thankful, adj.  1. conscious of benefit received... 2. expressive of thanks... 3. well pleased.
--Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition
This Thursday, Americans will be sitting down to stuffed turkeys, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie with their families, watching football, and napping after the large meal.  The more ambitious will go for walks, enjoying a spot of fall foliage or some crisp November air.  And some will even be reflecting on all the good in their lives, thankful for what they have.

What are you thankful for?  Have you considered sending letters of thanks? A thank-you email? Or even a blog post that expresses your gratitude?  Yes, I can help with that!

Me, I'm thankful for all my incredible clients.  You know who you are, and I've loved working with you.  You've taught me a lot, not only about your business but about challenging myself as a white paper writer, copywriter, and copy editor.  I'm thankful for every person who referred me business this year.  I'm thankful for every person reading this blog entry.

Have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

For business to consumer (B2C) enterprises, content can be fun.  Depending on the industry and the nature of the business, companies can let personality shine through in their website content, brochures, and other communications to draw in customers.

A great example of this can be found at Laurel Mountain Gift Baskets*, owned by a fellow former paralegal, Marie Lisewski.  Marie creates the most fun, original gift baskets I've ever seen, much cooler than anything purchased in a big box, mass market retailer.  Based out of Easthampton, Mass. and running Laurel Mountain as a solopreneur in the fun, artsy Eastworks building, Marie's content strategy includes her blog as a promotional tool and as a fun way to remind customers of upcoming holidays (and give them ideas on nifty gift baskets).  Instead of another "this is the promotion we're running this month" blog, Marie blogs as her (incredibly sweet) dog, Zeva, as well as herself.  Zeva adds a fun, quirky touch to the Laurel Mountain blog, where Marie also posts notes on the seasons and upcoming holidays in a casual, fun manner.

Obviously, blogging takes time, but the good news is, it can be outsourced.  A good copywriter can take the time to get the feel of your business, suggest topics, and help you develop a content strategy that fits with your business, whether or not you have a pet that comes to work with you.

The Giveaway
Yes, there's a giveaway with this post!  If you haven't already, visit Laurel Mountain Gift Baskets. Pick your favorite basket, and in the comments section below, leave a little feedback about which basket was your favorite or how you might make it better. The holidays are coming up, and Laurel Mountain wants to offer the perfect gifts for you to deliver to your loved ones. We are a community company and would love the community’s input. At the end of the week, Marie will combing through all the blogs and comments, and that's when she and Zeva will be picking the winners. If you are chosen, Marie will contact you based on the email/contact info you left in your comment, so make sure it’s accurate. From there we can make arrangements to get your basket out to you as soon as possible! Good Luck!


*Laurel Mountain is not my client, although I would be happy to take her on as one!

I always enjoy finding interesting ways to describe my clients’ services, particularly when I’m not familiar with the types of services my client offers.  Earlier this year, Jared Haworth of Alloy Code contacted me to write the copy for his website, which was being relaunched.  Alloy Code is a Ruby on Rails development firm, and at the time Jared contacted me, I only knew that Ruby on Rails was a programming language used to create web applications.  I didn’t know anything about the language itself, how to program in Ruby on Rails, or what iterative meant.  But I’m very well-versed in research, which makes it easy to get up to speed enough to provide cohesive copy.

I went through several steps before I started writing the copy, which was to be descriptive and use industry-standard terminology.  My first step was to be honest with my client before he sent me a deposit.  I told Jared exactly what I did know and what I didn’t know, and I advised him that I would have questions as I went along.  I then did a lot of research on Ruby on Rails: what methodologies are used, what kind of programming comes from it, and what terms are commonly used when describing finished products.  I visited a few websites that use Ruby on Rails on the back end as well.  Then, I asked my client a few things that needed clarification regarding the programming language.  This technical knowledge allowed me to better describe the services, using industry-standard terminology.

In the meantime, we discussed how he came up with the name Alloy Code.  At the suggestion of his good friend and long-time collaborator Keith Medlin, Jared came up with Alloy Code because alloys fuse metals to create even stronger materials, and Alloy Code fuses different technologies to develop strong applications.  I looked at other areas where I could use an alloy metaphor and wove it into the “About” and “People” pages, since Alloy Code consists of two very strong programmers.  We also used it as a tagline that appears at the top of every page.

I also wanted to play a bit with the name of the language itself, Ruby on Rails, without going overboard and being obvious.  For one of the services, I was able to use a subtle play on words to emphasize how a backup service prevents the application from being “derailed.”  Again, obvious metaphors seem lazy to me, so I kept it to a minimum and instead described the problem each service solved while only using the play on words once in the copy.

Finally, the client wanted a little bit of a tongue-in-cheek feel to the “People” page, which allowed me to show some of the personality of the Alloy Code developers.  I teased out some information from Jared and his partner on their hobbies and used creative ways to describe how they spend their time when they’re not coding.  I also listened to their suggestions – on my first pass with one of the bios, I used terminology that wasn’t familiar to the subject.  We figured that if he hadn’t heard of it, the ideal client wouldn’t, either, so I reworked the bio to remove the terminology but preserve the tongue-in-cheek feel.

Jared tells me that he gets inquiries through the website and has all the work he can handle currently (but is always looking forward!)  I’m proud to have been a part of this key component of Alloy Code’s marketing, and at the end, it was about more than just creating great website copy. We forged our own strong marketing piece through communication, blending a talented Ruby on Rails engineer with a hard-working copywriter for an even stronger website.*

*Lucid Designs was the website’s designer.

When you think of a style guide, what comes to mind? A fashion magazine? A thick tome like The Chicago Manual of Style? Or do you envision a neatly organized in-house document that explains what your company’s grammar conventions are and which words are good for branding?

All three are correct, but for the purposes of this discussion, we’re looking at in-house style guides that are used when you or a freelancer are writing things like case studies, white papers, manuals, ads, and other marketing collateral.  Using an in-house style guide provides clear guidelines on which words to use, which words to avoid, and how to format your documents.

I’ve worked extensively with in-house style guides.  For an apparel company, I helped create the grammar and branding portion of the style guide, using words that described the company, detailing words to avoid, and laying down guidelines for using the Oxford comma (you can guess how that ruling went.)  When I copyedit for Copyediting, I check to make sure the copy is consistent with the in-house style guide, as well as Chicago style.  And way back when I was a technology journalist and copy editor, I used to update the style guide for IDG News Service.

In each case, the style guide is invaluable in terms of keeping copy on track.  Most style guides, especially for branding, will also include sections on graphic design and the use of graphics.  The one I did for the apparel company also included information on using the trademark symbol, use of the tagline, and which style guide to defer to when writing different collateral.  I also covered how to use the company name in marketing materials and the preferred spelling of words like email and website.

Whether the style guide is used in-house only or distributed to freelancers, it creates a unified front for communications coming from the company.  For example, if you’re hiring a white paper writer, giving her a copy of the style guide lets her see how you want your company presented and gives her an idea of the grammar and spellings you prefer, like Web site vs. website.  It also points her to the correct style guide to use for questions not covered in your in-house guide.

If you’re planning to produce a lot of content, contact me to learn how I can help your company put together a comprehensive style guide that will pay for itself in terms of consistency, clarity, and time saved.

At today's Easthampton Don't Eat Lunch Alone, I sat at a section of the table with a graphic designer (Lisa Hoag) and a software developer who does website programming (Tom Novelli) - a potent triple-threat combination.  Rounding out our group was a small business owner, and we discussed the three components of a successful website:

1. Great design.  The first thing that catches a visitor's eye is the design.  Choose a graphic designer that has a portfolio you like to design your logo and graphics.
2. A back end system so that you can easily update your website.  Whether it's WordPress or a custom content management system, make sure that you can easily add blog posts or special offers to your site without having to call your website designer or other techie.
3. Great copy.  Writing your own website copy doesn't work.  You're just too close to your own business and will end up spending too much time writing copy that may not result in the sales you expected.  To truly boost your sales, your website copy should be written by a professional copywriter who can speak to your target market.

These three prongs are what make a website a successful component of your marketing.  Choose professionals that can do what you need, whether it's a splashy graphic design, a simple content management system for keeping your blog or special sales up to date, or a copywriter who can craft snappy, grammatically correct copy that enhances your credibility.  Then watch your sales increase.

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (August 15, 2011) – Local freelance copywriter Christine Parizo, Principal of Christine Parizo Communications, has been chosen by Examiner.com to serve as the Springfield Back to School Examiner.  In this role, Christine will write back to school tips for parents and students alike.

With the first day of school just a couple weeks away, Christine has already written about shopping the Massachusetts sales tax holiday weekend for back-to-school items.  In the next few weeks, she’ll cover issues relating to sending children to their first day of school ever, going to college, and returning to school after a hiatus.

The Springfield Back to School Examiner page can be found at http://www.examiner.com/back-to-school-in-springfield-ma/christine-parizo.  Christine also serves as the Springfield Job Interview Skills Examiner on Examiner.com (http://www.examiner.com/job-interview-skills-in-boston/christine-parizo), writing tips on surviving and thriving in job interviews.

About Christine Parizo: Modern marketing knowledge and vintage grammar sensibilities - that's what Christine Parizo brings to every project.  Whether it's a website, brochure, white paper, or press release, Christine gets the job done right. She can tailor her copywriting and copyediting services to assist any kind of business with their marketing and public relations material. Christine works with a diverse set of clients ranging from software developers to health care professionals.  She is also  a copy editor for McMurry's Copyediting newsletter, regularly guest blogs at Interact Media's Content Marketing Blog and Article Marketing Success Blog, and writes for Examiner.com as the Job Interview Skills Examiner for Springfield.

About Christine Parizo Communications: Christine Parizo Communications is a full-service copywriting firm based in Western Massachusetts and geared toward providing businesses with the words to sell, promote, and position themselves as leaders in their fields.  CPC works with graphic design firms, website designers, public relations firms, advertising agencies, and businesses of all sizes to provide the best possible communications, from press releases to SEO website copy and white papers. For more information, visit www.christineparizo.com.

I've been using Help a Reporter Out (HARO) for a while to publicize my business and my clients' businesses.  But I also sit on the other side of the fence as a journalist when I'm looking for sources to add a punch to assignments or writing for Examiner.com (strictly as a labor of love).  Over time, drawing on my previous journalism background as well as my current work, I've found that there are several things to do (and not do) when you're trying to get publicity through HARO.

Do:

• Make your pitch relevant.  Read the entire query from the journalist, not just the headline, to tailor your email.
• Make your pitch brief.  Include enough relevant information to be helpful, but don't overwhelm the journalist with a lot of superfluous information.  She's on deadline, and she doesn't have time to wade through it.
• Use proper grammar and spelling.  Journalists notice these things, and they will see you as less credible if you're writing in fragments and misspelling common words.
• Offer easy ways to contact you.  Include, at minimum, a good phone number to reach you at (and the best times to call) and an email address that you check regularly throughout the day.
• Be responsive. If the journalist contacts you for more information, respond promptly.  Again, she's on deadline, and if you don't respond promptly, she won't be able to quote you, and you won't get that free publicity.

Don't:

• Reply in ALL CAPS.  Yes, this did happen.  No, I didn't read the email; it went straight into the trash.
• Send an irrelevant pitch.  This is very important.  If you didn't read the whole query, you're not going to be able to pitch something she can use.
• Ramble.  Brevity is best, so keep your pitch short and to the point with enough relevant information.

Follow these tips, and you'll be able to get free publicity on HARO.  If you need help with a pitch or want to engage my consulting services, contact me.

Most companies, especially small businesses, commission a web designer to create or update their website, but they forget about the copywriting aspect.  When the designer comes back to the contact person and asks for copy, someone will throw together a quick paragraph or two for each page, but it won’t generate the results that the business had expected.

It’s tempting for small businesses to save money by doing the web copywriting themselves, but here’s why it doesn’t work:

• The writer is too close to the business.  There’s something to be said about knowing the business, but if the writer is too close and entrenched in it, he doesn’t see the benefits of his services or products as easily.  A copywriter is distanced enough where she can extract the benefits from the features.
• The writer isn’t skilled at marketing copy.  A good copywriter is and can write in a way that will engage potential customers and encourage them to act.
• The writing just isn't up to par.  This is the biggest problem for most small business websites.  The business owner is great at what she does: personal training, healthcare consulting, IT consulting, interior design, etc.  But she’s not a skilled writer, and she can’t find the right words.  If she tries to write her website copy herself, it comes out stilted and doesn’t convey what she wants.  A copywriter can extract the information and present it in a coherent way to prospective clients.
• The writing isn’t grammatically correct.  A good copywriter is a trained writer who knows the mechanics of writing.  She is committed to the written word and produces well-written, grammatically correct copy that increases the business’s credibility.  When a business is looking to hire a copywriter, it’s always a good idea to ask if she uses any particular style guides or reference manuals (AP, Chicago, Strunk & White, even Yahoo!).
• The keywords aren't placed correctly.  Most websites should be SEO-optimized, and a good copywriter can seamlessly weave the keywords into the copy.  It goes back to "The writing just isn't up to par" - as good as the keywords are, they should seem to be organically ingrained into the website copy, not stuffed in strictly for SEO purposes.

The investment in good website copy pays for itself in a few clients.  Instead of trying to write copy themselves for the bulk of the website, businesses can benefit from engaging the services of a professional copywriter.  Read what my satisfied clients have to say about the copywriting I’ve provided, or contact me for a complimentary consultation to learn what I can do for your business website.

(And to save time, I have all four style guides and reference manuals at my fingertips!)

You’re getting ready to commission a writer to write a white paper or special report for you.  You know your investment in a white paper will more than pay for itself in terms of sales of your product or services, and you’re ready to take your marketing to that next level.  Before you hire a writer, ask yourself these six questions:

1. Who is my audience?  This is who you want the writer to speak to in the paper.  Think about your typical prospective customer, and have the writer aim for that target market.
2. What do you want to accomplish with this white paper? You’re not pushing a hard sell in your white paper.  Instead, you’re educating your customer.  But how much do you want to educate, and how much do you want to push your product?  What would be the desired outcome when your reader is finished?
3. What issues need to be addressed? What problems do your customers face? How can you solve them?
4. Which competitors need to be analyzed? Do you have competitors that do the same thing? Do you want to mention them, or just dance around them?
5. What benefits will my product provide that the competition can’t? See question four.  If you’re dancing around the competition, figure out which features your product has that the competition doesn’t.  Then instruct your writer to mention them in the text.  For example, if you’re selling a smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard, you may want to have the writer weave in how it’s easier for executives to touch-type their email responses on a QWERTY keyboard.
6. Who do I want to write the white paper? Ah, the ultimate question.  You’ve figured out what you want in the white paper, maybe even identified an industry thought leader to have your writer interview, and it's time to choose the writer. You may have an in-house writer, but if she’s swamped or if you don’t have someone in-house to write the white paper, consider hiring a freelance writer. Of course I’m going to tell you to hire me, but there are a lot of great white paper writers out there.  Since white papers require a lot of researching, writing, and interviewing, you’ll want to choose someone with a journalism background. You’ll want someone with good email and verbal communication skills, and you’ll want to know she can get the job done in a reasonable time frame.

Now that you’ve asked yourself these questions, you’re ready to commission your white paper.  Good luck!

When the Oxford comma got dropped by a University of Oxford style guide, I realized that the era of sensible grammar rules is coming to an end.  It’s the Armageddon of vintage grammar sensibilities, I thought, then read the update.  Phew, it’s only for the PR department, but still.  It’s the University of Oxford.  Doing away with the Oxford comma.

For those who are not familiar with the Oxford comma, it’s the serial comma.  It comes after the penultimate item in a series and before the “and”:

            The cat ate tuna, chicken, and cheese.

The comma after “chicken” is the Oxford, or serial, comma.  Several heavy-hitting style and grammar books agree:

• The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), 16th Edition, strongly recommends using a serial comma to avoid ambiguity. 
• Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style (4th Edition) clearly states that a serial comma should be used.
• Amy Einsohn’s The Copyeditor’s Handbook (2nd Edition) cites several other stylebooks that require the serial comma: WIT, APA, and CBE.
• Grammar Girl
  

The only stylebook I’ve come across that doesn’t use the serial comma at all times is the Associated Press Stylebook, but even then, it recommends using the serial comma when necessary to avoid ambiguity in longer list items:

            My son ate his lunch of chicken nuggets and grapes, drank his milk, washed his hands very thoroughly, and             then went upstairs for his nap.

I don’t understand the reasoning behind omitting that last comma, even in short lists.  Newspapers did it to save space.  Some argue that it’s confusing or unnecessary to use the last comma.  I strongly disagree.  The serial comma adds consistency, clarity, and just feels right to me, which is why so much of what I write has that extra comma.  It’s all throughout this website and in anything I write that doesn’t require AP Style.  CMOS is pretty much my own personal style guide, despite my journalism background.

I’ll always argue in favor of clarity, but I’m only one person, and I can’t take on the Associated Press.  So if I’m not writing a press release or article for you, expect the Oxford comma.