Impact
Writing for E-zines (Part 2)
Dear
Associate,
Let's
continue our topic on creating impact for e-zines:
4)
Set the tone from the beginning. Use a single voice to
communicate your thoughts. Be careful with editors who unknowingly
change your tone. You don't want a stitched-together, Frankenstein-created
article.
For
instance, Martha Stewart has her individual tone. Star Jones
has hers. Mixing the two tones is suicide because each transmit
very unique vibes.
Another
example:
B.B.
King is bringing down the house, but then his guitar snaps
a string, and his backup is still in transit. You happen to
have yours there and offer it to him. B.B. plucks your guitar
and although the sound is different, the tone is uniquely
his. There's no mistake—B.B. King fans can tell it's
him blazing those blues.
You
may not be aware but there's a rhythm that comes from your
writing. Something keeping beat in the background. A dynamic
pulse that isn't heard, but felt. And as in music, if you
break that rhythm—you'll create confusion.
To
prevent this, set your unique tone...
Use
your voice throughout the article. Employ words and phrases
you'd normally use in your daily conversation. Avoid clashing
contrary ideas into one sentence.
Suggestions:
If you write a financial newsletter, you might take a bold
and confident tone. For a gardening publication, your tone
can appear informative—brimming with ideas. And for a
business opportunity e-zine, you may consider an excited and
positive tone.
Now
let's tie everything together with:
5)
Bucket Brigade copy. This prevents eyeballs from leaving
your message. It connects thoughts, paragraphs and continues
the rhythm.
This
goes back to the days when volunteer firemen formed a line
to heave buckets of water to put out a fire. Each man was
important. One man collapsing would break the flow.
The
same holds true with your copy. An abrupt break destroys the
flow and may give your readers a reason to question you. For
example:
"It's
two outs in the ninth with the bases loaded, game tied at
three, and the home team's hottest slugger at bat. The crowd
held their breath and were on their toes. Lou was on the mound
for the visiting team during this twilight thriller.
"The
game was called off and rescheduled for the following day.
A sigh of relief as the fans headed for their cars. They knew
this would create extra pressure for Lou."
There
was something missing between the paragraphs. There's no transition.
Something like, "All of a sudden—the lights went
out..."
These
transitions help connect and smooth out two bodies of thought.
It continues the copy flow. It keeps people's eyeballs glued
to your message.
Another
critical issue that's important to impact writing is:
6)
Letting it breathe. There's nothing worse than suffocating.
Especially from overcrowding. If you get a chance to ride
the Muni buses through San Francisco's Chinatown, you'd understand
the meaning of gasping for air.
And
the same holds true for your copy.
If
you have three or four thoughts that belong in three or four
paragraphs, it's better not to squeeze them into one. You'd
suffocate your readers with that single paragraph. And you'd
confuse them.
Here's
an example taken from a live webpage...
"Nothing
makes people feel more appreciated than a kind word or two
contained in a personalized greeting card from you. It works
because it's unexpected, shows attention to detail, and it
communicates your message in a way that's virtually guaranteed
to be well received. And now, the process of sending a greeting
card couldn't be easier, using our automated greeting card
sender."
The
salesman is making too many assumptions and is trying to sell
me in one paragraph. He's assuming I'm drooling over his persuasive
message and dying to give him a call.
NOT!
This
might have worked in 1906, but it doesn't work in 2006.
Separate
your thoughts, use as much space as necessary, and allow your
audience to follow you without feeling squeezed. If limited
space is an issue: it's better to reduce your message to keep
within limits rather than being guilty of paragraph clutter.
And
never, never, never:
7)
Put the cart before the horse. Too often business clients
are introducing their product, service, or event too soon
in their marketing promotion. There's no building up. They've
put a roof over the foundation before the walls were even
built.
In
those promos, the prospect feels rushed and leaves in a quick
heartbeat because she feels she's being sold. People don't
want to be sold. Period.
Here
are the first three paragraphs from an author's homepage:
"Everyone
is on a lifelong journey of change. It is how effectively
we deal with change that determines whether we lead an ordinary
existence or a heroic life that fulfills our personal and
professional vision and dreams!
"We
provide consulting services and products that promote personal
growth, organizational transformation and global evolution.
Our goal is to help individuals and organizations make the
most of change so they can:
"Fulfill
their mission with greater clarity and ease,
Bring richer meaning and depth to their personal and professional
lives, and
Positively affect the future of the world in which we live."
Did
you feel you were slapped upside the head with her services?
From out of nowhere, she wants you to know she can help you.
Without even introducing the need for her services.
And
talk about a horseless cart...
I
subscribe to over two dozen e-zines. A couple of them offer
little value. Each time I receive one of those, I scan for
something valuable, but usually I quickly delete them. It
seems all the publisher wants to do is pitch me on some product.
The
message goes like this:
"I've
got this great product for you. So-and-so, who is the expert
on such-and-such, produced it. And because of my relationship
with her, you have the chance to buy it on sale."
Yeesh!
That's
the bulk of the message. There's nothing engaging at all.
It's a shallow sales pitch.
I'm
left asking, "Who the hell cares?"
But
that's not you. You care. You're not one of them. Your growing
readership appreciates you.
If
you want your readers to know, like, trust, and buy from you—you
must deliver valuable content. And from your unique voice.
Offer information that gives them the edge in their daily
affairs and you will have a colleague for life.
Warm
Regards,
Want
to include this article in your newsletter? You can if you
include this blurb:
Tommy Yan helps business owners and entrepreneurs make more
money through direct response marketing. He publishes Tommy's
Tease weekly e-zine to inspire people to succeed in business
and personal growth. Get your free subscription today at www.TommyYan.com. |
