reynoldswriting.com Blog

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — hiring a professional writer can save businesses a lot of valuable time and effort. Not only can overworked business owners or marketers devote themselves to more profitable pursuits, but they’ll also get polished, effective copy in a fraction of the time they would spend doing it themselves.

Ever wonder why that is?

Sure, it’s easy to make vague references to practice making perfect and the development of one’s writing “chops,” but what are we really talking about here? What is it about writing every day that makes the words come faster and better? What really happens between the ears of an experienced writer that makes the fingers fly?

I stumbled across a fascinating article by CUNY Writing Fellow Carlos Penaloza that offers some possible answers. Penaloza refers to several scholarly studies indicating that habitual activities actually rewire the brain, creating new biochemical pathways that make the activity progressively easier with repetition. The brain literally remodels itself based on what we do and how often we do it.

Why can that pole vaulter sail over the bar every time? Well, because he’s talented. But aside from that, he’s done it a zillion times more than you or I have. He’s trained his brain to issue the precise instructions his body needs to perform the vault at top efficiency. So it goes with writing — or any other occupation.

What’s more, it seems that habitual everyday writing makes it easier for us to finish a writing project once we start. I’ve rescued countless clients who set out to write their own marketing copy, only to get hopelessly stuck at some point in the proceedings. They knew what they meant to say, they certainly had the intelligence and eloquence to say it well, but they hadn’t sailed through choppy writing waters often enough to do much more than lash themselves to the mast and hope things work themselves out — a good way to end up in the middle of nowhere.

So when you hire a professional writer who bangs the keys every day, you’re employing the most efficient possible solution to your writing needs. A couple hours of a professional’s time will yield better results and cost you less than losing ten or twenty hours of expensive downtime to rusty writing neurons. The practiced writer’s brain is a high-speed writing machine that delivers quality work on a deadline. And best of all, it’s available for rental.

You can get inside this writer’s head by visiting www.reynoldswriting.com.

It’s nothing personal. I like you. I like communicating with you at events and whatnot. I might well enjoy reading regular, relevant articles, tips and news items in your e-newsletter. But somehow it just isn’t working out that way.

Do you wonder why more people don’t respond to your e-newsletters? I can’t give you a definite answer without actually taking a look for myself, and even then you’re getting my opinion, not your target audience’s. I can, however, tell you what turns me off. I get plenty of e-newsletters each month. I don’t read many of them. It’s not the medium — it’s the content.

Many of the people who send me e-newsletters have apparently mastered the art of ensuring that I won’t read them. For the rest of you on the borderline, here are a few things you can do to guarantee that I will NOT want to read your e-newsletter:

Don’t ask me if I want it. After all, we chatted at an industry event six months ago, right? Okay, we didn’t chat, but we met. Okay we didn’t actually meet, but we traded business cards. Okay, we didn’t trade cards but we were physically in the same room….None of this automatically means that I’m dying to receive regular emails from you. Ask me first.

Don’t allow me to opt out. Assuming I agreed to receive the e-newsletter, I still might want the option to remove myself from the email list at some point. If I don’t see that option, then I’ll have to opt YOU out instead — by sending all your emails to the spam bin.

Send massive amounts of content that I have no time to read. Most of us check our email on the fly in the midst of a busy workday. If that in-depth white paper or industry study looks like it’s going to seriously derail my forward momentum, I’ll put it aside — and it’ll never get read.

Send the same info over and over again. Tweaking 10 percent of your e-newsletter content each issue does not create a new experience for me.

Send me something every freaking (day/2 days/week/choose your own irritating interval). Even if it’s great stuff, send it too frequently and the signal turns to noise. I tune noise out. How frequently is “too frequently?” Ask your readers.

Send at irregular intervals. Are you publishing quarterly? Monthly? Randomly? Create a regular schedule and stick to it, because that’s what professionals do.

Ask me for money. Just — don’t.

For more about me, my writing services and current package deals, check out my website at www.reynoldswriting.com.

Here’s another of my mini-interviews with some of my regular collaborators from the marketing world. Today we’ll hear from Jennifer Davis, a freelance graphic designer I’ve worked with on many print marketing jobs. Jennifer not only has 15 years’ graphic design experience, but she also has an advanced knowledge of printing, copying and document management systems.

WR: How has your experience as a document management specialist helped you as a graphic designer?

JD: Document management involves the most efficient movement of information through a company. My knowledge of document management strategies has given me an edge when it comes to seeing the pieces I create and understanding what role they play in the company’s organization. I can visualize the documents I create in terms of how they reflect and complement the business’s overall branding and corporate philosophy, and how they will interact with other forms and documents to help make the company’s intended statement about itself.

WR: What’s the collaborative process between a graphic designer and copywriter?

JD: You and I both need the same information when we work on a project. We need to know the purpose of the piece, the target audience and what it needs to accomplish. You have your job and I have mine, but we both have to stay on the same page and make sure each of us knows all the answers to the critical questions. One thing we often find in working together is that the initial spark can start from either end. Your words might inspire a certain visual approach in my work, or I might give you an image and have you write to that image.

WR: What should someone look for when shopping around for a graphic designer?

JD: A portfolio with a varied style, something that shows range. If a designer’s work all conforms to one style, that designer may not have the flexibility to handle a wide range of jobs or clients. Make sure your designer is willing to look at your competitors’ marketing and use the styles that work best within your industry. Look for a designer who will put your needs first. I tend to think of myself as a salesperson first and a designer second. I love the creative side of the work, but it’s never just me trying to express myself on paper. I put my creativity at the service of the client because the priority, to me, is to give the client a final product that represents a high professional standard, makes an impression and affects the way the client is perceived in the marketplace. It’s about making sales, not pretty pictures.

WR: Why do you specialize in print marketing design in today’s multimedia world?

JD: Well, 15 years ago when I was starting out as a graphic designer, web design technologies weren’t as user-friendly as they are today. I preferred the real-time rendering and previewing I could get while working on a print piece. Also, I really like the physical nature of the finished product, holding that piece of paper with the full-color design printed on it. But I have strong networking relationships with web specialists and other types of designers, so I’m always happy to help a client who needs design for other media as well.