Direct Focus

Today we mark National Truth and Reconciliation Day by wearing orange and taking time to acknowledge and honour survivors of residential schools.

COPYWRITING CLASS with Christopher: A Guide to Ad Copy

There’s no one magical strategy for creating a successful advertisement. If there was, life would be a lot easier for copywriters (or a lot more boring, at least). Every brand and every situation will definitely require a different approach, but here are a few generally universal truths you can rely on for writing ad copy.

BE CLEAR:
There’s obviously something to be said for creating a sense of mystery, but even if that is your approach, remember that it’s still pretty important for people to understand what the heck you’re talking about or what you want them to do. If audiences have to think too hard, they usually just move on.

DON’T ASK, TELL:
Using close-ended questions (especially at the beginning of the copy) immediately disqualifies potential audiences. Open-ended questions are better, and they certainly have a place, but why even provide an option? It can be so much easier to just tell people what to think or do.

PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH:
Whatever you say in your ad content has to be the truth (or at least very close to the truth). If you promise audiences one thing and then deliver another at the next step of the funnel, you will betray their trust. That's a powerful result, so you’ve probably lost your chance at converting them forever.

DON’T OVERTHINK IT:
Cute wording, cleverness, puns and jokes, double meanings—that’s all good stuff, but it should never come at the expense of an ad’s efficacy. If you can’t make something fancy or intricate work properly, then go with something more direct: simplicity may not be as exciting, but it rarely backfires.

Today we mark IT Professionals Day with a big “thank you” and a promise to always try restarting our computers before calling for help. Thanks for everything you do, IT team!

MARKETING MOOD with Jess: Building Anticipation

Whether you’re launching a new product, brand, or service, you want to create some tantalizing engagements to keep your clients and customers on their toes.

BE A TEASE: The corner of a book cover, a snippet of a logo, a collar of a shirt—get up-close and personal with your product or brand imagery without giving the entire thing away.

START A COUNTDOWN: Many social media platforms have built-in countdowns to incorporate into your posts. You can also create countdown-related copy and images to post anywhere.

LEVERAGE A NEWSLETTER: Pre-launch is a perfect time to get people’s attention and stay on their radar. Create a mailing list to share more promos, freebies, and other valuable content. Perhaps a sign-up to the mailing list can provide a coveted pre-sale or discount code.

GET STRATEGIC: Do some research on the best times of the day, month, and year to launch something new. Finesse your strategy, execute it, then take a little break— too many launches and too many countdowns can cheapen your sales strategies.

Yes, we're already nostalgic for summer. Our highlight was probably Spirit Week, which was loaded with fun, food, costumes, and (mostly friendly) competition.

Special shout out to team yellow (The Lemon Heads) for taking top spot on the podium at the always-exciting DF Summer Games.

What was the best part of your summer?

We see the beginning of September as a time of change and evolution. What transitions will you be working through this season?

COPYWRITING CLASS with Christopher: Literary Devices

Writing that’s interesting is usually more easily remembered, which is a good thing in marketing and advertising (that’s rumour, at least). Employing literary devices can be an effective way to spice up your copy—when used appropriately, of course. Here are a few suggestions!

ALLITERATION: It can be a bit silly, and it may induce an eye roll or two, but alliteration definitely adds some dynamism to what would otherwise be stale messaging.

PERSONIFICATION: When people relate to someone/something, they’re more likely to appreciate and enjoy the interaction. Give something inanimate some life—it may help!

ONOMATOPOEIA: Using this device will definitely trend your copy in a more playful direction, but there’s no denying it can grab attention.

SIMILE: Similar to personification, a well-placed simile will help audiences understand a concept or message that might otherwise be a bit confusing.

MARKETING MOOD with Jess: Activism

START INTERNALLY: Before you even begin setting up a social media calendar or looking at what activism/awareness campaigns are happening this month, check out your own organization first. Inspect your core values, look at company history—all that stuff. It's also a good idea to find out what your organization stands for and seeing if it is that reflected in hiring, customer service, and internal procedures. This is all important because while it is great for us to use corporate power for good, audiences (internal or external) will be quick to critique and criticize any disconnect between what an organization says and what they actually do.

KNOW YOUR SCOPE: Once you’ve established what your organization does and cares about, you can undertake an activism audit. There is, unfortunately, a lot of work to be done in this world, and one organization, including yours, cannot (and probably should not) chime in on every global issue. Authenticity and integrity are backed up by action, not just posts, so consider using online activism only when it can be backed up by tangible results as opposed to just “awareness.”

BE INTENTIONAL: When you’ve identified what aligns with your company’s values and actions, plan content with clarity and intention. Why are you posting instead of sharing someone else’s content? What can you contribute to the greater good? If you don’t have a good answer to this, maybe it’s not a good move. Many brands fall prey to “Last Minute-itis,” which is throwing together a post the day of an important event just for fear of being seen as silent and uncaring. Content around sensitive matters should be created thoughtfully and with the input of the impacted parties whenever possible.

LOOK BEYOND THE CALENDAR: Most social media coordinators have felt a distinctive “ick” feeling as they delete their rainbow logo on exactly July 1st. The same can be said for Black History Month in February, Truth and Reconciliation Day in September, and many other awareness movements. Consider incorporating this activism into your marketing plan beyond just one post a year.

ACCESSIBILITY, LANGUAGE, AND IMAGERY: Finally, we can incorporate activism into what we do every single day on a smaller scale. Marketing strategies should account for how language and image translate to different groups. Is your stock or vector imagery representative or many groups or just a few? Who is missing from the group photo, what language is potentially causing harm, and how can you ensure your content is accessible and respectful?

Today is Terry Fox Day. We celebrate the sacrifice this incredible human made for all Canadians living with cancer. Follow the link to donate today. Cheers, Terry.

🔗: https://terryfox.org

Everybody always says to "just be yourself," but is there anything more terrifying?

Putting yourself out there, trying your best—it takes courage, and it's scary, but it's necessary in order to find success (whatever that looks like for you). We believe in you!