A New Marketing Commentator » Branding

4 Lessons Marketers Can Learn from Local TV News Reporters

Bob Cargill — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:42:29 +0000

This post was initially published on BostInnovation on July 28, 2011. To read the original post there, click here.

Today – thanks to social media, smartphones and other new digital communications platforms and tools – what the savviest of consumers are asking of their favorite brands is almost as much as they’d expect from their best friends and family. They want your time, support and undivided attention – and they want it at their convenience. It’s not just due to modern technology, though. It’s a bold, new sense of entitlement that’s been enthusiastically adopted by those on the receiving end of your messages.

In this era in which the corporation has ceded control – albeit reluctantly – to the customer, businesses can’t afford to be seen as out of touch, behind the times or just plain unavailable. How do marketing professionals who are both behind the scenes and on the front lines of the brands they represent adapt to, if not embrace, such a monumental paradigm shift?

Here’s one thought. Study the communications styles and strategies of some of the most popular television news reporters in Boston, men and women who seem to always be on the cutting-edge when it comes to connecting with a demanding audience. Here are four lessons you can learn from these folks and act on immediately across all of your marketing channels.

1. Have a flair for the dramatic. Like WHDH 7NEWS reporters Dan Hausle, Ryan Schulteis and Susan Tran and their colleagues do, tell a good story whenever you have the opportunity. Unlike them, however, you don’t have to be covering a bad accident, a huge fire or a serious crime to capture people’s attention. In and of itself, your product or service should be news-worthy enough. Whatever you’re pitching, wherever you’re pitching it, use emotional, descriptive language to get your points across effectively and make your brand stand out in a competitive marketplace.

2. Don’t miss a beat. Take advantage of the fact that breaking news is so hard to ignore. Nonprofit organizations have always done this especially well, either asking for text donations or sending telegram-like direct mail fundraising packages that impart a sense of urgency as soon as possible after natural disasters. But current events don’t have to be related to your business in order for you to share them with your constituency and benefit from the exposure. Leveraging social media, any organization can act like a broadcaster and provide live, real-time news updates that will help call attention to your brand.

3. Put a smiling face on your brand. Long gone are the days when the public will hang on every word said about your company. Even if what you have to offer is the best thing since sliced bread, it just isn’t that simple anymore. There are too many reasons to tune you out. If people aren’t too busy to listen to you, they’re either skeptical or easily distracted – and yes, quick to exercise their many options. That’s why you need to put personality into your promotion and a smiling face on your brand. It’s even good to laugh it up once in while. Watch Gene Lavanchy, Kim Carrigan, Elizabeth Hopkins, Doug VB Goudie, and Cindy Fitzgibbon on the FOX 25 Morning News. They don’t take themselves too seriously. Yet they’re talented, charismatic and extraordinarily good at their craft, perfect role models, if you ask me, for anyone who’s trying to win over an audience.

4. Engage with your audience. For the same reason television news reporters interview bystanders on the scene of a big story, ask viewers to share photos (see the WBZ-TV Weather Watchers, for a good example) and talk to their fans on Twitter, marketers should be mingling with their own constituents. Ask your customers and prospects to post product reviews, eyewitness reports and other forms of consumer-generated media online. It behooves you to receive such direct, honest perspectives from those whose attention you covet. But there’s another, perhaps even more important, reason to interact with the public. Commerce has gone social. People are talking about you (online and off), whether you like it or not. So it pays to inject yourself into those conversations and – ideally – win more friends in the process.

10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter, Parts 1-10

Bob Cargill — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 15:06:16 +0000

If you’ve been reading this blog for the last few months, you know I’ve been writing a series of posts on copywriting. Similar to the approach I took with my series on social media, I’ve looked at copywriting from a 30,000-foot level, focusing on the principles you need to be mindful of if you want to succeed in this profession.

As I wrote about my own career in the very first post in this series…

I may have worked for a number of different companies, developed new skills and taken on new responsibilities – such as creative direction, public speaking and social media – along the way, but I’ve also stayed true to my roots as a copywriter.

And after all of these years writing headlines and subject lines, direct mail packages and email blasts, blog posts and brochures, teasers and tweets, I’ve been able to draw a handful of conclusions about what it takes to succeed as a copywriter.

Now that I’ve completed this 2,800-word series on copywriting, I’ve bundled each post together and archived them as one long article, “10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter,” which you can read in its entirety here. Or simply click on the fifth tab over (the next to last one to the right) at the top of this blog.

For your convenience, I’ve also listed each post in this series below with its corresponding link.

As always, if you have any feedback for me, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or click “Like” below. Thank you.

To read the entire 2,800-word “10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter” series, click here.

To read each post in this series, one at a time, follow the links below…

10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter, Part 10

Bob Cargill — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 18:02:32 +0000

10. Use social media.

A copywriter’s job is to use the written word to promote something or someone using a variety of media, anything from radio to TV, direct mail to email, websites to billboards, print ads to assorted signage, sky writing, you name it.

And today, included among all that tried-and-true, traditional media are blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other popular Internet-based, self-publishing vehicles.

The fact is, anyone working in the marketing, advertising, sales and PR fields who knows how to use social media tools and technologies will likely be much more successful amidst this new communications era.

And those who earn a living writing copy have an obvious competitive advantage. After all, the better you write, the better chance you have of stringing together the right messages for the right occasions and making yourself heard loud and clear above the social media din.

So use social media – but not just on behalf of your clients and customers, on behalf of yourself, too.

Social media is the ideal forum for a copywriter. It’s where you can network with other like-minded professionals, keep up on breaking news and learn from industry gurus. It’s also where you can share your own knowledge and expertise, where you can actually practice — and demonstrate — your craft in public.

Writing tweets, blog posts, status updates, notes and anything else in social media not only keeps your writing fresh, it keeps you up to speed on the latest communications platforms. It’s a great way to connect with the modern world and succeed as a copywriter in today’s day and age.

This is the 10th in a 10-post series on how to succeed as a copywriter. In the near future, I’ll be publishing the entire series as one long post (probably as a separate page) somewhere here on my blog, A New Marketing Commentator. If you have any feedback on this series for me, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or click “like” below. Thanks.

Previous Posts in This Series

10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter, Part One
Dare to be different.
10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter, Part Two
Care deeply about results.
10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter, Part Three
Walk in your readers’ shoes.
10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter, Part Four
Develop strong presentation skills.
10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter, Part Five
Keep your head out of the sand.
10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter, Part Six
Exercise good judgment.
10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter, Part Seven
Meet your deadlines.
10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter, Part Eight
Be a team player.
10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter, Part Nine
Sweat the small stuff.

10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter, Part Nine

Bob Cargill — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 18:55:18 +0000

9. Sweat the small stuff.

It’s one thing to be a creative genius, to be that extra special someone in the room who can come up with surprisingly brilliant ideas practically on demand, time and time again.

That’s the glamour and glory of the business.

But the consummate copywriter is actually a stickler for details, someone who’s as strong on the left side of the brain as the right, who’s as analytical and obsessive as conceptual and extemporaneous, who’s as aware of the importance of being an accurate, fact-based tactician as much as an original, award-winning craftsperson.

That part of the job is not as exciting as it is necessary.

Yes, it’s not good enough to be just a great wordsmith and marketer. If you want to earn a living as a copywriter, you also have to be a good researcher and project manager, an avid reader and a competent verbal communicator, someone who can appreciate the fact that a great deal of your success depends on your ability to wear a variety of other hats well when you’re not actually writing.

To sweat the small stuff means to be punctual and deadline-oriented, to ask the right questions and make the right points during meetings and presentations.

It also means to be a good proofreader and gatekeeper. So don’t count on someone else to catch your mistakes. Be your own worst critic. Use a spell-checking program. And keep a dictionary on your desk. Scrupulously review every single word you write before you turn it over to the powers that be. After all, nothing can undermine your credibility as a copywriter faster than a typo or misspelling.

This is the ninth in a 10-post series on how to succeed as a copywriter. In the very near future, I’ll publish the last post in this series here on my blog, A New Marketing Commentator. Please stay tuned. And if you have any feedback on this series for me, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or click “like” below. Thanks.

Previous Posts in This Series

10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter, Part Eight

Bob Cargill — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 17:29:09 +0000

8. Be a team player.

Most copywriters are accustomed to working alone, sequestered away from the rest of the team, doors closed, blinds drawn, working feverishly against time.

It’s what we do out of necessity, when there’s no room for distractions and we just need to put our heads down to get the job done as soon as possible.

Yet while it’s certainly not unusual for a copywriter to do his or her thing in isolation, battling loneliness as well as the clock, it really shouldn’t be the norm.

Sure, to succeed as a copywriter, you need to be a self-starter, capable of working independently for long stretches of time. But you also need to be a team player, someone who works well with others – especially designers, creative directors and account people – and can appreciate the importance of timely, seamless handoffs between everyone involved in a project.

You need to be disciplined enough to work in a vacuum (if necessary), but you don’t want to be an introvert. The more enthusiastically you collaborate and communicate with others, the better.

If you’re invited to a meeting, be punctual and prepared to participate.

If you’re taking changes to your work, respond promptly and positively.

If you’re given a deadline, beat it.

Brainstorm – or just plain socialize – with your colleagues and clients as much as possible. Get away from your desk and out of your office whenever the opportunity presents itself.

If you go out of your way to show your support for those who depend on you, they’ll be more likely to return the favor and do everything they can to ensure your success.

This is the eighth in a 10-post series on how to succeed as a copywriter. In the near future, I’ll publish the remaining two posts in this series (not necessarily consecutively), here on my blog, A New Marketing Commentator. Please stay tuned. And if you have any feedback on this series for me, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or click “like” below. Thanks.

Previous Posts in This Series

10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter, Part Seven

Bob Cargill — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 14:27:05 +0000

7. Meet your deadlines.

If you’ve been around the block once or twice as a copywriter, you know better than to think anyone’s going to just give you enough time to do your very best work. You have to make the time.

Yup. Over the course of my career, I’ve rarely seen a schedule that permits a copywriter the luxury of putting in the time he or she would really like to dedicate to a project.

Every assignment is a rush. Everything is due yesterday. That’s the nature of advertising and marketing, the bane of a copywriter’s existence. That’s the one thing you have to understand if you want to succeed in this business.

Incredibly tight deadlines come with the territory. And those deadlines had better be met.

That doesn’t mean you can’t ask for an extension if you don’t have enough time to finish an assignment. But if you want to establish a reputation as a reliable, low-maintenance copywriter, the wordsmith to go to for high-quality work that’s on time, every time, don’t make it a habit.

There’s a reason why so many copywriters are accustomed to burning the candle at both ends.

Deadlines.

No, copywriting is not a nine to five job. It’s a matter of jumping through hoops and going the extra mile. It’s a demanding profession and stressful occupation, a serious commitment you make to your colleagues and clients.

This is the seventh in a 10-post series on how to succeed as a copywriter. Over the course of the next few months, I’ll publish the balance of the series, one post at a time (not necessarily consecutively), here on my blog, A New Marketing Commentator. Please stay tuned. And if you have any feedback on this series for me, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or click “like” below. Thanks.

Previous Posts in This Series

10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter, Part Six

Bob Cargill — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 14:45:22 +0000

6. Exercise good judgment.

A copywriter has meetings to attend and research to conduct, but the majority of his or her work hours are spent, well, writing copy – and often under the pressure of exceedingly high expectations and incredibly tight deadlines.

Talent is important. But so is good judgment. Whatever you’re writing, you have to have both the experience and intuition to choose just the right words for the assignment time after time.

You also have to decide for yourself when to let go of your work and share it with your colleagues and clients.

As Roger von Oech writes on page 110 of his book, “A Kick In The Seat Of The Pants”…

“The judge performs the evaluation function of the creative process. When you adopt this role, you decide what to do with the idea: implement it, modify it, or discard it completely. In carrying out this task, you should recognize imperfections in the new idea without overstating them. You should also be open to interesting possibilities and use your imagination to develop these without losing your sense of reality and perspective.”

This is the sixth in a 10-post series on how to succeed as a copywriter. Over the course of the next few months, I’ll publish the balance of the series, one post at a time (not necessarily consecutively), here on my blog, A New Marketing Commentator. Please stay tuned. And if you have any feedback on this series for me, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or click “like” below. Thanks.

Previous Posts in This Series