Catch a Fish from the Sea… new site now live!

November 26th, 2008

I’m very pleased to announce that the first website produced by Kendall Copywriting is now live. The product of a collaboration between Jay Alvarez, a freelance web designer, and myself, www.greenbirds.co.uk is the online home of author Nasreen Akhtar.

Nasreen recently published her first book, Catch a Fish from the Sea (Using the Internet), after creating her own publishing company, Greenbirds.

A brief synopsis of Catch a Fish from the Sea (Using the Internet):

Catch a Fish from the Sea (Using the Internet) is Nasreen Akhtar’s beguiling account of her online dating adventures, and an ordinary girl’s search for an extraordinary guy.

Battling traditional South Asian sensibilities and the wilderness of Internet dating, Nasreen fearlessly searches for someone to love – or even like. Witty, heart-breaking and bitter-sweet, Catch a Fish from the Sea is a memoir that provides a hilarious, moving account of life in multicultural Britain.

Recommended!

Having read Catch a Fish from the Sea I can heartily recommend it. You can order your copy direct via the website. And don’t forget to tell Nasreen what you think about her book! You can also vote for Catch a Fish as a Book to Talk About.

Feedback?

If you have any thoughts on Nasreen’s website, Jay and I would love to hear them.

Posted in websites | No Comments »

Copywriters on Twitter

November 25th, 2008

I was looking for a list of copywriters on Twitter, but couldn’t find one. So, I decided to start one:

Thanks firstly to @lemondrizzle, who told me about many of these esteemed copywriters:

(if you want to be added or removed from this list, email me. Links below open in new windows.)

@lemondrizzle – PR copywriter, amateur writer, storyteller, looking for illustrator
@edevries – Writer, copywriter and e-learning designer
@seocopyandstrat – David Rosam is an SEO Copywriter & online strategist
@brendancooper – Social media thingy
@johnmanley – copywriter who fired all his clients to write exclusively for his own web based businesses
@allonline2 – IT engineer, internet marketer, information junkie
@garethlpowell – author and copywriter
@nickobt – Advertising copywriter, daddy.
@copywritingblog – Professional Freelance Web Content Writer & Copywriter. Love to write ebooks, Sales Material, Web Content and PR stuff for clients all over the world
@cindyking – Cross-cultural marketer & international sales specialist, aligning cultural offers for international sales with copywriting for international markets
@divinewrite – SEO copywriter, tired father, lucky husband, compulsive reader, opportunistic runner. Owner of Divine Write Copywriting.
@rellyab – Copywriter. Mummy. Wifey. Catwrangler.
@eggboxrobin – Permission email marketer, writer, social media learner, likes singing in choirs, amateur poet
@angusmelb – I’m a copywriter who specialises in writing for the web.
@skinner – SEO/marketing consultant, deeply into search marketing and branding, Skype me: wellwrittenwords. LinkedIn: skinner[at]wellwrittenwords.com
@libbyvarcoe – Web writing trainer, web copywriter, aspiring screenwriter, toddler taimer
@traceydooley – I help entrepreneurs, authors, publishers and FTSE100/250 companies boost response rates and attract new customers.
@libbydavy – social media educator, entrepreneur, activist, artist
@hackneye – Freelance journo, (too) honest travel writer, guidebook author, hack, and copywriter from the London Borough of…
@acriley – Content Strategist. Handbag Enthusiast.
@rayedwards – Christ-follower. Husband. Father. Copywriter. Marketing strategist.
@maddiewebber – I am a Copywriter/ Web Content Manager for Kuno Creative
@jillwhalen – CEO, High Rankings – a pioneer in search engine optimization, beginning in the field in the early 1990s and founding High Rankings in 1995.
@askmammy – It’s all about YOU!
@michaelmillman – I Polish.You Prosper. $30 Million Dollar (Sales) Man. Maximum Persuasion Copywriter/Polisher, Marketing Strategist, Conversion Maximizer & Positioning Coach
@johnmcg – Online copywriter based in Reading, UK.
@rebecca_leigh – Freelance business writer creating smart, fresh copy (no lifeless corporate speak / no empty hype)
@ingridcliff – Web Words Wizard
@paigefiller – I have a crush on the written word
@vbright – quality copywriter, freelance writer,Squidoo Lensmaster, proud grandma!
@dangoldgeier – Copywriter, advertising industry columnist, videographer and video editor
@texturl – a boy. who writes. sometimes.
@helenbaker – Freelance web copywriter, editor and helping hand. Frustrated artist, photographer and armchair activist.
@wonder_wall – Likes threads n shoes; chocolate n choons. Has pet goldfish called Ian. Freelance stylist & writer.
@Gaylethewriter – I’m a freelance writer on the look out for work.
@annadewis – I love to write – advertising copy is my bread and butter, creative writing is my iced bun.
@tottielimejuice – freelance copywriter doubling as carer for mother with dementia and catching it!
@Angpang – Copywriter. Love creativity. Love excellence.
@jo_rosie – I am a creative type and I enjoy being stereotyped. I like feelings more than stuff and intend to enhance the world with my being. I also like shoes.
@mjmccracken – Freelance scribbler for branding, advertising and design. Sometimes also writes things for the Guardian.
@carolmcleod – Contented Copywriter for Green, NPO & Travel/Tourism industry, Info-junkie, social media wannabe, martial artist, mother, wife.
@WendyWells – Writer, Editor, Proofreader, Manchester United FANATIC, Instructor of Film Studies, Talks to Animals, Writes Words for the World
@Dmorrisey – Advertising writer. Radio DJ (KRCL). Baseball fan. Comic genius (self-proclaimed). East Coaster.
@clueycopy – Hot copy that gets noticed, wins business & makes sales!
@shelovestowrite – I’m a freelance advertising copywriter. I write for all kinds of clients and I LOVE my job. I’m also partial to my dog and the mighty MUFC.
@Radencovici – digital copywriter
@strikingprose – Freelance Copywriting Firm
@Cascadian – Assoc creative director at Merkle; free-market anarchist; loving husband + pug-dad; book-lover + reviewer; fan of Macs, paper, + pens.
@andymaslen – I’m an independent direct response copywriter and writing coach: I write books about copywriting too.
@chriscopywriter – christopher copywriter marketing agency | copywriting | public relations | internet marketing | search engine optimization | chris dusseldorp|creative director
@copywriterblog – copywriting top quality stories for your business communications
@CopywriterUK – As a Professional Advertising Copywriter with 20 years’ experience working for top UK advertising agencies, I promise you both creative ideas and copywriting th
@franknunz – 140 friendly

And of course there’s me: @LeifKendall

Note: These are not copywriters that I recommend. These are just copywriters that use Twitter. You’ll have to judge for yourself whether you want to follow them!

Tags: copywriters, social media, twitter
Posted in social media | 3 Comments »

Useful lessons for freelancers – #4: Adopt a Karmic attitude

November 24th, 2008

Adopt a karmic attitude to life. Be awesome to people. Do great work.

Posted in freelancing | 2 Comments »

Helping Your Clients to Write Well – A New Solution

November 18th, 2008

Web Developers, Designers, Social Media Consultants… gather round!

Have you ever given a client a shiny new blog, quietly terrified that they don’t know what to do with it?

Have you ever winced at said clients’ shoddy blog posts, which defy every good practice of web writing?

Have you ever groaned with existential agony as your clients abuse the CMS you gave them by posting large swathes of incomprehensible copy?

Guides to Good Copy

I’m planning a series of short guides that explain in simple terms what makes good writing for the web. These will be freely available and you will be welcome to share them with your clients. Heck, you can even add your own branding to them, providing you leave a little space for my name.

What Would Your Ideal Guide Include?

I want these guides to be as useful as possible, so please tell me what things regularly trouble your clients. What aspects of writing for the web (including blogs and social networks) would you like me to address?

Posted in copywriting | 6 Comments »

Useful lessons for freelancers – #3: Do admin

November 17th, 2008

You need to spend time doing administrative tasks (filing, record-keeping, paper-work – call it what you will).

It’s a nuisance, but it has to happen. Keep everything tidy, and file things systematically on your computer.

Book-keeping is boring but necessary.

Posted in freelancing | No Comments »

Charity Auction – Win a Portrait of Your Child

November 14th, 2008

I just wanted to quickly share news of my new client’s charity auction lot: Sheri Gee, a very talented portrait painter, is giving away a baby or child portrait for Children in Need.

Check out Sheri’s website here: www.sherigee.com.

Posted in general | No Comments »

Does your blogging suffer from these common mistakes?

November 14th, 2008

I recently asked the Twittersphere for suggestions of things I could blog about. Raj Anand requested something on mistakes that bloggers make.

Better to blog and suck than never blog at all

Before I launch into a few of the typical mistakes that bloggers make, I’d like to state that blogging is an open activity, designed to be free for everyone to do. So there aren’t really any rules to blogging. My points below are related to communicating, and it should be noted that the quality of your blogging becomes more important when you are blogging for your business.

So don’t feel too bad for breaking these or any other rules. It’s better to contribute and fall short of perfection than to fail to contribute.

#1 Writing in long tedious paragraphs, without any sub-headings for relief

Be kind to your readers and give them plenty of white space. Try to vary the length of your paragraphs and insert regular headings and sub-headings. This will break up your copy and help everyone who skim-reads. It’s worth reminding ourselves that headings are also great for SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).

#2 Failing to explain TLAs

WTF is a TLA? Sorry, I’ll stop that right now. WTF is an acronym for What The F@ck. And TLA is a facetious acronym for Three Letter Acronym.

My point here is that modern life is rife with TLAs. They might save everyone time, and allow us to feel clever and important, but they also exclude the uninitiated, obscure meaning and devalue your blogging. Every time you use an acronym you should explain what it means. So if you write ‘RSS’, be sure to write (Really Simple Syndication) after it.

Of course, some may argue that web users should understand TLAs and we shouldn’t have to explain them. Well, those people are wrong. If you’re blogging it’s either because you have something to share or because you love your own writing. Clearly, any reasonable person writes to communicate – in which case they must want the maximum number of people to understand them.

Even commonplace TLAs like ROI (Return On Investment) and GUI (Graphical User Interface) should be explained. Don’t assume that because something is obvious to you, it will be to everyone who reads your blog.

#3 Assuming that everyone has heard of the latest web meme/application/gimmick

If you’re blogging about cutting-edge technology, or brand new web services, or anything new, then explain WTF you’re talking about! Don’t assume that everyone has heard of it. Provide links and evidence.

#4 Not making much sense

Blog readers are charitable folk, who’ll probably tolerate your bad spelling and misuse of apostrophes, but you really should try to make sense. Re-read your posts. Does everything make sense?

Ask yourself: what am I trying to say? If you can’t remember, delete the blog post and start again. If you realise you have nothing to say, delete the blog post and start again. If you can’t work out what you’re trying to say by reading the blog post, delete and start again.

If you’re not sure if your blog post makes sense, ask someone to read. Ask them if they understand your meaning. If they don’t… DELETE!

#5 Meaningless post titles

I often see blog posts with titles that don’t mean very much. Now that might be because I’m not the right kind of reader – but every blogger should aim to make their posts understandable by every kind of reader.

#6 Theoretical nonsense.

In theory, it’s fine to cogitate on ethereal matters, but in practice, it’s much better to give your readers cold hard facts and real life examples so they can put your theory into practice.

Even better is the blogger who can ruminate on complex theories while connecting their ideas to real world examples. Give your readers something they can use, not empty ideas that waste their time.

#7 Pointless posts

Re-read every blog post, and every sentence of every blog post. Every word you write in a blog post should serve a purpose. Every word must earn its keep by communicating. Delete those words that do nothing.

And if you can’t answer this question: What is the point of this blog post? – then you should delete the post.

#8 Vocabulary porn

Keep your big words to yourself, unless they serve a purpose. And be aware that obscure words may hinder your ability to communicate.

This doesn’t mean you have to dumb-down your writing, but you must consider the effect of your word choices.

Posted in blogging, tips | 11 Comments »

Google isn’t everything: how Google doesn’t exactly reflect the real world

November 12th, 2008

I’m going to say something that is bloody obvious, but bears repeating: Google’s search results do not always reflect real life.

What I mean is that many successful businesses have quite under-nourished websites, which appear on page 2 or 3 of any relevant SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). While a number 1 position in Google’s results may be the Holy Grail of web marketing, it clearly isn’t everything.

What’s my point?

I help my clients find success on the web. I use Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and off-site tactics to drive people towards their websites. I look for ways to generate interest and income in and around their websites. But it’s crucial that my clients and I remember that the web is just a part of the business environment.

Perspective

The web is a great place, and it’s very useful for businesses, but it should not be the only aspect of a firm’s marketing activities. A website makes a perfect platform from which to start and to focus marketing activities around – but businesses also need to stand up in the real world. Those who don’t risk being overtaken by their more active counterparts. You may be winning the war on the web, but what are your competitors doing in real life?

Tags: SEO, web marketing
Posted in marketing, SEO | 2 Comments »

Useful lessons for freelancers – #2: Make ’em pay!

November 10th, 2008

If you don’t value your skills, nobody else will. So make sure people pay for your time!

Posted in freelancing | 3 Comments »

Free copywriting sample – what would you like me to write?

November 7th, 2008

Hiring a copywriter is not easy. To make it easier for you to decide whether you like the way I work or not, I’m now offering free copywriting samples. So you can try before you buy.

Send me whatever you have, whether it’s copy for print or the web, or even competition entries, articles, pitches or proposals, and I’ll work it into something fresh.

You can use the form on my Free Copywriting Sample page, or just email me: leif@kendallcopywriting.co.uk.

Posted in copywriting | 1 Comment »

What do you want from me? The Great Reader Inquisition

November 5th, 2008

Hello! Thanks for reading my blog. Recently I’ve been thinking, nay, obsessing, about you: my reader.

Who are you?
How did you find me?
What do you want from me?

Blogging on demand

I blog for many reasons, but partly so I can be useful to my clients and the greater web audience. So I’d like to stop guessing what you want, and just ask: What do you want?

What do you want to know?
What do you want me to blog about?
Are there areas of marketing, copywriting, grammar, spelling, punctuation, writing for the web or web marketing that you want me to focus on?

Posted in blogging | 5 Comments »

Freelance Advice – new blog post

November 4th, 2008

Just quickly wanted to point you in the direction of my latest Freelance Advisor article:

Freelancing: The Choice of Champions

Posted in blogging | No Comments »

Useful lessons for freelancers – #1: Look Busy

November 3rd, 2008

Look busy

Even if work slows down, you should be able to find plenty of things to do. Things like: updating your website, updating your CV, calling potential customers, calling clients and saying hello, arranging meetings with colleagues, book-keeping, admin, back-ups, blogging, networking, reading books and blogs, skill-swapping and evaluating your competition.

You should never be ‘finished’.

Tags: freelancing, tips
Posted in tips | 2 Comments »