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Rev Up Readership
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Display copy, micro content
Skimming, scanning, reading
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Reach flippers, skimmers, nonreaders
Resources on skimming, scanning and reading
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Websites, books & tools
Quotes on skimming, scanning and reading
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What writers & others say
Bulleted lists
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How to write a listicle
Resources on list writing
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Tips, tools and techniques
Quotes on lists
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What writers & others say
Bold face
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Highlighted key words
Callouts, pull quotes
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Your message’s movie trailer
Quotes on callouts
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What writers & others say
Captions, cutlines
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Get more readership than text
Quotes on captions
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What writers & others say
Content promotion
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Advertise your contents
Decks, summary blurbs
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Don’t drop 2nd layer of headline
Headlines
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Your message’s billboard
How to write a benefit headline
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What’s in it for me?
Resources on benefits headlines
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Websites, books & tools
News headlines
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Announce what happened
Feature headlines
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Try a little cleverness
Resources on feature headlines
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Websites, books & tools
Quotes on feature heads
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What writers & others say
Web headlines
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Optimize for humans, not just Google
Resources on digital headlines
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Websites, books & tools
Quotes on web headlines
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What writers & others say
Resources on headline writing
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Websites, books and tools
Quotes on headline writing
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What writers & others say
Index pages
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Craft your website’s table of contents
Links, buttons
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Boost your click through rate
Resources on link writing
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Websites, books and tools
Quotes on link writing
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What writers & others say
Subheads
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Show the parts
Subject lines
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Get opened
Resources on display copy
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Tips, tricks and tools
Quotes on display copy
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What writers & others say
Online writing
Screen reading
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Obstacles of reading online
Computer screens
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Is yours a site for sore eyes?
Print
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When to choose print instead of digital
Quotes on online reading
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What writers and others say
Blog, social-media writing
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Reach your audience
Relevant blog writing
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Think Like a Friend, Fan, Follower
Creative content marketing
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All you need is LOL
Structure blog posts
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Craft content marketing pieces that almost write themselves
Types of blog articles
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From tip sheets to survey stories
Case studies
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Show what you can do
Resources on case studies
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Tips, tricks and tools
Quotes about case studies
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What writers & others say
Listicles
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Show the parts, show the whole, lead with the verb
Survey stories
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Announce the results of your research
Testimonials
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Find & craft tributes
Tipsheets
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How to write how-to stories
Blog post length
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Cut Through the Clutter Online
Resources on blog post length
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Websites, books & tools
Quotes on blog post length
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What writers and others say
Blog writing resources
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Websites, books & tools
Blog writing quotes
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What writers & others say
Email writing
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Before you push Send …
Why email marketing?
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Don’t neglect this powerful medium
Get email opened
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Address the envelope
Subject lines, preheader & more
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Sell your story
Resources on subject line
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Tips, tools and techniques
Quotes on subject lines
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What writers & others say
Relevant emails
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Personalize, deliver real value in email blasts
Quotes on writing good email content
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What writers & others say
Readable emails
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Make email newsletters and blasts easy to read
Quotes on readable emails
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What writers & others say
Scannable emails
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Help readers skim email newsletters, e-blasts
Quotes on scannable email
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What writers & others say
Resources on email writing
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Websites, books & tools
Quotes on email writing
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What writers & others say
Web writing
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Craft copy that clicks
Quick web writing
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Put the hot stuff up top
Web page structure
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New approach increases reading by 520%
Tight web copy
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Visitors process only 20% of the words on a webpage
Chunk web copy up
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Think Post-It notes, not toilet paper
Quotes on chunking web pages
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What writers and others say
Fluff-free web copy
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Increase fact; cut fluff
Personable web copy
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Use your business casual voice
Resources on tight web copy
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Websites, books & tools
Quotes on tight web copy
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What writers & others say
Scannable web copy
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Put your message where their eyes are
Eye tracking
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The F-shape to layer-cake
Resources on web writing
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Websites, books & tools
Resources on writing for mobile
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Websites, books & tools
Quotes on web writing
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What writers & others say
Quotes on writing for mobile
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What writers & others say
SEO for content writers
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Help Google find you
Page titles
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Help visitors find your page
SEO for releases resources
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Websites, books and tools
SEO quotes
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What writers & others say
SEO for releases quotes
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What writers & others say
Persuasive writing
Think Like a Reader
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Focus on the readers’ needs
What’s in it for me?
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It’s not about ‘us & our stuff’
Quotes on WIIFMs
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What writers & others say
Write about benefits
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Don’t lead with features
Write in verbs
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Write about people doing things
Quotes on benefits
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What writers & others say
Write to, about
You
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Put the reader first
Quotes on ‘you’ writing
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What writers & others say
Cialdini’s 6 principles of persuasion
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6 principles of persuasion
Resources on Cialdini’s secrets
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Websites, books & tools
Quotes on Cialdini’s secrets
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What writers & others say
Fear appeals work
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We’d never buckle a seatbelt without them
Quotes on fear appeals
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What writers & others say
Types of persuasive writing
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How to write ads, case studies, sales letters
Models for persuasion
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Make ’em sick, make ’em well & more
Check out these persuasive writing resources
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Websites, books & tools
Persuasion Quotes
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What writers & others say
PR writing
Pitch writing
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Overcome these obstacles
Relevant PR writing
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Develop stories media want to run
Relevant releases quotes
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What writers & others say
News release structure
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Tap current best practices
Leads for releases
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Go beyond the 5 W’s
Press release first paragraph: Try features
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Surprise and delight readers
Quotes on press release leads
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What writers & other say
Body for releases
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Avoid ‘the muddle in the middle’
Good quotations
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Turn lame-ass quotes into snappy sound bites
Sound bites
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Put the bite in the sound bite
Paraphrasing
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Choose only the best quotes
Paraphrasing quotes
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What writers and others say
Write human quotes
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Add passion, personality
Memorable sound bites quotes
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What writers and others say
Memorable sound bites
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Add color to your quotes
Quotation guidelines
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Attribution & other tips
Testimonial writing
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Find & craft tributes
Quotes on writing a quotation
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What writers & others say
Boilerplate for releases
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Boil the company down to one short paragraph
Press release length
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Write short releases
Quotes on short press releases
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What writers & others say
Headlines, display copy for PR
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Reach flippers and other nonreaders
Headlines for releases
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Grab reader attention
Links for releases
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Format them for news portals
Visuals for releases
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Looks do matter
Types of PR pieces
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From bios to testimonials
Bios and profiles
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Make the person the story
Bylined articles
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Write great columns
Moves and milestones
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Bring the listings to life
How to write a survey story
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Announce the results of your research
Resources on press releases
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Websites, books & techniques
Quotes on press releases
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What writers & others say
Readability
Why readability?
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Because easier is better
Information overload
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Cut through the competition
Resources on info overload
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Websites, books and tools
Information overload quotes
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What writers and others say
Continuous partial attention syndrome quotes
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What writers and others say
Literacy rates
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How low can they go?
Time spent reading
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16.5 minutes a day for fun
Quotes on time spent reading
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What writers & others say
Story length
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Don’t leave readers wanting less
Why short content?
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Long form vs. short form
Quotes on short form and long form content
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What writers & others say
Measure A.R.T.
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How long does it take to read?
Resources on writing to length
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Websites, books and tools
Tighten your story angle
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Find your focus
Quotes on finding your focus
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What writers & others say
Break copy up
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Think pages, not pieces
Quotes on redirection
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What writers & others say
Polish your piece
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Compress your copy
Quotes on compression
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What writers & others say
Story length resources
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Websites, books and tools
Story length quotes
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What writers and others say
Paragraph length
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Make copy look easier to read
Quotes on paragraph length
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What writers & others say
Writing with statistics
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Take the Numb Out of Numbers
Resources on writing with statistics
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Websites, books & tools
Quotes on writing with statistics
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What writers & others say
Sentence length
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Add a word, reduce comprehension
How to avoid passive voice
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Write subject verb object
Resources on the passive voice
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Websites, books and tools
Quotes on the passive voice
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What writers and others say
Short sentences resources
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Websites, books and tools
Short sentences quotes
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What writers & others say
Quotes on simple sentence structure
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What writers & others say
Word length
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Avoid a multisyllabic pileup
Jargon
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Translate it
Adjectives & adverbs
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Replace weak modifiers
Resources on average word length
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Websites, books & other tools
Quotes on average word length
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What writers & others say
Readable text
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Everybody benefits from clarity
Measure readability
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Determine reading level
Readability indexes
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What do the numbers mean?
Readability score
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Boost readability scores
Benchmark readability
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How do you stack up?
Readability rockstars
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Model these masters
Resources on readability
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Websites, books & tools
Quotes on readability
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What writers & others say
Conversational copy
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Write as you speak
Spelling, punctuation, grammar
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Write it right
Storytelling & creative writing
Concrete details
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Show, don’t just tell
Why concrete details?
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Specifics make copy more understandable, memorable
Types of concrete details
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Fun facts, statistics, examples and more
Quotes on concrete words and phrases
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What writers & others say
Description
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Paint a picture
Research description
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Go to the scene & observe
Sensory reporting
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See, hear, smell, feel and taste your story
Visual reporting
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Help them ‘see’ with your sense of sight
Sound effects
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Build tension, build character, set the scene
Smell
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Take readers back in time with scent
Touch
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Show physical sensation, don’t just tell about it
Human interest
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Find a poster person
Why human interest?
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There’s power in people
Humor
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You must be kidding
Metaphor
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Clarify complex copy
Why use metaphor?
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Analogies are persuasive
Complex copy
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Science, technology & more
Simplify stats
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Turn numbers into things
Creative comparisons
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Make readers’ brains light up
Cut clichés
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Replace them with metaphors
Resources on clichés
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Websites, books & tools
Quotes on writing with clichés
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What writers & others say
Metaphor writing
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Craft a colorful analogy
Resources on metaphor writing
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Websites, books & tools
Resources on metaphor
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Websites, books & tools
Quotes on metaphor
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What writers & others say
Storytelling
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Whoever tells the best story wins
Why is storytelling important?
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It’s a communication power tool
Find stories
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Identify good tales
Use existing stories
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Don’t reinvent the wheel
Tell your brand story
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Showcase what makes you different
Get personal stories
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Share your subject matter expert’s own experiences
Ask people to share their stories
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Solicit narratives from your audience
Create a scenario
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Simplify your message to increase comprehension
Storytelling research
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Develop your narrative
Elements of storytelling
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Anatomy of an anecdote
Storytelling structure
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Find the narrative arc
Storytelling structures to steal
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Formulas and templates for organizing your next narrative
Model the masters
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Let the best stories shape your storyline
Build suspense
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Mysteries leave readers wanting more
Quotes on storytelling structure
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What writers & others say
Present stories
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How to tell a tale
Storytelling resources
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Websites, books and tools
Storytelling quotes
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What writers & others say about stories
Story quotes
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What writers & others say about storytelling
Wordplay
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Surprise and delight readers
Alliteration makes you ‘instantly eloquent’
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Tickle the intellect, please the ear
Balance taps the power of twos
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Makes message memorable with parallelism
Coin a word
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Create a portmanteau, make a mnemonic, verbify a name
Etymology adds layers of meaning
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Explore word origins
Rhetorical devices ring in their ear
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Practice persuasion through language
Rhyme is more believable
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Plus, it stands out in a crowd
Rhythm: You’ve got the beat
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Make your message ring in their ears
Twist of phrase tickles the brain
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Mark my words
Wordplay workout
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Practice playing with your words
Resources on creative copy
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Websites, books & tools
Quotes on creative copy
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What writers & others say
Quotes on boring copy
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What writers & others say
Writing
Writing processes
Approval process
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Chances are, your current one is broken
Approval Process Disorder
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Avoid ‘death by tweakage’
Approval process horror stories
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Missives from review hell
Re-engineer the approval process
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Develop a new system
Approval process policies & guidelines
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Put it on paper
Assertive approvals
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Confidence makes a difference
Approvers from hell
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How do deal with lawyers & more
Quick approval tricks
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Easy ways to improve the process
Sell your ideas
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Build influence and authority
Resources on approvals
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Websites, books and tools
Quotes on the approval process
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What writers and others say
Communication planning process
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Turn your communication idea into reality
Situation analysis
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Where are you?
Business goals
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Look to the bottom line
Goal setting
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Where are you going?
Quotes on goal setting
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What writers & others say
Resources on goal setting
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Websites, books & tools
Program planning
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How will you reach your destination?
Mission statement
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Write your job description
Resources on mission statements
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Websites, books & tools
Quotes on mission statements
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What writers & others say
Messages
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Decide what to say
Quotes on messaging
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What writers & other say
Media choice
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Determine the best vehicle to use
Electronic media properties
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Don’t let online communications act like print
Have trouble reading computer screens?
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Overcome the obstacles
Resources on online communications
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Websites, books & tools
Quotes on online communications
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What writers & others say
Quotes on print
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What writers & others say
Quotes on media channels
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What writers & others say
Editorial
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Find, position and craft stories
Different types of feature articles
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Feature articles
Editor’s notes
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Make it personal
Executive messages
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Put words in the CEO’s mouth
Story templates
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Create fill-in-the-blanks story forms
Bios and profiles
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Make the person the story
Bylined articles
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Write great columns
Man-on-the-street stories
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Make the most of employee roundups
Moves and milestones
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Bring the listings to life
Find stories
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Identify good tales
Position your stories
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Meet the needs of readers and the organization
Issue flow
–
Create an editorial ‘menu’
Photo essays and other creative story ideas
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Go from lackluster to electrifying
Grab attention with graphic stories
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Make your piece a picture
Why graphic stories?
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Images are clearer, more memorable
Plan a graphics story
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How to turn your idea into a picture
Graphic story types
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From comics to cocktail napkin stories
Resources on graphic stories
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Websites, books & tools
Quotes on graphic stories
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What writers & others say
Design
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Create a look that’s readable & attractive
Charts, graphs
–
Communicate by the numbers
Images
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Help readers “see” your idea
Layout
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Don’t mutilate design
Photos
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Every picture tells a story
Typography
–
Not just a pretty face
Resources on design
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Websites, books & tools
Quotes on design
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What writers & other say
Quotes on program planning
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What writers & others say
Implement your plan
–
What resources will you need?
Budget
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How much will your communication cost?
Quotes on budgeting
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What writers & others say
Schedule
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Make the most of your time
Create an approval process that works
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Chances are, your current one is broken
Approval Process Disorder
–
Avoid ‘death by tweakage’
Approval process horror stories
–
Missives from review hell
Re-engineer the approval process
–
Develop a new system
Approval process policies & guidelines
–
Put it on paper
Assertive approvals
–
Confidence makes a difference
Approvers from hell
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How do deal with lawyers & more
Quick approval tricks
–
Easy ways to improve the process
Sell your ideas
–
Build influence and authority
Resources on approvals
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Websites, books and tools
Quotes on the approval process
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What writers and others say
Quotes on scheduling
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What writers & others say
People
–
Manage your staff and contributors
Measurement
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Did you arrive?
Quotes on communication measurement
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What writers & others say
Resources on communication measurement
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Websites, books & tools
Quotes on communication planning
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What writers & others say
Creative process
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How to have a great idea
What is the creative process?
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5 steps to generating fresh ideas
Creative thinking
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Kick-start imagination
Model the masters
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Find mentors among your favorite writers
Creative story ideas
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Go from lackluster to electrifying
Writing process
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Write better, easier and faster
Prewriting
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Get ready to write
Research
–
Get good at getting the goods
Tighten your story angle
–
Find your focus
Writing process structure
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Save time — and words
Writing structure
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How to organize information
Quotes on prewriting
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What writers and others say
Freewriting
–
Get it down
Quotes on freewriting
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What writers and others say
Rewriting
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Get it right
Writing process resources
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Websites, books and tools
Writing process quotes
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What writers and others say
Writing difficulty quotes
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What writers and others say
Writing structure
Why writing structure?
–
Among the 4 components of readability
Feature story structure
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Increases reading, understanding
Why feature structure?
–
Top writing structures
Feature structure examples
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How to organize this writing structure
Feature leads
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How to write a good hook
Leads to try
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Start your story with a bang
Leads to avoid
–
Don’t turn readers away
Nut graph
–
Put your feature story in a nutshell
Background section
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Fill in the blanks in a feature story
Body
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Build out your key points in a feature story
Conclusion
–
Draw to a close with a wrap up and kicker
Resources on endings
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Websites, books and tools
Quotes on endings
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What writers & others say
Transitions
–
Mind the gaps between sections and ideas
Inverted pyramid structure
–
Bottom line, up front, first!
Other writing structures
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Beyond news & features
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