Shopping for writers and readers? Here are 12 ideas
Some of my neighbours have had Christmas lights up for weeks. U.S. Thanksgiving is done like turkey dinner, and we’re hurtling towards the Festive Season. So, time for my third annual roundup of gift ideas for writers, readers and word-and-punctuation nerds. 1. “I’m a...
Wordnerdery: Help readers understand when you explain
Noise is a big issue around airports. A jet taking off can produce an average of 100 to 120 decibels. That’s as noisy as it is in the front row of a rock concert. If, like airports, your business makes noise that’s affecting your neighbours, you want to show that...
Is long the best length for a blog post?
Long? Really long? Or short? You’ll find all kinds of advice on the internet about how long you should make your blog post. This is top of mind these days with the results of Orbit Media’s 2017 survey of 1,000+ bloggers, which show: The average blog post is 1,142...
What’s the best length for my e-newsletter?
“How much content is too much content in a newsletter?” wondered reader Danielle Wintrip after my post with quotes about e-newsletters. Good question. The quick answer is that “too much” varies, but you’re best off keeping your e-newsletter short. With attention spans...
‘Best, cheapest, easiest’ and more praise for e-newsletters
Do you use an email newsletter to reach customers, prospects, blog readers or employees? If so, you know that e-newsletters are far from dinosaurs, and an online search for comment shows they are alive and well. Here’s some praise for e-newsletters: “Email...
Wordnerdery: 10 tips for an effective non-profit newsletter
Email newsletters are one of the most effective ways non-profit organizations can stay in touch with supporters, and an “effective channel to send prospects to your fundraising page.” So says John Haydon, a digital marketing expert who helps non-profits and charities...
Tragically, Gord’s gone, but his words live on
Like many Canadians, I was dismayed to hear of the death this week of Gord Downie, just 53, quirky lead singer of Canada’s Tragically Hip. His diagnosis with an incurable brain tumour last year made the ending inevitable, but it still came as a shock. Like many...
Businesses lose when they don’t follow up
When a company fails to follow up with a customer who is ready to buy, or who has stopped coming back for service, you have to wonder. Is business so great the people running the place don’t care? No, more likely the problem is lack of followup. Customers want help...