Posts by Jim Leeke
How Reliable Are Writing Tools? ‘Trust, but Verify.’
You might remember President Ronald Reagan’s maxim, “Trust, but verify.” It comes from a Russian proverb, “Doveryai, no proveryai,” which is why he quoted it to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev during the signing of a nuclear treaty in 1987. “You repeat that every meeting,” Gorbachev said, winning laugher. “I like it,” Reagan replied, drawing even…
Read MoreHow Much Info Should I Give My Agency? No Such Thing as TMI.
Say that you’re launching a new product and need your agency to create sales and marketing materials. Or say that you’ve signed with a new agency and need to bring them up to speed on your company. How much information do you provide? At Wordsmithie, we generally say, “Send us whatever you have.” There’s no…
Read MoreGood Content Means More than SEO
Content marketing comes in for a good dealing of bashing, often deservedly. The Content Marketing Institute defines the concept as a “strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.” But in practice, as J. R.…
Read MoreTime Spent Writing Is Never Wasted
Many of us at Wordsmithie also have avocations that keep us busy. As a copywriter and editorial director, I naturally write. Years ago, I left a newspaper job to go abroad and write the Great American Novel. Amazingly, it got published. Later, while working in various copywriting and communications positions, I branched into nonfiction, writing…
Read More5 Tips for Perfect Copywriting
We’ve shared with you ways of working with your copywriter and writing in the client’s voice. Now, here are five ways to help your copywriter capture your editorial style—that is, to express your message exactly the way you want it. These tips will help streamline the copywriting process. Quoting vs. paraphrasing Without specific instructions, a copywriter will…
Read MoreProtect Your Brand …Always
The recent suspension of anchor Brian Williams from the NBC Nightly News offers a valuable lesson about the importance of safeguarding your brand. And make no mistake, Williams is—or at least was—a very valuable TV brand. The anchor’s sin was embellishing his participation in various news stories. According to a Washington Post article, people in the…
Read MoreWorking With a Distributed Team
Wordsmithie works internationally, which also means we’re much more widely scattered than many agencies our size. We have ’smithies not only all across the United States, but also in Europe (Madrid) and Asia (Singapore). We routinely collaborate on projects that have us talking and collaborating with people all across the globe—from Norway to New Zealand,…
Read More3 Great Examples of Parallax Scrolling
You’ve surely noticed the increasing popularity of parallax scrolling on many websites, including our own. It’s a visual approach to storytelling that we like quite a bit here at Wordsmithie. Still, a study from Purdue University in 2013 found that although parallax scrolling “enhanced certain aspects of the user experience, it did not necessarily improve…
Read More3 Things Never to Say to Your Agency
Creating a strong case study, white paper or website requires a good working relationship between the client and agency. Communication must be honest and open. And, as in any relationship, there are a few things that you as the client absolutely don’t want to say. Utter them at your peril. “I’ll know it when I…
Read MoreAnatomy of a Great Case Study
We write a lot of case studies at Wordsmithie. They’re prime marketing tools for many of our clients, who use them in print, digital and web formats. A good case study is well worth the time, effort and expense you pour into it. Here are the essential elements: A strong story A case study is…
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