Author Archives: Karen Marcus

10 Must-read Copywriting and Online Marketing Articles From 2011

It’s that time of year again: time to look back at the previous year and the great ideas that were generated in the areas of copywriting and online marketing. I regularly peruse the blogosphere for articles on copywriting and online marketing, and this list represents the best of the best that I read in 2011–truly…

Experimenting With Creative Writing

This month’s post is from guest blogger Nadia Jones. Nadia offers some great reasons for breaking out of the business writing bubble and helpful tips for stretching your creative writing muscles. Let’s face it. As professional writers, whether you’re a copywriter, a technical writer, or a general corporate writer, you most likely got into the…

B2B Copywriting: How to Craft Your Copy Specifically for Business Buyers

Even a mediocre copywriter knows how to analyze his audience to ensure what he writes is relevant to his readers. But, many mediocre–and even expert–writers forget to take into consideration an even higher-level concern: whether the audience is composed of consumer or business customers. Determine whether you need to do business-to-business (B2B) copywriting or business-to-consumer…

Book Review – Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works

I recently finished reading Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works, by Janice Redish. I was impressed with the book, and feel it has much to offer anyone who develops Web content. Here’s the rundown of what you’ll find: The Quick & Dirty Overall, I found Letting Go of the Words to…

Writing a Good Press Release

Writing a good press release is not hard, but there are specific conventions you should understand and follow. Think Like a Reporter A reporter’s job is to find newsworthy information to share so readers will purchase or view their publication. You can make a reporter’s job easier by writing a good press release that provides…

The Art of Asking Questions

When I talk to people about my work, they often ask how I know what to write when dealing with industries, companies, products, and services I initially know very little about. My response is, “I ask a lot of questions.” The follow-up response is typically, “Yes, but how do you know what questions to ask?”…

Guest Post for Red Kite Creative: How to Write Content for Your Own Website

I recently had the pleasure of writing a guest blog post for the Red Kite Creative blog. Red Kite Creative is a Northern Colorado web design agency that creates custom websites for small businesses. Owner Debbie Campbell asked me to put together a piece to help her clients and readers who want to write their…

Why I Never Rush a Writing Job (and Neither Should You)

It’s inevitable: If you create content, either as a freelancer or within a company, somewhere along the way, someone is going to come to you with a writing job that needs to be done YESTERDAY!!!!! (My formatting here is intended to indicate the sense of panic with which you will no doubt be approached with…

Integrate Your Brand for Marketing Success

  As someone who writes for business, you probably know how important it is to have a solid brand. But, what do you do with that brand once you have established it? The answer: Weave it into every promotional piece developed by your company. Here are some tips for integrating your brand in marketing communications…

When Chicago Isn’t Enough: How to Write an In-house Style Guide

Sometimes the easy part of writing is writing, while the hard part is usage and formatting. When you run into usage or formatting questions, you can refer to a general style manual, such as The Chicago Manual of Style, the AP Stylebook, or The Gregg Reference Manual. These manuals are all very thorough and authoritative,…