Claire Orr

Senior Designer

With a keen eye for detail and a passion for complex projects, Claire is a California-based, multidimensional graphic designer who’s worked for several major players in corporate branding and marketing such as Visa, Google, Oracle, GoPro, BlackBerry, and Meta. Her career has afforded her many unique opportunities over the past 30+ years, including supporting the Olympic Games, FIFA, and NFL sporting events, in addition to helping tech startups get off the ground. Never one to shy away from new experiences, Claire has a wide swath of interests from hiking to DIY, and loves to create big adventures out of day trips.

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Nick Hartley

UX Content Strategist

Originally from North Carolina, Nick grew up in the competitive classical piano circuit where he won numerous competitions and awards, performing nationally and globally both solo and in orchestral ensembles. A graduate of Rice University, he led UX writing and content design for Google’s Fitbit emerging AI health solutions before joining Wordsmithie. A true polyglot (Deutsch, Español, 中文, and Latin, plus bits of Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Catalán), Nick is a voracious reader of fiction and fantasy, and as a foodie enjoys cafe hopping around Philadelphia, where he’s been based for more than a decade with his spouse and their Yorkie, Oliver.

Ryan Blyston happy place rooting for New Jersey Devils

Ryan Blystone

Editor

Ryan is a California resident and native who’s also called Alaska, Colorado, and Louisiana home for short stints. With a journalism degree from California State University, Fullerton, he has held several roles during his more than two decades of newspaper experience, including sportswriting, editing, and design. As a higher education communication specialist, Ryan worked with the University of San Diego and has participated in and covered student, faculty, and alumni travels in India, Mexico, and Uganda. A lifelong hockey fan whose happy place is attending any NHL game, Ryan has twice attended the Winter Olympics and has been a New Jersey Devils fan since 1977, when they were known as the Colorado Rockies.

Adam Franklin

Editor

With a passion for intentional communication, Adam’s formal knowledge of grammar and diction fuels his work for tech, tourism, and marketing clients as a developmental and structural editor, copyeditor, line editor, and proofreader. After several years at sea and a few more confronting creatures that live under houses, he can now be found in the Pacific Northwest, raising his two daughters (with the help of his cat), roasting coffee, and exploring the spiritual implications of the horror genre.

Jeff Hunt

Writer

A writer and editor his entire adult life, Jeff has most recently been editing university-level art school coursework as well as audio, text, and images for a local, award-winning podcast, Storied: San Francisco. His happy place is exploring the natural beauty of the planet, particularly Northern California’s Mendocino Coast surrounded by his wife, their two dogs, and good friends, food, and drink.

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Strategy

branding

Revisit your brand every once in awhile

Keep your brand up-to-date by staying in touch with what’s happening in your field — the latest technologies, techniques, trends, and styles.

Keep it fresh!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Strategy

branding

You’re a storyteller. Sing it!

You don’t have to tell your whole life story to the world, but if you were to describe your public persona as a character, what would she or he be like? Resonate with others.

Get a little personal!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Strategy

Content Marketing

The ears have it.

More searches, shopping, and content consumption are happening with voice commands over car and home smart speakers, smart phones, and earbuds. Make sure your content is voice-ready by doing things like writing your FAQ pages in conversational language or structuring your SEO content to answer the who, what, where, or how that people want to know.

Make your content heard!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Strategy

Brainstorming

Keep asking. Fuggedabout the answer.

Keep the juices flowing with the starbursting technique by asking more questions instead of seeking the answer. A statement like “Our new smartphone should have the best low-light camera” could be followed with a question: “What does the customer for that look like?”

Just like your favorite two-year-old, keep the questions coming!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Strategy

Copywriting

Let your customers teach you their voice.

You need to be able to relate to your customers in order to engage with them in a deeper way. Don’t invent a messaging strategy from scratch. Instead, invest your time into learning what your customers already resonate with.

Make an effort to learn who they are, where they are, and what they respond to, so you can join in on the conversation authentically.

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Strategy

Brainstorming

Brainstorm your brainstorm.

If you’re leading a brainstorming session, you should bring some inspiration from any existing strategy and research, but you can also gain inspiration from unexpected things that you may encounter.

So, keep an open mind, and let the world be your spark!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Strategy

Work from Home

Put a face to the name.

87% of remote workers feel more connected to their team with video conferencing. Texts and emails are great to keep the communication going, but seeing a smile and hearing a laugh every so often makes working at a home office feel much less lonely.

Choose software that’s easy to use. Google Meet is good for both client and team meetings as outside users can join without creating an account.

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Strategy

Content Marketing

Take the opportunity to link to other assets.

Whenever possible, direct your users to interact further with your brand instead of ending the conversation.

For example, include links to 1-3 other pages/content assets in the “thank you” message after someone completes a form.

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Strategy

Content Marketing

Pass the cocktail party test.

When thinking of a name for your business, make sure it can be easily found when recommended by word of mouth.

For example, if you register your business name as “Hony”, you’ll need to spell it out for people you meet at networking parties, otherwise they’ll likely end up googling “Honey”.

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Strategy

Work from Home

Organize meetups with your remote team.

Video conferencing does a great job of building team spirit. However, meeting your co-workers in real life is an experience that technology has yet to replicate.

Think about quarterly regional get-togethers or annual global meetups to get staff together. Once people connect and build rapport in person, it can make remote work run more smoothly the rest of the year.

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Thanks for your contribution, Heidi L. Have a Toolbox Tip of your own? Submit your idea here, and we may just put your name up in lights!

Copywriting

Get ’em interested enough to read on

The first paragraph of your press release should include the whos, whats, whens, wheres, and hows of your announcement. Then take a deeper dive in the second paragraph.

Just the facts up-front!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Copywriting

Use your “mental scissors”

When you finish your next piece, make one more pass. Look for any word over eight letters, and cut it in two. Every time we swap a long word for a short one, we make our message twice as easy for the reader.

Shorter and simpler for the win!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Copywriting

Headlines: One rule you should break.

When it comes to headlines, use numerals instead of spelling out numbers. This better grabs the reader’s attention, even though it makes your 7th-grade English teacher wince if the number is under 11.

Digits for the win!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Copywriting

Bullets: Aim for consistency.

When crafting a bulleted list, make sure your items follow the same structure, such as starting each with a (different) verb or making each item a question.

The goal? Clean, consistent, and clear!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Content Marketing

Be a thoughtful guest.

When pitching guest blogs to other websites, they probably won’t be interested in more of the same stuff that their own writers produce. Aim to give them unique-but-related expertise that’s also within their editorial standards.

Balance blending in and standing out!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Content Marketing

Question me an answer.

When crafting content for your product or service, think about the questions your customers might be asking, and make sure your value props answer them. Search engines will also reward you with better results.

Keep it conversational!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Thanks for your contribution, Arris S. Have a Toolbox Tip of your own? Submit your idea here, and we may just put your name up in lights!

Copywriting

Make it personal

Draw your audience in by sharing personal accounts and anecdotes. When readers personally identify with content, it can actually lead to better site traffic and higher engagement. And If your platform permits it, encourage readers to share their own experiences.

Creating a sense of community goes a long way to fostering loyalty to your organization or brand.

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Content Marketing

Establish credibility.

Did you ever see someone pull out big numbers and make bold statements without showing anything to back up their claims? Taking that extra time to cite your sources or add a hyperlink can mean the difference between being perceived as a thought leader and a sweet talker.

All information comes from somewhere—say where. It’s a simple practice that pays dividends.

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Editorial

Content Marketing

“This is the second blog in our series…”

Okay, but where is the first part?! Readers won’t bother going out of their way to try and find it – they expect you to lead them to it.

If a blog post is part of a series, link it to the prior piece and note when the next part will launch.

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

SEO

Your snippet can make or break your content.

The number of “no-click” searches is on the rise. Although we’re all tempted to be quirky with our headlines and meta descriptions, sometimes keeping it simple drives more engagement.

It’s important to ensure your featured snippet is concise, yet highly descriptive. Use more long-tail keywords to target specific “How do I” questions, and let users know they can find the answer on your website.

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Thanks for your contribution, Heidi L. Have a Toolbox Tip of your own? Submit your idea here, and we may just put your name up in lights!

Copywriting

Get ’em interested enough to read on

The first paragraph of your press release should include the whos, whats, whens, wheres, and hows of your announcement. Then take a deeper dive in the second paragraph.

Just the facts up-front!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Copywriting

Use your “mental scissors”

When you finish your next piece, make one more pass. Look for any word over eight letters, and cut it in two. Every time we swap a long word for a short one, we make our message twice as easy for the reader.

Shorter and simpler for the win!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Strategy

branding

Revisit your brand every once in awhile

Keep your brand up-to-date by staying in touch with what’s happening in your field — the latest technologies, techniques, trends, and styles.

Keep it fresh!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Strategy

branding

You’re a storyteller. Sing it!

You don’t have to tell your whole life story to the world, but if you were to describe your public persona as a character, what would she or he be like? Resonate with others.

Get a little personal!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Copywriting

Headlines: One rule you should break.

When it comes to headlines, use numerals instead of spelling out numbers. This better grabs the reader’s attention, even though it makes your 7th-grade English teacher wince if the number is under 11.

Digits for the win!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Copywriting

Bullets: Aim for consistency.

When crafting a bulleted list, make sure your items follow the same structure, such as starting each with a (different) verb or making each item a question.

The goal? Clean, consistent, and clear!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Content Marketing

Be a thoughtful guest.

When pitching guest blogs to other websites, they probably won’t be interested in more of the same stuff that their own writers produce. Aim to give them unique-but-related expertise that’s also within their editorial standards.

Balance blending in and standing out!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Content Marketing

Question me an answer.

When crafting content for your product or service, think about the questions your customers might be asking, and make sure your value props answer them. Search engines will also reward you with better results.

Keep it conversational!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Strategy

Content Marketing

The ears have it.

More searches, shopping, and content consumption are happening with voice commands over car and home smart speakers, smart phones, and earbuds. Make sure your content is voice-ready by doing things like writing your FAQ pages in conversational language or structuring your SEO content to answer the who, what, where, or how that people want to know.

Make your content heard!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Gettings Things Done

Email

Change the subject.

Ever started searching frantically through your email inbox to find that critical message as your client waits on the other end of the line? The longer an email thread becomes, the easier it is to lose important emails in the vortex. If the content changes as the conversation thread gets longer, go ahead and change the subject before you hit “Reply”.

If want to keep a key message on top of your mountain of emails, give it a new subject line!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Thanks for your contribution, Heidi L. Have a Toolbox Tip of your own? Submit your idea here, and we may just put your name up in lights!

Copywriting

Get ’em interested enough to read on

The first paragraph of your press release should include the whos, whats, whens, wheres, and hows of your announcement. Then take a deeper dive in the second paragraph.

Just the facts up-front!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Copywriting

Use your “mental scissors”

When you finish your next piece, make one more pass. Look for any word over eight letters, and cut it in two. Every time we swap a long word for a short one, we make our message twice as easy for the reader.

Shorter and simpler for the win!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Strategy

branding

Revisit your brand every once in awhile

Keep your brand up-to-date by staying in touch with what’s happening in your field — the latest technologies, techniques, trends, and styles.

Keep it fresh!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Strategy

branding

You’re a storyteller. Sing it!

You don’t have to tell your whole life story to the world, but if you were to describe your public persona as a character, what would she or he be like? Resonate with others.

Get a little personal!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Copywriting

Headlines: One rule you should break.

When it comes to headlines, use numerals instead of spelling out numbers. This better grabs the reader’s attention, even though it makes your 7th-grade English teacher wince if the number is under 11.

Digits for the win!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Copywriting

Bullets: Aim for consistency.

When crafting a bulleted list, make sure your items follow the same structure, such as starting each with a (different) verb or making each item a question.

The goal? Clean, consistent, and clear!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Content Marketing

Be a thoughtful guest.

When pitching guest blogs to other websites, they probably won’t be interested in more of the same stuff that their own writers produce. Aim to give them unique-but-related expertise that’s also within their editorial standards.

Balance blending in and standing out!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Editorial

Content Marketing

Question me an answer.

When crafting content for your product or service, think about the questions your customers might be asking, and make sure your value props answer them. Search engines will also reward you with better results.

Keep it conversational!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Strategy

Content Marketing

The ears have it.

More searches, shopping, and content consumption are happening with voice commands over car and home smart speakers, smart phones, and earbuds. Make sure your content is voice-ready by doing things like writing your FAQ pages in conversational language or structuring your SEO content to answer the who, what, where, or how that people want to know.

Make your content heard!

Wordsmithie Toolbox

Gettings Things Done

Email

Change the subject.

Ever started searching frantically through your email inbox to find that critical message as your client waits on the other end of the line? The longer an email thread becomes, the easier it is to lose important emails in the vortex. If the content changes as the conversation thread gets longer, go ahead and change the subject before you hit “Reply”.

If want to keep a key message on top of your mountain of emails, give it a new subject line!

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