UX Lessons for Writers: Interview with Kristine Remer

Kristine Remer

Like anyone who writes web content, I’ve been learning about the evolving field of web usability. By now, we understand that web design goes galaxies beyond what’s pretty — it has to be efficient, intuitive and built for speed. And that, in turn, affects how we write. Some basics you probably already know: Website users [...]

Home Improvement Dilemma: Replace the Hideous Shag Carpeting, or Save Energy and Money?

ZONEFIRST Retro Round Zone Dampers save time and labor with Plug & Play wiring.

Elmwood Park, NJ, June 7, 2010 – They may not grace the pages of a home decorating magazine, but “invisible” home improvement projects that save energy and money in a down economy – such as adding zoning to a home’s HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system – are gaining momentum, say industry sources. HVAC [...]

DIY copywriting? Get back to the basics.

Dear “Almost” Small Business Client, I understand why you back-burnered my copywriting proposal. I really do. The recession has hit your business hard, and maybe you got cold feet. You figured, shouldn’t I save a buck and just do this writing myself? You know how I feel about this subject, of course. What might take [...]

Marketing Yourself: Taking Heart from Google’s Super Bowl Ad

bleeding-heart

I saw Google’s Super Bowl Ad last night. And I’m a little embarrassed to admit it, but those simple, typewritten (and sometimes misspelled) searches — telling the story of a nameless, faceless guy moving to Paris, falling in love with a French girl, then settling down and starting a family — evoked a few nanoseconds [...]

Hairnets: Can They Bring Out Your Wild Side?

Minnesota bloggers at Feed My Starving Children, Jan. 2010

If you’d pay good money for a photo of me in a hairnet, I’m afraid you’re out of luck. But I did don one for our Minnesota bloggers’ event at Feed My Starving Children — and I’m afraid it made me a little giddy. I was paired with my travel writer friend, Beth Blair, and [...]

Minnesota Bloggers Gather to Network, Volunteer for a Great Cause

Photo courtesy Feed My Starving Children

If you’ve been searching Twitter for anything Minnesota-related, you may have come across a conversation that’s been going on between 40 Minnesota bloggers under the “#MinnBloggersEvent” hashtag. Turns out, it’s much more than just a blogger meet-up — participants will also donate their time to an organization called Feed My Starving Children, which is contributing to [...]

Business Networking: How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

pasque-flower

As a Twin Cities-based copywriter and recent “transplant” to the area, I was lucky enough to find a new home with a stunning perennial garden. At least for now, I’m surrounded by flowers when I sit by my window to write. (Believe me, I’m drinking it in before the snow flies here in Minnesota — [...]

Selling to Women Friends: Is it Possible Without Ruining Your Relationship?

I came across Seth Godin’s recent post, “Strangers and Friends,” and it got me thinking. Godin makes the distinction between selling to strangers and selling to friends, saying that whom you’re targeting makes a huge difference in how you design and deliver your message. Agreed. You do have a much lower “hurdle” in targeting your [...]

Pardon the Interruption?

As a professional marketer and copywriter in a Web 2.0 world, I’ve noted with growing wonder my impatience with the interruptions of advertising messages. I mean, shouldn’t I adore being the lucky recipient of thousands of advertising messages a day? (Ugh. I really don’t.) I have a feeling I’m not alone in this sea of [...]

Bragging for Business 101

Photo courtesy Creative Commons

The idea of bragging has made its way into my consciousness over the past couple of weeks. You know, bragging? Unabashedly telling people about your latest achievements or finest attributes without so much as a cringe or a reddening of the cheeks? Here’s why bragging is on my mind: First, I came across a wildly [...]