’ve and should’ve. The correct usage is could have, would have or should have.
3. Confusing that with which. If you can drop the clause and not lose the meaning of the sentence, use which; otherwise use that. A which clause is surrounded by commas.
Examples:
- I remember the day that we met.
- The team, which finished last a year ago, is in first place.
4. Treating singular nouns as plurals. I see this mistake all the time! There are a handful of nouns that seem to be plural in form but are actually singular and, thus, take a singular verb.
Examples:
- The staff gets bonuses at the end of each year.
- The couple gives donations to the local shelter.
5. Confusing complimentary and complementary. Complimentary refers to a compliment or in reference to something that is free. Complementary refers to someone or something that completes someone or something else.
Tip: A simple way to distinguish complimentary from complementary is to remember that complementary means to complete and both begin with comple-.
Examples:
- They received complimentary tickets to the show.
- The husband and wife have complementary careers.
6. Repeating yourself. This is a mindless mistake I see and make on a regular basis. PIN stands for personal information number; therefore, you cannot say PIN number without being redundant. Similarly, it is redundant to say CD or DVD disc.
7. Using over when you mean more than. If you’re referring to numerals or if the amount is countable use more than. Over refers to spatial relationships.
Examples:
- The employee worked more than 40 hours last week.
- The dog jumped over the fence.
8. Confusing lie and lay. Even the grammar gurus have trouble with this one! The action word is lay. It takes a direct object. Lie does not take a direct object and indicates a state of reclining. So you lie down on the sofa (no direct object), but you lay the book on the table (direct object). So the present tense seems pretty easy, but then everything goes haywire because lay is the past tense of lie. Here’s a chart that may help you decipher the difference in the present, past and past participle.
|
Present Tense |
Past Tense |
Past Participle |
|
Lie |
Lay |
Lain |
|
Lay* |
Laid |
Laid |
* Requires an object
When I need a quick refresher I visit Grammar Girl. Her site has some “Quick & Dirty Tips” that’ll do just the trick!
What writing errors do you see or struggle with most often?
How Do You Spark Creativity When You Need a Great Idea, Fast?
by Nick Tazik on July 13, 2009 | 5 comments
in Advertising, Copywriting
As marketing, advertising and communications folks, we are expected to develop creative solutions to challenging problems on a daily basis. By our very nature, we usually jump at the chance to flex our mental muscles and chart new creative territory, whether we’re tasked with developing a:
- Catchy design theme for an advertisement, brochure or trade show booth;
- Incisive marketing tactic to target a specific, tough-to-reach audience;
- Fresh phrase to say the same old thing in a press release; or
- Unique angle for an article in a newsletter or e-newsletter.
Of course, we all know from experience that creativity can be feast or famine. One day you have more ideas than you know what to do with. The next, nothing.
You can’t force a good idea, and “trying hard” is usually counterproductive.
So, what do you do when your creativity has come to a grinding halt but a deadline is fast approaching?
Here are nine possibilities dreamed up during a quick poll around the office. Add yours in the comment section below, and bookmark this page for future bouts with writer’s block.
1. Go Outside – Fresh air and sunshine (if it’s a nice day) will do wonders for your creative mind. For an added boost, you can people watch or play a game of “what does that cloud look like?”
2. Surf the Web – The Internet is a wealth of valuable information (for research) and inane humor (for distraction), either of which can be helpful. The trouble comes when a quick peek becomes a 30-minute distraction, and your productivity plummets. If this is a problem for you, you can actually download a browser timer to alert you if your surfing time is up.
3. Do a 3-Minute “Free Write” – This can be done on paper or electronically. Simply remove all distractions (music, email, etc.) and write stream-of-consciousness for 180 seconds without stopping. Don’t try to form complete sentences or even phrases. Just write whatever comes to mind.
4. Poll Your Network – This has gotten easier with the advent of Twitter and Facebook. You can just shoot a quick note (status update, tweet) and see what good ideas roll in. Of course, you can also do it the traditional ways, like face-to-face or by phone.
5. Give Yourself Permission to Be Creative – Even if your ideas aren’t likely to survive review by management, let them out anyways. After all, it’s much easier to scale back a winning idea to a manageable size than it is to pump up an old, tired one.
6. Juggle – Or, if you don’t know how, watch other people juggle (and, yes, there is a World Juggling Federation).
7. Drink a Cup of Tea – Those of us who drink coffee know that it provides diminishing returns after the second cup. Switching things up and drinking a cup of hot tea might be just the shift in routine you need.
8. Run – If you can run over your lunch break or have the luxury of delaying the project until tomorrow, running can help free you mind. Unfortunately, this won’t help if you don’t like to run.
9. Chocolate – If all else fails, eat a handful of M&Ms.
Those are some of our favorites. Type your creativity tips and tricks into the comments box below.
Hold On—Don’t Put That Copy to Bed Just Yet!
by Ashley Webb on July 6, 2009 | 1 comment
in Copywriting
Call it what you will: line editing, reviewing, double checking or proofreading—whatever the name, just do it!
Proofreading your work one last time before you hit send or hand it off may make the difference between someone reading it or turning away in horror.
Whether it’s an email, proposal or collateral copy, before it leaves your hands, go through this quality checklist:
1. Check the tense. Are you writing in the past or present? Skipping back and forth can confuse readers. Consistency within the story is key.
2. Pay attention to singular and plural pronouns. Watch out for one person talking about their approach.
3. Look for inanimate vs. animate objects. Companies aren’t people. AT&T didn’t hold their annual meeting. AT&T held its annual meeting.
4. Look for typos. You can’t depend on spell check to catch everything. Look for real words that slip into the copy. You meant to write of but typed if. Then became the.
It helps to look at a printed version and read it out loud.
5. Reread the lede. Does the first sentence entice people to read the second? Does the anecdotal lede take too long to get to the point? Is it asking the right question?
6. Tighten. We could all afford to shed a few words. Cut the words that don’t really have to be there. Here’s how:
- Eliminate passive voice.
- Find the best part of the quote and eliminate the rest.
- Stay away from “There is” and “There are.”
- Eliminate hyperactive words, such as “very” and “extremely.”
Now you’re ready to put that copy to bed!