WritingThoughts

By Vivienne Quek

Many people think that writing a slogan is no different from writing a headline.

Why should there be any difference since both are supposed to be short, sweet and sharp; words that aim to attract and capture attention?

This is a common mistake. Creating headlines and slogans require a lot of information. Sometimes, clients get a little touchy:

Why are you asking so many questions not relating to my products?
Why do you care about our corporate philosophy, mission, purpose and such fluffy stuff?

That’s when I have to take in a deep breath and start sharing the importance of such information and the distinctions between a headline and a slogan.

1. Tenure and Function
A headline is a quick way for your client to learn of your company’s offerings and benefits. A headline is an ad within an ad. It is the bait that lures the target audience deep into your lair so that you can achieve a buy-in. Headlines are certainly not words that are simply placed in the top position of an ad to be read first!

A slogan, on the other hand, is essentially a promise made by the company to the customers on the values and benefits they will receive. Coca Cola promises that its soda is the de facto “real thing” while Nike champions the victorious spirit of “just do it” without fear and hesitation.

You could say a slogan is a made-easy-to-understand mini-vision or a mini-mission statement. Writing a slogan is not about creating a brand image or corporate identity. The company must BE it (what the slogan represents) before the slogan itself can be created. It’s a “Be. Do. Have.”

The company must do what it takes to add value but while the “doing” part is critical, “being” comes first. If the company is not what it claims to be, whatever it does will not be congruent to the crafted slogan. If your client can call your bluff, the company can forget about having loyalty, sales and revenues. From the slogan, the client can tell a thing or two about the company’s personality, business, and even ethics, blueprint.

Headlines will be changed frequently to suit the objectives and sentiments of the specific advertisement; it will serve for the short term. While a slogan is the foundation stone and will be anchored for a long time

2. Start and End Points
Writing an advertisement headline is objective specific. It is written to meet the target of selling “an interest-free home mortgage loan” or to promote that special patented moisturizing ingredient in the detergent that “will not dry hands.” Whether the headline is long or short, as long as it can attract attention, arouse interest, evoke desire and get the audience to take action; the headline works. In short, you can set your criteria, put a yard stick in place, measure your results and calculate your returns on investment simply by changing the headline – without touching other elements. When the client has a clear and specific objective and understands which niche he is talking to, the copywriter can choose the right words and use the desired tone and manner to command a response. Even if the client isn’t very articulate with his brief, a seasoned copywriter will know what the job calls for.

For slogan writing, it is a totally different story. The challenge comes when the clients are business owners who sell their wares without purpose, commitment or passion. There is no big dream, no promise and no personality to showcase. Their products are basically me-too products with few differentiations from the rest. Each time they list a selling point, we would say “That’s a feature” or “So what? That’s nothing new.” Can a copywriter jump in and tell the boss, “let me put on my thinking cap and come out something really meaningful?” He can but should he and will he? The directive must be set by the business owner because he should be nurturing his own baby and not just push it to a caregiver. So a copywriter, when faced with such a situation, will have to lead and guide the client down a thinking process to learn the underlying meaning of their business existence. This is why slogans like “We Try Harder,” “Absolutely, Positively Has To Be There Overnight” and “We bring good things to life” resonate with their target audience.

Headlines appeal and beckon to our five senses to create a “wanting” rush and evoke buying. Slogans are emotionally driven from the heart to establish a tight bond and a long term relationship between the seller and the buyer.

3. Length Matters
Regardless of the length, as long as the headline can achieve a buy-in effect, it ticks. See David Ogilvy’s 18-word “At 60 miles an hour, the loudest sound in the new Rolls Royce comes from the electric clock” or John Caples’s 15-word “They Laughed When I Sat Down At The Piano – But When I Started to Play!” A slogan is usually much shorter; the norm is six or seven words. It should be short so that it is easily recalled and repeated. It must be memorable so that it can maximize mind share. It should be simple, so that the message is clear and specific. It must be campaign-able otherwise who can know and resonate?

William Shakespeare put it so succinctly, “When words are scarce they are seldom spent in vain.”

While this is not a full discourse, I hope that the above has given at least an inkling of some key differences between a headline and a slogan. And the next time you speak with your marketing people, you will know what you really want.

Today’s guest post is from Vivienne Quek. Vivienne is a marketing and advertising professional with nearly 20 years of experience. She owns a turn-key advertising agency. Vivienne blogs at Versa Creations.

By Deb Boyken

Question: When did you start thinking of yourself as a writer?

It’s not as easy a question as it seems. Clearly, if you make all of your money by writing, it’s easy to say, “I’m a writer.” A journalist. A novelist. A pro-blogger. A freelancer. All of these people can stand up at a class reunion with a nice, crisp answer to the “What do you do?” question.

But how about all the other people who write, but not as their primary means of income? Or for no income at all? The person with an unpublished novel sitting in their desk, or a journal filled with poems jotted down in spare moments. The occasional article in a local paper. A blog that brings in a few dollars a month.

What do you think? Are the people in this second group writers?

It’s not like there is a definitive answer, after all. You can’t define a writer by saying, “If X spends Y percent of their time writing,” or “If X earns $Y by writing,” or “If X has written Y number of articles/poems/novels,” because “Writer” is an indefinite definition. A person can write all day and all night with nary a break for food or rest, but still not be published, and therefore not a “writer” in the eyes of the world. A person could throw together a short telling of some Big Event they’d been involved in–a hurricane, a disaster–and poof, they’re a writer. A celebrity teams up with a ghost-writer and poof, they’re a writer now, too. While meanwhile, back at the ranch, the poor schmuck who’s slogging away at his ground-breaking novel isn’t considered a writer because nobody has ever even glimpsed his manuscript.

My personal feeling is that, yes, if you take the time to put words on paper
in an orderly fashion, with the intent to inform, entertain, or enlighten,
then yes, you are a writer, regardless of whether any body has seen fit to
pay you for it. Sure, it can get awkward if you’re in a crowd and you answer
the famous question with, “I’m a writer,” and get the immediate follow-up.
“Oh, what have you written?” If you can only say, “Well, I have a
blog/unpublished novel,” or “I wrote an article for Smalltown Gazette last
month,” I can tell you now, it’s going to be awkward. Uncomfortable silences
galore.

But, that’s okay. It’s not how the world views you that’s important. It’s
how you see yourself. Stand up straight and tall and say, “I’m a Writer.”

And, if you wanted to plan ahead, start thinking now about a snappy comeback
for that follow-up…

Today’s guest post is from Deb Boyken. Deb is a writer who knows how to make grammar interesting. Deb Blogs at Punctuality Rules!

Last week we talked about what we do in our time off. Not only did I get to know some of you a little bit better by learning your hobbies, the post evolved into a great discussion about writer burnout and workaholism.

This week, I’m going to practice what I preached by taking the time to recharge my writing batteries. I love writing, but I know that I can’t do my best when I’m tired and stressed (which is how I’ve been feeling lately).

Fortunately, thanks to the great community here at WritingThoughts, I’ll not be leaving you without something to read. (This is another reason why it’s so important for writer’s to network.) Several WritingThoughts readers have agreed to provide guest posts for this week (and they truly are excellent).

Here are some of the great posts that you can look forward to this week:

• On Tuesday, Deb Boyken of Punctuality Rules asks “When Is a Writer Not A Writer?”
• On Wednesday, Vivienne Quek of Versa Creations discusses the “Differences Between Headlines and Slogans.”
• On Friday, Dana Hanley of Principled Discovery shares “Writing and Blogging, Striking a Balance.”

You won’t won’t to miss any of these exciting guest posts! Then, when you have left your comments and encouragement here, be sure to stop by each guest blogger’s home blog.

A special thank-you to all of my guest bloggers this week. Enjoy the posts!

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

I know that when I first started reading blogs I used to skip, or at least skim, the comments at the end of the post. Back then, it seemed to me that the content of the post was the most important thing on the blog and that the contents were superfluous.

Over time, however, I’ve come to a totally different conclusion.

Now, I realize that, if there’s a good discussion going (such as the one we are having right now at my What Do You Do With Your Time Off? post), then the contents can actually contain as much information  (if not more) as the original post.

Not only is reading comments informative, it’s also a great way to interact with others who have similar interests.  Since I’ve started blogging I’ve come to know many individuals that I would probably never have the opportunity to meet otherwise. One of the primary ways that we’ve become acquainted is through comments.

So now, time allowing, I make a point to read the comments when I visit a blog.

What do you think? Do you read comments?

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

Lately the Internet seems to be infiltrated with folks who, for lack of a better word, seem to be workaholics. Not only do they work long hours – seven days a week – they advise others to do exactly the same thing if they want to be “successful.” (…and proud of it, too…)

The first thing that I would advise any young person who came to me for advice about their career (whether their career was in writing, or in some other field) would be to make sure that they take the time to take care of themselves. The human body and human psyche are just not designed for robotic, round-the-clock labor – even when you do enjoy what you do.

It’s difficult advice to get others (especially young people) to listen to. Why is that? Because the other way seems to work – at least, at first. When you are starting out, the “workaholic way” appears to be the way to success. Initially, it will appear that you are getting much more done and achieving much more when you overwork.

In the long run, however, overwork does not pay off. For one thing, most (dare I say, all) people cannot sustain this type of life month after month, year after year, without relying on some sort of artificial (usually unhealthy) stimulant. At the very least, overworking puts you on the fast track to burnout. At the worst, it will rob you of your health and ultimately your life. (I know, I’m old enough to have seen colleagues drop dead from heart attacks and other stress-related problems.)

The point to my rant is, whether you are a writer or a plumber, you should be making some time for yourself.

One of my goals with WritingThoughts was to build a community of writers. This isn’t just your standard writing advice blog. If you’ve been here a while, then you know that I make an effort to get to really know my readers – answering comments and visiting their blogs. With that in mind, I thought it would be fun if we shared what we do when we’re not writing.

I’ll start – I enjoy beach vacations, visiting historic homes and museums, photography, and reading. Most of all, however, I love to spend time with my family.

What about you?

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

Over at the Freelance Parent blog, Tamara Berry is discussing: What to Do When Your Project Outgrows the Agreement. It seems that Tamara recently found herself in a predicament that many writers (including yours truly) find themselves in from time to time – the project required far more work than she thought that it would.

If you’re trying to make your living as a writer, then this situation can be critical to your success. In fact, if it happens too often, then your business could be headed for disaster. Determining the project agreement, or scope, of the project is critical to ensuring that a writer doesn’t agree to work at a loss.

To keep this situation from happening too often, I’ve developed a basic list of questions that I ask prospective clients, and even existing clients, before I accept a new project. I thought it would be fun today to share that list of questions with you, and ask for your comments and feedback.

(Note: Some clients are more expressive and answer some of these questions without being asked. For others, I have to ask every single question.)

Question One: What Type of Writing Project Do You Need?

There is a world of difference between writing fresh new material and editing or revising the client’s existing material.

Question Two: What Does [Insert Client’s Term] Mean To You?

Many clients throw out terms like “light editing” or “keyword article,” without really knowing exactly what they want. By getting them to define the term more specifically you are much more likely to be able to give them an accurate estimate.

Question Three: What Is The Subject of This Writing Project?

This is an important question since it determines how much research I will need to do. There are some topics that I could write knowledgeably about with very little research. There are others that I may not be qualified to write about ever.

Question Four: Who Will Be Reading This Material?

This helps me determine the audience for the project. An article about ecology aimed at elementary school children would be quite different from an article about ecology written for doctoral students.

Question Five: Can You Show Me A Sample Of What You Think The Finished Project Would Look Like?

This is a very important question, because it helps me to determine the client’s expectations.

Question Six: What Information/Materials Will You Providing?

If I’m going to need to provide quotes from individuals to include in the writing project, then obviously that will require a lot more work. On the other hand, many clients provide links to articles that they would like me to reference and/or quotes principals in their company.

Question Seven: Will I Need Supply Any Additional Materials?

Some clients may request that I provide a royalty-free image, link, or other specific detail.

Question Eight: How Long Do You Expect The Finished Project To Be?

Web content clients typically give this answer in words. Technical writing and editing clients typically give me this answer in pages. (Be sure to ask font size and whether a page is double or single-spaced.)

Question Nine: Do You Anticipate Other Writing Projects?

This question helps me in future planning. If someone is going to give me a weekly, or monthly project, I know to create a slot for that project on my work calendar.

Question Ten: How Did You Hear About Me?

This is a marketing question that lets me know what strategies for marketing my services are most effective. (While referrals are still my number one source of new work, I’m also getting a healthy number of inquiries from clients who have seen my writing on one of my blogs.)

Notice two questions that I do not ask:

• How much are going to pay for this project?
• When is it due?

I don’t ask these questions up front (although many prospective clients volunteer this information), because I’ve found that it’s best that I provide this information to prospective clients in a free customized proposal. Since I’m the only one who really knows how long a project is going to take, I’m really the only one who can put a price on my services.

Besides, the answer to the second question is usually “yesterday.” To keep from getting overloaded, I take a look at my work calendar and fit new projects into the first available slot.

What do you think? Did I miss any questions? Do you ask different questions?

Leave a comment

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

This week’s writing blog is from veteran blogger Leo Babauta (of Zen Habits). Leo has a brand new (January 2008) writing blog called Write to Done.

Even though Write to Done has only existed about two years, it appears to have all of the “write” stuff. (I just couldn’t help the pun…) The blog covers a wide variety of topics that are of interest to a wide variety of writers (including fiction writers).

Leo’s new blog looks great, and I’m looking forward to seeing a lot more of it. If you haven’t seen this blog yet, then you should definitely take a look.

Last week’s “Of Note” blog was Writing The Cyber Highway. You can read the review here.

Note: If you’re consistently posting great information and haven’t seen your blog featured in Of Note yet, I apologize. I’ll probably find you soon. I know there are a lot of great blogs out there; I discover more new ones each day. (So many blogs, so little time.)

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

I’m snowed under this week.

Figuratively, not literally – I’m in Texas and it’s supposed to be over 70 degrees today, so it’s not actually snowing here.

I am buried in work, though. So, I decided to participate in the You Are a Part of My Life meme. The meme challenges each blogger to:

Post a quote that speaks from and to your heart and dedicate it to at least three other bloggers.

I’ll share not one, but three, of my favorite quotes about writers:

It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer – E. B. White

Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it. – C. S. Lewis

If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools to write. – Stephen King

Feel free to say what you think about the quotes. I’ll come back later and tell you why I like them.

Mig already picked Lillie and Yvonne to dedicate her post to, so I won’t pick them again (although they both deserve to be chosen). It’s hard to choose just three bloggers to dedicate the post to (because there should be so many more), but I would have to pick Vivienne, Matt, and Nikki.

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

What do you like to see on a writer’s blog? This is your chance to have your say!

Not only will the results help to make WritingThoughts a better place, they will also help me to select “Of Note” blogs that are of interest to all of us.

This week’s blog “Of Note” is Michele L. Tune’s Writing the Cyber Highway.

Michele is a freelance writer who uses her blog to “provide useful resources and inspiration to fellow writers.”

Some of Michele’s recent posts include:

• My Amazon Shopping Spree – What does a writer do when given an Amazon gift certificate? She buys books, of course. Here, Michele shares which books she bought and tells a little about each one.
• When Your Writing Well Runs Dry – a great discussion of what to do when you can’t think of anything to write.

Writing the Cyber Highway is a fun and friendly place to visit. Michele has done a good job of meeting her goal of providing resources and inspiration. If you haven’t ridden on this piece of the cyber highway yet, then you might want to give it a try.

Last week’s “Of Note” blog was WritingWorld. You can read my review of WritingWorld here.

Note: If you’re consistently posting great information and haven’t seen your blog featured in Of Note yet, I apologize. I’ll probably find you soon. I know there are a lot of great blogs out there; I discover more new ones each day. (So many blogs, so little time.)

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved