On Words and Business

We all have words we use to mean one thing, even though they really mean something else, although often it may be just shades of meaning.

Sanguine is one of those words for me. When used as an adjective to describe a mood (the only use I typically put the word to), it means optimistic, confident. In my head, though, it means unperturbed or unfazed, in a relaxed way. Not sure why I think that, but there it is.

So, as soon as I use it, I’ve most likely been misunderstood, if even only subtly.

With so many words to choose from, so much specificity and beauty in our language, I wonder if we ever really know what someone else is saying to us.

Heard recently from an executive of a well-known international company: blogs are over engineered communication.

So…was he simply not afraid to say something that everyone else knows and won’t say? Or is he a Luddite about blogging?

With overstuffed inboxes like we all have today, the subject line of your email is important. So are any other headings and the first two lines of your text. That’s as far as I get when trying to decide if an email is relevant. If the subject line causes me to open it up, it only takes me a few seconds (the 10 second rule) to scan the content and make a decision–keep reading or move on.

We all find time to read something relevant. Are your customers finding your content relevant?

Chylinski’s first law of website operability.

A website in working order will remain in working order unless acted upon by a web host technician.

Yes, there are times when lengthy or detailed explanations are in order. Often, though, I wonder if long copy is written out of fear. That prospects just won’t get it without a lot of detail. That customers won’t think it’s worth it if there aren’t a lot of words.

More words = better value?

Not necessarily. Think about the exact message you need to communicate. If you don’t know when to stop writing that first draft of your message, just keep writing as much as you want. Then cut out about half of it. If it still works, try cutting it down again. And again. Until you’ve got tight, clean copy.

Don’t be afraid of nuance or subtlety. Your customers will appreciate you for it.

Okay…one of the first rules of copywriting is: grab ‘em with winning headlines. Entire chapters in books and many blog entries are devoted to this topic. It is drilled into writers’ heads, and I believe it is true, that headlines (and email subject lines) can be the only shot at grabbing the attention of a busy customer, prospect, or reader.

So you can imagine my dismay to realize that I posted my last blog entry sans headline–All things Bing. It has a headline now, probably too late to matter, though. I missed my one shot, and made my readers take a guess that they’d be interested in what I had to say in that last entry.

I hope some of you read it anyway, and visited the Bing blog. He is really worth it.