Reel in reader attention with captions that captivate
Your readers might just skim your text (sorry!), but chances are they’ll look more closely at the headline, photo and caption. Ideally, those three elements together should tell most of the story, in case the reader bypasses the rest of the article altogether. Photos...
Boring topic? Here are 3 tips to spin your ‘straw’ into gold
So, you need to write about something important. The problem is, it’s boring or routine. You know the topics. They’re necessary, but they aren’t the sexiest. Safety reminders, maybe, or a potentially dry explanation of a (zzzz….) process...
Like a pair of ‘90-pound chicken nuggets’ and more expressive writing
Do you want to explain something, make a point or maybe just spark a laugh? Give readers and listeners a shortcut to understanding by reaching for similes, which use “like” or “as” to show how two things are alike. (Metaphors do the same thing...
34 ways to kick ‘unprecedented’ to the curb (Wordnerdery)
No doubt you’ve lost count of the number of times the word “unprecedented” has come your way in the past few months. It’s a go-to word for newspaper headlines, concerned emails and earnest messages from CEOs, marketers and politicians. Google Trends shows little...
What’s the best length for my e-newsletter?
Thanks to the pandemic, we’re not getting together in person much anymore. So what’s a marketer to do? Writer, digital marketer and huge newsletter fan Ann Handley calls this “a time to build relationships, nurture customers, and create long-term loyalty.” In her...
The Red Jacket Diaries are closed for a staycation
The top 10 in the Red Jacket Diaries so far in 2020
Is your head spinning to realize that 2020 is half over? (And thank goodness for that, although I’m still a little nervous about the murder hornets, the second wave of COVID-19 and other coming attractions.) That means it’s time for a backward look at the most-viewed...
15 ways to get to the heart of headlines (Wordnerdery)
You’ve created a terrific article, blog post, marketing email or other sparkly bit of content. Now, how do you entice people to read it? Start with an appealing headline. But wait, please don’t reach for a “clickbait” headline. You know, the ones that use...